The way some administrators and student leaders have treated a harmless campus Halloween tradition is frightening. The Student Activities Board’s decision to cut sponsorship and funding of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is misguided.

The decision was partly based on complaints from five or six of last year’s attendees about incidents that administrators have since designated as “hazing,” which is appropriately against Ithaca College policy. But rituals for first-time audience members were always optional. And the hundreds of students who turned out for the showings chose and paid to be there. It was not like they were walking across the Academic Quad, encountered the performance and had someone scrawl a letter V on their forehead in permanent marker.

On top of this, “Rocky Horror” organizers and performers — who begin preparations for casting and costuming far in advance — had already agreed to scale back audience participation for first-timers when SAB expressed its concerns. Then SAB waited until the day rehearsals were set to begin to notify the director of the organization’s decision. This left the performers an inadequate amount of time to form a back-up plan.

Fortunately, the IC Players have stepped in and agreed to keep the tradition alive. The event is something many Ithaca College students enjoy that does not involve alcohol — 200 people were turned away from the Halloween performance last year, in a week when there were three showings.

Certainly, as Executive Chair Gregg Goldstein says, SAB is not required or obligated to sponsor any specific event — that is the freedom all student organizations have. But the reasons behind the decision were weak, and the timing was inconsiderate.

Students should be able — and encouraged — to organize events that many enjoy even if they make a few people uncomfortable. When an event encouraging displays of same-sex affection took place in the Academic Quad, no one complained in an official capacity. “Rocky Horror” deserves the same reaction. The show must go on.