Students socialized over Halloween mocktails while painting miniature styrofoam pumpkins at the “Pumpkins and Potions” event hosted by the Flashes Activity Board (FAB) at the Kent Student Center Tuesday night.

A sign-in table was near the entrance and FAB members swiped students’ Flashcards to enter them into a fall basket giveaway. 

Past the sign-in, other tables were set up with miniature pumpkins and paints which students could quickly grab and go find a more permanent seat at multiple empty tables. Students were able to take one pumpkin each. 

Ashley Hughes, a junior in nursing, attended the event with Vanessa Graham, also a nursing junior.

“We haven’t been able to do too much,” Hughes said. “Just so much studying, but we’re finally actually free to do something. It’s a nice fall event before Halloween.”

The room was decorated with purple and orange lights and caution tape. Small halloween decorations were placed as centerpieces on the tables and a speaker played Halloween music in the background.  

Kyiel Turner, a criminology junior and the director of special events for FAB, organized the event. 

“I figured it was just such a nice event to kick off Halloween week,” Turner said. “Something that’s nice and relaxing. Just where people could have fun with their friends.”

Turner said she planned for around 300 students to attend and worked with Kent State’s catering service to create the drinks and cookies. 

A table on the opposite side of the room from the sign-in and pumpkin table had two different types of mocktails and Halloween themed sugar cookies. 

One mocktail was green with gummy worms and gummy eyeballs, named the “Witches Brew.” The second drink was named “Bloody Shirley Temple” and was bright red with a fake syringe sticking out of each cup. Students could take one mocktail and one cookie each.   

“You can just sit and paint and have a mocktail and cookies,” Turner said.

FAB has hosted numerous events throughout the semester and has a few more planned in November.  

Turner said she will be hosting an upcoming “Nostalgia Night” in November that will include nostalgic crafts, old board games and Mario Kart. 

“I think [FAB events] bring people together,” Hughes said. “Since we’re already on campus, we can still hangout and do something fun.”

Aryn Kauble is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected]