Group Commentary: Should you wear you costume to class?

Yes

Every day we wake up and put on clothes deemed appropriate. Other than midterm season, there is one day of the year where we may cast off the shackles of fashion and embrace something other than attractiveness. Of course this day of liberation is Halloween, but there are some who hold themselves back from dressing up due to the ever-present speedbump to fun that is professionalism.

To the professor and TA that are too afraid to dress up as Cecil the Lion and his dentist friend, I say go for it. Halloween is a day of silliness and spookiness, with the touch of social commentary that universities seem to cultivate. This holiday should be celebrated to the fullest extent, if not just for the release of creativity that may be considered inappropriate on an average day.

In this case, a haunted lecture hall is a happy lecture hall. Being surrounded by people willing to dress up in ridiculous costumes is simply a good time. Some may say that university is not a place for fun, but these people are only caught up in their own professionalism, and, just like a speedbump, they need to get over it. — Joey Wald

Absolutely Not

University classes are simply not the time to display your astounding creativity via your Halloween costume. Not only is it just plain weird to show up to class in some elaborate getup, but it’s premature! Save your costume for Hallows’ Eve, when it can actually be appreciated.

Costumes are a fun and essential part of the true Halloween experience, but showcasing your costume any time before the sun starts to set robs any adult’s costume of its dignity, whether you’re a student or not. Cinderella didn’t parade around in her gown all day in preparation for the ball. An 8 a.m. lecture theatre is not the time nor place to show off your over-the-top, blood-covered vampire nurse costume. You can’t possibly be comfortable in that getup, and neither is anyone around you. I absolutely cannot take your comment about Canadian foreign policy seriously when you have fake wounds protruding from your neck. Give your costume the respect it deserves and save it for the evening, when the real Halloween festivities begin. — Brooklyn Davidson

Yaas!

Halloween should be celebrated from start to finish. Why waste half the holiday sitting in your same old daily garb when you can break routine and embrace Halloween to its fullest? Dress up, embrace the holiday and turn another grey fall day into something truly enjoyable.

It’s easy to fall into the trend of apathy and act as though coming to class in costume is somehow devaluing the holiday as a whole. This idea of costumes during the day gives benefit to those who can’t celebrate at night. Night shift workers are forced to keep uniform, those with 6 a.m. commitments the next day are forced to sleep through the celebrations. Halloween should not be restricted to those with fortunate schedules — everyone should be given the freedom to fully participate.

American Capitalism has taught us that bigger is better. This also goes for holiday celebrations. Sure Halloween may have started as an evening feast, but it could be so much more. Boxing Day has been stretched to last a week, Valentine’s Day dominates all of February. So why not extend Halloween to last all day? Let’s increase the celebration, wear costumes to class, hang fake cobwebs from your backpack, throw candy at your classmates. Because not only is wearing costumes to class a necessity, it’s only the first step towards a better end of October celebration. — Josh Hickmore