VERSE GONE VOCAL. Spoken poetry gains local, S national popularity. CULTURE
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MEDITATION: TAKING THE LABOR OUT OF LOVE Programs on campus teach compassion through deep concentration on love SCIENCE Complete campus coverage since 1892
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Officials outline plans for downtown growth By Evan Hall THE DAILY CARDINAL
City officials laid out a vision for downtown Madison Wednesday at the Overture Center, launching the development of a comprehensive downtown plan for the first time in nearly 20 years. Staff from the city’s Department of Planning and Community and Economic Development focused on preserving the fabric and character of downtown Madison, as well as offering recommendations to ensure the downtown remains the thriving heart of the city. Madison’s last comprehensive downtown planning effort, “Downtown 2000,” was adopted in 1989. Although the plan pushed forward downtown progress in many areas––including the renovation of State Street––Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said the downtown needs
a fresh diagnosis. “It’s time to have another look at it and to adjust to the new realities and take advantage of all of those positive influences that we have,” Cieslewicz said. “The fundamentals of downtown Madison are terrific.” In 2004, the “Downtown Advisory Report” explored areas for development in the downtown and culminated in Madison’s “Comprehensive Plan,” adopted in 2006. Wednesday’s meeting marked the beginning of the planning task force’s development of specific strategies in the coming year through city meetings, boards and public forums. The Downtown Plan will build upon recommendations from the earlier plans concerning housing, transportation, economic development, natural and cultural resources, and land-use. downtown page 4
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Thursday, April 10, 2008
Dirty dancing
CHARLIE BAKER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
UW-Madison students filled the MSC Satellite to participate in an exotic dance class with Exotic George on Wednesday night. The event was hosted by Sex Out Loud for Sexual Health Week.
UW to launch athlete adjustment program By Whitney Newman THE DAILY CARDINAL
CECILIA CONWAY/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Bill Fruhling, a principal planner for the City of Madison, discussed goals of the Downtown Plan at the Overture Center Wednesday.
Beginning this fall, freshmen student athletes at UW-Madison will be required to participate in the Life Skills Academy, a program that aims to help them adjust to college life as Big Ten athletes. “Our goal is to be able to expose our freshman athletes to various topics and issues that they’re going to face,” said Kelli Richards, coordinator of the program at UWMadison. “Mentors will help the students with skills like time management, learning to use campus resources, getting involved on campus … kind of a ‘learning from your mistakes’ sort of approach.”
Lawmakers compromise on Great Lakes bill By Charles Brace THE DAILY CARDINAL
Gov. Jim Doyle and legislative leaders announced an agreement Wednesday on the Great Lakes Compact, a major environmental bill that is scheduled for a special session vote April 17. “Our Great Lakes waters in many ways define who we are, and now the Great Lakes Compact will ensure that we protect this tremendous resource while responsibly using water we need to prosper and grow,” Doyle said in a statement. The bill would stop long-distance diversions from the lakes and mandate rules regarding maintaining them. Proponents state they want to pass the bill in all states surround-
ing the Great Lakes and have the proposal approved by Congress to become law. State Sen. Mark Miller, DMonona, chair of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee, said the agreement was possible because Assembly Republicans stopped pushing for changes that would have sent the GLC back to other states for reapproval, as each state has to pass the same version. However, states are allowed some leeway in how they apply the GLC, with the recent agreement dealing with implementation language in the proposal. Miller said he thought the bill would easily pass again in the Senate,
which passed an earlier version with a 26-6 vote. Mike Bruhn, chief of staff for state Rep. Scott Gunderson, R-Waterford, said the bill includes some legislative oversight provisions on a governor’s ability to change the compact. He said if a governor wants to make substantive changes to the compact, the Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, made up of leaders from both houses, must approve them. Bruhn also said the special session bill is likely to pass, with Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, endorsing the recent agreement.
The Life Skills Academy is UW-Madison’s take on a larger NCAA program called Challenging Athletes’ Minds for Personal Success. According to Richards, the NCAA CHAMPS Life Skills program was started 13 years ago but only provides guidelines and resources for participating schools to expand upon topics such as career development, personal development and community outreach. The Life Skills Academy at UW-Madison is targeted more toward first-year student athletes, Richards said. Thirty-five upper-class student athletes have been selected to serve
as Life Skills mentors this fall for the approximately 200 incoming freshman athletes. “Ideally we’re educating athletes and hopefully making their transition to college easier, and then on the flip side, we’re giving the athlete mentors a chance to be a leader outside of their sport,” Richards said. The program will focus on academic issues, such as time management and test-taking, as well as social issues like alcohol, sexual assault and nutrition. “In the past we’ve provided a lot of these programs for athletes, athletes page 3
UW faculty earn Guggenheim Fellowships
KIESSLING
WOLFE
SCHWENDINGER
SHIU
Four UW-Madison professors received 2008 Guggenheim Fellowship Awards Wednesday. This year’s recipients include biochemistry professor Laura Kiessling, associate music professor Laura Schwendinger, associate physics professor Gary Shiu and La Follette School of Public Affairs Director Barbara Wolfe. The professors are among 190 total recipients selected from more than 2,600 applicants.
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“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”