Halloween '86 crossed many boundaries for different reasons: besides the fact that it accounted for the biggest Halloween IV had ever seen at the time, it was also marked by many instances of violence, and dare I say, mishaps. One of those instances being the story of a UCSB student who thought she had been hit by flying rocks on Friday night until she went to Student Health on Monday and found out it was actually a bullet in her chest all along. Similarly, a 26-year-old male sustained multiple stab wounds to the chest. Two others fell off the Del Playa cliffs during the partying. 

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      The most heart-wrenching story of all, however, was only reported on November 3rd, on the "No Major Mishaps" issue of the Daily Nexus. Lisa Frankenberg was still a freshman at the time when she reported the horrific encounter she had with a distressed and barely-clothed girl from out of town, huddled over herself on the sidewalk, lost in the middle of the crowd. Lisa's emotion-fueled and perfectly feminist article was exactly what the University needed as a wake-up call, demonstrating that there's just so much precaution that women can take without holding men accountable for their actions. 

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     After the disparity between Lisa's article and the front-page article that disregarded any form of sexual assault, it didn't take long until students started to voice their opinions in "The Reader's Voice" section of the newspaper. Between men blaming women and their costumes (shocking) and women blaming other women for not being more careful (it was the 80s, let's hope they changed their minds), many students were found outraged by the fact that it was neither considered significant for the front page and that it happened altogether. Many pointed the fact that students and faculty could blame out of towners all they wanted, but the reality is that situations like this happen in Isla Vista all year round, and Halloween was just facilitating it to happen all in one night. 

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     Among the students' voices, there were also more reports of sexual harassment and sexual assault, such as Sharyl McGrew's description of what she saw in front of a house in DP. Right in front of where everybody was passing by, in a couch just laying in someone's front lawn, you could see a girl being physically molested by a guy who didn't stop until she regained consciousness and was able to leave --even though many witnesses tried to get him off her. 

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    It didn't take long for the Daily Nexus' print an issue with a "Major Mishap" title, addressing the rapes and sexual harassment that happened that night that went over their heads in the previous issue. 

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    However, one thing that all students in the "Reader's Voice" and the editors could agree on was the ridiculous amount of pinching, grabbing and cat-calling that happened among the crowd --mostly towards women. Which was enough to leave a bad taste on the mouth of many students who were already planning how to either improve or leave Isla Vista's Halloween for the following year. 

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     As of 1987, the University funded $20,000 for a volunteer student group composed of faculty, staff, and students as a way to make Halloween safer while keeping the party going. The volunteer group called RED Alert, which stands for Respect Equality and Dignity, was founded in November of 1986 and patrolled the streets during Halloween weekend. The volunteers helped people who were harassed, overly intoxicated or unconscious, located medical assistance and helped out of towners who were lost. After their first year of patrolling, there were no reported stabbings, shootings, or sexual violence, and it was reported that students thanked them as they left DP. 

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     Along with the new patrolling group, Halloween of '86 also sparked many marches and rallies such as Take Back the Night, which had the purpose of fighting against sexual harassment and sexual assault on campus and in Isla Vista. The marches and rallies happened yearly during Halloween time and included speeches from survivors and activists, and even counted on the presence of the Chancellor at the time.

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      Amongst the horrific incidents reported and unreported, the community still showed strength and desire to unite and promote a fun and safe experience for all. Still, many students reported leaving Isla Vista during Halloween weekend and not celebrating the tradition because they didn't feel safe anymore, because as Lisa Frankenberg said: "Halloween is supposed to be scary, but not like that."

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