It’s a spooky time of year for UMass students: there were snowy days in October, the long and tumultuous election has come to a close, and classes are building up before we are left to a week-long break full of favorite Thanksgiving rituals.
New Collegiettes all around campus took the Halloweekend as an oppurtunity to celebrate all that it has taken to get to this point, each with varying experiences.
Niamh Quinn Tierney, a freshman psychology Collegiette went home for the Halloween weekend where she dressed up interchangeably as Margot Tenenbaum, a lion, and a witch. “I went back home to Salem, Massachusetts. It is very much like if Disney invaded a town and decided Salem would be Disney World for a month. The main streets are packed, and it’s very hard to get a seat in any restaurant,” said Tierney. “All around it was a good time.”
Pictured above: Niamh Quinn Tierney dressed as a witch in her home town of Salem, Massachusetts. (Photo courtesy of Niamh Quinn Tierney).
Maggie Seebeck, a freshman dance and sociology major, went out on campus during Halloween weekend, where she dressed up as Britney Spears and Harley Quinn. “It was really nice being with my friends,” said Seebeck. “It’s important to have a backup plan because it didn’t really do anything for me.”
Pictured above: Maggie Seebeck smiling as she spends her night with friends. (Photo courtesy of Maggie Seebeck).
Taylor Cassidy, a freshman classics Collegiette went out with her friends Halloweekend, where they dressed as characters from “Gossip Girl.” “It was fun. I just liked hanging out with my friends. It’s a good way to de-stress,” said Cassidy.
Pictured above: Taylor Cassidy dressed as Serena Van Der Woodsen from hit TV show Gossip Girl. (Photo courtesy of Taylor Cassidy).
Whether the weekend was filled with parties, or taking time to watch scary movies, the holiday came with some lessons for fellow students.
1. It’s okay if things don’t go as planned.
“It really wasn’t that different from any other weekend—except like Homecoming, it was more crowded. One of the lessons I took away from it was to be prepared for anything, but also be prepared for nothing,” said Cassidy. Not every holiday on campus will fulfill being the “best time of your college experience,” and that’s okay!
2. Embrace what comes at you.
“It was definitely a really weird weekend,” said Quinn-Tierney. Like most things in life, not every holiday weekend will go as planned. So, as Collegiettes, it’s important to embrace the weird and bizarre events that are thrown your way.
3. Use it as a break.
With everything adding up, it’s important to use a weekend as a break. Remind yourself that among the deadlines and papers, you can still have fun!
Whether they were late-night partying, trick-or-treating on campus, or using the weekend as a spooky getaway, Collegiettes were able to come back with a collection of stories and a reminder that behind all the classes, tests, and textbooks, a lot of good can come out of a traditional American festivity with friends or family! Plus, it’s even better accompanied with traditional UMass Halloween steak and lobster.
Photos courtesy of author and interview subjects.