As an annual campus event, the International Students Association, or ISA, hosted the Halloween Dance on Friday, Oct. 26.
ISA coordinator Naomi Yota, ISA officers and Global Leaders from the Office of International Education put a lot of effort to make this event stand out. They started planning the event in September, and they tried their best to promote it to all students on campus.
Naomi Yota said, “I want to thank those who invested their time planning this event. I could not have done this without my supervisor, Eva Juarez, International Students Engagement Specialist. I also had so much help from full time staff such as Nora Lance, Abby Lynn, Bradley Huggins and the student volunteers. We did not have much time to build the haunted house, and it was the first haunted house we have ever done. It is a surprise to me that so many people showed up at the door, and around 200 people attended the Fright Night.”
The event started at 6:30 p.m. with all activities and food ready. This year, people enjoyed the haunted house where ISA volunteers dressed as ghosts and did a fantastic job scaring others. The food, especially the wood-fired pizza provided by the pizza kitchen in the housing cafe was also a highlight. Jeanna Shockley said, “It was a hit that Friday night. People liked the pizza and other food we provided.” Shockley also indicated that she is trying to get more varieties of food at the kitchen for people to choose in the future.
Irene Wright, a campus resident who went to the party commented, “The Halloween Dance was very affordable for BC students, and it was great to socialize with other fellow friends. Especially with people in the student housing since many of us don’t all get together.” Her favorite part was the photo booth on the second floor of the party because of the props and the Stranger Things theme. Wright mentioned, “I’m planning to transfer, but I would totally come back to this event again if I could.”
Although many students do not live on campus, they still went to this event for the fun. Kristina Nguyen said at the event, “I really like the food, the pudding, and all the food is warm. I think the haunted house is the best part of the party because the scarers are really good actors.” Jessica Pineda continued, “The bathrooms are surprisingly decorated with Halloween theme. The haunted house was a highlight, so I went in a couple times. I enjoy the music because it is a diverse playlist.”
Yaroslav Kidik, one of the student Global Leaders who participated in Fright Night commented, “The Halloween Dance party is one of the biggest events here at BC. I was lucky to attend this event a second time during my entire college experience and help with preparation and organization. It was a great opportunity for us to forget about upcoming midterm exams and just share the moment of joy and excitement with the BC family.” Kidik continued, “I really liked the relaxing atmosphere at the event. The haunted house was the coolest thing I ever experienced at events like this.”
Another student Global Leader, Tiffany Adams shared her experience. “The Halloween event was an explosion of culture and enjoyment as people danced and enjoyed a holiday. The Residence Hall was transformed by Halloween decorations and full of creative festive outfits. The new wood fired pizzas aroma filled the air, and the dry iced drinks flowed with pudding and candied worms as a few of the choice food selections. It was a night of relaxing enjoyment and a holiday experience that will be remembered by the students here at BC.”
It was a blast at Fright Night, and student clubs like ISA want to bring more fun to our campus community. Students can find out about more events hosted by ISA or OIE by following @isabellevuecollege and @oiegibellevuecollege on Instagram or going to Student Programs.