Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

Mark ponders the JiMichael paradox’s polarizing impact on ‘Office’ humor ARTS

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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Diversity programs yield fewer four-year grads By Megan Orear The Daily Cardinal

New data shows a significant drop in the four-year UW-Madison graduation rates for two campus diversity programs, though their retention rates are higher than the overall campus minority population. The two programs, Posse Scholars and the Pre-College Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence, seek out underrepresented student groups on a state and national level and provide mentoring and scholarships to help them succeed in a college setting. According to data assembled by the UW-Madison Office of Academic Planning and Analysis, the UW-Madison four-year graduation rate for PEOPLE students was 9.8 percent for the class that enrolled in the fall of

2005. The previous enrollment group had a four-year graduation rate of 18.9 percent. Posse Scholars saw an even larger drop from a 43.5 percent four-year graduation rate for the 2004 enrollment group to a 4.5 percent rate for the 2005 group. In comparison, the overall four-year graduation rate for UW-Madison students has steadily increased since 1999, to 52.4 percent from 42.4 percent. Of the targeted minority enrollment group from 2005, 29.2 percent graduated in four years. Jocelyn Milner, director of the Office of Academic Planning and Analysis, said though their recent graduation rates seem low, the sizes of the PEOPLE and Posse groups that enrolled diversity page 3

UW System committee may reform insurance policies By Ryan Hebel

UW-Madison’s University Health Services, will serve on the committee along with The UW System Board of Regents is another health director, two student repforming a committee to analyze and potential- resentatives, faculty, risk management staff ly alter the system’s current health insurance and other representatives from impacted policies, according to Larry Rubin, associate groups. Van Orman said other models to vice president for the UW System. consider might include better promotion of “What we are doing health insurance or recomcurrently is not sustainmending minimum levels able, and we are concerned of coverage to students. about what appears to be a Ruth Swisher, OUR AILING growing number of stuUW-Whitewater’s direcHEALTH CARE SYSTEM dents who are either unintor of health services, will sured or underinsured,” join Van Orman and said A collaborative reporting project of Rubin said. the committee must piece All Together Now, Madison, WI • ATNMadison.org The committee would together the good and bad probably begin work by the end of the semes- from various models, keeping rising university ter, depending on the H1N1 situation, and costs in mind at all times. would submit its recommendation by the end “We’d have to look at, ‘Would this be of the spring semester, Rubin said. worth it for the greater good?’” Swisher said. According to Rubin, the committee will aim to solve the problems inherent in the system’s voluntary insurance model that currently gives students little incentive to purchase university insurance like UW-Madison’s Student Health Insurance Program, leading to rising premiums. Over 77,000 Wisconsin residents “Health costs are always going up, so in lost their health insurance coverage order to provide a reasonably priced, highin 2009 because of unemployment, quality health insurance policy to students, according to statistics released Tuesday we have to look at a different way of doing by Citizen Action of Wisconsin. business,” Rubin said. According to the release, the perHe said the committee would research centage of uninsured Wisconsinites health insurance models throughout the jumped to 14.3 percent from 12 percountry, including systems in which all stucent within the past year. dents must purchase some form of insurance. The release also said 61.9 percent of Five Big Ten universities currently enforce Americans get their health insurance from mandatory coverage to increase applicant their employer or that of a family member. pools and keep their insurance costs down, That number is even higher in but Rubin said the committee has no “preWisconsin because the recession has had conceived notions” and wouldn’t necessarily the greatest impacts on the manufacturrecommend any change. ing sector, which includes a large amount Another possible solution to the risof Wisconsin jobs, according to Robert ing premiums would be to negotiate a Kraig, executive director of CAW. group insurance policy for all UW schools. He said Wisconsin was the 13th Currently, three UW System schools, includworst state in the country in terms of the ing UW-Madison, buy plans separately from the rest of the system, Rubin said. insurance page 3 Sarah Van Orman, executive director of

The Daily Cardinal jay jung/the daily cardinal

City planners and community members discussed the possible renovation of the Mifflin Street area as part of a Downtown Plan meeting at Memorial Union Tuesday.

Debate over redevelopment of Mifflin continues at Downtown Plan meeting By Maggie DeGroot The Daily Cardinal

The controversy over the redesign of Mifflin Street was the center of attention at Tuesday’s discussion of the Downtown Plan at Memorial Union. The meeting addressed a more detailed plan for the next 25 years in the city’s main downtown areas. Bill Fruhling, one of the principal planners, said that although the committee is far from being done, it is starting to move toward recommendations. The committee has received a great deal of feedback from previous meetings, including the April meeting at which some students brought to the committee’s attention their worries about the potential redevelopment of the Mifflin area. Fruhling said most people are divided on the issue of redevelopment. He said many residents feel that even though Mifflin Street may not be the most wellmaintained area, it has character and tradition. These people tend to have a strong

emotional attachment to the current look of Mifflin, he said. Others feel Mifflin needs a plan for transitioning over time, Fruhling said. He said the city needs to look 25 years into the future and make sure Mifflin will still contribute to the city. There is a need to keep houses in good shape for Mifflin to have a viable future, according to Fruhling. Fruhling and principal planner Michael Waidelich said it was important to keep the neighborhood at its current level or improve it. If Mifflin Street is to be conserved, the planners have suggested that buildings in the area would be kept at two or three stories. If it is redeveloped instead, some of the houses could be replaced by buildings four to six stories tall. In addition to its historical background, the Mifflin neighborhood is also an area with low-cost housing available. It contains some of the least expensive housing options for UW-Madison students, according to Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8.

Brothers bar owners file lawsuit against UW System The owners of Brothers Bar and Grill, Marc and Eric Fortney, filed a lawsuit against the UW System Board of Regents Tuesday over disagreements regarding the UW System’s plans to purchase the land on which the bar is located. The UW System plans to purchase the land to construct a new music and performance facility as a part of the UW-Madison Campus Master Plan, which provides an outline for the future layout of the campus. According to a UW System statement, the Board of Regents is exercising its right to

eminent domain by purchasing the property. The right to eminent domain allows government entities to purchase property even if it is against the will of the landowner. The Fortneys say although they understand that the UW System has the right to obtain the property, they feel the process has not been conducted fairly and that the timeline for the project lacks any definite plans, according to a statement from the Wood brothers page 3

Madison

Over 77,000 Wis. residents lost health insurance in 2009

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

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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

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

TODAY: showers hi 67º / lo 43º

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Hot older professors spark Jillian’s interest

Volume 119, Issue 36

2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 l fax (608) 262-8100

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

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Alex Kusters Advertising Manager Katie Brown Billing Manager Mindy Cummings Accounts Receivable Manager Cole Wenzel Senior Account Executive Ana Devcic Account Executives Mara Greenwald, Kristen Lindsay, D.J. Nogalski, Jordan Rossman, Sarah Schupanitz Online Account Executive Tom Shield Mara Greenwald Graphic Designer Web Directors Eric Harris, Dan Hawk Marketing Director Mia Beeson Archivist Erin Schmidtke The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. 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. 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 typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than 200 words, including contact information. Letters may be sent to editor@dailycardinal.com.

THURSDAY: showers hi 46º / lo 39º

JILLIAN LEVY one in a jillian

or the most part, people in my age bracket (“20somethings”) look at elderly people—anyone over the age of 40, maybe 50 if they have aged well— as a completely different species. They don’t have sweet lowerback tattoos, they don’t communicate exclusively through text messages and BlackBerry Messenger and they most certainly don’t listen to good music... like 3OH3!, Miley Cyrus and Lil Mama. 20somethings just don’t have anything in common with them. Recently, however, I discovered I am not like my peers, but more like a 60-year-old woman: I have an affinity for prune juice, I get pleasure out of watching birds and I need to take cat naps just to make it through a 14-hour day. I’ve also realized that I have the same taste in men as they do. This revelation came to me roughly two years ago when I ﬁrst met my boss at the Nitty Gritty. Famed owner Marsh Shapiro is not just a Madison celebrity; he is also (ﬁngers-crossed)

my future first husband. For those of you who are fortunate enough to have met Marsh, you’ll know what a wonderful man he is. How could you blame me for loving a man who looks like the Jewish equivalent of Santa Claus and is no taller than the average s ixth grader? Although my love of older men began with “Marshall the Marshall,” it did not end there. Cue my first day of History 398, fall semester, junior year: I walk into the basement classroom in the dungeon (i.e. Humanities) expecting yet another “syllabus” day, as is the tradition on the first day of classes (if your professor isn’t an evil, student-hating monster, of course). Instead, I found love at first sight: John Sharpless. He walked into the classroom with a tweed coat and leather jacket. Hot. Then, he completely ignored us for the first five minutes of class. Even hotter. I love mind games. For at least 15 minutes of the class, he told us about his far-right political beliefs and his love of motorcycles. Then, he talked about his daughter, his evil ex-wife and his obsession with young, redheaded women. Following that, he passed out our

syllabi and walked out the door and into my heart forever. Within moments of leaving the class I had already decided he was my favorite professor of all time and that I would be stopping at Walgreens on the way home to purchase red hair dye. For the next 15 weeks, I attended class religiously— a rarity for me—and hung onto his every word. Because of professor Sharpless my favorite U.S. president is Ronald Reagan, I hate communists—excluding my sister, but only because she is a blood relation—and I am now a history major. Profound is an understatement when it comes to the impact this crush had on my life. Unfortunately, the only other course Sharpless teaches is History 101, and, as a senior, I can’t really stomach the thought of being the only person in her 20s in a class of 300-plus students. My love affair has seemingly been put on hold. That was until I stepped into my journalism lecture the ﬁrst day, and there he stood: my older professor. Because I don’t want to ruin my chances with him by disclosing his name and exposing him to possible scandal and ruin, I will refer to him as Bob. Bob is different from Marsh

and professor Sharpless because he is neither an adorably stout, St. Nick-esque figure nor a tall, skinny, seductive history professor. He is a cross between the two and, to top if off, he’s a comedian. Already this semester he has growled in class, played George Carlin’s “Seven Dirty Words” skit and made fun of the tech geeks when they couldn’t ﬁx our projector—and we’re only six weeks in! Every day with Bob is a new adventure. What’s best is Bob is not just my professor but my TA as well, meaning I get four doses a week compared to my classmates’ measly three. Fate? I think so. Each one of these men has my heart in the grips of his Medicareprotected hands. It’s unfortunate that only one of them knows me by name and his wife happens to also be my boss. How I’ll convince these men to leave their families and run away with me I haven’t quite figured out yet. Until then, I am forced to love them from a distance. But everyone knows... you can’t deny fate forever. If you think Jillian is a huge, home-wrecking creep who should date someone her own age, e-mail her at jlevy2@wisc.edu.

the daily cardinal makes fun of you Tom McCoy

Nothing gets the competitive juices ﬂowing like Natural Light, ping pong balls, reused SOLO cups, and two cups of warm water. Year: 2011

Hometown: Prairie Du Chien, WI Favorite Movies: Dunston Checks In

Editorial Board Charles Brace Anthony Cefali Qi Gu Jamie Stark Todd Stevens Justin Stephani l

Favorite Music: Yo La Tengo, The Hold Steady, Belle and Sebastian, The Flaming Lips, Deerhunter, Pavement

Board of Directors Vince Filak Alex Kusters Joan Herzing Jason Stein Jeff Smoller Janet Larson Chris Long Charles Brace Katie Brown Benjamin Sayre Jenny Sereno Terry Shelton l

Interests: Flea Markets, 100% Angus Beef, Electroconvulsive therapy, Improving my quality of life, Swiss Army Knives, Shopping, WRAPPING GIFTS, Cuticles, Singalongs, Bubbles, Craig Counsell, Making Jokes, Accesorizing, AJJ

Most Embarrassing Item: : Flea markets? Bubbles? Accessorizing? Mom, what are you doing on Facebook? Oh, it’s just Tom McCoy, a man who has clearly transcended a true gender classification. At least you’ve saved your masculinity with the chimp-filled film “Dunston Checks In.” The only bigger mistake than you putting that in your profile is Jason Alexander’s decision to accept a role in that abomination of a film.

Beneath this classy, short-short wearing distinguished gentleman lies a deep passion for childish movies about monkeys that are terrible.

For the record In the Oct. 20, 2009 article “Ofﬁcials raise concerns over Madison IT security” it stated “Brian Rust, who worked on the APR team” when it should have stated “Brian Rust, who worked with the APR team.” In the Oct. 20, 2009 article “Health-care debate arises among student orgs” it stated “Stephen Duerst, College Republicans chair” when it should have stated “Stephen Duerst, College Republicans public relations chair.” The Cardinal regrets these errors.

Stupid Fact About Your Hometown: Prairie Du Chien was where Confederate president Jefferson Davis met his eventual wife, Sarah Taylor. Based on this information, it’s safe to say the town of Prairie Du Chien pretty much caused the American Civil War. Missed Opportunities: I mean, having “Dunston Checks In” on your proﬁle was a goof, right? That’s just left over from when your roommates got onto your Facebook proﬁle and messed around, right? We’ve got to know the truth! Saving Grace: Judging by his status, Mr. McCoy isn’t disinclined to playing a little beer pong in the middle of the school week. You’re bold sir, and we like it.

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

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Common Council extends tougher regulations for property owners By Caitlin Gath The Daily Cardinal

The Madison Common Council approved a chronic nuisance ordinance at Tuesday’s meeting, effectively making property owners more responsible for troublesome behavior that occurs on their property. According to the Chronic Nuisance Premises ordinance, the focus of the measure is on holding landlords accountable for chronic public nuisances on residential properties not occupied by the landlord. Prior to the approval, the ordinance was temporary and set to expire in November under a sunset provision. Many alders, even if skeptical at first, showed widespread support for the policy. Ald. Brian Solomon, District 10, said chronic nuisance regulation is a good policy and that he could not imagine why anyone would have problems with it. Ald. Julia Kerr, District 13, said she was skeptical at first about the ordinance but has since become a convert. “It’s been a lifesaver for me and my constituents,” she said. Ald. Tim Bruer, District 14, said the ordinance has been an overall success so far and he wants to ensure that the council protects issues like this one. “We built an ordinance in a framework that has worked, that has checks

Patricia LaPointe/the daily cardinal

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz speaks at Tuesday’s Common Council meeting, where an ordinance on chronic nuisance properties was made permanent. and balances,” he said. “There is not one ordinance that has come out of this Common Council that has garnered more support citywide.” “There are many [residents] who want to see this sunset lifted ... This is the cornerstone of much of their neighborhood’s preservation,” he added. “It has become much more of an education tool than a heavy hand.” Bruer said he also credited the

ordinance with helping to preserve the long-term quality of life throughout many Madison neighborhoods. Alds. Michael Schumacher, District 18, and Bridget Maniaci, District 2, were also in favor of repealing the sunset provision and making the law permanent. Madison Police Department Chief Noble Wray also said MPD felt the ordinance has been working well.

H1N1 vaccine arrives on campus, cases remain constant University Health Services plans to hold several large-scale student vaccination clinics on campus as early as Tuesday, Nov. 3. According to a release, UHS received the H1N1 vaccine last Wednesday and has started vaccinating UHS health-care providers who are regularly in direct contact

with people with the virus. The release also said UHS evaluated 49 students with flu-like symptoms last week, comprising 4.2 percent of the total primary care visits to the clinic. Those numbers are similar to those of the previous week, when 43 students contacted UHS with flu-like symptoms.

Depending on the number of vaccines received, UHS plans to hold as many as six large student vaccination clinics at various locations on campus, including Memorial Union, the SERF and the Nat. For more information regarding the vaccination clinics, visit flu.wisc.edu.

Average tuition at four-year public universities rises 6.5 percent College tuition rose by 6.5 percent on average at four-year public universities for the 2009-’10 school year, according to a report from the College Board released Tuesday. Tuition across the UW System increased by 5.5 percent, but tuition at UW-Madison rose by a slightly higher percentage because of additional increases from the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates. Average tuition at four-year public universities was $18,548 for out-of-state students, a 6.2 percent increase from last year, and $7,020 for in-state students, according to the report.

insurance from page 1 number of people who have lost their insurance in the past year. According to Kraig, without BadgerCare Plus, a government program that provides health-care coverage for some Wisconsin residents, these statistics could have been much worse. “[BadgerCare Plus] actually

brothers from page 1 Communications Group, a public relations company in Madison that is representing the Fortneys. The statement also said the Fortneys have accepted the price offered by the Board of Regents in

Sara Goldrick-Rab, UW-Madison professor of education policy studies and sociology, said she was not surprised to hear about the increase. She said tuition rose by 6.4 percent last year at UW-Madison, a 0.7 percent increase after adjusting for inflation. “It’s not particularly high, but college is getting less affordable since family income isn’t rising nearly as much and the amount of available financial aid [grants] isn’t increasing at the same rate,” she said. She said financial aid “rarely keeps up” with increases in tuition and said the Wisconsin Higher Education Grant, a state-funded grant for

undergraduates with financial need, ran out early this year. The average aid grant across universities totaled $5,041 per full-time student last year, according to the College Board report. Although the economic recession tightened budgets for financial aid providers, Goldrick-Rab said the real effects of the recession will be felt in future years. “Declining state support will have long-lasting effects, causing the universities to further shift the burden of paying for college onto students and families,” she said. —Hannah Furfaro

helps cushion all of this, because we have among the best Medicaid and child health insurance plans in the country as far as eligibility and coverage,” he said. Kraig said it is unlikely Wisconsin will be able to continue its current health-care funding levels and that the future of health-care reform lies in the hands of the federal government, where health-care

plans remain under discussion. “Unless we do something about spiraling health-care costs, there is a point in which the state can’t afford to do it anymore, and so even if BadgerCare has been successful, there is still a real need for national reform in order to create affordability for everyone,” he said. —Kelsey Gunderson

case their lawsuit is unsuccessful. Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, said since the owners of Brothers have been forced to move, the city of Madison will allow them to relocate to wherever they want and they will be exempt from laws limiting the number of bars in certain

campus and downtown areas. Mike Wittenwyler from the Madison office of the Godfrey & Kahn law firm is representing the Fortneys in the case, according to the statement. —Kelsey Gunderson and Caitlin Gath

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

news

State Senate passes ban on text messaging while driving An amended bill that would ban drivers from text messaging passed the state Senate Tuesday. The original bill would have limited the ban to drivers under 18, but the bill was amended after debate to apply to all drivers. The Senate bill passed by a 27-5 vote, with state Sen. Jeff Plale, D-Milwaukee, joining some Republican lawmakers in opposition to the bill. “I’m glad that members from both sides of the aisle came together to pass a ban on text messaging for all drivers. I appreciate the commitment that the Senate showed by working together to do the right thing and protecting our citizens,” state Sen. Alan Lasee, R-De Pere, said in a statement. The bill exempts drivers who use text messaging to report an emergency. Additionally, people

who operate emergency vehicles would be exempt from the ban. The legislation would impose a $20 to $400 fine for first offenders and a fine of no more than $800 for a second offense. During the floor session, lawmakers in opposition to the bill said existing laws banning inattentive driving effectively prohibit conduct like text messaging while driving. Lasee encouraged the state Assembly to “act quickly” to pass similar legislation. The Assembly bill currently awaits debate. “There is no question that texting while driving is extremely dangerous, and innocent lives have been lost due to this irresponsible practice. What the state Senate did today was take a strong stance by putting a premium on public safety,” he said. —Hannah Furfaro

diversity from page 1

work real hard to do anything we can to try to get us there,” vice provost for diversity and climate Damon Williams said, adding there is a trend of more minority students graduating, even if it is not in four years. Valeria Davis, a spokesperson for the UW-Madison School of Education, said statistics showing these students graduating in more than four years is not a sign of weakness in the programs, especially because of the low number of students this data draws from. “There’s nothing disappointing about the diversity programs that we have, especially these that are bringing students in that are … finding out that this is a place where they can come and thrive and launch a very good career,” Davis said.

in 2005, 41 and 22 respectively, are somewhat small to base statistics on. PEOPLE Program Director Jackie DeWalt said these numbers need to be put into perspective, pointing out that PEOPLE was originally based on a five-year benchmark, more students are graduating in five or six years and the 2005 PEOPLE enrollment group has a retention rate of 82.9 percent. Some of the Posse students in the 2005 class are in academic programs that usually take more than four years to complete, such as engineering and education, according to Ruttanatip Chonwerawong, director of the UW-Madison Posse chapter. “We would want four-year numbers to be higher. We’re going to

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

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arts

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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The JiMichael paradox MARK RIECHERS jumping the mark

PHOTO COURTESY MYSPACE RECORDS

Pop-rock band Sherwood do fun things like grow facial hair. And don’t let their pretentious ties fool you: These guys will have you dancing around your bedroom naked in no time.

‘Sherwood’ like this band Pop-rock band Sherwood provides a ‘Sher’hit By Kaitlyn Schnell THE DAILY CARDINAL

Where has all the good old-fashioned, happy pop music gone? It’s alive in QU, the most recent and mature album by indie pop-rock group Sherwood. Although their third full-length album differs from past albums, one can still expect the sunshiny, beach pop music associated with the California band. Sherwood deﬁnitely did not disappoint fans this time around.

vocals) and Mike Leibovich (keys, percussion)—provide the rest of the meat in the pleasant compositions. In addition to great instrumental parts, the lyrics prove Sherwood’s imaginative writing ability.

CD REVIEW

on the album help the pop group enhance their musical approach. The opening track, “Shelter,” highlights the group’s well-blended voices with a hint of organ, setting up a haunting, churchlike outlook. The piano-fueled “Ground Beneath My Feet” starts out at a slower pace but quickly speeds up to a moderate tempo, and the voicecentered breakdown grabs the listener’s attention immediately. “Worn,” an acoustic guitar-driven tune, features the voice of Molly Jenson providing another valuable layer.

QU Sherwood Although the guys throw a few slower, deeper songs into the pile, the quality never fails.

QU is overﬂowing with ﬂuid harmonies and danceable rock ’n’ roll music, mimicking the legendary Beach Boys. The uplifting melodies promise smiles and boosted spirits. Although the guys throw a few slower, deeper songs into the pile, the quality never fails. Nate Henry, the lead singer and bassist, captures the feeling of each track with strong vocals, while the other members—Joe Greenetz (drums), Dan Koch (lead guitar, vocals), David Provenzano (rhythm guitar,

“Maybe This Time,” the album’s ﬁrst single, features a pulsing, rhythmic beat, rifﬁng guitars and tremendous breakdown, but a few other tracks are catchier. The hook in “You Are” will undoubtedly get stuck in your head, and “Around You” has a memorable, frantic background rhythm. The repetitive “Whoa, whoa, whoa” chorus in “Make It Through” leaves an optimistic mark on the album. But, overall, “Not Gonna Love” is the best combination of all of Sherwood’s positive qualities wrapped in one perfect package. With a splash of island, the song’s mellow punch and, of course, infectious harmonies sum up what Sherwood is all about. The addition of a few slower songs

The addition of a few slower songs on the album help the pop group enhance their musical approach.

When searching for an album to prance around to in your underwear, QU’s selection of mostly lighthearted tunes are sure to fulfill this desire. The plethora of unforgettable harmonies and tinkling tunes come together to create the joyful jingles that are so scarce in today’s music selection. The pop world needs to hear Sherwood’s diverse talent and artistic creativity blossoming from this new album.

f you’re a fan of “The Office,” you’ve had a tumultuous couple of weeks. Two weeks ago we got “Niagara,” the long-awaited wedding of Jim and Pam coupled with some of the best B-plots the show has had in years—no room for Michael at the inn, Dwight’s ravenous lovemaking and Kevin’s “conversation-starting” Howard Hughes footwear, to name a few. Last Thursday, we got a weak “Look what Michael did” show about mobsters. All the supporting players got wrapped up in the goofy mafia plot, and Jim and Pam were absent on their honeymoon—in fact, the only bright spots were their brief appearances with various characters on the phone. In a week’s time, we may have seen the best and worst episodes “The Office” has ever had. What happened? Clearly the writers have figured out how to write an hourlong show— “Niagara” showed immense progress in writing and pacing compared to some of the way-too-long episodes from season four. Why were the 22 minutes of “Mafia” so hard to fill with laughs? Granted, we’re coming off the high of an episode fans have been waiting for since the series began—it was always going to be a tough act to follow. But “Mafia” exposed the big problem the show’s writers have created for themselves: A good episode of “The Office” episode needs both Jim and Michael. Jim is the perfect straight man, and Michael is his fool. Without the back and forth they have as Jim mocks Michael relentlessly, episodes lose all their energy and momentum. The writers capitalized on this fact earlier in the season when Jim pursued a promotion in the office, leading to his current status as “co-manager” of

Dunder-Mifflin Scranton. Jim making fun of Michael’s antics from his desk was good; forcing the two of them together to make big decisions needs to be made better. Their newly tightened relationship has the potential to keep them joined at the hip for many gags to come—I look forward to the first time the pair have to present anything to David Wallace together. But as the writers lean on “JiMichael” for all the best laughs, they forget about the bit players elsewhere in the ofﬁce, giving them less and less to do and say. And if “Maﬁa” is any indication of the material they can come up with when they can’t write for their new dynamic duo, I fear for the future of anyone in the supporting cast.

In a week’s time, we may have seen the best and worst episodes “The Ofﬁce” has ever had.

However, “Niagara” showed promise for other characters if the writers can get off their JiMichael crutch. Pam’s nursing of Andy’s scrotal injury was one of the best moments of the episode—maybe Pam could play the mom to Andy, Kevin and the other childish officemates as her maternal instincts start to take root. The Kellys (Kelly and Erin) are the single ladies in the office, so why not send them on a girls’ night with Pam and Phyllis awkwardly tagging along? “The Ofﬁce” has really rallied back after a few lackluster seasons, and now is no time for the writers to run out of original ideas. As much as I enjoy Jim and Michael, it’s time to give the other characters some quality time in the spotlight. Mark has found in his experience that being a manager does make you say stupid things. Complain to him about your idiot boss via e-mail at mriechers@wisc.edu.

Around Campus Tonight Archie Powell & the Exports One of Madison’s most celebrated songwriters, ex-Box Social frontman Nick Junkunc, returns to his college town for what will assuredly be an invigorating night of rock ’n’ roll. Having relocated to Chicago, Junkunc’s homecoming under the new moniker will feature many of the same elements that attracted so many fans in the past. Adding a Tom Petty influence to rockabilly, Archie Powell is one of the Midwest’s most exciting storytellers, and opportunities to catch him live on campus are becoming more infrequent by the year. The group’s debut, Loose Change EP, is one of the most exciting releases we’ve heard from the area, and it is available for free download on their website. Who: The Delta Routine, Archie Powell & the Exports Where: The Frequency (21+) When: 10 p.m. Cost: $5

PHOTO COURTESY NBC

‘You may kiss the series goodbye.’ Jim and Pam ﬁnally tied the knot, jeopardizing any successful on-screen chemistry in ‘The Ofﬁce.’

comics 6

You know you’re from Wisconsin if...you know what a F.I.B. is. dailycardinal.com/comics

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Squeaky cheese curds

Today’s Sudoku

Evil Bird

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

Angel Hair Pasta

By Todd Stevens ststevens@wisc.edu

Sid and Phil

By Alex Lewein alex@sidandphil.com

Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

The Graph Giraffe

Charlie and Boomer

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

By Natasha Soglin soglin@wisc.edu

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com TURN AROUND ACROSS 1 Lacking in color 5 Something to put in the Summer Games? 9 Charlie Brown’s sis 14 Energy cartel since 1960, brieﬂy 15 Manual alt. 16 Word of farewell 17 Mir launcher 18 “Do___others ...” 19 More quick to the helm 20 Reminisce 23 Experiences, as doubts 24 Some Sotheby’s offerings 25 Big jets 29 Win alternative 31 “___ Back” (1969 Beatles chart-topper) 34 Treat like a pariah 35 Blackener of Santa’s suit 36 ___ mater 37 Erase time? 40 They might be served with bangers and mash 41 Chief god of Olympus 42 “Hollywood Squares” answer choice 43 Crooner King Cole 44 ___ of Life (ﬁreman’s tool) 45 “Amen” preceder 46 Chestnut case

47 Wee drink 48 Take apart to understand the design of 57 Prenatal care centers? 58 Cut with scissors 59 Doing plenty of nothing 60 Three goddesses of destiny (with “the”) 61 Join (with) 62 The vegetarian Simpson 63 Homecoming project, perhaps 64 “East of ___” (1955 ﬁlm) 65 Banana top DOWN 1 Be the bartender 2 Polygonal church projection 3 For fear that 4 Neutral color 5 Sites for sweaters 6 Tracks game 7 Sgt. Snorkel’s four-legged friend 8 Tugboat sound 9 NFL great portrayed in “Brian’s Song” 10 Make ﬁt 11 Trevi Fountain coin, once 12 Cousins of Wranglers 13 Mongols’ tent 21 “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” spinoff 22 Bad thing to make a

decision in 25 Sumo stomping grounds 26 Lobe at the middle of the soft palate 27 Polyphonic choral piece 28 Lobster eaters’ protection 29 Yoga position 30 ___ and aahs 31 Springsteen’s “___ Days” 32 Banquet ofﬁcial 33 Word with “risk” or “census” 35 Distort, as data 36 Bit of aquarium growth 38 Royal Romanovs 39 Bones affected by typing 44 Judge 45 Dirty pal of 9-Across 46 Appalachian college that charges no tuition 47 Catty 48 Dennis the Menace’s dog 49 Abbreviation meaning “and others” 50 Congress-thwarting move 51 Being, to Nero 52 Author Bagnold 53 First name in the E Street Band 54 Touch up text 55 “What ___ can I say?” 56 Twenty quires of paper

Washington and the Bear

By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com

opinion dailycardinal.com/opinion

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

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

tenants’ rights all about education

DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Democrats looking to ﬁx spending woes by taxing beer are taking some of the fun out of gameday.

Irresponsible spending mires beer tax proposal By Emily Monske COLLEGE REPUBLICANS

“We... want... more... BEER!” This infamous chant heard at every Badger football game sums up Wisconsin weekends pretty well. But are already cash-strapped college students going to want to chant for more foamy beverages if the price for our gameday “water” is significantly higher than the current rates? Wisconsin has always been famous for its drinking culture. No matter where you are, everyone knows that Wisconsinites cherish their beer and pride themselves on their unique ability to drink it. One thing Wisconsin should not be proud of, however, is its unique ability to impose sky-high taxes on its residents. State Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison, does not agree and seems to think beer and taxes are the perfect union. Her recently proposed beer-tax legislation may have good intentions in combating alcohol abuse, but its end result will be the same as any other tax—more money for lawmakers, less money for you. The proposed beer-tax increase, the first of its kind in 40 years if it passes, would change the tax from $2 per barrel to $10 per barrel, or roughly 2.5 cents per bottle of beer. Knowing the amount of beer Wisconsin sells every year, an extra $8 would add up quickly. The revenue collected from this proposed tax would ideally be used for better alcohol abuse treatment programs and law enforcement efforts to combat drunken driving. Wisconsin has an undisputed reputation for its binge drinking and also has one of the nation’s highest levels of drunken driv-

ing fatalities, so it seems logical that lawmakers would put energy into programs to reverse this longstanding trend. In a perfect world this tax would have the capabilities to end drunken driving, cut down on alcohol abuse and even reduce health-care costs by reducing the number of alcohol-related diseases and injuries. Unfortunately we don’t live in a perfect world, which was best demonstrated by the recent increase in the cigarette tax. This past summer the price of cigarettes increased $0.75 per pack, following last year’s $1.00-perpack increase. The revenue collected from this tax was supposed to fund quit smoking help lines and addiction programs. Why,

then, has there been a 55% cut in funding to state antismoking programming? Because of the irresponsible spending of Gov. Doyle and Democratic leadership, that’s why. Following a trend that has been frequent during Doyle’s tenure, the money was raided from that account to pay for other services. The beer tax is an honorable effort by Rep. Berceau— everyone wishes to see drunken driving-related deaths fall.

However, Doyle and his administration have continued to shift money from one state agency to the next to try to fund all the massive government spending they have created and now cannot pay for. Who’s to say that this tax is going to actually fund the programs the lawmakers say it will? This tax won’t dent my weekend budget that severely, but at the same time, why should I be paying it in the first place? These are questions we as voters need to be asking our legislators. This isn’t the only tax college students may face as we graduate and enter the real world. Doyle and state Democrats are proposing to spend $3.64 billion more in the new budget, passed in June of this year, which represents a 6.2 percent increase in spending over the base budget and a total of $62.24 billion in 2009-2011. To offset this, Doyle is taxing everything from phone calls to hospital stays. In addition, property taxes that are reﬂected in our student housing aren’t statements are increasing 3.3 to 4.1 percent because of Doyle. We need to draw the line when it comes to taxing and spending. Democrats and lawmakers like Doyle cannot continue to raid other state funds to pay for mismanaged ones. It is unfortunate that lawmakers have resorted to raising taxes on the last few fun things college students can still afford. It’s not just beer. Have you heard about the new digital downloadable media taxes that started Oct. 1? Probably not. Wisconsin can’t seem to curb its spending habits, even in the current economic climate, and seems to be punishing students for its ﬁscal irresponsibility. Emily Monske is a senior and the first vice chair for the UWCollege Republicans. We welcome all feedback. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

ast year, The Daily Cardinal Editorial Board wrote that it is best for tenants to know their rights when renting so landlords do not continue to rent properties without oversight. As we said, “The onus is on the landlords to heed the concerns of students who are paying sizable amounts of money for a safe place to live.” Every year, rental companies in Madison get thousands of new tenants, many of whom have never seen a lease before, and landlords frequently take advantage of this. Tenants can use the police to help deal with negligent landlords and other rental issues. Though this concept has not yet leaked into the collective subconscious of the student body, it still gives students some official muscle to help deal with the comfort and safety of their own homes. Police can write citations to landlords for certain property management violations dealing with issues like eviction and entering the premises.

Fines are the only way to get through to negligent landlords.

But citations are rather ineffective litigating devices that can build up until the city has to get involved and file the paperwork required to fine renters. Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, recently proposed that police be given the ability to directly fine landlords who violate tenants’ rights. Along with this, Eagon also proposed an increase in the fine amounts

to help landlords understand the gravity of the situation. Fines are the only way to get through to negligent landlords. Their thrifty behavior when dealing with tenants and properties is the reason for such measures to be taken in the first place. The bigger fines would give students some recourse so that they may look out for their own interests. And again, a lot of this has to do with the safety and comfort of tenants in Madison. Unfortunately, this amendment was voted down last Thursday during a Landlord and Tenant Issues subcommittee meeting, helping landlords to continue carrying their seemingly indifferent attitude to the plight of their often disgruntled tenants. In many ways, it seems the Madison Police Department did not want to be the enforcers of tenants’ rights, even though it makes the most sense that they should be the ones to provide recourse for renters. Since the MPD has wiped its hands clean of the situation and the landlords have asserted their voice and are still focused solely on profit, it is again the responsibility of students to make sure that they know how to monitor and enforce their rights. The first step to ensure both safety and a good rental experience is to get educated. We call on the unversity to educate its student residents to go on and be responsible and knowledgeable tenants. The most inexperienced renters come straight from the residence halls and walk into the position all bright-eyed and credulous after the experiences of living in the residence halls. Until this pattern changes, landlords will continue to reap the benefits.

Know your rights: Fast facts about renting in Madison Landlords must disclose: -any building code violations, including the lack of cold or hot running water -heating units that are unsafe or not in good working order, or incapable of keeping the temperature at least 67 degrees -lack of electricity in unit. Promises to make repairs must be made in writing and include a completion date. Landlords must give at least 24 hours notice before entering a unit (unless there is an emergeny). The photo ordinance requires landlords to photos of damages in properties if they deduct from security deposits. Source: The Tenant Resource Center

sports 8

dailycardinal.com/sports

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Professional Hockey

New team looks to crack tough Madison market By Nico Savidge THE DAILY CARDINAL

Players on the Madison Ice Muskies might not be a step away from the NHL, but the team hopes that won’t stop local hockey fans from coming out to support them. The Ice Muskies play in the All-American Hockey League, a collection of Midwestern professional hockey teams that feeds players to the International Hockey League. The AAHL was born in 2008 and recently expanded to six franchises with the addition of Madison’s team for the 2009-’10 season, which starts Friday at the Hartmeyer Ice Arena on Madison’s East Side. Many team members have played college hockey, but head coach Rod Davidson said the single-A-level program is a way for young players to build experience and move up to higher leagues. They may be a low-level program, but the Ice Muskies will be the ﬁrst professional team in Madison since the Madison Kodiaks, a minorleague team that fed the Milwaukee

Admirals until they left Madison in 2000. Organizers are hoping the return of professional hockey will bring fans out to their games, despite previous teams that have failed to crack the Madison sports market. Team owner and general manager John Rudolph said he hopes the memory of those other franchises will not affect the Ice Muskies this year. “Where the other different teams left off, that reputation is still in the community,” Rudolph said. “So even though you’re new, that still is kind of attached to your organization.” One of the biggest hurdles other teams faced was building a fan base in a market like Madison, which is already dominated by Wisconsin athletics. Although he said the team would like to see UW students in the stands, Rudolph admits the game will be different from college hockey and that they are not competing with Wisconsin’s teams. Instead, the Ice Muskies are looking to build support among working-class fans on the East Side. Rudolph admitted this is not the

PHOTO COURTESY OF JASON KESSENICH

Members of the Madison Ice Muskies celebrate one of the nine goals the team scored in an exhibition match against the Chicago Blaze. The team opens its inaugural season Friday at the Hartmeyer Ice Arena. best economic climate to start a sports franchise in, but said the team’s low operating budget of about $100,000 per year gives them a better chance to survive. By keeping ticket prices low—$8 for adults and $4 for children—and being involved with youth and high school hockey organizations, Rudolph hopes the Ice Muskies will defy the recession in their debut season. “With the economy the way it is,

SCOTT KELLOGG the cereal box

STEPHANIE MOEBIUS/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Eric Conklin scored his ﬁrst goal of the year on a penalty kick against Northwestern to give Wisconsin a 2-1 overtime victory Saturday.

Badgers kick off ﬁnal home games against rival Marquette THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin men’s soccer team will return to the McClimon Complex Wednesday to start its last homestand of 2009 against Marquette. Coming off a 2-1 victory over No. 16 Northwestern, the Badgers will look to ride the momentum from their penalty-kick victory into the matchup. Senior midfielder Eric Conklin’s game-winning penaltykick goal in the 95th minute against the Wildcats put an end to the Badgers’ three-game losing streak and Northwestern’s 10game winning streak. The victory was also Wisconsin’s first over a ranked opponent since 2008. Now the Badgers (4-6-2) will

tempo, offensive team that’s entertaining for fans,” Davidson said. Davidson and Rudolph will face their ﬁrst regular-season test Friday as the team tries to attract fans for its season opener against the Evansville Ice Men. They hope the Ice Muskies will be able to overcome their lack of notoriety and low-level hockey status to break through and succeed where others have failed in Madison.

Premium channels could give fans better access to in-game player audio

Men’s Soccer

By Nico Savidge

it’s better to go that route and also to keep the tickets affordable for the fans,” Rudolph said. “It will be great for the community on the East Side,” he added. Davidson said he hopes the team’s fast, high-scoring offense will also be a big draw. In a home preseason game, the Ice Muskies scored six unanswered goals against the Chicago Blaze for a 9-3 victory. “I’m hoping to have a high-

turn their focus to the non-conference Golden Eagles (3-7-3), who are also coming off a big win over a ranked opponent. Wisconsin last faced Marquette in 2008, defeating the Golden Eagles 1-0 on a goal from senior forward Scott Lorenz. They will look for Lorenz and senior forward Brandon Miller, who lead the team in scoring, to continue their strong play despite the team’s offensive issues this year. Wednesday’s game marks the start of a three-game homestand in which the Badgers will also face Ohio State Oct. 25 and Northern Illinois Oct. 28. After those games Wisconsin returns to the road for contests against Penn State and UW-Milwaukee.

hen I would watch the NBA playoffs last spring, one of my favorite parts of the coverage was the “wired” segments from TNT and ESPN in which the networks would show three or four clips, mostly of head coaches yelling at their players or talking strategy with them during a timeout. I loved this feature because, like most fans, I’ve always wondered what coaches are telling their players and what players are saying to each other, whether they’re talking to their teammates or talking trash to the other team. Even though I found this facet of the telecasts fascinating, it always left me wanting more. I knew the clips of coaches and players talking on the court only revealed the tip of the iceberg. What was the context of their speech? How did the players respond to the coach? What was that player saying when he was yelling to his teammate? What were the two players saying to each other when they were jawing with one another? Answers to these questions, plus many more, were not available to the viewing public. And why is that? One explanation may be the networks didn’t want to reveal too much of the coach’s strategy, or another may be they don’t want to make anyone look bad.

But the obvious and major reason for this is profanity. There is so much swearing going on all around the game that the network has to pick and choose which audio clips to replay to the audience. It’s the bad language that keeps these clips from being interesting or groundbreaking. Unfortunately it seems as though there is not much that can be done about this problem. Networks that covered the NBA postseason—TNT, ESPN and ABC—as well as any other networks that cover sports, such as FOX, CBS or NBC, are all renowned television companies.

I’ve always wondered what coaches are telling their players and what players are saying to each other.

These networks all seek to maintain a high level of integrity and cater to a broad, family audience. Running a profanity-laced speech by a coach or a player is clearly out of the question. But there are networks out there that can realize this potential, speciﬁcally premium ones like HBO, Showtime and Cinemax. These premium networks would be perfect for broadcasting a sporting event, whether it be basketball, football, hockey or baseball, tailored toward extensive on-the-ﬁeld audio. These networks could set up

a broadcast with microphones on everyone—the players, the coaches, the refs. Then they create an overwhelming focus on live and replayed live-audio segments. After each play the replays could focus on the speech of a player or coach. Every time there’s a timeout in basketball, the audio would switch to the coach. Every time a quarterback runs over to his head coach, we could tune in. The audio feeds may have to be replays so no important strategic conversation are revealed, but other than that the restrictions on ﬁeld audio would be removed. The premium channels would be perfect for this. Not one of them would have any qualms about the poor language. All they have to do is announce the programming is for mature audiences, and they’d be ﬁne. Obviously a lot of work and more details would have to be worked out, but the idea is a gold mine. The coaches and players may have privacy issues, and the leagues may not want their reputations damaged in any way, but this is something that should be explored. Even if it’s a Kansas City ChiefsDetroit Lions game, who wouldn’t tune in to watch this? To me at least, a sports feed with extensive on-the-field audio would revolutionize sports broadcasting. This could finally give fans the all-access, on-thefield pass to sporting events they have always wanted. Should fans have more access to player audio? E-mail Scott your thoughts at kellogg2@wisc.edu.