Haunted houses have been preparing all year to scare willing victims and now is the time to test one’s courage and fortitude. Americans spend incredible amounts of money to be frightened. According to AmericanFrights.com, the haunted attraction industry generates about $300 million a year, most of which is made during the month of Halloween. Why are people attracted to this sort of thrill? Quite simply, people love to be scared.

Even in today’s still-lagging economy, getting spooked in some form or fashion around Halloween is a priority for many. The Metro Atlanta area offers plenty of haunted attractions to enjoy, from the returning and popular “Netherworld” to the newer “Zombie Apocalypse.”

When choosing a haunted attraction, it’s important to understand the options and what sets each apart from the others. Before shelling out $15 to $40 for the thrill, make sure the venue is worth the money. After all, few college students have money to burn. For example, “13 Stories” haunted house located near Town Center mall is known for its local myths and legends that they use live animals and bugs and give free admission to anyone who can make it all the way through. People go to “13 Stories” because of these false tales and pay a hefty $22 to see for themselves if they are true, which they are not. Since 2004, people have been scared by an attraction that prides itself on using live actors instead of machines and animatronics.

The “Chambers of Horror” haunted house, located in downtown Atlanta, is the only haunted house in the city that admits adults only. This venue claims its experience is gory and more violent than the others, think movies “Saw” and “Hostel.” Another interesting difference compared to other scare stops is that each room is like being thrown into a horror movie scene, so if scary movies get you giddy, this is the place for you.

“People go to haunted houses for the adrenaline rush and the quick scare,” said Cody Roberts, a Halloween Horror Nights employee at Universal Studios Florida. “They like to feel like a part of a movie, but walk through knowing it isn’t real.”

Halloween Horror Nights features seven haunted houses, street scares and a show called “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure.” Universal Studios aims to satisfy all degrees of scare entertainment, which is exactly what attendees pay for: entertainment.

Halloween is the perfect time for every type of person to experience thrill without the destruction of buildings or limbs. Whether you’re the friend who reluctantly gets dragged along, the guy who takes the girl so she will think you’re a fearless protector, a horror movie buff or someone who merely enjoys laughing at frightened friends, you’ll pay to nearly pee your pants.

“It was more like a ‘Wow! That surprised me!’ experience rather than a ‘That scared me to death!’ one,” said Netherworld visitor and South Carolina native John Ferrer. Ferrer’s experience differed from the screaming females fleeing the site as masked men chased them with chainless chainsaws.

Each individual will have a unique experience and understanding of the haunted houses, depending on his previous disposition to the house’s substance. “Netherworld” offers two houses: “Banshee” and “The Hive.” If you want to pay a lower fee, choose one or the other. If you enjoy bugs and screaming banshees, buy tickets to both. For lighter-hearted fright seekers, “Fear the Woods” is a $15 attraction in Stockbridge, Ga., that offers a haunted hayride, chilling trail and zombie paintball, as well as the usual farm pumpkin patch and an unusual reptile exhibit. It just goes to show, these places cater to their audience and know the levels of scary to appease.

Choosing a haunted experience can be tough, but hauntworld.com can help narrow the choices. This site lists all the houses and scary destinations in the state along with their locations and a link to their websites, which lists the real determining factor: price.

We all love to be scared, even when we know it’s fiction. We pay for terrifyingly trained actors and fake bugs to scare us because if these terrors were real, they wouldn’t be nearly as fun.

In high school, Homecoming events are simply social gatherings to show how pretty students think each other are and an excuse to break dress code rules with themed outfit days, but Homecoming at the collegiate level is unfairly seen as a popularity contest within Greek Life. Since most students relate the Homecoming experience with their high school, they treat it as something to be looked over or unimportant without a football team. What students need to realize is that Homecoming, college style, is one of the most exciting times during the year.

How does this year differ from the others? We all know, and are potentially embarrassed by, our fluffy mascot named Scrappy. During “Flight Night,” the preview for men’s and women’s basketball, the new and improved, buff Scrappy will be revealed. It is also when the Homecoming court is formally announced to the school. So, essentially, we meet our new mascot and see the faces of those who are deemed “royalty” for their duties within our school.

“Homecoming royalty represent the array of students involved in the life of campus from all academic class standings from first year to senior,” said Dean of Student Success Dr. Michael L. Sanseviro.

“Student Life works closely with the students on the Nestfest committee to establish a comprehensive process that maximizes opportunity for student involvement in selecting the royalty.”

The candidates must go through an interview process as well, so being nice to look at doesn’t quite cut it for the college-level Homecoming court.

The Nestfest activities hosted by the Department of Student Life, Kennesaw Activities Board, Student Government Association and the student planning committee are what most students anticipate. The powder puff football tournament fills football needs required for Homecoming events; there will be a Lady Gaga impersonator to entertain on Oct. 10, a “Yell like Hell” pep rally to liven up students, a T-shirt swap, a Blacklight and Gold rave, a parade and a fashion show to name a few of the events. KSU has planned and constructed a five-day period of non-stop, fun, free and way-cooler-than-high school events sure to please everyone’s interests.

”The Owl Prowl Festival will be held more like a tailgate this year,” Sanseviro said. “There will be activities, games, food, music and giveaways.”

If there is one thing that will make students come to an event, it’s free stuff. The free J. Dash and Ying Yang Twins concert is sure to draw in students. Eight of 10 students said they would simply attend an event if food was being provided. Nine of those students said they would attend if a T-shirt was being given, so KSU planners have done their research and are adhering to the wants and needs of their prospective attendees. They are also reaching students using social media. The hashtag on Twitter #ksuhc is being used for everyone to tweet about their experience and Homecoming in general.

The intriguing thing about Homecoming in college is the fact that it is significantly larger and offers exponentially more opportunities for students, as well as the community, to get involved. The Kanstruction – Unity Can Sculpture, for instance, provides a fun, artistic activity while collecting canned goods for the KSU Health Clinic Food Pantry.

“Nestfest creates competition and spirit specifically geared for KSU students, while other signature events target alumni, faculty/staff, parents and community members,” said Sanseviro.

“In college, you can bring artists who are more cutting edge than high school and sponsor events that speak to an older and more diverse audience.”

People want to know about KSU; they want to get involved and see everything we have to offer, so including them in the events will bring in potential students, athletic event ticket buyers and spectators and build a fan base for KSU’s future. Alumni can also get involved, attend happy hour and brag about KSU becoming a powerhouse school.

Because people are so busy, Sanseviro said they have “restructured the schedule so more events took place in sequence and with more activity on Saturday to encourage more participation from both on and off campus.”

The Homecoming events span a five-day period, so everyone can participate at their convenience.

“To enhance school spirit and bring the entire KSU family and surrounding community together to celebrate everything that makes KSU great” is the ultimate goal for Sanseviro and Homecoming planners in holding the 2012 Homecoming events. Pride in KSU is one of the most important things Homecoming creates. Getting involved and participating in these carefully executed events is one way to show true Owlism. So if you think Homecoming is for the faint, fairy-dusted high schoolers, think again because KSU has the best events of the year packed into five days of fun Homecoming festivities.

Going back to school means plenty of different things to every student. Whether it’s more money to be spent, more things to learn, more people to meet or avoid, more hassles or more opportunities there is simply more of everything. This isn’t all bad, folks.

Returning to college after a long awaited break is tough, but remembering that every student has their own reasons for being at KSU is key to enjoying and experiencing college to the fullest. Going into your classes with a “let me see your homework” or “do you have the quizzes from last semester” mindset may slyly get you through your courses, but it will realistically get you nowhere beyond that.

There are two types of people: ones who enjoy school, knowing what it will bring and those who go because they feel they must do so. It’s a choice either way, but it’s a good one to invest in.

Whether or not the student chooses to attend college or is simply forced to by parents who want the best for them, it is ultimately up to the student to make or break their future during their college career. Some people go back to college because their lives took a turn and they are simply catching up and living the life they want for themselves.

“I went back to school not for the freshman 15 and keg stands, but I went so that I could have a better job and a fulfilling life that my kids can look up to and strive for,” said Kim Byrd, a Spanish major alumna.

With KSU being a commuter college, many people are coming at a point in their lives where they realize KSU can enable a steady and more rewarding environment.

“For many, earning that ‘piece of paper’ can make a significant difference in their professional or personal life (the achievement of a lifelong dream),” said back2college.com, an online resource for individuals returning to the ever-changing college atmosphere.

Getting a diploma is imperative to landing that dream job or finally feeling the pride of success; sometimes it’s just hard to see the end reward when there is a dark forest full of tests, projects and unnameable obstacles.

Newcomers are often anxious and uneasy about transitioning from high school to college knowing there is the said dark forest. There are daunting hurdles to jump ranging from registration, financial aid, parking, the endless choices of student life and being thrust into an unfamiliar and large place.

“I’m really excited to be a student here, but still pretty nervous about starting classes in a new place,” an undecided freshman Priya Ramani stated.

Being in a new place is always hard, but the first couple of weeks of classes have campus crawling with helpful upperclassmen, faculty and warm-welcomers to greet and guide unsure newcomers.

Thomas Gray, a senior lecturer and intern coordinator in the Department of Communication expressed his feelings toward the new school year by saying, “Following a short break it seems most students are refreshed and energized at the beginning of the new school year.” Gray also said, for students to succeed they simply need to “keep that level of interest and enthusiasm ongoing throughout the semester.”

Professors are keen to keeping students driven and on task, so naturally they too have struggles.

College courses enlighten the previously educated, open the minds of young adults, broaden horizons for the adventurous and showcase personalities for the folks who are simply looking to find themselves. No matter what age, race, gender or ethnicity, there is a niche for students to apply themselves to as long as they are willing to suffer through the difficulties that come with college.

Of course there is always the unwelcome pang of tuition, institution, parking and numerous other fees to be dealt with, but the point of it all is that you pay so you can get paid. Think of it like a tax return you wait what seems like years to receive. You put in the hours and you are rewarded for sticking with it, paying your dues and doing what you must. You give the money to get even more when you flash your diploma and shining, updated resume in your new, and highly paying, job’s face.

Going back to school is frankly a pain for everyone, but in the end it’s singularly up to us to finish, graduate and be the best people we can be all thanks to KSU. If Billy Madison can go back to school and prove to his dad he’s not a fool, you can too. So pack up your laptops, notebooks, pens, number two pencils and smile as you walk onto campus and into your bright future.

As Americans, we love to spend a pretty penny on things we want and things we think we need, but when it comes to appreciating our parents we unevenly shell out a bit more. Every respectable son or daughter knows the date for Mother’s Day, but out of ten students asked when Father’s Day is, only three knew. This has become an acceptable discrepancy among children and often forgiven by fathers, but it seems throughout time people have always valued mothers above fathers.

In 1914 the U.S. Congress declared the second Sunday in May as National Mother’s Day. Only 58 years later did Richard Nixon declare the third Sunday in June as National Father’s Day, as he very well needed some form of love and support. Since then we have celebrated both of our parents for all they do, for one day a year. However, even though they both have a special day, we kids continue to favor mothers through our spending.

According to H&R Block, we spend a hefty $14.6 billion on mom and only $9.4 billion on dad. Where is all that money going?  H&R block also noted that 162 million greeting cards are sold just for mom and a sales clerk at Hallmark revealed their best business comes from Mother’s Day greeting card sales. Though for our dads we get 110 million cards and other things they may enjoy more than prewritten words.

A customer service attendant at the local Publix said Mother’s Day overflows with flower and card sales, but Father’s Day brings in sales from the meat department and gift cards. So as our mothers get fluffy sentiment, our fathers get bleeding recognition.

While Hallmark and Publix stores will thrive on Mother’s Day, one store is guaranteed to get more business for Father’s Day: Best Buy. A sales associate said Father’s Day is a very busy holiday and they sell a large amount of electronics and lately, a lot of tablets. Even though dads don’t get as much appreciation, they get the coolest presents.

But why is it usually so hard to shop for dads? Jamie Russo, a senior Marketing major, said, “Dads always buy everything they want or need, so it really gives us a limited selection. Ties are almost a slap in the face now because he knows we couldn’t think of anything else.” It’s not our fault that most dads treat themselves to nice things because they know what they like, but it is our job as grateful children to indulge our dads one day out of the year.

We know moms put up with a lot to deserve a day of gratitude, they did bring us into this world, and all families are different, but don’t forget the dads that were there too. They taught you to ride a bike, went to your painfully long childhood sports’ games, took care of your family and maybe even paid for you to better your education at KSU, so be a good kid and give them an extra special Father’s Day this June 17. They deserve it.