This Halloween, the Elizabethtown College bookstore transformed its retail space into a lively hub of campus spirit. The door, wrapped in caution tape, and the checkout counter, covered in spider webs and glowing orange and purple lights, invited students to come in for some festive fun.
On Thursday, Oct. 30, the Baugher Student Center (BSC) was buzzing with Haunted Happenings, with one of the highlights inside of the bookstore. The bookstore offered refreshments, snacks and a spooky atmosphere for students to browse for new Etown gear and take part in some Halloween-themed fun. Students who stopped in were greeted by upbeat music and the scent of sweet-treats, which set the cheerful tone for the afternoon.
The Bookstore offered a horror trivia quiz. If students answered 9/10 questions about horror movies correctly you receive a 10% discount and a chance to win a gift certificate to the bookstore. Faculty and staff also received a 20% off discount all day.
“A lot of people enjoy this,” store manager Amy Mcvoy said. “It’s a way for us to get more faces through the door and have the students feel welcomed in the store.”
Mcvoy emphasized that events like these are about more than sales; they contribute to the campus spirit. “Come in with your friends and do something together. It doesn’t have to be about sales, it’s about having fun,” Mcvoy said. She noted that events like these help strengthen the connections on campus. They strengthen connections on campus by giving students a reason to stop by, chat and branch out of their normal routines.
This is the college bookstore’s third year holding this Halloween event, which has become a tradition. These special events continue year-round, coinciding with other events on campus. “We do events for the tree lighting and for TGIS,” Mcvoy said. “We enjoy having the student body come through and see what’s exciting and enjoy the seasonal aspect. It’s fun to celebrate these different times of the year with everyone.”
While the bookstore offered a spooky day of fun for Etown students, they are also debuting their new family section of the store. There is now an Alumni and Family room. It is a dedicated space featuring family-themed Etown gear. The area includes new products such as brother and sister shirts and grandparent apparel together in one cohesive space. This addition helps visiting families and students shopping for gifts, an easier area to navigate for all of your alumni and family gifting needs.
“It’s now all in one location, we really wanted to set it apart, so come in and check it out,” Mcvoy said, highlighting the new room. Mcvoy added that this updated display can make it easier for visitors to browse and be able to find just what they are looking for.
The Haunted Happenings and Halloween spirit extended beyond the bookstore in the BSC. Earlier that day Mcvoy enjoyed the new Halloween special from Blue Bean called Pumpkin Guts.
According to junior barista Megan Hoppman, the new drink is a cream-based frappuccino with oatmilk, pumpkin sauce, strawberry puree and topped with festive halloween sprinkles. “We’ve sold quite a few today. Students are excited for this new special, and we’ve also started writing fun messages on our cups for the season,” Hoppman said.
Throughout the afternoon students were seen walking, moving between the Blue Bean and the bookstore sipping their seasonal drinks, checking out the new Etown merchandise and soaking in the welcoming and spooky atmosphere that the bookstore created for students.
The goal for the bookstore was to bring students together and make the bookstore a seasonal and welcoming part of the spirited campus life. “It gives everybody a reason and a connection to come in, see what’s new, and what we have going on,” Mcvoy said. The event had a mix of tradition, community spirit and new merchandise, which created an afternoon of fun for students and faculty and staff.
