<\/a><\/p>\n

By Kori Walters
\nMC301 Contributor<\/strong><\/p>\n

With the COVID-19 pandemic still at large in the United States, you will have to find fun ways to celebrate Halloween while keeping yourself and your loved ones safe. Fortunately, there are several ways to do this.<\/p>\n

It is no surprise that the go to Halloween celebration is a costume party, especially for college students. That being said, colleges are turning into COVID-19 hotspots. According to the New York Times<\/a>, Mississippi State University already has 478 confirmed cases, and that is without a holiday to encourage more parties.<\/p>\n

With Jackson being a college town, it seems mayor Chokwe Lumumba is well aware of just how high risk universities are. In fact, in the sixth Stay Safe Jackson executive order <\/a>mayor Lumumba issued, it is clearly stated that indoor gatherings must involve \u201cno more than 20 people with appropriate social distancing.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the likelihood of college kids accomplishing this kind of party is slim. As McKenna Light, a sophomore biology pre-med major out of Katy Texas said, \u201cmany young adults will try to forego any distancing or hygiene procedures in favor of having one epic party. It is this demographic in particular that worries me in terms of an outbreak,\u201d this Halloween.<\/p>\n

Since truly safe parties will be nearly impossible to find on campus, consider some other ways you can enjoy this Halloween to the fullest. If your favorite part of Halloween is seeing your friends, the key to your celebration will be remaining physically distant, but socially present. You can do this by setting up a Netflix Party<\/a>. This is a way to watch movies with your friends while staying safe at home. Netflix Party opens a chat for you to talk while you are watching the movie in real time. This is the ultimate tool for physically distant horror movie marathons this Halloween season.<\/p>\n

If your favorite part of Halloween is dressing up, you can set up a virtual costume contest. This can be done over a Zoom call, or by creating a hashtag on social media that you can use to post your best costume photos. Creating a contest on Zoom keeps it between you and your friends. If you want to get more people involved, social media is the way to go.<\/p>\n

You can also use this Halloween season as an opportunity to show off the hobbies you have picked up during quarantine.<\/p>\n

Ivana Setka, a junior biology pre-physical therapy major from Lafayette La. said, \u201cI\u2019ve started baking during this pandemic, and I\u2019ve found that I love making sweets and treats to share.\u201d<\/p>\n

People like Setka who have grown fond of baking could have a Halloween bake off. Bake your spookiest treats, and drop them off at your friends rooms. If you\u2019re not on campus, you can judge on appearance. Then all of the participants can hop onto a Zoom call and vote on who the winner should be.<\/p>\n

If you have used this quarantine time to explore your creative side, have a virtual pumpkin carving contest. Grab a pumpkin from the grocery store and let your creative side explore. Try to think outside of the classic jack-o\u2019-lantern designs, and really see what you can do. This is another contest that can easily be judged on a Zoom, or under a social media hashtag.<\/p>\n

The most important thing to remember this Halloween is to stay safe and healthy. You will have to celebrate the holiday a bit differently because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but as Setka stated, \u201cit can be just as fun. Halloween is as fun as you make it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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