When it comes to Halloween in Chapel Hill, the more things seem to change, the more they stay the same ... sort of.
Decades-old issues of The Daily Tar Heel show similarities and differences between UNC Halloween celebrations in the 1980s and now. In the '80s, students delivered pumpkins, held jack-o-lantern carving contests in the Pit, held haunted houses for children and charity and, of course, went to Franklin Street in costume.
On Oct. 30, 1987, DTH reporters wrote about the day’s jack-o-lantern carving contest. The contest was held in the Pit and was sponsored by the Student Stores and the senior class.
Prizes included a $20 gift certificate from the Students Stores for the scariest pumpkin and a $20 meal card bonus from Carolina Dining Services for the funniest pumpkin.
“That’s such a cute idea, but it’s just funny because now, I don’t think a $20 gift certificate would even buy you a t-shirt in the Student Stores,” said current first-year Spencer Dalton.
Another '80s Halloween tradition was the Mangum Haunted House, which varied from year to year and supported the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center.
In 1985, DTH staff writer Grant Parsons reported that “the Mangum Haunted House was conceived five years ago when Mangum residents wanted to buy an ice machine. Ice machines were not covered by the University’s enhancement policy, so someone … came up with the idea for a haunted house. For the past three years, about $11,000 per year in proceeds has been donated to the N.C. Jaycees Burn Center.”
The Haunted House was held in Manly Hall instead of Mangum Hall in 1988, because Mangum Hall was closed for renovations.
The Oct. 31, 1989 DTH reported that Granville Towers held Halloween events for local children: there was a haunted house in the basement of Granville West, and children trick-or-treated door-to-door in Granville East.
