Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - The Daily Cardinal

Page 1

Letters to the Editor: “Abortion protestors have valid argument” “Palin the polar opposite of feminist” OPINION

University of Wisconsin-Madison

l

PAGE 4

THE MADISON HOUSING GUIDE Your guide to successful post-dorm living at UW-Madison

Complete campus coverage since 1892

l

dailycardinal.com

INSIDE

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Gas prices fall below $3 at some Madison pumps By Rachel Holzman

Samantha Gold sophomore UW-Madison

line. “Another key part of this is that Madison gets gasoline from the Chicago pipeline, which is more expensive because of the high demand in that area,” Kamholz said. “While Madison gets their gas from the Chicago pipeline, the rest of the state typically gets their gas from the Minnesota borders which tends to be less expensive.” UW-Madison sophomore Samantha Gold said she is going to take advantage of the lower gas prices immediately. “I feel a lot better about the lower gas prices and feel less guilty about making my parents pay for gasoline,” Gold said. “Now, I feel better about lending my car to my friends and think that I may get a job because it won’t cost me as much money to drive myself there.”

Madison’s current average price for a gallon of gasoline is still higher than the rest of the state of Wisconsin. According to AAA spokesperson Larry Kamholz, Madison’s current average is $3.16 a gallon, whereas the Milwaukee area is $2.99 a gallon, and Green Bay’s average is $3.05 a gallon. Kamholz said Madison’s average price is higher than the rest of the state because of several factors. “The Milwaukee/Waukesha area gets completely different gas than we get because of the EPA regulations that are in effect in that area due to all of the smog and pollution,” Kamholz said. The higher gas prices in Madison can also be attributed to the source of the gasoline pipe-

UW-Madison junior Eli Ross fills up his vehicle’s gas tank at the BP station at 318 S. Park St., where regular unleaded gas was $2.99 per gallon Tuesday.

THE DAILY CARDINAL

Gas prices finally fell below $3 per gallon in the Madison area Tuesday, with the price of regular, unleaded gasoline at the campusarea BP on Park Street and Vilas Avenue at $2.99 per gallon. According to madisongasprices. com, at least seven other stations in Madison reported prices of $2.99 or less Tuesday morning. However, there are stations with prices listed over $3 per gallon, including two in the city with prices of $3.49 per gallon. LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who made a historic visit to Madison in 2004 that attracted 80,000 people, returns to Madison to campaign for Barack Obama in front of the state Capitol Tuesday.

Kerry encourages early voting at Obama rally By Megan Orear

accountable,” Kerry said. THE DAILY CARDINAL He encouraged spectators to vote Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., early in order to avoid long lines spoke at a rally on the Capitol on Election Day, to clear up any steps Tuesday, urging supporters of confusion that could arise over voter Democratic presidential candidate registration information and to have Barack Obama to vote early. the opportunity to work on getting After the rally, Kerry led the everyone else to vote. crowd in a march to the Dane Kerry criticized Republican County Clerk’s office to cast early presidential candidate John McCain absentee votes in person. for his policies on health care and Kerry said the real way to create the Iraq War, saying McCain does change is for citizens to turn their not understand going into Iraq was frustrations about what is going on a mistake. into votes. U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D“More often than not, the real Wis., spoke before Kerry and said change comes from people across though the outcome for Obama this country who hold Washington and other Democratic candidates looks promising in Wisconsin, high voter participation is still very important. “In the past two presidential elections, our state was decided by less than 1 percent of the vote. Everyone has the opportunity to play a decisive role LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL in this election,” Kerry signs autographs for students before Baldwin said. leading them to the Clerk’s Office to vote early. Several members of UW-Madison

College Republicans attended the rally, holding campaign signs for McCain and chanting “John McCain” in the midst of the other spectators’ cheers for Obama. Sara Mikolajczak, chair of the College Republicans, said the group just wanted to make their presence known at the event. “We want everyone to know that just because we live in Madison, we’re not voting for Barack Obama,” Mikolajczak said, adding she believes McCain’s policies are “a lot better than anything Sen. Obama has to offer.” Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, said he was happy the College Republicans showed up to voice their opinion because taking part in democracy is one of the best parts of this country. “But I think as you can see the majority of this crowd is excited for change, and really excited to see Barack Obama as the next president of the United States,” Judge added. UW-Madison sophomore Ben Meyer said the student participation on campus is encouraging. “This is my first time being on campus for a presidential election, and from what I’ve seen in the primary, I was really encouraged to see how many students got out to vote,” Meyer said.

Man arrested for slapping police horse on State Street Madison police arrested a Janesville man after he allegedly slapped the rear end of a police horse patrolling the bar crowd on State Street early Sunday. According to a police report, a group of five men approached three police officers as they sat atop their horses at the intersection of Lake Street and State

Street. The men asked if they could pet the horses, and the police gave them permission to do so. Police said that after petting the horses, one of the men, 27-year-old Jordan R. Vance of Janesville, slapped one horse very hard on its backside. On a scale of 1 to 10, the officer described the

hit as a 10 that caused the horse to leap forward, nearly forcing the officer from his seat. The officer said community members could be endangered by such a sudden movement. Vance immediately apologized and police arrested him on tentative charges of battery to a police animal.

“I feel a lot better about the lower gas prices and feel less guilty about making my parents pay for gasoline.”

KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Poll shows Obama’s lead in Wisconsin continues to grow By Jessica Feld THE DAILY CARDINAL

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has a 17-point lead over Republican presidential candidate John McCain in Wisconsin, according to a survey released Tuesday. Quinnipiac University, in conjunction with the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, surveyed likely voters in the four battleground states of Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. According to the poll, Obama has over 50 percent of the vote in all four states and for the first time leads or ties McCain among white and male voters. The poll reveals Wisconsin

voters believe the economy is the biggest issue and 53 percent say Obama understands it better. Conversely, the poll reported Wisconsin voters consider McCain more competent in foreign policy by 57 percent. Obama made his largest gain in Wisconsin after the debate last week, moving from a lead of 8 points pre-debate to 17 points post-debate, according to the study. According to Clay Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, Wisconsin represents one of the few key states where Obama holds a substantial lead among blue collar, obama page 3

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”


page two 2

l

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892

(608) 262-8000 l fax (608) 262-8100

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Alex Morrell Managing Editor Jamie McMahon News Editor Amanda Hoffstrom Campus Editor Erin Banco City Editor Abby Sears State Editor Megan Orear Opinion Editors Jon Spike Mark Thompson Arts Editors Emma Condon Ryan Hebel Sports Editors Ben Breiner Crystal Crowns Features Editor Sarah Nance Food Editor Marly Schuman Science Editor Bill Andrews Photo Editors Kyle Bursaw Lorenzo Zemella Graphics Editors Meg Anderson Matt Riley Copy Chiefs Jillian Levy Gabe Ubatuba Jake Victor Copy Editors Danny Marchewka Kevin Slane, Todd Stevens

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Babu Gounder Assistant Business Manager Alex Kusters Advertising Manager Sheila Phillips Eric Harris, Dan Hawk Web Directors Account Executives Katie Brown Natalie Kemp, Tom Shield Marketing Director Andrew Gilbertson Assistant Marketing Director Perris Aufmuth Archivist Erin Schmidtke The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than 200 words, including contact information. Letters may be sent to letters@dailycardinal.com.

Editorial Board Nate Carey Dave Heller Jillian Levy Jamie McMahon Alex Morrell Jon Spike Mark Thompson Hannah Young l

THURSDAY: sunny hi 55º / lo 34º dailycardinal.com/pagetwo

Time to make peace with environmentalists

Volume 118, Issue 32

2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497

TODAY: rain hi 54º / lo 39º

ASHLEY SPENCER back that ash up

W

hen it comes to global issues, I know what’s important, where I stand and if it matters to key men I’m interested in, but I won’t actually get involved. That requires a personal sense of responsibility that I just don’t have. You won’t find me protesting immigration policy clutching a messenger bag decorated with pins. And being that I am a cheap-ass, I will definitely not be giving anyone a donation—whether it’s for a noble cause, such as saving the rainforest, or for something outrageous like fighting the war against hot air ballooning. It’s not that I don’t like immigrants (they’re a delight to make out with) and the rainforest, well, it’s always been good to me but its impending extinction isn’t something I think about daily, like shaving my armpits. When considering my peers, I never felt my civic inaction was abnormal. But I recently came into contact with one young man who made me

wonder which of us was weirder—the one who cared or the one who was too cool to? I was rushing on my lunch break, scrambling down State Street. I usually succeed at ignoring anyone begging for money or cigarettes, but this day brought no such luck. “What’s your favorite animal?” a guy wearing a Greenpeace T-shirt asked me, holding a pamphlet with a polar bear on a melting glacier. I tried to keep walking, but smiled wearily to let the hairy John Lennonesque guy know that while I empathized with his cause and felt bad that he was wearing Tevas, I was hungry for some meat and needed to be left alone. I thought this look was universal and that he’d let me be. “Come on. Which animal is it? Do you like tigers?” he stepped into my path. “No. Dogs.” I walked more slowly. “What about wild animals?” “No. Scary.” “Wouldn’t it scare you if the world didn’t have any animals?” “Well...” “Let me tell you about Greenpeace, and how we’re going to save animals and the world. You know our environment is under attack, right?”

I nodded. Why? Still not sure. “The threats of global warming, destruction of forests and hot air ballooning loom. If we don’t act soon, we‘ll lose everything we love, including your dogs.” I feigned shock with a theatrical dropped jaw and hands on my face à la “Home Alone.” “But you can help. We need people to come together. Last month we had 500,000 people rallying lawmakers to stop global warming. Tell me, do you care?” At this point, I could’ve said no. But that wasn’t entirely the truth. I sort of cared, or at least wanted to care about something bigger than myself. Besides, underneath this guy’s Jesus-ish mane and patchouli stench, I could tell he had a real fiery passion in his eyes, something I’ve only noticed in myself after snagging the last piece of Mac ’N Cheese from Ian’s at 3:00 a.m. Greeny cared enough about something to actually do something. I imagined him going around the country doing all those Greenpeacy things—living in teepees, not wearing deodorant and wearing organic underwear, all while protesting, debating environmental policy and

$

$

plotting the death of certain EPA members. And that was something I could relate to. “Yeah. I guess I do.” “You can help the world by filling out this form and giving us a credit card number. Every month, we’ll charge a mere $20 and send you a monthly newsletter to let you know about our progress.” I filled out the form. Greeny stopped playing salesman and we discussed our majors, the upcoming election and which types he occasionally allowed himself to miss. I handed him the filled-out form and saw how genuinely happy he was, and I soaked in his smile. For a second, I felt good as I walked away. I then walked to the bookstore and bought my first-ever political pin from that weird button dude: Irish for O’bama. I felt like a new person with a new world perspective and political idealism. Then, after one block, I called MasterCard, told them I lost my card and cancelled it. With that, I Greenpeaced out. If you think Ashley stereotypes people, especially vegetarians, you’re right, so e-mail her about something else at aaspencer@wisc.edu.

$ wants to give you $

$

$

$

$1000 for $ 1000 words.$ It’s pretty simple. Write an essay of no more than 1000 words. We’ll judge all the entrants and determine the winner. You win, we’ll give you $1000 and publish your essay in the paper. (Note: 1,000 words is a maximum, you may certainly write less.) Topic: Getting our generation to vote. Analyze the problems and offer a solution to engage our generation and get them to the polls. Who: Any UW undergraduate or graduate student can submit one (1) essay.

l

l

l

Submissions due TODAY by 11 p.m.

Board of Directors Vince Filak Babu Gounder Nik Hawkins Dave Heller Janet Larson Chris Long Alex Morrell Sheila Phillips Benjamin Sayre Jenny Sereno Terry Shelton Jeff Smoller Jason Stein l

l

l

l

l

Send submissions or inquiries to edit@dailycardinal.com

l

© 2008, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398

For the record Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an e-mail to edit@dailycardinal.com.

Sponsored by UW alum and retired national AP columnist Steve Wilstein


dailycardinal.com/news

UW libraries to join new digital archiving database collaboration Melanie Teachout THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison Libraries will soon become part of HathiTrust archive service, a new digital repository collaboration among research libraries, the Committee on Institutional Cooperation announced Monday. The CIC, which consists of all Big Ten schools and the University of Chicago, will partner with 11 university libraries from the University of California system to share digital resources. According to Peter Gorman, dean of UW-Madison Libraries, HathiTrust will be implemented into the MadCat Library Catalog in the upcoming weeks. “It is going to be able to preserve print collections for future generations. For a long time books that have become acidic and brittle

are now going to have a new life,” said Kimberly Armstrong, assistant director for the CIC Center for Library Initiatives. The CIC anticipates the new archive system will benefit students and others who need to access information quickly and efficiently. “The collections of these libraries will be more widely available,” Armstrong said. “The world will be able to view these things without having to come to the library.” CIC Director Barbara McFadden Allen said the search results will be more specific than general search engines. “We think there are ways we can provide access to the data that are going to be more specific to research than Google would be offering on the open Internet,” she said.

According to Irene Zimmerman, UW-Madison’s project manager for the Google Book Search initiative, said the efficiency of the repository is made possible by the sharing of resources between libraries. “Rather than each library having to create its own repository for their copies we thought that it would be safer if we did it as a combined effort to have all of our files stored at one site,” Zimmerman said. The main goal of HathiTrust is to ensure the security of books held in the library and on search engines like Google. “We have a real interest of making sure that that content remains accessible to users for years to come if Google decides at some point in the future that its not in their interest to provide the service,” Gorman said.

SSFC and Student Council candidates fight for spot to create change in ASM fall elections

AMBER FARRELL FRESHMAN

AXEL HERNANDEZ FRESHMAN

BETH HOESLY FRESHMAN

MAX FRIES FRESHMAN

GRAYSON BUTLER FRESHMAN

MAYA YASIN SOPHOMORE

By Grace Kim THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Associated Students of Madison and university officials are encouraging UW-Madison students to participate in the 2008 ASM fall elections, which will continue through Wednesday, Oct. 15. There are 10 candidates running to be a Freshman representative to Student Council and four candidates running to be a Student Services Finance Committee member. Four candidates will be elected for Student Council and two for SSFC. According to the ASM website, all UW-Madison students are eligible to vote for SSFC, while only freshmen are allowed to vote for the freshmen Student Council representatives. Brad Silber, ASM marketing and advertising commissioner, said

Voting ends at 4 p.m.

REBECCA NEWMAN FRESHMAN

“It’s very important considering millions of dollars in student segregated fees are allocated to student groups this year.” jeff Wright chair ASM Constitutional Committee

“I think [ASM elections] actually give students a voice … they will be able to influence a lot of where their money is going,” Silber said. “ASM is part of the tuition, so for them to actually know where their money goes … is incredibly important.” According to ASM Constitutional Committee Chair

Wisco inferno

DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison junior Lloyd Thistle auditions for “UW’s Got Talent,” by performing his fire breathing, a feat he learned while working in a circus side show. Finals for the competition will be held Oct. 22.

Cell-phone drive proceeds to benefit domestic violence services in Madison

BRANDON WILLIAMS FRESHMAN

CAROLYN MORRIS FRESHMAN

JAMIE STARK FRESHMAN

KHAMSENG YANG FRESHMAN

Police arrest man on charges of exposing himself after Badger game

TYLER JUNGER FRESHMAN

student participation in the elections is important not only for ASM but for students as well.

3

UW-Madison students are encouraged to drop off used cell phones and chargers to various sites on campus before Oct. 31. The phone drive will benefit local victims of dating and domestic violence during October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. All proceeds will benefit Domestic Abuse Intervention Services of Madison. Students should delete personal information before submitting their phones. Cell-phone users can call their phone-service providers for specific instructions on how to clear their phones before dropping

Where to vote: asm.uwsc.wisc.edu/ election/election JOSHUA SHOWERS FRESHMAN

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

l

news

WENBIN WANG FRESHMAN

Jeff Wright, voting for candidates running for SSFC is especially important because the group decides what groups receive student segregated fees. “It’s very important considering millions of dollars in student segregated fees are allocated to student groups this year,” Wright said. According to Silber, the goal of ASM this year is to again implement a student textbook swap, which gives students a chance to exchange their books with each other instead of selling them to the book store. Silber said the ASM members elected in the upcoming election will provide voices for the organizations’s new constitution this year. “They are going to work on new referendum coming in February and put their input to things that go on with the ASM referendum,” Silber said.

them off. Yolanda Garza, assistant dean of students and chair of the University Subcommittee on Dating and Domestic Violence, said donating to the drive greatly impacts the effort to control domestic violence. “This is a wonderful opportunity for individuals who want to help victims but aren’t sure how to do that,” Garza said in a statement. Cell phones can be dropped off at campus locations including the front desk at Chadbourne Hall, the dean of students’ office, the Student Organization Office and Ingraham Deli.

A Waterloo man was arrested on South Randall Street this weekend after exposing himself to women walking on the sidewalk following the Badger football game, police said. Around 12:06 a.m. Sunday, a 53-year-old mother and her 15year-old daughter reported seeing a man fondling himself on a sidewalk near their home after the Badger game, according to a police report. The pair said they observed the man for about 20 minutes

and saw that he would wait for women to walk past him, then turn around and follow them. The man’s behavior remained consistent during the time the mother and daughter watched him. Police arrested 58-year-old Dennis J. Welhoefer and tentatively charged him with lewd and lascivious behavior. Dane County court records show that Welhoefer was found guilty of lewd and lascivious behavior and exposing his genitals in November 1996.

obama from page 1

munications director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said the poll’s results are not detrimental to McCain’s campaign. “This is one poll that is clearly outside of the norm that has been. We aren’t worried about it,” Kukowski said. “We have plenty of time. We have 22 days in the election and that’s an eternity in politics. We will continue to do what we need to do to get Sen. McCain’s message out to the independent voters,” she said. McCain’s substantial drop in the polls has his campaign responding with aggressive get-out-the-vote programs in Wisconsin from now until Nov. 4, Kukowski said.

Catholic and white voters, male and female. Peter Brown, another assistant director of the polling institute, said in a statement he believes McCain may not be able to overcome Obama’s recent surge in battleground states. “The only possible bright spot for Sen. McCain … is that he is holding roughly the same portion of the Republican vote,” Brown said. “But McCain’s support among independent voters, a group he says are key to winning the White House, has collapsed.” Kirsten Kukowski, com-


opinion 4

l

dailycardinal.com/opinion

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

view Cardinal View editorials represent The Daily Cardinal’s organizational opinion. Each editorial is crafted independent of news coverage.

baldwin deserves benefit of doubt

L

ast week, a number of student organizations attempted to protest, as well as question U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., as she spoke at an interactive panel for youth involvement and political issues. The student organizations, including the Campus Antiwar Network, the International Socialists Organization and Students for Nader, fervently question Baldwin’s decision to support the economic bailout plan in congress. When asked of her decision to support the initial bill, Baldwin explained, “I felt the responsibility to act. I didn’t think inaction was acceptable ... I think it was the right vote to take for the constituents that I represented.” The student groups have every right to question Baldwin’s decision, a decision she received many phone calls railing against and one of the few times she has decided in opposition to her constituents. However, these student groups picked the wrong forum in which to profess their grievances. Project Youthanize sponsored the panel discussion, and the discussion was meant to focus on youth voting issues, not Tammy Baldwin’s role in the economic bailout bill. Furthermore, they arrived late, caused a disturbance and failed to adhere to the forum questioning format provided. Despite this, Baldwin was optimistic about the protesters and their qualms. “Hopefully we left with the protesters having a greater understanding of the content of the bill, a rec-

ognition that I knew it was flawed, that it wasn’t a perfect response, but why I reached the conclusion that I needed to vote yes,” Baldwin said in an interview on Monday. In addition, Baldwin offered students and constituents a chance to discuss the economic bailout in greater detail, as she visited Chadbourne Residential College Monday evening to talk issues with area citizens. Baldwin may have crossed partisan lines and acted in opposition of the majority views of her constituents, but she has made herself available and accountable for her decision to support the bill. Students, regardless of whether they’re her constituents, should respect Baldwin’s decision to act rather than wait, as well as to accept responsibility for her vote. She has been accepting of criticism, yet firm in her stance in support of the bailout bill. Protesters and constituents have a right to express their opinions, but consider the time, place and, perhaps, the event’s start time and/or format when expressing these frustrations. Baldwin not only defended her claim but also acknowledged others’ hesitant attitudes. “It’s important for me to hear the frustration of people who are unhappy with my vote,” Baldwin said Monday. It will be even more important if she did indeed misstep, but for now, Baldwin deserves the benefit of the doubt for her active efforts to do what she thought best for not only Wisconsin, but the nation as a whole.

Got a burn you’re itching to issue? Melt the competition. The Daily Cardinal is now accepting columnist and staff applications for UW students with a bent for the political and a desire to affect some change. Think your viewpoint is unique or in the minority on this campus? All the better. E-mail writing samples or inquiries to:

opinion@dailycardinal.com or edit@dailycardinal.com

Be smart, register early for presidential election DAN JOSEPHSON opinion columnist

W

ith one of the most important presidential elections in the history of this great country just 20 days away, it is important to note the convenience of registering. While organizations such as Progressive Future, ASM and WISPIRG have been extremely helpful in registering voters at new addresses in less than a minute, there still seems to be a large wave of students taking the registration for granted. If you registered for the primary, but have since moved, you need to re-register at your new address.

Do not put yourself in a possibly nightmarish situation that could alter your chances of voting.

Many are waiting to register on election day, thinking it will be a quick and easy process. If you are one of these people, regardless of what state you are from, please reconsider. The road to registering on Nov. 4 will be neither fast nor easy, and you very

well may end up waiting for up to four hours. During the primary elections, many students waited until the day of the election to register. I know this because I was one of them. The polling location seemed as amateur as a prom queen tally, especially with the five-second interviews poll workers gave students to prove their roommates did indeed reside in the city of Madison. Perhaps this is why I heard so many casual responses (when I got any) while I was volunteering for Progressive Future last week. The only difference with this election, though, is it is a presidential one, is that the procrastinators are not going to be greeted with the same sense of simplicity they were in the booths last February. The 2008 Wisconsin primary turnout was 1,496,068, votes, in comparison to the 2004 presidential election, where 2,994,021 Wisconsinites voted—nearly double the amount of voters. Although it is difficult to predict exactly how large this year’s presidential election will turn out, it is always a sure thing to say there will be a large increase in voter turnout from last winter’s primary. Imagining how much more crowded the polls will be, taking into account the large risk that you may run while waiting for an absurd amount of time, combined with the incalculably high level of importance this election

holds, it would be more than wise to register today if you have not already. Today is the absolute last day to register until the fourth, and volunteers need to bring all of the paperwork to City Hall by 3:00 p.m. If you are not registered and reading this right now, I suggest you drop this paper and head to library mall where you will be greeted by a group of very eager volunteers who will sign you up in literally less than a minute’s worth of time.

If you are not registered and are reading this, I suggest you head to library mall to register right now.

As I mentioned in an earlier column, Wisconsin is a major swing state. It can and will make all of the difference in this election, especially if other key swing states change their colors this time around. Do not put yourself in a possibly nightmarish situation that could alter your chances of voting and, in turn, the condition of this country. What are you doing? Are you still reading this? Get to Library Mall! Dan Josephson is a senior majoring in political science and legal studies. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Abortion protesters have valid argument On Oct. 8, Dan Josephson wrote an article against the Bascom Hill drawings that commemorated victims of abortion. The article states that “the value of an unborn fetus differs by one’s personal and moral opinion.” This insinuates that somehow one life is more valuable than another. It’s not up to us to decide who will live and who will die; whether unborn, partially born or fully born, a living human being cannot be devalued. The chalked slogan, “Abortion stops one heart and breaks another,” considers not only that abortion

kills a child but also the affliction it causes the mother. In fact, postabortive women show significantly higher rates of depression and suicide than other women. We cannot forget those who are traumatized by rape or incest. As agonizing as that experience is, aborting the conceived child does not erase the horrendous act. Furthermore, if carrying a child for nine months is “some sadistic form of punishment,” what do we call murdering the innocent someone who is a part of you? The physical and emotional torture of an abortion is compounded with what

the victim already experiences from rape or incest, and women should never be subjected to that. The pro-life advocates had no mind set to be “menacing,” ‘judging” or “close-minded.” They acted with care, sympathy and genuine respect for life, both for the unborn child and that of the grief-stricken mother. Hear post-abortive women speak for themselves on Nov. 6 in B102 Van Vleck at 8:00 p.m. —Bryna Mulcrone UW-Madison Student

Palin the polar opposite of feminist In response to Kristin Wall’s Oct. 9 article: I would have made the claim that Sarah Palin could not be considered a feminist by any stretch of the imagination, but since Kristin Wall clearly has one heck of a creative mind, I can’t make that claim. I will, however, flat-out disagree with Wall: Sarah Palin is NOT a feminist, and to call her one is embarrassing to anyone with a genuine grasp of what feminism is. You cannot be a feminist if you look the other way as rape survivors are forced to pay for their own rape kits.

You cannot be a feminist if you only support (and with Palin, I use that term loosely) equal rights for heterosexual women. You cannot be a feminist if you do not believe in another woman’s right to choose under almost any circumstances, regardless of your own personal opinions of abortion. You cannot be a feminist if you do not believe in the free, unabridged access of accurate information regarding one’s own sexual health. The far right and even the near right have hurled the term “feminist,” (along with its love-

ly cousin, “feminazi,” as Wall points out) as an insult for years at any woman or man who dared hint at the existence of sexism in American culture. And now Kristin Wall is upset because feminists aren’t “dancing in the streets” over the nomination of this “true feminist” to a major party ticket? Yes, clearly the problem is that we long-time feminists just don’t understand what feminism is. —Erica Andrist Communication Arts: Rhetoric, Biology, and Spanish UW-Madison Student


arts

dailycardinal.com/arts

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

l

5

“Stuff White People Like” visits Madison By Nico Savidge THE DAILY CARDINAL

It all started with an instant message conversation, but this Wednesday night, author of “Stuff White People Like: The Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions,” Christian Lander, will be visiting as part of the Wisconsin Book Festival. “Stuff White People Like,” one of the year’s most popular Internet sensations and model for it’s-painfully-funny-becauseit’s-true comedy, was published in July and has its roots in a conversation about “The Wire.” Lander, author of the site www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com and book, was talking with his Filipino friend Myles Valentin in January when Valentin said he would not trust a white person who did not watch the HBO series. The two traded reasons why white people may have missed the show—they were too busy getting divorced, going to therapy or doing yoga. “All right, that’s it,” Lander recalls saying to himself. “It’s time to start a blog.” What began as a small list spread among friends caught fire thanks to endless e-mail forwarding and word of mouth. “I didn’t see more than 10 people reading it,” Lander says. “It wasn’t even in the back of my head that it was going to get popular ... The fact that it exploded still surprises me.” It’s important to remember that the list, which stands at 111 items and is updated regularly, is not about the tastes of your “Joe Six-Pack” kind of white people. Instead, he is writing about affluent, politically-left-leaning, liberal humanist “Joe Wine and Brie” white people. Lander is talking about San Francisco (characteristic #91) and Public Radio (#44) white people, the ones who drive around in Toyota Prius (#60) with bumper stickers (#100) proclaiming their support for Barack Obama (#8). But if these do not sound like race-based

traits to you, Lander says that’s because they are not. “It’s fundamentally more about class than technically is about race,” he says. “So you don’t really have to be white to be white.” According to Lander, what he calls an “inherent competition” among Americans—the keeping up with the Jones’ mentality—has manifested itself in a new desire among mostly white people to appear the most empathetic, racially tolerant and enlightened. “It’s still as much about ego as buying a big car in the ’50s was,” Lander says. “The whole idea of anonymous charity and doing what’s right because it’s right has been commoditized just like anything else.” Lander expanded the blog into a book, “Stuff White People Like: The Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions,” and his tour will take him to Madison Wednesday night. A theme of the festival is “great books inspire great conversations,” and Lander says he hopes the book will allow readers to talk about race more easily by pointing out our differences with comedy. “Recognizing difference isn’t racist,” he says. “Recognizing difference is essential to understanding. So I think if that conversation begins, that’s fantastic.” As for the blog, Lander says it has a bright future, precisely because of e-mails like the one he recently received from a friend about the phenomenon of “hooping.” Apparently some white people, probably the ones who enjoy children’s games as adults (characteristic #102) and religions their parents don’t belong to (#2), have started, as Lander puts it, “this spiritual thing around the fucking hula hoop.” “As long as people keep doing stupid shit like that,” Lander says, stuffwhitepeoplelike.com will have a place in the world. Christian Lander will speak at Borders at 3750 University Avenue Wednesday at 7 p.m.

PHOTO WARNER INDEPENDENT PICTURES

Alongside screen veteran Aaron Eckhart and Peter Macdissi, Summer Bishil delivers and outstanding break-out performance as a sexually abused teenager in new movie “Towelhead.”

Uncomfortable genius “Towelhead” bravely takes on intense and controversial plot By Danny Gottleib THE DAILY CARDINAL

“Towelhead” is not to be taken lightly. It is graphic, offensive, subversive, controversial and uncomfortable—but much more enjoyable than those words suggest.

With a plot like that, it goes without saying that viewing this movie is an intense experience.

The movie, based on a 2005 novel by Alicia Erian, marks the directorial debut of Alan Ball, writer of “American Beauty” and creator of HBO’s “Six Feet Under” and “True Blood.” Set during the Gulf War, it follows 13-year-old Jasira (the captivating Summer Bishil), who is sent by her white mother to the suburbs of Houston to live with her Lebanese father after her mom’s boyfriend shaves Jasira’s pubic hair. Although Jasira’s father is an American citizen, a NASA employee and a staunch supporter of the

campaign against Saddam Hussein, his neighbors treat him like an alien. The father of the racist neighbors, played flawlessly by Aaron Eckhart, molests Jasira, and then tries to take it much further. With a plot like that, it goes without saying that viewing this movie is an intense experience. Long, long after you leave the theater it will resonate, and the scenes between Bishil and Eckhart are guaranteed to make you shift uncomfortably in your seat. The film boasts the best ensemble cast of any movie this year, each one of their performances memorable. Bishil, 19 years old at the time of filming, perfectly balances Jasira’s conflicting sexuality and innocence, making the offenses committed against her all the more horrifying. Eckhart proves he is one of the most talented actors working today, and Toni Collette (“Little Miss Sunshine,” “The Sixth Sense”) provides the much-needed morality of the movie as the woman every parent wishes to have as a neighbor. But Peter Macdissi steals the entire film as Jasira’s father. His comedic timing is brilliant, providing the audience with a surprising amount of laughs for a movie about rape, and he man-

ages to switch effortlessly between the wise-cracking father and the shockingly abusive authoritarian. If anyone deserves an Oscar for “Towelhead,” it is Macdissi. Needless to say, Ball hits a home run with this one. His talent as a filmmaker is evident with every scene, and he shows no qualms about making the audience watch everything. Some may compare “Towelhead” to his other movie about a suburban Lolita, but this is more like “American Beauty 2.0.” This time around, there’s no hiding behind rose petals; every bit of pain and horror is exposed and the audience experiences what happens to Jasira the same way she does. Of course, when a movie attempts to take on such serious subject matter, it is no surprise that some moments in the film fall short of their goal. When the kids in school are shown teasing Jasira and constantly calling her “towelhead,” it seems a little overdramatic. But with such an extremely talented cast and a director who isn’t afraid to confront the audience, these minor flaws are easily overlooked. This may be the most uncomfortable movie experience of the year, but also one of the best. Grade: AB

Narrowcasting changes how we watch TV as Internet kills the television star ALI ROTHSCHILD season fin-ali

T

V just got scary. I was more than aware that the age of digital cable and extreme “narrowcasting” was upon us, making more channels with less fans for each show, but it didn’t really hit me until this past weekend when I was asked to turn on a game at work. Granted, TVs at sports bars have ultra-huge packages that most of us don’t get, but as I tried to scroll through the 900-channel long TV guide to find the Phillies-Dodgers game, I found that there were about 5 different Phillies-Dodgers games to choose from. Naturally, I panicked. There was Phillies-Dodgers, Phillies-

Dodgers HD, Phillies-Dodgers FxHD... Which was the right one? After three years, I had finally memorized the major Wisconsin channels, and now I had to figure out each one’s high-definition correspondent? I thought television was supposed to be a passive pastime! Now, the point of this isn’t to show how inept I am with technology—though that’s definitely the case—but I believe the culture of watching TV has shifted. At first I marveled at the number of program options open to us, but now it’s just annoying. There are so many channels to choose from, and the recent Emmys proved that the best TV isn’t just on the major networks or HBO anymore, so how should we know where to tune in? Maybe the next hit show will come from QVC or the Golf Channel. The channels are going to become so niche-oriented

that any concept of a television community is bound to crumble. When JGtv (Jewish Girl TV) comes out, I’ll only have five percent of the campus to talk about it with. And why, in our made-to-order lives, should we waste our time flipping through hundreds of channels to know what’s good? To be completely blunt, we don’t even need the physical television set anymore. We can read about what shows are getting buzz, YouTube some clips to see if we like it and then Netflix an entire season of a show and watch it straight through, commercial free, on our laptops. While we’re on the subject of YouTube, the Internet is becoming much more of a television community than actual television is. I guarantee that when it comes to entertainment, I’ve had more instances of friends gathered around a laptop than around a television set, whether it’s watching

YouTube clips or television episodes on one of those streaming websites I have yet to figure out. My roommate watches the “Lawrence Welk Show” SNL clip on NBC.com a minimum of seven times a day, and the sad part is, I join in every time.

At first I marveled at the number of program options open to us, but now it’s just annoying.

This is why TV—actual television box TV—right now is most successful when it goes back to basics, covering live news and sports events. It’s the only way we know we’re all tuning it at the same time,

because we all saw Michael Phelps win his eighth gold medal, and we all are getting election news, whether we’re conservative (FoxNews), liberal (CNN) or super liberal (MSNBC). We’re not going to wait and Netflix Anderson Cooper’s show—we want to know how crappy our economy is doing right now. So as frustrating as finding the right sports channel may be, once it’s found, at least everyone is groaning together at the same time as the Badgers give up yet another touchdown. It’s the idea of community, which at the moment can’t be found with any comedy or drama on TV. Even if we watch the same show, we’re probably not watching it at the same time. Sadly enough, if I’ve just met you, we’ll have more luck talking about the “Charlie bit my finger” clip than a television show. To swap Hulu clips with Ali, send her an e-mail at rothschild@wisc.edu.


comics 6

l

What has six legs but can’t walk? Dragonflies have six legs but can’t walk . dailycardinal.com/comics

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Cool Down Bowl

Today’s Sudoku

Anthro-Apology

By Eric Wigdahl wigdahl@wisc.edu

© Puzzles by Pappocom

By Todd Stevens ststevens@wisc.edu

Angel Hair Pasta

Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Help plan the future of The Daily Cardinal! Join the newspaper’s board of directors and its work of charting a course for this 116-year-old campus institution. Candidates must commit 5 hours a month for at least one academic year to the paper. Those with a background in media and business, especially sophomores and juniors and candidates of diverse backgrounds, are encouraged to send a résumé and short statement of interest to board of directors President Jason Stein at jstein@madison.com.

Sid and Phil

By Alex Lewein lewein@wisc.edu

The Graph Giraffe

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com

WELL ROUNDED 1 6 11 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 28 30 33 36 38 39 40 42 43 45 46 47

ACROSS ROSS Swiss city on the Rhine Les ___-Unis Handle moguls? Become a pair without an affair Poisonous Blood, so to speak Long ride? Pointy-eared sprite Beat, as wheat Gray timber wolf Apt rhyme for “pursue” Dim sum sauce Go around in a carefree manner Rock genre Meltdown areas It has a blind spot Former major league manager Larry Puddies, to Tweety Cross- matching subject Sixth-day creation Iron output Collect in the boardroom Stable fathers Daughter of Cronus Small land mass Repressed, as feelings

49 Shade of purple 51 Sinful city 53 Word to a well-trained boxer 54 Doe or heifer, e.g. 57 Delete, as a file 59 Carmela portrayer on “The Sopranos” 61 Farmer, essentially 63 Yeanling nurser 64 Yak it up big time 66 Potential school 67 Have pizza delivered, e.g. 68 Bond servant 69 Part of VSOP 70 “___ Remember” (from “The Fantasticks”) 71 Lugged 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

DOWN

Conquers Notwith- standing, briefly Popular board game Sword variety “C’mon already!” Biblical or ordinal suffix Ring, as a bell Self-evident principle Woodcutter’s cry Went hastily They never intersect Drug bust figure? Facts, briefly

18 Boardroom aids 25 One of Franklin’s two certainties 27 Type of power or clock 28 Regained consciousness 29 Carnegie foundation? 31 Holiday song 32 Jocular Johnson 33 Enjoy the limelight 34 Jon Arbuckle’s pooch 35 Star Trek travel term 37 Indian garments 41 Bad-mouth 44 Extra wager 48 Turndown to a spouse 50 Like a body in Newton’s first law 52 “___ fresh” (mouthwash comeon) 54 It pours from pores 55 Laborious throw 56 Committed a faux pas 57 Round number 58 MP’s concern 60 Better copy 62 Capital on a fjord 65 Beatle bride

A Fine Dutch Hobby

By Matt Riley mriley2@wisc.edu

The Daily Code

Snap Crackle Pop

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

o

p

q

r

s

1

2

3

4

5 6

7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

“Ozy’e rtgp fa. Ozy’e pgpc rtgp fa.” Jimmy Valvano Quote Start with one-letter words and words with apostrophes, find out how many places the alphabet has shifted, then use that knowledge to decipher the code. Tuesday’s Code:

“I’m an ice sculptor. Last night, I made a cube.”

t

u

v

w

x

y

z


sports

dailycardinal.com/sports

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

l

7

Men’s and women’s swimming gear up for season Freshmen anchor opening wins over UW-Milwaukee By Adam Loferski THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin swimming season opened last Friday in the best way possible. Both the men’s and women’s teams won their dual against the Panthers of UWMilwaukee, capturing first place in all events. For the men, it was a combination of established talent and newcomers that bested the Panthers. The 400-yard medley relay was the first event, and the Badger team of senior Nick Fulton, junior Steven Wiesner, sophomore Conner Andrews, and freshman Chris Nemeth gave the audience a preview NAGLE of what was to come. They finished with a time of three minutes and 27.88 seconds, beating the Panthers, who clocked in a time of 3:33.91. Then it was up to the freshmen

to live up to their hype. Freshmen Brett Nagle, Wes Lagerhausen and Jeff Moris all won their events, including the 1000-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle, respectively. The men of Badger swimming couldn’t ask for a better start to their season. “Since it was our first meet, it was pretty exciting for all of us to get some good performances in,” senior Kyle Sorensen said. They captured victory utilizing a mixture of veterans and rookies, and in doing so, got a good look at what the future holds for the team. This coming season, it is clear the Badgers’ strength lies in their versatility and their ability to compete at a high level whether it is a senior or freshman in the water. It was a similar story of domination for the Badger women. However, instead of an even mix of new and established talent, the women relied mostly on their veterans, but the rookies did their fair share, capturing wins as part of relay teams or individually. The Badgers dominated the 400-yard medley relay, with the girls in red and white capturing the top three finishing spots. Winning the event was the team of freshman Amie Osten, freshman Ashley Wanland, junior Anna Chang and

PHOTO COURTESY UWBADGERS.COM

Junior Gabby Maddalena won both the 1000-yard and 500-yard freestyle against UW-Milwaukee last weekend. senior Christine Zwiegers, clocking in with a time of 3:50.69. “We’ve been working really hard from the start of the season,” Wanland said, reflecting on the Milwaukee meet. “It’s starting to pay off. [Both teams] are going to do really well this year.” Many Badger women took top honors in multiple events, one of them being Wanland, who also fin-

Men’s tennis prepares for regional tournament By Joe Skurzewski THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin men’s tennis team looks to gain momentum at the 2008 Division I ITA Midwest Region Championship at Ohio this Thursday. Eight members of the team will participate in the tournament: sophomores Peter Marrack and Marek Michalicka and juniors Moritz Baumann, Michael Dierberger, Luke RassowKantor and Michael Muskievicz. Freshman Varun Chari and senior Gian Hodgson will also compete. Baumann and Michalicka will headline the tournament for the Badgers. The pair is coming off rough performances in the ITA All-Americans tournament in Tulsa, Okla. Both struggled in their respective singles draws and lost in the second round of doubles play, despite a free pass in the first round because of forfeit. Michalicka saw the Midwest Regional Championship as a way to start anew. “We are trying to forget about the doubles match,” he stated, noting the disappointment of losing early at the ITA All-Americans. Instead, Baumann and Michalicka will look to perform the same way they did at the Baylor Invitational in Waco, Texas, earlier this year. The thenranked No. 39 duo among Div. I collegiate doubles teams took the doubles title in only their second tournament of the year. Baumann and Michalicka defeated the Fresno State team of junior Mirko Zapletal and senior Rudolf Siwy, 8-5. Other members of the Badgers squad, such as Rassow-Kantor and Marrack, look to carry their momentum from solid performances in the Tom Fallow Invitational this past weekend in South Bend, Ind. Rassow-Kantor and Marrack finished the tournament in impressive fashion, both beating opponents from Western Michigan in

PHOTO COURTESY UWBADGERS.COM

Junior Moritz Baumann (above), Wisconsin’s top singles player, has recently found success partnering with sophomore Marek Michalicka straight sets. The Midwest Region Championship features top programs from all over the Midwest, including many from the Big Ten. Wisconsin head coach Greg Van Emburgh noted the tough competition from Minnesota as well as host Ohio State. “Ohio State has a really strong team,” Van Emburgh stated. “There’s a lot of solid competition.”

“It should be a really good tournament ... I’m excited to go there.” Greg Van Emburgh head coach UW men’s tennis

The Badgers will need their top game if they happen to draw either of Ohio State’s top players, junior Justin Kronauge or senior Bryan Koniecko. Kronauge and Koniecko advanced far into the 2007 ITA Midwest Region Championship, actually facing one another in the tournament’s

semifinal round. Van Emburgh further commented on the tough losses incurred at the All-Americans. “We had a couple tough draws out there … it’s such a prestigious event,” he stated. However, Van Emburgh saw the Midwest Region Championship as a way to raise the team’s level of competition. “We want to continue to make sure that we’re ready to play those top teams and top players,” he said. Van Emburgh noted how performance in tournaments such as the Midwest Region Championship gave the coaches a solid read as to what the team needs to work on before the spring semester, when conference play begins. Despite the competition, Michalicka remained optimistic of the team’s chances and looks forward to the experience. “It should be a really good tournament,” he said. “I’m excited to go there.” The tournament will begin Thursday at 9 a.m. and will run through Monday, in Columbus. Draws will be announced on the first day of the tournament.

ished first in the 100-yard breaststroke. Junior Gabby Maddalena finished first in both the 1000-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle, clocking in at 10:07.60 and 4:59.05, respectively. Junior Rosie Morahan captured victories in both the 100-yard and 200 free. Zwieger added to her relay win with a solo victory in the 50 free with a time of 24.24.

lawler from page 8 ing under captains like Sharon Cole, Bobbi-Jo Slusar and Emily Morris. “I definitely learned so much from the previous captains,” Lawler said. “There’s such a balance that you need to maintain throughout all aspects of the game, and that’s what I’ve taken away from a lot of the past captains on our team. Everyone that I’ve ever learned from has been so much fun to work with.” With the Badgers facing both Minnesota and MinnesotaDuluth before the end of the month, Lawler will look to keep

hockey from page 8 Over the weekend, MinnesotaDuluth dropped two games to the University of Minnesota, allowing Wisconsin to climb to the top spot. Three Badgers have been carrying Wisconsin so far this season and already have registered double-digit scoring. Sophomore forward Hilary Knight, freshman forward Brooke Ammerman and junior forward Meghan Duggan have combined for 32 of Wisconsin’s 105 points, while five other players on the Wisconsin roster have also put up solid numbers and are just a few points shy of the top three point holders. Is there another NCAA championship within reach for the Wisconsin women’s hockey team this season? Absolutely, but to get there, the Badgers have a long road of intense games ahead of them. The keys to a successful season ride on staying confident, not playing down to another team’s level and keeping control of the momentum against other top ranked teams. Like in any other sport, the women’s hockey team needs to be ready for the unexpected

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, head coach Eric Hansen stressed consistency and improvement. “Everybody needs to continue doing the things they’ve been doing,” Hanson said. “We’ve been working hard and making progress. If everybody stays on the same page and continues to push each other, then we’re going to be where we want to be at the end of the year.” the locker room atmosphere as relaxed and enjoyable as possible. “I think that as long as you have a good attitude and you’re having a lot of fun out there, that’s probably the most important thing to do,” she said. “Everyone’s going to watch you on the ice, and when you’re having fun and working hard, it carries over. Usually, in a fun, happy, hardworking environment, you’re going to be a successful team.” Playing in a league like the WCHA, Wisconsin’s road back to the NCAA tournament will not be an easy one. If the first few weeks of the season are any indication though, Lawler’s fairy tale ending isn’t out of the question. underdog snatching a win from it. Once you are at the top, there is only one way to go, and that is down. Other teams are going to step on the ice with nothing to lose, while the lady Badgers have nearly everything on the line every game. Although this may be nervewracking for the players and the fans to think about, it only makes this season that much more exciting.

Is there another NCAA championship within reach for the Wisconsin women’s hockey team this season? Absolutely.

And to put my expectations for this season in the words of the legendary Dick Vitale— Wisconsin hockey is going to be awesome, baby, with a capital “A.” Do either of the Wisconsin hockey teams have what it takes to bring home another championship title at the end of the season? Let Crystal know what you think by e-mailing her at crowns@wisc.edu.


sports Lawler takes on leadership role 8

l

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

By Brandon Storlie THE DAILY CARDINAL

It might be early in the season, but the thought of returning to the Frozen Four has one member of the UW women’s hockey team dreaming of a fairy tale ending. Senior forward Erika Lawler, a native of Fitchburg, Mass., has spent the last three years doing just about everything a player can do in college hockey. Lawler won back-to-back NCAA titles with the Badgers during her first two years at Wisconsin and brought back a gold medal for Team USA at the 2008 IHF World Women’s Championship. Individually, her 38 points last season were tied for third-most on the team, and her 27 assists were 11th best in the nation. She is also eighth on the UW’s career points list with 110. This spring however, as Boston University hosts the Frozen Four, Lawler hopes to do something she hasn’t done yet: win one in her own backyard. “Everyone is going to watch you on the ice, and when you’re having fun and working hard, it carries over.” Erika Lawler senior forward UW women’s hockey

“Obviously it’s the fairy tale happy ending [to] play in Boston,” Lawler said. “It would be awesome.” Although she acknowledges that winning a national championship in her home state would be a dream come true, Lawler is hesitant to look that far ahead.

THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin men’s soccer team returns to action Wednesday after an inspiring second half

New hockey season brings excitement CRYSTAL CROWNS the crystal ball

KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Senior center Erika Lawler has centered the Badgers’ top line for the last two seasons. She is currently eighth on the Wisconsin career points list and her 27 assists ranked 11th in the country last year. “It would be unbelievable to end [in Boston], but it’s more about getting there, regardless of the environment,” she said. “We have to get there first. It’s not really a matter of where it’s going to be, it’s more a matter of getting it done.” With as much success as they have had in the last three seasons, it would be easy for Lawler and the rest of the Badgers to become complacent. However, the 4-0 loss to Minnesota-Duluth in last year’s national championship game not only serves as motivation, Lawler lists it as her proudest moment. “Although we did not come

out on top, that was huge for us,” she said. “If you would have asked anyone on the team where we thought we would end up, I don’t think any of us would have said anywhere near the Frozen Four or anywhere near the championship game. Despite losing to Duluth in the finals, it was unbelievable for us to even make it there.” With both Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth returning strong teams this season, it is clear the Badgers will need a total team effort if they want to make another run deep into the NCAA tournament. Named team captain before the season by head coach

Mark Johnson, Lawler believes Wisconsin has the focus and drive necessary to reach the postseason. “As the captain, part of your responsibility is to make sure everyone’s ready, focused and prepared for the game, but I don’t even have to do that because everyone on the team is so serious about the sport,” Lawler said. “Everyone just makes my job really easy. It’s a job that we all do collectively.” That said, Lawler knows she’s had plenty of talent to learn from during the past three seasons, playlawler page 7

Men’s soccer ready for mid-week clash with Eagles By Nick Schmitt

dailycardinal.com/sports

against one of the nation’s top teams in Northwestern. Although the Badgers fell to the Wildcats, they continue to show that they can compete with some of the

ISABEL ALVAREZ/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Junior forward Scott Lorenz has been a catalyst for the Wisconsin offense this season, leading the team in goals, points and shots.

best talent in the nation. Wisconsin (5-5-2) will head to Valley Fields in Milwaukee to face Marquette (2-5-4), which has been struggling to score all year—a recent problem for Wisconsin, too. The Golden Eagles have just managed four goals in their last 10 games and only have one victory since the beginning of September. Marquette relies heavily on defense to stay in games. The Eagles enter the match tomorrow only allowing one goal per contest. The Badgers will need to rely on their recent offensive burst to get on top of the Golden Eagles early. After giving up back-to-back goals near the end of the first half last Sunday against Northwestern, the Badgers came out and played a strong second half against perhaps the best team in the Big Ten. Outshooting the Wildcats 8-7 in the second half, Wisconsin was able to contain Northwestern’s powerful offense and was close to tying the game up on several occasions. It was possibly the best the Badgers have played all year, and if they play with the same intensity Wednesday, shutting down Marquette’s ineffective attack will be much easier. Wednesday will be the 48th time Wisconsin takes on Marquette, with the Badgers leading the series 25-12-10. The

Golden Eagles haven’t beaten the Badgers since 2002, and last year’s match-up in Madison ended in a 1-1 tie. Although Wisconsin has dominated lately, the players still feel the rivalry is strong. “We take all the in-state games as big rivalries, they’re more statement games than anything. To claim the state is a good honor at the end of the season … we’re looking forward to it, I think the team’s ready,” junior forward Scott Lorenz said. Recently, the Badgers have been propelled by the play of Lorenz. He has been on a hot streak of late, scoring two goals against UW-Milwaukee and the lone goal against Northwestern. Leading the team in goals, points, shots and shots on goal, Lorenz has emerged as the catalyst for the Badger offense. Coach Jeff Rohrman understands the game is a rivalry but also feels the team needs to come out against Marquette as they do in any game. “I think the guys should feel confident that we have done well against Marquette, and as I said to them, it’s not just going to happen, we need to make it happen.” With the energy and patience the Badgers have been playing with lately, they head into the game with a good chance to continue their unbeaten streak against Marquette.

Wisconsin’s hockey season has just started up, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. I have never actually played hockey, nor am I able to stand on ice skates for more than five minutes, but that’s not to say I can’t be a huge Badgers hockey fan. What can I say? I can’t get enough of watching full-grown men viciously checking each other into the glass. And I probably shouldn’t admit this, but dramatic fights on the ice are actually something I secretly look forward to every game I attend. Sure, it’s unsportsmanlike and borderline immature, but the fans’ response creates an atmosphere like no other. Just as long as nobody gets seriously hurt, I’m down with the throwing of punches. Let’s face it: hockey fights are pretty much the same as boxing matches, except the contenders are wearing skates, causing the situation to be exponentially more entertaining. I am definitely a football fan too, but attending hockey games is so much more enjoyable. For one, it’s indoors, and I know exactly what the temperature is going to be. Second, hockey consists of constant action. I get annoyed by how much the game clock stops during college football games. I mean, whoever thought 15 minutes could last so long? And lastly, I love showing off my great dance moves when the band plays “Ring of Fire” and “Tequila.” Yes, all of the fans do the same thing, but I’m not afraid to jump out of my boogie box when I have the urge to be innovative.

I am definitely a football fan, but attending hockey games is so much more enjoyable.

Even though the UW men’s hockey team dropped its first two games of the season to top-ranked Boston College and a talented New Hampshire squad, I think the Badgers have a bright year ahead of them. Wisconsin will probably miss last year’s rookie phenom Kyle Turris––who just netted his first goal in the NHL and had an assist for the Phoenix Coyotes Sunday—but I can guarantee you at least one player on the Badgers’ roster will step up and be an obvious offensive threat within the next few games. I expect a lot of leadership from senior forward Ben Street, and I am excited to see what head coach Mike Eaves has up his sleeves—rhyme intended. As for the women’s team, they could not have gotten off to a better start. The lady Badgers have gone undefeated in the six contests they have competed in and are ranked No. 1 in the nation. hockey page 7


madison housing guide PAGE 2 — DECORATING ON A BUDGET l PAGE 5 — KEEPING YOUR HOME SAFE PAGE 6 — PREVENTING AND DEALING WITH EVICTION l PAGE 7 — CHOOSING ROOMMATES

COVER BY JOANNA MOONEY

FALL 2008


2

l

housing guide

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

dailycardinal.com

DECORATE LIKE A PRO, SPEND LIKE A STUDENT Tips on vamping up your college home on a budget Story by Sarah Nance

Y

our college apartment may be the first place you’ve ever lived that hasn’t been furnished by your parents or the utilitarian people of UW Housing. There are many expensive ways to make your place look like Pottery Barn, but decorating on the cheap can be a little trickier. Gather your basic furniture and dishware by hitting up curbside piles, garage sales and relatives (a friend of mine filled her apartment with goods she got after sending out a mass family e-mail). Then, armed with your painter pants and extensive knowledge of TLC’s “Trading Spaces” episodes, transform that one-year lease into a (albeit temporary) home. Windows Many apartments come with blinds, but curtains are a great way

to soften a room, add color and prevent your second floor neighbors from becoming too familiar with your routines. Actual grownup curtains can cost a lot, but fabric draped over a rod won’t set you back too much—try long scarves (which can double as table runners or couch throws later on) or hem up some fabric from the discount section at a fabric store. Curtains are a simple and cheap sewing project. Walls Paint is the easiest and cheapest way to change the entire look of a room—if your landlord allows it. Try painting all the walls in a bright, cheery color, or just accent a wall in the living room or kitchen a dramatic, dominant color like red or royal purple. Lighter colors can often be applied in just one coat, or try sponge painting for a

CHARLIE BAKER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

THE

ONES OF MADISON A look at one of the newest and most upscale complexes on campus Story by Ariel Kraut Lucky, 777 University Avenue, is a brand new apartment building located in the revamped University Square. Construction began in June of 2006 and was completed in August 2008. Owned and operated by Steve Brown Apartments, Lucky houses 359 apartments spread out over 10 floors. Rent is priced according to which floor you choose. Floors 4-6, also known as Lucky 101, are reserved for freshmen and transfer students, making Lucky an alternative to standard university dorm life. There are resident advisors available to help students and plenty of scheduled activities to help freshmen adjust to their new college lives. Prices are significantly higher than both private dorming and university housing, but Lucky 101 residents do get much more living space

and amenities than competitors may offer. The core floors, 7-9, are priced in the $900 range for single occupancy. For double occupancy, it’s about $500. Apartments on floors 11-14 can exceed $1000 a month. These prices may seem steep to the average UW student, but residents say that it is well worth it. Lauren Miller, a UW junior and Lucky resident says that, “the location is great and classes are really close. Everything is really easy and it’s worth it.” Every floor of Lucky has its own lounge complete with a flatscreen TV, Internet, and plenty of furniture. There are two outdoor lounges—a garden terrace on the fourth floor and a sundeck on the Lucky rooftop. Lucky apartments come equipped with plenty of perks, like

professional looking “faux-finish” that uses much less paint. Hit up your parents or neighbors for leftover paint—it doesn’t take a lot of paint to do a bathroom or small bedroom—or use the remainders of a larger project to stencil or free-hand a design in a different room. Art If painting is out of the question, wall art is a must. Movie ads, band posters and Vicky Secret pinups are fine but typical. Branch out a bit (and amp up your classy factor) with frames, even if it just means popping a cheap frame around your poster-sale findings. Carry a camera everywhere? Take a few of your favorite photos, turn them black and white and frame in a series of dollar store (or painted) black frames. Don’t forget that frames aren’t just for photos—go ahead and frame whatever strikes your fancy, from fabric squares to album art to soup can labels. And even if you’re not much of a painter, it’s hard to go wrong with a canvas and geometric shapes for some fabulous original art. Lighting Sure, you can duct-tape up a string of Christmas lights and call your apartment decorated, but if you’re not hosting a kegger or theme party, try some tabletop and freestanding lamps. It’s better lighting for studying and gatherings, and a step up from the dorm-style stringed

lights. Don’t forget to check thrift stores or online for retro-style lamps and hanging lights or mini chandeliers to sophisticate a room without emptying your wallet. Plants You’d be surprised how nice it is to have something growing in your apartment that isn’t moldy leftovers in the fridge. If you’re like my roommate and kill everything you look at, try a potted cactus or other hardy plant that doesn’t need much sun or water. Landscaping stores carry inexpensive plants and cacti, and don’t forget about garden centers in stores like Wal-Mart, where endof-season or mismatched plants can be purchased for a few dollars. Extra points if you use the paint left over from the bathroom walls to decorate the pots. Furniture So that dresser you got from Aunt Marge or pulled off the curb is a little scratched and more than a little outdated? Give it a new breath of life with a light sand and paint job in a fun, bright color (turquoise? Lime-green? Mocha?) and a coat of shellac. For a few more dollars, changing out the hardware is an easy update. Make a secondhand coffee table or desk unique by getting a piece of plexiglass cut to fit on top and fill the space underneath with photos, posters or ticket stubs. Ikea is a great place for cheap

CHARLIE BAKER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

college furniture... that looks like everyone else’s. Personalize your purchases with a little creativity. If you’re carpenter-ly inclined, add doors or feet to shelving and storage units. If you’re not so good with plywood, try covering shelves (or any flat surface) with a collage and a coat of clear lacquer. Looking for inspiration? Look no further than comic book pages, wrapping paper or sheet music. It’s easy to shrug off decorating an apartment or studio that will only be yours for a year, but don’t forget it’s your home base for studying, eating, sleeping and social life—it might as well be attractive, clutter-free and comfortable. Many purchases or finds can travel to your next place, where you’ll be a pro at making your apartment look like the set of “Friends” without Jennifer Aniston’s paycheck.

9-foot high ceilings, state of the still underway, but beginning to According to the Lucky website, art appliances, balconies in each fill up. A hair salon, spa, and University services will be comapartment, free Internet and basic school is set to open next to plete and set to open in the spring cable. The building also offers Walgreen’s. A coffee shop is also of 2009. many upgrades at a cost. Residents coming soon. Molly Zamoiski, another UW can pay for housekeeping, upgradUW will also occupy University junior and Lucky resident says, ed Direct TV, weekly trash pick Square. One of the complex’s “I’m really looking forward to up, package delivery service, and towers will be home to the new having the construction finished other accessories according to the University Health Services, and because I know it will complete the Lucky website. other Student Services like the whole Lucky experience.” Lucky is A 24-hour concierge service Office of the Registrar, the Bursar, now accepting applications to rent works around the clock to help and Student Financial Services. for Fall 2009. residents with anything from dinner reservations to pet sitting. Another notable feature of Lucky is their washer and dryer system. While each apartment does not have its own washing machine or dryer, residents can monitor their laundry’s progress by accessing a website and can even get text messages sent to their phone when their loads are finished. There’s no need to worry about parking, either. Lucky houses its own parking deck on the second and third floors. For residents, a spot will cost $265 a month. Metered guest parking is available to the public 24 hours a day. In addition to just apartments, the University Square complex has a lot to offer its residents, as well as the general public. The food court, located on the second floor, currently has four different restaurants—Sbarro, Stirfry88, Nori Japan, and Quizno’s. There is also an outdoor area that is open when weather permits. Comfortable seating and free wireless Internet make this a great pace to study. Walgreen’s occupies the first floor, featuring a much bigger space than CHARLIE BAKER/THE DAILY CARDINAL the one on State Street, complete Students at Lucky are able to enjoy the living quality of a young with a pharmacy. professional while remaining in the heart of campus life. Retail space construction is


dailycardinal.com

housing guide

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

l

3


4

l

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

housing guide

dailycardinal.com


housing guide

dailycardinal.com

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

l

5

MAPPING OUT MADISON NEIGHBORHOODS With so much diversity within the city, students have many choices of areas they can call home

Best spot to be for Saturday home football games

Heart of the university both on weekdays and weekends

by d n e t o ula lati p o pu y p po l t os ek m Gre ea s Ar UW’

Cultural and social meeting point anchored by Downtown’s State Street

Life beyond the Capitol with its own city energy

Center for both city and state politics

Home to the famous annual Mifflin Street Block Party

Comfortable residential area for many families and graduate students alike

Graphic by Matt Riley

SAFE AND SOUND What students should know to protect themselves Story by Stephanie Dar When students come to UW-Madison, it is the first time that many of them are living on their own. Although the lack of rules and parental control can be exhilarating, students face the large responsibility of handling their own safety. In 2006 alone, there were over 150 burglaries on the UW-Madison campus, according to an FBI study. This was not including those that involved assaults or violence. The best way to prevent against theft is to eliminate all opportunities—most criminals are looking for an easy target. If you come home and suspect that someone has broken into your apartment, do not go inside. Call the police immediately and wait outside of your building. Most thefts turn violent when burglars are caught in the act. Intrusion Safety Tips • Lock all doors and windows at night. An unlocked door or an open window is basically an invitation to any burglar. • Check with your landlord to make sure that the locks to your apartment have been changed since the last person moved out. It would be very easy for a previous tenant to walk in and help themselves to your belongings.

• Make sure your eye view has 180-degree capacity. This way you can see nearly the entire hallway, not just in front of your door. • Ask who has the master key to your building. If the landlord doesn’t know or gives a vague answer, ask them to find out for sure. • Take your newspaper in on a daily basis. • Keep house keys and car keys on separate chains. This way, if your house key gets stolen, robbers won’t have access to your car and vice versa. • Don’t advertise that you live alone. During finals week in May, students were given a tragic shock when the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity house burned to its structure. In the event of a fire in your building, feel the doors before you try to exit. If they are hot, do not open them. Do not take the elevator as it may take you directly into the path of the fire. On the way out of the building if you are able to exit, pull the fire alarms. Call 911 immediately to report the fire, and stay a safe distance away from the building. If you are unable to leave the building and

MATT RILEY/THE DAILY CARDINAL

are trapped in your unit, put moist towels in openings to block smoke from coming in, and put a wet washcloth over your nose and mouth when breathing. Call 911 and report your location, and do not open outside windows as smoke from outside of the building may come in. Wait for instructions from the operator, and stay low to the ground where air is the safest to breathe as smoke and hot air rises.

Purchase a fire escaper ladder. If you live on an upper floor, purchase a fire escape ladder. This will help eliminate potential injury from jumping.

Accident Safety Tips • Check Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors. Landlords are responsible for providing working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, however it is up to residents to make sure they have working batteries. Check detectors regularly and never remove batteries while cooking.

• Get a fireproof box. This way valuable documents and pictures will be kept safe.

• Verify that your apartment’s sprinkler system works. • Never leave a lit candle unattended.

• Never ignore a fire alarm; they go off for a reason. • Have an escape plan in case of a fire.

• Never prop open self-closing doors. Doors remain closed to block fire from spreading. Many fires and thefts are the product of opportunity; therefore it is necessary to take preventative measures to ensure your safety. The tips listed above if followed will help ensure that your campus experience is the safest possible.


6

l

housing guide

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

dailycardinal.com

A SURPRISE ON YOUR FRONT DOOR Discovering an eviction notice can be a scary thing, so learn how to reverse the damage or avoid it in the first place Story by Jack Zeller Your landlords say pay by the first of the month, you usually shoot for the 10th. They say no kegs, but you’ve got the primo tailgate spot. They also say you can’t have guests for more than three nights in a row, but your girlfriend and friends are in town with toothbrushes in the bathroom and laundry in the dryer. And they say no throwing things off the balcony, but, really, that TV was old as hell. Well, all good things must come to an end, and now there’s a little yellow note on your door reminding you how real consequences really can be: an eviction notice. What do you do now? The first thing students should know about eviction is their rights as a tenant. It can be difficult for a landlord to get a tenant evicted, and if you know your rights, you might be able to make it such a pain for them that they just might let you off the hook. A tenant can be served with an eviction notice for any violation of the ease; however, most often, these citations can be “cured” by amending the problem for which you

CHARLIE BAKER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

are being evicted. This could be paying late rent, compensating for damages or putting an immediate stop to behavior in violation of the lease. For the average year lease that most students hold, the landlord can serve you with four different types of eviction notices: a five or 14 day curable lease or a five or 14 day no-cure notice. While most eviction cases are settled before the problem goes any further, a tenant has the right to contest the eviction for whatever reason. To do so, you have a couple options. You can invite all your friends over for a protest live-in at your apartment. You can go alla John and Yoko and just stay in bed until your problems go away. You can become a squatter in the backyard and cook your food in a garbage can. Or you can go to court. This would buy you some time to find a new place or

C

Let’s face it, living in Madison isn’t cheap. Student tenants shell out a pretty penny whether it be for a house or apartment, which is why they should avoid paying even more by knowing what they’re entitled to.

plot your case. If you contest the legality of your eviction, the landlord must file a court case and pay all the related fees for doing so. Sometimes, it might just be easier to try to work something out with you. The only downside to going to court is, even if you win, the summons goes on public record, which could hurt you or your credit record down the line. Some landlords will deny your application if they see you’ve been served with an eviction notice at a previous residence. All in all, the best idea is to try and cooperate with your landlord from the start. If you have pissed him or her off to the point where they really want you out, try and move out peacefully and without incident, or offer some sort of compromise. Eviction is a big hassle for everyone and, if you’re sensible, you’ll find a way out before it comes to that point.

Story by Ryan Hebel

ontrary to popular belief, not all landlords are bent on ruling tenants with iron fists and cockroach armies. Most don’t constantly concoct tricky lease clauses or hide under beds ready to pounce at the first sign of dusty cabinetry. Still, anyone with renting experience probably has been scammed, or knows someone who has been cheated by a landlord. Since the difference between good and bad landlords can mean hundreds of dollars, weeks of cold showers and hours of snow shoveling, it’s important to know your tenant rights. Here are some tips from Madison’s Tenant Resource Center (www.tenantresourcecenter.org) so you won’t be helpless the next time your landlord drops mice down your chimney.

MATT RILEY/THE DAILY CARDINAL

• It sounds like a no-brainer, but always check the lease thoroughly before you sign. Find out which utilities you’ll be responsible for paying and who to write your checks out to. If you live in a multiplex, find out if you’re responsible for paying utilities in “common areas” too (hallways, porches and other shared areas). Since contract jargon can’t be confusing, it’s never a bad idea to bring your lease in to the Student Tenant Union’s office in Memorial Union for examination either. • Besides filling out check-in forms with as much detail as possible, you should always take pictures of any damaged conditions or let uninvolved witnesses see them for future reference. • Landlords are allowed to deduct money from security deposit to pay for damages, but watch out for inflated or bogus fees. It is illegal to charge tenants for anything outside of “the normal wear and tear,” so basic cleaning and inevitable repairs are usually off limits. Carpet cleaning fees, for example, should never be taken out of your deposit unless there are major stains or other damage. • If your landlord does ravages your deposit with maintenance fees, you have the right to see a cost-breakdown including what was cleaned, how many hours it took and how much the cleaners were paid. • Landlords are now obligated to photograph all damages they subtract from deposits and must show tenants these photos upon request and let them know they are available. If your security deposit has been deducted since April 26, 2008 and you haven’t been notified about your right to see photographic evidence, demand the pictures from your landlord. If they refuse to produce photos

or the damages are exaggerated, you get your deposit back or sue for three times the damages. Call Consumer Protection at (800) 422-7128 to file a complaint. • Landlords can dilly-dally with some maintenance calls, but heat, running water and electricity must be fixed within a 24-48 hours. If your landlord is slow in responding, call Madison’s building inspector at (608) 2662451. • If the lease does not forbid subletting, you can sublet your apartment at any time without approval from your landlord. • You cannot be evicted for failing to pay rent until the landlord posts a five-day notice on your property, files a complaint in small claims court and, finally, takes you to court. This process can take up to a month. • If you break your lease and move out, you are responsible for your rent until a subletter is found. In the meantime, though, your landlord must advertise your apartment as they have in the past. One way to check this is to have a friend call the landlord and ask about the property’s availability. If the landlord doesn’t advertise, you are no longer liable for the rent. • If your roommate jumps ship, you have the right to turn down anyone new your landlord finds to enter the lease. Just remember that, until a replacement is found, you are potentially liable for the entire rent. • Landlords must plow snow from driveways and sidewalks before noon if the snow accumulated on sidewalks before midnight the day before. • Security deposits in Madison cannot exceed the first month’s rent. If they’re more than half that amount, landlords must pay you one percent interest on your deposit. • Renters are currently responsible for replacing smoke detectors, but a new ordinance will soon force landlords to use 10-year batteries, according to the Tenant Resource Center.


housing guide

dailycardinal.com

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

l

7

HOME HEAVEN or NESTING NIGHTMARE A roommate can make or break a college living situation, so use these guidelines to find what fits you and your lifestyle best. Story by Jillian Levy

D

eciding where to live in the years following your freshman dorm experience is not a simple task. Who to live with, however, is an even more important and complicated decision. Signing a lease is a serious legal undertaking, and getting out of one because of poor roommate-choosing abilities is nearly impossible. Whether you plan to live in a house with eight other people or in a two-bedroom with your best friend, moving in with someone whose living habits are unknown to you can be daunting. Before making any promises of future co-existence with your friends, figure out what kind of person or people you’d like to share your living space with. Best friends

The Madison Housing Guide A special publication of 2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 l fax (608) 262-8100

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Alex Morrell Managing Editor Jamie McMahon Special Issues Editor Julia Shiplett Photo Editors Kyle Bursaw Lorenzo Zemella Graphics Editors Meg Anderson Matt Riley Jillian Levy Copy Chiefs Gabe Ubatuba Jake Victor

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Babu Gounder Assistant Business Manager Alex Kusters Advertising Manager Sheila Phillips Eric Harris, Dan Hawk Web Directors Account Executives Katie Brown Natalie Kemp, Tom Shield Marketing Director Andrew Gilbertson Assistant Marketing Director Perris Aufmuth Archivist Erin Schmidtke The Madison Housing Guide is a special publication of The Daily Cardinal. Each reader is entitled to one complimentary copy. Any additional copies must be picked up at the Cardinal offices, 2142 Vilas Hall. The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager.

Board of Directors Vince Filak Nik Hawkins Chris Long Benjamin Sayre Jenny Sereno Jeff Smoller

l

l

l

Babu Gounder Janet Larson Alex Morrell Adam Schmidt Terry Shelton Jason Stein

l

l

l

© 2008, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398

can become bitter enemies by move-out day if they are incompatible roommates. Neat Freak or Cool with Clutter You may not realize whether you’re messy or above average on the organizational scale, but take a look around your current living space and decide how much mess, or lack thereof, you can handle. If pizza boxes from last month and a semester’s worth of dirty laundry don’t frighten you, try to avoid moving in with someone who folds their underwear, makes their bed daily and doesn’t let a dish sit in the sink for more than a minute. As nice as it sounds to have a maid cleaning up after you, roommates addicted to cleaning can grow to resent those who don’t mind living in squalor. Silent Study or Destined for Distraction Although living with someone with similar study habits may not be of paramount importance, around exam time it can make or break your living situation. If you study with the TV on, iChat open and among multiple people, having to lock yourself in your room because your roommate(s) need absolute quiet to function can be counterintuitive. Different surroundings and sounds affect students’ concentration and focus levels differently. Finding someone who can tolerate your ideal study setting, or has a similar one themselves, can make high-stress weeks pass without any blow-ups or falling-outs.

JOANNA MOONEY/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Tips to Avoid Petty Fights • Make rules about taking out the garbage and recycling before you move in. Trivial

as it seems, watching your roomies carefully stack trash onto an already overflowing garbage can be infuriating.

• If you’re sharing a bathroom with several people, encourage them to use shower

caddies. Yes, one of the great things about having your own place is being able to spread your junk out all over the place, but five sets of shampoo and conditioner bottles in one shower is excessive and someone is bound to get angry about their things constantly being moved, and possibly even used.

• Sharing food with roommates isn’t easy. Even if you think you are okay with

buying communal groceries, it’s difficult to make sure everyone is contributing a fair amount. Either create a set list of “staple” food items that each roommate is responsible for contributing to or just stick to buying your own groceries. And don’t steal someone else’s! They’ll notice.

• Most importantly, if someone you live with is getting under your skin, don’t wait

until you can’t take it anymore and blow up. Confront the person in as patient a way as possible about what it is that’s bothering you. Chances are, asking them to change toilet paper rolls or stop leaving their socks on the bathroom floor will be a lot less difficult than trying to find somewhere else to live.

Passionate About Parties or the Keg-Free Kind Moving into a house means sharing a large amount of space with a potentially large number of people. Before you start scouting around for a house with a great party basement, make sure all of your future roommates are going to be OK with surrendering your house to a massive number of people, and all the

potential damage that can ensue during late-night festivities. Early Bird or Night Owl Apartment walls are rarely as soundproof as they should be. If your alarm starts blaring at 6 a.m. every morning, it might be best to avoid moving in with someone who tends to stroll in the door from the night before at a similar hour, particularly if you have to

share a room. Try to find someone that has a similar sleep schedule–– or is at least a very deep sleeper. However, every duo, trio or larger group of people will function together in very different ways. Regardless of how many people you plan on living with, before move-in day sit down and figure out what’s going to make your new house or apartment a place where you and your roommate(s) are happy to be.


8

l

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

housing guide

dailycardinal.com


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.