UTM’s annual Halloween pub night took place on Thursday night at the Blind Duck. Costume-clad students tricked and treated their way in, taking a break from studying and dancing the night away at one of the most popular pub nights of the year.
Tickets for the Halloween pub were to go on sale on Monday at 10 a.m. at the InfoBooth, but instead went on sale at 9:30 a.m. due to the long lineup of students eager to buy tickets; students lined up at early as 7 a.m. to purchase pub tickets. Multiple contests, including a scavenger hunt organized by the Student Association of Geography and Environment and UTMSU’s pie-eating competition, gave students the chance to win tickets to the pub night.
Fifty tickets were available at the door on Thursday night, for which students lined up hours before the pub night began, some arriving as early as 5:30 p.m.
“It was definitely worth running around trying to get tickets. The music was amazing and there were so many jaw-dropping costumes,” said Ajanta Sivanesparan, a second-year biology and management major dressed as a referee, one of the 50 students who got a ticket at the door. “So much spirit—I loved it.”
The doors opened at 10 p.m. and the Blind Duck was filled with students in an assortment of costumes before midnight. Some notable costumes included Duff Man from the Simpsons, a Mountie, and the controversial Middle Entrance sign, while other students dressed more traditionally as cats and soldiers. The X-Men won best overall costumes for the night, while the old man from Up flew away with best male costume, and the Paper Bag Princess bagged best female costume.
DJs ISC Nation kept the crowd dancing through the night with Top 40 and club music while offering giveaways from sponsor Lucky 7.
“I think the best part about the Halloween Pub was giving students a break from midterms and a good night out,” said UTMSU’s vice-president campus life, Grayce Slobodian, who hosted the pub night,. The crowd really enjoyed the entire event. I can’t wait until I host my next one.”
Some students came to take a break from studying and some came to enjoy a night with their friends. “The music was terrible, but the people were amazing,” said Mark Levy, a third-year biochemistry specialist who was dressed as a shark.
The dance floor remained crowded until the pub night ended at 2 a.m., just in time for the attendees to greet November.