Happy Halloween 2009 From Student Health

My relationship with Halloween is what you might call “complicated.”  I love the creativity and positive energy of our students dressing up.  I love this Gaucho spirit and unity.  Only at UCSB do you see your Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, and Dean of Students come out to greet the crowds of students on D.P. on Halloween night.

I don’t like the violence, ass grabbing, fighting, property damage, and all the trash.  Last year, Halloween fell on a Friday.  In spite of the rain, over 45,000 people came to I.V.  There were over 230 arrests made and 560 citations given out (instead of treats). 55 people were transported for emergency care and over 50 cars were towed. Two people fell off the cliffs.

This year we will have around 250 police officers on the streets, on horses, and conducting DUI checkpoints.  But, if we have the same or more visitors as last year, it will take more than just the police to keep the peace over the weekend.  Here are a few simple things you can do to help:

Make sure your friends know the laws so they don’t end up with a ticket or arrested. Your Associated Students put together a concise website with the most common laws that get violated and advice from the Legal Resource Center.  Make sure your friends know their rights and how to act if they are stopped by the police. Stick together and have a plan where and when to meet if you get separated.

STAR is co-sponsoring the Haunted House of HEaLLth this Wednesday at the Career Center Lawn at 10-2 p.m. to promote Halloween Safety and fun this weekend. They are joined by HEAL, S&R, Wellness, Life of the Party, Active Minds, Women’s Center, RCSGD, Stress Management Peers, and Take Back the Night. Come on by and collect your treats while you learn how to avoid the tricks of Halloween 2009.

We look forward to seeing all the Twilight vampires, Wild Things, Kissing Booths, Wii controllers, and all the creativity that UCSB students have.  And underneath those masks and while you are having fun, remember to take care of one another and be the good humans that you are.

FYI:

Urban legend: Playboy magazine published an article in 1991 that ranked Isla Vista Halloween as one of the biggest and craziest parties in the country. But according to a daily nexus article from 2004, that article was never written.  If you can prove otherwise, let me know.  I’ll give you credit in this blog.

One Response to “Happy Halloween 2009 From Student Health”

1. Michael Takahara says:

   October 27, 2009 at 10:39 pm

   A friend facebooked me this:

   “Ok, so this site for buying vintage issues of Playboy says that the January 1987 issue did include “Top 40 Party Colleges, compiled by Wayne Duvall”:

   http://www.ardenwebsales.com/general_store/Playboy/index_1987.html

   But according to this transcript of the article (veracity iffy), UCSB is not on the list at all!

   http://cache.cow.net/works/octothorpe/partcoll.oct

   So… the article *was* written. But apparently UCSB didn’t rank! For shame! Great urban legend though, no?”