Make-out parties, teenage marriage and other ’90s tween concerns +PAGE TWO
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Records on records on records Softball broke most consecutive wins, single-game team home runs and singlegame individual home runs records in this weekend’s games + SPORTS, page 8
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dailycardinal.com
Monday, April 16, 2012
Ward sends MCSC funding decision to student council By Anna Duffin The Daily Cardinal
wil gibb/the daily cardinal
Thousands gather at the Capitol Square Saturday to support embattled Gov. Scott Walker and other recall targets.
Tea Party supporters rally at Capitol By Mckenna Kohlenberg The Daily Cardinal
Around 6,300 Tea Party supporters marched to support the conservative cause and Republican recall targets at the Tax Day Rally at the Capitol Saturday. Speakers, including Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who faces a recall election June 5, addressed issues including the size of government, decreasing government spending, maintaining a low unemployment rate and lowering taxes. After the lyrics “They will not control us, we will be victorious” from the Muse song “Uprising” energized the crowd, conservative radio talk show host and master of ceremonies James T. Harris called the recall effort against Gov. Scott Walker, Kleefisch and four state Senators a “weapon of mass destruction.” Kleefisch said Wisconsin is ground zero for the national debate over the fight for the political and ideological future of the country. “America’s eyes are focused right here today,” Kleefisch said. “We have a choice right now of moving backward or forward.”
The role of women and women’s rights in the Tea Party movement was also a central theme. Kim Simac, founder of the conservative group Northwoods Patriots, encouraged the crowd to ignore Democratic claims that the GOP has waged a “war on women” this past legislative session. During the session, Republicans passed bills promoting abstinence-centered sex education in high schools and providing penalties to doctors who fail to ensure a woman’s abortion is consensual, among others. “I spent the best years of my life doing what I believe is the most admirable and significant job a woman can do,” said Simac. “I was a stay-at-home mom. That’s the job that I believe God created me to do… This is something that the media and all of our know-it-all feminists can’t take away from me.” A relatively small but vocal counter-protest of about 100 anti-Walker demonstrators circled Capitol Square, interrupting the rally with chants, boos and air horns.
Student council will now determine whether the Multicultural Student Coalition is eligible to receive funding for next year, UW-Madison Chancellor David Ward ruled Friday. The decision was met by criticism from student leaders, who said he “overstepped his bounds” with the ruling. The Student Services Finance Committee determined the group was ineligible for funding because committee members ruled it does not spend more than half of its time directly serving students. The Student Judiciary upheld the decision, which MCSC appealed to Ward in March. The SJ ruled in October that the waiver SSFC drafted for student groups to apply for
over $250,000 was drafted in violation of student government processes. Ward said the Associated Students of Madison constitution implies that all process violations take groups’ points of view into account, thus violating “viewpoint neutrality.” Since the ASM constitution says student council has the final say on decisions where a viewpoint neutrality violation has occurred, Ward ruled student council should determine whether MCSC, the only student group to attempt to use the waiver, is eligible for funding. But SSFC members said Ward’s interpretation of the ASM constitution is flawed. SSFC Chair Sarah Neibart said the SJ considered the waiver as a “special complaint” that did not violate viewpoint neutrality. She said the waiver was
drafted for all student groups, so SSFC could not have taken the groups’ beliefs into account when drafting it. In a letter to Ward, Neibart said he seemed more concerned with finding a way to fund MCSC than actually reviewing the procedure SSFC used to declare the group ineligible. “I am not aware of [Ward’s] intentions for coming to this conclusion, but it seems as though [Ward is] worried with the outcome rather than the process,” Neibart said. She added that the decision guarantees MCSC is treated differently than any other student group, and that the waiver did not come into play when determining whether groups were eligible for funding. Student council will have to rule on MCSC’s eligibility within five school days.
UW considers adding winter break classes UW-Madison students could have the opportunity to take inperson and online courses during winter break, according to an e-mail sent to the student body asking them for feedback on the idea. The one- to three-credit classes would take place during the three weeks before spring semester begins. UW-Madison senior Kate Tritschler said she liked the idea of winter classes, adding the only
reason she is able to graduate in four years is because she took three years of summer classes. “I think it would be just a nice way to get more credits in or to just relieve stress during the semester so you can take fewer classes in the spring or the fall,” Tritschler said. First year UW-Madison graduate student Mary Parsons agreed she would take winter classes given the option and said three weeks seems like the
appropriate amount of time for them to last. She said three weeks is enough time for classes to occur and it still allows students a week of break. The university’s e-mail sent by the Division of Continuing Studies included a survey asking students to share their opinions on the matter. According to the e-mail, students’ feedback can help UW meet the academic needs of the student body. —Alex DiTullio
student life
Jacket envy The MadHatters, a UW-Madison men’s a capella group, celebrated their 15th anniversary with a show at the Overture Center Saturday night. Luke Hrovat-Staedter was a featured singer at the beginning of the concert. + Photo by Mark Kauzlarich
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”