Fresno State Spotlight Events hosted a Halloween event on Thursday. Spotlight Spooktacular allowed students to celebrate Halloween with food, games and music among friends.
It took place from 6-10 p.m. at the Memorial Gardens on campus.
“The purpose of this event is to bring students together on campus in a safe manner and just have a big fun Halloween party and get students excited for the holiday tomorrow,” said Janesa Aldasoro, a student event coordinator for Spotlight Events.
Fresno State organizations participated in the event, including the Student Health and Counseling Center, Dog Days and Associated Students, Incorporated (ASI).
“This is supposed to be a social [activity], so students not only have fun, they know a little bit more of who we are and what we do and they also have the opportunity to meet other students,” said Miyah Carrillo, the student affairs and engagement senator for ASI.
Students like Tshiab Sihang, who dressed up as a grandma with her two friends, attended the event to celebrate Halloween.
“It [Spotlight Spooktacular] brings the community together,” Sihang said. “Everybody is enjoying themselves and creating new friends.”
The event provided a variety of interactive activities with friends, such as a photo-op, minigolf, a chair swing ride, pumpkin painting and a basketball arcade trailer.
More interactive features were added to the event compared to last year’s Spotlight Spooktacular. Jessie Garcia, an independent contractor, participated in the event to offer participants tarot card readings.
“I’m really excited to work with students today to just give them an idea of themselves instead of being told what they are,” Garcia said.
Food was provided at the event by food vendors and consisted of dirty sodas, funnel cakes, birria and ramen. Food vendors included Dirty Sippin, Birrieria El Taco Solito and Sanchez Funnel Cakes.
“I didn’t expect it to be this big an event,” said Alyssa Moore, a cashier for Dirty Sippin. “I’m gonna go walk out later and go explore.”
Spotlight Events provided a first-come, first-serve voucher system to allow students to order food from food vendors without having to pay. Table sets were provided for participants of the event to sit down and eat.
Contests took place towards the end of the event at 8-10 p.m. The first competition was a pie-eating contest. The winner of the pie-eating contest was Linda Torres, a sophomore theater arts major with an emphasis in tech design.
“I feel very high on adrenaline,” Torres said. “I thought it was a cool experience to add to my scrapbook of life.”
Torres was encouraged by her friends to celebrate Halloween at the Spooktacular event. She best describes the event as energetic and community-driven.
“Being college students, we are under a lot of stress, so it’s good to have little get-togethers like this just so you can let your hair down,” Torres said.
A mummy wrap contest and a costume contest also took place after the pie-eating contest. The costume contest was split into separate categories for the cutest, scariest, funniest and best group outfits.
Students danced in the middle of the courtyard to music provided by DJ Burns as the event came to a close.
Students are encouraged by ASI to attend a “Día de los Muertos” tabling event taking place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 3 at the Free Speech Area.
