Fright Night Deterred by Rowdy Crowds, Madison Hopes to Take the Scare out of Halloween
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DISPATCHES Fright Night Deterred by rowdy crowds, Madison hopes to take the scare out of Halloween. Halloween in Madison — a date But Hudson acknowledges died from head injuries after that carries a haunting history of that’s a hard sell, given the falling off a State Street roof. In a riots and recklessness — has event’s often-frightening history. twisted footnote, as emergency arrived at a defining moment. The modern version of Hal- personnel tended to the man, Mindful of the alcohol- loween on State Street took root someone reached into the ambu- fueled melees that have erupted in the late 1970s, and in its lance and stole the ignition keys. on State Street the past two years, many Madison officials say JOURNAL VIA WWW.MERLIN-NET.COM JOHN MANIACI/WISCONSIN STATE that this is the year for the annual celebration to vanish like a ghost. But others want the tra- 15 ditional party to expand and Number of CEOs of Standard & evolve, encompassing family Poor’s 500 companies who events and an early-morning per- earned their undergraduate formance by a high-profile band. degrees from UW-Madison, Students planning for the which ties Harvard University as 2004 celebration have recom- the most common alma mater mended a bigger, gentler festival of top executives, according to that includes daytime children’s data compiled by Bloomberg entertainment, along with trick- Markets magazine. or-treating at State Street stores and other family-themed events. “Halloween is just like the Mifflin Street block party — it Costumed partiers flooded State Street during Halloween weekend last year, several hours before riots broke out among the crowd. needs to adapt to survive,” says Dan Hudson x’05, a member of the Associated Students of Madi- heyday, it attracted costumed The somber memory and a string son Halloween Committee, partiers from all over the Mid- of rainy October 31s washed which spent several months dur- west. In 1982, one hundred thou- away the celebration for several ing spring coming up with its sand revelers jammed State Street, years, but it reemerged in 1999, proposals. “Now, it’s nothing but which hosted two music stages. when crowds once again took to a giant college drunkfest. We The following year, however, State Street for costumed revelry. need to embrace it, and make it a pall was cast over the event In 2002, a crowd of sixty- part of the community.” when a nineteen-year-old man five thousand erupted in an The Reilly Factor: UW’s New President A colleague once told Kevin experiences and came to Wisconsin potential,” Reilly says he will Reilly that running a university skills to this new eight years ago to focus on maintaining access and system might seem like being position” — includ- work with UW-Exten- affordability, as well as enhancing “superintendent of a graveyard. ing a valuable sense sion, which manages the system’s role in the state’s You have a lot of people under of humor. several programs in economic development. you, but nobody’s listening.” Regents chose distance and continu- “My job as president will be It was in that spirit of levity Reilly from a national ing education, includ- to communicate the importance that Reilly, the former chancellor field of candidates to ing Wisconsin’s public of that work and build lasting of UW-Extension, became the replace Katharine radio and television relationships with the people UW System’s sixth president this Lyall, who retired networks. He served and organizations that make it fall. Noting the budgetary and after thirteen years four years as provost possible,” he says. “With strong political challenges facing the sys- leading the twenty- Kevin Reilly before becoming partnerships and a clear vision, tem, Toby Marcovich, president six-campus system. A chancellor in 2000. we can tackle any number of of the Board of Regents, says former administrator for the State As leader of “Wisconsin’s challenges.” Reilly brings “a remarkable set of University of New York, Reilly premier developer of human — Michael Penn 10 ON WISCONSIN DISPATCHES early-morning riot, causing Nor is Madison mayor Dave it local, but how do you do that? police to spray tear gas on State Cieslewicz ’81 wild about the You can’t put a barricade around Street for the first time since the students’ proposal. “The mayor the city and keep people out.” Vietnam era. Last year, another doesn’t have some crystal ball While Torkildson admits she 406 people were arrested or that says what bands will cause doesn’t have any miracle solu- cited, and the lower end of people to do,” says spokes- tions, she would like to see the State Street was again seized by woman Melanie Conklin city crack down on keg sales brawls that shattered windows MA’93, noting that riots broke and stagger bar closing times to and damaged property at sev- out last year after a concert on prevent a flood of people con- eral businesses. Library Mall. “Halloween should gregating on State Street. City and campus officials have be on a low-key level, and not After last year’s damage led no desire to see a repeat perform- [an event to which] we invite the one State Street merchant to “So politics: poli- is many; ance. “We need a cooling-off entire Midwest, and beyond.” move to another location, the -tics are blood-sucking period,” says LaMarr Billups, Conklin says the mayor’s city is inclined to take those con- parasites.” special assistant to the chancellor office is considering some of the cerns seriously. But students for community relations. “We other recommendations of the argue that snuffing out Hal- — Author and linguist Richard need a trouble-free couple of student panel, including adult loween entirely could hurt busi- Lederer, dissecting language years to balance what’s happened costume contests and family- ness in the long run. during a July lecture in Memorial in the past couple of years.” friendly events, as well as mak- “If the city squashes it, the Union’s Great Hall. Lederer, host In June, Madison police ing food available after bar time. business community is not of the popular radio program issued an eleven-page report that But any new approach going to like it, and the event A Way with Words, had his way blamed the event’s growing brings the worry that a third con- could die,” says Hudson. “But with bunches of them, to the regional appeal for many of its secutive year of violence will the event could get bigger and delight of several hundred problems. The report urged taking brand the celebrations as an everyone could benefit. We’re audience members. steps to make the celebration annual riot. “They can’t let the interested in making it a good more local and low-key and same thing happen,” says Sandi event. This is my town, and I argued against anything that Torkildson ’75, president of the don’t want to see people tear- would draw more out-of-towners Greater State Street Business ing it up.” to the city — including live music. Association. “They want to keep — Dennis Chaptman ’80 That puts the city at odds with students, who say a large, controlled concert would occupy Sandefur to Lead L&S and settle crowds. “We need to keep kids Sociology professor Gary Sande- accessible resource by students, active so they won’t resort to fur wasn’t sure he wanted to be faculty, and staff alike,” says violence,” says Matt Rink x’06, an administrator until he did a Chancellor John D. Wiley. who served on the ASM com- short stint as interim provost in As a demogra- mittee. “Kids get bored, they’re 2001. “After I’d done the job for pher, Sandefur has drunk, and they get involved in about four or five months, I real- done extensive some stupid things.” ized that I really enjoyed it,” he analysis of race, The panel’s suggestion of says. “[I thought] if the timing families, and the staging a concert at the UW were better for some administra- causes of poverty — Field House, however, has tive position in the future, I would expertise that he already been rebuffed by univer- definitely be a candidate.” hopes to bring to his sity officials, who say that cam- This fall, the timing was right new responsibilities. pus will not host Halloween for Sandefur to become dean of “I think that having events. The celebration’s check- the College of Letters and Sci- a sociological back- Gary Sandefur ered past and the potential lia- ence. A twenty-year veteran of ground is actually bility problems of a large event the L&S faculty, Sandefur will useful at this point are not the only concerns, says succeed Phil Certain in leading in time,” says Sandefur, noting Billups, adding that the stu- the college, which enrolls half of that diversity and a healthy cli- dents’ ideas clash with the uni- UW-Madison’s student body. mate remain important ingredi- versity’s campaign to stem “He’s seen as a wise, ents to the college’s success. high-risk drinking. thoughtful, knowledgeable, and — M.P. FALL 2004 11 DISPATCHES Partners for the Past The UW lends help to the state historical library. Deep in the archives of the Q AND A Wisconsin Historical Soci- MICHAEL FORSTER ROTHBART Bob Jeanne ety Library reside precious One of those rare folks who national treasures that, in welcome the sight of a yellow- true Wisconsin fashion, go jacket nest, entomologist Bob well beyond the bound- Jeanne studies the social aries of the state.