Trick-or-treating second graders from Valencia Park Elementary arrived at Marshall college Tuesday morning in an effort to eradicate its candy supply.
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The trick-or-treating hoard was on campus as a part of the annual Active Community at Thurgood Marshall’s Safe Halloween event, an outreach event that brings inner-city school children to UCSD to enjoy a special Day of the Dead celebration.
The event began at 10:30 a.m. with teachers and A.C.T. staff leading groups of 10 to 15 candy-seeking students through the Marshall residence halls and the upper and lower Marshall apartments. The trick-or-treating gave way to a short lunch on Marshall field followed by a Halloween carnival staffed by A.C.T.
With the help of Marshall residential advisors, club members spread the word about the event in advance to prepare Marshall residents for the arrival of the trick-or-treaters.
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“”The idea is to get students involved in the Marshall spirit while reaching out to the community,”” said A.C.T. co-chair Doriana Bailey.
According to Bailey, this event is at least five years old and is one of several events that A.C.T. sponsors throughout the year. Another such event is the annual “”Senior”” Prom, where A.C.T. club members visit nursing homes in the spring, inviting residents to dance.
Valencia Park Elementary is a public school in Southeast San Diego off Skyline Boulevard. It is one of three schools that belong to the UCSD Friends of Learning program, from which the university chooses the participants of events such as Safe Halloween on a rotational basis.
Theona Young, a second-grade teacher at Valencia Park, praised the event as “”a day of safe fun.””
After trick-or-treating through the Marshall residence halls and apartments, the students went to the Dean’s office, where they were greeted by more candy and a special guest performance by “”Eminem.””
The Safe Halloween carnival featured a variety of games and activities like Pin-the-wart-on-the-witch and scary story telling. Although most of the children at the event planned to be trick-or-treating Halloween night as well, the A.C.T. safe Halloween gave them an opportunity to do so in the safety of a college campus during the daytime. For many children this is the first exposure they have had to a university.
“”It’s a pretty place, but it’s a long walk,”” second grader Macio Liller said.
