Nora Searles ‘27

Werewolves are howling in the distance. Vampires are waking from their slumber of the day. Halloweekend at Sarah Lawrence College approaches like the monster under your grimy twin bed. What was that? I think I heard the screams of students trying to throw together last-minute costumes that will probably be too obscure to identify with a plain eye. I offer you ghouls a glimpse into the future – a prediction, of sorts, with my crystal ball. The crystal ball knows all, and it thinks that this Halloweekend at SLC will be as messy as your communal kitchen.

Gaze into my crystal ball. What do you see? I’m seeing a battle of who will have the most niche costume. Strangers approach each other by chance in the dark to point out each other’s costumes. They thought they were the only ones who knew that an angel wasn’t just an angel but Claire Danes as Juliet in Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet.” That's not just any Waffle House employee, that’s Lana Del Rey’s impromptu visit to the diner in July of 2023. I know that name tag anywhere. I’m seeing Wes Anderson, Saltburn and probably hoards of Jennifer Checks.

I’m getting something else. Something seems hazy. My ball has cast a shadow of uncertainty. I see two weekends (both alike in dignity)! But which one will the people choose? Will it be parent’s weekend? The weekend after? I’m seeing hungover students attend family breakfasts on Sunday morning. Will SLC students have what it takes to band together to make the most out of both weekends? I predict (and hope) that the answer is yes.

If my crystal ball proves wrong, I’ll have lost all faith in its magical powers. My crystal ball tells me that as the new moon darkens the night sky on Nov. 1st, the students of SLC will be prowling the campus, looking for their next victims. The victims in question are anyone with a lighter they can borrow.

My crystal ball sees horror in the Halloweekend future! Rocky Horror! Fishnets, singing, dancing, oh my! This Halloweekend seems special. Maybe there will be a virgin sacrifice after the show! Only the crystal ball can tell. Either way, the future of Saturday night remains unclear. Will there be afterparties? What will happen on the fateful night of Friday and Saturday? The crystal ball is only showing utter madness at this point.

Maybe Halloweekend will end up like any party here at SLC. Maybe the crowds of biblically accurate angels will fly home to Hill House and forget about the events of Halloween 2024. However, there appears to be a faint calling coming from my crystal ball. We can make it a weekend to remember. Hell, if we really want to be evil, maybe we can make it two. The crystal ball sees that it’s up to the students to decide how weird, how obscure, they really want to go. SLC’s slogan used to be, “You are different. So are we,” and as Nancy from “The Craft” says, “We are the weirdos, mister.” SLC students are the weirdos. Halloween is our time to shine, people.

The crystal ball darkens and fades as the predictions for the October holiday come to a conclusion. I will not be taking responsibility for any false predictions, as my crystal ball came from eBay.

Nora’s Crystal Ball: Gaze Into Halloweekend