Resident Halls prepare for trick-or-treaters

Get the candy ready when the monsters, ghost and other wild things appear Saturday evening in the residence halls.

At Central Michigan University, it will not be a small amount of little ghosts and goblins running around campus seeking candy treats on
Halloween, said Residence Life Associate Director Joan Schmidt.

“The Towers complex usually will get 500 to 700 kids,” Schmidt said. “It is boatloads of kids that come here for trick-or-treating.”

The halls participating in trick-or-treating will stay with the city time of 6 to 8 p.m.. Candy must be wrapped in its packaging, Schmidt said.

Calkins Residence Hall Director Cathleen Warner said her students are preparing for the night.

Students have made invitations to take to their professors about trick-or-treating, Warner said.

Warner said it is nice for students to meet the professors as parents during holidays such as Halloween.

“We want to build that bridge, the out-of-the-classroom connection,” she said. “Seeing their professors with their children helps build that
community we are part of.”

Adding some English

Another connection Warner finds important during Halloween is to invite the English Language Institute over for the festivities.

Rae Barrett, secretary of ELI, said these students may not understand the concept of putting on a costume and receiving candy for it.

“We have a large population of Middle Eastern and Asian students who don’t celebrate the same holidays we do,” Barrett said.

She said Halloween in Calkins Hall gives them a chance to interact with other Central Michigan University students.

It is an opportunity for them to use their socialization and language skills and have fun doing it, Barrett said.

Each year, Calkins holds a costume contest. Yarnell, dressed as the Statue of Liberty, was last year’s winner.

Towers of terror

In the Towers residential complex, Carey and Wheeler halls are preparing for a night of trick-or-treaters.

Wheeler Residence Hall Director Sara Olsztyn said the seventh floor of Wheeler has been decorated for a week already and the residents are
busy getting ready.

The Thursday before Halloween, Wheeler Hall Council will give candy to the residents in a unique way, Olsztyn said.

“They will decorate the elevators and ride them for two hours doing Halloween, alcohol and safety awareness trivia,” she said.

Carey Hall Residence Hall Director Brian Ulrich said they will be awarding gift cards to the students who win first, second and third place in
the door decorating contest in his hall.

“I believe the top prize will be $25 for the winning door,” he said.

Ulrich said the lobby in Carey will have activities for the children in the Mount Pleasant community.

“We will have a haunted lobby maze, kids craft area and cookie decorating,” he said.