Something is a little bit eerie at Dartmouth today. Perhaps it is the cashier adorned with spiders at Collis Cafe, the pumpkin aglow in one of the windows of Hitchcock residence hall or the abnormal amounts of candy that costumed students are consuming.
All Hallows' Eve has arrived on campus, and the spirit of the haunted holiday has taken over the College.
Last night, a clown, a devil, a Power Ranger, a farmer and Darth Vader were all on the dance floor at the Collis Center for the Phantom's Masquerade Ball.
At press time, Masquerade Ball co-chair Jenny Constable '98 said the ball "is going great so far. We have great music and really interesting costumes."
She said she saw a nun, a surfer, a beach babe, a scarecrow and even a cross-dressed couple from the '50s. Constable was dressed as a black cat.
The ball also sponsored a costume contest in which students could win prizes including a globe from a travel agency and breakfast for a week from Bagel Basement. Twenty prizes were provided by Hanover businesses.
Ronald Kimball '97 was dressed as the character, It's Man, from the movie "Monty Python's Flying Circus." Kimball said he was mistaken for Moses and Rip Van Winkle as well.
Alex Lavin '99, who was dressed as a hippie, said, "Halloween is an awesome holiday and no [homework] is worth missing this dance!"
Dave Kasregis '96, who was dressed as a masked gentleman, said the "masquerade encompasses many different lifestyles on campus. People can dress up the way they want."
The Programming Board funded the event.
The Big Brother/Big Sister program held a Halloween party and trick-or-treating in the River Cluster last night. Thiry pairs of children and Dartmouth students danced in the French Hall lounge, which was filled with orange and black streamers, balloons and music.
Nine-year-old Whitney Houston, who donned a blue elf suit for the event, said, "I loved the trick-or-treat party because I got so much candy!"
Big Sister Austyn Fudge '98, who sported a red clown nose, said, "I think this is great for the kids. It's fun for me too."
Big Brother/Big Sister co-chair Christine Cuoco '98 said 75 residents extended their generosity in distributing candy to local children. She said this number has increased since last year. "The kids had a blast," she added.
"The kids got an incredible amount of loot," co-chair William Scarborough '98 said. He said although the Big Brother/Big Sister program involves mostly one-to-one encounters, the party allows the participants to feel as if they are part of a bigger program.
Undergraduate Advisor Neesha Ramchandani '96 said all of the residents on her floor enjoyed giving candy to the children. She said the activity gives Dartmouth students a chance to participate in Halloween festivities.
In the dimly lit New Hampshire resiedence hall lounge last night, English Professor Bill Cook expressively told horrifying stories to a full house.The audience ate candy, smiled and cringed as they listened to Cook recount tales of the game of Bloody Mary and a Satanic trick-or-treater. Cook also recited the well known Golden Arm poem.
Cook growled, whispered and screamed as he told the stories and warned audience members to make certain they had someone nearby to protect them should they be frightened.
"I selected the stories that were both sick and scary and the ones that people hadn't heard a thousand times," Cook said.
But Cook said the campus's Halloween celebration has "got to be wilder."
Nathaniel Huckle-Bauer '99 said he enjoyed Cook's performance. "I think Halloween should be a Dartmouth holiday," he said, although he wished there were more people willing to wear costumes.
