Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

VIDEO GAME ADAPTATION MISSES THE MARK Wahlberg points, shoots and misses in poorly put-together ﬁlm ‘Max Payne’ ARTS

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UW Football: $900,000 in scholarships UW Men’s Crew: $0 in scholarships Guess who won a national title last year?

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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Ofﬁcials sound off on lowering the drinking age

Fraternities nix house parties on Halloween

By Lauren Piscione

By Abby Sears

THE DAILY CARDINAL

A nationwide debate on rethinking the drinking age made its way to UW-Madison Tuesday at the biannual meeting of the Policy Alternative Community and Education Project, a university and community initiative aimed at combating the consequences of high-risk drinking. The Amethyst Initiative is composed of chancellors and presidents of universities and colleges across the country that support public discussion and debate surrounding the drinking age and current problems with underage and binge drinking. Wisconsin’s drinking age was changed from 18 to 21 in 1986 after a 10 percent reduction of a state’s federal highway appropriation was created for any state with a legal drinking age under 21 as a part of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act passed by Congress in 1984. Marsh Shapiro, owner of the downtown Nitty Gritty, explained his frustrations with the drinking age at the meeting. Having spoken with many government ofﬁcials and

authorities in the past, Shapiro said “there is no way Wisconsin would have gone to 21 had it not been for the threat of the highway funds.” Shapiro feels strongly that many laws regarding the drinking age are unjust. “You can be legal to do everything else in this country except have a beer, and I think its unfortunate that it has to be that way,” he said. “I’ve always said one of my ambitions would to be to have a marine, that is underage, come in and serve him a beer, and have the police arrest me for serving someone that has just come back from Iraq. That would just demonstrate how ludicrous the law is,” Shapiro said. Aaron Brower, principle investigator for PACE, said statistics show a spike in binge drinking between the ages of 18 and 22 and a drop after, suggesting the issue of dangerous binge drinking lies within the bracket college years rather than in the larger issue of underage drinking. “From a law enforcement prospective, I don’t think it does any good for us to participate in the discussion of the debate,”

THE DAILY CARDINAL

director of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, called the ad “completely slanderous,” and said these candidates could not have voted for the health care proposal the ad is criticizing. Loftus said these “cookie cutter” ads, aired in various counties throughout the state, make the same false claims, and just change the name of the candidate targeted depending on

For the first time in several years, none of the UW-Madison fraternities will be hosting formal parties the night of Freakfest 2008, but that will not stop police from patrolling Langdon Street during the Nov. 1 event. UW-Madison coordinator of fraternity and sorority affairs Barb Kautz said this year’s Halloween celebration marks the first time in her six years of working with Greek organizations that no fraternity has put in a request to host an official party. Typically, when organizations want to hold a social function at their house, they must file a social contract with the Interfraternity Council one week before an event. In the case of events during Freakfest, however, organizations must submit a contract by Oct. 15 and also take part in training with the Madison Police Department, factors which Kautz said likely contributed to the lack of parties this year. “There’s a lot more work involved and I think people just kind of say ‘nah,’” she said. Interfraternity Council President Jeremy Reich said many organizations chose to take advantage of other events in the downtown area rather than gambling with the chance of trouble at fraternity house parties. “There’s too much at risk when you have a party on such a notorious weekend,” Reich said. Matt Bernstein, president of the newly reinstated Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, said his organization experienced that risk firsthand after police busted a Halloween party held at their Langdon-area house in 2005. The event resulted in $94,000 worth of citations for overcapacity and underage drinking, and the fraternity was suspended for nearly three years prior

immigrants page 3

parties page 3

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Marsh Shapiro, owner of the downtown restaurant the Nitty Gritty, spoke in favor of lowering the current drinking age to 18. UWPD Assistant Police Chief Dale Burke said. Susan Crowley, project director for PACE, said although college presidents target the issue of age, UW-Madison should focus on the overall consequences of drinking. Crowley said a minimum drinking age of 21 is apparently ineffective

on college campuses because excessive drinking troubles continuously plague universities. “College presidents have used the age issue as an opening to say this hasn’t been working, because if it had been working we wouldn’t be having as many consequences,” Crowley said.

TV ad claims Dems support free health care for ‘illegal aliens’ By Jessica Feld THE DAILY CARDINAL

Minority communities are expressing outrage at a TV advertisement airing in Wisconsin that accuses democrats running for state Assembly of supporting free health care for illegal immigrants. The advertisement, sponsored by the Virginia-based Coalition for America’s Families, includes a young man standing on a street corner holding a cardboard sign that reads, “Free

health care for Illegal Aliens.” “This is really good news for illegal aliens. They don’t even have to live here and the health care is free,” he says. The ad urges voters to contact democratic Assembly candidates and tell them “we can’t afford their version of health care.” Peter Muñoz, executive director of Centro Hispano of Dane County, a Latino rights organization, disapproves of the ad’s message, which

targets Latino and African American communities. Muñoz said it is “disturbing” that the ad uses code words, such as a reference to “people from Chicago,” to target not only immigrants, but also African Americans that came to Wisconsin for better opportunities. “Immigrants came here to pursue the American dream and yet they have been tagged as criminals,” Muñoz said. Alec Loftus, communications

Same-sex couples speak to students about common stereotypes By Cate McCraw THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee and Campus LGBT Center co-sponsored a panel discussion Tuesday on the status of same-sex unions in Wisconsin. The panel featured two samesex couples and Glenn Carlson, executive director of the advocacy group Fair Wisconsin. Carlson began the event by introducing some of the primary issues currently facing samesex partners, including a lack of health-care benefits and limits on official joint guardianship of bio-

logical and adopted children. “Its interesting to think about the future and the challenges we may face,” panelist Lilia Williams said. The discussion accompanied an art exhibition, which combined the photographs and interviews of thirty same-sex couples from across the state. The exhibit was created in response to the 2006 state constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions. Carlson said there are currently 211 benefits withheld from samesex couples in Wisconsin, which he emphasized voters should focus on in addition to other matters of

national concern.

“It’s interesting to think about the future and the challenges we may face.” Lilia Williams panelist Campus LGBT Center panel discussion

“Our challenge for Wisconsin is to make sure that people across the state don’t vote just in the panel page 3

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Lilia Williams and Sheltreese McCoy share their experiences as a same-sex couple in Madison with UW-Madison students and faculty.

“…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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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

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

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Search for roommate, diversity commences

Volume 118, Issue 37

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

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Alex Morrell Managing Editor Jamie McMahon News Editor Amanda Hoffstrom Campus Editor Erin Banco City Editor Abby Sears State Editor Megan Orear Opinion Editors Jon Spike Mark Thompson Arts Editors Emma Condon Ryan Hebel Sports Editors Ben Breiner Crystal Crowns Features Editor Sarah Nance Food Editor Marly Schuman Science Editor Bill Andrews Photo Editors Kyle Bursaw Lorenzo Zemella Graphics Editors Meg Anderson Matt Riley Copy Chiefs Jillian Levy Gabe Ubatuba Jake Victor Copy Editors Danny Marchewka Kevin Slane, Todd Stevens Claire Wiese, Jack Zeller

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Babu Gounder Assistant Business Manager Alex Kusters Advertising Manager Sheila Phillips Eric Harris, Dan Hawk Web Directors Account Executives Katie Brown Natalie Kemp, Tom Shield Marketing Director Andrew Gilbertson Assistant Marketing Director Perris Aufmuth Archivist Erin Schmidtke

ASHLEY SPENCER back that ash up

re you at least 18 years of age, semi-abnormal and looking for a place to live next semester? If not, do you know someone who fits that description? Perhaps a friend who’s studying abroad in some swank city in Europe but needs a hole to live in when he or she comes back for the winter? If so, fill out the form at the end, stick it in an envelope with your name, address and phone number and drop it off at The Daily Cardinal’s office, 2142 Vilas Hall, to enter this year’s most exciting contest: Win THE BEST ROOM in Ashley Spencer’s STELLAR PAD!!!! OMG! Now, let me tell you more about the prize. Due to a recent vacancy in my house, there’s one stunning room in my basement available for rent. Not only do you get a large room with not one, but TWO beds, you have access to free laundry and a stunning kitchen and, yes, we’ll even let you

use the bathroom for pooping and showering. No need to trek to the outhouse. If I select you out of the thousand people that are sure to apply for this contest, we’ll negotiate a fair rent somewhere in the mid-hundred thousands. But let’s not get caught up in the speciﬁcs. The thing that matters is that we get along swell, and you don’t get all that irritated when I use the last roll of toilet paper, put the Brita pitcher back in the fridge with just a sliver of water in it and make up my own vulgar love songs in the shower. Interested parties should consider if their lives are exciting enough to write about, as I am always interested in exploiting my roommates’ lives to meet deadline and make other people laugh at their expense. Sex addicts (band members), varsity athletes and Biddy Martin are all encouraged to apply. If selected, you must sign a waiver giving me sole discretion when it comes to your life entering my columns. If you do anything that makes me laugh or fart uncontrollably, you will be integrated; if you turn out to be a lame duck who basically shits, sleeps and eats at home, I’ll just pre-

The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. The Daily Cardinal is a nonproﬁt organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than 200 words, including contact information. Letters may be sent to letters@dailycardinal.com.

Editorial Board Nate Carey Dave Heller Jillian Levy Jamie McMahon Alex Morrell Jon Spike Mark Thompson Hannah Young l

Board of Directors Vince Filak Babu Gounder Nik Hawkins Dave Heller Janet Larson Chris Long Alex Morrell Sheila Phillips Benjamin Sayre Jenny Sereno Terry Shelton Jeff Smoller Jason Stein l

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

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tend you do not exist and write you out of my life. Literally. Members of the opposite sex are encouraged to apply, especially if they are semi-decent looking, have blue eyes or look like James Franco. If you have a girlfriend, please don’t bring her over or tell her about the illicit affairs I intend to have with you in order to make living with you incredibly awkward, thereby giving me more column material. As for those hickeys I plan on giving you, we’ll worry about those later, but keep in mind that you will probably, at some point, be bitten. If you’re not the cutest bunny in the yard, but you’re hysterical, especially in a Jonah Hill-like way, you can still apply. I am, after all, all about equal opportunity, even for the facially impaired. Of course, girls, too, can live with me by all means. In fact, I prefer the fairer sex, since they are deﬁnitely less mentally stable, thereby keeping things real, fresh and interesting. The more weirdos you’ve slept with, the more prescriptions you’re on and the more slutty clothes you have that I can “borrow,” all add up and make me almost want to let you live with me for FREE—but not quite. But

don’t worry, it will be fun—we’ll be like the Olsen twins, and I get to be Ashley ’cause that’s my name anyway, plus she’s prettier, less elfy and didn’t kill Heath Ledger. But I digress. I’d also like to encourage those of American Indian descent to apply, as I have always been a fan and would like to make my living environment as diverse as possible—we already have a member of the gay community and two white girls who both come from a rough upper-class upbringing in nice houses with pools. We’re all about embracing differences. Here’s the attached form: NAME: / AGE: / PHONE: WHY I WANT TO LIVE WITH ASHLEY IN 100+ WORDS (feel free to write more): The deadline for this application is not concrete. Anyone who is a science major who must study, has serious backne or actually likes the show “My Name is Earl” will automatically be disqualiﬁed. Digital applications can also be sent via e-mail. Tours are available for a small fee. If you are, in fact, seriously looking for a place to live, Ashley is seriously looking for a roommate E-mail aaspencer@wisc. edu with any inquiries.

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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

THE DAILY CARDINAL

The University of Wisconsin marching band played at Lambeau Field for the PackersColts half time show Oct. 19, anxious to improve their reputation after hazing allegations led to their suspension two weeks ago. After being barred from preforming at the Badger home football game against Ohio State Oct. 4, the band went into the trip with a new attitude and on their best behavior, according to Band Director Mike Leckrone. Leckrone said band members enjoyed the trip, despite new travel regulations. “They were still fun and singing and all the things that you would expect,” he said. Although the Offices of the Dean of Students is still in the process of investigating the allegations, Leckrone said the band is trying to move on. “We’re proceeding, and they’re just trying to keep me advised if there’s any steps that I need to take,” he said. “We’ve just put some new guidelines in place, and tried to re-emphasize the old ones.” These new guidelines include

the addition of student bus captains to monitor behavior on the buses and random seating assignments on the bus, which Leckrone enforced on the trip to the Green Bay Packers’ stadium. “The band is serious about change,” assistant drum major Alex Waskawic said. “We’re going to fix the culture … everyone’s putting forth a lot of effort to change.” Leckrone said he thought the investigation stimulated an unfair stereotype of the band as a whole. “Like the vast majority of kids at this university, they’re good, they’re smart, and they do dumb things every once in a while,” he said. “The last two weeks the intensity has been really good, and the learning curve has been up.” The band is looking forward to the opportunity to showcase their hard work during homecoming week. “We’re not going to be sitting around twiddling our thumbs this week,” Leckrone said. “I think they’re anxious to get out there and perform as well as any band in the country … and they will.”

ASM and Wisconsin Union look to ﬁll student position on new advisory board ASM Shared Governance Committee and The Wisconsin Union announced they are looking for a student to serve on an advisory board discussing the potential financial institution in the Union Tuesday. Directors of the organizations said the position is an excellent opportunity for students to gain professional experience relating to the bank industry in a collaborative team atmosphere. Meeting dates for the board are not currently set, but three to four discussions about a potential financial institution are expected to take place between Nov. 1 and Dec. 15. The advisory board plans to accept bids from various bank-

ing corporations when discussing the implementation of the financial system. Student and Union member input will also be taken into account in the decision-making process. Students interested in the position should submit a copy of their résumé including work experience, knowledge of financial institutions or banking, and a statement explaining their desire to serve on the advisory board. Applications should be sent to Adam Sheka at sheka@wisc.edu by 5 p.m. Oct. 27. The student selection will be made by the ASM Shared Governance Committee by Oct. 29.

panel from page 1

state of Wisconsin to be able to overturn the amendment.”

presidential election, but vote in the down-ballot races,” he said. Panelists Lilia Williams and Sheltreese McCoy—a lesbian couple—and Toni Coles and Maison Cruz—transgender partners—said they have found the Madison community to be accepting, but the city’s progressive perspective is not the norm throughout the country. Carlson said there are still multiple steps to achieving equality on a state and national level, but Wisconsin is coming closer to equal-rights legislation as the more progressive younger generation registers to vote. “If you do the math,” he said, “then it would be … within six to eight years that we should have a sufficient number in the

“Our challenge for Wisconsin is to make sure people don’t just vote in the presidential election.” Glenn Carlson executive director Fair Wisconsin

Amanda Schmitt, director of the Art Committee, said the exhibit traveled throughout Wisconsin, Maryland and Virginia before coming to Madison. Because it is only on campus for a week and a half, Schmitt said WUDAC and LGBT planned the panel discussion in an effort to attract as many people as possible.

PAWN’D!

UW band to make policy changes after hazing allegations By Rory Linnane

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Vladmir Zhdankin (above) plays a game of chess against fellow student Jake Kohlenberg (not pictured) at a Chess Club meeting in Union South Tuesday night. Both are ranked players in the U.S. Chess Federation.

Doyle defends counties ﬂagged for air quality By Hannah McClung THE DAILY CARDINAL

Gov. Jim Doyle asked the Environmental Protection Agency Monday not to label six Wisconsin counties as having poor air quality. The EPA released a report in August 2008 classifying Dane, Milwaukee, Brown, Waukesha, Columbia and Racine counties as noncompliant with air-quality standards. According to the EPA, these counties have poor air-quality with an excess of fine particulates, violating the PM2.5 standard that sets a limit for the amount of fine particles in the air. In a letter to the EPA, Doyle said the data used to classify the Wisconsin counties was from 2005, 2006 and 2007, but more recent data would suggest the air quality is fine.

“[The] updated monitoring data is from 2006, 2007 and 2008 and shows that Dane and Brown counties are not violating the PM2.5 standard,” he said. Jennifer Feyerherm, director of the Wisconsin Clean Energy Campaign for the Sierra Club, said Doyle is using incomplete information to determine the quality of Wisconsin’s air. The Clean Air Act requires that three complete years of information be used to determine air quality, and the last three years show Dane, Milwaukee and Brown counties as violating EPA air quality standards, according to Feyerherm. “The Bush Administration EPA is trying to enforce the Clean Air Act and Doyle wants weaker regulations,” Feyerherm said. Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state’s largest business interest group, supports

Doyle’s recommendations, saying in a statement it “will help promote a vibrant business climate.” Data up to 2006 lists the Charter Street Power Plant, located on campus, as the second largest polluter in Dane County—second only to the Madison Gas and Electric’s Blount Street Power Plant, which is also located near campus. According to Feyerherm, the worst time of year for fine air particulates is the winter months and there was a day in December 2007 when air quality reached a “code red” level. The final decision on the classification of the six Wisconsin counties will be released around mid-December, according to EPA spokesperson Phillippa Cannon. Doyle’s office could not be reached at press time for comments.

Madison Metro returning to Capitol Square in November While construction may have been a hassle for bus users all summer long, Madison Metro’s bus schedules will be returning to normal early next month. Madison city ofﬁcials announced Monday that bus service will be returning to the Capitol Square Nov. 9. The buses have been using an extended route circling the square

parties from page 1 to its return to campus this fall. “I certainly wish it didn’t happen, but at the same time I think on some level it was a wake-up call not only for our own fraternity but for the entire Greek community,” Bernstein said. “I think that that is deﬁnitely a positive that comes out of the situation.” Despite the lack of sanctioned parties, MPD Central District Lt. Joe Balles said police are still expecting house parties and will be patrolling Langdon Street and other student neighborhoods on both sides of State Street. With a diverse crowd of Freakfest partiers including out-

for several months while bus stations have undergone renovation on Mifﬂin, Pinckney, Main and Carroll Streets. The bus schedule will see at least one more complication before things clear up, though, during the UWMadison homecoming parade Friday. Starting at 3 p.m. Friday, bus Route 85 will use Park Street between of-towners, Balles said there are predators looking to break into apartments or enter large parties and steal purses, laptops and purses. Balles said police want to keep celebrations “reasonable and under control” and will not bother people having small get-togethers. “But if it’s obvious you’re trying to have a four or ﬁve-kegger and there are a hundred-plus people showing up at your house, you can bet that MPD is going to pay you a visit,” Balles said. “We’re down there really trying to make sure that we keep the peace and we keep crime under control while several thousand people are trying to enjoy a Saturday night Freakfest celebration,” he said.

University Avenue and Langdon Street. Additionally, service to State Street’s 400 and 600 blocks will not run after 3 p.m. Instead, Routes 3, 6 and 29 will enter and exit State Street using Johnson and Gorham Streets. Changes to bus routes to accommodate Freakfest 2008 Nov. 1 have not been announced.

immigrants from page 1 the location in which they are aired. Mike McCabe, director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said the charge made by the ad was “invented out of thin air” and is “misleading.” According to McCabe, the Coalition of America’s Families has “cloaked itself” to the general public by not reporting its donors. “[It is] important for everyone to understand the charge is made by a group in Virginia and paid for in a way that skirts our disclosure laws and campaign contribution limits. The public is being kept completely in the dark about who is writing the checks for this advertising,” McCabe said. Republican representatives did not return calls for comment.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

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arts

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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

UW’s Got Talent: from academics to stardom By Danny Marchewka THE DAILY CARDINAL

PHOTO COURTESY 20TH CENTURY FOX

Mark Wahlberg plays the vengeful Max Payne in this video game adaptation that fails to capture the right formula of gory violence, structured plot and artistic animation that made the game popular.

‘Payne-ful’ to experience By Lauren Fuller THE DAILY CARDINAL

Just when you thought that Mark Wahlberg was on his way to becoming a major player in Hollywood after his Oscar-nominated role in “The Departed,” he takes a career-damaging step downward in “Max Payne,” a deafeningly noisy, structurally messy, aggressively violent adaptation of the popular video game. The best element of “Max Payne” is its brief running time, though it’s quite excruciating to watch what unfolds on screen unless you enjoy poorly staged mayhem and quasi-stylish, mostly derivative production. The other positive is a sort of preview of the new Bond girl, the beautiful Russian actress Olga Kurylenko as the alluring femme fatale Natasha, soon to be seen in “Quantum of Solace” opposite Daniel Craig. Essentially, “Max Payne” is a simple, conventional and even primitive revenge saga. Wahlberg plays the title role, a man who still suffers the pain of losing his beloved wife and baby girl.

Committed to (actually obsessed with) vengeance, he goes on a mission to “restore justice.” In the background of the plot there’s an incoherent conspiracy saga dominated by assassins who seem to be the target not only of the police force, but of a greedy corporation. The tale resorts to a bunch of clichés, prime among them being the notion of a nasty, ruthless big business, portrayed in the form of a drug company, an evil empire that is exploiting its discovery of a particular drug with selective, if also detrimental effects. The ﬁlm wastes several good actors in supporting roles. Beau Bridges plays B.B. Hensley—the former cop who’s now head of security and friends with Max— and Chris O’Donnell, who has not made a major movie for awhile, is miscast as a top executive at the drug company. The ﬁlmmakers have gone out of their way to extend a video game to the length of a feature, but of the 99 minutes, more than half are dull and the rest are just an imitation of second-rate ideas, courtesy of amateur scribe Beau

Thorne. The dialogue “written” by Thorne is mostly banal and kept to a minimum, so that very young Americans and overseas audiences will be able to comprehend the plot just by watching the action. Part of the problem in adapting the video game to the big screen derives from the specific nature of the game, which relies heavily on pre-scripted commands for the different levels of play. Unfortunately, the tone of “Max Payne,” which is dramatically uninviting from first frame to last, changes from scene to scene, and what you are left with is a series of serviceable set pieces that are visually compelling in the most visceral and superficial way. Indeed the torrential rain and snowfall are impressive, but then comes the realization that the overuse of these effects is just a gimmick to distract attention from the big hole that occupies the center of the yarn. Sequel alarm: The post-credits scene frightfully suggests that there might be another chapter of the saga. Grade: D

One of the summer’s hottest TV shows, “America’s Got Talent,” will hit the collegiate scale this Wednesday at Mills Hall where “UW’s Got Talent” will take place as part of this year’s Homecoming Week. The competition will feature nine finalists who advanced through the initial auditions. Each finalist has something different to bring to the stage, with acts ranging from various genres of music to dance troupes, all the way to fire breathing. But no good talent competition can go on without celebrity judges! UW’s Got Talent doesn’t disappoint with local celebs Dan Cassuto, weatherman for Channel 27, women’s basketball coach Lisa Stone and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. Even national acts will be present at the finale. Last year’s winner of “America’s Got Talent,” ventriloquist Terry Fator, recorded an introduction especially for the competition. When it comes to talent competitions, there’s no doubt that the majority of contestants who audition boast of their vocal abilities, which means it’s that much harder to stand out. Senior musical theater student Jeremy Sonkin had that “something special” during his audition of “One Song Glory,” which moved the entire judges’ panel.

There’s no doubt that the majority of contestants who audition boast their vocal abilities.

Sonkin has a deep background in Madison-area theater, where he has preformed in many shows recently, including “The Full Monty.” In fact, Sonkin’s latest role as Geoff in the musical “Ballots,” which premieres Wednesday, makes him unable to perform

in the finals. “I was given amazing critiques at my audition for UW’s Got Talent that I had never received before and I’m so grateful for it,” Sonkin said of the experience. Freshman Rocco Bulmer flips the table completely with his incredible beats and articulate rapping. Bulmer’s gifts are undeniable. His ability to continuously throw out his words makes the listeners wonder when and if he takes a breath, but he still leaves every word recognizable even in a large room. His final piece, titled “Pastures of Gold,” is written over music by producer Ruelz Rekka, and speaks about “the delusions of material gain in life in stream-of-consciousness style.” Certainly the most unusual talent comes from junior Lloyd Thistle, who carries an extensive bag of circus tricks. His tricks include juggling everything imaginable, fire eating and breathing, the bed of nails and walking on broken glass, a few of which he will perform during the finals. He acquired his skills while working for America’s Largest Traveling Sideshow in the summer of 2006. Thistle entered the competition on the account of a lost bet in a game of Texas Hold ’em with his roommates. “It is something that not everyone has seen yet. It is becoming a lost art, which also makes it that much easier to impress the people,” Thistle said of his reasons for trying out for the competition. “The nonverbal feedback that I receive from the audiences’ faces is all I need. I try to make people happy, so they can have a good day.”

UW’s Got Talent where: Mills Hall in Humanities when: 8:30 p.m. Wednesday cost: free

Dear friends, why don’t you take time to write real letters to me anymore? FRANCES PROVINE a fran for all seasons

he past three and a half months I’ve been studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa. Like many exchange students, I get the obligatory biweekly phone call from my mother, communicate with my peers via Gmail and occasionally utilize the ever-popular Skype. But distance from my family and friends has also rekindled my interest in another form of keeping in touch: letter-writing. It’s easy to think about the relationship between letters and literature. One only needs to reﬂect on the published letters of Sartre and Simone De Beauvoir, of Henry Miller and Anaïs Nin (not to men-

tion the numerous examples of ﬁction written in letter-form) to relate books and these more personal notes. Yet sometime during the perpetually evolving history of communication, the art of letter-writing started dying out. Part of it was certainly the telephone, part probably general declining readership. Now people use e-mails and Facebook messages, which avoid the personal contact of talking on the phone and also lack the length and development of written letters. But part of me feels there’s something about this archaic form of dialogue that deserves a comeback, even in these (supposedly) busy times. Although some think e-mailing can take the place of actually writing a letter, the expectance of a rapid turn-around means most people don’t give a great deal of thought to their messages. Letters

require telling stories and some level of creativity. Talking on the phone isn’t so much better. We often forget what we wanted to say and get taken on irrelevant tangents, which is great, but still lacks what a letter has: a message.

Sometime during the perpetually evolving history of communication, the art of letter-writing started dying out.

I can’t say I’ve been great about keeping it up. I only write a few from each place I visit. Still, I only get responses on about half the letters I send out. The excuses are all pretty similar, having to do with

lack of time or even paper. Which brings me to another similarity between letters and literature. The same reasons people don’t write or read letters are the same reasons they don’t read books. Some blame the establishment of a more audio-visual communication structure, others the “undeniable” entertainment value of other forms of media. That is, reading and writing represent “work.” But to me, the problem is more with the demand for immediacy in our culture. If we want to hear from somebody, we want to hear from them now. If we want to get the point of an event, or a story, we want to get it as soon as possible, we don’t want to have to think about it so it can sink in. Although some experts say this is because we’re all big spoiled babies, a big part of it is also that we’re led to believe that we genuinely don’t have time for the

frivolity of non-essential thought. Leisure time is eliminated, and so are forms of communication and networking that aren’t “efﬁcient.” So basically, the reason people don’t write letters or read books isn’t necessarily because they represent “work,” but because they represent a sort of time-consuming pleasure. Although I might love going to the post office and picking out a stamp, most think of it as inconvenient. If letter-writing completely dies out, how will we learn about the steamy love affairs of thinkers of the future? And how will I fully describe to my mother the absurdity of sitting next to a stack of three cartons of baby chicks on a minibus to Mozambique? If you don’t have paper, an envelope, a stamp or the time to write a letter and mail it, e-mail Frances at provine@wisc.edu

comics 6

Crack open a nice, cold thermometer. Before mercury, brandy was used to ﬁll thermometers dailycardinal.com/comics

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Rubbing Habaneros in your eyes

Today’s Sudoku

Anthro-Apology

By Eric Wigdahl wigdahl@wisc.edu

Angel Hair Pasta

By Todd Stevens ststevens@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. The Daily Code a b 1

c 2

d 3

Snap Crackle Pop

g h i

5 6

m n

q r

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Sid and Phil

By Alex Lewein lewein@wisc.edu

The Graph Giraffe

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

“Hxd ujdpq dwcru hxd lah. Hxd lah dwcru hxd ujdpq. Jwm nenahxwn vdbc kanjcqn dwcru cqnra mhrwp kanjcq.” Regina Spektor lyrics Yesterday’s Code:

“You don’t have to be tall to see the moon.”

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Awkward Turtle

By Meg Anderson anderson4@wisc.edu

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com DON’T PUSH ACROSS

1 One bound to the land 5 Chew out 10 What Henry VIII wanted 14 Skating rink jump 15 Adorable one 16 Mend, as bones 17 Neatly arranged 18 Rome ally, once 19 Vulcan’s forging place, in myth 20 He may get you out of the hole 23 Heavenly instrument 24 Disallow 25 To wit 28 “I ___ to recall ...” 30 Accepted standard 33 Farewell abroad 34 Contemporary of Louis and Duke 35 Melchior et al. 36 Use one’s inﬂuence 39 Wild buglers 40 Bona ___ 41 Destroy a bow 42 Room that looks like a tornado hit it 43 Young amphibians 44 Elicits smiles 45 Animal in some of Aesop’s fables 46 Spheres

47 Events for burning rubber 54 Coveted review 55 Left ventricle’s outlet 56 Passe preposition 58 Party to 59 Waif 60 Baloney producer 61 Ice cream purchase 62 Put into the law books 63 Falling-off point DOWN

1 What Miss Muffet and Humpty Dumpty did 2 Word on a lighted sign 3 Alter the appearance of 4 Parts of some engines 5 Move like a rodent 6 Prank puller 7 Auditory 8 Canine kiss 9 Human sponge 10 Unit of wound thread 11 “... but I play one ___” 12 Muse count 13 Part of Old Glory 21 Anklebone 22 Battering device 25 Neck regions 26 A chaperon is usually one 27 Word with “white” or “Way”

28 They’re useless without runners 29 “What ___ can I say?” 30 Is breathless 31 Texas A&M athlete 32 Comes up in the east 34 Give off, as fumes 35 Tiny 37 Behind the scenes 38 Cuban dance 43 Serpentine curve 44 Unmitigated 45 Hollywood mover 46 Sight-related 47 Persistently annoying sound 48 Indian royal 49 Bath’s river 50 Reddish horse 51 Cookery’s Rombauer 52 “National Velvet” author Bagnold 53 Without women 57 Fraction of a krona

Classic Adventure Series

By Peter Krueger

opinion dailycardinal.com/opinion

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

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

assess wants and needs in funding student groups

n Monday night, the Student Services Financial Committee approved funding eligibility for the Roman Catholic foundation. Originally requesting $211,970 of the General Student Services Fund—comprised of student’s segregated fees—SSFC made several cuts to RCF’s proposed budget overall, granting $167,586 for the next academic year. Among these cuts, SSFC focused on line items that failed to meet criteria seeking registered student groups that serve all students. Speciﬁc cuts came from planned service trips by the RCF next year— including trips to Philadelphia, St. Louis, Mo., Birmingham, Ala., and Kansas City, Mo. For each planned trip, RCF received $450 to cover registration costs.

SSFC rightfully drew a clear line between an organization’s wants and needs.

After an academic year that lead to several lawsuits and thenChancellor John Wiley overruling SSFC’s decision to declare RCF as ineligible for funds, determining an appropriate budget very easily turned into yet another drawn out dispute. Instead, both sides came to a compromise, and SSFC rightfully drew a clear line between RCF’s wants and needs.

For an organization like RCF— already under scrutiny by many students as one that doesn’t fulfill the needs of all students—to ask for $3,780 for services represent a desire that helps a small number of students rather than a broader organizational need. SSFC made the right call in denying these funds, especially when the GSSF dropped approximately $1.5 million from last academic year. Additional groups’ eligibility hearings were held Monday night, and their fates will be determined on Thursday. If anything comes out of the previous history of the RCF case and Monday night’s budget allotment, it is that determining whether an organization potentially serves all students proves extremely tricky. As evidenced Monday, a compromise usually proves most effective. Similar compromises will be useful in considering other registered student organizations’ budgets. Furthermore, criteria that assesses whether an organization meets the needs of a clearly defined significant portion of the student body, and allocating funds based on such criteria would prove more effective— while creating less red tape—than determining whether an organization serves all students. Ultimately, the student body at UW-Madison is a diverse one. Cutting the fat by determining individual organization’s wants versus needs allows for a greater breadth of groups to accommodate students, and creates a more solid foundation for controversial budgetary decisions.

Northern Wis. voters will not be swayed by Palin DAN JOSEPHSON opinion columnist

l t h o u g h the RNC’s recent “pull out” of Wisconsin seems to imply an easy Wisconsin victory for the Obama-Biden ticket, the GOP’s decision to keep campaigning in the state still puts many things into question. Recent polls show Barack Obama leading Wisconsin by a range of 12 to 15 points in a state that has historically been a nail biter, and it seems like John McCain and Sarah Palin are wasting precious time campaigning in primarily Republican counties, such as Waukesha, in a state in which they stand no chance of winning. According to former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, however, it is not a waste of time for the GOP to remain in this state. What is a waste of time, he says, is to continue the use of their current strategy. Thompson believes the state of Wisconsin offers more support for the McCainPalin ticket than it seems, but it is just a matter of making certain population groups realize it.

The GOP’s decision to remain campaigning in Wisconsin puts many things into question.

The population groups Thompson is referring to reside in the northern and western territories of Wisconsin, where he feels Gov.. Palin should be spending most of her campaign time.

Thompson strongly feels that such population groups he defines as “conservative Democrats, rightto-lifers, hunters, fishermen and snowmobilers” who inhabit these areas will be able to relate to Palin.

Tommy Thompson’s proposed strategy will have little, if any effect on the presidential election.

What Thompson fails to realize is that regardless of how many “hockey mom” references Palin makes in these areas, it is not going to erase the 2.1 percent decrease in manufacturing jobs that Wisconsin experienced from June 2007 to July 2008. This decrease is one of many signs that point to a struggling economy that, according to a recent poll, is what three quarters of Wisconsinites are concerned with in the coming election. Regardless of where in Wisconsin Palin campaigns, it will be difficult for somebody who has not had much to say about recovering the economy other than the obvious advantages of “job creation” to convince these northern and western Wisconsinites that she and McCain are going to change things. This would be especially difficult for Palin with regard to the recent exposure of her 25 percent increase in sales tax as mayor of Wasilla, Ala., to build a $15 million hockey rink. Aside from any economic discomfort the average Wisconsinite seems to be struggling with, it is also unsafe for Thompson to assume the northern and western regions would all be pleased with the policies found on the

McCain-Palin ticket. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin have been hard at work throughout the entire state that administered 8,000 abortions in 2007. Specific mailing hit districts in Western Wisconsin that feed information such as “The Dangerous Policies of McCainPalin turn back the clock on women. John McCain & Sarah Palin are dangerous to women’s health,” as well as that the ticket, “Oppose[es] insurance coverage for birth control. Oppose[es] safe, legal abortion, even for rape victims. Oppose[es] funding for family planning health care, including breast and cervical cancer screening. Oppose[es] comprehensive, medically accurate sex education.” These issues will not sit too well, regardless of how much you hunt, fish, snowmobile or like hockey.

McCain and Palin are wasting precious time campaigning in primarily Republican Wisconsin counties.

What exactly the GOP is trying to accomplish by being here is a question we may never know the answer to. If one thing is for sure, it is that Thompson’s proposed strategy will have little, if any effect on the current lack of presidential competition. The degree to how wrong Thompson is makes perfect sense, considering that during all four terms that he was Governor, the Republicans did not seal a single presidential turnout in Wisconsin. Dan Josephson is a senior majoring in political science and legal studies. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Candidate view: Don’t depend on govt. to bail out economy By Daniel Mielke SPECIAL TO THE DAILY CARDINAL

Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” The recent vote on the bailout is proof that we cannot depend on government to fix the recent economic crisis we are in. Think about it: Congress caused this problem by lowering the bar regarding mortgages so that individuals who were unable to pay them back could borrow money. This resulted in failed mortgages and an economic disaster. MIELKE Now we have Congress trying to solve the problem they caused by doing the very same thing—loaning money to institutions that cannot afford to pay them back. Einstein defined this as insanity—wouldn’t you agree? The solution to our economic

crisis lies in the hands of the American people. It is time we take the initiative and bail out America. Obviously we cannot depend on the present Congress to do the job. They seem to only be making it worse. I would never have voted for this bailout, and I am ashamed of those congressmen who did.

It will take the American people, not the government, to gain victory over this economic crisis.

It’s time we all unite and work together to lift up our nation to insulate our community, our state and our nation from the potential damage of this global financial crisis. It is time we stand united to protect our own. Innovations such as the “buy local, buy fresh” movement in central Wisconsin, which calls for the consumption and production of primarily local foods,

presents a feasible way to protect Wisconsin’s economy. Given our current economic situation, we need to expand that concept to other areas, and we need to create a sustainable nation. As a sustainable produce and berry farmer and a local business owner for over 30 years, I ﬁrmly believe that we, the people, will be the ones to turn this economy around. Every dollar spent should better America by making sure it stays in our community where possible, stays in our state when able and certainly stays within our nation’s borders. We cannot afford to watch our wealth exported. If business, industry and tourism must suffer, let’s do our part to make sure it doesn’t suffer here. Employees should do their absolute best to increase profitability. Employers should support American suppliers of their goods and services. We must make sure that government spends our tax dollars on American made goods and services as well. This will help to increase jobs and prosperity

at home. When I see government contracts going to foreign companies and not our own, I am appalled. For them to put restrictions and demands on our industry and business, and then buy goods from foreign competitors that are not held to the same standards, is an offense against the United States and its workforce. Democrats and Republicans in Washington need to get their priorities straight and return to a position of service to the American people.

We cannot afford to watch our wealth exported.

Years ago, a group of organic farmers and I founded The Midwest Organic Services Association, an organic certifying agency, which presently certifies over 1,000 farmers and proces-

sors throughout the Midwest and Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, an educational outreach organization, which hosts one of the largest annual organic and sustainable farming conferences in the United States. These groups symbolize a major step in the right direction toward our current economic woes. The organic industry did not happen at the hands of government, it happened in spite of government interference. People, united, working for the good of all, have proven to be the answer every time. The American people built this nation and it will take the American people, not the American government, to gain victory over this economic crisis. For government to work it must learn to listen to the people and serve those people, instead of trying to control them. God bless America. Daniel Mielke is the Republican candidate for the 7th congressional district in Wisconsin. We welcome your feedback. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

sports 8

dailycardinal.com/sports

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

UW’s Kuzma digs deep By Jay Messar THE DAILY CARDINAL

PHOTO COURTESY UWBADGERS.COM

The Wisconsin men’s crew team looks to have another strong season.

Men’s crew builds success without any scholarships By Jake Langbecker THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin men’s rowing team is coming off the most successful season in team history after capturing the 2008 IRA National Championship. Even more amazing is that they accomplished the feat without any scholarship players. In contrast, the UW football team spends over $900,000 on scholarships and has far less to show for it recently. So how did rowing head coach Chris Clark build a national champion team without the ability to offer scholarships? “Rower’s that want to succeed know to come here,” Clark said. “These guys work awfully hard for little tangible beneﬁts, but the less people get, the more grateful they are, and they show that gratitude in their worth ethic.” Aside from scholarships, there are still plenty of beneﬁts for being a Division I athlete. All the players have access to tutors and academic advisors, which is a nice and necessary perk if you want to play for Clark. “You’re working hard in practice, but you’re expected to work hard at school,” Clark said. “There’s a lot of pressure on them, but they have tutors and advisors. I don’t tolerate bad grades.” Clark downplays the importance of scholarships because the university still has plenty to offer potential recruits, particularly the state of the art Porter Boathouse. The 52,000 square foot boathouse is an example of what Clark describes as a great support system for the rowing program. “Our pro-

grams here are supported better than any other program in the United States,” he said. “The whole community has embraced us. It’s a great thing and we are very fortunate.” Another reason scholarships don’t make or break a rowing program is that often, many of the recruits have little to no experience in rowing. Clark estimated that about 10 rowers come with experience, and the rest are recruited based on size and athletic ability. A big part of the recruiting process involves sending letters and literature about the program to high school basketball and football players in the Wisconsin and Minnesota area who are unable to play those sports at the collegiate level but have the size and athleticism to potentially be formidable rowers. The absence of scholarships is a result of the fact that men’s rowing is not sanctioned by the NCAA but is ruled by the Intercollegiate Rowing Association. Scholarships under the IRA are unregulated, and many universities that Wisconsin competes against give scholarships, but Wisconsin has yet to follow suit. Currently, there is a nationwide movement to try to have men’s rowing sanctioned by the NCAA, but any ofﬁcial change would still take a few years. Whether scholarships can be offered in the near future, one thing that will deﬁnitely help recruiting is being able to say, “We won the national championship in 2008. How would you like to come row for a champion?”

When Kim Kuzma isn’t break dancing in the locker room, she’s on the court taking a beating from her opponents. The sophomore libero on the No. 21 UW volleyball team is a self-proclaimed glutton for punishment, taking on the barrage of opponents’ kills night after night. “I love it. I’m competitive so it’s me against the hitter,” Kuzma said. “Then, when you dig it up, you’re like ‘Oh yeah, what else you got?’” The libero, though a relatively new position in collegiate volleyball, has revolutionized defensive strategy for the sport. Although she wears a different colored jersey, the libero, as well as Kuzma, has become one of the most important roles for a team’s success. As a freshman, Kuzma had a role model in former Badger standout Jocelyn Wack, who set a new school record with 2,182 digs in her four seasons at Wisconsin. “Jo was a very steady player— that was probably one of the main things she was best at,” Kuzma said. “On defense, she was always very still and very good at reading [the other team’s hitters].” “She was always really calm, too. Sometimes I can get angry at myself and she was good at shaking stuff off, not that she had many things to shake off, but just watching her helped me to be calm and collected.” While Kuzma took a few notes from Wack’s style of play, she has felt very little pressure to compare to her mentor’s résumé just yet. “I’ve been playing volleyball my whole life and I’ve played libero for club and with the USA team,” Kuzma said. “[Wack] is a great player and there are big shoes to ﬁll, but I’m just excited to be playing the position that I’m in.” With a veteran group of Wack, Amanda Berkley, Megan Mills and Faye McCormack heading the defensive effort last year, Kuzma could have chosen to redshirt last season. Yet, the Muncie, Ind., native refused to sit out an entire season. “We said, ‘Kim, we’ve got a lot of upperclassmen there, would you consider redshirting so you can play an extra year and not play

behind these players?’ and she said no,” head coach Pete Waite said. “I asked, ‘Do you want to think about it overnight’ and she said no. So we knew she was very competitive and she wanted to battle and get out on the court.” “[Wack] is a great player and there are big shoes to ﬁll, but I’m just excited to be playing the position that I’m in.” Kim Kuzma sophomore libero UW Volleyball

Even with such a deep core of proven talent, Kuzma earned herself some quality playing time at the defensive specialist position by putting in extra time before practices. “From the ﬁrst day of practice last year when she knew she had to battle for it, we told her she needed to have a stronger serve and more consistent passing,” Waite

said. “She put in 30 minutes extra all season long to improve in those areas and she got out there, she earned it, and she did a nice job and kept getting better.” Unlike anyone from last years’ squad, Kuzma has had to adjust to the 6-2 offense, leaving just two players to receive an attack. Kuzma and sophomore outside hitter Allison Wack have thus far taken the reigns in the back row—a move that Kuzma in particular appreciates. “I like it because it’s a lot better with communication—if it’s not mine, it’s hers,” Kuzma said. “Depending on where the server serves you say which one has the seam. There’s not as much trafﬁc.” Waite knew that the 6-2 offense could be used this season, particularly because of Kuzma’s defensive drive. “We’ve gone from a threepasser system to a two-passer system in order to actually allow players like Al and Kim to have freer reign on the court,” Waite said. “She’d like to do a onepasser rotation if she could.”

ANNA STONEHOUSE/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

UW sophomore libero Kim Kuzma has a team high 314 total digs.

NFL stars, other professional athletes should keep a clean criminal record CRYSTAL CROWNS the crystal ball

s I watched the game ticker run across the bottom of the television screen Sunday, the one score that caught my eye was the matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the St. Louis Rams. The Rams ended up destroying the Cowboys by a score of 34-14. Although I am not a fan of the Cowboys—actually, they are one of my least favorite teams in the NFL—I did feel ashamed for them at the same time. According to ESPN.com, Dallas cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones was recently suspended indeﬁnitely from the NFL and is already receiving alcohol treatment. Additionally, Jones will lose his 2007 base salary of $1,292,500 as a result of the suspension. Jones’ suspension is not the main

reason for the Cowboys’ loss Sunday or their loss the week before to Arizona, but it deﬁnitely did not help the team, either. Injuries to quarterback Tony Romo, punter Mat McBriar, running back Felix Jones and cornerback Terence Newman have played a large hand in the team’s struggles lately. Jones’ absence from the game, however, could have been prevented. A little over two weeks ago, Jones got into a scufﬂe with one of his bodyguards after consuming alcohol at a private downtown Dallas hotel party. What makes this case so interesting is that the bodyguard was there to protect Jones and keep him out of brawls. So this leads me to wonder, how in the world could something like this happen? I have two possible answers: a lack of self-control or a great deal of immaturity. Does it surprise me that Jones had another run-in with the law? Absolutely not, but Jones had already been placed on probation since being drafted into the NFL.

In fact, he was just coming off a 17month suspension when the Cowboys signed him in August. Jones’ issues off the field led Tennessee to get rid of him this spring after his third season in the NFL, as his involvement was linked to a fist fight and a shooting in a Las Vegas strip club that paralyzed a man. Additionally, Jones had numerous encounters with the police prior to being selected by Tennessee in the 2005 draft. In the one game I watched Jones play this year, he lit up the Green Bay Packers’ offense by registering eight tackles and a forced fumble. It’s a shame to see a talented young man like this suspended because he can’t keep his act together in his personal life. Yes, everybody makes mistakes, but I think Jones had enough opportunities to learn his lesson. Jones’ suspension is dependent on developments in the case involving the fight with his bodyguard. As of now, his suspension is carried on conditions including no more run-ins with law

enforcement, receiving treatment programs assigned by the NFL or judicial system, obeying agreements made between him and the Titans prior to being traded to the Cowboys and following community service activities approved by the NFL. Now let’s take a step back and look at the big picture here. If players like Jones are who children nowadays are looking up to, what does that say for their future? I would probably not be able to sleep at night knowing my son or daughter looked up to a man like Jones. How many chances does this guy get? But Jones is not the only one who is setting a disappointing example. Atlanta’s former quarterback Michael Vick was suspended from the NFL in 2007 for his involvement with illegal dog ﬁghts. Or how about Jacksonville wide receiver Matt Jones’ substanceabuse policy violation? In 2006, Miami running back Ricky Williams faced a one-year suspension from the NFL for substance abuse, and Minnesota run-

ning back Onterrio Smith received a similar suspension a year prior. The list of athletes with a criminal record goes on and on. If NFL players and other professional athletes are going to be paid so much money and take the spotlight in society today, I think league commissioners and managers should take criminal records into high consideration before allowing athletes to compete at such a prominent level. I’m not saying these athletes are terrible people, but I do not think they are the proper candidates for the national spotlight. I am sick of hearing about these athletes causing so much trouble off the ﬁeld, and I do believe two strikes at the professional level are enough to send a player packing. Maybe even one mistake is enough, depending on the severity of the situation. If you are also sick of seeing professional athletes having run-ins with law enforcement, talk to Crystal about it by e-mailing her at crowns@wisc.edu.