Westside High School’s Project Unify club hosted their annual trick-or-treat event around the high school for special education students on Monday, Oct. 30. This event provided the students with an opportunity to get candy and see new faces as well as make new friends. Sponsor of the club and Westside High School Special Education teacher Megan Riege said that this is one of her favorite events that Project Unify hosts. 

“One of our club presidents emailed several teachers [and asked] if they were willing to stay a little later after school and provide candy to our students,” Riege said. “We then took the masks that we made the previous meeting and put them [to use].” 

Riege said that Project Unify’s event received support from many teachers. 

“A lot of teachers at the Math IMC volunteered,” Riege said. “I know [Instructor], Mr. Fryda volunteered, and a couple of more around the school.”

Sophomore Lakota Fielder, a member of Project Unify, said he always enjoys this event. 

“I liked going around and seeing new faces,” Fielder said. “Talking to new people is fun, I hope to do it again next year.”

Riege said that she was pleased with the outcome of this year’s event and is excited to see how it improves in years to come. 

“[I love this event so much because] they get to [use] their social skills that they practice everyday,” Riege said. “There’s people that they’ve seen but they can’t really communicate with or make a relationship with them.”

Riege said that students around the school should initiate friendships with students in the Project Unify club to make them feel more included. 

[It’s good for my students to make more friends because] they can get better at talking to many people,” Riege said. “There’s so many things that I wish we could implement and have you guys practice without students because it’s important for them to meet new people they don’t know.”