Welcome to Wisconsin, home of everyone’s favorite beer and brats. Ranked the eighth heaviest drinking state in the United States by CNBC, Wisconsin has a per capita consumption of 38.4 gallons and delivery totals of more than five million barrels per year of beer. As a state with a relatively large school system, a lot of this drinking can be connected to the universities. Although drinking has become a part of the culture in colleges throughout the country, increased safety precautions have not.
On any given night of the weekend at the University of Wisconsin, State Street is buzzing with life. Music pours out into the streets from the numerous bars and continues to play late into the night. Police officers can also be found patrolling the streets, ready to reprimand those who are blatantly intoxicated and help those that appear to be in danger. But what about those that don’t appear to be in a threatening situation? The girls who stumble home alone or the boys who want to take a late night dip in the lake? Who is watching out for them?
The lakes pose an imminent threat to students, whether they are intoxicated or not. While monitored during the summer season, Monona and Mendota are unwatched at night and leave opportunity for tragedy. At UW-La Crosse, the Mississippi River poses the same threat. Four instances of drowning have occurred there since January, and, unfortunately, such high numbers aren’t unusual.
At La Crosse, efforts are being made to change this and protect those who wander to the riverbanks while under the influence of alcohol. The student-formed group Operation: River Watch is composed of students that monitor the part of the river within Riverside Park at night, providing a safety net for classmates that will save lives.
The question then arises: Why does no such program exist here in Madison? As Badgers, we watch out for one another. We are not untouchable. Swimming in Lake Mendota is a favorite pastime of many students on hot summer nights, and, while enjoyed by many, situations can easily turn deadly when no safety patrol exists.
So why not bring Operation: River Watch to Madison? With such a gaping hole in our self-protection, I find it surprising nothing has been done to keep an eye on each other while swimming in the lake. Preventative measures are necessary if we want to protect our pastimes, and who better to look out for us than our peers?
It is crucial that we step up, and step up fast. In order to preserve our favorite late-night activities, it is crucial that we take responsibility for our actions and come together as a greater student body to protect one another. We’ve all seen the effects of bad decisions on the Badger community, namely the bad behavior of a select few students leading to heightened security and cracking down on Mifflin Street Block Party. While restricting late night swimming is far from what any of us want, it may be in our future if tragedy strikes and nothing happens to stop it.
Christin Wiegand ([email protected]) is a sophomore with an undeclared major.
