Halloween is always one of the most enjoyable times of the year, especially being surrounded by friends. Under normal circumstances, Halloween would look like parties, trick-or-treating, and costume contests. However, amid this pandemic, things had to look a bit different, including on campus. Siena students were still fortunate enough to have many events and activities throughout the entire month of October to celebrate Halloween and still count on a lot of safe and fun and excitement. From scary stories to awesome food to a haunted maze, Siena students had a month packed with Halloween spirit, even in the most challenging times of Covid.
The month of October started off with a multitude of online events and activities with CAs. Most of these events encouraged students to take part to increase their chances of winning a prize. Just a few of the programs included “Spooky Stories with the Friars,” “Fright Night Costume Contest,” and Halloween trivia! These programs were online to abide by Covid guidelines and contribute to keeping cases down, while still allowing students to experience the enjoyment of the Halloween season. Additionally, Siena hosted Netflix watch parties as a part of this pandemic-friendly month of getting into the Halloween spirit. There were a few scary movie nights that showed popular Halloween films like “The Addams Family” and “Insidious: The Last Key.”
As far as Halloweekend and Halloween night went, Siena’s Student Events Board hosted a bunch of great activities, and they definitely put on an extravaganza of sorts. Halloween night was when all the excitement of Halloweekend began, starting with popular activities like “Trunk or Treat” in the Siena Hall parking lot and trick or treating in various locations around campus. During this time, students could also pick up some grab-and-go activities, including DIY mask decorating, supplies to “stuff-a-plush,” as well as a Siena tote and water bottle. The “Spooky Monologues” was another exciting event of the night, along with the late-night Haunted Zombie Maze and Glow in the Dark Mini Golf. Some could argue that the best part of the night was actually the multiple food trucks, from hot chocolate to hot dogs and fries, and free pizza in Piazza. Clearly, Siena students still could have a fun-filled weekend!
This year, Halloween at Siena was definitely one to remember. The safety and wellbeing of students, and everyone on campus, has always been a top priority at Siena, and with careful planning and everyone respecting guidelines, Halloween could still happen here this year. This semester has been tough on everyone, especially students who have had to face the stress of school life, as well as everything going on in the world, even more than usual. The fact that Halloween could still be celebrated in a fun but responsible way was definitely well deserved.