As Halloween approaches, students celebrate the spooky season with activities both on and off campus while keeping safety the number one priority.
Students, faculty and families are preparing for Devil’s Night on Oct. 30 and Halloween on Oct.31 with a range of activities for all ages, both on- and off-campus.
Though Halloween isn’t until Thursday, many events began as early as Oct. 25, kicking off the fall traditions with the Halloween orchestra performance in Pease Auditorium. The concert featured costumes, fun and music for EMU students and their families.
Upcoming events include “Thriller” presented by the Wellness Center on Oct. 28 from 3-5 p.m. in the Phelps/Sellers Lounge. Taught by the EMU dance team, students in attendance will participate in a little exercise fun in Halloween spirit.
“Rock the Rec” will be hosted Oct. 30 where sports fans get an opportunity to celebrate the holiday with a little basketball twist. The event will feature:
• A tip-off for EMU basketball
• A costume contest with $250 grand prize
• A shootout contest with the men’s and women’s basketball teams as well as a dunk contest and scrimmage
• The residence hall with the most attendance wins a free pizza party at the game
Off campus, there will be plenty of activities for EMU students to enjoy. Though Phi Sigma Phi hosted its annual haunted house for charity this prior weekend, members Nicholas Haywood and James Garvey encourage students to come and celebrate the festivities on Halloween night.
North Normal Street just off campus will be host to Halloween parties open to all EMU students. Other campus events include a Meet & Treat day with Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Sigma Chi at Big Bob’s Lakehouse.
Hillel presents a horror movie night on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The presentation, which starts at 8 p.m., will include classic scary movies and is free to the public.
The Necto club will also be hosting its annual Halloween bash with cover at the door Monday, Oct. 28. According to students, Necto is one of the most popular hangouts for EMU students.
Many freshman dorms each have their own specific activities for residents to get into the spirit. In Downing Hall, EMU students have been decorating the main lobby area with handmade little ghosts and pumpkins and visitors will find that the windows and ceiling are covered with the spooky creations.
Halloween fun differs for each student and faculty member on EMU campus. Some students have reported professors handing out candy in prior years and many intend to dress up for courses the day of Halloween. Activities listed as students’ favorites include parties, hayrides, haunted houses, cider mills and even trick-or-treating.
“I’ll potentially be hanging out with my sorority sisters to plan upcoming events for the holiday like hayrides or a party,” said Chelsea Hancock, member of Alpha Gamma Delta.
Gregory Lee, senior in electronics media and film studies, will be pitching in to help younger members of his family.
“I am taking my nieces and nephews, five girls and one boy, out trick-or-treating in Garden City,” Lee said.
“I’ll be home waiting for trick-or-treaters that might not come,” professor Dennis Ritter said. “It’s been getting more and more scarce over the last few years.”
Freshman Mark Sujmay and friend Karry Demelles plan on venturing to Wiard’s Orchard to experience the haunted attractions.
“I plan on hitting the Labyrinth and Mind Shaft this year,” Sujmay said. “I didn’t get time last Halloween.”
Many EMU students will be heading home to celebrate Halloween.
“I’ll be trick-or-treating back in Birch Run,” student Dylan Crysler said.
Aside from traditional festivities, students should also remember basic safety measures. The campus police department has gathered together some excellent safety tips for not only the upcoming holiday but advice to be utilized through out the entire year.
• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Know your exact location at all times (if you need to call for help, knowing your exact location makes finding you much easier and can save precious seconds).
• Dial 911 for emergencies on campus landlines.
• Dial 734-487-1222 for emergencies from a cellular telephone.
• Call the police for help before you call a friend or your parents.
• Do not give money or other items requested to solicitors.
• Do not show your money.
• Do not flash your phone around while walking out and about.
• Use SEEUS for escorts to and from any location on EMU campus during the evening hours.
• Use the buddy system. Do not walk alone after normal business hours.
• Check Eaglemail announcements for campus alerts.
• Be familiar with the locations of campus telephones, both emergency telephones located within campus facilities and outdoor emergency telephone campus locations.
• Be suspicious of unsolicited visitors.
• Report all strange or questionable activities and/or encounters with individuals to the police department.
• Trust your instincts with encounters with strangers for your personal safety.
A complete list of safety tips is provided here..
Students that have been on campus for previous Devil’s Night and Halloween events have acknowledged an increase in police and SEEUS presence for the safety of students.
This year’s Devil’s Night falls on a Wednesday. Students with classes on either night should be extra cautious while traveling to and from buildings.
According to the previous year’s reports, there has been no increase in activity on campus during Devil’s Night or Halloween, but students should still exercise caution when out and about.
Historically, Devil’s Night is Oct. 30, the night before Halloween, and has been long associated with pranks and mischief. The city of Detroit has been dealing with fires, vandalism and other destructive pranks since the 1970s.
The dangers reached a peak in 1984 when 800 fires set much of the city ablaze, prompting officials to increase safety measures and change the name to “Angel’s Night”.
Over the last two decades the number of fires and destructive vandalism in Detroit and surrounding areas has declined until 2010.
The previous three “Devil’s Nights” have seen the pranks and vandalism increase, with over 140 fires in 2010 alone, a 42 percent increase from 2009.
Though the outlying areas may have increased activity, including dangerous pranks, EMU campus remains a safer environment for students due greatly in part to the active Police force, dedicated members of SEEUS and EMU Students.
For this year’s holiday events, students should be extra vigilant while enjoying some of the many spooky, fun activities on and around the campus.
