USU’s biggest party of the year returns: The Howl
The Howl, Utah State University’s annual Halloween event and one of the largest Halloween parties in the state, is returning on Oct. 29.
This year’s event will have a dance, laser tag, archery tag, virtual reality, a hypnotist, a comedian, fortune tellers, airbrush tattoos, karaoke and a photo booth.
Colton Fetzer, the activities director for the Utah State University Student Association, is excited about the event.
“Everyone knows about the dance in the fieldhouse,” Fetzer said. “But what a lot of people don’t realize is that there’s more than just the dance.”
Fetzer said students can also look forward to different activities and entertainment in the Taggart Student Center.
“All the different lounges will have something, and the ballroom will have something,” he said.
“There will be a lot of things for people who don’t necessarily want to go to just the dance. It’ll be an amazing time.”
While Fetzer wants to keep a lot of the event a mystery, he said he’s looking forward to having not only a photo booth, but also having a slow-motion video booth, which he described as a fun twist on a normal experience.
The theme for the Howl this year is “What Lies Below,” a committee chosen theme, to reference the tunnels below USU’s Logan campus.
“The theme is centered around the students that are leading a research project,” Fetzer said. “They are trying to figure out what USU is hiding in the tunnels underneath campus. They run all over and they’re sort of a mysterious place that students don’t know about.”
Students can also expect the Howl to be a very different experience than it was in 2020.
Rather than having the one-night party like what is typically seen, the Howl in 2020 was composed of a week of Halloween themed activities, such as the Aggie Howl, a drive-through haunted house, a virtual costume contest, a Halloween Scotsman’s Quest and a drive-in horror movie.
Gracie Shippen is in her second year as a USUSA activities committee member and helped plan and orchestrate the event in 2020.
“I am so excited for the students to be able to attend a true Howl event,” Shippen said. “I’m also excited that we, as students, are able to experience it together.”
While events have returned to USU, the coronavirus was still considered when planning the 2021 Howl. The event this year will only be open to USU students, with tickets only being available with a student ID in the TSC card office.
Any student who resells tickets to a non-USU student will be subject to action from the USU Office of Student Conduct.
In addition, masks covering the mouth and nose are permitted and encouraged, but full head masks are not allowed. There will also be space to maintain social distancing.
Outside of those coronavirus restrictions, the event will be comparable to what was seen before the pandemic. Fetzer is excited to reintroduce the Howl to students who didn’t get to experience it in 2020.
“The event will be different from previous years in some ways,” Fetzer said. “One big thing is our emphasis on consent throughout the event. We are really working with SAAVI and the Title IX office to create a safer environment for students at the Howl.”
SAAVI, or the Sexual Assault and Anti-Violence Information Office, is an on-campus organization that provides counseling, advocacy and information to university members.
Sexual violence is typically a concern at the Howl. According to the Herald Journal, three sexual assaults were reported at the event in 2019.
Aubrey Hampton, a junior at USU, attended the Howl in 2019. She reflected on her and her friends’ safety leading up to the event.
“We had a system set up beforehand,” Hampton said. “If we didn’t hear from them at a certain time, we would contact friends and the police. We also stay in bigger groups.”
Hampton also said that while she’s excited for the Howl, she will be taking similar precautions this year, especially considering what happened in 2019.
Felicia Gallegos is the outreach and prevention coordinator with the SAAVI office. Her office has worked with the USUSA activities committee and USU to help ensure a safe Howl.
“The university takes several precautions each year in hopes of preventing sexual misconduct from occurring at the Howl,” Gallegos said. “First, the hiring of police officers and security, who are trained to monitor the event. Second, USUSA recruited nearly 100 volunteers. They receive an upstander bystander intervention training designed specifically for the Howl from SAAVI and the Office of Equity.”
Gallegos and Fetzer both also mentioned marketing tools to raise awareness about consent and sexual misconduct behaviors. There will be large banners and announcements regarding consent and flyers in every bathroom stall and urinal and information about how to report behavior.
Additionally, a SAAVI advocate will be available at the event. Any student who feels unsafe is encouraged to notify a police officer, security member or volunteer that they would like to speak to an advocate.
“The Howl is an incredibly safe event because so many individuals are present who are trained to recognize and stop sexual misconduct,” Gallegos said. “It is very common for us to call attention to the Howl, but I encourage everyone to be alert and aware at any festivity you attend this Halloween season.”
USUSA and SAAVI also want to remind students about the definition of consent prior to the event.
“Consent is an agreement to do the same thing, at the same time, in the same way,” Gallegos said. “Sexual activity without consent is sexual assault. Costume is not consent. No groping or grinding at the Howl without consent.”
Howl tickets are available for $15.00 with a student ID and cannot be purchased online.
More information on upcoming USU events can be found by following @ususaevents on Instagram.
-Jared.Adams@usu.edu