ONE ‘POPULAR’ PRODUCTION l
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Preview of ‘Wicked’ at the Overture Center ARTS
l
PAGE 4
Complete campus coverage since 1892
l
RIDE ON, HARLEY
Cardinal Editorial Board OPINION
dailycardinal.com
l
PAGE 5
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Common Council discusses student housing pressure
Smell ya later
By Anna Bukowski The Daily Cardinal
ben pierson/the daily cardinal
Hold your noses! The Titan Arum, also known as the “Corpse Flower” due to its rotting meat scent, is in bloom in the D.C. Greenhouse at 465 Babcock Drive. Visitors welcome!
A proposal to push back re-leasing and showing regulations until January for Madison properties was referred by the Madison Common Council Tuesday. Under the current ordinance, landlords can ask tenants to renew their lease as early as Nov. 15. The proposed ordinance would extend that time until midJanuary so students could have more time before making a decision. Many students spoke in favor of the new ordinance, arguing it would take the pressure and rush out of rent. The main problem is the “overall atmosphere created by lease season,” ASM Vice Chair Adam Johnson said. Johnson said students receive e-mails
from Madison property companies in September and early October claiming apartments were “going fast” or, in some cases, completely gone. Ald. Bridget Maniaci, District 2, said both students and Madison residents are affected by the early renting seasons. She said Madison landlords target freshmen heavily. “[Young students] are preyed upon by the marketing efforts of some of these companies,” Maniaci said. Later lease dates would create more chaos among renters if pushed to January, according to Bill White, attorney with the Apartment Association of South Central Wisconsin. council page 2
Liberal advocacy group claims RPW involved in voter fraud plot By Ariel Shapiro The Daily Cardinal
Liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now obtained recordings they claim prove a conspiracy between the Republican Party of Wisconsin and various Tea Party organizations to target students and minorities in a “voter caging” effort. Scot Ross, executive director of OWN, which filed complaints with the Government Accountability Board and U.S. Attorney’s office over the matter, said the kind of voter caging the groups planned to engage in entails sending out a mailing, and then compiling a list of those that
were returned undelivered and using that as a means to challenge a person’s right to vote. “For college students that is particularly problematic, because you may live in the same municipality, but you’ve moved from your apartment,” Ross said. Shane McVey of the Eau Claire Tea Party did address students as a major factor during the meeting in June where the plan was discussed. “One of the things to look at is cities and universities,” McVey said. “Students will come down in droves and then they will all vouch for each other.” Tim Dake of the GrandSons
of Liberty also discussed race as a potential hurdle for the plan. “The other thing is you run into the racial thing. You have people screaming ‘Oh, you’re denying minorities their right to vote.’ No, we’re denying their right to vote multiple times,” Dake said. Mark Block, state director of Americans for Prosperity, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the group had sent out about 500 mailing, received only 10 back, and took no further action. The transcript contains references to the RPW’s involvement, fraud page 2
Ben pierson/the daily cardinal
Ald. Bridget Maniaci, District 2, spoke in favor of a propossal to take pressure off UW-Madison students in resigning leases.
Religion on Campus: Being Jewish at UW-Madison By Kathryn Weenig The Daily Cardinal
Christopher Guess/cardinal file photo
Chabad Jewish Student Center members serve sushi during shabbat.
There is upwards of 5,000 Jewish students on campus, according to Hillel Foundation University of Wisconsin. What does it mean for these students who identify themselves as Jews? Jordan Soffer, the Student President of the Chabad Jewish Student Association, said the university provides a generally comfortable atmosphere for Jews. “I think a lot of it comes down to individual professors being more accommodating. But sometimes that’s difficult, because our religion is very time consuming,” said Soffer. “I don’t know if there’s much the university can do. I think it’s up to the individual Jews. But I think the University has done a very nice job of making a haven to
practice any religion truthfully and openly.” However, many Jews felt an anti-Semitic presence on campus last year following the publishing of the advertisement linking to a Holocaust denial website on the Badger Herald website and the release of the “Coastie Rap.” More than 100 students attended both a protest and an ethics panel, which was co-sponsored by Hillel and the Office of the Dean of Students, addressing the advertisement. Soffer said he is shocked that the question of the Holocaust’s occurrence ever entered campus and feels a better apology from The Badger Herald was needed. “I find it absurd that this kind of rhetoric is permeating the university. I find it unfortunate that
any apology was confined. All the apologies were tainted,” said Soffer. Rabbi Mendel from the Chabad Jewish Student Association said he feels the advertisement was insensitive, especially since there are many Jewish UW-Madison students whose grandparents are Holocaust survivors. Last year, the popular “Coastie rap” generated debate about stereotypes with its lines “Jewish American Princess” and “My East Coast Jewish Honey.” Mendel believes the generalizations should not have included religion. “Lines about Jews are poor taste … It’s not okay to stereotype huge groups of people based on religion,” said Mendel. religion page 2
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”