Pumpkin Painting, Carving and More
NORA ALRASHID
STAFF WRITER
The Student Governance Council and Student Activities Council of STLCC-Meramec hosted the 2018 Fall Festival on Oct. 26. The event took place in the cafeteria providing free food, games and activities for students and staff to enjoy.
This was the first year for the Fall Festival, according to Sarah Kelly, Vice President of the Student Governance Council and President of Student Activities Council. “We planned it for the day instead of the trunk-or-treat at night so more students would be able to come.”
Cafeteria tables were set up for pumpkin painting as a safer alternative to carving jack-o’-lanterns. The tables were also covered in fall-themed spreads to protect them from paint splatters and spills. Games included inflatable Twister, Jenga and Wii Dance Revolution for everyone to enjoy.
Trunk-or-Treat, which has been hosted at Meramec for several years, is also a fall event for students to celebrate Halloween and the beginning of cold weather. The only issue was since the event is conducted in the evening, fewer students have the chance to join in and celebrate, said Kelly.
Various sources helped fund the Fall Festival this year. According to Kelly, the funding comes through the Student Government and Students Activities Council’s budget. In cases where the budget is insufficient, superannuation is used to support these types of events.
Both the FGC and FAC are combined to hold issues regarding finances. The Student Governance Council is also supported through student tuition funds. “We have the Student Activities budget committee funds, which is a pool of money that comes from a fraction of tuition dollars,” said Kelly.
There are even more sources for funding according to Amber Grant, advisor of the Student Governance Council. “Each semester, the Student Governance and Student Activities Councils receive money provided from the Campus Life Student Club budget to organize student-led events and activities on campus,” said Grant. These events are focused more towards student engagement and communication.
According to Grant, this event was not only beneficial for students under distress but the members of the organizational groups as well. To them, the Fall Festival is a break from social and academic stress. “The student groups agreed that any event where students can engage in activities, have snacks and take a load off before or after class at no cost to them is typically what our STLCC students enjoy,” she said.
Kelly said she is confident in her role as Vice President of the Student Governance Council and their commitment to planning successful events for STLCC students. “We haven’t run into any problems and I don’t think we will.”
Grant said she is hopeful that this event becomes an annual tradition for Meramec students to look forward to. “I do think students who organized this event feel it was a great success and look forward to hosting more student-focused events,” said Grant.
