This Halloween, the first floor of the Administration Building hosted the annual Little Tigers Halloween Trick-or-Treat event. Kindergarten through second-grade students from both Campus School and Campus School Kimball collected peanut-free candy and small toys from over twenty participating university departments.
Staff members dressed up and decorated their tables to match various themes, making the morning as memorable for the adults as it was for the children. Among the crowd was Housing and Residence Life, whose team dressed as the Scooby-Doo gang.
“We as a department have participated for the last four years, and it’s a lovely experience,” said Bryan Rock, Executive Director of Housing and Residence Life. “Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I have my own kids in Campus School, so we really appreciate the partnership and seeing the kids out there.”
The hour-long event also featured a surprise appearance by Pouncer, the university’s mascot, who posed for photos with each class.
This year marked the fifth anniversary of the Little Tigers event, and the first time that students from the Kimball campus were able to attend. Rose Pettijohn, a facilitator for Employee Engagement, Learning, and Development and the event’s lead organizer, said she was thrilled to have the new school join in.
“Everyone in the new school was so excited to participate, and we’re so thankful they were able to bus them over here to take part,” Pettijohn said.
This event’s purpose was not only giving out treats to our younger tigers, it was also about making sure that University workers see the impact of what they do, officials said.
“No matter what job you’re doing, all of the work that we do helps our students succeed here at the University of Memphis,” said Rose Pettijohn. “I think this is very important because our younger students get to see that everyone here is excited for them to be here and celebrate them.”
Planning for next year’s celebration is already underway. Organizers are considering adding a department costume contest after seeing the enthusiasm and creativity displayed this year.
Reed Hinson can be contacted at rhinson1@memphis.edu.
