Piece of Mind: Halloween costume fun

By Alexandra McCluskey
Staff Writer

Year after year we partake in the wonderful holiday of Halloween on Oct. 31.

Spooky decorations go up in neighborhoods, and children flock in droves to the streets, hunting for every ounce of sugar they can gather. And of course, we can’t forget the time-honored tradition of dressing up, and becoming someone else for a while.

Cats, witches, skeletons, vampires … there will always be the classics. But as world-wide media takes over, with movies, shows, games and things of that sort, the idea of the Halloween costume has changed.

Instead, we see more skin showing every year, which baffles me. It’s October! This 30- to 40-degree weather is not the season to wear as little clothing as possible.

The costumes themselves, while epic and gorgeous, are becoming more mainstream and trendier. The expected costumes this year include Barbie, Mario, Scream, Spider-Man and Wednesday Addams, all popular icons.

Now don’t get me wrong, those ideas are OK, but Halloween costumes have changed. It’s become a popularity contest.

I don’t like this trend. Halloween is the time to be fun and unique. Go wild and do something dramatic with your wardrobe.

Dress up as an obscure character or a silly concept. Get a group together and have fun coming up with group costumes. The sky is the limit.

My point is, don’t go with the mainstream trends. Be you, keep your conscience, and have fun with it.

It’s Halloween, a time where you can be unconditionally you. The rules of society no long matter in this spooky season. Take the challenge of Halloween as you will.