Sophomore, Cameron Osborn hands out candy to Isaac, Adella, and Elijah Hamson at Alpha’s annual Candyland Event on October 31, 2011. | Ashley Jones/THE CHIMES

Kids and parents gathered at Biola University’s 10th annual Candyland event, held in Alpha Hall on Halloween night. The event took place from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and drew a crowd of 1,000 people.

Alpha’s transformation

Alpha was once again transformed into a living board game. Banners and balloons hung from the walls, and signs were posted, directing visitors to the different floor displays. Each floor had a theme pertaining to the Candy Land game, and the best decorated floor won a pizza party. Every door was also decorated, and the best door received a prize of $100. However, the scenery was not limited to the board game characters; banners and doors also featured Disney movies, including “Alice in Wonderland,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Up” and “Peter Pan.” One floor followed a Gramma Nutt theme, and one of the doors had a poster advertising “Nutloose.”

“My favorite parts of Candyland are seeing the kids’ costumes and the kids’ faces,” said Margaret Nale, Alpha resident assistant. “The kids’ eyes are huge!”

However, the festivities were not just limited to trick-or-treating. In the lobby, children were able to visit a face painting booth, participate in a fishing game or dance in a cakewalk. Parents ate snacks and talked amongst themselves while their kids enjoyed the bounce house and doughnut tree outside. Visitors were also able to sit on plush couches and watch a movie on the front lawn of Alpha.

In addition to families, the event drew former resident directors, Biola alumni and faculty members, as well as past Alpha residents.

“The coolest part [of Candyland] is that we are able to interact with the La Mirada community,” said Debbie Hasbrouck, RD of Alpha East.

Preparing for the event

The hard work and dedication of the Alpha women are the reasons why Candyland receives overwhelming success each year.

Candyland, which is a collaboration between Residence Life and Associated Students, aims to provide a fun, safe alternative for the community. The RAs of Alpha meet during the last week of September to plan Candyland, and then split off into committees for the different aspects of the event. Notices are sent to local schools and churches in La Mirada, but the impressive attendance record is also due to word of mouth. This well-known event drew 1,000 people last year, and a line stretched out to the street even before the doors of Alpha opened.

With so many people arriving on Biola’s campus, the university made every effort to ensure the safety of all. Fire code inspectors walk through the building a couple hours before Candyland starts, and Campus Safety patrol the area with an extra vigilant eye. In addition to this, the L and K parking lots are blocked off.

Copious amounts of candy are needed for this event, so the women of Alpha place collection boxes for candy in Metzger Hall, the Caf, the Library and Student Services. Alpha residents also purchase candy to hand out at their doors. In 2008, Alpha ran out of candy an hour before Candyland was over, so AS and the Alpha Residence Life members created an emergency fund of $300 to help buy candy if a shortage ever occurred again.

Building community within Biola and La Mirada

Not only does Candyland serve the residents of La Mirada and provide a safe place to celebrate Halloween, but it also unites the women of Alpha. It builds a sense of community, and serves as an extension of Biola’s mission statement, which says, “we aspire to mentor and serve our students in a manner that nurtures strength of character and Christian community.”

“Alpha definitely grows as a community because we all decorate our doors at the same time,” freshman Sarah McBeth said. “It’s just really fun seeing everyone in the hallway and handing out candy at the same time. It impacts the community because it provides such a safe place for younger kids to trick-or-treat.”