Every year, at the end of October, Millikin University and the Student Housing Council host Halloween in the Halls for the children of Decatur.

The event is designed for children between the ages of two and 12, often accompanied by their parents. The tours are free, and children can choose between a calm walk through one of the halls or one of the spookier set-ups. While waiting for their tours, the children can sit in RTUC and enjoy kid-friendly activities, such as coloring.

This is a rather successful event, and the campus is usually packed with children wandering around. How does this event help the children, though?

First, it provides a safe environment for them to trick-or-treat in. Parents are able to keep a closer eye on their children, and there are no unexpected surprises. Let’s face it: Decatur isn’t the safest place to be sometimes, or it at least doesn’t feel like it. In the buildings, the children are well-protected. Plus, there’s no chance that the child will be abducted or have suspicious items placed in their candy.

In addition to a safe environment, it’s a controlled environment. Weather won’t stop the children from trick-or-treating in the halls. It might be a little dreary when having to walk between the different buildings, but luckily, the residence halls aren’t too far apart.

Second, it’s beneficial for the children who can’t stay up until trick-or-treating hours. For the young children, such as the two or three year olds, they might not be able to stay up that late, or they may get fussy when it’s time to go out. However, Halloween in the Halls is at a decent time, so it’s not too late for the children who can’t stay up.

Third, if the children go trick-or-treating in addition to attending Halloween in the Halls, they’ll probably get more candy – and what kid doesn’t love more sugar?

Finally, they are able to choose what kind of Halloween they want: scary or fun. This gives them an opportunity to see how nice the Millikin community is in giving them a choice of activities, and in the type of hallway they want to go down. They also get to see the Millikin community dressed in costumes just like them; giving them the chance to interact with MU students in a unique way.

All in all, Halloween in the Halls is a nice event for the children of Decatur, and it has a lot of benefits, all which help the children. Hopefully, this tradition will be upheld in the years to come.