2011.04.11

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VOLUME XLII, ISSUE 121

AARTS | HERALD ARCADE

OPINION | EDITORIAL

NEWS | LEGISLATION

‘M Effect 2’ presents ‘Mass nno challenge for alien role pplaying gamers page 6

Good riddance to the Board of Regents page 5

Even worse than the real thing?

A Republican state representative’s proposal would outlaw the sale and use of synthetic pot. page 4

ASM leaders face lawsuit Members of AFTER accused of corruption, conspiracy for running anti-United Council advertisement with student government’s logo Katherine Krueger Campus Editor Members of the student body appealed to the Associated Students of Madison Student Judiciary to weigh whether a student organization improperly used student fees to further a referendum in the recent spring elections.

Kyle VandenLangenberg, a University of Wisconsin graduate student, filed the suit March 28 against Associated Free Thinkers Ensuring Responsibility, a student group that ran a full-page advertisement in The Badger Herald.

The ad advocated a ‘no’ vote on the biannual spring referendum to continue UW’s membership in the United Council of UW Students, which the petitioners in the suit said indicated an intent to use student segregated fees in the form of an operations grant awarded to the organization to pay for the ad.

According to Finance

Committee records presented as evidence at the hearing, AFTER received $2,256 in operations grant funding, which is generated by student fees.

VandenLangenberg said the inclusion of the ASM logo on the ad aimed to give more legitimacy to AFTER’s position in the election and the group acted as a political slate in the elections.

Max Love, a petitioner on the suit, said the average student’s fees were used to promote deceptive measures. “[Members] conspired to break the rules,” said the UW sophomore. “This is a case of governmental conspiracy and corruption.”

VandenLangenberg said AFTER’s placement of the ad violates Student Election Commission, Finance Committee and ASM bylaws. He also said ASM members acted in direct violation of these rules and that the student body’s elected officials should be held to a higher standard of ethics.

Megan McCormick The Badger Herald

Former ASM Chair Tyler Junger consults with his legal counsel and predecessor as chair, Kurt Gosselin, at Sunday’s Student Judiciary hearing. expressed.

Beemsterboer, chair of ASM’s Finance Committee, also said he made the decision to pull the ad, which was slated for two more days of publication before the election, because a large number of the newspapers from the day had been destroyed.

Carl Fergus, chair of

Matt Beemsterboer, a member of AFTER, said the group never intended to use funds from the operations grant to pay for the ad and the inclusion of the ASM logo verifies AFTER as a registered student organization and carries the disclaimer that ASM does not necessarily endorse the beliefs

the University Affairs Committee and AFTER member, said the group is not held to Student Election Commission rules because they are not an affiliate of the UW System, which was the sponsor of the referendum.

He added while AFTER had not spent any of the funds from the grant to

purchase the ad, using ASM funds in referenda is common practice and said funds have previously been used in the NatUp and Union South initiatives, as well as in previous support of UC. “The petitioners were arguing there was intent

ASM, page 3

More majors likely under new budget

JUST LIKE HEAVEN

New Badger Partnership could make path to create academic programs less cumbersome, experts say David Brazy Senior News Reporter

Megan McCormick The Badger Herald

University of Wisconsin sophomores Erin Johnson and Conor Roach take advantage of Sunday afternoon’s beautiful spring weather to study on Bascom Hill. The high temperatures and humidity remained through the night, but storms hit much of Wisconsin in the evening.

Along with the hope of increased flexibility and autonomy, the proposed New Badger Partnership may make it easier for the University of Wisconsin-Madison to add new degree programs, according to university officials.

Noel Radomski, director of the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education, said the increased freedom could speed up the design and delivery of degree programs that better suit the needs of students, faculty and community.

Radomski added UW could also see an increase in the number of internships and co-ops with other schools nationally and internationally.

Jocelyn Milner, director of the Office of Academic Planning and Analysis, agreed with Radomski’s assessment that the new

public authority model would remove some of the red tape UW currently has to deal with when adding new programs.

“One of the things we have done is to start talking about how we will handle new program requests if the public authority is granted,” Milner said.

Milner said the topic of how new programs will be created is tentatively on the agenda for the University Academic Planning Council’s April 24 meeting.

Under the current policies, when UW proposes a new program it must face review by all other 13 campuses in the UW System, Milner said.

The Board of Regents must then approve the program.

Milner added the process normally takes about six to eight weeks.

Milner said she believes they will keep most of

NEW MAJORS, page 2

Wisconsin mayors take issue with budget cuts after study released Municipal leaders say Walker’s changes lopsided after report; Gov. urges other tools available Ellen Anevicius State Reporter Despite Gov. Scott Walker ’s commitment to providing tools for cities and municipalities to offset cuts to state-funded programs proposed in the biennium budget, many local governments are finding they are not enough.

The savings from local workers’ increased contributions to health care and pensions would

cover about 61 percent of the $136 million in state funding cuts to five major programs in 2012, including transportation aid, recycling and shared revenue, according to a report released Wednesday by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.

Mayors across Wisconsin said they were concerned with the imbalances, which some said affect certain cities more than others.

“We are being penalized for being one of the more successful cities in the state,” said De Pere

Mayor Michael Walsh.

Walsh said local savings contained in the governor ’s budget bill would cover only 17 percent of De Pere’s funding cuts. De Pere, located just outside of Green Bay, is considering any and all options to cover its budget deficits, including layoffs and furloughs, Walsh said.

De Pere settled its collective bargaining contracts before Walker ’s budget proposal. The pension contribution rate negotiated is lower than what Walker ’s bill proposes, but the

bargaining agreement supersedes the budget, Walsh said, meaning De Pere would not see the savings resulting from a higher rate.

He added for over ten years, city employees have been paying 15 percent of their health insurance premiums.

Walker ’s proposed increase to 12.6 percent would not make a difference, he said.

Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna said local governments that have been diligently balancing their budgets for years should have a dialogue

© 2011 BADGER HERALD

with many of the new legislators at the Capitol.

“There is a disconnect in how government is funded in Wisconsin,” Hanna said. “We are simply trying to point out the consequences of the way the budget has been presented.”

In Appleton, Walker ’s proposed 5.8 percent pension payment from public employees would save the city just less than $800,000 in 2012, but they are losing almost $1.9 million in funding, the report said.

Walker spokesperson Cullen Werwie said

the report did not take enough of a comprehensive look at the numbers involved.

“The League’s tabulation does not take into account a number of other tools that are available,” Werwie said in an email to The Badger Herald.

The money saved from eliminating local mandates, such as the storm water mandate that saves local municipalities at least $421.7 million, was excluded from the

BUDGET STUDY, page 3

Page 2, MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

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UW will begin offering environmental studies major After letting students receive certificate since 1970s, one of America’s most environmentally conscious campuses will expand program Sasha Hayman News Reporter The University of Wisconsin, known for its natural spaces and a tradition of environmental stewardship, will introduce a new major in environmental studies after years of demand from students.

UW students will soon have the option to major in environmental studies after UW System officials approved the addition in a Board of Regents meeting Friday.

Previously, students could only pursue a certificate in environmental

studies, this despite a strong tradition of environmental research at the university.

Stephen Ventura, a professor of soil science and a major proponent of the programs, said the first option is an environmental studies major, which would only be offered in conjunction with another major to allow for a broad range of exposure in social sciences and humanities.

The environmental studies option would be administered through the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, building on the currently existing certificate program.

A statement from UW

said since the program began in 1979, more than 1,800 undergraduates have earned a certificate in environmental studies with a bachelor’s degree in a variety of subjects.

The administration hopes to keep this diversity by designing the majors to appeal to a broad range of students.

Ventura said while the program might draw more students to the university, the overall goal in implementing the majors is to provide the opportunity to earn a degree that is “appropriately labeled for students’ interests.”

Students will also have

the option of selecting a new environmental sciences major, which will be available through either the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences or the College of Letters and Sciences.

“The environmental sciences major is intended to provide indepth treatment of the environmental sciences, particularly biological and physical, that will prepare students for environmental positions or furthering education upon graduation,” Ventura said.

The statement said another advantage of adding the major options is based off recent economic

surveys that show environmental fields are where some of the most rapid job growth will occur between now and 2016.

Gregg Mitman, director of the Nelson Institute, said students are excited about the possibilities of a “green future” and said the new environmental majors will provide students with tools for this future.

Ventura said many students had said the environmental studies option was desirable.

“The changes were made in recognition of many years of pent-up interest and demand for these majors,” Ventura said.

911 changes lead to national recognition 3 years after UW junior Brittany Zimmermann’s murder, county response system makes huge turnaround, among best in U.S. Ashley Toy City Reporter Despite previous attacks against Dane County’s emergency response center’s management following a local homicide two years ago, the center is receiving national recognition for raising the bar for technology, training and response time to 911 calls in recent years.

The Dane County 911 Center earned the Center for Excellence accreditation from the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch, a nationally recognized honor achieved by only 2 percent of all 911 centers nationwide, according to a statement from County Executive Kathleen Falk’s office.

Dane County is the first 911 center in Wisconsin to accomplish the accreditation, John Dejung, Dane County director of public safety, said. The nearest accredited center is at the Mayo Clinic in

Minnesota.

The honor comes just three years after the murder of University of Wisconsin student Brittany Zimmerman in April 2008.

Madison Police claimed a 911 call had been placed from Zimmermann’s phone at the time of her murder, though the response center later came under scrutiny for failing to properly respond to the call.

The Public Safety Communications Director at the time, Joe Norwick, said the 911 Center received the call but did not hear anyone on the other end, so the dispatcher took another call.

Rich McVicar, Public Safety communications technology manager, said the accreditation was a chance for the 911 Center to demonstrate its commitment to safety to the county following a period of uncertainty.

“The accreditation is about proving to an outside party that we’re doing

Jeff Schorfheide The Badger Herald file photo

Dane County’s 911 Center improved after UW junior Brittany Zimmernann’s murder put the system under high scrutiny. things really well,” McVicar said. “It’s more than just us saying we’re doing a good job.”

Falk said in the statement the accreditation shows citizens of Dane County that they have a dependable 911 system.

Dejung said the Public Safety Service chose to undergo the accreditation process to give peace of mind to Dane County residents about their emergency response team.

“It validates the fact that we’ve got a 911 center that the taxpayers can trust in and be confident in,” Dejung said. “They can know that we’re in fact not just trying to do our level best, but we’re making strides to continuously improve.”

The process for accreditation includes a 20-point list of criteria, which features proper training and certification of emergency medical dispatchers, among other quality assurance

protocols, Dejung said.

He added the protocols need to be adhered to for a minimum of six months in order to achieve the recognition.

The 911 Center is also exploring new technologies in emergency response, such as a new computeraided dispatch program.

The center also recently underwent renovation in order to improve the building and services offered..

UW professors win prestigious Guggenheim award 2 faculty members selected from 3,000 applicants to receive fellowship; currently researching theories in biology, English Seung Park News Reporter Two distinguished University of Wisconsin faculty members received the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship to bolster future research efforts in the humanities.

The Guggenheim Fellowship awarded its prestigious award to two professors from the University of Wisconsin this year.

Deborah Brandt, professor emerita of English, and Lynn Nyhart, professor of history of science, were both named fellows for their distinguished works and promise of exceptional work in the future.

A statement from UW said the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation selected the two faculty members

from a pool of nearly 3,000 applicants and has granted $290 million in fellowships since 1925.

Brandt received the fellowship for her work in composition theory and mass literacy, an area she said involves everyday experiences people have with writing.

“More and more, writing is becoming a bigger factor because of the change in the kind of work we do,” she said.

She also said technology has played a large role in the changing perception of writing and invites writing in leisure hours. People are increasingly choosing to communicate using technology, she said.

Her interest in what this trend meant to people and how it affects them was why she entered the field, she said. When she first entered UW,

she taught writing but gradually wanted to understand the bigger concepts behind the field and the context of being a writer in relation to the wider world.

Since she has retired from teaching, Brandt said she plans to focus her time on a book.

Nyhart also received the Guggenheim Fellowship for her study of biological individuality, a field that aims to understand exactly what constitutes an organism.

She cited the example of a strawberry plant, which sends out individual vines from its main body and often break from the main plant, as an example of the area of study.

While determining the separateness of natural entities can be difficult, she said this differentiation is easier in humans.

NEW MAJORS, from 1 the current policies in place so they can make a transition to the new Board of Trustees established in Gov. Scott Walker’s biennial budget.

Milner said they could streamline the process for graduate programs because the current review systems are geared towards undergraduate programs.

Another way the New Badger Partnership can help UW streamline its academic programs is to allow the school to cut unpopular and old programs, Radomski said.

However, Milner said UW does not need the Regents’ approval to remove a degree program; it simply must report eliminated

“For us, we’re borne of one object that continues on through maturity and death,” Nyhart said. “It’s pretty easy to consider ourselves individuals.”

However, there are many organisms that go through more complicated life cycles — such as coral, that are built of several different organisms that combine to form a single organism.

Marine invertebrates that use asexual reproduction are also subjects of her study, Nyhart said.

Her project, which was done in conjunction with the Chicago Field Museum, focused on the effects of science and biological individuality on the questions facing Europe in the 19th century as it began rapid modernization.

She said the question involves how the language of governance

went back and forth between biology and political economy.

Earlier this year, Nyhart was also the recipient of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation’s Kellett Mid-Career Award, given to outstanding faculty members five to 20 years past tenure.

Following her fellowship, Nyhart plans to work more on her project after taking a semester-long leave from teaching at UW. She said she plans to visit the archives in London, Paris and Germany to see what the scientists of the 19th century thought about biology.

“In the humanities, the chance to go and do research happens through a collaboration, and UW has been very generous in helping to support this project,” she said.

programs.

In fact, according to a University Academic Planning Council report, UW had 47 fewer degrees in 2010 than it did in 1994.

“We have a pretty wellestablished process for looking at programs that have low amounts of degrees and students,” Milner said. “We ask the deans to comment on the status to make sure they are still valuable programs.”

Milner added the process is mostly invisible. So far this year, a doctoral program in medical genetics and an undergraduate major in recreation resource management were eliminated.

During the 200910 academic year, masters in science, a Ph.D. in environmental

monitoring and a bachelor of science in clinical laboratory science were also eliminated.

When students are still enrolled in a program that is eliminated, the faculty and school provide a “teach out” plan to let the students complete the program, and admission is closed off to new students, Milner said.

Milner said institutions that have so many programs like UW have to pay attention to make sure they are all in robust academic health.

She added just because a program is small in size does not mean it should be eliminated.

“There are a lot of programs that are unique to UW-Madison that are fairly small, and we do want to keep them,” Milner said.

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

NEWS

Walkers rally to end suicide About 300 students, families gather to remember those lost, prevent future deaths Katherine Krueger Campus Editor Members of the University of Wisconsin campus community gathered Saturday to send the message that students are never alone in dealing with depression and suicide remains a critical issue on campuses across the country.

Nearly 300 people gathered to walk along the Lakeshore Path to raise suicide awareness and around $20,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Dean of Students Lori Berquam said the walk is the result of the vision of a dedicated group of students rallying around an important cause, particularly on college campuses.

“We want students to know that every life is worth living and know there are people out there that care,” she said. “In the effort we will save lives…It means more than you know.”

Berquam urged students gathered on Library Mall to listen to their fellow students and be a resource for individuals coping with emotional and interpersonal stress.

Alby Luciani, a UW student who helped organize the walk, said he hopes to use his experience with severe depression and suicide to help others struggling with similar feelings.

He said his transition to UW was initially characterized by extensive

BUDGET STUDY, from 1 calculations, Werwie said.

While the storm water mandate relief will indeed provide savings, Hanna said those savings will not help the cuts being made to Appleton’s general shared revenue fund.

Where the state previously borrowed from some funds, such as transportation, and transferred it to the general fund to balance the state budget, local governments are unable to allocate their savings in the same manner, Hanna said.

The issue is not that Walker has presented inadequate solutions to deal with funding cuts, but those tools applied at the local level do not work as they were intended, he added.

“Mayors all over the state want to be part of the solution,” Hanna said.

ASM, from 1 to purchase the ad using grant money,” Fergus said in an interview with The Badger Herald. “[Funds] were not used, and you can’t dig into the mind of the responders.”

VandenLangenberg contended filing the complaint interfered with AFTER’s payment for the ad and including the ASM logo was not a necessary length to establish the group’s status as a registered organization.

He said there was no transparency in the way AFTER conducted business and deemed ASM officials’ “abuse” of working knowledge of the rules as “corrupt beyond epic proportions.”

Chief Justice Kathryn Fifield said Student Judiciary has 10 class days to issue a ruling on the matter, although the panel of justices can vote to extend time for deliberation.

Megan McCormick The Badger Herald

Dean of Students Lori Berquam helped lead Saturday’s anti-suicide event. engagement freshman year and later as a founding member of a student organization for individuals in business majors.

After learning that five members of his family had been diagnosed with cancer, Luciani said his grades began to decline and he began to isolate himself from friends until his junior year.

He told attendees at the walk that he did not intend to finish the semester and began spending all day and night in his room before his suicide attempt.

He said the event caused indescribable pain for his family and catalyzed his new mission to promote suicide prevention on the campus.

Suicide does not discriminate by race, orientation, or other characteristics, Luciani said, and students often perceive the issue is exceedingly rare because of common stigmas.

The founding of a new student organization geared toward suicide prevention will give students a forum to talk about issues no one has to struggle alone, he said.

“We want to create a web of people that can empathize and a community of understanding, dedicated students to help other students,” Luciani said.

“The walk is only the first step, a cry to the UW community to let everyone know we’re here.”

Claire Kaufman, a UW sophomore and event organizer, said the event was one of the largest campus walks in the nation and such events are crucial in efforts to let individuals know they are not alone.

She said she hopes participants gained a new perspective on suicide and depression and that the event is a move toward ending negative stigmas on campus.

“Suicide has a negative stigma on college campuses,” Kaufman said. “We need to take preventative measures and not brush these issues under the rug.”

UW sophomore Kelsey Ward said she volunteered to help with the event because she lost one of her best friends to suicide during the last semester of high school.

She said many students do not realize how much they can help another individual if they are open and reach out to students in need.

“It’s an issue that touches everyone in some way,” Ward said. “Suicide is a major issue, especially during the transition to college, when students might not know where to turn.”

THE BADGER HERALD, page 3

Page 4, MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

THE BADGER HERALD

NEWS

Man with 7th OWI arrest sparks debate on drunken driving Beloit resident blew .23 BAC, almost ran into squad vehicle; experts say laws not sufficient J.P. Cheng News Reporter The recent arrest of a driver for his seventh drunken driving offense highlights the need for the state to give increased powers to police to combat drunken driving, according to experts.

A 54-year-old Beloit man, Roderick Burr, was arrested last Thursday

in Rock County for swerving into the wrong lane and nearly colliding with a police car.

Burr had a blood alcohol content of .23, almost four times the legal limit for operating a vehicle.

He was then was taken into custody, according to the Rock County Sheriff’s office.

This was Burr ’s seventh OWI arrest.

Experts said his case shows the need for giving increased powers

to law enforcement in order to decrease the drunken driving problem.

“Wisconsin’s drunk driving laws are typically viewed as not being very strict at all,” Nina Emerson, director of UW Law School’s Resource Center on Impaired Driving, said. “Police in this state aren’t allowed to set up field sobriety check points, and repeat offenders are not charged with a felony until their fifth offense.”

Given the severity of Burr ’s alleged offense, Emerson predicted he could be jailed for at least three years.

He could also have his license revoked for two to three years and face a fine of up to $25,000.

However, Emerson emphasized people should not have kneejerk reactions to outlier cases like this one, given the vast majority of drunken drivers are firsttime offenders.

A Department of

Transportation report on drunken driving convictions from 2000 to 2007 showed 20,673 first-time convictions compared to 87 seventime convictions.

Frank Harris, state legislative affairs manager for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, emphasized the need to crack down on first-time offenders with harsher penalties.

“Right now, first-time offenders basically get a glorified traffic ticket. It’s

not even a misdemeanor for a first-time OWI,” Harris said. “This is a terrible policy because the majority of drunk drivers who kill people have no prior record.”

Apart from making a first OWI a misdemeanor, Harris suggested the use of ignition interlocking devices on the vehicles of offenders for a year after the offense.

Such devices have a breath-testing component and only allow the car to start if the driver is sober.

Dane County service trucks will begin using natural methane gas Falk announces plan to run service vehicles on energy recycled from area landfills Jian Li Zheng News Reporter

WALK IT OUT Laura Hill The Badger Herald

Three students walk around the indoor track at the Camp Randall Sports Center as part of Relay for Life, an annual cancer fundraiser. Sorority Alpha Epsilon Phi raised the most money: $4,158.

Continuing the county’s long-running reputation as a leader in the green energy industry in Wisconsin, Dane County officials released plans last week to begin running the county’s trucks by transforming landfill trash into inexpensive gas.

Last Thursday, Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk announced a new green energy project in Dane County to help defray costs, as gas prices climb, while maintaining environmentally-friendly goals.

Multiple private partners who recently teamed up with the county completed the construction of a new gas station, which will allow vehicles to fuel up on compressed natural gas.

The new station will offer gas at 20 cents per gallon.

This innovation has been developed throughout the last couple years and is the first of its kind in Wisconsin, a statement from Falk’s office said.

According to Joshua Wescott, Falk’s spokesperson, this advancement is the first step to a promising pilot project that is environmentally friendly

and will save costs for the local government in light of Gov. Scott Walker ’s proposed budget, which would drastically cut municipal government funding.

Wescott said compressed natural gas is made by converting methane gas into a type of gas that can be run in vehicles. The fuel is free because landfills naturally produce methane gas.

The reduced gas costs saves county taxpayers money by eliminating one of the county’s hefty costs of maintaining vehicles.

The county currently has 10 trucks in operation that are capable of running on compressed natural gas, though if the pilot plan is successful, taxpayers can expect to see additional compatible trucks in the future.

Wescott said any trucks used for public works, such as landfills and highways, could run on this green fuel.

Future expansion could dramatically increase savings, he said.

Because landfills produce methane gas for many years even after they are shut down, Wescott said as long as there continues to be garbage, the county does not have to worry about a future shortage on the resources used for the reduced price gas.

“We’re on the cusp of the next generation of filling stations,”

Wescott said. “Do it less expensively and with domestic products.

It’s better for the environment.”

According to the statement, this project grew out of a previous initiative to convert methane at the landfill into electricity.

The electricity initiative generates $4.3 million annually through a partnership with local utilities that buy the electricity. The methane gas diverted into production of compressed natural gas will be a minuscule amount and is not expected to affect the revenues brought in from the initial project, the statement said.

While Dane County is the first area of Wisconsin to install this type of gas station, there are already compressed natural gas filling stations in the retail market in other parts of the nation, Wescott said.

He added areas in the northeast and on west coast are already using this technology, which has expanded to allow consumers with vehicles adapted to compressed natural gas to enjoy cheaper gas prices. Since this fuel burns with less carbon emissions, consumers also contribute to cleaner air.

“It’s the future of transportation for people instead of spending money for foreign gas,” said Wescott.

Republican’s proposal would ban use, sale of synthetic marijuana Rep. Garey Bies says bill will gain bipartisan support, adds synthetic pot must be illegal Leah Linscheid News Reporter New legislation that proposes making synthetic marijuana illegal has stopped circulating the Capitol and will now be the subject of a public hearing in committee later this month.

The bill, authored by Rep. Garey Bies, R-Sister Bay, would extend current Wisconsin restrictions against marijuana to the plant’s lab-made, synthetic variety.

Synthetic marijuana is currently considered a “drug of concern” by the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency, Bies said.

The bill would allow law enforcement officials

to use state resources such as the state’s crime lab to prosecute cases.

“Synthetic marijuana is becoming a real problem drug and, like the real stuff that it mimics, needs to be made illegal,” Bies said in a statement.

Currently, synthetic marijuana use carries no statewide restrictions.

But communities across Wisconsin have a variety of different ordinances to regulate marijuana.

Bies said a uniform law applied to all Wisconsin communities would cut expenses associated with arrests and substance analysis.

There is a wide amount of evidence testifying to the dangers of synthetic marijuana, Bies said, including studies that show suicide as a possible side effect.

Bies also said synthetic marijuana potency is

not standardized, which leads to little regulation between manufacturers.

The Madison branch of National Organization for the Reform Marijuana Laws, a marijuana advocacy group, has concerns about the legislation.

“Synthetic cannabinoids are no more harmful than legal substances like alcohol and tobacco,” Madison NORML spokesperson Gary Storck said.

Storck added he believes both drugs are widely used without any problems.

“A wide range of people regularly use these products without ill effect,” he said.

A number of people use synthetics for multiple sclerosis symptoms, pain, Crohn’s disease and other illnesses, Storck said.

He also said there

Megan McCormick The Badger Herald

If Rep. Garey Bies, R-Sister Bay, gets his way, synthetic marijuana will no longer be legal in Wisconsin. would be new costs associated with implementing the law.

The bill would create new criminal penalties that would increase prosecution costs to the state.

“Marijuana prohibition

is a counterproductive fraud, and it’s sad to see our lawmakers waste time on this when there is so much more important things to address, especially now,” Stock said.

The Assembly

Committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections will hold a public hearing on the bill later this month. Bies said he expects the bill to gain support from both Republicans and Democrats.

Tornado from Sunday storm system causes significant damage in rural Iowa Spring’s first major weather event strikes especially hard, flattens 20 percent of village Grant Schulte Associated Press MAPLETON, Iowa (AP) — Jamy Garden’s house began to rumble with the approach of a tornado that at one point measured three-quarters of a mile wide. Then the windows shattered, spraying her with glass. Using her cell phone as a flashlight, she fled downstairs and called her grandmother.

On Sunday, she returned home, wandering her backyard in a bloodsplattered hooded sweat shirt, her right hand and left knee wrapped in gauze.

Around her lay a tangle of tree branches, twisted siding, broken glass and a canoe that wasn’t hers.

The tornado that struck the evening before damaged more than half of Mapleton, a town of 1,200 in western Iowa, Mayor Fred Standa said Sunday. He estimated about 20 percent of the town was “almost flat.”

The huge, centuries-old

trees the town was named for had been pulled out of the ground and wrapped around houses and tossed on top of cars, Standa said.

In one case, a huge motor home had been flipped on its side.

“It’s not a pretty sight,” Standa said. “It’s something nobody has seen in this town.”

Garden’s house survived, but everything inside was tossed around. Her two dogs were safe, but she hadn’t yet found her cat.

“I don’t know where our gazebo went,” she said.

“The garbage can right there, that was in the front yard. The shed is gone. I don’t know what else to tell you. This is the most tumultuous thing I’ve ever experienced by far.”

The tornado destroyed 12 to 15 blocks in the southwest corner of Mapleton when it struck about 7:20 p.m. Saturday, Monona County Sheriff Jeff Pratt said. The tornado destroyed about 100 homes beyond repair, and has displaced an estimated 500 to 600 residents, he said.

The tornado was on the

ground for three and a half miles and measured threequarters of a mile wide at one point, according to the National Weather Service office in Valley, Neb. The twister was measured to be on the lower end of an EF3, which carries wind speeds of 136 to 165 mph.

The tornado was one of several reported in Iowa.

The weather service said it had confirmed a total of four smaller twisters that touched down near Early and Nemaha, damaging several homes.

Storms moved through

the nation’s midsection again Sunday, with some reports of tornadoes in Wisconsin, where several homes were damaged or destroyed. No injuries were immediately reported.

In Mapleton, the roof was blown off a high school, power lines were downed and homes and buildings were destroyed.

Pratt said two people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries. The weather service said it had received reports of 14 to 16 injuries, the most severe a broken leg.

Opinion

Editorial Page Editors: ALLEGRA DIMPERIO & KYLE MIANULLI, OPED@BADGERHERALD.COM 257.4712 EXT. 143

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MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

THE BADGER HERALD

BAD GER v.t. 1. to annoy persistently through panoply of efforts HER ALD v.t. 1. to introduce, or give tidings of, as by a herald 2. to proclaim; to announce; to foretell; to usher

Could liberal defeat in Supreme Court race hurt Walker recall?

Alicia Yager Editorial Board Member If you had asked Supreme Court Justice David Prosser earlier this year about his April reelection bid, he probably wouldn’t have blinked an eye. It’s pretty hard to knock off an incumbent judge who has been relatively low-key and uncontroversial.

Yet what was expected to be a run-of-the-mill Supreme Court election turned into a race that had everyone buzzing. And most of this excitement resulted from Republican Gov. Scott Walker and his bold new agenda.

The new governor definitely struck a nerve when he proposed a drastic limitation of public

union rights, in particular axing their power to bargain collectively for benefits beyond salary increases. Powerless to directly lash out at Walker, union supporters began recall petitions for Republican legislators and also set their sights on the conservative-leaning Prosser’s race against JoAnne Kloppenburg.

In just over a month, both sides’ supporters mounted some vicious partisan criticism and attack ads, and despite the race being for a “nonpartisan” office, the vast majority would call it a statewide opinion poll of Walker policies.

But Walker wouldn’t.

In an interview with the Associated Press the day after the election quagmire thickened with fluctuating vote totals, Walker dismissed the referendum theory and said the election simply boiled down to two candidates with different backgrounds and

experience — though he did say later the election shows a wide divide between Madison and the rest of the state.

If I were Walker, I wouldn’t try to deny the obvious forces behind the Prosser-Kloppenburg race.

If anything, he should flaunt them: They’re actually a pretty positive sign for him.

Walker lobbed a heck of a political bombshell when he went after public employee unions mere weeks after his inauguration. The ensuing mass protests at the Capitol exploded to nationwide and even global attention, and the Democrats certainly lost the “enthusiasm gap” that destroyed many liberal candidates in the November elections.

But I think the liberal lobbyists exploiting the anti-Walker rage to boost Kloppenburg expected their candidate to win big against Prosser. No matter which candidate emerges

after the official recount is conducted, the margin of victory will still be paper thin. As energized as the liberal base was to fight against Walker, conservatives also came out in force to support their governor.

Maybe it’s not so crazy to think Walker received many supportive emails for his “union busting.”

Granted, if you look at the numbers for each county, comparing victory margins from Walker’s election last November to Prosser’s, there are a lot of variations in percentages, and Prosser even lost counties that went for Walker.

And it isn’t quite fair for Republicans to just attribute the liberal votes to the “bubble” cities of Madison and Milwaukee.

Maps quite literally show the state divided in half by vote totals, lending support to the theory Wisconsin is really a “purple state.”

So, this election raises

a serious question as to whether or not a Walker recall effort would ever hold weight.

By state law, Walker will not be able to face a recall election until at least a year after being sworn into office. The number of signatures required for a recall petition must be at least 25 percent of the votes garnered in the November election — in Walker’s case, this would mean about 540,000 signatures. With approximately 740,000 votes for Kloppenburg last week, anti-Walker forces could feasibly get their recall referendum.

That is, if public opinion remains the same until next January.

People tend to have a pretty short memory when it comes to politics, and if Walker doesn’t have any other controversial measures on the back burner, the recall efforts will likely lose some steam. And given the dead heat of the Prosser-

Kloppenburg race, Walker would practically have to run over children with an ice cream truck — or something similarly evil — to drum up enough outrage to vote him out.

While I do not personally agree with every decision Walker has made during his time in office, I think enough Wisconsinites are behind him to keep him for his full term — or until Walker leaves office for some higher-up political job, which many speculate is a major motive for his aggressive style of governance.

At least that’s something those looking to get Walker out of office should people looking to get Walker out need to really stop and think about at an even scarier alternative for the direction of our state: Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch.

Alicia Yager (ayager@ badgerherald.com) is a senior majoring in journalism and French.

Herald Editorial Good riddance to the regents Last Thursday, Chancellor Biddy Martin sent a campuswide email arguing that the Wisconsin Idea Partnership proposed in response to the New Badger Partnership did not go far enough in extending flexibility to this university.

Martin stated she had offered a compromise, one in which Madison would still gain public authority status, with other System campuses gaining similar forms of independence.

She ended the email with a call for individual students to contact their legislators and advocate for the proposal.

Martin has consistently argued, rightly in our view, that there is no reason why the New Badger Partnership should be an isolated opportunity.

Campuses across the state should have the same relief from burdensome regulations, state raids and ability to set their own courses that Madison will. Indeed, it isn’t hard to imagine a substantially more independent University of Wisconsin System, benefiting

from all of the same affiliations while suffering few of its predecessor’s burdens.

Conversely, the Wisconsin Idea Partnership seems, in our view, to have no outstanding merit other than its insistence that the Board of Regents is the institution best qualified to oversee the System’s newfound liberty.

In support of their alternative, the regents have argued that the New Badger Partnership amounts to a tuition increase. That’s certainly true. But the argument would have somewhat more merit if the regents hadn’t continually augmented tuition by roughly 5.5 percent nearly every year.

Especially given that such increases apply equally to all System schools, regardless of their respective merits or needs.

But the regents’ terrible arguments against the Public Authority model have a healthy precedent. In fact, if there’s one area in which our regents excel, it is their capacity for the unjustifiable.

Sam Clegg

Kevin Bargnes

Editorial Board Chairman

Allegra Dimperio

Editorial Page Content Editor

At the beginning of this academic school year, the regents hired Michael Morgan as the System’s senior vice president for administration without a search process or even considering other candidates for the job.

Morgan, graced with little more qualification than his connections, now makes 79 percent more than he did as a secretary of administration under Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle.

Or for those with an even greater love of secretive management, there was the opaque fashion in which they updated UW student Misconduct Code.

Never mind that the code lowered the standards of proof for suspension and expulsion.

Or that students under threat of disciplinary action don’t have the right to legal action even though they face losing tens of thousands of dollars in tuition fees if a group of administrators doesn’t like what they hear.

Kyle Mianulli

After all, if the regents can violate their own policy in not having a majority of students on the committee that decided the issue, why should they care about how their actions impact us? It’s a lot easier to punish people when they have no idea the rules have changed.

We fully support Martin’s efforts to grant this university the freedom it so obviously needs in order to retain its rightful place among the world’s great research universities. In fact, whatever happens, we would like to see a new Board of Trustees

Adam Holt

Editor-in-Chief

Editorial Page Content Editor

Megan McCormick The Badger Herald file photo

The regents’ consistent abuse of power discredits their bid to run UW.

Signe Brewster

Managing Editor

Alica Yager

Editorial Board Member

govern this campus in place of the Board of Regents. If the Regents’ best argument is that they are more qualified than anyone else to dispense the benefits of freedom the governor’s office dangles towards higher education, we respectfully ask permission to take our business elsewhere.

Then again, as Michael Morgan, an entire disenfranchised student body and now Biddy Martin can all attest, the Board of Regents isn’t very concerned about what we think. After all, we’re just the people paying the bills.

Editor-at-Large

Michael Bleach

Editorial Board Member

Jake Begun

Editorial Board Member

Editorial Board opinions are crafted independently of news coverage.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Cutting through the criticism of new Union South building After reading past articles in the Badger Herald about the Wisconsin Union, we felt the campus should know more about the Wisconsin Union’s referendum process, distribution of segregated fees and student leadership program. We refer to recent Herald articles, including the Op-ed published on April 4, as well as the March 30 piece featuring grossly inaccurate comments alleging that the Union used student segregated fees to campaign to build the new Union. This letter will attempt to clear up some of the misconceptions often associated with the Wisconsin Union.

First, a note about the place and mission of the Wisconsin Union in this city. Memorial Union was built over 75 years ago with the aim of being the heart and soul of campus: a place where every single student could feel welcome and where lifelong relationships

and connections were made.

In 1928, Union Council was created, becoming the first shared governance board on this campus. The old Union South was built in the 1970s because one Union could no longer accommodate the huge influx in campus population. Furthermore, the Union provides hundreds of students with leadership experience and career skills through the Union’s leadership and campus programming organization, Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD).

The dedicated, campusserving students in WUD implement over a thousand events every year — films, dances, concerts, volunteering trips, art shows, lectures, theater events and more. Almost all these events are free, so they are accessible to any Madison student.

The Union is iconic — Babcock ice cream, summer concerts on the Terrace, pitchers in

Der Rathskeller — these are bywords familiar to every Madisonian.

Countless relationships and connections to campus have been fostered through these iconic recreational spaces, as well as the work of WUD. However, it became apparent in the last decade that wear-and-tear and the limitations of dated architectural efforts were holding the Union back. (Think holes in the ceilings, a lack of ADA accessibility throughout the buildings and Union South embodying all that was terrible about 70s architecture.) Enter the Building Project, which is the rebuilding of Union South and the phased renovation of Memorial Union. The first phase of the project is nearly complete: the beautiful and eco-friendly Union South, which opens on April 15, 2011. For more detailed information please visit the website at: http://www.

unionreinvestment.wisc. edu/index.html.

The Building Project is funded in part by a segregated fee increase of $96 per student (a decision voted on by students in a referendum on the semesterly Associated Students of Madison ballot.)

It is commonly reported that three attempts to pass the Building Project referendum were needed before it succeeded by a very small margin, making it sound as if the Union simply put the matter on the ballot enough times until the campus relented.

The real story is much more nuanced and much less negative. You can read about it here: http://bit.ly/ fD5Ojf. We assert that no segregated fees were used to fund campaign efforts, that the repeated efforts were more due to technical error by computer systems than lack of interest, that the “low voter turnout” often referenced in articles

was 7% (average for ASM election turnout in the past six years) and that to date, 36,000 students have been involved in the process. All these claims are elaborated on and substantiated in the aforementioned link.

A small portion of student segregated fees have historically gone towards facility operating costs (think keeping the lights on and the floors clean) in Memorial Union. That, and the voted-on increase to fund the Building Project, are the only two causes toward which student segregated fees go. No segregated fees go toward WUD or its programs. It is pertinent to note the Union provides meeting rooms for hundreds of student organizations to operate out of and is a building every campus tour of prospective students visits, giving possible students perspective on UW-Madison campus life.

The Building Project is

a vital investment in the future of our wonderful campus, and it has and will continue to be conducted in an conscientious, studentfocused and inclusive manner.

We have seen the new Union South, and it exceeds our expectations in every way. SOAR and Visitor Information services will be based out of this impressive new building, contributing, no doubt, to even more promising students choosing this campus over others. We would love to invite the author of Wednesday’s Op-ed piece, and any members of the Herald’s editorial staff who are interested, to a private tour of the new Union South before it opens April 15, and trust they will find it as exciting and impressive as we have.

Katie Fischer, Patrick Callan and Sarah Mathews Students and Wisconsin Union enthusiasts

Your Opinion · Send your letters to the editor and guest columns to oped@badgerherald.com oped@badgerherald.com.. Publication is based on space and takes into account relevance and quality. Letters should be sent exclusively to the Herald. Unsigned letters will not be published. All submissions may be edited by the Herald for length and style. Reader feedback on all articles and columns can be posted at badgerherald.com, badgerherald.com, where all print content is archived.

Comics

Howsabout That Weather, huh?

NOAH YUENKEL, COMICS@BADGERHERALD.COM 257.4712 EXT. 161

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MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011 WHAT IS THIS

SUDOKU

HERALD COMICS

PRESENTS

S

U

D

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THE BADGER HERALD

U WHITE BREAD & TOAST

toast@badgerherald.com

MIKE BERG

NONSENSE? Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.

What? You still don’t get it? Come, on, really? It’s not calculus or anything. Honestly, if you don’t know how to do a sudoku by now, you’ve probably got more issues than this newspaper.

TWENTY POUND BABY

DIFFICULTY RATING: Seventy and balmy

HERALD COMICS

PRESENTS

K

A

K

U

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baby@badgerherald.com

STEPHEN TYLER CONRAD

YOURMOMETER

LAURA “HOBBES” LEGAULT

C’EST LA MORT

PARAGON

yourmom@badgerherald.com

HOW DO I

KAKURO?

I know, I know. Kakuro.

Looks crazy, right?

This ain’t no time to panic, friend, so keep it cool and I’ll walk you through. Here’s the low down: each clue tells you what the sum of the numbers to the right or down must add up to.

Repeating numbers?

Not in this part of town.

And that’s that, slick.

paragon@badgerherald.com

The Kakuro Unique Sum Chart Cells Clue 2 3 2 4 2 16 2 17

DIFFICULTY RATING: The endless rain

REHABILITATING MR. WIGGLES

Possibilities { 1, 2 } { 1, 3 } { 7, 9 } { 8, 9 }

3 3 3 3

6 7 23 24

{ 1, 2, 3 } { 1, 2, 4 } { 6, 8, 9 } { 7, 8, 9 }

4 4 4 4

10 11 29 30

{ 1, 2, 3, 4 } { 1, 2, 3, 5 } { 5, 7, 8, 9 } { 6, 7, 8, 9 }

5 5 5 5

15 16 34 35

{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 } { 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 } { 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 } { 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }

6 6 6 6

21 22 38 39

{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 } { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 } { 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 } { 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }

7 7 7 7

28 29 41 42

{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 } { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 } { 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 } { 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 } { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 } { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 } { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 } { 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 } { 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 } { 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 } { 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 } { 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }

www.neilswaab.com

NEIL SWAAB

ASPIRE

HERALD COMICS 1

2

madcaps@badgerherald.com

MOLLY MALONEY

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Puzzle by Mike Torch

PRIMAL URGES

primal@badgerherald.com

ANDREW MEGOW

MODERN CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT

THE SKY PIRATES

COLLIN LA FLEUR

DENIS HART

mcm@badgerherald.com

skypirate@badgerherald.com

Across 1 Pondered 6 Longwinded stories 11 Some E.R. cases 14 Playing marble 15 Kind of board for a séance 16 Church bench 17 With 61-Across, 1982 question from the Clash 19 ___ Bo (exercise system) 20 Breads with pockets 21 Leaf (through) 23 With 54-Across, old advertising question from Clairol 27 Boy Scout group 28 Finale 29 Huey ___

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11 Select 12 With 46Down, question from a 2000s game show 13 Goes 4-0 in

Get today’s puzzle solutions at badgerherald.com

Rocky the Herald Comics Raccoon™

Bomb Libya?

Sure, why not.

Those bombs were close to their expiration date anyway.

ArtsEtc. Editor:

ANN RIVALL, ARTS@BADGERHERALD.COM 257.4712 EXT. 141 MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

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ArtsEtc. THE BADGER HERALD

‘Hanna’ delivered horrifying action, heartfelt compassion Blanchett, Ronan embody terrifying opponents in new Wright sci-fi action thriller Sarah Witman ArtsEtc. Content Editor

Photo courtesy of RCA Records

‘Wasting Light’ will be Foo Fighters’ first album since 1997 to list guitarist Pat Smear as an official member.

Foo Fighters take sonic risks with fervent instrumentals Founder, vocalist Dave Grohl revives his Nirvana edge for latest album ‘Wasting Light’ Jenna Quilty ArtsEtc. Writer The Foo Fighters are like a good wine. Their taste perfects with age. Seventeen years in the making and Foo Fighters’ newest album, Wasting Light, confirms they certainly have not lost their inspiration.

The name “Foo Fighters” actually comes from a World War II term used for unexplainable flying flames in the air. It’s safe to say Wasting Light coincides perfectly with their name, as the band’s spark of talent is still aflame.

One of the best aspects of this album is the more the songs are played, the better they get. At first, the previously-released “Rope” has a sound similar to any rock band track: rough vocals, angry percussion and furious strumming of an electric guitar. But as the song is played again, the rough vocals are what complement the chord progression. The electric guitar solo is extremely impressive, as the speed in which it is played seems unthinkable.

“Arlandria” showcases one of the best varieties of the Foo Fighters’ talent, as it contains a wild mix of emotion amid a slightly mellower tone. This includes a creative use of lyrics as well: “Use me up, spit me out/ Let me be your hand-me-down/ Fame, fame, go away, come

again some other day.”

This vulnerability is expressed with vivacity and creativity, as the catchiness of the instrumentals never goes too far to be considered “mainstream.”

This ensures they keep their fiery attitude while still tapping into deeper emotions than just rage.

The name “Foo Fighters” actually comes from a World War II term used for unexplainable flying flames in the air. It’s safe to say Wasting Light coincides perfectly with their name, as the band’s spark of talent is still aflame.

To all the most loyal fans of the Foo Fighters, “These Days” and “Back and Forth” exemplify the classic tone of the band, and if there are two songs to be listened to on this album, it’s these two. Emotionally driven choruses pick up tempo as the songs plunge forth into a sea of heavy drumming and raging electric guitar.

Not all songs tie into each other, however, as “White Limo” is more ear-piercing than “eargasm” worthy.

With muffled vocals and a screamo-like quality, this track is extremely difficult to listen to, and what it is doing to the vocal

chords of Dave Grohl is unimaginable. Yes, some screaming every now and then is so rock ‘n’ roll, but the Foo Fighters really don’t need this to have a complete album.

Thankfully, this track is a mere pebble in the road amid an overall smooth quality.

There is some variety to Wasting Light, as there is more to the album than just drumming and electric guitar. The hint of violin adds to the regretful tone of “I Should Have Known,” and “Walk” may start off as slow and serene, but don’t be fooled because this is the Foo Fighters we’re talking about. A song is not complete without at least some sort of fervent instrumentals.

As proven, the Foo Fighters have no intention of slowing down. By sticking to what they’re good at — along with taking a few musical risks here and there — they may be Wasting Light, but they’re certainly not wasting time to polish their sound.

There’s something intriguing about a child being raised away from civilization; a kind of Mowgli brought up by wolves.

Think, then, about when that child is reintroduced to the modern world—never having seen electricity or another child to play with. This is the life of Hanna (Saoirse Ronan, “The Lovely Bones”), the main character in the recently released film of the same name directed by Joe Wright (“The Atonement,” “The Soloist”). Except in her case, this reintroduction is brought about for one reason only: To kill the woman who put her and her father into hiding, Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”).

There is one scene where Hanna first finds herself away from home, and ends up in a broken-down hotel in Morocco — a beautiful setting, distinctive from the wintry cabin scenes shot in Finland. Her room is wellequipped with a television, electric tea kettle and fan — all of which terrorize her the moment she is alone with all the contraptions.

The cinematography in this scene is stunning, and puts you right in Hanna’s perspective emotively.

Also, its contrast with the scene just previous, in which Hanna guns down every last person she comes encounters at Marissa’s agency. While Hanna was visibly unfazed by this violence, not even pausing to wipe the spatters of blood discharged onto her face from each shot, she becomes a frightened child more representative of her true age when confronted with something so ordinary.

“Hanna” has been

marketed as more of an action film, and while it spans many more genres the suspense and fighting are possibly featured most prominently.

Definitely the most notable scene in “Hanna” on the action front is one in which Hanna’s father Erik (Eric Bana, “Star Trek”) meets self-professed “Sandman,” Marissa’s hired killer, and his cronies beneath a subway.

With no one else in sight along the long, orange-tiled stretch of room, he beats all of them unconscious and then proceeds to convince Marissa that all is well via walkie-talkie, with an eerily convincing Sandman accent.

The most impressive aspect of the scene is it was shot in one continuous take, and the one you see in the film was the second take. This means the actors had to learn the choreography all the way through, and act it out with no slip-ups and edits.

As hinted at by the Sandman’s criminal alias, there is a more fairy tale aspect crafted throughout “Hanna.” For example, in the isolated cabin where she grew up, when not busy learning how to be the most efficient assassin, she would read an old book of fairy tales.

Also, the meeting place where she is supposed to meet up with her father — after she has assumedly succeeded in killing Marissa — is an abandoned amusement park built to look like the house of the Brothers Grimm. Wright said a relative had seen this place years ago in Bavaria, and he had always wanted to shoot a film there. The theme is continuous and beautifully done; however, the whimsical setting is quickly diminished as soon as Marissa and her henchmen arrive.

The soundtrack for Hanna is also no short of amazing. Each main character has his or her

own “theme” that fits very well with what is going on at each time, all done by the Chemical Brothers.

The Chemical Brothers are pioneers of electronic music, and by a happy coincidence Wright happened to see them live when they were just starting out and is now their close friend. The fact he had them produce the entire soundtrack for “Hanna” seems inspired by Disney’s Daft Punk collaboration in “Tron,” but he said he had been planning on working with them for some time.

The one thing that upset me about this otherwise enchanting film — keeping it from a five star rating — was the lack of closure and backstory development provided. You know Hanna is “different” the whole time, but as soon as the plot divulges a glimmer about Hanna’s past, her parents and Marissa’s hatred toward her, things happen too quickly for true comprehension and resolution. There is clearly an attempt to bring things full-circle at the end, but it doesn’t happen in an entirely satisfying way.

Background information about the characters and director of “Hanna” were gleaned from round table interviews at a press junket with Focus Features. Any bias subconsciously brought forth in this review is due to Focus’ payment for airline tickets, a night in the Four Seasons Beverly Hills hotel and $125 worth of room service.

HANNA JOE WRIGHT Actors: SAOIRSE RONAN CATE BLANCHETT

WASTING LIGHT FOO FIGHTERS

Joe Wright’s film ‘Hanna’ brings the same captivating acting and effects of his 2007 work, ‘The Atonement.’

New ‘Mass Effect 2’ content ends game with a whimper Jayson Gruenwald Herald Arcade Columnist The end of a video game isn’t as final as it used to be, and BioWare is embracing this fact with some new “Mass Effect 2” downloadable content to whet our appetites for the upcoming “Mass Effect 3.”

The plot of “Mass Effect 2: Arrival” is as incredibly simple as the title suggests, revolving around a scientist on the edge of space, Dr. Kenson, who has discovered the Reapers will be “arriving” in less time than anyone could have guessed. As Commander Shepard, the player is called in to rescue her and find out what she has learned.

“Arrival” shows off its only unique feature as soon as the content begins with the complete absence of any other team members from the core game, with the excuse that this is a “classified stealth mission” Shepard has to undertake on his

own. Unfortunately, this leads to the game suddenly becoming incredibly easy, so much so that the lack of backup is hardly noticed, even on the hardest difficulty.

It’s ironic and incredibly pathetic that BioWare decided to fix the biggest problem with its previous DLC (the lack of character interaction) by simply removing all of the recognizable characters from the new mission.

The “stealth mission” is barely a third of the content, but since the whole package can be completed in little more than an hour on the medium setting, that’s not saying much. Once you’re done “sneaking” past all the guards that never turn around or even look in your general direction, the rest of “Arrival” devolves into mindless, repetitive combat.

“Mass Effect” is supposed to be a series that combines exploration, combat, conversation and choice,

but in “Arrival” there are only rooms full of moronic enemies stacked one after another. Be sure when you’re reading this to place a definite emphasis on the word “moronic,” as there are certain parts of the mission where your opponents will be too busy running back and forth between cover points to even care what you’re doing, let alone pose any challenge to you at all.

That’s not to say there is nothing plot-relevant in “Arrival.” In fact, as the mission unravels, you’ll find the door is thrown wide open to reveal exactly how “Mass Effect 3” will begin. Sadly, this leads to an incredible amount of handholding, as the game practically grabs you by the ear and drags you from cut scene to cut scene until the end of the mission.

Even the big plotrelevant choice is made for you, forcing Shepard to make a decision that is

no doubt out of character for a good portion of the “Mass Effect” fans. This is a huge step down from the number of choices the series has previously offered players, and the

BioWare shoves [massive victory declarations] at you to make you feel better about wasting $7 on this crap. only solace fans can take from it is that it occurs in a horrible piece of DLC and probably doesn’t reflect the state of the choice system that will be in “Mass Effect 3.”

The worst part about “Arrival” is how nothing the characters say makes any sense in the grand scheme of the plot of the “Mass Effect” universe.

At the end of “Mass Effect 2,” you see the Reapers are still light years from the edge of the galaxy, but

then suddenly you start playing “Arrival” and they’re two days away from a system on the edge of the map.

Then, once the mission is over and Shepard is being debriefed, everyone acts like the Reapers have been stopped and humanity has months or years to prepare before they become a sizable threat again. I don’t know how they figure travel speed in this fictional story, but if something can travel billions of miles in under a week, there is no reason why it wouldn’t be able to move at the same speed a second time.

Your actions in “Arrival” should be nothing more than a trivial delay for the Reapers, rather than the massive victory declarations BioWare shoves at you to make you feel better about wasting $7 on this crap.

Ultimately, “Arrival” is a poor piece of downloadable content because it feels disconnected from

the main game in an incredibly jarring way.

The logic behind what the characters claim is idiotic, almost as though someone who has never played the series wrote the script, and “Mass Effect” gameplay without your squadmates is boring unless you play on the hardest difficulty.

Since every player will be subjected to the consequences of this DLC in “Mass Effect 3,” regardless of whether you played it or not, the smarter choice would be to save yourself some money and just read a plot summary instead.

Jayson Gruenwald is a senior majoring in English.

Submit Herald Arcade column ideas or questions to jgruenwald@wisc.edu.

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SPORTS HENSON, from 10 embraced this new mentality, and Henry has made a point to keep the energy level high during practice. Henry’s voice is heard just about every snap, calling out assignments or pumping up a teammate.

“I got to get everybody going. Me being a leader, I have to be that spark,” Henry said. “It’s about coming out here and having fun, but before all that we still have to make sure we are doing our job.”

Associated Press

The Milwaukee Brewers had reason to celebrate Sunday after Casey McGehee’s pinch-hit, 2-run homer with 2 outs in the 8th inning.

McGehee’s 2-run HR lifts Milwaukee Fielder, Braun also drive in 2 apiece with longball against Cubs; Brewers win 5th of 6th after scary 0-4 start Associated Press MILWAUKEE (AP) — Casey McGehee was in awe of Kerry Wood’s fastball while the two were with the Cubs when McGehee was still a prospect in 2004.

McGehee can catch up with the veteran reliever’s hardest pitches now.

He delivered a pinchhit, two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning off Wood and the Milwaukee Brewers rallied to beat Chicago 6-5 on Sunday.

“It was kind of a weird feeling,” said McGehee, who said he looked up to Wood while the two were in the Cubs’ organization.

“By no means was I going up there looking to hit a ball out of the ballpark.”

Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun each hit a two-run homer for Milwaukee, which has won five of six after an 0-4 start.

This was the Brewers’ most dramatic win this season.

McGehee had been mired in a 3-for-22 slump this homestand and didn’t get the start. He’d expected to clear his thoughts with the day off before heading to the plate in a crucial situation.

“I put him up there because I felt like he could do it,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. “I don’t think all the time you look at exactly what a guy’s doing during that time. Here’s a guy that drove in (104) runs last year. He was the right guy to put up in that situation.”

Wood (0-1) walked Yuniesky Betancourt after getting ahead 0-2 to open the eighth and Betancourt reached second on a sacrifice bunt. George Kottaras struck out, bringing up McGehee.

“I’d been pretty frustrated the way I’ve been swinging the bat, or not swinging, but the pitches I’ve been swinging at the last couple of days,” McGehee said. “Luckily, the wind was blowing pretty good that way.”

McGehee hit the second fastball he saw into the Cubs’ bullpen in right.

“Home runs happen.

Can’t walk guys late in a game. That’s why,” Wood said. “We know we’re going to play tight games.

That’s part of it. You start the inning off with a walk, you put yourself behind the 8-ball.”

Chicago’s Aramis Ramirez drove in three

runs and had three doubles, but the bullpen couldn’t hold on.

After Yovani Gallardo labored through five innings, Milwaukee’s bullpen ran into trouble in the seventh, with relievers Sean Green, Mitch Stetter and Kameron Loe each allowing a runner to load the bases with one out.

Tyler Colvin’s RBI groundout off Loe (1-0) gave the Cubs a 5-4 lead, but it didn’t last thanks to McGehee.

Brewers closer John Axford allowed a leadoff single to Marlon Byrd in the ninth, but Byrd was caught stealing by Kottaras, and Axford retired Ramirez and Carlos Pena for his third save in four opportunities.

“It was a fantastic homestand, it really was,” Axford said. “We really battled a lot. We got some fantastic pitching, some fantastic offense and defense.”

Ramirez had started this road trip that continues Monday in Houston 1 for 8 before doubling down the leftfield line in the first inning to drive in two.

Fielder tied it in the bottom of the first with his second homer.

“You never want to be

out of it,” said Fielder, who is 11 for 18 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in his last four games after a 3-for-17 start. “We’d like to go to the playoffs.

That’d be cool.”

Chicago added runs in the second on Darwin Barney’s RBI single and the third on Ramirez’s run-scoring double to put the Cubs up 4-2, but Milwaukee tied it again on Braun’s two-run shot off Casey Coleman in the bottom of the third.

Coleman got the start because Randy Wells (right forearm) is on the disabled list.

Cubs right fielder Kosuke Fukudome saved a run in the second with a diving catch for the third out and made a shoestring grab with two on and one out in the fifth to keep the game tied.

After doubling for the third time in the fifth, Ramirez was thrown out at the plate when third baseman Craig Counsell went home with Geovany Soto’s slow roller to set up the back-and-forth finish.

“We were just looking for a knockout punch all day long offensively,” Cubs manager Mike Quade said. “We’re just not giving ourselves much room for error.”

Converted defensive backs stand out at linebacker Most Badger fans don’t know much about Kevin Claxton or Conor O’Neill, but that should change in due time.

Claxton is in line to start this season at outside linebacker after getting some meaningful snaps as a junior last season.

Claxton started his career at safety before making the switch to linebacker and getting his weight up to 233 pounds.

One thing about Claxton’s game has become very clear this spring — he can hit.

I asked Claxton how he would describe his playing style. There was no hesitation in his answer.

“Very physical. I like to punish fools,” Claxton said. “That’s my game.

Anybody that’s in my way, I try to punish them.”

Surely sounds like the kind of player Ash and company are looking for.

They’ve also found another one in O’Neill.

The redshirt sophomore has been one of the biggest surprises this spring, and he could be a dark horse selection to develop into a star down the road.

O’Neill came to UW as a linebacker, but after struggling to put on weight, he made the move to safety. During the offseason, though, O’Neill finally put on some muscle and got his weight up above 220 pounds.

Despite the added weight, O’Neill kept his quickness, so he was moved back to linebacker, where he has flourished as a playmaker this spring.

His back-to-back interceptions Saturday had the entire defense excited, and O’Neill tends to find himself in the right place at the right time. He has a nose for the ball, and he’ll make a name for himself

before his time in Madison is done.

Numbers can be deceiving The Badgers must replace five starters on defense and seven on offense in 2011.

That’s a lot of quality that needs to be replenished, but UW still has a ton of experience remaining — and it shows.

On both sides of the ball, there are still plenty of familiar faces.

On defense, for example, Borland and cornerback Devin Smith have each started games earlier in their career.

And on the defensive line, upwards of 11 players rotated in and out last year, gaining valuable experience in big game environments.

“The numbers can be deceiving,” senior defensive tackle Patrick Butrym said. “You look at all the depth that we return. We have so many guys that have had valuable experience. It’s a good thing.”

“The turnover is so small this year, and it’s nice because you have to teach so little,” he added. “That’s so helpful that we can just jump right into it.”

It’s a similar situation on the offensive side.

Ryan Groy has started.

Travis Frederick and Josh Ogelsby have as well.

Running backs Ball and White carried the load with John Clay injured, while tight ends Jake Byrne and Jacob Pedersen have plenty of experience to draw from.

Long story short, don’t expect inexperience to be an issue as the Badgers reload for another run at a Big Ten title.

“They have all seen games, and it’s really nice when you can put someone in there who has seen action,” junior center Pete Konz said. “And I’m not talking about third string against Austin Peay. I’m talking about first string, Big Ten-type of defenses, so we are pretty comfortable with that.”

Quarterback is the one position where a fresh face will be thrown into the fire as a starter for the first time, but if the spring is any indication, that signal caller will have plenty of seasoned talent surrounding him.

Max is a senior majoring in journalism. Want to talk spring football? Send an email to mhenson@badgerherald. com.

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

THE BADGER HERALD, page 9

SPORTS

Men’s tennis knocks off Purdue, falls to Indiana Wisconsin falls to 3-3 in Big Ten play after losing tight match to Hoosiers Erin Barney

Men’s Tennis Writer The Wisconsin men’s tennis team had a bittersweet weekend as the Badgers split between their two opponents. The Badgers, now 3-3 in Big Ten play, showed resilience against the Purdue Boilermakers on Friday but were not able to knock off the conference-leading Indiana Hoosiers Sunday afternoon at Nielsen Tennis Stadium.

Friday’s match opened with doubles play, where the No. 70-ranked pair of sophomore Billy Bertha and senior captain Marek Michalicka played its usual solid game in the first doubles position. The duo initially struggled against the aggressive net play from Purdue’s Krisztian Krocsko and Eric Ramos. However, after a key service break, Michalicka and Bertha went ahead 5-3 and kept the momentum for the remainder of the match.

“We didn’t start it well, but we still played our game. After the break, we just got our confidence back and they didn’t believe anymore,” Michalicka said.

Michalicka and Bertha

Sophomore Billy Bertha powers Badgers through weekend home matches Erin Barney

Men’s Tennis Writer With his 6-foot-5-inch frame, sophomore Billy Bertha has an intimidating physical presence.

However, his powerhouse serve and equally powerful groundstrokes are what truly set opponents back on their heels.

For the duration of the weekend, Bertha’s power was consistently present.

Friday against Purdue, Bertha opened his singles match with a set that all tennis fans would love to watch. Bertha and his opponent Krizstian Kroscko were evenly matched in

didn’t lose a game the rest of the match and proceeded to win 8-3. The freshman pair of Rod Carey and Fredik Ask in the No. 3 doubles spot also won 8-6 in a close match against Purdue’s Aaron Dujovne and Marc Kovacs. These two wins were enough to secure the doubles point for Wisconsin despite Petr Satral and Ricardo Martin falling at No. 2.

After the initial go ahead, the Badgers’ fortunes were reversed as they lost several consecutive singles matches.

Unable to handle the big serve from Kovacs, Martin was the first to fall, losing 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles.

Following closely behind were Ask and Carey in the No. 5 and No. 6 spots.

Despite facing a 3-1 deficit, the remaining Badgers followed Michalicka’s example and fought back.

The senior easily closed out a 6-2, 6-1 match against Tatarczyk. Bertha tied everything with a 6-2, 7-6 victory over Kroscko, leaving the final outcome up to Satral, who secured the victory with a 7-5 third set win.

UW head coach Greg Van Emburgh was pleased with the Badgers’ efforts.

“It was a great college match,” Van Emburgh said.

“Our guys are becoming pretty resilient overall. We

have battled injuries and sickness, and our guys are still fighting and competing.

That shows a lot of heart on their part, and it paid off today.”

Unfortunately, the Badgers were unable to enjoy the victory for very long as Sunday’s match brought a more disappointing outcome.

Nature was not on their side as wind and storm threats sullied playing conditions.

The doubles matches began under a sunny, cloudless sky, though.

Indiana won the toss and chose to serve. The No. 3 doubles pair of Ask and UW Athletics Carey initially struggled to pull away from Indiana’s Bertha won both of his doubles matches over the weekend but lost his singles match Sunday vs. IU. Dimitrige Tasic and Isade UW was not only dealing don’t hit the ball, you just Juneau.

However, the Rodney Carey and No. 6 Badgers managed to pull Alex Robles fell soon after with the elements but also try to push it more towards Satral, giving the Hoosiers a a rowdy Indiana squad, as the middle of the court. But out the victory, 8-5. the Hoosiers crowded the then I told myself to just In the No. 2 doubles significant lead of 3-1.

Michalicka was more sidelines to cheer against keep going for my shots match, the Hoosiers took an early lead from Satral, successful, as he improved the Badgers. Despite the and [play] aggressive.”

The Badgers needed both and Martin never recovered, his winning streak to four distractions, Michalicka was losing 8-3. With the help of matches by taking down able to escape with a 7-5 remaining singles players a huge serving game from Langer in two sets. Things victory in the tiebreak and to succeed in order to win Bertha, he and Michalicka initially looked routine, a first set win. He would go the dual. However, Bertha won 8-6, giving the doubles as the senior Badger went on to secure the match with struggled against the highup 4-0 in the opening set. a dominating second set bouncing kick serve from point to the Badgers.

Indiana’s Santiago Gruter This excitement faded However, as the wind win of 6-1.

“I was up 4-0, 30-love and lost a grueling three-set quickly, though, as the picked up, Michalicka lost Hoosiers steadily knocked focus and allowed to take on his serve when I looked match, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. Bertha’s off the Badger’s singles the lead at 5-4. The Badger around and lost my focus,” loss secured the win for composure, Michalicka said. “Then the Hoosiers, despite a last players. Satral could not regained withstand the aggressive though, managing to the I started to focus on the effort from Ask. Even with a play of Indiana’s Josh match at 6 and sending wind, and everything was mid-match ankle injury, Ask MacTaggart and was the set into a seven-point bad for me. It’s so hard to defeated Claes Goransson, play when it’s windy. You 4-6, 6-4, 7-6. defeated, 6-1, 6-2. No. 5 tiebreaker.

skill, leaving the score close for the first few games.

However, a key service break from Bertha followed by a series of technically sound games gave him the first set win.

“I got pretty angry, but my coach was just telling me to try to stay more positive out there,” Bertha said. “For some reason, I kept getting angry, but I worked it out a little bit, which helped me later in the set and I pulled it out, which was good.”

The second set did not appear to go as smoothly.

After jumping out to an early 2-0 lead, Bertha lost his momentum when Kroscko benefited from several fortunate bounces, ultimately giving him the means to take a 3-2 lead.

Neither player was able to pull away for the remainder of the set, forcing them into a tiebreaker. Kroscko couldn’t handle Bertha’s explosive serve and cornerto-corner base line rally shots and lost the second set and match.

“I got an early lead, which helped put the pressure on him when he was serving,” Bertha said. “He needed to win that [tiebreaker] to stay in the match, and I needed it to win the match, so the pressure was all on him. I served well and made some returns that he missed, and he got a little tight and it didn’t work for him.”

In Sunday’s match against the Indiana Hoosiers, Bertha’s serve was the deciding factor once again. Playing the last

UW Athletics

Hannah Berner did her part to help UW over the weekend, winning a straight-set singles match.

Failure in doubles dooms UW in weekend matchup with PU Badgers win 3 singles matches but can’t pick up victory over Boilers The Wisconsin women’s tennis team (11-9, 2-4 Big Ten) lost its second match of the weekend to No. 66 Purdue (11-6, 5-2 Big Ten). The Badgers won three singles matches but were unable to grab a doubles win in the 4-3 loss to the Boilermakers.

The Boilermakers took an early 1-0 lead in the overall score, winning all three doubles matches.

This marks only the fourth time this season that UW has lost all of its doubles matches.

UW soon tied the match at one apiece with freshman Jenny Hois’ third Big Ten Conference win this season. Hois defeated Jennifer Rabot, 6-2, 6-3 in straight-sets at No. 1 singles.

Senior Jessica Seyferth’s loss at No. 5 singles reclaimed the lead for Purdue with a 6-4, 6-1 win by Imogen Golder. Seyferth is now 4-6 at No. 5 singles this

season.

Junior Aleksandra Markovic won her second-straight Big Ten match at No. 6 singles, defeating Gisella Pere, 6-4, 6-1.

The Boilermakers then came within a point of winning the dual with a 6-2, 6-3 victory by Mara Schmidt over freshman Nicky Stracar.

Sophomore Hannah Berner then tied the matchup at 3-3 with a straight-set win over Anna Duskina at No. 4 singles. Berner defeated Duskina 6-4, 6-3, in her 13th victory this season.

The final team point came down to a match between redshirt junior Alaina Trgovich and Bhavani Tirumurti at No. 3 singles. Tirumurti won the first set, 6-3, but Trgovich came back to claim the second set by the same margin.

Tirumurti then took command in the final set, defeating Trgovich 6-1.

Purdue 4, Wisconsin 3 Doubles Results 1. No. 38 Jennifer Rabot/Mara Schmidt

(Purdue) def.

Jenny Hois/Alaina Trgovich (Wis) 8-5 2. Gisella Pere/Anna Dushkina (Purdue) def.

Jessica Seyferth/Hannah Berner (Wis) 8-5 3. Bhavani Tirumurti/ Imogen Golder (Purdue) def.

Nicky Stracar/ Aleksandra Markovic (Wis) 8-7 (7-1) Order of Finish: 1, 2*, 3 Singles Results 1. Jenny Hois (Wis) def.

Jennifer Rabot (Purdue) 6-2, 6-3 2. Bhavani Tirumurti (Purdue) def. Alaina Trgovich (Wis) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 3.

Mara Schmidt (Purdue) def. Nicky Stracar (Wis) 6-2, 6-3 4. Hannah Berner (Wis) def. Anna Dushkina (Purdue) 6-4, 6-3 5.

Imogen Golder (Purdue) def. Jessica Seyferth (Wis) 6-4, 6-1 6.

Aleksandra Markovic (Wis) def.

Gisella Pere (Purdue) 6-4, 6-1 Order of Finish: 1, 5, 6, 2, 4, 3* —UWBadgers.com

doubles match to finish, the fate of the doubles point was left for Bertha and Michalicka to decide.

The decisive game went to deuce when Bertha buried a rocket serve to the back corner of the box and gave the advantage to the Badgers. Michalicka struggled at the net, blowing two consecutive match points by missing volleys. Yet, Bertha was determined to finish off the Hoosiers. After a monstrous first serve, Indiana hardly got a racket on the ball, sending it up over Michalicka’s head, and with one powerful overhead, the Badgers pocketed the doubles point. “[Michalicka] missed a couple of easy shots, so I was just trying to blast

the serves so [Michalicka] didn’t have to play the rest of the point,” Bertha said.

This promising first match gave Bertha and the Badgers hope for the remainder of the dual. However, Bertha’s powerhouse serve wouldn’t be enough to pull a win out of his grueling three set singles match against Indiana’s Santiago Gruter.

Gruter made up for the lack of aggressive serve return with his consistency and constant serve-andvolley tactic. Bertha was unable to string together enough points to win more than two games in his opening set, but with a little encouragement from head coach Greg Van Emburgh, Bertha found the confidence to fight back, serve strong

and send the match to a third set.

“I was just a lot more positive out there,” Bertha said. “He went off and played really well the first set. Then the second set, I started to pick my energy up and move my feet a little more, and his game dropped a little bit.”

Bertha’s only successful game was early, when he tied the score 1-1. However, that was the last game he took, ultimately losing 6-1.

Bertha’s loss gave the Hoosiers the fourth point they needed to win the dual.

“We were even to start, then [Gruter] picked it up a lot,” Bertha said. “Also, the wind was tough and [Gruter] did a better job of adjusting to it than I did.”

SPLIT, from 10

very excited for our team.”

With two runners on, Stephanie Peace loaded the bases on a sharply hit ball off the third baseman for a single. In another big situation, Blackshear played the role of hero again, hitting a single up the middle that scored the first two Badgers of the inning.

With the bases loaded again two batters later, Healy opted to pinch-hit senior Dana Rasmussen.

Rasmussen had not batted the entire game, but the Madison native came through with the biggest hit of her career, smashing a three run triple to tie the game at eight apiece.

“That was a huge source

of pride for her; she’s worked really hard these last three years,” Healy said.

“She was having a hard time deciding if she would be able to play this year with how much work it is, with how demanding her major is. She put the work in and she deserves every bit of success she gets, so that was a fun thing to see.”

After Rasmussen tied the game, junior second baseman Jordan Skinner put down a bunt that was thrown erratically by the Northwestern infield, allowing Rasmussen to score the eventual gamewinning run, giving the Badgers their twentieth win on the season.

[Rasmussen], Jordan was on deck and I said, ‘Put a bunt down here and you’re going to have the game-winning RBI,’” Healy said. “She was able to do that, too, so that’s really fun to see kids coming off the bench do those types of things to win a game.”

rally, losing 2-0.

Senior outfielder Jennifer Krueger struggled mightily in both games, uncharacteristically going hitless, 0-for-7. Her presence was especially missed in the Badgers’ second game, as they couldn’t manufacture a single run and produced merely three hits.

“That’s rare for that to happen,” Healy said. “She’s a great kid, and we’re going to go back to the drawing board and see what kind of adjustments we can make to get her back on track.”

with a home run of her own in the fourth to make it 7-2.

Freshman Michelle Mueller ripped a triple in the fifth, scoring on a past ball to make it an 8-3 game.

Then the floodgates opened.

The bottom of the sixth proved disastrous for Northwestern, as Wisconsin scored an unprecedented six runs in the frame to take the lead for good, 9-8.

“We might be their only unranked team they’ve lost to this season,” Healy said.

“It just shows if you keep playing hard and working, you’ll find ways to get breaks sometimes, so I’m

SPARK, from 10 the other day and she was putting balls over the fence, so we’re proud of her to be able to put it together in a game.”

With Rasmussen still on third base in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Badgers weren’t done. It was senior Jordan Wheeler’s turn to contribute, as she laid down a bunt to reach first base and, more importantly, sent home Rasmussen to take the lead, 9-8.

“Coming behind

SCRIMMAGE, from 10 tackle Rob Havenstein lined up with the starters all day.

When spring ball opened up, redshirt sophomore Casey Dehn started at right tackle.

With Josh Oglesby still returning this fall, neither Dehn nor Havenstein is expected to start, but the battle for the backup position remains wide open.

Bielema noted while both have improved, they are nowhere near the playing level of the other four line spots.

“Robbie has done some nice things,” Bielema said.

“Casey [Dehn] had an opportunity to run with the ones, and I think [Bob Bostad] was seeing what would come out of that. I would say the both of them have gotten better but are not yet at the level we need

Krueger goes cold Wisconsin experienced déjà vu as it trailed for much of the second game of the doubleheader.

However, the Badgers’ luck ran dry, as they were unable to string together another late-game them because at the other four spots we are pretty solid.”

Not Done Yet After redshirting last year for what would have been his final practice, Zach Brown has to battle in a crowded backfield yet again if he is to receive any playing time this year.

Brown knows he has to work harder than Montee Ball or James White if he will ever see significant game action again.

Saturday, Brown accounted for two touchdowns (one running, one receiving) and unofficially accounted for 47 yards on 10 carries.

Most impressively, he ran with forcible violence in his limited action.

“Zach is an angry running back,” Bielema said. “I think he is a guy who everyone

wants to talk about those other guys, and people forget that he ran for 200 yards his freshman year and won some games for us … if he is our power back, that is great.”

Extra Points Putting on third down situational drills, the defense handily beat the offense, preventing a third down on 17 of the 24 third-down plays. … The second string offensive line especially struggled with pass protection Saturday, giving up a plethora of sacks on blitzes and straight fourman rushes alike. … Ryan Groy and Joel Stave fumbled an exchange yet again, a reoccurring problem with Groy this spring. … Peniel Jean made the play of the day, intercepting Stave with an acrobatic grab in mid-air as Jean fell to the ground.

Sports Editor:

MAX HENSON, SPORTS@BADGERHERALD.COM 257.4712 EXT. 131

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

SPORTS page 10

THE BADGER HERALD

Badgers earn split with Northwestern If Wisconsin softball head coach Yvette Healy was looking for a signature win this season, the Badgers found her one in splitting a weekend doubleheader with tough Big Ten foe Northwestern. The Badgers rallied for an incredible 9-8 win in the first game but fell short of the sweep in a 2-0 loss.

In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Wildcats drew first blood, jumping out to an early 1-0 lead when Jordan Wheeler hit a single up the middle to score Marisa Bast from second.

In the third, the Wildcats chased Badger freshman Amanda Najdek (2-2) off the mound as Najdek struggled with control, walking three Northwestern batters, including one across the plate.

“I needed to focus on my mechanics,” said Najdek.

“It’s all about trusting myself; I was doubting out there. I need to focus on never letting up.”

Healy opted to remove Najdek for sophomore Meghan McIntosh, who came into the bases-loaded jam and in two pitches Zhao Lim The Badger Herald forced a Wheeler fly to left, Shannel Blackshear was patient at the plate for the Badgers Saturday, homering after a 16-pitch at bat. which was easily caught to

end the inning.

“I just really looked at hitting my spots,” McIntosh said. “I focused on jamming them to start, and then I worked outside. I got those ground balls today I was looking for.”

McIntosh continued her string of recent strong outings, giving Wisconsin a four-inning stretch where zero Wildcats crossed the plate.

“Even though Meghan didn’t get the win, it was one of her best performances of the year,” Healy said. “We’re so proud of her; we just need to keep her focused in on continuing her success.”

It was an inning that Northwestern saw replayed throughout the game, as the Wildcats proceeded to leave 12 runners on base.

“I think Randy Schneider, our assistant, put together a terrific gameplan against them,” Healy said. “It was a lot of preparation.

Northwestern is a great team who’s played a great schedule.”

Offensively, the Badgers struggled to get a read on Northwestern pitcher Sammy Albanese (5-4), as the right-hander breezed through the Badger lineup, spreading out three hits across seven shutout innings “We were moving around in the box a little bit trying to break her rhythm up,” Healy said. “We were trying to put some bunts down. We

didn’t have an answer to her today; if we could have found one it would have been a different outcome.”

The Badgers rallied in the first game from an 8-2 deficit in the fifth inning with six runs in the bottom of the sixth. Tying the record for the biggest comeback in program history, the Badgers came from behind once again to snatch a 9-8 victory.

It looked ugly for Wisconsin early. Freshman pitcher Cassandra Darrah felt the bite of the Wildcat bats as Northwestern pounced on the Badger ace for six runs in the first two innings. Down 6-0 entering the bottom of the second inning, Najdek took the reigns to guide the Badgers the rest of the way.

“We just kept battling,” Najdek said. “We went after the batters early, and I was able to get ahead in the count. I’m happy Coach has the trust in me that I can perform in those situations.”

As Najdek turned in a solid five innings, the Wisconsin bats slowly but surely began to heat up.

It began with a sixteenpitch at bat for Badger third basemen sophomore Shannel Blackshear, who blasted the last pitch out of the park for a solo home run to make it 6-1. Junior Karla Powell responded

that is unparalleled by most young power hitters.

“This year, I’ve been struggling with swinging at pitches that aren’t good versus the ones that are,” Blackshear said. “I’ve been working really hard to adjust and change that to help my team out.”

Blackshear came through again in the bottom of the sixth inning. With bases loaded, the sophomore hit a two-run single up the middle to make the score

8-5. The Badgers rallied and loaded the bases once more in the inning, setting the stage for pinch hitter Dana Rasmussen.

“The first thing Coach Snyder said to me as I went on the field was, ‘You’re from Madison; you can do this,’” Rasmussen said.

“That lit a spark in me.”

With one swing of the bat, Rasmussen hit a triple, her first of the season, to drive in three runs and tie the game.

“She’ll never forget that

hit,” Healy said. “She’ll be telling her kids about that one.”

Rasmussen was hitless in her previous five games, but that didn’t stop Healy and the coaching staff from having the utmost confidence in the senior with the game on line.

“She’s a kid who does it in practice,” Healy said.

“We did batting practice

Late rally produces 9-8 win in game 1; Wildcats even series with shutout Nick Korger Softball Writer

Blackshear, Rasmussen provide spark at plate in Badgers’ series opener Justin Mertes-Mistretta Softball Writer Infielder Shannel Blackshear stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the second inning with the Badgers trailing 3-0 early on against Northwestern in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday. The sophomore battled with Wildcat pitcher

Jessica Smith, fouling off ball after ball to stay alive, and the persistence paid off.

On the 16th pitch of the at-bat, Blackshear connected on her seventh home run of the year to make the score 3-1.

“Honestly, I was just trying to foul pitches off and I was doing my best not to let the umpire take control of my at-bat,” Blackshear said. “Anything close, I was going to try and hit it just to stay in that at-bat and

change things for my team.”

Blackshear’s home run was the first hit of the game for the Badgers, and it was also the turning point, setting the tone for the rest of the game.

“Everyone turned to smiles, and everyone thought we’ve actually got a shot here,” head coach Yvette Healy said.

Blackshear’s next at-bat went nine pitches (25 total in back-to-back at-bats), exemplifying a patience

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SPARK, page 9

Some observations from Wisconsin’s spring camp Max Henson Take it to the Max There are a lot of reasons to be excited about the immediate future of the Wisconsin football program.

You know the obvious ones: The dynamic running back duo of Montee Ball and James White.

The return of linebacker Chris Borland and several talented members of the defense.

Three returning starters on one of the nation’s top offensive lines that’s showing no signs of slowing down.

But spring camp gives us an opportunity to watch the guys you won’t hear about in the pre-season magazines. It allows us to see the emergence of new leaders as the foundation is built for a season yet again filled with high expectations.

So with that, here are some spring observations for all those already counting down the days to football season (myself included) as we close in on the final four spring practices.

Defense playing with a new swagger It’s one of the first things you notice when you watch the Badger defense practice: It plays with a mean streak and it isn’t afraid to celebrate.

The defense has taken on the personality of its

new coach — defensive coordinator Chris Ash — and its vocal leader, senior safety Aaron Henry.

Under previous coordinator Dave Doeren, the UW defense was very workmanlike and steady. It rarely blitzed and just went about its business, making key plays when it had to.

Ash and his assistant coaches want the defense to be more aggressive.

They want the players to feed of each other’s energy.

This group is still very workmanlike, but now it plays with a pronounced swagger and it makes it known each time it takes the field.

Heck, it even practices its celebrations during a picksix drill.

The Badgers have

HENSON, page 8

Stephanie Moebius The Badger Herald

Mike Taylor (right) and the Wisconsin defense had the upper hand during the scrimmage Saturday.

Led by 2 INTs from O’Neill, UW defense shines in 2nd scrimmage Michael Bleach Senior Sports Writer Conor O’Neill, from the beaches of Florida and reputable St. Thomas Aquinas High School, came to Wisconsin as one of the most hyped recruits UW head coach Bret Bielema had managed to secure.

Somewhat surprisingly, O’Neill went four semesters in the program without finding his way onto the field for any serious playing time, as he found himself without a position to suit his athletic combination of strength and speed.

It may have taken longer than most expected, but O’Neill appears to have finally found a home.

O’Neill intercepted two passes on two consecutive plays Saturday during UW’s live scrimmage at Camp Randall. It was just the peak of what has been an extremely impressive

spring camp for the redshirt sophomore as he transitions from safety to linebacker.

“I thought Conor made a big jump,” Bielema said.

“Conor was a heavily recruited kid a few years ago; we tried him at safety because we knew he had ability, but I think that may have really helped him out because he is good in the passing game. He has a good understanding of where he needs to be in the zone fits, and he gets his hands on a lot of balls.”

An Extra Inch Or Two Wouldn’t Hurt Jon Budmayr had another uneven day, unofficially going 7-for15 with a 52-yard bomb successfully completed to Jared Abbrederis. However, Budmayr also threw an interception into the hands of linebacker Mike Taylor.

As he has been struggling with all camp, Budmayr

had two passes batted down at the line — both

by David Gilbert — that hindered his effectiveness.

While Budmayr undoubtedly has the best arm of the quarterback bunch, his short height and tendency to force throws that become interceptions has prevented him from running away with the starting job.

Still, Bielema is not too concerned about the batted balls at the line.

“I think similar to when we had [Tyler Donovan], who was a [short] in the pocket guy,” Bielema said. “So if Jon was the guy, we could do some stuff conceptually to help eliminate that.”

Starting Right Tackle?

For the third practice in a row, freshman right

SCRIMMAGE, page 9