How many times a day does the average college student wish that he/she was a little kid again? Naptimes, snack times, no jobs, no real homework, and the most stressful thing we had to deal with was whether or not mom packed our favorite snack for lunch. So, why not apply that concept to Halloween by stepping back to the simple excitements that made you love Halloween as a child, regardless of how the college scene has redefined this holiday. It’s totally a personal choice and to each his own, but in case readers are looking for a good ‘ole fashioned Halloween, here are the top 10 ways to have a sober Halloween, college edition.
1. Trick-or-Treat… on your hall! This seems obvious as it is the Holiday’s main tradition but somehow you come to college and it’s entirely forgotten. Many of us live in dorms, or apartment complexes where establishing a Trick-or-Treat night would be easy and fun! Talk with those who live around and you decide what each room will supply candy-wise and then dress up and commence with the greatest of the Halloween traditions. You get to dress up, laugh at each other, pretend you’re young again, collect oodles of candy, and then pig out. Where’s the bad?
2. The Scary Movie Night! For approximately 13 days every year television networks, regardless of their normal broadcast material, dig into the archives and show some of the best Halloween movies ever created. Whether you’re still an inner eight year old and love Halloweentown more than any movie Disney Channel has ever produced, or if you’re more of a Freddy and Jason lover, you’ll manage to find something to satisfy your Halloween needs. So grab some close friends, make some of those Pillsbury Halloween cookies (or eat them raw), pick your movie and stay in out the cold for some fun!
4. Pumpkin Carving: Even for the least artistic person out there, the thought of getting to carve something scary, funny, or immaculate into the face of a pumpkin is still appealing. Pumpkins are cheap this time of year and it’s fun to see what you and your friends can come up with! Grab a few pumpkins and a carving kit, decide your design and then make a night of it. If you’re afraid of sharp edges or are slightly uncoordinated, this idea may just seem scary so just grab some paint and get creative that way! Note: Beneath the inner guts of the pumpkin lie delicious pumpkin seeds waiting to be baked and eaten, so add that to the list of pros for this idea!
5. Corn Maze! Get lost on Halloween. This is one activity that’s definitely designed for the sober. Corn Mazes pop up in many of the surrounding areas during Halloween, so find one and then go get lost inside. They may be a little itchy but you’ll end up laughing at how lost you get. Bring a friend and a flashlight and then try out your navigation skills. It may take hours, but it will make memories that you never thought a field of corn could bring.
6. Haunted Trails! They’re everywhere. Some are amateur and some are so real you’ll regret going later, but they’re all fun! Find one nearby and then get as many friends as possible to pile in a car and adventure off to get as scared as you’ll ever be. Just make sure you don’t end up at the back of the group as you venture through because everyone knows the guy with the chainsaw goes after the caboose.
7. People Watching: People watching on Halloween is not creepy, it’s really OK! Everyone puts effort into their costumes for a reason: they want to be looked at. If you’re trying to stay in on this notoriously chilly night, then post up at the window and get ready for pure entertainment. Personal note: Last year at this time I was bedridden with a cold and forbidden by good ole’ mommy to go out and this is exactly what I did from my dorm room. I saw a hot dog, a cow, two fairies, and a Gumby just to name a few. Did I yell jokes at them? Of course! And it was more fun than I would have ever imagined!
8. Be a makeup artist: If you can’t find sober friends to make plans with, that also means that your friends probably won’t be able to doing their own make-up. Lend your helping hand and paint someone up! Bring your eye shadows, powders, fake blood, and paints to make your friends look like Halloween professionals!
9. Roll a Friend’s Room: Pick someone with a sense of humor and a not-so-tidy-room and then grab a couple of rolls. Yards aren’t really a common thing to have in Chapel Hill, so venture into a friend’s room and spread the joy of some Cottonel! It’s a traditional Halloween prank that doesn’t truly make a mess and will completely catch the victim off guard! Get creative and roll whatever you can get that toilet paper on, and then sit back (preferably with camera ready) and wait for a reaction as they walk through the door!
10. GO TO FRANKLIN STREET: Okay, so you may not have a koozie covered drink in hand, but that doesn’t mean the festivities of Franklin Street are off-limits! This is the only magical time of year where every single person in town gathers in one location and looks either weird, scary, funny, half-dressed or just downright creative, and it would be a shame to skip out on that part of the night. Even if you yourself aren’t up for sporting a costume, make your way to the heart of Chapel Hill and watch the excitement unfold! It’s a time long tradition and being sober doesn’t change that!