As the clock on WSU’s first semester starts to wind down and midterms are finished, students are celebrating Halloween. Each year, many Halloween-themed events occur around campus, from residence hall gatherings to Greek life parties. Many students enjoy dressing up as celebrities, characters, pop culture references and more for the holiday. We decided to ask numerous students two questions: How many costumes do you plan on wearing? And who or what are you dressing up as for Halloween?
The entertainment and fall ambiance make Halloween a special time. Many students participate in various events around campus, leading them to make interesting costume choices or wear multiple costumes for different occasions.
Because of the diversity in the responses we received, we sorted the costumes into three categories: celebrities, characters and realistic.
Celebrities
This category yielded plenty of fun and interesting answers.
Spencer McLean said, “’Thriller,’ Michael Jackson with the all-red leather jacket.”
Jayden Claytor said, “I’ll be Bob Ross,” while her friend Gus Ballman, a mechanical engineering major, said, “I’ll be the painting.”
Sedona Turner said she would be “Kesha, a 2010 super cringey era Kesha.”
Celebrities are a mainstay in today’s culture, surrounded by social media that amplifies their work and content. It is no wonder so many people choose to dress up as them.
Characters
This broad category covers a wide array of genres and types, and the responses reflect that. We received many replies that were funny, fun or edgy.
Turner and Abbi Steen said, “We’re both going to be dressing up as Lava Boy and Lava Girl this Halloween.”
Turner will also be a vampire this Halloween, while Steen plans to be “Harley Quinn one night and then Violet from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ another night.”
Hannah Meany said, “I’m going to be Glinda from ‘Wicked,’ [the] Tooth Fairy [and an] Angel,” while Keenan Johnson said, “I’ll be Flynn Rider this year.”
Friend groups also love to do themed costumes. Maddie Gallinger will be Fred from “Scooby-Doo,” while Patrick Carmichael will be Shaggy this year, completing their group as Mystery Incorporated.
Realistic
Not everyone wants their costume to be grounded in fiction or the mystical. Some prefer costumes that reflect real-life professions, like a doctor, huntsman or construction worker.
“I’m going to be dressing up as a cougar hunter this year,” said Tristan Slater.
However, some like to add their own twist to their costumes, whether that be a spin on a traditional costume or an innovative combination. An example is Micah Guerin, who said he’ll be a zombie doctor.
Halloween is an extremely fun time of year when college students can let loose and let their imaginations run free. It provides an escape from homework, studying and chores that all students face. Halloween will undoubtedly be an entertaining time again, with all the costumes populating the streets and paths of WSU.
