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Monday, May 7, 2012
Ponchos and sombreros:
Arrests up, crowd down at Mifflin
Partygoers don ‘insensitive’ attire despite student efforts By Alison Bauter The Daily Cardinal
The outreach of Badgers Against Racism on campus Friday raised the profile of the group’s issue behind the Mifflin Street Block Party’s unofficial “Cinco de Mifflin” theme, but it did not stop a number of students from wearing costumes that played on Mexican stereotypes.
“The main thing we’re about is respect—just respecting each other and our different backgrounds.” CJ Rios Badgers Against Racism
Mark Kauzlarich/the daily cardinal
About 5,000 people attended this year’s Mifflin Street Block Party, which saw an increased police presence. By Sam Garigliano The Daily Cardinal
Although approximately 20,000 fewer people attended the Mifflin Street Block Party this year than last, arrests were over ten times as common, according to the Madison Police Department. About 5,000 people attended this year’s block party with 393 arrests and citations, according to MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain. In 2011, 20,000 to 25,000 people attended the block party and only 160 were arrested. The majority of the citations were for open intoxicants, underage drinking, glass containers in the street, trespassing and public urination, according to DeSpain. Officials said 100 on-foot officers, 30 sheriff deputies, nine mounted patrol and six bike officers were at the event. According to MPD the increased
Arrests increase Despite nearly 20,000 less attendees than 2011, arrests and citations were up at this year’s party.
police presence was much needed considering last year’s violence.
“Any sign of anything possibly going wrong is an automatic ticket.” Anonymous sophomore UW-Madison
In addition to more police at the event, city Alcohol License Coordinator Mark Woulf said city officials expected there to be more arrests because of the police department’s “zero tolerance approach” this year. Police and city officials made many
changes to this year’s block party, like banning open intoxicants on the street. Despite many public information sessions explaining the new rules, the majority of citations were for carrying alcohol on the street, according to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4. A UW-Madison sophomore, who wished to remain anonymous, was cited for carrying beer on Mifflin Street and said he was surprised by the significant police presence. “I thought it would be ... a little more mellow,” he said while at the event. “Any sign of anything possibly going wrong is an automatic ticket.” This year, Mifflin residents had the opportunity to sign the House Party Protection Plan, which let residents
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Around 30 participants held “Ask me about Cinco de Mifflin” signs, played music and gave out T-shirts and fliers Friday seeking to spread the newly formed student group’s message of cross-cultural sensitivity and understanding. But some Mifflin attendees prominently displayed the kind of costumes the group spoke out against at Saturday’s block party, dressing in sombreros and ponchos or wearing “Cinco de Mifflin”-themed shirts. For BAR member CJ Rios, these outfits can be “hurtful,” no matter how innocent their intent. “I know other people don’t mean to hurt anyone when they’re doing it, so it’s just frustrating,” Rios said. The sombreros and ponchos bordered
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With only days until Tuesday’s recall primary election, four Democrats vying to oust Gov. Scott Walker from office debated Friday in front of a statewide audience. Friday’s debate was a continuation of fairly clean campaigning thus far in the race, as candidates focused on the failures of Walker and not the shortcomings of their primary opponents. “This is what democracy looks like,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said. “Here, having four candidates who have
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“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
page two I’m not crazy, so call me maybe tODAY: a.m. showers hi 70º / lo 46º
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tuesday: p.m. showers hi 65º / lo 45º
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Rebecca Alt cntrl+alt+dlte
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ver the past couple of years, I have come to realize the go-to question for relatives and/or acquaintances I do not see on a regular basis is, “You got a special someone these days?” Naturally, my inner feminist scrambles for a biting remark to answer this question. First of all, why is this the question that trumps all other possible pieces of personal information one could attempt to inquire about? For example, you could ask about my job at The Daily Cardinal, my aspirations for after I graduate (of which I have narrowed down to round about 16 different possibilities) or how life has been treating me since I turned 21. But alas, those questions are not nearly as enthralling as my relationship status. After I politely reply, “Nope, still flyin’ solo,” 99.9 percent of the time the knee-jerk response is, “Oh, well don’t worry. You’re young, you’ve got plenty of time!” Da fuck? Now I never thought it was a tragedy to be single, particularly when you have a meager 21 years under your belt. In fact, for the past three years I have prided myself on being independent—you call it single, I call it a license to do whatever tickles my fancy. Sure I’ve had the occasional fling or two during my college career, but nothing past the few weeks of butterflies in your stomach every time your phone lights up. I consider this relatively normal for a gal my age, but a couple of recent instances have made me start to wonder if I should
be movin’ past the “we’re just talking” stage and headin’ down the “let’s make dinner and do domestic activities together” phase. Exhibit A: I was browsing the cookbook collection at Borders the other day and spotted a book entitled “Table for One,” complete with entrees, side dishes and desserts perfectly portioned for one. Could a cookbook be more perfect for a young, college female like myself? I think not. However, the couple next to me (probably looking at cookbooks entitled, “Top 100 Aphrodisiac Meals” or “Breakfast in Bed: Perfect Meals for the Morning After”) apparently thought my current relationship status a bit pathetic since they turned to me and said, “Aww, that’s sad,” as I browsed the dessert section. I purchased the book in spite of their comment, and let me tell you, the book did not disappoint— perfectly portioned curry chicken for one has satisfied me on more than one occasion since said purchase. However, as I was venturing home the other day, my cab driver turned and asked me, “So how long have you and your boyfriend been dating?” My immediate thought was, “Is this real life?” Biting my tongue so as not to offend him with a sarcastic quip, I responded with the usual, “I do not have a boyfriend.” In response, he asked me why I don’t attend more frat parties so that I can meet a boyfriend and get the frat boys to buy me drinks. At this point, he’d just opened up a whole new can of worms. I no longer could suppress my urge to counter him with a biting remark, so I simply told him I did not need to go to a frat party to get free drinks and furthermore, I did not need any
man to buy me a drink. Did this stop his incessant inquisition into my “sad,” loveless life? Certainly not. He took it a step further and asked if I got straight As since I clearly am not spending time socializing with the opposite sex. I curtly responded “yes,” and that finally shut the bastard up. A couple weeks later, while I was out tossing back a Hopalicious or three with some of my comrades, a friend of mine tried setting me up with literally every male that came within arm’s reach of us. Apparently, my perpetual state of being single has even become too much for those dear and near to me. Thus, I have decided to dedicate
the rest of this column to my loved ones (and strangers), so deeply concerned about the fate of my love life, by creating a personal ad of sorts. Here’s the catch: Rather than list off all of my supposed “good” qualities, I’m going to stick to the cold, hard facts because if, in fact, someone should ever become romantically interested, the phase where you’re blind to your partner’s flaw fades relatively quickly. Better to determine if you’ve got any qualms with my quirks before any messy emotions get involved in the mix. Think Rebecca sounds like the one? She probably isn’t, but interested parties can e-mail her at alt2@ dailycardinal.com.
SINGLE GAL SEEKING CHIVALROUS KNIGHT Name: Rebecca Alt Sex: Female Age: 21 Interested in: Males A few of his/her favorite things: Baby carrots, bow ties and that’s what she said jokes. Favorite topic of discussion: Bodily functions (e.g. poop) and food, sometimes in the same sentence. Favorite word: Poopoo and toot. Favorite pastime activity: Cleaning with a chalice of wine. Favorite activity to do with significant other: Not cuddle. Childhood idol: The Dude. Deal breakers: Snoring, chewing with your mouth open, breathing at an audible volume, incessant sweating while inactive and not knowing who Genuine is. Pet Peeve: When people touch my face. Talents: Sarcasm. What I am looking for: Besides a knight in shining armor to sweep me off my feet? A crumber. Dating prerequisites: Separate bedrooms.
Aussie reminisces about Madison
Jessica Regan guest columnist
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t’s getting to that time where the work is piling up and classes are winding down. This is hard enough as it is—the prospect of a relaxing summer is very nice, but it also means that the time is approaching for me to be leaving. The semester has flown by, and the list of things that I’ve needed to do here is almost complete. Getting a picture with Bucky, a bonfire at Picnic Point, shooting guns, the Wisconsin Holy Trinity of brats, cheese and beer and of course, the entertainment of the Mifflin Street Block Party. The worst thing, however, is that I’ve made some of my best friends here, but now I have to leave them. That’s the curse of study abroad, I guess: finding kindred spirits so far away and having to tear yourself away from them. They are some of the loveliest people I have ever met, and I love all of them dearly. I’m trying to cherish every moment I have here and make it last, but
the thought of leaving keeps creeping in. So I’m focusing on the good times we had and making sure I make the most of every second I have left. A downside is my academic studies have taken a backseat to spending time with people. I should be feeling stressed about finals. I see that the stress is affecting the people around me, but all I’m focused on is dragging them away and having as many memorable experiences as possible. I may have skipped a lecture or two to have lunch a couple times, and I also might have spent the majority of class making plans for the weekend. But, the way I see it, the most valuable times are not the ones that are spent staring at a screen while someone talks at you. It’s the ones where you’re laughing with friends, wandering around the piers near the lake at night, roasting marshmallows at picnic point and playing pointless games around a crowded table. I’ve also forgone sleep quite a bit thanks to this mindset. When
there’s a limited amount of time, my philosophy is that it shouldn’t be wasted sleeping. Instead, there should be Doctor Who marathons until 5 a.m., movies until 3 a.m. on weekdays and absolutely no concept of sleep whatsoever on the weekends. Surprisingly, I haven’t yet felt any real effects from sleep deprivation, but I’m anticipating the crash. I just hope it doesn’t happen during finals. Believe me, this isn’t usually how I treat schoolwork. I’m usually a relatively good student, starting papers earlier than the night before they’re due and studying for more than an hour before I have an exam. But fortunately, they made a wonderful exception in my study abroad program. The credits and marks do not affect my grade at home, and all I have to do to make this semester count is pass all my classes. This seems to me like a very good reason to not let work take precedence over the good times I have with people. The times I remember here are not going to
be those that I spent alone in my room studying, they’re going to be the ones that I can tell stories about. I’m going to remember the time when I found out how much sugar people put into Kool-Aid. I’ll remember making a chain of people, pulling and pushing each other as we walk down the lakeshore path. I’ll remember people’s faces as they try to strategize in a midnight game of mafia. I’ll remember tickle fights in the Liz Waters parlor. I’ll remember the spicy warmth of cheesebread, fresh from the farmers’ market. I’ll remember the feeling of the sun on my face and the grass underneath me while lying on Bascom hill on a warm afternoon. And I’ll remember the people, my friends, their smiles, their laughs and their voices—even as I miss them with all my heart. So I guess this is study abroad in Wisconsin. The best time of my life. Feeling sentimental as the semester comes to a close? Reminisce with Jessica about 3 a.m. runs to Qdoba at jessicakregan@gmail.com.
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Student council amends policy violations bylaw The Associated Students of Madison student council modified its bylaws and appointed new members to its grass-roots committees in a meeting Sunday. The council passed an amendment to its policy violation bylaw, which now states that if an individual in a student organization unintentionally commits a policy error, the group as a whole would not be punished. This follows a recent Student Services Finance Committee decision to freeze the Multicultural Student Coalition’s funding due to intentional policy violations in failing to follow university and state purchasing policies. After MCSC funds were frozen it remained unclear if the group’s infraction of policy resulted from individual error or an organization-wide failure. The amended bylaw gives SSFC the ability to make a distinction between individual and group actions. Also at the meeting, former SSFC chair Sarah Neibart resigned from her position
as a council representative to become ASM Chief of Staff. The Chief of Staff assists the ASM chair in meetings and acts as a resource for council members regarding ASM policies and procedures. Neibart said she believes somebody else should have the opportunity to serve on the committee. “I think that it will be a very good role that I’ve never had in
this organization,” Neibart said, addressing the student council. “I am really excited to give you all the resources I’ve learned, and to help you succeed in whatever you choose to.” Neibart resigned because the chief of staff cannot serve as a representative on student council. Sunday’s meeting was the council’s last before summer session. —Sam Morgan
ASM appoints new leaders he Associated Students of T Madison appointed representatives to internal leadership positions and passed amendments to its bylaws in a meeting Friday. Rep. Andrew Kidd was appointed Finance Committee chair for the 2012-13 session. Katie Cary was appointed Student Activity Center Governing Board chair after a close vote. Cary said she wants to increase the SACGB’s familiarity with events occurring in the SAC to better train its members. Also at the meeting, council modified bylaws regarding
student organizations funding eligibility. Registered Student Organizations are funded using student segregated fees through the General Student Services Fund. The amended bylaw now allows services such as office hours and workshops put on by a student organization to count toward the 50-plus-one direct service requirement. Bylaw changes will go into effect immediately as the council moves forward in its 19th-session agenda. Mackenzie Chaffee
Study finds high rates of gay victimization A UW-Madison study analyzing victimization found that lesbians, gays and bisexuals face higher rates of threats and assaults than heterosexuals. The university announced LGB individuals are threatened and assaulted more often than heterosexuals by perpetrators who target them based on their identity, citing an analysis conducted by Professor Janet Hyde and graduate student Sabra Katz-Wise. Even though society has become more accepting of differ-
ent sexual orientations, Hyde and Katz-Wise found that threats and assaults on LGB individuals has increased between 1992 and 2009. Of the 138 LGB individuals studied, 55 percent experienced verbal abuse and 41 percent encountered discrimination. The study included violence that occurs not only outside the home but inside as well. “Some families are not pleased to know they have a gay son or lesbian daughter, so the person suffers verbal and sometimes physical abuse,” Hyde said.
One issue with crime statistics, according to Hyde, is the number that go unreported. Jayne Jones, a peer facilitator with the student group Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment, said LGB individuals face additional barriers when reporting assaults. “A lot of victims of any sort of assault or abuse in the [LGB] community might feel kind of marginalized or that their experiences are minimalized and may not be considered real,” Jones said. —Meghan Chua
debate from page 1 been very civil throughout this campaign.” Barrett leads his foremost competitor former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk 38 percent to 21 percent in the latest Marquette Law School poll. Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette and state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma, trail Barrett and Falk. The need to end the “civil war” raging in the state caused by Walker’s policies was a common theme throughout the night. Falk said the state needs a “mom” to bridge the ideological gap and promote cooperation between Republicans and Democrats. “When a family is at war, it takes mom usually to get folks together,” Falk said. “That’s what this state needs, we need a mom. And I am anxious to be that mom to get us back working together and solving problems.” Candidates addressed their plans to create jobs, reinstate collective bargaining rights for public employees, protect the environment and reform health care programs. While they generally agreed
On Campus
Pow-Wow the crowd
The Wunk Sheek student group hosted its 29th annual Spring Powwow Saturday at the Shell. The event showcased traditional Native American culture. + Photo by Stephanie Daher
UW-Madison assistant professor, wife take first in ‘Amazing Race’ UW-Madison professor Dave Brown and his wife Rachel Brown beat out ten other pairs to win the 20th season of CBS’ “The Amazing Race,” claiming the contest’s $1 million prize. Brown is an assistant professor of military science at UW-Madison. He also spent a year in Iraq with the Wisconsin Army National Guard. The two-hour season finale, which aired Sunday, followed the four remaining teams on the last two legs of the contest.
The Browns, after missing a critical ferry, battled back from last place in the Japanese leg. They not only avoided elimination but also were the first team to finish the season’s second-to-last leg; breaking a series record with first-place finishes in seven legs. A technicality at the last stage almost cost the Browns their victory, but they were able to redo their last challenge and beat out the other two teams to the finish in Honolulu, Hawaii.
arrests from page 1
Aviani found the registration to be helpful when police removed an unwanted visitor who refused to leave her porch. “We registered our house with the Madison Police Department, which at first I was worried about, but it’s actually more of a benefit for us ... because if some things get out of control they can just kick everybody out for us,” Aviani said. Even though police issued more citations last year, city officials were pleased with the safety improvements to this year’s event. “My personal goal is to make it as safe as possible for everybody, and I think we accomplished that yesterday,” Verveer said.
call police to control their party without fear of being cited as long as it was a legal house party. A legal house party could not have any underage drinking, amplified music or overcrowding. MPD officer Chanda Dolsen said the majority of Mifflin residents registered their houses with police. Many landlords also posted “No Trespassing” signs provided by the MPD, according to Dolsen. If any unwanted person was on a property displaing one of these signs, they were arrested for trespassing. Mifflin street resident Talia
cinco from page 1
Image Courtesy Wisconsin Public Television/WPT2.org
Wisconsin Public Television, Milwaukee station WTMJ and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel hosted Friday’s debate. with each other on many of the issues, Barrett and Falk disagree on the best way to restore collective bargaining rights for public employees. Barrett said he would call a special legislative session to try and pass a bill that would restore collective bargaining rights. If that didn’t work, he would propose a new budget
bill with the changes in regular session. Falk insisted the best way to go about the changes is to try passing a new budget reinstating bargaining rights and pledging to veto any bill that does not do so. The winner of Tuesday’s primary will face Walker in a June 5 election.
on insensitive, agreed sophomore reveler Isaac Blackburn. But on a day where many partygoers opted for jean shorts and undersized basketball jerseys, commemoration of Cinco de Mayo was an unfortunate casualty of coincidence, he said. “[This year’s block party] just so happened to fall on Cinco de Mayo,” he said. “People would still be wearing weird clothing, or even dressing up in sombreros and whatnot if it wasn’t on Cinco de Mayo.” Rios and other BAR members spoke to students Friday on East Campus Mall about Cinco de Mayo, highlighting the disre-
spect of perpetuating stereotypes by blending the Mexican patriotic holiday with Madison’s annual day of drinking. According to Rios, between 60 and 70 students stopped by to talk about the issues behind “Cinco de Mifflin.” “I want to inspire dialogue about these things,” Rios said. “People tend to kind of not understand where we’re coming from, and that’s okay. … The main thing we’re about is respect—just respecting each other and our different backgrounds, and just learning from each other.” BAR plans to seek status as an official student organization this summer.
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Mifflin 2012: Photos of the day
A selection of some of The Daily Cardinal’s best pictures from the 2012 Mifflin Street Block Party. Clockwise from top right: Madison police patrol Mifflin Street; A reveler enjoys being transported in a backpack; Police arrest a partygoer; Celebrants pour beer for passersby. Photos by Mark Kauzlarich (Above, left and right) and Shoaib Altaf (Below) the daily cardinal
dailycardinal.com
arts From the Midwest to ‘Modern Warfare’ dailycardinal.com
Monday, May 7, 2012 5
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Raven Software puts Madison on the map in the game development industry after small beginnings By Adam Paris The Daily Cardinal
Almost everyone in the world recognizes “Call of Duty,” but far fewer know that Raven Software, a game development studio based right here in Madison, was an integral part of the franchise’s most recent releases. However, Raven’s history far predates “Call of Duty” as they have been developing acclaimed titles since their inception in the early 1990s. Since 1986 when co-founders of Raven, Brian and Steve Raffel, decided they wanted to make games, they began the arduous journey toward opening their own studio. Brian Raffel recently spoke with The Daily Cardinal about his studio’s transformation from four men creating their first title, “Black Crypt,” into one of the pre-eminent developers in the entire industry. The brothers began developing “Dungeon and Dragons” modules in the mid ’80s, but were quickly drawn to the power of the newly emerging PC. “We started getting our own personal computers at the time, Amigas,” Brian Raffel said. “That sparked the idea where we said, ‘Why don’t we make a computer game?’ and that was kind of the genesis.” As the studio began to take shape and expand, they decided to keep their base in Madison, where their families were anchored, and where there was minimal competition. “We started to realize there was a great opportunity to be here in the Midwest where there’s not a lot of competition,” continued Raffel. “We could draw from those people who wanted to be in the Midwest which is a fair number of talented people. Without the plethora of avenues available today to develop games, Raven struggled early on to establish themselves. At a time when the industry was still in its infancy, they were forced
to forge their own path because there were not any clear directions on how to operate. “It was really looked at as kind of a garage industry where a lot of people didn’t take it seriously,” Raffel said. “There wasn’t a roadmap for how to get into the industry, now you have so many avenues from Xbox Live to the iPhone.” Raven received an early boost with the opportunity to develop in collaboration with id Software, the creators of “Doom,” and helped institute many first-person shooter conventions that are industry standards today. “We put meeting id as one of the most critical parts of our history,” Raffel recalled. “ To be able to get that first ‘Doom’ engine and learn and work right with those guys was huge. It was a pretty big reason for our success early on.”
“We grew up loving ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Star Trek’ and so for them to say ‘You guys get to work on these,’ it was like nirvana.” Brian Raffel co-founder Raven Software
In 1994 Raven’s popularity received a well-deserved boon with the release of their first bona fide hit, “Heretic” and they continued to produce revolutionary titles like “Hexen” in the coming years. Their rapid success brought both exposure and revenue, but also added pressure to deliver on future titles. In an industry where a company is only as good as its last game, Raffel sought financial stability for Raven and the opportunity to escape the rigors of handling your own business. He hoped to return to the original reason he fell in love with the industry: to make games.
“It was a lot of stress on me personally, I had a young family, I was doing all the contract negotiations, the hiring and firing, all the book work and it took me away from making the games,” Raffel said. “It’s difficult handling that part of any company, that was probably the biggest reason that led us to the next step of being acquired by Activision.” Raffel’s company had the foresight to recognize the impending consolidation of the industry and sought a publisher that would afford them the opportunity to work on bigger titles while providing financial stability. Activision acquired Raven Software in 1997 and a few years later they began working on several licensed games, an opportunity Raffel relished despite the stigma that accompanies these properties in the modern video game industry. “Back in that time those were the meat and potatoes, those were coveted in a lot of ways,” Raffel noted. “I think it kind of aligns to our saying, ‘We grew up loving “Star Wars” and “Star Trek”’ and so for them to say ‘You guys get to work on these,’ it was like nirvana.” Raven took full advantage of these high-profile properties and went on to create some of the best licensed games in the industry with the release of “Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast” in 2001 and “X-men Legends” three years later. They approached each game with a firm philosophy that entailed appealing to the hardcore fans while creating a gameplay experience that could be enjoyed by everyone. “We took the people in the studio who really had the passion, but we also balanced it with people who weren’t drinking the Kool-Aid,” Raffel explained. “You wanted to make sure you touched on the things that fans would find relevant and go, ‘Yes, that’s the “Star
Wars” experience’ but we also didn’t want to be so nerdy and nichey that it would only be that section of the industry that would appreciate it.” Despite Raven’s continued success since its inception, the studio was forced to face the harsh reality of financial failure in 2010 as “X-men Origins: Wolverine”, “Wolfenstein” and “Singularity” all sold far fewer copies than hoped. “That was a really hard time for me personally because all three projects were going amazingly well but obviously they didn’t do as well as we wanted,” Raffel said. “We also came out at a really bad time when the whole economy collapsed. You kind of had this trifecta or perfect storm of things that hit at the wrong time and that was unfortunate because I think there was a lot of greatness in those games.” Forced to make cuts due to the studio’s recent financial failings, Raven faced a difficult time in its prestigious history. However, as publishers began to invest enormous sums of money in their high-profile titles, Raven was called in to help out on the most popular game franchise in the world, “Call of Duty.” “We had to change and instead of driving our own titles we collaborated with sister studios,” Raffel said. “That’s always a challenge but it was amazing and fun. “Obviously it was driven by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, but we were there to really fill in and contribute.” Although Raven won’t be using Kickstarter to reboot any of their older properties or creating original titles for awhile, after a successful release of “Modern Warfare 3” last fall Raffel and company couldn’t be happier working on “Call of Duty.” “Just like any business we continue to reinvent ourselves as needed by the dictations of the industry,” Raffel said. “We’ve
got other ideas in the back of our minds but right now we’re focused on ‘Call of Duty.’”
You may recognize these Raven Software releases:
images courtesy ravensoft.com
From titles like 1996’s “Hexen” to 2006’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” Raven Software has continued to put out popular games since their beginnings in the ’80s. Video gamers can already look forward to their next highly anticipated release, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” out later this year.
life & style
‘ESCAPE’ to fierce fashion
photographer-artist/the daily cardinal UW School of Human Ecology students showcased their 2011-2012 work at the Textile and Apparel Student Association (TASA) fashion show and gallery at Union South last Friday, May 4. + Photo by Shoaib Altaf
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view Cardinal View editorials represent The Daily Cardinal’s organizational opinion. Each editorial is crafted independent of news coverage.
UW needs to pay commencement speakers
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ast week, the University made what should have been a grand unveiling of the 2012 spring commencement speaker. Instead, what we got was a rather disappointing “wah, wah” flop for a handful of seniors—a dud that appears to be an annual trend for the UW. Like most years, the 2012 university committee and senior class officers worked together to recruit a successful individual to address seniors at
graduation. And like most years, the year-long build up and dramatic reveal of the honored individual only ended in a brow-raising “who?” Enlisting Carol Bartz, a UW alumna of 1971 and former CEO of Yahoo! and Autodesk, to speak at this year’s graduation further proved the university committee’s yearly trend of recruiting a rich, former UW students with the capacity to make a generous donation rather than a sought after and recogniz-
able figure capable of generating some buzz. But most importantly, the committee did what they continue to do every year: not allow payment for a speaker. Unlike most globally competitive, world-renowned institutions, UW-Madison refuses to chase top tier speakers because they come with a price tag—leaving the university and senior class officers to choose from UW alumni or local individuals who must be willing to produce, practice and memorize a lengthy speech as well as present that speech four times over the course of two days … for free.
The UW needs to start paying its speakers so it can follow its own mantra and recruit the best of the best.
Needless to say, the pickings are slim. Every year students are left sitting in their $35 cap and gowns listening to people
dailycardinal.com like the Morgridges, prominent UW donors, instead of individuals with a bit more wind under their wings. Don’t get us wrong, we don’t expect the university to hunt down celebrities like Steven Colbert, although that would be awesome, to speak a few words of wisdom to a group of soon-to-be UW alum. We do, however, think it’s high time the university committee shakes things up. Bringing in a widely recognized speaker has the power to ignite some excitement among the graduating class, their families and students as a whole at the university. It shows the rest of the Big Ten community that UW-Madison truly is a globally competitive research university and can act like it. But to do this, the UW needs to start paying its speakers so it can follow its own mantra and recruit the best of the best. That said, we want to applaud this year’s senior class officers for recognizing the need to bring in a world-class speaker by starting the UW’s first ever speaker fund. Creating an all-graduate event called Senior Day, the offi-
cers used the fund to finance world-renowned science orator Neil deGrasse Tyson’s visit to the event Thursday, May 10. Named one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2007, Tyson is the type of individual this board wants to see linked with the university and its grads. If the university committee can’t acknowledge this, at least our student officers can. Until then, we believe Senior Day is a commendable attempt at further bringing prestige to the UW; one that will remind the committee how important it is to change its orthodox policies and compensate notable speakers at such a notable event. While we understand the committee’s devotion to recruiting individuals connected with the university for graduation, commencement isn’t just about the UW. It’s about inspiring the UW’s graduates to make something of their degree and explore the world. This board would like to hear from people who have actually seen and made a difference in it. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
Clean energy should receive public funding to continue benefitting society David Ruiz opinion columnist
A
new report from the Brookings Institute shows public funding for clean energy has—and will continue to—plummet from a high point in 2009. Clean energy has made strides in the past few years by adding jobs in a recession and making clean technology more efficient and affordable. But a national emphasis on budget austerity will contribute to a falling rate of subsidies for clean-energy companies. The federal government needs to learn from Solyndra’s bankruptcy, which left the government on the hook for $535 million, instead of walking away from clean energy as a whole. Due to the inefficiencies associated with the public sector, any venture into the private-sector needs to be fully justified. The private sector is wholly unequipped to handle problems or inefficiencies in certain areas of the market. Two areas in which the private market falls short are allocating the costs (or benefits of production externalities) and allocating resources efficiently. Although the private market has done an incredible job making sure consumers are happy, the way we have decided to spend our money might not be the best way for society as a whole. For example, The Avengers which is smashing box-office records world-wide, cost $220 million. Although there are millions of pleased movie-watchers, those $220 million might have been better spent. The private market gives consumers the right to spend their money, but it does not guarantee it will be wellspent. Individuals are selfish and have dumb demands such as wanting to see things explode in 3D.
The private sector needs to be adjusted in order for companies to benefit from positive externalities or to suffer from negative externalities. An externality is something outside of the offered product or service that affects areas outside of production and sales. The government already helps correct for externalities. For example, if a paper mill dumps chemicals into a river creating a negative externality, the government will step in and make sure that the company handles at least part of the cost of river clean-up. Dealing with negative externalities is much trickier in certain situations, for example, with tobacco companies or gun manufacturers. Clean energy should receive public funding because the long-term positive externalities outweigh the short-term costs. By moving away from carbon fuels, our society will avoid the price and supply instability of fossil fuels the costs of cleaning up the pollution associated with fossil fuels, and the environmental costs of getting them out of the earth. America needs to invest in clean energy in the long-term. Currently, subsidies and government funds are the first things to be cut every time the political pendulum swings from right to left. This process harms longterm economical growth in affected sectors. However, clean energy’s dependence on research and development, along with high costs of production and prototyping combine to make clean energy industries especially vulnerable to having the rug pulled out from under them. The current political climate is so hostile that hoping for long-term, bi-partisan agreements to spend money on clean energy is beyond useless; even calling out for such cooperation invites conflict. However, the current level of spending needs to be maintained (and hopefully increased in a less-hostile political scene) if America wants to be on the forefront
of clean-energy production. Otherwise, we will be importing clean energy supplies from whatever country was farsighted enough to encourage clean energy industries. The push for a smaller government has been championed by tye-dyed occupiers, gunwielding tea-partiers and the GOP since the housing bubble burst. Austerity and all of its positive and negative connotations have become a part of the national and interna-
tional political conversations. America needs to balance its budget to get debt back in control. Austerity measures such as cutting into welfare might be necessary, but those measures need to be balanced by revenueincreasing measures and good business sense. Short-term austerity needs to be reconciled with long-term investment. No austerity measures should impact future revenue streams in areas such as green energy. Over 40 years ago, the gov-
ernment took on a massive scientific effort to take man to the moon and we eventually succeeded. The NASA model might not be practical anymore, but the government needs to, once again, be a leader in our economy. Being a leader doesn’t mean hemorrhaging money, or giving out bad loan guarantees. It does mean taking risks, being bold and holding hope over fear. David is a senior majoring in English. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
comics
Your librarians have lied to you... Dr.Suess pronunced his name ‘Soyce’, rhyming with rejoyce. Monday, May 7, 2012 • 7
dailycardinal.com
Getting arrested on Mifflin, eh?
Today’s Sudoku
Evil Bird
By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu
© 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.
Caved In
By Nick Kryshak nkryshak@wisc.edu
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
Frugal Classicassic
Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com
I BELIEVE I CAN FLY ACROSS 1 The first or last one can be a doozy 5 Washington transit system (with “the”) 10 “___ you were here!” 14 Fairy-tale bear 15 Archer’s weapon 16 Jodie in a 1999 epic set in Asia 17 X or Y line on a graph 18 Complex decorative pattern 19 Cookout in Honolulu 20 “Hollywood Squares” basis 22 Blouse accompanier, often 23 ___ Beta Kappa 24 Babble 26 Angler’s hooks 30 Multicolored cat 32 Zionist’s homeland 34 “I’ve got a mule, her name is ___” 35 They may be tipped in acknowledgment 39 Sit-down occasion 40 Anti-knock additive 42 Repeat what you heard 43 Actor Giamatti 44 Astonishment 45 Spanish wine 47 Letting off the throttle (with “up”)
0 5 51 54 56 57 3 6 64 65 66 7 6 68 9 6 70 71
Vegetable spreads Mapped out Roman greeting Native Hawkeye North Sea catch of the day Perjuring witness Change pants? “American ___” ___ the Red (Norse explorer) Allow to enter Playoff disappointment A brother of Abel “Saying it ___ thing, doing ...” Support for a backyard tire
DOWN 1 Bit of marital friction, e.g. 2 Airport/hotel connection 3 “War and Peace,” e.g. 4 Bygone days 5 Fire starter 6 Titillating 7 Quartet when one’s out sick 8 Employ a therapeutic technique 9 Have liabilities 10 Thing taught in obedience school 11 Alaska native 12 “Grrr!” is one
1 3 ___ cuisine 21 Vaulted church wing 22 Biological pocket 25 Small streams 26 Ribbonlike fabric 27 Aboard an ocean liner 28 German Mrs. 29 Podiatrist’s concern 31 Disturbingly pale 33 Apartment renter’s agreement 36 Ten square chains 37 “Comin’ ___ the Rye” (Robert Burns poem) 38 Asian restaurant sauces 41 Plays with one’s thumbs, in a way 46 Ground-breaking farmer 48 ___ Arbor, Mich. 49 Knuckled under 51 Laundry accumulations 52 Department and river of France 53 Anticipate 55 “From the Earth to the Moon” author Jules 58 ___ von Bismarck 59 Delta accumulation 60 Sneaker output 61 Blow, as a game 62 “Can I get you anything ___?” 64 “Float like a butterfly” boxer
graphics@dailycardinal.edu
By Natasha Soglin graphics@dailycardinal.com
Charlie & Boomer Classicassic
Washington and the Bear
By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com
Sports
Monday may 7, 2012 DailyCardinal.com
Softball
Badgers held winless by Wolverines By Ryan Evans The Daily Cardinal
In its final home games of the season Saturday, the Wisconsin softball team (12-8 Big Ten, 33-17 overall) came up short in a pair of contests with No. 23 Michigan (15-5, 36-15), losing 5-1 and 7-5. Sophomore pitcher Cassandra Darrah took the mound for the Badgers in the first game of the doubleheader and pitched two scoreless innings before the Wolverines broke out in the third inning. Four singles gave Michigan a 1-0 lead and the bases loaded for junior second baseman Ashley
Lane, who took a Darrah offering deep over the centerfield fence, clearing the bases. The grand slam home run staked the Wolverines to a 5-0 lead from which the Badgers would never recover. Sophomore outfielder Mary Massei drove in Wisconsin’s lone run with a double in the seventh. Sophomore pitcher Amanda Najdek relieved Darrah after giving up the grand slam and Najdek proceeded to pitch fourstraight scoreless innings, earning the right to start the back end of the doubleheader. But things didn’t fair as well
Mark Kauzlarich/the daily cardinal
Valiant Cardinal comeback downs Herald The Daily cardinal
With apologies to Grantland Rice: Outlined against a blue-gray May sky, the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as Famine, Pestilence, Destruction and Death. These are only aliases. Their real names are Evans, Kleist, Brackeen and that kid who draws “Tanked Life.” They formed the crest of the Daily Cardinal cyclone before which another fighting Badger Herald softball team was swept over the precipice at Vilas Park Friday afternoon, as a few dozen spectators peered down on the bewildering panorama spread on the muddy green plain below. A cyclone can’t be snared. It may be surrounded, but somewhere it breaks through to keep on going. When the cyclone starts from Vilas Hall, where the candle lights still gleam through the Wisconsin sugar maples, those in the way must take to storm cellars at top speed. Friday, the cyclone struck again as The Daily Cardinal beat The Badger Herald, 7-to-6, with a set of star batsmen that ripped and crashed through a strong Herald defense with more speed and power than the warring journalists could meet. After winning last year’s game the cyclone was indeed snared early on, falling behind the Herald 4-0 after the first two innings. With that advantage, the Herald players could perhaps be forgiven the faintest hints of optimism. Maybe, they might have thought,
run—flew out to end the game. Inclement weather in Madison forced the cancellation of Sunday’s series finale between Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as the Badgers’ Senior Day festivities. Designated player Karla Powell was set to be recognized as the lone senior on the Wisconsin’s roster. Saturday’s two losses dropped Wisconsin from fourth to fifth in the Big Ten standings with one weekend left in the season. The Badgers will travel to Lincoln, Neb. next weekend to close out the 2012 season with three games against the Cornhuskers.
Montee Ball cited for trespassing on Mifflin
Curb stompings
By Evan I. Disco
for the right-hander in game two issued a bases loaded walk in the and the Badgers found themselves fourth to tie the game and Michigan down 3-0 after two innings. freshman pitcher Sara Driesenga In the third Wisconsin gave the Wolverines the came back and hung a four lead for good with a RBI spot on the board. Junior double in the fifth. Whitney Massey hit a twoAfter Michigan tacked run double, followed up on two more runs in the by a two-run home run seventh the Badgers from sophomore Stephanie mounted a rally in the botPeace to give the Badgers tom of the inning. Massey their first—and only—lead hit a RBI double with two PEACE of the series. outs, bringing Wisconsin The lead soon unraveled within two runs. But as the Big Ten’s top team flexed the comeback effort fell short as some late-inning, offensive muscle. junior third baseman Shannel Junior pitcher Meghan McIntosh Blackshear—representing the tying
this year would be different from the last. Maybe this team was good enough. Maybe their newspaper isn’t a visually boring bastion of the passive voice that people flip past on their way to read drivel like “SO to the coastie wearing Uggs!!!1 lolz.” But this year wouldn’t. That team wasn’t. And their newspaper is. The Cardinal cyclone soon restored order to the world, crushing that optimism in a valiant comeback and pulling past their Herald counterparts with great hitting, expert baserunning and a suffocating defense led by pitcher Matt Kleist. The Cardinal cruised to the win as Kleist pitched his way through a tense final inning that ended when Herald Sports Content Editor Kelly Erickson popped out with the tying run on third base. “It was a rocky start, but once the Herald actually started obeying its batting order and not putting the same five guys up to bat every inning, we turned it around,” Kleist said. Epic comebacks that will echo in the halls of glory for eternity aside, Friday’s game was full of intense action, controversial calls and the thrilling specter of a six-foot, seven-inch photo editor attempting to reverse direction in a muddy field to avoid getting doubled up on a fly out. It was truly a sight to behold. After the game, Cardinalistas moved on to the flip cup table to dominate their foes in another arena, before shifting their focus back to kicking the Herald’s ass in the last weeks of the semester. The cyclone, as it always does, rages on.
UW-Madison running back Montee Ball was among the hundreds of people Madison police arrested and cited at the Mifflin Street Block Party Saturday. Police ticketed Ball for trespassing after he refused to leave a porch when officers asked him, according to Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain in a Wisconsin State Journal article. Ball was released after police cited him and will have to pay a $429 fine for a trespassing violation. Ball apologized on Twitter for the “extremely unfortunate event” and for “any unwanted attention to badger nation.” —Abby Becker
Mark Kauzlarich/the daily cardinal
Badgers’ running back Montee Ball was fined $429 Saturday at the Mifflin Street Block Party for a trespassing violation.