Students that attended this year's Halloween festivities were presented with an unspoken challenge: to make it out alive, and without pumpkin carving wounds or cavities.
Personal wellbeing aside, only the brave made it to the end of the haunted house, where they were welcomed back from the spooky maze with offerings of food and drink, including candy apples, cider, and doughnuts.
UB's traditional Halloween celebration featured activities that both students and staff could enjoy, including the office decorating competition, the haunted house, and the Student Association Psychic Fair.
"These are traditions. This is the 8th annual competition in which the offices are decorated and the 7th of the haunted house," said Cate Schrum, a graduate assistant at the Office for Students Affairs.
The Center for Student Leadership and Community Engagement's office was decorated with a Wizard of Oz theme; a yellow-brick road led visitors to a basket of candy.
The Student Life office was equally decked out, as it was transformed into a "Grey's Anatomy" Seattle Grace Hospital theme. The UB bull in the office was dressed in a hospital gown. Flashcards and textbooks, common sight at Seattle Grace Hospital, were laid out to reinforce the theme.
The haunted house in 145 Student Union was the celebration's key hair-raising activity.
"The haunted house was amazing, they were pretty good at making the small room into a large house that created a very ghastly atmosphere," said Guillermo Delgado, a freshman political science major.
Between the costumes, disturbing decorations and strobe lighting, students like Robert Kraus, a freshman electrical engineering major, were impressed by how bloodcurdling and professional-looking the free attraction turned out to be.
"I thought it was surprisingly well put-together. I didn't think it was going to be that professional," Kraus said.
The themed rooms, some of which featured horror movie characters, also added to the atmosphere of the haunted house.
"I like the decorations, all the props, especially the one with Jigsaw because it made it seem a bit more realistic," Delgado said.
For students that wanted a more relaxing atmosphere, professional psychics were present to predict their futures as part of the SA Psychic Fair. Services that would normally cost around $55 to $80 were complimentary as part of the Haunted Union. The only price students had to pay was over an hour of their time as they waited in long lines. Each student was granted about 15 minutes with one of the psychics between noon and 5 p.m.
For the fair, the Student Union's Flag Room was curtained off and a dark, mystical environment awaited students inside - the perfect atmosphere for reading tarot cards and taking a peek into the future.
Late-night pumpkin carving was also a popular activity. Free pumpkins, along with stencils and carving knives were provided.
The only things that might have been missing were autumn hayrides, bobbing for apples or baking a pumpkin pie with Mom. Maybe next year.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
