Aggie athletes celebrate Halloween
Big Blue and USU athletes visited Mindee Taylor’s 3rd grade class at Wilkinson Elementary, Tuesday Oct. 21. The group painted pumpkins for a homecoming-themed display that appeared in this year’s super hero-themed Pumpkin Walk. The visit, like others during Homecoming Week, was designed to bring the school and the community together, said Troy Oldham, public relations professor at USU.
Oldham said his PR class was approached by the USU Alumni Association to help blue Logan, and throughout the week he and his class helped organize and involve activities with local authorities, campus groups and downtown merchants. Through the efforts of his students and help from USU athletics, the Pumpkin Walk was selected, sponsors acquired, community members involved, and Big Blue, USU cheerleaders, Aggiettes and cross-country team members were side-by-side with Wilson Elementary students, paint brushes in hand, he said.
“Everything from a teacher and this class to the mayor -everyone got involved,” Oldham said.
The visitors from USU talked with class members about college and athletic life, giving advice on staying healthy, studying, favorite courses and then led the 3rd-graders in Utah State cheers, said Jessica Walker, USU cheerleader. Afterwards students, athletes and Big Blue himself helped paint the 11 blue pumpkins and 11 red pumpkins, representing the USU/Fresno St. football game, Taylor said.
“They were really cute,” Walker said. “They had a little cheer for us at the end too.”
Students’ parents were also invited to participate, resulting in roughly 60 people attending and helping create the pumpkin display, Taylor said.
“It was a full house,” Taylor said. “We feel it really brought out a lot of people from the community.”
“I think it was a success, the pumpkins turned out great,” Walker said.
The pumpkin painting at Wilson Elementary was one of the many examples of community participation during this year’s Homecoming, Oldham said. Many activities were held off campus and with help from ASUSU, USU athletics, spirit squad, marching band, campus executive faculty, Logan business owners, local government officials, Utah Public Radio and, of course, Big Blue.
“Whoever is Big Blue is working his tail off,” Oldham said. “He seems to be everywhere at all times.”
Oldham said that the cooperation between school and city is just beginning and that next year’s plans will try to build upon the successes, finding more ways to unify the community.
“We need each other, and Homecoming is a way to come together,” Oldham said.
–b.c.wood@aggiemail.usu.edu