The cancellation of one of Millikin’s biggest Halloween festivities left Millikin students disappointed and confused as to why the decision was made.
Boo at MU was originally set to take place on October 28. On October 22, just six days prior to when it was scheduled to take place, students and members of the surrounding community were notified of its cancellation. The decision was made due to a lack of volunteers and student presence as a result of when Millikin’s Fall break was scheduled.
Many of the volunteers who staff the event are part of student organizations at Millikin. FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) is one group that has consecutively participated year after year. Hope Self, the president of FCA, planned to have a table with candy and coloring pages this year.
“It is a great event where we are able to talk to people in the community,” Self said. “It is also nice to get away from the stress of school and get into the Halloween spirit.”
The event is a treasured tradition at Millikin. It provides an opportunity to invite local community residents onto campus and encourages students to play an active role in facilitating a family fun experience. The free event typically has activities, crafts, movies, snacks, prizes, and trunk-or-treat held in the University Commons parking lot for kids in the Decatur area.
Boo at MU requires a large number of volunteers to ensure it can run smoothly and accommodate large crowds. Millikin students observed a Fall break from October 24-27. This meant that many students would travel home or be off campus during that time. This led to much lower volunteer numbers than were needed to host an event of that scale.
“All of us were very sad about the cancellation of Boo at MU,” Self said. “We love seeing the kids in their costumes and getting to talk to them.”
As of now, Millikin fully intends to bring back the tradition in 2025. The goal is to bring even more fun and excitement to the community when Boo at MU returns. Students remain hopeful that the event will take place next year.
