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Weekend, April 16-18, 2010
Student groups plan sex assault awareness month By Devin Mulertt The Daily Cardinal
Many UW-Madison student organizations partnered to create the Sexual Assault Awareness Month Coalition to coordinate events in April with the goal of focusing student attention on the issue of sexual assault. One of those events, the Sexual Health Dance, takes place Friday. The Sexual Health Dance will be held in MSC Satellite from 8:30 p.m.-12:00 a.m. Friday and all of the proceeds will be donated to the UW-Madison Rape Crisis Center. Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment is one of the student organizations working with the SAAM Coalition. According to Te r a Meerkins, PAVE chair, sexual assault is a pervasive issue on college campuses. Meerkins defines sexual assault as any unwanted sexual contact that encompasses a range of behaviors, including rape, and said, “The most important aspect in identifying sexual assault is to note whether consent was given.” “It is estimated that one in four women will experience sexual assault during their time on campus ... and considering its prevalence, everyone knows someone who has been sexually assaulted, regardless of whether the victim has told them,” Meerkins said. Additional events planned for this month by the SAAM Coalition include film screenings, a keynote speaker and an ice cream social. Take Back the
Night, a march from Library Mall to the Capitol, will conclude the month’s events. With these events, Claire Peterson, chair of the Events Committee for Sexual Assault Awareness Month Coalition, said she hopes to raise student awareness about the prevalence of sexual assault on campus and to curtail further sexual assault through increased communication among students. “If everyone on campus put even a small effort into educating themselves about the issue and prevalence of sexual assault, the effect on our community could be very beneficial,” said Peterson. “Great ways to get involved could include breaking the silence around sexual assault by talking with friends about the issue [or] attending a Sexual Assault Awareness Month event.” Sexual assault awareness continues beyond April with programs like the peer education program, organized by PAVE. This program tries to educate students on how to understand the definitions of sexual assault and consent, as well as how to support victims of sexual assault. Meerkins said that every individual is essential in the fight against sexual assault. “The root causes of sexual assault lie in cultural norms, we are all responsible for changing these norms. It is also important that people are aware of sexual assault, so that they can appropriately support survivors and offer resources,” Meerkins said.
Change in ordinance requires more contact information By Alison Bauter violations and nuisances, all of The Daily Cardinal
The Landlord and Tenant Subcommittee voted Thursday in favor of requiring owners of multi-family dwellings to provide contact information for at least two responsible parties. The new requirement would make it easier for tenants and regulatory agencies, such as Building Inspection and the MPD, to access landlords or caretakers. “This doesn’t always seem necessary,” said Ald. Julia Kerr, District 13, who is one of the new section’s proponents. “But it’s urgent when you really need it.” Such instances of necessity range from fires and broken water pipes to issues of residential noise
which require the caretaker or landlord to be available and easily accessible. Ald. Bridget Maniaci, District 2, said this increased accountability would make it easier for residents to address neighborhood issues, such as noise violations and other nuisances. “It would encourage calling because I’d know that there’s a line to direct action,” said Maniaci. Attached to the new requirement is a 10-dollar registration fee for landlords. This presents the “biggest concern,” said executive director for the Apartment Association of subcommitte page 3
Isabel álvarez/the daily cardinal
Tea Party activists attended a rally at the Capitol Thursday, headlined by former Gov. Tommy Thompson.
Thompson declines to run against Feingold By Ariel Shapiro The Daily Cardinal
Former Gov. Tommy Thompson said he will not challenge U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, for his seat, he said during the Tax Day tea party rally at the capitol Wednesday. “You can tell I want to run, ladies and gentlemen, boy do I want to run,” Thompson said. “But I told my family last night that it’s time for new voices, and new faces.” Although he declined the run, Thompson assured the crowd he would support them wholeheartedly through November. “I am going to be with you in the small cities and the large cities, taking the message wherever I possibly can, to make sure that we start electing conservatives to public office who will listen to the people,” he said. The rally, which was attended by a crowd numbering in the thousands, was organized by the Executive Director of the Wisconsin chapter of Americans for Prosperity and Thompson’s former campaign manager Mark Block. Speakers at the event included tea party organizers from
across the state, a civil lawyer, a reverend, and even a Thomas Jefferson impersonator, among others. They all share a similar demand for smaller government and political turnover in the state and in the nation’s capitol this fall. “This election is so important,” Thompson said. “I not only want you to talk to your
neighbors to get out the vote, I want you to talk to your relatives, get them all out to vote.” Now that Thompson is out of the race, student activists from both ends of the political spectrum anticipate recently resigned Wisconsin Secretary of Commerce Dick Leinenkugel will become the rally page 3
Danny Marchewka/the daily cardinal
Tommy Thompson, former Wisconsin governor and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, spoke at the rally Thursday.
City Committee considers Central Library renovation By Cassie Pientka The Daily Cardinal
The Downtown Coordinating Committee met Thursday to discuss the new Central Library renovation proposal along with new safety procedures being implemented in the downtown area. The renovation proposal comes after talks between the city and Fiore Cos. fell through over a $2 million contract dispute in March. The project
would have built a new library on West Washington Avenue and the current site would have been sold for redevelopment. As an effort to speed up the process of construction, renovation to the library is being discussed but with some opposition. “I am open to changing directions, but I’m not there yet because there is still at least a sliver of a chance that redevelopment could still happen,” Ald.
Bryon Eagon, District 8, said. Committee member Patrick McDonnell said the renovation plan is narrower in scope although the previous Fiore plan had potential for economic gains for the city. The Common Council plans to meet on May 4 for further discussion of the renovation. The committee also dislibrary page 3
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”