By Trevor Williams ’13, Staff Writer

Monday, October 31 was a sad day.

I do not say this because we missed classes or meetings or practices; actually, I consider missing one day of school to be a nice break. I am certain that many students and faculty will agree with me when I say that we are at the most painfully dull part of the term—the midpoint, from which both summer vacation and winter break are only rumors.

Rather, October 31 was a sad day because we missed what has ended up being one of my favorite events at Newark Academy: the annual Halloween parade. If you are new to Newark Academy—or even if you are not—the parade is actually a lot of fun. Dozens of students (and sometimes a couple of faculty members) walk across the stage in costume, one person or one group at a time.

It is a simple ceremony, to be sure, but the parade is more than just a celebration of Halloween. It is way to bring the school together, an expression of remarkable solidarity and goodwill on par with Spirit Week. When I think of Halloween I think of childhood, and I am not the only one. The NA Halloween parade, in particular, evokes thoughts of my elementary school Halloween parades and necessarily my memories of elementary school. But growing older does not have to remove the magic of Halloween; no one at NA is “too old” for the holiday.

Some day we will all leave Newark Academy—not just students, but faculty and staff as well—and it will go on as it has been. While we missed the parade this year, there will be one next year, and the year after that too. The parade must go on. It is true that Halloween is in many ways a young person’s holiday. But more than that, it is a holiday for everyone. The cancellation of this year’s parade was temporary, but it reminded us how important the parade really is. NA must keep alive this very special tradition.