Welcome to the roaring ‘20s! On Friday, November 19th, Becton held its annual Gatsby Day for the seniors to enjoy! Gatsby Day comes around every year when the English 12 classes conclude reading the iconic novel, “The Great Gatsby”, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It’s been a fun tradition, loved by many at Becton throughout the years. The teacher who put the day together, Mrs. Elisa Gatto stated the inspiration for the event ”…came from one of my kids’ babysitters. She told me about an extra credit project they had done when she was a student, and it just kind of grew from there.” Furthermore, the event is also a creative way to help the students connect with the novel’s time period and get to celebrate their completing the symbolic novel. By getting the students involved in this way, it allows them to truly grow their love for literature while also having fun with their peers. Gatto, explained that the day “…was a great success!”

Students had the option to earn extra points if they were able to get another senior or a teacher to dress up, so there were a lot of show-stopping costumes. The students and staff members who participated definitely went above and beyond this year! Gatto mentioned some special teachers when discussing outfits from Mr. Miranda and Mr. Malyack who dressed as “West Egg” and “East Egg.” For those who have not read the iconic novel yet, West Egg represents “new money” that was generated by the young, modern people, while East Egg represents “old money” that was inherited by family through the generations. This is a very important aspect in the novel and was perfectly represented by the teachers! A student who stole the show with her jaw-dropping dress, Skylar Moorman, shares that she was, “inspired [by] looking at old pictures of flappers and famous actors at the time. I realized that my junior prom dress was shaped like that and I just happened to have a woolen cloak lying around.” She was one of many students who came dressed for the grand Gatsby Day party.

The party took place during the morning periods of the day and even led into the afternoon classes. The party was steadily continued thanks to the lovely menu, games, and picture opportunities offered by Gatto! From pizza, pasta, empanadas, and every pastry under the sun, the students had their fair share of delicious treats! Lastly, but certainly the most important ‘20s theme, was the sparkling apple cider provided for the classy atmosphere and represent the prohibition ban that is present in the novel. Gatto also provided an area for students to engage in playing cards. The event itself had many interesting and thrilling themed activities for students to partake in. From dressing up as flappers and in classic suits, to having a themed photo booth, the students truly felt the blast from the past!