Transylvania University’s Student Activities Board members are helping their fellow Pioneers get into the school “spirit” over the next week with a variety of spooky events honoring a legendary professor.
This year’s Raf Week — named after eccentric nineteenth century naturalist Constantine Samuel Rafinesque — kicked off with last night’s Poole Haunted Hallway and ties in other Halloween-themed events like trick-or-treating and the school’s PumpkinMania Festival presented by UK Federal Credit Union.
“Raf Week is definitely the tradition that we hold dearest to our hearts,” SAB President Abby Burczyk ’25 said. “It connects us to our school’s history.”
It also helps foster campus engagement, like when students volunteer to be scare actors haunting Poole Residence Hall. Burczyk said she enjoys seeing her classmates get into their role, like a scary farmer popping out from behind a hay bale (Haunted Hallway had a farm theme this year). “That’s always the best part.”
SAB is also helping promote tonight’s magic show with Hollywood magician Joseph Tran and will have a golf putting activity at Sunday’s PumpkinMania carving. Other Raf Week activities include Candy Apple Nachos on Monday from 3-5 p.m. in the Campus Center, trick-or-treating Tuesday from 7-9 in Back Circle and a campuswide Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt on Wednesday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Additionally, students are entering a Raf-ffle during Candy Apple Nachos for a chance to spend the night in Rafinesque’s Old Morrison tomb on Halloween eve.
Rafinesque taught botany and natural philosophy at Transylvania in the 1820s and ’30s. His birthday was Tuesday.
Although the professor cursed Transylvania when he left, the campus community has embraced his legacy. For instance, the mascot is Rafinesque’s big-eared bat and there’s an eatery called the Rafskeller.
Raf Week is another way for students to tie into their school’s rich traditions.
“Transylvania has such a unique story to tell,” Burczyk said.