Long Beach City College hosted a Halloween party for students and staff Thursday at LAC, celebrating the holiday with a costume contest and giving out candy bags, popcorn and cotton candy to attendees.
For some, the candy or the costumes are what makes Halloween special. For Student Affairs Program Coordinator Chris Garcia, it is the parties and enjoying time with friends and loved ones that stand out the most.
“The Halloween house parties where you’re just in the backyard and your friends are all dressed up as something different and we’re all just dancing and in our different characters, that’s probably my favorite thing about Halloween,” said Garcia.
For others dressing up is what makes the holiday worth celebrating, and those with a passion for costumes had the opportunity to participate in the event’s costume contest.
LBCC student Nathan Warren wins the student costume contest during the LBCC Halloween Party on Oct. 29. Warren’s costume took around 10 months to create for the event. (Araceli Juarez)
The winners of the student costume contest were Nathan Warren, who was dressed up as Spartan from the “Halo” video game series, and Nathan Rowe who was dressed up as a “Jurassic Park” scientist accompanied by a dinosaur named Neil.
“It’s pretty cool. I didn’t think I was going to win just but I was kind of hoping, but it was really cool to see everybody else’s costumes and all that, but it was definitely really surprising to win,” said Warren.
Rowe said he was inspired by Adam Savage when creating his life-size full-body dinosaur costume.
Rowe is no stranger to making costumes at home, having previously created homemade costumes for Halloween.
“When I first made my first homemade costume, which was an AT-ST from ‘Star Wars,’ I was walking through the streets and people would stop by me and be like ‘Oh, can I please get a picture? Can I please get a picture?’” Rowe said.
Garcia, who was dressed up as Bad Bunny during his Super Bowl LX halftime show performance, was one of two winners of the staff costume contest. He shared the win with Ace Acevedo, a Disabled Students Programs and Services instructional aide who dressed as Dragon from the “Shrek” film series.
“Oh gosh, I felt amazing,” Garcia said after winning. “I just love that I get to represent our Latinos on the stage and we won.”
To many, dressing up is the best part about Halloween being able to wear a costume and express a love for the character on a special night like Halloween.
For brothers Jeremiah Iniquez and Ezekiel Iniquez who dressed up as Cuphead and Mugman, from the video game “Cuphead,” going trick-or-treating with each other has always been the best part of Halloween for them.
“I do everything with my brother, and going trick-or-treating together is pretty cool to do,” Jeremiah said.
Although many staff and students came in costume, there were those who preferred to observe others dressed up, like Kristen Iniquez, the mother of Jeremiah and Ezekiel and an LBCC student herself.
“We have attended the Halloween party for four years now, and just seeing how everybody is dressed up and how everyone is always so excited to see who will win the costume contest is always great,” Kristen said.
The spirit of Halloween is one that brings together both family and friends alike, and has something to offer for everyone, whether it’s expressing creativity through a homemade costume, trick-or-treating with family or just being present with loved ones.
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