On October 29, nearly one hundred students in SMK Raden Umar Said’s English Club gathered in the auditorium to join ETA Alice Rodi in celebrating Halloween. The meeting kicked off with an impressive fashion show, during which students from the animation- and design-centric vocational school showcased their immense creative talents. More than half of the attending students dressed up in extravagant costumes, many of which were handmade! From scary zombies and spooky mummies to a downright terrifying Job Application, students of the English Club embraced their imagination.

The show culminated in a costume contest. After much debate, the group decided on the three best costumes: Blue Diamond (from the animated American TV series “Steven Universe”), Miguel (the main character of Disney’s 2017 film “Coco”), and Satoru Gojo (from the manga-inspired anime “Jujutsu Kaisen”), each of whom was awarded a felt Jack-O’-Lantern satchel. All participants additionally received Halloween stickers and autumnal treats.

Following the fashion show, the group played several rounds of Halloween trivia and watched a short documentary about the history of the celebration, during which the students reflected on the tradition’s origins and how it is celebrated in the US today. They then got a chance to partake in one of the most eagerly anticipated aspects of the holiday: trick-or-treating! After crafting their own treat bags out of orange construction paper, each student lined up to collect their sweets. The event concluded with lots of pictures taken (and even more candy wrappers strewn about).

Alice Rodi is currently teaching at SMK Raden Umar Said Kudus, Central Java.