Have an idea for a story? Let us know! Contact: Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor Milifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca (¥ Boomerang And more! This issue: (¥ The philosophical ‘Monster’ The ECO-nomist and being Hallogreen! » Finding cheap, environmentally friendly ways to celebrate Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor M lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca | alloween is probably only second to Christmas as being the most disposable holiday. If you think about it, all those candy wrappers, the costumes you'll wear one time and then forget about, the paper decorations that will be going straight into the trash after the Vancouver weather does a number on them—it all leads up to one big, wasteful evening of fun and fancy. As a conservationist, I should despise Halloween, but I don’t. It’s actually my favourite holiday! The trick is to know how to make your Halloween as Hallogreen as possible. It all starts with decorations. I mean, you want to entice those adorable trick-or-treaters to come to your house (which is really creepy if you think about it}, so you have to have hg : some decorations, right? A : jack-o-lantern, some fake : cobwebs, maybe a ghost or : two? Now I’m not saying get : rid of the pumpkin, that would : just be blasphemy (plus, it’s : biodegradable), but it is a good : idea to plan your decorations to : either be reusable, or not made of : paper and plastics. By reusable, I : mean don’t fall for the gimmicky : paper and cardboard cut-outs at : the dollar store. Sure, paper is : biodegradable, but it still ends : up ina landfill on November 1. Instead, go for decorations : that will be able to stand up to : the changing Vancouver weather. : Rather than tissue paper, use : white garbage bags for your : ghosts. They'll be water-proof, : and you can reuse them as actual : garbage bags once Halloween is : over. My next suggestion is to : invest in some festive lights— : like Christmas but better, : because ghosts and pumpkins : beat Santas and candy canes : any day. Having festive lights : automatically makes your house : look Halloween-y, so you can : ditch those fake cobwebs, which : are a pain to put up and you : throw out every year. Plus, lights : have the added bonus of making : your house look more inviting to : children (again, this is creepy). : They'll be more willing to brave : your doorstep if they know for : sure there will be a candy reward. Of course nothing beats Da good old fashioned DIY. : Your decorations will be extra : Hallogreen and impressive if : they don't look like everyone : else’s on the block. So hit up : Pinterest and see how you can turn your garbage into : something masterful and spooky. : Last year I turned milk jugs into : light-up day of the dead skulls. : This year I’ve been collecting : toilet paper rolls so I can turn : them into evil eyes that will : peek out from the six-foot hedge : that surrounds my house. My last tip, and probably : the simplest to follow, is about : costumes. Vancouver is an : amazing city for finding discount : thrift costumes. I mean, come : on, we have pop-up stores : : specifically devoted to it. [fyoure : : in need of a costume, maybe try : something thrifted—chances are ! : it will be cheaper than buying : something new, and far better : quality. With this comes my : annual dreading of the release : of fad costumes. You know the : kind, the ones that are funny : and/or topical. I hate fad : costumes; I think they’re : ridiculous and a huge : waste. Not only are they : oftentimes insulting to a : portion of the population, : but they’re also : completely useless after : that year (I'm looking : at you, Caitlyn : Jenner costume). : [get it, you don’t : want to be known : as the person : that wears the : same Halloween : costume every : year, but that : doesn’t mean that a : you can’t donate your costume : when youre done with it—or pass it on to a family member : or friend when they’re in need of something fast next year. Fad : costumes eliminate that option. Halloween is a fantastic and : fun holiday that is pretty unique : inthe pantheon of festivities. So enjoy all the candy and costumes, without your environmental conscience nagging you. Photo via lastresistance.com The graveyard shift » Surviving the horrors of Fright Nights , Adam Tatelman Gd Staff Writer hile I wouldn't call myself a professional, I have been known to do a little acting from time to time. On the whole, it’s a fun way to make money, even if you do have to constantly go looking for a new job every time you finish a show. That’s why the idea of scaring patrons at Fright Nights was attractive to the amateur actor in me—it’s rare to find an acting gig that pays by the hour for an entire month to the tune of about $1,200. At of getting paid to scare the crap out of people. But by the end of the first day I wanted to quit. So what could turn a broke actor off of such a sweet deal? The working conditions are safe, the supervisors are fair-minded, and the rules are simple. You get your 15- and 30-minute breaks just like any other wage worker. No, the problem lies with the difference between what youre told you'll be doing and what you actually get to do. That’s the real reason the first day was : so disappointing to me. | ama : house scarer. I wear a pig suit, : hideina tiny room, and jump out : : from behind a curtain about 300 : times a night. That’s the extent : of my job. As far as acting gigs go : : I've had worse—playing an extra : is really just a bunch of standing : around, and you don’t even : get a pig suit—but I discarded —: : everything the training pamphlet : : told me about my “exciting : job” pretty quickly. What the : recruiters call “improv” amounts : to changing the pitch and tone of : : my pig squeals—riveting stuff. Having to wear a monster : mask is a real pain. If you're first, | was enticed at the thought ; going to work as a scarer, you : better hope you get makeup : instead of a mask, because : those things are the worst : combination of latex and rubber : youre likely to find. Aside from : the six straight hours of sweat : and itch (with no way to relieve : it due to my pig-suit hooves), : some actors wind up with a bad : rash from wearing the masks. The customers usually : come through the house at two : speeds: “are we open yet” and : “bend over and insert roaring : crowd.” Basically, youre either : sitting in the dark waiting or : desperately trying to explain : the meaning of “single file” to a wall-busting, drunken horde : of rowdy teenagers. It’s pretty : hard to get scares on a big crowd—strength in numbers, : you know—and it’s even harder : ifthere’s no one there to scare. : Happy mediums are rare. Some customers’ reactions break the monotony and supply : the satisfaction I need to > continue. Drunk teenage girls : are the best targets because they either freak out and scare each : other when I pounce, or laugh : and hit on me despite the pig : suit. Some people burst into tears : : or fall down and hurt themselves, : : inwhichcaselleadthemtothe : : emergency exit. Others roar back : : in my face or grope my costume. : That’s grounds for expulsion, : but they make me laugh, so I let : it slide. Besides, there’s nothing : more satisfying than pulling a : perfect scare on someone who’s : been manhandling the props. After the first week or so, : [hit on a method. I stood just- : so to avoid being seen while : scouting for incoming patrons. : I determined those patrons’ : positions by listening for their : voices. | perfected my posture to prevent morning soreness. I got : the costume change down to a : science to avoid spending half : my break getting into and out : of the pig suit. The job became : a Zen experience. I learned to : focus on the moment of the : scare instead of the sweaty : suit and the constant noise. So, is Fright Nights an awful : job? No. It’s just monotonous in : the extreme. Every employee, Photo via vancouverextendedstay.com : through experience, has to learn : to cope with being a human prop : in an elaborate infinitely looping : play. There’s a steep learning : curve, and I wouldn’t recommend : this job to the easily bored— : ironically, most actors. But as : long as you've got some throat : lozenges at the end of the day, : surviving Fright Nights is a lot : like working in customer service: : mind-numbing, but doable.