Trick-or-treaters come to Ole Miss

Stephanie Kahler

Children of Ole Miss faculty and staff trick-or-treated through women's residence halls Thursday night in an annual event sponsored by the Residence Hall Association.

Residents of the female dorms decorated halls and passed out Halloween candy to the groups of costumed children who participated in the event.

Crosby Hall residents also treated the kids to a small carnival in the lobby, which included game booths where the trick-or-treaters could win prizes. The kids fished for candy, pulled rubber ducks from a pond and had their faces painted.

Crosby Hall Council member Katyna Hansford said that she was extremely excited about the Halloween festivities.

"We had a lot of fun and got to act like kids in planning it," she said.

Sophomore Lesley Gunn agreed.

"I loved seeing all of the little kids dressed up because it reminded me of when I used to trick-or-treat. I really hope we get to do this in the future," she said.

In another part of the Halloween activities, individual dorms sponsored contests for the best decorated doors and halls.

Bonnie Reid, associate director of housing and residence life, said that the annual event has taken place for the past 10 years and is an activity that everyone looks forward to. "Halloween seems to be a popular holiday for the students, and they enjoy decorating the dorms," Reid said. "It's really as much fun for the students as it is for the kids."

Reid also believes that inviting children to the residence halls is a safe and convenient way for parents to take their kids trick-or-treating.

Ole Miss history professor John Neff took his two children trick-or-treating in the residence halls and said he believed it to be a very good idea.

"My kids are just intrigued with coming to campus and visiting the students and the dorms," he said. "Plus, there are a lot of doors in a concentrated area which means more loot."

Paul Mitchell, a University of Mississippi employee at the Mineral Resources Center, also believed the campus activities to be beneficial for his children. He said that both he and his wife being employed by the University made campus trick-or-treating sensible.

"My kids are used to being up here on campus after school and they enjoy getting to see the students," he said.

Campus trick-or-treating does not, however, act as a substitute for gathering sweets in neighborhoods. "This just gives my kids one more opportunity to get even more candy," Mitchell said.