Outdoor Recreation Club's Haunted Barn shut down after debut
Kendra K. Spenard, '10 | Co-Editor in Chief
Issue date: 10/30/09 Section: News
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Bob Fletcher, the campus' codes coordinator, e-mailed ORC's Vice President Anthony Gianti Wednesday morning to inform club members that the barn would be shut down early due to fire code violations.
The barn was in violation of New York State fire codes, which Fletcher identified in an e-mail to Gianti. Violations included:
• Extension cords and "zip cords" in use.
• No emergency lighting in the building.
• No exit signs.
• No secondary exits.
• Hay was piled over six-feet- high to form corridors and direct traffic flow.
• The width of the corridors was minimal.
Fletcher suggests that anyone planning a haunted house, or like activities, should consult the Office of Fire Prevention and Control's regulations before they build.
Gianti said he had first developed the idea of a fundraising haunted barn last year, but was unable to put his plan into action until the beginning of this month. "We put over 200 hours of labor and nearly $200 of the club's money into this," Gianti said.
The hay barns near the Ice Plex had been originally proposed for a potential "haunted" site, but due to the fact that the hay barn is located right next to the construction site, Dean of Agriculture and Resources Christopher Nyberg suggested the heifer barn.
"The dean told me to get permission to use the barn from (Instructional Support Technician) Doug Trew," Gianti said. "After I got permission, I didn't think to talk to anyone else."
Nyberg said everyone was too excited for the event to think of calling for a health and safety inspection. "You don't think of all the regulations on a state campus when you're a student planning an event," the dean said. "Next year we'll have to do a better job planning collectively."
The revenue generated from the Haunted Barn was going toward ORC's trip to Alaska. "We have lots of other fundraising events planned," said Laurie Trotta, the club's faculty advisor. This year the ORC will also hold a turkey raffle, a holiday cookie sale, fishing ponds for kids and a cardboard sledding event. Trotta explained even though it's unfortunate the barn was canceled, it will not affect the club's 10-day trip.
"Guess we didn't go through the bureaucratic steps properly," Gianti said. "At least we did have one successful night before they shut us down. We made $85, everyone had fun, and we scared the crap out of, like, 20 people."