Brown College, founded in 1856, was one of the first residence colleges at UVA. It was renamed Brown College in 1994 after an endowment from the Brown family. The college has 12 interconnected buildings, referred to as “portals”. Residents live with more than 40 University faculty in these buildings. Brown College is a self-governed community within UVA. They have their own government, called GovBoard, which manages a budget in order to host events for residents. Students have to apply to live at Brown College, but all students can be accepted – from first years to fourth years. Brown is a diverse place, with people studying all different majors and interested in an array of subjects.
“Haunting on the Hill,” or “Hauntings” for short, is an annual haunted house hosted by Brown College. The haunted house is student-led – which means students plan the house, build it, and act in it. The tradition started in the 1980s as a way for students to embrace the Halloween spirit. The house started to gain attention from other students and grew bigger. Soon, the house was moved into tents on the front lawn of Monroe Hill. Room leaders are students who design and manage the rooms of the haunted house. Guides are those who lead groups through the house to ensure that no one gets left behind. There are also students who design costumes, do makeup, or run the front table where people pay. The haunted house allows students to tap into their creative side, as most scripts are improvised on the spot.
Brown College seeks to give back to the community, and this haunted house is a great way for them to do that. It connects Brown with the entire University and local community, because all kinds of people attend the haunted house. 100% of the proceeds made during the event are collected and donated to a local charity, chosen by Brown students. This year, Brown students chose the Haven, which is a day shelter and resource center for the homeless and those in need. They offer warm meals and a safe place to spend the night. Most often, the charity donated to is the Haven. Last year, the haunted house made over $5,000.
Every year, members of the college vote on the theme. This year, the theme selected was: Murder on the Dance Floor. It brought an eerie and creepy twist to glamorous and flashy dance scenes. As you walked through the haunted house, each room had a different skit with an artist, including Chappel Roan, Ed Sheeran, Sabrina Carpenter, and Mozart . Walking through the rooms not only gave you a scare, but also led you through different time periods.
