TRICK OR TREAT YOURSELF

Halloween at Boston College tends to split the student body into two tribes: those crafting last-minute costumes out of Amazon Prime boxes and eyeliner, and those who’d rather not wake up with glitter in their hair and a vague sense of regret. For the latter group, there’s another way to celebrate October 31. This year, skip the sticky floors and start romanticizing solitude.

The Pumpkin Pilgrimage
Every fall, Tatte becomes a pilgrimage site for the seasonally inclined. Order a pumpkin tart and a latte that tastes like nostalgia, then claim a corner seat by the window. Watch the swirl of scarves and falling leaves outside. There’s something almost sacred about choosing stillness while everyone else rushes past—it’s the closest Chestnut Hill gets to a monastery.

The Cinematic Chill
Back in your dorm, queue up something moody, not gory. Coraline, The Others, or Practical Magic—films that lean more toward atmosphere than adrenaline. Turn off the overhead light (it’s fluorescent for a reason) and let your laptop screen cast the only glow. It’s less about the jump scares, more about feeling the world shrink to one soft, cinematic room.

The Late-Night Indulgence
There’s a particular comfort in walking into the Rat at 10 p.m. and knowing exactly what you’re there for. Mozzarella sticks, maybe, or a cookie you pretend you didn’t see in the display case. BC’s dining halls become oddly poetic after hours—half-empty, humming, filled with the quiet shuffle of students who chose carbs over chaos.

The Dorm Sanctuary
No candles allowed, but you can improvise. A lamp on its lowest setting, an open window, a playlist that sounds like October feels. The hum of the heater, the soft buzz of someone’s distant laughter—it’s all texture. Halloween doesn’t have to be loud to be alive.

This October, dress up as the person you’ve been too busy to be: the calm one, the cozy one, the one who knows that sometimes the sweetest kind of trick-or-treating is simply treating yourself.