From dressing in scary Halloween costumes to working haunted corn mazes, the fall season opens up a plethora of opportunities for seasonal fun. Hiding in the corn and standing behind the cash register of these seasonal jobs are students; many of whom have unique experiences working these jobs.
“I worked at my school’s senior haunted house this year at St. Mary’s Episcopal school,” St. Mary’s student Izzie Tonkin (12) said.
Tonkin donned overalls, a mask and a flannel covered in fake blood to scare attendees at the St. Mary’s Halloween bazaar which has been a fall tradition for years. This year, the theme was ‘Haunted Farm,’ which inspired Tonkin to dress as a spooky scarecrow to the event.
“I had to wait until all the kids gathered in the scarecrow room, and then jump at them and scream until they made it to the next room,” Tonkin said. “The best part was definitely being able to grab my little step sisters and brother when they didn’t know it was me. My least favorite part was the massive headache I developed from all the screaming.”
Haunted houses and scare events provide unique jobs and opportunities for high school students of all ages. The haunted corn maze at Memphis Agricenter International has been a tradition for 22 years and covers 10 acres of land for guests and scarers, dressed from creepy dolls to psychotic clowns, to roam. Crosstown student Betty Lawyer (9) worked at the haunted corn maze, wearing dark colors and scary makeup to jump out at unsuspecting guests.
“My friend told me about [the haunted corn maze] and I wanted to have a work experience before having an actual job,” Lawyer said. “My favorite part was doing it with my friend and getting experience of what a [job] is [like].”
Dylan Nixon (12) also worked at the haunted corn maze. When Nixon’s cousin told him that the maze was understaffed, he jumped on the opportunity to scare people for fifty dollars a night. Nixon wore dark clothes and a ghostface mask, hiding in the corn on weekend nights awaiting unsuspecting guests.
“Some people wouldn’t get scared and would try to make me break character, which is lame,” Nixon said. “When people really got scared it was really fun, [I liked] chasing after people.”
Working at a chaotic job such as these scare events is bound to entail odd experiences, from people screaming out of fear to people threatening to incite violence. The different environment of working at ‘haunted’ places gives many high school-aged students a job unlike most.
“Some people had no respect for the rules,” Nixon said “Some people would just walk into the corn…or try to make new paths…People would try to fight, and it was just annoying. The best part was meeting new people…and having the whole experience.”