Student Uses All HEERF Funds On A Single Oktoberfest Beer

aturday, October 2, marked the 25th annual Oktoberfest for Iowa City. The celebration included many familiar traditions including beer on tap, live music, plenty of food, and a reason to get drunk in the afternoon beyond the usual “it’s Iowa City on a Saturday”. This year’s festivities happened to coincide with many students receiving their HEERF funds, which made for a dangerous combination for many UI students. Senior Lucas Franklin is just one of many tragic stories. Franklin spent the entirety of his HEERF funds on a single beer.

“It seemed like a good deal at the time,” Franklin recalled, “I remember looking at the mugs and thinking they looked pretty big. I came to the festival pretty drunk already so it’s possible my judgement was slightly off.”

Unfortunately for Franklin, and so many like him, HEERF relief funds were supposed to be set aside and saved for other important life events.

“I was going to use the money to pay off my student loans,” he said. “Whatever was left I was thinking about using as a safety deposit for my next apartment and maybe helping out my parents, they could have really used that money.”

Despite the losses he suffered that day, Franklin has managed to find some positive in all this.

“It’s not all bad though, I did get a mug that’s sitting in the back corner of my cupboard. I doubt I’ll ever use it, but at least I have it.”

Even as he’s managed to find an upside, Franklin has found the financial losses of the day isn’t even the hardest part. For him, it’s the disappointment.

“The main reason I did it was I was expecting like really good beer,” he explained, “but I’m pretty sure it was just Busch light. It may have even been watered-down Busch Light. After I finished it I felt less drunk than I did before. Now I have to look my buddies in the eye and tell them I blew all my HEERF money on shit beer I could have gotten at Hyvee for five bucks.”