The Spooky Coug Carnival Ratchets Up the Fright with Facepainting, a Pie-Eating Contest, and “Axe” Throwing

It is the dreary afternoon of Monday, October 26 on the WSUV campus. A steady drizzle of cold autumn rain is coming down outside and within the darkened depths of the Firstenburg Student Commons building, the second annual Spooky Coug Carnival is well underway. 

Inside the carnival, the attendees enjoy a mix of games and activities. Facepainting offers full makeovers to complement and enhance one’s costume, while an axe throwing wall provides an outlet for those post-midterm frustrations—albeit with an inflatable backstop and cushioned “axes” to avoid any unfortunate dismemberment. 

Meanwhile, a member of the Student Activities Board is taking their first stab at a cotton candy machine. While it takes a few attempts, some helpful hints from revilers, and a couple of their own toasted fingertips, they eventually are able to begin producing the desired concoction. Director of Events Coordination for ASWSUV, Tina Danh, ends up with a spun sugar construct at least the size of her head.

More than a few students are in the spirit of the season in costume. Lilly Lovelace, a Senior, stalks about the carnival as Jason Voorhees. Kevin Sandstrom of ASWSUV wears a chicken costume and a green cloak. It was unclear if they represented a specific character, but it wasn’t the mascot of the evening’s catered dinner: Dave’s Hot Chicken. This offering presented by the Student Activities Board (SAB) provided both traditional chicken pieces, as well as a vegan option in the form of breaded and fried cauliflower. 

The event was an undertaking between the SAB, ASWSUV, Center for Intercultural Learning and Affirmation (CILA), and ArtX. Joint endeavors like this are increasingly common between various organizations, pooling resources and personnel to put on larger events for the student body, according to members of the Student Government. 

Judah Richardson, a Judicial Officer in ASWSUV, says that events like this help him establish connections. 

“I always seem to make at least one or two new friends here,” he says the relaxed nature of the Carnival provides an opportunity for socializing with new faces.

“More than most of the events, people don’t really tense up when they’re here,” Richardson says. Given that it’s a commuter campus, he thinks that “people are like: ‘am I wasting time by being here? Should I be home? I have work—whatever it might be.’ But there just seems to be something about [Spooky Coug Carnival] that really gives a light, welcoming feeling.”

The casual nature might be one draw to the event, but the prizes are certainly another. Two competitions were held that evening: a pie eating contest and a costume show. The former’s top prize was a $30 Amazon gift card, while the latter was a full $150. 

Though the VanCougar was not there to observe the event, based on evidence left at the scene, the pie contest had contestants devouring blueberry confectionaries. A student by the name of Santiago was declared the champion, though they vanished before a statement or additional information could be obtained. Likewise, Lana, dressed as Simon from Alvin and the Chipmunks was the victor of the costume contest, but they also absconded into the night without providing comment.

Around 150 students and faculty dropped in to the festivities, a slight decrease from last year according to ASWSUV. Weather may have been a factor, or, as Richardson notes, some were too afraid to venture in. He says in previous years it was just the ‘Coug Carnival’, but then “they added ‘Spooky’ to it, because people weren’t scared.” 

“People thought it was just a fun time and it’s not,” he says, with a mischievousness befitting of the season. “It’s a time of fright, superstition, and fear.”