Members of Alpha Kappa Lambda, before many of you will celebrate the Halloween weekend, the National Headquarters would like to share a few reminders with everyone.

  • Costumes are meant to be fun but never offensive. An individual’s culture and/or lifestyle should never be a costume. Speak up if you see a member or friend of the fraternity doing so, and make sure you do not make this mistake yourself of wearing something offensive. A great rule of thumb: if you must ask if it is inappropriate, it is not a good choice for a costume. Even good intentions can go bad.
  • Costumes that allow for hidden identities provide an increased opportunity for crime. If you are hosting an event, make sure you know everyone that is in attendance. Use a guest list and identify who is in what costume. If you do not know someone in attendance, ask them to leave immediately.
  • Costumes do not imply consent. Make sure there is an understanding of consent before engaging in sexual activity and know past consent does not mean future consent. We encourage all individuals and chapters to create an environment where sexual assault and/or sexual harassment is never tolerated. Individuals should intervene if they identify a situation where sexual assault and/or sexual harassment could occur.
  • Extreme parties are common around Halloween so make sure your risk management plan has been updated and reviewed with all members. If the chapter does not have an event planned, make sure that an impromptu one does not occur. Such events tend to violate policies and may lead to injury or worse. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the National Headquarters.

For all these warnings, we encourage you to have fun! Halloween can and should be a great time for all AKL members. It should also be a safe environment for all those around us. We share these tips not to be restrictive, but to be supportive. The Fraternity does not want someone to get hurt or a chapter to get into trouble. We hope if you choose to participate in any festivities this weekend you stay vigilant and remember:  Be Safe, Be Smart, Be Men of Character.

PDF Download: Halloween Message to AKL Members