Tricky Treat in the Tower

ALBANY, N.Y. (October 31, 2016) — A one-of-a-kind haunted house, a mad science lab, carnival games and petitioning for candy through a darkly lit tower were some of the eerie but cheery thrills that greated elementary and middle school children from Albany when they spent an evening with Colonial Quad denizens on Oct. 26.

That’s the night that the quad’s residents and staff hosted their annual “Tower of Terror,” a safe space trick-or-treating program for kids in the Albany community.

"Basically, the suites give candy to kids who need a safe place to trick-or-treat because downtown Albany can't always be a safe environment for them," sophomore Sarah Sheldrick, who volunteered at the event, said. "It's nice to help out the kids."

Tori Barrett, a residence advisor on the quad, said that the event was "a way to get college kids involved in the local community. It's basically designed for the kids, but also to get college students involved as well. They asked us to get involved and of course we were all willing to do that."

The event served more than a hundred elementary and middle school students. More than 50 student volunteers, primarily second-year students, helped to haunt, give out candy, face paint, lead carnival games and more.

Kids were met by Markus Ricks, assistant director for Residential Life on Colonial Quad, in the Quad’s Livingston Tower penthouse. There, they were led through a haunted house. They then made their way down through the Tower, stopping at each floor along the way to get candy and participate in fun and games.

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