Last week for Halloween, Highline College hosted the Witches’ Night Out party, where students participated in games, contests, arts and crafts, and a costume contest with the chance to win all sorts of prizes. Food and drinks were set up throughout Building 8 for attendees.

With doors opening that evening, guests were welcomed by haunting Halloween themes. Many students settled in to conversations about their costumes and what they were planning for the pumpkin carving station while volunteers finalized setup. Security guards were present at the party to ensure everyone’s safety.

Kevin Garcia, a first year Highline student told the Thunderword that he liked “the atmosphere, [the music and the pumpkin carving.]”

Lining the cafeteria was cookie decorating, pumpkin carving, and mask painting. Guests were ushered in through the first floor door, encouraged to sign in, and enjoy the festivities. While the event started with just a few costumed guests, the numbers began to surge as the evening went on.

Cookie decorating, mask painting, and pumpkin carving attracted and dazzled students and faculty alike who showed up for the haunted festivities. Ultimately, the pumpkin carving ended in a contest, in which a rabbit design won first place.

The party held a table-top game station, bean bag toss, giant Jenga, min-bowling, and even a tarot-reading table, which was one of the most busy locations of the whole night.

Dillon Garcia, a Highline student dressed as Batman, was vocal about the community gathered for the event, and how lovely it was that people were together to celebrate the holiday. He and his friend (who was dressed as Superman) were some of many who found themselves appreciating the tarot cards.

When asked which event of the evening was her favorite, student Hillary Vo responded with the pumpkin carving, “because of [the effort everyone put into their own projects]”. Vo, who is planning on enrolling in Seattle Pacific University later expressed how fun the whole event was for her and her friends.

For almost an hour the Halloween party had continued without anyone dancing to the music even as more people arrived. Until the song Thriller by Michael Jackson played in the cafeteria, which prompted two attendees to dance. 

Mt. Constance became a cobweb-covered disco room fitted with multicolored lights, where many guests had danced late into the night.

Many guests lined up at the Mt.Olympus entrance for pizza and salad. For dessert pumpkin and apple pie was served.

The costume contest seemed to be the grand finale of the evening. Attendees cheered on contestants donning their best costumes and cosplays. Yandere-chan, a popular video game character took home the prize for best costume overall, winning herself four tickets to the Seattle Donut Tour.

Other contestants were also honored with prizes for ‘scariest,’ ‘funniest,’ and ‘wild card’. The gamut of costumes represented were as diverse and creative as Highline students themselves: Crusader Knight, a green crayon, Velma from Scooby Doo, various superheroes, and an array of wizards, devils, and bloody murder-themed contenders.

After the costume contest with multiple categories, tickets to local festivities were awarded to the students who brought their A-game, concluding with a pumpkin giveaway before guests started going home. At the very end, contestants collected their prizes and hopefully snagged an extra pumpkin or two at the giveaway before they headed home.