Although Halloween is long past us, the spirit of the spooky night hasn’t died out in us Ashokans. The earlier sunsets, pitch black nights and a never-dissipating smog keep the eeriness alive. Just walking alone at night with almost zero visibility can feel dangerous. Imagine a sudden tap on your back; you freeze but slowly turn to see a group of your friends playing a prank on you!
Halloween on 31st October 2017 was exuberantly celebrated on campus. The opportunity to get dressed up made us leave the comfort of our warm duvets and don our favorite costumes. Given our hectic schedules as Ashokans, it was the perfect opportunity to let loose by being someone (or something) else for the night. No look was ‘out of place’ because there is no occasion quite like Halloween that celebrates ‘out of place-ness’.
Celebrations began with Jazbaa’s efforts to embellish the scene of the crime, so to speak. Student Hostel 2’s Common Room was cleared out and done up thematically; decor included the spooky pumpkins, pairs of dismembered legs, masks of ghosts and orange tassels. To add to the festivities, a bake sale was organised, and the banoffee pies and cheesecakes were like the icing on a cake! The piñata was a twist to the classic Halloween ritual of trick or treat, because Halloween is incomplete without it.
But it seems unfair to not give credit to the stellar efforts by the students on campus in bringing the quintessential aspect of the festival to life, the costumes! The innovative costumes deserve a special mention for all the camera clicks they attracted. In no particular order, here are some of the best looks of the night:
1. VICTORIA’S SECRET ANGEL
Nitika Nayar, a YIF at Ashoka, dressed up as the famous Victoria’s Secret Angel. She paired her clothing with a fantastic dark halo. And of course, how can an angel be complete without her wings! The subtle colours gave her costume a spooky edge, that kept the Halloween spirit alive.
2. FRIDA KAHLO
Dhriti Nadir, from YIF 2018, channeled the spirit of the beloved Mexican painter and feminist, Frida Kahlo. Her representation seemed so authentic because of the seemingly minor yet crucial details-the flower headband, the big golden loops and the loud, pink blush. But what caught our eye most was the perfect, iconic unibrow. Way to go girl!
3. ONE FACED
Siddharth Goyal from the undergraduate class of 2020 called his character ‘One Faced’. When asked about its reference, he gave an interesting explanation for the chosen name. The character was designed to honour two of the villains in the Batman comic series. One half of his face drew inspiration from Two-Face’s heavily scarred and fleshy face. The other half paid homage to arguably the most iconic DC verse villain, Joker, represented by the painted-on fake smile. A shout out to Livanya for the intricate face-painting.
4.MEDUSA
Karen O’ Neill, a YIF student, was dressed as Medusa. Her elaborate efforts made her the talk of the town! We just couldn’t ignore her venomous snake hair, paired with the matching yet subtle jewellery and loud green lip colour. The printed olive-green and gold dress only helped sell her character more.
5.DARIO DARJI
Yes, ladies and gentlemen! We present to you, Hardik Arora, a Freshman (UG 2020) dressed up as the visiting professor of Mathematics, Dario Darji, at Ashoka University. The puka shell necklace with the black shades and the floral shirt made us doubt whether it was actually Professor Dario himself at the Halloween party! And the icing on the cake was the white-painted hair. A perfect recreation of a campus favourite, that was later appreciated by the professor himself!
6. HERMIONE GRANGER
Vidhika Gadia, from the UG 2020 batch, looked extremely cute as Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter universe. She completed her schoolgirl-uniformed look with the yellow-brown muffler — an essential part of a Gryffindor’s attire in these winter months. She carried her Dragon Heartstring wand with her, too. The eye for details– including Hermoine’s frizzy hair– is what sold her authenticity!
Edited by Priyanka Shankar
Photographs received from our creative people-in-profiles.