Members of the Society of Earth-based Religions and other students enjoyed dancing, Tarot reading, food and a costume contest at the fourth annual Witches' Ball on Saturday.
The event took place from 8 p.m. until midnight in the David Owsley Museum of Art.
"I'm in charge of food," Kylie Price, junior math education major, said. "We had to come up with recipes and everything, and of course everything had to be individually packaged."
Sugar cookies, apple cinnamon treats, spinach puffs and puppy chow were all popular snacks according to Price. But many people came for more than just the food.
"A lot of people who are interested are too young to go out and drink on Halloween." Alex Dittmann, student president of the Society of Earth-based Religions, said. "We get a number of art and theatre students as well, especially them coming for the costume contest ... We get approximately 200 people."
Originally the Witches' Ball was an event hosted by a group at Purdue with the help of the Society of Earth-based Religions, but, in the 2008-2009 school year, the club brought it to Ball State.
The event was a fundraiser for the club, with an admission of $5 for Ball State students and $8 for the general public.
"It's an event for fun." Dittmann said. "It started as a fundraiser for us, and we have a lot of fun putting it on."
"It's fun working with the group because everyone is fun and nice and goofy." Price said. "The group is really open. We talk freely. I started coming for the close-knit community."
For Dittmann, the Witches' Ball is how he first got started in the Society of Earth-based Religions four years ago.
"I got involved with helping a couple friends put together the first Witches' Ball," Dittmann said. "And after that, I started coming to meetings. So we do get some new members in."
The club is currently searching for a new venue from Bracken Library because their weekly meetings 9 p.m. on Monday have expanded to include about 25 to 30 members.
As a theological expression group, the meetings consist of members discussing different topics relating to religion.
"We do things ranging from ethics and morality to reincarnation and the afterlife." Dittmann said. "We've realized it's really important to be a place for as many religious minorities as we can be."
"There's not really a place where Buddhists on campus, or Hindus or beyond the religious practices of a form of Christianity, can go and talk about their faith openly." Dittmann said. "They may be discriminated against or they just may not feel comfortable in that sort of environment. So we try to be there as a place for them to come and talk about those kind of things."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
