By: Ainsley Northrop

People Editor

The student-created haunted house located on Johnson Avenue brought terror to countless Los Gatos residents this Halloween. The amazingly thought-out haunted house was a product of various LGHS students’ hard work and dedication. 

Sophomore Ashton Ross has been the host and leader of this annual event since he was in middle school when he took over the family tradition, and this Halloween, he made certain that the Haunt was better than ever. Ross got to work at the beginning of October, picking up support from peers, and even teachers, along the way. Ross described the process of deciding this year’s theme, saying, “We just [came] up with ideas that would scare people…and one day me and my friend Jadon McClements were at cross country and we realized that it could be [a zombie apocalypse theme].”  Ross explained that this theme perfectly combined all of the ideas they had been brainstorming

Once they decided the theme, the group immediately got to work building. The process of assembly took nearly a month. One time-consuming part was putting together the walls of the house, which students made from trash bags, duct tape and PVC pipes. Ross described their dedication to the process: “We would walk the [ten foot PVC] from Ace Hardware down to my house all the way through downtown. That was very interesting [and] very fun.” 

Not only did the group use their teamwork to construct a physical scare zone, but they also worked to create scary videos that fit the theme, using green screens and detailed scripts. They then displayed these videos, which featured junior Liam Visser, to the line of trick-or-treaters, who were anxiously waiting for their turn to experience the fun. 

Adam Younis, another LGHS sophomore who joined the committee for the first time this year, raved about the community of committed friends involved. Younis made his debut as both a zombie and a soldier, switching between the roles as the night progressed. He exclaimed, “[my favorite] was being the soldier at the end…When people who came through recognized me, I had to ignore them and stay in character.” Younis had a blast and made his enthusiasm for helping with the Haunt again in the future clear. 

In addition to having fun, a driving factor in many of the teens’ was charity. Last year, Ross and his dad decided to start using the Haunt to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society because his dad has a family history with the diseases, and they wanted to help make a difference. This year, the group managed to raise a total of 316 dollars, and they hope to continue the tradition of raising funds for charity well into the future.

Ross concluded, “I could not have done it without you guys,” in regards to the dedicated team who made the Haunt possible. This house has been, and will continue to be, the main attraction of Johnson Avenue Halloween!