Weekend, February 6-9, 2014 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

Weekend, February 6-9, 2014

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Senate hears bills on student issues Students testify for drinking bill

‘Higher Ed, Lower Debt’ bill draws large crowds at public hearing

By Eoin Cottrell

By Sam Cusick

THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin state Legislature made one of the first moves in the legislative process that could save students’ lives. The Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges held a public hearing Wednesday to facilitate discussion and gauge how Madison residents feel about the Responsible Action Bill, which would protect drunk underage students calling emergency services. State Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, said the meeting was well rounded and there was little opposition to the bill. The bill would grant immunity to students who contact emergency services for themselves or classmates in emergency situations involving underage drinking. Currently students are only granted immunity if they are on UW-Madison property. The bill expands protection to all UW System schools across Wisconsin. UW-Madison junior Morgan Rae first approached Risser as a freshman and proposed the idea that students would be much more

Madison residents flocked to the Wisconsin State Capitol Wednesday for the state Senate’s public hearing of the “Higher Education, Lower Debt” bill, which would lower interest rates and offer a tax deduction for student loan payments. The bill would also create a board, named the Wisconsin Student Loan Refinancing Authority, which would develop a program to help students in the state refinance their student loans. If created, the board would be the first of its kind in the country, according to state Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay. The Senate chambers were “crowded” Wednesday as not only current students, but community members still trying to pay off their student loans, shared their opinions and support for the bill, Hansen said. Jenni Dye, a Dane County Supervisor for District 33, broke down into tears during her testimony at the hearing, saying she felt greatly bur-

BRIDGETT DRISCOLL/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

ASM Chair David Gardner said the Responsible Action Bill is important in maintaining student safety on campus. likely to seek medical assistance for their intoxicated underage friends if there were no consequences. Rae and Risser collaborated with the Senate’s drafting department and circulated the bill in June. Madison’s senator referenced other bills circulating in the legislation saying if the legislature is reviewing “good samaritan bills” for other substances, including heroin, then there is no reason to not review and pass the Responsible Action Bill. “The crux of the bill is health and safety of the citizens of our state,” Risser said. Associated Students of Madison Chair David Gardner, who testified at the hearing,

encouraged legislators to support the bill. Gardner said ASM endorsed the bill and has been working on the issue for the past three years. Gardner added there was a lot of excitement and motivation to see the bill move out of committee and to the floor of the state Assembly and Senate. “[The bill] goes right to the core of our responsibility to student safety,” Gardner said. The bill received significant support through a survey ASM issued last year. In the survey, 89 percent of students indicated they would be more likely to call the authorities if they knew no one would be cited.

dened by her student loan debt. “We talk about getting married, we talk about having kids, but it’s hard to think that I’m going to be paying off these loans when my kids are in college,” Dye said.

“If Wall Street can borrow at .75 percent, at less than one percent interest, than so can college students.” Elizabeth Warren U.S. senator Massachusetts

Scot Ross, director of One Wisconsin Now, also testified at the hearing, comparing college graduates to “indentured servants” who are forced to serve a “multiple decade debt sentence” while paying back loans at current interest rate levels. “If we fail to act, [student loan debt] will blossom to an economic catastrophe,” Ross said.

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ASM approves Green Fund bylaws, rules By Maija Inveiss THE DAILY CARDINAL

Associated Students of Madison approved the creation of Green Fund bylaws and standing rules legislation Wednesday, with a vote of 18-2 and one abstention. The Green Fund is a grant distribution system for registered student organizations that propose green initiatives on campus. Some possible themes included increasing energy efficiency and creating more sustainable food sources, but project ideas are not limited to those listed in the legislation. Student Council approved a total of $80,000 for the fund through the ASM Internal Budget in November. “I think this is a really important part of campus,” Sustainability Chair Will Mulhern said. Student groups can create a proposal for a grant through the Green Fund, although the process is very selective and specific, according to Shared Governance Chair Sarah Neibart. “This is a competitive bidding

process, and … ASM has already established that we’re valuing sustainability services to a higher level,” Neibart said. A Green Fund Advisory Board will be established per the bylaws, and will decide which projects will be recommended to ASM Finance Committee for a grant. Student Council made numerous amendments to clarify the bylaws, especially focusing on the organization of the GFAB and the numerical ranking scale. One of the concerns was a lack of a time limit for project completion. The council decided to give the project two calendar years to finish. “They should be able to accomplish what they want to accomplish in a timeline under which they are given money,” representative Jamie Wheeler said. The GFAB will rate the projects based on eight criteria through a numerical ranking scale. The board ranks the proposed project on a scale of either one to 10 or one to 20 in the eight specific criteria. The highest

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UW-Madison commemorated the 165th Founders’ Day by asking students and alumni to tweet their favorite memories and appreciation for the university Wednesday.

UW-Madison celebrates Founders’ Day On February 5, 1849, a group of University of WisconsinMadison students paid a yearly tuition of 20 dollars—the current cost of several days’ worth of Gordon Commons meals— to secure a place in the newly established institution’s first class, according to a university

UHSL returns to Madison SPORTS +page 8

news release. One hundred and sixtyfive years later, UW-Madison remembered these pioneers of education with Wednesday’s annual observance of Founders’ Day, a celebration that originated on campus, according to Wisconsin Alumni Association

Managing Director Kate Dixon. Founders’ Day celebrations were first recorded in 1915, and in 1919, student leaders organized the first “Foundation Day” on campus, driven by the notion that “too few students know anything

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“Climate change is real” Obama and the Keystone Pipeline

OPINION +page 3

“…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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TODAY: partly sunny hi 9º / lo -8º

hi 16º / lo -4º

SATURDAY: snowy hi 19º / lo 1º

Weekend, February 6-9, 2014

Volume 123, Issue 67

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

By Patricia Johnson THE DAILY CARDINAL

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 Editor Amy Gruntner • Grey Satterfield Science Editor Nia Sathiamoorthi Life & Style Editor Katy Hertel Special Pages Editor Samy Moskol Copy Chiefs Vince Huth • Justine Jones Maya Miller • Kayla Schmidt Copy Editors Claire Esmonde • Patricia Ruhnke Jamie Shesky Social Media Manager Rachel Wanat

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 Elissa 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.

Urban Design Commission members received conceptual plans from representatives of Occupy Madison Wednesday for the Tiny Houses project, which aims to shelter the city’s homeless community. The Tiny Houses project, initiated by Occupy Madison, is an ongoing effort to find permanent housing for members of Madison’s homeless community. The “tiny houses” currently in use are located throughout the city but must be moved periodically due to zoning limits. Occupy Madison plans to purchase land at the corner of East Johnson Street and North Third Street to provide a permanent location for the houses and a communal building to be used for various purposes. Due to zoning codes, the property would be considered a campground, which is legally not allowed within the city area. The plans presented by Occupy Madison representative Brenda Konkel provided an indepth view of the land’s proposed use. The property would sustain nine to 11 “tiny houses” along with an auto shop that the group plans to convert into a multi-use common building. The common building would

asm from page 1 ranked grants will receive money from the Green Fund. The representatives expressed concern that the projects would go unnoticed on campus, though Student Services Finance

contain a workshop where volunteers and individuals are provided space and resources to construct more houses. The individual houses will be built on wheels to give residents the option to reside on the property, or other areas offered by nonprofit organizations or churches that follow the city’s zoning codes. Konkel said the houses would be parked on raised bed gardens to use for gardening without risk of growing food items in contaminated soil. Each house would have a compostable toilet, however, Konkel expects most residents to use the communal restrooms with plumbing. Numerous members of the public expressed opposition to the proposal. Community members voiced concerns about the safety risks associated with densely populated, low-income residencies. Speakers also expressed concern of lowering property values with a “trailer park” in their neighborhood. Members of the public also discussed the Madison Police Department’s opposition of the plan because it could lead to an increase in law enforcement activity in the area. Despite a few structural inquiries, Urban Design Commission members remained silent in response to the plan. Committee Chair David Vines said he believes the Green Fund projects will make an impact. “There could be a project that is really impactful that students don’t directly notice … but it could still impact them and be quantifiable,” Vines said.

Editorial Board

Board of Directors

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

hi 16º / lo -8º

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KOHL CENTER

One kernel too much

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Huskers defeated the Badger women’s basketball team by one point Wednesday. See Sports, page 7, for full story. + Photo by Will Chizek

UW Hospital workers fight for employee rights University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics employees, with the support of local leaders, petitioned to the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Authority Board Wednesday for “meet and confer” rights to replace collective bargaining rights previously stripped away by the controversial Act 10 in 2011. With roughly 1,800 signatures, organizers hope the delivered petitions will lay the groundwork for UWHC employees to maintain an independent voice from UWHC management, according to a press release by Madison’s Common Council. “Act 10 essentially said that the existing public and civic employee unions no longer have collective bargaining power on anything but the wages,” Ald. Lisa Subeck, District 1, said. Under Act 10, approximately 5,000 UWHC employees will lose the majority of their union bargaining power once existing contracts expire, provided that

founders from page 1

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

Herman Baumann, President Abigail Becker • Mara Jezior Emily Rosenbaum • John Surdyk Erin Aubrey • Dan Shanahan Jacob Sattler • Janet Larson Don Miner • Chris Drosner Jason Stein • Nancy Sandy Tina Zavoral

SUNDAY: sunny

City officials hear Tiny Houses plans

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

FRIDAY: partly sunny

NICK MONFELI/THE DAILY CARDINAL

ASM Sustainability Chair Will Mulhern says he thinks the Green Fund will provide a much needed service to the UW campus.

bill from page 1 According to Hansen, current students and graduates are responsible for $1.2 trillion in outstanding student loan debt across the nation, and the average college graduate accumulates $27,000 in loan debt and takes 18 and a half years to pay off their debt. Hansen also said many students pay up to 9 percent

interest on their student loans and quoted U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., saying, “If Wall Street can borrow at .75 percent, at less than one percent interest, than so can college students.” “We need to stop treating students as profit centers, and that’s what’s going on,” he added. The bill will next face a public hearing in the state Assembly Monday.

about the past life of their university,” a concern they expressed in a Daily Cardinal editorial, according to the release. Historically, the university has honored the occasion by both on- and off-campus celebrations, Dixon said. While no physical event was held onUW-Madison’s campus this year, WAA encouraged students past and present to commemorate the occasion virtually, and many students and alumni turned to Twitter and other social media to reminisce and praise the university. Founders’ Day also kicked off a series of alumni events which nearly 70 different WAA chapters nationwide will host in the coming months, Dixon said. These gatherings usually feature university faculty or staff speakers and foster

UWHC leaders choose not to renegotiate with pro-union representatives, according to the press release. If UWHC management members chose to ignore the petitions, many work rules that were explicitly resolved via collective bargaining will instead be replaced by an informal employee handbook that would lack contract stability and be decided under the sole discretion of the UWHCA board, according to Subeck. As the UWHCA board has yet to reach a conclusion regarding how to protect employee bargaining, the petition and decision process is expected to be lengthy as community members and elected officials alike remain worried, according to Subeck. “Folks are looking to still be able to have a place at the tables,” Subeck said. “The workers continue to be very concerned that their voices aren’t going to be heard.” —Irene Burski

“camaraderie and appreciation of a UW tradition,” she added. This year’s Founders’ Day celebrations will center on the theme of past, present and future academic excellence, according to Dixon.

GRAPHIC BY HALEY HENSCHEL

opinion

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Weekend, February 6-9 , 2014

Keystone pipeline leads environmental debate TONY CASTAGNOLI opinion columnist

limate change is a fact” were the words spoken by President Obama in his recent State of The Union address. Well done, Mr. President. Really, George W. Bush would have never said something that obvious about global warming when he was in office. Still, it doesn’t let Obama off the hook. He can say he’s all for combating climate change, but his words don’t amount to a hill of beans if he doesn’t demonstrate his executive authority on this issue. I say this because I didn’t hear the words “Keystone XL Pipeline” in his State of The Union address. Also known as KXL, it’s a proposed pipeline that would specifically extract crude oil from tar sands in Alberta, Canada to be transported all the way down to Texas for it to then be sold on the world market. The process that would extract the oil from the tar sands is called “fracking” (isn’t that a fun word?) and it is incredibly damaging to the environment. But what makes KXL unique is that, ultimately, it is up to the president of the United States to use his authority to either approve or disapprove this international develop-

ment project. At this point in time, nobody can say with total certainty where Obama will swing on this issue. However, Secretary of State John Kerry apparently seems to be for KXL. In an “environmental impact statement” released last Friday, the State Department claimed that KXL won’t have a “significant” increase on carbon emissions, leaving environmentalists all around the country anxious of what is to come in the next 90 days when Obama is expected to make a decision on the pipeline.

‘Climate change is a fact’ were the words spoken by the President in his recent State of the Union address.

On Monday night, I took pictures at a vigil organized by a collection of environmental groups right in front of the downtown Federal Courthouse. Braving the freezing weather with signs and projectors, these activists let their voices be heard. From college students to grandparents, this diverse collection of ordinary citizens has one thing in common: They are all concerned for the future of our planet. And they should be concerned. The scientific community has determined climate change

is real; it is indeed influenced by man’s excessive release of carbon and methane gasses into the atmosphere, and it is getting out of control. In a New York Times column, NASA climate scientist James Hansen—who’s been researching the effects of excess fossil fuels in our atmosphere since the 1970s—said the Keystone XL Pipeline would mean “game over” for the climate and that continued dependence on fossil fuels would be “apocalyptic” for our children. After all, the amount of carbon in our atmosphere has already reached 400 parts per million, a level unprecedented in human history. If this recent polar vortex is any indication of the changing climate patterns, maybe “apocalyptic” isn’t such an exaggeration. What are we waiting for, fellow Badgers? Maybe 10 years ago there would’ve been some room to debate this issue, but not anymore. We re-elected a president who acknowledges climate change, but that doesn’t mean that he can fix this problem alone. Whether or not you are a fan of President Obama, there is a sort of patriotic duty our generation must take on now so that we can enjoy a healthier planet in the future, rather than one with climate so extreme that coastal cities are doomed to exist underwater (I’m talking to all you Coastie Badgers right now). We all know that Wisconsin

is not a shy place. Badgers are vocal; we have a passion for changing the world by taking on challenges that we can best overcome when we are working together. There are roughly 40,000 of us on campus, and we have the potential to redirect the conversation over climate change like never before.

The Keystone XL Pipeline would mean “game over” for the climate and that continued dependence on fossil fuels wold be “apocalyptic” for our children.

First, we need to actively support the idea of the university beginning the process of divestment from fossil fuel. We shouldn’t let companies profit off of us burning their fossil fuels, especially when our faculty agrees that it is unsustainable for the environment. This is a dialogue that college campuses around the world are beginning to have, so it’s important that UW-Madison be a trendsetter and take action! Divestment would not only be a responsible decision for the environment, but it would encourage harnessing energy from renewable sources. After all, who doesn’t think solar panels, hydroelectricity and windmills are the way of the future?

Instead of believing that global warming will be the death of us, we should be excited about the potential the millennial generation has to shape the world in a much more sustainable manner that will encourage our children and our children’s children to cherish the only planet on which we can support life. We are only doomed if we sit on the sidelines and let transnational corporations determine how we obtain our energy. Whether it be through participating in a rally to support those willing to risk arrest in order to stop the KXL Pipeline, or through supporting efforts for the University of WisconsinMadison to divest in fossil fuels and invest in renewable sources of energy, we can all do our part to actively address this climate crisis.

We are only doomed if we sit on the sidelines and let transnational corporations determine how we obtain our energy. And for those trolls out therethe ones who continually choose to deny global warming—please do the planet a favor and politely “frack” off. Should the Keystone pipeline continue construction? Is it worth the environmental risk it presents? Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Long distance relationships can work with planning SARA VINSON opinion columnist

eople say long distance relationships (LDR) never work. Maybe it is true that many are doomed but I can personally say long distance can totally work. So if you are in a relationship and about to graduate, study abroad, move to a new city for graduate school or a job, there is hope! I have statistics and personal experience to back my claim up. If your horizon includes a LDR you should know you are not alone. About 14 million people in the United States consider themselves to be in LDR. The average LDR spans across 125 miles. That means it is pretty easy to keep to the average 1.5 visits per month. Plenty of LDR are long term. 75 percent of engaged couples have been long distance at one point. Ten percent of marriages in the United States started as LDR. Long distance is not just for people on their way down the aisle, either. Almost one

—third of college relationships are considered long distance. Those statistics are uplifting, but they do not really elaborate on how to make long distance work. There are a couple things that make long distance, if not perfect, doable until you and your loved one can be together again. My number one tip for long distance can be summed up in one word: plan. Luckily, when my boyfriend and I started dating we always knew he would go to graduate school. That gave us about a year to figure out whether we could handle long distance, whether we thought our relationship was worth the stress of long distance, and how we would manage the change in our relationship. Make no mistake, it is stressful. There are ways to counteract the stress, though. Have a conversation before the separation about how and when the two of you will communicate during the distance. My boyfriend and I decided that texting every day is a must, calling at any time is acceptable even for a short conversation, and Skype every once in a while is an awesome way to feel close to one another. We even have a continuous game of Words with

Friends now, which is fun and something we can do together.

My boyfriend and I decided that texting is a must, calling at any time is acceptable even for a short conversation.

Doing things together is important too. This can be as elaborate as you want it to be. For example, my boyfriend and I have watched the same movie on Netflix at the same time, gone to see the same movie at a theater, and it is important to him that I watch some football on the weekend. I managed to watch the whole Super Bowl this weekend and could even converse with him about parts of the game. It was a victory for the Seahawks and a victory for my LDR. Communicating day to day and doing things together are great short term plans and they make a huge difference in your relationship survival. If an LDR is to fail, the average one fails within four and a half months. That means I am officially out of the woods, and

now I need to start making a long—term—plan. Long term plans are important for ending the long distance part of your relationship. It is significantly more difficult to maintain a LDR when there is no end in sight. If you have to be apart, it makes it easier to strategize for a future and think of a time when you can live closer each other. I plan to move out of Wisconsin after I graduate to get a job in my boyfriend’s city to be with him. That is a hard decision. Maybe you are like me and your entire family is here in Wisconsin, all of my friends are here too, and it will be difficult to move. I made the decision that my relationship is worth the change, and anyone in a LDR must make the same decision. Planning and communicating are the most important things to do once you are in a LDR. If you are faced with a LDR there are a couple things you should not do. Do not stay together just because you do not want to deal with a break up. Don’t think you’ll be together forever? Don’t bother. Prolonging the break is just stressful and distracting. Have

a beautiful last day together and if things are meant to be, you’ll be together again.

If you love someone enough to deal with long distance, you love them enough not to hop into bed with someone else. Do not cheat. That should go without saying, but I am saying it anyway. Do not use any kind of “I have needs” line. No one cares. If you love someone enough to deal with long distance, you love them enough not to hop into bed with someone else. Don’t spend too much time feeling unsure. If I felt unsure, I would not move out of Wisconsin. Long distance is possible. It takes an enormous amount of effort, it is not always fun, but if you want a future together sometimes you need to deal with time apart. How do you feel about long distance relationships?Are you in one? Are they possible or are they destined for automatic failure? Please send all of your feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

A little birdy told me you had something to say. We wanna hear! Email us at opinion@dailycardinal.com to give us your feedback.

arts Elf Power discusses tour and band life l

Weekend, February 6-9, 2014

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By Sean Reichard THE DAILY CARDINAL

A member of the Elephant 6 Recording Company in its midto-late ’90s heyday, Elf Power embraced psychedelic-tinged pop as its wheelhouse, much like fellow label mates Apples in Stereo and Olivia Tremor Control. Since the effective passing of the label, Elf Power has continued to churn out consistent, well-regarded albums and build a dedicated international fan base. Most recently, Elf Power has embarked on a national tour alongside former label mates Neutral Milk Hotel. Elf Power lead singer/guitarist Andrew Rieger sat down for an email interview with The Daily Cardinal, where he shared some of his hopes and dreams for the future as well as some personal tidbits from the band’s past and what has changed since they formed. Daily Cardinal: How’s tricks? Andrew Rieger: Doing well, we’re a little over halfway through a 33 show tour and all the shows have been amazing thus far! DC: What’s it like being a member of Elf Power? AR: It’s fun, writing and recording songs, traveling the world playing said songs for people. DC: Is there any particular repartee or relationship between yourself and the rest of/anyone else in Elf Power? AR: I’m the main singer/ songwriter, so generally I write

COURTESY OF ORANGE TWIN RECORDS

Elf Power will open for Neutral Milk Hotel Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. at the Orpheum Theater. the songs and we work on the arrangements together as a band. DC: What does an average day look like, getting ready for a show or just doing Elf Power things? AR: On tour, lots of driving, searching out healthy food, hanging out with friends/fans, going for walks, reading. DC: What would you consider Elf Power’s “home base” e.g. where you get together to record, where you live, where the band is from, etc.?

AR: Athens, Georgia. DC: How did you come to reunite with Neutral Milk Hotel on tour? Is it a reunion? AR: Elf Power’s first big tour in 1998 was a big national tour with Neutral Milk Hotel, so it is exciting and fun to be doing it again 15 years later. DC: What’s the travel situation between Elf Power and Neutral Milk Hotel? Travel together? Apart? By bus? By plane? By dirigible? AR: The bands travel sepa-

rately in motor vehicles. DC: Do you have any particular goals and/or things you’re excited about for this tour? Like, any cities/venues you’re looking forward to playing? AR: Yes, tonight [Feb. 4] we are playing at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville which I’m very excited about as it has a rich history and is considered to have some of the best acoustics of any music venue in the world. DC: How does performing live affect your song repertoire, in

terms of how you play a song and which songs you choose to play? AR: Certain songs come across better than others live, so we try to play songs with a good energy and feeling live as well as try to keep a good range of dynamics in the set by playing quiet songs and loud songs and mixing up the instrumentation in the set as well. DC: What has changed the most since you formed in the early ’90s, in terms of making/ releasing albums? AR: Digital technology has changed the way we record as well as release albums, but the basic songwriting approach has been fairly consistent. DC: What has changed the most in terms of touring since your inception? AR: Cell phones make it a lot easier to find places if you get lost. DC: What does the future of Elf Power hold? AR: We’re touring a lot all over the world for the remainder of 2014. DC: What is the absolute worst gig you have ever played? AR: Opening for a Pearl Jam cover band in a rural town in Belgium. DC: What is the greatest rock ‘n’ roll album of all time? AR: Royal Trux, Accelerator. Elf Power will be opening for Neutral Milk Hotel this Saturday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. at the Orpheum Theater.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Neutral Milk Hotel’s first album remains disconcerting

On Avery Island Neutral Milk Hotel By Sean Reichard THE DAILY CARDINAL

Neutral Milk Hotel has eked out a strange nook for itself in the annals of music history. And while In the Aeroplane Over the Sea has become a rite of passage at this point, their other

albums have sort of fallen by the wayside. And by other albums, I mean two EPs and their first, On Avery Island. Avery Island is real: A salt dome in southern Louisiana, which the makers of Tabasco sauce call home. An odd thought when you consider On Avery Island’s cover: a hand painted photo of seaside carousels, framed by a lurid vermillion and cutouts of the band’s name and album title. In Jeff Mangum’s vision, Avery Island becomes a fantastic, fuzzy place full of surreal scenes and unseemly phantasmago-

ria, where everything swelters and macerates. It clings to you, almost grotesquely, full of salt and stench. This is evident when you read the lyrics. Consider the opening lines of “A Baby for Pree”: ‘Blistering Pree, all smiling and swollen / Makes babies to breathe / With their hearts hanging open all over the sheets.” Or consider the closing lines of “Song Against Sex”: “And when I wake up in the morning / I won’t forget to lock the door / Because with a match that’s mean and some gasoline / You won’t see me any mo-ho-ho-ooore!”

The narrators and characters in these songs duck in and out of sight under the blanket of Magnam’s sweltering, macerating music—by turns carnivalesque and moisture-bitten decrepitude. Horns, fuzzed out guitars and Magnam’s high-register waver are the aural mainstays. On Avery Island is also graced with several instrumentals, including its most carnivalesque track, “Avery Island/ April 1st” as well as the almost 14 minute drone collage/suite “Pree-Sisters Swallowing a Donkey’s Eye.” On the surface, all this

amounts to an alienating experience. And On Avery Island is unsettling. But there’s a tenderness that belies the strangeness. On “Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone,” Magnum implores, “Follow me through a city of frost covered angels / I swear I have nothing to prove / I just want to dance in your tangles / To give me some reason to move.” And on “Where You’ll Find Me Now,” he laments, “I let you down / And swollen and small is where you’ll fine me now.”

Rating: A-

comics

Bet those were a bitch to floss. George Washington’s dentures were made from a combination of hippopotamus teeth, ivory, horse teeth, human teeth, gold and lead.

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Today’s Sudoku

8 6

2 4 9

Eatin’ Cake

Sour Patch Kids all up in my face

2 6 9

Weekend, February 6-9, 2014 • 5

5 1 2

4 3

4 6

7 1 8

By Dylan Moriarty www.EatinCake.com

6 8 5 7

4 9 6 8

You Look Tired Today

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

HARD Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and# 45 every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

9 6 7 1

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

8 5

4 1

7 8 9

HARD

1 5

7 # 46

2 4 8 3

4 6 2 1 9 8 3

First in Twenty Classic

9 7

9 3 4

HARDClassic Washington and the Bear

# 47

By Caitlin Kirihara graphics@dailycardinal.com

8 2

By Haley Henschel henschel2@wisc.edu

HARD

Evil Bird Classic

6 7By Angel Lee 9 1 2 5

# 48 By Derek Sandberg

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com

$2 LONG ISLANDS

ACROSS 1 Company supplying Mr. Coyote 5 Camp body of water 9 Where Minos reigned 14 Violin holder 15 Distinctive flair 5 9 168 “Correct-a3 4 7 2 1 mundo!” 2 4 171 Marching 9 8 6orders 5 7 board 6 3 22017 Scratchy 5 1 2 8 4 “Don’t be ridiculous!” 9 1 5 2 7 8 6 3 22 Most nimble 3 7 256 Droid 4 9cousin 5 1 8 26 Charles is its 4 8 2 prince 6 3 1 9 5 8 6 284 Formal 7 5 legal 9 3 2 document 7 5 329 Sinister, 1 2 3 4 6 manipulative type 1 2 373 Fancy 8 6mayo 4 7 9 38 Trek to a lofty lookout point 41 Turn away w.sudoku.com 42 Happy occasion? 43 Carpenter’s groove 44 Lambaste 46 “___ guy walks into ...” (joke start) 47 Mexican peninsula 53 Home of Stanford University

58 Spoken thought, onstage 59 Critters with powerful jaws 62 Throat affliction 63 Wing-shaped 64 Budget item, often 65 Rough Rider Roosevelt 66 Philadelphia founder 67 Doggie bag 6 morsels# 46

5 3 DOWN 4 ___ and pains 9 1 9 2 Fall guy 3 Top of the Catholic 4 6 Church? 2 4 Jotting in a journal 3 5 Zodiac lion 7 6 Computer key 1 1 7 Actress Madeline 7 8 Get dressed for 8 choir 8 9 Wave top 5 10 Rampant 2 11 Harold’s role in “Ghostbusters” 12 Consequently 13 French 101 word 18 Forked letter 19 Adam’s grandson 23 Cashless transaction 24 Coin of Samoa 27 Neither-here-northere state

8 ___ all due respect 2 29 Place for a pothole 30 Trojan princess of a Mozart opera 31 Minuscule 32 Herringlike food fish 33 “___ Las Vegas” (1964 Elvis movie) 34 ___ out a living (barely got by) 35 Seneca tutored 6 him 8 4 1 7 9 36 Type of reaction 1 colonial 3 9 2 8 37 7 Wee 39 Like mechanics’ 2 hands 3 6 8 5 7 45 0 Language 2 1 7in 3 4 Pakistan 7 8 5band 9 1 44 4 One-man performances 9 2siesta 4 6 5 48 5 Short 43 6 Overly 5 9 sentimental 6 8 2 48 It’s tired? 41 9 Texan 6 5with 2 a4glove 3 50 Wall worker 4 7___ in 3 (show 1 6 59 1 Make some headway) 52 Tree houses 53 Sibilant attention getter 54 Poker dealer’s demand 55 Edible fat 56 Newspaper section 57 Gaze wantonly 60 Process leather 61 Mantel pitcher

3 6 4 8 2 7 1 9 5

2 5 1 9 6 3 4 7 8

# 47

5 9 4 6 3 7 8 1 2

2 6 8 9 1 4 7 5 3

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# 48

Page 12 of 25

“Stop moving, both of you! This is Devil’s Snare! You have to relax. If you don’t, it’ll only kill you faster!”

9 3 6 7 1 2 4 8 5 2 7 1 8 4 5 3 9 6 5 4 8 9 6 3 7 1 2 3 5 4 2 9 1 6 7 8 6 8 2 5 3 7 9 4 1 7 What 1 9 the 6 8frick 4 frack 2 5 3 8 2 5 3 7 9 1 6 4 is4going on in this Daily 6 7 1 2 8 5 3 9 1 9 3 archives 4 5 6 photo?! 8 2 7 Cardinal

Kudos to Kayla S. for letting us know.

24 Jul 05

See you Monday for another

Caption That!

other news

Weekend, February 6-9, 2014

dailycardinal.com

Top Scientists: Ramen-noodle-only diet healthiest in the entire world By Dylan Manderson the daily cardinal

Graphic By Haley Henschel

Future criminal tired of the old ‘good RoboCop, bad RoboCop’ routine By Kane Kaiman the daily cardinal

DETROIT, Mich.— Career criminal Clarence Boddicker was completely unfazed by the Detroit Police Department’s time-honored ‘good RoboCop, bad RoboCop’ routine during a run-of-the-mill interrogation at the Detroit Public Safety Headquarters late Tuesday night in the year 2044. Boddicker was brought in for questioning relating to his involvement in the Detroit cocaine black market. When he arrived at the station, an amiable RoboCop greeted him with a cup of coffee and guided him down the stairs to the interrogation chambers. Alone together in one of the dimly lit rooms, RoboCop’s demeanor changed abruptly. According to RoboCop’s own visual memory banks, the cyborg dramatically reached across the table, grabbed

Boddicker’s ceramic coffee mug and ground it to dust between his metallic fingers. Boddicker, no stranger to robotic police cross-examination, rolled his eyes and folded his arms after quickly recognizing the interrogation program RoboCop was running. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat through the old ‘good RoboCop, bad RoboCop’ routine. Every criminal in Detroit has seen this performance,” Boddicker told time-traveling Cardinal reporters. “The RoboCop comes in acting like he’s your best friend, and then all of the sudden he’s shining the lamp in your face and throwing you against the walls. Three seconds later he’s picking you up and dusting you off like you’re pals again.” After four hours of intensive questioning, RoboCop was

forced to free Boddicker, failing to obtain any useful information about cocaine trafficking in the city. “I tried it all,” RoboCop said. “I gave him his one free phone call, forced him into a game of Russian Roullette, let him try on my helmet and then skewered his hand to the table with my data spike, in that order. The creep wouldn’t crack.” RoboCop blames his creator, the Omni Consumer Products megacorporation, for his predictable behavior during questioning. “‘Good RoboCop, bad RoboCop’ is one of only two cross-examination programs OCP engineers loaded onto my cerebral hard-drive,” RoboCop said. “The other one is the ‘Morally Neutral RoboCop’ routine, but you can probably guess how effective that one is.”

The World Health Organization announced Tuesday that a diet consisting exclusively of ramen noodles is the healthiest in the world. This conclusion was reached after a $30 million study led by thousands of the world’s top scientific and medical professionals. The study produced a 373 page report detailing the numerous mental, emotional and physical health benefits of the diet. “After analyzing the academic success of college students who rely on this diet, we decided to investigate the science behind it,” leading World Health Organization Dr. Jim Andrews said. “Turns out all those crazy kids were even smarter than we thought; this stuff is incredibly good for you.” Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish generally cooked in a meat or fish flavored broth. The report also noted that while all variations of the soup are phenomenal, American brand Maruchan ramen noodles are the healthiest of all. “This shocking discovery will likely have profound effects on both the US and world econ-

omy,” President Barack Obama said “I should have seen this coming all along. Michelle is a health freak and she eats that stuff all the time. Plus, my aides have informed me that Japan has the longest life expectancy of any country in the world.” Many were surprised at the findings of the study. When asked about the fact that the packaging of chicken flavored Maruchan ramen reads that its contents account for 70 percent of the daily value for sodium and lists almost no beneficial ingredients, Dr. Andrews reminded reporters that, “Americans used to think that McDonald’s was bad for them, too, remember? Trust us. A steady dose of five to six packs per day can only help your all-around health.” When asked about the recent discovery, Maruchan founder Kazuo Mori said that he had always known his secret, ancient ramen recipe was healthy. At press time, construction crews in Seattle, San Francisco and Portland were busy demolishing vegan eateries and coffee houses to provide space for animal friendly ramen cafes and restaurants.

Student body ecstatic about new high-rise apartments on campus By Andy Holsteen the daily cardinal

University of WisconsinMadison students absolutely can’t wait for the completion of the various high-rise apartment complexes currently under construction in the campus area. A recent poll of undergraduates showed developers hit the proverbial nail on the head by simultaneously deciding to build enormous housing structures 200 feet apart from one another. “I’ve been stuck in a dorm for the past two years,” sophomore Julia McPherry said. “It just seems like there’s literally nowhere else to live. Without all these new housing options, I would probably be stuck there until graduation. Thanks developers!” One major concern raised by local law enforcement is the fact that residential build-

ings above five or six stories tend to lack a cohesive identity between the people who live there. This often leads to higher crime rates, as people don’t feel any sort of meaningful connection to their neighbors. “Honestly, who the fuck cares about the people who live around them?” junior Rocky Patterson said. “The less I have to deal with others, the better. I hope when I move in, everyone stays in their own damn apartment. Crime? Pfft. Why do you think I keep a loaded .45 in every room? I’ll take a fractured community any day. Thanks developers!” Employees of the Madisonbased company EPIC, which hires many UW graduates, are one of the major target groups for these fresh abodes. “Everyone knows EPIC will continue growing exponentially until the end of time,” EPIC head of recruiting, Molly Skell,

said. “I’m glad our future millions of employees will have roofs to put over their heads. Thanks developers!” A few idiot students have suggested these new buildings will be out of their budget. Luckily, as the most recent poll shows, most of these dinguses have come to their senses. “At first I thought it was probably a bad idea to go for a place more than twice as expensive as my current shared apartment,” super senior Greg Goldin said. “But after considering the massive amount of debt I already owe in student loans and other expenses, who fucking cares? Thanks developers!” These brand new, clean high-rises are setting Madison on course to do away with the unneeded “character” and “quaint appeal” of the gross campus area known nationally as a hippie-loving shit hole.

Graphic By Haley Henschel

On this day in history... 1788— Massachusetts becomes the sixth state to ratify the constitution and the fourth to mousify it. 1948— The first radio-controlled airplane is flown. A biplane made of lightweight spruce and cloth, it achieves flight for 900 feet in Kitty Hawk, N.C. 1971— A golf ball is hit on the Moon for the first time by Alan Shephard. An errant shot, it shatters another astronaut’s helmet. 1987— No-smoking rules take effect in U.S. federal buildings. But they never said nothin’ about chewin’ tobacky!

dailycardinal.com

Weekend, February 6-9, 2013

sports

Men’s Hockey

Border battle being played for more than just pride By Devin Lowe THE DAILY CARDINAL

If there’s one series fans will circle on their calendars months in advance, it’s the annual matchup between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Minnesota Gophers. Through the transition from WCHA to Big Ten hockey, the Border Battle remains just as much of a battle as ever. The No. 12 Badgers (5-41 Big Ten, 14-8-2 overall) last met No. 1 Minnesota (8-0-2 Big Ten, 19-2-5 overall) at Mariucci Arena in November. After being defeated 4-1 in the first matchup, Wisconsin held two leads in the second game before a last-second heartbreaker goal by Minnesota sealed the Badgers’ loss. This time, Wisconsin will host Minnesota at the Kohl Center, where it has gone 13-2-1 this year. Yet calling home ice an advantage for the Badgers in this series would be a dangerous conclusion to jump to: Minnesota is 6-1-1 on the road and undefeated in the Big Ten.

“Ultimately, it’s a hockey game and fans aren’t going to determine it,” senior forward Michael Mersch said. “Home ice isn’t going to determine who’s going to win the game. It’s going to take a lot of passion and a lot of hard work to win.” The Badgers are fresh off a winless weekend in Ann Arbor, where Michigan handed Wisconsin two losses, one from a shootout which was recorded as a tie. Two key forwards, senior Tyler Barnes and sophomore Nic Kerdiles, were out of the lineup. Though Barnes will not play against Minnesota, Kerdiles will return to play on a line with senior forward Mark Zengerle and senior forward Sean Little. The Gophers lost a shootout of their own last weekend against Michigan State, scraping out a 2-2 tie while winning the second game 1-0. Minnesota’s last loss was over three months ago when the UMD Bulldogs walloped the Gophers 6-2.

“[Minnesota] is a good team,” senior forward Jefferson Dahl said. “They’ve been playing well all year and we know it’s going to be a battle.” Aside from quelling the Gophers’ powerhouse offense, the Badgers will also face the challenge of putting pucks behind sophomore goaltender Adam Wilcox, who boasts a .931 save percentage and a 1.96 GAA this season. “Wilcox is a nice young goaltender and there are a lot of good goalies in this league, but as most people tell you, you can’t stop the puck if you can’t see it,” head coach Mike Eaves said. “We need to get pucks and traffic at the net to at least make his job tougher.” Both teams have players that crossed the border to play for their home state’s rival. Minnesota’s captain, senior forward Nate Condon, hails from Wausau, Wis. The Badgers have six players from Minnesota, including freshman forward and Plymouth native Grant Besse.

Women’s Basketball

“I think we’re trying to treat it just like any other series,” Besse said. “Obviously there’s an emotional factor with the WisconsinMinnesota rivalry that may come in to it, but we need six points coming out of this weekend in the Big Ten standings.”

The Border Battle begins Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Wisconsin’s first Thursday game of the season. Friday’s game starts at 8 p.m. High attendance is expected at both games as Wisconsin takes on its oldest and fiercest rival.

GREY SATTERFIELD/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Sophomore forward Nic Kerdiles returns this weekend after spending the last month on the bench with an injury.

Football

National signing day yields 30 recruits for Wisconsin By Andrew Tucker THE DAILY CARDINAL

WILL CHIZEK/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Redshirt senior Taylor Wurtz was key for UW on defense, forcing tough shots the entire game.

Nebraska bests Wisconsin in overtime heartbreaker By Louisa Lincoln and Chris Bates THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Badgers women’s basketball team lost a heartbreaker to No. 22 Nebraska by one point, 71-70 in overtime Wednesday night at the Kohl Center. “We played tough like coach said, but we don’t like moral victories,” redshirt senior Taylor Wurtz said. “So we just have to get back in the gym and watch the film to correct the little mistakes we made. Now we know that we can play with anybody in this league and we are gonna make a statement toward the end of the season.” While Wisconsin (3-7 Big Ten, 10-12 overall) put up a valiant effort against the Huskers (6-3, 16-5), they weren’t able to make the necessary play at the end of the game to finish with a win. Neither team led by more than six points, but it seemed as if the Badgers were always in control. The game started slow, with the score at half standing 26-21 in favor of the Badgers. Wisconsin severely slowed

down Nebraska’s offense, holding the Cornhuskers to their season-low point total at the end of the first half. The Huskers held the Badgers’ leading scorer, junior forward Michala Johnson, to just two points in the first half, but their 3-point shooting helped open up the paint after the break. Johnson would go on to score 14 points in the second half and kept the Badgers in the lead. “In the second half I knew I had to step it up and do what I do best, and that is finish [around the basket],” Johnson said. With the game going down to the wire and the two teams trading baskets, junior guard Tear’a Laudermill stepped up for the Huskies hitting her last four, 3-point attempts to keep Nebraska within striking distance. At the end of regulation with the Badgers up 60-58, Nebraska senior Jordan Hooper stepped up and did what star players do best—made the game-tying shot. Wurtz forced Hooper into tough shots most of the game, but

Hooper got free when it counted. “Shes a tough player to guard, shes physical, she took over the game like a great player does,” Wurtz said. As the game went into overtime the Badgers built on what they did at the end of regulation—getting the ball inside to Johnson for high-percentage looks. Johnson had eight of the teams’ 10 point in the extra period, but it wasn’t enough to lead her team to victory. With eight seconds to play and the Badgers down one, the plan was to get the ball inside and let Johnson work her magic. The ball was inbounded and swung around to Johnson, but the post feed from junior Jacki Gulczynski was stolen away by a Nebraska defender. The buzzer sounded soon after, ending any hope of a Badger victory. “Johnson had a great game in the second half and we had a tough time slowing her down,” Nebraska head Coach Connie Yori said. “You hate to see anybody lose that game because both teams fought really hard.”

Each year, for one day, high school players must sign a letter of intent to choose which school they will attend for their collegiate football career. Yesterday was that day. The Badgers have a total of 30 commitments, 25 of them earning scholarships while five of them plan to walk-on. The coaching staff’s recruiting plan was similar to Wisconsin in years past: Get big linemen and a variety of skilled running backs. Seven O-Linemen committed, led by offensive tackle Jaden Gault. He, as well as lineman Michael Deiter, are already enrolled at UW, and have begun working out with the team to get extra practice time before the spring game. “They have a tremendous opportunity, and Michael may be starting in the spring due to some injuries to Dan [Voltz] and Dallas [Lewallan],” head coach Gary Andersen said. Adding to their already solid running attack, the Badgers snagged three running backs. “Taiwan Deal is the big back, Ula Tolutau is more of a fullback, and Caleb Kinlaw is a bit of a scat back, so they each bring something different to the table,” offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig said. “As you saw this year, there is room in the offense for a third runner, and not just in a mop-up role.” To beef up their offense, the team also added five wide receivers to cover up the loss of key contributors like Jared Abbrederis and Jacob Pedersen. They also signed highly recruited four-star dual-threat quarterback D.J Gillins. While last year’s starter, junior Joel Stave, is returning next year, the staff would like to test their options, including sophomore Bart Houston and former safety junior Tanner McEvoy. While recruits came from vari-

ous states around the country, including Hawaii, Andersen knows where his main priority should be. “Continuing to branch out is important, but we’re never going to forget where we’re built from,” Andersen said. “Our foundation is here in the state of Wisconsin, and the Midwest in general.” Wisconsin boasts success over the last few years convincing quality athletes to transfer, including Russell Wilson and McEvoy. This year, Andersen got Serge Trezy to transfer from Eastern Arizona University. He is listed as both a skilled running and defensive back. Anderson says he may see time as a kick returner, but for now, he is a defensive back. While the recruits Wisconsin signed aren’t the five-star recruits of lore, the coaching staff is confident that they can develop talent that fits into their system. “Very few high school kids are finished products. You want to see them be exceptional at one thing and be able to build on that,” wide receiver coach Chris Beatty said. “If you do one thing really well, we can help you with the rest of it.” ESPN ranks the Wisconsin recruiting class as No. 34 in the nation and fifth in the Big Ten. “As coaches, we evaluate our way, [ESPN recruiting reporters] will evaluate them their way ... you can’t build your football team on what other people are saying,” Andersen said. However, not every recruit pans out, and sometimes players that aren’t highly recruited can bloom once in college. Even successful Badgers J.J. Watt and Chris Borland weren’t highly recruited out of high school. “We will know more in a couple years, but right now, I feel very good about the group coming in personality wise and talent wise,” Ludwig said.

Sports

WEEKEND FEBRUARY 6-9, 2014 DAILYCARDINAL.COM

Feature

USHL hockey returns, but will the fans? M

Story by Brian Weidy

onday Aug. 5, 2013, seemingly out of nowhere, the United States Hockey League (USHL) announced a new team in Madison, Wis. This new club, officially dubbed the Madison Capitols, is set to begin play this fall, financed by Madtown Hockey, LLC, Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter and former Badger player Tom Sagissor. For those who are close to the league, the question now becomes: Why expand to 17 teams? And with a top-tier NCAA team in its backyard, will attracting fans be a challege? The USHL, for the uninitiated, is the United States’ only Tier I junior hockey league, which puts it on par with the Canadian Hockey League. However, unlike its Canadian counterpart, the USHL does not provide a stipend to its players, allowing them to retain their amateur status and play collegiate hockey. This is not the first time the Capitols have made a home in Madison. The team existed from 1984-’95, and lives on as an AAA hockey program playing at the Capitol Ice Arena.

“We’re not here to say ‘oh, we’re an expansion team,’ we’re here to win right out of the gate.” Ed Chamberlain president Madison Capitols

The resurrected Capitols will play their games at the Alliant Energy Center’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which can hold 10,231 people and was the former home of the Badger men’s hockey team from 1967-’98. The biggest benefit of having an amateur league in Madison, for the Badgers, is the more than 20 potential recruits living and playing in Madison. With more than 250 USHL players holding scholarship offers during the 2011-’12 season to play Division I hockey, there will certainly be talent for the Badgers to mine. “Having that USHL team in Madison gives the Wisconsin coaching staff an opportunity to evaluate players all the time,” said Andy Johnson, scout for the Muskegon Lumberjacks and the Hockey Editor for Bucky’s 5th Quarter. “They can evaluate teams that are coming in so they don’t have to travel to Dubuque, Iowa or Waterloo or Indiana, they’ve got that tool in their backyard now.” Ed Chamberlain, the Capitols’ President, previously served a similar role as the Vice President of the Iowa Wild, a member of the American Hockey League. In the team’s inaugural year he’s counting down the days until USHL hockey returns to Madison. “Madison is a great city,” Chamberlain said. “I’ve been

here for a while and I really like the city. It’s got a vibrant feel to it, the people are wonderful, it’s consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and ultimately that bodes well for anybody, whether it’s us or the Badgers.” Badger men’s hockey coach Mike Eaves is excited about not having to travel to Waterloo and Green Bay to scout and recruit players. In the long run, it saves him and his staff valuable time and money. “My boss will be happy because it’ll cut down on costs but it will be really convenient for us to see [the players] on a more regular basis,” Eaves said. “They’re right in our own backyard and we can get out very easily and very often, as long as we’re in town, to see them play.” For the USHL, if they are looking to expand, Madison seems like a prime target for the location of an additional team. All 16 teams find themselves fairly centrally located in the Midwest, expanding as far east as Youngstown, Ohio and as far west as Kearney, Neb. Madison falls just about exactly halfway between those two. “We have some built-in rivalries with Dubuque and for sure Green Bay,” Chamberlain said. “Chicago’s not that far from us. Our longest trip is Youngstown, Ohio, but even going to Des Moines [Iowa] is only 4 ½ hours away … For the most part we have a nice location where we are sitting at.” Furthermore, the USHL currently has franchises in cities as big as Indianapolis, with 834,852 people, and as small as Kearney, Neb., where 30,787 people call home. Madison would clock in as the third largest city with a USHL franchise, Chicago notwithstanding, as the team is located in Bensenville, Ill. This large population, in conjunction with a great hockey culture and an arena in place makes Madison an ideal place to expand. Starting in 1969 and up until 1993, the Badgers led the country in attendance every single

GRAPHIC BY HALEY HENSCHEL

year through a combination of the largest arena and the ability to fill it every single game. When the Kohl Center was built in 1998, the Badgers reclaimed the top spot in average attendance per game. But over the last five years, the Badgers have seen their attendance figures drop precipitously. In the 2009-’10 season the Badgers went 28-11-4, finishing as the NCAA runner-up—a remarkable achievement. As a result, the Badgers sported one of their highest attendance figures in years.

“My boss will be happy because it’ll cut down on costs, but it’ll be really convenient for us.” Mike Eaves head coach Wisconsin men’s hockey

The following year, the team went 21-16-4 and missed the NCAA tournament entirely. In the process, 1,822 fewer fans showed up to the Kohl Center each week. This trend has many asking why, while answers are scarce. Is it declining performance on the ice or players leaving early for the NHL? The lack of alcohol sales at the Kohl Center is one explanation. Whatever it

GRAPHIC BY HALEY HENSCHEL

may be, adding another team to the city likely can not help this trend. Chamberlain does understand the slide, and has his sights set on reasonable expectations for attendance in their formative years. “Our goal is probably around the 3,500 to 4,000 range,” Chamberlain said. “I think when you look at the league average (2,649 in 2012-’13), the top teams are around 4,300 or so. If we can be in the top five, that would be pretty exciting for us.” With rapid turnover on all rosters, being an expansion team should not really hinder the Capitols for more than a year or two. Teams don’t have the luxury of building around a Dany Heatley or a Joe Pavelski, as they would in either the college or professional ranks. “When Dubuque came into the league three years ago, they won the championship in their first year,” Chamberlain said. “We’re here to win. We’re not here to lose. We’re not here to say ‘oh, we’re an expansion team,’ we’re here to win right out of the chute.” If continuity of the rosters is the problem, then the Capitols could run into the same problem the Badgers do. It is difficult to really form a connection with players if they move on a year after they arrive. If players begin transitioning

from the Capitols to the Badgers, however, it could create the perfect symbiotic relationship between both teams. Last but not least, if alcohol sales are an answer, holding games at the beer-friendly Coliseum will certainly help the Capitols’ fan experience, as many often lament the lack of alcohol sales at the Kohl Center.

“We have some built in rivalries with Dubuque and for sure Green Bay.” Ed Chamberlain president Madison Capitols

Despite their lamentations, Chamberlain does not feel that their ability to sell beer will be the main reason why people will show up to the Coliseum. “We are going to be primarily family-oriented, that’s really our target market: youth hockey, schools, everything,” Chamberlain said. “We do have the right to sell beer here and I don’t see that being played up as a huge promotion for us.” Another marketing tactic the Badgers have that the Capitols can’t boast is proximity. Whereas the Kohl Center is walking distance from just about anywhere students live, the Alliant Energy Center is a decent bus/cab ride/ drive from campus. That being said, it was never a problem when the Badgers played their home games there. “We definitely have some plans to be involved with the students,” Chamberlain said. “We have a lot of hockey fans over there, we’ll have a lot of great promotions. We’ll have lots of different packages that are geared toward students specifically.” At the end of the day, Eaves and the Badgers believe the Capitols will be a net positive for the greater Madison community, and it will be interesting to see how this new hockey blood affects the Badgers’ already dwindling attendance figures. “Overall, I think it’s a good thing and a positive thing for the community,” Johnson said. “The USHL is a very fun alternative.”