As your guide to safety this Hallow-week, I wanted to drop by and give you a few tips on how to have a fun and safe time while celebrating Halloween! I am sure you have all your costumes prepared and plans almost solidified, so let’s make sure we keep these things in mind.
Photo by Brian Waldbillig ’18
Drinking and driving is never okay
If you plan on drinking, make sure you have a plan for how the night will go, especially how you will get back home. Lyft is in full swing, so you can make use of that. You also have public transportation at your disposal or you can even designate a sober driver to help get you home safely from your night out.
Pro tip: If you don’t want to drink, it is 100% okay to not drink at a party. You should never feel pressured to drink alcohol. Bring a bottle of your favorite non-alcoholic drink and have a good time.
If you host a party, keep it under control!
Consider whether you want to allow strangers in your apartment or house. This is a way to keep you, your guests and personal belongings safe. Talk to your roommates ahead of time to see how they feel about having people over, too, because this may help prevent some stressful stuff. (P.S. If the party gets busted, you could get a ticket.)
Charge your phone before you go out
More often than not, we rely on our phones for a lot of things: contacting peeps, calling a Lyft, using maps or sharing your location with your friends. Worst case scenario: you will need your phone to call 9-1-1, so make sure you have your phone charged for the nights that you are going out!
Pro tip: If you have an iPhone, you can share your location with other friends who have iPhones! To do this, make sure your location services are on, go to your Messages, click the name of the friend you want to share your location with, go under the information icon, and scroll down and find “share location”.
Keep yourself physically well–wear a coat!
You will feel it the next couple days if you get sick. Even if your jacket doesn’t go nicely with your outfit, it’s still smart to bring one with because the temperatures are dipping to freezing around this week.
In the effort to be inclusive and safe, be careful with your costume choice
Cultural appropriation is not okay, so you should keep that in mind when you are dressing up. Be conscious of your choices and make sure you aren’t offending anyone. Keep yourself safe and don’t wear something your friends, family and future employer would be ashamed of!
Photo by Amy Nelson ’20
With all this advice, keep in mind that there are still other things to think about and do to keep yourself safe this Halloween. You know your limits and abilities, and how to best prepare yourself! Plan ahead, make smart choices and trust your gut. You have the power to keep yourself safe during this Halloween season.
Whatever you do, make sure to have a fun night and stay as safe as possible. If you feel unsafe or need extra assistance while you’re on campus, you can call WSU security at 507.457.5555.
Happy Halloween, Warriors!
