The University of Wisconsin-Madison is defying a request from the music industry to pass along settlement offers to alleged copyright violators who use the UW’s computer networks.
Certain computer users have been pinpointed by the Recording Industry Association of America for allegedly violating copyright – that is, sharing music files on the Internet with others – for free – using peer-to-peer software.
College dorm life often runs cutting-edge wild.
One of the newest trends: “gender-neutral” housing that allows men and women to share rooms.
But there’s also a faith-based housing movement that’s gaining momentum: churches building dorms designed to attract seekers and believers alike.
Who would have thought? The newest dorm going up at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a Christian dorm. The Presbyterian Church USA is building it right next door to its campus chapel.
“Mob mentality gone wild” were the words a newspaper article used to describe the 2002 riot during Madison, Wisconsin’s annual Halloween party on State Street.
That year, drunken costumed revelers harassed police, threw bottles, overturned bicycle racks and vandalized stores along the street, which runs between the State Capitol building and the University of Wisconsin (UW) â?? Madison campus.
Reports state it took more than 100 police officers armed with tear gas to finally disperse the crowd, estimated at approximately 65,000 people.
(MADISON) A national students group is calling on the University of Wisconsin-Madison to cut ties with sportswear maker Adidas. Theyâ??re accusing a former Adidas subcontractor of mismanagement and corruption, and UW- Madison officials say theyâ??re looking into the claims.
The UW Chancellorâ??s office says itâ??s sending a representative to El Salvador in April. Sheâ??ll visit former workers of Hermosa Manufacturing and neighboring apparel plants. The fact-finding tour is to help university administrators address the complaints with Adidas executives. The companyâ??s contract with the UW system runs through 2011.
But United Students Against Sweatshops and its Madison charter, the Student Labor Action Coalition, say reports of worker rights abuses have already been verified by the Workers Rights Consortium Molly Glasgow, a regional organizer and UW student, says Adidasâ?? disregard of workerâ??s rights makes it clear the University should cut ties with the manufacturer immediately. She says she realizes the university is in a very tough position, but so are the workers. She says she thinks itâ??s the Universityâ??s responsibility because theyâ??re in a position of power to change something now.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Davidson College announced Monday it will eliminate loans from its need-based financial aid packages and replace them with grants and work-study, a move school officials said would allow students to graduate debt-free.
The liberal arts college had capped loan amounts in recent years to reduce student debt, but higher education experts said it’s the only college of its kind to halt loan handouts in need-based aid packages.
The number of reported robberies in Madison reached a new high last year, climbing above 400 for the first time.
In its 2006 Uniform Crime Report – a yearly tabulation of crime that police departments are required to submit to the FBI – Madison police reported 435 robberies, a 31.8 percent increase over last year’s 330. Street robberies, by far the most common type of robbery, saw an increase from 185 to 240, a 30 percent increase.
Area anti-war activists and veterans will observe the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq this evening with candlelight vigils, a panel discussion and a downtown rally.
….On the UW campus, the Campus Anti-War Network is hooking up with Iraq Veterans Against the War for a panel discussion around the theme, “Support Our Troops or Refuse to Kill.”
UW-Madison was recently notified by the Recording Industry Association of America that it would receive settlement letters targeted at individuals who have allegedly participated in illegal music file sharing and copyright infringement.
Incumbent mayor Dave Cieslewicz and his opponent Ray Allen debated Sunday night in the Red Gym to discuss a number of issues facing the city and the university.
Segregated fees are continually a hot-button issue â?? and rightfully so. They are the additional charges tacked onto our tuition to fund student activities that, in theory, further the education experience at the university.
Colleges and universities across the country may be receiving financial incentives from student loan companies, according to an announcement made Friday by New Yorkâ??s Attorney General.
With less than three weeks remaining until the spring election, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and candidate Ray Allen shared their views on issues like the Alcohol Density Plan and campus safety in a debate Sunday.
A rally and march to protest the U.S. war and occupation in Iraq will begin at 12:30 p.m. today at Library Mall. The rally observes the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Members of the Madison Area Peace Coalition say the rally will include music, spoken word performance and street theater. The march will leave Library Mall at 1:30 p.m. This event is being held in conjunction with other anti-war demonstrations around the state and country.
The University of Wisconsin went against the national trends Friday by warning students about its policy regarding illegal file sharing but refusing to forward settlement letters to violators from the Recording Industry Association of America.
The stateâ??s adult binge-drinking rate of 26 percent — one of the highest in the country — may be one reason why the problem is prevalent on Wisconsin campuses. So say some college officials responding to a national report calling for bold action against binge drinking among students.
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse says binge drinking is becoming more of a problem at college campuses. University officials have tried various efforts to curb alcohol abuse; the latest come during March Madness. College newspaper ads prompted by the American Medical Association urge fans to protest money universities get from alcohol advertising during tourney time.
Susan Crowley heads the abuse-prevention program at UW-Madison known as PACE. She says officials are reviewing the $425,000 UW-Madison gets from Miller Brewing and Anheuser-Busch in exchange for alcohol ads in game programs and sports broadcasts. She says these discussions are happening on campuses including Madison where officials are talking about whether there is an appropriate role for industry involvement in what the campus does and if it would be significant if changes were made in their relationship.
The controversy over a University of Wisconsin Law School professor’s remarks has played out painfully for many concerned. Yet, in a very real sense, it has provided an example of much of what is right with the academy.
Some student groups are still concerned UW-Madison is not taking enough action to confront Adidas on sweatshop abuses, even after the university agreed Wednesday to investigate first-hand the treatment of workers making UW gear.
With summer just a few months away, the question on many studentsâ?? minds is how to find a summer internship.
Following last weekâ??s approval of the Chippewa Valley Technical College liberal arts degree program, many students from CVTC and University of Wisconsin schools are looking forward to the upcoming changes.
Transcending both the bounds of Madison and the North American continent, a group of University of Wisconsin students continues to bring sustainable technologies to devastated and underdeveloped areas both at home and across the world.
Today is what’s known as “Match Day” at medical schools across the country. 4th year medical students found out today what hospital they’ll train at after graduation, and what area of medicine they’ll work in. The ceremony at the UW Medical School today looked something like a cross between a final exam and a game show.
Students walked up, one by one, to the podium, opened an enevlope, and read outloud their hospital assignment.
UW has been combatting underage and binge drinking for years. Now administrators say their next effort may target student organizations. The University wants to revise its risk-management policy to reinforce the idea that student groups are liable if their members overdrink.
Right now, student groups could lose their status if they serve alcohol to underage members.
(MADISON) Officials at the University of Wisconsin-Madison vow to check out alleged worker rights abuses at an apparel factory in El Salvador. Although the Adidas subcontractor shut down in 2005, reports persist of corruption and mismanagement that took place while the factory made uniforms and athletic gear for the University.
Complaints filed through the Workers Rights Consortium say when Hermosa Manufacturing closed, 260 employees were dismissed without receiving $285,000 in back pay or severance packages. Also, nearly 60 unionized workers were allegedly blacklisted, keeping them from finding jobs at a neighboring plant.
Currently the UW-Madisonâ??s contract with Adidas, which generates more than $1 million annually, lasts through 2011.
Now that the UW Roman Catholic Foundation has increased student membership of its leadership board under the orders of a federal court, UW-Madisonâ??s Student Organization Office should grant the foundation Registered Student Organization status â??very soon,â? according to UWRCF Director Tim Kruse.
This letter is in response to Mike Hahnâ??s recent opinion piece â??Students Shouldnâ??t be forced to pay segregated fees.â?
Much has been said about the new University of Wisconsin holistic admissions policy. Is there even anything left to say? Well, yes. While these pages have been used to simultaneously praise and denounce the new policy, the arguments against it have only hinted at the policyâ??s fundamental flaw: Itâ??s racist.
Federal Judge John Shabaz wisely put the First Amendment ahead of political correctness at UW-Madison last week when he told the university to stop discriminating against student religious groups.
UW-Madison administrators should follow Shabaz’s direction by altering their policy on funding student organizations.
Hunting for an internship takes time and as more students realize their value, competition is getting fierce. Various businesses now offer to help match students with internships, charging hundreds to thousands of dollars to help them write resumes, identify potential employers and find summer housing.
High on the brick wall of the Psychology Building, a red and white sign proclaims the four tenets of University of Wisconsin-Madisonâ??s We Conserve campaign to students passing below: â??Efficient systems. Informed people. Realistic expectations. Responsible actions.â?
In spite of mounting pressure to sever ties with Adidas, Chancellor John Wiley announced Wednesday that the University of Wisconsin would not terminate its licensing contract with the athletic apparel company.
Nearly half of America’s 5.4 million full-time college students abuse drugs or drink alcohol on binges at least once a month, according to a new study that portrays substance and alcohol abuse as an increasingly urgent problem on campuses across the nation. Alcohol remains the favored substance of abuse on college campuses by far, but the abuse of prescription drugs and marijuana has increased dramatically since the mid-1990s, according to the study released today by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. The center found that “the situation on America’s campuses has deteriorated” since 1993, CASA President Joseph Califano says.
MADISON â?? University of Wisconsinâ??s chancellor dismissed calls Wednesday to end the schoolâ??s athletics contract with Adidas AG over the mistreatment of workers in El Salvador but called on the company to remedy the situation.
Chancellor John Wiley said Adidas should do more to help workers who were unfairly treated by a former subcontractor. He also said he would send an envoy to the country on a fact-finding mission next month.
But Wiley said he would not follow an advisory committeeâ??s recommendation that the university end its exclusive contract with Adidas over abuses at Hermosa Manufacturing, which produced Adidas apparel bearing the Badgersâ?? logo from 2000 to 2002.
Federal Judge John Shabaz wisely put the First Amendment ahead of political correctness at UW-Madison last week when he told the university to stop discriminating against student religious groups.
UW-Madison administrators should follow Shabaz’s direction by altering their policy on funding student organizations.
UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley is sending a campus official to El Salvador to investigate whether Adidas has violated its contract with the school, over the way it treats factory workers.
Adidas provides more than 20 UW sports teams with Adidas apparel, and pays UW more than $300,000 a year. The total annual value of the deal to the UW is $1.2 million.
UW officials told 27 News, Wiley is even prepared to pull the plug on the exclusive contract, although student activists believe Wiley should be doing more.
The UW Roman Catholic Foundation officially voted Tuesday night to dedicate nine spots on its 12-member leadership board to students, following a federal court judgeâ??s orders, to gain eligibility for Registered Student Organization status from UW-Madisonâ??s Student Organization Office.
Two cases of sexual assault in less than two weeks have rattled students and raised questions about safety downtown and the prevalence of sexual violence on and near the UW-Madison campus.
The University of Wisconsin Roman Catholic Foundation altered its bylaws to include more students on its board of directors Tuesday, bringing the group into compliance with a federal judgeâ??s recent ruling.
The University of Wisconsin Marching Band staged a high-spirited and energy-packed pep rally Tuesday night in La Crosse perfectly suited for a Badger sports fan in a March Madness mood.
THE SPRING issue of On Wisconsin, the magazine of the University of Wisconsin Alumni Association, is out with a terrific cover story on Kentucky Fried Theater and the four brilliantly warped minds behind it.
The four – David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Dick Chudnow – are pictured on the cover looking as solemn (and, it must be said, damn near as old) as the faces on Mount Rushmore.
Nineteen Democratic state legislators sent a letter to state Attorney General JB Van Hollenâ??s office requesting a formal opinion regarding the Board of Regents unanimous vote to include race as a factor in UW System admissions last week.
Nineteen Democratic state legislators released a letter Monday sent to Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, urging him to uphold the University of Wisconsinâ??s revised admissions policy.
Safety issues along State Street and the Capitol Square at bar time prompted Madison Police, some alders, and the Madison Common Council to discuss limiting the number of new alcohol licenses the city hands out.
Representatives from Downtown Madison met at Hawk’s Bar today to discuss its stance. Owner Hawk Schekel disagrees. “This bar could literally be worth $100,000 more overnight…and I’m totally against it,” he said. Hawk wants to see other measures taken up to address safety.
The criticism of UW-Madison law professor Leonard Kaplan deserves an Emily Litella ending.
Litella was a character made famous on the “Saturday Night Live” TV program by comedian Gilda Radner. She would deliver a commentary on a public issue that she considered offensive, becoming increasingly agitated, until she discovered that she had misunderstood the whole thing. At that point, she would respond: “Never mind.”
STOP THE MADNESS. Wait, what madness, stop March Madness? No, â??STOP THE MADNESSâ? is the slogan of a new advertising campaign that reprimands universities for allowing major alcohol corporations to advertise during collegiate athletics. The advocacy ads state the commercials derail attempts to curb high-risk drinking among American youth.
Unless the National Security Agency records college lecturesâ??as it does many digital communicationsâ??we may never know what really happened in professor Leonard Kaplanâ??s controversial Legal Process class Feb. 15.
University of Wisconsin Law School senior faculty members and UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley issued separate statements Friday surrounding the recent controversy involving law professor Leonard Kaplan and student accusations of racist comments toward Hmong people during his Legal Process course Feb. 15.
To retain minorities in science and engineering majors, culturally relevant ways to build self-confidence must be found and developed, according to preliminary results from a University of Wisconsin study.
The first-year results of the Sloan Project for Diversity in STEM Retention were presented as part of the “Wednesday Nite @ the Lab” series at the UW Biotechnology Center Wednesday. About 25 people attended the presentation of the three-year study.
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents approved a liberal arts degree program in the Chippewa Valley region and the designation of UW-Stout as â??Wisconsinâ??s polytechnic universityâ? Friday.
Defending free expression in the classroom and criticizing the backlash against University of Wisconsin law professor Leonard Kaplan, Chancellor John Wiley and senior faculty members of the UW Law School weighed in Saturday on the ongoing controversy surrounding the racist comments attributed to Kaplan by some of his students.
Police are seeking the driver in a downtown Madison hit-and-run crash that critically injured a 20-year-old University of Wisconsin student as he was walking near campus.
Shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday, a dark-colored minivan hit the pedestrian at the intersection of Park Street and Regent Street and then continued driving southbound on Park Street, according to police.
Wisconsin and Minnesota university officials have come to a temporary agreement on a long-standing tuition deal. The tuition reciprocity agreement has been going since 1968, but has gained opposition, recently, because of increases to tuition in Minnesota. The deal allows Wisconsin students to pay Wisconsin tuition prices, even if they go to school in Minnesota, and vice versa. While the deal was good for both states, Minnesota tuition has gone up, Wisconsin tuition has not kept pace, and now, Minnesota students feel they are getting the short end of the deal.
Julia Randall has seen a lot of places and driven from California to New England, but this summer the former Westboro and Cambridge resident, now a freshman at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, will make the trek from east to west by bicycle to support Habitat for Humanity.
Three computer whizzes from UW-Madison are headed to Tokyo this weekend to pit their brains – and endurance – against competitors from around the world.
They represent not only their own talent, but also what many hope is a resurgence of U.S. strength in the global computer science race.
Student demand for more entrepreneurial education and opportunity at UW-Madison are finally being heard as initiatives take form. Many on campus are familiar with the student-run businesses at UW-Madison such as netNerds, Sconnie Nation, ExchangeHut, and U-DUB, but until recently, there have been few resources for students such as these companiesâ?? founders who are interested in experimenting with entrepreneurship.
In recent years, the recording industry has brought lawsuits against college song-swapping suspects by filing batches of “John Doe” subpoenas, which identify students by their computers’ Internet-protocol numbers and ask college technology officials to provide names matching the numbers.
Now, though, the recording industry is asking colleges to get involved before it files any legal papers. Under the lawsuit process described in this letter from the Recording Industry Association of America, the group’s lawyers will send colleges batches of e-mail form letters, each identifying a particular Internet-protocol number, and will ask that the messages be forwarded to students whose machines correspond to those numbers. The messages explain that unless the students agree to an out-of-court settlement, the association will sue them.
APPLETON â?? Michelyn Cynthia Butler, 24, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was chosen Saturday as Miss Fox River Valley 2007 at the Thompson Community Center, 820 W. College Ave.
MADISON, Wis. — March Madness has begun, but the American Medical Association and others are urging the NCAA and universities like the University of Wisconsin-Madison to “Stop the Madness” and curb alcohol advertising.
The AMA said that the alcohol industry spends more than $52 million on college sports advertising.
On the UW-Madison campus, contracts with Anheuser-Bush and Miller are worth $425,000, WISC-TV reported.
Both sides say they got a favorable ruling from a federal judge on dispensing UW student fees to a religious organization.
The judge said, in order to receive $250,000 in student fees, the UW-Madison Roman Catholic Foundation must be run by students. “He said you need to have at least six students on your board and so we’re completely willing to do that.” … Pending expected approval of the executive board according to the Foundation’s Tim Kruse.
MADISON, Wis. — A UW student is in critical condition after a hit-and-run crash early Saturday morning.
The incident happened around 2:30 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Park and Regent Streets.
The student is being treated at UW Hospital for life-threatening injuries.
Police have not yet tracked down the driver of the vehicle.
Dear Editor: I’ve followed the story of Professor Leonard Kaplan in the press since it broke, attended the forum at the Law School, and now have read his own statement. I’ve learned five lessons.
….Finally, after reading Professor Kaplan’s own statement, I learned that here was the same friend I’d had for well over 30 years â?? a teacher with an intellectually ambitious agenda, a persistent advocate for the less powerful in our society, and one who, like all of us profs, occasionally misspeaks and misjudges the impact of his remarks on his students.
Francis Schrag, UW professor emeritus of educational policy studies and philosophy, Madison
