Thursday, February 18, 2010 - The Daily Cardinal

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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MIU may fund new electronic learning center

By Kelsey Gunderson The Daily Cardinal

A multi-million dollar electronic learning center was one of the 31 proposals recommended for Madison Initiative for Undergraduates funding to Chancellor Biddy Martin Tuesday.

According to Aaron Brower, vice provost for teaching and learning and a member of the MIU Oversight Committee, the E-Learning Center would be a new classroom on campus equipped with special technology geared toward highly interactive learning.

He said it would most likely be used for certain math and language classes on campus.

“There are some courses that really benefit from a different kind of instruction,” he said. “It would be a

real hybrid between online learning and group-based learning.”

Tyler Junger, chair of the Associated Students of Madison, said that although he likes the idea behind the Center, he feels such a large amount of MIU funding should not be used to build a new classroom.

“I love the programs that would take place inside the Center for E-Learning, but as for actually building the center with Madison Initiative money, I really hope that there are other sources of money for it,” he said.

Brower said even though the proposal initially asked for $6.7 million, members of the Oversight Committee recommended Martin allocate about

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New comedy show a success from ‘Entourage’ producers

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Thursday, February 18, 2010

Brothers in arms

isabel Álvarez/the daily cardinal

Brother’s Bar and Grill continues their campaign against UW’s use of eminent domain, which would force the bar to relocate. Brother’s resistance has included asking the UW for more monetary compensation as well as running full-page ads in multiple local publications.

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City committee impressed with changes to Edgewater Hotel design

By Maggie DeGroot The Daily Cardinal

alison bauter/the daily cardinal

Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, expresses his opinion regarding Johnny O’s request for an expanded liquor license at the ALRC meeting.

ALRC approves liquor license for new Quaker Steak & Lube

By Beth Pickhard The Daily Cardinal

Quaker Steak & Lube, which will replace the Pizzeria Uno’s just off State Street, was granted a liquor license during an Alcohol License Review Committee meeting Wednesday.

Scott Acker, owner of the new Quaker Steak & Lube and Middleton establishment, said latenight entertainment options including karaoke night and dueling pianos would be offered to patrons.

Minors would be served during day-time restaurant hours.

“I’d love to have the 18-year-olds, but I can’t promise they won’t enter the building,” Acker said. “No operator can guarantee that so that’s why I went with 21.”

In addition, board members granted approval to Target to increase their alcohol offerings at both their east side and west side locations. Floor space dedicated to liquor sales will expand with the enlarging of their grocery section.

The committee prohibited Johnny O’s Restaurant & Bar from expanding business to cater to underage patrons for special events.

Johnny O’s had proposed adding 18- to 21-year-olds to their license for entertainment events aimed at student groups and fund raising.

Officers of the Madison Police Department said they were concerned about Johnny O’s ability to alrc page 3

Discussions were heated at Wednesday night’s Urban Design Commission meeting concerning the Edgewater Hotel redevelopment, even though there was not a decision made concerning initial approval of the plans.

New designs, including a shift of the guest room floors in the hotel tower and the construction of an underground parking structure, were major changes brought to the meeting by Hammes Co., the Edgewater developers.

Out of all the new suggestions made by Hammes Co., the idea of a covered parking structure brought the most positive feedback by the committee as well as the public present at the meeting.

According Ken Saiki, an architect on the project, the new parking structure would decrease traffic

around the Edgewater. The parking structure would be located between the Edgewater Hotel and National Guardian Life Insurance Co. building.

“Frankly, we are at a point where we need to get some positive feedback.”

Robert Dunn president Hammes Co.

The parking structure would have approximately 365 spaces in comparison to the current 235 spaces. Ald. Marsha Rummel, District 6, liked the idea of an underground parking structure, and other members of the commission also had positive feedback for this addition to the design.

Rummel said she felt moving the tower 15 feet further from the shoreline is another positive step in the design plans.

However Hammes Co. President Robert Dunn voiced his concern that the commission has yet to make an initial approval of the Edgewater Hotel plans.

“Frankly, we are at a point where we need to get some positive feedback,” he said. “We need some guidance or direction to complete the design.”

Dunn said his team’s responsiveness to the issues brought forth by the public and the committee and has made appropriate changes to the design.

Ald. Bridget Maniaci, District 2, said she also feels the project needs to keep moving toward initial approval. She said there is no need for these types of discussions to go on for another month.

ASM funds tenant resources, increases SSFC stipends The Associated Students of Madison restored $50,000 for student Housing and Tenant Support to the ASM Internal Budget for 2010-’11, but the budget was postponed to a Conference Committee until next week.

The Student Services Finance Committee removed the Housing and Tenant Support from the ASM budget last week, claiming its organizers did not present a clear plan to back their intentions.

SSFC Chair Brandon Williams said he did not want to put $50,000 toward an unimplemented plan.

ASM Representative Erik Paulson

said a contract to implement the tenant services is currently being written.

“After tuition, the second biggest expense in student’s budgets is housing,” he said. “The university has to do more in assisting students with housing.”

ASM also approved an increase in stipends for SSFC members, sparking controversy among ASM members.

“There’s always going to be a debate and it’s always going to be a political issue. We are taking money from students and paying ourselves,” ASM Representative Colin Ingram said.

Williams said he believes the sti-

pend increases are justified by the members’ time commitment.

However, he said he does not want the stipends to rise arbitrarily again and will pursue the raise through proposing ASM bylaws to standardize the stipends.

ASM also approved decreases in stipends for various ASM positions, such as Nominations Chair, Diversity Committee Chair and the Academic Affairs Chair.

The Conference Committee finalizing the budget will meet Feb. 26 and will consist of four ASM members and four SSFC members.

—Kayla Johnson

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”

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An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892

TODAY: sunny hi 35º / lo 12º

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New Madison MTV show is ‘Shore’ to please

Volume 119, Issue 90

2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 l fax (608) 262-8100

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Charles Brace Managing Editor Ryan Hebel Campus Editor Kelsey Gunderson Grace Urban City Editor State Editor Hannah Furfaro Enterprise Editor Hannah McClung Associate News Editor Ashley Davis Senior News Reporters Alison Dirr Ariel Shapiro Robert Taylor Anthony Cefali Opinion Editor Todd Stevens Editorial Board Editor Jamie Stark Arts Editors Katie Foran-McHale Jacqueline O’Reilly Sports Editors Scott Kellogg Nico Savidge Page Two Editor Kevin Slane Features Editor Madeline Anderson Ben Pierson Life and Style Editor Photo Editors Isabel Álvarez Danny Marchewka Graphics Editors Caitlin Kirihara Natasha Soglin Multimedia Editor Jenny Peek Editorial Board Chair Jamie Stark Copy Chiefs Anna Jeon Kyle Sparks Justin Stephani Jake VIctor Copy Editors Alison Bauter Kathleen Brosnan, Jaclyn Buffo Lauren Hodkiewicz, Christina Kalsow-Ramos Liz Van Deslunt, Tyler Weiss, Samantha Witthuhn

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Cole Wenzel Advertising Manager Katie Brown Accounts Receivable Manager Michael Cronin Billing Manager Mindy Cummings Senior Account Executive Ana Devcic Account Executives Mara Greenwald Kristen Lindsay, D.J. Nogalski, Sarah Schupanitz Graphic Designer Mara Greenwald Web Director Eric Harris Marketing Director Mia Beeson Archivist Erin Schmidtke The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000.

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FRIDAY: sunny hi 31º / lo 18º

JON SPIKE academic misjonduct

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his week MTV announced that its new show, “Mendota Shore,” would be returning for a second season. The show, which follows the lives of various UWMadison 20-somethings in their daily misadventures, has captivated audiences who can’t get enough of the group’s wacky characters.

One of the most recognizable and well-known characters from the hit reality show is Mike “The Complication” Thompson. For an explanation of his nickname, it’s probably best to let “The Complication” sort it out himself: “They call me ‘The Complication’ because I always seem to sleep with the ladies who already have boyfriends.

After I friend a girl on Facebook, her relationship status always changes to ‘it’s complicated.’ I think it’s because of my various infidelities, heh.”

In addition to “The Complication,” the new hit “Mendota Shore” also features Johnny “DJ Magic Fingaz” Jones. “DJ Magic Fingaz,” who is now one of the most famous DJs in all of

Madison, hopes his newfound recognition on “Mendota Shore” will help him land his dream gig.

“My lifelong goal has always been to spin tables for the Mifflin Street Block Party,” DJ Magic Fingaz explained. “Well, my main lifelong dream has been sleeping with twins, but Mifflin Street Block Party is up there. I’d say it’s 60-40 in favor of sleeping with twins.”

The show has recently come under fire for its portrayal of C.J. “Heisman” Swill, a partying football player who gels his hair twice a day and often finds himself in trouble with the law. Many find the show’s depiction of Heisman a mockery of student-athletes.

Heisman, whose trademark phrase “GTB” (an abbreviation for his daily routine of the gym, Terrace and beer pong) has made him a cult hit, recently almost got kicked off the show for driving his Escalade through the Open Pantry’s automatic doors at 3 a.m. on a Saturday night.

In addition to the males, the reality show also features Jessica “J-Coww” Schwartz, a plus-sized country girl from rural northern Wisconsin. When asked for an explanation of her nickname, Schwartz explained, “Whenever I walk into a bar, the guys all say ‘J-

Coww!’ It just stuck with me.”

J-Coww, who admittedly reads at a third-grade level, made headlines early in the series when she inadvertently became lodged in the hot tub after a less-than-steamy make-out session with “The Complication.”

In addition to J-Coww, the show also features Biddy “Dookie” Martin, the self-proclaimed “Bitch Queen” of “Mendota Shore.” In the very first episode, Dookie tackled DJ Magic Fingaz into the Engineering Hall fountain, stole Heisman’s moped and passed out on top of Bascom Hill’s Lincoln statue in the fetal position—all within an hour’s time. According to the show’s producers, Dookie’s longevity on the show may be in danger because the other cast members are “just plain afraid of her.”

One of the more entertaining characters for the series has been Bucky, a mute, life-sized badger who communicates through hand motions and relies mostly on props and physical comedy.

In general, almost every episode of “Mendota Shore” ends with Bucky in a hot tub surrounded by four naked females trying to simultaneously sleep with him. Bucky also doesn’t wear pants. Ever.

Although the show has become a campus hit, some are worried about

the lasting implications. UW-Madison neurology professor Sean Waits’ new study shows serious lasting effects as a result of the show.

“According to my data, the collective IQ of the Madison campus drops almost 50 points on average when “Mendota Shore” is on,” Waits explained. “Students literally lose basic comprehension skills such as knowing not to gel your hair twice a day or believing that tanning is a serious health risk. ‘Mendota Shore’ is literally killing off common sense.”

Despite the numerous complaints about stereotyping, lowbrow content and the rampant idiocy found in every episode, MTV producers stand by their product.

“At least it’s better than ‘College Life,’” said Greg Samuels, one of the embarrassed souls responsible for creating “Mendota Shore.”

What’s in store for the sexy, studious cast of “Mendota Shore”?

When asked to comment, Mike “The Complication” Thompson simply yelled “Jäger bombs!” into the microphone and jumped naked into Lake Mendota. Well said, Michael. Well said.

Think you’ve got what it takes to be on “Mendota Shore”? Let Jon know at spike@wisc.edu.

New Beer Thursday New Glarus Road Slush Stout

Riley’s now offers wine tote bags for customers purchasing 6 bottles, or more, of any wine we have in stock!

They are durable, reusable, and

FREE!

Best of all, you’ll save 10% on your purchase!

With thousands of different wines in stock, selecting the right wine can be difficult. Let our in-house wine expert help you choose the right wine for any occasion!

So creamy you can dip Oreos in it, New Glarus’ seasonal Road Slush Stout packs in the chocolate—chocolate malt, that is. The beer channels the best of the worst attribute of winter transportation—thick, dark sludge. Luckily, this brew is much more drinkable than its salty doppelgänger.

Poured into a pint glass, Road Slush displays a thick beige head and gives off the earthy aroma of a hunting cabin. Smoky malt aromas and a rich flavor do their best to hide the beer’s relatively high alcohol content (6.2 A.B.V.), but failing to hide booziness is not necessarily a bad thing.

The tang of the alcohol adds a complementary bitterness, and the following face-flush leave drinkers feeling warm.

Warmth is a running theme with Road Slush; the brewmasters recommend serving

the beer slightly above room temperature. The result is a very potable brew, possibly a session beer, but definitely one to come back to. It is good in bottles, but a tap pour would maximize its creaminess.

No joke about the Oreos either; New Beer desk actually tried the unorthodox move, and astonishingly, we liked it.

New Glarus Road Slush Stout $7.99 at Riley’s Wines of the World

© 2010, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398

For the record Corrections or clarifications?

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Report says campaign donations from 2009 lowest in six years

By Ariel Shapiro The Daily Cardinal

Wisconsin state lawmakers accepted $2.91 million in campaign donations during 2009, the lowest amount since 2003 according to a report released Wednesday.

The report, published by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a non-partisan watchdog group, showed Assembly Republicans raised more than Assembly Democrats, who hold the majority.

Although the dip in revenue could be attributed to the economic climate, Mike McCabe, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said the decline in campaign funds is likely related to the six-month Assembly fundraising ban imposed during the budget period.

Jeb Bush to endorse Walker at fundraiser in Milwaukee Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is coming to Milwaukee in March to endorse Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker at a fundraiser.

The event is scheduled for March 8 at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee.

Jill Bader, Walker’s spokesperson, said Bush and Walker were first introduced last year at a Republican Governors Association conference and “hit it off really well.”

“They’ve been corresponding ever since, and Governor Bush was very impressed with Scott and offered to do an event in support of his candidacy,” she said.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Graeme Zielinski said he thinks the fundraiser hosted by Bush is a “curious” choice.

“I don’t think Jeb Bush knows how to create Wisconsin jobs, but for that matter, I don’t think Scott Walker knows how to create Wisconsin jobs either,” he said.

Zielinski thinks Walker and Bush are out of touch with Wisconsin voters and said guests at Walker’s event have the option to take a photo with Bush for $1,000. “[Walker’s] Facebook friends are gagging at the prospect,” he said in reference to negative comments posted on Walker’s Facebook page regarding the photo opportunity’s price tag.

Bader said Walker has support from past Republican party chairpersons and 75 percent of current Republican elected officials in Wisconsin.

She said Walker had a fundraising event hosted by former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich last year and expects the March event to be successful.

“We expect a great crowd,” she said. Tickets for the event are $250 per person.

—Hannah Furfaro

“I don’t think there’s any question that the fundraising ban during the budgeting process was a major factor. If it were the recession, then you’d expect political spending to be down across the board, and that hasn’t happened,” McCabe said.

He said the political economy has stayed stable, if not increased, during the recession. However, he said the Republicans’ success in fundraising could be a signal of shifting political sentiment in the state.

“That was a surprise,” he said. “That’s not what usually happens. Usually money flows to power, and what we’ve seen year after year, after year is that whoever controls the majority in the [Assembly] also raises the most money. This is the exception.

Republicans have to be feeling

very ambitious about 2010.”

Kristin Ruesch, communications director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said she agrees the increase in donations indicates 2010 could be a big election year for the GOP. “I think what that shows is the level of enthusiasm among the GOP grassroots,” Ruesch said.

“People are excited. They want to change what’s going on in Madison, and they are happy to support Republican candidates.”

Ruesch said she believes a contributing factor could be that the Republican Party is gaining some support from Independents.

“You see Independents switching over to the Republicans as well, as they are finding out what a Democratic majority looks like.”

Thursday, February 18, 2010

initiative from page 1 $4.2 million for the project.

He said, however, that officials are looking into placing a cap on its funding and it is likely that the total amount spent on the E-Learning Center would be less than the recommended $4.2 million.

The Student Board, which is the other oversight board making recommendations to Martin, initially gave the E-Learning Center proposal, as well as several other highly recommended proposals, a fairly low ranking.

Junger said this was because the Student Board ranked the proposals as a whole rather than choosing to fund only parts of each proposal like the

alrc from page 1 regulate the underage crowd after hours due to underage drinking and safety concerns.

MPD officers said Johnny O’s has not been open long enough since serving its penalty this summer to determine whether or not they have been regulating underage drinking.

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Oversight Committee was able to do.

He said he felt the Student Board was not knowledgeable enough to choose only parts of proposals, so instead, looked at them as a whole.

According to Brower, many of the proposals, including the top-ranked proposal from the chemistry department, asked for many new faculty members, which requires planning ahead and spending more than the $6.2 million left in MIU’s budget for this year.

“In a sense, even if we’re approving a hire today, the money doesn’t actually start until 2011, which means we’re already into the third year of the MIU,” he said.

Martin is expected to make her final decisions in mid-March.

ALRC members said Johnny O’s could resubmit their proposal after at least four months.

Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, urged the board to consider the proposal in the future.

“It is a good thing for the campus and the city,” Eagon said. “It gives the underage demographic a way to socialize with the older group.”

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editorial Cartoon

dailycardinal.com/opinion

By John Liesveld opinion@dailycardinal.com

University is trying to reform research Thank you for the important editorial you published on Monday. In the editorial, you suggest that my response to members of the Dane County Board of Supervisors was appropriate, but you also express concern that I have not addressed the larger issue of animal care and research on campus. I write to remind you that Provost DeLuca and I have proposed a significant reorganization of our research enterprise, in part because of our concerns

about safety and compliance issues, including animal research. We are currently awaiting the report of the Faculty Task Force established by the University Committee and charged with responding to our proposal. We anticipate making significant progress this semester about how research should be organized so we can meet the needs of our researchers while ensuring safety and compliance.

––Chancellor Biddy Martin

Check out The Soapbox, The Daily Cardinal’s new opinion blog, for complimentary online content at www.dailycardinal.com and click on “The Soapbox”

Abortion debate requires everybody’s participation Jamie Stark opinion columnist

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bortion protesters descending upon Library Mall. Tim Tebow tackling his skeletal mother during the Super Bowl. Whether you’re comfortable with it or not, the abortion issue is not going away.

Never mind how many straddle the confused, moderate middle, the two opposing beliefs are too polarized to give up the fight.

Most Americans wish fewer abortions were performed in this country, yet few would agree to a blanket ban. So what can we do?

How do we greatly reduce the number of abortions without a ban? The solutions are obvious, yet difficult. We must prevent many of the situations that result in abortion.

Some of the most realistic solutions to fighting abortion fill out the laundry list of reasons why I am a Democrat. I am a prolife Democrat because Democrats enforce policies that help reduce abortions while actually continuing to care for people once they leave their mother’s uterus. We must work to reduce poverty that dissuades many women from bringing new life into our world, teach realistic sex education in schools and increase the funding and efficacy of our adoption and foster care system.

Yet, even if we aggressively enact these solutions, abortion will not go away. Often women who choose to end a pregnancy do not do so because they are poor or don’t have a loving, supporting partner. Many will always view abortion as a form of contraception, a choice anyone should be able to make at any time.

Although most of us agree no women should ever have an abortion because of outside pressures like poverty, the fight may never

fully end.

In the meantime, we must try to bring some civility to the debate and discuss sanely.

This brings us to the original difficulty of the abortion dispute: The two major sides are arguing apples and rutabagas. Too often we forget this is an argument consisting of more than two plants. In this very column I have referred to the question as twosided for the sake of brevity. But there are far more than two possibilities, two sides, two ideas in this, the most human of debates.

Many pro-lifers view unborn babies as living, or close enough to life to warrant a chance at it. Many pro-choicers view fetuses as clusters of cells, a stage in the progression from zygote to infant that is not “living” by any standard. The differences are, pardon the pun, stark. Imagine someone banned you from throwing rocks because they are considered alive and throwing them would qualify as murder. Imagine a world where children under the age of three could be brutally murdered by their parent with no legal punishment.

There are far more than two possibilities, two sides, two ideas in this, the most human of debates.

How can we argue the same ends with such disagreement about definitions? No number of Tim Tebow commercials, aborted fetus pictures or posters with wire hangers will convert those of us with firm beliefs.

What can change is the tone of discussion. However impossible it may be for some, we must respect people who promulgate differing viewpoints. In dealing with someone as sacred and unknown as an unborn child, the beginning of all human life, we must acknowledge that we cannot know everything

absolutely. Even on minor details, sides must be willing to make concessions. Many pro-lifers carry a flawed argument in their desire to ban abortion but not punish women who have one. Many prochoicers still maintain abortion is terrible enough that they would never have one, yet would allow others to have a procedure they deem appalling.

We must also refrain from removing half of the population from the discussion. Too often I hear that a man has no part in an abortion decision. Of course women, not men, carry children to term, and of course men will never know the difficulties of being pregnant. But men should be a part of every step of the life process. Denying men a role in the abortion discussion downplays their role as a potential father. Not to mention, men tend to have a role in creating their own children.

A man has a responsibility in deciding to use contraceptives, helping his partner if she is pregnant and caring for his child outside the womb. But if men are allowed, even forced, to stay on the sidelines during the first two trimesters of pregnancy during life-altering decisions, why not when the baby is born? Why not when the child continues to grow outside the womb?

I’m the first to admit women are the superior sex. A feminist, prochoice, single mother raised me. But I was also raised without a father.

Despite our lesser role in pregnancy, men are a part of the discussion, the issue, the decision of abortion.

Just as we should be part of our children’s lives outside the womb.

To millions of Americans, this topic is an issue of life and death.

I simply ask that we not shut out those of us whose viewpoints complicate the issue of abortion—women and men.

Jamie Stark is a sophomore majoring in journalism and political science. Please send all responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010

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Movies to check out in Madison this weekend dan sullivan sullivan’s travels

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photo courtesy hbo studio productions

Ben (Bryan Greenberg) has recently made his venture into the ‘real world,’ a foreign place to the majority of college students.

HBO comedy should ‘Make It’

By Maddie Yardley the daily cardinal

There is something to be said for a great TV theme song. While it sets the mood for the show, it also leaves the viewer with a catchy tune they can later associate with the show itself. For instance, The Rembrandts’ “I’ll Be There for You” will always be connected with “Friends.” So, when I tuned in online to the premiere of HBO’s new series “How to Make It in America,” it only took three seconds into the show’s theme song to get hooked. Set to Aloe Blacc’s soulful “I Need a Dollar,” each episode begins with a myriad of images of contemporary New York City, from young clubgoers to businessmen in suits to a street hot dog vendor.

“How to Make It in America” is HBO’s newest comedy series from the producers of the immensely popular “Entourage,” which includes actor Mark Wahlberg. Its creator, Ian Edelman, is a first-time writer who has collaborated with Emmy-winning writer Rob Weiss on the script.

The humor is nuanced, and the characters and overall story are both likeable and relatable.

The show follows two 20-something guys from Brooklyn who are determined to make it big and achieve their version of the American dream. The plot follows Ben Epstein (Bryan Greenberg) and his friend and business partner Cam Calderon (Victor Rasuk).

As the two hustle their way through New York and try to enter the hip, downtown world of fashion, Ben struggles to find success. Though he is a talented

graphic designer, it is clear that he lacks self-confidence, whereas Cam exudes confidence (and a bit of arrogance) as he makes reckless business decisions that seem to get them in trouble.

The show’s soundtrack also adds to its appeal with an eclectic mix of rap, alternative and electronic music.

A notable celebrity appearance on the show is that of rapper Kid Cudi, who plays Ben and Cam’s well-connected friend Domingo. Though Cudi’s appearances are minor, his role demonstrates the producer’s intention to gear the show toward young people in their 20s, as this represents Kid Cudi’s main fan base.

The best thing about the show is that it’s just plain cool.

The humor is nuanced, and the characters and overall story are both likeable and relatable. It is reminiscent of “Entourage” in its effortless attempt to entertain audiences with complex and intriguing characters. The show’s soundtrack also adds to its appeal with an eclectic mix of rap, alternative and electronic music.

“How to Make It in America” fills a niche in the TV world for those of us who want a funny, interesting show geared toward people who are no longer teenagers, but not quite mature adults. The humor is subtle, but the show does not take itself too seriously. It provides a peek into life in the “real world,” and reassures young undergrads like those at UW that life after college does not indicate that life is over. It also provides a realistic glimpse into the challenges faced by young adults who are trying to make it in America.

nybody who partakes in the relatively vibrant film scene in Madison knows that last weekend was an especially rowdy and diverse few days of cinematic activity.

Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” my personal favorite film of 2009, went over exceptionally well with audiences at Memorial Union’s Play Circle, provoking laughter with its unrelentingly pithy writing and awe with the rigorousness of its compositions.

But the real gem of the weekend may have been “Things Are Always Going Wrong,” a program of recently restored avant-garde shorts by L.A.based filmmakers working in the 1960s and ’70s. The program was a succession of surprises, from subtle structuralist studies (like David Wilson’s “Stasis” or Grahame Weinbren’s “Bertha’s Children”) to delirious animations (Kathy Rose’s “Mirror People,” Pat O’Neill’s Rorschach kaleidoscope “7362”) to deadpan or transgressive farces (Morgan Fisher’s “Turning Over” exemplifies the former and Chris Langdon’s “Bondage Boy” the latter). All were extremely interesting, though some resembled experimental cinema’s canonical masterworks a bit too much to be considered indisputably singular.

The most remarkable of all the films was Gary Beydler’s “Pasadena Freeway Stills,” a beyond-clever demonstration of how montage can transform otherwise unimpressive images into sensory spin cycles. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if “Things Are Always Going Wrong” proves to have been one of the most interesting cinematic events in Madison this semester.

Yet, judging by the composition of the audience it attracted, not many students attended “Things Are Always Going Wrong.” There were a bunch of grad students, a handful of professors and very few undergrads; “Fantastic Mr. Fox” had no such troubles drawing an audience of young folks.

The point here isn’t to rub it in that “Things Are Always Going Wrong” was so great and chide you all for not having gone to see it.

Rather than reprimanding you all for having passed up on what was probably a once-in-a-lifetime cinematic experience, it’s more important to call attention to the fact that almost every weekend here features a variety of worthwhile screenings, most of which are free. Seeing “Bondage Boy” one night and then “Fantastic Mr. Fox” the next was nothing if not an exercise in contrasts, a glimpse at two diametrically opposed examples of what the medium can do. Thing is, this sort of dialectic happens almost every week in Madison.

Those of you who missed out on last weekend’s screenings will get the chance to break even this weekend.

WUD Film Committee will be showing the much-discussed “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (what a mouthful) at 7 and 9:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday nights.

“Precious” recently notched six nominations at the upcoming Academy Awards, so it ought to be interesting to see how many of those nods were truly deserved and how many were mere attempts by the Academy to pat itself on the back (though the Academy should be commended for enabling the restoration project that yielded “Things Are Always Going Wrong,” as well as a few other films that comprise a semester long series at the Cinematheque).

Speaking of the Cinematheque,

there’ll be two screenings there this weekend: Masayuki Suo’s “I Just Did Not Do It” (2007) at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Youssef Chahine’s “The Sparrow” (1972) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The former is a contemporary Japanese film, and the latter is an Egyptian film that’s logged some miles. “The Sparrow” sounds especially attractive, if only because there seem to be few American experts or even fans of Chahine, the director to whom the Cinematheque’s series “Egyptian Reverie” is dedicated.

If “Things Are Always Going Wrong” was such a special experience largely because of its once-in-a-lifetime aura, “The Sparrow” gives off a similar air of rarity.

The highlight of this weekend’s batch of screenings is Charlie Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush” (1925), which the Overture Center is showing at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday as part of its Duck Soup Cinema series. Unlike the screenings already mentioned, seeing “The Gold Rush” will run you $6; for the opportunity to see one of Chaplin’s most beloved silent films on the big screen, $6 is a steal. Along with “Modern Times” and “City Lights,” “The Gold Rush” is commonly considered Chaplin’s best work before he switched to talkies in the 1940s with “The Great Dictator” and “Monsieur Verdoux” (the second of this pair is arguably Chaplin’s magnum opus). “The Gold Rush” has all the manipulated expectations and sneaky sight gags that define Chaplin’s “Tramp” period, so it ought to be solid viewing for those who aren’t familiar with the inexhaustible charm of the best silent comedies.

Another weekend, another diverse handful of films; if Madison’s film scene is as formidable as I say, it’s because of worthwhile opportunities such as these.

Want to go to any of these films this weekend? Let Dan know at dasullivan@wisc.edu.

comics 6

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I wonder if you can Google it. Google’s name is a play on the word “googol” which refers to the

number 1 followed by one hundred zeroes. dailycardinal.com/comics

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Composing a symphony. In the dark.

Today’s Sudoku

Evil Bird

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

© Puzzles by Pappocom

Ludicrous Linguistics

By Celia Donnelly donnelly.celia@gmail.com

Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Sid and Phil Classic

By Alex Lewein alex@sidandphil.com

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Crustaches

Charlie and Boomer

By Patrick Remington premington@wisc.edu

By Natasha Soglin soglin@wisc.edu

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com Vowel Exchange ACROSS

1 Drink for Archie Bunker 5 Skin soother 9 Coal container 12 Bearded, as grain 14 Feudal flunky 15 Citizen of Copenhagen 16 Marriage partner 18 Mount in Sicily 19 Bearlike 20 Threshold 22 Beaks 24 Following etiquette 25 Monastery figure 29 A lift, in Aspen 30 What gives a pose poise?

31 Commits a blunder 33 Permitted by law 36 Absolutely necessary 39 “... ___ the cows come home” 40 Clear a videotape 41 “Cast of thousands” member 42 “Things aren’t as bad as they ___” 44 South Korean auto company 45 Woodhouse of fiction 47 Appraise again 50 McDonald’s fixtures

52 Knee-high to a grasshopper 53 Isolate 55 “Dawn of the Dead” creature 59 Frigg’s husband, in Norse myth 60 Turkey brand 62 Shoulder muscle, briefly 63 TV screen-measuring unit 64 Last word in a Hemingway title 65 Guns N’ Roses frontman Rose 66 Court great Arthur 67 “The Simpsons” kid DOWN

1 Hindu “sir” 2 Wide-mouthed pitcher 3 Tolkien tree creatures 4 Place for rods and cones 5 Mount St. Helens debris 6 What a detective follows 7 Lowest deck on a ship 8 Elbow grease 9 Item on a griddle 10 Kind of tube or child

11 Tide of minimum range 13 Brightest star in Cygnus 15 Abandon hope 17 Hasidic leader 21 California oak 23 Alphabetizes, e.g.

25 Be frugal 26 Alternative to Windows 27 Difficult thing to swallow, figuratively 28 Judge, at times 32 Winter precipitation 34 Sister and wife of Osiris 35 Souchong and hyson 37 Little fighter 38 Less valid, as an excuse 43 Corn 46 Lawrence’s land 48 Bull’s sound 49 Prince’s name was once one 50 Shipper’s option 51 Amazes 53 Bubbly drink 54 Decorate a copperplate 56 South Pacific island 57 Troubles of society 58 “Born Free” subject 61 Common title word

Washington and the Bear

By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com

dailycardinal.com

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 7 l

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dailycardinal.com/sports

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Men’s Basketball

Minnesota next hurdle for UW in Big Ten climb

By Ben Breiner THE DAILY CARDINAL

This was supposed to be the year Minnesota made it big. With the accomplished Tubby Smith at the helm, nine rotation players were back from last season’s NCAA-qualifying team and began the year in the top 25.

But this year is not last year, and the talented Gophers have struggled to a 14-10 record, which all but eliminates their chances at a secondstraight tournament berth. Despite that, the Badgers are still quite wary of their neighbors to the west.

Wisconsin heads up I-94 Thursday to take on Minnesota, which last season took a pair of exceptionally tight games from the Badgers. Even in the midst of a chaotic season, the Gophers have more than enough talent to weigh on the minds of opposing coaches.

“They’re a dangerous team that’s won in a lot of different ways, and I know they’ve struggled at times throughout the season, maybe haven’t played up to what their expectations were,” associate head coach Greg Gard said. “They can score and hurt you in a lot of different ways. They can do it with Blake [Hoffarber] shooting a lot of 3s, [Lawrence] Westbrook getting going from the perimeter ... but also they can do it out of their pressure defense, too.”

That full-court press has been a hallmark of Smith’s teams since he coached at Kentucky, and it gave the Badgers trouble as they wore down late in both games, giving up big runs to the Gophers.

This year Minnesota is one of the most effective teams in the country in forcing turnovers and getting steals, but Wisconsin will counter with an offense that specializes in avoiding

STEPHANIE MOEBIUS/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Senior guard Jason Bohannon is coming off a career-high 30point game against Indiana last Saturday.

just those areas.

“They’re long, really athletic, so obviously you just take care of the ball, be tight with the ball, be strong with the ball,” sophomore Jordan Taylor said. “But that’s the nature of our program, that’s kind of what this program was built off of, taking care of the ball and getting good shots. So I don’t think it presents any different challenges.”

Junior forward Keaton Nankivil added that every Badger may find himself forced to become an outlet if the Gophers manage to trap a ballhandler in the backcourt.

Nankivil will have his own problems, however, dealing with a large Gopher front line that features sophomore centers Ralph Sampson and Colton Iverson, as well as athletic senior forward Damian Johnson.

That trio has helped make Minnesota one of the top shot-blocking teams in the country.

“It’s hard to truly prepare for it, just because they have the length and the athletes and timing and that mentality,” Nankivil said, pointing out that the Badgers’ defense contrasts with that style, eschewing shot-blocking for position defense.

“It’s going to be one of those things were we’re going to have to try and take advantage of it and maybe try to get them out of position by all the jumping for shots that they do,” he said.

Another element of getting the Gophers out of position will be drawing those shot-blockers to the perimeter, something Nankivil has shown the ability to do.

He may receive some help on that front, as today could mark the return of Wisconsin’s leading scorer, junior forward Jon Leuer, who had been sidelined with a broken wrist.

The coaches and players were less than forthcoming when asked point blank about whether Leuer would play, but he did practice on Monday for the first time since the injury.

“I feel like I’m game ready-right now,” Leuer said. “I’ve been able to workout and run and condition, so I feel like I’m in really good shape and hopefully I can just, like I said, do whatever I can to help the team.”

Women’s Basketball

ISABEL ÁLVAREZ/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Senior guard Alyssa Karel leads the team in scoring this season.

Badgers take on Buckeyes

By Mark Bennett THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin women’s basketball team is ready to step out onto the court for possibly the most important game of their season so far. At the Kohl Center Thursday evening, the Badgers (8-6 Big Ten, 18-7 overall), who currently sit tied for third place in the Big Ten, face off against the conference-leading Ohio State Buckeyes (13-2, 25-3).

Ohio State has already clinched the Big Ten title this season.

However, despite their commanding record, No. 7 national ranking and an offense that averages over 72 points per game (by far the most prolific in the Big Ten), losses against Purdue and Indiana have shown the Buckeyes’ weaknesses.

Those weaknesses are few and far between, though. The Buckeyes boast two of the leading scorers in the conference and the nation in junior center Jantel Lavender and sophomore guard Samantha Prahalis.

Both players are averaging over 16 points per game this season and pose large difficulties for any defense.

“It’s a team effort, that’s the way our defense is set up,” junior guard Alyssa Karel said. “It’s going to be the exact same thing with two scorers.

Regardless of how many scorers are on the team, it’s the fact that we’re all going to help each other.”

Karel has been an offensive force herself this season. She currently leads the team in points with over 14 per game. Karel has also scored in

double figures for the Badgers in the past six games.

Thursday night’s matchup will be the second chance for the Badgers this season against Ohio State.

Wisconsin opened up its Big Ten season this year Dec. 6 with a loss against the Buckeyes in Columbus, 70-55. That was the second most points allowed by the Big Ten-leading Wisconsin defense this season, and the most in regulation.

While the end result was ultimately disappointing, the Badgers showed toughness and poise throughout the first half against the Buckeyes.

Wisconsin led Ohio State 28-20 at halftime of that contest. However, the Buckeyes rebounded in dramatic fashion in the second half, ultimately taking a victory from the Badgers.

“Our game plan was working real well the first half. I think once they started getting a little run, we sputtered a little bit and maybe doubted the game plan,” Karel said.

While the Big Ten conference title is no longer up for grabs, the Badgers are still playing for a lot the rest of this season. Wisconsin is just one game out of second place in the conference, and every win, especially against a ranked opponent, could be huge for the team’s possible NCAA Tournament seeding.

“We don’t change a whole lot.

We just try to get better at our principles,” head coach Lisa Stone said.

“We’ve grown into a very fine defensive team and we’re looking forward to this challenge.”

Texas may seem attractive to Big Ten, but transition would not make sense BEN BREINER boom goes the breinamite

W

ith the emphasis on tradition in college football, the rumors that the flagship school of the Lone Star State could be joining the only BCS conference with a mathematically incorrect name seem just a bit out of place. Such a move would disrupt geographic harmony, cut off rivalries and possibly begin the death of a top conference.

And that’s not really the biggest problem.

Adding Texas to the Big Ten conference does not make sense in the grand scheme of college football.* It pushes the conference into the uncomfortable spot of a two-division league with a title game, a proposi-

tion too many have decided is good without really knowing why. *Note that this is only looking at the fabric of the sport itself and avoiding matters of money, politics or academics. The answers to those questions can be found online, specifically at the online version of this article.

See, 12-team conferences with their title games are not the future of the sport, they are now just overrated.

Three conferences have tried it, and it’s been a mess for two of them.

The SEC title game is perfect, mostly because Atlanta is a natural center for the south, and most of the time divisions are balanced enough for a decent matchup. This, however, is the exception.

The Big 12’s game kept moving around and at times struggled with attendance. Furthermore, the game has on four different occasions cost the league a shot at the national title

(two other times it should have, but overrated Nebraska and Oklahoma teams got in anyway, only to spit up all over themselves, bringing humiliation for all).

How soon we forget the TexasTexas Tech-Oklahoma debacle of last year.

Lastly, and most relevant, is the ACC’s ill-fated expansion. Sure, the additions were an all-time powerhouse (Miami) as well as a pair of good to great programs (Virginia Tech, Boston College). Throw that in with a team as dominant as Florida State was, and what could go wrong?

Oh yeah, everything.

The ACC has become a joke, a punch line and a bottom-feeder.

It’s teams constantly lose whatever important bowl games the rules allow them into, and their conference race always seems to be a mess. The title

game has been hardly viewed and sparsely attended (fewer than 43,000 this year), and that’s the trend the Big Ten wants to follow?

Where does the title game go?

Maybe Chicago or Indianapolis, but will Texans enjoy traveling over 1,000 miles into very foreign territory for that game? Probably not.

The powers that be would need to make two divisions, a process that would further distort the football landscape since Penn State, OSU and Michigan would almost surely get trapped together in an eastern division, leaving Texas alone in the west. This is a recipe for chaos.

If the conference were facing tough times, this might matter, but it isn’t.

Every year two Big Ten teams got to the BCS, and at no point has one of the Midwest’s best been screwed out of a national title

game spot. Even though many media types champion the league’s demise, the failure to produce more dominant teams falls on programs themselves rather than the conference’s construction.

Oh yeah, and commissioner Jim Delany presided over $242 million in TV revenue, more than the Big XII, Pac-10, ACC and Big East combined (oops, this column isn’t about money... but if it were, there you go).

So to review, newer 12-team conferences usually suck, and the Big Ten is in pretty good shape.

Simple, really.

You don’t mess with what’s working, and in that spirit, the Big Ten shouldn’t mess with Texas.

Think the Badgers would provide a worthy western division foe for Texas?

Tell Ben why and share any other ridiculous thoughts at breiner@wisc.edu.