Walking through the halls of Burke High this October, you might not even realize Halloween is around the corner. The classrooms look the same, the halls are quiet, and there’s barely a spider web or pumpkin decoration in sight. It feels like the Halloween spirit that once made Burke fun and festive has completely disappeared. Why is there no Halloween spirit at Burke? Where did it go?
For many students, this lack of Halloween energy is disappointing. Some remember when the school used to do more to celebrate. “I really just haven’t seen much,” said Oscar Walter Gershet, a 10th grader. “I feel like we should have a lot more because we actually have bigger school spirit here. But no, I’ve seen like a few costumes maybe. I haven’t really seen any posters about Halloween.” Oscar said there was a “truck-or-treat thing,” but it didn’t feel like something that really included the high school students. “That didn’t seem very fun,” he said. “Just for little kids, like they won’t actually do anything for our school. I think we could just have more costumes and have more Halloween fun.”
Another student, Jay’Shawn, also in 10th grade, agreed that things feel kind of dull this year. “Uh… all right, I guess. I haven’t really been anywhere except for the stores that has Halloween stuff,” he said when asked how he felt about Burke’s lack of Halloween spirit. “Yeah, I feel like it would make this school a little bit more welcoming.” When asked what could make it better, he added, “Sell more than just boo grams and probably let the students decorate the school.”
For Maggie Apetsi, another 10th grader, the missing decorations and activities are what make it feel so empty. “I feel kind of sad because we should be able to celebrate,” she said. “People should wear costumes, and the school should be decorated with orange and black. They decorate for Christmas and Thanksgiving, but not for Halloween, and that’s kind of sad.” Maggie thinks part of the reason might be that some people don’t celebrate Halloween for religious reasons. “They probably don’t want to sponsor it because some parents might get mad,” she explained.
Whatever the reason, one thing is clear, students miss the spooky fun. Burke High has plenty of school pride, but maybe it’s time to bring some of that energy to Halloween. With more decorations, costumes, and student involvement, Burke could easily bring the Halloween spirit back from the dead.
