College-age Women Are Heaviest Binge Drinkers, by Mikayla Peters

College-age women, age 18-24, have the highest rate of binge drinking. One in four college-age women admit to binge drinking in the nation.

Wisconsin ranks first in the nation for binge drinking, according to the Changing the Culture of Risky Drinking Behavior Coalition's report. LaCrosse county has one of the highest rates of binge drinking in the state.

According to the study, 35% of adults in LaCrosse binge drink on a regular basis. 36% of college students in LaCrosse binge drink. One in five high-school students in LaCrosse admits  to binge drinking.

A nationwide study shows one in eight women binge drinks.

Binge drinking is consuming four or more drinks in one sitting for women, five or more for men. The CDC did a study that showed the women consume six drinks in one sitting, three times per month.

71% of UW-L students use alcohol once a week, according to a UW-L survey. 10% admit to binge drinking. UW-L offers resources to students with drinking problems, including the Counseling & Testing Center or the Wellness Resource Center.

Rehabs.com claimed UW-L was first in the nation for alcohol arrests in 2012. Joe Gow, the chancellor at UW-L, said that Oktoberfest may have an impact on the arrests and drinking. He also said, "I really don't think the alcohol situation here at UW-L is any worse or any better than it is at the other places I've been."

Earbuds Can Damage Hearing, by Mikayla Peters

Hearing loss in teens is “30% higher than it was in the ‘80s and ‘90s,” according to the Journal of American Medical Association.

The smaller headphones become, the more dangerous they become. Earbuds are the worst, because they are placed directly in the ear canal. Their maximum volume is 110 decibels, the same as a rock concert.

A UW-L sophomore said, “I always knew it was loud, but I’m just trying to block out the other noises around me.”  Just because earbuds are more stylish, the larger headphones that do not enter the ear are safer. To avoid turning up the music, find headphones that are noise-canceling, or risk hearing loss.

Loss of hearing can lead to dementia over time. Dr. Frank Lin, a professor of medicine, says “With bad hearing, your brain has to allocate more of its resources to help with hearing.”

Hearing loss doesn’t just affect teens. 16% of American adults have hearing loss linked to high-volume headphones, according to the Archives of Internal Medicine.

To avoid or prevent hearing loss, listen to music below 70%. Do not max out the volume, and limit time spent using headphones. Listening to music at full volume for more than an hour can cause permanent damage in less than 5 years. 

Time in College Still Increasing, by Sam Giunta

            College students are spending more time in college and feeling pressure to attain greater degrees just to get a job.

            College students feel that they need to go to school longer to get the job they wish upon graduating, regardless of employers’ evaluation of applications for a job opening,  A University of Wisconsin-La Crosse sophomore says, “my psych[ology] major isn’t going to get me anywhere if I don’t go to graduate school, but that’s an extra three years!” 

            Students say they will need to go to school for an extra semester or even two semesters to finish off their bachelor’s degree.  “Super seniors” complain not only about the extra time they must spend in school and the money they are not making, but the money they must spend in order to get them a job upon graduation. 

“It feels like my resume defines me as an employee instead of my interview and the characteristics I would display in it,” says a University of Wisconsin-Madison senior as she struggles to look for a job by May.

Wisconsin’s Tornado & Severe Weather Awareness Week, by Stella Nathan

“Wisconsin’s Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week” concludes today. Wisconsin averages 23 tornadoes annually. Tornadoes can happen at any time, but April through August is peak tornado season in Wisconsin.

The information provided by ReadyWisconsin most people already know to do in case of a tornado or severe weather. However there are some things that may surprise people. If you are in a car while a tornado hits, it is advised that if you cannot reach shelter, to pull over and keep your seat belt on. You are to sit in your seat and place your head below the windows. Something else advised by ReadyWisconsin was that you do not seek shelter under an overpass.  Living in a mobile home, even if it is tied down is not a safe place to be during severe weather and tornadoes. If you are in a mobile home, you will want to leave your home and go to a designated storm shelter.

People know that they are to go into a basement when severe weather hits. But some may be surprised to know that ReadyWisconsin advises people to wear bike helmets to protect their heads. If you are at home or in another building avoid windows! You can seek shelter under sturdy tables or stairs. If there is no basement try and find a small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor. A bathtub can also be used to seek shelter. Cover yourself in blankets and pillows. Something else that people may not be aware of is that they are supposed to keep personal documentation safe. Personal documentation includes birth certificates, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, insurance policies, and family and emergency contact information.

ReadyWisconsin advises people to listen, act and live. It is important to know how to keep yourself and others safe in the case of severe weather, even when you are not at home.

At school, follow the drill that is in place. Stay away from windows and large open rooms such as gyms and auditoriums or any place with a free-span roof. Do not use elevators. Do not talk loudly or rough house. It is important to listen, be alert, and follow directions.

Whether you are at home, work, school, or outdoors, you and other people around you should have a plan. You should know where the safest shelter areas are in multiple locations. You should have a disaster supply kit in your home, and car and make sure you know where the first aid kit is at work. A disaster supply kit should include water and food that won’t spoil or doesn’t need to be prepared with heat. People can also make a kit or buy one.

 According to the Red Cross, you should pack things in your kit that suit the needs of your family or whoever is likely to be around you during an emergency.  You might need things for your pet or extra formula and diapers for a baby. Make sure that you check your kit regularly and update it accordingly. You will need batteries and flashlights that work, band-aids, battery powered or hand crank radios, sanitation items, blankets, and copies of personal documentations. Visit the Red Cross, ReadyWisconsin or contact Tod Pritchard at tod.pritchard@wisconsin.gov or 608-242-3324 for more information.

UWL Tuition Is "Middle of the Road," by Danielle Cook

            UW-La Crosse is participating in the nationwide tuition hikes. Recent statistics from the College Board organization explain that the university is, in fact, in the middle of the road for secondary education costs. On top of that, UW-L will be experiencing a two-year tuition freeze, perhaps four years.

            As a general figure, the increase in average in-state tuition nationwide is much less for the 2013-14 academic year than in past years. Students previously paid 4.5% more in 2012-13, and are now experiencing a small increase of 2.9%, the lowest percentage increase in the past 30 years. The median published tuition and fee cost for the 2013-14 school year is $11,093, including major research campuses. For flagship universities across the country, tuition rests at both financial extremes. At Penn State, tuition sits at $17,926 per semester, whereas Wyoming has the lowest tuition and fees, at $4,404. Currently, UW-L’s tuition is at $8,902 per semester. The estimated total cost for the average national campus is $16,584 for the 2013-14 year, with the average public Master’s in-state tuition and fees being $7,750.

The UW System has 181,000 students at 26 campuses throughout the state. Included in these 26 educational centers are 13 four-year universities. Comparing UW-L to the rest of the University of Wisconsin System, tuition and fees are just slightly higher in-state for UW-L. Excluding UW-Madison, the state average cost is $7,913, resulting in a difference of over ten percent between UW-L and the rest of Wisconsin. The state’s tuition and fees have grown on a typical scale. Over the past five years, the average in-state tuition and fees has increased at a rate of 25%.

UW-L freshman Alex Reina explained, “If college tuition continues to increase, my future plans for getting a good education may be jeopardized. I may not be able to pay for it if it goes too high, since my parents have a specific amount of money set aside for me. After that money is used up, paying for college is up to me personally.”

For in-state students at leading Ph.D.-granting universities in 19 states, tuition is actually lower than that for in-state students at UW-L. At the University of Oklahoma, tuition is currently at $8,705.50, with the next highest other than UW-L being the University of Maryland at $8,909. UW-L falls between the two. The University of Wyoming boasts the lowest in-state tuition out of the flagship universities. For a full year, two semesters of school, students paid a mere $4,278 in 2012-2013. In comparison, UW-L students were required to pay $4,377 for only one semester of education. In the 2013-14 school year, the University of Wyoming’s tuition rose just slightly, to $4,404 in-state. Penn State University has the highest in-state tuition per semester, with tuition and fees amounting to $17,266 per semester.

Ranked nationally, the UW System holds the 21^st highest tuition, placing it in the more expensive 50% of the U.S. Wyoming, as expected, has the lowest average tuition and fees for in-state students. In Wyoming, the average tuition is $2,432 per semester. To put that number in perspective, the yearly average tuition for Wyoming amounts to less than $300 over half of UW-L’s cost per semester. New Hampshire has the highest average tuition and fees in-state, with the average student paying $14,576.

With UW System tuition frozen, universities are beginning to consider how student costs will be rearranged to accommodate the lack of funds. Universities are not going to neglect to ensure they can maintain daily standards of education. Therefore, cost shifts will occur throughout the system, since one form of funding for schools will be no longer available to increase. For example, increases could occur in housing, food, and other areas, all out of the realm of the statewide tuition freeze. Students’ tuition may not go up, but that does not mean other categories of funding will stop their increasing trend.

Junior Hannah McLean also noted, “My personal concern is having to take out loans for tuition, since it’s not my out-of-pocket money. After I graduate, I’m going to have to pay that back, with interest, which can really add up.”

Although a tuition freeze may appear to help students avoid rising tuition costs, money will still be siphoned from them to go towards other necessary functions of campus. However, with Wisconsin and specifically UW-L’s tuition and fees resting in the middle of two extremes – high and low tuition bills, paying for college is still a burden that students everywhere face and is not likely to be minimized any time soon.

Working, Borrowing, & More to Pay for College, by Stella Nathan

 A generation ago, it was typical for families to support their college students financially, but now as the cost of school and debt increases, expenses for college can no longer be “pay as you go.“

A college professor in English at the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse stated that when he was going to school his parents could just write a check and pay for his tuition. 30 years ago it was the parents’ responsibility to pay for their child’s tuition.  Even if the college students had jobs, it was not typical that they had the job in order to help them pay for college.

 But now, it is almost essential for students to have jobs and work their way through college because parents simply cannot afford to pay the costs of college all by themselves.

The majority of students say they have jobs. Some have jobs just for extra pocket money, but other students are expected to help out and pay for their tuition. Some parents are not helping their child pay for school at all.

The results of school bills rising also affects the number of years students are spending in school. Students have to get jobs as well as focus on school. College is now 3 to 6 years long, when 30 years ago it was 4 years at most.

About 15 percent, 1400 students, are working on the UWL campus itself. On average, the UWL students are working about 7-9 hours per week. Some students work more hours but the maxim limit students are allowed to work on campus is 20 hours a week. 40 to 50 percent of

human resource students work off campus while working for the school. The financial aid office at UWL as well as the career services at UWL were not able to say how many students are working off campus in general, because they are not provided that information.

A student at UWL was quoted in the Racquet as saying that he was surprised by how many hours that he had to work during school. This student thought that his workload plus the added stress of school was even more than what he would be expected to do after he graduates and has a career.  The accuracy of this can be questioned, but his statements just go to show how tough it is to manage school and work. Students are thinking that it cannot be worse than this. That once they get a career, it won’t be as stressful as being a student in college and working at the same time. 

UWL students and families have to come up with coping skills to pay for college because of the costs. About 50 percent of undergraduate UWL students receive need based aid. The average scholarship or grant award is 5,185. In 2012, 71 percent of UWL graduates took out loans.  4 percent of parents are borrowing from the parent plus loan. Often times, parents and students are denied from the PLUS loans because they are deemed not to have enough money to be able to pay the loans back. Some of the federal loans are direct subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans, Direct PLUS loans, and Federal Perkins Loans. Students are also awarded scholarships and grants. There are Academic scholarships, Creative arts/performance scholarships, Music/Drama scholarships, Minority scholarships, ROTC scholarships, Alumni affiliation scholarships, and Leadership scholarships. There are also work study programs that students can apply to be part of. 

The cost to attend the University of Wisconsin Lacrosse will vary depending on where the information is found. The total in-state cost for attendance at UWL is between $15,061 and 17,869. The cost for out-of-state attendance is between 22,634 and 25,442. In state tuition costs are 8,769 and out-of-state tuition costs are 16,342. Room and board will cost students about 6,000 dollars.

The average number of students who receive financial aid at UWL is 74 percent. In 2012, 71 percent of the students who graduated borrowed money from financial aid. The low number of students whose needs were fully met financially is staggering. Only about 17 percent of students got all of the aid that they needed. The government is helping out less and less. According to Bob Hetzel, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance at UWL, the state used to pay 60 percent of students’ college costs by tuition subsidy, and now only 38 percent. The money that college students have to pay out of pocket has risen from 40 percent to 60 percent for tuition alone. Bob Hetzel believes that students will soon be paying almost entirely out of pocket with little to no state help. At some point, students will most likely be paying 90 percent of their college costs.

Hearing these numbers is frightening to parents and students. But the truth is that college students’ needs are less important right now in budget politics. “The needs and priorities of K-12 school students come first. Road work comes first, health care comes first, correction centers come first. That is where all the money goes. There is simply not enough money to go around and have it be distributed equally. The public is also not willing to pay more sales taxes or income tax,”  Hetzel explains.

UWL students are paying slightly more for differential tuition because the students voted that they want more teachers. So the teacher to student ratio is outstanding with more teachers being able to teacher smaller class sizes. But it costs to add more teachers. The UWL students voted and said they would rather pay a bit extra in place of having a more quality education. In 2012, the average debt that UWL graduates had was 24, 863. Bob Hetzel says that the debt has now risen to about 26,000 dollars. The national average is 28 thousand.