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UW goes ‘Bucky’ wild

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Also by Carl Jaeger:

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New rules apply for UW seg fees (December 7, 2007)
Regents hear about booze, textbooks (December 7, 2007)

by Carl Jaeger

Thursday, April 26, 2007

University of Wisconsin students set up a mock carnival at Library Mall Wednesday afternoon, complete with free food and entertainment for some fun and games before hitting the books for final exams.

"Bucky's State Fair," the second annual event sponsored by the Wisconsin Alumni Student Board, was part of the weeklong All-Campus Party.

"We've been planning this all year long, and basically it's just to bring something cool to the campus," WASB member Kelly Carroll said.

The event featured booths from approximately 40 UW student organizations, according to Carroll, ranging from the Pre-Law Society to the Wisconsin Alumni Association, with all giving out free items to students.

"It's all about freebies," Carroll said. "Everyone's giving out water, food, T-shirts, games, contests — you name it. It's a miniature state fair."

The event also featured shows from many UW student performing arts groups, including the UW Marching Band, Wisconsin Singers and Dance Elite.

Wisconsin Singers member Lesli Kiedrowski said that Bucky's State Fair gave her group a chance to perform in front of UW students.

"We like to perform, and we like doing it for the students," Kiedrowski said. "We do most of our shows outside Madison, so it's really fun to perform in Madison with our peers from the university."

Other groups, such as the UW Cheese Club, used the event to promote awareness of their organization.

"We're here promoting our club and offering free cheese for members of campus," UW Cheese Club member Amanda Ganser said. "Of course, it's a little bit of Wisconsin pride — the whole cheese thing — so it's fitting for campus."

WASB president Nick Osiecki said that the event is a way to bring all the campus has to offer together.

"We're trying to cover all of campus in this event," Osiecki said. "This is really one of our events where we try to get as many student organizations involved as possible just to give out some free stuff to UW students."

The event is one of the largest free, student-organized and alcohol-free events held in the nation, Osiecki said, which helps promote UW beyond its "party reputation."

&quot;Many UW facilities and departments throughout the university are really trying to fight that stereotype that this is only a drinking school,&quot; Osiecki said. &quot;Especially for the university, this is an extremely important event as it gathers regional attention.&quot;

The All-Campus Party began in 2000 and has "definitely evolved over the years," WASB member Jenna Van Dera said.

Beyond the free perks and activities of Bucky's State Fair, the event also attempted to bring the campus closer together as a whole, Osiecki said.

"I think it's really important because it's a way that we can attempt to bring the campus together" Osiecki said. "We're in Library Mall, one of the central places on campus, and we're just trying to work to get all the students together out having fun."

Van Dera also said that in addition to getting students involved at UW, Bucky's State Fair was a way for her to involve herself with the campus community.

"It's a way for me to get involved with the campus, to reach out to students in a way that a lot of students don't get a chance to do," Van Dera said. "It's a great experience overall, a great life experience."

The All-Campus Party continues today with the free "Badger Blowout Concert," featuring Ben Kweller at 7 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre.

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