By Janie Hodney, Morgan Andrews, Hope Smith, & Matt Seger
The University of Wisconsin – Green Bay Student Engagement Center (SEC) plans various events for students to participate in during Halloweekend in conjunction with other student organizations.
This included: Rocky Picture Horror Show movie night, Halloween Trivia, Pride Center Halloween Costume Contest, HallowQueen, and Gravedancers Ball. For the past three Halloweens, the Student Engagement Center has not been able to host events due to COVID-19. Last year, they were fortunate enough to have events, but they were limited in capacity, and participants had to wear masks. This is the first Halloween in three years where things are back to normal.
One organization on campus created multiple Halloween events for the week. The Pride Center worked hard for months to create a Halloween movie night and the most popular event HallowQueen Drag Show. Kylie Heling, a current student employee of the Pride Center, stated that they “have been planning these events since last year.” With the relaxed COVID-19 restrictions, the employees anticipated these events to be popular and packed.
The Student Engagement center started the Halloween week with Halloween Trivia. With questions about popular Halloween movies and Halloween history, they were able to start the excitement of the spooky spirit. A current student who attended the event stated, “I love everything to do about Halloween. I came here to win and show people my love for Halloween!”
To kick off the Halloween weekend, on Friday, October 28, The UW-Green Bay Pride Center held a Drag Queen Story Hour in the Cofrin Library. The story hour was led by the Drag Queen, Madame Tuck. Madame Tuck read books by the names of I am Jazz, My Princess Boy, Heather has Two Mommies, and Uncles Bobby’s Wedding. This event was free and open to the public and students.
The University of Green Bay – Green Bay’s Pride Center hosted a drag queen story hour with drag queen Madame Tuck. Madame Tuck read seven books to the students. Photo provided by UWGB Pride Center Facebook.
Following the drag queen story hour, the 4th annual Hallowqueen Show was hosted at the Weidner Center on Friday night, October 28. The show highlighted three drag queens, Maple Veneer, Goldie Adams, and Madame Tuck. Lauren Knisbeck, a junior at UWGB, went to the show and commented, “My favorite drag queen was Madame Tuck because she came out in the wildest outfit: a ruffled rainbow robe that covered up a disco ball bodysuit underneath. She also came down into the audience during her number to sing.” There also was one drag king, Freddie Fahrenheit. The announcer of the night was Karen Valentine. The event raised donations for the campus cupboard at UWGB. This event was free and open to students and the public. “I have never been to a drag queen show before, so I was excited to see what they’re all about. The atmosphere of the show was amazing. You could tell that the audience was supportive and eager to see the show. The lobby of the Weidner was jam-packed with booths about the pride center and other organizations on campus,” says Knisbeck.
The University of Wisconsin- Green Bay’s Pride Center hosted a Hallowqueen Drag Show at the Weidner Center. This is the main stage before the show. Photo provided by Morgan Andrews
The University of Wisconsin- Green Bay’s Pride Center hosted a Hallowqueen Drag Show at the Weidner Center. Students joined performers on stage. Photo provided by Morgan Andrews.
On Halloween night, Monday, October 3, The Gravedancers Ball took place in the Phoenix Room with a wide array of activities. YODJ entertainment DJ’d the event playing various pop songs and taking requests from attendees. “It’s a little more laidback compared to, say, middle school and high school dances cause there are more relaxed rules,” said YODJ. “I don’t have to worry too much about what I’m playing. The setlist is very open to most requests,” YODJ added. The wide Phoenix Room held various activities that included food, tables, costume contests, tarot card readings, and photo booths.
The University of Wisconsin- Green Bay’s Gravedancer’s Ball. Photo courtesy of Good Time’s Programming Instagram (@uwgbgtp)
UWGB’s 2022 Halloween Week was a welcome return, All the events had a large turnout of student attendees, showing that students and staff welcome the idea of getting involved and participating in campus activities. This brings hope for the future of Halloween Week and its continuous growth as the campus moves forward.