Alana Liu
Hallowoads is officially sold out. If you’re one of the many students who were too slow to act and didn’t get a ticket for “hall-o-woads” before they sold out, you may be panicking. Here are some suggestions on other fun things you can do on that night instead.
Get in at all costs
There’s plenty of business-savvy students at Yale. Surely, there’s someone out there who bought five tickets with the sole purpose of later profiting off your FOMO in the resell market. You may get gouged for three times the price, but can you really even put a price on a once-a-year American college experience? Alternatively, you can take a more stealthy approach and try to sneak your way in. Maybe climb through a side window, or slip your way past security.
Take a New Haven “ghost tour”
Take yourself along the New Haven “ghost walk!” Departing from 1070 Chapel St., this hour-and-a-half long walk will scare you with stories of ghosts, antique sites, scandalous tales, haunted places, mysterious sightings of apparitions, strange and unusual accounts of centuries past, legendary stories, folklore and ghostly experiences stranger than reality. However, if this year’s Hallowoads is anything like last year’s, this won’t be the scariest event of the evening. Students can sign up on the “Ghosts of New Haven” website.
Look for ghosts at Yale
If you opt out of the New Haven ghost tour, pay a visit to the cemetery, the stacks, L-Dub or any other locations you find particularly spooky on Yale’s campus. At an institution over 300 years old, there’s bound to be some ghosts lurking around on campus.
Have a dorm costume party with your friends
Rather than being one of 50 sports jersey, bunny ear or devil horn wearers at Hallowoads, get creative with a real Halloween costume. Dress up with your dorm-mates and have a The Office-esque costume contest. The more homemade, the better!
New Haven version of corn maze
While there’s not too much corn to be found in New Haven, there’s nothing stopping you from embarking on a challenge in the spirit of a corn maze! Test your knowledge of the city outside of Yale’s campus by getting on a bus and then getting off at a random spot. Then, try to find your way home without using a map or modern technology!
Watch a scary movie
Watch a horror movie with your friends! Though it may not be as scary as being trapped in a mob of inebriated college students, a scary movie can be a great bonding experience for your friend group. If you are fortunate enough to be in a residential college with a movie theater, the experience will be even better!
Residential college trick or treating
Who says trick-or-treating has an age limit? Go dorm-to-dorm asking for candy, and then stock up on your own to give out to dorm-mates. This is also a good way to make friends with the children of your dean and head of college.
Study in the stacks
Speaking of the stacks, take a break from the hypersocialization that comes with hallowoads and spend the night cooped up on the seventh floor of the stacks. If you pick a desk in the right spot, you can see the line outside Toads place forming through the window to your left. Use it as motivation for your studying.
Get a good night of sleep
There’s never any shame in calling it a night and going to bed at 8 p.m. You’ll wake up well rested and appreciated by your future self. Your midterm grade will also thank you.
Go to a show at the School of Drama
The David Geffen School of Drama is holding live performances of “Ghosts,” the production from Oct. 22 through Oct. 28. Grab a ticket and check it out!
Comedy night at the Schwarzman Center
The Schwarzman Center is holding its first-ever-student-comedy-night in the underground at “Elm.” The event is free to attend, but you can also sign up to take the stage and do your own comedy routine!
If you did manage to get a ticket in time, enjoy yourself and stay safe. Yale is intense, and you deserve a night of fun. However, remember that fun comes in many forms, and there are ways to enjoy your night beyond “Hallowoads.”