Throwback to Trick or Treat Street at Regis University
Lily Berzoza, Staff Videographer
Last October, Regis University hosted it’s annual holiday event, Trick or Treat Street. This event gives kids and their families a chance to dress up, walk the campus, and safely go Trick or Treating on the university’s grounds. Many clubs and organizations, including The Highlander, hosted tables filled with games, toys and plenty of treats.
Lily Berzoza, Staff Videographer
Last October, Regis University hosted it’s annual holiday event, Trick or Treat Street. This event gives kids and their families a chance to dress up, walk the campus, and safely go Trick or Treating on the university’s grounds. Many clubs and organizations, including The Highlander, hosted tables filled with games, toys and plenty of treats.
Regis University Decorates for Day of the Dead
Alina Hussaini, Staff Photographer
With Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos) in full swing, Regis University has decorated the campus to honor the holiday and recognize its cultural importance.
Alina Hussaini, Staff Photographer
With Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos) in full swing, Regis University has decorated the campus to honor the holiday and recognize its cultural importance.
Candles, statues, and skulls cover a table on campus to recognize Day of the Dead. Photo by Alina Hussaini
A table in the School of Rehabilitative and Health Sciences hosts decorations for the holiday. Photo by Alina Hussaini
A shrine honoring Day of the Dead is found on campus. Photo by Alina Hussaini
Squeaky Screen Door
Austin Price, Editor in Chief
Sound. It engulfs us. It overwhelms us. It excites us. It terrifies us.
Austin Price, Editor in Chief
Sound. It engulfs us. It overwhelms us. It excites us. It terrifies us.
Hearing. A sense we have. A sense we experience. A sense that can be euphoric. A sense that can be torturous.
Our ability to hear sound, a gift we are given upon joining the Earth, is both a blessing and a curse. We enjoy the perception of noise. The elongated waves of reverberation. The distant resonations of whispers in the dark.
Like secrets shared at a sleepover, we digest the sounds of words, slithering off our tongues, and relish the hot air that touches our flesh, while we receive this sacred information.
The same as many other things, sound can manifest differently. It can be soothing. It can be abrasive. The translation of vibrations into intricate, technicolor stories, all of which can produce varying interpretations.
Some sounds we crave. Like the sound of an innocent child’s laughter, as they encounter the world before them, without the bruising of reality pummeling their complexion.
Some sounds we dread. Like the screams of an inhuman killer. Their sadistic screeching, covering the pain of their prey.
Some sounds we ignore. Like the background clamor of the TV, as commercials break up our preferred, comfort content.
Some sounds we unconsciously acknowledge. Like the irritating, disturbing plop of water, dripping down from a leaky pipe into a large bucket.
Despite the physiological hassle of these copious sounds, we accept their existence. Why?
Because all the sounds above are things we can see. Things that can be recognized by our other senses. Maybe we see them, maybe we smell them, maybe we even touch them. Regardless, there is more than one sense activated by these sounds, ensuring our sanity and encouraging further curiosity.
But what about the sounds that we can’t identify? The sounds that have seemingly no correlation with actions. The sounds that are not produced by visible objects. The sounds that are abstract from our distinguished reality. How do we explain those?
Some things cannot be explained. Some sounds cannot be interpreted. Some noises cannot be replicated. Some experiences cannot be proven.
But what if I told you there was a way to prove these unusual circumstances are apparent to me? Would you believe me?
Unoiled hinges, rusted metal, brittle materials.
The squeaky screen door serves as an extra barrier between the haven of a home, and the wickedness of the wild.
It’s strategically positioned to help prevent unwanted visitors from the outside. Insects, rodents, and other small, unfavorable travelers.
The door serves multiple facets. It personifies the function of other, more elegant household appliances. It acts as a ventilator, welcoming fresh air through its woven squares of mesh, vinyl overlapping vinyl. It provides the benefit of a window. A view to the predators of the world, with a protective lace draped in front of potential prey.
This squeaky screen door acts as a mediator between the inside and the out. It provides a sense of serenity and neutrality amongst opposing forces, the delightful, and the deadly.
As time passes, and as things age, changes are made. Parents grow older, children grow wiser. Updates are made, and revisions are emboldened.
Despite the natural time travel and unavoidable aging of those we love, the squeaky screen door remains the same. It still squeaks upon opening and closing. Its vinyl mesh still stretches taut across the frame, albeit with more scuff marks than before. The spider web of overlying material still lets the outside world peek through, but with more ferocity than before, because of the black substance fading to gray from the strain of constant sunlight.
The squeaky screen door is a witness to the actions within the home. It watches the parents sit on the couch. Sipping red wine from sleek glasses after a long day at work.
It watches the children argue as they roughhouse on the floor, an attack completed with hair pulling and constant teasing.
It watches the grandparents, when they come to visit, as they sit with hands folded, critiquing the mother’s decorative style.
It has watched the highs and the lows of the family.
It has served as a witness to great victories, such as when the children proudly showed artwork they made at school, as intentional gifts and keepsakes for their parents to display for years to come.
It has watched the joy spread across children’s faces when a new family member is introduced. A golden retriever puppy with floppy ears, silky fur, and high-pitched yelps, waiting to turn into echoing barks of warning.
It has watched the parents enjoy a night away from the kids. Two lovers holding one another, gently swaying to silent sounds of music in the family room.
It has served as a witness to the great moments, the cherished memories, and the irreplaceable encounters of the family.
With such a catalog of joyous entertainment, the squeaky screen door patiently observes. It waits for the inevitable moment of a tainted sound, of a sneaky shadow, of an unsettling interaction that the family is not prepared for.
While a menagerie of happiness and excitement normally perform for the screen door, one night, the unexpected occurs and the act is changed.
The night began like it always does, the soft shades of dusk permeating the room with a haze of sleepiness settling into the home. Suddenly, the mother and father, once tender lovers, come storming in. The man shouts at his wife, venomous anger seeping into a menagerie of cruel verbiage. Meanwhile, the woman cowers beneath her husband. The man that once vowed to protect her, strikes her with the hand that bears his wedding ring. Oblivious to her cries, the man continues his attack on the woman, eventually leaving her abandoned on the floor, with bruises blossoming over her bodice. Purple and blue splotches that require a masquerade of makeup to conceal.
The woman collects herself, picking her broken body off of the floor and straightening out her now wrinkled clothes.
As all women do, she composes herself after facing extreme cruelty, prepared to proceed with her evening as usual. Like nothing is wrong, like nothing ever happened.
As she stands, the woman hears the signature sound of the squeaky screen door. She looks up, nervous that her former protector is back to continue his punishment. However, when her eyes look up from under her tangled hair, nothing is there.
The squeaky screen door has not moved. The latch is still fastened, the lock is still in place, and the door is still completely shut, despite the verbal cue of opening it produced before.
The battered woman walks closer to the door, trying to convince herself that she is hearing things. Hearing things she cannot see.
She has nearly reached resolution from the abnormal experience when she approaches the door and rests her hand on screen. She drags her hand across the scratchy material, letting the familiar coolness of the door comfort her aching body, when suddenly, her hand falls through the door.
The woman looks up and sees that her hand has pushed through the screen door entirely. She jerks away quickly, shaking her hand out and bringing it into her chest.
Upon the extraction of her hand, she examines the door. Her eyes graze over the zig-zagged mesh and parades consistent stitching, until the place her hand went through the durable material. The hole in the mesh matched the shape of her fist perfectly.
Despite this unexplainable event, the woman’s curiosity quickly permeates fear. Fear that her husband will enter, and the unintentional damage she has done. Fear that she will once again meet the brutality of his fist, and the volatility of his temper.
Quickly and efficiently, the woman grabs her sewing kit and stitches the screen door back together with thin black thread. Her swollen fingers collide with one another, in her haste to repair the door, before her husband sees. As she finishes tying the knot, she hears her husband entering from the kitchen. She grabs her items and goes to hide in the bathroom before he can see her kneeling before the damaged door.
Her husband storms in, one hand on his hip, the other holding his cigarette. The stench of nicotine threatens to overwhelm the senses, by coating the room with its fumes. However, the squeaky screen door ventilates the smoke, leaving the room smelling as dry and painful as before.
After a few more puffs, the man opens the door, automatically wincing at the door’s signature squeak, and throws his cigarette outside, putting it out with the toe of his work boot. He stands outside for a moment, looking at the backyard of the home he and his wife, now his victim, have built together. With a long sigh and the shake of his head, he turns back to the doorway ready for it to engulf him in the safety of the house.
As he turns around and steps forward, he bumps into the screen door head on. The door is closed. The man pushes his face into the mesh, trying to see the culprit. Trying to see the one who shut him outside. His eyes scan the empty room, and he comes to a quiet resolve that he must’ve shut the door behind him and simply forgot.
As the man steps back, and prepares to enter the house successfully, he notices a circular burn in the mesh. The shape and size of a cigarette burn, this dark hole ominously settles right where the man’s chest pushed into the door when he initially tried to enter.
The man grazes his fingers across the mesh, and drags his hand across the scratchy material, letting the familiar coolness of the door comfort his aching heart. When he pinpoints the spot of the burn, he lets his fingers linger on the ashy splotch. A silent moment of reflection, shame, and pity settles over the man as he pulls his grimy finger away from the burn, opens the door, and heads inside.
Later that night, as the former lovers lay on opposite sides of the bed, backs to one another, the eldest child, the only daughter, slips down the stairs. With hair pulled back, high heels on, and keys and phone in hand, the daughter prepares to make her daring escape, sneaking out without her parents' permission.
Moving intently and silently, the girl goes to the screen door, ready to make her exit without triggering the motion sensored lights in the front of the house by avoiding the main entrance.
The girl prepares to open the screen door, while applying pressure upwards on the door, to lessen the volume of squeakiness she knows is inevitable. Despite this obstacle, the girl is not worried about getting caught. Both her parents are asleep, and their golden retriever puppy, now a deaf old dog, will not hear her leave, he hasn't before.
The girl begins to lift and push the door, when suddenly, a blood curdling shriek emits from the door. She jumps back away from the door, as if it has a disease and looks around to see if she has awoken the house.
Upon assessing her surroundings, the girl turns back to try and open the door again. As she does, she feels a weight on her right foot. She peeks down to see the old golden retriever, sitting on her leg, preventing her from leaving. Apparently, this deaf old dog can still learn some new tricks and could hear her attempted escape.
Accepting defeat, and realizing she won’t be going out tonight, the girl looks down at the dog and pats his head. The dog, content with his victory in keeping his human safe from the sinister world, pants and looks up at his owner with unwavering loyalty and ultimate adoration.
Resolving to head back to bed, the girl begins to turn back into the house, and walk upstairs, back to bed. The dog follows her. Tail swishing with content. As she reaches the staircase, the girl is startled by another shriek from the squeaky screen door.
She whips her head around to the door, expecting to see an intruder. However, nothing is there.
The girl scrambles for her phone, and clicks on the flashlight app, shining it at the screen door. Once again, no one was there. However, upon closer inspection, the girl notices claw marks through the mesh. Deep, thick scratches mutilate the mesh and disfigure the fabric against the tight frame.
These marks are too big, and too deep to be from a human. They’re too long and too jagged to be from a machine.
Keeping her flashlight on the screen’s scratches, the girl walks closer to the door, once again, with her faithful pup padding behind her. As she reaches the door, she places her hand on the marks, and drags her hand across the scratchy material, letting the familiar coolness of the door comfort her aching soul.
As her fingers trace the edges of the scratch marks, the dog erupts with a low growl, rumbling deep in his throat. The girl flings her hand away and looks at the dog, whose eyes are boring into the scratched screen door. The girl stands up, links her fingers under the dog's collar, and leads him up the stairs to her bedroom.
The next morning, as the different family members traipse down the stairs, all of them stop and take a long look at the screen door. There is no hole in the shape of a fist, with no handmade stitching repairing it. There is no smudge of ash or sign of a cigarette burn in the center. There are no long scratches, or frayed edges at the ends. The squeaky screen door stands untouched, with all marks of pain completely erased.
The last member of the family, the youngest son, was the only one protected from the ear-piercing sounds of the squeaky screen door. He trots through the living room, excited to run outside and play. The rest of his family observes his innocence and longs to have the same pure joy in life as he does.
Their jealousy and wonder grow even more when the boy opens the squeaky screen door and runs outside. All while in complete silence.
Portrait of A Black Cat
Alina Hussaini, Staff Photographer
A black cat awaits Halloween night while shining in the moonlight.
Alina Hussaini, Staff Photographer
A black cat awaits Halloween night while shining in the moonlight.
A black cat sitting by darkened windows. Photo by Alina Hussaini
McKamey Manor: An Extreme Experience
Gabriella Sandoval, Staff Writer
Haunted houses across the world vary in design, visuals, execution, and levels of scariness. Although, there are some far more intricate than they initially seem. Known as the “scariest haunted house in America” is the notorious McKamey Manor. It has gained national recognition for its over-the-top model of a haunted house. Commonly referred to as a “torture chamber” due to the disturbing scenery and physical interactions, the Mckamey Manor offers a $20,000 cash prize for any attendee that completes the full attraction. This mission has yet to be accomplished.
Gabriella Sandoval, Staff Writer
Haunted houses across the world vary in design, visuals, execution, and levels of scariness. Although, there are some far more intricate than they initially seem. Known as the “scariest haunted house in America” is the notorious McKamey Manor. It has gained national recognition for its over-the-top model of a haunted house. Commonly referred to as a “torture chamber” due to the disturbing scenery and physical interactions, the Mckamey Manor offers a $20,000 cash prize for any attendee that completes the full attraction. This mission has yet to be accomplished.
The McKamey Manor calls for multiple requirements in order to participate in this extreme experience. These requirements include a completed sports physical, a doctor's letter stating physical and mental clarity, and the successful passing of a background check. Participants must also show proof of medical insurance, and sign a detailed 40 page waiver that includes the possible risks of entering the house. These risks include having teeth removed, being tattooed, and having fingernails extracted.
The McKamey Manor advises participants to be in excellent health due to the physically, mentally, and even psychologically demanding environments that participants are prone to endure. Additionally, participants are screened through phone prior to visiting the haunted house, and information is gathered about participants so that the haunted house is tailored to each individual, based on personal fears and phobias. What makes this haunted house unique is how the experience is based on audience participation, where the attendees live out their own horror movie, by being tested to their core.
While average haunted houses prohibit actors to touch and confront participants, the McKamey Manor allows actors to come in contact with participants to deliver brutal and potentially traumatizing interactions. So, unless you can contain your words, this might not be an attraction suitable for you because foul language is not allowed during the whole tour.
It’s no surprise that the McKamey Manor has and still does face harsh criticism and legal scrutiny over safety concerns, the ethics of its scare tactics, and the extremity of its challenges. Despite all of this, there are currently 24,000 people waiting in line to potentially complete the haunted house and claim the prize offer.
When choosing a haunted house to visit this year, take your own fears and phobias into account, and enter at your own risk. If you're not a huge fan of bugs, snakes, being buried alive, or being lowered into a tank full of eels, visiting the McKamey Manor isn't in your best interest.
Top 8 Haunted Houses Near Regis University
Rose Cordova, Staff Writer
Spooky season is upon us! Do you and your friends want to find something scary to do over the weekend or for Halloween? Well, here’s the spot to look… Below are the top 8 highest-rated haunted houses near Regis University for you to visit this fall!
Rose Cordova, Staff Writer and Social Media Contributor
Spooky season is upon us! Do you and your friends want to find something scary to do over the weekend or for Halloween? Well, here’s the spot to look… Below are the top 8 highest-rated haunted houses near Regis University for you to visit this fall!
1: Horror Theater Haunted House
Rating: 4.9 Stars
Address: 4504 S Independence St, Denver, CO 80123
Starting off we have the Horror Theater Haunted House off South Independence Street at number 1 It’s only a 25-minute drive from Regis. This haunted house has almost a 5-star review (Google) and is a dark, eerie, abandoned movie theater. This spooky place is in a residential garage and is completely free, but donations are welcomed. Groups of 3-4 people are permitted per admittance and the scare actors cannot touch you, but that does not mean the house won’t… which would consist of wind, water, fog, and extra goodies!
2: The Frightmare Compound
Rating: 4.8 Stars
Address: 10798 Yukon St, Westminster, CO 80021
In 2nd place, we have the Frightmare Compound located in Westminster. It’s only 15 minutes from campus. This warm, cozy, totally not terrifying, haunted house has 2 experiences for the tortured souls who go there: their signature Frightmare Compound and Lights Out. The Frightmare Compound consists of their annual haunted house and their Lights Out event is November 1 & 2nd only. Their LightsOut event is one truly for the books as you will be left in the pure dark with intense jumpscares. Act fast as the Lights Out event is November 1 & 2nd only. This haunted house does cost money starting at $30 per person. Now, history does tie this haunted house to Denver and you have the possibility of seeing their gone, but not forgotten owner Brad Holder; but do you dare to experience a terrifying time?
3: Reinke Brothers: Haunted Mansion
Rating: 4.7 Stars
Address: 5663 S Prince St, Littleton, CO 80120
And for the bronze medal, we have the Reinke Brothers’ Haunted Mansion in Littleton. This haunted mansion is only 20 minutes away and is ready to scare you and all your friends. This location scares you through monsters, demons, witches, and anything else a demented mind can think of. Sadly, the mansion is only open during the fall season, specifically from September 27 to November 3, 2024. We’re already halfway through the season so buy your tickets fast. The cost per person starts at $20. This haunted mansion also offers a “Lights On” tour which is great for younger siblings or first-timers as all of their “super friendly” monsters are sent to go on lunch.
4: Terror in the Corn
Rating: 4.4 Stars
Address: 6728 County Rd 3 1/4, Erie, CO 80516
We have hit the halfway point, stopping at Terror in the Corn in Erie, CO. This maze is a bit of a further driver than the others, but it is top-rated by the Haunted Attraction Association. The total drive time is about 30 minutes from campus, but you get to wander through a plethora of abandoned buildings and get scared out of your mind from this new walking nightmare. Pricing starts at $40 but can increase, primarily depending on what day you decide to go. In this extensive nightmare, you can travel across a mile’s worth of land completely immersing you into the nightmare realm.
5: The Ritual: Haunted House
Rating: 4.3 Stars
Address: 301 Englewood Pkwy, Englewood, CO 80110
Now, can you handle a horrific haunted house? The Ritual: Haunted House is located in Englewood being only a 15-minute drive from Regis. This haunted house has no age restriction but can be intense for younger audiences or those who have never dabbled in horror. This haunted house is known for leaving a mark on you after you leave giving all the horror geeks, such as myself, a run for our money. Speaking of money, baseline pricing for admission is $24 but you can purchase a VIP ticket to fast pass the line. Also, similar to the Frightmare Compound, The Ritual: Haunted House offers a “Lights Out” event on November 1 and 2nd for a dark, creepy, experience. Are you confident that you won’t be trapped forever?
6: Elitch Gardens: Fright Fest
Rating: 4.0 Stars
Address: 2000 Elitch Circle Denver, CO 80204
Now if you are anyone in Colorado, you know of Elitch Gardens. Well, they host a Fright Fest and it is only 10 minutes away from our university. Elitch Gardens has a horror attraction for every type of person, consisting of 6 sections: Carn-evil, Lock Up: No Escape, Seance, Terror-tories, Insidious, and Insidious: The Summoning. The terrifying night starts up at 6:00 pm and admission is a generous $150, which sadly, does not include parking but does include admission. This experience is one of the more expensive routes for a scary night, but the price defines the quality and amount of things that are available to any guest who is crazy enough to enter the gardens for a time of seeing terrifying creatures.
7: Haunted Field of Screams
Rating: 3.9 Stars
Address: 10451 McKay Rd, Thornton, CO 80233
This is a maze that will haunt your dreams till you’re dead! The Haunted Field of Screams is in Thorton, Colorado and is so close it can almost kill you being a 14 minute drive away. This maze is 40-acre worth of land and will make you run away crying. This attraction is to be avoided by younger audiences as there is no “less scary” version of the maze. Throughout this maze, you will experience the gates of hell opening up to bring you in through haunted houses and corn fields. Pricing for the Haunted Field of Screams begins at $30 per person for general admission. Do you think you can manage 40-acres worth of fear?
8: The 13th Floor
Rating: 3.8 Stars
Address: 3400 E 52nd Ave, Denver, CO 80216
Last, but not least we have The 13th Floor located 9 minutes away in Commerce City. USA Today has stated that the 13th Floor is one of the scariest haunted houses in the country. It currently holds 2 haunted houses and as of this year, an additional haunted house. The themes for the haunted houses consist from deep sea terror to a taxidermist who has decided humans are better fitted for him than animals. Tickets start at $25 and can include each type of haunted house. The 13th Floor is open until November 9th and offers a possibility to get out of the attraction if it becomes too scary. The actors cannot touch you and you are not allowed to take photos during the experience. Also, if you are 21+, there are various bars within the location. Can you handle the 13th floor’s monsters?
And that completes our list of the top 8 haunted houses near Regis University! Do you think you’ll be brave enough for all of these or are you too frightened to try? In the spirit of spooky season, I highly recommend that everyone attends at least one haunted house in their life. Maybe one of these will be your first one!