Brianna Wallen – General Reporter
In honor of the spooky season, the university had a rise in Halloween-themed events. This called for the annual event known as “Haunted Hick.” Located in Hickerson Hall, on Oct. 26 at 8 p.m., students were invited to get scared at their own risk. While this event is popular among upperclassmen, this was new for first year students. For this reason, many freshmen and new students decided that to get into the spooky spirit, they would endure the unknown corridors of Hickerson Hall.
There was a huge turnout, with a large line of students at Hickerson’s back entrance. Students were asked by workers of the event to find a group of five or six and to line up. Some groups said they waited up to an hour to participate in the event.
Once the excited students reached the front of the line, they were required to fill out a form of consent and identify their emergency contact. The group leader then brought them to a sketchy staircase that led to the dreaded basement.
The walls were covered in black drapes with student actors lurking behind them. Participants said it mimicked a professional haunted house event.
Sports science major Tyvonn Thompson, a sophomore, said the experience was very interactive.
“When I was going through the event, they were touching my ankles and hoodie and stuff,” Thompson said.
The actors were dressed in different costumes that represented each role. The costumes ranged from bloody orphan girls to masked serial killers with bloody chainsaws and swords.
Participants recall hearing blood curdling screams as they reached the end of the hall. Those that reached the end were met with a sign that congratulated them on completing the haunted hallways. As a reward, they got a photo to save as a souvenir.
On a spookiness scale, most students rated the experience on the spookier end. In fact, it was so scary that some people could not even complete the path.
Sociology major with a concentration in criminology and criminal justice Keywon Wray, a sophomore, said that he rated his experience a six on the spooky scale.
“It was too scary that I didn’t finish it. When I saw someone walk towards me upside down, I got really scared and turned around,” Wray said.
Others pulled through and completed the event, but they did not go unharmed. Business major Juwell Clay, a freshman, said that she rated Haunted Hick a seven out of 10 due to the toll it took on her body.
“It was fun to experience, but it was a lot to digest,” Clay said. “I felt like I stopped breathing twice because I was screaming so much.”
Thompson said that he had the same rating as Juwell.
“It was pretty dark and spooky, but it could have been scarier,” Thompson said.
Regardless of the range of opinions, Haunted Hick was a good opportunity for students to experience a haunted house and dive into the Halloween spirit.
