With record attendance, the fifth annual Foam Dance at Dixie State University was the most successful end of Week of Welcome bash in its history.
Sarah Ramaker, vice president of student life and a senior dance major from Midland, Michigan, said an upward of 1,450 pre-sold tickets were purchased by students, bringing its total to more than 150 than last year. Over 1,500 students flowed into the foam-filled North Instructional Building plaza to celebrate the start to a new year at DSU.
Ramaker said DSU is founded on traditions such as the Foam Dance and the Dixie spirit thrives on it.
“It helps the incoming freshmen understand this spirit and what it can do for them,” Ramaker said. “This event and all others are for the students to bond with each other and to get to know their classmates.”
Ramaker and Luke Kerouac, assistant director of student involvement and leadership, along with the Student Life Committee have been organizing the Foam Dance for months.
Kerouac said booking the disc jockey, security, fencing and ticket sales were set up weeks and months in advance.
“It takes a crew of about 40-50 people the day of the dance to make sure everything happens smoothly,” Kerouac said.
Even with months of planning, not everything fell into place as the DSU Student Association intended. The usual host, DJ Marcus Wing, was involved in multiple accidents leading up to the event and left the responsibility with DJ Jorge.
With the usual host out of commission, students still flowed into the plaza with record numbers until DJ Jorge rang the bell at midnight.
Sydney Adams, a freshman general education major from South Jordan, said: “The Foam Dance was so sick. Everyone was just going so hard and dancing like crazy. I have never been to a dance party that intense. I can’t wait for the next one.”
The day after, buzz of the Foam Dance spread over social media with pictures in front of DSUSA’s wall mural and in the middle of knee-high foam.
Austin Moss, a sophomore general education major from West Valley, tweeted “Brace yourself for all the foam dance pictures, mine included.”
Kerouac said this year’s event featured a light package for the foam and aerosol chalk for the backdrop, helping students to capture this moment with their friends. DSUSA looks for new additions each year to increase the Foam Dance attendance and help excite students for a new year at DSU, Kerouac said.
Even if you don’t like the foam, everyone is drawn into social connection the Foam Dance provides for students.
“It’s a great way to meet new people,” Moss said. “I will end up going again next year even though I am not a huge fan of the foam.”
Ramaker said DSUSA looks forward to putting together many events throughout the year that will help students connect with each other and feel the Dixie spirit.
