"CarnEvil" time at GRHS's haunted house

Come one, come all, to the "CarnEvil." 

The Green River High School Student Council has put together another haunted house for the public to enjoy, along with the help of Green River FFA and the GRHS band. This year's haunted house features a "haunted carnival" theme, with carnival games, mirrors, balloons, a fun house, and scary surprises around each twist and turn. 

This is the fifth year in a row that the GRHS Student Council has put together a haunted house under the leadership of Student Council Supervisor Marisa Kalinski. 

"I let the kids run with the ideas that they have and set it up however they want to," Marisa said of the haunted house. 

She explained that each year the Student Council decides on a theme, divides up the rooms, and gets to work to bring their ideas to life. They also work with the Green River FFA, who does their own room as part of the haunted house each year. And, recently, they have also been working with the GRHS band. Marisa is married to the band instructor, Quinn Kalinski, so he and his students helped out with the haunted house last year, and he "fell in love with it,"  Marisa explained. After having so much fun, the band wanted to be involved again and do another room for the haunted house this year. 

As the students worked to get the haunted house set up just a week before it opens, Marisa explained that they've had a short timeline to get everything done. 

"We just got out of Homecoming, so we kind of just had to jump right into it," she said. 

She also pointed out that the students get creative in finding ways to bring their ideas to life, often contributing their own decorations and props. Sometimes the Student Council also reaches out to the community for donations, like putting out a request for porcelain dolls this year.

The haunted house also serves as a fundraiser for Student Council - the only one they do for themselves. 

"The majority of our fundraisers, we don't keep any of it," Marisa said, explaining that they usually raise funds for groups like Make-A-Wish, or do Homecoming fundraisers that go to the senior class. "So this is the one thing per year that keeps us afloat."

The funds raised by the haunted house admission fees go right back into Student Council, according to Marisa, including helping create the next year's haunted house. 

The Student Council members are also invested in the haunted house each year, Marisa explained. She said that even those who say they don't like haunted houses go fully in on creating this one. It also provides the students with opportunities to be creative and gives them unique team bonding experiences. 

"I think they have a lot of fun," Marisa said of the students participating in the haunted house. 

The "CarnEvil" Haunted House will be open Tuesday to Thursday October 29, 30 and 31 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the old Jackson Elementary building. Admission is $5 for a single ticket, $8 for a couple, or $15 for a family of four. Tickets can be purchased at the door by cash or check.