After leaning over the balcony of a house party at 453 Mifflin St. the evening of Saturday, Aug. 28, UW-Madison freshman Jason Gratzl fell two stories and sustained critical injuries on what was his first night in Madison.
\[Graztl] moved in at one that afternoon,"" Witte Hall Residence Life Coordinator Magpie Martinez said, adding that she believed he spent the majority of the day with his parents.
At the time of the accident, police were in the neighborhood and were immediately flagged to Gratzl's aid, according to Madison Central District Lieutenant Mary Schauf.
""Alcohol was definitely involved,"" she said.
Witnesses at the scene report Gratzl had stopped to vomit over the balcony, the railing of which was much lower than the first and third floor railings. According to Ald. Mike Verveer, the balcony of the home was inspected April 8 as a part of an annual precautionary inspection of all Mifflin balconies prior to May's block party. However, as the balcony was built prior to new laws, the balcony was permitted have a railing lower than the current minimum of 42 inches, Verveer said.
""But I do think that alcohol was a larger factor in this accident than the height of the balcony's railing,"" he stated.
University Housing Director Paul Evans said during the summer both his department and UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley sent letters to students addressing the problems associated with alcohol consumption.
""We had a conversation with all the residents the first night about our [alcohol] policies within the hall,"" said Martinez.
The conversations were conducted on a floor-by-floor basis by housefellows and, according to Martinez, Graztl had attended one Saturday before going out for the evening.
""It's certainly a continuous effort on our part,"" said Evans on the university's endeavors to curb underage drinking.
Alderman Verveer offered additional insight into the initiatives to deter underage drinking.
""I think the most important part of this equation is the friends, the buddies, the roommates,"" he said. ""I'd like to think this incident is a wake-up call for students to be more vigilant not only for themselves but for others.""
-The Wisconsin State Journal contributed to this report.
