Hallway Decorating, an annual tradition in which students dress up in their assigned grade colors and decorate their respective floors based upon a chosen theme, marked the official start of Fall Spirit Week at Townsend Harris High School on October 27. The results of the competition were announced the following Monday, October 30. Seniors won first place, juniors ranked second, sophomores were third and freshmen got fourth place.
Each grade was assigned to a respective color and theme: freshmen were green and chose Studio Ghibli/Green Forest as a theme, sophomores were blue and chose Under the Sea, juniors were pink and chose Barbie, and seniors were red and chose Queen of Hearts.
Students who volunteered to participate were led by their Student Union grade presidents in an attempt to win the first-place spot for the best-decorated floor, which was decided by voting staff and teachers.
To make the competition fair and safe, Coordinator of Student Activities Jaime Baranoff provided a list of rules including a strict end time at 3:00 pm, no decorations placed on the ceiling or floor, no glitter, and no blockages of windows, doors, lights, and cameras.
Freshman Grade Leader Olivia Lin said, “It was somewhat chaotic for the freshmen in the beginning, but we gradually worked things out and I think we did a good job for a first attempt.”
Students were notified about this event via email, from Ms. Baranoff, and filled out a form if they wanted to participate. After signing up, they were assigned a specific part of their floor, with the ability to choose what group they wanted to be in. The groups focused on giant character creation, the entrance/doorway/stairwell, ambient hallway decoration, small locker decor, big locker decor, and character cutouts.
“As a sophomore, this year the hallway decorating was much better and [more] organized compared to last year, which was traumatizing,” said sophomore Fathima Iqbal. “I enjoyed sharing ideas and working together as a team, and it was fun because whether your grade [placed] first or not, you still tried.”
