Hey Cats! Halloween weekend is approaching quickly. This means ghosts and ghouls will be filling the streets, forests and houses of Marquette. For some of you this may be your first time celebrating Halloween as a college student. While it’s fun to let loose a little to celebrate the holiday and take a break from school, we need to make sure we’re staying safe so we can finish the semester in full swing.

My first year on campus I went a little too bonkers having fun. I found myself in a position that no student wants to find themselves in, hungover with a broken finger and no recollection of half of the night prior. 

I’ve since learned my lesson. Alcohol is a strong substance that we have to be careful with when ingesting. 

Thankfully, I had a great group of friends who made sure I made it home safe from the woods. 

If you are planning on getting a little crazy this weekend, I don’t judge. We are all adults, we made it to college. I think telling students to not drink on an occasion such as Halloween won’t do a thing, but I’m also not your mom so the odds of you listening to me say that are slim to none. So instead I want you guys to learn from the mistakes I made when I was 19 and 20. 

When you’re going out this Halloween remember this, drink water, go with a group of friends and have a Designated Driver (DD.) 

Drinking water while also drinking other beverages is super important. When you’re going to parties, or even the bar, make sure you bring water or get one every other drink. Now I’m not asking you to chug a whole gallon in one night. When you drink water often it helps ensure you’re not reaching the point I reached when I broke my finger. And gamer hack, when you drink water often the night before, you’ll feel better in the morning. 

When you’re heading out in your spooky or cute costumes, remember: your best accessory is your friends. If I didn’t have my friends, I would probably still be lost in the woods trying to find my way out. Additionally some shady things have been going on in Marquette recently, which you’ll know if you’ve seen the urgent emails we’ve been receiving. Having a larger group means more eyes to ensure your friends, and even others out and about, are safe from the truly scary things that could be happening. Plus group costumes are always awesome to see!

The last advice I’ll give you grasshoppers is to have a DD. If you party a little bit too hard, or are wearing awesome looking shoes and they’re a little bit too uncomfortable, the last thing you’re going to want to do is walk home. Having a DD keeps you out of the cold, and can get you home very quickly if you are getting tired. Now if you’re the DD, stick to it. Don’t be that guy who starts drinking and ruins it for the whole group. My friend group would take turns, and draw straws if we had to. 

Halloween weekend is supposed to be fun, but one wrong move could make the whole weekend turn sour. Take the steps to make sure you, your friends and others are safe so the celebration can continue. 

In no way am I encouraging underaged drinking, or drinking unsafely. If you’re drinking, drink safely.