Theophilus Tower opens its doors to trick-or-treaters
College students are not too old to dress up for Halloween, said Alyssa Hudson, a University of Idaho freshman who plans to dress up and give candy to local Moscow children from the confines of her Theophilus Tower dorm room this weekend.
Alyssa Baugh | Argonaut
Freshman and Theophilus Tower floor representative Shaundra Herrud is ready to hand out candy on the 10th floor of the Tower for this year’s Tower Trick-or-Treat. She has already decorated her room with spooky adornments for the festivities.
From 4-6 p.m. Saturday, Tower freshmen will have the opportunity to dress up in Halloween costumes and pass out candy to community trick-or-treaters at the 36th annual Tower Trick-or-Treat.
The event invites families from the community to bring their children to campus for a safe and fun way to practice trick-or-treating before Halloween night.
The children will start from the top floor of the Tower and work their way downstairs to the basement, stopping at about 100 rooms to receive candy from Tower residents.
According to Cara Lehman, University Housing spokeswoman, the Tower Trick-or-Treat is Housing’s major philanthropy event of the semester. While there is no cost or registration process for admission, families are encouraged to bring a canned food item to be donated to the local food bank.
“Last year, over 300 families brought their children to the event,” said Morgan Hanson, Theophilus Tower’s Residence Life Coordinator. “We had so many people come that we ran out of candy and had to make an extra trip to get more, which is a good problem to have.”
The Residence Hall Association is responsible for decorating the basement, and last year it was decked it out with a Disney’s Shrek theme. Hanson said the biggest difference this year is that many of the Tower floors have also chosen a kid-friendly theme and are decorating accordingly.
So far, a few of the floors have chosen to use Star Wars, Disney princesses, Neverland, Candyland and graveyard as themes. Hanson said the engineering floor is even planning on doing a robot theme.
“We’re really trying to cater to the younger children and make sure that this is a happy event,” she said. “For the floors that have games in the lounges, those games are in keeping with the themes.”
Tower freshmen are going to have just as much fun as the trick-or-treaters, Hanson said. Since college is a big adjustment after graduating high school, she said being a part of the Tower Trick-or-Treat can give students a chance to have fun and feel like a kid again while helping their new community.
“It’s going to be fun to dress up and give candy to the kids,” Hudson said. “I’m looking forward to being more involved with the community, and it’s always fun to decorate for Halloween.”
The Theophilus Tower Community Council — in conjunction with the building’s resident assistants — will host the event, although Housing also plays a role in the philanthropic effort and implementation of the event. According to Hanson, Housing has been preparing for the Tower Trick-or-Treat since early September and over 100 volunteers have already signed up to pass out candy.
Hanson said the event also draws in attention from Greek life, as a sorority will hand out refreshments to families as they pass through the Tower.
“Every year it’s really fun to speak with different alumni who have lived here and still remember this program, and it’s great to see the tradition that has happened and the people who are still excited about it,” Lehman said.
Housing encourages staff and students alike to bring their children and family to check out the event Saturday, and hopefully bring a canned good or two.
“It’s very exciting — I feel very honored to be part of this event,” Hanson said. “I think it’s a beautiful tradition and it’s the largest community event that we do in Housing, as far as the number of people who we are benefiting.”
Alyssa Baugh can be reached at [email protected]