by Andrew Carroll When I was a child, there lived an elderly woman across the street in a green house shrouded by trees. I, like many children, believed the many stories about mythical entities like ghosts, monsters and witches. Every neighborhood has a dwelling that is mysterious and my neighborhood was no exception. To my childhood eyes, the old green house, weathered and aged like the woman who occupied it, was obvi- ously haunted. In actual fact, the old woman was not well at all. She suffered from some sort of mental illness and told horrifying stories to my brother and me. I would run away when I saw her approaching. Indeed, re 1 Group angry over pumpkin slaughter by Jack Kabocha A group mimicking the turkey poisoning hijinks of Vancouver’s Animal Avengers has spoken out against the annual harvest and consequent mutilation of the millions of pumpkins which. fall under the carver’s knife every Halloween. The Cucurbita Moschata Freedom Alliance (CMFA) called for a halt to pumpkin carving, in a facsimilie issued Wednesday, October 23. “The cruelty performed on these noble gourds is not at all justified, not even under the auspices of tradition,” read the press release. “If the pump- kins were.at all utilized beyond the sake of decoration, then the vandalism could possibly be excused, but more often than not, the husk and the meat of this living, breathing member of the cucurbita family is wasted right on the doorstep.” In a mysterious , untraceable phone call to the Other Press, a caller identifying himself as Calabaza, spokesman for the CMFA, expressed concern over the Douglas College Alumni Week Great Pumpkin Carving Contest, which takes place on Wednesday, October 30, from 12 pm until 2 pm. “We want it to stop, we she seemed very much like witch. For a time she lived with her husband who was also not well. But his affliction was physical. One scorching summer, the old man fell ill and was bed ridden for several days. During this time the old woman went about her business, taking care of her husband and occasionally walking to the grocery store to buy food. The heat was almost unbearable during the day and the night was no better. Soon, the neighbours smelt a peculiar odour emanating from the house. The odour became progressively stronger, so much so that the neighbours became so suspicious that they called the authorities. When the authorities My october 29 1996 Spooky Stuff A ta wish it to be called off . Now.” Asked what he would do if the contest was not called off, Calabaza, after an extended pause said, “Well, what can we do? We can’t poison the damn things. Nobody eats them... Let’s face it, besides seeds and pie, how many ways can you actually cook them? I suppose we could put explosives, which wouldn’t blow up that big, anyway... We could pour gas on them, but that would be expensive, and we don’t have much cash. We’re all student, eh-” Contact after the disconnection was not made again. Vancouver Police Spokesperson Anne Drebin said the CMFA was currently under investigation. As to whether or not the Alliance had any connection to the more millitant eastern group, the Algonquin Indian- backed Isquoutersquashes Protection Force, Drebin could not say. “Besides, I wouldn’t worry about these guys. This pumpkin thing will pale in comparison to what you’ll see on Remembrance Day with all these poppy people,” said Drebin. entered the bedroom, they found his dead body laying on the bed. The old woman insisted that her husband was not dead, but “just resting.” She had even attempted to feed him. I rememer thinking, “she’s killed her husband. She truly is a witch.” This event changed everything. The old woman was put in a home and the house was eventually sold. My personal myth of the witch survived a few years after that, but the memory remains of how I reacted to a mentally-ill woman and her eccentric behavior. It is a constant reminder of how one aquires prejudices and keeps from recognising the truth. Kevin Sallows Photo Sell-out Hallowe’en Why Not? by Andrew Carroll The overwhelming opinion that I hear these days is that Hallowe’en is just another holiday invented or promoted by the large corporations for just their own interests. It is a negative opinion. But what about Hallowe’en? Is it as bad as it is really made out to be? No. Before you turn the page and dismiss this article as being written by a total nut, listen to my case. A few Sundays ago, at a family dinner, my brother’s girlfriend’s child was asked what he was going to be for Hallowe’en. His eyes immediately lit up and he exclaimed: “Barney!” I noticed myself reminiscing about the Hallowe’ens of my childhood. I thought of the many colourful things I transformed myself into being just for that one special night a year: a vampire, Big Bird, a clown, a monster. In my eyes it was pure magic. Not only to dress up and make-believe but also to get treats for doing so. So what if they were unhealthy, the dozens of Mars Bars, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and the numerous Kraft Toffees that the neighbours gave out. It was our loot, our pre-Christmas, post Thanksgiv- ing treat fest. So what if the chocolate companies made a killing? It didn’t effect me in my later years; I hardly eat chocolate bars anymore. I don’t think Chad Iverson Photo the companies are actually conspiring} to get kids ‘hooked’ on their products for the rest of their lives. Some in the Christian Right would have us believe that Hallowe’en is an “evil” and “negative” festival; that it i “pagan” and “destructive.” That it ma perhaps cause children to grow up perpetuating as adults what they pretended to be for one night of the year. I’ve read of elementary schools enforcing a non-offensive costume policy for their students when it came to Hallowe’en. Does this mean that a child cannot dress up as what he fears most. Imagination and fantasy are crucial to childhood development, even if it may be negative, it still promotes healthy development of a child. Hallowe’en, for the typical Western child, is when ghosts and goblins rule the earth. “Trick or treating” lets children face those fears of the monster under the bed. True: Hallowe’en is a part of popular culture but it still retains som of the spiritual importance of the past It marks a passage of time in which fears and ghosts haunt us; flooding us with an air of reflection and of cheer. Cheer for those children who come ta your door dressed up as fairies, medieval princesses and monsters. It can be whimsical, fantastical and grotesque all at the same time. Refleg for your own childhood nights of knocking on doors and yelling “trick or treat.” More often or not, it was thd treat that you walked away with.