Last Friday, Oct. 24, Billikens after Dark organized a fun Halloween-filled night called “Carnifall”. The event included various fall activities such as pumpkin painting, spooky snacks, a viewing of Halloweentown, a bouncy house, games, a costume contest and much more. 

The event had a great turnout this year as many SLU students came to have a good time with friends after a difficult week. Vandana Mishra, a freshman, said, “It was a big stress reliever after midterms were over, so I’m happy they held it when they did.” This event has been a student-run tradition at SLU for five years now. 

Following a Billiken after Dark initiative, Carnifall served as an alternative for a late night of drinking, as is typical on college campuses. They wanted to provide an opportunity to have some fall fun instead of going out, if a student prefers not to. 

Graduate assistant of Billikens after Dark, Elizabeth Hippen, said, “A lot of people came and were able to experience what Billikens after Dark is and learn about what other programs we’ll have in the future.” 

The turnout of the festival says a lot about the SLU community, Hippen said. “These events show that students are taking their health into their own hands by actively choosing not to drink on a Friday night but instead enjoying fun and de-stressing with friends.”

Mishra continued, saying “Carnifall was very inclusive. Like, for example, people walked in with wild costumes but it was a completely judgement free zone.” 

Everyone in attendance seemed excited to meet new people, show off their costumes and painted pumpkins and get to know more of the SLU community. Billikens after Dark hopes to enhance the event even more in the coming years, as more of the SLU community finds out about it. 

Hippen said, “I’m really happy with how the event turned out. I think next year we’ll need a bigger space for it, which is always a good problem to have.” 

Billikens after Dark will be holding more events like this throughout the semester. In November, there will be an Escape Room event and a “Frozen 2” movie premiere. In December, the main de-stress event during finals season will include massage therapists, henna artists, aromatherapy, food and Christmas movies—all to help students find time to relax.

Billikens after Dark believes that the Carnifall event was definitely a success. The biggest accomplishment is that they brought SLU community came together for one night to de-stress at this fun-filled Halloween-themed party.