Halloween events planned at UNT

In the spirit of Halloween, UNT departments are gearing up for fun and festivities to be held in late October. Activities will include a costume contest, the annual Boo Bash for children, a concert and trick-or-treating.

Festivities begin with the annual costume contest Oct. 25 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Eagle Student Services Center, Room 255, for faculty, staff and students. Participants need to arrive and register at 2:30 p.m. The contest is a fund-raiser for the State Employee Charitable Campaign. The costume or costumes that receive the most donations win. Last year's winners dressed up as the cast of Toy Story II.

"It was a lot of fun," says Toni Erwin from Student Accounting and University Cashiering Services, who dressed as Stinky Pete from Toy Story II.

Susan Sims, assistant manager for Student Accounting and University Cashiering Services, says, "This is our fall morale booster. It is a competition we look forward to every year. It lets us be kids for a couple of hours."

Connie Smith of the Registrar's Office says her department likes to participate as well.

"We really get into the spirit here at the ESSC," Smith says. "It is very competitive between the Registrar's Office and Student Accounting and University Cashiering Services."

Other characters that have appeared on campus for the costume contest include Darth Vader, Olive Oyl, all of the Simpsons family and the cast of E.R.

The Halloween spirit continues when the University Program Council holds its annual Boo Bash Oct. 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the One O'Clock Lounge. The bash is a children's carnival open to the community that provides a safe alternative to trick-or-treating.

Organizations set up booths ranging from beanbag tossing and fortune telling to face painting. Children win prizes and candy for playing the games, and there will be a costume contest and best booth contest. According to Tamela Spiller, University Program Council's traditions coordinator, on average about 25 organizations set up booths and 300 children usually attend.

Halloween revelers can hear a little music to put them in a creepy mood as the College of Music hosts a free Halloween concert Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. in the Recital Hall in UNT's Music Building. Selections include Paul Dukas' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," made famous by Walt Disney's Fantasia, and Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens. Performing faculty will be dressed in costumes and the audience is requested to come in costumes as well.

Pamela Mia Paul, professor of music, and Xiao Bo-Chen, student pianist, will be performing the two-piano arrangement of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." In the Carnival of the Animals, a satirical portrayal of French society in the 19th century, pianos, violins, cellos, double basses, flutes, clarinets and percussion all play the "characters."

"It was weird that everyone involved just happened to have this day free," Paul says. "These two pieces just seem to go along with the Halloween theme."

Children enrolled in the Child Development Laboratory will enjoy Halloween trick-or-treating Oct. 31 when they visit various UNT departments.

Carol Hagen, director of the Child Development Laboratory, says that the preschool laboratory has been taking the children trick-or-treating for more than 20 years.

"We take the kids to offices around the university. They know we are coming and everyone really enjoys seeing the children in their costumes," Hagen says.

Age dictates which buildings the children can go to because it is difficult to take a small child in a costume to offices across campus, Hagen adds. Some of the buildings to be visited include Matthews Hall, the Eagle Student Services Center, the University Union and the Alfred F. and Johanna H. Hurley Administration Building.

BY WILLIAM ABERCROMBIE paiswri2@unt.edu

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