Haunted house is sure to scare students

By Lauren McGlone
Collegian Staff
October 11, 2006

Looking for a way to truly spice up Halloween this October? Don’t look any further than La Salle’s own Union for a few creepy frights and sights to begin the Halloween season.

The Friday preceding All Hallows’ Eve, the Union basement will be transformed into a hair-raising haunted house for all La Salle students who dare attend.

Although details about what surprises are in store remain unknown, insiders warn others to expect zombies creeping around campus as well as a haunted shuttle “dying” to pick up some hitchhikers.

The brainchild of Late Night La Salle worker Jo Anna Van Thuyne, a senior, the haunted house is a brand new addition to campus activities this fall.

“A magazine came to the [Late Night La Salle] office filled with tons of scary costumes, props and treats. I thought it would be fun for La Salle to have its own haunted house,” she said.

Those responsible for the organization and production of this attraction are several La Salle clubs and associations, including Late Night La Salle, The Masque, Resident Student Association (RSA) and Commuter and Off-Campus Students Association (CAOS). Representatives have been meeting for the past few weeks to brainstorm ideas and map out the operations of the house.

“Everyone involved is pretty enthusiastic about it, and they’re all taking the necessary steps to gather their haunt supplies,” Van Thuyne said.

The student response to news of a campus haunted house has been significantly positive.

“Students are excited about this project,” Van Thuyne said. “I have people buying latex makeup, a horror movie makeup artist willing to help out, theater kids getting hyper and random people asking if I want help.”

Van Thuyne is hoping this Halloween staple will stick around La Salle even after she graduates.

“I think this is a great way for different organizations to come together and make an idea become reality. I really hope the younger ones that are involved this year will decide to take over for the next year,” she said.

Although the general purpose of the haunted house is to create the scariest scenario possible for the attending La Salle students, the fun to be had is practically inevitable. According to Van Thuyne, “It’s going to be fun to put together, it’s going to be fun to perform and it’s going to be fun to scare.”

The haunted house will be open to students Oct. 27 at 10:30 p.m. For more information, visit Late Night La Salle’s office in the Union’s Programming Center, Room 307, or Facebook’s La Salle University haunted house event page.

mcglonel1@lasalle.edu