Halloween is right around the corner, and Montclair State University students want to make sure they don’t miss out. Students make it a priority to express their Halloween spirit as an escape from the hustle and bustle of classes, and select students have opened up their doors to show a sneak peek of their spooky decorations.
In the ‘creepy’ halls of Dinallo Heights, two sophomore students show their dedication to the holiday. Visual arts major Vanessa Fingerlin and family science and human development major Debriella Debrecki welcomingly reveal their festive interior design.
A spooky design created by Vanessa Fingerlin. Emma Richter | The Montclarion
Fingerlin and Debrecki pulled out all the stops to make their double in Dinallo as spooky as possible.
Fingerlin explained what her favorite part of Halloween is.
“I love dressing up and I love seeing other people dress up,” Fingerlin said. “I love weird costumes, and that whole day it’s socially acceptable to go outside and be a banana for the day.”
Debrecki and Fingerlan’s spooky bathroom decor. Emma Richter | The Montclarion
Almost every part of Fingerlin and Debrecki’s dorm room was covered in some kind of Halloween decoration, from the bathroom to the whiteboard by Debrecki’s desk that Fingerlin drew on herself.
“It can get really boring in here sometimes, so [decorating] makes it more exciting, fun and happy,” Debrecki said.
Jen Chie, a freshman music therapy major, and her roommate Caitlin Aristizabal, a freshman communication and media arts major, made sure to spread their Halloween spirit around the first floor of Machuga Heights.
Chie and Aristizabal’s door on the first floor of Machuga Heights. Emma Richter | The Montclarion
The main focus of Chie and Aristizabal’s room is the skeleton on their door. The two also have decorations on the inside.
“I really do plan on decorating for every single holiday. I really make that a priority,” Chie said. “We went to the same high school, so we would always decorate doors and hallways. We just wanted to bring that tradition here.”
Chie and Aristizabal made their creativity known by decorating their door since freshman year.
“There’s so much creativity within Halloween, and I think it’s really cool to see what everybody does,” Aristizabal said.
The final students to show off their spooky decorations were Katirce Francisco and Malinia Dundua, who are both pre-major freshmen. On the fourth floor of Machuga Heights, Francisco and Dundua make the entrance to their room the main focus of their decorations.
Both Francisco and Dundua had a plan as they went to pick up their decor for the special occasion.
“We budgeted $20 each from the both of us,” Francisco said.
The freshmen demonstrated that you don’t have to break the bank in order to decorate your door.
Francisco and Dundua have opted for simplicity and have both their names posted on their door in the shape of pumpkins. There is also the personal touch of a whiteboard on their door for other residents to vote on. It asks: “Does candy corn hit?” People can either vote “yes” or “ew, no.” The board has proved to be a hit and has evoked numerous responses.
Spooky season has arrived here on campus and the residents at Montclair State know exactly how to bring the holiday not just to their lives, but to others who might happen to walk past their doors. Midterms, projects and exams have almost consumed us, but let’s not forget about Halloween.
Happy spooky season, Montclair State!
