A new Halloween event known as CHAOS hit the Dixie State University campus for homecoming Saturday.
The event was doused with activities like mini golf, glow-in-the-dark tattoos, a photo booth and a dance that could not be contained indoors.
A reptile exhibit called Scales and Tails Utah was also invited to CHAOS, to let students hold, pet and take pictures with snakes, spiders and other creepy crawlers.
“I was really impressed with the different activities you could do outside of the dance like the reptile exhibit,” said Ashton Vandermyde, a senior finance major from West Jordan. “You don’t see that anywhere else. CHAOS gave something for everyone.”
Colton Campbell, a junior English major from St. George and DSU Student Association vice president of public relations, said because homecoming was so late in the year, the decision was made to combine the Halloween event and the homecoming dance together. However, in the coming years, the homecoming dance and CHAOS will be separated as two events.
Campbell said CHAOS gave the students in Southern Utah a Halloween event that didn’t force them to travel elsewhere.
Kendall Pitts, a junior communication major from Las Vegas, said DSUSA will make CHAOS as a branded Halloween dance for DSU in the years to come. She said the cost of this event was not different than the cost of other events, but that there are supporters who have donated to such events on campus.
Austin Ewell, a junior communication major from St. George, said he didn’t feel like CHAOS lived up to its statement on being Southern Utah’s biggest Halloween event. He did feel like CHAOS was a success, and would love to see it again next year.
Campbell said approximately 1,300 participants were counted at CHAOS.
“This dance was fun and different, because everyone got to dress up,” said Kaedyn Wynn, a freshman nursing major from Tooele.“I think having a haunted house would be a cool addition.”