Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) is proposing increased law enforcement presence, adjustments to fencing layout and stricter attendance policies this spring to Lily’s Classic, their annual hockey tournament and fundraiser, amid safety concerns. The changes currently await university approval.
The fraternity is now required to submit a detailed event plan for future iterations of Lily’s Classic outlining safety protocols, crowd control, adequate facilities, risk mitigation and adherence to UW-Madison’s code of conduct after UW officials raised safety concerns over last year’s event, university spokesperson John Lucas said in a statement to The Daily Cardinal.
SAE plans to double the depth of its fenced-off event area — previously about 50 feet long — which will reduce attendance outside the fence while allowing for increased turnout within it. The fraternity will also use an opaque covering around the fence to prevent people outside from seeing in, discouraging them from gathering around the perimeter.
“The people on the outside have less of an incentive to come because then they can’t really see inside, and whatever they do outside would just be with the outside,” SAE Social and Co-Philanthropy Chair William McNeely told the Cardinal. “We are showing that this is our event and the people that are involved are going to be involved, but we’re not really pushing for it to be anyone else.”
During a November meeting with Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) — an office representing the more than 60 sororities and fraternities on campus — they were informed of the university’s main concerns: overcrowding of campus resources, increased liability in student housing and safety risks from individuals on the ice who were not connected to the event or its philanthropic purpose.
“Lily’s Classic, like other fraternity-sponsored events, is not organized, sponsored or supported by the University of Wisconsin-Madison or by the UW-Madison Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life,” Lucas said.
McNeely said the fraternity and FSL collaborated to develop solutions that would allow Lily's Classic to continue.
Additionally, McNeely said SAE’s plan outlines an increased collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department (UWPD). He said the fraternity will share all plans with UWPD — including protocols and hotspot areas they want patrolled, hoping to reduce liability for UWPD and the fraternity.
Because Lily’s Classic is held off campus, UWPD historically has never played a direct role in the event’s safety or law enforcement. Instead, the department’s downtown liaison officer has been in contact with SAE to offer safety guidance and connect organizers with local law enforcement, UWPD Executive Director of Communications Marc Lovicott said in a statement.
“We’re super optimistic,” McNeely said. “We think there’s no reason why it wouldn’t be allowed to happen with the new rules that we set. We’ve worked with FSL, and they want this to happen just as much as we do, but they also don’t want to go against what the school is saying.”
McNeely added that attendance logistics are still being discussed. As of now, it looks like fraternity members will personally invite guests and help coordinate both who attends and how many visitors they will each bring.
“It would kind of eliminate the totally irrelevant people that have absolutely no ties to SAE or the philanthropic side of things that we have no control over,” McNeely said. “We don’t know if they’re going to be a liability, and if they are, then that’s on us when we didn’t have any part of them being there.”
The fraternity will continue charging $5 for wristbands, with all proceeds going toward Lily’s Fund for Epilepsy Research. McNeely emphasized the importance of Lily’s Classic as not only the most attended philanthropic event at UW-Madison, but also as a defining campus tradition.
“It’s just such a unique thing that, while winters suck and nobody loves the freezing cold weather, we’re still able to maximize it and utilize the lake that is right there — that is so unique to UW-Madison that no other campus has,” McNeely said. “It boosts the talk about the school, like people applying, and it just boosts the whole school’s image. I would hate to lose that factor and that unique thing about the school.”
McNeely said they are now awaiting a meeting between FSL and UWPD to finalize the department's input. Once that happens, the Student Organization Resource Team — a group of campus leaders advising student organizations on code of conduct compliance — will review the plan and offer further feedback, Lucas said.
Zoey Elwood is copy chief for The Daily Cardinal. She also covers state news.
