How to create a safe party plan for Halloweekend
The weekend before or during Halloween has been dubbed “Halloweekend” by many college students and general partygoers, often consisting of multiple parties, costumes, and other festive activities over the course of several days. Nobody wants a spoiled Halloween ruined by injuries or hurt feelings, so here are a few tips to have a safe yet phenomenal Halloweekend.
One of the most important rules when going to new places is to travel together. One option is to have a buddy system among friends in which there are multiple pairs of two; the pairs of two make sure that the other one is safe, and keep an eye out for each other.
If the buddy system feels too elementary and implausible there are other options. Having one sober friend who keeps an eye on everyone is a great option, but it puts a lot of pressure on one singular person to be responsible for everyone. Instead, a mutual agreement to stick together and never leave alone or leave with others outside of the group can be beneficial.
While traveling from place to place throughout the night, stick close together with those in your group. Additionally, if walking a far distance, take the most public and well-lit route. Never follow strangers you meet along the way (even if they swear that they are heading to a cool party).
Having a game plan before you even head out for the weekend can prevent any bumps down the road. Establishing a time to leave and an estimated time you want to be home is a good place to start when planning.
Costumes are a big part of the Halloween appeal, but they must be done appropriately. When picking out your costume for this holiday be mindful of all cultures and remember that cultures are not costumes! Safe staple costume ideas can easily be found on places like Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok.
Costumes do not have to be expensive projects, they could even be made of things you already have in your closet. Fun ideas include princesses, fairies, popular characters like Barbie or the Subway Surfers case, and of course the classic devil and angel duo costume.
Halloween is a special occasion for many, and some look forward to it for the entire year, but some people may take it too far. In all circumstances, never give in to peer pressure. Whether someone is trying to get you to go to a certain party or try a certain drink, never do anything you are not comfortable with. Safety is what is most important at the end of the day, and if peer pressure is a recurring issue throughout the night, you can always leave safely with your group and return home.
Drinking under the age of 21 is illegal and is not permitted on campus. If you are caught drinking underage on or off campus there can be consequences that are not worth the risk, but you cannot call for help if you run into problems. If any serious issues arise, always call for help and get the assistance you need. Look into the Good Samaritan Law and see the different ways this can protect you while calling for help.
Be safe and have fun this Halloweekend, Geneseo!