The air was filled with anticipation and Halloween spirit as students descended into the Cellar. Students were dressed in their best Halloween costumes, prepared to read their funny, spooky and profound poems.
The Writing Fellows hosted their annual Poetry Night and Bake Sale on Oct. 24 to celebrate the holiday in an academic way.
Emily Wagner, a junior writing fellow, says she appreciates the opportunity to listen to students read their poems.
“We like to host this night to get everyone involved in writing and literature,” Wagner said.
“It makes me realize that a lot of students have more ideas in literature than meets the eye. You get some students that look like they really don’t care, but then they get up here and share these fantastic poems, and I think that’s really impactful for everyone.”
Gabrielle Nixon, a student, said she loves the Halloween season in many ways, including Poetry Night. She dressed as a witch and told the tale of a man who is visited by a vampire.
“My favorite way to celebrate Halloween is to just eat something chocolate while watching a horror movie with my family,” Nixon said.
Michael Nixon dressed as an ominous sailor, complete with a long beard and ghostly pale face. His original poem, along with his costume, won both the costume contest and poetry contest.
Nixon said his personal experiences with water and what lurks below was his source of inspiration.
“These are my actual wading pants, and I have had a lifelong fear of water zombies. I’ve often joked about it,” Nixon said. “The lake has always creeped me out. It’s a dark and mysterious place, so why not write a creepy poem about it?”
Nixon said he was very happy to be able to read his poem to the students.
“It’s a danger I’m pretty sure everyone is afraid of when facing,” he said. “Dark waters are a very ominous thing to dwell in, so there’s been human folklore since the dawn of time about things in dark water, all sorts of horrible things, so I thought why not rekindle this for Halloween?”
