Approximately 160 FAU students will receive a free trip to Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream.
In order to kick off Homecoming, the Davie campus and the Treasure Coast campus are paying for three buses to go to Busch Gardens’ annual Howl-O-Scream. The buses, which fit 50 to 60 people, will be departing their respective campuses on Saturday, Oct. 23, and returning the following morning.
Treasure Coast, which will be taking 50 people, is accepting students from any FAU campus, while Davie will only accept students from its own campus.
This is the fourth annual trip to Howl-O-Scream for the Davie campus. This year they invited the other campuses to join them. Aloha Balza, coordinator for student affairs, explained,
“We’ve always done this. This year we invited other campuses, but the only one who wanted to come was Treasure Coast.”
Although Treasure Coast is only taking 50 students, meal vouchers will be provided for those students, as opposed to Davie, which is only paying for the ticket and bus ride. Balza explained, “We usually have food, cereal bars and water on the bus” but added, “Whatever [students are] going to get inside the park, they need to pay for.”
Balza will not be attending Howl-O-Scream this year, although she has gone on previous trips as a chaperone.
“The students have a great time. They enjoy all the rides and the scary stuff. I had a great time last year.”
Howl-O-Scream offers Scare Zones, shows and haunted houses in addition to Busch Gardens’ collection of roller coasters and rides. This year’s theme is “Howl-O-Scream is Gonna Rock: Revenge is ELECTRIFRYING.” Busch Gardens hired local Tampa band “Not Tonight Josephine” to play the fictional rock-and-roll band “MyX,” whose lead singer mysteriously disappeared. This highly anticipated event is also featuring new Scare Zones and haunted houses, as well as the classics Howl-O-Scream attendees have come to expect.
Rochelle Popp, assistant director of Student Involvement and Leadership on the Treasure Coast campus, is planning on making her first trip to Howl-O-Scream this year as a chaperone. Popp has never been on the trip before, but is looking forward to “seeing the students have a good time and getting the Homecoming week kicked off.”
Don’t wait to get scared
Davie campus students:
Register online Oct. 4-20 at the FAU Marketplace: epay.fau.edu/C20081_ustores/web/index.jsp. Warning: This will probably fill up fast. Bring your Owl Card, $30 refundable deposit and a copy of your Davie class schedule (the event is open only to Davie students)
Other FAU students:
Even if you’re on the Boca campus, you got to drive to the Treasure Coast campus to register. Bring with your Owl Card and a $30 deposit to the JU building through Oct. 1.
