Take care of yourself and others this Halloween & Homecoming weekend
Take care of yourself and others this Halloween & Homecoming weekend
University of Oregon
Dear students,

We are so proud of everyone’s commitment to ensuring a safe campus for all. As you know, the University of Oregon is committed to our goal of creating a safe and inclusive campus, so all students can thrive. We especially appreciate the seriousness you have toward crushing COVID on our campus. As we approach this coming weekend, we want to remind everyone of the following:

Take care of yourself and take care of your friends, guests, and each other.


We are asking students to adhere to university COVID-19 expectations and keep in mind community safety during any Halloween celebration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that many traditional Halloween festivities and activities can be high-risk for spreading COVID-19.The CDC cautions, “If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters.” For ideas from the CDC for safer ways of celebrating Halloween, please visit their website.
If you choose to gather indoors, wear a face mask that covers your mouth and nose, practice social distancing, and do not share cups or utensils. For outdoor gatherings at private residences, masks are still strongly recommended—regardless of vaccination status—when individuals from different households cannot maintain physical distance.

Alcohol and Drug Information


The legal drinking age is 21 and it is illegal to provide alcohol to minors. These laws are always enforced in the state of Oregon, and will be highly enforced around the time of Halloween. The heightened police presence is an effort to ensure the safety of our community.

We recognize that some students may choose to engage in high-risk behaviors, such as binge drinking or illicit drug consumption. At the end of the day, our priority is ensuring and maintaining the safety of each other. A few years ago, medical amnesty was passed in Oregon. Medical amnesty allows people to call emergency response, such as 9-1-1, when needing medical support. It protects you if you call for help for yourself or for another person from incurring a Minor in Possession (MIP). This law is especially helpful when someone needs attention for alcohol poisoning or when alcohol was used in other acts of violence. Don’t forget the signs of alcohol poisoning—shallow breathing, unresponsiveness, cold or clammy skin, pale or bluish color, vomiting, and mental confusion. We want to encourage you all to call and get help for alcohol poisoning or experiences of violence.
Contact Crisis Support
Call for a Duck Ride

See Something, Say Something, Do Something


Additionally, we recognize that there is an increase in high-risk behaviors this time of year. These can create vulnerable spaces and cause individuals to be targeted by people with predatory intentions. It is important to watch out for one another; travel in groups whenever possible. If something looks suspicious, trust your instincts. Alcohol is the number one drug used by predators to facilitate sexual assault. It is our responsibility as Ducks to actively protect each other by 1) not violating one another, and 2) intervening in potentially harmful situations. Do not assume that others will intervene—we act because we know it’s ALL of our responsibility to prevent sexual violence. When you hear something, say something. When you see something, do something.

Halloween Costumes: Cultures Are Not Costumes


We also want to remind everyone to choose costumes that are respectful to others and that are in keeping with our community standards. Costumes that reinforce negative stereotypes of cultures and groups are offensive and unacceptable. We no longer want to see costumes that reinforce racism, sexism, homophobia, or classism. It is unacceptable to “dress up” as Native American, in Black face, as an immigrant, or inappropriately depict any other cultural, social, religious, or political identity. As active and respectful community members, we expect everyone at the UO to dress in ways that are respectful to all members of our community.

Events on Campus This Week

There are a number of Halloween events that offer fun, free entertainment and activities for UO students this week, including:
The pandemic has been hard for all of us, and we want you and your peers to have some fun, responsibly. You have been so resilient and continue to inspire both of us and our teams. It is not easy to make difficult choices, and we encourage you to safely intervene—or contact the appropriate resource if it is unsafe—in situations that are inappropriate. Be an active bystander. We are here to support you in your college experiences and academic pursuits, and the first step in achieving that is establishing a safe, respectful, and inclusive campus.

Sincerely,

Yvette and Kevin
Dr. Yvette M. Alex-Assensoh
Vice President for Equity and Inclusion

Dr. R. Kevin Marbury
Vice President for Student Life
University of Oregon, 1585 E 13th Ave., Eugene, OR 97403
P: 541-346-1000
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