Jamie Stark reviews Sarah Palin’s new book, “Going Rogue” OPINION
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University of Wisconsin-Madison
BADGERS BURNED, GO DOWN IN FLAMES UW-Green Bay Phoenix win in overtime 88-84 upset against No. 20 Badgers SPORTS
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Thursday, December 10, 2009
Career advisers optimistic despite economic woes Job market may be down, but not as bad as expected
students right now because employers are looking for very versatile people,” Kohlberg said. “They also don’t know what’s happening in their industries, and they don’t want to hire real specialists.”
By Lydia Statz
New Trends Emerge Aside from students having difficulty finding employment quickly, other patterns are emerging on campus that advisers link to the economic situation. “One of the trends we’re seeing is students who are postponing graduation,” Schroeder said. “They’re taking additional classes—maybe they’re adding an additional major—to postpone entering the job market.” Kohlberg said she has seen more students finding alternatives to traditional careers, like Teach for America or the Peace Corps. “Some of them are just hanging on to their survival jobs and maybe taking them up on their offer to become an assistant manager at a café,” she said. For students who have already begun their job search, campus career ECONOMY advisers agree IN-DEPTH that patience and persistence is the key, and current students can benefit from many resources on campus. Schroeder said he stresses the importance of students tailoring their undergraduate experience to benefit their future career. “Students should start their job search, their internship process their freshman year. It’s not something that you start two weeks before you graduate,” he said. “The competition is fierce, and students have to be able to differentiate themselves.”
The Daily Cardinal Isabel álvarez/the daily cardinal
Kyle Bursaw/the daily cardinal
Kyle Bursaw/the daily cardinal
Students skirmish in Bascom snowball fight By Andrew Kasper The Daily Cardinal
UW-Madison students celebrated the first-ever full day of canceled classes with a snowball fight on Bascom Hill Wednesday. Past and present residents from the lake shore dorms won the fight, which was fought against those from the southeast dorms. “We just don’t have what it takes to win a snowball fight,” said Greg Stravinski, a junior and Witte Hall resident who fought for the southeast dorms. Stravinski admited the lake shore dorms easily won the fight. “Southeast comes out stylish,” he said. “We’re all prettied up and the second the snow starts flying we get worried ... lake shore is always there until it’s over.” Most of the snowball attend-
ees wore standard winter attire, but some of the more enthusiastic students donned goggles, helmets, shields, gorilla and penguin costumes, gigantic slingshots and shovels. One student from Witte left all his winter gear behind and charged Bascom Hill in only his boots and underwear on a $45 bet. UWPD Sgt. Tamara Kowalski said the snowball fight was a fun student event and estimated 3,000 people were on Bascom Hill, including Chancellor Biddy Martin, who was there taking pictures. Lauren Jernegan, a UW-Madison freshman, organized the event with her roommate and her high school friend. Jernegan said the three of them invited 100 people each through Facebook. The event eventually reached 20,000 invites,
with over 5,000 people accepting the invitation.
“We just don’t have what it takes to win a snowball fight.”
Greg Stravinski junior UW-Madison
Jernegan said she got the idea for the snowball fight from the UW student who organized it last year in an attempt to break the record for the largest snowball fight held by Michigan Tech. Jernegan said she wasn’t trying to beat the record this year, but did it for fun instead.
Blizzard prompts closure of state government Gov. Jim Doyle closed state government Wednesday, including most UW System schools, and asked state employees not to report to work in response to a statewide blizzard. The governor determined UW-Milwaukee and UW-Superior were exempt from the order because weather conditions in those areas
did not warrant closure. Doyle declared a state of emergency for all 72 counties Tuesday as the blizzard hit Wisconsin, calling portions of the Wisconsin National Guard to active duty to assist authorities where needed. All state employees were instructed not to report to work Wednesday unless their occupation
was related to emergency response, public health or public safety. “Wisconsin’s emergency workers are working hard to keep people safe,” Doyle said in a statement. “State officers are closed for business to ensure we are keeping people off the roads and allowing emergency response crews to do their job.”
There is no arguing that firsttime job hunters have faced especially tough challenges over the past year because of the economic downturn, though surprisingly, many campus advisers are optimistic about the job prospects for current students. Career advisers from the College of Letters and Science and the School of Business said although they have seen new trends arise since the economic collapse, they remain hopeful. Steve Schroeder, director of the Business Career Center, said graduates of the business program should not be too worried. “Our students have done fairly well, all things considered, in terms of securing employment after graduation,” he said. Schroeder said he has seen the most change regarding the number of job offers a student may receive. In the past, he said, business students have often had multiple opportunities to choose from, but that is no longer the case. “We tell students if you get one job offer, that’s great. But you can’t expect to get five job offers in this economy,” he said. Robert Schwoch, an adviser in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said despite the economy he still sees students getting jobs, just not as quickly as they have in the past. According to Schwoch, many students accept a “survival job” or move back home for a period of weeks or months as they wait for the economy to improve. Although the job hunt is brutal right now, he cautions against making hasty decisions that could impact a student’s entire career path. “I’m encouraging students to take an unrelated job rather than taking a job within communications that might put them on a path that they don’t want to be on,” he said. Leslie Kohlberg, Letters and Science Career Services director, said she is also optimistic about the job outlook for liberal arts students, but has noticed similar trends to that of other university departments. “Typically, even in the best of times, it’s usually three to nine months after graduation that a lot of students land their first-time professional employment,” she said. Kohlberg added, however, that she believes students with liberal arts degrees actually have an edge in today’s job market. “It’s very good for liberal arts
Use Campus Resources Kohlberg said she encourages students to make use of their career services office. “Interestingly, students are not seeking a lot of help,” she said. “We can help them get a focus and a goal, help them connect with employers, alumni, professionals in the field who can give them advice and suggestions that lead to real possibilities.” According to Kohlberg, networking and improving interpersonal communication skills are key to finding the right job as well. Although students at UW-Madison have generally had difficulties finding jobs, the message is not all doom and gloom. Kohlberg and her colleagues agree that many students are too anxious, which could end up being an asset for students who are patient jobs page 3
“…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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Jon mocks Ho-Ho-Horrible letters to Santa
Volume 119, Issue 64
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News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Charles Brace Managing Editor Justin Stephani Campus Editor Kelsey Gunderson Caitlin Gath City Editor State Editor Hannah Furfaro Enterprise Editor Ryan Hebel Associate News Editor Grace Urban Senior News Reporters Ariel Shapiro Robert Taylor, Kayla Torgerson Anthony Cefali Opinion Editors Todd Stevens Editorial Board Editor Qi Gu Arts Editors Kevin Slane Kyle Sparks Sports Editors Scott Kellogg Nico Savidge Features Editor Diana Savage Food Editor Sara Barreau Photo Editors Isabel Alvarez Danny Marchewka Graphics Editors Amy Giffin Jenny Peek Kate Manegold Copy Chiefs Emma Roller Jake Victor Copy Editors Sam Berg, Ben Breiner Katie Foran-McHale
Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Alex Kusters Advertising Manager Katie Brown Billing Manager Mindy Cummings Accounts Receivable Manager Cole Wenzel Senior Account Executive Ana Devcic Account Executives Mara Greenwald Kristen Lindsay, D.J. Nogalski, Jordan Rossman Sarah Schupanitz Online Account Executive Tom Shield Mara Greenwald Graphic Designer Web Directors Eric Harris, Dan Hawk Marketing Director Mia Beeson Archivist Erin Schmidtke The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than 200 words, including contact information. Letters may be sent to editor@dailycardinal.com.
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JON SPIKE academic misjonduct
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s there anything more adorable, more endearing than a child writing their hopeful letters to Santa Claus? Is there nothing more heartfelt, more cherishable in the world? The answer is yes, as I came to learn, after intercepting a load of letters en route to the North Pole for the big man himself. After reading the first few lines of drivel out of some of the letters, I felt compelled to respond (after all, am I not just as jovial and wise as the real St. Nick?), sitting down with my ink pen and oodles of Christmas spirit, ready to help the children of the world believe their letters had reached Santa. Here’s some of the letters and my responses, just so everyone can appreciate the great service I’ve done for the community: Deer Santy, Pweese cum and dwop off da gifts at my howse this yeer. I have ben gud and stuf. Sinserely, Billy
ine r w, Pat t er
ex Ou p
2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497
FRIDAY: parly sunny hi 19º / lo 3º
TODAY: cloudy hi 8º / lo 4º
Wines for
Dear Billy, Nice try, Billy. Going for the cute, adorably misspelled words to make Santa think you’re all young and innocent. Look, it’s time to take this seriously. Santa cares about proofreading and running spell-check. Santa doesn’t like half-assed letters that try and trick him into caring about you. Santa also likes talking in third person. This letter isn’t worthy enough to use to clean up Rudolph’s shit. And let me tell you, the only thing redder than Rudolph’s nose is his anus. The guy never stops going. Yours fecally, Santa Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is for my father to not have to work on Christmas day for Mr. Scrooge, his horrible boss. It would be just splendid if we could spend the day eating bread crumbs and talking about what we would eat for Christmas dinner if we could afford it! God bless us, everyone! Sincerely, Timmy Cratchett
Dear Timmy, No offense, Timmy, but your dad sounds pretty lazy to me. Plenty of other Americans are doing their part, but old Mr. Cratchett is too good to put in an honest day’s work. Maybe next year you should send a letter to the government instead of me. They’re all about giving freeloaders like your dad some charity for his laziness. I feel zero sympathy. Disrespectfully yours, Santa
off to the Bahamas with me. Santa needs a sugar momma. Waiting for you on the other side, Santa
Dear Santa, I would like a new Barbie doll, an Easy-Bake Oven and a Cabbage Patch Doll. How are the reindeer? Thanks Santa! Sincerely, Betty Sumner
Okay, so these weren’t the jolliest of responses, but so what? Everyone knows the real Santa Claus died from a combination of a brain aneurism and a gunshot wound to the esophagus. I mean, who thought it was a good idea to make a guy pushing 70 try to run around the world in a single night?! Oh, and let’s feed him cookies while we’re at it... the guy’s lucky he’s not diabetic after all those years. To tell you the truth, the Santa name was bought out in a joint venture by Amazon.com and Google. Well, Merry Christmas! Think Jon is worse than The Grinch and Ebeneezer Scrooge combined? E-mail him a letter so he can make fun of you at spike@wisc.edu.
Dear Betty, Betty, I think the only thing you’ll need for the rest of your life is an apron, judging by your Christmas list. Let me guess: you’re the kind of girl who fantasizes about what last name would sound the neatest when hyphenated with your current last name. Take my advice: Find a man, take him for everything he’s got, change your identity and then steal
P.S. The reindeer are emaciated and Donner probably won’t make it through the winter. Also Blitzen gave birth to a three-legged calf, and I had to put it down. Merry Christmas. P.P.S. How does Betty SumnerClaus sound to you? Eh? C’mon!
New Beer Thursday Great Lakes Brewing Co. Christmas Ale For the last beer of the year, it’s only fitting that New Beer Thursday would cover a Christmas-themed beer. The Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Christmas Ale hammers the Christmas feeling home with a bountiful medley of spices and festive aromas. Christmas Ale brings out the best of the holidays without hitting a bitter note. The beer smells of ginger almost immediately, and the first taste has a strong overtone of cinnamon, with a hint of honey. In fact, Christmas Ale may be one of the strongest spiced ales around, evoking images of your aunt shoving Christmas potpourri in your face while your cousins cheerily roast chestnuts by the fire. Christmas Ale continues its overzealous holiday cheer with a song printed directly on the label, aptly titled “Oh Christmas Beer,” in the vein of “Oh Christmas Tree.” The song extols the virtues of Christmas Ale, telling the drinker the beverage is spiced not only with cinnamon, ginger and honey, but
“yuletide cheer” as well. Sure, Great Lakes hits us over the head with holiday references, but at least they brewed a damn good beer to back it up. Christmas Ale also packs a bit of a punch at 7.4 percent alcohol content, meaning just a couple of these bad boys will make Christmas dinner a lot more interesting, or at least a lot more rowdy. All in all, Christmas Ale is one of the stronger spiced ales out there, so if you’re a fan of spiced ales, Great Lakes’ latest offering is definitely worth checking out. If you can’t stand tasting cinnamon and ginger in your beer, you may want to steer clear. Still, for most, Christmas Ale is an easy alternative to the traditional holiday eggnog.
Great Lakes Christmas Ale $11.99 at Riley’s Wines of the World
© 2009, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398
wants to hear from you!
$1000 for 1000 words Essay Contest
For the record On Wednesday, December 9, the article “Turkey’s actions can no longer be ignored,” incorrectly stated it was courtesy Action in Sudan in the first paragraph, when it was courtesy of the Wisconsin Union Directorate’s Society and Politics Committee. The Cardinal regrets the error.
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? (Pick One Topic)
NEW DEADLINE: Dec. 15, 2009. E-mail editor@dailycardinal.com
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Thursday, December 10, 2009
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UW System survey reveals decrease in binge drinking habits among students By Steven Rosenbaum The Daily Cardinal
Isabel Álvarez/the daily cardinal
City officials extended the deadline for residents to clear sidewalks to 8 a.m. Friday. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said to prepare for some delays in Madison Metro service on Thursday.
City braces for delays after snowstorm affects buses By Caitlin Gath The Daily Cardinal
As 14 inches of snow blanketed the city Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz reminded the public that although the city will reopen Thursday, there will still likely be delays. In his blog, Cieslewicz asked for Madison Metro riders to keep in mind that the bus service would probably experience some delays once back on their usual schedule Thursday morning. The mayor also said streets would be slippery and the blow-
ing and drifting snow could cause problems. Early Wednesday afternoon, the city also extended the deadline for clearing sidewalks from 12 p.m. Thursday to 8 a.m. Friday. “Even though the deadline has been extended, it is in your best interest to remove the snow as soon as possible before it is packed down by pedestrians,” George Hank, the city’s director of building inspection, said in a statement. Cieslewicz also encouraged community members to assist neighbors who may not be able to clear the snow themselves.
“Many of the service agencies that assist the elderly with snow removal are swamped because of the volume of snow that has fallen,” he said in a statement. The Madison Senior Center, West Madison Senior Coalition, East Madison Senior Coalition and other agencies could all use extra volunteers. To contact them, call the following numbers: • Madison Senior Center 266-6581 • East Madison/Monona Senior Coalition 233-3100 • West Madison Senior Coalition 238-7368
A survey recently conducted by the UW System revealed that the number of UW students who engage in binge drinking has decreased. The survey, which will be reviewed at the Board of Regents meeting Thursday, was sent to over 25,000 students in the UW System this past February, and nearly 7,000 responded. The study analyzed alcohol and illegal drug use and its effects on students’ academic and personal lives. Compared to surveys taken in 2005 and 2007, overall figures of alcohol abuse are down. However, the survey method changed for the 2009 study, so conclusive trends will not be available until the next report in 2011, according to the report. Fifty-one percent of UW System students reported binge drinking over the last two weeks, while one in five said they participated in “frequent” binge drinking, defined in the study as consuming “at least five drinks in a two-hour timeframe.” Binge drinking rates were reported higher for freshmen than upper-class students. UW System spokesperson David Giroux said the main goal of the uni-
versity will be focusing on the consequences of alcohol and other drug use. “I know that each of our campuses is working in many different ways to address this problem, but it’s one that we’re probably never going to eradicate,” he said. Overall, 72 percent of respondents said they have consumed alcohol in college. The average male student who regularly drinks consumes roughly 11 drinks per week, while female students have five. The report also includes the effects of alcohol and drug use on students. One third of respondents claimed they had missed class as a direct result of alcohol use, and 22 percent did poorly on a major project or exam. Students also revealed personal problems due to alcohol. About half of students in the survey said they have done something they regretted due to alcohol use, and one-in-four have engaged in unprotected sex. “Is this behavior affecting your studying, your ability to succeed as a student? Is it affecting your health and your safety, and is your success being affected by the drinking or the behavior of other people? That’s what we really need to focus on,” Giroux said.
Doyle calls special session to discuss MPS legislation By Rebecca Autrey The Daily Cardinal
Gov. Jim Doyle has requested that the Wisconsin state Legislature meet in a special session next week to discuss Milwaukee Public Schools. According to a statement released Tuesday, the special session of the Legislature will meet Dec. 16. Doyle said he hopes lawmakers will pass Senate Bill 405 and Assembly Bill 534 during the session. Senate Bill 405 gives the mayor of Milwaukee the power to appoint and fire the MPS superintendent. Presently, the School Board appoints the superintendent. William G. Andrekopoulos, the current superintendent of MPS, is set to step down at the end of the school year. Under Assembly Bill 535, the state superintendent of schools would have the power to intervene if a school district falls drastically behind or is failing. The special session of the state Legislature was called, according to supporters of the bills, as a response to MPS students’ performance in the National Assessment of Education Progress. The assessment, also released Tuesday, is conducted by the U.S. Department of Education. According to Doyle’s statement,
jobs from page 1 and focused. “The fact that a lot of students are discouraged means the ones who are showing a lot of oomph really stand out,” she said. A degree from UW-Madison is still highly sought-after in today’s job market, and university advisers agree that students should have no doubts that the financial and time investment involved in obtaining a degree will repay itself when they land that perfect job.
MPS fourth and eighth grade students were “significantly below the national average and near the bottom for urban school districts.” “I am calling a special session of the Legislature because we must act now to drive real change that improves students’ performance, month after month and year after year,” Doyle said. “The children at Milwaukee Public Schools are counting on the adults around them to prepare them for success.”
Carrie Lynch, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, D-Weston, told the Wisconsin State Journal Tuesday that she does not expect it to pass by the governor’s deadline. The WSJ reported that Democratic lawmakers did not agree to call a special session of the Legislature before Doyle announced it. Lynch said Doyle might not have the votes he needs to pass the bills by next week.
Amanda Salm/Cardinal File Photo
A recent survey focusing on alcohol and drug use and its effects on students’ lives found lower rates of binge drinking at UW System schools.
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A speck is a speck no matter how small. At the center of every snowflake there is a speck of dust. dailycardinal.com/comics
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Dreaming of a...
Today’s Sudoku
Evil Bird
By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu
Angel Hair Pasta
By Todd Stevens ststevens@wisc.edu
© Puzzles by Pappocom
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.
Charlie and Boomer
By Natasha Soglin soglin@wisc.edu
The Graph Giraffe
By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
Washington and the Bear Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com Tear It Up ACROSS
1 Tobacco shop offering 6 Cleaner’s challenge 9 Earthy pigment 14 Siren, according to myth 15 “Aye!” sayer 16 “Of all the ___!” 17 Kwanzaa principle 18 Note from someone shy? 19 Unarmed, in slang 20 Lessee’s subsidy 23 Tooth-puller’s org. 24 Had more points than 25 Swimming apparatus 27 Mug tightening 32 “Bejabbers!” 33 “The Star-Spangled Banner” syllable 34 Gruesome 36 Drumroll drum 39 Ahmadinejad’s country 41 Espionage infiltrators 43 “Well, what do you ___?” 44 Certain ecole 46 Office notices 48 Breaking need? 49 Go-___ (racing vehicle) 51 Kind of float 53 Identified wrongly
6 Caddie’s offering 5 57 “That feels good!” 58 Kind of timing 64 “Jurassic Park III” star Tea 66 Folk singer DiFranco 67 Apple gadget 68 San ___, Calif. 69 Certain Beehive State college athlete 70 “And now ...” sayer 71 “War of the Worlds” narrator Welles 72 The Auld ___ (Ireland) 73 Sweetie DOWN
1 Become fuzzy 2 “Clair de ___” (Debussy) 3 Activist Brockovich 4 Annoy 5 Battery type 6 Casual car ride 7 Track race 8 Letter sign-off 9 Does a plumber’s job 10 Vic’s “Alice” role 11 Make one’s head spin on the floor? 12 Slip past 13 Having to do with the kidneys 21 Strong animosity 22 Ace’s value, at times
6 Admiral, e.g. 2 27 Metal wrap 28 Lofty abode (Var.) 29 Marksmen 30 Word with “hand to mouth” or “time to time” 31 Bathroom floor worker 35 Wannabe recording star’s tape 37 Bounder 38 Washing-up pitcher 40 Like organized desks 42 Covers with coal dust 45 Gradual deterioration 47 Made tea 50 Tell a better joke than, e.g. 52 Changed into 53 Swedish city near Copenhagen 54 Start of a gossipy remark 55 Actor Kinski 59 Very much a fan of 60 Joined two loose ends 61 Bo Derek film before “10” 62 At no time, to poets 63 Squirrel’s nest 65 ___classical (Stravinsky’s style)
By Derek Sandberg kalarook@gmail.com
dailycardinal.com
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Thursday, December 10, 2009
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opinion Refrain from “Going Rogue” 6
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JAMIE STARK opinion columnist
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dailycardinal.com/opinion
Thursday, December 10, 2009
s a card-carrying Liberal, I needed to get my hands on a copy of former Alaska governor, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s new book “Going Rogue” to decipher how it could sell 700,000 copies within one week. For comparison, actual President Bill Clinton, who legitimately accomplished things, sold 900,000 copies of his biography in its first week. Unequivocally, “Going Rogue” is the largest steaming pile of moose crap published in a bastardized hybrid of Minnesotan and drunken Arctic Cat lingo this side of Mount McKinley. The story functions primarily as an extended ad pushing conservatives and nature-lovers to move to Alaska, and secondly as a point-by-point response to every criticism launched against Palin’s political record.
Let me briefly do what Palin claims I cannot: objective analysis. Not as political rhetoric but simply as a book, “Going Rogue” is a waste of time and is blatantly narcissistic. But worst of all, it is written in faux folksy, eighthgrade level English. For her sake, I hope it was penned entirely by someone else, not just co-authored as the byline states. From a more political viewpoint, the book frequently instilled bouts of numbing terror over how close America came to electing such a person just one seat from the presidency. Palin begins with such hackneyed, forced patriotic writing that would even make Stephen Colbert projectile vomit. She peppers the opening, the most intriguing part, with such gems as “I looked down to see the moose’s eyeballs lying in his palm, still warm from the critter’s head,” and entire paragraphs dedicated to her love of red meats. Palin continues with a description of Wasilla’s city government that sounds ripped straight from Wikipedia. Although she panders to her base, some of the folksiness cannot be faked, including her post-
elopement dinner at Wendy’s. She, perhaps without realizing, continually exercises shameless hypocrisy, arguing for a blanket reduction of government before advocating for increased regulation of oil companies and more capital works projects on the same page. Perhaps she thinks roads and interstate pipelines spontaneously construct themselves? Palin’s primary policy focus throughout is energy. Remember “Drill, baby, drill”? Her considerable expertise in dealing with energy conglomerates is respectable and unique, but shouldn’t a former potential vice president be able to discuss other pressing issues in more than mere buzz words? Past the opening, the book is nothing but a cobbling of tales of personal crises and defenses against famous attacks from the 2008 campaign. I had hoped Palin would make some enemies and offer insights into the failed McCain/Palin ticket. Ever the politician, she peppers the book with near-scandalous and very private anecdotes to disarm the reader into believing she is telling all. She mentions her two miscarriages, something many women would find impossible to discuss so publicly. Because of her pro-life beliefs, I appreciated Palin’s frank discussion of abortion and was pleasantly surprised by her support of contraceptives, a position she claims to have held long before becoming a grandmother. Yet she merely uses these and other juicy stories to lull the reader into falsely thinking she opened a window into the 2008 campaign, her governing style and personal motivations. In a quick 413 pages, the book only serves as a fluff-filled snapshot of Palin’s “tortured,” red, patriotic exterior. The end brings a sense that one has waterskied over a very deep pool.
GRAPHIC BY NATASHA SOGLIN
Palin had no choice but to dedicate ink to defending her name, words and epic fails, but she did not need to portray herself as the eternal victim.
Not as political rhetoric but simply as a book, “Going Rogue” is a waste of time and is blatantly narcissistic.
By the end of the book, I did indeed feel a sense of sympathy for the hot lady who looks like Tina Fey. She has had many personal and professional problems, many her own fault. But I felt even more certain she would have been power-crazed and dictatorial as vice president, as she nearly admits her governing style was similar at the city and state level. Even worse, recall McCain’s precarious age? The thought of a possible Palin ascendancy to the White House made “Going Rogue” a frightening bedtime story. Admittedly, the book answered
some of my burning questions, including “Where did you get those names for your kids?” Track, her first-born son, was born during track season. Bristol was named for a bay Sarah’s husband Todd fished in, though Palin joked Bristol was also named after the home base of ESPN in Connecticut. I can only assume Willow’s namesake has something to do with the pretty tree Palin saw in Disney’s “Pocahontas,” while Piper was named for cigarette smoke and small airplanes. Trig, the youngest, apparently won his prize name for its supposed translation from Norse as “true” and “brave victory.” Luckily for America, Palin’s book success is not entirely due to a ground swell of Republicans fed up after nine months of a liberal president cleaning up the mess of eight years of Republican rule. Like myself, many liberals couldn’t resist donating $18.35 through Barnes and Noble to Palin/ Zombie Reagan 2012. Jamie Stark is a sophomore intending to major in journalism and political science.. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
view Cardinal View editorials represent The Daily Cardinal’s organizational opinion. Each editorial is crafted independent of news coverage.
students should staff wispirg
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ast month, Chancellor Biddy Martin approved contract status for the Wisconsin Students Public Interest Research Group, a UW student advocacy organization, allowing the group to receive student segregated fees to pay four non-student, full-time, professional staff members. WISPIRG is now the only UW-Madison student organization to receive contract status, which also allows the group to use segregated fees to pay dues to the national PIRG organization. In 2008, SSFC approved WISPIRG for contract status, which brought the issue of approval to the Contract Status Advisory Board. The board, composed of three ASM members and three administrators, voted 4-2 against granting WISPIRG contract status. Chancellor Wiley upheld the board’s decision, claiming WISPIRG does not provide a service of substantial need to campus that cannot be found elsewhere or through other means. This year, SSFC again approved WISPIRG’s contract status. The Contract Status Advisory Board met again Oct. 30 and switched sides to unanimously support contract status for WISPIRG. With 89 interns and over 120 volunteers, WISPIRG is not shorthanded
for help. However, Thompson claims it would be difficult for students to replace the work done by a full-time, non-student employee. The four fulltime positions include an executive director, campus organizer, organizing director and fellow. WISPIRG has organized worthwhile events and efforts in Madison, including holding a recent health-care rally, registering voters en masse for the 2008 presidential election and garnering signatures and people to testify at the recent RTA County Board vote. Thompson says politicos across the country know about Madison’s reputation as a hotspot of political activism, and that image is boosted by WISPIRG. But the arguments for giving WISPIRG contract status when no other organizations have it are weak. According to Thompson, the nonstudent staff members legitimize the organization and take care of mundane tasks, allowing students to focus more on lobbying and advocacy. But the organization could still be legitimate and effective, even if members had to complete more grunt work. Leadership in student orgs requires boring, administrative work, not outsourcing. Even though non-student employees can use time to apply for outside grants to help WISPIRG financially, students who
truly care can do so too. Whether or not student group leaders should be paid by segregated fees is a separate issue, but we would prefer to use student dollars to pay student leaders over non-students. Paying actual students to lead and operate a student organization, as opposed to co-managing with nonstudents, sounds like a good compromise. As of now, no student leaders in WISPIRG are paid, although many other student organizations engage in the practice of paying leadership. The principle of taxing Madison students to pay for non-students to help run student groups is flawed. Ultimately, WISPIRG does not deserve preferential treatment. The concern here is not the liberal viewpoint of the organization or any sort of disagreement with WISPIRG’s activities. Many other student organizations on campus are part of national hierarchies, work with other campuses and even lobby at the Capitol. These and other groups would certainly grow and be able to accomplish more with paid, full-time, non-student staff. Perhaps WISPIRG should put more emphasis on the “student” aspect of their organization and let actual students take command.
arts
dailycardinal.com/arts
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Top 10 Bands of the 2000s Matt Hunziker, Radiohead byColumnist 2008 It would sound absurd to call platinum-selling, arena-filling, mostcritically-beloved-band-in-the-world Radiohead an underground act. But on the other hand, they don’t operate or sound anything like a mainstream, best-selling rock band (even the ones that have gotten popular aping mid90s Radiohead): You’ll hardly ever hear them on the radio or see them on TV; their idea of promoting an album is mentioning it on a blog ten days before it comes out; and they’ve built their reputation on some of the strangest, most original music of the past two decades. Thus, Radiohead’s continuing status as the biggest cool band on the planet has relied largely on simply releasing one excellent album after another, as well as on an obsessive, millions-strong following that knows the lyrics to every obscure unreleased track and Danish import better than most people know their own families. Consequently, Radiohead fandom probably seems exhaustive and borderline creepy to the uninitiated, people who’ve never considered getting the crying Amnesiac guy tattooed on their neck. The past decade has only exacerbated this state of affairs. Radiohead have become even more dominant, their music more ambitious, and they even cracked into the general news cycle by virtue of the strange and controversial distribution scheme for their most recent album. How did it all happen? In terms of pure creative ambition, Radiohead began this decade at a dizzying peak. 2000’s Kid A is, flat out, the weirdest, most original album to ever debut at No. 1. It’s a measure of the band’s status that they achieved this feat without promoting the album through advance singles or widespread radio play, but even if they wanted to, it’s not clear what would have been fit for general airplay. The album’s most straightforward track, “Optimistic,” is only nominally a rock song and its best, “Idioteque,” is a chilling, minimalistic perversion of dance music. If you’d never heard the album, the range and number of influences ascribed to Kid A would suggest an incomprehensible clusterfuck—how does something sound like Can, Miles Davis, Blackalicious and Krzysztof Penderecki? But Radiohead used their eclectic tastes to create something just the opposite, a coherent, utterly unique record that sounds like an album and not just a collection of individual tracks. Compared to Kid A, 2001’s Amnesiac does sound a bit more like a collection of
songs. Some skew more toward usual instruments than anything on Kid A, such as “I Might Be Wrong” and “Knives Out,” both of which became singles. Others cut the other direction into full-on electronic experimentation: “Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors” is still puzzling after hundreds of listens. Among Amnesiac’s varied contents are some of the band’s very best tracks, the slow, dirge-like “Pyramid Song” and “Life in a Glass House,” which proves you can be British and still write New Orleansstyle jazz. 2003’s Hail to the Thief veers back toward guitar rock without closely recalling any previous Radiohead album, and although the record as a whole hasn’t aged as well as other releases, it suffers more from the long shadow of its predecessors than its songs. “There There” in particular is a bit of psychedelic genius. The band spent much of the next four years working on solo projects. They periodically dropped hints about their album online and previewed new material live, but 2007’s In Rainbows, when it came, was a huge surprise, both because of its abrupt announcement (“Well, the new album is finished, and it’s coming out in 10 days... We’ve called it In Rainbows”) and also its unusual “Pay what you want to” distribution scheme. As for the music, In Rainbows is the band’s most personal, humansounding album since The Bends. Radiohead wasn’t straining the bounds of modern music but rather creating lovely, arresting songs. “Nude” makes gorgeous, inventive use of strings; “All I Need” attracts and repels with a distant piano and vocals that sound like they’re breathing down your neck; “House of Cards” might be the band’s first real love song in about 12 years. Altogether, the album proved Radiohead could write spectacular songs without having to make a cosmic statement. Scores of popular bands have based their careers on small pieces of Radiohead’s 1990s albums, as any Radiohead diehard will inform you if they catch you listening to Coldplay. But over the past decade, the band has gone through so many trend-defying transformations that the prospect of “ripping off Radiohead” has become virtually impossible. Whether the band’s next album ventures into disco or Scandinavian black metal, there’s a 100-percent chance that it will sound distinctly like a Radiohead album, and a near certainty that it will be very, very good.
Upcoming Timeline 10 — Animal Collective 9 — Outkast 8 — Neko Case 7 — The Strokes 6 — Arcade Fire 5 — Kanye West 4 — Wilco 3 — Spoon 2 — Radiohead 1 — Friday, Dec. 11
This list was compiled by tallying the votes from each of the decade’s Daily Cardinal Arts Editors
Honorable Mention - Sleater-Kinney The first, best and longest-lasting of the post-riot girl bands, Sleater-Kinney spent the decade recording music at its most harmoniously angular. Even now, going on four years since their break-up, they make for the 2000s easiest-to-identify band. If you couldn’t recognize Corin Tucker’s over-emotive voice, there was always the jutting guitar lines usually at odds with the drums (or each other), smoothed over by vocal harmonies. To take every album Sleater-Kinney recorded from 1996 to 2005 and play them back-to-back, it’d be hard to figure out where one ended and the next one began. But it would be just as hard to pick out songs that weren’t essential. Sleater-Kinney may have been a band with a niche, but it was a niche that always sounded dangerous, performed with enough skill that it always sounded fresh. The leaps between albums were always subtle, but always kept the band in fertile territory. Still, the new millennium saw their largest, still-tiny changes. Through 2000’s All Hands on the Bad One, they borrowed the cocksure voice of Bikini Kill-vintage strongwomen. But on the post-September 11 One Beat, Sleater-Kinney for the first time presented their band as extremely vulnerable. “Far Away,” about watching the attacks on TV, and “Sympathy,” about the premature birth of Corrin’s son, perfectly captured the hopelessness of the time. The Woods, the band’s swan song, added an eye-drop-full of ’60s and ’70s rock licks to their traditional abrupt, often discordant, guitars. If it was more of the same, it was always more of the same brilliance. It’s hard to imagine they could have gotten more by trying to mine new grounds. —Joe Uchill, Arts Editor 2004
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the Honorable Mention - Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott In male-dominated universe of ’00s hip-hop, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott broke through. She did so while rejecting hip-hop’s submissive role for women while neither erasing her gender identity nor draining her persona of sexuality in the least. And just as significantly, she did it all with a body that was far from the fallacious female “ideal” that continues to be pumped into Americans’ consciousnesses by male rappers’ videos. Elliott emerged from the ’90s with a few mostly down-tempo hits like “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” and “She’s a Bitch” under her belt, but beginning with So Addictive, the Missy Elliott of the ’00s was more club anthem-oriented. The beats were provided by pre-superstar Timbaland, a childhood friend, and Elliott’s rapping was inspired and, as in “Work It,” occasionally done in an apparently made-up language. Plus she was capable of singing without embarrassing herself, which can’t be said of Jay-Z, Eminem or most other huge ’00s rappers who tried it. Her videos also did their part to keep things strangely interesting in MTV’s TRL era, like in “Pass That Dutch” when she appears as a scarecrow and performs under a flying saucer, or the phenomenal “Get Ur Freak On” when her head jumps off her body via a serpentine 20-foot neck. In that song, Elliott raps, “Ain’t no stopping me / Copywritten so don’t copy me.” In the ’00s, no one could. —Dan Wohl, Arts Editor 2006 Honorable Mention - M.I.A. The music of Mathangi Arulpragasam (aka M.I.A.) finally broke through to the mainstream in 2008 when two of the year’s biggest movies—“Slumdog Millionaire” and “Pineapple Express”—helped bring her joyous, Clash-sampling single “Paper Planes” to TVs and radios everywhere. But for anyone with more than a passing interest in pop, rap, indie rock, electronica or dance music, M.I.A.’s aggressive, genre-hopping jams had already been a fact of life for several years. Her 2005 debut album, Arular, scrambled rhythms from all over the world with Arulpragasam’s off-kilter raps into a set of irresistibly weird dance tracks with lyrics that are about half-politics, halfnonsense, and all bitingly clever. Take the Brazilian drum and horn breaks in “Bucky Done Gun,” which seemingly cut off the song’s momentum every 30 seconds before bouncing it ahead into the next hook. The most political songs on Arular are also some of the most sex-centered. “10 Dollar,” the story of a Sri Lankan prostitute turned mail-order bride, builds up to the riotous hook “And what can I get for ten dolla? / Every-ting you want!” 2007’s Kala took M.I.A.’s mash-up of international genres in even wilder directions. “Boyz” is one of the most strangely funky songs in recent memory; “Jimmy” reworks Bollywood movie music; “World Town” is a literal call-to-arms (“Hands up / guns out / represent the world town”). And then, of course, there’s “Paper Planes,” which sprung M.I.A.’s idiosyncratic brilliance on the world at large. The end of this decade has seen more and more bands working with international styles—M.I.A. helped to break down those boundaries by making it cool. —Matt Hunziker, Columnist 2008 Honorable Mention - Gillian Welch In the early 2000s, traditional and folk music regained some lost prestige. With the help of the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou,” and performers like Allison Kraus in mainstream music, the old-timey tunes got a brush-off. But it still needed an album to encapsulate how far folk had come. Gillian Welch’s 2003 masterpiece Soul Journey provided just that. It shook the shadow from Welch’s earlier efforts and offered a supremely balanced yet surprising collection. Combined with Time (The Revelator), Welch animated and revitalized folk music for the decade. —Ben Schultz, Arts Editor 2003
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dailycardinal.com/sports
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Men’s Basketball
Phoenix top Badgers for first time ever By Nick Schmitt THE DAILY CARDINAL
On a day when snow shut down Madison’s campus, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team was shut down by the 3-point shot of UW-Green Bay in an 88-84 overtime loss. The Phoenix (9-2 overall) shot 9-of-18 from 3-point territory, and received 22 points on 8-of-19 shooting from junior guard Bryquis Perine. Green Bay beat the Badgers (6-2) for the first time in the series history. The Phoenix also got big games from senior guard Troy Cotton, who had 15 points on 4-of-7 shooing from behind the arc, and junior point guard Rahmon Fletcher, who had 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting. The Badgers trailed most of the game, but senior guard Trevon Hughes did all he could to keep Wisconsin in striking distance. Around the midpoint of the second half, Hughes, who finished with a career-high 27 points, took the game into his own hands and scored 15 straight points. Using his speed and athleticism, he
was continually able to sneak into the paint and put up the easy layup or get to the free throw line, where he finished 13-of-18. Thanks to Hughes’ incredible run, the Badgers took a 61-60 lead with eight minutes remaining after a dunk by junior forward Jon Leuer. But Wisconsin could not cool down the hot shooting of the Phoenix, and soon after Green Bay hit three straight jumpers to open up a five-point lead once again. For every shot the Badgers made, Green Bay had an answer, drawing praise from Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan. “When people are hitting shots like that you have to give credit where credit is due,” he said. “They hit some really tough 3s to stretch us out. If teams aren’t hitting those, our halfcourt defense looks a lot better.” After Perine missed a shot to win it for Green Bay in regulation, the Badgers were given a clean start and five minutes to prove they were the better team. But the Phoenix pulled
out to a four-point lead and the closest Wisconsin could get was three before the final buzzer sounded. With a minute left and the Badgers down 82-78, sophomore guard Jordan Taylor’s shot was blocked and an offensive rebound would prove worthless after junior Tim Jarmusz air-balled a 3-pointer. The miss turned into a scrum on the floor, with Green Bay gaining possession. Green Bay’s senior forward Randy Berry then made one of two free throws, increasing the Phoenix lead to five. Leuer got the Badgers within one possession after he sunk two free throws with 33 seconds left, but Green Bay wouldn’t slip up at the charity strip. It finished 23-of-30 on free throws. Wisconsin turned the ball over a season-high 18 times in the loss, which denied Bo Ryan his 200th win as the Badgers’ head coach. It’s a tough loss, but Ryan did find some positives in defeat. “I loved our fight and we came back how many times,” Ryan said.
Men’s Hockey
Lack of flexibility hurts BCS
Badgers’ D excelling in all aspects
BEN BREINER boom goes the breinamite
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By Parker Gabriel THE DAILY CARDINAL
When Wisconsin men’s hockey head coach Mike Eaves and his coaching staff set out to pair up their defenders before the season, it was clear the group had a chance to be special. With a combination of blue-line scoring potential and gritty, physical defense, the coaches had the luxury of matching players to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses. Of the six Badger defensemen, five have already been drafted by NHL teams, including three in the first round, despite the fact that there is not a senior among them. Led by juniors Ryan McDonagh, Brendan Smith and Cody Goloubef, the talent on the Wisconsin defense compares favorably with any other team in the country. Both starters, McDonagh and sophomore Jake Gardiner are first-round draft picks. However, while the accolades are great, Eaves noted that talent does not mean anything if it is not applied correctly. “Potential and about 75 cents will get you a cup of coffee,” Eaves said. “Our job is to help them develop that potential. [Assistant coach Mark] Osiecki is one of the best coaches I’ve seen in my tenure as a coach in working with young defensemen.” So far, the results have been impressive. Heading into this weekend’s matchup with North Dakota, the Badgers are tied with the Fighting Sioux for the WCHA lead in scoring defense, surrendering only 2.0 goals per game. The Badgers lead the nation in fewest shots allowed, giving up 22.7 per contest. McDonagh, a captain and defensive enforcer, said doing
ISABEL ÁLVAREZ/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
Head coach Bo Ryan’s squad turned the ball over 18 times in its 88-84 overtime loss to UW-Green Bay Wednesday night.
ISABEL ÁLVAREZ/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
In conference games, junior defenseman Brendan Smith is 13th in the WCHA in goals with five, and second in assists with 11. the little things like blocking shots and being in good position lead to positive results. “I just try to be a player that is always tough to play against for an opposition’s forwards,” he said. “I don’t want to give them any time to create anything, I try to be physical and set the tone early.” While the unit is playing well on the defensive half of the rink, the UW defensemen have provided scoring as well, particularly Smith. He is in the midst of a career-best seven-game scoring streak. During that stretch, the 2007 first-round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings racked up five goals and 10 assists for a grand total of 15 points. Those numbers earned him WCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors for two consecutive weeks. He currently leads the WCHA in scoring with 24 points (7 goals, 17 assists), and has 11 more points than any other defender in the league. “Brendan is so patient with the puck and he always makes great
reads,” defensive partner and true freshman John Ramage said. For Smith, who has struggled at times throughout his career with keeping a defense-first approach to his game, having a stay-athome defender like Ramage as a partner is a definite advantage. “To have [Ramage] as a D partner for me is unreal,” Smith said. “Sometimes I stay in the offensive zone for a little bit too long but he always has my back. He is very smart for a freshman.” Fellow freshman Justin Schultz has made an impact as well. In his first year at Wisconsin, the 2008 second-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks jumped right into the rotation and has played the point on the Badgers powerplay unit. “It’s been a fun shock because normally you don’t see that in defenders as a freshman,” Eaves said. Within a few years, every member of the Badger defense may get the chance to contribute to a professional hockey team. But for now they are putting on a very impressive show in Madison.
ne has to wonder if Florida coach Urban Meyer feels for Boise State and TCU right now. Meyer’s Utes broke through the glass ceiling in 2004, becoming the first non-big six conference, non-Notre Dame team to earn a BCS bowl spot. But that team never had the chance to be the story of bowl season, because it drew a mediocre 8-4 Pittsburgh team in the Fiesta Bowl (Pitt’s berth came from surviving a four-way tie for first in a seven-team Big East, just awful). Only a few years later, that same bowl plays host to Boise and TCU, a matchup that fans and conspiracy theorists alike see as the BCS powers that be keeping the little guy down. The logic goes like this: the game is an all-risk, low-reward situation in which the loser will be derided as a small-conference team that didn’t deserve a BCS game spot and the winner gets no cred because it only beat a now-exposed mid-major team. Looking at the current combination of mobile BCS teams (’Bama and Texas are locked in the title game, ditto for Oregon and Ohio State in the Rose Bowl), there is no solution that will satisfy those rooting for the downtrodden. See, fans want games where David can take down Goliath or the noname shocks a brand name. This came with Boise-Oklahoma in 2006 and Utah-Alabama last season, and could have happened in 2007 if Hawaii had turned out not to be a fraud (at least the litte guy got his shot, even if he missed by a mile). But this year, because of the way perceptions have shifted, we only have one Goliath (Florida), three undefeated low-profile squads looking to prove something (Cincy, Boise and TCU) and two teams equivalent to that ’04 Pitt team (Georgia Tech and Iowa). The other four teams are locked into their bowls. Tech comes in from a decent con-
ference, but lost its second-to-last game to a middling Georgia team, meanwhile ACC teams have an awful history in the BCS (two wins since 1998), Iowa carries little weight since the Big Ten has been abysmal in recent bowls and the Hawkeyes lost two of their last three games in an ugly fashion. So now we are stuck. Only one undefeated team can play Florida, so what can you do with the other ones? They won’t get much respect for taking down the Hawkeyes or the Jackets. So, unfortunately, one “have not” will have to eliminate another. There simply are no combinations where these three undefeated teams get a chance to prove themselves, without climbing over each other to do it. ’Bama must get priorities straight Administrators at the University of Alabama have in fact gone too far. The school’s nearly 29,000 students will not have to attend class for three days in January. Why, you ask? So students and staff can get to California for the Tide’s appearance in the national title game. Calling this a gross perversion of college sports is the understatement of the year. Good thing there is not a playoff, that would really disrupt academics (and what happens to ’Bama students who—gasp!—don’t like football?). Should be a Suh-in Just a few days before the Heisman is awarded, it must be said: there is no doubt that Nebraska tackle Ndamukong Suh deserves it. His ridiculous numbers and dominant performances speak for themselves. He was more “outstanding,” no matter how you define that word, than Stanford’s Toby Gerhart or Alabama’s Mark Ingram (who may not have been the best player on his own team). Some argue that a Heisman winner should reflect the season in which he wins it. With a year so wacky that it saw five undefeated teams in the BCS and disappointments from last year’s hallowed trinity of finalist quarterbacks, nothing would be more fitting than college football’s most hallowed award going to a lineman for the first time. Any college football thoughts? E-mail Ben at breiner@wisc.edu.