Things obviously would get a bit out of control. Since the increase in drinking age, things have mellowed out significantly. The Union has maintained a tradition of holding a 'masquerade ball' and this year the program was moved to the campus' second Union to allow for a wider variety of Halloween programs. Attendance was about 400 to 500 students, which is small but significant when one considers that the absence of alcohol was part of the promotion. Trial and error has created a formula that works.
Programming is diverse, appealing on different night to different tastes.
Funding comes from the union program budget and a grant from the University Foundation, the umbrella nonprofit support arm of the University of Wisconsin. The balance is allocated for equipment upkeep and upgrades and publicity campaigns. The whole concept is trying to develop products that compete with binge drinking you have to meet the same needs. Until four or five years ago, they used to close State Street where all the bars are and 100,000 people would show up and be totally inebriated. The program is a solid investment that shows long-term promise, Adsit adds.