CAB Fright Knight puts on a scare

Entering a maze of scary characters, with scenes of murder, terrifying forests and shacks, and their final destination at a fictional morgue, UCF students had the opportunity to get their scare on -- but not before waiting in line.

More than 300 UCF students lined up in front of the Pegasus Ballroom in the Student Union Monday night for the chance at free food, free dancing, and a free zone of scares. UCF's Campus Activities Board (CAB) hosted its second annual Fright Knight, a three-hour event that included a costume dance party with a live DJ and student performance, as well as the introduction of a haunted house.

Lauren Jenkins, the special events director for CAB, noted the improvement of the event from the Nightmare Ball of the previous year.

"This year came the addition of the haunted house to make it more dynamic," Jenkins said. "I wanted to have two effects; the more that's going on for the students, the more engaged they are to the whole event. I thought that would add a little more spark."

Students who weren't interested in the horrors of the haunted house were encouraged to attend the dance party, which was open doors and didn't require waiting in line. Free candy was provided while students danced along to a live DJ and continuous video of bloody murders on the projector screen. In addition, the student hip-hop group Rukus performed that night at 9:30.In addition, the student hip-hop group Rukus performed that night at 9:30.

Scott Yoken, a senior cinema major, had high expectations for the event as a huge fan of Halloween himself.

"When there's nothing going on, I like to see what's going on at school, just hang out with some people and have fun," the senior majoring in cinema studies said. "I've always loved indie haunted houses [because] everyone has their own energy, and they're not restricted. So that's always fun."

For freshman marketing major Danielle Strohauer, however, the new scare factor was not without its drawbacks.

"We didn't do the haunted house. Yes, I would come back; I just really wanted to do the haunted house," Strohauer said. "They tried to split us apart, and that's no fun, after waiting in line for 45 minutes. Let everyone know how many people are going to be in the group and have your groups ready when you get up there."

Several of the students who came out to get a glimpse of the new haunted house were dressed up as a range of characters, from Captain Jack Sparrow and the Mad Hatter to wild cats and nerds.

Samantha Cochran, a biology pre-professional major, found the high attendance rate impressive.

"I'm surprised at the turnout of the school," Cochran said. "I came from a community college where barely anybody showed up for anything, so I'm surprised that the students are so involved here."