Tuesday, September 9, 2014 - The Daily Cardinal

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Tuesday, September 9, 2014

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Regent president lays out end-of-term plans

By Scott Bembenek THE DAILY CARDINAL

In the eyes of Michael Falbo, his time as part of the University of Wisconsin System’s Board of Regents has never been about personal achievement, but rather about the students he serves.

Falbo, who is also a UW-Madison alumnus, is now entering his 11th year as a member of the Board of Regents, his second as regent president and is also preparing for the end of his term May 1.

New regents are appointed by Wisconsin’s governor and then approved by the state Senate, with one of the regents elected to serve a oneyear term as president regent.

Falbo was initially appointed

as a regent in 2004, to finish a vacated term. He was then reelected to serve a second, full seven-year term in 2008.

As the end of his term nears, Falbo says he wants to be able to leave the UW System with a solid leadership structure after a time of transition that involved the selection of five new chancellors. He also said his goal is nearing completion.

The most pressing issues facing the UW System never change, according to Falbo, with the central concern being to ensure the System provides “the best possible education as efficiently and cost-effectively” as possible for students.

“We’re still here to serve the students,” Falbo said. “There’s no

UW System without students.”

He also emphasizes the importance of students voicing their wants and needs to administrators about campus issues.

“If they’re not here, if we’re not talking, then we’re going blind. We’re not going to get to the right answer,” Falbo said.

“As long as we’re talking, we’re going to get to the right end.”

Reflecting on his tenure with the Board of Regents, Falbo says he does not think of his own personal accomplishments but rather sees the work of the regents as a collaborative effort.

And, as he sets out on the last year of his term as a regent, Falbo continues to

falbo page 3

WILL CHIZEK/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Local officials, UW students and community members gather in the Red Gym Monday to discuss racial issues.

Campus organizations host forum discussing Ferguson, race issues

By McKayla Stitz THE DAILY CARDINAL

JANE THOMPSON/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

State Senate Minority Leader Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, used the Legislative Fiscal Bureau’s release to highlight the problems he says families will now face over the next two years.

State agency projects $1.8 billion structural deficit in upcoming biennial budget cycle

By Siddharth Pandey THE DAILY CARDINAL

Wisconsin faces a $1.8 billion structural deficit, according to budget forecasts for the 2015-’17 biennium released by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau Monday.

The news quickly elicited numerous statements from

both sides of the aisle, with representatives and senators placing blame on the opposing party.

Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, said the numbers indicate Gov. Scott Walker’s efforts to improve Wisconsin’s economy have failed.

“This staggering structural deficit confirms that Republicans and Walker are not only failing to create jobs, but are also completely reckless with our state finances—taking a budget surplus and careening it into a mas-

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Several University of WisconsinMadison campus organizations held a forum Monday discussing the recent shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., as well as other racial issues.

The main points discussed at the forum included police interaction and intervention as they relate to race, as well as a dialogue about ways to advocate for effective communication with law enforcement agencies.

Jordan Gaines, student assistant of African American Student Services and Outreach, opened the forum with a timeline of the events leading up to Michael Brown’s death and the aftermath of the incident.

Following Gaines’ presentation, members of the Wisconsin Black Student Union led attendees in an open forum discussion of issues regarding race. Local officials such as Madison Police Department Chief Michael Koval, UW-Madison Police Chief Susan Riseling and Dean of Students Lori Berquam participated in the event alongside students and community members.

Both Koval and Riseling said they are working to improve aware-

ness about issues of race in the Madison community.

“There is a definite importance in cultural competency and diversity,” Koval said.

Riseling added she incorporates awareness of “unconscious bias” into basic training, as well as firearm and stop-and-frisk training for UWPD officers.

Students across the UW-Madison campus also gave their input about current issues and events.

Lamonte Moore, who is currently working with the United Council, discussed “the misconstrued blunder about what is happening in Ferguson,” adding that the media exaggerates in its portrayal of nightly violence.

“What they do at night is come together at their ground zero,” Moore said. “They have created a culture out of the situation.”

Graduate student Walter Williams agreed, saying “we need to put in work” regarding cultural awareness.

“We need to be institutional as well as continue to have difficult conversations and [be] pushy,” UW-Madison senior Claire Stamborski added.

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Madison police investigate Lathrop Street home invasion, sexual assault of a Milwaukee woman Madison police are investigating a Saturday afternoon break-in and sexual assault of a Milwaukee woman on Lathrop Street, according to Madison Police Department Lt. Amy Schwartz.

The 20-year-old woman told police she was sleeping on a friend’s couch before she woke up at approximately 2:30 p.m. to an unfamiliar man on top of her touching her on the outside of her pants, according

to an incident report from MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain.

The suspect, described as a 20-year-old Hispanic man with a medium build, most likely entered the residence on the 100 block of

Not your average letters to the editor Renowned professors give The Daily Cardinal a ring +OPINION page 6

Lathrop Street through an unlocked door, according to Lt. Schwartz.

The man fled after waking the victim, according to the report.

Madison police brought a police dog to the scene to assist

with the investigation but could not locate the suspect, according to DeSpain’s report.

The suspect was last seen wearing a red T-shirt and khaki pants or shorts.

An inside look at the new Union Theater +ARTS page 4

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

almanac 2

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tODAY: t-storms

hi 77º / lo 63º

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100

dailycardinal.com

Does everything definitely mean something?

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor-in-Chief Jack Casey

hi 73º / lo 48º

Point-Counterpoint:

Volume 124, Issue 3

Wednesday: t-storms

Managing Editor Jonah Beleckis

News Team News Manager Sam Cusick Campus Editor Adelina Yankova College Editor Emily Gerber City Editors Irene Burski, Patricia Johnson State Editor Eoin Cottrell Associate News Editor Dana Kampa Features Editor Melissa Howison Opinion Editors Ryan Bullen • Cullen Voss Editorial Board Chair Haley Henschel Arts Editors Cheyenne Langkamp • Sean Reichard Sports Editors Jack Baer • Jim Dayton Almanac Editors Andy Holsteen • Kane Kaiman Photo Editors Emily Buck • Thomas Yonash Graphics Editor Cameron Graff Multimedia Editor Alana Katz Science Editor Danielle Smith Life & Style Editor Claire Satterfield Special Pages Editor Haley Henschel Copy Chiefs Kara Evenson • Justine Jones Jessie Rodgers • Paige Villiard Social Media Manager Rachel Wanat

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Brett Bachman Accounting Manager Tyler Reindl Advertising Manager Jordan Laeyendecker Assistant Advertising Manager Corissa Pennow Marketing Director Tim Smoot

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.

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Editorial Board Jack Casey • Jonah Beleckis Haley Henschel • Cullen Voss Ryan Bullen • Rachel Wanat Michael Penn

Campus Wordsmiths is a biweekly feature. It’s a space for writers from around campus to publish their poems, stories and other creative pieces.

Send your work to Almanac to see it in print.

Summer Clothes

By Sina Siahpoosh Company to sun-filled days, High hopes and no cares, Were my denim shorts and twill shirts.

Cast I did, the heavy garments of old, How I dug for them with the coming of the cold.

The light clothes of summer, Light and light-colored, They ask not where I am headed.

Care-free, inviting the wind,

Board of Directors

© 2014, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398

For the record Fetch Rewards founder Wes Schroll was misidentified as the man standing on the lefthand side of a picture on page three of the Sept. 8 issue. He is actually on the right side of the picture. The Daily Cardinal regrets this error.

Jebuiz Y’har definitely someone

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n my thousands of years researching the subjects of cosmology and metaphysics—as a space-time-travelling silver surfer guru of the most sacred mmm yeah—all signs indicate that, indeed, everything definitely means something.

The definitely of everything manifests itself, insinuates itself, impregnates its own mantra of being here, while simultaneously creating and destroying possible worlds imaginable only by the purest essence of existence. Do you understand what I’m telling you? It’s perfectly reasonable if these things

sound ridiculous at first.

But true ridiculousness lies in denial of definitely.

Obviously, this is too short of a column to explain the entirety of my hypothesis that everything definitely means something.

Important nuances such as the concepts of lih, sow and jast necessarily require extended lecturing. So if you are truly interested in the truth, meet me at the next String Cheese show at Red Rocks and I will definitely tell you things that definitely explain that everything definitely means something.

Just feel the infectiousness as you for an eternity chant: “Mmm yeah definitely, mmm yeah definitely, definitely, definitely, definitely.” It cannot be denied.

Find harmony in your own salvation—on your voyage to definitely something.

They greet the breeze.

Romancing the sun, They flutter and breathe.

No questions they ask, if tossed, Forgotten again, or lost

Where did my cigs go?

Under the next winter’s garb, now gathering dust.

Thor Von Killpenstien crust punk

On this day in history...

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Herman Baumann, President Jack Casey • Jonah Beleckis Jennifer Sereno • Stephen DiTullio Brett Bachman • Janet Larson Don Miner • Phil Brinkman Jason Stein • Nancy Sandy Jordan Laeyendecker • Tim Smoot Tina Zavoral

Mmm yeah, definitely

1543—Mary Stuart, at nine months old, is crowned “Queen of Scots.” “Let them eat baby food,” she famously remarks.

1556—Pope Paul IV refuses to crown Ferdinand of Austria emperor. He crowns 13-year-old Mary Stuart instead.

1753—The first steam engine arrives in the United States colonies.

1841—Great Lakes steamboat “Erie” sinks off Silver Creek, N.Y., killing 300 people.

1932—Steamboat S.S. Observation explodes in New York City’s East River, killing 71 people.

1933—Enough’s enough. Steam engines are outlawed in the United States.

D

oes everything definitely mean something? Definitely not—life to me is like Cherry Dr. Pepper sans carbonation: sweet but masochistically corrosive.

God is dead. God remains dead, as do my social and sex lives. Cigs are my only friends. But even nicotine means literally nothing besides relief from my everpresent migraine.

It’s an honor to be engaged in this debate with the venerable Jebuiz Y’har—transcendent of temporal, spacial and material chains. Frankly, it seems unfair to have me, a mildly depressed crust

punk, debate an entity of unlimited knowledge. But here’s my best shot: When I look into the abyss that some call society, I feel nothing. This isn’t just some lame post-high school angst. There is no proof to show we aren’t simply shouting into a massive void with all our pointless human endeavors. I was literally raised by wolves. Nothing means anything in the wild.

Is that not evidence enough to conclude not everything definitely means something? Or, at least, everything not definitely means something.

Everything definitely means not something? The point is: If everything definitely means something, shouldn’t things evoke some sort of visceral reaction from me? Wait, that might mean something...

news dailycardinal.com

Tuesday, September 9, 2014 3 l

UW-Madison lab furthers stem cell growth research

DREW GILMORE/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Food and Alcohol Policy Coordinator Mark Woulf announced plans to establish an ad hoc committee devoted to diversifying Madison’s entertainment venues.

City committee seeks more diversity in entertainment

By Patricia Johnson THE DAILY CARDINAL

The lack of diversity in Madison’s entertainment venues prompted the Equal Opportunities Commission to hold a meeting Monday and seek effective means of cultural integration.

Food and Alcohol Policy Coordinator Mark Woulf attended the meeting with EOC members to share a presentation about racial disparities in the city’s entertainment.

Woulf said city officials are awaiting approval for a task force “devoted specifically to the issue of diversity in entertainment venues.”

EOC members focused on the need for hip hop venues in the city to incite diversity.

In recent years, many venue owners have rejected hip hop artists due to the stigma associated with the music genre, according to Woulf.

forum from page 1 After the open forum, Michael Franklin of United Council discussed students’ rights during

bureau from page 1 sive deficit,” Barca said in a Monday statement.

State Senate Minority Leader Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, echoed Barca’s sentiments in a Monday statement.

“Over the next two years, this $1.8 billion deficit will cost individual Wisconsinites $300 each, or $1,200 for families of four,” Larson said. “Given the current economic climate of Wisconsin being last in the Midwest in job growth, this is a price Wisconsin residents can’t afford.”

The Republicans were quick to respond to the figures. State Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, and state Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Finance, refuted the existence of a deficit in the first place.

“Wisconsin does not have a

The lack of availability in hiphop venues directly contributes to the issues that arise from the musical performances, Woulf added. The few venue owners that do hold the shows often see the same crowd without any turnover, which leads to repeated issues caused by the same individuals.

“There’s one person that wrecks the event for everybody else and all of a sudden you have a stigma associated with the event,” Woulf said. “The genre of the music is not the underlying problem.”

EOC member Percy Brown discussed his experience as a promoter in Madison booking African American performers.

Brown said the best way for owners to provide safety at their venues is to establish partnerships with police departments.

“Instead of being reactive you can be proactive,” Brown said.

“Whether you’re a college student or somebody selling drugs police stop-and-frisk procedures and similar practices.

“Knowing your rights is knowing your power,” Franklin said. deficit. Thanks to Republican reforms, the 2014 budget will begin with a $443 million surplus,” they wrote in a joint statement. “We also have the largest rainy day fund in state history.”

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, concurred with his Republican colleagues, saying in a statement the Democrats were “looking for dark clouds on a sunny day.”

However, Bob Lang, director of the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, clarified that a structural deficit means that if revenue and expenditure trends do not change, the state will have a $1.8 billion deficit at the end of the 2015-’17 financial period.

“The ‘15-’17 budget is going to have to be addressed by getting strong revenue growth, or by changing expenditure levels,” Lang said. “Hopefully we will have some new decisions with regards to expenditure.”

at the club and there’s a police presence there, it’s gonna make you think twice.”

EOC member Corinda Rainey-Moore addressed a more serious issue of the hiphop venues that were shut down altogether as a result of fights, despite the frequent violence at downtown bars.

“We know that there are lots of bar fights that happen downtown,” Rainey-Moore said. “It’s interesting that the hip-hop venues tend to be shut down and yet we know that those fights continue yearly and nothing happens with that.”

EOC members agreed race needs to be directly addressed when resolving conflicts such as entertainment diversity.

“It’s just a tiny piece of our community’s larger issues,” Brown said. “ You can’t be afraid to have those conversation because things won’t change unless you go there.”

The Institute of Justice Education and Transformation followed the United Council discussion with a group exercise intended to address issues

University of WisconsinMadison chemistry professor Laura Kiessling and her lab published new findings regarding stem cell differentiation Monday, according to a university press release.

Kiessling’s study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, describes how the qualities of surfaces on which pluripotent stem cells are grown affect the “fate” of these cells.

Kiessling’s lab conducted research by placing pluripotent stem cells on brain tissue-like surfaces and observing their differentiation. Among other conclusions, the researchers found surface quality alone could influence cells to become neurons, according to the release.

Pluripotent stem cells are those that have yet to be assigned a specific role, thus they have potential to develop into any adult cell in the body.

The lab, directed by Kiessling

and led by UW-Madison chemistry graduate student Samira Musah, created three types of gels to mimic liver, muscle and brain tissue.

The researchers found the cells on stiffer surfaces maintained a stem cell state, whereas those moved to a softer surface started to become neurons.

“It was stunning to me that the surface had such a profound effect,” Kiessling said in the release.

According to the release, the researchers believe the brain tissue-like surface quality affects the yes-associated protein 1, a potent oncogene, inside the cell.

YAP can be found either in the cytoplasm or nucleus of a cell.

When located in the nucleus, YAP regulates gene expression.

Kiessling’s study reports YAP is excluded from the nucleus when on soft surfaces, which helps direct the stem cells into brain cell development. ­—Laura Grulke

Vice Chancellor explains biennial budget shortfall to Academic Staff Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Darrell Bazzell discussed possible implications of a continued biennial budget shortfall to the Academic Staff Assembly at a meeting Monday.

The current $23 million shortfall, a reduction in the requested budget, is approximately 4 percent below the desired 2013-’15 biennial budget The shortfall is due to a lower than expected contribution from the State, which, along with tuition comprises the University of WisconsinMadison biennial budget.

According to Bazzell, the Board of Regents passed a newly proposed $95.2 million budget for 2015-’17. Even with the new Board of Regents budget proposal, Bazzell still expects a shortfall from the state.

“If the regent budget is approved in total, and if those resources are

allocated in the traditional way, we would still be facing about [a] $1.5 million shortfall as opposed to right now,” Bazzell said.

Bazzell and Chancellor Rebecca Blank met to create a Budget Reduction Planning Exercise before Monday’s meeting. The exercise was to see how the university would manage with a 2, 4 or 6 percent budget reduction based on the current shortfall.

“If we do have to cut, we will do so with a little more knowledge and find out what’s at stake,” Bazell said.

According to Bazzell, Blank hopes to avoid a drastic shortfall in the next budget.

The Academic Staff Assembly will have further discussions after the governor releases his or her recommendations on the 2015-’17 biennial budget next February.

— Maija Inveiss

of diversity around campus and propose possible solutions.

Karla Foster, director of African American Student Services and Outreach, said

that she hopes the forum is part of a two-part event that will include listening sessions with UWPD and the city of Madison police forces.

falbo from page 1

NICK MONFELI/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Board of Regents President Michael Falbo (right) hopes to leave a strong leadership structure after his current term expires.

advise students using his experience with challenges faced in life, especially in school.

“Everybody goes through ups and downs throughout their career, throughout their life,” Falbo said. “As far as it pertains to higher education, whenever you think you’re crossing one of those hurdles or whenever you think it can’t happen, talk to the people around you.”

With the better part of his term behind him, Falbo also expressed gratitude to have the opportunity to serve the UW System as regent president.

“Deep down, I am humbled,” Falbo said. “I am grateful.”

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Tuesday, September 9, 2014

By Sean Reichard The Daily Cardinal

As a freshman, I attended a trio of shows at what is now called Shannon Hall, packed tight into the chilled and straightened annals of February and March: the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (Feb. 4, 2012), Gaelic Storm (Feb. 17, 2012) and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones (March 1, 2012). Three acts so wholly dissimilar that, upon reflection, it seemed absurd that (as a student) I was afforded the opportunity to see them all under one roof. For cheap! Such an experience (in retrospect) was not to be taken lightly.

Now, after a brief lacuna in the mutual memory of the student body, the Union Theater is back. And while some may fete the fact that this means there’ll be no more construction around the Theater to stymie the flow of pedestrians to and from the Union, I prefer to celebrate the return of a venue that, at its core, throughout its history, has existed for students at the University of WisconsinMadison. Now, the Theater has been refurbished, apparently after a long interval.

“The Theater has not been renovated in its 75 years. I mean, there have been small things, y’know…this is the first renovation, the first complete in 75 years,” commented Esty Dinur, Marketing Director (her official title, according to the Union site, is “Marketing & Communications Director and Chair for Artistic Selection, Madison World Music”).

If there is anyone to market and curate the Wisconsin Union Theater, it’s Mrs. Dinur, whose resume includes experience in modern dance, Israeli moviemaking and history writing. Indeed, she’s writing a forthcoming book detailing the history of the Theater in light of the venue’s 75th anniversary.

And the renovation itself, and all of its additions/changes, were conducted strictly to align with the anniversary, according to Cultural Arts Director Ralph Russo.

In an email, Russo outlined just a few of the updates made to the Theater space, manifested in the main space, redubbed Shannon Hall, which received a number of upgrades (improved handicapped access, larger seats, a bigger orchestra pit—capable of holding 48 musicians—a new HVAC system, new loading dock, new box office by the West Entrance and improved technical systems for light and sound).

The renovations also included two important changes, outside Shannon Hall: the Shannon Sunset Lounge (a favorite of Mr. Russo) and the Fredric March Play Circle that, according to Dinur, has all but been transformed. “[In the beginning] the plans for the play circle did not manifest—what was built was very different from what was imagined—and so it ended up being a very difficult venue to work with…so it has worked for all the years that it’s been around, it’s been very busy too, but in a problematic sort of way.”

With the renovation, however—the addition of telescopic seats and the reconfiguration of the space into a black box—the Play Circle has emerged as a not only viable but appealing space, in the eyes of Dinur.

“In the case of the play circle, the renovation is complete, it doesn’t look anything like it used to look like.”

The theater itself, though— Shannon Hall—has not been so visibly changed. In point of fact, this is the point.

“They actually found a color that is pretty much the same color as the walls once was, the seating is different, the upholstery is different, and now we have a carpet. But basically it looks the same because it’s a historical building and the Historical Society was making sure we don’t change it, not that we wanted to change anything, because a lot of people are really attached to it as is.”

This attachment is, perhaps, a transitive one. Jordan Foster, Director of the Performing Arts Committee and Student Director for the Union Theater, was in high school when the renovations began. That has not stopped her from appreciating both the benefits of the renovations as well as the importance of Shannon Hall’s preservation.

“Not only is the space simply more comfortable and slightly more modern, but it also maintains its original look—these factors combined will help bring in new audiences and will also satisfy the needs of past audiences,” Foster said in an email.

Needs of past audiences, indeed. According to Dinur, the theater had a rather important antecedent, in a form of a classical music concert series that itself held the kernel of the Theater in it for 20 years prior to the Theater’s opening in 1939.

“The concert series is iconic, I mean, it’s the longest in the Midwest and it’s one of the longest in the country…pretty much everyone who is anyone in classical music has played in this series,” Dinur said.

In its very beginnings, the Theater was a place built for the series.

“It was taking place in the stock pavilion and in various other venues on campus, and one of the reasons for building the Wisconsin Union theater was for the series to have a permanent home.”

Very quickly, however, it attached to other immediate, nascent impulses in the University and developed further, according to Dinur.

“So [the concert series] was one of the reasons but there was also this feeling that by the director of the Union at the time, Porter Butts, that the campus needs a cultural center that will reflect the values of the University, y’know, the quality, the sift and winnow stuff.”

The process to necessitate the theater was long in the making, but the process to necessitate its renovation was a much briefer one, according to Russo.

“The beginning [of the renovation] dates way back to 2005

dailycardinal.com

Courtesy of Marc Kennedy

when the Wisconsin Union did Master Planning for the future which also included a new Union South and a historic preservation of Memorial Union.”

Since 1939, the Theater defined itself as not only as a quality space for classical music but as a milieu for quality music in general.

“One of the major things of our brand,” Dinur said, “So to speak, a theme that has been the theme since the beginning and still is, is we do quality arts. We bring quality artists to do quality arts, which is part of what the university is about, I think.”

In the Theater’s history, this manifested itself as the continual booking of acts who defied both normative standards and the status quo: world music in a time when “world music” was hardly a concept, black artists (such as Paul Robeson and Marian Anderson) in a time of heavy segregation.

“Fan Taylor, who was director many years ago [between 1946 and 1966], was bringing artists from all over,” Dinur commented, a precedent that the present management has sought to continue every season. “We’ve always brought some of the greatest artists of the time, and we’ve always brought the people who we expect will become the greatest artists of the time.”

As two examples, Dinur brought up Yo-Yo Ma, who was a young, burgeoning star when he first appeared at the Theater, as well as Texas band Snarky Puppy, whom Dinur trusts will become huge stars.

“Each one of these musicians works with very accomplished musicians—Erykah Badu, Justin Timberlake, etc. etc.—and they got together to come up with this kind of fusion, jazzy sound…

And y’know they’re not that well known yet, but they’re excellent, they will be well known soon.

And so we’re bringing them.”

But besides quality, Dinur said, the other defining feature of the Union Theater, in its history, was its involvement with students.

“We have always had students working here, we have always had student committees choosing the season students

work here in all ways…there’s committee of students who work with a director to book seasons, who work with me to promote the season.”

The work goes beyond the administrative, too.

“We have students working the box office, front of house, students who work with our technical director and learn how to do all the technical stuff, there’s student organizations and departments that use the theater, so the theater department, they do shows here—they always did— and so the students learn how to work in a truly professional proscenium theater, which is an experience a lot of other students just don’t get: an extraordinary preparation for life in the arts.”

“A cultural center that will reflect the values of the university, y’know, the quality, the sift and winnow stuff.”

Esty Dinur Marketing Director Wisconsin Union Theater

Foster alluded to this as well, in her assessment of the Theater’s function.

“The theater can be used as a creative outlet for students, it can give them the opportunity to perform in, likely, one of the nicest venues they’ve ever performed in. But it is, most importantly, a place for discovery of new music and culture, social connections, and promotion of diversity on campus— these definitely fit into the mission of this University.”

Students also involved themselves in the renovation process by way of a Design Committee— according to Russo—who worked alongside Schuler Shook, an architecture firm known for its theater design.

“We consider students to be a very important target audience,” said Dinur, “which is why we have special prices for tickets. Student tickets, except for Yo-Yo Ma, are $10 or less. Yo-Yo Ma, for which the tickets are more than $100, students can get for $25.”

The level at which students are involved in the Theater, in and out and around it, was staggering upon contemplation, a fact Dinur recognized quite well.

“In all of these ways—and probably at least 20 that I haven’t thought of—we are very much a part of the campus, very important part of the University.”

And the Theater is important, from a historical standpoint and a current, cultural standpoint.

But it’s also important in a future sense. Something Dinur, Russo and Foster discussed, regarding the Union Theater Renovation, was how students would react to the Theater—freshman and sophomores who never experienced the theater in its original format as well as juniors and seniors for whom the construction represents the aforementioned lacuna in our college career, not to mention the scores of Madisonians who enjoyed the Theater in and out of college— and where its future lay.

Everyone was optimistic about the Theater’s future with the students.

“I’m confident they will love it...especially with all the great events that will take place this year,” Russo said.

“I would like to see students fall in love with the space and ultimately have it be a place for students, programmed by students,” Foster said. “I’d love to see it be a venue that students and community members (and beyond) think of as one of their favorite places and most common places to see a spectacular performance.”

And for Esty, the Theater’s history of student involvement and reasonable ticket pricing was assurance enough that students would take to the new Theater. She walked me through the program with energetic erudition, sharing a word on each of the acts appearing, but placed special emphasis on the Madison World Music Festival.

“This will be our 11th year, it starts our season, we bring really prominent artists from all over the world, and it’s all free.”

If that isn’t a winning pitch to new students to, if not embrace, then at least give the Theater a shot, I don’t know what is.

dailycardinal.com

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

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Finding the balance between nature and concerts Brian Weidy weidyng out the noise

W

elcome back, everyone, to my little music column: my way of ranting about whatever vaguely music related topic that comes to mind. It also serves as a way of getting to see my picture in the paper every Tuesday, so that’s always good too.

In mid-August, on a 75-degree day, I made the trek down the Jersey Shore to the birthplace of Bruce Springsteen, The Stone Pony, to see one of my favorite bands, Umphrey’s McGee. With nary a cloud in sight and a breeze off the Atlantic Ocean onto the Asbury Park boardwalk, I couldn’t possibly think of a better place to see a concert.

For the first 45 or so minutes of the show, as the sun was gradually setting, the famed light show the band is known for hardly got a chance to shine— but this fact was disregarded by those in attendance due to the picturesque sunset that unfurled behind the stage as the first set reached its midpoint.

As the sun dipped, the

lights became more and more a part of the show until nightfall draped its arms around the stage, allowing the band to decide when it wanted to be bathed in red, orange and yellow as opposed to the sky dictating this.

With little wind to speak of and an absence of rain, the sound was crystalline, coming from the two large stacks of speakers hung precariously over the sides of the stage straight to the crowd of about 2,000 people.

With a muggy day, a windy day, a rainy day, a (insert really any weather releated term) day, the sound will be impacted.

Now, you may wonder why I am describing in painstaking detail all of these environmental factors to a concert that few if any of you were in attendance for. The reason: When everything is perfect, outdoor concerts are better than anything you can get inside.

Even at my favorite theater, club or other indoor performance space, nothing can cap-

ture the pure magic of being outside with your friends and seeing one of your favorite bands in perfect weather.

The problem is that almost never happens. For every perfect outdoor concert experience I’ve had, there have been plenty where being outside was just about the last place I wanted to be.

A few years ago, I saw Wilco in Central Park on a freezing, rainy night with a crowd that thinned out after every song.

While I managed to brave the weather to hear Wilco play a fantastic set of music, there was no doubt that the spirits of the crowd on hand were as dampened as their clothing was as lightning crept closer and closer.

Two summers ago, a torrent of water rushed down upon Randall’s Island for the first day of Gov Ball, an annual three-day music festival in New York City. The rain was so unrelenting, and the mud accumulated so quickly, that the headliners had to be canceled for that evening.

Not only did I lose my shoes to a vat of mud that day—they remained on my feet throughout the day, though they were never to be worn again—but I also lost my seemingly unwavering love for seeing outdoor music.

Now, when presented with an option of seeing a band outdoors, I approach each show held without the confines of a roof over my head with a blend of cautious optimism typically reserved for getting a test or paper back.

When everything is perfect, outdoor concerts are better than anything you can get inside.

While the next two days of music at Gov Ball went on as planned, they were done so with hiking boots on, I left that weekend with stronger leg muscles thanks to wading through shin-deep mud for a chance to see Guns ‘n Roses, or at least whatever is left of the band at this point.

Beyond the weather, which, try as we might, is totally out of our control (though more contingencies can be put in place than say what was done at this year’s inaugural Hudson Project, held at the famed/ cursed sight of Woodstock) sound can be a huge problem at outdoor shows.

For every outdoor show that has good or great sound, there are many more that have inaudible, crackled sound emanating from the P.A. While this isn’t a problem exclusive to outdoor venues— this summer when I caught Arcade Fire at Earls Court, I experienced quite possibly the worst sound system ever put in place—dialing in outdoor sound is extraordinarily difficult due to the aforementioned weather situation.

With a muggy day, a windy day, a rainy day, a (insert really any weather related term) day, the sound will be impacted.

Humidity is almost always a one-way ticket to bad sound and it’s entirely out of the band and venue’s control.

So the next time you snag that ticket to an outdoor show, walk in with cautious optimism, hoping Mother Nature decides to cooperate. You may have one of the best and most memorable concert experiences of your life. But if she doesn’t cooperate, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Do you relish outdoor concerts, rain or shine? Or are you completely incredulous at the notion of outdoor music?

Send your opinion to Brian at weidy@wisc.edu.

Yum Yum Fest satisfies palate for both music and food

By Andrew Edstrom The Daily Cardinal

This Sunday, Madison residents from all walks of life gathered in the new Central Park for the first ever Yum Yum Fest, a festival fusing gourmet food and Midwestern music.

Despite taking place just one week after Taste of Madison, tickets sold out within the first hour and a half, confirming once-andfor-all Madison’s unconditional love of food and good vibes.

Though on paper very similar to Taste of Madison, Yum Yum Fest presented a much more upscale array of dishes. There were no bacon-wrapped cheese curds here. Instead, more than 30 local chefs and 25 restaurants served drinks and small, complicated dishes at $5 a pop. Visitors sprawled across picnic blankets gorged themselves on ricotta gnocchi, gelato, porchetta, bur-

rata, and many other plates that were as delicious as they were unpronounceable.

Each band came to the stage with incredible energy. As the afternoon went on, and the bellies filled up, the focus shifted more and more from the food to the music.

Astronautalis talked about the wonders of sucking out shrimp brains.

The crowd swelled organically during the performance of Orgone, a huge soul band with a decade of time logged on the road. Between their thumping rhythm section and their stun-

ning, crystal clear, gritty vocals, there was never a dull moment.

Next, rap-goddess Lizzo, took the high bar set by Orgone and burned it for fuel. Completely undeterred by a serious foot injury, she came onstage with a bedazzled, white cane, which held her up as she gyrated. As the show went on, she drew energy from the crowd, eventually abandoning the cane completely and dancing as if she felt no pain at all.

Her vocals were not haunted by the monotone shouting that plagues many rap shows.

Instead she rapped with just as much presence as the record, dancing all the while, making for a show that was as interesting to listen to as it was to watch.

The energy grew exponentially. At one point in the show, she invited a male audience member up on stage to dance

with her. “Can you twerk?” she asked. He nodded, the beat dropped, and the booty dancing commenced in full force.

The man danced for half a song before being led off the stage by the hype woman and applauded loudly by the crowd.

Four Fists, a Minnesota rap-duo featuring P.O.S. and Astronautalis, began the show by talking about all the foods they had sampled at the fest.

Astronautalis talked about the wonders of sucking out shrimp brains and P.O.S., who had not braved the shrimp brains, wholeheartedly lauded a dish of “gelatinous seafood goo.”

After their second song, Four Fists abandoned the stage completely and took to rapping in the middle of the audience, where they remained for the rest of the show. It was a fitting bit of symbolism for two rap-

pers who scorn false appearances and materialism to come down from the stage and place themselves right there with their fans. Audience members circled around them, jumping wildly with the artists for hits including “Get Down,” and “Goodbye,” without a hint of self-aware awkwardness.

P.O.S., who as of late has been recovering from a kidney transplant, asked audience members to invite them to parties after the show, proclaiming, “You don’t need kidneys to process alcohol.”

The sun set as they worked through their solo discographies (as a duo, Four Fists has only recorded two songs). The show drew to a close at about 8:30 p.m., making perhaps the only time in Madison history where it was possible to see a high-energy rap show and get to sleep by 10.

RECORD ROUTINE

Justin Townes Earle ruminates and rollicks about family dynamics CD REVIEW

Single Mothers Justin Townes Earle

By Michael Frett The Daily Cardinal

Justin Townes Earle’s Single Mothers finds the singer-songwriter weaving his stories through family blues. Its stars dwell on

broken families and empty homes, the goodbyes and animosities of those unfortunate people on the losing end of a “Hungry Heart” walk-out and the memories they left behind in an attic’s picturedrawer. Their melancholy, obnoxiously literal at times (see “Today and a Lonely Night”), is given a surprisingly warm partner in Earle’s Americana.

As smoothly as Earle can handle upbeat country soul rhythms, Single Mothers shines most brightly in its more modest arrangements. Sparser recordings like “Picture In a Drawer” sees the singer-songwriter in quiet

recollection, a gentle slide guitar gliding around the background, as Earle sings about his own lost single mother.

Elsewhere, Earle turns up the country rock swing, his stories dancing with John Mellencamplike heartland grooves. Single Mothers’ moments of rock ’n’ roll shimmying echo the likes of the Rolling Stones in their affinity for 12-bars and rock shuffles. There’s no missteps beyond a few flatter moments (i.e. the introductory “Worried Bout the Weather”), but these more upbeat songs ultimately fade from memory without the emotional weight Single Mothers’

quieter moments bring with them.

Single Mothers’ heartland rock side does have one standout moment, though. The most textbook piece of rock ’n’ roll on the album, “Burning Pictures” catches that rockabilly energy and runs with it, giving the album’s close an escapist drive as Earle burns his memories rather than dwells on them. Not exactly a blazing example of Earle’s songwriting talents, “Burning Pictures” nonetheless provides an interesting epilogue to an album about lingering loss, where memories are tossed aside rather than brandished.

Single Mothers is Earle’s ode

to the broken homes that raised him (Earle’s family split when he was younger), where the remains of deteriorated families are found in an empty house and in buried pictures. Though it stagnates with clichés and a dry introduction, Single Mothers finds a striking heart in its lonely moments of peeled-back reminiscences. While he sings of an empty home, Justin Townes Earle shows there’s still something left in its four walls: the memories that shaped him and the ghosts who haunt him; a tearinducing slide and a man’s heart.

Rating: B

opinion 6

l

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

dailycardinal.com

American military presence continues to shape the future of Iraq STEPHEN ZUNES Letter To The Editor

A

t the start of classes one year ago, I had to explain to my students why the United States appeared to be on the verge of going to war against the Syrian government. At the beginning of this semester, exactly one year later, I’m having to explain to my students why the United States may be on the verge of going to war against Syrian rebels.

Already, U.S. planes and missiles have been attacking the socalled Islamic State (ISIS) forces in northern Iraq. Given the threat of a genocidal campaign against Yazidis and other minorities and the risks of ISIS control expanding into the Kurdish region, even some of those normally averse to unilateral U.S. military intervention abroad have considered it the lesser of two evils.

Within days, however, there were already indications of “mission creep,” as what had been officially declared an exclusively defensive mission turned offensive when the United States provided air support for Kurdish and Iraqi forces, which seized the Mosul Dam from ISIS forces.

It is not surprising, therefore, that there is skepticism regarding this use of military force.

Even if one can make a con-

vincing strategic case for such a military operation, the failure of President Obama to go before Congress for authorization of this renewed military intervention in Iraq is extremely disturbing.

“At the beginning of this semester, exactly one year later, I’m having to explain to my students why the United States may be on the verge of going to war against Syrian rebels.”

Stephen Zunes Professor of Politics and Int. Studies The University of San Francisco

Ironically, President Obama has been getting high-profile criticism from those wishing he had been more aggressive with projecting American military power.

For example, in a well-publicized interview in The Atlantic, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton blamed the rise of ISIS on Obama’s failure to sufficiently arm and support the so-called moderate rebels of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

Such a charge defies logic, however. The FSA consists of literally hundreds of separate militia without a central command, largely composed of relatively inexperienced fighters, who

would have been no match for the well-armed, experienced, disciplined fighters of ISIS, regardless of the amount of weapons the U.S. might have provided.

In fact, it was an awareness of ISIS’s potential dominance of the Syrian rebel movement that served as an important reason why the Obama administration didn’t go beyond the relatively limited arming and training of a few small groups affiliated with the FSA. Indeed, part of ISIS’s military prowess comes from weapons they captured from overrunning FSA positions and from their ranks supplemented by FSA fighters who, in the course of the three-year battle with Assad’s forces, became radicalized and switched sides.

In any case, ISIS has found an even stronger foothold in Iraq than Syria, a direct consequence of the U.S. invasion and occupation. In a profile of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a one-time moderate Sufi turned Salafist extremist, the New York Times observed, “At every turn, Mr. Baghdadi’s rise has been shaped by the United States’ involvement in Iraq—most of the political changes that fueled his fight, or led to his promotion, were born directly from some American action.”

Almost immediately after the

2003 invasion, U.S. occupation forces systematically dismantled the country’s secular national institutions, which were quickly filled by both Sunni and Shia extremists (actions which Hillary Clinton, as a U.S. Senator, strongly supported).

The biggest division among Iraq’s Arabs, however, is not between Sunnis and Shias but between nationalist and sectarian tendencies within both communities. Under the corrupt and autocratic U.S.-backed Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Shia sectarians dominated. This resulted in an initially nonviolent Sunni backlash, which was met by severe government repression. This backlash was eventually hijacked by ISIS, which rid the major Sunni-dominated cities of government control.

Whether the new Iraqi leadership will actually be willing, or able given pervasive U.S. influence, to rid the government of Shia hardliners and become more inclusive, pluralistic, and democratic remains to be seen.

Ironically, the eventual demise of ISIS will more likely stem from the group’s own fanaticism than from any action by Baghdad or the U.S. ISIS—which even the Al-Qaeda network believes is too extreme—sees not just those who aren’t Sunni Muslims as “infidels,” but anyone who doesn’t subscribe to its extremist ideology. Since

almost everyone under its rule is therefore at risk, the prospects of the Iraqi and Syrian people eventually rising up against ISIS is high.

In fact, Syrian nonviolent activists have already been openly defiant of ISIS. Had the active nonviolent coalition groups in Syria received material or diplomatic support from the beginning, instead of Clinton’s “moderate” rebels, they may have been able to prevent or mitigate the rise of ISIS altogether.

Massive Western military intervention will likely create a backlash that could strengthen political support for the extremists. The United States has been bombing Iraq on and off for nearly a quarter century and things have only gotten worse, for the people of Iraq, the security interests of Iraq’s neighbors and, ultimately, for the United States.

Just as Sunni tribal leaders were more effective than either U.S. forces or the Iraqi government in driving out Al-Qaeda from northwestern Iraq in 2007-2008, they may also be the key, along with nonviolent civil society, in ridding their region of ISIS and any other actual or potential threats.

Is ISIS heading down a path of dominance in Iraq and Syria or will they ultimately unravel like previous regimes in the region? Tell us your opinion and send all feedback to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.

Democratization remains under the gun throughout Asian continent MEL GURTOV Letter To The Editor

C

ommunist Party, you choke people,” reads the placard raised by a demonstrator in Hong Kong recently.

He and a few thousand others belonging to Occupy Central (in Chinese, the organization is called Heping zhan zhong, or Peacefully Occupy the Center) have been protesting for months against anticipated restrictions imposed by Beijing on elections for chief executive of Hong Kong. Now those restrictions have been enacted.

By tightening the rules concerning nominations for the position, China’s legislature has made it fairly impossible for an independent-minded leader to be elected. Pro-democracy forces in the city had hoped that by 2017, they would gain control on the basis of one person, one vote. But the system is now rigged to deny that principle in practice. The new rules reflect just how scared China’s leadership is of losing control over a key city.

It is now seventeen years since authority over Hong Kong passed from Britain to China. Unlike other so-called autonomous

regions of China, Hong Kong has enjoyed an unusual degree of political, social and economic freedom in keeping with its longrunning stature as an international crossroads.

“One country, two systems,” Deng Xiaoping promised following China’s takeover. But Beijing’s control has never been remote; it has maintained predominant influence over who runs Hong Kong and by which rules, and Hong Kongers are fully aware that China’s military can be quickly deployed should widespread “instability” occur.

Opinion polls show substantial majorities in favor of open contests for legislative and executive positions. China’s leaders read these polls, and the growing public protests behind them, as security issues: Allow Hong Kong more political liberties and people in other Chinese cities are sure to demand them too.

Moreover, people will start organizing parties to challenge the Communist Party’s authority, and the next thing you know, the one-party state will come under challenge. These elements of “instability” have always been

unacceptable to Beijing.

Hong Kong’s legislature either must now adopt a new voting plan that reflects Beijing’s latest decision or stick with the old system that keeps political power in the hands of pro-China representatives. In the meantime, leaders of Occupy Central and pro-democracy groups are deciding how best to influence politicians and public opinion—strikes? Sit-ins? Largescale demonstrations? China will not be patient with lengthy “chaos” in the streets, as they will call it. But at the same time, its international image will suffer if it suppresses the protest movement. In the worst case, we might witness another Tiananmen. Yet one looks in vain for any government that is speaking up for the people of Hong Kong or taking China to task. Economic interests do wonders at silencing criticism.

Democratization has continued to take hits elsewhere in Asia. Thailand and the Philippines are supposed to be the most democratic countries in Southeast Asia. But the Thai military has once again inter-

vened in politics following several months of turmoil in the streets. A general now rules, backed by a rubber-stamp parliament composed entirely of his supporters. In the Philippines, the president is seeking another term in office, which requires a constitutional change, at a time when corruption is again widespread.

Additionally, Pakistan’s politics continue to be chaotic.

Protests in Islamabad against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ’s rule and allegations of election fraud, now entering their third week, are becoming increasingly violent, raising the question how long the military will remain on the sidelines.

The brighter spots are Indonesia, where people just elected Joko Widodo president– a man of humble origins who defied the experts by defeating a former general, Prabowo Subianto, who stands accused of extensive human rights violations. And in Burma (Myanmar), though repression of a religious minority continues, the country seems to be gradually moving away from direct military rule and toward

Influence people.

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competitive politics.

These stories are incomplete, however; democratization could be rolled back at any moment, depending on the military’s outlook. In Indonesia, for example, even though Prabowo accepted defeat, the military is not known for graciously stepping aside, and neither is he.

Democratization is a neverending process; keeping it on track requires constant vigilance and struggle. South Korea took over 30 years to get rid of military-backed authoritarian rule, and even now, President Park Geun-hye’s popularity has evaporated thanks in part to a pattern of governing that reminds many people of the bad old days when her father ruled.

Thus, while Asia gets plenty of kudos for economic successes, we should pay at least equal attention to the many ways the democratization project is being threatened.

Mel Gurtov is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Portland State University. Tell us how you feel and send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

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Shoot for the stars The average American’s net worth is roughly $700,000.

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Today’s Sudoku

Have you read the dictionary lately? © Puzzles by Pappocom

Tuesday, September 9, 2014 • 7

Not by Joyce

By Sean Reichard sreichard@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.

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Fall

COURSES

REGISTER NOW union.wisc.edu/wheelhouse Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com

WORDS R HARD ACROSS 1 Malt-drying oven 5 Some birds that cannot fly 9 German wives 14 Auditorium level 15 Sudden impact 16 Get the joke 17 Fascinated by, as a hobby 18 Italian volcano 19 Tibia neighbor 20 Good friend in peace and war 23 Family member, for short 24 Shopping convenience 25 Opposite of throw away 27 Beer variety 30 Sheepish statements 32 They’re all grown up 36 Metabolism descriptor 38 Old Soviet news group 40 True-to-life 41 What trying times may require 44 Baldwin of TV and film 45 Textbook division 46 Fasten again, as

sneakers 47 Who I see in the mirror 49 Night preceder 51 Giant Hall of Famer Mel 52 Shakespearean auxiliary verb 54 Carla portrayer, on TV 56 Dear old guy 59 They are there, win or lose 64 Best part of the cake, to many 66 “I’ll make a ___ of it” 67 Long journey 68 Minstrel show, e.g.

69 Rowing team 70 Slippery and hard to catch 71 Business tendency 72 Final stages 73 Bronchial symptom DOWN 1 Elevator brand 2 Isn’t wrong?

3 ___ good example 4 Freshwater catch 5 Expelled matter 6 Timeworn 7 Fibula’s arm counterpart 8 Petunia part 9 Whipped 10 Broke away 11 Black-and-white

divers 12 Terrible-looking tangelo 13 Cheerleaders, often 21 Aristocratic 22 Smallest in magnitude 26 Blender setting 27 From port to starboard 28 Without strict oversight 29 ___ Park, Colorado 31 Mighty tasty 33 Slow, in music 34 Like a winked agreement 35 Wintry rain 37 Moved parabolically 39 Soaked through and through 42 Civilian clothes 43 Drove to distraction 48 Housed temporarily 50 Mouselike mammals 53 Conclusion lead-in 55 Word before noon?

56 Vacuum’s target 57 Tablet brand 58 Third-rate hotel 60 Little Boy Blue’s instrument 61 General location 62 1994 Jodie Foster movie 63 Terrier’s island 65 Cloister sister

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Sports

tuesday, September 9, 2014 DailyCardinal.com

End of the Big Four tennis reign

Press Conferences

rushad machhi breaking shad

T

wil gibb/cardinal file photo

Surrounded by young teammates, junior midfielder Drew Conner finds himself in a leadership role this season.

Ups and downs of UW sports

By Bobby Ehrlich the daily cardinal

Men’s soccer

Over the weekend, Wisconsin traveled to the East Coast to square off against two of the elite collegiate programs in the nation. On Friday, the Badgers fell to George Mason (3-0-0) by a score of 2-1 in Fairfax, Va. The Badgers then traveled to Washington D.C. where they fell 4-1 to No. 9 Georgetown (2-0-2) Sunday afternoon.

Wisconsin’s record now stands at 1-3-0. Coach John Trask sat down with the media Monday to discuss the weekend, pointing to the youth of the Badgers squad as a reason for the team’s early struggles.

“We’re a relatively young team.

I believe we started five freshmen in both of the games this weekend,” Trask said. “We’re taking some lumps. We knew that.”

However, Trask remains more than optimistic about the team’s youth, making it clear that it is excellent for the program. The team has just two seniors on its roster, but Trask highlights the positives of this young roster rather than focusing on the lack of experience.

“This is by far the deepest and best recruiting class we’ve been able to get here at Wisconsin in my five years,” Trask said.

Trask did admit that it is a learning process. As with any young team, mistakes will be made, lessons will be learned and growth will occur.

“As much as we ramp it up in training, try to put a focus to it, it’s when Georgetown scores three goals in one half, or Notre Dame dominates you in areas of play, those are the hard lessons that have to be learned by any college team,” Trask said.

“Some guys go up and down a little bit too much. Consistency is important in college athletics. That’s a challenge for young players.”

The Badgers open up Big Ten play with a nationally televised game this Friday at home against Big Ten newcomer, Rutgers (2-2-0).

“It sets up for a great way to begin the season. I know after a tough loss [Sunday] afternoon to Georgetown, it’s something the guys can refocus their energy on.

It’s the beginning of the Big Ten season,” said Trask.

Women’s volleyball

With the Badgers yet to lose a match, head coach Kelly Sheffield talked about carrying momentum from last year’s breakout season while compiling a record of 5-0 to begin 2014. After reaching the national championship game last year, Wisconsin enters this fall’s campaign as a top contender. Teams around the nation have taken note.

“People are promoting our match. There’s a different hype, you can tell that,” Sheffield said.

“There’s enthusiasm on the road.”

The Badgers will host the HotelRED invitational beginning this Friday. At the match against

his past Saturday afternoon, when Marin Cilic rocketed a forehand winner down the line past a defeated Roger Federer to secure a spot in the U.S. Open men’s tennis final against Kei Nishikori, a stat popped onto the TV screen that made my jaw hit the floor.

The caption informed viewers that Monday’s final would be the first men’s Grand Slam final since the 2005 Australian Open to not feature Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray or Novak Djokovic.

To put that year in perspective, the first iPhone would not be released for another two years, Barry Alvarez was still the head coach of the Badgers, and people still liked Alex Rodriguez.

To a whole generation of tennis fans, Federer, Nadal, Murray and Djokovic, or more commonly known as the Big Four, defined the sport. They produced an unprecedented era of dominance where the four of them had won 36 out of the 38 Grand Slams since that 2005 Australian Open.

Sadly, those days appear to be coming to an end, marked by the first Big Four-less Grand Slam final in nearly a decade.

The 2014 U.S. Open was not the first indication of the decline of the Big Four. That actually started during this season’s first major when Stanislas Wawrinka shocked the world by defeating Nadal in the Australian Open final.

Wawrinka plays with a powerful style that has always given Nadal Miami, the national runner-up banner will be raised, but Coach Sheffield was quick to dismiss the ceremony.

“We are excited about sharing that with the fans because we haven’t been able to do that,” Sheffield said. “You drop that, you hope that they get excited for it, then you get back to the business of competing against a really good Miami team.”

While last year’s season was a great success, Sheffield has made it clear that it is now in the past and that the 2014 team is focused on the current campaign. When asked what would come to mind when the banner was raised, Sheffield brushed off any feeling of nostalgia.

“I’m going to be trying to figure out how we’re going to get our middles going, are we going to communicate, serve tough enough,” he said. “Those will probably be the emotions that will be running and hoping it doesn’t take too long because we just got done warming up.”

As for his team’s current success, Sheffield pointed to the improvement of star sophomore setter Lauren Carlini and senior outside hitter Ellen Chapman.

Coach Sheffield also emphasized junior Taylor Morey’s stellar defensive play and freshman Kelli Bates’ ability to shine on the big stage.

In addition to Miami, the Badgers will take on Ball State and Missouri State this weekend as part of the invitational.

a tough time. Nadal still wins most of these matchups, but the most telling part of the match was when Nadal injured his back in the second set.

Nadal’s grueling defensive style puts a toll on his body, and it has really shown the past few years.

Recurring injuries have forced Nadal to withdraw from at least one Grand Slam tournament each of the past three years, including this year’s U.S. Open.

Nadal is not the only member of the Big Four to suffer from the injury bug, as Murray went under the knife late last season to fix his nagging back. He has not played the same since, being eliminated in the quarterfinals in three of four majors this season and slipping all the way to No. 10 in the ATP rankings.

With Nadal having just turned 28 this past June and Murray turning 28 next spring, their relative young ages would point to a full recovery, but that is not the case in tennis. In most sports, the prime years of an athlete occur between the ages of 27 and 30. However, in tennis, most players start their prime at 24 and are on the tail end of their careers by 28.

This especially appears true with the legends of the sport. After their 28th birthdays, Pete Sampras only won three of his 14 majors, Jimmy Connors three of his eight and Federer two of his 17. Björn Borg and John McEnroe did not win any majors past the age of 26.

With Federer now 33, Nadal already at 28, and both Murray and Djokovic hitting the magic number next spring, age might be the biggest reason their dynasty has come to an end.

While the Big Four has definitely approached the age of decline,

someone still had to beat them, and it appears that a new and younger generation of worthy challengers has emerged.

Let’s first begin with the two U.S. Open finalists, Cilic and Nishikori.

Both are under 26 and both finished off members of the Big Four (Nishikori against Djokovic, Cilic against Federer) in under five sets, with Cilic’s straight-sets victory looking especially dominant.

Milos Raonic, Grigor Dimitrov and Ernests Gulbis all made the semifinals in a major this year as well, and none of them are older than 26. The emergence of these fresher legs only adds to the difficulty the Big Four will have in continuing their reign.

Of course, this does not mean members of the Big Four will not continue to win majors. While this year will mark the first year since 2003 that the Big Four did not win at least three of the four majors in a season, they still won two of them this year. Nadal won his astounding ninth French Open this year and still does not appear ready to give up his title as the “King of Clay.”

Djokovic won Wimbledon this year, and his match against Nishikori was actually much closer than it appeared, as he actually won more total points while losing in four sets.

However, with injuries, age, and a new talent pool emerging, this year’s U.S. Open can only signal the end of a period of dominance for the Big Four. With Cilic crushing Nishikori in straight sets Monday afternoon for his first major, a new day has begun in men’s tennis.

Is this really the end of the Big Four era? Or is it just a blip on the radar? Email machhi@wisc.edu to tell him your thoughts.

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