Tuesday, November 17, 2009 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

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TAKE TO THE HIGH SEAS WITH ‘PIRATE RADIO’ A disjointed format doesn’t stop the stellar cast from letting the fun times flow ARTS

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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

UWPD still investigating body found near Picnic Point

Danny Marchewka/the daily cardinal

Members of the Faculty Senate’s University Committee heard ASM’s propsal for a new textbook campaign Monday that would make it easier for students to shop around for the best prices.

ASM presents solution to high textbook prices ASM asks faculty to support new textbook campaign By Kayla Torgerson The Daily Cardinal

The Associated Students of Madison’s Affordable Textbook Campaign presented a resolution addressing campus textbook policies to the Faculty Senate’s University Committee Monday. Jonah Zinn, chair of ATC, said the campaign is looking for faculty support to make cheaper textbooks a reality at UW-Madison. “We do understand that there are efforts around campus to reduce textbooks costs,” Zinn said. “[But] it would be a great public statement if the faculty of this campus would come out and say we acknowledge that there is a problem and

we acknowledge that there are solutions to this problem.” ATC made several recommendations to the committee. They suggested professors provide book lists at least one month before classes start, use new editions of textbooks only when necessary and become educated about alternative textbook options, such as open source and electronic options. Zinn said ATC recently conducted a survey about textbook costs on campus. They found 88 percent of respondents said they would shop around for books online or at other stores if book lists were available earlier. Dennis Maki, a professor in

the Department of Medicine, said it can be difficult to bring down prices because professors make little profit on the textbooks they write. However, he said he would support making book lists available earlier if that would help students find cheaper prices. “If giving you a four-week lead time would be an advantage for you, at least from my perspective, I don’t think that’s too much to ask from faculty members,” Maki said. “If that would help, I think we should do everything we can to try to advance that.” textbooks page 3

The UW-Madison Police Department announced Monday they believe the body found near Picnic Point over the weekend died as the result of a self-inflicted injury. Jeff Kjos said he found the body around 1 p.m. near the Eagle Heights Community Gardens, close to Picnic Point, where he was working Friday. He said he originally thought the body was a deer carcass, but noticed it was a human body when he moved closer. He said he saw a sawed-off shotgun near the body and the victim appeared to have a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The UWPD statement said officials from the Dane County Coroner’s Office believe the inci-

dent happened sometime over the past summer or fall. UWPD Sgt. Tamara Kowalski said she does not believe anyone else was involved and students should still feel safe around the Picnic Point area. “This was self-inflicted, so there is absolutely nothing for students to be worried about,” she said. According to the release, the body was of a male over the age of 40 of an unknown race. He was wearing glasses, a gray jacket, tan cargo shorts and black Teva sandals. UWPD is still investigating the case and urges anyone with further information to contact them at 608264-COPS. —Kelsey Gunderson

Forum addresses decision-making process for Madison Initiative funding By Lydia Statz The Daily Cardinal

Faculty from departments across campus gathered Tuesday for an open discussion regarding the decision-making process for the use of Madison Initiative for Undergraduates funding. The MIU funding comes from an annual tuition fee increase. Half of this revenue goes toward needbased financial aid, while the other half is used to fund various departments on campus. Departments interested in receiving these funds submit proposals to the Madison Initiative Oversight Committee, which makes recommendations to the chancellor as to which proposals to fund. Associated Students of Madison Chair Tyler Junger said he sees a need for campuswide cooperation and creativity in the proposals for funding. He said when making the decisions regarding which proposals to fund, the oversight committee looked for projects involving

multiple departments and thinking outside the box when solving campus problems. Representatives from various campus departments spoke on behalf of their proposals, which are supposed to focus on improving the overall undergraduate experience on campus, as well as fostering growth in various academic departments. Wren Singer, director of the Center for the First Year Experience, said she sees a need for a new focus on transfer students, a group she says has been largely overlooked. “Fifty-one percent of transfer students say that they have trouble feeling comfortable with the academic and social life on campus,” she said. “Our positions currently are focused primarily on first-year students, and we haven’t given the attention to transfer students that we’d like.” David Cross, from the Student Financial Aid office, highlighted a project called Scholarships at initiative page 3

University Committee discusses free-speech rights for faculty By Ryan Hebel the daily cardinal

The Faculty Senate’s University Committee discussed a proposal to ensure faculty rights to institutional criticism during its meeting Monday. Donald Downs, a UW-Madison professor who specializes in the First Amendment, presented the proposal as a response to a 2006 Supreme Court case that ruled that public employees could be disciplined for criticisms made while acting as an employee.

According to Downs, the law creates a paradox for professors, who are encouraged to air their grievances in-house as opposed to complaining to the press, but are now vulnerable to punishment for doing so, as an engineering professor at UW-Milwaukee recently discovered. UW-Madison’s current policy protects faculty against restrictions on speech related to scholarly opinions, research and creative expression. The proposed policy would further guarantee their right to speak as

university employees “on matters of public concern as well as on matters related to professional duties, the functioning of the University and University positions and policies.” Downs said the policy would differ from similar amendments passed by the University of Minnesota in June because it explicitly covers the right to speak as an employee and would not apply to “the willful obstruction or interference with speech page 3

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ASM Chair Tyler Junger outlined what the Madison Initiative Oversight Committee looks for in proposals for funding at the forum Monday.

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

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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

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News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Charles Brace Editor in Chief Justin Stephani Managing Editor Kelsey Gunderson Campus Editor Caitlin Gath City Editor Hannah Furfaro State Editor Ryan Hebel Enterprise Editor Grace Urban Associate News Editor Ariel Shapiro Senior News Reporters Robert Taylor, Kayla Torgerson Anthony Cefali Opinion Editors Todd Stevens Qi Gu Editorial Board Editor Kevin Slane Arts Editors Kyle Sparks Scott Kellogg Sports Editors Nico Savidge Diana Savage Features Editor Sara Barreau Food Editor Jigyasa Jyotika Science Editor Isabel Alvarez Photo Editors Danny Marchewka Amy Gifﬁn Graphics Editors Jenny Peek Kate Manegold Copy Chiefs Emma Roller Jake Victor Tessa Bisek, Anna Jeon, Copy Editors Kevin Mack, Margaret Raimann

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Visiting student still hung over from Halloween ERIN KAY VAN PAY hail to the vp

ost college students who survived Freakfest this year in Madison are lucky enough to say that they have since recovered completely from the night’s horriﬁc mistakes and binges within one to two days. However, for 22-year-old Will Rollins, the luxury of leading a normal life has not been even a slight possibility for over two weeks. Well into November, Rollins is still hungover from Halloween, and not even the hottest shower can wash off the stains of his decisions from that night. “Please get out of my room,” Rollins says of the night. “No, seriously dude, get out of my fucking house or I’ll call the cops.” Unfortunately for Rollins, the UW-River Falls senior is not actually under the jurisdiction of his own home and has no say about who comes to interview him. Since early Nov. 1, he has been under the care of his “buddy Mark,” an old friend from middle school

who generously offered his couch post-Halloween to a severely intoxicated Rollins on the grounds that he wouldn’t vomit on his things. Half a month later, Mark is just beginning to understand the extent of Rollins’ night on the town. “I thought it would be one of those,‘one-night-only-I’ll-leavebefore-you-wake-up,’ kind of things. I was a little drunk myself and happy to help a friend out,” Mark said, looking disdainfully at Rollins as he stuck his head in a kitchen trash can. “Aw, come on, Will, that’s stainless steel! Anyways, no one’s been able to move the guy since then, and I’m running out of Pizza Rolls and patience.” According to witnesses and Rollins himself during bouts of sleeptalking, Halloween was a shit fest for him and all those in his path. Apparently Rollins, originally from a remote town in North Dakota, had heard rumors about Freakfest during his years in River Falls, Wisc., and had been planning the pilgrimage throughout most of college. Dressed as a banana, the same costume that is now barely decipherable on his dehydrated body, he drove down to Madison with a few friends who

immediately abandoned him. That’s when things got ugly. “All of the sudden, I see this giant phallus on a police horse,” says UW-Madison junior Amy F. “I was like, I know the cops can be dicks on Halloween, but this is seriously messed up.” Somehow, a buzzed Rollins had managed to mount a police horse and gallop for a few yards before jumping off. Luckily for Rollins, he was able to escape the pursuit of the police by disappearing into a crowd of staggering sophomores reminiscing about Third Eye Blind’s “glory days” before the concert started. Two minutes after the getaway, Rollins was spotted by passersby on the second story of Parthenon Gyros, gyrating against a plaster Greek column. No one is certain just how much Rollins drank throughout the course of the night, but at least seven students have come forward saying that a banana covered in blue paint, wig hair, beer and glitter brieﬂy attended their parties and was kicked out of every single one. “As soon as I saw [Rollins], I deduced by the half-empty bottle

of Everclear in his hand that he was probably ready to leave,” says an anonymous UW-Madison senior. “He also tried to get with my girlfriend ... while we were making out alone in my room. So, with the help of my friends, we kicked that giant condom out of my house and into the street.” At least two hours of Rollins’ Halloween night went uncharted by witnesses, and the police are hoping to question him when he can finally open his eyes completely. He is the prime suspect for at least six more offenses during the night, including a complaint from a woman that a half-eaten fruit had solicited her to purchase his virginity for 10 minutes, as well as a call from a concerned partygoer that a “cucumber thing” was urinating from a window on the sixth floor of Sellery Hall. Before blacking out on Mark’s couch, the only coherent statement that Rollins made was that he “can’t wait for Mifflin.” If you were witness to any of Rollins’ debauchery throughout the night, please report to VP at evanpay@wisc.edu.

ASK THE DEER CARDINAL Life is hard. The Deer Cardinal is here to help.

Deer CardinalI just pulled an all-nighter and I’m exhausted, but I still have so much work to do. How do I stay alert and ﬁnish my presentation for tomorrow? —Akbar A. Admiral Akbar— When it comes to sugary energy drinks, my only warning is that oftentimes IT’S A TRAP! (For all non“Star Wars” fans out there, I apologize for that dated reference). If you want all the energy of a line of coke without that debilitating crash (and trip to detox) later, try the newest energy drink, “XXXXXXXXXXXXXtreme Energy: Now with three more X’s!” Besides containing the usual mix of sugar, caffeine, guarana and ginseng, XXXXXXXXXXXXXtreme Energy also contains Vin Diesel’s sweat, Barbaro’s adrenal glands and Verne

Troyer’s excrement. There really isn’t anything more extreme than that. So get up off your couch, grab your combination skateboard parasail and start doing your homework IN SPACE!!!!!! And while you’re at it, ﬂy to the moon and PUNCH IT IN THE FACE!!!!! AAAAAAAHHHHH EXTREME Deer Cardinal— There’s this girl in my Anthro 104 class named Sarah who is super cute. We’ve chatted a few times and seemed to hit it off, but I’m still not sure if she’s into me. I’ve been thinking of making some grand gesture to win her affection, i.e. buy her roses or pay off the kiss cam operator at the hockey game. Any other suggestions? —Lonely in Ag. Hall Mr. Lonely-— You’ve unwittingly stumbled

upon a solution already! What greater gesture is there than to profess your love in the Deer Cardinal? Now, I know not many people read this column (I love and appreciate all eight of you), but you’re in luck L.i.A.H., because I happen to know Sarah reads this column every single week. We actually kind of have a history, if you can call a drunken onenight stand after a Tennis Pros and Baseball Hoes party a history, that is. But I digress. Sarah will already know to be on the lookout for her hidden lover, and now all you have to do is wear a shirt with “OH GOD I’M SO LONELY” written on the front, and she’ll know it’s you! Thank me later, broseph. Yo D.C.— Haha, great column! Yours is the best, I have a funny site too, free Viagra sexy singles RT @ www.cuti-

eface.jt/ thank you gosh bless —sexygurl89J1 Sexygurl— Wow, I’m thrilled! Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ﬁnd a site like this! Yours is the best. See my pics lol I think it’s you!!! www. DontEverWriteToMeAgainOrIWillF indYouAndRipOutYourThroatAnd/ OrMotherboardIfYou’reAComputerY ouStupidDick.com. Ever wonder if hustling was, contrary to popular belief, easy? Write to the Deer Cardinal to ﬁnd out at deercardin al@dailycardinal.com.

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The Sixties plus 50: War, racism and sexism ignited campus demonstrations in the decade that began a half-century ago. Space was the new frontier and worries about the earth gave birth to the environmental movement. How far have we come, how far do we have to go in 2010 and beyond?

DEADLINE: Nov. 30, 2009. E-mail editor@dailycardinal.com

news

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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

City committee reviews proposed Mendota Ct. apartment designs By Allison Geyer The Daily Cardinal

Danny Marchewka/the daily cardinal

State Sen. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, spoke in a news conference Monday on the proposed medical marijuana bill.

State lawmakers introduce medical marijuana legislation By Ariel Shapiro The Daily Cardinal

Medical marijuana may be legalized in Wisconsin if a bill announced Monday makes it through the state Legislature. State Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, and state Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, announced the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act Monday, which would allow patients who qualify for medical marijuana to receive the drug at nonprofit distribution locations. “It’s the right thing to do. We need to have this bill passed now. We can’t waste any time,” Jacki Rickert, for whom the bill is named, said at a news conference. Pocan said law-abiding citizens who need medical marijuana, including patients suffering from glaucoma or going through chemotherapy, are forced “to send their families out on the street to buy pot. That should not be illegal.”

Although the new legislation would make it easier for patients to get the drug, Erpenbach said there would be limits on how much marijuana a person could possess or grow. “People often want to get this confused with the criminal aspect of marijuana,” Pocan said. “This is specifically for the medical use of marijuana.” “We are not criminals,” said Gary Storck, communications director for Is My Medicine Legal YET? and a glaucoma patient, said. “We are just people trying to get on with our lives and move forward.” If the legislation passes, Wisconsin would join the 13 other states that have legalized the drug for medical purposes. “The days when a legislator can voice their opinion against medical marijuana without substantiating it to the people who believe otherwise have passed,” Storck said. “Our sick and dying patients deserve as much.”

New legislation intends to reform Milwaukee Public Schools system Two Democratic state Senators introduced new legislation Monday aimed at reforming the Milwaukee Public Schools system. Called the “RACE for Success,” the new legislation would create a partnership between the MPS school board and Milwaukee’s Common Council, headed by the school board president and the mayor of Milwaukee. According to a statement, the bill would give the mayor veto power over the MPS school board’s selection of a superintendent. The

textbooks from page 1 Judith Burstyn, a professor in the chemistry department, said it can be difficult to avoid buying new editions of textbooks because publishers often stop printing old editions, making it difficult to have enough

initiative from page 1 UW-Madison, which consolidates scholarship information from across campus in a single database. University Housing is also seeking MIU funding to open three new Residential Learning Communities by 2013, bringing the total number to nine. In addition, they would like

board would retain control over the MPS budget, but the mayor would have some authority to control the property tax levy. The legislation has support from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, the Wisconsin Education Association Council and the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association. Earlier this month, Gov. Jim Doyle said he might call an extra legislative session before the end of the year to push legislation reforming MPS. textbooks for certain classes. Brustyn said ASM’s textbook campaign is one of many attempts to find a solution to the textbook problems on campus. She said UW-Madison libraries have also made an effort to ensure that books are available to students. to keep a native-speaking teaching assistant for each language in the International Learning Community to ensure an immersion experience for future residents. The Departments of History, Computer Sciences and East Asian Studies are also requesting funding to expand with the growing popularity of their majors.

Madison’s Landmarks Commission discussed both demolitions and restorations of several historic properties in the campus area Monday. The committee discussed the proposed eight-story apartment building that would replace existing buildings at 617-619 Mendota Court. The most recent design of the new structures, brought before the commission by Gary Brink and Josh Wilcox of Patrick Properties, was well received by the committee. The new plans include 33 rental units and 103 bedrooms with a mix of 13 four-bedroom units, 11 three-bedroom units and nine two-bedroom units. “We are trying to complement the neighboring struc-

tures,” Brink said. “The building has clean lines with hints of more traditional style.” However, longtime Madison resident Lydelle Zeller said she had concerns about the new project, drawing attention to the building at 619 Mendota Court’s status as a historic part of the neighborhood. “I recommend that contributing buildings not be demolished,” Zeller said. “I want to express my disappointment in losing this historic district bit by bit.” Chair Dan Stephens said while the commission generally opposes the demolition of buildings in historic districts, “the former preservation planner did not oppose its demolition, and the building has significantly deteriorated.” Stephens moved that the com-

mission not oppose the demolition. Additionally, a proposed side-yard garage addition to the historic Sellery House was brought before the Landmarks Commission for the fourth time. In an attempt to comply with a neighborhood ordinance requiring that additions not detract from the original front façade, the commission members, architect Colin Godding and several neighbors debated for several hours in an attempt to determine an appropriate solution. “The question is how we should define the parameters of a side-yard addition that we would find acceptable,” Stephens said. Commission members invited the homeowner and architect to redevelop and scale down the design, but did not say if a new design would be approved.

Illegal tobacco sales to minors in Wisconsin on the decline Illegal tobacco sales to Wisconsin minors decreased significantly in 2009, according to a sales compliance report released Monday. The 2009 Synar sales compliance survey reported that the number of retail outlets that illegally sold tobacco to minors decreased from 7.2 percent

speech from page 1 constitutional university policies or missions.” “Let’s say I disagree with affirmative action. I could publicly criticize it, but it would be utterly inappropriate … to do something to try to obstruct that policy, because

to 5.7 percent, a 20-percent decrease from 2008. In a statement, Gov. Jim Doyle said he was thankful for retailers’ commitment to preventing minors from purchasing tobacco. “In Wisconsin, we are working hard to protect our kids from the scourge of tobacco … Our state has a long history of pre-

venting youth tobacco sales, and I’m pleased our efforts are paying off,” he said in a statement. This year marks the seventh straight year Wisconsin fell below the target rate of 20 percent or less. In May, Doyle signed legislation establishing a statewide smoking ban in workplaces including taverns and restaurants.

that would be insubordination.” Faculty would also need to clarify they were not speaking for the entire university when addressing matters of public concern. One member of the Committee was absent, so a decision to recommend the proposal to the full Faculty Senate had

to be delayed, though reactions were positive and unsatisfied with relying on UW-Madison’s tradition for “sifting and winnowing” of protection. “Rules are there in part so that, should the culture shift, the rules are still there,” committee member Judith Burstyn said.

featuresscience Wishing you a ‘b-lighted’ Halloween 4

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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

UW scientists sequence potato-killing fungus’ genome for many years. A genome consists of the entire DNA of a species and stores the information needed to express proteins vital to each cellular process. To know thy enemy is to know its DNA sequence, and we did not know jack. Phytophthora’s genome is so riddled with repeating DNA that normal sequencing techniques did not make its genome any less enigmatic. Repetition in Phytophthora’s DNA also contributes to its virulence. David Schwartz, a UW-Madison professor of genetics and chemistry, led a recent UW study to solve the fungal genome dilemma.

Like HIV, the fungus’ genome can change exceptionally quickly to overcome potatoes’ developed resistance to attacks.

AMY GIFFIN/THE DAILY CARDINAL

By Joe St. Peter THE DAILY CARDINAL

The night before Halloween, I found myself desperately searching for a costume. After three years of donning humorous and cuddly attire, I gradually lost my self-perpetuated reputation for being hardcore This year I decided to go as the most badass entity imaginable: Phytophthora infestans, which literally translates to “growth-destroying attacker.” Although you may not know this fungus, you have probably

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heard of the havoc it wreaked on Ireland in during the Great Potato Famine. During the 1800s, millions of Irish people died or emigrated to avoid starvation caused by the potato devastation. Today, Phytophthora is no less of a grim reaper. The disease it causes in potatoes accounts for $6.7 billion dollars in lost harvests annually. Like HIV, the fungus’ genome can change exceptionally quickly and can constantly adapt to overcome potatoes’ developed resistance to attacks.

During the 1800s, millions of Irish people died or emigrated to avoid starvation caused by the potato devastation.

Just when I thought I could not conjure a better costume, scientists working at UW thwarted my plans. I thought I was safe because sequencing, or finding the code of life for the Phytophthora infestans genome, has eluded scientists

“The repeat-rich regions change rapidly over time, acting as a kind of incubator to enable the rapid birth and death of genes that are key to plant infection,” Schwartz said. Schwartz said critical genes may be gained and lost so rapidly that the hosts simply cannot keep up. While the positions of the smaller fragments of the Phytopthroa genome could be easily detmined by sequencing its DNA, the team had no idea where the pieces fit the larger genome at the start of the study. To get around these constraints, Schwartz developed a technique called optical mapping in the 1990s. Optical mapping uses fluorescence microscopy to widen the scope of the sequencing analysis.

Although this technique does not capture detail, it reveals large-scale DNA fragments and the relative size of DNA, making it easier to piece the puzzle together.

To know thy enemy is to know its DNA sequence, and we did not know jack.

Combining optical mapping data with sequencing data, Schwartz’s team finally completed the genomic picture of the Late Blight culprit. The result was a genome up to four times the size of Phytophthora’s relatives, mostly because of the repetitive regions. The repeats contain few genes, but these genes are specialized for infection. Comprehensive understanding of the genome could elicit further research that may curb the terror Phytophthora unleashes on potatoes. With this newfound knowledge, my costume would not have been the scariest thing at the Third Eye Blind concert, but I can sleep better at night knowing the discovery of the genome of Phytophthora infestans may open the door to eradicating Late Blight once and for all.

arts ‘Pirate Radio’ jolly fun on the high seas dailycardinal.com/arts

By Mark Riechers THE DAILY CARDINAL

Gavin calls out “Chicken!” and plunges into the ocean hundreds of feet below. The Count mutters “I wish I weren’t so fat,” as he makes his way to the opposite point of the radio tower, quotes some lyrics and plunges in after him. The camera cuts to the two of them apologizing to each other on air, The Count with a broken arm and Gavin with a huge cast on his leg.

As in “Love, Actually,” the cast is packed to the seams with a lineup of British heavyweights.

This little vignette is one of the many misadventures that make up “Pirate Radio,” the latest from Richard Curtis, the British director of 2003’s “Love, Actually.” The film follows a gang of eight DJs at a pirate radio station in England during the late 1960s. Despite their underground nature, the stations had a huge following of rebelling teenagers and music lovers, attracting millions of listeners in their time. The pirate part of “Pirate Radio” is literal in this case—all the action of the film takes place

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

aboard the ship that Radio Rock broadcasts from, with brief asides ashore where some bumbling lawmakers (Kenneth Branagh, “Valkyrie” and Jack Davenport, “FlashForward”) try desperately to shut the station down. Cutting between different time periods and characters on the boat feels a bit more contrived than the series of intercut stories of “Love, Actually”—it makes it hard to connect with any of the characters for the first half of the film. Trying to pull all the characters together with an “everyman” character in the middle isn’t all that effective either, as “Young Carl,” who boards the boat along with the audience, would be equally interesting if his mic were muted for the entire film. The result is a film light on plot and heavy on character. Curtis overcomes the deficiencies of the story with a great sense of style he seems to pull out of the music behind the movie.

Hoffman shines, but like most of the cast struggles to hold the spotlight for more than a few scenes.

The ﬁlm’s British title is “The Boat that Rocked”—a more ﬁtting title

PHOTO COURTESY FOCUS FEATURES

It often seems like all the characters in “Pirate Radio” are having too much fun to worry about a cohesive plot, and it shows, leaving scenes feeling disjointed and confusing, albeit amusing. than ours considering the most well- Rock. Katherine Parkinson and scenes. He makes good use of developed character is the boat itself. Chris O’Dowdtwo-thirds of the time he gets in the “chicken” An old rust bucket littered with rock the hilarious cast of the BBC’s scene and during the more uncerrecords, seedy vinyl corners and wall- “The IT Crowd,” are present, tain moments of Radio Rock’s papers of band stickers, the ship runs and Rhys Darby of “Flight of future, but overall we’re left wantcontrary to the glamorous rock’n’roll the Conchords” plays the role of ing more. Despite the shortcomings of the haven the DJs paint on air as they talk the comedy DJ. Philip Seymour about their shenanigans. Hoffman rounds out the cast as story, the ﬁlm offers a fun slice of a As in “Love, Actually,” the the de facto leader of the bunch, grittier age in rock and roll. The acting talent makes for a different sort cast is packed to the seams with The Count. a lineup of British heavyweights. Hoffman shines, but like most of period music ﬂick, one certainly Bill Nighy is the highlight as of the cast struggles to hold the worth a watch. Grade: B the eccentric owner of Radio spotlight for more than a few

Pitchfork still the make or break website for new indie music JUSTIN J. STEPHANI j.j. dilla

his should not be the ﬁrst time you’ve read about Pitchfork and its indie inﬂuence. It has been making bands relevant since it became a daily in the late ’90s and coolly bashed the mainstream scene. For every pop music movement there is backlash, resentment and something of a countermovement. Consider Pitchfork the instigator of this decade’s musical countermovement to the late ’90s.

Consider Pitchfork the instigator of this decade’s musical countermovement to the late ’90s.

For decades, Rolling Stone remained the gold standard of music journalism, and while Pitchfork may not be journalistically inspired or driven, it has certainly stolen the well-read of the music scene. With the Internet increasing its hold over the music scene throughout the ’00s, individualism and uniqueness took precedence, opposing the assembly line approach developing in the mainstream scene. With this market polarization, a journalistic source of music criticism needed to come from somewhere, and it needed to distinguish itself to be authentic.

First, it needed to see through the bullshit. It needed to be able to tell authentic musicians from posers and players, and it needed to be well-versed in both styles so it could use references to both poke fun at and praise music in a way that made readers feel like they were in the loop. Second, it needed to avoid mainstream forms of journalism. Everybody already associated Rolling Stone and newspapers with lame, out-of-touch middle agers who are less tapped into the contemporary underground music scene than my Uncle Remus from Fiﬁeld, Wis. Pitchfork capitalized on these notions by reviewing ﬁve albums a day—along with individual songs—and reissues, and by making them longer and more thorough (often to a fault). In our world of hyper-exposure to media of all forms, music heads need to be able to sift through many sounds and experiences every day, not just a couple once a month.

who respect the trade and want to support the artists by purchasing hard copies. As a result, it has been known for some time that an indie record store better prepare their inventory if a new underground band pops up with a nine rating on the webzine, with success stories resulting from Pitchfork praise being impressive and widespread. Noname bands go from obscurity to sold-out venues and backordered CD’s overnight based on a ‘Best New Music’ tag. The most prominent examples of this are impressive to say the least.

Indie rock staples such as Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire both attribute popularity booms to the days after their high Pitchfork rating hit the web. And on the ﬂip side, an artist’s integrity can immediately be squashed by a ruinous review. Ironically, Pitchfork’s indispenssability will persist because the medium and circumstances made it possible. The Internet not only provides endless music, but also opinions. You can use Pitchfork as a starting point, but it will be transparent if it is your only reference, as the site is becoming more mainstream indie

(so uncool) by the second. At the end of the day, if you’re going to one source to look for music, no site is as polished and well-oiled. But even so, if you’re letting one source primarily influence your exposure, you’re missing the point of Internet exposure and individuality in music that made Pitchfork relevant in the first place. Think Pitchfork simply lets people follow along with the limpwristed consensus? Know of a cutting-edge music blog that really knows what’s going on in indie music today? E-mail Justin about it at jstephani@wisc.edu.

At the end of the day, if you’re going to one source to look for music, no site is as polished and well-oiled.

The success following these conventions proves their effectiveness in the most unexpected way: record sales. As far as prodding purchases, Pitchfork has been the only ringleader, mostly because the type of people regularly reading the site are the type

PHOTO COURTESY ARTS & CRAFTS

Bands like Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene can attribute their success to early favorable coverage from Pitchfork, the Internet authority for indie music.

comics 6

Soft Serve. Chocolates can still satisfy you even if they had gone soft. dailycardinal.com/comics

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Not So Tricky

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

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

Charlie and Boomer

By Natasha Soglin soglin@wisc.edu

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com

Is That Clear? ACROSS 1 Spiteful comment 5 Peace agreement 9 Sandwich cookies 14 “In ___ of flowers ...” 15 Continental money 16 Liquid dynamite, for short 17 “Actually ...” 20 “Well, ___ be!” 21 Roller coaster feature 22 Country estates 23 Produced again, as a film 25 “All done!” 27 Gaucho’s tool 29 For miners it’s major 30 Golfing standard 33 Most of Earth 36 Uncool one 38 Big pot of stew 39 Positively no excuses 42 Matter to go to court over 43 Surrender possession 44 Greek fabulist 45 Half and half? 46 Seventh letter in Greece 47 Females with pigtails 49 Sing like a bird 51 Type of Volkswagen 55 Ravel work 58 Plays a part

60 Something to lend a storyteller? 61 Court quickie 64 A natural, in Vegas 65 Egyptian goddess of fertility 66 Thespian Guinness 67 “Rob Roy” author 68 Zero 69 “I want your attention!” DOWN 1 “The ___ Witch Project” 2 “Cleanup in ___ four” (supermarket request) 3 Royal domain 4 ___ a ride (hitchhike) 5 Tube-nosed seabird 6 Opposite of manual, briefly 7 Moved steathily or cautiously 8 Rocky ridge 9 Ablaze 10 Winchester, for one 11 Bibliographer’s space-saving abbr. 12 Whale vs. bounty hunter flick 13 Bar denizens 18 Enhancing accessories 19 Bite off too much

4 Toward the rudder 2 26 Carousel figures 28 Heat and then cool 30 “Besides that ...” 31 Like some saxes 32 Abrade with a tool 33 Aware of 34 Masked mammal, informally 35 Where the River Shannon flows 37 “77 Sunset Strip” actor Byrnes 38 Beyond overweight 40 Film director’s cry 41 Least processed or refined 46 Straying from the correct course 48 Greater than 90 degrees, as an angle 49 Religious principle 50 Stock- acquisition aid? 52 Freshwater ducks 53 Performs eye surgery, in a way 54 Like a soldier at attention 55 One with fire power? 56 Black gold gp. 57 Prefix meaning “to the left” 59 Vandyke locale 62 “Gunga ___” 63 Bottle topper

Washington and the Bear

By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com

opinion Race deserves no place in university admissions dailycardinal.com/opinion

ANDREW CARPENTER opinion columnist

iversity is a recurring theme at UW-Madison and, as always, the discussion turns to race. Administrators who focus on the color of students’ skin continue to find a lack of diversity, which is a nice way of saying we are too white. Responding to this crisis of superficial uniformity has been a favorite task of chancellors, committees, and columnists for decades. While the overwhelming sea of good intentions is aimed at increasing diversity, I would argue that there are almost no students who pay any attention to race. To their credit, students at Madison are relatively colorblind, choosing to judge their classmates on their character, effort and achievement, rather than on the color of their skin. While we do see acts of intolerance and ignorance on a daily basis, in general it is much harder to be racist than to be a minority on campus. While Madison is overflowing with diversity of background, socioeconomic status, experience and opinion, promoters of diversity seem to only be satisfied with the type of diversity they can see. To achieve a racially balanced student population, the committees and professional administrators of our school continue to insist ethnicity plays a major roll in our admission process. The refusal to accept the type of diversity which matters has a detrimental effect on an otherwise open

and unbiased campus. It also sends a negative message to minority students throughout the state. When we set racial goals for our student body, as seen in programs like Plan 2008, it sends a strong message to minority students: It says “We don’t believe you can succeed on your own.” By admitting students based on race, we tell them that their achievements and hard work are not enough. Instead of treating blacks, Asians, Paciﬁc Islanders, and Native Americans like equals, we give them a hand out by helping them overcome their supposed handicap. We do not want to help solely minorities, we want to help everyone who has not had equal access to opportunity. While it is true poorer students have a harder time getting an upper-level education, being poor is not an ethnicity.

Promoters of diversity seem to only be satisﬁed with the type of diversity they can see.

The effect of racial quotas and goals on white students is extremely complex. Race-based efforts provide a mental obstacle for Caucasian students to overcome. While the overwhelming majority of students actively seek out and love interacting with diverse and new people, race-based admissions can bring up an unsettling idea of how that

minority student sitting next to you in lecture got into UW. However, without racial considerations in our admissions process, there would be no reason to suspect something different about that minority student from class because each person of color would have an equally unique background compared to a white student. But by focusing on the color of their skin rather than just their achievements, the university administration implants the idea that there might be something different about minority students: They might not be as smart. If all admission criteria and population goals were aimed at getting the best and the brightest students to come to Madison, there would be no reason to believe a student got in because of their race. It makes sense to expect minority students to drop out at higher rates than white students now, since some minority students were not admitted solely on their ability to succeed at a Big Ten school. We need to show that we believe race has nothing to do with a student’s potential. To do this, we must invest heavily to make sure all Wisconsin residents have the same access to quality education and resources and then we must forget about race. Trying to artiﬁcially diversify our campus through racial goals does nothing to help the poor and undereducated but, instead, perpetuates racial stereotypes and indoctrinates minorities into a system of handouts. Andrew Carpenter is a senior majoring in communication arts and psychology. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Humanities Building due for destruction By Collin Wisniewski THE DAILY CARDINAL

Oh, the Humanities Building. You are a massive block of concrete that houses the studies for which you are appropriately named. Since your completed construction in 1969, you have been a cold, lonely home to the studies of music, art, English, and history; all of which seem strangely out of place beneath your sunken temple walls (perhaps with the exclusion of history). Ever since the announcement of your imminent destruction, I have been absolutely enthralled. The Humanities Building at one time may have been a ground-breaking, conversational piece, but in today’s current architectural climate it is a blotch upon our beautiful campus. Upon its completion, the Humanities Building was described as a testament to the “brutalist” style of architecture, a style made famous in America from the 1950s to the 1970s, but one that had ﬂourished throughout Europe prior to that. But this unique architectural design of the building is the main problem that most students have with its construction. Chances are that if one has attended UWMadison for more than one semester, one has had a class in Humanities, whether it was a lecture or discussion. There is also a chance, if not an absolute certainty, that one got lost along the

winding corridors of the confusing, irrational building layout. I cannot fathom just how many times I have had no idea where my class is, only to stumble around Pan’s Labyrinth for twenty minutes in a desperate effort to ﬁnd a buried hobbit-hole of a room on the other side of the building. A shoddy layout isn’t the only failure here. With its poor ventilation, narrow windows, inclined base, and cantilevered upper ﬂoors, you might suspect you were in a bomb shelter. The building is simply not designed well for an environment conductive to learning. In 2005, UW-Madison released its “Campus Master Plan,” which, among other things, called for the destruction the Humanities building and other 60’s-era buildings to make way for more updated learning venues. Students should be thrilled by this idea, as we are paying top dollar for what are supposed to be topof-the-line facilities but, as evidenced by this architectural failure, we are not getting what we are paying for. But with this, I cannot help but feel there will be snags along the way. Calling for a complete and utter destruction of a massive structure like the Humanities Building requires a massive amount of resources and time. As a student that has many classes in the humanities, I pose the question: Where will these classes be relocated to? And when

relocated, will the new classrooms be sufﬁcient for teaching and learning? Who will pay for these demolitions and reconstructions? It seems paradoxical, hypocritical even, that I call for change, but am not willing to “foot the bill” for such a project. However, the responsibility to provide adequate facilities does not rest within staff and students, but rather the university itself. The construction of a new home for the humanities may be a ways off, but the university needs to begin planning and crafting speciﬁcs now. The sooner this occurs the better, and the more input students can provide about what they pay for out of their parents’ pockets. We need functional, attractive facilities, but do not need to be drowned in debt in the process of doing so. The Humanities Building is a blotch upon what is for the most part a beautiful campus, but a blotch is better than a waste of money. Improving facilities to further education is a vital goal, but increasing the burden on students and parents furthers a backward ideology, which festers to more of an elitist school system and moves us further away from the American dream of “education for all.” Collin Wisniewski is a sophomore intending to major in journalism. Please send feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

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

the nitty gritty boycott revisited

ollowing The Daily Cardinal Editorial Board’s recent meeting with Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, budgetary issues tended to push other topics to the back burner. One subject that we made sure to address however was the recent compromise Cieslewicz brokered with the Common Council regarding a student serving on the Alcohol License Review Committee. After convincing Ald. Bryon Eagon, Dist. 8, to remove language making the student voting member a permanent position, Cieslewicz vowed to nominate a student to the seat once two new voting members were added to the ALRC. While this was far from a perfect outcome, it still manages to get students represented on the ALRC. Students will have another chance to make the student voting member permanent in three years, when the council will vote on whether to continue the ALRC’s current student advisory position, Until then, Cieslewicz’s appointment will ensure Madison’s over 40,000 students will have representation. The mayor reiterated his promise to us at the meeting and, while stating that he was keeping his options open, said he has found Mark Woulf ’s work on the ALRC as a student non-voting member to be very impressive. Woulf has already received the endorsement of ALRC member Ald. Mike Verveer, Dist. 4, and is likely to receive an ofﬁcial endorsement from the Associated Students of Madison as well. We also support Mark Woulf for his impressive efforts to represent students in a non-voting capacity on the ALRC and the dedication to city government he has shown since losing to Eagon in last spring’s District 8 alderman race. Following our meeting with Cieslewicz and our reassurance that the student seat is secure, we feel there is a need to evaluate the campaign to get a student voting member on the ALRC as a whole. The Daily Cardinal Editorial Board has been heavily involved in this issue from the beginning, stemming from our call to boycott the Nitty Gritty, an establishment owned by the ALRC’s Tavern League representative, Marsh Shapiro. We still feel that the boycott

of the Nitty Gritty was justified. Shapiro’s comments at the October 21 ALRC meeting, where he said “I’m not sure that students should not be involved with the business we have here,” among other derogatory claims, deserved an equally strong response. While it is true Shapiro was representing the Tavern League in his appearance and not himself or the Nitty Gritty, he later told The Daily Cardinal that he stood by all of his statements as both a representative of the Tavern League and as an individual business owner. We felt that boycotting the establishment of one of its most visible members sent a message to the entire Tavern League that local businesses cannot simply take students’ dollars and expect us not to take ownership of the stake we have in city affairs. However, the circumstances have changed. The main goal of the campaign, and in turn the boycott, was to make sure students had proper representation in regard to alcohol issues downtown. In light of Cieslewicz’s promise to appoint a student to the ALRC, this goal appears to have been accomplished. The Common Council will still need to confirm the mayor’s appointee, but judging by the level of support we have observed, we doubt the alders will vote down a qualified candidate, whether it be Woulf or a student of similar stature. This accomplishment does not change our opinion of Shapiro and the Nitty Gritty. We still feel there is no need to support the pocketbook of a person who is so dismissive of the student voice and seems to regard his own customer base with contempt. As individuals, it is safe to say that no members of this editorial board will be helping themselves to a Gritty Burger any time in the near future. But following what we feel is a victory for students, we believe the time for an official boycott has passed. The message has been sent and it was heard loud and clear, while Shapiro and the Tavern League’s irrational opposition to any sort of student representation on the ALRC has fallen on deaf ears. With that outcome, it is obvious the campaign had a clear winner: students.

Feel like your voice isn’t being heard? Apply to be a Daily Cardinal Opinion Columnist! Submit 3 pieces 650-750 words long to opinion@dailycardinal.com. The deadline is Dec. 18th.

sports 8

dailycardinal.com/sports

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Football

Tolzien, Clay headline UW news conference By Mark Bennett THE DAILY CARDINAL

Head coach Bret Bielema only expressed satisfaction during his weekly press conference Monday. His team is fresh off a performance against Michigan that showed both the offensive and defensive might of the Wisconsin football team. He also expressed excitement for what the remainder of the 2009 season holds for his team. For the second time this season, junior quarterback Scott Tolzien was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Against the Michigan Wolverines, Tolzien passed for 240 yards and four touchdowns. Tolzien also added a rushing touchdown to top off perhaps the best game of his collegiate career thus far. The rushing attack, courtesy of sophomore John Clay and freshman Montee Ball, was firing on all cylinders.

“At Wisconsin, we really believe we should run the football,” Bielema said. “It’s one of the keys to our success.”

“At Wisconsin, we really believe we should run the football. It’s one of the keys to our success.” Bret Bielema head coach UW football

Clay rushed for 151 yards and a score and Ball continued to show his promise as a future star on the team, accumulating 62 yards on the ground. Bielema continued his praise of Clay, excitedly lauding the Big Ten Conference’s leading rusher. “The development of John Clay ... I really like what he’s begun to do,” Bielema said. On the other side of the ball,

LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

After tossing four touchdowns Saturday, junior quarterback Scott Tolzien now has 14 touchdown passes, seventh in the Big Ten.

the Wisconsin defense has been solid and improving with every contest. The Badgers have still not allowed a Big Ten opponent to rush for over 100 yards in a game. Wisconsin held Michigan, a team that averaged over 200 yards per game on the ground, to only 71. The Badgers’ rush defense is currently the 14th best in the nation and has held seven straight opponents to under 100 yards on the ground, the longest current streak in the country. Additionally, after surrendering 39 rushing touchdowns the past two seasons Wisconsin has allowed just seven in 2009. One player who continues to contribute to the Badgers’ strong defense week after week is freshman linebacker Chris Borland. Borland had 11 tackles for Wisconsin against the Wolverines, and once again caught the attention of Bielema. “If there’s a freshman in this league that’s had more of an effect on [his] team [than Borland], I would be surprised,” Bielema said. Wisconsin’s next and final Big Ten test comes this weekend when the team visits Northwestern. Bielema noted the Wildcats’ success on the field this season, especially in the latter half of their schedule, and even compared the team to his own. “Defensively, they’re very similar to us in a lot of ways,” Bielema said. Bielema and his team are certainly aware of the potential implications next Saturday could have for the Badgers. If Wisconsin beats Northwestern, and if Ohio State loses to Michigan, the Badgers would secure a share of their first Big Ten Title since 1999. However, Bielema stressed that his team will be focused on Northwestern and its task at hand instead of thinking about Big Ten title implications. “The only way we can worry about [a potential title] is to take care of Saturday,” Bielema said.

Women’s Soccer

DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

After defeating Central Florida and Arizona State, Wisconsin now prepares to travel to Boston College for a Sweet Sixteen matchup.

After dream weekend, Wilkins praises squad By Mark Bennett THE DAILY CARDINAL

After finishing the regular season with a 9-5-5 record overall and a third place finish in the Big Ten, the Wisconsin women’s soccer team was expecting an NCAA tournament bid. However, it is hard to say if anyone predicted the Badgers would win their first two games of the tournament. But that did not stop Wisconsin. After playing Arizona State to a 11 tie after two overtimes Friday, the Badgers claimed victory, winning in a 4-3 shootout. From there, the team kept rolling. Wisconsin dominated play Sunday, beating No. 13 University of Central Florida 1-0 in the second round to advance to the team’s first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 1993. “No one really considered us in the beginning of the year to be in this spot,” head coach Paula Wilkins said. “I think that they’ve risen to every challenge they’ve been given, and they learn from every opportunity they have.” The Badgers’ lone goal came courtesy of junior mid-fielder Roxanne Carlson in the 45th minute of the first half off a pass from sophomore forward Laurie Nosbusch. The Wisconsin defense took over,

with sophomore goalkeeper Michele Dalton keeping a tight lid on the goal through the second half en route to the shutout. Dalton was perfect on the day, saving both shots on goal and collecting her seventh shutout of the season. For her performance, Dalton was named to TopDrawerSoccer.com Women’s Team of the Week. As a team, Wisconsin seems to be playing their best at the right time. “I thought [Sunday’s victory] was one of our better performances of the season,” Wilkins said. “It was a great time to happen. I think the team’s peaking at the right time.” Wisconsin’s win over UCF was certainly a hard-fought, physical victory, with 29 total fouls and three yellow cards between the two teams. The Badgers’ next foe will be ACC champion and No. 7 Boston College. The Eagles boasted a regular season record of 15-3-2, and are coming off of back-to-back shutout wins against Harvard and the University of Connecticut in the ﬁrst two rounds of the tournament. Riding a nine-game unbeaten streak, the longest for the team since 1996, Wisconsin faces off against Boston College this Friday at 6 p.m. in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Keeping up old, new sports loyalties a tough balancing act for out-of-towners NICO SAVIDGE savidge nation

his weekend, I will be in the press box at Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill., watching the Badgers take on Northwestern. Once the game and the interviews are over, I’ll blast out of Illinois and back to Madison, praying to make it home in time to catch the end of a game halfway across the country. That’s because Saturday night is the Big Game—the annual rivalry matchup between Stanford and the team I grew up loving, Cal. Wisconsin may have secured Paul Bunyan’s Axe by beating Minnesota earlier this year, but there’s another rivalry game (and another axe) I’m con-

cerned about. Until I came to Wisconsin, there was no team I felt more connected to than Cal and no team I hated more than Stanford. As a Cal fan, the hardest thing about coming to Wisconsin was not the winter, but cheering for the cardinal and white, colors Stanford and Wisconsin share.

Ask anyone who grew up in a college town, even people who cheered for Minnesota, if they still feel a connection to that team.

Last year, while people all around me watched in horror as the Badgers nearly lost to Cal Poly,

I rejoiced in the student section upon hearing updates from the Big Game. The reason I’ve taken this rivalry so seriously is the way I grew up with it. Since the mid-1990s my family has had season tickets to Cal football, meaning I was raised in the same atmosphere as a kid growing up in Madison, with my life revolving around the team each fall. Ask anyone who grew up in a college town, even people who cheered for Minnesota, if they still feel a connection to that team. Even though we’ve all moved on to supporting the Badgers, there’s still a piece of us that remains attached to the team we were raised on. Through the years my dad and I spent going to Cal games, we were often treated to a grotesque

spectacle of domination as the Golden Bears were more often than not pummeled by their opponents. But since the arrival of head coach Jeff Tedford, Cal has been reborn into one of the strongest teams in the Pac-10.

Think of Tedford like former Wisconsin head coach Barry Alvarez, who led a renaissance of Badger football after years of futility.

Think of Tedford like former Wisconsin head coach Barry Alvarez, who led a renaissance of Badger football after years of futility. During the Dark Ages before Tedford, Cal fans were akin to

Cubs fans—loyal, if a bit masochistic, in their love for the team. But in the Tedford era, Bears games became fun again, especially the Big Game. In his first season at Cal, Tedford led the Bears to victory in the Big Game, and has lost to Stanford only once since then. So assuming I can make good time coming back from Evanston this Saturday, and assuming I don’t run into any state troopers watching for speeders on I-94, I should make it home to catch at least a little part of the Big Game. It will be a little piece of home, and a reminder of the intense rivalry I’ll always take with me. Are you a Stanford fan or alumnus? Then you should probably stay out of Nico’s way this week, but you can e-mail him at savidgewilki@da ilycardinal.com.