ALYSA PERRERAS | staff writer

On Halloween girls tend to wear costumes that don't reflect their everyday morals.

I have forgotten the origins of the tradition of Halloween. But somehow, I do not remember it involving page 15 of the Victoria’s Secret Catalog and strategically placed double-sided tape.

Long gone are the days of little boys throwing sheets over their heads as ghosts or little girls dressed as Disney movie princesses. For college students, the tradition of Halloween has transformed from a time of reminiscing about childhood to childish attention-seeking behavior.

To quote the oh-so-knowledgeable Lindsay Lohan, in the “Mean Girls” teenage comedy, “In a girl world, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.”

Come October, I know that I am not alone in the world of journalists who write about the dichotomy and annoyance of good girls gone bad on Halloween.
Honestly, I love Halloween. When else can you escape the overwhelming pressure of being a college student, and for one night transform yourself into whatever you want to be?

You can be a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman or a nurse, as long as those costumes involve fishnet stockings and a mini-skirt.

How often do you see a guy walking around on Halloween in a Chippendale’s costume or a mid-drift baring ensemble? Men are given the option of being firemen, superheroes and doctors. Women’s costumes include French maids, cheerleaders and Barbie dolls.

It’s nothing new, but it seems from a very young age boys are given role models who use their minds and bodies to do something useful or productive. Meanwhile, girls are taught to forget their minds and use their bodies to attract attention.

Why is that, as women, we want to spend good money on perpetuating this idea, while limiting ourselves to these stereotypes, sending the message to men “I am here for your viewing pleasure?”

Don’t get me wrong, I am a girl and, like most girls, I understand the desire to want to impress the opposite sex. I do not think there is anything wrong with wanting to turn a few heads on Halloween night. But, I would not suggest putting something on display you are not willing to give up.

Be honest with yourselves ladies, when a guy admires your barely-there costume he is not complimenting your creative ingenuity. Whether you intend to or not, the amount of clothes you are wearing, or not wearing, sends a message.

Some who reads this may classify me as an unattractive and bitter girl who is angry because I cannot fit in. You’re wrong. I am no stranger to using clothing and sex appeal to get attention. My high school Halloween costumes were not always G-rated.

Come Halloween, I am going to dress up like most college students, and no, not as a nun, but not as a playboy bunny either. There can be a balance.

Halloween is a great time to explore the world of imagination and creativity, but for girls, it can also heavily impact the onslaught of self-esteem and body issues.

Wearing a costume that puts you on display for the world to see also opens the door for criticism and judgment. If attention is what you are looking for, then do what you feel necessary. But, not all attention is good attention.

So go ahead and pull out that lingerie and bunny ears. Just don’t expect to find your next great love or future husband dressed like that.