Posted on 09/10/2021 9:57:04 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
MADISON, WI
After more than 75,000 fans packed Camp Randall for the Wisconsin Badger football team home opener, a state lawmaker is questioning the scope of UW's mask policy on campus.
Masks are required inside UW campus buildings and indoor spaces at Camp Randall, but not in outdoor seats.
The university encourages masks in outdoor areas of the stadium.
State Sen. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) accused the UW system of "extreme hypocrisy" after fans were allowed to make their own decision on masking shoulder-to-shoulder Saturday afternoon but are required to wear a mask in campus buildings.
"Will the Republican legislature be complicit in the UW System's extreme hypocrisy and unlawful actions?" Nass wrote in an email to Republican legislators.
Nass is the co-chair of the Republican-controlled Joint Committee For the Review of Administrative Rules, which voted to require UW to get state approval before implementing any COVID-19 mitigation measures, including mask or testing requirements.
UW System President Tommy Thompson, the Republican former governor of Wisconsin and Health and Human Services Secretary, said he would fight any attempt to keep him from enforcing COVID-19 rules.
"I think they're making a big mistake. I think they're going to lose the battle. We got a case going back to 1895 that shows that we have the authority to run our buildings and of course to protect our students and our employees," Thompson said in August.
As of Sept. 1, 88% of UW-Madison students were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Ninety-one percent had received at least one dose.
While Badgers football is outdoors, UW Health Chief Quality Officer Dr. Jeff Pothof said the virus will still likely spread when fans are packed together.
"I think what we don't know, is that battle between being outdoors and good airflow and being shoulder-to-shoulder and spitting on each other, how that's going to play out. I think we'll see cases, it's just hard to know if that's going to be a lot of cases or a smaller amount," Pothof said.
In a statement to WISN 12, UW Athletics noted "ample signage" which notifies fans where they should be wearing masks at Camp Randall.
"Wisconsin Athletics' policy is consistent with the majority of peer institutions across the Big Ten and around the state (e.g., - the Milwaukee Brewers and Green Bay Packers). Wisconsin Athletics expects fans to comply with all venue protocols when attending Wisconsin Athletics events," said Brian Lucas, UW Director of Football Brand Communications.
Wisconsin plays Eastern Michigan on Saturday at Camp Randall.
And the beat goes on...
"I think what we don't know, is that battle between being outdoors and good airflow and being shoulder-to-shoulder and spitting on each other, how that's going to play out. I think we'll see cases, it's just hard to know if that's going to be a lot of cases or a smaller amount," Pothof said.
Let’s get Marshall to start the “Thundering Herd” immunity... Stadium by stadium
This is getting beyond stupid. The mask is now ONLY a symbol of control. Can you get people to wear one? If so you have control.
And the worst part, Penn State kicked their azzes.
College students at football games nationwide are not only going maskless, they’re also chanting “ **ck Joe Biden “.
Maybe there’s yet some hope for millennials.
Now, if patriotic citizens would just boycott the NFL, maybe all of this WOKE madness will end.
Yeah, it WAS pretty BRUTAL, LOL! But, everyone had fun.
I used to go all the time when I was younger and had quite a few friends with season tickets. Now their KIDS and GRANDKIDS get the extra tickets, though how none of us have aged is beyond me. ;)
Ugh. Tommy Encephalupagus Thompson.
What is going to happen when BB season starts? Once you vaccinate everyone and Covid is still around, the cat is out of the bag. The vaccines are really short term therapeutics.
UW football is BIG money.
HUGE MONEY!
I was at a game a few years back and author James Patterson gave a $10 MILLION dollar check to Barry Alvarez for the athletics department at half-time. His wife was a track star at UW Madison back in the day.
I’ve taken their ‘Football 101 for Women’ and the facilities for the kids at UW Madison are mind-boggling; every bit as good as what the pros have.
However, Jim Leonard (Defensive Coordinator) is just HILARIOUS - he taught us ‘secret hand signals’ for calling plays and was incredibly entertaining.
I LOVE sports. I wish the BLM-Woke-Kneelers would quit ruining them. But Socialists aren’t happy unless they’re making the rest of us as miserable as they are. :(
I hear you and Wisconsin is a great program. My new seat for the games is in front of my 📺 Tv 😂
I think perhaps you might have hit upon something there Diana. Personally, I don't know why anyone would be interested in watching a bunch of kneelers playing a children's game, but yeah, the hypocrisy is pretty rank with this.
Madison, Wisconsin, is a hub of liberalism.
What a NASS!
Most surprising and under reported stat of last weekend’s college football. Indiana visited Iowa. First fans in Kinnick in two years, which was also true at most other games that day. But this was the first game ever there where booze was legally sold at the game. Couldn’t have been many other venues ditching prohibition that weekend. Yet zero arrests were made at that game. Usually before there’d be some arrests amongst those illegally drunk and acting up at the game.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.