The fourth annual OctoberFest Kick-Off brought a crowd of students and staff Wednesday afternoon to the University Center circle drive to celebrate Halloween and to hype up the anticipated changes to the UC.
The event rallied excitement for attendees with long lines of people waiting for free soft pretzels, candy apples, Shasta’s Cones, root beer floats and sausages on a stick. It featured festive music, cakewalks and bake sales along with various contests with prizes.
“We are hoping that this event will promote student involvement and we are all very excited for the changes to the UC,” said Christianna Burwell, the graduate assistant of marketing and programming for the UC. “This is also a fun way to celebrate Halloween.”
In preparation for the event, students were encouraged to sign up in advance for a create-your-own Halloween costume contest with various items provided by the event staff, including Mohawk wigs, beards, duct tape, face paint and more.
Other students came to the event already in the Halloween spirit, dressed as Batman, the Mad Hatter, Venom, pirates, zombies and witches.
The crowd was called upon to judge the mummy-wrapping contest in which a few students volunteered to be wrapped in toilet paper and judged to see who was mummified the best.
A shaving cream-covered pirate was all that remained after students lined up to “Pie the Pirate,” a play on the ECU Pirates the Cougars will play against Saturday.
Students attempted to get past a pirate waving his swords in defense. With shaving cream scattered everywhere, students discovered how difficult the task proved to be.
“I had so much fun,” said accounting sophomore Callie Cox. “I didn’t pie him in the face, but I got close.”
The Campus Recreation and Wellness Center also joined in on the Halloween fun by turning a portion of its building into a haunted house from 4 to 7 p.m.
The Hardwood Tip-off will conclude OctoberFest from 6 to 7:30 p.m. today at the Athletics/Alumni Center, with opportunities to meet both the men and women’s basketball teams, eat free food and win prizes.
Uh, in case they didn’t notice, October is OVER!
Free stuff. ‘Nuff said. 😛
btw I hope Crimson Red isn’t what you think Cougar Red is. (it’s Scarlet)