Tuesday, March 2, 2010 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

College kids say the darndest things. See who had the greatest gaffes in “Overheard.” OVERHEARD

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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PLANNED EXAGGERATIONS HARM PUBLIC Planned Parenthood joined ACORN last week as victim of Republican tactics. OPINION

Complete campus coverage since 1892

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Small fire sparks Grainger evacuation UW-Madison students evacuated Grainger Hall after a small fire triggered the smoke alarms Monday afternoon. Laura Bast, a UW-Madison senior who was in Grainger Hall at the time of the incident, said the alarm went off around noon. Bast said everyone evacuated the building after the alarm sounded, but were let back in shortly after they left. She said when they went in the second time they saw smoke and were

told to evacuate again. According to Sgt. Kurt Feavel of the UW Police Department, UWPD officials received a fire report at around 12:30 p.m. and responded to the call immediately. He said officials found fire in the building and ensured that students remained evacuated until the fire was extinguished. Feavel said UWPD still does not know the exact cause

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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

“Good Day Sunshine”

of the fire, but according to a UW-Madison news release, officials believe the fire began in an exterior wall facing University Avenue. Grainger Hall returned to normal business, including classes, around 1:30 p.m. as students and faculty were admitted back into the building. According to the release, no one was injured in the fire, but UWPD officials are still investigating the situation. —Kelsey Gunderson

Isabel álvarez/the daily cardinal

A woman enjoys the sun while sitting on Library Mall. Warm temperatures greeted Madison residents during the first day of March.

Faculty Senate discusses campus free-speech policies By Ryan Hebel The Daily Cardinal Isabel Álvarez/the daily cardinal

UW-Madison students evacuated Grainger Hall for about an hour Monday afternoon as Madison Fire Department officials put out a small fire in the building.

Covenant Scholars to receive at least $250 for tuition expenses, Doyle says By Hannah Furfaro The Daily Cardinal

Wisconsin Covenant Scholars are each set to receive between $250 and $2,500 annually to help cover tuition costs, Gov. Jim Doyle announced Monday. Joined by Chancellor Biddy Martin and UW System President Kevin Reilly at Memorial Library, Doyle said scholars will be eligible for grants for eight semesters and will receive funding based on their financial need. The program offers students who make a pledge in eighth grade a spot at one of the UW System’s 26 campuses if they maintain a “B” average, gradu-

ate from high school, stay on track with college prep courses and act as good citizens. “This is a tremendous step forward for Wisconsin. It puts us as one of the leading states in the country in making sure that our young people who have worked hard and made their way into our great higher education colleges in this state can afford it,” Doyle said. With the first class of Covenant Scholars set to graduate high school in spring 2011, the question remains whether the next governor will commit to the program Doyle outlined. Both Republican gubernatorial candidates have said they

place high value on education but are unsure they can support a program that does not have sufficient funding. “Promising college placement to tens of thousands of eighth graders without putting the necessary funding behind it is one of the worst examples of Gov. Doyle’s broken covenants with the families of Wisconsin,” Jill Bader, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker’s spokesperson, said in a statement. Republican candidate Mark Neumann said education is one of his top priorities but he wants to know what money will covenant page 3

A new proposal protecting the UW-Madison faculty’s freedom to criticize UW-Madison administrators and policies was presented at the Faculty Senate meeting Wednesday. According to the proposal’s lead sponsor, UW-Madison law professor Donald Downs, the amendment is a necessary precaution, despite the

university’s good track record for handling dissent, because a recent Supreme Court case decided government employees, including faculty members, can be punished or fired for any speech “pursuant to their official duties.” “This university should have a wider range of free speech than most faculty page 3

Nelson Cho/the daily cardinal

UW professor Eric Schatzberg discusses amendments he co-sponsored to strengthen academic freedom at Monday's Faculty Senate meeting.

“…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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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

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

TODAY: cloudy hi 34º / lo 20º

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Writer’s block: Stories that missed the cut

Volume 119, Issue 98

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

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Charles Brace Managing Editor Ryan Hebel Campus Editor Kelsey Gunderson Grace Urban City Editor State Editor Hannah Furfaro Enterprise Editor Hannah McClung Associate News Editor Ashley Davis Senior News Reporters Alison Dirr Ariel Shapiro Robert Taylor Anthony Cefali Opinion Editor Todd Stevens Arts Editors Katie Foran-McHale Jacqueline O’Reilly Sports Editors Scott Kellogg Nico Savidge Kevin Slane Page Two Editor Features Editor Madeline Anderson Ben Pierson Life and Style Editor Photo Editors Isabel Álvarez Danny Marchewka Graphics Editors Caitlin Kirihara Natasha Soglin Multimedia Editor Jenny Peek Editorial Board Chair Jamie Stark Copy Chiefs Anna Jeon Kyle Sparks Justin Stephani Jake VIctor Copy Editors Emily Ayres, Yanan Chen Taylor Curley, Stephanie Lindholm Duwayne Sparks, Victoria Statz

WEDNESDAY: sunny hi 37º / lo 20º

ERIN KAY VAN PAY hail to the v.p.

riter’s block: It’s like your brain is taking a poo that’s just a tad too big for your cranium, minus the blinding, searing physical pain. We’ve all felt mentally constipated in theory, and usually during the absolute worst times: the night before that 25-page research paper about periodical cicadas is due and you’ve done nothing but watch “Hoarders” for the past two weeks, at the altar during that vow part you were supposed to have memorized but forgot last night when Destiny at the bachelor party poured a 15th shot into your mouth using only her cleavage and when you’re next up at the National-Level Articulate Thoughts Materializing Into Something Not Only Useful,

But Necessary Competition. And we all know that no amount of Phillips’ can loosen up the stool of your mind, but do you ever wonder where those abandoned ideas go? Don’t worry, I’ve just about given up on this fecal metaphor, but please allow me to make one more extension. Abandoned ideas go into the hippocampal toilet—and you can think of your ideas as bacteria growing up the sides of the rim, untouched by any form of Clorox. And what’s more accessible than your personal, precious coliforms? Probably quite a lot, but that isn’t the point. What I am trying to say is that if you just fish around barehanded in the bowl, you may just find a forgotten gold mine, or at least some files that you can copy and paste together to make it look like a finished product. Wait, what? Now that I feel like a disgusting, horrible person, I want to show you my favorite bacteria. These are the

headlines that I found unﬂushed in my own W.C.: —“How to Withhold Sex While Still Getting Laid: A Modern Lady’s Guide” —“STUDY: 90 Percent of Professors are Complete Douchefarts” —“Maybe All the Parties I’ve Been to Are Just Pregame Parties” —“I’m So Poor I Returned an X-acto Knife” —“Whatever Happened to Chat Rooms?” —“The More I Cook, The More I Hate Myself ” —“No, You Do Not Need an Updated Picture, I Still Look as Good as I Did in My Senior Pictures” —“If I Could Make a Living Attending Training Sessions, I Would” —“How to Not Fuck a Great Thing Up: A Man’s Guide to Decoding Woman-Speak and Etiquette to Keep in Mind” —“Guy On Computer in Lecture Takes Approximately Zero Notes, Inboxes Girl Who Looks Like a Slut or His Mom, I Can’t Tell, I’m Three Rows Back”

—“If You Didn’t Like ‘Avatar 3D,’ Then You Are an A-Hole” Perhaps these potential columns were just as useless as they were originally judged and feared, but perhaps something bigger is at work here. These abandoned ideas can relate to other aspects of life, because you know what? Maybe some papers are best left missing an entire thesis, or maybe a text is best forgotten after the initial “Sup,” or maybe that party with the giant bucket of brown liquid with pineapple floating in it is better deserted before it even began. After all, variety in the length of your required assignments and social interactions is the spice of life, and sometimes you just have to catch “Hoarders” before bedtime. Want someone to send your own list of half-baked ideas to in an effort to break down the walls of writer’s block? Want to use some bathroom humor while doing it? Good, me too, but you can send yours to VP at evanpay@wisc.edu.

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Cole Wenzel Advertising Manager Katie Brown Accounts Receivable Manager Michael Cronin Billing Manager Mindy Cummings Senior Account Executive Ana Devcic Account Executives Mara Greenwald Kristen Lindsay, D.J. Nogalski, Sarah Schupanitz Graphic Designer Mara Greenwald Web Director Eric Harris Marketing Director Mia Beeson Archivist Erin Schmidtke The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. 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. 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 typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than 200 words, including contact information. Letters may be sent to letters@dailycardinal.com.

Editorial Board Charles Brace Anthony Cefali Kathy Dittrich Ryan Hebel Nico Savidge Jamie Stark Todd Stevens Justin Stephani l

Board of Directors Vince Filak Cole Wenzel Joan Herzing Jason Stein Jeff Smoller Janet Larson Chris Long Charles Brace Katie Brown Benjamin Sayre Jenny Sereno Terry Shelton Melissa Anderson l

Girl: I don’t think of my ancestry as a melting pot, it’s more like a stew. Guy: Because a stew is chunky?

bed and cuddled with his vomit

Guy in College: Well, I guess I can ﬁnally go back to not giving a crap about hockey now.

Girl: So what do you think is going to win Best Picture? Guy: Probably The Hurt Locker. Girl: Is that the one with Sandra Bullock?

Guy on University: I saw someone wearing shorts today. That means skirt season is just around the corner. Guy 2: F*CK YEAH.

Guy in HCW: How many times can you go to the plasma clinic in a week? My blood is very thick, like spaghetti sauce, so would 4 times be too much?

Girl 1: I’m worried, my paper was 3 1/2 pages. Girl 2: But the assignment said 3-4 pages. Girl 1: Yeah, but it said 3 to 4 FULL pages, and mine was in between! Me and other girl: ....

(Two guys outside the Nitty): Guy 1: I’m surprised no one has that as their ringer. Peanut Butter Jelly Time! Peanut Butter Jelly Time! Guy 2: Someone probably does, but it’s no one you’d want to talk to.

Sconnie Guy: Do you have any spring break plans? Coastie Girl: Umm, yea. I’m goin’ to L.Aaaa. Guy: Oh, wow. What’s in L.A? Girl: Home. Guy: Oh, wow, you’re from California? Girl (giggling): Yea, I know, I’m kind of a big deal. Me: WTF?????????????

(Two Coasties in serious conversation while in line at Starbucks) Coastie #1: “..So what is the Capital of Wisconsin?” Coastie #2: “I don’t know.. Milwaukee?”

Girl 1: (sings theme from “The Way We Were”) Girl 2: That sounds like a mix between Jesus and Fergie. Friend telling someone else: He never would admit it, but once he threw up in his

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

Middle-aged man on State Street: This is not the year to wear a dress. Guy near Vintage to girl running across the street at night: What are you doing?? Girl (in high heels): Breaking the law! Bartender at Nitty: That’ll be $2. Guy: Can I pay with a card? Bartender: We have a $10 minimum for cards Guy: Ok, can I just have 5 drinks then?

Girl: We should celebrate you showering as if it’s an annual holiday...like your Bar Mitzvah or something. Guy at the Nitty: I know it doesn’t mean anything in the greater scheme of life, but I just peed next to Travis fuckin’ Beckum! Hungover guy at breakfast in Frank’s: the bathroom ﬂoor was sooo cold this morning Guy at party to friend: You don’t have the nerve! Guy ﬁfteen feet away, after just talking about WoW: Who just called me a nerd? Girl1: Getting pregnant would be the number one worst thing that could happen to me right now. No, wait--I guess a death in the family would be worse. Girl2: Yea! You can undo a pregnancy. Professor during lecture: I can just imagine my grandmother coming in here, “GET OUT!” ... No, she’s dead. Hahaha. ... And now I’m going to hell. Guy in Wando’s watching Olympics: If the U.S. beats Canada in both men’s and women’s hockey I will skeet till morning. (At a game of beer pong) Guy: So do you guys play NBA Jam rules? Girl: No, we play Amy Holland rules! *singing* She’s ON FIRE!!!! Guy (to partner): You’ve gotta be f*ckin kidding me.

Submit your own Overheard entries now at dailycardinal.com/page-two. See if yours makes it in print!

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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

news

Two UW students victims of attempted robbery

Isabel álvarez/the daily cardinal

Gov. Jim Doyle spoke at Memorial Library Monday and said Wisconsin Covenant Scholars will receive between $250 and $2,500 for tuition-related expenses.

covenant from page 1 be used to fund the program. “There’s a lot of really fine programs, but you have to be able to afford to pay for it,” he said. Doyle said two other states are mov-

ing forward with programs similar to the Covenant grants, both under Republican gubernatorial leadership. “I guess I’m always a little amazed to watch just how partisan this all gets … to pull the rug out from under these students would be pretty hard to do,” he said.

Congress to vote on extending unemployment benefits Tuesday Congress may pass legislation Tuesday that would extend unemployment benefits for 30 days for some unemployed Wisconsin residents. Without the bill, many unemployed Wisconsinites will lose benefits in the coming weeks. Wisconsin citizens are normally eligible for unemployment benefits for up to 26 weeks, but because of the recession, policymakers extended assistance to 93 weeks in Wisconsin. The current legislation would help maintain those additional benefits. John Dipko, communications director for the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, said he is optimistic the extension will pass. “We were disappointed that Congress didn’t act last week, but we were encouraged by the fact that there is strong bipartisan support for an extension,” he said. “We are hopeful that they will rectify the situation and act quickly.” Dipko said if Congress passes the legislation soon, only “a couple hundred [Wisconsin citizens] or so would be affected at most by a loss of benefits.”

U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., delayed the legislation Friday, saying Congress did not have the $10 billion to fund the bill. U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, backed Bunning’s actions. “All Sen. Bunning was saying, quite correctly, is that it ought to be paid for,” Kyl told Fox News Sunday. “Congress just passed the pay-go legislation, which is supposed to require that we find offsets or other savings if we’re going to spend money … [The unemployment bill] will pass though because it is a temporary extension.” Kyl said the long-term unemployment extension currently pending in Congress will likely be more difficult to pass because it is projected to cost more than $100 billion. —Alison Dirr

New parking meters take credit cards New parking meters in the Buckeye lot will allow drivers to pay with credit cards, beginning Wednesday. Two years of research, presentations, contractual negotiations and surveys allowed for the new parking system. The machines will operate mostly by solar power, according to WKOW. To use the multispace parking

meter system, drivers will enter their parking space number and pay by either credit card or coinage. A receipt will then be printed, indicating the meter expiration time. The Buckeye parking lot is located near the corner of State Street and Gorham Street. An opening event will take place Wednesday morning in celebration of the new parking model.

Two UW students were accosted during an attempted robbery on West Mifflin St. early Sunday morning. The victims, both male, 21 and 22 -years old, were walking on Mifflin Street when they were approached by three men. The perpetrators demanded that the two men turn over their money, but the victims refused, said Joel DeSpain, Madison Police Department public information officer. The incident report indicates that while one victim engaged in a confrontation with one of the suspects, the other victim exchanged words with the other perpetrators, according to DeSpain. The perpetrators then punched the two men in the head and fled the area. No injuries were reported, and the vic-

faculty from page 1 other institutions … because our special intellectual and moral charter to pursue truth in a robust and fearless fashion, and also because of shared governance,” Downs said. Proposal cosigner John Sharpless agreed the decision was especially ominous for university professors. “Things like defense spending, decisions on athletic apparel and decisions on public policy that affect campus funding. … It’s important that we be able to speak on those issues as citizens and not run the risk of losing our position as faculty,” Sharpless said. The proposed amendment to faculty policies and procedures would insert the right to speak “on matters related to professional duties, the functioning of the university and university positions and policies,” provided those speech acts do not “constitute misconduct,” Downs said. UW-Madison professor and sponsor Eric

tims did not need any medical treatment. The first perpetrator is described as a black male, 20-25 years old, 5'7'' inches to 5'8'' tall, 150 to 160 pounds, wearing a blue and white flannel shirt, blue jeans and an eyebrow ring and lip ring. The second perpetrator is described as a black male, 6'2'' to 6'3'' tall, 190200 pounds, with a dark complexion and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and baseball cap. The third perpetrator is described as a black male, 6' tall, 180 to 190 pounds, with a light complexion and wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt. DeSpain said MPD tries to call attention to these incidents when they happen downtown to reiterate the importance of practicing safe behaviors. —Ashley Davis Schatzberg said the current policy could create perverse incentives to air all internal complaints publicly. “If you sent letters to the press about what you thought was going wrong, there you might be acting as a citizen … so it’s quite possible that it encourages people not to try to work things out within their organization,” he said. The Senate’s University Committee Chair Bill Tracy also provided an update on the UC’s ad hoc committee report on UW-Madison's graduate school. Chancellor Biddy Martin applauded much of the report but expressed concerns about moving grants management and compliance issues to the vice chancellor of administration’s office because that may “move those operations too far from the faculty.” She also said she worried about assigning one administrator the duties of the vice chancellor for research and the dean of the graduate school, as done under the current structure and supported by the new report.

opinion 4

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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Editorial Cartoon

By John Liesveld opinion@dailycardinal.com

Freedom of speech also comes with responsibility By Charles Brace EDITOR IN CHIEF

Abortion opponents must stop underhanded tactics KATHY DITTRICH opinion columnist

he release last week of undercover video footage taken at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Wisconsin, which supposedly reveals a Planned Parenthood employee breaking a state law, has drawn attention again to the contemptible and derisory tactics of conservatives. This latest attack is one reminiscent of another on the antipoverty group ACORN last fall. ACORN is a grassroots organizing community that helps disadvantaged and lowincome people fight foreclosures, fix tax problems and register voters. The organization came under fire from Congressional leaders after rightwing activists disguised as pimps and prostitutes obtained footage of ACORN employees advising a “pimp” and “prostitute” to classify their work as “performing arts” for tax purposes and make sure underage girls from El Salvador working in brothels attend school so as not to raise suspicion. The undercover footage was a boon for Republican leaders not interested in or benefited by ACORN’s voter registration activities and resulted in the passage of an amendment that blocked federal funding for ACORN. In response to the footage, the CEO of ACORN, Bertha Lewis, terminated all employees implicated in the tapes saying, “It was unfortunate that they got duped into this trumped-up scenario, but none of them met our professional standards.” In ACORN’s defense, Lewis also emphasized that of ACORN’s approximately 700 employees nationwide, only five behaved inappropriately and that in dozens of ACORN offices the “pimps” and “prostitutes” were thrown out. Additionally Lewis clarified that although ACORN employees gave illegal verbal advice, no tax documents were ever filed. ACORN offers valuable services in this country, especially to low-

income individuals and communities disenfranchised by a political system in which politicians offer lip service in exchange for votes but rarely follow through to enact policy that beneﬁts working class constituents. Unfortunately, as a result of the inappropriate and illegal behavior of a few individuals, ACORN lost important federal funding. Meanwhile, banking practices on Wall Street led to the loss of life savings and homes, but the guilty individuals there were rewarded with federal taxpayer dollars to ensure that they continue providing their invaluable services to this country. In Wisconsin, the release of the Planned Parenthood footage obtained by the anti-abortion group Live Action, based out of California, has resulted in the right’s attempt to call into question the validity of Planned Parenthood. Based on the supposed misconduct of one Planned Parenthood employee, Live Action is claiming systematic illegal activity by the organization as a whole.

Live Action does not value the services offered by Planned Parenthood and doesn’t care that others do.

It needs to be acknowledged that Live Action’s footage is not conclusive. Live Action claims that Planned Parenthood failed to report the underage pregnancy of a 14-year-old girl (who in reality was an undercover 21-year-old woman) who came into the clinic seeking medical advice. But Planned Parenthood spokesperson Amanda Harrington has countered that the video is “heavily edited, at times inaudible, and incomplete.” It’s not clear that Planned Parenthood acted illegally; it’s entirely possible that the employee did not have enough information (proof of age, identity and pregnancy) to report the suspected or supposed underage pregnancy. It’s troubling that Planned Parenthood is being challenged, and

their existence called into question, based on a fallible claim that an individual employee broke the law, one time. Obviously, it is important that Planned Parenthood deal with underage pregnancies within the law. But Live Action’s undercover work fails to provide evidence that the organization is systematically failing to follow the law or that Planned Parenthood’s work is harmful for individuals and the community. Just as the actions of a few bad apples in ACORN led to the demonization of an entire organization, an organization that works to improve the lives of low-income individuals, so too is Planned Parenthood under fire for the supposed mishandling of a single case of underage pregnancy. Little attention is being paid to the invaluable services offered by Planned Parenthood, such as medical care, birth control and pregnancy counseling to low-income individuals, or to the countless times employees have followed state and federal laws. But, after all, these services are of no interest to Live Action, whose goal is to put an end to clinics offering medical services such as birth control and abortion. Live Action does not value the services offered by Planned Parenthood and doesn’t care that others do. Live Action’s disregard for women’s health and women’s choice in matters concerning reproduction is evident; but it remains to be seen how Live Action’s undercover work contributes to improving women’s access to medical care or to improving women’s health. How does misleading Planned Parenthood improve the situation of underage pregnant girls? How does Live Action’s video contribute in a meaningful and constructive way to the abortion debate? Deceptive intentions beget misleading results, and more damage is done than good when groups such as Live Action attempt to promote their agenda via trickery and unwarranted dishonesty. Kathy Dittrich is a senior majoring in English and French. Please send all responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Because of recent events, specifically The Badger Herald allowing an online ad to run that links to a website denying the Holocaust, I want to take the opportunity to make clear The Daily Cardinal’s advertising policies. Both our editorial and business staff reserves the right to reject any advertisement that we deem either libelous or offensive. However, this policy allows for a wide range of discretion by our staff, and it is up to our judgment whether an ad crosses the line from being provocative to being completely misleading. As an example, I would allow an ad to run that features either very graphic or descriptive content dealing with a sensitive topic like abortion, no matter which side of the debate the ad fell on. I believe such ads differ considerably from one depicting the Holocaust as false, because questions regarding abortion are part of an ongoing debate in this country, with potentially persuasive arguments articulated either way by a wide spectrum of people. A Holocaust denial ad represents a gross misrepresentation of historical fact in a way that does not contribute to the so-called “marketplace of ideas” in a meaningful way. Let me be clear: I do think Bradley Smith, the man behind the ad who has recently been spamming university students with his distorted, warped worldview, has a right to speak. He can speak on the steps of the Capitol, he can shout himself hoarse on Library Mall and that is his right. However, I am under no obligation to give him a platform to speak, just like I am under no obligation to give space to anyone else who wants to perpetuate irrefutably wrong information. I do not think this limits a person’s right to speak, but recognizes that when accepting a paid advertisement it goes beyond respecting free speech and can turn into actively facilitating a blatantly offensive agenda. There is a substantial difference between letting someone speak and giving them a megaphone.

The same policy applies to our online comments section. Although we do allow anonymous comments and will continue to do so, some comments are immediately flagged for profanity and other keywords. Myself, our web director and other staffers monitor the comments each day to be on the lookout for aggressively offensive comments. We would not allow threats of violence or defamation of character, nor broad hate speech that seeks to indict entire groups of people.

There is a substantial difference between letting someone speak and giving them a megaphone.

Again, we strive to allow a broad range of opinions and views, even if those views may be controversial or sometimes hurtful, but we do reserve the right to take down any comment we feel crosses over into belligerence beyond the scope of common decency. I believe The Daily Cardinal must maintain its standards in terms of deciding what is controversial and still a worthwhile topic of intellectual debate and what represents baseless attacks on a group of people. I am not advocating for only running ads or articles that are inoffensive, as a definite purpose of journalism is to challenge accepted norms and sometimes offend when necessary. However, that comes with a responsibility to our readers, staff and the larger campus community that as a newspaper we offend when it is in the best interest of the university and in pursuit of the truth. To treat that responsibility lightly would be a disservice to our integrity and our mission to serve the campus to the best of our abilities. Charles Brace is a senior majoring in English and political science. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Today in The Daily Cardinal’s opinion blog, The Soapbox, check out more opining from Kathy Dittrich, this time on the hard-hat friendly nature of Helen C. White College Library. Check out more posts online at www.dailycardinal.com and click on “The Soapbox”

arts

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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Ruby Suns successfully switch gears on Softly By Jon Mitchell THE DAILY CARDINAL

Suppose the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, a group of African tribal drummers and a Mexican folk group were put in a recording studio together. The end result might be something close to the sound of the Ruby Suns’ 2008 release, Sea Lion. From the shimmering glockenspiel on “Kenya Dig It?” to the thumping ukuleles on “Oh, Mojave,” the Ruby Suns defined themselves with their global approach to sunny pop. This approach directly stemmed from the Ruby Suns’ vocalist and songwriter Ryan McPhun—a guy who relocated from his hometown in California to form the Ruby Suns in New Zealand—and his knack for exploration. Fight Softly, however, finds McPhun completely abandoning his global influences and instead exploring the likes of affected guitars, programmed drums and synthesizers. While this new style could possibly alienate some listeners, the danceinducing, electronic grooves make this experiment a definite success. With “Sun Lake Rinsed,” McPhun introduces us to the other shades of his musical palette in a meandering and, unfortunately, forgettable opening track. With echoed synthesizer tones and vocals that slide up and down through different registers, “Sun Lake

Rinsed” hovers incredibly close to the of Sea Lion reveal anything, it’s that hazy territory of Animal Collective’s the Ruby Suns definitely have the most recent Fall Be Kind. Despite capacity to create intriguing melousing similar instrumentation, the dies. Yet on the new record, the way Ruby Suns fail to replicate Animal McPhun manipulates these melodies Collective’s organic, moving sound. is more interesting than the melodies Although McPhun revisits this mud- themselves. “Cranberry” begins with dled, dark sound on occasion, it is marching snare drums, bubbling synths, a four-note the upbeat, dancehook and a Beachinducing moments CD REVIEW Boys-inspired that dominate Fight vocal line that Softly, a sound the creates the most Ruby Suns do a far captivating minute better job with. and a half on the The Ruby record. Suddenly, Suns evoke 2009 the momentous again with calling beat is sharply joltto mind the slipFight Softly ed out of tune into pery keyboard loop The Ruby Suns a mellow, empty and shuffling synth segment featuring groove of the Passion Pit club singles that caught fire last what sounds like the breaths of an year. These sounds initiate “Cinco,” animal. This “breather” proves to be but where Passion Pit often sounded only momentary, as a different surge whiny and forceful, McPhun’s voice of synth, maraca shaking and vocals works in an almost soothing, com- take the song in a new direction after forting fashion. “Cinco,” which is but a few seconds rest. “Cranberry” about nearly being kicked out of the is a testament to McPhun’s explorstudio, is a song McPhun himself ative nature: He can’t sit still even called “angry,” but any anger in the within the confines of one song, lyrics is overshadowed by the gor- moving from one melodic idea to geous interplay between McPhun’s the next with only a few seconds rest voice and the sonic landscape he’s cre- for the listener to digest what they ated. Perhaps the Ruby Suns had this have heard. Further highlights from the in mind when they gave the album its latter half of the album conparadoxical name, Fight Softly. If the African-style guitar licks trast the new electronic sound

PHOTO COURTESY SUB POP RECORDS

Although their previous work took a more global approach, their latest, Fight Softly, opts instead for a more electronic sound. the Ruby Suns have adopted on Fight Softly with the globalinfluenced sound of their previous work. The disjointed loop of vocal tones and electronic blips on “Haunted House” are reminiscent of M83, while “Dusty Fruit” features the tribal drum-

ming and jaunty guitar licks of McPhun’s not-so-distant past. It may sound like the Ruby Suns have taken a turn for the worse with their take on electronic pop music. But as the album progresses, Fight Softly proves to be a successful reinvention.

Supergroups struggle to succeed unless fronted by serious, nomadic musicians JUSTIN STEPHANI j.j. dilla

ave you seen the Coachella poster with the festival’s full lineup on it, including “Thom Yorke ????” scheduled as a headliner? What does that mean? Well, remember how Yorke had been noted performing new songs and Eraser material with an above-average crew? It turns out those shows were the answer to that series of question marks. The band behind “Thom Yorke ????” performing at Coachella, as well as almost eight other shows across the U.S., will feature Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, frequent Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, auxiliary artist Mauro Refosco and Joey Waronker, Beck’s drummer.

On the other hand, there are legitimate supergroups that became artists’ primary outlet after success was reached.

According to some people, this type of collection of artists—who are calling themselves Atoms for Peace—is known as a supergroup. Other times it’s just a bunch of guys deciding to play together because someone needed a supporting cast to rock out withonstage, as seen in this situation with Yorke’s own post on Radiohead’s Dead Airspace blog. Regardless of their col-

lective future, they are going to join forces this summer for a limited number of sets to show off what they could be: a wrecking force of a supergroup. Intriguing? Certainly. Convincing? No. Too many of today’s supergroups turn out to be passing interests, most recently Chickenfoot, Monsters of Folk and Them Crooked Vultures. History certainly has not provided us with too many gold standards to live up to. (Traveling Wilburys? I really wish those guys would have gotten together before they were all over the hill.) The only place to look for successful collaborations of this magnitude is within a certain niche that doesn’t exactly fit the narrow definition of the term “supergroup” as much as it does the term “collaboration.” One of the first supergroups is sometimes noted as Cream, Eric Clapton’s third group to venture into the recording studio, which teamed him up with fellow former Bluesbreaker Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker—who had dabbled with both in the Graham Bond Organisation. The first problem here is that these faces were underground sensations in their own scene. They hadn’t globalized or crossed the Atlantic, so American audiences tie it solely to Clapton, leaving it to be considered another one of his impulsive pet projects rather than a supergroup. What’s more, Clapton registers again as a part of multiple other groups blurring the line between success and supergroup, most notably as Blind Faith (with Steve Winwood) and The Dirty Mac (with John Lennon, Keith Richards and Mitch Mitchell). But this raises the question of nomadic careers,

which Clapton certainly embodies, along with several other notable supergroup members, such as Neil Young, Greg Lake, Stephen Stills and even Chris Cornell. On the other hand, there are legitimate supergroups that became artists’ primary outlet after success was reached. Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Asia both overtook their patrons’ careers, but does this redefine their careers and, along with that, the supergroup status of these groups?

Too many of today’s supergroups turn out to be passing interests, most recently Chickenfoot, Monsters of Folk and Them Crooked Vultures.

This is a good question that asks for a strict line to be drawn between supergroups and collaborations, but what the end of this argument always brings me back to is nomadic artists. The best supergroups are the result of nomadic artists catching lightning in a bottle, and the worst find artists with solidified careers stepping out of their realm to dabble with peers. What this means is that supergroups should remain the pastime of nomads. Clapton grew to prominence in a scene revolving around nomadic figures playing with whomever struck their fancy for a little while. Young consistently looked to shake up his surrounding cast, whether it was playing with Crazy Horse or his own backup band. And nowadays, Jack White keeps himself busy with various groups that allow

artists to step outside barriers set up by other projects. These are all productive examples of artists keeping their music and surroundings fresh to expand their perspectives. So what will come of Atoms of Peace? Probably nothing, and that’s probably for the better. None of these guys regularly steps out of his comfort zone, and even though they all have expansive careers that lend themselves to even more expansive talents, putting these minds together would likely result in some watered down,

generic rock. So here’s hoping Yorke and friends are just looking to have a good time this summer. Otherwise, they are set up for the same downfall as almost all supergroups involving nonnomadic artists: When so many writers who are used to being able to express themselves and put their personas into their craft come together, they usually end up compromising everything that gives their work integrity. Are you conﬁdent Atoms of Peace will be the next Cream? Explain why to Justin at jstephani@wisc.edu.

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We all need our siestas. We naturally feel tired at two different times of the day: about 2:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. It is this natural dip in alertness that is primarily responsible for the post-lunch crash. dailycardinal.com/comics

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Simple Solutions

Today’s Sudoku

Sid and Phil Classic

By Alex Lewein alex@sidandphil.com

Evil Bird

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@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.

The Graph Giraffe Classic

By Yosef Lerner

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Crustaches

Charlie and Boomer

By Patrick Remington premington@wisc.edu

By Natasha Soglin soglin@wisc.edu

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com No Return

1 5 9 14 15 16 7 1 18 19 20 23 24 25 29 31 33 4 3 36 39 42 43 4 4 45 47 51 54 56

ACROSS Animal stomach Great quantity Legally sound Luxuriant, as vegetation Garden worker, at times Do more than apologize Totally enjoying Shroud of mystique Good-fer-nothin’ Rule-breaker’s mantra Candy store buy Zebra’s cousin Creeper keeper Blackjack option Beginning for “while” Direction from L.A. to KC Airplane walkway Discoverer’s cry Risk-taker’s credo Chilled dessert Get ___ start (be tardy) Bit for the dog bowl Plum NASCAR position Bit of offshore land Ache reliever “Fire!” preceder Holiday minus one

57 Personal trainer’s slogan 60 Fancy balls 63 Broadway’s “Sweeney ___” 64 “Winning ___ everything!” 65 Wombs 66 Big-mouthed pitcher 67 Polish leader Walesa 68 Number of deadly sins 69 Calcutta clothing 70 War god on Olympus DOWN 1 Emulates ivy 2 Expire, as a subscription 3 Breathing problem 4 “Just a minute there!” 5 Deceptions 6 Advises 7 Aviation prefix 8 Rough write-ups 9 Bargain-hunter’s goal 10 Great Barrier Reef sight 11 Baseball manager Piniella 12 Connections, of a sort 13 She played a Partridge 21 What r can mean, in geometry 22 Nicaraguan president Daniel

6 Eye with desire 2 27 Like a nerd’s shirt pocket, stereotypically 28 ___ legs (nautical steadiness) 30 Acts shrewish 32 Having to do with the kidneys 35 Increase, as production 37 In the preceding month 38 Agile deer 39 “A Doll’s House” protagonist 40 On the ___ (unfriendly) 41 Ornamental, poisonous shrub 42 Cousin’s aunt, perhaps 46 Speaks with pomposity 48 Renter 49 Demonstrate clearly 50 Dimes to a dollar, e.g. 52 Animal trap 53 Certain red dye 55 Madagascar primate 58 Davenport state 59 Reptilian “monster” 60 “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” bushopper 61 Breakfasted, e.g. 62 “My Name Is Asher ___”

Washington and the Bear

By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com

dailycardinal.com/sports

Suspension a good start, but WCHA has to stop hits to head NICO SAVIDGE savidge nation

or a league that has gotten it wrong far too many times this season, this was an example of the WCHA ﬁnally getting it close to right. The conference announced Monday that it will suspend St. Cloud State junior forward Aaron Marvin for three games because of the hit he delivered to Wisconsin senior forward Blake Geoffrion Feb. 20. Given the WCHA’s seeming indifference toward contact to the head and its incompetent refereeing when it comes to illegal hits, the suspension is a small victory, if one that shouldn’t have taken nearly this long. Anyone who saw the video of the hit on Geoffrion—which you can see for yourself by searching for it online—will tell you Marvin laid his shoulder into Geoffrion’s head as the Badgers skated the puck through the neutral zone. Geoffrion’s head whipped back, and he fell to the ice, where he remained nearly motionless until trainers and his fellow players helped escort him off the ice.

In college hockey, where any contact to the head is illegal, there is no way the WCHA could justify not calling a penalty on Marvin for the hit.

Marvin received no penalty on the play, nor any punishment until the WCHA handed down its ruling Monday afternoon. He will now miss St. Cloud’s series with Minnesota State this weekend as well as the ﬁrst game of the WCHA playoffs. Perhaps in the NHL that hit would get Marvin in trouble with Geoffrion’s teammates but not with the league; after all, he never left his feet and did not use his elbow. Even Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves admitted that, back when he played, the hit to Geoffrion would be considered clean. “Quite frankly, in the old days, there wouldn’t have been a penalty,” Eaves said last Monday. “Blake just got caught with his head down and got hit.” But in college hockey, where any contact to the head is illegal, there is no way the WCHA could justify not calling a penalty on Marvin for the hit or ejecting him from the game. The fact that it took them nine days to realize something anyone watching the video can plainly see—that Marvin’s shoulder made contact with Geoffrion’s head—and to hand down a penalty is even more absurd. This isn’t Marvin’s ﬁrst time dealing with the WCHA’s discipline system either. Remember that it was Marvin who ended Hobey Baker Award hopeful Chay Genoway’s season with North Dakota with an even more vicious hit Nov. 13. In that instance, Marvin slammed Genoway’s head into the boards, giving the star a concussion that has kept him from playing since. The WCHA’s referees initially

bungled that play as well, penalizing the wrong St. Cloud player for the hit before eventually handing down a one-game suspension many viewed as too lenient. Although it’s good to see Marvin punished for his continuing trend of illegal hits, the WCHA missed a chance to send a message that contact to the head will not be tolerated and took entirely too long to hand down the decision. It took me one replay to tell that the hit on Geoffrion was a case of contact to the head, so how could it have possibly taken the WCHA nine days to come up with a punishment? Considering the pressure many have put on the conference to protect players from illegal hits, it is ridiculous for the WCHA to take so much time to come up with a decision that is, at best, a good start in punishing players. “Until the NCAA decides to really get serious about protecting the players you are going to see more incidents like the Aaron Marvin hit on Chay Genoway,” a writer from the Sioux hockey blog Goon’s World told Yahoo! Sports’ Puck Daddy the day before Marvin’s hit on Geoffrion. “Seriously, what’s to stop a team from just going out and taking a run [on] a star player with the intent of injuring him if you’re only going to have the offending player get suspended for [a] ﬂimsy one- or two- game suspension? This is a legitimate concern, especially if the WCHA and other college hockey conferences continue their weak track record on discipline. Aaron Marvin’s hit on Blake Geoffrion is not the ﬁrst time college hockey has missed a chance to send a message to players that they will not tolerate illegal hits. And until they start handing down real punishments—and stop taking more than a week to do so—we are going to keep seeing players like Marvin leaving players lying on the ice with concussions, or something even worse. Has the WCHA done enough to curb hits to the head? E-mail Nico at savidgewilki@dailycardinal.com.

sports

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Badgers to face Purdue in Big Ten Tournament, Stone takes Coach of the Year honors The Wisconsin women’s basketball team, which ﬁnished a program-best third in the Big Ten Conference with a 10-8 record, grabbed the fourth seed in this week’s Big Ten Tournament. The Ohio State Buckeyes, Big Ten champions for the sixth straight season, are the No. 1 seed in the tournament and will look to defend their tournament title from last year. Michigan State and Iowa are the second and third seeds, respectively. As the fourth seed, the Badgers STONE secured a ﬁrst-round bye and will play Purdue Friday at 7:30 p.m. The entire tournament will be played at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Wisconsin played Purdue twice in the regular season, splitting the series. The Badgers easily handled the Boilermakers at the Kohl Center in early January, 64-51, but

basketball from page 8 contributions made by Bohannon and Hughes at Wisconsin, Ryan mentioned he believes the two took on a greater role in offseason conditioning programs. “I thought they were in better shape when we started in September,” Ryan said. “And that has to come from somewhere, some place. And it isn’t always seniors, but I think those two deﬁnitely led the way.” While most of the discourse

hockey from page 8 defender quit, another took a leave with an injury and a third was hurt and did not play in the final three games. The Badgers dressed only five defenders against the Buckeyes, penciling in little-used sophomore forward Carla Pentimone at the sixth defensive spot. Looking ahead, Johnson will return next year to a team that features a fair amount of talent with forwards Brooke Ammerman,

lost a heartbreaker in West Lafayette, Ind., Feb. 7, 58-56. Purdue was the runner-up in last year’s Big Ten Tournament but ﬁnished the 2009-’10 season just 9-9 in the conference and 14-15 overall. All tournament games will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network. Additionally, it was announced Monday afternoon that head coach Lisa Stone has been named the Big Ten Coach of the Year, while junior guard Alyssa Karel grabbed second-team honors all-conference and senior guard Rae Lin D’Alie was honored as third-team all conference. —Mark Bennett

ISABEL ÁLVAREZ CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

revolved around the two guards, Ryan also spoke about the progression of junior forward Jon Leuer since returning from his wrist injury. Ryan said he tries not to get overly caught up in the effect of one player’s return from an absence. “I never approach it that way, like it’s a different season because a guy comes back from injury,” Ryan said. “I always try to make those kinds of things seamless even though maybe they aren’t on the surface.”

Leuer has played in three games since being sidelined, and has scored 9.3 points and grabbed three rebounds per game in those contests. In Leuer’s ﬁrst 16 regularseason games this season, he averaged 15.4 points per game. After Wednesday’s game against Iowa, Wisconsin plays its ﬁnal regular-season game Sunday at Illinois and will then prepare for postseason play, with the Big Ten Tournament beginning March 11 and the NCAA Tournament starting March 18.

Mallory Deluce, Brianna Decker and Carolyne Prévost. Sophomore forward Hilary Knight and junior forward Meghan Duggan, who combined for 139 points in their last season as Badgers, will also rejoin the team. The goaltending spot will likely fall to Becca Ruegsegger, who split time in net this year but had trouble with consistency. After the ﬁnal game Saturday, DeKeyser used her postgame speech with the team to underscore the lessons of a difﬁcult year.

“We talked about how losing can help you understand what it takes to win, and hopefully the returners understand that you don’t just get handed trophies or championships,” DeKeyser said. “It starts the next week or two for next year. Take some time here to debrief and collect themselves and be students for a couple days or weeks, and then we start up again.” And so comes a new beginning from what was, by any measure, a painful end.

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dailycardinal.com/sports

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Men’s Basketball

Seniors near last game as UW preps for Iowa By Scott Kellogg the daily cardinal

Men’s basketball head coach Bo Ryan addressed the media Monday, four days after his team clobbered the Hoosiers on the road, 78-46, and ahead of Wisconsin’s matchup with Iowa Wednesday in its final

home game of the season. Normally teams focus a great deal of their attention on what is coming next, but with the Badgers preparing for Senior Night Wednesday, Ryan spent much of the news conference looking back on what his two senior guards,

lorenzo zemella/cardinal file photo

Trevon Hughes will play his final game in the Kohl Center when the Badgers take on Iowa Wednesday before travelling to Illinois.

Jason Bohannon and Trevon Hughes, accomplished since enrolling at Wisconsin. Ryan could not believe it is already nearly time for Bohannon and Hughes to say farewell to the men’s basketball team and said he knows the two have grown in more than one way since their freshmen seasons. “Doesn’t it seem like yesterday we were talking about two other players, [Joe] Krabbenhoft and [Marcus] Landry?” Ryan said, referring to two seniors from last season. “You have to ask the players what their experience is [at UW],” Ryan said. “But what I’ve seen is I’ve seen two young men blossom on the court [and] off the court.” Ryan had nothing but good words for the two and said he thinks former players and other people around the basketball team are proud of them. “There’s a tradition of student-athletes who have worked extremely hard to give Wisconsin the image that it has, and they’ve continued that,” Ryan said. This season is still far from over, but Ryan said Bohannon and Hughes have already accomplished a great deal at Wisconsin. “No matter what happens here with the rest of the season, there’s a lot of people who have enjoyed those past four years with them,” Ryan said. When discussing more specific basketball page 7

Women’s Hockey

danny marchewka/cardinal file photo

Kyla Sanders’ season, and her career at Wisconsin, came to an end Saturday when the Badgers fell to Ohio State in overtime.

Disappointing season a product of inconsistency By Ben Breiner the daily cardinal

For a team accustomed to winning, and winning a lot, Saturday’s final result was a cruel ending. The sweep at the hands of the Ohio State Buckeyes was a frustrating closure to what had already been a trying season for the Wisconsin women’s hockey team. The results gave OSU a win in the first-round three-game series and sent the team to the WCHA Final Face-off next weekend, while it ended the Badgers’ season. Both game-winners came in extra time, the second one punctuating a difficult moment for the team. “It’s really hard,” senior forward Kyla Sanders said, fighting back tears. “It’s very different [ending the season at this point], that’s for sure.” The Badgers had ended the previous four seasons in the NCAA title game, winning three times, but this year struggled after losing eight players and head coach Mark Johnson, who left to coach the U.S. Olympic team. “[The loss] is rough, but it was a tough year,” senior forward Jasmine Giles said after her final game as a Badger. “We had so many new faces, a whole new coaching staff. It’s just something we didn’t overcome, we were getting there, but we didn’t do it.” Instead, the team fell into a pattern of unpredictable levels of play that drove it from a spot as one of the sports’ elites. The Badgers only strung together more than two straight wins once in the season, routinely splitting against teams in the league’s lower echelons. The final weekend’s games seemed to reflect the season, as the team’s play was uneven through the six-plus periods of hockey. “The great teams are consistent in all categories, intensity level, the mental components,” interim head coach Tracey DeKeyser said. “We

were inconsistent for a majority of the season, and that’s why we didn’t have the success we wanted. Hopefully they take that message, and it’s going to take a lot of work, away from the rink too, being constant.” Without that constancy, the Badgers, who for that four-year stretch had been associated with strong positive characteristics, garnered mostly negative ones in the 2009-’10 season. Wisconsin’s 15 losses were the most for a single season in the program’s history, one more than the first year the school played women’s hockey. It was the first time since 2004 that the team did not make it to the NCAA Tournament, the first time it ever finished below third place in the WCHA standings and the first time it will not reach the semifinal round of the league tournament. “We had so many new faces, a whole new coaching staff. It’s just something we didn’t overcome.” Jasmine Giles senior forward UW women’s hockey

In the previous seven years, the Badgers had lost five games to WCHA teams besides perennial powers Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth. In 2009-’10 they lost nine games to that cast of opponents. Ironically, they went 4-3-1 against the Gophers and Bulldogs. There were extenuating circumstances, as the loss of four Olympians, two who would have been on the team this year, was compounded by a group of blueliners decimated by injuries. One hockey page 7