Officials are making campus a place to enjoy the festivities of the season. Residence life officials are working with RAs to plan Halloween contests and events within dorms.
Party on campus
Amie Reardon, instrumental education sophomore, and Addie Pollard, acting sophomore, are planning the first campuswide Halloween party in seven years from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 31 on the west patio of Methodist Hall.
The event will include Halloween decorations and snacks, as well as a performance from LFNC, student ska band, Reardon said.
Students are encouraged to come in costume.
“We’re excited to see what costumes everyone comes up with,” Reardon said. “It will be a spooky evening for sure.”
Kevin Culbertson, coordinator of housing operations, said Oct. 13 he was still working with the RAs to confirm specific details, but there has been talk about closing down the street in front of the residence halls and bringing in some inflatables.
“I hope to send out an email with final details soon, but there will be spooky foods and Halloween-themed activities like pumpkin carving,” Culbertson said. “We’re also in contact with the Cokesbury RAs to try to get them involved as well. It should be a spooktacular time.”
Residence life officials hosted a laser tag event in the Methodist Hall parking garage as last year’s Halloween event. Culbertson said they plan to host the event again, but in mid-November. He also said he’s already brainstorming future Halloween events.
“My freshman year of college, they shut down the parking garage and did some haunted house-type of stuff,” he said. “We want to bring that back, but not this year. I’d actually love to use Smith Hall as the haunted house.”
Decorate to win
Methodist and Walker halls also are hosting door decorating contests for their residents.
Methodist Hall’s contest will be judged Monday, and the winners will be announced at the Halloween celebration the next night.
“We’re planning on having some student affairs folks be our judges, and we’re trying to get an Alexa as the grand prize,” Culbertson said. “Students don’t need to register because judges will walk around the whole building, and it’s pretty easy to see who is participating. Some students really go all out.”
Walker Hall residents received a link in the Walker newsletter that allowed them to sign up for their door decorating contest, as well as a costume contest.
“Our prize ideas are still in the works,” said Stephany George, residence hall director for Walker Hall. “Any residents can participate, and there aren’t any rules other than taking down decorations that violate fire codes.”
Trick-or-treating
Officials also are hosting the Walker Hall Annual Trick-or-Treat event, where children from the Oklahoma City area are allowed to safely trick-or-treat from 6-8:30 p.m. tonight in Walker Hall. The door decoration and costume contest will take place at the same time.
“The trick-or-treating aspect has become a tradition of Walker Hall and is a wonderful way for us at OCU to give a small thing back to the community,” George said. “Since students volunteer their time, we will give them a chance to win something back in the contests.”
The newsletter link also includes an option to RSVP for the trick or treating event. Any Walker Hall resident may hand out candy that is provided by residence life, but no students are required to do so.
Students who do not live in Walker Hall also are welcome to participate by going to Walker Hall and handing out candy, George said.
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