By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — Had it been any other time of the year, it would have been called a bullying problem.
Over 30 students of the Maine School of Science and Mathematics plotted ways to frighten Limestone youths, and their devious planning earned the students a resounding two-thumbs-up from the community; MSSM’s Haunted House was a tremendous hit.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Those who dared enter the Haunted House put on by students of the Maine School of Science and Mathematics never knew what was lurking behind the corners … including Danielle Wong-Achorn, at left, who played a very convincing neon-green corpse.
The school’s Haunted House was held in conjunction with the town’s Trunk-or-Treat in the parking lot of the Limestone Community School.
“We didn’t expect that so many people would show up,” said MSSM Residential Instructor Jon King. “By the time we opened the doors at 6:15, we had a line of 25 to 30 people already waiting.”
Over 60 kids and kids-at-heart took a guided tour through the school’s spook-tacular halls, filled with creepy noises, crazy scientists, things that go bump in the night and, of course, zombies — zombies that looked hungry for brains, at that.
“It was really scary,” said youngster Konnor Huckins, citing the scariest part toward the end of the tour when the zombies came out.
While the students orchestrating the Haunted House made sure to put on a scary show, their performances also reflected the ages of tour-participants.
King said the students did a good job of gauging the groups, putting on a less-scary show for younger kids and amping their performances up with the older groups.
“The students acted accordingly with the groups’ needs and were able to provide a really good Haunted House for everyone who came through,” he said.
Some participants even went through the terrifying tour twice.
But MSSM’ers weren’t just actors haunting the dorm’s halls — they directed as well.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
A Haunted House at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics wouldn’t have been complete without a mad scientist — a role that Logan Dixon played very well.
King credits the students with the house’s success.
“The kids took it and ran with it, all I did was provide them with as many props as possible,” he said.
During the planning stages, King and a group of interested students got together and organized the setup.
“They dream big, so they have a lot of ideas,” said King.
Some students’ dreams were so big they couldn’t be implemented due to budgetary constraints, but that hasn’t hindered them from already drawing up some new ideas for next year’s fright fest — maybe even coordinating an extra night for the Haunted House as well.
While the students have expressed that they had fun putting on the event, the community has been raving about the project.
Limestone Recreation Director Amanda Brooker has been hearing good things about the MSSM Haunted House.
“I thought it was very creative and the kids did a great job,” she said. She’s been hearing from the kids, too, about how much fun they had taking the scary tour through MSSM’s haunted halls.
