Although Halloween is still one day away, trick-or-treaters in costume are making their way through the Northeast Residential Area of the UMass campus for the second annual Trick-Or-Treat in Northeast event.

During the event, which was planned by the Northeast Area Government, local children can come with their families to trick-or-treat in the residence halls of Northeast.

Students gave out candy to trick-or-treaters who knocked on their door and the basements of the residence halls hosted Halloween themed activities. In the basement of Hamlin Residence Hall, trick-or-treaters could color and make felt pumpkins. The basement of Leach Residence Hall had Oobleck- a mixture of water and cornstarch that is neither solid nor liquid.  Other events included beanbag tosses and stickers.

The event was planned by Katy Maher, Residence Director of the Hamlin/Leach Residential Cluster, and other members of the Northeast student area government.

According to Northeast Lieutenant Governor Carley Pelletier, Northeast Governor George Lee, and Northeast Secretary Kendall Richards, the first Trick-Or-Treat in Northeast event last year was a major success.

Lee said that it’s a “really great event” that “builds the Amherst community.”

Pelletier and Richards said that the University sometimes gets a “bad rap” among local families and that people may worry about living near college students. Events such as this one are important because they provide an opportunity to show that our negative image is not entirely deserved. Pelletier, Lee and Richards explained that the event provides good publicity for the Northeast Residential Area and for the University. It gives local families a chance to interact with college students and makes the university appear family friendly.

It’s also a unique opportunity for the children who participate, because they get to trick-or-treat twice – once in Northeast and then a second time tomorrow on Halloween.

Pelletier, Lee and Richards said that to advertise the event, they put up fliers in local Boys and Girls Clubs and around the town. They also reached out to UMass staff and faculty with families.

The families that came said that they loved the event. For Ariana Greenwood, 8, and Aidan Lafleche, 7, it was their first time being on the UMass campus. According to Ariana and Aidan, UMass was “awesome”.

For many trick-or-treaters, such as Kaylee Guyotte, 7, and Brittney Renaud, the best part of the event was getting candy. Guyotte and Renaud were both carrying huge bags full of candy at the end of the night.

The families of the trick-or-treaters were pleased with the idea as well. Abigain Sossen, mother of Mackenzie Johnson, was thought the event was “great.” Allison Sokolosky, mother of 4 and ½-year-old Eugene Schafie and 8-month-old Amelia Sokolosky, thought the same thing, saying it was a “great idea.”

But it wasn’t just trick-or-treaters and their families that enjoyed the event. Yeketerina Tabatadze, Deanna Oliveira, and Tiffany Hua, sophomores that live in Hamlin, were excited for the event as well. They dressed up in costume and excitedly greeted trick-or-treaters that knocked on their doors. Tabatadze, Oliveira and Hua loved the event and thought the children were adorable.

Families, students, and the children themselves were all pleased with how the event went. Alicia, who came with 3-year-old trick-or-treater Grace Foster, said the event was “really nice”.

“I hope they do it again” she added.

Rose Gottlieb can be reached at [email protected].