HALLOWEEN at SIU Carbondale

14,000 costumed students crowded onto "The Strip" in one of the largest street parties ever.

Shot by a half-dozen film students with "borrowed" cameras, this documentary shows why SIU was considered by many to be the #1 Party School in America in the late seventies.

This version has been edited for time & content.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Halloween
• Carbondale
• SIU
• Brian
• Colin
• Game
• Refuge
• beer
• bonfires
• design
• arctic
• stud
• poker
• run
• university
• college

[808pb]

Who sang the song?

[GameRefuge]

The song was performed by a band called TRIANON, Lead singer: Jim Ruse.

Music: Jim Ruse, Lyrics: Brian Colin

I found an original master tape in an old trunk in the basement a few weeks ago; ...I intend to make it availalable soon.

(It's actually a bit longer than the version in the Documentary.)

[GuyGizborne]

We need more Big Guy.

[GameRefuge]

You saw him in there as a clown, right?

[Bosmato]

Halloween is no more, in carbondale everything gets shut down the town is dead.

[GameRefuge]

There's still some great parties going on...

The Green House on Mill Street Had an incredible Halloween Party Last Friday Night!

[ModulateThis]

Great film piece! Those were the days. When I first attended school in the late '70 almost everyone was in costume and out to have a good time. Back then, students were part of the "we" generation and there was a lot of community spirit. By 2000, the year I shot my short documentary, people seemed mostly part of the "me" generation. Perhaps my cohort just knew how to party? Then again, maybe it was all the mushrooms and acid! You know, I really can't remember too much! ;-)

[dude7totally7]

I'm pretty sure I saw my parents in there somewhere...

[TheSportsfreak23]

is it true they closed the strip for halloween? if s, is siu still a big party school? im attending next fall

[Bobbypinfreak]

@Bosmato That is why we have unofficial Halloween...a week before Halloween..everyone gets dressed up and goes out..Still CRAZY !!! WOOO Unofficial!

[markhaynes1977]

I was there and in fact I am in this video. I believe that it was Mr. Natural blotter. Very good time that I will always remember. Clutch, Paul, Wilki, Bill, Hump, and etc. Where are you all these days?

[FGM22]

dude i go to southern now...not nearly as cool as back then but still really crazy

[OnTheStreetScene]

Any one remember "Wild Man" 12 floor Mae Smith, I'm still alive!

[OnTheStreetScene]

I lived it! It was so packed you could barely walk down the strip. This was my first Carbondale halloween. I actually saw a guy roll under a moving train to get back to the dorms.

[create42000]

@GameRefuge ...wasn't enough. this town has it's heydays behind it, i believe.

[alabamadickweed]

Great video man. Brings back a lot of memories since I grew up there in the 60s-80s. :-)

[juliano66]

Love this. Heartbreaking really, what a different world. The Golden age but who knew? I went to college first time around in the mid-late eighties and it was alright but not as wild as this. I love the snotty chick complaining about her ass. Wonder where she is now? Over 50 and a lot less cute--sigh.