Nghi Le

Intently focusing on their screens, juniors Sanjana Aslesh, Avery Chen, Samhita Guntakala, and Sravya Akella participate in the Halloween-themed Kahoot trivia game. The event was organized by PTSA’s Treat Yo’ Self Club in an effort to provide students with a break from the rigor of academic life.

In an effort to celebrate the ongoing Halloween spirit, Parent Teacher Student Association’s (PTSA) Treat Yo’ Self Club hosted a Halloween trivia event during Fun Flex on Friday, Oct. 25 in the cafeteria, bringing students together for games and treats. 

The student-led initiative involved careful planning and organization, with PTSA student representatives working in groups to coordinate various behind-the-scenes aspects of the event. Students participated in a Halloween-themed Kahoot trivia game on their Chromebooks, with all attendees receiving candy for simply participating and larger prizes for the top three winners. 

“The Treat Yo’ Self Club Student Representatives broke out into planning groups and each person did what they needed to do,” PTSA Sponsor Ms. Kim Mullins said. “They went through the administration, they created the Kahoot trivia questions, and they purchased the candy. So it took quite a bit of organization to pull everything together. This was definitely student-led, and led fantastically by Claire specifically, [who is one of our Student Representatives].”

The event served as a welcome break for students during their busy school schedules, giving them an opportunity to relax and enjoy some friendly competition with their friends. 

“The whole idea behind this activity [was] to have a fun activity for Halloween and just let the students bond with each other over free candy and Kahoot,” PTSA Student Representative Claire Lee ‘26 said. “We know Westwood can get very competitive and [it’s] sometimes very stressful, so having a time where students can relax for just 30 minutes during Flex—I think that was the main goal.”

The trivia drew students from across the school who might’ve otherwise spent their Flex time catching up on schoolwork or attending tutorials. With the allure of Halloween-themed trivia and treats, many saw this event as a chance to break from their usual academic routines.

“I heard about [this] event through an email and I knew I wanted to go,” Sanjana Aslesh ‘26 said. “It’s Fun Flex Friday so I just wanted to do something fun and different with my friends, plus you get free candy.”

The success of the Halloween trivia highlighted the larger impact of PTSA student activities at Westwood. While the immediate appeal of the event may have been the candy and games, students note that these social events have created spaces for casual interaction and friendly competition, which is particularly meaningful for those who might not be actively involved in traditional school spirit activities.

“I feel like activities like this bring the school together and it lets us have more school pride,” PTSA Student Representative Duncan Grimaldi ‘28 said. “I think it’s so important that PTSA holds more events like this in [the] future because a lot of people don’t do many extracurricular activities in school, so events like these will allow them to feel more connected to the Westwood community.”