Halloween is significant to many people, especially kids. This is why input from kids is an important part of planning fun events such as the Halloween Dance, the Halloween Costume Contest, and the Eyeball Toss, which were all done at McAuliffe. The ASB committee Spirit and Activities planned several events for Halloween, and all were a hit with students at the school.

The McAuliffe Halloween Dance had a DJ and numerous snacks and games to help create a welcoming environment for the students. Spirit and Activities committee leader Gaby Ibarra commented on the environment she wanted at the dance, stating, “I want it to be fun.” Ibarra pointed out that the hardest part about organizing and planning the dance was promoting it, claiming, “We have to put ourselves in their shoes.” This shows how important and difficult it is to know how to promote events to all different kinds of people. Ibarra felt the dance went very well and voiced that the attendance was “more than expected.” The desired attendance at the dance was 150 students. 

Furthermore, there was ample attendance at the contest as well as the Eyeball Toss. Many prizes were given out at the Eyeball Toss. Students who got the eyeballs, which were really ping-pong balls, in the pumpkin basket received two small candies, and students who landed it in the cauldrons received one king-sized candy. Although there were not many difficulties setting up the Eyeball Toss, there were still obstacles to overcome during the event. Ibarra went on to state, “The eyeballs were flying everywhere,” showing that catching and returning eyeballs to storage baskets after the participants had thrown them proved to be very difficult.

Fortunately, the event was able to proceed, and Chelsea Estrada, a member of the Spirit and Activities committee commented, “[It was the] best event we had by far.” Moreover, this kind of success was seen with the Halloween Costume Contest, which took place shortly before the dance. The promotion for the contest was similar to the other events, and so was the turnout. According to Ibarra, the majority of the spots in the ODAT (Outdoor Amphitheater), where the contest took place, were occupied by participants. Judges for the contest included Trent Massey and Ella Pardasani, co-presidents of ASB, as well as lively history teacher Mr. Thomson. There were not as many difficulties faced with planning the contest, with Ibarra going on to voice, “It was really hectic, so we’ve learned from the mistakes of our past.”

Spirit and Activities went to great lengths to make Halloween enjoyable this year, and with the amazing turnout, creative events, and meticulous planning behind it all, it’s safe to say that the celebratory events shaped up to be a massive success.