On Dec. 1, Augustana’s Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) program held its 19th annual CSD Holiday Carnival in Brodhal Hall. CSD and Masters in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP) student volunteers decorated the entire building with Christmas spirit. The carnival hosted a variety of different games, activities and crafts for children to celebrate the holiday season.
While the event is only open to Augustana faculty’s children of ages 12 and under and clients of the Barbara A. Roseman Center for Speech, Language and Hearing, this event continues to bring awareness to the CSD program.
Hosted by the CSD program, the carnival was primarily coordinated by Allison Haskill, CSD professor and director of the MS-SLP program. Haskill said this event benefits the Augustana community.
“It serves as both an open house for Augustana faculty and staff members who have children to see our speech and hearing clinic,” Haskill said. “Even more importantly, this is a celebration for our pediatric clients.”
Sophomore CSD major Chloe Rittenhouse volunteered at the carnival and helped foster connections between members and children.
“It definitely benefits and strengthens connections and relationships, not only in the clinic but with CSD majors and other faculty members and their children as well.” Rittenhouse said.
Each door of Brodhal was decorated and prepared with a different holiday activity for the children to participate in. Student volunteers assisted children in each individual activity, as well as engaging with the children throughout the activity’s process.
While the event is only open to Augustana faculty’s children of ages 12 and under and clients of the Barbara A. Roseman Center for Speech, Language and Hearing, this event continues to bring awareness to the CSD program.
Brook Fieldman, a senior CSD major and president of the Augustana Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASSHA), said this event brings awareness to ASSHA specifically.
“It’s a really good way of promoting ASSHA. A lot of people after the holiday carnival are more interested in attending meetings in the spring,” Fieldman said.
Some of the most popular activities at the carnival were ornament crafts, fishing for candy canes and sitting on Santa’s lap. When asked about their favorite part of the night, many CSD majors mentioned how happy they were to see the children having a fun time, and everybody coming together to celebrate the holidays.
“It just fosters that environment that where they go to receive services is also a place where they can have fun and build a positive relationship with clinicians and clinical supervisors,” Fieldman said.
This carnival gives CSD students a chance to interact with their clients in an atmosphere outside of their typical therapy environment, while staying within the same building.
“Receiving therapy doesn’t always have to be something that’s dreadful,” Rittenhouse said. “We try to make it fun in the Roseman Center.”
This event was funded by ASSHA, and the group has been planning for the event since mid-fall.
“They raise money at Halloween. They sell little treat care packages that families buy for the students,” Haskill said. “The money raised from that with funding from Royal Neighbors helps us pay for the carnival.”
At this event, the CSD department did not require an entry fee, but they accepted monetary and food donations like canned goods to go towards the Campus Cupboard.
When asked about his favorite part of the carnival, Santa said, “Giving away the candy canes to the children. Ho ho ho!”
