2011.10.10

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THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1969 Monday, October 10, 2011

www.badgerherald.com

Volume XLIII, Issue 25

ARTS | COLUMN

NEWS | CAMPUS

SPORTS | MEN’S HOCKEY

South Park and the ‘seven year itch’

Students plan Indigenous Peoples Day events to celebrate the holiday that began as a reaction to Columbus Day’s misconceptions | 2

Badgers split opening series

ArtsEtc. Content Editor develops theory to explain why creative figures consistently switch things up after seven years | 6

Wisconsin hosts Northern Michigan, comes away with victory Saturday night to kick off 2011 season | 8

Ordination sparks Westboro protest Nation’s first openly gay minister draws protest from group, support of citizens Ally Boutelle City Reporter Members of the Westboro Baptist Church were in Madison Saturday to protest the ordination of a local man as the first openly gay minister ordained by Presbyterian Church USA. Nine members of the Westboro Church picketed outside Covenant Presbyterian Church on South Segoe Road to oppose long-time Madison community leader Scott Anderson’s ordination. They were joined by more than 50 counter-protesters to voice

their indignation with the Westboro protesters. The Westboro group carried signs saying “God Hates Fags” and “God Hates America” and said “fags” are why the country is “damned to hell.” The group has a national presence centered around controversial beliefs. Known for radical protests, Westboro Baptist Church is particularly infamous for picketing the funerals of soldiers. “[The group believes] God is punishing America for its sins, including the tolerance of homosexuals,” University of Wisconsin political science professor Donald Downs. “These views are abhorrent to almost everyone in America.” Megan Phelps-Roper,

WESTBORO CHURCH, page 3

Megan McCormick The Badger Herald

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church arrived in Madison to publically oppose the ordination of the first openly gay minister in the Presbyterian Church, Madison resident Scott Anderson. The controversial group, who are known for protesting at soldiers’ funerals and contend tolerance of homosexuality leads to punishment from God, was outnumbered by citizens promoting equality and their support for the minister.

Campus-area bars test controversial ID policy Dan Niepow Deputy City Editor Two campus bars are defending their newly implemented policy to only accept drivers licenses and passports as proof of legal age for bar entry. Signs posted outside the entrances of Wando’s Bar and Johnny O’s Sports Lounge, both located on University Avenue, indicate state IDs, which are available

to state residents of all ages who do not hold a driver’s license, are no longer accepted in these establishments. Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain said MPD had no immediate problems with the policy and is in support of it as long as it was working as an effective method to patrol for underage bargoers. Some bar-goers contend the new policy is

a form of racism because of the demographics of who typically has a drivers license or passport. “It’s fine with us,” DeSpain said. “We just want to make sure they’re checking that underage people are kept out.” MPD’s main concern remains to curb the use of fake IDs, he said. DeSpain said he does not think the new policy will necessarily increase the prevalence of using forged forms of ID.

Mayor Paul Soglin said he generally has no problem with city bars implementing the policy and it could be beneficial. “[The fairness of the policy] depends on how it is being implemented and administered,” Soglin said. “It could have a disparate effect.” Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said he is not necessarily a supporter of the policy, but he has heard from bar owners it has

made a difference in the amount of violence. “I wish they didn’t have these policies,” he said. “But many of these bars feel they have no choice.” He emphasized that the policy must be enforced “equitably and in a nondiscriminatory manner.” In 2005, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee examined the racial distribution of those with drivers licenses. They

found 55 percent of black males did not have state licenses compared to 17 percent among white males. This disparity was similar between AfricanAmerican females and white females. In an email to The Badger Herald, the owner of Johnny O’s said the policy reflects a move toward more selectivity in ID forms accepted.

CITY BARS, page 2

War in Afghanistan hits 10-year mark Experts emphasize veterans’ presence at UW allows for awareness among students Matt Huppert State Editor

Megan McCormick The Badger Herald

Attendees at the Occupy Madison rally sought to draw attention to the influence of corporations in U.S. politics. The event originates from the Occupy Wall Street movement taking place in New York City.

Occupy Madison takes city park Nur Athirah Idrus News Reporter Armed with the slogan “We are the 99 percent,” an estimated 200 Madison residents gathered in Reynolds Park by 6 p.m. Friday to stand with the Occupy Wall Street protest in New York City, aiming to speak up against the influence of corporations in government. The event, dubbed Occupy Madison by organizers, is one of the many protests scheduled to take place in cities around the country in support of opposition to the power of the 1 percent of people in the United States who control an estimated 50 percent of the country’s wealth. One of the organizers of the Friday event, Bill Fetty, confirmed the

Madison movement does not have a definite leadership structure. He said the lack of a leader is attributed to the many narratives present in the rally. “We operate on a horizontal structure where everyone has equal power to voice out their concerns because people have different reasons for being here, but we need to be organized in groups to be stronger together,” he said. Amanda Love, an attendee of the rally, said she was pleased to see support for the event continue to grow as it progressed. She said she has been participating in the group’s meetings, and more people are seeking participation in furthering the cause. “I think this rally

attracts people’s attention to protest against the massive influence corporations like the Wall Street has on the government. We are the majority 99 percent, but we feel neglected [and] not listened to. Here, we want to make our voices heard,” Love said. Love said participation is growing as more and more people feel policymakers have focused more on helping the corporations who fund their campaigns than the citizens who vote for them in office. Nancy Angsten, one of the supporters of Friday’s rally, was holding a sign reading “Give it back.” Angsten has a disability and said she has not been able to work for 26 years. “They took my pension away. This rally depends on how strong the people

unite. It is important that we, the people, take America back,” Angsten said. Nathan Punswick, a bank worker, said he was at the rally because he is disappointed with how corporations work. He said morale is now low among the remaining workers at his bank as a direct result of the layoffs the bank has to face after they adopted the government policies. “I want to see that this kind of rally put some pressure on the suits and ties that haven’t been accountable for their actions,” Nathan said. “They are getting big bonuses while the rest of us are being denied our pensions.” The grassroots rallies including Occupy

OCCUPY MADISON, page 2

© 2011 BADGER HERALD

Last Friday marked the 10th anniversary of the start of the war in Afghanistan, the implications of which one professor said many people take for granted. University of Wisconsin political science professor Charles Franklin said a very small percentage of citizens have had to feel the full physical and emotional effects of serving in conflicts in the Middle East. He said most Americans go about their daily lives without considering the implications the wars have for soldiers and military families. Early on in the war in Afghanistan, the United States achieved a fair amount of success with a fairly quick overthrow of the Taliban and the weakened presence of Al Qaeda, Franklin said. However, as the U.S. turned its attention to the war in Iraq, the conflict in Afghanistan became a secondary concern, prolonging the consolidation of power in the country and the war itself. UW political science professor Donald Downs said the country’s voluntary military service allows many to take the sacrifices of soldiers and the wars themselves for granted. Downs said the campus presence of veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is a

daily reminder for many students of the real life implications the wars have for those who choose to fight in them. “It’s one thing to know of something abstractly, but it’s another thing to see it in person,” Downs said. “Having an appropriate military presence on campus exposes our students to the broader world in ways that are beneficial.” Downs is the coauthor of “Arms and the University: Military Presence and the Civic Education of NonMilitary Students,” a book about the effects student veterans have on their peers that will be released in January. In a survey given to students at several universities and institutions in the country, Downs said 75 percent of students felt having veterans and military personal on campus gave them a broader sense of the war and its affect on those directly involved. Franklin said the insurgent nature of the Taliban has made the possibility of a clear-cut conclusion to the war slim. He said a NATO agreement between the Hamid Karzai government and the western countries with military presence in Afghanistan, including the U.S., would seek to bring foreign troops out of the country in 2014.

AFGHANISTAN, page 2


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