STUDENT OUTLOOK -- Ananth Varma

What are some of the images that come to mind when one thinks of

Halloween? Jack-o’-lanterns? Candy? Costumes? Anthrax?

While Halloween is a holiday that generally places an emphasis on the

creepy and unusual, this year’s Halloween was itself quite unusual. The

main reason for this was that Halloween this year was very quiet and

lacked a lot of what Halloween is generally known for. For example, there

were far fewer kids out trick-or-treating and filling themselves with

sweet treats this year. Additionally, there were only a couple of big

parties that were visible around town. Overall, the whole Halloween

spirit seemed to be at a very low level in comparison to that of years

past.

So, what factors led to this unusual change in the Halloween spirit?

Well, there are a number of probable and logical factors that may have

contributed to this. For one thing, the whole anthrax threat during the

past few weeks has certainly put everyone on high guard. People have

probably been afraid to send their kids out at night lately. This was

probably especially true on Halloween night when questionable candy could

have been circulating all around town. Aside from the kids, adults might

have been worried for their own safety and thus might have tried to steer

clear of any parties that night.

Another cause of the Halloween mood present this year was surely the

tragic events that took place Sept. 11. These events have altered the

lives of all Americans in numerous ways, and this was probably yet

another effect of them. The sadness evoked by these occurrences probably

created a sense of cheerlessness in the people and kept them from being

in a very celebratory mood for Halloween. These occurrences have also

caused many people to be more scared and cautious than usual about

terrorism, encouraging them to keep themselves and their families safe at

home.

Halloween definitely did not feel the same this year. Usually, when

one looks out the window on Halloween night, one can see the streets

packed with curiously dressed figures carrying bags of candy and

flashlights. But this year, it just wasn’t the same. The streets seemed

desolate, as though in some deserted old town. Those who did go out to

parties or to trick or treat also seemed to be in lower spirits than in

previous years.

Well, while it seems doubtful that people did not go out because of

the full moon and their fear of werewolves, there certainly was something

missing this year on Halloween. I hope that next year things will be back

to normal in all of our lives, as well as with the Halloween spirit.

* ANANTH VARMA is a junior at Estancia High School, where he is the

editor of El Aguila’s sports page. His columns will appear on an

occasional basis in the Community Forum section.