Sophie Rogers
Staff Writer
The Howl, an on-campus Halloween event, was hosted by the Student Activity Association on Oct. 30. The event ran from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the University Center.
The event featured activities, food, and scare rooms for the students. Students could choose to play one of the Halloween-themed games or enter one of the scare rooms. This was the first year that the University Center was used for the scare rooms. These rooms were run by student activities and organizations who make each room a haunted experience. They volunteered and decorated the rooms themselves.
Students could take pictures in front of Halloween themed backdrops or participate in the costume contest. SAA provided candy, cookies, brownies and cupcakes for attendees of the event.
“The Howl has changed locations through the years, from Shawnee to Fine Arts, and now in the University Center. Though we don’t know where it may be hosted next, the energy, passion and investment from our students and organizations show that this is a Warrior-favorite event that will continue. We extend our deepest gratitude to all organizations and visitors who participated and look forward to an even better – and hopefully drier – Howl next year,” said Fernando Alcántar, director of student engagement.
Alcántar also said he estimated 250 students attended the event, even with the rain storm and flooding. He stated that they normally have 800 students attend the event.
He also reported that over 13 student organizations participated in the event. Some of these organizations include Delta Chi, Theta Chi, Latin American Association, Marine Science, Alpha Omicron Pi, United Sports, Lambda Iota, Anime, Musical Theater Organization, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Student Government Association, Women’s Alliance and Public Relations Student Society of America.
For organizations like the Public Relations Student Society of America, it was their first year participating in the event.
“It was fun to host a table with my club, PRSSA, at The Howl! We had a great time bonding and helping to facilitate games for students to participate in. SAA always puts on great events, and The Howl was the perfect way to celebrate the holiday with everyone on campus,” said Kaiya Andrukitis, a senior.
Not only was it some students’ first time participating in the event but it was also some SAA student workers’ first time getting to experience it too.
“It was my first time not only working the event, but also ever attending The Howl. My role was to order activities for students to enjoy after they had walked through the haunted house. This involved ordering about 10 Halloween-themed activities, setting up the activity tables and decorating the surrounding space,” said Teagan Franchetti, a freshman SAA student worker.
“The experience went above what I anticipated from the event. From the clubs going above and beyond and decorating and acting in their scare rooms. To SAAs team’s dedication to make the event as enjoyable as possible, it truly was an amazing event and the perfect way to start Halloween,” said Franchetti.
SAA plans to host The Howl again next year and also plans to host more events this year. For more information on SAA events, visit their office on the third floor of the University Center or refer to their social media pages.