Rutgers Global brings attention to international opportunities with Oktoberfest
If you were one of the many people studying at the Livingston Student Center on October 1, you might have heard traditional German music coming from Livingston Hall or smelled the aroma of bratwurst and pretzels and thought, "What is going on in there?"
It was the annual celebration of Oktoberfest, held by Rutgers Global and the Department of Germanic, Russian and East European Languages and Literatures.
Attendees could choose from a delicious array of traditional German foods, including pretzels, bratwurst and apple cider.
The Rutgers Global program brought in a guest speaker, Nicholas Rennie, an associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in the School of Arts and Sciences, to discuss the history of Oktoberfest. He also touched on study abroad and scholarship opportunities for those interested in a semester in Berlin.
Though the event serves as a chance for students to convene and enjoy some food, the primary purpose was to let students know about these resources.
Greg Costalas, the assistant director of programming and events of Rutgers Global, believes that it is critical for Rutgers to bring experiences from across the world to Rutgers.
"We have a study abroad team, and they do a great job of getting our population outside New Jersey, outside the U.S., to experience other cultures," Costalas said. "But not everyone can do it, whether it's for financial reasons or for academic reasons ... Even if you can't study abroad in Germany or go to Japan, we're bringing a little bit of that here so that students can experience it."
One such person who attended this event was Purva Mohanty, a sophomore in the School of Environmental and Biological Studies. While she had some apprehensions, she was encouraged to go to this event by Rennie, who's the professor of her philosophy class.
"For me, it's monetary reasons why I haven't (studied abroad)," Mohanty said. "I'm aware of the scholarships and all that. But it's a bit intimidating to go into that ... I do want to study abroad in Germany, so I will take it into more consideration."
In addition to speakers, there was a Global Ambassadors table with students who had experience studying abroad in various locations, ready to answer students' questions.
This included Global Ambassador Kiera McGinty, a senior in the School of Communication and Information, who studied in Rome at John Cabot University this past spring.
"So, one thing that studying abroad, for me in particular, really helped with was adjustment and changing environments," said McGinty. "I think it really is important to learn about culture, to gain new perspectives. That's something I want to continue to do into my career, just gain new perspectives from new people."
Although the food ran out very fast, it was representative of a great turnout. The Rutgers Global team and the Department of Germanic, Russian and East European Languages and Literatures created a great atmosphere with traditional music and beautiful decorations. It was, all in all, a great event to build community, learn about a new culture and try some free food.
