Stop clownin' around

Halloween weekend—under most circumstances, you get to be whatever you could possibly want to be. You and your friends pride yourselves on your costumes, and it’s one of the most highly esteemed “holidays” among college campuses. However, recent clown sightings spanning the country, including in our own Lehigh Valley, should make you reconsider any and all notions of being a clown this weekend. A reported sighting to Campus Safety at Cedar Crest College received significant attention on campus.

If you truly want to know the extent of the clown sightings, there’s a Wikipedia page entitled “2016 clown sightings” cataloguing each clown sighting by state within the United States and even by country. The origins of the 2016 clown sightings trace back to Greenville County in South Carolina, where clowns were reported attempting to lure children into the woods, according to CBS News. But don’t worry, it gets creepier. CBS News continued to report that two clowns were also reported in New York wandering about, armed with kitchen knives. And even more threatening? A man was arrested in Wisconsin disguised as a clown and armed with a gun. He was accordingly charged with possession of a concealed weapon; this was once again reported by CBS News.

Within the Lehigh Valley, two reports were given to Easton police, but never confirmed, according to Lehigh Valley Live. Notably, the reported sighting at Cedar Crest College was also never confirmed.

Clowns alone are scary. When coupled with guns, luring children, and other potential crimes, this fear is immensely amplified. This fear is not unwarranted and is adequately justified by the reports accumulating on a day to day basis. Given the rising fear throughout the country, specifically towards crime, dressing up as a clown on Halloween would certainly not be in your best interest. Clowns are directly linked with violent activity. This association both evokes fear of clowns and puts whoever dresses up as a clown at a higher risk. As suggested by the reports, the common response to suspicious clown activity has been to report such activity to the police. If potentially scaring anyone around you is still not enough of a deterrent for you to dress up a clown, perhaps a possible police report is.

The variability and sheer geographic range of such clown reports is certainly concerning. The clown cases have brought out some very important concerns: the wellbeing of children, the potential for shootings, and the potential for stabbings are three very concerning threats clearly associated with clowns. Certainly, as described, other instances of clowns have been reported, but not confirmed. So who is to say what a harmless clown looks like versus a harmful clown? The fear is definite and real, and this fear is what could spark possible self-defense mechanisms against clowns.

Halloween can still remain one of the most playful, imaginative, and enjoyable holidays to be celebrated on campus without the addition of any clowns. Be mindful, and do not clown around.