How do bears celebrate Halloween?

Mercer Bears are preparing for and reminiscing on the holiday that allows them to be whoever they want to be for the night: Halloween! Some students have their costumes planned and ready to wear, while others are just wishing they could bring back their fondest Halloween memories.
We wanted to know what Mercer bears have done in the past to celebrate Halloween and how they plan to spend the holiday this year. Some students are going for the sillier look, and others are even creating costumes with their significant other.


Jaclyn Ramkissoon
1. Kaitlyn Garland, Sophomore
Garland said her favorite Halloween memory was made by her very creative father.
“When I was little, my dad had a riding lawnmower and there was a little trailer that attached to it,” she said. “We would put hay bells in the trailer and go riding around the neighborhood that way with friends.”

 

Jaclyn Ramkissoon
2. Donald Glover, Sophomore
When Glover was a small child, he dressed up as The Incredible Hulk for Halloween.
“I used to go to this community center and they would have a fall festival every year,” he said. “There was one year where the workers were doing the haunted house, and I was accidentally put in a coffin.”
The coffin turned out to be a back door to the haunted house.
“I was able to see everyone else get scared,” he said “That was actually pretty cool to me.”

 

Jaclyn Ramkissoon
3. Charles Hammock, Junior
Hammock hasn’t really thought about what he wants to be for Halloween yet, but he does have a couple of options.
“If anything, it’ll be like Chewbacca because I have a onesie in the closet somewhere,” he said.
His favorite Halloween memory is trick or treating with family and friends because unlike other days, he’d be able to eat candy late at night.


 

Jaclyn Ramkissoon
4. Austin Samuelson, Junior
Samuelson said he’s going to be Toothless from “How to Train Your Dragon.”
“We haven’t started making it yet, but it’s going to be a hoodie and we’re going to add some teeth to it,” he said. “We’re also going to make a tail and stuff it with cotton.”
As a little kid, Samuelson dressed up as a skeleton. He said he was super excited about that costume and hasn’t forgotten it since.

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Jaclyn Ramkissoon
5. Michaela Jones, Sophomore
In high school, Jones and a friend dressed up as Thing 1 and Thing 2, and they were the most popular costume duo around.
“A picture of us in our costumes ended up on the front page of our local newspaper,” she said.
Jones is considering a repeat and might dressing up with a friend or two this year.
“If I do it, we’ll probably choose Powderpuff Girls, because I really love them too,” she said.  


 

Jaclyn Ramkissoon
6. Emily Reine, Freshman
“This year, I want to dress up like Britney Spears,” Reine said.
Reine was a little indecisive about which Britney costume she wanted to wear, but she’s deciding to go with “Hit Me Baby One More Time” Britney.
“It’ll be the schoolgirl one,” she said. “I’ll just need a button down, a cardigan, a skirt and pom-poms for my hair.”


 

Jaclyn Ramkissoon
7. Alicia Williams, Junior
Williams and her boyfriend are doing a couple costume this year for Halloween.
“We are going as “Love and Basketball” characters Monica Wright and Quincy McCall,” she said.
Williams bought the Crenshaw High replica jerseys from the film.
“I’m going to wear mine as a jersey dress and he’ll probably wear his with sweatpants and sneakers,” Williams said.

 

Jaclyn Ramkissoon
8. Alexis Tillery, Senior
Tillery said her favorite Halloween memory was sophomore year at Mercer when she dressed up as a giraffe.
“I just felt like that really embodied my spirit animal,” she said. “We’re both tall, noticeable and unique.”