By Cheryl Goodenough and Lucia Piccinni
The only competition at Oakham house this Halloween should be for who has the best costume.
After year of competing for party space and ticket sales each Halloween, the Latin Students Association of Ryerson (LASAR) and the Ryerson Indian Students Association (RISA) have decided that one big Halloween bas will be better than two.
In past years LASAR and RISA both held Halloween parties at Oakham House on the same night in separate rooms, but people argued more than they danced. “Basically, they were bitching and we were bitching,” said Mariangelica Cuerro, president of LASAR, as she poured wine into a punch bowl and arranged cheese and crackers on a tray before a LASAR meeting with RISA. “This year it worked out better because we’re both having a party at the same time and same place. Now we’re working together.”
RISA president Shilpa Patel agrees. “A lot of people were complaining because they had to pay upstairs and downstairs,” she said of the previous parties. “This year we want to bring the groups together to make it better.”
In the past, people who paid a cover charge at one party got upset when they had to pay a second cover to hang with friends or dance at the other party. This year it’s pay-one-price for entrance to both parties. Kush Sharma, a second-year business student, went to last year’s party will be a greater success and a model for those to come. “People from RISA play hip=hop and reggae and LASAR plays salsa and meringue. People pay-one-price and they get to experience different cultures.” RISA will also be playing Bhangra.
Sharma, who’s part of RISA, sees the variety of music and culture as an effective way to draw a crowd in. “I think it’s an excellent idea. More people means more money and better business.”
Like Sharma, Joaquin Martinez, a second-year architecture student with LASAR, sees that two seemingly different groups working together can be a lot more fun. “I didn’t go last year, but I’ll be there for sure this year.”
Although it seems like there will be a lot of newcomers to this year’s party, not everyone is in Halloween spirit. One third-year student at the meeting, who refused to give his name, stuffed a donut in his mouth and said, “I’m going to the party, but only for the food.”
LASAR and RISA don’t care if people are coming for the food or the prizes. Both groups just hope that everyone will be dancing, and it doesn’t matter in what room.
Leave a Reply