A Student Association director who was fired is under criminal investigation for allegedly vandalizing an Enterprise van and taking more than 2,000 copies of The Leader.

Enterprise Loss Control Specialist Cory Wesell estimated $1,300 in damage was caused to the van’s steering column and console.

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Students of all genders and sexualities will be coming out of the closet (literally) to celebrate National Coming Out Day on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

During Coming Out Week from Oct. 10 to 14, the UWM Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center will have exhibits and tables stationed in the Union Concourse. The highlight of their display includes a giant closet students can “come out” of and declare themselves gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Straight students can walk through the closet and declare themselves allies.

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Milwaukee residents gathered in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Union to review and discuss the status of the Milwaukee Downtown Transit Connector study and further consider an alternative to the existing transportation system.

The connector study, which began in 2000 and is now in its final stages, is an analysis of potential transit improvements for the city that would provide a desired linkage between housing, jobs, attractions, shopping and educational institutions downtown and in nearby neighborhoods.

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A University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee research program is seeking to provide state- and municipality-owned fleets with vehicles that use alternative fuels.

The Alternative Fuels Research program will save gas and other fuels, and help prevent harmful emissions from entering the earth’s atmosphere. The program also seeks to raise the public’s awareness of vehicles that use alternative fuels.

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Web logging is becoming an increasingly popular trend and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee faculty members are a part of it, typing their ideas and commentary online.

Jessica McBride and Paul Brewer, both faculty members in the department of Journalism and Mass Communications, recently began exploring and expanding their own personal blogs, or online journals intended to reach mass audiences.

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The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998 poses new challenges for institutions like the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a new book examines the legal implications of the legislation on libraries and their user communities.

The DMCA is “not a statute for the faint of heart,” said Tomas Lipinski, co-director of the UWM Center for Information Policy Research. Lipinski’s new book, “The Librarian’s Copyright Liability Handbook,” slated for publication later this year, is “really a complete guide to risk management and copyright liability for schools and libraries,” Lipinski said.

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Domestic violence causes far more pain than the visible bruises and scars. It is devastating to be abused by someone you love and who you think loves you in return. Approximately 3 million incidents of domestic violence are reported each year in the United States.

This October will mark the 24th year of the Domestic Violence Awareness Month by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). The month is designed to connect women’s advocates across the country who are working to end domestic abuse, as well as to educate women about domestic violence and forming healthy relationships.

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Almost everyone remembers something exciting about their high school homecoming, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee plans on creating that very same excitement with PantherFest, UWM’s homecoming celebration.

PantherFest takes place from Oct. 10 to 16 and includes FAN-tastic Friday (formerly Midnight Mayhem) and the Panther Prowl 5K, a traditional powder puff football game, a club football game against Marquette, an alumni art exhibit at the Union Art Gallery, an outdoor movie at Straights Plaza, a concert at the Gasthaus, and more.

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Students who complete the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Honors Program this winter will be the first to garner the national respect of having graduated from an honors college.

A memo sent from the provost office on Sept. 20 to the UW System officially changed the name to the UWM Honors College after it had been the Honors Program for 45 years. The change in name comes almost five months after the Honors Program Committee, comprised of faculty and students, passed a motion in April proposing the switch.

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NetBank, an exclusively online bank headquartered in Atlanta, is concentrating a new market toward college students who don’t have the time or resources to travel to a bank.

The online banking capabilities offer more convenience and rewards than a traditional “bricks and mortar” bank, said Rich Jeffers, a spokesman for NetBank.

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