Those doors slamming in your face as you eagerly hold out an empty pillow case can only mean one thing you"re too old for trick-or-treating. The elementary school tradition that was still relatively cool in junior high and good for a few laughs in high school is now unquestionably the least collegiate activity you could choose on Halloween. For some odd reason, parents don"t really like handing out free candy to people old enough to drive out and buy some for themselves. So for most students, the house party has become the only suitable replacement for Wednesday night"s festivities.

Unfortunately, a successful Halloween party is not as simple as the typical keg-in-the-bathtub, dance-music-blasting, black-light-glaring bash that can be found on any given weekend. No, it is a fine art that must be mastered with care and precision, a tasty stew made with just the right ingredients.

According to LSA freshman Dayna Davis, the first priority of any party-planner should be a creative theme. "A theme makes it more interesting so it"s not just a normal party."" Think Hawaiian, think togas, think whatever will lure in those crazy costumed students walking the streets on Wednesday. A theme gives partiers the direction they need to get dressed up and be ready to scare.

Costumes could be considered the broth of any Halloween brew because, without them, you would just have an empty bowl (or house in this matter).

Students all around campus seem to agree that no party on Halloween night would be complete without a good proportion of dressed-up attendees, although there is some debate whether costumesover should be a requirement or an option. LSA junior Shirley Bartov said, "Costumes should be optional because then there"s no pressure." LSA senior Sarah Niemiec thinks differently and insists they should be required because, "you have to be creative." Most agree that part of what distinguishes a Halloween bash from an everyday party are the costumes. As LSA and School of Music Freshman Keewa Nurullah, said, "People have to act like what they"re dressed up as, so it"s a different feel."

Perhaps the most essential ingredient to a packed house on Halloween is the choice of beverages offered to the guests. Scott Greig and Bryan Mellberg, the owner and manager of the dance club, Necto, on East Liberty say they are experts in the field of partying. They urge students to be creative with their drinks on Wednesday, saying, "Jello, Jello, Jello, there"s always room for Jello." Orange Jello shots topped with black sprinkles or crumbled chocolate add some color to the average bar. Greig also recommends, "flaming drinks, but be careful Barcardi 151 is very flammable."

Party throwers could also use their creative flare by mixing up a witch"s brew of juice, sherbet and rum, spiked with some festive ice cubes (plastic spiders or gummy worms frozen in the ice tray) and plastic bugs stirred into the concoction.

A dash of spooky decorations here and a pinch of candy there, add the final touches to the perfect Halloween party. Go wild with skeletons, jack-o-lanterns and bloody limbs. You can also keep it simple with some stretched-out-cotton ball spider webs and black and orange crepe paper, although no Halloween partier will be scared of your undecorated living room, no matter how many stains are on the carpet.

Drop a big bowl of miniature Snickers, Kit-Kats and Milky Ways on the table and the setting is complete for a Halloween that will beat all those years of circling your neighborhood in the freezing cold, screaming "Trick or Treat!" until your throat hurt.