Austin College students, led by members of Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity, hosted the College’s 21st annual ’RooBoo last week, offering a safe Halloween alternative for area children.
More than 35 campus organizations gathered to provide small carnival-type games for the children as well as face painting, animal balloons, and lots of candy.
Children aged 12 and younger were invited to wear their Halloween costumes and enjoy the free event that students hoped served as a safer alternative than door-to-door trick or treating. Parents were required to attend the event with their children.
Senior Jade Kemp of Katy, Texas, is president of APO’s Phi Xi chapter at Austin College. She said that several hundred children and their parents attended the 2-hour event, held this year on Windsor Mall, the center walkway of campus. She added that junior Lara Shehadeh of Southlake, Texas, was the lead organizer of ’RooBoo 2021.
As posts about the evening reached Facebook, many alumni wrote, recalling ’RooBoo during their college years, several noting being part of the group that started the event. Fun memories were part of every post.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, global awareness, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and an expert faculty of more than 100 educators allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.