Celebrating holidays on campus? Pro: Wicked good times Con: Shoo the ghosts away

recognition of Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month.

Whether it be birthdays or accomplishments, celebrating is a way to show recognition and appreciation.

So why then, are so many cultures going unrecognized when it comes to their holidays?

While arguments can be made that putting in effort to celebrate holidays on campus can be time consuming along with requiring a budget that as many will say “has to come from somewhere,” there are far more benefits in the long run for the student body as well as the campus.

If people care enough about something, they will make it work.

Although money does not grow on trees, it is often the smallest part of a celebration.

Organization heads or planning committees often find ways to work through and around money hurdles to pay for an event.

Prospective students may view a campus that takes time to acknowledge other cultures holidays, even if it not be their own, as open and inviting. As a result, making it more likely they choose to attend said campus.

According to the National Center of Education Statistics, enrollment of non-white college students has increased, translating to a campus comprised of many backgrounds.

On Sept. 25, an event took place on campus in

During this event, Chicano studies professor, as well as a few students, informed attendees that there is actually a big difference between Hispanic and Latino. Had this event not taken place, those students would not have been informed about the difference between Latino and Hispanic heritage.

Students who have never heard of these holidays will have an opportunity to gain a better appreciation and understanding of what makes said cultures different from one another.

While there is a belief that it may encourage a sense of exclusion to the students who do not celebrate a certain holiday, the fact is they were not going to celebrate that day anyway, so what are they feeling excluded from?

Some may think that it can cause a rift between students, but it would do the opposite. A public event that is celebrating a holiday or culture allows people of different backgrounds to come together and interact with one another.

Not all events have to honor a specific group either.

Some holidays are simply for fun such as Halloween or Valentine’s Day. Students and faculty could use a break from the daily stress of work.

When people are dressing up in costumes or the campus is decorated, the school’s atmosphere changes to being an exciting one.

No one is forced to participate in events but at least the school can give them the option to do so.

Photographers:

Ben Hanson

Cecilia Parada

Kamryn Bouyett

Kevin Lendio

Pablo Orihuela

Rezvan Yazdi

Sergio Torres

Sophia Gomez

Taylor Watson

According to History.com, to ward off ghosts that were returning to Earth for the night, the Celtics began a festival by wearing frightening costumes and lighting bonfires.

Although this is the ancient origin of Halloween, now it’s a holiday known for buying overpriced pop culture costumes and trick-or-treating for free candy.

According to a Statista survey that interviewed 7,419 American adults, 68% of respondents said they are planning to celebrate Halloween this year while the other 32% said they will not celebrate it.

Similarly to this survey, some students attending Pierce will not celebrate Halloween for personal or religious reasons.

One of Pierce College’s core values is, “Enrichment through cultural diversity,” but there is nothing culturally enriching about taping a witch decoration onto a wall.

This is why Pierce should not recognize Halloween as a holiday and avoid catering to celebrate it.

Other events on campus do give students the opportunity to learn about different cultures.

For example, the Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month celebration had traditional aguas frescas, such as horchata, to drink and to immerse students into the culture. What do students learn from Halloween events on

Advisers: Jill Connelly

Jeff Favre

Tracie Savage

*For advertising call (818) 710-2960 campus? How is receiving candy enriching? aaguilera.roundupnews@gmail.com

If schools recognize Halloween as a holiday, then what’s to stop schools from recognizing other ludicrous festivities?

Imagine on Oct. 25 receiving breadsticks during class for National Breadstick Day or having the campus host a beer festival for National American Beer Day on Oct. 27. These two holidays are real and if they sound ridiculous, then there is no reason to OK a holiday like Halloween on campuses. Some holidays, overtime, stop being acknowledged.

For example, not everyone agrees with celebrating the infamous explorer on Columbus Day.

As a result, the Los Angeles City Council changed the name in 2017 to Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Although some places do close for this holiday, Pierce continues to stay open.

If Pierce can deny a previously controversial event, then Pierce can end Halloween on campus.

Even if Pierce doesn’t host Halloween events, there are still so many other ways to celebrate Halloween outside of campus.

People can go to pumpkin patches, go to theme parks that are covered with eerie decor or go to a movie theater to watch a horror film.

Halloween doesn’t need to be celebrated on campus when there’s a variety of outlets that can fulfill the spooky spirit of the holiday.

Pierce should act as a safe space for students who don’t participate in festivities and avoid recognizing it.