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.

Established in 2020, the Gender Inclusivity and Feminism Team (GIFT) at William Jewell College is a student-led organization that aims to promote a safe and positive culture pertaining to gender identity and related issues.

The organization focuses its efforts and funds into providing physical resources as well as a space for serious discussion about equality. Although GIFT specifies itself to be an organization inspired by traditional feminism, they aspire to expand this definition to support all gender identities through their events and advocacy.

“Jewell prides itself in being an inclusive and diverse campus; however, that does not mean that the community is without issues. It is for this reason that it is so important to have organizations like GIFT on campus. We want to help students feel comfortable with discussing and pursuing their gender identities, but first, we have to offer them a safe, [and] even encouraging, space for that,” junior Alexis Harper, who serves as GIFT’s Events Chair, said.

As one of the organization’s largest tasks, the leadership works with students, staff and faculty to distribute free menstrual products in all the campus’ restrooms and emergency condoms in all the dorms. New this year, GIFT is hoping to partner with the Student Senate and Student Health Center to ensure that a consistent supply of products are available to the community, rather than relying on donations alone.

GIFT also hosts regular events — snacks included — to discuss topics like gender identity portrayal in the media and family dynamics surrounding traditional gender roles. As an example, GIFT holds a Halloween movie night every year in late-October, raffling out sex-positive “Sweet & Spicy” gift bags following the post-movie discussion.

“The Halloween movie night is one of our most popular discussion events, especially because of the items we give out,” Harper said. “The importance of this event is to not only create interest in GIFT and discuss these important issues, but to also destigmatize taboo ideas that are associated with sex and intimacy especially in the case of non-heteronormative relations. Of course, we keep everything in the raffle anonymous to protect the winners’ privacy; [however,] we hope that giving students the opportunity to win sex toys will pave the way for future sex-positive conversations, perhaps with a partner or trusted friend.”

GIFT — like other student organizations and clubs — experienced a low-point during the 2021-22 academic year as the COVID-19 pandemic peaked. However, with the ability to host more social and promotional events, the organization is seeing a steady increase in student interest this year, according to Harper. For students looking to participate in GIFT’s events or services, there are no official membership requirements or commitments to follow.

The organization’s cabinet consists of five equally important roles with Azadeh Rafizadeh, professor of mathematics, designated as their faculty sponsor. This year, the following students are serving at GIFT’s leadership:

• junior Alexis Harper as Events Chair;
• sophomore Kaelyn Cox as Project Management Chair;
• junior Jolia Bernal as Engagement Chair;
• first-year Koda Payton as Communications Chair; and 
• junior Liz Payton as Finance Chair.

Students can get involved in GIFT by reaching out to the clubs leadership by sending an email to giftcabinet@wjclan.jewell.edu, following @wjc.gift on Instagram, or by attending any of the upcoming events.

Ryan West, a sophomore digital media communications major, is a member of Alpha Gamma Delta, GIFT and is also working on developing a new design club at William Jewell College.

Along with being a full-time student, she owns her own business called “Ryan West Creatives.” Her business caters to individuals in need of creative products, such as web design, social media marketing, graphic design and photography. Her past work includes senior portraiture, engagement photography and design work for JoeShmoe’s coffee shop.

After attending Summit Technology Academy for her junior year of high school, she realized she was interested in photography and graphic design. Now, digital media is a passion of hers that she hopes to pursue as a career.

“I quickly fell in love with the different styles of design and learned how to make design ‘work.’ With photography, I’ve grown an eye for what looks best, especially with location, angles, posing and even outfits that the subjects wear.”

Her long-term goals include evolving her business and eventually becoming a digital media professor. West said no matter where she ends up, she would like to help people. Whether that’s helping them to grow their small business or capturing moments in their lives through photography, West wants to positively impact others through digital media.