This year, Dixie State College’s traditional Sandblast will take place on home grounds for the first time ever.
Students will gather Friday at 7:30 p.m. for the Sandblast at the on-campus sand volleyball courts and pavilion. Music, free food and multiple beach games will be available for students to enjoy.
For 20 plus years, the Sandblast continues to be one of DSC’s many annual traditions. In previous years, various places like Sand Hollow Aquatic Center and Snow Canyon have hosted the Sandblast. This year, event planners like Social Chair Ashley Graf, a junior integrated studies major from St. George, decided to switch things up a bit.
“In years past we haven’t had that pavilion and the sand volleyball,” said Graf. “It’s just a great place to do it, and so we thought why not just do it right at home?”
Student Life Vice President Sami Warnick, a senior business major from Wanship, also explained the benefits of holding the Sandblast on campus.
“You can just walk across the street from your apartment, get some free food and hang out with some friends,” Warnick said.
Holding the Sandblast on campus is also expected to attract more student participants since it will be closer to home, Graf said.
“Because we are doing it on campus, we are expecting more than the previous years,” Graf said. “Hopefully a lot.”
Student Life Coordinator Stephanie Higginson also said the Sandblast is a great social semester starter.
“It’s a really good social gathering and that’s why it’s at the beginning of the year—just so people can get to know each other,” Higginson said.
Students will be able to enjoy sand volleyball and skimboarding along with music and free food.
“It’s like a big beach party but without the beach,” Higginson said. “We’ll have music so people can just do whatever they want. If they want to bring a frisbee or a soccer ball, they totally can.”
Plans to make skimboarding on campus a reality include covering some turf from the football field with plastic and water, Graf said.
“We’re going to try it and see if it’ll work,” Warnick said.
Free, DSC-colored fanny packs will also be provided for students to decorate.
“What’s cooler than fanny packs?” Graf said.
Graf also said she and other event planners hope students will wear their fanny packs to the after-party dance. After the event ends at 9:30 p.m., a DJ will to host the dance for students to enjoy well into the night.
