By Richard Chauvet
This Halloween the students at Centennial High School are feeling like they were tricked out of being able to participate in holiday traditions at school. A new policy on costumes has been placed in order to maximize respect and comfort of every single student at CHS; although most are only hearing complaints. Personally I think this new policy is a fantastic idea.
Every year I come to school on Halloween and realize that this day is a poor excuse for a select few young ladies to degrade the entire female gender; costumes that are overly revealing and allude to the stereotype of women being nothing more than a symbol of lust to the opposite sex. High school is supposed to be a place to learn and further your education in preparation of college or a career, not a mating ground for hormone-drenched teenagers.
Seriously people, has it suddenly become socially acceptable for girls to take a general costume, lets say a nurse, and remove at least 50% of the actual fabric? And not just that, but add some ridiculously high heels and questionable fishnet leggings? Do girls really enjoy being seen as an empty shell wrapped up in next to nothing? It’s sad watching our generation slowly regress into complete animalistic behavior.
While the risqué costumes are the most compelling reason that I don’t believe our students should be given the privilege of Halloween costumes there a few more significant issues with the costumes.
With the complaint that this is a holiday and we should be able to celebrate it how we please there is also the point of view of those who don’t celebrate Halloween. This holiday is primarily limited to North America, and there are a large amount of students at CHS who are of South-Eastern European descendance or practice a religion that does not include Halloween in its holidays.
“We have a responsibility to all students of different ethnic and religious backgrounds to make them feel as comfortable as possible when they walk into CHS,” stated Principal Mark Baier. “There are quite a few students who will not come to school on Halloween because they feel alienated by the celebrations, and we don’t want to give them a reason to skip.”
Think about it like this: you have found yourself at a new private school. Every day before class they do a school-wide prayer over the PA system. A lot of the people who attend CHS might find themselves uncomfortable, alienated and even angry at having to be involved in a practice like that. The same goes for the people at CHS who are exposed to the idiocy that our generation has turned Halloween into. It isn’t a very fun experience being singled out because of your religious or ethnic background.
Obviously with this new policy there will be a few students, claiming civil disobedience, that come to school in costume and will be asked to change clothes or be sent home if they fail to comply. I can only wonder whether or not their cause is noble or foolhardy. Are these people really fighting for their “rights?” Or are they just failing to realize every angle of our schools diverse population?