Accursed Union of souls

An overcast sky, creepy music, pumpkin carving and mounds of candy made for a happy and sugar-high Halloween in the Student Union on Tuesday.

The seventh annual Haunted Union included cookie decorating, office trick-or-treating, free Halloween treats and a haunted house. Prizes were also offered for a costume contest and pumpkin carving.

With the "Psycho" theme chiming in the background, the Haunted Union definitely got students in the Halloween spirit.

People passing through the lobby quickly lined up for free apple cider, hot chocolate and doughnuts and then stayed to make caramel apples and decorate ghost and pumpkin-shaped cookies.

"I think the Haunted Union is cool because a lot of people just put up posters and the union is actually doing activities," said Jamie Donovan, a sophomore health and human services major. "It's good because it's free and people are probably saving for Christmas and would rather not spend money to have a good time on Halloween."

Students were also enthusiastic to get their hands dirty at the pumpkin-carving table.

"I tend to like the things that UB does, things like this with cash prizes," said Khadijah Wright, a sophomore undecided major.

Students entering the costume contest soon began to show up. A man dressed as Tinkerbell and another with a pink skirt and bandana were among a few in the Union. Two friends dressed as Pac-Man and a Pac-Man ghost chased each other around the display tables.

While students enjoyed the activities in the lobby, a more popular event was the cookie decorating. Trays of fresh cookies were set out for the growing crowd every few minutes.

"I think opportunities like this are great for bringing the students together," said Lyndsey Milcarek, a freshman anthropology major. "A lot of people get homesick with the holidays coming, and they can come here and have fun with their friends."

The waiting line for the haunted house stretched around the corner, as the hosts joked that only a few people died in the house before letting students in.

"Scaring people is the best part," said Chris Fairfax, a senior finance major who works with Student Life. "Seeing everyone with smiles, it's a good time."

It was unsure whether the screams coming from inside were coming from the patrons or from the hiding ghouls. Pirates, zombies, skeletons and tortured people ready to spook students lurked in the darkness.

"It was awesome! The cobwebs and the demon in the cage were my favorite parts," said Alyssa Rosenberg, a social sciences major.

For some, the festivities were a chance to take a break and relax.

"It was a good stress reliever," said Whitney Hecker, a speech and hearing sciences major.

"I think they did a great job in making the student union festive," said Csilla Jara, a senior psychology major. "It really got people into the mood of Halloween."