When you think of Halloween night, do you picture a smaller version of yourself, running from door-to-door in a childish costume, or wearing a somehow inappropriate outfit at a house party, holding a cup? Which would you prefer?
The good-natured spirit of Halloween tends to fade with age, but it doesn’t have to. If college kids would stop looking at the date as a drinking opportunity and instead embrace the childish fun it holds, maybe Halloween could have the same liveliness as the season and the same fond nostalgia of Christmas, Hanukkah and Thanksgiving.
Kali Crossen, a junior from Boulder, Colorado majoring in marketing, is trying to bring back the wholesome fun with a fall party this year. Her apartment included everything you’d think of as a child when you went to a Halloween party, with spooky decorations, themed cupcakes and fun music.
“I, personally, like to throw parties or funny events either with my family or friends that at least give people an opportunity to choose between going to the bars and going to something that changes it up, and gives them a chance to see that fun can be created sober, too,” she said.
The English Language Center on campus puts on a Halloween Fall Festival for international students, setting up traditional Halloween activities such as trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving and dressing up in creative costumes. If international students are being introduced to this American holiday in these traditional ways, we shouldn’t practice an entirely different night.
Shaleigh Smith, a sophomore molecular biology major from Conifer, Colorado, breaks the college-girl Halloween stereotype with a fun giraffe costume. “I wanted to be a giraffe because it is my spirit animal and I want to be one with the giraffe this weekend,” she said. “Last year I was a playboy bunny and it just didn’t speak to me on a spiritual level.”
In fact, it seems many girls are moving in this direction. Women’s “sexy” Halloween costumes have been overdone for decades and people are over it. Numerous popular stores such as Urban Outfitters sell nontraditional women’s costumes including several oversized animal onesies from unicorns to dinosaurs.
To a degree, our generation is taking steps toward casting away degrading costumes and some are seeing the value of wholesome fun on Halloween. “I like to throw a fun event that I know people will maybe initially be turned off by, but look back on and really appreciate,” said Crossen. College students should embrace the idea that we all need a break from what goes on every weekend and what better way than to celebrate Halloween reliving our childhood? The more we realize that Halloween is a fun night already and we don’t need alcohol to “make it fun,” the closer we are to having a blast doing just what we did when we were eight years old and wearing a sheet with holes over our head.
