Banksy
GOODBYE, BYE WEEK Badgers set eyes on Iowa after break
The anonymous artist finds politics in graffiti + ARTS, page 4 University of Wisconsin-Madison
+SPORTS, page 8
Complete campus coverage since 1892
l
dailycardinal.com
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Students participate in ‘Ellen’ contest
SSFC allots funding to adventure learning org Working Class Student Union requests funding By Paige Villiard the daily cardinal
The Student Services Finance Committee approved the 2013-’14 budget for Adventure Learning Programs Monday. During ALPs’ budget presentation last week, ALPs representative Lee Swartz said the organization provides adventure workshops through high and low ropes courses. SSFC approved a final budget of $148,941.99 and made several small changes to the organization’s budget, including increasing transportation funding. According to SSFC Chair David Vines, the current academic year is the first time the group has had increased usage of transportation to and from its ropes courses. An ALPs member said it has nearly expended all of its transportation funding for the rest of the current year. SSFC also heard a budget presentation from the Working Class Student Union for the 2013-’14 academic year. According to WCSU’s website, the group “supports and advocates for first-generation, non-traditional, transfer and working class college students” through peer counseling
and events that are available to all students. WCSU’s finance director Derek Field said the organization has seen an increase of students coming to the office for peer support and higher turnouts at WCSU events. Also at the meeting, Vines provided his interpretation of the Supporting Peers In Laidback Listening wage violations that he said occurred earlier in the semester when two authorized signers each logged more than the maximum 20 hours per week employees are allowed to work. Vines said there was probably confusion because the pay periods for the authorized signers are two weeks long and they had not worked more than 40 hours in the two weeks. “It’s pretty clear where the miscommunication was,” Vines said. “It does not seem to be anything intentional or malicious.” According to Vines, SSFC’s bylaws are a “little ambiguous” when it comes to wage violations because they only apply to multiple violations made by a single authorized signer, which is not applicable to the SPILL violations. Vines said the committee is regarding the wage violations as one violation instead of two, and SPILL will submit a letter to SSFC explaining the violation and why it will not happen again. SSFC will decide on WCSU’s budget Thursday and will also hear a budget presentation from Sex Out Loud.
By Emmett Mottl the daily cardinal
a Better Time Being” to 1,200 audience members at Union South Monday, as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series. During the lecture, Ozeki shared advice about time, life and the creative process. She encouraged the audience to honor their ancestors and know where they come from, take their time and
Cheering crowds dressed in a variety of costumes greeted talk show host Ellen DeGeneres when she brought her daily talk show to Madison Monday. While DeGeneres herself remained at her Los Angeles studio, she received a warm welcome and cheers from the crowd when she addressed the audience through a live video feed. DeGeneres encouraged University of Wisconsin-Madison students to dress in Halloween costumes in a tweet to the university before the show Monday. The segment, which was filmed outside of Chipotle on the 600 block of State Street, was part of a nationwide series of contests involving participants dressing up to match various prompts, according to the host’s Twitter page. Assistants selected a few well-dressed students out of the crowd and put them on screen with DeGeneres, who promptly sent them out on a hunt to find a unique object to wrap up in tinfoil. Participants scrambled down State Street to find something that
ozeki page 3
ellen page 3
AMY GRUNTNER/the daily cardinal
Ruth Ozeki, author of this year’s Go Big Read book, discusses her book, ‘A Tale for the Time Being’ at a lecture on campus Monday.
Ozeki speaks on campus Monday Go Big Read author highlights time passage at lecture By Dana Kampa the daily cardinal
Ruth Ozeki, the author of this year’s Go Big Read book, gave a lecture titled “How to be
UWPD warns students about trend in high intoxication levels The University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department distributed a release Monday warning students the trend of high intoxication levels continuing over Halloween weekend could someday cost a life, citing two incidents of excessive drinking on Saturday. On Saturday at approximately 12:30 a.m., a civilian alerted a UWPD officer about an individual lying unconscious on the ground, according to the release. Officers located the 18-yearold UW-Madison student passed out near the intersection of University Avenue
and Breese Terrace. Officers were able to wake the man, who was unable to stand and slurring his speech. It was determined his blood alcohol content was 0.36 and he was taken to detox. Later, at approximately 10:30 p.m., UWPD officers responded to the report of a man found unconscious on the ground at University Avenue and East Campus Mall. The 20-year-old UW-Madison student was found passed out and covered with vomit. He was unable to stand on his own or speak and was transported to detox with a BAC of 0.351.
THE ORPHEUM
Be still
The Head and the Heart performed at the Orpheum Theater Monday night, fresh off the release of their new album, Let’s Be Still. + Photo by Will Chizek
“…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
tODAY: rain
wednesDAY: rain
hi 55º / lo 35º
hi 59º / lo 54º
2 Tuesday, October 29, 2013 l
An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 123, Issue 39
Gritting over graduation change
2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100
News and Editorial
edit@dailycardinal.com 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 Sam Karp • Emma Pankratz Jake Smasal
Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Jacob Sattler Office Manager Emily Rosenbaum 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.
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
Editorial Board Haleigh Amant • Abigail Becker Riley Beggin • Anna Duffin Mara Jezior • Cheyenne Langkamp Tyler Nickerson • Michael Penn Nikki Stout © 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.
dailycardinal.com
better place / Take a look at yourself and make a change.” –MJ.)
samy moskol sam yams “This is an opportunity to feel that affinity, that pride, and see the impact of their class all together in one place.” —Dean of Students Lori Berquam
A
s you may have heard, Camp Randall will hold spring commencement this year. In previous years, commencement was held at the Kohl Center over the course of an entire weekend. The ceremonies were broken up by schools and colleges into four ceremonies, with Letters and Science on Sunday, and other schools Saturday. The switch to Camp Randall means all 6,000 spring graduates will sit on one field to experience, for the first time in history, a communal sense of Badger pride, all together, everyone, rain or shine.
A change
I appreciate leaders who know how to make a change, especially good changes. So for that I commend you, Chancellor Rebecca Blank and senior-class officers, for taking your new roles so seriously and instituting such a change to our campus that will positively impact our lives here. (“If you wanna make the world a
The speaker
Having four Kohl Center ceremonies meant that whoever is willing to speak had to have enough time on their hands to give four whole speeches at four ceremonies, which not many actual famous people are willing to do. Since we’ll only need to cover funds for one speech now, and since I will no longer get to hear my name called to walk across the stage (6,000 names?), I expect nothing less than a Tina Fey-Amy Poehler duo. I request, in addition, a direct descendant of Abraham Lincoln wearing a mid-19th century costume to be present to help park cars.
Tradition
Having our commencement ceremony at Camp Randall is like taking a leap through a giant vortex into UW’s past. As a history major, I can appreciate this sense of wonder surrounding our past that has come upon our decisionmakers. (Necessary UW Archives plug here: Check out archives. library.wisc.edu to discover what old Ogg looked like. [It did not look like new Ogg.]) I have some additional recommendations we should consider to bring the past to the now. Let’s re-segregate our dorms by gender and register for classes each semester manually, without computers. Like the old
days. Thoughts?
Letters and Science issues
So there’s this tool you can use called the “Academic Calendar” (“wisc.edu” > “academics academic calendar”) where you can view important dates for every term through 2021 spring. With 100 percent certainty, I would graduate with a L&S degree in exactly eight semesters, and with 100 percent certainty the calendar was accurate, I told my parents what I thought was my graduation date (Sunday, May 18, 2014) on the day I moved into Chadbourne Hall, (Wednesday, Aug. 25 2010). They’ve had a room booked for the Saturday night of graduation weekend for nearly two years. But now, instead of a Sunday afternoon ceremony, they will have to prepare for a Saturday noon ceremony. While my mother wanted to change the reservation to Friday night, my father suggested driving early Saturday instead. But he’s a routinized man, my father. He will wake up at 7:30 a.m., spend 30 minutes preparing oatmeal for breakfast while checking email, take 30 more minutes to eat while reading a week-old newspaper and take vitamins, watch two three-week-old “Colbert Report” episodes while doing back exercises on a foam roll, then take long shower, after which he will begin to dress, then say “good morning” to dog, for 20 minutes. Estimated time of arrival? 2:30 p.m. My par-
ents will miss my graduation. But despite my own personal dilemma, I think students’ parents can’t be more than an hour and 40 minutes away like mine, so it should be fine.
Let’s not beat around the bush
Only L&S students’ families will really have to adjust their plans. And rightfully so. Five years from now, that business student will have a 401(k). In five years, I will still not know what “401(k)” means. My dear UW, you’ll get no money from me. At this event some have called a bookend to freshman convocation (what’s that?) we will experience a collective sense of Badger pride for the achievements of all 6,000 of us. But let’s get real. I’ve never met most of you. I would like 10 seconds of normalized selfishness, please. I want to hear my name, walk on stage and be very proud of only myself. I don’t really care about Business, Engineering, or SoHE (what’s that?) And students in those schools don’t care about me—it’s really OK—because they have no idea who I am. Under no circumstances would our paths have crossed. So let’s not force it. Allow me these 10 seconds as a grand climax (not sexual) before my impending entrance into the service sector. Forward? Are you a graduating senior? Share some memories with Samy— wait, never met her? Introduce yourself to Samy at moskol@wisc.edu.
Impress guests with food and fests How’s the Rachel schulze rache jam
B
eing from far away, I don’t get to see my family and friends from back home as often as I’d like. But fortunately, every once in a while, I’ll receive a call that someone is stopping through the Midwest. Such was the case a few weeks ago when my friend from the East Coast called to tell me she and her boyfriend would be in Madison for a weekend. My reaction when I hear something like this is usually along the lines of “ZOMGCANTWAIT!!!” Then, once I (sort of) calm down, I start compiling a list of mustsees/eats/dos for the trip. I’m a senior this year, so I have a few years of tour-guide experience under my belt. However, not too many semesters ago I struggled in figuring out just what to do with guests. I would ask myself naive questions like, “Should we still go for ice cream even though it’s cold out?” (Duh); “Should I ask my relatives to take me offcampus to Target?” (Yes, toilet paper plzzz); and “Will a trip to Willy Street freak my guests out?” (Maybe, but at least you’ll have interesting stories). Anyway, after my fair share of bus rides to the wrong side of town, I’ve learned a few lessons about planning the perfect Madison weekend. Allow me to share. Impressing your friends starts and ends with food. Are
your guests in the mood for locally grown, beer-battered arugula dressed with cherrycheddar relish? Perfect, they’re in the right place. When I first started showing guests around town, I faced a dilemma in deciding which delicious Madison fare to feed them. Then it dawned on me: Instead of planning the meal into the trip, why not plan the trip around the meals? Boom! Problem solved. You can even combine eating with other activities. A walk up State Street? Why not sample some food carts. A tour of the Capitol? Great, you’re in the perfect location to get lunch on the Square. Oh, there’s a football game that weekend? We’ll just have to sample the pancake selection at Mickies.
Are your guests in the mood for locally grown, beer-battered arugula dressed with cherry-cheddar relish? To work up the appetite necessary for the first part of the plan, though, you might need to stroll around scenic Madison for a mile— or 10. A word to the wise (from the sore) when it comes to walking: Check out Google maps before you go hog-wild on the sightseeing tour around the city. This summer, I got a leeetle bit car-
ried away and dragged a friend around the Capitol Square, down State Street, and out to the end of the Lakeshore Path and back. By the time we finally got back to my place, we’d trekked 12 miles around the fair city. My friend had started the day enthusiastic about seeing the isthmus, but at the end of the odyssey she gave me the impression that getting to sit down on my couch was the best part of the trip. Now, if you’d rather not lap the city until your feet are about to fall off, rest assured there are other activities. More specifically, there is always a festival happening somewhere in this town. Are your guests into arts and crafts? Perhaps they’re all about renaissance music? Do they love eating meat? Hate eating meat? Especially around this time of year, you will find something that strikes your friends’ fancy. OK, now that I’ve shared some things to do, let me leave you with a few tips that will make your life a little easier when you go to execute these plans. # 1— Consider taking the bus. Especially if you’ve got grandma and grandpa coming and want to save them the hike up Bascom. #2— Remember gamedays. Going to games is pretty awesome. You know what’s not? Navigating your parents down Regent Street during a tailgate. #3— Enjoy yourself! This is a pretty awesome city you’re showing off afterall. Did Rachel forget your fave festival? Tell her over some Mickies pancakes or email rmschulze@dailycardinal.com.
house hunt going?
Look for the Cardinal’s annual housing guide in the paper and online Monday, Nov. 4, for tips about finding your next home.
news
Tuesday, October 29, 2013 3
l
dailycardinal.com
UW prototype could help cure cold virus
JAMES LANSER/the daily cardinal
City consultant Tom Hazinski said the Judge Doyle Square hotel would provide hotel rooms for Monona Terrace conference attendees who are sometimes turned away when hotels are full.
City committee considers Judge Doyle Square proposals, including new hotel By Sarah Olson the daily cardinal
A city committee heard presentations at a meeting Monday for plans to redevelop a two-block area in downtown Madison known as Judge Doyle Square, which could include a full-purpose hotel, commercial and residential units and a bike service center. Judge Doyle Square is on the north side of the Capitol south of Doty Street. The city began planning the project in 2010, and it gained momentum in July 2012 when the Madison Common Council approved a new Downtown Plan, which outlines a vision for the next 20 years of the downtown and a set of recommendations to achieve the vision, including the redevelopment. City consultant Tom Hazinski, who specializes in convention, sports and enter-
tainments facilities consulting, provided a situational analysis of the hotel market. He compared four primary competitor hotels and explained how a JDS hotel would impact the market. Hazinski said the average occupancy in the competitor hotels in Madison was 70 percent in 2012 and projected it will increase to 75 percent next year. “The good news here is you’re in a rising market, and it’s a strong market,” Hazinski said. “It’s a really great backdrop to be doing this type of project in.” Hazinski predicted the occupancy rate will be approximately 66 percent when the hotel opens but will return to 70 percent occupancy within three years. Judge Doyle Square City Staff Team member Aaron Olver compared proposals from two potential developers, one of which is Madison-
Walker prolongs decision on casino After Gov. Scott Walker delayed his decision on the Menominee tribe’s plan for a casino in Kenosha last week, he promised Monday to keep the public informed as he weighs the issues regarding the proposal. Walker originally said he wanted to release his decision after the Menominee tribe submitted results of its efforts to reach a tribal consensus on the project Oct. 22, but the number of arguments over the proposed casino caused him to change his mind. He said in a statement he takes the review “very seriously” and wants an open and transparent process while reviewing the request. One of the questions he reviewed was whether a new casino in Illinois would emerge if a casino was not approved in Kenosha. According to information from the state Division of Gaming, there is no threat of competition from Illinois. Walker promised to provide more updates as he reviews the various casino issues.
based and the other based in Austin, Texas, based on their cost distributions and funding models. Olver said the developers would spend almost the exact same amount of money on the hotel, but the proposal from the Austinbased developer costs more in total because it devotes more funding to parking, commercial and residential units, and the bike center. Ald. David Ahrens, District 15, questioned whether building another hotel is in the city’s economic interest. Ahrens noted the hotel and restaurant industry accounts for only 4 percent of all economic activity in the city, and demand for hotel rooms in the city is not enough to warrant a new development. “It’s questionable whether there is demand that will meet this vast new supply,” Ahrens said.
ozeki from page 1 practice patience. Ozeki began writing “A Tale for the Time Being” in 2006 and did not finish it until 2013, the same year it was published. “It was one of the most intense writing experiences I ever had,” Ozeki said. Ozeki also described caring for her mother as she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and its relevance to the passing of time, one of the major themes within the book. “For the next six years, we watched her drop out of time very slowly, because that’s what Alzheimer’s does. It erodes memory and erases time,” Ozeki said. “We are all time beings with a time limit.” In her book, Ozeki said she attempted to step out of the “normal linear narrative” about time to change people’s perceptions of its passage. Additionally, Ozeki led guided meditations
where the crowd stayed completely silent for eight minutes. Ozeki said meditation is “a way of fully being in time” and “being intimate with your mind.” Un ive r s i t y of Wi s c o n s i n-Mad i s o n freshman Kate Wintheiser said the experience was unique given how large the crowd was. “I have this meditation app on my iPod. It was kind of similar to what she was doing, but it was different to do it in a room with so many people,” Wintheiser said. “It was just cool how it got so quiet.” Also at the lecture, Chancellor Rebecca Blank said Ozeki’s book is being taught in more than 60 classes this semester. Blank added the book was “a complete pleasure” to read. “I am so delighted to see how many other people here in this room have shared that pleasure in the past few months,” Blank said.
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have constructed a three-dimensional model of the rhinovirus C pathogen, which will help increase the likelihood drugs can be designed to effectively prevent colds, according to a news release. A team led by UW-Madison biochemistry professor Ann Palmenberg wrote in the journal Virology on Monday, providing a structural model of the protein shell of the cold virus that until 2006 was unidentified. The model is significant because it exemplifies a highly specified model of the virus strand, showing now it is distinct from other strains of cold viruses. Rhinovirus C is thought to be responsible for up to half of childhood colds, and is also an influence in respiratory conditions such as asthma. Together with rhinoviruses A and B, the recently discovered virus is responsible for millions of ill-
nesses yearly, costing more than $40 billion for health care in the United States. “The question we sought to answer was, ‘How is it different and what can we do about it?’” Palmenberg said in the release. “We found it is indeed quite different.” Palmenberg also noted it “explains most of the previous failures of drug trials against rhinovirus.” With the structure of rhinovirus C now mapped out, there is an increased likelihood drugs can be designed to effectively prevent colds. Antiviral drugs work by connecting to and modifying surface features of a virus. In order to be effective, a drug must fit correctly and “lock” into the virus. Previously, the lack of a threedimensional structure for rhinovirus C meant pharmaceutical companies designing drugs to cure a cold were “flying blind.” —Megan Stoebig
ellen from page 1
after filming as a way of thanking them for participating in the event. Mary Seibel from Oregon, Wis., found out about the event only hours before filming began. Seibel said she has watched DeGeneres’ show for years and was excited to be a part of the show. Seibel said she was drawn to watch the show because of DeGeneres’ humor. “I love that she loves cats and little babies, animals,” Seibel said. “It just makes me feel good, just her sense of humor.” UW-Madison senior Taylor Arnold came out to the event because of her “undying love for Ellen.” She added, “Our friends told us about it and we had to come, because it’s Ellen!”
they hoped would win DeGeneres’ favor. For some, this race was a welcome relief from the cold, such as for one finalist dressed only in underpants and leggings. Finalists unwrapped their objects one at a time, with one group unveiling a giant Bucky Badger cardboard cutout that the crowd greeted with a roar of approval. Ultimately, the winning pair of UW-Madison students unwrapped a beer stein, winning $10,000 and congratulations from DeGeneres. Runners-up received $1,000 Chipotle gift cards. Everyone in attendance who dressed in a costume was invited to receive a free entree at Chipotle
TOMMY YONASH/the daily cardinal
Costumed University of Wisconsin-Madison students had to wrap an item in foil to win a prize in ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ contest.
arts l
4
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
dailycardinal.com
An overplayed franchise isn’t always so bad Adam Paris SEGA WHAT?!?!
F
ranchise fatigue is usually thrown around among video game players like pizza among the hordes of drunken friends you invited down this past weekend. It’s natural for people to hunger for a new series after playing through the twelfth “Call of Duty.” I’m someone who abhors the concept, and have mostly given up hope for new intellectual properties in the AAA space. If you’re hungering for new experiences check out the indie space, it’s the video game Mecca of innovation right now. Franchise fatigue is as relevant as ever in the wake of a new console launch. The repercussions of overextending a company’s cash cow don’t merely affect consumers. Developers are as much a victim of penny pushing a CEO’s tactics as anyone. Bungie continuously made “Halo” Microsoft’s hallmark exclusive. At this point, seemingly every Ubisoft developer on the planet is working on “Assassin’s Creed” in some capacity. Game development is taxing enough, but force an over-worked group of employees to innovate on the same concepts over and over and eventually they’ll snap.
It’s not an easy task, but throwing a relative unknown on a highprofile project can sometimes reveal the worth of that developer.
All this pressure usually leads to messy divorces between a studio’s original creation and the publisher that owns the rights to said creation. These creators then move on to a different publisher or, if they’re lucky, switch to a new franchise. Part of this phenomenon involves the transition of a franchise to a new studio charged with carrying on the series’ legacy and financial viability. More often than not this ends in disaster. Spark Unlimited took over “Lost Planet” after two competent entries and created a game whose quality was universally hailed as analogous to eating the terrible chicken within Kid Cuisine microwave dinners. Not the brownies though, those were always delicious. There are countless other examples, most recently it sounds as if the new Batman game simply isn’t up to snuff.
Similarly, “Spyro” fell into a deep pit of irrelevance after Insomniac gave up production on the series. “Crash” suffered the same fate. “Army of Two” never really produced, but its third game, created by what seemed like an absolute mess of a studio, Visceral Montreal, ended up just as unfulfilling as the first two. For the litany of failures I could list off, I’m going to defend one facet of this generally soul-sapping practice. Although “Sly Cooper” took a small hiatus, Sanzaru Games received the opportunity to revitalize the series after creating the HD collection. 343 Studios took over Bungie’s little baby and made what I considered the finest “Halo” since its third entry. Ready At Dawn contributed to the “God of War” series with their excellent PSP entries and finally got the opportunity to craft a new upcoming console title. Even Nintendo’s flagship games are changed around among internal studios generally shrouded within mystery, but still offering fresh faces an opportunity to take a swing at their classics. If one developer starts to tire of iterating on their same ideas, then sometimes it seems the best idea is to find another developer willing to take it on. The key is finding someone both talented and passionate. It’s not an easy task, but throwing a relative unknown on a high-profile project can sometimes reveal the worth of that developer. It also gives a chance for new ideas to be thrown into the mix. Tunnel vision becomes a common phenomenon among a singular creation team, so handing the reins to a fresh set of eyes can provide a jolt to a stagnant franchise. It’s a healthy byproduct that hopefully leads to a series of developers with fresh ideas. Even if the new “Batman” isn’t as great as Rocksteady’s, the pedigree behind Warner Bros. Montreal indicates their future creations could hold promise if they try to remove themselves slightly from the previous games’ formula. Shifting development creates new opportunities but also allows the industry’s most talented creators to move onto other projects. Bungie found “Destiny.” Rocksteady is making something I’ll eventually drool on. Naughty Dog, Insomniac and Sucker Punch keep changing up their current projects every generation. Iterating on brand names can become a chore, but don’t forget, somewhere a developer is just hoping they might get a shot at that vaunted franchise. Do you sometimes satisfied if games are handed off? Discuss with Adam at arparis@wisc.edu.
Cheyenne Langkamp/the daily cardinal
Banksy’s work has become a well-known sight in his home country, the United Kingdom.
Banksy’s tenure in New York City is opening art to more Americans Cheyenne Langkamp Guest Columnist
Clashes with authority are not new to our generation. We’ve watched protesters be overtaken by police in the streets of New York City and Istanbul. We’ve also seen security pursue our ridiculous peers through the benches of Camp Randall’s student section. Less familiar to many of us is an authoritative system that actively hinders art or culture. But there’s one prominent figure currently confronting precisely that issue on a daily basis throughout the streets of our most popular city. Earlier this fall, UK-based street artist Banksy announced his newest project would bring him across the pond for a city-wide exhibition in the Big Apple called “Better Out Than In.” Perhaps the only person to successfully achieve fame alongside anonymity, he was first noticed in the early 2000s for conveying his social and political ideologies through witty graffiti art in the form of silhouettes and black and white stenciling. For this exhibition Banksy proposed to use the streets of New York City as a living and breathing concrete canvas every day for one month. His pieces thus far have varied widely, from traditional stencil tags to moving art atop dirty truck beds, but on Wednesday it appeared everything had changed. The artist updated his webpage early that morning, as had become the norm for announcing each day’s creation and its location to the public. There was only white space and the words “Today’s art has been canceled due to police activities.” The post should not have come as a complete surprise given that what Banksy does is
technically illegal. The art form is classified by law as vandalism if done without permission. Additionally, Banksy’s cryptic message came just days after outgoing New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke publicly about the artist’s presence in the city. Bloomberg made it clear Banksy was not welcome, saying defacement of property is not his definition of art. Although it has remained unclear whether or not the New York Police Department are actively pursuing the artist, evidence has emerged that the police have approached and threatened to ticket an actor taking part in one of Banksy’s installations. The sequence of events leading up to Wednesday’s post led many to be concerned after reading it. Many took to various Internet outlets to express their frustration with the system, questioning why street artists should be a target of the authorities. Plenty would side with Bloomberg in believing the illegality of the medium inherently prevents it from entering the elite world of artistry. However, other theories have also emerged around suspected negative effects of graffiti. One hypothesis claims large scale, attention grabbing street-pieces promote gentrification—or the displacement of low-income households as more wealthy residents seek out a hip new locale—pointing to both East London and Berlin as examples. A second claim known as the “Broken Window Theory” explains that the appearance of a neighborhood can act as an indicator. Broken windows and graffiti are thought to symbolize a troubled and uncared for neighborhood, resulting in a hot bed for violence and disobedience. But there are arguments to be
made in support of Banksy’s work as well. For example, New York Magazine art critic Jerry Saltz recently held an impromptu short lecture and discussion session near one of Banksy’s Upper West Side installments. Banksy has also been known to give donations to charity with profits of his auctioned works. Despite the good or the bad, I find myself making a more abstract argument about why all of NYC should live and let Banksy live: He is asking people to pay attention and people are listening. All of his pieces have a social, economic or political agenda, discussing topics as diverse as over-dependent relationships to animal rights, though it is not necessary to reach these conclusions to appreciate his art. Not only is he bringing these issues to the forefront, he’s doing it in a way everyone can understand by using common symbols like Ronald McDonald and the Great Sphinx. Furthermore, people aren’t just looking and listening, they are engaging. Banksy has brought art into the 21st century by incorporating his use of the Internet and social media. We may never know what prompted Banksy to leave that short cryptic message he uploaded Wednesday, but he returned to his project the next day. Maybe he or a member of his team were really approached by the police; maybe he was playing a trick on us; or maybe all the art bloggers, all the culture beat journalists and all the fans who took to Twitter unknowingly participated in the most digital and interactive art piece we have seen yet. Maybe this time he was asking, “Who do you want in control of your culture?” Tag Chey’s inbox with feedback or just let her know about your mutual love for artistic statement at cheyennemlangkamp@gmail.com.
arts
Tuesday, October 29, 2013 5
l
dailycardinal.com
Reflecting on a night of CMJ madness Brian Weidy Weid-ing out the noise
E
very year, tens of thousands of people descend upon New York City for a week of industry types hobnobbing around while more than 1,000 mostly below-average bands perform in 80 venues across the city. If that doesn’t sound appealing enough, of the 80 venues that let “badge holders” in, about a dozen will let you in if you are under 21. With that in mind, I made the nearly 1,000 mile trek to attend CMJ. Knowing my options were limited, I devised a foolproof plan to get me into as many places around the city as I could in a day and then called it quits—seemed reasonable enough. My day started by picking up my badge in a converted church where KEXP, the University of Washington’s radio station, had
The Skinny Who: Nightmare on King Street! A Halloween Costume Ball: of Montreal, La Luz Where: Majestic Theatre 115 King St. When: Oct. 31, doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. Cost: $20 Why you should care: If going to a concert on Halloween isn’t reason enough for you to check out this show, then getting to see long-time band and perennial Madison performers of Montreal should be the icing on the proverbial pumpkin spice latte cake.
Check this out before you go: of Montreal has been around for over 15 years and released a dozen studio albums over the course of that time. They just put out their most recent album last month, Lousy with Sylvianbriar , so expect to hear some songs off of that. But of Montreal’s discography is so extensive, they will likely delve into some of their deep cuts. If you’re an indie rock fan, you’ve more than likely at least dabbled with of Montreal. Go look at the garb they don during their live performances to find inspiration for your Halloween costume.
set up camp. Seeing that CMJ actually stands for College Music Journal, this was the most collegeiate aspect about the event. After a stop at the best pizza place in the world—Joe’s, if you are ever in New York, go there and thank me later—I went back to said church because The Dismemberment Plan was playing there. The Dismemberment Plan started the whole indie rock mixed with hardcore sound thing in Washington D.C. in 1993 and have toured intermittently since then. The band’s 30 minute set was high-energy considering the 2 p.m. time slot and bizarre venue choice. After taking the rest of the afternoon off because nowhere would let me in due to my age, I trekked back out that evening for a calculated romp through two neighborhoods to hit four different venues. One of the best ways to experience CMJ is getting to venues slightly off the beaten path. In this case, I stuck to the beaten
path but visited three new venues, so that’s something. My night started at Muchmore’s, in an effort to see Osekre and the Lucky Bastards. Of course, the venue was running multiple hours behind schedule, so I was greeted with the benefit of hearing two bands I had never heard of.
One of the best ways to experience CMJ is getting to venues slightly off the beaten path.
The Knitting Factory was my next locale, just a quick walk down Driggs Street in Williamsburg, where I met the largest crowd of the night. The first band of the night I saw there was called Coin. This four-piece caught my attention instantly as they ran through the final 20 minutes of their set. The highlight for me was a cover of
Simon & Garfunkel’s “Cecelia.” At the end of their set, the lead singer threw the microphone stand—a fitting close to a raucous set. Next up was JOY WAVE, a five-piece band that suffered through more than their fair share of technical difficulties. However, once they got going, they had a cool pseudo-electronic sound, complemented by a STS9-like guitar tone and inordinately powerful bass lines. I then went back into Manhattan where I visited Sullivan Hall, one of my favorite little venues in the Village. While I’ve had good luck wandering in there on random nights in the past, tonight it was not meant to be. I caught some of the Tica Douglas Band, who bored me to tears, then departed just 20 minutes after my arrival. For my final stop of the night I traveled to the legendary The Bitter End, just two blocks down from Sullivan Hall. There, I saw Your Sister’s Canary in an absolutely packed venue, as I was able to take maybe two steps
inside before being met by a crush of people. The audience was pumped to see this band, as people capitalized on all the space they had to dance. All of the crowd’s energy was turned back on stage in one of my favorite sets of the night. I closed my night with the only band I told myself I absolutely had to see, Mokaad. This 11-piece band featured three singers on stage, all of whom were fantastic, especially their synchronized dance moves. The band had a Sly & the Family Stone feel and was the perfect act for after 1 a.m. All in all, the festival had both its strengths and weaknesses. If I was there for more than just a day, I could have taken in the dozens of panels available. If I was 21, I could have not only consumed the trundles of free alcohol that was given away, but also entered dozens of different venues—some of which featured more household names. Did you somehow manage to check out CMJ this year? Swap stories with Brian at weidy@wisc.edu.
THE RECORD ROUTINE
You’re still OK, Arcade Fire, but that’s really it
Reflektor Arcade Fire By Cameron Graff the daily cardinal
Arcade Fire is not a terrible band. There, I’ve said it. It’s not just the post-post-(post?)irony speaking up in me either—I legitimately think, for all their cloying earnestness, poached influences and downright dumb lyricism, there’s a golden band buried somewhere deep under all the pseudo-intellectualism and indier-than-thou posturing. Funeral is proof; even now, some nine years later, it still mostly rings true, thanks largely to the now distinctly non-Arcade Fire lack of polish, as well as nostalgia that wanes on the far side of preachy. Maybe it’s just that death is a less furtive muse than how lame the suburbs are or, god forbid, the Bush administration. Reflektor , the group’s fourth album, does frustratingly little to gauge the band’s creative relevance post Grammy
win—which, like it or not, will always be a likewise frustrating part of the conversation from now on. They’ve certainly rebounded from a creative low. Where The Suburbs dragged on with track after track tied together with the lamest of thematic pursuits (“The business man’s drinking my blood/Just like the kids in art school said that he would” should be the definition of jumping the shark), Reflektor at least pops with newfound enthusiasm at every turn. First single and title-track “Reflektor” is a menagerie of disparate disco and artsy new-wave influences, which ultimately cohere into something shiny and new. “Here Comes the Night Time” verges into reggae sensibilities while “Normal Person” adds enough punk crunch to Win Butler’s ridiculous musings (you’ve never met a normal person, Win? Really?) to make it one of the better cuts on the album. Then there’s “It’s Never Over (Oh Orpheus)” and “Porno,” both of which ride their glammy ’80s disco influences into genuine greatness, generally blowing away the rest of the record. Reflektor’s overlong and it has its share of clunkers (“Afterlife,” “Joan of Arc,” “Awful Sound” and the sound collages, to name a few), but it’s got enough starry-eyed pep to justify repeat listens.
The most aggravating part of the whole affair though—and still Arcade Fire in general—is how excruciatingly important the group seems to think they are. Butler spends the album whispering all manner of generalized profundities without a hint of either sincerity or insight—everything’s just been reduced down to one big eye roll. Butler’s favored himself a sort of mock-preacher for a while now—since at least Neon Bible—and while it’s nice to hear an Arcade Fire song that isn’t concerned with “us kids” and what we know, it’s equally grating to hear Butler sing on and on about how computers are driving us apart for almost two hours. It still all feels pedantic, angsty, immature and, worst of all, like the “big message” is the center focus—but, of course, this “big message” lacks anything resembling actual wisdom. If there’s anything that’s ever really been truly pretentious, so sure of its own value and prevalence without anything at all to back it up, look no further than this. But hey, if you can wade through all the lyrical muck and a few lame tracks, you’re going to have yourself a pretty good time with a band that, for better for worse, is going to be talked about for years to come.
Rating: B
Laurel Halo’s newest LP is straight from heaven
Chance of Rain Laurel Halo By Tim Smoot the daily cardinal
Two warnings for those of you thinking about indulging in Laurel Halo’s Chance of Rain: Your brain will most likely hurt after listening to this masterpiece and lock the doors to your place of living because you may mysteriously end up on the roof once it’s all over. I originally prepared myself by test-driving
Halo’s first studio album, Quarantine, and was delighted with the laid-back synth paired with Halo’s dreamy vocals. I was in for quite a surprise when encountering some of the most eccentric, out-of-this-world beats known to man and the absence of a vocal presence on Chance of Rain. However, after a few listens and some of the weirdest daydreams I may ever have, the album has grown on me. Songs like “Melt” and “Ainnome” give off a “tripping on acid through a parallel dimension” vibe. “Oneiroi” and “Still/ Dromos” make you feel like you’re in a smoky German nightclub at 5 a.m. Getting used to some of Halo’s more hectic musical visions is no easy task. Not everyone will enjoy the way the album alternates between synthesized ambiance and disorienting beats. Some of the rhythmic progressions like that of
“Serendip” definitely made me feel uncomfortable and are still hard to get used to, but it’s worth listening to them all the way through. It’s easy to skip to the next song during some of these strange, space-y styles, but if you keep listening, Halo usually rewards listeners with some tranquilizing melodies towards the end of her songs. If you manage to look past the avant-garde style Halo uses in Chance of Rain, you will find the album to be surprisingly enjoyable. Though these songs may not be the best choice for your family reunion or your walk to class, they can offer a great listening experience when in the right mood. Not everyone finds these instrumental, otherworldly beats appealing, but those who do will really appreciate Halo’s masterpiece.
Grade: A-
comics
6 • Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Growing Up Sucks
Today’s Sudoku
© Puzzles by Pappocom
8
7 8 9 5 6
5
2 3
4
7 1
9
5
2 4
6
3 8
2
Good luck swimming. 90 percent of all jellyfish species are smaller than a human thumbnail. dailycardinal.com
Washington and the Bear Classic
6
2
8 1
Caved In
Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.
1
3 7 9 4 4
9
7
4 3 3 8 6
2
4
4 9 1 3 5 6 7 3
3 7 1 9 8 4 5 2 6
5 8 2 6 1 3 9 7 4
ACROSS 1 Bunny slope device 5 “Best buds” 9 Mover of stolen goods 14 Some old dances 15 Sad item, for short 16 Add more lubricant 17 Chicago transportation 20 “Indiana Jones and 4 the 8 ___2of Doom” 7 9 1 26 1 Impertinent 3 9 1 2 4 22 “___ you with me?” 9 “Monsters, 5 4 6___”3 7 23 25 H.S. support group 2 1 8sleep5 7 3 26 Royal disturbance, 7 2 3 4 in5a tale 6 29 PlayStation maker 35 1 Singsong 7 6 syllable 9 8 2 33 Horse farm hand 4 someone 1 2 6 8 33 5 Like sawing logs 1 6 5 8 4 9 38 Massive formation of bees 8 9 7 3 1 5 39 Bodybuilder’s intake, sometimes 41 Ice cream serving 43 One or the other 44 Become depleted 46 H in Greek 47 Fill a hold 51 Annoy 52 ___ Alamitos, Calif. 54 The feminine side, in Chinese circles
w.sudoku.com
6 5 8 4 9 1 7 3 2
56 Harrison of classic filmdom 57 Small choir 59 More than dislike 61 Prepares for sailing 65 Cavern or cave, poetically 66 Mountain pond 67 Feeling insulted 68 Engage in discouragement 69 Had a reason to repay # 74 70 Flying fish-eaters DOWN 1 Angle symbols 2 Spanish dance with quick turns 3 “2001” extras 4 Invitation request, for short 5 With a powerful influence 6 Lincoln’s nickname 7 Tupperware covers 8 Subway support 9 Brown, stew, and serve in sauce 10 Hard to grasp 11 “Don’t delay!” 12 Clandestine org. 13 TV Tarzan Ron 18 Boxing legend 19 Gridlock component 24 Delicate pancake 26 Try not to be taken by surprise 27 Always, to an old
7 5
9 8 4 6 1 2 5 7 3
3 6 7 1 2 9 8
By Caitlin Kirihara graphics@dailycardinal.com
3 5
8 2
9
4
6
3
3
9 7
8 3
1
2
8 2
4
Page 19 of 25
8 5
# 76
# 75 6 3 2 3 1 7 8 6 9 8 5 9 7 4 3 7 3 2 1 8 First in Twenty Classic 5 6 9 4 2 1 6 5 4 9 7 1 8 5 4 2
8
9 5
MEDIUM
Eatin’ Cake
9 3
By Kayla Schmidt kaschmidt6@wisc.edu
6
8
poet 8 Tentacle 2 30 Popular search engine 32 Cliffside dwelling 34 Band majorette’s move 36 Burial chamber 37 Type of training for a wee one 39 All-work, no-play student 40 Bangkok’s country 2 7 1 8title5in 4 41 Respectful India 3 5 6 9 4 2 42 Mutt 41 5 Rugrats 6 3 7 2 5 48 Legendary British 9 king 8 2 5 3 1 45 9 Cauterize cattle 4 9 6 7 8 50 Puts forth, as 7 pressure 3 8 4 1 9 53 Brief conflict 8 “Stop” 9 4or “stick” 3 6 7 55 lead-in 6 1 5 2 8 3 57 The animated Shrek is one 4 2 7 1 9 6 58 Feel less angry, so to speak 60 Discomfort source 61 High roller’s pocketful 62 67 degrees, 30 minutes 63 “Addams Family” Cousin 64 “... ___ he drove out of sight ...”
By Nick Kryshak nkryshak@wisc.edu
1 4
# 75
Paper costumes
8 1 Pardon Me
Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com
5 1 4 8 3
# 74
6
MEDIUM
7
MEDIUM
Evil Bird Classic
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
4
9 6 3 7
5 4 2 3 9 7 2
MEDIUM Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and# 73 every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
2
1
4
9 3
3
By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com
By Dylan Moriarty EatinCake@gmail.com
4 1 7 5 2 6 8 3 9
9 2 3 6 5 1 4 8 7
1 4 8 2 7 3 9 5 6
7 5 6 4 9 8 1 2 3
8 3 1 9 4 2 7 6 5
5 9 2 8 6 7 3 4 1
6 7 4 1 3 5 2 9 8
# 76
5 6 1 4 8 2 7 9 3 2 7 8 1 9 3 4 6 5 4 9 3 5 7 6 1 2 8 1 8 5 9 6 4 3 7 2 7 2 6 3 5 1 9 8 4 By Angel Lee alee@wisc.edu 3 4 9 8 2 7 6 5 1 6 5 4 7 3 8 2 1 9 9 1 7 2 4 5 8 3 6 8 3 2 6 1 9 5 4 7
24 Jul 05
dailycardinal.com
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
view Cardinal View editorials represent The Daily Cardinal’s organizational opinion. Each editorial is crafted independent of news coverage.
Students, take interest in your local government
A
s University of Wisconsin-Madison students, we have the obligation to participate in local government. We are not only students in Madison but also residents of the city. These roles come with the responsibility to be proactive about how we want to use resources and how to enact the changes we want to see in the city we live. A considerable proportion of Madison residents are university students. Even though students can be viewed as temporary residents, and tend to live in Madison only while school is in session, we should still care about what goes on in Madison. If we as students are not speaking up or getting involved in local government, our voices will not be heard. As taxpayers, we have a say in how our money is being spent. This money should be going back to student constituents. We can complain about what goes on in Madison, but if we really care what the city or county is doing in regard to what affects us, we should speak up. Without student represen-
tation on the County Board and certain city committees, the student segment of Madison’s population is not being accurately represented. As students we should know what we want from our local government, but if we do not step up, how can we expect more from it?
If we really care what the city or county is doing in regard to what affects us, we should speak up.
The Dane County Board of Supervisors is a body of local government students have the opportunity to join. The County Board is made up of 37 elected supervisors, one from each of the districts in Dane County. The Board acts similar to the state legislature by making policies for the county. Supervisors create county ordinances, levy taxes and approve laws regarding law enforcement. The County Board also allots money in the County budget
for different county services. UW-Madison junior Leland Pan is currently the representative for District 5, which is the area that encompasses a large portion of campus. As a county supervisor, Pan also represents the Cultural Affairs Commission; Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee; Equal Opportunity Commission; and the Homeless Issues Committee. To run for county supervisor, you have to be at least 18 years old and an elector or resident of Dane County, so students are eligible. There are also positions within the city’s government structures for students to get involved with. For example, students have served on the Joint Southeast Campus Area Committee, which is a group that facilitates participating in planning activities affecting the campus community. This advisory committee sends a summary of its report to the appropriate city committee with recommendations. As a student, you can have an effect on largescale projects within the city by representing the student community on this committee. If serving on a committee is not something you are interested in, participate by sending your concerns to your representatives. Get to know these people, and be involved with them as constituents. Be sure to vote for these elected representatives. The next County Board election is April 1, 2014. We encourage all students to be aware of the race and to get involved with choosing who will represent them at the county level. Getting involved in local government can teach us how to be the next generation of leaders. Do you feel like we are underrepresented in local governments? Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
l
opinion
7
It’s time to get rid of racist sports mascots Alex Swanson opinion columnist
L
ast year I was a student at the University of Illinois and I experienced the outrage that still exists on campus surrounding Chief Illiniwek’s absence. Students still make social media campaigns, and form pleas to the student government in an attempt to bring back the Chief. As a student, I received countless texts and Facebook messages urging me to go and vote to bring the Chief back on a student held referendum. I declined. In 2007, the National Collegiate Athletic Association deemed Chief Illiniwek “hostile or abusive” to Native Americans. I applaud the university’s actions to remove Chief Illiniwek’s gameday performance and their ability to stand by the decision. Unfortunately, not all high school, college and professional sports teams have handled their racist mascots with the same degree of determination. Our use of racist mascots and team names will undoubtedly be embarrassing to future generations. Fans who support these mascots argue they are steeped in tradition. However, tradition is not equivalent to excellence. In fact, all tradition proves is that these mascots were chosen during a very different era of American society. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the Washington Redskins, the Chicago Blackhawks and many more offensive team names and mascots still exist in America today. How can we stereotype an entire population of people into one symbol? How can we support those mascots when there are people speaking up to say they are offended? In May, Daniel Synder, owner of the Washington Redskins told USA Today, “We’ll never change
the name. It’s that simple. NEVER. You can use caps.” This statement was in response to a storm of protest against the Washington Redskins’ name. However, Snyder has declared himself incapable of compromise. Snyder has nothing to gain, yet a significant amount to lose, both morally and economically, from his team’s monicker. According to an Oneida Indian National Poll released Oct. 16, 59 percent of respondents said they believe Native Americans have the right to feel offended by the name of the Washington Redskins. Further, 46 percent of respondents said a name change wouldn’t lessen their support for the team. In fact, an additional 23 percent said it would strengthen their support for the team. It seems the Washington Redskins can only benefit morally and economically from a name change. I’ve read opposing arguments to the elimination of racist mascots that say having these kinds of mascots opens up discussion on American history and culture. I cannot see the validity of this point. I believe that discussion of American history can take place without the presence of racist mascots. Those types of discussions should occur in a school setting without needing a sporting event as a catalyst. I cannot comprehend how fans can become so obsessed with a sports team they deem a name or mascot for that team more important than a moral obligation to stand up against racism. Supporting a mascot seems rather trivial in the grand scheme of things, yet racism is not. America is becoming wiser about this sort of thing. I know eventually we will get rid of the racist team names and mascots, but it just seems counterintuitive that it hasn’t happened yet. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
Editorial Cartoon
Putin, homosexuality and the 2014 Winter Olympics
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin recently made a statement in support of LGBTQ athletes competing in the 2014 Winter Olympics, directly contradicting his previous statements on the matter. This facade is seemingly nothing more than an opportunity for the prime minister to display his “modern Russia” to the world audience, as many advocates for LGBTQ rights have publicly denounced the country’s policies toward these groups. + By Ravi Pathare
Sports
Tuesday October 29, 2013 DailyCardinal.com
‘Expert’ predictions should be against the spread
Press Conference
Jack Baer baer necessities Saturday, the set of ESPN’s College GameDay will descend on Tallahassee, Fla., to cover the world of college football from the week’s most visible arena. The Washington State flag will fly, a segment about Jameis Winston will run, and a local celebrity will join the GameDay staff to make the show’s iconic picks. To finish the spectacle, Lee Corso will make his pick by most likely donning a Seminole headdress and performing a vaguely offensive dance. But, here’s the problem. Lee Corso picking Florida State to win tells the attentive college football fan pretty much nothing. Florida State is a 21.5 point favorite over Miami. Every fan who pays the slightest attention to a game’s point spread thinks the Seminoles will win. The real debate is whether FSU will dominate or merely persevere. That is where the game’s true questions lie and where expertise shines. Picking against a spread is hard. Conceivably, it’s a fifty-fifty shot. Maybe you think Ohio State is really, really good, and that they should crush Purdue in the coming weekend. But wait, the Buckeyes are a 31 point favorite. Now it get’s tricky and fun. Purdue is infamous for playing Ohio State close and the Buckeyes might take their foot off the gas if they’re up big late, allowing Purdue to sneak in some extra points. This conversation won’t happen on College Gameday. Instead you’ll hear how the Buckeyes looked great against Penn State and there is no reason to think they should be slowing down. The Buckeyes will be picked to win and no one will be wasting any brain cells doing it. Everyone knows Purdue is bad. The real question is how bad? Or how good is Ohio State? If the people previewing the game are truly experts, they should know this and be able to explain it. But they don’t. Possibly, or probably because they can’t. This is a problem that dominates all of televised football coverage. Ex-player and ex-coach went on the air and explained the Denver Broncos were good at football, the Jacksonville Jaguars were bad, and that is why the Broncos would beat the Jaguars. If the “experts” were picking against the spread, they could actually argue the merits of Jacksonville in a significantly rewarding way. That’s a conversation I want to see happen on College Gameday and Sunday NFL Countdown. Instead they just hide by predicting victories from mismatches and starting any complex matchup to predict with the disclaimer “this looks like a toss-up.” They’re supposed to be experts. If they have true predictive power, as they are paid to have, they should be able to tell us which way the coin should favor. Jack is a junior majoring in statistics. Is he the only one who wants numbers included in his football? Does Lee Corso even know how to use a calculator? Email sports@dailycardinal.com and let us know what you think.
Wil Gibb/the daily cardinal
Senior linebacker Chris Borland will make his return to the field Saturday against Iowa after injuring his leg two weeks ago.
Wisconsin builds on strong mid-semester performances By Claire Lancaster The Daily Cardinal
Football
As the Badgers (3-1 Big Ten, 5-2) look forward from a productive and restful by week, head coach Gary Andersen mentioned excitement about reigniting a regional rivalry. Next Saturday’s game against Iowa State will be a unique and demanding challenge. The teams in the matchup next week are similar in their defensive strategies and have comparably physical, tough-minded running backs. “I think our kids are very excited about the opportunity,” Andersen said. “It goes way back and a lot of our kids have played against Iowa. It’s been a couple years but it’s gone back and forth and been very physical.” Anderson acknowledged that the bye week came at a convenient time for senior inside linebacker Chris Borland. He would not have been able to play had there been a game last Saturday, though Andersen noted that senior outside linebacker Ethan Armstrong’s versatile ability would have allowed him to cover for Borland.
Women’s Hockey
After the Badgers’ (4-2-0 WCHA, 6-2-0) potentially discouraging loss last Saturday, head coach Mark Johnson maintained optimism for his young team. “It’s a good learning opportunity for a young team and [there were] things you could take away from that experience,” Johnson said. “That will help get us down the road as we get further into the season.” Johnson will continue to enforce good habits in his team, and has been very impressed with the performance of the freshman, many of whom got their first goals for Wisconsin this past weekend. Johnson thinks the players are enjoying the process of preparing for top-tier opponents like Ohio State this upcoming weekend, and the energy they have seen in the stadium has been electric. The players have been listening to respected senior goaltender Alex Rigsby, the team captain. After suffering an injury senior forward Madison Packer won’t lace up for the next two practices, but looks better than initially expected. Freshman defenseman Jenny Ryan is also improving, but will continue to play one game per weekend due to an injury last spring.
Volleyball
After The Badgers’ (6-4, 17-5) split a pair of games at Indiana and Purdue
last week, head coach Kelly Sheffield admitted Indiana was a well-coached, talented team. “You want to try to find momentum whatever it is in conference and it’s certainly tough in this league,” Sheffield said. “We want to stay in the top third (or) top half of the conference. We want to try to move up and we’ve got those abilities.” The next week of games on the road against Indiana and Purdue could act as a springboard to start off the second half of the Volleyball season with the momentum they need. “This is a really tough league to get wins at,” Sheffield said. “Every team is beatable. Whether you’re at home or on the road, you can beat every team and every team can beat you.” Sheffield said the young team, with only one senior, is energetic and coping well with a busy schedule. Though they haven’t had time for many practices, they’re a competitive team that have exceeded his expectations, and continue to have room to grow.
Men’s Hockey
The Badgers (2-2-0) used their week off to get back to work after a confidenceshaking weekend of losses in Boston. “Last week we accomplished a lot of things that we as the coaching staff set out to do,” head coach Mike Eaves said. “So we left the week on Friday, we felt that we went back to the basics, worked hard, worked smart, and worked on playing as a team.” With the help of older team members, Wisconsin seems ready to face their opponents next week head-on.
Amy Gruntner/the daily cardinal
Sophomore forward Nic Kerdiles has five points in four games this year.
Head coach Mike Eaves reported junior goaltender Joel Rumpel has been practicing with pads on ice since last week, and the next couple of days will be critical in determining whether he will be able to play in a pair of home games against Lake Superior State this weekend.
Men’s Cross Country
The Wisconsin mens’ and womens’ cross country teams will compete in the Big Ten championships next week. According to head coach Mick Byrne, the men are eager to tack on their 15th Big Ten championship in a row. “They know they’re going to be under a lot of pressure as we head out to West Lafayette,” Byrne said. “They’re excited about that.” With the help of their win in the Adidas meet, team morale is high despite previous criticism from the media, track sites and Twitter.
Women’s Cross Country
During this critical part of the season, the women have shown exciting improvement and growth over the last two and a half weeks. Previously injured junior Gabrielle Anzalone is now back in full health, and will help give the team more depth. “They know they’re Badgers when they put on that uniform they’ve got a target on their back. And they kind of marvel in that,” Byrne said. “They love it. They love the pressure. And they showed just a couple of weeks ago at Adidas they can handle it.”
Wrestling
Badger wrestling tickets went on sale today, with a promising looking team and a few new faces. Five new freshmen will help the team continue its comeback that started last year. They will be tested within the first two weeks with a match against Virginia Tech. Wisconsin has a lot of returning stars as well, like redshirt seniors Jackson Hein, who dropped a weight class over the summer, and Tyler Graff. “I think the last two years recruiting have gone really well for us. We just have done a good job recruiting throughout the country,” head coach Barry Davis said. “So we’ve got a lot more depth in our room right now. A lot of really young kids.” Davis said that there has been a great atmosphere with the team, that they have been working together very well, and that they’re ready to get in the arena to let their wrestling do the talking.