Families gathered at Indiana University Southeast on Saturday, Oct. 24, for IUS Fest, an annual community celebration featuring trunk-or-treat activities, live music, food trucks and hands-on experiences for children.

The event, held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., welcomed students, faculty, staff and local residents to campus for an afternoon of entertainment and community involvement.

Megan Kaelin Hicks, associate director of Student Life and co-chair of IUS Fest, said the event is an opportunity for the university to connect with the surrounding community.

“IUS Fest is really a service and a gift to the IU community and the New Albany and surrounding areas community,” Hicks said. Hicks added that she hopes visitors enjoy the campus and recognize IU Southeast as a welcoming place for st

udents and families. “It’s a beautiful campus and we have lovely people who are all part of it,” said Hicks.

Josie Hatfield, director of Grenadier Success and co-chair of IUS Fest, said the event helps introduce the university to people who might not otherwise visit.“I love the opportunity to give back to the community,” Hatfield said. Hatfield also stated that she wants local residents to understand that the university is a place where they belong. “So often they don’t see it as a home for them, and we know that this is a place just for them as much as it is for us,” she said.

Planning the event involved several departments and campus organizations. Hannah Garnett, a Residence Life coordinator and member of the planning committee, said organizers divided responsibilities for activities such as trunk-or-treat, Touch-a-Truck and food trucks. “Everyone kind of has their section and then we work on that,” Garnett said. Campus organizations and local businesses contributed games, activities and Halloween themed trunk-or-treat displays, including a station from Phantom Fireworks in Clarksville.

Visitors also had an opportunity to explore the medical helicopter up close and speak with emergency medical personnel about their work. Kentrell Applegate, a flight nurse participating in the event, said the helicopter helps attract visitors and gives the medical crew an opportunity to explain their work. “Everyone loves a helicopter,” Applegate said. She said she also hopes the experience encourages young visitors to consider careers in medicine.

“Hopefully maybe inspire somebody to get into healthcare and save a life one day,” Applegate said. Casey Hornish, who works with IU Southeast Housing and helped coordinate trunk-or-treat participants, said the event provides opportunities for families and the university to connect. “I just think it’s a great community building event,” Hornish said. Children also enjoyed the activities such as Trunk or Treating.

One of the many trunk-or-treat participants was a small group of students from the IUS School of Nursing. Of the group, Kelsie Bader gave insight on her experience at IUS Fest. “My community group for nursing school, we were looking for ways to kind of give some time back to our community…” Since Halloween was so close, the question of what is considered a favorite candy, Bader responded with Snickers.

To give back to the community is one of the reasons why IUS Fest truly makes a
difference. Attendees who arrived right as the event started, were given vouchers for all of the
food services that attended. Food vendors included The Commons and The Hub from IUS, along with Dock Seafood and Fireside’s Tender Vendor from the local community. With each
voucher/ticket, you were able to acquire four items from the different food services, like two
slices of pizza and two drinks, or just four slices if you really felt like it.

The fun never dried out, as live performances from local bands opted for some musical
entertainment. One of the bands, Five Piece Combo, was able to give their thoughts on the event after they had finished their set list. “It’s for the class, partially, … this is a great opportunity to play in front of a crowd.” The members of Five Piece Combo were all grateful for the chance to perform live for the community. Across the board, chocolate-based candies were the favorite among the band.

To keep the fun going, there was one last opportunity for the children to burn off some energy, as the Hoosier Room was the proud home of enormous bouncy castles. This was a great opportunity for the little ones to stay distracted with the festivities while parents could finally catch themselves a break.

Beyond the entertainment, organizers said they hope IUS Fest encourages families to become more familiar with IU Southeast and the opportunities available on campus. Chuck Summers, who has attended IUS Fest with his family for several years, said the event has become something they look forward to. “It’s become a family tradition,” Summers said.

Ashley Barker and Kameron Jayne are students in JOUR – J303 Online Journalism and are contributing writers and photographers for The Horizon.