It is only once a year that students can dress up however they like and participate in the annual Halloween parade, which is hosted by Renaissance, at Cherokee, marking the onset of the holiday season.  Mrs. Gallombardo, a Renaissance adviser,  says her goal with this year’s parade was to “get it done in a timely manner.”   Although some teachers have been opposed to having a parade that takes time out of the day, Mrs. Gallombardo comments that the parade “builds unity within the students [and] channels [their enthusiasm] into something constructive to get it out of their system [for the rest of the day].”  Besides, the administrators have found it productive and useful, and they have even created a special schedule of the classes to accommodate it.

The parade is not only a way to show spirit, but also to be competitive.  Judges during the parade are typically from the counseling center and child study programs especially because they do not teach many of the students, so they would be able to judge impartially and give awards based on merit. Additionally, the Renaissance club wants to incorporate them into something they don’t usually do, for a total of five judges in each side of the school.  However, the judges’ jobs are “difficult because they’re all good [costumes]”, says Ms. Kasinski, the registrar at the South counseling center.  Judges were also scrambling to find the names of the students as they walked to see who was the best in the categories. But they still enjoy their jobs, or as Mrs. Caputo puts it, “I think it’s fun that high schoolers still get into this…[and] it’s so nice to be connected to this.”

In North, the sound of the instruments from the marching band signaled the commencement of the parade, while in South the Micheal Jackson hit “Thriller” resonated in the hallways, with Mrs. Rodenheiser, Mrs. Gallombardo, and Mrs. Johnson leading the students.  The students came out with a various array of costumes, from Wonder Woman to the generic witch.  This year, however, many students reported that the costumes were not as interesting and innovative as they usually are.  Maybe it was because of the exhaustion from the homecoming spirit week, or of the potential embarrassment of walking around the building and showing off their costume, but for many watching, it was disappointing.  One student commented that “it was lame” and that “there wasn’t many people in the parade, and it wasn’t creative.”  The spirit was so low in South that some parade walkers did not walk for the second round around the building, meaning either they forgot or were eager to get back to class.  Regardless, that never happened before for any of the previous Halloween parades, thus making it harder for judges to choose the best deserved costumes.  Kelly He, the winner of the “Funniest” category in North, says “it’s fun to make things”.  In that spirit, many should express themselves on the very few holidays that allow it.

The North winner of “Funniest” Costume, Kelly He, as a toilet

(from left to right) Mrs. Gallombardo, Mrs. Rodenheiser, and Mrs. Johnson

The South Winners of “Best Group,” The Minions