South Side Lacks Decoration During the Holidays

By Montserrat Nino (9)
montserrat.nino@fwcsstudents.org

December 14, 2023

During Halloween at South Side High School, they would decorate the hallways and classrooms and students are wondering why they aren’t doing that for Christmas. During Halloween, South Side had guests trick-or-treating while for Christmas there doesn't appear to be a specific reason to decorate. This is also because students may take offense to the decoration based on religion. 

“I think that it depends on the teacher, some teachers tend to  go all out. I think for me, I’m mindful and I teach ethnic studies among other things, there are a lot of different faiths, traditions and some kids who don’t have any. I’ll put a Christmas tree up because I know it has nothing to do with religion, it’s a secular symbol which is a social thing. It has pigeon tradition back in the old country,”  History Teacher Renee Albright said.

Secular symbol doesn't have anything to do with religion, it's only based on how society sees this. A Christmas tree isn’t based on actual Christmas but more of history. 

“I think we could be festive, there are some kids in my homeroom that wants to put up snowflakes in the hallways and when I think that in the pass with a different class we did pretty multicolor snowflakes and different blues all down the hallways and it was gorgeous and I had kids wanting me to keep them up. It was just beautiful to walk down and see it. As a school we could probably do something to make these more festive,” Albright said.

South Side high school can always do subtle things that don’t have to be specifically pointed towards Christmas. They can put up snowflakes, fake snow, anything that can just be related to winter in general.

“I don’t have a problem with decorating because I don’t mind it, but I do know it can be offensive maybe to some people who aren’t represented. I have a Christmas tree in my closet and it belonged to my dad and he moved into a nursing home in the last couple years of his life and I would put it up to think about him. It’s a christmas tree but it’s to remind me of my parents. I know they represent the traditions of different religious backgrounds but it might also be like something special for that teacher, but I do think it’s important to have a variety of different backgrounds, cultures, and traditions represented throughout the building,” History teacher Jon Baker said. 

Some teachers may put up certain decorations not because of Christmas but maybe for their own loss or mourn. This could also be for their own tradition or their own personal history. 

“In my mind I want South Side to look like Hogwarts like in Harry Potter. I would love to see more color in the hallways, more decorations, just at different times of the year to break up the boredom of just how school is. I would love to see that happen all year round, so I would be in favor of more decorations for different holidays around the school during the year. Like for Christmas or for valentines day we could put hearts up, something to break up the boredom,” Baker said.

South Side can always add small things that don’t have to be pointed towards a holiday but just to make the school more fun and colorful. There’s always just some green and white decorations or more art pieces to be hung around the school.

“I feel like it’s festive and I like how fun it is. I love when classrooms get into the Christmas spirit,” Esther Law (9) said.

There are some classrooms around the school who decorate for Christmas but even then it’s pretty rare. Some classrooms may add a small tree or an elf on the shelf but it’s not common to find a teacher who went all out other than a specific teacher who teaches college and careers. 

 “I would love the South Side to decorate more since on Halloween they put up so many decorations and it was so fun to look at. Walking around the hallways was so enjoyable when they had those decorations up,” Law said.

When it was Halloween and decorations were put up so many students were so happy and excited to see everything that was put up. Maybe if South Side put up decorations even if it was their own colors and based on them it could brighten up students' mood.

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