Mark your calendar: Seven events to look forward to this semester ARTS
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University of Wisconsin-Madison
BREAKING DOWN UW’S BUDGET
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Tragedy strikes UW students Junior dies when car veers into oncoming traffic in Minnesota
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Spirit Squad member Tommy Kuehn succumbed to bacterial meningitis Jan. 13.
Graduate student loses five relatives in fire A UW-Madison graduate student is recovering from serious burns after her uncle allegedly set fire to a room with a blowtorch, killing five of her family members in Puerto Rico on New Year’s Day. Patricia Sanchez Vazquez, 24, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Bacteriology, is recovering at a hospital in Puerto Rico from second-degree burns on more than 25 percent of her body. Vazquez is expected to make a full recovery and be out of the hospital within two
“Let us move on in these powerful days ... to make America what it ought to be”
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
to four weeks, according to Department of Bacteriology Chair Richard Gourse. Vazquez’s cousin, grandmother, sister, brother and brother’s fiancé were killed in the attack. Her father is recovering well with a similar prognosis to Vazquez, and her mother remains in induced paralysis. Justino Sanchez Diaz, 45, allegedly doused the room where Vazquez and her family would gather for a family meal with gasoline before his relatives arrived. Local police said Diaz placed fuel canisters under the dinner table and sprayed kerosene on family members as they sat down. He then lit them on fire with a homemade blowtorch. Diaz is in custody with no known motive.
the daily cardinal
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UW-Madison student Tommy Kuehn will be remembered as a driven student and loyal friend with ample enthusiasm to rile up fans at Badger games as a member of the UW Spirit Squad. Kuehn died of bacterial meningitis at a Madison hospital Jan. 13. Kuehn thought he was sick with a cold, but when his condition worsened, he went to the hospital. When Kuehn was brought to the hospital, he had a seizure that rendered him unconscious. He never woke up after it, according to Assistant Cheer Director Jerry Wheeler. “There wasn’t any warning. He was in good spirits, but then things got progressively worse,” Wheeler said. Kuehn, originally from Stoughton, Wis., will be remembered fondly by family and friends. “Tommy was an extremely upstanding, bright young guy. He was funny,” Wheeler said. “He was the kind of guy that makes a great friend for anyone.” Kuehn’s parents, Jill and Tom Kuehn, expressed their gratitude for support and “outpour of love” from the Madison and Stoughton communities in a statement Jan. 15. “Tommy was a vibrant young man with such promise; he was loved by many,” the family said. Kuehn was working as a research assistant in the Department of Neurosurgery at UW Hospitals and Clinics with hopes of attending medical school. He graduated from UW-Madison in 2010 with a degree in biology. There were six cases of meningitis in Dane County in 2010, one of which resulted in the death of UW-Madison senior Neha Suri on Feb. 2. Bacterial meningitis is a rare but sometimes fatal disease that is caused by an inflammation of protective membrane covering the spinal cord and brain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A memorial mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Jan. 17 at St. Ann Catholic Church in Stoughton. Friends are invited to greet the family from 2-6 p.m. on Jan. 16 and from 10-11 a.m. on Jan. 17 at the Olson-Holzhuter-Cress Funeral Home.
Lawmakers propose bills to attract jobs in special session By Ariel Shapiro
Gov. Scott Walker and other Wisconsin lawmakers took part in a ceremony celebrating the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the state capitol Monday.
Welcome Back Issue, Spring 2011
Bacterial meningitis claims life of Spirit Squad member
By Kayla Johnson
UW-Madison junior Anna Shoemaker, remembered for her fun-loving personality and ability to “tell it like it is,” died Jan. 13 from injuries caused by a car accident. Shoemaker, 20, was riding in the passenger seat while her friend, Elizabeth Burns, drove south on U.S. Highway 63 in Bayfield County, Minnesota. Burns, also 20, lost control of the car, swerved into oncoming traffic and hitting a semi, according to the Bayfield County Sheriff’s Department. Shoemaker, from Hudson, Wis., was airlifted to St. Mary’s Hospital in Duluth, Minn., where she later succumbed to her injuries. Burns is in stable condition and the semi driver was not injured. She is remembered by family and friends as an organized, athletic music lover who enjoyed spending time with friends. “Anna was very outspoken, very blunt,” said Erick Siegenthaler, a friend of Shoemaker. “She was full of energy and liked to have a good time.” Shoemaker was pursuing a degree in environmental policy and planned to apply to law school after graduation. She was preparing to leave for a semester abroad in Venezuela this week. Although her own life ended early, Shoemaker saved the lives of six people through the donation of her heart, kidneys, pancreas and liver, according to a CaringBridge website set up by her family. Icy roads are suspected to have contributed to the accident. The crash is under investigation by the Washburn County Sheriff’s Department.
NEWS
Chancellor Biddy Martin faces an uphill battle for more fiscal independence PAGE 8
In the first two weeks of Gov. Scott Walker’s special session on job creation a range of legislation has been introduced that intends to give tax cuts to small businesses, offer tax credits for health care contributions and reduce business liability, all aimed at stimulating job growth. Walker’s tort reform bill aims to protect businesses from frivolous lawsuits, and is receiving support from the business community. The National Federation of Independent Business lauded several components of the bill, including protecting small businesses from being penalized for selling faulty products and raising standards on what constitutes expert opinion in a court case. However, the Wisconsin chapter of the American Federation of Labor and
Congress of Industrial Organizations, which already has a contentious relationship with Walker due to the fight over state employee contracts at the end of 2010, said in a statement that it puts the welfare of workers and consumers at risk. “This is not about job creation,” said Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary Treasurer of Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. “This is an extreme shift in the balance of the law to dramatically favor corporate interest over ordinary people.” Other legislation focuses on providing businesses and individuals with tax cuts and credits. One bill would grant tax credits for contributions to health savings accounts, including those made by employers on behalf of an employee. “Healthcare costs are a major concern jobs 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.”