The Leader

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On April 1, with no joking intended, the UWM Union officially became smoke-free. The 8th Note coffeehouse now regularly leaves their doors open, the Gasthaus is a happy place filled with unicorns and puppies, and the people that wander off the street can finally sleep soundly on the couches of second floor lounge without getting that stale smoke smell on their clothes.

On Sunday, April 2, WMSE hosted the fourth annual chili contest-now called the "Rockabilly Chili" contest. Over 30 restaurants, bars, and other enthusiasts packed the Harbor Lights Room of the Miller Park Pavilion to share their visions. East Side grocery/deli cult favorite Koppa's won Best Meat Chili while Riverwest Co-op scored Best Vegan Chili. I, myself had 12 old-fashion glass-sized bowls and can attest that Koppa's truly brought the heat and texture more than any other bowl of love. I can also say that I needed some alone time the rest of the afternoon. Many participants and chili-tasters voiced their desire to be back in Lakefront Brewery next year as the venue was not the right environment and became very crowded by the mid-way point. Also, $4.50 for a Sprecher root beer? I think that preying on people with fire coming out of their mouth for profit is naughty.

On April 3, Bristol-Myers licensed an anti-anxiety drug compound developed by UWM chemistry professor James Cook. The announcement was made by Gov. James Doyle at a press conference on campus March 28. It was unclear at press time whether or not the product will made available in vending machines located throughout campus, or where students could score some of the stuff. Some sources recommend chewing on some valerian root and getting a good night's sleep.

On April 6, select students lobbied for a name change from UW-Milwaukee to Wisconsin State University (see elsewhere in this issue for details) in order to distinguish UWM from UW-Madison, which commonly is referred to as "Wisconsin" in Big Ten circles. Mainly at issue? The hyphen, apparently.

Meanwhile, Playboy magazine has named UW-Madison top party school in their upcoming May issue (again, see elsewhere this issue). Ironically, no amount of grants, awards, or sidewalk chalk writing may sway Regents that are too busy judging naked coed keg stand contests at another university.

UWM also recently announced plans to conduct an expensive 'beautification' project at various campus locations and to step up litter-cleaning efforts. There was no word at press time as to when the Downer Woods landfill would be moved, or who was hired to yell at kids to stay off the lawn.

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