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Author: Annabelle Fowler

Wisconsin students to pay $2 to bring Iraqis

The University of Wisconsin is considering a proposal to raise the school's tuition for all students by $2 as part of an initiative to bring a number of Iraqi exchange students to campus. The additional payments, which collectively are expected to total over $80,000, would be earmarked for "air travel, tuition, board and a few expenses," according to The Badger Herald.

The initiative, known as the Iraqi Student Project and sponsored by the University's Campus Antiwar Network (CAN), has drawn criticism for taking advantage of a loophole in the institution's policy against the use of "segregated fees" to offset tuition costs. Instead of characterizing the cost of the program as a segregated fee, CAN's proposal argues for a general tuition increase.

But beyond concerns about the proposal's methods, some have raised larger questions over whether CAN may be unfairly seeking to give Iraqi students an advantage over other internationals.

"A referendum that targets Iraqi students," wrote Herald columnist Gerald Cox on March 4, "without addressing the plight of displaced Sudanese students, or even lower-income students from Wisconsin, certainly begs the question: Who do we fund?"
- The Badger Herald


Penn St. student cleared of car crash charges

Former Pennsylvania State University student Katherine Applegate was exonerated on March 4 of accusations that she struck current 18-year-old University student Michael Drauch with her car while intoxicated, according to The Daily Collegian. Though Applegate still faces a three-day prison sentence for convictions relating to license restriction violations and driving under the influence, the 24-year-old reportedly began crying in relief when the other charges against her were dropped.

Applegate's light sentence prompted Centre County Assistant District Attorney Steve Sloane to claim that "the accident will be 'nothing but a memory [Applegate] will quickly forget,'" according to The Collegian.

Meanwhile, Drauch remains scarred by the December 2006 incident, said Sloane.

"In the whole scheme of things, [Drauch] will walk out with impact for the rest of his life," he said.
- The Daily Collegian


Cell phones allowed in class at Northern Ill.

In the wake of shootings at Northern Illinois University that left five students dead and 16 wounded, some professors at the institution are experimenting with allowing students to keep their cell phones on during class.

The University has no official cell phone policy except to permit instructors to establish and enforce their own policies.

Some suggest that a softer line "might help students feel more secure," according to The Northern Star.

"[It's] a small and easy thing to do," said Communication instructor Jason Akst.

Still, students said that even with the more relaxed classroom policy, they did not feel any safer than before.

"A cell phone will not stop it from happening again," said junior Lisa Fry.
- The Northern Star