The Wellness Center is by far one of the best resources on the Stockton campus. Not only do they offer counseling and supportive services, but they also host a variety of special events. Some are held every week, such as yoga, or every month, like the health and nutrition seminars. The culmination of the autumn season events, however, was Lollanobooza, a Halloween extravaganza. Held on October 30th, the dance was a combination of frightful food, bloodcurdling music, and spooktastic prizes. And just like all of the Wellness Center events, it had a distinct purpose: to show that alcohol is not needed to have fun on college campuses.

With the central theme revolving around alcohol awareness, many student organizations pitched in by making “mocktails.” The punches ranged from sweet to sour, and one even had a gummy-bug surprise in the bottom of its serving “chalice.”  After being judged that night, the winning group was awarded a special trophy for their efforts.

Students, and many of the faculty, wore their favorite Halloween costumes to match the creepy spider webs and bales of hay that transformed the Campus Center Event room. Comic book heroes, ninjas, and princesses filled the dance floor. There was even a mummy who, by the end of the night, shed the majority of his two-ply overcoat (by the time everyone left, it looked like the host, Elsa, covered the room with toilet-paper snow)!

For the witches and warlocks who tired of the dance floor, there were a ghostly-array of games. Crowd pleasers included the mechanical bull, photo booth, and tattoo station. At the end of the night, well over two dozen door prizes left in the arms of students. It is not at all scary how fun things can be without alcohol.

~Alex Meyers