Students have varied opinions on Howl
Utah’s biggest Halloween party has a reputation that’s even bigger. It attracts visitors from hundreds of miles away and brings to mind images of good honest fun or scandalous debauchery – depending on who you ask.
Utah State students’ opinions of the Howl vary widely. Many don’t support the annual event and see it as a catalyst for bad behavior. “I think it’s a scandalous occasion for people to act how they normally wouldn’t act,” Lindsay Niedrich, a sophomore majoring in early childhood and elementary education, said.
Others, however, see the Howl in a more positive light. “It’s a big party where people come to to hang out with their friends and have a good time,” Aymara Jiminez, a sophomore majoring in marketing, said. Jiminez said that the Howl doesn’t naturally cause trouble, but that some people come looking for trouble. “If you go to find trouble, you’ll find it. It has to do with the attitude you go there with,” she said.
And every year there is at least a bit of trouble, according to Lisa Watkins, ASUSU Activities director. “Every year, there are about 10-15 people arrested, usually for underage drinking,” she said.
Watkins, a junior majoring in social work, said the Howl lives up to its reputation as a somewhat wild and racy party, but not because of the way organizers set up the event. “That reputation is justified because of the actions of those who attend, not because of the way we plan it,” she said.
“We don’t set it up as a place for drunks to come or for people to show up with no clothes on, but that does happen,” she said.
Keri Mecham, associate director of Student Involvement and Leadership, agreed. Mecham believes most of the problems are caused by those who show up from out of town looking for trouble. “The reputation is justified because of many of the non-USU attendees,” she said.
Some students agree that the Howl is racy, but don’t see that as necessarily a bad thing. “It definitely depends on what your values are and if you’re comfortable seeing people without much clothing on,” Kristi Madsen, a senior majoring in psychology, said.
Madsen attended the Howl her first year at Utah State. “It was somewhat scandalous, so I decided the next year that I would help as a volunteer. That way I could be in on all the action but not have to walk around without clothing on,” she said. “My favorite part is seeing the absurdities and talking about them among friends,” Madsen said.
Howl tickets this year sell for $10 or $20 each. Is attending the Howl worth the price of a ticket? Once again, that depends on who you ask. Erica Jackson attended her freshman year and came away disappointed. “It didn’t live up to what people said it would be,” she said. “I felt like I was at a meat market,” Jackson said. “I felt like I didn’t know anyone because everyone was from outside of Logan.”
Others, however, are big fans of the Howl. “I think it’s great,” Johnny Tall, a sophomore majoring in exercise science, said.
Tall said the the Howl lives up to its scandalous reputation.
“It’s a ridiculously fun-but-dirty freak fest,” he said. However, he also agreed that anyone’s experience at the Howl depends largely on their intentions when you attend.
“You’ll find what you want to find,” Tall said. “If you’re looking to go and have fun, you will.”
Should any changes be made to the way the Howl is run? “Definitely not,” Madsen said. “It wouldn’t be as well attended if restrictions were made. Its reputation is what brings so many people.”
Last year, ASUSU sold 5,980 tickets to the Howl, Watkins said.
And all those people attending translate into a lot of money. “The money we get from the Howl allows us to put on all the activities for the rest of the year free of charge,” she said.
To find out more about the Howl, get tickets in advance because they will not be sold at the door.
The Ticket Office in the Taggart Student Center will be open for ticket sales 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. today, Oct. 28. You can also get tickets Saturday, Oct. 29 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
-dfelix@cc.usu.edu