How to Trick or Treat at University?

[AkiKaza-chan]

So I believe you're never too old to go take free candy from people ;D

Unfortunately, I'm at college right now and I'm not exactly sure how I'm supposed to trick-or-treat here... I'm pretty sure my dorm mates won't be too keen on buying candy to give to me for free, lol.

There is a neighborhood right off the campus, but I don't know the area well enough and it's a bit sketch to say the least, so that seems off.

I don't have a costume anyway, so I'm not planning on going this year, but for next year I want to be prepared.

Anyone here at university, do you go trick or treating still? If so, how and where? If not, what do you do instead?

It could be that once you've had your fill of treats, it might be time to start pulling some tricks instead.... hmm....

[Murfreesboro]

I am 56, a good many years beyond college. However, I spent 22 years of my life on college campuses, from the time I was 16 until I was 38 (I had a career as a professor for a while), so I feel I have some handle on this topic.

College students do not typically TOT, but members of sororities or fraternities often hold Halloween parties for neighborhood or impoverished children, or for kids in hospital wards, etc. Otherwise, there is almost certain to be some type of Halloween party going on around your school, and probably several of them. College kids love to costume and party. My son (who graduated last year) lived for a while in an international dorm, and they used to have a party within the dorm, where they more or less introduced foreign students to the American holiday. One of their traditions was to tell ghost stories. Get your thinking cap on. It may not be too late to organize a party this weekend yourself.

[Pumpkin_Man]

I hate to say it, but Trick or Treat is considered something mainly for children. I'll still give you some candy if you come to my door in a Halloween costume on Halloween and say "Trick or Treat," but Murf has a point. Typicaly, college age students don't go ToTing. They hold these parties for disadvantaged children, and then they have parties for themselvs that get pretty wild.

UNFORTUNATELY, the 'politicaly correct' DUFFUSES are trying to get Halloween banned as they think it's "offensive," just like that bigoted Thanksgiving holiday, and that other really big day in December that backwards hillbillys like everyone who's a Christian celebrate. It's noe........ah forget it. Everything It hink about it I get crazy, and that's not what you and Murf are talking about.

Have a great Halloween, and dont let anyone detract from your enjoyment of it.

Mike

[Spookymufu]

you TOT when you're a kid, when you're older you go to Halloween parties, then you get married and have kids and go TOTing again then they grow up and have kids then you go TOTing with your grand kids......Sorry, college students go to parties, they dont TOT.

[Pumpkin_Man]

That's pretty much the name of it, Spooky. Even when my nephew brings his kids over for ToT, I stay home to hand out the candy.

Hey, believe it or not, I have as much fun handing out the ToT candy as I did when I use to go ToT back in 'the day.'

Mike

[jadewik]

I ran into the same problem in college... well, kinda the same problem. My problem was more along the lines of "I want to celebrate Halloween, but how do I get people to ToT because they're all going to parties?" My solution was to dress up and go around the dorms PASSING OUT CANDY. I called it "Reverse Trick-or-Treating"... though, I believe a couple years ago "Hallmark" called it "Boo'ing". (I had so much fun scaring 200lb football players!)

[Murfreesboro]

That was a very creative idea, Jadewik!

My older son, now a grad student, gave a costume party the Friday before Halloween. He said 15 or 20 of them went to a commercial haunted house together, and when they returned, they found 15 or 20 more people waiting to party! On Halloween itself, he stayed home and handed out candy (he lives off-campus), but he said they didn't get many TOTers.

I don't really care how he celebrates Halloween, as long as he continues to do it. I think costume parties and haunted attractions with friends, and staying home to hand out the candy to the kids, are all fun ways for adults to celebrate.

[Pumpkin_Man]

Like I said, I really love to hand out the ToT candy. I have a pair of vampire fangs. This past Halloween, a mom with her two children came to a door. One was about 5 or 6, the other was just barely walking, and probably under 2 y ears old. The little one was a little scared by my vampire fangs, so I took them out. Imediately the older kid said "I bet he's going to make a real killing off the Tooth Fairy."

It was all I could do not to go into an all-day laughing fit.

Mike

[Murfreesboro]

[Kolchak]

I ran into the same problem in college... well, kinda the same problem. My problem was more along the lines of "I want to celebrate Halloween, but how do I get people to ToT because they're all going to parties?" My solution was to dress up and go around the dorms PASSING OUT CANDY. I called it "Reverse Trick-or-Treating"... though, I believe a couple years ago "Hallmark" called it "Boo'ing". (I had so much fun scaring 200lb football players!)

SCARING FOOTBALL PLAYERS!!??

HOW DARE YOU!! THAT'S SACRILEGE!!

I only weighed 185lbs btw! LOL!

But be honest. Tell the truth. The football dorm was always the wildest, regardless of the season! It was hard to tell by us football jocks if it was Halloween, Christmas or Spring break:shock:

Well, pretty much Spring Break year round.

[Pumpkin_Man]

ToT at a college dorm, from what I understand, just doesn't happen. They do throw some wild parties, though. Some times they also have 'scavenger hunts.' They do that at some of the local community colleges, too.

Mike

[Murfreesboro]

In addition to throwing parties themselves, college kids often go to community attractions, like commercial haunted houses, or whatever carnivals might be organized by the local Parks & Rec Dept. It's also fun to have a horror movie-thon, and sometimes local theaters will do that. I know that the various bars and clubs up in Nashville look for any excuse for a party--Halloween, St. Patrick's Day, Cinco de Mayo, whatever.

[Kolchak]

When I was in college we had a saying. Somewhere on the planet, at this very moment, is an occasion to party!

[Pumpkin_Man]

I didn't get to do too much partying when I was in college, for the simple reason that I couldn't afford it too often, but I did attend a few. And you are correct. College students like to PARTY, and it makes no difference whether it's Halloween or Ground Hog's Day.

Mike