Hillsborough Street businesses are looking to repeat the success of last year’s Haunted Hillsborough Hike, which brought in about 5,000 students. Student Government is looking to build upon this number.

SG leaders are also working to include the Spook Hunger charity canned food drive as part of this year’s Hike.

The Haunted Hike can become a strong tradition and help revitalize Hillsborough Street, but the University needs to pressure the Raleigh Police Department to close Hillsborough Street for the event.Student Government has made maintaining a safe environment for students at the Haunted Hike one of its top priorities – the University needs to do the same.

Andrew Tucker, director of SG’s Government Relations Department, said the Hillsborough Street Commission and local businesses handled most of the administrative issues for last year’s Haunted Hike. Tucker said local Hillsborough Street businesses handle the details of the hike, while Student Government seeks to raise awareness of existing University services and publicize the Haunted Hike to students.

In fact, Student Government’s overall involvement is minimal – the Spook Hunger canned food drive is the only change student leaders have suggested for the Haunted Hike this year.

Tucker said SG has only pushed aggressively for a stronger coalition with the Hillsborough Street Commission and a safe environment for the Haunted Hike. Yet he also said the Raleigh police department would not close Hillsborough Street for the event.

The University has arranged for Hillsborough Street to be shut down during the Homecoming parade – why can’t it also get the city to close the street for the Haunted Hike?

Student safety is paramount – with the existing problems of dealing with fire codes and alcohol issues, the police have enough to deal with. Adding crowd control to potential traffic problems is not a wise move.

If the Haunted Hillsborough Hike is going to become a tradition that creates a close tie between the University and the local community, we must address fundamental issues like safety now. University administrators have a strong voice in city governance – they need to use this political power to guarantee that student events on Hillsborough Street are safe.

The Haunted Hike can build traditions that can help revitalize Hillsborough Street. But we must ensure that we establish safe traditions, or any effort to revitalize Hillsborough will be in vain.