Haunted House Volunteer Contract: 2017

TCC South Campus Writing Center

Haunted House Volunteer Contract (2017)

The Tarrant County College South Campus Writing Center is having our Annual Haunted House on Friday, October 27. The Center is eliciting volunteers throughout the creative, staging, and event process.

Volunteers can play a variety of roles, some of which involve more commitment than others. When choosing your role, consider how many meetings you can attend leading up to the event, how much time you want to devote to this volunteer opportunity, and what you would like to do to make the Haunted House itself emerge! J 

Before you come to your first meeting, please:

1)   Read this volunteer contract fully and sign the volunteer agreement.

2)   Consider the roles described and choose your top 2 favorites! If you simply cannot decide, don’t worry. We will discuss them in person. But it will help us plan how many volunteers we need.

3)   Think about how much time you can commit to volunteering from now until the event.

Volunteer Roles

The following roles are available for volunteers:

Creative Team: This team is for those who want to help us do everything from paint and build sets, create props, and plan parts of the Haunted House. And, yes, we are starting that NOW! J We will be deciding on some meeting times to get us started this semester, and meetings will continue in the fall.

Makeup / Costume Artists: The Creative Team needs makeup and costume artists! We will provide the makeup. If you are interested in helping, you do not need previous professional experience, but that would certainly be a plus! The makeup / costumers role is a huge responsibility, and thus the commitment is significant. You will need to attend many of the mandatory meanings to learn the makeup / costume needs, practice on willing volunteers with the makeup, and come up with an efficient strategy to get the performers ready for the Haunted House. THIS IS A BIG DEAL that will also be a lot of fun!

Performers: The Creative Team also includes the PERFORMERS! J If you like to perform, and the idea of dressing up and scaring people sounds like fun, this is the role for you. This year the theme of the Haunted House is entirely different, so even if you performed last year, this year you will get to do something new! 

The People in Black

The People in Black (the PIBS) play one of the most important parts in the Haunted House! PIBS will be dressed in black from head to toe – black ski masks, black clothes, black shoes, and black gloves. If you are a PIB, your goal is to remain largely unseen. Throughout the night you will be responsible for manipulating objects to simulate paranormal activity in SCLC or the Rotunda. You may be asked to crawl along the floor, hide behind or inside props, push medium to heavy objects, and essentially always be one step ahead (or behind) the visitors. Think of yourself as a stealthy haunting ninja, keeping the visitors on their toes and freaking them out. This is a physically demanding role, and you will likely need killer coordinating skills to work with the other PIBS. Timing and coordination will indeed be everything! 

AREAS

PIBS will work in a couple different areas.

THE SCLC Lobby Area

The SCLC Lobby Area is the first haunted area. If you are a PIB working this area, likely you will do a lot of hiding under and within props, slinking along the floor and walls, moving medium to large objects, or even in charge of one specific area/object. 

THE SCLC Hallway

If you are a PIB working the hallway, you will do a variety of things. You may be stationed behind black “walls” creating sound and movement effects, OR you may be moving one step ahead of the visitors to create action ahead or behind them. PIBS in the hallway are also responsible for one of the most important timing elements of the night! After visitors are locked in “quarantine,” you get to let them out, quietly and unseen, moving mysteriously back into the darkness.

THE Rotunda

PIBS will also torment visitors in and around the Rotunda. You may take the visitors in groups from SCLC to the Rotunda, or work inside. Inside the Rotunda, your goal will also be to remain unseen; however, this time, you may be heard. You may carry portable sound effects, whisper or talk, manipulate objects (quietly or loudly) in front or behind visitors, and even guide them with touch or sound.

The Paranormals

The Paranormals will be dressed in common 1960s clothing for women or men. Depending on their area, they may have severe radiation burns on their faces, necks, arms, or hands OR they may be more 'ghost-like' with simple shading to emulate death. Like the PIBS, the paranormals will work in multiple areas, with specific parts based on their area.

AREAS

SCLC Lobby Area

Some Paranormals in the lobby area will be subtle, moving between props in fog, shifting from behind props or objects, or emerging in surprising areas. Their goal is also to be mysterious and subtle, largely unseen or seen only briefly. (Level 1)

Other Paranormals will be less subtle, including in the decontamination shower, the major scare in the lobby. In the shower, makeup will simulate radiation burns, and will be in hospital-like gowns. Hair and faces may be wet, also. (Level 2 & Level 3)

The SCLC Hallways

If you are a paranormal working the hallways, your role is subtle and, likely, always moving. Imagine long corridors with fog, corners, doors, and other hidden spots. Visitors will see you just out of the corner of their eye, moving up ahead or behind them. You will be keeping the visitors on edge and disoriented with your movement. Paranormals will also have to coordinate routes so as not to gather together too often and ruin the scare.

The Writing Center

If you are a Paranormal in the Writing Center, you will be in the back storage area OR in the front, living area. Visitors will encounter you unexpectedly. This is a full on gore, scary, aggressive Paranormal area! So if you want to have a great physical performance, you want to be in the Writing Center area. 

Here are the makeup examples. 

Level 1 Makeup

Level 2 Makeup

Level 3 Makeup

The ENFC Hazmat Team

The Emergency Nuclear Fallout Crew is essentially playing the role of a hazmat team. They will be dressed in old-school white hazmat suits with a variety of gas masks. They may carry long shovels, axes, or other appropriate tools. The team will be unseen in SCLC 0115, when visitors first enter. When the siren sounds after the visitors are all in the writing center, they will emerge, rush the visitors in the center, and forcibly remove them to quarantine.

It is important to note that the Hazmat team will physically interact with visitors! This is a high-intensity role that includes grabbing, running, moving and crawling on the floor. Ideally, we need a LOT of Hazmat team for this part of the attraction to be killer!

Event Team:

The event team is another volunteering role wherein attendance at multiple meeting dates leading up to the event and attendance throughout the duration of the event night(s) are required.

The goal of the event team is to keep the Haunted House running smoothly by doing a lot of everything! If organization is your thing, choose event team!

The event team will work the Haunted House itself as:

The Boo Crew: The Boo Crew will work outside SCLC and Rotunda, managing the attendance line, taking tickets, and guiding visitors. You will also help monitor for safety and other issues outside by communicating with other event team staff and/or the campus police. Essentially, your job is to help make the night smooth sailing in and around the haunts.

The Scream Team: The Scream Team will work inside either SCLC or the Rotunda. You will be in the dark most of the time – and this year it will be really dark. So, this role is not for the faint of heart. Your job includes: helping with upkeep (such as falling lights, props, broken items, etc.), communicating with performers and helping them take adequate breaks, along with helping visitors to safe areas. You will do walk-throughs during the event in order to coordinate with the tech team, as well. Another important aspect is knowing the building(s) inside and out, including light switches, doors, haunting routes and emergency routes.

Tech Team: The tech team will help organize equipment and technology used for things like projection, sound effects, lighting, and fog machines. They should attend multiple meetings leading up to the event. On the event nights, the tech team will be responsible for checking if lights, sound effects, projection, and anything technical is running smoothly.

Break-Down/Clean Up: The break-down and clean-up crew will help immediately after the Haunted House (Friday around midnight) and the next day (Saturday). The entire area of SCLC will need to be attended to at this time to ensure classes can take place throughout the building the following morning.

The team will do any and all of the following:

o   Remove & organize decorations

o   Disassemble equipment from TCC media

o   Break-down sets & obstacles

o   Vacuum & clean all surfaces

Volunteer Meetings

The official meeting place for all volunteers is the TCC South Campus Writing Center, located in the SCLC Building, Room 0106. Writing Center staff along with volunteers in attendance will meet to discuss certain aspects of planning and staging the event, choosing roles, learning the route sequence, and other initial issues. You do not have to attend every meeting time! Rather, we will give you options of meeting times to fit your schedules.

If you would like to volunteer, please start checking your email and texts regularly for meeting times. Make sure to give us your current phone number and an email address you actually check. J

Volunteer Agreement

The safety of volunteers is our top concern. Student volunteers will always be accompanied by an adult, during volunteer times leading up to the event and during the event itself. Volunteers are assigned to a particular area of the Haunted House weeks in advance. Student volunteers will not move from that area during the event unless they notify and are accompanied by a member of the Writing Center team, all of whom are TCC employees. Volunteers must complete orientation and training leading up to the event in order to understand these guidelines more fully. Volunteers need to regularly attend volunteer sessions in the Writing Center in order to meet other participants, fully understand the areas of the Haunted House, as well as the plan for the night of the event.

Further, due to the sensitive nature of working with other volunteers and visitors, the risks of injury, and the complicated nature of the Haunted House, it is imperative that the Writing Center team find the right volunteer opportunity for the right volunteer. Not all roles are suitable for all volunteers and, with a limited number of volunteer roles during the event itself, not all volunteers are guaranteed participation in the Haunted House on the night of the event. The Writing Center therefore reserves the right to assign, reassign or reject volunteers based on consistency of volunteering, ability to take direction, willingness to participate with the Haunted House team, acceptance of role assignment, and previous experience with last year’s Writing Center Haunted House. Volunteers will know weeks in advance, during the planning stages, whether or not they will perform or work the night of the event.

Finally, all events such as a Haunted House include some risk of injury which may occur during the planning and set-up or during the event itself. Please note that the Writing Center team is trained in what to do in case of emergency or injury, and we will be utilizing the TCC system for on-site injuries.

By signing below, you acknowledge that potential risks have been explained to you and that you are knowingly and willingly giving permission to your child to participate as a volunteer with full knowledge that there is physical risk potential that may include (but is not limited to):

·         Slips, trips and falls

·         Minor cuts or bruising

·         Headaches

·         Panic attacks

·         Nausea

·         Eye strain

·         Overheating / dehydration

·         Irritation or discomfort from the use of fog liquid

·         Irritation or discomfort from the use of scent effects  

·         Irritation or discomfort from the use of make-up

Moreover, all student volunteers agree to:

·         Follow directions from the Writing Center staff and other TCC personnel

·         Behave appropriately and respectfully to all participants

·         Sign in and sign out for volunteer times and the night of the event

·         Report to designated area on time for the event and remain there for the duration of the event unless explicitly directed by Writing Center staff to another area

·         Treat with care all property and items belonging to the Writing Center

·         Treat with care all decorations, props, lights and other items from the Haunted House

·     Refrain from removing any items or property belonging to TCC and/or from the SCLC building.

Also for safety purposes, listed below are some of the ingredients/contents that volunteers may come into contact with during set up and the event.

Ingredients

Fog Juice

·         Distilled water

·         Glycerine

·         Diethylene Glycol

·         Dipropylene Glycol

·         Propylene Glycol

·         Triethylene Glycol

*Note: Student volunteers will not come into direct contact with the fog juice, as they will not be asked to fill or refill the fog machines. However, they may work in close proximity to the fog created by the fog machines themselves.

Scent Sprays

Froggy’s Scent Sprays

Make-Up

Ben Nye Clown White Makeup

·         Petrolatum

·         CI No. 77891 (Titanium Dioxide,)

·         CI No. 77947 (Zinc Oxide,)

·         Cera Alba (Beeswax,)

·         Sorbitan Sesquioleate

·         Lanolin

·         Copernica Cerifera (Carnauba,)

·         Talc

·         Phenoxyethanol

·         Parfum Free

Ben Nye Black, Blue, Gray Cream Makeup

·         OCTYL PALMITATE

·         CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDES

·         CERA ALBA (BEESWAX)

·         CETYL DIMETHICONE

·         COPERNICIA CERIFERA (CARNAUBA)

·         OCTYLDODECANOL

·         MAY CONTAIN: TALC, CL NO. 77489, 77491, 77492, 77499, 77891, IRON OXIDES, TITANIUM DIOXIDE. 

 Please complete the following contract and bring to the Writing Center to sign up. SCLC 0106. 

TCC South Campus Writing Center Haunted House

Volunteer Contract

The Haunted House is Friday, October 27 from 8:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. All events include some risk of injury which may occur during the planning, set-up, event, or break-down of event. Please note that the Writing Center team will be utilizing the TCC Police and FW Police and Fire Department. By signing below, you acknowledge that potential risks have been explained to you and you are willingly participating as a volunteer with full knowledge that there is risk potential. Further, you acknowledge that you understand volunteers must complete orientation and training during meetings leading up to and during the event. Failure to complete all necessary training may jeopardize your safety and that of others. As such, failure to complete the training may mean you are not allowed to participate in the event.

I would love to volunteer as:          _____ CREATIVE TEAM          _____ EVENT TEAM

If you said CREATIVE TEAM, which role:

_____ People in Black          _____ The Paranormals        _____ Hazmat Team 

Are you interested in helping with costumes and hair and makeup? _____Yes   _____No 

If you said EVENT TEAM, which role:

______ Scream Team   _____ Tech Team   _____ Set-Up/Break-Down

Please provide a phone number and email (this can be your personal email).

My name is: _________________________________________________________________

My student ID is: _____________________________________________________________

My email is: __________________________________________________________________

My phone number is: _________________________________________________________

Date: ________________________________________________________________________

If the volunteer is 18 or under, please provide the information of parent/guardian.

Parent/guardian name: ______________________________________________________

Phone number: ______________________________________________________________

Email: _______________________________________________________________________