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University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Monday, September 10, 2012
New UHS program seeks to prevent sexual assaults Meghan Chua The Daily Cardinal
Abigail Waldo/the daily cardinal
Ben Hoffman, 29, races toward the finish line in eight hours and 32 minutes, winning the professional division of the Ironman Wisconsin triathlon.
Ironman triathlon takes over Madison By Abby Becker The Daily Cardinal
A University of Wisconsin-Madison chemistry professor crossed the finish line in just over nine hours Sunday at Madison’s annual Ironman triathlon, where thousands of family members, supporters and volunteers packed the streets to wildly cheer on approximately 2,900 competitors. Thomas Brunold, 43, is a chemistry professor at UW-Madison. He has crossed an Ironman triathlon finish line 12 times, and this year he finished tenth overall and first in the amateur division. “You can’t really describe the feeling,” Brunold said. “You work so
hard and after nine hours... it’s done.” This is the city’s eleventh Ironman Wisconsin event, which consists of a 2.4 mile swim in Lake Monona, a 112-mile, two-loop bike path through Dane County and a 26.2 mile run through downtown Madison, the UW-Madison campus and Camp Randall stadium. Male winner Ben Hoffman, 29, finished first overall in eight hours and 32 minutes. Female champion Elizabeth Lyle, 34, finished in 9 hours and 34 minutes. The indescribability of finally crossing the longawaited finish line was difficult to explain for present and past competitors. Mark Porter, who com-
peted in an Ironman triathlon last year, said stepping over the finish line is “spiritual” and “unbelievable.” While the athletes swim, bike and run through Madison and the areas surrounding the city, spectators cheer on their loved ones, waiting hours for only a glimpse of their competitor. However brief that moment is, the fans and volunteers play a key role in keeping up the athletes’ morales, according to former Ironman competitor Carrie Mills. “When things get rough, you need the fans to get you up a hill or keep you going
The University of WisconsinMadison is attempting to increase awareness and prevent sexual assault violence on campus with a new online program that all first-year students are expected to complete. University Health Services and the Division of Student Life at UW-Madison helped produce the “Tonight” program based on UW student and staff input as well as statistics about sexual assault on campus. Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment Chair Meagan Minster said programs like “Tonight” educate students about obtaining consent and what bystanders can do in sexual assault scenarios. “Sexual assault [is] a community problem,” Minster said. “We really encourage students to learn about it both for their own benefit and to be…able to help their friends if it would happen to them.”
Students who do not know the definitions of rape and dating violence show “the highest risk for both perpetration and…failure to intervene,” according to the “Tonight” program’s website. Many of the students the Daily Cardinal spoke with had not heard of the program or looked into it. UW-Madison Freshman Sam Cucci, a student who has completed the “Tonight” program, said it taught her how to interfere in an instance of possible sexual assault “without making a big deal about it” and give advice to a person who may be in an abusive relationship. “I thought it was very helpful for students to like be forced to watch that,” Cucci said. “It made me realize that [sexual assault] is very serious and common.” First-year students can access the program through Learn@UW, and other students can find more information at www.uhs.wisc.edu/tonight.
Young Republicans react to end of Democratic National Convention By Jack Casey The Daily Cardinal
Wisconsin’s young Republicans are criticizing Democrats’ message upon the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte last week, saying they didn’t make a good enough case to address the problems facing the country’s youth. Wisconsin College Republicans said in a statement Friday President Barack Obama failed to outline a plan to deal with the
current youth unemployment rate in his convention speech. “With youth unemployment hovering around 18 percent, all the President could say was that his policies are working, with no mention of unemployment at all,” the statement said. UW College Republicans Chair Jeff Snow called the President’s speech at the
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Local group promotes suicide awareness A local safety community group is hosting events in Dane County throughout the week to promote suicide awareness in honor of World Suicide Prevention Day Tuesday. Safe Communities, an organization dedicated to increasing safety throughout Madison and Dane County, and their partners have joined together to form a Suicide Prevention Task Force.
The week is a time for communities worldwide to collaborate to prevent suicide, which is the number one cause of violent injury death in Dane County, according to Safe Communities’ Executive Director Cheryl Wittke. “If we bring light to this subject, we can change lives,” Chair of the Suicide Prevention Task Force Susan Conlin Opheim said. “Suicide is often preventable
with treatment and support.” Events during the week, which are free and open to the public, include training sessions, support groups, a supportive walk and speaking programs. Safe Communities also announced the fifth Suicide Prevention Summit will take place Jan. 25. For more information on these events, see the whole story at dailycardinal.com.
downtown
Having a ball Ping Pong balls marked with coupons redeemable for store discounts are tossed off the roof of The University Book Store into the eager hands of students Friday afternoon. + Photo by Grey Satterfield
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”