Let's see - this year I'll be...

By Skye Kalkstein

In about a week, the streets of Madison will overflow with an array of characters, not just the typical ghosts and goblins. This is Madison after all, and UW students are feeling the pressure to live up to the city’s most celebrated holiday.

Celebrating Halloween is definitely exciting for most UW students. When asked if Halloween is important to her, one UW sophomore, Shana Domonitch expressed great enthusiasm.

“Yes,” said Domonitch while simultaneously nodding her head. “I look forward to it all year.”

Considering the importance of this holiday among students, costume choice is crucial. Most students said they have been thinking about their outfits for the past two weeks.

Many are looking to Web sites like www.halloweenexpress.com and www.costumecraze.com to shop for costumes. 18-year-old UW student, Courtney Levy bought her, “pit shop hottie” outfit at www.forplaycatalog.com.

“It’s the cutest outfit ever,” said Levy through a smile.

These online Web sites charge upward of $80 for some of their costumes, and cost is a concern for many. Levy compromised, purchasing one costume online, and putting together another outfit on her own.

David Berezow, a junior at the University of Wisconsin, is borrowing a friend’s costume one night to budget his money. Also, Berezow looked locally to purchase his other costume.

“I walked out of the library one day and saw a sign at the bookstore that said Halloween costumes for sale,” told Berezow. “I just went in and bought my Batman costume.”

UW sophomore, Staci Rosenblum, based her Halloween budget on mistakes she made her freshman year.

“After I realized how much I spent last year, and how unimportant it was to buy costumes, I decided to take the cheap route,” said Rosenblum.

It seems students are primarily choosing their costumes to stand out, although Berezow admitted that it won’t be easy.

“It’s hard to stand out in Madison because you have a lot of creative costumes, but I always like being the center of attention,” said Berezow.

While many students are picking costumes that will set them apart from the crowd, several are planning outfits together. For example, Rosenblum plans on being the Flintstone’s Betty while her friend is Wilma.

Although Halloween is commonly celebrated on numerous college campuses, it is absolutely more significant to UW’s students.

“As a former Penn State student, I definitely did not put nearly as much thought into my Halloween costume there as I do here,” said Berezow.

This year’s Halloween celebration will undoubtedly feature shocking, unique costumes. But, this is Madison, and no one expects any less than extraordinary.

Back to J335 Freakfest Home page