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University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Parade, speech by Broadway producer kick off Year of Arts By Kati Garness The Daily Cardinal
UW-Madison’s Year of The Arts, named Illuminate, officially began yesterday with a campuswide kick-off. Starting Thursday morning, artists, dancers, musicians and actors performed on East Campus Mall and Library Mall exhibiting their talents for the student body. Following the performances, art students and faculty paraded from East Campus Mall to Memorial Union for the official launch and speeches by Chancellor Biddy Martin and National Endowment for the Arts chairman Rocco Landesman. Chancellor Martin said Illuminate will “address the urgent need of arts on campus.” She discussed the university’s commitment to the arts through the years, including the strengthening of that commitment this year.
Martin highlighted the university’s innovative art community noting that UW-Madison was home to the first dance major and spoken word committee. Landesman, who is a Broadway producer and UW-Madison alumnus spoke on the importance of the arts for the university, city, state and nation. “Art contributes to livability, to quality of life,” Landesman said. “The arts drive local economies, visitors come, restaurants and bars go up.” Landesman also touched on the significance of the audience in the arts, appealing to the student body. “I’m counting on you to make sure art works on this campus, in Madison and across the United States,” Landesman said. Following Landesman’s arts page 3
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Primate research ethics discussion will not continue in County Board The Dane County Board of Supervisors ruled against bringing the discussion of UW-Madison’s primate research onto the floor Thursday night, providing a blow to advocates on both sides of the debate. “They expect that we have some authority to do something about this,” Supervisor Mike Willett said of those calling for action on the issue. “We don’t.” Although the motion was voted down by the board, several supervisors spoke out in support of allowing the debate to commence. “I have constituents who feel very strongly … and I know people feel very strongly on the other side,” said Supervisor Kyle Richmond. “That’s precisely why we should debate it on the floor. It shouldn’t
be bottled up.” However, Supervisor Brett Hulsey, the recently elected 77th district assembly democratic nominee, said this issue was not one in the county’s power to control. Hulsey said university matters are best left to the Legislature. “In the future I may have a little more say about how things go on in certain state institutions like the UW.” Although Supervisor John Hendrick said the people needed a forum to speak, he also addressed the ethical complications of primate research. “Admittedly, having had three teenagers, I wish there were a cure for puberty,” Hendrick said. “But I don’t think that was the point of that research.” —Ariel Shapiro
OPINION
Oh let’s DoIT
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Weekend, September 17-19, 2010
Lighting trucks cut from Freak Fest 2010 By Anna Bukowski The Daily Cardinal
Matt Marheine/the daily cardinal
UW-Madison’s DoIT Tech Store held a welcome event Thursday. The store gave away free pizza and prizes to UW students.
‘Sexting’ claims fail to bring DA Kratz’s removal The Daily Cardinal
Matt Marheine/the daily cardinal
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dailycardinal.com
By Beth Pickhard
Broadway producer Rocco Landesman spoke about the importance of the arts in the university and national community.
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Columnist Lydia Statz dwells on the (lack of) merits of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
Calumet County District Attorney Kenneth Kratz has no intention of resigning after he sent sexual text messages to a 26-yearold woman. Kratz prosecuted the woman’s ex-boyfriend. According to police, domestic abuse victim Stephanie Van Groll said Kratz repeatedly sent her unwanted text messages after she met with him about her case on Oct. 20, 2009. She said she received 30 messages from Kratz over a three-day span. In one of the texts, 50-year-old Kratz asked Van Groll if she were “the kind of girl that likes secret contact with an older married elected DA ... the riskier the better?” Kratz asked in another message if Van Groll would engage in an affair with him. “I would not expect you to be the other woman,” Kratz said in one of the messages. “I would want you to be so hot and treat me so well that you’d be THE woman! R U that good?” Kratz said. According to the Associated Press, Kratz and his wife filed for divorce in December. Van Groll told police she was afraid Kratz would throw out the lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend if she told him to stop texting her, police said. Kratz dismissed himself from the
case when he learned Van Groll’s statement to Kaukauna police had been shown to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, a release from Kratz said. According to the Associated Press, Van Groll said Kratz will not face charges because the Department of Justice did not think it was a criminal offense. According to court records, a state prosecutor was appointed to the lawsuit and Van Groll’s ex-boyfriend was convicted of domestic violence in April. Kratz stepped down from his post as chair on the Wisconsin Crime Victims Rights Board, an organization he had helped found, in December 2009 as what he called a “self-imposed sanction.” “Having served in a leadership capacity regarding victims rights … I was embarrassed at this lapse of judgment,” Kratz said in a statement. Patti Seger, executive director of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said the text messages sent by Kratz show he tried to use his prominence as a well-known district attorney against Van Groll. “Kratz created a situation in which a victim he was entrusted to protect was led to believe she could only get help if she submitted to his advances,” Seger said. Kratz faces re-election in November 2010.
The large lighting trucks previously located on State Street will no longer illuminate Freak Fest this year after the Downtown Coordinating Committee approved a new appropriation of funds for the event. The funds, moved from the Contingent Reserve Fund, allocate over $35,000 for use during State Street’s Freak Fest. Extra funds for Halloween are down this year, according to Chris Klein, aide to Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. The Madison Police Department has deemed the extra lighting unnecessary, Klein said, and doing away with this lighting in the new budget met with unanimous approval by the committee. In years past, the stadium lights have been on cranes, only to be used in certain situations. Authorities intended the lights to be used to tell people to go home at the end of the night. Klein said the stadium lights were never used for that purpose and so getting rid of them makes sense and cuts costs.
“Obviously we can’t predict if we need them [the lights].”
Chris Klein aide to Mayor
Whether or not they will need such lights in the future remains unknown. “Obviously we can’t predict if we need them,” Klein said. In another attempt to cut costs, fewer state troopers will patrol the event, though Klein said the event will be “very well policed.” However, many aspects of Halloween on State Street will remain the same. The times and stages are the same as in previous years, according to Klein. The committee also approved an annual motion to make State Street’s Freak Fest a glass-free zone. “It’s made a big difference, [glass] is a safety issue,” Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said. Passing a glass-free zone for State Street on Halloween requires a motion and approval each year. The motion is traditionally approved annually for events like Freak Fest and the Mifflin Street Block Party. “We’ve done this before— every year,” committee chairperson Troy Thiel said.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”