http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=1066&mname=ArticleGroup News stories en-us 60 By Jessica Pedersen Of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff December 2009 Dr. James Loewen is the key note speaker at this year’s 13th Annual Urban Forum. He addressed the issue of race relations and how United States history teachers’ should not teach strictly from the book but minimally from it, and teach based on evidence. The Annual Forum is a two-part series hosted by The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee’s School of Education held at the Helene Zelazo Center. Milwaukee hip-hop singer King Kamonzi starts the event, uniting the audience of all ages and races collectively with one finger in the air. Loewen, author of “Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your High School History Textbook Got Wrong”, taught race relations for 20 years at the University of Vermont and continues to research how Americans remember the past, according to his website. “I think that justice in the present helps bring about the truth in the past and vice versa, truth about the past helps bring about justice in the present.” One year ago, Milwaukee Public Schools faced a controversy over whether or not to adopt new social studies textbooks to use for the 5th through 8th grade that reflected the diversity of the American experience. Eventually the textbooks were adopted and MPS administrators approved a nearly $1.2 million for Social Studies books for these grades and include a development plan featuring a series of workshops. Approval for Social Studies books for other grades was still under way. What Textbooks Are Leaving Out Loewen’s lecture on race relations revolves around the term nadir or low point. He discussed how the nadir of race relations began in 1890 with the start of the first Ku Klux Klan and ended around 1940 at the beginning of World War II, but it hasn’t stopped. “The textbooks’ treatment of slavery is not half bad because after all, we don’t do it anymore. But the treatment of racism as a continuing problem in American life is terrible! They don’t even use the ‘r’ word, they have nothing about the nadir of race relations, they have nothing about how it still distorts our view of the past even today, nothing whatever.” As Loewen states towards the end of his lecture in order to be an acceptable teacher you need to be: 1. Anti-racist 2. Doing history locally (local issues in Wisconsin, women’s issues, and within the family) 3. Teach against the textbooks Loewen faced controversy for this in 1980 for a book he co-authored “Mississippi: Conflict and Change”. The book rejected for use in Mississippi’s public schools by the Mississippi Textbook Purchasing Board on the grounds that it was too controversial and placed too much focus on racial matters according to the Annual Forum’s website. Loewen went to Federal Court against the Mississippi State Textbook Board over the book. The courts ruled in favor of Loewen. Nick Grapengieser, a 21-year-old education student focusing in Social Studies, agrees with Loewen that teachers shouldn’t focus their attention solely to the textbook. “I think that textbooks should be acknowledged and as stated today by the key note speaker, it’s a key factor for teachers to teach not exactly what’s in the textbook but use them as a reference and look for what they are missing.” To Change or Not To Change Loewen states that in order for race relations to improve in the United States, something needs to be done about what is being taught, and what goes into textbooks. “Not exactly updating, they need to correct themselves and revise themselves. I think the more accurately that we can face our past the more likely we are to have justice in the present and vice versa.” One specific example Loewen uses is, after the U.S. paid reparations to Japanese families incarcerated in concentration camps in World War II in 1981, the treatment of this event (concentration camps) in textbooks became much more accurate. Grapengieser also believes that textbooks need to make some kind of change in order for there to be progress in improving race relations. “I do think it is somewhat vital and that information is added and changed in textbooks just because a new generation of people need to understand modern history as well as the critical events such as the civil war and world wars.” Grapengieser says that this can be accomplished in teaching more than just what’s written down, but by doing history and getting involved. “It’s a longer process than just educating people. I mean that’s obviously step one and if people actually become proactive and invest themselves in the issues I think it would have an influence, it’s just a matter of how far people are willing to go.” Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:30:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26051&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26051&mname=Article Wisconsin Hospital Gets the Gift of Game By Jason Kopplin Of the Frontpage Milwaukee reporting staff Dec. 20, 2009 Video games are often perceived as a solitary, antisocial activity. Sometimes, however, games and the gaming community can also be used for good causes. One of those causes is Child’s Play, a Seattle based charity that supplies video game and other toys to children’s hospitals throughout the country. One of those hospitals is the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. “Since 2003, over 100,000 gamers worldwide have banded together through Child’s Play, a community based charity grown and nurtured from the game culture and industry,” reads a statement on the group’s web site. “When gamers give back, it makes a difference.” Tanya Bissen, manager for special events at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin handles the hospital’s involvement with Child’s Play. “We have a great relationship with the other pediatric hospitals around the country,” said Bissen. “The Seattle Children’s hospital contacted us when they expanded the program in 2005. We were one of the first half-dozen hospitals in the program.” The hospital recognizes the value of games for sick children. “Games are a great way for these kids to forget why they’re in the hospital,” said Bissen. “All the rooms in our new west tower are equipped with Sony PlasyStation 3 game systems. They were actually part of the budget. The games are expensive though. It’s great to get these donations. The families really enjoy it. They deserve to be a little spoiled during all of this.” Sara Silver-Traband, a media specialist for the hospital, said these donations are especially needed this time of year. “We are in a restricted visiting period due to H1N1 and are not allowing outside visitors to the hospital at this time,” she said. Sick children are only allowed to see their parents and immediate family over 18 due to flu outbreak concerns, making those donated games all the more appreciated. Origin Story Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik are the creators the popular web comic “Penny Arcade.” The strip focuses on video game culture. The Seattle-based duo started Child’s Play in reaction to an article by a local columnist criticizing gamers. Their goal was to generate positive press for the gaming world while also supporting a good cause. “Penny Arcade is working with the Seattle Children’s Hospital and Amazon.com to make Christmas really special for a lot of very sick kids,” said Krahulik in a press release. “Some of these kids are in pretty bad shape and just having a Game Boy would really raise their spirits.” That first year, they partnered with the Seattle Children’s hospital and raised over $200,000. Six years later, Child’s Play has ties with over 60 hospitals nationwide and as of December 4, the charity has raised over $1 million. “This is Child's Play's seventh year, and this is the fastest we have ever gotten to the million dollar mark,” said Krahulik. “Considering everything that's going on with the economy, that's just astounding. Choose Your Own Donation Child’s Play offers people multiple methods for donations. Donors can wire directly to the charity via online payment service PayPal. All partner hospitals also have a “wish list” on Amazon.com. Donors can see the specific items their local hospital is asking for, purchase them, and have the goods shipped directly to the hospital. Rochelle Bayne is a member of a Facebook group set up to promote Child’s Play. “While I can only afford a little bit because I've been out of work for a long time, I sent 3 packs of crayola markers to Buffalo Women and Children's hospital, because I always had a great time drawing with markers when I was little,” she said. “I hope the kids have at least as much fun.” There are a handful of groups online that hold gaming specific marathons in order to raise money for Child’s Play. A group called “Mario Marathon” raises money by taking pledges for Child’s Play while playing through every single Mario game to date consecutively. Their last marathon lasted 96 straight hours. Another similar group plays the music game “Rock Band” with an infinite playlist for as long as possible, taking pledges. Child’s Play has contributed over $5 million in games and toys to children's hospitals worldwide since 2003. The charity is on pace to top last year’s record-breaking $1.4 million total. View Larger Map Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:38:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25428&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25428&mname=Article Theatre company working with local high school students By Matt Sliker Of the Frontpage Milwaukee reporting staff Feb. 15, 2009 MILWAUKEE – When Milwaukee -based theatre company. The Skylight, learned that some Milwaukee Public Schools could only afford to put on one musical every other year, the company decided to do something about it. This December, the Skylight held a free Musical Theatre Residency at Milwaukee High School of the Arts, teaching students music and dance from a popular musical. A professional choreographer and music director, hired by The Skylight, are working daily with the students to learn content from “Sweeney Todd,” a musical that was recently made into a Hollywood film starring Johnny Depp. The three-week long residency culminated at the end of December, when students performed for their parents and peers at the high school, located at 2300 W. Highland Ave. The Skylight offers free theatre education programs and residencies to Milwaukee Public School students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The high school Musical Theatre Residency began three years ago, according to The Skylight’s Education Manager, Rebecca Nielsen. Nielsen says that High School of the Arts can only afford to put on one musical every other year and that this residency gives students an opportunity that they can’t get from their school alone. “A lot of the arts have been cut out of schools -- even at a school like High School of the Arts where they have arts education in their curriculum -- they still only have so many resources that they’re able to tap into,” she said. As a teen, Nielsen attended High School of the Arts. She says that at the time, the school’s theatre program was more comprehensive than it is today. “We had a lot more when I was there,” she said. “The opportunity to work with professionals in a classroom setting when you’re that young would have been really exciting and really valuable.” Cody Raasch, a senior at High School of the Arts, agrees. “A lot of times they’ll tell you about stuff in the professional world that you can’t necessarily get from a teacher,” he said. “They tell you what it’s like to be out there and doing that type of work,” he added. Kelsey La Porte graduated from High School of the Arts last year and was a participant in The Skylight’s residency. “It was always interesting working with teachers outside of the regulars. It provided a different prospective and made us want to work even harder.” La Porte thinks it’s important for local theatre companies to offer these types of programs to public schools. “People don’t realize how vital the Arts are to becoming a well rounded person and it’s unfortunate that we seem to have no money for that anymore,” she said. “Offering these programs and putting on a show at the end shows the community how simple it is for a student to thrive artistically and academically when provided with the right resources,” she added. Ralph Janes, a theatre teacher at High School of the Arts, appreciates The Skylight’s program. “As budgets have diminished to an absurd point of non-viability over the last ten 10 years, The Skylight has enabled us to continue to maintain elements of Musical Theatre within the curriculum, where they would otherwise have been lost,” he said. Raasch seems content with The Skylight’s decision to use “Sweeney Todd” as this year’s musical. “I like it. I think it’s an interesting choice. It’s one of those plays that allows the entire class to be part of,” he said. As for the upcoming culminating performance, Janes says “kids are excited and becoming increasingly confident.” Nielsen adds, “They have a very new appreciation for the amount of work that has to go into such a difficult process because you have to be able to sing, act, and dance all at the same time. From what I’ve seen, there’s a great process that happens and the students really get a big sense of accomplishment at the end of it.” Students will perform for their parents on Dec.18 and again for their peers on Dec.19. All High School of the Arts students are invited to attend the performances. Sat, 14 Feb 2009 10:58:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20863&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20863&mname=Article Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} By Tammy McCubbin of the Frontpage Milwaukee reporting staff Feb. 5, 2009 ‘Walk Against Poverty’ Hopes to Raise Awareness Downtown Milwaukee Area Technical College third annual Walk Against Poverty, sponsored by AmeriCorps VISTA and MATC Service Learning Center, was held Dec. 5th, 2008 to help raise awareness of Milwaukee’s poverty. Despite below freezing temperatures, over 100 people showed for the mile and a half walk from MATC to the Federal building and back. The only ticket one needed to participate was a suggested three-can food donation to the Hunger Task Force and a warm heart. POVERTY GRAVE CONCERN Individual poverty is a growing concern in Milwaukee. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates of 2005 through 2007, 1-out-of 4 Milwaukeeans are living under the poverty level. This is above the state and national level, according to the U.S. Census. Due to the current economic lows, poverty is of great concern in Milwaukee and all over. FESTIVE OCCASION DESPITE GRIM MATTER The excitement, music, and hope could be felt outside of the MATC lobby doors Friday before the Walk Against Poverty even began. Though the weather was a little more than crisp, that didn’t stop people from coming out and gathering in the lobby to hear a live band, and listen to informative speeches on Milwaukee’s serious issue of poverty.. As the time neared the start of the walk, many bundled up with gloves, hats, and scarves to guard against the weather, keeping in their minds that many Milwaukeeans have no homes, therefore they are sleeping on the streets with nothing to protect them from winter’s bitter bite. HOPES OF AWARENESS As the walk began, so continued the smiles. Appearing to engulf the sidewalks, many participants carried, with pride, homemade signs that spread messages such as, “Make College affordable”, “End Poverty”, and “26% of Milwaukeeans live in poverty.” Robert Wallace is a MATC student from Milwaukee who says the walk was a great way to raise awareness. Robert states, “The economy is kinda bad right now… a lot of people are in poverty and I think the walk really helps. People that are driving…people that are looking or whatever…it helps them think about what’s really going on out there…” The desire to reach out to others in the community fueled the reason why Mario Hurton came out for the walk. Mario says, “I just wanted to actually give back…I mean I’ve been blessed and I know there are people out there that are less fortunate than I am…” Outcome level with last year, food donations up Working as volunteers for Americorps VISTA, Marianne Griffin and Marcia Blackman are MATC’s Service Learning Coordinators who organized the walk. According to Griffin, their goal to help eliminate poverty is to connect MATC’s faculty with organizations to get students to volunteer in their community. Griffin states that the participant turn out is about equal in people to last year, but food donation is up. She says, “We raised approximately 600 pounds of food which is slightly more than last year…and I think the most MATC has raised for Hunger Task Force.” Griffin and Blackman say the main goal of the walk is to raise awareness of poverty in Milwaukee because it tends to get over looked or even ignored. Petitioning for a cause Along with bringing three cans of food for the less fortunate, many people signed a petition to keep jobs in Milwaukee and bring jobs back to the community. Along the walk, this petition was dropped off at the Federal building in hopes of action. Jim Carpenter is an economics professor at MATC who organized the petition and says this is an issue that everyone should be concerned with. Carpenter’s face fills with passion when asked what motivates him to partake in the petition and walk. He states, “This is about poverty and we are all connected…what we really need to do is stimulate the economy and get our job creation going again…” Complimentary warm-up Conversation filled the room as walkers lined up to warm up with complimentary hot chocolate after the event. Though many were still thawing from the cold outside, the happiness, confidence, and hope from the event exploded through out the MATC lobby. Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:37:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20699&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20699&mname=Article Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Holiday spike in help calls By Cesar A. Rojas of the Frontpage Milwaukee reporting staff Jan. 29, 2009 Milwaukee - Help-call operators are bracing for the holiday seasonal surge as social agencies in the community have been referring residents with basic needs at record numbers the past two months. October broke the record high of help calls in a single month reaching 13, 552. This is a seven percent increase from last year at the center. November is on track to surpass this amount. 211 at IMPACT is a 24- hour call center that services southeastern Wisconsin. As the current economic conditions continue, the call center and social agencies are experiencing calls from residents who are utilizing services for the first time. The center expects to reach over 130,000 calls for 2008, a new annual record. This year, a report by the Planning Council for Health and Human Services, Inc. revealed that half of all calls relate to food and housing needs. The vast majority of callers are young, single mothers. 211 at IMPACT is funded primarily by Milwaukee County and the United Way of Greater Milwaukee. “We do have the holiday Thanksgiving baskets as well as the Christmas baskets,” said Matricia Patterson, a 211 operator who has worked at the center for 10 years. “People are calling for toys, meal sites, places they can sit down to eat. The holidays are usually a time when people have lots of needs and they’re feeling that they should have a turkey, for example,” said Patterson. Social workers like Nubia Rojas at the Women’s Outpatient Clinic at St. Joseph’s Hospital rely on 211 for the most current information on resources for their clients. “The holidays is definitely a time when we see a lot of need, a lot of people looking for things for their family, for their children,” said Rojas, who screens many young mothers who come in for prenatal care. “We definitely see an increase when the weather gets cold,” said Rojas. Rojas completes a psychosocial assessment and refers clients to community programs as she teaches new mothers skills throughout their pregnancies. The first opportunity for help Bob Waite has been the director at 211 at IMPACT center in downtown West Allis since 2001. He makes sure that the center is staffed at all times, especially at peak times on Mondays and Tuesdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. “During those time we may have anywhere from seven to 10 community resource specialists available to answer calls,” said Waite. “We would have anywhere from three to eight college interns also assisting us,” said Waite. Interns come from the area colleges and universities. Waite says UW-Milwaukee is one of the larger suppliers of interns to their program. Many agencies are not available on the weekends, said Waite. Callers take the first opportunity for help at the beginning of the week. “Eighty percent of callers are women.” 211 at IMPACT records all calls into a database and categorizes the caller’s age, zip code, and gender. There are over 300 different needs that residents are calling for. The study looked at calls from 2003 to 2007. “First of all, 80 percent of callers are women,” said Waite. Waite said the study found the largest age group is women between 25 and 35 who are the head of the house hold. About a quarter of the calls are related to food. The study also found that the highest rate of poverty for the state of Wisconsin is in the zip code 53206. “Seventy percent of all households in that zip code are single, female heads-of-household,” said Waite. “And they are most often calling us for very basic needs/issues. It’s really trying to make sure there’s food on the table, that there’s a roof over their head, and that the lights and gas are turned on so they can heat their home and run their refrigerator,” said Waite. Agencies in the community distribute services in the community based on need. “How can I now get formula?” Inside the call center, beyond a maze of small offices, work stations spread out in a large open area separated by wall partitions about 4 feet high. About six operators wearing head gear answer phones and search the computer data base for information during the Thursday evening shift. A cardboard box for employee donations of non-perishable food sat in the main walk way. Her experience at this call center allowed Patterson to hear many of the requests first-hand. “My children, they need toys, or they need the WIC program in order to help them with [baby] formula. I’ve used my food stamps, you know, how can I now get formula? I need diapers for my baby...” said Patterson. Food pantries like America’s Second Harvest of Wisconsin (http://www.secondharvestwi.org/cgi-bin/site.pl) and House of Peace (http://www.houseofpeacemilwaukee.org/) service these needs. Unmet needs Rojas said her clients are happy when they access resources, but there are also unmet needs in the community, such as emergency shelters for victims of abuse. Patterson says this is an obstacle that operators deal with as fewer donations are met with higher call volumes. Operators scramble to find what is still open and available. “At the end of the day we’re just looking to make sure that everyone who called in was able to get what they need and if not we’re letting them know that those are what we call unmet needs in the community,” said Patterson. “Some things we just don’t know where to find them, like a refrigerator or a stove.” TABLE Analysis conducted by Planning Council for Health and Human Services, Inc. in 2008. The years of the study span from 2003 to 2007. “What did Milwaukee County callers need? 2003-2007 Category of Need Percent of total needs Housing and basic needs 32% Food-related Needs 25% Family and Legal Services Needs 13% Health and Mental Health Needs 9% Income Security Needs 6% Other Needs 14% Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:54:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20595&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20595&mname=Article Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} By: Kristen Cooper of the Frontpage Milwaukee reporting staff Jan. 29, 2009 Since 2005, the media library has been lending laptops to students, but what good is a laptop checkout service if students don't know about it? You can find the media library hidden away in the lower level of Golda Meir. It's like a secret speakeasy or underground casino, where you need a password to checkout a laptop out. Fortunately, only a UWM student ID is needed. But laptop use is on track to decrease this year. According the media library's reports, Osoucha is one of many students taking advantage of this resource. Last year, 3,676 laptops were in circulation, with undergrads accounting for 3,025 of those laptops. Now, at the end of the 2008 fall semester, there have been 1,068 laptop check outs this year. Once you've checked one out, you have four hours to find that productive corner of the union or nook of the 8th Note where you always manage to get your homework done. If you really need the convenience of a laptop over night, they offer ones that you can checkout for two days. With America in the midst of a recession, now is not the most opportune time for a college student, who already has the burden of tuition, room, and board, to purchase a laptop. With the library's laptop checkout service, students can get their money's worth from their university. UWM senior, Stephanie Osoucha, has been using this service for two years. “It's a really resource, especially if you don't have a laptop,” says Osoucha. “If you have a personal space on campus, then you can just take your laptop right there.” The Dell Latitude D800 laptops were purchased from the Information and Media Technologies Department and were funded with money from the Campus Educational Technologies Grant. UWM media librarian, Beth Traylor, manages the service. “It's not only great for students without laptops,” says Traylor, “but for students who broke theirs or don't want to lug it around with them at school, we get that a lot.” The process to check one out takes no more than 2 minutes. First time users sign a waiver stating that they are responsible for the laptop while it is in their possession. They swipe your student ID, you sign your name and you're on you're way. Each laptop has the basic software that most students need like Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Quick Time, Dreamweaver, Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. Also on the computer is a survey students can take to let the media library know of any suggestions, problems, or comments they have. To inform students about the service, the media library posts information and policies on their website and talk about it on library tours, but the media library mainly relies on word of mouth to advertise this resource. In the three years that the program has been up and running, its use has increased. “The more people know about it, the more they go and tell their friends about it,” explains Traylor. Osoucha does her part to spread the word. “I do tell all my friends about it,” explains Osoucha. “You're paying tuition; you might as well reap the benefits the school has to offer.” But UWM junior, Lance Guzman, has been left in the dark. “I didn't know they had that,” says Guzman. “That would've came in useful a couple of times actually.” Many students find the laptop check out service useful to do their homework somewhere outside of the library. UWM senior, Ben Hostetler, prefers to surf the net in the noisier areas of campus. “I don't like doing my homework in the library because it's too quiet,” says Hostetler. “I like to study in the Union with a little background music.” Where ever students take the laptops, they just better bring them back on time, or this free service will begin to cost them. Students who bring one back late can expect a $10 per our late fee. Lost, stolen, or broken laptops can land students more costly penalties. The media library also lends camcorders, zoom recorders, DVDs and other multimedia to students, all with the same policies and terms as the laptops. Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:18:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20592&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20592&mname=Article Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} By Kristen Cooper of the Frontpage Milwaukee reporting staff Jan. 29, 2009 The shortage of UWM’s student housing creates a need, and pressure, to build more dorms. Each year, thousands of incoming freshmen and transfer students apply to live in one of UWM's four dormitories: Sandburg Hall, Purin Hall, Riverview Residence Hall, and Kenilworth Square. In the beginning of this 2008 fall semester, the waiting list for the Sandburg, Riverview, and Purin dorms totaled over ten thousand students. Students who don't make it into a dorm are forced to live off campus and commute to school. Freshman, Megan Leischer, was on one of those students. “The waiting list was like one thousand, or something. I couldn't just wait and see if I would get in,” said Leischer. Because of the limited campus housing, freshmen at UWM aren't required to spend their first year in the dorms like at other universities. UWM can accommodate three thousand six hundred and forty five students between the four dormitories. This accounts for 12.5 percent of the twenty nine thousand students that are enrolled. UW Madison can house six thousand nine hundred and seventy six students, providing 16 percent of it's nearly forty two thousand students with on campus housing Marquette University, with 61percent of it's students coming from out of state, can house three thousand three hundred and forty nine of their eleven thousand six hundred students, accounting for 28 percent of their student body. The Riverview Residence Hall that opened in January 2008 made room for four hundred and seventy five more students, most of whom were freshmen. Assistant Director of University Housing, Stephanie Warner, says they'll have to wait before they'll see the effects of the new dorm. “It's difficult at this point to see an impact. I think we're going to need a couple years before we see a trend,” says Warner. With parking hassles and gas expenses, there may seem like more cons to commuting, but UWM senior, Kari Davidson, prefers living off campus, even with an hour and twenty minute commute. “Living off campus makes you more focused on your studies. You know you only have that small window of time to go to the library and get your project done before the bus comes, so you do it. And I also get a lot of homework done on the bus,” says Davidson. With the first month of winter bringing heaps of snow, the chilly months may have commuters wishing they'd lived closer to campus. Students coming from their snowy one or two block walk from class flood into Sandburg's main lobby and climb up to their dorm rooms in light jackets, down vests, and hooded sweatshirts. Blocks away students trudge South down Maryland through the snow and against the wind back to their houses or apartments in heavy duty winter coats and clunky snow boots. Further inside Sandburg, young coeds walk around in sweats and slippers carrying laundry baskets or grabbing some food from the Emporium. These tasks would have off campus students reaching for those bulky boots. West tower resident, Kaylne Link, was one of the lucky freshmen to nab a spot in Sandburg. “I like the dorms. Everything is, like, right there when I need it. It's easy to get to class and the library” explained Link. Living in the dorms also has other benefits. “Studies have shown that students who live in college dorms have a higher GPA,” says Warner. “So, of course, we encourage students to live on campus.” UWM has plans to build more dorms so that more students have the opportunity to live on or near campus. Construction on new dorms will begin this spring, weather providing, at the “Hometown” site across the river from Riverside. For years now, UWM has had their eye on the Columbia of St. Mary's property on Maryland and Hartford so there will be possibilities for more expansion in the future. Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:15:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20591&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20591&mname=Article Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} By Muamon Yang Frontpage Milwaukee hi-tech gadgets editor Jan. 7, 2009 This holiday season, the big question has been "will Blu-ray do to DVD what DVD has done to VHS?" With the death of the short-lived HD DVD, Blu-Ray has become the format of the future. It’s the next evolutionary stage of DVD that utilizes new technology. Wal-Mart has already begun shifting its Electronics department to better suit the ever growing Blu-ray titles and removing space for CD’s and DVD’s. But are you ready for the Blu-ray leap? “The key, to me, is that many people have very large libraries of traditional DVDs. I think that makes them reluctant to buy Blu-ray players,” said Michael Roberto, a professor of management at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. “Blu-Ray players will play normal DVDs, but I think many consumers are not sure about that—thus, they are reluctant to upgrade to Blu-ray.” The cost involved to upgrade to Blu-ray may be too great for most consumers to take the leap to Blu-ray. High definition content is still not understood well by some consumers which can hurt the Blu-ray DVD transition. And although HD DVD is now out of the picture, Blu-ray may be too late with its format since instant streaming sites like Netflix are getting popular. Blu-ray statistics, an online site that provides stats for Blu-ray sales, reports that with their most recent data from the week of November 16, Blu-ray had 9 percent of the DVD market share. Revenue for Blu-ray reached $20.2 million during the same week. An increase of almost 84 percent compared to the previous week, reports revealed. Netflix, an online DVD rental store that lets you send and receive DVDs via USPS and also gives their members access to online streaming of certain movies straight to their computer. All you need is a high-speed internet connection. Don’t like watching movies or TV shows on your computer? Netflix also streams movies and TV shows straight to your TV via an Xbox 360 or a Netflix ready device, which can be purchased on their site. Recently, Netflix has started streaming HD-quality movies too—eliminating the need for tangible video media to watch HD movies. Being from the country that created Blu-ray, Misa Moriya, an exchange student from Japan, knows all about Blu-ray technology. “I like watching stuff in HD. But I watch a lot of TV shows online because it’s cheap or even free. It’s tempting to buy Blu-ray DVD’-s, but I just don’t see a need for it now,” said Moriya. Although Blu-ray discs look almost identical to regular DVDs, the technology is completely different. According to blu-ray.com, the Blu-ray players use a blue-violet laser rather than the standard red laser found in standard DVD players. The blue-violet laser allows information to be more densely packed on a disc—even though it’s the same size as a regular DVD. With more information storage available on a disc, Blu-ray can deliver true High Definition content to your living room. And with High Definition video comes an expectation for high quality audio. Rachael Jurek, currently a lecturer at UW-Milwaukee, who also has experience as a PR and Marketing Coordinator for Potawatomi, believes Blu-ray has some obstacles to get past before it can become the staple format. “Blu-ray does use different technology and it all depends if the consumer embraces it,” Jurek said. “Through media studies it shows that consumers are slightly afraid of change, this coupled with the high costs of newer items or concepts make it hard for an entirely new format to take over.” About once every decade, the video standard evolves and takes us with it. In the 80’s there was the transition from Betamax to VHS. Most recently was in 1995 when DVD was introduced to the public. It was a transition from an analog format (VHS) to a digital video format. Wal-Mart thinks Blu-ray is on its way in, and CD’s and DVD’s are on their way out. In a recent report by Home Media Magazine, Wal-Mart, after noticing a 23 percent dip in CD sales during the first four weeks of the fourth quarter, has decided to minimize its stock of CD’s and DVD’s and increase its Blu-ray supply in certain stores. “It would appear to me that Blu-ray could be compared to other media disseminating things like cassette and 8-track, and VHS and Beta, It took a while but the market dictated the preferred format,” Jurek said. According to High-Def Digest, while most standard DVDs now come with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Blu-ray offers more audio compression options. · Dolby Digital offers higher bit rate at 640 kbps · DTS offers higher bit rate at 1.5 mbps · PCM offers “true lossless” audio at 16 or 24 mbps · Dolby True HD offers “true lossless” audio at 16 or 24 mbps Bit rate is essentially bits of information that are processed per a unit of time. For comparison, most itunes audio tracks are between 128 kbps and 256 kbps. Hence, a higher bit rate offers better quality audio. Blu-ray looks and sounds like the next obvious evolutionary stage but some people like Kristin Haas, a Mass Communications major at UW-Milwaukee do not care for the high definition content. “…I found I could not get caught up in the story itself because the clearness of the picture took away from the movie-like quality of the film,” said Haas. Like Moriya, Eric Dohman, a business management graduate student from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee enjoys HDTV. But to fully enjoy the benefits of Blu-ray you’re going to need more than just a Blu-ray disc player. A large screen HD television set and a surround sound system is almost a must. “I would only recommend [blu-ray] if the person has the right hardware,” said Dohman. “You need at least a 720p HDTV or better to really see the difference between Blu-ray and a standard DVD.” · Popular Sony blu-ray DVD player on Amazon: $222.97 · Amazon’s best selling HDTV, Samsung 46-Inch 1080p: $1,528.99 · Sony Blu-ray matching Home Theater System: $349.97 Cash needed to feel Blu-ray love: $2,101.93 Future of Blu-ray Pioneer, a Japanese electronics company, has actually created a Blu-Ray disc out of corn starch. Apparently, one ear of corn can make 10 Blu-ray discs. Being made of biodegradable material would help make Blu-ray an economical choice. Whether this software will actually be used or not is still questionable, but manufacturing of the disc has been tested and according to Pioneer, cost less to make than standard Blu-ray discs and uses most of the same manufacturing techniques. Prices of Blu-Ray DVD’-s have also started to come down as well. The Iron Man Special Edition Blu-Ray was only $28 when it was first released in July. Compared to the standard DVD edition which costs $23 there isn’t much of a difference. More recently, the new Wall-E 3-Disc edition on Blu-Ray is only $30 compared to the standard DVD version which is $35 +. Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:06:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20390&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20390&mname=Article Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} By Katie Krause Of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff Dec. 18, 2008 Backstage dancers and choreographers frantically add final stitches to costumes or pin up pieces of hair in the mist of hairspray-filled air. The energy emanates from the room as the excitement of the coming show grows closer and closer. UW-Milwaukee’s Dance Majors are showing their new works at the New Dancemakers show entitled “Synergy” on Dec. 4-7 in Mitchell Hall. Fifteen choreographers from the dance department have created dances for the 15th season of UWM’s longest-running showcase. The dance studios are bustling with excited and nervous dancers as they put the finishing touches on their dance pieces. They had their first dress rehearsal Monday which proves that the end is finally near. “It was actually pretty cool to see my dance finished and be able to watch other people perform it,” says Michaela McElwee, a choreographer who combined hip-hop and modern in her piece. “Usually I’m the one choreographing a dance on myself, so it was cool to see other people do what I do.” Not that the process was all fun and games. “It was hard to let go and realize that it was my piece and not the teachers,” McElwee confesses. “I had to remember that I didn’t always have to take their advice.” The dance majors held auditions for their peers where they got to pick and choose who they wanted to work with in their dances. Molly Mingey, a junior in the department was chosen for two dances in the New Dancemakers show. “At first it was a little more intimidating working with a fellow student as a choreographer since they were depending on the dance not only to look good during the performance, but also for a grade,” says Mingey. “But then I realized that it was really nice to work with someone young and fresh and new to the process because we could kind of work through it together.” During the rehearsal showing, choreographers finally got to add the aesthetic qualities to their pieces. Costumes were ready, make-up was on, and lighting was set. These were the final steps to take before opening night. There are so many choreographers that they have enough pieces for two programs. Each piece has something different about it to bring something new to the show. “This is a concert that will wow you with its wide range of issues and highly physical dancing," according to Dance faculty member Luc Vanier, artistic director of the concert. "The show has the youthful exuberance that you only find in writers writing their first book." Vanier is sure that you will leave the show wanting more. Since this is the dance major’s senior projects, their duration in the dance department is coming to an end. Graduation will soon be arriving for most of them, and this is their final big step before completing their dance degrees. “This gave me an opportunity to show myself and my style and what I’ve learned throughout my experience here,” says Alex Watry, another choreographer. Once they graduate, most of the dancers are planning on just getting out into the “dance world” and auditioning or teaching in order to share their love for what they do. “I’m planning on just getting out there and auditioning like crazy,” says Lauren Hafner Addison, who is majoring in both dance and music. “I want to find something that incorporates both dance and music. I’ve always done both, and I’m going to continue doing both.” “I started taking Pilates when I came here and I found out I really like it,” says Watry. “I’m planning on getting certified sometime in the next few months so that I’ll be able to teach it.” New Dancemakers-Synergy will be performed Dec. 4-7 in Mitchell Hall. Tickets are $10 for the general public, and $7 for students, seniors, and faculty. Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:31:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20258&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20258&mname=Article Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} By Tammy McCubbin of the Frontpage Milwaukee reporting staff Dec. 18, 2008 Black-and-white photos of smiling couples, family cook outs and cherished moments stand out in the bustling University of Wisconsin Milwaukee union. Families complete with two loving parents, children, and often time pets, explode from the black- and -white picture frames, as if they were all standing right there in the Union. It is hard to believe that so much love, happiness and depth could be captured into single photos; one is compelled to take a deeper look. The portraits of same sex couples, displayed in the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee’s union from Nov. 17 thru the 21st, provoke the question of how UWM students feel about same sex marriage and civil unions. Though many amendments have been passed to prevent gay marriage, younger people tend to be more in favor of it. The display, organized by Jeff Pearcy and Will Fellows, focuses on same sex couples who have been together for seven years or more, due to the fact that the average heterosexual marriage lasts less than seven years. Gay marriage has been a hot topic as of late. During the recent 2008 presidential election, California’s Proposition 8 was favorably voted yes. The proposition amends the state constitution to restrict the definition of marriage strictly between a man and a woman. The passing of the proposition overrides a decision made earlier in the year by the California Supreme Court that allowed same sex marriage as a fundamental right. Today, same sex marriage is not recognized in the state of Wisconsin. In the fall of 2006, Wisconsin voted in favor of a ban on gay marriage and civil union between two non-married individuals. UWM student views of the same sex couples display and Gay Marriage Aubrey Howarth, a Marketing major and senior at UWM, can’t stop the grin from spreading across her face as she peers at the multiple pictures of happy couples smiling back at her. When asked if she supports gay marriage and civil union, without a doubt she replies, “I am in favor of gay marriage… You can’t help who you fall in love with.” Aubrey states that the same sex couples display could be effective if, “More people would pay attention to it and not just walk by on their way to class.” Anna Mable is an Elementary Education major and a sophomore at UWM, who feels that the display is a great way to shed light on everyday couples that aren’t recognized. A pain of familiarity washes over Anna’s face when asked how she feels about gay marriage. She states that, “There is no such thing as gay marriage, there is only marriage between two people who are in love… [A gay marriage ban] is a violation of my constitutional rights; I will now have to leave my state in order to fulfill my dreams.” Mable also states that, “It’s a shame that certain people don’t have the equalities that are offered by the American government. Hopefully one day we will truly be the land of the free.” Though many young people are for the idea of gay marriage, some are a little apprehensive of the concept. Steven Nelson is a freshman at UWM who is okay with homosexuality, yet uncertain about gay marriage. He states that, “…As far as civil unions… I’m perfectly fine…but marriage is something that goes deeper…some people read the bible and say that [marriage] should be between a man and a woman…so I’m not sure.” UWM Art Gallery managers’ reasoning behind the same sex couples display Much thought and effort go into the displays in the UWM union. Shannon Dosemagen is the Art Gallery manager at UWM who determines what artwork is placed in the Union. When asked why the exhibit was chosen for the union she states, “It’s an exhibition that is politically current… because of Proposition eight…and also the heated debate surrounding same sex marriage…” Dosemagen hopes to accomplish general awareness of the issues surrounding same sex marriage. Dosemagen states that, “We use [that space] for art pieces that are publicly relevant…It kinda helps draw awareness.” Expert comments on the current views on gay marriage Paul Brewer, the author of Value War: Public Opinion and the Politics of Gay Rights, is also a professor of Journalism and Mass Communications at UWM. Brewer declares that gay marriage has, “…changed in a positive direction over time although it’s still not positive in general…” Brewer states that, “ If you look at surveys done 20 years ago…an overwhelming majority of Americans say that they’re against same sex marriage…now it’s not even half of the public that’s in favor…but it’s getting closer to half.” Though marriage between same sex couples is still not favored by the majority, Brewer states that the public feels civil union is more acceptable. As far as generational changes in viewpoints of gay marriage, Brewer says, “young people are much more likely to support gay marriage than older members of the public.” The struggle continues Though the smiling faces of same sex couples shine bright from the UWM union, many people are still uneasy about the whole debate surrounding same sex couples. The topic of gay’s rights is definitely a touchy issue for many. The struggle continues full flame in today’s politics, with many different viewpoints. Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:27:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20257&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20257&mname=Article Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} RAK-athon rough draft FrontPage Milwaukee By Marly Fink Campus Activities Reporter Dec. 16, 2008 Most of us have heard that age-old saying that goes something like “do unto others as you would do unto yourself,” or “love your neighbors as yourself” sometime in our lifetime. But, even though we hear these sayings, the significance of their meaning often goes underestimated. However, that’s not true for the students who participated in the 2008 RAK-athon event, put on by the UW-Milwaukee Center for Volunteerism and Student Leadership (CVSL), which took place on Saturday Nov. 8. And despite the rainy weather, 250 students set out on a mission to help their neighbors. RAK-athon: How it started The RAK in RAK-athon stands for Random Acts of Kindness and the event coincides with the National Make a Difference Day, which was started by USA Weekend Magazine in 1990. The event was established to dedicate a single day to celebrate the beauty of helping others for no reason at all. Basically, UWM’s version of the volunteer program is designed to help elderly neighbors of the campus area winterize their homes and yards. This includes helping them move large items, such as air conditioners, installing storm windows, washing windows and raking leaves, among many other tasks. Director of the CVSL, Laurie Marks, is excited about another successful event with a higher number of participants than ever before. “UWM has been doing RAK-athon for about 5 years now, and the student participation has grown dramatically,” Marks said. “We started with only 40 students, and this year we had over 330 registrations, and about 250 showed up on the day of the event.” Each year, the Volunteer Center of Milwaukee provides the CVLS with elderly folks’ names. And these names are actually obtained from Interfaith Older Adult Services. Marks explained that the citizens listed are usually those who have no nearby family or friends to help them out when the weather turns colder. “RAK-athon is a perfect example of getting face-to-face contact with the people you are helping out,” said UWM junior Amanda Selin, a CVSL intern. “The elderly are always so welcoming and thankful. I think many of the volunteers relate to them in a grandmotherly, grandfatherly way.” Jonathan Marks, another UWM student and CVSL intern coordinated this year’s RAK-athon. “We feel this event is important because students are taking an active role in the community,” Marks said. “They demonstrate leadership by setting aside work and their studies to be more involved.” The Day Of After students registered in the union concourse, they were served a light breakfast of fresh bagels and cream cheese and were transported to various homes throughout the neighborhood, mainly around the east side, to perform their work. Students were able to register in teams or as individuals and most projects concluded around noon and volunteers were taken back to campus. Emily Frank, a sophomore at UWM, participated in the event for the first time this year through her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta. She explained that the sorority strives to excel in philanthropy and is fortunate enough to do so each year through events that the CVSL organizes. “It felt nice knowing that I was helping someone in need,” she said. “Everyone should try volunteering at least once throughout the school year.” The volunteer groups were full of excitement and laughter as they worked together as a team to get the projects completed and the homeowners watched with warm smiles and a deep sense of gratitude. “I helped two older women who were sisters and lived next-door to one another. They were always checking up on us and making sure we had everything we needed and repeatedly thanking us for our hard work,” Selin said. “Afterward, one of the women gave us hot chocolate and graciously invited all eight of the volunteers into her house where we visited.” Selin is also in charge of the Collegiate Challenge Spring Break trips each year. This program is affiliated with Habitat for Humanity and involves groups of college students traveling to different states within the U.S. during the week of spring break to help build Habitat houses. Selin believes volunteering is an overall positive activity with so many benefits. “Volunteering, whether it’s to feel good, serve, meet new people, or even simply a way to spend your free time, always brings out the good in people,” Selin said. If interested, the CVSL is organizing several events for the spring semester. For more information visit www.uwm.edu/cvsl or stop by their office located on the ground level of the union. “As members of the Milwaukee community, it’s important that we be a part of addressing issues for those in need in our community,” Marks said. *Here’s a list of volunteer opportunities that the CVLS is organizing for the 2009 spring semester: Blood Drives—Tuesday Feb. 10, 2009 and Monday April 20, 2009.2009 Hunger Clean Up—Saturday April 18. Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:50:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20237&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20237&mname=Article SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1By Alex Boeder Frontpage Milwaukee online trends reporter Nov. 18, 2008 If a picture tells a thousand words, what does a 60-photo public Facebook album tell? It might represent the first couple pages of your job application to a potential employer. There are 31,556 students in Facebook’s UW-Milwaukee network. Many have public profiles, meaning anyone with Internet access has the potential to view them. Judging by the content, some college students rarely consider the implications of creating an online persona. “We're far enough into the Web era now where people ought to understand that what you post can and will be used against you. Unless you do the work to figure out how to set things to private, which, come to think of it, is a pretty good screening test for an employer. The potential worker with the gumption to figure it out demonstrates initiative, problem-solving.” said Steve Johnson, internet critic for the Chicago Tribune. At the time of publication, 169 groups in the UW-Milwaukee network included the word “drinking” in the title. What some students don’t know is that they have the power to specifically limit who can search for and view their profile. “The one who leaves drunken photos of him/herself all around the Net reveals a cluelessness that might not bode well for their job performance,” said Johnson *Facebook generation Midterm week hits with the force of a stack of Political Science textbooks. Twenty hours remain until testing time on the American Presidency. The Bolton Hall computer lab doesn’t present the same distractions as at home. To the left, a Facebook page. To the right, another. There is no getting away from distractions on midterm week. This is the Facebook generation, even for the 16 year-old kid who will grow up to become the country’s president in 2028. What might his or her Facebook page looks like? *Mixing Facebook with alcohol If Facebook is associated with universities then drinking is synonymous with campuses. Naturally, students mix their love for drinking alcohol with social networking. Users join groups with others who have a common interest or hobby. Among the 169 groups which include the word “drinking” in the UW-Milwaukee network is “I Drink, I Party, and Damnit, I’m Awesome (UWM Chapter),” boasting 1475 members. Others include “Wisconsin... the #1 Binge Drinking State,” with 331 members, and “Straight From the Bottle Drinking Society,” with 126 members.“I’ve BLACKED OUT at 2963 Cramer,” has 25 members, of which 15 have public profiles Facebook provides search filters, including age. There are 284 females aged 18-20 and 249 males who list “drinking” in their profile. That’s not something they would likely write on a resume, but depending on privacy settings controlled by the user, employers might have access to this information. Anyone who signs up for an account and joins the UW-Milwaukee network can access these groups. The first group mentioned has 25 group photos, one of which features a male and female taking a shot together. Numbers can’t quantify the amount of photographs with students in compromising poses, but they are easy to find. Indeed, the internet as a whole is ripe for searching. “It’s an area where people don’t realize information can be out there for employers and graduate schools to search,” said Barbara Ley, Journalism & Mass Communication assistant professor UW-Milwaukee. *Online, real worlds collide Online and real worlds have collided in the mainstream. Locally, UW-Milwaukee student Jimmy Lemke came under fire after attempting to organize a neighborhood campus block party. Lemke helped create a public Facebook group to promote the party, and more than 5,000 eager partygoers quickly joined. Fortunately for Lemke, he successfully called off the party after heavy pressure from local law enforcement and university officials. “I’m 21. The worst thing I ever had was a speeding ticket last October,” Lemke said. Lemke, who has 1,436 Facebook friends said it would be too difficult to live without the social network site right now. He has an open profile, viewable to anyone in his networks, UW-Milwaukee and Milwaukee, WI. “When I do start applying for jobs, I’m probably going to delete it,” said Lemke. That is one option. First impressions are paramount, and, with a public profile, it is almost as if you are handing prospective employers your personal photo album before the interview process. “Any employer who doesn't search for the public traces a potential employee might leave on the Web isn't being very smart. And ditto for any potential employee who leaves unpleasant public traces,” said Johnson Nationally, vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin’s teenage daughter became a media magnet after her pregnancy was announced. The coverage was compounded when it was discovered that her daughter’s boyfriend’s MySpace page declared “I’m a f***in’ redneck” and “I don’t want kids”, according to CNN reports. Public actions and associations can have a lasting effect. On Facebook, people can easily save the information you eventually remove. “Does your public profile ever really disappear?” Ley asked. *Setting your privacy Thankfully, Facebook offers users useful privacy setting customization. According to specific Facebook text, users can control: *Who can see your personal profile *Who can search for you, and how you can be contacted *What stories about you get published to your profile and your friends’ News Feeds. *What information is available to applications you use on Facebook These options are readily available, but not always readily apparent. To change your privacy settings in the new design, hover over “Settings” in the upper right and click “Privacy Settings.” You can manipulate the settings to control who can see your profile, personal information, photos, wall posts, and more. You can also set who is able to search for your profile. You might want to only allow friends to view your personal profile so that others can’t scan your profile and make judgments about you, or find out where you live. Social networking is a valuable tool in an increasingly globalized world. Future President of the United States or not, when it comes to privacy settings, you are wise to customize. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:47:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19899&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19899&mname=Article By Megan Schmidt of the FPM staff Oct. 31, 2008 Citizens checked out the Milwaukee Police Department’s new toys at a town hall meeting Monday night. Police squads and wagons lined up outside of the Washington Park Senior Center, 4420 W. Vliet St., as wide-eyed citizens sat inside them and checked out the new video and audio equipment. A presentation explaining the gadgets followed, headed by the police department and the city’s Commission on Police Community Relations. (photo by Megan Schmidt) A front view and rear view camera automatically activates when an officer turns on the squad’s emergency lights. The camera’s zooming feature allows officers to see a license plate from a block away. Microphones pick up sound to up to 1,000 feet away and are turned on at the officer’s discretion. Footage is available to the public through the open records desk and is provided on either CD or DVD format for 120 days, unless it’s requested for court purposes within the offense’s statute of limitations. The police department started using the technology sparingly in 2004, with only 34 squads equipped by 2007. With the help of a $357, 200 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice awarded this year, 118 police squads and wagons now tote the equipment—or roughly two-thirds of all squads. Police Chief Edward Flynn hopes every squad in the force will outfitted by next year. It’s a tool that helps the department keep a closer eye on officers and offenders. Accountability: “A picture is worth a 1,000 words, but a video is even better,” said Lt. Alan Johnson. “If a guy is fleeing from police and says he didn’t know he was being chased, but we catch him driving recklessly and going on the grass we can show he knew police were behind him.” Lt. Johnson presented real footage, including an 85 mile per hour high speed chase towards West Milwaukee and a traffic stop. One video showed a person detained in the back seat of a squad who pulled out drugs hidden in his waistband and stashed them under a seat—evoking laughter from the crowd. Officers discovered the drugs after the two men were released. In the past, it’s likely neither would be prosecuted because the men would point fingers at each other, Lt. Johnson said. However, the correct man was charged after his bold act was caught on tape. “People in the public defender’s office are also very happy with this because they can find out of a client is lying,” he said. In addition to serving as evidentiary material, the footage allows the department to make training videos for new recruits and helps them to clear up citizen complaints. A 2006 independent study found that the Fire and Police Commission’s process of handling complaints is broken. Cases seldom make it to trial, and often there are no findings of police misconduct. The study found that only eight out of 437 citizen complaints filed between 2000 and 2005 made it to trial. Of the eight cases presented before a judge, two were sustained. “The No. 1 complaint we receive is that an officer was rude during a traffic stop,” said Lt. Johnson. “If we’re hearing negative things about an officer—a younger officer or not—we can review the footage and find out if we need to coach them.” Police bikes and motorcycles aren’t outfitted with the equipment at this time, but the department is experimenting with portable cameras on its recruits in the police academy. “As technology gets smaller and smaller, we’ll be seeing more of this…and we’re getting to that point,” Lt. Johnson said. At the end of each shift, officers view the day’s footage and upload it onto the department’s main system—described as being similar to a computer hard drive. Officers are not able to edit or delete footage. Every officer received one hour and 30 minutes of training and are told to make arrests, search people and conduct sobriety tests within the camera’s field of view if safety permits it. Milwaukee joins ranks of other departments: West Allis, Kenosha, Madison, and Chicago also use the technology. “We already have more cameras inside our cars than the city of Chicago,” said Chief Flynn. In addition to the grant the police department received this year, units were funded with a $100,000 grant from the Milwaukee Commission on Police Community Relations and other grants with origins Lt. Johnson was unaware of Monday night. While the event was about educating the public about tools police use, it was also about strengthening community relations. “This is about making the police department open and accessible to the city. When people only interact with police when something negative happens, it breeds suspicion and distrust,” said Ralph Hollmon, President and CEO of the Milwaukee West Urban League. Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:40:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19642&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19642&mname=Article By Matthew Sliker 10/9/08 Racine, WI- Supporters of both Barack Obama and John McCain disrupted a taping of ABC’s World News Tonight in Racine on Thursday. Charles Gibson and ABC News were in town as part of ABC’s “Great American Battleground Bus Tour,” which began October 2nd in Florida. Gibson anchored the show live from a top floor balcony of the Johnson Building in downtown Racine, without incident. Just hours earlier, however, the taping of a pre-recorded intro to the show was disrupted by the screaming supporters of both presidential candidates. Gibson emerged from the Johnson Building at about 4:00 to pre-record an intro to the show. He attempted two takes before stopping due to the noise coming from the hundreds of people that had congregated along Main Street. At one point, Gibson himself walked about fifty feet and asked the supporters to quiet down so that they could finish taping the intro. The crowd obliged, and the brief taping was completed. About thirty minutes before the show was to go live, police arrived to keep people away from the ABC news vehicles and production equipment. And, presumably, to help keep things quieter for the broadcast. Racine Police Chief Kurt Wahlen told the Racine Journal Times that ABC officials were the ones who called the police department requesting a little help. “They called us initially and were complaining about all the noise, all the screaming, yelling and horns because it was disrupting the show,” he said to that newspaper. “But certainly people have a right to be doing that.” So Wahlen personally asked the crowd “to quiet down and give our community a good look on the show and they all did. It was really wonderful.” Supporters were undisruptive during the 30 minute broadcast. However, as soon as the show was over, they continued. About an hour later, Gibson reemerged from the building, stopping briefly at the police line to sign autographs and pose for a few photographs. He then boarded the ABC News bus, which immediately departed Racine and continued on to the last stop of the “Great American Battleground Bus Tour,” Iowa. Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:35:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19210&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19210&mname=Article By Megan Schmidt mes6@uwm.edu May 30, 2008 Shangping Xu often wonders if the 350 students he lectures to twice a week would be more engaged if his English was sharper. Xu, a China native, is a Princeton-educated associate professor in UW-Milwaukee’s Geosciences department with a keen research interest in water supplies. This year is his second run teaching a Geosciences introductory course to UWM students. But he says many seats in the lecture hall are empty. “I wonder that if I speak perfect English if it will change attendance in class,” he said, sitting in front of a vast collection of books about water supply. He’s tried a couple of steps to soften his language barrier and to get students’ gears rolling, many of which are taking his class to satisfy a science requirement for their non-science majors. He began using a microphone in lectures, which he says takes 10 hours to prepare a one hour lesson. Giving students extra credit for attending class seems to have helped, he said. While he clearly has the science chops, many of his students expressed concerns with his communication skills through end-of-semester student evaluations. “It’s an issue from my perspective, but I think students use it as an excuse,” he said. To some students, Xu’s language barrier may be an annoyance they encounter as they embark on their college careers. Others may not be fazed at all. However, recruiting non-native professors and teaching assistants is corollary to a broader issue that’s intertwined with trends of Americans’ diminished interest in science and technology and hikes in college enrollment. Many of UWM’s students hail from sleepy rural communities with few foreign-born residents. For them, hearing someone that doesn’t talk exactly like their mothers is a shock, according to Eric Key, assistant chair of the math department. “I’ve had people complain about my English because I don’t sound like I’m from central Wisconsin,” Key said, who was born in New Jersey. Changing global landscape: Foreign-born professors and teaching assistants in math, technology and science are becoming increasingly common on campuses across the nation because the global economy is changing. While America is slimly the forerunner in science and engineering, it is slowly being outpaced by growing strength abroad. This will become more apparent as Americans continually nix pursuing careers in the fields. A recent National Academies report noted that China graduated 500,000 engineers and India graduated 200,000 engineers—compared to North America, which graduated 70,000. Key said another reason why foreign-born professors and TAs are recruited is because often American engineers and scientists prefer to work in the industry for plumper paychecks, rather than teach “The U.S. has a severe deficiency in STEM fields. People with technology expertise are not here,” said Eric Key, assistant chair in the math department. STEM is an acronym for Science Technology Engineering, and Math. Language barriers are an issue among professors and TAs, but the university has little choice, Key said. Because UWM’s incoming freshman class size has doubled compared to 15 years ago, the math department is feeling the weight of more students. With the same fraction of students needing to take remedial math courses and intermediate college algebra, a repeat of high school algebra II, the math department is strapped for personnel. A 2002 report on the math placement exam detailed that a large number of students are repeating coursework in math when they walk though UWM’s doors. About 65 percent of incoming freshman test into courses that cover material they should have mastered at or before their junior year of high school. Only 5 percent test as ready for calculus. “If most students met the quality of math, we wouldn’t have teaching assistants that badly speak English,” Key said. Foreign-born TAs, which are graduate students, often instruct intermediate college algebra, which is where most incoming freshmen rank on their placement exams. “When you look at the pool you see more strong foreign graduate students than strong American students,” said Allen Bell, chair of the math department. “It’s not like we are looking outside of the U.S. We look at people who come to us.” Policy: Upon acceptance to the university, math graduate students are guaranteed “support,” which is a job in the department; otherwise the student would likely pick a different school. UWM has no alternative work for graduate students but to conduct two intermediate algebra courses per week, with a $1,000 monthly stipend. The math department has almost no knowledge of the graduate student’s English skills before they are stationed in front of a classroom. Foreign TAs test in English before admittance to the university, but Key acknowledges that this sometimes isn’t an accurate portrayal of their abilities. During graduate student orientation, the students present a 15 minute mock lesson to faculty members and other graduate students. “The quality of English does not have to be very high judging from some of them,” said Key. If a graduate student touts good grades, they are believed they will be effective instructors, Key said. He added that even if someone is difficult to understand, the department will green-light them to teach as long as “they aren’t a complete disaster.” “We could have someone that’s iffy, and put them in the classroom in hopes they will improve,” he said. “What’s worse? Canceling two classes and having 60 students unable to take math at all—or seeing if that person will work out?” In the past 25 years, Key cannot recall any instructor or TA being discharged over poor English skills. Often professors’ and TAs’ English will be shaky in the beginning of the semester, but it improves as the semester progresses, he said. TAs with severe language barriers take English as a second language courses simultaneously as they teach. Sometimes, all it takes is time for students to adjust to professors’ and TAs’ English skills. When Key was an undergraduate, he had a Greek professor and it took him about a week to tune his ear to his accent. “Every time he said ‘mattress’ he meant to say ‘matrix’,” Key said. Though formal complaints about language barriers are rare, Key does hear verbal complaints and finds comments about the instructor’s English skills in end of semester student evaluations. Often times, some students will complain they couldn’t understand their professor at all, while other students will give high remarks about the same professor, he said. “The problem I hear most about is that students are suspicious the teacher doesn’t understand what the students are asking, so their questions aren’t answered,” Key said. Allen Bell, the chair of the math department, said teachers can often compensate for a strong accent by writing clearly on the chalk board. Professorial candidates are evaluated rigorously contrary to teaching assistants. Candidates are judged heavily on their research interests and contributions in their field. Also used to gauge the candidates’ qualifications are recommendation letters and a one hour presentation about their research. Student opinion: Xu and the math department speculate students use the instructor’s language barrier as a scapegoat for a poor grade. They say often times the complaining students have poor attendance records or aren’t hitting the books. Officials compare the student’s grade to the other students in the class before deeming language barriers as a root to their low achievement. Students appear to have mixed feelings about learning from instructors whose first language differs from their native tongue. “I would never want to judge a person or not take a class because of their English skills, but it’s hard as a student,” said Lyndsay Thomas, a freshman from Bradley, Ill. Thomas says last semester she had a professor with a strong accent, but it was tolerable. However, this semester it’s harder coping with a biology TA. Lacking a knack for science, she says the language barrier intensifies her difficulty with the material. “If I don’t understand and I ask questions they seem to get aggravated. I don’t want to come off as rude,” said Thomas. But another student enjoys foreign-born instructors. “I love to hear them talk,” said Bronwyn Tarpey, a junior majoring in international studies and economics. Because Tarpey’s father is in the air force, she grew up in Japan. Though she says a TA she had in the past knew the material, they had difficulty explaining information and answering questions. However, Tarpey thinks some students exaggerate language barriers and that they are capable of accommodating someone with a strong accent. “They haven’t been exposed to people from other countries,” she said. “It’s not entirely their fault, but they should at least try.” Making it work: Just as students are coping with instructors’ language barriers, so are professors, such as Xu, who diligently try to improve their English. However, Xu thinks accents become a problem when they’re focused on. “It doesn’t really matter who is teaching the course,” Xu said. “What matters is to learn as much as you can.” As interest in math, science and technology remains flat, instructors without a mastery of English will continue to be part of the college experience—whether students like it or not. Dealing with language barriers “is a part of growing up,” Key said. Fri, 30 May 2008 14:59:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17888&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17888&mname=Article By Michael Marit May 5, 2008 College football fans at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are faced with a tough dilemma. They are forced to either root for the school’s rival, the Wisconsin Badgers, or they can try to find an out of state team to root for that they have little or no connection with. It looks as if all of the students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee who wish the school would have a Division I football program will have to wait a while, according to UWM Athletic Director, Bud Haidet. “There are no plans to add any new intercollegiate sports at UWM, including football,” Haidet said. If the school would approve getting a Division I football team, the impact on the school and city would have to be worth the money and work put into getting the football team. There are many ways that a D-I football team affects a school. Just look at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Madison is the only university in the state of Wisconsin with a D-I football team and the school receives a lot of attention because of its football team. When schools receive national exposure because they have a D-I football team, the school will likely draw more students to its school. Many people believe that having a football program adds more prestige to a school. “Badger football brings 14,000 students together every game day,” UW-Madison student Mark Mleziva said. “The whole week builds up to game day, and the days after game day everyone talks about the game.” Mleziva said that it would be hard to imagine what campus would be like without a football team, but he did know that “it would be pretty boring.” In order for a university to establish a football program, the school must first have the funding and proper facilities. After the Chancellor, Athletic Director, Athletic Board and other university officials believe the school can maintain a football program, the school submits its request to the NCAA for approval. The NCAA has specific requirements for a school to become a D-I certified school. Some of the requirements include: 15,000 average attendance for all home games, 16 varsity sports, and a few scheduling requirements. UWM would not have much trouble from the NCAA for approval of a football program should the university take the necessary steps to get a football program because the school is already established as a D-I school. The only NCAA requirement that UWM may have a problem achieving with a football team would be averaging 15,000 people in attendance for all home games. The main reason UWM does not have a football program is because of the funding and available facilities. “It would take a huge student commitment and big endowment plus a stadium in close proximity to campus,” Haidet said. “All of which is not possible at this point in time.” Even if UWM would find a way to fund a football program and build a stadium near campus, the Horizon League does not sponsor football. It would be difficult for the school to find another conference to join, especially if they want to be in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Football Bowl Subdivision is a subdivision of Division I football. The Bowl Subdivision, previously known as Division I-A, is the best division with the largest schools. The Championship Subdivision, previously known as Division I-AA, is lesser of the two subdivisions. There are currently three teams from the Horizon League with a football team, all of which are in the Championship Subdivision. Youngstown State plays in the Gateway Football Conference, and Butler and Valparaiso play in the Pioneer League. All three schools combined have about 21,000 students enrolled compared to about 28,000 at UWM. It is likely that if UWM establishes a football team, it would first join the Championship Subdivision, however it could chose to join the Bowl Subdivision. With no plans in the making to add a football program to UWM athletics in the future, students can expect the school to be without football for at least another decade. This means that students of UW-Milwaukee will not be able to experience what true college football is like for a while. If anyone wants a taste of what college football could be like at UWM, they should go to a UWM football club game. The football club was established in 2003 and it has been having a lot of success. Unfortunately only a small amount of students even know the football club exists. The team plays other Wisconsin colleges such as UW-Whitewater, UW-Oshkosh, and Marquette. Milwaukee’s rich history of football seems to be forgotten. UWM used to have a football team competing at the Division I-AA, now known as FCS, level from 1899 until 1974. According to the club’s website, the football team was most successful from 1929 to1949. During this period they were known as the “Green Gulls” and won multiple Wisconsin State Conference football titles. After a series of bad seasons and the increased cost to maintain the team, the football team was disbanded in 1975. The school had no football team for about 28 years until 2003 when the current club was formed. Most players on the team do not care that they get less respect than UW-Madison gets. “Milwaukee Panther Football is about playing football, having fun, and showing school pride on the football field,” Allen Greco, a team captain, said. College football fans should make a point to attend a Milwaukee Panther Football game in the fall to show their school pride. If you are unsure what game to go to, the most popular game is against Marquette. The series between the teams is called the “Brew City Classic” and the winner takes home the Golden Keg. It is a tough game for both teams every year, and usually comes down to the last couple minutes. “We just like to play football and hit people,” Greco said. Mon, 05 May 2008 00:38:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17879&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17879&mname=Article By Maggie Lund Just under one hundred UWM students joined together on Saturday April 21st, to collect as many signatures as they could. Julie Tenpas, an intern at 9 to 5, National Organization of Working Women, helped lead a campaign to get paid sick days in Milwaukee. Saturday was the kick off day, also known as student day. Tenpas says student day was a great way to get students involved in the campaign. "Were trying to get paid sick days for every Milwaukee resident, so we need 30 thousand signatures in 60 days. So to get that were trying to mobilize the students to be part of this." And the students helped out a lot; by collecting over 1500 signatures in one day, the campaign is off to a good start. A new Milwaukee ballot initiative would allow workers to earn a minimum of one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. This would equal out to about 9 days per year. If it doesnt pass by the City Council after 30 thousand signatures are recieved then it will appear on the November ballot and will be left up to the public to decide. "60 days straight, were gonna be going every day getting signatures, were hoping to exceed what we want, get as many as possible so it's undeniable how important this is." Signatures will be collected through June 21st. If you're interested in helping out, contact Julie Tenpas at jmtenpas@uwm.edu or 9 to 5 at 414-274-0920. Thu, 01 May 2008 20:07:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17871&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17871&mname=Article By Megan Schmidt Frontpage Milwaukee news editor mes6@uwm.edu April 20, 2008 Despite its beam once being seen 23 miles over Lake Michigan, the North Point Lighthouse seems to be a secret enveloped in Lake Park’s trees, detached from urban life. “Even people born and raised here have no clue it’s here,” said Kathy Gingrass, a lighthouse volunteer. It’s not surprising the North Point Lighthouse, located just off of Wahl Avenue, has fallen off the radar. While many know about Milwaukee’s beer brewing roots, few know about the city’s maritime history. As one of Milwaukee’s oldest structures, the North Point Lighthouse was a beacon for the generations of fishermen and shipping boats of Milwaukee’s industrial boom that sparked in the mid-1800s. However, in 21st century navigation, global positioning systems are saving ships from being devoured by the Milwaukee shoreline’s jaws. In 1994, the Coast Guard decommissioned the lighthouse. It sat boarded-up until a nonprofit group, the North Point Lighthouse Friends, took interest in rehabbing the tower. Their mission fired off a 10-year battle with area residents and the city. “It was a struggling time,” said Betty Moore, a lighthouse volunteer, who said some residents wanted the 1888 structure bulldozed instead of preserved. Residents didn’t want their upper-class neighborhood bombarded with traffic and noise from lighthouse visitors. In December 2007, the lighthouse opened to the public for tours. Several marine romantics and history buffs took interest in preserving the lighthouse. “Progress is happening so fast that people aren’t stopping to think about where their ancestors came from,” said Ellen Puerzer, a lighthouse volunteer. She is currently writing a book about Milwaukee’s Victorian era buildings designed by Edward Townsend Mix. Ellen and her husband Bernie Puerzer volunteer at the North Point Lighthouse. The couple met in 1967 and are both fascinated with 19th century history. They want to remind people of what came before the advent of hybrid cars and text messaging. “I often feel out of step with modern life,” Ellen Puerzer said, wearing an eggplant button-down shirt with a ruffled collar that is reminiscent of Victorian-era garb. She gestured to the pin on her blouse and explained it is a reproduction of an antique lapel watch. “All Victorian ladies had these,” she said, laughing. Her husband Bernie Puerzer, a retired Allen-Bradley engineering manager, joked: “Ellen has a theory she was reincarnated from someone of the 1880s.” When asked to divulge the reason behind their penchant for lighthouses, their answer was simple: “We just love lighthouses,” said Bernie Puerzer. “Of course when you spend three hours a day running up-and-down the stairs you wonder if that’s such a great idea.” The 74-foot hexagonal tower stands starkly white against the trees Frederick Law Olmstead planted when he designed Lake Park. It is connected to a two-story house, where lighthouse keepers protected seamen while raising their families for 120 years. The tower’s spiral staircase gets narrower by the foot. My knees weakened when I looked down as I trekked to the top. Bernie Puerzer led me up the snaking stairs and often was several steps ahead of me. Round windows lining the tower reveal views of Lake Michigan and one of Milwaukee’s ritziest neighborhoods. Bernie Puerzer, who has trekked across the country with Ellen to tour lighthouses, said most towers are brick, unlike North Point’s cast iron structure, adding, “I don’t think you’ll find that anywhere else.” He said the lighthouse standing today replaced an 1855 tower that was on eroding bluff. He gestured to the point where the tower’s walls begin to yellow about midway up. The park’s trees began to mask the light. Rather than cutting down the trees, in 1912 the tower was elongated by building a 35 foot base. The Puerzers think a keeper’s lifestyle was rustic but alluring. “You wake up and know what you’re doing everyday—some people find that boring, but there’s security in that,” said Bernie Puerzer. Ellen Puerzer agreed. “People have to realize what our ancestors lived like,” she said. “People appreciated what they had.” Bernie Puerzer revealed he is related to one of the former keepers. His great-great uncle, Michael Rotta, maintained the North Point Lighthouse for years until his accidental death in 1953. A wooden platform Rotta stood on collapsed while painting the Breakwater Lighthouse, another Milwaukee beacon he managed. Rotta was the only keeper who died in the line of duty, but another unique thread runs through the lighthouse’s history. Georgia Stebbins was the only woman and longest reigning lighthouse keeper. She kept the globe lit for over 30 years. Stebbins was the daughter of a North Point Lighthouse keeper named D.K. Green. While living in New York with her husband, she contracted tuberculosis. Her doctor told her to return to Milwaukee to escape New York’s pollution. While back on her home turf, she helped her father—who also was suffering from failing health—with the lighthouse duties. Without medication, Stebbins’ respiratory illness cleared up. “It’s that great Wisconsin air, ya know?” said Bernie Puerzer. “Of course that was the 1880s,” he chuckles. After her father died, Stebbins became the sole keeper. She meticulously cleaned the lens and ran up-and-down the tower’s steps every four hours to wind the mechanism that controlled the light, which blinked every 30 seconds. “There have never been any bad wrecks in the vicinity of the lighthouse during the time that she has been there—that is wrecks involving the loss of life.” said an 1894 Milwaukee Sentinel article that paid homage to Stebbins. Written at the 20-year mark of her service, the Milwaukee Sentinel calculated she marched up and down the tower 2,190 times a year. “She took her job very seriously,” said Bernie Puerzer. Preserving the lighthouse and its history came with a cost. The North Point Friends struggled financially to restore the structure, as the city gave them the go-ahead on the project, but no funding. In 2002, restoration began with a $1.23 million grant from the Department of Transportation, which helped return the tower and its keeper’s quarters to its 1800s glory. Empty glass display cases run through the middle of the keeper’s quarters, which is designated for a Great Lakes maritime museum. From the renovation, only a railing and some of the steps were salvaged. The inside is bare of furnishings except for a few lone fold-out tables displaying lighthouse literature. The North Point Lighthouse Friends hopes to spruce-up the keeper’s quarters, but the group’s funds have dwindled. There are pictures featured inside the keeper’s quarters documenting the lighthouse before the renovation. Its walls were crumbling, the linoleum was mangled, and the windows were sealed shut with plywood. It has come a long way. While the lighthouse no longer shines over Lake Michigan to save lives, it pays homage to an era when waterways connected Milwaukee to the world. “It’s a really unique structure,” said Bernie Puerzer. “And the use of this is like a horse and buggy.” Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:04:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17846&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17846&mname=Article