Weekend, April 22-24, 2011 - The Daily Cardinal

Out of the dorm, into the Frequency

College products Ezra Furman and the Harpoons to visit Madison ARTS University of Wisconsin-Madison

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dailycardinal.com

Weekend, April 22-24, 2011

By Stephanie Laumer The Daily Cardinal

Matt Marheine/the daily cardinal

All Campus Party hosted more events Thursday afternoon, including free pizza and various activities on East Campus Mall. Club Bucky, held behind Witte Hall, concluded ACP 2011 Thursday night.

Rep. Knudson opposes UW system split ty model with its own Board of Trustees, effectively splitting it from other UW colleges and universities.

“Many of UW-Madison’s objectives may be accomplished by statute without granting public authority,” Knudson said in a statement.

“Changes that will benefit all of our universities including UW-River Falls can be included in the budget.”

His statement came two days after state Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, offered an alternative to the New Badger Partnership similar to the Wisconsin Idea Partnership in which all UW

System schools would be granted flexibilities.

State Rep. Evan Wynn, R-Whitewater, also announced his opposition to the New Badger Partnership because it removes UW-Madison from the authority of the GI Bill, which provides free tuition to veterans.

Knudson emphasized his dedication to UW System reform “to provide quality education and cutting edge research to support the creation of jobs and the success of Wisconsin’s economy.”

—Samy Moskol

Study: Media, politics relate to partisanship The Midwest Foundation for Media Research released a study Thursday showing the relationship between political engagement, partisan leanings and media use. UW-Madison Political Science Professor Ken Goldstein authored the study.

Researchers who developed “Midwest Media Patterns by Partisanship and Political Engagement” combined Scarborough Research consumer data with a political survey to analyze eight Midwestern markets, including Milwaukee.

They looked specifically at television, newspaper, Internet and radio use, and how each correlates

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Recall petitions filed for four more senators

Born to Run

After two Republican state representatives voiced opposition to the New Badger Partnership, State Rep. Dean Knudson, R-Hudson, also spoke out against the UW System split Thursday, saying it was not fit for the current budget.

Knudson, vice chair of the Colleges and Universities Committee, said he has been pushing for flexibilities for all UW campuses before the budget was announced.

If the New Badger Partnership were to pass, UW-Madison would be run under a public authori-

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with levels of political engagement and partisanship.

The study found the highest level of political engagement among those who were heaviest media users in contrast to media consumers in the lowest quintiles who vote in lower levels.

Self-identified Democrats prefer television in comparison to Republicans, who have higher levels of radio and Internet use, according to the study.

Meanwhile, newspaper readers are the most ideologically mixed.

Television networks that favor Republicans often have higher levels of political engagement among viewers.

Recall petitions against three Democratic senators and one more Republican were filed with the Government Accountability Board Thursday, bringing the total count of state senators facing potential recall elections up to eight.

Campaigns against State Sens. Jim Holperin, D-Conover, Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, Bob Wirch, D-Pleasant Prairie, and Alberta Darling, R-River Hills were able to gather the thousands of signatures needed to potentially force these lawmakers to hold special recall elections, which would occur over the summer.

“I intend to treat this like any other election and campaign hard.”

Jim Holperin senator D-Conover

When asked about his plan of action in response to the recall being filed,” Holperin said, adding his plans to “vigorously defend” his record to his constituents.

“I intend to treat this like

any other election and campaign hard,” Holperin said, adding he plans to “get my message out to the voters of the 12th district about my accomplishments in office and we’ll see what happens.”

As senators continue to be recalled, more challengers are stepping up to run against them.

State Rep. Fred Clark, D-Baraboo, announced his intention to run in the upcoming recall election against state Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon.

“I’ve always respected Sen. Olsen, but I’ve been very disappointed by his willingness to blindly follow party leaders in Madison, even when it goes against the overwhelming wishes of the people he was elected to represent,” Clark said in a statement.

If elected, Clark promises “to get right back to work educating our kids, balancing our budget by making responsible choices, and rebuilding Wisconsin’s rural economy.”

Olsen responded to this criticism saying the voters will vote for who they want to represent them.

“If Fred and his friends wish to run a race against me, I welcome the opportunity to prove that my plan of improving the economy by lowering taxes and balancing the state budget is just what Wisconsin needs to get people back to work,” Olsen said in a statement.

However, in every market, MSNBC ranked as having the highest levels of political engagement.

Networks that cater to young people and women, like MTV or Oxygen are favored by Democrats, but viewers have low levels of political engagement.

Goldstein commented on the implications these differences have on political media planning and media effects.

“Public opinion is polarized

by Democrats and Republicans on many issues and we also see significant polarization in media usage patterns between partisans,” Goldstein said.

—Samy Moskol

CSF passes, SSFC reconsiders Manes Amendments

By Alison Bauter The Daily Cardinal

Student Services Finance Committee members convened briefly Thursday to discuss Wednesday’s Associated Students of Madison meeting and make plans to reconsider the so-called “Manes Amendments.”

The SSFC took little official

action Thursday, spending most of their time rehashing the previous night’s ASM meeting, during which the controversial Campus Services Fund passed minutes before the student council meeting ended.

Although council members initially voted down the CSF, which would guarantee funding

streams for certain student services, Rep. Matt Beemsterboer motioned to reconsider the vote just before closing role was called around midnight.

Rep. Tom Templeton held the Student Activity Center doors open long enough for the council ssfc page 3

Ben Pierson/cardinal File photo

State Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, is among eight state Senators facing a potential recall.

“…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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Volume 120, Issue 130

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

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The Dirty Bird sex and the student body myth busting: condoms ryan adserias sex columnist

News and Editorial Editor in Chief Emma Roller

sunDAY: partly cloudy dailycardinal.com/page-two

Weekend, April 22-24, 2011

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

SaturDAY: mostly cloudy

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ortunately for you all, I happen to moonlight as the Program Coordinator for Sex Out Loud, your friendly neighborhood sexual health organization on campus. And our facilitators tell me a bunch of our fellow Badgers have some misconceptions about condoms. Here’s the deal: First and foremost, if you’re buying a condom in the United States, it has been rigorously tested by the FDA. That means the size, material and most importantly, effectiveness, has been verified. Now, that only goes for condoms you buy new at the store or those available for free from Sex Out Loud, the Campus Women’s Center and University Health Services. Any other condoms that conveniently “fall off the back of the truck” or you find on the street I can’t speak to.

They may be contraband or have been pierced with pins by someone’s over-zealous mother. This is why we do the pinch or roll test to find out if the condom has an air bubble in it.

If it doesn’t, you probably have a dud on your hands. Pitch it and find a new one.

Sorry, kids, but if you think Trojans are better condoms you’re wrong—and a slave to marketing.

On the same note, while many of the places around campus offer free condoms, they’re probably not Trojans.

Sorry, kids, but if you think Trojans are better condoms, you’re wrong—and a slave to marketing. Yeah, I said it.

Trojans aren’t any better than

Durex or whatever other condom brands are in the fish bowls around campus. They’re cheaper, but no less effective.

And when you’re handing out tens of thousands of condoms, like we do at Sex Out Loud, you have to be economical.

Another thing to remember is condoms aren’t made to last forever. In fact, most condoms are made of latex, a natural material that breaks down over time. That’s why the dates printed on them should be heeded. So that condom in your wallet that you got out of a truck stop restroom dispenser on your class trip to Indianapolis freshman year of high school is probably past its prime. It’s time to honor its memory by throwing it away.

Besides time, things like oil and grease deteriorate condoms, making them more likely to fail; so it’s best to avoid having them meet. Oil and grease can mean all kinds of things, like Vaseline (which is made from oil), baby oil, to massage oil and the grease from your hands after you eat a gigantic slice of Ian’s Pizza.

So while it may be obvious that you wouldn’t slather your penis or toy with a gallon of baby oil, it might not be so obvious that dinner may be the reason baby Oliver is putting a cramp on your Friday night Beer Pong tournament.

I’m not telling you to run down the hallway with pillows covering your netherparts so you can scrub in before condoming up, but if you haven’t washed your hands in a while, and you think things might get frisky it’s a good idea to wash up. Or you can keep some Purell by the bedside—just don’t confuse it with your lube.

The final thing I keep hearing over and over is that some of you guys seem to have it in your head that you’re all such studs that your horse penises couldn’t

possibly(!) fit into a condom fitted for mere mortals.

Besides time, things like oil and grease deteriorate condoms, making them more likely to fail.

Sorry to burst your bubble big guy, but you’re not fooling anyone. Condoms sold in the U.S. are able to fit over a basketball, be filled with over a gallon of water and pulled over my friend Mikey Dowden’s arm Don’t believe me? Look him up on Facebook. On average, a U.S. male’s penis is on the lower end of six inches, so unless everyone

at UW is special and running around with 21-inch penises, I think it’s safe to say regular condoms work just fine. If the condom feels a little tight you can always pull up on the end and roll the ring at the bottom down some more to loosen things up.

Oh, and if you think condoms lessen sensation, a drop or two of lube in the tip should fix things quite nicely.

So there you have it friends: A quick and dirty dispelling of common condom myths. Just one last thing: Don’t double bag it. Doubled-up condoms are more likely to break because of friction and you or your toy will look stupid. It would be like wearing a snowboarding jacket over a parka—it’s just not done.

Have any questions? E-mail them to sex@dailycardinal.com.

Got any crazy aunts or drunken uncles to visit this weekend?

Write about their antics for your Page Two columnist submissions!

For the record Corrections or clarifications?

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

Submissions are due APRIL 30!

E-mail vstatz@wisc.edu for more information!

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Got milk?

Weekend, April 22-24, 2011

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Student Judiciary allows Rep. Pan to keep position

By Alex DiTullio The Daily Cardinal

The Student Judiciary decided College of Letters and Sciences Representative Elect Leland Pan, who was accused of illegally canvassing in dorms, will retain his seat after determining evidence used against Pan was insufficient.

Allegations began after the petitioner, Samuel Seering, presented evidence in the form of a Facebook screenshot that he said proved Pan’s alleged door-to-door canvassing within his dorm.

The screenshot included an exchange between Pan and Kyle Szarzynski where Pan said, “I’ve

just finished hitting my own dorm again and I think some of these people are ready to kill me,” and mentioned “political self‐ promotion to apolitical people.”

Seering said the evidence clearly showed Pan’s violation of the UW-Madison Housing Policy, which prohibits campaigning in dorms.

The Student Judiciary said the screenshots alone did not suffice as “clear and convincing evidence” needed to find Pan guilty.

According to the SJ, in order to find Pan guilty of allegations against him, they would have to infer claims not explicitly stated in the Facebook conversation.

Because of this, the SJ said the evidence that Seering submitted was an insufficient platform on which to rest judgment.

During the original SJ hearing, Seering argued saying Pan’s case was similar to a ruling made in 1988, in which the SJ panel disqualified a student candidate for canvassing in the Memorial Union.

The SJ said the 1988 case is not comparable to the current case because the panel found the student in violation of using the ASM office and equipment to promote his campaign.

In the current case there are no allegations that Pan exploited ASM resources for his benefit.

Police optimistic about crime prevention project, Mifflin Street Block Party

By Taylor Harvey The Daily Cardinal Grace Liu/the daily cardinal

Black Milk performed in The Sett Thursday night as the kickoff for the MultiCultural Student Coalition’s “Hip-Hop as a Conference” event.

New zoning code may affect Madison’s developments in Downtown Plan

By Maggie DeGroot The Daily Cardinal

City planner Michael Waidelich presented details of the Downtown Plan and how the new zoning code could possibly affect the plan with the Zoning Code Rewrite Advisory Committee Thursday night.

Some of the ideas tying the downtown plan together include celebrating lakes, getting around downtown and re-energize the Mifflin area, Waidelich said.

These ideas were taken into account when figuring out the Downtown Plan.

The plan has already altered since receiving public input from previous meetings, but there are still tweaks to be made, Waidelich said.

New city officials, including Mayor Paul Soglin, may also have ideas that could affect the plan, Waidelich said..

The Mifflin area has had the least amount of consensus from Madison residents and city officials when it comes to how to approach the area in the Downtown Plan, Waidelich said.

One of the goals the city wants

to accomplish through the plan is to provide diverse housing choices downtown, Waidelich said.

Waidelich presented the map showing downtown’s general-use areas. The downtown core near the Capitol Square is considered to be a mixed-use area as it has both residential and commercial buildings.

Committee member Michael Slavney said the committee must make sure the new zoning ordinance has the appropriate standards in order to implement the Downtown Plan.

Madison resident and Downtown Madison Inc. member Fred Mohs said at a recent meeting there was discussion among members about the zoning code and how it will affect the downtown area.

“There is anxiety out there over the Downtown Plan,” Mohs said.

Mohs said he is concerned over there is a lack of predictability when it comes to the plan. The plans have morphed into flexibility rather than predictability, Mohs said.

“Good neighborhoods are predictable,” Mohs said.

ssfc from page 1 to revote and pass the CSF. This is because open meetings law requires ASM to vote while the SAC—which closes at midnight—is open.

“I would have thought if [Manes] had problems with [the elegibility changes] he could have discussed them with this body and we could have addressed these concerns.”

Cale Plamann representative SSFC

Representatives also discussed the “Manes Amendments,” a series of proposals developed by the SSFC to change the eligibility requirements for groups to

Madison Police Lt. Dave McCaw discussed the Madison Police Department’s recent crime prevention initiative and the Mifflin Street Block Party with Madison’s Downtown Coordinating Committee Thursday.

McCaw talked about MPD’s progress on Project 403, a plan “meant to reduce the number of car break-ins and property crimes in this area,” he said.

Every April, there is a spike in property crimes and car break-ins within Madison Police Department sector 403, the area of downtown bordered

by Wisconsin Avenue, Gorham Street, University Avenue, and Lake Street. It is an area concentrated with large numbers of vehicles on streets, in parking lots and garages, according to the MPD.

McCaw said it is common to find cash lying on students’ dashboards, along with GPS devices, laptops and other valuables.

Because of this, MPD will be going around from car to car and placing “lock it or lose it” brochures under windshield wipers.

“People who will come to this year’s Mifflin are not the same people who came to Mifflin in 1996.”

Dave McCaw liutnent Madison Police Department

Police will also be speaking to incoming undergraduates at freshman programs and orientations.

However, McCaw said Project 403 is not only about the educa-

tion but also about the extra patrol.

Police will be in and out of uniform on bikes and on foot.

“We’re trying to get away from having the beats and zones, and basically everybody is responsible who works central for everything central,” McCaw said.

Also at the meeting, McCaw said he is optimistic about crime at this year’s Mifflin Street Block Party.

“People who will come to this year’s Mifflin and who came to last year’s Mifflin are not the same people who came to Mifflin in 1996,” McCaw said.

“They are more grown up and more based in reality than the problem children we’ve had in the past.”

McCaw said police department expenses will be significantly reduced because of the block party’s 7 p.m. close and because there will be one stage instead of two.

New website allows students to rate landlords, properties A new social networking website will now allow college students to grade locate landlords and rental properties on campus.

The website grademylandlord. com functions similarly to the popular website ratemyprofessor. com, co-founder of the website Michael Montesano said. The website is also similar to a website Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, proposed.

Students are able to grade landlords on a traditional grad-

receive funding from the SSFC. However, SSFC Chair Matt Manes opposed almost all of the proposed amendments during the ASM meeting Wednesday.

Rep. Cale Plamann said Manes’ objections “blind-sided” SSFC members.

“I would have thought if [Manes] had problems with [the eligibility changes] he could have discussed them with this body and we could have addressed these concerns,” Plamann said.

Rep. Sarah Neibart motioned to reconsider the SSFC’s endorsement of the amendments, given their unexpected changes.

Manes himself was absent from Monday’s meeting, “taking a couple of days to reevaluate his position” as SSFC’s leader, according to Neibart.

The group will reconsider support for the Manes Amendments at their next meeting Monday.

ing scale in six different categories: party tolerance, security deposit return, contract, timeliness, kindness and maintenance.

Students are also able to rate the properties on a five star scale, Montesano said.

UW-Madison has a section on the website where students are able to rate local landlords including Madison Property Management Inc., CHT Apartment Rentals and Keller Real Estate Group.

“The main goal of the site is to give students a place to go where they can choose rental properties around their college campuses based on the grades of the landlords and the properties themselves,” Montesano said in a statement.

Montesano said the website gives students the opportunity to share rental experiences.

“This website makes the entire renting process easier,” Montesano said in a statement.

Wan Mei Leong/the daily cardinal

SSFC Chair Matt Manes was absent at an SSFC meeting Thursday where members reconsidered amendments opposed by Manes.

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dailycardinal.com/arts

Whiskey Farm debut album at Frequency

By Andy Kerber the Daily cardinal

Jason Horowitz, a Milwaukee area native, is a singer/songwriter that has found himself back in Madison after spending some time in Massachusetts for college, as well as Nashville and St. Paul to pursue his musical interests.

Horowitz’s started writing songs and playing guitar at a YMCA summer camp program called Camp Minikani in Hubertus, which he attended throughout his childhood.His favorite memories were those of sitting around the campfire and singing songs while the counselors played guitar.

“Watching my counselors play guitar and sing songs, and they were my heroes, and I promised myself that if I ever got to be a counselor, that I would learn to play the guitar also,” Horowitz said.

And when that day finally came, he kept true to his promise.

“The day I got my contract for my first year as a counselor, that was when I got my parents old, beat-up guitar out of the attic and started teaching myself to play,” he said.

The Whiskey Farm’s mandolinist, Brett Wilfrid, owns a small hobby farm that provides the band’s primary rehearsal space and it’s original name, the Farm.

Unfortunately, the band ran into copyright issues when they discovered that a British pop group from the early ’90s had already called themselves The Farm.

“We didn't want to lose ‘The Farm,’ so we had to decide what we really enjoyed about being out on the farm, and whiskey happens to be one thing we enjoy when we’re on the farm,” Horowitz said.

Thus, in order to avoid legal trouble, they became The Whiskey Farm.

Accompanying their unique name is a musical style that can only be classified as the broad genre of “Americana.”

From their first album, Middle of America, there are songs from all over the musical spectrum. “Glow,” a slow, reflective, lyric-driven love song, differs greatly from “Happy,” an upbeat drinking song, which is distinct still from “If I Were You,” which is a more traditional bluegrass-style tune.

The fact that the band is not easily pigeonholed into a category is one of the things that Horowitz loves about The Whiskey Farm.

“The variety is what really makes playing with this band so much fun,” he said. “We all have different musical backgrounds, and so, I think different people's influence comes into play on different songs.”

“The last time we played, Brett [Wilfred] pulled out his electric guitar, which we hadn’t really done stuff with, and we were messing around with some of the songs and putting a little bit of a harder edge on that,” Horowitz said.

“He also plays the banjo, and Clark [Stacer] was talking about getting an upright bass, so we were talking about maybe going in that direction, too.”

The diverse set of musical styles represented by each of the players gives Horowitz many areas of songwriting to work with, and he said his writing style has adapted to meet the challenge.

“I have really changed the way I write since I’ve started playing with these guys,” he said, “and so now I can hear when I'm writing, things that people might do that I could never have done before when I was playing by myself.”

The Whiskey Farm’s audience has also somewhat driven what Horowitz writes; he said he’s made a personal deal with them to keep himself motivated to give the audience new material.

“We’ve always had a pledge with our audience that we would have one new song every time we played a show, and we’ve stuck to that for the last couple years,” he said, “and as long as we keep doing that, I'm sure we'll write new stuff in new directions over the next year.”

Horowitz has always felt a strong connection to the Madison area through his employment as well as his heritage, and feels very much at home here.

“I work in the UW Psychiatry department, and I really love the university and the community, and I would very much want to connect with students in the UW community.”

The Whiskey Farm will be celebrating the release of their debut album a the Frequency this Saturday night, starting at 6 p.m. Tickets are $5.

photo courtesy Minty Fresh

Ezra mans the Harpoons

By Phil Condon Senior Music Reporter

Many bands’ stories start in college dorm rooms or quads, the places where the band members first met.

Chicago and Boston natives Ezra Furman and the Harpoons’ story, however, literally starts in their dorm rooms, where the band not only met, but also recorded its first fulllength album. While lead singer Ezra Furman does admit the cramped room presented certain challenges and the group was harangued about constant noise complaints, being college students made the setup necessary. Despite the confinement, the album was released successfully.

“I didn’t care that much about aesthetics or sound back then,” Furman said. “Why would that matter as long as it sounded good? It had personality. Just because it sounds professional doesn’t mean its good.”

Every college student can identify with working within restrictions. In fact, a lot of Ezra Furman and the Harpoons’ story will sound familiar to the average college student. When they first started, Furman’s writing style was brash and to the point, with a certain swagger like a freshman who used to be the big man on his high school campus. Over the years, the band’s sound and especially Furman’s writing style has matured

and grown from freshman to senior.

“I didn’t know anything about music. I didn’t care. Let’s just play,” Furman said about his own irreverent style.

As time went on, Furman’s band began to rub off on him, helping him develop his own musical style to accompany its already developed sound.

“They put a lot more care into it,” he said. “They taught me what music is and to put some time into it. … You can probably tell the music’s getting a little more musical.”

Now in their latest stage, the band says that they’ve made their greatest work with their new release Mysterious Power, refining again their general education into increasingly more focused and specific songs.

Or, according to Furman, “I’ve gained a little more control over [songwriting]. It’s a little bit more measured… maybe more compartmentalized.”

During their tenure, Furman and the Harpoons have tried multiple methods of publicizing their music. As a promotion for their album Moonface, fans who bought the album on the bands website could write a blurb about themselves and send it in with their payment.

Furman then wrote the buyer a personalized, full-length song.

“Some of them were pretty ridiculous,” he admitted. “But most of them were like full songs and like a satisfying song.”

This personal connection to their fans is a remarkable trait in a band. Furman himself enjoyed writing them.

“It was a challenge for me, but I relished it. I feel proud that I did it,” he said.

On Friday, Ezra Furman and the Harpoons will bring their senior sound to the Frequency. It’ll be a comfortable campus of sorts for a band that got their start playing college house parties and went on to establish themselves at all sorts of venues across the country and across oceans.

The concert is sure to be a soiree of great music and good feelings.

The songs are guaranteed to touch on self-identity and finding your home, presented as the perfect send off from the trials of adolescence to the realities of the adult world.

Whatever you do, don’t expect an overly produced, theatrical concert.

Just expect a good time with a “good singer, good band, and good music.”

Ezra Furman and the Harpoons will be playing this Friday night at the Frequency. Doors open at 8:30 p.m., show starts at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door.

Years after Nas proclaims its death, hip-hop rises renewed Kyle Sparks total awesome

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ou all heard Nas: Hip hop is dead. Back in 2006, Nas pushed the thesis that record execs stole the keys from the MC’s and drove the genre off the highway of creative progress and into the ditch of commercial appeal. And it’s true—nobody on major labels spits hard anymore.

But the problem is this thesis hasn’t really held up, because reducing the world of hip-hop to only its monolithic lyricists discredits the genre. Take, for example, young rappers like Odd Future or Lil B, who drop rhymes about quite literally anything they want, record execs be damned. For sure, major labels are hesitant to sign on, but with a deft grip on social media, Odd Future still managed to sell out a string of dates in Australia without those jerks—or the artistic constraints that come with them.

Odd Future and Lil B are both

extremely exciting in that they’ve gotten popular audiences genuinely interested in hip-hop again. They’ve done this by rapping about difficult subjects (tapping back into the roots that Nas deemed lost). But when OF’s primary figure, Tyler the Creator, takes a break from talking about taking dookies or skateboarding to talk about actual music on his Twitter feed, he rarely talks about his lyrical content.

When he gets starstruck or confesses a celebrity crush, he’s not trying to get a guest verse rapping with someone like Pusha T—he wants to make the beat that someone like Pusha T raps on.

So while it’s true that anyone can create an absurd persona, write offensive lyrics and gain an audience on shock value alone (Hollywood Undead), the thing that’s propelled Odd Future past Twitter popularity to a legitimate hip hop breakthrough is their production value.

It holds logically, too: Nas was pissed because nobody was willing to rap hard, but there are plenty of people in basements and clubs whostill do, they just don’t have the production

value to back them up.

And that’s the same kind of place where Lil B came from. Self-named the “Based God” for his creative influence behind the Based subgenre, Lil B’s rhymes are an uninspiring garble of free associations. They hardly make sense, and they say even less—thus their booming success seems to show that Nas’ MC-based theory of hip hop’s demise was flawed from the get-go.

That is to say, despite Nas’ assertions, it really doesn’t matter what Lil B actually says in his raps, because their free-form ambiguity is just one component of the Based aesthetic. He didn’t get this many fans from the pure novelty of half-assed rhymes about eating Hot Pockets; he owes most of his success to his production, which is literally tasked with supporting anything, or nothing at all.

For his best hits, Lil B has relied on a white guy from Northern New Jersey named Clams Casino who retweets just about anything anyone ever says about him—and it’s no mystery why people are talking about him.

Clams’ Instrumental Mixtape that hit

the Internet a while ago is a beat tape, but the productions are so engrossing in their own right that it’s not hard to think of it as its own entity. They pair blown-out flourishes with a strong attention to the nuances of hip-hop orchestration that tend to get lost when a voice is piled on top of them. Which bodes well for his recently announced Rainforest EP, a collection of tracks that he never intended anyone to rap over— and if its first single, “Gorilla,” is any indication, it’s going to be stellar.

That’s sort of a weird concept these days—a hip-hop producer making beats completely separate from rappers. But if you trace the roots of hip hop back a bit further than Nas’ early MC reference points, it’s actually pretty normal. Before people started yelling over their records, guys like DJ Kool Herc would run house parties with how well they could mix and match beats, tempos and hooks alone.

Producers like DJ Shadow and RJD2 have been operating in a similar space for years now, but the primary place we see the fusion of DJ and electronic music lately has been in corners

of dub and dubstep. Soulful visionaries like How to Dress Well, James Blake and Toro y Moi are making giant strides in recreating classic R&B music with electronic means.

Electronic hip-hop might be lagging a bit behind in the popular realm, but if Clams Casino wants to be the kingpin of its resurgence, he’s got some work ahead of him. Madison’s Man Mantis released his Cities Without Houses LP earlier this month, and it’s packed full with urgency and ambition.

Its backbeats rock back and forth, and the hooks are unabashedly triumphant.

Everything about Cities Without Houses captures the beat-driven essence of hip hop, but it lacks the MC presence that most people have come to expect. It’s resulted in a lot of miscategorization, and it prompted Mantis to jump on Twitter and ask: “What happened to instrumental hip hop as its own genre?” Turns out, it’s alive and well. Someone better tell Nas. Kyle is sure that hip-hop isn’t dead, but more vibrant than before. Care to refute that point? Think you know better? Email Kyle at ktsparks@wisc.edu.

comics

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By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

dailycardinal.com/comics

Not making “Vroom” sounds while driving

Today’s Sudoku

Evil Bird

Egad! “Gadsby” is a 1939 novel by Ernest Vincent Wright with over 50,000 words—but not single word contains the letter “E.” Weekend, April 22-24, 2011

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© Puzzles by Pappocom

Eatin’ Cake

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.

The Pipesmokers

By Joseph Diedrich jsdiedrich@wisc.edu

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Graph Giraffe Classic

By Yosef Lerner graphics@dailycardinal.com

By Angel Lee alee23@wisc.edu

First in Twenty Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com Linked name!

ACROSS 1 Translucent toothpaste 4 Partners of “gulls” in maritime jokes?

9 Stop 14 180 degrees from WSW 15 Wetlands wader 16 Galahad’s protection 17 First czar of Russia 20 Go through thoroughly 21 Worker whose job always has a new wrinkle?

22 Loud horselike laughs 26 Touchdown info 27 The Lord’s Prayer starter 30 Interject 31 Goat bleats 33 Well-bred 35 GI’s ID 37 Workshop gripper 38 Song about a Forest Service mascot 42 Water under the drawbridge 43 Looting type 44 University treasurer 47 Wimple wearers 48 Abbr. on a headstone 51 ___ deco 52 Ineffective firecracker

54 Framework of crossed strips 56 ___ pentameter 59 Votes in favor 60 Alice Mitchell’s son 65 To-do 66 Turnstile feeder 67 Back muscle, for short 68 Often buggy versions of software 69 Olympian Jesse 70 Seaweed wrap site DOWN 1 Osaka entertainer of old 2 Was jealous of 3 Thumbed (through), as a book 4 Vegas action 5 Disgusted reply 6 Lode load 7 Sherpa’s sighting 8 A unit of volume 9 “___ Knowledge” (Nicholson film) 10 Buffalo is on its shore 11 Food for Zeus 12 Fifth musical scale note 13 Prior to, in poetry 18 To the ___ degree 19 Cadet commander’s org.

23 Run ___ (lose selfcontrol)

4 Carry on, as a war 2 25 Mythical goat-man 28 “Miracle on Ice” losing team 29 Pumpernickel alternative 32 Wedding dress material, perhaps 34 State firmly 35 Polka ___ (pattern) 36 One who commits grave offenses?

38 Mouth-puckering 39 Strict taskmaker 40 Sicilian volcano 41 ___ in Show (Westminster prize) 42 CEO’s degree, sometimes 45 Confesses 46 ___ the wrong way (irritates) 48 Saudi Arabian bucks 49 Glacial mass 50 Coin replaced by the euro 53 “I think so, too!”

55 Brown on the beach 57 “True Blood” star Paquin 58 Dog with a black tongue 60 Society newcomer 61 Dec. 24, e.g.

62 ___ out a living 63 Chess pieces 64 Dinner duo?

Washington and the Bear

By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com

opinion 6

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Weekend, April 22-24, 2011 “Eventually I cut him out of my life, but the residual emotional effects still linger.”

Smart move from Soglin

—your fellow Badger

Victims among us

W

hen it comes to rape and dating violence, it can be easy for some students to dismiss the issues as irrelevant to their lives. If no one comes out as a survivor to them, people assume no one they know is. Considering, however, that one in four women will be a victim of rape or attempted rape during her time in college and 32 percent of college students experience dating violence, it seems impossible that someone could not know anyone affected by these acts.

Below are the stories of three women who are, in many ways, just like you. They don’t have the word “survivor” tattooed on their foreheads, and they don’t live a life of exile because of their experiences. But they, like many people, have encountered rape and dating violence.

(Trigger warning: The material below may be difficult to read. Discretion is advised.)

“I was raped by one of my good guy friends. I was raped at my best friend’s house while she and her boyfriend were there. I don’t think I had ever said the word ‘no’ more than I did that night. It was all I could say as I pushed his hands away and tried to push his body off me.

Finally, I just gave up. It was like I was watching it all happen from across the room. I didn’t tell anyone about the rape for two years.

“When I finally did tell someone, their reaction was anger toward me for not calling the police or telling anyone.

The second person I told asked why I would ever let myself get into that situation. It’s been four years now and I still struggle to talk about it. If I could tell you one thing you can do for

survivors, it is be there for them, believe them and never ever blame them.”

—your fellow Badger “To my 18-year-old self, a relationship was only abusive if there was physical violence, so it took me a year to grapple with the fact that the guy I considered to be my first love was emotionally abusive.

When you walk around campus, realize that survivors are among you.

“We’d dated for nine months prior to my coming to UW. From the start, he treated me badly, building me up strictly for the purpose of tearing me back down. When I told him I loved him, he said he would never love me and never want to have sex with me. One night, he said he was having a guys’ night, but while walking the dog I found his car parked in front of the house of a girl who lived two doors down from me and had tried to break us up. When I confronted him, the situation somehow became my fault. Because I loved him, I was blind to the reality of our relationship, and thought if I were a little cooler or prettier, he’d value me more.

“Despite my wanting otherwise, we broke up before going to college, but he’d call me and tell me about all the hot girls and his new girlfriend, who was apparently ‘the one.’

“I knew him through friends and seen had him around, but we didn’t meet until recently.

We hit it off, hooking up a few times, mostly kissing—never sex, I told him I didn’t want to—and I started to really like him.

“One night we decided to meet up around 2 a.m. I went to his place, and we were both drunk. When we got in his room, I noticed a hole in his door.

He told me he punched it the night before while drunk but had no recollection of it. I was freaked out, especially having been told he used to fight with his ex-girlfriend, but brushed it off for the time being. When we started making out, he tried taking off my skirt, but I said no.

A few minutes later, he pushed my underwear aside and put his penis inside me. Upset and afraid, I pushed him out and told him I didn’t want to do that, but a minute later he did it again. I felt afraid and violated. I pushed him out again, and unsure of what to do, rolled over and fell asleep.

“I left as quickly as I could in the morning, and as soon as I got outside started crying. I felt like my body wasn’t my own, afraid it had been my fault and that I could be pregnant.”

—your fellow Badger When you walk around campus, realize that survivors are among you, that people who sing “Varsity!” and drink on the Terrace are not immune to these issues. These are problems facing UW students, and thus they are the UW community’s responsibility to solve.

For anyone seeking help for themselves or a friend, please contact the Rape Crisis Center at (608) 251-7273 or Domestic Abuse Intervention Services at (608) 251-4445.

This column was compiled

by Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment. Please send feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

dailycardinal.com/opinion

jaime backeen opinion columnist

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n an attempt to prevent the city of Madison from falling deeper in debt, recently sworn in Mayor Paul Soglin stalled construction on a public library project.

The project at hand has been in the works for several years under the guidance of former Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and seeks to renovate the Central Public Library which is located on the corner of North Fairchild and West Mifflin streets. Renovations would cost $29.5 million.

The funding is divided as such: $17 million comes from general obligation bonds, $8 million from privately collected funds and the last $4.5 million from new market tax credits.

However, in lieu of the previously planned private funds promised, the library was counting on the city fronting it the money to be repaid later. Soglin says he wants to avoid this previously agreed upon loan process, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

This will put a damper on the proposed start of construction in November or December of this year, and library officials say absence of city aid could delay the project by three years. These same officials say it will likely take them until 2013 to raise the full $8 million of private funding.

Now, I am all for free education and the furthering of learning and knowledge in society—heck, I even work at two libraries on campus— but I must back Soglin’s strong stance on this issue.

Ultimately, it comes down to the state of our economy and saying no when saying no is difficult.

There is no denying the Central Library needs sprucing up. A case of bad weather could cause enough damage to the library to put it in a worse financial positions, and its elevators are in such a state they are staffed by employees at all times.

But as the city faces a $15-

18 million budget shortfall in the approaching year, it puts us in a similar situation to someone about to max out their credit card at Bergdorf ’s and cause a huge scene.

Madison should not be that person.

I’m sure comments will insist that loans work in many cases, but I was raised to believe that if you don’t have the money, don’t spend it.

Madison very clearly does not have the money, it in fact is severely lacking in the financial department, and Soglin is doing what he can to dig the city out of a deep ditch or at least prevent it from sinking further.

Ultimately, it comes down to the state of our economy and saying no when saying no is difficult.

Instead of depending on the city’s bid, why doesn’t the public library take its campaign a little more public in its search for aid?

Have a few fundraisers, get the community involved; with summer approaching, the time for outdoor gatherings is here (despite what April may be demonstrating as of late).

The library layout presented on the Central Public Library’s main page looks pretty awesome, and I would love to see this project come to fruition. Yet awesomeness does not always mean you must purchase something, or else I would already own an iPad, that dress from H&M I really want and the continent of Australia—lack of funds notwithstanding.

Yes, the library needs the help, but it should be taking more aggressive measures to fundraise for themselves because the city should not be taking a hit at its expense. We literally cannot afford it.

Jaime Brackeen is a sophomore majoring in journalism. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Obama wrong on tax cuts for the rich, entering campaign mode Matt Payne opinion columnist

O

n Monday, for the first time since the attack on Pearl Harbor, Standard and Poor’s downgraded its longterm outlook on American debt from “stable” to “negative.” The downgrade served as a warning to U.S. policy makers that something needs to be done to address the country’s growing debt crisis.

Yet as our nation tries to find ways to reduce our staggering $14.3 trillion debt, it appears as though President Barack Obama has seen fit to use the crisis to gain a political advantage.

In what was by all means the most divisive speech of his presidency, Obama declared that the budget proposal from Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, would “lead to a fundamentally different America than the one we’ve known.” How?

During his speech the president claimed the Republican proposal would allow “our roads to crumble and bridges collapse.”

Grandparents, poor children and “middle-class families who have children with autism or Down syndrome” would lose their health care and would be left to “fend for themselves.”

While exploiting the most vulnerable members of society for political gain is not unheard of in politics, the president went a step further by claiming the reason such calamities would occur was because Republicans want to give tax breaks to “millionaires and billionaires.” So how exactly does this blatant partisanship solve our budget crisis?

Let’s review the facts. First of all, the same president who has increased the national debt by $4 trillion in two years is now calling for us to “live within our means” and reduce our debt by $4 trillion dollars over the next 12 years. The GOP plan, on the other hand, cuts the debt by $4.4

trillion in the next decade, and creates a plan to pay off our debt completely by 2050. The proposal does in fact make huge cuts to entitlement programs, and essentially defunds Obama’s healthcare law. Yet there seemed to have been a consensus in Washington D.C. just a few weeks ago that drastic cuts needed to be made.

So why now are Democrats and the president so incensed?

Some have suggested that it’s because Obama is now in full campaign mode. While this in fact may be true, I tend to believe it has more to do with our President’s fundamental understanding of wealth, and where it comes from.

During his speech the president alluded to the federal government “paying for tax cuts” when talking about tax cuts for “millionaires and billionaires.” Yet this interpretation implies that the federal government “pays for” every single dollar you as an individual earn. It implies that the money you earn isn’t really yours;

after all, the government pays for you to keep that money. It’s true the president could have been making a point about accounting rather than principle. But then why doesn’t he explicate that “millionaires and billionaires” are in fact paying for the increase in spending rather than implying that the federal government “pays for” the decrease in revenue?

If the president wants to advocate for raising taxes on the wealthy he has every right to do it. After all, raising taxes is in fact one way to reduce the national debt. While I would argue that the top 5 percent of income earners (people making over $160,000 a year) already pay nearly 60 percent of all income taxes, you have every right to demand they pay more. When I remind you that 47 percent of Americans pay no income tax at all, you can certainly demand that the rich pay their “fair share.”

But when the president claims that the federal government “pays for” tax cuts, he crosses the line.

The founding principles of this country dictate that individuals are entitled to their own wealth.

Asking the rich to pay more in itself is no assault on freedom.

Claiming though, as the president has, that the government “pays for” an individual to keep their own money is a fundamental deviation from the ideas that made out country great.

Standard and Poor’s downgrade Monday was a sure sign that something needs to be done to fix our nation’s debt crisis. If we continue down our current path, America will face a considerably different future than the one we’ve known. The GOP’s budget is a good, albeit difficult, first step in addressing this issue. While Obama would like to use the matter to score cheap political points, the costs of allowing partisanship to come in the way of progress are far too great to ignore.

Matt Payne is a junior majoring in Chinese and economics. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

sports

dailycardinal.com/sports

Weekend, April 22-24, 2011

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Football

Softball

Phillips to undergo yet another knee procedure

By Parker Gabriel

“It shouldn’t be anything major, hopefully,” Bielema said A year ago, Wisconsin head of the procedure, noting he coach Bret Bielema entered the hoped it would not affect the annual Spring Game knowing timetable for Phillips’ return. exactly who would start the regu- “He’ll hopefully be back some lar season under center, and Scott time in June. We’ll deal with the Tolzien did not disappoint. cards after they’re there.”

This season, that picture will Bielema said he was concerned be far more murky regardless, about the recurring injuries, but but the health of redshirt also maintained confijunior Curt Phillips— dence in Phillips. one of three main can“Curt’s a pretty tough didates for the starting kid and as soon as he can job—continues to be a go, he’ll go,” Bielema said. question.

Phillips has appeared Phillips tore his antein five career games since rior cruciate ligament in he came to Wisconsin in March 2010 and suffered 2008 as a touted dualPHILLIPS a setback in November, threat quarterback. but was taking part in nonHe won Tennessee contact throwing drills this spring. Gatorade Player of the Year his Phillips did not practice Thursday, senior year of high school and and amidst rumors that Phillips took a redshirt his first season re-injured his right knee this week, on campus.

Bielema said Phillips will undergo In 2009, he attempted 13 passa procedure to “clean some things es and rushed for 138 yards on 14 up” Friday, but stopped short of carries in five games. He did not calling it a setback. appear in a game last season.

The Daily Cardinal

Matt MArheine/Cardinal file photo

Cassandrah Darrah (left) will be tasked with shutting down Illinois’ potent offensive from the mound, while Karla Powell (right) will try to spark the Badgers offense in what is expected to be a slugfest.

Wisconsin-Fighting Illini set to face off in key Big Ten matchup

By Hayley Kuepers the daily cardinal

The Wisconsin softball team will look to increase its chances of earning an NCAA tournament bid when it plays host to Illinois this weekend in a pair of games at Goodman Diamond.

The wins will be tough to get against llinois (6-4 Big Ten, 19-17 overall) a team that sports a winning record in conference play.

But fresh off a key conference victory over Minnesota Wednesday, junior designated hitter Karla Powell said her team is looking forward to the challenge.

“We’re really excited to play them this weekend,” Powell said. “We’re hoping to grab two wins but even a split would be nice.”

If the Badgers (3-7, 23-18) are to steal a game or two from an Illinois team that has been putting up lots of runs lately, they will need their hitters to stay hot.

Illini sophomore Pepper Gay clings to a 13-11 record on the season while fanning 105 batters, for sixth in the Big Ten. UW head coach Yvette Healy said she is looking for her players to rattle the Illinois pitchers.

“We’re going to face some really good pitching,” Healy said. “But it’s going to be a slugfest, I hope.”

UW freshman Cassandra Darrah is off to a remarkable freshman campaign, but her biggest struggle has been getting run support. Still, she has earned 12 wins to just seven losses.

Healy acknowledged that Darrah is starting to gain respect throughout the conference, especially after a stellar losing effort on Wednesday.

“That was her best performance for the Big Ten season so far,” Healy said. “We’re really proud of her. She’s throwing some things she hasn’t thrown before and getting a lot of success.”

Fellow freshman Amanda Najdek has also stepped into a key role and given Wisconsin some quality pitching. She is second in the Big Ten with 14 relief appearances, including one Wednesday where she pitched five scoreless innings on her way to capturing her third win of the season.

The Badgers said they like their chances headed into the final stretch of the season as they add depth to their lineup. Wisconsin welcomed back two freshmen Wednesday, left fielder Mary

Massei and first baseman Michelle Mueller, after injuries forced them to look on from the bench.

Mueller is looking forward to the opportunity to help her team out again on the field.

“It always sucks if you get injured,” Mueller said. “You just really want to be out there and your heart’s out there, but you’re held back. And, when you get back, you’re ready to go.”

Errors were another factor in Wednesday’s games that contributed to the Badgers’ success. This time it was Wisconsin who capitalized on its opponents’ errors instead of taking themselves out of close games with their own mistakes.

They gave up a combined four runs to Minnesota in the doubleheader, while committing no errors on the day.

Mueller, who kept the Badgers’ four-run second inning alive yesterday after reaching on an error

by Minnesota, noted the importance of her team’s ability to make other teams pay for their mistakes.

“At the end of the day, coaches are happy if we put [the ball] in play because we force errors,” Mueller said.

hockey from page 8 Hockey shares that same obsession with its history—those halcyon days when goalies stopped pucks without a mask—and the outdoor pond hockey rink is as susceptible to flowery prose as the baseball diamond.

If you’re looking for the skill and artistry of the NBA, that’s been on display all over the place— just watch some of Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk’s highlights against the Coyotes. Or if you love the way a single performer takes over a game the way a great basketball player can, look no further than Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller, who backstopped the Sabres’ two 1-0 wins over the Philadelphia Flyers.

I don’t want this column to sound like a hockey fan pleading, “Hey, guys, just give my sport a chance!” Nor do I mean for it to sound like a pretentious soccer fan saying that if you don’t love the sport it’s only because you

are too stupid to “get it.” (Soccer fans wouldn’t like the NHL very much anyway. People actually score in hockey, as opposed to running around a field for 90 minutes, stopping only to pretend they are hurt.)

I want this to sound like a friend telling you about a great show (you should totally watch “Archer” by the way), letting you know about how awesome something is and why you might like it.

Give hockey a chance these playoffs—you won’t be disappointed.

Nico couldn’t resist getting a dig at soccer in today’s column.

Feel free to call him an uncivilized, brutish American by sending an e-mail to savidgewilki@ dailycardinal.com.

$1,000 for 1,000 words The Daily Cardinal presents our annual $1,000 for 1,000 words essay contest. To be considered in the runnings simply choose from one of the following prompts and submit a 1,000-word essay. Daily Cardinal employees may not apply.

1. What is the dividing line between the public’s right to know and the government’s right to some confidentiality in light of the recent WikiLeaks controversy?

2. How are you coping with the rising costs of tuition for undergraduate and graduate schools, and what are the implications for the country if tuitions keep rising?

3. Is the American Dream dying for our generation? Are you optimistic or pessimistic about your future and the future of the country?

E-mail your essay to edit@dailycardinal.com by Friday, April 29, or if you have any questions about the contest

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Stanley Cup playoffs are the perfect time to give hockey a chance nico savidge savidge nation

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dailycardinal.com/sports

Weekend, April 22-24, 2011

should probably start today’s column with a quick apology.

On Tuesday night, I sat down to watch the San Jose Sharks— my hometown-ish NHL team— take on the Los Angeles Kings in the third game of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series.

Early in the second period, the Kings took a 4-0 lead and the Sharks looked as listless as I’ve ever seen them. Then San Jose mounted one of the most unlikely and exciting comebacks in playoff hockey history with a five-goal second period, tying the game and earning some animated reactions from this writer.

When Ryan Clowe scored to bring the Sharks within one goal of tying the game, finally converting after a minute-long stretch of gold opportunities in the Kings’ zone, I screamed. I jumped up and down. I let out a rather loud “YEA!!!!!” (yes, in caps lock, and yes, with that many exclamation points). That was around 11:30 p.m.

When former Badger Joe Pavelski scored to tie the game less than a minute later —further proving himself worthy of his playoff nickname, “The Big Pavelski”—a similar reaction ensued.

And when Devin Setoguchi buried a wrister past Jonathan Quick for the overtime winner well after midnight, you can guess how I responded.

So, to my neighbors and roommates who were trying to sleep Tuesday night: I’m sorry.

But can you blame me?

Tuesday’s Sharks game might have been the high water mark for great playoff games so far this year, but it’s not as if the

rest of the series are slouches.

Far from it, the past week or so has shown exactly why there’s nothing like postseason hockey, and why all of those people who tell you, “Nothing beats the Stanley Cup Playoffs” aren’t just saying that because they like hockey. They’re saying it because they love great sports.

And if you’re a sports fan who has decided not to watch the NHL playoffs, I have just one question for you: Why not?

It’s a question NHL.com writer Dave Lozo asked on Twitter Tuesday night, “What doesn’t it have that the sport you like does? It defies logic.”

Hockey—playoff hockey especially—easily matches the intensity of an NFL game, and players’ dedication and willingness to sacrifice themselves in the NHL goes beyond even that of football players.

If you’re a sports fan who has decided not to watch the NHL playoffs, I have just one question for you: Why not?

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Martin St. Louis took a stick to the face April 13, and needed a double root canal aftwerward. He played two days later.

Detroit’s Johan Franzen crashedhead first into the boards in the second game of the Red Wings’ series with the Phoenix Coyotes.

He needed 21 stitches to put his face back together, but returned to action later that night.

Baseball fans are obsessed with their sport’s history, and love talking about the grassroots love they have for the game so closely tied to their childhood. hockey page 7

Football

Lorenzo zemella/cardinal file photo

After the departure of All-Big Ten quarterback Scott Tolzien, Jon Budmayr is the favorite to replace him under center for Wisconsin. He will look to lock that down with a strong spring game showing.

Positional competitions to highlight spring game Annual scrimmage serving as proving ground for players

By Matthew Kleist the daily cardinal

Spring has arrived in Madison, even though some days it may not seem like it, and with the conclusion of the basketball and hockey seasons, Badgers sports fans everywhere are left to wait until the fall to get there fix of the biggest sports.

It may not seem conventional that when the temperature begins to rise and days get longer the first thing you think of is football. But that is the case in Madison. Sure, there are the Brewers, but Badger fans look forward to Badger sports.

This Saturday offers these die hard Wisconsin fans the first glimpse of what is to come as the Wisconsin football team takes the field for the annual spring football game at Camp Randall Stadium.

Coming off a terrific season that saw the Badgers go 11-1 overall and punch their ticket to Pasadena, only to lose to TCU in the Rose Bowl.

That near perfect season has left Wisconsin fans wanting more, and the expectations are even higher.

But entering this spring, there are some question that need to be answered and some holes that need to be filled.

First, with the departure of quarterback Scott Tolzien, the Badgers are once again looking for someone who can step up and lead the team. At the front of the charge this spring is redshirt sophomore Jon Budmayer.

“Jon has continued to get better every week and I really like some of the things he’s doing,” head coach Bret Bielema said. “He needs to be really sound with the football, making good decisions.”

In addition to Budmayr, redshirt junior Curt Phillips and true fresh-

man Joel Stave are expected to compete for the starting job. Though, Phillips health is again in question with the admission that he needs a minor surgery on his knee “The composure that Joel Stave has is incredible, the way he’s been able to handle that, as a true freshman coming in at the semester,” Bielema said.

Though the quarterback position is the biggest hole that needs to be filled this offseason, there are other areas in which there will be competition for the starting position.

One such area is attight end.

Wisconsin has always been known for its running game, but maybe less known, but equally as skillful, is its tight end core. And this season will be no different.

Last fall Badger fans got to see redshirt sophomore Jacob Pedersen in action, and with his continued growth in the offseason, they can expect to see much more of him this fall as he leads a

talented tightend group.

Along with the question of who is going to be there starters, the biggest question in the minds of some fans is the status of sophomore linebacker Chris Borland. Missing most of the season due to a shoulder injury, Borland is still unable to play and it remains to be seen what sort of role he will play this fall.

When completely healthy, Bielema said he sees Borland playing a key role in the middle, but likes his versatility on third down.

“I wanted to move him inside,” Bielema said. “He can cover so much more ground. But, yeah, on third down, there are very few people that could block him.”

Spring means football in Madison, and this spring promises to be an exciting one as a number of Badgers compete for a number of key roles on the field. Saturday’s spring game offers fans the first look at how things may shape out as the fall season approaches.

Lorenzo zemella/cardinal file photo

The return of 2009 Big Ten freshman player of the year, linebacker, Chris Borland, should be a huge boost to the Badgers’ defense.