While reminiscing and looking through photo albums of years gone by, of times when a white sheet with two holes for eyes was sufficient to appease our Halloween appetites, I've noticed a trend regarding Halloween celebrations and costumes.  The older we become, the greater our desire to be scared.  There's more violence, more danger, and more thrill in Halloween when the stakes (as well as our ages) are higher.  The Halloween craze is very contagious and the Halloween spirit is of more dubious character than any other holiday. Many college students and adults take advantage of this air of mystery and temptation, using Halloween as an excuse for promiscuity and vulgarity.

The guilty aren't limited to one gender, one race, or one stereotype.  This fashion faux pas seems to be a recurring trend.  Whatever happened to old school costumes such as Ducky from Sixteen Candles, or Edward Scissorhands?  True, Halloween is an opportunity to play dress-up, to pretend to be someone or something else.  I am no creative guru, but sexy nurse costumes and naughty devils have been overdone.  Be unique, be a Smurf. 

One common misconception is that this promiscuity is limited to females.  One male UT student informed my friends at the last football game that he would be going as a streaker for Halloween.  Something can be said for being frugal and making your own costume, but your birthday suit is only cute if you are a six-month-old. Primordial Eve and Adam costumes have unfortunately graced UT's campus, and so have Playboy bunnies. This makes me beg the question: can college students celebrate Halloween without so much flesh on display?  This also leads to a moral question: how much flesh is too much flesh?  I am not a preacher, and by no means am I excluding myself from the cheaper side of Halloween thrills, but there is a line of discretion that shouldn't be crossed no matter what day of the year it is.  Bedroom clothes should remain in the privacy of one's bedroom, end of story. 

The dangerous combination of alcohol and the gremlins of our inner desires can spawn chaos on Halloween.  Something about Halloween frees our inhibitions.  For better or worse, we all go a little wild and it's not all the full moon's fault.  My theory is that our usual levels of conservativeness go out the window when Halloween comes prowling.  The monotony of daily life builds pressure until Halloween comes along, and we all use it as an excuse to act differently. 

Just keep this in mind when you are dressing for your various parties: sometimes leaving something to the imagination can be much more sultry than giving a free show.  You also get to keep your integrity and humility for another day, or at least until the next drunk night of festivities.

Dos and Don'ts of Halloween:

• Do attend a haunted house/maze
• Do give candy to little kids (don't be mean, give good candy!)
• Do dress up (just remember that your principles may take a vacation when you're drunk, but you are choosing a costume before the Halloween party: no excuses)
• Do have harmless fun (make sure you have dependable friends with you if you do plan to drink, and also be aware of the dangers of campus after recent mugging events)
• Do eat candycorn (I ran out of ideas, but candycorn is really delicious and you should eat it)
• Don't drink and drive
• Don't wear your unmentionables in public
• Don't wear your birthday suit as a costume
• Don't get caught pulling pranks because the cops are out in full force on Halloween
• Don't be stupid (I hope that was a given)