Halloween is right around the corner, and students are starting to decide what they want to dress up as this year. Although some students believe they are too old to be going trick-or-treating, others want to recapture the youthful excitement of dressing up for Halloween.

With the recent “killer clown” crisis sweeping the nation, junior Santi Van Ness and senior Reed Tanasovich are both planning to hop on the trend this Halloween (hopefully to spread joy and not fear).

“I’m just going to have fun, I really like clowns,” Tanasovich said.

Halloween also gives WJ students an opportunity to step away from being themselves and embody a different personality. Senior Tidiane Sissoko will be prowling the dark streets of Bethesda as a provocative feline this year.

“[I want to] show that girls aren’t the only ones that can pull it off, and I really want to show off my legs,” he said.

He plans to go “catting” with a few of his friends, a group not yet finalized. Relationships give Halloween a fun twist because it opens up the possibility of joint costumes.

Senior couple Corey Johnson and Violette Schattner are combining to be Hawaiian Punch.

“I’ll be the Hawaiian part wearing a hawaiian shirt and Violette is going to be a boxer, hence the ‘punch,’” Johnson said.

If there’s one thing that all students at WJ love, it’s food. Some even love it so much that they want to stroll the streets as an edible treat.

Seniors Max Engel and Michael Rivas will be seen collecting candy as a taco and a banana, respectively, on October 31.

“It has always been my lifelong goal in life to be filled with potassium, and now I get to live that dream for a few hours,” Rivas said.

While he will achieve his dream that night, he better be on the lookout for any Harambe costumes, which are sure to make an appearance this year. This night is not only about fun, games and breaking social barriers, but it also grants the possibility to express the inner you. The person who lives deep down in your soul that you’ve always wanted to be, but could never show to the outside world.

To senior Jesse Odey, that person is Blade. Yes, Blade. The vampire killing machine with weird glasses from that movie. That guy.

“I know it’s  kind of strange, but when I see Wesley Snipes on the screen slaying vampires left and right, I see myself,” Odey said. “Just like him… my body is a weapon.”

Whoever you decide to be for Halloween, make sure you stay safe!