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NEWS
| November 4, 2003
Greek-for-Treats
Neighborhood children get candy
and play games at a Greek Halloween carnival.
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| The Shorthorn: Mark Roberts |
| Elizabeth, a 2-year-old hula girl, receives
a gift from her father, Scott Readding, Friday night in
a parking lot on West Fourth Street. Games, prizes and
activities were part of the Greek organization-sponsored
event that participants said gave parents and children
an alternative to trick-or-treating. |
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By Christian
Ragunton
The Shorthorn staff
Instead of nibbling on necks, vampires sucked mystery flavored Dum
Dums lollipops Halloween night. A glamour witch, dressed in glimmering
purple attire, pranced in circles as knee-high ninjas engaged in
plastic sword fights.
Batman and Spiderman took turns trying to knock down an arrangement
of Aquafina bottles with small pumpkins in a game of pumpkin bowling,
while a pint-sized incredible Hulk ran from smiling jack-o-lanterns.
From monsters to comic-book superheroes, the parking lot on West
Fourth Street drew about 350 costumed trick-or-treaters Friday evening
during the Greek Life Halloween Carnival. Members from the four
Greek councils handed out candy and served as game hosts for neighborhood
children.
Nineteen booths and tables occupied a sectioned-off corner of the
parking lot. Traditional carnival activities ranging from bobbing
for apples to face painting added to the festive feeling.
Ramon Hernandez, Greek Life student director, spearheaded the carnival
and wants to make it an annual event. Organizers brought 100 bags
of assorted candy, most of which was depleted before the carnival
closed down.
Sadie Vincent, a Zeta Tau Alpha member, handed out Milk Duds and
Smarties to passing children in her angel costume. She said the
event was a way for the Greek councils to do something for the community
together.
“This is really good for the kids. It gives them a safe place
to go trick-or-treating,” she said. “It’s also
more of a personal experience here because we get to interact and
hang out with the kids.”
While many Greek members befriended children, some, like Delta Upsilon
member Jason Gordon, tried to scare as many as possible.
“This is exactly what Halloween is about: dressing up, handing
out candy and scaring the bejesus out of little kids,” he
said while adjusting his fake plastic teeth.
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| The Shorthorn: Mark Roberts |
| Business finance sophomore Katie Ecker,
right, paints nursing sophomore Erin Strahan’s face
Friday night in the parking lot on West Fourth Street.
Greek organizations sponsored the Halloween activities
for the public. |
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Glenda Hussian brought her 8-year-old granddaughter,
Blythe, to the event. Hussian said her family is new to the Arlington
area and that she was worried about letting her granddaughter go
trick-or-treating in the neighborhood.
The Greek event was “a lot better than going to houses and
picking up candy from strangers,” she said. “I like
it because it’s safe for the kids. There’s so many things
for the kids to do here — it’s great.”
Blythe, a third grader from Ashworth Elementary, pulled her grandmother
to the face painting booth as she buoyantly tiptoed around in her
ballerina costume.
On the other side of the lot, Thriller played from car stereos and
compelled a few to re-enact Michael Jackson dance routines. University
mascots Sam and Samantha Maverick posed with children as parents
snapped photos.
“It’s so much fun,” Blythe said. “I like
it better than trick-or-treating because you can get candy and play
games too.”
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