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Category: Campus life

Remembering the victims

Badger Herald

University of Wisconsin students and faculty joined with Madison community members Wednesday night at Bascom Hall to share thoughts and shed tears as they remembered the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre.

Dean of Students Lori Berquam stressed campus unity and extended a message of support to â??our friends and colleaguesâ? after the tragedy, offering advice and support personnel to help contribute to the healing process.

UW Police Review Safety Plan (WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee)

MADISON – The University of Wisconsin Police Department has a special division that deals strictly with emergency management and tragic situations similar to what happened in Virginia Monday. But police are quick to point out that students have to be vigilant about their own safety as well.

UW Students Remember Victims of Virginia Tech Massacre (WKOW-TV)

WKOW-TV 27

Virginia Tech may be hundreds of miles away, but tonight the pain of that campus was felt on UW’s campus.

Students, faculty and staff remembered the 33 victims killed during Monday’s shooting rampage.

The names of those killed in this week’s shootings in Virginia echoed throughout Bascom Hall tonight.

Students and staff listened. Some crying or sitting in silence and all trying to make sense of what happened to their fellow students.

For some, Monday’s killing spree hit even closer to home.

Students, Others Attend UW Memorial Service For Virginia Tech Mourners

WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — Hundreds of members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison community gathered on Wednesday night for a memorial service for those affected by the Virginia Tech shootings.

The non-denominational program that aims to support mourners at Virginia Tech began at 5:30 p.m. in Bascom Hall on the school’s campus.

As part of the program, a quartet played inspirational music and microphones were near the audience for those who wish to express their feelings, WISC-TV reported.

Laws Limit Options When a Student Is Mentally Ill

New York Times

Federal privacy and antidiscrimination laws restrict how universities can deal with students who have mental health problems.

For the most part, universities cannot tell parents about their childrenâ??s problems without the studentâ??s consent. They cannot release any information in a studentâ??s medical record without consent. And they cannot put students on involuntary medical leave, just because they develop a serious mental illness.

Nor is knowing when to worry about student behavior, and what action to take, always so clear.

Counselors Say Cases Like Cho’s Are Hard to Spot as Students’ Behavior Becomes More Extreme

Chronicle of Higher Education

In hindsight, the signs seem crystal clear: A loner on depression medication writes violent stories and frightens his peers. In the Virginia Tech shootings, as the machinery of blame turns, people are asking whether this could have been recognized and stopped.

But college counselors say that cases like that of Cho Seung-Hui are difficult to identify, even as counselors have seen more and more troubled students in recent years. And even when signs do point to serious problems, counselors say their hands are often tied.

An unholy Union

Badger Herald

Today, the Wisconsin Legislative Joint Finance Committee will pore over hundreds of millions of dollars in University of Wisconsin building plans in an informational briefing. They will begin the process of determining which of the proposed campus building projects receive the stateâ??s approval.

UW-Madison Focuses on Crisis Plan (WKOW-TV)

WKOW-TV 27

UW-Madison officials are reassuring students security and notification procedures are in place in the event of a crisis.

But the Virginia Tech shooting spree is unleashing student concerns here.

“These were students and professors who were victims of the violence,” UW Teaching Assistant Robert Schoville told his Critical Thought and Expression Class.

UW Police Consider Text Messaging Students In Emergencies

WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — In the wake of Monday’s deadly shooting at Virginia Tech, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department is considering ways to contact students faster in emergency situations.

UW-Madison police said that they are looking into the possibility of mass text messaging as a more appropriate and timely means of communicating with students during a crisis.

Alerting Campus: What’s the Best Method?

NBC-15

The first shooting happened in a dormitory, the second more than two hours later in a classroom building.

In the meantime, the university was preparing an e-mail alert. That notification after the first incident is coming under scrutiny.

UW police say they are prepared

Capital Times

University of Wisconsin police say they are as prepared as they can be for a tragedy like the one that occurred Monday on the Virginia Tech campus, where more than 30 people were killed in a shooting rampage.

And UW-Madison Dean of Students Lori Berquam stressed that officials are responding to concerned students and reaching out to students who come from Virginia to help them deal with the frightening reality.

“The other component is to make sure our crisis plans are intact and up-to-date. They are pretty comprehensive. It indeed could happen here,” Berquam said.

UW panel speaks out loud about sex ed

Capital Times

“Sex Out Loud,” a UW-Madison student group promoting open discussion of sex and sexuality, gave credence to its name by hosting a candid discussion of public sex education on the UW-Madison campus Monday night.

“One of Sex Out Loud’s’ main goals is to promote healthy sexuality through a variety of different methods,” said Emily Shor, UW-Madison senior and “Sex Out Loud” outreach coordinator. “We are basically trying to provide sex education to make sure people know how to be safe and happy at the same time.”

Horror in Virginia shakes students here

Capital Times

Watching the horror of the Virginia Tech shootings unfold on television and the Internet, many University of Wisconsin students said what worries them is that it could happen in Madison, too.

“I’m scared it could happen here. They are a big campus just like we are,” said Ian Behm, a junior studying economics and agriculture business management. “I’ll be sitting in class tomorrow thinking it could happen right now.”

B-boys, b-girls battle it out to hip-hop beat

Capital Times

Late into the a.m. before a packed house of cheering spectators at the UW Memorial Union, break dancers from across the globe are breaking the laws of physics to the eternal sounds of the funky drummer.

As the DJ samples the James Brown beat, teams compete for the reaction of the crowd, which is piled up everywhere outside the dancers’ expanse of hardwood.

The event, now in its fourth year, is called “Breakin’ the Law,” and its size and scope demonstrate what an organizing force hip-hop has become for this generation. The show is just one part of “Hip-Hop Week,” which the UW Multicultural Student Coalition has been filling campus venues with this week.

DoIT boosts Internet for research

Badger Herald

A new fiber optic network will allow University of Wisconsin researchers to access information up to 20,000 times faster and one million times greater than the capacity of a typical home broadband connection, the Division of Information Technology announced Monday.

Libraries land $1 million

Badger Herald

A University of Wisconsin alumnus and longtime contributor gave UW libraries nearly $1 million to benefit Friends of the UW-Madison Library initiatives in an endowment announced Monday.

Lampert Smith: Parents live with fear for children

Wisconsin State Journal

For parents of students away at college, the news Monday that 32 students were gunned down at Virginia Tech hit hard.

It’s not like we don’t already have enough things to fret about: Are they eating properly? Studying? In love? Depressed?

And why don’t they ever call?

I’m sure cell phones were ringing all over the UW- Madison campus, and others, as the news spread about the Virginia Tech shootings. On the students’ phones, the word “Mom” lit up.

Pill Price Drops (WKOW-TV)

WKOW-TV 27

For years, UW students were able to buy the pill well below cost; eight to nine dollars s a pack rather than the â??real-worldâ? price of 30 to 50 dollars a pack.

That all changed after the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, federal legislation which no longer allowed colleges to offer birth control at a nominal cost.

Disturbing Discovery Outside of UW Sorority

NBC-15

Police call an incident outside of a UW sorority house disturbing. Investigators say the cruel nature of it raises concerns that whoever is responsible is capable of something worse.

The animal cruelty case starts at the front door of Pi Beta Phi sorority.

“I don’t know who would do something like that, it’s kind of sick,” neighbor and UW junior Rick Jobski said.

UW System already preparing for Wisconsin Covenant (Wisconsin Radio Network)

Wisconsin Radio Network

The President of the UW System says campuses will be ready to deal with the first class of students signing the Wisconsin Covenant. Thousands of 8th graders are expected to sign the agreement in May, which will guarantee them access to a college education. UW System president Kevin Reilly says they’re gearing up to meet that expected increase in students with their growth agenda. That includes increasing physical space at UW schools and adding more faculty.

Educating students with explosions

Daily Cardinal

f youâ??ve had a general chemistry class at the UW-Madison, you probably know â??Jim the demo guy.â?

Jim Maynard, 43, has been working as a lecture demonstrator in the UW Chemistry department since 2001.

Grainger Hall tuition to rise

Badger Herald

The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents approved a differential tuition plan for undergraduate business students at their meeting Friday, which will require students enrolled in the Business School to pay more tuition per semester than others.

Students to try to make silk purse from sow’s ear

Wisconsin State Journal

Tim Sell sees potential every time he comes to work. He hopes a group of UW-Madison students taking part in a unique entrepreneurial program next week will have similar visions.

Sell, the marketing supervisor for the UW-Madison’s Surplus With A Purpose (SWAP) Shop, is anxious for the participants in the first Wiscontrepreneur Challenge to walk the aisles of the shop at 2102 Wright St.

A new chapter– Look who’s joining the UW’s old-school Greeks: Openly gay guys (Isthmus)

Isthmus

The room really was much too big.

Wearing a surprised expression, Delta Lambda Phi president Jake Aebly walked tentatively into the Red Gymâ??s On Wisconsin room, which is as spacious as a basketball gymnasium. His eyes were wide as he looked around.

â??This is not the room I requested!â? he said to fraternity brotherhood director Michael Balen, who had been sitting alone in the room, waiting for eight or so of his brothers to join him. They had more space, comically more space, than they needed for their business meeting that Sunday night last December. Balen looked amused. Aebly did not.

Freshman, RIAA settle as more threats issued (UW-Eau Claire Spectator)

At least one UW-Eau Claire student has accepted a settlement offer as the Recording Industry Association of America continues to crack down on illegal music downloading on college campuses.

Freshman Courtney Dokkestul, who received a letter during the first round of notifications, said she has accepted a settlement offer for a principal amount of $3,000.

“At first I thought it was a joke,” Dokkestul said, adding she still hasn’t decided whether to go with a six-month payment plan for $3,250 or a 12-month plan for a total of $3,500.

New Gay Fraternity Opens On UW-Madison Campus

WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — A new gay fraternity is opening on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.

It is the first gay fraternity on campus in more than 15 years, WISC-TV reported.

“Building a fraternity, a chapter or a colony, is a lot of work. So what I’m doing isn’t necessarily for me,” said Rodolfo Alaniz, co-founder of Delta Lambda Phi.

Alaniz said that the idea of starting a gay fraternity came up three years ago.

Police must step up to fight sexual assaults

Daily Cardinal

With the flood of on-campus sexual assaults this academic year, UW-Madison students have more than a right to be concerned. Equally concerning is the confusion. Since most situations require students to walk home alone at night, they are left wondering how they can protect themselves.

Baldwin visits UW, talks about energy

Badger Herald

Updating students, faculty and community members on congressional progress on global warming, Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., paid a visit to the University of Wisconsin campus Thursday night and heard concerns from UW experts and concerned citizens.

Board to settle tuition debate

Badger Herald

A University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents committee approved the UW-Madison Business School differential tuition program Thursday, setting it up for a vote by the full board today.

Board of Regents to vote on UWO’s differential tuition (Oshkosh Northwestern)

Differential tuition could continue at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh if the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents gives the proposal a continuing green light today.

The continuation of UWO’s differential tuition plan received the blessing of the regents’ finance committee Thursday, the regents first day of meetings at the UWO campus.

Differential tuition is any tuition charged for students above what other students in the UW system pay. At Oshkosh, the fee has been used to provide for more academic advising, career counseling and other student support services.

UW-Madison checks on sportswear factory in El Salvador (WPR)

Wisconsin Public Radio

(MADISON) The University of Wisconsin-Madison sent an envoy to El Salvador Thursday, to investigate allegations of mismanagement and corruption at a factory that made official sportswear for the University.

Hermosa Manufacturing contracted with Adidas to make UW clothing from 2000 to 2002. After it closed in 2005, complaints streamed in from former employees, including claims that 260 people were dismissed without receiving $825,000 in back pay or severance, and that unionized workers were blacklisted.

HPV

Daily Cardinal

The last time I had been in the clinic was for my Hepatitis-B vaccine. I screamed so loudly I scared the kids in the waiting room. Now, six years later, the same nauseating feelings of pre-shot anxiety were rising in my throat.

Field House of Dreams

Badger Herald

University of Wisconsin athletics holds one of the best home advantages in the nation. While the Badgers menâ??s basketball team won all 19 of its home games this past season, itâ??s not the Kohl Center. Nor is it Camp Randall. However, it is located just off of Breese Terrace.

Tuition hike sparks debate

Badger Herald

Representatives from dozens of engineering student organizations could not come to an agreement Wednesday night on the hotly contested differential tuition plan proposed earlier this year.

In-Depth: Deciding what to wear

Badger Herald

For students at the University of Wisconsin, a Motion W on clothing around campus doesnâ??t get a second glance.

But concerns about the $1.2 million contract UW has with Adidas â?? one of many clothing companies licensed to use the logo on its products â?? have garnered national attention.

The controversy centers on whether or not Adidas is working to uphold necessary labor conditions in some of its factories.

Students volunteer vacation time (WPR)

Wisconsin Public Radio

(MADISON) Most students are now back from spring break. While many took in beach parties and dance clubs, some chose to do some volunteer work down by the border.

Last week, ten UW-Madison students drove 30 hours to San Juan, Texas, which has a large immigrant community. They worked with LUPE, a group affiliated with the United Farmworkers Union, to visit with farm laborers and fix up their homes.

UW senior Adrian Coon says the trip was also a way to reconnect with his Mexican heritage. He says he now understands what they had to go through and adds it makes him even more grateful of what he has and how lucky he is to be one who succeeded.

Alternative Breaks sponsored the event. The organization has coordinated other community service trips across the country, including New Orleans and South Dakotaâ??s Cheyenne River Indian reservation.

UW checking apparel plant

Wisconsin State Journal

 UW-Madison senior Johnathon Godlewski is frank about why he wants UW-Madison to sever ties with athletics apparel manufacturing giant Adidas.”I would just like to wear a Bucky Badger shirt without feeling bad about it,” Godlewski said.

Responding to a rising tide of similar sentiment, UW- Madison Chancellor John Wiley is sending an envoy to El Salvador this week to look into allegations that Adidas isn’t doing enough to address workers’ rights abuses at an apparel factory it formerly contracted with there.

UW ruling on wages is disputed

Capital Times

Two Student Wage Committee members are challenging a decision by University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor John Wiley that the living wage concept does not apply to student hourly employees because they are primarily engaged in pursuing an education, not supporting a family.