On Oct. 31, the Meredith community celebrated Halloween with an Resident Housing Association (RHA) event: trick or treating in The Oaks, Meredith College’s on-campus apartments.
RHA President, Mallory Nobles, ‘24, stated that Saniyah Aftab, ‘27, “had a dream of opening the Oaks for Halloween.” Nobles found that Aftab’s idea was popular within RHA, as “[RHA members] loved the idea of having a connection point for the different years of students and students in different buildings.” Oaks residents participating in this event had signs on their doors indicating to knock for candy, and many were in costume themselves. The excitement was not lost for freshmen, including Allegra Banks, ‘27 who found that some Oaks residents even “decorated the inside of their apartments and [they] were kind and just as excited as [the] trick-or-treaters.” Gwendalyn Chapman, ‘27, called her experience “great” and shared that she had “lots of fun.”
The event was promoted on campus, with posters around residence halls and apartment halls. Students who attended were greeted by a Dunkin’ Donuts truck outside of the Oaks, where students could get a free sample beverage. Nobles described the RHA goals for the event as being able to “provide a space for students to connect, and interact with those that may be in different years, buildings, majors, or interests from themselves. [ RHA] really see this as a connecting point and an opportunity for students to just have fun and enjoy life at Meredith together.” Additionally, students like Banks noted enjoying the “other incentives” involved, despite her initial feelings of “hesitant because [she] didn't know if others would participate fully (costumes, bags, saying "trick-or-treat!", etc.).” She also found herself thankful to have “a safe option to celebrate Halloween” and was “really excited to see that everyone else there went all out with costumes and was having a good time.” Banks was also “happy to see the school pushing us to participate and to have a good time.”
As for this event becoming a Meredith tradition, Nobles and the RHA are supportive. Nobles wants the Meredith community to know that “[RHA] would love to keep doing similar events” if students “reach out, ask, and join us in making events that [they] want.” Chapman and Banks share similar feelings, as Banks “would 100% go trick-or-treating again” and is “very much looking forward to handing out candy when [she lives]in the apartments in a couple years.” Chapman also stated that she “would go again.” Meredith College Residence Life’s Instagram page, posted the event’s highlights on Nov. 2, telling the Meredith community to “stay tuned for more RHA programs.”
By Kat Whetstone, Contributing Writer
Graphic by Shae-Lynn Henderson, EIC