It’s Halloween, and Mishal Kanabar is wandering the streets of a ritzy Niagara Falls neighborhood with his three friends. They are all garbed in the same outfit, with different masks. Their plan is to trick or treat the houses at the end of the night, because Kanabar and his companions figure that’s when people are likely to dump what’s left of their candy stockpile. Kanabar is not your average 12-year-old trick or treater. In fact, he is a 19-year-old electrical engineering major at the University at Buffalo.

Many would suggest that 19 might be a little too old to trick or treat, but Kanabar finds no shame in the fact that he still partakes in this activity, bragging, “I’ve figured out how to get six to seven king-size candy bars from almost every house. I’ve got this down to a science.” Like Kanabar, and contrary to popular thinking, many college students still find thrills in trick or treating and indulging in free candy. They have also taken the occasional drink or done a good deed or two while trick or treating.

A recent survey in the NeXt section of The Buffalo News asked several area teenagers “How Old is Too Old to Go Trick or Treating?” Most responses ranged from the 13 to 16-year-old range. Similarly, newspapers around the country such as The Orangeville Banner suggest that somewhere between the ages of 11 and 13 is a good place to engage in other activities on Halloween. However, college students are finding it too fun to quit.

“I still go all over Buffalo. I live on the corner of Buffalo, West Seneca, and Cheektowaga, and it’s cool because I hit all the towns and get more candy,” said sophomore art major, Zack Burgess, who plans to be a werewolf this year. “I’ve also learned to go on different nights, since each town has a designated night.”

Of course, no college activity would be complete without the influence of alcohol. For some, drinking adds a new thrill to the old childhood tradition. Junior nursing major Jesse Torres relayed his favorite Halloween night, which involved a combination of costumes, candy, and vodka.

“Last year, I dressed up in drag and drank cosmopolitans as I walked the streets. My friend was a slutty nurse and managed to down a bottle and a half of vanilla vodka before we left,” Torres said. “As we were walking the streets, she puked in front of a funeral home. With mothers and children watching, I had to take tissue out of my fake boobs and wipe her puke away.”

If there’s any place that could ruin the purity of a childhood custom, it’s in the college dorms. Students have not only replaced Power Ranger costumes with more revealing and provocative outfits, but they are bolstering their list of “treats” with alcoholic beverages.

“Our friend decided to put on a pink bra, a green boa, and a princess crown and trick or treat. He went door to door and got candy and shots,” said sophomore undecided majors Allie Goldstein and Jeannette Chase.

“I can’t wait to get out of my organic chemistry test and go trick or treating door to door for beer and shots,” said sophomore chemistry and legal studies major Thomas Fitzgibbons.

Whether you’re in it for the candy or for the drink, trick or treating at an older age can lead to potentially embarrassing situations. There are certain instances where it may not be a good idea to publicly display the fact that you still indulge in childish activities.

“Last Halloween, my three friends and I decided it would be funny to go as the four Teletubbies, and I was the purple one—Tinky Winky,” said freshman business administration major Stephanie Phillips. “At one house, we were laughing and singing the song as we walked up to the door. We rang the doorbell and standing there was my biggest crush. I froze, turned to run away, tripped on their pumpkin, and fell flat on my face. That experience scarred me so much that I will never go trick or treating again. Not even with my own children.”

Also, even if it is acceptable to our generation, there is a certain stigma that older people may feel towards college-aged trick or treaters. “Once you get a steady job, you should quit. You don’t want to show up trick or treating at your boss’ house as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle,” said freshman business administration major Dan Chapin.

Still, not all college students trick or treat for fun and games. According to the Omaha World-Herald, members of the UNO Public Relations Student Society of America wore costumes and went door to door to collect more than 1,000 pounds of food for the Omaha Food Bank last year. They collected items such as canned meats, cereal, and soup for those living in poverty. Organizations such as UNICEF have similar campaigns to raise money and food for the needy through trick or treating, and they are easy to get involved in.

Whether Halloween brings a night downtown, chilling at theme parties, or trick or treating in the suburbs, the most important thing is to have fun. Kanabar has it right when he says, “Halloween only comes one time a year, and you’re never too old to act like a kid.”