The Halloween Action Committee's efforts to turn Halloween into an open-air music fest is certainly commendable. However, with a misguided title like ""Freakfest"" the efforts are de-legitimized—and even comical—how many students will actually take it seriously?
Not many. At a Sept. 13 meeting in Bascom Hall, only 50 students attended the event sponsored by Ald. Austin King, District 8, and Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4.
This is a shame, considering that since HAC began working with Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, the 50,000-person cap has been dropped and UW-Madison students now have a major role in choosing the musical acts.
Questions arose as to whether the event would change its name. But according to the Facebook profile of Tom Wangard, founder of the movement, ""As long as the city continues to work with us,and helps us get a good music lineup for Halloween night, we are going to State Street.""
""Not a dumb question, things are a little bit confusing with our name still being ‘Langdon,' but we don't want to change our name until plans are finalized.""
Though Freakfest, marketed as a joint effort between HAC and AD2 Madison, a group of young advertising professionals, has the potential to be a good viral marketing experiment, it is cheesy and gives off the wrong impression. It is doubtful students want to back a group that has two eery skulls on its website (http://www.hacmadison.com/).
The plan itself is a step forward from last year, when nearly 470 people were arrested and approximately $580,000 was spent by the City of Madison. Kids are going to party regardless, and the $5 per person charge, stages with music set back onto side streets, no attendance cap and collapsible fences (in case of a riot). These precautions are in the shadow of the Freakfest cloud.
In 1979, UW's former student government, the Wisconsin Student Association, sponsored the second Halloween bash. Even with sponsors and live bands and music, the crowds grew over the years—reaching 100,000 in 1981. Two officers were hospitalized after being bitten by revelers in 1980.
Freakfest needs to mobilize the students. Started as the Facebook group ""Move Halloween to Langdon 2006,"" founders Wangard and Brandon Sivret have positively changed the tune of their group. Now, they need to promote in ways other than meetings where not many students attend.
The first step would be changing the event's name.
