Students and staff share their thoughts on the best ways to celebrate
Audrey Roeder
Opinion Editor
October 30, 2023
Spooky Season - In a poll of 100 students, 66% of students said that high school students are not too old to go trick-or-treating.
Halloween is an exciting time of candy, traditions, and overall fun. Staff and students at Westfield High School have many different ways of celebrating and fond memories.
How do people’s Halloween traditions vary at Westfield High School? While most people said their families watch Halloween movies or go trick-or-treating, some people have more unique traditions.
“We carve pumpkins and decorate the house,” senior Maddie Meyer said. “One night we have a soup dinner in a pumpkin.”
Some families prefer to celebrate among themselves, while others prefer larger celebrations.
“My mom has a big Halloween party with all our friends and neighbors. She creates all the decorations herself for the theme of the year,” senior Lilly Tavarez said.
There are various popular Halloween movies, “Hocus Pocus,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and “Coraline,” but the most common response for favorite Halloween movie was “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”
“I probably watch it (“It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown”) like 20 times each Halloween,” senior Aaron Budd said.
Favorite Halloween movies aren’t the only thing that Westfield students and staff have mixed opinions on. There was a very mixed response to people’s favorite Halloween candy. Some said; candy corn pumpkins, sour worms, Reese's, and caramel apple pops. However, there were two costume ideas a lot of Westfield attendees do not want to see this year; clowns and cats.
“I don’t like clowns at all, I’m scared of clowns,” foreign exchange student, senior Lia Steuri said.
Many people prefer to do individual costumes, while others prefer to do group costumes. Do Westfield attendees prefer group or individual more? Some people said individual costumes, but the majority said group costumes.
“I think group costumes are cute unless no one in your group can agree on the same thing. Group costumes are more practical. If you guys are all going to the same place, why not do a group costume?” Tavarez said.
Are you in need of some fun costume inspiration? Here are a few ideas given by Westfield staff and students.
“The Golden Girls, that’s what we were last year,” French teacher Lance Grubb said.
“The chicken that surfs from that one surfing movie. His name is Rico or something,” senior Ally Weirick said.
“Rupunzle and Pascel or Tinkerbell,” Tavarez said.
Many high schools debate whether they are too old to go trick or treating. While most students won’t be going trick or treating themselves, many said no, high school students aren’t too old.
“I think high schoolers should do what they want to do. I don’t think they should be ‘too old’ to do anything. I think it's stupid that people are like ‘it's too childish.’ Adults should go trick or treating,” junior Erika Hughes said.
While the administration at Westfield High School does not stop students from going trick or treating, they do stop students from wearing costumes to school on Halloween. Students wearing costumes to school can be considered a safety risk so to keep everyone safe, wearing a costume is prohibited. Many students and some staff disagree with this rule.
“I wish we could allow dressing up, but we can’t,” Mr. Grubb said.
Lastly, the topic of attending school on Halloween is up for discussion at Westfield. A large majority of students think that there should be no school on Halloween. Some students even went as far as saying that there also should not be school the day after Halloween.
“I think we shouldn’t go to school the day after Halloween so we can stay up all night and eat candy,” Hughes said.
Other students agreed with that sentiment.
“I think we shouldn’t have school the day after. November 1 we should have off, Budd said.” I think we should go to school [on Halloween] all dressed up, then everyone go about their day then have the next day off and go back on the 2.”
However, the most popular opinion was suggested by senior Finn Wagner.
“I think we should go back to having parties on Halloween like we did in elementary school,” Wagner said.