The Foam Dance at Utah Tech University launched the new semester by engaging students. The event took place Aug. 22 at 9 p.m. near the Campus View II parking lot and lasted until midnight.
Brett Coleman, student engagement coordinator for Utah Tech Student Association, said about 3,000 students attended the Foam Dance.
The first dance of the semester is an opportunity for students to meet new people and have a fun time before the hardworking year.
“It [the event] is important because it is an awesome experience for them [students] to have a ton of fun, to make new friends, and rebuild connections with their friends,” Coleman said.
The party helps students feel welcome among the Trailblazer family and encourages them to be close to each other.
“I could see how this dance could be important, because it brings students together,” said Emma Hardy, a junior medical technology major from Layton. “When you think about Trailblazers, you think that we are just a huge family, and we all support each other. This dance shows the spirit of Trailblazers.”
The Foam Dance plays a key role not only for freshmen, but also for upperclassmen, allowing them an opportunity to rebuild their social connections on campus.
“A lot of upperclassmen look forward to this [event] every year, so it is something for them to return to,” Coleman said. “It is a tradition for them.”
For some students, this event serves as a source of relief before the busy semester. One of those students is Erin McKinnon, a junior marketing major from Redding, California, who helped organize the event.
“It is a chance to relax and have fun before the school year really starts,” McKinnon said. “That is why it is the first week, so you do not get bogged down already.”
The music took an important role in creating a high-energy atmosphere at the event, keeping students excited and interested.
McKinnon said, “All sorts of music, lots of pop, lots of hip hop, lots of, I would say, nostalgic music for our generation. Music everyone knows, that gets you dancing.”
This year, the organizers of the event changed the foam color to white due to issues with the color of foam during previous years. The pink and blue foams dyed students’ skin and clothes.
“This year, we have learned from the past years that foam actually dyed students’ skin color,” Hardy said. “So here, there is going to be no dye in the foam, just white soap.”
