To give kids a safe trick or treating environment this Halloween the Student Alumni Council will be hosting a Trunk or Treat event in the Hardin faculty parking lot on Oct. 30 from 6 to 8 p.m.

“It’s just a safer way to trick or treat,” Desiree Harris, traditions chair for the student alumni council, said.

Trunk or treating is when volunteers or organizations park their cars and decorate their trunks with games and pass out candy to the kids. It is a safe place for parents to take their children and they are typically held by churches or schools.

“[Harris] wanted to bring a tradition to where [the] community will come over here on campus and also the student organizations to kind of get involved,” Ruby Arriaga, coordinator of student activities and adviser for the SAC, said.

“We love to get involved with the community and bring people on campus,” Leah Gilliland, marketing junior and member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority, said.

The response from the organizations on campus has been better than SAC had anticipated. The goal was to have about 10 organizations signed up to volunteer.

Arriaga Said, “There’s probably like 10 or 11 organizations, I know Desiree has more that emailed her separately.”

Harris said that the organization turn out was more than expected and it’s cool that different types of organizations are participating. One of the goals of the trunk or treat event is to improve community relations, as well as alumni relations.

“People see MSU as a commuter school. We don’t really tie MSU and the community together. We were just trying to make [it] to where everybody in Wichita Falls can have fun,” Harris said.

SAC members said they are aiming for this to be an annual event that will grow over time and allow the community another way to get involved with the university and also give the students the opportunity to get involved as well. It will be a way to promote campus unity by giving campus organizations the opportunity to branch out and meet students from other organizations.

“Students are encouraged to come out and enjoy the activities and candy,” Arriaga said. “We’re not limiting to just kids, we’re also spreading out to the college students as well [so] they trick or treat, since they don’t [get] to trick or treat.”