The Running Start Department jumped into the Halloween spirit with a Fall Social event put on for the benefit of fresh Running Start students. Everyone was invited to fall down the rabbit hole together and join in the festivities. Held on Oct. 28 in Building 8, this year’s theme: A Mad Hatter Tea Party.

The room’s aesthetic held bursts of color and lots of flowery arrays. Along with this charming space, clearly inspired by the classic 1951 Disney cartoon, students were treated to a bounty of food and even a prize table for those able to complete an activity bingo card. 

Samatha Bartlett, the Running Start Department Coordinator for Highline College shared that the event was held to create a space for students to meet new friends and socialize. She commented on how challenging this can be while in class. 

Sporting her Mad Hatter attire she added, “More than anything, I want it to be fun and inviting. That’s why I dressed up.”

Arts and crafts were displayed on some tables while others had games for anyone just wanting to chill out and have a good time. Many different students joined in at the tables creating beaded bracelets and coloring or just chatting. A bright, rose-covered backdrop near one corner of the room hoped to serve anyone interested in a festive photo opportunity.

In Washington State, the Running Start Program was first piloted in 1990 and then implemented in 1993. Karen Steinbach, the Running Start Program Manager, spoke on the history of the Running Start program. From its inception in the nineties, Steinbach has watched the program grow in size and strength after some early pushback and shaky beginnings.

Wanting to get an early start on their career is a main reason why students take advantage of advanced college courses while not yet graduated from high school. The Running Start program is one of the main ways students get college course credit while in high school.

Events like this one help them build and maintain community while advancing their degrees.