Moorpark College hosted its Boo Bash event Tuesday, Oct. 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Raider Walk. Clubs passed out candy and hosted different Halloween–themed activities for students to partake in.
Many participating students and club representatives dressed in Halloween costumes, with some taking their outfits to the center stage to participate in a costume ranking contest in the latter half of the event.
The event was a collaborative effort primarily made possible by the Associated Students of Moorpark College, Black Student Union, A²MEND and Latinx Club. Additional clubs attended the event, adding to the overall sense of community that the event helped instill for many students. Students from all different sectors of campus life gathered together for the common cause of celebrating Halloween.
“There’s groups, so many different groups to represent you,” said Latinx Club co–president Justin Cantu. “If you want to identify more with your race, we have different groups for that. If you want to identify more [with] your major, we also have groups for that. At the end of the day, if you join one of those clubs, you’re becoming, like you see today, a bigger collective [part of Moorpark College].”
Many clubs had Halloween–themed activities for students to participate in while they learned more about the respective clubs. Nature’s Finest Club had a fishing activity in which students utilized a makeshift, wooden fishing rod. Students would cast the rod over a paper wall drawn out to resemble a pond. A club representative on the other side of the wall — unbeknown to the participant — would attach bait, a prize, to the rod.
While Nature’s Finest Club had a more interactive activity, the Film Club challenged students’ memory, specifically students’ movie knowledge, through trivia questions. For the sake of matching the Halloween theme, the trivia consisted of questions pertaining to popular horror movies and TV shows. Winners would receive a bag of popcorn popped on–the–spot.
“We’re trying to recruit people to Film Club but also just help students have fun and get to know each other,” said Film Club secretary Mia Alvarez. “People who come up to our booth are kind of becoming friends, like just talking to each other. [We’re] just facilitating that space.”
In addition to providing unique Halloween–themed activities for students to participate in, several clubs embraced the Halloween spirit with all of their represented club members wearing costumes resembling a similar theme. Black Student Union members wore “Soul Train” inspired outfits. The now-discontinued TV show “Soul Train” was a popular musical that consisted of a predominantly African–American cast.
“It’s a great event where everyone can just come in and express themselves,” said Black Student Union president Giavanna Pitts. “Our club, we’re Soul Train spooktacular. That’s something only the [Black Student Union] could put on … Latinx, they’re doing their thing, so we can embrace our cultures but also, you know, visit each other’s booths.”
The Latinx Club represented Día de Los Muertos with their booth design. It consisted of common elements associated with the cultural event, including ofrendas with photos honoring deceased important historical figures. Latinx Club representatives stylized their costumes with face paintings to resemble lifelike calaveras.
Most students culminated the event with a costume contest consisting of representatives from the host student organizations as judges. The contest was split up into several different costume categories with the winners announced after the final contestant was judged.
Director of Campus Events Angeli Kashaki described one of the most unique costumes she saw at the event. The costume comprised a hooded figure wearing all black. The student held a fake crow in one hand and had jewelry resembling Roman numerals draped around their neck.
“I love the dedication this person put into it, and I’m so thankful because today’s not Halloween,” said Kashaki. “So really, the students that came to participate had to go out of their way to come for this event, and I’m so thankful for it.”
Cantu summarized the event as connecting students, students consisting of unique backgrounds and associations, with the greater Moorpark College community.
“It helps bring the community together,” said Cantu. “It’s rare that after high school … where you can just be happy and just kind of have a joyful day and not be worried about people judging you. Here it feels like we’re trying to build that space where you don’t feel judged by what you do, what you look like or anything like that.”
Campus life at community colleges can be modest, however, the success of the Boo Bash has helped connect clubs, cultures and the community at large, emphasizing the diversity of Moorpark College.
