For the past 23 years, New Trier has opened its doors to children of all ages in the name of Habitat for Humanity.

Children eagerly rush to participate in festivities like bozo buckets, human bowling, and bracelet making just to name a few of the over 40 activities that the senior class put on.

“When I was a little kid I always looked up to the seniors who were running the carnival, so it was very weird to be on the other side of that,” Senior Erin Miller said.

“I don’t feel like I’m old enough to be that girl that little me looked up to.”

Now, she’s the big kid running the booths. She and the rest of the Barraza advisery ran the “wedding chapel” booth, which involved kids walking down the aisle that they created. The seniors then read speeches and hand out ring pops and marriage certificates.

“I liked how excited they were, and it was fun to feel like we were helping them have a good time,” Miller said.

Tim Hano ran a broom ball booth with the Howe advisery. At first, there weren’t many kids who showed up to the booth, but after Tim and a friend went advertising in the hallways, a big line formed. The seniors then engaged in a competitive and fun game of broom ball with the kids.

“It was fun running the booth because it made me feel like a little kid again. Interacting with the kids made me feel grown up, but young at the same time,” Hano said. Hano remembered how much he admired how the school was able to create an event like this back when he was in seventh grade.

Sophie Lieberman also remembered her excitement as a kid. “To get to go hang out with all the cool high school kids was the best thing ever. There were so many fun games, and I felt like New Trier was the biggest place I had ever been to,” Lieberman said.

Lieberman is in the Heidkamp advisery, and they ran a fortune telling booth, in which seniors told fortunes through a crystal ball and fortune tellers. Lieberman, running the crystal ball, seemed like a real psychic to the kids. She even guessed a kid’s birthday on the first try. The girls advisery had fun with the kids.

“I felt so old being on the other side off the carnival because it was such a tradition as a kid seeing all the ‘older kids’ and now that was me,” Lieberman said.

The carnival itself took a great deal of planning. Posters and t-shirts were made to promote the event. Each advisery also set up and decorated their room.

After school the students and staff, including senior adviser chairs Susie Paunan and Chris Pearson, made sure to turn the school into an inviting carnival.

Paunan and Pearson both agree that the carnival is a great way for the community to get involved not only to help a cause, but to interact with each other.

Both of the adviser chairs were very pleased with the seniors in how they interacted with the kids this year.

“The seniors were amazing. They step up every year. The energy was fantastic and the kids’ faces just lit up as they entered the door,” Paunan said. “At some point those kids will be the ones leading the event.”

“We always here from parents about how their kids are so excited about the opportunity to spend time with the high school students,” Pearson said.