Shortcuts | Oct. 21, 2010

condensed local news about civic and cultural goings-on

V1 Staff |

ACCUSATIONS OF HATE SPEECH ON WATER STREET
A university group has alleged that a Water Street bar repeatedly used hate speech against Muslims, and may be creating a hostile environment. UWEC’s Student Senate’s Student Life and Diversity Commission wrote a letter to The Pickle in spring after students allegedly heard the phrase “(expletive) the Muslims” shouted by bar management from the DJ booth. It asked that the behavior be addressed with sensitivity training for management and a letter of apology sent to the commission. However the bar’s owner, Jed Hart, insists the comments were against terrorists, not Muslims, and as such has not taken action. Now members of the commission are looking for additional witnesses to violence or hate speech on Water Street to contact them.

COMMENTS ON LGBTQ EVENT SPUR ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
UW-Eau Claire administrators are taking action against a professor who recently wrote an e-mail asking the organizers of Eau Queer Film Festival to reconsider holding the LGBTQ event. The action will not be made public against Tom Hilton, chair of the information systems department, who wrote, “I decry attempts to legitimize (homosexuals’) addictions and compulsions. These, our fellow humans, deserve our best efforts to help them recover their lives. We only hurt them further when we choose to pretend that these walking wounded are OK the way they are, that their present injuries are the best they can hope for in life.” Hilton later apologized for and said he regrets sending the e-mail.


BEAVER CREEK CHARTER SCHOOL SNAGS GRANT FOR VIDEOS
Located at Beaver Creek Preserve in Fall Creek, is Wildlands, a charter school of 42 students in grades 7-12. Recently the Wisconsin Department of Public Instructions awarded Wildlands a dissemination grant, allowing the school to purchase equipment and hire additional consultants to help create educational video tutorials for student, teacher, and general public use. While dissemination grants (that promote widespread exposure) usually provide schools with funds and materials to write and distribute books, Wildlands decided that “going digital” (by posting the videos on YouTube) would be a much more effective and relevant means of. The videos, demonstrating processes and procedures such as canoe safety and soil science, aim to benefit any school or student in the world, while encouraging a self-motivated, self-directed learning style. The grant will also aid in establishing mentor programs and fund fellow charter schools in their first two years of implementation.

FISHERS GOING TO NATIONALS
UW-Stout’s fishing team (yeah, they have one) has advanced to the Central Division Regional Championship on Nov. 4-6 and will be broadcast on cable. Sophomores Ryan Helke and Jeremy Anibas blew the competition out of water in their previous tournament, reeling in six bass (weighing 14.1 pounds) and making the bass-fishing club $10,000 richer. Their advancement to the regional championship will take them to Lake Monroe in Bloomington, Ind and will be televised on Dec. 12 on the cable channel Versus. Winning prizes for this championship include a Ranger 177TR with a 90-horsepower engine decked out in school colors and a hefty cash prize of $25,000.

SACRED HEART ADAPTING PLANS TO NEEDS OF AREA RESIDENTS
Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire is holding an open forum community session to generate ideas and suggestions for improvement. Measures will be implemented into the hospital’s 2016 Strategic Plan. The discussions are open to the public and will be facilitated by family practice physician, Dr. Pamela Wible, known for her community-based approach to medicine. “The plan, Imagining the Future: 2016, will focus on what people truly want within a hospital system and we hope to gather that information during our visioning sessions with the community,” said Steve Ronstrom, CEO of Sacred Heart. The sessions will occur at the Eau Claire Plaza Hotel from 11:30-2pm on Oct. 25, and at the Heyde Center in Chippewa Falls on Oct. 26 at the same times.