Veronica Novotny
Editor-in-Chief
Hundreds of students, faculty and alumni filled Finnegan Fieldhouse Monday at 5:30 p.m. for Franciscan University of Steubenville’s annual Gaming Fest, the first in two years.
Over a hundred students had already lined up in the fieldhouse lobby 15 minutes before the doors opened. Despite the two buffet tables on either side of the fieldhouse, the line on both sides went all the way from the far corners to the main doors for an entire hour.
In addition to two buffets with bratwurst, German potato salad, spaetzle, sauerkraut and mustard, there were separate tables for pretzels, desserts and drinks.
Students over the age of 21 received wristbands that entitled them to up to four free beers over the course of the three-hour event. Alumni were entitled to unlimited beer.
The soundtrack of “The Sound of Music” played in the background along with traditional Austrian volksdans music.
John Herrmann, director of student financial services and stateside head of the university’s Austria Program, introduced the campus premiere of the university’s new promotional video on the Austria program.
The six-minute video featured footage from the fall 2019 semester interspersed with footage from the last 30 years. The video was set over a recording of the late Rev. Michael Scanlan, TOR, giving a speech during an inaugural dinner in 1991. The video was released online Tuesday to commemorate 30 years of the study abroad program.
The feast of St. Francis of Assisi on Oct. 4 was celebrated as a solemnity on campus, while Wednesday, Oct. 6, celebrated the feast of St. Bruno, the founder of the Carthusian monks which were the origin of the Kartause’s name.
Sophomore Abby Duhaime said, “I thought that Gaming Fest was a really fun event that also had really good food! I was super glad that I was able to go with a lot of household sisters as well!”
Gaming Fest was sponsored and hosted by Student Life.