The Badger Herald: Opinion: Dance Dance Resolution

Opinion

Dance Dance Resolution

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The Invisible Man Award: Wyndham Manning (May 7, 2009)
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The Lifetime Achievement Award: ASM (May 7, 2009)
Honest representation (May 5, 2009)
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By Badger Herald Editorial Board
Thursday, February 10, 2005 12:00 a.m.

2 Vote 0 Votes

The recent City Council passage of the nightclub ordinance and the expected passage this spring of the performing arts venue license is a welcome step forward for a Madison bar scene weary of setbacks. The upcoming rules will allow local bars holding a license to permit dancing and also let 18- to 20-year-olds inside by differentiating between underage and of-age patrons provided live entertainment is present.

Providing students under the age of 21 with a supervised place to party is a win-win situation. Not only will underage University of Wisconsin students have more options on the weekends, the allure of house parties — and the problems often associated with environments rife with unregulated binge-drinking — will logically be diminished. Increased patron attendance due to underagers’ ability to enter bars could provide an additional boon to area business. Moreover, the new ordinances will prompt local bar owners to book live music acts, a step sorely need in Madison.

And in light of past clashes between Policy Alternatives Community Education and city establishment owners concerning alcohol regulations on campus, support the two new regulations have garnered from both sides of the issue is encouraging. City Council members, the Madison Police Department, PACE, area bars and most students have all responded to the proposals with enthusiasm. Indeed, this rare consensus concerning the weekend partying and drinking habits of UW students is an encouraging change from the usual struggle to reach a compromise on the matter.

—For more information, see page 1A

2 Comments | Leave a comment

Anonymous | February 10, 2005 11:59 AM | Reply

Great title guys. I wish I'd have thought of it. In the meantime, I'll be dancing with myself.

-Drew

(I hope you got the Billy Idol reference)

Anonymous | February 10, 2005 2:44 PM | Reply

I want to particularly thank Alderpersons Austin King and Mike Verveer for their great efforts on behalf of students. Also, I think Judy Olson from the ALRC has been helpful as well. I think it's a shame that King's cabaret repeal proposal took so damn long to pass, but I'm glad it finally did. And now, the Performing Arts Venue license looks it's going to pass, which I can't wait for. Going to see a good band without risking a big ticket for a fake ID sounds fantastic.