The Ignite Halloween party was canceled this fall due to provincial budget cuts and students choosing to not pay for optional Ignite fees this year.
The annual Humber College party was a costume party packed with pop tunes, dancing and the occasional drink. The event cost $5 to attend and friends outside of school could be invited. It was a great event to take photos and celebrate Halloween.
However, the provincial government made budget cuts to post-secondary funding this fall.
Humber College had less overall funding due to these cuts, with less funds this year given to Ignite, the student government at Humber College.
More students chose not to pay for optional Ignite fees this year, which included funding for Ignite events, amenities and services, Lindsay Zaferis, the events director of Ignite said.
Zaferis said the overall Ignite budget impacted what events could be hosted and Ignite prioritized multiple ongoing events throughout the year over more frosh events.
“We chose to err on the side of caution fiscally and forego having the Halloween party this year,” Zaferis said.
Ciara Byrne, the issues coordinator at Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, said that Humber College still had to charge students necessary service fees, aside from Ignite fees.
This included essential campus fees to fund walk-safe programs, mental health counselling and support, athletics and recreation, as well as academic services, Byrne said.
Husnain Munir, a second year Humber student, attended the Ignite Halloween party last year and said, “considering that every year prior this was the school’s Halloween celebration, it does feel as if the school has abandoned Halloween this year.”
“They shouldn’t cancel it because it’s something the students look forward to during their busy semesters,” Munir said, “cancelling the party this year raises speculation as to why it happened.”
Even though the Halloween party was cancelled, Ignite hosted a few activities on-campus for the traditional festivities: pumpkin decorating, a costume contest and candies, Zaferis said.
Zaferis said that Ignite hopes to bring the Halloween party back for next fall.