Nothing is more terrifying than not knowing what to wear on Halloween, especially as a teacher at Berkley High School. Expectations were high this year, as teachers had gone all out for past Halloweens, and finding the perfect costume remained a challenge. This year, the teachers decided on a communal costume; the costume of choice was Berkley High School’s beloved principal, Mr. Meloche.
I asked Mrs. Terbrack, one of the main contributors involved in planning the costume, how the idea came about. Terbrack responded, “The Teacher Social Committee assisted in bringing this idea to life, and Mrs. Sarris and I helped in organizing and planning from there.” She also explained how everyone within the school and community “admires and respects him (Mr. Meloche) as a boss”, and they knew “he would take the surprise theme well and feel honored.”
The inspiration was simple; Mr. Meloche’s everyday outfits are simple yet elegant, consisting of a Berkley quarter-zip, a collared shirt with a tie, a pair of khakis, and his lanyard. However, there are layers to his outfits, as many teachers explained.
Mrs. Church described how she wore a Detroit Lions hat to represent the athletic side of Mr. Meloche. She stated how he’s a “die-hard Lions fan” and “thought it would represent him well because it speaks to how loyal he is to his life as a principal and Lions fan.”
Teachers came to school all dressed up in their best attire, and some took it to the next level. Multiple teachers wore bald caps to mirror Mr. Meloche truly, and their level of dedication to the costume was noticed by students.
Seniors Riley Shafritz and Sophia Dawkins referred to Mrs. Sarris as the best representative of Mr. Meloche because of “the great detail with her costume, the sweatshirt, and bald cap,” said Dawkins. Shafritz agreed and added how the bald cap was “over the top awesome”, and the “commitment to the costume was appreciated by students.”
Mrs. Sarris referred to her costume, saying, “You have to take into account the two ways Mr. Melcohe dresses, either in formal or soccer dad clothing, which includes joggers and some type of hoodie and hat.” Her costume combined the two different sides with the famous khaki pants and a Berkley athletic sweatshirt.
Mr. Meloche thought that there was a tie between the teachers who had the best costumes, saying, “I’d have to say that it was a three-way tie between Mrs. Blackwell, Mrs. Coleman, and Mr. Folsom.”
Overall, it was a great experience for students and staff to see them dress up for Halloween. Can the teachers find a better costume next year, or was this year unbeatable?