Monday, October 31, 2016 - The Daily Cardinal

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University of Wisconsin-Madison

FREAK +ARTS, PAGE 6

Since 1892 dailycardinal.com

Monday, October 31, 2016

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FEST

+LIFE & STYLE, page 4

Making the most out of makeup

Controversial Obama costume sparks debate By Peter Coutu THE DAILY CARDINAL

FREAKFEST

Madison gets freaky More than 30,000 people flocked the streets of downtown Madison Saturday night to partake in the Halloween weekend festivities. + Photo by Morgan Winston

A President Barack Obama costume including a noose worn at the Saturday Badger football game sparked outrage on social media from alumni and students, including critiques of UW-Madison officials’ defense of free speech. The university quickly issued a statement on the costume, labeling it as offensive while still defending the individual’s right to wear a mask of the president with a noose around their neck. “The costume, while repugnant and counter to the values of the university and Athletic Department, was an exercise of the individual’s right to free speech,” read a statement from the university. Chancellor Rebecca Blank also addressed the costume Sunday, defending the person’s right to wear it if the noose was removed. “As offensive as this costume was, I believe our university must resist

the desire to outlaw forms of speech and political dissent with which we disagree,” Blank said in the statement. “We strive to build a campus community in which ideas and expression are exchanged freely.” However, Blank added the costume “fell painfully short” of the university’s standard for thoughtful discourse. A person at the game tweeted out a picture of the costume, which quickly spread through social media, sparking a debate about the line between free speech and offensive imagery. As of 11 p.m., the original tweet has more than 3,000 retweets. Former UW-Madison Police Department Chief Sue Riseling also agreed with the university’s statement, saying the person was exercising their First Amendment rights. Many critics responded on social media, labeling the costume as hate speech. Several people who identified themselves as alumni of the university said they were disappointed with the university’s response.

Judge orders Cook’s bail at $200,000 at initial court hearing By Sammy Gibbons THE DAILY CARDINAL

Bail was set at $200,000 for suspended UW-Madison student Alec Cook Thursday, as the 20-year-old made his initial appearance in court. Cook was charged with 11 felony sexual assault counts, two counts of false imprisonment, one strangulation count and more than 15 misdemeanor sexual assault counts. The judge said he found probable cause in the criminal complaint for each of the charges alleged. Cook entered a plea of not guilty on the misdemeanor charges. Cook’s attorneys, Chris Van Wagner and Jessa Nicholson Goetz, will notify the District Attorney’s office 48 hours before Cook posts the bail. Cook’s bail was set on the condition that he remains in the Dane County Jail until he has had a hearing to address nonmonetary conditions of the bond. Five separate accusers have come forward, the first of which mirrors the original criminal

complaint. One woman accused Cook of inappropriately touching her during a ballroom dance class they both took during the spring. Nicholson Goetz believed these accusations were not valid, and that the other four women consented to intercouse with Cook. The defense said the criminal complaint does not support the “slaughtering” of their client that has occurred in the media over the last 10 days, an issue which they addressed in a press release Thursday. The complaint does not show that Cook stalked woman or possessed stalking notebooks. “There’s nothing to support the monster that exists in the minds of all of the people of UW-Madison,” Van Wagner said. “This is what we were waiting for. This is what the state believes they have.” Nicholson Goetz said they have not seen the notebooks that have been referred to in the media. They have one page of a

cook page 3

One response on Twitter called the statement from the university “appallingly misguided,” and stressed that “hate speech is not protected as free speech.” They urged UW-Madison to revisit their in-stadium costume policy and consider a stronger response in the future, such as revoking the person’s season tickets or permanently banning them from the stadium. UW-Madison basketball player Nigel Hayes also commented on the situation, saying he was offended the fan was even allowed into the game. UW Athletics’ Guest Services approached the fan when the noose was spotted and requested that the person either leave or remove the offensive parts of their costume. The person complied, leaving the stadium voluntarily, according to UW-Madison spokesperson Meredith McGlone. Masks can be worn inside the stadium, though they can’t be worn when entering. Nooses are not allowed in Camp Randall, according to university officials.

Madison Police Department ‘very pleased’ with Freakfest, one person goes to jail

GAGE MEYER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Associated Students of Madison representative Kenneth Cole wrote a letter resigning from SSFC and the body as a whole.

Cole announces intent to resign from SSFC, ASM Kenneth Cole, a Student Council representative, has announced his intent to resign from his role in the Associated Students of Madison, quickly following a petition circulating on social media calling for him to step down. But ASM Chair Carmen Goséy said she is unsure of Cole’s status on the council as he did not give an official notice to resign from the body. She said she does not know if he intends to only resign from his seat on the Student Services Finance Committee or his position on Student Council as well. Cole was also slated for possible removal from SSFC during its Thursday meeting for racking

up too many unexcused absences, but did not attend the meeting and instead sent in a letter indicating his resignation from that committee and student government as a whole. In the letter, Cole said that being a part of ASM has taken a “damaging toll” on his academic standing, mental health and public image, among other things. “At the forefront, I feel compelled to do this because of my relationship with God and what I believe God is telling me in my life currently,” Cole wrote. Cole did not immediately respond to a request for comment. —Madeline Heim

The Madison Police Department was “very pleased” with how Freakfest went this year, according to a press release from Public Information Officer Joel DeSpain. The crowd reached a total of 30,000 throughout the event, and there were no “serious incidents” reported. At 1 a.m., there had been 13 arrests, most of which were citations, and only one person went to jail, according to the release. The event shut down State Street intersections from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. The total attendance was 4,000 less than last year’s 10th anniversary Freakfest. The number of arrests rose from nine, but fewer people went to jail, according to a 2015 incident report. “The MPD would like to thank our law enforcement partners for helping keep the peace: Dane County Sheriff, Middleton Police, Fitchburg Police, Capitol Police, UW Police and the Wisconsin State Patrol,” DeSpain wrote in the report.

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”


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