The bus stops here.
There will be no University-sponsored buses for students who wish to visit Franklin Street in Chapel Hill this Halloween, Duke University Union officials announced at their executive meeting Tuesday night.
"We get the feeling we're not welcome," said Vice President of Programming Gabriela Borges, a junior.
The Union's decision comes on the heels of the announcement by the Chapel Hill city government last week to restrict its annual Franklin Street Halloween party to residents. The "Homegrown Halloween" campaign is an effort to scale back a party that local officials said has imposed unfair costs and safety concerns on the city.
DUU officials said they respect Chapel Hill's decision.
"I think it's very rude for us as an official student organization to charter buses when they have asked us not to," Borges said.
DUU President Chamindra Goonewardene, a senior, said he does not think the decision will significantly change the Halloween plans of Duke students. He added that if students want to visit Franklin Street they will find a way to go, with buses or without them.
But that is exactly what worries sophomore Jideka Nwosu.
"People are always going to drink," she said. "The bus limits drinking and driving."
Last year was the first year the Union provided free transportation to Chapel Hill on Halloween. Goonewardene said that as a result, he does not think students see it as an entitlement.
Union members also said that without the cost of buses, they will be able to provide more on-campus programming this Halloween than last. The Union has scheduled a midnight screening of the film "Teeth"-a dark comedy about a girl whose vagina has teeth-and plans are being made for other events.
"Duke has to amp up what they're doing, definitely, but whatever they do can't rival Franklin Street," said sophomore Aliza Lopes-Baker.
In other business:
Renovations are nearly complete on the Duke Coffeehouse, which will re-open Oct. 18 with a party featuring free music, coffee and T-shirts for students.
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