Iris Litley and her father, Ryan, dressed as Ghostbusters: Courtesy | James Joski

Fiction came to life as a long procession of children dressed in costumes ranging from the Eye of Sauron to Patrick Star opened their candy bags wide to students and athletes cloaked in the likenesses of Barney, Ronald McDonald, and everything in between.

The eclectic gathering was part of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee’s sixth annual Trunk-or-Treat located in the parking lot across from the George Roche Sports Complex Oct. 26.

The event featured cars lined up with their trunks functioning as front porches. Kids visited each “station” operated by a different student group as they would a house on the street.

Associate Athletic Director and faculty advisor to SAAC Nikki Walbright, said that the event aims to achieve both SAAC goals for civic service among student-athletes and NCAA Division II initiatives for fundraising toward the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Although geared toward athletes, Walbright said Trunk-or-Treat is open to all groups on campus. 

“Trick-or-Treating used to be in the dorms, but in 2020, they had to stop it because of COVID, so I started it,” Walbright said. “SAAC organizes it, and it is for the athletic teams, but I have always invited the dorms and campus groups to come out as well.”

One of these organizations was the Liberty Princess Company.

“It is technically not affiliated with the campus, but it is exclusively Hillsdale students, and we dress up as princesses for various community events,” said sophomore Alethia Diener, who dressed as Snow White. “People can request us, and it is completely free.” 

Fellow member sophomore Ava Carlson, who came as Rapunzel, said that for many young girls, the princesses are the highlight of the day.

“For little girls, this is the big moment for them because we are not just girls wearing princess dresses,” she said. “We are that princess and so they are usually shy and struck by awe but really excited.”

Carlson said she remembered how excited she was to see princesses when she was young, and wanted to give that back.

“We are trying to make magic, interact with them, and make their day,” Carlson said.

At the start of the line stood the volleyball team, dressed up as everything from a banana to a dinosaur.

“I think its really cool,” sophomore Caroline Lanicek said. “A lot of these kids and their families will come and support us at games, and so it is just nice to give back to them because they support us in everything we do. They are always here for us.”

Among the kids was Demetrius Mekas and his father, Andrew Mekas.

Dressed as the Eye of Sauron, Demetrius Mekas towered above the rest.

Andrew Mekas said the costume had been an idea since midsummer and took 10-12 hours to create.

“It was a cool idea and it was big,” Demeterius Mekas said.

Hillsdale custodian Ryan Litley and his daughter Iris Litley dressed as Ghostbusters.

“I’ve always been a huge Ghostbusters fan,” Ryan Litley said. “I think when she saw my costume she was like, ‘I want one of those.’ So we made it happen.”

Near the end of the line, the football team set up a mini obstacle course in front of their trunk.

Some kids would run up to the football players, matching the players with their appearance on playing cards handed out at the event.

“I can relate to that,” senior and football player Connor Pratt said. “I did the same thing when I was a little kid. I would run up to the guys at high school and college games and try to get autographs. It is cool to be on the flip side of that.”

Pratt said community events like Trunk-or-Treat are just as important to students as they are to families.

“It is very easy to isolate within campus events,” Pratt said. “Remembering that there is more to the world at large than college and the things you are focused on gives you an appreciation for your ability to be here and do these things.”

Pratt encouraged other students to invest in the community.

“You get as much out of it as you put into it,” Pratt said.