Ghosts, goblins and Rodin share spooky stories at Writers House

Administators, faculty and students gatheredAdministators, faculty and students gatheredWednesday for an evening of Halloween tales. Armed with a bubbling cauldron and clad in lab coat and goggles, University President Judith Rodin disguised herself as the infamous Dr. Frankenstein, while reading aloud to a captivated audience Wednesday night. Rodin, along with other members of the faculty, administration and student body, spent the evening at the Writers House, which hosted a Halloween bash and reading festival. Two glowing pumpkins lit the path to the house, which was decorated in traditional Victorian style -- complete with spider webs, orange and black balloons, candy corn, apple cider and a variety of other refreshments and decorations appropriate to the season. Everyone squeezed into the small living room where the readings took place. Though several noted campus celebrities like Rodin were on hand, it was difficult to decipher exactly who was who at first glance. Undergraduate English Chairperson Lisa New, who came to the event with her three daughters, was disguised as a black cat. Her daughters presented songs together, a notable highlight of the evening. Gregory Farrington, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, was dressed as the "Ghost of ENIAC," saying, "Hey, 50 years later you deserve to have a ghost." Farrington read campfire stories aloud to the audience. English professors Maureen Quilligan, Toni Bowers and Michael Gamer dressed flamboyantly as witches and performed the scene with three witches from Shakespeare's Macbeth, much to the crowd's delight. Other English professors' contributions included John Richetti's reading of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" and Al Filreis' reading of a parody called "The Raven, Part II," in which an Economics major in the College takes a Wharton finance class. The audience laughed and clapped as Filreis read. Student participants, like College junior Joshua Schuster -- dressed as a piece of lint -- read selections as well. Wharton sophomore Dan Tran read an original piece called "The Secret of Locust Walk," in which he defended the ever-so-familiar fearless squirrels at the University. Other student readers included College seniors Elliott Witney and Jeff Wachs and Wharton senior Ben Nelson. The Halloween bash is only one of many events Writers House has planned. Resident Coordinator Shawn Walker said the Writers House regularly holds meetings in "an attenpt to have faculty and students interact on a social and residential level." The House functions as a "virtual residence, where members of the writers' community can come to study, cook, or just hang out," Walker said. The Writers House is open from noon to 11 p.m. each day.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.