The annual Tri-M Honor Society Trunk or Treat event is slowly making its way back to normalcy. The event presents a live performance with the purpose of invoking interest in music from children, while also allowing them to have a fun time. In 2020, COVID-19 forced the event to take on a drive-thru format, but this year, the situation was different.

“Normally, we [have the cases of candy] in the commons, but last year we had to change to the drive-thru format,” Fine Arts Department Head Susan Memoli said. “This is the next step. We had a walk through instead. Kids walked through the parking lot with their parents, and the kids literally came to the trunks in the car. We also had a new mascot making its debut!”

The new Tri-M mascot is an alien that roamed around the parking lot. Students making their way around the parking lot would answer a riddle in exchange for a sticker, and they had the opportunity to take a picture with the mascot at the end of the event.

“The mascot was really popular,” senior Darini Nagalingam said. “We had a lot of kids show up, and many took photos with the mascot. It really felt like they were having fun.”

The Tri-M Honor Society put a lot of effort in to make this event more interactive than last year. They decorated the car trunks with lights and packed them with candy and toys.

“Our goal was to get the kids to be more involved in the event than last year,” Nagalingam said. “The drive-thru Trunk or Treat was alright, but there were definitely aspects missing, like getting the kids involved in the music.”

The Trunk or Treat event’s purpose is to bring joy to the community with a bonus of attracting interest to instruments. It rained on the day of the event, and the forecast predicted showers on the rain check date as well.

“We just stayed with the original date and used speakers for the majority of the event.” Tri-M Co-President Megan Chau said. “When it wasn’t raining, some of the brass instruments got to play, but humidity is bad for string instruments, so we had to make do.”

Even in the suboptimal weather conditions, many kids attended the event. The kids could dress up in their costumes, and so could their parents.

“I remember there was a baby in a cow costume, and it was so cute,” Chau said. “Just being able to see the kids made the event so much better than last year. Watching them take photos with our new mascot was also a lot of fun.”

Throughout all the challenges of the pandemic and weather, the Tri-M Honor Society put in their best effort, resulting in an successful event.

“Trunk or Treat this year was a million times better than last [year],” Chau said. “Sure, it’s about music, community and candy, but most importantly, it’s about having fun.”