When it comes to Halloween, Ohio University's reputation precedes itself. While the school is already infamous for its party scene, the city of Athens' annual Halloween block party brings infamous to a whole new level. The student body virtually takes over the entire town of Athens. While the weekend is enjoyable for the students of Ohio University, it does create something of an unsafe atmosphere for the local children of Athens. In order to remedy the loss of this holiday, the Residents' Action Council holds an event known as tRAC or Treat in order to give back to the community and give Athens children an opportunity to safely enjoy Halloween without getting roped into the party scene.
During tRAC or Treat, kids have the opportunity to walk through the residential greens of Ohio University in costume. Hall Council members will sit in front of their designated halls with candy and fun Halloween activities for the children. This event provides an opportunity for tRAC and Hall Council members to give kids the Halloween they deserve and hopefully have fun in the process. Crawford Hall Council member Anna Woltermann speaks more on this.
"I really enjoyed it. We had a great time." Woltermann stated. "We set up, we had a face-painting station, we had an arts and crafts station, and we had a musical chairs station. I kind of just complimented kids on their costumes as they were coming in, but a few times I helped with musical chairs as well because we had to have a few extra players in so everyone could have a turn."
Woltermann went on to speak about why she would recommend participating in events like tRAC or Treat to others in the future. "If not for the chance to dress up, then for the chance to see all of the little kids get so happy. It's very soul-filling. It makes my heart feel full."
But one may wonder why an event like this is even important to the community. Why is it important that college students, of all people, take time out of their day to give this holiday back to the children in the community?
"I feel like a lot of people don't realize how many professors and students on campus are parents." Woltermann states in response to this question. "There are so many kids just around town and (Ohio University students) don't really see them, so we kind of forget about them, but it was really nice to see them all come out to say hi, and get their faces painted and play some musical chairs."
Overall, this shows how important, and frankly rewarding participating in events like tRAC or Treat can be. While next Halloween is a long way away, there will be plenty more opportunities to give back to the community with a little help from the Residents' Action Council and the multitude of Hall Councils throughout Ohio University's campus.
