Halloween is my favorite holiday. Fall is an amazing season all around, but Halloween is the apex. My birthday is right around the end of the month, so to me it’s a whole week of cake and candy. Ending it by getting dressed up in costumes is a bonus.

I heard about the BC Law Halloween Party during my tour as a prospective student. The pitch was that while the end of October marks the big shift towards memos and finals, this was the big release everyone takes part in before exams. I can say the mood on campus has gotten seasonally spooky with how busy everyone has been. However, I got all my readings done, put down my memo draft, and swore I would make the most of the evening off.

This year’s party was held at the Lansdowne Pub. I walked in and found someone dressed as  the man with firecrackers from Palsgraf, another as the overturned Jeep from Professor Brodin’s civil procedure casebook. There was a Dr. Malpractice and two beauty queens with sashes that read “Miss Trial.” Some were more BC specific, such as the person who came as the BC Law School express shuttle, another as Doug Flutie (Obligatory “Go Bills!” shoutout). Plenty of others came in groups with more traditional costumes. The Wizard of Oz, Shrek, Scooby Doo, Super Mario Bros, all the favorites. I have not heard the results yet from the costume contest, but it was a competitive bunch.

The atmosphere was fun. Many of the 1Ls bonded over our collective new experiences while the 2Ls and 3Ls consoled us. I remember sitting at the bar and noticing how the anxiety was gone. We’ve all settled into our new routines. It may be hard day-to-day, but we’ve found a way to make it work and still have fun.

My Contracts professor warned me the day after the party would be hard. She was almost right, but I felt okay. Sure, there is a lot coming our way in the next six weeks. Job applications, finals, recruiting events–plenty that would make any law student run in terror. But the party served as a reminder that we have an amazing community of people who look out for each other and support each other. We can make fun of Palsgraf and everything we learn and go through during classes. Making what scares us fun and approachable is what Halloween is all about, right? Maybe that’s why BC loves this tradition so much. Good luck the rest of the semester everyone!

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Catherine Beveridge is a first-year student at BC Law. Contact her at beverid@bc.edu.