Students volunteer for elementary school ‘Oktoberfest’

IU students will be chicken-dancing this week at an Oktoberfest that does not serve beer.\nIU Germanic studies and Western European studies students will man booths from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Lakeview Elementary School’s Oktoberfest.\nInitially, the Oktoberfest idea was created just to draw more parents to come to the Parent Teacher Organization meeting, said Rachael Crouch, an assistant director of membership for the IU Alumni Association and Lakeview parent.\nParents would be more likely to come to a PTO meeting if dinner was provided and their children could stay, Crouch said. \nIf the event is as big a success as Lakeview’s PTO hopes, it will increase the attendance as much as 10-fold, said Lakeview Elementary School Principal Tommy Richardson.\n“When (the Oktoberfest) was first dreamed up, it was just a way to get more parents there,” Crouch said. “It’s now morphed into that plus education, plus entertainment.”\nPart of that education and entertainment will depend on the knowledge of IU students, said Troy Byler, Germanic studies outreach coordinator.\nAfter leading students and parent volunteers in the “chicken dance,” six IU students will be at different booths throughout the Lakeview gymnasium teaching the elementary students about German culture. Byler said this will include everything from learning how to say their names in German to writing to German pen pals.\n“(The event) has all kinds of magnificent opportunities to turn our kids on to something new and at the same time learn to respect and appreciate other cultures,” Richardson said.\nRichardson said IU student volunteers would be “great role models” of community service for the Lakeview students. He also said since Lakeview is in the rural area of Monroe County, he’s glad to see “the IU feel” reach out beyond schools closest to campus.\nWhile all agreed Oktoberfest would be a good educational vehicle, Crouch said the event was also chosen because it provided a theme for the dinner.\nCrouch said the foods had to be Americanized for Lakeview students. There will be sauerkraut and brats, but there will also be hotdogs and soft pretzels with cheese to appease the children.\nBut there is one Oktoberfest staple that will be missing.\n“Of course, we can’t integrate the beer into it,” Crouch said. “But, you know, we’re still going to have fun with it.”