Butch McCartney

Witches, skeletons and ghosts haunted the residence halls Wednesday night before the students even got ready to go out for Halloween.

From 5 to 7 p.m. the halls hosted trick-or-treating for elementary school and younger children in the Eau Claire area.

Rich Watkins, an Eau Claire resident, has been bringing his 5- and 7-year-old daughters Hannah and Emily to the dorms to trick-or-treat for the past five years.

“It is a good place to come during good or bad weather,” Watkins said. “Everyone decorates and makes it kind of fun – not to mention we clean up here.”

And clean up is what the children did. One little boy wandered around dragging his pillow case full of candy because it was too heavy for him to lift.

Most dorms offered door-to-door trick-or-treating with the exceptions of Katherine Thomas, Horan, Putnam and Murray, which offered lobby-only visiting. The dorms that allowed kids to go-door to-door provided signs that said “Trick-or-Treaters Welcome” for the doors of residents who wanted to give out candy.

The lobby in Oak Ridge Hall was dripping with spider webs and what used to be a table was made into a giant pumpkin.

Sophomore Stephanie Rottier, hall council president of Oak Ridge, served punch, cookies and pretzels to the kids. As the kids came through the doors they were greeted by a tour guide in costume, Rottier said. The guides brought groups of about 10 kids through the hall while the parents were free to relax in the lobby.

“This is a safe activity for kids to take part in and we’re glad we can provide it for them,” Rottier said.

Hall Council sent out letters to elementary schools in the area to invite children to the dorms on Halloween, Rottier said.

Residence halls have been organizing trick-or-treating for Eau Claire community children for more than 10 years, she said.

“It’s always very popular and we always get a good crowd,” Danielle Koehn, a resident assistant for Oak Ridge said.

The high turn-outs may be because of the generosity of the students who often give handfuls of candy, said sophomore Amy Chabot, a tour guide for the kids in Towers.

Chabot, who was dressed as a hobo, said the parents even seemed to enjoy the night.

Many of them dressed up and they could help themselves to the popcorn, cookies and punch that was being offered in the Tower’s lobby.

“It seems like everyone is having a great time,” Chabot said.