Halloween was one of my favorite holidays as a child. I loved going to Party City to pick out a costume and putting up Halloween decorations around my house. I also looked forward to spending Halloween with one of my best friends from elementary school, who trick-or-treated with me every year until high school. Perhaps the best part of Halloween for me was the end of the night, when my brother, cousins, friend and I dumped all of our candy out of our buckets and traded amongst each other.
As a college student, I leave most of these Halloween traditions behind. I do not have the time or money to buy costumes or decorations, and I leave the trick-or-treating to the adorable children who venture to the Lawn. Unfortunately, I do not get to see my best friend of many years anymore, who now goes to college in Alabama.
However, being in college does not take away the fun of Halloween. Though students go to parties and other festive events instead of trick-or-treating, we still enjoy wearing costumes. While some like to showcase their creativity, like the boy who dressed up as — and looked exactly like — University President Teresa Sullivan, others like to be simple, as seen by the many cats, bunnies and similar overdone costumes. Overall, no matter the amount of effort we put into our costumes, we get to pretend to be someone — or something — else for the night.
But we often do not let the façade end there. Instead, we pretend to be other people throughout our daily lives, hiding our true identities in order to impress others or fit in. It is very easy to do this in college, especially when we are trying to make new friends, join organizations or simply find our niche at U.Va.
This façade can be detrimental to our college experience. College is about exploring our likes and dislikes and helping us realize our dreams and passions. However, we cannot do this if we are always concerned about what others will think. Even though I have put the interests of others above my own many times throughout my life, I now try my best to be myself and have found several ways to do this.
One way we can be ourselves is by refusing to adhere to stereotypes, especially related to taste. As an African-American, people may assume that I only like rap, hip-hop and R&B. While I do like some rap songs, I also listen to pop, alternative, dance and even some electronic music. Though this sometimes makes me feel out of place at black parties, where I may not know every song that is played, I ultimately enjoy music more by listening to what I like and not what I am “supposed” to listen to.
Another way is by choosing to join clubs and organizations that we are genuinely interested in, not just because they are prestigious or will look good on our resumes. At U.Va. it is very easy to get caught up in the belief that one needs to be in a competitive organization, such as Honor or the University Guide Service, to be a successful student. However, I have found my college experience to be much more fulfilling by participating in activities that reflect my true passions — dance, children and writing.
Lastly, we can be ourselves when deciding how to spend our free time. When I first entered college, I went along with the widespread belief that partying is the only way to have fun in college. After going out almost every weekend, I soon realized how tiring and time-consuming parties could be, making my experience not as enjoyable. Partying is not the only way to have fun in college. Though there are people who enjoy going out, there are plenty of others who do not like parties and would rather attend other events or stay in. I realized I prefer a balance between going out and staying in with friends, which helps me better enjoy my time at U.Va.
By not going along with the crowd, we refuse to mask our true identities in order to impress others or fit in. Whether it is by listening to non-stereotypical music or choosing to stay in, I am ultimately staying true to myself. Therefore, let us save our costumes for Halloween and do what we love on a daily basis.
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