I go to one of the two colleges in the extremely small town of Alfred, NY, which has population of 4,200 locals and 5,500 students during each semester. That being said, a big portion of this small town’s culture revolves around college students. Local businesses close during breaks, pizza places stay open late on Friday and Saturday nights, and locals participate in many on-campus events.
However, college students are not always allowed to join locals in certain festivities, one of which being trick-or-treating on Halloween night. I understand the reasoning behind this decision. The town of Alfred wishes to keep this Halloween tradition child-friendly, which is nearly impossible when a fireman is trying to help an intoxicated sexy cat stumble up a hill and back to her dorm room to return to safety. Besides, we’re too old to trick-or-treat, right? Children need a day to trick-or-treat safely without their parents worrying about drunk partiers hurting their little cowboys, princesses, and vampires.
I’m not saying this rule needs to change in any shape or form. Children need a chance to have fun and enjoy Halloween festivities in a safe environment. However, this rule is a cause of disappointment for the few of us who trick-or-treated throughout high school, dislike parties, and do not have a car to trick-or-treat elsewhere.
As a freshman I was excited to trick-or-treat in a new location. I planned on finding all of the houses with the best candy and mapping out my route for the following three years. Needless to say, I was deeply saddened when I learned trick-or-treating is prohibited for college students in this town. I am not alone, for a few of my friends feel the same way. However, I did feel the need to celebrate Halloween in some form, so I dragged myself to a house party with a few friends. We did not stay for long, for the house was filled. Each person had less than a square foot to himself, and a few of us felt extremely claustrophobic. Not my idea of fun.
College students who love Halloween should have a safe and wholesome way to celebrate in costume. However, such an event may not be possible when many students will either be staying in or drowning in alcohol. Participation would be extremely low, significantly lowering funding for the same event in future years.
I guess for the good of the town, college students should not go trick-or-treating. However, I will always complain about the lack of opportunity to dress in costume and beg for candy.
