One of the most exciting parts of celebrating Halloween is dressing up. However, it can easily be argued that it is more entertaining to see the creative costumes that are worn by others. This past weekend, Dogwood Village staff partnered up with local kids from the surrounding communities and celebrated Halloween. During this annual Dogwood Games and Treats program, kids are provided with a safe environment to participate in Halloween festivities such as trick-or-treating. This year the event took place on October 30, 2016 from 4-6pm in a residence hall on Salisbury University’s campus. Kids were invited to come Trick-or-Treat through specified Dogwood Village buildings that volunteered to help with the event.
The faculty and students at Salisbury University are glad to host this event and believe that Trick-or-Treating provides yet another opportunity for community members to interact with Salisbury University students. During the program, the kids are guided through the Dogwood buildings by a staff member and the residents of the building hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters. When the kids weren’t being greeted and given candy by residents in their different costumes, they could be found engaging in the other fun events that were located outside. Corn hole, face painting, tic tac toe and bowling are just some activities, to name a few, that other faculty members and students arranged for the families to participate in.
The interaction between faculty, students and their surrounding communities, can be a benefit to all parties. By engaging in programs such as this one, you can motivate students to step outside of their comfort zones in order to give back to the community. Another benefit is that events like this help engrain community service into a school’s culture. This is a characteristic that is often desired because it helps maintain a positive connection between collegiate members and their community. College students are often encouraged to apply what they learned from the institution to the real world. However, a component that is often overlooked and forgotten is the concept of giving back to the community. The term “giving back to the community” often is misinterpreted to imply that this has to be done financially but it is not the only way Salisbury gives back. Dogwood Games and Treats is just one of the many ways Salisbury University demonstrates their strong support for their community.