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Professors wrong in attaching university’s name to “Support Bill Ayers” signatures
University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Madison retains title as state’s ‘liberal bubble’ By Claire Wiese THE DAILY CARDINAL
Former Wisconsin Gov. Lee Dreyfus once called the city of Madison “30 square miles surrounded by reality” in reference to its predominantly liberal atmosphere. His remarks are commonly used to describe Madison’s ethos today. While experts predict Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will win big in Madison, the rest of the state does not have such a liberal voting record. Dhavan Shah, UW-Madison professor of journalism and mass communication, thinks Dreyfus’ idea has become part of Madison’s culture, and is “pretty well hewn into the fabric of conversation.” However, according to Shah, Madison is not completely permeated with liberalism. “[Madison’s liberalism] is not nearly as ubiquitous as people might
imagine,” Shah explained. “There’s a sizable portion, including among the student body, that would consider themselves conservative.” Charles Franklin, UW-Madison political science professor, echoed Shah’s statements, and said he believes Madison’s liberal attitudes are in line with other major cities across the country. “Every academic town or every capital city is often seen as being isolated in one way or another from the rest of the state,” Franklin said. “I think it’s worth it to recognize that it is not uniformly so. There’s a minority, but certainly a non-trivial minority of conservatives in the area.” Lucas Moench, a UW-Madison sophomore who identifies himself as a Republican, said even though Madison is a liberal place, conservative havens are also available. “I’m in College Republicans, which is a nice group of like-minded
individuals. It gives me a foundation and friends that believe in the same things I do,” Moench said. While many Madison residents take a liberal stance on policies, they may be surprised when the rest of the state does not share attitudes that are popular in Madison. Lindsay Miller, a UW-Madison senior, was surprised at how the rest of the state did not share Madison residents’ opposition to the proposed marriage amendment in the 2006 elections. She said Wisconsin’s passing of the gay marriage ban revealed just how much of the state is conservative. “I was very surprised to see how many conservatives there actually were, and how much that contrasted with the city itself,” Miller said. According to Shah, the degree of polarization between Madison and the rest of Wisconsin may be exaggerated in many people’s minds. “I’m sure there are misperceptions in both directions,” Shah said. “People out of state probably assume Madison is
more liberal than it actually is. People in Madison probably assume that the rest of the state is more conservative than it actually is.” Franklin also said political leanings throughout Wisconsin range from
JENNY PEEK/THE DAILY CARDINAL
liberal to conservative, and everywhere in between. “It depends on where you are. bubble page 3
UWPD seeks man who ejaculated on student in Humanities building
KRIS UGARRIZA/THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Mifflin Street Block Party is the model of an alternative to Freakfest that students are hoping to begin Saturday night.
Students looking to bring Halloween to Mifflin Street By Anna Bukowski THE DAILY CARDINAL
A group of UW-Madison students are organizing a Mifflin Street block party for Halloween this Saturday in an effort to provide an alternative to the Freakfest festivities on State Street and revive old traditions. The block party’s purpose is to provide an event similar to the Halloween of past years, according to Alex Kaufer, UW-Madison student and co-organizer of the party. Freakfest 2008 marks the third consecutive year that the city has gated and charged admission to State Street in an attempt to control the Halloween festivities that had caused riots and chaos in previous years. As
city regulations increased, Kaufer said he and other students saw an increasing need for a place where people have the freedom to “party how they want.” The organizers said the Halloween party would be similar to the Mifflin Street Block Party, which held its 40th annual celebration in May. While police do patrol the spring Mifflin Street Block Party, there is no admission charge or formal organization of the event by the city. Proponents of the Mifflin Halloween party said the event will offer a less regulated and cheaper option for partygoers this weekend. mifflin page 3
A female UW-Madison student reported having semen dropped on her Monday afternoon in the Humanities Building, according to fliers posted Tuesday on the building’s entrances. According to the fliers, labeled “Badger Watch Crime Alert,” the student was studying between the Morphy and Eastman Recital Halls around 3:10 p.m. when semen reportedly dropped from the third-level balcony above. The building’s facilities manager, Justin Richardson, said the student
was unsure of what had fallen and worried about a cut on her hand getting contaminated. He said she went to the emergency room, where they confirmed that it was semen that had fallen. The victim said she did not see who the perpetrator was. “The goal [of the fliers] is to let everyone know as soon as possible that this happened, with the main goal being that anyone who might have seen any strange behavior or a stranger in the building at that time that day
would come forward right away with information,” Richardson said. The fliers said the balcony is accessible from the outside and from inside the Mills Concert Hall and Morphy and Eastman Recital Halls. Police are asking for anyone who saw suspicious activity in the area between 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department at (608) 264-2677 or at its office at 1429 Monroe St. —Rory Linnane
Voter turnout already reaching record high for absentee ballots By Jessica Feld THE DAILY CARDINAL
An unprecedented number of absentee ballots have already been cast in Madison, an indication of the record voter turnout expected for the Nov. 4 elections. Out of the 21,251 issued absentee ballots in Madison, 9,350 had been cast as of Tuesday, according to Madison City Clerk Maribeth WitzelBehl. Since early voting opened Oct. 13, about 800 people have visited the clerk’s office each day to cast their vote, and the office receives up to 1,000 absentee ballot requests by mail each day, according to Witzel-Behl. With the increase in absentee voters, the city clerk’s office is preparing for a large voter turnout on Election Day. The clerk’s office has encouraged voters to pre-register to vote in order
to shorten lines at polling places on Nov. 4. According to Witzel-Behl, 31,706 people have pre-registered to vote since April, which is a dramatic increase from the 13,997 that pre-registered in 2006 during the same time period. The Government Accountability Board has prepared 35,000 trained poll workers throughout the state for a large voter turnout, and local election officials have ordered extra ballots, according to a statement. To ensure a smooth voting experience, the GAB and the clerk’s office encourage voters to prepare before heading to their polling place. “Wisconsin has a long history of fair and open elections,” GAB director Kevin Kennedy said in a statement. “But taking a few minutes to check over their materials and rights before leaving the house can save voters time and frustration at the polling place.”
Voting Information Registration: Register at the polls or in advance at the City Clerk’s office with proof of residence. Acceptable proof of residence: Utility bill Paycheck/bank statement Valid and current WI ID UW ID (For students living in dorms) Early voting: City County Building (210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.) Mon-Thu 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fri 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sat 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 3rd 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”