UW-Madison will establish a one-of-its-kind institute for Yiddish culture with a $1 million endowment and a donation of 6,000 “78-rpm” records of Jewish music.
Category: Campus life
A volcano erupts far away, and lives are affected here
Of the roughly 500 UW-Madison students studying in Europe, only a handful are reportedly experiencing travel difficulties, according to spokesman John Lucas.
As spring settles in, All-Campus Party returns
With most major campus sports and events winding down and finals week looming, University of Wisconsin students can relax and recharge this week with the annual All-Campus Party.
UW transportation looking to make cuts
Facing a $1 million budget deficit, the University of Wisconsin Transportation Services will be hosting a number of public forums for members of the UW community to voice their opinions on possible changes and cuts to transportation services.
UWM survey doesn’t back student fees for Union plan
A survey of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students shows a majority of those who responded do not support an increase in a student fee to help pay for $75 million in possible renovations to the student Union building.
Nina W. Marks: How to simplify the college aid maze
For low-income applicants to U.S. colleges, April remains the cruelest month. By early April, almost all admission decisions are known. Colleges shift from screening applications to wooing admitted students. Affluent students can attend â??pre-froshâ? events and enjoy being courted.
Most low-income applicants, however, spend April trying to figure out whether they can afford to pursue their dreams.
(Nina W. Marks is president of Collegiate Directions Inc., a nonprofit that works with low-income, first-generation-to-college students from public schools. This column first appeared in the Washington Post.)
The legacy of Lathrop Hall (Wisconsin State Journal)
Mary “Buff” Brennan, dance professor emerita, remembers when Billie ran the elevator in Lathrop Hall.
“When I came, we had only one elevator,” Brennan said. “It was a cage, and a woman operated it. She would open the door, sit there … and take you in and go to whatever floor you wanted to go.”
From toe-touches on the floor of a gymnasium to world premieres of complex choreography, Lathrop Hall has seen some significant changes in its 100 years. Built as an “activity space” for women in 1910, the current home of the UW-Madison Dance Program originally had a gymnasium, a track and a pool (turned into a studio during an extensive renovation in 1997).
UW Third Best Party School
After finishing sixth last year, Playboy magazine ranked the UW as the third best party school in the country.The University of Texas came in first. West Virgina came in second and Bucky was in third.Only one other big ten school made the top ten: Iowa.
Student groups plan sex assault awareness month
Many UW-Madison student organizations partnered to create the Sexual Assault Awareness Month Coalition to coordinate events in April with the goal of focusing student attention on the issue of sexual assault. One of those events, the Sexual Health Dance, takes place Friday.
Assembly session leads to passage of key legislation
Public citizens may not have access to audio of 911 tapes, if a bill passed by the state Assembly Thursday gains support in the Senate.
Small business may receive tax incentive to pay studentâ??s tuition, regents may receive $25K grant
State businesses may have more of an incentive to pay for a studentâ??s tuition after the state Assembly passed a bill Thursday giving tax credits to such companies.
On Campus: Sound familiar? Union South chosen as name for new south campus union
A UW-Madison committee pored over a long list of submitted names, choosing only the best to put before students for a vote. And this week, students finally settled on the perfect name for the new south campus union: Union South. Yup – by a wide margin – students voted to rename the new union the same as the old one, ousting such options as Randall Union, Discovery Union, and Varsity Union.
John McDermott: Promise of cathedral abandoned by bishop
Bishop Robert Morlino says instead of replacing our cathedral, he’s embarking on plans to build a 14-story multi-purpose building on the UW campus.
Mifflin Street Block Party, Library plans considered at neighborhood meeting
The Mifflin Street Block Party and Central Library plans were discussed Wednesday during the West Mifflin Street Neighborhood meeting.
Record voter turnout denies Nat renovation
With a record turnout, UW-Madison students voted against raising student-segregated fees to fund the proposed renovations for the Natatorium.
Speculation grows with hopes for higher grad rates
Following a proposal presented to the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents last week that would increase graduation rates across the UW System, concerns were brought forth over how the plan will be implemented and at what cost to students.
Mifflin Street Block Party permit approved
Preparations for the upcoming Mifflin Street Block Party are nearing completion with Wednesdayâ??s conditional approval of a street use permit.
Group to hold campus diversity accountable
With the first year of â??inclusive excellenceâ? on campus coming to a close, a campus diversity committee intends to lay out a new definition and assessment of diversity within all aspects of UW.
Record student turnout votes down NatUP
A record-breaking 34.5 percent voter turnout in the Associated Students of Madison elections brought the NatUP 2010 referendum down Wednesday night with just more than 60 percent of those casting ballots voting against the renovation.
Get to Know a WI Film Fest Volunteer: Paul Blalock
An army of 205 volunteers are giving their time to the Wisconsin Film Festival this week. Thatâ??s a little fewer than in past years, fest director Meg Hamel explained in an e-mail Wednesday, “in part because we have eight theaters instead of 10, and in part because many returning volunteers are working a few more shifts. Iâ??d prefer to have fewer people working MORE during the festival; their experience matters over the course of the weekend.
UW senior trumpets ability over handicap
To land a spot in the UW Marching Band, Matt Endres made it through the physically exhausting tryout week. He nailed his audition. He beat out other hopeful trumpet players. And he did it with just two fingers on each hand.
Thatâ??s quite a feat, considering the highly selective UW Marching Band turns away about 100 people who audition every year, and director Mike Leckrone isnâ??t exactly known for his leniency.
â??Matt would probably tell you, I didnâ??t give him anything,â? Leckrone said. â??Anything that he did he really earned.â?
Starlight Cinema going dark in May
The longest-running film series offered at the Memorial Union, Starlight Cinema, is dissolving as the student film committee moves to more flexible one-off programming in the fall.
Other series going away are the “MU movies” — popular current films shown on the weekends in the Unionâ??s Fredric March Play Circle — as well as Reel to Reel and International Cinema.
UW Band Spring Concert
The UW Varsity Band tackles the 100th anniversary of UW-Madisonâ??s fight song, â??On, Wisconsin!â? in its annual spring concerts.
UW senior trumpets ability over handicap
To land a spot in the UW Marching Band, Matt Endres made it through the physically exhausting tryout week. He nailed his audition. He beat out other hopeful trumpet players. And he did it with just two fingers on each hand. Thatâ??s quite a feat, considering the highly selective UW Marching Band turns away about 100 people who audition every year, and director Mike Leckrone isnâ??t exactly known for his leniency.
UW students vote down Natatorium renovation funding
UW-Madison students this week voted against a referendum to renovate and expand the Natatorium, a project that would cost them $54 per semester for 30 years, beginning in 2013. More than a third of students voted â?? a record, according the Associated Students of Madison â?? and the Natatorium measure was defeated 8,616 to 5,311. The result means the project likely will not move forward for approval from Chancellor Biddy Martin and the UW Board of Regents. Students also voted to name the new south campus union, which is scheduled to open in spring of 2011. They chose â??Union South,â? from a list that also included Discovery Union, Randall Union and Varsity Union.
UWS reviews sexual assault reporting policy (WPR)
Eight out of 10 sexual assaults reported at the University of Wisconsin-Superior since 2004 were anonymous reports â?? a policy that protects victims but also makes it almost impossible to prosecute the cases.
UW cuts ties with Nike over labor concerns (Fox 11, Green Bay)
From shoes to uniforms, basketballs to duffle bags, the Phoenix womenâ??s basketball team sports the Nike swoosh. UW-Green Bay has had a relationship with Nike for the past 15 years, but they donâ??t a contract within the specific sports. Instead, some of the coaches, like womenâ??s basketball coach Matt Bollant, have their own contracts with Nike.
Cutting Nike ties good move for UW (UWEC Spectator)
Sports and college have a long, interwoven history. Athletics can be a major source of revenue for a university, and the campusâ?? sporting teams can be a major draw for prospective students. Given this deep connection between athletics and academics, UW-Madisonâ??s decision to end a licensing agreement with Nike Inc. because of concerns about labor practices is a bold and commendable move.
“Lost” producers talk at UW
Fans packed the Hillel on UW campus to listen to Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, executive producers and writers of ABCâ??s “Lost.”They talked about what it takes to get to Hollywood.
Natatorium vote elicits strong campus reactions
UW-Madison students have been actively demonstrating their support or opposition to a referendum that would increase student segregated fees to extensively expand the Natatorium with a $60 million renovation.
NatUP spends around $30,000 of Recreational Sportsâ?? money on campaign
As Associated Students of Madison Spring Elections began at the University of Wisconsin, the student organization NatUP asked students to vote yes to the Natatorium renovation â?? using around $30,000 of university money to convince them.
Gordon Commons approved
Madison City Council signed off on the new Gordon Commons and adopted a resolution declaring Madison a Fair Trade city at their meeting Tuesday night.
Bailey Lucas: St. Paul Center will overwhelm mall
As a UW-Madison student and local citizen born and raised in Madison, Iâ??m troubled by the St. Paulâ??s University Catholic Center proposal. It entails a 14-story facility, including a religious learning center, a chapel and student apartments.
Taylor Hoffman: Comments on Nike decision disgusting
Dear Editor: As a current Badger, I am extremely supportive and happy with the universityâ??s decision to end its contract with Nike. This is an unbelievable start to addressing the labor rights of factory workers around the world. The university can only be seen as an example of how to stand up for human rights.
However, I am disappointed and disgusted with some of the online comments posted on Todd Finkelmeyerâ??s April 9 article â??UW-Madison ends Nike contract amid labor concerns.â?
U.S. Census focuses on enumerating local college students
The U.S. Census is making a push among area college students, who typically have lagged in returning forms for the once-a-decade count. Theyâ??ve set up booths at campus events, asked instructors to make announcements and sent out mass e-mails to convince students to fill out a 2010 census form.
Nike loses to activism at UW (Socialist Worker Online)
Student activists at the University of Wisconsin (UW) in Madison won an important victory for labor rights when Chancellor Biddy Martin announced that the university will revoke Nikeâ??s authorization to sell university apparel in response to the companyâ??s labor violations abroad.
Faculty approve free-speech proposal
The Faculty Senate voted to approve a proposal Monday to ensure that faculty members can freely criticize the actions of UW-Madison administrators and policies.
Revised grad school structure revealed
The proposed restructuring of the graduate school moved toward a less sweeping reform, closer to the schoolâ??s current format, under a proposal introduced and debated extensively at the Faculty Senate Monday.
Faculty free speech upheld
Professorsâ?? right to speak freely without fear of penalization by the University of Wisconsin is now protected by university policy after the Faculty Senate approved an amendment to Faculty Policy and Procedures Monday.
Man denied entry to frat party takes it out on cars, police say
A man upset he couldnâ??t attend a private party at a UW-Madison fraternity on Saturday night took it out on cars parked outside and on windows of the fraternity house, police said.
Nine cars parked in a lot at the Delta Upsilon fraternity house, 644 N. Frances St., were scratched with a key or other sharp instrument, and two windows of the house were broken, according to Madison police.
Wisconsin leads nation in returned census forms, but some areas lag
With five days left for people to return their census forms, Wisconsin is leading the nation with a 77 percent participation rate. And starting Tuesday about 40 census workers called enumerators were squeezing more completed forms from one of Madisonâ??s lowest-participation areas – UW-Madison student housing. “Our enumerators and crew members will be swarming the campus,” said Patrick Ryan, who manages the Census Bureauâ??s 10-county Madison region. Most residents received census forms in the mail, but in UW-Madison dormitories, the forms were placed in dorm mailboxes Monday, said John Lucas, a university spokesman.
Editorial: Plan for more grads bodes well for UW-S (Sheboygan Press)
University of Wisconsin President Kevin Reilly has set an admirable goal of graduating nearly a third more students from all UW campuses by 2025.
UW-Madison Lobbying Students To Back Fees For Gym (AP)
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has spent thousands of dollars encouraging students to vote this week to raise their fees by $108 per year for a new fitness center, according to a review by The Associated Press. The $31,000 campaign by the universityâ??s Division of Recreational Sports included funding for a student organization lobbying for the project, NatUP.
UW students to vote on raising fees for gym expansion
Itâ??s a vote thatâ??ll last 30 years.UW students will be asked to vote this week on raising fees to pay for an expansion to the Natatorium, one of the student gyms on campus.
The Anti-Amethyst Initiative
After the sixth alcohol-connected student death in two years, Charles Sorensen had had enough.Sorensen, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Stout, penned a memo to the entire campus on March 30, informing students that he planned to redouble efforts to curb alcohol abuse on and around the campus.
Differential tuition plans to require student input
The UW System Board of Regents unanimously approved a measure Friday that requires state universities to seek student input when raising differential tuition costs.
UW to cut Nike contract over labor violations
The Labor Licensing Policy Committee announced its plan to end UW-Madisonâ??s contract with Nike Friday, saying the company failed to address several alleged labor violations in Honduras.
On Campus: “Lost” producers to visit UW-Madison
Itâ??s unlikely that theyâ??ll reveal any substantial spoilers about how the epic television series “Lost” will end (in only five more episodes!). When “Lost” co-writers and executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis visit UW-Madison next Wednesday, theyâ??ll more likely share how they went from UW-Madison students to major players in show business. The two graduated with degrees in communication arts and, prior to “Lost,” wrote and produced various television shows, including “Felicity.”
Mourning in Madison: Area Polish community grieves
Members of Madisonâ??s Polish community lit candles, prayed and sang the Polish national anthem Saturday in a hastily arranged remembrance for the 97 people – including Polandâ??s president and religious and military leaders – who died earlier in the day in a plane crash in Russia. Arranged by the UW-Madison Polish Student Association and the Polish Heritage Club, about 40 people met at Library Mall before walking to the Capitol. Many carried candles or Polish flags or wore clothes with the countryâ??s colors.
Regents: Student input needed for UW tuition hikes
University of Wisconsin campuses will be required to get student input before recommending special tuition increases but they wonâ??t need studentsâ?? permission under a policy adopted Friday. During a meeting in Fond du Lac, the Board of Regents approved a policy spelling out the process campuses must follow before implementing extra tuition increases. UW-Madison, UW-Eau Claire and UW-La Crosse have been granted approval to hike undergraduate tuition in order to pay for hiring more faculty and improving services. Individual academic programs, including the UW-Madison business and engineering schools, also have received such permission.
Report advocates 3-year grad time
Students at Wisconsin universities and colleges may be able to get their undergraduate degrees after only three years, if a report released Friday by a partnership of statewide organizations gains support.
Regents alter policy for tuition increases
Students within the University of Wisconsin System will have greater say in the revision of differential tuition hike policies after the Board of Regents approved new guidelines at its Friday meeting in Fond du Lac.
UW cuts Nike contract over labor issues
University of Wisconsin Chancellor Biddy Martinâ??s office announced Friday it will end its apparel contract with Nike after the companyâ??s failure to respond to a series of labor law violations.
Autistic man finds outlet, will run in his 1st marathon
Like the 17,000 or so runners at the start of the GO! St. Louis marathon, half-marathon and marathon relay on Sunday, Elliot Bennett of Madison, Wis., has prepared to push himself farther and faster. Heâ??s running his first marathon.
UW Students Hold Hunger Strike
A group of University of Wisconsin-Madison students held a hunger strike on State Street this week.
Madison Mourns Death Of Polish President
The shocking plane crash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski is being recognized in Madison.The Polish Heritage Club and the University of Wisconsin-Madisonâ??s Polish Student Association walked down State Street Saturday, lighting candles in honor of the victims.
Teege Mettille and Joe Yeado: 38 minutes not enough time to pick a college
Dear Editor: This time of year, high school seniors across Wisconsin are making their decision about where to attend college. In the midst of all of this excitement, the story that is so often not discussed is that of the students whose options are limited due to a lack of time spent discussing their post-secondary opportunities.
Far too many students are unaware of their opportunities for financial aid and scholarships. Furthermore, the structure designed to give these students the information they need often leaves them with more questions than answers. Much of this is due to inadequate college counseling.
Chancellor takes tough stand on drinking
The University of Wisconsin-Stout chancellor is promising to get tough with students who have numerous alcohol-related violations _ even if they happened off campus. Chancellor Charles Sorensen says suspension is among the possibilities for students who have numerous underage drinking citations, repeatedly use fake IDs or host house parties.
Intimate partner violence fair set for Library Mall on Monday
One out of every four women in America experience some type of domestic violence within their lifetimes, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
To raise awareness, students from the UW-Madison School of Social Work-Community Agencies Field Seminar will host an intimate partner violence IPV fair Monday afternoon on Library Mall.
College Of Holy Cross Responds To Campus Assault
NPRâ??s investigative team has been working with reporters at the Center for Public Integrity on a sensitive topic: sexual assaults on college campuses. The investigation shows that campus discipline systems rarely expel men who are found responsible for a sexual assault. Today, Tell Me More focuses on an exception to that norm: the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., which expelled a young student for sexual assault.