Chicoween has become a Chico State tradition, that is well known by more than just students.
Every Halloween, many out of towners come up to celebrate. While this can be great, it also escalates the risks of going out. The scary part isn’t the witches or ghosts, it’s the people out of town.
Personally, I don’t like out of towners coming up for Chicoween. I think it not only increases violence, but also overcrowds Chico and its parties.
“Chicoween is Halloween like you’ve never experienced it. We aren’t the WILDcats for no reason,” according to Urban Dictionary.
If that doesn’t get you pumped for the holiday, then I don’t know what will.
While having fun, you should also be on the lookout for people not from our community.
“I’ve been hanging around parties on Halloween weekend, seeing people nobody knows coming up just to start fights,” fifth-year student, Nialls Hackley said.
Crime can happen on any weekend of the year, but during Halloween, students should be on high alert. For every 100,000 people, there are roughly 11 crimes daily that occur in Chico, according to areavibes.
This is low when compared to the four day period of Halloween 2016. There were 112 arrests and citations, according to a Chico Police Department press release.
This is almost triple the average daily amount, but that makes sense considering it’s a holiday.
To stay safe follow these tips:
1. Arrive and leave with friends
Stay with the people you came with and know where your friends are. It may be tempting to go home with that cute Superman, but realize it might not be a good idea. After all, you can always just get his Snapchat and hangout another night.
2. Walk with people you know
Don’t walk alone in the dark. Don’t walk alone with people you don’t know. Don’t walk alone period.
3. Keep your phone at full battery
Make sure your phone is at full charge before going out. Also, avoid overusing it to Snapchat videos of the party. While you may want to make all of your friends jealous of your fun weekend, remember that a phone with no battery is useless.
4. Don’t accept liquid handouts
For those of us who have not yet experienced Chico’s party scene, it could be tempting to take alcohol or drugs from people we don’t know. Watch your drink and don’t take alcohol from people you don’t know. It’s better to be less drunk or sober than to be drugged.
Some of these may sound cliches, but they’re cliches for a reason– they work.
With out of towners, comes unpredictability. Some of the people who are not from Chico will just be here to have fun and won’t cause a scene. Others, however, might get rowdy or violent. Either way, people that are not from the area should be respectful of the town and the people who live here.
If you bring friends from other areas, make sure they behave. Stay safe and don’t forget to have fun. Chicoween only comes once a year.
Brooke Martin can be reached at [email protected] or @bmartin471 on Twitter.
