What will I be this year for Halloween?  This is always a question I have a hard time responding to and one that I usually feel inadequate answering.  My wife is extremely creative and loves the effort needed to design and build costumes from scratch.  This year she’s helped orchestrate our daughter Fiona’s transformation into a “Rainbow Bunny” and our son Owen’s dream-come-true position as driver of a tractor.  I still don’t know what I want to be though. 

Sitting in my office this morning I watched as faculty and students walked by in various costumed attire.  Dan Osar was simply the “Green Man” - literally covered in green tight-like material from head to toe.  Wes Jenkins walked by with his face inserted into a 2′ x 3′ cover of “Muscle Magazine” making him look like the ripped, pumped-up body builder who made the grade and was asked to pose for his dream shot.  Shortly after this I heard the sound of the Mario Brother’s video game come to life as Meara Palmer-Young bounced into the room.  Speaking with an accent and conveniently ringing the Mario Brother’s song from her cell phone, she presented a very convincing character.  Junior Mari Barnett’s pink flamingo was creative (why the blue streaked hair Mari?) in a Surrealism sort of way and Derek Kubitz’s “chick magnet” will make for a nice use of the literal idea.  He intends to have model baby chickens stuck to his body…. Haha. 

Halloween is one of those “interesting” holidays.  Culturally it continues to move towards commercialism.  But it is also more and more a great excuse to let that inner gremlin out and to capture the childish spirit that keeps us young.  What I love about Halloween and about Hyde is the energy faculty and students have put into celebrating this unique holiday - to being creative and expressing a bit of that inner goblin and witch.  If only I could just figure out what I am going to be!

Best, John