By Jennifer Bortner and Dylan Rossi
Hello and welcome to Booth 2023 ratings from two of the most unqualified booth raters. Enjoy whatever this is!
The first booth we visited was none other than Delta Tau Delta’s “Adventure Time”-themed booth! We loved the outside banner and the very clear storyline. ‘Twas well done indeed. The PENGUINS!!! They were the highlight of this booth. It was also impressive to see the “Adventure Time” Pac-man game machine, but the game itself was a bit lacking. Overall, solid booth!
Rating: 3.5 stars
Delta Delta Delta (Tri-delt) brought the heat with a “Coraline”-themed booth. This was pretty awesome. The paint job was simply beautiful and there was SO MUCH innovative artwork like the tissue paper Phipps room (which was one of our favorites). The purple lights were cool and the cake was awesome. However, the last two rooms were a bit barren and confusing. Still, very cool booth!
Rating: 3.75 stars
Singapore Students’ Association (SSA) surprised us with a Singapore themed booth. Woah. This booth did so much with little space. CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE POND?? It was so cool. The clouds were gorgeous too. The exterior was stunning as well. Go SSA!
Rating: 4 stars
The Astronomy Club delivered an out of this world entrance, featuring an ASTRONAUT SCOTTY! And a dog in a rocket? However, the inside was too good of a replica of Mars — that is, nothing was there. Space be like that sometimes.
Rating: 3 stars
PRISM eased us in with a warm welcome to “Stardew Valley.” The walls featured beautiful pixelated artwork from the game, however the floors were simply unpainted. The lights were nice, but the duck game? What kind of monsters don’t let you keep the duck you tried so hard to fish? We shed a few tears, parting without our prize.
Rating: 2.5 stars
The Japanese Student Organization pulled up in a lifesize Catbus, straight out of Studio Ghibli. Super cool exterior, and an interior bursting with personality and vibrancy. We played our second fishing game, and actually WON A PRIZE! Granted, it was a sticker instead of a duck, but a win is a win. The detail was immaculate, but a second room would’ve provided some much needed movement.
Rating: 3.5 stars
KGB slapped us in the face with a full scale Monopoly game, in which you become a tax evasion expert. While the rooms were lacking in detail, the outside was a sight to behold. Also, the interactive game was really, really fun. Probably the best game we played in all the booths. Still, even with our generous severance package, the full experience felt a little empty.
Rating: 3 stars
Phi Delta Theta brought us a two-story “Stranger Things”-themed booth, to celebrate Millie Bobby Brown’s engagement. The first room alone was filled to the brim with references to the show, including boxes of Eggos, a map of the upside down, and a walkie talkie. As we progressed through the booth, we found ourselves in Hawkins Laboratory, complete with hazmat suits and a “no trespassing” sign. Next, we entered a Will Byers pride room, which, while lacking in detail, was a fun tribute to the show. After walking downstairs into the upside down, we were caught in a web of black goo, faced down by a demogorgon. All in all a very intricate booth. The only downside was a perilous, undecorated walk downstairs. Still, very respectable.
Rating: 4.25 stars
Kappa Kappa Gamma was being judged when we arrived to check it out ourselves, so we could only see the beautiful exterior. That said, the outside alone was truly stunning, such that we felt comfortable giving it a solid rating.
Rating: 4 stars
Fringe took us down memory lane with a booth themed after Dr Seuss’ “Oh! The Places You’ll Go!” The first room was gorgeous, mixing painted walls with 3D elements to really bring the book to life. However, the next few rooms were a little empty, and certainly failed to deliver on the promise of the first room. The outside walkway featured beautiful truffula trees and art from Dr. Seuss’ many works, but by the time we got out there wasn’t enough for us to justify the perplexing middle rooms.
Rating: 2.25 stars
The Asian Students Association brought us the Oscar winning “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” booth, starting with the laundromat. There were real clothes in the washing machine! And the overhang outside, gorgeous. The walk upstairs was beautiful, featuring clever LEDs placed behind a dark wall. On the second floor we were greeted by Jamie Lee Curtis and a pile of tax forms, shortly followed by a sneaky raccoon hiding on a shelf. Then the references, oh, the references. Michelle Yeoh cracked in the glass, perfection. The painted characters were all stunning. The chef? Hysterical. We barely survived the beauty of those hot dog fingers. And at the end of it all, we were offered a chance to win a prize in a fun ping pong ball game? Enough said.
Rating: 5 stars
Sigma Phi Epsilon whipped out an “Avatar” booth that knocked our socks off with the complexity of its first room. The guy in the glass case was jaw dropping. After moving through the lab, we found ourselves in a lush jungle. Then we saw the floating islands with a waterfall out the bottom! A dragon fire creature greeted us outside before we returned to the jungle, filled now with neon flora and fauna. Finally, we descended a well painted staircase and concluded our journey. Not a lot of complaints, very cool.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Delta Gamma sent us down the rabbit hole into their “Alice in Wonderland”-themed booth, complete with a tree and stunning exterior. A caterpillar was even holding a La Prima coffee. Up the stairs, we found ourselves in the Queen’s Court, where we navigated well trimmed hedges adorned with roses. After a pleasant stroll, we moved downstairs to the tea party, where the stairs lit up as we stepped on them. There were even floating cards hanging from the ceiling. Next, we entered a sort of mushroom garden, complete with massive light up mushrooms and paper flowers. Lastly, we were met by the Queen of Hearts and her guards, who saw us exit this magical booth.
Rating: 4.75 stars
Kappa Alpha Theta brought us a “Harry Potter”-themed booth that really blew us away. The first room alone felt just like the Dursley household, complete with family photos and Harry’s birthday cake. Dobby and Hedwig were there, and the ceiling was covered with Hogwarts letters addressed to Harry himself. Then, we walked down Diagon Alley, where we saw Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, Honeydukes Sweets, and Gringotts Bank. Next, we went up the stairs, where the walls were lined with talking pictures that really sucked us into the wizarding world. Upstairs we found the potion room, with Hermione and Ron there to say hello. On the walls were neat details, like homework assignments for students at Hogwarts. There was even a recipe for a Farnam potion! Next, we entered the quidditch room, where Harry and Draco were chasing after the golden snitch, which dangled before our eyes. Finally, we celebrated Christmas with the Weasleys, complete with a chess set and tree. On the exit stairs, we saw the pictures of Kappa Alpha Theta members, mixed in with many of “Harry Potter’s” most famous characters. Overall, incorporating dozens of references to the books and/or movies, and with a fantastic exterior, we couldn’t find anything to complain about.
Rating: 5 stars
Chinese Students Association brought us a “Kung Fu Panda” booth, starting with an excellent rendition of the noodle shop, complete with ingredients, knives, pictures of Po, and Master Shifu. Next, we walked through a dark room furnished with training equipment from the movie. Finally, after greeting the Furious Five, we met Master Oogway at his final resting place under the cherry blossom tree.
Rating: 4 stars
Alpha Phi cranked up the nostalgia with a “Phineas and Ferb” booth, starting with the titular bros sitting under the tree, Ferb measuring something with a straightedge. Next, we moved into Perry the Platypus’ secret lair, featuring a near perfect rendition of Major Monogram and Carl. Next, we entered Dr. Doofenshmirtz Evil Inc.’s “-inator” room, complete with blueprints for some of Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s most evil inventions. Then, we watched Candace attempt to bust her brothers, pleading to her mother at the grocery store. Lastly, we entered the roller coaster room, where the gang gathered to witness the work of the Flynns. On our exit, we got to play a variety of songs from the show, including “Busted” and “S.I.M.P. (squirrels in my pants).” Unfortunately, there was no “Platypus Controlling Me” option, which is objectively their best song. That said, this was a beyond excellent booth, complete with a perfect replica of the roller coaster, and a life size Perry the Platypus.
Rating: 5 stars
Unfortunately, these judges got beat by the heat, and were only able to judge the exteriors of the final three booths. We extend our sincerest apologies to those who worked so hard on these booths, namely Alpha Epsilon Pi, Alpha Chi Omega, and the Taiwanese Students Association.
Alpha Epsilon Pi showed us a “Pokemon”-themed booth, which looked like a force to be reckoned with.
Rating: 3.75 stars
Alpha Chi Omega brought us to Neverland, featuring a gorgeous tree beside the entrance, as well as a charming Peter and Wendy.
Rating: 4.25 stars
The Taiwanese Students Association delivered an “Avatar: The Last Airbender” booth, which had a stunning exterior, incorporating a lovely porch, a cute awning, and overall great attention to detail. While we regretted not exploring further, we felt comfortable giving a respectable rating.
Rating: 4.5 stars
This concludes our ratings and reviews of this year’s booths. We were thoroughly impressed with so many of them, and hope to see more from these orgs in the future. To those who received low ratings, it’s not you, it’s us. We can all learn from this.
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