Trick on the Street

Author: Aylie Baker

It's nearly 2:00 a.m. You've done well. Your wig is still in-tact and the polka-dot umbrella is only marginally tattered by the latest hail of water balloons. Suddenly, "Monster Mash" hits the speakers and you find yourself wedged between Ronald Reagan and some sort of spiny crustacean. Yelps issue from beneath the seaweed and in a moment of panic you toss the umbrella to shimmie to safety - only to be bombarded by a burly Ninja Turtle flanked by a hoard of scantily-dressed girls. Cowgirls? Nurses? You can't quite discern. Then the tide parts, and you see them, your crew. Britney Spears of the '90s, Britney of the '00s pre-J.T. and, just behind a half-naked window cleaner, some girl with a shaved head.

var uslide_show_id = "56e6ebd2-d26a-41c3-9bd5-f1084c61f977";var slideshowwidth = "468";var linktext = "";

It's not often that Halloween comes more than once in one year. One week in, The Campus takes a stab at classifying the costume scene. For those of you floundering at the prospect of finding another costume for Friday's shindig, perhaps this will serve as an inspiration. Those still reeling from midterms, here's your chance to put the head on the nail.


Naughty [Insert something here]

Options abound for this realm of attire. For many this may prove a fallback, for others a fortuitous excuse to shed the Marmot jackets and flannel-lined trousers. So pick your poison. Law enforcement. Beacon of Domesticity. A favorite Disney character. An insect. Rummage through the depths of your closet for some tights (black, nude, fishnet), some essential accessories, tail, wings, antennae, whistle - and, in a crunch, a boa. Don some pigtails and a few sparkly accents and the floor is yours. This year's challenge? Naughty Grapefruit.


The "P.C."

This costume takes personification to a whole new level. Printers, computers, iPods, go edgy and try dental floss or an old-school lunchboxÖit's all the fun without the cords -eye-popping quadrangular bliss. Perhaps the innards of Johnson cast you into a whirling claustrophobic frenzy that can only be remedied by slipping into an oversized appliance package. More likely, you've become infected by the love-everyone-hate-no-one syndrome and simply fear offending your endearing, yet admittedly blundering neighbor who looks remarkably like Charles Darwin. Whatever the reason - just do yourself a favor, avoid dark corners.


Nursery School Throwback

Find yourself above advertising the MayTag box your suitemate unearthed in your common room? Not to worry. Pick up the phone and give Mom a call. Journey back to the days when you and your mother spent months planning the perfect, albeit simple costume. For the weather-challenged, this take is layer-friendly, not to mention fabulously felty. Pumpkins, ghosts, witches and good ol' "Scream" never go out of style. Heck, you could toss in some tights and join your old friend Grapefruit.


Shirking the Costume

Ah, there's the rub! ÖPardon? So maybe you're familiar with "three-hole-punch Jim?" or how about Martha Stewart post-scandal? Admittedly, Halloween is a chance to stretch your couture-muscles, to give birth to that brainchild you spawned mid-pizza slice in the depths of summer. Yet beware - eccentric costumes have the potential to estrange, or, dare we say it, endanger yourself and your friends. It's one thing if you fell back on the old dress-as-your friend routine, but if your costume warrants more than one or two inquisitive taps on the shoulder, you may have gone to far. That said, ingenuity should not go unrewarded. Contour map and Van Gogh are certainly laudable. But for gosh sakes - keep that ace bandage under wraps!


So pick out your holsters, your pillowcases, garters, raid your roommate's bottom desk drawer and, if you're really gutsy, venture down to the recycling center for some new wares. Halloween's your chance to dress up. But don't worry, come next Saturday some party will necessitate bustin' out that costume once again.