Socks have been a big part of my life for the past 4 years. Like most freshmen, I found myself lost- literally and metaphorically- during my first month at BHHS. As our class size grew from 100 well-known names to a whopping 460 strange faces, my loud personality seemed to fall silent. Yet, by the second month of school, I discovered the light at the end of this lonely tunnel: socks.

The October of our freshman year, senior Lucy Appel, and I began wearing unique socks to school every day, calling the event “Socktober”. Why we did it? The reasoning behind our endeavors is somewhat obscure. As we whispered in the back of our freshman math class, we somehow created the idea, giggling as we realized how ludicrous and pointless the plan was.  However, the simple act of wearing socks soon escalated into much more. Every day in October was coupled with funky socks, a staged picture showing off the month’s headliners, and a clever caption, normally a pun (my favorites include “We hit sock bottom” and “A chip off the old sock”). With our Socktober success, we continued the trend each year of high school, later making a Socktober-specific Instagram: @lucyandvivrockursocks. Now, my collection includes socks with zebras, walking tacos, bubble tea, tuxedos, socks for each holiday, and much more.

This interesting mix of socks has helped me in more ways than I could have ever imagined. As a little freshman in a huge school, Socktober was the first thing I was known for, helping to give a voice to my presence and distinguish myself from my peers. I remember being in awe as random upperclassmen would mention the latest Socktober post; some of my friendships were even sparked by this odd, yet surprisingly successful icebreaker. Now, three years later, Socktober is collectively anticipated by many people, both students and faculty, at my school.

Throughout tedious classes and nights with an abundance of homework, Socktober has served to brighten my day and the days of others throughout my school. Initially, the purpose of Socktober was simply to show off some funny socks that I owned. However, this original motive behind Socktober has unfolded to be much more significant as the advantages of Socktober have extended into my academics, my friendships, and my confidence. Academically, Socktober was the inspiration for my first real contribution to my school’s newspaper, an entire page on Socktober, which helped me realize my interest in graphic design. Furthermore, this seemingly minute event helped make school something to look forward to; it became a way to find joy in the little things and to try something new everyday.

Although my 189 socks have made an obvious dent in my bank account, the endless laughs, friendships made, and overall outcome of Socktober are priceless. Socktober started as whispers and hushed laughs in between geometry lectures, but soon this silly scheme lead to completely unforeseen, multiplying benefits. Marilyn Monroe once said “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.” After Socktober, however, I’ve discovered that you only need the right pair of socks.