The Spire

Emily Carbone ‘28

Features Editor

When I was asked to write a feature on Healy Haunted House, I was initially surprised. As a resident of Healy, I figured I would have heard of the longtime tradition of decorating the residence hall like an interactive haunted house every Halloween. I eventually ventured to the basement to do laundry this past Thursday, and was genuinely frightened by a boxing mannequin dressed as an escaped asylum patient. When my younger sister visited my dorm later that weekend, I was additionally amazed to find the entire common area decked out in lights, skeleton decorations, and other Halloween trinkets. It had a fun, spooky atmosphere, and I thought it gave the shared space a cozy and festive ambiance. These were both part of the Healy haunted house I’d been waiting for. 

This year, Healy’s haunted house was a bit of an underground ordeal. Those who found themselves in the hall’s basement levels surely enjoyed the decorations, and probably thought the boxing mannequin was a real person when they attempted to hoist their laundry basket through the main basement door. I heard that may have happened to a few people. 

The haunted house this year was hosted and planned primarily by Healy’s Programming Coordinator, Iris Frost, ‘28. As a member of Residence Hall Council last year, Iris had heard about the haunted house before, and knew even then that she wanted to keep it going this year. While the duty of leading the event is not usually the duty of the Programming Coordinator, Iris’ prior experience in RHC led her to be able to take on more responsibility for the event. 

Iris mentioned that this tradition has been going on for a good while, but late RHC elections this year played a part in her taking over the planning for the haunted house. According to her, the event is typically more interactive, and residents are given more notice so they can experience the haunted house complete with “scarers.” Due to the elections being later than usual, however, RHC had a mere 5 days to put the haunted house together. Iris herself planned out when the event would take place, who would be involved, the materials needed, and how much money would be needed from the Residence Hall Association Executive Board. Additionally, she set the entire event up with the help of a few friends.

While the haunted house this year was a bit unconventional in terms of what the event usually entails, considering the circumstances, I personally think it was a success. “We knew that we had very limited time to plan and give notice to the residents, so therefore we all agreed that just putting up some decorations and changing the vibe of the Healy common room for the night would be enough to get people excited for Halloween,” explained Iris. I was glad that I went to the common room this past weekend because I found the decorations charming, and they did in fact get me into the Halloween spirit. While the RHA usually aims for more participation from the hall’s residents, the vibes of the haunted house were still emulated through the efforts of Iris. The event, as she explained, “did its job in what every Residence Hall Council event aims to do, which is to make their residence hall feel like a home for their residents.” I couldn’t agree more, and am grateful for the efforts done to keep the tradition of the Healy haunted house alive to see another year. I do, however, wish that the boxing mannequin looked a little less realistic. Just my opinion. 

Featured image courtesy of College of the Holy Cross

Copy Edited by Annamaria DeCamp ’27