COLUMN: Columnist excited for Halloween

If there is one thing my time in Vermillion has taught me, it’s that there is no such thing as a coincidence.

Having said this, the fact that Halloween is on a Wednesday this year is something to be considered. Not only is Halloween my favorite holiday, it also happens to be the day before my birthday.

For those of you who may not be aware, Wednesdays in Vermillion are quite the party night. The Charcoal Lounge, more commonly known as the “Char Bar,” hosts a little something called Drown Night where patrons pay $10 for all-you-can-drink well drinks and taps.

The reason for my excitement over this splendid twist of fate should be obvious. If there’s one thing Drown Night is good for, it’s people-watching, and people-watching on Halloween is the best kind there is. I’m not sure I could have asked for a better birthday present.

Halloween is a time when everyone gets to be creative, especially people who generally tend to focus their energies on non-creative pursuits. I thought it might be fun to use this subject for a column.

My original plan was to do a simple tally of how many people I see wearing the same generic varieties of Halloween costumes. I realized this was not going to be sufficient when an inherent gender bias was pointed out to me by a friend.

In light of this, I have decided to make some additions. Not only will I be tallying how many people fall victim to convention; I will be taking note of those who have clearly taken the time to be clever on a holiday which encourages people to make a flashy statement.

I will observe my fellow masked marauders and decide the top-three best costumes, the top-three worst and the top-three I wouldn’t normally admit to being impressed by. The criteria for these categories have yet to be determined, as it will be Drown Night.

I will report back in two weeks with my findings. Keep in mind where I’ll be, so don’t expect this particular venture into participant observation to be anywhere near scientific.

Reach reporter Betsey Horton at [email protected]