Aaron Vehling

When international student Sandeep Bang arrived in the United States two years ago, he had no idea what Halloween was.

A trip to Madison for the “spooky” celebration changed that.

“I never saw such a crazy thing,” said Bang, a senior originally from India. “I had no idea it would be like this.”

Bang spent his first Halloween in Madison and has returned every year.

Now Bang sees Halloween as a way for college students to have fun. He said there is good spirit, and students are very lively.

This year, Bang is taking 32 other international students down to Madison, where many will experience Halloween for the first time.

The crowds in Madison are expected to be the same as last year at nearly 70,000 people, Madison Police Captain Luis Yudice said.

With crowds that size, the situation can get out of hand very easily.

During last year’s Halloween celebration on Nov. 2, a crowd of 65,000 party goers rioted, according to a Nov. 4, 2002 Badger Herald article.

Party-goers threw bottles at the police and damaged businesses along State Street. Police and students were injured in the riot.

The best protection against that happening again is for students to use common sense and remain calm, Yudice said.

Freshman John Metzler is one of the many people heading to Madison for the weekend.

He will be visiting with high school friends and having fun. He plans to make an appearance on State Street as Fred from “Scooby Doo.”

When he was younger, Metzler said he went trick-or-treating and considered Halloween a big occasion.

The celebration has lost some significance though, and now he sees it as a time to hang out with friends.

While many students are heading to Madison for Halloween, sophomore Stephanie Barnes’ plans focus on her family.

She will travel home to Sauk City to chaperone trick-or-treating. This could be demanding since she is the second oldest of 10 children.

Quite a bit has changed in her family over the years, Barnes said. When she was younger, she was not allowed to go trick-or-treating.

Since then, her parents have relaxed their beliefs and now the younger family members can participate in Halloween.

Barnes does not see chaperoning as a chore but rather as a fun thing to do with her younger siblings.

As for students staying in Eau Claire, trick-or-treating is not an option, but there are other scary activities.

Ski Sprites is putting on a haunted house at the Eau Claire County Expo Center, 5530 Fairview Drive.

Daytime fun can be found at the Eau Claire Orchards, located at 6470 Balsam Road. It has a haunted barn and a corn maze.

Community children will trick-or-treat through the residence halls from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Friday.

Students who wish to participate should mark doors welcoming the little goblins.