Throughout the week, Saint Mary’s has celebrated Halloween, beginning on Tuesday, with “Ghost stories at Reidinger” sponsored by the Class Gift Campaign.
“Halloween has become a major event at many colleges, even Saint Mary’s is a popular place during Halloween because of the many stories in [Shelly Houser's book] ‘Quiet Hours.’” College archivist John Kovach said.
Kovach used his experience and research to delve into his favorite Saint Mary’s ghost stories on Tuesday night.
“I came to personally hear more of the stories that haunt my dorm, Le Mans Hall,” first year Julie Weilbaker said. “It just seems fun to tell ghost stories and drink apple cider.”
Director of Student Success Diane Fox also participated in the event on Tuesday, where she told a few silly ghost stories and finished with an audience-participation activity called “light as a feather, stiff as a board” to lighten the mood.
On Wednesday night, Residence Life invited students and faculty to a Dorm Trick-or-Treat event from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Students, faculty and their families dressed up in costumes and trick-or-treated in each dorm on campus, Ashley Hall, assistant director of Residence Life, said.
Students who signed-up to participate in trick-or-treating placed a pumpkin outside of their room and passed out candy to trick-or-treaters.
“I am from the Michiana area and I have no affiliation with the College," South Bend native Belinda Johnson said. "I just Google searched safe places to trick-or-treat, so I came to Saint Mary’s.”
Sophomore Kaitlyn Baker, President of the Residence Hall Association (RHA) said, “The purpose of Trick-or-Treating in the halls is to provide an opportunity for the students to get to know the faculty, outside of their work environment.”
“RHA works really hard to make sure everyone feels at home in their residence hall,” Baker said. “Halloween is an event that we don't want anyone to miss out on, simply because we live on a college campus and not in a neighborhood.
“It also provides our Saint Mary's community with a safe space to trick-or-treat with their families.”
“Belle-a-Boo,” sponsored by Student Activities Board (SAB), wrapped up Saint Mary's Halloween week activities Thursday evening.
Sophomore Gina Kraig, the SAB Entertainment co-chair said, “Belle-A-Boo is a fun, school sponsored event to celebrate Halloween.”
SAB sponsored this event at Dalloway’s Clubhouse for students to come and paint skulls, watch movies and fill their bellies with chocolate.
“It is a great way to meet new people and bond over your favorite Halloween traditions,” Belle-a-Boo participant junior Shannon Schalk said.
