Skinny jeans weren’t the only thing that caused chafing at Columbia’s annual 24-Hour Night, held Oct. 25–26.

The event, touted as “Halloween, Columbia style,” was hosted by several student organizations and included a mechanical bull riding competition, a pumpkin carving contest, scary movie screenings and the Creepy Coming Out Ball sponsored by Common Ground, Columbia’s LGBTQ club.

Lynsey Mukomel, a marketing manager for the Student Programming Board, said the group tried to avoid confusion about the timing and location of events that plagued previous 24-Hour Nights. The indoor skating rink of the last two years was discontinued in favor of a “The Halloween Hoedown” theme which gave them the idea for the mechanical bulls, which were located at Stage Two in the 618 S. Michigan Ave. Building.

“There is a competition level to it, which we find much more exciting,” Mukomel said. “We think students showed up just to prove if they can stay on the longest.”

Students rode the bull, ate candy and had professional photos taken. Carlton Yarber, a junior interactive arts & media major, said he enjoyed the bull riding.

“It was pretty challenging,” Yarber said. “The bull is slippery itself, so you have to go opposite the direction that the bull is going so that your can keep your balance.”

The crew of Columbia’s “I Love the ’90s Tribute Show,” sponsored by the Humanities, History and Social Sciences Department, hosted a ’90s-themed event Oct. 26 that included a disc jockey spinning ’90s hits. Students were encouraged to dress in their best ’90s clothing.

“I told them that if we were going to do [a party on campus] we should do it as a part of 24-Hour Night,” said Oscar Valdez, administrative assistant and office manager in the Humanities, History and Social Sciences Department and an adviser to the event.

The Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management Department’s Club Management     Practicum class also joined the campus fun by throwing a costume party at HAUS, the new student nightclub in the Quincy Wong Center, 623 S. Wabash Ave. The event titled Haunted HAUS, featured a  costume contest and a raffle for various prizes including a $10 gift card from their sponsor Cafecito.

According to Gigi Posejpal, director of International Student Affairs, its annual pumpkin carving event started long before it was a part of 24-Hour Night. This is the second year ISO joined the 24-Hour Night festivities, Posejpal said.

“[To share] U.S. culture and what we do for Halloween, the International Student Organization decided to start hosting a pumpkin carving contest,” Posejpal said.

Organizations choose to participate in 24-Hour Night to give students something fun and unique to do on campus and gain member traction, according to Mukomel.

“This is an alternative to students [who] don’t necessarily want to go all out with a costume and do the typical Halloween activities,” she said. “At the same time, clubs can also put their name out there and show students what we do.”

To see a video of the event, visit ColumbiaChronicle.com.