The Swashbucklers and the Student Programming Board (SPB) have put together events for students to celebrate this Halloween. The Swashbucklers will host their annual Haunted Hallway, while SPB is planning a new event with San Antonio’s 13th Floor Haunted House.
These two events are happening consecutively this year. The Swashbuckler Hall event will be in Myrtle McFarlin Hall this year on October 28, and the SPB event will be downtown on October 29.
Swashbuckler Hall has been hosting Haunted Hall for 11 years, and each year it has become more intense.
“Haunted Hall started at the beginning of Swashbuckler Hall with some guys thinking it would be hilarious if they turned their room into a haunted house, so they did,” said Ryun Howe, one of the captains of the Swashbuckler Hall.
This tradition has progressed from one scary room to a haunted house on an entire floor of their hall. Because the tradition has grown in popularity, the Swashbucklers have had to dedicate more time to coming up with a theme and decorating the hallway.
“It’s something we prepare for all month. Planning starts at the beginning of September, generally. We start setting up the day before and room set-up starts about 10 the day of,” Howe said.
Swashbuckler members donate their rooms while their personal belongings are hidden, so the rest of the room can be used to create whatever the group pleases. Because the organization elects a new captain every year, Haunted Hall is never the same.
“It’s something that changes under every captain, but we pass down our wisdom and the Haunted Halmanac and hope that it keeps improving,” Howe said.
As the Swashbucklers plan their Haunted Hallway, SPB has also planned another opportunity for Trinity students to enjoy this Halloween. However, this event offers students the chance to get off campus while enjoying the holiday.
“We have purchased a certain number of tickets for the 13th Floor Haunted House downtown and are offering them free to Trinity Students,” said Lorene Sugars, public relations chair of SPB.
Students can get a ticket by registering with their Trinity ID number later this month. As for transportation, SPB is offering buses that will run from the Bell Center to the haunted house and back from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. on October 29.
“The whole idea of this event is to give Trinity students a fun and free off-campus experience from Halloween that is different to the on-campus events we have done in the past,” Sugars said.
Students may have to wait in line at the haunted house, but they won’t have to pay for anything. Although the reactions towards this event have been primarily positive, SPB has also received some concern.
“So far we have had great reactions from those who would want to go. Usually there are two generic responses, either excitement or “˜I don’t do haunted houses,'” Sugars said.
There has been discussion about conflicts between the two events, but because they’re on different days, neither group thinks it will affect the number of people who participate in the events.
“I think they’re such different events that appeal to such different audiences that there won’t be much conflict,” Howe said.
Each group has been planning the event for months, and the overlap was not intentional.
“It is our hope that students will be able to participate in both the Swashbuckler’s Haunted House in the dorm and experience our event at 13th Floor in downtown San Antonio as well,” said Carolyn Young, director of SPB.
For students who don’t like leaving campus, the Swashbucklers’ Haunted Hallway is a quick walk to Myrtle Hall. For those who want to get off campus for the holiday, the 13th Floor is more suitable.
Haunted Hallway will be open the evening of October 28, and buses will be provided for transportation to the 13th Floor on October 29. Both events are free and open to all members of campus.
