Depression Screening Day, Today, by Mitchell Spoerl

Physical health is a frequent topic of college students; however, mental health, an equally important topic, often goes un-discussed. October 10^th is National Depression Screening Day, and UWL will be offering free screenings at the Counseling & Testing Center between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM for any university students.

Due to the stress of balancing a budget, relationships, school work, and a job all at once, college is a likely place for mental illnesses to begin. According to the National Institute on Mental Health, 75 percent of lifetime cases of mental health conditions begin by age 24.

Because it cannot be physically seen, mental health issues are hard to diagnose by people not qualified, especially if the person suffering doesn’t come forward. Even if a student’s professor or co-worker notices a problem with the individual, it is considered bad etiquette to ask such personal questions.

Implying that a person does not look “okay” might just close them off from the world even further. The social stigma surrounding mental issues is reason enough for college students to avoid the topic. At the risk of being ridiculed or judged by their peers, many people will convince themselves that they don’t need any help.

The best way to get help is to talk to someone about it, whether it be a friend, family member, or a doctor it is important to address the illness as soon as possible. Depression is a very serious and potentially deadly mental disorder. If an individual knows someone who is suffering from depression they must approach the situation carefully. While talking about it is the best route, saying the wrong thing could make things worse. HealthCentral.com says that when talking to someone who is suffering from depression the person should “Acknowledge the depression and don’t trivialize it. Let the individual know that you recognize that their not just lazy or feeling sorry for themself. Give the person permission to feel depressed.”

According to the Center for Disease Control, suicide is the 3^rd leading cause of death on college campuses.

"Responsible Action" Protection Proposed, by Crystal Oravis

State lawmakers are considering a “Responsible Action Law.” This law will allow underage students under the influence of drugs or alcohol to avoid legal punishment when reporting things such as sexual assault, health problems, and other crimes on their behalf or someone else. It is believed that adopting this law state-wide will allow for a decrease in alcohol related deaths among college students.

Many campuses in Wisconsin, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, have already begun honoring this policy. Despite the moral code all college students may believe they have, some avoid reporting emergency situations for fear of being ticketed.

Though students would not be held under legal consequence, colleges  practicing this policy usually require students to complete some sort of drug/alcohol counseling, classes, or assessments. Many colleges  have added consequences  for student  organization leaders, student athletes, and students involved in work study.

According to an article in The Badger Herald, University of Wisconsin-Madison’s school newspaper, ASM Legislative Affairs Chair Dan Statter states most Big Ten universities already have similar laws protecting their students.

An informal survey for this story, at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, showed that almost all of the students surveyed believe that the Responsible Action law is a good idea. Forty percent of students asked claimed to have known of someone falling victim to sexual violence or assault while under the influence of alcohol but neglecting to report it. An even higher 70 percent claimed to have been in a situation where they thought someone may have needed medical attention but did not take action for fear of being ticketed.

Retaining Race-Based Mascots in Wisconsin, by Sofia Beccarelli

A bill being considered today could change the process of schools changing race-based mascots in Wisconsin, affecting Mukwonago High School and others, by forcing strict regulations.

A petition of signatures from people of the school district, above or equal to ten percent of the district student population,  have to be collected 120 days before a complaint, and a burden of proof must be placed on the complaint. A hearing must be held by the Department of Administration’s Division of Hearing Appeals, who has the decision.

Assembly speaker Robin Vos stated “These changes are reasonable and address the concerns brought forth by all parties. It puts the proper mechanism in place for appeals from the community without putting an undue burden on school districts.”

The new regulations would allow a mascot that can be seen as discriminating a particular group to remain as long as less than ten percent of the student population do not object to it.

Barbara Munson, who backed the law that restricts the race-based mascots states, "This particular law is not constitutional and in fact is racist. This law is a form of discrimination."

Some believe that this new legislation will actually allow an opportunity for a partnership between the tribes and the school districts.

Sam Hall, a Mukwonago School District attorney, commended the legislation, stating “This proposal strikes the right balance in protecting the constitutional rights of local taxpayers and preserving local control of schools, while also restating that racial discrimination and harassment have no place in our schools”

A public hearing is scheduled for today.  

 

 

 

New Ramp May Help Winter Parking Problems, by Melissa Koch

The new parking ramp on the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse campus hopes to resolve some past issues with parking spots for commuting students and staff: availability and bad weather.

Commuter student Shelby Jacobson says had no problems finding an open spot during the first two weeks of Fall.  If she ever does have a problem, the university has a solution to offer.  According to Jacobson, if the ramp ever fills completely, students with ramp parking passes can stop into the parking office, within the ramp, and will be given a permit for the other commuter lots for the day.

The ramp’s success plans to continue for the increase of commuters the snow and cold of winter brings. Jacobson suggests that people who need to park on campus choose ramp parking.  “I would encourage more people to look into the parking ramp permit because of many reasons.  First of all it is not a long walk from campus halls.  Second, when winter comes you don’t have to worry about taking time to clean snow and ice off your car.  Third, it’s the same price as a commuter lot space!”

The new structure, finished this summer, provides a sheltered area to leave vehicles.  The ramp has three levels and adds 600 more available parking spaces than last year.  Sheltered levels will not lose spots to plowed piles of snow or inability to see dividing lines for spaces under snow.

A pass for the new parking ramp is the same price as a pass for the university’s other commuter lots.  The first two levels offer parking for visitors, commuter students, faculty, and staff.  The third level is the only level offered to students living on campus.  

Parking passes that could be purchased online were sold to commuter students in the middle of July.  The rest of the permits were sold at the parking office on a first come first serve basis following the first week of class. 

The office is located at 605 17^th St. N.  Students with questions about university parking can visit the Parking & Transportation Services link on the university webpage.

Next Fest, Much Less, by Amanda Wallman

Many students are looking forward to the next Oktoberfest.  Some may not be aware of the significant changes that Oktoberfest will undertake during the 2014 school year.

The festivities will actually decline from nine days to a smaller four days. This change will be accompanied by more robust and energetic activities. The plan is to bring more attention to the North Side fairgrounds by making the festival shorter and still keeping the same amount of activities. Kam-Lin Roswell, president of the Oktoberfest Board of Directors, states, "The Oktoberfest board has shared their thoughts with the fest family groups, and there is strong consensus that this is the right move at the right time.”

Although the event will be shorter, there are still plenty of activities and traditions that will still draw in fest-goers. The Maple Leaf parade will still take place on Saturday as usual, but the organized festivities will end on Sunday.

If people wish to reserve a spot for the Maple Leaf parade next year, they will have to purchase a permit. Each of 55 spots will cost $35, though there will still be some available seating left over for those who do not save their spot via permit. There will be no camping out.

There is still debate on whether the price for Oktoberfest buttons will be changed in 2014 due to the shorter amount of days.

For more information and updates on the issue, check out http://www.oktoberfestusa.com/.

Tales of the "Shutdown," by Ellen Barrett

No, the government shutdown does not entail a real life “The Purge,” and yes, students must still attend scheduled classes, but the recent government shutdown does affect UW-L students and the surrounding community in multiples forms.

On Tuesday, Chancellor Joe Gow stated, “So far, I’m not aware of any effects the Federal Government shutdown has had on our university.” As of Thursday, students have been informed by Gow that UW-L’s Reserves Officers Training Corps Eagle Battalion (ROTC) will be shut down after more than 40 years of involvement at UW-L. The U.S. Army decided to close the program due to insufficient funds likely caused by the sequester and government shutdown, said a ROTC cadet yesterday.

According to a press release from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, “The root of the pending Republican plan to shut down the federal government if they can't defund ObamaCare and allow employers to legally deny women birth control goes back to Paul Ryan’s budget.”

According to David Rogers, the unofficial dean of of the congressional press corps, "He (Paul Ryan) is too smart not to have seen the holes in his budget plan. And once the Senate followed with its own resolution, he failed to follow up by aggressively pursuing a conference with Democrats.”

Paul Ryan commented in a press release on September 30^th, "We have an opportunity to help families in need and help grow the economy. I hope we can find willing partners on the other side of the aisle.”

After countless hours of deliberation between the House and the Senate regarding a spending bill to fund the government, no agreement was reached. As promised by Tea Party Republications, if a provision to defund or derail Obamacare was not added, they would not agree to a spending bill. With no incoming money to the government, a shutdown commenced early Tuesday morning. The new health care law (The Affordable Care Act commonly known as Obamacare) does not have direct connections to the spending bill. The first stages of Obamacare still commenced on October 1^st.

Wisconsin Representative Mark Pocan reacts, “This is a sad day for the American people, and our American democracy. Instead of working together to fulfill our most basic duty—to keep the government running—the extreme Tea Party wing has taken Congress hostage all the way to a government shutdown. Instead of being the world’s greatest example of representative government, we seem to have become the nation’s largest kindergarten—only with control of the nation’s checkbook and nuclear arsenal.”

Wisconsin Congressman Reid Ribble continues, “Whether two days, two weeks or two months from now it is irrational to assume the President is going to sign a law eliminating his hallmark legislative achievement.  The only outcome this yields is additional acrimony, risk to our economy, and escalating but appropriate distrust of government to actually get its work done.  I hope congressional leadership in both chambers and both parties will work expeditiously to resolve this issue and bring this shutdown to a close."

President Obama states in a press release, “We know that the last time Republicans shut down the government in 1996, it hurt our economy.  And unlike 1996, our economy is still recovering from the worst recession in generations.” Other implications include veteran services and benefits that American seniors, veterans, and business owners depend on must be put on hold. Certain government offices, national parks and monuments will also be shut down. Many government/military workers on the job will be furloughed. This means they will be forced to stay home and be unpaid. President Obama did sign legislation to ensure that 1.4 million active-duty military personal will remain paid.

These effects will remain in place until the Senate and the House of Representatives come to an agreement. Until then, families with government paychecks and local businesses which rely on government workers will suffer. Losses such as the ROTC Eagle Battalion to the UW-L campus is but one of many to come which will affect students in the area.