With Halloween rapidly drawing closer, people are searching for costumes, candy, and ways to scare themselves. Many people go to haunted houses and others go to mazes, but this year Cornerstone Church is once again offering a scary, yet evangelical, alternative.

Cornerstone Church is going to be presenting their annual event, “Nightmare,” which acts as a “reality house” with a twist.

As participants walk through Nightmare, they are presented with issues that may trouble today’s conservative culture. Issues such as drunk driving, drugs, gangs, and other events are shown throughout the presentation.

Students on campus have been volunteering in this event a few years.

“Nightmare has been going on for four years now,” Greg Tharpe, ’04, said. “It was a blast last year and was a great opportunity to use my acting skills to lead people to Christ.”

While attendees may see images that participants find troubling, Nightmare shows scenes from a biblical point of view such as the crucifixion and resurrection.

“I thought the scene where Jesus was being tortured and was hanging on the cross was really touching,” Nate King, ’05, said. “It really made me realize again that Christ went through a lot of suffering to die for us.”

The reality ride takes events that happen in real life and transforms them into a haunted event and serves as a warning to patrons. Although people might never experience these events, it allows them to see what could happen if they make these choices.

“Students should go to this event because they will see things they will not see in real life,” Michael Abajian, ?04, said. “People are forced to confront horrifying situations and potential problems–it’s a haunting experience.”

This reality house will be one way for people looking for a scare to expose potential problems.

For more information on Nightmare, students can call 442-0122. The cost is $7 and is open from 7 A.M. through 11 P.M., Fri.-Sun. through Oct. 31.

The following are additonal activites in the Fresno area during October:

?Halloween at Hobb’s Grove in Sanger, through Nov. 1. For further information on their haunted forest and haunted house, call 875-8150 or visit www.hobbsgrove.com.

?Haunted Nights and Spooktacular at Roeding Park through Oct. 31. For more information on this event, call 233-2980.

?Say Boo to Drugs haunted house on Oct. 30 at the Clovis Recreation Center. For information call 324-2780.

?Scream If You Can haunted house on Clovis Ave. on Oct. 30. For more information call 215-4994.

?Tales of Specters and Ghosts at River Ridge in Springville on Oct 31. For more information on this event, call 917-6826 or 539-0207.