By: Brian Holak

Halloween is a special time of the year filled with questionable costumes, frightening fun, complementary candy and a smidge of shame.

However one describes it  (alliteration aside,) Halloween is a celebration that can take many forms.

Whether you plan on spending it partying until the wee hours of All Hallows Eve, gathering for a small celebration with your costume-clad friends, curled up on the couch watching Netflix with your boo (AKA your cat) or binge-eating all the candy by yourself, Halloween never fails to elicit a particular nostalgia.

Unfortunately, Halloween can also elicit illicit activity, which is not as nice. That is why it is especially important to be safe this week—and not just because Freddy may or may not be waiting to kill you in your dreams. Joking aside, the city around Halloween can be a dangerous place and it is important to keep yourself as safe as possible.

William B. Evans of the Boston Police Department outlined safety guidelines for college students to follow in the coming days.

Among the list are basic principles to follow: be aware of your surroundings and, if possible, do not walk alone at night, do not consume or purchase alcoholic beverages unless you are of legal age, keep electronic devices out of sight, wear light or bright costumes in order to be visible by motorists, carry flashlights, do not cross the street between parked cars, avoid loose-fitting masks that might restrict breathing or obscure vision and, of course, if you see something, say something.

Along with that, the Off-Campus Housing Office would like to remind everyone to keep noise to a minimum, including music and large gathering both in your residences and out on the street. We all need to be respectful neighbors. That means lowering your voices while you reenact “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in your living room.

With that in mind, there are a lot of fun things to do this week, including Haunt Fest in the basement of 150 Tremont, with the OCHO Commuter Ambassadors and the Residence Hall Association. There will be snacks and fun games, as well as an appearance by Sketchual Misconduct and a costume contest. The first-prize-winner of the contest will receive $100 in Ram Card money.

If you are looking for some responsible fun off-campus, it is Halloween Week at the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square. It is a great opportunity to see classic horror movies on the big screen with your friends. There are also Halloween shows at Improv Asylum in the North End on Wednesday and Thursday night that are bound to be horrifyingly hilarious.

Another option is a haunted tour of Boston, which is offered by a number of venues. The tours take you to haunted places in the city while telling terrifyingly true tales of murder, revenge and ghosts.

How do Suffolk students plan on celebrating Halloween?

Sophomore Ariana Santo plans on making matching devil costumes with her friend and going to a university in New Hampshire to celebrate.

Aunnakalia Boyce, senior, plans on going to the always-popular Salem, home of the famous witch trials, with her boyfriend and friends. Boyce, like many others, hopes to join in on the Halloween-themed festivities and craziness that Salem has to offer this month.

However you plan to spend your Halloween, just remember to have fun and be safe.

And do not sleep. Because of Freddy.