TO THE EDITOR:
When I was a kid, Halloween was my favorite event of the year. As an adult, I’ve had the great fortune to attend the stupendous Halloween celebrations on the streets of New York City and Washington, D.C. The event is a great outlet for creativity and self-expression.
Chapel Hill’s celebration has the potential to be a great event, but it’s been hijacked by drunk college students who make it unpleasant for anyone else to attend. In fact, these students’ behavior has lead to an activist to suggest banning the event. I think that instead of banning it, it would be much better to figure out a way in which the event could be fun and welcoming to everyone. An organization like UNC’s Greek system could organize a formal parade and host costume contests for all ages of contestants. Food and non-alcoholic drink vendors could set up temporary booths. These types of activities could draw more members of the wider community who would model safer behavior to the college students. Additionally, standards for acceptable behavior could be made explicit and prominently posted in numerous areas.
It’s a shame that the event has turned into the type of bacchanal that keeps people like me away. It would be an even greater shame to lose the opportunity to create an event that would draw people like me downtown.
Laura Wenzel
Class of 1990
