On the 7th of November 2024 our long-awaited Halloween party took place in campus. Organized by 113-1 student association Queeens, the requirements were simple, “Be creative, express oneself through the costume and come to have a good time”, which our attendees did in fact do, showing up with good energy and fun costumes. They all ranged from spooky to cute, as well as funny or relatable. The delicacies were also there to be enjoyed by everyone, and in true party fashion it included delicious pizza, aperitifs and refreshing tea options. And of course, there was a variety of trick-or-treat candy to fully adopt the Halloween celebration spirit, which the students also enjoyed. One of our students also thought of bringing a basket of candy distributing it to all the people attending which added to the atmosphere. After signing the attendance sheet, the students were allowed to enter and the first quarter of the party included them meeting their peers and enjoying the food, making room for a more relaxed atmosphere where everybody could strike a fun conversation while awaiting the planned activities by the student association.

After everybody was full and ready for the second quarter, the host Neri welcomed them officially to the party and introduced the movie quarter, where everyone could sit and watch a short one-hour scary movie to further channel the spooky vibes. Students were also allowed to go outside in small groups in front of the venue to take pictures of their amazing costumes, but everybody made sure to be there for the crucial parts of the movie, especially the ending, sitting next to their close friends, while occasionally discussing about the movie or the party. The movie left an impression, not only because of its visual effects but also because of the message that it transmitted to its viewers, it being that life is worth living if we allow ourselves to love and be loved fully by letting go of our egos.

After the movie was finished, it was time for what we can certainly deem as the success and highlight of the party, the KTV marathon! Given that our students were sitting in groups, the rule was that each group comes up with a song which they would then sing and perform together. In exchange they can pick as much candy from the trick-or-treat area as they wish. We can proudly say that our programs have some very talented and creative students, their choices in songs varied from fun and upbeat to heartbreaking or heartwarming, to which the audience could relate and would engage with all of the performers, singing along, or turning on their phone’s flashlights for a more relaxed feel for everyone. Some laughs ensued and some tears were shed, making the attendees feel more at ease with each other. There were also some personal requests for individual singing performances which were certainly accepted and included, adding to the fun for all.

While the karaoke marathon was taking place, students were asked to observe and vote for two categories of costumes, one being the scariest costume and the other the most creative costume. The winners would then be announced at the end of the marathon, and of course rewarded with a small price for their creativity. And the audience did make sure to vote, selecting two very deserving winners who the host then handed the price to individually. It was a very nice instance to see how supportive our students are of each other.

Lastly, after the prize distribution, the students could stay longer to join the dance session with a carefully selected playlist from the student association members, including hits of all time. The host encouraged the attendees to join the dance floor and let go of any shyness, as such fun moments remain in our memory and we should join them when we can, without being worried about other people’s perception because we were all there to have a good time. The student association was happy to see that all attendees got on the dance floor and everyone was having a good time, so much that they did not want to leave and were sad when the end of the night was announced. What is even more remarkable, is that everyone helped cleaning up the venue and all left it together, saying thank you to the student association for organizing a fun night and thank you to each other for having been such good company.

We would like to conclude that this is all what our events are for. Learning something new, reinforcing and bringing out our talented and creative selves, connecting with others and most importantly, having a good time. The Halloween event was certainly a success and we, as this semester’s student association, are more than happy and grateful to have had the opportunity to organize such an event. It will certainly remain in everyone’s happy memories and we wish for our future students to have the chance to have these experiences also, enriching their student life with moments they can look back on and reminisce with fondness!