![Hosting the SCLA Casptone Mentor Dinner outside allowed for more attendees on September 27, 2021 at Silver Creek. This event would’ve usually been held inside. According to Lauren Kohn, a SCLA 12 teacher, “If we have a higher number of people, as long as we can host the event outside, then that seems to be keeping every[one] safe”.](https://schsnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/sxMAIGbSYGodZkqmrvTi5YWcJ1ssWA08ApkeMLpp-900x675.jpeg)
As students filtered into the hallways of Silver Creek High School on October 31, 2024, echoes of “Wow, I love your costume” and “You look great!” melted with sighs of “Now I wish I would have dressed up!”
Choosing to wear a costume to high school for spirit week or Halloween weighs heavily on many students. Fears of being the only one dressed up or embracing school spirit mock students as they stare in the mirror as the clock slowly ticks towards the bell.
Wear the costume! Embrace the fun! High school is four short years of your life. You won’t want to look back and think of all the opportunities you missed to break up the monotony of classes, lunches, and games.
Owen Golliher, Silver Creek freshman, enjoys dressing up for spirit days and Halloween. “I feel like it’s not just a way to express myself, but it’s a way to explore a deeper way of creativity,” Golliher said.
High school is about learning and academics but also learning who you are. Embracing creativity and having fun adds to the learning experience. Taking breaks from the mundane makes each day brighter.
Ericka Pilon, math teacher at Silver Creek, embraces the fun of spirit days and Halloween can bring to school. “Instead of just being a place you go and sit all day and try to learn something you are supposed to have fun in high school too.”
Fun is often easily forgotten or shoved away due to fears of being embarrassed. Shucking the embarrassment for creativity and fun allows the community to evolve and embrace others. Group costumes bring together community amongst friends.
A group of six seniors dressed as Smurfs this Halloween, going the extra mile by painting themselves blue.
“We thought ‘why not do it our last year and go out with something funny,’” senior Sydney Evans said.
Evans didn’t dress up for Halloween any of her other years in high school, but decided to embrace fun traditions and leave high school without regrets.
“I think it’s pretty lame not to [dress up]” she said. “Especially as a senior I’ve appreciated the school spirit more.”
School is about academics but its purpose goes beyond the classroom. High school provides a unique time in your life to sample what life has to offer. Clubs, sports, and activities are abundant at Silver Creek. One of the bravest, and often most fun, leaps of faith is joining a sport or club that you’ve never done before.
Izzy Casas, Silver Creek senior, joined tennis as a brand new player. While it was scary, she learned more than just the sport. She learned that going back to the fundamentals was difficult, but a great learning experience.
“I think it was interesting having to break down all of the steps and try something brand new that wasn’t like a subject in school,” Casas said.
However, athletics offers many benefits other than allowing the exploration of new hobbies. Joining sports and activities benefits more than your physical body: it provides a new community and sense of belonging when you may need it the most.
“Be in whatever you can because [the community] helps the dark hours in the winter go by faster,” said Casas
As the blocks, days, and years tick by, remember to embrace the moments that will soon fade. Chances are, you will remember not wearing the costume, while others will forget you ever wore it.
