Over the weekend, Sunday, Oct. 26, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., the Inter-Residence Housing Council (IRHC) hosted its annual Halloween event, SafeHouse. SafeHouse opens the dorms up to the community for trick-or-treating, games, and more. This family-friendly event is a great way to get into the Halloween spirit and interact with the Michigan Tech community.
SafeHouse is one of many IRHC-run events throughout the year, and is made possible through volunteer work stemming from the Michigan Tech students who live in the residence halls. Each hall council for each dorm provides volunteers and helps set the event up alongside IRHC. Throughout the dorms, in the kitchenettes and lounge areas, there were games to participate in and food activities such as cookie decorating, caramel apple making, and, of course, plenty of candy being handed out at each station. Families and friends were free to partake in and socialize with the students. “SafeHouse went really well last year. It was kind of cold and windy that day, so there was less turnout,” IRHC President Olivia Scheinker recalled. “But today is beautiful, so we are hoping it will go awesome.”
IRHC has been hosting SafeHouse on Michigan Tech’s campus and bringing the community together since 1986. “It was created to create a safe space for students and for kids who live in Houghton and Hancock in the surrounding areas to have Halloween fun and trick-or-treat,” said Scheinker. Parents and kids enjoyed a welcoming environment from students and staff alike while also experiencing Tech’s Halloween Spirit. “It’s not always accessible for kids around here, especially with the division and housing and how much is taken over by students living in neighborhoods,” said Scheinker.
IRHC is a larger organization on campus that hosts many community events just like SafeHouse. If interested, more information can be found about IRHC’s calendar and mission on the Michigan Tech Involvement link or posted outside the IRHC office in Wads G05. They also have an Instagram page, @irhcmtu, where information and photos can be found.
