Halloween in the Halls a UWRF community tradition

This October once again featured "Halloween in the Halls" on the university campus, which has been a tradition for over 20 years.

Children and parents explored the different dorm halls where young students participated in trick-or-treating. The event took place Wednesday, Oct. 29.

In each hall there was a different activity that was available to the children in the lobby.

In the South Fork/Ames Suites there was an apple bar, games and storytelling.

In Crabtree Hall there was "make your own spiderwebs."

In Parker Hall there was "make your own spider or ghost suckers."

In Grimm Hall and Johnson Hall there was cookie decorating.

In McMillan Hall there was face-painting.

In Hathorn Hall kids got to decorate pumpkins.

In Stratton Hall children made ghosts.

And lastly, in May Hall they had mystery boxes.

The parents had different reasons why they loved the trick and treating here at the university. Kim Bennett, now a mother, went trick-or-treating at the university when she was a child 20 years ago.

She finds trick-or-treating inside the halls warmer than going outside with less chance of a child getting sick.

Another parent, Larry, likes the trick-or-treating at the university because it's "comfortable, easy, convenient."

"I love it. I love that our kids get to come and see the campus, and see how the students live, and get a feel for it," Shelly said while trick-or-treating with her children.

The children that participated with their parents were from Rocky Branch, Montessori Charter, St. Bridget's, Greenwood and Westside schools.

Letters sent out to parents encouraged them to start at the hall their school and grade level were assigned, and then explore the rest of the halls.

The students in the South Fork/Ames Suites gave out candy from the community rooms located on each floor. In the other halls students were able to stand or sit at open doors of their rooms and give out candy.

Anthony Wisnewski, a UWRF student living in the Ames Suites, and has participated for two years. With his costume as an adult he gives out candy to the kids. When the candy is gone, he takes off the sign on the front door of the room. Wisnewski finds the trick-or-treating fun for him as well as the children to go around getting candy.

The Halloween in the halls is seen as a tradition for the River Falls community. The Director of Residence Life Karla Thoennes says that in order to keep the tradition going Residence Life has to make sure that it's safe. The fire marshal walked through the halls to make sure there were no dangers and there was nothing inappropriate for children.

A new site was the haunted ambulance decorated by the River Falls EMS. The ambulance sat outside Grimm Hall and had cobwebs, flashing lights and a mummy strapped to a gurney.