Halloween at South Brunswick High School is a time hyped by students and teachers alike, coming to school dressed in their unique and creative costumes. However, one group stands out: The science department staff, who go all out to dress up and decorate the C hallways on both the second and third floors of the main building each year.
This year, the hallway themes were inspired by the 2000s book and movie series, Harry Potter and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The dimmed halls were decorated with posters and scenery from the series, floating candles on the ceiling, and most importantly, the teachers dressed up as different characters–it was almost like we were actually there. Costumes included main characters like Dumbledore, the headmaster at Hogwarts School to Hagrid, the keeper of keys and grounds and the magical professor.
Students enjoyed and felt excited by the appearance and vibe of the halls. Mrs. Kestner, science teacher at SBHS and originator of decorating the halls describes the reactions. “You can hear students as they walk down the hallway, so they’re like, ‘Oh my god, this is so cool!’ I even heard one kid, on Friday, say ‘Why can’t the hallways be like this all the time?’” Kestner also mentions personal compliments she received. “This year I heard some of the boys in the hallway go ‘This is actually pretty sick’ or there was one kid who popped his head in and said ‘Fire decorations!’”
Though this year’s theme did not fail to disappoint, it was not the first year of festivity. The science department staff began their spirited traditions in October of 2023. The first theme inspired by Taylor Swift Albums, Kestner and several other teachers dressed up as different versions of Taylor Swift ranging from albums like Red to Speak Now. The following year, teachers collectively dressed as minions with decorative goggles and simple yellow and blue coordinated outfits.
“Afterwards, we were like, we have to think of something for next year. And so, this was kind of in the works all year. We were thinking of what we could be where we have a whole cast of characters that are recognizable, and had a theme that we could use to decorate, and that’s when we thought of Harry Potter” said Mrs. Kestner.
And the process, though seemingly timely to set up within one school night, only took 30 minutes after school ended on Thursday, October 30. Along with the costumes, teachers cleverly used their graduation gowns to recreate the Harry Potter cloaks and used some materials they already owned for decoration.
Mrs. Kestner is beginning to create ideas for next year and is ready to keep the spooky tradition going. “You know, it is lovely coming together. It really is fun for us, but the best part is hearing the students and how–their eyes light up when they turn that corner and see the hallway” she said.
