By Brianna Brinker, Arts & Culture Editor
As Halloween approaches, the Resident Assistants had put together a spooky, yet exciting event called “Haunted Halls” on Oct. 29, near apartments one and two from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
As you walked downwards towards the lake, there were signs pointing to the pumpkin patch. The pumpkin patch was filled with different sizes of pumpkins available to purchase and was the perfect addition to making this event feel like fall.
There was an adorable photo opt with a Saint Leo University vintage car with patches of hay to sit on and pumpkins surrounding it. Family and friends stopped and took their photos to capture the memory.
The community surrounding Saint Leo was invited, so families brought their kids and dressed up in their best costumes to win the costume contest that Saint Leo hosted.
The tables were decked out in fall colors and flowers. There was a popcorn machine, a hot chocolate bar with a variety of toppings, and delicious apple cider. As you sipped your hot chocolate, you could color a Halloween craft or make your own autumn-themed bouquet!
The “build your own bouquet” section was a fan favorite. Everyone was picking out flowers from bright sunflowers to beautiful orange and yellow mums and got to tie them with a red or white ribbon.
Once you were finished with the activities by the lake, a small train decorated for Halloween drove you over to the apartments. This was where you had to sign a waiver and get a wristband in order to enter the haunted house.
The haunted house was two stories tall, and people entered with groups up to eight. Fog and darkness filled the halls and each step you took, there were terrifying jump scares.
“I really liked how it felt like a real haunted house, even though it was in a hallway,” said Ramiyah Patton, a sophomore studying communications.
The scarers hid behind a curtain that was hung up along the apartment doors, so you never knew when someone was about to jump out. Scarers were also running around in the halls, getting as close as they could to your face. It was a fun and spooky experience.
“My favorite part was the first hallway we had to go into. I really loved the decorations and how you felt like you were in a completely different place,” said Patton.
To end the night with nostalgia, you could go trick-or-treating by going up to the apartment doors and holding open your bag as they filled it up with handfuls of candy. Students were dressed up in costumes and got to trick-or-treat just like they did in their childhood. It brought back a lot of nostalgic memories and made students feel like they were kids again.
This event was packed with people with smiles on their faces… and a little bit of fear. There was so much to do; it was a blast, and a night to remember.
