Thursday, March 11, 2010 - The Daily Cardinal

Searching for a cure: An in-depth look at UW breast cancer research FEATURES

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University of Wisconsin-Madison

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT BRACKET BREAKDOWN

The Badgers look to upcoming tournament for March Madness momentum SPORTS Complete campus coverage since 1892

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Isabel álvarez/the daily cardinal

Layers of dense fog covered Madison Wednesday morning and posed weather concerns, as visibility was very low for students and drivers.

dailycardinal.com

Chancellor Biddy Martin announced Wednesday that U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be the 2010 Saturday morning commencement speaker.

Martin said in a statement that it is an honor to have a Cabinet member speak at graduation.

“Secretary Duncan is a dynamic and forward-thinking policymaker who is shaping American education for coming generations,” Martin said in the statement.

According to a statement prior to serving as a Cabinet member, Duncan was the chief executive officer of the Chicago Public Schools for seven years.

David Musolf, UW-Madison secretary of faculty, said Duncan is an individual of high stature and his speech will benefit the graduates.

“Those kinds of individuals have a platform from which they speak and what they say is very meaningful to the graduates. It is certainly an honor to our institution to have someone from the Cabinet speaking at graduation

ECONOMY IN FOCUS

Wisconsin unemployment rate stays steady at 8.7 percent during January

As experts are increasingly in agreement that the national economy has hit bottom and is slowly mending, statistics also reveal this may be true of Madison and Dane County.

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, unemployment in Dane County was down to 5.4 percent in December 2009 after a peak of 6.3 percent in June.

In the city of Madison, the unemployment rate for 2009 was 5.8 percent, compared to 9.7 percent nationally, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

However, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said

By Alison Dirr The Daily Cardinal

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development said Wednesday that it is currently paying out more in unemployment benefits than it is taking in, forcing the state to borrow funds from the federal government.

In a briefing to a labor committee in the Legislature, DWD Secretary Roberta Gassman proposed delaying repayment of the $1.2 billion loan to give the economy more time to recover.

Gassman said the high number of companies relocating to other states is causing an increase in unemployment rates in Wisconsin.

As a result, the amount the DWD paid out between 2007 and 2009 increased from less than $1 billion to $3 billion. “[The labor] committee knows how important the unemployment insurance program is,” she said. “It is a lifeline to the workers who find themselves, through not fault of their own, out of work. And it helps them and their families survive.”

and people will appreciate his perspective,” said Musolf.

James Kass, a 1991 UW-Madison graduate and founder of Youth Speaks, will also speak at commencement Youth Speaks, which was founded in 1996, is a nonprofit that teaches young students to use reading and writing to produce social change with an emphasis on DUNCAN spoken word.

Martin said that Kass will provide the graduates with a unique perspective on education.

“Our graduate James Kass is inspiring and challenging young people across the nation to use their talents creatively,” Martin said in a statement.

The 2010 commencement ceremony is scheduled to begin Friday, May 13 and end Sunday, May 15.

—Kayla Johnson

dwd page 3

Late 2009-Early 2010 Unemployment Rates

14.30%

Percentage of Unemployment Rate

help workers get these jobs. We continue to see signs that the economy is stabilizing and moving forward, slowly but surely,” said John Dipko, spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

The national unemployment rate fell from 10 to 9.7 percent from December 2009 to February 2010. However, the overall decrease in employment over the course of 2009 was significant.

Forty-eight states, all but Vermont and South Dakota, saw significant job losses over-

Dept. of Workforce Secretary says Wis. owes federal gov. $1.2 billion

14.00%

12.00%

9.70%

10.00% 8.70% 8.00%

7.30%

6.00%

4.00%

2.00%

unemployment page 3 0.00% Minnesota

he is cautiously optimistic. He wrote in his blog Tuesday that unemployment in Madison is still twice what it is normally.

“We should feel fortunate that our local economy, while still hurting, hasn’t hit the depths of much of the rest of Wisconsin or the nation as a whole,” he wrote. “[But] we need to stay on task to keep the recovery coming.”

According to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, Madison has historically been somewhat “immune” to swings in the national economy. In fact, forbes.com listed Madison as one of the top ten places

Wisconsin

National

11%

10.00%

8.00%

6.30% 6.00%

5.40%

4.00%

2.00%

0.00% Dane County December 2009

economy page 3

Michigan

12.00%

Percentage of Unemployment Rate

The Daily Cardinal

Thursday, March 11, 2010

16.00%

Worst of economic recession seems to be over for Madison and Dane County

By Grace Urban

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Cabinet member to speak at UW commencement

“Fogging Molly”

Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has stabilized since December 2009 at 8.7 percent, according to new federal statistics released Wednesday.

The report, conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, lists the unemployment rates for each state for January 2010 as well as changes since January 2009.

Wisconsin is one of 11 states that has seen no significant change in unemployment, and 31 states saw increased employment in recent reports, including Minnesota and Illinois.

“In these tough economic times, our top priority is to create and retain jobs and

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Dane County June 2009

Janesville December 2009

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and D.W.D.

Graphic by Natasha Soglin

“…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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Thursday, March 11, 2010

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

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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 Editors 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 Alison Bauter, Matt Beaty Kathleen Brosnan, Melanie Davies Liz Van Deslunt, Caitlin Furin, Lauren Hodkiewicz Lauren Kelly, Christina Kalsow-Ramos

JON SPIKE academic misjonduct

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t seems like every year around February or March people make the claim that it’s the worst time of year. I’ve heard everything: burnout from school, the not-quite-winter-but-not-quitespring weather, winter sports winding down, and even that they just hate Valentine’s Day with a fiery passion. I, however, love this time of year for one simple reason: shitty movies. Yes, this time of year is perfect for studios to pump out their corny formula comedies or awful book adaptations for audiences who don’t know any better. I’m a bit of a film buff myself, and a little research produced some quite surprising news. It appears that UWMadison itself has been an inspiration for many of these subpar films that come out this time of year. I included titles and summaries from nine of the best ones below:

Samantha Witthuhn

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

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

FRIDAY: rain hi 49º / lo 38º dailycardinal.com/page-two

Nine movie remakes inspired by UW-Madison

Volume 119, Issue 105

2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497

TODAY: rain hi 53º / lo 40º

1. “Dude, Where’s My Moped?”

Barry and Dean are just two regular UW-Madison jocks leaving the same Geology 100 lecture when suddenly Barry turns to Dean and asks, “Dude, where’s my moped?”

From that moment on, the two wise-cracking, sweat-suited buddies embark on a wild and sexy quest to find Barry’s beloved moped, running into zany characters and even falling in love along the way! Look out for an off-the-wall cameo by Athletic Director Barry Alvarez!

Look out Barry, these two jocks are in way over their heads!

2. “Being Bucky: The Squeakqual” After the rousing success of the “Being Bucky” documentary, the same cast returns for a laugh-outloud sequel! Watch as Buckingham U. Badger invites his zany, highpitched Badger cousins to town for a simple UW-Madison game day.

However, Bucky’s bad-boy cousin Alvin has a few comical plans of his own to make Bucky’s football game a bit wackier than usual!

Featuring a stellar cast, including Goldy Gopher, Brutus the Buckeye and Gary Busey, “Being Bucky: The Squeakquel” promises to be slightly better than your usual post-Oscars brainless comedy!

3. “The Hangover 2: Walk of Shame” After the smash success of “The Hangover” within the college demographic, the original writers went right back to work on a UW-Madison-based follow-up with a similar theme. The result was “The Hangover 2: Walk of Shame,” an uproarious look at the humiliating stroll back to one’s house after passing out randomly after a night of heavy drinking!

Filmgoers will be in stitches after seeing Zach Galifianakis walking down State Street with unkempt hair, Sharpie drawings all over his face and borrowed female clothing after waking up in a strange, unfamiliar apartment that morning!

Too zany for theatres!

4. “The Curious Case-Race on Benjamin’s Futon” Starting off as a hilarious spinoff of Brad Pitt’s Benjamin Button persona, “The Curious Case-Race on Benjamin’s Futon” tells the story of a college freshman named Ben who finds that the more he drinks, the less drunk he gets during the night. Faced with the inevitable reality that the girls he was hooking up with at the beginning of the night are not as attractive once he sobers up, Ben must choose whether he’ll forfeit his annual house case-race or accept that his drunken standards are subpar at best. With a memorable soundtrack, stunning cinematography and a twist ending you won’t see coming, “Benjamin’s Futon” is a must-see film!

5. “Shaun of the Grateful Red” Be prepared to laugh, scream and do “the wave” after seeing the wacky

zombie spoof “Shaun of the Grateful Red.” The film features Shaun, a happy-go-lucky Badger basketball fan who loves sitting in the student section with the rest of the Grateful Red Wisconsin fanatics. However, one day he begins to notice that his fellow Gratefuls are acting a bit strange. They begin to wear red and silver, talk about Brutus the Buckeye and discuss how interested they are in pedophelia. Soon they start inquiring to Shaun about his younger cousin’s nether regions, and he realizes that the entire section has become brainwashed Buckeye fans.

Soon Shaun is on the run from the incessant mob of mindless Ohio State fans with only his trusted cricket bat and absent-minded buddy to stop them!

6. “Hotel R’Wando’s” This gripping and stunning biopic tells the tragic and violent story of 10 college seniors who struggle to fight the oppressive prices and cruel overcrowding in downtown Madison bars on a Friday night. During their bitter struggle against credit card limits and excessive tips, the boys find sanctuary at Hotel R’Wando’s, a safe haven for down-on-their-luck college students who can’t afford the monstrosity of weekend price hikes and absurd costs for bottom-shelf mixers.

Featuring bar raids, fishbowls full of alcohol and three stories of nonstop action, “Hotel R’Wando’s” is sure to be an action-packed, emotional rollercoaster. Strap yourself in for a wild ride!

7. “Sconnie Darko” After tripping on the hallucinogen drug Salvia before a new bill takes it off of the market, Bonnie Darko, a UW-Madison freshman, starts to see a strange rabbit who warns her about the future. Soon Bonnie begins to learn about very disturbing future events such as Brothers bar being leveled by UWMadison, a new Union South that looks like a giant vagina and a UW football student ticket sale that actually goes smoothly and without

complaint. Using her future knowledge, Bonnie sets out to stop the nightmarish predictions, no matter what the cost.

8. “The Grapes of Rathskeller” After a harsh semester of student loans, rent fees and living costs, UW-Madison juniors living in an impoverished house embark on a journey across Madison to find some beer and sustenance. Fighting the bitter streets, oppressive weather and fading hope, the roommates finally find solace in the promise land known as the Memorial Union Rathskeller. Although they complete the journey, their hardships are not over. The boys must find a way to scrap enough change together to buy a pitcher at the Union Terrace while surviving on stale popcorn and working long hours as Union employees. Don’t forget your Kleenex!

9. “Swine Flu Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” Everything seemed fairly normal one semester at UW-Madison until a student comes down with a strange illness that has never been seen before. Soon the disease, named “swine flu” by health experts, has the whole campus in a frenzy.

Everyone—including faculty, staff and students—begin to overreact and go crazy with fear in response to the illness’s growing threat and build-up. Starring Jack Nicholson as a wacky, rebellious Chancellor Biddy Martin trying to get everyone to relax, “Swine Flu Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is sure to make you laugh, cheer and cry all the way to University Health Services!

Sure, I could talk about a million more films (such as “Saving Private Bo Ryan,” “Brave Little Coastie,” “A WOP to Remember,” or even “WUDFellas”), but I’m sure these titles give you more than enough opportunities to appreciate the greatness of post-Oscars cinema. Enjoy!

Are you starting to think that these movies should actually exist?

Send Jon your completed screenplays at spike@wisc.edu.

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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

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New Beer Thursday Blue Moon Brewing Co. Rising Moon Spring Ale

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© 2010, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation

For the record Corrections or clarifications?

Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an e-mail to edit@dailycardinal.com.

Blue Moon’s spring seasonal Rising Moon has hit liquor store shelves in an attempt to capitalize on drinkers lured in by the beer’s suggestion of winter’s end, warmer weather and Terrace music.

However, Rising Moon’s emphasis on “smooth and balanced taste” results in a one-dimensional brew more suited for beerophiles requiring training wheels than the discerning micro-brew lover.

Blue Moon is the go-to label for the semi-discerning drinker—that is, one who would rather avoid Budweiser and Miller Lite. And therein lies Rising Moon’s only saving grace: It’s not Budweiser.

Rising Moon’s failure to rise above should come as no surprise as Coors Brewing Company, which owns the Blue Moon brewing company, is more concerned with creating bottle labels that change color than crafting beer.

While Rising Moon could be considered drinkable, it’s definitely not an artisanal brew. It’s not complex or full-bodied. The nose is almost non-existent and the head is

weak. Rising Moon hits the palate with a hint of lime, but beyond the citrus influence, the beer lacks depth and leaves a disappointing skuz on the tongue. Perhaps the beer would be refreshing on a hot day (caused by the fact that it mimics water and water is refreshing), but we here at the Beer Board prefer not to spend our hard earned money on beer that emulates water. Even the beer’s light amber color resembles water more so than beer.

For those drinkers looking for a beer that goes down easy, doesn’t challenge the pallet and doesn’t leave you wanting more, Rising Moon is

a decent option, especially if it’s on special. Our two-bottle rating places Rising Moon just above Budweiser, but well below quality.

Best enjoyed when: When the Terrace is out of Spotted Cow...

Best served: Ice cold. Pint glass is optional.

Blue Moon Brewing Co. Rising Moon Spring Ale

dailycardinal.com/news

Thursday, March 11, 2010

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Neurologist explains in a lecture science behind phantom limbs

By Daniel Tollefson The Daily Cardinal

Neurologist Vilayanur S. Ramachandran presented his theories on the inner workings of the brain during his speech Wednesday, which was part of the Distinguished Lecture Series.

Ramachandran, director of the Center for Brain and Cognition at the University of California, San Diego, spoke about some of his investigations on phantom limbs, synesthesia and other brain disorders.

Ramachandran discussed his trials dealing with patients who suffer from phantom limb pain.

He said, typically before surgery, the limb awaiting amputation was cramped and immobile, causing pain. In the brain, sensory input from the hand occurs next to input from the arm, creating the illusion that an amputated limb is still there and in that same

cramped and painful position.

According to Ramachandran, the sensation of a phantom limb is due to a complex and closely related mapping system in the brain dealing with movement, feeling and pain.

“The problem is, the pain is in the brain,” he said.

Ramachandran explained the simple procedure he uses to treat patients whose brains still believe an amputated limb exists. Only therapy involving a mirror and the most basic movements are used to reduce phantom limb pain and possibly even paralysis in stroke victims.

“The patient puts the phantom limb behind the left side of the mirror, and the right limb on the right side of mirror and looks at the reflection, creating the visual illusion that the phantom limb is there,” he said.

When Ramachandran’s mirror box

Robbery on West Gorham Street leaves man in hospital A 24-year old Madison man was taken to a local hospital Saturday morning after being assaulted and robbed on the 300 block of West Gorham Street. According to the police report, the victim was walking down West Gorham Street when he was approached by three men.

The robbery took place early Saturday morning around 5:30 a.m.

According to the incident report, the victim was unsure of

economy from page 1 in the United States to find a job in 2009.

“We have weathered the storm better than many other communities around the country,” Verveer said. “Things are certainly better here than they are state-wide and nationally.”

Verveer said Madison could attribute this success to the presence of “economic generators” such as UW-Madison and the state capitol. “Having the tens of thousands of jobs that those institutions bring … makes a lot of the difference,” he said.

However, social service pro-

unemployment from page 1 all in 2009. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the country at 14.3 percent as of January 2010.

Although the unemployment rate in Wisconsin leveled off between December and January, a report issued by the DWD says every metropolitan area in the state saw job losses between November and December 2009.

Wausau and Eau Claire saw the largest decreases in employment over that month, with losses of .9 and .8 percent, respectively.

Janesville maintained the highest overall unemployment rate with 11 percent.

Madison had the lowest jobless rate of all of Wisconsin’s metropolitan areas as of December 2009 with 5.8 percent, nearly 4.2 percent below the national average at that time.

—Ariel Shapiro

what the first man to approach him asked him. The victim said the man could have been asking him for a lighter or for money. Then one of the men punched the victim while the other man pushed him to the ground.

The Madison police went to a local hospital to speak with the victim. According to the incident report, the victim did not have a good description of the men. grams in the area, such as food pantries, say there has been a large increase in the number of people who need help, according to the WSJ. Cieslewicz said the city could use the lessons from the recession to strengthen itself. “That means we need to use the downturn as a slingshot to make us face up to our weaknesses and improve where we need to [and] take stock of our strengths and encourage them to grow,” he wrote.

treatment is completely successful, patients believe the limb is no longer cramped and the pain is gone. In some patients the phantom limb sensation even disappears entirely.

Ramachandran also discussed his studies on Synesthesia, a condition in which a person views black and white numbers as though they produced colors. Like phantom limbs, he believes that regions in the brain that are close together, such as shape and color, cross-activate simultaneously to produce multiple sensations at once.

The Distinguished Lecture Series at the Memorial Union is responsible for bringing in seven to ten high-profile speakers every year. The series will continue on March 24th when Vandana Shiva, a leader in the International Forum on Globalization, discusses food insecurity, peak oil and climate change.

dwd from page 1 Gassman said the Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council, which produces and places bills before the Wisconsin Legislature, is not taking major steps to repay the debt at this time.

“They want to avoid actions that might slow the rate of recovery,” she said. “The Council feels that it is very difficult to consider issues such as benefit reductions at a time when so many families in the state are reeling with the impact of the recession.”

The Council said in a statement that as the recession eases, tax collection will increase until it exceeds the benefits paid out again. Although this allows the state to pay off the loan over time, under current Federal law, Wisconsin must begin paying interest on the outstanding loan balance beginning in 2011.

The DWD estimates that by the end of 2011, Wisconsin’s debt owed to the federal government will be $2.39 billion.

The Council recommended the state begin paying off the debt as soon as possible, but said, “at this point in the economic cycle employers and laid off employees are not in a position to shoulder an additional economic burden.”

Nelson Cho/the daily cardinal

Neurologist Vilayanur Ramachandran explained the science behind the inner workings of the human brain during his lecture Wednesday.

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If the piece fits... Five thousandths of a millimeter is the tolerance of

accuracy at lego mould factories. dailycardinal.com/comics

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Aw, Nuts

Today’s Sudoku

Evil Bird

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

© Puzzles by Pappocom

Ludicrous Linguistics

By Celia Donnelly donnelly.celia@gmail.com

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

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

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 Black Tie Not REquired ACROSS

1 Irretrievable 5 Cribbage markers 9 Part of 59-Across 14 Bar of yellow 15 ___ canal (dental operation) 16 Twistable joint 17 Chief Norse gods 18 “Do ___ others as ...”

19 Developed ability 20 Wear for those who serve 23 Conan slayer?

24 Disapproving looks 25 Video store category 27 Agronomists’ samples 30 Person who divines the future 33 You can’t stand having it 36 Aquatic nymphs 38 Slide accidentally 39 Obsolete piano key material 41 Turk’s title of respect 42 Unbending 43 Would-be pilot’s test 44 Whoop it up 46 It can be black or green 47 State of lawlessness 49 Where fathers may gather

1 Man with a nice laugh 5 53 Uses indelicate language 57 “Foiled again!”

59 Spring topper 62 Basketmaking branch 64 Subatomic particle 65 Cogito ___ sum (Descartes’ conclusion) 66 Badminton opener 67 Atlantic bird 68 Ship wood 69 Beyond full 70 Almost there 71 ___ quam videri (N.C. motto) DOWN

1 Steals from an abandoned store 2 Like days gone by 3 English Channel feeder 4 Heavy British weights 5 Bismarck’s realm 6 A dog’s age 7 Roman Empire invader 8 Ceded a seat 9 School in Poughkeepsie 10 Calligrapher’s purchase 11 Designer item in 52-Down 12 Water vessel

3 Depend (on) 1 21 Certain literary device 22 Arrow shooter of myth 26 Ship timber 28 The boy who cried wolf, essentially 29 Tropical pudding bases 31 What Italians used to pay in 32 “The Facts of Life” housemother Garrett 33 Old Apple computer 34 Shakespeare could have bathed in it 35 Preppy top 37 Actress Tyne 40 Oblong tomato variety 42 Grumpy expression 44 Big cheese in Athens 45 More out of one’s gourd 48 Existing at birth 50 Wipe from memory 52 Vail alternative 54 Farm units 55 Some Indian music pieces 56 Said a mouthful 57 Designer Hugo 58 Voyaging, in a way 60 Land of the leprechauns 61 ___ fide 63 Serpent’s mark?

Washington and the Bear

By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com

featuresscience focus dailycardinal.com/features

UW cancer researchers find promise in unusual places

Story by Kara Turtinen From fruit oils to rat genes, oncologist Michael Gould and his team of researchers at the McArdle Laboratory are finding unlikely answers in their search for a cure for breast cancer.

T

hey aren’t yet making leaps and bounds toward a cure, but rather they are taking baby steps towards comprehension.

For more than 10 years, oncologist Michael Gould and his team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have slowly unraveled the mysterious genetic players behind breast cancer. The path has led them to many places: from using drugs found in fruit

to genes found in rats.

“If we’re going to treat cancer we really need to understand it,” Gould said. “Taking care of it has to be very incremental and slow.”

Gould completed his undergraduate studies as well as his M.S. and Ph.D. at UW-Madison. It was in graduate school that he became interested in research and took a job in a lab focused on breast cancer. After completing his post-doc-

Thursday, March 11, 2010

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ANTHONY CEFALI/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Oncologist Michael Gould pictured in the McArdle Laboratory

Spotlight: UW Carbone Cancer Center Lung Cancer: Video-assisted lobectomy provides an effective alternative to conventional “open” thoractomy Cervical Cancer: Paul Lambert and his team of researchers have eliminated cervical cancer in mice with two FDA-approved drugs currently used to treat breast cancer and osteoporosis torate in Illinois, he returned to UW-Madison where he is now the director of breast cancer research at the McArdle Laboratory.

When he first arrived at the lab, his team of researchers jumped right in and started screening products to test if they could treat and prevent breast cancer.

They found many nontoxic anticancer drugs, called “monoterpenes,” within the essential oils

of fruits. Monoterpenes prevent the transformation of normal cells to cancer cells at the initiation, promotion and progression stages of cancer.

From Rodents to Oranges Malignant cancer cells do not remain localized like benign cancer cells. Instead, they spread and infect other organs, generally worsening a patients’ condition.

Gould’s research team found that these drugs were able to inhibit both pre-malignant and malignant cells in rodents without becoming toxic.

The initial compound discovered was Limonene, which increases the activity of liver enzymes that decrease the damaging effects of cancer causing substances. It is found in orange peels and other citrus fruit oils. Furthermore, the first monoterpene to enter

into the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved clinical trials was Perillyl Alcohol found in lavender oil. The drug was found to have the most anticancer activity in rodents.

“If we’re going to treat cancer we really need to understand it.”

Michael Gould oncologist UW-Madison

Although these drugs had both preventative and therapeutic applications, the trials showed limited promise when it came to humans. gould page 6

featuresscience focus 6

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Thursday, March 11, 2010

gould from page 5 Many of these agents were victim of low overall efficiency. They also had undesirable toxicity in other areas of the body because their targets were not specific enough.

“We had limited success,” Gould said. “So we thought maybe we could go a different way, but we weren’t sure we would be smart enough.”

It’s All in the Genes So the team turned to genetics.

Instead of focusing on therapeutic drugs, they looked to the genetic side of breast cancer to see how good and bad genes were associated with the level of risk in women.

“We are more focused on treatment when we should stress prevention more,” Gould said. “Right now we have the tendency to push drugs rapidly into clinics in the U.S.” That, he added, is “a waste of money and almost unethical.”

To understand the basic mechanisms that cause breast cancer, the lab uses a comparative genetic approach. In 2003, Gould’s lab developed “knockout” rats, whose genomes are stripped of genes that suppress breast cancer. They first use these rat models to search for alleles, variations of genes located at specific parts of a chromosome, which cause breast cancer.

Then, using DNA collected from about 12,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer, the lab compared the rat alleles to those in women. So far, they have discovered there are alleles that modify the immune system and others that directly relate to breast cancer.

“You don’t hang around here waiting for a big hit. Your rewards aren’t going to be the home-runs.”

Michael Gould oncologist UW-Madison

The studies are concentrated on finding common alleles in large populations. The ultimate goal is to determine how the identified alleles modify risk of cancer through molecular, cellular, and organismal mechanisms. Insights into the function can be used for prevention therapeutics.

“It is high-risk research,” Gould said. “You don’t hang around here waiting for a big hit. Your rewards aren’t going to be the home-runs.”

Small Steps, Steady Strides Gould and a post-doctoral student, Bart Smits, who has worked in the lab since 2006, agree that they find encouragement in small advances. They say the drugs developed from their work may only help one or two people, but you have to have patience.

Patience has paid off for Smits, who is primarily studying nuclear cell architecture and how genes are transcribed. He is searching to find what variants make genes more susceptible to cancer and how variants transcribe sequences, such as for proteins, in cells.

Recently, Smits found that the structure of the locus, the specific location of a gene or DNA sequence on a chromosome, is the same in both rats and humans. He hopes this information can aid in controlling breast cancer.

“It’s about motivation and precise work,” Smits said. “You just have to keep going no matter what.”

dailycardinal.com/features

arts Cinematic creations are collaborations dailycardinal.com/arts

DAN SULLIVAN sullivan’s travels Madison movie theaters are being bum-rushed by recent releases from filmmakers commonly considered to be auteurs— directors whose distinctive artistic personalities are inscribed all over their respective oeuvres. Werner Herzog’s “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans,” Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon,” Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island,” Roman Polanski’s “The Ghost Writer,” John Woo’s “Red Cliff ” and Noah Baumbach’s “Greenberg” will all enjoy runs on local screens this month. But before we can say whether these aforementioned movies are truly “by” their directors, it’d be worthwhile to take a look at the history of the auteur theory.

To speak of directors as being the authors of their films is to place cinema on the same footing as painting, literature, theatre and music.

The invention of the auteur is commonly credited to the staff of the French film magazine Cahiers du Cinéma in the 1950s. In their writings from this period, François Truffaut, Jacques Rivette, Eric Rohmer, Luc Moullet and JeanLuc Godard created a school of criticism—then known as la politique des auteurs—that elevated cinema to the level of high art by arguing that directors are cut from the same cloth as novelists, poets, composers, painters and sculptors. For them, cinema’s lack of legitimacy as an artistic medium was caused by the lingering uncertainty about who was really responsible for making a film.

Even the most insignificant dash of paint in a landscape by Cézanne or the most inessential clause in a run-on sentence by Faulkner can be easily traced back to the intelligence and efforts of the individual artist. To speak of directors as being the authors of their films is to place cinema on the same footing as painting, literature, theatre and music.

Filmmaking is a collective endeavor in which every contribution is equally essential to the final product.

This school was quickly met with opposition, most notably by the great critic/theorist (and fellow Cahiers staffer) André Bazin.

In his 1957 essay, “On the politique des auteurs,” Bazin argued that Truffaut and co. privileged artists over their art and bodies of work over individual films.

Most importantly, Bazin noted that by suggesting good directors were practically incapable of making bad films, advocates of the politique des auteurs had

Thursday, March 11, 2010

formed “aesthetic personality cults.” In other words, these writers lavished so much attention on directors that they lost sight of cinema’s collaborative nature.

The critic Andrew Sarris imported the politique des auteurs to America in the early 1960s, renaming it the “auteur theory.”

Sarris systematized the politique into a critical framework in which the three most important aspects of a film are technical competence (a film’s thematic and aesthetic cohesiveness), stylistic signatures (a film’s connections to the rest of its director’s work) and interior meaning (the links between a film’s themes and the director’s use of her materials). In his seminal essay “Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962,” Sarris wrote, “The way a film looks and moves should have some relationship to the way a director thinks and feels.” Here cinema is again treated as an individual rather

than a collective art.

Pauline Kael was easily the most well-known and outspoken opponent of the auteur theory, expressing her objections to it in the 1963 essay “Circles and Squares.” Kael argued that the auteur theory’s claim to having discovered “objective” criteria for evaluating films was disingenuous.

She also wrote that “it is an insult to an artist to praise his bad work along with his good; it indicates that you are incapable of judging either.”

The sooner we begin thinking of films in terms of collaborations rather than individual authorship, the better.

Yet, Kael’s loquaciousness never came close to Bazin’s intellect. Kael often seemed to argue

that bad movies are bad because they’re... bad. She described auteurists as “connoisseurs of trash,” apologists willing to defend their favorite directors’ least-inspired efforts; she even described them as being “intellectually handicapped.”

Kael’s rough contemporary Manny Farber, a far more stimulating critic, articulated the most persuasive case against the auteur theory in a 1966 article entitled “The Subverters.” Farber wrote that the auteur theory was “doomed to failure because of the subversive nature of the medium: the flash-bomb vitality that one scene, actor, or technician injects across the grain of a film.” Of all those who argued for or against the auteur, I most agree with Farber. Filmmaking is a collective endeavor in which every contribution is equally essential to the final product.

Advocates of the auteur the-

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ory tend to shortchange actors, cinematographers, sound and set designers and screenwriters; opponents of the auteur theory are often too caught up in distinguishing between art and trash and in developing a hierarchy of films ranked according to their supposed greatness. Movies are “by” their directors, but they’re also “by” the talent in front of, and behind, the camera. If we find ourselves talking so much about directors, it’s largely because of the managerial nature of their work rather than its higher importance.

So, when approaching “Bad Lieutenant” or “The White Ribbon,” remember to keep in mind that filmmaking is nothing if not a team effort. The sooner we begin thinking of films in terms of collaborations rather than individual authorship, the better.

Do you think there’s more than a literal ‘I’ in film? Explain why to Dan at dsullivan@wisc.edu.

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Thursday, March 11, 2010

Remember the Titus (Andronicus)

By Kyle Sparks

sounds unattainably vast, that’s because it probably is. But “I’m destroying everything Stickles’ description of the project that wouldn’t make was a bit facetious—The Monitor me more like Bruce is a concept album about the Springsteen” lessons of the Civil War that are If the Hold Steady brought still resonant today. By removing bar rock to the arena, Titus the narrative from the constraints Andronicus brought arena of historical realities, Stickles rock to the bar. Their latest, floats his tale to each thematthe comically ambitious Civil ic touchstone in a casual way, War-themed opus The Monitor, neither overbroad nor pedanpresents broadtic. He attacks CD REVIEW stroke grandeur the complacency and unabashed and superficial zeal packed like attraction that sardines and plagued slavedragged through owning America the kind of and how the muddy terrain lingering effects most bands’ PR of synthetic aesThe Monitor teams vow to thetics manifest Titus avoid. But Titus in today’s throwAndronicus weren’t born to away culture. It’s run from their confrontation- a grim depiction, but they never al aesthetics, and their songs said it was going to be pretty. embrace the putrid reality Titus brought several friends beneath a synthetic flair. along for The Monitor’s journey, but Glen Rock is a full 66 miles the vocal performance turned in by from Springsteen’s hometown of Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner on “To Old Long Branch, N. J., but The Friends and New” bestows a small Monitor is a whole lot closer dose of levity and beauty to the than that. Tugging on the coat- dense project and instills an elegance tails of New Jersey’s most icon- and vulnerability to Titus’ persistent ic songwriter, Titus frontman hostility. And when the shroud of Patrick Stickles does more actual light-heartedness wears out and the singing this time around. Paired fuzz transitions to “...And Ever,” with the cleaner production their anthemic rallying cries of “The value, he aligns himself more enemy is everywhere” are infused with his home state’s consum- with a marching piano and a paradmate rock legend than previous- ing saxophone, celebratory in their ly held yardstick Conor Oberst. own self-righteousness. An ugly mesBut instead of using Xeroxed sage doesn’t need to sound garish. bravado like New Jersey cohorts the Gaslight Anthem, Titus unsubscribe from the hopeful Titus are primed for the escapism and paint the gruff big stage, but their hearts portrait of a blue-collar America of rock ’n’ roll gold won’t bound to stagnancy, not the one let them sell out to clawing its way out. fame or fortune.

“However much you paid for your many destructions, it was too much.”

The Monitor exists in a different economic zone, one that “The things I used to hate, stands in firm opposition to I’ve learned to accept” The Monitor isn’t going to conthe capitalist big wigs stifling originality with corporatized vert many Titus-haters, nor should street culture. They appropri- it. The group’s refusal to cater to ated everything we ever loved, outsiders’ norms is a fundamental so the best we can do is hold tenet of their ethos, because the on tight to the things we hate. minute they give in to corporate Rock ’n’ roll is too flooded America is the minute they fade with superficial exhibitionists to into irrelevance. But The Monitor bother trying to save it, so the accomplishes more than a rehashbiggest imprint a band can have ing of established ideas. The Airing of Grievances, Titus’ 2008 debut, nowadays is by destroying it. showed the band fully formed, clawing at societal materialism with punishing ferocity; but The Monitor But Titus weren’t born to run shows that same band applying from their confrontational their sound and their irreverent aesthetics, and their songs message to a fully realized album. embrace the putrid reality The Monitor plays out like a single beneath a synthetic flair. piece, each peak bleeding into the subsequent valley to the point where the 14-minute closer, “The Battle of Hampton Roads,” is equally as Accordingly, Stickles makes digestible as the sub-two minute himself out to be something of “Titus Andronicus Forever.” a martyr; a scholar trapped in an Titus encapsulate the resplendent environment whose inhabitants opulence of world-renowned rock are convinced they are helpless. acts, but their punk-rooted, heart-onHe’s at the mouth of Plato’s sleeve earnestness aligns them with cave, privy to the enlightenment more approachable, yet less recognizbut unable to converse with his able alt-country bands like the Spider liberated peers. The only way Bags. Titus are primed for the big to escape the puppet show and stage, but their hearts of rock ’n’ roll make himself heard, or so it gold won’t let them sell out to fame seems, is by taking explosives to or fortune. Ironically, this self-defacthe cave itself. ing moral code, the humble direct“I took the one thing that ness of arena-sized rock in bar-sized made me beautiful and I portions, is exactly what makes The threw it away” Monitor, and Titus Andronicus as a If a Civil War concept album whole, such a monolithic success.

THE DAILY CARDINAL

PHOTO COURTESY HANGING BRAINS MUSIC

Umphrey’s McGee is in town tonight, putting on a show at the Orpheum Theatre. Although the band hails from Chicago, they are no strangers to Madison, having played somewhere between 40 and 50 shows here before.

McGee hit up Madison

By Matt Beaty THE DAILY CARDINAL

Umphrey’s McGee is a Chicagobased band known for their energetic live shows and impressive improvisation. Since their formation in 1997, they have kept a busy touring schedule, playing over a hundred shows each year. Long sets, stage banter and excellent lighting are some of the things that make an Umphrey’s McGee concert great. But it is their keen musical sense and cohesion that will make tonight’s concert at the Orpheum a must-see.

In January 2009, their most recent album, Mantis, was released to critical acclaim and fan approval. This album is unique because, for the first time, Umphrey’s McGee did not play any of the songs on the album live before recording them in the studio.

Featuring 10 songs with varying energy and style, Mantis gives the band a great sense of pride and accomplishment.

“We tried to create a progrock masterpiece with [Mantis].

We spent three years in-studio before we played these songs [live]. We really tried to fine-tune everything and make a collection of songs that work together,” Joel Cummins, keyboardist for Umphrey’s McGee, said.

Incorporating new music has failed some bands in the past, but the songs on Mantis have worked out well.

“Now that the albums been out, everyone knows the songs... it feels like they aged well,” Cummins said.

While discussing what songs work best live, Cummins mentioned his favorite song to play in concert.

“I always love ‘Cemetery Walk II.’ Being a keyboard song, that was one of the songs I brought to the table. And being able to make a 7/8 meter dance party is not something a lot of bands out there are doing,” he said.

Their music is both well-crafted and highly energetic, a perfect combination for a band that plays venues ranging from the Orpheum to Alpine Valley.

Their high-energy concerts feature mainly original songs, accented by impressive, virtuosic, riff-based jams.

Umphrey’s McGee love to bring energy and music to the stage.

When they come to Madison, they expect a good time based on their experience playing 40 to 50 shows in Madison before.

“Our relationship with our fans in Madison is that we know Madison

Your Madison Music Scene: March 11-14

likes to rage, so we like to bring it,” Cummins said. “Whenever we’re playing in the Midwest we get a great crowd, 99-percent of the time.

Madison embodies that for me, and it’s just useful energy and people are totally amped to be there.”

Their high-energy concerts feature mainly original songs, accented by impressive, virtuosic, riff-based jams.

Listening to “Mantis,” the album’s title track, takes the listener through different moods with brilliant improvised melodies acting as transitions.

Another exciting feature of an Umphrey McGee’s concert is their covers.

“We get e-mails every week with five to six cover suggestions from fans,” Cummins said.

Their treatment of covers reflects their relationship with their fans. They always bring their best, because they love their fans and want them to have a good time. “[Covering songs is] one of those things that is a lot of fun for us and we have a great time doing. And that element of surprise of what direction of the cover we’re going to do... makes it fun for the fans,” Cummins said.

While discussing his band’s music, Cummins implied that music is important, not only to him, but to everyone. When Umprhey’s McGee is giving a concert, Cummins wants the crowd to have a good time.

“Our music is meant to let people come out and have a great time with their friends. If they’re having a rough time with something, it can help them with that and take them to a place that only good can take them to, which gives them a few hours of euphoria.

Live music does it best,” he said.

From their beginnings at Notre Dame University to their most recent endeavor recording Mantis, Umphrey’s McGee have been evolving and improving as a band. Because of their friendship and passion for music, their music has never become stale, and their shows have always been entertaining.

Although he was not willing to say if any surprises would occur at tonight’s concert, Cummins did reveal something.

“I guarantee if you come to our show tomorrow night you will leave with a smile on your face and say ‘that was a good fucking time’.”

Umphrey’s McGee will be playing at the Orpheum Theatre tonight (Thursday) at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25 and are still available.

opinion dailycardinal.com/opinion

Editorial Cartoon

Thursday, March 11, 2010

By John Liesveld opinion@dailycardinal.com

THE DAILY CARDINAL

JAMIE STARK opinion columnist

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loquence in print isn’t too hard. It’s a medium that, through the magic and archaic technology of Gutenberg, allows me to spend hours debating between using “brutish” or “bestial” before anyone ever reads my words. After being quoted in our university’s other newspaper, I was reminded that I’m not quite as eloquent live. I must admit I sounded like Sarah Palin.

In my quote, I was discussing government and generalizing between gubernatorial candidates Tom Barrett and Scott Walker. I meant what I said about small government—it’s nice. In trying to begin a non-profit, I’ve experienced how detrimental government red tape can be to the implementation of anything new or positive. I’m the number one fan of efficient, lean government.

However, I hesitate to embrace the conservative talking point that government should be run like a company, a sentiment Walker proselytizes.

Most companies are not consistently trying to fire employees and reduce production in the way many proprivatization conservatives, such as Walker, try to run our government.

Constant growth is the definition of a successful business. In many respects, government should not be acting like a company by expanding for the sake of expansion. If we truly believe that our government is composed of “the people,” we must realize profit margins are not the only concern of our body politic. Walker took this to extremes when he spoke out against high speed rail funding for a line from Madison to Milwaukee because of operation costs once built. Tom Barrett has compared that to Wisconsin rejecting interstate money in the 1950s unless the federal government agreed to plow the highways.

The current recession should teach us to live better and govern leanly, and many Americans have been tightening belts and living more frugally. Vacations

became staycations. Unemployment is a reality, not a statistic, for the middle class. Hell, Hummer is shutting down.

The economy will improve and the job market will bounce back from its presently gloomy state. But to prevent the return of foolish practices like spiraling consumer debts and the overextension of loans, we should be absorbing lessons from our recent frugal tendencies.

During times of economic downturn, the poorest are hit hardest and first. There must be certain government safeguards in place, not just for the cyclically poor, but also for citizens of the lower middle class who can swiftly plummet into poverty as a result of sudden illness or job loss. Wisconsin insurance programs like BadgerCare provide a safeguard for many children and women.

Although former Republican governor Tommy Thompson began the idea of BadgerCare, we can’t afford to have the conservative bastion Walker oversee such a program.

The Walker campaign does not seem well planned and instead seems content to parrot basic conservative principles.

Even under Jim Doyle, enrollment in BadgerCare has been frozen. From public transportation to county union jobs, Walker has worked to privatize everything in his sights in Milwaukee County. He seems bent on privatizing himself right out of a job if elected governor. It’s easy to imagine Gov. Walker selling the Capitol.

Wisconsin lost 130,000 jobs last year. Our unemployment rate hovers around 9 percent, nearly the national average. Actions by Walker, like his recent firing of 76 county employees, throw his promises of job creation into scrutiny. Adding workers to the unemployment line after promising to create 250,000 jobs seems politically dangerous at best.

Walker’s blatant message of “government bad, lower taxes” is brutish and impractical. I disagree with many

Democrats bashing Walker for his goal of 250,000 new jobs within four years if he is elected governor—attacking political opponents for worthy, optimistic goals does not make us look good. But the sentiment is understood. The Walker campaign does not seem well planned and instead seems content to parrot basic conservative principles. It is meant to attract tea partiers and conservatives before the Republican primary in September.

Aside from the upcoming primary, there is little reason for the lack of a broader campaign on Walker’s part.

He has been campaigning since his failed primary bid in 2006 and had an early head start in the 2010 race against Barrett. The only explanation may be that he truly believes in an uncompromising march toward the privatization of everything once deemed communal.

Luckily for liberals, this race is not about the lesser of two evils.

Democrats love Barrett, and rightly so. He garnered statewide supporters as early as 2002 with his first gubernatorial run and is beloved by Wisconsin’s largest city, where he served five terms as a congressman and two as mayor. In 2008, Barrett was re-elected as mayor of Milwaukee with 79 percent of the vote.

Soon enough, the whole state will learn to like nice-guy Barrett. His Sunday “Ask Tom” live web chat was a good step in that direction. For a politician, he is remarkably genuine and compassionate, well-informed and has experience running a big city in rough shape.

Of late, Republicans have portrayed themselves as the party of small government, while Democrats have acted as the party of reasonable government. Nationally, many congressional Democrats have acted slowly on plans while Republicans sit off to the side squawking conservative principles. Come fall in Wisconsin, voters may be left with a much starker choice between irrational privatization and measured, people-focused government.

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

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No need to ban guns, regulate them instead

By Matt Beaty

Walker trying to put state under his small gov’t spell

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The Supreme Court has had slurry of important cases during Obama’s presidency, most notably overturning portions of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. However, the recent case of McDonald v. Chicago, which challenges the Chicago handgun ban, is going to be its most important yet.

The Second Amendment states: “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” It is a vaguely written statement, like much of the Constitution, but it is one of the most debated and challenged sentences in America.

It is oft-debated because gun rights are so important; people should have the right to defend themselves and to hunt. For this reason, the overall ban on handguns in Chicago should be overturned. This would affirm the Second Amendment to the states for the first time. When this is done, the right to bear arms will always be protected in the states, and not just Washington D.C., as is the current interpretation.

More importantly, the Supreme Court must do something I would normally disagree with: They must legislate with their opinions from the bench.

They need to make certain that people have the right to bear arms, but they must do so reasonably. Any language the majority opinion uses must include the right for legislation to be passed to regulate gun purchases and sale. There also must be provisions to prohibit the right to purchase weapons and ammunition in certain cases.

Recently, many Supreme Court cases have been of little significance, unlike past decisions like Brown vs. Board of Education, which made large sweeping reforms that are still tangible today. That type of reform would be desirable in this case.

Instead of outright bans, legislation should focus on controlling who sells and buys firearms.

The ban should be overturned, therefore securing the rights of the Second Amendment for those living outside the District of Columbia. By doing so, law-abiding citizens will have the right to own handguns. Also, this could conceivably allow for gun-control regulation to be more uniform throughout the United States.

Also, the Supreme Court should ensure that only absolute bans on hand guns are deemed illegal. The Court should leave the door open on automatic weapon bans and abstain from any language mentioning gun control in its opinion.

Once this case is resolved,

the nation needs to have an honest discussion on gun control.

During the most recent presidential campaign, gun control was a hot topic. Once Obama was elected, gun sales and Firearm Owner Identification Card applications skyrocketed.

While this was good for the gun industry, it is horrible for the morale of America.

Instead of using weapon stockpiling as a message, gun-rights activists need to meet with guncontrol activists and draft pragmatic gun legislation. Guns are an issue of public and personal safety.

If legislators, activists and lobbyists can come together to draft useful legislation, it could be a catalyst for other collaborative efforts.

The overall ban on handguns in Chicago should be overturned.

There are some gun control issues that should be addressed, and the goal of any action should be to increase public safety. Many nations, most notably Japan, have strict gun-control bans and restrictions. In Japan, it is illegal to possess a firearm, with some exceptions. But such legislation would be completely detrimental to America’s safety, because guns have already saturated our society. Hunting and sport shooting are large parts of American culture; completely eradicating guns is impractical and gives criminals an advantage.

Instead of outright bans, legislation should focus on controlling who sells and buys firearms. Longer waiting periods and purchase limits should be uniform throughout the US, because these practices can slow down hasty decisions to buy guns (which are never based on good reason) and curb the illegal sale of firearms. It would also help to increase punishments on violent offenders who use guns to commit crimes.

If the government cannot stop the illegal sale and use of firearms, it can at least make sure criminals stay off the streets for longer. Using imprisonment may not always work, but keeping murderers in jail would be a positive step. Murderers should be sentenced, throughout the nation, to a minimum of 25 years without parole. This is not always the case, especially since many murderers serve shortened sentences for “good behavior.”

Guns are not an ordinary product, and their sale and possession should not be treated as such. The Supreme Court needs to realize that American safety and freedom were in mind when the founders wrote the Second Amendment.

Gun controls should be limited to safe purchase and sale, and not outright prohibitions.

Matt Beaty is a freshman intending to major in chemistry. We welcome all feedback.

Please send all responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

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Badger fans can’t have it both ways with Bo Ryan BEN BREINER boom goes the breinamite

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et us call this a duplicity of logic.

On the one hand there was outcry when Wisconsin debuted the season as the 7th-9th best team in the conference, at least according to most projections. Many asked how Bo Ryan’s teams could ever be doubted after his track record of consistently finishing in the top four of the conference.

On the other hand we get the cries five months later, and usually in the same high-pitched whine, that Bo is yet again not getting the credit he deserves after finishing behind Ohio State head coach Thad Matta and Purdue head man Curtis Painter for

tournament from page 12 overtime win last month. Junior guard Manny Harris, who has the ability to take over any game, leads the Wolverines, along with senior DeShawn Sims, who averages 16.9 points and 7.7 rebounds a contest.

—Nick Schmitt Iowa The Hawkeyes’ road to Indy has been a rocky one. Their 4-14 record speaks for itself, as does a margin of defeat just under 19 points over their last five losses. Throw in a season-ending injury suffered by sophomore guard Anthony Tucker, and this year has been far from ideal in Hawkeye nation.

Sophomore guard Matt Gatens is their top and only double-digit scorer, but for the year he is shooting 37 percent from the field. Iowa has won the most tournament titles ever (two, though it’s tied with four other teams), but it would probably be pleased with just a win over Michigan in the first round.

—Ben Breiner Indiana Head coach Tom Crean took over a gutted program last season and went 1-17 in the Big Ten, guiding Indiana to a last-place fin-

the Big Ten Coach of the Year award.

The reason he was robbed? Well, he took a team projected to finish so low to fourth place and 23 wins.

People, this can’t go both ways.

Either the team was not that good to begin with and Bo’s coaching lifted it to heights, or they were that good and the coaching job was just in line with what he usually does.

I should note: The main reason Ryan should have gotten the award was adjusting on the fly and going 6-3 without Jon Leuer. Sadly, not enough people are citing this as a reason for him to get the award.

At the end of all this, one must ask if there is any value in this award at all.

It either goes to the coaches of the top teams, or someone who made a middling squad better than they should have been.

In the first case, the award tells us what we already know—that teams like OSU and Purdue were good, something you could figure out by

looking at the standings. In the second, the award goes to someone who does not make good teams great, but usually someone who surprises and lifts up unimpressive teams for a short stretch.

Looking over it all, the league coach of the year award just doesn’t deserve this much discord and protest.

ish for the first time in its history.

The Hoosiers avoided the basement in Crean’s second season, but did not do much better, going 4-14 in the conference. Until beating Northwestern in their season finale, the Hoosiers were mired in an 11game losing streak in the Big Ten. To make matters worse for IU, freshman guard Maurice Creek, who got off to a great start this season, went down with a seasonending injury just before the Big Ten schedule opened.

Indiana is a far cry from the NCAA field, and with a 10-20 overall record, it won’t be going to the NIT either.

—Scott Kellogg

—Nick Schmitt

Penn State You could not start the Big Ten regular season worse than the Nittany Lions did this year. They fell on their faces and lost 12 straight before finally beating Northwestern 81-70 on Feb. 17. Head coach Ed DeChellis and Penn State finished 3-15, but were competitive in their last two games, losing to Michigan State by only two and to Purdue by four. They are led by senior guard Talor Battle, who averaged 18.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists a game during the regular season.

The Nittany Lions are the No. 11 seed and will take on Minnesota.

A bit misunderstood The final AP poll was released earlier this week and only 10 of the 25 teams that debuted in the opening poll survived to the final one.

This kind of thing has become a rallying cry for fans against the reporters who cover the sport. There is some joy in pointing out how wrong the “socalled experts” can be, as they hit only 40 percent of the projected final poll.

The only problem: preseason polls are not a projection of anything.

Much like the SAT only measures how well people can do on the SAT (long ago it was known as the standard

aptitude test before people realized it did not test aptitude), it’s not exactly clear what these polls measure.

The way they come together just takes last year’s results, drops teams based on early departures and graduates, bumps them up for returning starters and good incoming recruits and, when in doubt, gives big name teams a bump. That’s it.

The polls tell us that and nothing more. These writers don’t project how everyone will finish, they don’t go through the schedule and decide which games each team will lose or win, they just don’t.

And they really shouldn’t.

It would be really easy for reporters to pick final polls if they didn’t have to account for, oh I don’t know... five months of basketball and all the random events that take place in that span. We’re talking thousands of games, over 300 teams, injuries, coaching issues, players that surprise

and players that disappoint.

No amount of preseason reporting can prepare someone for all of those events, especially in terms of picking 25 teams that will be the best in both November and March.

Furthermore, even if every writer voted for the few teams they felt would buck the standard preseason formula, those outliers would be wiped away because the poll is an aggregation of opinion.

65 writers vote and, because of that, the final poll will represent the most general of consensus. The teams ranked will always be the safest picks because each one is the most agreed upon. The system almost assures this will happen, and as such, it will always go the same way.

Writers vote, polls come out, people complain. It’s not an ideal formula, but that’s the way it works.

Any thoughts about Ryan or preseason polls? E-mail Ben at breiner@wisc.edu.

Big Ten Leaders

LORENZO ZEMELLA/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

2009-’10 Big Ten Player of the Year Evan Turner and the Buckeyes enter the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 1 seed.

Points Per Game Evan Turner (OSU) Talor Battle (PSU) John Shurna (NW) Manny Harris (MICH) DeShawn Sims (MICH)

19.5 18.8 18.5 17.7 16.9

Rebounds Per Game Evan Turner (OSU) Mike Davis (ILL) Draymond Green (MSU) DeShawn Sims (MICH) JaJuan Johnson (PUR)

9.4 8.8 7.8 7.7 7.2

Assists Per Game Demetri McCamey (ILL) Evan Turner (OSU) Talor Battle (PSU) Michael Thompson (NW) Manny Harris (MICH)

5.8 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.1

sports Madness starts up with Big Ten Tournament 12

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Thursday, March 11, 2010

Each team begins its quest for a Big Ten title today Ohio State The Buckeyes enter the tournament with the most momentum of any team in the conference. Ohio State is riding a current four-game win streak, and has won 10 of its last 11.

They are led by their prolific scorer, junior forward Evan Turner. Turner, who was named the Sporting News college basketball Player of the Year, led the Big Ten with 19.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Turner may be the greatest difference-maker in the conference, if not the country.

Ohio State went 21-4 this season when Turner was in the lineup, and 3-3 when he missed time with a back injury.

The Buckeyes are a lock for the

field of 65. They will be no worse than a 2-seed, and have an outside shot at a No. 1 if they win the Big Ten Tournament.

—Scott Kellogg Purdue The Boilermakers won a share of the Big Ten regular season title thanks to a trio of juniors. Guard E’Twaun Moore, forward Robbie Hummel and center JaJuan Johnson each averaged over 10 points a game and were a handful for opposing teams. Purdue was in line to receive a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament before Hummel tragically tore his ACL. The injury should cause them to drop to a No. 2 or No. 3 depending on their result in the conference tournament. The Boilermakers still pose a serious threat, especially if Johnson, who had 21 points and 10 rebounds against Penn State, can continue his strong play.

—Nick Schmitt

Michigan State Co-champions of the regular season, the Spartans usually turn it on come tournament time.

Unfortunately in this case, it’s often not Big Ten Tournament time as Tom Izzo’s squad is usually more successful in the Big Dance than this week’s festivities. Either way, junior guards Durrell Summers and Kalin Lucas along with forwards like Raymar Morgan and Draymond Green down low make the Spartans a formidable challenger this weekend. Expect them to crash the offensive boards as usual (top-10 nationally in that category) and play their standard forceful brand of defense.

They should be slotted for a top-3 NCAA seed but their fate may rest with Lucas, whose clutch shooting has been key late in games.

—Ben Breiner Wisconsin Wisconsin finished 13-5 in the Big Ten, just one game behind the three-way tie for first place. After Ohio State, the Badgers may be the most dangerous team in the conference. With Michigan State’s recent inconsistency and Purdue missing junior forward Robbie Hummel, Wisconsin has to like its chances in this tournament.

Junior forward Jon Leuer appears to be back in full swing after solid performances in his last two games against Iowa and Michigan. Now UW is firing on all cylinders, entering Friday’s game against Illinois with a four-game winning streak.

The Badgers should be a No. 4 or 5 in this year’s NCAA field, with perhaps a chance to elevate themselves to a No. 3 seed should they win the Big Ten Tournament.

—Scott Kellogg Illinois Following an upset of the Badgers at the Kohl Center, it looked like the Fighting Illini were playing some of the best basketball in the Big Ten, but they finished losing five of their last six games and now find themselves on the NCAA bubble. Led by junior guard Demetri McCamey and junior center Mike Tisdale, Illinois goes into the Big Ten tournament as the No. 5 seed. They take on Wisconsin, who crushed them 72-57 in the season finale, and Illinois will need a huge game

GRAPHIC BY TAYLOR MCGINNIS

out of McCamey if it hopes to upset the Badgers for a second time. The Fighting Illini are currently one of the last four teams in according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.

—Nick Schmitt Minnesota Consistency.

Minnesota had big wins against Wisconsin and Illinois and bad losses to Northwestern and Michigan twice, the second coming by 28 in Ann Arbor when it appeared that the Gophers may have been positioned for a strong finish. Now this weekend is their last chance to impress the selection committee and save what has been, to this point, a disappointing season.

They boast depth and talent but for it all to come together senior guard Lawrence Westbrook will

2009-’10 Big Ten Bracket

have to tap into his appreciable talent, something he has rarely done on a game-to-game basis. Junior point guard Al Nolen could have been a calming influence, but he is currently suspended for academic issues. This Big Ten Tournament means everything for Minnesota.

A strong showing and the year is a success. Get knocked out and the year ends as a troubling one in the Twin Cities.

—Ben Breiner Northwestern The Wildcats remain the one squad in any of the six major conferences to never appear in the NCAA Tournament, and barring a miracle run in this year’s Big Ten Tournament, it will stay that way.

Northwestern was dealt a devastating blow early in the 2009-’10 campaign when senior forward Kevin Coble went down for the season with a foot injury. Sophomore forward John Shurna has filled in nicely, scoring 18.5 points per game, which is good for third in the conference.

But it has not been enough, as the Wildcats went a disappointing 7-11 in the conference this season.

Northwestern will not be in the field of 65 unless it runs the table this weekend, thus they are likely headed to the NIT. —Scott Kellogg Michigan Expectations were high for the Wolverines at the beginning of the season. They were No. 15 in both preseason polls but stumbled to a bad start and hope for an NCAA Tournament bid faded fast. Michigan’s only hope is for a Cinderella run in the tournament this weekend. They are the No. 8 seed and take on Iowa, a team they beat twice, including an 80-78 tournament page 11