HERE COMES THE BRIDESMAID
Badger men’s basketball team ekes out victory against lowly Wolverines
Katherine Heigl charms in refreshing romantic comedy ‘27 Dresses.’ ARTS
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Complete campus coverage since 1892
l
l
PAGE 5
dailycardinal.com
‘Compassionate Care’ bill again set for vote By Caissa Casarez THE DAILY CARDINAL
The state Assembly will vote Wednesday on the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Bill, a bill that lawmakers have debated for six years. The bill, AB 377, would mandate every hospital to provide rape victims information and access to emergency contraception so unintended pregnancy can be prevented. State Rep. Terry Musser, R-Black River Falls, is one of the authors of the bill. He said he was confident the bill would pass the Assembly and said it was encouraging the bill was restored to its original form in the Assembly last month. After the bill passed the Senate an amendment was added in the Republican-controlled Assembly Judiciary and Ethics Committee that supporters said “gutted” the bill. The
amendment and subsequent attempts to alter the bill were defeated in a series of votes in December, with the original version of the bill to be voted on Wednesday. Musser said he was not worried about any more amendments being added. The Democrat-controlled state Senate has already passed the bill with a 27-6 vote. According to the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the bill is supported by 82 percent of Wisconsin voters. WCASA said in a statement that around one-third of Wisconsin hospitals provide emergency contraception to rape victims. Sara Finger, a spokesperson for the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Coalition, said the bill is likely to pass. She said the votes in the Senate and Assembly show bipartisan support for
SPORTS
the legislation. The anti-abortion group ProLife Wisconsin opposes the bill. PLW State Director Peggy Hamill said certain forms of emergency contraception described in the bill are capable of causing chemical abortion should fertilization occur during sex. According to Hamill, some forms of emergency contraception prevent a newly formed human embryo from implanting in a mother’s womb. She said if the bill does pass, then hospitals and doctors would be forced to violate their rights of conscience granted to them by the U.S. Constitution. The state’s other large anti-abortion group, Wisconsin Right to Life, is neutral on the bill. The bill is supported by the American Medical Association.
l
PAGE 8
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Madisonians in the news Search committee students selected
PAULSON
SHAH
Associated Students of Madison’s Shared Governance Committee selected two students late Tuesday to serve as student body representatives on a chancellor search and screen committee. UW-Madison senior Suchita Shah and graduate student Erik Paulson were selected as the final members of the committee to select a replacement for Chancellor John Wiley, who announced in late December his intent to step down later this year. Shah said she felt honored and surprised to be selected but plans to be a very active and vocal member of the committee. She said she would look for a candidate “with the future of the university always at the forefront of his or her mind.” “I’m looking for someone who can really sell the university to all the different stakeholders out there,” Paulson said, adding that acting on the demands of the student body was the most important part of his role on the committee.
Ebola breakthrough A team of UW-Madison researchers has discovered a way to genetically neutralize the deadly Ebola virus, according to an article published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “We wanted to make biologically contained Ebola virus,” said Yoshihiro Kawaoka, the lead author of the study and a UW-Madison professor of path biological sciences, in the article. “This is a great system.” The system developed by the researchers KAWAOKA could further expand study of the virus, which kills 50-90 percent of its human victims, according to a statement. The finding also makes the virus safer to study, as it currently requires the highest level of biosafety. “Knowledge of this virus is limited,” Kawaoka said. “This system can be used for drug screening and for vaccine production.”
City Council discusses Metro bus ads By Abby Sears THE DAILY CARDINAL
KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Dean of Students Lori Berquam and Madison Fire Marshal Edwin Ruckriegel launch the safety initiative.
Fall’s campus fires provoke UW safety campaign By Amanda Hoffstrom THE DAILY CARDINAL
Dean of Students Lori Berquam, in partnership with the Madison Fire Department, announced a week-long campaign Tuesday to promote fire safety. Fire Safety Awareness Week aims to remind students of the dangers of nonworking fire alarms in the wake of two fires at the end of the fall semester. “It’s a new semester, look around your apartment or your house, replace old batteries with new batteries, make sure your smoke detector is in working order,” Berquam said. Berquam said she has been in contact with victims of both fires, a Nov. 10, 2007 fire at 505 N. Carroll St. and a fatal incident at 123 N. Bedford St. on Nov. 18, and that all permanently displace students have found alternative housing for this semester. “We want students to know we
care about them, we want them to have a safe semester,” she said. “I think the important piece that’s missing is [the students] and their involvement.” Ian’s Pizza has also joined the campaign and will give away free pizza to randomly selected delivery orders between 5-7 p.m. Jan. 30-31 if students have working smoke detectors. Nick Martin, director of promotions at Ian’s Pizza, said the company became involved because one of its former employees resided at 123 N. Bedford at the time of the fire, but was not home during the incident. “When we heard about this promotional opportunity, we really jumped at the chance because it definitely affected us at Ian’s Pizza,” Martin said. “We think it’s a very important cause and we’re very happy to help out where we can.” Madison Fire Marshal Edwin Ruckriegel said there were five fire-
related fatalities in Madison last year and “the sad truth is all the fires were preventable.” Ruckriegel said investigators of the Carroll Street fire still have not determined its cause, but Berquam said working smoke detectors allowed the students to exit safely. “We see this project as a teaching project, which is as important as the studies that the students experience here on campus,” Ruckriegel said. About 2,000 donated 9-volt batteries and other fire safety information will be given to students 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 24 at Union South and Jan. 25 at Memorial Union. Berquam said some of the victims of the November fires would help distribute batteries. Students will also have the opportunity to win one of six $100 gift certificates to the University Book Store after taking a fire safety quiz next week.
The Madison City Council discussed Tuesday night the concerns of its constituents regarding wraparound advertisements displayed on Metro Transit busses. The advertisements, which have increased in size due to a two-year pilot program that uses mesh to fully cover bus windows, have sparked negative reactions from Madison residents. In an August 2007 petition, residents expressed concern that the
use of public transit system vehicles to advertise alcohol and gambling was not conducive to improving Madison’s perpetual “party” image. “It is rather frustrating for a lot of people when you talk about lowering alcohol use in the downtown area, and then you turn around and see a big bus wrapped in a beer can driving by,” said Ald. Brenda Konkel, District 2. According to City Attorney Michael May, busses are designated city council page 3
GABRIEL SEHR/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, discusses advertisements on Metro Transit busses at the City Council meeting Tuesday night.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”