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Tuesday, October 23, 2012
The student-state tuition dilemma PAY TO THE ORDER OF
walking the line between affordability & excellence
In the wake of state budget cuts to the UW System, students are footing a bigger portion of the bill.
U
x Story by David Jones
niversity of WisconsinMadison sophomore Amber Cypcar works four days each week at Gordon Commons and nearly 40 hours a week at Buffalo Wild Wings in her hometown during semester breaks. But instead of spending her money on State Street shopping sprees or eating at expensive restaurants, she saves money to pay for her entire college education. “When I turned 18, my parents almost completely cut me off,” Cypcar said. “They would support me and everything, but they just can’t help me financially. I pay for books, I pay for food. They’ll give me a couple dollars here and there, but they can’t do that too often.” Students like Cypcar who pay for their college education are facing financial pressure as pub-
lic universities across the country increase tuition. Forced to manage several years of state funding cuts and rising operating expenses, the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents has voted to increase tuition every year since 2000. Students at UW-Madison who were freshmen during the 2009-’10 academic year are paying 17 percent more in inflation-adjusted tuition this year than when they started their college careers, according to changes in tuition data from the UW-Madison Data Digest. Katherine Pointer, the only student on the Board of Regents, voted in support of the 5.5 percent tuition increase for this academic year. The increase, which raised
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Graphic by Dylan Moriarty
Researcher found growing marijuana in UW building Police arrested University of Wisconsin-Madison biochemistry researcher Christopher Schwartz Monday days after discovering he was growing between 200 and 1,000 grams of marijuana in the university Biochemistry building. The UW-Madison Police Department has charged Schwartz with the felony of Manufacturing and Delivering THC, the active chemical in marijuana, according to UWPD Sgt. Aaron Chapin. The charge applies to anyone who is “either growing or selling an illegal substance,” Chapin said. UWPD also found “additional evidence of marijuana produc-
tion and use at his residence of the West side of the City of Madison,” according to a UWPD sergeant. University spokesperson Dennis Chaptman said Schwartz, now booked into the Dane County Jail, is currently “on administrative leave” from the university. The university is now working through the “personnel process” in Schwartz’s case. The consequences Schwartz will face will depend on the charges and could be as severe as dismissal from the university, according to Chaptman. UWPD is continuing the investigation and will release more details in the future. —Leo Rudberg
Judge denies collective bargaining stay The Dane County judge who struck down parts of Gov. Scott Walker’s collective bargaining bill refused to stay his decision Monday, meaning the law will not stay in effect until an appeals court decides whether or not to overturn the ruling. On Sept. 14, Circuit Judge Juan Colas ruled parts of the law, which banned collective bargaining rights for most government employees, infringed on rights of free speech, freedom of association and equal protection. Only municipal and school district workers, not state workers, were affected by Colas’ ruling. Shortly after Colas’ ruling, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen filed for an appeal and asked for a
stay on the decision so that the law would continue to be enforced until a decision on the appeal is made. In the appeal, Van Hollen wrote it would suffer from irreparable confusion and budgeting problems if the law, which has been in effect since June 2011, were suddenly void. But Colas wrote in his decision Monday the state has “failed to show that there is an irreparable harm to them that favors a stay,” adding that “Even a temporary infringement of fundamental rights of speech and association protected by the Constitutions is an irreparable harm.” It is unclear when a ruling on the state appeal of Colas’ decision will be made. —Tyler Nickerson
Xinyi wang/the daily cardinal
Madison’s Common Council will vote on Mayor Paul Soglin’s proposed 2013 operating and capital budgets, including Board of Estimates’ amendments, at its Nov. 13 meeting.
City officials approve day shelter, reject additional Overture funding By Abby Becker The Daily Cardinal
After lengthy discussion and numerous testimonies from community members Monday, the city’s financial committee voted on 38 amendments proposed to Mayor Paul Soglin’s 2013 operating budget, including denying additional funding to the Overture Center. Members of Madison’s Board of Estimates Committee voted against an amendment to restore $900,000 in funding to
the Overture Center for the Arts. Common Council will have a final vote on the proposed 2013 capital and operating budget in November, so the Overture could still receive additional funding. “It’s disappointing tonight, but this was the first of two steps,” Overture President Ted DeDee said. Soglin denied the additional funding because the city would have to borrow the extra funds from premiums the city receives, which Soglin
said is “risky.” He also said it is because of these past borrowing budget practices that the city does not have enough funding for the Overture. Although the city has received premiums—up-front cash the city receives from banks—in the past, Soglin said it is not guaranteed funding each year and using premium funds in the operating budget is poor budgeting practice. He added it is because of sim-
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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.”