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Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Union fire damages theater, injures one By Taylor Harvey The Daily Cardinal
A two-alarm fire ignited by a construction worker at the Memorial Union Theater Monday morning caused approximately $10,000 in damage and injured one firefighter, according to the University of WisconsinMadison Police Department. The Madison Fire Department responded to a call at 7:38 a.m. about a fire that started on the first floor and reached the fifth floor of the Union Theater, according to MFD Spokesperson Eric Dahl. Firefighters arrived at the scene in three minutes and deemed the fire under control 15 minutes later at 7:55 a.m. The fire began after a construction worker, who was using a torch-like tool, accidently set wax paper hanging on the walls ablaze with the
tool, according to Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8. No one from the public was injured, but a firefighter was taken to the hospital for a heat-related illness, according to Dahl. Upon firefighters’ arrival, Dahl said crews could see smoke coming out of two sides of the building and deemed the incident a two-alarm fire, calling more firefighters and trucks to the scene. Dahl said fire reached an attic space, which firefighters accessed after minutes of searching for entryway. Once they found it, they placed a hose in the space to quickly extinguish the fire. “Their access to the attic was limited to one door,” Dahl said in a statement. “Moving around in the attic space required crawling around on small walkways in
heavy smoke conditions.” The MFD made a “tremendous stop” to the fire and prevented further damage to the building, according to Dahl. Other firefighters used aerial ladders to climb onto the roof to ensure they extinguished all flames in the roofing material, according to an MFD statement. Resnick said the fire should not significantly delay Memorial Union renovations, located in the building’s west wing, because there appears to be no structural damage to the building. The room where the fire occurred was gutted entirely due to the construction project, so nothing in it was damaged, according to Resnick. However, he said there will be some cleanup required to continue the renovations.
on campus
Hawaiian hoop-la
Alan Akaka, former president of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association, performs traditional Hawaiian songs at the Pyle Center Monday, Oct. 8. + Photo by Grey Satterfield
Miscalculation results in additional city funds By Abby Becker The Daily Cardinal
Due to a miscalculation by Mayor Paul Soglin, the city now has additional funding to incorporate into the 2013 Operating Budget, which the Madison Police Department might use to improve training facilities and maintain an MPD analyst position. Before submitting a draft budget, Soglin estimates the amount of state and federal aid the city will need. But this year’s estimates were inaccurate, which resulted in an unexpected extra $267,000 for the city to use. Soglin said he suggests these funds be used to continue an abigail waldo/the daily cardinal
A construction worker inadvertently lit flammable materials with a torch-like tool in the Memorial Union Theater causing a fire, which resulted in $10,000 in damages.
Walker to testify in trial of former aide Gov. Scott Walker must appear in court next week as a witness in a John Doe trial involving one of his former aides, according to a court summons signed by Walker’s lawyer Michael Steinle Sept. 28. Prosecutors are investigating former Milwaukee County Deputy Chief of Staff Kelly
Rindfleisch for allegedly making illegal campaign calls while at work when she was an aide to then Milwaukee County Executive Walker. Rindfleisch pleaded not guilty in March to four charges of misconduct in public office. University of WisconsinMadison associate history and
law professor Karl Shoemaker said testifying as a witness in the case does not necessarily incriminate Walker as involved with the misconduct. Rather, the court believes he has information as a witness that could prove useful to resolving the case.
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MPD analyst position, maintenance for a new police training facility and a consultant for a biodigester study, which will review environmentally-friendly composting methods. In addition to the $267,000, Soglin also left an unallocated $500,000 in his budget for city Council members to decide how to spend without increasing the tax levy. According to Soglin, many Council members said there was not enough room in the 2012 budget to designate funds to different city departments, which is why
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Robber punches, mugs UW-Madison student at Regent and Park Streets Police said a robber punched a University of WisconsinMadison student in the face before stealing her purse early Saturday morning near Regent and South Park Streets. The 19-year-old woman called police Saturday afternoon to report the robbery, according to Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain. At approximately 1:30 a.m., the woman said she was walking alone on Regent Street heading toward Park Street
when a man approached her and punched her in the face, according to a police statement. DeSpain said in a statement the man demanded she give him her fake black leather purse after he punched her. The suspect stole her money but left the purse with the woman’s keys and ID near the crime scene, according to DeSpain. Police describe the man as an 18- to 22-year-old white male who is approximately 6 feet tall and was wearing a dark colored hoodie.
“…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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Tuesday, October 9, 2012
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Just shut up about politics Michael Voloshin voloshin’s commotion
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h leap year, I remember when you were so cool. We got that extra day, I celebrated my friend Bryce’s rare birthday (he’s 5 now) and we spent a whole year making frog jokes (well we did when I was in the third grade). But now that I’ve turned 20 years, Leap Years are only synonymous with one thing: the presidential election. And oh my God I am tired of it. I wouldn’t mind presidential elections—or politics for that matter—if everyone had a legitimate and smart comment to make. However, that is never the case. My Facebook feed is littered with opinions, “facts” and photoshopped pictures with meaningful quotes that would make any levelheaded Canadian cry. I have seen heated debates where the legality
of gay marriage comes into question but the two “lawyers” can’t even spell amendment right. These are the future leaders of our free world! When Scott Walker won his recall election against Tom Barrett, a Facebook friend of mine said, “that’s cool Wisconsin, I didn’t want gay marriage either.” Of course he was being sarcastic, but what’s maddening is that the issue of gay marriage had about a .00001 percent effect on the race. The election was mostly about unions and the economy and yet we had people vote who thought it was about social issues. Can there be an IQ test before you have to vote? I’ll be the first to admit it: I don’t know what to believe anymore, I don’t know who is best for this country, and I certainly don’t know who (if I do) I plan on voting for. Who’s better? Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Gary Johnson, Ralph Nader, Godzilla, Pinky or the Brain!?! Really it’s a crapshoot. However, I’m pretty sure my opinion will not be swayed by whether or not you share that one picture
of Mitt Romney looking more tan than Snooki (easy-pickings) on a Latino talk show. Politics are a necessary evil. We need to vote for people that can represent us all. Without democracy, we’d just have a bunch of uneducated people yelling at each other to get what they want (sounds like the Internet). But isn’t that what we have already? I mean, we vote for our representatives to have educated responses to issues that matter to us, but the process that we need to endure is just that dystopia I described earlier. Aren’t candidates changing what they believe in the second they realize a different opinion can get them elected? The question I guess we should ask is why the hell would anyone want to be president anyway? The stress of having the final say on every important issue to ever affect the American people is on your shoulders: Could you handle that? Have you seen Barack Obama’s hair recently? He needs “Just for Men” ASAP. And why does Mitt Romney want to be president? Wouldn’t
making only $400,000 a year be a severe pay cut? I guess I’m getting off track from my original point (hey just like every debate answer ever!), this isn’t about people running for president, it’s about those that blindly follow these people. I get it, we vote from our guts rather than our minds. Why should I care about the foreign policies of the two candidates when I know Mitt Romney is taller and taller people are more trustworthy? And yes, I did just spend 15 minutes on Google searching for the heights of every American president and laughing hysterically at James Madison. If I could, ask a debate question it’d be “would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck?” because I can only trust a candidate that has the clarity of mind to pick the 100 tiny horses. God, look at me over sharing now, I guess I flip-flopped from my original idea. So you know what, please share everything you think about this election. Obviously you’re more educated about it than me. Over all this poli-talk too? Tell Michael about it at mvoloshin@wisc.edu.
My not-so-smooth trip back to the milky way Jaime Brackeen bracks on bracks on bracks
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am oscillating along the lines of a near-quarter life crisis and it can all be traced back to an admitted defeat and final termination of a finicky relationship with lactose. We did have some beautiful beginnings; I was raised on the dairy. As a child, and even through high school, I drank milk like water. From the dregs of my cereal bowl, in a carton at lunch, chocolate milk for a snack, and a tall, cool glass with dinner, it might be safe to say, along with other byproducts, cows are the sole reason I survived as an adolescent. Yet for reasons likely stemming from a sudden and inexplicable desire to be healthier, something in this nurturing relationship changed when I got to college. Why drink regular cow’s milk when I could be downing double the calcium for half the calories with almond milk or enjoying the sweet, indulgent goodness of “milk” of the chocolate soy variety? The love for my friend and provider of so many years soon expired and I readily hopped aboard the lactose-free train. However, after a few months I abruptly resurfaced from this weird, unnecessary and completely ineffective dive into self-improvement, as do we all, with any luck, from the irrational experimentations of youth. I was back on the bandwagon—or you might call it a tractor. Milk and me, reunited. But, something had changed. Milk just wasn’t the same. I came back from my digression begging for forgiveness and presuming my wily dairy companion would welcome me back with open arms. I thought we could laugh about my silly notions in due time; I mean, milk comes from happy cows or something to that end, does it not? There is no particular moment I can recollect that triggered my return to milk, all I know is that one
day I went grocery shopping and came back with a gallon of skim and a half-gal of chocolate Swiss style 1 percent for good measure. The rest of the groceries sat melting and thawing like a felled scoop of ice cream on a hot summer day as I poured myself a tall glass of that taupe tastiness. Gone in a flash, I next moved back into the paper bag abyss of groceries for a fresh box of Frosted Mini-Wheats, which I ravenously ripped open. Coating my wheaties with a generous helping of milk, my snack looked more like a creamy kiddie pool for a bunch of squares than a bowl of cereal. Now might also be a good time to mention my general policy of continuing to pour cereal until every last drop of milk has dissipated. Ergo, I typically welcome excessive milk amounts. But as I slurped up the final drops of shredded dregs my inner voice
subconsciously quoted a dialogue between Winnie the Pooh and his tummy, “Sounds like you’re going to be mighty feisty today” (this is a real quote from the Winnie the Pooh movie, look it up if you don’t believe me, but I digress), though that loveable Pooh Bear probably never said it with quite so much foreboding. Instead of the sunny silence of a satisfied stomach, my inner voice grumbled in dismay. In karmic retribution for my betrayal of dairy, dairy had now betrayed me. It’s like the theme of my life suddenly became some kind of horrible, dairy-inspired revamp of a Notorious B.I.G. song: “Mo’ Milk, Mo’ Problems.” After a six-month hiatus, I had developed a lactose intolerance, and soon came to realize any amount past a cup of my childhood companion would never sit quite right again. We’re told not to cry over spilled
milk, but what about a few tears shed for the end of an era? Is that okay? You might think I’m being overdramatic, but if so, you probably don’t realize the extent of truth I portend in my milk musings of the above paragraphs. The actualization of a lactose intolerance dealt a crushing blow to my general way of life—a life I had taken a vacation from, but one I had grown to love and hoped to return to nonetheless. Please, use my story as a cautionary tale. Don’t go looking for something flashy and new when you’ve already got a perfectly satisfying and healthy old friend to wait for you with cookies when your day goes sour. If you’ve got an ounce of lactose tolerance left in your tummy, don’t let it slip away; milk that sucker for all it’s worth. Ever had a cow over milk? Tell Jaime your MOOving story at jbrackeen@ dailycardinal.com.
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SSFC denies free-market advocacy group eligibility Student Services Finance Committee voted unanimously to deny Collegians for a Constructive Tomorrow funding eligibility in a meeting Monday, due to controversies over the group’s services. An organization must undergo eligibility hearings every two years and prove it spends 51 percent of its time providing “direct services,” or “identifiable,” “educational” and “tailorable” services, which are available to all University of WisconsinMadison students. In last week’s eligibility hearing, CFACT representatives said their organization plays an important role on campus as an advocacy service for free-market policies with limited regulation. According to SSFC Chair Ellie Bruecker, many representatives found CFACT’s proposed direct services, advocacy training and stewardship training, to be confusing. “Some members on the committee felt they did not have a clear and identifiable direct
service,” Bruecker said. “They couldn’t really figure out from the application or the presentation or the questions what exactly their direct services did.” Other members felt the group did provide clear and direct services, but found the group did not meet the additional criteria to spend a majority of its time performing those services. All members’ calculations showed the group spent less than 51 percent of its time providing direct services. However, Bruecker said she is hoping to work with CFACT to explore other funding options, possibly through grants from the ASM Finance Committee. Also in the meeting, the committee approved funding eligibility for a new student organization, Medieval Warriorcraft League, saying the group met the necessary criteria with its educational and weaponry training sessions as unique direct services to the student body. —Cheyenne Langkamp
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party,” Shoemaker said. Other former aides and staff of Walker’s have also faced charges including embezzlement and campaigning while working in a taxpayer-funded office since the investigation began over two years ago. According to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court subpoena, Walker must appear as a witness in court Oct. 16 to present evidence relevant to the case. —Meghan Chua
Although Walker is not being charged under the current investigation, Shoemaker said “the optics of it aren’t good.” “No sitting governor or any other elected official wants to be required to testify in a case in which someone who worked with [or for] them is accused of wrongdoing associated with a campaign or with a political
budget from page 1 the mayor gave Council members more flexibility in the 2013 budget. “I’ve done my best trying to leave funds available for the Council to do things as it chooses,” Soglin said. Council members can decide whether to use the unallocated funds for departments funded by the city, such as the Overture Center, or for lowering property taxes, according to Soglin. The Board of Estimates heard presentations from various city departments, such as the MPD, regarding details of their individual proposed 2013 budgets. Soglin is proposing to continue allocating $50,000 for the
Downtown Safety Initiative, which provides funding for additional officers downtown on weekend nights. While DSI funds have been used only Friday and Saturday nights in the past, Chief Noble Wray said the MPD will schedule additional officers Thursday nights when needed, due to a spike in crime. “If we’re seeing a pattern where things are getting out of control on Thursday nights, we can staff for that,” Wray said. The budget also proposes reallocating another $50,000 to fund other citywide safety initiatives, although Wray said those funds will most likely be primarily used downtown, where the majority of crime in Madison occurs.
Shoaib altaf/the daily cardinal
MC Lyte praises UW-Madison’s First Wave program for its efforts to integrate hip-hop into education.
MC Lyte visits UW, advocates using hip-hop in education By Sam Cusick The Daily Cardinal
The University of WisconsinMadison’s First Wave program welcomed MC Lyte, a distinguished hip-hop artist, to campus Monday to discuss ways hip-hop can send positive messages to youth, and how teachers can use the messages to improve education. The lecture was one in a series of lectures scheduled by the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives to explore the role of hip-hop in solving achievement gaps in education. MC Lyte, who has collaborated with artists such as Missy Elliott and Janet Jackson, said modern rap and hip-hop songs send negative messages to students because
of inappropriate lyrics and said teachers should use classic hiphop that “actually meant something” in their curriculum. “I always tell the story of what hip-hop used to be, but still can be,” MC Lyte said. “And [that story] still lives in many of us who see it necessary to propel hip-hop to the heights of where it should be.” Additionally, MC Lyte praised UW-Madison’s First Wave program for its efforts to integrate the art of hip-hop into everyday education, and asked the group to create an album so she can share First Wave’s story. “First Wave is something that I so wish I had when I was in school,” MC Lyte said. “I am completely optimistic
[for the future] because First Wave exists.” The emcee shared her personal experience working in the hip-hop industry where she advocated for the further integration of hip-hop into schools, a luxury she said she wasn’t given. Senior UW-Madison Elementary Education student Mary Johnson said she would use the topics addressed in Monday’s lecture, along with previous lectures in the series, to benefit her future students. “Every week I just learn a little bit more of not only how important hip-hop is just for education but also … how I can take that reality of my students and bring it into the classroom,” Johnson said.
Man breaks jaw, nose in fight on West Dayton Street A drunken brawl on the 400 block of West Dayton Street led to a man breaking his jaw and nose early Saturday morning, according to police. While the 21-year-old Madison man could not remember the specifics of the incident, a witness told police the victim was engaged in a fight
against another man, according to Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain. The witness said both men were punching each other, although the victim never made contact with the other man, according to a police statement. “The perpetrator had been with a group, but it appeared
the victim was walking alone,” DeSpain said. DeSpain said the witness stepped in to stop the fight when the suspect continued to punch the victim in the head after he was down on the ground. Police describe the suspect as a 25- 30-year-old Asian male with a short black crew cut.
Academic Staff postpone vote on personnel redesign plan By Cheyenne Langkamp The Daily Cardinal
mohamed aqeel/the daily cardinal
Chancellor David Ward tells the Academic Staff Assembly Monday the university should strive for increased flexibilities.
The University of WisconsinMadison Academic Staff Assembly announced Monday the assembly will wait until its November meeting to take a formal position on the university’s recent Human Resources redesign plan. The new plan aims to improve university employee recruitment and retainment in response to the recent decline in state support by making changes to employee benefits, compensation and diversity efforts. According to Academic Staff Executive Committee Chair Jeff Shokler, the assembly decided to delay its decision following recent news that the UW System Board of Regents will not take action on the plan until its December meet-
ing. Initially, the assembly was scheduled to vote on the plan in Monday’s meeting. An extra month will allow academic staff more time to review and respond to the document, Shokler said. “Our timing has changed a little bit but it’s for the best,” Shokler said. “It’s giving us time to be more deliberative and produce hopefully a better … white paper for [the Academic Staff Assembly] and also resolutions for you to consider at our next meeting.” In a previous meeting, the assembly created an ad-hoc committee on HR design to create a “white paper” summary of the document, which would highlight how the proposal could affect academic staff members. The documentation will be
distributed to assembly members as a condensed report within the next week. ASEC and ad-hoc committee member Robert Newsom said although members of the special committee generally supported the plan, they also expressed concern over a few key issues they felt the plan needed to address in more detail, such as compensation and layoff policy. The assembly will vote on a resolution supporting all or part of the plan at its Nov.12 meeting. Chancellor David Ward also spoke to the assembly about his hopes for the university to garner new flexibilities from the UW system and state in the future, similar to his State of the University speech in front of the Faculty Senate last week.
opinion NCAA athletes should be paid their due 4
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Tuesday, October 9, 2012
dailycardinal.com
michael brost opinion columnist
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ast year, Joe Nocera—an opinion columnist for the New York Times—wrote an enlightening series of articles on the extractive practices and rules of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, of which the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a member. I think it’s a good idea to see what one of those rules means to UW-Madison. In 2011, the Badger football team raised $18,332,243 in revenue through ticket sales alone, according to the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department. Although it’s hard to put a number on the revenue raised by team endorsements, television rights, royalties on jersey sales and the like, there are surely untold millions more dollars in revenue raised through these avenues. Of all the money earned by the football program last year, believe it or not, starting quarterback Russell Wilson didn’t earn a single dollar. Running back Montee Ball? Nothing. Linebacker Chris Borland? Yeah, he didn’t see a single cent either. So what’s the NCAA’s justification for prohibiting universities from paying their athletes? Collegiate athletes are amateur student-athletes, therefore they shouldn’t be paid. Never mind the fact that they create the value we,
wil gibb/Cardinal File photo
Head coach Bret Bielema was paid $2.5 million in 2011, more than double Gov. Scott Walker’s salary. the fans, pay to see. Sure, players on scholarship may have all or part of their tuition and living expenses paid for. But they don’t see any of the value they create, which is quite a lot. If you don’t believe me, take a look at how much money head coach Bret Bielema made last year: $2.5 million. To put that number in perspective, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker made $138,338 last year according to state records. Why would Wisconsin pay Bielema so much? Because he’s worth it; think of all that revenue we just talked about! But back to the players. The NCAA’s justification for not paying them is that they’re studentathletes or just amateurs. That
Help America by voting mitch taylor opinion columnist
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nce or twice during our perfectly normal Thursday last week, the students of the University of WisconsinMadison were told about the importance of voting. This is a message that becomes rather old each election season, and I swear if one more person asks me if I’m registered to vote, I’m moving to the Himalayas and becoming a hermit. Despite the prevalence of this message, voter turnout for citizens under the age of 25 rarely exceeds 50 percent and even dipped to a dismal 20 percent in the 2010 elections. Why? College students have stuff to do. When we’re not asleep or drunk, we’re studying. How any student can find the time to date and have a job is beyond me. I barely had time to type up this column. It’s a wonder any of us have a second to vote. The biggest obstacle to voting, however, is apathy. A lot of people just don’t give a damn. But voting is important, and if you’ll bear with me through this analogy, I’ll tell you why. Little kids are bastards. They color on walls, break things and engage in what can only be described as general villainy. The people who raise kids are the most forgiving and compassionate people in the world. Whenever I peed on the cat as a child, my parents weren’t okay with it, but they didn’t cast me out of the house either. Because they loved me, they tried to teach me not to do that. After several visits to the
timeout corner and just as many cat scratches, I came to realize the error of my ways. I turned my life around and haven’t peed on a cat since. That was made possible by my parents giving a damn. America is like a small child peeing on a cat. If we don’t do something, it will continue to pee on that cat. Voting is our way of saying, “No, America. Don’t do that. Don’t pee on that cat. Don’t deny loving couples the right to marry. Don’t spend so much money.” Voting is how we teach and nurture America. We shape it into the nation that it can and should be. It is our responsibility to bring about change in our country just as it is a parent’s responsibility to raise a child, and for the same reason: Because it’s ours and we love it. We do not need to think that America is the best in order to love it. I’m not the best son in the world, but my parents love me more than whoever is, and I bet he didn’t even pee on animals as a kid. Loving someone requires accepting them for who they are, but also a willingness to see their flaws and work to better them. Who’s to say whether or not America is the greatest country on Earth? I don’t care. It’s mine and I love it. And I will fight to make it the best it can be. That’s why it is important to vote. Because America is imperfect and it always will be, but it is our responsibility to help it achieve its full potential. As Vince Lombardi said, “We will chase perfection, and we will chase it relentlessly, knowing all the while we can never attain it. But along the way, we shall catch excellence.” Mitch is a freshman who is undecided. Send all feedback to opinion@dailycardina.com.
reasoning would seem fair to me if we were talking about when the NCAA was founded in the early 20th century. But the nature of college football has changed immensely since then, and now Division I college sports programs are profit-maximizing juggernauts. Division I football programs are incredibly exploitative; they essentially pimp out their players to ensure the highest possible profit margin. Moreover, the distinction of student-athlete is clearly a misnomer. At a bare minimum, they should have the designation of athlete-students, as the majority of their life is devoted to sport, not school. And the title of amateur is an equally
dubious distinction considering the value that athletes create and the sheer amount of money that is wagered on college sports. How about if a player puts in 40 hours a week in practice, weight lifting and watching film, they’re designated as a professional and they earn some of the money the team makes? The claim of amateur status in Division I college basketball is even more baseless. Many sports fans, myself included, actually prefer watching college basketball to watching professional basketball. In college basketball, upsets are always possible, the players try harder and, well, who doesn’t love March Madness? The UW-Madison men’s basket-
ball team raised a little over $5 million in ticket sales last year. Overall, the March Madness tournament raised $770 million in total revenue last year and not a single athlete was paid anything. That’s wrong. Revenue notwithstanding, the UW-Madison football and basketball teams are still incredibly valuable. The Badger athletic program creates what economists call positive externalities—positive effects that students enjoy regardless of whether or not they buy tickets. Athletics bolster school spirit, increase the number of students applying to the school and increase alumni donations. Let me be clear: the point of this column is not to deride the UW-Madison athletic program; I love college football and basketball just as much as the next season ticket holder. Actually that’s why I believe that players should get paid, because it’s the players who I pay to see. And to be fair, UW-Madison is no different than any other Division I program. In fact, they play a small role in the NCAA’s ploy to rob collegiate players of the value they bring in. But the NCAA’s policy of prohibiting universities from paying their athletes cheats the players from the money that they create. Simply put, the NCAA’s policy on athlete compensation was made for the 20th century, not the 21st, and it’s time for it to end. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
Abortion protests gut check passers-by with abrasive displays Noah Phillips opinion columnist
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ast week, in the days leading up to President Obama’s visit, Library Mall played host to a group of traveling protesters known as The Genocide Awareness Project. With their colossal, sickening images of aborted fetuses, their stay was marked not so much by controversy (at least in my circles) as by umbrage, disgust and deep loathing. In this article I don’t want to address the message behind this display (that abortion is unethical). Instead I want to pick apart their shock tactic and elaborate my gut feelings of contempt for these people. My reaction—and many of my friends’ reactions—was very visceral and very rudely rooted in the body. There were tears and vomit. I myself shook, grimaced and avoided Library Mall almost subconsciously for days. It’s not that these people were despicable human beings, that they were scum or that their sole agenda was to make as many students as upset as possible. We can give them the benefit of the doubt and presume they were sincere in their beliefs, beliefs to which they’re entitled. I think most would agree that it’s not what they said (that abortion should be avoided) but how they said it (by shoving pictures in people’s faces and calling
abortion genocide) that accounts for these physical reactions. If you can give me that much, give me this: they want to shock you and disgust you because they want to reach you. They want you to hear them. Morgan Haefner wrote in a previous opinion column about what she termed the “State Street Societors.” That is, those well-meaning men and women who stand on State Street trying to talk to you about the environment, about homelessness, about war. She praised these folks as “the brave ones,” as “the opposite of selfish,” as fighters for the greater good in the face of all our disdain and apathy. The Genocide Awareness Project people, with their grisly billboards, and the Wisconsin Environment people, with their clipboards, are similar in that they are both willing to tolerate our collective disdain. The critical difference is that the GAP will not tolerate our apathy. The Wisconsin Environment solicitors, convinced the environment is something that matters, try to reach you with a friendly face and talking points. It’s easy to brush them off. The GAP people bypass your reasoning and your brush-off by going straight for your gut. If you cried or vomited, their tactic worked because they reached you. They didn’t persuade you, they didn’t please you, but they reached you. They think that abortion is revolting, vile and
obscene, and for a minute they made your stomach curl too. It’s a dangerous tactic because of its efficacy. It touches people, shatters people, in a way the Wisconsin Environment clipboard-wielders can’t or won’t. It’s dangerous because if every radical activist made you feel what they felt about their cause (the drones people, the anti-war people, the environment people, the animal testing people, the homelessness people, the prison-industrial system people, the nuclear proliferation people, the deforestation people), you would be reduced to a shaking lump of quivering flesh just by walking down State Street. If, picking up the newspaper, you empathized with every headline, you’d be a mess. Your heart would be ripped to shreds. No doubt you know what it is to be made aware of something, something you find horrifying and egregious. Something to which people walking down the street are oblivious. You want them all to know what you know. You resent that they don’t feel the way you feel. You want them to feel it in their guts, to strike them dumb, to shake their souls. In short, you cannot convey the enormity of your awareness. And so, whatever your perspective on the Genocide Awareness Project, the Center for Bioethical Reform or abortion, I want you to appreciate what it takes to reach someone so viscerally. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
arts Striking musical gold at small venues dailycardinal.com
By Andy Holsteen the daily cardinal
The past few years have been a learning experience for me musically. I’ve let dust collect on the Megadeth and Dream Theater CDs that I listened to almost religiously at full blast in high school and have started thinking about my musical preferences holistically. Instead of being obsessed with a few similar genres, I’ve branched out into styles and sounds that I could have never imagined myself enjoying. This transition didn’t happen randomly. In fact, I can pinpoint exactly what caused me to start looking into a wider variety of music. My senior year in high school I abandoned the arena-style concert experience I’d grown up with— where a band goes on stage to run through the same set list and dance moves as they do every other night on their 158 day tour—and began going to smaller shows. Without a doubt, this was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. For anyone who considers themself a music buff or for anyone who simply wants to discover some new tunes, ditching the big stage for a less-frequented venue is a must. Let me clarify exactly what I mean by a small show. The venue can be relatively large, like The Majestic, or as small as someone’s basement, and there can be anywhere from a handful to a few hundred people in attendance. I’ve seen bands perform on top of monuments and in warehouses, so the location can vary
Tuesday, October 9, 2012 5
immensely. Essentially, small shows give precedent to the music itself and disregard any illusions of glamour. One of the most virulent aspects of the music industry in general is how insanely expensive tickets are for major names. When concert tickets can easily cost $100, it’s not surprising some people are skittish about splurging on shows. But although one end of the spectrum is completely out of whack, the other is right on track. A lot of smaller shows don’t even aim to make money. Okay, an established venue is trying to turn a profit. Still, ticket prices are much cheaper (like one-fifth as much) at a nonmajor venue, which means going to a concert doesn’t have to be an economic burden. In addition to being much cheaper, smaller shows in general are more enjoyable than huge concerts, I have found. Some of the best acts I’ve seen had a $5 cover (admittedly, there weren’t any laser shows or back-up dancers). This is largely because smaller acts often don’t care about money. They just make music because they have a passion for what they’re doing. That passion breeds a more genuinely heartfelt brand of music, which is always better than something contrived for profit. I think the superstar status that many musicians hold puts their fans in a vice grip. A lot of people dream about going backstage and meeting their favorite band. They have thoughts of the singer falling in love with them and envi-
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graphic by angel lee
sion the guitarist teaching them to play their favorite song. It’s a teenybopper dream that has been alive since the 1960s. In reality, those people are sitting in the nosebleeds. Large venues just don’t deliver the intimate musical experience that a smaller location can. At the Alliant Energy Center, you probably can’t even make out the faces of the people performing unless you’re in the front row. A smaller venue, however, allows the audience to be very close to the band. This makes the concert much more personal, sometimes so much, it feels like you are being serenaded. Sometimes you don’t know
what you really like until you experience it. I am a living example of this. Before I started going to more small shows, I was perfectly content with the music I listened to. But after hearing some new bands and genres I was completely unaware of, I felt like I had been wasting my time. When there are no expectations to fulfill, there seems to be infinite room for creativity and experimentation. From grindcore to post-metal to the utterly indefinable, I’ve heard a massive hodgepodge of different styles and genres since I began going to smaller concerts, sometimes juxtaposed at the same show. My exposure
to this insane variety has completely redefined my musical taste. In fact, it has even altered how I listen to and appreciate music altogether. I’ll be the first to admit that some of the music I’ve heard at small venues has been absolutely terrible. Such is to be expected when amateurs are allowed to perform, as they often are. But if you can wade through the nonsense, you’ll find that some of the most exciting and progressive music is emerging from these small venues. All I can say: Go out and experience it for yourself. Look at any of Madison’s intimate venues and get up close and personal with the stage.
‘Radioactive’ illustrates love and life story of Marie Curie By Jessica Korneff the daily cardinal
For a historical biography about world-renowned scientist Marie Curie, “Radioactive” is not your typical nonfiction read. In fact, it’s difficult to grasp exactly what kind of book “Radioactive” actually is. It’s partly a biography, detailing Marie’s personal struggles and triumphs, dwelling especially on her love life. Yet there is an equally heavy emphasis placed on the progression and magnitude of her scientific work with the chemical radium. Although the first page begins with a quote by Marie Curie claiming, “There is no connection between my scientific work and the facts of private life,” the two are actually quite interwoven. The details of Marie’s personal life, coupled with her extraordinary intelligence, were actually part of a sequence of events that led to the discovery of radium and the creation of the atomic bomb. Marie’s work with radium begins in France as she’s paired with young scientist Pierre Curie. At the time, both are lonely and heartbroken, abandoned by former lovers. As they delve more deeply
into their scientific studies, the chemistry between the two intensifies and they get married, forming an impressive union of two high-profile and promising scientists. For a while, Marie and Pierre’s life seems untouchable. Their work with the chemicals radium and polonium gain interest around the world. The couple becomes as wholeheartedly invested in their scientificwork as they are deeply invested in one another.
In fact, [Marie Curie’s] identity is largely shaped by the men around her, who were overall less impressive than she.
Suddenly, however, everything takes a turn for the worst. Due to an extraordinarily unfortunate stroke of fate, Pierre is killed in a freak accident. Despite her initial devastation at her husband’s death, Marie eventually begins a relationship with one of his former students, Paul Langevin. Marie—once again energetic and delighted and captivated in
her work—seems to be regaining some of her spirit. It doesn’t take long, however, until Paul’s vengeful wife exposes the couple, maliciously spreading gossip throughout the world until Marie’s private life, rather than her research, is the center of attention. Within a course of weeks, Marie’s reputation has faltered from being a prominent scientist to that of a lowly home-wrecker. Although she’s eventually able to overcome this label, Marie’s life never returns to how it used to be. The initial glamor of the exotic and luminous radium begins to wither. Instead, rumors of the negative effects of radiation exposure start swirling throughout the scientific community and the world. Those who come in contact with the chemical on a daily basis experience crippling side effects, some even appearing to “glow” frighteningly from within. As the effects of the chemical radium become increasingly dangerous, despair steadily clouds Marie’s life. At the age of 66, her body—withered from years of radiation exposure—is her final experiment as she meticulously observes her own slow path towards death.
The purpose of the book remains unclear; it is too story-like to be a textbook, yet too unconventional to be a casual read. Despite the fact that Marie made revolutionary leaps in science, her findings are overshadowed by her personal dramas in the book. Although she was a brilliant woman, the book doesn’t say much about her personality. In fact, her identity is largely shaped by the men around her, who were overall less impressive than she. “Radioactive” is a tough book to pinpoint. It’s almost entirely
filled with illustrations that sprawl across the page, encircling and spiraling through the text. There is a constant timewarp as the narration switches from Marie’s era to later years, when the real effects of radiation transform the course of history. Other stories of cancer patients, Chernobyl researchers and Hiroshima survivors intermingle through the nonlinear recount of Marie Curie’s life, showing how the discoveries from a pacifist scientist sent ripples of influence into future diseases and wartime. Readers with fleeting attention spans will likely appreciate the constant pictures, usually surreal depictions of characters with extending arms, disproportionate limbs,and deep-set eyes. Literature buffs, on the other hand, might find some enjoyment in reading Marie’s direct quotes, which are lyrical pieces of Victorian language buried among handdrawn illustrations and careening narration. “Radioactive” is an interesting read that catapults the reader into a dreamlike state, where the words mix with the pictures and the meaning of the book is found in the feelings that it induces, rather than in its actual facts.
arts ‘Lonerism’ full of psychadelic sounds 6
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Tuesday, October 9, 2012
By Michael Schuerman the daily cardinal
CD REVIEW
Lonerism Tame Impala Tame Impala is not Pink Floyd, The 13th Floor Elevators, The Zombies, or any other typical 60s psychedelic rock group. Unfortunately for them, this is their ill-fated future, as many first time listeners will come to relate them to these early pioneers due to Tame Impala’s characteristically influenced sound. Even lead vocalist Kevin Parker’s voice vaguely resembles that of Paul McCartney. Yet, Tame Impala is much more than these superficial comparisons. Amidst a number of acts that ruthlessly steal revolutionary sounds from this
bined elements make an extremely consistent and interconnected record, combining new sounds to create a piece of psychedelic brilliance.
once great era, Tame Impala have redefined a new realm of psychedelia for the modern age. Though Lonerism is the band’s sophomore record, there is hardly anything on the album that could be remotely considered “sophomoric.” Since their debut record Innerspeaker , Tame Impala has conscientiously grasped the meaning and purpose of their genre by fully extending the parameters to great unkown lengths, noticeably maturing in both lyricism and composition. While Innerspeaker focused on engaging melodies mainly produced through heavily distorted guitars and driving bass lines, Lonerism displays the band’s extreme virtuosity in instrumentation that pushes the limits on what can be considered their “sound.” A more cohesive effort, Lonerism focuses less on guitar-driven songs and shifts toward over-the-top synth melodies, which end up characterizing the large majority of the whole album. Surprisingly, these com-
It challenges traditional conventions of psychadelic rock while still pioneering new concepts.
The listener is fully cognizant of this shift by the second track, “Endors Toi.” Immediately, one is greeted with the pleasant sounds of rolling synthesizer octaves lying gently over the top of lazy distorted guitar lines. Parker’s characteristically soft voice melds with the gooey textures to the point where his lyrics are almost lost among the crashing drum patterns. Yet, he is able to whisper to one’s inner core, guiding the listener to the far away lands in the Tame Impala cosmos, giv-
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ing a whole new meaning to the previously spoken lyrics “Go to sleep and you’ll be fine.” “Mind Mischief ” couldn’t be more aptly named, as one is baffled at the new direction taken since Innerspeaker . Heavily distorted guitar rhythms synchronize perfectly with the heavy bass lines and repeated drum motifs. As one begins to think this is a traditional rock song, a surprising synth grabs the listener, dragging one under the immense wave of psychedelic sounds and faint vocal harmonies as the song fades out. No other track proves the extent to which Tame Impala have changed than “Keep On Lying.” The song begins much like the other synth-lead but takes a drastic turn. It winds the listener around the noises of indecipherable conversations between crowds of random people, while simultaneously submerged in the murky funk beats. One becomes enveloped with sounds to the point where consciousness begins to be questioned, creating an
overall numbness and an evaluation of existence. Lonerism is full of hidden brilliance. “Why Won’t They Talk to Me” discusses real themes of being an outsider while taking the listener on an intergalactic voyage with its laser-like electronic noises. “Apocalypse Dreams” uses a variety of interludes that force the listener to beg for more as the song escapes into the final minutes of crashing symbols and synthesizers as Parker belts out the melancholy line “Do I really need this?” Though an undefined term, “lonerism” perfectly describes the sentiments the entirety of the album evokes. Its discordant guitar sounds and bombastic compositions leave the listener with a sense of wonder and amazement. It challenges traditional conventions of psychedelic rock while still pioneering new concepts. The lyrics provoke loneliness amidst gleeful melodies. Lonerism is an anomaly. Yet, isn’t that what Tame Impala were trying to achieve?
Tuesday Trifles This seemingly random week day holds great significance in the music world as THE ultimate day for album releases.
Check out some of the Arts desk’s most anticipated albums that will be dropping within the next month:
Follow your friendly Arts desk on Twitter: @DCArtsDesk
1. The Wallflowers, Glad All Over, 10/9
3. Kendrick Lamar, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, 10/23
4. Andrew Bird, Hands of Glory, 10/30
2. Ben Gibbard, Former Lives, 10/16
4. Gary Clark Jr., Blak and Blu, 10/23
5. Major Lazer, Free the Universe, 11/6
comics
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Today’s Sudoku
Jumping in the leaf pile
Evil Bird
“I’m heading out to get a lottery ticket to change my fate!” You are more likely to die on your way to buy the lottery ticket than you are to actually win the lottery. Tuesday, October 9, 2012 • 7
By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu
© Puzzles by Pappocom
Eatin’ Cake
By Dylan Moriarty www.EatinCake.com
Caved In
By Nick Kryshak nkryshak@wisc.edu
Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
By Steven Wishau wishau@wisc.edu
Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com
NOT IN TO IT? ACROSS 1 Provoked (with “on”) 6 Pale purple 11 Photo ___ (journalists’ desires) 14 Garden statue 15 “___ man with seven wives” 16 Decaf dispenser at a diner 17 Like Maryland crabs in the winter 19 Foot part 20 Bully’s weapons 21 A layer with a hole 23 Alternatives 26 Pot, in the past 27 Blind slat 28 Sorrowful sound 30 Pre-deal chip 31 Not good places to get your kicks 32 ___ and cry (public clamor) 35 Post-prenup statement 36 Unconscious 38 Pull the plug on 39 Part of Great Britain’s defense 40 Cockamamie 41 Deep draft of liquor 42 Barely worth bringing up 44 Annul, as a judgment
46 Peyton Manning is one 48 All-night flights 49 From around here 50 Ozzy Osbourne’s wife 52 “Shoot!” 53 Gasping 58 A’s distant cousin 59 Coined word? 60 “Sesame Street” character 61 Wintertime in D.C. 62 Uses camouflage 63 Winona of “Edward Scissorhands” DOWN 1 ___ trip (selfindulgent activity) 2 Serengeti antelope 3 Acquired or understood 4 Expressive of feelings 5 Spoil the surface of 6 Property restrictions 7 “And while ___ it ...” 8 Subtracting 9 ___ Z (completely) 10 Paddling advocate 11 Safe from approaching danger 12 Lying facedown 13 Lip-curling look 18 One who says, “See you in court!”
22 Road to enlightenment, for some 23 Mrs. Cliff Huxtable 24 Civic organization? 25 Like some expenses 26 Indian royal 28 Fake 29 Limb’s partner 31 Name on the marquee 33 Call to the workers of the world 34 Does some lawn work 36 Waterproof fabric 37 Golden Rule word 41 Stage background 43 The Santa ___ winds 44 “Walk” or “crawl” or “sink” or “swim” 45 Infatuated one 46 Job for firemen 47 American Beauties 48 Some are inflatable 50 Poker game 51 Coil in a garden 54 Controversial mentalist Geller 55 Clause connector 56 Reason for OT 57 That lady’s pronoun
lassic Badgers and Other Animals Vintage, 1989
By Todd Hanson
By Melanie Shibley shibley@wisc.edu
Sports
Tuesday October 9, 2012 DailyCardinal.com
Football
Badger athletics prepare for big week By Peter Geppert The daily cardinal
Football
Despite their convincing 31-14 victory over Illinois Saturday, Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema is still looking to work out his team’s kinks. “Obviously, we went through some speed bumps in the first half and a little bit in the third quarter,” Bielema said at his weekly press conference Monday. “But when you sit back and look at it, I do think our team, for however many weeks in a row, has taken a step forward again to get to 4-2.” Senior running back Montee Ball had arguably his most impressive performance of the season, rushing for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. His 6.1 yards per carry against the Fighting Illini was a season high. Combining his effort with that of junior running back James White, who put together a 104 all-purpose effort, and the Badgers’ running game looked to be at its healthiest point all season. “They’re frustrated because
we’re a 4-2 team,” Bielema said. “They want to be better than that. Those guys love to compete for one another, no one enjoys it better than those guys.” Coming up next for the Badgers will be a tough Big Ten road test in West Lafayette, Ind., against the Purdue Boilermakers. As two of only four teams in the Leaders Division that are eligible to advance to the Big Ten Championship Game, this weekend’s matchup figures to weigh heavily on who will be going to Indianapolis in December. “Purdue is going to prepare and do everything they can do to beat us on Saturday, and we will do the same,” Bielema said. “While you’re trying to establish yourself in this league, it’s important to have success in all Big Ten games.”
Men’s Hockey
The Badgers men’s hockey team is entering the first week of their regular season amidst some scandal, as freshman forward Nic Kerdiles was ruled ineligible for the season by the NCAA due to an investigation about his
Grey Satterfield/the daily cardinal
Montee Ball put together one of his best performances of the season Saturday, something he will have to repeat this weekend if the Badgers want to pull out a win against Purdue. amateur status. Kerdiles, one of the top amateur recruits in the nation last year, was projected to be on Wisconsin’s top line to start the season. “The investigation of the NCAA is an amateur status issue,” head coach Mike Eaves
Matt Masterson master’s degree
F
Abigail Waldo/cardinal file photo
Freshman midfielder Kinley McNicoll put the Badgers on the scoreboard early in their 2-0 win over the Green Bay Phoenix.
UW defeats Green Bay the daily cardinal
The Wisconsin women’s soccer team (1-4-1 Big Ten, 8-5-1 overall) finished up their non-conference schedule and snapped a four-match winless streak with a 2-0 victory over the Green Bay Phoenix (4-9-1) Monday night. The win was the Badgers’ sixth shutout of the season which may come to no surprise to fans that have followed the all-time series between these two foes. UW is now 16-0-0 against the Phoenix posting twelve shutouts against Green Bay since 1987. Wisconsin generated solid offensive pressure in the first ten minutes of the game. The Badgers were able to capitalize on their third shot in the 11th minute when freshman midfielder Kinley McNicoll lofted a shot over the head of sophomore Green Bay goalkeeper Katy Pilarzyk. Wisconsin struck again in
Men’s Cross Country
The men’s cross country team will be preparing for its biggest home meet of the sea-
son this week in the Adidas Invitational. Ranked as the top team in the country, the Badgers will be hosting a field of teams that includes five other top 10 nationally ranked teams, and 19 of the 30 teams in the coachs’ poll.
Reaction to Cassel injury displays ugly side of fanhood in professional sports
Women’s soccer
By Christian Blatner
said. “The withholdings are for a year, and we’re appealing the decision immediately.”
the 31st minute when redshirt junior forward Paige Adams intercepted Pilarzyk’s kick and beat her to the ball, striking it into an empty net for her fifth goal of the season. The Badgers continued to press the Green Bay defense in the final minutes of the first half as redshirt sophomore Kodee Williams narrowly missed an open net. The Badger defense held the Phoenix to just three shots, only one of which reached junior goalkeeper Genevieve Richard. Wisconsin maintained their strong defense and prevented any serious chances at a goal for the Phoenix. Wisconsin was primed for victory after they netted the first goal, as the team is 6-0-0 when doing so this season. Early offensive aggressiveness has led to success for the team and may be the key to finishing strong in the Big Ten as the Badgers eye their final conference games of the season.
or as long as football has existed, the game has been predicated on one team or one person imposing their will on their opponents. It is a show of power, of force, that is unlike almost any other organized team sport. The toughness and physicality of the game is what draws so many fans to football. But when a player is knocked out of a game, and his own hometown crowd starts to cheer, it’s hard not to think that we’ve gone too far. In the fourth quarter of Sundays Ravens-Chiefs game, Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel was leveled to the ground by Baltimore’s Haloti Ngata after he released a pass and stayed there for minutes afterwards writhing in pain. At the sight of this, several audible cheers could be heard around the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium. Yes, fans were happy to see their own starting quarterback lying on the field, hurt, unable to continue playing. After the game ended, Kansas City offensive tackle Eric Winston gave an impassioned speech in his postgame interview, chiding the fans for their behavior and asking what had gone wrong with society that would make people think actions like this were acceptable. “It’s 100 percent sickening,” Winston said. “I’ve never been more embarrassed in my life to
play football than at that moment right there.” Yes, Cassel has had a poor season. He has thrown an NFLhigh nine interceptions against only five touchdowns while leading his team to just one victory. Regardless, I don’t care if he had thrown zero touchdowns and 100 picks, it doesn’t give fans the right to celebrate the pain and suffering of another human being. This is hardly the first time that fans have celebrated an injury. The most memorable example that comes to mind was in 1999 when Philadelphia Eagle fans cheered after Dallas Cowboy wide receiver Michael Irvin suffered a broken neck,
When a player is knocked out of a game, and his own hometown crowd starts to cheer, it’s hard not to think we’ve gone too far.
an injury that ended his career. But even in that example, it was fans cheering at a fallen opponent who had killed their team for years, rather than their own player. Maybe they were cheering because they thought that Cassel not playing was what would be best for their team. Maybe they were cheering because they were tired of seeing drive after drive stifled by a weak passing game. Maybe—and I know this is a long shot—but just maybe it had something to do with heavy alcohol consumption. None of these however, are
reason enough to partake in the classless actions that took over the stadium Sunday. ESPN’s football insider Adam Schefter tried to excuse the Kansas City fans by saying that they were cheering because they were excited to see backup quarterback Brady Quinn take the field. Nobody, and I mean nobody, has been excited to see Brady Quinn play in a game since he was at Notre Dame in 2006. Winston points out that football players are not gladiators playing in the Roman Coliseum. As fans we forget (or chose to ignore) the fact that these are people playing this game. It isn’t a video game. They aren’t just pawns for your fantasy football team. We like to justify actions like this because football players earn more money in a year than most of us will see in our lifetimes. They chose a dangerous game, they knew what they were getting into, and so it must be OK to cheer or laugh when they get hurt. I don’t have a problem with the toughness or brutality of football, in fact I disagree with many of the recent decisions that league commissioner Roger Goodell has made to increase player safety, to the detriment of the overall quality of the NFL. Sunday was a black eye for Kansas City, and not because of their 9-6 loss on the field. I lost respect for their fans, but found a new appreciation for at least one of their players. What do you think about fans cheering about an injured player? Were the Chiefs fans’ actions justified? Let Matt know what you think at sports@dailycardinal.com