By Anna Fitzgerald, Staff Writer
Halloween, steeped in American culture and tradition, should continue to be a time of celebration with the gathering of family and friends and trick-or-treating for the young. It is a time of superstition and friendship. The tradition of dressing in costume has always been an excitement for kids, teenagers and even adults.
Many students think that we should be allowed to have Nov. 1 off from school due to late nights on Halloween. I can see where they are coming from about this idea of a day of rest, but school is a necessity, while staying out on school nights is not. We have to put what is important before what is fun.
Halloween has been going on for a long time. We’ve never had a day of school off and we’ve always been fine. We may be tired the next day, but I think that we need to look at the big picture and realize that Halloween doesn’t come before school.
Just like any other evening, high-school students need to plan for their school day the day after Halloween: Be prepared with homework and ready to learn. Academic achievement at the high-school level requires responsibility and maturity to plan ahead and not expect a day off.
They should go out and spend time in their community and celebrate with the thought in mind that they have a responsibility to be at school the next day, ready to learn. Students still have the opportunity to have fun the night of Halloween, they just need to limit, to some extent, what they are doing and how late they’re staying up.
Adults do not have the day off from work after Halloween. They may partake in fun neighborhood activities as well, but still wake up the next morning and go to their jobs. A lot of people have to go into work on Christmas and other major holidays, and there is not much they can do to change that.
I think if they can do that, we will be OK going to school after Halloween.
If students really do not think they will be able to handle going to school the next day, then they shouldn’t stay out so late. It is purely self-judgment. School comes before trick-or-treating and hanging out with friends, especially in high school. We are at a point in our lives where grades matter and our future is depending on it. Missing a full day of school due to being with friends doesn’t seem logical.
That being said, it would be nice if teachers would refrain from giving tests or quizzes the following day, knowing students will be tired. Hopefully, teachers too will take time to enjoy Halloween. Maybe if the teachers are feeling nice, they will let us eat some candy in class!