NEWS
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Alex Nemec - News Editor Laura Dickinson - Assistant News Editor
February 9, 2017
Travel ban impacts UW System by Laura Dickinson
COURTESY OF ALICIA JOHNSON ABOVE: MARCH PARTICIPANTS WALK DOWN STATE STREET IN MADISON DURING THE WOMEN’S MARCH HELD ON JAN. 21. MADISON WAS ONE OF 600 CITIES THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE MARCH. BELOW: PARTICIPANTS GATHER TO TAKE PART IN THE NATIONWIDE MARCH. THE MADISON POLICE ESTIMATE BETWEEN 75,000 AND 100,000 PEOPLE WERE IN ATTENDANCE AT
UWO students represented at Women’s March
by Kierra Carr carrk01@uwosh.edu University of Wisconsin Oshkosh students joined 4.2 million other people in more than 600 cities across the U.S. for the Women’s March on Jan. 21. Women’s Diversity Center Director Alicia Johnson said people used pink hats as a way to express their concerns about leadership. “The march was not just about women,” Johnson said. “The march was a rally point for people to embrace multiple identities, such as gender, race, sexuality, education and immigration policies.” According to Johnson, a UWO campus climate survey showed there are social injustices on campus and some groups felt left out. “The purpose of the Women’s March was to come together as people who are wanting to advance the initiative about social justice,” Johnson said. UWO student Ali Christensen said the Women’s March was a first impression statement to the new administration in DC. “I think the march got people’s
attention,” Christensen said. “It was a revolutionary statement... we will fight, we will stand together, and you will not tear us apart.” Senior Mariah Garner said she went because she felt it was her obligation to attend. She said she wanted the man in office to see that Americans are demanding change and recognition. were welcomed and encouraged “The march was very empow- to speak up with passion and fire ering for me,” Garner said. “It in your voice,” Christensen said. opened my eyes and my friend’s Christensen said women’s eyes to see that rights are being it’s not just us It opened my eyes and my oppressed. that feel this “Rape gets asfriend’s eyes to see that it’s not way about sociated with acAmerica, but just us that feel this way about cidents,” ChrisAmerica, but millions of people millions of tensen said. people across across the nation. “Birth control is the nation.” — Mariah Garner seen as a preventChristensen able luxury and said the march some insurance UWO Senior was for all will not cover it communities but will cover that felt threatViagra 100 percent.” ened, mocked, belittled and unJohnson said it is our duty as dermined by Trump and his ad- citizens to be active and involved ministration. regardless of what our political “Whether you are Christian, views are. Muslim, gay or straight, you “Also, my hope is that this
by Ti Windisch windit83@uwosh.edu Impeachment charges brought against Oshkosh Student Association president Austyn Boothe last semester ended up not proving substantial enough to justify removing Boothe from office. Boothe said that aside from one gray area about an Assembly item being removed from the agenda due to it actually being a Senate power, none of the charges leveled against her turned up any conclusive evidence. “Out of all the 14 charges, nothing was found,” Boothe said. “Because of that, Assembly and Senate did not call to vote.” Boothe said the charges, brought by Ann Mittelstadt, Legislative Affairs Ambassador were more about personal problems than anything else. “Personally, I think it became apparent for any individuals that attended the open hearing instead of our Senate meeting that Ann brought those charges because of personal reasons,” Boothe said. “She did even state that a lot of it stemmed from her not getting a paid position in OSA.” Reeve Advisory Council Vice President Aza Muzorewa, who was on the judicial board tasked with finding evidence, said the board found it difficult to find
evidence for many of the charges levied against Boothe. “A good portion [of the charges] were inconclusive,” Muzorewa said. “We weren’t able to get a definitive conclusion just based on how the grievance was worded, or there wasn’t any information we could gather.” Out of all the charges levied, United Students in Residence Halls Constitution Chair Kyla Brown said USRH found the matter of office hours were strange. “We thought it was weird they didn’t record them because we meticulously track our office hours,” Brown said. Muzorewa said conflict resolution would have been a better option than trying to impeach, but if that measure is taken, the charges need to have concrete evidence supporting them. “We want to try and pull our personal feelings out of it, if that’s how you go because that makes it a lot harder,” Muzorewa said. “If you file grievances, you want to make sure what you’re saying can be corroborated by cold hard facts.” Boothe said OSA is looking at changing the constitution concerning impeachment charges due to how long the process took, despite the lack of concrete evidence. “Somebody could bring some-
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march ignites people to use their representatives and senators and make themselves heard,” Johnson said. Johnson said the march in Madison was supposed to go from Library Mall to the Capitol, but so many people showed up that it filled up State Street. “It was predicted that 25,000 people would show up, but Madison police estimated that between 75,000 to 100,000 people showed up,” Johnson said. Garner said she is thankful to have had the opportunity to participate in the march. “I believe it will go down in history because of the number of people coming together,” Garner said.
OSA president avoids impeachment thing to them, which I believe happened in my case, that doesn’t have really any merit,” Boothe said. “They can say it has no merit, but it has to go on further.” Boothe said open communication is vital going forward and could have prevented the lengthy impeachment process from having to take place last semester. “I try my best to be available to students as much as possible,” Boothe said. “I don’t like to see myself as an intimidating person. I like to be really open with students and hear their concerns and their comments about things.” Muzorewa said conflict should be handled more before going straight to filing a letter of grievance because of how severe the concept of impeachment is. “While you have every right to do that, I think what we also strive for is to try to meet in the middle, because you’re essentially calling for someone’s job,” Muzorewa said. “Impeachment is a very taboo word, and it’s very hard to impeach somebody in our country as a whole.” Boothe said she wanted to thank all of the Assembly representatives, senators and students who stood by her while the impeachment charges were being addressed. “A lot of them realize the type of person I am and stood by me,
and I appreciate that,” Boothe said. Muzorewa called the impeachment charges a “wake-up call” and said he believes the differences that people have can cause problems on campus, but it is also what makes UWO a great place. “Obviously when you get that many people working together and you have a student body person involved, you’re not going to agree with everything he or she does,” Muzorewa said. “You’re not going to necessarily back up everything he or she does. But you have to learn to be proactive and coexist, and you have to learn to problem solve.”
dickil83@uwosh.edu University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross released a statement to the UW System Schools in regards to President Trump’s Executive Order banning travel from seven countries which could affect international students and faculty from the travel banned countries. In a statement sent out to UW Oshkosh students, Chancellor Andrew Leavitt said the university does not believe the travel ban affects entry for any students, faculty or staff at UWO. “I feel it is important to highlight the long-standing commitment UW Oshkosh has to a rich and global community,” Leavitt said. “Our University and this entire region and state are stronger because of the students, faculty and staff who have come from places around the world to learn, work and live here.” UWO student and member of the UWO Muslim Student Association Jamal Arafeh said he believes the ban is irrational. “I think this is a crazy order in my opinion,” Arafeh said. “He basically banned families, children, men and women from entering, and they had came here to start a new life. I want to ask Trump a question: if my country banned all Christians from entering, how would that make him feel? It’s the same feeling we have as Muslims.” Arafeh said the UWO MSA is working to make students aware of the misconceptions and mistaken beliefs of Islam and bring awareness of the effects of the travel ban. “We are trying to put to rest wrong ideas about what Trump is trying to take ahold of,” Arafeh said. “We just want people to know these people from these countries just want a new life. They sold their homes and sold everything they had just to come here for a new life.” MSA’s next meeting will be today on the second floor of Polk Library in the large study group room. Cross said, in a statement during the uncertainty surrounding the travel ban, the UW System suggests limited travel for international student and faculty from the banned countries. “Students or faculty from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Libya, Sudan, and Yemen should not travel outside the United States in the next 90 days, as your entry visa may be deemed ineligible and you may not be able to return to the U.S.,” Cross said. “Please make any friends and family members from these countries aware of this restriction as well, and encourage them to refrain from traveling to the U.S. during these 90 days.” Cross said, the ban does concern approximately 130 students system wide. However, at this time, we do not know what the future of the order will be. “We do not currently know what the situation will be when these 90 days expire, but the UW System will continue to carefully monitor this situation and provide you with updates as we get them,” Cross said. UWO Assistant Vice Chancellor of Academic Support of Inclusive Excellence Sylvia Carey-Butler said during this time it is important to remember we benefit as a school together. “We are better because of diversity,” Carey-Butler said. “Whether it’s because of ethnicity or nationality, our communities are better when they take care of each other.” Carey-Butler said there are faculty and staff who are concerned about students who might be affected and are wanting to come together to have a town hall meeting. “There will be a town hall that isn’t necessarily about what has brought us to this, but to show that everyone does matter here,” Carey-Butler said. The date for the town hall meeting has yet to be determined. Arafeh said he hopes the Oshkosh community can come together. “I think many people in the community are involved about this issue,” Arafeh said. “I believe this is a decision that is not well-studied, and we can benefit from discussion with each other.”