[SR]’s Guide to Halloween

Halloween is all about the costume. – Sure it’s easy to act too cool for Halloween. You can sit around until five minutes before going out than frantically start searching for an idea. However, that would just make you the bozo standing in a corner with a blue long sleeve shirt and sweat pants trying too hard to pass your outfit off as a pair of scrubs. Desperation may make you a doctor, but it will make you one that won’t be dishing out any full body exams that night. No, those will be reserved for the people who actually put work into their costume.

This may sound dumb, but putting work into your costume may help turn a night of terror into a one night fantasy. If you’re willing to put some actual effort into your costume you may just find that Halloween can really bring out the coolest, sexiest, and most fun version of you. This is because once you put the effort into constructing your costume you will have a more vested interest in showcasing it. The more thought and details you put into your costume the more talking points you will have. Remember Halloween is the one night a year you are allowed to be someone else. If you actually work at assuming a persona you may just feel that much freer at a party or social situation. I’ll get more into that later.

For now, let’s start with building your costume. Try and start with a topic or idea you are truly interested in. From there, inspiration can truly come from anywhere. You will find that once you start having fun it will be easier to be creative.

Search through your dorm room, your friend’s closet, or your parent’s basement. Try and find a starting point, that one piece of clothing, accessory, or prop you can build your costume from. You can also try searching costume sites as a way to get new ideas, or find the right costume that works for you.

Just remember your costume says a lot about you. Whether you are constructing it from scratch, or purchasing one online try and add an element that makes it more your own. A great way to do that is to follow rule number two.

Costoms should have props – Why? Because they are fun, handy, and can really lead to a good time. Take for example the addition of a gun to your cowboy or army outfit. Replace that six shooter or AK with a simple squirt gun or super soaker. By stocking your holster with a squirt gun what you’ve really down is disguised your vodka bottle. Now, feel free to bring your “accessory” into the bar. Make friends by giving people “shooters”, or make your drinks that much stronger.

Halloween turns Nightmare into a Fantasy – If you are a freshman guy its possible Halloween may soon jump Christmas as your favorite holiday. Every college party is a dress slip away form an episode of Girls-gone-Wild. It doesn’t matter if you go to school in South Carolina or Rhode Island; it seems a majority of college girls can’t find a Halloween custom without the prefix “sexy” attached. You will never see girls more scantily clad than on a college campus during Halloween. But, hey it’s a day of self-expression, remember to use that to your advantage.

How many nights do you wish you had a cheat sheet that told you the best way to talk to that cute girl or boy standing in the corner? Well, on Halloween that’s exactly what you’re given. A costume can really tell you about a person. That’s a key reason for you to put the work into your costume. When you’re out that night you will see the pay off. Take cues from their costume. Use what they give you to complaint them on their creativity, or lead in with a joke. If you get stuck on talking points don’t be afraid to slip into the persona of your costume. You might even try finding where your costumes overlap. It’s pretty easy for Aladdin to spark up a conversation with Jasmine, or a doctor to find their nurse. Thanks to the addition of costumes Halloween really is the one night a year where pick-up lines are acceptable.

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However, no matter what happens that night please remember to be safe 

The next day can easily convert that fantasy into a nightmare – Halloween is like a dream. It may be a night filled with skimpy outfits, inside jokes, and a colorful cast of characters, but it’s still a dream grounded in reality. Bad decisions that night won’t simply fade after Cinderella loses her glass slipper during her walk of shame. Have fun, but be safe. Ladies this is especially true for you, and always remember….

Beware of Stranger Danger – From Candy to beer and mixed drinks the main rule of Halloween hasn’t changed since you were a little kid. When accepting any treats from strangers it’s always safer to consume something that’s unopened. Just because you’ve opted to prowl the party scene for bud lights and Jello-shots instead of canvasing the neighborhood for Kit-Kats it doesn’t mean you’re clear from the worries of stranger danger. Actually it’s quite the opposite. It might actually be worse. Remember to be smart. When you’re at a party where you don’t know anyone an unopened beer is always safest. Sure, that foamy pink drink looks fruity, but it might just be hiding a razor blade of a completely different sort. Have fun on Halloween, but don’t be stupid.