After three years on the sidelines, the Class of 2023 left their spooky mark on a beloved Lewis Mills tradition. This year’s Senior Halloween was marked by a variety of creative solo, duo, and group costumes – from a firefighter troop armed with spray bottles to a massive crowd of bright green aliens whose extraterrestrial noises echoed down the hallways.

Throughout the entirety of the day, no Mills student could step foot into a classroom without spotting remnants of glitter and fur. Through the halls, the long, train of a certain Corpse Bride could be seen turning the corner, and the walls were littered with “Wanted” posters. But, perhaps the most exciting part of Senior Halloween for nearly every student in the school was the long-anticipated parade, during which our seniors danced down the hallways. The sounds of the Despicable Me soundtrack and “Take Me Home, Country Roads” collided into a beautifully noisy symphony, while everyone’s eyes and cameras desperately sought out the seniors. 

But despite the seemingly fantastical whimsy of it all, some felt this year’s celebration was a bit lackluster, with many students complaining after the day had ended that it paled in comparison to years past.  When interviewed, senior Mariah Russo, who dressed up with fellow senior Jakub Lojewski as Lowe’s and Home Depot, commented how “Some people last year maybe were more creative.” However, Mariah also noted that among the costumes this year, “There were definitely creative ones.” Perhaps the excitement of the day was a bit dimmed by the memory of last year’s chaos, or perhaps some students simply were not satisfied with this year’s turnout. After all, how many times can you see a green alien and expect it to be shocking? 

This is not to say that this year’s celebration was by any means boring or void of excitement. All day long, students buzzed about the seniors, like bees around a hive, eagerly receiving candy or joining in on the antics. And by the end of the day, everyone anxiously awaited to hear the results of the annual poll, desperate to hear who would be deemed winners. Although, no one was surprised when it was announced that the winner for Best Group Costume fell to the aliens. Senior Gabie Zeller, who was part of a small band of Despicable Me characters, noted how “I don’t think a big group should be considered four plus [members].” Gabie explained that even through her group was only a handful of people, they were pitted against a group comprised of nearly every senior boy for the title of Best Group Costume. But, at the end of the day, Gabie expressed that ” I don’t really care,” and it was all in good fun. Gabie even advised that next year’s seniors “be creative with it and sometimes the best costume isn’t just the biggest group.” 

Fellow senior, Chad Cassidy, who was a member of the alien group, even admitted that his favorite costume was Jacob Dumont’s cleverly titled “One Night Stand,” which was also the winner of the Best Solo costume. And the Best Duo Costume was also unique, as the winners were Joseph Caraballo and Christopher Porter, who dressed up as 

 Jesus and the Pope. 

But despite everything, Senior Halloween was as spooky and fun as ever. Even though some of the costumes were a bit out of this world.