Associated Students homecoming week events attracted several students with Halloween-themed contests and events Thursday on the Quad.
“It’s really rare that our Homecoming game is on Halloween,” said Justine Banal, Associated Student Vice President. “Usually there’s one week of Halloween events and one week of homecoming events. We just thought to combine it and make the whole thing Halloween themed.”
The most popular event was the pie eating contest. Contestants were asked to eat a pumpkin pie as fast as they could with no drinks and no hands. These instructions created an unsafe situation when one contestant fled the scene with a nose bleed.
“And that’s how we eliminate them, ladies and gentlemen…blood, sweat, and tears,” DJ KJ Steel said after the incident.
Winner of the pie eating contest was Benjamin White, from the welding department, who said that he was unsure if he would participate just before the competition.
A group of welding students surrounded White, and another comrade from welding cheered him on as she also participated.
White said that he dedicated his win to his welding professor, Will Daniels.
The costume contest was full of flair, and contestants were judged either individually or as a group.
Only two groups entered for group judging, but the clear winners were the business department faculty members who dressed as Gru, Agnes, and the minions from “Despicable Me.”
Winner of the individual costume contest was Steven Tran, who dressed as Baymax from “Big Hero 6.” Tran said that his costume was inspired by his cosplaying hobby, and that he hoped to use this costume as a cosplay in the future.
In second place was a three-way tie between a Kevin costume from Disney Pixar’s “Up,” a deer costume, and a Poison Ivy costume.
The third place costume was Subzero from “Mortal Combat.”
Some contestants kept in character throughout Quad Haunt. Gru announced he would be stealing the Statue of Liberty (from Las Vegas), and Carrie told the judges she would get them with her telekinesis after she was given a disappointing score.
Many students in costume showed up directly after the competition and were unable to participate.
Student and department booths were judged for their most “spooktacular” decor.
A new organization on campus, the Queer People of Color, won the competition with their beautifully decorated sugar skulls and pumpkins.
Their sugar skulls were dedicated to the 21 people of the transexual community who lost their lives in the United States in the last year.
While the club welcomes “people of all colors,” their primary focus is on minorities.
“It is hard to be a minority, but it is even harder when you are a specific minority,” said Allan Ramirez.
Ramirez said that their goal was to create a safe space for all students. At each club meeting the group members decide what topic they will focus on that day for discussion. The organization is currently waiting for the approval of its club petition.
The second place booth competition winner was the Sociology Club. They volunteer and raise donations for hospice, animal shelters, and the homeless. Fittingly, their decor for the booth depicted animal skeletons playing with toys.
Film Club won third place in the competition for their zombie-themed booth. Frightful, undead costumes from the film students rounded out their decor.
Winners were awarded Knott’s Berry Farm tickets.