Trick-Or-Treat-Street, otherwise known as TOTS, is highly anticipated each year by the parents and students of Three Village. It provides a safe and friendly environment for young kids to go around Ward Melville and see the incredible rooms created by students while playing games, making crafts, and — most of all — getting candy. It creates a sense of community for all of the different clubs within the school; everyone contributes to make sure that the night is successful.

I can’t help but feel that this sense of unity is illusory: to those who have never been involved in the actual production of TOTS, there is more than meets the eye.

Setting up is stressful. No matter the club, there is some feeling of anxiety that comes with prepping your room before the kids arrive. With only 2 hours between the end of the school day and the beginning of the event, time is limited to make sure everything is perfect. Whether that be making finishing touches on the decorations and artwork or checking to make sure that the room will be staffed throughout the whole night, at times, it can be overwhelming.

Vice President of DECA, Jay Sangwan says, “Our process was kinda to get as much done in as little time [as possible]… we had a ton of volunteers for set-up too and they were all super helpful.”

An important part of the whole production is Ward Melville’s very own Key Club.

One of the Vice Presidents of Key Club, junior Ally Szema says, “TOTS is one of the most important events we organize, and every member gets involved. Before the event, we make sure that all the clubs who want a room will get one (including our own), supply the candy, and make the brochures with the map of the rooms. On the day of the event, Key Club decorates the hallways and some members will work at the entrance, collecting non-perishable items for the food shelters and giving a brief explanation of TOTS to the parents. And then hallway cleanup is one of the shifts for members to participate in when TOTS ends.”

No matter what role you play in the event, it always seems to be an action-packed night with lots to do from the second the bell rings to mark the end of the school day.

TOTS can be even more of a challenge when you don’t care for children or simply don’t know how to interact with them. An anonymous junior says, “Although I have a younger sibling, I find it really hard to talk to kids whom I have no relation with. A lot of them are very loud and wild, which I find intolerable. Also, a lot of times, they either won’t listen to you or will not respond to you. For example, if I said ‘I like your costume’ to a child, they wouldn’t even say thanks!”

It is also a hassle for the parents to have to manage their children’s understandable excitement and energy during the night. My mom, who brought my little brother to TOTS, confessed to me that the lines were long, the rooms were crowded, and everyone was confused about where to go. When you have a small child to look after, they are your first and sometimes only priority, making it harder for the parents to enjoy it as well.

Thought it is never perfect, TOTS is a success for the school and the clubs as a whole, and hopefully for the children who attend. I will continue to have a role in it each year because of my dedication to the clubs I am in. While I do not think I may ever come to love the event itself, I can certainly appreciate the idea of the night and the celebration of the Halloween season that comes with it.