As I meandered down a trash-covered-more so than normal-Regent Street at midnight following the Michigan game, a thought popped into my head: out-of-towners and guests to Madison have no respect for the city and for the University of Wisconsin.
While attempting to enjoy the Michigan game from my glorious seat in P-21 Saturday, I became irritated when a non-student, who was probably at his first Badger game, tried to explain to me how the seating policy at Camp Randall works. This individual, displaced from his assigned seat, refused to vacate from our seats. My response to him: \Sorry buddy, I don't care. Take the ticket you paid $150 for and enjoy the game from Section K.""
Perhaps I'm just being cocky, but I obviously have the right to be at the game-maybe even more so than Joe Q. Public from University X. The fact I was admitted and have paid thousands of dollars in tuition to UW should merit something in addition to a degree. This is my fourth season sitting in the student section, and I realize nobody sits in their assigned seats, but why should anybody give in to the bitching of a drunk jerk?
If we are expected to ""roll out the red carpet"" to guests, what should be our expectation of them? Are guests not expected to show at least some level of courtesy to the community?
Not to make generalizations from only a few instances, but this has been a perpetual problem at Madison events, including Halloween and the Mifflin Street Block Party. There are guests who come just to have a good time and are respectful of the community. I applaud and welcome those who don't act like assholes.
Every student has a right to have guests-Halloween included-but they need to take responsibility for their guests and encourage them to be respectful to UW students and Madisonians. This is our college and our town. Why should we allow out-of-towners to push us around? It is time we stand up for ourselves.
This request to screen guests comes on the eve of Madison's biggest party-Halloween. The mayor has implied that if a riot occurs, there will be no Halloween in the years to come. Although I, along with a lot of graduating students, will not likely be around for the party next October, I don't want to subject other students to having the National Guard patrol State Street next year.
If you have a friend or acquaintance whom you believe will cause trouble, don't invite them to campus any more. When your guest disrespects UW and its students, your guest is ultimately disrespecting you.
