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Reel it in!
The Daily Cardinal Editorial Board weighs in on Chancellor Becky Blank’s progress so far. +OPINION, page 6
The Arts Desk previews the must-see flicks of this fall. +ARTS, page 4
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Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Phase II of Union redesign unveiled By Megan Stoebig the daily cardinal
courtney kessler/the daily cardinal
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, along with Fair Wisconsin President and CEO Katie Belanger, introduce an ad campaign promoting Wisconsin marriage equality laws.
Coordinators for the Memorial Union Reinvestment project formally released plans Monday for the second phase of the Union construction and held an open forum to receive input from the public about the potential designs. In 2006, students approved a referendum initiative with the objective of preserving the value of the Memorial Union while upgrading and refurbishing the nearly 80-yearold building, according to the project’s website. Phase I of the reinvestment project is underway and
includes renovations to the west wing and fifth floor of the building that house Hoofers and the Union Theater. At the forum, architects presented preliminary floor plans, site plans and design concepts for the second phase of the project. After the presentation, attendees viewed and commented on four stations, which illustrated designs for the Terrace, first floor dining, including Der Rathskeller, a two-story coffee shop and general floor plans. UW-Madison senior Troy Henkel said he had mixed feelings about the design plans. For
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Mayors bridge state marriage equality gap By Rachel Wanat the daily cardinal
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak teamed up with Madison Mayor Paul Soglin Monday, encouraging same-sex couples denied the right to marry in Wisconsin to venture across state lines to Minnesota to legally tie the knot. This is not the first time Rybak expressed his support of samesex marriage. At midnight on Aug. 1, when Minnesota’s recent legalization of same-sex marriage went into effect, Rybak officiated 46 same-sex weddings in the Minnesota Capitol rotunda over a six-hour period. Rybak said he strongly believes
in the institution of marriage, which by his definition is not exclusive to heterosexual couples.
“We want to marry you in Minneapolis, and someday we want to marry a whole lot of people here in Madison.” R.T. Rybak mayor Minneapolis
“The last time I checked,” Rybak said of the marriages he performed Aug. 1, “not a single thing about that impacted
my marriage … or any of the other marriages in the state of Minnesota, but it made a whole lot of people happy.” Rybak claims the effects of legalizing same-sex marriages extend to the economy, referencing tax-return incentives that are non-existent in Wisconsin that exist for same-sex couples with entrepreneurial businesses in Minnesota. He also mentioned the profits businesses in the wedding industry accrue with an increased number of weddings. “We hope someday that this strategic advantage is taken away
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City to propose new inner-city bus depot By Sarah Olson the daily cardinal
Ground could break on a new inner-city bus depot on the corner of North Bedford Street and West Mifflin Street as early as next year, Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said at a Bassett neighborhood meeting Monday. The proposed bus depot is part of an ongoing city effort to improve the accessibility and connectivity of the South Capitol Planning District, which stretches from Bedford Street to Blair Street and includes the area between Wilson Street and Lake
Monona, to the rest of the city. Verveer said a private developer hopes to build a mixed-use facility in the area that would include apartments and commercial space, and is very open to including a transit hub as part of the development. The bus depot could potentially function as a train station if the city became passenger-rail accessible, according to Verveer. Verveer said because there is a developer that is “ready, willing and able” to move forward, the proposed transit station could reach fruition much sooner than he originally anticipated.
james lanser/the daily cardinal
Attendees at the forum examine the initial design proposals for Phase II of the Memorial Union Reinvestment project.
But Verveer said whether the city could compel the Madison bus companies, including Badger Bus, Greyhound and Megabus, to use the bus depot remains “unsettled.” The University of WisconsinMadison has expressed interest in leasing space in the development for some of its offices, according to Verveer, and it is likely the developer has the means to fund the project on its own. But Verveer said it is too early in the planning process to determine whether or not the developer will seek public assistance for the transit station.
Protesters challenge possible US strikes in Syria near state Capitol Between 80 and 100 people gathered Monday night on the street outside Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s, D-Wis., 30 W. Mifflin St. office as part of a series of simultaneous nationwide MoveOn.org vigils in protest of the U.S.’s potential military intervention in Syria. The vigil began at 7 p.m. and included representatives from MoveOn.org and Veterans for Peace, according to event host Dave Leeper. The event focused on the recent debate playing out nationwide as to how the U.S. will respond to Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad’s alleged use of chemical gas on Syrian citizens. President Barack Obama has come out in favor of intervention to mitigate Syrian chemical weapon capabilities while Congress is currently weighing the decision and is expected to come to a full decision late this week or early next week. Leeper said he hopes Baldwin, who currently remains undecided on the issue, will “give better leadership” and eventually vote
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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.”