OUR VIEW: Without Scream, we’re left to Howl
Whoever said competition was a bad thing was lying.
The Scream, a long-time tradition for students, is canceled this year and according to LDS Institute council and teachers, it’s because they no longer want to compete with USU’s Howl. But the question is, was it really ever a competition?
The Howl, which is considered the state’s largest Halloween party, is popular because of the fact that conservative Utah can, for one night, not be so conservative. Students from universities across the state consistently drive to Logan in costumes they wouldn’t even dream about wearing in front of their mothers. Or anywhere else for that matter.
Victoria Secret angels and men wearing nothing but Saran Wrap can mingle and dance for a few hours, in a place where, even though they aren’t allowed to be drunk, they generally are anyway.
The Scream, on the other hand, is another story. Bunnies and Ninja Turtles come out for cake walks, bobbing for apples and Dance Dance Revolution competitions. Modest girls may dress as the witches with skirts and capes that cover their ankles. Modest boys show up as various action heroes, the most risqué they get is bright colored tights – that still cover ankles. The Scream usually has instructors to teach students the “Thriller” dance, has volunteers painting faces and allows everyone to participate in a costume contest. The party also consistently has pumpkin carving and mechanical bull riding.
The crowds are different. The costumes are very different. And now we are left wondering where all the students who enjoyed and filled the Institute party will celebrate Halloween. Campus LDS Priesthood Leader, Gordon Low, said the university will try to make changes in the way they run the Howl. Low said there are negative elements of the university party that will hopefully be improved. When he said improved though, we need to know if the changes will lessen the attraction the Howl naturally has. With both parties, it seemed all needs for those who wanted to attend a mass Halloween fest were met.
It’s true that without the Scream, no one is going to die, as Low said. If students want to do something other than the Howl, they can invent their own kind of fun. It’s still disappointing though that a tradition can be canceled so suddenly and that avoiding competition can also mean that students who don’t want to dress up for the Howl, no longer have a set place to celebrate with campus friends.