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Halloween has long been a showcase for ghost costumes, witch hats and vampire teeth. This year, though, costumes looked a little different at Burlingame, as students and staff found costume inspiration more in the latest trends than all things spooky and scary.
Costume ideas came from popular movies and TV shows such as “Barbie” and “Wednesday Addams,” and ranged from celebrity look-alikes to superheroes, with opportunities for entire faculty departments to get involved.
Take the history teachers, who dressed up as the cast of “Wednesday Addams,” each with very unique outfits and fun props that brought the costumes to life.
“I had students tell me all the time that I looked like the evil teacher Mrs. Thornhill, and wanted to make this costume happen,” history teacher Annie Miller said. “The history department loves dressing up together so it was a fun idea that everybody could do.”
The administration team also coordinated a group costume, dressing up as superwomen.
“We were inspired by powerful women and an all female admin team,” assistant principal Aimee Malcolm said.
They wore bright red superwoman T-shirts with headpieces to embody the idea of strength, representative of how they work well together to contribute to Burlingame.
Barbie costumes were also popular this year with both students and staff.
“I am dressed up as weird Barbie. The movie stood out to me, specifically the monologue,” dean Nicole Carter said.
Carter put her costume together using colorful clothes she already owned, face paint and a wacky wig.
Senior Antonio Ortigoza Alvarado wore a full Batman suit for his costume this Halloween. He took on the persona of Batman by dressing in an all-black armored outfit that included a mask and cape.
Anne Cosenza, the guidance and office assistant, dressed up as a Santa’s elf for Halloween. She wanted to bring the Christmas spirit a bit early.
Twin sisters Ava and Lauren Gonzalez embraced the Halloween spirit this year and put together their own costumes as cotton candy and Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.
Health and PE teacher Laurie Hudelson went all out for Halloween this year and dressed up as Cruella Deville. She brought her dog, Bently, as her Dalmatian and even painted black spots on her dog.
On Halloween, the history department dressed up as the cast of the popular show “Wednesday Adams.” They wore engaging accessories that made the costumes very accurate to the real cast.
Nicole Carter, dean at Burlingame High School, was inspired by the new Barbie movie and chose to dress up as Weird Barbie this Halloween.
Some students dressed up as their favorite movie characters, such as senior Antonio Ortigoza Alvarado, who opted for a full Batman suit with a black armored suit mask and cape.
“Since it is my senior year here I had to go all out and be Batman,” Alvarado said.
Other seniors, such as twins Ava and Lauren Gonzalez, went all out in a different direction, creating their costumes by hand. They dressed up as cotton candy and Dorothy from ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ respectively.
“I already had most of the costume for Dorothy and have been wanting to do this for a couple years now,” Ava Gonzalez said.
These sisters spent their Halloween night watching scary movies and even creating a Halloween-themed gingerbread house.
Even teachers who weren’t part of a group costume made sure to engage in the holiday. Laurie Hudelson, for instance, dressed up as Cruella Deville and brought her dog, Bently, as her Dalmatian.
“A student actually suggested I be Cruella Deville because I needed a costume where I could incorporate Bently. I thought it was perfect,” Hudelson said.
Hudelson painted black spots on her dog to make it resemble a Dalmatian. She dressed the part fashionably, with a Dalmatian print scarf and a black and white wig.
Looking ahead to Christmas, guidance and office assistant Anne Cosenza dressed up as Santa’s elf.
“Christmas is my favorite holiday. I just love Christmas. I’m displaying the Christmas cheer a little early this year,” Cosenza said.
