Brands like Nestlé, Hershey’s, Reese’s, and Mars fight for the centre placement on store shelves to sell more product. But do any of us actually enjoy these candies? Is there a common fa vourite candy bar?
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Dr. Koenig- Woodyard’s classes breathe new life into the experi ence of being an English major. In his 20 years of teaching in the Department of English and Drama at UTM, Dr. Koenig- Wood yard has covered a vast array of topics.
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Do you believe in ghosts? I have always been curious about the subject, especially growing up watching movies like Ghostbusters (1984). It didn’t occur to me as a child that there are real ghost hunters—individuals fascinated by mystery that visit potentially haunted buildings to capture spirits on film. In an interview with The Medium, Professor Louis Kaplan of the Department of Visual Studies at the University of Toronto Mississauga explains the history of spirit photography, our interest in paranormal phe nomena, and the methods used in capturing ghosts on film.
Author of The Strange Case of William Mumler, Spirit Photographer (2008), Professor Kaplan is far from a newcomer in the world of spooky photography. Currently teaching FAH291: History of Photography and FAH455: Photography and Humour, Professor Kaplan is recognized for his theoretical and innovative contributions to the study of spirit photography.
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Mid-series Halloween episodes are a famous TV trope that play off of the holiday’s yearly traditions. Often, our beloved characters appear in costumes, trek through haunted houses, and decorate schools and offices in a black and orange ribbon extravaganza.
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This time of the year is filled with tempting treats. For those with insatiable sweet tooths, Summer Azem, a U of T alumna and personal trainer at University of Toronto Mississauga’s Recreation, Athletics & Well ness Centre (RAWC), has specially created a 30-minute workout that you can do to use up your scary sweet en ergy and stay fit this Halloween season.
Warm up with dynamic stretches Warming up is a crucial part of exercise. Jumping straight into a workout when your body is cold and tense increases the risk of injuries like pulled muscles. Men tally and physically prepare yourself to work up a good sweat by loosening up tight muscles and stiff joints, building up your heart rate gradually, raising your body temperature, and increasing the intensity of your exer cise progressively—all with these pre-workout stretches:
Feel the burn with a HIIT-style
interval training, or a HIIT work out, consists of multiple exercises done in circuit with little rest in between them to keep the heart pumping throughout. Usually, breaks are no longer than 15 sec onds. Maintaining a moderately elevated intra-workout heart rate improves blood flow throughout the body and delivers in turn oxygen to muscles. Oxygenated muscles respond better to the pressure of physical activity.
A note of caution: this program is intended for be ginner to intermediate level individuals with no risk of heart disease and other contraindications.
Cannabis poisoning is a real threat to children’s health, however the risk of consuming cannabis candies during Halloween is not as big of a threat.
Simran Rattanpal ContributorAccording to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, unin tentional cannabis poisoning among children is on the rise in some Canadian provinces, especially following the legalization of edible cannabis products. Looking at the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia, between January 2015 to September 2018, an average of two children were hospitalized every month due for cannabis-related issues. This jumped to a shocking average of 15 chil dren between January 2020 to September 2021, when edibles were legalized.
Edibles are cannabis-infused foods or bev erages. They are commonly sold as baked goods or candies, and are visually similar to normal food items. As such, federal law de mands that edibles be packaged plainly to avoid enticing children or being confused with other sweets. Additionally, edibles cannot contain more than 10 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoac tive compound in cannabis. When children
ingest edibles, their symptoms can be severe and life threatening. In some cases, doctors have treated children who experienced sei zures or respiratory arrest.
In May of 2022, a Montréal mother ad vised parents to teach their children about drug safety after her daughter and two other elementary school students were hospital ized for accidentally eating drug-laced candy. The children consumed candy from the floor of their school bus, and all three children fell ill and reacted severely to the cannabis.
While the culprit was not identified, the children’s school has since began raising awareness on the issue to prevent future re occurrences. Students are educated against consuming unknown food products that they encounter and are instructed to hand them over to adults. Parents have also been advised to teach their children about the con sequences of ingesting drugs.
There are various safety measures in place to protect children from accidentally ingest ing cannabis. According to Health Canada, cannabis products must be packaged in child-resistant containers. In addition, labels on the packaging must include the standard ized cannabis symbol, warnings about the impact of cannabis on health, and include specifically what the product is comprised of. The packaging should not include any popu lar characters or animals that can draw the attention of children.
Despite these precautions, with the rise in availability of edible cannabis products, many parents are on edge as Halloween ap
proaches. However, in reality, there are very few documented cases of children encoun tering such dangerous treats during Hal loween. While the consequences of children consuming cannabis are adverse, the chances of encountering drug-laced candies during Halloween is quite low.
For the events where children ingest drugs, the incident usually happens due to coinci dence. Notably, on October 16, 2022, a Mis souri, US, mother found cannabis gummy worms in her child’s Halloween stash. The police identified the case as standalone—the candies were not intentionally handed out to the child.
Regardless, it is safe practice to educate children on being cautious and to avoid con suming treats without investigating their ori gins and nature.
President Vladimir Putin threatens nuclear mobilization in the event of Ukrainian advances.
Kiara Senanayake Contributor
Tensions between Russia and the West are at an all-time high, as concerns of nuclear conflict continue. President Vladimir Putin has warned Ukraine and its allies in the West of nuclear retaliation if the state, including the recently an nexed regions of Ukraine, is threatened.
The Russian military deployment principles allow for the use of nuclear intervention if weapons of mass destruction— biological, chemical, or nuclear—are used against the state, or if a significant danger threatens the secu rity of Russia.
On October 24, the Russian Defence Min istry accused Ukraine of creating dirty bombs—explosives that contains powdered radioactive substances, such as uranium, from laboratories, hospitals, and nuclear power plants—with the intention of using them against Russian forces. As dirty bombs do not use refined radioactive substance, it is easier and faster to produce them compared to tradi tional nuclear weapons. The bombs can be trans ported using vehicles—they do not require missiles to carry them—and once detonated, causes radioactive
contamination in a large area around the epicentre. While the explosion itself causes minimal damage, the radiation will render the area uninhabitable for extended periods.
refined radioactive substance, it is easier and faster to produce them compared to traditional
Igor Kirilov, chief of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical and Bi ological Protection Forces, stated that “The purpose of this provocation is to accuse Russia of using weapons of mass destruction in the Ukrainian theatre of operations.” This claim has raised concerns that Putin is es tablishing the necessary pretext for the use of
Experts argue that it is unlikely that the conflict will devolve into a nuclear war, sug gesting that the risks outweigh the gains, as the human and diplomatic costs to Russia would be too great, and would undoubt edly force NATO’s direct intervention. Nev ertheless, experts acknowledge that Russia may be more likely to use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine to break stalemates or
Tactical nuclear weapons are small warheads—explosives that must be carried by missiles and rockets—designed to destroy specific targets with immaculate precisions, thus hav ing reduced radioactive fallout and explosive power. Thus, the destruction caused would be far less than the only two nuclear weapons that were used in combat, the “Fat Man” and the “Little Boy”, which obliterated the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima respectively in 1945.
US intelligence estimates that Russia possesses around 2,000 nuclear warheads that are ready for use. Although, if Russia proceeds to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, full scale nuclear conflict would not be ensured. While the US is prepared for the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the general aversion to using tactical nuclear weap ons displayed by the US in the past suggests that retaliation of the same scale is unlikely.
Nations across the world acknowledge the potential out break of nuclear warfare, but bureaucratic and diplomatic solutions remain the prime focus in deescalating the RussoUkrainian War.
“Experts argue that it is unlikely that the conflict will devolve into a nuclear war, suggesting that the risks outweigh the gains.”
“When children ingest edibles, their symptoms can be severe and life threatening.”
“In reality, there are very few documented cases of children encountering such dangerous treats during Halloween.”
According to a recent multi-source report from Hel loSafe, an insurance company, Canadians are expected to increase their Halloween spending by 28.4 per cent this year, with the report estimating that Canadians will spend $1.64 billion on Hal loween this October.
The bulk of the budget will be directed to wards costumes, which will cost $41.50 on aver age. Additional costs include an average of $22.40 on candies, $12.90 on activities, and $10.80 on decorations.
Over the month of October, $486 mil lion worth of candy is estimated to be sold across the nation. Despite a marked increase over the past two years, Cana dians will still be spending less than the $560 million spent on candy in 2019.
Of these businesses, 82.7 per cent reported delivery de lays, 78.3 per cent reported increased prices, and 72.3 per cent reported reduced access to supplies.
In particular, the production of candies is impacted by the harvesting of sugar in Brazil, which has decreased due to excess rainfall. Currently, Canada imports US$460.77 mil lion worth of sugar and sugar products from Brazil. University of Toronto economics professor Ange lo Melino offered his insight in an email interview with The Medium, stating: “Lack of sugar produc tion is certainly a problem but it’s important to re member that commodity prices are not typically volatile. The price of candy will not continue to increase 10 [to] 20 per cent per year.”
When asked what he predicts will happen to the economy and consumer behaviour in 2023, Professor Melino stated, “Relative prices have signifi cantly changed. The substitution ef fect only amplifies the problem since average workers are losing production power. We’re dealing with the kind of inflation where people will need to cut down on certain purchases.”
The Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIC) has launched what it calls a “shock campaign” against the trend of “sexy nurse” costumes. In a video posted to the organization’s YouTube channel, the OIIC criticized sexualized nurse cos tumes, saying they “devalue” nurses and suggested viewers to wear “real” nurse costumes instead. “The profession has evolved, but the stereotypes persist,” said president of the OIIC, Luc Ma thieu, in a press release on October 24, 2022. “Nurses are sci entific professionals, and their expertise should be known and valued. It’s time that perceptions change.”
Horses at Meadow Green Stables in Winnipeg got into the Hal loween spirit on October 23, 2022 by wearing costumes at the riding school’s bi-annual horse show, a tradition dating to 2001.
The event featured around 30 costumed horses, with outfits in cluding the Headless Horseman, Harry Potter, and a unicorn.
Meadow Green Stables president, Laurie Chia, explains in an in terview with Global News that the costumes help children con nect with the horses. “Both in the mental health arena, and also in the physical arena, the miracles that I’ve seen over the years with horses healing these children has been amazing,” says Chia.
A Saskatoon man has become a local celebrity for his extensive Halloween home decorations. On his house’s front yard, Patrick Stuike introduced “Mayhem on Matheson,” an interactive Hal loween labyrinth containing cobwebs, mobile decorations, and costumed helpers waiting to spook anybody who dares enter. Stuike explained in a CTV interview that he started experiment ing with Halloween displays after handing out candy to children turned stale. Throughout the years, he increased the scale of his displays. Stuike anticipates that over 1,000 people will experience his “Mayhem on Matheson” this year.
Shirley Hughes, the mother of one of serial killer Jeffrey Dah mer’s victims, is criticizing people who plan to dress up as the murderer for Halloween. Hughes, whose son was killed by Dah mer 31 years ago, says the costumes exploit victims and trauma tize their families. The costume’s popularity rose after Netflix re leased the crime drama series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022), which details Dahmer’s killings. In response to criticism from Hughes and others, several physical and online stores, in cluding eBay, have banned Dahmer costumes. However, sales of related items, including blonde wigs and wire-rimmed glasses resembling Dahmer’s, remain high.
Supply chain issues and inflation play a significant role in the increased spend ing. According to Statistics Canada, over the third quarter of 2022, 58.2 per cent of Canadian businesses experienced a rise in supply chain disruptions.
While consumers are eager to celebrate Halloween without public health restric tions, a greater budget will be needed to ad dress increasing prices resulting from infla tion and supply chain disruptions.
A Montréal man got a visit from police this October after hang ing a mannequin in his front yard. Mathew Farah, who thought the decoration was in the spirit of the season, was told by police to make it clear the decoration is staged. In response to the re quest, Farah has since added a sign on a nearby tree, reading “Fake :).” Regardless, the display has drawn complaints from neighbours, several commenting that the arrangement is in “bad taste.” Others have raised the concern that the display could be mistaken for a real person, prompting someone to call emer gency services.
Mihail Cubata Associate News Editor
“Lack of sugar production is certainly a problem but it’s important to remember that commodity prices are not typically volatile.”
“We’re dealing with the kind of inflation where people will need to cut down on certain purchases.”
Consumers are spending more on Halloween due to the return of large scale celebrations, inflation, and supply chain disruptions worldwide.DENNY MULLER/UNSPLASH
On October 24, 2022, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union’s (UTMSU) exec utive team, adorned with cow-printed bucket hats, loudly marched down the halls of the William G. Davis building, dropping their “Education for All” banner as the inaugural gesture for their namesake campaign. “Students are not cash cows and should not be treated as such,” exclaimed UTMSU Presi dent Maëlis Barre through a megaphone.
Barre shared with the students dining in the food court that “during the pandemic, we have seen an increase in tuition fees for international students by five point four per cent, […] and three per cent for out-of-province students, which is shameful.” She expressed that education “should be a right, and not a privilege.”
The UTMSU began lobbying the “Education for All” campaign, also known as the “Fight the Fees” campaign, in 2020. The campaign, originally launched by the CFS and adopted by the UTMSU, addresses educational and financial barriers expe rienced by current and future undergraduate stu dents at the university. In a conversation with The Medium, Alistair Kirk, the vice-president external for the UTMSU and the Ontario International Students Representative for the CFS, describes the “Education for All” campaign as a “long-term” proj ect—one of three he is in charge of.
In 2020, the initial lobby document, resulting from campaign efforts, outlined seven demands to the university administration. Demands included the immediate reduction of tuition fees, additional scholarships and awards, and the improvement of accessibility services, among others. The year’s end saw the resolution of one demand—departmental, stand-alone mental health counsellors—a tangible win for the UTMSU.
Kirk acknowledges that the bigger asks “take time.” Regarding the goal of reducing tuition fees for the university’s undergraduate students, Kirk says, “We know that there is going to be a lot of re sistance to a goal like this,” especially considering the provincial and federal changes needed.
external, stating, “The reason we continuously ad vocate for demands like these is because if we don’t continue the conversation, we can’t inspire the next generation to do this work.”
The UTMSU’s first and most ambitious goal, is exemplified in nations where post-secondary edu cation is free to its citizens—namely Finland, Den mark, Norway, and Germany, for example. Kirk also highlights a domestic example stating: “In Newfoundland and Labrador, in 2015, [the provin cial government] decided that all outstanding debts of students were going to be paid off from 2015 t0 2019, which only cost them 0.035 per cent of their [annual gross domestic product].” Kirk emphasizes that “free education” does not mean that inciden tal fees such as textbooks and amenities would be eliminated—instead, this amount would be “acces sible and bearable to students, without recurring interest.”
In early 2023, after collecting feedback from students through a survey, the UTMSU will lobby members of the governing council, academic and administrative departments, and the dean, to po tentially realize their goals. Kirk describes their current action plan to follow an “educate, agitate, and organize” structure—the next few months will propel the campaign forward through the first two strategies.
In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the “Education for All” campaign’s goals were revised to a total of five demands, including three long-term and two short-term aspirations. In the long-term, the UTMSU hopes the campaign efforts will reduce and gradually eliminate tuition fees for all students, convert loans into grants, and abolish out-of-prov ince tuition increases. Kirk realizes that these goals may be realized outside his tenure as vice-president
In the short term, the “Education for All” cam paign hopes to increase paid experiential learning and co-op opportunities, provide online course de livery options, improve accessibility services, and lastly, increase non-academic scholarships, espe cially for Black and Indigenous students.
With support from the other two campus stu dents’ unions, and the part-time and graduate stu dents’ unions, Kirk hopes this developing coalition of shared goals and problems will allow for greater change at the institutional level. Kirk also encour ages students to get involved by attending monthly commission meetings advertised on the UTMSU’s social media.
Reflecting on the ease of access to education in other countries, Kirk concludes, “So what makes Canada different? I think we should aspire to reach that level if we see ourselves as a leader of the world.”
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missed out on loving Canada’s conglomerate of Halloween can dies. Because of our diversity, our campus lacks a common favou rite candy bar, and we will never collectively agree on one candy as being the best.
Yet, there is one thing we can all agree on: size is king. There is no denying that across the world, full and king-sized chocolate bars are the crème of the crop. I’m sure you can recall that at the end of a long night of trick-or-treating, the one king-sized Coffee Crisp you scored easily beat out the 10 mini Coffee Crisps spread around the bottom of your candy bag. The joy you felt receiving a huge bar, of any kind, was more important than what the candy actually was.
When you were sorting through your candy and trading the bars you didn’t want with your friends, the rarefied items were always the king-sized bars. Even I can attest that a full or king-size bar of yucky Hershey’s is infinitely better than a dozen mini-bars of the wretched stuff.
“Even I can attest that a full or king-size bar of yucky Hershey’s is infinitely better than a dozen minibars of the wretched stuff.”
However, the size made the bar better on more than just the surface level. As children, we valued king-size more because we would remember who gave it to us. Every neighbourhood had a house that was notorious for handing out full-sized bars, and we would remember the delight on the adults’ faces when handing us that luxurious jumbo bar. They knew the happiness they were handing us, and we made a memory of them in return.
In October, every major grocery store greets its customers with a wall of candy. Brands like Nestlé, Hershey’s, Reese’s, and Mars fight for the centre placement on store shelves to sell more prod uct. But do any of us actually enjoy these candies? Is there a com mon favourite candy bar?
For those who grew up in Ontario, the bright red box of Nestlé assorted mini-bars reeks of Halloween nostalgia. But for me, Oc tober 31 is not Americanized: Hershey’s chocolate is not sold in Scotland, and I am part of the demographic who believes Her shey’s tastes like puke (and I am not sorry about it). The term “candy” wasn’t even in my vocabulary until I moved to Canada as a teenager. Instead, I grew up with “sweeties,” “sweets,” and “chocolate bars.”
“There is no denying that across the world, full and king-sized chocolate bars are the crème of the crop.”
Due to the University of Toronto’s vast immigrant and interna tional student population, I know I am not the only one who has
“From spooky jelly eyeballs to gummy bats, spiders, rats, and green sticky hands, these sweeties were my favourites because they were the most memorable.”
What I miss most about Halloween in Scotland are the unique sweets I would score throughout the night. From spooky jelly eye balls to gummy bats, spiders, rats, and green sticky hands, these sweeties were my favourites because they were the most memo rable. These “rares” instantly earned a higher ranking because they were harder to find in stores, which instantly set them apart from the hundreds of mini-bars waiting for you upon entry to any Walmart (or ASDA, for my fellow UK folks).
As Halloween grows and becomes more about profit every year, it’s the treats that make you feel joy that are the best. Although our campus does not share a love for one specific North American candy bar, we can agree that the most loved candies are those with the richest memories attached to them.
we can all agree on one thing: size is king.
Hema Ramnarine Staff Writer
A s a child, there were few days more exciting to me than Halloween. I looked forward to the 30 days of counting down to the celebration once October began. I watched decorations go up in my neighbourhood, bought and carved pumpkins, and figured out what I was going to dress up as (which was always some form of princess).
It was never a question for my parents whether my broth er and I would celebrate Halloween with our peers. When my grandparents immigrated to Toronto in the late 60s, they participated in Halloween, even though the holiday was not celebrated in their home country of Trinidad until recently. My mother and her sister grew up with costumes and trick-or-treating, and when my father came from Trin idad to Canada in the 90s, he also knew that his kids would experience Halloween just like the other Canadian kids.
“My parents have always done their best to make sure that my brother and I never felt excluded from activities that our peers were participating in.”
While I was initially surprised that Halloween wasn’t a very big celebration in Trinidad, upon reflection it made sense to me. Holidays that are tied to religion—like Christ mas and Easter—tend to have a greater presence in the Ca ribbean. Instead of religious foundations, Halloween was marked by the Celts at the transition from summer to the colder seasons, usually around the end of harvest time. Trinidad is an island with a relatively constant climate—a holiday marking the change of seasons wouldn’t have come
naturally. It makes sense that my grandparents and father weren’t exposed to Halloween outside of television.
“While they made sure that we experienced Canadian traditions, they also took care to see that our Trinidadian traditions weren’t ignored.”
Knowing that my father and grandparents had limited exposure to Halloween, I can look back and appreciate that my parents have always done their best to make sure that my brother and I never felt excluded from activities that our peers were participating in. My grandparents embraced holidays that they didn’t know of in Trinidad—like Hal loween and Thanksgiving—and my parents took that even further. We were enrolled in programs like Girl Guides and fencing (which I loved) and encouraged to go on our school’s camping trips and ski trips. With a little cajoling, my parents allowed us to go to friends’ parties and even sleepovers. Though it may not have felt like it at the time, in retrospect, my parents were definitely more lenient than they could have been.
While they made sure that we experienced Canadian traditions, they also took care to see that our Trinidadian traditions weren’t ignored. We fasted for Diwali, went to prayers held by family members, and grew up eating Trini dadian food.
For the majority of my life, this “exposure” to both cul tures has largely existed in the bubble of my own family, and I have the sense that this was a similar experience for other children of immigrants. “Traditional,” typically nonCanadian celebrations are carried out at home, and some families may or may not choose to engage in more main stream celebrations. Recently, however, I’ve noticed that the way things are celebrated is changing, and it’s going both ways.
As a tutor, I hear stories from my elementary school stu dents, and I have been pleasantly surprised to hear about how many learned about or participated in Diwali activities this past week. I’ve heard stories of teachers who typically don’t celebrate Diwali, Eid, or other holidays being cogni zant of them to support their students. Just as kids are en couraged to decorate their classrooms with pumpkins and skeletons this month, they were also encouraged to come to school in their traditional attire and talk to their classmates about what and how they are celebrating.
This kind of openness and eagerness for multicultural ism is not something I experienced when I was in grade school. Not out of malevolence—there just wasn’t much awareness. As time goes on, and the peers of my genera tion re-enter school—this time as teachers—I’m extremely gratified to see how our experiences as multicultural Ca nadians are informing our lessons for younger generation.
As for Halloween and Trinidad, I mentioned that it’s go ing both ways; in recent years, the holiday has taken root in the islands, mostly as a party event for clubs and fêtes. However, before Covid-19, more and more kids were start ing to get out, dress up, and trick-or-treat. I hope the cel ebrations resume this year. One of the benefits of a global ized world is that we can take part in everything our world has to offer in a fun and respectful way, while also embrac ing the traditions that define us.
“As time goes on, and the peers of my generation re-enter school—this time as teachers— I’m extremely gratified to see how our experiences as multicultural Canadians are informing our lessons for younger generation.”
Halloween spans beyond the horrific costumes and parties—it gives us a time to reflect on multiculturalism and traditions.
your identity without feeling otherized—because after all, if a man can dress up in an adult diaper and be “Boss Baby,” you have our permission to explore a new look.
With crowds of students flooding King Street West in costumes and cheap wigs, the annual dilemma of whether to attend lecture as a student or as inflatable Garfield is back. Of course, the choice is yours, but here at The Me dium, we believe that Halloween is the perfect time to explore
“Halloween emphasizes horror, identity, and transformation, making it a great holiday to explore who you want to be and who you feel you are.”
Halloween emphasizes horror, identity, and transforma tion, making it a great holiday to explore who you want to be and who you feel you are. Halloween is a chance to embody the looks of someone else for one night (or one weekend). It is an opportunity to explore an alternate identity—or even just a small part of it—and see if it makes you feel more con fident, comfortable, and happy with who you are.
But with this invitation to explore your identity, we urge you to be sensitive to the identities of others. Just because Justin Trudeau did it, doesn’t mean you should.
“Just because Justin Trudeau did it, doesn’t mean you should.”
With the free trial to a new self that Halloween li censes us with, it gives us the opportunity to see what we like. What we want for ourselves. It lets us peek into what a new makeup look, or an updated wardrobe, or a cool accent would look like in a positive light.
“With the free trial to a new self that Halloween licenses us with, it gives us the opportunity to see what we like.”
Many of us look forward to Halloween for months, because it’s the one holiday that gives us a chance to act or look dif ferent than what we are used to, and what others are used to seeing us as. And usually, the greater the transfor mation, the more positive the response. The Medium encourages you to take that step more often. To transform and change when you feel necessary. To be the new you, unapologetically.
Halloween is the season of trading candy with your friends, discovering razors or drugs in your Twiz zlers, and last-minute costumes. I don’t really remem ber Halloween as a child (aside from the getting into costume part). But what my family loves to bring up every single October is the time I went trick-or-treating in my aunt’s neighbourhood yelling, “I hate my life” be tween every house.
Let me tell you the story. One year, we were visiting family in the quiet town of Ajax. Every single house on the block was dark—not a single light on. Nobody wanted kids to come and beg for candy. We found a random children’s dress in my aunt’s house that I wore to be a “princess” and I went door-to-door trick-ortreating with my older cousins who were practically guilted into taking me. Little me hated my life, kicking and screaming as I sparsely filled my basket.
Ten years later and I have not heard the end of this story. It is quite literally etched into everyone’s minds, but as much as I find it a little “cringe” that I even threw tantrums on the street, I like hearing about it. It reminds me that we grow up, and moments of hardship—even as small as hating your Halloween costume—come to an end. So now, with school destroying my body and mind, memories like these remind me that relief and the end of the struggle will come.
It’s kind of odd how little-Halloween-Aia is teaching big-school-Aia new things every day. And most impor tantly, little-Aia reminds me that the bad and painful comes to an end, and the good comes out again.
By: Reid Fournier
tial—Halloween without decorations is like a pool party without a pool. Whether or not you’ve picked a particular theme, this is the perfect moment to test your creativ ity by completely transforming your venue.
If you’ve got a theme, you should commit to it and only use decorations that match your theme. For general Halloween deco rations, jack-o-lanterns, faux spider webs, cauldrons, and flying ghosts are standard.
H alloween, the spookiest time of the year, is characterized by trick-ortreating, horror movies, costumes, and of course, parties! You might be surprised, but planning the perfect party is no easy feat. Being a Halloween-party-expert my self, I hope to provide some tips on how to throw the best Halloween brawl of the year.
Theme: Every perfect party has a theme. Some would argue that Halloween itself is a theme, but a theme within a theme just adds to the fun and elevates the authentic ity of your get-together. A party based on a movie or franchise, like Scooby-Doo; a time period, like the 60s; or a monster, like vampires, will definitely take your party to the next level. Getting all your party guests to follow the theme will add amazing pho to-ops and an absurdly entertaining num ber of matching costumes.
Decorations: Now that you’ve got a party theme, you’re going to need deco rations to match. Decorations are essen
If you’re looking to give your guests a real fright, horror-movie monsters, zombies, vampires, fog, and black lights will help ac complish that.
Music: The atmosphere of your Hallow een party plays a significant role in how your guests interact and behave. Having a good playlist is the best way to establish your ideal Halloween party ambiance. The music doesn’t necessarily have to be Mon ster Mash-esque (unless that’s what you want); you should go with the type of mu sic you like, and that you know your guests will like. Whether you choose mellow tunes to encourage socialization, or upbeat songs to make everyone dance, your music should mostly stick to one vibe—not nec essarily one music genre though—to keep the energy consistent throughout the night.
Food and candy: If you’re throwing a party, chances are you and your guests might have aged out of trick-or-treating,
but that doesn’t mean Halloween sweets cravings have dissipated as well. A caul dron filled with assorted candy and choco late on a snack table is the best way to let your guests trick-or-treat without the awk wardness of going door-to-door. The snack table should also have general party foods like chips and salsa, and appetizers. You can get creative by researching Halloweenthemed food ideas, like monster cookies, severed-finger hotdogs, spider pizza, and other spooky treats. But keep in mind, some guests may not be too keen on eating foods that look like brains or eyeballs, so try to have a variety of Halloween-themed, and non-Halloween-themed foods for ev eryone to enjoy. On top of the treats, you need to make sure you place drinks of all kinds at the snack table to make sure your guests stay hydrated.
Games: Although activities and games are often regarded as being reserved for children’s parties, having fun games for your guests to play is an effective way of bringing the energy up. After all, it was the games that saved Charlie Brown’s Hal loween in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1996) from being completely di sastrous. These games can be as complex as a murder mystery, pumpkin carving contests, or a scavenger hunt, or as simple as trivia, apple bobbing, or charades. You know your guests the best, so try to plan something you know they’ll enjoy.
Movie: As the night winds down and ev eryone begins to leave, your closest friends might stay behind to help clean things up. An impromptu movie night with your besties is a great way to spend the last few hours of Halloween. These movies can range from horror and slasher films like Scream (1996), or fun animated films like Coraline (2009) or ParaNorman (2012).
If you’ve checked all of these boxes, your party is guaranteed to be memorable. As shown in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, all you really need to have fun on Halloween is a good set of friends. Even if things go wrong or stray from your ideal plans, it won’t matter as long as your friends are still there to savour the day with you. Your party could be mundane or ex travagant, or there could be no party at all; all you really need for the perfect Hallow een are people that you truly enjoy spend ing time with.
“Even if things go wrong or stray from your ideal plans, it won’t matter as long as your friends are still there to savour the day with you. ”
What makes the perfect Halloween party? Is it the theme? The décor? The music? The sweets?
article is the perfect guide for the perfect Halloween party.EVGENYATA MANENKO/ISTOCK
Juliana Stacey Senior Copy Editor
When I first began my studies at the University of To ronto Mississauga (UTM), a family friend told me that I simply could not miss out on taking a class with Dr. Chris Koenig-Woodyard. I took her advice and enrolled in his sec ond-year British literature class (ENG203); then I signed up for his class on the Brontë sisters (ENG315), in my third year. When I saw that he would be teaching a fourth-year seminar focusing on “Monsters and Monstrosity” (ENG473), I built my schedule to accommodate taking it—I was not missing out on this course, even if it meant having a full day of classes with no breaks in between.
“Dr. Koenig-Woodyard’s classes breathe new life into the experience of being an English major.”
While many may associate English classes with Shake speare, too many readings, and sheer boredom, Dr. KoenigWoodyard’s classes breathe new life into the experience of being an English major. In his 20 years of teaching in the Department of English and Drama at UTM, Dr. KoenigWoodyard has covered a vast array of topics, including monsters, Lady Gaga, Dungeons and Dragons, Jane Austen, and Stranger Things, with some of his primary focuses being gothic literature and monster studies. His passion for goth ic and romantic literature began during his undergraduate studies, when he encountered the unfinished Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem, Christabel.
“Gothic literature, as a genre, is filled with mystery and suspense; because of how ambiguous it can be, the genre asks you to investigate loose ends and think critically.”
“[Christabel is] a very strange, unusual, mysterious poem. It’s not finished, so the plot doesn’t resolve, and as a read er, you’re left with all these open-ended questions, and so it teaches you how to think about ambiguity and obscurity. It doesn’t give you canned answers,” he shares. Dr. KoenigWoodyard soon learned that gothic litera ture, as a genre, is filled with mystery and suspense; because of how ambiguous it can be, the genre asks you to investigate loose ends and think critically. “It might seem like critical thinking is really far away from gothic horror stories, but criti cal thinking is really about being able to take massive amounts of information that aren’t sorted, [that] don’t make sense try ing to organize them, [and] trying to fig ure them out,” he explains.
After receiving an Honours Bachelor of Arts from Wilfred
Laurier University, and a Master of Arts from the Univer sity of Western Ontario, Dr. Koenig-Woodyard made his way to Oxford. In England, he took research classes and studied bibliography (book history). “I thought I would write books,” Dr. Koenig-Woodyard says, reflecting on his time earning a Master of Studies and a Doctor of Philosophy. “I was in English, but I totally thought I was going to spend my life in libraries,” he admits.
After graduation, Dr. Koenig-Woodyard travelled back to Canada and began to teach—a process which he says was, and continues to be, a “perpetual apprenticeship.” Despite having self-doubts about his teaching skills early on, Dr. Koenig-Woodyard fell in love with the profession. He began to take classes in public speaking, assignment design, and course construction. Even today, he continues to read and write about pedagogy and teaching.
“I went to universities—sometimes they were very big uni versities—but they had very small classes and the professors were really committed professionally and personally to what was happening in the class,” says Dr. Koenig-Woodyard. “So, there was a tremendous amount of support, and I realized it wasn’t just academic support [and] support for assign ments—that they were there to teach the whole person and not just a student,” he explains, emphasizing the importance of getting to know his students and learning about their indi vidual educational journeys.
These lessons translate directly into his classrooms, where Dr. Koenig-Woodyard is known both for his “pedagogy of care,” and his ability to weave past with present, drawing comparisons between classic novels like Jane Eyre and more current film franchises like Twilight (2008). His classes reflect the varying nature of English literature, while demonstrating his willingness to modify his course content to match current trends, and even the interests of his students.
“It’s hard to stay on top of new music, new movies, and new TV shows and video games. So, I read widely. I read a lot of reviews of TV shows, movies, [and] video games, [focus ing on] the ones that seem to be talked about the most, or just catch my interest,” shares Dr. Koenig-Woodyard. This is how courses like ENG383: Lord Byron and Lady Gaga: Celebrity, Persona and Genre were born. “I don’t always have every thing figured out and I allow for the possibility of brand-new things that excite me and scare me a little bit [because] I don’t always know exactly how to do them,” he says, “You just have to be open.”
While he loves building courses and teaching material that he’s passionate about, Dr. Koenig-Woodyard reveals that he places an equal amount of importance on his time with his students. “It’s an absolute privi lege to spend a lifetime with students who are figuring out and finding ideas, politics, making friends, figuring out opinions about the world,” Dr. Koenig-Woodyard says.
“There’s so much energy and electricity in spending your life around people [during] this formative experience, and U of T students are the best students in the world,” he finishes.
Dr. Koenig-Woodyard talks about being open to change, connecting with students, and how staying up-to-date with trends informs his teaching.SAMIRA KARIMOVA/THE
On this windy autumn evening, all I could think of was sleep. It was 11 p.m. and I had just gotten home from a long day at work. Despite the current mess my room was in, I was going to have the best sleep of my life, even if it meant sleeping next to my pile of unfolded laundry. I removed my ragged Adidas Gazelles at the entrance, locked the door, and walked up the squeaky stairs.
Clic-Clac-Clic-Clac.
I heard footsteps coming from my own room. Who could it be?
Once I grabbed my doorknob, goosebumps ran down my spine. My gut was telling me not to open this door. But like the stubborn girl I am, I did it anyway.
After taking a deep breath, I entered my bedroom only to see the single most hor rifying scene in my life: a herd of life-sized Barbie dolls wandering in my room. Some were lying in my bed, faceless and twitching. Others were standing on my wooden floor, headless, and marching in all directions. Terrified, I dropped my keys, making a noise that alarmed the evil dolls who had invaded my room. The ones on my bed sat up before turning their heads toward me. The wandering ones stopped marching for a second before heading toward me.
I picked up my keys in a hurry, closed my door, and locked my bedroom. I then sprinted across the hallway to get help from my roommate. I banged on her door, hyperventilating from fear.
“Kathy! Help!” I screamed as hot tears ran down my cheeks.
She opened the door, munching on something so hard that her jaw muscles popped out a few times. I entered her room, quickly shutting her door, ensuring that the Bar bie dolls didn’t enter.
“What’s wrong?” Kathy asked, while returning to the messy desk facing her pink wall. She continued munching while I tried to catch my breath.
“It’s… it’s…the B-b-barbies…in my room!” I screamed.
“Oh, them… don’t be scared, they’re delicious!” she responded.
“Delicious?” I inquired.
Kathy then turned around with a plate in her hands. In it was a cut-up Barbie head, seemingly removed from the mutilated marching dolls I had found in my room. I could see the veins on her forehead as she chewed. I looked at my roommate in fright and fainted right there, next to her door.
I woke up to the smell of fresh sandalwood. To my surprise, I was lying in my bed wearing my pyjamas instead of my work attire. My room was clean and free from any evil dolls, which I assumed (and hoped) Kathy had taken care of. I then heard an over powering noise coming from downstairs. It was the sound of the front door slamming. I swallowed my saliva and for the first in my life, I prayed that it was someone breaking
Midnight runs to McDonald’s were a religious activity in the Rai household. Mostly because McD’s just hits different during the witching hour… and the little-to-no queues.
A few days before Halloween, on a random Wednesday after binging the Harry Pot ter series all day, my sisters and I went to get Oreo McFlurries and fries—a must-try combination—at around 2:30 a.m.
When we pulled up to the McDonald’s drive-thru, it was vacant—as expected. I parked at the menu board and waited for the sound of the microphone to greet me.
“Hello?” I spoke, after a minute.
I impatiently drove through to the first window. It was dark inside.
“Bro, let’s just go inside,” my sister, Ben, said eagerly.
I parked the car, and we all headed toward the entrance.
The eatery was ill-lit and empty. The only light came from the food preparation area in the back. The smell of salty fries and cheap bleach was strong. There was an eerie silence. There were no customers or employees in sight.
“Uhhh, hello?” my youngest sister, Jas, asked to no one in particular. “Are they closed?”
“No, it said they’re open 24 hours on Google,” I replied.
“Okay, well I don’t see anyone. Let’s just go home, this place is giving me the creeps.” Jas always got spooked quickly.
After looking around one last time, we all agreed and headed toward the exit.
We walked past the dining area, but stopped abruptly after hearing unfamiliar sounds.
Gurgle. Stomp. Splash.
“Okay what the fuck was that?”
Our heads jerked towards the restrooms. The hallway leading to the men’s room had a faint glow coming from under the door—the only other source of light.
“Hello?” Ben yelled.
“Bro shut up. Let’s just leave,” I said panicking. The sounds were suddenly replaced by footsteps.
BANG We all jumped, as the bathroom door opened.
A dark silhouette with a stick in its left hand appeared before us. I couldn’t make out their face, but the body shape indicated it was a man. He was hunched over, and I glimpsed at what resembled a jumpsuit.
I heard Jas whisper beside me, “Can we leave now?”
I slowly nodded, and we all ran out the doors.
“Oh my God, I swear that was Michael Myers,” said Ben.
“Ben, seriously, shut the fuck up,” I replied.
When we got to our car, I unlocked the doors and looked back. The figure stood in front of the door. From what I could see, he was a creepy, wrinkled old guy in an all-black uniform, wear ing a black hat with the McDonald’s logo on it, and holding a plunger.
“It is Michael Myers,” I realized.
It was midnight a decade ago, and my older sister and I went ghost hunting. We had just moved into our new house from an apartment, so the idea of basements was entirely foreign to us. Of course, having watched too much TV, we just assumed that all basements were haunted. Plus, my sister said she read it in a book, so, to little me, that was solid proof.
We also got a bunny when we moved in. We used to keep her pen in the basement, along with all her toys.
Mind you, this was back when flashlight apps on iPod touches were peak technology. Having said that, we did what any other tech-savvy ghost hunter would do—we downloaded our flashlight app and ghost de tector app, and began ghost hunting in our basement. I insisted that we get a little snazzy with it, so we turned on night vision mode, making the scene green.
Not long into the hunt, we started hearing little taps. Neither of us would admit we were scared. I felt some thing tickle my feet. I whispered to my sister (I didn’t want to spook the ghost), but we couldn’t see anything with our sophisticated set up. My sister felt something claw her leg—it was definitely a ghost.
We ran through the dark, straight to bed, frightened. The basement was haunted, we concluded.
The next morning, we made a ghost-battle plan (we even drew it out on chart paper). But first, we had to save our bunny from the perils of the mysterious entity.
We headed to the basement only to see our bunny’s cage open, her small body cozied up on the ground outside the cage.
I guess it would be logical to say that she was the one tickling our feet with her whiskers and rearing on my sister’s leg, but I must say, it was exhilarating to think we had seen a ghost.
“W ould you help me with these posters?” a stranger asked, stopping me as I walked down the hallway.
I had no clue where I was heading.
“You just need to stick them onto the wall. Simple task,” she said.
I nodded.
She stood so close to me that I could feel the tex ture of her clothes—the soft chiffon touched my skin. Her fragrance reminded me of the roses that I planted in my backyard when I was a kid—the scent of home. Her familiarity made me want to do every thing she said, or simply be around her.
“Here, just take these posters and use the tape, okay?” she asked.
I grabbed the posters and looked up, but I couldn’t see her face clearly—her face was blurry.
As she said, it was a simple task. Within a few minutes, I had stuck all the posters up on the wall. I quickly realized that these posters were printed pic tures of different people. Their faces were so familiar, but I just couldn’t think of their names.
leaned forward and held my hand. Her voice was so soft that I drowned in its tenderness. My body re laxed. Now I knew what she felt like: the breeze of a sunny autumn day.
gently touched my face.
to forget everything you know in this world—all the places that you’ve been, all the people that you’ve met, but most im portantly, all the things that you’ve expe rienced,” she said. She sounded so emo tional, almost like she was about to cry.
she added. Her voice was so firm, but I felt a sense of empathy in it.
flowed like a river. As I lost con sciousness, I started to see her face clearer.
Simran Rattanpal Contributor
iving in the countryside, it is not uncommon to see something suspicious in your backyard. This particularly spooky encounter happened over the summer, in the middle of the night.
That night, my younger sister called me many times. When I finally picked up the phone, she spoke in hushed tones and made no mention as to why she needed me, but begged me to come up to her room. She would not hang up until I finally said okay.
As I walked into her bedroom, she immediately told me to look through the window. No one lives anywhere near our backyard, so when I saw a light beaming from the middle of the forest, I freaked out. It could have been anything from a person to some sort of ghost—the light seemed to be floating in place.
We rushed downstairs to see if the light looked dif ferent from the bay windows on the main floor, but it seemed to be shining from the same, random spot in
Noticing that the light was brighter, we immedi ately started running upstairs to wake our parents up and alert them. But, as soon as my sister and I got to the hallway by our parents’ room, the light from the
>> GHOSTS continued from page 01
It is important to address the reasons behind our curiosity of paranormal activity, however, it’s quite simple: to explain the unexplainable. “The use of reason and the rational fac ulties only go so far in explaining the spooky and the scary, and this is where and why the ‘paranormal’ and ‘parapsy chology’ come in,” explains Professor Kaplan. “The para normal says that there are scientific anomalies that do not conform to the norms and conventions of the day, that do not go along with the scientific paradigms that govern the current understanding of the world.” Among paranormal cases, Professor Kaplan explains that ghost sightings are probably the most popular. This is especially true around this time of year, regardless of whether the claims are real or hoaxed.
“The use of reason and the rational faculties only go so far in explaining the spooky and the scary.”
There is a great deal of controversy regarding spirit pho tography’s legitimacy. Skepticism is common, as people often doubt the images of ghosts, especially with the rise
in easily accessible technology used to edit images. “Spirit photographers have always been vague and unclear as to their exact methods,” explains Professor Kaplan. The lack of detailed methodology may be the reason behind the height ened skepticism in spirit photography. Or perhaps the skep ticism stems from a history of controversial hoaxes.
“Spirit photographers have always been vague and unclear as to their exact methods.”
Spirit photography emerged in the mid-1800s in Boston and was first developed by William Mumler. Mumler and his wife Hannah found interest in the movement of spiritu alism, which believed that individuals could communicate with the dead through various mediums and intermediar ies, like photography. Mumler produced a series of para normal photographs, including one of former President Lincoln’s spirit overseeing his mourning widow.
“Mumler got himself into trouble when it was found that a couple of the spirits in his photographs were actually still alive.”
“Mumler got himself into trouble when it was found that a couple of the spirits in his photographs were actu ally still alive,” shares Professor Kaplan. Framed as a sting operation by the New York mayor’s office in 1869, Mumler was brought to trial—a case Professor Kaplan details in his aforementioned book. “At Mumler’s sensational trial, the prosecution brought forward nine different methods that the spirit photographer could have used to fake the results,” details Professor Kaplan. For example, the court investigat ed darkroom manipulations, the use of previously prepared plates, and even sleight of hand at the time the photograph was taken. However, Professor Kaplan reveals that, “ironi cally, because the prosecution could not figure out exactly how Mumler did the trick, Justice Dowling had no choice but to set the accused spirit photographer free.”
“There are always new technological devices ready to be haunted—from analog to digital photography, from the video camera to the smartphone, as well as cybernetic ghosts on the internet.”
The way that we trail spirits, as well as the way that spir its haunt, has changed over time with the help of new and advanced technology. “The idea of the ‘ghost in the ma chine’ does not stay the same because there are always new technological devices ready to be haunted—from analog to digital photography, from the video camera to the smart phone, as well as cybernetic ghosts on the internet,” says Professor Kaplan.
Although popular reality television shows like Most Haunted and Ghost Hunters still use cameras in the docu mentation of paranormal activity, new devices have come into play. “Negative ion-detectors [are] supposed to tell us that there are ghosts in the air when the levels [of ions] are higher than normal,” says Kaplan. “Thermal cameras and Electronic Voice Phenomena recorders are other new-fan gled devices for capturing paranormal phenomena.” Ther mal cameras have many uses, typically for surveillance and building inspections, but have found a new use in ghost hunting. While humans glow red from warmth through a thermal lens, our spectral friends create unexplained cold
spots. Electronic Voice Phenomena recorders on the other hand, have been developed specifically to record hauntings. The device works to detect audio that is inaudible during an original recording.
“While humans glow red from warmth through a thermal lens, our spectral friends create unexplained cold spots.”
The spooky season has yet again put classic horror mov ies at the top of Netflix’s recommended page, most of which involve cases of paranormal hauntings. The one that in stantly comes to mind is the dramatic reiteration of the in vestigation of the Perron family’s haunting in The Conjuring (2013). Images of the Perron children in mid-air still haunt my mind. However, the photographs have been scrutinized since skeptics believe that to fake the images and achieve the desired effect, children were instructed to jump off their beds. This Halloween, indulge in your curiosity and explore your beliefs in the paranormal. Seek out the stories of the first spirit photographer William Mumler, or the haunting of the Perron family and make up your own mind. Can spirits really be captured on film?
Professor Louis Kaplan explores the origin and evolution of paranormal images.WILLIAM H. MUMLER, CA. 1870 MARY LINCOLN AND GHOST OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN WIKIMEDIA COMMONS WILLIAM H. MUMLER, 1862-1875 JOHN J. GLOVER THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM | Julia Skoczypiec Meghna Parhar Contributor
When I think of Halloween TV specials, I think of The Addams Family (1991) theme song—they’re creepy, kooky, mysteri ous, and all together spooky.
Mid-series Halloween episodes are a fa mous TV trope that play off of the holiday’s yearly traditions. Often, our beloved charac ters appear in costumes, trek through haunt ed houses, and decorate schools and offices in a black and orange ribbon extravaganza. Through revamped theme music and cameos from ghosts and ghouls, Halloween specials offer a nostalgic celebration.
The absence of normality makes a Hallow een episode special. Most shows do not follow their usual series programming when featur ing our favourite spooky holiday. The special is often treated as either a prank or a dream to invalidate any odd or supernatural happen ings. Monsters and magic can take over a full 30-minute episode without creating any longlasting impacts. This way, Halloween specials do not interfere with the story arc of a series.
Whether you choose to watch them at ran dom or every time October 31 rolls around, one of the best things about Halloween spe cials is that you’ll never get bored of them. From the kings and queens of sitcoms to Dis ney’s biggest stars, here are a few of the most
horrifyingly humorous Halloween specials of all time.
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody—(Sea son 1, Episode 19) “The Ghost of Suite 613”
For many Family Channel fanatics, this episode is a Disney Channel classic and one of the most popular Halloween episodes of all time. We follow the Martin brothers, Zack (Dylan Sprouse) and Cody (Cole Sprouse)— along with our Tipton regulars—as they in vestigate a rumour surrounding the infamous Suite 613. On the whim of a $5 bet, and with the help of Esteban Julio Ricardo de la Rosa
Montoya Rodriguez (Adrian R’Mante), the gang attempts to connect with the ghost of Irene—a guest who supposedly died in the room. While the twins initially don’t believe the haunted tale, they are forced to investigate the rumour when their friends and belong ings disappear.
Friends—(Season 8, Episode 6) “The One with the Halloween Party”
With Monica Geller (Courteney Cox) as the ultimate party host, our six beloved friends learn how to throw an adult Hallow een party. From classic costumes like Moni
ca’s Catwoman and Phoebe’s (Lisa Kudrow) Supergirl, to kooky costumes like Ross’ (Da vid Schwimmer) Spud-nik and Chandler’s (Matthew Perry) unfortunate attempt at the Velveteen Rabbit, the Central Perk crew en tertains us through yet another memorable night in Apartment 20. Don’t blink! You might miss everyone’s favourite evil twin, a cameo from Sean Penn, and an arm wrestle without a winner.
Peanuts—”It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”
Considered a “TV movie,” this special has been a Halloween re-run for over 40 years. From 1966 to 2022, our adorable Peanuts favourites have taken us on timeless adven tures. Some activities—like raking leaves with Charlie (Peter Robbins) and Snoopy (Bill Melendez) and searching a pumpkin patch to find the perfect jack-o-lantern with Linus (Christopher Shea) and Lucy (Sally Dryer)—will forever tug on our inner-child heartstrings.
Halloween specials allow us to embrace the strange and the spooky—all while celebrating with our favourite TV characters. No matter the series, each fictional character deserves a day of candy-filled festivities just like we de serve ours. This year, don’t forget to play some tricks, stick your fangs into some treats, and enjoy a night in or out with your best boo’s. Remember: you’re never too old to celebrate Halloween.
Halloween is the time for consuming a ridiculous amount of candy, dressing up as the scariest clown, and bingeing your favorite Halloween flick. While many classic Halloween films are worth the binge, the original Hocus Pocus, released in 1993, has been known for its comedic twist on spooky stereotypes.
On September 30, 2022, Hocus Pocus 2, the highly anticipated sequel to its original Halloween classic, was released on Dis ney+. Directed by Anne Fletcher, the three chaotic Sandersons reignite their iconic power trio. The film brings back the head witch, Winifred Sanderson (Bette Midler) and her two side kicks, Sarah Sanderson (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary Sand erson (Kathy Najimy).
“This sequel is a continuation of the first Hocus Pocus.”
The family-favorite classic centres around a high school girl, Becca (Whitney Peak), who aspires to become a witch and un intentionally lights a magical, spirit-raising candle—“The Black Flame Candle.” Its flame summons the Sanderson sisters. Becca then sets off on a mission to stop the three witches from feeding on children and creating havoc in Salem. This sequel is a con
tinuation of the first Hocus Pocus. Its opening scene begins with a flashback to 1653 and touches on the story of how the Sander son sisters became independent witches. Moving into the pres ent, the film bends time to tell a heartfelt story of a high school girl who—with help from her friends Cassie (Lilia Bucking ham) and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo)—navigates her newfound, inner witch strength and saves her town.
Aside from the return of the original actresses who play the legendary Sanderson sisters, the sequel features significant
changes through its modern portrayal. Setting different themes, tones, and language, Hocus Pocus 2 targets a newer generation but does not forget about its original fans. Becca’s character ca ters more to gen-Z viewers, representing the struggles that come with high school friendships and finding one’s purpose. On the contrary, the Sanderson sisters represent the timelessness of lifelong relationships through a hit-home message: “you are never too old to believe in the impossible.” Through hilarious scenes—like that of the aged witches attempting to use Apple’s Siri—the film further blends old and young.
“Becca’s character caters more to gen-Z viewers, representing the struggles that come with high school friendships and finding one’s purpose.”
I, like many others, am a sucker for musicals. When I heard one of my favourite tunes playing, I screamed internally. I won’t spoil the name of the song, but I know many of you Blondie fans will not be disappointed to hear the modern rendition.
Who doesn’t love a good Halloween witch adaption? Al though the original version will stay superior, Hocus Pocus 2 does not disappoint. If you need a chaotic, cute, family-friendly, and magical movie to watch this spooky season, this Sanderson sisters’ sequel is for you.
Exploring some of pop culture’s most memorable and hilariously spooky TV Halloween episodes. Halloween specials—a trick and a treat?
The actress’ beloved role in the cherished mystery series has reshaped female cinema and captured fans worldwide.
Hannah Grace Wang ContributorBritish-Irish-American actress Angela Lansbury, known for her starring role as Jessica Fletcher in the 12 season crimemystery TV series Murder, She Wrote, passed away on October 11, 2022, days before her 97th birthday. Her legacy lives on in the beloved show that sets a new precedent for female detectives and continues to influence crime-solving dramas.
“Her legacy lives on in the beloved show that sets a new precedent for female detectives and continues to influence crimesolving dramas.”
Lansbury’s admirable career in acting—both on stage and screen—earned her 18 Emmy nominations, 6 Tony awards, and an Oscar. She was also well-known for her performance as Mrs. Potts in the 1991 Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast. As the classy but attentive Jessica Fletcher, Lansbury pioneered a new era of fashion for female detectives in film and television. In an interview with The Guardian, Lisa Dresner, an author and associate English professor at Hofstra University in New York, “believes that Jessica Fletcher gave permission for other shows to cast women in traditionally male roles.”
Dresner further stated that through the portrayal of educated and skillful women with wardrobes that do not draw atten
tion to their bodies, viewers can “broaden” their “possibilities for identification.” In a 1992 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Eilish Zebrasky, the costume designer for Murder, She Wrote, emphasized that “less is best” when speaking of Jessica Fletcher’s detective couture. According to the article, Zebrasky’s designer expertise catered to Lansbury’s age while rep resenting trends that strayed from “a lot of ruffles, busy prints, heavy jewelry and muddy col ors”—styles that are most known to define older women. Since Jessica Fletcher is not a detective who wears glamourous clothing, many audiences have found her to be a re latable character. And as an added bonus, her style helps disguise her during crimesolving quests.
Elegant and unapologetic, Lansbury is the definition of a woman who has aged gracefully. In a 2012 interview with The Gen tlewoman, Lansbury said, “[My influence is] only by dint of being a certain age and having the bearing of a younger person. I don’t do it consciously or for effect. I just act the way I feel, and I don’t feel physical ly old.” Even at the age of 96, Lansbury wholeheartedly accepted new acting roles. A few months before her passing, Lansbury was featured in Rian Johnson’s 2022 crime film, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
In a statement to her millions of fans after the television se ries Murder, She Wrote end
ed in 1996, Lansbury’s farewell tribute read, “My dearest wish is that those who enjoyed Jessica’s adventures will remember her as I do: an active, mature woman, possessed of courage, inde pendence, and wit, broad-minded and young at heart, a cham pion of the wrongfully accused.” Lansbury will be forever re membered as a figure of empowerment for women in film. Her long-time career has created hope for older women in the industry, showing that age should not limit one’s successes in Hollywood.
Cristina Pincente Contributor
Why do we enjoy reading horror nov els? In his essay, “Why We Crave Hor ror Movies,” Stephen King poses a similar question. He explains that, although we do not often seek horror, we watch scary mov ies to ride the roller coaster of fear and show ourselves that we are not afraid. King also states that we are all insane to some degree. He says, “The potential lyncher is in all of us […], and every now and then, he has to be let loose to scream and roll around in the grass.”
“The potential lyncher is in all of us […], and every now and then, he has to be let loose to scream and roll around in the grass.”
What inspires people to write horror nov els? Like the birth of Mary Shelley’s monster, Frankenstein, Robert Louis Stevenson’s nov el, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,
was based on a dream. Focusing on Mr. Hyde—a character that embodies two people in one—the novel’s chilling horror becomes apparent though Mr. Hyde’s appearance, his eerie crimes, and his animalistic behaviour. Published in 1886, Stevenson’s writing is
based on his fascination with the “dividedself”—a theme that references the people of Victorian England, a time of much evolution and self-discovery. In Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson’s mysterious tone never satisfies the reader’s curiosity— until the end.
gothic atmosphere with evil forebodings. While reading, I continually felt the anticipa tion of something wicked.
Dr. Jekyll’s evil identity, Mr. Hyde, sym bolizes sin, secret vices, and haunting night mares. Stevenson’s writing suggests that every man has the capacity for evil, but not every man is haunted by his sins outside of himself. Through scenes that depict murder, Stevenson builds on the horrors associated with Mr. Hyde. He emphasizes that, despite the goodness within Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde is always lurking.
Stevenson’s use of doubling characterizes the novel’s detective fiction genre. According to Reference, “doubling in literature occurs when a pair of characters can be described as two sides of the same coin.” Stevenson provides readers with duplicate accounts of the same case, telling the story through three perspectives. Although he writes in the third person, most events follow Mr. Utterson—an admirable lawyer who’s determined to un cover the truths behind the one-man-double, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Through somber conversations and depictions of rainy Lon don streets, Stevenson masterfully sets the
In today’s society, it often seems like we only accept our positive displays of emo tions—feelings such as love, loyalty, and kindness. But our ‘’anticivilization emo tions’’—as King puts it—don’t just disappear. We try to repress them, but they “demand periodic exercise.” Horror films and novels, like Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, allow us to appeal to the workings of our sometimes-twisted minds.
“Lansbury will be forever remembered as a figure of empowerment for women in film.”
“Stevenson’s mysterious tone never satisfies the reader’s curiosity—until the end.”
Stevenson’s Victorian novel continues to frighten and intrigue readers.
T here is something so satisfying about sitting on the couch, turning on Net flix, and flipping to a docuseries. Docu mentaries aim to entertain viewers through facts. Instead of binge-watching dramas or comedies, some audiences find the educa tional value of a docuseries to be a better use of their time. Still, docuseries are at the mercy of directors’, producers’, and audi ence’s biases. I often wonder: should the in formation provided in docuseries be taken at face value or with a grain of salt?
“Still, docuseries are at the mercy of directors’, producers’, and audience’s biases.”
In March of 2020, when Covid-19 shut down most forms of entertainment, Net flix released Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, directed by Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin The docuseries show cased Joe Exotic, a colourful, private zoo owner, and his eventual imprisonment for hiring two men to murder “Big Cat Rescue” owner, Carol Baskin. The tale of Exotic and Baskin immediately went viral. Although the show originally presented itself as a conservation docuseries—highlighting the unethical treatment of animals in private zoos—the focus quickly shifted to villain izing Carol Baskin.
In a book titled Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness: A Docalogue, au thor Tanya Horeck contributes a chapter that discusses the gender politics of Tiger
King based on a trending hashtag: #car olbaskinkilledherhusband. Through the documentary director’s focus on the dis appearance of Baskin’s husband in the late 1990s—rather than the crimes committed by Exotic—the internet turned to creating the zoo owner into a folk anti-hero, and Baskin into a villain. Some fans even asked the former US president Donald Trump to pardon Exotic of his crimes.
“The internet turned to creating the zoo owner into a folk antihero, and Baskin into a villain.”
While Tiger King has little to say about the importance of wildlife conservation, there are less extreme examples related to the lack of well-represented information in Netflix true crime docuseries. In his latest installment of Conversations with a Killer, filmmaker Joe Berlinger features infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes series is the third interac tion of Berlinger’s Netflix docuseries, the first two focusing on Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy
“It’s a common trend for the filmmaker to create a sympathetic tone for the murderer when discussing their lives. But why?”
Berlinger’s Conversations with a Killer series presents tapes and archival footage of each notorious killer. In both Bundy and Dahmer, the episodes follow the sub jects’ lives, attempting to understand their motivations. The Dahmer tapes feature in
terviews with his defence lawyers, Wendy Patrickus and Gerald Boyle. Both lawyers describe Dahmer as either “a nice man” or “very polite.” I find that in true crime docu mentaries, docuseries, and biopics, it’s a common trend for the filmmaker to create a sympathetic tone for the murderer when discussing their lives. But why?
Based on how crimes are portrayed, au diences form emotional opinions about the subjects of these documentaries. Dahmer is often characterized as a lonely, closeted, queer man who loves his grandmother, just as Ted Bundy is often shown as a handsome and charismatic law student. While anyone should be horrified by the crimes commit ted by Dahmer and Bundy, the inclusion of their dispositions outside of their criminal activities plays with the emotions of the audience. It does not serve the victims to spend so much time on a criminal’s “nonthreatening” personality.
Just as Dahmer and Bundy are the centre of docuseries, they are also high
lighted in their own biopics. Berlinger’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) and Dahmer–Monster: The Jef frey Dahmer Story (2022), created by Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy, cast beloved actors like Zac Efron (Bundy) and Evan Peters (Dahmer). Although the historical information provided within these biop ics and docuseries is mostly accurate, the overly-emotional representation of each killer leads audiences to sympathize with the murderers rather than the victims.
The information provided in a docu series is at the mercy of its directors. The knowledge passed on to viewers is based on fact, but is riddled with suggestion. So, my question remains: should these facts be taken at face value? There is nothing wrong with watching a docuseries, but due to a slew of biases from both the filmmakers and the audience, there are evident flaws. My advice is to keep enjoying the guilt-free, docuseries binge, but also to do a little ex tra reading on the side.
and analyzing the “facts” in some of Netflix’s most popular docuseries.
Modification: hold a half squat position isometrically for 30 seconds.
>> SUGAR-BINGE continued from page 01
To those with health conditions that may compromise the ability to exercise, please complete the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire and talk to your doctor before start ing any exercise program.
Time now to get into the spooky spirit with this Hallow een-inspired workout! You’ll be doing four rounds of five ex ercises plus cardio to finish off. Once you complete a round, take a two-minute break before starting another one. Modify these exercises according to your personal fitness level:
1. 10 pulsing jump squats to headbutt the bats flying by. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and then stretch your arms in front of you. Lower yourself into a squat until your knees bend at 90 degrees. Pulse up and down twice before jumping straight up, letting your arms swing back behind you. Make sure to gently land back into a squat. Prepare to pulse from that position again.
Modification: pulsing squats without jumps.
4. 10 push-ups with the strength it takes to rise up from the grave. With your hands palm-down on the ground, stack your shoulders over your wrists to form vertical lines with your arms. Keep your body firm, just as you did in the plank. Sink your chest towards the ground in a controlled manner. Keep your elbows about 45 degrees away from your torso. Push yourself straight up as you breathe out.
Modification: do the push-ups from your knees.
2. 40-second low plank, keeping your core as stable as possible, so the monsters don’t notice you. Get into a low plank by placing your elbows on the ground di rectly beneath your shoulders. Brace your core and squeeze your glutes to position your body in a straight line. Avoid making a “V” with your torso or dropping your hips too low. Suck in your stomach and don’t for get to breathe!
Modification: do the plank for half the time.
5. 10 dead bugs, like you yourself are an eerie dying in sect. Lay down on your back. Bring your arms and legs up to the sky. Keep your core tight. Lower your opposite arm and leg simultaneously until they are parallel to the floor but not touching it. Then, raise them back up and repeat the movement with your other arm and leg.
Modification: lower one limb at a time.
3. Crab walk 15 steps to and fro in a dark tunnel lined with sleeping skeletons. Lower yourself into a quarter squat. Your quads should be half-way parallel to the ground. Start to take sideway steps like a crab. Rather than bobbing up and down when stepping sideways, try to keep the same angle at the knees.
6. One minute of cardio as you prepare for a zombie apocalypse. Cardio exercises come in many differ ent forms, including running, skipping, and jumping jacks. Do whichever you prefer.
Modification: do cardio for 45 seconds or less.
Editor | Alisa Samuel7. Rest (in peace) for two minutes.
8. Repeat the entire workout (with a vengeance) three more times.
Modification: rest longer and do less rounds.
Actively cool down with more stretches
Instead of stopping at cardio, catch your breath and allow your body to relax as you walk for a few minutes. Abrupt ly ending a workout means there’s no definitive chance for your heart to return to its default state, thereby preventing blood from circulating evenly throughout your body. Once your heart slowly beats down to a resting pulse rate, stretch to promote muscle recovery from tightness and soreness, to improve physical mobility and flexibility, and to calm the mind. Hold each stretch with moderate tension for only one 30-second rep:
1. Quad pull
2. Forward fold
3. Chest stretch with clasped hands behind back
4. Upper back stretch with arms extended in front and fingers laced together
5. Lying pigeon pose
6. Supine twist
Over the next couple of weeks, as you indulge in choco lates, gummies, marshmallow crispies, and the like, remem ber to get your heart pumping with the help of this RAWCapproved, calorie-busting workout.
France and Summer Azem Contributors