NDB spans the Halloween excitement over an entire week, rather than just one day. After a week filled with dress-up spirit days, Halloween-themed activities and anticipation leading up to Oct. 31, the merrymaking reaches its climax on Ding Bat Day, also known as Halloween.
With NDB tigers clad in their costumes, the spirit level on campus is high. From princesses to celebrities, each decked-out student files into the Moore Pavilion for the Ding Bat Day Rally.
One highlight of the event is the costume contest. Both students and teachers go all out with hopes of winning the competition.
At this year’s costume contest, the award for best group went to a collection of students who dressed up as trolls. The award for funniest went to a group that portrayed Willy Wonka and nearly a dozen Oompa Loompas. Scariest costume was awarded to Alessandra Aquino, who had a realistic-looking mask covered in teeth. Best Duo was awarded to seniors Brooke True and Nora Ghattas who dressed up as characters from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid. An honorable mention went to Maggie Blanchard, who portrayed Benson Boone. Lastly, the winner for the teachers was a duo costume done by Mrs. Anderson and Ms. Allegri, who dressed up as louve robbers doing a heist.
One entry in the costume contest was a group portraying characters from Shrek. Minna Al-Dabbagh is a junior who participated in this. She shares about their costume and how they felt about the final product. “We are so happy! I think it is an idea that a lot of people do, but we kind of made it unique. I reall like how it turned out,” said Al-Dabbagh.
Another entry in the costume contest was a group of teachers who dressed up as the “Spice Girls.” Wendy Connolly was among them. “We are the Spice Girls! I am ‘Slap Ya Mama’ spice. It’s a real spice – Actually, a Cajun spice,”
Overall, the costume contest adds another layer to an already exciting event. Ding Bat Day at NDB creates a bonding opportunity for students, allows students to escape from the stresses of school and ties the community together.
