Wednesday, February 5, 2014 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Since 1892

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Senate to vote on student-led drinking bill UW junior leads charge to change alcohol policies By Emily Gerber THE DAILY CARDINAL

Few college-aged students have the opportunity, much less the ambition, to tackle the daunting task of changing state legislature. But University of Wisconsin-Madison junior Morgan Rae will get the chance to see a bill that she initiated, which targets underage drinking laws, presented before a Senate committee Wednesday. Rae, the Associated Students of Madison Legislative Affairs Committee chair, created the Responsible Action Bill, which is sponsored by state Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, and

will allow legal immunity for underage drinkers who call for help for their peers in emergency situations involving alcohol. UW-Madison currently has responsible-action guidelines protecting students from punishment when emergency situations involving alcohol occur on campus. Rae said it became apparent to her in her first year at Madison that, even with these guidelines in place, students were still facing uncertainty with jumping into action, as many times they would be outside campus boundaries. “My freshman year, when the [university] policy was first put in place, we realized that a lot of the really, really dangerous drinking situations don’t happen on campus property, so UW police don’t have jurisdic-

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City approves liquor licenses for downtown businesses By Patricia Johnson THE DAILY CARDINAL

Madison’s Common Council approved numerous downtown liquor licenses and one entertainment license to restaurants near the campus area at its meeting Tuesday. Dragon I restaurant and Short Stack Eatery received approval from Common Council to serve alcohol within the conditions of the Alcohol License Review Committee. Under the conditions, the two establish-

ments must fit the legal definition of a restaurant and stop serving alcohol at midnight daily. Dragon I, located at 422 State St., serves Asian cuisine inspired by various eastern countries including Vietnam, Thailand and Korea. Short Stack Eatery is a breakfast diner at 301 W. Johnson St. that serves customers 24 hours a day from Thursday to Sunday.

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ON CAMPUS

We built this city

Despite a recurring polar vortex and arctic temperatures, the city of Madison’s 77 square miles and surrounding lakes retain their historic and picturesque charm. + Photo by Wil Gibb

WARF files lawsuit against Apple for willful patent infringement By Bri Maas THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation filed a lawsuit against Apple, Inc., Friday for alleged infringement of a U.S. patent on computer technology developed in a University of WisconsinMadison research lab, according to a WARF press release. According to WARF General Counsel Michael Falk, U.S. Patent No. 5, 781,752 (“752 patent”) covers microprocessor advancements invented in the research laboratory of professor Guri Sohi of UW-Madison’s computer sciences department. These advancements reduce energy consumption and improve computer chip processing speeds, according

to the release. The complaint filed by WARF sues Apple for willful infringement, meaning the company was aware it unlawfully reproduced technology that belonged to UW-Madison. WARF claims Apple incorporated this technology into its new A7 processor, which is used in the iPhone 5S, iPad Air and iPad Mini with retina display. If WARF wins the lawsuit, the judgment would prevent Apple from future infringements. WARF also asks for payment of monetary damages and court fees plus interest. WARF, the primary management organization of patents at UW-Madison, defines its mission as one of aiding scientific investigation and research at

the university, according to its official website. Since its founding in 1925, the private, non-profit foundation has obtained over 1,900 U.S. patents on UW-Madison inventions. These government licenses give their holders the exclusive right to make, use or sell an invention, with the revenue gained from patents used to fund ongoing research and educational programs, according to the website. To date, WARF has amassed over $800 million in patent revenues and has returned more than $1.25 billion to the university. Andreas Moshovos, Scott Breach and Terani

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Audit Bureau finds weaknesses in UW System’s payroll

TOMMY YONASH/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Mayor Paul Soglin and members of city Council approved liquor licenses for Dragon I and Short Stack Eatery on State Street.

The Legislative Audit Bureau released a 2012-’13 audit Tuesday indicating the University of Wisconsin System’s payroll reporting is not secure. The UW System uses the Human Resources System to process and record employee payroll. The bureau reviewed the UW System’s progress in addressing security concerns. The bureau found a “material weakness” in how much control employees have in the payroll system, meaning there is a “reasonable possibility” the UW System could not prevent nor detect financial misstatements. A material weakness is more severe than the 2010-’11 status of

Smart technology, smarter children?

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“significant deficiency.” In 2011, the bureau recommended UW System Administration take measures to prevent anyone from creating a fake payroll account or processing “inappropriate” payments. The UW System indicated it would begin the security role review early in 2013 in response to the 2012 recommendation. However, the bureau again found incompatible access in this audit. According to the report, HRS security concerns remained largely unresolved by the UW System. The bureau recommended the UW System Administration report to the Joint Legislative

Audit Committee by July 1, 2014, on the status of efforts to resolve security concerns. The bureau also reviewed the UW System’s program revenue balances for the fiscal year. UW System revenue increased by 3.9 percent, from $4.9 billion in the fiscal year 2011-’12 to $5.1 billion in 2012-’13. The largest revenue came from student tuition and fees, and the largest expense went to salary and fringe benefits, totaling nearly $2.9 billion. The audit follows a previous report indicating the UW System made $33 million in overpayments. —Dana Kampa

Badgers fight in win against Illini

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

almanac 2

today: flurries

hi 15º / lo -5º

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

thursday: partly sunny hi 9º / lo -6º

dailycardinal.com

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 123, Issue 70

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

News and Editorial

edit@dailycardinal.com Editor-in-Chief Abigail Becker

Managing Editor Mara Jezior

News Team News Manager Sam Cusick Campus Editor Adelina Yankova College Editor Emily Gerber City Editor Patricia Johnson State Editor Eoin Cottrell Associate News Editor Dana Kampa Features Editor Melissa Howison Opinion Editors Haleigh Amant • Ryan Bullen Editorial Board Chair Anna Duffin Arts Editors Cheyenne Langkamp • Sean Reichard Sports Editors Brett Bachman • Jonah Beleckis Almanac Editors Andy Holsteen • Kane Kaiman Photo Editors Courtney Kessler • Jane Thompson Graphics Editors Mikaela Albright • Haley Henschel Multimedia Editors Amy Gruntner • Grey Satterfield Science Editor Nia Sathiamoorthi Life & Style Editor Katy Hertel Special Pages Editor Samy Moskol Social Media Manager Rachel Wanat Copy Chiefs Vince Huth • Justine Jones Maya Miller • Kayla Schmidt Copy Editors Cadence Bambenek • Kerry Huth Ellisa Kosadi • Patricia Ruhnke

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Tyler Reindl Advertising Manager Jordan Laeyendecker Assistant Advertising Manager Corissa Pennow Account Executives Brianna Albee • Erin Aubrey Michael Metzler • Dan Shanahan Elisa Wiseman Marketing Director Cooper Boland Design Manager Lauren Mather The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of WisconsinMadison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be word processed and must include contact information. No anonymous letters will be printed. All letters to the editor will be printed at the discretion of The Daily Cardinal Letters may be sent to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.

Editorial Board Haleigh Amant • Abigail Becker Ryan Bullen • Anna Duffin Mara Jezior • Cheyenne Langkamp Tyler Nickerson • Michael Penn Nikki Stout l

Board of Directors Herman Baumann, President Abigail Becker • Phil Brinkman Stephen DiTullio • Mara Jezior Janet Larson • Don Miner Nancy Sandy • Jacob Sattler Jennifer Sereno • Jason Stein Tina Zavoral

For the record Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an email to edit@dailycardinal.com.

Graphic by Adam Gallimore

Don’t be alarmed! As long as you aren’t outside for longer than 10 minutes, you’ll be fine. Hot chocolate will be served in Bascom Hall.

No, classes still not canceled

Almanac Classifieds

For sale

Cars & Vehicles

Home-made satin sex swing— “Gloria” needs to find the right home. Only selling because I can’t keep it up these days. This baby has been my pride and joy since ’79. I know she will rub your bare, sweaty skin just as she did to mine four times a week for the past 35 years. $400 obo. Contact Gerry, stickdick14@aim.com.

Galactic Empire AT-AT— In dire need of an Imperial Walker for rebel purposes. Will pay any price up to 2,500,000 Galactic Credits. To fight back against certain oppressors currently overtaking Madison, this AT-AT is a must-have. Contact your local rebel fighter in a local cantina if you have the hook-up.

Piece of shit cell phone— Wow this thing is an absolute crap block. 10 bucks, no negotiations, call 224-2349647 and I’ll meet you somewhere sketch.

Services Personal wake-up service— I’m certified by the NBCWCAA in several techniques of personal waking services. My last client recently moved to Botswana, so I’m looking to wake someone else up everyday ASAP. Rates are reasonable. Call 354-555-9090 WANTED: Bath buddy— I can’t take bubble baths by myself due to a slight water allergy. In need of someone, m or f, who can just sit in the tub with me, maybe massage me? Hehe. Inquire at 608-555-2356, pays $20 per session.

+Story on page nine

On this day in history... 1783—Sweden recognizes U.S. independence. The United States doesn’t bother thanking them. 1861—The first moving picture peep show machine is patented by Samuel Goodale. Public masturbation is forever changed. 1870—A theater audience views a motion picture for the first time in Philadelphia. Everyone in attendance is racked by seizures for the duration of the film. 1922—The first Reader’s Digest magazine is published. Printed on nutritious edible paper, the fibrous magazine aids the digestion of countless American readers.

news

Wednesday, February 5, 2014 3

dailycardinal.com

UW senior receives Churchill Scholarship University of WisconsinMadison senior Joshua Shutter is one of 14 students in the nation in 2014 to receive the Churchill Scholarship for his research in chemistry. The scholarship funds a year of graduate study at the University of Cambridge, where Shutter said he plans to pursue a Master of Philosophy, which is an advanced postgraduate research degree, in chemistry. Shutter found out that he received the scholarship while on campus in mid-January. “I got the phone call in the morning, and I called my parents right away… and then I think I went to lunch,” he laughed. “I was surprised. There was definitely a shock factor that was present.” Shutter, who classifies himself as a physical chemist, has been involved in research at UW-Madison

since his freshman year. “The field’s known as astrochemistry,” he said. “But we study molecules that are present in space, how they react, their kinetics.” Two summers ago, Shutter spent 10 weeks working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. At the time, the Curiosity rover was just landing on Mars. “I thought it was excellent,” Shutter said. “I got to be there with all the NASA scientists and engineers and celebrate with them after this pretty amazing technological feat was accomplished.” Shutter said he looks forward to not only beginning his program, but also expanding his personal horizons. “It’s a well-renowned university—great chemistry program there—but it also is, more personally, my first time leaving the U.S.” —Daniella Emanuel

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to get an underage ticket.” Rae began working on the bill two years ago but faced delays due to the timing of the state session. She said she is still worried because there are not many days left for the state Assembly and Senate to meet and vote on bills. Rae said she hopes that since there is a current bill in place at the Capitol, providing criminal immunity from heroin use and any individuals involved in helping those in danger because of heroin use, there is a greater chance the Senate committee will vote to pass this bill on to the state Assembly. “If we can have one for heroin [and other controlled substances], we can definitely have one for alcohol,” Rae said.

tion there,” Rae said. Rae said the UW-Madison Police Department has expressed concern for the bill, saying if there are no consequences for minors, then students will not understand the severity of their dangerous decisions. Police or university consequences often deter students from calling authorities in dangerous situations, according to Rae. “I truly believe that this bill will help save students’ lives,” Rae said. “I think that they’re going to be much more likely to call [authorities], especially if [the bill] passes as it is, knowing that their friend is also not going

$1.5 million grant to establish drug treatment centers

COURTNEY KESSLER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison students attended the ASM kickoff and open house Tuesday to learn about available services and organizations.

ASM hosts kickoff, open-house events to ‘rebrand’ SAC By Dana Kampa THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Associated Students of Madison Student Activities Center Governing Board hosted a kickoff and open house event Tuesday at the SAC to introduce students to the center and its services. Some of the groups attending the event included ASM, Badger Catholic, Greater University Tutoring Service, the MultiCultural Student Coalition and Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment. SAC Governing Board Chair Tito Diaz said the main reason for hosting the event was part of a rebranding effort of the SAC. “[The SAC has] kind of turned into a study space for people, which is fine because we are student-run and trying to help students any way we can, but it’s getting to the point where it is a quiet study area,” Diaz said. “We want it to be that vibrant space, which it was envisioned to be.” The main event was a bingothemed activity requiring students to visit different organizations. Once students filled out their bingo cards, they could choose either a burrito or slice of pizza. Students could also play Wii with Student Print or view the student business incubator. University of WisconsinMadison student Tyler Markel said he wanted to get information about the opportunities

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JESSIE GALLIMORE/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

UW-Madison junior Morgan Rae created the Responsible Action Bill during her freshman year in ASM.

Vijaykumar, who are microprocessor researchers in Sohi’s lab, obtained the patent titled “Table Based Data Speculation Circuit for Parallel Processing Computer” in 1998. Since then, the invention has been seen as a significant milestone in computer sciences research, the release stated.

available at the SAC. “I just thought it was a good opportunity to get to see a lot of the orgs,” UW-Madison student Tia Smith said. Smith added she came to the open house because she missed the Student Org Fair.

“[The SAC] is getting to the point where it is a quiet study area... We want it to be that vibrant space.” Tito Diaz chair Student Activity Center Governing Board

UW-Madison student Caroline Cromer said besides the free food, she liked attending the open house “because you don’t really always know what orgs are out there.” ASM hosted a kickoff event before the open house to promote their grassroots work and advocacy. ASM Press Office Board Director Grace Bolt announced the office’s plans to launch a series of Jay Leno Jaywalk-style videos, where it will ask students on the street questions about student issues. ASM concluded the kickoff by performing a bit about student involvement. “We’ve got to move. We’ve got to act. Let’s make a change, and let’s remember, we’ll be the ones to make things right,” ASM members sang to the tune of Kesha’s “Timber.” Sohi is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and received the prestigious Eckert-Mauchly Award in 2011 based on his work, according to the complaint. In 2008, WARF sued Intel Corp. for a similar infringement and won. The details of the resulting settlement in 2009 remain confidential.

Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced Tuesday a $1.5 million grant was awarded for the establishment of pre-trial programs for nonviolent drug offenders to reduce second-time offenses. Van Hollen said in a statement 12 counties and one Indian tribe were awarded the funding to form programs proven to decrease reconviction rates and increase public safety. The Treatment Alternatives and Diversion programs help save an average of $1.93 per one dollar invested. Three years after graduation from the TAD program, 81 percent of participants had no new convictions, and 97 percent stayed out of state prison. A 15-member peer review panel awarded the grants, with 36 applicants submitting proposals. The programs have been proven to reduce second-time offenders and are an efficient use of taxpayer dollars, according to Van Hollen. “I’m pleased I was able to work with lawmakers to improve public safety in this manner,” Van Hollen said.

liquor from page 1 The city Council also approved an entertainment license for Roast Public House, artisan sandwich shop and bar, located at 558 State St. According to a letter from Roast Public House owners to the Alcohol License Review Committee, the goal of the entertainment licenses is to increase business during late hours. The owners disclosed plans to accommodate space for a makeshift stage and approval from the building’s landlord. The license allows the restaurant to hold entertainment two nights a week from Sunday through Wednesday or Thursday. The city Council also approved plans to send city staff and any city alders on the Sustainable Madison Transportation Master Plan Oversight Committee to tour Strasbourg, France and Freiburg, Germany. According to Mayor Paul Soglin, the trip would allow members to observe and study innovative urban transportation systems that would serve as amenities to Madison’s current transportation systems. The plan received some disapproval from Common Council members due to results from previous trips. “I haven’t seen how the previous trips really translate to our decision-making,” Ald. Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, District 5, said. Other council members accepted the plans with enthusiasm for the betterment of Madison. “I was quickly persuaded by the fact that this would expand our horizons and expand the way we’re thinking about transportation,” Ald. Maurice Cheeks, District 10, said. The council also approved of the JDS Development’s plans to develop the Judge Doyle Square as a result of the decision made at the Judge Doyle Square Ad Hoc Committee meeting Monday.

science Touchscreens may do more for toddlers 4

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

By Hamdi Hamzah The Daily Cardinal

“Sesame Street.” “Blue’s Clues.” “Dora the Explorer.” These television programs aim to teach children by providing an early exposure to learning. As effective as they are in increasing a child’s ability to learn, interacting with the screen media has proven to be a better way to educate children at the age of two to three years old—a finding reported by Dr. Heather Kirkorian, a researcher at University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Human Ecology. Kirkorian explored this idea by using interactive touchscreens, such as smartphones and tablets, as a means of education. It all began with “video deficit”—a term indicating that children are unable to learn at a great extent from screen medias until the age of two to three years old. However, recent research suggested that children learn better when a person interacts with them, via Skype for instance, instead of learning from a prerecorded media. Therefore, Kirkorian, who is the Assistant Professor at the Human

Development and Family Studies Department, seeks to prove if this is in fact, the case. The deficit, however, is widely understood to diminish with increased age as children ages three and older learn equally as much from a person as they would from a video.

graphic by Mikaela Albright

The study carried out in Kirkorian’s lab utilizes the eyetracking research, which provides an understanding about

the specific content children pay attention to, and addresses whether these contents truly are the information that they should be processing. “We use specialized cameras that zoom in on the pupils of the eye, and through some calibration and software, we are able to clearly see where children are looking when they watch a video,” Kirkorian said. The idea of video deficit also poses an interesting question for teenagers and adults. Is there an age limit for people to learn from videos? According to Kirkorian, little research has been conducted, but the age differences of video deficit are dependent on task difficulty. Additionally, the ability to learn from videos is present only if the subject matter is something within grasp. Therefore, if one were presented with a challenging course such as calculus or organic chemistry,

Sustainability is becoming a more prominent theme for UW Housing By Brita Larson The Daily Cardinal

When I decided to write about UW’s Housing sustainability projects, I didn’t expect to get a two for one during my interview, but indeed that is what I got. The program manager for sustainability is a brand new position in the housing department, acting as a testament to the importance of sustainability on this campus, and Laura Shere is the first person to hold this esteemed title. “My job is to track sustainability on campus and look for outside funding,” Shere said. Not only is Shere involved with her regular duties, but over her first year on the job, she became involved in student initiatives, including RecycleMania and Campus Conservation Nationals (CCN). She explained the Campus Conservation Nationals is a competition among universities for reduced water and energy use. RecycleMania is another national competition among universities for, as you can guess, recycling. For anybody living in the dorms, Shere was one of the masterminds behind the syllabus for sustainability, which is a guideline to recycling in the dorms. In addition to the regular trash cans, which are labeled with “Landfill,” each dorm received four additional bins: “Cans, Glass, Plastic,” “Mixed Paper,” “Compost/Organic Waste” and “Campus Recycling.” At this point in our interview, Mark Henry, Assistant Director of Facilities, joined us. Henry explained that technically his job wasn’t related to environmental issues. But he had a “passion for sustainability and decreasing energy use.” “Madison is a learning insti-

tution and the staff and housing support the residents. We are contributing to their learning experience, ” Henry said. So what is the driving force behind UW’s incredible sustainability push? “Students are interested in a different way,” Shere said. “They want to make sustainability part of every day life, whether it’s recycling, food options or building changes. It’s been normalized.” “There’s been raised awarenress about global climate change. Younger people understand that fossil fuels aren’t going to be around for the future,” Henry said. Not only do students win by reducing, but the university does too. The CCN resulted in noticeable electrical reductions that saved money for housing to be invested elsewhere.

“They want to make sustainability part of every day life, whether it’s recycling, food options or building changes.” Laura Shere program manager UW-Madison Sustainability

I asked Henry what technical efforts they’re making. The Housing department’s full-time designer sources local furniture and materials. Hot water is heated by solar panels. In the new buildings, including Dejope, each room has its own controls for heating and cooling, so when students come and go, they can easily adjust to save energy. The newer buildings also have a heat recovery system where the air is captured in a heat wheel and turns cooler air into hot air. I also asked how students

can get involved. In a nutshell, RecycleMania, the CCN and overall increased awareness have jump-started student involvement. On campus, students can get involved in Greenhouse, which is part of Leopold Hall. Students in the Greenhouse “choose this dorm because they want this lifestyle,” Shere said. There is the sustainability council, which provides leadership and organization for the 20 campus environmental groups. Essentially, the council organizes what is already happening on campus and fills in gaps. Shere mentioned the “Green Fund,” which is the final stages of approval. The Green Fund would funnel a chunk of segregated fees into sustainability grants. These two gave me a broad overview, but it was clear from their references that I could dig much deeper into student involvement. Making a difference doesn’t need to be complicated. When I mentioned the overwhelming nature of affecting change, Henry said, “Yes, but it’s a lot of individuals working together to make a difference.” Simply unplugging electronics and turning down the thermostat at night can contribute to energy reduction. Finally, something Henry said really stuck with me, and seems to be an important theme of the sustainability movement. When talking about the cool features in the buildings, he said, “These additions cost more in the short term, but we are saving a lot in the long term.” It seems that this should be the theme for environmental issues. It will take effort and time in the short term, but in the long term, we will be gaining a lot more.

dailycardinal.com

learning from videos may not be as helpful. Despite the findings of this research, there are concerns about children being exposed to screen media at a young age, particularly by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The association suggests children below the age of two should not be exposed to screen media. However, they do admit the recommendation is purely based on television and not on touchscreen technologies. In their recent statement, they recommend minimizing screen media as opposed to completely avoiding it as a whole. Kirkorian personally suggests the importance of implementing basic necessities in child development, such as socialization with family members and appreciating the great outdoors. “As long as those things are in place, probably 20 minutes a day of video is not terribly harmful,” Kirkorian said. Currently, Kirkorian is seeking an in-depth understanding of why interactivity with screen media better helps children in learning as compared to simply watching a video. She is also interested in mea-

suring a child’s executive function in the brain, which involves numerous aspects of learning such as attention, working memory and cognitive control—and connect this ability to learning from interactive media. Kirkorian further suggests the possibility of children with poorer executive function not learning well from television, but perhaps showing improvements when interacting with screen media. “One thing I hope this research can do is give parents, policymakers and teachers better information about what choices to make,” Kirkorian said. She said this particularly since the availability of screen medias are prevalent in the average household. Having described her passions for research and teaching undergraduate students, Kirkorian strongly encourages everyone to embrace the notion of being a “scientifically literate society” by synthesizing and analyzing the scientific data, instead of merely accepting it as it is. By getting involved in research, students will be amazed with the experience, especially when seeing it come to life.

Ask Ms. Scientist: Icy Bridges and Vaccines Dear Ms. Scientist, Why do bridges ice before sidewalks?

—Rachel T.

Be aware as you cross the bridge between Humanities and Bascom Hill to your second-semester classes. Ice forms on bridges before sidewalks because of two reasons. One is that bridges have cold air flowing both over and under the walkway, unlike sidewalks that have an insulating ground beneath them. The second reason is bridges are made of materials that graphic by Haley Henschel are good heat conductors, like steel. Any heat bridges contain easily moves to the surface and is swept away by the cold wind. Another factor may be that the bridge is crossing over something that is considerably colder than the ground, such as a river. Dear Ms. Scientist, Why is it some vaccines you only need to take once with only the occasional booster shot while you need to get the flu vaccine every year? I thought vaccines were supposed to give you long-lasting immunity? —Ross G. You’re right. The flu virus, whether received through a vaccine or an unfortunate infection, will give you long-lasting immunity—but only for that specific strain of the virus. Over the season the virus mutates leading to minute changes in its appearance and the production of new strains. The changes are just enough to escape your immune system’s first lines of defense, including antibodies. This process, called antigenic drift, occurs faster for the flu than many other viruses. The annual flu vaccine is also comprised of the strains predicted to be the most prevalent that season. New strains or other strains may predominate from year to Ask Ms. year, demanding that Scientist is new vaccines to be written by Corinne developed. Thornton. If you have a burning science question you want her to answer, tweet @DC_Science or email it to science@dailycardinal.com. graphic by Mikaela Albright

opinion

dailycardinal.com

America exemplifies diversity HALEIGH AMANT opinion editor

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Raising minimum wage should be bipartisan goal

he Statue of Liberty is one of the most prominent symbols of America and is inscribed with this sentence: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” Other common American values include equality, freedom and the ability to make a good living for oneself with hard work. Another aspect America is surely known for is consumerism, a notso-small part of this being the brand Coca-Cola, which has, whether we like it or not, been a most enduring part of American culture and demonstrates one of the ways we as Americans are connected. Because everyone drinks Coke, right? Screw Pepsi. (Just kidding, Pepsi is fine.) Since the Super Bowl on Sunday was so damn boring in itself, I’m sure most of you were paying more attention to the commercials than to the actual game. Coca-Cola aired a chillingly-beautiful commercial including images of American culture with the song, “America, the Beautiful” being sung in many different languages. I don’t claim to like football all that much, regardless, this was the highlight of the Super Bowl because it demonstrated progress. I am extremely happy CocaCola was willing to do this, whether it was mostly for marketing or not. At the end of the commercial, we see their Coca-Cola symbol with the hashtag—America is beautiful. And isn’t it? Don’t all of these cultures that make up the American melting pot make America beautiful, and, perhaps make it exist in itself? Sadly, still not everyone thinks that. Unfortunately, there was outrage on Twitter because that is where all the idiots go to voice their opinions. (They also don’t have to pay too much attention to spelling on Twitter, which works in their favor). @ColonelDeej tweeted, “Singing America the beautiful in a different

SEAN HOEY opinion columnist

GRAPHIC BY MIKAELA ALBRIGHT

language is the most unAmerican thing I ever heard in my entire life. #boycottcoke” @Stoyer_11 tweeted, “How dare you sing “America” in different languages. Fuck Coca Cola. That’s so disrespectful. #FuckCoke” The most intelligent and patriotic tweeter of them all, @tombeyer6, tweeted, “bullshit, god bless America in other languages? #fuckcoke.” I would just like to point out he got the song title wrong amidst his outrage. Eventually, the Twitter outrage led to a trending hashtag, #speakamerican. There is no way to speak American, dipshits. There is a way to speak English, which is sung in the commercial. Had it been excluded, I could understand a certain degree of anger toward the commercial. English is obviously a big part of America. However, English was a part of the commercial; in fact, most of the commercial was sung in English. Now, back to @ColonelDeej’s tweet—he clearly doesn’t understand what it means to be an American. The United States is a melting pot of different cultures. As mentioned previously, it is a sign of equality. When I think of the America that I am proud to live in and be a citizen of, I think of a democracy where anyone

can come to make something for themselves, to experience freedom. I don’t just see a white, heterosexual, male. And it is time to let go of that image, because that is not the image of America, at least not anymore. And it shouldn’t be. The phrase inscribed on the Statue of Liberty does not mention any single race, sexuality or gender. As the Statue of Liberty states, America is a sign of prosperity for all who are lost, and that is what makes us human—that no matter what race we are or what differences we have, all of us can be lost at some point in our lives. America brings us together, despite our differences. We need to get to a point where there isn’t a separation, where there isn’t an “us” and a “them.” Thank you, Coca-Cola for showing a more accurate picture of what America is, rather than excluding the beautiful cultures that make up a large portion of our country. Thank you for showing that we have made progress, but there is much more to be made. As the song says, “crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.” This “brotherhood” knows no race, gender, sexuality or language. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Why drive to fly for spring break?

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y now, you’ve certainly chimed in on the exciting news that last week, in his State Of The Union address, President Barack Obama called on Congress to support legislation to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. As if such a proclamation were not enough, President Obama even upped the ante when he pledged to mandate that contractors pay their federally funded employees such a wage. To college kids like yourselves, the benefits of raising the minimum wage are, well, obvious. Many of us don’t simply choose to but, out of financial necessity, work a part time job during our academic pursuits. Indeed, we have certain needs—you know, food and shelter, in addition to our tuition, which requires some extra income. Yet, these jobs, more often than not, only pay minimum wage or a little more, and despite our laborious work, we still leave college drowning in student loan debt. Needless to say, our college experiences exemplify the need to raise the minimum wage; however, imagine instead of merely working your way through school on an hourly wage of $7.25, you worked a full time job to support an entire family at the same level of income. Each year, you could only expect to earn $15,080, and in no state would you even be able to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment. And despite soaring corporate profits and stock prices taking place now during America’s economic recovery, the lowest earners in our nation have barely budged, deepening our socioeconomic inequality. Raising the minimum wage is perhaps the most hands-on approach to mitigating this intense disparity. Ten dollars and ten cents per hour is really not that much to ask for. Had minimum wage risen with inflation over the last 40 years, as it sensibly should have, the lowest wage in the country would be $10.74, still over half a dollar more than the most recent proposal. As President Obama claimed, the federal minimum wage is worth 20 percent less when Ronald Reagan, the right-wing darling, was president. Popular support for the issue, too, is extremely high. In November, Gallup released a study documenting 76 percent of Americans who support an increased minimum wage, 69 percent of which also agreed such a wage should be tied to increasing inflation. Of course, opponents of the proposal I’ve described like to scare people with the fragility of our economic recovery, claiming this “insensible” initiative would cost our workforce jobs. And to these people, there’s but one word to say: “No.” This is far

from the truth, and there are a few reasons for this. For one, a great majority of low-wage workers are working for corporations posting large profits—profits they can use to support their workers. Then, at a higher wage, worker productivity increases and results in the business earning more as well. In fact, studies tend to show slight economic gains due to increased local spending as a result of higher wages. So with all the evidence stacking up in favor a higher minimum wage, why don’t we do it? The economic sensibility and populist support are both in place, and the arguments against it are weak. Why doesn’t Congress vote today, right now, to mandate workers earn a living wage?

Our college experiences exemplify the need to raise the minimum wage. The problem isn’t that the argument doesn’t have merit. Rather, the crux of the issue is the extremity of Republicans in Washington. Perhaps you’ve noticed—the House of Representatives isn’t as populist and progressive as it has been before. Whether it be leading the charge to shutdown the government or failing to authorize Hurricane Sandy recovery funds, Republicans have, time after time, rejected commonsense legislation in the name of fiscal irresponsibility, er, I mean, conservatism. However, this issue doesn’t actually stem from the legislative process but instead from the realm of electoral politics. Indeed, in another age, it’s tenable that even some moderate Republicans would support such legislation. One study even showed that 67 Republicans in Congress did support raising the minimum wage at one time. But, in the post Citizens United era, Republicans are afraid of losing their seats to more fiscally extreme partisans under the auspices of well-funded interest groups. Should they support legislation improving the jobs of all low-wage workers, many Republicans fear we will actually lose their own (oh, the irony). What I hope you and all my readers take away from this column (because I’m so popular and widely read) is that to resolve key legislative issues like raising the minimum wage isn’t necessarily to wage brutal legislative battles and make so many painful concessions. Rather, real electoral reform could significantly alleviate our deepest governmental problems. That in itself could be the greatest battle our generation will fight in Washington. We’ll certainly have to put together an unlikely and forceful popular movement to do it, but what’s there to lose if we do. Do you agree? Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

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Students hold future of the game industry

RECORD ROUTINE

Lovelorn songs sail but don’t soar

Heart Murmurs Jeremy Messersmith By Mara Jezior The Daily Cardinal

It’s easier to sing about heartbreak than love, as Minneapolis’ Jeremy Messersmith proves on Heart Murmurs. On his fourth release, Messersmith touches on the different facets of love—the firsts, the unrequited and the breakups—with delicate ease, though sometimes at the expense of raw feeling. Singles like “Tourniquet” and “Ghost” solidify Messersmith’s signature 1960s pop sound as the album explores falling in and out of love from a variety of perspectives.

As his previous trio of albums demonstrates, concepts work well for Messersmith. His first album, The Alcatraz Kid, explores on the innocence of childhood while his second, The Silver City, focuses the restlessness of adulthood. The trilogy culminates with his thoughtful reflection on death in The Reluctant Graveyard. It’s on these three albums Messersmith so well sums up the common threads of life—with all the shitty jobs and broken-down cars in between. On Heart Murmurs, Messersmith sings best about the pains of being in love, not the joys of it. Over sweet piano chords, vibrating guitars and smooth orchestra strings, Messersmith describes ‘sputtering’ and ‘fluttering’ out of control over a girl on “Bubblin’,” one of the album’s most emotionally realized tracks. Additionally, “Hitman” is painful and authentic, starting off slow and culminating when Messersmith cries, “I need a hit-

man for my heart!” With this proclamation, Messersmith shows you his feelings instead of telling you, which is refreshing and heartfelt in comparison to the rest of the album. Overall, the album’s focus is almost too narrow at times, and for this reason, some of the songs tend to fall flat. While Heart Murmurs sounds similar to Messersmith’s past albums, it sometimes lacks the feeling the prior three so beautifully embodied. While it’s apparent that Messersmith knows how to create wistful and sweet pop songs that tug at your bones, I was hoping for something bigger and less safe, not just another sensible pop-rock indie album. Still, Messersmith has found a formula that works for him, and if you’re looking for a batch of quirky, melancholy, lullaby-like love songs, Heart Murmurs is nice on the ears, even if it isn’t his most ambitious.

Adam paris SEGA What?!

ost of the time people are only exposed to the most high profile student produced video games. “Portal” started out as a tiny project called “Narbacular Drop,” created by several college students out in Washington. Valve Software scooped them up and it went on to become one of last generation’s breakout success stories. Carnegie Mellon’s perspective-bending tech demo the other week is another example of a student designed game well deserving of all the publicity it’s received.

Rating: B

Xiu Xiu release absolutely terrifying album

Angel Guts: Red Classroom Xiu Xiu By Paul Blazevich The Daily Cardinal

The avant-garde band based out of San Jose, Calif., Xiu Xiu, released the strangest album of 2014 (so far) on Feb. 4. Led by Jamie Stewart, Xiu Xiu created Angel Guts: Red Classroom, a terrifying blend of raging percussion, wavering whispers for vocals, and electronic noise. The album opens with “Angel Guts:,” an ambient track leading into the haunting vocals and muted percussion of “Archie’s Fades.” The album then speeds up with its third

track, “Stupid in the Dark,” which includes a fast keyboard riff and operatic vocals, billed as the lead track of the album, showcasing Xiu Xiu’s very unique style. We continue down this dark, experimental path with the David Bowie-esque vocals and synth beats of “Adult Friends,” a song reminiscent of walking through a haunted house. This track nears ‘acceptable’ status before suddenly dipping back into the terror of screaming samples and pounding electro/keyboard beats. Angel Guts: Red Classroom winds down with “Botanica de Los Angeles,” one of the few tracks with coherent vocals, featuring a surprisingly light-hearted organ masking the background screeching that is ever-present on this album. The journey through obscurity is then completed by “:Red Classroom,” a two and a half minute recording of a screeching guitar consistently

interrupting the ambiance heard in the opening track. A reccurring theme of Xiu Xiu’s 13th album is the complete nonsense it portrays. While listening, you feel as if a song is about to make sense through its melody or beat, but then Stewart inserts his ‘suicide’ vocals and the linear factor of today’s common music is thrown out of the window. Some of the backing keyboard or production sounds fairly decent without vocals, but Stewart’s lead makes Angel Guts: Red Classroom utterly unlistenable. Understandably, the band is trying to be unique and fit into the avantgarde category of music. Angel Guts: Red Classroom may be Jamie Stewart’s method of artistic expression, but not many people would be able to indulge in Xiu Xiu’s work or find it relevant to their daily life.

Rating: F

"It's Not a Joke: The Cultural Implications of STALKING."!

join PAVE as we welcome Jeff !"#$%&'()*! Please Bucholtz from We End Violence to in recognition of Stalking !"#$%&$'()! campus Awareness Month. Check Today in !"##$%! the Union for location.

E3 !

Graphic by Mikaela Albright

People often think of video games as a static industry stuck in endless sequels, generally perpetuated by high stakes investment implicit in creating colossus scale hits. That perception isn’t totally off base. Innovation taking place in the indie space has already become a cliche at this point—merely four to five years after the indie movement really picked up steam in the mainstream market. Studentcreated games are an opportunity for future developers to dabble in a risk-free environment that could produce sterling products. Student entrants have been allowed into the Independent Games Festival for over 10 years now. E3 has an annual competition for student games. Indeed, one of the winners of last year’s collegiate game contest was “Flash Frozen,” a game developed by students at the UW-Stout. This past week, another student-inspired creation finally saw a wide release. “Octodad: Dadliest Catch,” which builds off of Young Horses’ initial prototype, which they released as students back in 2011. A game about taking control of a fumbling octopus masquerading

as your stereotypical working father, the beauty of the game lies in its discombobulating control scheme. You have to work each limb independently as you squirm across the room performing mundane tasks. It’s a supremely ingenious concept that grew out of the nugget this collection of students concocted while still in school. Additionally, the amount of tools and resources available to interested students has never been greater. Unity is one of the more manageable game creation systems out there, although don’t tell my roommate, who basically cussed it out all last weekend during the Global Game Jam. When you consider student projects, one of the best parts is that their prototypes are often available for free. It’s a time for exposure, not necessarily lucrative gain. There’s an innocence and purity that goes into a product when it’s not necessarily completely entangled with your life savings. Oftentimes this mindset results in obtuse projects, which couldn’t be created under the scrutiny of commercial development. There’s a basic sense of enjoyment you can feel in these games, a sentiment fueled by the fact they haven’t been crushed under the often laborious task of AAA development for years. Additionally, the glut of game jams spread out throughout the year give student developers a chance to come up with novel ideas, which could later be expanded into commercial product. The key is discovering an inventive, addictive component and building off of that component. Creativity bred in an educational environment can be a key part of that. For all the good that can come out of student developers working in a relative vacuum, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be open to taking advice from professional developers already in the industry. This Saturday there will be the first of what will hopefully become a monthly meeting of indie developers from across Madison and the surrounding area. Organized by Aaron San Filippo, developer of “Race the Sun,” the event takes place from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Games Learning Society. The event is supposed to be a relative discussion of indie games and the diverse approaches these creators take when approaching the medium. The future of student games will hopefully result in more successful projects like “Octodad.” You never know what sort of disastrously ridiculous idea could become the newest trend in an industry predicated on whatever new mechanic seems successful at the time. Think Adam’s nothing but a booster? Email him at arparis@ wisc.edu

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Breeding Bunnies

Today’s Sudoku

Did you know...Since 1990 more people have been killed building sandcastles than by sharks. Wednesday, February 5, 2014 • 7

Eatin’ Cake Classic

Caved In

By Dylan Moriarty www.EatinCake.com

By Nick Kryshak nkryshak@wisc.edu

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.

By Melanie Shibley shibley@wisc.edu

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

First in TwentyClassic

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com

Welcome to the Zoo ACROSS 1 Take it easy 5 Supplicates 9 “Just the ___, ma’am” 14 Burn ointment 15 Field of study 16 “I’m with Stupid” symbol 17 Easily split mineral 18 Like pocketed pool balls 19 “The People’s Princess” 20 Bookie’s concern 23 Branch of Buddhism 24 Overused 25 Kind of pad 27 In a faint 30 Burial rite 33 Winter hazard 34 Clear of vermin 37 Winner at roulette, often 38 Tiresome routines 40 It’s debatable 42 Competes, as for a title 43 Went out from the shore 45 Designer’s concern 47 52 in old Rome 48 Brand of cracker 50 More than shouldn’t 52 On the ocean 53 4-0 World Series win, e.g.

5 Gentle one? 5 57 Accountant’s form 62 Thing you don’t want to twist 64 “Cogito ___ sum” 65 “Be it___so humble ...” 66 Bargain for a burglar? 67 Solemnly swear 68 Bring exasperation 69 Kins’ partners 70 William with a state named after him 71 Otherwise DOWN 1 Miner’s light source 2 Collection of miscellaneous things 3 Centers of great activity 4 Makeshift abode 5 Baby’s bed 6 Blow, like Dante’s Peak 7 Sci-fi or suspense, e.g. 8 “For Pete’s ___!” 9 In one year and out the other? 10 Jackie’s second husband 11 Patchwork work 12 Muscular condition 13 Ugly duckling, eventually

1 Beat a path 2 22 Celebrant’s robe 26 Pope of the 10th century 27 Buenos ___ 28 One way to get into deep water 29 Hardly the life of the party 30 Of the ear 31 For ___ an emergency 32 Beatles tune “___ Is” 35 Hopped a freight 36 Breast-beating primate 39 Arranges a table 41 Do a joyful “The Price is Right” action 44 Some big engines 46 Feels awful about 49 Short snooze 51 Shape the world is in 53 Badminton opener 54 Child’s four-wheeler 55 Catcher’s protector 56 Planning to vote no 58 Bring in a harvest 59 Villain’s work 60 Congers 61 Grove unit 63 ___-di-dah

By Angel Lee. graphics@dailycardinal.com

The Produce Aisle Classic

By Jacob Densow

Juniper Street Classic

By Rick Vorndran

Sports

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2014 DAILYCARDINAL.COM

Men’s Basketball

Badgers respond by beating Illinois By Jack Baer THE DAILY CARDINAL

NICK MONFELI/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Freshman forward Nigel Hayes is continuing his run of good form as he scores 14 points in UW’s seventh straight win over Illinois.

If I told you a free falling team lost a much needed game because of a complete inability to generate late stops on defense, you probably would have guessed it was the previously top-five Badgers (5-5 Big Ten, 18-5 overall). Thankfully, this instead happened to Illinois, with Wisconsin on the happy end of a 75-63 win. The game started out close, with neither team reaching a lead greater than three points until three minutes remained in the first half. Then, a layup from freshman guard Bronson Koenig put the Badgers ahead by five and strengthened a lead they would never relinquish. Freshman forward Nigel Hayes built on this by scoring on three straight possessions, and showing a growing offensive game that should make every Wisconsin fan giddy with expectations. The start of the second half

saw the Badgers’ lead grow to 10 points, before an Illinois charge cut it to two. The rest of the game featured a back-and-forth between the two teams that kept the Fighting Illini in the game, but never closer than two points, until the final minutes. At that point, Wisconsin’s offense took over and scored on 12 of their last 14 possessions. This offensive outburst was fortunate, as Hayes and junior center Frank Kaminsky both reached the dreaded four-foul mark during this key stretch (Hayes with three minutes left and Kaminsky with five). This win was obviously a necessity for the Badgers as they hope to continue their impressive streak of top-four Big Ten finishes, especially when three of their next four opponents are ranked. It was another improvement game for Hayes, who finished with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and four rebounds. The Badgers also got strong performances from all their start-

ers except for Kaminsky, who was held to just two points and finished with fewer minutes than Hayes. Kaminsky’s quiet performance meant yet another night of the Badgers being severely outscored in the paint, this time by a mark of 30-18. On the Fighting Illini side of the court, redshirt junior guard Rayvonte Rice did everything he could for his team, registering a game-high 24 points and another game-high nine rebounds. Despite this star performance, ball movement was a problem for Illinois as they ended the game with more turnovers than assists. This win is the Badgers’ seventh straight against the Fighting Illini, the longest streak in program history. The Fighting Illini have now dropped eight straight games and lie at the bottom of the Big Ten standings. The future is pretty bleak for what was once a ranked team during conference play. The focus will now shift to a long-awaited date with Michigan State at the Kohl Center, Sunday at noon.

Women’s Basketball

Wisconsin welcomes No. 22 Cornhuskers to Kohl Center By Louisa Lincoln THE DAILY CARDINAL

Fresh off an 82-71 victory Sunday over Ohio State that broke a four-game losing streak for the Wisconsin women’s basketball team (3-6 Big Ten, 10-11 overall), the Badgers are looking to repeat this success at the Kohl Center Wednesday against No. 22 Nebraska (5-3, 15-5). “It’s nice to get a home win, and especially against Ohio State. Obviously, we want to always beat them, just like they want to beat us,” head coach Bobbie Kelsey said in a press conference Monday. “They did make a run in that game, and we were up enough to weather the storm.” Wisconsin will need to bring out the same strong offense they showcased Sunday afternoon when they play the Cornhuskers. UW’s top four scorers all hit double digits. Junior forward Jacki Gulczynski and redshirt junior forward

Michala Johnson in the lead with 21 points each, and senior guards Taylor Wurtz and Morgan Paige netting 17 and 12, respectively. This scoring success comes after a serious slump for the Badgers, who struggled to find the basket in their last four contests. According to Kelsey, the team has been working in practice to improve this record. “We tweaked the offense to get them more shots. We were taking too many threes,” she said. “It can’t be all one thing or another. You can’t just shoot threes, you’ve got to play what they’re giving you. You have to be multidimensional.” Gulczynski has certainly demonstrated her versatility in the last few games, a valuable trait for the Badgers and that has potential to be useful against Nebraska. “Jacki can defend different positions. She blocks shots. She rebounds. She can hit the three. She screens. She gets other peo-

ple open, and they have to guard her on the perimeter,” Kelsey said. “It’s a hard matchup for the other team, which is nice for us to have ... It’s versatility within our scorers, and that’s a good thing.” Nebraska, however, will not be an easy contest for the Badgers. The Cornhuskers are coming off two of their strongest performances of the season, first defeating Michigan 84-51 at home last week, then besting Iowa 87-61 Saturday on the road. Despite the tough challenge ahead, according to Kelsey, the Badgers are hopeful and plan to bring out their strongest game. “I believe we could win every game. If I’m the coach and I don’t believe it, then what’s that saying to the players? So when we don’t, I say we get the next one. Let’s just prepare for the next one,” she said. “As every game, you’re trying to win it. They’re close, but you’ve got to win them.”

GREY SATTERFIELD/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Junior forward Jacki Gulczynski has started in all 21 games and is averaging over eight points and seven rebounds per game.

Too many people sleep on the excitement and diversity of Big 12 basketball GREY SATTERFIELD 50 shades of Grey

tep aside Big Ten, the Big 12 is the best conference in college basketball Many people were excited about the Big 12 basketball season when superstar freshman Andrew Wiggins signed his letter of intent with Kansas, but no one expected this level of competition and entertainment in the conference. Last year saw five teams from the Big 12 go to the tournament in March, but this season, as many as nine teams could make the tournament. What’s more

impressive, is that (contrary to its namesake) the Big 12 conference is home to only 10 teams. Will 90 percent of the teams in the Big 12 make the tournament? No, that’s preposterous. But the fact that such a high volume of teams are even in contention is what makes the conference truly remarkable. Compare the list of teams in the Big 12 to that of the other major conferences. While all of these conferences have great teams, only the Big 12 and Big Ten leave you thinking that anyone can beat anyone… except for you TCU, go back to the Mountain West where you belong. To further prove my point, Monday night’s triple-overtime thriller between Oklahoma State

and Iowa State was an absolute classic. The Cyclone’s 98-97 win was beyond dramatic, it was a high caliber clash between two extremely talented teams. Here’s the crazy part, with the loss, Oklahoma State, the 19th best team in the land according to the Associated Press, is now seventh in the conference standings. Just ask Baylor whether or not the Big 12 is the gauntlet it’s cracked up to be. The Bears were ranked No. 7 in the country at the start of conference play and have now lost six of their last eight. The contrast in team construction is what makes the Big 12 so fun to watch. On one hand, there’s Kansas, a team that is built around two superstar freshmen, Wiggins and center Joel Embiid.

Oklahoma State and Iowa State offer more experienced stars in the forms of sophomore guard Marcus Smart and senior forward Melvin Ejim, respectively. Finally, teams like Oklahoma and Texas focus more on team ball and not individual scorers. The Sooners have five players averaging double-digit points this season. All these different styles is what make the conference so exciting to watch, and so difficult to play in. Compare the diversity of the Big 12 to the cookie-cutter play of the Big Ten, where almost every team has the same composition and style. Teams like Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa and many others have defense first, ground and

pound philosophies. Its like watching the same team play each other. Now, similar play styles are good for competitive games but are nowhere near as fun to watch as the constantly changing matchups in the Big 12. This Saturday will play host to a wide array of Big 12 matchups including West Virginia at Kansas, Texas at Kansas State and Oklahoma State at Texas Tech. I can’t guarantee that every game will be excellent, but every matchup will have intriguing dynamics. Which conference is better, the Big Ten or the Big 12? Who do you think will win each conference? Email gsatterfield@ wisc.edu and let Grey know what you think.