By Dylan Knight

The annual Scary Rec Carnival, hosted in the Student Recreational Center on the California State University, Bakersfield campus on Friday, Oct. 31, was full of student volunteers dedicated to providing their peers with a fun, free, safe and oh so spooky environment for students to celebrate Halloween.

“This years theme is sort of a New Orleans Mardi Gras theme” said Celine Skibicki, 18, freshman undeclared major while sporting gold and black sequins, glitter and of course, Mardi Gras beads. “We’re doing dance while people enter the maze to get them excited and ready to be scared.”

Because the carnival is free to students, it creates a friendly atmosphere full of your fellow classmates. Besides, who feels safe and enjoys going to a party full of strangers?

“There’s more of a community feel at the carnival,” said Nicole Pokett, 21, senior liberal studies major and student manager of the SRC. “People from the dorms come and it really provides a fun and safe place for students to hang out together.”

This year, the Scary Rec was equipped with two haunted mazes, a dance floor, free food, pumpkin and mask decorating, a selfie booth and an added sporting aspect with a ghost volleyball and dodgeball tournament and no Halloween party would be complete without a costume contest.

“I came for the haunted houses,” said Prit Deol, 19, sophomore biology major while dressed as a lovely Red Riding Hood. “I get scared easily and horror movies leave me terrified for life. I’m definitely expecting to be scared.”

The Scary Rec Carnival is hosted primarily by enthusiastic student volunteers and employees of the SRC. Before the carnival became open to the public, volunteers were building the mazes and getting their makeup done by seemingly professional student makeup artists. From terrifying one-eyed ladies to New Orleans themed Mardi Gras dancers and everything in between, the SRC was full of excited volunteers ready to haunt their fellow students.

“We usually just have fun,” said Linsie White, 20, pre-nursing major and employee at the SRC. “We get to dress up and just act goofy with our coworkers.”

Even though the main purpose of the Scary Rec Carnival is to give students a place to celebrate Halloween, it also acts as a great advertisement for the SRC.

“The Scary Rec provides a great opportunity for safe fun and also helps boost school spirit,” said Josh Thompson, 26, senior kinesiology and human biology major while he was getting faux freckles and rosy cheeks painted to complete his look of an adult baby. “It gets people to come to the rec center and see what the facility offers to students.”

Too often is a good Halloween costume wasted when you find yourself with no party plans. The annual Scary Rec Carnival is something every CSUB student can look forward to. Whether you like to dance, take selfies, or simply enjoy free food,
the carnival creates a safe and scary environment for all to enjoy.