Creative and thoughtfully crafted costumes, thrilling parties and memorable festivities are all aspects of Halloween weekend that make it one of the best times of the year for college students.
While Halloween can be an exciting time of the year for students to celebrate, both positive and negative factors can contribute to your frightful fun.
How can students get more treats than tricks this year? Kent State Today reached out to Kent State University Police Officer Vance Voyles to give readers a wide variety of tips for Kent State students this Halloween.
Voyles, who has been with the university police since 2014, assured that safety is a priority and said a significant number of police officers will be on hand.
“We’re always going to be prepared to make sure that we’re here to protect the students and keep them safe,” he said.
Alcohol Awareness
Voyles, who also has given several presentations on alcohol awareness, said there are many issues involved with large festivities, the biggest one being alcohol consumption and tampering with drinks.
“Don’t be taking drinks from strangers,” he said. “Whatever drink you’re having, even if it's Kool-Aid or grape soda, have it covered.”
It’s an unfortunate reality that not everyone can be trusted, and Voyles just wants everyone to be safe at the end of the night.
“Don’t sit a drink on a bar and walk away because anybody can put something in it,” Voyles said. “Don’t let somebody bring you a drink from somewhere you didn’t see poured yourself.”
Voyles also suggests that everyone should be aware of how much they are consuming. Understand the amount consumed in an average red solo cup.
Smile, You're On Camera
Posting pictures to any of your social media platforms may seem harmless at the time, but certain photos and videos can be very damaging to not only you but your future.
“Do not take pictures with a red solo cup in your hand,” Voyles said. “As a person who helps hire, when I do my background checks, I go into all your Facebooks, Instagrams and everything else.”
Even if you do not post something yourself, the amount of video footage that can be collected of students through campus cameras and police body camera footage is important to note.
“Every single cop out there has a body cam on them,” Voyles said.
Since police body cam footage is public record, the footage being made public is a possibility.
“I can guarantee after Halloween, someone is going to say ‘hey, we’d like to have body cam footage of all your officers on the night of Halloween,’” Voyles said, “and we can’t say no to them. It’s a public records request.”
That footage can be made public and be online for years.
“You are unfortunately living in an era where every bad thing you do can last forever,” Voyles said.
Voyles wants students to have a fun night out without potential risks and dangers. Here are his tips:
Charge your phone and take a photo of your ID before you go out
One of the things many students always have with them is their phone. Voyles said it is important to have a charged phone when going out in case assistance is needed and having an ID photo allows for police to instantly view your ID, if needed.
Stay in groups
Voyles recommends staying with a group or the people you came with and leaving with them.
“If you go out with five people, come home with five people,” he said.
Be aware of your surroundings
Voyles suggests that students pay attention to their surroundings because of the potential dangers.
“There are cars, there are strangers and there are people who might be predators,” he said.
Halloween historically draws numerous outsiders to Kent and Kent State for the celebrations.
Dress for the weather
October tends to be a very chilly month. Voyles said students should wear costumes that allow them to dress warmly because it may be cold and wet outside. Also, some costumes can obscure your vision, making it hard to be fully aware of your surroundings.
If you need help, call
Ultimately, Voyles wants it known that university police will be there to help you on campus.
“Our main objective on Halloween, and that main objective anytime a bunch of us are there, is to protect the public and keep students safe and get you through this time where mistakes will be made,” he said.
University police have a Good Samaritan Provision that applies to students dealing with on-campus issues for the first time.
“If they call the police, we will come help,” he said. “Nobody goes to jail, nobody gets in trouble, none of that stuff.”
Voyles wants students to know that it is OK to call the police.
“You really will be fine if you need help,” he said. “If you are on campus and you are calling because you want to help somebody, you are not going to get in trouble.”
He demonstrates how to decipher “on campus” versus “off campus” for this rule.
“If you are walking down Main Street and you are walking on the Kent State-side of Main Street, you are on campus,” he said. “If you are walking on the Dunkin’ Donuts-side of Main Street, you are off campus.”
So have fun but stay safe and be smart this Halloween.
While you’re prepping for the big event, Kent State has provided some pumpkin stencils and a fun “Dress a Squirrel” digital game to add to your Halloween fun.