What better way to kick off the month of October than with a RAH event that encompasses many of the things that make autumn great?

That’s exactly what RAH set out to do.

On Thursday night, Rowan After Hours hosted a fun night of fall DIYs and German-themed activities in and around the Student Center pit, called RAHtoberfest.

One of the main attractions of the event was the felt pumpkin craft. Students could sit with friends and sew a pumpkin following simple instructions. A fun filled pumpkin craft signalled the beginning of autumn.

Among the participants was Melissa Green, a sophomore mechanical engineering major. She attended the event to make the felt pumpkins, but was in for a treat when she realized there was more to the festivities than just crafts.

“I was glad there [was] more stuff, namely the live polka music,” Green said.

The band, called Polkadelphia, started playing about an hour into the event. The band consists of four members that are lively and interactive by frequently leaving the stage to connect with the crowd.

Polkadelphia played a multitude of songs, ranging from polka-style movie themes such as those from “Titanic” and the “Star Wars” series, to “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor. They even performed a few German songs that inspired students to get up and dance during the show.

Occasionally, the band would pause to make a toast in German. At one point, a band member came off the stage to clink objects, usually cell phones, together with audience members, as if the objects were beverages.

Like every RAH event, a spread of food and drinks was provided at RAHtoberfest. Sticking with the German theme, the food consisted of sauerkraut, which was made available all through the night. The midnight food bar was German chocolate cake, along with a keg of root beer. 

Outside the Student Center, there was even more fun to be had. Starting at the Esbjornson Gym, students could hop in a horse-drawn carriage that passed Robinson Hall and looped back to the gym.

Along with all the fun activities, attendees could take a step toward staying healthy this upcoming flu season by getting their flu shot. The event, which was cosponsored by the Wellness Center, provided students with the flu vaccine. After receiving the vaccine, the students were then given a ticket to enter a raffle for a basket filled with prizes.

RAHtoberfest was largely organized by Lauren Kuski, the assistant director of Rowan After Hours. She helped to bring elements of past activities, like the DIY pumpkins, together in one fun and different event.

“Rowan experienced a similar manifestation of the German Octoberfest spirit in 2014, when the homecoming theme was PROFtoberfest,” Kuski said.

Kuski wants to make the Rowan campus as inviting as possible through RAH events and encourages students to submit future RAH ideas through the SCCA website.

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