As October draws to a close, Halloween is added to the long list of holidays which have had to be reimagined or cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A favorite spooky tradition for many Trinity students, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, was completely cancelled this year, prompting some students to seek out other sources of entertainment. For example, senior Will Corddry went to Scream n’ Stream, a drive-thru haunted house in Kissimmee, with some of his friends.
“It was kind of boring, especially compared to Halloween Horror Nights,” Corddry said. “But, it was fun just driving there because I think it was an hour away, so we just listened to music the whole time while we drove there which was more fun than the actual event.”
Corddry said that the drive-thru itself was pretty short and safe since they never got out of the car and everyone who approached their car wore a mask.
“It’s a 20 minute drive where you go into a field behind a bunch of other cars and you go from station to station and there’s a different person at each spot,” Corddry said. “They kind of try to scare you … but they can only get six feet to your car. It’s not that scary because they are so far away from you.”
Even younger children and families who decide to partake in a more traditional Halloween activity face a tricky situation this year. Trick-or-treating is particularly risky since it involves close interactions with many, often unfamiliar, people.
“I think the Trick or Treaters should probably wear masks or maybe they could wear a mask under a different mask just as part of their costume,” Corddry said.
For those who decide to stay home this Halloween, deciding how to safely hand out candy to trick-or-treaters can be similarly hard to manage.
“I’m thinking maybe [my parents will] just use gloves or something,” Corddry said. “I’m really not sure though, we might not even do candy.”
As for other Halloween plans, Corddry said he recommends finding events that don’t require interacting with many people.
“We’re probably going to dress up still (me and a few close friends) and just watch a movie together in costume which will be kind of fun,” Corddry said. “If you can try to find events like the Scream n’ Stream one, those can be fun [too].”
