While the day is often associated with spooky decorations, haunted houses and costumed children collecting candy from door to door, the Halloween spirit is most clearly demonstrated through students’ creativity. Sophomore Rowan Greenly designed a costume of Darren the Ancient Sleeper from the fantasy show “Adventure Time”, building everything from scratch.
“I’ve always loved Halloween because I feel like it’s like one time in the year when I can just have creative freedom, because obviously I can’t just go out wearing a costume all the time,” Greenly said.
Greenly’s costume did not take weeks of time-consuming effort, but rather was a short passion project that took a few nights. Once he had the materials, Greenly was able to create something he was passionate about, combining fake moss, cardboard, and paint to craft his masterpiece.
“I’ve watched the show four times, and for the past three years, I’ve done different Adventure Time themed costumes, [making] a Finn costume the year before that, and then, before that I did Lemongrass,” Greenly said. “[I’ve] always liked to create.”
People love dressing up for Halloween because it helps recapture some of the fondest memories from childhood. Handcrafting a costume reminiscent of a beloved character was a great experience for Greenly.
“I feel more confident when I have a cool costume,” Greenly said. “Especially when I put my own work into it, it just makes me enjoy it more because I feel [like a bigger] part of it.”
Many students wnet all-out, especially this year, with homemade designs to celebrate with families and friends. Greenly encourages other students to do the same next year.
“If you make something [on] your own, [it] not only has the opportunity to be more accurate, but it really helps show how you want it to be,” Greenly said.
While some students like Greenly took inspiration from childhood shows, freshman Jeremiah Bates looks to sports superstars such as quarterback Joshua Allen for ideas.
“My passion [inspired me], I like the Buffalo Bills and I like Josh Allen,” Bates said. “It’s kind of cool being the best quarterback. I just looked at pictures of what he wears during games and I [went] on Amazon and picked all that stuff out.”
Bates’ costume reflects a trend among students to take a creative spin on their life inspirations, such as sports stars or teams they’ve admired from a young age. By modeling his costume based on Allen himself rather than his helmet or team, it shows a more human approach to Halloween among all of the classic fantasy and spooky takes many have grown accustomed to.
“For Halloween in general, my family has always been big on Halloween costumes and decorating,” Bates said. “I’ve made a lot of my costumes and made [them] through Amazon [materials] and putting them together, so It’s expensive sometimes depending [on] who you’re gonna be, but it’s fun making it.”
Freshman Lindsey Tait is another student who designed a costume for Halloween this year, designing her own leopard costume for Halloween parties. Tait shares her enjoyment from the process of having full control over what she makes.
“I like doing scary makeup with fake blood. I think it’s just more creative, which is really fun,” Tait said
Young people making their own Halloween costumes is a mirror of how each and every student is different, whether it be from the media they consume, the people they look up to, or an admiration for the world around them. Halloween is an outlet for student expression, allowing them to appreciate the things they love with friends and family.
“It’s hard to capture what you’re really going for if you just buy something off the internet or don’t make a costume,” Greenly said. “If you make something your own, [it] not only has the opportunity to be more accurate, but it really helps you show how you want it to be.
