Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

EMMY RECAP: ‘30 ROCK’ AND ‘MAD MEN’ REJOICE

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Partner beneﬁts law provokes legal wrangling By Jessica Feld THE DAILY CARDINAL

Multiple groups petitioned the state Supreme Court Tuesday regarding a lawsuit attempting to strike down Wisconsin’s domesticpartner benefits law. The American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal, a Chicago-based civil rights organization, seek to defend the law, passed as part of Gov. Jim Doyle’s 2009-’11 biennial budget. “There are almost 15,000 same-sex couples and their families living in Wisconsin who need the basic protections provided by domestic partnerships,” Christopher Clark, senior staff attorney for Lambda Legal, said in a statement. “We plan to vigorously defend the important legal protections that the legislature validly enacted to protect Wisconsin citizens.” Wisconsin Family Action, a conservative advocacy group, filed an original action suit with the Supreme Court in July. The group aims to overturn the domestic-partnership law they say violates the 2006 Wisconsin constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. “The legal status that has been

created by the registry is unconstitutional,” Julaine Appling, president of WFA, said. “Nearly 60 percent of the voters in November 2006 said marriage in this state is between a man and a woman and that a legal status identical to or substantially similar to that of marriage would not be valid or recognized in this state.” Under current law, same-sex couples are eligible for 43 out of over 200 benefits reserved for legally married couples. The majority of benefits available to domestic partners include benefits related to health care issues, according to a statement from Lambda Legal. Appling said same-sex couples can obtain the same benefits as legally married couples without relying on domestic-partnership laws by hiring a lawyer and going through the legal system. “We don’t have to redefine marriage and create a new legal status that approximates marriage in order for them to have those legal protections,” Appling said. According to Clark, same-sex couples would have to spend a significant amount of money to partners page 3

Struggling with juggling

A child holds a sign in Milwaukee as part of the Statewide March for Immigrant and Labor Reform on May 1. VALERIE KLESSIG THE DAILY CARDINAL

Living the DREAM? Day of action pushes for immigration reform By Valerie Klessig

In the majority of cases, undocumented immigrants have Students nationwide are orga- either entered the country without nizing events Wednesday to raise valid documents or entered with awareness of the Development, valid visas that have now expired. Relief and Education for Alien According to UW-Madison comMinors Act. The DREAM Act is munity and environmental socia federal immigration reform bill ology professor Jill Harrison, a that, if passed, would create a path common misconception is that to legalization through a two-year undocumented immigrants do not college education or two years of pay for social services. However, military service for undocubecause unauthorized immimented youth. grants are often working According to Cindy with false documentaBreunig, a member tion, they are paying of the Wisconsin payroll taxes. immigrant advocacy “It’s not that these IMMIGRATION group Voces de la people aren’t paying REFORM Frontera, the nation’s for the services that broken immigration they’re using,” Harrison system leaves almost no said. “It’s that the federal path to legalization for undocu- government isn’t routing that mented immigrants. money back to the jurisdictions “The DREAM Act is a neces- that actually end up supporting sary policy change that we need those services.” to implement at the national According to Madison East level,” Breunig said. High School guidance counselor

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Joe Nigh, the DREAM Act would be a good start to immigration reform because it would empower those granted residency to advocate for other immigrants. Nigh considers the DREAM Act social justice because immigrants would not be limited to what he calls “slave jobs and slave wages.” “Some people try to paint Latinos as people who come here to commit crimes,” Nigh said. “The truth is that they do all the dirty jobs nobody wants to do for substandard wages.” Members of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a national nonproﬁt organization that aims to improve border security, have opposed what they call the DREAM Act’s “amnesty for illegal aliens.” According to FAIR, the DREAM Act would provide an incentive for additional illegal immigration to the United States. dream page 3

Supporters push new central library at meeting By Allison Geyer THE DAILY CARDINAL

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Mindy Anderson practices the three-ball cascade at a juggling mini-course in Memorial Union’s Great Hall Tuesday night.

New plans for Madison’s central library and a new city police training facility were among the topics up for discussion at Tuesday’s second half of the Board of Estimates capital budget hearing. Many Madison residents and city business ofﬁcials spoke out in favor of the proposal to build a new central library on West Washington Avenue, saying it would provide job opportunities and an economic boost to the downtown area. “The projects will bring steady, permanent jobs to Madison residents,” said Mark Hoffman, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. “Growth will take off if we get the project going.”

A representative from the Board of Public Works also said 20 to 25 percent of workers unions are experiencing unemployment at this time and construction projects are being completed at up to 18 percent less then their original budgets. A new proposal that excited many community and board members was the idea of creating public community gardens on the rooftop of the new library building. Madison resident Jane Anne Morris found strong neighborhood support for the garden idea and has already collected hundreds of signatures in favor of the proposition. “I’d love to be able to get a book and a tomato,” resident Mike Fino said of the idea. The library design team was receptive to the idea but expressed

doubts about its feasibility. Some members of the design team said a “green” roof might be possible, but it might not work to grow crops on the roof. Representatives from the police department also addressed the board, proposing the purchase of a new $2 million training facility to replace their current location and accommodate growing class sizes. There was talk of a departmental partnership with Madison Area Technical College, but those plans were ultimately rejected. “We would love to have a partnership with MATC, but we have not been able to come to an agreement that would leverage our needs,” the representative officer said.

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

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

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

Jillian searches for her Fun, efforts fail

Volume 119, Issue 16

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JILLIAN LEVY one in a jillian

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Charles Brace Managing Editor Justin Stephani Campus Editor Kelsey Gunderson Caitlin Gath City Editor State Editor Hannah Furfaro Enterprise Editor Ryan Hebel Associate News Editor Grace Urban Opinion Editors Anthony Cefali Todd Stevens Editorial Board Editor Qi Gu Arts Editors Kevin Slane Kyle Sparks Sports Editors Scott Kellogg Nico Savidge Features Editor Diana Savage Food Editor Sara Barreau Science Editor Jigyasa Jyotika Photo Editors Isabel Alvarez Danny Marchewka Graphics Editors Amy Gifﬁn Jenny Peek Copy Chiefs Kate Manegold Emma Roller Jake Victor Copy Editors Kathleen Brosnan Hope Carmichael, Caitlin Furin Daniel Lyman

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narf: a character in the popular mid-1980s animated show ThunderCats, or the word I have to start this column with after losing a drinking-induced bet to my friends Saturday night. Sorry, a bet is a bet and I hate to back down from a challenge. Especially as of late, when my social life has almost died out completely and I’m clinging desperately to the few friends who have vowed to reﬁnd my formerly fun self. And this bet came from one of the most fun people in the world whom I hate to disappoint: my friend Becca. Becca is the kind of girl who will do anything at any time just to be able to say she did (and got away with) it. Climbing the stone wall under Gordon Commons in heels and a dress, mopeding the wrong way down John Nolen Drive, getting handcuffed to a bed in detox after acting out—all in a day’s work for Becca.

Hanging around Becca and the majority of my friends, I feel like my life is running backwards. My craziest stories and biggest mistakes all took place in high school or freshman year. A wild night for me now consists of gokarting at Bogey’s and some Wii in my apartment. What happened to dancing on (and most likely falling off ) bar tops? Why do I feel like staying out past midnight is scandalous? When did I start thinking one beer was better than six? My dad tells me that it’s all part of growing up, but I know that’s bullshit. I want to avoid being an adult more than anything, so it can’t be that I’m maturing. The real problem is: I broke my Fun. Fun: a concept stolen from a Dave and Busters commercial, in which everyone has a side to himself or herself, whose only mission in life is to go out, get rowdy and have a good time. The commercial really brings the idea to life so I suggest you YouTube it to help me sound less ridiculous than I already do. Anyway, I believe everyone has Fun in them even if it’s buried deep,

deep down. Even the kids in the substance-free dorms have Funs... it’s just hard to find them sometimes. That was totally a joke... Some people like my friend Becca, lose control of their Funs once in awhile and wake up naked on the bathroom floor of their dorm with no recollection of how they got there. Others only allow theirs out at preplanned, brief periods of time. My Fun used to be one of the happiest Funs in the world, but now she’s either half-dead or so embarrassed with my behavior that she’s semi-permanently abandoned me. Either way, when the weekend hits, you will witness droves of undergrads and their Funs flocking to the bars or other social watering holes, and mine is nowhere to be found. There are still spontaneous moments when a glimpse of my Fun’s former self returns, though they are steadily decreasing. She’ll come out—probably in a lowcut shirt and too much make-up because that’s her style—sling a few shots, crack a couple jokes, drunkdial my dad at 3 a.m., whatever strikes her fancy. But then I wake up in the morn-

ing with a raging headache and no clue where I am, and my Fun decides it’s time to run away again. I’ll be left hunched over my toilet feeling both nauseous and dejected. Maybe I’m not the only student with this problem. Maybe every student hits a wall where they’ve reached their maximum Fun-potential and just can’t handle going out or doing anything social that requires more than minimal effort. Either way, I’ve had just about enough of living vicariously through my roommates and friends as they trot off into the night and I’m left sitting on the couch in my underpants eating Ben and Jerry’s. I’m ready to welcome my Fun back into my life for good—or at least until midterms start kicking my ass—and ﬁnish off college strong. I’m a little nervous though; after an absence this long, whatever my Fun has been planning could be dangerous... I’ll have Becca save me a bed in detox or on the bathroom ﬂoor. We’ll see what happens. If you’ve lost your Fun or know how Jillian can get hers back without causing permanent liver damage, let her know at jlevy2@wisc.edu.

the daily cardinal makes fun of you Billy Graf was too hung over to give blood yesterday :( Year: Wisconsin ’10 Hometown: Madison Political Views: Libertarian Religious Views: Ron Paul Activities: skiing, snowboarding, driving Interests: Girls, cars, Michelle Pfeiffer, movies... Favorite movies: The Departed, Love Actually, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Beverly Hills Cop, Eurotrip, Iron Man, Dazed and Confused, Lord of War, Kung Fu Hustle, Serenity Favorite books: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Ender’s Game, The DaVinci Code, The Tipping Point, Jurassic Park Most Embarrassing Item: Damn! In his activities, if it weren’t for “driving,” Billy would No shirt? Are those fake teeth? Aviators? Whatever it is you’re have completed the pretentious-alpine-douche trying to say with your fashion statement... just don’t. trifecta. And is that a list of Facebook interests or an application to star opposite Paul Walker and Vin Diesel in the next Fast and Furious sequel? On to movies. OK, nice try. We caught you trying to slip Love Actually in between two shoot-’em-up action flicks like it wasn’t there. Look, just because you shamelessly steal one of Colin Firth’s sappy lines from the movie every time you’re trying to score some, like, totally smokin’ babe bro, doesn’t make it OK to have on your top movies list. Stupid Fact About Your Hometown: Despite his numerous shortcomings, Billy is a Madison native. His hometown also has the distinction of being the only place brave enough to name the plastic pink flamingo its city bird. Missed Opportunities: Somewhere in the mess of Billy’s 50-plus groups and 1,753 photos, I’m sure there’s enough to ﬁle at least ten class-action suits and make Billy’s future children vomit uncontrollably. For the sake of space and our readers, we’ve left them conﬁdential.

For the record Corrections or clariﬁcations? Call The Daily Cardinal ofﬁce at 608-262-8000 or send an e-mail to edit@dailycardinal.com.

Saving Grace: OK, guy likes the book Ender’s Game. Anyone can respect a man who loves it when 12-year-olds ﬁght aliens over the fate of mankind. Especially a man I had pegged to only enjoy songs about the buttocks and movies featuring approximately six explosions per minute.

Want your Facebook proﬁle to be made fun of? Join the group “The Daily Cardinal Makes Fun of You.”

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

news

UHS report shows influenza cases down among students University Health Services released statistics Tuesday revealing a decrease in students at UW-Madison reporting flu-like symptoms. UHS said 168 students contacted them with flu-like symptoms during the week of Sept. 13-19, making up 12.6 percent of the total visits to the UHS primary-care clinic. During the week of Sept. 612, UHS evaluated 345 people with flu-like symptoms, and those cases represented 28 percent of the total visits to UHS. Craig Roberts, a UHS epidemiologist, said although these numbers are down, the number of reported flu-like illnesses is still extremely high for this time of year. “What we continue to see this week is still a lot of students with influenza in general,” he said. “The rates of influenzalike illnesses in our clinic are very high, like what we would

DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW Health nutrition coordinator Gail Underbakke discussed healthy eating while outlining common nutrition misconceptions at her lecture Tuesday that kicked off the ‘In Defense of Food’ lecture series.

‘Go Big Read’ campaign begins with lecture on healthy eating By Robert Taylor THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison health ofﬁcials promoted the importance of good nutrition and healthy eating Tuesday as part of a weeklong “In Defense of Food” lecture series. The lecture series is focused on the Go Big Read program’s current reading selection, “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto,” and will feature a keynote lecture by the book’s author, Michael Pollan, at the Kohl Center Thursday. Gail Underbakke, nutrition coordinator for UW Health’s preventive cardiology program, used Tuesday’s lecture to examine common misconceptions about nutrition and ways for people to make healthy eating choices. “We have developed a dichoto-

mous view of foods in this country: good foods and bad foods. I don’t think that is appropriate. I think there is room for almost all foods,” she said. “It is just what you put it with and how you balance it out.” Echoing a major premise of “In Defense of Food,” Underbakke said the growing disconnect between processed ﬁnal foods and the original food source is a major contributor toward poor nutrition in the United States. “We have come so far away from basic food that if it doesn’t have a shiny cover and it’s not perfect, then we don’t think that it is good enough,” she said. She went on to question the nutritional value of some so-called health foods. “Why not just eat a piece of fruit?” she said.

Ironically, Underbakke said, as consumers have become more interested in nutrition, they have become an irresistible target for the food industry. According to Underbakke, the food industry appeals to consumers through a combination of their fear, misinformation and lack of knowledge, resulting in a lucrative market for “functional foods.” Functional foods, she said, are advertised to tap into a consumer desire to eat healthily but often hide food’s true nutritional deﬁciencies behind ﬂashy labels and claims backed by questionable science. “The challenge as a consumer is to ask, ‘Do I believe that? Does that make sense based on what I know?’” Underbakke said.

Ziegelbauer removed as chair of Ways and Means Committee State Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer, DManitowoc, was removed as chair of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee Friday by Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville. Ziegelbauer said he was removed because he voted to prevent late-term abortions, opposing the position of party leadership. “They mentioned to me that

dream from page 1 Vanessa Solis, legislative assistant for state Rep. Pedro Colon, D-Milwaukee, said Congress should pass the DREAM Act because it affects children and their educational opportunities. “We have so many children falling through [gaps in the system] because we’re not following through,” Solis said. “That’s really difﬁcult, especially when you see so many of these students’ parents working extremely hard to make our economy go ’round.” To be eligible for the DREAM Act, initially introduced in 2001, undocumented youth would need

that was the principal reason, that I didn’t vote with them on the amendment, and it almost failed to fail because of it ... They had to twist somebody else’s arm to make the votes come out,” he said. He said voting in accordance with the wishes of his constituents is his main priority. “I have always put the highest

priority in representing the people of my district, and that’s what I did,” he said. Rebekah Sweeney, spokesperson for Sheridan, said it is Sheridan’s right to set the chair positions but was unsure why Ziegelbauer was removed. “I wasn’t privy to their conversation on why this action was taken,” she said.

to have entered the country before the age of 16. “It doesn’t seem right to penalize children of immigrants for their parents’ decisions,” Harrison said. Other requirements include graduating from high school or obtaining a GED, having good moral character with no criminal record and having at least ﬁve years of continuous presence in the United States. If the DREAM Act were to pass, undocumented immigrant youth meeting those requirements would be granted conditional permanent residency, which is legal residency that allows students to legally drive, work and have access to federal aid.

Conditional permanent residency is re-evaluated after six years. During the six-year period, the student would need to obtain a two-year college degree or complete two years of military service. After six years, their cases would be reviewed, and they would be granted unrestricted lawful permanent residency if they completed the college or military requirements without a criminal record. Students would then be eligible for U.S. citizenship through the naturalization process. According to Colon, the DREAM Act has become an emergency issue. “I think we’re losing a lot of talent [and] losing a lot of participation every day that goes by,” he said.

usually see in the peak of the [flu] season in a normal year.” According to Roberts, it may be too early to tell if the numbers are decreasing for good. He added the decrease could be caused by a more widespread awareness of the illness, leading students to take extra precautions to protect themselves. “It could be that the real incidence of inﬂuenza declined on campus, but it is certainly very plausible that the message has got out there widely and that people feel less of a need to contact us or come in for care,” he said. Roberts added that students coming to UHS with H1N1 are still reporting the same symptoms: fever, body aches, cough, sore throat and runny nose. Students with these symptoms can contact UHS at 265-5600. —Kelsey Gunderson

Assembly votes to protect media and anonymous sources from legal inquiries Media and confidential news sources would be protected from revealing anonymous sources under a bill passed by the state Assembly Tuesday. The bill offers protection for limiting disclosure of anonymous news sources and protects reporters from subpoenas requesting disclosure. Opponents of the bill said it would lead to difﬁculties in assembling evidence for criminal cases and collecting information in libel or slander suits. State Rep. Mark Gundrum, R-New Berlin, introduced an

partners from page 1 hire a lawyer to obtain the same protections reserved for married couples and those protections would still not be guaranteed. Currently, the parties involved in the suit await a decision from the Supreme Court on whether it will hear the case. WFA said the case should proceed directly to the Supreme

amendment that would allow the collection of information from news sources in the case of a defamation suit. The amendment was tabled for further review, effectively killing it in the Assembly, but the amendment may be taken up again in the state Senate. State Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison, one of the authors of the bill, said 37 other states offer similar protections for the media and none of them have reported problems. The bill was messaged immediately to the Senate, where it will await a hearing. Court, bypassing the lower courts, based on the constitutional importance of the case. The defense disagreed, arguing for a normal proceeding beginning in the lower courts. “There is nothing so urgent about this that it has to be decided at the Supreme Court level,” attorney Lester Pines, who will represent the state in the case, said.

opinion Logical plan needed to change drinking laws 4

dailycardinal.com/opinion

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

ANDREW CARPENTER opinion columnist ’ve never actually heard someone say “thank goodness the drinking age is 21! Remember how bad it was back before in the ’60’s?” The idea that the drinking age should be 18 is more or less a given, especially here in Wisconsin. Even though most of us disagree, we continue to ticket our fellow citizens who are old enough to die for their country, vote and live on their own. The reason for the gap between what the public thinks and does and the laws our politicians continue to support is the lack of a safe, cost-effective plan to lower Wisconsin’s drinking age. Before we can make progress on issues such as binge drinking and drunk driving, we must change the drinking age to 18. Just take a look around campus on the weekends. Even though this is a college campus, there is so much underage drinking on weekends one would think it were legal. The binge drinking we see has not decreased but rather continued to worsen under our current system.

The brain drain we are experiencing now could end.

Opponents of lowering the legal drinking age reference the federal highway funding Wisconsin would lose if we change our laws. This is true— we would lose millions of dollars in highway funds if we do not comply with federal regulations. But think of everything we would gain. The brain drain we are expe-

riencing could be ended. In the same way that marijuana laws are convenient for more open-minded California residents, citizens of Wisconsin would benefit from realistic drinking legislation. The increase in tax revenue and economic stimulus we would experience could easily offset highway losses. With thousands of new tax-paying residents and millions of 18-to-21-year-olds drinking in public instead of illegally at house parties, the financial windfall would be enormous.

We must change our laws to offer incentives for responsible drinking.

But any plan to reduce the drinking age must reach beyond explaining the monetary aspects of such an gigantic cultural shift. It must explain to critics how allowing 18-year-olds to drink is going to decrease, rather than increase, irresponsible alcohol use. The new method must mirror our current drivers licensing program so as to include education, a probationary period and consequences for misuse of this new responsibility. Like our drivers, Wisconsin drinkers should have to obtain a license. Teenagers who wish to apply for a drinkers license should only be able to do so after satisfactory completion of a drinkers education course. The course should include information about drinking and driving, alcohol poisoning, sexual assault and other relevant issues. After passing the test, Wisconsin residents, and only Wisconsin residents, would be issued a temporary drinkers license. If during the probationary period they could prove themselves to be responsible, they, and every future resident

wishing to drink, would be issued a permanent drinkers license. This system would provide numerous advantages over our current situation. Every resident would be educated and know that drunken driving or other dangerous drinkingrelated behavior could lead to the revocation of their Drinkers license. By implementing, a license and lowering the drinking age we would gain a new tactic for ﬁghting problem drinking in all age groups. Instead of showing a drivers license to prove their age, all legal residents, regardless of age, would show their drinkers license. Those who prove they are responsible would have no trouble getting a drink. Those who are dangerous would lose their drinking license. In addition, we will have an incentive to keep those who are under 18 from drinking. Any minors who are caught drinking without their parents would not be eligible for their drinkers licenses until they turned 21. Changing our drinking age is the only method that will enable Wisconsin to deal with its alcohol issues in a productive manner. Rather than punishing our citizens and segregating them by age, a licensing program would educate the public and give them the beneﬁt of the doubt. We must change our laws to offer incentives for responsible drinking and functional consequences for behavior we wish to discourage. Lowering the drinking age would give teenagers something to work toward. In addition, they would receive the education they need to become the adults our society needs them to be. If we lower the Wisconsin drinking age to 18 and institute a drinkers license, we will not only save money, we will rid ourselves of a culture that promotes binge drinking and discriminates against our young citizens. Andrew Carpenter is a senior majoring in communication arts and psychology. We welcome all feedback. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

view Cardinal View editorials represent The Daily Cardinal’s organizational opinion. Each editorial is crafted independent of news coverage.

student financial aid revision overdue

n Sept. 17 Congress approved far-reaching legislation that would expand federal aid to college students and end federal subsidies to private lenders. The Students Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, if passed by the Senate and signed by the president, would allocate $87 billion in post-secondary education over ten years. The bill would increase the amount of federal aid available to university students and increase funding to community colleges. Perhaps most importantly, the bill would simplify the spiteful Federal Application for Student Aid, infamously known to students as the FAFSA.

By increasing available ﬁnancial aid more students may be able to attend college.

The bill appropriates $499.7 million to Wisconsin over the next ten years’ with $56.4 million allocated to south-central Wisconsin. In the 2008-09 academic year, Pell Grants numbered $5,350 a piece. If the new bill passes, the grants will increase to $5,550 in 2010 and $6,900 by 2019, surpassing the rate of inﬂation. By switching more student loans from private lenders to direct loans from the government-run Direct Loan program, students and parents are guaranteed equal access to loans regardless of the state of the economy. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this switch will save American taxpayers $87 billion over the next ten years.

The bill passed the House by 253-171, with six Republicans voting aye and four Democrats nay. The act passed under the radar in between the two sides bickering over health care, but it could be the largest single expenditure on post-secondary education to ever pass through Congress. The benefits for students may not be instantaneous or outstanding, but such a massive bill will have far-reaching consequences in universities and community colleges across the country. By increasing available financial aid, more students may be able to attend college. President Obama made a commitment to having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world, and this will certainly make that more attainable. This could also foster an increased diversity of different economic classes and backgrounds on campuses, a type of diversity often overshadowed by discussions of ethnicity and gender. Granted, the bill is not substantial enough to produce a noticeable surge in poor students attending college, but help is needed in any amount. As most college students know, a few hundred dollars can make a world of difference during a period of life as heavily indebted as college.

As with most educational expenditures, this is an investment.

The bill could not be in the works at a better time. Students and the economically disadvantaged are most at-risk at a time such as now, with the economy still in the dregs. Last year, student loan defaults increased to 6.7 percent, up from 5.2 percent in the previous ﬁscal year. Today, more and new careers require a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree. More students are considering applying to graduate school or attending law school, either for career advancement or to stave off entering the meager job market. Passing this bill at a time when the federal government is spending money left and right seems fiscally irresponsible on the surface. But, as with most educational expenditures, this is an investment. The money spent with the Students Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act will be repaid to the government and American taxpayers numerous times over. If more Americans attend and graduate from college, more and more American workers will find higher-paying jobs, command higher salaries and return more money over their lifetime to the government through taxes. The bill will help students graduate with less debt while saving taxpayers money. Such action is wise and long overdue.

arts

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Cherry pickin’ from the Emmys’ winners MARK RIECHERS jumping the Mark

unday’s Primetime Emmy presentation wasn’t much different from the year prior, at least within my universe. I was still attempting to watch the awards in the middle of my Sunday night shift at work. I still watched gleefully as “30 Rock” won in every category and I still scratched my head when they announced a list of mini-series nominees I’d never heard of. It’s like a category just for HBO. If you’re like me, the Emmys are less about watching a threehour block of TV talking about TV and more about checking your scorecard against what’s winning awards—the more winners you already watch, the better you are at picking the right timeslots in front of the idiot box. And if you aren’t watching what’s stacking up piles of trophies, it’s a good night to re-evaluate your TV viewing schedule. For instance, the six Emmys that the cast and crew of AMC’s “Mad Men” got to drag home with them last year gave me some indication that the 1960s period piece set in a New York City ad agency was worth a look. Lo and behold, the show lived up to the promise of all that gold and then some—it’s easily the ﬁnest produced, written and acted show on television. This year’s accolades were no different, except I got to gloat as one of my new favorite series gobbled up another two statues. So who do we start watching this year based on their award collection? AMC’s other drama, “Breaking Bad,” has certainly garnered some attention, what

with its lead Bryan Cranston stealing the Emmy for lead actor in a drama from Jon Hamm of “Mad Men” two years in a row. The series follows Cranston’s character as he attempts to make the jump from chemistry teacher to meth dealer. If you don’t remember who he is, think back to the panicky dad from “Malcolm in the Middle.” Who knew he had it in him? Also worth keeping an eye on could be Diablo Cody’s Showtime series “The United States of Tara,” which nabbed Toni Collette an Emmy for lead actress in a comedy for her portrayal of a loving mother with multiple personalities. The pilot showed a lot of promise, with Cody’s scripting in full swing, and this win makes me think the rest of the series might be worth revisiting on DVD or otherwise.

Of course, not all the awardees are really winners.

Of course, not all the awardees are really winners. John Cryer’s frequent whining about whatever Charlie Sheen is doing on “Two and a Half Men” shouldn’t have netted him Emmy gold. That was Neil Patrick Harris’ Emmy, pure and simple. For causing the only major upset of the evening, John Cryer will need to be sent to that special corner of Hell reserved for reality TV hosts and Kanye West. Did you know that “Survivor” was still on, much less that it could win an Emmy for host Jeff Probst? Yeah, neither did Mark. Share your hatred for reality TV via email at mriechers@wisc.edu.

PHOTO COURTESY LIONSGATE

After cleaning up with even more Emmys for their mantle, these two “Mad” characters went home looking like “Happy Men.”

5 PHOTO COURTESY ANTICON

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

‘Why?’ so glum, chums? By Kyle Sparks THE DAILY CARDINAL

Alopecia, Why?’s 2008 breakout album, exposed the kind of naked wry cynicism its name implies. It was as brutal as it was honest, offering solace to others only in its own wisdom-induced depression. On their follow-up, Eskimo Snow, their songs conceal that cynicism like igloos or drifts. The intense attacks and disenfranchised rage are replaced by timid, ﬂuttering pessimism. Why? is a lyrical group, but that’s never been a problem until Eskimo Snow. Musically, they’ve relied on hip hop-infused rhythms to propel Wolf’s abstract narratives and hopeless, anarchic rage. They take edgy, avant-garde hip hop a step farther, testing its limits with folk elements and rock inclinations. They exist in a very remote place, though, without overwhelming crossover appeal for either hip hop or folk fans. In accordance with their niche, there’s a high degree of correlation between musical success and lyrical triumph with Why?, sometimes sequestering an already divisive band into a subset within even its own fan base.

CD REVIEW

Eskimo Snow Why? Hip-hop pioneers didn’t have Lady Gaga samples or Rihanna’s backing vocals to mask their lazy rhymes, and thus were forced to record biting and sincere records out of fear of being exposed as a poser. By no means is Eskimo Snow reason to discredit Why?’s previous conquests, but it does show a distinct shift in focus. Wolf doesn’t rely so heavily on his lyrical prowess, but tries to incorporate more production value. Why? is effectually a cutting-edge hip-hop group that veered too far from their roots and made a pop album. Even as a pop album, Eskimo Snow still has a hard time establishing a strong identity. Musically, they stutter through verses that lack lyrical direction, often creating a highway collision of misplaced keys and inebriated rhythms. Occasionally they manage to gather the speed to steer through an accomplished chorus, but usually the pieces of upholstery fall in the same ditch as the crushed exterior. They channel Mark Mothersbaugh, but don’t have the delicate touch to quite pull off his earnest playfulness. They try their hand at thundrous percussion, but they’re too meek to muster the appropriate force. Why? get their pop sound best when they marry crescendoing bass-

and-drums with frenetic keyboards until they let the bottom fall out and carve out their own groove. However, that’s an unsustainable formula. After carving enough, they climb a mountain only to see the bottom fall out entirely. Or, without the tired crescendo, they inhabit a ﬂatland that doesn’t offer the amusement of a parking lot carnival. Eskimos have a diverse vocabulary

of words that mean “snow” in all its different forms. Each word takes a different meaning the way a Swiss Army knife takes on multiple functions. Snow is their lifeblood, and the many variations of the word demonstrate the myriad utilities it serves, each instrumental to their survival. Unfortunately, in Why?’s case, Eskimo Snow is nothing but a bunch of different ways to say hardly anything.

comics 6

Rhyme Crime. No word in the English language rhymes with “month.” dailycardinal.com/comics

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

A nicely cooked steak

Today’s Sudoku

Evil Bird

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

Angel Hair Pasta

By Todd Stevens ststevens@wisc.edu

Sid and Phil

By Alex Lewein alex@sidandphil.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.

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

The Graph Giraffe

Charlie and Boomer

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

By Natasha Soglin soglin@wisc.edu

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com NEW IDEA ACROSS 1 Fair and impartial 5 Praiseful verse 8 Epicurean event 13 “A Fish Called Wanda” character 14 “Alive” author 16 “Family Feud” teammate, often 17 Stop from spoiling 19 Girl in Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers” 20 “Sesame Street” Muppet 21 “Within the ___ of possibility” 23 “___ appetit” 24 Attack word 25 Eternal 28 At leisure 30 Bake-sale holding grp. 31 Niger neighbor 33 Arab League dignitary 37 Wall hanging with pictorial designs 41 Conductor’s charge? 44 Area equation element 45 “Go ___!” 46 Bathtub swirl 47 Canton in Switzerland 49 Expressed, as an adieu 51 Radical change in character 57 Where to ﬁnd

solutions? 60 Kind of trip taken alone 61 Energy type 62 Add one’s two cents 64 “Ain’t I a Woman?” deliverer Sojourner 66 “War and Peace,” e.g. 68 Fix loose laces 69 “Mi ___ es su ...” 70 Bell tower sound 71 List components 72 Inclined to avoid the spotlight 73 Calls Mary “Mindy,” e.g. DOWN 1 They might be practical 2 Wombs 3 Like some signs 4 African antelope 5 Hockey legend Bobby 6 Handle on a tractor? 7 Alleviating agent 8 Clooney or Rooney 9 Needle point? 10 “I was at my friend’s all night,” e.g. 11 Place to curl up and dye? 12 Nashville intonation 15 Indian dish made with stewed legumes (Var.) 18 Experience the effects of 22 Computer support?

26 Suddenly change course 27 Repaired, as roads 29 Judicial declaration 31 Catty utterance? 32 Victor in Zaire, 1974 34 “21” school 35 Swell remedy? 36 Alternative to Sony or JVC 38 Correct a FedEx mistake 39 Companions’ separator? 40 Chester White’s home 42 Plump songbirds 43 Boss on a shield 48 Japanese leader Hirobumi 50 Abbreviated mystery writer? 51 Kind of culture dish 52 Fine-feathered specimen 53 Letter carrier’s assignment 54 A Baldwin brother 55 Spanish hors d’oeuvres 56 “My Wild ___ Rose” 58 Lend ___ (listen) 59 Clapper containers 63 Holy See resident 65 “A Christmas Carol” boy 67 Archipelago part

You Can Run

By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com

sports 7

dailycardinal.com/sports

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Big Ten needs wins for conference to get respect SCOTT KELLOGG the cereal box

ach year, Wisconsin football fans are forced to hear and read about how weak Big Ten football is. Unfortunately, as the Big Ten schedule begins this weekend, we’ll be hearing more of the same. The bulk of the Big Ten’s nonconference schedule is done, and once again the conference produced unimpressive outcomes. The headlining non-conference clash involving the Big Ten was Ohio State’s matchup with USC in the second week of the season. After a resounding Ohio State loss in 2008 in Los Angeles, the Buckeyes had an opportunity to showcase the Big Ten on a national stage. The ingredients for an Ohio State win were there: a home game, a more experienced Terrelle Pryor and a freshman quarterback for the Trojans. The Buckeyes played a competitive game, but didn’t get the win, showing the top tier of the Pac-10 is superior to that of the Big Ten. The result of the Ohio StateUSC bout was disappointing, but it wasn’t the conference’s only prospect of potentially proving its ability. The Big Ten as an entity entered the season with relatively low expectations, compared to conferences such as the Big 12 or the SEC. But one team that did come into 2009 with heightened expectations was Michigan State, after winning nine games in 2008 and finishing third in the conference. Despite the hype, the Spartans had perhaps the worst non-conference run of any Big Ten school, suffering a home defeat to a midmajor team in Central Michigan, followed by another loss at the hands of Notre Dame. Not much is expected of most Big Ten schools, but no one could have predicted the Spartans would enter their Big Ten schedule 1-2. If one takes a current look at the Big Ten standings, most teams have a winning record, but only because the conference feasted on mid-major and FCS schools. When the Big Ten did butt heads with BCS competition, the results weren’t pretty. The Big Ten’s record against the other five BCS conferences and Notre Dame was 5-6, which denotes a slightly above-average performance. But closer assessment of those 11 contests shows the Big Ten’s performance against BCS schools wasn’t even that. The Big Ten had five victories, but three of them came against Syracuse and Iowa State, two teams who combined for a 5-19 record in 2008. Calling those three victories quality wins doesn’t do them justice. The other two BCS-level wins are higher quality, but still not incredibly impressive. Iowa played and beat Arizona in Iowa City, pitting a top-tier Big Ten team against a mid-level Pac-10 squad. It was a nice win for the Hawkeyes, but nothing to hang their hat on. The other win was a Michigan victory over Notre Dame in Ann

Arbor, which was probably the conference’s best non-conference performance. It was a signiﬁcant victory for the struggling Wolverines, but it was still a win over a squad who lost six games in 2008 including one to the Big Ten’s favorite punching bag, Syracuse. Notre Dame was anointed a 2009 contender, but those were only based on the pre-season polls, which are, in turn, based on pretty much nothing. Some of the Big Ten’s losses to BCS teams were also troubling. It started opening day with Illinois, a mid-level Big Ten squad, getting blown out of the water in a neutralsite game against a mid-level Big 12 team in Missouri, 37-9. Illinois isn’t expected to be as good in 2009 as they were in recent years, but a close game would have been nice. Then last weekend a middleof-the-pack Big Ten squad fell to a lower-level Big East squad (probably the worst BCS conference in the nation), when Northwestern fell to Syracuse, actually giving the Orange a victory in their Big Ten tour. To add fuel to the ﬁre, the Big Ten also suffered some hiccups against mid-major and FCS teams. Over last weekend, Purdue lost to Northern Illinois, who entered the game ranked No. 79 in cbssportsline.com’s rankings of all FBS teams. The Boilermakers are a lower-level Big Ten team, but a home loss to a poor mid-major school is disturbing. Back during opening weekend, the Big Ten’s crown jewel, Ohio State, needed to stop a 2-point conversion at home to stave off Navy. Iowa needed not one, but two last-second blocked field goals to hold off Northern Iowa. Indiana’s 3-0, but they were within a score from losing to Western Kentucky. It’s a pretty simple formula for the Big Ten: win, and it’ll regain respect. Until then, let the Big Ten bashing continue. How do you think the Big Ten will do in 2009? Let Scott know by emailing him at kellogg2@wisc.edu.

KYLE BURSAW CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Caity DuPont is one of two seniors on the Wisconsin volleyball team, which will kick off its Big Ten schedule at the Kohl Center tonight against Iowa.

Volleyball

Badgers riding streak at start of Big Ten play

By Adam Tupitza THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin volleyball team looks to start off the Big Ten season strong when they host Iowa tonight at the UW Field House. Wisconsin (5-4) ended the nonconference portion of its schedule with a sweep of Green Bay on the road last Wednesday. The Badgers are currently riding a two-game winning streak as they enter the Big Ten home opener. “Any time you can get back-toback wins, it’s great,” UW head coach Pete Waite said. “For this group, I think they’re feeling good about their play, and they’re doing some nice things out on the court.” Iowa (8-4) and Wisconsin split last year’s season series, each coming up with a win at home. Iowa had lost 26 straight matches to the

Badgers prior to last year’s victory. “It’s the Big Ten opener, and we want to come out strong,” Waite said. “We want to be serving tough and passing solid, so our offense can run well. We’ve been working on team chemistry and a faster offense, and we want to see that coming into play for the match.” Despite being over .500 on the season, the Badgers currently have the worst record in the Big Ten. This may be a by-product of a challenging non-conference schedule, as the team has already played three teams currently ranked in the top 35 nationally. “The matches that we lost, I think we still played really competitively,” senior outside hitter Caity DuPont said. “It’s great to be over .500, but now it’s all about the Big Ten.” “It’s easier for the players to be

up for Big Ten play,” Waite added. “The crowds get bigger, and every match matters as far as the race for the Big Ten. They know these teams pretty well because they scouted them last year. Plus, the band and the student section really crank things up.” Tonight’s game is the 19thannual Steve Lowe Night. Lowe, who passed away from lung cancer in 1991, was formerly the head coach of Badgers’ volleyball. He led the team to its ﬁrst Big Ten title and NCAA tournament appearance back in 1990. Senior Brittney Dolgner will receive the Steve Lowe Endowed Scholarship prior to tonight’s match. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Field House. Additionally, the ﬁrst 250 students through the door will receive a free T-shirt.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

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