NEWS
Wiley: game-day campus behavior deplorable
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Also by Matthew Dolbey:
- Wiley discusses diversity, Mifflin Block party (April 8, 2005)
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- Wiley concerned about negative fan behavior (November 17, 2003)
- Security at Camp Randall will be tight (September 26, 2001)
- Wiley responds to campus climate issues (October 11, 2001)
- UW officials: Student fan behavior getting better (November 13, 2007)
- Chancellor Wiley contacts U of M on students' Halloween misconduct (November 4, 2003)
by Matthew Dolbey
Friday, November 14, 2003
That is not a vacuum cleaner salesman knocking on your door, that is John Wiley, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin, asking for students’ help in curbing violence and unsportsmanlike conduct by Badger fans at recent home games.
Wiley set out with UW police chief Susan Riseling in student neighborhoods after he was bombarded by a plethora of angry e-mails from fans of opposing teams, primarily fans visiting from Ohio State and Purdue University.
UW provided the Badger Herald with some of these e-mails, many of them originally sent to UW System President Katharine Lyall, the chancellor and Dean of Students Luoluo Hong.
One e-mailer wrote that his 10-year-old son was verbally abused more than 10 times with obscene language. He ended the e-mail saying, “Quite simply, the experience has made me truly understand the University of Wisconsin and its fine students. Shame on you and your school.”
A mother sent a letter to the chancellor regarding her experience at the Ohio State game on Oct. 11.
“After the game we were surrounded by a mob near the stadium and my son (13 years old), who is not very big, was knocked down into the street, and when I rushed to his aid we were both threatened with violence. Of course we had the standard beer poured on our heads and bottles, cans, etc. thrown at us.”
One OSU fan reported in an online response to a Badger Herald article that he saw two cars flipped over, one of which had a keg thrown through the windshield.
One writer suggested taking head coach Barry Alvarez out of commercials advocating sportsmanlike behavior around the Big Ten conference, while another suggested the “sea of red pornography” (that is the student section) should be broken up throughout the stadium, and nearly all indicated alcohol use as prevalent at Camp Randall and the campus area.
Though representatives of UW Communications said they feel the written complaints speak for themselves regarding some students’ vulgar and destructive behavior, Wiley will talk to media representatives concerning the issue Friday in individual interviews.
