What could be better than Halloween at Washington State? A week of Halloween at Washington State, also known as Hallo-week, is my favorite holiday of the year!

Hallo-week is a full week of costumes, social events and all-nighters at WSU and many other college campuses. It is great to blow off some steam after midterm exams while dressed up as your favorite characters. However, this week of fun also attracts neighboring school’s college students and other risks that normally wouldn’t be in Pullman. So, I am here as a Hallo-week veteran to tell you how to make the most of this week and not to get into any trouble while doing it.

Although Halloween falls on a Monday this year, it won’t stop the week of events. My advice is to plan out your week in advance by your costumes and what days you are staying in and going out. This week shouldn’t be expensive, you can make or borrow a week of costumes. Rotate your costumes with your roommates or sorority sisters for new ideas and to save money. Fraternities will share when their events are so you can save your best costumes for what day you think will be the best and can plan what nights you want to go out.

Hallo-week is the busiest week in Pullman because there are so many visiting college students. The streets are swarming with double the amount of college students and police officers and the fraternities are packed to the point they are overflowing. Visitors do not know the rules in Pullman so they use this week to come up to Pullman and get wild. Cougs help Cougs and it is great to think the best of everyone but this is not a week where you should be walking anywhere alone.

My advice is to plan out your nights. I will go to only one or two fraternities or events a night to avoid walking around on the streets. Not just for safety reasons, but to avoid trouble with police officers. Don’t get me wrong, the officers are here to help and you should cooperate with them but if you plan to be drinking it is best to stay inside wherever you are. Especially during the weekends. Weekdays are going to be mostly WSU students and I believe those are the safer days to go out and “frat-hop”. These are also the most fun days because who does it better than us Cougs?

We all have friends back home who we trust and would want to bring up to Pullman to experience WSU. However, Hallo-week might not be the best time. If you do not really know somebody, do not invite them to Pullman or your fraternity. If they are reaching out to you to come to your event, you do not know how they act when they are intoxicated and you are not willing to watch over them that night, do not invite them to your event. It is that easy. Guests have been the source of many problems in the past such as assault, theft and destruction of property. Some event holders even ask for WSU ID cards before students are allowed into events. So, if you do have a friend coming to town for Hallo-week watch over them because not everyone is used to Washington State on a normal weekend.

Hallo-week is a busy week with many visitors, police officers and risks, but it is the most fun and memorable week. So don’t be scared to go out to the events, just be smart. If you are a freshman and thinking of bringing someone from home- don’t. Enjoy this week with the friends you have made at college and don’t worry about having to watch over someone else. Remember, Cougs help Cougs and be kind to one another during just another one of these crazy, awesome weeks.