As the first week of October wraps, Halloween and fall decor is being added to homes, dorms and businesses on campus, all while groups of friends, couples or individuals are preparing to assemble maybe either their first Ohio University “HallOUween” costumes, or sadly, their last.
Each year, a sense of nostalgia is evoked around this time, given memories of past Halloweens, whether ones in college or from childhood, arise. To add to the feel of fall and what our staff loves to refer to as “Spooky Season,” The Beat staffers recount and contemplate their favorite Halloween costumes from years past. Here’s ours, for either inspiration or a good laugh:
Preparing for my final Halloween as a senior is bittersweet. During my time in college, I have dressed up as a cheerleader, butterfly and a few costumes in between that I don’t quite remember. Yet, my all-time favorite would have to be the on-the-fly costume I bought and forced all of my friends to go in on, too. It was none other than Scooby Doo of course! Not only was the onesie adorable and quite hilarious, but it was also incredibly cozy and warm given the brisk weather. My friends and I were unmistakable as the “Mystery Incorporated” gang, and as a result, received an influx of compliments. The best part, though, was my accessory…Scooby Snacks! Everyone insisted on me catching them in my mouth and eating them all night. I’m not sure what I’ll dress up as this year, but it’ll be hard to beat my sophomore-year Scooby fit that made carrying a snack stash acceptable. -Emma Dollenmayer
My favorite childhood Halloween costume is by far when I was my own form of a jack-in-the-box, also known as “Grace-in-the-box.” My mom helped me make this masterpiece last minute in fifth grade, and it definitely was a statement piece if I do say so myself. Although, my favorite costume I’ve ever worn was when I was Taylor Swift last year from her “22” music video. Taylor Swift is one of my favorite musicians and “Red (Taylor’s Version)” was about to drop, and I just knew I had to do it. Also, I will admit I can pull off red lipstick pretty well… - Grace Koennecke
When I was in third grade, while other girls my age dressed up as princesses and typical third-grade-girl costumes, my mom thought it would be cute to dress me up as “Little Miss Smartie Pants” and hot-glue smarties candy to my pants. As much as I would have loved to fit in with the rest of my peers and their costumes, I give kudos to my mom for such a creative costume idea that no one else had. It gave multiple people a good laugh as well. - Olivia Rohling
When I was almost six years old, my mom thought it would be cute to have a theme for my two siblings and I’s Halloween costumes. The theme was superheroes, which is a pretty theme, except me and my sister fought over who would be who with our costumes. My brother, who wasn’t even a year old, would be Superman (obviously), but my sister and I fought over who would be Wonder Woman and Supergirl. Since my sister was older, she got to choose Wonder Woman for her costume, and I was mad because I wanted to be Wonder Woman. Nonetheless, everything worked out with me being a pretty cute Supergirl, and I don’t hold the grudge against my sister anymore…or do I? - Brooke Phillips
I forget the age range. I was probably in grade or early middle school. I remember going trick or treating as a pirate, my brother as a cowboy, and my younger brother and sister as wolves and a raccoon. Our neighbor's kids chose a wolf and sheep, and we took them to trick or treating for the first time and came back super late with sacks full of Kit Kats, Twix bars and M&M's. The joy of how much candy we got for only about a block worth of houses was the highlight of that cold October evening. - William Troyer
I remember one year, my sisters, cousin and I dressed up as M&Ms for Halloween. It was definitely a switch-up for me, as I was a different Disney princess probably four years in a row. My mom and aunt handmade the costumes from felt and super glue, and saying that they looked hilarious and awesome is an understatement. We had these huge, round felt M&M tops and matching leggings, with our hair pulled back and faces covered in paint. If I remember correctly, I’m pretty sure I was the blue M&M, and I know that it took a few days for my skin to go back to its normal color. The pictures are always fun to look at and make us laugh for hours. It was an interesting choice for us, but pretty iconic if you ask me. -Grace Brezine
When I was in 5th grade, my best friend and I went through an intense Beatles phase. We stayed up late listening to their music, watching “Help!” and “A Hard Day's Night,” deciding which of the four we’d rather marry, printing out pictures of the band for our wall, and lots of other fangirl behavior. When October rolled around, we decided that we absolutely had to dress as our favorite Beatle for Halloween. My friend donned a suit and drumsticks to be a young Ringo Starr. I put on a wig, circle glasses, and an impressively detailed Sergeant Pepper costume that my grandmother sewed for me, and paraded around my neighborhood that night as John Lennon in the Lonely Hearts Club Band era. It has gone down in history on my street as one of the most dedicated Halloween costumes the neighborhood has ever seen, and every time I see the picture pop up on our old desktop computer, I can’t help but commend my younger self for her commitment. - Sophia Rooksberry
When I was a senior in high school, I spent the whole night before Halloween putting together a Doodlebob costume. It was two pieces of poster board and a bunch of electrical tape. With a giant pencil made out of an empty wrapping paper tube and construction paper. It was borderline impossible to sit down at school the next day, but it was totally worth it. -Alicia Szczesniak
