Why Burgum residents decorate for Halloween.

October is coming to a close, leaving some concerned about the looming winter weather and others craving those spooky feels. At Burgum Hall, people are wildly obsessed with Halloween because it’s canonically called the Slaughter House. Jessamine Slaughter (Burgum) was the first woman to attend NDSU, getting a hall named after her. In addition, Burgum is one of the older residence halls giving rise to unexplainable creaks in the night. One may never know for sure if it’s the nature of the building or old souls roaming the halls, but, nevertheless, Halloween won’t just be another day of the year for these residents.

Dorm and door decorations run rampant through these halls, raising both metaphorical, and potentially physical, spirits. Roommates Haley Solley and Charli Dlugosh have adorned their room with pumpkins, skeletons, and various spooky art. They provide their reasoning for decorating. 

“Competition,” voiced Haley. “The second floor of Burgum hall was beating us and I wanted my door decorated. The competitive voice in my brain said if you don’t do this they will beat you.” 

“Yeah,” added Charli. “Second floor slays.” 

Obviously, money can be hard to come by as a college student, so expenses are a valid reason for decorating hesitancy. However, Charli and Haley give insightful and creative feedback, citing various campus resources. 

“I borrowed supplies from the front desk and got creative,” said Haley. 

Residence hall front desks tend to have a variety of crafting resources available for students to rent. Charli and Haley, for example, rented colored pencils, foam letters, and even construction paper to assist in their spooky creations. Recently, the Horticulture Club also hosted a pumpkin sale, where many residents fulfilled their pumpkin needs for a discounted price compared to retail stores.

In preparation for the bone-chilling season, there are a plethora of options to celebrate the haunting history of this hall. Other residents listed events and activities to keep their spirits high including the Burgum Boo Bash, spooky movie marathons, and shopping for their Halloween costumes. Needless to say, decorating allows the people of Burgum to proudly acknowledge their history, celebrate their passion for horror, and create bonds with one other.