Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - The Daily Cardinal

State-Langdon secession plan must do more than complain about CNI OPINION

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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Feingold urges UW students to volunteer abroad

By Elizabeth Michaels THE DAILY CARDINAL

KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., a UW-Madison alumnus, speaks to students and community members about the benefits of international study and volunteerism Monday at the Wisconsin Union Theater.

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, DWis., lobbied for U.S. foreign relations improvements Monday at the Memorial Union as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series, sponsored by Wisconsin Union Directorate and the UW Division of International Studies.

Feingold focused his discussion on how international relations and the worldview of the United States affects and can be affected by UW-Madison students and Wisconsin citizens.

Feingold encouraged students in the audience to join the Peace Corps, volunteer abroad through other programs, study and form relationships with citizens abroad, and welcome foreign citizens visiting in the United States.

“UW-Madison has one of the

strongest and longest traditions of international service in the country,” said Dean Gilles Bousquet, member of the International Studies Department, who spoke before Feingold.

UW-Madison is consistently one of the top campus generators of Peace Corps volunteers, Feingold said.

Brian Heegan opened the lecture by relating his own experience teaching in Nairobi, Kenya. He said the experience taught him “not only the value of representing my country abroad but developed a more conscientious appreciation for the principles of liberty, equality and opportunity.”

According to Feingold, U.S. foreign relations have been over-militarized, causing the nation to lose allies and prestige worldwide.

“We cannot simply rely on our feingold page 3

Push for gun-owner rights reaches Madison

By Jillian Levy THE DAILY CARDINAL

Students in favor of gun-owner rights will be given the opportunity to join Students for Concealed Carry on Campus in the coming month as the new student organization emerges on the UWMadison campus.

SCCC is a national organization consisting mostly of students who support the rights of licenseholding handgun owners to carry concealed handguns on college campuses, according to SCCC media coordinator Scott Lewis.

“Allowing licensed individuals to carry concealed handguns on campus is not something that is likely to cause more problems and it does have the potential to mitigate violent crime on campus,” Lewis said.

According to Lewis, SCCC formed in the wake of the shootings at Virginia Tech after many handgun owners began to speak out about violence prevention.

“We can’t say for sure that a concealed handgun license holder

in one of those classrooms would have prevented the shooting but we can say for certain that it would even the odds,” he said.

UW-Madison first-year medical student Bret Bostwick, who was named the Campus Leader of the organization last week, agreed that recent school shootings brought his attention to the issue.

“In the wake of the Virginia Tech massacre, I started thinking about the means that potential victims have to defend themselves, and I thought especially the state of Wisconsin has policies that make it harder to defend themselves,” he said.

Bostwick said students have already formed SCCC chapters at Madison Area Technical College, Marquette University and Lawrence University in Appleton.

He said in the coming weeks he would work to inform students about the organization and begin recruiting of members.

“It’s taken awhile for this movement to hit Wisconsin and Illinois because of the really strict gun

laws we have right now, and so I think it’s important for students to know that they can have a voice in the gun movement as it’s debated at the state and campus level,” Bostwick said.

Bostwick added SCCC members are planning to participate in an April 21 through 25 protest of state laws and school policies preventing people from carrying concealed weapons on campuses.

According to Lewis, 11 U.S. colleges, including Colorado State University and all public colleges in Utah, currently allow concealed carry on their campuses. He added none of the schools have had issues with gun violence.

UW-Madison philosophy professor and expert on gun ownership ethics Lester Hunt said the idea of concealed carry on campus could be a good idea if tests and background checks were administered to all potential carriers.

“It’s time to at least consider the possibility of people exercising a concealed carry right on campus,” Hunt said.

DNC Chairman Howard Dean to speak in Madison Wisconsin battleground Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean will be in Madison Tuesday, March 25 at the Majestic Theatre at 5:30 p.m. Dean is expected to talk about how Wisconsin will be competitive for Democrats and Republicans in the November election. U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., won in Wisconsin in the 2004 presidential election by only a few thousand votes.

Cost and location The event is $15 for students and $25 for general admission, at 115 King St.

DEAN

KURT ENGELBRECHT/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

UW Police believe 20-year-old Jesse Miller made suicidal phone calls resulting in a campus lockdown and search Sep. 25.

Lockdown investigation ends, no charges filed

By Abby Sears THE DAILY CARDINAL

After several months of investigation, the University of Wisconsin Police Department decided not to pursue charges against Jesse Miller, the man they believe is responsible for the campus lockdown last September.

On Sept. 25, police responded to reports of a call from a suicidal man wanting police to shoot him, forcing university officials to cancel evening classes on the west side of campus.

Police searched buildings and parking ramps in the area and did not find anyone but suspected the caller was Miller, then 19 years old.

According to UWPD assistant chief Dale Burke, police traced the phone calls to San Diego and arrest-

ed Miller there before returning him to Wisconsin. Although police believe Miller made the phone calls, their investigation did not yield conclusive proof.

“Believing that and being able to prove it in a court of law are two different things,” Burke said. “We were unable to really technologically connect the dots and that’s pretty much what it boiled down to.”

Burke said UWPD maintained communication with both the Madison Police Department and the District Attorney’s office throughout their investigation.

According to Assistant District Attorney Mike Verveer, campus police miller page 3

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

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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

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South Padre Island drives Keaton, girls wild

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WEDNESDAY: partly cloudy hi 47º / lo 27º

KEATON MILLER miller’s genuine drafts

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ccording to the calendar, it’s spring. Although the snow on the ground may argue otherwise, now is the time for rebirth and regrowth. The time for new beginnings. The time to take expensive trips to exotic locations while drinking heavily without regard for standards of decency or morality.

Personally, my Spring Breaks tend to be boring. I’ve ended up with harsh exam schedules every year I’ve been here, which have helped to stymie my more expansive plans. My dream vacation? Let me tell you a story...

When they retired, my North Dakotan grandparents decided to throw evolution on its head. They returned to a simpler pattern of life: that of migratory birds. Although they still spent their summers in the North, they chose to pass winters somewhere

Pregnant or know someone who is?

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far warmer, as North Dakota winters are biting cold, windswept and soulsucking. A condo called the Tiki on the ocean shores of South Padre Island served as a suitable paradise.

South Padre, for those unfamiliar with the minutiae of ocean geography, is a barrier island off the coast of Texas.

It’s about the exact opposite of North Dakota (pleasantly warm, breezy to the point of perfection and spiritually satisfying), and throughout my childhood my family would visit every year, eager to get away from the North.

Our vacations consisted of spending hours on the beach, relaxing among the waves and exploring the never-ending sand dunes. However, the perfection wasn’t meant to last.

When I was in middle school, my grandparents left the Tiki and bought a new condo on the opposite side of the island, away from the best beaches and, as they called it, “unruly neighbors.”

Eventually, my grandparents stopped going South altogether, and my Spring Breaks have since kept me confined to Wisconsin. As I entered college, I had the same stereotypical

vacation plans as everyone else: Mexico.

The Bahamas. Bermuda. Hawaii.

Beloit. But one day, something drew my attention back to South Padre.

Late one night, during Comedy Central’s Secret Stash—which, through its uncensored nature, feels like an automatic anti-government protest— an ad came on. Steel drums, bright lights. I sighed. It was another cheesy spot for “Girls Gone Wild.” As always, there were drunk women revealing normally taboo portions of their anatomy in exchange for strings of beads or promises to not share the footage.

(Incidentally, this tradition led to the collapse of the great Crimean civilization, which used beads as currency.)

But this time, something was odd about the ad. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but there was definitely something different about this particular advertisement. I looked at it more intensely. Nude women? Check.

Annoying announcer voice? Check.

Beaches? Check. Anonymous beachside resorts?

Wait a second.

A smile crept over my face, for

directly behind the foreground action (groan) was the Tiki. And there, in front of the camera, were all of the “unruly neighbors” who my poor grandparents suffered.

So now, each year, I’ve tried to find a way to get myself back to the Tiki.

For relaxation purposes, of course. I need to get away from the grind of Wisconsin winters. Away from the biting cold. Away from the ice storms and the crushing depression when I realize that today the sun will rise at 10 a.m. and set at 4 in the afternoon. And it will be cloudy the entire time.

Of course, drunk girls flashing everyone and everything in sight— “Hey, jellyfish! What do you think of THESE sand dollars?”—has nothing to do with it.

Nothing at all.

Keaton’s attempts to return to South Padre Island have mostly failed. This year, he was stymied by a trifecta of terrible tests scheduled for this week.

Although he cursed the heavens and prayed to his statue of Hugh Hefner, it just hasn’t worked out. Yet. E-mail him at keatonmiller@wisc.edu.

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Which means, no other service can spread your message as fast as CollegeClassifieds.com.

Any moron can do free. We make free pay.

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Lawmaker suggests ending public elections for justices

By Solly Kane THE DAILY CARDINAL

State Rep. Fredrick Kessler, DMilwaukee, proposed an amendment to the state Constitution Friday, calling for an end to public elections for state Supreme Court Justices.

In Kessler’s plan, Supreme Court Justices would be appointed by the governor and approved by a Senate majority. Their terms would automatically be renewed after 10 years unless 13 of the 33 state Senators vote against reconfirmation.

In a statement, Kessler said the trends of special interest contributions and misleading campaigns have damaged the public’s perception of the judicial system.

“Something must be done to protect the integrity of the state’s highest court,” Kessler said. “If the public believes that positions on the bench are for sale to the highest bidder, the institution is severely undermined.”

UW-Madison professor of political science Ken Mayer said justices have the responsibility to interpret the law and adjudicate disputes, and the election process provides a degree of public accountability in the process.

“The idea is if the judge is really

out of touch with public opinion or gets too far ahead or behind, voters have the chance to remove them,” Mayer said, adding that he is not sure voters would approve a measure that takes decisions out of their hands.

The proposal comes amid the current Supreme Court campaign between incumbent Louis Butler and Michael Gablemen, a campaign described by Mayer as vicious. “[The elections] become a discussion about everything except what judges are supposed to do, which [is to] be neutral arbiters in legal disputes,” he said.

Mayer also said the trend of highly financed, visible campaigns is likely to continue because of groups that have a stake in getting particular kinds of judges on the court to benefit them.

Jay Heck, the executive director of Common Cause in Wisconsin, said he thinks it is important to uphold the Wisconsin tradition of electing justices.

Heck suggested judicial campaigns be funded publicly instead of by special interests, saying it is not necessary to throw out the whole system because of two nasty, expensive elections in a row.

K-9 helps police find marijuana in car Madison police arrested two men for alleged drug possession with intent to sell after a March 21 traffic stop revealed marijuana in their vehicle.

According to a police report, an officer patrolling the 400 block of West Gilman and West Gorham streets noticed individuals suspiciously approaching a vehicle. Police followed the black 2001 Chevy Impala and stopped the vehicle on North Park Street for a traffic violation.

Suspecting drug activity, police called for a MPD K-9 handler to come and inspect the vehicle for

substances.

According to police, a sniff test of the interior and exterior of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of 4.5 grams of marijuana throughout the vehicle.

Police arrested the driver, 21year-old Emmanuel G. CervantesReyes of Madison, who is tentatively charged with possession with intent to sell THC and operating after revocation.

A 19-year-old passenger, Juan C. Martinez-Arias, was also arrested and tentatively charged with possession with intent to sell THC.

JACOB ELA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

L’Etoile Restaurant is one business located at 25 N. Pinckney St. one of three Capitol Square buildings seeking landmark status from Madison’s Landmark Commission and City Council.

Downtown buildings one step closer to landmark status

By Britney Tripp THE DAILY CARDINAL

Madison’s Landmark Commission voted Monday to recommend landmark status for three historic buildings on North Pinckney Street.

Sonya Newenhouse, owner of 25 N. Pinckney St., one of the buildings recommended for landmark status, and Madison Trust for Historical Preservation member Carolyn Friedwald said landmarking the buildings is important, as few historical buildings remain on the block.

Greg Murray attended the meeting on behalf of the owners of 7 N. Pinckney St., a property known as Center Seven.

Murray said the building was not historically significant and only 25 percent of the original building remains.

He said designating the building

as a landmark would make maintenance more difficult in the alreadyrenovated portion of the property.

Megan Decker, daughter of the Center Seven owners, said she was against landmarking the building.

She said the building currently offered affordable rental and that adding landmark regulation would hinder maintaining low rental costs.

Jim Campbell, manager of Center Seven, also said he did not support giving the structure landmark status because of its previous renovation, which removed any historical significance.

He said he only supported landmarking the building’s old architecture.

Commission member Stan Coffman said he supported landmarking the three buildings.

He said only entire structures could

be landmarked, making landmarking portions of a building impossible regardless of whether parts of the original building are no longer standing.

Michael Collins, owner of 15 N. Pinckney St., said he supported preserving the building’s old architecture, but otherwise there was no reason to historically landmark it.

Erica Fox Gehrig, a member of the Landmark Commission board, said there are not many historical buildings left, making it important to preserve these buildings.

Commission member Katherine Rankin said landmarking a building could help commercial owners, as owners do not need to follow certain building codes to preserve the building’s historical content.

Final decisions on the three buildings will be made at a future City Council meeting.

Jeopardy! to offer free student tickets, auditions for show Attention all students interested in attending or auditioning for the 2008 Jeopardy! College Championship.

A limited number of free UWMadison student, faculty and staff tickets will be distributed Tuesday for the College Championship taping at the Kohl Center in April.

Tickets for the two-day tapings will be available on a first-come, firstserved basis from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Red Gym’s Campus Information Center. A valid UW-Madison ID is

feingold from page 1 troops,” Feingold said. “Our most important diplomatic initiative must be to encourage and support individual citizens to reach out across our borders with their private and personal lives. Our best diplomats in the world today are our private citizens.”

Feingold said studies proved public opinion of the United States goes

miller from page 1 were responsible for recommending that charges be filed in the Miller case. “[The UWPD] officially sends us police reports requesting us to make formal charges [and] they have not given us [an] official request for charges,” Verveer said.

According to court records, Miller

required to pick up tickets, which are limited to four per person.

“We hope to see you all there at the Kohl Center on April 11 and 12, when Jeopardy! comes to Madison,” Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek said in an online video.

Interested full-time undergraduate students can also audition to compete in the contest.

At a Jeopardy! Brain Bus event April 3 at Memorial Union, students will have the chance to win prizes

and meet the Clue Crew, and the first 1,000 students will be eligible to take the show’s pre-test. A valid UW-Madison ID is also required for the audition.

Ultimately, 15 college students from around the country will compete for the grand prize of $100,000.

UW-Madison is the ninth campus to host the college championship.

For more information, go to www.jeopardy.wisc.edu.

—Amanda Hoffstrom

up in areas where U.S. citizens volunteer their time and money to improve conditions in foreign countries.

“Americans as a people are still consistently more popular than our country,” he said.

According to Feingold, to improve the world standing of the United States, the number of foreign service officers in the field and funding for language programs must increase, and communication

of our national ideals and goals must improve. “[Secretary of Defense] Robert Gates has famously said that we had fewer foreign service officers than it would take to man a single aircraft carrier striker,” Feingold said. “Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has noted that there are twice as many lawyers in the Defense Department as there are foreign service officers.”

was incarcerated in Dane County Jail in April 2007 after failing to complete a teen rehab program following a conviction for armed robbery in June 2006. While on Huber work release, Miller did not return from a medical appointment on Sept. 8 and was not heard from until allegedly making the suicidal phone call.

According to his attorney Eric Schulenburg, Miller pleaded not guilty

by reason of mental disease or defect for charges stemming from his escape and incidents during his incarceration.

Burke said additional charges from the UWPD are not necessary.

“The bottom line is we’ve got other things right now that are of a higher priority … Mr. Miller is behind bars where he belongs and hopefully this won’t happen again,” Burke said.

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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

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

clear plan needed for cni secession

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he State-Langdon Neighborhood Association plans to propose seceding from Capitol Neighborhoods Inc. at Tuesday’s Executive Council meeting in response to CNI’s recent recommendations to crack down on downtown alcohol consumption.

Students have been at odds with CNI’s attempts to restrict nightlife and downtown disturbances since CNI absorbed the then-independent State Street and Langdon Street area in 2005.

Most recently, CNI proposed a policy to double the fine for underage drinking and increase the beer tax, prompting angry responses and calls from students for defection.

Both parties need to lay their cards on the table for any progress to be made.

It is clear the State-Langdon area students and CNI have diverging visions for the neighborhood, but what these visions are remain veiled.

Constricting students’ alcohol consumption and social lives will not foster student support, interest or activity in the neighborhood council, but secession based only on this platform seems highly reactive, juvenile and petty. It’s troublesome that the only plan of action thus far has been a reaction to proposed restrictions on alcohol-related nightlife.

At the same time, CNI does

not appear to have the students’ interests in mind with these recent proposals, and it is not cultivating support by blaming students for downtown problems. Curbing downtown disturbances via taxes and increased prices for citations is a lofty and, frankly, unattainable plan. A considerable amount of disturbances are a result of legal-drinking-age partiers who are immune to the underage drinking fine, and an increased beer tax is unlikely to intimidate them into model citizenry. Thus, the problem persists—as does the strained relationship between CNI and students—without remedying any real community problems.

At Tuesday’s meeting, both parties need to lay their cards on the table for any progress to be made. If the students have a greater vision for the StateLangdon Neighborhood beyond fighting for their right to party, they must delineate it explicitly or risk their proposal looking like a childish reaction to unwanted paternal infringement. CNI, too, must explicate their vision for the neighborhood and craft realistic proposals to attain this vision without holding their personal interests paramount and without alienating students and blaming them for the city’s problems.

This power struggle and the fate of the State-Langdon Neighborhood should be decided not by reactive rhetoric or selfish motives, but rather by plausible, well-reasoned visions that serve the best interests of the community, and it would be wise for both parties to make this abundantly clear in their arguments.

Legalized prostitution only way for protection EMILY HOUTLER opinion columnist

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ear ex-New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer: Congratulations on becoming both a national disgrace and the butt of every prostitution joke.

For any students who have been hibernating in a lofted bed for the past few weeks, let me fill you in on the Spitzer scandal. Spitzer was elected in 2006 on a platform of morality and honest ethics.

He vowed to bring down the evil and sinful prostitution rings in New York. Last month, the federal government began investigating phone calls and text messages sent

by Spitzer, believing he may be involved in illegal campaign financing. What they found was something else entirely.

It seemed that Spitzer was a patron of a high-end call-girl service. “Client No. 9,” as Spitzer was called, had apparently hired a prostitute, paying her $4,300 for two hours. Soon after the scandal broke, the governor stepped down from his position.

This scandal raised many issues, from extramarital affairs, to wiretapping to crooked, lying politicians. But one question set apart from the rest: Why is prostitution illegal? It is not legally forbidden all over the world.

Even some first-world European countries, like the Netherlands, have lawful prostitution. It is time for the United States to legalize prostitution.

Despite its illegal status, prostitution occurs all around the United States, expanding even further thanks to the Internet. Since it is illegal, there are no regulations for the industry.

In other fields dealing with the human body—medicine or tattooing, for example—numerous regulations exist to protect both the sup-

MATT RILEY/THE DAILY CARDINAL

plier and consumer of the service.

Prostitution in the United States has no rules. If prostitution were legalized, the government could create regulations for the industry protecting call girls and their clients. After all, many who turn to prostitution, especially those in the lower-end rings, have very few other options in life. Shouldn’t these people be equally safe while trying to earn a living for themselves?

Furthermore, if prostitution was legalized, sex workers would have more control over their lives.

Brothels are notorious for abuse and filthy conditions. But as things are currently, a woman beaten by a pimp could not go to the police because she could be arrested for prostitution. Her abuser may never be brought to justice and may continue to batter other victims.

With legalization, prosecution of the real criminals and abusers can be conducted more easily. Violence toward prostitutes would likely decrease as well if the law was on their side.

Some fear legalized prostitution would lead to a greatly increased demand for such services, and thereby morally corrupt the country. However,

such a scenario is highly unlikely. Take the rate of abortions, for example.

After the Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade, the number of abortions did not skyrocket. Today, the United States has the lowest abortion rates since charting began.

Other first-world countries with legalized prostitution have not become cesspools. Life and the economy continue to flourish in Australia, the Netherlands and Germany, even with their red-light districts. Although it is a controversial policy, it has led to an 80-percent decrease in arrests of prostitutes.

The U.S. government has repeatedly refused to legalize prostitution, citing that it would add to the human slave trade around the world. However, it would seem that by keeping prostitution illegal and therefore, unregulated, the United States is adding to the human slave trade. This long-existing profession may not always be the most respected, but sex workers deserve the same rights and regulations as every other working person.

Emily Houtler is a sophomore majoring in environmental science and math. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Obama’s speech failed to address real problem of situation

By Kathryn Minnick THE DAILY CARDINAL

Don’t get me wrong. I liked Barack Obama’s March 18 “race speech.” It was a good and necessary discussion of racial differences and sensitivities in America. But it was also a distraction from the real issue posed by Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s fiery comments: whether it’s all right to say harsh and seemingly hateful things about one’s country.

Obama didn’t talk about that issue because he—and no one else—can.

During the Vietnam War, some Americans burned the flag or used the spelling “Amerika” to highlight the supposedly fascist character of the government. Amid the Weather Underground’s attacks on government offices, rioting at the Democratic Convention of 1968, political assassinations and other social and political turbulence, saying “God damn America” might have been yawn-inducing 40 years ago.

But especially since Sept. 11, 2001, the same shadow of political correctness that first fell upon issues of race and gender decades earlier has squarely fallen on the matter of

patriotism.

Now there are certain things that can no longer be said in mainstream discourse—including whether patriotism itself is a virtue and, if so, what constitutes patriotism.

The destruction of the World Trade Center was the closest thing in this era to a Biblical theophany.

Except for a few nutcases who imagined 9/11 to be the work of the U.S. government, everyone else—right, left and center—saw the burning bush and saw it in the same sacred way. Just as God had supposedly anointed the Pilgrims and blessed the land centuries before, the apocalypse of 9/11 was somehow a sign of our anointment as holy victim and leader of a world charge against Islamo-fascism. Imagining that the innocents killed on 9/11 were mere collateral damage of lousy U.S. foreign policy—rather than martyrs— was immediate heresy.

The Iraq War has eaten away at our faith in government, but has not removed the shadow of political correctness from much of our discussion. Despite tens of thousands dead in Iraq and no trace of WMDs, our nation is still too

prim and politically cowed to discuss whether the national narrative—the civil religion—of America as a God-protected Promised Land makes sense.

If the last few years taught us anything, it is that we should not blindly swallow political pabulum.

For an audience sensitive to the art of rhetoric—not just sound bites—Reverend Wright’s call upon God to damn America was a call first of all to question the centrality of our narrative. By using the rhetorical mirror image of “God Bless America,” Wright essentially questioned whether the original image is still apt. If God blessed us, as the song says, should God continue to do so? Or has our government committed so many depredations in the name of our country that God should cast us out? And, if so, what should common citizens do?

Unfortunately, in such hyperpolitically correct times, these questions are considered heretical.

Although fewer Americans are religiously observant and the faith of Americans is increasingly nonChristian, the nation’s civil religion still flourishes. The idea of God— either as reality or as a powerful symbol—endowing our country with a special role in the world is stronger than ever. The idea that our civil religion and its deity may be an excuse for nationalistic hubris is traitorous. The idea that patriotism is not the highest ideal is unspeakable.

The Bill of Rights gave us freedom of speech, but if we censor ourselves into a narrow, safe circle that admits no transgressive ideas we will intellectually and spiritually starve as surely as if we lived in a police state. What we need are challenges to tired ways of thinking, including old ideas of patriotism and national purpose. What we need is not political correctness, but political daring and leadership at all levels—from citizens to pundits to candidates.

If the last few years taught us anything, it is that we should not

blindly swallow political pabulum.

The notion that harsh language, inflammatory ideas and heretical viewpoints necessarily mean one wishes ill upon one’s fellow citizens is wrong.

The future will be radically different from the past. The political, economic and environmental challenges facing the United States and the world are of a different order than before. The first requirement for merging onto the superhighway of the future will be to unfence those areas of discourse currently off-limits and address ideas thought too sacred to challenge.

Much of Obama’s support hinges on the hope this can be achieved. Obama’s “new politics” is less about wanting to change the mechanics of political sparring than about wanting to change the content of discussion.

But Obama’s race speech—for all its beauty—showed that old politics and rampant political correctness have kept him on a depressingly short leash.

Kathryn Minnick is a graduate student majoring in journalism. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

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The Beatles’ lost legacy Ben contemplates the effect of covers on public attitude toward the Brit-rockers

BEN PETERSON ben caught stealin’

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PHOTO COURTESY PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Despite the comedic talents of “Superbad” writer Seth Rogen and seasoned vet Owen Wilson, “Drillbit Taylor” fails to live up to its promise and delivers little more than a few hard-earned laughs.

‘Drillbit’ bites the dust

By Megan Dwyer THE DAILY CARDINAL

Today’s movie landscape of kids’ flicks and thrillers is quite bleak. What’s that, you say?

There’s a comedy starring the ever-likeable Owen Wilson? And it’s co-written by “Superbad’s” Seth Rogen? And it’s produced

by Judd Apatow, the mastermind behind gems “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up”?

Unfortunately there is, and its name is “Drillbit Taylor.”

Sadly, “Drillbit” disappoints despite this promising lineup.

Wilson stars as a homeless army deserter named Drillbit Taylor, who dupes three nerdy high school freshmen (chubby smartaleck Ryan, skinny dork Wade and the squeaky pocket-sized Emmit) into thinking he is a professional bodyguard. The kids hire him to protect them from a bully (the icy Filkins) bent on making their lives miserable.

Everything goes well at first: Drillbit poses as a substitute teacher, gains the affection of an English teacher (played by Leslie Mann) and successfully protects his new little friends. Would you then believe that the truth about Drillbit comes out, and he has to clean up the mess he made and keep his promise to protect the kids?

In today’s hypersensitive culture, are we really supposed to believe that these kids have no other options to escape bullies?

The predictable plot would be forgivable if the laughs kept coming, but they dry up shortly after the “everything goes well at first” montage. Although likeable, Ryan, Wade and Emmit are basically tamer versions of Superbad’s Seth,

PHOTO COURTESY PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Wade, Ryan and Emmit enlist the help of the homeless Drillbit Taylor to defend themselves against exaggerated bullies.

Evan and Fogell (right down to the opening phone conversation, replacing talk of college with talk of high school). Wilson slouches through his portrayal of what should be a wacky character, spewing catch phrases that don’t catch on and jokes that fall flat. He is unconvincing as a bum, looking more like Brad Pitt going grocery shopping than a panhandler who showers on the beach.

“Drillbit” makes several stretches, but the biggest one is the film’s premise. In today’s hypersensitive culture, are we really supposed to believe that these kids have no other options to escape bullies? The principal dismisses the charges once the bully denies them and even the kids’ own parents do not believe them. These days bullies cannot chase kids with cars, harass them in the bathroom, punch them around on campus or threaten them with a samurai sword in

rich suburbia without serious consequences.

With such strong comedic talents such as Rogen and Apatow behind the film, it is impossible for the film to be completely bad.

The casting is impeccable; the kids actually look like high school students and the bully looks seriously creepy yet troubled. Various jokes work—for instance, when a man gives Drillbit a dollar and writes “not for pot” on it, saying, “You’ll feel pretty stupid buying pot with that now, won’t you?” These jokes are not enough, prompting viewers to check their watches, not laugh.

The plot limps along without the comedy it needs to sustain interest. The whole film seems rather lazily thrown together, with stock characters and overextended storylines. While predictable and unrealistic, “Drillbit Taylor’s” worst crime is being a boring time-waster when it should be an enjoyable distraction.

like the Beatles quite a bit.

Of course most people do, and I’ve found that those who don’t usually have some sort of axe to grind about the seminal group being overrated or overplayed, rather than a complaint about the music itself. I’ve occasionally heard the rather glib sentiment tossed around that John Lennon and Paul McCartney were indistinct as vocalists and musicians despite their songwriting skills, and that Ringo Starr was a subpar drummer. Those are all absurd statements, because if it’s true that the Beatles were only brilliant songwriters, then why has no one else, in the history of time, throughout thousands of covers, ever been able to record a Beatles song as well as the original band?

I’m sure the last thing you probably want to be reading is a column about the Beatles, since lord knows their songs are maddeningly ubiquitous these days. But that’s just it: They’re not the ones who are everywhere—for the most part it’s their songs that are inescapable. From last year’s “Across the Universe” musical, to the ongoing “American Idol” slaughter of Lennon/McCartney songs, mindless hacks everywhere are “interpreting” (mutilating) the Beatles’ catalog like no tomorrow, and receiving a ton of publicity for it too.

On one hand, these folks are proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that no one can really do justice to the Beatles on a highly commercial level, thereby cementing the band’s untouchable stature. But on the other hand, something much more perilous is afoot: The band’s legacy is getting undermined, one saccharine step at a time, and through no fault of their own. The more their songs get covered, thrusting their oeuvre needlessly into the limelight, the more people are inevitably bound to start getting sick of the music—hearing it, hearing about it, reading about it, etc.

Another problem is that

Beatles songs usually don’t sound good when removed from the original context of the band’s basic creative process: Their sublimely immaculate arrangements, which mostly lack excessive instrumental and vocal ornamentation, create the feeling of a straight-forward vision at work, something which is deceptively hard to conjure in a cover.

The Beatles weren’t mediocre musicians by any means, but rather simple musicians and vocalists. They used every instrument and voice for pure utility, to craft perfect pop songs out of precise melodies and relatively subdued instrumentation.

Once a piece was recorded, even the band itself felt no need to ever perform the songs again— which is why, for the final and most creatively fruitful years of their career, they never played live. Improvisation and modification, which are central to a band’s live performance, were therefore non-issues; the songs in their original state spoke for themselves.

This is exactly why the notion of Beatles songs being performed by contestants on “American Idol”—which is all about pointless vocal embellishment and rhetorical talent exhibition—is so fundamentally ridiculous. The songs of Lennon/ McCartney don’t lend themselves well to vocal acrobatics and over-glamorization, because at heart they’re so self-contained and meticulously crafted that meddling with them, especially to such a gross degree, tears that fragile tapestry apart.

As a massive cultural institution, the Beatles need a nice long vacation. With last year’s George Martin-assembled Love soundtrack, McCartney’s alleged $400 million deal to bring the Beatles to iTunes, a plethora of films about Lennon’s politics and assassination, and the unfortunate American Idol and “Across the Universe” productions, we’re getting way too overloaded with the band, which could eventually spell disaster for the future of their legacy.

I can’t help but think that if Lennon and George Harrison were still around, things might be just a little bit different.

If you disagree, submit your favorite Beatles cover to Ben at bpeterson1@wisc.edu.

PHOTO COURTESY SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT

The frequent interpretations of their songs by Hollywood in movies like “Across the Universe” tarnish the Beatles’ career.

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comics 6

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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Mario Brothers 2, using the Princess

Today’s Sudoku

Beeramid

By Ryan Matthes beeramid_comic@yahoo.com

© Puzzles by Pappocom

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.

Yoko Ono loved it, too.

Dwarfhead and Narwhal

By James Dietrich jbdietrich@wisc.edu

Ringo Starr means “apple sauce” in Japanese.

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

The Crackles Why on earth would you set loose a rabid badger into a crowded disco?

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com SHARP COOKIE ACROSS

1 French clerical title 5 Plants used in cooking 10 “Let us know,’’ on an invitation (Abbr.)

14 Winner of five consecutive Wimbledons 15 Visually teasing images 16 Weighty Kuwaiti?

17 Absurd notion, facetiously 19 Carpentry groove 20 Blunderbuss cleaner 21 Abrades, in a way 23 Vividly colored fish 26 Waxing alternative 27 Makeshift desk 30 Button one’s lip 33 Fling with force 34 Segal and Fromm 36 Number in a million?

37 Two-term presidents’ tenures, e.g.

38 ___ Khan 39 Clive Cussler’s “___ Gold’’ 40 ___ chi ch’uan (Chinese exercise) 41 Suck up 44 Patricia, the Cookie in “Cookie’s Fortune’’ 45 Thing in the grass

47 Old communication device 49 Scott who sued for his freedom 50 A Franklin innovation 51 Painter’s tool 54 Saintly Mother 58 Canadian flag feature 59 What to expect from comedians 62 “Bravo!’’ elicitor at the Met 63 “All in the Family’’ character 64 Gloucester guy 65 Attempt to squeeze someone in?

66 Get on with one’s half-life?

67 “Daddy Day Care” extras DOWN

1 Shortened form, in shortened form 2 Half of a Pacific island 3 Stop pouring here 4 Golden-brown appetizers 5 Much-anticipated social event 6 “Center’’ intro 7 “Terrific,’’ in ’80s slang 8 Fox or Bear appellation 9 Fiercely loyal 10 Scene of a famous art

11 Good gamblers follow it 12 “La ___ Breve’’ (de Falla opera) 13 Frigate’s front 18 Bad thing to abandon 22 Sound units 24 Bar mitzvah dances 25 Samovar parts 27 Angle symbol, in trig 28 Enveloping glows 29 Result of a professor’s departure?

31 Open, as an aspirin bottle 32 Proponent of positive thinking 35 In proofing, it has a point 39 Work together 41 Caps Lock neighbor 42 Like morning grass 43 Marred by discolored spots 46 1993 accord signer 48 “... ___ after’’ 51 Simple headstone 52 Where the Ucayali flows 53 “Ticket to ___’’ 55 Twice-heard sound 56 It’s played with less than a full deck 57 Venomous varmints 60 “Quoted verbatim’’ 61 “H’’ on a frat sweater

Anthro-apology

By Simon Dick srdick@wisc.edu I just did what they said! They wanted some panic at the disco so I gave it to them!

What?!

By Eric Wigdahl wigdahl@wisc.edu

sports

dailycardinal.com/sports

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

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Badger softball team struggles during long road trip

By Scott Kellogg THE DAILY CARDINAL

ISABEL ALVAREZ/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Junior left fielder Valyncia Raphael ended Wisconsin’s long spring break trip on a high note with a three-run, walk-off home run against Princeton.

Despite defeating Princeton, the Badgers (10-21) finished off a rocky road trip with a 3-7-1 record after competing in the Tiger Invitational and the Stanford Invitational II, and playing midweek games against Pacific and Sacramento State.

UW did, however, finish the week on a high note. With the Badgers trailing the Tigers 2-0 in the seventh inning, junior left fielder Valyncia Raphael hit a three-run, walk-off home run.

The victory salvaged what could have been a disastrous week for the Badgers. The win over Princeton was Wisconsin’s third victory in five contests at the Stanford Invitational II. Before arriving in Palo Alto, Calif., the Badgers were winless in six games since leaving Madison.

Wisconsin was in danger of finishing the Stanford Invitational II with a losing record after splitting the first four games.

Princeton took a one-run lead into the fourth inning when shortstop Kathryn Welch hit a run-scoring double off sophomore pitcher Letty Olivarez. The Tigers added another run in the seventh inning when designated hitter Erin Welch crossed the plate on a wild pitch from junior Leah Vanevenhoven.

But the Badgers needed just three batters to overcome the defi-

cit. Olivarez led off the bottom of the inning with a walk, and senior shortstop Lynn Anderson followed with a double, her second hit of the game, before Raphael blasted one over the fence to give Wisconsin a dramatic victory.

It was Wisconsin’s 10th win of the season and its second over Princeton, who fell to 3-17 with the loss.

Before facing Princeton on Sunday, the Badgers played four games in the previous two days.

Their first game of the Stanford Invitational II was also against the Tigers, a contest in which Wisconsin won 2-1. The victory snapped an eight-game losing streak for UW. Once again it was Princeton jumping out to the lead against Wisconsin. Down 1-0 in the fifth inning, junior infielder Theresa Boruta evened up the game with a single. Later in the inning, Raphael crossed the plate on a fielding error

by Princeton to give Wisconsin the eventual game-winning run.

Wisconsin fell to No. 5 Stanford later on Friday 5-1. Catcher Rosey Neil set the tone early for the Cardinal with a three-run home run in the first inning off Olivarez. The Badgers were unable to get their bats going, scoring just one run on a wild pitch by Missy Penna. Penna earned the victory after allowing just three hits through six innings.

On Saturday, Wisconsin was able to get going offensively and defeat East Carolina 7-3. Once again Wisconsin fell behind early, this time 3-0 to the Pirates after one inning.

The Badgers were held in check for five innings before they exploded offensively in the sixth.

With two runners on base and two runs already home in the inning, Raphael hit a three-run home run to give Wisconsin the lead. The Badgers added runs in the sixth and seventh innings to seal the victory.

Later on Saturday, Wisconsin was defeated by Brigham Young in eight innings 4-3. This time it was Wisconsin who established an early lead, capitalizing on two BYU errors in the second inning to score three runs. Wisconsin took a 3-1 lead into the seventh, but was unable to close the game as short stop Amanda Vance tied the game with a two-run single.

In the eighth, a Vanevenhoven wild pitch allowed third baseman Angeline Quiccho to score the game-winning run.

Earlier in the week, Wisconsin lost twice at Sacramento State and tied at Pacific. In the Missouri Invite the weekend before, Wisconsin went winless, losing two games each to Missouri and North Dakota State.

Men’s distance medley relay, Rundhaug shine at NCAA Indoor Championships

By Scott Allen THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin men’s distance medley relay placed third and 5,000meter runner Katrina Rundhaug placed fifth, earning All-American honors along with distance runners Ann Detmer and Brandon Bethke at the NCAA Indoor Championships March 14 and 15.

Sophomore Craig Miller opened the 1,200-meter leg of the DMR in 2 minutes 56 seconds, putting UW in sixth place. James Groce moved the Badgers up to fourth after his 47.52 seconds 400 meter leg, and freshman Evan Jager got the relay in second after his 1:49 800-meter effort. Jack Bolas anchored the mile leg in 4:00 and was passed by Arizona State’s miler to finish third for a cumulative effort of 9:33.83.

Texas, armed with mile champion Leonel Manzano and runnerup Jake Morse, won the distance medley in 9:32.04.

Sophomore Brandon Bethke took ninth and missed placing by a half second in the 3,000 meters, running 8:06.63. It turned into a kickers’ race after the 16-person field stuck together through 2,000 meters, but

defense from page 8 somehow Ryan’s squad managed to consistently shut down the opponent’s offense. “It’s like magic,” the other reporter replied.

During the press conference, reporters asked both Ryan and center Greg Stiemsma how exactly they played such great defense. Both gave similar responses.

“I think it starts in the preseason,” Stiemsma said. “[In the] first few practices ... we’re getting after it. Not putting shots up, we’re banging our bodies and getting back in transition.”

“We haven’t changed anything,” Ryan said. “Greg pointed out the different drills we do early. We’ve been doing those for 30-some years or as

Bethke didn’t have enough steam to hang with the leaders.

Bethke closed the final kilometer in 2:31, while Arizona State’s Kyle Alcorn went 2:26 to win the race in 8:00.

Senior Katrina Rundhaug earned her third All-American honor after placing fifth in the 5,000-meter race with a 16:05.02. She stuck near the chase pack and was in fourth for most of the race until Michigan State’s Nicole Bush caught her in the final 400 meters.

Texas Tech’s Sally Kipyego led from the gun to win in the race in 15:31, more than 20 seconds ahead of second place.

With a slew of runners right on her heels, senior Ann Detmer led the first half of the mile, splitting 2:19 at 800 meters. She was second place with 400 meters to go, but faded to eighth by the finish after running 4:44.79 to add a point to UW’s team score.

Hannah England of Florida State won the mile in 4:35.30 with Michigan’s Nicole Edwards close behind at 4:35.74. Detmer ran 4:43.23 in the mile prelims to be the ninth of 10 qualifiers.

The women’s distance medley many as I’ve been a head coach in high school or junior high.”

From those responses it seems the only thing “magical” about the Badger defense is that no one outside the state seems to believe its good enough to stop the nation’s best.

Does taking a charge look as glamorous as swishing a 3-pointer? No. Is hedging on a ball screen as cool as hanging on the rim after a dunk? Of course not. Can playing solid defense take you to the Final Four? I don’t know, but my guess is the Badgers’ defensive magic will work wonders outside of Omaha.

If you’ve had a stout float at Upstream Brewery or a scoop of ice cream at Maggie Moo’s in downtown Omaha, e-mail Ryan at reszel@dailycardinal.com.

relay placed 12th at the NCAAs after going 11:34.64. Gwen Jorgensen, Nicole Slaby and Carly Ducharme got UW three seconds out of scoring in 11th place by the time Detmer got the baton, but Detmer mustered only a 4:59 for her second of three mile races for the weekend. Tennessee won the relay in 11:01.

The men’s team tied for 38th place with six points and the women tied for 39th place with five points.

Arizona State won both the men’s and women’s team titles.

The men’s team kicked off the outdoor season last weekend at the Clemson Relays March 21 and 22, winning five events against a small field including Minnesota.

For individual events, Nate Larkin won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.36 seconds, Eric Hatchel won the 1,500 meters in 4:02.24 and Rayme Mackinson jumped 23 feet 10 1⁄4

inches to clinch a UW win in the long jump.

The 4x400 meter relay team of Groce, Quinn Evans, Luke Hoenecke and Andrew Milenkovski ran 3:11.67 to win. Wisconsin’s final victory came from the 4x800 meter relay team of Luke Rucks, Steven Ludwig, Joe Pierre and Zach Beth, who went 7:48.53.

—uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.

2007-2008 Distinguished Lecture Series

Reza Aslan & Gideon YagO Aslan, an internationally acclaimed writer and religious scholar, as well as author of No God But God, joins Yago, former MTV news correspondent and award-winning journalist, to discuss Middle East politics, religion and society. Aslan is an Iranian American with Master's degrees in Theological Studies and Fine Arts in Fiction, as well as a Bachelors in Religious Studies. He is currently working on his Ph.D. in the Sociology of Religion.

Yago, a Jewish-American, graduated from Columbia University and continued his career in broadcast journalism.

TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 7:30PM WISCONSIN UNION THEATER FREE TICKET POLICY Tickets will be available at the Union Theater Box Office, Memorial Union. Tickets will be available to students, faculty, staff and Union members at the Union Box Office in Memorial Union March 18. Remaining tickets will be available to the public March 22. Tickets are valid until 7:20 p.m. At 7:20, empty seats will be available to patrons without tickets.

Wisconsin Union Theater Box Office Hours Monday – Friday, 11:30 am – 5:30 pm Saturday, noon – 5 pm • 262-2201 Cosponsors include University Book Store, University Housing, Chadbourne Residential College, UW Greek Life, WSUM Radio, Middle East Studies Program

sports Badgers preparing for Davidson 8

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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

By Alex Morrell THE DAILY CARDINAL

During his weekly press conference, Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said he has his Badger men’s basketball team focused on cherishing and preparing for the 40 extra minutes it earned by dispatching Kansas State 72-55 Saturday and advancing to the Sweet 16.

“All I know is, and I told the team, is that we get another 40 minutes together on the court ... in a very special environment,” Ryan said. “All we know is we [have to] prepare for our next opponent and play 40 minutes.”

The Badgers set the school record for wins (31) Saturday by frustrating the heralded offensive attack of Kansas State’s freshmen Bill RYAN Walker and Michael Beasley.

But to earn another 40 minutes together, the Badgers’ top-ranked scoring defense (53.9 points per game allowed) will have to stymie the high-octane Davidson Wildcats and the NCAA Tournament’s most prolific scorer in the opening weekend—sophomore guard Stephen Curry. Senior forward Brian Butch said they are not taking the No. 10-seeded Wildcats lightly.

“People look at the seeds and make a big deal about them, but for us they’ve beaten two great teams to get where they’re at now, and for us we just have to worry about concentrating on the challenges they offer us as a team,” Butch said.

The most obvious challenge will be slowing down the sharp-shooting Curry, who has scored at least 30 points in each of his first three NCAA Tournament appearances dating back to last year, putting him in the company of legends like Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson.

Davidson overcame early deficits in its upset victories against No. 7 seed Gonzaga and No. 2 seed Georgetown by riding Curry’s onslaught of scoring and pure shooter’s touch.

Senior Michael Flowers is the likely candidate to guard Curry, though Flowers said he is not thinking too much about the matchup but rather about his past experiences that have prepared him to guard Curry.

“I don’t really think about it that much,” Flowers said. “I know it’s weird probably to hear that ... I’ve been preparing for this game playing against Drew Neitzel, Eric Gordon and Manny Harris. Hopefully I can take all that I’ve learned playing those great players and try to remember what I did against them to help me contain Curry.

“He’s going to get his points ... But you just have to make him work for it,” Flowers added. “At the end of the game, if he has nine points or 12 or 34, I would want him to say he had to work for every point he got.”

Although Curry has led the Wildcats’ offensive barrage, Davidson’s nation-leading 24-game winning streak has relied on a balanced attack and the contributions of senior swingman Jason Richards and junior postman Andrew Lovedale. The Badgers are not underestimating this team’s other weapons, according to Butch.

“Everyone talks about Curry, but they’ve got a lot of great other players that help that team win,” Butch said. “They’re pretty similar to us where they’ve got a lot of role players that do a great job and really look to get Curry the ball in position to score, and yet they make plays themselves too.”

The Badgers will need more than an outstanding performance from Flowers to prevent similar fates as Gonzaga and Georgetown, including the continued success of Trevon

UW defense works ‘magic’ in Omaha

S

o you went to Jamaica for Spring Break—lame.

Cancun—dumb. On a cruise—please, those are for old folks named Norma and Earl who wear their pants up to their chests and think white shoes are “the cat’s meow.”

Everyone knows the new Spring Break hot spot is Omaha, Neb. All you naysayers out there can make jokes about corn, corn cobs and cornhuskers, but where else can you get a stout float—picture stout mixed with coffee-flavored ice cream and a spoonful of chocolate sauce—to lift your spirits on a cloudy Friday afternoon?

And where else can an “ugly,” “slow” basketball team look so good?

Omaha, that’s where.

Doesn’t the old adage that “defense wins championships” still hold true?

BRAD FEDIE/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Senior forward Brian Butch said the Badgers are ready for Davidson’s other weapons besides sharp-shooter Stephen Curry.

Hughes, who scored 25 against Kansas State, Greg Stiemsma, who had a career-high 14 points against the Wildcats, and Joe Krabbenhoft, whom Michael Flowers called their team’s “Mr. Incredible.”

“He faces challenges and he never backs down ... He’ll do anything for a win, and that’s vital,” Flowers said.

Ryan doesn’t anticipate any major changes in preparation for Davidson, but he admits his team still has room for improvement and must bring a competitive edge to their “next 40 minutes” of tournament play, which begin Friday March 26 at 6:10 p.m. at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.

Disappointing season ends for women’s basketball

By Jay Messar THE DAILY CARDINAL

It had been 10 years since the UW Field House hosted a collegiate basketball game.

For the Wisconsin women’s

basketball team, the return to the old gymnasium Saturday was an unfriendly one as the Badgers were ousted from the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, suffering a 60-54 defeat to Villanova.

ISABEL ALVAREZ/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Senior Jolene Anderson played in her final game as a Badger Saturday.

RYAN RESZEL high reszel-ution

“I thought it certainly was not due to a lack of effort,” Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said. “Our kids really played hard today.

It’s just unfortunate that we just couldn’t get over the hump.”

The loss also marked the end of the careers of Wisconsin seniors Jolene Anderson, Janese Banks, Danielle Ward and Ivana Mijalcevic.

“This is always a hard day in the locker room, because you are saying goodbye to your senior class,” Stone said. “Jo and Janese and Danielle have been with me for four years and it’s awfully hard to have their careers end. We wanted to keep the season going.”

Anderson, the Big Ten’s CoPlayer of the Year, led all scorers with 21 points in the contest.

Anderson also led the Badgers with seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals. No other Badger scored in double figures.

Anderson finished her Wisconsin career totaling 2,312 points, good for No. 4 all-time in Big Ten women’s basketball scoring.

Yet Anderson’s game was not enough, as seven of the nine Wildcats who saw action made at least one 3-pointer.

“Defensively we had a great game plan playing a team that shoots 500 more 3-point shots than their opponents and they got hot,” Stone said. “We lost them a couple of times and they make you pay. They shot 11-for21 from the three-point line and it came down to 3-point shooting and our free throw shooting.”

Villanova’s 21 tries from behind the arc broke its own NCAA record for most threes attempted in a season with 833.

The Badgers shot a dismal 44 percent from the free-throw line and made just two 3-pointers in the contest.

Behind 57 percent field goal shooting in the second half, Villanova (17-15) won its first ever meeting against Wisconsin (16-14) and will move on to face the winner of Colorado and Gonzaga in the third round of the WNIT. The Badgers, who made it to the WNIT championship game last season, fell to 13-3 in WNIT games and failed to make it past the second round for the first time ever.

—uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.

“Ugly” and “slow” are not words I would use to describe the Wisconsin Badgers. So-called basketball experts like Digger Phelps, Doug Gottlieb and Clark Kellogg frequently criticize UW’s style of play, and all three predicted Kansas State would upset Wisconsin Saturday at the Qwest Center.

I’m not a basketball guru. My bracket is a mess—thank you Pittsburgh. Nevertheless, doesn’t the old adage “defense wins championships” still hold true?

Wisconsin, Washington State and UCLA rank in the top five nationally in scoring defense. Louisville is ranked 19th. Stanford is ranked 20th, and Memphis is 21st. Kansas and Michigan State are both in the top 30. Xavier and West Virginia are in the top 50.

When the Florida Gators won a national championship in 2006, they were ranked 21st in field goal percentage defense. In 2007, they were ranked 38th in the same category. This season, they’re ranked 217th. Not surprisingly, Billy Donovan’s club is not back in the NCAA Tournament.

Teams don’t need to play great defense to be great teams. North Carolina and Tennessee are prime examples. And great defensive teams don’t necessarily win championships.

If they did, Wisconsin would have been in the Final Four every year under Dick Bennett. But when did playing good defense suddenly make a team “slow,” “ugly” or “unathletic?”

I’ll admit that Brian Butch is not the most graceful man I have ever seen. But game after game, he and his Badger teammates frustrate the hell out of some of the most “athletic” players in the country.

While waiting for head coach Bo Ryan and the Badger players to come out of the locker for interviews following their 72-55 victory over Kansas State, I was seated in front of two reporters from the Sunflower State.

One commented to the other how defense page 7