In the spirit of Halloween, local sorority Alpha Kappa Phi hosted its annual haunted house on Wednesday Oct. 30 for Geneseo students and residents to enjoy. “Because we're so old and we're not national, we have our own house; we have our own rules,” senior Brooke Barron said. “We were trying to think of something to do [for charity], and we thought, 'We have the house for it.'”
The event is a success not only in its contributions but also in its turnout.
“One hundred percent of the proceeds go to charity; we don't take any [profit],” she said. “Last year we raised around $300 dollars for the Bivona Child Advocacy Center in Rochester,” to whom they donate annually.
“We're hoping a lot of people come. We had about 100 people last year, so we're hoping for that again,” Barron said.
In order to ensure a good showing, the haunted house is scheduled for Wednesday of Halloween week.
“We always try to do it the Wednesday before Halloween … People go out Thursday and Friday, so Wednesday is our best bet,” she said.
Tradition lends itself handy as Ago puts on the event at little cost, allowing for more funds to go to Bivona.
“We have a lot of stuff left over from previous years, so pretty much the only new things we buy are tablecloths, tape, stuff like that,” she said.
Each member's annual dues also cover much of the cost.
This doesn't detract from the quality of the house, however, and the setup is extremely well done and fairly intricate.
“It's really creepy, and the whole house gets transformed,” Barron added.
With virtually every room of the house - from the top floor to the basement - transformed into a nightmarish fantasy world, even the most composed individuals will find themselves shrieking in terror.
Regarding the decorating design, Barron said, “What we do is take each and every room in the house and give it a theme.” The themes range from a haunted circus to an insane asylum. The house does indeed offer a variety of horrors.