Not too many ghosts, goblins or witches spent their time haunting—or partying—at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale last weekend.

That’s because SIU shut down completely for this year’s pre-Halloween weekend.

“It was awfully quiet,” said Dorothy Garsky, Associate Director of SIU’s University Relations.

SIU canceled its classes and closed its residence halls from 10 p.m. last Thursday for what it calls “fall vacation.” Some university offices remained open and the school will reopen Wednesday at 8 a.m.

Traditionally, SIU students and other college students flock to the southern Illinois town for pre-Halloween parties, which usually were held the weekend before the October holiday, said Carbondale City Manager Steve Hoffner.

Although Carbondale officials cancelled the Halloween Fair Days ordinances last year—which allowed public consumption of alcohol and closed off two streets—2,500 to 3,000 students still gathered in the streets, Hoffner said. Eighty-four arrests were made during Friday and Saturday, including 40 for public consumption of alcohol and 18 for underage drinking.

However, the number reflected a sharp drop from the 195 arrests made during 1988, the last year for Halloween Fair Days.

“There were zero arrests and virtually no problems this year,” Hoffner said.

Garsky said the second reason for the vacation was the feeling that students needed a fall break to balance the spring break. No instructional time was lost because classes began Aug. 20, a full week before the beginning of school at NIU, she said.

But Hoffner said some students expressed mixed feelings about the break because of the costs of traveling home three times in six weeks, Hoffner said.

SIU senior Amy Homuth said she went home for the weekend even though she doesn’t live in the residence halls.

“Most people I know were planning on going home,” Homuth said.

Although Illinois State Police came in and kept the disturbance to a minimum last year, street signs and stoplights were still torn down, she said.

Carbondale might not have attracted students last weekend but “next weekend will make up for it because it’s our Homecoming,” she said.