Odd Wisconsin

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Capitol Balloon

It seems to be human nature for groups to adopt mascots. Some of these last a long time and become honored symbols, like the badger that first appeared on our state seal in 1852. Others are short-lived but deeply cherished, like the heart-shaped balloon currently floating inside the Capitol dome.

Gov. Walker introduced his administration's budget proposals on Friday, February 11th. The first large protest occurred the following Monday, which was Valentine's Day, when students from the University of Wisconsin marched up State St. with red helium balloons and signs reading, "Please don't break our hearts." They left thousands of valentines in the Capitol to show how much they love their university, whose budget was to be slashed under the proposal.

Some demonstrators released heart-shaped helium balloons that day. Most of them quickly deflated and sunk to the floor, but one of them remained up at the very top of the dome. Protesters began to look for it every day and informally adopted it as a mascot. Some said that its unusual tenacity – helium balloons usually last just a few days, but this one has now been aloft for more than four months – symbolizes their own persistence.

Interest in the balloon became so widespread that one protester launched a Facebook page for it. Recollections, musings, photos, and videos have begun to accumulate there. The page owner tells Odd Wisconsin that, "The Capitol Balloon is 'one of us!' It is the observer of all that happens in Our House [the Capitol]. Its heart-shape is emblematic of the collective feeling folks have for Our House, and for the link of the first days in Feb to now — Our Heart is in Our House."

This week, Jon Rosenblum of Madison radio station WORT aired a report on the Capitol balloon and its fans. Security officers told the reporter that at night when the building is closed and the air cools down, the balloon descends to the level of the first floor balcony. But every morning as protesters, visitors, and lawmakers fill the space with hot air, the balloon ascends to its usual location. That report can be heard here (scroll over to the 22:40 minute mark).

The Society has been working with the Capitol Police, the Dept. of Administration, and individuals on all sides to gather documents and artifacts about the administration's proposals and the protests that followed. Someday the heart-shaped red balloon will make its final descent, and we hope it may find its way into the Society's collection soon afterward.