6 Student Life October 8, 2010

Photo by Burgundy SchartzHeather Fangmann, and English teacher at El Dorado High School, and her son Mason McCluggage dress up as superman for seasonal pictures.

Too old to trick or treat?

“Trick or treat smell my feet give me something good to eat.” During this time of year students are trying to answer the question, “Am I too old to trick or treat?” Some Circle students and faculty have their own answers. Halloween is a mix of ancient Celtic practices, Catholic and Roman religious rituals and European folk traditions according to history.com and is celebrated by the dead and witches. Others beg to differ.

“Halloween is a time when kids can dress up and live in the fantasy world for a while,” said sophomore Hunter Wishart.

Teenagers generally dress up as fairies, movie characters, and super heroes. Costumes such as Gonzo the Superhero, Eskimo Cutie Pie, Cryptic Rocker, and Fozzie Bear are this year’s favorites.

“It’s fun to see all the new costumes especially the ones that are handmade and are thought up on their own,” said English teacher Wilma Fast.

76 percent of kids in the United States use the Internet according to nap.edu, but on Halloween children choose to

Teen ScreamHaunted houses attract adrenaline junkies

be out trick or treating instead. Children wander the streets in search of the best candy they can find. In many cases, high school students are turned away and told they are too old to trick or treat. But just how old is too old?

“High school students are too old to trick or treat, but there are two exceptions to this reasoning; such as doing it for a charitable cause or for new foreign exchange students to have the experience,” said Fast.

But on the other hand, there are different outlooks from students.

“As a high school student I believe that you’re never too old to do something you want to do,” said sophomore Dylan Patton.

According to seriousseats.net the maximum age limit to trick or treat is 12 years-old because; by 13 years-old one is old enough to distribute the goodies. But teenagers can be exempt from this if they are helping little kids with trick or treating.

For children who are over the age of 13 years-old, there are alternative festivities on Halloween night to do besides trick or treating. Most students interviewed said that haunted houses and concerts are the most popular activities to participate in on Halloween night.

By Tierra RennerReporter

By Cassidy TreweekeEntertainment Editor

People across the United States visit haunted houses every Halloween for a stomach-churning adrenaline rush. Friends and family love attending these spooky attractions just to get a good scream on the scariest holiday of the year. Over half of 40 surveyed Circle students go to haunted houses every year and for a number of reasons. “I make sure I go to haunted houses because it’s not something you can do very often. Halloween only happens once a year,” said junior Kortney Shaffer. Some love the sheer terror of being scared out of their mind, while others think it’s a good time to get to hang out with friends and family. “It’s something my family has done since I was small, and I’ve just always thought it was fun to be scared,” said junior Nick Hale. The suspense and tension of haunted houses is appreciated by many. “I enjoy going for the thrill of be-ing scared and because you’re actually in the action. It’s a lot more exciting than just watching a movie,” said senior Jamie Win-ningham. Some people have different spe-cific fears when inside haunted houses. “I’m most scared by the anticipa-tion of not knowing what’s next,” said Win-ningham. Hale’s fears are completely differ-ent. “Small spaces tend to freak me out, but I guess the best part for me is jumping.

“That scares me more than blood and gore.”

That scares me more than blood and gore,” said Hale. One twist for certain students is that haunted houses aren’t scary enough. Shaffer spent one Halloween working in a haunted house. “I’m not as scared in them now because I have an idea of where everyone could be. I know how the setup works and most of the time I know who’s going to pop out of every corner,” said Shaffer. Hale actually found himself laugh-ing instead of screaming in one he attended. “One time this guy in a bloody bunny outfit started chasing me with a chainsaw. It didn't scare me at all. I just found it more comical than anything,” said Hale. Another problem that arises is the predictability of haunted houses. They can begin to get repetitive and to keep

customers coming, businesses do all they can to change up their material to stay creative and

original. “If I could change something about haunted houses in general, it would be to make sure they’re different every time,” said Winningham. Though haunted houses have a few flaws, they will most likely remain in this culture for generations. When English teacher Marty Hays was in high school haunted houses weren't around as much, so they weren't really a big deal. Now, they are so popular that Wichita alone has six. “Haunted houses are all about fan-tasy and suspension of reality. It's hands on and live action. That's why I believe people go to them in this society,” said Hays.