10/4
DESCRIPTION
October 4 issue of The RacquetTRANSCRIPT
On Sept. 26 at 6 p.m., the Student Senate met for the third time in Port O’Call. After the minutes from the previous week were approved, Vice President David Wermedal opened the floor to the guest speakers.
The first was Mo McAlpine from REC Sports. She shared some interesting facts with the members of the Senate. She said that their study shows that over 90% of the student body visited the Recreational Eagle Center (REC) in the past year. McAlpine said that over 3,600 games were played in the last year with intramural sports and the GroupX classes had over 1,991 student participants. She also informed the Senate about some services that the REC offers that most of the student body may have not been aware of – instructional programs and student development. The instructional programs are non-credit classes offered by the REC. One example that McAlpine offered was a martial arts class that will be taught by police members. Additionally, student development
consists of the student staff at the REC. McAlpine said that they employed 240 students, making them the largest student employer on campus.
The second guest speaker was Jelena Gagula from United Council. She informed the Senate that United Council is student lead, student funded non-profit. Gagula said that they worked on grassroots campaigning. Right now, Gaugla and GOTV Director James Dirth are working to register voters on campus.
Next were the officer reports. Social Justice Director Stephanie Holt reminded members of the Student Senate that the members of the public have the right to be on campus and hand out literature. Holt asked to be contacted about legal issues pertaining to justice issues before students take action. The next director was Brittany Long, Gender Issues Director. Long said that she was looking into the Pro-life group that was on campus last week. She wants to see what they are allowed to do and what kind of graphics you can show on campus because many students had negative reactions to the displays.
Student Association advisor Larry Ringgenberg was one of
the next people to talk to the Senate. He informed the members that hot meat for subs will be added to the Sub Connection. He said that students should be expecting meatballs and buffalo chicken on a weekly basis. Additionally, there will soon be four types of bread, not just white or wheat. Ringgenberg also stated that he is looking to get more vegetarian options around campus. The dining services should be fully operational by October 15, according to Ringgenberg.
Finally, the following positions were filled this week in the form of resolutions:Shared Governance Director – Katie JohnsonChief Court Justice – Shrisha JunejaCourt Justice – Thomas TrehusSchool Arts and Communication Senator – Mellissa BussSchool of Education Senator – Megan Roehl
The Freshman and Graduate Senate election is upcoming; therefore, Student Senate should have a full board coming soon.
Word of the WeekCaprice
A sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behaviorThe caprice of the Honey Badger from happy to stressed is the reason he
misses summer.
Please recycle
231 & 232 Cartwright Center1725 State StreetLa Crosse, WI 54601
IndexNews. . . . . . . . . . .. 1-3 Viewpoint . . . . . . .4-5Features . . . . . . . . .6Sports. . . . . . . . . ....7Grin bin...... . . . . . . 8
T hu r s d ay,O c t o b e r 4 , 2012 w w w.t h e racq u e t . n e t 8 Pa g e s S i n g l e Co p i e s Fr e e
Poll Dancing. . . PAGE 4 2012 Oktoberfest Shirts . . . PAGE 6SNEAK PEAK!
Man travels 2,325 miles by bike from California to Wisconsin PAGE 7
RECtoberfest Recap!. . . PAGE 3
Volume 102, No. 56
The University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
The future is a weird place. As college kids, we spend so much time worrying about it and preparing for it, but it is always one step ahead from us. It’s not something that disappears or goes away, but is rather a constant force that continually motivates us as students to work hard during our time here at the UW-La Crosse. Whether you’re a sophomore questioning what it is you’ll finally decide to major in or a senior who is freaking out about getting into graduate school, I can assure you right now that regardless of what your future holds, it looks pretty dang bright!
According to UW-L’s Employment and Post Graduation Education Statistics for Undergraduates, an average of 98.23% of 2010-2011 UW-L graduates whom reported their employment statistics had
already found jobs, with the average salary being $39,806. The College of Business had the highest employment rate with a rate of 99.30%.
What if you don’t plan on seeking employment upon graduating? Surely graduate school is another option as well. This option has been proven popular among students of The College of Liberal Studies as well as the College of Science and Health. For graduates of CLS in the year of 2010-2011, an average of 48.17% of graduates were pursuing higher education. A slightly lower, but equally impressive, rate was found among graduates of CSH, with an average rate of 47.11%.
While seeking employment has been proven to be a hopeful process and graduate school is surely an option as well, the real question is: how do YOU, as a student, prepare for them? This is a common stressor for many students here on campus. However, I’m here to reassure you that it will all be okay! By getting involved on campus and doing the things you’re passionate about, setting yourself apart from other job or graduate school applicants suddenly becomes a lot easier.
With UW-L being a relatively small campus, a common misconception is that there aren’t a lot of opportunities to become involved. However, the truth is quite the opposite; you have an unbelievable amount of options to choose from! UW-L’s website listed 198 total clubs, teams, and societies of which students can choose to join and become involved in. That is 198 ways for you to set yourself apart from the competition. Whether you want to become involved in the Diamond Way Buddhist Club or Active Minds, I promise you that there is something for everyone.
You can also explore your passions through internships. There are many internship options in the La Crosse area, and a great way to find one suitable for you is through Eagle Opportunities on UW-L’s Career Services webpage. Internships, according to Career Services, aid in career exploration as well as gaining related work experience and maybe even academic credit. As you can see, internships are also a great way to become involved in the community while adding experience to your resume!
Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, it is never too early- or late- to start thinking about your future. You can choose what that future holds. Whether it be through a club or an internship, they’re both easy ways to strengthen your resume while gaining experience and following your passion. In the end, it will only make your future that much brighter!
By Emma CrawfordAssociate Writer
Life after LAX
Senate brings justice to the tableBy Chelsea Fischer
Copy Editor
Ron Kind, Wisconsin’s representative from the third congressional district, took some time out of his busy schedule last Thursday Sept. 27 to sit down and talk to The Racquet.
Kind, who is himself a La Crosse native, extend-ed his congratulations to UW-L on its earning the status of the top ranked school in the UW system for a comprehensive university for the 12th year in a row. While in the community he also paid his re-spects to Jason Church, the former UW-L football player who was wounded in Afghanistan.
After the pleasantries and introductions the con-versation moved into election issues. As education always factors into any election cycle The Racquet asked Kind to elaborate a bit on what his vision of education in Wisconsin contains. He spoke highly of the La Crosse community and all three schools that reside here. He said that the third congressional district is home to numerous colleges and univer-sities and that it was a kind of a “Mecca of higher education.” With that being said he continued to say that education is “crucial due to increasing competi-tion in the global economy.” As a result he feels very strongly about ensuring that college is a resource that stays available to everyone. To this end Kind supports increasing the number of people eligible for Pell Grants and raising the maximum amount al-
lowed to each recipient.One piece of legislation that Kind promoted in
Congress was the extension of student loan interest rates at their current level of 3.4% for another year. If this bill was not enacted the interest rates would have gone back to the 2008 level of 6.8%. In further discussion of this topic Kind related that he is op-posed to the austerity measures that many Republi-cans want. He said that he was opposed to “cutting [spending on] everything regardless of the conse-quences”.
Furthermore, Kind discussed the change to stu-dent loan policy that made all government loans be processed by the government. Before, even though the money was coming from the federal government it was still being processed by private banks. This change effectively “cut out the middleman” Kind said. All told this has saved the taxpayers 6 billion dollars. Some of these saving have been put towards debt reduction.
Not only did the discussion involve issues that directly relate to students but to other issues, as well. Kind addressed the failure of the federal govern-ment to pass an annual budget for nearly the past four years. Instead, he related that we have had is a a “continuing budget”. Ultimately he chalks this up to an inability to compromise. “What we need more than ever is a grand budget compromise” Kind states.
Ron Kind visits campus
By Caleb BrownViewpoint Editor
Noelle Anderson The Racquet
Ron Kind speaks with a UW-La Crosse student
R acquet
An average of 98.23% of 2010-2011 UW-L graduates whom reported their employment statistics had already found jobs.
Y o u r s c h o o l . Y o u r h o m e . Y o u r v o i c e .
Will you get a job after graduating from UW-L?
NewsPage 2 Thursday, october 4 2012
Melissa MossNews Editor
By Kelly FarrellStaff Reporter
This year the students involved in the Club Sports association were notified by the University that the group name is to be changed to Sports Clubs.
UW-La Crosse has numerous student-run groups, but the largest on campus is the Sports Club organization. It has over 400 student members within the 18 activity and competitive clubs.
The freshly renamed Sports Clubs will no longer be able to use the UW-L varsity logo on any newly made uniforms or apparel, but if the logo is already expressed upon team gear, there is no need for change at this time. The new logo is the Rec. Sports logo, rather than the varsity athletic logo.
“I think it’s a little demeaning that we cannot use the eagle logo
on our apparel anymore. I understand we are not a varsity team, but we have no varsity team to compete with,” says Tori Bystedt, sophomore and member of the UW-L Women’s Club Hockey Team. Bysted further added, “The Women’s Hockey Club is the only hockey team at this university so I feel like we are no longer representing our school in the same way.”
“The change from club sports to sport’s club makes us seem like we are less like a competitive team and more like a club that meets for just fun,” said Adam Vance, Junior and member of the UW-L La Crosse Club Team. “We put a lot of hard work in, and it seems like the small change in name takes that away kind of,” said Vance.
Like varsity sports, sports clubs are able to compete against other universities in a competitive nature, but unlike the varsity sports on campus, they are not completely university funded.
Sports clubs do get some funding from UW-L but only after the club has two full years of self-funding. Most of the money comes from fundraising done throughout the season.
Although some members feel as if the grammatical change and disuse of the UW-L logo is belittling, UW-L has no intent of doing so.
“The National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association, which is the governing body we work under classifies clubs as Sport Clubs instead of Club Sports,” said Ryan Rudesill, the Interim Coordinator of Intramurals and Sport Clubs at UW-L. “The main reason we changed was to stay consistent with them and other universities in the area,” added Rudesill.
Despite the fact that sports clubs has made some minor changes, it will remain a large and proud part of UW-L’s student work. Last year alone, the clubs hosted 38 competitions and competed in 203 contests. Among the members of the 18 clubs, they completed over 815 hours of community service.
By Eng 325 studentGuest Reporter
Sports Club no longer able to
sport UW-L logoVenture onto any college campus and one will find a
multitude of cultures both significant and minor. Here on the UW-La Crosse’s campus we have a professor that makes students think about those cultures found on and off campus. Her name is Heike Flood, a communications professor here on campus. I had the pleasure of interviewing her about life and what she feels is important for students to know while in college. It wasn’t all work though, I did have the chance to have a little fun with her and find out about some interesting facts that most students of hers don’t know.
Flood grew up immersed in a culture that many of us on campus don’t know. She was the daughter to two German immigrants and grew up her whole life knowing the German culture and up until school, speaking only that language. “I didn’t know I was different until I went to school,” she said when talking about it. All the kids were speaking a language different than what she spoke and they
all grew up in a different culture than what she was used to. Her childhood is what, I think, makes her so culturally involved today.
Working on campus is an ideal situation for Flood since she graduated from UW-L with a degree in mass communications and minor in speech. She received her masters from St. Mary’s University and is currently pursuing her doctorate. When I asked the question why English/Speech, her answer had her personality written all
over it; “I chose speech because, well, I like to talk!” The reason she chose to teach speech was a little more serious. She loved being so involved with her kid’s lives at school that she decided she could too teach and the two aspects of her career fell into place.
During our interview, a lot of things came up in conversation, including some personal things. This remarkable woman was an instructor I had last year first semester and this was one of the hardest semesters for her
personally. She had a family situation become very out of hand. The whole time that she was teaching us and making a difference in our lives, hers was falling apart. The summer before I had her in class, her family had to make a tough decision; send her son to a treatment camp in Montana. Since then, she has always done her best to get the good out of the situation and to not look at in a negative way. She plans to start a blog for families that are suffering through the same problems she had going through. When talking about her son during the interview, she had a smile from ear to ear. She is proud of how far he’s come and how far her family has come also.
“Never, never, never stop learning” was one of the things Flood told me when asked the question, if you could tell your students anything, what would it be. Being one of her students and doing this interview with her, I can certainly see that she had a passion for what she does. Whether it is for when she is teaching students to write a speech about culture or trying to help her students through a crisis, she is one amazing person, teacher, and mom.
By Renee MillerAssociate Reporter
Sodexo, a dining team, has found their home at UW-La Crosse as the campus’ new dining service. Sodexo is the company that has replaced the former Chartwells.
With a slogan of, “A Better Tomorrow,” Sedexo hopes to bring students at UW-L delicious and healthy meal options while still sustaining and restoring a thriving environment.
Sodexo offers a website where students can find suggestions and pointers, as well as advice about nutrition and environmental matters.
According to the website, Sodexo commits to the following: “We will provide and promote varied and balanced food options at all our clients’ sites, we will provide and promote choices with a reduced intake of sugar, salt and fats at all our clients’ sites, we will fight hunger and malnutrition through our STOP Hunger initiative in all the countries where we operate.”
Videos pertaining to sustainability can be viewed on this website as well as ways to get involved by volunteering or donating in the local community. Students can access dietitians and ask anonymous questions pertaining to the ‘freshmen 15’, weight loss, food allergies, and other timely student issues.
One very popular and helpful amenity found on the website is the nutritional calculator. This allows students to
check and possibly track nutritional information on the items they find and eat within UW-L’s very own dining center.
Students can visit the website, www.tomorrowstarts2day.com to access the nutritional calculator and to gain more information on Sodexo’s Better Tomorrow Plan.
If advice via the Internet is not what students are looking for, UW-L’s Registered Dietitian, Sarah Nicklay, has graciously
given up her time to talk to students about a variety of nutritional topics.
“The new dining services offers the students a lot of new, fresh, and delicious offerings,” said Nicklay. “We strive to provide excellent service for our customers. Our Chefs are really top-notch. We prepare most foods from scratch and use only high-quality ingredients. We’re also committed to environmental and social stewardship. We buy foods locally
whenever possible and we compost our kitchen waste through a vermaculture program. As I covered in my talk last Thursday, students can create a healthy, balanced plate at almost every platform and have a number of options for eating healthy.”
Nicklay meets in the Whitney Dining Center from 12:30-1:00 p.m. on Thursdays to host “For Your Health” talks. By holding these talks, she plans to guide students into choosing healthy meal options and well as answering any questions students may have in relation to nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.
“I plan on continuing these talks throughout the semester,” said Nicklay. “I’m also available to do talks in the residence halls or around campus. I really enjoy connecting with students and am willing to do any type of nutrition programming that is relevant to students. I’m also working behind the scenes with the dining services to provide healthy choices and take care of our students with allergies and special diets.”
Nicklay can also be reached by phone, (608) 785-6480, and by email, [email protected].
With Sodexo now on campus, UW-L has high hopes that students will take the initiative and help and strive for a healthier self and surrounding. With help from great people like Nicklay, and great resources like the Sedexo website, UW-L seems right on track with sustaining an overall healthy campus.
w
“We strive to provide excellent service for our customers. Our chefs are really top-notch. We prepare most foods from scratch and use only high-quality ingredients. ”
Sarah NicklayUW-L’s Registered Dietitian
The Sudexo switch
By Hannah KeprosSenior Reporter
“Never, never, never stop learning... ”Dr. Heike Flood
Communications Professor
Toni Hanson The Racquet
As largest student run group, the Sports Club has over 400 student members within the 18 activity and competitive clubs.
She loved being so involved with her kid’s lives at school that she decided he could, too, teach and the two aspects of her career fell into place.
Never, never, never stop learning
Dr. Heike Flood tells all in this weeks campus profile
Improvement in quality at UW-L with new food service
Policy alteration leaves athletes asking questions
News Page 3
Kelly FarrellAssistant News [email protected]
RECtoberfest promotes not wRECking La Crosse
Thursday, october 4, 2012
Upcoming Events
IBS Tours Information
Sessions
October 10th 337 Cartwright 5PM - 6:30PM
ESCAPE/Pacific Challenge
Information Sessions
October 4th 340 Cartwright
4PM - 6PM &
October 11th Ward Room 4PM - 6PM
Alternative Spring Break
Jamaica Information
Session
October 11th 326 Cartwright
5:30PM - 6:30PM
Freshman Seminar
Information Sessions
October 18th 259 Cartwright
5PM - 6PM &
October 19th 257 Cartwright
12PM - 1PM
This year marked RECtoberfest’s 15th annual event held at the Recreational Eagle Center (REC), which provided a safe alternative for students for the first night of Oktoberfest. Last year, the La Crosse County Police Department issued more than 100 underage drinking citations in one night. In an effort to reduce that number RECtoberfest gave students an opportunity to come together to have a night filled with food and fun within the legal limits.
“We’re trying to show students they can have a great time with friends, without getting drunk. It’s fun, active, and a great way to start the weekend,” said Campus Activities Board (CAB) Event Coordinator, Brittany Lehrer. The Special Events Staff at the REC
is partnering with CAB to coordinate this alcohol free event with University Centers, Res Life, Pepsi and Sodexo as the main sponsors. During the fest REC staff members
as well as over forty volunteers made this all possible.
Laser Tag was the main attraction which offered students the opportunity to compete
with one another. The top ten highest scoring students received a RECtoberfest t-shirt featuring a grinning, green alien sporting a ray gun. There were also inflatable obstacle courses and games set up throughout the REC which included Asteroid Ball and Gravity Run. Table tennis and basketball were among the many other activities offered to provide students with fun activities in place of drinking.
Complementing the games and activities, snacks and beverages were provided through the course of the night. Students got their fix with cookies and chips as well as Pepsi
products. In addition to the games and food, there were also prizes handed out throughout the evening. This year, one lucky student walked away with the grand prize of a Nook and a Nook case.
Students were also invited to dress according to the theme, OUTERSPACE ADVENTURE, as long as it is appropriate. Dressing up added to the experience, however, it was not mandatory to dress up in order to have a fun night.
Since 1997, RECtoberfest has been growing in numbers. In 2010 over 300 students attended the fun filled night. “Last year (there) were over 500 student participants,” according to Laura Shepard, a staff member at the REC.
“We are just trying to spread the word that RECtoberfest is an option for students and hopefully the event keeps growing,” said Brittany Lehrer. This year’s estimated draw was between 500 and 700 students. Growing in numbers is a good sign. The more students who attend RECtoberfest will result in a fewer number of students subjected to
underage drinking.Whether students came for an hour or
stay the whole night, they had fun. In years past, skeptics of the event who were only going to stay for five minutes ended up staying the whole night; a testament to the success of RECtoberfest.
By James GrohAssociate Reporter
“We’re trying to show students they can have a great time with friends, without getting drunk. It’s fun, active, and a great way to start the weekend. ”
Brittany LehrerCAB Event Coordinator
Since 1997 RECtoberfest has been growing in numbers. In 2010 over 300 students attended the fun filled night.
RECtoberfest proves to be a hit again in 2012
Politicians lie, not that this is a new idea to any of you; however, politicians have had polls, studies, statistics, and all the wonders of modern math to help validate the mistruths they are so prone to using. I myself had to brush up on my math skills in order to even understand how political statistics are developed. To understand political statistics we first have to understand the goal of the politician. The number one lie politicians spread is that they are the best thing for America’s future and that their opponent is the worst, the target of this propaganda is you: a voter.
Dr. Block, of our political science department, offered some insights as to how data can be “framed” to portray different aspects of candidates. As an example, Obama can advertise that he has 52% of voters backing him while Romney only has 46%; however, what is not given is the margin of error. If there is a 3% margin of error, the 46% can be as high as 49% and the 52% can be as low as 49% which means that neither candidate has a definite lead. That’s just the basic math, the next layer is what Dr. Block called the “Browning Effect” in which the polls will say a candidate has the lead, but when the vote is actually cast that candidate may not have as much of a lead as the polls said he or may even loose. This is the level of uncertainty we have in the polls.
So the polls and statistics we hear on TV are not a representative depiction of what we think or what the outcome of the vote will be. But how we perceive the polls does affect how we will vote. For instance, if I see Obama introduce some policy or another and report a rise in the
percentage of people going to vote for him, this causes us to perceive Obama, or any other candidate, in a light he may or may not belong in.
This brings us the question: is it ethical? Students around campus claim that the manipulation of data for a vote is in fact wrong and that the ends do not justify means. Politicians should actually be working on policy and doing all the good they can rather than all the bad they can muster against their opponent. Others have said that what politicians do is understandable. If a politician is honest he will lose. Political competition drives politicians to attack their opponents, manipulate data, make astronomical promises, all of which distracts from the jobs they are campaigning for.
If politicians focus on bringing down their opponents and building up their own reputation, is it a stretch to say that they will be just as destructive and egotistical in office? I have no solution whatsoever, so I’m not one to say overhaul the system, but I would rather politicians promise to raise taxes across the board in an attempt to pay of national debt, unfortunately honesty is a thing of the past in many a politician’s mind. Maybe I’m old fashioned but I’d rather be told what I need to hear rather than what I want to hear.
There has been a divisive issue in American politics that is part of the recurring rhetoric and has been more than polarizing. That issue is the issue of welfare. It started during the Great Depression as a means of aid to out-of-work individuals and families with the intention of getting them back on their feet with such programs as Social Security, unemployment, and food stamps. It was further expanded under Lyndon B. Johnson and the “Great Society” policies of the 1960s to also provide Medicare, Medicaid, and housing assistance. Moreover, when welfare started to become a dependency program, it was Democrats, under the leadership of President Clinton, who answered the call to reform the welfare system, and those reforms still exist. Under those reforms, the government now provides grants to individual states to run welfare from the state level and use a set of standards by which to judge applicants and recipients.
Unfortunately, President Obama has come under scrutiny in the form of negative attack ads for supposedly rolling back the bipartisan work requirements for welfare. Nothing could be farther from the truth, and these claims have received a rating of “Pants on Fire” from Politifact, the Pulitzer Prize winning website. In fact, President Obama’s entire policy was designed with only the intention of being less one size fits all and expanding upon the number of recipients looking for work. It is unfortunate that such a reputation can be easily applied to Democrats without the benefit of facts.
The attacks over welfare are so ingrained that Democratic opponents might as well be reading off a list of attack slogans. However, Democrats stand on the principles that brought us together as a nation in the first place. The belief that we are stronger together, that during tough times we pick each other up to advance our society forward, and in middle class stability. Despite the rhetoric, Democrats don’t believe in government handouts, but rather a hand up whether that is investments
in education, healthcare, or infrastructure.In addition, we believe Americans should
never have to go it alone, or look out for themselves; that firemen, teachers, policemen, seniors, veterans, and children, who make up 47% of this country, are not victims, but equal members of a collective great society under which we live who deserve the best we can give them. Democrats believe in providing for the general welfare as our Constitution mandates us to do.
Furthermore, there are a couple general welfare programs that have been additionally divisive. One is the issue of healthcare and the Affordable Health Care Act. Without going into too much detail, Democrats are resolute on the values of access to life and liberty. These were the first guaranteed American rights, and should be protected above all. Healthcare access is the same to us as access to life, and Democrats have put forth policies that ensure expanded and better access to healthcare. Democrats were also at the forefront when they fought to provide two of the most successful programs in American history: Medicare and Medicaid. They still stand for the same ideals that our seniors deserve a stable and secure retirement.
These values and programs are under attack by wealthy businessmen who seek to abolish these programs and sell off the assets for their own profits on the backs of the middle class. They were already successful in commanding tax cuts for themselves. Americans cannot fault these businessmen as doing this instinctually. Nevertheless, the upcoming Presidential election becomes more imperative as the opponents of the general welfare are willing to go further and further. It truly becomes a choice between building America from the middle class outwards, which has been shown to grow American prosperity, or doubling down on trickle down.
It is apparent now, more than ever, that the general welfare of all Americans should not be on trial during this election. It is part of a larger American responsibility to move forward together, stronger, and improve upon what it is to be an American. That is why Democrats have, and always will, stand behind providing for the general welfare.
Last semester the students here at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and the administration decided we needed a change in the dining offered on campus. So, we said farewell to Chartwells and welcomed the new changes Sodexo could offer us. Now that we are well into the fall semester and things are beginning to get settled, are students happy with their new dining experiences on campus?
It is no secret that things around here are definitely different as far as dining goes. We’ve said goodbye to places such as Chars and The Trat while a few places remained basically unchanged. We’ve also welcomed a few new places such as Einstein Bagels, Ebert’s & Gerbert’s, Flying Star, and Starbucks just to name a few. Being that eating is a big part of our lives and that many of us crave the homemade food our parents make us when we are home, it is natural for us to be critical about what the campus provides for us to eat. From what I have noticed, there are some problems with Sodexo’s transition onto UW-L’s campus, but there are also a few things they are doing right. “I think the quality of the food is better, but there are not as many options as I think we need. I also believe that the salad bar should be self-serve it would also go faster. I think a self-serve area where you can make yourself a grilled cheese or a pb&j would also be nice,” says Emily Groh, a Sophomore here at UW-L when asked about Whitney. I would have to say that I, and many of the other students I talked to, agree with what she has to say. As far as the food quality goes, I would argue that it is better than the food offered at Whitney last year, but there are not near as many options as we used to have. Given that we eat here every meal every day, variety is important.
Taking it a step further, many of us have found that, outside of Whitney, our meal plans are slightly limiting. Sure, we have all these new places, but most of us can’t even use our meals there. Places in the Galley such as Erbert’s & Gerberts
and Einstein Bagels are limited to only students with block meals and, even then, the options at these places are very sparse. I don’t really understand the point of having new restaurants
with big, great menus when we can’t even use our meals to eat there. Yes, we have some Campus Cash for this, but the prices at these places cause us to run out of Campus Cash fairly quickly.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment with the new meal plan is the changes made to the Cellar. I think I can speak for us all when I say that the Cellar used to be the best place on campus and now it is practically unrecognizable. “I admit that some of the changes made to the meal plan are positive, but if I had to say one thing it would be how disappointed I am in the Cellar. It’s not even the same type of food anymore and it is the thing I miss the most about Chartwell’s,” says Alyssa Snow, a student here at UW-L. Its true, the Cellar really is no more. For those of you who are just joining the campus this year, I would have to say I am sorry you missed out on the Cellar the way it was last year. Now the food served there is slightly more fancy than necessary and the number of options are far to few. The Cellar used to be packed every night and now when I go there to eat, there are hardly any other people there. If that doesn’t say something about the failure of Sodexo’s take of the Cellar, I don’t know what does.
With all that being said, I think that Sodexo is doing what they can to keep our campus happy. Given that they are new here and still transitioning into the system, I would argue that they are doing a relatively decent job. Even since the start of the year they have made adjustments to the menus and the options available to us and, I’m sure, as the year goes on they will continue to tweak the system and get it down to what works best for our campus. Starting off somewhere new is not an easy task for the dining provider or the students, so let’s give Sodexo the benefit of the doubt and try to adjust to the changes they are making. If you are unhappy with something, help the campus change it by contacting dining services here on campus.
Page 5Thursday, October 4, 2012
Viewpointwww.the racquet.NeT
Poll dancing
If there is a 3% margin of error, the 46% can be as high as 49% and the 52% can be as low as 49% which means that neither candidate has a definite lead.
By Thomas J DuncanGuest Reporter
By Ashley ReynoldsSenior Reporter
By Alan VoyAssociate Reporter
Sodexo’s takeover
Providing for the general welfare
Page 4
Viewpoint Thursday, October 4, 2012The voice of the campus community is printed here
Don’t be a pinhead...speak up!Send your letter for The Open Forum to
[email protected] today!
Caleb BrownViewpoint Editor
TheRacqueT
EDITORIAL BOARDK.C. Powers | [email protected] Laegeler | Managing [email protected] Moss | News Editor [email protected] Brown | Viewpoint [email protected] M. Briggs | Features [email protected] Falck-Pedersen | Assistant Features [email protected] Alwaissi | Sports Editor [email protected] Levine | Senior Copy Editor [email protected] Fischer | Copy [email protected]
NEWS REPORTERSKelly Farell | Senior Reporter [email protected] Kepros | Senior [email protected] Kallas | Associate [email protected] Groh | Associate [email protected] Crawford | Associate [email protected]
VIEWPOINT REPORTERSOlivia Mercer | Senior Reporter [email protected] Reynolds | Senior [email protected] Wileman | Associate Reporter [email protected] Voy | Staff Reporter [email protected]
FEATURES REPORTERSCole Nelson| Associate [email protected] TerBeest | Associate [email protected] Meinertz| Associate Reporter [email protected]
SPORTS AND HEALTH REPORTERSGreg Nickel | Staff Reporter [email protected] Brennan | Staff [email protected] Diagle | Associate [email protected]
ART AND PHOTO STAFFSenior Photagrapher | Toni HansonPhotographer | Alexander HeinzPolitical Cartoonist | Sam Janowiack
BUSINESS STAFFCara Conway | Business [email protected] Tiffany Joaquin | Ad Director [email protected]
The Racquet is an Award-Winning Newspaper, achieving the Third Award for Best Editorial in
2010 and Second Award for Best Advertisement in 2009 through the Wisconsin Newspaper Associa-
tion Foundation.
The Racquet is a student-produced weekly news-paper distributed for the University of Wisconsin-
La Crosse.
The editorial staff assumes full responsibility for content and policies. The Racquet values accuracy
and will publish corrections if necessary; please send them to [email protected]. Deadline for
article submission is Friday by noon.
The staff editorials contain the oppinions of the editorial staff only and do not represent the views
of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
To advertise with The Racquet, please contact [email protected]. For general inqui-
ries, contact [email protected] copies are free to members of the UW-La Crosse, WTC, and Viterbo campus communities.
Multiple copies can be acquired from The Racquet at a price to be determined by the publisher by
contacting the Racquet business office. Newspaper theft is a crime and is subject to civil and criminal
prosecution and/or university discipline.
231 & 232 Cartwright Center1725 State Street
La Crosse, WI 54601
To reserve your issue of The Racquet, visit www.theracquet.net/subscribe or call us at
(608) 785-8378. Single issues are free on campus or available by mail for a subscrip-
tion fee.FALL 2012: 15 issues for $30
FULL YEAR: 30 issues for $50
Subscriptions
The Racquet
FROM THE EDITORS
Who needs a car?
NCUR is a great oportunity
Contrary to my naive beliefs, not having a car at school was not as easy as anticipated.
Still many months away, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will be hosting this year’s 27th Annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) for a second time. On April 11-13, 2013, close to, if not more than, 2,500 students from across the county will present their research using various methods including posters, speeches, visual arts, and performances.
The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) said their mission of the conference is “to promote undergraduate research scholarship and creative activity done in partnership with faculty or other mentors as a vital component of higher education.”
NCUR is a great opportunity for everyone interested and it looks fantastic on a résumé since it is the most important undergraduate research conference in the nation. Also on the CUR website, was a section on their commitment to diversity within the conference. We think that is great. Everyone has something to bring to the table and it should never matter what race or ethnicity someone is. They even go so far as to fundraise to make sure everyone is equally represented at the conference. UW-L strives to make the campus as
diverse as possible, and does whatever needed to continue making it a diverse campus. So, it’s great to see a conference that has the same values as the university it is going to be held at.
Being a part of this conference is also beneficial to you. Students who take part in the conference are welcomed and encouraged to submit their work to the Proceedings Board, which is then usually dispersed to colleges and universities all over the United States. However, aside from getting it published, students are able to get feedback from faculty besides UW-L faculty. This further develops and improves the piece, making it better all-around for submitting it elsewhere. This is also great for applying to graduate school and professional settings. Especially in this day and age, anything that can make you look better on a job application or graduate school application is entirely worth it.
UW-L hosted the conference in 2009, as well. The fact that such a significant conference is back at UW-L in just a few years really just goes to show that this university feels very strongly about education and promoting students’ efforts in research in all subject areas. It’s also great that those who come
from all over the United States get to see what the City of La Crosse is really all about, too, through excursions. Students, their sponsors, their parents, and faculty are able to go on guided night hikes on the Myrick Hixon EcoPark trails, take a trip on the Mississippi River on a riverboat, and bowling, among other events. This allows everyone to get a better feel for what La Crosse is like, all while creating new friendships with people from all over.
It’s nice to see that even though this is such a serious conference, UW-L doesn’t forget that even though people from all across the country came for one purpose, it doesn’t mean it always has to be serious business. UW-L understands the importance in creating connections with other people that may not have existed without this conference.
With that said, NCUR is a wonderful conference that really helps further students in their research and work. We strongly encourage students get involved since it is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and having it right on campus makes the travel cost significantly less. So why not give it a shot while it’s here?
Amanda WengrzynowiczStudent Many college students have recently returned to the city of La Crosse for the upcoming fall semester. I’m sure most of the students are very excited to be returning back to school and to be with all of their friends again. I am also very excited to be returning back to school, but I am also concerned about our safety as college students in the city of La Crosse. After all, over the past year, there have been a lot more drug issues, crime rates have gone up, and other scary incidents in the La Crosse community. I have friends that have been jumped and harassed on their way home from the library late at night or after a late night downtown. There are many friends and students that I have talked to that feel the same way I do. It’s important to be aware of what’s going on so we can protect ourselves and others. I believe the concern for personal safety is very important to all students, especially for the incoming freshmen. I feel that it is important to stress to this group of students the importance of personal safety on and off campus. College should be one of the best times of our lives, but we need to be safe and not take advantage of the opportunity. We as college students need to be aware of our surroundings and our well-being. I want college students to feel safe and not have to worry every second of every day about their safety. On that note, I think it would be a great idea to have “safe walkers” every night of the week. Week nights there could be safe walkers until midnight and there should also be safe walkers on the weekends for those students who are walking home from down town and other areas of the city. There should be a safe walker at the corner of all of the main roads that college students use at night after class, or after a night out. Thursday nights
through Saturday nights would be extended hours because of those college students that are downtown and walking around and off campus.Some might say that this suggestion is encouraging drinking, but that is not the case. We cannot be naïve and pretend that it is not happening; college students are going to continue to drink regardless of what is going on in the community.
Julie SchneiderStudent
Experiencing my last first day of school was surreal in itself, as I hit the road for my final semester as an undergraduate student at UW-La Crosse. Several observations were taken in: what people were wearing, the difference between the returners and the first-timers, but two distinct things that I observed were stuck in my mind for the rest of the day. New additions to the UW-L campus are big street lamps that surround Centennial Hall and are placed throughout campus. These street lamps are a great idea because they not only provide more light, but they create a safe atmosphere within and around the campus. A way campus could become even safer is if the university and the students agreed to enforce bike lanes throughout the campus sidewalks. Yes, it would cost money and, most likely, the funding for it would come from student fees, but the hectic passing times, where everyone is trying to get somewhere in a timely manner and everyone thinks they have the right-away, would be simplified to an orderly, more structured moving time. There have been too many incidents of bikers almost hitting students who are walking or two bikers getting into an accident. It is an unnecessary added stress that could be eliminated if bike lanes were to be implemented throughout campus. I understand that this may create a more systematic way of how students would get from class to class
and that some students would prefer not to be told where to walk or ride their bike. After dealing with it for four, and going on four and a half, years, this would be a simple solution to end the passing time chaos. Bike lanes. Just think about the added amount of safety they would provide to everyone who steps or peddles onto the UW-L campus.
Jimmy NeiderhauseStudent
Change breeds change, and that has been evident on the La Crosse campus over the last couple of weeks as UW-La Crosse lost one of its finest students, Sean Schoonmaker. On August 24th, Sean was killed in a car accident on his way to a friend’s cabin, where he most likely fell asleep at the wheel. However, now that Sean is gone it seems as though he is more present than ever. Throughout his time at UW-L, Sean was passionately involved in CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ). It was in his relationship with Christ that he placed his identity. In this difficult time of mourning his loss, our campus has been radically impacted by what Sean stood for. This was not your typical death where someone young passed away and was then forgotten about days later. Because of the way Sean lived his life, he has had the opportunity to impact thousands of people in his life and, noticeably, thousands more after his death. Whether it was at memorial services, CRU events, or newspaper articles, the message of hope that is in Christ Jesus has been presented in a way that brings tears of joy rather than tears of sadness. Nowhere else have I ever seen a university impacted in the way that UW-L has been in light of this event. Students’ lives are being changed, the power of the Gospel is reinvigorating hearts of the young and old declaring that Christ is sovereign and His love never fails.
THE OPEN FORUM
I am well aware that parking in a college town area is typically not ideal. However, having a car at college is necessary for many students in La Crosse and is a subject worth thorough consideration.
In La Crosse, students who live on-campus have to rent out a parking pass from the university for a few each year or semester. The areas available to park in are taken on a first come first serve basis. While convenient to have a car at school, if parking for a full year with the university, an individual could be paying up to $300.
Personally, when I first arrived at UW-La Crosse in 2010, I did not find any reason for me to have my car on campus. I thought it would be easy to find ways back to my hometown for holiday or home visits. I was not employed in La Crosse, so I didn’t need transportation to and from a potential employment place. To me,
before arriving at college, not having a car would be a piece of cake.
Contrary to my naïve beliefs, not having a car at school was not as easy as anticipated. While the bus system was an excellent source of transportation, the times the bus services ran were not always best or accessible for me. Not to mention, it was not always a guarantee that someone from my hometown area would need to venture home the same weekends as me. The more time that passed, the more I realized that maybe having a car at school wouldn’t be such a bad idea. In November of 2010, I made the decision to purchase a parking pass for the school year. I do not regret my decision.
In comparison to other UW schools, UW-L has parking pretty easy. At UW-Eau Claire, individuals are not able to just sign up, pay money, and park with the university. Instead, all students have to sign up for a “parking raffle,” according to a freshman at UW-EC, Brenna Hennessy. In comparison to UW-L,
UW-EC’s ability to get on-campus parking is not as easily accessible.
UW-Steven’s Point is quite the opposite. Instead, it is very easy to park on campus. According to Karly Hennessy, junior at UW-SP, “there are three main parking lots that students can park in near the dorms that you buy a permit for $90. That permit is good for all three lots so students have easy access to park in whichever
of the three.” Students are able to obtain these parking passes anytime periodically throughout the year.
In comparison to both UW-EC and UW-SP, it appears that UW-L is nearly smack-dab in the middle on parking, cost, and availability. Many students, however, choose to venture to off-campus living their freshman
and sophomore years. Generally, students assume at this point it will be more accessible, efficient, and less costly than parking on campus. Many landlords provide their tenants with off-street parking; however, there are a significant amount of housing companies that require students to park on the street. While this may seem like a piece of cake, most students will argue that it is a major pain in the butt during the winter months when alternate side of the street parking begins. Once that begins, students generally dread having to move their vehicles due to their lack of ability to find spots.
Overall, having a car at school is a completely personal choice. It is based strictly on individual purposes. For unemployed students willing to walk or use alternate transportation, having a car is not necessary. For others, they could not imagine life without one.
By Olivia MercerSenior Reporter
I have not been to a parade in many years. This is partially because I’m not big on crowds, and I’ve also lost the strength of my childhood attachment to free candy. However, I recently had the opportunity to watch the Oktoberfest parade. As one who has not enjoyed the entertainment of a parade in many years, the Oktoberfest parade on Saturday was both entertaining and informative. It provided me the opportunity to both observe the parade and the spectators, and reminisce on what I’ve missed or forgotten in the years since my last parade.
First to arrive were the veterans and
representatives of the military. I was impressed and pleased to see how many people saluted them, though, of course, there were less dignified people in the crowd. However, in general, this was a very respectful portion
of the parade. After this came the public service officials such as the fire department. The fire department brought with them the “smoke house” which they use to simulate house fires at local fairs. Next came our own school’s marching band, the first of many.
Though I only caught a smattering of each bands playing, I will say that our school did well and seemed to be having a fun time. None of the members seemed upset or tired after what must have been, by this time, a very long walk. They carried themselves well. Afterwards, came the Oktoberfest officials themselves came in their various festooned floats. The familiar cry of “Ee eye ee eye ee eye oh!” pierced my eardrums like a war cry, startling me before I remembered with a smile that old tune.
What was most interesting to me was not the parade itself, but the observers on the sidelines. I am not a huge fan of Oktoberfest for, many reasons. Traffic is terrible and dangerous during the festival, and I’m not
big on the culture of alcohol. However, biased though my opinions may be, when I got past the obvious crowds of the loud and obnoxious, I began to see just how many families and friends were gathered. They sat together for hours just to see the parade and have a good time. Meanwhile, I wondered how often we get these opportunities now. How often do we get the chance to just stay in one place and talk and laugh with the people we care about? And perhaps this is truly what makes this festival worthwhile. I may not be a huge fan of alcohol myself, but there is something to be said in its efficiency at bringing human beings together.
The Oktoberfest Maple Leaf Parade has come and gone once again. The weather was more than ideal and the floats provided plenty of entertainment. When people think about Oktoberfest, among many things, they think t-shirts and lederhosen. An abundance of creative t-shirts speckled the streets, and behind each design was a long design and distribution process. I also spoke with a variety of parade goers on their thoughts about German lederhosen.
One of the most exciting and entertaining parts of the parade is the wide array of different t-shirts, and this year it was no different. This year, especially, it seemed as though smaller groups of people got together and made their own designs. There didn’t seem to be one shirt more popular than the rest, but there was a reoccurring theme of bright and fluorescent 90’s colors, and references to current pop culture. “Let’s Get Weird,” read one of the many Oktoberfest shirt designs this year, a quote from the popular Comedy Central show Workaholics. Another design was in reference to Carly Rae Jepsen’s song, “Call Me Maybe”, and stated on the back, “Hey I just met you, and this is crazy, but it’s Oktoberfest, so beer me, maybe?” “Fifty Shades of Drunk” was one more shirt that was a play on the title of a popular book, “Fifty Shades of Grey” by E. L. James. There was even a shirt in dedication to our beloved Aaron Rodgers and his State Farm commercials, stating, “Drunkfest. Discount Double Drunk.” Accessories included fanny packs, beaded necklaces, and drinking gloves.
I spoke with UW-La Crosse student Laura Abellera, who designed the “Let’s Get Weird” tanks with a few of her close friends, about the design process. “It was a lot more work than I originally thought it would be,” she said. She sent their ideas to a company and the company put the design together for
her. Ordering was done through a public Facebook event that started all the way back on August 2. The tanks were unisex and $16 each. The shirts didn’t have to be paid for until they were picked up, which caused some issues with accountability. Laura explained that she had to do some serious business planning to figure out how many shirts to order to make sure there were some extras, but in turn had to risk more money to make a better profit. For those of you interested in making your own shirts next year, Laura suggests to “overestimate time and underestimate people’s accountability.” She stressed that distributing took much longer than she had anticipated, but in the end, there was satisfaction in seeing the design on so many people at the parade.
Lederhosen, German for leather breeches, are not uncommon to see on the parade route. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, lederhosen are leather shorts, often with suspenders, worn by men and boys, especially in Bavaria. Originally, lederhosen emerged in the peasant community, but today they are seen mostly at cultural festivals and special occasions. Most people got an accurate picture in their mind when you say the word, but explaining them seemed to be more difficult. “They are German and appear uncomfortable,” one parade goer said. “I don’t know anything about them, but they are basically shorts with suspenders,” another Maple Leaf viewer exclaimed.
This year the weather for the Maple Leaf Parade was perfect. There were a wide array of t-shirt designs, with a process and story behind each one. Beads, drinking gloves, and fanny packs accessorized outfits and added a bit of personality to the basic graphic tees. Most people seemed to be aware of what lederhosen were, but they were hard to describe and seen less amongst the parade attendees. Maybe it’s time to invest in a pair for next year? Happy Festing!
Page 6 Thursday, October 4, 2012
Katie TerBeest The Racquet
By Cole NelsonStaff Reporter
Features
Music might not be considered the main draw of Oktoberfest by most people in La Crosse. To some minds, however, a fest just is not a fest without live music, and those minds would not have been disappointed by this past Saturday’s offerings at all.
Every evening needs a place to start, and few places are better than the Popcorn Tavern. The Popcorn Tavern has made quite a name for itself in the downtown scene with
the quality of its musical guests, making no exception here. A mere five dollars covered an entire night with The White Iron Band, a country group firmly grounding their music in its roots in rock and blues. When this six-piece outfit got going, they really got going. They brought everything they had on up-tempo tunes, with two to three guitars, bass, drums and organ, hard blues harmonica solos and vocals that burned like a flare on a cold night. And when they needed to slow things down, they did so with an honest-to-goodness power ballad that fit the lead singer’s Springstein-like rasp surprisingly well.
Those less enamored by country could go down to the Bodega Brew Pub, a favorite location for its great food and unparalleled drink selection. Bodega’s lack of stage space and typically noisy atmosphere might not be the best venue for live music, but there still was a good turnout to see The Soapbox play from eight to midnight. Despite being a smaller band, The Soapbox filled the space well. Their music was colored by classic and modern rock influences, and their set list was unpredictable, to say the least. Not many bands could pull off a show with a cover of Metallica juxtaposed with a shuffling indie rock tune from their own album. They managed to do so, though, and the response
from the crowd was definitely positive.Perhaps the highlight of the evening was
a band at John’s on Third Street by the name Ship of Fools. They burst out rock that was both slick and heavy, always with an edge but never too rough. Guitar, bass and synth all kept up nicely with their impressive drummer, whose heavy and powerful work lent a great new sound to the covers they did. Their cover of Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me,” sounded fresh and current, and it was followed up by the best cover of Prince’s “When Doves Cry,” that I have ever heard. With no disrespect to His Royal Badness, the song almost sounded more at home with their darker rock feel and more prominent percussion. The guitar and synth solos that let loose were not, perhaps, as technically impressive as Prince himself, but they fit great in a tight, energetic way.
The bars weren’t the only locations with great music. On the steps of Salon Medusa, musicians Zane and Alex improvised their way through the evening on guitar and
washboard, trading off vocals. A fellow named Tony sat in the middle of the blocked-off Third Street with his accordion and ukulele at the ready. “So far it’s been an interesting experience,” he said.
His sentiment was shared by Kieran and Paulie, two gentlemen standing in the doorway of an abandoned shop on Third, taking turns on the guitar and freely singing with a loud, open rattle in their voice and an impassioned, boisterous demeanor. “We do this constantly,” Kieran mentioned as he handed Paulie the guitar. “I’m gonna try and sing this tune without knowing the words,” Paulie said before the two of them broke into Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen The Rain.”
Battle it out with Bill
A fashionable Oktoberfest
One hundred thousand is a crowd
By Katie TerBeestStaff Reporter
David M. BriggsFeatures Editor
It is all about the shirt on your back
The 52nd anual maple leaf parade
By David M. BriggsFeatures Editor
Music makes a fest complete A listen to the sounds of Oktoberfest
Doodles and messages are scrawled all over the Popcorn Tavern, especially in the game room.
Hannahrose Rand The Racquet
What was most interesting to me was not the parade itself, but the observers on the sidelines.
Oktoberfest continues this weekend! Admission buttons are only $8 at the gate. All sales support Oktoberfest and non-profit organizations that sponsor the festival.
Looking closer at the 2012 Oktoberfest
The bars weren’t the only locations with great music.
Those less enamored by country could go down to the Bodega Brew Pub, a favorite location for its food and unparalled drink selection
Cameron Park Farmers Market
Local Vegetables, Fruit, Baked Goods, Meats, Jams, Artisan Crafts,
and much more!
2012 Summer Market
Held at
Cameron Park
King Street between 4th and 5th Streets
Fridays
October 5, 12, 19, 26
4pm - Dusk
2012 Winter Market
Held in the
EcoPark Center
789 Myrick Park Drive, La Crosse
Saturdays November 3 & 17
December 1 & 15
10 am – 1 pm
[email protected] www.cameronparkmarket.org
Find us on Facebook: Cameron Park Farmers Market
From incorrect enforcement to lengthy discussions, the NFL’s replacement referees were presenting a multitude of problems for the league and its fans. 27 yard personal fouls and phantom pass interference calls were among the embarrassment of inadequacies displayed by amateur referees, who were clearly in over their heads. But as fans, who are we to blame for the compromised product put out by the NFL on Sunday afternoons? And why did it seem like expediency became a priority after the debacle in Seattle?
It’s logical, as a fan, to look at Roger Goodell as the face of the NFL’s humiliation. He’s the leader of the league, so it’s his job to get this problem fixed in a timely manner, creating minimal attention, right? Not in this situation. Our in-the-moment emotions lead us to Goodell as a scapegoat, but the reality of labor negotiations is harsh and messy. There
are two sides, and it’s important to realize that the NFL Referees A s s o c i a t i o n (NFLRA) had somewhat steep demands, and the owners weren’t readily willing to meet every one of said demands. But here’s the bottom line: the NFL was forced into folding to most of the referees demands, and though it’s certainly not a losing situation for the league, their leverage was compromised. Whether you’re willing to accept it or not, the ending of the Monday Night Football game in Seattle had a strong hand in getting the referees back for the Cleveland-Baltimore game.
Roger Goodell has always emphasized the importance of player safety, and “protecting the shield.” It’s indubitable that Goodell has made great strides in improving safety on the field, and maintaining an u np re c e d e nt e d level of integrity within the game. So for someone to say that the game in Seattle had no hand in the
resolution of the labor dispute is outlandish. As the most profitable, and admired league in America, the NFL cannot accept a game ending with a result shrouded in uncertainty and laced with chaos and anarchy. When it comes down to the regretful autopsy on the
carcass that is the NFL during the reign of replacement referees, we will be able to say definitively that the league couldn’t afford further damage to their integrity and honor. That’s why the deal was completed.
But there’s an inherent beauty in sports that allows us to move on through the resumption of competition. So fret not NFL fans, you can once again be comforted by the certainty that Ed Hochuli and his massive arms will patrol the football field. Penalties will be enforced correctly, and games will make the 3-hour mark. There’s a nostalgic presence around football again, one that seems to say, “Never take your officials for granted.” And promising to abide by that rule would be nothing more than a momentary agreement, soon to be ushered out by a controversial pass interference or holding penalty. So enjoy them while you can, because we all know eventually you’ll once again object to their decisions, restoring equilibrium to the NFL.
SportsPage 7Thursday, October 4, 2012
Khay AlwaissiHealth Editor
www.theracquet.net
Date Sport Opponent Location Time10/5 Women’s Volleyball vs Coe College (Iowa) Platteville, WI 4 p.m.10/5 Women’s Volleyball vs St. Catherine University (Minn.) Platteville, WI 8 p.m.10/6 Women’s Volleyball vs St. Mary’s University (Minn.) Platteville, WI 10 a.m.10/6 Football at UW-Platteville* La Crosse, WI 1 p.m.10/6 Women’sVolleyball vs University of Dubuque (Iowa) Platteville, WI 2 p.m.10/6 Women’s Soccer at UW-Oshkosh* Oshkosh, WI 6:30 p.m.10/6 Women’s Tennis at UW-River Falls* River Falls, WI Noon10/10 Women’s Soccer vs Cornell College (Iowa) La Crosse, WI 7 p.m.
Return of the refsBy Greg Nickel
Staff Reporter
The Eagle Agenda
Knowing yourself in 2325 miles
Driving a car from Mammoth Lakes, California to Wausau, Wisconsin takes about 30 hours; a commercial flight is approximately 3.5 hours. For Blaine Limberg, it takes 25 days to get to Wausau on his bicycle. Such a task separates Limberg from many people who own a bicycle, and it didn’t come easy. After all, this tour was almost 2000 miles longer than his previous-longest tour, and many days it made Limberg’s life a living hell. Besides getting a tremendous workout, the cross-country bike tour impacted Limberg’s overall lifestyle and he learned valuable lessons that he still reflects on today.
Living in Mammoth Lakes, Limberg wasn’t shy to an active lifestyle. Snowboarding got him through most of the days, but he wanted to start doing new things, starting small at first. “I was doing a lot of hiking up mountains to snowboard down mountains I never had before, and I liked the idea of getting myself up the mountain versus a chair lift or snowmobile.” And this idea progressed to traveling with his bike.
Cycling has always been a hobby for Limberg, and the people close to him helped bridge his desire to bike across the country. Three of his friends have made the California-Wisconsin tour in the past. Limberg’s parents are also avid cyclists, having completed bike tours together. Hearing about their experiences gave Limberg the hunger to set his goals high.
On May 16, 2010, Limberg and a friend rode their bicycles, heading east, each carrying five bags of the essentials: repair tools, food/water, sleeping provisions, hygiene products, and a small amount of spare clothing.
While passing through Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa on their way to Wausau, WI, Limberg faced his companion needing to drop out of the race, biking through a high-altitude terrain and powerful
winds in the desert, and biking through the last 13 days of what locals called, “The most rain Nebraska has seen in the last 11 years combined.” Fortunately, about halfway through the tour, he was able to take an extended stay at a friend’s house in Fort Collins, Colorado. He found the stay to be very recuperating since he had biked about 1,000 miles.
In 25 days, Limberg traveled 2325 miles on a bicycle; graced his presence in seven states; trekked 20 days all by himself; suffered 13 grueling days in torrential rain. On June
10, Limberg finally made it to Wausau, Wisconsin, his hometown. Before putting an end to the tour, he biked up the highest hill in Wausau. It wasn’t on the way. He didn’t need to do it, but to Limberg it was a fitting way to end his tour. At 1,924 ft above sea level, Limberg looked west, where the journey began. His experience helped shape him as a person. After all the problems he faced, he learned to take his time and not let frustration overtake him. “I step back and make a plan. If it’s not right I take more time the second time and if need be the third time around.” Limberg will always be reminded of this, as he reflects every day on his experience.
“I think about my trip every day, and what I went through was the best life experience I’ve ever put myself through. You really learn who you are when you’re on your own like that, because you are the only one to work out your problems and you put yourself there, you can’t find someone to blame. You can only blame yourself but now I know myself better because of it.”
By Nick WimmerGuest Reporter
Cycling has always been a hobby for Limberg, and the people close to him helped bridge his desire to bike across the country. Three of his friends have made the California-Wisconsin tour in the past.
Google.com
NFL referees make first appearances on the field after strike
GrinBin Thursday, October 4, 2012Page 8
+++ Props to having Nerf gun fights!
+++ Props to getting free mini marshmallows at the Oktoberfest Parade!
+++ Props to people making homemade soup in the res hall kitchen! Double props to them sharing!
+++ Props to Iguana’s fish tacos!
-/+ Drops to getting a van flipped. Props to no squirrels being thrown!
+/- Props to a new Family Guy season on Sunday! Drops to the episode being a little lame.
+++ Props to 70 degree weather in October!
+++ Props to another weekend of Oktoberfest!
+/- Props to your room mate being your bridesmaid! Drops to her also calling the cops on your cat.
+++ Props to oreoballs.
- - - Drops to this year’s Halloween being on a Wednesday.
+++ Props getting two bags of Twizzlers for the price of one in the vending machine at Wimberly!
+++ Props to 80’s pump up jams. Double props to Jock Jams.
- - - Drops to Snooki. Do I really need a reason?
+++ Props to the 24th season of The Simpsons.
-/+ Drops to having 3 exams in one day. Props to finding out one of them has been pushed back.
- - - Drops to chemistry. ‘nuff said.
-/+ Drops to my best friend having heart surgery. Props to a successful surgery and getting another new
best friend.
+/- Props to getting out of class early. Drops to falling asleep on the Cowley couches waiting for my
next class.
Oktoberfest Word Search
Sudoku Last Week’s AnswersSudoku answer 9/20 Sudoku answer 9/27
KryptoKanye answer 9/20“If I was a shorty, I would love it if my parents went to Phuket for vacay so I could keep pronouncing it wrong on purpose in front of them.”
-Kanye WestShout out to Ruth Gaona for getting it right with the Kanye Best!
Dr. Andrew Wakefield
PRESS CONFERENCE
DATE: Thursday, October 4
WHERE: Myrick Park Gun Shelter 2020 Myrick Park Drive La Crosse, WI 54601
TIME: 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
WHO: Dr. Wakefield & Others
WHAT: Dr. Wakefield will address misinformation
promoted by freelance reporter Brian Deer, scheduled to speak Oct. 4-5 at UWL.
10/2/12 6:02 PMOktoberfest Word Search
Page 1 of 1http://www.freewordsearches.net/wordsearch/oktoberfest
Oktoberfest Word SearchA word search about Oktoberfest.
Find these
words!
Accordian
Bavaria
Beer
Cabbage
Celebrate
Dancing
Decorations
Germany
Munich
Oktoberfest
Polka
Potatodumplings
Pretzels
Sausage
Theresienwiese
BB EE AA QQ NN CC RR SS OO AA NN LL RR UU II TT EE QQ
BB EE LL EE EE GG PP NN AA II DD RR OO CC CC AA WW II
AA LL EE FF TT HH EE RR EE SS II EE NN WW II EE SS EE
EE CC EE RR PP EE EE AA BB PP OO LL KK AA OO YY SS II
LL EE DD UU II MM UU II WW BB AA VV AA RR II AA DD NN
II LL EE EE EE EE RR OO KK TT OO BB EE RR FF EE SS TT
ZZ EE OO DD EE GG AA BB BB AA CC RR DD OO PP WW OO VV
OO BB EE TT CC TT II TT EE GG EE RR MM AA NN YY OO WW
NN RR FF NN PP RR EE TT ZZ EE LL SS LL EE MM SS GG EE
UU AA TT FF SS AA UU SS AA GG EE NN II WW EE GG UU EE
LL TT SS EE CC DD TT EE AA RR NN MM II II NN II AA VV
AA EE MM DD EE II BB NN GG TT OO AA TT II MM EE AA TT
QQ TT UU DD EE CC OO RR AA TT II OO NN SS JJ BB NN EE
GG OO NN PP OO TT AA TT OO DD UU MM PP LL II NN GG SS
EE WW II NN DD EE EE AA OO TT VV WW II EE AA YY EE OO
TT QQ CC AA SS NN WW GG PP OO OO AA AA AA UU HH II UU
HH NN HH RR NN BB FF VV SS SS CC OO OO UU BB UU EE UU
RR NN AA DD AA NN CC II NN GG LL KK II DD EE NN EE RR
A free word search puzzle from Freewordsearches.net
Try out some of our other sites: Scrabble Word Finder
Find these words!AccordianBavariaBeerCabbageCelebrateDancingDecorationsGermanyMunichOktoberfestPolkaPotatodumplingsPretzelsSausageTheresienwiese
Want a specific game or puzzle in GrinBin?
Let us know!