Grounds for Change was filled on Wednesday, Oct. 30, as people crowded in for this year’s WARC-O-Ween. The event, which offered karaoke and an open tab for drinks, was put together by the board of WARC 90.3, the student-run radio station on campus.
The event allowed students to take a break from their week and celebrate the ending of the spooky season as Halloween soon approached.
“There’s a lot of fun Halloween songs, and it’s a convenient time and a good way to get people engaged, like encouraging people to dress up in costumes,” said Andrew Germmann, ’26, one of WARC’s board members. Germann is also on the board of GFC.
Students across the space held their drinks as they chatted with friends, the occasional brave soul running up to the stage to perform a karaoke song. On tables, students could find Halloween-themed coloring sheets to add to the night’s fun. A few students were even dressed in costumes, Germann himself dressed in a doctor outfit.
WARC-O-Ween, while being a fun event for all, also acted as a way for WARC to raise awareness of their group to other students, according to Germann. The success of the previous year’s Halloween karaoke made the decision to hold it again simple.
“We try to do a couple karaoke events a year, just to try to get people connected with the radio station,” Germann said. “Last year, it definitely brought a lot of interest to us. We have a spot for people to sign up for the email list, and we did get a lot of emails from that. Even if it doesn’t get people interested, it’s still just a fun event that anyone can contribute to.”
That night, students more than contributed to the event. WARC-O-Ween was lively, with every chair in GFC filled and even more people standing to enjoy the evening. Because of the sheer amount of people ordering drinks, the open tab had to close early when it reached the limit.
There was hardly a moment when someone was not singing to their favorite songs on the stage, the crowd listening excitedly. Some songs even had other students joining in the harmony while clapping, dancing and pulling out their phones to use the flashlights for certain performances.
“We’ve done karaoke events in the past, and they’ve always gone super well, and we wanted to do something for Halloween,” said Daphne Womack, ’27, another WARC board member, who was dressed as Leeta from the show “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” “It’s a way for us to be like, ‘Hey, listen to our radio station.’”
Despite thinking WARC is already well known across the campus, Womack said continuous marketing of the group is important.
“I feel like the majority of the student body is already aware of WARC,” Womack said. “But I do think it’s always good to make people more aware.”
Some seasonal songs featured during the night were “The Monster Mash,” “Spooky Scary Skeletons,” “Dammit Janet” from ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ “Happy Day in Hell” from “Hazbin Hotel” and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by the Charlie Daniels Band. Some other songs that were included were, “Last Friday Night” by Katy Perry, “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast” and “Breaking Free” from “High School Musical.”
“I think ‘Am I a Man or a Muppet’ from ‘The Muppet Movie’ should be a Halloween song, and if I have to be the one to do it, that’s how it’s going to have to be,” Womack said with a laugh early in the event. Her request must have been heard, because later two students decided to sing that very song to the amusement of both the crowd and Womack.
There was no shortness of fun and laughter at the event. Along with the karaoke, students had the chance to win T-shirts during a trivia game. The questions dealt with numerous topics, ranging from Halloween movies to about the holiday itself, had students jumping out of their seats in excitement.
“I think it’s a great way for people to come together and destress, and get away from school,” said Olivia Poe, ’28. She won a T-shirt in the trivia game, correctly guessing when the next full moon is on Halloween, and she later decided to sing “Let It Go” with friends.
Overall, WARC managed to host an exciting event for students across the campus to relax and rewind just in time for Halloween, marking the success of another WARC-O-Ween.