The Spectator

Committee to discuss collective bargaining

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

A faculty committee has been established at UW-Eau Claire to discuss collective bargaining rights for faculty and staff of the university. According to Student Senate minutes from Oct. 29, collective bargaining would create a union for faculty and staff that would allow easier negotiations with the state for pay and benefits.

Cross country still in the race

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The UW-Eau Claire women's cross country team improved its national ranking to No. 3 in the country with a first place finish in Saturday's NCAA Midwest Regional Championship, held in Oshkosh. Last year, the Blugolds also took first out of 39 teams in the regional.

Forensics team successful in tournament competition

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The UW-Eau Claire forensics team placed seven out of 38 schools at the L.E. Norton Invitational at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. during the first weekend in November. Director of Forensics Karen Morris attributes the team's success at the 68th annual Norton tournament to the seniors on the team.

Mock drill simulates hazardous waste spill

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Students from UW-Eau Claire's environmental public health program participated in a mock drill involving hazardous waste on the green area of Davies Center last Tuesday.

Representative Wood faces expulsion

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Wood, who was recently arrested on his fifth charge of driving under the influence, is the first state representative to face an expulsion committee since the inception of Assembly Rule 21 in 1989, and he would be the first expelled since 1917.

Local political groups prepare for gubernatorial elections

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

With the 2010 Wisconsin gubernatorial election less than a year away, political groups on campus have begun speculating about the different campaigns ahead.

Newly unveiled Veterans Center hosts open house

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Student veterans said they hope a play opening tonight will open students' eyes to what veterans overseas are going through. "Letters Home," a play in which actors read through actual letters sent from soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, will show at 7:30 p.m. tonight in Zorn Arena.

National report studies campus sustainability

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The National Wildlife Federation released a report Wednesday highlighting support for the sustainability movement from campuses across the nation, according to the NWF Web site.

Students react to health reform bill

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

After months of debate and fiery town hall meetings, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a health reform bill 220-215 Saturday night. Bob Allen - a spokesman for the American Federation of State, Country and Municipal Employee (AFSCME); an advocacy organization for working families - said a public option has the potential to benefit everyone, not just those without coverage.

Event helps fight hunger in the Chippewa Valley

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

UW-Eau Claire donated almost 3,000 pounds of food during an event, Helping Hands Across America, on Thursday to help fight hunger and assist people in need in the Chippewa Valley area.

Locals react to Fort Hood shooting

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The Nov. 5 shooting has caused mixed reaction in Eau Claire. On Saturday, the Fort Hood Public Affairs Office issued a press release identifying the causalities of the shooting. Thirteen died, 30 were wounded.

Lunar material on loan to university

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

NASA has loaned the Department of Geology samples of lunar material, which will be shown and correlated into a presentation and certain classes. The presentation will be at 8 p.m., Saturday Nov. 21 at Hobbs Observatory at Beaver Creek Reserve. The event is free and open to the public.

Street sweeping causes problems for some student drivers

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Kreiner's car was towed to allow city street sweepers to remove leaves and other debris in the Third Ward. Kreiner said he was never informed the car was towed, or that there was street sweeping. He added there could have been a no parking sign posted, but nothing stood out to him and it had been dark.

Football rides 35-point scoring spree to victory

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The UW-Eau Claire football team finished its regular season on the road Saturday with a strong offensive one-two punch against UW-River Falls.

Men's hockey loses to No. 8 ranked team

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Freshman goalie Brandon Stephenson made his first collegiate start against one of the toughest men's hockey teams in the nation Friday night.

Women's hockey splits two matches against St. Mary's

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

On Friday, the Blugolds traveled to Winona, MN, for the series opener. After falling behind by a goal early in the game, the Blugolds tied the game on junior Kristen Faber's power-play goal - her first of the season - late in the first period. After Faber's goal, neither team scored until late in the third period.

Touchdown on fake punt helps Blugolds to victory

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Eau Claire took a gutsy gamble Saturday afternoon against UW-La Crosse.

Facing a fourth-and-four situation with just minutes left in the game, Eau Claire probably could have punted the ball away and relied on its defense to keep La Crosse from scoring. Instead, the Blugolds - who were up by three points at the time - faked a punt from the Eagles' 45-yard line.

Volleyball falls to Titans, ends season

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The UW-Eau Claire volleyball team traveled to Oshkosh this weekend to compete in the regional portion of the NCAA Championship tournament. The Blugolds earned an at-large bid into the tournament after falling in the championship round of the WIAC tournament the weekend earlier.

Women's basketball prepared for challenging season

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

When the women's basketball team fell to the Illinois Wesleyan in the second round of the NCAA Div. III playoffs last year to end their season, they lost more than just the game. The game was the final one for five seniors, leaving the Blugolds to take on the 2009-10 season with only one senior and two juniors.

Women's hockey splits pair against St. Mary's

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Facing a scheduling oddity, the UW-Eau Claire Blugolds played a pair of games against St. Mary's (Minn.), with each game played in a different state.

Men's rugby team suffers losses, continues to learn

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The Eau Claire men's Rugby team depended on multiple new recruits during their 2009 fall season and finished with a 0-4 record. This year was a transitional year for many of the players, whether they were adjusting to a new sport, new responsibilities or even a new country.

To weather or not

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

As the falling leaves will soon turn to falling snow, it's important for students living off campus to make sure their homes are geared up and weathered appropriately for the harsh Wisconsin winters that we are all too familiar with. Not taking the right steps in weathering a home could result in a frigid semester.

In review: Waltz with Bashir

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

In addition to "Wall-E," the animated movie "Waltz with Bashir" seemed to make the cut on every list released last year. The film is well deserving, as it is slightly more poignant than "Wall-E." Although "Wall-E" may be the better movie overall, "Waltz with Bashir" deals with more adult-oriented issues and really intends to deliver a blow to the viewer.

In review: OK Go at Zorn Arena

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

OK Go played at the Zorn Arena last Thursday night to a moderately excited crowd of a couple thousand.

Increase disproportionate

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

There is a gaping flaw in the Blugold Commitment - one that turns an otherwise great idea into what I believe is a scam. It is the financial aid component. According to the chancellor's office, the Blugold Commitment will increase our tuition $1,500 per year. Of that $1,500, 40 percent will go to financial aid to help students afford the tuition increase.

Lawsuit against UWM valid

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The UW-Milwaukee's student newspaper, The UWM Post, is showing incredible courage for suing the university for its failure to comply with open records requests. The decision, we feel, is a valid way to keep the university honest and ensure the rights of student journalists, not to mention to make sure the entire student body is informed.

Life-consuming powers of Modern Warfare 2

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

With the release of every major game comes the question from nearly every college-aged nerd: "What's more important, feeding my malnourished body or feeding my obsession for this great game?!" And I think we all know the answer to this. I usually just make sure I have the mandatory bag of chips close at hand in case I feel like I'm going to pass out.

Text Messaging Language Is Devolving Society?

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The cell phone has transformed into a technological heroin in today's society. We simply cannot live without them. We're using them 24/7. We go to great lengths to make sure that we have them. We go into withdrawals when we're deprived of them, myself included. I don't know what to do with myself if I forget it when I go to class. I mean, what am I supposed to do? Take notes?

Plan keeps degree valuable

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The Blugold Commitment is an initiative to increase and enhance the high-impact practices we are known for: student-faculty collaborative research, internships, as well as domestic and international learning experiences.

Smoke-free campus no longer necessary

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The Student Senate's decision not to start a task force to make the campus smoke free was a good way to avoid overblowing a trivial issue.

Blugold Commitment dominates Roundtable dialogue

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

In a roundtable focused on the Blugold Commitment proposal, Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich said the decrease of state funding for public education is one reason that the university needs to raise tuition.

TV news not objective

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

With the current state of many news networks, "direct" and "impartial" are no longer an option. A fact that should not be ignored is that the television industry is essentially an oligopoly of five companies.

Hunters anticipate another rough year

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

As the 2009 deer season fast approaches, many hunters are again talking about the major backlash the DNR faced after greatly overestimating deer populations last season. Drastic over-hunting through unnecessarily extended seasons and the infamous Earn-A-Buck program in past years led to a 20 percent decline in the overall kill.

Women's basketball trails in high-scoring season opener

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

In a game that featured offense and revealed gaps in the defense, the UW-Eau Claire women's basketball team came up short in their season opener against St. Benedict (Minn.) 74-67.

Behind the scenes

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

When freshman non-traditional student Jody Anderson graduated from high school she had no idea what direction her life would turn. Over the next two decades of her life she worked as a concert production assistant, allowing her to work with musical artists like Prince, OAR and Guns N' Roses.

Just texting

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

At 1:43 a.m., two officers saw a male walking through the Facilities Management lot. The man stopped behind a parked Cushman in the lot for awhile, and it appeared he was trying to hide.

Phone tag

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

At about 2 a.m., an officer went to meet with a student patroller about a property case. The student said he had found a wallet while walking through the Towers Hall lot.

Idea Challenge encourages new business

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Global Entrepreneurship Week, in partnership with the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation, is asking students and community members to submit ideas for new products or businesses.

Lunar material from Apollo missions on display

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Lunar material from NASA will be on display at the Hobbs Observatory at Beaver Creek Reserve at 8 p.m. on Nov. 21 as part of a presentation entitled "Starts, Dust, and Rockets." The material comes from the Apollo missions, and includes small rock and sediment samples.