The Daily Cardinal Blog

ASM Chair election postponed

By Rory Linnane
Associated Students of Madison News

Associated Students of Madison Representatives voted in a tie for Brian Benford and Tyler Junger for ASM Chair, leaving ASM without a chair until their next meeting.

The elections for ASM Vice Chair and Secretary were also postponed. Representatives interpreted ASM bylaws to dictate that ASM fill the vice chair and secretary position only after filling the chair position. 

According to ASM Vice Chief Justice Ben Beduhn, who took minutes at the meeting, Representatives also voted in Melissa Hanley as Shared Governance Chair, and Steven Olikara as Diversity Committee Chair for a second term. Neither are ASM Representatives.

Members plan to vote on other committee chairs at the next meeting.

Benford and Junger are both UW-Madison juniors and ASM Letters and Science Representatives. Benford, 49, is a former District 12 alderman and current head of the Equal Opportunities Commission. Junger, 20, is the former Student Services Finance Committee Secretary.

Benford and Junger each received 13 votes from ASM Representatives, leaving the result inconclusive.

Graduate School Representative Matthew Tobelmann, who cast the last vote, originally "passed" on his vote, planning to abstain.

"I was comfortable with either candidate leading council, so I thought I should leave the decision up to members of this body who more fervently believe in one candidate," Tobelmann said later in an interview.

However, when ASM Student Judiciary Chief Justice Trenell Darby, who chaired the meeting, returned to Tobelmann for his vote, Benford was leading by one vote. Tobelmann, who later said in an interview that he supports Junger, voted for Junger, leaving a tie vote.

“My biggest concern is that it’s such a close vote and that not enough representatives are present.”

Four ASM Representatives were absent during the vote for Chair today: Graduate School Representatives Elizabeth Wrigley-Field and Katrina Flores, and Freshman Representatives Rebecca Newman and Axel Hernandez.

Members will vote again at their next meeting, Tuesday at 6:30pm in the Hearing Room of the Student Activity Center.

Arts Lofts to open next week

By Kelsey Gunderson

Campus Construction News

The new Arts Lofts building, located on N. Francis Street across from the Kohl Center is scheduled to open next week during a weeklong celebration.

According to a release, the UW-Madison Art Department and Education Department will hold tours, demonstrations and art sales all next week to mark the building's grand opening.

The building was previously an old warehouse and was transformed into an art building that consists of state-of-the art studios, galleries, labs and various other art facilities. The construction was officially completed in December 2008. 

To find out more about next week's events click here.

Stay tuned for more Arts Lofts updates.

Chazen goundbreaking to begin this week

By Kelsey Gunderson

Campus Construction News

According to a statement, the Chazen Museum of Art is expected to begin construction Friday.

The expansion, which will cost $43 million, is designed to give the museum a more open and inviting feel. It will have a new lobby, gallery, storage rooms and auditorium.

The museum's expansion is a part of the east campus plan, which is designed to bring together the east campus buildings with a more cohesive feel. The expansion will be completed in fall of 2010

The statement said, for now, those who wish to visit the museum should make sure to enter through the University Ave entrance.

ASM cannot meet quorum, spring results unlikely tonight

Officials from the ASM press office are saying the Student Judiciary Committee cannot meet quorum and election results are unlikely to be released tonight.

If they are not released tonight they will be released by tomorrow night at 7 p.m.

ASM voting begins 8 a.m. Monday

By Rory Linnane
Associated Students of Madison News

Beginning at 8:00 a.m. Monday, students can vote online for new Associated Students of Madison Representatives here. The website will be open for voting through April 15.

Many candidates share the slogan, "FACES: For Accessibility, Community, and Empowerment of Students." These candidates are part of a slate that came out of the Vote No Coalition. A listing of FACES candidates, and more information about the FACES platform is here.

More information about the elections is on the ASM website, including details about each candidate.

Mel's Top Ten News Picks For The Week of April 10, 2009

Melanie Teachout

1.) UW-Madison students participate in an event Saturday night to help create awareness of homelessness.

2.) Curing grogginess with coffee comes with some unhealthy effects.

3.) At least 92 people declared dead from an earthquake that occurred in Italy early Monday April 6 with updates later in the week.

4.) Mystery of the journalist kidnapped by Taliban members 4 months ago remains unsolved.

5.) The capitol in Madison, WI is evacuated after a student pilot steals small plane in Canada. Later student claims to have been trying to commit suicide.

6.) The Cuban Government revealed Fidel Castro believes the United States should apologize to Cuba and remains a racist country.

7.) Woman speaks out about her rape and the witnesses who, she feels, did not attempt to stop the attacker.

8.) American soldiers find it difficult to eliminate a corrupted government in Afghanistan.

9.) Captain of a U.S. flag-ship attempts to escape pirates by jumping overboard off the coast of Somalia.

10.) Suicide attacker kills 5 American soldiers and 2 member or Iraqi security forces.

ASM to debate action on tuition hike proposal

By Rory Linnane
Associated Students of Madison News

The Associated Students of Madison will be debating a resolution at their meeting tonight that would voice support the Wisconsin Initiative for Undergraduates, demand more information about it, and propose the creation of a shared governance committee to oversee the initiative's funds.

While the proposed resolution recognizes that Chancellor Biddy Martin makes final decisions about the initiative, it charges the shared governance committee with “receiving and approving proposals regarding improvements in student services.” The proposal calls for students to constitute a majority of the committee, with the rest being faculty and staff. 

Martin is expected to attend the ASM meeting around 7:00 p.m. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Hearing Room of the Student Activity Center.

Mel's Top Ten Picks for the Week of March 30, 2009

Melanie Teachout

1.) Students needing more financial aid may be forced to attend less expensive and less prestigious colleges.

2.) Brother kills 5 year old sister.

3.) Pakistani leader claims to have made recent attacks.

4.)  Patients returning to hospitals before seeing a doctor are using unnecessary costs.

5.) Pistachio recall urges consumers to temporarily stop eating foods that contain pistachios until there is a definite approval of the nut.

6.) The crowd protesting near the Royal Bank of Scotland in London was forcibly restrained and further violent attacks are anticipated.

 

7.) Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced new banking standards on April 2, 2009.

8.) President Obama met and discussed global financial plans at his first international summit.

9.) NFL football player, Donte Stallworth, faces DUI charges after hitting a pedestrian in Miami, FL.

10.) Isreal’s new Prime Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, makes a speech warning that those wanting peace should prepare for war.

Slate of candidates for ASM announced

By Rory Linnane
Associated Students of Madison News

Students united by interest in grassroots organizing and brought together by the former Vote No Coalition created a slate of candidates for the upcoming Associated Students of Madison election. The For Accessibility Community and Empowerment of Students (FACES) Slate announced its candidates and explained its goals today on the steps of Memorial Union.

The premise of the FACES Slate is to strengthen grassroots involvement in ASM by making it more transparent and reaching out to other student groups.

One of the goals of the FACES slate is to strengthen diversity on campus.Bekah Blocker, a freshman running for Letters and Sciences Representative on the FACES Slate, said faculty should be offered incentives to participate in diversity efforts, and ASM members should take a diversity training class.

“[ASM members] don’t have all the viewpoints of every perspective on campus and the diversity perspective is what we want to try to give them,” Blocker said.

The FACES Slate also aims to make the campus safer through initiatives like pushing for more safety phones in the southeast area, putting the rape crisis line number on the back of WisCards, and increasing the limits and range of SAFE services.

The FACES platform also addresses the affordability of a UW-Madison education. Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, who is running for Graduate School Representative for the FACES Slate, said ASM should be working harder to make the university affordable. 

“Our education is becoming more unaffordable and inaccessible at exactly the time when our graduates’ economic prospects are becoming more untenable,” Field said. “It’s very true that the state legislature does not give this school enough funds, but…that’s not going to change as long as the ASM’s platform is to issue some statements but do nothing to mobilize this campus to tell the state that this university deserves better.”

Another point on the FACES platform is to advocate for environmental responsibility in areas of energy, food waste, recycling, and pesticide usage.

“Not only are the university’s actions are extremely wasteful and hurtful to the environment, but they take away money from much-needed programs,” Jake Burow, a freshman running for Letters and Sciences Representative on the FACES Slate, said.

Spring elections are April 13-15.

Dean of Students Works to get Information Out About the Madison Initiative

By Andrea Carlson

The Office of the Dean of Students will be working hard in the next few weeks to get information out to the student population about the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates.

"Our office is working to reach out to students and student organizations to make sure they are aware of the initiative and elicit feedback," Associate Administration Program Specialist of the Dean of Students, Alex Gallagher, said.

The purpose of the Initiative is to create a supplemental tuition charge that will be phased in during the next four years. The plan was proposed in the hopes that it will improve the quality of UW-Madison's undergraduate education as well as keeping it affordable to students and their families.

Additional faculty and instructional support in certain areas will be included in the Initiative's package, as well as the increased provision of funding to student services.

An important aspect that is being emphasized by the Office of the Dean of Students is that, after the institution of the planned increase in tuition, UW-Madison's tuition for in- and out-of-state students will maintain its position near the bottom of the Big Ten.

Kenyan Students to Host Presentation and Food Tasting

Alyssa Connolly
Ethnic/Religious Groups News

International Kenyan students will host Taste of Cultures: Kenya, a presentation and performance about their home country, Thursday, April 2 in Memorial Union. The presentation will be about music, pop culture, and politics, among other things, and will finish with a Kenyan food tasting. The free event will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

CREECA Hosts New Year Concert

Alyssa Connolly
Religious/Ethnic Groups News

The UW Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia (CREECA) will host a concert by the Silk Road Ensemble Thursday, April 2. According to CREECA’s Web site, the concert will celebrate Nawruz, the new year observed in different parts of the Middle East and Asia. It will feature the music of various regions along the Silk Road, a series of trade routes throughout Asia. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Union.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

By Andrea Carlson

With the beginning of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, ads and notices will be posted throughout campus with various taglines having to do with gaining permission before engaging in sexual activity.

PAVE (Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment), a student organization on campus, began the campaign along with other student groups and campus staff.

Other materials involved in the campaign include stickers, bottle openers, key chains and bookmarks with labels such as "Consent isn't blurry" that will be handed out to students around campus.

The first event for Sexual Assault Awareness month will be held in the Ogg Main Lounge at 8 p.m. on Monday, April 6 and is entitled "Sex Signals".

For a complete list of events, visit http://uwpave.rso.wisc.edu/.

Students raise money for Hunger Cleanup

By: Beth Pickhard

WISPIRG's Hunger and Homelessness Campaign will host the 25th Annual Hunger Cleanup, April 4, to raise money to assist organizations in meeting their financial needs.

According to a release, students have set a goal of $5,000 to be raised for The Road Home to fund their Rapid Re-Housing program, which helps families ease the burden of their transition by paying for their security deposit and first month's rent.

"[We are] committed to ending hunger and homelessness in America by educating and engaging students to directly meet individuals' immediate needs, while advocating for long-term systemic solutions," the release stated.

The release said experts predict if this issue becomes more prominent in America and is adequately funded by the government nobody will go hungry within five years of its implication.

"The world produces 10% more food today than is needed to feed everyone.  Yet millions of people throughout the world and the United States currently exist without adequate food and shelter."

Student participating in the Hunger Cleanup volunteer in the community and are sponsored by family and friends.  To join WISPIRG's team ("WISPIRG Badgers"), or become a leader of your own, visit http://hungercleanup.org

WISPIRG will receive fifteen percent of Za's Italian Cafe's profits tonight between 5 and 8 pm to be donated to The Road Home.  For more information about this organization visit http://www.theroadhome.org

American-Indian Students to Host Pow-Wow

By Alyssa Connolly
Ethnic/Religious Groups News

The Wunk Sheek American Indian Student Organization will host their 34th annual Pow-Wow Saturday, March 28 at the Kohl Center.

Wunk Sheek officer and Pow-Wow planner Alison Bowman said the event is both a spiritual and social way for American-Indian people to connect and celebrate with one another.

“It’s a large way to get Natives together and also to show the campus community that there is a Native presence here,” she said.

The Pow-Wow will feature many different styles of dancing, arts and crafts, performances, and drumming, which Bowman said is considered the “heartbeat of Mother Earth.”

Bowman said she is particularly looking forward to seeing the drum groups, including one Grammy Award-winning group, as well as perusing the Native-made jewelry sold by a number of Pow-Wow vendors. 

She expects around 1,500 people at the event, including university students, Madison community members, Madison Native members, and other people from around Wisconsin of various ages and ethnicities.

“It’s something that everyone can participate in,” Bowman said. “It’s meant for everyone to come and celebrate.”

While most traditional Pow-Wows usually last several days, Bowman said Saturday’s Pow-Wow will be shortened, featuring a first session from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., followed by a feast at 5 p.m. and a second session from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The Pow-Wow, which is a free event, will be held in the Nicholas-Johnson Pavilion of the Kohl Center.