Wednesday, December 5, 2012 - The Daily Cardinal

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The Editorial Board addresses measures the campus should take to make diversity a priority +OPINION, page 6

How mindfulness training can change the perception of pain +SCIENCE, page 5 University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Bielema leaves Badgers for Arkansas Unknown who will coach team in Rose Bowl

By Parker Gabriel The Daily Cardinal

wil gibb/cardinal File Photo

Bret Bielema was promoted by former head coach Barry Alvarez, now the athletic director, after Alvarez’s retirement in late 2005. Bielema will not coach the Badgers in the 2013 Rose Bowl.

Logan’s Madtown bar closed Monday, faces loss of liquor license Bar manager pleads no contest to city’s charges

By Melissa Howison The Daily Cardinal

L o g a n’s Madtown Restaurant and Bar permanently closed its doors Monday after the city attorney’s office filed charges against the owners in October for violating terms of its liquor license in addition to a city alcohol ordinance.

The city filed a suit against Logan’s to revoke its liquor license after the downtown bar failed an audit, requested by the Madison Police Department in July, because more than fifty percent of its profits came from alcohol sales, which is a violation of the restaurant’s liquor license and the Alcohol License Density Ordinance.

Logan’s General Manager Adam Mais, pleaded no contest

to the charges at an Alcohol License Review subcommittee hearing Tuesday.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said Joe Bendetti, the owner of Logan’s, decided to escape “under the cover of darkness” when he packed up the bar valuables in a U-Haul, closed the bar and drove to Texas Monday night. By not appearing at the hearing, Bendetti left no option for Logan’s to reopen.

Bret Bielema’s seven-year tenure as the Wisconsin football team’s head coach came to a sudden, unexpected end Tuesday when he was hired by the Arkansas Razorbacks, throwing the UW program into a state of turmoil four weeks before the Badgers face Stanford in the Rose Bowl.

At a team meeting Tuesday evening at Camp Randall Stadium, Bielema told players directly he would not be coaching the team in Pasadena, Calif.

Jan. 1, according to a source with knowledge of the meeting.

Yahoo! News first reported the hiring early Tuesday afternoon.

“He just expressed that it was the best opportunity for him,” redshirt junior center and team captain Travis Frederick told reporters outside the stadium after the team meeting. “I think

everybody faces choices in life and you have to do what’s best for you. I think he’s done tremendous things for the program and I think he’s left us in a good spot.”

The meeting lasted around ten minutes. At 6:13 p.m., UW offensive coordinator Matt Canada left the complex. He declined to comment.

Over the next 45 minutes, players filtered out, mostly in groups. Some declined to comment, though Frederick and injured redshirt freshman quarterback Joel Stave each briefly addressed reporters.

“It was emotional,” Stave said of the meeting. “It’s something that’s new for me, I haven’t really experienced this, but it’s something we’re just going to work through, I guess.”

Each said the team was informed today and that there was no prior warning. Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez said in a statement he was caught off guard as well.

“I was very surprised when Bret told me he was taking the offer from Arkansas,” the statement said. “He did a great job for

bielema page 8

Student leaders discuss Mifflin alternative

By Cheyenne Langkamp The Daily Cardinal

Student government leaders discussed Tuesday a proposal for a spring festival to be held the same day as Madison’s famous Mifflin Street Block Party, but some expressed concern over the planning process.

The Associated Students of Madison Coordinating Council briefly discussed a draft proposal for the event, which could include musical performances and vendors selling alcohol to those who are of age.

According to a draft of the proposal, student lead-

ers, including representatives from the Wisconsin Union, the Associated Students of Madison, the Wisconsin Alumni Student Board and others, met in November to discuss preliminary plans for the event.

council page 3

“I especially feel badly for the over two dozen employees of Logan’s, many of whom are UW students.”

Mike Verveer alder Distict 4

“We never contested the facts and the numbers, but we were going to argue for our case

logan’s page 3

On Campus

A feast fit for the holidays

Memorial Union hosted an evening of fine dining Tuesday at the 79th Annual Tudor Holiday Dinner. Guests enjoyed a performance by the Philharmonic Chorus of Madison and a feast of Beef Wellington and Duchess Potatoes. + Photo by Taylor Galaszewski

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

page two 2

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hi 34º / lo 40º

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 122, Issue 66

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Scott Girard

Managing Editor Alex DiTullio

News Team News Manager Taylor Harvey Campus Editor Sam Cusick College Editor Cheyenne Langkamp City Editor Abby Becker State Editor Tyler Nickerson Enterprise Editor Samy Moskol Associate News Editor Meghan Chua Features Editor Ben Siegel Opinion Editors Nick Fritz • David Ruiz Editorial Board Chair Matt Beaty Arts Editors Jaime Brackeen • Marina Oliver Sports Editors Vince Huth • Matt Masterson Page Two Editors Riley Beggin • Jenna Bushnell Life & Style Editor Maggie DeGroot Photo Editors Shoaib Altaf • Grey Satterfield Abigail Waldo Graphics Editors Angel Lee • Dylan Moriarty Multimedia Editors Eddy Cevilla • Dani Golub Science Editor Matthew Kleist Diversity Editor Aarushi Agni Copy Chiefs Molly Hayman • Haley Henschel Mara Jezior • Dan Sparks Copy Editors Gabriella Bohamici

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Emily Rosenbaum Advertising Manager Nick Bruno Senior Account Executives Philip Aciman • Jade Likely Account Executives Erin Aubrey • Hannah Klein Jordan Laeyendecker Dennis Lee • Daniel Shanahan Joy Shin Web Director Eric Harris Public Relations Manager Alexis Vargas Marketing Manager Caitlin Furin Events Manager Andrew Straus Creative Director Claire Silverstein Copywriters Dustin Bui • Bob Sixsmith 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.

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Editorial Board Matt Beaty • Riley Beggin • Alex DiTullio Anna Duffin • Nick Fritz • Scott Girard David Ruiz

Board of Directors Jenny Sereno, President Scott Girard • Alex DiTullio Emily Rosenbaum • John Surdyk Melissa Anderson • Nick Bruno Don Miner • Chris Drosner Jason Stein • Nancy Sandy Tina Zavoral © 2012, 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 e-mail to edit@dailycardinal.com.

Thursday: rainy hi 45º / lo 29º

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Going going, back back to Cali Cali

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

Today: sunny

ANDY HOLSTEEN a hol lot to say I’m unbelievably excited for winter break. It’s been years— and yes, I mean years—since I’ve been on a legit vacation. But wait, there’s more—I’m going to one of the happiest places on Earth: Southern California.

I’ve trekked to Cali a few times before, but this round I’m going all-out with the shenanigans. No parents, no rules, am I right? In fact, I’ve already planned a killer trip through the Golden State. But before I spoil the secrets of my sweet So-Cal getaway, let me reminisce on past adventures.

When I was a wee lad, I made my first trek to California; no, it wasn’t quite as epic as the Joads’. Actually, I was so petite I can’t totally recall the affair. In fact, I don’t remember why we were there at all. It might have been for a sporting event. There is, however, one thing I vividly remember from this first venture:

Disneyland.

Oh yes, I have a 250-megabyte mental photo album of Goofy’s Bounce House—the crown jewel of the portfolio obviously being an image of Mother dragging me out by the hood of my extra-small Badger Football sweatshirt as I sob, squeal, scream, etcetera. I still have my Mickey Mouse ears and a gift shop-bought miniature Disney pigskin in my house somewhere buried under heaps of Wisconsin sports memorabilia. Case in point: I know the first place I’m going when I get off the plane. I will not be denied Goofy.

Round two was sort of unexpected. Let me make a long story short: My irresistibly adorable dog, Ike the pug, was declared the “Alpo Meat Maniac” because of a video my parents and I posted on YouTube. Apparently it necessitated a trip to Los Angeles. I think it was 2009. For some reason there were a bunch of Penn State fans staying at our hotel. Creepy.

My sophomoric session wasn’t quite as traumatic as the first. I was a junior in high school, so

college visits were the bee’s knees.

We took a day trip up to Stanford.

Good lord was it incredible. I cannot say enough positive things about that school. It takes some seriously thick bark to make your mascot an inanimate tree, especially in a state where such a word so often refers to something notat-all scholarly. Maybe I’ll make it out to Stanford again this time around; it would certainly be a lovely place to start the year. I’m sure I’ll make plenty of friends.

The real fun will begin once I get the nostalgia out of my system. I can’t even imagine the craziness of L.A. on New Year’s Eve (It’s a bummer you Badgers can’t be there for the celebrations).

Hollywood: where (this song stuck in my head tells me) the streets are paved with gold. The Chinese Theater, the Pacific Ocean, huh, I feel like I’m forgetting something.

Foliage? Tupperware? I might be losing it.

Some claim there’s an awesome flea market in Pasadena on Sundays. One time I was at a flea market and bought this

Wisconsin Football T-shirt that had a bunch of signatures on it.

I don’t remember what the shirt said, but it looked really cool and late-90s so I had to splurge.

I’ve heard that UCLA has one of the best stadiums in college sports, so that might be a fun destination. They probably give tours or something. Hopefully the staff won’t all be home for the holidays while I’m in town.

Well, I don’t want to sound like a braggart, but I would seriously like to see someone plan a better winter break. I’m practically an expert on CA event planning by now.

It’s too bad more Sconnies won’t be there with me. But I promise to take and send plenty of pictures.

Hopefully y’all can figure out your vacation plans on your own because I need to go pack my bags.

Wish there was a reason that you, as a Badger, could go to California like Andy? Nothing coming to mind? Send Andy an email at Andy@Holsteen. com and maybe he can help you come up with a few activities for you that may or may not be on Jan. 1, 2013.

Thong-wearing scooter man, we salute you Jake Murray guest columnist

As we settle into the warm, fleece-lined crevices of our winter coats and guard against the frigid, winds of a Wisconsin winter, its hard not to have one’s mind directed toward certain seasonal traditions and celebrations.

Flurried flecks of snow descending from a pale gray sky make us yearn for that cup of hot chocolate, enjoyed beside the dancing, yellow-orange heat of a hard-wood fire. Little lighted fixtures hanging on street signs and lamps refracting spectral colors through the tranquil darkness of winterlike rays of hope.

C h r i s t m a h a n n u kw a n z i c a season is upon us, my friends, and while I can’t say winter is my favorite season, I’ll be damned if there’s not something to like about it.

The bone-rattling cold of the Midwest teaches us all to stoke our inner fires just that much more meticulously. Toss on kindling for fuel: family, friends, home-cooked meals and “Christmas cheer.”

The warmth of the human body has nothing to do with the heat it traps.

And so I ask, who better embodies this inner-balminess than our own Thong Cape Scooter Man? Many a UW-student and Madison resident has had their train of thought tossed from its rails in a heap of confusion and social paradigm-shattering excitement, as this beacon of enlightenment parades through their field of vision.

The milky-white butt cheeks, rumbling atop his black moped’s cushioned seats are sure to stir even the most icecovered soul.

As he patrols the avenues of our metropolis, his face beams out from beneath a pair

of sunglasses with a sly smile of haughty satisfaction that instills unqualified, interpersonal acceptance in all whom it meets; his trailing cape waves through the air like the freedom flags of our forefathers.

How many of us have found ourselves walking gloomily down University, racked by anxieties over tests, a job, papers, social drama, whatever, only to have this banana hammock-sporting do-gooder ground us back in comedic righteousness with his unabashed antics? How many cases of death-dealing road rage have been quelled by his barebacked being?

Indeed, TCSM has ridden his gas-powered, metal steed through the city streets since March with no signs of abandoning his righteous mission; I feel it’s time we recognize the invaluable contribution he is to our lives.

When faced with the perils of rush-

hour traffic, one man dared to clench his h a n d l e b a r s tighter. When wrongly stopped by local authorities for indecent exposure, one man rode on with an undercarriage aerated only by the gales of courage and altruistic fortitude. When confronted by the thought that maybe, just maybe this world really has nothing fantastic left in it, one man brought the wonder back into our lives with explosive, goose-pimpled vivacity.

Thong Cape Scooter Man, thank you… thank you for keeping Madison weird. Thank you for reminding us of the soft, sun-kissed thighs and volup-

tuous bellies that lie beneath all of our down feather-stuffed, North Face facades. Thank you, for showing us the true you.

Good people of Madison, Thong Cape Scooter Man has a remedy for every ailment, and hisprescriptions are simple: appreciate each one of your crazy, goofball neighbors; never underestimate the value of a good laugh; and most importantly, love the skin you’re in, baby.

His methods may be silly, but his motives are pure.

And so I direct my rant toward the man himself­—this is a call to our savior, a call to our protector: TCSM, w e

see you!

I have watched enough Superman movies to know the futility of my desires, but if you should see fit, I humbly request the chance to meet with you, sir.

There need be no mention of legal names, no intrusion on personal privacy. I only wish to engage and give voice to Madison’s greatest living legend.

This city needs you. Its people need you. The prosperity of our state—nay, our country­ —lies in your smooth-skinned lap!

Speak to us, oh ye champion of social defiance, and let the frozen lakes of our minds be thawed by your wisdom.

Sincerely, your aspiring side-kick, The Bare-butt Bike Rider Have you seen the not-so-subtle Bare-butt scooter?

Compare stories with Jake at JMurray4@wisc. edu.

Graphic by Dylan Moriarty

dailycardinal.com

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 3 l

news

Walker discusses fiscal cliff with Obama, governors in D.C. Gov. Scott Walker met with President Barack Obama and five other governors at the White House Tuesday to discuss the impact on the states of the ongoing budget negotiations in Washington.

Walker and five other members of the National Governors Association – a total of three Republicans and three Democrats – advised the president on how to handle the so-called “fiscal cliff,” a series of drastic tax increases and spending cuts set to go into effect at the end of the year.

At a press conference after the

meeting, Walker said their goal was not to endorse or dismiss a specific plan, but to focus on what unites all 50 governors around the country.

“As governors, we think it’s important that we have a seat at the table and that we’re part of the discussions both in terms of the impact it has on our finances and on our economies in each of our respective states and as a country,” Walker said, according to video footage of the event.

Democratic Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, the chair of the NGA, echoed Walker’s sentiment, calling

the meeting a positive step and adding that the group will stay in contact with the White House throughout the negotiation process.

“We all agreed we were going to come here today to focus on what we agree on, which, frankly, is a lot, and I think we all recognize that the impact on our states certainly by what happens here,” Markell said.

Last week, Walker publicly urged his fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill to reject any deal that includes tax increases.

—Adam Wollner

UW announces new dean of engineering Luis Feitosa/the daily cardinal

Logan’s Madtown Restaurant and Bar, 322 W. Johnson St., closed Monday before the ALRC reviewed its liquor license Tuesday.

logan’s from page 1 to stay open as a business,” Mais said.

Verveer said he believes Logan’s would have had an excellent chance of fighting the revocation because of a precedent set by other bars previously prosecuted by the city attorney’s office.

When the former occupants of Chasers contested the same charges Logan’s faced, the city suspended its license and allowed the bar to reopen after several days, according to Verveer.

Verveer said it is unfortunate that Bendetti decided to close the bar prior to the hearing Tuesday rather than appearing before the ALRC.

“I especially feel very badly for the over two dozen employees of Logan’s, many of whom are UW students, who lost their jobs without any real warning,” Verveer said.

Mais now has 15 days to surrender Logan’s liquor license before the city will revoke it, which would prohibit future occupants from receiving a liquor license for a year.

Verveer said he is optimistic Mais will surrender the license so a new tenant can move into the space.

“It is important the city not revoke Logan’s liquor license because the building would likely sit vacant for a whole year if we did,” Verveer said.

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The University of WisconsinMadison named Ian Robertson as the new dean of the university’s College of Engineering Tuesday.

Robertson is currently a professor of engineering at the University of Illinois and director of the Division of Materials Research at the National Science Foundation. He will officially

begin his new position as dean March 1.

Robertson earned a doctorate from the University of Oxford in metallurgy and an undergraduate degree in the same field from University of Strathclyde in Scotland before becoming a professor at Illinois.

The officeholder acts as the

highest academic and executive officer for the college, as well as being responsible for personnel, fundraising, curriculum, community relations, budget, physical facilities and academic affairs.

Robertson will take over for current Dean of Engineering Paul Peercy, who announced plans to retire in February.

Dining guide rates local restaurants on worker treatment Two labor groups released the results of a comprehensive dining guide Tuesday rating the working conditions of restaurant employees in central Madison.

The Workers Rights’ Center and the Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice conducted the survey, reviewing 139 restaurants on seven criteria including starting wages, sick days, health insurance and access to retirement plans.

ICWJ Field Organizer Becky Schigiel said the survey is meant to point out employers who are providing good jobs in the community, to serve as an example to other employers who receive

low ratings and to give employees more information when looking for jobs.

“Our hope is again to get this conversation up and going loud and clear in our community and see what we collectively do at least in our own community,” Schigiel said.

ICWJ Director Renee Bauer said through the survey, the group hoped to raise awareness about how local restaurants treat workers, in regards to the wages and benefits offered to them and to serve as a guide for potential customers.

“It gives people the opportunity to … put their feet where their morals are,” Bauer said.

Although survey results were released Tuesday, Bauer said restaurants have already been influenced by the study.

Food Fight Restaurant Group, a conglomeration of restaurants, nine of which are included in the guide, increased their starting non-tipped salary to meet the minimum recommendation of $8.75, specified in the guide.

Restaurants receiving top marks included Ancora Coffee, Ian’s Pizza, Dayton Street Grille and many of eateries operated

by University of WisconsinMadison, such as Aldo’s Cafe in the Wisconsin Institute of Discovery.

—Abby Becker

County officials discuss Occupy Madison relocation Dane County’s Homeless Issues Committee met with members of the community Tuesday to review the city and county’s past actions in relocating members of Occupy Madison from Lake View Hill County Park to Token Creek Park earlier this month.

Homelessness advocates and members of Occupy Madison, which over time have received attention for developing into somewhat of a homeless community, criticized Dane County officials for what they saw as unnecessary force used in evicting them from the park Nov. 7.

Community members criticized

Land and Water Resource Director Kevin Connors and the county Parks Department for what they considered forcible removal of individuals’ belongings.

Sue Pastor, a community member present at the meeting, said she saw inconsistencies between Connors’ allegations that individuals had left their belongings unattended to explain why they were taken.

“Why couldn’t people have packed up their own stuff?” Pastor asked. “It conveys an attitude of mistrust … I don’t want to live in a county that operates that way.”

Occupy Madison members said they were concerned that Token

Creek’s remoteness, being 10 miles north of the city, made it difficult for some to get to jobs and services downtown and have suggested relocating to Lake Farm Park on Lake Waubesa. But Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said there was no alternative county park available for use that was closer to bus lines.

Connors said the Lake Farm Park site was unsuitable for Occupy Madison because its heavy use for winter recreation, security costs, and the frequent private rental of the Lussier Family Heritage Center conflicted with the needs of the Occupy encampment.

—Samy Moskol

council from page 1

idea behind it.

“This is a great opportunity to do something for the students and to do something for what I like to call the ‘silent majority of students,’ the majority of students who feel alienated by Mifflin,” McNally said.

Although Press Office Director David Gardner said he understands the safety concerns surrounding Mifflin, he did not feel ASM should have a role in an event of this nature.

“When did ASM turn into city of Madison Police Department and

not the lobby to the city of Madison Police Department?” Gardner said.

According to Gardner, ASM should use its resources to lobby on student issues such as tuition and state funding, and it would be more appropriate for the Wisconsin Union to focus on the event.

A resolution regarding support for the event will be up for a vote in Wednesday’s Student Council meeting.

However, Giannopoulos emphasized Student Council will not be taking a formal stance on the Mifflin Street Block Party.

However, some ASM student leaders said they felt “blindsided,” as they were not consulted or notified of the extent of the proposal.

Vice Chair Maria Giannopoulos said although the “communication may not have been there,” planning for the May 4 event was mentioned briefly in previous meetings and chair reports.

Nominations Board Chair Sean McNally said although he did not agree with how the recommendation was created, he supports the

arts ‘The Cradle Will Rock,’ will rock you 4

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

By Lanni Solochek The Daily Cardinal

“The Cradle Will Rock,” a fantastically produced show put on by University Theater, managed to carry a comedic tone while still addressing the serious theme of the fall of Wall Street during the Great Depression. The story takes place during the late 1930s in Steeltown, USA. It jumps between the present and past lives of those in the justly named “Liberty Committee,” the Committee’s leader, Mr. Mister, and those who are affected by Mister’s great wealth and power—beginning with Moll, the “hooker with the heart of gold,” who’s just trying to make a decent living in hard times.

Her soliloquy begins through song, lamenting over her failed efforts to make ends meet. As a stranger pursues Moll late one evening, a police officer steps in and arrests her for selling herself.

Despite her complaints that she is just trying to survive, the officer persists and takes her into the station.

Once at the police station, we are introduced to the members of the Liberty Committee, a group of citizens working under Mr. Mister in the fight against “The Union.”

Police accidentally mistook the Liberty Committee as unsavory union organizers and wrongfully arrested them. From the night court on, we learn

about how each member of the Liberty Committee came to be in their present situation.

The members of the Liberty Committee, various citizens pulled into their situation by greed and necessity to survive in harsh times, all come from different backgrounds. Their unique stories are shared through flashbacks and musical numbers.

Some artists, some educators and some religious leaders are torn between their opinions on the formation of unions (among other social issues of the period) and their personal greed to be on the top of the societal hierarchy. Along the way, the show also highlights the lives of those around Mr. Mister and his business, including the Druggist, a former pharmacy owner still mourning his past betrayal by Larry Forman, a union leader.

The enthusiasm of the characters is what makes the show. The subject matter can be a bit confusing and almost bland at times purely because the story jumps back and forth so much, but the energy and excitement of each cast member keeps the stage alive and kicking throughout the show.

Both main protagonists and select members of the Liberty Committee ensemble deliver notable performances.

Moll, portrayed by Morgan Boland, sings her sweet heart out with curiosity, sadness

dailycardinal.com

Photo Courtesy University Theater

“The Cradle Will Rock” is a classic production running at the University Theater through December 8th. and empathy specific to each situation. Her strong vocals and conviction as a character make for an incredible opening scene. Junior, Mr. Mister’s son, portrayed by August Wesley, surprises with an exhilarating and hilarious performance midway through the show in “Croon-Spoon,” along with Victoria Kemnetz as Sister

Mister. While the vocals were not exceptional in this number, the characterizations of Sister and Junior made up for them and created a wildly entertaining scene.

Two more incredible performances come from Yasha, played by Eva Nimmer, and Haley Kosup-Kennedy’s character Dauber. They share a

background scene depicting their inclusion in the Liberty Committee. Amid the transition from the characters hating each other to working together on behalf of Mrs. Mister, the sensational mix of vocals and comedic choreography made the performance incredibly intriguing and enjoyable to watch.

“Cradle” does a great job at combining individual stories with a collective identity. The Liberty Committee functions as a brilliant take on the classic show ensemble. Everyone has their own story to tell, but this isn’t apparent right off the bat. The dialogue between characters is witty, sarcastic and comedic, but doesn’t fail to highlight the main conflict of the tale—the battle between unions and big business, a war that continues today. The only mildly imperfect piece of the show lies in the passage of time. While each scene is set and narrated at the start, it is still a bit confusing to know exactly where the story is in time before the current setting of the night court.

Overall, “The Cradle Will Rock” absolutely lives up to its high standards.

The cast, the script and the music all come together to create a witty show commenting on society and business. “Cradle” is playing at University Theater Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights through Dec. 8th.

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, mom ’n’ pop battle for book sales Sean Reichard your raison d’être

W

here was the last place you bought a book? If you’re blanking on the “when,” you might be better off skipping the question entirely.

Did you order it from Amazon and have it shipped straight to your door? Did you make the pilgrimage to a bigbox store like Barnes & Noble?

Were you one of those romantics who decided to root out the local mom n’ pop bookstore?

Did you buy used? Did you consult your horoscope?

I’m going to forgo any attempt at consumer psychology because I know jack squat on the matter, but also because when it comes to media, consumer psychology is pretty nebulous. Literature isn’t like corn flakes or convertibles, with a competitive market and a feasible roster of choices.

Even romance paperback mills—churning out the type of books you find in the checkout lane at Target, all about cowboys and dukes and wedlock—attribute names to their authors, assert some kind of individual identity.

It doesn’t matter, it seems, where you get your books from,

even if it’s some hushhushunder-the-table thing like you had to do with books like “Ulysses” in the 1920s. It’s the principle libraries are predicated on. Of course, buying a book from Amazon and buying a book from the store whose windows are still plastered with “Nader/LaDuke” bumper stickers are not the same act.

The differences between booksellers are pretty basic.

Each has its perks and deficits, and none really has an unassailable edge over one another.

Amazon, for instance, gets marks for being well rounded on all fronts. It’s generally pretty competitive for prices.

It seems like they’ve always got a sale going on. I’ve never seen a book not marked down by some degree, even if only by 1 percent. That’s, of course, for new books only. They’ve also got the nice shipping benefits and a wide roster of free public domain ebooks available for the Kindle. They’re also efficient time-wise, if you aren’t interested in browsing.

Amazon, of course, is wildly impersonal. Yeah, they’ve got the goods, but don’t snuggle up too close. They’ve got too big a customer base to get all touchykissy with customers. Their business model also precludes browsing—if you don’t have the title or author of your book in mind, you’re left in the midst of an electronic wash. And some-

times, they don’t even have the goods, even a particular edition or print. Of course, for most, this is a minor quibble.

Compare Amazon to a chain like Barnes & Noble, and you see some important similarities. Amazon rules the Internet book market (though Barnes & Noble has a pretty sizeable online store too), but Barnes & Noble is an ultimate terrestrial manifestation. They’ve got presence. Barnes & Noble is better for browsing, which makes it a great place to linger if you’re bored. You can even get a cup of coffee (most likely) and just sit in the aisles reading book spines.

Barnes & Noble, of course, has a very homogenized stock.

Stores have to pick books that are likely to sell. Amazon at least can fill up warehouses with a variety of stock, since their sales space isn’t limited to a huge, florescent room. This isn’t constant, of course, but it’s far more probable that a chain like Barnes & Noble is constrained on variety. They also have a degree of impersonality inherent to their brand.

Let’s move down to independent stores, like A Room of One’s Own or Rainbow Bookstore, both here in Madison. At stores like this the stock is more limited, but more varied. A Room of One’s Own, for instance, is the only place I’ve ever seen books by William

Gaddis for sale, an author’s author if there ever was one.

A community bookstore generally taps into its community better—if the swath of posters and editorial cartoons in the Rainbow Bookstore storefront is any indication—and forges a solid individual identity. For me, at least, this is a perk.

Finally, we have used bookstores, much like independent stores, with the exception of chains like Half Price Books.

Their biggest perk is price, and in some cases character, such as Paul’s Books on State Street, with the ever-shifting storefront display and the towering, laden bookshelves.

Unfortunately, price and character aren’t always everything. For a place like Paul’s, for instance, there is no guarantee of stock. There’s also no guarantee of quality. I once bought a cheap, used paperback of “Absalom, Absalom!” that literally split apart the first time I opened it.

On a basic level, it doesn’t matter where you get your book from, even whether you pay for it or borrow it. But the next time you buy a book, think about where you got it from.

Invest some thought into your purchase, and maybe some feeling into the next one.

Do you have a favorite book buying destination or a trusty online source for getting your literature?

Tell Sean at sreichard@wisc.edu.

Do you have a burning passion for the Arts?

Want to see your name in print?

It may be the end of the semester, but the Arts Desk is just heating up! We’re always looking for new writers.

Direct all inquiries to arts@ dailycardinal.com

science Meditation may affect pain perception dailycardinal.com

By Tamar Myers the daily cardinal

Mediation could change how people experience pain, recent findings by researchers at University of Wisconsin-

Madison reveal.

A study published in the NeuroImage journal found that experienced meditators felt pain as intensely as a control group, but perceived it to be less unpleasant.

The findings could help scientists understand the mechanisms of meditation and explain why it has previously been applied successfully to chronic pain management.

In the study, a group of 14 expert meditators underwent a brain scan both before and during exposure to pain.

The experts all had practiced at least 10,000 hours of an advanced form of a type of meditation called Open

graphic by dylan moriarty

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Monitoring, which involves focusing on achieving a state of acceptance for the present moment without concern for the past or future.

The control group of volunteers received written instructions on Open Monitoring and was told to practice meditation 30 minutes per day for one week prior to the experiment.

In trials, the brains of participants were scanned while they were given 45 seconds to meditate with either Open Monitoring, or a type of meditation used as a control called Focused Attention, where they stared at a fixed object.

Heat was then applied to the forearm in increasing temperature increments until the participant indicated it had reached an eight on a pain scale of zero to 10.

Participants were asked to give ratings on how intense the pain was and how unpleasant it felt. Both the expert and control groups gave the same ratings for pain intensity, but experts reported feeling less pain-driven unpleasantness with Open Monitoring meditation.

The functional magnetic resonance imaging scans showed that activity in the amygdala and the salience network in the brain could explain this difference. The amygdala is linked to emotion, and the salience network, which includes the dorsal anterior insula and anterior mid-cingulate, is related to the anticipation of pain.

Experts had less anticipatory activity in these regions prior to pain exposure, indicating that they had less anxiety

UW-Madison researchers hope to decrease detection time for NEC Portable device may be key to early recognition of necrotizing enterocolitis

By Nia Sathimoorthi the daily cardinal

Imagine holding a state-ofthe-art research laboratory in the palm of your hand. The device can go anywhere you go, and nearly anyone can operate it. What would you do with it?

A team of scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison already have a plan. They hope to use the device to create a faster and cheaper diagnostic test for necrotizing enterocolitis, or NEC. NEC is a medical condition that causes the death of intestinal tissue and is primarily seen in premature newborns. The condition is devastating because both its symptoms and diagnoses are ambiguous, and it progresses rapidly. In America, nearly 14 percent of very low-birth infants will be diagnosed with NEC. Worldwide, approximately 40 percent of preterm infant mortality can be attributed to NEC. “It’s a multifactorial condition. People don’t really know what the cause is,” said Katie Brenner, a post-doctoral researcher in Douglas Weibel’s lab at UW-Madison. “When a baby leaves the sterility of the womb, it encounters a multitude of microorganisms including harmful bac-

teria. But in premature infants, the body is not mature enough.

The immune system doesn’t recognize that there is a problem.”

Brenner has been tasked with finding a biomarker, or an indicator of necrotizing enterocolitis.

She plans to do this by analyzing urine samples from preterm and normal infants in Madison.

“Bacteria in the gut metabolize nearly everything they come into contact with, and the products get excreted through urine,” said Brenner. “I am essentially looking for signs of NEC through the lens of metabolomics.”

Diagnosis of NEC happens after the infant starts to exhibit the condition’s superficial symptoms such as a distension of the stomach. By that point, however, the dangerous microbes are growing out of control and parts of the bowel have already been harmed. If the condition cannot be halted, immediate treatment is usually a resection of the intestine, which requires surgery.

These children will most likely never have a normal digestive system in their lives.

However, in resource-limited settings, caregivers without access to the lab and radiographic data necessary to identify NEC may not be able to administer treatment before the damage has been done.

The Weibel lab has engineered a portable, degassed plastic device that they hope will one day be used in these untrained and resourcelimited environments to test for biomarkers of different diseases and conditions, especially the one for NEC. The device, smaller than a deck of cards, does not require any power to operate or connec-

tion to external technology. The cost of producing one cartridge is less than one dollar, and it can be disseminated easily.

By responding to pressure changes, the device can draw in fluid from a sample such as urine into its center chambers.

The chambers are preloaded with reagents for specific assays and reactions. Because there are many chambers, many different tests to identify metabolites can be performed in parallel. The tests can be modified to change color or give off fluorescence based on the results. Essentially, the device does laboratory analysis without laboratory equipment.

After diagnosis, the device can also determine the next step: treatment. Most doctors usually administer a cocktail of antibiotics preemptively to kill the harmful microbes that cause NEC. But in doing so, the helpful bacteria are also destroyed, and their loss may further threaten the fragile state of newborns. If physicians can quickly identify what pathogens are actually present, they can tailor the set of antibiotics to do less harm to the internal environment.

The device can act as a metabolomic survey and offer quick identification of the microbes in the system.

Earlier detection, diagnosis and treatment will give the preterm infants in America and around the world a better chance at survival and recovery.

“The main idea of our research is to leverage technology to diagnose something important, in matters where it could mean life or death,” said Brenner.

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5

before pain. However, more brain activity was found to occur in these locations during pain. Reduced anxiety levels could lead to faster habituation, a process where repeated exposure results in a lessened response, explaining the heightened brain activity.

Primary researcher Antoine Lutz said the mediation was not intended to eliminate pain, but instead change how it is perceived.

“It is not about changing the content of the experience,” he said, “so the intensity should not change and it could even be stronger … It’s more about changing the relationship to the pain.”

Mindfulness meditation has been growing in popularity lately with a myriad of applications, such as stress relief, increased immune functioning and management of chronic pain. Lutz said the study’s results could give validity to the practicing of meditation by chronic pain patients.

“Our findings provide some evidence as to why some of these therapies have tried to cultivate a sense of openness,” Lutz said.

According to Lutz, one weakness of the study was the high motivation of the expert meditators to demonstrate the benefits of meditation. In order to make the control group more motivated, a reward of $50 was offered to the participant who showed the largest reduction in brain activity induced by pain. Still, this may not have completely controlled for the motivation levels, and further research will be needed to confirm the results.

Ask Mr. Scientist: Decaf coffee, orange juice and toothpaste Dear Mr. Scientist, I don’t understand why anyone would drink such a thing, but how is decaffeinated coffee made? Is it made from a special kind of bean, or can any bean be decaffeinated?

—Carl J. There is nothing special about the coffee beans; any bean can be decaffeinated, and there are a number of ways to remove the caffeine.

No method is 100 percent effective, however, so there will always be some small amount of caffeine in your coffee. The simplest method

is to just soak the beans in water, but it is a lengthy process. A much more efficient way is to use highly pressured carbon dioxide. The caffeine in the coffee beans dissolves in the carbon dioxide, leaving behind coffee beans that will give you a great cup of joe minus the jitters.

Dear Mr. Scientist, What is it about drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth that makes it taste so bad?

—Jon S. Almost all toothpastes contain the ingredient Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). The SLS is not really necessary, it is just there to make the toothpaste foam when you brush your teeth so you feel like you are getting a good cleaning. Aside from creating large amounts of foam, SLS also temporarily weakens your ability to taste sweetness. Because of this you cannot taste the sweetness of orange juice as well, which allows other, less pleasant flavors to come through.

graphic by dylan moriarty

Ask Mr. Scientist is written by Michael Leitch.

If you have a burning science question you want him to answer, tweet @DC_Science or email it to science@dailycardinal.com.

opinion 6

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

l

view

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

Structure needed in diversity plan

O

ver the past couple of years, issues surrounding diversity have been hugely controversial throughout the university. From the Center for Equal Opportunity’s allegations that UW-Madison unfairly takes race into account in admissions, to individuals at a fraternity throwing beer bottles and yelling racial slurs at African American students walking past, it is clear that the university needs to strive for improvements in diversity on campus. We strongly support the initiative to create a new campus diversity plan to replace the long-expired plan currently in place.

We believe the goals outlined in UW System’s Plan 2008, the system’s diversity plan that expired in 2008, set a solid foundation for the current draft-planning committee. However, the 2008 Plan did not fulfill its goals. The new plan will help the university build off of the previous 2008 Plan.

In order to increase the number of Wisconsin high school graduates of color who enroll in UW System institutions, university personnel need to consistently visit and communicate with students at diverse schools in the K-12 school system. Often, these students are not aware of their options regarding second-

ary education. Even if they are aware of these opportunities, the “sticker shock” of college tuition prevents many from considering pursuing a degree. The university needs to explicitly outline scholarships and financial aid opportunities available to these students. Similarly, the university should provide incoming students with information about how to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid application.

The FAFSA application is quite dense, and providing an outline to students could open doors for students in need.

The new plan should work to increase the four-year graduation rate of students of color.

For the class of 2007, 30 percent of minority students graduated within four years and 56 percent graduated after six years. In comparison, 55 percent of non-targeted students in the same class graduated after four years, and 81 percent did after six years. Six years after enrollment, a non-targeted student is 25 percent more likely to graduate than a targetedminority student.

A disproportionately high percentage of targeted-minority students take six years to graduate or don’t reach graduation at

dailycardinal.com all. For lower income students, the additional time puts stress on their financial situation. The university needs to investigate why these graduation rates are so different and take measures to close this gap. Financial burden is only part of the equation.

University personnel need to consistently visit and communicate with students at diverse schools in the K-12 school system.

The overall campus climate needs to change with regards to diversity. Rhetoric surrounding improving diversity on campus is moot unless the university takes actual action to not only improve life in the UW community for students of color, but also to foster an awareness about diversity amongst individuals who have little experience with it. Diversity programs, such as those held by multicultural student organizations, need to be more marketed more widely; this board feels many of the diversity efforts on campus are “preaching to the

choir” and don’t particularly affect campus attitudes. Although using programming to bring diverse campus groups together can be effective, we believe that ensuring classrooms are more integrated would be a better way to increase campus diversity.

We also support the Associated Students of Madison’s effort to rework the ethnic studies requirement. A stronger emphasis on discussion-based classes would give students deeper insight into current issues regarding diversity.

Many of the classes that currently fulfill an ethnic studies requirement teach very little about what it means to live in a diverse world.

The benchmarking for this new diversity plan should be clear. The University of Wisconsin-Madison needs to lower the graduation gap between white and non-white students. Every Wisconsin high school senior should know his or her options regarding college.

Finally, there should be more accountability, both for administrators who are succeeding or failing at carrying out diversity measures and for students who damage race-relations here on campus.

If you have a proposition for a new diversity plan, please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Small victory for Palestine marred by new Israeli settlements zac pestine opinion columnist

W

hen I was in eighth grade, I very much enjoyed playing Connect Four with my younger sister, Sydney. I had a strong penchant for the game, and she did not. Whereas Sydney did not have much experience with Connect Four, I grew up playing it, sometimes for hours on end. I never let her win, not even once. In retrospect, my insistence on domination stemmed from some lack of self-esteem or compensation for a perceived flaw. I would like to connect my petulant Connect Four playing to the way that Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin “Bibi” Netanyahu handles relations with his counterpart, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

For the record, I am a staunch supporter of Israel. After spending six months there last semester, I realized that I have three homes in this world: Chicago, Madison and Jerusalem. Two weeks ago, when Hamas launched over 1,500 rockets into Israel, my attention was undividedly focused on Israeli news. I felt as if my home was under siege.

Israel is one of the most advanced countries in the world.

What the Jewish state has done in 64 years of existence is nothing short of astounding—from harboring a handful of the world’s top universities, to winning countless Nobel prizes, to advancing human and civil rights, to impeccably defending itself in a region where a plethora countries are perpetually hostile and aggressive towards it, all while maintaining its position as the only nation in the region with a negligible supply of oil.

In contrast, Palestine is not an advanced country. In fact, until last week it was not even rec-

ognized as a country. It is still not a full member of the United Nations and will not be until it sits down to bilateral negotiations with Israel, but it has now been recognized by 138 countries of the world as its own sovereign state.

Unlike Israel, which offers many opportunities for success and development, most of Palestine is quite destitute. Granted, certain parts are not, and many there do enjoy very nice lives, but in comparison to Israel it is by no means a wealthy country.

When the UN extended Palestine “non-member observer state” status, Palestine garnered a rare and largely symbolic win. In effect, the victory does not amount to much, but it was something that Palestine could take pride in. Moreover, it was good for Israel because it lent President Abbas strength in relation to Hamas, the terrorist group that reigns over the Gaza Strip. Hamas and Abbas’ Fatah party have anything but a healthy relationship,

as President Abbas recognizes Israel’s legitimacy whereas Hamas is dead set on obliterating the Jewish state.

But after the symbolic Palestinian win, Prime Minister Netanyahu reacted harshly to Palestine’s successful bid and advanced the proliferation of a settlement connecting Jerusalem to a nearby neighborhood, Ma’ale Adumin, effectively severing a contiguous state of Palestine in the West Bank.

This move is the equivalent of my sister strategically giving me a run for my money in a single game of Connect Four, and me offering a draconian response, quickly silencing her and forcing her to play another thousand games with me in which she will never win. When I read articles pertaining to the development of these settlements, my thoughts quickly shift to my new nickname for the Israeli premier: “Bibi the Baby.”

In Netanyahu’s defense, President Abbas was excessively

vitriolic towards Israel throughout his motion at the UN, offering myriad unfounded and lowbrow criticisms. Abbas is not exempt from acting maturely either; they both act like children. But it is Bibi Netanyahu who should be setting the example. Bibi is supposed to be the wise older brother who is confident in his abilities and knows his strengths, for he and his country have many of them. He should let the younger sister enjoy a single win.

Above all, he should recognize that severing the contiguity of the West Bank will also sever prospects of a two-state solution. Last week, I wrote that this solution was a distinct possibility under the progressiveness of the Obama administration, but I suppose I failed to realize that it may not be under the immaturity of the Netanyahu administration.

Zac is a senior majoring in philosophy and communications.

Interested in the Israel-Palestine conflict? Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

‘Liking’ posts on Facebook is noncommittal and completely useless evan favill opinion columnist

I

’m sure that many of us social media-savvy (read: “obsessed”) college students have shaken our heads in exasperation at the recent Facebook privacy statement hoopla. Or maybe you unwittingly participated in it.

I won’t hold it against you, I guess, but I think that those in question on this particular subject are vastly overestimating—and at the same time underestimating—the power of mass social media.

First of all, everyone knows by now that the notice that they may or may not have posted on their Facebook wall has no effect on anything whatsoever, right? Good. I’m glad that phase

is over with. However, now there’s another fad that’s just come to an end: people sharing a picture of a guy who allegedly “won the lottery” and is going to share $1 million worth of his earnings with one lucky person who shared his photo.

I’ve seen at least three different people share this photo on my own news feed, and it’s nearly made my face hit my keyboard in exasperation each time.

As it turns out, this guy did not in fact win the lottery.

This news didn’t break until nearly two million people had shared the photo, however. This is where people overestimate social media. While massive efforts on Facebook against legislative measures like the nowdefunct SOPA served to create enough bad publicity that

lawmakers were forced to vote against it in fear of their jobs, there is very little that can be done to get money from random people on Facebook, and sharing their photos certainly doesn’t help.

What’s more, giving money doesn’t work like that either.

Everyone has seen at least one post on Facebook of a helplesslooking orphan or baby saying, “If [insert name here]’s page gets 1 million likes, they get free cancer treatment!” Let me tell you all something: If this person wanted to help the baby, they’d ask for money. A doctor is not going to look at the Facebook page and tell them that they can’t operate until the number on the screen becomes seven digits long. All liking the page says about you is that

you didn’t want to actually help anyone, but you still wanted to feel good about yourself. These people overestimate the person’s intentions, thinking that they couldn’t possibly fabricate this entire story just for vague, meaningless “internet points.”

Well, they just did.

Many social media sites work the same way. Reddit, for instance, is famous for this kind of fabrication, where people may fake having certain experiences or even cancer in hopes of getting “karma” points. In certain cases, they’ve been actual scams for money through PayPal accounts and such. The difference between this and Facebook is simple anonymity.

People underestimate these websites. On anonymous sites, people may be angry at your

online persona, but they can’t judge you because they don’t know who you really are. On Facebook, your friends see what you did and are perhaps confused as to why you’re being lazy and “liking” a page for a fictional two-year-old’s cancer treatment, when you could be out volunteering or actually donating to a real two-year-old’s cancer treatment fund. People have to realize that they’re not acting anonymously on Facebook, regardless of the fact that they’re sitting behind a computer. It translates much more easily to the real world. There’s something to be said for dignity here. I suggest people try to preserve theirs.

Is your news feed flooded with phony cries for help? Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

comics

dailycardinal.com

Today’s Sudoku

Getting snow, apparently

Evil Bird

Let’s build a spaceship... According to some astronomers, the center of the galaxy tastes of raspberries and smells of rum.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 • 7

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

© Puzzles by Pappocom

Eatin’ Cake

By Dylan Moriarty www.EatinCake.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.

Caved In

By Nick Kryshak nkryshak@wisc.edu

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Washington and the Bear Classic

First in Twenty

By Derek Sandberg graphics@dailycardinal.com

By Angel Lee alee23@wisc.edu

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com

COLLEGE CROSSWORD 1 Auto grille protectors 5 Accompanier of means and opportunity 11 Pencil stump 14 Summit 15 Tarzan, for one 16 Preposition in poetry 17 It falls mainly on the plain 19 It may be civil yet raging 20 Boulder-to-Pueblo dir.

21 Public contempt 23 Playwright Edward 26 Words before a kiss 27 “Fawlty Towers” character 28 Bad-mouth 30 Goodbyes on the Island 31 21st U.S. president’s monogram 32 Proposer or salesperson, essentially 35 Flyover country, to some 40 Take back, as a public statement 41 Under-the-table item 43 Poultry delicacies 46 Certain parasitic creepy-crawler

9 Spartan serf 4 50 “What did I tell you?”

52 Disease of cereal grasses 53 Alternative to a bikini 55 Night before a holiday 56 Pasture, poetically 57 Famous gem once owned by J.P. Morgan 62 Ignited 63 Border duty 64 Put aside the inferior ones 65 Product pitches 66 Falls as ice 67 Assistance DOWN 1 Setting for many jokes 2 “His Master’s Voice” co.

3 “Who ___ to judge?”

4 Just had a feeling 5 Lion’s pride 6 Goddess of abundance and fertility 7 Lukewarm 8 Grown-up bug 9 Full of oneself 10 One conferring honor upon 11 Rather recent 12 A Muse 13 October birthstones 18 “Peek-a-boo, ___ you!”

2 New Zealand native 2 23 Duke’s conference, briefly 24 Clay mixture 25 “B’rith” preceder 26 Conclude by reasoning 29 Casts off the skin 30 Mountain ridge 33 Agcy. concerned with air time?

34 One making introductory remarks 36 Hang like a spaniel’s ears 37 Hygienists’ coworkers 38 Wooden shoe 39 Prefix for “sol” or “space” 42 Greenwich time zone 43 Spiny, treelike cactus 44 “The ___” (Virgil work) 45 Cummerbund folds 47 Denim magnate Strauss 48 Twist badly 50 Close shave 51 Spine-chilling 54 “Just to name a few” 55 Rotten grades 58 Many a time 59 Arrival-board word 60 Bad way to be prepared?

61 Tall mountain

By Melanie Shibley shibley@wisc.edu

Sports

wednesday december 5, 2012 DailyCardinal.com

Men’s Basketball

bielema from page 1 us during his seven years as head coach, both on the field and off. I want to thank him for his work and wish him the best at Arkansas.”

With Bielema gone, it remained unclear Tuesday night who would assume head coaching duties as the Badgers prepare for the Rose Bowl. UW players were scheduled to have this week off of practice, with bowl practices beginning Saturday.

The coaching decision will come from Alvarez. There has

been speculation the former head coach, who compiled a 11873-4 record in 16 seasons as the Wisconsin head coach between 1990 and 2005, could be a possibility himself.

“I have no idea what Coach Alvarez is going to do, I think he’s done tremendous in the past,” Frederick said.

When asked directly about the possibility of Alvarez coaching, Frederick responded, “Like I said, I don’t know exactly what’s going to go on, and that’s up to him.”

“Along with finding a new

coach, my other main objective is to make sure that our studentathletes, specifically our seniors playing in their final game as Badgers, have a tremendous experience in the Rose Bowl,” Alvarez said in the statement.

“We will do everything within our power to make that happen.”

Bielema compiled a 68-24 record as the UW head coach.

He spent the final two years of Alvarez’ coaching tenure as the team’s defensive coordinator. As the AD, Alvarez then hand-picked Bielema to run the program.

Luis Feitosa/the daily cardinal

Badgers guard Ben Brust posted his fourth double-double of the season, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

All-around effort fuels Badger victory the guys down and myself down.”

Redshirt senior forward Five Badgers scored in double Jared Berggren said although digits and two recorded double- the Badgers have improved doubles in Wisconsin’s 86-40 win defensively—specifically with over Nebraska-Omaha (2-8 over- their help defense—there is all) Tuesday night. room for improvement.

Sophomore guard Ben Brust “If a big guy steps up to help, recorded his fourth double-dou- the guards are wrapping back in ble of the season, scoring 15 points and deflecting passes, sticking and grabbing 10 rebounds. The their nose in there, being aggresHawthorn Woods, Ill., native sive,” Berggren said. “We’ve defishot 4-of-8 from downtown and nitely made some strides.” also chipped in three steals.

Berggren saw fewer minutes Redshirt senior forward (22) Tuesday than in the past five Ryan Evans notched his second games, perhaps in part because of double-double of the season (10 the play from sophomore forward points, 11 rebounds).

Frank Kaminsky.

While two Badger startThe Lisle, Ill., native, who ers especially filled the stat box, played fewer than 10 minutes in Wisconsin (6-3) also got solid con- each of the last four games, scored tributions from its reserves.

11 points on 4-of-6 shooting in 14 Freshman forward Sam minutes of action Tuesday. Head Dekker continued his strong coach Bo Ryan said he thought play, coming off the bench first Kaminsky played with more enerfor the Badgers en route to 10 gy than he had in recent games. points on 4-of-8 shooting. While “I study my players quite a bit, the Sheboygan, Wis., and I can tell,” Ryan native had not come off said. “A player always the bench until arriving in feels they’re ready to Madison, he said watchgo, but coaches have ing the game for a few this gut feeling about Number of minutes before coming in things, and I just felt three-pointallows him to get a feel for he wasn’t quite ready ers Badgers made in the that particular game. to get the kind of minfirst half “You can see what our utes that hopefully he team needs, where they can contribute down need that spark,” Dekker the road here. But he Number of said. “Usually it’s a differdefinitely looked more shots ent thing every day, but comfortable today.”

Nebraskaoverall I just want to bring In addition to Omaha in energy. Today we had a Dekker and Kaminsky, first half little slow start offensively, freshman guard Zak and I came in and tried to Showalter contributed get some offensive boards. seven points and three rebounds “Those are just things that in 13 minutes off the bench.

I can do for our team to help The Badgers will face a us win.” tougher test Saturday when they Despite Dekker’s early offen- travel to Milwaukee to face insive success, however, he said he state rival Marquette. has to improve his performance Just before the under 16 media on the defensive end. timeout, Brust led a three-on-one “[Defense] is something I gotta break with Dekker and Jackson. get a lot better at, something that The junior looked at Jackson and I beat myself up about because I bounced a no-look pass to Dekker, want to be a good defender for this who threw it down. team,” Dekker said. “But there’s “You know what’s coming on times where I feel like I’m letting Saturday,” Brust said.

By Vince Huth the daily cardinal

5 5

Grey Satterfield/the daily cardinal

In his seven years with the Badgers, Bielema posted a 68-24 record and won three-straight Big Ten Championships, but he was unable to find success in his two Rose Bowl appearances.

Bielema makes perplexing decision to leave for Arkansas Vince huth huth the truth

S

aturday night in Indianapolis, Bret Bielema hoisted the Stagg Championship Trophy, his Badgers having just throttled Nebraska 70-31 to win their third-consecutive Big Ten title and claim their third-straight Rose Bowl appearance.

Less than 72 hours later, word broke that Wisconsin’s head coach had agreed to take the same position at Arkansas.

It’s uncertain when Bielema actually accepted the position—some reports say Bielema informed athletic director Barry Alvarez a couple weeks ago that he would bolt from Madison at season’s end—but it certainly came as a complete shocker to everyone but the Badgers’ last two head coaches.

To be blunt, I can’t believe he left. Granted, I’m a huge Wisconsin fan, but I don’t understand why Bielema would leave a Badger program that’s on its way to elite status, to take over an Arkansas team that will fight to be the third-most relevant program in the Southeastern Conference’s West Division.

While the Razorbacks just capped a 4-8 season, Wisconsin’s football program was headed in the opposite direction. No Big Ten team had reached three straight Rose Bowls since 1979. The athletic department has undergone

construction for its state-ofthe-art Athletic Village student-athlete training facility, and part of the near-$80-million project includes renovations to Camp Randall.

All three of those are phenomenal recruiting pitches, which leads me to believe the sky was the limit for Bielema in Madison.

On the flip side, I certainly understand the SEC is the cream-of-the-crop conference in college football—for the guys in Bielema’s field, it has to be damn intriguing to be a head coach in that conference. However, Arkansas simply isn’t one of the conference’s premiere teams.

An SEC team has won the Bowl Championship Series national championship game each of the past six seasons, but the Razorbacks have played in just one BCS bowl over that time span. No, they didn’t play in a national title game. And no, they didn’t win their lone appearance.

Beyond the perplexity of taking a job at a middle-ofthe-pack program, it’s well documented Bielema hates the SEC. When one of Wisconsin’s verbally committed prospects flipped his allegiance to Ohio State—who had recently hired former Florida head coach Urban Meyer—Bielema criticized Meyer’s recruiting tactics, knocking the SEC in the process. As recently as this summer, Bielema said the Big Ten didn’t want to be anything like the SEC “in any way, shape or form.”

Some reports said Tennessee also reached out to Bielema about filling its coaching vacancy. If he truly wanted to coach in the SEC, I’d argue the gig in Knoxville, Tenn., would be more appealing than the one in Fayetteville, Ark., despite the fact Tennessee might not shell out quite as much money as Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long.

Bielema reportedly signed a six-year contract with the Razorbacks that will pay him $3.2 million annually. Given he was making $2.5 million per season in Madison, I’d have a hard time believing Alvarez would refuse to negotiate a new contract if Bielema used Arkansas’ offer as leverage.

If Bielema doesn’t like the SEC, yet agreed to man the sidelines at Arkansas despite an underwhelming contractual difference, my way-too-early conclusion is that Fayetteville is simply a stepping stone.

While I don’t think Arkansas is any more prominent of a program than Wisconsin, perhaps Bielema thinks he needs to prove himself in SEC country.

Perhaps he thinks a successful tenure with the Razorbacks would land him an offer from a more prestigious college football team. Maybe the guy has NFL aspirations.

Whatever Bielema’s reasoning is for bolting, I highly doubt Arkansas is his dream job.

What do you think about Bielema’s departure? How do you think he handled the situation? Let Vince know at sports@dailycardinal.com