The leaves are changing, the weather is getting colder, and everyone is breaking out their flannel shirts, this means that it is the end of October and Halloween is near. Halloween weekend, also referred to as Halloweekend, could be argued to be one of the best weekends on a college campus. It is one of the few times the “adults” that we are can revert back to being children to play dress up for a night of tricks and treats, all with a different identity. One aspect that may inhibit the perfect costume for this frightful night is the costs. In order to transform your identity for one night, you could end up spending anywhere from $20 to $50+ on a store-bought costume. The other alternative, a homemade costume can still come at a large cost. Thrift shops such as Savers or the Good Will are rising in popularity, and many students choose that route to find an outfit for the frightful night, but even that does not come at a low cost. These shops you can still end up spending at least $20 on an outfit that you will probably only wear once. I am just asking if it is really worth it?

If you do decide to buy a costume this year, while browsing at the store, you will find one costume specifically that has caused a lot of controversy. This is the Ebola HAZMAT costume. This costume is essentially making fun of the seriousness of the outbreak. At this point the Ebola outbreak has started to move into the United States and people are becoming infected. Dressing up to make fun of such a serious illness is insensitive and in bad taste. Do people make fun of cancer patients on Halloween? No. One could argue that yes, it is just a joke, but this costume takes it too far. Ebola is a legit fear in this country and making fun of it, and making light of a serious situation is completely uncalled for.

So as the festivities for the week begin Anselmians have some choices to make and things to remember. First, do you want to break the bank for an epic costume, or make one out of the things you already own? And if you do chose to buy a costume that you choose one that is not offensive and insensitive. No matter what you choose for this Halloweekend on campus we hope you stay safe and represent this college well.

Happy Halloween St Anselm College!