THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1969 Volume XLIV, Issue 97
Thursday, March 21, 2013
www.badgerherald.com
Ward refuses to cut Palermo’s contract About 20 members of the UWMad@Palermo’s Coalition confronted Ward during the annual UW Showcase with the presentation of a giant pair of scissors in an effort to push the chancellor to end a contract with Palermo’s Pizza, which violated the university’s code of conduct and allegedly also breached federal labor laws.
Muge Niu Higher Education Editor Students called for Interim Chancellor David Ward to cut the University of Wisconsin’s ties with Palermo’s Pizza at an administration luncheon on Wednesday in an ongoing workers’ rights dispute which has sparked controversy from student groups.
“We asked him, ‘Are you going to stand up for workers’ rights today?’ and his response was, ‘Not these workers, not today,’” Melissa Horsfall, a member of Student Labor Action Coalition, said. “That really bothers me because these workers make pizza that we sell at sporting events, that the university buys from
inaction after a UW advisory committee recommended cutting the contract over Palermo’s code of conduct violations. Members of UW’s administration did not respond for comment. The UW Labor Licensing Policy Committee has been charged with reviewing the contract and sent a letter to
the company, so if not these workers, then who?” Palermo’s Pizza has a sponsorship contract with UW Athletics and the Wisconsin Union and is a supplier of Roundy’s Supermarkets, Inc., which allows the Bucky Badger logo on the pizzas. Horsfall said students were frustrated by Ward’s
Ward requesting he end the contract last November. The National Labor Relations Board and the Worker Rights Consortium have separately investigated Palermo’s regarding issues in union formation, firing striking workers and health and safety violations.
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PostSecret creator visits UW Madeleine Behr Herald Contributor The lights were dimmed and audience members shed tears as the audience shared its secrets in front of a crowd of nearly 700 people Wednesday evening, as community members attended a lecture from the PostSecret project’s founder Frank Warren. “It was super nervewracking, my heart was pounding and I was crying,” University of Wisconsin junior Nicole Rudisill said. “When I went up, I realized I was sharing my secret with a room full of people I didn’t know.” Rudisill, a long time follower of the PostSecret Project, said she only had the courage to share her secret after seeing other
audience members do so at Warren’s encouragement. Warren was on campus as a part of the Distinguished Lecture Series program. Warren said he is the sole founder of PostSecret, an ongoing project to unite people worldwide by sending secrets via postcard to Warren’s home in Maryland to be published in books and online. The PostSecret project began in November 2004. As of today, the website has received more than 450 million views, and Warren has published five books, using the 100 to 200 secrets he receives daily, Warren said. “I printed out 3,000 postcards, and I would walk the streets of Washington D.C. at night and go up to people and say, ‘Hi, my
name is Frank, and I collect secrets,’” Warren said. “The most common reaction was, ‘I don’t have any secrets,’ but I would make sure to give them a card because those people often have the best secrets.” After receiving two to three postcards a day, Warren would then post the secrets on the website. Soon after, the website began increasing its weekly viewers, from 100 to 1,000 to 100,000. Warren also spoke on his personal battles with mental illness, suicide, parental divorce and homelessness and how his childhood helped shape the project. “The earliest memories of my mom are of being defensive and keeping secrets from her,” Warren said.
Not only did Warren share his own secrets and secrets from the postcards, but audience members also formed long lines in front of microphones to share their secrets about suicide, love, homelessness, eating disorders, religion and selfesteem. Austin Jeffries, associate director for Social Cultivation for the DLS program that brought Warren to UW, said organizers decided to dim the lights so the audience’s anonymity would be better protected. Another audience member, Carol Transon, who attended the event with her daughter Brigid, a UW student, said listening to the audience’s secrets was
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Claire Larkins The Badger Herald
PostSecret founder Frank Warren spoke as part of the university’s Distinguished Lecture Series, reflecting on the project and allowing audience members to share their own secrets.
Students request Randall Ave. closure for Revelry Allie Johnson City Life Editor
Kelsey Fenton The Badger Herald
State Street’s T Sushi lost its liquor license after closing in Janurary. A city ordinance states that liquor licences must be removed after 15 days of closure.
City revokes downtown sushi restaurant’s license Committee looks to amend city ordinance, help property owners regain licenses faster Sarah Eucalano City Hall Editor A State Street sushi restaurant lost its liquor license Wednesday after a city committee chose to take action on a complaint lodged against the establishment on March 13. The Alcohol License Review Committee revoked T Sushi’s liquor license after the restaurant, located at 251 State St., has been closed since January. Under city ordinances, liquor licenses are required to
be revoked if not used over a 15-day-period or if it becomes unclear who the owner is, Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said. As T Sushi has been closed for nearly three months and the owner, Teddy Stevens, has ceded control of the restaurant, the city can now take action to retract its liquor license, Mark Woulf, the city’s alcohol policy coordinator said. He added it is unclear who is operating the business. He said once the owner of an establishment is granted an alcohol license by the city, the owner cannot legally give away control of the liquor license or lend it out. According to Verveer, the city’s 15-day cap ensures it can maintain a quota of licenses available for businesses. He said this ensures the city’s
liquor licenses are being used. Jennifer Zilavy, an assistant city attorney in Madison, said under current city ordinances the premise cannot be granted another liquor license for one year now that it has been revoked by the committee. “The way it is now, no license could go in that area for one year,” she said. However, Verveer said the committee chose to submit an amendment to the ordinance, which would allow a property to have a liquor license within 12 months of the original liquor license being revoked. The City Council will take up the amendment for final approval at its April 16 meeting. Verveer said the amendment would allow
Student leaders requested permission to close off access to Randall Avenue near Union South for Revelry, the University of Wisconsin yearend arts and music festival, at a city committee meeting held Wednesday. The Revelry Arts and Music Festival Executive Committee asked the Street Use and Staff Commission to close Randall Avenue to traffic from 10 p.m. on May 3 to 10 p.m. on May 4, according to Sarah Mathews, Wisconsin Union president and the committee’s chief executive. According to Josh Levin, operations director of the event, attractions for the arts side of the festival would take place on the closed street. Levin explained the street would feature film machines and
© 2013 BADGER HERALD
attendees, according to Levin. However, Madison Police Department Lt. David McCaw raised several concerns regarding Revelry’s permit request. “One of the concerns is what will happen if this bubbles out into the other streets,” McCaw said. Mathews said UW Police Department will handle the traffic around the street and added any police situations inside the event will also be handled by UWPD. McCaw also expressed concern about the possible presence of alcohol on the street. Levin said alcohol would only be allowed in Union South and not on the street, attendees under 21 would be issued a wristband on their way into the festival and no carryin beverages would be allowed.
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a dunk tank where students would potentially have the opportunity to dunk Lori Berquam, UW dean of students. There would also be fabric hung between university buildings on the street as part of an attraction called the “sky maze,” he said. The street would also host a DJ booth for student and local DJs, Levin said, which would add to the festival. Additionally, the street will be used as the main entry and exit points for the festival, rather than Union South, he said. “We want people to see all the festivities,” Levin said. “We don’t want them to enter through the doors of Union South to get in.” Levin said access to the street for festival goers would model the chute-style used on State Street during Freakfest. The Revelry planning committee anticipates the festival will attract around 3,000 to 4,000
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SPORTS | 12