YES

By Tabitha Daniels

Trick-or-treating is all about going out and having fun and getting candy while doing it. That’s what makes Halloween a great holiday, and nobody should be left out enjoying themselves on a day that should be fun for everyone. Everyone should be able to have a good night with their friends and trick-or-treat.

When adults hear a knock on the door and they open it to see a group of teenagers, who are wearing costumes and say ‘“trick or treat,” what reason is there to not give them candy? There’s no difference between them and small kids if they are in costumes and say “trick or treat.”

Another reason to give out candy to people that come to your door regardless the age is simply because you don’t know who they are. Some people grow faster than their friends, so they could look like a teenager, when in reality they are a lot younger. Nobody chooses how fast they grow up, so it’s not anybody’s right to guess how old they are. You never know why people are trick-or-treating without asking them. Maybe they could be new to America and want to experience the tradition even though they are a teenager. They should still be welcome to trick or treat and enjoy the experience. You don’t know why somebody is trick or treating, so why make their night a bummer by not giving them candy?

From what I’ve experienced, getting into costume for Halloween as a teenager has been a lot more fun than when I was a kid because I could put the effort and creativity into making the costume that I couldn’t before. Going door-to-door is a fun way to put that costume to good use and have fun with friends during the holidays. When I was a kid, I used to look at the teenagers that had the cool costumes and be inspired. I wanted to be like them and make my own costume, but the stigma around teenagers being “too old” to trick or treat blocks that creativity. It’s also just a genuinely enjoyable activity for some people that is just innocent fun. And to be fair, there are a lot worse things we could be doing. Shaming teenagers for doing “childish” activities extends to kids, and they start to feel bad about themselves for doing harmless activities they enjoy.

Ultimately, it’s a good idea to give candy to people regardless of how old they look because you don’t know why they’re trick or treating. It’s also a safe activity to do, and a great alternative to going to a party. This year, if you have candy and find a teenager, make their night a little more fun by giving them some treats!

NO

By Cameron Iizuka

Despite the cute memories we all may have about trick-or-treating, it’s time to start doing other things on Halloween. It’s not weird for students to enjoy candy or even to dress up in costumes, but the weird thing about trick-or-treating as a highschooler has to do with the situation and the unintended harm it may cause. Kids and teens may like candy all the same, but that doesn’t mean they should co-mingle like this.

It’s perfectly fine to go trick-or-treating when you’re a small little kid, but once you get to be looking “mature,” it’s strange to tower over little kids and take all the candy. At least when I was a fetus and went trick-or-treating, I would always be freaked out if “big” kids would pull up to the houses. Once, I went trick-or-treating around the first addition area and some high schoolers were dressed in army fatigues and in big bush costumes and were lying around in front of people’s yards. At one point, they jumped up and started scaring kids, so while they were resting in their hiding position –posing as a bush– I kicked one of them in the side and they jolted and got mad at me! This story, while offering virtually no consequence, has stuck with me as a triggering and altogether intense experience. I discourage talking or canoodling with strangers, typically, but especially when there are age gaps. Random teenagers and li’l kids shouldn’t be out and about looking for candy, just because of the strange shenanigans that can take place.

Furthermore, walking around in the middle of a rainy October night is very… elementary. There are so many more fun things to do, and now that we can drive and pay for stuff, the possibilities are endless. When you’re five years old, practically illiterate and broke, there are no other options for fun than walking around in a bedsheet, only to beg for candy from middle-aged women who all bought the same Costco bags of “fun-size” candy. That may be entertaining for little kids who have no outer knowledge of other exciting activities, but for us teenagers, why not, instead, take your friends and go play some video games, do some bowling, make tik toks, watch a horror movie and revel in some Halloween shenanigans without the need to interact with plebe babes. Of course, I won’t judge you for whatever you do on Halloween, but please, go forth, and do something better with your time than begging for cheapo candy!