Housing Guide 2012 - Thursday, November 1, 2012 - The Daily Cardinal

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Thursday, November 1, 2012

Graphic by dylan moriarty

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

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Thursday, November 1, 2012

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Sandy prompts questions over FEMA’s future

By Tyler Nickerson The Daily Cardinal

Hurricane Sandy slammed into the East Coast earlier this week, bringing with it massive power outages, transportation problems, billions of dollars in damage and even death. But beyond the material damage, the “super storm” has also brought to national attention funding issues for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Regardless of the outcome of the Nov. 6 presidential election, FEMA faces certain cuts. How much, however, is still uncertain.

If re-elected, President Barack Obama’s 2013 budget includes a $1 billion cut in federal disaster relief funds, a roughly 14 percent reduction from FEMA’s $7 billion budget in the 2012 fiscal year, according to a FEMA report.

On the other hand, if Mitt Romney is elected president,

FEMA’s future becomes less clear. But there are clues about how the ex-Massachusetts governor plans to approach the issue.

In a Republican primary debate last year, Romney said he would like to see states and the private sector take a bigger role in federal disaster response and he supports cuts to federal FEMA funds, but provided no further details.

As an additional clue to the future of FEMA under a Romney administration, his running mate Paul Ryan’s House budget plan includes a 22 percent cut to non-defense discretionary spending, a category under which FEMA falls. Some Democrats, however, have suggested cuts to FEMA could be as high as 40 percent.

Still, Ryan’s campaign spokes-

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Restaurant owners voice concerns about food carts

By Sarah Dobrofsky The Daily Cardinal

Local restaurant owners worried about the effect of late night food vendors on traditional businesses expressed their concerns to city officials at a meeting Wednesday.

The number of carts selling food late at night has increased suddenly this year, according to Warren Hansen, a member of the Vending Oversight Committee. In one area, several food carts are stationed on a small block that has at least three existing restaurants.

Rich Scheflow, owner of Silvermine Subs, said food carts are a nuisance and cause public safety issues when people out late at night have to walk in the streets to avoid the lines that form around the vendors.

“Current late-night vending is

out of control,” Scheflow said.

Pita Pit owner Courtney Pawn said vendors, such as those that set up shop near her storefront, are “setting existing stores up for failure.”

“I just want to have a balance so that all businesses can thrive and co-exist,” Pawn said. “We love the Madison community and we don’t want this to force us to move elsewhere.”

Pawn said another issue results from food cart customers who take their food into established restaurants and try to use tables or restrooms, causing arguments between them and store owners.

“We become the bad guys,” Pawn said.

According to Steve Lawrence, owner of the Fried and Fabulous

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halloween

Tubbie toss

Students gather at Union South for the Halloween Carnival, hosted by the Wisconsin International Student Association. + Photo by Grey Satterfield

Obama, Baldwin lead in poll one week before Nov. 6 election

By Adam Wollner The Daily Cardinal

President Barack Obama and U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., appear to have the advantage in their respective races in Wisconsin with the election less than a week away, according to a new poll released Wednesday.

According to the latest Marquette University Law School poll, Obama leads former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney 51 percent to 43 percent in the presidential contest in the state while Baldwin holds a four-point edge over former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, 47 percent to 43 percent, in the U.S. Senate race.

The poll, which was conducted from October 25-28, used a sample of 1,243 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent.

The results are an improvement for the Democratic candidates compared to the last Marquette poll from midOctober, when Obama and Thompson each led Romney and Baldwin by one percentage point respectively.

Around 10 percent of the

poll’s respondents said they have already cast their ballots for the Nov. 6 election. Early voters split 56 percent to 36 percent in Obama’s favor and 52 percent to 36 percent in Baldwin’s favor.

As was the case in previous Marquette polls, the preference of independent voters pointed to which candidates came out on top. Obama holds a five-point advantage over Romney with independents while Baldwin is beating Thompson by six points among swing voters.

More respondents held negative views of both Baldwin and Thompson than held positive ones. The poll shows a 38/45 favorability rating for Baldwin while Thompson’s stands at 38/51. As for the presidential race, Obama has a net positive favorability rating at 53/44 while Romney is at 45/50 favorability.

David Canon, a University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor, said Obama has reached a critical threshold by surpassing the 50 percent mark in the state, but added the Senate race could still go either way and may turn on the results of the presidential election.

“A decisive Obama win in

Wisconsin would clearly be good news for Baldwin because it would mean a lot more marginal Democratic voters who may not have turned out to vote are actually turning out,” Canon said.

51 to 43

percent of votes held by President Obama and former Gov. Romney, respectively

47 to 43

percent of votes held by Tammy Baldwin and Tommy Thompson, respectively

Union Cab to offer free rides to polling places Nov. 6

wil gibb/the daily cardinal

Food carts are drawing concern from restaurant owners who worry they are stealing business while operating at night.

In honor of Election Day Nov. 6, Union Cab will offer free rides to and from polling locations to encourage people in and around the Madison community to vote.

Union Cab said in a statement it hopes its efforts will encourage voters to express their voice and allow everybody in the community to utilize their rights as

a citizen.

Union Cab began offering free rides last year during the collective bargaining rallies at the Capitol. Since then, it has given 514 rides to and from polls during primary and general elections.

Community Pharmacy, Community Car, and Isthmus Engineering and

Manufacturing will partner with Union Cab to support its effort to transport voters.

Cabs will provide service to residences in Madison along with Middleton, Monona, Shorewood, Madison, Blooming Grove, Burke, Maple Bluff and Fitchburg. To access a cab, voters should call 608242-2000.

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Sustainability Committee moves closer to approval

By Paige Villiard The Daily Cardinal

wil gibb/cardinal file photo

Voters can continue to cast their in-person early vote until Friday. Up to this point, more early ballots have been cast at the Madison city clerk’s office than were for the 2008 election.

More Madisonians vote early in person than did in 2008 The number of ballots cast early in Madison for the Nov. 6 election will likely surpass numbers from the 2008 election, Mayor Paul Soglin said in a press conference Wednesday.

Receiving 2.8 votes per minute, Soglin said the city clerk’s office had received almost 20,300 early ballots including in-person and by-mail absentee votes by noon Wednesday, approaching the nearly 24,000 early votes that were cast four years ago.

The number of Madisonians to vote early in-person has already surpassed that in 2008,

which Soglin said was almost 13,500. According to Thomas Lund, a municipal clerk with the city clerk’s office, the city had received 14,325 in-person ballots

by Wednesday evening.

“I’m hoping that we as a city can and county continue to break all expectations, break all records in regards to turnout and demonstrate what a great city, state and nation this is,” Soglin said.

Although Wisconsin voters have experienced an emotional recent election with the recall election last June, Soglin said he is not worried that

Madison voters are experiencing voter fatigue.

“I’m more worried about the negative ads that we see which are in part designed to suppress the vote,” he said.

Friday is the last chance for early in-person voting before Tuesday’s election.

“On Tuesday of next week, we’d like to get the highest percentage and total turnout in the history of the city,” Soglin said.

“Madison has always excelled in terms of public participation … and we really would like to maintain that reputation.”

—Meghan Chua

An Associated Students of Madison Sustainability Committee is one step closer to being created after Student Council voted in favor of forming the committee in its first round of voting Wednesday.

Rep. Collin Higgins, who said many students are looking for a more formal way to address environmental concerns on campus, proposed the Sustainability Committee earlier this month.

After initially being voted down, Council motioned to reconsider the committee at last week’s meeting.

Rep. Libby Wick-Bander said sustainability should not be a controversial issue and ASM should support this committee because many students have already showed interest in it.

The new committee will require a second vote of approval, which will take place at the next meeting, in order to be created.

Council also discussed the requested 2013-’14 ASM internal budget, which could include $60,000 for Varsity Day in the spring of 2014.

Varsity Day was inspired

by Senior Day 2012 when Neil deGrasse Tyson spoke on campus at the end of the school year.

Three students spoke in open forum to advocate for funding

the event, which would bring a prominent speaker to campus to close out the year, saying it would be a great addition and a beneficial way for ASM to impact campus.

Sarah Mathews, president of the Wisconsin Union Directorate, and Neil Damron, director of the WUD Distinguished Lecture Series, both said the event would be a good way to celebrate the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Damron said the university deserves the type of worldclass speaker that Varsity Day would attract.

“A world-class speaker would excite and inspire students and impact them forever,” Damron said.

All of the students that spoke on the benefits of Varsity Day agreed that a board or committee would need to be created to find a speaker that could inspire and influence the entire campus.

Council will vote on the budget in its next meeting Nov. 7. The budget must pass Council before moving on to the ASM Student Services Finance Committee for approval.

Also in the meeting, Council passed legislation advocating for increased funding to the University of Wisconsin System in the next state budget, which is currently under development.

The legislation calls for the state to institute a tuition cap and increase in financial aid, among other requests.

ASM committee begins finance management campaign The Associated Students of Madison University Affairs Committee discussed a campaign Wednesday that will provide students with resources and support to help teach them money management skills.

ASM Intern Mary Prunty, who is spearheading the Financial Literacy Campaign, said many students enter college without knowing how to manage money.

“They’re going to college and they’re financially independent for the first time, and not knowing how to handle their finances,” Prunty said. “Through our campaign we want to stop this.”

According to Prunty, a major focus of the campaign will be to help students with filling out tax forms, a service that has been

highly requested by students in the past.

The campaign hopes to partner with the IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) to achieve this goal.

The campaign has received support from student groups like the Working Class Student Union and the accounting fraternity Beta Alpha Psi and also intends to collaborate with the Financial Aid Office and businesses such as UW Credit Union.

Prunty said one possibility moving forward would be to follow the lead of schools like Ohio State University, which brought in a financial counselor to provide students with individualized budgeting

assistance and to lead courses in personal finance.

ASM University Affairs Chair Becca Buell said financial advising should be a part of the other advising services already offered on campus.

“We have career advising, academic advising, mental health advising,” she said. “We have all these different advising centers on campus…why isn’t there financial advising?”

As a next step, the campaign’s organizers are planning an upcoming town hall meeting that will assemble students, professors and business leaders and allow them to work together to brainstorm solutions to student’s lack of financial knowledge.

—Tamar Myers

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response to disasters.

“President Obama proposes fairly incremental change to FEMA’s budget, while Gov. Romney budget proposals, while not completely clear would mean much more dramatic cuts,” Moynihan wrote in an email Wednesday. “It’s not clear how Romney would replace the capacity of FEMA, and without a credible plan, it’s reasonable to expect this would limit the ability of the federal government to fulfill its tradi-

tional role in this area.”

FEMA was widely criticized for how it handled the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but this time around the agency has been praised for its quick response.

“There is a tendency to forget about the importance of this funding until we see major disasters occur,” Moynihan said. “One thing we can be sure of, there will be more disasters, and more demand for these services.”

person Brendan Buck told The Washington Post in the wake of Hurricane Sandy Tuesday, “A Romney-Ryan administration will always ensure that disaster funding is there for those in need. Period.”

Despite the ambiguity and speculation, University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor Don Moynihan stressed the importance of investment at the federal level to ensure proper

aevyrie roessler/the daily cardinal

Student government hears students’ opinions on funding Varsity Day, an end of the year event featuring a prominent speaker.

Obama to visit Milwaukee Saturday In addition to campaigning in Green Bay tomorrow, President Barack Obama will return to Milwaukee Saturday.

The stop comes amongst a slew of campaign events from both the Obama campaign and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s campaign.

Romney’s running mate Paul

Ryan was in the state Wednesday, Romney will visit West Allis Friday and Vice President Joe Biden will speak in Superior and Beloit Friday as well.

Also, former President Bill Clinton is campaigning on behalf of Obama in Eau Claire Wednesday and Waukesha Thursday.

vending from page 2

pendent business when deciding where to sell, are a growing trend both in Madison and in the nation.

“I started my business from the ground up to be a latenight business,” Lawrence said. “[What I sell] is unlike anything else anyone around me is selling.”

The committee postponed voting on potential solutions that would allow both parties to maintain their businesses until its next meeting.

food cart, city regulations restrict vendors from operating without limitations.

Working within these regulations, Lawrence said food carts must still find areas close to potential customers in which to vend.

Locations with adequate foot traffic and nearby bars are ideal.

He added food carts, which should be regarded as an inde-

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Thursday, November 1, 2012

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 122, Issue 45

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Confessions of a coffee addict

2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100

Friday: partly sunny

Today: sunny

Zac pestine zac crackle & pop

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s a college student, particularly one that is academically oriented, I often find myself trying to employ the concepts that I learn in class within the scope of my everyday life. This activity helps me both to see the world through different lenses and internalize classroom material. One philosophical conundrum that has become manifest in my coursework is how medicine should play a role in getting us to be our “ideal” selves.

Prozac, the highly potent and controversial antidepressant, has specifically injected itself into our discussion on the matter because of the way it can help people to feel “better than well.” In other words, some people who take Prozac report the sensation of not only quelling their depression, but actually feeling elated and bubbly.

This topic necessarily begs

the question, “should medicine help us to feel better than well?” I would like to take this discussion on a different route and focus on my coffee addiction.

Each day, within an hour of waking up, I NEED to have a cup of (strong) coffee in my hand and enough caffeine to maim a small animal running through my brain.

I cannot begin my day without having that cup, and I prefer not to speak to people at length until said coffee is working its way through said brain and connecting my dendrites to each other.

If you have ever been in class with me, you will no doubt have rarely, if ever, seen me without a slurpable hand-warmer by my side. Starbucks, my enabler of choice, is easily the establishment where most of my funds have been expunged throughout my days as a Badger. But hey, they make a damn good product!

The point that I am trying to make with this anecdote is that coffee is my means to feeling better than well. When I cannot get my hands on it

(either because it is unavailable or because what is offered is putrid), I either turn to tea or Diet Coke.

Well, actually, it used to be my means to feeling better than well. As a veteran addict, I don’t use it to stay awake or because it feels good anymore.

I use it to get back to that proverbial “well” stage that we all have known in our childhood, but which was stripped from us like Reggie Bush’s Heisman trophy, once we encountered some form of mind-altering substance.

For the record, these mind altering substances do not have to be drugs in their most familiar sense. They can be whatever we use to make us feel really good (“better than well”). Ice cream, for example, is another one of these for me.

I suppose feeling better than well is what we all strive for. It is the reason we wake up in the morning. The only drawbacks of this feeling are the detrimental side effects that accompany the means to it. Since, when misused or abused, medicalized drugs often possess those side effects, they can be those

very substances.

Hypocritically, I have also entertained the thought that just as Glaucoma patients, and pretty much anyone who has ever had a mild headache, are able to obtain a medicinal marijuana card in many states, there should be a push for medicinal coffee for those, like all of us addicts, who only consume it to feel well again. Probably won’t happen in this lifetime, but I can dream.

Yet whether it be a steaming cup of my cherished Gold Coast Blend at Starbucks, a mug of house brand green tea or that “last resort” Diet Coke to get a quick fix, I will continue to use coffee to make me feel both good and well.

I think that is ok, and I think everyone is allowed to (and should) use things to make them feel good. It is when we become dependent on those things that it becomes an issue.

I suppose I have an issue as well, but at least acknowledging the problem is the first step towards recovery.

Comin’ down from the caffeine buzz? Comiserate with Zac at pestine@wisc.edu.

Too cool for school: Saved by ‘Rock Band’ adam wolf howlin’ mad

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wasn’t cool in high school.

There’s a lot of people that say this, and for most, it doesn’t carry much weight.

I think a lot people confuse “uncool” with “awkward,” and the two aren’t always analogous.

Everybody feels some level of awkwardness at that point in his or her life, but far less of those individuals actually let it interfere with their ability to enjoy the rites of passage that come along with high school.

For instance, in spite of their feelings of awkwardness, the majority of my classmates attended our junior prom. I spent that night bagging groceries and collecting carts in a Pick ‘n’ Save parking lot.

Many of my classmates attended our football team’s Friday night home games, dressing up in school colors and packing in our student section. I spent those nights listening to the local radio broadcasts in my room or in my backyard, often going to bed before my parents, who were usually waiting for their Lifetime movie to finish up.

That’s not even the worst of it.

I had an excessive sweating problem in high school (and still do, but thankfully to a lesser degree), and by the end of the school day, without fail, my pits would be drenched, even if I didn’t take part in any physical activity.

I tried several strategies to cope with this problem, ultimately settling on stuffing paper towels in the armpit areas of my shirt to mitigate the sweating. During the course of the day, I made sure

not to move my arms too much so as not to have the paper towels fall out and reveal my secret.

So yeah, I wasn’t cool in high school.

There was one saving grace that I looked forward to most weekends, however. My friend Eric was a pretty intense gamer and was always quick to purchase the newest titles for Xbox.

I wasn’t much of a gamer at all, but when Eric bought the original “Rock Band” (and its subsequent iterations), I was instantly hooked.

The first time he invited me over after purchasing the game, we played it for hours.

Eventually,our entire group of friends would come over to Eric’s house every weekend, binging on Mountain Dew and frozen pizza while alternating between marathon sessions of “Rock Band” and pickup basketball. It was awesome.

The best part of all was that I wasn’t particularly good at “Rock Band,” but I didn’t care. I was no better than medium-level difficulty at bass (my usual instrument of choice), and was godawful on the drums.

My ability on the microphone was pretty limited as well, but because I was among friends, I shamelessly belted out the few songs that were within my wheelhouse. Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” quickly became my calling card. “It’s a nice day to…

START AGAAAIIIINNNN!” Of course, playing “Rock Band” wasn’t especially cool considering that a good amount of my classmates were partying, dating or otherwise getting away from the house on weekends. But I will forever credit “Rock Band” for giving me the courage to do the coolest thing I ever did in high school.

Following our graduation ceremony, our school set up a bunch of activities for all of us to take part in during the night.

One of those activities included a karaoke stage positioned in the main lobby. Throughout the night, a who’s who of our high school’s elite paraded to the stage in groups, with the more anonymous types (like myself ) staying off to the side.

Emboldened by my “Rock Band” experience, I sacked up and took to the stage solo to sing “December ’63 (Oh What A Night)” by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, much to the surprise of my classmates.

And though this may be a case

of selective memory, I believe I brought the house down.

Looking back four years later, something like how cool I was in high school seems pretty trivial, and I’m happy I can now view my teenage years with some levity. But in that moment, in front of probably 50 or 60 people—many of whom I had barely ever spoken to—I felt completely comfortable. I felt cool.

And for the first time in a while, I wasn’t sweating either.

Have some horror stories about high school to tell, yourself?

Have questions for Adam about his rockin’ debut at his graduation after-party? Send your questions and comments his way at ajwolf2@wisc.edu.

STUDENT TiCkETS $10 or lESS! U N I O N T H E A T E R .W I S C . E D U

GrUpo FantaSma Friday, November 2, 8 pm, tHe Sett at uNioN SoutH

UW Symphony orcheStra With JoShUa roman, cello

Saturday, November 10, 8 pm, millS Hall

alaSdair FraSer & natalie haaS

tHurSday, November 15, 8pm, muSic Hall

Jazz SerieS ninety mileS proJect

tHurSday, November 29, 8pm, muSic Hall

The Wisconsin Union Theater Season is programmed by the Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee. This theater season is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Wisconsin Union Theater Endowment Fund

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housing guide

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Housing in Madison 1. State Street

8. Langdon

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Whether you are a shopper, bar-hopper or foodie, you will find what you are looking for living on State Street. It’s the best and worst part about living along the six-block straightaway. The variety of destinations, which are too many to list, attracts a diverse population. There is never a dull moment when people-watching and living right above the bustle.

Although there is always something to do just a short walk downstairs, keep in mind that it can serve as the ultimate school/work distraction and wallet-eater. The newer buildings tend to be pricey, but some older buildings have affordable rates. And being close to campus, Capitol Square and Lake Mendota make it worth it. Guaranteed to be the best one of your college years.

Nestled between State Street and Lake Mendota, the Langdon neighborhood is a prime location if you want to be closer to Bascom Hill. Known as ‘Frat Row,’ Langdon is a mix of charming apartment buildings and greek houses. Many apartment buildings are older mansions, but there’s a mix of options to choose from.

Once you see the view of Lake Mendota you’ll look no further. Langdon is conveniently located near State Street, making it easy to head out for a bite to eat or a shopping date For those looking to blow off some steam with some a-grindin’, Langdon is the frat party capital, and there is no such thing as a quiet Friday night or gameday on Langdon. Just be ready for the hordes of freshmen heading out to TKE come welcome week.

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2. Camp Randall

7. Mansion Hill

The area west of Camp Randall offers quiet, comfortable living (except football Saturdays), and is ideal for students in engineering and medical-related fields looking for a short commute. There are relatively affordable housing options scattered throughout.

It is perhaps symbolic that Breese Terrace and its offshoot streets are in the shadow of Camp Randall for part of the day, since the stadium has both a physical and cultural dominant presence in the area. If you love Badger football and all the debauchery that accompanies game days, this is your neighborhood.

Every other day of the week, and every other season, this area is quiet, comfortable and beautiful. If you travel just two blocks West of Breese Terrace, don’t be surprised to see children playing outside.

If you’re tired of the vomit-stained sidewalks of the Sophomore Slums and Langdon Street neighborhoods, it’s time to take a look beyond traditional student housing locations. The Mansion Hill neighborhood, with cheaper rental rates and proximity to Capitol Square, is an ideal place to find housing off the beaten path.

A mere 10-minute bike ride from campus and with regular bus routes connecting to areas all over Madison, Mansion Hill is perfectly situated between the shops and restaurants that surround the Square, State Street and serene James Madison Park.

But don’t be fooled by the quieter, homey demeanor—there is still a dominating student presence in Mansion Hill, accented by hole-in-the-wall gems like Pinkus McBride Market and Sophia’s Bakery & Café.

Graphics by angel lee and dylan moriarty

3. Greenbush

Point Counterpoint Thoughts on where to live and why To stay in the residence halls The months leading into winter are a frenzy to find roommates and housing, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed about who to live with next year, there’s no harm in waiting it out­—and living in the residence halls for your sophomore (or junior, or senior) year gives you the best of both worlds.

You can go to your apartment friends’ parties and then go home to your nice warm bed, while not worrying about the throw-up ingrained in your College Court carpeting.

Living in residence halls also offers something apartment dwellers can’t take advantage of: discounted Housing Food. College students are busy, so the less time we have to spend cooking our own food, the better.

Most apartment buildings offer 12-month leases, but with the residence halls, you only have to worry about a nine-month contract.

or

Looking for a quieter neighborhood and don’t mind being far from the bars? Then call the Greenbush neighborhood your home. Bound by Regent Street and Park Street, it is mix of students and families, making the streets quieter than its Sophomore Slum neighbors.

Although some homes can be pricey, there are still some affordable gems throughout. Just a short walk away from Indie Coffee and the infamous Greenbush Bakery, the doughnut capital of Madison, you’re also blocks away from Vilas Zoo and Park, and South Park Street restaurants. Although Greenbush is far from downtown, it’s still within walking distance of most campus buildings. And come gameday, you’ll be perfectly situated to host the best kind of pregame: one with doughnuts. Just don’t let your rager go past your next-door neighbor’s kid’s bedtime.

To move off campus

To lease from a big landlord

The benefits of apartment living are numerous. First and foremost: apartments offer the glorious luxury of personal space. You don’t have to live with the layer of unwelcomeness that descends upon your dormroom when you come home to find your darling roommate with mate in tow. You won’t hate your roommate even a little bit when you both have ample space to walk around or decorate a wall.

Apartments are also better for your wallet and waistline. Dorm food is expensive, and you end up eating ice cream all. the. time. You have to walk an inordinately large distance to get from your shower to bedroom, which is just unnatural. But most importantly, having an apartment means peace of mind.

You can cook when you want, bring home whomever, sing in the shower, and drop a deuce—all in the privacy of your own personal sanctuary.

As with signing a lease with any company, there are pros and cons.

But signing with a bigger management company, like Madison Property Management or JSM Properties, has a large number of pros.

Signing with MPM or JSM means you know what you are, well, signing up for. Smaller companies and individual landlords vary. While some are great, others are inefficient, break the rules and can make life all-around difficult.

Signing with a larger company ensures a little bit more reliability in terms of following the rules and being reachable.

Speaking of being reachable, they responded to maintenance requests quickly with a plumber or worker at my doorstep within 24 hours. My experience with a large management company was a positive one—they were organized, efficient and responsive, all qualities of a great landlord.

4. Sophomore Slums

The townhouses surrounding Spring Street, Fahrenbrook Court and College Court are in the middle of everything. Not a far distance from most classes, the SERF, McDonald’s (who wants to walk more than a block with a hangover and a craving for a greasy sausage McMuffin?) and Regent Liquor, the neighborhood is the ideal location for the well-rounded UW-Madison student.

And, despite its reputation, not only sophomores live here and it’s by far not the crappiest place to live on campus (it’s a big step up from Sellery and Witte).

The party scene here is legit, with you, your neighbors and a keg congregating in your respective courtyards in warmer months, especially on gamedays. But the townhouse complexes are not set up like high rises, so you can get a good night’s sleep for your exam Friday morning while all your friends rage on Thursday.

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To lease from a small landlord Bigger companies often have so many properties to attend to that they aren’t able to give renters the individual attention they need, resulting in overlooked requests for maintenance or long wait periods.

Dealing with a small landlord puts a face to who you’re renting from and allows the opportunity for a working relationship to develop that can make your home a much happier place. Independent landlords can be much more responsible to tenant requests for information or help within the rental space.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that each landlord is different and some may be just as problematic as larger companies. Don’t be afraid to ask questions on your showing. Many only advertise with signs on their properties, so walk around neighborhoods to find independently managed properties.

5. University/Gorham high rises

Steps from State Street and campus, the high rises along West Gorham are contemporary compared to many other areas in Madison, and taller than most anything around them. At night, the buildings are fueled by the revelry of floors full of $5-a-cup shindigs and the boisterous yells of partygoers.

This is an average weekend night in the high rises christened in the name of celestial phenomena (Equinox), agricultural holidays (420 W. Gorham), internationalism (Aberdeen, Embassy) or fictitious Spanish/French surnames (La Ciel, La Ville). No two nights in Madison may be the same.

At the end of the day, you’re paying big bucks for location; the liquor stores down the street and the pizza joints in the lobbies an added bonus for the weekend warriors.

To live in a high rise The two primary knocks on highrise apartments are that they’re too loud and overpriced.

If you lived in the Southeast dormitories, you’ve had a similar experience to what you’ll find in high rises.

Sure, they’re loud on the weekends when one room per floor hosts a freshman grind-fest. But during the week they’re calm enough to get some studying done, provided you have your own room or a roommate less annoying than Skip Bayless.

That brings into play the price issue: They’re expensive, and the only way to get around it is by sharing a room. Plenty of people take that route, but they don’t value having room for activities.

High rises tend to fill up quickly but if you hold off they’ll be offering you deals on units they haven’t rented. So if you’re willing to pony up, one of the better social scenes on campus awaits.

6. Bassett District

The Bassett District, between Bedford Street and Broom Street consists of residential homes and offers a plethora of affordable options from Dayton to Wilson.

Most homes are almost a century old, and if you’re looking for the typical college house experience look here. Many flats are spacious and you will probably have your own porch.

And during one day in May, Mifflin Street, which isn’t notably different from those it borders, transforms into the Mifflin Street Block Party, an event (whether you love it or hate it) that represents the free-spirited tone that often comes with living in the Bassett District. You’re close to Electric Earth Café and Maharani, and you’ll have a short bike ride to Bascom Hill. If you want a lot of space to do your thing at an affordable rate, these are your streets.

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To find a smaller building If you are willing to sacrifice granite countertops and an on-campus location for a homier ambiance, you might want to consider living in a house or flat.

While houses lack the high-style living of a high-rise apartment, they often have larger living spaces with more character. Many are nestled in unique neighborhoods, if you can tolerate a bit longer of a commute. If you don’t want to sign in November, many flats are still available well into February.

And the best part? Rent for flats is usually much cheaper than their high rise counterparts. Keep in mind that while quality varies, houses can have structural issues, additional heat and utility payments, and usually need to be furnished, so be sure to be informed on the property before you sign.

housing guide 8

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Thursday, November 1, 2012

dailycardinal.com

The renting rush for the high-rise life A shift to central living adds to Madison’s November signing frenzy Story by Samy Moskol

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ust 15 years ago when the land the Embassy sits on was an IHOP, students often lived in Madison neighborhoods far and wide and began looking for their next apartment in the spring. Fast forward to 2012: Madison Property Management received its first inquiry on Aug. 17 for a lease that would start a year later.

The addition of high rises close to campus has given students more housing options. They help revitalize a downtown Madison that once was sprawling by bringing more people downtown and making services for students more centralized, according to Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8.

But high rises’ presence indirectly reinforces the Madison housing myth: that if you do not sign a lease by November you will not have a home for next year.

“There’s a fear, one that if you look at some of the larger websites, that that’s all the apartments out there,” Resnick said.

“It makes a panic on campus, and I think it’s an artificial panic.”

against its competitors because students typically start lining up to look early.

“There’s a large core of the student population that is on the ball and looking right off the bat for their next year’s housing.

It’s kind of unbelievable to me,” Welton said. “That’s just what people expect when they become a student at UW.” After a state law, Senate Bill 107, went into effect at the beginning of this year and streamlined housing laws throughout the state, the city government has less ability to enact ordinances that help student renters make informed housing decisions.

And old city ordinances related to landlord and tenant relations—such as one that said security deposits could be no more than one month’s rent, or another requiring landlords to wait until one-fourth of the lease was up to show units—were thrown out.

Resnick said Common Council had been developing an ordinance that would push back the date that landlords could show apartments

“Of course [management companies] are going to put pressure on us, and we only fuel the fire by pressuring one another. It’s a vicious cycle.”

Connor Dura, freshman Connor Dura, a freshman at UW-Madison, said he was planning on waiting to see which housing was available, but some of his dormmates have already signed.

“A lot of people just get caught up in it,” Dura said. “They want to make sure that they have friends … and they think that housing’s going to run out for apartments that they want.”

Madison Property Management began showing apartments in its high-rise buildings, such as Equinox and Grand Central, starting Oct. 11, and will show smaller properties after Nov. 12.

Adam Welton, the leasing office manager at MPM, said starting showings later would disadvantage the company

to late November or December, which would delay the rush to rent, but after the law came into effect discussions stopped.

“The City Council … has had that power taken away,” Resnick said.

Madison Property Management is leasing two new campus-area high rises, X01 and Vantage Point, for August 2013, in addition to the six it currently manages.

As MPM and other larger management companies add housing near campus, many students tend to view neighborhoods dominated by students 15 years ago, like the James Madison Park neighborhood, being too far away.

“With a lot more high-rise and more densely populated build-

Tips for house hunting Get the facts:

When to shop:

• Call Madison Gas and Electric to learn how much it cost to heat a property in the past.

• Hold out until next semester to snag a deal.

• If something looks fishy, ask the landlord about it. For more information, call the city building inspector’s office.

• Research a landlord beforehand.

Use the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access System to look up the landlord’s past.

• Use your alder as a resource.

• Look earlier to get a place close to campus.

Walk the streets: • What’s online isn’t everything.

• Independent landlords advertise on their property. *See pages 6 & 7 for more information about where to live.

grey satterfield/the daily cardinal

Although high rises like the Embassy have given students more housing options close to campus, students still feel pressure from each other to sign a lease as early as October. ings, [a neighborhood house] seems a little further away for some folks,” Welton said.

Keller Real Estate, which owns around 100 units downtown, many on West Washington Avenue and Doty Street, does not start showing apartments until January, after tenants tell the company whether they intend to renew.

Dan Keller, who manages Keller Real Estate, said employees at his company do not feel they have to compete with other companies by showing units earlier.

“It works out better for, I think everyone,” Keller said. “Those that have apartments closer to campus probably feel more pressure to get them rented.”

They usually rent three-fourths of their downtown units by March.

As companies that manage properties close to campus compete with each other for students starting their search in October, Dura said he felt more pressured to look earlier because of his peers who are already signing.

“There’s a lot of students that are in competition with one another,” Dura said. “Of course [management companies] are going to put pressure on us, and we only fuel the fire by pressuring one another. It’s a vicious cycle.”

This cycle is tied to the student trend to live as close to campus as possible.

Keller said in recent years students have not wanted to live further than West Washington Avenue and tend to only look at properties on West Doty Street, two blocks farther

down, after all West Washington Avenue houses are leased.

Most houses such as Keller’s in the Bassett District are around a century old and take more effort to manage than newer, more energy-efficient buildings that often have a higher return on their investment. As more people move downtown, demand for high-density housing grows.

And now the Bassett neighborhood is changing over as old houses make way for modern living. Currently a 58-unit apartment building is being constructed on the 500 block of West Doty Street, with another student-oriented housing development proposed on the 500 block of West Dayton Street.

“That’s the future of the Bassett neighborhood,” Keller said.

arts How the cinematic West was adapted dailycardinal.com

Austin WEllens all’s well-ens well

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here’s nothing more American than the Western. Well, other than apple pie. And baseball.

And eagles. And democracy.

And the Statue of Liberty. And more eagles.

Ok, we’ll just say it’s in the top 20. The point is, the Western genre is intrinsically American.

Set on the wild frontier, defined by larger-than-life heroes and diabolical villains, it exemplifies various aspects of our cultural identity. It’s literally defined as being American; it was born on our soil.

Ronald Reagan made Westerns, but don’t let that put you off of this genre. It’s the one rare type of film that is innately, completely American. Right? Hold that thought, it’ll be important later.

From its earliest incarnations, Westerns have been a staple of cinematic culture, beginning very early with 1903’s “The Great Train Robbery,” which was as Western as a movie made in 1903 could be.

Of course, they eventually evolved into the classic, quintessential Western we all know and tolerate, with their golden age coming between the 1930s and

Thursday, November 1, 2012 9

1960s. Things like John Ford’s “Stagecoach,” “Fort Apache” and “Rio Grande” are must-watches for the early genre, and Howard Hawks’ films with John Wayne gave us our first action hero. Wayne was THE Western hero, shining bright in the desert against the very clearly defined forces of evil.

Also, the Lone Ranger happened because a costumed and masked man with a half-naked Native American sidekick seemed like a good idea at this point. ‘Murrica.

Speaking of America, remember that whole “completely American” thing from earlier? I might not have been totally honest. Much like America itself is a “melting pot” of various cultures, our American genre of film has also seen a blending of foreign film styles and stories with its own unique traditions and tropes.

Take, for example, the classic Western “The Magnificent Seven.” Or better yet, take legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s film “Seven Samurai,” which “The Magnificent Seven” was a direct remake of except for being transplanted to the American West. They just replaced the samurai swords with pistols.

And yet there’s nothing wrong with it. It works, and it’s the foundation for a long tradition of mutual respect and shared stylistic aspects between samurai/mar-

tial arts movies and Westerns.

Because really, how different are katanas and revolvers when we get down to it?

Ok, pretty different. But equally good.

Yet another Kurosawa film, “Yojimbo,” was adopted as a western by Sergio Leone as “A Fistful of Dollars,” one of the first masterpieces of yet another emerging cinematic movement, the Spaghetti Western.

Named for the fact that it was dominated by Italian directors, the greatest of which by far was Leone. This genre was made of darker, grittier Westerns that blurred morality and were filmed in the deserts of Spain rather than in America to give them their own very distinct look.

American Westerns then shifted gears in order to adjust to the revolutionary new school of films.

This shift created some classics of the genre in its own right, with John Ford directing John Wayne as a bigoted, brutal anti-hero in “The Searchers” and “The Wild Bunch,” consequently presenting a very dark picture of life in the wild, albeit Mexican, West.

Of course, this abandonment of squeaky clean lines drawn between good and bad that had to this point been a hallmark of Westerns eventually forced the further evolution of the genre.

As new influences continued

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to pour in and the next generation of filmmakers took over, the Western entered yet another era.

As society moved into the ’60s and ’70s, with Cold War paranoia at its height and Vietnam raging along, films began to take on a more cynical, realistic, counterculture-inspired tone. “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” took the idea of anti-hero to a new level; rather than just roughedged good guys, it had us cheering for the criminals, a big step away from the establishment.

Beyond that, the rapid modernization of the “Old West” forces them to flee to Bolivia, where we get the famous Bolivian Army Ending and that final frozen shot of the two outlaws going out in glory, much the same as the classic Western was at this time.

And one of the icons of the classic Western, John Wayne, knew he was on his way out when he made “The Shootist,” in which he, an aging cowboy dying of cancer, plays… an aging cowboy dying of cancer and also struggling to come to grips with what the West has become. It was basically an obituary for the traditional genre written by one of its greatest legends.

For a while, it was all quiet on the Western front (sorry, I had to).

Clint Eastwood made some great ones with “Unforgiven” and “The Outlaw Josie Wales,” but then he

started talking to chairs and the by-the-books Western more or less disappeared from the scene.

However, just because traditional Westerns are dying out doesn’t mean the Western is totally disappearing. Filmmakers in Asia continue to produce Western/samurai crossover films, and there’s been some movement towards blending Westerns with science-fiction.

This has been done successfully with Joss Whedon’s “Firefly” series and the film “Serenity,” and not so successfully with the subtly named “Cowboys & Aliens.”

However, the Western could still make a comeback. Andrew Dominick, a New Zealander, made “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” which flipped the cowboy legend on its head, and Quentin Tarantino’s new film “Django Unchained” looks to be a Western set in the slavery era South. So… a Southern?

Perhaps the ideas behind the original Western aren’t riding off into the sunset just yet.

Wow, that’s even worse when you write it out.

Wrangle up an evolutionary list of Westerns from Austin at wellens@wisc.edu.

Work up your appetite for art and grab tomorrow’s paper for a copy of our November Arts calendar!

comics

10 • Thursday, November 1, 2012

Today’s Sudoku

So much for my happy ending... The term “happily ever after” was originally used as “happily until they died.” dailycardinal.com

Two more months in 2012

Evil Bird

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

© Puzzles by Pappocom

Eatin’ Cake

Classic

By Dylan Moriarty www.EatinCake.com

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.

Caved In

By Nick Kryshak nkryshak@wisc.edu

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

First in Twenty Classic

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com

CAN DO! ACROSS 1 Pale purple shade 6 Stuffing seasoning 10 Ellington’s famous train 14 Worship 15 Ski conveyance 16 Joins in wordlessly 17 Condescend 18 ___ mater 19 Roadie load 20 Millionaire’s address?

22 Basketball great Archibald 23 Garland of greeting 24 Tuft of hair on the head 26 Money from ticket sales 29 Tempo 32 Court hearings 33 Sawbones’ gp.

34 Vaulted church recess 35 Logical start?

36 Life is full of them 42 Refuel one’s body 43 Like a fashionable arrival 44 Prefix with “classical” 45 Bank vault installation 48 Ill-mannered type 49 Safe or out, say 50 Group in “The Godfather”

52 Big grin stopping point?

54 Town, informally 55 Average Joes 61 Clinton’s Folly canal 62 Of 52-Across 63 Cockamamie 64 Wedding fling?

65 Go back to square one 66 Examine again, as a patient 67 There are way more than seven 68 Genesis garden 69 Steel city of Germany DOWN 1 Stow, as cargo 2 Brainstorming session result 3 One of the Flagstons, in comics 4 Colorful sock 5 Perfume with smoke 6 Christmas tree topper 7 Skilled 8 Reproductive cell 9 A Muse 10 Award winner’s words 11 Full of compassion 12 Caveat ___ (let the buyer beware) 13 Balance sheet item 21 Shoulder cape with hanging ends

Speaker’s asset Kind of mask Parisian pal Scottish topper Snake that killed a queen 31 It has four strings 34 Texas Revolution battle site 35 “___ down the hatches!”

37 Closest points in orbits 38 ___ Claire, Wis. 39 Ribonucleic acid, for short 40 Bumping into one could provide a shock 41 Note to follow fa 45 Orange-yellow shades 46 Metcalf of “Roseanne” 47 “Gorillas in the Mist” setting 48 Sang cheerfully 49 Old hags 51 Germ cell or the like 53 Belching flames, e.g.

56 White House staffer 57 Revered image 58 Lad’s sweetheart 59 Joint with a cap 60 Spotted in society

By Angel Lee alee23@wisc.edu

By Steven Wishau wishau@wisc.edu

5 2 26 27 28 30

By Melanie Shibley shibley@wisc.edu

opinion Extremists embarrass Republicans dailycardinal.com Thursday, November 1, 2012

Evan Favill opinion columnist

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figure that, with the election coming up in the next week or so, I’d best input my final two cents about the political system. I’m becoming increasingly disturbed by what I see going on in the conservative spectrum of our national discourse. There’s been quite a bit of outrage over some comments made recently by one Richard Mourdock involving rape, which is only another grain of salt in a wound opened up

by Todd Akin’s now-infamous “legitimate rape” statement made while defending pro-life positions. So I say to all selfrespecting Americans: hasn’t this gone on long enough?

Aren’t we sick of our elected

representatives spewing pseudoscience as if they were some kind of political medium? The time to end this anti-intellectualism has come, and unless it does end, Americans are going to suffer because of it.

I first started to pick up on this trend during the rise of the Tea Party movement way back in 2008. There was a great outcry for a grassroots political movement and a return to America’s “glory days” through simplistic, scaled-back governance. Ok, so I can understand if you’re feeling a bit libertarian, and maybe rolling back certain areas of government intervention would be beneficial, but the rhetoric that was thrown around was disgusting. Climate change and evolution were denounced as

hoaxes believed only by the “Libtards” who worshipped Obama. There were constantly calls for the removal of political figures simply for the reason that they were well-educated.

This was subsequently done in many states. Well, now their replacements are in office, and America is somehow shocked that these are among the most ignorant and divisive of any politicians to date.

Mr. Akin, a tea party favorite, has repeatedly and very publicly stated that he does not think evolution is a scientifically valid theory. This is in addition to his claim that women who are not pregnant can receive abortions.

And of course his belief that women can’t get pregnant from rape as long it’s actually rape and she’s not secretly enjoying it. All

that would be fine, providing that he’d never occupy a position where he could use his opinions to directly influence people’s lives. Too bad he was elected to a legislative position by people who apparently didn’t care that he believed these things.

Similarly, Paul Broun, who sits on the House Science Committee, claimed, among other scientifically invalid things, that the earth is in fact only 9,000 years old. To be clear, he participates in a body that determines vast amounts of scientific governmental policies. This is anti-intellectualism at its worst—or maybe its finest. Simply because he refuses to believe what the scientific establishment has maintained as truth for the past few centuries or so, he is therefore an

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upstanding, honest man? I’m sorry, but there’s nothing at work here but sheer paranoia over the idea that someone in the government is trying to pull the wool over our eyes. It’s the political equivalent of a raving lunatic running around with a tinfoil hat, screaming at you: “Wake up sheeple! The government’s known aliens have been visiting us for years, man!”

Frankly, it’s embarrassing to the more moderate members of the Republican party who don’t think that somehow the “Liberal Elites” are out to get them.

Unfortunately, extremism has taken hold of their party, and it won’t go away until someone is brave enough to speak out against it from within the party itself.

Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Sports

thursday november 1, 2012 DailyCardinal.com

Women’s Soccer

Badgers fall in conference tournament

By Blake Duffin the daily cardinal

abigail waldo/the daily cardinal

Senior midfielder Monica Lam-Feist tallied two of Wisconsin’s four shots on goal Wednesday, but the Badgers could not find the back of the net against Michigan.

Wednesday night in Bloomington, Ind., the Wisconsin women’s soccer team (5-6-1 Big Ten, 12-7-1 overall) lost to Michigan (8-2-2 Big Ten, 14-4-4 overall) 2-0 in a Big Ten tournament first-round matchup.

After 55 minutes of equal play, the Wolverines struck first. Despite two straight Badger defensive stands on corner kicks, Michigan junior defender Holly Hein found the back of the net on the Wolverines’ third attempt.

The Badgers had opportunities throughout the second half but could notconvert.

Beginning the second half, Wisconsin made the decision to add more offensive pressure at the expense of defense. This proved to be unsuccessful.

After various failed attempts by UW, the Michigan offense converted once again in the 75th minute when junior midfielder Meghan Toohey found her go-to junior forward Nkem Ezurike in the middle of the

field. Wisconsin senior goalkeeper Lauren Gunderson attempted to clear the ball but instead played it back to Ezurike, who tapped it in the goal from 27 feet out. This would mark the 12th goal of the season for Ezurike, a Big Ten first-team selection.

The Badgers and Wolverines had very similar game statistics except in the area of corner kicks. Michigan had eight, while the Badgers only had three. These set pieces proved to be damaging for Wisconsin.

Although the Badgers have been eliminated from the Big Ten tournament, their season may not yet be over. Wisconsin is ranked No. 36 in the country, and 64 teams make the NCAA tournament. However, there are 24 automatic bids from various tournaments.

The Badgers show an overall impressive résumé and should have a good case for their spot in the tourney. For now, it is a waiting game for Wisconsin, as the selection committee will reveal the bracket Monday, Nov. 5.

UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.

Big Ten down, but do not change title game structure parker gabriel parks and rec

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n the Wisconsin football team’s ninth game last season, it lost a heartbreaker in Columbus, Ohio. Not only did freshman quarterback Braxton Miller throw the game-winning touchdown with 40 seconds left, but the Badgers had lost on a Hail Mary just seven days earlier to Michigan State.

Compounding the loss was the sense that all title hopes were out the window. National title dreams vanished with no time on the clock in East Lansing, Mich., the week before, and then in the first year of divisional alignment in the Big Ten, it appeared conference title hopes were dashed as well.

We all know what happened.

Penn State had a killer finish to its schedule and it couldn’t be overcome. Wisconsin won its remaining three games and wound up in Indianapolis and eventually, Pasadena, Calif. Through the whole gauntlet, not many questioned the talent on the Badger sideline. It just looked, for a while, that late-game shenanigans would cost them dearly.

Fast forward a year. Wisconsin’s ninth game ended in its third loss of the season Saturday at Camp Randall against the Spartans. It was ugly and got uglier when news came that redshirt freshman Joel Stave played his last snap of the season thanks to a broken collarbone.

Yet the Badgers are still the overwhelming favorite to represent the Leaders Division in the conference title game Dec. 1. They are a game ahead of Indiana in the loss column, and neither Illinois nor Purdue can win the league.

At the beginning of the season, not many would have picked Wisconsin at Indiana Nov. 10 as a circle-the-calendar game. Really, it isn’t. Yet still, it will matter in the Leaders race this year.

That isn’t sitting well with some observers—and some members—of the conference. Before the season ever started, knowing that both Penn State and Ohio State would

be ineligible for post-season play, Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald suggested a committee pick two teams for the title game at the end of the season, regardless of whether that team is a Legend or a Leader.

It didn’t gain much traction at the time. More recently—Monday afternoon, to be exact—ESPN’s Brian Bennett penned a column suggesting the Big Ten couldn’t be faulted for revisiting the idea or for letting Ohio State play in Indianapolis.

The thinking being that, even if the Buckeyes can’t play in the bowl, it would be better than having a mediocre team representing the Leaders Division.

Let me start by getting a couple things out of the way. First, I really like the work Bennett and his Big Ten blog mate Adam Rittenberg do for ESPN. For the number of teams and amount of ground they have to cover, the really do a good job and they’re putting out fresh content nearly around the clock.

I also will not have any problem saying Wisconsin backed into the title game if it doesn’t beat Ohio State or finish with the best overall record in the Leaders division. That’s not guaranteed yet, but it could very well happen. The Badgers can only play the hand they’re dealt, but we can also be real about the situation.

That aside, here’s why the conference ought to just roll with the current setup. First of all, it would be more embarrassing for the league to allow Ohio State or Penn State to play than it would for Indiana to represent the conference in its own title game. The Buckeyes have a tremendous future under Urban Meyer and I’ve got nothing but respect for the job Bill O’Brien, and all the players that elected to stay in State College, Penn., have done this year for the Nittany Lions. PSU quarterback Matt McGloin might be the best story in the league, and it’s really nice to see him have a terrific senior year.

However, both schools are ineligible for very good reasons, and the game would be even less meaningful if 1) the league allows teams that are otherwise being punished the reward of playing at Lucas Oil Stadium, and 2) the Legends

Divison winner is assured a trip to the Rose Bowl before the game even kicks off, as Bennett suggests.

That becomes even more acute when you consider that the top two teams in the Legends, Michigan and Nebraska, haven’t exactly been world-beaters in their own rights. The Huskers allowed 63 points against the Buckeyes, beat Northwestern by one and still have to visit the Spartans and play Penn State. The Wolverines haven’t scored a touchdown since Oct. 13 against Illinois.

Consider the fact that Alabama

and Louisiana State have, by and large, dominated the Southeast Conference the last few years.

They’re both in the league’s West Division, but nobody changed any rules to let them play each other in the SEC title game—though the Bowl Championship Series still pitted them against each other in the national championship game.

Changing the rules would essentially be saying, “Well, Purdue and Wisconsin aren’t as good as we hoped, so we’d better re think our brand new, muchheralded championship game.”

This is what the Big Ten signed up for with divisional play.

Sometimes, the two sides aren’t going to be equal. You hope the league members will avoid NCAA sanctions down the road, but they’re also a reality of major college athletics. Sometimes, the whole darn league is just going to be mediocre. This year, it might not even be that.

Just deal with it and hope for better next year.

Do you think the Big Ten should send Ohio State to Indy? Email Parker at sports@dailycardinal.com.