News - The Daily Cardinal

CITY NEWS

Meet the candidate: Matt Andrzejewski for Madison School Board

By Gina Heeb | Feb. 20, 2017

Matt Andrzejewski, a university professor and father of a local high school student, says addressing education issues at any level starts with ensuring high teacher morale—especially in the case of Madison Metropolitan School District, where he is running for seat seven on the Board of Education. “How we honor and respect our teachers is a big concern to me,” Andrzejewski said.

CITY NEWS

Meet the candidate: Ed Hughes for Madison School Board

By Gina Heeb | Feb. 20, 2017

Incumbent candidate Ed Hughes, who has served on seat seven of Madison School Board for nine years, says his experience would allow him to effectively lead efforts to secure adequate resources for schools and to address the district’s achievement gap in a fourth term, if reelected. Public education is “under assault” at the federal and state level, according to Hughes.

Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign launched digital ads Monday encouraging supporters to write letters to their legislators in support of his budget.

STATE NEWS

Walker asks public to help rally support for budget

By Noah Habenstreit | Feb. 20, 2017

Friends of Scott Walker launched a digital ad campaign Monday urging people who support the biennial budget proposal to write to their representatives about its benefits. Wisconsinites can send form letters to their legislators by visiting the website WalkerBudget.com.

Despite legislation from ASM, Chancellor Rebecca Blank told The Daily Cardinal that the university does not plan to put a plaque on the university's statue of President Abraham Lincoln recognizing his role in the deaths of natives.

NEWS

Student groups, university work to ease ‘culture shock’ for native students

By Luisa de Vogel | Feb. 20, 2017

Balancing the newfound energy of city life with academics proved challenging for Emily Nelis, a student who came to UW-Madison after growing up on an Indian reservation in northern Wisconsin.

CITY NEWS

Meet the candidate: Nicki Vander Meulen for Madison School Board

By Gina Heeb | Feb. 20, 2017

Nicki Vander Meulen says she would love to be “out of business” as a juvenile attorney. After seeing the same kids coming back to her for legal help, Vander Meulen—deciding it was time to strengthen restorative justice programs in local education—filed candidacy papers for seat seven of the Madison Metropolitan School District board.

NEWS

SSFC legislation seeks to reaffirm independence

By Nina Bertelsen | Feb. 20, 2017

Under the Associated Students of Madison bylaws and Wisconsin state statutes, the Student Services Finance Committee is an independent organization. During its meeting Monday night, SSFC will seek to reaffirm their independent status with legislation.

Chancellor Rebecca Blank approved full-funding through her office for Our Wisconsin, an inclusion program that will be offered to first-year students in residence hall.

CAMPUS NEWS

Blank approves full-funding for first-year student diversity training program

By Sammy Gibbons | Feb. 19, 2017

Chancellor Rebecca Blank approved full-funding from her office for the Our Wisconsin programs. The workshops will engage students in conversations about identities, and go further in depth of the advantages and disadvantages of various groups, according to Our Wisconsin Student Coordinator Katrina Morrison.

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., introduced a bipartisan bill Tuesday that hopes to assemble interest from both sides of the aisle.

STATE NEWS

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan holds Madison town hall to discuss Trump administration

By Andy Goldstein | Feb. 19, 2017

Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan held a town hall Saturday to field questions and concerns over President Donald Trump’s agenda from more than the 500 estimated constituents in attendance.

Mayor Paul Soglin joined municipal leaders across the country, challenging President Donald Trump’s immigration ban through an amicus brief.

CITY NEWS

Madison joins New York, Chicago in opposing Trump’s travel ban

By Noah Habenstreit | Feb. 19, 2017

The City of Madison signed onto an amicus brief opposing President Donald Trump’s immigration ban Friday, joining 33 other municipalities across the nation.

Congress is now comprised of more women and racial and religious minorities, making it more representative of the country's population as a whole.

CITY NEWS

Meet the candidate: Ali Muldrow for Madison School Board

By Cailynn Hensen | Feb. 18, 2017

Having grown up and attended school in the area, Ali Muldrow—who is running for seat six of Madison Metropolitan School District Board—is no stranger to the city. Shaped by her own experience as a student at MMSD, Muldrow says she is compelled to make the school district at the “forefront of inclusion.” In order to do that, she said, the school board needs to look at how faculty provides opportunities for people of all backgrounds.

UW-Madison student organizations and a University Health Services psychologist investigated benefits of mindfulness—the act of paying attention on purpose—and are spreading their findings to students, faculty and staff on campus.

CAMPUS NEWS

UW students, staff encourage practice of mindfulness to reduce stress, anxiety

By Catherine Goslin | Feb. 18, 2017

Bob McGrath, a psychologist at University Health Services at UW-Madison, says that the term “mindfulness” has only been in common use for the past 10 to 15 years, and the practice itself has just begun to gain widespread popularity.

CITY NEWS

Meet the candidate: Cris Carusi for Madison School Board

By Lawrence Andrea | Feb. 17, 2017

After 10 years of speaking up at school board meetings, Cris Carusi says it’s time to take her involvement in the Madison Metropolitan School District to the next level by running for a board of education seat. A longtime Madison resident and mother of two, Carusi said her ideas for seat six of MMSD School Board—currently held by Michael Flores—come from firsthand experience in the district.

Badger Volunteer hosted a presentation of LGBT Books to Prisons Thursday, which donates educational books to LGBT individuals in prison systems.

CAMPUS NEWS

Badger Volunteer event addresses LGBT community in the criminal legal system

By Hannah Malone | Feb. 16, 2017

Badger Volunteers hosted LGBT Books to Prisoners for their first educational session of the semester Thursday night.

U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy, seen as a front-runner in Wisconsin’s 2018 senate election, said Thursday that he would not be running. Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s opponent is now up in the air.

STATE NEWS

U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy announces he will not run against Baldwin for U.S. Senate

By Claire Grummon | Feb. 16, 2017

Republican U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., announced Thursday that he will not run against U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin for her senate seat in 2018.

The Office of Student Financial Aid said UW-Madison students graduate with less debt than state and national averages.

NEWS

More UW-Madison students graduating without debt, report shows

By Maggie Chandler | Feb. 16, 2017

Despite national worries over student debt the last few years, 53.4 percent of UW-Madison’s 2015-‘16 undergraduate class graduated without student debt—a 3 percent increase from the year before, according to a report from the Office of Student Financial Aid.

A plan introduced Thursday by Dane County Executive Joe Parisi would help members of the local immigrant community apply for citizenship.

CITY NEWS

Parisi rolls out citizenship resource plan

By Gina Heeb | Feb. 16, 2017

Members of the immigrant community in Dane County could get new resources aimed at an easing the application process for U.S. citizenship, under a new program introduced by the county executive’s office.

A controversial proposal to build a beer garden in Madison secured a Class B alcohol permit Wednesday in a 5-2 vote by the city’s alcohol licensing committee.

CITY NEWS

Madison beer garden proposal secures alcohol license

By Gina Heeb | Feb. 16, 2017

After months of dispute among city officials and residents, Madison’s alcohol licensing committee granted a liquor permit Wednesday for a German-style beer garden that would sit on the Lake Monona shoreline. With a 5-2 vote by the Alcohol License Review Committee in favor of granting a Class B alcohol license, the project developer, BKM Group LLC, would be allowed to sell beer at its concessions if the project proposal gains approval from city council next month. The beer garden would be built next to Olbrich Park, surrounded by the Eastmoreland neighborhood.

Gov. Walker is recommending the passage of a bill that seeks to protect freedom of speech on UW campuses, even speech that may be deemed “deeply offensive.”

STATE NEWS

Bill would require UW schools to protect offensive speech

By Andy Goldstein | Feb. 16, 2017

Alongside his budget proposal, Gov. Scott Walker is recommending the passage of a companion bill that would legally require university officials to act in defense of offensive speech.

During a panel discussion Associated Students of Madison Legislative Affairs Committee Chair Sally Rohrer said allowing students to opt out of allocable segregated fees would be "a disaster."

NEWS

Students concerned for campus fallout if allocable fees become optional

By Nina Bertelsen | Feb. 16, 2017

“A disaster,” is how Sally Rohrer, a student government leader, described the provision in Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposal to make allocable segregated fees optional. UW-Madison student leaders are concerned, and seek to inform students about the value of groups and organizations that could be on the chopping block.

Tyriek Mack, a representative of the Associated Students of Madison, proposed legislation to urge the Chancellor and university to take steps to back up its rhetoric regarding diversity and inclusion on campus.

NEWS

‘Cognitive dissonance’ in university rhetoric and actions prompts ASM legislation

By Nina Bertelsen | Feb. 16, 2017

“I wanted people to understand the connection between white supremacy that the university perpetuates, if we are going to address it,” said Mack. He added, “If the university has rhetoric around diversity and inclusion they should have some actions that reflect that.”