A Kupang Halloween
As part of a larger community project the students and faculty members of SMA Mercusuar Kupang want to engage in, a Halloween Haunted House was organized at my house. The motivation behind the event was to create a cross-cultural experience, promote school spirit, encourage student leadership, and to create a space in which Mercusuar students can begin to build mentoring relationships with younger youths in Kupang.
Over the course of three weeks, a committee of 20 students, with the guidance of their English teachers, met afterschool and on weekends to coordinate the event. Four subcommittees were created to allocate responsibilities, which included costume and make-up, decorations, games and activities, and publicity.
After weeks of planning, the sub-committees put together a haunted house that served over eighty young children in Kupang. Parents and children visited several activity stations outside, including arts and crafts, jack-o-lantern carving, and candy apple making. The English teachers led an exciting mummy-wrapping relay race, in which the three winning teams were awarded with candies. Finally, children were led into the haunted house in small groups where many screamed and cried at the sights of the high school students in make-up and costumes. Once they made it out of the backdoor, they took turns hitting the piñatas filled with candies and treats. At the end of an entire afternoon of activities, the haunted house actors joined the students outside for pictures, food and games.
With more laughs than tears, this Halloween celebration achieved what the committee had sought out to do and more. Mercusuar students rose to the occasion as inspiring youth leaders who worked hard as a team to bring their community a fun celebration. Timor Express, a local newspaper in Kupang, recognized Mercusuar’s accomplishments in the paper the next day. But most importantly, we had so much fun!
