By Paige Zulandt

Halloween is the time for all things spooky and scary, like horror films and haunted houses. But a group of students at Middle Tennessee State University decided that their haunted house would do more than cause a fright, it would educate those inside.

“The Horrors of War” exhibit was an interactive haunted house experience created by students in Dr. Amy Atchinson’s Humanitarian Aid and Crisis course. These students also participate in the national American Red Cross program called the Youth Action Campaign.

The Youth Action Campaign informs youth/young adults and empowers them to educate their communities about International Humanitarian Law (IHL). International Humanitarian Law is the set of rules that govern Armed Conflict. The Youth Action Campaign not only offers an opportunity to learn more about IHL but also encourages the younger generation to start conversations about global issues. It gives them a platform to address their concerns so that they can be heard on a larger scale, specifically throughout the Red Cross network. This is key to supporting their mission to become humanitarian advocates and to begin to make a change.

The students in the Youth Action Campaign at MTSU had to develop and implement a peer education campaign. They created a haunted house during the week of Halloween to educate the MTSU campus community about International Humanitarian Law during times of war.

Dr. Atchison shares that in years past, her students created an escape room, built a refugee camp, held an art contest and more, but this was her first time witnessing an educational haunted house.