A Madison student neighborhood announced its gradual
transition into an independent association to Capitol Neighborhoods, Inc.
Tuesday.

Representatives from the State-Langdon neighborhood and
CNI?s executive committee agreed to form a smaller ad hoc committee to help the
heavily student-populated State-Langdon area move the transition process along.
The time period for the transition has not been determined.

Jessica Pavlic, student chair of the State-Langdon
neighborhood, said she feels that keeping a close connection with CNI is
necessary, but attracting more student involvement with the neighborhood
association ? which Pavlic said was the overall goal ? would be easier if the
State-Langdon area was independent of CNI.

Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, spoke to the committee and
around 20 student representatives as a liaison between the State-Langdon
neighborhood and CNI. According to Judge, several dozen students in the
State-Langdon neighborhood have expressed their anger with CNI?s recent alcohol
crackdown strategies as the reason they feel detached from the association.

?That this alcohol issue has been brought forward has kind
of tainted the students? idea of CNI, so trying to get to more students
involved in the State-Langdon district might be harder if we are associated
with CNI still,? said Mikaela Liushu Louie, a University of Wisconsin student
on the CNI executive committee.

Judge and Pavlic proposed the creation of a neighborhood
organization that would include neighborhoods across the entire campus to bridge
the divide Pavlic said she sees between State-Langdon and the rest of UW?s
campus.

Basset District Chair Peter Ostlind said CNI has been trying
to encourage student involvement over the years and has made progress in the
past year. He said it was a misnomer that increasing beer tax, doubling
citations for underage drinking and other alcohol-related proposals were CNI?s
policies.

?We did not adopt that, whatever you want to call it ? the
said options ? that were put up, and in fact we?ve had one very long debate and
another one here at the executive council on those issues, and a fair number of
us were not comfortable or supportive of many of the items that were in that
list,? Ostlind said.

Pavlic proposed looking to student organizations like
College Democrats, College Republicans and Associated Students of Madison for
direction on how to establish a neighborhood organization with longevity. She
said ASM would be a great place for a student organization to fit.

Pavlic is the first undergraduate student to sit on the CNI
executive committee in years, according to City Council President Mike Verveer,
District 4.

?It would really be a tremendous loss to us as an
organization if the student voice leaves,? Verveer said. ?I do not in any way,
shape or form blame (Jessica) or Eli or anybody else for thinking [the
State-Langdon] association would be better (independent) in the long run. I do
think that we should work on some sort of transition.?

CNI Vice President Bob Holloway closed the discussion with
assuring the room that CNI wants to make Madison a ?rich place for all of us to
live, work and play.?

?We can do this together if we reach out with an open hand
as opposed to a pointed finger,? he said.