Halls haunt frats fright, on a University Halloween night

Area elementary school children are going to have nightmares because of College freshman Alex Castro. "We created the ultimate haunted hall," Castro said. "There was blood on the walls, and we really scared the hell out of some little kids!" Although some parents may be angry with Castro and his hallmates for the recurring nightmares that their children may face in the upcoming weeks, University students said they were happy to reach out to the community, even if it was with a bloody, rubber hand. His hallmate, College freshman Heather Villari, said the bloody, rubber hand protruding from the wall made more than one visitor scream in terror. "It was so awesome," Villari said. "We love Halloween in this hall." Castro and Villari said they felt the "Penn Halloween" experience had brought their entire hall closer together. But for some, the night had a serious side as well. The Community Service Living Learning Program joined the Greek Social Action Committee in a project designed to help city youths enjoy Halloween at the University. Lisa Barnes, a first-year Graduate School of Education student, said the program brought approximately 90 area residents from the West Philadelphia Community Center, the Palmer School and the Penn-Pals organization to campus. Numerous fraternities also played host to area kids yesterday, including Kappa Sigma. Kappa Sig brother Geep Keogh said the day was a "total success" for the house and the children. The Halloween transformation of Kappa Sig from a fraternity house to a haunted house has been an annual tradition for "at least three years," according to the College senior. The spirit of the event lingered even after the children had left, as eerie music from the house filled Locust Walk long into the evening. Zeta Beta Tau hosted a costume party for brothers, rushes and their dates last night that featured couples clad in the traditional vampire, cowboy and devilish fare as well as butler and French maid uniforms. Not to be outdone, University Dining Services also donned a holiday motif. Lafayette Caffie, assistant manager of Stouffer Commons, said the Dining Services gave out caramel apples and plastic cups sporting a Halloween scene. "It was a Halloween giveaway," Caffie said. "It's a monotony-breaker." But many students said they suspected it was a well-timed ploy by Dining Services to distribute a survey, as they were not allowed to enter the cafeteria until they picked one up. As for the potential mischief that can arise on Halloween, University Police Seargent Michael Fink said in his five years on the University force Halloween has never been a problem. "[University Police] are aware of the possibilities [of extra trouble]," Fink said. "But there is normal staffing." He added that Philadelphia Police had reacted to annual juvenile violence on Wednesday night.

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