 "Photo: SAMMI GEPPERT, THE VOLANTE, 2009")
 "Photo: SAMMI GEPPERT, THE VOLANTE, 2009")
Halloween is traditionally a time for children to dress up and walk door-to-door gathering massive amounts of candy. For USD students, Halloween offers an exciting opportunity to use their creativity and dress up in the most festive of costumes and enjoy a weekend that is anything but ordinary.
As students and businesses around Vermillion prepare for the upcoming Halloween weekend, some students are also given the opportunity to prepare a truly original costume.
There will be numerous events such as costume contests and a haunted house held in Vermillion during the week, so students will have the opportunity to show off their costume creations.
Junior Nashay Steiner said she loves Halloween because it is a chance to enjoy a weekend out of the ordinary as well as see what everyone decided to wear.
“I will definitely be dressing up and hitting up some house parties for Halloween,” Steiner said. “I love Halloween because it is the one time out of the year that students can dress up as crazy as they want and party with friends. It’s a great chance to forget about school.”
The ability to escape from the stress of classes is also a benefit of Halloween for some students. Sophomore Megan Beisner said Halloween is a great time for students to forget about the everyday stresses of college and get in touch with their
youthful side.
“Halloween means a time for students to forget their homework and stress from classes and life. (Students) get to become kids again for the night, regardless of how they choose to celebrate it,”
she said.
One event occurring on campus Halloween weekend is a “Monsterbash” in Julian and Brookman Halls. Sean Hoesing is on the advertising committee for the Julian and Brookman dorms and said the dance will be Friday, Oct. 30 from 9 p.m. to midnight.
“There will be free food as well as games and a costume contest,” Hoesing said.
For students not attending an event like Monsterbash, the Pi Beta Phi sorority and Lamda Chi Alpha fraternity will be hosting an all-ages charity haunted house and children’s carnival from 7 to 11 p.m. Thursday.
The event is a benefit for Wilma Lombardo, a family member of a girl in Pi Beta Phi, who is suffering from stage-four breast cancer.
Junior Trish Leibfarth, Pi Beta Phi philanthropy chair, said the haunted house will be held at Lambda Chi Alpha, located on 327 N. Pine Street.
The haunted house will be free-will donations for children, and $3 for those who bring canned goods. The cost without canned goods is $5.
“We will be doing a scary movie theme this year. We will also have games, face painting and a cake walk for kids,” Leibfarth said.
Senior Bobby Langner said Halloween at USD comes at the perfect time, since it occurs during the middle of the semester.
Langner also said Halloween is a good chance for people to cut loose and express themselves.
“(Halloween) follows midterms, so the week is not as intense as the two following D-Days, and it really gives everyone a chance to dress up and maybe be a little more outgoing than they usually are,” Langner said.
Langner is a bartender at Carey’s Bar and said the bar will be decorated from Thursday through Saturday and the bar will also be holding an event on Halloween night.
“This year we are decorating the entire bar to the nines with lights and all sorts of fancy stuff. It will be decorated Thursday night through Saturday night,” Langner said. “The preparation usually consists of the bar just staffing more bartenders and (people checking IDs) to handle the extra people coming in.”
Langner also said Carey’s will be hosting a costume contest on Halloween, starting at 8 p.m. with the judging around midnight.
He said there are numerous categories and winners receive gift certificates to Carey’s.
Brian Kaiser, a bartender at Pro’s Sports Bar & Grill, said they will be holding their Halloween party on Thursday during Ladies & Guys Night.
Ladies & Guys Night is an event held every Thursday where girls can
purchase discounted drinks before 11 p.m., and guys after 11 p.m.
“We will be doing a Halloween costume contest on Thursday and the drawing will be at midnight and some pretty super sweet prizes will be given award,” Kaiser said. “Also, if you wear a costume, you will receive a free shot on us.”
Travis Taggart is a bartender at Leo’s Sports Bar & Grill and said they are also planning a costume contest for Halloween.
“We plan on decorating the entire bar as well as having a costume contest, which will have various categories for a chance to win Leo’s bar tabs,” Taggart said.
With Halloween approaching fast, students are given only a few more days to conjure up a creation for an outfit.
Senior Ben Bazemore said although he hasn’t prepared an outfit yet, he is confident he will think of something for a costume.
“I haven’t thought of anything for Halloween yet,” Bazemore said. “My last costume wa s a Ghostbuster, and that worked out pretty well, so I am sure I will think of something.”
Reach reporter Steve Nelson at Steve.Nelson@usd.edu.
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