The first School of Dentistry Fall Festival and Halloween costume contest

The School of Dentistry hosted two inaugural events this October, the Fall Festival and the Halloween costume parade and contest. Both were a huge success, bringing together students, residents, faculty and staff, and kicking off the first quarter of the new academic year.  

“I loved seeing the whole school come together. It fosters the integration of our diverse school and builds community. Stay tuned there’s more to come,” commented Shan Zhao, MBA, FACHE, vice dean of finance and administration in the School of Dentistry. 

The Fall Festival was an afternoon family event that started with a children’s costume contest. Following the contest, faculty, students and residents participated in relay races and a volleyball tournament. The event took place at the campus pavilion, where there were activities such as bean bag toss and Jenga, face painting and kids’ games with Bill Miller BBQ served for dinner. Music was provided by the School of Dentistry's in-house DJs, Eric Day and Ahmed Sabbah, DDS, PhD.  

The highlight of the event showcased competitive dental athletes in the relay races and volleyball tournament. Following the announcement of winners and trophy distribution, teams were already planning for next year’s event.  

Fall Festival competition winners: 
Relay races: 

DS2 team, the “Crown Chasers”, won 1st place  

Volleyball tournament: 
Two teams came out on top 
DS1 team, the "DS Wons" 
DS3 team 

Winning teams earned pizza parties, breakfast tacos and coffee for their entire class! 
Thank you to the last-place team (Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residents) for their great sportsmanship! 

A few weeks later, the Halloween costume parade and contest provided an opportunity for the school to show its creativity. The event was a testament to the school's commitment to do “everything it takes” to win! Even if that means becoming a zombie or synchronized dancing.  

The costumes were impressive, which made it challenging for the expert panel of judges: Rochisha Marwaha, DDS, MPH; Amy Tawney, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP; Ginny Gomez-Lopez, MBA, CPA; and Jennifer Sharpe Potter, PhD, MPH. In the end, the winners were announced with pizza served for lunch! 

If you missed the costume parade, pictures can be viewed and downloaded here. 

Costume contest winners: 

Best Individual: Jinuel Jehlen DS1 “Dark Fairy” 
Most Creative: Nikole Kramer DS3 "Master of Disguise"  
Scariest: Dr. Scott Stafford and the Thriller Comprehensive Dentistry Zombies  
Funniest: Cecilia Cerda and the revenue cycle crew “Decay Me Not" 
Best Overall: Professor Magda de la Torre and the Dental Hygiene “Spice Girls” 

The success of our first fall festival and Halloween costume contest has set a high bar for future events, leaving everyone eagerly anticipating what the school has in store next!