The Student Senate is planning to hold a movie and dance night on the Friday before Halloween this year in an effort to provide a safe alternative to Isla Vista Partying.
Drunk driving among students is a huge concern the Student Senate aim to minimize. Expecting 30,000 Halloween revelers from all over the state to overrun Isla Vista they hope to draw students away from parties and into a safer environment.
“We’re definitely going to put something on to keep people out of the realm of drunk driving,” said Student Senate President James Carter.
Drunk driving is one of the leading causes of death for young people, and with such a high amount of people drinking in a small area there is a much greater risk of injuries or fatalities. He hopes a safe night on Halloween weekend will increase awareness among students about the problems of substance abuse, Carter said.
According to Sgt. Johnson of the Isla Vista Foot Patrol, Del Playa crowds have been especially heavy since the beginning of the semester, and he expects the usual massive crowd this coming Halloween.
I.V. has experienced decreased keg sales recently because of increase efforts from law enforcement to crack down on keg parties and those who provide minors with alcohol, Johnson said.
People who host keg parties can now be fined up to $3,000 if they are found to be furnishing alcohol to minors. Johnson expects the new policy to slightly decrease the Foot Patrol’s concerns about students safety during the Halloween festivities, although he said he is certain a large amount of drinking will still take place.
Carter stressed responsibility on the part of City College students when it comes to drinking on Halloween night, pointing out that DUI’s will tarnish students’ personal records.
“If you get into trouble at City College it’s going to follow you all the way over to the UC,” Carter said.
The issue of drinking and driving is one close to Carter’s heart. His brother was killed in a car accident with a four-time offending drunk driver.
“When I have a friend who drinks I’ll pick them up and drive them home,” Carter said. “If you’re going to drink be responsible.”
City College will host a Oct. 27 forum on substance abuse. Carter urges students to take part in the forum to help build awareness leading up to Halloween.
Johnson also hopes students will use more responsibility this Halloween weekend, pointing out that law enforcement will continue to take a zero tolerance approach to law-breakers. This means that instead of issuing citations police will arrest anyone they determine to be breaking the law.