Students from Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity volunteered Tuesday to carve pumpkins with local elementary school students.
The event at Red Cedar Elementary School, 1110 Narcissus St., was one of several activities local greek chapters plan to do with area children.
“It’s important to go out in the community and spend time with kids,” said Genevieve Webb, philanthropy chair for Kappa Alpha Theta. “It’s awesome to get out of the daily routine of going to class and working.”
Volunteers from the two houses brought pumpkins and candy for the enthusiastic group of 50 fifth grade students.
“Halloween is kind of exciting,” said Didi Steinman, a fifth-grader. “I’m from South America, and we don’t have this holiday.”
Steinman said she didn’t exactly enjoy all the pumpkins had to offer.
“It was ugly to put your hand inside and bring out the disgusting stuff,” she said. “We all walked around with it on our hands and asked people if we could shake theirs.”
While the kids were given a lot of candy, marketing junior Ben Disney gained a stronger sense of what it was like to be a teacher.
“It was fun being here, but I have a newfound respect for teachers,” he said. “I would not want to be one.”
Disney had the job of supervising the candy trough and making sure kids didn’t get too much.
“I had to say ‘no’ to them wanting fourths and fifths,” he said. “One kid even insisted he had a twin.”
Luke Kreft, another of the fifth-grade students, said the volunteers seemed like big kids themselves.
“I don’t think that (the volunteers) are kids or adults, they are somewhere in the middle,” he said. “That’s why they are fun.”
Gino Dagostini, philanthropy chair for Sigma Alpha Epsilon, said the kids weren’t the only ones having a good time.
“I think we have more fun than the kids do,” he said. “This has become a yearly event, and it’s important for us to be active in the community.”
Webb agrees.
“The greek system often has bad things portrayed (about it), but we really do good things,” she said.
Chaoran Sun, a fifth grade student, sat directing Ryan Childress, a finance senior, who helped him cut his pumpkin.
“I have a younger sister and I used to do this with her,” Childress said. “When you are little it’s really cool to work with an older kid.”
