Our university needs to get its priorities straight. Last fall, we learned of Chancellor Wiley's pet project to remake campus in his image. The university will spend hundreds of millions of dollars on it, while continuing to increase tuition and cut programs and staff. With huge state deficits already mounting, the expansion is ridiculous. But it does not even compare to the outrageousness we are now seeing from administrators regarding student safety.
We learned Tuesday that Maurice \Boo"" Wade, the UW basketball player who was accused of almost choking a woman to death, would be allowed to play again after a paltry two-game suspension. The Student-Athlete Policy Appeals Committee apparently does not consider attempted murder allegations to be a serious offense. Besides, they would not want to hurt the basketball team's chances of winning the last few games by benching a starter. If almost killing someone does not warrant expulsion, I don't know what would.
Unfortunately, this is only the latest in a series of slap-on-the-wrist decisions by an Athletic Department that does not take violence seriously. University officials care more about their beloved athletics cash cow than about holding athletes responsible for their actions or protecting members of the community.
To combat athlete violence, players are required to attend training sessions on alcohol, sexual assault and violence. But an hour-long training session is not going to stop the problems. Suspending players for a few games and holding presentations is also not enough. Larger institutional changes are needed.
It gets worse. Some brilliant minds in University Housing decided it was more important to save a few dollars than to keep residents in Ogg Hall safe. Cost-cutting measures include getting rid of staff to monitor visitors at night and employing cameras that do not work. After the sexual assault in Ogg, it should be apparent that these safety measures must be employed.
We need change now. Administrators in athletics and housing have shown they are not willing to make the decisions necessary to keep us safe. All the way up the chain of University officialdom, the people who are supposed to look out for our interests have shown abhorrent negligence in dealing with safety issues. If they continue to drag their heels, we need to get them out for the sake of our well being as students.
