The Rose Hill Senior Week Committee hosted their second annual Oktoberfest event on Thursday, Oct. 13.
Following the first Senior Week’s event of the year, Senior Toast, the Oktoberfest event was an opportunity for current seniors to reflect on their time at Fordham, connect and network with other seniors and celebrate the rest of the year ahead.
The event was filled with food, drinks and an Oktoberfest theme, which attracted 544 seniors underneath the bleachers at Moglia Stadium, the primary venue where most Senior Week events are held.
Students could be seen dressed in their finest lederhosen and dirndl celebrating the occasion to the fullest extent as they ate bratwurst and pretzels and the ambiance of the Bavarian-inspired event.
Matthew Reese, GSB ’24, the Senior Week operation’s co-chair, commented on Senior Week’s success so far by saying that the committee “wants seniors to attend these events.” He added, “We want it to be well attended and enjoy the moment where you get to go to social events and career-building opportunities while simultaneously enjoying the last year of undergrad.”
With the event being focused on seniors, it echoed the sentiment that the Senior Week Committee holds that senior year is the most valuable year to make the most out of the community and immediate connections within the senior year class before moving on into the workforce or graduate school.
On Oct. 27, the committee will be holding a Resume Workshop in conjunction with the Career Center. The primary purpose of many of the events that the Senior Week committee puts on is to give tips and tricks to set seniors apart from others in job searches.
Working closely with the Office of Student Involvement (OSI) and the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), the conjunction between the three campus groups led to the success of the second annual hosting of this event, with Leigh Marie Weber, the assistant director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, having worked closely with the 2023-24 Senior Week Coordinators, such as the committee’s Nights Coordinator Kylie Webb, FCRH ’24, to put on the event.
Weber said, “This year it seemed to have done very well, and we’re excited for the next event.”
As Senior Week partnered with OMA to put on the Oktoberfest event, the conjunction between these two groups embodied the values that OMA holds and strives to instill in their programs and offerings to students.
On OMA’s website, it says, “The Office of Multicultural Affairs is dedicated to developing and implementing university-wide programs and initiatives aligned with diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Students that get involved with OMA are able to enhance their multicultural and intercultural competency by actively learning how to be leaders in a diverse society.”
With nearly a month of planning ahead for this event, the success of both this event and Senior Toast shines a light forward and into future events’ successes as student interest and engagement in activities put on by the Senior Week Committee remains strong and is growing.
With this being the “first real event of the year,” as Reese stated to the Ram, the confirmed date of Senior Week’s next major event to come is Nov. 9.
Though finalized details were not disclosed to the Ram about the event. Seniors can expect to attend an event under the bleachers with a similar style
and feel to the Oktoberfest event.
In terms of future events to come, seniors are urged to check their emails for updates on events that the Senior Week Committee is holding.
