Seeing as it's October and that this is Madison, people's thoughts begin to turn toward Halloween - from what they will be wearing to what they will be doing. Halloween is an exciting time for Madison students. A large number of people will undoubtedly be heading to Freakfest on State Street this year, while just as many will be going out to various parties scattered across campus.
However, with the recent increase in crime, city officials should be doing more to encourage Madison students to attend a relatively safe Freakfest as opposed to going out for a night of heavy drinking around town. To do this, Madison students should be allowed into Freakfest for free - or at least at a lower ticket price. Considering most problems that led to the organization of Freakfest in the first place were caused by non-Madison residents, is it really logical to equally charge Madison students who follow the rules?
City officials and the university should be doing more to ensure that students stay out of potentially dangerous situations, including house parties where students are likely to become intoxicated and may attempt to go someplace afterwards. Whether traveling just down the block to another friend's house, or to Ian's for a late night snack, intoxicated students are putting themselves at risk whenever they head out late at night.
To make matters worse, during Halloween a majority of Madison police will be watching Freakfest on State Street and not placing as much attention on lesser-used Madison roads, which students will be using once State Street is blocked off. This leaves students who choose to drink on Halloween susceptible to violent crimes. So how can we prevent these sorts of events from coming to fruition?
A simple solution would be to encourage more students to stay away from the house parties and instead attend Freakfest, and the easiest way to do that is a drop in ticket price for UW-Madison students. Even if the price is only a few dollars less, more students will be inclined to attend the event and stay out of situations that place themselves at risk. After all, wasn't one of the arguments for the city to stage an organized event on Halloween to provide students a safer alternative to house parties and drinking?
One of the many reasons for the city to organize Freakfest was to cut back on the amount of crime that was so prevalent during past Halloweens. However, the majority of crimes were committed by non-Madison residents. According to the Madison Police Department, in 2003, nearly 40 percent of arrests were out-of-state residents, and the remaining 60 were comprised mostly from outside Madison, Wisconsin residents. Although students do need to take at least some responsibility, those who do follow the rules should not be put in the same category as those who come to Madison and act inappropriately. Let the non-students pay extra, but allow responsible Madison students to get into Freakfest at a reduced cost.
Now, don't get me wrong, I know seven dollars is not outrageous, especially considering the amount of entertainment that is being offered. Multiple stages, including a nationally recognized headlining band, a giant movie screen and the lively atmosphere all for a mere seven dollars is actually quite reasonable.
However, the principle of making Madison students pay is wrong. Furthermore, how long are ticket prices going to stay at seven dollars? We will likely see another price hike next year, as we have for the past two years (five dollars in 2006, then five in advance and seven dollars at the door in 2007, now seven dollars in advance and 10 at the door). I understand the city, with the budget woes it has been dealing with, is trying to get Freakfest to be self-supporting, but charging Madison students is the wrong way to go about doing it. Bringing in out-of-town corporations to further commercialize the event would be equally undesirable, but if more local businesses were encouraged to participate in the event, Madisonians would naturally benefit.
Encouraging students to attend Freakfest purely for the reason of safety makes sense, and rewarding them for following the rules is equally reasonable. So why not let UW-Madison students into Freakfest for free, or at least at a reduced ticket cost? This way, Freakfest can continue to be a success while both students and the city benefit.
Ryan Dashek is a junior majoring in biology. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
