Halloween Horror Nights for free? Residential College Horror Nights (RCHN) is the place to be. RC4 residents joined other residents across NUS’ Residential Colleges (RCs) as their nightmares came to life on Nightmare Boulevard. Now in its 5th year, RCHN brings unique haunted houses from each RC, offering all residents the chance to experience Halloween with their friends in their best Halloween costumes.

What is even better? These houses were made by our very own residents. Through the combined efforts and creative minds of residents in the Events team of the College Students Committee, they have brought together another horrifying and thrilling experience for residents.

On the unsuspecting night of 29th October 2024, residents were treated to a party at Pan’s Pizzeria for Oscar’s 10th birthday. RC4’s little Orca Whale is turning 10. The residents dressed in their fanciest outfits - or lack thereof - and waited to celebrate the greatest occasion in Oscar’s life. So, with smiles and jolly footsteps, they arrived... until they found something amiss. The Pizzeria is closed, and Oscar is gone... or so it seems. There seemed to be people inside, inviting them in, but their eyes were red, their faces pale, and their eerie figures hanging like puppets. The party has begun, and residents must brave the horrors awaiting them to escape this nightmare.

Residents who entered the haunted house left with either non-stop hysterical laughter and screams, or were stunned and silenced by the horrors they witnessed inside. Louis, a Year 1 Business Administration resident, had this to share about his experience, “RC4's haunted house was probably one of the most well-done houses. The room design by sectioning off the place, the video at the start, and especially the acting from the scare actors were all done with high effort. Very well done by RC4 Events team!”

Of course, these scares were not from actual spirits or ghosts, they were done by our own RC4 residents! They had the opportunity to play the role of possessed partygoers, crazed chefs, and even Oscar the Orca himself. From the face makeup to the outfits and acting, they played their role well and enjoyed seeing the faces of scared guests in the house. One scare actor, Jonathan, a Year 1 Mechanical Engineering resident, shared that he wanted to scare his friends during the event, saying that being a scare actor “was very enjoyable because I was able to scare my friends and see their reactions up close.”

We have the scare actors and guests, but who is the mastermind behind all the scares? It was RC4’s RCHN Project Director, Mou Qi, a Year 2 Computer Science resident! Having lived in RC4 for a year, she wished to give back to her community by leading this fun and unique event for residents to create memorable experiences.  Reflecting on the event’s success, she said, “It was such a rewarding feeling to see people enjoy the house and compliment the team for creating a fun experience for them. It was really months of work to make the event run successfully (we started planning in June!). I felt so grateful and relieved that almost everything went as planned and many residents enjoyed the experience!”

As Halloween passes and Christmas bells start ringing, another RCHN has come to a successful conclusion. This year’s rendition has seen the likes of many fear their deepest darkest nightmares. What twisted stories will next year’s Horror Nights tell? Residents will have to wait till then to find out...