From left to right: Andy Espinoza, Director of Student Leadership & Activities; Lynea Cervera, SGA Vice President of Public Relations; Cayla Lewis, SGA President; and Morgan Simniok, SGA Secretary.
by Madeline Colley ’24
For more than 10 years, Cochise College has celebrated the spooky season with the Haunted Union. This time honored tradition brings together community members, faculty, and students alike for some Halloween fun. The annual event—on Friday, October 25, 2024, from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Sierra Vista Campus—has something for everyone.
“The Haunted Union is a fun, family-friendly Halloween carnival open to the public. It’s an event where student clubs come together to run carnival-style activities as part of their fundraising efforts for club operations,” says Sierra Vista SGA President Cayla Lewis. “I attended last year, and it was so much fun. I absolutely loved seeing all the creative costumes that people wore. The haunted house itself was incredible; all the decorations and volunteers looked so good and scary. Everyone did an amazing job.”
The Haunted Union will host a variety of events, suitable for all ages. Attendees can look forward to various booths, games, a costume contest, and more, which will be throughout the Sierra Vista Campus. Lewis says, “Most of the activities are centered around the lawn outside of the Student Union patio, which is the heart of the event. However, some activities, like the Reading Tree, are located in the Library, building 900. The costume contest happens at the bandstand across from the lawn. Inside the Student Union, you’ll also find the Haunted House, which is run by Phi Theta Kappa – Alpha Mu Zeta chapter (PTK).”
There’s a lot to be excited about. “SGA is definitely excited about bringing back the Halloween costume contest. It’s always a crowd favorite, and this year, we have seven categories, including age groups from 0-5, 6-11, 12-17, and 18+. We also have categories for Family/Group costumes, Couple/Pair costumes, and the Scariest costume,” says Lewis.
This year, clubs such as the American Sign Language (ASL) Club, Allied Health Club, Cochise Code Monkeys (formerly Virtual Reality for Success), Christian Challenge Club, Tabletop Games Club, and many more will be there. Each club will have its own booth, with various games and activities for attendees. SGA Vice-President of Public Relations Lynea Cervera says,“We also have a variety of volunteers (students and employees) helping with event logistics.”
“There’s something for everyone! The Communication & Public Speaking Club will host a communication game, PTK will run the Haunted House, Library Services will operate the Reading Tree, and the costume contest will be organized by college employees and SGA. The ASL club will have a fortune-telling booth. And, of course, there will be plenty of other activities,” says Cervera.
This year, SGA is trying something a little different. “Pre-purchasing tickets is a great way to avoid the lines. Ticket prices start at $0.50 per ticket, and each club sets their prices for the activities that they run. You can pre-purchase tickets from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., at the Business Office in Building 1000 (Student Union), or you can purchase tickets the day of the event at Building 900,” says Cervera.
Andy Espinoza, Director of Student Leadership & Activities and SGA Advisor, expands on that, saying, “We don’t anticipate selling out, but we encourage pre-purchasing your tickets so you can have more time to enjoy the various events rather than having to wait in line.” Tickets will be available for purchase throughout the event, so if you run out, you can always buy more.
No need to worry about stopping by an ATM first, “Both cash and card are accepted for ticket purchases, but individual booths will only accept tickets as payment. Attendees will need to get their tickets from the designated ticket areas,” says Lewis.
Fun and games aside, the Haunted Union is a really special event. It is truly a college-wide effort. We invite anyone and everyone in the community to come to enjoy the festivities (wearing your Halloween costume is encouraged). Cervera says, “It’s really about the connection between the community and the college. Families get to enjoy trick-or-treating, participating in a free costume contest, and it all goes towards supporting the success of student clubs. It’s a fantastic way to engage with local students and see the impact these clubs have on campus life.”
Madeline Colley is a student content creator for the Marketing, Communications and Advancement office at Cochise College. Her major is English, and she will graduate in December 2024.