That time of year Does the basketing of the balls give you the goose’s bumps? Then learn how to support our skillful basketmen. +PAGE TWO University of Wisconsin-Madison
March Madness
The Badgers look to start a deep tournament run with a win over Montana Thursday. +SPORTS, page 8 Complete campus coverage since 1892
l
dailycardinal.com
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Study: student alcohol abuse can force schools to foot medical bills By Ben Siegel The Daily Cardinal
College students who black out from drinking alcohol can cost large universities roughly a halfmillion dollars per year in emergency room visits, according to research conducted by two members of UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health. On a campus with more than 40,000 students, costs to the school for blackout-related ER visits can range from $469,000 to $546,000 annually, according to Marlon Mundt and Larissa Zakletskaia, the study’s authors and UW-Madison faculty members. The study, which was released online Wednesday and will appear in the Health Affairs medical journal’s April issue, is based on data drawn from a five-year study of
intoxication and emergency room visits at five college campuses, including UW-Madison. The study found that about half of the 954 students admitted to emergency rooms had blacked out from alcohol in the previous year. Students who had suffered six or more blackouts were 70 percent more likely to be in the ER than students who drank similarly but did not black out. While the link made between students’ blackout-tendencies and the likelihood of visiting the emergency room is a new one, the findings correlate with larger recognized trends of alcohol abuse, according to University Health Services Executive Director Dr. Sarah Van Orman. “When we see students experiencing blackouts, or having
trouble with the law, or getting into fights when drinking…those are markers for other kinds of serious consequences, like injuries,” Van Orman said. “Although this is kind of a new finding, it fits with what we see overall.”
“The idea that alcohol misuse and abuse costs money is certainly not a new one.” Dr. Sarah Van Oraman executive director University Health Services
The estimated annual cost of blackout ER visits is also not a Grey Satterfield/the daily cardinal
alcohol page 3
Recall election dates set, pending official certification Recall primary elections will Niess granted the Government likely be held May 8 and Accountability Board general elections June 5 more time to review recall for Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. petitions for Walker and Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, Kleefisch Wednesday. state Senate Majority The previous deadline Leader Scott Fitzgerald, was March 19, but the R-Juneau, and three other GAB will now have until Republican state senaMarch 30 to verify the tors, after a judge granted signatures, which would officials an extension to push the dates for elecNIESS review petitions. tions to May 8 and June 5, Dane County Judge Richard according to the GAB.
“This scenario allows all the recall elections to be consolidated on two dates, saving taxpayers additional costs had the elections been held on different schedules,” GAB Director Kevin Kennedy said in a statement Wednesday. The GAB said earlier this week there are sufficient petitions for the four state senators, but still need to review petitions against Walker and Kleefisch to find and strike duplicate signatures.
MCSC leader Jensen Trotter told student council Wednesday SSFC has a pattern of denying multicultural groups funding.
ASM responds to allegations of prejudice By Anna Duffin The Daily Cardinal
The Associated Students of Madison repealed legislation Wednesday passed by its Diversity Committee that alleged its finance committee and judiciary were prejudiced in denying a multicultural student group funding. The Student Services Finance Committee denied the Multicultural Student Coalition funding in October after it ruled the group did not spend more than half its time directly serving students.
After the Student Judiciary upheld the ruling, the Diversity Committee passed resolutions asserting errors in the rulings, calling for the removal of the SJ Chief and Vice Chief Justices, creating a committee to investigate prior SSFC and SJ rulings and demanding student council re-hear the group’s eligibility. MCSC leader Jensen Trotter said SSFC has denied funding for other multicultural groups in previous years and the trend indicates institutionalized dis-
asm page 3
ASM denies constitution vote
On Campus
Sunny Delight
Throngs of students flocked to the Memorial Union Terrace Wednesday to revel in the beautiful weather and unseasonably warm temperatures. Wednesday’s high temperature of 78 degrees is a Madison record. + Photo by Wil Gibb
tudent government decided S against putting a new Associated Students of Madison constitution up for a vote Wednesday. The new constitution would restructure ASM into four branches: an executive branch consisting of a president and vice president, a legislative branch made up of a senate, a judicial branch similar to the current Student Judiciary and an allocations branch to appropriate student segregated fees. Currently, ASM consists of a student
council, the Student Services Finance Committee and the Student Judiciary. Representatives said they were concerned students would not have enough time to become educated about the constitution before voting and putting it up for a vote would be too expensive. “I’m afraid of spending four to five thousand dollars on what would functionally be an internal reform,” Rep. Cale Plamann said. Anna Duffin
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”