Miflin 2009, by Derek Anderson.

When talking about Madison’s drinking culture, it is hard to ignore the big three: Mifflin, Halloween and Badger football games. Mifflin, which began in 1969 as a part of a Vietnam protest, has morphed over the last few decades into an event centered entirely around drinking. I went this year to ask students: How it all started? Why they celebrate Mifflin? and If they thought drinking was a big problem in Madison? Here is what they had to say:

While hardly scientific, my random sampling of a handful of students produced only two who thought drinking was a problem, one maybe and an almost clear consensus that drinking was merely a part of the college lifestyle or culture of Madison. Obviously I would have expected much different results had my interviews taken place in the library that day, but it doesn’t hide the fact that a large number of students attend this event. Every year 1/3 to 1/4 of the undergraduate population shows up and the majority of them won’t hesitate a second to tell you that drinking isn’t a big deal. This is a stark contrast to the University’s stance on the issue, which has been trying aggressively to curb high risk drinking here on campus. This blog will explore this interesting dynamic and hopefully shed light on both sides of the argument to help find middle ground.