With more than 150 guests, University President Mark Yudof dazzled the families of students, faculty and staff members Tuesday with a witch’s brew, a fortuneteller and a face painter as he converted the Eastcliff mansion into a haunted house.
For the third annual Halloween at Beastcliff, Yudof and his wife Judy greeted children dressed as firemen, monkeys, bunnies and reindeer as they exited Eastcliff’s spooky haunted trail.
In addition to the haunted house — which featured vampires, wizards and skeletons — children indulged in apple cider, pumpkin-shaped cookies, orange-frosted cupcakes and assorted trick-or-treats.
The children also got down to the tunes of the Teddy Bear Band, shaking to the Halloween version of the Hokey Pokey — the Hooky Spooky — underneath a white tent in Eastcliff’s backyard.
The primary reason for the event, Yudof said, was to bring the University community together by involving entire families.
“But most of all it’s a lot of fun,” Yudof said. “I like to see all the young children having a good time.”
As the party gets longer the kids stop being so shy and start playing with each other, Judy Yudof said.
“It gets to the point that you can’t get them to leave,” she added.
University staff member Chris Hertel said his main reason for attending the Halloween party is for his seven-year-old son Aled and his five-year-old daughter Amalia.
“The kids were really excited to come again,” said Hertel, who attended the event for the second time.
The spooky haunted trail frightened Amalia and Aled, especially when the vampire started to walk toward them.
“I just got out of there,” Aled, who dressed as Lightning Man, said.
“I just ran,” Amalia, who went as a princess, added.
However, not everyone in attendance went because their kids wanted to.
“I wanted to see the mansion,” said Becky Margin, whose husband is a University researcher.

Patrick Hayes covers the Board of Regents and administration and welcomes comments at [email protected]