Every year, students who live for the thrill head to Lake Claire for a night of spooks and screams. UCF’s Campus Activities Board (CAB) puts together the event for students just in time for Halloween. The event is called Fright Knight, and not only do nearly a thousand Knights attend to walk the trail, but almost a hundred volunteers show up to make the magic happen. As a member of the Special Events Committee (the branch of CAB that plans and executes this event), I got the chance to volunteer as a scare actor both in 2019 and 2020.
Being a scare actor is no easy job. You have to arrive hours prior to the opening of the trail to become transformed into whatever character fits the theme of the night. In 2019 the theme was dolls, so my group all dressed as the porcelain boy from the movie The Boy. We spent the night screaming, spooking, and having a good time.
This year, due to the global pandemic, things were a bit different. All volunteers and attendees were required to wear masks and follow CDC guidelines. But, that didn’t stop anyone from scaring or being scared! Makeup was worn above masks and on the arms and legs to make scare actors look like victims of a monster attack. I personally made a few people scream and even run, which was quite an accomplishment for me!
When asked what he thought of the trail, one of my friends who attended the event said, “How many people had to change their pants? I’ll start the count off by including myself.” If that doesn’t tell you how it went, I don’t know what will. I encourage anyone who’s interested to participate next year. I hope this gave you some insight as to what it’s like to scare for a “Knight”!