Ghost Town
Student groups celebrate Halloween by hosting haunted houses
By: By Beth Muldoon
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Brooke Patterson, Class of 2005 president for the College of Veterinary Medicine and a first-year veterinary medicine student, said advertising is the most important part in preparing for the vet school's 10th annual Night of Terror.
"We have been working with the local radio stations for a while, and they are donating time to come out to the vet school next week and do live broadcasts," Patterson said. "We also put a lot of work into each room, planning and trying to make it as scary as possible."
Kappa Sigma members have used the entire fall semester to plan for its seventh-annual Wicked Woods event.
"Each Woods is filled with different themes and scenes every year, so a great deal of both thought and construction go into every event," said Andrew Widmer, president of Kappa Sigma and a sophomore finance major. "We spend pretty much every weekend of the fall out at the fraternity house getting ready for the Wicked Woods."
Hotard From Hell, the only on-campus haunted house, has a large panel of people who prepare the hauntings each Halloween.
Bert Froeba, resident advisor at Hotard Hall and a sophomore engineering major, said every floor has representatives and presents designs for the haunted house.
"We all work together to get necessary supplies from the `Hell Coordinator,' and all residents go to floor meetings to brainstorm ideas and plan their design," Froeba said.
Each year, the Vet School, Kappa Sigma and Hotard Hall have thousands of people visit their venues.
"The line [for Hotard] goes down the street past Neeley and Hobby Halls every year," Froeba said.
Each haunted house raises money for national and local organizations, and the houses donate a portion of their proceeds each Halloween.
"We offer a $1 discount to people who bring a canned food with them. We then donate the food to the Brazos Food Bank," Patterson said. "The money that we make goes to the College of Vet Medicine, Class of 2005 and is used for class-sponsored events, learning activities and community services,"
According to Froeba, Hotard Hall also plans to donate canned food to the Brazos Valley Food Bank.
"The money goes to our hall funds since [Hotard From Hell] is the primary fundraiser for Hotard Hall," Froeba said.
Kappa Sigma plans to donate a portion of its proceeds to the American Red Cross and the Mental Health Association, Widmer said.
Kappa Sigma's Wicked Woods will be outdoors, Hotard From Hell will be in Hotard Hall on campus and the Vet School's Night of Terror will terrify house-goers at the old portion of the Large Animal Hospital, located next door to the Veterinary building.
"There are 13 different stall areas that we will use as rooms and each will have its own theme and staff," Patterson said. "There is a maze that takes you from room to room with a few surprises in between each one."
Hotard will have a theme for every floor, with several bathrooms decorated as well.
"The TV lounge and several rooms are used too," Froeba said. "Tour guides will take a group through the house and go through each floor."
The Wicked Woods will take house-goers on a four-acre adventure through the darkness of dense woods.
"Visitors will enter scary rooms, cross over murky bridges and be frightened beyond belief when they least expect it," Widmer said.
The ghosts on the other side of the adventure also have a hauntingly-good time.
"This is the second year I've helped with [Hotard From Hell]," Froeba said. "My favorite experience was watching my RA last year pretend to get his hand cut off and run around screaming and scaring the group."
According to Widmer, visiting and making it through the Wicked Woods is a test of one's courage.
"It's always rewarding to see people running and screaming out the exit after the final scene," Widmer said. "You get to witness how loud the girls can scream and how fast the guys can run."
Patterson said her favorite part was seeing the community come together to have a good time.
"Everyone gets involved," Patterson said. "It's wonderful to see the community, the University and the faculty and staff come out and visit our haunted house. This is only the beginning of what we have planned for the entire year."
The vet school's Night of Terror is held until Oct. 27 from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Hotard From Hell will be held Oct. 27 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. and the Kappa Sigma Wicked Woods is tonight until Oct. 27 and Oct. 29 to 31 beginning at 9 p.m.
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