25/03/2025
NEWS | Into the Setbacks, Success, and the Spooks: Halloween ‘24 at iACADEMY Cebu
By: Edwell John Cotejar & Jarod Earl Rebalde, March 25, 2025
In spite of numerous setbacks and behind-the-scenes obstructions, iACADEMY Cebu's Halloween Event 2024 threads through with the spooky spirit achieved by the ever resilient org leaders. In October of 2024, Typhoon Kristine had delayed decoration setup and limited preparations to a single day, bringing upon a sum of problems for the organizers. “If we had more time, we could have done and prepared a lot more.” said Archimides Cajilog, one of the members of the event’s preparation committee. Despite the odds, student leaders, volunteers, and faculty members worked together to ensure that the event’s essentials and decorations were up to standard and that the main Halloween Events would not be any less vibrant and festive.
iACADEMY Cebu celebrated its annual Halloween Event on the 26th of October 2024 and had become a major success, drawing in a large crowd of excited students and staff alike, despite the aforementioned trials. The event featured a melodious busking team, captivating booths from second year students, and Kasa del Tura’s exciting costume runway show: “Drop Dead Gorgeous: A Kasa del Tura Halloween Runway”. A spirited Oath Taking ceremony was conducted for the newly appointed Central Student Organization (CSO), Student Body Organization (SBO), and club officers. The festivities wrapped up in an unexpected karaoke after-party on the runway, exhibiting the fruits of the Game Changers’ labor and dedication to the event.
As early as September, CiSCO (Coalition of iACADEMY Cebu Student Organization) convened meetings alongside the Event Planners of iACADEMY Cebu (EPiC), ensuring a smooth and effective collaboration between all the other school organizations to guarantee that the Halloween event would run smoothly. These productive discussions set the course for the event’s most anticipated programs: Kasa del Tura hosted the main Halloween runway event, Gambit Collective Club (GCC) partnered with Thespia for a pre-Halloween game, Thespia held a live band performance as a preliminary for the event, and lastly, VZN managed the decorations, topping off their Halloween decorations from the previous annual celebration.
Prior to the main Halloween festivities, these student organizations led and hosted Halloween-themed events of their own. VZN, for instance, organized their own poster-making contest—gathering impressive submissions—and an exciting scavenger hunt. The Gambit Collective Club (GCC), along with Thespia, joined in as well. Both hosting their own pre-Halloween party called, “Mafia’s Gambit” which included game puzzles created by GCC, and amazing acting by Thespia’s actors.
Thespia’s busking team performance kick-started the morning’s events. Members of Thespia performed a variety of songs for about two hours, which kept the audience entertained until the main affair. In addition to the main course of events, booths from ANI-21 and MMA-21 added to the elation within the Green Room–offering merchandise like handmade accessories, stickers, and unique trinkets, which were carefully crafted by the booth vendors themselves. The booths buzzed with activity as students and staff gathered around the niche artworks and course merchandise. To start the main event, Kasa del Tura brought the Halloween hype to another level with the amateur and pro cosplay runway, where students and faculty gathered to cheer on the runway participants showcasing their creative costumes and character portrayals. “The event was good [and] despite the small space, the energy was still present.”, said Syd Suarez, a 1st-year Game Development student and the winner of the amateur category, reflecting the enthusiasm and support from the crowd that made the event a memorable highlight of the Halloween Party.
Following the runway, the Oath-Taking of the newly elected Central Student Organization (CSO), Student Body Organization (SBO), and Org Heads marked the conclusion of the ceremony. With the new CSO and Org Head officers taking their oaths in front of the student body, teaching, and non-teaching staff. With their hands raised solemnly in unison, the newly appointed leaders vowed to dedicate their service to the entire student body.
Overall, despite the setbacks, the event was a huge success thanks to the hard work of the student organizations, the volunteers, the iACADEMY Cebu staff, and to everyone who participated. “The event was not simply about costumes and performances. It was a celebration of the student’s individuality, creativity, and the freedom to express one’s self without the fear of judgment.” (Kasal del Tura Feature - LINYA). It was due to everyone’s unity and dedication that this celebration became an unforgettable experience. The students of iACADEMY Cebu will definitely be looking forward to next year’s activities. With the satisfying closure of the Halloween Event of 2024, it’s only a wonder what the student organizations, volunteers, staff, and students can pull off next time.
Photos: Kasa del Tura
