If the Howl is notorious for confetti, gum and the occasional condom, why do people volunteer to clean it up?

The answer is simple: They don’t have to pay for a ticket. They get to go to the Howl and still experience it. They get to be with friends. They also get to be involved on campus. 

Some students volunteered because they didn’t buy a ticket before tickets sold out.

Sarah Price, a volunteer, said, “I wanted to be involved in the Howl, but I was a little late buying a ticket. So I did it because a lot of my friends were doing it.”

Others did it because they felt it was a better experience than attending as a patron. Jenny Patino said, “I have volunteered before. It’s better than attending. I can tell you that you feel more clean.”

Tiffany Taggart, another volunteer, said, “I volunteered because I feel it’s a great way to be involved in campus activities. It’s a good deal because you get your food, your shirt and free admission to the event and still get to experience it all but still get to help.” 

Cy Robinson,USUSA  activities director, said, “Without the volunteers, we would not be able to do it.”

Kent Harris, the Utah State University Police Department captain, said, “This event couldn’t happen without them. I thank each and every one of them for being here and working these events.” 

Though the Howl is perhaps the biggest event during spooky season, those who volunteered at the Howl focused on making sure everyone was safe and had a good time. 

Sierra Benson, a lead and part of the USUSA activities committee, said their main objective as leads and volunteers is to “keep people safe and to have fun.”

“We don’t want anyone to come away with a bad experience of the Howl, which is one of the things that is hugely stressed,” Benson said. “We just want to have people make positive memories.” 

“Crazy things can happen at the Howl, but we’ll make sure to nip it in the butt and make sure everything turns out okay,” Alexis Needleman said. She is also a member of activities committee. 

People were expecting to see a slew of different things, including drugs, inappropriate dance moves and risky clothes, which, according to Howl attendee Tia Goldsberry, is an understatement. 

Taggart said, “I love to see and feel the excitement everyone has, whether it’s Brigham Young University students who feel like they’re being really rebellious coming or whether it’s just USU students who are just excited to be there with their friends.” 

The theme of the Howl was in homage to the 80s, using the Netflix series “Stranger Things” to inspire the event. 

“I think it’s going to attract a lot of people. I think it’s a popular theme to have picked, so i think that’s awesome,” Daria Griffith, a volunteer, said. 

Benson said the process was simple to pick a theme. The activities committee went through about 80 to 90 different themes and narrowed it down until an anonymous majority vote chose “Stranger Things.” 

Brynne Shoemaker, a lead, said, “I think it’s really fun. I love that it’s a good time to have this theme, too, because season four just came out. It’s not too far gone. I like it, too, because it’s kind of eerie and creepy, so it goes along with the theme of Halloween.”

“I’ve always heard that going to Howl is one experience, and volunteering is a totally different experience. From what I’ve heard, it’s more fun and better,” Benson said.