Cathedral Catholic High School’s National Honor Society and various CCHS clubs brought Halloween to the parking lot this year by hosting the inaugural Trunk or Treat, an event that allows kids to go from car to car getting candy and playing games with the students. 

“Our Cathedral students did awesome,” CCHS teacher Mr. Frank Caro said. “All their efforts and energy were off the chart. You never know what to expect [in terms of people going to the event], but next year we are hoping even more people will come.”

CCHS student Mary Coen ‘18, who was one of the students involved with Trunk or Treat, thought it was a success.

“It looked like the kids are having a lot of fun,” she said. “We each had to pick a theme and everything looks great,” she said.

To publicize Trunk or Treat, students sent notifications to elementary schools, put up fliers, and reached out through social media.

Mr. Caro wanted to emphasize the independence of the students involved in the shaping of this event, believing it shows the sense of responsibility and independence of CCHS students.

“I think that’s the thing, there wasn’t a lot of teacher control,” he said. “It was on the students, and they were spectacular. Emmy Dunsford was the absolute organizer and supervisor of Trunk or Treat, and the clubs got to choose what they want to do.”

Dunsford ’18 also believes the event was a success.

“I do believe that trunk or treat was a success because of the amount of effort that all the clubs and everyone involved put into it,” she said. “[Students] really did a great job and I was really happy that I got to work in a group with them.”

Dunsford also emphasized the independence of the students who worked on this project and the amount of effort being put in was visible and showed the abilities of the students here.

“I thought it was a really great opportunity to show what Cathedral students can really do,” she said. “This school gives us all the resources we need to be successful. It’s just a matter of how we use them,” she said.

Dunsford also talked about what she learned from leading and being responsible for Trunk or Treat.

“Being the leader of this really made me realize that it’s important to work hard in all that you do,” she said “Not having much help from parents and teachers really made me realize exactly what you can get done when you give 115 percent in everything you do.

“If I’ve learned anything it’s that you have to take advantage of the opportunities you’re given, and going above and beyond is expected.”

Dunsford already is thinking about what can be done better in hopes of making Trunk or Treat an annual event, including making sure to get more people to advertise the project so more kids come. 

Trunk or Treat also can be seen as a marker on which to gauge the capabilities and responsibility of CCHS students.

“The students were the most impressive thing about it,” Mr. Caro said. “When you have that level of energy, enthusiasm, and interest, you have to be successful. Now we have a good sense of what it will be like next year and have a better sense of how to get it going.

“I think it will be a mainstay and NHS will keep doing it.”

As for future events, Mr. Caro and NHS students are already busy planning for the Christmas season and beyond.

“The next big thing we are thinking about doing is working with Campus Ministry for Christmas to have students adopt a distressed family in socio-economic areas who maybe can’t afford to buy Christmas gifts,” he said. “We have the Dons Dash in February as well as the Zombie Dash.

“I expect both to be very successful.”