Halloween has been a part of U.S. culture for as long as we can remember. Target has been stocking its shelves with a plethora of candy corn, fake spider webs and pumpkin spice Glade candles since the end of August. Society is ready for the spooky night.
What does Halloween mean on a college campus? How does Elon University approach this haunted holiday?
Some engage fully in Halloween, while others are over it.
The buzz around campus is what to “be.” Students take on different roles for one night, or a span of nights, each year and seem to love it. Some take the humorous approach, others take the scandalous approach, but in general, all are out for a good time.
There are trends in Halloween culture at Elon. Just as most holidays here do, the celebration starts earlier and ends later than just the day. Halloween has become a season in the world of nightlife. People bring out their costumes nights in advance and continue through the very last bits of Halloween weekend. Last year, people were clad in costumes from Tuesday to Saturday even though Halloween itself was on Thursday. This seems to reflect a desire for change and excitement in the Elon nightlife scene. People enjoy the variety in the seemingly monotonous scene.
Not only does Halloween find itself at parties, it is clear in other realms of campus. For example, the staff of Acorn has taken careful consideration to decorate the establishment fully. Witches adorn the windows and little “BOO!” signs decorate the sandwich and muffin cases. In passing, the employees were actually heard asking customers about their plans for Halloween more than a week in advance. This holiday brings excitement and suspense to not only the students, but also to the staff at Elon. It adds a change that spices up the sometimes-repetitive “Elon bubble” in a very social way.
The perceptions of Halloween vary from student to student. Some find dressing up for almost a week of nights is excessive. Others, however, like senior Sammy Bellamy don’t appreciate Halloween’s presence at Elon.
“As a senior, Halloween bores me,” Sammy Bellamy said.
Other students have sought Halloween fun elsewhere.
“I always go to Chapel Hill for Halloween. Franklin Street always has so many people and it’s always a good time,” senior Matt Ferretti said. “Everyone should do it once during their time at Elon.”
Many take Halloween into their own hands by going-off campus to pumpkin patches, the North Carolina State Fair and other attractions to enter the spirit of Halloween and autumn. They enjoy the spooky decorations, endless supply of pumpkins and caramel apples galore that Elon lacks.
There is spirit for Halloween at Elon, however, if you look for it. Many Greek organizations come together and dress in a particular theme for Halloween. For example, organizations have joined forces to dress as each of the 50 states and animal pairs from Noah’s Ark. Creativity certainly comes out during Halloween at Elon. It is a fun, unifying time to collaborate on a costume.
The presence can be seen on residence halls and in the homes of our students. Some students head to Michaels and decorate their rooms with skulls and pumpkins. Many even buy silly cobwebs. Some students have talked about Pinterest crafts for Halloween. People really get into decorating for the season, something that will probably continue throughout the holiday season.
Elon itself has celebrations and ways to get into the spirit through the. The greater Elon community also has opportunities to get into the spooky season with events like the Food is a big thing for all college campuses - students love good food. Many Greek organizations hold philanthropy events throughout October that sell caramel apples, pumpkin bread and Pillsbury cookies with the little jack-o-lanterns on them. Elon students get into the fall spirit and help different philanthropies through these events.
Even on campus jobs try to get into the spirit. At the student Phoneathon, students have Halloween treats such as caramel apple Milky Wways and pumpkin cookies to get them through the shift. Supervisors of the shift use the season to make the job more enjoyable.
There is a vast variation of how students approach Halloween on Elon’s campus just compared to the real world. Some students plan their costumes weeks in advance, truly excited for the evening. Some decorate and bake endlessly. Others seem to barely notice the holiday is coming up. It depends on the students’ level of involvement. Some don’t have time to fit the excitement into their daily schedule but they do look forward to a change in night life.
It will be interesting to see how Halloween takes over Elon in the upcoming weekend. It falls on a Friday, meaning students will kick-off their weekend with a variation of Halloween celebrations.