Don’t expect to see too many “Captain Hookers”
or “Super Sexy French Maids” tonight.
As the night of All Hallow’s Eve draws closer, UCLA
students will be putting the finishing touches on their Halloween
costumes, from garters to capes to stethoscopes. But this year,
Bruins will see a lot more safari hunters than sassy jungle
cats.
Dmitriy Kravchenko, a third-year biochemistry student, has
chosen a costume that doesn’t need any accessories: He plans
to be a walking, talking breathalyzer. Kravchenko’s costume
features a brightly-colored sobriety gauge painted onto the
material that will diagnose others as “Boring,”
“Life of the Party” or “Sotally Tober.”
“It’s a unique costume,” he said. “I
don’t know of anyone else dressing up as a
breathalyzer.”
Kravchenko is not the only one taking advantage of Halloween as
a chance to become a character he doesn’t play every day.
Stephanie Tavitian, a third-year history student, says that
though she is not a staunch celebrator of the holiday, tonight will
give her an opportunity to dress up as someone she respects: Frida
Kahlo.
“She’s the only person I’d ever really think
about impersonating,” Tavitian said.
“She was attached to the country and the culture of where
she was from. Her clothing was very ethnic (and)
traditional.”
Tavitian laughed while contemplating how she will dress up as
the famed Mexican artist.
“I’ll probably grow out my unibrow, put on a really
poofy skirt, and a shirt with flowers embroidered on it,” she
said.
Like Tavitian, second-year psychology student Kenni Palmer
strongly prefers making her costumes rather than buying them.
Tonight marks the first Halloween that Palmer will celebrate in
a store-bought costume.
Palmer described her costume as a “neutral bottle of
ketchup,” as her cylindrical, polyester costume endorses no
brand.
The reasoning behind Palmer’s choice has nothing to do
with a great love of condiments, but rather her preference for
costumes that do not promote the ultra-sexual connotations
associated with so many female costumes.
“Females have taken the costume ideas of Halloween to the
extreme,” Palmer said.
“I want to go to the other end and make it extremely
obnoxious. Guys get into the more humorous side of Halloween, and I
really like that.”
Thomas Daffern, a fourth-year global studies student, echoed
Palmer’s sentiments about male and female costume trends.
“I think Halloween for a lot of girls is an excuse to
dress up a little provocatively, because the whole theme of
Halloween is to dress up as something that you’re not,”
he said.
“If girls dressed like they did on Halloween every day of
the week, it would be very distracting.”
Daffern was not sure if he would be dressing up.
“I’ll probably throw something together at the last
minute,” he said.
Even if students put an outfit together on their way out the
door, UCLA students have proven themselves inspired and
innovative.
“There are some intelligent minds put to good use (on
Halloween),” Palmer said.
However, some students who plan to wear more
“traditional” costumes like a “Feisty
Firegirl” have solid reasons behind their choices.
Jacquelyn Mohr’s costume will be more than just a
physically flattering outfit.
According to Mohr, a third-year business economics student, her
Halloween costume is an outward manifestation of her admiration for
Patrick Dempsey’s character Dr. Derek Shepherd on the TV
series “Grey’s Anatomy.”
“I’m going to dress up as a naughty nurse,”
she said.
“I have a strong desire for McDreamy on
“˜Grey’s Anatomy,’ so maybe I’m vicariously
living out my fantasy through this night.”
Jasleen Bhasin, owner of costume and gift store Aahs!! on
Westwood Boulevard, confirmed that sexy costumes such as these are
selling.
“Everything’s selling.” Bhasin said.
“The ladybug, the bumblebee ““ all the sexy
ones.”
Costumes such as Mohr’s may be flying off the racks, but
Halloween for college students is about enjoying an evening of
disguised revelry, no matter your age, sex or amount of exposed
skin.
Laura Salzberg, a third-year communication studies student, is
riding the wave of the unusual costume trend.
She and two of her friends are using cardboard boxes and string
to become the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, Christopher
Columbus’ three America-discovering ships.
And if students are still hard-pressed for ideas when it comes
down to the witching hour, they need not look far for help.
“We are currently recruiting a Christopher Columbus and a
West Indies to join our costume,” Salzberg said.