By: Richard Kim, Contributing Writer
Photo by The Vanguard Staff

“Better an end with horror than a horror without end.” – Ferdinand von Schill

On Feb. 19, the Horror Club announced that it was ceasing operations due to low activity from members. For the past five semesters, the organization served as a place where students from all over campus could indulge in the macabre. It hosted classics such as “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” as well as modern hits like “Terrifier.” Occasionally, the club conducted trips to the movie theater such as for the premiere of “Five Nights at Freddy’s.”

The Horror Club had existed as a student organization on campus before, but this iteration of the club became active in the fall semester of 2022. It was the idea of Coleman Braddock, a marine sciences major, to bring the club back to life. As the Horror Club’s president, he enlisted George Merrell, India Campbell, and Pace Townsend as officers. After Braddock graduated in the spring of 2024, Austin Gatewood, a hospitality management major, assumed the position of president.

Earlier this semester, Gatewood decided that it was time to end the club. Attendance at meetings had been dwindling. According to Merrell, the active members had dropped to just one or two people, not counting the officers. Elections for officer positions had originally been planned for Feb. 19, the date that the Horror Club shut its doors.

“No one really had time for the club,” said Merrell, vice president for the past semester. “Sometimes, I had to leave the meeting early or show up late because of nursing school. A lot of our regular members were nursing students as well. Once they got accepted into the nursing program, they couldn’t go as much.”

The Horror Club was in talks to collaborate with other student organizations for events such as movie nights. Unfortunately, these plans never materialized.

Merrell expresses hope that the club can be revived sometime in the near future. Whether or not this comes true, he thanks everyone who was a part of the Horror Club.

“We got to make shirts and go on excursions to places like Seward Farms. It was only possible because of your donations. I’m happy I got to meet all of you.”