All Hallows Evening is an ongoing tradition run by Keene State College’s Office of Student Involvement. This year’s event took place in the L.P. Young Student Center’s Mabel Brown Room with four different themed escape rooms: Zombie Apocalypse, Time Traveler, Wizard’s Trial, and CSI investigation. Each room challenged small groups with a series of puzzles to solve in 15 minutes, requiring teamwork, communication and creative problem-solving. Not only were there escape rooms, but also plenty of Halloween-themed snacks, interactive games and even a photobooth.
Sophomores August Chevalier and Evren McTygue described the experience as challenging and enjoyable. “It’s been fun!” Chevalier said.
McTygue added, “I like that they are hard,” noting the difficulty added to the excitement as they planned to do more escape rooms. Both agreed that events like this help strengthen the community on campus.
First-year student Lezmari Castrodad, who participated in the Time Traveler escape room, appreciated the puzzle-solving element. “Pretty fun,” she said. “I enjoyed the puzzle most. If we had more time, we definitely would have solved it.” Castrodad reflected on the social elements of the event and how it helped her feel more connected to her peers. “Yeah, it’s been meaningful to connect with them,” said Castrodad.
First-year students Felix Thomas and Marigold Gagne said it was the escape rooms were their first experience with them. “I’ve never done an escape room before,” Thomas said. “I’ve always wanted to do an escape room.”
When asked about their favorite part of the event, Gagne said, “I liked the part where I got the answer.” They both described the escape room puzzles as difficult, rating them a 10 out of 10. Gagne noted, “It was pretty hard.” Both said they enjoyed moments of success, particularly solving individual clues.
First-year students Joel Hill and Caleb Beaupre admitted their group didn’t manage to beat the challenges, but they still had a rewarding experience. “We did not escape,” Hill said with a laugh. Beaupre added, “It was really a punch in the gut—but we take what we can get.” Beyond the challenge, both first-years emphasized the strong sense of community from the event. “It brought a bunch of friends together, and it was really enjoyable to spend time with everyone,” Hill said. Beaupre agreed with the sentiment, saying “It definitely brings people together.” Hill described the atmosphere as “very sweet, everyone was pretty happy, a very pleasant feeling.”
Junior Melina Martello-Munoz and sophomore Aaralyn Evans shared enthusiastic reflections on the escape rooms. “I’ve done three so far, and I think the different levels of difficulty and that there is someone there to help you makes it really approachable,” Evans said. “If you’re struggling, it’s not like you’re struggling by yourself, and it’s really cool—I’ve only done one escape room before this.” Martello-Munoz, a community assistant (CA), learned about the event through her CA meetings and was drawn to the event. “It sounded interesting, and it’s a great way for students to connect,” she said.
For some attendees, the highlight was teamwork and collaboration under pressure. Sophomore Matthew Silvestri noted that multiple minds were better than one for this event. “We had a lot of minds in there. Like we immediately split up everyone doing work,” Silvestri said, reflecting on how his team quickly organized themselves to tackle different parts of the escape room.
The Office of Student Involvement, which organized All Hallows Evening entirely in-house, emphasized that the event is designed to offer students a safe and engaging way to celebrate Halloween on campus. Coordinator of Student Organizations and Leadership Keri Lewis said, “It’s an opportunity for friends to get together,” and the escape rooms encourage teamwork and connection. “Even if you come alone, you’ll meet other people on campus,” said Lewis. The activity gives students a chance to try something new, work together in groups, and enjoy a fun challenge in a supportive environment.
Senior Coordinator of Student Involvement and Well-Being Emily Alexander added that All Hallows Evening provides an alternative to typical off-campus Halloween activities, allowing students a chance to celebrate in a safe, inclusive space. “When everyone just wants to go out drinking or doing things off campus. We actually have a large student population that doesn’t want to,” Alexander said. “So, giving people a safe opportunity to participate in Halloween on campus is a really great community builder.” Between escape rooms, themed food and social opportunities, the Office of Student Involvement said they hope everyone left the event having had a fun time and growing a closer connection with peers.
All Hallows Evening offered students a way to come together on campus. The event highlights how activities can help create a sense of connection across campus. Students participated in a campus experience that combined problem-solving and teamwork.
Dakota Sweet can be reached at
dsweet@kscequinox.com
