It’s October, and for most University of Wisconsin students, that means the time for Halloween madness is quickly approaching.
Police, city officials and university administrators met Monday to finalize the majority of Halloween 2004 plans, approving a State Street speaker system and large portable lights. Two stadium-lighting trucks, illuminating down the 200 block to Library Mall, were agreed upon at the meeting as well. The $16,000 trucks will be stationed at the University Inn parking lot. Madison Gas and Electric, the city of Madison and the UW will split the costs.
“The plan is not to ruin the party, but rather to signal people need to get out of the street and go home at 3 a.m.,” Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said. “The lights will come on and we’ll all sing Varsity together.”
UW sophomore Mike Aberger, who plans on dressing up as Lance Armstrong for Halloween, said the large lights might pose a problem for police.
“I think turning on big lights isn’t going to stop people from drinking,” Aberger said. “It may just piss people off. It could go really good or just really bad for police.”
It will be difficult to get crowds of drunken people off of State Street no matter what the city and police do, he added.
The 2004 final plans do not include live music despite ASM’s earlier proposal to stage a live band on Library Mall. A DJ will provide music from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., according to Matt Rink, summer chair for the Associated Students of Madison’s Halloween 2004 campaign.
“The city did give approval to the PA and video projectors as long as the music is mellow, like reggae,” Verveer added.
Police officials vetoed the playing of “Jump Around” because it may over-excite the crowd, according to Verveer.
The Halloween planning committee also recommended that the DJ performing be located inside the WSUM studio rather than outside on Library Mall, but this plan is not yet final.
“The music will set a tone for the event,” Rink said. “We hope to use the speakers as a mood-altering tool and for advertisement purposes.”
The speaker system will address safety concerns, and people can broadcast messages along State Street if an ambulance or police officers need to respond to a specific area or incident, Rink added.
Other changes the committee finalized include 20 UW-paid portable toilets, a mass e-mail to be sent to UW students regarding appropriate behavior, fliers handed to visitors in local inns and hotels as well as fliers handed to people buying kegs and information about the glass-free zones.
Police from the Middleton and State Capitol districts will also enforce the Halloween event, and 16 horse-mounted officers will take to the streets Friday and Saturday nights.
“With all of the planning that we’ve had from everyone, from students to State Street merchants, we have the recipe for a successful Halloween weekend,” Verveer said. “I’m very optimistic, and I can say with great confidence that we have a greater sense of planning and discussion this year than any other year before.”
