Saturday, October 31, 2009

GUEST BLOGGER CONTEST!

posted by Elizabeth Fama


Hey U of C students! Here's a contest to distract you from those boring midterms!

We've heard grumblings among students that Hyde Park Progress is too soft on Mac Properties and Antheus Capital, and that we praise them too much for their investment in the neighborhood and their ambitious rehab projects.

Well, here's your chance to vent. Here's your chance to counteract our glowing reports. Here's your chance to tell us about the seamy side of the student rental market.

Write a short blog post documenting what you perceive to be systematic (not just anecdotal) problems with the rental units or the management of Mac Properties.

Rules:
1) Send your entry to Chicago Pop's gmail account (chicago.pop)
2) Entries are due by 11:59 PM, 11/10/09
3) 800 words or less
4) Minimum of one photo, maximum of three
5) At least try to be civil (that is, not like our posts)
6) If you're funny, you'll probably win...
7) ...but the content's gotta be there, too

The winner receives the fame and glory of a guest feature on Hyde Park Progress, plus a dinner for two at The Sit Down*!

Fine Print
Judging will be done by the entirely volunteer but highly professional staff of Hyde Park Progress. Posts remain the intellectual property of the author. By entering you agree to have your entry posted on the Internet for all eternity. The winning post can be published under a pseudonym, but your entry must prove to us you're a real person. Mac owners, executives, staff, and their families, are not eligible to participate.
*Meal value limited to $40, including beverages and tax. Winner agrees to pay the difference if the bill is higher.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Any submissions yet?

LPB said...

Maybe everyone is just too busy with midterms.

chicago pop said...

Could very well be, LPB. But if nothing comes in over the transom, then that's points to MAC. Ad-in, as they say in tennis.

Helma said...

Ad-in, indeed! (Although, more like a forfeit actually) I hope some sentiment, pro or con, shows up eventually.

Elizabeth Fama said...

In a tournament I'd suppose we'd say that Mac got a "bye."

Carrie Golus said...

If you really want students to enter, you could publicize the contest in other places, e.g. on UChicago Marketplace. I'm sure you would get a lot of entries if more students knew about it.

Christoph Klasen said...

Maybe these guys might want to enter?
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=163351893950&ref=mf

Elizabeth Fama said...

Christoph -- there are only 4 members in that facebook group. Another point in Mac's favor? That is (to carry on the tennis metaphor): one-love?

David Farley said...

Here's some essay material for you:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/mac-property-management-chicago-2#hrid:q1D6nSnY-mBwCz20JSFASw/src:search/query:mac%20apartments

http://www.yelp.com/biz/mac-property-management-chicago-4#hrid:R8s_8d5ZxAZXJTl_OJwWTw/src:search/query:mac%20apartments

chicago pop said...

Interesting stories. The challenge here, of course, is to generate some kind of systemic analysis of MAC's performance that is not based on half a dozen stories. We'll see if anyone can pull that off.

Richard Gill said...

"...systematic analysis of MAC's performance..."

Right - Documentation is required from contest entrants to support analysis of MAC's performance, positive or negative. The contest isn't a dredging expedition for casual complaints. Entrants might have to do a bit of work.