Midnight @ the Masquerade

Fifteen student advisees joined their faculty advisors Molly and Tom Gotwals for a virtual murder mystery party held on February 5. The event entitled Midnight at the Masquerade was hosted by Molly and Tom and the Murder Mystery Company as a combined activity including both faculty members’ advisory groups and led by the company’s professional mystery representative Detective Ness.

Members of the group participating were cast as bystanders, suspects, and detectives and prompted with clues throughout the evening. Zoom breakout rooms served as interrogation rooms aimed at solving the motive and opportunity that inspired the murder. The many suspects involved had one or the other [motive or opportunity], but only the true killer had both. Together, the players investigated to crack the case.

Cast in the role of Ella Vadar, a daytime talk show personality too big for the small screen, Eugenie Davis ’21 commented, “It was truly an awesome experience and one of the best advisory gatherings I have ever had. With all of the fun scenarios and relationships our characters had, it was hilarious roleplaying and interacting in our given characters with friends who were just as into it as I was.”

Eager for an opportunity to gather their advisees since the fall trimester, Molly explained why she and Tom organized this fun-filled party: “Our advisories enjoy getting together as a combined group and get along really well. My daughter’s husband gave her a murder mystery party for her 30th birthday and said it was a great success. So, I looked into the details, and Tom and I thought it would be a fun way to spend Friday night with our advisees. They all did an excellent job getting into character and finding costumes.”