UC Davis students share their excitement for Halloween, recommendations for staying responsible and safe
By GRACIELA TIU — features@theaggie.org
Halloween season in Davis has officially begun, and students across campus have been preparing costumes and getting ready for their celebrations. Although it’s a national holiday, Halloween at UC Davis feels particularly special for students.
“Since Davis is on the quarter system, our midterms usually fall right before Halloween,” Kayleigh Harrast, a second-year economics major, said. “This gives people the chance to not only celebrate the holiday but also celebrate the end of midterm season, at least for most students.”
Being a relatively small town filled with a lot of college students, the sense of community in Davis feels very strong during Halloween.
“I also love Halloween at Davis because it’s such a college town, so on [Oct.] 31, everywhere you go you’re gonna see students biking or walking around in costume, which feels very festive,” Harrast said.
UC Davis students especially enjoy the group aspect of putting costumes together with their friends and getting ready with one another. Maddy Coppersmith, a fourth-year human development major, enjoys this collaborative aspect and appreciates the creativity showcased through people’s costumes during the holiday.
“For me, I like collaborating with my roommates in making joint costumes and taking fun pictures before going out,” Coppersmith said. “It’s cool to see how creative people are during Halloween and how interesting their costumes are. Also, I think it’s fun to try to guess what others’ Halloween costumes are and then reveal them after.”
Similar to many other college campuses, UC Davis students typically celebrate Halloween the weekend before or after the holiday, depending on what day of the week Oct. 31 falls. Different groups usually host themed parties and events for students during one or both of these weekends.
“We have plenty of clubs and social groups that throw parties,” Thomas Glatt, a fourth-year political science major, said. “Planning starts well in advance of Halloween, and everyone kind of knows what they’re doing and tries to figure out what other groups are also doing so you can plan something fun. It’s mostly parties, but people over 21 often go to bars and bar crawls in costume.”
Halloween weekend, colloquially known as “Halloweekend,” can bring a lot of excitement and amusement to students, especially the younger ones.
“These incoming freshmen and sophomores dealt with a lot of high school in [COVID-19], so this is the time to mix socially for them,” Glatt said.
If you’re new to Davis parties and don’t know what to expect, Glatt, who also is the vice president of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Membership Conduct at the fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon, provided a rundown on how fraternity parties are typically set up.
“If you’re walking in for your first time, there’s going to be a check-in at the door, with a person looking at the list [of people invited], making sure only students are coming in,” Glatt said. “We also are making sure people aren’t bringing in open containers of alcohol. You’ll walk in — there will probably be a walkway to keep the front from getting congested — and then you’ll have a party floor, an outside area and you’ll probably have a DJ and DJ stand.”
At schools across the country, Halloweekend usually is one of the biggest weekends of the year in terms of crowd sizes at social functions.
“Halloween is definitely one of the bigger weekends,” Glatt said. “One way that we manage the scope of the parties that are bigger than normal are some small things that we run. We make sure we have a list going into it so we know who to expect, and we make sure that everyone coming knows to show [their] student IDs. We also always have a safe room at every event, not just big parties.”
Some organizations on campus provide safe rooms in their houses, which provide people with help and support at parties if necessary.
“We always have a dedicated room free of drugs and alcohol, at least at our fraternity house,” Glatt said. “It generally has a dog in it too, but it’s free of drugs and alcohol, it has Narcan, Fentanyl test strips, first aid kits, waters, juices and snacks if we can find some.”
Along with a safe room, organizations throwing parties also typically have some kind of student security or sober monitors that can assist partygoers if needed.
“Another thing you can expect is to see active security, who makes sure that no one is exhibiting signs of incapacitation and that no one is displaying signs of discomfort, being cornered or in an uncomfortable situation,” Glatt said. “We’re checking in with everyone around us and making sure that things are as safe and stable as they can be. It’s not like you can control everything in your environment, but our job is to mitigate as many risks as possible.”
Although Halloween celebrations can feel particularly exciting, the most important part of the holiday is staying safe and protecting yourself. If you are of age and plan on consuming alcohol, there are several ways to do so safely and cautiously.
“Hydrate and eat meals before — breakfast, lunch and then dinner,” Coppersmith said. “Make sure that you’re always with at least one other person, but go to a party with multiple friends just in case. If you’re driving, make sure you have a designated driver and you’re not drinking and driving. And drink responsibly; don’t accept drinks from anyone you don’t know.”
When going out to any parties or events, especially at night, it’s also very important to have a safe transportation plan to and from the event.
“Always make sure that you’re with people that you trust when you’re drinking and that you’re in a safe environment,” Glatt said. “When people start to sway and lose their balance, that’s the time for your group to figure out a ride home to make sure that everyone gets home safe, which is always a priority. Please don’t ride your electric bike or scooter to a party, planning on drinking and then taking it back. Make sure there’s always a walkable plan.”
If you and your friends don’t plan on walking, Glatt warns to never get in a car if the driver is intoxicated, and instead to find a sober driver or utilize campus transportation resources.
“We have our safe ride centers on campus,” Glatt said. “They’re a little bit of a wait, but if you put in your request ahead of time, you will be prepared, so make a plan for that.”
Along with Safe Ride, UC Davis also has many additional resources that promote student safety and wellness. UC Davis Health Education and Promotion (HEP), a branch of Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS), promotes different health-related initiatives such as the Love Lab, which provides support for sexual well-being and Safe Party, which provides information about staying safe at events with alcohol or other substances. The Student Health and Wellness Center also provides HIV/STI testing if you make an appointment through SHCS Health E-Messaging.
Coppersmith also mentioned other resources students can use in case of an emergency.
“Health 34, UC Davis Police and UC Davis Fire Department, along with 911, are numbers that you can call in case you need them or you feel unsafe for any reason,” Coppersmith said.
Even though Halloweekend is a unique and exciting experience compared to other weekends, it’s unnecessary to overdo it and put yourself or others at risk.
“The main thing is just to make sure that you’re only taking steps that you would also take [sober],” Glatt said. “Don’t let the enormity of the situation consume you. Don’t think that, ‘Oh, it’s Halloween. I have to go crazy.’ The name of the game is to do it responsibly. Only drink what you can control, don’t succumb to peer pressure and stay within your limits. If you’re new to campus, please just know that it’s not about how intoxicated you can get; it’s about how much fun you can have and how many memories you can retain, not lose.”
Overall, Halloween and all of the celebrations it brings can be a fun reason to dress up, get creative and bond with your friends.
“For me, the best parts about Halloween are the experiences I have with my friends and the people close to me,” Harrast said. “I love having fun times to look back on throughout the rest of the year.”
Written by: Graciela Tiu — features@theaggie.org
