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Weekend, February 15-17, 2008

Five students killed in shooting at N. Illinois University By Jillian Levy THE DAILY CARDINAL

A man opened fire on students at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill., less than 105 miles away from Madison, injuring 16 and killing five Thursday, according to university officials. The gunman entered Cole Hall around 3 p.m. and used multiple guns to shoot students sitting in the large classroom, according to Justin Smith, online editor at the Northern Star, the campus newspaper. After wounding several students, the gunman shot and killed himself. Officials at NIU said the gunman was a former graduate student at NIU. His identity has not yet been released. Students on campus at the time of the shooting were alerted that the campus was on lockdown and classes were canceled for the remainder of the day. Police responded to the call within two minutes, according the Star. Mike Centracco, a NIU freshman, said he was in the neighboring building DuSable at the time of the shootings and did not realize something was wrong until he saw students crowding around windows. “I went to the window to check what was BRANDON LAUFENBURG/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, left, and former President Bill Clinton, right, both campaigned in Madison Thursday. Huckabee said he hoped to win in Wisconsin despite U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., leading in delegates. Clinton’s speech focused on health care.

Gov. Huckabee still conﬁdent, determined to remain in race

Bill Clinton focuses on policies, says Hillary has best record

By Megan Orear

By Solly Kane

THE DAILY CARDINAL

Republican presidential candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee emphasized his determination to stay in the race Thursday at the Concourse Hotel in downtown Madison. After being introduced by Tim Michels, who ran against U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, DWis., in 2004, Huckabee acknowledged the liberal atmosphere of Madison and jokingly called the city “the conservative bastion of Wisconsin.” Despite the strong lead U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., currently has in the delegate count, Huckabee said he refuses to withdraw his nomination and admit defeat at this point. “We’re not ready to just simply say ‘game over’ because, folks, it’s not only just about the delegates. It’s also about the message that we send for America,” Huckabee said. Huckabee said he hoped Wisconsin conservatives would vote based on the message they believe in and not simply “rubber stamp the media’s anointing of John McCain.” He also said the states he has won would be important for their Republican support in the November election, and until someone has 1,191 delegates, the race is still up for grabs. Huckabee said he had a

plan to ﬁx the nation’s tax system with his “FairTax” proposal, his support of a “human life” anti-abortion amendment to the Constitution, his intention to achieve energy independence in 10 years and his plan to secure the United States’ borders. “I think it would be a great disservice to the country and to my own party to just give up and quit because it looks like the numbers are trending toward John McCain at this particular stage,” Huckabee said. Although Huckabee might not have great odds of winning the Republican nomination, the rally proved he still has strong supporters. Luther Landon, a resident and Republican activist from Illinois, said he supported Huckabee’s policies and said there was a need for a Republican candidate who is not a typical politician. “I think it’s time we get somebody who’s not a party regular who has been waiting his turn to run for president,” Landon said. Madison resident Jim Schmitz also said he admired Huckabee for his conservative views. “He is the only true conservative and fundamental Christian candidate left, and that goes a long way with me,” Schmitz said.

shooting page 3

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THE DAILY CARDINAL

Former President Bill Clinton spoke to a crowd of UW-Madison students and community members Thursday, campaigning for his wife, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. At the rally in the UWMadison Stock Pavilion, titled “Solutions for America,” Clinton spoke for about an hour on many of Sen. Clinton’s plans. Event organizers estimated the attendance was nearly 2,000 people. He said he had confidence in her to succeed and that Sen. Clinton has solutions to empower the American people. “You have to decide whether you want your president to be in the solution business. Because if you do, she has better solutions and a better record of making change,” former President Clinton said. Bill Clinton’s speech included specific issues like health care, education, the economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Clinton said Sen. Clinton is committed to increasing opportunity for higher education in the country. College costs are going up faster than inflation, according to Clinton. Bill Clinton asked for support before the Wisconsin primary Tuesday. He also said Sen.

Clinton’s plans for health care were more comprehensive than her opponents’. “The next president has a responsibility to the United States, a moral responsibility and an economic one,” Clinton said, “to finally stop making excuses for why America can’t find a universal, affordable, quality healthcare system and give us one.” Clinton also said millions could be saved in health-care costs if electronic medical records were used. UW-Madison law student Millicend Bond said Bill Clinton’s willingness to talk specifics resonated with her. “The major difference [between Clinton’s speech and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.] was he talked about issues and he talked specifically about ways Sen. Clinton hopes to implement changes,” she said. UW-Madison sophomore Sarah Jones said the attention Wisconsin has received from the national candidates is empowering for students. Jones said she also liked how the specifics of Sen. Clinton’s agenda were outlined in the speech. “When I went to Obama I felt like I was at a giant pep rally. Barack Obama stresses change so much, but Hillary Clinton has already changed the world,” Jones said.

Celebrities visit Madison to campaign for Obama By Katrina Rust THE DAILY CARDINAL

Two celebrities stumped for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., at the Obama campaign office located at Laundry 101 on West Gilman Street Thursday. “Superman Returns” stars Brandon Routh and Kal Penn shared how Obama has inspired them with a crowd of students and community members gathered among laundry machines. “I have never been as inspired by anyone probably since my grandparents marched with Gandhi,” Penn said. A self-proclaimed cynic and Independent, Penn became an Obama supporter after the presidential hopeful’s inspirational keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Routh encouraged students to put aside political apathy and get involved in the political process. “This is not really politics we’re talking about, this is an investment in my future,” Routh said. “You may not like what everyone says, you may not like every politician, but there are people celebrities page 3

CHRISTOPHER GUESS/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Actors Kal Penn and Brandon Routh spoke to students at Laundry 101 Thursday night.

“…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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Kiera sports superpowers, spandex tights

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News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Jill Klosterman Managing Editor Jamie McMahon News Editor Jillian Levy Campus Editor Amanda Hoffstrom Abby Sears City Editor State Editor Charles Brace Opinion Editors Rachel Sherman Mark Thompson Arts Editors Emma Condon Ryan Hebel Sports Editors Nate Carey Ryan Reszel Features Editor Sarah Nance Food Editor Marly Schuman Science Editor Jennifer Evans Photo Editors Jacob Ela Amanda Salm Graphics Editors Meg Anderson Matt Riley Copy Chiefs Andrew Dambeck Al Morrell Gabe Ubatuba Copy Editors Eunice Abraham Ben Breiner, Anthony Cefali Luke Davis, Mitra Jalali Mario Puig, Jake Victor

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KIERA WIATRAK taking kiera business

’ve spent my years so far trying to get good grades, be nice to people and somehow avoid failing at life. But whenever I watch some superhero movie or hear about someone saving the world from whatnot, I think about how dull my life is in comparison. The solution, obviously, is a superhuman alter-ego, but after giving it a lot of thought, I don’t think I’d want to be the one saving the world. I’d rather be the villain. It’s just that the superheroes are so cliché. It’s always, “The world is such a beautiful place, I’m so in love with everyone and my butt looks so cute in my bat/spider/aardvark tights.” Blah. Blah. Blah. Villains, on the other hand, always display unprecedented ingenuity. To even be penciled into a superheroes date book, a villain must prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he is capable

of total world destruction, or at least taking over a major metropolitan city. Superheroes only have to stop them, which involves no creativity whatsoever. The villains have to formulate a plan, execute it and ﬁght the resistance. It’s no wonder the villains are defeated every time—superheroes only enter the picture at the tip of the iceberg that the villains have constructed. The villains lose not because they’re untalented or evil; they’re just exhausted. Villains are generally more powerful, more colorful and overall just more awesome than superheroes, which is why I want a super-villain alter-ego. It’s not that I want everyone to die or anything drastic like that, I’d just want to stir things up a bit, make my mark, maybe avenge the box of crayons my parents threw out in the third grade. She would have light blue skin, purple hair and the ability to ﬁt into every size of every brand of clothing. She’d be irresistible to both men and women, but also really scary, so everyone would have to do what she said all the time even if they had been

dating her long enough that they had numbed to her puppy face. Her superpower, in addition to invisibility, ﬂying, x-ray vision and all that good stuff, would be getting people to give her things. She would just have to look at whoever, bat her eyelashes and whatever she wanted would be hers, free of charge. I’m not talking about just gold and diamonds, I’m thinking countries. You know, start out with something small, like a third-worlder with a tumultuous government, and then move on to all of Europe. Of course, a sidekick would be mandatory for such presumptuous undertakings. First and foremost, she’d have to be ugly so that I would look even more beautiful in comparison. I’d equip her with at least 250 pounds of extra fat, a few boils scattered all over her face and replace her genitals with Star Wars memorabilia, just to be mean. I’d call myself “Yeah, Just Try To Stop Me Woman” and name my sidekick “I’m With Her.” Together, we’d take over the world, one country at a time, and no superhero could stop us

because we’re just cool like that. But most importantly, as Yeah, Just Try To Stop Me Woman, I’d make sure that the world saw me for who I was beyond my flaws of evil, worlddominating intentions. Rarely do people consider the villain’s perspective. Maybe her parents were really mean to her. Maybe that guy should really have thought twice before he dumped her. Maybe that box of crayons was the only thing she loved in this world. No, all they can focus on is her murderous temper, destructive nature and all the nations she left in shambles. While I do recognize that the chances of my villain alter-ego materializing are highly unlikely, sometimes I wonder if Yeah, Just Try To Stop Me Woman is actually flying overhead, and whether or not she’ll take the time to stop and check in with her human alter-ego before she becomes the first villain to claim victory over a superhero, and succeed in taking over the world. If you’ve put on some weight recently and want to apply to be Kiera’s sidekick, e-mail her at wiatrak@wisc.edu.

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DoIT YOURSELF. UW-Madison’s Division of Information Technology posted details to conﬁgure iPhone and iPod Touch Mail to interact with Wiscmail and WiscCal accounts on its website Thursday. Log on to www.doit.wisc.edu to set up your account. Weekend, February 15-17, 2008

By Amanda Hoffstrom THE DAILY CARDINAL

KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

David Willey, an instructor of physics at the University of Pittsburgh, blows ﬁre in a demonstration lecture.

Obama stresses student vote THE DAILY CARDINAL

National presidential campaign organizers for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., stressed the importance of the youth and student volunteer movement Thursday before the Wisconsin primary on Feb. 19. Obama National Campaign Manager Steve Hildebrand said via teleconference a record number of college-age voters voted in this years’ 30 state primaries so far. He credited the ambition and quick mobilization of students at universities and colleges nationwide for their dedication and commitment to efﬁcient action. Utilizing online social networks like Facebook, students at UWMadison and across the country have

used the “event” feature to inform, invite and conﬁrm attendance at signmaking meetings and rallies to support the Obama campaign. Wisconsin coordinator for Students for Obama Bryon Eagon said the groups only had 72 hours to organize Tuesday’s Obama “Rally for Change” at the Kohl Center. However, through Facebook groups, mass e-mails, word of mouth and last-minute ﬂyers, Eagon said the rally hosted the largest crowd for a primary election event the venue has ever had. Danielle Gray, deputy national policy director for the campaign, said the outpouring of support for Obama could be because several of his proposed policies are made with the interests of college stu-

UHS budgets for relocation, Rec. Sports for track and locker replacements

Blowing smoke

By Staci Taustine

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dents at heart. She said Obama’s college affordability plan, national service plan and health-care initiative all focus on real issues that affect the lives of college students. From reducing the strain of student loans to tuition assistance for participation in programs like Peace Corps, Obama’s ideas are stirring great support from younger generations, Gray said. Speaking on Obama’s behalf, Hildebrand said the presidential hopeful felt he got his launch from students who made contributions during the Iowa caucuses and that all their help is appreciated. “There are no more motivated electorates than young voters,” Hildebrand said.

The Associated Students of Madison Student Services Finance Committee heard the budget presentations of University Health Services, Recreational Sports and the ASM bus passes Thursday. Susan Crowley, interim executive director at UHS, said the theme of its projected budget for 2008-’09—with a use of $11.3 million in student fees—was change. Budget increases for UHS include a change in leadership, a move to a new facility at University Square in December 2008 and a conversion from paper to electronic medical records. Crowley said it was hard to predict the amount of student trafﬁc at the new UHS facility, but staff is anticipating a 10-percent increase because of its proximity to campus. Lisa Learish, Rec. Sports senior accountant, said major expenses in the 2008-’09 budget include $75,000 to replace the SERF track and nearly $442,000 to replace SERF lockers. “A large part of the segregated fee that we take in is actually given back to the students in the form of salaries to run the facilities,” she said. Rec. Sports’ budget estimates the use of nearly $2 million in student fees,

which equals slightly more than half its total budget. The bus pass budget includes funding for an agreement with Madison Metro, daytime campus bus routes, SAFEcab and SAFEbus. “A large part of the segregated fee that we take in is actually given back to the students in the form of salaries to run the facilities.” Lisa Learish senior accountant UW Rec. Sports

Bus pass coordinator Margaret Bergamini said the university has a three-year agreement with Madison Metro to provide a ﬁxed charge per ride for students. The over-$3 million total bus-pass budget does not include student fee funding. The UHS and Rec. Sports auxiliary budgets are partially funded by student university fees. Through shared governance, SSFC has an advisory role, but Chancellor John Wiley makes ﬁnal budget decisions. SSFC Chair Alex Gallagher said the group will discuss the budgets at its meeting Monday and will pass any recommendations to Wiley.

Man steals purse, ﬂees on Wisconsin Ave. A woman was robbed at gunpoint early Thursday morning after leaving her apartment in the Langdon Street neighborhood, according to the Madison Police Department. According to a police report, the 23-year-old victim was walking toward the Capitol on the 500 block of Wisconsin Avenue around 12:40 a.m. when a man approached her and demanded money. He then grabbed the victim’s purse and ran toward West Gilman Street. Police said the woman described

celebs from page 1 who are doing good things in this country.” The actors downplayed their celebrity status, saying they are just volunteers who make calls and knock on doors like many in the crowd. Penn said he enjoys knocking on doors because he can talk to people one on one and hear their concerns. “They’re the ones that support the stuff that we do, you know, they’re the ones who watch our TV shows and buy our DVDs,” Penn said. “Without that I certainly wouldn’t have the type of health care that I hope that they have with a new president.” Although celebrities are criticized for endorsing politicians, state coordinator of Wisconsin Students for

shooting from page 1 going on and I couldn’t believe all the ambulances outside,” he said. “People were either starring or just running away.” NIU junior Jon Poloncsik said he was near Cole Hall at the time of the shootings. “My class was dismissed early, so I didn’t know anything had happened until I got back to my house,” he said. Poloncsik said he was told by his fraternity president not to leave

the perpetrator as a black male in his late 20s, 6’1” and bald with a dark complexion. He was last seen wearing a puffy black coat, a dark T-shirt with a white design and loose-ﬁtting pants. Following a string of crimes in the downtown area, UW-Madison Dean of Students Lori Berquam urged students Thursday to always be aware of their personal safety. An alleged sexual assault, a burglary and a strong-armed robbery all occurred at locations near campus from Feb. 9-14. Obama Bryon Eagon said celebrity endorsements help gain the attention of new voters. “The benefit of celebrities is they bring people into discussions that might not otherwise be motivated to be involved,” Eagon said. “The goal of tonight having these two men here was not for them to persuade people, but to really bring them into the movement for change.” The actors and student speakers emphasized joining the grassroots movement to educate their neighbors and classmates about the upcoming Feb. 19 primary. Penn and Routh also visited campuses in Eau Claire, River Falls and La Crosse Thursday. The pair will join Kerry Washington to speak to students in Milwaukee and Racine Friday. the house until they knew what was going on. “We were all just so surprised. Surprised and sad,” he said. In response to the shooting, UW-Madison Dean of Students Lori Berquam released a statement, stating, “This appears to be yet another terrible tragedy, this �time affecting a nearby campus community,” “Our thoughts are with all of those affected and anyone on the UW-Madison campus from Northern Illinois.”

Weekend, February 15-17, 2008

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featuresscience Keep your pets healthy, happy dailycardinal.com/science

Weekend, February 15-17, 2008

Just get a new pup or kitten? Make sure to protect them from the many dangerous diseases facing young pets By Cecile Resop THE DAILY CARDINAL

No one ever said that cats herd well. But in terms of epidemiology, herd health applies just as much to the dogs and cats of Wisconsin as to the cows. A recent study from Ronald Schultz, a vaccinologist at UWMadison, shows that not enough puppies and kittens are getting vaccinations to ensure “herd immunity” to certain serious and fairly common diseases. After looking at animals coming into shelters, Schultz found that 60 percent or more had no resistance to those diseases. “This suggests they’d never seen a vet, because a vet would have vaccinated them,” Schultz said. “So we could extrapolate that they had no rabies vaccines either. If you want to reduce or eliminate a disease, you need a 50-percent vaccination rate in the population.” The core vaccines for puppies cover the major diseases that threaten the population, including rabies, canine parvovirus, adenovirus and canine distemper. “Parvovirus wipes out the bone marrow and affects the intestines, causing vomit, diarrhea and death,” said Sandra Sawchuk, a veterinarian from the UW-Madison Veterinary School of Medicine. “Adenovirus affects the liver, and distemper is neurologic; it causes seizuring and other neurological-type problems, as well as intestinal problems.” Cats have a different batch of core vaccines, which cover panleukopenia, the feline version of distemper. They also receive vaccinations for calicivirus and rhinotracheitis—both respiratory diseases—and feline leukemia. According to Sawchuk, core vaccines, aside from rabies, are usually given in a single, combination shot. The innoculant is a live, weaker form of the virus, referred to as “modiﬁed live.” “Modiﬁed live is like recovery from natural infection, and nothing can improve on that,” Schultz said. Evidence so far shows that a single dose of vaccine can convey lifetime immunity for a puppy or kitten—if

Protect your pet Major threats to puppies —rabies —canine parvovirus —adenovirus —canine distemper Major threats to cats —panleukopenia —calicivirus —rhinotracheitis —feline leukemia Vaccine information —rabies requires a separate shot, but other major diseases can be prevented by a single combination vaccine —vaccines are always available at veterinary clinics, and most are sold over the counter for pet owners on a budget —dangers such as allergic reactions come with applying vaccines yourself, so if you want to be safe but can’t afford a vet, many local pet stores have vaccination clinics coming up PHOTOS BY LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

it’s given at the right time. “Vaccines are efﬁcient but have to be given at a time the dog’s body is responsive,” Sawchuk said. Sawchuk explained that a puppy may not be responsive if he is sick or stressed at the time, or if he is still nursing. A mother dog’s milk carries protective antibodies that can keep the puppy safe from disease. However, until he has been weaned long enough for those antibodies to leave his system, the puppy won’t develop his own immunity to dis-

ease. He has passive resistance, but that tapers off sometimes before a vaccine can take hold. For this reason, vets usually give a series of vaccinations at eight, 12 and 16 weeks of age. That way, the puppy is protected through a vulnerable period of his life. “If you are a puppy under a year of age, not having a distemper vaccine is like having a death sentence,” Schultz said. “50 percent of puppies die.” According to Schultz, parvovi-

rus, which is characterized by severe vomiting and diarrhea, also strikes puppies harder than adult dogs, though the difference is not as dramatic as with distemper. Parvovirus has its own dangers. The virus is hardy and can survive in the environment for up to a year. While it does not pose a risk to people as rabies does, people may end up carrying it from one dog to another. Parvovirus in the environment might not be entirely bad—dogs with constant low expo-

sure tend to have better natural immunity—but it makes the disease a problem at places like the Dane County Humane Society. “You have to be really responsible about not transmitting parvovirus,” said Sarah Hinkes, the animal medical services supervisor at the Dane County Humane Society. “We have a lot of protocols in place to keep it isolated.” The Dane County Humane Society, like many animal shelters, vaccinates all the dogs and cats that come through, taking special care with younger animals. Hinkes said they measure the level of immunity in every puppy under six months, so the puppies can be protected until the vaccines kick in. While the Humane Society has a veterinarian and several veterinary technicians to vaccinate their animals, most vaccinations do not technically require a veterinarian. Rabies vaccine can only be given by a licensed veterinarian, but the other vaccinations are available over the counter. However, that doesn’t mean you should take vaccines into your own hands. “I have issues with popping a vaccine into an animal without a physical,” Sawchuk said. “Though you can buy vaccines for ﬁve to six dollars a dose, you have to be careful about administering them. If the dog has an allergic reaction, it is in trouble unless the person has a bottle of epinephrine lying around their house and knows how to administer it. “You’re really getting the vet at the clinic,” Sawchuk said. “You are getting the physical evaluation and an assessment of the dog’s needs.” However, if a pet owner cannot afford regular veterinary care, pets can still receive important shots at vaccination clinics, offered in some local pet stores. Usually the stores advertise when they have a rabies or other vaccination clinic coming up. What is most important, according to Schultz, is that a pet receive the vaccinations to give it lifetime protection. “From a population immunity standpoint, the important thing is that vaccine,” Dr. Schultz said. “We’re strongly encouraging people to get that one vaccine [the combination shot] if no other. They’ll help their own puppy or kitten from getting sick, and they’ll help other people protect their pets.”

Love’s a matter of chemistry, and sex a matter of physics BILL ANDREWS one in a billion

he old dictum “never mix business with pleasure” always rang true for me. History papers turn out worse if written with the TV on (even if it was the History Channel), drunk calculus isn’t as much fun as it sounds, and my various attempts to write academically about video games never went well; I’d end up having to swear off both video games and academics for weeks. When I had ﬁnally learned my lesson about video games, I attempted to write a scientiﬁc essay on love. Just about the most business-y and pleasur-

able things I could have picked. Although I learned all about dopamine—the chemical the brain releases when in love, breast-feeding or eating chocolate—and even got to interview at least one hot scientist about sex, the paper itself didn’t go so well. My problem was that I tried to bite off more than I could chew. I sought chemical, biological and psychological functions to explain the sensation of “being wildly in love.” I tried, in vain, to account for all the ephemera of human feelings and emotions by purely scientiﬁc means. Sometimes, it seems, you just can’t do that. Science alone can’t really do justice to some of the more complex matters in life. And nowhere is this more obvious than in that fantastical, nonsensical, romantical realm we call love. The idea that scientists, a profession not usually

known for its interest in fashion (the aforementioned hot scientist notwithstanding), have much to teach us about love isn’t a common one. In fact, if anyone could possibly factor love into its prime components, so to speak, and explain it to the last detail, we still probably wouldn’t believe it. They’ve probably missed something, we’d ﬁgure; love is way too complex. Now, some might see this and hear echoes of that controversial theory, intelligent design. Theories and thoughts on love often lead to the issue of new life, after all. Intelligent design, in a nutshell, posits that life is so complex that science shouldn’t even bother trying to explain it. Life was designed, outright, by something, or better yet, Something. There’s no way we mere humans can even come close to explaining it, so we should just accept it and move on.

As may be clear, I humbly disagree with the theories of intelligent design and its foolish supporters. I have been and continue to be a staunch supporter of science, as well as the idea that it can, eventually, explain everything, from why life arose on this planet to why I had that sandwich the other day even though I was already full. I just don’t think it can explain everything completely by itself; there’ll be stuff missing, some might say the most important parts, if we limit our understanding of things to the purely technical. Of course, if we diminish this scientiﬁc understanding, as the proponents of intelligent design would like, we’d be no closer to understanding anything, and we wouldn’t have electric heat or TVs either. As is so often the case, Shakespeare said it best: “There are more things in heaven and earth,

Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” In my training as a scientist, I learned the importance of knowing you don’t know everything. If you’re only looking for the result you expect, you might miss the really important discovery. Comforting thoughts, sometimes, when we’re out there in the ﬁeld, testing our hypotheses about love and attraction, all too often results in experimental failures. The marriage of the known and the unknown, the knowable and the unknowable, is what science is all about. And to help teach me, I’ve got a meeting planned tonight with that hot scientist. Maybe I’ll ﬁnally be able to mix business and pleasure after all. Are you a hot scientist? Do you excel at teaching drunk calculus? E-mail Bill at science@dailycardinal.com.

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70% University Book Store

IN ILD

For one week, students cast votes to decide the best facets of UWMadison life. Now, the polls are closed and the votes are in.

AR ST B

75% Lucky’s

OKSTO O B T R

READER’S CHOICE AWARDS 2008

E DAY BAR

Weekend, February 15-17, 2008

NT A R U TA S RE

42% Frida’s (Mexican) Hawk’s (sandwiches)—30% Gino’s (Italian)—21%

BEST

reader’s choice

dailycardinal.com

ES T

A JOINT Z IZ

50% Ian’s

Papa John’s—26% Jeff & Jim’s—13%

C B E S T AF E

36% Sunroom

TE E L TH A T BES

59% Michael Flowers (men’s basketb

Thank you to every student who voted. We value your responses.

BEST BU RR ITO

(tie)

OC ABC K FL

(tie) Men’s Hockey & Women’s

BE S T

ELIVERY D IE

NI G

OR J A

H 60% C UN Topper

AT E

61% Journalism

’s Pizza

A8 China—22% Silver Mine Subs—17%

BE ST L

B E ST

Blue Moon—34% Chocolate—22%

Engineering—20% Business—13%

51% Fishbowl

E P (Wando’s Monday nights) S K Flip-Night (State Street Brats Tuesday)—25% N I Two-For-One (Nitty Gritty Thursday)—21% R D T S BE

STORE R O U Q I L

& Football Volleyball—10%

36% Berry Alvarez

S L A CI

Qdoba—24%

AM 40% E T S RT O P S ST Men’s Basketball

OR AV

Nogginz—26% Hair Forum—22%

67% Chipotle

University Avenue Liquor Store—21% Churchkey—3%

37% Reprise Hair Studio

Angelic

75% Riley’s Wines of the World

Ragstock—25% GAP—19%

Fair Trade—29% Espresso Royale—15%

LON A S T BES

all guard) Ben Street (men’s hockey forward)—20% Tyler Donovan (football quarterback)—14%

58% Y Helen C. White R A R B LI Memorial—42% T BES

51%

BES

BEST GA

Camp Randall—38% Memorial Union—15%

CROBR I M

Wando’s—28% Churchkey—10%

46% Kohl Center

(tie) Monday’s & State Street Brats

47% Urban Outﬁtters

STO

31%

EST FUN B

HI N G

BEST CLOT

Big Ten Pub—25%

T S E

Great Dane—49%

Underground Textbook Exchange—30%

Check out what Daily Cardinal readers ranked top in 2008.

70% University Book Store

IN ILD

For one week, students cast votes to decide the best facets of UWMadison life. Now, the polls are closed and the votes are in.

AR ST B

75% Lucky’s

OKSTO O B T R

READER’S CHOICE AWARDS 2008

E DAY BAR

Weekend, February 15-17, 2008

NT A R U TA S RE

42% Frida’s (Mexican) Hawk’s (sandwiches)—30% Gino’s (Italian)—21%

BEST

reader’s choice

dailycardinal.com

ES T

A JOINT Z IZ

50% Ian’s

Papa John’s—26% Jeff & Jim’s—13%

opinion 8

dailycardinal.com/opinion

Weekend, February 15-17, 2008

Editorial Cartoon

view

By Meg Anderson opinion@dailycardinal.com

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

set standards for banning plates

isconsin drivers who want to express themselves as “AER0TK” on their license plates are out of luck— the Department of Transportation has a growing list of nearly 8,000 potential vanity license plates deemed inappropriate for use. The problem with this system is that the list of censored plates are a result of the DoT’s subjective ﬁlters. They have blocked “PACKSUX,” “VIKESUK,” “BEARSUK” and LIONSUK.” If you dislike any other NFL team, you could acquire the necessary vanity plate for at least a short amount of time. The DoT reserves the right to block a vanity plate after the fact. Although some censorship is acceptable to keep vanity plates civil, there has to be a speciﬁc guideline for what words are not acceptable on a vanity plate. As long as the DoT subjectively censors plates, there exists no guideline as to where they should draw the line to avoid infringing on people’s rights.

Free speech, however, is not a requisite for the DoT, nor should it be. The Federal Communications Commission has a list of words deemed inappropriate for broadcast radio and television in order to ensure that appropriate language ﬁlls the public airwaves.

There exists no guideline as to where they should draw the line to avoid infringing on people’s rights.

What is important to recognize is that the FCC drew a line of what is and is not acceptable. The DoT has no such line, leaving the censorship to its own discretion. The DoT’s list is far more vast than anything the FCC would be able to enforce. In Wisconsin, a self-deprecating senior citizen is not able to boast his “0LDFART” status on his license plate regardless of his willingness to pay the annual fee to drive with a vanity plate. Although this conﬂict does not constitute the forefront of individual rights, the state should keep its bureaucracies’ censorship in check, so Wisconsin citizens can have the luxury of expressing themselves as they please. The DoT needs to follow the guidelines of the FCC so the discretion of censorship is in line with a national standard. Otherwise, the road will be devoid of “HOTPNTS,” “0HG0D,” “FBUSH” and lastly, “QQQQ.” The comprehensive list of banned vanity plates is available on the Appleton Post-Crescent’s web site.

The state should keep its bureaucracies’ censorship in check.

Q Q Q

Q Q

N O C SW I IS

By Adam Schmidt THE DAILY CARDINAL

George Bush won’t be on the ballot this November. This declaration aroused perhaps the most thundering applause and cheers Tuesday night inside an overflowing Kohl Center, as Madison received U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. His 17,000-plus supporters punctuated almost every phrase with passionate ovation. It was a political experience like no other. The greatest hurrah came after those nine words. George Bush won’t be on the ballot this November.

Tuesday night proved to this Republican that a “turningpoint” may be drawing near.

In 1888, the British politician and historian James Bryce wrote that American presidential elections are sometimes a “turning-point in history.” Referencing the 1800, 1860 and 1864 contests, Bryce observed that a U.S. election is not just choosing an administrator, but, in reality, “the deliverance of the mind of the people upon all such questions as

HYM A N H S U B F BONG

The First Amendment allows us to express ourselves in almost any way we want without persecution or censorship, so the DoT’s efforts are not only suspect, but also in vain. Maybe a vanity plate cannot express displeasure with a local football team, but there are many other methods of doing so.

Obama inspires, signals historical turning point

MATT RILEY/THE DAILY CARDINAL

they feel able to decide.” In 2008, with an unpopular outgoing president, no incumbent vice president and the Clintons slowly fading into 20th century history, the Obama campaign has the makings of one of these “turning-points.” The junior senator from Illinois stands opposite President Bush on seemingly every issue and action required of the presidency. For those who are sick and tired of the Bush years, their remedy has arrived. For months I was skeptical. I think most of us were. Experts told us that Obama is too young and inexperienced, that Clinton’s machine is strong and her nomination is inevitable. But now people are standing up and voting. With each passing day, Clinton’s strengths become weaknesses and her once-certain success slips further and further away. On Tuesday night, I watched people young and old clamber for a glimpse of Senator Obama. They stood with bated breath, hanging onto every word, nodding intently, absorbed in his language and inspired by his ideas—or, at least, the idea he has come to represent. Desperate for change, longing for hope, they waited in the cold and packed the Kohl Center to find deliverance of the mind. Call it charisma. Call it star power. For months I was skepti-

cal. But it is now clear to me that a major movement is underfoot, and this was truly a political experience like no other. In a recent letter to the editor of The New York Times, Clintonsupporter Angela Worden posed an interesting set of questions.

With each passing day, Clinton’s strengths become weaknesses and her once-certain success slips further and further away.

“Can you eat hope?” she queried. “Can you wear hope? When your home is foreclosed, can you live in a house made of hope?” “Yes, we can!,” those assembled Tuesday might reply with greater confidence than ever before. Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania must still be hurdled. November is nine months away and John McCain is one of our nation’s most respected politicians. Victory is far from guaranteed. However, Tuesday night proved to this Republican that a “turning-point” may be drawing near. Adam Schmidt is a senior studying geography and political science. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Realistic petroleum substitute exists, coming to Madison I found Ryan Dashek’s article on Monday, Feb. 11 interesting, but I think he misrepresented the issue. Under current production methods, biofuel may seem like a poor substitute for petroleum, but there is a promising new method for production of ethanol that will potentially change this perception. Several companies have been experimenting with a new method that uses bacteria to convert all

sorts of crop waste into ethanol for a mere $1 per gallon. Referred to as Microbial Fuel Cell technology, this method offers a great deal of promise. Coskata Co., based out of Warrenville, Ill., has built up so much support that General Motors Co. has purchased an equity stake in MFC. While this method of creating ethanol is still in the research phase, it could be quite promising

for a future renewable fuel source. There will also be a new research facility opening up here in Madison that will specifically research this process of creating ethanol. The promising potential of this process could very well revitalize the possibility of using biofuel in the future. —Peter Berman UW-Madison graduate student

arts

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ANNA WILLIAMS Williams Shakespeare

Anna explores her many personalities

t’s sure been hard to get out of bed lately. The relentless onslaught of frigid temperatures and blizzards inspires me to do only one thing—curl up in bed with a book. On such cold winter days, I find myself lamenting that my life is lacking a certain literary quality. I know it would certainly encourage me to get out of bed in the morning if I could imagine I was a character in a novel. Someone should invent something that would allow you to experience living in a novel—when your day is dreary and you need a little something extra, you could press a button, and the voice of your author of choice would narrate throughout your day. There could even be different authors to match your different moods. For those days when I need an extra kick in my step, I would press the “Jane Austen” button. A rather common occurrence in my day is that I get to class five minutes late because I stayed in bed too long, and everyone turns and stares as I come in. However, if Austen narrated—in what I imagine to be a crisp, British accent—something awkward and ordinary would instantly be turned into something lively and witty. It would probably go a little something like this: Anna breathlessly made her entrance, and despite her every attempt to maintain an air of composure, her appearance was greeted with a disapproving glance. Crossing the room, she noticed with displeasure the stares from her classmates, and once seated, reflected upon the events of the morning and came to the conclusion that her habit of rising from bed at a leisurely pace was the cause of her late entrance. However, Anna was of a disposition that was disinclined to lay blame upon any person, and she was kind enough to extend this attitude to herself. Now that’s much better than, “Anna was late again because she’s a lazy-ass.” But perhaps it’s a cold winter day, I’m feeling moody and I want some drama in my life. Then I would press the “Charles Dickens” button: The morning was chill and damp, and Anna pulled her coat close around her as she hurried down the crowded streets, fetid and teeming with students. As she pushed through the fog, the Carilon Tower sounded a deep and penetrating tone. Anna recoiled with a dread of horror at the 10 resounding rings of the deafening bells, each one complaining of her tardiness, and the chilling glances she would soon endure. But then there are those really bad mornings, when it’s freezing and snowing, and it’s probably best to stay in bed. For those days, nothing else will do but Sylvia Plath shaping my morning into a poem: The morning is decay / I entomb myself in bed. / The alarm clock sings / with a mouth of rotten teeth. / Tardiness is an art, like everything else. / I do it exceptionally well. Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone is going to invent such a device anytime soon. Until then, I may just have to do the job myself. So if you ever see a girl walking up Bascom Hill whispering feverishly to herself, don’t worry, it’s not a crazy person. It’s just me, adding a little narration to my day. Use your own literary personality to e-mail Anna at akwilliams1@wisc.edu.

Weekend, February 15-17, 2008

Ari Herstand back in Madison By Ryan Hebel THE DAILY CARDINAL

Madison native Ari Herstand will try just about anything once... when it comes to his music. This Saturday night, when the Minneapolis-based music man returns home before a two-month recording break, he’ll try something else he doesn’t usually do: play with a band. While some guys would give anything for a smidgen of musical talent—especially after another Valentine’s Day spent aimlessly twanging acoustic guitars—Herstand can tease out jazz, folk and even ska melodies from more than eight different instruments and has been compared to everyone from Ben Folds and Dave Matthews, to Nick Drake and John Coltrane.

Herstand’s lively performances usually unfold like musical versions of Bop-It.

“Give me an instrument and, in a couple of weeks, I’ll learn it,” Herstand joked, although he’s probably right. Accustomed to flying solo, Herstand’s lively performances usually unfold like musical versions of BopIt—splicing guitars, pianos, trumpets and even vocal beat-boxing into a hodgepodge of assorted harmonies while somehow commanding each simultaneously. Right now you might be picturing Herstand as some kind

Ari Herstand where: The Annex when: Saturday at 8 p.m. how much: $10 at the door, $7 in advance of octopus virtuoso, but his self-constructed ensembles owe more to technology than tentacles. By recording each instrument individually, looping them in playback and then moving to the next, Herstand surrounds his vocals with a phantom orchestra. The dynamic style is called “looping,” a term that could also apply to Herstand’s decision to end his tour in Madison, where it began almost one year ago. But despite multiple Madison performances, Herstand pointed out this weekend’s performance would be more than just a re-fried version of an old show. “I always bring some tricks up my sleeve when I come to Madison,” he said. “We have two or three new songs that we’ll be performing that will be included on the new album ... it should be a nice treat for fans.”� After this weekend’s performance, Herstand will head back to Cannon Falls, Minn., to record his third album at Pachyderm Recording Studios— famous for recording Nirvana’s In Utero. His biggest inﬂuences on the new album, outside of new producer Chris Kalgren of This World Fair, has come from his own backyard. “I can’t say enough about what Minneapolis has to offer in terms of music, it’s incredible,” he said. “I

PHOTO COURTESY PROUD HONEY BEE RECORDS

Madison native Ari Herstand brings his low-key rock back to the Annex this weekend. think we have the greatest music city in the world right now.” Outside of Minnesota, fellow indie-artist Ingrid Michaelson has also grabbed Herstand’s attention. Herstand expects to ﬁnish his new album in early April and then resume performing with the added excitement of his ﬁrst East Coast tour in

May. Although the constant travel must wear on any independent artist, Herstand doesn’t seem to mind. “I love performing, that’s how I started off,” he said. “I love building up the grass roots following and working with building the fan base.” Herstand and his band will be at the Annex in Madison this Saturday.

Take a vacation with witty Colin Farrell ‘In Bruges’ By Mark Riechers THE DAILY CARDINAL

Something about family vacations always seems artiﬁcial and false. A pessimistic view perhaps, but one likely shared by the central character of “In Bruges,” who opens his vacation in Bruges, Belgium, by declaring it a shit hole. The feature-length debut from Martin McDonagh, the director of last year’s Oscar-nominated short “Six Shooter,” “In Bruges” explores the inevitability of consequence and the possibility of redemption, even among the hopelessly wicked.

Ray (Colin Farrell) is the protagonist, and he’s not a misanthropic teenager resenting his parents’ choice of holiday—he’s a bigoted and foul-mouthed hit man in hiding after a job gone awry sends him to the last place the London authorities will be looking for him—a medieval European vacation destination. Ken (Brendan Gleeson), Ray’s kindly babysitter and colleague in the contract killing business, takes a more optimistic view of their impromptu vacation in Bruges—he awkwardly tries to get Ray to take an interest in the

sites and the history of the city, which Ray insists would only do it for him if he’d “grown up on a farm and was retarded.” Things take a turn when the boss, Harry (Ralph Fiennes), finally calls with instructions for the pair—he wants Ray dead, and he wants Ken to put the bullet in his brain. After deciding that Ray deserves a second chance, Ken sets Ray free and tells Harry to bugger off, inviting a gun-toting finale in the streets of Bruges over unfinished business. The story, while a bit contrived, serves its purposes in forc-

PHOTO COURTESY FOCUS FEATURES

Farrell’s character is good enough, but ‘In Bruges’ really shines with witty dialogue and a knock-out performance from Ralph Fiennes.

ing these three characters together whenever possible. Ray and Ken are forced into the same hotel room, where they are constantly in each other’s hair. Likewise, Harry is forced to confront Ken for his defection in a crowded bar and a scenic clock tower where they talk before “the shootout.” This forced proximity breeds some beautiful back-and-forth dialogue where the ﬁlm hits its stride—Ray and Ken’s family-like bickering is not only hilarious, but makes Ken’s compassion for Ray later in the ﬁlm more believable. Performances in the film are all over the place, but there’s still some good acting to be had. Farrell’s character serves his purpose, but his performance is largely forgettable. Gleeson is great, but is so maudlin and intense throughout the last half of the film that you would forget it’s a dark comedy were it not for Fiennes stealing the show when he finally rolls into Bruges to finish the dirty work himself. Clearly enjoying his role more than anyone else, Fiennes absolutely nails the egomaniacal boss Harry, a character so wrapped up in principle that humanity and compassion are nothing more than mushy words to be scraped off the bottom of his shoe. By the end, the messages about redemption get a little heavyhanded, and some of the fun and carnage is dampened by genuine depression, but the dialogue alone makes the film worth the price of admission.

comics 10

dailycardinal.com/comics

Weekend, February 15-17, 2008

Southernplayalisticadillacfunkymusic

Today’s Sudoku

Beeramid

By Ryan Matthes beeramid_comic@yahoo.com

Mega Dude Squad

By Stephen Guzetta and Ryan Lynch rplynch@wisc.edu

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.

And Kobayashi ate it all.

Dwarfhead and Narwhal

By James Dietrich jbdietrich@wisc.edu

The biggest omelette ever made used 7,200 eggs and weighed half a ton.

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

The Crackles

Anthro-apology Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com NO NO ACROSS

1 Drive-___ 5 Wound healing element 9 Less approachable 14 Locale of Hitchcock’s window 15 Champagne descriptor 16 Chutzpah 17 Hebrides language 18 “Post’’ opposite 19 Athletic shoe attachment 20 “That’s all right’’ 23 Casino roller 24 “God Bless the ___’’ Lee Greenwood hit) 25 Joins up 29 Scour, as pots 31 ___ one’s time 33 Goddess in a chariot 34 Violin bow coating 36 Librarian’s stamps 39 “What have I got to lose?’’ 42 Words with “bed’’ or “the dogs’’ 43 Duel tools 44 Before, in the beginning 45 Cut off in layers 47 “Bah!’’ 51 Freeway mishap 54 Afternoon break, perhaps

56 ___ of Good Feelings 57 “I’m not feeling it yet’’ 60 Euripides drama 63 Horseﬂy 64 What little things mean 65 Pro team’s VIP 66 Heckle, in a way 67 South of the border coin 68 Lincoln trademark 69 Needle point? 70 Perfect place DOWN

1 Current fashions 2 Brave 3 Bacon order 4 Fertilizer compound 5 Sends junk e-mail 6 Pot that is not in the kitchen 7 Type of clef or horn 8 Complained about the steak? 9 Acquire, as debt 10 String quartet member 11 Anger 12 Gabor of “Green Acres” 13 Abbr. after a general’s name, maybe 21 Bump off 22 Nervous as a cat 26 Lascivious glance 27 Brightly colored parrot

28 Leaky tire sound 30 Libido, for one 32 Baltimore’s ___ Harbor 35 Clog, as a drain 37 Syria’s Zakariyah Mosque city 38 Coin-based decider 39 George’s role on “Cheers’’ 40 Super’s apartment number, perhaps 41 Candor 42 Family docs 46 Cochise, for one 48 Convalesced 49 In a melodic style 50 Like some destruction 52 Curled-lip look 53 Miser’s stash 55 Apprehension 58 Pelvis parts 59 Jawdropped look 60 “Good- Fellas’’ fellas 61 Barnyard mama 62 Type of lab

By Simon Dick srdick@wisc.edu

By Eric Wigdahl wigdahl@wisc.edu

sports

dailycardinal.com/sports

Weekend, February 15-17, 2008

Mavericks and Badgers square off at Kohl Center By Nate Carey THE DAILY CARDINAL

The No. 12 Wisconsin men’s hockey team returns to the Kohl Center this weekend for its last regular season home series against the No. 13 Minnesota State Mavericks. The series will have many ramifications for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings, as both Wisconsin and Minnesota State sit tied for fourth place with 22 points. The Badgers (9-9-4 WCHA, 13-11-6 overall) are coming off a weekend series high up in Houghton, Mich., where they took 3-of-4 points from the Michigan

Tech Huskies. The Mavericks (9-9-4, 15-104) swept Alaska Anchorage last weekend and are currently riding a six-game winning streak, having swept their last three series. Offensively Minnesota State is led by sophomore forward Trevor Bruess with 25 points (7 goals, 18 assists). Junior forward Mick Berge and senior forward Joel Hanson are tied for second with 19 points each. In goal, junior Mike Zacharias has been the staple of a solid Maverick defense, and has a record of 14-7-4. His 2.18 Goals Against Average is good enough for fourth

offseason from page 8

formula from page 8

problems at the plate far too often last season at Wrigley Field. It looks like the Cubs are ready to give Felix Pie a full-time spot in the outﬁeld, although it would not be inappropriate to ask what he did last year to earn that? Overall, Milwaukee has made more changes, which seems logical for the team that finished in second-place. Except that the Brewers were the first-place team in the Central for a long time last year. More likely than not, Chicago and Milwaukee will be, in Yost terms, battling into late September again. And, unlike last year, the schedule will be the way it should. For their last series of the season, just as the first, Milwaukee and Chicago will play ball. E-mail Jon at bortin@wisc.edu to discuss the NL Central.

During competition last year in Germany, a brake bleeder screw came loose, causing an engine failure during the endurance test. Considering there are thousands of screws on the racecar, it is imperative for everything to be perfect at competition. “Everything is built to be as light as possible and still stand up to rigorous car conditions. It’s basically balls-to-the-wall all the time,” Scheuerell said. For the racing team, the idea of “balls-to-the-wall” is quickly approaching. The team has until Feb. 22 to have a driving car, which will result in a lot of long hours in the shop for many full-time students. “This is not like a traditional student org,” co-team leader Steve Faulkner said. “This is not [a] show up to a meeting once or twice a month and you are on it. This is a full-time commitment.”

in the WCHA, and his .919 save percentage currently ranks seventh. Wisconsin will counter Minnesota State’s defense with a formidable offense. Freshman forward Kyle Turris (11,18) leads the team with 29 points, while junior forward Ben Street (12,14) has chipped in 26 of his own. Sophomore forward Blake Geoffrion has also played well as of late, and is now third on the team with 24 points (8,16). All three forwards generally play on different lines, showing the consistency and skill that all of UW’s lines bring to the ice. However, while Feb. 22 is a crucial date during preparation, May 17 is the date that matters. That’s when the team will head back to Detroit and attempt to defend their World Championship crown. “It’s all about execution. It’s all about your ability to go to competition and ... execute these things to the maximum potential,” Faulkner said. “That’s what we prepare the entire year for.” Competition is broken down into two categories: Static and Dynamic. Static events include cost analysis, business presentation and engineering design. Dynamic events consist of acceleration, skid-pad, autocross, fuel economy and the endurance track. The endurance test is most crucial in terms of points—it accounts for 35 percent of a team’s score—and is the hardest on the drivers. The amount of force put on the car is enough, let alone the driver. During the endurance test drivers take

Junior goaltender Shane Connelly has found his stride in his first full season as a starter, and currently ranks fifth in the WCHA with 2.19 GAA, right behind Zacharias. However, Connelly holds the lead in winning percentage with .921. Overall, both teams are very similar. Wisconsin and Minnesota State are tied in conference with 2.45 goals per game, and are within a point of each other in many other categories. The difference may come in the periods themselves, as Wisconsin has heavily outscored its opponents in the third period this turns racing around a tight track, consisting of turn after turn—some as big as 180 degrees—as fast as possible. The amount of force on the driver during a turn is around 1.8 Gs. This means that a 180-pound man will feel a force of 250 pounds pushing into his side during any given turn. “Everything [at competition] is taken to the absolute maximum,” Gonzalez said. In the end, a strong endurance test will undoubtedly result in a high finish. Last year, the team finished second in the endurance test, and with high places in many other events, sped away with the World Championship. However, the World Championship is just icing on the cake, as Wisconsin Racing members acquire skills and experience that no textbook could ever teach. “When I first joined the team, the things I was learning here in one night took me six months in class,” Faulkner said. “You can’t

season, while Minnesota State has done the same in the second. Saturday’s contest will also be Senior Night, as UW says goodbye to team captain and defenseman Davis Drewiske, defenseman and assistant captain Kyle Klubertanz and forwards Matthew Ford and Josh Engel. With only three weekends left before the WCHA Playoffs, a sweep by either team or even a tie will resonate throughout the rest of the conference. The puck drops Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 8 p.m. Both games will be aired on FSN North. really get that hands-on experience somewhere else.” It is those skills that have resulted in at least one championship, and considering the way things are going, UW should expect more very soon.

BEN PIERSON/THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Niel Schilke SAE foundation cup, UW’s ﬁrst.

sports 12

CARDINAL COURT COVERAGE. Check out the Daily Cardinal next week for all your men’s basketball coverage.

Weekend, February 15-17, 2008

JON BORTIN the bort report

dailycardinal.com/sports

Racing into a new age

By Nate Carey THE DAILY CARDINAL

Brewers and Cubs gear up for another NL Central battle

e certain—Gopher-rejectschants-sure-to-come-thisweekend kind of certain— that the baseball schedule-making system does not have a personality, but does have parameters. Why else would it be that the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs will begin this fast-approaching regular season right where they wish they had ended the last: playing each other. Out of the only division in the league that has six teams, these are the only two that matter, which is why it’s worth looking at the lengths the Brewers and Cubs have gone to build on last year’s playoff-unworthy clubs. Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin made it clear by word and deed that the team’s focus in the offseason was the bullpen. The Brewers’ headline free-agent signing, closer Eric Gagne, only goes so far to fill the void left by the henceforth overpaid Francisco Cordero. Gone are Scott Linebrink, Matt Wise, Chris Spurling and Greg Aquino. The pitchers Melvin is hoping will improve a bullpen ERA that ranked in the bottom third of the National League: Gagne, Guillermo Mota, David Riske and Salomon Torres. Melvin’s trend toward veterans leads to the belief that the bullpen, an area of concern a short time ago, is going to be better. The shift toward more established players and defense is seen with the position players, too. While the Brewers never publicly acknowledged it during last season, followers knew that Johnny Estrada would not pass muster with Ned Yost and the team philosophy for long. It was a shrewd move by Melvin to sign Jason Kendall—in many ways Estrada’s opposite—and to let Geoff Jenkins walk. Really, the Brewers did not need any more punch in their lineup; they needed more discipline. Kendall fits that mold, but the signing of Mike Cameron hardly does. Cameron, once he returns from suspension, will be the team’s centerfielder, but Milwaukee needs to be striking out less, not more. This was a curious move by Melvin that deserves close scrutiny, as does his plan with the glut of starting pitching. Down in Chicago, general manager Jim Hendry made fewer moves for the Cubs, winners of the division title last year, in a war of non-attrition. While generally a good pitching and fielding team, Chicago struggled to hit for any power last year. It’s difficult to say how much progress they made, unless you know how Kosuke Fukudome, the star Japanese outfielder, will adjust to playing in the Major Leagues. If Fukudome puts up stats like he did in 2006—.351, 31 home runs, 104 runs batted in—then that’s worrisome for opposing teams. If not, the Cubs will only have another overpaid player on their hands. The Brewers can be thankful that Jacque Jones is no longer on the Cubs roster, since he caused offseason page 7

Strapped into the driver’s seat, the glare from the mid-day sun shining off the asphalt is almost unbearable. The helmet seems tight, as condensation from breathing forms on the inside of the visor. After a click of the ignition and a push of the pedal to the floor, there is an overpowering feeling of calmness. With a shift into first and a drop of the clutch, that feeling is quickly swept away as your head snaps back due to the force. Within three seconds the car is up to 60 miles per hour, until the first turn results in a violent crash on the brake. This is not NASCAR, stock-car racing or even speeding in a Ferrari down a country road. This is Wisconsin Formula SAE Racing. “It’s an adrenaline rush,” suspension leader and driver Alex Scheuerell said. “You are so close to the ground and everything seems so fast, and you just have to hold this line between a row of cones.” Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) is an international collegiate design competition that focuses on designing, manufacturing and testing of a small formulastyle open-wheel racecar. The team at Wisconsin has a rich tradition that spans more than two decades. Getting its start in 1986, Formula SAE has steadily risen at UW-Madison. “It’s been over 20 years that the team has been around the university, but we were never a big contender until around 2000 when we started being a top 10 team in the country,” co-team leader Juan Gonzalez said. “It took that long to get a team going, once we had an organization going that was able to pass on information and experience ... that’s when we started pulling down the top 10 finishes.” Top 10 finishes have become a staple of Wisconsin Racing, as five of

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Members of the Wisconsin Formula SAE Racing team pose with their 2007 World Championship racecar, and expect to defend their crown this May in Detroit. the last seven years have seen the team finish in the top five at the annual Formula SAE competition in Detroit, the largest competition series in the world—it usually draws upward of 250 teams. In 2007, the team won first place, and brought home the coveted Niel Schilke SAE Foundation Cup—the first in UW history. Each year the team takes a design concept and turns it into reality in less than nine months, an impressive feat considering Wisconsin Racing is simply a student organization. Formula SAE is broken down into six groups: suspension, drivetrain, powertrain, frame and body, electrical and business. While all six groups have their own tasks and jobs individually, the necessity for overall teamwork is

extremely important. For instance, while the main job of the suspension is to allow the racecar to handle anything thrown at it and keep all four tires on the ground, the frame of the car must also be ﬂexible, allowing it to absorb some of the force against the car. “The goals for every year are to have a faster car, a lighter car and a more reliable car,” Gonzalez said. New technologies helped reach these goals, as well as modiﬁcations that the team has done itself. A Computer Numerically Controlled machine allows Wisconsin to minimize weight by being able to cut pieces within thousandths of an inch—about 30 times thinner than a strand of human hair—of their desired dimension.

Material upgrades have also played a key role, as parts that two years ago were made out of aluminum are now made out of carbon fiber, greatly reducing the weight—sometimes by more than half. Another modification has been the introduction of E-85 gas by the United Wisconsin Grain Producers. “We love the environment,” powertrain leader Gianluca Mantovano said. By doing some things with the properties of ethanol, Mantovano and the team have been able to increase the engine’s efficiency. This amount of precision and attention to detail is staggering—yet necessary—in order to compete against the world’s top engineers. formula page 7

Controversial call seals 66-64 win for Badgers By Jay Messar THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin women’s basketball team notched its 12th win of the season Thursday as the

Badgers beat Illinois 66-64 at the Kohl Center. “We finally caught a break,” Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said. “I’m proud of our kids. We

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Senior guard Jolene Anderson scored 13 of the Badgers’ ﬁrst 15 points and led the team with 25 points and 12 rebounds.

deserved this.” But the win wasn’t easy, as the Badgers needed a last-second controversial Illini turnover to seal the game. With 4.9 seconds left, Illinois guard Rebecca Harris drove the ball the length of the court, dodged Badger defensive specialist Teah Gant and was on her way to sending the game into overtime. “I thought we could cushion her a little bit more. [Harris] just got it and she went all the way to the rim,” Stone said. “She got a step ahead of Teah, so she was going to have to make a play.” Just then, Wisconsin senior guard Janese Banks jumped out and caused a controversial traveling call as time expired. Coaches and athletes waited for the final ruling from the referees, who decided the game was over. “She was coming full steam at me and either she was going to run over me or she was going to have to go around me, which takes more time,” Banks said. “I didn’t think they’d call a travel, but I’ll take it.” Wisconsin senior guard Jolene Anderson scored 13 of Wisconsin’s first 15 points and finished the night with 25 points and 12 rebounds, her 24th career doubledouble and sixth this season.

Illinois went inside early and often on offense. Sophomore center Jenna Smith followed Anderson’s lead, notching 10 of the Illini’s ﬁrst 12 points. Smith ended with 24 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Illinois effort. “She’s probably two inches shorter than me, but she can still shoot over me,” freshman forward Lin Zastrow said of Smith. “She really uses her body well and is just an overall smart player.” Wisconsin made major defensive adjustments, fronting Smith in the post and pulling help from the weak side to double team her down low. “I thought our doubles got a little bit more aggressive and I thought we got it out to their shooters,” Stone said. With the win, Wisconsin is now 2-6 in games decided by six points or less, including an 0-3 record in overtime contests. “You can look back at our record, back at some close games ... the tide was going to turn eventually, and maybe this is the one that did it,” Stone said. “This is one that the kids need to feel good about.” Wisconsin will next travel to Evanston, Ill., to take on Northwestern on Monday live on the Big Ten Network.