Halloween is to UCSB what Mardi Gras is to New Orleans, or so they say, but this year’s festivities may be even tamer than its predecessors, if campus officials have their way.
UCSB has Halloween events planned for its residents, but they happen to coincide with Parents’ and Family Weekend, which has also been scheduled for this weekend. Students in the residence halls are encouraged to attend the on- and off-campus housing events that range from a dance in Manzanita Village to intramural football on Francisco Torres’ field this Saturday. Yet one thing will be missing from this year’s festivities: overnight guests.
All on-campus and most university-affiliated residence halls, with the exception of Fontainebleau, are not allowing any overnight visitors. Fontainebleau is, however, allowing parents and siblings to accommodate for Parents’ and Family Weekend.
Because Isla Vista has been too rowdy during past Halloweens, the no-guest policy will lower attendance in I.V., Residental Life Director Charlene Chew-Ogi said.
Students have mixed reactions to the no-guest policy.
“I have four friends coming and now I have to find hotels for them,” said freshman psychology major and Santa Rosa resident Andrew Meyer. “It’s harder to get hotels now because it’s Parents’ Weekend. I had to call 10 to 15 different hotels.”
Other students feel that restricting guests will make the community safer and keep Halloween festivities under control.
“It’s good because most damage done in I.V. is done by visitors,” said freshman pre-political science major Michael Denno. “They don’t care about messing things up. Halloween is insane enough without other people’s friends.”
There will be additional Community Service Officers and police officers patrolling I.V. in order to provide extra security on Halloween. While students are being restricted by the policy, the dorms are also gearing up for Halloween by putting more RAs on duty around the clock.
“The RAs are more alert, but they’re not trying to be your parents,” Residence Hall Association President Jacob Haik said. “They just don’t want anyone to get hurt. Damages happen because of visitors or people that no one knows.”
The on-campus residence halls are putting on “Project Care,” a program to encourage halls to prevent damage on their floors, and if they do, to pay for it themselves. If a hall has no damages by the end of the year, then they will be entered in a year-end raffle, Haik said.
“We’re even giving away a car,” he said.
Although tighter security measures will be in place, many events are this weekend are designed to keep residents entertained.
“We’re in the courtyard all night with s’mores and the [Fontainebleau] Annex is having a costume contest,” Fontainebleau Resident Director Sue Tollison said.
On Halloween, Manzanita Village is holding a dance in La Patera Quad from 8 to 11:00 p.m. Hall councils are planning movie nights and costume contests, and dining commons are giving their foods ghoulish names. Tropicana Gardens is holding a suite-decorating contest and FT is holding a floor-decorating contest. Fontainebleau will have a window-decorating contest with cash prizes,
“Our activities,” Haik said, “are an alternative to I.V.”
