Take Halloween (1978), for example. Widely heralded as the movie to usher in the era of slasher films, Halloween is about Laurie Strode鈥檚 (Jamie Lee Curtis) struggle for survival as she is stalked by masked Michael Myers, who returns to his hometown to wreak some havoc.

But Strode isn鈥檛 willing to go down without a fight. She鈥檚 sharp and resourceful, and she manages to outwit her stalker at his own game. In the end, she wins her battle despite the odds stacked against her. Her resourcefulness and perseverance are traits that I try to keep in mind when facing any challenge, no matter the scope.

Another iconic woman of the horror genre is Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in Alien (1979). The film takes place in the year 2122 and focuses on the crew of a commercial spaceship, Nostromo, as they attempt to defend themselves from a seemingly invincible alien that has corrosive blood, two mouths and bursts out of people鈥檚 chests. What鈥檚 a space-trucking crew to do?

Enter Ripley. Spoiler alert, if you haven鈥檛 seen the movie:

As third in command aboard the Nostromo, she is the only member of the crew to eventually survive the alien鈥檚 assault. Similar to Strode, Ripley is able to defeat her monster with ingenuity and perseverance. She devises a plan to self-destruct the Nostromo with the alien on board, but it manages to stow away on her escape shuttle. When the alien reveals itself, Ripley thinks on her feet and uses the shuttle to launch the alien into outer space. I came away from the film with awe and admiration for Ripley, and I suspect I鈥檓 not the only one to feel that way. She faced her problems with logic and ingenuity, and even when everything seemed to go wrong, she drew on her inner resilience to pull through.

The demand for strong women in popular media is stronger than ever.

The demand for strong women in popular media is stronger than ever, and the horror genre seems poised to continue placing them front and center. This month鈥檚 addition to the Halloween franchise returns the story to Strode and focuses on how she copes with the trauma of her experience alongside her daughter and granddaughter. The Alien spinoff films still feature strong women in the leading roles, and newer films such as Happy Death Day (2017) and the upcoming sequel Happy Death Day 2U also feature a complex and compelling woman in the leading role.

With the rise of the #MeToo movement and the increasing presence of women in leadership roles, it鈥檚 more important than ever to feature the stories of strong women in film and other media.

I often find myself thinking of my horror-movie role models when I鈥檓 faced with a challenge. When it seems like I鈥檓 out of my league, I tell myself to be as resourceful as Strode, and if everything goes awry, I think about Ripley and her resilience in the face of almost-certain doom.

If you find yourself in a similar situation and in need of some inspiration, take my advice and turn on a horror flick. You just might find your newest role model is waiting for you on the silver screen.

Nicole Wills is a 麻豆原创 junior in the Burnett Honors College studying advertising-public relations, political science, and writing/rhetoric. She can be reached at nwills@knights.ucf.edu.

The 麻豆原创 Forum is a weekly series of opinion columns presented by 麻豆原创 Communications & Marketing. A new column is posted each Wednesday at /news/ and then broadcast between 7:50 and 8 a.m. Sunday on W麻豆原创-FM (89.9). The columns are the opinions of the writers, who serve on the 麻豆原创 Forum panel of faculty members, staffers and students for a year.

A senior research technician at the College of Medicine鈥檚 Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Alex Bosak works in the lab of Dr. Brad Willenberg. Together, they study mosquitoes to help curb diseases the insects transmit like the Zika virus. They also create biomaterial scaffolds — manmade tissues that are used for regenerative medicine, wound healing and nerve regeneration.

But when Bosak is not in the lab fighting Zika, you can probably find him in a makeshift art studio in his garage using prosthetic sculpting, molding and casting techniques to create harrowing masks and sculptures.

鈥淚 basically recreate aliens, creatures and monsters from different films that I like,鈥� said the 麻豆原创 grad, whose masterpieces include Demogorgon from the series, Stranger Things, a number of aliens from Star Wars, Velociraptor from Jurassic Park and his most popular piece this Halloween, Scary Terry from Rick and Morty. 鈥淧eople just love that!鈥� he said.

After watching his high school English teacher suffer with multiple sclerosis, Bosak developed an interest in the brain, , which led him to pursue to a degree at in molecular microbiology with an emphasis in neurosciences.

It was during his undergraduate studies that he first discovered his hidden talent. He was working at Universal Studios part-time as a cast member in the Rocky Horror Show live stage performances. 听He played the part of Rocky Horror and saw special effects makeup artists bring characters to life with prosthetics, masks and airbrushing.

鈥淚 thought it was pretty cool, and I decided I wanted to learn how to do that.鈥�

Shadowing one of the make-up artists, he first learned to make the noses for the characters in How The Grinch Stole Christmas production and was soon offered a job doing that. But he wanted to learn and do more. So he pored over online videos, practiced on his friends, and with a lot of trial and error in between, he perfected his art.

Pretty soon, he was creating blood-curdling zombies for The Walking Dead attraction at Universal鈥檚 Halloween Horror Nights and doing special effects make-up for several independent films.

鈥淭here is a lot of crossover and understanding the science of art really helps me,鈥� Bosak said. 鈥淭o make these characters look real, they have to follow nature and so if a bone isn鈥檛 supposed to go there, you can kind of tell it鈥檚 a weird design. So having an understanding of anatomy and physiology and how the musculoskeletal system should work really helps with designing the sculpture.鈥�

For his horror projects he uses similar materials to what he uses in the lab, such as silicone and alginate, for mold making and casting.

鈥淲orking with Dr. Willenberg on biomaterials has definitely pushed my understanding of art and made me a lot more confident working with any material that I have my hands on,鈥� He said.

Though he has given up the job at Universal to work full-time doing research at the College of Medicine, Bosak has kept doing special effects make-up as a hobby. He does masks and makeup for friends and family for Halloween parties and special events like comic book conventions.

Ultimately, Bosak wants to combine his passions and bridge the gap between art and medicine by designing stand-ins that can be used in medical training and simulations instead of cadavers or actual body parts.

鈥淚 want to design something that is as realistic as possible for students and other doctors practice on in the absence of actual cadavers,鈥� Bosak added. 鈥淚 want it to be reactive, for example if you inject a certain amount of liquid or administer a drug, the mannequin would be able to give some feedback or response. There is definitely a market for it and I think it鈥檚 a good way to use my skills to contribute to the medical community.鈥�

Bosak鈥檚 work was featured Monday on Fox 35 News. Watch the clip听.

For outdoor lovers, the 麻豆原创 Arboretum on Friday will host its second-annual Spooktacular. The overnight event will feature a Trail of Horror throughout the Arboretum鈥檚 nature paths and boardwalk, an outdoor screening of the movie Sinister, photo booth, ghost stories by the fire, camping and other activities.

鈥淭his is a chance for students and the community to engage with the Arboretum in a fun and social setting,鈥� said Jacques Werleigh, program assistant at the 麻豆原创 Arboretum that鈥檚 known for its nature trails and community garden. 鈥淵ou just have to have fun 鈥� no volunteering or research is necessary.鈥�

About 100 people are expected to attend Spooktacular, Werleigh said. Costumes are encouraged, and those who plan on staying overnight should bring camping supplies and food. Festivities will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, students, faculty and staff also can get in the Halloween spirit by attending one of numerous themed, group-exercise classes and events at the Recreation and Wellness Center. Here鈥檚 what鈥檚 coming:

To top off the holiday, those on campus at 10 a.m. on Halloween can witness a longstanding university tradition: About 120 麻豆原创 Creative School students up to 5 years old will trick-or-treat through Millican Hall and the Housing and Residence Life offices. The annual event has been held since at least 1998, said Creative School associate director Kim Campese.

鈥淭he Millican Hall and Housing staff thoroughly enjoy dressing up and seeing the littlest Knights in their costumes,鈥� Campese said.

Officers from 麻豆原创PD and more than 10 local agencies will participate in a DUI enforcement wave from Friday, Oct. 28 through Monday, Oct. 31. The multijurisdictional detail will focus on drivers who appear to be impaired by alcohol or other drugs.

Drivers under the influence who get behind the wheel are far scarier than ghosts or goblins.

If your Halloween festivities involve alcohol, be sure to have a plan for getting home safely. Use a sober designated driver or call a taxi or ride sharing service. Also remember that buzzed driving is drunk driving.

Halloween is a busy time for pedestrians, and drivers should keep them in mind when on the road this weekend. Remember to slow down, especially in residential areas, and keep eyes on the road and avoid distractions.

Pedestrians should walk with purpose and in well-lit areas. Walkers should be mindful of traffic and cross the street at designated crosswalks after looking both ways.

With costumes and candy top of mind, also make safety a priority this Halloween. Stay aware of your surroundings, look out for your friends, and don鈥檛 be afraid to call police in the event of an emergency.

Check out Theatre 麻豆原创鈥檚 annual costume sale Friday, Oct. 21, to find what you need to create your new look.

The department will offer a variety of costumes and accessories such as hats, shoes and other items that were created or purchased for past productions. Most items are $1 to $10.

鈥淭he exact costumes vary every year, depending on recent shows we鈥檝e done,鈥� said Heather Gibson, marketing director for the School of Performing Arts. 鈥淭his summer our costume shop manager had time to sort through a lot of back stock, so the sale is bigger than usual.鈥�

Costume shop manager Dan Jones said this is the most items up for grabs in the eight years of the sale.

Some of the items this year are from Kiss of the Spider Woman, about the relationship between two prisoners; Spunk and the Harlem Literati, an adaptation of the play Spunk by Zora Neale Hurston about a 1920s love triangle; and The Most Happy Fella, about an immigrant vineyard owner.

The sale will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center’s Room T-244.

All the proceeds help fund the theatre department鈥檚 costume shop and provide a budget for new productions, especially those with students learning to be designers.

The sale is also open to the public. Cash is preferred, but checks will be accepted. No credit cards can be accepted.

Early October my grandson and I were shopping. As our shopping cart glided along the aisles, he excitedly exclaimed, 鈥淟ook, Grandma, there鈥檚 a snowman!鈥� He is 4 and I am nearly 15 times his age, so I was sure he had mistakenly identified Casper as Frosty. It was October and they are both white鈥asy mistake.

So I said, 鈥淣o, it鈥檚 a ghost.鈥�

To which he replied, 鈥淣o, Grandma, he has a carrot nose. A ghost does not have a carrot nose. That would be silly. It鈥檚 a snowman.鈥�

To my surprise, it was indeed a snowman that was accompanied by Santa, reindeer and a host of fully decorated Christmas trees. This display dwarfed the table of Halloween pumpkins, witches, spiders and skeletons, and the one next to it filled with Thanksgiving turkeys, pilgrims, cornucopias and fall leaves.

When is Christmas? Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) usually kicks off the Christmas shopping frenzy, but this year it seems Christmas has come early. One big box store has thrown its hat into the ring by offering early Christmas layaway plans. The airwaves and Internet are full of tantalizing ads from toy makers with items to fill every child鈥檚 wish list.

When is Christmas? Boo, gobble gobble, and ho, ho, ho. Toto, I鈥檓 not in Kansas anymore. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas鈥攚hen did these three, which each used to dominate its own month, morph into what鈥檚 known as the 鈥渉oliday season鈥�? Bah, humbug, I want my Christmas back.

When I was a kid, Christmas was the most wonderful time of the year. I looked forward to the sheer joy of Dec. 25. My dad was a Christmas man. Without fail, the first Saturday in December, my dad would head to the garage. He鈥榙 pull out the ladder and retrieve the box marked 鈥淐hristmas lights.鈥� He would unroll the strings of brightly colored lights, plug them in, and check for those bulbs that needed replacing. Then he鈥檇 hang them around the edges of our roof and outfit the evergreens in our front yard. These glowing orbs signaled the beginning of the Christmas season for the McCloud household.

The next day after church, the two artificial trees (one green and one sliver) would emerge from the attic. While Dad and my two brothers assembled the trees, Mom, my sister and I would go through the ornaments. Those that survived a year of storage went on the trees. The causalities went into the trash.

The green tree would occupy a corner in the dining room and was decorated with ornaments my three siblings and I had made over the years. There was always a fresh string of popcorn and the tree was topped with the angel from my first Christmas.

The silver tree (made of aluminum) had a revolving color wheel that would alternately illuminate the tree green, red or blue. It always sat in the living room, strategically placed so from the outside it could be seen smack-dab in the middle of Momma鈥檚 picture window. It would be decorated with shiny store-bought ornaments, garland and lights.

Once the trees were finished, there would be hot cocoa, gingersnaps and molasses cookies for all. At 8 p.m. that evening, Mom and all the children would bundle up, go outside and gather in front of the living room window. Dad would remain inside, turn off all of the lights, and plug in the Christmas tree. After a dramatic pause, from the darkness a glittering, sparkling, twinkling tree would emerge to a chorus of oohs and ahhs and sheer joy. It never failed to thrill us.

Once back inside, Dad would remind us of the reason for the season and he would read the Christmas story. These are fond memories of Christmas, ones that I hold near and dear.

Everybody needs a little feel-good. The sheer joy of preparing for Christmas during the season of Advent 听is too special to commercialize. The sheer joy of waiting for Santa is too precious to my grandchildren. The sheer joy of watching holiday classics is too nostalgic to abandon. The sheer joy of hosting my family and friends is too endearing to give up. The sheer joy of watching the kindness of strangers during the Christmas season is too valuable to lose.

When is the most wonderful time of the year? December, right? Yes, for听me, the most wonderful time of the year is December, not October. No matter who or what promotes Christmas in October, it鈥檚 not for me. One month of celebration is special, two or three months are not.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says there is a season for everything. Whatever one chooses to observe, be it Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Las Posadas, or another event, December is the most wonderful time of the year.

Rebekah McCloud is director of the 麻豆原创鈥檚 PRIME STEM/Student Support Services Program. She can be reached at Rebekah.McCloud@ucf.edu.

The staff at the 1902 building, one of the few surviving examples of Florida school architecture from that era, will host:

Museum Day LIVE! is a Smithsonian magazine event to promote museums across the country. Participants are admitted with a ticket downloaded from . Each ticket is good for two people.

The Family Tree Fun Fest will offer activities for relatives to work together and explore their family history. 麻豆原创 historians will be on hand to answer genealogy questions and provide guidance. Participants also will be able to create a family tree using craft supplies; everyone is asked to bring photos and other family artifacts.

The center will offer two writing workshops in October to guide family researchers working on their family history. Whether a beginning genealogist, a master of the microfilm machine, or someone who simply wants to preserve family anecdotes, participants at these the hands-on workshops will be shown how to write the story of their family.

The workshops will be directed by Patricia Charpentier, author of Eating an Elephant 鈥� Write Your Life One Bite at a Time:

鈥淩aising the Dead鈥� Workshop, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, $30. This class will help people start writing their family history and will show the different methods of preserving the past.

鈥淧ut Some Meat on Dem Bones鈥� Workshop, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26, $30. This class will provide ways to flesh out genealogical data. Genealogical charts and family trees provide a wealth of infor颅mation, but this class shows how to fill in the blanks and give depth and meaning to the facts.

This day-long workshop will give children a chance to develop and stage one 鈥榮tory鈥� of a haunted house.听In the process, they will learn how to apply costume make-up, set up lighting, and use costumes and props for effect.听 Participants should bring a lunch and are required to wear closed-toe shoes. Payment and registration must be received by Oct. 7. For more information, call Cynthia Tomerlin at 407-936-1679 or email publichistorycenter@ucf.edu.

Family activities include live music, crafts and face-painting. Florida Master Gardeners will talk about the Seminole pumpkin, which is native of South Florida and was cultivated by Florida Indians and early European settlers.听The variety was almost lost in modern time, however, and听is making a comeback as an easy summer-season vegetable. There also will be a scavenger hunt, door prizes and treats, and visitors can tour the historic exhibits in the center.

The Public History Center at 301 W. 7th St., Sanford, has an original furnished classroom, a Timucua village, pioneer room, Georgetown and Crooms High School exhibits featuring the city鈥檚 African-American community, and other displays.

For additional information about the center and upcoming events, call 407-936-1679 or go to www.publichistorycenter.cah.ucf.edu.

听

The family event also will feature the history of Halloween through storytelling, games, crafts and educational exhibits.

鈥淧umpkinFest is a great way for families to learn about the Seminole pumpkin鈥檚 association to Florida history and to interact in ways that are both educational and fun,鈥� said Rosalind Beiler, 麻豆原创鈥檚 director of public history. 鈥淲e think this makes our event unique and serves as a great historical connection.鈥�

Events such as PumpkinFest help support the 麻豆原创鈥檚 goal of engaging the community to learn from and contribute to its own history.

The Public History Center, at 301 W. 7th St., was formerly known as Seminole County Public School鈥檚 Student Museum, an interpretive center and hands-on history museum. The former 1902 school building features an original classroom, pioneer room with a log cabin and tools; Grandma鈥檚 Attic with vintage household items and clothes; and other displays.

PumpkinFest will be 1-5 p.m. and a donation of $5 per person is suggested.

Some gardeners say the Seminole pumpkin is one of the easiest edible plants to grow. The variety is making a great comeback as a summer-season plant. The fruit is sweeter than other gourds, yellow or orange in color, and not stringy.听It can be baked, steamed, boiled, fried or sun-dried as the native Floridians did.

For more information about PumpkinFest or other programs at the Public History Center, call 407-936-1679 or e-mail publichistorycenter@ucf.edu.

Featuring one-of-a-kind costumes, the sale has become popular with people seeking unique costumes for the holiday. Full costumes can be purchased or buyers can creatively build an original concept from the many pieces. The costumes come from a range of productions including the 1950s-themed The Pajama Game, the 1970s-themed Deathtrap, and the No Sex Please, We鈥檙e British, as well as a dance concert and an array of productions placed in more recent time periods.

This year, the Theatre 麻豆原创 costume shop has been busy 鈥渮ombifying鈥� clothes in preparation for the sale. A popular item among the students working in the costume shop is the selection of 鈥渮ombified鈥� bridesmaid dresses.

In addition to the zombie costumes, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., members of the Advanced Theatre Makeup class will demonstrate how to apply zombie makeup and prosthetics. The makeup lessons are free and the students will be seeking volunteers for the makeup applications.

Dan Jones, costume shop manager for Theatre 麻豆原创, explained why zombies have infested the costume sale this year. 鈥淶ombies are a fun, hot thing, especially around this time of year. Plus it will help build the excitement for our upcoming production of Zombie Town, which is a new script and deserves as much excitement as possible,鈥� he said.

Zombie Town: A Documentary Play is a comedy written by Tim Bauer and will run at Theatre 麻豆原创 starting Nov. 15. 鈥淭o complete the cycle,鈥� says Jones, 鈥渢he zombie costumes used in this production will most likely be sold at next year鈥檚 sale.鈥�

The Halloween sale is a benefit for the theatre department. The proceeds from the sale go back to the costume shop and augment costume budgets for future productions, particularly those with student designers like the dance concert or graduate thesis productions.

The costume sale is open to the public. Most items are priced at less than $10. Cash is preferred, but checks also will be accepted. Credit cards cannot be used. For directions to the Student Union, visit http://ucfsu.com/directions/. Regular 麻豆原创 parking policies will be in effect, so shoppers will need to have a permit to park.

Theatre 麻豆原创 is a program in the School of Performing Arts at the 麻豆原创. The department鈥檚 graduate and undergraduate programs focus on providing a competitive edge to theatre artists seeking professional theatre careers, as well as to future creative intellectual leaders. The program offers theatrical presentations year-round to the public at the east Orlando campus. For more information about attending performances call 407-823-1500 or visit www.theatre.ucf.edu.