10/25/05 - With the fall semester already halfway over and midterm exams in
full swing, the end of October can be a very stressful time for University of
Rhode Island students. On top of numerous tests, it seems as though papers and
projects for various classes all land near the same due date, adding to the
pressure. So it is no surprise to anyone that many students see Halloween as the
bright light at the end of the tunnel.
Halloween is generally considered one of the biggest party weekends for URI
students. Even though it is still a week away, there is already a lot of talk on
campus dealing with costume preparation and where the big celebrations off
campus will be. After weeks of reading, writing and studying, the idea of being
able to devote an entire weekend to dressing up and having fun with friends
sounds incredibly appealing.
Students should, however, keep in mind that just because it is a holiday weekend
doesn't mean the same rules don't apply to them. Students cannot have the
mindset that wearing a costume and pretending to be like someone (or something)
else will make them invincible, especially in terms of drinking and committing
pranks. Discretion should always be used when alcohol is involved no matter what
day it is, and students certainly should not cite Halloween as an excuse to
vandalize university or off-campus property, or cause harm to other students.
There are many healthy alternatives to celebrating the holiday on campus to
consider that do not involve alcohol. Students can go get scared at the Burnside
Haunted Basement this week until Wednesday, or enjoy some music at the Halloween
Metal Meltdown concert on Thursday in the Memorial Union Atrium. And, of course,
there is nothing wrong with spending an evening with friends and renting a few
scary movies such as Friday the 13th or Night of the Living Dead.
We at the Cigar encourage URI students to take a much-deserved break from
the strain of midterms and have some fun over the Halloween weekend. However,
students still need to be responsible and exercise good judgment when
participating in holiday festivities. Hopefully everyone has a safe Halloween
next week and no horror stories of student drunk driving or worse surface over
the weekend.