When: October 21st 2015 at 8:00 pm
Where: 1848
Hosted By: The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO), The Pride Centre and The Women’s Resource Centre (WRC)
Throughout the month of October there are so many spooky, sexy, and/or silly Halloween events to attend all over Ottawa. The SFUO’s Strip Spelling Bee was an awesome night of holiday fun with a bit of a competitive twist. Everyone (18+) was invited to break out their culturally respectful costumes and put their spelling to the test for a good cause in hopes of winning some spook-tacular prizes! The spelling bee itself was a blend of strip poker and a traditional spelling bee. The rules were simple:
- Each contestant was asked to spell a word. (Let me just say, they were NOT easy words to spell, even for us university kids). If the word was spelt correctly, the contestant got to sit down with all of their clothes still on.
- If the word was spelt incorrectly, that’s when things got interesting! The speller was asked to perform a strip tease and remove however much clothing they were comfortable with.
The game lasted three rounds and by the end of it all, clothes and costumes were all over the place and the room was filled with cheering. Congratulations to all of the winners and participants! Thank you to everyone who donated to the Canadian Aids Society as well! Your donations are going towards an important organization! I had the chance to chat with Mikayla Vattiata, the volunteer supervisor at the Pride Centre, about the event and Halloween in general!
Her Campus: Where did you get the idea for the Strip Spelling Bee?
Mikayla: First off I wanted to have a fun night with friends. What interested me most about it was that so many people were nervous or scared to the point where they didn’t want to participate. I love pushing myself to be a part of “taboo” things and step outside my comfort zone. This seemed like a fun way to do so!
HC: What should people keep in mind this Halloween?
M: Like every year, Halloween should be about having fun and staying safe. Being a part of the university culture has made me so much more aware of the concept of consent and the different layers of it. Being respectful and aware of people’s boundaries and emotions in any situation, is very important.
HC: How can people create safe spaces on and off campus during the holidays?
M: Creating a safe space can be as easy as asking questions and respecting the answers. Make sure that you’re always aware of those around you, what you say and the actions you take. Always remember to have fun, but keep in mind that the concept of fun isn’t always universal and that we should always be considerate of others, so everyone can enjoy the holidays! Happy treating!
Want to participate in other events on campus?
SFUO: Website, Facebook, Twitter
Women’s Resource Centre: Website, Facebook, Twitter
Pride Centre: Website, Facebook, Twitter
Have a safe and fun Halloween collegiettes!
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