The Scream: The Night That Campus Gets Deadly

Published: October 30, 2014 | Author: Olyvia Myer | Read Time: 3 minutes

There’s only one place on campus where you can find Mario and Luigi, the Scooby Doo crew, zombies, Chippendale dancers, and Captain America all in the same room at one time and that place is the Centrum Arena on the night of The Scream. On Friday, October 31 Southern Utah University’s campus will come alive, or perhaps a little more deadly.

Previously known as The Howl, The Scream is the best Halloween party in the state. Much more than merely a dance, The Scream is an evening of countless Halloween events, performances, and activities. In years past The Scream has brought in comedians, hypnotists, spray tattoo artists, photo booths, character artists and much more.

But The Scream hasn’t always been this way according to SUU student association (SUUSA) Director Keri Meacham who said,  “It has really evolved over time. We used to call it The Howl and then it was just a costume dance, but now it has become an entire evening of events where anyone can come and find whatever it is they like about Halloween here at The Scream.”

There really is something for everyone and every year is unique in some way. This year’s theme, Cirque du Scream and last year’s The Apocalypse, and the year before it was Shipwreck and a huge boat and pirates taking over the dance floor.

“We do a lot with this event that sets it apart from other dances and events around the state,” says Meacham, “I worked at Utah State University. I did The Howl with them forever and it’s a huge dance, but it’s just really crazy and there aren’t any decorations. We put a lot more effort into The Scream. There’s much more to do and see and there’s a huge variety of things going on.”

The origins of The Scream go back decades into the history of Southern Utah University. There have been Halloween parties on campus for as long as anyone can remember. The biggest changes in the event, however, have occurred in more recent years. In the 1990’s, the dance was called The Howl, but when Meacham took over as she pushed for a change in the name.

“I didn’t love calling it The Howl because USU calls their dance The Howl. I thought, you know, let’s make our dance unique and different. And now it’s a very different type of event,” Meacham says.

Four years ago the name officially changed to The Scream. The name is not the only development over the last decade. Before finding its home in the Centrum Arena, the dance had been hosted in the Living Room and the Rotunda, as well as the Ballroom. As the number of people attending the dance has grown over the last decade, the dance has had to be moved to a room with larger capacity each year.

Changes continue to happen as each year goes by. More and more people are attending and The Scream is earning its reputation as one of the not-to-miss events in the state.

Tickets are $10 for students pre-order and $15 after 5 p.m. Friday. Tickets will cost $20 for nonstudents. Tickets can be purchased at the Centrum Ticket Office within the Centrum Arena or by calling (435) 586-7872. Must be 18 or older to enter, student IDs/drivers licenses will be checked at the door. 

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Contact Information:

435-586-5400
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