Frances Walton ’26 and Charlotte Korer ’27
Editor-in-Chief and Copy Editor Intern
On Nov. 1, Scripps Associated Students (SAS) hosted Boiler Room, a Halloween party open to Scripps students and 4C guests. Boiler Room, inspired by trendy clubs DJed by artists like Charli XCX or Fred again…, featured two DJ setups, one at the top of Bowling Green and the other in the middle of Elm Tree Lawn.
“I think that SAS really did … a great job with the parties,” Maia Gutmann ’27 said. “And I really enjoyed the two DJs [booths]. I thought the music was great. And overall, I just love Scripps parties in general, because of all the women there. It’s such a safe space.”
To many, this was considered the first successful Halloween in two years. In 2022, there was the infamous storming of the gates at the “Halloween: Claremont After Dark” Scripps party. The party was promptly shut down after students pushed down the metal fence, and Camp Sec started asking students to leave at 10:45 pm. Most Halloween events in 2023 were canceled out of respect for the loss of a Pitzer student and students who were grieving.
“I thought it was nicely organized, and the music was fun,” Megan Yee ’26 said. “The two stages were a little weird, but it was chill. … I was just there to have fun and be with my friends. And so I think it was nice, especially considering in past years, we’ve never actually had a Halloweekend. I think it was nice to actually have something at Scripps and have a fun little party.”
Many Scripps students seemed excited to be out on Halloween after the two-year-long hiatus, and the turnout reflected student excitement for nightlife events.
“Compared to other years, we actually had a party, which was cool,” Alina Hernandez ’26 said. “It was really nice to see everyone out. Maybe the only people who’ve had a 5C Halloweekend are the seniors, and they were still coming off COVID.”
Sarah Paper ’25 and Alex Hamilton ’25, SAS 5C Event Chairs, planned the Boiler Room event, working closely with Scripps College administration and outside vendors to create a cohesive and successful event.
“We wanted to provide two stages for a dynamic environment at our event,” Paper and Hamilton said in a message to The Scripps Voice. “In addition, having this larger space allowed us to have a larger available capacity. The 1C + guest decision about this event was made by administration.”
SAS went all out with the Boiler Room to build off the success of the Sept. 7 Brat Rave party, and students matched their enthusiasm. The lines for wristbands were long, nearly reaching from the start of Bowling Green Lawn to the steps of Malott. Student energy and excitement were high for Boiler Room wristbanding as other 5C students walked the wristband line asking to be a Scripps student’s plus one.
“I think everyone was really excited to go out, because especially as a sophomore, we didn’t have that last year, and so it was fun to see everyone dress up,” Adina Veloz-Remis ’27 said. “I think everyone really got into the spirit. I loved seeing everyone’s costumes. I think it was a good year.”
Scripps students went all out with their costumes this Halloween. Featured in the Costumes Column, group costumes were as elaborate and often handcrafted, with some using 3D printed accessories made in Harvey Mudd’s Makerspace.
“I love costumes,” Gutman said. “I think that they really spice up the parties. I loved seeing everybody’s take on Halloween. I think that everyone’s costumes really allowed me to see a new side of them.”
Halloween provided a time and situation for students to take themselves less seriously, dressing up and dancing for a night.
“I feel like dressing up allows you to express yourself in a way that maybe you normally wouldn’t; allows you to get into a character, and really just like get into the spirit of Halloween,” Veloz-Remis said.
The successes of Brat Rave and Boiler Room set a high standard for nightlife at Scripps, and SAS continues to work on more events for the student body.
“I am very excited about how Scripps events have been going,” Melina Durre ’25, SAS President, said. “We have received amazing feedback, and Sarah and Alex are visionaries that are always pushing the limits for what an event can look like within a very limited budget. I am having so much fun working with them!”
