What are you going to be for Halloween?
With a multitude of costume-themed parties on the horizon, the question is -- in some way, shape or form -- on the mind of many University students.
As Halloween weekend approaches, students might pull out a favorite old costume, buy or make a new one or scramble at the last minute to put one together. Some students won't bother to dress up and will still attend Halloween parties, and others will go about their weekend activities just like they would any other time of year. Whether one chooses to play a part or disregard the disguise craze, Halloween is an opportune time to be someone -- or something -- else for a night.
Students' interest in Halloween is oftentimes dictated by their childhood experiences -- that is, by the way in which their families treated Halloween.
Second-year College student Katherine Lang said she realizes Halloween is different simply because she's older.
"Halloween wasn't a huge deal when I was young, but it was different from how I feel about it now because I got to go to Halloween parties and got to go trick-or-treating," Lang said. "It was one of those times where you can't really sleep the night before because you're so excited. Now, Halloween is just more of a social thing."
Second-year Engineering student Gideon Taub agreed that age is a major factor in determining how one views the holiday.
"In high school, Halloween was a huge deal," Taub said. "People started talking about what they were going to dress up as and what they were planning on doing earliest that people think about it. You just make a homemade costume, and that's it."
Second-year College student Alana Witte said that getting older hasn't changed her attitude about Halloween.
"Halloween was huge when I was growing up," Witte said. "Our mother raised us with this notion that Halloween was a time to be really creative and crafty and to make costumes that were unique and just awesome. I remember every single costume I wore when I was younger, and I remember my mom hand-making every one I wore. Last year in dorms it was harder to get a cool costume, but I was that girl with the glue gun, working to put together a costume different from everyone else's."
Many students said trick-or-treating was the central activity that made Halloween exciting when they were younger. By focusing on candy collection, students did not put as much emphasis on the costume. Instead, dressing up was more an excuse to be able to go out and get candy with friends -- less of the focus was on the actual costume was and how it looked.
"It was a big deal picking out my outfit, but I wasn't so interested in what it looked like and I was less picky," Lang said. "Back then, all I wanted to do was go out trick-or-treating in an original outfit."
As students get older and more creative, they have more control over their costumes, which often results in more variety at Halloween parties.
But some students contend that there are certain stereotypical Halloween costumes that are used over and over through the years, repeated so often that they become generic. These costumes are duplicated at parties, which lends a kind of uniformity to Halloween gatherings.
Last spring, this idea was put forth in the movie "Mean Girls," in which one of the characters claimed that the purpose of Halloween for many girls was to wear a leotard and fishnets, showing as much skin as possible. Then, in order to lend some costume credibility to their outfits, girls would add any type of animal ears. For example, a pink leotard and pink tights paired with a bushy tail and rabbit ears would pass for a bunny. Same goes with a grey leotard, mouse ears and a tail -- or a black leotard, cat ears, a tail and painted whiskers. You get the idea.
"It is a generalization, but it definitely does happen," Lang said.
Gideon said he thinks the "Mean Girls" generalization is true to an extent, but the reality is not quite so extreme.
"The females' efforts toward dressing up don't really go toward showing less skin than other times -- effort just goes toward having fun," he said. "Girls don't go out looking for a revealing costume, it just sometimes happens."
Witte also believes that the generalization is unwarranted.
"It's not fair to say that every girl just wants to show skin during Halloween," she said. "The really great costumes are the ones that are creative, and I think everyone recognizes this."
As for the costumes of male students, Gideon said, "Guys' costumes are all about the laughs. The guys just want to be the cool guy at the party."
Judging from students' responses, then, the ideal Halloween costume is not necessarily a very elaborate or finely crafted one, but a creative, sometimes funny, always unique rendition of a certain person or thing.
Some students opt for "fall back" costumes. For example, some type of animal or decade-themed costume. The '80s is definitely a favorite decade, as is the '60s hippie costume and the '20s flapper get-up.
Other easy and sometimes obvious but unique options include outfits that reference current events. Last year, Gideon said he saw someone dressed as Kobe Bryant. Taub said this costume definitely caught people's attention, due to the controversy surrounding Bryant at the time.
Taub mentioned that possible current event costume options for this spook season include President George Bush and Senator John Kerry -- appropriate and timely choices considering the approaching presidential election.
In addition to current event costumes, some students like to pair up with one or more friends in dressing up. Group costumes range from themes of priests and nuns to alcohol-related costumes, like a margarita and salt shaker, Corona and lime or Jack and Coke.
When asked about what they will be for Halloween, some students are ready with answers, while others hesitate. Some, like Taub, don't really know what they will be until the last minute. Others are ready with multiple ideas for every day they will go out this Halloween weekend.
Regardless, creating a Halloween costume in college is much more than child's play.
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