The Halloween carnival that took place every year at Pierce was a fun way for the community to get a little more involved with the school. Many people enjoyed the pumpkin patch, and spirit of the carnival. Recently, however, the carnival was taken away, and there have been no signs of Pierce trying to bring it back. Despite most people being in favor of restoring the carnival, I think it would be a bad idea to rekindle the tradition.
Although there are many benefits to the Halloween Carnival, there are also many consequences. One of them being the current drought the state of California is facing.
Year after year, Pierce would grow their own pumpkins and cornstalks to keep the Halloween carnivals going. However, since most people simply drive by every October, they fail to realize just how much water is being used to keep the carnival open. With more water than I can even imagine being used, you begin to wonder just how much these carnivals were costing the school, and if they made enough profit to make up for the money spent. Not only that, but what about the tons of water already used? Could that have potentially been water we could have saved to help prevent the severe drought? Possibly.
Also, with not much else going on in October, the month is usually dedicated to costume parties, where everyone can get together and have a few drinks. The party-goers have the right to drink, and normally, that would not be a problem in the comfort of their own home. However, what happens when someone mentions the idea of a corn maze at Pierce? They end up at the Halloween Carnival intoxicated.
Picture this: A group of drunk friends show up to the carnival on a Friday night. Almost immediately, they begin acting inappropriately, making sexual remarks and cursing excessively. All while children run around them, picking pumpkins. How would you feel witnessing this?
The idea of allowing the carnival to be open to anyone, doesn’t seem too fair to the kids. Considering the carnival is on the property of a college, once the night reaches a certain hour, college-aged students are expected to flock in. One might argue that the parents should take their kids to the pumpkin patch earlier in the day, but what about the working parents that have limited hours to do such activities with their children? By keeping the carnival closed, it increases the chances of parents taking their children to a smaller pumpkin patch where Pierce students are less likely to go while intoxicated.
In addition to alcohol, violence can be a consequence of the carnival. Unfortunately, most view breaking the rules as a rush. More likely than not, after a few drinks in their system, most are more prone to do things they will likely regret because they are not in the right state of mind. Whether it be breaking the law in order to get that rush it is they are seeking or becoming aggressive and fighting. With a lot of different activities going on during the carnival, there are many opportunities for people to stir up some trouble. All it takes is one person with bad intentions, or even a misunderstanding to cause problems.
With many negatives to this question, I do not think the Halloween carnival should be brought back. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Especially while doing things for sheer amusement.
