Halloween

The spirit of Jack

Your dentist better be on speed-dial. With Halloween fast approaching, candy sales have skyrocketed and children all over the nation are getting ready to compile as much candy as possible. According to forty-five high school students from Wellesley High School, Reese’s is the candy of choice, with Skittles not far behind. Although most, like Kristine Welsh-Loveman (’09), “stopped trick-or-treating in eighth grade”, Halloween is extremely fun. Colby Kotzen, also a junior, loves the “pumpkins and the leaves on the ground” as well as “the atmosphere; everyone is in the mood!” This is evident in the ornately decorated lawns and the rush to get homework done on the big night. Although trick-o-treating is no longer an activity most high school students participate in, the smell of pumpkin seeds and the crisp air is enough to generate a feeling of excitement. Carved pumpkins, known as jack-o-lanterns, mark houses where candy is plentiful. According to the University of Illinois, the carving of pumpkins into ‘jack-o-lanterns’ originated from an Irish myth. The story claims that Jack was not allowed into heaven because of the deeds he did with Devil or hell because the Devil promised he would not take his soul. According to the legend, he was given a burning coal. He put it into a hollow turnip, and was left to roam the world. Today, it is tradition to carve out pumpkins with scary faces which are supposed keep Jack and other evil spirits away. Although this may no longer be the reason that pumpkins are carved, it sure does bring chills about the scary aspects of Halloween. Freshman Connor Hawkinson used this old tradition to carve out “NO A-ROD”, using this timeless pastime to express his views on the current Red Sox situation. For Hawkinson, carving pumpkins is a favorite part of Halloween, saying “it brings my family together when usually it is so crazy, and it is just such a change from the normal stress of school”. Although students are no longer five years old, Halloween still holds a special feeling, something that does not deteriorate with age.

Senior Parade ushers in new year

"Throw some here!" Those words echoed in ever hallway, as underclassmen watched the Class of 2008 throw out candy during the Senior Halloween Parade. This year, the costumes ranged from the Jamaican Bobsled Team to Deviled Eggs, but all showed clear amounts of effort. Senior Kaitlin Carragher said, " I had no idea what to be; I thought about it for weeks!" She also reiterated the words of most seniors saying, "The parade was so much fun, especially giving out the candy and seeing everyone's costumes". The parade began at 8:15, and classes stood as the excited Seniors marched up and down the floors, smiles plastered on their faces. The parade provided a welcome break from the difficult workload for the hundreds of students, both those in the parade, and the spectators. Ellie Richardson, who watched from her science class, said, “ It [the parade] was just such a fun way to start the day, and the candy didn’t hurt either!” Senior Kyle Dowd thought “the parade was such a welcome break, especially from all of the college applications, and really made me feel like a Senior”. The Halloween parade is a Senior rite, and each year students in lower grades can only anticipate what theirs will be like. For new Freshman, the parade is unexpected, but fun, and the Juniors can not help but think about the fact that they will participate in this very parade soon. Max Berkowitz (’09) is “already thinking about my costume for next year”. Although he can imagine, this year the parade belonged to 2008, and they made the most of it.

I just want to be five again

It easy to get caught up in the spirit of Halloween, whether it is the large amount of scary movies on T.V., or the suddenly cold Fall nights. Unfortunately, as we get older, Halloween is changing. No longer is an 8:00 curfew a huge deal, nor the excitement of sprinting from house to house trying to break candy records. Halloween has become a just a regular night, filled with hours of homework. I myself, had a Biology test the day following Halloween, and our entire class was disappointed and complaining. I had promised my ten-year old sister and her friends I would take them trick-o-treating, with no parents, a huge deal for them. Suddenly I found myself in a position of choosing between my test, and my sister. I chose my sister, but while they rushed around with their pillow-cases, I couldn’t help but sneak looks at my watch, waiting for their escapades to end so I could go home and study. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, spent decorating the yard in elaborate scenes with my Dad and carving pumpkins. This year, I had to stay inside as the rest of my family arranged the decorations because I was too busy doing math homework and studying flashcards. In addition, I carved my pumpkin two days after my siblings, in the two free minutes I had. Typically my pumpkins are, I’m just going to say it, masterpieces. This year, I was pretty much a letdown to myself. Yes, I may be 16 and driving, but the little kid in me is still 5 and running to get candy. I just wished that teachers recognized this and were willing to give us a break from the normal grind of school for just one day.