Formed in the fall 2023 semester, Ohio State’s Scare Bears Club celebrates Halloween horror year-round. Credit: Emma Dodig-Drahotusky
Even though Halloween has come and gone, Ohio State’s “Scare Bears” carry out spine-chilling shenanigans all year long.
Founded this semester, the Scare Bears Club is dedicated to doing the “spooky stuff” typically limited to the Halloween season, Emma Dodig-Drahotusky, a second-year in biology and the club’s president, said. According to Scare Bears’ Student Organization webpage, the club brings together students who love anything and everything eerie.
“I always wanted to start a club and I was never able to find a scary movie club on campus, which I’m super interested in,” Dodig-Drahotusky said. “I pitched the idea to a couple of friends, and they were all excited, so my friend Charlie and I decided to pursue it”.
Scare Bears vice president Charlie Cavallaro, a second-year in computer science, said the group’s inception was very much a group effort among friends.
“One of our friends and a general member of the club, Noah Elconin, was the one who came up with the name,” Cavallaro said. “One day he just said it and we all agreed it was perfect.”
Having completed all steps required for registration, the club is currently awaiting official approval from the university, Cavallaro said. In the meantime, he said Scare Bears has been holding regular meetings, the most recent of which involved watching the first “Halloween” movie from 1978.
“We had a few people we didn’t know show up,” Ava Stanard, a second-year in architecture and the club’s treasurer, said. “It was very social and a good time, almost like friends hanging out.”
Cavallaro said the club is looking to adopt a broader approach for upcoming meetings and events.
“We want it to be more involved than just weekly meetings,” Cavallaro said. “There’s lots of spooky-related stuff to do in the area and we have been getting a lot of emails about that kind of stuff.”
With a handful of meetings now under its belt, Scare Bears’ current objective is acquiring new members and becoming a more solidified on-campus entity, Dodig-Drahotusky said.
“I think we are all on the same page where we just want the club to grow,” Dodig-Drahotusky said. “We are small since we just started, but we want to continue gaining members and create a consistent space where someone can go to talk about their interests.”
Dodig-Drahotusky said she thinks the club’s simple premise is what makes it so appealing. On principle, Dodig-Drahotusky said having access to clubs that prioritize mental decompression is crucial for busy students.
“It’s important to have a relaxed and casual setting where you can meet people with similar interests,” Dodig-Drahotusky said. “We wanted to create that social setting that no other club for this specific interest has.”
Even though joining a club can feel frightening, Dodig-Drahotusky said she encourages students to take the leap.
“For me, I had a lot of difficulties meeting new people when I first came to Ohio State,” Dodig-Drahotusky said. “I think it’s very intimidating for freshmen to get involved and put themselves out there, so I think having a club where it’s expected that everyone has one similar interest, there is comfort in knowing you will have something you can talk about.”
Cavallaro said more than half of the attendees at the club’s first meeting arrived alone, and those who are considering doing the same shouldn’t feel embarrassed. Plenty of other potential members will likely do the same in pursuit of a welcoming community, he said.
“If you want to show up to a meeting, show up,” Cavallaro said. “We will be ready for you.”
Even though the club is still in its infancy, Cavallaro said Scare Bears is actively planning future events. In addition to consuming “scary” media, the club plans on hosting a trivia night as well as seasonal celebrations.
“There is pretty much a space for horror and scare in every season,” Cavallaro said. “We plan to watch ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ around Christmas time and other scary movies that relate to specific holidays.”
More information about the Scare Bears Club can be found in its GroupMe. All are welcome and no admission dues are collected.
