Students plan Halloween costumes

As kids, October was devoted to the single-minded pursuit of finding the perfect Halloween look – the ninja costume so awesome that it would give you an opportunity to one-up that pesky seat partner with the big box of crayons. Or the “Bride of Frankenstein” garb that would make you a shoo-in for that coveted top-slot in the after school costume contest.Sure, the inadvisably large amounts of candy you digested were delicious, but half the fun was just getting dressed up.

For many PCC students, the hunt for the costume of their dreams hasn’t ended, though the quarry has become more creative, a little less store-bought.

“I was a Storm Trooper one year. I don’t fit into [the costume] anymore or [else] I’d still be wearing it,” said Michael Rosales, 19, undecided. “This year I’m going to be a Dark Sith Lord. I’ve got the lightsaber that extends on its own, but it’s out of batteries – I’ve been using it a lot lately,” he said.

Cherrie Rivera, 18, undecided, will continue a personal tradition of candy-colored costumes. “As a kid, my favorite was Rainbow Bright. The colorful stockings were really cool. This Halloween, I’m going be a roller girl from the 1970s. I’m going to a party, so I’ll be wearing the roller skates and blowing bubblegum the whole time,” she said.

“I want to be a dork, you know, with the highwater pants, stripped socks and red chunky glasses,” said Celia Tran, 18, undecided, who last year designed her own costume – the Queen of Hearts from “Alice and Wonderland.”

Eighteen-year-old Angel Dizon, a nursing major and “sexy referee” this Halloween, recalls one particularly embarrassing costume choice, albeit one she had little control over.

“I was a strawberry. my hat was a leaf. My parents bought it for me. They wanted me to look stupid,” she said.
Keith Fries, an 18-year-old graphic design major and Daniel Vegerano, an 18-year-old pre-veterinary medicine major, are jumping at the chance to pay tribute to their favorite mid-90s Nickelodeon game show.

“We’re dressing up as contestants for the Silver Snakes team from ‘Legends of the Hidden Temple’ – yellow helmets, yellow mouth guards,” said Fries.

They won’t be alone in making their Halloween getup a joint effort.

“We’re going to go cross-gender,” said Jonathan Rubalcava, 20, undecided, gesturing towards his friend Zamira Fernandez, 20, also undecided.

And who will the duo model themselves after?

“Maybe J.Lo and Marc Anthony,” Rubalcava joked.