Making a ‘Big’ difference

If you saw the herds of four to 12 year olds racing around campus last Friday, you saw the PALS program in action as they kicked off the year with a Halloween scavenger hunt throughout campus.

PALS is a buddy program that pairs kids from the community and surrounding areas with a Luther student. Once a month the “bigs” get to meet with their “littles” on the Luther campus and spend two hours together hanging out and having fun.

As the first event of the year, the scavenger hunt was a success as “bigs” met their “littles” for the first time.

“It went really well,” PALS Coordinator Jaymie McGrath (‘10) said. “A lot of students dressed up in costumes and the kids get really excited about that. It always seems to be a really good meet and greet event for the ‘littles’ and ‘bigs.’”

With several yearly events like the scavenger hunt and Christmas in the Union, McGrath is looking to keep the kids excited this year with a carnival in Main, an Olympics-themed game day, a movie night and a concluding picnic with the families.

With about 115 Luther students and 100 community kids, PALS is one of the biggest community outreach programs in which students can take part. After the first activity, additional time commitment is left up to the parents and the student, who can spend as much or as little time with their PAL as they want to.

“It’s a really good way to connect the Luther community with the Decorah community,” said McGrath. “Sometimes students end up hanging out with kids off campus or babysit for the family.”

Families are also able to request a “big brother” or “big sister” from PALS so that their child can have a male or female presence in their life. This role model or mentor mentality brings into focus the true importance of this program.

Liz Larson (‘10) is participating in PALS for the first time at Luther and is paired with a four-year-old girl.

“It’s important that she has one-on-one attention from someone who can be a positive person in her life,” Larson said. “It’s a program where you have to stop thinking about yourself. It’s fun to see a little person that is so happy just because you’re hanging out with them.”

PALS takes place every year, so sign up next year to have a little friend from the community and make a difference.