On-Campus Events

FIJI Halloween on Oct. 28 starting 8:30 p.m.

FIJI is hosting an event with a concert and their annual Halloween party, proceeds from tickets will go to philanthropy. Come by in your costume to the FIJI house to enjoy the night.

GIFT Halloween Movie Night on Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m.

GIFT is hosting their annual Halloween movie night in YGCU 221/222. They will be putting on an Interactive Rocky Horror Picture Show experience. There will be snacks and a raffle with sweet and spicy prizes. Come dressed in your costume for the chance to win a costume prize! The movie will begin at 8 p.m. Interactive viewings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show have a unique culture of challenging gender norms, which is especially important in light of anti-drag legislature that has swept the US in recent times. Student Life will also be hosting a Happy Hour during the event with alcoholic beverages for A-approved students, along with nonalcoholic options. 

KA Fall Fest on November 4 at 7 p.m.

KA is hosting their 4th annual Fall Fest with bonfires, pumpkin painting, barbecue and live music! Tickets are $6 and the event is at the KA house.

Kansas City Events

Haunted Houses in West Bottoms

Kansas City is called “The Haunted House Capital of the World” for good reason! The West Bottoms has some of the best haunted houses for those of you that enjoy the adrenaline rush and an immersive experience. If you’re interested in visiting several of the haunted houses, there are discounts available for multi-house tickets.

The Edge of Hell is a nationally acclaimed haunted house, featuring five stories of haunts, heaven-to-hell-themed frights and the world’s largest living snake. If you’re brave enough to enter The Edge of Hell, tickets are $35. Open select dates Sept. 22 through Nov. 11. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. every weeknight and 6:30 p.m. every Saturday. Closing times vary. 

The Beast is one of the most frightening haunted houses in Kansas City and is also nationally ranked. This attraction has four flours of terrors awaiting those who enter, from the Louisiana Bayou swamp, Jack the Ripper’s foggy London, a medieval castle and a forest full of werewolves. Tickets are $35 and Doors open at 7:30 p.m. every weeknight and 6:30 p.m. every Saturday.

If you’re a horror movie enthusiast, you might like to take a trip to Macabre Cinema during the spooky season. This haunted house features spooky attractions from famous classic and modern horror movies through a 1930s movie theater with four floors. The haunted house also has actual movie sets from famous horror movies. Doors open at 8 p.m. every weeknight and 7 p.m. every Saturday. 

Outdoor Scary Experiences 

If you’re looking for an outdoor haunted house, Exiled in Bonner Springs, KS is the place for you. This secluded haunted forest tour leaves visitors in the middle of the forest and must navigate their way to safety while avoiding creeps, freaks and more. This experience does require you to be willing to get down and dirty in the outdoors, so beware if this is not for you! Tickets for the Trail of Horrors tour are $49, the first tour is at 7 p.m. and the last one is at 10:30 p.m.

Worlds of Fun’s annual Halloween Haunt transforms the amusement park into the ultimate Halloween attraction. There are over 400 monsters in the fog-filled park, many different scary attractions, mazes and of course the rush of the typical rides. If you enjoy shows, there are a variety of live performances to get you in the Halloween spirit. Tickets start from $39.99 and the hours are 6 p.m. to midnight. 

Less-Scary Options 

If you’re more of a history buff or interested in less-sensationalized spooky events, check out Wornall Majors House Museums. During October, they are offering paranormal investigations and tours of the Alexander Majors house, one of the most haunted locations in KC, led by professional investigators. If you’re interested in history, but not ghost stories, you can check out their tour, the “Anatomy of a Haunted House,” which will explore the origins of the Victorian-style haunted house and life in the Victorian era. Check out their tours here.

Powell Gardens is hosting an immersive, multi-media 1-mile trail walk through the woods called, Dark Forest, in October. It takes you through the mysterious and mythical woods that have unexplainable paranormal forces and supernatural beings. There are no scary actors, but there are eerie performances, fog, strobe lights and more. In addition to spooky fall displays, they also have Halloween-inspired drinks and shopping. Dark Forest is on Oct. 13-15, 20-22 and 26-29 from 6 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $35.

If you’re a fan of cocktails, check out the variety of pop-up Halloween-themed bars in KC. In North KC, Apparition- Spook Easy at the Vignettes Bar has spine-curdling spirits and a spooky ambiance. The Ghosts of Baseball Past is a haunted cocktail experience at the Legends Stadium featuring a spooky version of baseball history. If you’re a fan of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, check out the Rocky Horror Pop-Up Bar at the Time-Warp Club.

Whatever you decide to do, whether it’s braving a haunted house or checking out a Halloween-inspired speakeasy, have a Happy Halloween! Make sure to check out some of the events on campus to support philanthropy and student organizations, too.

William Jewell College is jammed full of many traditions, from sledding down Browning Bowl to Lighting of the Quad to Jewell Stock. This weekend, another long-standing tradition took place – Jewell hosted its 75th Frat Walk.

The Frat Walk consists of all new recruits of the three Jewell fraternities – Phi Gamma Delta, Kappa Alpha and Lambda Chi Alpha – walking up Jewell’s largest hill to announce to the campus that they are now a part of the Greek Life on campus. Over 30 men participated, but due to social distancing guidelines, only 4-6 could go at once.

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Following the murder of George Floyd, William Jewell College’s chapter, Zeta Phi, of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity (FIJI) organized a fundraiser for the Southern Poverty Law Center and We Love Lake Street and is also creating a new inclusion committee within the fraternity to start in fall 2020. In the letter to The Hilltop Monitor, written on behalf of the Zeta Phi chapter of FIJI, Jamie Briscoe, senior chemistry major, and Jack Still, senior economics and political science major, describe the decisions and the conversations that ultimately led the fraternity to act.

In the weeks that followed George Floyd’s tragic death, the members of our House looked on with both consternation and pride as protesters flooded the streets in support of racial justice. The distress, pain and grief seen on the face of each protester served as a reminder of America’s long history of transgressions against people of color. But, at the same time, the unity and desire for progress displayed through these peaceful demonstrations deeply inspired us just as they have moved leaders elsewhere across the country to initiate change. 

Like many others in the Jewell community, we began seeking out both individual and collective opportunities to lend our efforts to the cause. Some of us attended peaceful protests right here in Kansas City, while others donated to anti-racist organizations leading efforts to combat hatred and discrimination. 

One thing, however, was clear: our brotherhood – along with the rest of Greek Life and the Jewell student body – demonstrated a willingness to take a stand against racism that has not been seen at such a scale before. It has become evident that our generation will bear the responsibility of finally delivering true equality to all people without regard for their race. And, if the actions taken by Jewell students and young people across the country are any indication of our ability to successfully do so, we have tremendous faith. 

It will take sustained and committed action from those who benefit most from the status quo. We must all be willing to exchange our current comfort and privilege for a type of progress that, in the end, frees us all from the unforgiving burden of systemic racism. Here at the Zeta Phi chapter, we believe that Greek Life everywhere has a substantial and unique role to play in fighting for racial equality in communities across the United States. 

That is why we followed the lead of many sororities and fraternities nationwide, releasing an official statement attesting to the ways in which our values commit each member of our brotherhood to anti-racism. After a few days, though, we began to realize that it would not be sufficient for us to only vocalize our collective stance outwardly into the community. 

Our chapter understands that if we truly hope to make an impact at such a pivotal moment in history, and to achieve a greater level of understanding and acceptance within our own brotherhood, it is necessary that we also look to do our part in serving worthy causes and striving to make the required changes internally. 

As a start, we have created a fundraiser to support both the Southern Poverty Law Center – a nonprofit legal advocacy organization that aims to expose hate groups and provide education on tolerance – and We Love Lake Street – a charity seeking to rebuild and reopen small businesses affected by the death of George Floyd. Our chapter plans to match every donation made to this Go Fund Me fundraiser up to $1000. The total amount raised will then be split between these two causes. It is our hope that members of the community at Jewell will chip in what they have and share our efforts to reach as many people as possible. 

At the beginning of the fall semester, we also plan to introduce a brand new inclusion committee dedicated to maintaining a healthy and welcoming atmosphere in our House. The history of racial discrimination, homophobia and other forms of exclusion is a story that is all too familiar for Greek Life. Zeta Phi hopes to work with our fellow members of Greek Life and the entire community at Jewell to permanently end this trend and place fraternities and sororities at the forefront of the fight for equality. 

Donate to the fundraiser using this link.