THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1969 Volume XLIV, Issue 57
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
www.badgerherald.com
Meriter lays off 50, cites health care law changes Sarah Murphy Herald Contributor
Jen Small The Badger Herald
Stadium Bar owners look to sell the establishment to developers hoping to construct profitable student-aimed apartments in its place.
Stadium Bar faces uncertain future Camille Albert City Hall Editor Plans to put student housing developments in place of the Stadium Bar may be in the works, despite the establishment’s long-standing history as college hot spot for home football games. Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said the owners of the
Stadium Bar are looking to sell it in the near future, a move that may result in a student-targeted housing development on the plot. He added the proposed development would be a good fit in the neighborhood, citing its location near other student apartment buildings and its proximity to the University of Wisconsin. The
city has not yet seen the final proposal from developers, he said. The Opus Group, the developer expressing interest in the proposed development, declined to comment. However, Ald. Sue Ellingson, District 13, said the development is currently set
STADIUM BAR, page 3
In response to the new federal health care law, Meriter Hospital reported Tuesday it would be releasing 50 employees in an effort to rethink health care services. According to a Meriter statement, all health systems are facing significant cuts in federal Medicare and Medicaid. “The new federal health care law, Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act, requires all health systems to think differently about the way health care is provided,” the statement said. The statement added Meriter is working to match employees from the eliminated positions to available positions, and they also will help those left without a place by continuing their pay and benefits for the rest of the year. Mary Reinke, spokesperson for Meriter Health Services, spoke of two different changes
created by PPACA that has required the decision. “We are faced with, like all hospitals in Wisconsin, the cuts on reimbursements for Medicare,” Reinke said. “We are facing $3.6 billion in reimbursement cuts, which provide care to those who need it most.” Reinke also said the other change is that health care reform is requiring providers to be focused on outcomes, adding the hospital is
MERITER, page 4
Committee considers ordinance for homeless Camille Albert City Hall Editor A city committee may be looking to include the homeless population in an ordinance that would protect them from discrimination in
housing, employment and public accommodation. Division Manager for the Equal Opportunities Commission Marcus Miles said commission members are in the studying phase of this idea and still have to
work out many of the details. He added the ultimate goal is to grant the homeless “a more meaningful protection in the city.” “It’s a possibility the
HOMELESS, page 3
MLB commissioner lectures campus on ethics lessons Lauren Tubbs Reporter As a grand kickoff to the University of Wisconsin’s Ethics Week festivities, the commissioner of Major League Baseball presented
UW students with a lecture on ethics and integrity in the workplace. UW alumnus and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig was welcomed to campus in an effort to raise awareness on the value
of ethics in the business world, UW accounting professor Terry Warfield said. “[The ethics student board] coordinates a set of activities throughout the year that help us
achieve our objectives of ethical and professional development,” Warfield said. “Having a UW alum that leads a major organization speak about ethical leadership is a great kickoff to Ethics Week.”
According to Selig, in baseball, as in all businesses, every businessman’s most important value in dealing with situations is integrity. Selig added he puts integrity at the forefront
of every decision he makes as the commissioner of the MLB. He advised those in attendance to do the same, even when that means making tough decisions
MLB, page 2
aSleep at the wheel
Kick the six-hours-or-less habit or pay sleep deprivation’s consequences. by sarah witman Sleep is a natural, everyday and seemingly simple phenomenon. Yet a plethora of environmental factors can prevent people from getting the sleep they need at night. Among college students, researchers are finding some frightening causes and effects of habitual sleep loss. Sarah Van Orman, the executive director of University Health Services at the University of Wisconsin, said she feels that, for many higher education students, college can become “the perfect storm for sleep deprivation.” She cited a recent study by the American College Health Association, which found that about a quarter of college students nationwide
are not getting enough sleep. At UW, that number is slightly higher: more than half of UW students are sleep-deprived to a certain degree. “It’s pretty significant,” Van Orman said about the issue. A UHS survey sent out by email in the spring of 2011 “suggests most students are sleep-deprived at least on some days of the week.” The survey asked students the number of nights per week they got adequate sleep. “Adequate sleep” was determined by whether the student reported feeling well-rested in the
19%
morning, rather than by a set number of hours. Only six percent reported having a positive sleep experience for every day of the week. Other than keeping track of the well-rested feeling, Van Orman said college students should self-monitor their sleeping habits based on how long it usually takes them to fall asleep, a period of time called sleep latency. While it might feel great to hit the pillow and immediately fall asleep after a long day of classes, this is actually a sign of poor sleep health. “[Sleep deprivation] affects everybody differently,” Van Orman said. “When people fall asleep in less than five minutes, that’s
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SLEEP, page 8
16%
10%
16% 9%
6%
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severe. You should normally fall asleep within 15 minutes.” In terms of why students are falling so short of the necessary sleep requirements — a minimum of eight hours for 20-somethings — it is possible to chalk up these deficiencies to two main causes: environmental and selfinflicted sleep prevention. In short, the way students live and their choices are starving them of sleep. Van Orman calls the way people sleep and their habits “sleep hygiene.” While schools from elementary on up often focus on bodily hygiene, some college students are falling short when it comes to understanding and maintaining their own sleep hygiene.
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5
4
3
2
1
6%
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Number of days per week students reported getting adequate sleep and feeling rested. Sigrid Hubertz The Badger Herald Design
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