This weekend, City College groups are making Halloween more than just a night of partying on the streets of Isla Vista. Three different groups on campus are hosting separate events of family fun, community outreach and free entertainment to celebrate the holiday.
“They’re great events so I hope that the students take advantage of it,” said Athletic Director Rocco Constantino. “We’re always a little nervous when we’re doing something new, but the students seem excited about it.
To start off the Halloween festivities, the athletic department is bringing trick-or-treating to Loma Alta Drive. This event puts a spin on the usual knock on the door for a handful of candy concept. The “Trunk Or Treat” event will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m on Friday, Oct. 27, on Parking Lot 2C, adjacent to La Playa Stadium.
“Our goal for the trunk or treat is to put on a nice community event for kids in the community,” Constantino said. “I’ve always believed that the athletics should give back to the community.
“I think it’s important to use that platform for good in the community and us being a community college it makes sense to try to do that.”
The department will provide games and a photo booth for spooky pictures. Forty cars are expected to show up for the children to go trick or treating at.
SBCC Athletics, the Black Student Union, the Still I Rise Club, the Wellness Connection and other groups will each have their own Halloween-themed cars with a candy-filled trunk. The event is free of charge.
The Halloween festivities do not stop at Parking Lot 2C. The SBCC Neighborhood Task Force and the Office of Student Life is hosting a free screening of two Halloween classics. There will be pizza and snacks and the event is from 6:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m Saturday, Oct. 28, on the West Campus Lawn outside the Luria Library.
The first movie, screened at 7 p.m, will be a walk down memory lane for students. Amy Collins, program advisor for student life, explained that she picked the Disney Channel Original Movie “Halloweentown” for students to be able to look back on their times when they were younger.
The Movie Night finishes with the 1988 cult classic “Beetlejuice”. “Beetlejuice” about a married couple that is haunted in their home by a strange family. It is advised to bring lawn chairs and blankets since the temperature is expected to be around 60 degrees at night.
Both Constantino and Collins agreed that one of the priorities of these events is to keep students safe, while also giving them a fun time.
“The overall goal is to bring the campus and community together while offering an opportunity to our students to celebrate Halloween instead of going downtown or our out to Isla Vista,” Collins said.
Lastly, the Campus Store will be hosting the “Thriller Halloween” event from 11 a.m to 1 p.m on Monday, Oct. 31 in the Campus Store.
The Cosmetology Department is offering free special effects makeup to prepare the attendees for a spooky Halloween night. Inside the store there will be free candy, costume contests, a photo booth and dancing, along with the store’s annual fall sale. This event is sponsored by the World Dance for Humanity in partnership with the SBCC Ambassadors.
“I know a lot of people that are dressing up. They have a lot of activities planned. I think it’ll be a really great thing for students,” said political science major Alida Nicklas who works at the Starbucks inside the Campus Store.
