Thursday, January 21, 2010 - The Daily Cardinal

Page 1

New columnist Dan Sullivan points out what’s still missing in Madison’s movie scene ARTS

l

University of Wisconsin-Madison

PAGE 5

LATE SURGE KEYS GRIND-OUT RALLY Badgers’ smothering defense, Hughes and bench barely beat Big Blue SPORTS

Complete campus coverage since 1892

l

dailycardinal.com

Brown’s win may signal swing to GOP in 2010 By Alison Dirr The Daily Cardinal

The historically blue state of Massachusetts witnessed a shift in politics when Republican state Sen. Scott Brown beat his Democratic challenger in the Massachusetts Senate race Tuesday. This shift, which comes exactly one year after President Barack Obama’s inauguration and the Democrats’ sweeping victory in both houses of Congress, has left Wisconsinites on both sides of the aisle wondering if this is the beginning of a Republican comeback. Some Republicans say they welcome a possible shift of power, hailing the Brown victory as a sign of change to come. “Scott Brown’s victory is a clear sign that in the bluest of blue states, [Republicans] can win,” Kristin Ruesch, communication director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said. “We’re coming

for Russ Feingold and Wisconsin Congressional Democrats next.” Jill Bader, communication director for Republican gubernatorial candidate and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, also expressed confidence that Brown’s victory signals a shift of power away from Democrats. “Scott Brown and Scott Walker’s messages are very similar,” Bader said. “It’s that we, the people, can take back our government and make the government work for the people again.” Although Democrats have lost their 60th Senate seat, some, like Chair Democratic Party of Wisconsin Mike Tate, say November will not yield similar results in Wisconsin. “In many ways, this election will serve to embolden and redouble efforts of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin,” Tate said in a conference call with the media.

l

PAGE 8

Thursday, January 21, 2010

The Tipping Point

The unexpected win in Massachusetts, a state that supported Democratic U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy for 46 years, has members of the party wondering how easy their bids will be this election cycle. This turnover, however, was not surprising to UW-Madison College Democrats Chair Molly Rivera. “I don’t think that Massachusetts is as liberal as people think,” Rivera said. “I think there are just as many Republicans, but [the seat] had been dominated by Ted Kennedy, who would be a very difficult candidate to beat.” Rivera said that this was just the normal cycle of politics. Whether or not Brown’s win in Massachusetts foreshadows a major shift come November, partisans on both sides of the aisle agree this victory will change Senate dynamics and possibly the outcome of the pending national health-care bill.

Kyle Bursaw/the daily cardinal

Sophomore guard Rob Wilson tipped the scoreboard the Badgers’ way with a career-high 13 points. Senior guard Trevon Hughes scored a game-high 20.

Athletic ticket prices may increase next fall

ben pierson/the daily cardinal

Afro-American professor Tracy Curtis and three other UW-Madison professors discussed racism in America one year after Obama’s inauguration Wednesday at the Madison Public Library.

Panel discusses Obama’s impact on racism By Estephany Escobar The Daily Cardinal

The UW-Madison Center for the Humanities held a panel discussion at the Madison Public Library Wednesday about race and racism in relation to the Obama administration. The discussion, “Taking Stock of Race and Racism: A Year after Obama’s Inauguration,” featured four UW-Madison faculty members who voiced their opinions and responded to public questions about the impact of Obama’s presidency on race relations. Tracy Curtis, a UW-Madison Afro-American studies assistant professor, said Obama’s presidency brought symbolic importance to race and racism discussions but has not brought change into people’s

everyday life. “It’s difficult for Barack Obama himself, he is just one person, despite that he is the president, to change the way people interact on their day-to-day lives,” Curtis said. “In order for race relations to change, it’s necessary for people to be involved in interacting with people that are not the same as they are.” According to Kathy Cramer Walsh, a UW-Madison political science professor, the government cannot change the country in a short period of time as people may have expected. “We expect impossible things from our president,“ she said. “It’s ridiculous to expect him to change the world in a year.” Will Jones, a UW-Madison his-

tory professor, agreed with the other panelists, stressing the importance of the public taking action and said people should demand the government to work towards eliminating racial inequality. “I don’t want to live in a postracial society, I want to live in a post-racist society,” he said. “I think we all confuse the terms race and racism and I think the problem is racism, not race.” Doria Johnson, a UW-Madison graduate student who attended the event, said hearing the speakers helped her become more knowledgeable about the topic of racism. “To hear them talk about, honestly, what Barack Obama means to our current everyday lives, and how they addressed it honestly gave us things to think about,” she said.

UW-Madison Athletic Board officials discussed the possibility of increased ticket prices Tuesday for the 2010-’11 Athletic Department budget. John Jentz, UW-Madison associate athletic director for business operations, said because the Athletic Board has exhausted its alternative cost saving techniques, an increase in ticket prices is likely for next year. He said the Athletic Department needs to generate nearly $60 million for the upcoming budget. “For the coming year, in order to maintain our competitiveness and keep our facilities up to speed, we’re probably going to have to ask for something more,” he said. However, the board members are still unsure exactly which sports tickets would be affected, or by how much the prices would increase, according to Jentz. He said about 70 percent of the

budget money typically comes from fans through ticket sales, concessions and donations, so the challenge is to increase the price enough without losing consistency in ticket sales. “That’s the big question facing the industry right now,” Jentz said. UW-Madison junior David Groskopf said he would be upset to see ticket prices increase because there have already been several cutbacks this year, such as the lack of free “grateful red” T-shirts at men’s basketball games. “But since I am a huge sports fan, I will definitely still buy tickets next year,” he said. The price for a single football ticket is currently $39. Men’s basketball is $24, and men’s hockey is $21. The Athletic Board will make the final decision regarding ticket prices at their meeting Feb. 16. —Kelsey Gunderson

Urban Design Commission considers Target and Edgewater Hotel proposals By Beth Pickhard The Daily Cardinal

The Urban Design Commission met Wednesday night to discuss proposals for the Target retailer on Midvale Boulevard and renovations to Edgewater Hotel. The Edgewater Hotel proposal has been redeveloped to reduce the height of

the 1940’s structure by three stories and lighten the tone, as well as add lighting to the top of the tower. There is also a “365-day outdoor space” proposed, which would accommodate private events like weddings and provide a public ice skating rink in the winter. commission to 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.”


page two 2

l

Thursday, January 21, 2010

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

TODAY: rainy hi 32º / lo 26º

dailycardinal.com/page-two

Zombie Jon’s memories of BRAAAAINS past

Volume 119, Issue 70

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

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Charles Brace Managing Editor Ryan Hebel Campus Editor Kelsey Gunderson Grace Urban City Editor State Editor Hannah Furfaro Enterprise Editor Hannah McClung Associate News Editor Ashley Davis Senior News Reporters Ariel Shapiro Robert Taylor Anthony Cefali Opinion Editors Todd Stevens Editorial Board Editor Jamie Stark Arts Editors Katie Foran-McHale Jacqueline O’Reilly Sports Editors Scott Kellogg Nico Savidge Kevin Slane Page Two Editor Features Editor Madeline Anderson Ben Pierson Life and Style Editor Photo Editors Isabel Álvarez Danny Marchewka Graphics Editors Caitlin Kirihara Natasha Soglin Multimedia Editor Jenny Peek Copy Chiefs Anna Jeon Kyle Sparks Justin Stephani Jake Victor Copy Editors Sam Berg, Emma Condon

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Cole Wenzel Advertising Manager Katie Brown Billing Manager Mindy Cummings Senior Account Executive Ana Devcic Mara Greenwald Account Executives Kristen Lindsay, D.J. Nogalski, Jordan Rossman Sarah Schupanitz Online Account Executive Tom Shield Mara Greenwald Graphic Designer Web Director Eric Harris Marketing Director Mia Beeson Archivist Erin Schmidtke

JON SPIKE academic misjonduct

A

s my final year at UWMadison winds to a slow and painful close, I can’t help but look back upon some of the more memorable moments of my time here. Sure, the football Saturdays, the sunsets at Memorial Union and the nights when I called my ex-girlfriend Sherry upwards of 76 times rank up there in my memories, but somehow many classroom stories still stick out in my memory. We are lucky enough to have some of the most unique and influential professors at UW-Madison, and some of my most defining moments came at the hands of their lessons, no matter how serious or silly. As a sort of written tribute, I thought I’d share some of my most favorite teaching moments from my time in Madison. One of the first memorable professorial moments occurred when I was on my way to take a final exam in a social work class my freshman year.

As we entered our testing location, we found a note from the professor saying that the exam location had moved to another building and we should go there as soon as possible. As we left, a homeless man accosted each one of us, asking for help in any shape or form. I did not see if anyone stopped to help him, but I told him I was in a hurry and he should e-mail me after the exam if he needed anything. Once we got to the new exam location, our professor asked if any of us had stopped to help the homeless man. When we all explained that we had not, he informed us that the homeless man had been a setup, none of us had learned anything from his social work course and we had all failed the final exam. All of a sudden, a student came in riding the homeless man like a bull, slapping his ass and hollering “Hi-ho Silver!” Thanks to that student, we all received D’s on the exam, he received an F and the professor for that social work class committed suicide shortly thereafter. How wacky! The next memory occurred in a childhood development class. We had just gotten done discussing the effects of divorce on children when the professor informed us that sta-

tistically, 50 percent of the people in this room would end up divorced. As I looked around, I noticed about half of the students high-fiving each other. When I asked the guy next to me why, he explained he wouldn’t feel so bad about cheating on his girlfriend since he knew they’d likely get divorced anyways. I also raised my hand and asked the professor if she thought I would end up divorced. She laughed and said no one would ever love me. Ah, memories! (Slight pause while Jon wipes the tears out of his eyes.) Thankfully, the next moment I recall was a bit funnier than the last two. As it turned out, the geology professor I had sophomore year was also an amateur hypnotist. On our last day, he offered to hypnotize any brave souls from the class. I sheepishly volunteered, and before I knew it, the guy had me imitating barn animals and howling at the moon. Now, I can’t confirm this, but some friends of mine in the class claim that while I was hypnotized, the professor asked me to reveal an embarrassing secret I had. Apparently, I told him that I slept with a geology TA to get an A on a volcanic eruption

lab. Also, I supposedly made a really clever pun involving having sex with the TA and volcanic eruptions. All I remember is waking up in front of a silent class as one woman in the back ran out of the room. Good class, but I’m still wondering how I ended up with that BC. I’ve saved my most beloved professor as the focus of my very last and personal favorite story from my time as a student at UW-Madison. We never actually knew the professor’s name, but we always called him Prof. Pale. He never actually taught anything, but he had the most quirky sense of humor! Prof. Pale would always make us laugh by moaning endlessly, shuffling around the classroom with a slight limp and occasionally biting one of us on the skull. Later on we found out he was a zombie, and he actually ate our original professor. Out of any of the special professors and instructors I’ve had over the years, I’d say Prof. Pale changed me the most as a person. Specifically, he changed me into a zombie. Good guy, though. Great at differential equations. Do you want to hear more about Prof. Pale? Send your brains to Jon at brains4lyfe@wisc.edu.

New Beer Thursday Capital Brewery’s Capital Square Series Imperial Dopplebock Last semester the New Beer desk took a look at one of the other installments in Capital Brewery’s Capital Square Series, the Eisphyre. The Capital Square series seeks to capture the best of Madison in a bottle, and Eisphyre did just that, providing a sweet, strong beer full of hints of caramel and dried fruit that made Eisphyre not only the best dopplebock, but the best-reviewed beer of the semester. The newest installment in the series, the Imperial Dopplebock, is sweeter than its predecessor, and is certainly a delightful beer, but like many sequels, it cannot quite live up to the hype of the original. Like Eisphyre, Imperial Dopplebock is an overly sweet dopplebock, with the initial smell hinting at the blend of caramel and candi sugar on the inside. The beer is light, and despite its nine percent alcohol per volume, there is nary a taste of alcohol. Instead, you’re given

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.

Editorial Board Charles Brace Anthony Cefali Kathy Dittrich Nico Savidge Jamie Stark Todd Stevens Justin Stephani l

l

l

FRIDAY: cloudy hi 35º / lo 30º

l

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

l

l

l

l

l

© 2010, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398

an eminently drinkable dopplebock that seems well on its way to being one of the better beers of the semester. Unfortunately, as time goes on, Imperial Dopplebock’s luster wears off a bit. As the beer warms, the alcohol taste becomes apparent, and makes the sweetness slightly sickly. The beer is good for the first three quarters of the bottle, but its last few sips didn’t hold a candle to the rest of the bottle. If you’re a true beer connoisseur, and pride yourself on sampling a diversity of brews, then Imperial Dopplebock is a must-have. Like the other beers in the Capital Brewery series, less than 1000 barrels of the beer were brewed, and it will be years before Capital Brewery releases it again. That, along with finding a saccharine-sweet dopplebock that actually leaves the drinker satisfied makes Imperial a must-have. However, like Eisphyre, quality comes at a price.

Imperial Dopplebock retails at $11.99 for a four-pack, a prohibitive cost for cheap college students who can spend that much on a 30-pack of cheap beer. One idea is to coerce a beer-loving father or relative to go splitsies on a pack, so you can savor the flavor without your wallet taking too much of a hit. Whatever method you decide, try to get your hands on Imperial Dopplebock, before it disappears off the shelves for good.

Capital Brewery’s Capital Square Series Imperial Dopplebock $11.99 at Riley’s Wines of the World

WE WOULD NEVER MOVE THE DAILY CARDINAL RECRUITMENT MEETING BACK AN HOUR Riley’s now offers wine tote bags for customers purchasing 6 bottles, or more, of any wine we have in stock! They are durable, reusable, and

FREE!

Best of all, you’ll save 10% on your purchase!

For the record Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an e-mail to edit@dailycardinal.com.

With thousands of different wines in stock, selecting the right wine can be difficult. Let our in-house wine expert help you choose the right wine for any occasion!

COME WORK FOR

THE DAILY CARDINAL, AN ORGANIZATION THAT VALUES ITS EMPLOYEES

What: Daily Cardinal kickoff meeting When: 4 p.m. Friday, January 29 Where: 2195 Vilas Hall

PHOTO COURTESY NBC


dailycardinal.com/news

Thursday, January 21, 2010

l

news

3

Doyle pushes bill to oversee southeast transit projects Gov. Jim Doyle announced his plans Tuesday to create a Southeastern Regional Transit Authority aiming to improve rail and bus services between Milwaukee, Kenosha and Racine. “We now have a good, solid plan for a Southeastern Regional Transit Authority,” Doyle said in a statement. “We have the support of local communities, the support of legislators and the support of the state’s business leaders.” According to the Southeastern Wisconsin Coalition for Transit NOW, the plan includes the creation of a commuter rail line between

alison bauter/the daily cardinal

Residents and designers discuss two building proposals for hours.

commission from page 1 Hammes Co. President Robert Dunn said the public space needs to be improved significantly because the community does not currently use it. “It is as uninviting a public space as I can imagine,” he said. “No one has ever gone down there for the enjoyment of the space.” Community member John Martens said the public space would become too private. “This is not a public space. We expect more … it needs to feel more like a park than a hotel plaza,” he said. Gene Devitt, who lives near the Edgewater Hotel, also expressed his disapproval of private events in an area he called a “residential, quiet zone.” Additionally, the commission

moved to postpone initial approval of design plans for a new Target near Hilldale Mall due to traffic concerns. Commission members believe traffic moving west on University Avenue will have trouble making a left turn into the shopping center. Jaci Bell, a development manager for Target, revealed design plans for the store. The building will have a parking area on the ground level while the store will be located on the first floor, therefore using less space than typical Target stores. She said the parking area accommodates 350 vehicles. Ald. Chris Schmidt, Dist. 11, urged commission members to consider issues important to residents in the area: pedestrian traffic and sustainability.

Ceremony set for UW-Madison student killed over break The UW-Madison School of Social Work will hold a ceremony next week in remembrance of the UW-Madison student who was killed Dec. 31. Shanica Adkins was a UW-Madison senior majoring in social work and sociology when she was killed in Milwaukee on New Year’s Eve in a car accident caused by another driver who was allegedly fleeing the police at the time. According to a UW-Madison release, Adkins was also an active volun-

teer who spent her time working with children at the Boys and Girls Club and tutoring middle-school students in the Pre-College Enrichment Program for Learning Experience, a program Adkins formerly participated in as well. “Shanica knew that education was the key to achieving her dream of becoming a social worker,” Jacqueline DeWalt, director of PEOPLE, said. The ceremony is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 25, from 10-11:30 a.m. in Tripp Commons at Memorial Union.

New interim chancellor named for UW Colleges and UW-Extension Marv Van Kekerix is set to become the interim chancellor of UW Colleges and UW-Extension, the UW System announced Wednesday. Van Kekerix will replace previous UW Colleges and UW-Extension Chancellor David Wilson, who announced his resignation early last December. Wilson plans to become president of Morgan State University, located in Maryland. Van Kekerix will serve as chancellor until January 2011, accord-

ing to a statement. “We’re fortunate to have an interim leader who already understands these statewide networks, partnerships and diverse educational programs,” UW System President Kevin Reilly said in a statement. The UW System Board of Regents will vote on Van Kekerix’s final approval next month. He currently serves as the UW-Madison vice provost and dean of the Division of Continuing Studies.

Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee that is faster and features more frequent stops. Service on the rail line is planned to begin during 2012. Although Doyle said this project would create jobs and property tax relief, state Sen. Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn, said he believes taxpayers would carry the burden of the funding for the plan. “To me the acronym of RTA stands for regional taxing authority,” Kedzie said. “It is nothing but a huge taxing program that is used to subsidize the lack of ridership for programs such as mass transit and rail.”

Kedzie said the primary problem with the plan is that it “tries to reestablish the infrastructure, much of which we gave up decades ago at the cost to reinvest and rebuild lines.” Although Kedzie said he believes a better option would be to focus on the improvement of bus lines, Doyle said he is confident this will ultimately benefit the Milwaukee metro area. “Regional transit doesn’t just improve the way we move people and goods, it improves the overall economy in southeast Wisconsin.” —Ariel Shapiro

Wisconsin Supreme Court denies hearing to Zimmermann’s fiancé The Wisconsin Supreme Court will not hear the appeal of Jordan Gonnering, fiancé of slain UW-Madison college student Brittany Zimmermann. Gonnering will likely take the case to a lower appeals court where he can continue his attempt to recover damages from her death. Zimmermann’s fatal stabbing

by an unknown intruder in April 2008 provoked a firestorm of criticism when police did not respond to her call to the Dane County 911 Center for nearly an hour. Gonnering discovered his fianceé’s body in the apartment they shared. He is now suing the apartment’s management over security and Dane County for failing to

respond to Zimmermann’s 911 call before she died. Gonnering says because he and Zimmermann were engaged at the time, they were family, and therefore he is entitled to damages. However, the justices have disagreed and dismissed the case. The court’s refusal to hear the case sends it back to an appeals court, which has yet to rule.


opinion 4

l

dailycardinal.com/opinion

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Editorial Cartoon

By John Liesveld opinion@dailycardinal.com

Barrett, Walker should stop AWOL campaigns JAMIE STARK opinion columnist

P

King’s legacy of unity lives on through service By Danielle Harris MULTI-CULTURAL STUDENT COALITION

The Multi-Cultural Student Coalition is an alliance of students deeply committed to social justice and the principles of exclusivity, integrity, responsibility and respect. Naturally, we find that it is our duty to serve as an “umbrella organization” to provide a voice for students who relate to our mission. What makes this so beautiful is the variety of individuals who are able to find characteristics within themselves to identify with MCSC’s qualities. We are unique in the sense that we do not allow our differences to tear us apart, but instead to unite us. MCSC has decided to indulge in the opportunity to provide our united expressions via this regularly-printed column. We are student representatives of a collective, an organization that embodies the viewpoints of our mission’s followers. It is important to carefully amplify our perspective on various issues. We take such action in the hope that we will extend our knowledge of the past, express our reactions to current issues and attract a greater population to our historically influenced mission. The great Martin Luther King Jr. once stated that “Our lives begin to end the day

we become silent about things that matter.” This serves as an appropriate explanation for why our coalition exists and why you will see this column for the remainder of this semester. Dr. King’s teachings are part of the legacies, lessons and practices that have contributed to molding society into what it is today. Monday, Jan. 18 was a day nationally recognized as an American holiday in which we celebrate his contributions by dedicating the day to service. On this day, we each attempt to imitate what King devoted his entire life to.

Perhaps we should consider realigning our efforts toward aiding the individual and community simultaneously, as we cannot each succeed alone.

King has taught us to attack issues of social justice through service and acts of nonviolence. He dedicated tremendous effort toward transforming America into the “Beloved Community.” He imagined this to be filled with citizens devoted to the uplifting of our individual communities, to the empowerment of each

TODAY ON THE DAILY CARDINAL ONLINE Check out more commentary on the Massachusetts Senate election in The Daily Cardinal’s new opinion blog The Soapbox at dailycardinal.com

other and toward looking past any differences that may exist. As Americans who are inspired by King’s dream, we subconsciously attempt to contribute to the continuation of accomplishing what he has envisioned. Potential exists within each of us to be an asset toward his vision. Keeping King’s “Beloved Community” in mind, what are we doing today to uplift and empower each other? We have become known as the “Me Generation” with the stereotype of focusing on the upbringing of ourselves as individuals rather than ourselves as a population. Perhaps we should consider realigning our efforts toward aiding the individual and community simultaneously, as we cannot each succeed alone. Existing as a coalition brings so many advantages, extreme support and the opportunity to make such a great impact as long as it remains intact. MCSC attempts to advance King’s dream by enriching the UWMadison community as a coalition. We want our content in this column to open dialogue amongst students here at UW. This is a small measure in which we can embark in sharing our individual knowledge so that we may empower each other and further expand our cultural competence. This is an expansion of the Wisconsin Experience, a way for us to learn from each other without the use of the classroom. This proves that as UW students within this coalition, our knowledge is developed 24 hours a day. In dedication to King, it is only appropriate to close by quoting him. He once said, “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” Let us not forget the legacy that we have inherited from great leaders such as King. More importantly, let’s continue to provide additions to this legacy. Danielle Harris is a member of the Multi-Cultural Student Coalition. Please send all responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

erhaps it’s just my status as a perpetual political junkie, but I can’t help but complain about the absence of a noticeable gubernatorial race in this state. As the capital and second largest city in Wisconsin, we should expect more activity in Madison from the major candidates for governor. Recently, I haven’t heard anything besides fundraising pleas from Democrat Tom Barrett or Republican Scott Walker. Sheer inactivity pushed the underdog Republican right out of the race. Not long ago, I held out hope that Mark Neumann would have a chance at the Republican nomination, if only to make the general campaign about issues. But Neumann has done nothing visible to transfer the right’s momentum from Walker’s camp to his own. Anything at this point would be too little, too late. Goodbye, Neumann.

But money alone can’t buy a seat. Candidate image is still crucial.

I recently overheard a conversation between two liberals in which one said, “Tom Barrett’s website consists of two links: donate and volunteer.” The other replied, “Volunteer for what?” Too many voters aren’t sure who either candidate is, let alone their platforms. Even kooky Scott Walker has managed to tone down the antics and keep out of the media spotlight. But isn’t free media a primary goal of any politician? Plaster your face across newspapers and TVs so when those dummies get to the polls they pull the lever because they heard your name once or twice? Maybe Barrett and Walker are being smart by flying under the radar where video cameras can’t capture campaign-crushing gaffes. In silence, they can offer nearly exclusive attention to party hardliners, who donate and volunteer more when the campaign trail gets hot and heavy. Neither candidate wants to be in voters’ faces for so long that Wisconsinites hate everyone on Election Day. Walker and Barrett might as well spend this time racking up enormous bank accounts to spend closer to November. Last June, Walker already had $1.1 million in cash on hand. Barrett raised $750,000 in the first seven weeks of his campaign, making his total in the bank around $1.5 million. That kind of money will buy enough space to annoy the crap out of every Sconnie come November. Perhaps we are lucky the candidates are shying from the spotlight. But money alone can’t buy a seat. Candidate image is still crucial. Republican Scott Brown’s Tuesday win of Ted Kennedy’s former Senate seat is not an indicator that most

Americans don’t want health insurance reform, or that the Republicans will win big in the upcoming Congressional elections. The special election was one seat in one state, despite the possible consequences for all Americans. No matter how many outsiders annoyed Massachusetts residents with phone calls from foreign area codes, in the end, only Massachusetts voted. Massachusetts already has health care. They voted for Scott Brown as their senator for at least three years, not solely as a vote against national health insurance reform. But former naked Cosmo centerfold Scott Brown didn’t win because of the far-right conservatives waving “the tea party version of the American flag” at his victory speech. He won because he ran a better campaign. It seems elementary, because it is. All the more reason for me to be surprised by the lack of campaigning in Wisconsin. Whoever wants to win needs to thrust themselves out in the open and create a positive image in the eye of the moderate public. Martha Coakley lost to Brown not because she had more money or was a Democrat in Massachusetts, but largely because of a closed, aloof campaign image. She wouldn’t even answer a reporter’s interrogation as to what kind of candy she hands out for Halloween. Walker and Barrett should not associate themselves too closely with the overblown national trends falsely credited with the results in Massachusetts. Barrett must be his own man, not Obama’s protégé, and Walker would do best by distancing himself from the tea partiers. Such national phenomena seem louder than their weight because of the megaphone of the national media. The Republican Party is at no immediate risk of being cloven in two by the tea party. And President Obama is taking care of himself just fine. Even with überliberals breathing down his back and conservatives trying to tea bag him, his legislative accomplishment rate is the highest of any POTUS ever—96.7 percent, according to nonpartisan Congressional Quarterly.

Whoever wants to win needs to thrust themselves out in the open and create a positive image in the eye of the moderate public.

Wisconsin voters are timelessly independent—not in the sense that we love Ross Perot, but in the sense that we don’t always vote party line and are often swayed by individuals, not just national trends. Hopefully Tom Barrett can avoid entanglements with the national soap opera. If he can finally introduce himself effectively to the massive moderate majority of Wisconsin, he can easily pull a Scott Brown. And possibly even get a centerfold in Cosmo. Jamie Stark is a sophomore majoring in journalism and political science. Please send all responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.


arts Hustler’s Son lacks simple structure dailycardinal.com/arts

Thursday, January 21, 2010

By Todd Stevens

and the Mystic Valley Band. The folk-heavy song “Hand of God” in When associated with a suc- particular would have been right cessful act, it can be hard to break at home in Oberst’s catalogue, and out of its shadow and make it on it clicks pretty well for Boesel, too, your own. Just ask Conan O’Brien. though its lack of originality doesn’t Anybody in this scenario is always help its cause. faced with the rock-and-a-hardBoesel makes sure to show his place dilemma of the need to find Rilo Kiley classic pop influences as a unique style while making use of well on tracks like “French Kissing” the strengths that made past col- and “Miracles” but here fails to bring laborations so successful. the same level of ease and comfort One of the latest musicians to face seen on “Hand of God.” It doesn’t this quandary is Jason help that Boesel’s CD REVIEW Boesel, drummer for strengths simply Rilo Kiley and Bright are not tailored Eyes, among others. for these kinds On his new album of songs. Boesel Hustler’s Son, Boesel is a talented lyridoes his best to carve cist, which is one out his own niche reason why he from all his associslips into Oberst’s Hustler’s Son ated acts and colmold so easily, but Jason Boesel leagues, but what he his songwriting ends up with instead talents don’t quite seems more like a collage that tries allow him to create a full, deep to encompass them all, mostly to the sound like “Miracles” tries to pull album’s detriment, both in original- off. He also doesn’t have the benefit ity and construction. of Jenny Lewis’ seductively adorable Part of that collage is no doubt voice, which helps redeem some of due in part to a substantial number Rilo Kiley’s weaker efforts. Instead, of appearances Boesel’s buddies make Boesel’s voice sounds like an amalon the album. Bright Eyes’ Nate gamation of M.Ward and Dan Bern, Walcott, Rilo Kiley’s Blake Sennett which is perfectly compatible with and The Elected’s Mike Bloom all his sound but doesn’t allow him to show up in various capacities, and lift any tracks up to a different level. while most of their contributions are It’s when Boesel strips his songs minor, they make a noticeable dif- down to the bare minimum that ference. Boesel’s ties to these projects Hustler’s Son is most successful. are clear from the album’s sound, The standout track, “Was It, Man,” particularly the Conor Oberst proj- begins with nothing but Boesel and ects he has worked on, Bright Eyes his guitar, gradually adding accom-

THE DAILY CARDINAL

paniment until it reaches the most subtle crescendo and decrescendo imaginable. “New World Mama” also ups the quality a bit with its similar skin and bones feel and mellow, peaceful tone. Hustler’s Son actually could have been an excellent acoustic album if Boesel had just been a little less ambitious and stuck with this style. But ultimately the biggest problem with Hustler’s Son is a troublesome paradox. Boesel has created a playlist made out of seemingly disparate pieces from various influences that just don’t

mesh, yet somehow everything still blurs together with even the standout songs getting lost in the fray. The entire album lacks the focus needed to create some level of cohesion, and if Boesel can’t stop himself from straying over the course of one album, it’s hard to expect any listener to do better. Drifting from the spare “New World Mama” to the heavier “Miracles” to the Randy Newman-inspired title track, then switching to the Southwestern staccato musings of “Getting Healthy (Good Luck)” is a recipe

l

5

for awkward bemusement, not a quality solo album. While the lack of a personal unique sound doesn’t help Hustler’s Son, the fatal flaw is simple structure. What Boesel has created with this album is something akin to a city bus. Certain songs make it look like the album is really rolling, but it always ends up taking a stop that breaks up the momentum, almost like clockwork. Maybe buses work well for Boesel, but in this case, he probably should have taken a taxi instead.

PHOTO COURTESY WARNER BROS. RECORDS

Jason Boesel is best known for his work as the drummer in Rilo Kiley, but after the disappointing lack of originality in his latest solo endeavor, perhaps that’s where he should have exclusively stayed.

Four understated cinematic gems that should make a Madison appearance DAN SULLIVAN sullivan’s travels

M

adison’s cinema scene is excellent, relatively speaking. On any given weekend, no fewer than four local venues are playing films worth watching. Four Star Video Heaven (on North Henry Street) is the most inexhaustible movie rental joint I’ve ever patronized. For the outrageous price of $0.00, the Cinematheque continually provides us with opportunities to see films we’ll probably never again be able to see. The Wisconsin Film Festival begins on April 15 and it promises to be as stacked with must-sees as it is every year. If you’ve got an insatiable appetite for cinema, Madison is one of the better places you could be living at the moment. But in the interest of combating complacency, the following ought to be said: We can do better. Having undertaken a couple of excursions to New York City— which remains the film capital of North America, obscene ticket prices notwithstanding—over the break, I’ve returned to Madison with a shortlist of recent films that I’d like to see playing here at some point this semester. These four films aren’t out on DVD yet, though at least one of them will be very soon. All four are or seem to be (I’ve only seen two of the four) significant achievements that Madison audiences deserve an opportunity to catch on the big screen. 1. “35 Shots of Rum” – This sensuous slow-burner, directed by Claire

Denis, tracks a series of subtle changes in the relationship between a Parisian metro conductor and his newly womanlike daughter. Denis’ reputation in the U.S. is unfortunately restricted, for the most part, to critics and the occasional scholar; I say “unfortunately” because she’s responsible for some of the most dynamic and mysterious cinema of the last 20 years. “35 Shots of Rum” is said to present an incredibly affecting image of the contemporary family: multicultural, lower-middleclass, fractured and healed several times over. I haven’t seen it, but because I’m pretty familiar with the rest of Denis’ awesome oeuvre, I can confidently say that Madison would benefit from this film coming here, and I’m not just saying that because I want to see it very, very badly.

The works may speak to a select few, yet what they say and how they say it are sometimes immeasurably important.

2. “The White Ribbon” – The latest film by Austrian director Michael Haneke won the Palme d’Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival by out-crueling the rest of its extraordinarily brutal competitors. However, the cruelty of “The White Ribbon” isn’t nearly as graphic as that of those other films, most of which likely won’t make it out here ever (with the notable exception of Lars von Trier’s “Antichrist,” which already played at the Orpheum in December). Instead of overloading our moral circuitry by forcing us to confront the violence

that resides in our collective unconscious, Haneke patiently builds a convincing case that the line between “puritan” and “psychopath” is terribly thin. “The White Ribbon” is a Sony Pictures Classics property, leading me to believe that it may arrive here within the next few months. Let’s hope so: It’s both intellectually rewarding and visually striking—just the sort of film that Madison audiences deserve. 3. “Police, Adjective” – If you didn’t already know, Romania has been putting together a world-renowned national cinema over the course of the last decade. Corneliu Porumboiu, the writer and director of “Police, Adjective,” is at the forefront of the movement that has, somewhat unfortunately, been named the “Romanian New Wave.” “Police, Adjective” is really funny, really smart and really cleverly constructed. Through a series of meandering street scenes, long takes in offices that render tangible the metaphysical activity present in even life’s dullest moments, and philosophical conversations that take their sweet time arriving at firm propositions about language and ethics, “Police, Adjective” is like an episode of “Law and Order” written by a tag team of Jim Jarmusch and Ludwig Wittgenstein. It’s a film of ideas, and those ideas are conveyed in a wonderfully accessible and wry way. 4. “The Wild Grass” – This, the latest and perhaps last work by legendary French director Alain Resnais (who’s 87 years old), is distinct from the other three films discussed here in that it hasn’t been

distributed theatrically in the U.S. since playing at the 2009 New York Film Festival in September. Resnais is a towering figure in the history of cinema—a contemporary of the French New Wave, an innovative modernist and an unapologetic formalist—and “The Wild Grass” is said to be a complete summation of his thematic and aesthetic concerns from the 1940s on to the present. The film is another Sony Pictures Classics property, so it may come here sometime after its initial run

in NYC. Fingers crossed. Obviously the potential audiences for these four films would be relatively limited, even in a culture-curious town like Madison. But that’s the thing about any artistic vanguard. The works may speak to a select few, yet what they say and how they say it are sometimes immeasurably important. Any films missing from this list you want to see playing in Madison? E-mail Dan with suggestions at dasullivan@wisc.edu.


comics 6

l

They should have called it “The Wisconsin Chainsaw Massacre” The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was originally entitled “Headcheese” but was changed at the last minute. dailycardinal.com/comics

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Driving Past a Car Wreck Without Looking

Today’s Sudoku

Evil Bird

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

© Puzzles by Pappocom

Ludicrous Linguistics

By Celia Donnelly donnelly.celia@gmail.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.

Sid and Phil Classic

By Alex Lewein alex@sidandphil.com

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

The Graph Giraffe Classic

Charlie and Boomer

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

By Natasha Soglin soglin@wisc.edu

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com Melancholy Shade

ACROSS 1 Cause wrinkles 7 “Como ___ usted?” 11 Black-eyed edible 14 Alternative to digital 15 Designating K-12 16 Befitting 17 Attire for manual workers? 19 What Eve was created from 20 “The Hobbit” character 21 Dot on an ocean map 22 Turn toward 23 Barely manage (with “out”) 24 ___ Diego, Calif. 26 King of classical tragedy 28 Academic period 30 500 sheets of paper 32 Unable to react, as helium 33 Acquire, as expenses 35 Shooting marble 36 Editing implements 38 Scottish property owner 39 Rich pastry 40 Karate acquisitions 41 Surrender formally 42 Trader’s word

46 Type of sculpture (Var.) 48 Banned insecticide (Abbr.) 50 “Blame It on ___” (Caine film) 51 “I ___ debt of gratitude to ...” 52 Semicircular part of a church 54 Buenos ___, Argentina 56 Blob of used gum 57 Some county fair awards 59 Big Apple inst. 60 Get one’s dander up 61 An evening party 62 Clairvoyance initials 63 Jewish month before Nisan 64 Tree-trunk growths DOWN 1 Carpentry groove 2 Different from 3 Jack Dempsey, aka the Manassa ___ 4 Common person 5 Madmen, in Mexico 6 Swellhead’s problem 7 Electrified swimmers 8 Downhill ski race 9 “... and baby makes ___”

0 “___ for apple” 1 11 Low walls 12 Food connoisseur 13 If all goes right 18 Batting order at Fenway Park, e.g. 22 Closing scenes 25 Traveled like a tennis lob 27 Finger or toe 29 Citizen’s army 31 Ragged mountain ridge 34 Nightingale or Barton 35 Having lots of land 36 Shaped into orbs 37 One placing auction bids 38 Tolerances 40 “Doctor, My Eyes” singer Jackson 41 Linking verb 43 Fielding boo-boos 44 One whose property is claimed, legally 45 Team stat 47 Well-founded 49 Off-limits 53 Crystal-ball consulter 55 Sacred wading bird of the pharaohs 57 Lingerie purchase 58 “Skeptic” or “cynic” follower

Washington and the Bear

By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com


sports

dailycardinal.com/sports

Thursday, January 21, 2010

l

7

Women’s Basketball

Wisconsin looks to continue climb up Big Ten ladder

By Mark Bennett THE DAILY CARDINAL

Prior to the start of the season, the Wisconsin women’s basketball team was picked to finish as low as 10th in Big Ten. Those early expectations are something the team has not forgotten. “I think that infused us with this ability to play with toughness and some grittiness,” junior forward Tara Steinbauer said. “We’ve

essentially played with a chip on our shoulder all season, and that’s one of our biggest assets so far.” An asset indeed. Wisconsin has blown all preseason expectations out of the water and currently sits in third place in the Big Ten. Additionally, with the release of the latest Associated Press poll, the Badgers find themselves just one spot out of the top 25.

LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Junior forward Tara Steinbauer (left) is second on the team with 8.5 points per game this season.

michigan from page 8 minutes before tallying another point and finally reaching seven points just before the 12th minute had passed. “If you’re not hitting shots, it’s called a slow start,” Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said after his team hit just 34 percent of its shots. “It wasn’t like we weren’t making them guard ... but in every game there are those spells, we’ve talked about this

denver from page 8 when a last-second goal tied it and a turnover turned to a quick Pioneer score in the extra period. Before that weekend, the Badgers still had a chance to win the WCHA, but instead they dropped five of their last six in the regular season, losing to Denver once more in the conference tournament to miss the NCAAs by the slimmest of margins. The DU-Wisconsin rivalry has recently been a quirky one, as both teams have been strong in each other’s building and both coaches, Eaves and George Gwozdecky, were teammates on the Badgers’ 1977 championship team. So the question is, can the Badgers’ take that step? If it’s going to happen, this is the moment. After Denver comes No. 4 Duluth, but the journey back to the top starts Friday night. “We have more games after this weekend ... but [this series] is an important part because of where these teams stand,” Eaves said. In a few days at the Kohl Center, destiny awaits. Think this weekend the Badgers can channel the 2008 team that upset Denver in the tournament? Let Ben know, or set him straight about something else at breiner@wisc.edu.

a million times. It could have been with five minutes to go in the half that the other team goes on a 10-0 run or a 8-0 run or a 10-2 run. In this case it happened early.” But the Badgers closed the gap and, after the 5:30 mark, finished the half with an 8-0 run to cut an 11-point deficit down to three. For Michigan’s top two players, the game yielded a pair of decidedly contrasting nights. The Badgers had no answer

Thursday night, the Badgers have a shot to win their fifth straight conference matchup and claim possession of second place in the Big Ten with a win over Penn State. Even with the success and recognition these recent weeks have brought, the team is keeping a focused attitude heading into tonight’s game. “We’re just going to do the same thing, work hard, and then go out there and compete like we usually do,” senior guard Rae Lin D’Alie said. Yet the Badgers have their hands full facing Penn State. Wisconsin has the task of defending the second highest scorer in the conference in senior guard Tyra Grant, who is averaging 19.7 points per game. Grant and the rest of the Nittany Lions will be up against the top defense in the Big Ten, however, and the 11th best in the nation. The Badgers allow only 52.2 points per game—almost four fewer per game than the next best defense, Purdue. But Wisconsin sits at the bottom of the conference in scoring offense, despite its 5-3 record. “I think this is a great sign that defense really does win games,” Steinbauer said. “We’ve known what kind of defensive team we are and we stick to those principles, and I think that’s the key for why we’re where we’re at right now.”

On the offensive side of the ball, freshman guard Taylor Wurtz has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second consecutive week. Wurtz has made the most of her playing time and currently leads the team in field goal percentage, while placing ninth best in that category in the Big Ten. Cheering on Wurtz and the rest of the Badgers Sunday night were over 8,000 fans, but there has generally been a lack of students at

most home games throughout the year. So why should the students come out to support their team? “I would just say it’s fun,” Steinbauer said. “We have a blast on and off the court, and it would be great. It would honestly give us such an energy boost.” Additionally, Thursday night is student night, which means free admission for every student and free pizza while supplies last. The game tips off at 7 p.m. at the Kohl Center.

for Sims most of the game as he wreaked havoc down low, spinning past junior forward Keaton Nankivil and freshman forward Ryan Evans on multiple occasions and drawing contact seemingly at will. He finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds while often venturing to the high post to facilitate John Beilein’s offense. For Michigan junior swing man Manny Harris, the evening was far more challenging, as junior forward

Tim Jarmusz made him work hard for the open looks he got. “He does that, he understands what it takes to be successful defensively, positioning, angles,” Ryan said. “He does a great job of that, and he did a great job tonight, because we all know how good Manny is.” Harris came in as the top scorer in the Big Ten, averaging nearly 20 points per game, but left Madison with only 11 on 29-percent shooting.

After the game, Beilein was not shy in complimenting the opponent that prevented his squad from matching a season-high three-game winning streak. “They have a great team, and they have a system where they don’t beat themselves, and that is why they win whether they’re at home or away,” Beilein said. “They don’t beat themselves and they didn’t beat themselves today. They just do the right things.”

LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Freshman guard Taylor Wurtz presents Wisconsin’s greatest longrange threat, shooting 45.3 percent from behind the arc.


sports 8

l

dailycardinal.com/sports

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Men’s Basketball

Denver series huge chance for UW hockey

Badgers squeak past Wolverines RECAP

Behind Hughes, UW overcomes early deficit for a 54-48 victory By Ben Breiner THE DAILY CARDINAL

Every game, Trevon Hughes wears the number three across the chest of his jersey. After nights like Wednesday against Michigan he might need to trade that three for a Superman “S.” Hughes came up big in the second half, leading the Badgers (5-2 Big Ten, 15-4 overall) to a 54-48 comeback win over the Wolverines (3-3, 10-8) before a raucous crowd at the Kohl Center. The Badgers could not have gotten off to a worse start, but their lead guard, with an assist from teammate Rob Wilson, led the way for the comeback. “I had to get a spark and get something going, that’s all it was,” Hughes said. “I know my teammates feed off of that. I’m not much of a vocal leader, but I do show my aggression out on the court, and I believe my teammates

feed off it.” With the game knotted at 43, Hughes took the reins of the offense. First he dropped a long 2-pointer after Wilson rebounded his missed layup and fed him in the corner to give the Badgers their first lead of the game. After a missed 3-pointer from Michigan senior forward DeShawn Sims, Hughes found himself far beyond the arc with the shot clock winding down. He waved off his teammates to take sophomore guard Zack Novak one-on-one, attacked, appeared to be stopped and suddenly burst down the lane, leaning in to kiss a layup off the glass. Hughes finished with 16 second-half points. The surprise of the night, however, was Wilson, who dropped 11 of his 13 points after the break, mostly scoring around the basket and splashing a key long-range shot to keep his team close. “We see glimpses of it in practice, we know he’s a great player,” Hughes said. “Any time he comes over to the main squad, he doesn’t bring it. It took him all season to come out and play with us today. We needed it.” “Today’s the day I broke out of the shell I guess,” Wilson added. Wilson had never scored more than nine points in a game but

BEN BREINER boom goes the breinamite

S

KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Senior guard Trevon Hughes scored a team-high 20 points to lead Wisconsin’s comeback against Michigan. drew a crucial foul and hit both free throws in the final minute to put his team up six. For much of the night, however, it looked like Wisconsin would have a tough time ever getting a lead. The Badgers suffered through

quite probably their worst start of the season as the offense struggled mightily to convert its open looks. Six minutes in, Wisconsin scored its first basket, taking three more michigan page 7

Wisconsin trudging along without Leuer’s presence ANALYSIS By Nick Schmitt THE DAILY CARDINAL

The effect of junior forward Jon Leuer’s hiatus was in plain sight Wednesday night and put Wisconsin in an unfamiliar place at the Kohl Center—trailing its opponent. The Badgers’ ice-cold start gave Michigan the opportunity to

build up a sizeable lead on No. 19 Wisconsin and forced head coach Bo Ryan’s team to play uncharacteristically, which was also the case at Northwestern and Ohio State. Since Leuer went out with the wrist injury the Badgers have tended to fall back on their 3-point shot because of difficulties getting the ball into the paint. Junior forward Keaton Nankivil has the size and strength to lace up with some of the better

KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Junior forward Keaton Nankivil scored 10 points last night but shot only 3-of-11 from the field during Wisconsin’s victory.

post players in the conference, but sometimes he lacks the aggression or hesitates to take the defender one on one. When the Badgers are in the position of playing from behind, Ryan’s formula to stay in the game is very simple: Play strong defense and get the ball in the paint. “Defensively you just need to keep going toe to toe and give yourself a chance, just hang in there, and that’s all we kept talking about,” he said after the win. “Offensively, we gave Keaton his chances, and he’s going to bury somebody sometime if they keep that five-man back there in the paint. “But there’s different ways to get the ball into the post, a pass or a dribble. We got the ball into the post several times tonight, a lot of times on penetration, and those ended up creating opportunities.” Whether it was the back-to-school blues or just rust, it took Wisconsin almost the whole first half to stop throwing up 3s and show Michigan it has a post game. The Badgers shot a miserable 10 percent from behind the arc in the first half and 4-of-24, or 16.7 percent, for the game. Wisconsin missed six straight 3s within the first four minutes of the game and had the Kohl Center crowd very uneasy. In the three games without Leuer, the Badgers relied on the 3-point shot a bit more than usual. They took 24 in the win against Northwestern, 26 in the loss to Ohio State and 24 last night against the Wolverines. Wisconsin averaged 20.5 attempts in its first four Big Ten games with Leuer in the lineup. “We’re just going to keep finding

ways [to win],” Ryan said about the increase in 3-point shots. “Could be 10 the next time, could be 40 the next time, whatever the defense is going to give us.” Senior guard Trevon Hughes wouldn’t say they’re depending too much on the 3-ball, but conceded it may seem like that. “It looked [like we’re relying on the 3], and we’re going to have to change that, we know that. We have to stay disciplined and play Wisconsin basketball, which is getting into the post and shooting more free throws [than our opponents].” It wasn’t until the late moments of the second half that the Badgers’ post penetration started to produce open looks. After Hughes hit a jumper with 3:07 remaining, the Badgers had their first lead of the night, and the swagger of that team that beat Duke and Purdue finally showed up. And if the Badgers have one constant in Leuer’s absence, it’s Hughes, who played hero again and took over in crunch time. He’s averaging 18 points over the last three games. Michigan’s collapse couldn’t have come at a worse time. After the upset over Connecticut, the Wolverines were riding high, but they could not hold it together to hand the Badgers their first home defeat. “We played hard for so long, but we couldn’t get some shots to drop, and they hit some really timely, tough shots down the stretch and got to the foul line on us,” Michigan head coach John Beilein said. “Those were the keys.” The win marks Ryan’s sixth straight win over Beilein at the Kohl Center and is his 99th Big Ten victory.

i nce hoisting the NCAA trophy in 2006, the Badger men’s hockey team has always seemed to be just a bit less than the sum of its parts. The squad was deep with talent for three seasons but languished at the edge of the NCAA tournament field, often too young and never quite able to translate a juggernaut on paper onto the ice. Those three years featured two springs spent at home during tournament time and one where it took “the perfect storm,” according to their coach, for the Badgers to just nab the last al-large spot. Well, not this year. Wisconsin sits at No. 3 in the polls and No. 4 in the Pairwise rankings, finally delivering on all that potential and with a chance to return to their perch as a member of the sport’s elite class. The Scott Gudmandson-Brett Bennett goaltender rotation has given Wisconsin its best numbers in net since Hobey Baker finalist Brian Elliott departed Madison. Junior defenseman Brendan Smith has filled the shoes of last season’s top scorer, Jamie McBain, stepping into the role of top offensive defender quarterback on the power play and climbing into the upper echelon of WCHA point scoring.

Now comes the hard part, the part where a destiny is realized and the team goes from very good to truly great.

One could look at senior forward Blake Geoffrion’s 15 goals (a career high), senior forward Ben Street’s comeback season and junior Ryan McDonagh anchoring the blue line, but it would take too long to highlight every skater having a strong season. Just note that head coach Mike Eaves has 15 forwards to choose his four lines from and has a fourth pair of defensemen (only three dress) who played over half the Badgers’ games last year. The team ranks second in the country in scoring, seventh in goals allowed and, oh yeah, has only one loss since the calendar rolled over from November to December. But now comes the hard part, the part where a destiny is realized and the team goes from very good into truly great. And it all starts with No. 1 Denver. Last year the Badgers stood at a similar point, a bit later in the year, with a chance to dash to a top-10 finish and into the tournament. “We were in a defining moment last year as well. We had six games at the end of the year that could have projected us into the top, and it was a series with Denver that was a turning point for us.” Eaves said. “So once again, we’re here.” Wisconsin lost the first game denver page 7


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.