Sure there’s the curse and all, but Transylvania University goes all out for professor Constantine Samuel Rafinesque.
Born 240 years ago this coming Sunday, the peculiar botanist has a whole week dedicated to him — this year Oct. 23-29.
Transylvania’s Student Activities Board carries on the longstanding tradition with a variety of spooky events beginning Monday night. That’s when up to 30 students will get into the school “spirit” on a tour led by Ghost Walk Lex through Gratz Park and the Old Morrison environs (meet outside the Carnegie Center at 8).
“Supposedly there are more ghosts in this area than just Raf,” said SAB member Emma Swallows ’26.
Other events include trick-or-treating with more than a dozen organizations and a costume contest in partnership with TUnity on Oct. 24 from 6-7 p.m. in Back Circle (or the Campus Center if it’s raining).
Next up is a Haunted Hallway on Oct. 25 in the basement of Poole Residence Hall from 8-10 p.m. SAB is looking for Pioneers to volunteer as scare actors for the event, which is one of the group’s biggest projects of the year.
Also on tap for Raf Week is a Murder Mystery with Ashley Hill on Oct. 26 from 7-9 p.m. in Pioneer Room CD. Then students can try out some candy apple nachos the next day in the Campus Center breezeway from 2:30-4 p.m.
SAB is also hosting a table at Transylvania’s PumpkinMania on Oct. 29 and encourages students to attend the downtown Thriller Parade that evening.
At each of the week’s events, students can scan their Crimson Card to earn a RAF-fle entry for a chance to spend the night of Oct. 30-31 inside Raf’s tomb. They can also earn entries by posting about Raf Week activities (including photos) to their Instagram stories, tagging @tu_sab.
Raf Week is a “ton of fun,” Swallows said, calling it an important Transylvania tradition. “We do a new spin on each of the events every year.”
Fellow SAB member Maria Hayes ’26 noted other benefits of Raf Week: “It’s a great opportunity to get involved on campus, meet new people and take a break from school work.”
Pioneers can keep up with the week’s happenings here and in their daily Tnotes.