A poem
ready to bump
for all your midterm woes
Women’s volleyball prepares for a tough matchup against Michigan teams this weekend
+SPORTS, page 8
+PAGE TWO
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Complete campus coverage since 1892
l
dailycardinal.com
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Congress raises debt ceiling, ends shutdown Government avoids first debt default in nation’s history After a 16-day-long government shutdown and just a day before the U.S. Treasury would have lost its ability to borrow money to pay federal debts, the U.S. Congress passed a bill to reopen government and extend the debtceiling deadline to Feb. 7. The bill’s approval came after members of the Republican-controlled House
of Representatives decided to concede their ongoing political fight over the Affordable Care Act and temporarily work with Democrats to pass the bill. The Democrat-controlled Senate wrote the bipartisan bill to end the shutdown and extend the debt ceiling. The Senate passed the bill 81 to 18 early Wednesday night. The House took the legislation up later Wednesday and passed it 285 to 144. Wisconsin’s federal legislators largely voted along party lines with Democratic representatives Ron Kind, Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan as well as Sen. Tammy Baldwin,
D-Wis., and Rep. Reid Ribble, R-Wis., voting for the bill. Republican representatives Jim Sensenbrenner, Sean Duffy, Tom Petri, Paul Ryan and Sen. Ron Johnson, voted against the bill. Pocan said he was “pleased” the shutdown ended, but said it caused “needless damage” to the economy and the public’s faith. Duffy said he did not vote for the bill because it delayed federal spending reform discussions until February. President Barack Obama promised his signature to the bill at a press conference earlier Wednesday. — Jack Casey
Flamingos flock to Bascom
Honoring one of the best pranks in Badger history, Bascom Hill was once again home to hundreds of pink, plastic famingos Wednesday . + Photo by Jessie Gallimore
ASM holds listening session to discuss internal budget ideas
UW-Whitewater chancellor takes seat as UW System interim president The University of WisconsinWhitewater chancellor will serve as interim UW System president, UW System Board of Regents President Michael Falbo said in a statement Wednesday. Chancellor Richard Telfer will take the place of System President Kevin Reilly, who will step down in January. He will keep the position until Reilly’s successor takes office, the statement said. According REILLY to a timeline on the presidential search website, the permanent UW System president will be instated in the spring or summer of 2014. T e l f e r has been the UW-Whitewater chancellor for five years. He holds a Ph.D in curriculum and instruction from TELFER UW-Madison. A Search and Screen Committee is currently accepting applications for system president. Between November and December the committee will conduct interviews and announce finalists to the Board of Regents, who is expected to choose the new president by January.
on campus
KIARA CHILDS/the daily cardinal
City Attorney Roger Allen urged city officials looking to expand underage night life to lobby for language change to state law.
City officials explore ways to enhance underage night life By Melissa Howison THE DAILY CARDINAL
Due to an ambiguous state statute that dictates what type of businesses can provide 18+ nighttime entertainment, city policy makers, consultants and attorneys reached a standstill Wednesday in a longterm effort to restructure downtown alcohol policies. The Alcohol License Review Committee picked up an ongoing conversation at its bi-monthly meeting in hopes of solidifying modifications to the Alcohol License Density Ordinance, in place since 2007, before it expires Jan. 1, 2014. However, the dialogue hiccuped when leaders discussed ways the city can expand
nighttime entertainment for individuals under 21. Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said 17 Madison venues are currently licensed as “centers for visual and performing arts” under state statutes, which allows places such as The Frequency, Segredo and the Comedy Club on State to admit patrons 18 and over, and also serve alcohol to those over 21. City Attorney Jennifer Zilavy said a recurring suggestion to sanction more 18+ entertainment venues under new ALDO rules is borderline illegal because “performing arts” are vaguely defined in the statute, and therefore urged ALRC
night life page 3
Associated Students of Madison Student Council representatives brainstormed ideas for the new internal budget at a listening session Wednesday Chair David Gardner invited representatives to share ideas for the new budget, which will have a first draft by Nov. 1. Sustainability Chair Will Mulhern proposed ASM implement a “green fund” in the budget. This would be $80,000 in grants funded by segregated fees that would be allotted to environmentally conscious student organizations. ASM members raised some concerns about the green fund, such as worries the fund would not impact
students on a large scale. Student Services Finance Committee Chair David Vines discussed adding a paid student election organizer position to the budget. Finance Committee Chair Mary Prunty suggested increasing the amount allotted to the open grants, which registered student organizations can apply for. Rep. Sarah Neibart encouraged ASM to be watchful of the strain of additions to the internal budget. “Students will be taxed, it is important for everyone to realize that,” Neibart said. In response to Chancellor
council page 3
Robbery leaves man unconscious with facial fracture, brain bleed Police arrested an 18-yearold man for robbing and beating a 34-year-old male near the corner of Gilman and North Henry streets at approximately 12:05 a.m. Wednesday, according to a police report. The report said Aleque Guerra beat the victim until another male pulled Guerra off the victim and walked away with the suspect. Officers responded quickly and a foot chase ensued
when Guerra resisted arrest, according to the report. When he was apprehended, Guerra had victim’s stolen belongings. Police took the unconscious victim to the hospital to treat a facial fracture and a brain bleed, which are not thought to be life-threatening. Guerra was charged with robbery, substantial battery, resisting arrest and bail jumping.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
page two 2
l
friday: cloudy
hi 59º / lo 41º
hi 54º / lo 34º
Thursday, October 17, 2013
An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 123, Issue 31
2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100
News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com
tODAY: partly sunny
Editor-in-Chief Abigail Becker
Managing Editor Mara Jezior
News Team News Manager Sam Cusick Campus Editor Megan Stoebig College Editor Tamar Myers City Editor Melissa Howison State Editor Jack Casey Enterprise Editor Meghan Chua Associate News Editor Sarah Olson Features Editor Shannon Kelly Opinion Editors Haleigh Amant • Nikki Stout Editorial Board Chair Anna Duffin Arts Editors Cameron Graff • Andy Holsteen Sports Editors Brett Bachman • Jonah Beleckis Page Two Editors Rachel Schulze • Alex Tucker Photo Editors Courtney Kessler • Jane Thompson Graphics Editors Haley Henschel • Chrystel Paulson Multimedia Editor Grey Satterfield Science Editor Nia Sathiamoorthi Life & Style Editor Elana Charles Special Pages Editor Samy Moskol Social Media Manager Sam Garigliano Copy Chiefs Vince Huth • Maya Miller Kayla Schmidt • Rachel Wanat Copy Editors Samuel Karp • Jake Smasal
Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Jacob Sattler Advertising Managers Erin Aubrey • Dan Shanahan Account Executives Karli Bieniek • Lyndsay Bloomfield Tessa Coan • Zachary Hanlon Elissa Hersh • Will Huberty Ally Justinak • Paulina Kovalo Jordan Laeyendecker • Danny Mahlum Eric O’Neil • Ali Syverson Marketing Director Cooper Boland Design Manager Lauren Mather
The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of WisconsinMadison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be word processed and must include contact information. No anonymous letters will be printed. All letters to the editor will be printed at the discretion of The Daily Cardinal. Letters may be sent to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.
A poem for midterm season Ode to the students of no joy (or anything near happiness—a thing every human should value above prestige, which is a fleeting beacon of false security) ~BY ANDY HOLSTEEN~ I don’t always write about A legitimate concern. The topic is often just funny For me (Aka: the most important thing).
Whenever I catch myself Crossing my legs, worrying, About something so banal As a Multiple-choice inquiry,
But this week I’ve decided To grow up A bit And riff on a subject I’m less comfortable with.
I step back, take a walk outside, Because there A test Is lost in the ambience Of starless, tan city nights.
Me, well, I’m not the type Who’s the first to brag (Don’t worry this piece Is not An ego-fueled Magnum Rant.) It’s more-so a visceral peek inside The process I have Developed for keeping A leg-up on college life.
There’s this appetite I have To learn lots of things. But, philosophical understanding In school Is simply getting good grades,
See, each semester, this time, Midterms roll around And sharply remind me That I Don’t give a shit about them. When engulfing these words A first thought might be, “This kid’s a student? ’Da hell He get into university?” Plz, plebes, calm down— No need to be rash. Our systemically learnt Brains Can’t handle a crash. (That silly rhyme right above— ‘Sh’ with ‘sh’— Is just The sort of thing OF WHICH WE NEED LESS!!!!)
l
Board of Directors Herman Baumann, President Abigail Becker • Mara Jezior Jennifer Sereno • Stephen DiTullio Erin Aubrey • Dan Shanahan Jacob Sattler • Janet Larson Don Miner • Chris Drosner Jason Stein • Nancy Sandy Tina Zavoral © 2013, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398
For the record Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an email to edit@dailycardinal.com.
Which is a tragic idea, really, At the end of the day. Do you Remember conversations with Freshman-year TAs? Not I—I can’t recall names Of professors or classmates From a semester ago, Much less The specifics of Henry Thoreau. So this exam season, don’t Pee yourself from fear Dreaming Of losing that precious 3.579. You have time. You have time. And if your parents call asking About your current grades Tell them, “It’s all good, Ma, Pa.” It’s still not too late.
Were you touched by Andy’s poetry about midterms? Share your feelings with him at andy@holsteens.com.
graphic by chrystel paulson
Ask the Deer Cardinal, Madison’s advice bird
Editorial Board Haleigh Amant • Abigail Becker Riley Beggin •Anna Duffin Mara Jezior • Cheyenne Langkamp Tyler Nickerson • Michael Penn Nikki Stout
dailycardinal.com
ADVICE BIRD
THIS WEEK - Tips for treating your troubled tummy - Ways to make a little extra moolah around Madison
Deer Cardinal, I’ve been feeling sick to my stomach lately. I have a big exam coming up, and I’m really underprepared. I’m wondering if my upset stomach is related to that. Can you help me figure out what’s wrong? —Quinn K. Queasy Quinn, Sorry to hear about your stomach! While the Deer Cardinal is not a medical advice columnist, I’ll do my best to help you figure this one out. According to Yahoo! Answers, you could have indigestion, lactose intolerance, Mittelschmerz, a hernia, an issue with a major organ or gas. Do any of these sound right? If not, Wikipedia and about.com also have pretty comprehensive lists. Let’s also consider the information you provided, specifically that bit about the exam. Preparing for a big test can cause a lot of anxiety, especially when you’re behind. All those note cards you have to write, the chapters you’ll want to outline—you probably need to catch up on the reading too. Just thinking about all that work makes me tense! Add that to an upset stomach, and I’d be
nervous enough to barf during the test. How embarrassing would that be? That happened to a girl I know. She had to drop the class halfway through the semester. Anyway, try not to stress because it’ll only make matters worse. I don’t know how you feel about home remedies, but I’ll recommend my mom’s recipe for treating a stomach ache, in case you’re interested. Whenever I had a tummy ache as a baby chick, she’d prepare a tasty mixture of leaves, seeds and regurgitated worms, and that always did the trick. Well, that’s all I have. I hope you feel better, and send a follow-up if you need help finding some regurgitated worms.
Deer Cardinal, I have a part-time job, but I’m still looking to make some more cash in addition to what I bring in there. Do you have any suggestions for how I can make some extra money? —Bryan B. Broke Bryan, I’m pretty fortunate to have a relatively stable gig as an advice bird, but back in college, I had to look for different ways
to make money. So, I know the feeling, buddy. Let’s see what I can do to help. To get you started, I looked up some listings on the Student Job Center. Here are a few options: Do you like kids? A family is looking for a babysitter to look after their daughter who “loves kitties, finger painting and biting.” What about pets? There’s a listing for a pet sitter for two affectionate dogs with mild canine irritable bowel syndrome. Ever work in food service? The McDonald’s on Regent is looking for someone to take drive-thru orders at midnight on Saturdays. Have you thought about renting out your couch? You should consider participating in medical testing, too. If you’re nervous about possible physical side effects, you can always try psychological experiments instead. Also, have you ever seen the show “Breaking Bad”? You should check it out. Best of luck finding some funds!
For answers to your questions, tweet at the Deer Cardinal. Literally.
news
Thursday, October 17, 2013 3
l
dailycardinal.com
Student representatives vouch for more funding to increase safety, aid homeless Local government officials met with student organization representatives Wednesday to discuss 2014 county and city funding for local issues, including homelessness and public safety. Dane County Board member Leland Pan, a University of Wisconsin-Madison junior, explained the county budget is “as bare bones as possible,” and said extra funding necessary for new programming is scarce. However, 50 percent of the available funding is directed toward social services. Responding to students’ widely-expressed interest in homelessness, Pan described a large provision for a permanent daytime resource center providing showers, locker storage space and bus passes to aid the homeless in job interviews. However, project organizers will need to acquire funding
Courtney kessler/the daily cardinal
Ald. Scott Resick, District 8, discusses campus-area budget repurcussions, including downtown safety, with students. and approval from several committees before initiation. Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said permanent housing is a much cheaper long-term homelessness solution than emergency services,
State legislators begin circulating bill to lower student loan debt Two state legislators unveiled a bill Wednesday that aims to lower the interest rates Wisconsin students have to pay on their higher education student loans. The bill, referred to as “Higher Ed, Lower Debt” Act, contains four main components, including allowing borrowers to refinance their loans at lower interest rates and creating a state tax deduction for payments on student loans. It would also provide more information for borrowers about their rights and responsibilities, and would improve the tracking of student loan debt information, according to a Wednesday press release. State Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, and state Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, introduced the bill after reading recent studies that said there are 753,000 Wisconsin residents with an average student loan debt of $22,400. The legislators also said they believe the bill represents a “common sense solu-
tion” for student loan borrowers. “Not only does this bill provide numerous consumer protections for student loan borrowers, it will provide meaningful tax relief for Wisconsin’s residents,” Mason said in a statement. “Under this legislation, the typical Wisconsin student loan borrower will see $172 in tax savings, and those residents with higher student loan payments will see as much as $392 in annual tax savings.” Hansen agreed, saying the bill would also strengthen the state economy. “By allowing borrowers to refinance their student loans at lower interest rates … we will see more investments in new cars, homes and local businesses,” Hansen said in a statement. “It’s a win-win.” The bill is currently circulating for co-sponsorship and is set to be officially introduced in the state Legislature later this month, according to Mason’s statement. — Nurul Bachik
State Rep. Jon Richards announces candidacy for attorney general State Rep. Jon Richards, D-Milwaukee, announced his candidacy Wednesday for Wisconsin Attorney General in the 2014 election. The position is open after current state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said he would not seek re-election in 2014. Richards said his record of serving in the state Legislature and working as an attorney qualified him for the position. “I think it is important for the attorney general to be tough on crime but also to be politically independent and to restore the historical image of the Department of Justice, in promoting clean and open government to Wisconsin,” Richards said. In a Wednesday press release, Richards named increased street violence, heroin abuse and domestic violence as key issues he would address if elected. Richards also promised not to ignore drug
addiction by filling local jails, but to use support programs to rehabilitate individuals. He also mentioned the importance of setting aside partisan politics in order to focus on the needs of citizens. Richards authored Wisconsin’s open meeting law, which he cited as key legislation in his efforts to maintain transparent local government. “I think it is important for everybody to have access to what is going on in their government and access to meetings and access to those materials,” Richards said. State Republicans criticized Richards public safety record in a press release citing Richards’ vote for the state’s Early Release program, which allows criminals to be released before serving their full sentences. Richards will give a formal announcement and then travel across the state to meet with voters. — Eoin Cottrell
and said the city is looking to contribute $300,000 towards singleresident housing for at least 100 homeless citizens. Resnick also described several city initiatives to improve
night life from page 1 members to restrict such licenses. However, city Food and Alcohol Policy Coordinator Mark Woulf said modern interpretations of the statute are complicated by the fact that legislators “probably didn’t envision electronic dance music as the main form of entertainment” when they wrote the statute. “But that’s the nature of arts, it changes over the years,” Woulf said. “So I think certainly from a policy perspective, Madison of all places should be progressive in its interpretation of what is performing arts and how to encourage those performing arts.” Furthermore, Woulf said
council from page 1 Rebecca Blank’s interest in raising out of state tuition rates, Gardner brought up the idea of creating a resolution to show students’ perspective towards tuition. Rep. Neibart discussed the idea of a shared governance committee that would examine tuition. ASM Rep. Justin Bloesch
public safety, including a “threeprong” approach of prevention, enforcement, and justice. Preventative services that have had positive impacts on safety include the Downtown Safety Initiative, which stations more officers as “extra eyes” at critical times, as well as the “Mentoring Positives” program, which reaches out to youth on the streets at night. Additional safety measures include the installation of more surveillance cameras in high-profile areas, which have experiences marked success. Although the city and county governments have collective authority over these issues, Resnick explained that it “indirectly all comes back to students,” and said student input is invaluable in how these budgets are constructed. —Gillian McBride adding more diverse nighttime entertainment options for students under 21 would curb the problems of underage patrons entering bars and consuming dangerous amounts of alcohol. In the past, Woulf has suggested the city put a bowling alley and a movie theatre downtown. City Attorney Roger Allen suggested ALRC members work with city lobbyists appeal to the legislature to update and clarify the statute language. “This is an area where I think our lobbyist could do some good,” Roger said. “Because we’re not out there alone. Every city that I’ve heard of, of any size, is looking for activities for their youth.” proposed funding for WISPIRG through a Campus Services Process Proposal. WISPIRG receives funding from SSFC, but their professional staff members are not covered in that budget. The CSPP would provide funding, drawn from segregated fees, for those staff members. — Maijia Inveiss
Meet student council’s new leaders from the first year class Out of a pool of 18 candidates, the freshman class elected four first-year Associated Students of Madison representatives. The 1,291 ballots submitted amounted to a 20 percent voter turnout. The Daily Cardinal asked the four new representatives about their priorities and the qualities they believe they bring to ASM.
Andre Hunter Chicago, Ill. Priorities: expanding SafeWalk hours, increasing campus lighting, textbook affordability, reliable bus transportation, tenant rights, outreach to multicultural campus groups. “I definitely think I’m hardworking and ambitious. When I start something I always finish it. [The freshman representatives are] all people who are going to go out and interact with the community.”
David Sweetapple Boca Raton, Fla. Priorities: installing more emergency blue lights on Lakeshore Path and implementing a rotating schedule of food in dining halls. “I think my best quality is I’m a people person. I like talking to people, I like hearing what they have to say. And through that I’ll get lots of different opinions.”
John Paetsch Wauwatosa, Wis. Priorities: creating a lending library for students to sell books back to a community-based pool, increasing emergency blue lights, creating unity among representatives. “I think my biggest thing is that I’m active … I’m going to go home right now and I’m going to look up issues that this campus is dealing with.”
Megan Phillips Eden Praire, Minn.
ON CAMPUS
Meat and greet
Jeff Sindelar spoke Wednesday about the history of the meat processing industry, and offered samples to audience members to testtheir taste buds. + Photo by Will Chizek
Priorities: extending S a f e Wa l k hours, improving textbook affordability in addition to increasing college-to-career programs. “I would consider myself to be really open-minded. I really try to see the best in people and I really try to make myself accessible as a non-pretentious, non-condescending source that people can just talk to.“
arts l
4
Thursday, October 17, 2013
dailycardinal.com
Taking a political stand in your films Austin Wellens all’s well-ens well
B
race yourselves, we’re gonna get a little political today. With the release of “The Fifth Estate,” one of the most divisive figures of the 21st century, Julian Assange, has finally been approached through a cinematic lens, and the results are, apparently, middling (it’s a pun, sort of ). Early word is that while Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of the WikiLeaks founder is, as expected, a highlight of the film, it cannot save the work from its fatal flaw: an unwillingness to take an actual stance on Assange and his work. This seems, to me, tied to this idea that a discussion of any issue, political or otherwise, needs to be “fairly balanced,” offer viewpoints from both sides and remain as objective/impartial as possible. Which just doesn’t work in film. See, part of making a film is the directors inserting their views, their personality and as much of who they are as possible into the film (assuming the film is going to be good/ interesting/relevant of course). Attempting to make a film that operates on “everyone has a good point” logic doesn’t work, because it denies the filmmaker this ability to impose themselves on their work. In a film, especially a politi-
cal film like “The Fifth Estate,” watching should be tantamount to discussing whatever issue at hand with the director. To take the “fair and balanced” route is the equivalent of saying “well I think both sides have very valid points, and I don’t have an opinion.” Which is the high school history teacher approach to discussion. Which is boring. Which does not make good films. And most importantly, which is dishonest to the audience and to the medium. If you decide to make a film about a person like Julian Assange, you probably have something to say about them. And that thing probably isn’t “wow, I can see both sides’ arguments and think they are valid.” You probably have some strong feelings about them (or, again, you should if you want your movie to be thought-provoking or, you know, good). Trying to “balance” your picture is denying these feelings’ expression. Which defeats the entire point of the movie, lies to your audience and most importantly, runs against the nature of film as an artistic form. Because, whether it’s a documentary or narrative film, the parameters of cinema make it a fundamentally subjective and biased way to present information (as are all artistic mediums). The very act of deciding what to show, when to cut from it, and how to present it AKA making a movie, is a decision that has to be colored by the director’s personal beliefs. By making these calls, the film-
maker is crafting a world to reflect their beliefs. So in “The Fifth Estate,” director Bill Condon had to feel passionately enough about Julian Assange to want to make a movie about him, had to make decisions about what parts of his life to include and which to exclude, which other characters to include/ exclude, where to begin and end his story and already he’s reshaped reality beyond any semblance of “objectivism.” And I mean, to keep driving the point home, “fair” films aren’t nearly as useful or interesting. Given the futility of trying to make a social studies report for a film, it seems much more important to create a passionate, engaging film that can challenge beliefs and spark discussion than it is to avoid offending anyone by taking a stance. Not to mention, sometimes one side of an issue is just wrong; “Jurassic Park” didn’t address creationism, because acknowledging it as part of the debate and pretending it deserves the same attention as evolution is ridiculous. Which is an idea that just might be relevant today. In a certain mass media system. Of a certain country. With a certain shut-down government. In their treatment of certain parties and in their assigning blame for a certain pressing situation… I’m just saying. Do you think Austin has no right expressing his biased opinion in his own column? Shout at him at wellens@wisc.edu.
Graphic by Chyrstel Paulson
State Street’s renovations are both exciting and misguided By Michael Podgers Guest columnist
Over the summer, it has slowly been revealed Madison’s most iconic street—State Street— is due for a massive facelift. Development firm Core Campus Communities is spearheading the redevelopment of the 500 block including a large surface parking lot and the building that houses the Campus Inn and some of State Street’s most wellknown restaurants. The development totals about 500,000 square feet including retail spaces ranging from two to six stories fronting State Street and a setback 12-story apartment tower. The project, in typical Madison fashion, is highly contentious, especially since this is playing with State Street. What is frustrating however, is how the numerous positive elements are utterly overwhelmed and undermined by the incredible plethora of negative ele-
THE PLAYLIST No theme this week for the playlist, just the most listened to songs from Cameron’s personal last.fm account!
ments being crammed together. I don’t want to sound like a NIMBY (“Not In My Backyard” if you’re unfamiliar with the term—I use it a lot), but if there is an area in Madison that deserves to be treated like a sacred cow, it is the State Street/Capitol Square area. Developments that go up along this corridor need to be particularly well conceived and thoughtful; more so than in other areas. While the design is good when it comes to environmental and urban sustainability, like so many projects it lacks any unique or standout design Madison so desperately needs, and it’s at a scale that might be more appropriate for University Avenue and Johnson Street —but not for State Street. The good is that the current large surface parking is being replaced. Not only is this going to fill a visual hole on State Street, it’s also long overdue infill that will provide more commercial space
1
Los Campesinos!— “By Your Hand”
When this first dropped my freshman year I listened to it 50 times the day it came out.
2
and is a more intense and wise use of land sitting right at the center of everything going on along State, downtown and on campus.
Although increased density is necessary along the entire length of the Isthmus ... maxing out just because it’s possible isn’t the right method.
The parts of the development fronting State Street aren’t half bad either. The mixed heights of the buildings fit the hodgepodge character of a great urban street that has developed over time. The use of styles that range from simple traditional styles, modern steel and class and old-school industrialist brick and iron add a decent amount of character, playfulness and style. While it’s too bad that a unique and characteristic piece
Cloud Nothings— “Wasted Days”
This is my go to running song. The last minute is just pure chaos.
3
of mid-century modern architecture will be lost to time, the State Street front at least does a relatively good job of making an effort to provide State Street with respectable buildings. Honestly, if this was the basis for the entire project, I’d be cheering this 100%, but of course look up and you see the real core of the entire thing: the 12-story apartment tower. Where do I begin? How about this: We don’t need another wall a la Lucky in Madison, and even less so on State Street. The problem isn’t even the height, but the way the building creates a wall like that of University Square along Lake and University. It is unfortunate that the project doesn’t take advantage of the three different streets it fronts—Frances, State and Gilman—so the development could include not just buildings appropriately sized and appropriate to the location, but also
The Dismemberment Plan— “Gyroscope” A perfect pop song, hidden in a manic time signature.
4
architectural diversity and perhaps even a tower 12-14 floors. Had this been the approach—a smaller base and a theoretically thinner tower could build on its verticality and thus not make a massive wall in the sky. Although increased density is necessary along the entire length of the Isthmus, especially in areas around Downtown and Campus, maxing out just because it’s possible isn’t the right method. Modest infill, which would be appropriate here, can go a long way, and would likely in this case be a smarter architectural move. Unfortunately Madison is only getting a mundane wall that achieves an important goal but at a serious cost. This development does little for the city’s character, offers an architecturally unfortunate tower, and achieves little with way too much. Less is more, as Mies van der Rohe would say; less is more.
Johnny Foreigner “Salt, Peppa and Spinderella” An early hit from my favorite band. That climax is just perfect.
5
The White Stripes— “Fell in Love with A Girl”
This one’s also great for running. Those two minutes fly by.
dailycardinal.com
Thursday, October 17, 2013 5 l
arts
The Record Routine
Cults’ new LP is an exercise in despair Static Cults
By Jordan McEvoy The Daily Cardinal
When NYC indiepop band Cults released their self-titled EP in 2010, America was revitalized by their ’60s-style bubblegum tunes about love and happiness. However, with the split of the band’s two core members, Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion, their recently released album Static creates a mood of confusion and disillusionment. While still maintaining upbeat vibes prominent in prior work, Cults harden their sound to go with their moodier lyrics. Abandoning the happygo-lucky words of the two
young lovers they were before, Static encompasses self-doubt and desolation. The album opens with “I Know,” a soft-spoken melody that clashes with the hard-edged beat of “I Can Hardly Make You Mine.” Follin sings, “But we both know what it’s like to be lonely/Well, these fantasies, they left us lonely.”
Their recently released album Static creates a mood of confusion and disillusionment.
These lyrics are much of what the album consists of, forlorn love and bitter accusations. Coursing with emotion, the album is a good but exhausting listen. Easily
the best song on the album, “High Road,” is a reflective, mellow beat that contrasts with the rest of Static. The music video, a black and white artsy feature, has been compared with “Karma Police” by Radiohead and “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes. The album ends with another great track, titled “No Hope.” Follin croons of resentment, “I know you’re mine, but still I cry/ It makes no difference.” In an interview regarding the album, she said, “There’s a feeling our generation has. The feeling there’s always something better around the corner, that everyone is born to be a star. The feeling that life is waiting for you, and yet it’s not happening. All of that is static.” And that, perhaps, is a perfect reflection of the album.
Rating: B
Check online for The Daily Cardinal’s review of The Head and the Heart’s new album, Let’s Be Still.
Despite a weighty length, McCombs still strikes gold
Big Wheel and Others Cass McCombs
By Allison Garcia The Daily Cardinal
Cass McCombs is a unique kind of artist. He doesn’t involve himself in the press nor does he particularly enjoy the music industry. What he does love, however, is music. This passion has been evident in all of his albums and it’s the outlet he uses to make himself shine in a trade where being subtle is not the name of the game. He recently released his seventh album, Big Wheel and Others. As a 22-track double-album
Cass McCombs fully makes up for his silence since 2011 when he released his last album, Humor Risk. Although this new album takes a great deal of patience to listen to—it’s 85 minutes long—it is definitely worth the time. As always, McCombs uses his songs as opportunities to captivate his listeners with stories. He invents characters and uses humorous wordplay to tell their tales. As he narrates in his very smooth voice, he keeps the background simple. Often using a pleasing electric guitar, with the proper amount of slide guitar thrown into the mix. Every once in awhile there is a surge of woodwinds, specifically a saxophone, adding variety to the tracks. Big Wheel and Others is filled with moments of
sheer creative genius. The album opens with three major successes,“Big Wheel,” “Angel Blood” and “Morning Star.” These songs welcome the themes of religion, identity and social complexes with open arms. Glimmering tracks like these are mixed in all throughout the album. All of that said, this album is really long. An hour and a half is a long time to listen to the nomadic sounds of McCombs. Oftentimes these great songs are spread far apart and it is a long listen to very soothing but often dull tracks in between. By and large, it is good to hear from Cass McCombs again and worth the long listen.
Rating B+
opinion Inconsistencies in Bible are a deal breaker l
6
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Sara Vinson opinion columnist
T
here are a million things that can influence a person’s religion or lackthere-of. For me, it was the Bible. Personally, the translation, interpretation and manipulation makes faith in the Bible as a holy book impossible. The first book I ever wanted to read was the Bible. I sat in the church pews with my mom, grandma and aunts staring at the words on the page, impatient to learn what they meant so I could understand what made this congregation so dedicated. As soon as I could read, I experienced being underwhelmed for the first time. I was told to behave because I would go to hell and eternally burn if I did not. I was told childbirth would be incredibly painful someday because two people ate some fruit thousands of years ago. My dad still loves to tell the story of his three-year-old daughter’s indignation about that. My skepticism continued, and by the time I started middle school confirmation classes, I was an agnostic. We were made to memorize endless passages in those classes as if that could prove you were a devout Lutheran. Any prop-
er Christian can recall random bible verses, prayers and creeds on command, right? If you memorize it, we will give you a shot of wine every couple of weeks. That is how I thought about it as I growingly resented this supposed holy book.
The King James version of the Bible has over 30,000 verses. Among them are endless laws and contradictions one can take to cater to their personal beliefs and agendas.
My real issue with the book came in college. My first class as a freshman was an Ancient Greek language class. Full disclosure, I thought it was a contemporary Greek class, but I stuck it out because maybe it would be fascinating. For the most part it was boring and impossible. The one thing it taught me, though, is that translation from a dead language is a hot mess. When we would attempt to translate as a class, our TA would give us an A for effort, then explain with a straight face it could mean what we first assumed or could mean the opposite. Really? Translating something from Ancient Greek to English
can mean two, irreconcilable things? Sounds like a book deserving lifetime devotion. That is just a direct translation of simple sentences in a college classroom. The Bible is translated into hundreds of languages—at least through Greek, and then Latin before it, and only then was it printed in English, in the fourteenth century. It has been revised at least twice since then. Revisions include translation debates decided by committees and decisions to add or subtract content. Would I read a book that has become so warped over the centuries for entertainment or historical value? Yes. Would I base my beliefs on the purpose of life and afterlife upon it? Absolutely not. If we cannot use hearsay to convict a person in this democracy, how can we follow hearsay laws? We cannot write a paper in college with one, outdated source so why should anyone live their lives by it? The books, the letters, the laws in the Old and New Testament have been passed through many languages across thousands of years. That does not mean that they are unusable, but every society upgrades its laws according to the current climate and culture. So I find it difficult to understand how Christians still find value in many parts of the Bible,
dailycardinal.com
particularly the Old Testament.
As an atheist, my moral compass is internal and social, not ancient or Biblical.
Leviticus, a book of the Old Testament, is one of the most debated sections of the Bible, and in my opinion, the most outlandish to accept as “truth.” This book includes the nonsense about a man not lying with another man. While any anti-gay group clings to this supposed undeniable truth of the Bible there are a few more things they should be against. Leviticus also bans eating shellfish, so turn off those Red Lobster commercials. Leviticus declares no one should wear mixed fabrics, so check your tags. Leviticus bans tattoos. I guess my Shakespeare tattoo is my one-way ticket to hell. Fortune telling is out, so we should probably stop teaching our little cousins how to play M.A.S.H. or make cootie catchers. Oh, and we can’t play football either. Sorry, Badgers, you shall not touch the carcass of a pig. You can’t eat pigs either, so
no more free bacon Tuesdays. And, similarly, other parts of the Bible ban divorce, wearing gold or my favorite, pulling out. We as a society heartily ignore all of these, just as we find ways to ignore other parts of the book that are supposed to be the word of God. As it is, people translate the text over and over again, they revise it as they see fit, and it is thousands of years old. The changes in wording and content across time make it undeniable that humans, not God, determined the content of this holy book. The King James Version of the Bible has over 30,000 verses. Among them are endless laws and contradictions one can take to cater to their personal beliefs and agendas. We need to stop hiding behind a book most of us have not read or do not fully use anyway, further exemplifying that we all just do what we want anyway. Many people just use religion as an excuse for their opinions or actions. As an atheist, my moral compass is internal and social, not ancient or Biblical. I live my life well not for the promise of Heaven, but the guarantee of brevity. One life, I live it as I see fit. What do you think of Biblical interpretations? Tell us your thoughts! Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
Gay rights platform has more to worry about than marriage Michael Podgers opinion columnist
S
ame-sex marriage rights remain one of the big social issues of the day. The biggest gay rights news in the United States in the last few months was the Supreme Court’s ruling that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, which allows the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages performed in jurisdictions where they are legal. New updates include renewed attempts to finally get legal recognition of same-sex marriage in New Jersey and Illinois. All of this sounds like we are taking good, positive steps toward the expansion of samesex marriage rights to all U.S. jurisdictions, which we are. However, the various organizations and movements to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide need to be critically reconsidered and are quite frankly distractions from many other important issues pertinent to the LGBTQ community. In fact, the politicizing, the fighting, the arguing, the opinion pieces, the Facebook profile pictures and campaigns must stop. Stop! I say. For the record, I’m gay. Once, I was even one of the biggest flag waving, protest attending,
vocal marriage rights activists around. Then I came to the realization that even though it is good for many to have these rights, it is fighting the wrong fight. It is a bit naive to think that by gaining same-sex marriage rights we will come ever closer to the solutions to the problems of discrimination and homophobia we are looking for.
If marriage is something that makes people miserable, why are we trying so hard to get it?
Marriage, however, is only beneficial to certain segments of the LGBTQ community. That is, mostly the L, G and B and those who are privileged enough to concern themselves mostly with their marital status. Again, this isn’t to say that gaining the right to marry your partner is inherently bad, but that perhaps it is time the LGBTQ community and its allies reconsider our priorities a little bit… or a lot. Same-sex marriage rights are expanding in the U.S. at a decent pace and with the marriage bills and movements underway in
Illinois and New Jersey, the majority of major U.S. states will soon be places where individuals of all genders can marry individuals of all genders. Indeed, a large portion of the developed world has legalized same-sex marriage. The trends show movement in that direction. Therefore it may be time we reorganize and set our sights on new goals. It is high time that the LGBTQ and allied community work to get the truly fundamental rights we deserve. Marriage is not a fundamental right. It is in fact not what defines us as human beings. Well-being and access to health care, education and the freedom to think and live as we wish are much more fundamental than marriage. The thinking seems to be that these will follow marriage, but it is the other way around. Marriage is not a guarantor of these things. There are places in the U.S., including our neighboring state Michigan, where there are no employment or housing protections in place for LGBTQ people. And in even more places, protections do not exist for people who are trans or otherwise do not conform to the male-female gender binary. It does not address transphobia, which exists inside and outside the community.
Marriage also does not lead to lowering the rate of HIV transmission in the U.S. Men who have sex with men (MSM) account for the largest single demographic affected by HIV in the U.S. The rate of new infections even increased from 2008 to 2010. According to the Center for Disease Control, people who are Black MSM and Hispanic/ Latino MSM are disproportionately affected by HIV.
It is a bit naive to think that by gaining same-sex marriage rights we will come ever closer to the solutions to the problems of discrimination and homophobia we are looking for. Socially, the fight for marriage rights also limits the definitions of what ‘love’ is and what appropriate relationships are to a very specific context and type of relationship: traditional marriage. Not only does this mean that rather than take advantage of decades of experimentation and alternative types of relationships to critically examine the concept of marriage as a whole, a segment of the LGBTQ community and its allies have chosen to buy into a heteronormative and
questionable institution—presumably because it is the most socially acceptable move. This raises the questions as to whether society is changing to accept us for who we are or whether we, the LGBTQ community, are changing to become what society expects and wants us to be. The gains are, of course, good, but the losses of these moves must also be considered. A segment of the community may be able to celebrate in style, but that means little for people who are at risk of becoming infected with HIV or who are already living with it. Homeless youth, yet another demographic of people who are disproportionately LGBTQ, do not get a roof over their head or a safe place to live. Nor does this solve the myriad set of problems facing LGBTQ people in places like Saudi Arabia, Russia or Uganda. Often I see a sign from marriage rights rallies, which reads something along the lines of “Let us [people who are gay] get married, so we can be as miserable as the rest of you,” and it makes me think, if marriage is something that makes people miserable, why are we trying so hard to get it? What do you think? Please send all feedback to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.
comics
Strength in numbers. Hermit crabs form gangs to steal other hermit crabs’ shells.
dailycardinal.com
Crustaches Classic
Shakespeare essay time
Today’s Sudoku
Thursday, October 17, 2013 • 7
By Patrick Remington graphics@dailycardinal.com
© Puzzles by Pappocom
5 8 4 2 3 1 6 7 4 2 1 5 7 9 3 4 7 1 8 3 1 2 3 8 6 5
9 6 9 1 Caved In
Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.
4
9
9
8
3 7 4 1 8 7 5 8 2 4 3 9
3
4
5 2
HARD
Eatin’ Cake Classic
6
3 9 5 2 4 6 7 1 8
1 8 6 9 7 5 2 4 3
ACROSS 1 Share knowledge 6 Run ___ of (conflict with) 11 Special ___ (military force) 14 Like Santa’s girth 15 Russian crepes 16 Extreme abbr. 17 Prohibited 19 ___ chi ch’uan 5 8 but 7 I9 6 22 0 “Thanks, already ___” 4 6 2 3 7 5 21 Baby fox 27 2 Shark’s 9 1 appendage 4 3 2 23 Office-building 8 no-no 3 7 1 5 4 27 Appearing to be 1 8 5 6 2 9 29 Sigma follower 33 0 Cheese 4 9 in2a ball 1 8 32 Catch in a stocking 1 4for a9director 8 3 36 3 Work 34 Archaeological find 5 2 3 8 36 Average guy 6 7 39 9 The 7 4077th, 6 5 for 4 one 1 41 Russian country home 43 “___ Trek” 44 American felines 46 Goes right by 48 Part of a pension plan, briefly 49 Top-level domain name 51 Jalousie element 52 None whatsoever
w.sudoku.com
4 1 8 6 3 7 5 DOWN 9 1 “The Way” of Lao 2 Tzu 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Down Under bird Well-put Dagger partner Bigger and stronger Blood type letters The grippe, now Parts of pig tales Boxers, e.g. Tunes in Beating in the ring Apparent
3 2 7 9 1 8 6 4 5
13 Yellow jacket’s defense 18 On ___ knee 23 It’s often stuck in the corner 24 Hong Kong neighbor 25 Being more clever than 26 Bashes 28 Apple varieties 31 Jagger and Fleetwood 35 Five alarm stuff 1 5 6 7 2 39 7 Guillotined Antoinette 6 8 3 4 1 7 38 Grad student’s 5 hurdles 4 8 9 2 1 40 “Bodily” follower 4 3 2 attack 7 5 6 42 Military helicopter 6 9sources 3 8 5 47 5 Water 42 7 Kind 5 of 4 bomber 1 6 9 50 Like some company 3 picnics 7 1 5 4 8 53 Trombone part 1 2 7___”8(Listen) 9 3 54 “Lend 58 5 “___ Frutti” (Little 9 6 2 3 4 Richard classic) 57 Wrestling’s ___ the Giant 63 Circulation increaser 64 Bug or annoy 65 Great geological time span 66 “Arrested Development” narrator Howard 67 Whirlpool site
3 1 7 9 6
8 9 6 8 9
4
By Dylan Moriarty www.EatinCake.com
4 7
6 5 5 1
7
2 6 7
3
HARD
Evil Bird Classic
Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com 53 Predatory critter, in dialect 56 Periods in stark contrast to global warming 58 Six-legged hauler 59 Fresh-sounding antelope 60 Chewbacca’s captain 61 Colorful neckwear 62 Some baseball players 68 ___ Morrison (Them singer) # 62 69 Golden Horde member 70 Outfit 71 Bit of work in physics class 72 Move toward one’s prey, perhaps 73 Temporary tattoo dye
By Angel Lee alee@wisc.edu
8
# 63
Stress month
3
2 8
8
# 62
3
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
1
HARD
First in Twenty Classic
5 6
3 4 8 9 2
4 By Nick Kryshak 2 6 nkryshak@wisc.edu 3 7 5 4 8 9 6 6 1
HARD Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and# 61 every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
7
4 5 3 8 2 7 9 6 1
8 9 6 1 4 3 2 5 7
# 63
Page 16 of 25
# 64
7 8 4 6 9 1 5 2 3
1 9 6 2 3 5 8 4 7
5 3 2 4 7 8 1 9 6
By Caitlin Kirihara graphics@dailycardinal.com
6 2 9 5 8 7 3 1 4
4 5 3 1 6 2 9 7 8
8 1 7 9 4 3 2 6 5
9 6 1 8 5 4 7 3 2
2 7 5 3 1 6 4 8 9
3 4 8 7 2 9 6 5 1
# 64
6 9 3 7 5 1 4 8 2
7 8 1 2 9 4 3 5 6
5 2 4 3 6 8 9 1 7
3 1 8 4 2 6 5 7 9
2 7 9 8 3 5 1 6 4
4 5 6 9 1 7 8 2 3
8 6 7 1 4 3 2 9 5
1 3 2 5 7 9 6 4 8
9 4 5 6 8 2 7 3 1
24 Jul 05
Sports
Thursday October 17, 2013 DailyCardinal.com
Volleyball
Football
Weekend slate against Michigan teams looms for Wisconsin that the competition has raised the team’s level of intensity. After a four-match stretch “The better competion the road, the Wisconsin tion you play and the harder volleyball team (4-2 Big Ten, you work go hand in hand,” 15-3 overall) returns to the Thomas said. UW Field House this weekBoth teams have an end to take on No. 16 Michigan impressive offense at the net, (2-4, 12-5) and No. 5 Michigan but according to senior libeState (6-0, 17-1). ro Annemarie Hickey, this is The Badgers are halfway nothing new for the Badgers. through their six consecu“We’ve been up against a tive matches against ranked lot of tough offensive teams teams. They have played the this season, but we’ve got a first three on the road, los- scrappy defense and we get ing to then-No. 10 Nebraska, the ball up,” Hickey said. defeating then-No. 14 Ohio Wisconsin’s defense has not State, and losing at only held all of it’s conNo. 4 Penn State. ference opponents to The Badgers take under a .250 attacking on Michigan Friday percentage, but only night at 7 p.m. and opponents Nebraska Maximum will take on Michigan and Penn State were attack State Sunday at 1 p.m. able to hit above a .200. percentage Wisconsin’s Currently tied for The Badgers are defense has fourth in the Big Ten at also leaders in the allowed 4-2, the Badgers need Big Ten at the serjust one more win to vice line, recording match their 2012 conmore aces than 16 of Number of ference win total. their 18 opponents games Though the team thus far. Wisconsin has faced tough “Our serving has recorded more aces than their competition in their been pretty good most opponents in conference matchof the year,” Sheffield ups, head coach said. “Our goal is to Kelly Sheffield serve tough.” believes this has caused the After playing four matches players to work harder and on the road, Sheffield says the improve their game. team is excited to come back “Every night’s a challenge and play in front of a home in this conference,” Sheffield crowd. Of the 18 matches the said. “It forces our players Badgers have played so far, only to develop and expand their five of them have been at home. game. You’re forced to con“It’s going to be exciting to tinue to get better.” be back here and play in front Junior outside hitter of this crowd and see what Courtney Thomas, who set her we can bring,” Thomas said. career high of 19 kills in the “Hopefully we get two wins match against Ohio State, agrees out of it.”
By Olivia Pitzo The Daily Cardinal
.250 16
Wil Gibb/the daily cardinal
Senior linebacker Chris Borland recorded 10 tackles last weekend against Northwestern.
Defense looks to build on strong performance By Blake Duffin The Daily Cardinal
Following a dominant defensive performance against Northwestern in which seven different players recorded sacks, the Badger defense heads to Champaign, Ill., to face a historically underrated Fighting Illini offense. If there’s anything we have learned from Illinois’ first five games, it’s that UI is not afraid to pass the football. As of now, they rank second in the Big Ten in passing efficiency behind Ohio State. Despite all statistics, the Badgers defense will be prepared for whatever the Fighting Illini have to dish. “We’re going to have to mix things up,” redshirt senior linebacker Ethan Armstrong said. “With how much they like to pass, and how successful they are at, it definitely changes how we have to defend things, and some of the coverage’s were going to be in.” Still, the UW defense will be
prepared for the ground attack. “They have had a little bit of success running the ball as well, so obviously that’s a part of the game we have to prepare for,” Armstrong said. Illinois’ rushing offense ranks eighth in the Big Ten, while the Badger run defense is currently ranked 10th in the nation. Armstrong and the linebacker crew have been an enormous piece of Wisconsin’s defensive success so far, but the secondary may have a bigger role to play this weekend. It will be tasked with defending against Illinois’ senior quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, who holds a 64.2 completion percentage this year. Freshman cornerback Sojourn Shelton has put together an unbelievable freshman season thus far, tallying 19 tackles and a teamhigh three interceptions. He will be accompanied at cornerback by another freshman, Jakarrie Washington. Together, the young
duo will look to shut down the Illini passing attack this weekend. As the season progresses, so is the development of young Badger players. One emerging player for Wisconsin is redshirt freshman linebacker Vince Biegel, who has found his way onto the field more and more this season. Last week the former high school All-American recorded four tackles and a sack against Northwestern. “There were some good things last Saturday,” Biegel said. “I think I impressed the coaches, and will keep learning from it, and keep getting better.” It is apparent that Biegel is quickly meshing into Wisconsin’s tradition of tough linebackers, and looks to continue the trend in Champaign this weekend. “Continuing to rush the passer is going to continue to be a big emphasis,” Biegel said. “I know coach Aranda will emphasize that in game prep.”
Excitement surrounding the 2014 World Cup is beginning to build Jonah Beleckis real talk The FIFA 2014 World Cup will kick off in Brazil roughly 236 days from now. And while all other sporting events can at best keep me mildly preoccupied, the World Cup qualifying rounds are acting as rations during the long drought that has been the last three years and three months since Spain hoisted the trophy in South Africa. Tuesday, seven more teams booked their tickets to Brazil: Spain, Bosnia, Ecuador, Chile, Russia, Honduras and England. This collection of teams provides an array of diverse and captivating storylines. The Spaniards are of course, the defending World and European champions. But their reign of utter dominance is seemingly winding down after the thrashing they were handed against Brazil in the final of the Confederations Cup.
Some would argue the Brazilians had much more at stake in that game because of past disappointments and a lack of competitive matches due to automatic qualifying as hosts, but the seemingly flawless Spainiards were exposed. Carlos Puyol, whose late goal thrust his team through the semifinals 1-0 against Germany, is the veteran leader and heart of Spain’s defense. Recently he has been bogged down by injuries and will be 36 next April. While Gerard Piqué is still married to Shakira and Sergio Ramos has gotten rid of his repulsive long hair, Spain’s standing as top world defenders has been questioned in the last few months. Who will score the goals? David Villa, Spain’s all-time leading goal scorer, will likely not be as productive in Brazil as he was in South Africa. Fernando Torres, all jokes aside, is capable but hardly reliable in big games (that is, all the games that are not against Tahiti). Alvaro Negredo could potentially be an option that could stop
Spain from playing six midfielders if he continues his strong start to the 2013-’14 season. Despite all of these possible deficiencies, Spain has some of the most talented players in the world at midfield and goalkeeper and should still be considered one of the favorites to reach the final stages in Brazil. Their likelihood of winning despite certain key shortages should serve as an argument for the squad to be considered one of the greatest teams that has ever played the game. Next, Bosnia qualified for the first time in their history as an independent nation. Over the past 20 years this country went through nearly four years in a war that saw over 100,000 casualties, and has endured poverty and political friction ever since. Giving the Bosnian people a cause to celebrate illuminates the power of soccer in the world today. While their off-the-field storyline is momentous enough, the Bosnians do post some serious threats on the field. They have two top Barclays Premier League talents. One scores
goals, the other stops them. Edin Dzeko has scored numerous vital goals for Manchester City and is one of the world’s best aerial threats. Asmir Begovic has risen to become one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League for Stoke City, and will likely be sold to a top English or European club in need of a shot-stopper in one of the next two open transfer windows. In the World Cup, never count out a team that has as much uniting them as Ecuador. On July 29 star forward Christian Benitez died due to a cardiorespiratory arrest. Despite the emotional toil the rest of the team suffered, they were able to beat South African semi-finalists Uruguay 1-0 Friday, securing a World Cup berth due to the goal difference. England’s Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard sealed a World Cup ticket in a 2-0 win over a tough Polish team that could not capitalize on scoring chances that world-class forward Robert Lewandowski usually finishes with ease. There are probably no other
teams in the world that have as many questions asked of it as this English team. The Premier League has a lower amount of home-grown English players than it ever has. The national team is in an awkward stage of being filled with young, talented players that might not be fully developed yet and older veteran ones that might be past their prime. In spite of serious question marks, England finished on top of their group in European qualifying, which is not an easy task to accomplish. Players like Rooney and Gerrard can still produce world class performances and if the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Joe Hart, and Jack Wilshere can perform consistently at a high level like we have seen glimpses of, this England squad can certainly surprise some people. Who do you think will be the favorites going into the next World Cup? Can Spain defend their title? Are Shakira’s music videos the only part of the World Cup worth watching? Let Jonah know what you think by emailing sports@dailycardinal.com.