October 2017 in photos: Halloween, Irma cleanup and football

By Joel Delgado ’12, MS ’17

Trick or treat! Fall is in full swing and October has been an exciting month filled with exciting events and festivities, including the kickoff of Homecoming Week, success on the football and soccer fields and — of course — Halloween.

Before we turn our attention to November, let’s take a look back at some of our favorite moments and images from the past month captured by FIU photographers.

At FIU, you’ll float, too. Photo by Eduardo Merille

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Leonardo Babun, a doctoral student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and recipient of the CyberCorps Scholarship, works on a project in FIU’s Cyber-Physical Systems Security Lab. Photo by Carl-Frederick Francois

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When a group of FIU volunteers spent a day working in Big Pine Key, the community hardest hit by Hurricane Irma, little did they expect the tremendous destruction they would find. In the midst of the heartbreaking devastation, however, they heard stories of resilience as residents vowed to rebuild and thanked those who came out to move mountains of debris. Said a grateful 58-year-old Donna Allison, a lifelong Conch who rode out the storm in her bungalow, now under two felled trees: “Every little bit helps.” Photo by Kristen Mayoral

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An estimated 25 percent of homes in the Florida Keys were destroyed by Hurricane Irma. Many were older structures and trailer homes inhabited by low-income individuals who live and work year-round in the island chain. FIU students and staff who spent a day helping on Big Pine Key saw the wreckage firsthand. Photo by Kristen Mayoral

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FIU alumnus Danny Medina asked us for this baseball cap on a Facebook post. He specifically wanted the fitted caps worn by baseball players, but we didn’t have it in stock. Our FIU Bookstore made a special order and made this happen. Now you can grab one, too! Photo by Carl-Frederick Francois

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Homecoming Week kicked off on Oct. 28 with Panthermonium: Rise of a Legend, featuring 21 Savage, at FIU’s Ocean Bank Convocation Center. Photo by Carl-Frederick Francois

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That’s a lot of barley. This photo was taken for a promo for North Miami BrewFest, a one-day beer festival featuring some of the best craft breweries and their one-of-a-kind beers. NoMi BrewFest began as a student project, led by hospitality management students at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, and proceeds from the event will benefit the school. Photo by Carl-Frederick Francois

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During a trip to Napa Valley, California, one of our photographers, Kristen, got to visit B Cellars Vineyards and Winery, which is owned by FIU alumnus Duffey Keys. He was gracious enough to give her a tour of their cellars (pictured above) where the wine is stored at 50 to 60 degrees, the optimal temperature for aging wine. Photo by Kristen Mayoral

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U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao visited the College of Engineering & Computing earlier this month. During her stop, Professor Atorod Azizinamini showed her around the Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center and the Wall of Wind, both of which study best practices in infrastructure construction. Photo by Carl-Frederick Francois

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FIU Football defensive back Brad Muhammad takes a breather during the Panthers’ 23-10 upset victory over the visiting Tulane Green Wave on Oct. 14. The team enters November with its best start in program history (5-2) and just one victory away from being bowl eligible for the first time since 2011. Photo by Carl-Frederick Francois

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Mariela Serrano (left) and Sarah Colon are two of hundreds of students from Puerto Rico who are coming to FIU to continue their studies after the island was devastated by Hurricane Maria. Photo by Eduardo Merille

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Religious scholar Reza Aslan poses for photos with students after sharing ways to confront Islamophobia in the United States and abroad at the sixth Geopolitical Summit – one of the university’s signature events featuring distinguished intellectuals discussing some of the most pressing current topics. Photo by Eduardo Merille

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The Rose Ellen Greene Day of Service at Jesse J. McCrary Elementary School in Little Haiti brought together volunteers from FIU’s Education Effect to help paint the school. Photo by Ben Guzman

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Pumpkins! Pumpkins everywhere! Photo by Eduardo Merille

To view more of our favorite FIU images, visit our “Month in Photos” series page.