On an unusually hot day in Los Angeles, Braddock Sandoval perused tables heaped with wigs, a Darth Vader mask, a black tutu, and various other garments.
Sandoval, a chemistry professor at Occidental College, had dropped by a campus clothing swap aimed at keeping unused Halloween items out of the trash. Looking to pick up a free outfit, he selected a Hawaiian flower necklace and a shark costume to try on.