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Category: Campus life

Crime Stoppers seeks texted tips

Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison’s latest survey of student computing practices shows about three-quarters of students routinely text-message, an increase of 10 percent from the 2007 survey.

‘Please listen,’ say veterans of Iraq war

Capital Times

Nearly a dozen Iraqi war veterans gathered in Madison Saturday to tell war stories. These were not tales of honor and glory.

There were descriptions of a macho military culture that cracked jokes about gays and called Iraqis “rag heads” and “towel heads.” There were accounts of an army that sent soldiers into battle with broken equipment and insufficient training. They told of trucks that ran over young children and soldiers who played cruel games with prisoners and panicked and shot civilians. There were stories of commanders indifferent to their troops’ medical and mental suffering.

….A sparse audience of only 200 attended the Memorial Union Theater event, which was coordinated by the Iraq Veterans Against the War. IVAW is a national organization with 1,200 members in 48 states. Over the past year, IVAW has held a handful of similar panels across the country in an effort to mobilize opposition to the war.

Human Rights Initiative Kicks Off At UW

WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — A public launch of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s human rights initiative kicked off on Friday.

The initiative began last year on campus but the public launch promotes human rights in teaching and in research in the community as well.

The goal is to bring faculty, students and residents from numerous backgrounds together for this common cause, WISC-TV reported.

The kickoff featured the former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson.

Election motivates UW student

Appleton Post-Crescent

MADISON â?? The 20-year-old never even considered entering the political fray.

Kristen Donat grew up in a Chicago suburb and followed the news and political discussion, but never had much interest in throwing herself in the middle of it.

Then this summer, something changed.

Donat, 20, is a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is facing the reality of finally having a vote in the election and began more closely following the news.

Alcohol Ruled A Factor In Crash That Killed Three UW Students

WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — The Dane County coroner said alcohol was “a significant contributing factor” in a single-car crash last month that left three University of Wisconsin-Madison students dead.

Authorities said Richard H. Putze, 22, of Milwaukee, was driving a car that crashed into a tree near the intersection of Midvale and Hillcrest Drive on Aug. 27 at approximately 1:45 a.m.

Celebrating the “Geek” life

WKOW-TV 27

Geeks of all ages came to UW-Madison this weekend to celebrate video games, and everything sci-fi.

Outside in the courtyard, they did a little medieval sword fighting.

Inside, they solved a Victorian murder mystery, using ultraviolet light to look at invisible ink.

Police urge students to track safety

Daily Cardinal

Members of the city and university police departments addressed a group of Madison residents Thursday in the Memorial Union in an effort to increase awareness about safety and crime prevention measures.

Violent robberies targeted UW-Madison students and staff

Wisconsin State Journal

Madison, UW and Fitchburg police are investigating 13 similar incidents that occurred between March 7 and Sept. 19 â?? including one in which a student was shot in the leg and another in which a student was pistol-whipped, said Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

“Many of the crimes share the same characteristics,” said Capt. Jim Wheeler of Madison’s South Police District.

Madison police investigate scary trend: violent robberies

WKOW-TV 27

Madison police are investigating more than a dozen violent robberies.

Victims include men, women and businesses in Madison and Fitchburg.

Police say the criminals attacked their victims either at gunpoint or implying they had a gun.

The robberies started in March through this month and most centered around the Vilas Neighborhood.

Violent Robberies Connected

NBC-15

Police believe a string of as many as 13 armed robberies may be connected. Twelve of the 13 center around one area. But what connects all of these robberies is the disturbing part.

“What draws us here today is the violence that is really associated with this dozen or so robberies,” said Lt. Joe Balles with the Madison Police Department Central District at a press conference on Thursday.

Since March, Madison Police believe two men may have been involved in as many as 13 armed robberies. Most of those were around the UW campus.

Suicide Attempt in the Dane County Jail

NBC-15

A college dropout awaiting trial in the high-profile stabbing death of a Madison man is under suicide watch after trying to hang himself.

The Dane County sheriff’s office says a 20-year-old inmate from Stillwater, Minnesota, tried to hang himself in the shower Thursday morning with his jail-issued pants.

Walgreen’s accused of promoting binge drinking on campus

WKOW-TV 27

Two prominent government officials tonight are calling on a local Madison business to take down a display they think promotes college binge drinking.

Dane County Exec. Kathleen Falk and UW Dean of Students Lori Berquam told 27 News they’re disappointed with the Walgreen’s on campus.

The new Walgreen’s in the University Square complex on campus has a display with plastic cups and ping pong balls. Students say it’s clearly for the popular drinking game beer pong.

Violent Robberies Increase In Madison

WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — Madison police are warning residents about downtown safety.

Over the last few months, the downtown and southwest sides of Madison have seen a big jump in the number of violent robberies. Police said the public needs to be aware and be safe.

The sheer number of robberies isn’t what concerns police. They’re more concerned with the violent nature of the robberies, Madison Police Chief Noble Wray said.

UW science photo takes second in national contest

WKOW-TV 27

From UW Madison: With a photograph that embodies the unexpected – and sometimes breathtaking – outcomes of science, University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student Jenna Eun has won second place in the 2008 Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and Science magazine.

The image, “Polymazing,” appears in the Sept. 26 issue of Science, which Eun herself finds somewhat amazing, considering the subject of her photo arose completely by accident.

Freak costs on the rise

Badger Herald

Partygoers will have to pay more to get on State Street for Halloween this year. Admission prices have increased from $5 to $7 for advance tickets and from $7 to $10 at the door, and jam rock band O.A.R. will headline the event.

Judge: No rights violation by UW

Wisconsin State Journal

A federal district judge on Wednesday sided with UW-Madison in a case over how much religion is too much when doling out money to faith-based student groups.

The ruling rejects claims made in a lawsuit filed a little more than a year ago by the Roman Catholic Foundation, a campus student group, that the university violated its First Amendment rights by refusing to fund some of its activities in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years.

It also dissolves a preliminary injunction put into place in January by U.S. District Judge John Shabaz that barred the university from refusing to pay for activities by the group involving prayer, worship or proselytizing.

Cliff Cleland: Students should be aware of voting rights

Capital Times

Dear Editor: Beware, college students! Someone may be trying to suppress your right to vote.

Last month, Barack Obama supporters were registering thousands of students at Virginia Tech University. The Montgomery County elections registrar then issued news releases incorrectly suggesting that students registered to vote at their college might lose their right to be claimed as dependents on their parents’ tax returns or could lose scholarships or lose car and health insurance. All lies.

Freakfest lineup announced; O.A.R. will headline

Wisconsin State Journal

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and Frank Productions announced the 2008 Freakfest line up Wednesday, promoting a national act that will bring higher ticket prices with it.

The annual State Street Halloween party will have four main entertainment areas this year, with headliner O.A.R. â?? an acronym for Of a Revolution â?? performing on the Mountain Dew Amp/Z104 stage at the top of State Street at the Capitol Square. Other stages will be hosting local bands such as The Box Social, Natty Nation and Awesome Car Funmaker.

River Watch still going strong

La Crosse Tribune

Just last week, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse junior Casey McHugh came between two intoxicated people and the river.

â??I think that it is something no one should ever die from,â? he said. â??But, it has happened so much in the past.â?

For nearly two years, student volunteers have been an extra set of eyes along the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown La Crosse as part of Operation: River Watch.

Professor calls for change in drinking attitude after 3 student deaths

WKOW-TV 27

The Dane County Coroner reported this week the driver in the Midvale Blvd. fatal accident that killed three UW students in August had a blood alcohol level of 0.144, well over the legal limit of 0.08.

In light of that, UW music prof. Todd Wellbourne is calling for change.

Not change of laws or change of official programs, but change of attitude.

State funding of UW lagging

Badger Herald

A study released Tuesday revealed state funding for the University of Wisconsin over the past 25 years has doubled, but it also found that universities and colleges are still not receiving as much as K-12 schools.

Drunken driving causes deaths

Badger Herald

The driver involved in an August crash that killed three University of Wisconsin students was legally drunk, according to a report released by the Dane County Coroner Tuesday.

Q&A with Kathleen Falk: Taking on Wisconsin’s drinking culture

Capital Times

At the top of Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk’s current to-do list is a problem Wisconsin knows all too well: alcohol abuse.

There’s too much of it in Dane County and throughout the rest of the state, Falk says, and we’re not doing enough to combat it. The financial and social costs are high. Funding for alcohol abuse prevention and treatment is tight. Treatment programs in Madison have wait times that are months long. And for Falk and many others who have watched family and friends struggle with addiction, there is too much suffering and too many painful memories.

Q&A with composer Fred Ho (77 Square)

It’s not easy to define the artistic endeavors of Fred Ho, the latest artist brought to campus by the UW-Madison Arts Institute. Ho, sponsored by the Asian American Studies department and the School of Music, is a composer, a performer of poetry, a jazz virtuoso on the baritone saxophone, an activist and, for the past two years, a survivor of a particularly malicious cancer.

This fall, the composer of everything from operas to a “martial arts ballet” is teaching more than a dozen UW students some intangible things — how to invent art rooted in their background and beliefs, how to push their minds and bodies to new levels of creativity and how to trust themselves.

Alcohol, speed cited in Midvale crash

Capital Times

Alcohol and speed were “significant contributing factors” to the Aug. 27 Midvale Boulevard crash that killed three UW-Madison students.

Dane County Coroner John Stanley confirmed Tuesday that 22-year-old Richard Putze of Milwaukee was the driver of the car that crashed into a tree on Midvale between Mineral Point Road and Regent Street and that Putze had a blood alcohol content of 0.144, almost two times the legal limit of 0.08 in Wisconsin.

Pets take the bite out of dorm life

USA Today

Two years ago, Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania joined what appears to be a growing college-life trend: pet-friendly dorm rooms offered to interested students. There are at least a dozen such colleges, and administrators and students alike declare the concept a hit.

Coroner: Alcohol Involved In Crash That Killed 3 UW Students

WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — The Dane County coroner said that alcohol played a role in a single-car crash that killed three University of Wisconsin-Madison students in August.

Authorities said Richard Putze, 22, was driving on South Midvale Boulevard when his car struck a tree near the intersection of Midvale and Hillcrest Drive on Aug. 27.

The Dane County coroner said Putze had a blood-alcohol level of 0.14.

Coroner: Alcohol Involved In Crash That Killed 3 UW Students

WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — The Dane County coroner said that alcohol played a role in a single-car crash that killed three University of Wisconsin-Madison students in August.

Authorities said Richard Putze, 22, was driving on South Midvale Boulevard when his car struck a tree near the intersection of Midvale and Hillcrest Drive on Aug. 27.

The Dane County coroner said Putze had a blood-alcohol level of 0.14.

Passengers Lindsey Plank, 23, and Daniel Myers, 22, also died in the crash.

Williams: The Complex Mandate of a Chief Diversity Officer

Perhaps more than any other top campus administrator, the chief diversity officer is a lightning rod for criticism. Of course, some people simply oppose efforts to increase access, equity, multiculturalism, and inclusion. But even people committed to diversity can object to the presence of these officers.

Some critics believe that hiring a chief diversity officer removes the responsibility for diversity and inclusion from the university’s president, other leaders, faculty members, and the campus as a whole. The institution now has a “diversity messiah,” who is singularly responsible for advancing campus-diversity efforts and is nothing more than a symbolic figurehead.

Damon Williams is the the vice provost for diversity and climate at UW-Madison.

I’ll Take My Lecture to Go, Please

Inside Higher Education

It looks like students can be open-minded after all: When provided with the option to view lectures online, rather than just in person, a full 82 percent of undergraduates kindly offered that theyâ??d be willing to entertain an alternative to showing up to class and paying attention in real time.
A new study released today suggests not only a willingness but a â??clear preferenceâ? among undergraduates for â??lecture capture,â? the technology that records, streams and stores what happens in the classroom for concurrent or later viewing.

The study, sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madisonâ??s E-Business Institute, tackles the much-discussed question of studentsâ?? preferences for traditional versus online learning with unusual rigor.

Authorities Investigate Another Holdup Near Randall, Mound Streets

WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — A Middleton couple were the victims of the latest in a string of armed robberies that have recently occurred near downtown Madison.

The incident happened at about 10 p.m. on Friday night at the corner of Randall and Mound streets, near Vilas Park.

Madison police said that the couple, who were both in their 20s, were walking toward the park when a man with a handgun demanded the woman’s purse. The woman surrendered her purse and the robber unsuccessfully tried to get the man’s wallet before fleeing with an accomplice.

UW community looks for peace

Badger Herald

In the midst of political and international turmoil, the University of Wisconsin held a Peace Day rally Sunday addressing members of the Madison community about international conflicts and how to attain peace.

“Youthanized” — Are college students apathetic? And if they are, do they care? (77 Square)

You hear it every day from Baby Boomers — that today’s college students aren’t as engaged in political issues as they were, that back in the ’60s they had to walk 5 miles uphill both ways in the snow to get their heads beaten in at an anti-war protest. And they liked it!

But student activism (or lack thereof) is an important issue, especially in this election cycle where one presidential candidate has really electrified young voters. Which makes it a perfect time for a group of UW-Madison filmmakers to present “Youthanized,” their short documentary comparing college students of 1967 with those of today.

Michelle Obama targets women, young voters

Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Michelle Obama says the outcome of the presidential race can be determined by young people and women.

Speaking Monday on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Michelle Obama tailored her speech to the many women and college students in the crowd of about 1,800.

Frat house fire still a mystery

Wisconsin State Journal

Demolition of the historic Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house at 237 Langdon St., destroyed by fire in the early morning hours of May 13, is scheduled to start in mid-October, contractors say.

Wall Street crisis triggers national alarm (AP)

Sean Grossberg closed the textbook for his financial derivatives class and sank into the couch.

If all went according to plan, a year from now he’d be finished with school and working on Wall Street. But now he needed a break.

The University of Wisconsin senior hit the remote control and the second half of a Sunday afternoon football game filled the 100-inch screen.