On Friday, Oct. 17, Bay University hosted its annual Halloween dance, bringing current students and alumni together. Attendees dressed up for the Halloween theme, and Bay University students painted pumpkins as decorations. DJ Steve also played Halloween-inspired music.

The district-wide Bay University program comprises 90 students, with a total of seven classes: three at Burlingame, three at Capuchino High School, and one at the College of San Mateo. Of the four annual dances, two are hosted at Burlingame, including the Halloween dance.

“It’s a chance for not just our current students, but all of our former students to come back together and see each other,” Bay University teacher Jenna Smith said. “Not many of our students ever go on to get a driver’s license, where they have the freedom to just go hang out with their friends. So events like this give them something to celebrate.”

Because Bay University students have the same teachers all four years, Smith said everyone is “like a family.” According to Smith, alumni visit often, dropping by nearly every day.

“We’ve got students that come when they decide they want a new job and they want help with job hunting or refreshing their resume, or they just come because they miss us, or something big is happening in their life,” Smith said.

One floor above the Bay University classrooms, Shannon Couch’s culinary arts and nutrition class prepared a variety of Halloween-themed snacks, a tradition they’ve continued for every Bay University dance hosted at Burlingame. Some of Couch’s students came to the dance to serve food to the students and families.

“It’s such a great community of adults and young people, and I just like to be a part of it, because there’s a lot of joy and a lot of happiness and a lot of memories from the alumni who come back,” Couch said.