Just in time to pull everyone back from the brink of academic insanity, Halloween and fall break are finally here. Cheap plastic decorations and cheaper plastic-tasting candy corn are overflowing every franchise store and students are revving up for a four-day weekend/holiday. So, as you’re putting the final touches on your “ironic” Sarah Palin costume or your “slutty Catwoman” costume or your “slutty Sarah Palin as Catwoman” costume (and this goes for gals AND guys), make room for some events to facilitate the Halloween/Fall Break/Election Day spirit.

To kick things off, McKissick Theatre is having a free showing of “Hot Fuzz” Thursday night. For those not familiar with Edgar Wright’s sophomore film “Hot Fuzz” you might be more familiar with his first film, the apocalyptic-zombie/comedy masterpiece “Shaun of the Dead.” Just as “Shaun of the Dead” bridges horror and comedy, “Hot Fuzz” goes one step further and becomes a horror/comedy/action film. It’s perfect for a Halloween flick and if you don’t like it McKissick will fully refund you your money (it’s free with a student ID). The show starts at 8 p.m. and popcorn is provided non gratis.

Once you’ve gotten your obligatory Halloween flick out of the way, it’s time for the real fun. Upstate radio station B93.7 is hosting their own haunted house called Hawk and Tom’s Nightmare on Pendleton Street. The house has been open since early October but is only open on weekends, the last weekend being Thursday the 30th through Saturday the 1st. The “Nightmare” contains several attractions including “Torture Tuesday Haunted Prison,” “Michael Meyers Autopsy Room,” “The Black Endless Pit,” “The Funeral” and an entirely separate house called “Deadman’s Chest.” At $13 for one house and only $16 for both houses the Nightmare on Pendleton Street is hands down the best haunted house deal in the upstate. Granted, it is in Greenville (904 Pendleton Street, to be exact), but group rates are available upon calling ahead (864.934.6936) which makes this a perfect opportunity for a split gas/carpool set up.

But, if neither of those two glorious options tickle your holiday fancy, just slap on a costume and carouse the dorms with a pillowcase (mind you I’m talking trick or treat, not petty theft). Or, just give yourself the weekend to recoup in anticipation of voting for the next president on the last day of fall break.