Ghosts in the Garden

By Austin Price, Editor in Chief

Alright everyone, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Well, it’s the moment I’ve been waiting for anyways. After a month of our special Spooky Series, it’s time for the grand finale. And after a month of crime reporting and storytelling, of legend seeking and secret exposing, and of tradition telling and origin exploring, it’s time to review an actual, haunted, thrilling, and completely creepy event that happened here in our very own, Denver Colorado. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you an honest, raw, and intense review of the Denver Botanical Gardens Halloween Event, Ghosts in the Garden.  

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The Story of the Jack Behind Jack-o'-Lanterns

By Austin Price, Editor-In-Chief

I’m sure most of you have carved a Jack-o'-lantern into a pumpkin. I know I did. I have vivid memories of visiting the pumpkin patch with my mom and pretending to help my dad carve the pumpkin in our kitchen, with pumpkin guts spilling out of mixing bowls. I remember my mom helping me light the candles inside of our pumpkins and leaving them out on the porch on Halloween night. I remember carrying the decaying pumpkin and now mutilated jack-o'-lantern into the backyard to put under a tree, leaving a yummy snack for the squirrels. These are all happy memories but the roots behind this beloved childhood ritual are much darker than they seem. With demonic roots and a search for salvation, today I will be telling the story of the original Jack behind the Jack-o'-lantern.

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The True Crimes of Halloween

By Austin Price, Editor in Chief

Warning: This article contains descriptions of violence, sexual assault, torture, murder, and child abuse. Reader discretion is advised.  

As you’ve probably noticed in my Spooky Stories Series throughout these past few weeks, I love Halloween. I am obsessed with Halloween. It is my favorite holiday, and it happens during my favorite time of the year, fall. It is the event that surrounds some of my favorite childhood memories. And to say it outright, it’s one heck of a holiday. Halloween is the only holiday that lets you be creepy, selfish, and allows you to tap into your inner spooky self. So yes, I love Halloween. 

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The Origins of Witchcraft

By Austin Price, Editor-In-Chief

Warning: This article contains mentions of torture, death, sexual misconduct, and abuse. Please read at your own discretion.

Hocus Pocus. Double, double toil and trouble. Abracadabra. Expeliarmus. Bippity Boppity Boo. I’m sure you’ve all heard one or more of these phrases before. The above phrases are in connection to witchcraft and sorcery seen in different forms of media including books, movies, television, and entertainment industries. What are now known as common, everyday phrases that are populated throughout the year, primarily in the time of Halloween, the origins of these phrases all lead to the Holy Bible.

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The Highlander’s Favorite Halloween/ Spooky Season Movies

It is spooky season, y’all! Here are the Highlander’s staff picks for what Halloween movies you ought to watch to celebrate.

Alaina Valdespino, Staff Writer/ Photographer:

As an avid horror movie lover, it would be a crime for me to not recommend the classics. So, if you're looking for a good scare, then Halloween (1978 film), The Shining (1980), and It (the original 1990 film) would be my three absolute go to horror movies for the spooky season. That said, if horror isn’t your thing, I’d definitely make it a point to watch Disney’s Hocus Pocus. This film is my family's go to Halloween film because it’s perfect for getting you into the Halloween spirit. 

Madelynn Loring, Staff Writer:

Personally, I tend to be more of a drink-a-pumpkin-spice-latte-and jump-in-leaves type of fall person, so I’m not the one to go to for horror. However, the one Halloween movie I cannot praise enough is The Nightmare Before Christmas. It is classic, visually and aesthetically pleasing, and overall a delightful watch. Also, it qualifies as both a Halloween and Christmas movie, so it is seasonally appropriate to watch it twice a year!

Sandra Vo, Staff Writer:

With full honesty, I admit that I am a complete scaredy-cat and that I hate any and all horror movies. As a result, my recommendations come from the much more family-friendly end, and a few of my favorite classics It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Spooky Buddies. Both of these movies are wonderful if you’re looking to sleep the following night!

Morgan Jacobus, Editor in Chief:

As a nostalgic child at heart, I have a special place in my heart for Disney Halloween movies. For instance, I recommend the Halloweentown movies (there are four in total). My roommate and I watched them last year on Halloween during the day (since our plans weren’t until night). I mean, it has Halloween right in the name so you can’t go wrong with those movies this spooky season. I also enjoy The Haunted Mansion with Eddie Murphy, and I have fond memories of watching that on Disney Channel back in the day. If you have Disney+, you can stream childhood favorites like the ones I mentioned, as well as both Twitches movies, Hocus Pocus, and the Nightmare Before Christmas. A non-Disney childhood throwback for me is Monster House, which you can stream on Netflix. 

Vivian Pham, Staff Writer

I personally felt like not everybody enjoys scary movies, especially when it’s Halloween season and all the Anabelle and The Conjuring trailers start to show up if you don’t pay for that pricey YouTube Premium. So, I’d highly recommend one of my all-time favorite Tim Burton’s classic Halloween movies, Corpse Bride - an animated dark romance genre for those who are looking for a heart-broken movie night but still fit in with the vibe of the Halloween season. Be prepared not for a blanket to cover over your head and contain your scream, but a box of tissues to soak up those tears when Victor, the main character, is torn apart to make the right decisions.