Fremd's student council hosts Halloween Fest

Fremd's annual Halloween Fest took place Oct. 27 with local students ages 12 and younger invited to dress up and attend the event with a parent to trick-or-treat in a safe and weatherproof environment.

Sophomore and student council member Vanshika Ramesh enjoys watching the children who arrive at the event.

"I like seeing all of the cute kids that come, especially the teachers' little kids," Ramesh said.

The event was first managed by the Family and Consumer Science department before student council took over in 2012. While other schools have similar events, such as Palatine with their Trick-or-Treat Festival and Hoffman Estates' Community Halloween Event, Fremd is the only local school that has a student council-run festival to celebrate the holiday.

Different clubs at Fremd that wanted to participate at Halloween Fest were assigned rooms to decorate with themes of either "fun" or "scary." Student council managed the transformation of the hallways and cafeteria before the event started, then held games for the children to enjoy, including basketball, bean bag tosses, and "Pin the Wart on the Witch."

World language teacher and student council sponsor Ashley Soriano appreciates the joy on students' faces at the event.

"The best part, for me, is seeing how happy all the kids and families are, how much they enjoy coming and that they come back every year," Soriano said.

To prepare for Halloween Fest, a candy donation contest was held between various departments at Fremd. The collected candy was then used in the rooms and games at the festival.

English teacher Kristy Loughin-Vance hosted a room at Halloween Fest this year and brought her son as well, noting the difference in the children's attitudes toward the event compared to previous years.

"I think the best part this year was that we saw a transition from just candy hoarding to kids being excited about doing things and the activities that were in the rooms," Loughin-Vance said. "They were more excited about that than the candy itself."

New to the event this year, a collection was held for WINGS, an organization that provides shelter for domestic violence victims. A bin in the cafeteria collected items from their list of crucial necessities.

Senior and student council president Colleen Sweeney likes the secure setting Fremd gives for students to enjoy themselves.

"For me, I love seeing all of the neighborhood kids dressed up and enjoying the event," Sweeney said. "I think it's a safe environment for kids to celebrate Halloween an extra day, since it is the Tuesday before, and hang out with their friends."

• This article was written by Fremd High School student Hannah Lin.