Art by Samantha Miller
As Halloween approaches and distance learning continues, students who would normally dress up and celebrate around campus are finding alternative ways to get in the spirit.
Students are participating in church activities, attending drive-thru events by the Student Programming Board and innovating new ways to enjoy the spooky season with friends and family.
“I like Halloween because it’s an opportunity to be creative,” alumna Carolina Borjas (’20) said. “It is very energizing and challenging to create your own costume — that is why Halloween is very special to me. There is just nothing like Halloween.”
Junior Samuel Poe, the event planner on the Student Programming Board, said the organization is hosting a Zoom movie night Oct. 30, screening “The Addams Family” and “Goosebumps.”
Poe said the Board has also hosted Netflix watch parties, a pumpkin carving contest and other Zoom events so students can get to know each other better.
“Our aim is to bring students together and allow them to meet each other — especially at a time right now — so we have a level of community,” Poe said.
Poe mailed out pumpkins and carving kits to the first 100 students who signed up for their pumpkin carving contest. He said activities like this can be found on The Board’s Instagram or newsletter.
Even though The Board may not be able to host all the Halloween events they want to, Poe said he is excited for the holiday season.
“I really can’t pin it down, but I have always loved Halloween,” Poe said. “It is different from the other two, [Halloween is] — a little spookier — but it really ushers in the holiday season.”
This Halloween Borjas said she and her sister bought pumpkins from a local farm and will be carving them with a few friends while watching Disney Halloween movies such as “Hocus Pocus” and “The Haunted Mansion.”
Borjas and her sister will be hosting a costume contest, and Borajs said they even bought a trophy for the most creative outfit. She will be dressing up as La Catrina, the symbol of El Dia de Los Muertos, this year. Her favorite costume she has dressed up as was a deer at Pepperdine.
“I just loved the deers at Pepperdine, and I really loved the makeup for that one,” Borjas said. “I love trying to do new makeup styles.”
Borjas said she is seeing drive-thru haunted houses and pick-your-own pumpkin fields where people can stay socially distanced.
Drive-thru Halloween events have been emerging everywhere around the Malibu community, such as a “Stranger Things” themed one in Los Angeles, CA, or the Nights of Jack in Calabasas, CA.
First-Year Samantha White said she is not only attending the Nights of Jack but is also attending Malibu Vintage Church’s Halloween game night. She also visited Underwood Family Farms with her sorority sister to pick pumpkins.
White decided to pick up costumes while shopping with her friends on Melrose. Back home in West Virginia, she usually helps out with a trunk-or-treat at her church, receiving and passing out candy from car to car in a parking lot, and she will miss that this year.
White said she will also miss the haunted house in her hometown called “Scareview,” an abandoned school that she and her friends attended every year.
“I am from West Virginia and everyone goes all out for Halloween,” White said. “I usually enjoy Halloween because there are tons of cute fall things to do; this year I have had to be very creative.”
Junior Rodelle Benitoe said she attended a drive-thru Halloween hayride this season in Los Angeles where she watched clips of horror movies as actors banged on the car and reached inside the window to frighten passengers.
“I love horror movies,” Benitoe said. “I am big on jumpscares. I love psychological thrillers. I love pretty much anything that gets me scared.”
Benitoe said normally she and her friends would dress up and attend college parties. Now with COVID-19 removing those options, she actually prefers the drive-thrus.
“When we were in person and walking around, we can get lost or break away from each other, but since we’re all confined into one area, it was nice having the community and comfort of all my friends,” Benitoe said.
As Halloween and the holiday season approaches, most students said they are looking forward to connecting with friends and family after months of lockdown.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back with my family,” Poe said. “It has just been a really long time since I’ve seen my family, I am looking forward to connecting and spending time with them.”
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Follow the Graphic on Twitter: @PeppGraphic
Email Beth Gonzales: beth.gonzales@pepperdine.edu
