Campus to host 400 local kids for Halloween festivities

This Saturday, Tufts will host the sixth annual Halloween on the Hill (HoH) program, designed to promote friendly relations between the University and the surrounding community.

Four hundred children in kindergarten through fourth grade from the Medford and Somerville public school systems are expected to attend between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

HoH is the "Senate's major outreach endeavor of the year to the Somerville and Medford communities," according to Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate special projects chair Cristina Gioioso.

Events around campus will include trick-or-treating in West Hall, cookie decorating, and a haunted house. The Carmichael dining hall will host a donut-eating contest, face painting, mask making and a mummy wrap.

The special projects and public relations committees of the Senate worked together to plan the events.

Senior Senator Randy Newsom said he "has e-mailed the local papers, talked to a couple of administrators about funding, and helped get the permission slips." He added that "the whole event takes a ton of planning, a lot of patience, but it has paid off in the past and I have no doubt that this year will be even better."

Other student groups on campus, such as Greek houses Zeta Beta Tau, Alpha Phi, Theta Chi, Delta Tau Delta, and Chi Omega, have all agreed to plan and host activities. Although representatives from the Greek organizations were not at Sunday's Senate meeting to comment on their specific roles, TCU Vice President Joe Mead said that "the Greek system is playing a huge role in this event. Nearly every house is contributing not only their house for activities the kids will do, but also with volunteers."

The Senate hopes that such projects will continue to smooth relations between Tufts and its neighboring communities.

"There are bad feelings and misunderstandings between the University and the community on a variety of issues and this event can only help build a better connection between all parties involved," TCU President Chike Aguh said.

Mead spoke about the positive impact he has witnessed as a result of HoH. "[A mother who lives nearby] was saying how it can be trying for families that live in the community immediately next to Tufts... that noise and trash can become frustrating, but when she saw how many students came out to have fun with her kids, she said, 'It's all worth while.'"

Similarly, freshman Senator Mike Abare said that "parents of local children see

Tufts as more communal and in a better light by having activities like [HoH]."

There are generally few instances throughout the year where Tufts students have the opportunity to host younger children on campus, senators said.

"It's events like [HoH] that will help to bolster better community relations with Medford and Somerville; and the best part is that we do this serious, and beneficial act by playing with kids," Mead said.

The funding for this project will be covered by the Senate's yearly budget. Additional funding will also be provided by co-sponsorships from the TCU Judiciary and Director of Community Relations Barbara Rubel's office.