November 2, 2016
Starting at 9 p.m. last Wednesday, Phi Sigma Sigma members put on their annual haunted house.
Sophomore Samantha Albert, a Phi Sigma Sigma member, volunteered to be in charge of putting on this year’s doll-themed haunted house.
“(Phi Sigma Sigma) voted on what type of theme to make the haunted house. The doll theme won because we thought that it would be the easiest to get across, and, since we are a bunch of girls, we can be dolls,” said Albert.
Sorority members lined the way to the entrance with white paper bags. At the entrance, there were three sorority members waiting to collect a $5 admission and lead participants into the house.
Upon entering, Albert was dressed as a doll, pointing and yelling where to go. She wore a red dress, stockings and fake blood. She also had on doll-like makeup: a pale face, dark eyes and lipstick.
Cloth was hung from the ceiling to create a type of maze that gave the effect of blind angles, making it easier for scaring.
By creating a maze, Phi Sigma Sigma members were able to extend the time guests spent in the haunted house, giving it a more authentic feel. The haunted house also had strobe lights that caused disoriented guests to beware.
Albert said the setup downstairs included a nursery, a family room and a little girl’s room. Upstairs consisted of a ventriloquist, someone dressed as Jigsaw, a villand voodoo dolls.
Many Phi Sigma Sigma members played a role in the haunted house and some Kappa Delta Rho members helped, too.
“Overall the roles were easy to portray since we did have so many girls and a few guys available,” said Albert.
Albert said that she heard a lot of explicit language, which normally isn’t good, but she took it as a good sign that the haunted house was scaring people.
“There was plenty of screaming, even some from large men,” said Albert.
Kappa Delta Rho sophomore member Scott Strain was in charge of scaring people when they exited the haunted house.
“I wore dark clothing, a Jason hockey mask and fake blood. I waited behind the door for the people to come out and, when they went to get candy and apple cider, I scared them,” said Strain.
Strain said that the majority of patrons said that they didn’t actually expect the haunted house to be scary.
Senior Jesse Lock went to the haunted house because he said he thought it would fun. Before entering the house, he admitted that his expectations were low.
“I expected really nothing, maybe some streamers hanging from the ceiling, like a bowl of candy and people dressed up in Goodwill clothes with ketchup on them,” said Lock.
Upon leaving Lock said he was impressed.
“It was quite good; I was impressed with the sorority members’ enthusiasm and the overall amount of effort they put in. Given the space that they had to work with, they did better than they could have,” said Lock.
“I think it was one hayride away from being a legitimate seasoned business,” said Lock.
Phi Sigma Sigma members made about $200 that is to all be donated to The Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation for School and College Readiness, said Albert.
“All in all, I am happy with how it turned out, and I feel we may have genuinely scared, if not spooked, some people,” said Albe