On the 25th of October, the Campus Activity Board hosted the Haunted Union in honor of Halloween. This spooktacular event involved various activities including pumpkin paintings, fortune tellers, a glowcade, a haunted house, a “Fear Factor” tasting event and many more.
The Popp Martin Student Union was adorned with Halloween decorations and people sporting different costumes, such as Harry Potter or your typical vampire or witch. Many had very creative and interesting face makeup. The music set the mood for a fun night. Starbucks even gave out free samples of their new Halloween themed frappuccinos. There was also free food being given out by clubs.
The glowcade was very competitive. It was a glowing makeshift arcade with various competitive arcade games. For the more creative spirit, the pumpkin painting booth was available in the lounge of the Student Union. The pumpkin painting was a different take on the usual pumpkin carving but in its own way was an awesome idea. It’s still in spirit, but without all the mess that comes with carving.
There was also a fortune teller station, a highly popular activity for those who were interested in knowing their future. There was also a “Fear Factor” food tasting booth, where people who were brave enough could try intimidating foods. For example, there was a red hot chili pepper for those who were willing to take the risk, of which there were not many.
One of the main events was the haunted house. Walking into the haunted house, I had the eerie feeling one would expect; I was pushed towards the front by some of my friends and pulled open the door. As I walked, a giant spider came rushing towards me and caused me to jump. Then, out of nowhere, someone in white started yelling which freaked my group and me out. As we kept walking and opening more doors, there would be disguised monsters and serial killers coming our way or performing creepy acts. One that really freaked me out was the killer butcher who had a person on the table and was slowly chopping away. Through each door, there was a new surprise waiting to scare you. One time, a random hand suddenly reached out to me from a mirror, then a person in a Jason mask came right up to us. After we got to the end and we believed it was over, a disguised guy came chasing right after us, causing people to run screaming. The haunted house itself was very creative in terms of design, the lighting and sound created an ominous effect. The costume design was also very realistic and creative. I am very impressed that the Student Union was able to pull off a haunted house in a limited space and still create a very effective and scary haunted house.
Overall, the Haunted Union was a fun night full of frights and laughs. According to Leslie Varrella, the Haunted Union was a success. She said, “It was more fun than scary! I was laughing the entire time and my friends and I are having a good time.” The Haunted Union was a great event to go to for pre-Halloween excitement and was an awesome opportunity to meet new people.
Photos by Patrick Magoon.