Author: jplucas

A group of university presidents, including David Joyce of Ripon College, have signed the Amethyst Initiative, which has among its goals reopening debate over the nationâ??s drinking age. Their move is well-intended: Alcohol is frequently abused at college campuses around the country â?? including the University of Wisconsin-Madison and other UW campuses. Kids are hurting themselves. But this is actually a well-settled question.

It’s unwise to consider lowering the drinking age, especially if that lower age is 18, which would put alcohol into the hands of high school students.

Noted: Bryon Eagon, a delegate and junior from UW-Madison, found it hard to remember a Democrat in Washington before Clinton

College students today celebrate 21st birthdays with an average of 12 drinks for men and nine for women, finds the most in-depth picture yet of the consequences of extreme partying.

Madison motorists are advised to be on the lookout for out-of-state license plates Wednesday and Thursday when panicky dads and moms look for parking on the UW-Madison campus, their eager youngsters anxious to move into their dorms.

About 6,900 freshmen and sophomores will be descending onto the nearly 20 campus dorm halls and houses, prompting the university and city to shut down or restrict access to several campus/downtown streets.

Noted: New to the convention scene is Molly Rivera, a sophomore at UW-Madison and Wisconsin delegate.

Rivera was chosen by the Obama campaign to appear on stage at the Pepsi Center as a representative of the youth vote.

Three UW-Madison undergraduates who died Wednesday after the car they were in hit a tree on Midvale Boulevard were remembered as outstanding students who overcame personal obstacles, pushed boundaries and went out and did amazing things.

“We don’t know what these young people could have been or done,” said Lori Berquam, dean of students. “It’s nothing short of horrific tragedy that’s befallen our campus.”

Killed were Lindsey T. Plank, 23, and Richard H. Putze, 22, both seniors majoring in chemistry, and Daniel Myers, 22, who this summer completed his requirements to graduate with a major in music performance, with piano as a specialty.

Authorities said two UW-Madison seniors and a recent UW-Madison graduate have died after a car left a well traveled Madison boulevard and smashed into a tree early Wednesday morning.

Authorities identified the victims as Lindsey Plank, 23, and Richard Putze, 22, both seniors majoring in chemistry, and graduate Daniel Myers, 22, whose degree is in musical performance. Plank and Putze lived just three blocks from the scene of the crash, which was in the 200 block of South Midvale Boulevard on the city’s west side.

MADISON, Wis. — A third person has died after being injured in a single-car crash early Wednesday morning on Midvale Boulevard.

The Dane County coroner has identified the third victim as Daniel Myers, 22, of Madison. Myers was pronounced dead at UW Hospital late Wednesday morning.

The other victims were identified as Lindsey T. Plank, 23, of Madison, and Richard H. Putze, 22, of Madison, according to the Dane County coroner. Putze was pronounced dead at the scene while Plank was pronounced dead at UW Hospital.

At around 1:45 am, Madison Police say a car swerved off the road and crashed into a tree on the 200 block of South Midvale Boulevard.

All three people in the car were killed in the crash.

23-year-old Lindsey Plank and 22-year-old Richard Putze were Seniors at UW-Madison, and 22-year old Daniel Myers was a recent graduate of the UW.

UW chemistry professor John Moore is numb.

MADISON, Wis. — Thousands of University of Wisconsin students are moving into their dorm rooms this week, and the school’s new chancellor is also trying to acquaint herself with campus life.

Carolyn Biddy Martin is introducing herself to some new students at Ogg Hall.

Like most Americans, Democratic delegate Awais Khaleel was deeply affected by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Not only was he shocked by the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, but as a young Muslim two weeks shy of his 17th birthday, Khaleel was dismayed that members of his religion committed the attacks in the name of their faith and that Americans’ images of Muslims were shaped by the attackers.

“The events of September 11th shook me up and made me re-examine my own life and my own purpose,” Khaleel said. “At that point, I decided I wanted to pursue a career in politics and public service.”

â?¢ Superdelegate Is Super Busy Being Wooed (Feb. 10)
Khaleel, 23, and a recent UW-Madison graduate, is off to a fast start.

MADISON, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Madison has launched a new Web site to help raise the level of safety education and awareness for students who will soon start the fall semester.

The Web site, Safeu.wisc.edu, contains information about personal safety, off-campus living, sexual assault and domestic violence prevention, emergency preparedness tips and information on how to sign up for WiscAlerts-Text, the university’s new emergency text-messaging system.

The Web site is part of the university’s “Safety 24/7” campaign, which encourages students to take care of their personal safety at all times by integrating safety measures into their everyday lives.

The new Chancellor, Carolyn Martin, says the stakes are “very high” for UW Madison to be able to help fund the education of graduate students. Martin says it’s one of several budget items she hopes to discuss with lawmakers. Shamane Mills reports. (Audio.)

A recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that in the next 40 years, minorities, including Asian Americans, Latinos, and African Americans, will become the majority of the United States population. You might not be aware of this, living in Wisconsin, but Damon Williams, who on Aug. 1 started his new job as vice provost for diversity and climate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, knows full well that the nation is changing demographically and that businesses need employees who understand and reflect the types of consumers they are trying to connect with their products.

At 4 a.m., while many college students are in bed, Danny Spirn is reading the Web sites of UW-Madison’s student newspapers.

Spirn, who is the author of the Critical Badger blog, says he wants to be “the first person to get a real good look at this stuff and put commentary out there. So in a sense, it would shape the day’s thoughts for those who read it, or at least give them an alternative vision.”

It’s been 10 years since the UW System launched its major diversity initiative — Plan 2008 — and in that time administrators have successfully recruited hundreds of students of color and faculty to come to UW-Madison.

In that same 10 years, UW-Madison has made news for photoshopping a photo of a black student into a crowd of white students on a brochure and for a law school professor’s remarks about the Hmong that some considered racist.