GAMEDAY PREVIEW: NEW LEADERS EMERGE GAMEDAY
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University of Wisconsin-Madison
SUMMER ENTERTAINMENT RECAP: The Cardinal’s Arts editors uncover this summer’s gold
UW’s quarterbacks look to an experienced receiving corps for guidance in 2009 Complete campus coverage since 1892
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PAGE 11
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Revised student conduct codes now in place By Robert Taylor THE DAILY CARDINAL
UW-Madison officials can now hold students accountable for misconduct occurring outside of university grounds. The UW System Board of Regents officially adopted the revised student code of conduct last spring, and the changes went into effect on campus Tuesday. According to the UW System code of conduct, officials may now punish individuals for a “pattern of behavior” they believe “seriously impairs the university’s ability to fulfill its teaching, research, or public service missions,” whether or not it occurs on campus.
“It is not the role of the university to decide what I do when I am outside of the university.” Alex Flanagan junior UW-Madison
“This means that students may be charged with misconduct for off-campus behavior when the misconduct is of substantial university interest,” Lori Berquam, UW-Madison dean of students, said in a statement. Under the revised code, offcampus student misconduct does not need to be criminal to be punishable by the university. UW-Madison also gained the authority to sanction students
in a manner independent of any ongoing criminal investigations. Berquam said the precise meaning of the controversial “substantial university interest” standard had not been settled, even though the change is already in effect. “The Offices of the Dean of Students are committed to working with students and student government to better define ‘substantial university interest,’” she said. The new conduct code also denies students the opportunity to have legal counsel speak on their behalf or cross-examine evidence unless the case would result in suspension or expulsion. In a past statement, the Board of Regents said these changes are part of an ongoing effort that was “designed to make the disciplinary process more educational and less adversarial.” Many UW-Madison students, however, have expressed concern about the legality of the change of codes. Alex Flanagan, a UW-Madison junior and political science major, said he feels UW-Madison would be stepping outside its boundaries if it were to act on any misbehavior outside of campus. “It is not the role of the university to decide what I do when I am outside of the university,” he said. “I do not understand the university’s motivation; student misconduct off campus should be dealt with by local laws and law enforcement and not by what the university arbitrarily decides to impose as its own interest.”
GRACE FLANNERY/THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Urban Design Commission met late Wednesday night to initiate new renovations for the Edgewater Hotel. The Edgewater is one of the city’s most well-known landmarks, located in the Mansion Hill area.
Edgewater faces more hurdles with new design By Allison Geyer THE DAILY CARDINAL
The proposed renovation of the Edgewater Hotel, located at 666 Wisconsin Ave., may face many hurdles to gain approval. The Urban Design Commission faced a host of questions late Wednesday night, presented by those in opposition to the proposed renovation and new construction to the aging hotel.
Opponents of the plan are concerned about zoning and height restrictions, increased traffic, obstruction of views from Lake Mendota and the Capitol and general devaluation of Madison’s Mansion Hill district. Despite proposed solutions offered by the project’s lead architects, the plans were still met with skepticism by commission members. The design team, led by Elkus
Manfredi Architects, pitched their plan as a work in progress and focused the presentation on their efforts to preserve and respect the historic neighborhood in which the Edgewater resides. The original 1940s tower would be restored, with efforts made to increase the size of the hotel rooms and bring the maintenance machinery up to code. urban design page 4
Hike makes state’s cigarette tax fifth highest in country
Spacing out
By Hannah Furfaro THE DAILY CARDINAL
DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Teaching assistants Matt Davis (left) and Michael Childers play ‘Battlestar Galactica’ at a board-game event in the Humanities building Wednesday night.
A new 75-cent tax on cigarettes went into effect Tuesday, raising the total Wisconsin cigarette tax to $2.52 per pack, the fifth highest state tax on cigarettes in the nation. The tax increase is expected to reduce the number of smokers in Wisconsin and deter minors from taking up the habit. Maureen Busalacchi, executive director of Smoke Free Wisconsin, said the tax increase in conjunction with the statewide smoking ban will reduce secondhand smoke and discourage minors from sharing cigarettes with friends. “If you can’t smoke at work and it’s expensive, you are either likely to cut down how much you are smoking or maybe you will decide to quit altogether,” she said. According to Pete Madland, executive director of the Tavern League of Wisconsin, the tax will
likely cause consumers to buy cigarettes illegally online or go to other states, such as Illinois, to make purchases.
“I think the 75-cent increase is not going to offset the loss in sales.” Pete Madland executive director Tavern League of Wisconsin
The returns generated from the tax increase will be treated as allpurpose revenue. Madland said the tax increase will cost the state money overall and smokers will be forced to “pay the bills” for state projects. “Hopefully the government makes up the money by the increase cigarettes page 4
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”