Thursday, April 19, 2012 - The Daily Cardinal

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‘Redefining’ a capella

The singing group celebtrates its 10th anniversary. +ARTS, page 4 University of Wisconsin-Madison

Complete campus coverage since 1892

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Mayor reflects on first year back in office By David Jones The Daily Cardinal

With Thursday marking the first anniversary of his third term in office, Mayor Paul Soglin reflected on the challenges Madison has faced and its direction for the future. Soglin, who served two terms from 1973 to 1979 and from 19891997, said stabilizing the city’s budget has been his most important priority this term. In the 2012 city Operating Budget, the mayor cut the previously promised $2 million for the Overture Center to $1.85 million. He also reduced funding for the Edgewater Hotel project from $16 million to $3.3 million, which proved controversial. “There’s a number of us that always believe that the arts are as much a part of urban life as basic services,” Soglin said. “Unfortunately, when priorities had to be made, it was necessary to reduce the rather significant city commitment.” The mayor also dealt with

the a violent Mifflin Street Block Party, which included high levels of public intoxication and arrests in addition to two stabbings. This year, Soglin included Associated Students of Madison representatives and public health and safety officials in conversations regarding changes to make Mifflin safer. While students wanted vendors at the event, city officials decided against it because of safety concerns. “Paul genuinely, sincerely was seeking [ASM’s] input, but frankly, the loudest voices were the public safety professionals,” said Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4. The mayor said he will not make any decisions on future block parties until he sees the outcome of Mifflin 2012. Soglin also said reaffirming the city’s commitment to improving neighborhoods was an important goal. One way the mayor is working

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Thursday, April 19, 2012

ASM council prepares to make MCSC decision By Mackenzie Chaffee The Daily Cardinal

Police said the most common crimes occur when people leave doors and windows unlocked, thieves find opportunities to cut screens and people walk alone, giving perpetrators the opportunity to strike. Officials said they are doing what they can to prevent crimes, but community members and students need to remain informed of ways to avoid being victimized. “[This is] not a problem

Associated Students of Madison representatives met Wednesday for preliminary discussions about the Multicultural Student Coalition eligibility for funding, after Chancellor David Ward sent the decision to student council late last week. The ASM student council plans to make a ruling Thursday, even though the Student Judiciary put an injunction on the decision earlier this week. The injunction says any decision council makes will be invalid until Ward proves the group was treated unfairly in the fall semester. Chancellor David Ward ordered ASM to determine if MCSC is eligible for funding after the Student Services Finance Committee deemed it was ineligible last fall. Student Judiciary Chief Justice Chair Kathryn Fifield said Ward abused his authority by sending the decision to council. “The struggle is about the fact that the chancellor of this university unilaterally overruled a decision made by the students in their proper capacities for this student government and were literally mandated that [MCSC’s eligibility] go on the agenda,” Fifield said. To make sure representatives ASM representatives underwent mandatory trainings during

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shoaib altaf/the daily cardinal

City officials meet with students Wednesday to discuss safety on campus in light of a recent spike in crime.

ASM, city officials talk campus safety By Kristen Tracy The Daily Cardinal

In light of a 50 percent increase in crime on campus since this time last year, city and university police met with students Wednesday to discuss ways to stay safe on campus. While police said the increase correlates with the unusually warm weather and increased drug addiction in Madison that leads to theft, Madison Police Captain Carl Gloede said there is no one reason that can account for the spike in crime.

ben pierson/cardinal file photo

Mayor Paul Soglin said stabilizing the city budget and improving struggling neighborhoods are top priorities.

#UWRightNow shows university reach It’s not often that students in Bascom Hall know what other student are doing across campus, let alone in the South Pole. But that’s exactly what #UWRightNow aimed to do all day Wednesday. University communications created the website, which allowed any member of the UW community to tweet, e-mail or upload a YouTube video detailing what they were doing at that moment. UW Communications Media

Relations Director Dennis Chaptman said his department created the program as a fun way to build community at the end of the semester. “So often on university campus, people live in their own little silos and they don’t see the totality of campus,” Chaptman said. “This is one way to share the culture, to share what’s going on on

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on campus

Symphony of creativity

The 14th Annual Undergraduate Symposium was held at Union South Wednesday. The event displayed creative and research-based work done by students from all areas of study including science, fine arts and humanities. + Photo by Lauren Braun

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


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tODAY: chance o’ rain hi 57º / lo 37º

hi 50º / lo 32º

Thursday, April 19, 2012

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

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Managing Editor Nico Savidge

News Team News Manager Alison Bauter Campus Editor Alex DiTullio College Editor Anna Duffin City Editor Abby Becker State Editor Tyler Nickerson Enterprise Editor Scott Girard Associate News Editor Ben Siegel Features Editor Samy Moskol Opinion Editors Matt Beaty • Nick Fritz Editorial Board Chair Samantha Witthuhn Arts Editors Riley Beggin • Jaime Brackeen Sports Editors Ryan Evans • Matthew Kleist Page Two Editors Rebecca Alt • Jacqueline O’Reilly Life & Style Editor Maggie DeGroot Photo Editors Mark Kauzlarich • Stephanie Daher Graphics Editors Dylan Moriarty • Angel Lee Multimedia Editors Eddy Cevilla • Mark Troianovski Science Editor Lauren Michael Diversity Editor Aarushi Agni Copy Chiefs Jenna Bushnell • Mara Jezior Steven Rosenbaum • Dan Sparks Copy Chiefs Lauren Krupp

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sex and the student body

Crazy new beau or pesky old ex?

Volume 122, Issue 57

Editor in Chief Kayla Johnson

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The Dirty Bird

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

friday: chance o’ rain

Erica andrist sex columnist Dear Erica, I just started dating this guy who very recently (like a couple of months [ago]) got out of a two-year relationship. Things have been going pretty good so far [but]…. he told me he and his ex are still trying to be friends…I want to be the cool girlfriend who is okay with this, but honestly…it just gets to me and I don’t know why. They hang out…going to movies, etc. Is that weird? Am I being crazy? Should I talk to him about this, and how would I do that? Should I just get out before he gets back with her anyway? Please help, I feel like a crazy person. —Crazy New Girlfriend You’re not a crazy person, CNG, but I do think your e-mail is crazy complicated, given that you asked me like five questions there. I’m going to try to tackle it piece by piece. Starting with the concept of weirdness—maybe it’s a little uncommon, but by no means is it impossible for someone to remain on friendly terms with an ex. Not all romantic or sexual relationships end

with screaming and hatred. Sometimes, people naturally part ways, or they come to realize they work very well together as friends but romance just isn’t there. Think about the non-sex parts of your own relationship that you enjoy—stupid jokes, long runs together on weekends, trying out new restaurants. Sure, you enjoy them in part because you like spending time with your boyfriend, but if things didn’t work out, wouldn’t you still enjoy those activities? Can you make room for the possibility that it still might be nice to have a platonic companion who knows your sense of humor, your running style and your favorite ethnic cuisine? That said, I think most reasonable people could acknowledge that it might feel weird for someone to learn that their new partner is still so chummy with their ex, so it’s completely legit for you to talk to your boyfriend about how you feel. “I want to be the cool girlfriend who is okay with this, but honestly…it just gets to me and I don’t know why” is a great place to start. From that starting point, have a plan in mind. I don’t think your boyfriend has any obligation to limit his time with his ex. He may be willing

to do this, but I don’t think it’s fair for you to demand it; ultimately, this is your problem, not his. If it’s a deal-breaker for you, that’s fine—we all have the right to choose what we will and will not tolerate in relationships— but we don’t have the right to demand our partner change in order to please us.

Not all romantic or sexual relationships end with screaming and hatred. I think a better idea is to have certain activities designated as “your” activities. For example, if the two of you really love watching bad horror movies together, then watching bad horror movies is something only the two of you will do. He and his ex can go to comedies or action flicks or whatever, but horror movies are something special he only does with his girlfriend—you. Alternatively,

you could have a designated time that is “yours,” e.g. every other Friday night is clearly and always demarcated for the two of you. This isn’t meant to “schedule” you time or activities with your bf, but it is meant to help define and maintain an explicit separation between your relationship and his relationship with his ex. It might help you chill out to know exactly what that separation is—and to have had a hand in engineering it. Finally, since we’ve spent all day talking about new relationships, I want to invite interested new sex columnists to contact me about writing next year. Folks, med school is hard and I am getting old, and this will be my last semester writing for the Dirty Bird. I know plenty of you out there have opinions about sex, and I’m willing to bet plenty of you have opinions that you’d just love to expound upon in print. So shoot me an email at sex@ dailycardinal.com and we’ll chat about making that happen. Think you’ve got enough sexiness to do Erica’s job? Or just want more advice on tackling those pesky ex’s? Then e-mail Erica at sex@dailycardinal. com, before someone else jumps on the opportunity.

Page Two is on the prowl for hot new columnist for the fall semester.

Think you’ve got what it takes to provide unlimited entertainment for your fellow Badgers? E-mail the editors at page2@dailycardinal.com for more information on how you can become a star on Page Two.


news

Thursday, April 19, 2012 3

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Report shows increase in teacher layoffs for 2011-’12 By Sarah Olson The Daily Cardinal

A year after Gov. Scott Walker’s education reforms took affect, which included significant funding reductions to public schools, districts cut 2,312 positions in the 2011-’12 school year, according to Wednesday’s annual school staff report. Cuts for the previous two years were between 1,400 and 1,500 positions. According to the report, 60 percent of the staff cuts were teachers, and 73 percent of districts statewide reported cutting teachers during the academic year. The most significant cuts were to librarians, career and technical education, special education, and reading teachers. “Losses in school staff erode

our public education system,” said State Superintendent Tony Evers in a statement. “We want our students to graduate college and be career ready and we must make a bipartisan investment in public education instead of continually forcing cuts on school districts.” But Walker spokesperson Cullen Werwie said the data is misleading because the majority of the cuts came from just three school districts, all of which have not adopted Governor Walker’s education reforms outlined in Act 10. These three districts, Milwaukee, Janesville, and Kenosha, accounted for 40 percent of all teacher reductions while serving fewer than 13 percent of public school students. “Gov. Walker’s reforms led

to the least number of school districts increasing class sizes in the past decade, the smallest reduction in extracurricular activities in the last decade and less student fee increases than any other year in the last decade,” Werwie said. Rep. Sondy Pope-Roberts, D-Verona, who sits on the Assembly Committee on Education, feels that the data shows Walker’s reforms are not working. She said Wisconsin now has fewer teachers per student than in the past and teachers in important areas like reading and technical education are suffering the largest cuts. “You cannot drastically reduce funding to public schools and expect no harm,” Pope-Roberts said in a statement.

meat tornado

Hammy time

Nick Offerman brought his ‘American Ham’ tour to the Memorial Union Theater Wednesday, sharing his tips for a prosperous life and even leading the crowd in a rendition of the ‘ES-FU’ chant. + Photo by Grey Satterfield

Republicans lead in Senate recalls A new poll from the Democratic Public Policy Polling shows Republican incumbents lead the Democratic challengers by double digits in all but one of the state Senate recall elections. Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, leads John Lehman 48 percent to 46 percent.

Rep. Jerry Petrowski, R-Marathon, leads Rep. Donna Seidel, D-Wausau, 51 percent to 37 percent.

Sen. Terry Moulton, R-Chippewa Falls, leads Kristen Dexter 51 percent to 41 percent.

Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, leads Lori Compas 54 percent to 40 percent.

asm from page 1 Wednesday’s meeting. Rep. Cale Plamann warned that a violation of viewpoint neutrality could result in a lawsuit. “If you did anything thing that involved funding and you did it for a political reason, you need to be very very careful,” Plamann

safety from page 1 that police can solve themselves,” Madison Police Officer Shawn Engel said. To prevent these crimes, Gloede suggested students never walk alone, take the most lit route, lock all doors and windows and call 911 whenever “something feels off.” “If it doesn’t feel right, assume

warned the council. In an e-mail sent to council, ASM Chair Allie Gardner said any representative not present for the trainings could be held legally liable for their vote on MCSC’s eligibility. Plamann said that transparency in determining the group’s eligibility is key.

Also on Thursday’s agenda is legislation proposing a change to student group funding eligibility criteria. Gardner said the eligibility requirements are meant to provide services on campus, rather than restricting groups from receiving funding, and the new proposal reflects this purpose.

it’s not right,” Engel said. Police said students are more vulnerable to attack while intoxicated because they are likely to be less aware of their surroundings. But Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said even “students who do everything right can still become victims.” Police said stealing electronics is common for people trying to sup-

port drug addictions. Documenting serial numbers and having GPS devices in phones help police locate the stolen items afterwards, but they recommend students do not leave them in plain sight to prevent theft. Gloede also encouraged students to report crimes and to provide detailed descriptions of perpetrators and license plate numbers if possible.

Police Taser, arrest man at Majestic Police Tasered and arrested a man attending a Cults concert at the Majestic Theatre Tuesday night for “causing a disturbance,” according to police. Majestic co-owner Matt Gerding said the theatre staff kicked 22-year-old William Thompson out of the concert for “acting inappropriately” and “negatively affecting other people’s concert experience.” Once outside, Thompson called the police because he felt he did not deserve to be kicked out, according to Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel

DeSpain. After talking with bouncers, officers told Thompson “he was not welcome back in the club” at that time. DeSpain said a fight began between Thompson and officers when Thompson refused to leave. During the fight, Thompson grabbed one of the officer’s batons and used it to hit another. DeSpain said the officer who was hit used a Taser on Thompson and arrested him. Police also arrested Laura Brickman, a bystander, who refused to stop recording and taking pictures of the scene.

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some good efforts,” but said the city an do more to help struggling neighborhoods. Dispite this criticism, Soglin said his program will benefit Madison. “It’s a significant realignment in city resources, but it’s going to pay off in much stronger neighborhoods,” said Soglin.

to improve struggling Madison neighborhoods is by the creation of the Neighborhood Resource Teams, which links city services like the fire department with specific areas. Ald. Lisa Subeck, District 1, said the mayor “is making

uwrightnow from page 1 campus, to share the experience of being on campus.” The 24-hour initiative launched at 12 a.m. Wednesday morning. By the end of the day, university communications had posted more than a thousand of the most creative contributions on its website. Some featured posts included pictures of students studying abroad, a video of people bowling in Union South, or simply a student venting about another

late night at College Library. Chaptman said it was gratifying to see the tremendous response from students and faculty from around the world, portraying how far reaching the university is. “When you bring [people] all together like this, you really realize the impact of the university and how much people love being in Madison; love the terrace, love the traditions and that’s what’s coming through loud and clear in this project,” he said. —Alex DiTullio

#UWRightNow @Wienermobile: “Carl Mayer, a @UWMadison grad in 1925, created the @Wienermobile in 1936. Today we have 3 Badgers still riding shotBUN! #UWRightNow” 10:36 a.m. @DanielPeterson: “Proud to have a degree from UWBackThen, one son attending #UWRightNow, another son going to UWThisFall and a third son hoping for UWin2015” 12:23 p.m. @WJJansonJr: “Walking to class listening to Shakira trying to convince me that her hips don’t lie. #uwrightnow” 4:05 p.m. @cpaverill: “As a kid I wanted to have friends from all over the globe. Because of #UWMadison, I can visit friends in 5 continents. #amazing #UWRightNow” 8:21 p.m.


arts It’s a co-ed affair: Redefining a capella 4

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Thursday, April 19, 2012

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photo courtesy uw redefined

Redefined was the first co-ed a capella group at UW-Madison. Their highly anticipated performance at the Orpheum on May 4 will showcase their wide range of vocal skill, new musical selections and fan favorites like “Sweet Caroline.” By Marina Oliver The daily cardinal

What exactly do Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, The Civil Wars and Imogen Heap have in common? Not much, except campus a cappella group Redefined will be performing songs from each during their upcoming spring show. Redefined began in 2001 to fill a need for co-ed a capella at UW-Madison, and current President Alec Hoge believes the group has covered a lot of ground in the last decade. “We’ve been building a fan base over the years,” he said. “We’ve traveled to a bunch of different places, and each performance has been a chance for group members to hone their skills and discover new things.” Hoge also points out that having both male and female vocals allows the group to span a large range of music. “We’re able to feature a lot of guy-girl duets,” Hoge said. “Which I think is some of the most beautiful music in the world.” To be ready for the spotlight,

the members of Redefined spend at least six hours per week practicing together, according to Music Director Kelly Nelson. “For me, it’s a challenge to get 18 excited college kids to settle down and focus on rehearsal,” Nelson said. “But they’re so funny and enjoyable that it’s a welcome challenge.” Once the group gets down to business, they develop a repertoire of old favorites and new tunes to round out their concert setlist. Each semester, six to eight new songs are chosen and arranged by Redefined members. “All the music we have is arranged by someone in the group,” Hoge said. “Let’s say a member hears a song on the radio they like. They make up an arrangement on the computer and pass it out and then we begin work on it.” In addition to choosing and arranging their music, the students of Redefined manage the group. Hoge and Nelson see this as a benefit, as it puts direct control in the hands of the members. “There’s a very cooperative feel to it,” Nelson said. “We don’t follow the

instructions of someone who isn’t a part of the group. If something isn’t working, we can just make the decision to switch it ourselves.” Hoge says the student leadership in Redefined also keeps their sound youthful. “We do some things that a 40-year-old might be like ‘why?’” Hoge added. “It’s just us doing something we really love and it makes for an overall younger feel.” One concert habit Redefined emphasizes is mixing up their musical selections to include music that may be novel to audience ears. “We try to take three or four songs that we don’t think our audience has ever heard before,” Hoge said. “So people might feel like ‘Oh my gosh, what was that song?’ and they YouTube it, and it might actually become one of their favorites.” Along with the new, Redefined holds onto its concert staples. For example, people may associate the group with their rendition of “Sweet Caroline,” which Nelson feels is an appropriate choice to perform for Badgers.

In loving memory of Trayvon: The art of the memorial track By Ben Siegel the daily cardinal

There’s something poignant about Wyclef’s “Justice (If You’re 17),” a cautionary tale hidden behind the breezy Caribbean stylings of the former Fugees front man. The unremarkable combination of simple guitar riffs and drums unfolding at that leisurely island pace are easy to get lost in, until the singer’s distinctive warble reemerges from the haze with lyrics written from the life of any young minority: “If you seventeen / and you wearin a hoodie / you’re on the phone / talking with your shortie… / Make no mistake there’s one like you, in every city, you know the story.” If you’re in “the right neighborhood at the wrong time,” as he suggests, the typical could easily transform into something resembling that night in Sanford, Florida: ““he gon’ creep up, from behind / have you leave earth / before your time.” Mirrored musically by the unexpected appearance of sharp, disjointed bass reverberations, Wyclef’s warning is both old and new, his refrain (“watch out for the neighborhood watcher”) the same old song to a different tune—one anchored in reality. A tribute from the politically active singer who once harbored presidential aspirations of his native Haiti is welcome, but is by no means as startling as the one offered up by one of Florida preeminent gun-and-

sex-talking sons, Plies. Known for songs like “Bust it Baby Pt. 2, ”Ride D*ck So Good” and collaborations with the likes of Akon and T-Pain, Plies hits a deeper emotional note with “We Are Trayvon.” Over Filthy Beatz production that could be just as easily commandeered with accounts of sexual escapades, Plies takes his storytelling abilities out of the bedroom, using couplets rhyming good/bad, black/white, wrong/right, all the while keeping the tribute in context of Trayvon (not to mention that all proceeds made off the song will also be donated to the Justice for Trayvon Martin Foundation). An accompanying video, complete with hoodies, Skittles and iced teas, sets an emotional backdrop for Plies’ bark. Shots of two friends, one black and one white, are altered when the black teen slowly fades away. The energy of scenes on the basketball court is replaced by static, as empty shots show his white friend resigned to dribbling a ball alone. A chorus of “You’ll forever live on,” connects the moment together. With ad-libs before and after his verses like “Heard you was a little beast on the football field / now you get to play on the all-gold football field / with wings on your back,” the rapper, once a college football recruit, shows a vulnerability usually hidden behind his gold fronts and the eight-percent tint of his sport cars. It lacks the nuances of

Wyclef’s indirect warning, but “We Are Trayvon” hammers home the loss of life just as heavily as the factors behind it—the fact that Trayvon was here, and now he isn’t. I had an interesting conversation recently about the concept of a memorial/tribute. The talking points: depending on what and how they commemorate their subject, memorials/monuments can run the gamut from the breathtaking and uplifting (the Statue of Liberty) to the jarring and resonant (say what you will about Maya Lin’s controversial design, but I never saw anything deflate a group of rambunctious eighth graders quite like that granite “wall of shame” did on our class field trip to D.C.). The same things happen musically. You can enjoy listening to “We Are the World” without thinking much of the poverty and hunger it was meant to combat. Despite the seductiveness of their sound and stories, songs like Nas’ chronicles of street life and Wyclef Jean and Plies’ odes to Trayvon strike deeper chords. Trayvon’s death (as well as those like his under similar circumstances) has sparked vital national conversations about race, self-defense, justice, and individual rights. The list can go on. While discourse will continue from an unfortunate point of departure, music helps to contextualize politicization in emotion for the future.

“The song is great, especially for Madison because everyone knows what it means to our campus,” Nelson said. The May 4 spring show will combine a carefully crafted playlist as well as other forms of entertainment, according to Hoge. “A lot of people think going to an a capella show means hearing, whatever, 18 songs in a row,” he said.

“It’s not just music, though. There will be video, and we’ll involve the crowd. They won’t just be listeners. They’ll be participating.” To see Redefined live at their biggest performance of the semester and perhaps join in with some harmonies of your own, head to the UW Redefined website for information. Tickets are $10 for the May 4 show at the Orpheum.



opinion Rhetoric distorts political debate 6

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Thursday, April 19, 2012

kate Krebs opinion columnist

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he great political divide between Democrats and Republicans lengthens as the sensationalized “war on women” finds its roots in misconstrued and poorly phrased assertions, growing into a monster of unexpected proportion. Women’s rights are incredibly important and the opinions of the female population are essential in today’s politics, but much of the news surrounding women’s rights is so morphed that it has become strictly propaganda. Wisconsin’s own Gov. Scott Walker is accused of participating in this “war on women.” When he repealed the Equal Pay Enforcement Act, Wisconsin got national attention, and is now considered the origin of the “war on women” debate by several sources. GOP presidential can-

didate Mitt Romney was later questioned about Walker’s views and whether or not he supported the repeal, moving the topic to national debate. Though it is true that Walker’s views do not line up with many women’s and the Equal Pay Enforcement Act probably should have been left in place, calling his agenda a “war on women” may be going a little too far. Walker is not a woman-hater, and neither is Romney. They both have wives, they both interact with women on a daily basis, and they both employ women in their campaigns. American elections are becoming a ridiculous game of digging up dirty details and bad-mouthing the opponent. Candidates’ actual political platforms are getting lost among random and even useless accusations. Hilary Rosen, a Democratic strategist, pundit and lobbyist, recently remarked Ann Romney, Mitt Romney’s wife, had “never worked a day in her life” in an interview on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360.” What Rosen real-

ly meant, as she explained, is Romney “never really dealt with the kinds of economic issues that a majority of the women in this country are facing.” However, the statement was interpreted differently than the speaker intended, and once the media caught hold of Rosen’s comments there was no taking them back. Because Ann Romney is a stay at home mom, the Romney campaign began using Rosen’s comments to try to win more female votes, mostly due to the campaign’s inability to connect with women on other fronts. Soon people were saying that Rosen disrespected women who stayed home with children, and the Obama campaign faced accusations about women. Reactions to Rosen’s words sprung up on every social media and news outlet, stinging stay-at-home mothers and distancing Rosen from the Democratic Party. It is universally acknowledged that stay at home moms have their work cut out for them,

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a fact which neither Democrats nor Republicans deny. Rosen even apologized for her remark, which so easily complicated the presidential race. The problem is, however, not whether the United States as a nation appreciates women who raise children, but rather the type of campaigns that are being run. Rosen may identify with the Democratic Party, but she is not an integral part of the Obama campaign. She has very little influence on the president, so why were her comments used as the foundation for an attack on the Obama campaign? Rosen is quite irrelevant.

American elections are becoming a ridiculous game of digging up dirty details and bad-mouthing the opponent.

The issue goes beyond the “war on women,” including every

topic imaginable. For example, it was recently made public that Romney strapped his dog—in a crate, of course—to the roof of his car on a 12 hour drive. Some of Obama’s followers quickly attacked Romney for his disrespect of the animal. And in response, the Romney supporters attacked Obama because he ate dog meat as a child in Indonesia. While eating dog meat is neither rare nor strange in Indonesia, it gave Romney his desired response. But why? Should these things really affect their campaigns? It is certain that Obama does not make a habit of eating dog, and Romney’s pet was perfectly fine after the ride. As voters, it is time we look past this refined form of yellow journalism and focus on what really matters: how these people are going to change our country. Kate is a freshman majoring in English and Spanish. Please send all feedback to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.

Letter: Sexual assault, an unseen war in the military Tomissa Porath PAVE Volunteer

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urrently, there are over 1.5 million people in the U.S. Military who are on active duty. It is their job to fight for our country to keep us safe from harm. However, it is now time that we step up for the safety of our armed forces. Sexual assault is a growing problem in the military with no end in sight. In a 622-page report published by the Department of Defense, a staggering 3,158 total instances of sexual assault were reported—but that is just the beginning. The DoD believes that number only makes up 13.5 percent of the actual number of sexual assaults in the military in 2010. A better, more accurate estimate would be closer to 19,000 sexual assaults. To put that number in perspective, that is about half of the UW-Madison student body and a little more than the population of Middleton. With April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month, this issue has been brought under espe-

cially bright lights during the last couple of weeks, but it should be an issue we think about and address all year long. Civilians looking out for the safety of our military personnel cannot be reserved for one month of the year. It is for that reason I am happy to say this phenomenon has increasingly been at the forefront of news coverage, with many veterans speaking up about what they experienced or witnessed during their service. It was also the topic of a recent Sundance film, “The Invisible War” by Kirby Dick. Some of the film’s featured statistics help to paint a vivid picture of what is really occurring in the armed forces: A female serving for the United States of America is more likely to be sexually assaulted by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. This is unreal. When soldiers enlist, they know they are taking a risk and putting their safety in jeopardy, but it is supposed to be the enemy, not your fellow soldiers, making that the case.

Earn $$$ and stay in Madison this summer. Road maintenance contractor accepting applications for seasonal employment. For more information call 608-842-1676

Citing glaring statistics like these, the intention of “The Invisible War” was to make an impact on law enforcement system. Only 8 percent of known sexual assault cases in the military are prosecuted. Over 90 percent of the sexual assaults reported are result in no form of punishment for the perpetrator. Additionally, only 2 percent of known sexual assault cases result in convictions. Finally, of

the 19,000 estimated cases of sexual assault that happened in the armed forces in 2010, only 62 led to the punishment of an offender. At this point in history, it is estimated that 500,000 people who are or have served in the military have been sexually assaulted. They may not be able to convict their attackers, but that does not mean there is nothing to be done. We can bring this issue to light. We can make it known

that there is a battle our soldiers are fighting not against the perceived enemy, but within their own military communities. This battle is sexual assault. PAVE is a student organization dedicated to ending sexual assault, dating violence and stalking in the UW-Madison community through education and activism. Please send all comments or questions to uwpavemedia@gmail.com or visit UWPAVE.com.


comics dailycardinal.com

Today’s Sudoku

Triple shot of espresso

Fashion statement? Some hair bands made in China were fashioned from recycled condoms. Thursday, April 19, 2012 • 7

Evil Bird

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

© Puzzles by Pappocom

Eatin’ Cake Classic

By Dylan Moriarty EatinCake@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.

Tanked Life

By Steven Wishau wishau@wisc.edu

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Caved In

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com

FOLLOW UP ACROSS 1 Round Table honorific 4 Gandhi’s title 11 Logan posting (Abbr.) 14 Heavy-metal rock? 15 Burdensome 16 Where people and rats may coexist 17 They may be taken to avoid snarls 19 “___ my brother’s keeper?” 20 Watch twice 21 Danced like Bojangles Robinson 23 Shelley’s “Adonais,” e.g. 25 Top of some scepters 28 Billiard shot 29 Type of service or caddy 30 Accountant’s charges 32 Uses hair rollers 33 Painting backing 37 Yucatan civilization members 39 With a voice that means business 43 Animal track 44 Advertiser’s lure 46 Three Stooges blow 49 Like an owl, proverbially 51 “___ is me!” (“Alas!”)

52 Editor’s insertion mark 54 “Superman” baddie Luthor 55 Anchor line’s hole 57 It follows a pair of hips 59 Sao ___, Brazil 61 ___ of Good Feelings (Monroe years) 62 Flag officer 67 Word on both sides of “to” and “oh” 68 Evening dress material 69 Twist the truth 70 Winter hrs. in Florida 71 Beaten down 72 Banned bug spray DOWN 1 Weep buckets 2 Tax-shielded investment, briefly 3 Coward 4 Unlike a rolling stone, proverbially 5 World Poker Tour contribution 6 Concerning this, in legalese 7 “... violets ___ blue” 8 Oft-stubbed extremity 9 Pup with no papers 10 Indian state bordering Bhutan 11 Pass by, as time

Easiest to train ___ by (follows) Beer bash barrel Footnote word “And so on” (Abbr.) Pastoral settings Feeling that eats at you 27 Bridges in movies 31 Set at the same time, as watches 34 Bell rung at evening 35 Jean the Dadaist 36 Wintry forecast 38 Kerfuffle 40 Target of some pH tests 41 Huxley’s “brave” place 42 Baby patter 45 Word preceding a maiden name 46 Crook’s plan, e.g. 47 Dern and Bush 48 Downright 50 Broaden 53 Card of the future? 55 Kind of cannonball 56 Boxing legend 58 Berlin mister 60 Carpentry tool with a curved head 63 “... and seven years ___” 64 X-ray dose unit 65 Word with “foreign,” “first” or “legal” 66 Tennis shot that must be replayed

By Nick Kryshak nkryshak@wisc.edu

First in Twenty

By Angel Lee alee23@wisc.edu

12 1 3 18 22 23 24 26

Washington and the Bear

By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com


Sports

Thursday april 19, 2012 DailyCardinal.com

Football

Want to win $1,000 by writing 1,000 words? Submit a 1,000-word essay responding to the prompt, “Sex and the single student: Do men and women play by the same rules?” for your chance to win. The essay deadline has been extended to April 20, 2012. The best essay will receive $1,000 and be printed in the paper

Send your submissions to editorialboard@dailycardinal.com.

Lorenzo Zemella/cardinal File photo

Third-string running back Melvin Gordon has impressed coaches with his performances in practice so far this spring.

Badger backs have impressed By Ryan Evans The Daily Cardinal

With spring practice now over halfway done, the Wisconsin football team is looking forward to its spring game on April 28, and, to this point, head coach Bret Bielema likes the way his team is shaping up. Last Saturday the Badgers took part in a full-contact scrimmage inside Camp Randall Stadium. Though many projected starters—such as senior running back Montee Ball—didn’t take part in the scrimmage, Bielema was pleased with how his team looked. “The part Saturday that jumped out to me…there were possibly six starters that weren’t in the line-up Saturday,” Bielema said. “There were a lot of key players that weren’t out there and for us to have as much success as we did, I was pretty happy.” Even without Ball taking part, Wisconsin’s running backs were the stars of last Saturday’s scrimmage as both junior James White and redshirt freshman Melvin Gordon both exploded for some long runs on the day. Bielema said that the plan is

to use all three running backs this season. “Ever since I’ve been here we’ve used three backs every year,” Bielema said. “We’ve had to have three backs every season since I’ve been here.” Evidenced by his performance in Saturday’s scrimmage, White is one of the team’s most explosive players and Bielema is working on ways to get him on the field as much as possible next season. “James doesn’t need a lot of room,” Bielema said. “We’ve got some things designed to get him and Montee on the field at the same time.” Gordon’s name may not be as familiar to Badger fans as Ball’s or White’s. Gordon appeared in three games last season for Wisconsin, rushing for 98 yards on 20 attempts and finding the end zone once. Gordon was a four-star recruit coming out of Kenosha Bradford High School after rushing for 2,009 yards and 38 touchdowns in his senior season and Bielema said he’s been impressed with Gordon this spring. “He’s very, very gifted athletically,” Bielema said.


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