Tiny ninjas and pint-size princesses roamed the halls of Norris University Center on Tuesday night as part of Project Pumpkin, an event that brought children from underprivileged neighborhoods to Northwestern for safe Halloween fun.
The event, sponsored by Northwestern Community Development Corps, united about 450 students from Evanston- and Chicago-area schools with more than 100 student chaperones, said Sarah Bush, Project Pumpkin co-chairwoman. About 45 student groups provided activity booths.
“What is amazing about Project Pumpkin is how many people it brings together,” said Bush, a Weinberg sophomore.
Project Pumpkin hit a snag last week when some schools backed out of the festivities, cutting 500 students, said Caitlin Davitt, Project Pumpkin co-chairwoman.
But despite the lower turnout, Project Pumpkin turned the halls of Norris into a frenzy of activity. Chaperones led lines of hand-holding children from room to room to gather candy, decorate cookies and have their faces painted.
Rick Kinnebrew, children’s outreach librarian for Evanston Public Library, read to children during breaks.
“If they’re older I can pull out the really scary stories,” Kinnebrew said. He stuck to his word when he told a group of older elementary school students the tale of a skeletal hand that haunted a man for his entire life.
Project Pumpkin offered so many activities that chaperone Janet Hsiao said she felt pressed for time while leading her group around to booths. Still, she said she enjoyed watching her charges have fun.
“They just get so excited,” said Hsiao, a Weinberg freshman. “They have energy you can’t really find at another age.”
Members of Delta Tau Delta fraternity experienced some of that energy as they arm wrestled children for candy.
“We have to put up a little of a fight, but we let them win,” said Steve D’Incelli, a Weinberg sophomore.
Faruq, a second-grader from McCutcheon Elementary School in Chicago, was looking for a scarier way to pass the afternoon. He said “the dungeon” was his favorite activity.
“There’s a table on top, and the grown-up kids were sticking their hands through and scaring us,” Faruq said with wide eyes.
The haunted house also was a great way to be spooked, said Dujon, a fifth-grader from Willard Elementary School in River Forest, Ill.
“You could crawl through the tunnel, and when you’re walking and don’t expect it, something jumps out at you,” Dujon said.
A chemistry station where children could create their own slime and watch balloons explode provided more on fun than fright.
Chemistry lecturer Eberhard Zwergel said he volunteered because he likes watching children react to science.
“It’s nice to see their eyes light up,” Zwergel said.
Chaperones’ eyes lit up too as they spent time with the children, and Bush said she was pleased to see students enjoying themselves.
“It’s great for students in the middle of midterms to take a break and be part of their larger community, in addition to the campus community,” she said.
