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Caitlyn Melton, mathematics and aerospace engineering junior, walks back to her hiding spot after scaring attendees during Fright Night on Oct. 17 at the Maverick Activities Center. This year\u2019s theme for the haunted house was a toymakers factory.<\/p>\n
Photo by Emmanuel Pizano<\/a><\/p>\n Actors wearing weathered, bloody costumes lingered in the dark, eager to terrify each guest who dared to pass by them in the Maverick Activities Center. Thrill-seeking students were surrounded by uncanny dolls and animatronics in each room of the attraction.<\/p>\n As Halloween approaches, students and their families took part in EXCEL Campus Activities\u2019 haunted house, giving them a festive fright. This year\u2019s haunted house was centered around the theme \u201cToymakers Factory,\u201d with props inspired by \u201cToy Story,\u201d Jigsaw from the \u201cSaw\u201d films and \u201cAnnabelle.\u201d<\/p>\n Months before students start anticipating the event, EXCEL members began planning for it. Members brainstormed the theme and props to build the atmosphere in the previous semester.<\/p>\n EXCEL programming director Paola Esparza said her favorite part of the process is hearing members\u2019 ideas.<\/p>\n Social work junior Adrian Morris pops out of a box to scare attendees during Fright Night on Oct. 17 at the Maverick Activities Center. Morris said he wanted to improve his acting skills.<\/p>\n Photo by Emmanuel Pizano<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThis year we have a lot more members who are more enthusiastic, where they\u2019re just throwing out ideas,\u201d Esparza said. \u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018Oh my god, I don\u2019t know how we\u2019re going to do it, but we\u2019re going to do it somehow.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n In the summer, members focused on building props and deciding the layout of the haunted house. Advisers gave them feedback on how to structure the attraction and budget for materials.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s theme made it easier to create props, as many members brought in used toys, Esparza said. The toys were painted and splattered with fake blood to give them a worn-out look. Doll heads were pulled off and painted to look scary.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just go crazy with the painting and maybe destroying a few toys here and there to look like it was from a toy factory that got a bit destroyed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Esparza said they try to keep a shopping list for animatronics and costumes to help maintain their budget.<\/p>\n Along with planning, EXCEL had to adapt to the event moving from the University Center to the MAC while their office is in the Continuing Education and Workforce Development Center.<\/p>\n \u201cThe challenging part is we need enough space to build some of these,\u201d Esparza said.<\/p>\n With the location change due to the demolition of the west side of the UC and the limited space that comes with it, Student Government shared its chambers with EXCEL for making props and workshops and also provided ideas. UTA Ambassadors were also excited to help with props and provide costumes, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why we have so many directors,\u201d Esparza said, \u201cWe have a lot of our members. We\u2019re putting everything and everyone to use.\u201d<\/p>\n Acting positions for the haunted house were offered to EXCEL members before being opened to other organizations.<\/p>\n Architectural engineering major Tati Alvarez screams while being locked inside a cage during Fright Night on Oct. 17 at the Maverick Activities Center. Alvarez said she loves to act.<\/p>\n Photo by Emmanuel Pizano<\/a><\/p>\n Actors had creative freedom to choose their costumes and makeup, though they could wear the provided costumes. During acting orientation, the actors were briefed on safety measures and could talk about their ideas for their characters.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do get some of the lines from the movies of what they can say, but they can always improvise,\u201d Esparza said.<\/p>\n Social work sophomore Adrian Morris said he had not heard about Fright Night before the president of UTA\u2019s NAACP chapter brought the opportunity to his attention.<\/p>\n Morris said he has done scare acting before at a haunted house event held at Mountain Home Air Force Base when he was in the service. The experience helped him understand not to take himself too seriously, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re going into something, especially acting for a haunted house, you have to let down so many walls or at least step outside of your shells that you may have,\u201d Morris said.<\/p>\n When preparing for Fright Night, he thought about what he would find scary and how to lean into uncanny aspects of horror rather than typical gory horror.<\/p>\n Caitlyn Melton, mathematics and aerospace engineering junior, pops out from hiding behind the curtain during Fright Night on Oct. 17 at the Maverick Activities Center. Melton said she wanted to try something new with scare-acting.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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