Decorate your Dorm for Halloween

Let’s hear it for the spookiest, scariest, and most sweet-filled holiday, Halloween! With the first of the fall holidays coming up, students at UH Hilo have begun showing their Halloween spirit by decorating the front door of their dorms. Passing by the halls of Hale Kauanoe, Hale Kehau, and other student housing halls, one is able to see the creative and playful side of the housing residents. Seeing how much personality can fit on a single door can encourage other residents to give some spark to the entrance of their home.

But what if you’re new to the school, do not have a car, or are on a budget? This train of thought can often discourage students and result in an undecorated door. If you do not want that to happen to your dorm door, then you’re in luck! There are ways to get around Hilo in order to buy materials for your dorm.

Transportation

Hele-On Bus

The biggest concern that some UH Hilo housing residents face, especially the new students on the block, would be the lack of transportation. Not only do these students not have any transportation, but they do not know their surrounding area. They would not be able to get anywhere. What’s great about UH Hilo is that it is a bus stop for the Hele-On bus services. You can see the Hele-On bus sign right next to the bookstore, and that is where the bus will be picking up students.

If students time their shopping needs right, they would be able to read the bus schedule and take a trip down to the Target, Walmart, and Prince Kuhio Plaza for just a dollar, with your school ID. Once you know your scheduled route to and from your choice of store you’d be able to purchase all the supplies you’d need to decorate with! The bus schedules can be found at: http://heleonbus.org. Take note that the busses may be late depending on numerous factors, so don’t get frustrated if your bus does not come on the exact time it should.

Shared Ride Taxi Program

While the busses do not run 24/7, many taxis do. They tend to be pricey though, as they charge by the mile and by the amount of time it takes to get there. Fortunately enough, the Shared Ride Taxi program was created to help those in the vicinity of Hilo to get around without spending so much. The program provides coupons that are good for one ride.

For every 1-4 miles, a single coupon is used. For 5-9 miles, two coupon tickets would be used for a single person. The prices for the tickets vary depending on the amount you wish to purchase. Unfortunately, to purchase tickets, you will have to visit the Hawaii Mass Transit office, which is off campus, or have them mailed to you.

In the long run, the tickets would be good way to save money for travels around Hilo. Not only do you have a private space to bring in all your newly bought decorations and craft, but you would not have to worry about chasing time to catch the bus. More information on the Shared Ride Taxi program can be found on flyers around the campus, the Hele-On bus website at Hele-On Bus.

New Student Program Store Shuttles:

The New Student Program runs a shuttle that takes students to and from Target during the first and last Fridays of the month for free. The shuttles do run less often than the busses, but they are another means of transportation for students who are just getting on their feet here in Hilo. On the plus side, you’d be going with other residents along the way. This would make a great opportunity to make new friends and maybe even find out if they’re shopping for Halloween supplies too. For more information on how to sign up for the store shuttles, contact the Student Concierge by visiting them on the first floor of the Student Services building.

On a Budget? DIY your décor. Maybe you want to stay on budget, don’t want to leave campus, or just don’t have the time to leave the campus, period. Making Halloween decorations would definitely be an option. Not only would it make your decorations unique, but they can help you relax and take some time off your studies. Creating decorations by hand keeps you actively thinking while at the same time allowing your brain to have some fun. The materials could be something you already have, or just cheap items bought from the UH Hilo bookstore. There are tons of Youtubers who create DIY items and decorations for the various seasons. If creating something that truly matches your personality along with the season is something you’d look forward to, then find your way to Youtube and make those hands busy. Those pumpkin, ghosts, or witch décors aren’t going to craft themselves!

Do not forget you are decorating your dorm room, not the room you have back at home. Though it should remind you of home, there are limitations on what you can do with it. For example, you cannot drill holes into the walls to hang up objects. This would be the same for hammering nails on the wall. It could possibly damage the dorm thus requiring you to pay for the damage. That is definitely not something that is good for a budget. The whole dorm doesn’t have to be decorated as well. Many students just decorate their doors since it is the first thing other students who pass by will see. This lessens the amount of objects needed to feel the holiday spirit around your room.

There are so many things that an average college student needs to get done that decorating for any holiday might be out of the question. But decorating your dorm could actually give you some time to relax and de-stress from school. Making your room into a cozy and fun filled place can definitely help improve your mood, thus giving you energy to tackle your day. With all of these to consider, why not think about how you’d like your dorm to be and start incorporating your personality with seasonal decorations? Halloween is approaching fast, so what are you waiting for? The Halloween spirit isn’t going to find itself.