By Payton Tholstrup

The Cloud County Community College Student Senate will host their 3rd Annual Haunted Forest on Sunday, October 27th from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Admission is a free-will donation, with proceeds going to the CCCC Student Senate. The money will be used to plan future events. Participants can also donate canned food items for the Foundation Food Pantry on campus, which is open to all students.

Zoe Merz, Coordinator of Student Engagement and Retention at Cloud County Community College said the event is a thrilling adventure for all participants ages 12+. “The college’s nature trail is transformed into a spooky attraction where participants are guided through a dark trail lined with haunted displays, jump scares, creepy characters, and much more.”

Participants can expect a spine-chilling experience as they are guided through the dark wooded trail, full of eerie sounds and spooky displays. “Each section of the Haunted Forest will feature different surprises so there will be no shortage of frights around each corner. It is the perfect mix of fun and fear!”

Planning for the event begins in August. “We look at what was successful in the years prior and what wasn’t, so we are always making changes to make sure the event is as successful as possible! We look at our inventory to see what supplies we have and what we will need to purchase. We also work with our Marketing Director to create flyers we can put out in the community to advertise the event,” Merz said.

While the event is sponsored by the Student Senate, the community and others on campus offer their help as well. This year, different organizations such as CCCC Resident Assistants, CCCC Athletics, CCCC International Student Association, CCCC Faculty/Staff, and Concordia High School will assist with the event. The International Student Association will be hosting a Bake Sale that night, with the money going towards international student scholarships.

“This event is the highlight of the year, and we are so excited to continue it. We hope everyone that attends enjoys the night and has fun,” Merz said. “We are also very lucky to receive support from so many surrounding communities.”