In the United States, Halloween is the second most popular holiday behind Christmas. Even though we know that you’re probably buried in homework (not ghost stories), TMCC nonetheless will celebrate the spooky holiday by offering up two themed events that, if you’re not the living dead, will lift your spirits and give you pumpkin to talk about!
TMCC Culinary Arts “All Hallows Eve” Fundraiser
Show your Halloween spirit in support of TMCC’s Culinary Arts Program by attending the 5th annual All Hallow’s Eve Fundraiser. The event, which takes place Thursday, Oct. 31 from 3-7 p.m. in the Student Center on the Dandini Campus, offers both food and fun for the entire family.
Each activity at the event requires a prescribed number of tickets (which can be purchased in any amount at the door) so you can participate in as little or as much as you want. As you might expect, delicious treats form the core attraction, with both sweet and savory offerings. Through innovative tie-ins with the Culinary Arts curriculum, students in the baking classes will create sweet, seasonal and fun desserts. The buffet and catering students will create a savory, buffet-style menu, which will include vegetarian and vegan options. All treats are peanut-free. Students in the Culinary Arts classes will assist with the preparation of the fare offered at the event and the Aspiring Chefs Club (TMCC’s Culinary Arts Club) will help with all event activities.
If you’re more interested in tricks rather than treats, join the pumpkin carving or Halloween costume contest. A table filled with pumpkins and carving utensils are at your disposal for the former, and a fun photo booth will capture the ghoulish costumes. Winners of both contests will be announced on the Aspiring Chefs Club Facebook page. Pictures from the photo booth will also be available on the page, which can be downloaded for free.
Additional activities include a cookie decorating table and an ongoing raffle drawing for prizes donated to the Culinary Arts program for this fundraiser. Several community partners have donated raffle prizes that include Halloween-themed freshly baked products and refreshments, gift certificates to local businesses and services--everything from spa services to gift certificates to local restaurants.
“The event is open to the general public,” said Chef Craig Rodrigue, who encourages everyone to stop by. “If your kids want to do something right for Halloween after school, this event is really wonderful, and it’s a great way to have a safe trick-or-treat experience.” Additionally, if you’re attending or hosting a Halloween event later that night, order your treats from the Culinary Arts program. Pre-ordered cupcakes, cookies and Halloween treats can be picked up on Oct. 31 at the event.
Treat and ticket sales go to a good cause: event proceeds benefit the TMCC Culinary Arts program. For more information about TMCC’s program in Culinary Arts, contact the department at 775-673-7132.
TMCC Library Committee’s Monster Panel
Every year for the past three years, TMCC’s Library Committee assembles our campus experts and scholars to discuss topics pertinent to October’s most infamous holiday. “The library events were started to tap into the knowledge of faculty so that they can highlight their interests and specialties,” said Library Committee Chair and TMCC English Professor Robert Lively. “The goals of the panel are to help bring together the campus community in the spirit of fun and interesting examinations of culture.”
This year is no exception with a panel that promises “... mad professors [who] will talk about real and imagined possibilities of monsters.” The panel happens on Oct. 31 from 2–3:15 p.m. in Vista B204 on the Dandini Campus, and will cover the following topics:
- “The Transformation of Clowns into the Grotesque.” Led by English Professor Karen Wikander, the talk will examine how the clown became a figure of terror in modern pop culture. This will include a focus on the transformation of our concept of the clown and how this figure has morphed into what we would call the grotesque.
- “The Horrors of Halloween Candy.” Led by cultural anthropologist Joylin Namie, this presentation discusses childhood slavery in the chocolate trade, childhood obesity, what sugar does to your bones, and the health risks of artificial colorings and flavorings. Namie specializes in issues related to food, media, health, and gender, and has published academic articles on why mothers feed their children junk food, on the negative aspects of sport nutrition, on fathers’ involvement in breastfeeding and on gender representation in food advertising.
- “A Re-Examination of Jekyll and Hyde, and the Monsters that Make Us.” Led by English Professor Erika Bein, this talk will address Stevenson's novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and how it can be viewed as a modern "monster" tale. “Monsters have always represented society's inherent fears and desires, and this can be seen from Jonah's Whale (or even Ahab's Whale), to Shelley's Frankenstein, Walking Dead Zombies, and Pennywise of Derry, Maine,” said Bein. Her presentation will ask: if all of that is true, how then can Jekyll and Hyde be re-examined to provide an even clearer reflection of ourselves?
- “Ghosts in Nevada Haunted Lodging Places.” In this presentation TMCC faculty, Laure’L Santos will tell personal and historical ghost stories about Lincoln Hall on the UNR campus, the Gold Hill Hotel, the Mizpah Hotel, and the Goldfield Hotel—Nevada sites famous for their own unique ghost stories.
Although it might be a difficult moment in the semester to attend a seminar-type event, if you have the time, you should make the effort to go. “I believe that students can learn about interesting topics in our culture and make connections with faculty centered around topics they may have an interest in,” said Lively. “Or, maybe students will find that they have an appreciation for topics they may not have known much about.”
The event is free and is open to all students, faculty, staff and community members. For more information about the Monster Panel, contact the TMCC Library Committee.