2012.03.29 by The Badger Herald

THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1969 Volume XLIII, Issue 117

Thursday, March 29, 2012

www.badgerherald.com

Students bring final appeal for funds Jackie Allen Campus Life Editor As the extended time period allotted for open forum lasted for the entirety of a student government meeting Wednesday night, University of Wisconsin students raised grave concerns surrounding recent racial incidents on campus in addition to budget cuts to multicultural organizations. A victim of the recent incident at the Delta

Upsilon fraternity, which is currently being investigated by UW administrators for alleged racist and classist slurs, was one of the first to speak at the meeting and criticized representatives for not participating more in diversity training to serve in their offices during an open forum that spanned five-anda-half hours. She said as elected representatives of the student body, Associated Students of Madison members should

give a voice to all students and stand up against potential hate crimes. “The worst part of that wasn’t the language. It wasn’t the bottle. It was the guy that ran after me after the bottle was thrown and said, ‘he’s drunk, he didn’t mean it,’” she said. “The worst part about being a victim of anything is silence.” She added campus is not a safe place for many students on campus, and others have raised similar concerns,

showing how ASM needs to take action against these types of incidents, attempt to impact the campus climate and ensure students do not go unheard. One way many speakers said representatives can make sure these incidents do not go without a response is by attending diversity trainings and events on campus, a statement echoed by diversity organization members throughout the meeting. Multicultural Student

Mind Your Manners, kids As a part of AXE’s One Night Only Concert Tour, the Majestic Theater played host to a free, short-notice Chiddy Bang and Diplo concert Tuesday night. Concert-goers crowd surfed to hits like “Opposite of Adults” and “Ray Charles.” Andy Fate The Badger Herald

Center member Amberine Huda said ASM’s cuts to diversity organizations has illustrated a “multicultural incompetence,” which could be rectified by diversity training. “The Diversity Committee right now is the only committee that applies multicultural competencey to its decision-making process, and the resolution to provide training for these issues is absolutely imperative,” Huda said.

The Multicultural Student Coalition recently sent a 15page long letter to Chancellor David Ward as a final appeal for student segregated fee funding after being denied for not meeting direct services to student criteria and missed deadlines from the Student Services Finance Committee. The group was also denied in multiple appeals before the Student Judiciary. Huda, with other speakers

APPEAL, page 2

La Follette starts run for governor Wis. Secretary of State pledges returning respect to citizens in recall race campaign Julia Jacobson Reporter

For story see page 9

Voter ID filed with Supreme Court High Court to decide whether to take up 2 cases on law based on majority vote Leopoldo Rocha Reporter Two Wisconsin Courts of Appeals asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court Wednesday to take up two separate lawsuits against the voter ID law approved last year for a final ruling on whether the law should be enforced. One of the lawsuits was filed jointly by immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, while the other lawsuit was filed by the

League of Women Voters of Wisconsin. Although recent injunctions in the Court of Appeals have halted enforcement of the photo ID requirement in the April 3 elections, the groups still claim the law disenfranchises voters in the state. The decision to ask the Supreme Court to take up the cases falls less than a week before the April 3 elections, which include the Republican presidential primary along with a number of local elections. According to a statement released by Voces de la

Frontera and NAACP, Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen appealed the two injunctions filed by two Dane County Circuit Court judges. Since the two courts certified the challenges, the appeals could be sent to the Supreme Court for review. The Supreme Court will now either deny or agree to take up the case, which will require a majority of four of the seven Supreme Court justices to agree on. Dana Brueck, spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Justice, which will

be arguing for the implementation of the law in the case, said they were pleased with the certification from the courts. “Today’s certifications are a good step toward getting this matter of great importance and urgency resolved,” Brueck said. “The Supreme Court still has time to enter an order ensuring the voter ID law will be followed at the April 3 election, but it needs to move quickly.” Government

VOTER ID, page 4

Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette announced his candidacy for governor Wednesday, saying the need for Wisconsin to return to a mutual respect for all its citizens would be a focus of his campaign. In a statement, La Follette said he was the best choice to defeat Gov. Scott Walker in the likely upcoming recall election since he would listen to all the people rather than a select few. “There has been far too much hostility and focus put on how to divide us rather than focusing on how we can respect each other and work together to move Wisconsin forward,” he said, referencing Walker’s tenure at governor. La Follette said his most important priorities as governor would be a respect for businesses, teachers, health care and the environment, and he was running because he could not stand “idly by while everything we hold dear is torn down.” Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesperson Graeme Zielinski said La Follette would be a substantial contender in the race because of his public recognition as Secretary of State. “He is a big believer in the Wisconsin Idea and respects some of the best of our traditions,” Zielinski said.

He added La Follette’s emphasis on issues surrounding the environment, education system and job training would be key to his potential success as a candidate. La Follette has more than proven his ability to raise campaign funds and win elections by holding the statewide position of Secretary of State for decades, Zielinski said. University of Wisconsin Political Science Professor Barry Burden said in an email to The Badger Herald La Follette would add a new dimension to the Democratic primary contest. “La Follette has both name recognition and lengthy experience in state government. He might also be appealing to middle-ofthe-road voters because he has not been heavily involved in the contentious politics in Madison over the past year,” Burden said. Contrary to Zielinski, Burden said La Follette may have some problems competing with gubernatorial candidates Kathleen Falk and Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma, because La Follette is less organized and might not be able to raise as much money to support his campaign. His capstone issues may also lose individual recognition, since Falk also champions environmental policies, Burden said. As a result, he said La Follette

LA FOLLETTE, page 2

Candidate’s wife touts Gingrich’s experience in national offices Callista Gingrich says campaign has been ‘roller coaster,’ race is not over Sean Kirkby State Politics Editor With the Wisconsin presidential primary less than a week away, Callista Gingrich, wife of former Speaker of the House and current contender for the Republican presidential nomination Newt Gingrich, spoke to voters Wednesday asking them for their support on the campaign trail. Callista Gingrich spoke to a group of supporters at the Madison Club, reflecting on her experiences on the campaign trail and her Wisconsin background. “There are only a few months left before the

most important election of our lifetime,” she said. “We believe America is an exceptional nation and must remain so. I believe my husband is the only candidate with the experience and the knowledge necessary to rebuild the America we all love.” She said over the past few months her husband’s campaign has been a “roller coaster” as various frontrunners have emerged in the race. Gingrich said the Midwestern values she received growing up in Whitehall, Wis., helped shape her life and her parents taught her the value of hard work, personal responsibility and common sense. “Growing up in Whitehall, I have had many wonderful memories of family, friends and some of Wisconsin’s finest traditions including

cheese curds, brats, the polka, bowling and, of course, the Green Bay Packers,” she said. Wisconsin has 42 delegates for the Republican convention and has a bound delegate system where a candidate who wins one congressional district gets three delegates. Robert Lorge, state director for the Newt Gingrich Campaign, said 15 of the other 18 delegates are at-large, while the two Republican National Committee members can vote for any candidate as well as the state chair. He said the Republican convention this fall could be a contested convention. He said the last time this happened was in 1920 when Republican President Warren Harding was running for the nomination. Harding entered the Megan McCormick The Badger Herald

GINGRICH, page 4

The Badger Herald | News | Thursday, March 29, 2012

Events today 7 p.m. Presidential candidate Ron Paul on campus Memorial Union Terrace

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

58 41

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62 46

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69 39

mostly sunny

am showers

mostly cloudy

mostly sunny

isolated thunderstorms

5 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Aerial Dance Performance

Mayor rules no vendors allowed at Mifflin

Paige Court, Elvehjem Building

City committee decides no food sellers will be at block party, citing concerns over safety, space available

Events tomorrow All Day Celebrate Union South’s first anniversary Union South

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Julia Skulstad Herald Contributor Food vendors will not be permitted during the Mifflin Street Block Party due to numerous safety and organizational issues cited during a city meeting Wednesday. A meeting of the Vending Oversight Committee approved Mayor Paul Soglin’s decision not to allow food vendors at the block party, after the mayor met Wednesday morning with police and city staff to weigh the possibility of allowing sales at the event. Alcohol Policy Coordinator Mark Woulf said a group of attorneys and city police looked at various options and past discussions of food vendors at the block party before ultimately

decided against it. “We have decided after weighing all the pros and cons of having food in the area … the city will not be allowing food vendors in the Mifflin area on the day of May 5,” Woulf said. Woulf said they discussed the benefits of food vendors, ranging from decreasing the level of intoxication at the party and generating revenue the city could contribute to the party’s costs. Discussion over food vendors came out of multiple meetings of a block party planning committee comprised of city staff, police, students and neighborhood residents, with the hope of steering the focus of the party away from alcohol. However, Woulf said these benefits could not outweigh

the issues the Madison Police Department brought up, including difficulties should police need to close and clear the street. Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the city established the Southeast Campus Vending Area a few years ago, which allows for vendors with a basic vending license. He said the mayor’s decision means there will be no vendors of any kind during the block party. Verveer said in an interview with The Badger Herald the entire Mifflin neighborhood, which also includes area up until the Kohl Center, would be offlimits to vendors on May 5, the designated date for the block party. “The vendors could set up in parking spaces or sidewalks as close as the 300

Block of Mifflin,” Verveer said. “But this ordinance covers the main party zones of Mifflin, Bassett and Bedford.” Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said in an interview with The Badger Herald he was very surprised when he found out about the mayor’s decision at the meeting. He called the mayor’s decision not to take this attempt, which was backed by a group of neighborhood residents, city staff and students “unfortunate.” “I would have like to see, as we talk about an attempt to reform the block party, to see actual ideas come to light,” Resnick said. Verveer said this is the first year since 2009 there has not been a sponsor for the Mifflin Street Block Party. He said having a sponsor enables

vendors to have special vending permits, which supersedes the determined areas where vending can take place. He said having vendors at this year’s block party could contribute to safety and space issues and would ultimately be in the way in the event of an emergency. Additionally, Verveer said a letter drafted by Associated Students of Madison Legislative Affairs Chair Hannah Somers was sent to the mayor Tuesday, summarizing what the block party planning committee hopes to achieve at this year’s event. Food vendors were among their suggestions. “Diverse groups of neighborhood residents and students have been meeting with city staff for many weeks now,” Verveer said.

Seg fees funded student D.C. trip ASM elected officials who were arrested at national protest paid $3000 through budget Lauren Tubbs Reporter Four University of Wisconsin student government members were arrested after attending a legislative conference in Washington, D.C., in which the conference was paid for with more than $3,000 in mandatory student fees. Student Services Finance Committee Rep. Tia Nowack, one of the UW students arrested at the United States Student Association legislative conference, said the travel costs for her and three fellow students was just above $3,000, and was funded through a line-item in the Associated Students of Madison internal budget, which consists of students’ segregated fees. “The money came through a budget alteration in the ASM internal budget from line items that we couldn’t use for legal reasons,” Nowack said in an email to The Badger Herald. She said the budget alteration was voted on in Coordinating Council and Student Council in an “uncontentious” vote. SSFC Chair Sarah Neibart

said travels to conferences like this one, which was focused on lobbying against the increase in student loan debt, are routinely paid for by the ASM internal budget. Funds from the internal budget covered some of the costs for conference registration, flights and hotel stays, Neibart said. She added the registration fee included all-day workshops and meals as well. ASM Chair Allie Gardner, whose trip costs were paid for by the United Council for UW Students and was also arrested in D.C., said she was unsure of the specific cost for her trip to Washington. Nowack, who was also taken into custody, said the three UW students were bailed out with money coming from an outside source, with no student money involved. She added it was a worthwhile experience because conferences like these help foster student power. “I learned so much that I can bring back to campus and I think an important conversation surrounding student loan debt was spurred,” she said. -Jackie Allen contributed to this report.

Kelsey Fenton The Badger Herald

Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette formally announced his candidacy for governor in a likely summer recall race.

LAFOLLETTE, from 1 could come across to voters as a less ideological but more pro-business candidate. “He may be viewed as a passive Secretary of State rather than someone who actively works for the issues that Democrats prioritize,” Burden said. Although his candidacy

APPEAL, from 1 from the Native American group Wunk Sheek, Asian American Student Union and Promoting Racial Equity and Awareness, also expressed support for recent moves by ASM’s Diversity Committee that called for educated and trained professional advising on policy, student organizations and diversity. MCSC member Jarred Garcia added many students who experience hate crimes do not know who to go to when the incidents occur and do not feel ASM is representative of the student body as a whole. “All of these organizations are being de-funded because of

was announced later than the others, La Follette’s challengers welcomed the competition. Scot Ross, spokesperson for former Dane County Executive Falk, said the decision will ultimately be decided by Democratic voters in a primary. “Democrats will have the final say on who can best put together the

operation and who has the experience to provide the vision needed to go head to head with the extreme right-wing Walker agenda and machine,” Ross said. A spokesperson for Vinehout who is also running for governor, could not be reached for comment. The Walker campaign also did not return comment.

these laws. Why aren’t we pointing at these laws?” Garcia said. “I’m not asking any of you — as white allies — I’m not asking you to walk in my shoes. That’s not possible. I’m asking you to walk with me.” Newly-elected Rep. Richard Rolland, who opposed the continual extensions to open forum, challenged the discussion for diverting the recent budget denials to Student Council members. “We have not done anything wrong in my opinion,” Rolland said. “I just feel like this room has been full of hate this entire meeting … It seems like a lot of people are trying to filibuster us to keep us from getting to legislation.” United Council of UW

Students Vice President Dylan Jambrek also spoke during open forum to address the recent protest by students in Washington, D.C., against rising student debt, where three members of the student government were arrested for trespassing. Rolland also challenged the actions according to part of the ASM Constitution, which states segregated fee expenditures should be consistent with all federal and state laws. Newly-elected Rep. Maxwell John Love responded the segregated fees did not pay for the action that resulted in their arrest, and ultimately no formal charges were filed — meaning there was no violation of the law.

The Badger Herald | News | Thursday, March 29, 2012

Groups ramping up campaigns for student voting Julia Skulstad Herald Contributor Student organizations and campaigns for County Board are ramping up their efforts to mobilize voters for the April 3 election in an effort they say will ensure the student voice is heard during an election when many students are likely to be out of town for spring break. University of Wisconsin sophomore Leland Pan and UW junior John Magnino are both vying for the Dane County Board seat. The election, which will happen over spring break, will also

include the Republican presidential primary, Dane County judicial and Madison School Board seats. David Vines, a spokesperson for Pan’s campaign, said they are trying to reach people in the district to get to know them individually and on a personby-person basis. He added they have been collecting names of people interested in what Leland has to offer and having door-knocking outreach campaigns since December. “We have had conversations with hundreds of people so they get to know

about the election and how they can vote,” Vines said. Vines said the campaign has also tried to reach out to student voters by encouraging them to recognize the importance of their vote, so students will apply for an absentee ballot if they are out of town on spring break or head to the polls if they are still in Madison. Jordan Weibel, chair of the UW College Democrats, which is backing Magnino in the election, said he wants all voices to be heard in the election. He said absentee ballots are an effective way

to ensure the student voice is not lost because of the timing of the election. Magnino echoed the sentiment that speaking directly with students would prove an important mobilization effect. “No. 1: it comes down to talking to them at their doors in face-to-face conversations,” he said. Magnino said he has been going around to people’s doors for the past couple weeks with absentee ballots, showing them how to sign up and dropping off their ballots for them. His campaign is also

holding several vote rallies throughout the week in Peace Park off State Street to explain to students what they need to vote and walk with them to the Madison City Clerk’s office to vote early if they are going to be out of town. “It feels really good to go out there knowing you are facilitating students in the polls,” Magnino said. College Republicans Chair Jeff Snow said he believes it is important for students to have the chance to vote in this election, even if they are going to be gone, because of the national importance

Wisconsin is likely to play in the national Republican presidential primary. Snow encouraged students to go to the City Clerk’s office and vote absentee if they are going to be out of town. UW professor Susan Paddock, an expert on Wisconsin local government, said she believes students who have concerns about these elections must get an absentee ballot. Paddock added faceto-face and one-on-one encounters are important in affecting voters’ decisions by making them more likely to pay attention in an election.

Car-pedestrian collision on East Wash. results in fatality Adrianna Viswanatha City Hall Editor A pedestrian on East Washington Avenue was struck and killed by a vehicle late Tuesday night, according to a police report. A large truck hit the pedestrian, 67, from

Madison, just after 11 p.m. The Madison Police Department report said the man was pronounced dead at the scene. MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain said based on the preliminary investigation, it does not appear that alcohol or speed of the vehicle were

factors in the accident. “There is a traffic investigator who has to look at why this person was in the roadway,” DeSpain said. “There were multiple witnesses to the scene, so the investigator will be interviewing them to find out what happened.”

He said the autopsy had not yet been performed as of Wednesday afternoon and more information will be available after it is completed. Next of kin had also not yet been notified as of Tuesday night, preventing MPD from releasing the victim’s

identity. DeSpain said based on notes left by the MPD officer in charge at the time of the accident, it appears the pedestrian was killed upon impact or shortly afterward. He also added the name of the pedestrian would

be released by the medical examiner following the autopsy. “We don’t see a lot of these [accidents], but they occasionally happen,” DeSpain said. “As far as pedestrians being struck and killed by motor vehicles, it’s not frequent.”

UHS offers tips, freebies to promote safety over break Director says effort aims to promote moderation with help from students Rachel Seurer Herald Contributor A program designed to keep University of Wisconsin students mindful of common, risky health behaviors associated with spring break that launched last year returns to campus this week as students prepare for the upcoming break. UHS Executive Director Sarah Van Orman said the campaign, called Do Spring Break Right, is part of an effort to ensure students will leave campus well-prepared for a safe spring break. Health services launched the efforts last March to address the three behaviors of sun safety, alcohol use and sexual activity. “These issues are important to all students, whether they spend their vacation working in Wisconsin, laying on a beach in Florida or volunteering in Central America,” she said. Students’ input also played an important role in this year’s advocacy efforts. According to Van Orman, Do Spring Break Right Campaign Coordinator Alisa Santiesteban

GINGRICH, from 1 convention with about six percent of the delegates, while his main contender, General Leonard Wood, had almost 30 percent. However, after 10 votes Harding won with 70 percent. “Not only did he win, but he became president,” Lorge said. “And nobody knows who General Wood is anymore, but he was the

worked extensively with student employees in UHS’s Prevention and Communication Units to design this year’s multilayered approach. UHS also introduced promotional giveaways this year to garner increased student involvement in the event. Last Wednesday, the department’s student employees and volunteers distributed prevention kits including lip balm, sunscreen and condoms throughout residence halls and libraries, UW spokesperson John Lucas said. Although media coverage of the Do Spring Break Right campaign has focused on the packages themselves, Van Orman said the most important part of these giveaways are the informational cards UHS provided with them. Van Orman added the promotional giveaways have been an effective way to get students to stop and think about the campaign’s message and strategies. “I’ve seen many students stop in at UHS to pick up these bags and actually stop to read the cards we have hanging on them,” Van Orman said. Van Orman added the giveaways have been proven effective ways to address risky behaviors by national public health organizations

such as the Center for Communicable Diseases. Most recently, Van Orman said the campaign used new communication efforts such as Facebook and Twitter. She said drawing off the campus’ active Twitter network has been particularly effective “to inform, to receive feedback and to engage in conversations with students.” Lucas said the recent emphasis on using social media has also increased the amount of students who have taken advantage of UW health services. Lucas added updates over Twitter during the break will help UHS stay in touch with students, regardless of how far from campus they are. UHS campaign coordinators employed a variety of research methods to choose the focus of the campaign, Van Orman said. By incorporating students’ anecdotes and by drawing from populationbased surveys such as the National College Health Assessment survey, Van Orman said this year’s Do Spring Break Right is one of UHS’s best developed and most aggressive campaigns compared to others in years past. The program’s coordinators also designed its schedule so as to utilize traditional media forms such as newspapers, fliers and chalking posters.

favorite.” He said none of the contenders for the Republican presidential nomination are going to have the required 1,144 delegates in the convention to receive the nomination on the first vote. After the first ballot, delegates are no longer bound to vote for a candidate. He said Newt Gingrich’s strategy is to get unbound delegates and

convince other delegates after the first vote to vote for him. “He’s the first one to see the clearing through the woods and knows that that is the next battlefield, and so he’s going to let [Rick] Santorum and [Mitt] Romney duke it out amongst themselves like two cats in a bag while he goes for the real prize, which is the delegates,” Lorge said.

VOTER ID, from 1 Accountability Board Director Kevin Kennedy said in a statement the board has already taken “extensive steps” to comply with the circuit court judges’ decisions. The GAB, which is tasked with overseeing elections in the state, remains wary about further changes in such close proximity to the election date, according to the statement. “While we understand the need to have this issue settled, as election administrators we believe it would be unfair to the voters and local election officials to have the photo ID requirements changed again so close to the election,” Kennedy said in the statement.

Gov. Scott Walker’s spokesperson Cullen Werwie said in an email to The Badger Herald the law ensures the integrity of the elections. He said the Walker administration is confident the state will prevail in its plan to bring back enforcement of the photo ID provision. The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin said in a statement they were confident the injunction issued on the law by Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge Richard Niess will be upheld by the Supreme Court. A separate statement released by the NAACP and Voces de la Frontera said they were “fully prepared” to defend the injunction placed by Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge David Flanagan.

The Badger Herald | News | Thursday, March 29, 2012

Tests find reading key area for achievement gaps Cogan Schneier Herald Contributor Subpar test scores among Madison high school and middle school students demonstrates an urgent need to make changes to the city’s education policies, officials said Wednesday. Recent test scores show the Madison Metropolitan Board of Education should move forward with district plans to address the education gap, Rachel Strauch-Nelson, MMBE spokesperson, said. Annual Wisconsin Knowledge Concept Examination tests were administered to students in November 2011. StrauchNelson said the scores

indicated gains in math proficiency and “less encouraging” news in terms of reading proficiency. Additionally, the achievement gap for black students closed by 7.5 percentage points between 2011 and 2012, a statement from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction said. The statement also said during that same period, mathematics achievement gaps closed significantly for all other racial and ethnic groups in the state. StrauchNelson said English language learners also went up 17 score points, closing the gap by 1.7 percentage points, according to the statement.

However, reading scores for grades four and eight did not increase. StrauchNelson said these results are disappointing and show a need to push district plans that focus on comprehensive literacy forward, which she said is still being revised and discussed. Michael Apple, education policy professor at the University of Wisconsin, said while Madison prides itself on the quality of its school systems, it still has had difficulty reacting to shifts in the city’s population. “The school system has not kept up with the kinds of pedagogic responses necessary, so it is falling behind,” Apple said. “There

is a large increase in kids in poverty in the United States and definitely in Wisconsin and Madison. We have some of the highest gaps between rich and poor tests scores in the entire United States. It is a real crisis.” Apple said different possibilities for what should be done include vouchers, charter schools or a third option that hosts a variety of solutions. Madison is currently attempting this latter option, he said. This approach, Apple said, includes more culturally relevant teaching, smaller class sizes, bilingual teachers and much more parental involvement. He said there is still no consensus on what

Artists’ haven

Students take in the Wisconsin Union Directorate’s 84th annual Student Art Show. The show runs on student submissions. Jen Small The Badger Herald

will be most effective for solving this issue. “In order to solve it, we need to solve things that are also out of the school’s control. There is a crisis in homelessness — more than 1,000 kids are homeless,” Apple said. He also pointed to a lack of jobs that pay “decent wages” as a culprit behind the achievement gap and said there should be a package of economic, housing and health reforms as well as education reforms to help families and students feel secure. Apple said if this crisis is not solved, society would be in “deep trouble,” and that it was very difficult to overstate the importance of this.

Reporter

Sean Kirkby State Politics Editor A state Supreme Court Justice who has been at the center of numerous ethics complaints and allegations has ruled against a client of a law firm that did not charge him for legal work when attorneys represented him before the Supreme Court on previous ethics charges. Justice Michael Gableman, who sided with the three other justices on the case, authored a majority opinion against a client of the law firm Michael Best & Friedrich, reversing a decision in the lower courts in a case relating to a cell phone tower builder and a cell phone wireless provider. The opinion said the court should not have made another company owned by the cell phone tower

builder testify in court. Gableman has come under fire after the same law firm represented him before the Supreme Court and did not charge him any legal fees, which is a violation of the Wisconsin judicial ethics code. Mike McCabe, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said the organization filed an ethics complaint with the Wisconsin Judicial Commission against Gableman in December 2011. Rick Esenberg, founder, president and general counsel of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, said people have been accusing Gableman of being biased toward Michael Best clients in his court decisions. “This case demonstrates there’s no evidence he’s been biased for clients represented

by Michael Best,” Esenberg said. He said the question of recusal is not quite the same as bias. Esenberg said two issues are at stake over whether Gableman should have recused himself for the case, one dealing with whether it would be improper for the justice to oversee the case if he had an obligation with the law firm. The other issue has to do with the court being a Supreme Court, Esenberg said. He said the High Court is not only a law-making body, but also the highest court in Wisconsin. If Gableman recused himself from court cases, he would leave the court with six judges, which could result in ties on rulings. “I think recusal is different in a lower trial court when you can give it to somebody else down the hallway,” Esenberg said. However, McCabe said Gableman should have recused himself from cases with the Michael Best law firm because

judges cannot receive free gifts under the state judicial code. He added if they do receive these gifts they cannot keep it a secret and cannot preside over a case with the client. “Regardless of how he ruled, he shouldn’t have participated,” McCabe said. “He’s actually been involved in a number of additional cases with Michael Best where he has not recused himself. He was not following state judicial ethics rules when he did this.” Gableman was charged with judicial misconduct because of an ad campaign when he was running for Supreme Court that made fictitious claims against his opponent. The Michael Best law firm represented Gableman in the case, which ended in 3-3 tie on the court after Gableman recused himself. Later, it came out the law firm did not charge Gableman for its services. McCabe said their complaint is still pending with the Wisconsin Judicial Commission.

7.5

Percentage points the math achievement gap has closed between black and white students in the last five years statewide

3.6

Percentage points the reading achievement gap has closed between black and white students in the same time

Percentage points gain over last year of Hispanic students in Madison who scored proficient in reading. Black students gained 8 points, while low-income students gained 6.5 SOURCE: WI Department of Public Instruction

Experts claim Wis. leads in innovation Camille Albert

Justice rules against firm in complaint

Achievement gap by the numbers

Some experts are linking ongoing research and medical advancements directly to health care innovations and improvements in the economy throughout the state. According to Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council, Wisconsin can attribute much of its success in medical advancements to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which has ranked among the top five research universities in the country for the past few decades. Along with the Madison campus, medical schools at UW-Milwaukee and at Marquette University have also been cited in driving innovation. UW’s contributions to medicine have greatly improved the overall health care in Wisconsin, Still said. Wisconsin has a strong political sector, and its hospitals and health organizations are often among the first that can have these types of innovations available to them, he said. Michael Abernethy, clinical associate professor at UW and specialist in emergency medicine, said advancements in medical technology have been utilized on UW School of Medicine flights as well. He said improvements in night vision goggles have provided a great safety tool, which “turns night into day” upon landing in the dark. According to Abernethy, the advantage the state receives from research at the university is part of the Wisconsin Idea “Whatever we do at the university, whether it’s medicine, research or economics, it should benefit the entire state,” Abernethy said. Still said the areas

in which Wisconsin particularly excels are medical imaging, tomotherapy, stem cell research, regenerative medicine and organ transplantation. He added that an emerging area of research in Wisconsin is cancer treatment. “Historically, we’ve also been good in the kinds of companies that create the tools that medical researchers use,” Still said. “It can be physical tools that can be used in surgical procedures or it can be diagnostic tools to try to determine the source of a specific disease or pathogen.” He said Wisconsin stands out in terms of medical advancement because it has the clinical study capacity and the right companies that can help execute new medical discoveries and research by turning diagnostics and therapies into real products that can be used every day. Janet Kelly, spokesperson for the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, said the foundation works very closely with inventors on campus and companies around the world to put university discoveries into use. WARF supports research on campus by bringing in revenue through commercializing discoveries, she added. Kelly said WARF has assisted in many breakthrough discoveries, including patenting a process for irradiating food with Vitamin D and irradiating the disease rickets. According to Kelly, the discovery of tomotherapy has been especially helpful in creating jobs and saving lives around the world. Tomotherapy is a unique way of targeting cancer through regulation, allowing doctors to destroy the cancer cells but not the surrounding tissue.

Editorial Page Editor Taylor Nye oped@badgerherald.com

The Badger Herald | Opinion | Thursday, March 29, 2012

Opinion

Herald Editorial Disappointing move by MCSC In a lengthy letter to Chancellor David Ward, the Multicultural Student Coalition made a range of claims decrying their denial of funding in the fall and their ensuing appeals. Many of the claims are unfounded, with their grounding more in rhetoric than in any legitimate grievance against the process of funding student groups. A good many more of the claims take the form of personal attacks against fellow students and University of Wisconsin administrators. MCSC claims the direct service requirement, which prevented their funding, is indicative of a larger move to eliminate multicultural groups from this campus, exhibiting an alleged institutional racism in the funding process. Although institutional racism and the systematic disenfranchisement of large segments of the UW population should concern all students at this university, the evidence for such allegations in the context of student organization funding simply does not exist. It is not hollow accusations,

however, for which this board faults MCSC. Instead, it is their insistence that their time and resources are best spent in ad hominem attacks on student leadership, and failure to advance a reasonable alternative to what they consider to be an unfair process. For an organization that has long served as a steadfast advocate for underrepresented students and advancing civil dialogue, this latest counterproductive move by MCSC goes against everything for which the group ostensibly stands. Even if the claim had some grounding in fact, MCSC would better serve the interests of students by proposing more adequate criteria to address the perceived problem. It is doubtful Ward will reverse the decision of the Student Services Finance Committee. While the letter itself is an ineffective means of reaching any real solutions, it is above all a gross misuse of the organization’s resources and undermines the faith that students have placed in the group to serve campus. The letter to Ward can be found in its entirety at badgerherald.com.

Alex Brousseau

Signe Brewster

Editorial Board Chairman

Editor-in-Chief

Reginald Young

Ryan Rainey

Adelaide Blanchard

Editorial Content Editor

Managing Editor

Editor-at-Large

Taylor Nye

Jake Begun

Editorial Page Editor

Editorial Board Member

Ed i t o r i a l B o a r d o p i n i o n s a r e c r a f t e d i n d e p e n d e n t l y o f n e w s c o v e r a g e .

Matt Hintz The Badger Herald

While some may argue that voting is a civic duty in which all citizens should engage, votes cast by uninformed voters are likely to hurt the democratic process.

Democracy hindered by uninformed voting Spencer Lindsay Columnist I received my absentee ballot in the mail this week. This was my first ballot. As I looked it over, I discovered that there were many races I knew little to nothing about. Instead of trying to do hasty research on every single race, most of which I lack expertise and knowledge about, I sent my ballot back with three votes. A vote in the presidential race, a vote on a race in which I had the opportunity to meet both candidates and a vote on the collective bargaining initiative. Call me Thomas Hobbes, but I feel that voters who are not informed, or do not fully understand what they are voting on, should abstain from the process. Low information voters hurt the functioning of our government. They do not have a clear understanding of the complexities of our vast political reality, and, as a result, make uninformed decisions that help no one. A voter that does not follow the stock market, the unemployment numbers, GDP growth and other economic indicators has a far less informed opinion about economic recovery than those who do. When voters are completely clueless

of these trends their opinions are uninformed and mean next to nothing. When opinions are not based on a broad scope of information, they cease to be based on fact and are instead based on emotion and irrationality. When people do not have an understanding of the government and budgets, they fail to make the correct decisions. I come from California, a state that has been crippled by ballot initiatives that do not make sense. Districts are gerrymandered such that Democrats will always be close to, but never hold, the two-thirds majority necessary to pass a budget, according to ballotpedia. org. Because of initiatives that limit the Legislature’s ability to raise taxes, as reported by Time, it is impossible to balance the budget without making cuts that would otherwise be considered unnecessary and stupid. This perpetuates many problems of the state. As shown by California Progress Report, in the past the state has hidden the deficit in bonds, meaning that the state will have to pay back this hidden debt with more interest. Ballot initiatives on things like high speed rail construction keep passing, as shown by the Institute of Governmental Studies, telling the government to spend more money that it doesn’t have. Budget problems have gotten so bad that the California State University

system has been forced to freeze enrollment, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. California is a case in which uneducated populism has ruined the state’s ability to function. The most irresponsible thing you can do as a voter is vote in a race where you do not know who the candidates are. In the 2010 senate race in South Carolina, Alvin Greene was elected in the Democratic primary, as reported by The New York Times. Greene was very clearly not qualified to be a senator. His mental abilities and stability were called into question and he had little to no money to even run a campaign. When you wonder “how was this man nominated?” the best explanation might be that voters mistook him for singer Al Green. Uninformed voters should have left it to the informed voters to decide. Voters have a right to vote, but they also have a right to abstain from voting. Voters should exercise this right if they are uninformed or uneducated on the particular race they are voting on. Abstain from the races you don’t have a real opinion on, and the races where you only have vague understandings of what is going on. If we all voted that way, democracy would function better for all of us. Spencer Lindsay (sclindsay@wisc.edu) is a freshman majoring in political science.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE BITCHY

QUOTE OF THE DAY

A roundup of some of the more thought-provoking (or thoughtless) comments left on badgerherald.com In response to the 3/26 news:

“If you can afford to go to the Caribbean, then you can afford to buy your own condoms.”

Student leaders arrested at D.C. protest on student debt Guest

Must be humanities majors.....anyone w/ a real major could never just skip town for a week to chill in DC.

-REP. STEPHEN NASS, R-WHITEWATER

In response to the 3/27 column:

ASM members fight loan debt Guest

Maybe if we didn’t have to pay for students to go get arrested in When Rep. Stephen Nass, R-Whitewater, heard that University Health Services was giving out free sunscreen, chapstick and condoms, he was outraged. By providing the supplies, Nass’ spokesperson Mike Mikalsen said the University is promoting risky sexual behavior and wasting students’ money on luxury goods. Us responsible students who can’t afford to go to the Caribbean want to assure Nass we will put the sunscreen, chapstick and condom toward acceptable pursuits. Since there is no way we could possibly benefit from subsidized basic health supplies, we’ll practice our balloon animal and finger painting skills with them instead. After all, we’ll need some street skills for when the budget blooms so out of control due to condom purchases that we can’t afford to pay our tuition and graduate.

D.C., we could save some money to pay off our loans. In response to the 3/21 news:

Frat incident sparks investigation Guest

Hate crime? No. Stupid drunk kids? Yes. If you haven’t noticed, there are stupid, drunk kids all over the place. In response to the 3/21 news:

Frat incident sparks investigation Guest

white, black, greek, or human/zombie, can’t we all just get along? Your Opinion · Send your letters to the editor and guest columns to 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, where all print content is archived.

The Badger Herald | Opinion | Thursday, March 29, 2012

ArtsEtc. Editor Lin Weeks arts@badgerherald.com

The Badger Herald | Arts | Thursday, March 29, 2012

ArtsEtc.

Spring Break concert preview Local DJ looks to find his groove

Fanfarlo, Gardens & Villas

This Beautiful City

Tales from Planet Earth

Thursday, 3/29 9 p.m. $ $12 advance High Noon Saloon H

Friday, 3/30 8:30 p.m. $ $15 Bartell Theater

Through Saturday $ Free screenings! B Various locations

Reptar

White Rabbits

Wed. 4/4, 8:30 p.m.

$ $8 advance

High Noon Saloon H

SBTRKT

Friday 4/6, 9:30 p.m.

$ $14

Sunday 4/8, 9 p.m.

$ $18 advance

High Noon Saloon H

Majestic

Patrick Awesome’s road to fame paved with practice, hard work; Next up: Elusive hit single Sam Berg ArtsEtc. Reporter

Andy Fate The Badger Herald

Chiddy, the emcee of two-part alternative hip-hop group Chiddy Bang, rapped Tuesday night at the free Axe One Night Only surprise concert performed at the Majestic Theater.

Catching up with Chiddy, Xaphoon Members of trendy hip-hop project stop to chat with BH before jumping on stage Kate Northey ArtsEtc. Staff Writer Chiddy Bang, an alternative hip-hop group from Philadelphia, killed it on the stage at the Majestic last night as part of the AXE One Night Only Tour. The group Chiddy Bang is made up of Chiddy, the emcee, and Xaphoon Jones, the DJ and producer. The Badger Herald caught up with this lively duo backstage before they graced the stage. BH: So, I did not hear about this concert until yesterday. Has it always been your plan to just come here, give out free tickets and go on your way? Xaphoon: It’s part of the way that AXE is running the tour. They are producing the whole tour with us, Diplo and Lunice and this is their style of doing the shows. When we signed up for the tour, we knew it was going to be kind of secret and hype at the last minute. Chiddy: It’s dope man. That definitely makes it interesting. It’s like, ah, we tell you guys three days, two days before we’re doing the show — Diplo, Chiddy Bang and Lunice are gonna be here, get them tickets. Well not even get them tickets, cuz it’s free. So that’s like, it’s free, they’re just gettin’ a good experience right there. BH: What is it like for you guys to be on stage with a huge crowd that’s really excited about your music? Xaphoon: That’s more of a question for Chiddy because I’ve been performing since I was like nine. So it doesn’t even really register with me anymore. But I have felt nervous like once. BH: When was that? Xaphoon: Lollapalooza. Like when you do a festival in the UK, it doesn’t matter really, cuz if you fuck up, no one at home cares. So doing an American festival for the first time was like, ‘Oh shit, you better nail this shit.’ And we did and we had an amazing time. Chiddy: For some reason I wasn’t nervous for that one.

BH: Do you get nervous? Chiddy: Sometimes, maybe, yeah. Glastonbury [England]. Xaphoon: Yeah, you do. Well, you’ve seen when I get nervous; I’ve seen when you get nervous. Chiddy: You see when I get nervous? It’s not often. Xaphoon: It’s not. It’ll only be like … if we’re opening for someone and that’s not the same genre as us then Chiddy sometimes gets nervous. Usually after a couple songs he’s good. Chiddy: Yeah. BH: How do you guys react to the crowd when they’re really excited? Chiddy: It’s the best thing. When they’re… Xaphoon: It builds off each other. Chiddy: Yeah you build off each other. You get the energy from the crowd and that’s way better than being in a situation where the crowd isn’t giving you anything. If they’re just standing there looking at you, that’s just wack. But I’m still gonna go hard regardless. Xaphoon: Not as hard as if the crowd was going crazy. Chiddy: Not as hard. Xaphoon: Chicago is the best example. We did a small show for our fans around the album release and the energy was so crazy that Chiddy was like, ‘OK, Chicago, about to go in.’ Chiddy: Chicago just… Xaphoon: One of our shows in the UK we just did there was crowd surfing. I was pouring champagne. Chiddy: We poured champagne in London, but Manchester I feel like ‘I Can’t Stop’ was absolutely crazy. [Comments about opener Lunice killing it as the interview ensued] BH: How do you guys like performing to college crowds? Is it different than other crowds? Xaphoon: I think we like it the most because it’s people our age. We’re both 21, so. For Kate’s full interview with Chiddy Bang, visit the Badger Herald’s ArtsEtc. page at www.badgerherald. com.

Many students have seen Patrick Awesome around town flicking controls and blending beats in dark basements and sweaty frat houses. Some assume that all DJs succeed merely by buying a Macbook Pro and a flat-brimmed hat. But Patrick Mayer’s road to local DJ fame was a long one achieved through a level of dedication rivaling that of any traditional band. Mayer’s story began in high school, where he experimented with sounds foreign to what one might expect in suburban Milwaukee. “In high school, I was in a live band with two keyboards. I was doing what would best be described as a live trance act,” Mayer said. As he played trance in high school, Mayer’s passion for the music grew quickly, but it wasn’t until college that he learned about the wide array of electronic music that influences his mixes and productions today. “I was like, ‘Why didn’t I hear about all this music?’ like, ‘Why didn’t I know

about it?’ ... No one had really told me about the vast amounts of electronic music there is,” Mayer said. “I kind of wanted to spread the word the best way I can. So I started DJing and also producing my own tracks.” Electronic music has been gaining a lot of ground in the U.S. over the past few years, but Mayer sees the education process as anything but finished. “A lot of people — especially in America — they just think that it’s all ‘techno’ and call it just ‘techno,’ which couldn’t be further from the truth,” Mayer said. After developing his mixing and mastering skills for years, Mayer’s goals as a musician have departed widely from his high school days. “At this point I really don’t think I would ever do a live band,” Mayer said. “I’ve talked to people about maybe working with one instrumentalist and having a sequencer and loops that I would be triggering. But mostly right now I focus on my productions, which is all just inside a computer.” It took some time before Mayer ended up being the guy on stage bobbling his head between giant

speakers. The success of Mayer, and perhaps any DJ, started as grassroots as an act can. “Early on, I got some help from the WUD Music student org, later on from sending emails out,” Mayer said. “A lot of what’s been helping me now has been house parties.” Things only got bigger from there. Mayer has opened for major artists in the field and is now getting paid by some of Madison’s most popular venues. “I opened for LA Riots once, almost two years ago. I like them a lot and I’ve seen them four or five times. It was pretty fun,” Mayer said. “I actually got to meet them at the after party.” Perhaps surprisingly, Mayer does not aspire to open for bigger artists. The ambitious DJ wants more than just a few opening gigs a month. “These days a lot of people have the conception that the way to get bigger is to just start playing more local shows and opening for people, when really a lot of artists just make one track that gets them famous — or not famous, just bigger than they are,” Mayer said. “They get a lot of publicity making one

good track. That’s kind of my focus more now.” Instead of looking for local opportunities to warm up audiences for touring acts, Mayer is working on perfecting his own dance night at The Bayou. “It’s a monthly way for me to help all my friends who have helped me get shows by getting them shows,” Mayer said, also remarking that “It’s also a way to get away from house parties and legitimize [my music] at a bar because it’s legal and there’s no worrying about cops.” After college, Mayer, who is studying mathematics at the University of Wisconsin, plans on continuing his passion for music even more zealously. “I plan to devote around a full amount of time to [DJing] after I get out of college,” Mayer said. “Right now it’s a balance between schoolwork and the time I have to produce.” You can catch Patrick Awesome April 4 playing at The Bayou during his dance night, MUMBO JUMBO. Patrick will play with frequent collaborator Bulldoggar. The show starts at 9 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Ian Johnson

Patrick Mayer, performing under the monicker Patrick Awesome, works the turntables at a local event. Mayer’s next upcoming show is a set at The Bayou on South Butler Street.

The Badger Herald | Arts | Thursday, March 29, 2012

Spring into unseasonable warmth Holly Hartung Dairyland Down-low Columnist As a Wisconsinite, I am obligated to talk about how unseasonably warm this March has been. Can you believe the trees are already budding? I remember being buried in snow at this time in years past! Is that a sunburn?! March Madness, indeed. Like Michael Scott, I am not superstitious, but I am little ‘stitious that praising the good weather of the last few weeks will lead to its demise. However, I will proceed with caution and reflect on what warmer weather means for the inhabitants of this state. For many, the emergence of spring

weather means it’s time to debate how long it will last and what the unforeseen negative consequences may be. We cannot simply bask in the splendor of the sun without theorizing. One friend of mine is preparing for the apparent Mosquito Apocalypse of Summer 2012. “You need to warn them. You have a column and an audience, and with that comes great responsibility,” he said. He speculates that the mild winter combined with an early spring will bring more mosquitoes than ever and that DEET is the only safeguard. Consider them warned, Andrew. For others, higher temperatures means dining outdoors for picnics or potluck gatherings featuring bratwursts and foodstuffs consisting chiefly of mayonnaise. Nothing says family reunion in Wisconsin like cold noodles smothered

in mayo with a couple peas thrown in here and there. Don’t forget to try Aunt Joan’s prized Jell-O concoction. (It’s healthy — there’s fruit in it!) Additionally, warm weather is yet another excuse for Wisconsinites to drink excessively. Hey, there’s some sun — let’s drink! Brewers tailgates are the perfect venue for that, although I admit that I know almost nothing about baseball, nor do I really care about the outcome. I’m here for the snacks and the sausage races, folks. In Madison, spring brings all the “musicians” onto State Street to sing their shitty renditions of John Mayer and Bob Dylan songs. I never thought being a shoeless hippie with a banjo could become cliché, but I swear I see three a day walking to and from my apartment. For me, warm weather makes it increasingly

harder to be a productive human being. Although I am admittedly a selfdiagnosed hypochondriac, I am pretty sure I have a severe case of senioritis. Someone write me a prescription! These last two weeks I have battled an overwhelming desire to blow off responsibility and play tennis or chill on the Terrace instead of getting work done. Whether the weather brings out the best or worst in Wisconsinites is hard to say. One thing is certain: Whenever there is unusual weather in Wisconsin, you can bet it will dominate conversation for weeks. Holly Hartung (hhartung2@wisc. edu) is a senior majoring in journalism and communication arts. If ya have ideas for future Dairyland Down-low columns about Wiscaaansin culture, send ‘em her way.

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Although ‘The Hunger Games’ shares many plot similarities with Japanese slasher ‘Battle Royal’ on its surface, the framing, context and execution of the two movies are quite different.

‘Hunger Games’ vs. ‘Battle Royale’ Tim Hadick Class Critic Columnist

Unorthodox activities may make break

Katie Foran-McHale A Drop in the Bucket Columnist Spring break is upon us once more. After consulting with my bank account I’ll be in town working all week, and I’m good with that. But it got me thinking about what makes the best kind of break — the beach? Road trips? Drunken escapades? Maybe that’s your dream break, and I’m envious of you. While it sounds tempting to me, for the past few years I’ve gone out of my way to live in

a way some call quirky, most call stupid — for the sake of collecting good stories to tell. I mean, which sounds cooler? A) “Hey guys, yeah, my break was fun, just sat around the beach all day really. OMG check out my tanlines,” or B) “My break was okay, but I did meet a guy who was thoroughly convinced his TV was trying to kill him for three years running.” (True story.)

BUCKET LIST ITEM #6 — HAVE A STORYWORTHY BREAK

For all of you traveling somewhere, whether it be on vacation or through an alternative break, this might come a little easier to you. It’s nearly impossible to travel

without at least one good story that can’t be explained in a slew of Facebook pictures. One of mine, somewhat regrettably, comes from a night studying abroad in Paris that started with tequila and ended with a re-enactment of a scene from “Team America: World Police” along the banks of the Seine. But sometimes, the most memorable break stories don’t come from going somewhere exotic or doing something glamorous. Spending a few breaks in Madison, I’ve encountered a few quality characters: a homeless woman who proclaimed to me, “$2.50 — that’s all I need to get intoxicated!” Or once there was a mysterious-looking man on the bus reading a French book on how to perform an

exorcism. But one of my favorites was a break spent at home in Milwaukee. My sister and I ran into former Marquette Basketball head coach Tom Crean at a Milwaukee Barnes & Noble shortly after he’d broken all Marquette fans’ hearts — er, left to coach at Indiana. When he went upstairs, we knew it was time to act on Operation: Guilt Trip and lined the escalator with copies of a book about the Marquette team prominently featuring his picture on the cover. (He pretended not to see it, but we still have photo proof.) That might be one of my proudest accomplishments to date. So, if you’re stuck in a not-so-scenic location this break, try to look for captivating tales in monotonous situations. Maybe you’ll one-up your friend’s bodacious beach excursion. Got any outlandish break chronicles worth sharing? Send your stories — or the last remaining items on your bucket list — to Katie at kforanmchale@ gmail.com or tweet @ kforanmchale.

The popularity of “The Hunger Games” movie and book series has spurred a debate online. Fans of Japanese cinema are calling foul on series author Suzanne Collins, saying the central premise of “The Hunger Games” is ripped from popular title “Battle Royale.” “Battle Royale” is a 2000 Japanese film in which a class of high school students is thrust without warning into a three-day, all-out brawl to the death. They are put on an island, given a bag with a random tool or weapon and forced to wear a collar that explodes if they try to disable it or wander into a restricted area. The last one standing is the winner and gets to live. The film is set in a politically unstable and economically ruined Japan. After 800,000 students boycotted school, adults began to fear the uneducated youths. In an attempt to scare the students into respecting the education system, the annual Battle Royale was established. The controversy that surrounds “The Hunger Games” comes from the Games’ premise: A group of children are given weapons and forced to kill each other. While other sci-fi novels before it have delved into the topic of forcing children into deadly situations, the obvious similarities between both films stand out to fans of “Battle Royale” in particular because the novel on which it is based was published nearly nine years before “The Hunger Games.” Collins denied claims of plagiarism in an article in The New York Times Magazine, stating she hadn’t heard of either the movie or the novel on which it is based until after “The Hunger Games” was turned in to her editor. There is no way to tell if Collins is telling the truth or not. However, by examining both films obvious contrasts between them arise, including their formatting and the material they present. The biggest difference between the two films is how political tensions between governments and their people are shown. “The Hunger Games’” plot focuses on relations between The Capitol and the outlying Districts. The everyday struggles of Katniss and her fellow District 12 members under the rule of The Capitol are clear in several parts of “The Hunger Games.” The stark contrast between conditions in the vibrant Capitol and run-down District 12 speaks visually of a post-war country with clear winners and losers. The point of the Hunger Games is to further oppress the 12 Districts after their rebellion decades earlier and to continue to reinforce the power of the Capitol. The political reasons behind the passing of the Battle Royale Act are specific to Japan’s history of student protests. Riots against the Vietnam War in the 1960s at many Japanese universities are still a sensitive topic in

Japan, hence the healthy amount of controversy surrounding “Battle Royale” in its own country. This historical reasoning is implied in the film, leaving American audiences that have no prior research in the dark as to how such drastic measures are even feasible. This allows “Battle Royale” to concentrate on the killings that pervade the film. Death scenes in “Battle Royale” are sometimes comically over-the-top. This grotesque style is not uncommon in other Japanese slasher titles, but it is a key difference between “Battle Royale” and “The Hunger Games.” “The Hunger Games” keeps scenes of gore to a minimum and focuses emotions on the political climate surrounding the Games. The Japanese movie utilizes gore to juxtapose the innocence of children with the horrors of murder — “Battle Royale” is packed with social commentary surrounding Japan’s struggles with students, but the scale is much less obvious than the political focus in “The Hunger Games.” “The Hunger Games” stays on the topic of contrasting social class, a parallel to today’s political debates. While each Battle Royale is shrouded in secrecy, the Hunger Games are broadcast to all of Panem to promote the dominance of the Capitol. “Battle Royale” does have similar undertones, but the influence the Hunger Games has over the Districts and the Capitol seems far beyond that of each Battle Royale. Romance plays a big role in “The Hunger Games” as a tool for rebellion. The “love” shared between Katniss and Peeta is manipulated to play with the Capitol as well as keep them alive in the Games. In “Battle Royale,” the realities of high school crushes are taken to a whole new level as lovers commit suicide and female students fight for the affection of male students. The theme of “Battle Royale” is not so much one of rebellion — despite its ending — but of survival and psychological torment. On the other hand, “The Hunger Games” keeps rebellion as its primary theme, although long breaks during the Games do sometimes break up the tension. Despite the obvious similarities between “The Hunger Games” and “Battle Royale,” both have individual focuses that give audiences completely different viewing experiences. “The Hunger Games” focuses on largescale ideas within Panem, while “Battle Royale” chooses to exemplify smallscale struggles within an overarching conflict between students and authority. Besides a similar underlying premise, both films are different enough to enjoy for different reasons. Those who are looking for top-notch special effects and more focus on politics should check out “The Hunger Games.” If you want to do a little digging into Japan’s history and watch a provocative slaughter fest, “Battle Royale” has just been re-released on a variety of media formats. Tim Hadick is a sophomore majoring in Japanese and journalism. You can email him at thadick@badgerherald. com or tweet him @ RealCollege.

Comics

One Daaaaaaay Mooooooore! Noah J. Yuenkel comics@badgerherald.com

11 The Badger Herald | Comics | Thursday, March 29, 2012 WHAT IS THIS

SUDOKU

HERALD COMICS

PRESENTS

U WHITE BREAD & TOAST

toast@badgerherald.com

MIKE BERG

NONSENSE? Complete the grid so that every row, column and 4x4 box contains 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E and F. What? You still don’t get it? 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: Red, the color of grenadine!

HERALD COMICS

PRESENTS

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: Black, just like black-out drunk!

MOUSELY & FLOYD

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

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CLASSIC MADCAPS

HERALD COMICS 1

madcaps@badgerherald.com

MOLLY MALONEY

PRESENTS

CROSSWORD 30 32

36 24 27

BUNI

pascle@badgerherald.com

RYAN PAGELOW

33 40

25 31

random@badgerherald.com

ERICA LOPPNOW

primal@badgerherald.com

ANDREW MEGOW

MODERN CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT

THE SKY PIRATES

COLLIN LA FLEUR

DENIS HART

mcm@badgerherald.com

skypirate@badgerherald.com

42 44

58 65

Puzzle by Jeﬀ Chen

PRIMAL URGES

Across 1 Pass quickly, as on a highway 6 Rummage 10 Treat badly 14 Karma believer 15 Title accompanier: Abbr. 16 Team members 17 Many a nude beach visitor 18 ___ bread 19 Narc’s ﬁnd, perhaps 20 Subject with force 22 Perfectly behaved 24 Not under any circumstances 26 Big name in vacuums 27 Furnace fuel 31 Heals, in a way 33 Has a tab 34 The One, in “The Matrix” 35 Kind of pitcher

39 41

44 46

RANDOM DOODLES

37 38

40 Storage unit 42 Maintains, as an itinerary 43 Doublecheck, e.g. 44 One of two in Monopoly 45 Port. is part of it 46 Word needed to be added to 12 appropriately placed answers in this puzzle for their clues to make sense 48 Music genre 49 Spills 53 Synonym source 55 Gives away, in a way 57 Braces 62 “___ la Douce” 63 14-Across V.I.P. 65 Back in 66 “The Big Lebowski” director 67 George

47 49 50 51 52 54

in strongman contests Biblical twin Rancher, typically Hosp. employees Golfer Aoki Cry of shocked hurt Not be serious Military leaders Group leaders The Smothers Brothers, e.g. Showy Linger “Vive ___!” Ancient Mexican Party principle Johnny Storm a k a the Human ___ City near Provo But, in Bolivia Standout Still-life subjects Search here and there Digits, e.g.: Abbr.

in a way Orwell’s alma 58 23 “Check it mater out!” 68 Part of many a 59 25 Exclamation generator 60 of surprise 69 Bandy, as ideas 27 Change one’s 70 Waste time 61 opinion 71 Act rowdily 28 Meany of story 64 29 Items someDown times tossed 1 Get many price quotes 2 Drugged out Rocky the Herald Comics Raccoon™ 3 One’s partner 4 Works of You say Horace what happens 5 Famous cloth in Cancun stays locale 6 List of in Cancun? criminals? Not according 7 Magazine once to current published by extradition Playboy treaties, 8 Senator’s home buddy. 9 Comparison connector 10 Wild card 11 Banish 12 Vestige 13 Wander aimlessly 21 Less sophisticated,

Get today’s puzzle solutions at badgerherald.com

The Badger Herald | Sports | Thursday, March 29, 2012

Van Abel trades spandex for spikes Despite freshman status, former dualsport star leads Big Ten in batting Nick Korger Associate Sports Editor

Megan McCormick The Badger Herald

Van Abel was planning a collegiate volleyball career before she spoke with Wisconsin head coach Yvette Healy late in her senior year.

When Maria Van Abel sat down at the Wisconsin senior All-Star Banquet in the spring of 2011, the then-high school senior was planning on playing volleyball, not softball, at the collegiate level. But that all changed when Wisconsin softball head coach Yvette Healy made the keynote speech of the night. “It was her idea about hard work paying off and having a positive attitude,” Van Abel said. “Everything she was saying was everything I wanted to see in a coach. She had that; she presented herself in such a great way that I was drawn to her.” While Healy was giving her speech that night, something began to stir inside the high school senior. She began to picture herself being coached by Healy, as well as the opportunities playing softball at a place like Wisconsin would give her. “I sat there listening to her talk and I was thinking to myself how great it would be to play at a level like that for that kind of coach who’s so energetic and so positive,” Van Abel said. “It kind of gave me a notion to go introduce myself. Something came inside of me and I just wanted to throw my name out there.” Healy had heard of Van Abel before she actually met her that night. A two-sport standout at Kaukauna High School, Van Abel won state championships in both her respective sports during her career for the Galloping Ghosts. “Multiple people

BAD BOYS, from 14 defenses, the fifth-year senior is hoping to bring a new level of precision to his game. “Trying to get my technique right, trying to be a technician on everything I do,” Cromartie said of what he’s been focusing on this offseason. “I don’t want anybody to catch on me, I want to be upset if somebody catches the ball on me, I want to take it personally.” Although co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash said there’s no way to replace what Fenelus and Henry provided in both their unique defending styles on the field and their support off it, he has seen promising development from the new leaders of his secondary. With Johnson and Cromartie both toting a year of starting experience under their belt, they

mentioned her name,” Healy said. “They said that one of the best players in the state for softball was going to play volleyball. I had a chance to speak and do the keynote speech and she came up to me and we spoke afterwards.” Whatever was said that night, Van Abel left a lasting impression on Wisconsin’s head coach. “You could just tell right away that she was just one of those kids you knew was going to be successful in whatever she did,” Healy said. “It really looked like her goals matched up with what we wanted to build here, so it’s kind of special when you meet a person like that who’s that driven and motivated.” After a great first impression, the two exchanged phone calls and Healy was able to bring Van Abel to the Wisconsin campus for a tour just a week after their first meeting. “I came down for a visit the next week and I changed my mind,” Van Abel said. “I can’t say enough about the facilities, the staff, everyone was so awesome. It was an opportunity I would’ve had to be crazy to turn down.” It turns out the decision was the right one. After 23 games in a Wisconsin uniform, the freshman outfielder leads not only the Badgers but the entire Big Ten in batting, with an average of .455 with 25 hits in 55 at-bats. “It’s crazy,” senior Karla Powell said. “I remember when she first got here. I was wondering what this speedy little girl was going to bring to the table. When we got to Florida and first started playing and I could just tell she was going to make noise this year. She has the potential to be an All-American very soon, maybe even this year.” But Van Abel’s success early in her Wisconsin career didn’t come without

hard work. There were times this past fall when the freshman struggled to make contact at all. “There were a lot of those days,” Van Abel said, laughing. “There were definitely bad days. Coming in as that walk-on position you’re not exactly sold if you’re at the right level or capability to be here. You don’t know that as a freshman walk-on. There were days when it was pretty frustrating. I went through some frustrating times in the winter because I knew I could do better than what I was doing.” However, the Badger standout was able to get through the tough times with the encouragement and positive energy of her teammates, her family and the Wisconsin coaching staff. She also earned the respect of her fellow teammates and coaches, putting in the extra work needed to find her game before the season started. “She’s just a hard worker,” Healy said. “Everything about her successes is due to her and her work ethic, because in the fall and winter she struggled. There were days she couldn’t hit the ball. She put in the extra time and didn’t get flustered. To be the leading hitter in the Big Ten is beyond what any kid dreams about. To put this run together like she is, we’re really proud of her.” “I was pretty blindfolded coming into the whole experience,” Van Abel said. “I didn’t know what to expect. To turn around in less than a month from volleyball to softball, from a small school to a huge school, there were a lot of transitions that needed to be made. Now that I’m here, I’m blessed to have this opportunity. I’m just going to keep working hard and see where it takes me.”

seem ready to fulfill the Wisconsin defense’s “next man in” mantra. Ash, approaching his second season as co-chair of the defense, has seen both a deeper understanding of the game and confidence between the hash marks from his secondary. “They’re just playing faster — they know how to line up faster, they know how to read their keys faster, they know how to react faster and they’re getting to the ball faster,” Ash said. But after surrendering 276 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air against the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl with the now-departed seniors on the field, questions still surround the UW secondary. Johnson — the early favorite to reign as the backfield’s most threatening presence — admits that

he’s feeling the pressure heading into this season. But he also realizes it’s his final run on the field, his last opportunity to become the Henry-esque leader of this revamped secondary. Cromartie and Johnson, who live with Fenelus, believe that after arriving in Madison together nearly five years ago, they’re ready to fill the rather sizable shoes of two future NFL players. Together, the two seem to possess the unspoken reads and silent switches critical to any passthwarting backfield, and now, as seniors, will see just how far that can take them against the Big Ten’s most potent offenses. “I think the chemistry’s always been there; I think each individual person had to get more comfortable with their role on the team,” Johnson said.

To place an ad in Classifieds: Roshni Nedungadi rnedungadi@badgerherald.com 257.4712 ext. 311

The Badger Herald | Classifieds | Thursday, March 29, 2012

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Sports

Slug-happy Wildcats visit Madison Loaded with power, Northwestern to face off with Darrah, UW’s top pitcher Nick Korger Associate Sports Editor After finishing off 23 consecutive road games with a series win over the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Badgers are finally returning to the friendly confines of Goodman Diamond, where Wisconsin will take on Northwestern in its home opener. While the Wildcats’ record (11-17, 0-3) is unremarkable at first appearance, the Badgers (13-10, 2-1) will remain weary of their talented opponent. Facing a grueling non-conference schedule that featured 11 ranked opponents — including bouts with the No.1 and No. 2 teams in the nation — Northwestern comes into this three-game series extremely battle-tested. The Wildcats face Madison fresh off a threegame conference losing streak. Northwestern was swept at Nebraska, and the team pitching was shelled for a combined 24 runs. The Badgers, on the other hand, will enter their home opener in good standing, as the team narrowly missed

KORGER, from 14 center. Even in the games Wisconsin lost last year, nobody could blame those defeats on the prolific offense. Another positive early sign from O’Brien’s transfer is he committed to a Wisconsin program without Chryst manning the offense. New offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s system will be similar to Chryst’s signature prostyle offense, which the Badgers have run in previous years. O’Brien will eagerly look to run a Badger offense more like that of his freshman year under former Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen and thenoffensive coordinator

sweeping the Hawkeyes last weekend to take two out of three games at Iowa City. For Wisconsin, winning the series comes down to containing the bats of Northwestern. The Wildcats’ lineup features a plethora of big-name hitters, including three returning all-Big Ten players. Headlining the Northwestern offense is infielder Marisa Bast. The sophomore is currently

“I would be stunned if we see low scoring games. We know they’re going to look like football scores.” Yvette Healy Head Coach

following up her freshman season — one that earned her secondteam all-Big Ten honors — with a batting average of .434, good for second in the conference. Just behind Bast — but leading off in the Northwestern batting order — is junior Emily Allard. The returning first-team allBig Ten player from just a year ago currently bats .385. Rounding out the Northwestern’s lineup

James Franklin — a season where he threw for 22 touchdowns and only eight interceptions — instead of the spread that was installed his sophomore year with the Terrapins. While there is never any certainty when it comes to football, the Badgers can only benefit from this transfer. Granted, it’s highly unlikely O’Brien will be able to produce the extraordinary stats that Wilson produced in his record-setting senior season, but it does show a shifting in the culture at Wisconsin. Even though the program rarely reels in the big fish in the recruiting world, the quarterback transfers in the last two

is senior power hitter Adrienne Monka. Perhaps the most dangerous and disciplined bat on the Wildcats roster, Monka was named second-team all-Big Ten in 2011 for a season in which she led the country with 1.53 walks per game, the second highest mark in NCAA Division I singleseason history. She also led the nation with a .707 on-base percentage, unofficially the second highest percentage in Division I history. Wisconsin head coach Yvette Healy knows her Badgers have a dangerous task ahead, facing a Northwestern team that has already hit 24 home runs this season. “You try to get power hitters to chase, but someone like [Monka] is going to hit it so you just have to try and contain her to singles where you can,” Healy said. “You have to pick and choose who you go after. For us the key will be doing a really nice job against their seven, eight, nine kids to give us a chance. “We know their top kids are going to get their hits. I would be stunned if we see low scoring games. We know they’re going to look like football scores. We just have to be comfortable with that and stay the course. That’s how we got our wins last year against them.” Even though the

years show Bielema has his team in the spotlight more than ever. Looking ahead to the 2012 season, the Badgers have a solid chance at making a return to Pasadena and completing the three-peat. With a returning Heisman hopeful in Montee Ball, an always-solid offensive line anchored by Travis Frederick and a group of receiving targets including Jared Abbrederis and Jacob Pedersen, the Badgers have all the offensive pieces in place that O’Brien could have hoped for. A schedule that includes home games against conference thorns Michigan

Megan McCormick The Badger Herald

First-baseman Karla Powell and the rest of the Badgers’ defense will face a tough task in keeping the Wildcats off the bases this weekend. Badgers will face one of the strongest offenses in the Big Ten, it helps they have one of the best pitchers in the conference wearing the cardinal and white. After pitching every inning of the Badgers’ three games last weekend — two of which were wins — No. 1 pitcher Cassandra Darrah will look to cool down the Wildcats’ hot bats. With a 9-5 record and an earned run average of 2.30, the Badgers will look to lean on their workhorse to contain their opponent.

State and Ohio State (who won’t be able to qualify for the Big Ten Championship Game because of a one-year postseason ban from the NCAA) only heightens the chances of another Badger run. If the 2012 football season is to be one of fresh faces at Wisconsin, it was only fitting the Badgers would land a transfer quarterback to be the potential starter. In an offseason marked with roster upheaval — among both coaches and players — the fact that Wisconsin snagged O’Brien answers many of the questions the Badgers faced during spring practices. While Wisconsin fans are unsure of

“Cass threw an amazing three games,” senior Karla Powell said. “You don’t really ever see one pitcher pitch for three games. When she stepped up, everyone put everything on the line and stepped up.” It was a sentiment freshman Maria Van Abel emphasized as well. “Cass really pitched great; her pitching really gave us a lot of momentum,” Van Abel said. “Obviously it’s a big deal when your pitcher can give you three whole

how talented O’Brien could be, they should take comfort in knowing O’Brien chose Wisconsin over former New England Patriots offensive coordinator and current head coach Bill O’Brien, a man who worked with talented professional quarterbacks like Tom Brady. Now that the news has been announced, only one thing is certain: The aroma of roses has just gotten a little stronger for the Wisconsin Badgers. Nick is a senior majoring in English and history. What do you think about O’Brien’s move? Let him know at nkorger@ badgerherald.com.

games on the mound.” The Wisconsin offense will more than likely have its chance to provide its ace with the run support she needs, as the Northwestern pitching staff does not boast a single pitcher with an ERA under 2.50. “Their pitchers are average,” Powell said. “We’re telling each other to go up to the plate and have a plan. They’re going to try to make us chase but we just need to be disciplined and wait for our pitches.”

O’BRIEN, from 14 In the meantime, redshirt freshman Joel Stave and redshirt sophomore Joe Brennan are healthy but neither have extensive playing experience. Brennan appeared in six games last season, completing six of 15 passes for 48 yards and an interception. Similar to his approach when Wilson arrived last summer, Bielema said in the statement O’Brien has not been promised the starting job and will compete for it along with the others. “As is the case with any player who joins our program, we have not promised Danny anything other than the chance to come in during the fall and compete for the starting quarterback position,” Bielema said in the statement.

Sports Editor Elliot Hughes sports@badgerherald.com

14 | Sports | Thursday, March 29, 2012

SPORTS

Going from volleyball to softball Van Abel switches collegiate sports at the last moment, Pg. 12

O’Brien ‘rejuvenated’ to join Badgers Former Maryland quarterback lands at UW; excited to work in pro-style offense Elliot Hughes Sports Editor For the second consecutive year, the Wisconsin football team may have found its answer to the quarterback position in the arm of an ACC transplant. Wednesday afternoon, Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema announced the addition of former Maryland quarterback Danny O’Brien to the Badgers’ roster. O’Brien is set to graduate from Maryland at the end of the current semester and will then enter Wisconsin as a graduate student with two remaining years of eligibility. Per NCAA rules, O’Brien, as a graduate transfer student, will be able to play immediately for the Badgers, whom he selected over Penn State and Vanderbilt. “I was blessed to have several great opportunities at other schools, but [the] kind of vibe I got when I was at Wisconsin was special, just being there with the players on the team, the coaching staff, all the supporting staff,” O’Brien said of his visit to UW. “Madison, the campus was great. It was kind of everything I was looking for going into this process.” The move mirrors that of Russell Wilson from last summer, when the quarterback utilized the same

rule to go from North Carolina State to Wisconsin. Wilson started all 13 games last season and led UW to a secondconsecutive Big Ten title and Rose Bowl appearance. O’Brien, who played against Wilson while at NC State in 2010, said he did not contact him during the decision process. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound O’Brien started 17 games over the course of his threeyear stay with Maryland. As a redshirt freshman in 2010, he started 10 games and completed 57 percent of his passes for 2,438 yards, 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions as the Terrapins finished with a 7-3 record. That performance, which won him ACC Rookie of the Year honors, came in a pro-style offense under head coach Ralph Friedgen and offensive coordinator James Franklin. But both left the Terrapins the following year, and their replacements — Randy Edsall and Gary Crowton — instituted the spread offense. O’Brien’s numbers then fell as a redshirt sophomore in that system, throwing for 1,648 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions before losing his starting job as the team finished 2-10. “I don’t regret one day that I was on campus at Maryland, but I do feel rejuvenated to kind of close this chapter and start a new chapter,” O’Brien said. “It’s refreshing, it’s exciting.” “I do think [Wisconsin’s offense] fits what I do well. It’s pretty similar to what I did at Maryland two years ago, with

Associated Press

Like Russell Wilson before him, quarterback Danny O’Brien (pictured) will transfer to Wisconsin from an ACC school to play immediately, thanks to the graduate transfer rule. more of the pro-style look.” O’Brien will also feel good about having the chance to hand the ball off to 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist Montee Ball, who apparently received a message from his newest teammate over Twitter shortly after the official announcement. “Danny o brien just messaged me this.. ‘let’s do this’… it shall be done then my man. #wiscONsin,” Ball tweeted. O’Brien joins a group of quarterbacks currently

decimated by injuries and inexperience. Fifth-year senior Curt Phillips is limited this spring after recovering from another ACL tear. Redshirt junior Jon Budmayr is missing all of spring camp due to a battle with an elbow injury that has sidelined him since last summer. Incoming freshman quarterback Bart Houston is expected to be limited in summer camp because of a non-serious surgery.

Danny O’Brien Statistics from O’Brien’s years at Maryland 2010

Comp. %

57.0

56.4

Passing yards

2438

1648

Touchdowns

Interceptions

O’BRIEN, page 13

New line of ‘Bad Boys’

SOURCE: UMTerps.com

Bielema mends QB questions

5th-year seniors Johnson, Cromartie to fill void of all-Big Ten honorees Henry, Fenelus Ian McCue Associate Sports Editor When the Wisconsin secondary lines up for the season opener against Northern Iowa this September, there will be an unfamiliar absence in the backfield. With the departures of Aaron Henry and Antonio Fenelus, the two most celebrated members of the Badgers’ secondary last season, the team lost two of its most critical defensive playmakers. Without Henry at free safety and Fenelus at cornerback, the pressure now falls upon a group of upperclassmen to anchor the backfield this season. Safeties Shelton Johnson and Dezmen Southward, along with cornerbacks Marcus Cromartie and Devin Smith will try to fill the void of two all-Big Ten honorees that started every game over the last two seasons. Three of the expected starters — Johnson, Cromartie and Smith — are heading into

their final year gracing the Camp Randall field, a fitting time to fill the shoes of their distinguished predecessors. “Since we’re the two oldest players in the secondary, we feel as if it’s our responsibility to make sure we don’t take for granted what the players that came before us did,” Cromartie said. “And we continue the tradition in the DB room of just being what we call ourselves, the ‘Badger Bad Boys.’” Perhaps the toughest component of the Badger Bad Boys to replace will be Henry, the emotional leader of a Wisconsin defense that could often be spotted leading postgame prayers. The 6-foot tall safety finished the season tied for the team lead with four interceptions and was tops among defensive backs with 67 tackles. Fenelus, one of the Badgers’ best on-ball defenders, also grabbed four picks and managed 58 tackles despite his undersized 5-foot9, 190-pound frame. Johnson, who was a starter

2011

Stephanie Moebius The Badger Herald

Nick Korger

Without aggressive cornerback Antonio Fenelus playing alongside him, Marcus Cromartie (14) will have to step up his game in 2012 to quell the Big Ten’s toughest passing attacks.

Korger’s Korner

in the 2011 season for the first time of his career, is perhaps the most proven of the bunch. With 54 tackles and four interceptions of his own last season, the Carrollton, Texas, native is more comfortable than ever in his role as a starter. “Confidence, honestly,” Johnson said when asked how his experience on the field in 2011 helped ready him for his senior season. “I feel lightyears ahead of where I was at this point last year. Just being able to get that on-field experience, that real-time, battlefield experience it really helps you in the long run.” The senior safety also noted that he’s been bulking up in the weight room this offseason after feeling

his performance declined when his weight followed accordingly last year. Although he also has significant experience in the Wisconsin backfield, Cromartie — who stepped in for Smith after he suffered a season-ending injury in the second game of the year — has yet to match the numbers of his fellow Texan. Finishing with 47 tackles in the first year where he saw significant playing time, Cromartie showed flashes of brilliance but failed to provide the consistency of Fenelus, his fellow starting cornerback. After spending extra hours in the film room and learning to read opposing

BAD BOYS, page 12

Wisconsin just played the role of thief once again. In what could become known as the “Russell Wilson Effect,” the Badgers pulled their latest robbery from the rest of college football this past Wednesday when former Maryland quarterback Danny O’Brien announced he will transfer to play in Madison. The wait was not as long for O’Brien as it was for Wilson, but the Badgers are more than happy to accept their second ACC quarterback transfer to the program in as many years. Like Wilson, O’Brien will not have to sit out the mandatory year for transfers because he has already graduated. Add that to the fact that the former ACC Freshman of the Year has two years of eligibility remaining and the Badgers are primed for another run to Roses. The quarterback situation this spring looked bleak at best before O’Brien’s decision was announced. With redshirt junior Jon Budmayr becoming a self-described “case study” with nerve issues in his right (throwing) arm and redshirt senior Curt Phillips rehabbing from yet another ACL tear in his right knee, the Badgers were reduced to just two healthy starting quarterbacks this spring before the O’Brien announcement.

While there may be potential in UW’s young, healthy quarterbacks in redshirt sophomore Joe Brennan and redshirt freshman Joel Stave, the Badgers should count themselves lucky they have once again answered their biggest question heading into this year’s spring game. While last year Badger fans had to weather the quarterback issue until the last week of June, Wisconsin fans can rest easy knowing that — even though Bielema will make him compete to win the starting job — they have their quarterback issues solved for the immediate future. This announcement and move could not come at a bigger time for Wisconsin. With the rest of the Big Ten looking strong behind Ohio State’s hire of Urban Meyer and the whirlwind of recruits that decommitted across the country for the Buckeyes, Wisconsin has once again made itself relevant for all the right reasons, bringing in perhaps the free agent of the college football season. Russell Wilson’s transfer and success last year were no local secret. Thanks to widespread media coverage and multiple primetime games on ESPN, the Badgers were able to show big-talent quarterback recruits across the country that Wisconsin is no longer a program where the running game takes away from the passing game. Rather, Wilson and former offensive coordinator Paul Chryst showed that Wisconsin could be a completely balanced offense with a talented player under

KORGER, page 13