Enter if you dare: Massey Manawatū Halls’ first haunted house

Darkness is creeping into Colombo Village! On Thursday, October 17th at 8pm, the Manawatū hall will be less student accommodation and more nightmare maze. 

Halloween isn’t a tradition that usually defines New Zealand’s university life, but organisers are promising a night that will push students out of their comfort zones.  

The idea came from RAs Sydney and Harley, both being Halloween fanatics with roots in the United States.  

“Growing up, my neighbourhood would go all out for Halloween,” Sydney said. “We wanted to bring that chance to make memories to our residents and the wider community.” 

And you don’t need to be a hall resident to go along — all Massey students are welcome.

Harley, who joined the RA team this year, gave Sydney the backup she needed to finally make the event happen.  

Sydney said, “Last year I wanted to do a Halloween as my first year as an RA, but it never quite panned out.”  

“With Harley on the team this year, we had two big Halloween fans driving it and support from management to bring it to life.”  

Colombo Village was chosen as the venue for its layout, “The walkway between the buildings makes it easier for visitors to walk through without getting turned around.” 

Pulling off a haunted house takes more than fake cobwebs. Sydney and Harley have been walking the halls with set design in mind, compiling prop lists, testing eerie sound effects and recruiting scare actors.  

The organisers are tight lipped about the exact scares inside. Harley said, “We’re working hard to create an eerie ambiance that follows visitors as they walk through.” 

“The best haunted house experience is one where you scream with your friends and then laugh at your own reaction,” Sydney said.  

They hope those reactions will create lasting memories for students and drum up more Halloween spirit in Palmy.  

And if it goes well? They’d love to see it become an annual Halloween tradition at Massey.  

But beyond just celebrating Halloween, the timing of the event matters too. October is a crunch time for students. Assignments are due, exams are around the corner and the stress is high. The halls’ haunted house will be a pressure valve, giving students one night to swap deadlines for dread. 

The real question is, will you make it through, or will Colombo claim another victim?