Staying Out, Staying Safe a Series of Campus Attacks Gives Cause for Caution — but Not Panic

DISPATCHES Staying Out, Staying Safe A series of campus attacks gives cause for caution — but not panic. Karissa Cerroni x’07 never walks home alone from the JEFF MILLER library, where she often wraps up study sessions well after midnight in her quest to go to medical school. Calling herself “one of the more paranoid people here,” she is always careful to stick with friends when out on weekends. And when she leaves the library at night, she either takes the bus or dials up one of the campus 550 programs that offers escorted transportation after dark. Number of ash trees on the But despite a recent wave main campus (with many more of campus-area assaults, Cerroni in the lakeshore natural areas) and many other students aren’t potentially threatened by the going so far as to alter their emerald ash borer, an exotic routines. “You can’t change,” wood-boring beetle that has she says. “I’m not going to not Brian Conger and Cara Mitchell of SAFEwalk, a free service students been found in the Midwest and go to the library and study or can use, escort Dani Koel (center) to her destination. appears headed for Wisconsin. go have fun just because of it.” Campus naturalists have begun Since the end of the spring The late-night attacks were As students returned selectively removing ash trees semester, more than a half- notable for their violent nature to campus for the fall semes- and planting other varieties to dozen assaults or robberies and the fact that many of the ter, university officials and try to minimize the damage if have taken place in the campus victims were intoxicated young police took some extra steps the pest arrives. area, a high number for a men who were walking alone, to remind students about university that has traditionally says Madison Police spokesman precautions, such as walking in experienced little street crime. Mike Hanson. groups, locking their residence Sconnies and Coasties When they sing “On, Wisconsin,” UW-Madison’s “My first impression was that people from students may seem united. But at least one spirited the Midwest could be really nice,” says Melissa rivalry exists among undergraduates: the long- Cabrera, a sophomore from New York. “Then in standing divide between native Wisconsinites — my [women’s studies] class, we had a discussion, Sconnies — and students from out of state, often and they started bashing people from the coast, called Coasties because of the large number of and I was shocked.” students from New York and California. Mostly, it’s all in fun, but there are a few Sconnies outnumber Coasties about three deeper issues. Coasties, for instance, often live to one, and they say they can spot the in off-campus private residence halls, non-natives based on what they wear. which some students say creates a “Sometimes they get all dressed up for kind of geographic segregation that classes and stuff like that, and I just makes it difficult for students to get get [angry] at that because I’m a to know one another. But Coasties sweatpants person,” says Ashley and Sconnies do have one thing in Foss, a junior from Wisconsin. And common: they’re all Badgers. “Football there are digs about behavior, too. games definitely bring us together, While Sconnies deride Coasties as SPENCER WALTS because we’re all rooting for the same snotty and condescending, Coasties team regardless of where we’re from,” retort that students from the Midwest says Cabrera. are judgmental and closed-minded. — Elli Thompson x’08 10 ON WISCONSIN DISPATCHES doors, and not propping open But an uptick in crime is Berquam says the conun- secured entrances to buildings. a disturbing reminder that drum is how to make students They also have encouraged despite its reputation as a safe feel comfortable enough so that students to use UW’s SAFE place, Madison is not immune they don’t miss out on a vibrant Nighttime Services, which to violence — a message that campus life, but not so comfort- includes escorted walks, free sometimes can be overlooked able that they become reckless. cab rides, and bus service. by students. “Some people may “We really do create a But they also acknowledge be moving here from a really pretty tight campus commu- that many students still have large city, and they may think nity, and we like to say we academic or social lives that they’re moving to Hicksville make this big, huge place require them to be out around in the Midwest and everyone smaller,” she says. “In doing campus late at night. keeps their doors unlocked,” that, we almost build this false For bookworms and barflies says Lori Berquam, interim sense of security. That’s what alike, college is a twenty-four- dean of students. we need to combat again.” hour-a-day lifestyle. And that — Jenny Price ’96 makes campus security a twenty- four-hour-a-day challenge. “There are students who need to go about their busi- Q AND A “I also learned that it is nearly ness in the wee hours of the Dan Okoli impossible to get nothing out morning,” says Hanson, adding of a class unless you never that some of the recent assault It’s been little more than a year since attend.” victims were students “simply UW-Madison revealed its master plan to — Senior Holly Bertera, in a walking alone from their redevelop many areas of campus. Dan keynote address to new students chemistry lab.” Okoli, university architect since April at the Chancellor’s Convocation Taylor Hughes x’07, for 2005, has been in the frontlines of the in September. For the first time, example, edits the Badger redevelopment process during the most a student was selected to offer Herald, often putting the paper extensive building period on campus advice to incoming freshmen to bed around the same time since the 1960s. about “what I learned my that the bars close on State Q: How do you envision the campus freshman year.” Street. “The late nights and our looking in ten years? production schedule in general A: We want to be able to create a strong sense of arrival. If you’re are just an integral part of this driving from the west coming into campus, at some point you whole experience,” he says. begin to see buildings that suggest campus, but you never come “If we got out at 10 p.m. every quite to a place where you say, “Wow, this is it.” It’s a university night, it wouldn’t be the same.” within a city, but I still want us to be able to say, “I have crossed However, Hughes says he the boundary of the academy.” The other important thing we has never been worried about ought to be able to do is have architectural coherence or visual walking home, because many consistency with what we do. I’d like a situation where, when you of the victims have been drive through, [the buildings] feel like they all fit together. “drunk guys.” The fact that many of the Q: Do you have a favorite building on campus? recent victims were inebriated A: Well, I think there are a number of buildings that I would is one reason authorities have consider iconic on campus, but it’s not entirely because of the avoided raising too much alarm architecture, even though the architecture is good. It’s because about after-dark safety. “We of what it represents together with the architecture. Bascom Hall haven’t put out a generic, is one such building, because when you talk about this campus, ‘Oh, my god, the sky is falling.’ that’s the thing that jumps out at you. The Red Gym, as well. We’ve been pretty specific Q: What about a least favorite building? [about] what seems to be the A: I believe that design of a building should be inviting and make problem,” says UW Police Chief people feel comfortable around it. To design a building that Sue Riseling. people don’t really feel comfortable around is a failed design She adds that the UW in my mind. There are quite a few buildings like that on campus, campus has had a remarkably and [the] McArdle [Cancer Research Building] is one of them. low street crime rate for many years. “It’s boggled my mind Q: Where would be the perfect place on campus to you can have this many people in construct your “dream building”? one place and have only a couple A: One of the places that I have found most soothing is where some robberies in a year,” she says. of the lakeshore dorms are. I’m telling you ... if I could roll the clock “It’s almost too good to be true.” back and come here as a student, I’d love to live in one of those. WINTER 2006 11 DISPATCHES Exercising the Stock Option The UW System tries to put financial pressure on Sudan. UW-Madison has reached an Charles Pruitt knows there System divested itself of stocks neither request has been agreement with the Internet isn’t much he can do to stop in companies that did business granted. While the financial company Google to join its the widespread killing in with South Africa in protest committee is willing to ambitious effort to create a Sudan. But that doesn’t mean over that nation’s apartheid consider ethics as part of worldwide online library. The he won’t try. And as chair of system of racial segregation.

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