The War on Halloween: Students Protest Administration's Scheduling of Halloween on a Tuesday

Halloween is under attack. At least that's what one freshman, Betsy Bertran (C '21) thinks. 

Betsy recently organized a protest calling out the administration's "War on Halloween." The Facebook Event for the rally had 20-30 freshman students "Going" with a staggering 200 "Maybes." Observers said that around 15 people showed up outside of College Hall wearing various superhero costumes and carrying Jack-O-Lantern protest signs. 

In the description for the event, Betsy laments the Penn administration's "organized attack on Halloween" by "scheduling the Holiday on a Tuesday, a day with classes." Betsy also started a petition to change the date of Halloween and/or cancel classes that day: "Whatever's easiest."

Betsy sees The War on Halloween as a larger trend in American society. She has noticed people saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Happy Halloween," which she sees as a direct attack on traditional All Hallows Eve values. The scheduling of the Holiday this year on a Tuesday was the last straw for Betsy, so she felt that she needed to organize to combat this terrible injustice. This just "isn't America. It's not us." 

While Betsy saw her protest as successful, but notes that there are still a few "insurgents" who refuse to embrace the full spookiness of the Holiday. 

"Halloween is really about sharing," she noted. As well as "getting drunk in a witch costume and stealing candy from children who have gone trick or treating." She added, "it's just not possible to celebrate this holiday on a day with classes. This is totally unacceptable." 

UTB remains unsure if Betsy realizes that Halloween happens every year on October 31st. Our junior correspondent was too afraid to ask her.