Many students are abuzz on campus looking forward to the future of Bloomsburg’s home park, Knoebels! October 4th begins the start of the highly anticipated Hallofun Weekends! Although swarms of families are undoubtedly gearing up for the festivities, a new, growing concern has been permeating discussion forms and social media alike. Will Knoebels follow in the footsteps of Universal, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Dorney by adding in a chaperone policy?
Shortly after parks opened from the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, spikes in rowdy and illegal behavior dominated news tabs. But it didn’t just pertain to 2021. Last year, at Six Flags Great America’s Halloween Haunt, a chaotic brawl of over 100 teens began a chain reaction of adolescent violence at almost every park in the country. The incident persisted in waves of “teenage takeovers” in early July, culminating in a stabbing just last week in Busch Gardens Williamsburg, prompting the question: How do we keep the peace? Parents, employees, and pass holders alike have been scrambling to find solutions, and the one on the tip of everyone’s tongue is sour to adolescent thrill seekers—chaperones. It seems obvious, if the problem is the kids misbehaving, then just ban the kids, right?
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. There are thousands of good kids that lost a safe “third space” to hang out in, and in turn, plenty of entitled adults acting worse than kids. It’s not uncommon to find grown men and women participating in the same kind of harmful shenanigans. Eventually, the responsibility must fall on us as guests to keep ourselves and our families safe. If you’re planning to enjoy Knoebels this autumn (which you should), here are some tips from us here at The Voice.
1. Keep in contact with your group! (GroupMe, Snapchat, Life360)
2. Know your limits. Resist peer pressure to ride, participate in, or drink something you don’t want to.
3. Designate a driver and a meet-up spot. Don’t wander around in a dark parking lot trying to get home, coordinate beforehand!
4. Report anything that seems amiss to an employee.
