Penn scares up volunteerism, play for fun Halloween

While shopping for costumes, bobbing for apples and trick-or-treating may be juvenile memories for most college students, the University has traditionally offered many ways to get involved on All Hallows' Eve -- and perhaps recapture some of the magic in the process. But this Halloween, some long-standing traditions are undergoing revisions and others may be seeing the end of their reign. For many years, the University has celebrated October 31 with a showing of the original silent version of the film The Phantom of the Opera. Usually the film is screened in Irvine Auditorium and accompanied with the Curtis Organ. But renovations to Irvine as part of the Perelman Quad project will move the showing to Houston Hall's Smith-Penniman room at 7 p.m. -- minus the famous pipe organ. Tickets are available at the door for $2-3. Also seeing change this year, the annual Castle haunted house may be offering thrills and chills to area children for the last time. Following eight years of discussion about ownership, the Psi Upsilon fraternity will return to the building at 36th Street and Locust Walk next fall. Although administrators have voiced their commitment to finding a new home for the displaced Community Service Living and Learning Program -- which currently resides in the Castle and sponsors the haunted house -- a new location has yet to be determined. But Castle residents have put in their usual creative effort in decorating the house to ensure the tradition goes out with a bang. "It's very scary," Castle resident and College sophomore Sonia Nagda. "But you can't come through unless you're helping out and accompanying a child." This afternoon, children from area elementary schools will meet at the Castle at 2 p.m. for a tour of the haunted house, after which they will traipse around campus to designated trick-or-treat spots --Emostly fraternity and sorority houses, according to InterFraternity Council Vice President for Academic and Community Service Jason Judd, a College senior. Students willing to escort the children around campus should meet at the Castle at 2 p.m., the Tau Epsilon Phi brother said, adding that there is still a need for volunteers. To prepare for the small trick-or-treaters, volunteers may also help the residential advisors of High Rise South decorate their lobby from 12:30-1:30 p.m. And HRS ninth-floor RA Sara Cho, a College senior, said the staff needs people to help give out candy from 1:30-5:30 p.m. Beyond the volunteer efforts, the Philomethean Society will celebrate Halloween with a guest lecture by English Professor Erin O'Connor at 4:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of College Hall. O'Connor specializes in monsters, madman and folklore, according to the society's librarian Diane Toner, a College senior. "We'll have a chance to ask her about her work and will have food and drinks," Toner said. "It's fun and she'll have a few [Halloween] stories."