Story by Kiara Wisniewski. On October 29, the class of 2023 ran the Halloween dance for students in grades 7-12 at Alfred Almond. 105 students attended, many of whom took this opportunity to dress up in costumes ranging from a Wellsville clown to Disney princesses to Jake from State Farm. These varied costumes contributed to the spooky vibes of Halloween season. Photos by Kiara Wisniewski

Homemade Takes Top. The top two costume winners had homemade costumes. Out of the 90 costumes at the dance, the three winners were freshman Aaron Sanborn in first place as Catchfire, sophomore Jake Hall in second as a sleep paralysis demon, and seventh grader Josiah Shutt as elementary principal Mr. Brett Dusinberre. All three winners received cash prizes.

Practice Pays Off. With years of experience, Catchfire was brought into existence. Sanborn made his own costume, stating it took “about a year,” to fully make the Catchfire fursuit. Catchfire is only one of over 30 fursuits Sanborn has made, and is based on his own original character, reflecting Sanborn’s creativity. Sanborn wasn’t the only student in one of his homemade fursuits; freshman Elisheva Greenspan Hopp wore a Promised Neverland suit. Hopp was actually the reason Sanborn got into making fursuits.

Catchfire Catches Cash. Catchfire got its name based on Sanborn’s favorite book series, The Hunger Games. This costume is composed of fake fur, other varying fabrics, and a 3D base. The only part of the costume he didn’t make was the skull. The skull was obtained through a trade; Sanborn then painted it and added fur, which he said was the hardest part. Before sewing the costume, he had to design the costume, make sewing patterns and pick fabrics. Once this was done, he sewed the tail, which he reported was the easiest part.

Sleep with Both Eyes Open. Second place went to Jake Hall for his sleep paralysis demon. Hall’s costume was scarily accurate. Mrs. Jami Snyder, English teacher and costume judge, said, “Jake’s costume was legitimately terrifying!” She said his costume was so well done she couldn’t go near him without getting the creeps. Of the students surveyed, an impressive 1/7 said the sleep paralysis demon costume stuck out to them. Hall did not respond with comments regarding his costume process, but his grandfather, retired teacher Mr. Mark Hall, now a substitute teacher, remarked that the costume took over a month to make.

It Suits Him. Third place costume was chosen for its humor. Shutt’s costume wasn’t homemade, but it did not disappoint. His pumpkin suit was a great mix of Halloween spirit and Mr. Dusinberre’s outgoing friendliness (and his penchant for, um, interesting suits).

Chaperones Show How It’s Done. The chaperones dressed up too. Adding to the Halloween spirit, Mrs. Snyder, English teacher, paired once again with Mrs. Powers, art teacher, who dressed up as garden gnomes. Mr Levey, technology teacher, dressed as himself with his protective goggles and blue coat. Mrs. Graziano, school secretary, dressed as Dr. Stein from “Soul Eater,” a manga series on Netflix. Dr. Rivers, secondary principal, dressed as Rosie the Riveter. Mrs Chambliss, teacher aide, dressed as a witch.

Concession Costumes. Throughout the night, students could buy water or a quick snack. As the Class of 2023 students worked the concession stand together, they kept the festivity alive through their costumes. Junior Lucian Fioretto dressed up as his brother, freshman Gabe Fioretto. When talking to Fioretto about his time at the dance, he said his favorite part was being able to have fun in the gym, while also being able to help his class with the concession stand. Junior Anna Yarnal dressed up as a slice of pizza. Nial Rigas, junior, dressed up as a Wellsville Clown.

Topical Costume. After surveying students, regardless of going to the dance or not, 28 responses came in. When asked about costumes that stuck out, 1/7 of the responses said the hand sanitizer costume. This costume was worn by Mason Barros, a junior high student. One student added, “it’s going to be hard to outdo yourself next year.”

Noteworthy Costumes. Other survey favorites include a banana costume worn by Micah McClain, eighth grade, because it was an interesting choice. Another was Princess Zelda done by Rona Powers, a seventh grader, because the costume looked high quality and like there was a lot of effort put into it. One last survey favorite was Gambling Luigi done by Aaron Curtin, a senior, because it was simply a cool costume.

The high school band and chorus concert--the first of the year--took place on Thursday, November 4. One peculiar detail that audience members noticed was the new setup for the senior band. Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, musicians must sit six feet apart; not everyone could fit on the stage. To accommodate the spacing requirements, some flute and clarinet players sat on the edge of the stage; other flute and clarinet players sat completely off the stage. Band Director Ms. Christina Rawady conducted from the rear of the auditorium, behind the center audience members, in order to be seen by the entire band.

While this layout change was necessary to abide by safety protocols, some band members found it added some challenges to the performance. Baritone saxophone player Miles Mulheisen, a senior, said “The sound displacement is not ideal for me,” and added that it was difficult for him to hear the flutes and see the conductor.. Similarly, Lucian Fioretto, a flute player who sat in a chair in front of the stage also mentioned how it was harder to clearly hear the full band from his position.

On the other hand, the changes weren’t all bad, as clarinet player Liam Carstens claims to enjoy having more space to breathe, saying he felt less claustrophobic.

Another difference with this performance, noted by trumpet players Aaron Curtin and Jack Deutsch, was that the auditorium lights were on the audience and not the stage, a change made necessary by the conductor’s location.

Ms. Rawady elaborated on her process of setting up for the concert. She initially wanted to perform in the gym, but the acoustics weren’t great for the choir, who was also performing at the concert. She settled for breaking up the band in the auditorium, spreading out over the stage, the floor, and the chorus risers. From Ms. Rawady’s perspective, organizing the space of the concert was the most challenging obstacle, but as COVID guidelines are not likely to lighten any time soon, it seems she has conquered that obstacle for the remaining concerts of this school year.

This new spacing also resulted in changes for the audience. A ticket system put in place limited the number of people in attendance. Even so, the concert was a delightful experience for audience members, while chorus and band players were proud to show off their hard work in preparing for it.