Morning sunlight filtered through the Banyan trees as laughter and the rustle of costumes filled the air. On Friday, October 31st, members of the 15-Year Club retraced their earliest steps on the Lower School campus for the annual Halloween Parade. Dressed in costumes and smiles, the members reconnected with their childhood classrooms, teachers, and traditions.
“The Halloween parade is a sacred tradition for students who have been at our school since their toddler years,” said Dr. John Peruggia, 15-Year Club advisor. “It allows them an opportunity to recreate a moment they had when they were younger in a way that they might reappreciate it with the eyes of maturity.”
The 17 members of the group gathered at the Banyan trees around 7:30 a.m to take photos in costume. Parents joined in to capture the moment.
“Watching my senior walk with the Lower School students in the Halloween parade was one of the highlights of my TBS journey as a parent. As I watched him stand under the Banyan trees that I also stood under as a little girl, I felt nostalgic about what TBS has meant to me and my family over the years,” said Dr. Jeanmarie Connor, mother of Chase Connor.
Following their photo session, seniors dispersed to their assigned classrooms, helping Lower School students line up before the big event.
Leading this year’s parade was Whitney Stohlman, Class of 2037, who, with the help of senior Reid Waxman, carried the parade flag behind a golf cart transporting Head of School Mr. David Faus and Lower School Dean of Students Mr. Peterson.
“Holding the flag was so fun, even though it was super heavy,” Stolman said.
Waxman, too, had a blast leading the parade, something he never got to do during his time in the Lower School.
“It was super cool to help carry the flag. As I got to the fifty-yard line of the field, I saw my parents and my family friends all cheering me on. It was such a cool experience to be transported back to my childhood and relive one of my favorite Benjamin traditions,” Waxman shared.
As the parade meandered around the field twice, seniors waved to familiar faces of teachers, parents, and administrators, many of whom had watched them grow up from their earliest days at Benjamin.
Although she couldn’t attend this year, Upper School English teacher Mrs. Shannon Anderson, whose son Cormac (Class of 2037) marched in the parade, reflected on the meaning of the tradition.
“I think it is such a great community builder. For the seniors to be able to go back and walk in the same parade that they walked in as elementary students and reconnect with the teachers who taught them as children is such a great recognition of how this entire community has helped to shape them into who they are today. It really reminds me of why I have my child here at Benjamin, and the qualities that I see in my seniors that I hope are instilled in my own child,” Anderson said.
Social Science Department Chair Mr. Graham Wik, whose son Hanul (Class of 2036) participated, was able to be in-person for the event.
“It’s a great moment of connection. To see the Lower School kids’ excitement and the seniors’ nostalgia all at once is really special. Any time we can bring both campuses together, it strengthens the Benjamin community,” Wik noted.
For the seniors, the experience was both reflective and joyful.
“Being a part of the 15-Year Club is important to me because it represents all the time I have put into being a Benjamin student. I have so many memories, and, being the daughter of a teacher, my life has revolved around this community. My favorite part of the parade was reminiscing about my days walking as a student across the field. I dressed up as Princess Leia, and I loved hearing the excitement of a kid explaining their costume,” senior Sage Ponchock expressed.
Carter “Napoleon Dynamite”
Burden also felt that the parade was a great way to revisit old memories as he experienced his last year at Benjamin. “I was able to see my old teachers and reflect on how much I’ve grown, both physically and mentally. Going back to the Lower School was a full-circle moment I’ll never forget,’’ Burden explained.
Lila Brodner, who dressed up as a cowgirl, loved having the opportunity to connect with the younger kids.
“I held this girl, Quinn’s, hand [for] the entire time. She was a first grader in my assigned class and we talked for the entire parade. It was so great seeing what the younger Bucs love to do and are interested in,” Brodner shared.
Once the parade ended, the seniors made their way back to Upper School campus for a typical school day, with assignments and college applications waiting. For the 15-Year Club, the event was a brief return to childhood and a reminder of how much Benjamin has shaped them.
