The revenue generated through the Halloween guest fee is on the uptick as it generated $78,000 for the university this year.
The Athens Halloween Block Party attracts thousands of visitors each year — and it generates thousands of dollars for Ohio University.
More than $78,000 was raised through the $50 guest fee that comes with having a guest in the residence halls during Halloween Weekend. More than 1,800 guests registered, but only 1,563 actually checked in.
The revenue generated through the fee has been on the uptick in recent years. In 2011, the fee generated $33,025. However, that year students were charged $25 instead of $50. This year, the fee — which had been $35 since 2012 — was raised to $50, according to a previous Post report.
Last year, the $35 fee brought in $66,920.
The money brought in is used to fund AlcoholEdu and to offset the cost of managing Halloween, according to a previous Post article.
"Although this program has not increased from a contractual perspective, there have been a few instances in which the collected fee has not covered the full cost of Alcohol.edu during the past few years," Pete Trentacoste, executive director of Housing and Residence Life, said in an email.
The fee also helps Athens and OU manage the additional guests, Trentacoste said in an email.
OU students are only charged the fee if their registered guest checks in, according to a previous Post article.
Caleb Jacobs, a sophomore studying biological science, said he was inspired to start a petition against the increased fee upon hearing about the $50 charge from his resident assistant. Nothing came of Jacobs' petition, even though 553 people signed it, Jacobs said.
“I just feel like it really was unnecessary to have a fee for something the university doesn’t even put on,” Jacobs said. “We don’t get charged any other time of the year to have guests in the dorm and I thought that’s kind of unfair.”
Jacobs said he didn't have any guests stay with him for Halloween because of “financial reasons.”
“They said, 'It’s not worth $50 for me to come down and stay on top of driving and stuff,' so they stayed at home,” Jacobs said.
Cassie Kuchta, a senior studying athletic training, said she is not a fan of the increased fee amount.
“I understand that they have to charge more for security, but it’s taking away the appeal of coming here for Halloween,” Kuchta said.
When the fee was $35, Kuchta had a friend stay with her in the residence halls.
“It was really annoying because, yes, they have the fee, but they also lock all the buildings and it was really annoying because ... I always had to be with them, which you never normally have to on every other weekend,” Kuchta said.
Kerry Murphy, a senior studying communication sciences and disorders, said a fee for staying in the residence halls for Halloween Weekend is excessive.
“I think (the fee) is kind of dumb,” Murphy said. “You don’t go to another college and you have pay to stay somewhere. It’s not like you are staying in a hotel.”
@megankhenry
