Little goblins and ghosts paid Simpson campus a visit on Halloween.

Indianola children were able to participate in the Safe Block Trick-or-Treating festivities sponsored by Residence Life on Monday.

Safe Block is a trick-or-treating event for children of Simpson employees, faculty, staff and administration and Indianola elementary school students. It’s designed to provide kids of the community with a safe place to go trick-or-treating.

Nicole Faust, area coordinator for apartments and Greek housing, is responsible for overseeing the event, but relies on Community Advisers to get students involved in the Safe Block program.

Students from Barker, Buxton, Kresge and Picken Halls, Worth House, ATO, SAE and LXA are asked to decorate their residence halls and hand out candy as kids go door-to-door.

If students feel really festive, they can dress up for the occasion.

“It’s a good thing for the college,” Faust said. “It’s an opportunity for Simpson to show of the campus and residence halls, and it allows kids to trick-or-treat in a safe environment.”

Junior Ann Kruse has participated in Safe Block since her first year at Simpson.

“Safe Block provides kids with a safe community, but it also gives them a place they can recognize. It’s a promotion tactic because they will recognize and remember that they came here,” Kruse said.

As a freshman in Picken Hall, Kruse and her friends dressed up as cowgirls and 80’s prom girls. This year, Kruse, a resident of Buxton Hall, was a bumblebee.

Junior Jason Staker participated in Safe Block his sophomore year. According to Staker, Safe Block is beneficial to college-age students because it helps keep them connected to the community. Additionally, it gives them opportunities to partake in the festivities of Halloween.

“It was fun to participate in Halloween like we were kids again,” Staker said. “You don’t have that opportunity very much in college.”

Trick-or-treating isn’t the only perk of the Safe Block program. Games and other activities, such as cookie decorating, are held at in Brenton Student Center to keep kids entertained until it’s their turn to go trick-or-treating around campus.

The trick-or-treating tours began at 6:00 p.m. in BSC and completed at 8:30.

Parents were asked to escort their children around campus, while student volunteers led tours.

Senior Jen Hoskins, who dressed up as a lifeguard, participated last year as a Resident Assistant of Picken. This year, however, she lent a hand to the activities held at BSC.

“Simpson benefits because the students get to be involved with something Halloween-y, and the kids of the community benefit because they get to go trick-or-treating in a nice environment where it’s warm,” Hoskins said.

Faust said over 250 children and their families participated in this year’s Safe Block.

“The night was a success,” Faust said. “The kids that went through had a good time and the parents thought it was great their children had a safe place to go trick-or-treating. The students who decorated and handed out candy were great. It was a fun night.”