Have you ever kissed a stranger in front of a massive crowd of cheering peers, like students of Utah State University and Utah Valley University traditionally do on their campuses during “True Aggie” and “True Wolverine” nights? Have you attended a huge dance on campus where everyone from fraternity and sorority members to commuting students to non-Utah students gather to have fun? Well, neither have I. I think, to an extent, we have fallen behind regarding unifying social events for the entire student body and beyond.
What I like most about the “True Aggie” and “True Wolverine” nights, where students take turns kissing each other at a significant point on campus to demonstrate their school pride while surrounded by peers, is that they are accessible to everyone and word has gotten out about them to the point where even non-students attend regularly. Additionally, an event similar to this would work as a fantastic ice-breaker and as a way to engage and connect with people on campus whom you might not otherwise have the chance to associate with. A “True Ute” night would do a good job of grasping the college spirit by tapping into the youthfulness and thrill of kissing someone, even a stranger, in front of a crowd of fellow Utes. The experience would be one that could not be easily duplicated outside of the college campus setting that would bring us together — students only. No families, tailgaters or former Utes, yet no campus exclusivity.
The majority of our social traditions here at the U stem from football. While I like that football is such a big deal here — we’re PAC-12, it’s exciting and the support for it is through the roof — what about those people who don’t really get into football much? College football game day is, and always will be, a staple of college life in America. But that doesn’t mean it’s accessible or attractive to the entire student body.
While football will always be huge, dances tend to be a good way for students to come together. As I remember from high school, they did a good job of uniting students by breaking the ice between cliques and groups and creating an excuse for people to have fun together. I’m aware that we have some dances here at the U, and I think ASUU is onto something with their Homecoming dance and bringing people together early in the year. But as of now, college students around campus and even around the state are planning their night up in Logan for Utah State University’s annual dance, the Howl, which is widely known as one of the best college dances in Utah and has hosted more than 10,000 people, according to Brendon Butler of The Herald Journal. At this point it feels like the U just doesn’t compete in that aspect of student life.
Don’t get me wrong, the U has so much to offer its students, and I am grateful for all the opportunities we have. But it seems that the majority of student events and traditions are associated with specific groups of sororities, fraternities and clubs, which leaves out the rest of the student body — those who commute, or don’t have time for extracurricular commitments. When student-wide events are held, the advertising is minimal, and it seems to me that word doesn’t get out very well. While we may be a large “commuter school,” I don’t see that as much of an excuse not to have a greater sense of student unity throughout campus supported by bigger and better student events. We don’t necessarily need more dances, or a “True Ute” night, but I think this area of student life — socializing and uniting the entire student body — deserves deeper consideration.