Sean’s falling out with Satan One reader’s inability to finish “The Satanic Verses”
There’s more to Miss America than the color of her skin
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+ARTS, page 5 University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Senate passes controversial landlord bill By Jack Casey the daily cardinal
Tenants in Madison and across the state could see landlords gain new rights if a controversial bill passed by the state Senate Tuesday were to become a law. Housing organizations and tenant rights advocates have already clashed over the bill, which passed the state Senate 18-15 with every Republican voting in favor of it. Bill supporters argue the legislation would give landlords much needed control in the rental process and streamline statewide landlord laws, while critics have said the bill unfairly targets renters and puts them at risk of increased fees or eviction. Most disagreements have stemmed from provisions, such as those that would allow landlords to evict tenants if a crime was committed on the property without regard to whether the tenant is at fault, and a provision that would allow land-
lords to throw out an evicted tenant’s belongings. However, several amendments proposed and adopted in the state Senate Tuesday represented cooperation between both sides, including one that would allow immediate eviction action if a tenant victimizes another tenant. Ryan Prestil, a student representative with the Associated Students of Madison who focuses on tenant rights, said he is “very concerned” the bill passed and worries the newfound landlord rights will lead many first-time student renters to be taken advantage of when moving off-campus. “A lot of the protections that we have had in Madison are being stripped away at the state level,” Prestil said. “You potentially have people who don’t know what their rights are and that they have protection that they don’t anymore.”
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Burglars rob four homes on Langdon Street
Will chevek/the daily cardinal
Alana Nichols is the only female U.S. Paralympian to win medals in both a summer and a winter sport.
Olympians encourage students to persevere By Sarah Olson the daily cardinal
on campus
Paying respect Flags outside The Kohl Center flew at half mast Tuesday in honor of the victims of the recent shootings at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. + Photo by Grey Satterfield
Two Olympic athletes encouraged University of Wisconsin-Madison students to “take the lead” in their own personal journeys at a meet-andgreet event Tuesday. Their appearance at the event was part of a national tour that includes stops at nine other campuses. The series is called “It’s Your Race, Take the Lead: Stories from Olympic and Paralympic Athletes,” and is focused on encouraging people to persevere in their own lives. Two-time speed skating gold medalist Shani Davis and Alana Nichols, Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball and alpine skiing, shared the stories of their past, advice for the present and goals for the future. Davis, who started speed skating when he was six years old, said it was a challenge, and he did not excel right away. It was not until he “took control” of his training and his mindset that he had success. Davis won a gold and a silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy, where he became the first black athlete from any nation to win a gold medal in a winter Olympic sport. “It’s not going to be the easiest sometimes to achieve the things
that we want to achieve or accomplish,” Davis said. “It’s going to be tough.” But according to Davis, success is about not giving up. Nichols, who planned to play college softball on a scholarship, broke her back in a snowboarding accident when she was 17 years old. But when she started playing wheelchair basketball, she said, she realized how much she enjoyed “getting sweaty” and competing. “Before I knew it, it wasn’t about being disabled … it was about me beating the guy next to me,” Nichols said. She said her ability to adapt to challenges has enabled her to achieve her Olympic goals, and she encouraged UW-Madison students to adapt to challenges they face as they begin looking for jobs and applying to graduate schools. “If you can take the lead in your own race and adapt to what life throws at you, I really believe you can be as successful as you want to be,” Nichols said. UW-Madison senior Eric Lucari said he thought both athletes were “really inspiring,” and he felt motivated by Nichols’ dedication and perseverance. “It makes me feel like I need to work that much harder in my own life,” Lucari said.
Police reported a string of four separate residential burglaries on Langdon Street last weekend, according to Madison police. The first burglary was reported on the 200 block of Langdon Street Friday at approximately 5:45 a.m., after residents discovered the break-in, according to Madison Police Department Spokesperson Joel DeSpain. Then, on Saturday morning, three more Langdon Street residents reported burglaries. One occurred on the 200 block, and two on the 100 block, according to the report. The report stated electronics and money were targeted in all four burglaries. In two of the cases, the burglars entered the resi-
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Marijuana fines could increase under new bill The state Senate approved a bill Tuesday that would allow local governments to issue citations for marijuana possession charges if the district attorney declines to pursue charges. Under current legislation, charges of possession for over 25 grams of marijuana are sent to the district attorney’s office and often dismissed, according to a spokesperson for state Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, R-Fond du Lac. The new legislation would empower municipal governments to prosecute an offender if the district attorney drops the possession charges. Local governments could issue fines and place charges on the offender’s record. According to Thiesfeldt’s spokesperson, it has become commonplace for district attorneys to dismiss these charges, leaving the offender with no citation on his or her record. The lack of citations have caused confusion for municipal police departments and have lead to repeat offenders being charged for a first time offense. The bill will now move to the Republican-controlled state Assembly for discussion, where a similar bill is currently pending.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”