Ohio State’s campus showed its spooky spirit by hosting events in dormitories and campus buildings this Halloween weekend.
On Friday. the Norton House, Scott House and Archer House complex on North Campus held the annual Halloween Insanity party for residents of the complex.
Caitlin Quillen, a fourth-year in social work and the event planner, said the party was a huge success.
“It was actually a great turnout,” she said. “It started out slow, but we ended up having about 50 to 60 people show up.”
The event featured a fashion show and costume contest in Scott House, a pumpkin carving contest in Norton House and scary movie trivia in Archer House. Quillen said there was also tons of food, including caramel apples and hot apple cider.
Though the event was scheduled to run until midnight, some residents ended up staying later than that, Quillen said. She said Insanity was meant for those residents who wanted to have a Halloween party without alcohol.
“It’s basically an alcohol alternative for residents,” Quillen said. “Residents like to come to programs to hang out sober. People will come, hang out a little and then go out to a separate party and then go out and do what it is that they do.”
Winner of the Insanity costume contest Austin Larger, a second-year in electrical engineering, said he enjoyed the opportunity to show off his costume — a swamp-monster ninja — as well as hang out with other residents in his complex.
“What I liked the most was that it was a fun, organized time versus any other party where it’s more like alcohol-oriented and that’s not what I’m into,” Larger said.
Other Halloween events held in dorm buildings this weekend included a joint Halloween event at Bradley and Patterson halls and the gRAVEyard Halloween event in Lincoln Tower.
For off-campus students, Off-Campus Student Services will hold a pumpkin-carving contest on Monday at 6 p.m. at the Wexner Center for the Arts plaza.
Sean McLaughlin, director for Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement, said in an email he expects about 100 people at this year’s contest.
“The community ambassadors wanted to plan something that was neighborhood oriented and could bring neighbors together for something fun, so they came up with the pumpkin carving contest,” McLaughlin said.
The event will feature prizes for the winners and free materials for carving for registered students, McLaughlin said.
“(I’ve) seen some really neat pumpkin ideas … Michael Jackson Thriller, Vampire Brutus, Freddie Krueger,” McLaughlin said. “Some students are very, very artistic and create great-looking designs.”
Also on Monday, the RPAC will host a series of Halloween-themed events as part of A Nightmare on 17th Avenue, hosted by the Department of Recreational Sports.
