Anecdotes for the autumnal season

By Alfie Eville and Ryan Denkovic

Fall is here; the leaves are colorful and crunchy, the air a little crisp and my favorite yearly traditions are finally happening. I can understand anyone that argues for summer or winter as their favorite season. Spring, however, is simply incorrect. For me, though, there is something so special about these couple of months at the end of the year.

In about two weeks, it will be Halloween, and I think it is the perfect holiday, as it stands the test of time. As a kid, I think we can all remember the fun nights of pillaging adults’ houses for bags of candy or dressing up in fun costumes. Some of my fondest childhood memories were had on Halloween. But now, being 19 and bordering on senior citizen, it is typically frowned upon to go trick-or-treating. Lame, yes, but so be it. That being said, the festivities do not have to end there, as I can still enjoy the holiday, going out to costume parties, going on hayrides or my personal favorite: staying in and watching scary movies. 

Every year, I try to watch a handful of movies for “Spooktober.” I am a huge horror fan, so getting any excuse to watch “The Shining” or “The Thing” is gladly accepted. The past few years I have gone to the Princeton Garden Theater, which is only about 15 minutes away from campus. They put on a screening of a different classic horror film every year, and I love it. I implore anyone that has not been there, and likes horror movies, to go there in October. 

I have also found new enjoyment in my role as the adult being pilfered for candy. Some years, I stay with my grandmother and hand out the candies to neighborhood children; a role I fondly recall being in. It brings me immense joy seeing these kids, so proudly displaying their attire and so cheerfully accepting the bundles of candy I have for them. 

The community, the costumes, the candy and the scares. Oh, and I cannot forget to mention: October baseball. This time of the year is the best time to be a sports fan. That is what separates fall from the rest of the seasons, and what puts it mightily above the other three. 

Being that Halloween is just around the corner, I have found myself quite excited at the prospect of seasonal activities I can once again indulge in. While I have not gone trick-or-treating in a few years, I still find great enjoyment in sitting outside my house, playing music, and giving candy to all the trick or treaters who do come around.

Halloween is a special night because of the sense of community you don’t really get to feel that often for the other 364 days of the year; and while I did not really recognize this to its fullest degree when I was a kid, I still felt it. I do miss being a kid and trick-or-treating; I mean I just miss being a kid in general. But that is just part of growing up, I guess.

I also have some personal traditions I indulge in every year. Recently, I have enjoyed watching the Cartoon Network mini-series “Over the Garden Wall.” It follows two brothers, Wirt and Greg, as they journey through a mysterious forest known as “The Unknown.” The aesthetics of this show are truly amazing, and it is surprisingly poignant towards the themes of death and self-esteem; I highly recommend it. 

In a similar vein, I also watch “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” every year; I do not think there has been a single October since I was five that I have not watched it at least once. It is one of my favorite “Peanuts” specials, and just generally one of my favorite films of all time. Everything about “Great Pumpkin” is truly incredible, from the watercolor backdrops to Snoopy’s antics as the World War I flying ace; it brings me back to that simpler time when I did not have a care in the world other than how much candy I had gotten that night. 

Halloween has always, and will continue to be, my favorite time of the year. It is so incredibly special that everyone can celebrate in a different way, yet still feel that same joy that everyone else feels; whether that is partying, trick-or-treating or just staying home and watching a horror movie.

Alfie Eville is a sophomore history and secondary education major

Ryan Denkovic is a sophomore English major