Halloween at Douglas College
By Cazzy Lewchuk, Staff Writer
Halloween is a time when most schools dress up—either the hallways or the students—in order to have an appropriate holiday atmosphere. Douglas College was no exception, with the Douglas Students’ Union (DSU) putting on several displays of Halloween spirit in the concourse of the New Westminster campus.
The pumpkin carving contest saw about 20 jack-o’-lanterns spread across a square arrangement of tables, along with a voting booth. The designs ranged from grotesque (a pumpkin with gruesome extra bits glued on), to cute (a pumpkin crying with pumpkin seeds as its “tears”), to referencing pop culture (the Batman symbol carved into a pumpkin). A box to put the votes in sat alongside, with a student to answer questions about the procedure. For example, he reminded me to write my name on my vote, as many students were accidentally casting anonymous votes. He also informed me that by writing my name, I was eligible to win a Tim Hortons’ gift card—another bonus to participating in the festivities.
Also going on in the concourse from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. was the Douglas College Costume Contest. All participants had their photo taken against a backdrop holding a number. The photos were then displayed on a large screen so that students could cast their vote. There were pirates, Disney characters, horrifically made up faces, a werewolf, and even SpongeBob SquarePants. It was quite a sight, as the participants contrasted with the majority of students, who were not dressed up. The winner of the contest received a $100 Metrotown gift card.
After partaking in the Halloween festivities, a DSU representative directed me to complete a survey about student services in and around Douglas College. Students who completed the survey were entered into a draw for either a $250 Ticketmaster gift card or $50 to Walmart. There is no date yet set for the draw, but the DSU advised that the draw would take place once they had 1,000 completed surveys.
Look out for other opportunities to participate in DSU events post-Halloween, including Cinema Politica’s screening of Status Quo? The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada on Tuesday November 12 at 4:30 p.m., and the Around the World Pub Night on Thursday November 21 at 7:30 p.m. for International Day. To give your opinion on student services, take the DSU student services survey.
