by Kelley Woehl, MDiv ’25
Editor’s Note: Kelley Woehl, MDiv ’25, shares how dressing up in a Halloween costume gave way to new opportunities for community building during her first year at HDS.
When asked about what it means to be an HDS student, my mind immediately thinks of the first Halloween I spent on campus. Generally, spending Halloween at school dampens celebratory plans. And I, being new to the community, was unsure whether it was a part of student life or not. However, having only been at the school for a few weeks, there was already such a close sense of community, I was confident that dressing up would be well received. I joked with friends about the possibility of dressing up, and, to my and everyone else’s surprise, I did it.
Not only did I “dress up,” I came to school in a full Ben Franklin costume, wig and everything. On my walk to class, I was met with mixed emotions from passersby, some flashed endearing smiles, others threw confused glances. Their mixed reactions made me slightly worried about my decision to leave the house, but somehow, I knew that I would find welcoming laughter once I got to school. Without missing a beat, when I entered the building, my friends of seven weeks met me excitedly. We spent the day laughing and doing our homework in costume. My professors got a kick out of it, and it prompted fun conversation with students I hadn’t yet met. Even though I was the only one dressed up, I wore my wig proudly into our Theories and Methods class as though nothing was amiss.
When I came into HDS, I worried about making friends and fitting in. I struggled with imposter syndrome throughout the application process, and especially in the weeks leading up to my first day. But very quickly, I found my place and people; a group of friends from all over the world, coming together to learn about religion, both in the classroom and from each other. On many occasions, this happened thoughtful discussion in a booth at Grendel’s Den, my favorite local restaurant. Other times, though, it came through laughter, when we found different parts of the same joke funny, or when I had to explain who Ben Franklin was to friends who weren’t acutely aware of the Founding Fathers.
I’m sure that this is most people’s nightmare, and I don’t think everyone should dress up for Halloween, nor should they feel any pressure to. But what makes this such a beautiful reflection of the community at HDS is the speed at which I felt comfortable enough to make a complete fool out of myself. HDS is a place where we can come as we are, in all our foolishness, and find people who appreciate us, even some who will act like fools with us. My adventures as Ben Franklin became a tradition, and I dressed up again the next year, this time with company.
Over the past three years, my friendships have only deepened, and my imposter syndrome (though it bubbles up occasionally) has greatly subsided. I now feel sure that as I enter this space, costumed or not, others will be there to laugh with/at me.
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