Adult Up, Get to School – Olivia Uskert
If posed the question — should the day after Halloween be a day off from school? — most students would immediately answer yes, and for good reason. Halloween is a great time to hang out with friends, go to parties, and socialize. After a late night, the last thing anyone wants to do is go to school the next day. However, logistically, having this day off school is more detrimental than beneficial.
First of all, taking November 1 off would create an additional day of school at the end of the year. Though having a three-day weekend might feel amazing in the moment, by the time May rolls around, students will be itching to leave the Hill behind and experience the weightlessness of not having to think about school for a couple of months. Why take an extra day off from school in the fall when we already have Fall Break and Thanksgiving break when we could have a longer summer vacation?
Additionally, it is essential that seniors have access to the college and career center on November 1. November 1 is the first major deadline for college applications, as it typically encapsulates Early Action (non-binding) and Early Decision (binding) applications.
Seniors need to be able to quickly meet with a counselor for any last-minute questions or in case there are any glitches in the submission process. If seniors were forced to communicate with their counselor over email, it would greatly complicate the situation and create an unnecessary amount of stress for both the student and the counselor.
In the words of senior Emily Pohl, “It would be really nice to have school after Halloween so I can get help with approaching college deadlines.”
Instead of having November 1 off school, I propose that teachers avoid assigning homework on Halloween. This way, students would not have to worry about studying or rushing through homework while they should be having fun and socializing with their friends while still retaining the benefits of a longer summer vacation and access to counselors before the November 1 deadline.
Candy Coma. Give Us The Day Off- Ben Kauffman
Halloween, a night every kid loves. Magic, candy, friends, movies. Kids of all ages even through high school and into adults love Halloween. Halloween night is something kids look forward to the whole year. Kids countdown the days till the schedule says October 31. One day kids most definitely do not look forward to is November 1st.
Halloween is awesome when it falls on that Friday or Saturday night, it almost adds more magic to the day. After a night of trick or treating or just being with friends it feels great to not have to worry about going to bed, or having responsibilities the next day. For kids, they just want to go out and trick or treat for some candy and hang out with their friends after. For high schoolers, maybe they want to spend time with their friends, hand out candy, maybe watch a scary movie and have some fun.
Unfortunately Halloween falls on a weekday more often than not, giving kids a little worry about making sure they’re ready for school the next day. School should give kids the day off after Halloween. What’s one day of school going to do, school could even make it an E-Learning day. This would give kids the opportunity to enjoy the whole night with their friends and then be ready for school on November 2.
At Cathedral, students get a lot of days off including St Patrick’s Day. Since Cathedral’s mascot is the Irish it makes sense that students get the day off. But what’s more likely, kids celebrating Halloween or St. Patrick’s Day?
Freshman Kelsey Kauffman agreed with this saying, “Kids should have the day off because Halloween is a kids’ holiday when they are out late with friends. People also are looking forward to weekend plans and could have trouble focusing.”
Also on November 1 in the Church, there is All Saints Day. Kids having the day off would allow them to go to Mass with their families. All Saints Day is a day to remember lost loved ones and a day off from school would allow families to celebrate this together.
Halloween will always be a special night to kids hoping to get some candy and make some memories. School should be able to take a backseat to this and allow kids to make memories together.
