You walk into the school, and you’re practically smacked with the chaos of an impending holiday.On Halloween there’s free candy everywhere, and you’re bound to see at least five guys in a full-out bear suit and dozens of girls in cat ears. Before winter break, there’s a line out the door to sit on “Santa’s” lap (I thought we all would have outgrown him by now), and on Valentine’s Day all you see are cut-out hearts and senior male “cupids” who really have no business wearing a tutu. The list could go on and on, but I think the point is clear. Holidays at our school are full of excitement and over-the-top activities. Some holidays, however, get a lot more attention compared to others. We get no school for MLK Jr. Day and President’s Day, but when’s the last time we’ve recognized Groundhog’s Day? I’ll give you a hint: never. Even our school full of excessive celebration for holidays needs to take a break sometimes.

From the activities to the costumes and even the dances, it’s easy to get pretty lost in it all. But, hey, sometimes getting lost in all of the commotion isn’t that bad. Going to one of the best schools in Minnesota can put a lot of stress on a teenager, and a chaotic week full of fun every once in a while never hurts. Even if you forget to do an assignment because you were too busy perfecting your Miley Cyrus costume, it was nice to have a night that wasn’t spent hunching over a book until midnight. In addition to helping distract you from stress, some holidays serve as an opportunity to help those in need. For example, by participating in the purchase of Matchmakers during heart week, you are not only entertaining yourself with the results, but the money spent goes to Minnetonka families in need.

Bottom line: embrace the festivities at Minnetonka. Don’t be the kid who is “too cool” to wear a costume on Halloween, or shoot cupid’s arrow during lunch. You don’t want to look back on your high-school years regretting the fact that you didn’t get more involved. Celebrating the holidays at school give students a chance to interact with each other on a whole new level, even if that level includes you sitting on a random classmate claiming to be Santa for the day. Heartweek is all about raising money for charity so if you have even the slightest inkling of a thought about participating, go for it.