Hope Discontinues Its Safe Halloween Event

Hope College has discontinued its annual Safe Halloween event for area children. The event took place in the college's residence halls for many years until it was relocated to a central location in 2010.

“We always enjoyed hosting event in the buildings. Safe Halloween was an opportunity to provide a glimpse of what life was like for our students to local kids and their families. However, the event required our residential halls to be unlocked and entrances unmonitored for a significant period, posing a potential security risk. Additionally, the buildings are a main site for Hope students to study. Hosting the event in the halls created a significant disruption for some Hope students at a point in the academic year where the demands are especially high,” said Dr. John Jobson, associate dean of students and director of residential life and housing.

The event moved to a centralized location on-campus in the fall of 2010. “The move to the Maas Conference Center, while addressing the concerns regarding security and disruption to our students, resulted in a format similar to other Safe Halloween events provided by many area churches, schools, and other organizations. As a result, attendance at our event dropped significantly,” Jobson said.