The Committee on Student Organizations, who facilitated the decision, released a comprehensive report May 23 that outlined the incident and subsequent investigation proceedings. According to the report, the fraternity received a full suspension for two semesters that will limit DU’s capabilities to function as a student organization.

DU also received further structured suspension spanning from 2013’s fall semester to the spring of 2014. Throughout the suspension, DU’s leaders will be required to attend personal meetings with the Center for Leadership and Involvement to “discuss the organization’s progress and prospects,” the report said.

The investigation followed a complaint filed March 20, in which two females walking across the property of Delta Upsilon Fraternity alleged they were the subjected to racial and class-oriented slurs.

The complaint also reported a glass bottle was thrown in the direction of the women, though neither was injured.

According to CSO’s decision report, the investigation focused primarily on the events that took place, whether the DU members in question represented the house as a whole and what responsibility DU should bear as an organization.

After much deliberation, the report said the committee found that the alleged “hurtful phrases” were not of a racial nature but rather carried a socioeconomic overtone.

“The terms ‘peasant,’ ‘rich,’ as well as the repeated use of ‘one-percent,’ suggest to us that these comments were social class-oriented rather than racially-motivated,” the report said.

CSO found the bottle allegedly thrown at the individuals to be a serious danger to health and safety and in violation of code.

According to the report, the committee was also persuaded that during the course of the altercation, the DU members involved acted in representation of the organization.

A statement released by the DU House Corporation, which has been working closely with the chapter president throughout the investigation, said that although it found the situation to be disappointing, “it is not indicative of all the young men in the House.”

The statement also said the incident is out of line with the DU mission, as cultural insensitivity is not tolerated within the fraternity.

CSO also addressed the influence of alcohol on the incident in its report.

“Our interactions with DU in the past year suggest to us an organization of fundamentally good men that often lack sound judgment when alcohol is involved,” the report said. “We do not believe that DU’s culture is one of racial intolerance, but rather it is one in which good judgment seems frequently absent in some of its members’ behaviors.”

The incident occurred twenty-two days after DU was removed from alcohol probation for an underage drinking violation, the report said.

Assistant Dean and Director for the Center for Leadership and Involvement Eric Kneuve, as well as CSO chair James Luo, declined all requests for further comment.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the incident occurred outside of Segredo and Johnny-O’s. He said the victims, a 26-year-old female, an 18-year-old male, and a 23-year-old male were treated for injuries and released from the hospital on Saturday. 

None of the victims are University of Wisconsin students, although all are from Madison, according to the MPD report. 

Verveer said MPD is investigating the possibility of a fourth victim due to a trail of blood leading away from the crime scene. He added that the incident was dangerous and should be taken seriously.

“I think it’s only by sheer luck that nobody was more seriously injured or killed as a result of this outrageous violence,” Verveer said.

According to the MPD report, the motive for the shooting is unknown at this time. The suspect is described as a black male between the ages of 20 and 25 and about 6 feet tall, the report said. 

Verveer said police have been studying footage from security cameras in the area to look for suspects. He added that MPD has heard several names of possible suspects, but do not have cause to arrest anyone yet.

Verveer said it has become very common and problematic for large groups of people to loiter in the area of the shooting. He said many of the people who gather outside the bars are the ones that engage in violence and other disturbances.

Dean of Students Lori Berquam said she was shocked to hear about the incident. She said it is concerning for the safety of students and the community, but that it will be safer once the potential suspect is detained.

“I’m grateful it’s an isolated incident,” Berquam said. “We need to be more careful and aware of what we do and how we do it, and how we keep ourselves safe.”

Associate Dean of Students Kevin Helmkamp said although Madison has experienced a spike in violence over recent years, the nature of the crime is unusual on campus.

He added that the randomness of the incident is most concerning from a university perspective, and that UW is putting educational efforts in place to make students aware of the crime.

“I think the violence of this event, firing a weapon into a group of people, is quite shocking for the Madison area and especially campus,” Helmkamp said. “We haven’t seen that before.”

Berquam added that there are not any “magic answers” for how students should protect themselves in the downtown area because the incident was such a random act of violence.

Verveer said the investigation is in its preliminary stage with many unanswered questions, but that students should continue to be even more vigilant than they already are when they are downtown at night.

Helmkamp also said there will be increased staff from the UW Police Department and MPD on campus until the police know more about the motives and nature of the incident.

“Clearly, the nature is such that the university will view this as having a direct effect on the student population,” Helmkamp said. “Being aware of your surroundings and making good decisions is the best you can do.”

Berquam said counselors at University Health Services are willing provide help to students who witnessed the incident or were impacted in any way.

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, cyber and electronic security consultant Dennis Hall, Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, D-Madison, and local attorney Matt Silverman all took part in the forum hosted by UW’s chapters of The Young Progressives and College Democrats. They are running for the seat currently held by Rep. Tammy Baldwin, who is running for the Senate. 

All four candidates found fault with what Hall called a “broken” Congress. Pocan attributed his candidacy to the current “politically perilous time.”

The candidates also said they see a direct correlation between the “broken” political system and the special interest financing that backs congressional campaigns.

Roys highlighted what she found wrong with today’s political system anecdotally with her experiences warding off lobbyists in the Legislature.

“The tremendous influence of corporate interests in our political system, not just on the lobbying side but in funding elections, gives them all that power,” Roys said. “The compromising spirit and the unwillingness to stay on principle and fight even when it is tough are putting special interest above the public interest. Lobbyists shouldn’t dictate our public policy.”

Although all four of the candidates hold similar positions and claim the same political leanings, each candidate rested on their own “unique” past experiences.

Roys said she was the first candidate to refuse all endorsements and financial backing from corporate political action committees. She also complimented two of the three others on the panel for following suit.

According to Silverman, on average congressional members spend two to three hours a day raising the $1.4 million needed to run their political campaigns. Silverman, who will also not be accepting private money, said time could be better spent on other things.

Silverman, admitting he was the only candidate who does not have any political experience, said he bases his campaign strategy on his military background.

“Serving in the army, you have to balance two things,” Silverman said. “One, you cannot fail, and the second is that you have to take care of the men and women under your charge. That duality is very similar to what it means to be a congressman. You have a responsibility to your nation and a responsibility to your district.”

According to Hall, his experience as a Vietnam veteran has also had an influence on his desire to legislate.

The forum also briefly addressed environmental issues, and Pocan said he has received an endorsement from environmental nonprofit Clean Wisconsin.

Roys said since she voted against a bill that would streamline the process for attaining a mining permit in the Legislature, she supports a clean environmental policy in her fight against polluters.

Silverman also mentioned the influence his military background has had on his views on energy.

“I had the privilege to fight a war on oil, and I don’t want to do it again,” Silverman said.

However, Silverman said the economy and health care were not touched upon throughout the debate. Students were encouraged to speak with the candidates during a short meet and greet after the forum.

Despite the candidates’ beliefs and statements throughout the forum that a Democrat will win the seat, Republican Chad Lee and Independent Joe Kopsick are also running for the position.

The Democratic primary elections for the second congressional district seat will take place Aug. 14.

The Student Services Finance Committee listened to two representatives from on-campus student organizations looking to be funded by the committee, one being Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group. 

Matt Kozlowski, the outgoing chair of WISPIRG, spoke on the relevance of the group and its mission. 

“WISPIRG is a statewide directed group, and it is our mission to fight issues dealing with public interest,” Kozlowski said. 

Kozlowski said one project the organization is working on is protecting Madison’s lakes because raw sewage and manure are being dumped into them. 

He reminded the body the group is currently struggling with its budget and it needs its professional staff.

“We are struggling with budget and with no budget; we don’t have a professional staff. WISPIRG will not be able to last then,” Kozlowski said. 

A member of Greater University Tutoring Service also spoke to members of SSFC. Co-Director Elu Tu requested funding go toward promotional products to hand out to the upcoming freshman class during Student Orientation, Advising and Registration this summer. 

Such promotional products include pens, which Tu promised will say “Funded in part by ASM,” as required. 

SSFC Rep. Ron Crandall also spoke about the idea of SSFC information and documents going completely online in future sessions to promote transparency. 

“We need a complete revamp and to go online. This way we will have better accountability with GSSF [General Student Services Fund] groups and be able to see student card transactions, et cetera,” Crandall said. 

In addition, Rep. David Vines volunteered to be a representative on the Student Transportation Board in the fall. 

After the body approved some forms to be used for interactions with student organizations looking to be funded, SSFC chair Ellie Bruecker told the rest of the committee it will likely meet Monday and Thursday nights this fall. 

Upcoming SSFC meetings will be held June 6, July 20 and Aug. 23 at 6:30 p.m. in Memorial Union, Bruecker said.

Tyson is a science communicator who was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2007 and is now slotted to host the reboot of the late Carl Sagan’s television series “Cosmos.”

Sprinkling his speech with humor, Tyson addressed the importance of bringing science and technology innovation back into the forefront of society.

“If you are not fluent as a culture in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, you might as well go back to living in a cave,” he said.

In his lecture, Tyson advocated the idea that the U.S. is not moving forward as fast as it was several decades ago. He said in the 1960s, the idea of “tomorrow” was a fundamental concept, one that is lacking now.

The driving force behind his rhetoric was his enthusiasm for space exploration and his emphasis on its influence on all facets of society.

Tyson explained how going to the moon influenced and motivated the students, novelists, poets, journalists, television and film producers and politicians of the era.

He also said the economy in the U.S. has “flatlined” as time has gone on. With this in mind, he said science and technology are the agents of tomorrow’s economy.

“In the 1960s, no companies were overseas. That’s because we were innovating. By making innovative products that no one can figure out how to make, that’s how you keep jobs,” Tyson said.

When the space program ended, Tyson said, many Americans were feeling nostalgic. He said this feeling occurred because nothing of similar caliber was following it, and when there is nothing to keep society going or moving forward, there is always the threat of reverting backward.

University of Wisconsin senior Ryan Alt, who attended the lecture, agreed with this idea. He said many in today’s society take today for granted, overlooking the possibilities of the future.

Tyson said this could come with consequences.

“If we are not careful, this decade could turn into the decade of anniversaries of things that happened in the '60s,” he said before pausing his lecture to send the quip to his followers on Twitter. 

UW freshman and lecture attendee Tapan Sharma said he attended because he wanted to hear more about the place of science in society and said he was impressed with Tyson’s fervor.

“The level of commitment [Tyson] has to creating a better future through science is overall inspirational,” he said.

Tyson said he would love nothing more than to see the U.S. continue the innovation that made it a world leader in the 20th century by investing in a program that would send people to Mars.

He concluded with a final statement on a need for change to impact the future.

“We need to do something different tomorrow than [we] are doing today; that’s the foundation of discovery,” he said.

Soglin argued the roughly $150,000 spent on the block party each year in police forces and street cleanup could be used to fund summer programs for students in disenfranchised neighborhoods.

“The city supports it now, and we’ve put over $2 million into area neighborhood centers, but we’ve got entire neighborhoods wanting for summer recreation programs for elementary and middle school kids,” Soglin said.

He said with the money spent on the Mifflin Street Block Party, at least 500 children could be put into three-week summer programs.

Soglin said his administration has always placed a high priority on summer programs and afterschool programming for children. He said this kind of programming makes a long-term commitment to their success and the success of the community.

“With this kind of program, … we will significantly reduce poverty,” Soglin said. “An individual who finishes two years of post-high school education crosses a line and becomes a contributor to society rather than a receiver.”

In addition to student programs to combat a continuing cycle of poverty in the long run, Soglin discussed the types of programs that exist currently for Madison’s poor and homeless.

He said existing programs involving Dane County, the state of Wisconsin, the city of Madison and non-profits provide shelter and substance abuse treatment.

“If individuals choose not to avail themselves of those programs, that’s their choice, but we don’t have to let them set the rules,” Soglin said. “They can’t set their own rules, which means public intoxication, use of drugs and assault.”

Ald. Lisa Subeck, District 1, said Soglin’s reaction to the denial of the 800 Block site permit extension for Occupy Madison was "vehement" about how Madison handles homelessness.

Subeck referenced Soglin’s “lifeboat” analogy, in which Soglin implied “those in the water” need to be let go for “those in the boat.”

She said the closing of the Occupy Madison site was not a budgetary issue for the city and extending the permit would have cost the city very little if anything.

“The reality is if someone on that site needed an ambulance, they probably would have needed it sleeping on State Street or in one of our parks," Subeck said. 

However, Soglin said he disagreed the site was not a financial burden to the city. He said it did take money to keep the site going and supply inhabitants with what they needed. Additionally, he said the site was unsafe and crime rates on the 800 Block rose exponentially while the site existed.

He cited instances of transporting individuals for drug overdoses, sexual and domestic abuse, theft and unsanitary conditions as some of the problems the city faced when dealing with the site.

Moving forward in combating poverty, Soglin said seven areas must be addressed in order to create a strong community and a strong city: transportation, housing, education, job training, quality childcare, education and health.

“You do not solve the problem of poverty in a community by focusing on a specific relief program,” Soglin said. “The specific programs have to be part of an overall system that leads to change; that is the radical solution.”

And, from time to time, these stories tore at the hearts of the editors behind the desks. The hours that were poured into each story at times required us to reaffirm our prerogatives as objective beacons of news. Other times we had to shrug off the frustration of a story that refused to just go away already or a piece that needed an extended word count to allow a nuanced story to be fully realized.

Yet, as another semester comes to a close, we think it is only fair to reflect back on the people who made these stories possible and who defined the direction for the news section this semester. Some of them forced the news family to groan, grunt or roll our eyes, in our four semesters at the news team. But we’ve grown to a state of being in which we cannot help but smile when those familiar numbers pop up on our phones. Although neither of us will be leading the news team into the deep blue abyss that is next semester, we could not miss the chance to expound of some of the strange and controversial figures that will always hold a strange and somewhat embarrassing soft spot in our heart.

For our last article as official members of the news team, we’d like to share our top six campus characters — the people who have shaped the news section this semester.

Mayor Paul Soglin 

Madison Mayor Paul Soglin has never been timid about getting his two cents in on just about any city issue.

Often adversely outspoken about issues students hold close, Soglin has managed to stir up a whole lot of mixed feelings among the student body and the Madison community.

Serving as a prominent voice against the Mifflin Street Block Party, the mayor’s face made its way to popular party t-shirts sporting his head in neon colors with a note reading “Sorry for Partying.”

Soglin urged students to take an active role in planning the event and vowed it was time for the 43-year-old annual party to end once and for all. Still, he eased up after this year’s event drew a smaller crowd that was overall better behaved. He has not offered up a firm stance on the future of the party.

The mayor also received grief from campus students after pushing a nuisance party ordinance that makes it easier for police officers to target house parties, but imposes greater risks on students caught hosting parties that are deemed to cause a public nuisance.

Members of the student government went head-to-head with Soglin and his team of city officials, arguing the legislation was an attack on students because of high fines and broad language.

Soglin eventually pushed the ordinance through City Council and officers cited the legislation while breaking up parties at the Mifflin Street Block Party.

The mayor’s most recent term in office — he’s currently in his third stint as mayor — was initially met with an anonymous “Soglin the Grouch” Twitter feed, which has since died as his name has fallen further out of headlines.

University of Wisconsin Dean Lori Berquam

Don’t go. Don’t go. Just don’t go.

Despite all the good work Berquam has brought to the University of Wisconsin campus, these are the words that could define her legacy.

Although previously a partially behind-the-scenes campus figure, there is not a student on campus — possibly not a student in the Midwest — who does not know who Berquam is today.

After her video debut advising students to “don’t go” to the Mifflin Street Block Party went viral, campus newspapers throughout the Midwest reported on the video that was, well, to put it mildly, unpopular.

Within hours of the video making its way through the student body, “don’t go” remixes swarmed Facebook and Twitter feeds, depicting Berquam’s message along with Mike Posern’s hip hop song “Please Don’t Go.”

While her video certainly had good intentions, it arguably only reinforced the community’s drive to attend the notorious event. Students donned party gear reading “Dean says don’t go, we say #YOLO,” in reference to a popular Twitter hashtag.

UW took down the original video several hours after it debuted, and Berquam issued an official statement saying the video might not have been in the best taste, but reminding students she had their best interest in mind and wanted them to have a safe Mifflin.

She’s still encouraging smart people to avoid doing stupid things.

Graeme Zielinski

The spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin has arguably brought more character to our pages than any other source.

He is the living, breathing epitome of a political spokesperson. He hates Chicago sports teams, and his Twitter feed suggests abhorrence toward good old-fashioned fun.

Still, if there’s a political bandit on which we should keep a social media eye, it’s this guy. His followers are treated on a daily basis with magical glimpses into the ludicrousness Zielinski puts forward.

And, while some of his commentary is best suited off the pages, News Island has been sure to keep a running log of all its favorite Graeme quotes.

Throughout this semester, and certainly for semesters to come, Zielinski will remain a source favorite — after all, he really is the source equivalent of a teddy-graeme.

Scott Resnick

It has been a busy semester for campus-area Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8. Whether he was nabbing headlines for facilitating campus safety forums or engaging students in a community-wide conversation on the planning for the future of the Mifflin Street Block Party, Resnick was everywhere.

In serving as a representative for a predominantly student district, Resnick pushed to create additional lighting in campus neighborhoods that saw a rash of crimes, including on Spring Street and Frances Street. He voiced his opinions on changes to student bus routes. He was involved in efforts to mobilize student voters amid ever-shifting voter ID law provisions.

In a recent campus safety forum hosted by the Madison Police Department and city officials, Resnick expressed the need to execute large-scale changes in order to make the campus area safer for all.

“It takes more than just students locking their doors to create a safe community, and that’s what we’re striving toward,” he said at the forum.

His involvement in student issues even earned him the honor of being featured as the “Alder-Man” meme — a superhero saving Madison’s downtown area from certain destruction — on The Badger Herald’s opinion page. He lauded a Startup Weekend for Madison’s up-and-comers in business to convene and actually kept up with maintaining a city blog (and Twitter feed!) throughout the semester to keep his constituents in the loop with important city policy decisions.

With all of the fanfare, we have one question: Resnick for Congress?

MultiCultural Student Coalition

This semester’s Student Services Finance Committee deliberations over eligibility and later funding for the MultiCultural Student Coalition were wrought with frustration and open hostility as the months-long saga played out.

The trouble began with a missed deadline to file a waiver for budgets exceeding $250,000 and continued to snowball downhill, culminating in several protests hosted by the group and two unsuccessful appeals before the Student Judiciary. In meetings, MCSC staff and SSFC representatives griped over conflicting math about the breakdown for the organization’s direct services provided to students and whether the types of activities unique to the group’s mission fit the bylaws’ definition of a direct service.

With the issue at deadlock, MCSC sent a lengthy last appeal to Chancellor David Ward after the cycle’s budgets had been submitted for final approval. Highlights of the letter included decrying the process employed by the SSFC chair, SJ chief justice and University of Wisconsin professional staff as discriminatory and unfair, just for starters.

“Perhaps there is a relationship between the racist student government genocide against student of color organizations and the empowerment seized by the perpetrators of white racist hate,” the letter read.

Members also posited a lack of funding would cause hate crimes to skyrocket and made ample use of the word “corruption” to characterize the decision.

Ward sent the decision back to Student Council for a final decision, helping fuel the uncertainty on policy and allegations of biased decision-making that have typically plagued the body.

As the semester draws to a close with the funding dispute still unsettled, MCSC and SSFC will likely have to duke it out in the fall.

At least we will have front-row seats to the big show.

Allie Gardner

It was not a good semester to be chair of the Associated Students of Madison, and Allie Gardner was often at the heart of the controversial shitstorm.

Gardner took heat for getting arrested, along with other elected student representatives, at a United States Student Association protest on student loan debt outside lending firm Sallie Mae in Washington, D.C., March 26.

The Herald reported United Council of UW Students funded Gardner’s travel, but ASM Chief of Staff David Gardner, Rep. Libby Wick-Bander, SSFC Rep. Tia Nowack and Rep. Max Love received funding from the internal budget, which is directly funded through students’ segregated university fees. At least students did not pick up the tab for posting bail.

Another snafu during Gardner’s tenure was her vote to break the tie in Student Council’s eligibility hearing for MCSC, even though she had previously protested SSFC decisions alongside members of the group. Critics cried foul, but MCSC got eligibility (for the time being).

While it remains unclear what Gardner’s legacy will be from her tenure as chair, ASM certainly tested readers’ patience with debates mired in obscure policy and by endlessly crossing accepted protocol for civility in their meetings this semester.

It is a tough job for any student to do, but we were left with nothing to do beside use words like “embattled” and “tense” in our meeting story ledes and watch the Student Activities Center burn.

After the Wisconsin State Journal obtained an open records request regarding the matter, it found the inclination of council members to use a variety of communication tools during meetings was very high. 

According to Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, there is no law pertaining to the use of such messages. Regardless, City Council members are not allowed to delete messages.

“The primary law that could apply would be the open meetings law,” City Attorney Michael May said. “And that would depend on there being a quorum of the membership of the council in a discussion that was not noticed by the public.”

This particular law said material brought up in City Council meetings needs to be made public 24 hours in advance except under certain circumstances, according to Ald. Lisa Subeck, Disrict 1. Notice is typically given to the public further in advance than a day ahead of council meetings.

If the public had been notified of the meeting and members were communicating electronically during the session, it is unclear how the court would rule, May said.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said he is against council members electronically communicating about current meetings at hand.

“If it does not violate the letter of the open meetings law, it violates the spirit of the open meetings law,” Verveer said.

However, Verveer said the law is outdated due to today’s technology.

The main concern is not to violate the open meetings law and for the City Council to be as open to the public as possible, May said.

After receiving a year's worth of messages, the  Wisconsin State Journal was unable to find any violations, Subeck said, leading her to believe there “probably isn’t a problem.”

City Council members, according to Subeck, not only receive training pertaining to the open meetings law but are also very conscientious to follow the measure.

“I’m not sure text messages are any different from conversations in this context,” Subeck said. “You can create a quorum that violates the open meetings law with enough people [having] conversations with each other — called a walking quorum.”

A walking quorum is defined as council members having city-related conversations with one another in small groups, Subeck said.

Resnick also said he is not a proponent of City Council members sending text messages to other alders during meetings or using social media.

“I do believe that as a duty of an alder, we’re here to work towards our constituency and also pay attention during meetings,” Resnick said.

Verveer said he also seldom brings a laptop to the meetings.

Resnick said he avoids text messaging in general during the meetings, especially to individuals who may have anything to do with the current meeting agenda.

“I can certainly speak for myself, but I think I can say pretty safely for my colleagues as well that overall people are very conscientious and very aware of quorums,” Subeck said.

At the meeting Thursday evening, MPD representatives recalled moments of this year’s Mifflin Block Party, saying it was not safe.

“It was just a very unsafe, dangerous, ridiculous event,” MPD Officer Christine Hill said.

Hill said although she did not know of any injuries at the event, she does not think the situation went better than last year in terms of how difficult it was to control the crowds and the large amount of underage drinking. This year, there were nearly 400 arrests, compared to 171 last year.

She added that aside from the main block party, there were also a number of pre-parties or parties on other streets such as Langdon.

“We have been totally engulfed in everything Mifflin in the past two months, and that’s pretty much what we have worked on,” she said. “It was a one-day event, and it took nearly all of our resources.”

Scott Kolar, an association member, said one large difference he noticed between this year and last was there were nearly as many police officers as there were partiers in the morning. Hill said many partiers started to come out in the afternoon.

Hill added while the police were trying to control the crowds, many students were not listening and needed repeated warnings. She said the police managed to "take down" a few partiers.

“We set up a perimeter so that we could see what was happening,” she said. “And kids started chanting.”

During the meeting, members of the association started to question whether more news coverage on the harmful effects of the party could raise students’ awareness. Larry Warman, chair of the association, said students would not believe the content and would go anyway.

Hill said most party hosts or partiers went with good intentions, believing the party would not get out of control. However, she said as the party went on, individuals’ behavior became unpredictable.

She said this year she had residents coming up to the police and asking them to help clear out partiers whom they did not know.

“They just couldn’t control the mass,” Hill said. “They don’t get it in their minds how difficult it is to control the crowds. It was a very long and hard day for us.” 

Mary Kolar, a member of the association, said some business owners were frustrated because their operations were affected. There were also pictures of arrests taken by reporters in front of their stores.

Indy Stluka, a Mifflin Street resident, said some of his friends went to the block party, and they appreciated the cooperation between residents and police.

“Overall, [students] liked that it was a little bit more low-key with attendance number and their backyards weren’t completely demolished,” he said. “Police also helped them to escort some people out that they didn’t want to be there.”

He added he was happy to know there were no reported assaults against policemen that day.

The Badger Herald: How do you feel about the voter ID bill? And do you think changes to the law should be addressed by the Legislature or the court system?

Mahlon Mitchell: I think we’re at the point now where the courts have to take care of it. And it’s obviously detrimental to people voting. It’s the same when in the 1960s we had the John Birch society that were trying to suppress the vote. We have the same thing happening right now with the Koch Brothers and the like. So we’ve got to get rid of that bill — no doubt.

BH: How would you work with a potentially conservative Legislature to accomplish your goals?

MM: You’ve got to talk with people at a level that we often talk at and that’s that level of compromise. Right now, we’re seeing no compromise with Gov. [Scott] Walker and his agenda. He’s basically saying his way or no way. And that’s a problem. We’ve got to actually compromise as Republicans, Democrats, moderates, no matter where you’re from. We’ve got to come together as Wisconsin and do what’s best for the state.

BH: As part of the 2011-2013 biennial budget, the University of Wisconsin System received major cuts in funding. Would you support putting more money into the system, and what do you think the system should do to address these cuts?

MM: The UW System lost $250 million in June. And then in the next round of cuts, they lost another $32.1 million. That’s a problem. You can’t say education is affordable. We need to put our money into education. We have an untrained workforce and instead of giving more money to education, we’re taking money away. So, you’ve got to definitely look at the way we fund the UW System and get back to taking care of what the government’s supposed to do, and that is education, take care of jobs and also talk about poverty.

BH: How did you get involved in politics?

MM: I really stepped up to plate last year when everything was happening at the rallies. Many people have got to speak out. We don’t get anything done unless we speak out and, more importantly, unless we vote. We have the vote.

The Associated Press reported that former Milwaukee municipal judge and private attorney David Halbrooks received immunity in the probe after requesting it from authorities investigating Walker staff members who allegedly worked on his campaign while in the county office.

The investigation has led to the charges against five people who worked under Walker or were associated with his office. One has pleaded guilty to the charges.

Common Cause in Wisconsin Executive Director Jay Heck said he was surprised to see Halbrooks was involved in the case. Heck described Halbrooks as a “Democrat pitbull” and a partisan chair of the State Elections Board, which used to run state elections before the creation of the Government Accountability Board.

“This shows the investigation is very much alive,” Heck said.

He added Halbrooks may have been appointed to the election board by former Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala, D-Madison, who served jail time after he used his office staff to further his own political campaign.

Heck also said Walker’s legal defense fund suggests he is either a subject of the investigation or facing criminal changes, since these are the only conditions under which a person can form a legal defense fund under state law.

Erik Kirkstein, political director for United Wisconsin, one of the groups that led the effort to collect signatures to trigger Walker’s recall, said in an email to The Badger Herald Wisconsinites “are ready for some answers.”

“The silence from Scott Walker is deafening,” Kirkstein said. “Wisconsinites have no tolerance for corruption, and there is no doubt that voters will have this John Doe investigation on their minds come the June 5 election.”

Walker’s campaign did not return requests for comment.

University of Wisconsin political science professor Donald Downs, who is also an advisor to the board of directors of The Badger Herald, said the implications of the probe will most likely not be good for the Walker administration. However, he said people have raised concerns the probe may be politically motivated.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

The year started off with a concerted effort by city officials, police and students from the Associated Students of Madison coming together to discuss what changes were needed to be made to the Mifflin Street Block Party to ensure less violence and more control at this year’s event.

Some suggested changes which were used in previous years to fix the party, like having a sponsor for the event. Others suggested entirely new ideas, including charging money to go to the event. The idea of moving the block party to another venue was also brought up.

Ultimately, the main rules for the block party included having no open containers on the street, strict no-trespassing laws for properties on Mifflin Street and open streets in which attendees were not allowed to loiter.

While many, including police and city officials, lauded the day for its lack of violent crimes compared to last year’s two stabbings and multiple sexual assaults, some were less pleased with the stricter outcome.

Some students and those from out of town complained the new policies for the party were too severe, some calling it the “worst Mifflin” they had ever experienced.

However, other students embraced the new rules. Many said the option of signing up their houses for parties helped maintain control and safety.

Going forward, the Mifflin Street Block Party’s future seems uncertain, but there is hope that with continued collaboration a solution can be reached.

Battery

Two men got into an altercation about the lyrics to a rap song while participating in a free-style rap battle on North Broom Street early Sunday morning, according to a Madison Police Department report.

MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain said one man thought the other was insulting him.

“One guy was not happy with some of the words the other guy was using,” he said. “He thought [the other man] used some disparaging words.”

The conflict eventually turned into a six-person fight as two friends of each entered the argument. One of the rappers was knocked unconscious and treated at an area hospital, the report said.

WEST DAYTON STREET

Prowler

A 21-year-old woman called police last week after an unknown man began whispering to her through her open bedroom window, according to an MPD report.

The victim told officers the man was making inappropriate remarks and moaning. She quickly left the room and called police.

DeSpain said while he is unsure whether or not the victim was a student, incidences of “peeping toms” or prowlers do occasionally occur downtown.

He said that he tries to get the word out as soon as possible to warn neighbors and added that incidents like these are sometimes seen in off-campus housing.

WEST MIFFLIN STREET

Battery

A 25-year-old victim was left unconscious after being punched and knocked to the ground Saturday night. As he fell, he hit his head on the pavement, causing a wound that later required stitches, an MPD report said.

According to the report, the victim was arguing with another man on the street.

DeSpain said the victim was “involved with the Mifflin Street Block Party.”

“We see this quite a bit when people have been drinking — they fall over and hit their head and are knocked out,” he said.

He added, however, that this incident was the only significant violent incident that took place on Mifflin Street.

“We had lots of batteries downtown after Mifflin, but we see that lots of weekends,” he said.

DeSpain said the victim was treated and released.

WEST GORHAM STREET

ROBBERY

A 20-year-old University of Wisconsin student was sitting on the steps of his apartment building and texting early Sunday morning when he was approached by an unknown man, according to an MPD report.

The man pushed the student and stole his iPhone. He has yet to be apprehended.

EAST JOHNSON STREET

Robbery

A 42-year-old Madison man was alone in his East Johnson Street residence when three suspects broke in through the back door, an MPD report said.

One of the suspects used a handheld electronic device on the victim, while another of the suspects held a handgun during the break-in.

According to the report, the suspects demanded that the victim give them money and also stole his wallet.

Suspects have not yet been located, but the investigation is ongoing.

According to a Rasmussen statewide telephone survey, 50 percent of Wisconsin’s likely voters would vote for Walker and 45 percent would vote for Barrett in a recall election. Additionally, the survey said two percent of the state’s likely voters prefer a different candidate, while another two percent remain undecided. Rasmussen is a conservative polling organization. 

The survey of 500 likely Wisconsin voters was conducted Wednesday and Thursday, the report said. Rasmussen also said the poll had a margin of error of 4.5 percent.

The polling differs with results from a Marquette Law School poll released prior to this week’s primary elections. The Marquette Law School poll results showed Walker leading Barrett 48 to 47 percent among likely voters, while Barrett led Walker 47 to 46 percent among all registered voters. Both of these results fall within the margin of error.

Still, the results showing a dip in support for Barrett may not indicate a substantial change in favorability toward him, University of Wisconsin political science professor John Coleman said in an email to The Badger Herald. He said the polling may just reflect the closeness of the race.

“Polls operate within margins of error of a few points, so someone moving up or down a couple points across various polls is no surprise,” Coleman said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the next poll that came out had Gov. Walker ahead by five points, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it had the race tied.”

Coleman also said he does not see any direct correlation between Barrett’s recent win as the Democratic candidate for Wisconsin’s upcoming recall election and his lower favorability in the Rasmussen poll results.

UW political science professor Barry Burden said in an email to The Badger Herald variation in results between the newly-released Rasmussen poll and the Marquette Law School poll probably has little statistical difference.

However, he said the two surveys used different interviewing methods, with the Marquette Law School poll using live interviews and the Rasmussen poll relying on recorded voices to conduct the interviews. This may have an effect on who responded to the survey, Burden said.

“Averaging these and other surveys, it seems safest to conclude that Walker has a slight lead,” Burden said.

Regardless of poll results, Walker and his campaign team are “confident … voters will reaffirm the decision they made a year ago,” Walker’s spokesperson Tom Evenson said in an email to The Badger Herald.

The Barrett campaign did not return a request for comment.

Of the publicly available polls since January, Walker has been ahead in four and Barrett in three, with a gap between the candidates ranging from one to six points, Coleman said.

“This points to the value of not treating any one poll as the definitive story,” Coleman said. “It’s better to look for patterns.”

The Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group voted to grant the UW Police Department accreditation Monday, which comes after UWPD was granted advanced law enforcement accreditation from another commission in March of last year, according to a UWPD statement.

UWPD Sgt. Aaron Chapin said this award is important for the department.

“Basically it shows consistency in policy and procedure, a level of professionalism and meeting of standards that a department has to display in order to win that award,” he said. “It is important from the standpoint of having standard procedures that are agreed upon by professionals throughout different lines of work.”

Chapin said in law enforcement, it is important to have consistent standards and make sure to demonstrate proficiency that meets set guidelines of practices.

According to the statement, accreditation programs like the WILEAG one are voluntary, and the UWPD is one of three agencies in Wisconsin with this specific accreditation.

The award will last for three years, Chapin said. He added the police department needs to prove compliance with the standards of the accreditation through items such as reports, community comments and other evidence. 

He said this evidence needs to show the department is still upholding the guidelines and meeting standards.

Chapin added that the process leading up to gaining the award was significant and took about three years. He said this involved a review process as well as having outside observers come in to compare the department to known standards.

According to the statement, the primary mission of WILEAG is to “offer a voluntary and affordable method of achieving professionalism through the accreditation of law enforcement agencies and to assist those agencies to better serve their communities.”

Chapin said having state accreditation is also indicative of meeting higher standards.

“On the national level and international level it shows compliance with standard practices as well,” he said.

The first report released in January found John Chadima, who resigned Jan. 6, sexually assaulted a male student Athletic Department employee at a party during the Badgers’ trip to the Rose Bowl.

Documents obtained by The Badger Herald also indicate Chadima sent texts to an individual the night of the party, threatening to have the individual fired.

A second report claimed Chadima drove a former UW football player. When he said the student could spend the night, the student reported he locked himself in the bathroom until Chadima passed out.

The second report said Chadima groped a third individual at a party held when the football team was at a bowl game, with multiple instances of inappropriate conduct also occurring when he worked at Camp Randall Stadium.

According to a statement released by Chadima’s lawyer, Chadima has struggled to handle the anonymous allegations and has sought help through counseling, stress management and faith-based guidance.

UW received $100,000 for the investigation, which was chaired by former Dane County District Attorney Patrick Fiedler. The investigations also resulted in a review of UW alcohol policies.

Two of the most important advances in the investigation came in January when authorities arrested former Deputy Chief of Staff Kelly Rindfleisch and former employee Darlene Wink. 

Rindfleisch was charged with four felony counts of misconduct in public office and allegedly spent time in office working on campaign fundraising for lieutenant governor candidate Brett Davis. She pleaded not guilty in March to all four charges. 

Wink was charged with two counts of intentional political solicitation for working on fundraising activity while in a county building. She entered a guilty plea in February on both counts. 

Earlier in January, the DA’s office also charged three other former Walker associates with crimes, two for embezzlement and one for child enticement. 

The probe took an additional turn when Walker opened a legal defense fund in March to help pay for the legal expenses surrounding the investigation to pay for the expenses incurred in cooperating with the investigation. 

The most recent campaign reports show Walker transferred $60,000 to his legal defense fund before last week's primary. The money transferred to the defense fund was part of the $231,439 Walker spent on legal fees over the period, which ended April 23. 

Throughout the semester, Walker has said his campaign and office have cooperated with information requests from Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, who is leading the investigation.

Joint Finance Committee Co-Chairs Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, and Rep. Robin Vos, R-Burlington, sent a letter to Barrett Thursday asking for the specifics of his plan to balance the state’s budget, fund public education and provide medical care for the poor.

The letter includes a number of provisions in Walker’s budget, including a $1.2 billion investment in Medicaid and education reforms that “have helped save more than a billion dollars for taxpayers.”

The legislators asked Barrett what he would do differently and to provide specific details.

“Walker has made tough choices and has been open to criticism from Mayor Barrett,” Vos said in a conference call with the media. “It’s time now in the campaign, with less than four weeks to go, to say how they want the next two years to be spent.”

Vos said Barrett has only provided details on his wind energy and clean jobs reforms. He said while this is a sector of Wisconsin’s economy, it is only a small section of the larger budget picture.

When asked if he thought Walker’s campaign provided similar details on his budget plans when running in 2010, Vos said Walker was clear in his last campaign about his budget intentions and plans for collective bargaining when asked about them.

Walker’s campaign also released a statement Thursday calling on Barrett to respond to the letter and explain what he would have done to balance a $3.6 billion budget deficit.

“It's been about 41 days since Barrett started campaigning, and yet he hasn’t offered his plans for education or health care funding,” Walker’s campaign spokesperson Ciara Matthews said in the conference call. “We, along with Rep. Vos and Sen. Darling, are asking Barrett to come clean with specifics to Wisconsin’s budget.”

Barrett’s campaign released a statement Thursday calling the letter a “transparent stunt to duck” accountability on Walker’s own budget. The statement also said Walker chose to balance the budget by raising taxes on senior citizens and making “the deepest cuts in education in state history.”

Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Graeme Zielinski said Walker did not answer similar budget questions when running against Barrett in the 2010 election.

“He didn’t answer any questions on the budget or a jobs plan," Zielinski said. "He answers very few questions from the press. He didn’t talk about collective bargaining and education funding.”

While Barrett’s campaign website stresses the importance of creating jobs, protecting the environment and reinvesting in education, it does not include a detailed budget plan or any scheduled intentions to release one.

Barrett has previously vowed to call a special session to restore collective bargaining rights of public employee union workers. However, Barrett has declined requests from unions to promise to veto any budget that does not restore these rights.

The two candidates will have a chance to debate the budget and the collective bargaining reforms at the two scheduled statewide televised debates May 25 and May 31.

On Tuesday, the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination came to an end when Barrett won the Democratic gubernatorial primary, defeating former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk; Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma, and Secretary of State Doug La Follette. President of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin Mahlon Mitchell received the nomination for lieutenant governor.

The race for the nomination started Jan. 18, when Falk announced her plans to run in the race, a day after petition signature collectors turned in almost one million signatures to the Government Accountability Board to trigger the recall. Throughout the next few months, Falk was joined by Vinehout and La Follette.

On March 30, GAB ordered recall elections for Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and four state senators including Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau. Barrett joined the race the day the elections were certified.

Throughout the months leading up to the election, money has poured into the candidates' campaigns. More than $42 million was spent by campaigns before the primary, and estimates for the amount of money spent on the election round off anywhere from $60 to $80 million, doubling the previous campaign spending record in 2010.

Barrett ran against Walker in 2010 for governor and lost.