October 29, 2021

Dear Students,

We hope you are doing well during this busy time of year.  With Halloween and Thanksgiving just around the corner, we hope you are able to find some time to relax and have fun.  We encourage you to be safe and thoughtful about your choices during Halloween.  If you choose to dress up for Halloween, please think about how your choices affect other people.  As UMass Lowell River Hawks, we pride ourselves in being a community that cares for one another.  In a shared effort of mutual respect, we invite you to actively participate and look out for one another. 

If you see a friend dressed in a costume that is disrespectful to someone’s culture, consider saying something to them.  If you see someone that needs medical attention, please call for help.  If you engage in sexual behavior, do so with consent and mutual respect.  We hope that Halloween is a time where our community can have fun and participate in many wonderful fall activities.  It should not be a time when our community is harmed.

Safety reminders:

–        Do not include toy or fake weapons as part of your costume.  Toy and fake weapons can easily be confused for real weapons.

–        Wear something that you can move in easily and does not impair your vision.

–        Follow campus and off-campus rules and make safety a priority.

–        Never accept a drink from someone you don’t know or leave your drink unattended.

–        Binge drinking is dangerous and can lead to much bigger problems than waking up with a hangover.

–        Never drink and drive and never accept a ride from someone that has been drinking.

–        Make plans with friends to arrive and leave parties, events and programs together.

–        Be sure your phone is fully charged before going out.

–        Have the number to campus police (978-934-2398) in your phone.  For emergencies, dial 978-934-4911.

–        Keep cash on you for transportation or emergencies.

–        Trust your instincts.  On Halloween, or any other night, if something doesn’t feel right, trust your gut.  Leave the party, don’t take the drink, or say no to whatever is making you uncomfortable.  Your safety is more important than upsetting a friend.

Stay safe and have fun!

-Division of Academic and Student Affairs