Members of Alpha Chi Omega and Sigma Phi Epsilon teamed up to bring a haunted house to Baker University while also making contributions to local nonprofit organizations. Sigma Phi Epsilon hosted the haunted house at 412 W. 6th St. on Friday, Oct. 27 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. with a $5 entry fee.
The haunted house was designed with jump scares across three levels of the house, starting with the first level and ending with the basement. Richard Wolf, vice president of programming for Sigma Phi Epsilon, said Alpha Chi Omega approached them about hosting the haunted house because of the opportunity to spread the spookiness across the house.
“It is just for fun, so there won’t be anything too scary or gory. There will be music playing and people jumping out. It will be ‘fun-scary,’’ Wolf said.
While the haunted house was primarily set up to bring in Baker University students, Wolf expressed that it was open to the public as well. The collaboration with Sigma Phi Epsilon and Alpha Chi Omega to bring this haunted house to Baker was primarily for two reasons: to raise money for The Willow Domestic Violence Center and The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Douglas County and to bring something “new and fun” to Baldwin City.
“Alpha Chi will get specific items from the Willow’s Amazon wish list with proceeds from the house, to help with their “urgent need” items, ” Reagan Sterner, vice president of recruitment for Alpha Chi Omega, said.
Sterner suggested the idea for the haunted house and assisted with decorations and set up. “The goal is to raise money for our philanthropies while doing something fun. We have never done a haunted house before and thought this year was a good time,” Sterner said. The planning process started two to three weeks prior, which gave Alpha Chi Omega and Sigma Phi Epsilon time to gather decorations and decide on the layout they wanted.
Upon entering the haunted house, guests were greeted by red lights, a hanging clown, and a creepy guy coming from around the corner. As you moved further into the house and up the stairs, the more intense the lighting and decorations got. There were strobe lights, colored lights, and jump scares at every corner. People in masks and creepy costumes followed you down the hall, staring and groaning. The final level, the basement, had decorations spread out like a maze, with people hiding anywhere they could to pop up and scare guests.
Members of Sigma Phi Epsilon and Alpha Chi Omega welcomed about 45 guests into the haunted house, raising over $300 for their intended organizations.
“I think the turnout was pretty good, especially since this was our first time doing it,” Sterner said. “It was so much fun getting to set up and see our vision come to life.”
