Thad Matta looked at the stat sheet after the University of Wisconsin men?s basketball team?s stirring 71-67 victory over No. 1 Ohio State and couldn?t help but notice the Buckeyes did just about everything better than the Badgers Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center. “They had to play, for that stretch, darned near perfect to get us and they did,” Matta said after the No. 13 Badgers handed the Buckeyes their first loss of the season behind a bolt-of-lightning 15-0 run that ignited one of the greatest rallies in program history. If few outside the state of Wisconsin knew who Jordan Taylor was before this game, the Badgers? 6-foot-2 junior guard delivered an emphatic introduction with the 27-point, seven-assist, four-rebound hammer he pounded on what was the last undefeated team in NCAA Division I.
Category: Campus life
Walker prepared to call up the National Guard
In response to questions about possible state employee reactions to his new budget repair bill Friday, Gov. Scott Walker said he has contingency plans and is prepared to call up the state?s National Guard if necessary.
UW responds to Walker?s budget repair bill
In the wake of Gov. Scott Walker?s announcement of a budget repair bill, some University of Wisconsin students and faculty are preparing to mobilize in opposition an act that would eliminate many collective bargaining rights of unionized employees.
Extensive campus construction to begin in coming weeks
Students can expect construction on the new Gordon Commons and Lakeshore residence hall to begin in the coming weeks as part of a vast University of Wisconsin Division of Housing plan to overhaul the campus neighborhoods.
On Campus: UW-Madison students to Walker: “Don’t Break My (heart)”
UW-Madison students and staff plan to deliver Valentine?s Day cards to Gov. Scott Walker today that read, “We (heart) UW: Don?t Break My (heart),” as a protest to his budget repair bill that eliminates collective bargaining rights for public workers. The delivery is set to take place at 12:15 p.m. today at Walker?s office in the Capitol.
More older students head to college; programs help
It?s no longer unusual to see older students on college campuses around the country. About half of today?s students are financially independent, 49% are enrolled part time, 38% work full time, and 27% have dependents of their own, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Board of Regents hear from experts on tuition and student alcohol consumption
The Wisconsin Board of Regents met Thursday to hear from experts on two of the most pressing issues in college life: Tuition and alcohol.
UW researcher gets 1.5 million to look at diversity programing
As University of Wisconsin students and faculty begin to revive lines of communication to improve campus climate, two researchers have received $1.5 million to study and support successful outreach programs in minority-serving institutions.
Regents talk ?sticker price? of education
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents heard a presentation about sticker-price effects and the benefits of higher education during a meeting Thursday, and a board committee approved requests for facility expansions and land acquisitions for UW.
On Campus: College sticker price can be deceptive, expert says
Some students experience “sticker shock” when looking at college costs, said Sandy Baum, a higher education expert who spoke to the UW Board of Regents Thursday. That?s because a college?s listed tuition and fees are often far greater than the amount students actually pay, Baum said, with the aid of grants and scholarships.
Mayor proposes annual city snow day, rail reform at WISPIRG event
Just weeks before the mayoral primary, Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz spoke about hot-button issues to an enthusiastic crowd of over 250 students at the Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group kick-off meeting Wednesday night.
Cieslewicz urges students to renew advocacy efforts
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz encouraged University of Wisconsin student advocates to renew their efforts to influence environmental policy-making on campus and at the state level by educating fellow students and the larger campus community.
Greyhound bus parking near Memorial Union sparks debate
The dispute over bus parking on Langdon Street near Memorial Union was the topic of debate at the Transit and Parking Commission meeting Tuesday night.
Possible benefits, drawbacks for voter ID bill on UW campus
When University of Wisconsin junior Erica Winters voted in the midterm election, she did not have a Wisconsin driver?s license or state identification to show poll workers. She did not have to show them any form of photo ID at all.
Bus routes cause traffic problems for Union
After the arrival of Greyhound Bus Lines caused the the elimination of several parking spaces along Langdon Street throughout the past several weeks, city officials have intervened to begin solving the controversy.
Construction zone: The business case for Union South (IBMadison.com)
Anyone who remembers the stolid concrete façade and aloof interiors of the old Union South ? which to many a weary studier suffered greatly in comparison to the vibrant gemütlichkeit of the iconic Memorial Union ? is sure to be tantalized by the prospect of the bigger, more modern, presumably more inviting (and fun) new Union South.
Extensive campus construction to begin in coming weeks
Students can expect construction on the new Gordon Commons and Lakeshore residence hall to begin in the coming weeks as part of a vast University of Wisconsin Division of Housing plan to overhaul the campus neighborhoods.
Students Oppose Plans For Mifflin Street Development
Some UW students are worried a developer?s plan to build a new apartment building in the Mifflin Street neighborhood will drive up the cost of rent in the campus-area neighborhood.
The plans call for turning Mifflin?s vacant Planned Parenthood building into a 4-story, 45-unit apartment complex. While developers are hoping to offer something new, a group of student residents said that offer may compromise the character of the neighborhood.
At issue with Ben Merens (WPR)
College freshmen are experiencing increasing declines in emotional health, according to a new survey. After five, Ben Merens and his guest discuss how students? mental health has been impacted by the recession and concerns about their futures, and why women are faring less well than men. Guests: Linda DeAngelo, Higher Education Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles Danielle R. Oakley, Director of Counseling & Consultation Services, University Health Services, UW-Madison. (Audio.)
Polls: Young non-drinkers up in down economy
Outside the Classroom, an organization that provides alcohol education training at colleges, finds that since 2006, the percentage of incoming freshmen who abstain from alcohol has jumped from 38% to 62%.
Berquam: A word of encouragement to engage in New Badger Partership
As we battle the cold weather and accumulating snow, spring semester is upon us. We are adjusting to new classes, new experiences and new opportunities. Through all of this, I can sense a buzz around campus regarding the New Badger Partnership and what it entails. I?d like to take a moment to throw my support behind this initiative.
City Life (The A.V. Club)
Noted: Giving evidence that UW-Madison students excel at more than just tweeting and underage drinking, The Peace Corps told the Associated Press that the university ranks as the number eight college source of volunteers in the nation, with 104 Badger alumni currently serving. Historically, UW has always ranked high on the list, producing over 3,000 volunteers in the last 50 years?a number only bested by the University Of California At Berkley. Sure, part of the high enrollment might also have something to do with the fact that many graduate studies programs allow Peace Corps service to count for credit toward a masters or doctorate?but as any philosophy major will explain in excruciatingly excessive detail, there is no such thing as a truly selfless act.
UW student evacuated from Egypt shares story
On January 24 my Egyptian friends and I sat in a café smoking hookah and drinking tea; a normal day. The topic of the next day?s protests came up. We talked about Mubarak, 30 years of marshall law and the quality of life, but overall my peers assured me that the protests of Police Day would be short-lived. They were wrong.
Badger Catholic case may go to U.S. Supreme Court
Seven higher education organizations have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case involving UW-Madison and its refusal to fund activities for the Badger Catholic group on campus.
Forgive diversity blunders, think forward
There is an infamous image that is inescapably tied to diversity efforts at the University of Wisconsin. You probably know the one ? two white women dressed in their Badger best raise their fists as they cheer on the football team. ?Wisconsin? and ?2001-2002 Undergraduate Application? float above their heads. And, at their left, out peeks the photoshopped face of a black man.
Egyptian crisis unlikely to affect UW programs
Despite turmoil in Egypt, University of Wisconsin experts said demand for study abroad programs in the region is not predicted to decline.
Badger Partnership advisory committee finalizes recommendations
After months of compromise and collaboration among University of Wisconsin faculty, staff and students, a committee to evaluate an administrative overhaul for the university has made its final recommendations to the Faculty Senate.
Plain Talk: Voter ID bill all about suppressing Democratic vote
…there?s no longer a question about the motives behind the bill. The sponsors of this throwback to the days of the Southern poll tax can try to spin their motives all they want. It?s all very simple. The GOP wants to make it tougher for college students, in particular, and anyone else who tends to vote for Democrats, to exercise their right to vote.
Football videos go viral
The road to a championship football season is littered with bad parodies and amateur fan videos. But standing out from the crowd are the music videos created by UW-Madison student Logan Cascia ? who directed both ?Teach Me How to Bucky? for UW Badgers fans and ?Feelin? So Fly Like a Cheesehead? for devotees to the Green Bay Packers. Together, the two videos have generated more than 2 million views on YouTube.? The intent was to go widespread, but I don?t think any of us thought it would hit over a million-and-a-half views,? Cascia said, referring to ?Teach Me How to Bucky.?
UW-Madison in Top 10 List of Colleges Producing Peace Corps Volunteers (WUWM-FM)
UW-Madison remains on the list of the top 10 schools, which send students and alumni to the Peace Corps. Madison has been among the top 10 schools for 10 years, since the ranking system began.
Yum: UW-Madison students raise their food IQ
When mealtime rolls around at the UW-Madison campus, 42,000 students empty their wallets and feed their appetites. But what are these students putting on their plates? Are they filling them with produce from the Dane County Farmers? Market, with local cheeses, with apples that haven?t fallen too far from the tree?
UW Student Cannot Study Abroad In Egypt
The conflict in Egypt is disrupting a semester that University of Wisconsin-Madison student Kelsey Eaton has been planning for months.
UW student evacuated from Egypt shares story
On January 24 my Egyptian friends and I sat in a café smoking hookah and drinking tea; a normal day. The topic of the next day?s protests came up. We talked about Mubarak, 30 years of marshal law and the quality of life, but overall my peers assured me that the protests of Police Day would be short-lived. They were wrong.
UW-Madison student back from Egypt; shares home video
Six UW-Madison students were studying in Alexandria, Egypt when the protests began. That?s about three hours from Cairo.
Diversity town hall gives students opportunity to discuss issues at UW
Nearly one hundred students gathered Feb. 3 in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union with the common goal of solving minority problems on the UW-Madison campus.
Downtown hotel plans to go before Urban Design Commission next week
As a result of city operations closing down following the season?s largest snowstorm, a proposal for a new limited service hotel building near the University of Wisconsin campus was delayed in passing through the City?s rezoning process.
Martin offers economic insight to community at ?Fireside Chat?
With the United States? threatened economic dominance in the world becoming an increasingly debated topic, members of the University of Wisconsin administration met with students Thursday night to offer insight into the rapid changes affecting millions of Americans.
Student Town Hall Diversity Forum
In response to numerous incidents on campus that drew attention to issues of diversity at the University of Wisconsin, a Student Town Hall Meeting held Thursday sought to brainstorm realistic solutions.
Football videos go viral
The road to a championship football season is littered with bad parodies and amateur fan videos. But standing out from the crowd are the music videos created by UW-Madison student Logan Cascia ? who directed both ?Teach Me How to Bucky? for UW Badgers fans and ?Feelin? So Fly Like a Cheesehead? for devotees to the Green Bay Packers. Together, the two videos have generated more than 2 million views on YouTube.
UW women’s hockey: Some record-setting perspective
The NCAA-record crowd of 10,668 that came to see the top-ranked University of Wisconsin women?s hockey team topple Minnesota 3-1 last Saturday at the Kohl Center begs for some perspective. Here you go:It was more than any of the 10 NCAA women?s Frozen Four championship games to date. In fact, it was more than the last three combined gates 1,473 in 2010, 2,437 in ?09 and 4,031 in ?08.
‘Feelin’ So Fly Like a Cheesehead’ brings headgear to a new generation
Just in time for the Super Bowl, the cheesehead is “fly” – as in cool, awesome, attractive, amazing – and not just because the Packers are in the game. Some talented University of Wisconsin-Madison students and alums are helping to redefine the image of the foam headgear, which made its debut before most of them were born.
UW-Madison School of Music?s Piano Pioneers program
There are plenty of students who have musical ability but who just can?t afford to pay for a piano teacher and lessons to help them hone their talents. That?s where Piano Pioneers, a program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music that helps to provide piano lessons to under-served students in the community, comes to the rescue.
UW-Madison 8th in number of Peace Corps volunteers (AP)
The University of Wisconsin-Madison remains 1 of the most prolific colleges in terms of sending students and alumni on to the Peace Corps.
Snow day: Students rejoice in canceled classes
At 6 p.m. Tuesday, the UW-Madison campus erupted with cries of “Snow day!” as students rushed to sledding hills and liquor stores to celebrate their day off.
UW Admissions changes deadline due to snow
First-time college applicants that have been yearning for more time to spend writing their statements and submitting their applications are in luck after the University of Wisconsin Admissions Office extended the application deadline due to the recent blizzard.
Snowpocalypse
After the National Weather Service issued a Civil Danger Warning and Governor Scott Walker declared a snow emergency in anticipation of the blizzard, few city and campus residents were untouched by the effects of the winter storm.
UW-Madison students turn Bascom Hill into scene of major snowball fight
With the snow light and fluffy ? not ideal for making snowballs ? Zach Sheridan resorted to what he called “the shovel technique.” “It?s like a free-for-all,” said the UW-Madison freshman as he loaded a cafeteria tray with snow, then charged into the fray with a primal yell of “Lakeshore!” In what is becoming an annual tradition at UW-Madison, students used a rare day of canceled classes to congregate on Bascom Hill for a massive snowball fight. Chancellor Biddy Martin stood at the top of Bascom Hill and looked on, as a steady stream of students thanked her for the snow day and asked to take her photo.
Huge drifts make blizzard cleanup a major chore
The brutal mix of snow and high winds was no storm for amateurs. Madison received 12.7 inches of snow between noon Tuesday and noon Wednesday, for a three-day total of 18.7 inches, according to the National Weather Service. But it was the snow drifts, whipped together by 60 mph wind gusts and placed inconveniently, that made cleanup such a chore. By noon, most streets were passable and city life had largely returned to normal, although government agencies remained closed to the public, and UW-Madison and school districts throughout the area had canceled classes. Classes were scheduled to resume classes Thursday.
UW-Madison Students Hold Huge Snowball Fight
Students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison had the day off classes Wednesday, and they used the free time to hold a huge snowball fight on Bascom Hill.
UW students enjoy rare snow day
With the exception of a few sledders, the UW campus was quiet this morning, blanketed with a fresh, thick layer of snow – a layer that workers struggled to remove.
Snow forces closing of UW classes, events
After days of students hoping for a ?snowpocalypse? to hit the University of Wisconsin campus with full force, Chancellor Biddy Martin announced all classes and campus events would be cancelled Wednesday for the second time in as many years.
Around the Bubbler: Super Bowl XLV, Souper Bowl, 2011 Frostiball, Orchid Quest
In a weekend of football parties, plastic cups and plates are the very boring norm. But at the Souper Bowl, artsy ceramic dishes are de rigueur. On Saturday, Feb. 5, the UW-Madison chapter of Habitat for Humanity hosts the event, its largest fundraiser of the year.
Blizzard forces widespread closures of government offices, schools
Any activities still going on tonight are the rare exceptions. They include the UW Badgers men?s basketball game, a Snoop Dogg concert at the Orpheum, and snowmobile trails in Sauk County. Nearly everything else is locked down for an expected blizzard.
Williams to hold town hall meeting on campus diversity
After a conference last May where UW-Madison students said they felt minorities are represented negatively on campus, Vice Provost of Diversity and Climate Damon Williams will hold a town hall-style meeting Thursday for students to discuss campus climate and answered questions ahead of the meeting Monday night.
Students in Egypt safely board flight bound for home
While violent political upheaval and rioting in Egypt continues to intensify, the six University of Wisconsin students studying abroad in Alexandria were safety evacuated to Prague, Czech Republic, Monday.
On Campus: Some UW System campuses canceling classes tonight, Wednesday
Update 12:40 p.m.: UW-Milwaukee is canceling classes after 4 p.m. today and all classes Wednesday. Some University of Wisconsin System campuses are canceling classes tonight due to the impending snowstorm. UW-Whitewater, UW-Waukesha, and UW-Washington County will not hold classes after 5 p.m. UW-Rock County announced it is canceling classes after 4:45 p.m.
UW-Waukesha also canceled classes on Wednesday. It is the only campus to make that decision so far.
Herbert Grover: Emphasis on sports over academics hurting U.S.
America, with its emphasis on sports, is becoming a nation of physical giants and intellectual pygmies.
….Over half of the instructors teaching in the graduate programs in engineering in the U.S. are foreign born. The proclamation that the U.S. is the most innovative, creative society in the world, with the most skilled work force and greatest universities, needs candid introspection.
Bill Berry: Voter ID bill just not fair to little folks
STEVENS POINT — Proponents of the Wisconsin voter ID bill deserve credit for piquing college students? interest in current events. Of course, this is accomplished by proposing to make students jump through hoops to exercise their right to vote. Granted, students stayed away from the last election in droves, but deny them something and they?re likely to suddenly desire it more.
….Up this way, the UW-Stevens Point Student Government Association, representing the voting rights of about 9,500 students, issued a statement calling ?ongoing attempts of legislators in Madison to disenfranchise student voters unacceptable.? Going further, the student group specifically objects to the repeal of same-day voter registration, calling it ?a direct assault against the voting rights of citizens statewide.? They got that one right.
On Campus: New baseball diamond to honor 6-year-old killed by an alleged drunk driver
UW-Whitewater is helping to raise money for a new baseball field in memory of 6-year-old Treyton Kilar, who was killed by an accused drunk driver. The “Treyton Kilar Field of Dreams” is in the running for a $250,000 Pepsi Refresh grant, a voting-based award that ends today. Treyton?s story was featured in Curb magazine, produced by UW-Madison journalism students.
Classes still on at UW-Madison
It?s not a snow day, but it?s close on the UW-Madison campus. Classes have not been cancelled at UW-Madison this snowy Tuesday, but officials have declared “snow action days” for both Tuesday and Wednesday, putting snow removal crews in winter storm mode to keep critical areas as clear of snow as possible.
….During snow action days, crews will first work on clearing out building entrances and pathways in high-priority areas, so some walking routes, including the south walk along Lot 46, the west walk on Lake Mendota Drive and others have low priority and will be cleared last.
Parking restrictions are in effect, so there’s no parking on Observatory Drive or Linden Drive between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. and there are designated parking areas in Lots 16, 51, 32, 34 and 40.