Should teenagers go trick-or-treating? (Face-off)
October 31, 2016
We here at CHS Periscope are torn: should teenagers be allowed to go house to house, collecting candy tonight? Read the editorials of our two writers, Janae and Carol, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Teenagers should be allowed to trick-or-treat (Editorial)
Should teenagers be allowed to trick-or-treat?
Yes, teenagers should be allowed to go trick-or-treating. Even though some teenagers say it’s childish, some like to go get candy, or even scare little kids in the process.
Teenagers don’t even have to get candy. Some just might walk around wearing their costumes to show them what they dressed up as, or even walk around with younger siblings to match what their wearing.
“I think teenagers should be allowedd to go trick- or – treating, but I also think that if the adult doesn’t want to give the teenager candy, that’s okay,” said Alix Jones, freshman.
If the adult doesn’t give us candy it’s understandable. It’s just that teens should be allowed to go because they want this opportunity to last before becoming an adult.
“Teenagers are old enough that they are allowed to walk around by themselves and get more candy then what they could when they were younger,” said Sage Diana, sophomore.
So I believe we should be able to walk around and show off our costumes. But teenagers should be allowed to go trick-or-treating until the adults tell us that they are not giving candy to us.
Trick-or-treating is a night for children (Editorial)
If a teenager who was texting and wearing something that can hardly be qualified as a costume came to your door asking for candy, how would you react?
Such scenarios are among the reasons why teenagers should not go trick-or-treating.
Children love Halloween because for one night they can let their imagination become reality. As you grow up, you lose your childish imagination and become more interested in the free candy.
In Bathurst, Canada, if you are over the age of fourteen you are not allowed to go trick-or-treating. Any person caught in the act will be fined a minimum of $80.
When the law was established, the issues with teenagers disrupting Halloween have drastically decreased.
That leaves one final question: How old should you be before you stop trick-or-treating? A survey conducted by TODAY revealed that 73% of those surveyed believed the correct age to stop trick-or-treating was between 12 and 17.
That’s not to say that Halloween isn’t a holiday that everyone should be able to celebrate. Teenagers can help hand out candy, host or attend costume parties, or take their younger siblings out trick-or-treating.
When it comes to trick-or-treating, though, teenagers should take a step back and let the children enjoy their night.
Carol Etzel is a senior at Carlisle High School. This is her second year as Magazine Editor-in-Chief. Along with Periscope, she also plays the clarinet...