Dozens of ODI Scholars scared away exam fears and treated themselves to Halloween fun at the recent Pumpkin Smash and Hale-O-Ween events.
“A lot of the students have been requesting Halloween-themed programming,” explained Taylor Washington, Hale Black Cultural Center Program Coordinator and the mn behind Hale-O-Ween. “I wanted to create something where they could decompress, do Halloween-themed crafts and activities, get some free food, and engage with some of the units in ODI and beyond.”
While snacking on pizza and candy at the October 30 event, students chatted with representatives from ODI’s Young Scholars Program, Leadership Initiatives for Women of Color, Latine Student Success Center, and other programs, as well as university Counseling and Consultation Services (CCS). The program also featured Halloween-themed coloring, pumpkin and mask decorating, and a costume contest.
“I’ve been wanting to come to more ODI events in Hale Hall this year, and this one seemed super fun,” said fourth-year ODI Scholar (YSP) Brooklyn Flanagan, a political science and public management, leadership, and policy double major. “Also, I wanted to engage with CCS, because I’ve used those services in the past and I’ve been wanting to go back.”
Hale-O-Ween came on the heels of the Morrill Scholars Program’s October 29 Pumpkin Smash, which partnered with the university’s Sustainability and Strategic Services to teach ODI Scholars about anger management and composting practices. Students decorated pumpkins with ideas they wanted to symbolically smash, then released anger by demolishing the pumpkins and ethically disposing of the scraps.