Month: October 2021

Halloween is approaching; some would say it is the most fun holiday of the year, but now you have to find something exciting to do.

Trick-or-treating, while being the best Halloween activity, is seen as no longer socially acceptable for college students, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find something just as fun to do. While there are parties thrown around this time, this isn’t always the vibe for everyone.

Have a Halloween Feast

Obviously, the best part of Halloween is the candy. As you can’t go door-to-door begging for it, you can make your own fun foods. There are an endless amount of fun Halloween recipes online that only take a few ingredients. Each person can bring their own fun recipe and have a blast snacking all night long. 

• Caramel Popcorn
• Crescent Roll Witch Hats
• Martian Marshmallows
• Halloween Punch

Scary movie marathon

Grab some popcorn and candy to cozy up for the night. Scary movies are the epitome of Halloween, there’s never been a time where scary movie marathons aren’t a good idea. Tons of new Halloween movies have been released, including the new Halloween Kills.

Pumpkin carving

Pumpkin carving has been a tradition for years, so have fun with it and create your own fun and spooky designs. Once you’re done, you’ll have plenty of pumpkin seeds to roast and snack on throughout the night. 

“I love carving pumpkins because it’s fun to see all the creative things people come up with,” said Sydney Johansen, a junior education major from Tooele. 

Everyone can have fun with their own pumpkin or you can spruce it up a bit and create teams to have a carving contest. 

Go to a haunted house 

Haunted houses are a great idea for big groups of friends. There’s nothing like being scared out of your mind and hanging onto your friends for support. Staheli Family Farm has several fall attractions, one of which is a haunted house, the Field of Screams. Ticket prices start at $20 and they are open until Oct. 30. What’s better than facing your fears with your closest friends?

“One of my favorite things to do is go to a haunted house with my friends because it’s so fun and I love to be scared,” Johansen said. 

Have a costume contest 

Halloween is all about costumes whether they are scary, cute or funny. Hosting a costume contest can be as simple as you want. All you’ll need are a couple of judges, prizes and a few different categories if you want. This is a great way to bring all your friends together for a fun night filled with crazy costumes. 

“Halloween is by far my favorite holiday,” said Senisa Zambrano, a junior mechanical engineering major from Pleasant Grove. “Between the costume parties, the perfect weather, and pumpkin spice everything, in my opinion, October doesn’t last long enough.”

There’s no better way to celebrate Halloween than curling up on the couch to watch classic horror films.

Horror may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but people gravitate toward the genre because horror films send your body into fight-or-flight mode, flooding your body with adrenaline and euphoric brain chemicals like dopamine and endorphins.

Whether you watch horror films for the adrenaline rush or simply because you are a horror film fanatic, here are six horror films you need to watch this Halloween.

“Us” (2019)

Jordan Peele, the director of “Get Out,” is the mastermind behind “Us.” The film centers around the Wilson’s family vacation at their beachfront home. Adelaide Wilson, the mother of the group, is still reeling from a past traumatic incident and fears something bad is going to happen during their vacation. Her fears are confirmed when a group of masked strangers ambushes the family. Once the strangers reveal their identities, the family realizes they must fight for their lives against carbon copies of themselves.

The film begs the question: “What would you do if you had to confront an alter ego version of yourself?” If the description of the film is not enough to convince you, Rotten Tomatoes gives “Us” a score of 93%, and the film generated $70 million during its opening weekend.

“Psycho” (1960)

“Psycho” is a classic horror film directed by the infamous Alfred Hitchcock. The movie tells the story of a woman on the run after stealing money from her employer to fund her plan to run away with her boyfriend. Exhausted from driving while evading the police, she stops at the Bates Motel for the night. At the motel, she meets the peculiar Norman Bates, who takes a mysterious liking to her.

“Psycho” has been credited as the first modern horror film and the film’s iconic shower scene helped to launch the slasher sub-genre of horror films. Similar to “Us,” “Psycho” has a stellar Rotten Tomatoes score of 96%.

“The Babadook” (2014)

“The Babadook” captures the experience of a widow who learns a monster from her son’s children’s book has come alive and is terrorizing them in their home. The film boasts an even higher Rotten Tomatoes score than “Us” and “Psycho” with a rating of 98%.

“The Babadook” is a personal favorite horror film of Nate Snow, an assistant professor of media studies. He said “The Babadook” is his favorite horror film because it tackles the universal experiences of grief, loss and pain, so the film resonates with everybody.

“It [The Babadook] manages to scare you at a deeper level than just a jump scare,” Snow said.

“Jennifer’s Body” (2009)

“Jennifer’s Body” follows Jennifer Check (played by Megan Fox) as she navigates life after being sacrificed by an indie rock band. She becomes possessed by a demon during the sacrifice and develops an insatiable hunger for human flesh. This hunger leads her to feast on the male population at her school, much to the dismay of her friend Needy (played by Amanda Seyfried).

Despite tanking at the box office when it was released in 2009, the film has had a resurgence in popularity, and according to Insider, it’s become a “feminist cult classic.” Overlooking the film’s poor Rotten Tomatoes rating of 45%, Matthew D., who reviewed the film on Rotten Tomatoes, gave the film a five-star rating.

“Jennifer’s Body is genuinely fantastic with creative filmmaking, endearing acting and an unbelievably cool soundtrack,” Matthew D. said.

“Hush” (2016)

“Hush” takes a unique approach to home invasion horror films as it focuses on a deaf woman being hunted by a killer in her home. Sound is removed from certain — particularly tense — scenes throughout the film to immerse the audience into the woman’s world as she tries to fight back against a killer who has the leg up on her because he can hear.

The uncommon nature of “Hush” within the horror film genre, earned it a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Before I Wake” (2016)

Megan Donnelly, a senior biology major from Las Vegas, said her favorite horror film is “Before I Wake.” The film was well done and features her favorite actor, Jacob Tremblay, as Cody.

“I don’t want to give it away, but I like the overall meaning behind his [Cody’s] nightmares,” Donnelly said.

“Before I Wake” focuses on foster parents who welcome a young boy named Cody into their home. Cody tells the parents he is scared to fall asleep, but the parents brush off his fears because they think it’s a normal fear for most young children. Soon, the parents learn Cody’s dreams and nightmares become reality, so they have to discover the true nature of his abilities before his dreams hurt him and his parents.

Whether you love horror films or you are new to the genre, make sure to put these films on your “must-watch” list to celebrate the spooky season.

Not saying your clothes are scary, but with a little creativity, your closet could make costumes that will not break the bank.

Here is a list of five trendy ideas for your Halloween costume.

Cavemen

All you need is animal print, crazy hair and makeup or paint.

Even if you do not own any type of animal print, this costume is still convenient. Purchasing animal print fabric from a craft store such as Hobby Lobby can be made into a quick top, bottom or headband.

No sewing is required for this look. Cutting the fabric to fit how you want and the ability to tie it will create the perfect wild caveman look.

The last touch for this costume could be achieved with makeup or paint. Use any makeup to create the look of dirt or mud that would be unavoidable for a caveman. Paint could be used to add warrior or tribal type markings.

Backcombing your hair is a technique that can be used to achieve the wild hair look. Adding braids through the crazy hair is an option for those with long hair.

Coachella

This trendy music festival in California is known for it’s over-the-top outfits. This costume can be unique depending on your individual style.

Keep in mind that bandanas, glitter and fringe are key to obtaining the classic Coachella look. There are many blogs and articles about Coachella outfit ideas such as this one from Chic Pursuit.

Face jewels and glitter bring out the over-the-top look such as this pack from Amazon. Sunglasses and bandanas show the necessity to protect yourself from the California sun and dust which is prevalent during Coachella.

One style category that is prevalent during Coachella is bohemian. This style is created by different patterns, textures, and color. Usually, different layers create a more loose and flowy look.

According to an article by Vevano Home: “The core of the bohemian aesthetic is that it’s personal and relaxed. Boho styles are not styled for any other person’s enjoyment but your own.”

This costume can reflect your personal style in a more head-turning way, so have fun with it.

Student Loans

This costume idea came from the costume shop manager in the theatre department.

“A college student adjacent costume is student loans, being the scariest costume of all,” said Emma Daniels, Dixie State University alumna.

This costume has a comedic aspect that is shown in an obvious way. A T-shirt or even a paper taped onto a shirt which says “college debt” or “student loans” will showcase the irony for this costume.

Wounded Boxer

Any athletic top, bottoms and shoes will complete this costume. The parts of this costume that make it unique is the fake wounds, silk robe and boxer gloves.

Fake wounds are achieved with makeup to create a bruised look. Band-Aids are also an easy way to add fake wounds.

Any silk short robe of any color would work but Amazon also carries them at an inexpensive price.

Boxer gloves are not necessary for this costume but will take it to the next level.

For those with long hair, boxer braids are perfect for this costume.

Lonely Ghost

Very trendy on social media is the store created by influencer Indy Blue and Bronson Christensen called Lonely Ghost. The store’s logo is an iconic ghost.

This costume has been done by the company in years past and is available for purchase.

A cheaper way to achieve this look is by taking a white sheet and either drawing eyes or cutting out eyes that resemble the ghost. Arm holes could be cut for a more practical feel if desired.

Pairing the costume with your trendiest tennis shoes will showcase the Lonely Ghost brand best. For example, Converse’s Chuck Taylor high-tops are one of the top trends and are showcased on Lonely Ghost’s Instagram numerous times.

The sheet ghost is a classic costume that has been done throughout the years. Creating the Lonely Ghost costume is a trendy twist.

Items for any of these costumes could also be found at dollar stores or thrift stores.

Daniels said: “When it comes to making your costume, thrift stores are your best friend. At the thrift store, look for items that you can convert into other items such as a sheet that you can make a toga or taking unconventional items like books, cookware or toys, deconstructing them, and making them something new.”

Don’t be intimidated by creating your costumes from scratch because they have the ability to stand out from the crowd. Most importantly, be creative and have fun.

The biggest party of the year is coming up this Saturday night, are you going to be there?

Dixie State University’s annual Halloween party Chaos is going to be held Oct. 30, this is your chance to party it up. DSU had to cancel Chaos last year due to COVID-19, so there are two classes of students who have yet to attend the biggest party of the year.

“Chaos is going to be the biggest event that we’ve ever put out at this university and we are planning for a 6,000 [person] capacity, so it is going to be the biggest event ever done at Dixie State for students,” said Devon Rice, a junior business marketing major from Bountiful.

You can now purchase tickets and keep in mind the price will go up as the week continues.

“Definitely buy tickets before they get to the door, if they have friends from northern Utah, anywhere in Utah, we are the only university in Utah that is allowing outside students into this event,” Rice said.

You may think it is just a dance party, but it is much more than just that. Here are the events you can expect to see at Chaos this year, along with the iconic dance party:

• Haunted house
• Oxygen Bar
• Carnival games
• Fortune teller
• Tarot card reader
• Photo booth
• Silk ariel performance

“This is the event of the year, we bring in all the stops to make it an unforgettable experience for all of our students,” said Kristen Crawford, a junior business administration major from Provo.

Crawford also serves as DSUSAs lead event planner, her and her team have worked hard to ensure this event is perfect for each student at DSU. Their goal for this years Chaos is to have the most renowned dance party in the state. Another goal is to bring students together to not only meet fellow DSU students, but also students from other universities.

“I am just looking forward to hitting that goal of over 5,000 students coming to an event, that will be monumental and that is gonna set the precedent for the future of the university,” Rice said.

Rice is the vice president of student life for DSUSA as he helps plan all of the events for students. He said all of the events are planned by students, for students.

Crawford said: “It’s a huge event that I and so many others have put so much work into. I’m excited to see how many people we can bring together. This is an event that people will be talking about for years, and I’m excited to be an integral part of it.”

It is important to note the following will not be allowed: bags, Halloween costume masks, fake or real weapons, and reentry. Ensure that you follow these simple guidelines and you will be able to have a blast while also being and feeling safe.

The event will be held in the Burns Arena and softball parking lot and will start at 9 p.m.

No matter how many student housing horror stories you hear, there are still highly rated places you can live in during the school year.

Dixie State University has over 20 student housing options between on and off-campus housing. It is no secret some housing options are better than others, and the Google reviews of each complex showcase their individual strengths and flaws.

3 Best Student Housing Options

Best-rated apartment: Dixie Red Sands South

Located 0.6 miles from campus at 1042 E. 600 S., Dixie Red Sands apartments have a google review score of 4.9/5 with a total of 10 reviews.

The Google reviews state their love for the large private rooms, plenty of storage, and a great distance from campus.

The Dixie Red Sands South apartments are $2,500 per semester.

According to the Dixie Red Sands South website, each apartment has six private rooms, three bathrooms, an in-unit washer and dryer, and are fully furnished.

Second best-rated apartment: Dixie South

Located at 638 S. 800 E., Dixie South apartments have a review score of 4.8/5 with a total of 72 reviews.

The majority of Google reviews said they think the price is reasonable and felt management was responsive.

Dixie South apartments are a two-minute walk from campus and have the option of private or shared rooms.

The shared rooms are $3,185 per semester if you agree to a one-time payment or $375 monthly for nine months.

The private rooms are $6,370 per semester for a one-time payment or a total of $6,570 for a two-time payment.

Third best-rated apartment: The Stay

Located at 175. S 1000 E., The Stay apartments have a review score of 4.6/5 with a total of 156 reviews.

The Google reviews said they love the management and it feels like home with nice amenities.

The Stay has an option of a shared room or private room anywhere from $1,750 – $2,750 for a semester.

3 Worst Student Housing Options

Third worst-rated apartment: Red Mountain

Located at 333 S. 1000 E., Red Mountain apartments have a review score of 2.1/5 with a total of 61 reviews. Thirty-eight of the 56 written reviews had a score of 2/5 or less.

Most of the Google reviews have complaints toward the management and how the apartments were not ready by move-in day.

The upside is Red Mountain apartments are located 0.3 miles from campus making it easy for students to walk to class.

Residents have shared rooms for around $359 per month or around $1,615 for the semester.

Second worst-rated apartment: Abby Apartments

Located at 495 S. 900 E., Abby Apartments on-campus housing have a review score of 1.8/5 with a total of eight reviews.

The Google reviewers state their frustration with the apartments not being ready for move-in day and management never addressing the residents’ complaints.

At the Abby Apartments, students have the option of a shared room or a private room.

According to DSU’s website, shared rooms are $1,450 and private rooms are $1,800 per semester.

Worst Rated Apartment: Campus View Suites I

Located on the northeast side of campus, Campus View Suites I has a review score of 1.5/5 with a total of four reviews.

The Google reviews complain of spotty Wi-Fi, early construction noise from campus and unresponsive staff.

“DSU has clearly spent a lot of time to make this building look appealing, but a closer inspection shows that there’s not much else but looks,” A Google review written two years ago by Mac Kinlay said, “During the school year the staff do try to be helpful and pleasant, but as soon as the year ends their attention turns to getting everyone out as soon as possible.”

At the Campus View Suites 1 have the option of shared rooms or private rooms. Shared rooms are $1,749 a semester and the private rooms are $2,499 a semester.

When moving out and being in a new setting, learning how to stay safe is a crucial part to ensure your safety while living on campus.

For some, this might be the first time you’re living on your own. While there are benefits to getting a taste of what it is like to be independent, with this newfound freedom there is a slight price to pay: Keeping yourself safe.

Blair Barfuss, chief of police and director of public safety, said Dixie State University On-campus Housing has multiple policies as well as procedures employees and resident assistants have to abide by to guarantee a safe living environment for students.

Barfuss said DSU greatly encourages students to download the DSU Safe app on their smartphones. The reason for such a push on this app is because students are able to call police dispatch or even make a report in the app and remain anonymous if they wish to do so.

The DSU Police Department has an average time of three to five minutes when responding to a call, but they could possibly respond at an even quicker time depending on how close an officer is to the scene and if the call was placed to police dispatch or 911, Barfuss said.

To ensure students are receiving the care they need at all hours of the day, it is best to call the general campus security phone number only Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., but at any time not listed, be sure to use other resources, Barfuss stated.

“DSU works tirelessly to keep students aware of any possible safety and security issues,” Barfuss said. “We live in a very safe and statistically low crime area [and] significant crimes against people are rare on-campus. As a community, our DSU students, staff and faculty do a really good job of being aware and reporting anything concerning for police to investigate.”

Because of the diligent work the DSUPD puts into keeping this campus safe as well as the help from fellow students, faculty and staff, those who live on campus have multiple resources in case of an emergency.

Although campus police are readily available, Haylie Jacobson, a sophomore English major from Riverton, said she personally doesn’t feel safe at her on-campus housing.

Jacobson said: “Honestly, I don’t feel that safe. I live at [the] Abby Apartments, and there have been sexual assaults here this year, and last year my friend’s car was broken into. The parking lot here is dark, and I am a little scared at night.”

Jacobson said she has also noticed other on-campus housing units being given far more attention than others. For example, the Campus View Suites buildings receive more recognition for its safety while buildings such as the Abby Apartments receive far less.

Regardless of where a student may currently live on campus, everyone should follow specific procedures to ensure safety in and outside of the home.

“My roommates and I keep the door locked pretty much all of the time and we fully lock it at night,” Jacobson said. “I almost never go out at night by myself, and I always have pepper spray with me.”

Angie Groneman, a junior English major from Las Vegas, has also shared some tips for students to feel far more safe in their place of residence at DSU’s on-campus housing.

Students should find a group of individuals whom they feel comfortable with so each student can always have someone looking out for them and vice versa, Groneman said. When leaving your apartment building, it is best to inform your close group of friends of your whereabouts to further enhance your safety.

“Something I recommend to other students living on campus in order to stay safe is to just have a group of people to talk to and keeping an eye on each other,” Groneman said. “My friends and I did this through meeting each other and making group chats.”

While there are events that may happen out of your control, you can still take precautions in order to greatly enhance your chances of staying safe, especially during your time at DSU.