Every year when fall comes around, the Residence Life Office and student residents host a Halloween event for neighborhood kids. Boo Bash will be held this year on Oct. 25 from 6-9 p.m.

It is a tradition that has been carried on for the past 14 years and has successfully provided a fun and safe trick-or-treat environment for kids to enjoy.
           
Even though it’s a proven success, every year it seems to be a bigger challenge to recruit students and volunteers, says Melissa Allen, assistant director of Residence Life.

Due to more demanding academic schedules and outside commitments, “it is difficult to coordinate volunteers and candy stops, but we make it work. The residents are awesome and when asked to help they do,” says Allen.

According to Allen, 20 Residence Life staff members and six student volunteer tour guides participated in last year’s Boo Bash. In addition, there were 40 candy stops and numerous student residents helping out with the decoration of the halls.
           
In order to help out the Boo Bash event, new Director of Residence Life Mark Center helped institute a $10 fee to cover the candy or hall-decorating expenses.

Other supplies are purchased by the Residence Life programming budget and many recycled decorations are used. “We also rely on the generosity of our residents who provide their own candy,” says Allen.
           
The preparations start a few weeks in advance, with the applications for the residents and volunteers open until Oct. 19. The hall decorations are put up a week before the event and the candy stops, which are the residence halls that serve candy to the kids, are prepared and checked before the Boo Bash actually starts.

Every 20 minutes, RA’s lead the kids on the tour following a map. In addition, kids can enjoy games such as a bean-bag toss, coloring sheets, storytelling, balloon animals, and many more in the Centennial courtyard.
           
In past years, an average of  400-600 children attended each year.
           
Residence Life is still taking applications from students and volunteers. Contact Allen at 341-2331 for information.