Halloween Haunts Hit Home: Students Decorate Dorms

With Halloween in the air, the front of Francis Hall glows with festive spirit. On the second floor, a dorm room window display features a tombstone, “Be Aware” tape, skeletons, spiders, a zombie figure, string lights and a bloody handprint. 

A haunted dorm room or spooky window display doesn’t just set the tone for Halloween — it creates a sense of home and togetherness on campus. 

Gianna Graziano and Angelina Luna are first-year roommates who added a spooky touch to Halloween this year by displaying their decorations for the second floor in Francis Hall. 

“I grew up always loving Halloween, and my dad would have us help him decorate,” Graziano, a marketing major, said. “He came here and helped me put up the decorations because Halloween is so important to us, and we wanted to keep the tradition going.”

Luna said she hopes her Halloween decorations will comfort homesick students and make them smile.

“We wanted to show students that even if you’re away from home, you can still find joy and settle into a new area,” Luna said. “We want people to smile when they see our room.”

A playful touch rounds out their second-floor window display — a mischievous Garfield nestled among spooky decor, giving a devil-may-care wink to passersby. 

With every skeleton, spider and string of orange lights, Graziano and Luna’s window offers a small reminder — even away from home, there’s joy.

Kenzo Trespeces-Winck, a first-year psychology major, said he felt nostalgic seeing all the Halloween decorations on campus.  

“Growing up, my mom would have me and my brother help decorate the house — putting spider webs on the dining table and fake spiders around,” Trespeces-Winck said. “It was a bonding experience for us. I love to see a lot of people decorating because it doesn’t feel awkward — it’s like we’re home.”

Trespeces-Winck enjoys spending time on the fourth floor of Francis Hall, where the scene feels like an extension of his own Halloween style. Cotton spider webs stretch across walls, fake spiders dangle in corners and neon lights cast an eerie glow, transforming the space into a haunted hall. 

Reminiscing on her past stay at Francis Hall, second-year Natalie Schach, a math and economics major, said Halloween decorations brightened her living space when she was a first-year. 

“I’m pro-decoration,” Schach said. “Any decoration makes the dull living spaces of residence life feel more like home, and Halloween decor especially enhances that experience — it’s the first holiday away from home so definitely the decorations helped me not feel lonely.”

While staying in San Francisco Hall, first-year Emily Geiss said she enjoys seeing everyone decorate their doors. 

“We all decorated our doors because we wanted to go trick or treating but no one knows the area,” Geiss said. “This way, we can knock on each other’s doors and still feel like we have some Halloween spirit.” 

Geiss’s door is decked out with fuzzy pom-poms, lurking spiders and strips of “Be Aware” tape crisscrossing as a warning sign. 

Eliza Morman, a second-year psychology major, said she’s noticed a boost in community spirit when decorating for Halloween. She remembers Halloween decorations’ comforting impact on her last year in Francis. 

“Our RA decorated and she made my time away from home so nice,” Mormon said. “It felt like I was in my old neighborhood because I felt so comfortable.”

For third-year psychology major Anupa Mathew, the true magic of setting up decorations lies in teamwork. She said it requires a group effort and builds a sense of connection among students. 

“Walking by the residence halls and seeing everyone decorating together is a reminder that even away from family, students still have a beautiful experience of connection,” Mathew said.

Mathew is also part of the Department of Programming and she advises students to take advantage of the upcoming Halloween activities. 

“We know that a lot of students feel homesick and don’t know what to do, so we created Halloween-related activities,” Mathew said. “Students can look forward to the Boo Bash and our Friday Night Flicks screenings.” 

As a first-year engineering major, Gwen Samonte appreciated their RA at Simpson Hall organizing a floor decoration event, as their busy schedule often prevents them from enjoying activities like this.

“I am so busy but my RA told everyone to get out of their rooms and decorate pumpkins and sip on apple cider,” Samonte said. “I appreciated that because I got to enjoy some Halloween spirit and take a break.” 

Graziano said that she wants people walking by Francis to smile when seeing the decorations. 

“With our decorations, we’re bringing home to Loyola,” Graziano said. “Halloween is a big part of my childhood and I want to bring those childhood memories back and share them with everyone.”