By Raegan Turner | Staff Writer
Baylor University’s annual Treat Night was Tuesday night from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in residence halls across campus. Children and grandchildren of Baylor faculty and staff were invited to Trick or Treat in participating halls where students dressed up in costumes, decorated the floors of the dorms and handed out candy.
The event is organized by Baylor’s Hall Leadership teams, which choose themes for each dorm and the various floors and provide decoration supplies for volunteers to utilize in preparation for the festivities.
Lots of families were in attendance — the dorms were full of youngsters dressed as fairies, pirates and even Baylor-themed costumes. Some staff members have been attending this event for many years and the children in their families have fond memories of previous experiences.
Dr. Thomas McGrath, senior lecturer and undergraduate program director in the chemistry and biochemistry department, and his family have frequented Treat Night for about five years now. The event is a tradition in the McGrath family, which consists of McGrath, his wife Cynthia and their three children. The McGrath children expressed their fondness for the candy and costume compliments they received, saying
“The best part of Treat Night is everyone complimenting your outfits,” said Thomas and Cynthia McGrath’s daughter Natalie.
Their son disagreed, pulled out a box of Swedish fish and proclaimed that the candy was his favorite part of the night.
Not only is Treat Night enjoyable for the children and grandchildren of Baylor faculty and staff, but college students get to have a good time as well. In the Ruth Collins Residence Hall, girls had fun getting to know people on their floor, having a break from studying and meeting the family of some of their professors.
San Diego, Calif., junior Jess Boyce, a community leader in Collins, described how Treat Night causes her to feel nostalgic while enabling her to honor the faculty and staff at Baylor,
“I feel like I get to be a kid again with dressing up and passing out candy. It reminds me of home. I think it’s so special to be able to invite our professors and staff members who give so much to us on a daily basis — it’s cool be able to give something back to them,” Boyce said.
Boyce also appreciated the opportunity Treat Night provides for the community both at Baylor and in Waco,
“I think it’s great for Waco to have a safe, alternative option for families who want to trick-or-treat but don’t know where to go. It’s also great for college students; we don’t get a lot of interaction with kids and families so just to be able to give back knowing how much we loved getting candy when we were little.” Boyce said.
While fun and festive, the event is more than just passing out sweets — those in attendance were invited to make a fiscal or canned good donation. All collected donations are given to Caritas, a non-profit charity organization that provides the impoverished community of Waco with food, clothing, household items and travel.
