Editor’s Note: Staff writer Bray Bartley is a member of the campus activities board.
Point Loma Nazarene University’s Goodwin Bash brought students together for a Halloween night event with a DJ, dancing, games, snacks and crafts. Students said the event was exciting, and the event’s planners said it was rewarding to see their vision come to life.
The event took place in Goodwin Hall’s courtyard from 7-10 p.m. It was transformed into a space for a movie screening, card-decorating stations and dancing.
Sam Sarnie, a third-year business management-entrepreneurship major, is a part of the campus activities board (CAB), which plans many PLNU events. Sarnie described the last five weeks of planning for the event as “exciting, creative, time-consuming, efficient and bonding.”
For every CAB event, the team separates into different committees. Each has a leader who serves as a liaison between Josh Hamman, the Associated Student Body director of activities, and the rest of the team to organize and plan the event. Sarnie said the planning process began with a vision. They bought the necessary items, then planned where it all would go.
For past Halloween events, the upper parking lot of Goodwin Hall had tunnels that led into the event; however, this year’s committee wanted to do something different, which came with challenges.
“We decided to do something different, but it ended up not being what we completely expected,” Sarnie said. “We were initially going to make a band perform, but that plan fell through, and we compromised the rest.”
Student leaders gather inside the tunnel to dance and greet people at the Goodwin Bash on Oct. 31. Photo courtesy of PLNU ASB Marketing Team. 
The DJ’s point of view of the Goodwin Bash on Oct. 31. Photo courtesy of PLNU ASB Marketing Team. 
CAB members pose in front of the “Twilight Zone” sign before the Goodwin Bash on Oct. 31. Photo courtesy of PLNU ASB Marketing Team. 
Students dance in the mosh pit at the Goodwin Bash on Oct. 31. Photo courtesy of PLNU ASB Marketing Team.
CAB decided to use Milton Karahadian’s, PLNU director of Nicholson Commons, car as a prop. The vintage car was decorated with fog machines and skeletons. CAB members also created a makeshift tunnel with PVC pipes, fog machines, lights and gauze.
Taylor Sales, a third-year marketing major and CAB member, wasn’t part of the Goodwin Bash committee, but she and other members helped with setup and teardown. The team arrived at 1 p.m. to begin setting up, and again an hour before the event started.
“We have a great team this year, which makes setup and teardown super quick,” Sales said in an email interview. “This event also had a ton of planning that went into it, which made everything more organized.”
As students entered Goodwin Hall, they could see a bulletin board decorated with Twilight Zone TVs and clocks, followed by more clocks made out of vinyl records down the hall, furniture wrapped in cloth and candles and stars that lined the walls.
Isabella Ramirez, a fourth-year nursing major and Goodwin Bash attendee, said walking into the Goodwin Bash was exciting.
“Walking into Goodwin this year was like stepping into another world,” she said. “The inside of the hallways and dorm entrances was decorated so well. It was truly an immersive experience, and I felt as if I wasn’t even in Goodwin.”
Sales reflected on CAB’s perspective of the event and the fulfillment the board felt.
“What stood out to me as a CAB member is how much work actually goes into these events,” she said. “After planning and preparing for such a big event, it was very rewarding to see the event come together and see students truly enjoying it.”
Jong Yoon, resident director of Goodwin Hall, has been a part of six Goodwin Bashes. Yoon said the Goodwin Bash is important for students because it provides a safe and fun option for what can be a dangerous night.
“Rather than telling students not to go to parties and put themselves in those positions, we wanted to give them a reason to stay,” Yoon said in an email interview. “My hope for putting on this dance is that they would have so much fun in a safe environment and ultimately be too tired to go out after.”
Ramirez, who has attended the bash four times, said the event remains her favorite tradition at PLNU. Celebrating Halloween with friends and other students in a festive atmosphere has shown her the value of community.
“For me, the Goodwin Bash represents something bigger,” she said. “I look forward to dressing up as something funny with my friends. Community-wise, it’s a great way to celebrate and have a safe, yet super fun place to come and have fun. Loma, and especially events like the bash, have shown me it’s fun to be your true self at big college events.”
Kaelyn VanderSpek