It was a dark rainy night on the last day of October, a perfect day for the reincarnation of the undead. On the 8th floor of the Academic Building, these seemingly unreal beings were having a blast. The decorated, U-shaped hallway on the 8th floor transformed into many activity rooms that were prepared for the students dressed up as fantastical beings. Events had been prepared for students to take part in the Halloween festivities. There was the games room for those who wanted to compete in games for amazing prizes - especially the human-sized teddy bear everyone wanted in their room to cuddle with. In order to win these prizes, participants were required to complete the tasks of each game station, such as throwing darts, rolling a ball through bottles, or landing a witch hat onto a water bottle.

There were many students who received various prizes, and few who received the higher-tier ones (i.e. the cuddly teddy bear). The games room was enjoyed by everyone including NYUSH professors. Those who wanted to use their brains instead of eating them were able to participate in a variety of events as well. Some tables were set up to test the participant’s knowledge, such as knowing the origins of certain celebrations of the dead. The Collective Voice and the ARC Philosophy Society also held a discussion about celebrations of the dead around the world for those who were interested in history, philosophy, and the differences in these celebrations. Every corner of the floor seemed to have different surprises in store, such as face and body painting, mini pumpkin painting, and a haunted house. The line for the haunted house was fairly long the entire night, but it seemed to be a success, with many coming out in the end with faces of shock and excitement. But for those who just wanted to relax and enjoy the creepy atmosphere, they had the chance to enter a dimly-lit room to enjoy Singers, Producers, Songwriters, Musicians’ (SPSM) Halloween themed performances.

These were all amazing events and it was impossible to get bored with all these activities going on. However, the best part of the night was definitely made by the participants who were excited to show up with their costumes that they had prepared for the special night. Many were creative costumes, some with references to popular movies and TV shows, or traditional myths. The diversity of NYU Shanghai showed that night, as shown by the zombies from different cultures:

Those who put in extra effort in their costumes were rewarded, as there was a photo booth for taking pictures of the costumes, and judges who looked through the photos to decide which costumes were the best in categories of most creative, most spooky, and best group.

Right after the announcement of best costumes, a scream broke out and sounds of horror flowed throughout the room. Many were confused, but the tension was relieved by a breakout of “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. It was a flash mob, prepared by Xiao Long Shakers for this special night!

After this performance, the room was filled with music from DJs Max Bork, Franc Lee, and Sean Kelly. Every fantasy character, mythical beings, and reincarnated undead danced together. This was great a finish to an amazing night. The night was very well organized and students were impressed by the efforts made by the volunteers and organizers who put this together for our community. One could see the months of planning and hard work, and it definitely paid off. This year’s Halloween extravaganza definitely topped last year, and everyone is already excited for next year’s event! [cincopa AQLACGsrSgbF] This article was written by Kinsa Durst. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: NYU Shanghai Programming Committee