Tinseltown will be coming to Charleston in the coming days as Eastern’s residence halls paint their windows for ROC Fest 2018.

This year’s theme is “Panthers go to Hollywood,” and the images adorning windows all around campus will reflect that theme.

The window painting will be the inaugural event for ROC Fest, which will also feature a scavenger hunt and boat race. 

Some halls have already selected their movies, while others are polling their residents to pick from a group of finalists.

Thomas Hall selected the 2009 Pixar film “Up” as their theme.

Sam Damon, vice president of Thomas Hall Council, said “Up” was the unanimous choice from the hall council.

“It seemed pretty easy, pretty quick and pretty loveable,” Damon said. “We quickly got some balloons, got some paint and started getting to work.”

Damon is a freshman at Eastern. He said he had done window painting in the past and was also eager to get involved on campus right away.

“I want to be able to help people out and do the best that I can with what I have,” Damon said. “Being on hall council definitely gave me the best opportunity.”

Devin Andersen, an RA in Thomas Hall, is also involved in the window painting and the rest of ROC Fest.

As a junior, Andersen said he has been in involved in ROC Fest before, but this is the first time he has really been involved in the window painting.

He said he enjoys the “Up” theme chosen by the hall.

“It’s a nice theme to work with,” Andersen said. “There’s a lot that you can do to make the place feel nice and colorful.”

As of Monday night, not all the halls had a theme picked out.

Katelyn Mushinsky, the president of Lawson Hall Council, said her hall is a work in progress.

“We don’t have a specific sub-theme yet, but we are getting on that,” she said.

Mushinsky is a junior, but this is her second year at Eastern after transferring as a sophomore. Last year she handled marketing and public relations duties for hall council.

Now as president, she said she hopes to get the whole hall involved in ROC Fest.

Mushinsky also said that she enjoys hall council for the opportunity it gives her to sharpen her leadership skills.

“I’m definitely leadership oriented and goal oriented. Working with hall council fulfills that desire to lead,” Mushinsky said. “Incorporating everyone makes your heart happy, just to see people come out of their rooms and do something for the hall.”

Next door at Andrews Hall, RHA representative Julia Contreras is preparing for her sophomore ROC Fest.

“Not only is it competing against the different halls, it’s just fun getting out there working as a team,” Contreras said.

Andrews Hall has narrowed down their theme to three movies. A sheet of paper was placed by the front desk for students to mark which one they preferred.

“Right now, I would say ‘Monsters, Inc.’ is going for a big win,” Contreras said.

The painting of the residence halls will be completed by Thursday, and they will be judged at 8 a.m.

Adam Tumino can be reached at

581-2812 or at ajtumino@eiu.edu.