Tips and tricks for a Halloween to remember

By Molly Gore

Halloween is what you make of it. Unlike other holidays, there is no dressing nicely, no obligatory propriety and no uncomfortable etiquette mishaps.

In fact, it is quite the opposite.

Making the most of your Halloween costume requires some originality and inspiration, especially as the battle of innovative costuming arrives every year. Among the schoolgirls and sexy "insert profession here" costumes, it's more fun to stand out with something unique.

Also, the older we get, the less Halloween is about being scary and the more it becomes about being funny. It has evolved so that by this time, costumes are designed to either get laughs or get people laid.

The Freddy Krugers, Strawberry Shortcakes and Scream masks disappear, and sexy everythings pop up. Here are some fun ideas to stay original and avoid having to ditch your shoes or pull that top up twice a minute:

* Pick something familiar.

If you are picking a character, choose one you know well. This will make the costume-making process much easier, and you'll be more convincing, which is part of the fun. If you are an object, pay attention to details and make it your own.

To avoid blending in, make your costume from scratch and throw in something unexpected but telling, like a donut and drumstick if you're Garth from Wayne's World. Make sure to get the voice down too.

* Stay in character all night. Just try it. If you pick a character you know well, the imitation will be that much easier. And that much more funny.

* Dress in pairs. This is recommended if you plan on staying in character. It becomes less work, more fun and much easier if you have someone to play your lines off of. It will be more comfortable if you dress up with someone who is as into it as you are.

* Skip the bunny ears. I have always thought it would be amusing to make a costume provocative or sexy that is really not meant to be. Like a tomato. Or a picnic table. Or a box of Kleenex. If you have to scratch that itch and show skin on Halloween, at least pick something unexpected.

* Go for scary. Never underestimate the power of a ghoulish costume. Making any costume a ghost is easy and fun. Add a little white face paint and possibly some bloody accents and your costume is instantly scarier and sometimes more unique.

Halloween does not have to be all about the costume. Making the most of Halloween can become a week-long venture should you be so inclined. There are plenty of opportunities to get off campus and cater to your nostalgic side by visiting a pumpkin patch, or maybe revisit the scary side of All Saints Day in a Haunted House.

* Visit a pumpkin patch. Whether you did this when you were little or not, picking and carving pumpkins is a Halloween must that often falls by the wayside in college. Pick a pumpkin, gut it with a spoon, bake the seeds (cheap and delicious) and carve whatever you want. Drop a tea candle inside and watch it glow.

* Get spooked on Halloween. Whatever happened to actually getting spooked on Halloween? There's no sure bet that any haunted house will succeed in scaring you, so perhaps start early and test them all to find what suits you. Either way, it will be better than watching Saw XXVI. On Halloween, the Winchester Mystery House gives 65-minute flashlight tours starting at 6:30 p.m.

* Trick-Or-Treat. Not all traditions have to fade with age. You can try going door-to-door in your own neighborhood, but for guaranteed luck head to the Municipal Stadium. The San Jose Giants and Comcast are sponsoring "Gigante's Halloween Party," including free trick-or-treating and game six of the World Series on the big screen.

* Have fun. Celebrating Halloween can be a completely personalized experience. Mold it to suit your taste and revisit parts of Halloween you may have thought expired in your youth.

Invest yourself in your costume and character and venture off campus for some supplemental amusement.

Contact Molly Gore at (408) 551-1918 or mgore@scu.edu.