Haunted House of Addictions Moves to Marley Station Mall

For the third year in a row students from Northeast High School in Pasadena are bringing to life the horrors of drug use and consequences of addiction. For the past two years the program was held at Northeast High School and was named the Haunted House of Addictions. This year it will be held at Marley Station Mall in Glen Burnie and is now called the Human Experience.

Brandi Dorsey, the facilitator for Northeast High’s Human Performance Signature Program, coordinates the event with the help of community and business partners. However, she says, just as in previous years, it is the efforts of the students which brings awareness to the community about the dangers of drugs and the devastation that addiction brings.

The Human Experience will feature two parts. The first is the Haunted House of Addictions, which begins at an outdoor party where two students “overdose.” Visitors follow their stories through a series of events after the party, including scenes with grieving friends and parents. The second part is the Mental Health Wellness Space, where simulations allow you to walk in the shoes of high school students and experience the anxiety and stresses of life which can lead to drug use—such as grades, peer pressure and social media

bullying. The idea is for you to feel the student’s loneliness and isolation and begin to understand how they arrived at the point of drug use. Lastly, resources and tools are presented which can hopefully prevent future tragedy. It should take approximately 60 minutes to go through the Human Experience.

In previous years, due to space and time constraints, only about 200 people could actually attend. This year Dorsey was excited to share it will take place over two days and may reach 750 to 1,000 area students. Each public high school in the county has been invited to bring students to the Human Experience as a field trip. The Signature Program facilitators at each high school determine which student groups will attend. In addition, every freshman student at Northeast High School will attend. The program will be open to the public on October 11 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. There is no admission fee, but due to the intense nature of the event, no one under 12 will be admitted, even with a parent.

The Human Experience is being set up in a section of Marley Station Mall currently closed to the public. To access the area, use the mall entrance on the second level. Once inside, take the steps down to the first level. For more information about the event contact Brandi Dorsey at bldorsey@aacps.org.