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The North Wind

The North Wind

The North Wind

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The North Wind is an independent student publication serving the Northern Michigan University community. It is partially funded by the Student Activity Fee. The North Wind digital paper is published daily during the fall and winter semesters except on university holidays and during exam weeks. The North Wind Board of Directors is composed of representatives of the student body, faculty, administration and area media.

PROFILE — Katie Buhrmann is a 2022 alum of NMU and the executive administrative assistant in NMUs Office of Institutional Effectiveness. She recently self-published her first book of poetry. Photo courtesy of Katie Buhrmann
Alumni Katie Buhrmann explores South Korea through language
Katarina RothhornMarch 28, 2024

Halloween: How old is too old?

The extent of Halloween activities through high school generally consist of renting some scary movies with friends, carving pumpkins and, if feeling ambitious, hitting up the local haunted house attraction.

Comic Credit: Dorsey Sprouls
Comic Credit: Dorsey Sprouls

College students revel in nostalgic practices. Zelda on Nintendo 64, pajama pants in class and Lucky Charms for dinner.

But trick-or-treating? Really? Can people over the age of 18, in good conscience, walk around in costumes and collect candy?

Not exactly.

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At the end of every October the party atmosphere is revived from its midterm-week slump and unleashed among the zombified students hoping to have a good time. Students carouse in costume, dressed as zombies and firemen and super-sized cans of beer, yelling and imbibing, leaving unravelled toilet paper and lit porch lights in their wake.

So the question arises, as the college sophomore buys face paint at the costume shop, are college kids supposed to be beyond trick-or-treating on Halloween?

Our response is that yes, it would indeed be creepy to have full-size bearded and bedraggled people on your porch asking for a handout. That sort of thing is reserved for kids.

That being said, dressing up is a good time regardless of age. Couples costumes and group costumes can add a whole new aspect into it, as people try to be funny and creative with their designs and purchases.

Some costumes are over the top, leaving too much skin uncovered and lending to an image that we adults don’t realize the implications of.

The people that Halloween is truly geared for, kids, would never think to dress like sexy kitty cats or lewd vampires. Those are a totally adult spin on a tradition that isn’t meant for adults at all, and when heavy drinking is thrown in, the night can become a mess of confused intentions.

It’s still totally acceptable to dress up, even in your twenties. It’s good to have spirit but we need to know when it’s too much.

Just be tasteful, pick your outfit like you pick your friends and you’ll be fine. And don’t make a fool of yourself by bobbing for apples in a cauldron of grain alcohol!

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