Mercer University’s Filipino Student Association is hosting their fourth annual Halo-Haloween on Friday, Oct. 31 from 5:30-8 p.m. in room 251 of Stetson Hall. The event’s name is a reference to a Filipino dessert, Halo-Halo, which translates to “mix-mix,” according to FSA President Sophia Petallar ‘26. The club offered shaved ice, Ube ice cream and condensed milk topped with sweets like jelly beans or jackfruit.
“Our goal is to share Filipino culture, first off, and to create a community where we not only have Filipinos who feel seen and are able to have a community here, and also for others who are not Filipino,” Petallar said.
The FSA was founded in 2022, Petallar said, who was a freshman at that time, and the club has hosted a Halo-Haloween each year since it launched on campus.
This year, though, the club is adding a new element to their yearly event: a Halloween costume contest. Attendees will vote for their favorite costumes using a Google form, and there will be a Google form in the FSA GroupMe for those who are interested in participating in the competition. The winner of the competition will receive a trophy filled with candy.
Another goal of the club, according to Petallar, is to share the Bayanihan idea of Filipino culture, which emphasizes the community helping others. To that end, the club is fundraising for Alma Bowman, a citizen who has been detained by ICE twice.
Alongside the FSA’s leadership team, Petallar will host a watch party of “Trese,” a movie about fighting demons and ghosts from Filipino folklore in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. “I think it just fits really perfectly with our events, and it would be a great way to at least show part of that side of Filipino culture,” Petallar said.
