On the evening of Thursday, Oct. 30, a veritable blizzard of kids froze right over to the 3C courtyard for an evening of entertainment.

The main event, a sing-along screening of the popular animated movie Frozen, didn't begin until 6:00, but there was plenty to do before that. Tables were set up with beverages and fun activities, hosted by various AWC clubs and organizations.

The kids all piled in, almost stampeding over each other to get their face painted or to play musical chairs. There was a cake walk where they could play musical chairs to win one of the delicious cakes displayed on the table. There was also a booth serving hot chocolate, and a another table with unique art work and pictures celebrating the Day of the Dead.

The AWC League of Artists (LOA), which is accustomed to events like these, had a table covered with captivating art and distinctive decorations, which took two of the artists about five hours to make.

"We wanted to give it a rustic, old-school look," said new LOA member Jose Arguelles.

Another table serving up hot chocolate table was hosted by Gerardo Molina from the club Seeking Opportunities through Education (SOTE) and by members of the Student Government Association (SGA). There was also a cakewalk hosted by the Karate Club.

Many of the club members dressed up since it was right before Halloween. Freshman Gerardo Molina was dressed up as Woody.

"I think this event is going good, and it's good to get to see the diversity of people," said Molina.

Some of the costumes were handmade from everyday items. Luis Valencia, who was dressed up as a zombie in a karate uniform, said it took him two hours to put on the make-up.

If anything, the parents seemed even more excited than their children as they wandered from table to table. Ultimately, they all looked relieved to just go sit and watch the movie.

All of them seemed very positive towards this event aimed at providing something fun to do, and they agreed it was a good way to introduce kids to the campus. Some of the comments they made as they left were: "It's very kid friendly," and "I would go to this event if they do it again."

In charge of the event was Campus Life employee Brenda Velarde, who works as an assistant coordinator in student activities as well as on the Student Leadership Commission.

Velarde pointed out that the free event was not a fundraiser. "I feel like this is a safe environment for the kids since there are potential drunk drivers on Halloween."

"Last year we did the movie the Butler, but now we want to reach out to traditional and nontraditional students," Velarde said. "This could be a future college for many children."

Graphic by Pam Black