By Amanda Moses
Enter Spring Creek Teen Central (TC) …if you dare!
SCT Teen Central welcomed new and returning members with a pizza party and fun in the lower level of the Brooklyn Sports Club (BSC).
On October 15th, members gathered inside of the TC lounge for music, movies, games, pizza, cookies, ice cream, and more as they reacquainted themselves and met new friends.
“This was my first Teen Central party. It was fun because I got to see my best friend, Bryelle, and watch anime which I don’t get to do outside of Teen Central often. Also, the pizza and ice cream were amazing,” Abigail said. Bryelle agreed with her friend adding that TC is a great place to play games, and just sit back and unwind.
“The party was entertaining, especially when hanging out with the older teens and playing phase ten with them. I felt it was easy for me to blend in as a middle schooler. The refreshments were really good, especially the cookies, ice cream, and the pizza was so good, it was like that New York style kind of pizza that really hits the spot,” Bryelle said.
During “Halloweek”, members participated in spine-chilling fun. Teens kicked off creepy week with Do It Yourself (DIY) special effects makeup. TC Director, Lonai Mosely showed students how to use rubber latex, a tea bag, and body paint to create blood curdling effects.
Starting with a simple design, Mosely placed latex on the students’ hands, and then sprinkled on tea leaves, creating a coagulated effect. With the addition of skin tone shades as well as red paint for fake blood, the finished look appeared like an oozing zombie bite.
The fog of horror really rolled into the TC lounge, as staff prepared for their night of campfire stories. Director Mosely and Teaching Artist Eileen Level shut off all of the lights in the lounge; wisps of smoke and an eerie red light from the fog machine, transformed the lounge into a campsite in the middle of a forest. Wolf howls and other wild animal sounds drifted in the air. A glowing skeleton watched over the campsite and shrouded in darkness, surrounded by beanbags sat an ominous figure.
About seven members sat around the mysterious figure listening aptly as short stories from the Brothers Grim, which included the Juniper Tree were read to them. Afterwards, they were treated to freshly toasted s’mores.
Teens thought they had their fair dose of fear during the scary campfire stories, but TC staff (Mosley, Level, Recreational Specialist Johnny Rosario and Asst. Recreational Specialist Gavin Edey) orchestrated an anxiety producing escape room. Almost all of the lights were darkened throughout the lower level of the BSC, and one area was blocked off with caution tape. As members entered the facility, a mist began to roll in (thanks to the fog machine), and the true horror was revealed.
In groups of five, about 20 members took turns trudging into the lower level cafeteria, which was only illuminated by the red bulbs of the Exit sign, battery operated candle light, and glow sticks. Mosley, dressed as a circus ring leader, served as the host of the escape room and told teens that they must solve riddles in order to exit the escape room. Wearing blind folds, members were guided into a room covered in spider webs, where they had to overcome four conundrums. Upon reaching the last riddle, a monstrous corpse bride jumped out from a hidden area, screeching and wailing.
Teens screamed in terror, and then laughed as they realized that they were free to leave the haunted room of horror and enjoy goodie bags filled with candy—until next time.
On the final day of “Halloweek”, the teens were able to sit back and relax by watching several films, including Jaws. The office was decorated with giant spiders, webs, bats, skeletons, and pumpkins
Photos by Amanda Moses
