Freshman year: follow the progression

Perhaps you’ve seen them walking around, wearing a costume that’s definitely cooler than yours. Perhaps you’ve scoffed at how “into Haloween” they are, or the sheer absurdity of even trying so hard. Perhaps you’re just a huge fan. Regardless of your stance, Diego Zogbhi, one time Bwog Costume Contest honorable mention (submit yours!), is clearly a character. This week, lucky Bwog Correspondent Lauren Beltrone sat down with him to talk about this Halloween insanity.  

First off, tell us about your costumes, starting from the beginning of your time at Columbia.

Freshman year I didn’t do anything that special. I was a zombie so I found a make-up kit and did heavy make-up. People thought I was everything but a zombie. I kept getting asked if I was a panda or a joker, so that year doesn’t count.

Gaga

Sophomore year I started taking accelerated German and met my best friend Francesca. Halloween was coming up, so I asked her if she had plans and maybe wanted to do a costume together. Couple costumes are easy to go cheesy on and we wanted to impress people, so we dressed up as the zombies in Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” video. Every year it’s been so crazy. We’ve literally always done it at last minute, spontaneously.

Skrillex & fan

Junior year, I was still taking German, and Francesca and I were in the same class once again. We needed two separate costumes that year because there was a special DG event one night that weekend. The first night we did Skrillex. We padded Francesca’s hair down so it looked like a side-shave, and she wore a hoodie and headphones. I was an enthusiastic fan at Skrillex concert. That costume was the hardest one to get for people. We liked the idea that some people wouldn’t know immediately, but once you’d explained it they would get it. The few people go who got it right off validated the costumes, though.

Team Rocket blasting off again!

For the main night we wanted to do a famous duo. I couldn’t think of anything for a while but then we finally decided on Jesse and James. That one was a fun one to do. We wore the costumes to this ADP coffeehaus event, and when we got there the party had already started. As we walked in, everyone stopped and turned, I think because people are actually scared of how into Halloween we are.

This year we don’t have German together for the first time since meeting sophomore year. We rarely see each other because we both have jobs and internships and she started dating someone and I started dating someone. But we talked about how Halloween is soon and since she’s president of DG we needed something come Friday night. I was at my new internship, and as I was leaving to go to my job in Brooklyn I was texting her on subway. That morning I had suggested Frida and Diego so I tried to find something in Brooklyn. I went to thriftstore, or more like a high-end fashion-y place, walk in, and see the perfect Frida shirt. As I’m about to go buy it, I find a onesie for Diego, buy the items, and rushed back to Columbia. I splattered paint on everything and Francesca found floor-length skirt that she put on. Her friend helped her braid hair, gave her a unibrow, and we were done.

Frida and Diego

What’s your stance on obscure costumes versus easily recognizable ones?

Personally I would love to do costumes that are not evident, even though in college it’s still about fun and about something people will recognize. If it were up to me, if I really wanted to do something out of the ordinary, I would do Gainsbourg. He’s a French singer, poet, actor, basically the epitome of the French artist in 20^th century. He dated this girl in the late 60s early 70s named Jane Birkin who was a singer from England. The couple was basically the Kanye and Kim K. of France in 1970s. They released song of them having sex. So, I always wanted to dress up as him, but again, it’s too much.

Do you recommend leaving campus to celebrate?

I would only recommend going somewhere off campus if you’re sure there’ll be people there with costumes. I have a friend who went out clubbing in Brooklyn on Halloween in a Captain America costume with huge inflated muscles, and it was impeding him and others from dancing. If you know there’s a good party going on, go. If you’re taking chances, I would not recommend it.