By Kurt Masline

The University of Maryland climbing wall behind Eppley Recreation Center was haunted by a variety of creatures Halloween night. Some students arrived dressed as superheroes or characters from their childhoods. Others looked ready to redirect traffic.

Students took advantage of one of the last opportunities to climb this season, roasting marshmallows for s’mores, showing off costumes and sharing a sense of community. The wall closes for the winter Nov. 20.

Senior biosciences major Mika Naylor said costumes and climbing were a perfect combination for the event.

Naylor went to the event dressed as Hello Kitty, which she said was a departure from the kind of costumes she has worn recently and a return to something she loved growing up.

“I’m like yes, I’m going to be cute and adorable again instead of scary,” Naylor said. “For a long period of time I’d just wear scary costumes and it was boring.”

Nick Mittu, a junior double majoring in computer science and math, also wanted to show off his costume, a wearable traffic cone.

“This was actually my friend’s costume from freshman year,” Mittu said. “And when we had to leave for COVID, we left it in a closet in Ellicott. And two years later, it was still there.”

Mittu got involved with club climbing at the wall as a freshman. His sister introduced him to it. He started coming to the wall again this summer after not going during his sophomore year because of the pandemic.

He said that people who climb at UMD share a strong sense of community..

“Everyone is very welcoming, especially to beginners,” Mittu said.

Naylor said that the social aspect of the climbing wall is one of her favorite parts.

“Before this, I always would climb by myself, and so I think it’s fun to have other people to bounce ideas off and everything,” Naylor said.

Owen Mank, a freshman electrical engineering major, had only been to the wall a few times before the Spooky Climb event, which he heard about through his dorm.

Mank decided to dress up as Omni-Man from the superhero show “Invincible”. He said he is a fan of superhero franchises and made the costume after realizing he had the materials for it.

Michelle Eng, a senior public health sciences major and sustainability and disability studies minor, worked the event for RecWell. Eng said she thought it was cool to see RecWell have the event with the wall closing soon.

Junior information science major Grace Crevasse, went to the wall to show off her costume and climb. Crevasse, who wore a costume of the Nintendo character Luigi, said it felt like one last chance to be there during the fall while also dressing up and socializing.

“This is the highlight of my day,” Crevasse said. “I think it’s just so much fun.” 

Featured photo: Attendees, including senior biosciences major Mika Naylor, show off their costumes while on the wall. Photo by Emily Condon.