As the searing heat of the sun died and leaves started to fall from Loyola’s planters, Cubs geared up for an Oct. 31 that was filled with jolly festivities. While the day has already passed, some Cubs believe Loyola should take a day off of school to enjoy Halloween in its fullest glory next year, while others believe that there should still be school.

First off, many faculty members believe that Loyola should continue on with a normal schedule as Halloween doesn’t merit a student-teacher holiday. Furthermore, they believe that students don’t feel that strongly about the holiday anyway, so another day of classes would prove beneficial.

Judy Dell’Amico, an avid Halloween celebrant and Honors Algebra Two teacher, said, “I’m all about a day off being strategically placed, but I don’t feel that Halloween warrants this. Over the years that I have been here, I don’t see many Cubs dressing up for Halloween. It might not be that students don’t appreciate Halloween, but there might be too much on their plate with extracurriculars and homework, making them not able to enjoy it.”

However, many students actually do celebrate the holiday, and while some may not enjoy the Halloween festivities as much as others, that does not necessarily mean that they would turn down a day off. Jack Nassiri ‘28 is in favor of a day off on Halloween. He remarked, “I would love a day off for Halloween because it’s a holiday that should be celebrated by all, and we should continue to keep up our Halloween spirit in school by dressing up.”

As another option, Nassiri believes that a day off for Dios de Los Muertos, the day after Halloween, would be just as great: “All the Latinos and Hispanics at our school should be able to celebrate this day with their families. They would be at school while their families are celebrating this holiday without them and that would really suck.”

When asked if he wanted to have a day off for Halloween, Upton Ta-Beadle ‘27 provided a succinct answer: “Yes.” This is a view that most students at Loyola share concerning a day off, demonstrating the love they have for the holiday.

Overall, a day off for the Halloween holiday will provide both students and faculty a much-needed mental break from school. This potential break will allow Cubs to create lasting memories with friends, return to school recharged and develop their academic prowess.