White next in line for Verisimilitude: a fictional phenomenon Wisconsin’s backfield tradition +SPORTS, page 8
+ARTS, page 4 University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Anger surfaces at committee hearing Committee members attack Reilly, regents over system surplus By Jack Casey The Daily Cardinal
The recent discussions over a $1 billion surplus in the University of Wisconsin System balance boiled over Tuesday as a planned discussion on
on campus
Loud and proud
Students compete for a semester of free books from the University Bookstore in All-Campus Idol Tuesday at the Sett in Union South as part of the week-long All-Campus Party. + Photo by Jane Thompson
Ward talks initiatives to enhance UW’s research, technology culture By Taylor Harvey The Daily Cardinal
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor David Ward offered suggestions to advance the university’s research initiatives and culture when he spoke to the Wisconsin Innovation Network and the Wisconsin Technology Council at a Tuesday meeting. Ward called UW-Madison’s research powerhouse status “a success story,” despite some “anxieties out there about the American economy and its competitiveness that make [the success story] very difficult to see.” However, Ward said although UW-Madison is a leading research institution, “application” of research must
be focused on how to maximize capital throughout the city and state, noting how it typically takes 10 years for a UW-Madison discovery to impact the world. He referred to an initiative scheduled to launch in upcoming months called D2P, which stands for “discovery to product,” that aims to streamline the “application” of discoveries, thereby maximizing innovation and entrepreneurship at UW-Madison and throughout south-central Wisconsin. But the chancellor said changing technological innovation through D2P “is not enough.” According to Ward, UW-Madison also needs to further incorporate technology in the classroom and become more
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the system’s Human Resources program before the state’s Joint Committee on Employment Relations turned into a heated question and answer session with UW System President Kevin Reilly. The state’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau released an audit report April 19 detailing the specifics of the systems’ large surplus. State legislators quickly responded with harsh criticisms of Reilly and the Board of Regents for their lack of trans-
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Committee tables HR Redesign discussion The Joint Committee on Employment Relations postponed its consideration of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Human Resources Redesign at a meeting Tuesday. The HR plan, which the Board of Regents approved in December 2012, would reclassify certain university staff to improve employee recruitment and retainment. Academic staff would be defined as salaried positions unique to specialized higher
education, such as lecturers. The plan would also rename classified staff as “university staff,” which would include all positions at an hourly wage. Office of Human Resources Director Bob LaVigna said the JCOER will consider the plan in the future, and he is hopeful the plan will pass. “We’re still hopeful and optimistic that the committee will approve the plan,” LaVigna said.
Adidas reaches settlement with unpaid factory workers A settlement was reached Tuesday between adidas and the union representing workers from an adidas-contracted factory that owed workers over $1.8 million after closing unexpectedly in 2011, according to Executive Director of the Worker Rights Consortium Scott Nova. The dispute between the apparel company, which is University of WisconsinMadison’s primary licensing partner, and
the workers began in January 2011 after the factory shut down without compensating over 2,700 adidas workers. Groups from UW-Madison, including the Student Labor Action Coalition and the Labor Codes Licensing Compliance Committee, called for Chancellor David Ward to cut the university’s contracts with
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Community weighs in on new Library Mall design City officials held a public meeting to discuss the future development of the 700 and 800 blocks of State Street and Library Mall Tuesday, which included making the area more pedestrian and bike friendly as well as increasing street lighting. A comprehensive redesign of State Street that began in 2005 has now extended to Library Mall, which has been coined a public gathering space. Presenters said the goal of the redesign is to protect the area’s identity while maintaining it as a daily destination that connects the city to the university and brings people together. Meeting attendees provided suggestions to foster this connection while describing the wants and needs of stakeholders in the community. Ideas for the 800 block included adding public attractions, such as seating and art along with possibly extending the parking
area for food carts. Further discussions focused on implementing new pedestrian crossings from State Street onto Park and Langdon Streets as well as facilitating bicycle use in the area. There was a shared consensus to preserve the fountain and large green spaces on Library Mall in addition to providing features that could increase safety to extend the area’s usable hours. Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said he supported adding street lights to “make [library mall] a more active location, well up to midnight.” Project administrators will now compile the ideas from the meeting and develop a preliminary design in May 2013, which will be presented at a second public meeting in June 2013 after review from the State Street Design Project Oversight Committee. —Morgan Haefner
alivia richter/the daily cardinal
Community members participate in a public discussion about the future redesign of the 700 and 800 blocks of State Street and Library Mall.
“…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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Wednesday, April 24, 2013
An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 122, Issue 127
edit@dailycardinal.com Managing Editor Alex DiTullio
News Team News Manager Taylor Harvey Campus Editor Sam Cusick College Editor Cheyenne Langkamp City Editor Melissa Howison State Editor Jack Casey Enterprise Editor Samy Moskol Associate News Editor Meghan Chua Features Editor Ben Siegel Opinion Editors David Ruiz • Nikki Stout Editorial Board Chair Matt Beaty Arts Editors Cameron Graff • Andy Holsteen Sports Editors Vince Huth • Matt Masterson Page Two Editors Rachel Schulze • Alex Tucker Life & Style Editor Rebecca Alt Photo Editors Grey Satterfield • Abigail Waldo Graphics Editors Angel Lee • Dylan Moriarty Multimedia Editors Dani Golub Science Editor Matthew Kleist Diversity Editor Aarushi Agni Copy Chiefs Brett Bachman • Molly Hayman Matthew Kleist • Rachel Wanat Copy Editors Kayla Schmidt • Jake Smasal
adam wolf howlin’ mad
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ational news has been quite active for the last week-plus, and for the most part, I think the media outlets did a commendable job with their coverage—with the notable exception of CNN, which has covered the Boston bombing with all the delicateness of a monkey tossing around its own feces. I can’t help but preemptively cringe while the cable networks take the time to politicize the bombings in the dumbest ways possible. “You know,” some fool on MSNBC will say, “This wouldn’t have happened if our country had stricter immigration laws.” While we could be celebrating the resilient human spirit in the face of such tragedy, leave it to some talking head on cable to try and divide the nation five minutes later.
Movie from your childhood that kicks ass
Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Jacob Sattler Office Manager Emily Rosenbaum Advertising Managers Erin Aubrey • Dan Shanahan Account Executives Lyndsay Bloomfield • Alyssa Boczkicwicz Tessa Coan • Madi Fair Zachary Hanlon • Elissa Hersh Will Huberty • Jordan Laeyendecker Hannah Klein • Paulina Kovalo Danny Mahlum • Eric O’Neil Catherine Rashid • Ali Syverson Marketing Manager Caitlin Furin Copywriters Dustin Bui • Bob Sixsmith The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of WisconsinMadison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be word processed and must include contact information. No anonymous letters will be printed. All letters to the editor will be printed at the discretion of The Daily Cardinal. Letters may be sent to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.
Editorial Board Matt Beaty • Alex DiTullio Anna Duffin • Nick Fritz • Scott Girard David Ruiz • Nikki Stout l
Board of Directors Jenny Sereno, President Scott Girard • Alex DiTullio Emily Rosenbaum • John Surdyk Erin Aubrey • Dan Shanahan Jacob Sattler • Melissa Anderson Stephen DiTullio • Herman Baumann Don Miner • Chris Drosner Jason Stein • Nancy Sandy Tina Zavoral © 2013, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398
For the record Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an email to edit@dailycardinal.com.
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From Disney doom to 3 doors down
News and Editorial Editor in Chief Scott Girard
thursday: partly sunny
Wednesday Morning Hangover
2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100
tODAY: partly sunny
“Big Daddy” (1999)—OK, I guess this movie actually kind
of sucks, but when you’re eight years old there’s nothing funnier than Rob Schneider portraying a foreign delivery man who can’t pronounce “hippopotamus.” Interestingly enough, the actors who play Adam Sandler’s son Julian in this film are the same kids who went on to play the titular characters in the Disney Channel series “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” which I think was the show that marked my exodus from Disney Channel. Ever turn on Disney Channel lately? It’s crap. On a whim, I watched this show called “Shake It Up” and couldn’t make it through the teaser without wanting to dropkick a small child. Bring back “Even Stevens” or GTFO, Disney Channel.
First-World Hate of the week This week’s hate is reserved for Internet Explorer. For some reason, my Chrome wasn’t working the other day, so I had to use Explorer for what had to be the first time in years. After clicking on the icon and
waiting decades for the browser to open, I was floored by how shitty it was. I felt like I was going to have 400 viruses physically come out of the computer to choke me out. It’s kind of amazing how much the Internet has advanced in the last five or 10 years to the point that a browser like Explorer can be considered antiquated and cumbersome to use. This will be an actual conversation between our generation and our grandkids 60 years from now: “You think you kids have it tough today? When I was your age, I only had dial-up Internet! That was a tough goddamn life.” God, I can’t wait to be a condescending old man.
Song that Never Fails to fire me up “Kryptonite” (3 Doors Down, 2000)—PB&J Uncrustables. Holographic Charizard cards. Fucking Go-Gurt. Yes, these were the heady times of third grade, and when “Kryptonite” vaulted up the charts in April 2000, boy did that ever nail down our demographic. Back then, my bus
driver used to play an alternative rock station on the afternoon ride home, and whenever this song would come on, all of us kids would stop drawing dicks on the window for a second and communally rock out. It was quite the transcendent experience. About a year or two later, there began a heated debate (that now seems laughably dated) amongst my classmates over which was the better band: 3 Doors Down or Good Charlotte? It was a worthy debate to be sure, but all I needed was to hear “Kryptonite” again to know where I stood. Good Charlotte can eat a bag of asses.
Unedited moronic facebook status from a kid from my high> school “i am how i am and there ant no changin tat so step back or i’ll lay u flat and have u restin in a pine box.” I believe this kid actually got in a fight in high school once. From what I recall, he got his ass kicked. Adam would love to hear the song that never fails to fire you up. Email him at awolf3@wisc. edu to give him an earful.
Jumanji and ‘90s jams: nostalgic remission michael voloshin voloshin’s commotion
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umanji is still the scariest movie I’ve ever seen, which is weird to say because I feel like no movie featuring Robin Williams should invoke fear (even you, One Hour Photo). I always try to re-engage myself into the movie, but every time I start, I get scared like the five-year-old I was when I first experienced the horror that includes giant mosquitos, stampedes and Kirsten Dunst’s attempt at acting. It’s because of this movie and other events I’d like to invoke a new phrase into our collective dictionaries: nostalgic remission. (Side note: other terms that were work shopped: experiential déjà vu, sense based nostalgia and re-Kairos.) Nostalgic remission, at its core, is feeling like the age you first encountered a milestone in your life. In this case, Jumanji was the first “horror” movie I had ever seen and thus it will hold a benchmark in my life. I have seen horror movies since and none truly terrify me like Joe Johnston’s finest work (I mean The Wolfman was terrifyingly bad, so I won’t count it). Think about it, isn’t life just a collection of memories that we’ve lived? At this moment in time you have lived more in the past than in the present. It takes the brain a few milliseconds to process an image the eyes see, but since it’s not exactly instantaneous, we always live in the past—scientifically speaking of course. The fact that one can never “truly” live in the moment is probably the reason I stay up all night
laughing at pictures of puppies rather than write a screenplay or go to the gym. Why does nostalgic remission matter? I think it helps define who we are as people and why we act the way we do. Think about the album you’ve loved the longest (not the oldest album you love, but the first album you loved that you still do). When you listen to it, do you get memories associated with your age? Here’s an example: The album I’ve loved the longest is Franz Ferdinand, self-titled. I was 12 years old when I first heard “Take Me Out” and I was introduced to good music. Before buying Franz Ferdinand’s album, my collection consisted of N*SYNC, Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears (all good in their own rights, but come on now). Thanks to these Scottish lords of all that is good, I started seeking out non-mainstream music and thus have become the hipster douche you see today. Every time I belt out the lyrics “So if you’re lonely, you know I’m here waiting for you,” I recall the first time I listened to the song and literally giggled with joy. Not only that, but I get the sense I’m back in a prepubescent stage of my life; one riddled with high-pitched yelps and the hope that one day I’ll be an adult (hey 12-year-old me, growing old sucks, enjoy the Go-Gurts while you can.) My acceptance that Franz Ferdinand is 12-year-old Michael’s favorite album has made it much more enjoyable even if my tastes change. My top five movies constantly change depending on what I’ve recently watched (the best movie of the last few years is Drive, and if you disagree then you clearly didn’t watch it), and my choice in friends change. But it’s those child-
hood moments you hang on to hoping you can rekindle the wonderment of youth and the sensational feeling of learning something new. It would’ve been amazing being in the movie theatres in 1980 and hearing Darth Vader reveal to Luke Skywalker he is Luke’s father, but regretfully the epic twist was ruined years earlier by every goddamn cartoon spoofing it. However, if you were to experience it and actually have your mind blown, don’t you think every time that scene is even referenced you go back to that theatre seat and relive it once again?
In the end, I’m not telling you anything new, I just gave you another pointless term to add to your repertoire which you can use to look smart to your father-in-law when he asks why your favorite movie is Space Jam. But that’s mostly what I do; write pointless things, scream while watching Jumanji and break out smiling when hearing the riffs of “This Fire.” Sue me. How old were you when you realized your favorite movie scenes were all Vader-Skywalker references? Tell Michael by emailing mvoloshin@wisc.edu.
news
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 3
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State test scores fuel private school voucher plan debate A Tuesday release from the Department of Public Instruction that showed Milwaukee and Racine students in the state’s school voucher program scored lower on last year’s standardized achievement test than public school students raised questions among state legislators over the necessity of private school voucher expansion. The report found approximately 13 percent of school voucher students scored proficient or advanced in math on the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination and approximately 11 percent on the reading portion. Meanwhile, 19 percent of public school students in Milwaukee
performed proficient or better on math and approximately 14 percent did so on reading. Nearly 28 percent of Racine public school children achieved those rankings on math and 22 percent of students achieved that for reading. The DPI’s report comes as the state legislature considers Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposal to expand the state’s private school voucher program beyond Milwaukee and Racine districts. Most Republicans support the measure, but some state Senate Republicans and nearly all Democrats oppose it. “This unaccountable experiment on our children has failed,” state Senate Minority Leader Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, said in a statement respond-
ing to the DPI report. “Scoring lower in math and reading than their public counterparts, voucher schools in Wisconsin have done a disservice to future Wisconsin workers.” However, School Choice Wisconsin argued in a news release that the DPI compared school voucher students to all public school students, rather than just public school children from low-income families, which skewed the results. “If we are to have a true discussion about education performance, all the test data should be made available at the same time for the media and public to review,” the organization said in the release. —Adam Wollner
Police link pair of drug store robberies to one man brett blaske/daily cardinal file photo
University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly answered committee members’ questions on the system’s large surplus.
surplus from page 1 parency over the reserve fund, which draws a significant amount of funding from tuition dollars, according to the LFB audit. Much of the anger over the large reserve was made worse by the fact universities had been increasing tuition rates by 5.5 for the past six years. From the start of the hearing, Senate President and committee co-chair Mike Ellis, R-Neenah, structured the session to question Reilly on the surplus. Each member of the eight-person committee was allowed an opening statement to give their thoughts on the UW System’s fiscal record and ask questions of Reilly. Assembly Speaker and committee co-chair Robin Vos, R-Burlington, who said he had previously supported giving the system more fiscal autonomy, led off with a harsh critique of Reilly and the Board of Regent’s record. “It is not easy for me to admit I was wrong, but this is one example where I was totally mistaken in believing that the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the UW System could control their own fiscal affairs,” Vos said. Reilly defended the system’s decision to keep the reserve fund, saying it would help with uncertainty in the system’s future funding. He specifically highlighted the projected decline in university enrollment over the next decade,
which would cut into tuition revenue, as well as the need both to keep and attract high-quality professors at UW schools as justifications for the surplus. Ellis, who was visibly angry every time he addressed Reilly, criticized Reilly for using the system’s Board of Regents as “figureheads” after Reilly said the board never explicitly voted on how to allocate the surplus. “We’re not angry,” Ellis said. “We’re disgusted.” Other committee members, including state Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, used their opening statements to highlight their frustration over the lack of transparency in the system’s funding structure. Darling said the way the system handled the surplus information was “unjustifiable” and “appalling.” Disappointment, distrust and leveled statements of embarrassment permeated the meeting, which turned to questions of what the system can do to better serve students and citizens in the state. Reilly said he and the UW System Board of Regents would work to keep state legislators and citizens well informed on the system’s fiscal situation in the future through detailed reports and records. “I hear the angst. I hear the anger. In many ways I think it is justified,” Reilly said. “What my promise to you is, and to the people of Wisconsin, is we will come forward and consult with you before we go to the Board of Regents.”
Plaintiffs file injunction in Act 10 case Public school workers and other plaintiffs in a case challenging Act 10, a law that all but eliminated collective bargaining rights for state workers, announced Tuesday they are seeking an injunction against the state and the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission for trying to implement portions of the law. The case, filed in part by Madison Teachers Inc., challenged Act 10 on constitutional grounds, stating the law infringed on workers’ constitutional rights, including the right to equal representation.
A Wisconsin Circuit Court judge found portions of the law unconstitutional, which suspended the laws applicability. However, the judge did not issue an injunction against the law after his decision, something Gov. Scott Walker and WERC officials cited while implementing parts of the law, according to a release from the plaintiffs’ attorneys. If the plaintiffs’ injunction request is granted, the law will remain suspended while the case is considered. The case is currently pending in the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.
A man implying he had a gun in his pocket robbed a campus Community Pharmacy and a Shopko pharmacy of morphine and other drugs Tuesday morning, according to a police report. A third robbery at the State Street Walgreens was reported Tuesday morning as well, but Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain confirmed the
information was “inaccurate.” “We didn’t have a robbery at Walgreens this morning,” DeSpain said. The person of interest demanded pharmaceuticals from the Community Pharmacy, located at 341 State St., at approximately 9:07 a.m., and kept his hand in his pocket, implying he had a gun, the report said. Police suspect the same man
entered the Shopko pharmacy, located at 2201 Zeier Rd., at approximately 11:06 a.m., and robbed it in a similar manner, according to the report. The report said police detained the person of interest walking on East Washington Avenue near East Towne Mall Tuesday, but DeSpain said police had not arrested the suspect as of approximately 3:45 p.m.
adidas from page 1
receive their full pay soon. “It’s wonderful, I mean [the workers] have been waiting so long to get their money,” Zepeda said. “It’s been over two years now.” Still, Zepeda said it is unclear how the settlement will affect UW-Madison’s current litigation with adidas to determine if the company violated the university’s codes of conduct. Nova said he hopes this
settlement will become a model for the entire apparel industry to ensure workers are properly compensated. “The precedent has been solidified: when workers at university logo apparel factories are deprived of money they legally earned, the universities’ apparel industry business partners have to make the workers whole,” Nova said in a statement. —Sam Cusick
adidas following the complaints. Ward said in a statement the university’s negotiations with adidas have been ongoing for a long time, adding he is thankful for the cooperation and determination from faculty, staff and students on the LCLCC. LCLCC member Lydia Zepeda said the settlement is “fantastic news” and she hopes the workers
ward from page 1 technologically sophisticated throughout campus. “We need to prove that inside our own culture we have an innovative set of attitudes,” he said. Additionally, Ward said UW-Madison should not be treated as a public institution, but rather a “public-private partnership” due to how 12 percent of funding is derived privately, with many other private foundations and trusts in place. “I think there needs to be a very different image,” Ward said. “We are not only a public institution, but a knowledge enterprise with some public funding—that’s the metaphor.” Ward also said the university needs additional flexibilities in how it functions, because its revenue derives from various places, while adding accountability must remain a priority. “All of this will go together to position UW-Madison and south central Wisconsin to become what we want it to be: a seedbed of innovation,” Ward said. Cheyenne Langkamp contributed to this report.
Owen Mays/Daily cardinal file photo
UW-Madison Chancellor David Ward suggested ways to improve the university’s research initiatives Tuesday.
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Venerating the verisimilar and the unreal Sean Reichard quip quo pro If it isn’t already a given, the things that happen in novels don’t happen in our lives—at least, not in the same way they do in novels. The question of how much fiction should concern itself with reality is an old one, old enough that its reckonable beginnings are lost. In my idealized scenario, the first humans who sorted out a concept of language realized— simultaneously with the idea that language could be used to describe the reality around them—that language could be used to not describe reality, or a reality that isn’t our reality. An unreality. And fiction is littered with such unrealities. Orwell’s unreal despot pigs. Fitzgerald’s magnificently unreal Gatsby. Chaucer’s unreal pilgrims. The unreal Hamlet. The unreal day of June 16 1904. Pynchon’s unreal octopus. The brief and wondrously unreal life of Oscar Wao. Unreal martians. Unreal vampires. Much as I like all this talk of “unreal” and “unreality,” there is another word I’m searching for: verisimilitude. Ver-isi-mil-i-tude. It’s like a dense, flavorful gum, isn’t it? I come to that word because it refers to the veracity—in a more mundane sense, the plau-
sibility—of fiction. Another way of saying that, without saying the whole thing, is “suspension of disbelief.” You’ve heard it before discussing fiction, especially in fictions where verisimilitude is stretched to the point of quantum jiggling. Science fiction, ghost stories, convoluted mystery thrillers, postmodernity. But whereas “suspension of disbelief ” involves ignoring the unreal elements of a story, verisimilitude addresses the unreality that itself is so integral to fiction writing/reading.
If the truth of reality is more malleable than it seems, how pliant is the unreality (itself the pockmarked aggregate of an infinite number of unrealities that occupy books) of fiction? What makes a work verisimilar? If you’re boring, it means what happens in a piece of fiction can happen in real life. That fiction is life, circumspectly observed with no frills or flights of fancy. Empirical ennui. That approach only holds up if you believe reality is communal and inviolate. That reality is necessarily imbued with unequivocal truth, and that fiction, while functioning as an unreality, strives to be reality or at least mimic it thoroughly. But after 20 years on this planet, I’ve come
to the conclusion none of that is true. At the very least, I don’t believe in a reality that’s shared by everyone unequivocally. Hence the fascination with verisimilitude. Because if the truth of reality is more malleable than it seems, how pliant is the unreality (itself the pockmarked aggregate of an infinite number of the unrealities that occupy books) of fiction? There is a great moment in “Humboldt’s Gift” by Saul Bellow where he tests the notion of verisimilitude. The main character, Charlie Citirine, is forced to ascend into the steel skeleton of an inprogress Chicagoan skyscraper. His tormentor, wannabe mob boss Rinaldo Cantabile, follows him up with nine $50 bills. The money was Charlie’s. And standing in this metal hollow, Cantabile proceeds to take seven of those bills and fold them into paper airplanes, gliding them down into the gusts of the Windy City. Then, with two of Charlie’s bills in hand, Cantabile leads Citrine back down to ground level and buys them a steak dinner. Would that, could that have actually happened? I mean, damn, it’s too cool a moment for its veracity to be questioned. In my mind, Bellow didn’t break the verisimilar veneer of his book because the moment made sense in context. And of all the things that happen in that book, that moment is actually one of the less weird. That’s all verisimilitude is:
Graphic by Dylan Moriarty
the measure of what can and can’t happen in a book, and its almost accidental correlation to “real” life. The substance of its characters, the legitimacy of its plot or story, its rules, its buffers and its limitations. If Rinaldo Cantabile can climb into an incomplete skyscraper and make paper airplanes out of someone else’s money, it’s because he lives in a world that lets him. It’s surmised he can still fall to his death, and that his death
The Daily Cardinal Spring Sublet Guide 2013
27 N Brooks St., Apt 222 Madison, WI 53703 The duration of the sublet would be for the whole summer (May through August). 2 other roommates. Price $550/month, negotiable Contact Ilya Khmelnik ikhmelnik@wisc.edu 414-688-9176 1233 Mound St. Apt 2 Madison, WI 53703 Three subletters wanted! Three month lease, June-August, available to move in following finals week. Three bedroom, one bath, extra storage room, porch, two FREE parking spots. Partially furnished at subletters request (couches, recliner, kitchen table, chairs, etc.). Contact us with questions or if you’re interested in viewing the apartment. Thank you for your interest in subletting. Price $450/month or $1350 total plus amenities, negotiable Contact: Cody Schmidt cgschmidt@wisc.edu 715-581-4792 Nic Bushman njbushman@wisc.edu 715-252-1340
45 N Randall #207 Madison, WI 53703 Looking for four-six people to move in at the earliest May 20-August 15. Fabulous, spacious and clean four bedroom apartment. Close to classes, Trader Joe’s, Mickie’s Dairy Bar, Union South and Regent Street bars. Tours and pictures available. Price $2490/month. Contact: Olivia Grassmann emihelich@wisc.edu 10 N Orchard St. Madison, WI 53703 Seeking a female sublet after finals week until August 14 for one bedroom in a two-bedroom apartment near Union South. Internet included, laundry and AC. Parking available. Open kitchen, large living room, balcony and atrium and large bathroom. Price $535/month, negotiable Contact: Kimberly Kassube kkassube@wisc.edu Laurel Commons Apartments 208 W Gorham St., Apt 4 Madison, WI 53703 Sublet from last week in May to August 12 (negotiable). Two level, five bedroom, two rooms open for subletting. Great central location, right off State Street, fully furnished including washer and dryer. Price $550/month, negotiable Contact: Gretchen Snyder gsnyder@wisc.edu 952-457-9619
1508 Adams St Madison, WI 53703 SPRING AND SUMMER SUBLET! Subletting up to 3.5 bedrooms. Near Camp Randall and the beautiful Vilas neighborhood for Spring 2014 to share the house with three girls. five bedrooms for Summer 2014. Price is dependent on the number of subletters we find. Price $450 for a single and $350 for a double, negotiable Contact: Becky Wiepz wiepz@wisc.edu 608-445-6071 237 W Lakelawn Place Madison, WI 53703 Looking for female subletter for one bedroom apartment to share with an awesome and laid-back roommate. Great location near Lake Mendota and State Street. Spacious and fully furnished with air conditioning. Mid May through mid August. Price $411/month Contact: Jacey Bonavia jbonavia@wisc.edu 433 W Dayton St. Madison, WI 53703 Subletting 2 rooms to females in a five-bedroom apartment. One room available May 20 to August 14, other room available June 8 to August 14. Price $450/month, negotiable. Contact: Jocelyn Piller jpiller@wisc.edu Diana Goldberg dbgoldberg13@gmail.com
33 N Randall Ave., Apt 2 Madison, WI 53703 Subletting one bedroom in a five-bedroom townhouse in Randall Station. End of May to August 1. Utilities included. Access to two courtyards, perfect for summer! Close to Trader Joe’s and Southwest Trail. Private & quiet, with a great view. Four laid back, fun female roommates. Price $480/month, negotiable Contact Hannah Meier hmeier2@wisc.edu Lucky Apartments 777 University Ave., Apt 818 Madison, WI 53715 One bedroom available in the 1,045 sq. ft. three bedroom apartment. Fully furnished (double bed in each room or option of sharing room with twin beds), 24 hour concierge desk, laundry and vending on each floor, heat and high speed internet included, large bathrooms, wooden floors, rooftop and floor lounges, integrated business center, great location and doorman. Price $870 single bedroom, $523 shared per person. Contact: Shaina Wasser 301-801-2211 210 State St., Apt 202 Madison, WI 53703 Sublet from May 19 to August 13/14 (negotiable). Two bedrooms, semi-furnished. Great location near the Capitol, on State Street, has air conditioning. Price $895/month, negotiable. Contact: David Glickstein DIGlickstein@gmail.com
would be registered within Chicago’s city limits, so reality is not overly stretched. But it’s played with. If anything, the fact Cantabile did that affirms verisimilitude. So what parting words can be said about verisimilitude? That reality can be unreal and that unreality can be real. It’s a tired old chiasmus. Are you living in the real world? Not sure? Ask Sean at sreichard@wisc.edu and see if he knows (he probably doesn’t).
International Co-op house Downtown Available late may until Aug. 15. Starting at $330 Contact: Eric Beach internationalcoop@gmail.com 211 W. Gilman St. 3W 1/2 block from State Street Summer sublease available from June 10-Aug. 15 for one bedroom in a large two bedroom apartment. $550, utilities included Price negotiable Contact Chelsea Match matchchelsea@gmail.com 1109 Milton St. Madison, WI 53703 Live with three other awesome girls. It is a shared room. Utilities not included. Price $325/month Contact: Katrina Slavik klavik@wisc.edu 630-818-5729 The Dayton House 1001 W Dayton St. Madison, WI 53703 Three bedrooms available in a fourbedroom apartment. Very close to the SERF, East Campus Mall, State Street, classes and more! Electricity not included (usually around $20/month). May 21, 2013 to August 14, 2013. Huge 1,500 sq. ft. apartment, very spacious and bright. Bedrooms furnished if you so choose. Washer and dryer in the apartment. Parking available. Price $525/month Contact: Kelli Klement kklement@wisc.edu 608-843-7892
science Framing of science may affect attitudes dailycardinal.com
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
By Matthew Kleist The Daily Cardinal
A new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggests the way science information is framed affects a person’s attitude toward it and willingness to seek out more information. According to Dietram Scheufele, the John E. Ross professor of life sciences communications at UW-Madison, the public is at a point where it is receiving more information about science and new technology than ever before. “I think that we’ve seen in the last 10 years a philosophical change toward what some have called public engagement with science,” Scheufele said. Scheufele, along with fellow UW-Madison professor of life sciences communications Dominique Brossard, recently concluded a study on how nanotechnology is framed or how the technology is presented to the public affects a person’s attitude toward nanotechnology. Participants were placed into four groups, each receiving a different description of nanotechnology. The control group was only told nanotechnology is of a very small scale. The second group was given a description of nanotechnology’s size and its applications. The third group was told about nano-
graphic by dylan moriarty
technology’s size and its potential benefits and risks. The fourth group was provided with information about three dimensions: nanotechnology’s size, applications and potential risks and benefits. Scheufele found the attitudes about nanotechnology in the group given the most comprehensive set of information were the lowest overall. But, more importantly, this group showed the greatest desire to seek out more information about nanotechnology. “That’s where the catch-22 comes in,” Scheufele said about the findings. “By explaining the pros and cons, you get them to seek more information, but you also push their attitudes down the
Autism diagnosis may be linked to behavior By Alex Moe The Daily Cardinal
The results of a recent study conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center show the age at which a child is diagnosed with autism is correlated with the behavior he or she exhibits. This finding sheds light on a disorder that remains very elusive to researchers and psychologists. Autism is one type of ASD, or autism spectrum disorder. Disorders of this type are characterized by a lack of social aptitude as well as repetitive behavior and communication issues. Because there are more than 600 different combinations of symptoms that can qualify for autistic disorder, diagnosing the disorder can be a complicated and uncertain process. The results of the study show a correlation between behavior exhibited and age diagnosed with autism in a sampling of 2,757 eight-year-old autistic children. The information was gathered from 11 different surveillance sites in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network and studied to reveal information on the disorder. The results show repetitive behavior, trouble with nonverbal communication and having more behavioral features in general are all associated with earlier diagnosis. One problem with the current state of diagnostics in the community is the results of laboratory studies do not match up with what happens outside of the lab. According to Matthew Maenner, head author of the study and researcher at the Waisman Center, in the real world, there is less of a sense of importance given to behavior as it pertains to diagnosis. Because of this
disparity, there is as much as a three-year gap between the age at which autism can be diagnosed and the age it most often is. The study from the Waisman Center found in the examined cases diagnosis in communities usually does not come until age five, though diagnosis at age two could be possible. This is a gap of time that may make a world of difference in the life of a child needing support that can come only after diagnosis. The emphasis on early diagnosis is now stronger than ever. Maenner expressed that awareness is changing in a positive way as more and more light is shed on autism spectrum disorders. He stated diagnosing children earlier helps professionals get support systems in place. The systems of support are varying, with different communities having specialized education programs. A big change in the world of diagnostics is coming this year, as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition is due to be released. This will be the first update to the collection in 13 years, and the potential for change is huge. Maenner stated the new DSM-V will most likely change things in the field of psychology, affecting prevalence estimates and differences in criteria for disorders. If the criteria for autism are drastically different from that of the DSM-IV-TR—the most recently updated edition of the DSM—it could mean big changes for the public’s understanding of autism as well as the way diagnosticians approach the puzzle of autism spectrum disorders. The DSM-V is to be released in May of 2013.
runway. So, in other words, they react a little more cautiously in how supportive they are because they want to learn more.” The findings have implications for communication, especially the communication of science and new technology. According to Scheufele, communicators need to take away two points from this study. One is communicators need to be careful with the descriptions used in explanations of science and technology. They need to figure out what descriptions will get the most information across and get people interested enough to seek out more information. However, Scheufele sees this as a “double-edged sword.”
“The same kind of description that gets people interested, [that] makes them want to seek more information, is also the stuff that potentially undermines their initial attitudes,” he said. The second take-away is communicators need to be careful of the way they frame science and new technology. The challenge, according to Scheufele, is developing frames that do not immediately create negative mental connections. One example of negative mental connections is the term “Frankenfood,” which has been used to describe genetically modified crops. This term immediately created a negative association in the mind of the reader, completely undermining the potentially positive advances in genetically modified crops. “That’s no longer going away, we will always have Frankenfood,” Scheufele said. “We messed that one up.” “The types of descriptions we use, the types of terminology that we use, the types of explanations that we provide—I think this is what [the study] was all about— really makes a huge difference whether we like it or not,” he added. While this study was specifically about the public’s response to descriptions of nanotechnol-
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ogy, its findings can be applied to all communication of science and new technology. Science communication is currently experiencing a shift to a public engagement model of communication, but with that comes many challenges. As Scheufele’s study has shown, the way the information is presented and the frames used impacts the public’s attitude toward the technology. This shift to more public engagement, in the opinion of Scheufele and many others in academia, means a shift to a twoway-street model of information dissemination. A two-way-street model recognizes communication not only travels from the scientists to the public, but also from the public to the scientist. According to Scheufele, the tricky part of communicating science will be how to establish this two-way-street so the science and new technology is communicated well to an audience that does not have the time or expertise to look at the information scientifically, whether it be the public or policy makers. “Policy makers, in many ways, have the same challenges that the public has, meaning they have lots of constraints on their time, they make a lot of choices without knowing everything,” Scheufele said.
Ask Mr. Scientist: Earthworms and wrinkly fingers Dear Mr. Scientist, After all this rain, the sidewalks are covered with worms. I’ve heard before they do this to avoid drowning in their water filled tunnels. Is this true? —Kevin M. This is a common misconception, and for a while, even scientists thought this was true. Earthworms can actually survive for several weeks under water, so this isn’t the case. The actual reason is it’s easier for worms to crawl across the ground than tunnel under it. Normally, this isn’t possible because earthworms must keep their skin moist
in order to absorb oxygen (they don’t breathe with lungs like we do) and would dry out if they spent too much time above ground. This is why they stay underground where they are surrounded by moist soil. When it rains though, there is water everywhere, and the worms are able to survive above ground…at least until the rain stops. Graphic by Dylan Moriarty
Dear Mr. Scientist, Why do a person’s fingers get all wrinkly after they get wet? After as little as five minutes of constant exposure to water, the blood vessels in the fingers and toes constrict and pull sections of skin inward. As a result, the skin wrinkles and your fingers and toes take on the famil-
iar pruney appearance one gets from spending too much time in the tub. Interestingly, people who have suffered nerve damage to their digits do not exhibit this phenomenon. This peculiarity led a researcher to investigate this
5
—Helen T.
situation further and found fingers are able to grasp wet and slippery objects better when they are wrinkled. This wrinkling business may be an actual evolutionary adaptation instead of a weird body quirk.
Ask Mr. Scientist is written by Michael Leitch. If you have a burning science question you want him to answer, tweet @DC_Science or email it to science@dailycardinal.com.
Want more science? Need more science? Visit www.dailycardinal.com
opinion The irrationality of rational preferences 6
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Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Miles kellerman opinion columnist
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f one were to peruse the pages of foreign policy, one might think nothing original has happened in decades: “The new Marshall Plan… the new, new deal… the next Middle East basketcase… the next Asian Tiger.” One’s tempted to think history repeats itself or, even better, it’s ended. The language of international affairs is replete with lifeless phrases. Perhaps no phrase is more limp and confused than “irrational actor.” Those following recent events in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have undoubtedly encountered the term. Is Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un rational? Can he, as it’s so often termed, be reasoned with? The answer is simplified by bifurcating the possibilities. The first possible explanation is irrationality, often likened to unpredictability; it resembles a Hume-esque characterization of an actor whose history provides no clues to his or her future behavior. The second is rationality, vaguely
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associated with acting in the interest of the nation. The reader would be wise to question both options, however, as an analysis of what it means to be rational find the very term wanting. It starts with belief. It ends in action. It’s driven by desire, and sustained by the belief the action will satisfy desire. Desire implies preference. Even if I desire to attain just one thing, that is the option I prefer over non-attainment. But of course, desire doesn’t necessarily lead to action; a purely hedonistic self-doctrine would be a scary thing indeed. Now let us set aside this international context I’ve placed before you and focus on how preferences work. It behooves the reader, however, to remember the shakiness of the ground on which we now walk. Revealed preference theory posits the preferences of an actor are revealed by that actor’s choices. As Jean Paul-Sartre wrote, “We are our choices.” At first glance this seems true—if Johnny chooses an orange over a banana, it would be reasonable to assume he prefers oranges to bananas. But as the Seminole (and ever seminal) Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast my friends!” In
Julian Reiss’s recently published text, Philosophy of Economics, he writes that legitimate preference entails the satisfaction of numerous axioms, all of which are necessary to constitute a ‘weak ordering’ of one’s preferences.
If a parent of twins is asked to choose one to die, refusing to answer in no way implies the matter is trivial.
The first is transitivity, meaning if Johnny prefers an orange to a banana, and a banana to an apricot, then he must logically prefer oranges to an apricots. Or must he? Is it not possible for intransitive preferences to be perfectly logical? Reiss provides an example in favor of the affirmative; I shall provide another. Imagine Jong Un prefers bilateral, unconditional aid to multilateral aid with conditions. But (hypothetically) Jong Un prefers conditional aid to no aid at all. Transitivity would imply Jong Un prefers bilateral aid to zero aid. And yet, when faced
with domestic pressure from political opponents and military hierarchy, Jong Un commits to a set of policies that predictably lead to sanction and aid restriction. In addition to exemplifying an actor exhibiting intransitive, yet logical preferences, this hypothetical also demonstrates the link between choice and preference is feeble. Further, my example allows us to observe the inherent issues of an other preference axiom, completeness, which requires that an agent be able to state whether he or she prefers one option to another, or whether he or she is indifferent between the two. The (apparent) logic of transitivity follows from completeness; the ranking of alternatives implies a hierarchy of one’s predilections. But, as one might expect, completeness is also problematic. Does it require the agent is aware of all available options? Can I unequivocally tell you how I would order all fruits in the world according to my preferences? No. And as Reiss notes, indifference is not the same as having no preference between two options. If a parent of twins is asked to choose one to die, refusing to answer in no way implies the matter is trivial. Finally there’s the matter
of context independence. The inimitable philosopher Sidney Morgenbesser, while sitting in a diner one day, was offered a choice between apple and blueberry pie. He went with apple. A few moments later the flustered waitress returned, noting cherry pie was also an option. Morgenbesser replied, “In that case I’ll have blueberry.” One can imagine oneself exhibiting equally illogical preferences, if at least subconsciously. Thus we’re faced with two incompatible conclusions: Either the characterization of ‘(ir)rational’ is too problematic to be useful or we need to revise our conception of rationality itself. Neither option is particularly appealing. To quote Morgenbesser on pragmatism: “It’s all very well in theory but it doesn’t work in practice.” As it stands, to deem a head of state as rational is to imply a host of observations about his or her preferences, which, in turn, is as an amalgamation of problematic assumptions about human behavior. I, for one, prefer we be more careful about employing such wild terms. Or do I? Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
An extremely sincere thank you to UW’s underappreciated steven nemcek opinion columnist
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s a college student, I often get asked which class or which professor I enjoy most. While I’ve definitely had a number of great people influence my education and my world view, I’ve always held a special appreciation for a different group of individuals and this piece is dedicated to them. I extend my gratitude and appreciation to the janitorial, custodial and general maintenance staff that work in the student dormitories and campus buildings. You guys have always shown the most consistent kindness whenever I have interacted with you. Your responsiveness has been uncanny whenever I send in general maintenance requests. Your politeness has been thoroughly refreshing through numerous experiences I’ve had with you on campus. Having lived in the dorms for two academic years, there were a number of maintenance issues with which I required assistance. The heating system in my room consistently knocked through all hours of the night when I first moved in, making sleeping impossible. When I sent in a maintenance request, I expected I would have to wait a few weeks before the problem was resolved. To my surprise, I received an email about 15 minutes after the request was sent in. The maintenance staff stopped by within a few hours and fixed the problem immediately. The two members that stopped by
were cordial and polite, and we enjoyed a nice conversation. The second time I requested their assistance for a fan installation, the response was identical. The staff responded quickly, and the people were some of the nicest I’ve ever interacted with on campus. Every two weeks one of my student organizations hosts a late night general assembly in the chemistry department, and every time we always interrupt one particular janitorial staff member who is, without fail, vacuuming the room. I always enter sheepishly and explain our organization has the room reserved, and I apologize for interrupting her work. Instead of becoming frustrated, this staff member always responds with a friendly smile and tells me not to worry. This has happened throughout the semester, every single time. I’ve come to look forward to it, because that simple smile is refreshing. Finally, I want to recount one last incident. Last week, a water pipe exploded in the basement of my dorm at approximately 2:30 a.m. The emergency alarm system went off and the entire building was evacuated. Normally a middle-of-the-night interruption is painful on its own, but in this instance it was pouring rain outside and the temperature was bitterly cold. Five of us were huddling together outside of the dorm building on the side of Bascom Hill, when we noticed three of the janitorial staff in the Law Building beckoning us inside. They had just finished sweeping and mopping the floor, and I’m sure our group left a dripping mess for these individuals. But rather than complain, these staff members poked fun
at our plight, laughing about how the situation was unlucky. Thankfully we didn’t have to wait outside during the ordeal; we weren’t allowed back in the dorm for an hour and a half. I would just like to finish
by letting these staff members know how grateful I have been for their work over the last few years. There is something special about the consistent kindness you have displayed toward me, and this consistency is
uncommon among other people. I hope this article finds you, because while you may not hear it very much, I am grateful you guys are around. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
comics
Perhaps it’s a good thing he isn’t famous... Charles the Fat was a king of France.
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Today’s Sudoku
Getting the whole gang together
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 • 7
Eatin’ Cake
Classic
By Dylan Moriarty www.EatinCake.com
© Puzzles by Pappocom
Caved In
By Nick Kryshak nkryshak@wisc.edu
Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
By Melanie Shibley Shibley@wisc.edu
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
Washington and the Bear Classic
Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com
IT RISES ACROSS 1 Interlock 5 Head-and-shoulders wrap 10 “By yesterday!” 14 Muscle malady 15 “A Taste of ___” 16 Powerful feline 17 “___ Mike” Tyson 18 Tool put away for the winter 19 Entreat 20 Filthy money 22 Famous last words? 24 Field goal specialist 27 “The Alienist” author Caleb 28 It can be feathery or scaly 30 Captain’s wheel 31 Vehicle with bells, often 34 Cleric’s tunic 35 Spanish cooking pot 36 Follow an event 37 Feel longing for 39 Like windows in French doors 42 Break the news 43 Voiced one’s displeasure 45 Abruptly dismissed 47 Close friend 48 Acre’s acres? 50 Big benefit
51 All Those Years ___” (George Harrison song) 52 Trunk of a tree 53 Emergency room medicine 55 What a millionselling recording goes 58 Leg joint 61 It’s picked from a pocket 62 Winter toy-store stock 65 (Had) reclined 66 It is enough, according to some 67 Deep boredom 68 Added years 69 Jury member 70 Eats more than one’s fill 71 Ends an engagement DOWN 1 It may be registered 2 Eggshell-like color 3 What a car’s struts are for 4 “Gregorita” painter Robert 5 “Every Little Thing ___ Does Is Magic” 6 Mason’s burden 7 Nicholson dramedy 8 What to do after you “read ‘em”
9 Forte of Oscar Hammerstein II 10 Clear 11 Shocking thing left at your front door? 12 Asian caregiver 13 Shells out money 21 Rebounded sound 23 Fictional story 25 Seaweed one can eat 26 First name among jazz legends 28 Animated classic of 1942 29 Melanges 32 Bygone prison 33 “Greetings!” 38 Abalone eater 40 Academic challenge 41 Editing mark 44 Where to land lox 46 Backup contents 49 Bifocals 54 Acquisition by marriage 55 Penny-in-thewishing-well sound 56 Oft-flubbed thing 57 A human bone 59 Told a story 60 Brings to a close 63 Expected 64 Affectionate family name
Derek Sandberg graphics@dailycardinal.com
Sports
Wednesday April 24, 2013 DailyCardinal.com
Football
White’s time to shine After three years in the Badger football program, James White looks to play a more prominent role in the backfield during his final season in Madison Story by Rex Sheild
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ver since Wisconsin athletic director and former head coach Barry Alvarez paced the sidelines, the Badgers have established themselves as one of the premier running teams in the country. A massive offensive line coupled with athletic yet powerful tailbacks have led the program to six Big Ten championships and as many Rose Bowl appearances since Alvarez’s arrival in 1990. However, 2013 might be a different story. Montee Ball, the NCAA leader in touchdowns, has departed. While the Badgers will have plenty of bodies on the depth chart, a key question remains: Is this backfield group slim in talent? The Badgers have had a luxury most programs would die for, possessing both depth and talent at the running back position, a vital aspect to the traditional prostyle offense Wisconsin utilizes. Take for example the 2010-’11 season. The running backs consisted of then-redshirt junior John Clay,
then-sophomore Montee Ball and then-freshman and current senior James White, who all rushed for over 1,000 yards and combined for an unforeseen 48 touchdowns. Last year, that trend was somewhat bucked, as the running attack was focused squarely around Ball—for good reason, obviously—which left White and then-redshirt freshman Melvin Gordon in the dust within the rotation. Despite that, the unit still managed to accumulate a combined 3,251 yards and 37 touchdowns, including a breakout performance in the Big Ten Championship against Nebraska, where they rushed for a whopping 527 yards and eight touchdowns. After three years of waiting under the wings of Clay and Ball, White is finally the leader in the clubhouse, while Gordon has another year of experience under his belt to show fans and coaches alike his combination of
speed and strength. Four hundred twenty-two carries, 2571 yards, 6.1 yards per carry and 32 touchdowns. If you take a quick glance at those impressive career statistics, would you believe me if I told you those numbers reflected a running back who has never been a starter at a major Division 1 football program? Of course you wouldn’t. Tailbacks at Wisconsin don’t have to be the feature back to put up those kinds of numbers, and White had to find that out the hard way during his first three years on campus. “James White, at almost any other school, would be a two- or three-year starter as the featured guy,” ESPN Big Ten writer Adam Rittenberg told The Daily Cardinal. “He may never have that role at Wisconsin just because of the depth they’ve had over the years.” Finally, at least on paper, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native has the role many of his predecessors have carried out with the utmost level of success through the years. However, he
may be a different breed than those who went before him. While guys like Brent Moss, Ron Dayne, John Clay and even Ball were traditionally I-formation, run-betweenthe-tackles tailbacks, White is a legitimate threat out of the backfield in the passing game and possesses breakaway speed off the edges. Moreover, within Wisconsin’s offensive landscape, White’s versatility will help the Badgers next year, as the current wide receivers have yet to prove themselves as formidable options in the passing game, other than redshirt senior Jared Abbrederis. “[White] will have a big role in the offense, no matter what,” Rittenberg said. “Whether or not he rushes for 1,000 yards or 1,200 yards or 1,500 yards, I think he’s going to put up pretty good numbers, especially if he can also broaden his role as a guy coming out of the backfield in receiving.” It has yet to be determined
grey satterfield/cardinal file photo
how White will fit into offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig’s playbook. Nonetheless, when the Badgers hit the field for their first offensive drive in 2013 against the University of Massachusetts, number 20 will finally be in the starting role.
Softball
Badgers set for crucial doubleheader versus Northwestern By Christian Blatner The Daily Cardinal
The Wisconsin softball team (10-5 Big Ten, 33-9 overall) plays host to Northwestern (9-5, 25-16) Wednesday in a Big
Ten conference doubleheader. The Wildcats look to knock off a surging Badger squad coming off a three-game sweep of Ohio State last weekend. “[We have] a lot of confi-
dence getting that sweep against Ohio State, a really good program,” senior pitcher Meghan McIntosh said. “We’re going to have a lot of confidence going into Northwestern.”
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Wisconsin carries a four-game winning streak into Wednesday, while the Wildcats are currently riding a five-game tear. Northwestern proves to be yet another test for the Badgers, who look to separate themselves from the teams trailing close behind and climb the conference standings. Two wins Wednesday for the Badgers would put pressure on Nebraska, who retains a 1.5game edge over UW for second place in the Big Ten. Head coach Yvette Healy talked about avenging last year’s series against Northwestern, where the Badgers dropped two of three at home. The Wildcats, a bubble team, went on to get an NCAA Tournament bid, leaving the Badgers behind. “[These games] are huge. We know how good they are,” Healy said. “They’ve been to the World Series a couple times. It’s a big rivalry.” McIntosh and junior pitcher Cassandra Darrah, who will both see starts on the plate Wednesday, will try to contain a powerful Wildcat offense. Wisconsin has allowed just 2.4 runs per game, so if the pitchers continue that trend, they should have a good chance to contain Northwestern hitters, albeit a Wildcats lineup that has manufactured an impressive 5.76 runs of offense per game. “Working ahead in the count and working both sides of the plate” will be key to shutting down the Northwestern offense, McIntosh said. “We’ve got to try and hold them down a little bit. They’re one of the best offensive teams in the country,” Healy added. On the other side of the ball,
the Badgers look to tee off on Wildcat pitchers that have surrendered five or more runs in almost one-third of their games this season. But, Northwestern sophomore standout pitcher Amy Letourneau will surely challenge UW hitters. The righthander has compiled a 17-9 record while posting an earned run average of 2.23 and completing an astounding 21 of the 24 games she has started. “Northwestern does a great job of keeping hitters off balance and they move the ball around, Healy said. “We’re hoping that we can make good decisions, see good pitches.” Wisconsin will be prepared for whatever Northwestern throws at them, though. “We’ve been doing a lot of scouting against our opponents. [We study] certain things that we think they might be pitching us,” junior outfielder Mary Massei said. “We always come in with an approach.” If Wisconsin hitters haven’t seen enough of Letourneau on offense, they will be able to play defense against her, too, as she swings a pretty good stick in the batter’s box. Letourneau leads the Wildcats in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. Practicing outside at Goodman Diamond for only the second time this season Tuesday, Massei described the excitement the team had to get more practice repetitions on the field before welcoming Northwestern to town. “Practice [outside] is going to show a lot,” Massei said. “We’re going to keep up the momentum. We’re happy we’re out on the field.” The first pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Goodman Diamond.