}61 '8Z -13CVOWO 'Aepui photo by Dean Saito Walking down a deserted stairwell late at night can be as spooky as Halloween. by Shelley Hoekstra BitUlion sUff Halloween night means candy. Candy means trick-or-treating. T rick-or-treating means... mean- s..."oh heck, what do I wear trick-or-treating?" What to wear trick-or-treating doesn't have to create a prob lem. Costumes don't have to cost an arm and a leg. With a little bit of planning ahead, and a whole bunch creativity and im agination, trick-or-treating cos tumes that are fun to wear, inex pensive and original can be made. "What are you going to be for Halloween?" Every household contains enough old clothes, props and related "gag" items mat can be made into a "do-it-yourself" costume. For men, items such as tuxedos, military uniforms, pants, shirts, vests, suits, pa jamas, hats and sports uniforms can be used. Women's costumes can be made from gowns, for- mals, dresses, blouses, petti coats, choir robes and old ballet, tap or jazz clothes. Costumes for children can be made from sleeper pajamas, boxes, pillow cases and old adult clothing. If a certain article of clothing is needed to complete the cos tume and is not available around the house, check with a neigh bor or a second-hand store. Also, left-over pieces of fancy un| A»piiot| trim from your sewing bag can be added to costumes to add "just the right touch." Sometimes it's nice to buy just one piece to add to your costum- e; this gives the costume an aura of professionalism. For exam ple, the purchase of a pirate hat will give a home-made pirate costume authenticity, a rnines- tone tiara added to a princess costume will add glamour and sparkle. Finally, hand-carried props can complete the costume and the image you are trying to achieve. Props can be useful — you can carry your candy load in them. Whars more natural than a hobo carrying a knapsack? That knapsack alk) can serve as a "candy carrier." A gangster could carry a violin case, full of M&Ms ... or Tootsie pops ... in stead of guns. Easy and inexpensive cos tumes, especially for children, can be made from cardboard sheets and boxes. After finding a suitably sized box, cut out holes to allow free arm, leg and head movement. Additions to the box can be made with addi tional cardboard or other items, and attached with glue, staples or sticky tape. Paint, aluminum foil, contact paper, cloth or crepe paper can be used to cover the box. A few box-costume possibili ties include: a robot, die, televi sion, jack-in-the-box or a pizza box. The following costumes can be made with clothing articles found around the house: gangs ter, Harpo Marx, flapper, 50s, pirate. Roaring Twenties, gyp sy, pioneer, lumberjack and hobo. Sleeper pajamas can be used in making a variety of animal costumes. Sleeper pajamas are made in adult sizes, so the ideas are not limited to children. Most sleeper pajamas are made of a soft, fuzzy material that easily can be dyed at home. By adding the proper set of ears, spots or a tail, pajamas can be used to create any animal — from mouse to lion. Sleeper pajamas also can be used for non-animal costumes, such as a monster or a mummy. Gowns, robes and capes can be made into costumes with a minimum amount of sewing, glueing or pinning. Witch, ghost, angel and toga costumes easily can be made out of an old dyed sheet or cape. Costumes capture the true spirit of Halloween. Wear a cos tume that reveals your true char acter, or design a costume fitting for that other identity you've al ways wanted to assume. Be as conservative, or as wild as you wish, and have a blast on Hallo ween night! Book offers seven weird tales by Rebeca Zimmennann Battalion staff If you're interested in strange and unexplained stories, The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. has come out with a book containing seven true experi ences guaranteed to send shiv ers down your spine. "Tales of the Uncanny" cov ers stories from UFO encounters to demonic possession with these seven tales, recounted by well-known authors. Whether you're a credulous or an incredulous reader, you will have trouble putting the book down. The tales are well written and fascinating. The first story, "Dr. Holmes's Murder Castle," tells of a seem ingly respectable businessman who lured victims to a huge, specially designed building and killed them during the 1890s. "Curious Encounter" details the 1961 experiences of a New England couple. Under hypno sis, the couple revealed fascinat ing accounts of their abduction, and subsequent release, by crea tures in a UFO. Mediums figure prominently in two of the stories, "The Re markable Daniel Dunglas Home" and "The Captain's Re turn." Daniel Dunglas Home re ceived messages from the dead, floated through the air and moved objects around the room. No one could ever prove he was a fraud. In "The Captain's Re turn" a dead pilot sent messages through a medium that the Brit ish airship R101 was doomed. No one paid attention to the medium's messages, and the airship crashed and burned. Spirits and demons figure in "The Strange Affair at Strat ford" and "The Possession of Sister Jeanne." In the first story objects flew through the air, furniture disappeared and mysterious writing appeared in Rev. Eliakim Phelps's Connecti cut home in 1850. Sister Jeanne was an Ursuline nun in the 1600s who supposed ly was a victim of devils. Tor mented by the demons' posses sion of her mind and body, she accused a priest of bewitching her. He later was burned at the stake. This tale discusses more than demonic possession. It offers a vivid picture of a nun's life, court and Catholic Church politics and the conflicts experi enced by a nun who really wasn't suited for the veil. The final tale in this book is yet another version of the Ras putin story. A Russian peasant, Grigori Rasputin became a close friend and adviser to Tsar Nicholas and Tsarina Alexan dra. Rasputin's life was filled with experiences of clairvoyance and of healing people. His death in 1917 was as strange as his life.