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| Eliana Geller Special Events Director seespecialevents@umd.edu |
It all began when I was an incoming SEE director in March 2011. I was training to become the Special Events Director when, at a weekly SEE Executive Board meeting, the President approached the Board about Pepsi Funding. Every semester, Pepsi will give student groups the opportunity to apply for event grants and SEE had the opportunity to submit two proposals. The SEE Director who makes the proposal has to thoroughly explain the event. He or she must describe how it will appeal to a wide audience of campus citizens, contribute to the development of a campus community and increase the opportunity for cultural and social exchange. After reviewing our proposals, Pepsi will decide if they want to co-sponsor the events proposed.
Because I would be a programmer the next semester, I had the opportunity to present an idea to Pepsi. I chose to propose a haunted house to take place during the month of October, around Halloween. The previous Special Events Director had given me the idea and in researching entertainment companies, I came across one that brings giant haunted houses to locations across the US. I called the company and spoke to a representative who gave me details about the haunted house and prospective dates. This would serve as important information for my proposal. I asked the company’s representative to put a date on hold for SEE. SEE cannot officially commit to any events until we have research based off of student surveys to back it up as well as full Executive Board approval.
Shortly after I sent my proposal to Pepsi, they agreed to co-sponsor the haunted house. Next, I approached the SEE Board about the event at a weekly meeting. I told the board that the company would come to campus to set up a 40 ft x 40 ft haunted house tent structure. I was hoping to have the event on the Hornbake Plaza. In case of rain however, I reserved the Grand Ballroom in the Stamp Student Union. The company brings everything necessary to fill a haunted house. However, they do not bring people to “haunt” the house so I was challenged with finding “scarers.” The Executive Board approved my proposal and so I was able to move onto the next step of reserving the haunted house. The company then sent us contracts that, once signed, would make the event official.
By the time fall semester started, the only thing left to do was find “scarers” to fill the haunted house. I sent emails to faculty at the theatre department, to student groups, and to the SEE Tech and Security teams. I received some responses but not enough to have a completely functional haunted house. And so, I turned to my fellow SEE Directors to help me out. Almost everyone on the Executive Board stepped up to put on a costume and frighten students. I could not have been more thankful. The Directors’ willingness to always lend a helping hand makes me so glad to be a part of this organization. As a Board, we will support one another through anything.
That week, I watched the weather like a hawk. It could not rain on Wednesday (the date of the haunted house)! That would ruin the event! As I sat through an exam on that Wednesday at 1pm and listened to the rain fall outside, my heart broke. I’d been envisioning a giant structure taking over Hornbake Plaza for months and suddenly rain was pushing my event indoors. As I walked to the Stamp, the event’s rain location, I accepted the fate of the event. The show would go on! The company’s van arrived around 2 p.m. and we immediately got started setting up the haunted house. Loading in all of the supplies was hysterical as we were bringing in zombie babies, creepy clowns and giant spiders. It took us three hours to put the whole haunted house together. The haunters arrived and put on their costumes just before 6 p.m. and then we opened the doors.
It was amazing to watch people pour into the Grand Ballroom and hear the screams come from the house. Despite the event relocation, almost 375 students walked through the haunted house in three hours. We received great feedback and all parties involved had an incredible time. Things went so well that we may even consider making this an annual event! Stay tuned with SEE to find out!
