Halloween will be a happier holiday for local youngsters with the help of some MTSU communication studies students.

“Borderless Arts Tennessee’s Spooktacular Halloween Party” is slated for 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 29, at Cantrell Hall inside MTSU’s Tom Jackson Building at 628 Alma Mater Drive.

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The festivities will include a costume contest, a scary foods bake-off contest, a dance contest, crafts and games.

Students in the “Fundamentals of Communication” and “Communication in Nonprofit Organizations” classes in the Department of Communication Studies are presenting the party in partnership with Borderless Arts Tennessee, Ambassadors of Borderless Arts Tennessee and Best Buddies MTSU.

Borderless Arts Tennessee, formerly VSA Tennessee, provides resources, tools and opportunities for arts programming in schools and communities. It’s a statewide organization on arts and disability that was established at MTSU in 2001 and also is an affiliate of VSA, the international organization on arts and disabilities founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith and formerly known as Very Special Arts.

Ambassadors of Borderless Arts is an MTSU student organization that attends lectures and workshops to learn more about disabilities and how to use the arts when working with people with disabilities. The group also learns fundraising and event-planning skills by helping Borderless Arts Tennessee with its programs and by offering their own programs on campus.

Best Buddies MTSU works to build lasting relationships between current students and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Elizabeth West, a sophomore organizational communication major from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, said the communication classes are part of MT Engage, a university program designed to enhance student academic engagement by promoting integrative and reflective thinking.

“As well as learning how to plan events, this will be a great opportunity for these students to not only get involved on campus but also walk away with more knowledge on how to plan and put on an event,” West said.

Admission is free, but participants should register so organizers can be sure to have enough supplies on hand. To register, send an email to userk7706@comcast.net.

To learn more about the work of Borderless Arts Tennessee, visit http://borderlessartstn.org.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)

Borderless Arts Tennessee is inviting local youngsters to its “Spooktacular Halloween Party” Monday, Oct. 29, at Cantrell Hall inside MTSU’s Tom Jackson Building. Among the special events planned are a not-so-scary costume contest, a dance contest, a “scary foods” bake-off, crafts and games. (Photo courtesy of Borderless Arts Tennessee)