Trick or Treat

  EDWARD LIN Second-year undeclared student Hannah
Gordon passes out candy to children Wednesday, Oct.
25.

By Catherine Calleja and
Dharshani Dharmawardena
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Even if UCLA students are no longer children, they are still
taking the time to celebrate Halloween in spite of midterms looming
ahead.

Though most students no longer trick-or-treat themselves, they
are still participating in the age old tradition of handing out
candy to young children.

On Oct. 25, students living in the residence halls took part in
the annual All-Hill Halloween celebration, where they gave treats
to children bussed in from Los Angeles neighborhoods.

Students could buy bags of candy, consisting mainly of
Tootsie Rolls and Jolly Ranchers, for $5 from their residence
assistants.

Tran Ngo, a first-year undeclared student, said she could only
give out the candy to a few children, who seemed to come to the
door all at once.

“I didn’t know I was supposed to give out one candy
per child,” she said. “I was giving out handfuls and
after five kids I ran out.”

  ANNA AVIK Kids eagerly await their turn to get candy from
studnets in the dorms last week in the All-Hill Holloween event.
Trying to relive their own trick-or-treat days, residents decorated
their doors and hallways with ghosts, goblins and spider webs. They
also filled halls with orange and black construction paper and
streamers, creating specially crafted passageways for children to
enter during the event.

Other students wanted to extend the tradition of offering treats
to children by giving children information about Halloween safety
as well.

Cindy Lee, a third-year biology and economics student, plans to
spend Halloween with children she works with through the Community
Outreach for Prevention and Education, a program that seeks to help
at-risk youth in Venice.

“We’re just going to throw them a little party and
remind them about Halloween safety at their apartment
complex,” she said.

Lee said the children also participated in last week’s
All-Hill Halloween as well, but they also plan to get more treats
tonight.

Because this year’s Halloween falls on a Tuesday and
because of midterms, many UCLA students will spend at least part of
the night studying, said Mohammed Nagmi, a second-year electrical
engineering student.

“I’m still going to do something late at
night,” he said. “I think it’s still pretty big,
but I think it’s about priorities now.

 

“Even though it comes once a year, I can’t do much
about it because I have to think about school first and then think
about Halloween and dressing up,” he added.

Elaine Esperanza, a fifth-year English and history student, said
she won’t be going out at all because she needs to prepare
for exams.

“I’ll be studying for a midterm and two papers due
on Thursday,” Esperanza said.

Although this year’s holiday takes place on a
semi-inopportune time, some students still plan to celebrate
despite school responsibilities.

“I am taking four classes, working two jobs and have
midterms on Thursday and Friday, but I want to have free time for
myself to relax, have fun and not worry about all those college
problems,” said Kamika Dillard a first-year political science
and business economics student.

“I’m definitely getting dressed up in a costume, but
I’m not sure what I’m going to be yet,” she
continued.” I know that without doubt, I’ll be
trick-or-treating in Bel-Air and then going to a party at a
fraternity house”

Some students used the weekend to attend parties and dress up.
Others wanted to avoid the more traditional aspects of spending
Halloween on a college campus.

“I plan on taking my son trick-or-treating,” said
Gina Mohammed, a fifth-year psychobiology student. “I’m
excited because it will be his first time since he’s only a
year and a half.”

  Fifth-year history and English student Claudia Barroso
said that she and her friends are going to watch Arthur
Miller’s play”Death of a Salesman” instead of
going to parties.

“My friends are trying to stay away from where everybody
will be at,” Barroso said. “I wanted to go to
Knott’s Scary Farm, but they wanted to stay away from the
crowds, so I’ll probably just watch the play with
them.”

Although midterms may put a damper on Halloween this year, most
college students want to carry on the tradition.

“I think because it’s a fantasy and people like to
keep the tradition alive,” said Daniel Norton, a second-year
neuroscience student. “It’s probably one of the few
traditions left in America that people like to be involved
in.”

“We all have to associate with when we were young, and if
we don’t do that, then it just gets really depressing.”
said Hagop Rouchanian, a first-year electrical engineering
student.