Government Week brings political leaders to campus

September 24, 2004

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Student Government (WSG) will present a line-up of officials from state, national and international levels for Government Week, Oct. 4-7, an event open to the public and campus community. A highlight of the week will be a speaker from the department of public information for the United Nations.

Originally only a one day event, Government Week expanded four years ago to a whole week designed to bring political and social leaders to the university and the Whitewater community. Normally a spring affair at UW-Whitewater, WSG decided to hold a second event this year because of the upcoming presidential elections.

Expected to be one of the biggest draws at government week, Ramu Damodaran, the chief of civil society section of the department of public information for the United Nations, will close the event on Oct. 7. Located in the Hamilton Center at 3 p.m., Damodaran will speak on the role of the United Nations in the world, the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq.

Representatives from the New Voters Project, a grassroots youth voter mobilization campaign, will be attending the Government Week events to help register voters. The New Voters Project, designed to support similar operations like MTV’s Choose or Loose campaign, and the recording industry’s Rock the Vote, encourages 18 to 24-year-olds to vote. New Voters Project, a non-partisan voter registration operation, hopes to register at least 265,000 people across six selected states and contact 750,000 people to ask them to vote this November.

Events and presenters include:

MONDAY, OCT. 4

• 11:30 a.m., Walker Wyman Mall: Music in the Mall kick-off event for Government Week. Food will be provided.
• 1 p.m., South Commons: State Legislative Panel, featuring assistant minority leader for the state house John Richards, state representatives Debi Towns, R-Janesville; David Ward, R-Fort Atkinson; Steve Nass, R-Whitewater and state Sen. Neal Kedzie, R-La Grange. The topic will be “How the UW System effects the state economy.”
• 4 p.m., North Commons: Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice Ann Bradley. The topic will be, “An Inside View of the Wisconsin Supreme Court: Yesterday and Today,” with a question and answer period to follow.
• 7 p.m., South Commons: Student Government meeting focusing on tuition increases and busing people to the polls.

TUESDAY, OCT. 5

• 3 p.m., (place): Executive assistant for the Wisconsin department of commerce, Aaron Oliver, to discuss the Gov. Jim Doyle’s “Grow Wisconsin” Plan and the department of commerce; Executive assistant for the Wisconsin department of workforce development, JoAnne Richard will discuss careers in government and the department of workforce development.
• 6:30 p.m., South Commons: 43rd District State Representative Debate, featuring incumbent Debi Towns, R-Janesville versus challenger Matt McIntyre, D-Edgerton.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 6

• 12 p.m., Warhawk Lounge: College Republicans and College Democrats debate on upcoming elections.
• 3 p.m., North Commons: Deputy regional representative from the U.S. department of education, Allen Fore, will deliver an address on the Higher Education Act, DREAM Act and “No Child Left Behind.”

THURSDAY, OCT. 7

• 3 p.m., Hamilton Center: Chief of civil society section of the department of public information for the United Nations, Ramu Damodaran, will cover the topics of the United Nation’s role in the world, the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq.

For more information, contact Steve Anderson, legislative affairs director for WSG, at (262) 472-1166, steveandersonjr@yahoo.com.