rawrweekly 10.28.11

costumes page 3 greek ghosts page 6 10.28.11

horror films

“Superheroes don’t kill people. Superheros save people.”

page 8

cover art by ethan kimberling

rawr

2

horoscopes

on the cover “Emerald City” Ethan Kimberling is a senior studying studio art and has always been interested in comic art. The cover is a poster for an event promotion of The Emerald City Comicon, a comic convention in Seattle. The poster is a digital painting using Adobe Photoshop and aims to capture the comic-book cover feel.

your art in rawr Illustration Photography Mixed Media Paintings Sculptures rawr is an alternative weekly publication covering art, culture, campus life and entertainment.

We are accepting art submissions each week for the cover. All forms of art will be accepted.

Email: arg-arts@uidaho.edu

rawr online

kristen koester-smith rawr Scorpio 10/23 - 11/22 Combining your Halloween party with your birthday party isn’t a good idea. People are broke and slutty comic book hero costumes run like $70 at Hot Topic.

Sagittarius 11/22 - 12/21 The practical jokes your friends keep playing on you just get funnier to them the more scared you get. Take a deep breath next time — zombies aren’t real.

Capricorn 12/22 - 1/19 You don’t know it, but ever since you watched “March of the Penguins” your cat has wanted to be a penguin. Indulge your furry other half and buy him an itty bitty penguin Halloween costume.

Aquarius 1/20 - 2/18 Your friends will call you a scaredy-cat, but don’t go to that haunted house. It’s not worth the injuries you would suffer from running blindly through the dark from the chainsaw man.

Pisces 2/19 - 3/20 This year don’t hesitate to make

Aries 3/21 - 4/19 Yeah, we got that you were a “chick magnet” the first three years you glued Barbie dolls on your body.

Let’s go with something different this year. Who knows maybe that Tarzan outfit will make you a real chick magnet.

Taurus 4/20 - 5/20 Just because you’re being a vampire for Halloween doesn’t mean you have to stay out of the sun to ensure proper paleness. You’re looking a little sick from the lack of Vitamin D. And you’re starting to creep your roommates out. You know you’re not actually a vampire, right?

Gemini 5/21 - 6/20 Great idea to throw the Halloween party this year, but stay away from the Jungle Juice. It only tastes good on the way down.

Cancer 6/21 - 7/22 You love scary movies, so it’s great that ABC Family has been showing them every night. However, your

s

Spooky tune ce

n DJ Spe

Check out for the chilling video of Haunted Palouse. http://bit.ly/tFth1W

Watch our first video podcast review of The Three Musketeers. http://bit.ly/tiNayv

your Halloween costume shine.

No, seriously, glitter it up — that mermaid costume will benefit from the sparkle.

r molly spence rawr “O Fortuna” Carl Orff A German complaint about fate and the goddess Fortuna.

Feel the suspense.

“In the hall of the mountain king” Edvar Grieg It starts out with the innocent sound of tip-toeing

through a house. Then it becomes marching. Then stomping, then sprinting until …

“White Rabbit” Jefferson Airplane “One pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small.”

It’s a song about numerous drugs guaranteed to mess you up. Don’t do drugs, they are horrifying.

“The Patient” Tool This song gives the feeling of being trapped. “Draining patience, drain vitality. This paranoid, paralyzed vampire acts a little old.” Life always has rough patches.

“Hotel California” The Eagles “Last thing I remember I was running for the door. I had to find the passage back to the place I was before.” No one wants to be trapped in a hotel that takes your soul.

“Ghost Busters” Ray Parker, Jr. Take me back to the ‘80s.

I’m afraid of no ghost.

“Thriller” Michael Jackson May he rest in peace. If you haven’t seen the “Thrill-

10.28.11

roommates are sick of spooning you because you can’t sleep alone anymore. Try watching “The Real Housewives of Orange County” instead. On second thought, that can be pretty scary too.

Leo 7/23 - 8/22 You really want to be Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries as your couple costume for Halloween, but people are going to hate you for it. Everyone knows they are the most annoying couple since Bella and Edward.

Virgo 8/23 - 9/22 It’s official: No one can tell what you’re trying to be in that black and white striped costume.

You’re either a distorted zebra or a messed up convict. Avert the situation this year and go with something a little more recognizable, like SpongeBob SquarePants.

Libra 9/23 - 10/22 Those Lady Gaga heels look impossible to walk in, but they complete your outfit. You’re an expert in heels, you’ll be fine.

But, borrow a pair of crutches just in case.

er” music video, do so. It was probably horrifying in the ‘80s. Regardless, the song is still groovy.

“Monster Mash” Misfits Do you know how to Monster Mash? If you don’t there’s a video for that too.

“Dental Care” Owl City My dentist may have a sense of humor, but I still hate that place. “Don’t have a fit; this will just pinch a bit.” Or a lot … I cried at the dentist once.

“Jeepers Creepers” Louis Armstrong Maybe not a scary song, but it can be associated with the horror movie “Jeepers Creepers.” Besides, Armstrong knows how to bust a tune.

rawr

3

The perfect costume how to melissa flores rawr It happens every October. The desire to find the perfect costume begins to stir. It starts with a picture or an accessory and soon the idea blossoms, sparking a need to bring the character you’ve dreamt of to life.

But piecing together the perfect costume can be a tricky procedure. Selection and combination of different pieces into a single, glorious vision is not easy — and, as hard as most people try, many times the outcome is less than ideal.

Finding the perfect costume can be a delicate process, and stores like Safari Pearl, a local full-service costume shop, can help.

Katherine Sprague, Safari Pearl employee, said the staff is trained to help every customer find costumes and accessories that will flatter their body type and bring their ideas to life.

“We have kids and we have extra small up to 3x for men and women,” Sprague said. “If you can imagine it, we can probably find it for you.”

Because the selection is so varied, Sprague said the prices on different costumes can range from a few dollars to hundreds.

“We offer simple inexpensive ones and we offer the full $250 pirate costume with every tiny accessory,” Sprague said.

Sprague said Safari Pearl is unique because it sells costumes year-round and has the widest selection of accessories in Moscow. The selection of different costumes attracts a wide variety of different customers to the store.

“Obviously college students buy a lot of costumes, but we have grandmothers who want to dress up,” Sprague said. “We had a woman with Eastern Star come in to buy seven costumes for the group (of) small children. We have everything for everyone.”

Hot Topic, located in the Palouse Mall, also sells a broad selection of costumes and accessories throughout the month of October, most of

which are what Tori Swayne, Hot Topic employee, would describe as novelty costumes.

“We have your Mario costumes and your cartoon costumes, the superhero costumes and this year we have Katy Perry costumes, last year we had Lady Gaga and stuff like that, so we have more of your pop culture kind of costumes,” Swayne said.

Swayne said most of their full costumes cost, on average, about $50, but prices vary based on the type of costume and accessories included.

Kelly Cavanaugh, University of Idaho student, said for the most part, the selection of costumes in Moscow is small and almost exclusively limited to Safari Pearl and Hot Topic. As a result, she said finding the right costume is difficult and comes down to how hard people are willing to look for their ideal outfits and accessories.

“That was one of the things we struggled with,” Cavanaugh said. “Besides finding Safari Pearl and what they had, we were really having to resort to outside of Moscow.

Wal-Mart and online were our other two major sources, and the thrift stores.”

Cavanaugh found her costume at Safari Pearl and said while the selection was satisfactory, she may try different avenues of finding costumes in the future for a broader variety of options.

“Maybe next year we’ll brave the online world and see if we can’t find something that works in that way,” Cavanaugh said. “But I don’t mind buying from Safari Pearl honestly.”

Sprague said that many people, especially those who don’t really know what they want to be, have trouble finding costumes, and many times just need a bit of assistance finding what they’re looking for.

Both Sprague and Swayne said the employees at Safari Pearl and Hot Topic are happy to assist customers in finding the right costume and are

alex aguirre | rawr

Customer Jina Burscott is helped by Safari Pearl employee, Noel Jones (not pictured), to find the perfect Halloween costume Monday Oct. 24. Burscott chose a costume that she felt was both fashionable and functional. able to help find costumes and accessories they may not have found on their own.

“We get asked quite a bit for what will go with a costume, like, they might have one piece and need the rest of the costume and we can help them find that kind of stuff,” Swayne said.

Sprague also said people shouldn’t worry if they’re still

stumped for costume ideas, even at the last minute. She said sometimes it can be fun to be creative and combine different accessories.

If the perfect costume is still proving to be elusive, choosing the fallback, crowd favorites can be an easy way to find the right costume this Halloween. Swayne said the most popular costume this

season at Hot Topic is Snow White, and Sprague said Jessica Rabbit accessories are the most popular items at Safari Pearl.

“Be different, even if you piece it together,” Sprague said.

“We have more accessories than any of the other stores as well, so we can help you do anything … Anything is a good theme as long as you’re enthusiastic about it.”

rawr

4

Pagans, parties and pumpkins

10.28.11

Jock, former stockbroker and modern day witch, discusses magic and the meaning behind his tarot cards over a cup of coffee Monday Oct. 24 at local restaurant Bloom. Jock said he believes we are all far more pagan than we think and that there is magic within all of us. alex aguirre | rawr

matt maw rawr University of Idaho Department of History chair Richard Spence said Halloween won’t bring people closer or farther from Satan.

“The devil certainly doesn’t need Halloween to accomplish his work,” he said.

Spence said the first written record of the term Halloween was a Scottish reference to the Christian All Hallows Eve, the day prior to All Saints Day which commemorated the year’s canonized dead.

The holiday’s history can be traced to the pre-Christian Celtic religious festival Samhain, which represented the harvest and the season of

death as nights grew longer and colder. Departed souls were also commemorated on Samhain, and Spence said the day has always been seen as the time when the boundary between the dead and living realms is weakest.

“There are really no such things as Christian holidays,” Spence said. “There’s no … basis (in the Gospels) for any of them. So you don’t have to look very hard to figure out that all the things that eventually became Christmas, Easter (and) Saints’ Days are essentially the ‘baptized’ forms of earlier … Pagan holidays.”

Jock, a self-professed witch who uses no last name, said witchcraft is rooted in ancient traditions from England, north-

ern Germany and nearly all Nordic regions. These places are dark and cold, filled with wet earth, wild animals and caves.

He said he first learned of witchcraft in Welsh legends, and similar themes run through tales from “Rapunzel” to “Beowulf” to Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and “The Tempest.”

“The stories go on forever,” Jock said. “(There’s) a deep belief in something other than ourselves … You’re going to call upon something other than this realm for help. That’s what the witch does.”

Jock said there’s a lot of numerology and astrology in witchcraft, but magic is central to a witch’s nature. Magic “permeates our culture and our being,” and like a great artist

or poet, a person only needs to pay attention, gently grasp it and let it hold them.

Witches believe everyone has a “familiar” — a spirit guide in a realm beyond our own — and similar ideas can be seen in religious imagery of guardian angels, he said.

“Magic exists very close to us, in the sense that it’s (similar) to what you might call the idea of beauty, or the idea of fear or the idea of risk,” he said. “Most of the time we just aren’t aware that it’s there.”

Anna Brotnov, president of the Moscow Pagan Society, said while many view Halloween as simply a time for fun, Pagans give it varying, personal degrees of importance. She said it’s important to keep an open

mind and learn about Pagan beliefs and Halloween’s history.

“People (should) ask questions and educate themselves before jumping to conclusions (and saying) it’s Satan-worship, because it’s not,” Brotnov said.

Spence said Halloween is an ever-changing holiday that began, in the modern sense, in the 19th century. It’s an amalgam of various cultures and practices with no original purposes to be strictly honored, he said.

“You’ve got traditions that come out of Celtic Europe which are then combined with American vegetables that also get combined with general college tendencies to turn anything into a party,” he said. “And it all works together pretty well.”

rawr

5

Small town atmosphere Family operated orchard provides apple picking and cider making opportunities

lindsey treffry rawr Symmetrical lines of green trees stretch to the horizon. The smell of rotting apples and pears on the orchard floor is potent and sweet. The birds are chirping against a slight breeze, and in the distance, there is the slightest sound of apples churning in a press.

Bishops’ Orchard started in 1978, when Stephen Bishop and his wife moved to Garfield, Wash., where Bishop had deep family roots. He had experience in citrus orchards from the Peace Corps and knew at some point in his life, he wanted to own an orchard.

Bishops’ is opperated solely by family members, except for the extra help hired during harvest time.

“We devote all of our summers to working the orchard,” Bishop said.

The orchard has a south-facing slope and 18 acres of land. This summer, the apples were off schedule, blooming on May 31 compared to early May. “I’ve never seen that before in my life,” Bishop said.

Even without Red Delicious and

Rome apples this year, the weather was cooperative for the entirety of the season. The best crops included Macintosh, the primary apple of the orchard, Spartan, Empire, Golden Delicious and Liberty apples.

Along with these apples, and other breeds, Bishops’ offers cider presses for fresh apple cider.

“When we started the orchard we didn’t expect the cider to be as popular as it has,” Bishop said. “Our original plan was to grow and sell apples, and we didn’t think (cider would) be a big thing.

It’s become the tail that wags it on.”

In two cider sheds, apples are washed, added to the “hopper,” chopped into a mash and then pressed. The juices are drained into a bowl, which can be poured into a gallon for $5.

“The cider is delicious,” said Paige Reid, University of Idaho American studies major and Bishops’ Orchard customer. “It’s a really fun activity to do with a group of people.”

Reid said there is usually a wait for the cider presses, but said in the meantime, her and her group generally walk around and pick apples off the

trees to eat.

During the off-season, all of the equipment gets put away. Around the end of December, Bishop and his brother plan on pruning. Bishop generally tends to one or two farming machines or, like last year, builds additional cider presses.

In the early spring, pruning begins and in the last couple years, the Bishop clan has planted new trees.

Most of the trees are originals from 1978, but some non-productive trees have been replaced. The newest additions include English cider apple trees.

All of the trees are insecticide free, although that wasn’t always the case.

Shortly after insecticides were eliminated, Bishop said a new bird population increased, reducing the amount of insects too, except wasps. Pheromones are used as a weapon against moth populations, otherwise known as the classic worm in the apple. These pheromones are used in place of insecticides and are safer, but pricier.

“It’s nice to have a normal environment,” Bishop said. “But it’s expensive.”

Which may be the reason Bishop

blot | courtesy

employs family members.

“On busy days it can get real hectic,” Bishop said.

Busy days don’t seem to affect the staff, though.

“People who are there have always been friendly, working and using cider presses,” Reid said. “It’s not like they’re hovering over you. You definitely have independence ... But there is someone to help you if you need it.”

Bishop said he encourages people to come because it’s a great outing, especially in the Pullman and Moscow area.

He said their fruit is reasonably priced, too, at 40 cents per pound.

“It’s like you’re in the country in a small town …” Bishop said. “When you’re in the middle of the orchard you can look out into the fields.”

Bishop said he often takes walks with his wife around the orchard and encourages others to do so too. Depending on weather, Bishops’ Orchard will close either Oct. 30 or Nov. 6.

“It’s not a carnival or anything like that,” Bishop said. “There’s no hay ride, dog or pony show here. It’s just an orchard.”

molly spencer rawr There are ghosts haunting the Greek houses on campus. Or so they say.

Brandon Cary, Delta Chi member, said there is a closet in their house called “Madison.”

The name Madison came from a pledge who died either in a hazing incident or when a prohibition tunnel collapsed on him.

“If you go in our laundry room there’s a blocked off sidewall (of) concrete and then there are bricks that are square on each wall,” Cary said.

University of Idaho students in Delta Chi say they’ve seen a young Madison in a 1950s mobster getup, Cary said.

Chris Lorenz, another Delta Chi member, said he was up at 2:30 in the morning with some friends when he brought his Ouija board out. They spoke to a spirit and asked the spirit to count down from five.

“When the pointer went up to yes, you heard five footsteps above you. There’s nowhere you can get to in five footsteps,” Lorenz said. “It just started in the middle of the hall from what it sounded like.”

Lorenz’s scariest experience was with Cary and some other friends by the Shattuck Amphitheatre at about 2 a.m. They sat at a picnic table behind the amphitheatre and brought out the Ouija board.

“We started talking to this one spirit and we noticed this weird breeze in the trees. It would only hit the tree tops, not any other area. When we’d ask it a question, a breeze would hit us from a different way,” Lorenz said.

Not everyone at the table believed in the Ouija board at the time, which is why Cary and Lorenz went to the amphitheatre originally.

Lorenz said they asked the spirit questions only certain people in the group knew the answer to.

“We asked the spirit its name and it spelled out Rex. Then out of nowhere Brandon Cary was like ‘I have a question for you … are you related to anybody at the table?’ And it went to yes.”

The Ouija board spelled out Cary’s initials, B.C. Another Greek ghost is Margaret, the first president of the Idaho Alpha chapter of Pi Beta Phi. “In Pi Phi, for years and years, there’s been a story about this ghost, Margaret and we have a big picture of her,” Marrisa Hornby said. “She was a Pi Phi originally,

e h t n i s Ghost m e t s y s Greek rawr

OCT

28 pg 6

photos by alex aguirre

| rawr

and supposedly haunts the porches all the time.”

Everyone in the house has different ghost stories about her. Hornby said there is a reputation of weird incidents happening on the second floor porches.

“I walked down through the porch one time and got that just creepy feeling and there was like a light underneath the door. I opened the door and there was no light — nothing,” she said.

Pi Phi members decided to bring a Ouija board into the house a year or two ago, Hornby said. They found 31 spirits in the house that generally keep to themselves.

“We actually contacted Margaret and she went on to tell us that we shouldn’t be afraid,” Hornby said.

They asked Margaret if she was afraid of anything in the house.

She responded with a name but told the women not to say the name out loud.

Ulna was the bad spirit’s name, Hornby said. Every time they tried to ask other spirits about Ulna, they would automatically stop talking.

Carrie Williams, also a Pi Phi member, said she believes in ghosts.

“I think anything is possible and after having my own experiences and hearing the stories of others’ experiences I, have no reason to believe otherwise,” Williams said.

Williams said she’s heard many stories about ghosts and weird incidents happening that don’t make sense. Maybe it’s a spirit, a ghost or a paranormal thing.

Williams said the painting of Margaret in Pi Phi is creepy. It looks like Margaret is constantly watching the students. She said she’s also afraid to walk through the sleeping porches at night.

“One encounter I had with — I assume Margaret — was when I was a freshman and it was initiation week. I slept in the sleeping porch on second floor that was said used to be Margaret’s,” Williams said.

“The eight of us girls who slept in that porch were all in there one of the nights of initiation and three of us, including me, were working on our computers doing homework.”

Her friend Claire said goodnight to the freshmen: “Night, night, don’t let Margaret bite.” Williams said as soon as she finished her sentence, their computer screens went black and the computers restarted.

“We all have different kinds of computers and I know I didn’t have mine plugged in, which was my first thought that something happened with the outlets. We were completely freaked out and decided to all just go to bed after that,” she said.

That same year, Williams had another experience at Pi Phi when the majority of the house was on a camping trip.

Williams and five or six others were the only ones in the house.

About an hour after she went to bed, she woke up and was wide-awake.

“It was dead silent in the room until I heard this weird and very faint noise,” Williams said. “At first, I couldn’t make out what it was, but

then after trying to listen for a few minutes, it sounded like someone had possibly rolled over their phone and called someone and I could hear the person on the other side of the phone line trying to talk.”

She was sure it sounded like it was coming out of a speaker.

“I couldn’t really make out the words, but whatever it was, it was saying like a minute or two worth of conversation then sounded like it stopped for a second and then would repeat again,” Williams said.

“It sounded like it was coming from the other side of the porch, so I was really freaked out because the only two people in there that night were me and the girl sleeping in the bed right next to me.”

The voice became so loud it sounded like it was in the aisle right next to Williams’ bed. She was so afraid that she plugged her ears and somehow fell back asleep.

The next morning she asked her sorority sister from her porch if she heard anything the night before. She said she hadn’t. She also looked at her phone to see if she called someone by accident but had no new outgoing or incoming calls.

She still has no idea what or who the noise was.

“I guess I am a pretty superstitious person and believe anything is possible,” Williams said. “There is always something happening where I am unsure of the possibility if it is real or not and sometimes I wonder if it is just my mind playing with me.

I guess I will never know for certain.”

rawr

8

10.28.11

PLANET TERROR, PLEASE A pole dancer with a combination M4 Carbine-M203 grenade launcher for a leg, a bad boy destined to be a hero and the fate of humanity against a raging population of chemically-fueled flesh eaters. Seriously, what could be better than that?

“Planet Terror,” directed by “one-manfilm crew” Robert chloe Rodriguez, follows go-go girl Cherry Darling and her rag-tag team’s battle against the bloodthirsty zombie-like creatures called “sickos.”

Based on the “Grindhouse” style of classic celluloid film, complete with cigarette burns and missing reels, “Planet Terror” takes the zombie theme into new realm. After a breakthrough biological nerve gas

is accidentally released, Texan militants and civilians become mutating “sickos” and ravage the countryside.

I’ll be honest, there have been some truly cruddy zombie movies in the past 50 years.

Poor makeup and pathetic plots have put a damper on the reputation of zombie flicks. Usually, the only aspect that saves bo ram an otherwise failing rawr film is the numerous bloody gobs of gore tossed throughout the movie.

But “Planet Terror” uses stellar effects, quick-witted dialogue and old-school “Grindhouse” appeal to fuel this actionpacked thriller.

Is this a psychological film, made to put you on the edge of your seat? Well, no, it’s not.

You’ve got a pole dancer who

Suspense, drama and gore An inter-dimensional demon, a sink full of blood, an insane clown and a blood oath between seven children to kill a monster that plagues their town — Stephen King’s “It” is easily one of the best thrillers of all time. (no pun intended) incorporates some of the best elements that the science fiction/horror movie genre has to offer. melissa The plot has two parts. The first portion takes place in the 1960s and follows seven children (a group of outcasts referred to as “the seven” or “the losers club”) who encounter “It,” a demon-like creature that kills children in the fictional town of Derry, and attempt to kill the monster to avenge the people that it has killed.

The monster most frequently appears in the movie as Penny-

wise, a sadistic, demented clown that preys primarily on children, but also appears to each of the children it hunts as the thing they fear most.

The children manage to survive their individual encounters with Pennywise, and descend into the sewers to kill the monster.

Unsure if they’ve actually succeeded, the children swear a blood oath to return to Derry if “It” ever es flor comes back. rawr The second half of the movie takes place 30 years later when the monster returns and once again slaughters the children of Derry. As adults, the seven return to face the beast and kill it once and for all. However, their progress is obstructed by Pennywise and memories of facing “It” as children.

The movie employs suspense, drama and gore to create a

thriller unequaled by other horror movies and showcases the unique plot style of Stephen King. It takes the viewer on a journey through the darkness of a small town plagued with secrets and demonstrates the destructive power of traumatic childhood memories.

The main characters are constantly at odds not only with the supernatural being, but also with their minds as the creature forces them to hallucinate, placing each of the children in a barrage of waking nightmares and forcing them to live their worst fears.

King’s intricate plot structure captivates the audience, suspense keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, and the variety of forms the monster takes ensures that every audience member will be scared and disgusted by “It.” From start to finish, the fear, tension and gore the children face make this movie one of the best horror movies of all time.

walks with a high-powered weapon like it’s no big deal.

Rather than feasibility and correct scientific reality, this movie is clearly going for shock appeal and pure audience entertainment.

“Planet Terror” is a prime example of “gorror” (gore and horror), and it manages to throw in some romance.

The actors in “Planet Terror” deliver exactly what you’re looking for. Rose McGowan, Bruce Willis and Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas, produce a consistent performance, no matter where the fake blood is flying. And the diverse cast takes this film much deeper into the zombie dynamic than any run-of-themill Halloween movie.

This film is a perfect break from scary movies that are too serious. Go watch “Planet Terror” right now. You’ll never be the same.

rawr

Sense with sensibility matt maw rawr From a lucky rabbit’s foot to a lucky sweatshirt, people often turn to superstition for good luck and fortune.

Tom Drake said superstitions can help people find meaning in an arbitrary, “terrifying” Darwinian universe.

“There seems to be things that happen in the world that just random chance, but when they’re in the realm of tragedy (they give) life meaning and beauty,” said Drake, University of Idaho Department of English instructor.

Though science is important, he said strict rationalism won’t satisfy the human heart. There are probably coincidental elements of his life, he said, such as his wife or daughter, which he can choose to understand in a “superstitious” light.

Despite a “biological imperative” to procreate, a part of him believes such relationships were meant to be.

“I believe in scientific findings, but … an artistic vision of a world of faith, a spiritualized vision, is maybe … a healthier way of existing as a human being,” Drake said.

UI freshman Traci VonJouanne said she had a Christian upbringing, and her family never put stock in superstitions beyond the occasional jibe against open umbrellas in the house. She owned a rabbit’s foot as a child because it was a trend among her friends. Her views haven’t changed much since then, she said, and she doesn’t see value in over thinking occurrences.

“I’ve broken a mirror before and I’ve opened umbrellas inside and so far — knock on wood — things are pretty fine for me,” VonJouanne said.

UI Department of History Chair Richard Spence said many superstitions seem to concern luck, an apparently universal human struggle to attract good fortune and repel the bad. People in other nations, and throughout history, have needed to find and store food and fight for safety and resources. Spence said 21st Century America is a kind of “isle of the blessed,” where we have

relatively little worry about for safety, food supply or “roving predatory bands of Canadians coming down in the spring and carrying off women and children and cattle.”

“I think the roots of superstitions are probably … often (in) the basic state of human insecurity,” Spence said. “For all of our ‘creature comforts,’ (they don’t) make us any less insecure.”

Some superstitions involve obsessive-compulsive versions of the desire for luck, Spence said. There are people who get upset when a hat is laid on a bed, and people who need items arranged just so. He knew one woman who had to touch things in a particular order before she left a room.

One reason for such rigid behavior patterns might be to affect similar patterns of control in an otherwise disjointed world, Spence said. This may be tied to a belief that larger realms are connected to smaller realms.

“A lot of superstitions are individual. I think people probably have them and they don’t know,” Spence said.

VonJouanne said while she’s never understood the “spilled table salt” superstition, for instance, she doesn’t have the right to tell others what to believe, and the variety of perspectives in the world is an advantage.

“Our world is full of diversity, and I think it needs that,” she said. “(Something) in life that is beautiful is being able to every day go out and … (learn) something new about (a) person … or about their culture … or why they think this.”

Spence said the nature of superstition hasn’t changed throughout history, as demonstrated by the modern notion that cell phones could cause cancer, which proliferated without evidence. While some superstitions may be groundless, he said, it’s appropriate to stay aware of gut feelings.

“You can rationalize just about anything, one way or another. You can’t necessarily rationalize whether or not a rotten egg stinks — it does,” he said.

“If you really have a bad feeling about something, maybe you’re just neurotic. On the other hand, maybe you’re sensing something.”

9

rawr

10

10.28.11

After the haunting chloe rambo rawr

Now in it’s tenth year running, Haunted Palouse continues to be a success. Palouse, Wash.,15 miles north of the University of Idaho, hosts the annual Halloween festival.

Popular themes from this haunted house include Haunted Fairy Tales, Superheroes Gone Bad, The Wild West, Insane Asylum, Mad Scientist’s Lab and this year it’s going to be...

Psych! You really thought we would give away the theme? You’ll just have to go and find out for yourself. But be prepared, you may have to hold hands and scream for this one.

“People often come in and ask, ‘How does Palouse do it? How do you keep coming up with events?’” Beverly Pearce, Palouse Chamber President, said. “Well, we’re willing to take a risk, and we have people who love this town.”

Community-wide support is vital to the success of every town project, not solely Haunted Palouse.

“If (residents) love your town, and are willing to roll up their sleeves and do the work, then it can happen for you,” Pearce said.

The population of Palouse easily doubles when the town turns ‘haunted,’ jumping from a general 1,000 residents to 2,000 on any given fright night. While the abundance of people paying to experience Haunted Palouse are helping support community causes, waiting in lines can become irksome.

One piece of advice: Go to the hayride first and save yourself some time in line.

While following the path of dimly lit torches, the town lights of Palouse slowly become small stars visible only through the trees and underbrush. Shady Lane, a spooky hayride venue, brings together many elements that make Haunted Palouse a success.

“It’s a great venue because you’re outdoors,” Pearce said. “Shady Lane has the element of surprise, and you never know what, (or who) is going to pop up.”

Imagine a combination of the “Blair Witch Project,” deep in the woods with only faint lighting and haunted sounds echoing through the night. Then add in a small dash of the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” and the surprise factor of “Dawn of the Dead.” Shady Lane is the newest addition to Haunted Palouse, but for many, it’s also the best part of the event.

“As far as Whitman County small towns go, I don’t know of one that has raised as much money that’s pure profit for the town,” Pearce said.

Haunted Palouse, one of Palouse’s largest and highest-grossing fundraisers, is a spooky event complete with two haunted houses, fortune telling, homemade goodies and an

eerie hayride.

With their motto, “Hold hands and scream,” the goal of the four-day event is to scare attendees, and raise money for community-based service groups and other town events.

As part of the core group, Pearce has been involved with Haunted Palouse since its first year in 2001. From generating scene ideas to construction of the complex floor plans, haunted houses are a tremendous amount of work.

“It’s almost like building a house,” Pearce said. “And we also have people making costumes, doing scene checks, and all kinds of things. I couldn’t calculate the hours (we’re working).”

As an attendee of Haunted Palouse, where is your ticket money going?

Among other community groups and projects, one beneficiary is the Little Sprouts Childcare and Early Learning Center.

“We’re a nonprofit group that’s getting ready to transfer the daycare from the school,” said Jens Hegg, president of the Little Sprouts center and UI doctorate student.

“We’ve been putting together licensing paperwork ... and now we’re fundraising.”

With a building to house the daycare secured, Hegg and others involved with the establishment of Little Sprouts are now focusing on raising enough capital to cover salaries and other essential costs.

“This is one of our major fundraisers, I’m sure,” Hegg said.

Shandra Bohn, president of the Palouse Arts Council, has eight years of experience with Haunted Palouse and understands the dynamics involved in the creation of a haunted house.

“It’s like bad decorators getting together and saying, ‘What would look good? Maybe some dripping blood over there?’” Bohn said. “(When) you turn the lights off, the atmosphere changes completely, it turns into something completely different.”

As a decorator and organizer, Bohn worked on the haunted house in the former town jail. This house is known for its ominous themes and many volunteers, better known as ‘the cast’. “(This house is) more performance art because we’re doing a theme every year,” Bohn said. “We have actors and pretend to be something, so that’s always funny.”

All in all, the haunted houses and hayride make for one exciting night in Palouse. Bring your friends, dress warm and have fun in the theatrics of Haunted Palouse.

“You get a lot for the price of $15,” Pearce said. “If you like to get scared, you’re definitely going to get your scare on.”

Haunted Palouse is open for one final showing tonight and tomorrow. Gates open at 7 p.m.

philip vukelich | rawr

A volunteer attempts to scare visitors in a haunted house at the 10th Annual Haunted Palouse. The event took place last weekend and will be open again tonight and tomorrow.

rawr

11

Be Slutty or Clever, Not Offensive waist. A New York costume Halloween is too often an shop sold a costume called excuse for girls to be the slut“Anna Rexia,” which included tiest version of their alter-ego a black dress with a and a reason for sparkly white skeleton boys to dress up printed on it and a like Tom Cruise, tape-measure belt. whether it be the People complain “Top Gun,” “Risky about the sexual naBusiness” or “Misture of costumes, but sion Impossible” some go beyond the version. realm of decency. It It is not an exis one thing to offend cuse to portray one kristen someone with a crude of the most horrific koester-smith or erotic joke, but it is events in U.S. hisrawr wrong to make fun of tory, make fun of an serious social problems unforgivable crime, and tragedies. or mock a serious illness.

Thousands of people died All of these costumes have been done and can be found on on Sept. 11, 2001. It’s hard to imagine how they would feel the internet. if they saw someone drunkTwo people dressed in enly walking around in a sick silver-painted cardboard boxes with plastic airplanes attached tribute to the day.

Many people have been are the Twin Towers. A man irreparably damaged by sexual dressed as a Catholic priest crimes, and making fun of with a stuffed replica of a something that ruined lives is small boy wrapped around his

never permissible.

Eating disorders are responsible for the most deaths of all mental illnesses. Wearing a costume that ridicules something that kills people is not funny or clever — it’s rude and indecent.

People who wear costumes that satirize horrific events, actions and illnesses could seriously offend someone. It’s just not socially right to do.

The costume shop in New York was right to remove the “Anna Rexia” costume from its stores, although the costume is still available online and in the UK. Instead of wearing something repugnant, imitate your favorite food. For “pig in a blanket” all you need is a pink shirt, ears, and a blanket. Or to go the slutty route, there is a costume available on the internet called “Dirty Martini.”

You can imagine where the olives are.

Cut and paste costumes Finding a great pre-made costume can be difficult — but what if it’s impossible?

Never fear, there is another option available for those who just can’t seem to find the right costume this Halloween.

Homemade costumes.

The options are limitless when you melissa put your costume together yourself and the right costume is always within reach.

From plush red dinosaur costumes to invented superheroes, the perfect costume is often a scissor snip away.

Sewing your own costume can sound a little intimidating, but making the right costume can be a fun and fulfilling project. And you’ll look great.

There are a lot of different patterns and materials out there and the ease with which you put your costume together depends on: What you want to be. What

do you want your costume to be made out of? How elaborate do you envision your costume being? Your sewing skill level. The amount of patience you have.

Once these questions are answered, it comes down to cutting out pattern pieces and putting them together.

Not so experienced with sewing? flores Choose an easy sew rawr pattern and be sure to look at the way the garment fits together in the illustration. Pattern pieces generally fit together like a huge puzzle and there’s a set of directions that act as a roadmap for the entire project start to finish, from laying out the pattern on your fabric and cutting out to sewing the entire costume together.

Tips: Don’t try to work out of your skill or comfort zone.

A simple costume pattern may seem boring, but even

the most basic costumes can be spiced up with the right accessories and the clean, simple lines may be the tasteful, classic element that makes your costume stand out.

Ask for help. If you can’t figure out how to put something together, ask around.

Chances are you know somebody who has at least a basic knowledge of sewing, which can go a long way, especially on simpler projects.

Use your resources. YouTube has some great how-to videos that take you step by step through the sewing process.

Relax. Getting tense about your project will result in a large amount of frustration and a pin or two stuck in your finger.

If you’re not comfortable with the idea of sewing your own costume, there are many other ways to put together inventive Halloween costumes at home.

You can literally make a costume out of almost any-

illustration by shane wellner | rawr

thing — paper mache, cardboard boxes, spray paint, wire, duct tape. Be creative. The more inventive and flexible your idea is, the easier it will be to put together. Some of the best costumes are made this way — from robots to barbarians — and putting a costume together with friends can be the best part.

Tips: Choose something large and fairly geometrical. For example, a robot. One refrigerator box and a can of silver spray paint is all you need to

spend a magical night in the future this Halloween.

Keep it simple. Unless you’re a savant with paper mache, chances are, you’ll be much happier if you forego the minute details.

Manage your time. Homemade costumes won’t get done instantaneously. It’s going to take a while, so be sure to give yourself a day to put it together.

Having the perfect costume is within reach this Halloween. Sit back, find a picture of exactly what you want and put it together.