Weekend, October 31-November 2, 2008 - The Daily Cardinal

SPARTANS BRING OUT A RINGER

Boo! Color comics!

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Sherer and the Badgers must neutralize MSU’s stellar running back to earn second straight win

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Complete campus coverage since 1892

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dailycardinal.com

Weekend, October 31-November 2, 2008

City, organizers nix Halloween on Mifflin plans

By Abby Sears THE DAILY CARDINAL

City officials successfully thwarted a student-driven plan for an alternative Freakfest party on Mifflin Street Thursday after two days of negotia-

Freakfest tickets Friday Price: $7 State Street locations: University Book Store Knuckleheads Lands’ End B-Side Records Goodwill Chin’s Asia Fresh Clary’s Popcorn Paciugo State Street Cash Mart Dobra Tea Saturday $10 near event entrances

tions ended with student organizers withdrawing their support of the event.

Student organizers of the Halloween on Mifflin Street event met with officials from the Madison Police Department, Mayor’s Office and downtown alders to discuss the Saturday night block party they put together in hopes for an unregulated Halloween celebration.

The students opted to pull the plug on the event amid safety concerns, but organizer Alex Kaufer, a UW-Madison sophomore, said they will continue working with city officials to make Freakfest “the way students really want it to be” and avoid another outcry for an alternative event.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, acknowledged that Mifflin Halloween supporters weren’t alone in their dislike of Freakfest’s admission cost and entertainment acts, but said working halloween page 2

BEN PIERSON/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

A Students for Obama member canvases in Iowa in September 2007. Student groups in support of both presidential candidates have been active in reaching out to voters since the start of the primary season.

Students show political colors in ’08 Members of Students for Obama and Students for McCain remain hopeful in awaiting election results

By Ashley Davis THE DAILY CARDINAL

Sounds of Woopie

KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Vince Machi sings dressed as a Whoopi Cushion with Fundamentally Sound in a special “A-Capell-oween” in Memorial Union Thursday night.

Plans to renovate Gilman, add water fixture on Frances move forward

By Abby Sears THE DAILY CARDINAL

With State Street construction completed, Madison officials are now moving onto other facets of transforming the downtown area, including reconstructing West Gilman Street and installing a water fixture on Frances Street.

The State Street Design Project Oversight Committee met Thursday to look over designs for the developments. Engineer Chris Petykowski

presented a three-month construction plan to renovate West Gilman Street, including adding pedestrian lighting fixtures similar to those on State Street from University Avenue to Henry Street.

“Much of the mansion hill neighborhood is in desperate need of reconstruction and resurfacing,” Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said, applauding the effort to include pedestrian lighting construction page 3

As the presidential election draws closer, excitement and anticipation radiates throughout UW-Madison.

In addition to the yellows, browns and oranges of the falling autumn leaves, bold blues and reds are gracing every corner of campus. Supporters of both Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee McCain have made their mark as active young students on campus by joining either Students for Obama or Students for McCain.

Democrat and Republican student representatives on campus face different challenges aside from the political issues at hand. In line with Madison’s reputation as a “liberal bubble,” many students on campus have embraced Students for Obama.

However, in both groups students are passionate, committed and dedicated to the well-being of the country. They will continue to work toward this

cause even after the election’s end.

Jamie Stark, who was the youngest delegate for Wisconsin at the Democratic National Convention, is also a representative of Students for Obama.

“I know this is a big campus and a lot of people want to get involved, but Barack has just gotten people involved on a whole other level,” Stark said.

The same increasing support and excitement holds true for McCain and his supporters. Lucas Moench, representative of Students for McCain, said the organization has doubled in size since the beginning of the semester. However, unlike Students for Obama, McCain advocates have had a harder time ensuring large turnouts at group events.

“It’s been kind of hit or miss,” Co-Chair of Students for McCain Katie Nix said. “We tried to get a little creative by doing town hall events and attendance was pretty low ... But we found that for things that are directly

going to help the campaign, people are really excited to help out.”

Although both organizations continue to work in favor of their candidate, the goals of each group vary. According to Nix, Students for McCain’s main goal is to change the negative attitude toward conservatives on campus and to inform students of McCain’s stances. Stark said Students for Obama’s biggest goal is to register as many students as possible and to involve them in the campaign process.

Bryon Eagon, state coordinator for Students for Obama, said his group has been one of the leading student organizations on campus in registering students to vote, getting students involved and making phone calls. Nix said Students for McCain have been focusing on voter contact and working with the national McCain campaign.

Although UW-Madison is a large election page 2

Wis. GOP to hold 72-hour stump for McCain The Republican Party of Wisconsin will hold an intensive 72-hour “get out the vote” program leading up to the election, hoping these efforts will help swing the state in favor of presidential candidate John McCain.

During the “72 Hour Task Force,” volunteers from the McCain campaign will contact voters across the state via phone or by knocking on doors and will urge them to visit the polls, according to Kirsten Kukowski, communications director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

Some volunteers are from other non-targeted states, Kukowski said, as well as several students from UW-Madison.

“We have a good Students for McCain and College Republican organization out of Madison, so I know that they’ve been [canvassing] every weekend pretty much since school started,” Kukowski said.

According to Joe Wineke, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin campaign for Barack Obama has been carrying out similar measures for months and is “light years” ahead of the Republicans.

Wineke said tens of thousands of volunteers for the Obama campaign in Wisconsin have spent the last four days encouraging people to vote.

Kukowski said even though polls currently show Wisconsin leaning toward Obama, there is no reason to believe McCain will not be able to win the state.

“A couple weeks ago we were looking at double digit poll numbers.

This week we’re looking at single digit polls numbers … and it’s going to keep getting tighter in the next five days,” she said.

—Megan Orear

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

TODAY: mostly sunny hi 66º / lo 40º

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Weekend, October 31-November 2, 2008

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

Love Halloween? Direct thanks to David

Volume 118, Issue 44

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 Rikki McKernan Jennifer Mimier, Gena Rieger Sara Stein, Matt Taylor

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 The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000.

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WEEKEND: partly cloudy hi 58º / lo 42º

DAVE HOTTINGER it’s getting hottinger

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he memory of a multicultural coastal harvest festival is regarded as a fine excuse to eat bird flesh and watch the Detroit Lions throw pig skin. The execution of a recalcitrant Roman priest has given rise to an occasion to exchange confectionary with hopes of different oral favors reciprocated in kind. However Christmas started, it now stands as a day to offer store-bought sacrifices to indoor pine trees. Holidays are weird.

Thankfully, though, the Halloweens of today don’t stray all that far from the original mark.

I happen to know exactly how the first Halloween went down. It’s a cherished family story we tell every All Hallow’s Eve. Not only is my family responsible for bringing the world Culligan water, the KFC biscuit and Pearson’s Nut Goodie (the name, at least), we gifted the world with the joyous festival of Halloween. Here is

election from page 1 campus, at times it does not seem big enough for the opposing groups.

“Things between Students for Obama and us have been cordial but kind of cold,” Nix said.

Nix said some Republicans endure difficult situations because they represent a political minority on campus and in the Madison area.

She said she had beer poured on her at a football game and was asked to leave a party because of her McCainendorsing apparel.

“It’s kind of sad that people lose sight of the fact that we are all fellow students,” she said.

Stances on relevant issues could not

For the record Corrections or clarifications?

Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an e-mail to edit@dailycardinal.com.

how it happened: My great-great-great-great-greatuncle Gary lived just outside a sleepy little Irish town named Carving with his frightful old wife and seven starving children. Gary had been too much of a coward to go off to fight Cromwell, so every day his wife would remind him what a waste of space he was.

“Aw, for Chrissakes, my Gary, y’should be more like ya brother Larry,” she’d start. “Least he joined the Corps, so he could die in war. But you just sit here getting hairy.” (The Irish still spoke in loose limerick back then.)

It happened that one night the youngest child up and died, and his wife took to sucah wailing and moaning that Gary couldn’t stand it. He left the house and said to himself, “Oh now you’ve gone and done it Gary, another headed to the cemetery. Yer children have notin’ to eat, and yer wife’ll do notin’ but weep; if you do notin’ now it’ll get scary.” So he set out for Carving, and when he got to town he went house to house, but the answer was always “no, nothing to spare,” ’til Gary found himself at the end of the block empty handed. But Uncle Gary was a coward, and his cowardice gave differ more between the two candidates and their supporters.

“We have seen the same failed policies from the Republican party over and over again in the last eight years,” Ami ElShareif, chair of Students for Obama said. “While they want to continue spending $10 billion a month in Iraq, we support the smart, tough foreign policies offered by Senator Obama.”

In contrast, Moench said Students for McCain’s biggest problem with Obama is his economic plans to raise taxes and regulate the economy.

Although Nov. 4 is soon approaching, efforts will continue on both sides long after Election Day is over.

Nix said her group will continue to work toward bringing conservative ideals into a more positive light and increasing awareness on campus.

“I would like to create more of an open dialogue where people can voice alternative opinions and not be ridiculed,” she said.

On behalf of Obama, Eagon said no matter the outcome, Students for Obama hopes to build on the movement Obama has sparked in the students at UW-Madison.

“No matter what the outcome, we hope to translate the energy this campaign has instilled in so many students into continued action and engagement in the political process,” he said.

“Whether it be local political races, organizing around specific issues, or future large scale campaigns, we hope to build on the movement Senator Obama has sparked in our generation.”

Each group has and will continue to work around the clock leading up to Election Day. From voter registration efforts to informative lectures, Students for Obama and Students for McCain have raised awareness among students and Madison community members to ensure the city as a whole will make an informed decision in this crucial election.

him the courage to continue, for he knew that if he returned with nothing, his wife would cut his balls off.

So Gary crossed over to the other side of the street and rapped on the door of the house on the corner.

An old man with a candlestick in hand answered and said, “Tell me quick—what the hell is it? I’m in the middle of a massive shit!”

Gary said in reply, “It’s time for you to die! Prepare yourself for Satan’s pit!” Gary hacked off the old man’s head with his cobbler’s knife, then went inside to look for food.

A few moments later, Gary emerged with a potato sack full of grub. “Boy, that was easy,” he said to himself, and finishing the witty limerick in his head, he set off to try the trick again on the next house. Before he did, however, he stuck the old man’s candlestick inside the mouth of his severed head and set the noggin upright on the blood-stained stairs outside the front door, to remind him he’d been there already.

A less desperate man now, he decided to give the neighbors next door a choice. “Your food or your life! Your food or your life! I’m scared to death of my wife!” he explained to them

when they appeared at the door. They thought it was joke, but boy, did Gary show them. Within a few minutes he was off to the next house, his sack a bit fuller and two more candle-filled heads left illuminating the pool of blood that oozed down toward the street.

Uncle Gary hit up the whole block that night. When he finally headed for home, his bag was so full he could hardly lift it, and the street behind him was much more well-lit.

When he burst through the door of his tiny shack, all his starved children gathered round, surprised that their dad had come home carrying something for once. With a huge grin, Gary brought the sack to the center of the room, knelt down, and gleefully dumped its contents out onto the floor. The whole family cried with amazement at the wondrous sight; his wife wept with joy. And then together they all proceeded to organize the loot into separate little piles. “Don’t touch the Dots,” Gary lovingly scolded one of his little daughters. “If you touch the Dots, I’ll fucking rip your head off.”

David’s family says “you’re welcome.” E-mail thank you cards to dhottinger@wisc.edu.

NEWS IN BRIEF Missing Wisconsin alum, law clerk found slain in U.S. Virgin Islands UW-Madison alum Gabriel Lerner, 27, was found slain in the U.S. Virgin Islands Wednesday after his reported disappearance Oct. 27, according to the Associated Press.

Lerner, of Milwaukee, had recently moved to the U.S. Virgin Islands to take a job as a clerk for a Superior Court judge in the western part of the island.

Island police said they found Lerner’s car Tuesday and chased it until the vehicle crashed into a police cruiser. The men inside

the car, Devon Frett, 22, and a 17-year-old whose name was not released, fled into a nearby wooded area. Two hours after the crash, police found the men and arrested them on charges of murder, robbery and kidnapping. The two suspects were held without bail.

Lerner received an undergraduate degree from UWMadison and received his law degree from Georgetown University Law School.

Student VOTE Coalition registers over 10,000 people in Madison community VOTE Coalition, a program organized by student groups on campus, has registered more than 10,000 people in the Madison area.

The Associated Students of Madison led the organization with the help of other student groups. The groups include the India Student Association, United Council, UW Nursing Association, WISPIRG’s New Voters Project, Multicultural Student Coalition and Progressive Future.

Matt Wendt, chair of VOTE Coalition, said ASM played a large

halloween from page 1 together to improve the event is better than creating an unofficial alternative.

“We have to strive each and every year to try to get more and more student input [and] more and more student buy-in into Freakfest,” Verveer said.

UW-Madison junior and Mifflin Street resident Dave Spitz said he already had his own alternative to Freakfest planned—a small house party with his friends and roommates. Spitz went door to door on his block Thursday afternoon collecting signatures of residents opposing a large bash in their neighborhood.

role in initiative. “Serving as a moderator, ASM made sure everyone was on the same page, set up events and collaborated with other organizations for their events,” Wendt said in a statement.

According to Wendt, VOTE Coalition registered 10,558 voters, who have the opportunity to cast a ballot for president and other offices on Election Day. ASM is also working with Get Out The Vote, a program on campus to educate voters and provide them with specific tips and information about polling locations.

“There’s no need for transplanting hundreds of people into the street [and] attracting police attention,” Spitz said, adding that he was pleased with the event’s cancellation.

Despite the bump in the road to Freakfest 2008, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said he was still confident Saturday’s city-sanctioned event would be enjoyed by partygoers.

“We always want an event that is going to be fun and safe, and everybody’s definition of fun sometimes isn’t the same,” Cieslewicz said. “But I think that this year—especially given O.A.R. and given some of the bands we’ve got—I think the vast majority of people are really looking forward to it.”

dailycardinal.com/news

Weekend, October 31-November 2, 2008

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Madison launches text alerts for use in snow emergencies

Multicultural groups host alternative Halloween event

Local officials unveiled a new text-message system called Alert Madison Tuesday in an effort to better notify city residents of snow emergencies in preparation for the upcoming winter season.

Streets Division spokesperson

Three UW-Madison student diversity organizations are collaborating to host “Halloween Hybrid” Saturday at the Cardinal Bar as an alternative to Freakfest.

The African Student Association, Indian Student Association and Wisconsin Black Student Union are joining forces to throw the event, which will focus on music and dancing.

George Dreckmann said the city began working on the system after record-setting snowfall last winter resulted in eight snow emergency declarations, poor compliance with parking rules and expensive snow removal.

Dreckmann said the city already uses

PHOTO BY NICK KOGOS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KYLE BURSAW

construction from page 1 in the Gilman Street plan.

Committee members voted to approve the plan provided Petykowski and revise it to include more bicycle racks and lamp-style light fixtures similar to those on Pinckney Street rather than the larger ones on State Street.

Petykowski said construction for the project will begin in mid-May after the UW-Madison spring semester ends

and wrap up in August before classes resume for fall.

The committee also approved the design of a new water fixture to be placed on Frances Street next to State Street Brats. Designs for the project, which is scheduled for completion in July 2009, gained approval from the committee Thursday after undergoing several changes since first they were first revealed in May. Artists Andrea Myklebust and

e-mails and phone messages to get the word out about snow emergencies, but the city hopes the new text message system will help notify younger residents, particularly the student population, of parking rules during winter weather.

Dreckmann said notification is even more important since the Common Council voted this week to raise parking fine violations during snow emergencies from $30 in the downtown area and $20 throughout the rest of the city to $60 citywide.

“It’s a 60-buck hit and that I think is the kind of thing that we’re hoping will get people’s attention and steer them to sign up for these other types of notifications,” Dreckmann said.

For more information or to sign up for snow emergency text messages, go to www.cityofmadison.com/winter.

Stanton Sears said one of the things they changed in creating the water fixture was the height of the granite basin containing the water. Sears said they decided to raise the structure higher to avoid “inappropriate use” such as vomiting and urinating into the basin, but made sure people could still sit on the structure and that it was not too wall-like.

“It’s very much a balancing act,” Myklebust said of creating the design.

By Melanie Teachout THE DAILY CARDINAL

“We know that not all students enjoy the Halloween weekend in the same way.”

Susan Crowley project director PACE

According to Audrey Buchanan, media public relations chair� of the African Students Association, “Halloween Hybrid” will provide the kind of environment all students can enjoy without alcohol.

“Each organization individually throws events throughout the year having music and dance as the center of their events,” Buchanan said.

“There have been a lot of positive responses to these events.”

The past success of the groups’ individual events prompted them to collaborate this Halloween, creating an environment promoting a

fun alternative to drinking at the downtown Freakfest celebration.

According to Shriya Kothur, president of the Indian Student Association, the organizations were aware of each other’s success with multicultural events.

“As multicultural organizations we had heard a lot about each other and that each organization drew in a big crowd and did a lot of work with multicultural promotion and events,” Kothur said.

UW-Madison’s PACE program, whose goal of reducing the consequences of high-risk drinking on campus, is grateful for different sober events on Halloween.

“We know that not all students enjoy the Halloween weekend in the same way and it is important to have alternatives that students can choose to participate in and also a variety of choices,” PACE Project Director Susan Crowley said.

Cover charge for the event will be $7 from 9 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and $10 after.

Tiffany Jones, administrative chair of African Student Association, said the event will familiarize the multicultural groups with one another and act as a stepping-stone for future collaborations.

“Independently each organization is strong and we want to extend our resources to each other to help each other,” she said.

The Cardinal Bar is located at 418 E Wilson St.

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The number one candy of choice for Halloween is Snickers.

Correction: The biggest pumpkin in the world is 1,689 pounds. dailycardinal.com/comics

Weekend, October 31 - November 2, 2008

Candy Flippin’

Today’s Sudoku

Anthro-Apology

By Eric Wigdahl wigdahl@wisc.edu

© Puzzles by Pappocom

Angel Hair Pasta

By Toss 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

bob your apple

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Sid and Phil

By Alex Lewein lewein@wisc.edu

The Graph Giraffe

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

“Ohw’v wxuq rq wkh mxlfh dqg vhh zkdw vkdnhv orrvh.”

Betelgeuse quote from Beetle Juice Yesterday’s Code:

He’s got a tattoo on his arm that say, “Baby,” He’s got another one that just say, “Hey.”

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Evil Bird

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com HALLOWEEN GROANS ACROSS 1 “Watch your ___!”

5 Cardinal cap letters 8 Cries at revelations 13 Jacob’s third son 14 “Pet” that needs plenty of water 16 Address a crowd 17 Talkative Russian city?

18 Ayatollah’s land 19 “Is this seat ___?”

20 Count’s equivalent 21 Why ghosts haunt bars?

23 “Are ___ or out?” (dealer’s question) 25 Suffix with “invent” 26 Mon.-Wed. link 27 Declares openly 29 Prefix meaning “one billion” 31 Halloween creatures 32 Incised 34 Backcountry 36 College student’s plea 41 “For goodness’ ___!”

42 Some hanging Halloween decorations 43 “Lost our lease” event 46 Some computer 48 Ford embar- rassment 49 Good thing to have in your hand 50 The whole nine yards

51 “... eat, drink ___ merry” 53 Cannibals’ favorite legumes?

56 Not backing, in the backwoods 59 “I Was ___ War Bride” 60 “The Cosby Show” kid 61 “The Lion King” character 62 “Cold Mountain” star Zellweger 63 Connery or Penn 64 NASCAR driver Petty 65 Nature photographer Adams 66 Business letters 67 Air hose sound DOWN Dark, astringent fruit Prefix meaning “one trillion” 3 You, me and the whole gang 4 Toddler’s ghost costume 5 Isaac Asimov’s genre 6 Crowdteller 8 “On a scale of one ___” 9 Yemen resident 10 Territory divided into two states in 1889 11 Avoided doing dishes 12 Has an inkling

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15 Like NRA opponents 22 Stockpiles 24 ___ Mac (eschews a PC) 27 Continental peak 28 “Batman Forever” actor Kilmer 30 “___ my case!” (lawyer’s phrase) 31 Where vampires seek credit?

33 City west of 35 Like electric guitars 37 Inspector Clouseau’s portrayer 38 Posies 39 Barely obtain (with “out”) 40 Fashionable monogram 43 African desert 44 Keenness of mind 45 Noted French auto race 47 Article of summer wear 50 Slippery as ___ 52 Timberlake’s old group 54 Out of the wind 55 “The Clan of the Cave Bear” novelist Jean 57 Pandora’s boxful 58 Glasgow negatives

www.dailycardinal.com

opinion

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Got an opinion on your Halloween experience?

Shoot us a letter to the editor at opinion@dailycardinal.com.

dailycardinal.com/opinion

Weekend, October 31-November 2, 2008

$1000 for 1000 Words Contest: finalist Students sound off on getting our generation to the polls

Waffles for democracy

By Sean Grady CONTEST FINALIST

Each election cycle has its own unique challenges and contemporary issues. However, the problem with young-voter turnout being low appears to be ongoing. It is doubtful that any one slogan or rallying call will inspire people to vote if they weren’t going to originally; politically conscious people will hear it and vote (they were going to anyway) and the politically ignorant will not hear it and not vote (they weren’t going to anyway). Thus, an analysis of what actually gets people to the polls is required. Many in our generation don’t vote because: 1. For many, there is no tradition or ritual of voting.

Perhaps parents don’t teach children to vote or emphasize its importance. This is already being addressed by educating people and increasing awareness, although campaigns like “Vote or Die” or suggesting that a non-voter is a fool couldn’t have been too encouraging.

2. At 18, the brain is still developing. The impact and weight of long-term consequences is less clear than it is after actually experiencing related life events. The frontal lobe of many people at age 18 has a good deal of potential development.

3. There is no incentive to vote. Perhaps people don’t see anything in it for them and reject appeals of “civic duty.”

For a variety of reasons, it is clear that many people simply lack the drive that brings others to the polls.

4. There is a disassociation between effort and result, manifested in the idea that their vote doesn’t count. The weight of any one vote is vanishingly small, but the opportunity cost of voting is great. Thus, it is no surprise that people hold an attitude of apathy. Arguments that we survive as a group by making group efforts can only go so far.

I have a solution, or at least an approach, that addresses these problems: waffles. To encourage more young voters to get to the polls, serve waffles.

Specifically, offer waffles at the polls just for showing up.

1. Waffles create a tradition.

Eating creates an atmosphere of friendliness, familiarity, and bonding. Even if you don’t agree with the people you’re eating with, you’re going to look forward to the tradition of “waffle day.”

2. The sugars and fats provide inexpensive energy for growing minds—literally, chemical energy.

3. Waffles are a very clear, tangible incentive. Everyone needs to eat, so the opportunity cost is a wash; just a few moments filling out forms and waiting in line between waffle bites. If you were on the fence about voting, now you can at least go for the waffles.

4. Between creating a more consistent tradition and offering a clear incentive, a concerted group effort will convince individuals that they are important (as opposed to “no one else is voting, so why should I?”).

To encourage more young voters to get to the polls, serve waffles. Specifically, offer waffles just for showing up.

Please don’t mistake my attempt at light humor as irreverence. A few more details could be worked out to make this a viable plan. I imagine we could create waffles for less than $0.50/waffle. We could make some batches with egg substitute for our vegan friends.

Speaking generally, this plan conditions voters to like voting, i.e. voting is positively reinforced with waffles. One or two waffles should be offered to anyone stepping out of a voting booth. Specific issues come and go, and much of how a candidate will perform can only be seen once they’re in office and our economy is going to hell, but we could always enjoy a nice waffle come November.

—Sean Grady UW-Madison student “$1000 for 1000 Words” was a contest held early in October challenging UW-Madison students to both discuss why the youth vote has been traditionally low and come up with unique solutions to the problem. Finalist essays will run every day until the winning submission is published Nov. 3.

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Obama vote represents winds of change in U.S. JOSEPH KOSS opinion columnist

B

y what metric ought we measure a presidential candidate?

Are we to judge him or her on policy ideas, experience, compassion? What truly defines the choice? A Barack Obama presidency may signal a turning of the corner in important ways. He may fail miserably as a president, because success is very much contingent on factors beyond his control. But will the country have succeeded anyway?

I don’t think of it as my job to try to advise people on whom to vote for. But I do find this election very important, and it might be so because I feel I have a perspective that is not rooted solely in the debate we currently find ourselves mired in. And in reflecting on this perspective, I find myself increasingly optimistic about not only an Obama administration, but even more so that his election might be a demarcation line seared into the American political history, a line dividing old vs. new, past vs. future, 20th century ideology vs.

21st century progress.

I keep drawing on a few of the many formative experiences I’ve had over the last eight years. By the fall of 2003, the United States had just started our unilateral invasion of Iraq, and I was just getting settled into spending a year abroad in England. As one of the lone visible Americans on campus, I found myself getting into a handful of discussions at the local university pub about our acts of aggression (and regression). Fairly or unfairly, I was looked upon by both friends and new acquaintances to be a defender of U.S. foreign policy. I could not find answers to their questions. Repeatedly I was asked if Americans knew how much their policies affect citizens throughout the world, from the U.K. to Spain to Kenya. I could not say that

we did. How could I? Less than 5 percent of Americans have passports.

I traveled throughout Europe that fall and spring and met hostility, ignorance and friendliness, usually all within the same encounter. Many, it seemed, were expecting a different experience from meeting an American.

My last week abroad, I stepped off in Morocco for one last strange adventure before I left for home. While there, I was invited into a Moroccan home by a young man of 20. He made dinner for a neighbor and me.

We smoked hash cigarettes and talked philosophy and politics into the night, each of us speaking a mix of the languages we knew—Spanish, German, English and Arabic. They told me of a great Muslim philosopher who shared my name, Youssef, and wrote a parable of his for me to take with me on my journey home. And before we parted ways, they sat me down, and with sincerity and honesty told me with quavering voices to “tell my American friends that Muslims are a good, peaceful people—friends, yes?”

A Barack Obama election will be a frozen moment in time when American politics have changed for the better.

The past few years, before beginning school again, I worked as a day laborer on industrial-sized printing presses. Although the great industrial dream that guided America through the 20th century might be dying, the honest, hard-working citizen that is the backbone of this country is not.

The American dream lives strongest with those who work the hardest for what they have, who work two jobs 80 hours a week for that hope in a better future that they are trying desperately to provide for their children.

We might have had small differences on political or social issues, but at

the end of the day, we could all share hopes and dreams.

Why have I chosen to share all this? The world seems to be waiting for us to turn a corner. While our politics the last 16 years have tried to pull us apart into voting blocks and issue voters, I have been continually convinced of our shared togetherness, our commonalities and our desire to share in each other’s happiness and accomplishments. Barack Obama makes me feel as though we can somehow begin things anew, an America awash with hopes and dreams, an America that values opening up relationships and friendships, better understanding multiculturalism, and increasing compassion and benevolence.

I am not naïve enough to think that one elected official can be an ineffable, incontrovertible force for the good, that hope will spring eternal. And I am not naïve enough to think that in four years things will be markedly different; difficult policy decisions will dictate this more than anything. It is hard to make the claim that we should elect more than the man, rather a vision, an idea.

However, I think that is what I am doing. I feel that with his election a tide-wind of different thinking, different ideas and different politics will come along naturally—a fundamental shift of a new American ideal.

He might fail miserably for many reasons his first four years, but even in failure, we will have succeeded in breaking down many barriers, and he will have, merely by his presence, allowed for a change of thinking and doing that needed to take place, and that will live on much longer than his presidency. A Barack Obama election will be a frozen moment in time when American politics and American benevolence have changed for the better: the conversations, the debates and, most importantly, the sensibility of it all. That is why I am voting for Sen. Barack Obama on Nov. 4.

Joseph Koss is a junior majoring in secondary education in social studies. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

arts ‘Wickedly’ talented Menzel in Madison 6

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dailycardinal.com/arts

Weekend, October 31-November 2, 2008

By Katie Foran-McHale

Now Playing Madison

THE DAILY CARDINAL

As the title of her show-stopping song reveals, Tony award winner Idina Menzel is once again “defying gravity.” She is currently on tour in support of her third solo album, I Stand. Menzel, star of “Rent” and “Wicked,” will make her UW-Madison debut Sunday as the finale of Wisconsin Union Directorate’s Shriek Week.

I Stand, like Menzel, has a wide array of styles that is unique from any label, prompting Warner Brothers’ reluctance to assign a genre to the album’s release.

“I try to be free and open with myself without putting up any barriers ... The record label was very supportive,” Menzel said. Her songs—in particular “I Stand” and “Brave”—promote the same positive vibes.

Glen Ballard, most known for his work with Alanis Morissette on Jagged Little Pill, produced the album, providing an encouraging environment in a zen-like studio.

“He really made me feel comfortable in what I had to give, and that I had valuable things to give with the writing process,” said Menzel, who co-wrote eight of the 10 songs on I Stand.

Ballard also took advantage of Menzel’s versatile vocal range on the album.

“It’s really nice to be able to be intimate in the studio and use those parts of your voice that are human, so fragile and wounded,” she said.

This week, writer Alex Kuskowski talks to Diaper Daniels (Karl Christenson) of Madison’s premiere “twang-poop” band, Cribshitter.

Where did you guys get your interesting name?: I was working at a bindery. The mundane work of a bindery kind of makes your mind wander a little bit, and it just kind of popped into my head. “Cribshitter” is the most juvenile, memorable name you can come up with.

How did you guys come up with the sound you call “twang poop”?: It’s elements of the old country western. Poop would be kind of the loud, spastic noise that we play that goes along with that ... “Twang poop” just seemed the best fit.

What is your favorite Halloween costume ever?: A friend of mine this Halloween is gonna be Trig Palin, Sarah Palin’s kid.

You know all the costumes that try to be “sexy nurse?” He’s going to be “sexy Trig Palin.” It’s kind of tasteless, but it’s funny.

PHOTO COURTESY STEWART SHINING

The dynamic and multi-talented Idina Menzel comes to Madison Sunday night, performing the best of her album and show tunes.

Her fans may be accustomed to the astonishing belting range she uses on stage, but while recording, Menzel is able to sing in a wide, dynamic range and, more notably, in a lower register.

Although she is used to infusing her own life experiences into her characters, Menzel also uses her past theatrical roles—strong, talented women—for inspiration in songwriting and in life.

“I find that I learn a lot of lessons through the characters, espe-

cially with [“Wicked’s”] Elphaba,” Menzel said. “She reminded me to be proud of the things that make me unique and different in this world and to be proud of my strength and power.”

Better known as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba is a talented but misunderstood witch who looks past those who vilify her green skin.

“Success comes from things that make you a little quirky,” Menzel said.

Although Menzel fluidly switches back and forth from singing to acting

You can check out the eclectic sound of Cribshitter for yourself this weekend at 10 p.m. at The Frequency.

to songwriting, reviewers often try to fit her into a category—“rock chick,” “film star,” “musical diva” and “classical actress,” to name a few. But it’s impossible to describe her in so few words. Menzel allows these terms but will not label herself, saying she’ll “let other people catch up” to how they want to describe her.

Menzel will be performing songs from I Stand and a wide variety of other selections—numbers from past shows she’s been in, covers and favorite childhood songs.

“It’s a pretty eclectic show ... People should walk out of the venue with a piece of me that I’ve shared with them, that they’ve seen a night that no one else will have seen,” she said.

Idina Menzel where: Union Theater, Memorial Union when: 8 p.m., Nov. 2 cost: $18 to $32

sports

dailycardinal.com/sports

Weekend, October 31-November 2, 2008

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Badgers to open with exhibition against Augustana

By Matt Fox THE DAILY CARDINAL

This Saturday, the UW men’s basketball team will take the Kohl Center floor for its first exhibition game of the season, a matchup with Augustana College.

Augustana College is a Division II school located in Sioux Falls, S.D. Last season, the Vikings finished with a 22-9 record before falling in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament. Like this year’s Badgers, the Vikings are a young team, composed of nine freshmen and sophomores. Junior guard David Foster is Augustana’s top returning scorer, averaging 11 points per game last season.

Although the game doesn’t count toward Wisconsin’s record, the Badgers know how valuable exhibitions can be for a smooth transition into the beginning of the regular season.

“We’re looking to make a statement,” senior forward Marcus Landry said. “These are very good games that you’re looking to get comfortable and weigh out some things. You have to get in the comfort zone of everything, so

that’s what we’re looking for.”

Last week, Landry was selected as a member of this year’s Big Ten Preseason All-Conference Team after averaging 11 points and five rebounds for the Badgers last season. Landry also made his presence known in last year’s postseason, as he was named the Big Ten Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

But Landry will need some help if the Badgers hope to match their high level of play from last season. Junior guard Trevon Hughes returns after averaging 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals per game during his year as a starter. Junior guard Jason Bohannon is the reigning Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year and will look to improve his play from last year after playing crucial minutes in head coach Bo Ryan’s system. Lastly, senior forward Joe Krabbenhoft returns after starting in all of Wisconsin’s games last season while averaging 7.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest.

Krabbenhoft has a unique connection to this particular opponent.

He attended Roosevelt High School, located in Sioux Falls and close to

the Augustana College campus. He was selected to the first-team allstate team as a senior after leading Roosevelt to a third-place finish at the all-state tournament. Krabbenhoft is still closely connected to Viking head coach Tom Billeter, who served as one of Krabbenhoft’s coaching mentors and pushed Krabbenhoft to attend Wisconsin.

Wisconsin won the conference

championship last season and is predicted to finish in third place in the Big Ten, behind both Purdue and Michigan State. But Krabbenhoft says that although the team is honored to be viewed as an elite contender once again, the Badgers are more concerned about their own goals.

“It just gives everybody a chance to talk about it in the media, which is good to get our names out there,

but we’re only worried about where we’re at right now,” Krabbenhoft said.

“We’re worried about getting better so we can be where we want to be in March, and that’s the top of the Big Ten and in the tournament. To get to that point, it’s going to take a lot of hard work. There’s a lot of improvement going on.”

Saturday’s tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Kohl Center.

Featuring

Our Build Your Own

Bloody Mary Bar

Sat. & Sun., 11 am- 3 pm

KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Senior forward Joe Krabbenhoft (45) was one of Wisconsin’s most consistent players last season and looks to improve in the coming year.

spartans from page 8 and score touchdowns, junior quarterback Dustin Sherer got the UW offense back on track against Illinois, throwing for two touchdowns and even running one in by himself in his second game as starter. Sherer said he’s getting more comfortable in the starting position and knew he could play better than his poor performance against Iowa would indicate.

Sophomore wide receiver David Gilreath emerged as the playmaker last week, catching two touchdowns.

Sherer will be missing one of his favorite receivers, senior tight end Travis Beckum, who is out for the rest of the season after fracturing his left tibia during the Illinois game. A top prospect for the NFL draft, Beckum ranks third in UW history in receptions and receiving yards.

But the Badgers have two solid tight ends in junior Garrett Graham and sophomore Lance Kendricks, head coach Bret Bielema said.

Graham caught six passes against Illinois, receiving three in a row during the Badgers’ crucial fourth-quarter

touchdown drive.

“I thought two weeks ago when Travis and Garrett played together at Iowa, that might have been as complete of dual tight ends playing in all phases of the game.”

Wisconsin’s running game has taken a back seat to passing, since junior running back P.J. Hill saw limited action last week as he was rebounding from a foot injury. Freshman John Clay rushed for 93 yards against Illinois, and Bielema said he plans on using all three backs Saturday, although Clay is listed as the starter on UW’s depth chart.

Holding Illinois, one of the Big Ten’s top-ranked offenses, to a seasonlow 17 points, the Badgers will likely need a similar performance from the defense to top the Spartans. Turnovers were key to a Badger victory, but the defense also didn’t let big plays slip away, tackled better, shut out the running game and put big pressure on the quarterback.

“We’re back to playing aggressive defense,” Valai said. “Last weekend we came out fighting and swinging for the fences. Hopefully we do that this weekend, too.”

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Find more sports coverage at dailycardinal.com. Look online for in-depth previews of the coming weekend for the Wisconsin women’s soccer and women’s hockey teams. dailycardinal.com/sports

Weekend, October 31-November 2, 2008

Sports, politics linked by more than Olbermann BEN BREINER all about the benjamins

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spartans page 7

On Tuesday, try watching the election like you’d watch a game.

On Tuesday, try watching the election like you’d watch a game.

Get chips, dips, drinks and other snack foods. Invite over fellow fans and even try grilling if it’s not too cold out (note: this is not an endorsement of pregaming before voting).

It may seem absurd, but if elections are already broadcast like sports… well, why not?

Think Obama’s efficient ground game will chew up time of possession and keep the McCain-Palin aerial attack off the field? Tell Ben about it at breiner@wisc.edu.

OUT ON A LIMB Jamie and Al Leaders Supreme

Spartan quarterback Brian Hoyer showcased his passing strength against the Wolverines last week, throwing for 282 yards and three touchdowns.

Scoring an average of 28 points per game, Wisconsin will likely have to put a good amount of points on the scoreboard to defeat Michigan State. The Spartans got crushed 457 by Ohio State two weeks ago, but bounced back to beat the rival Wolverines 35-21.

After struggling to pass the ball

Kyle and Lorenzo Photo Editors

After restoring order at Camp Randall by ending a four-game losing streak last week, the Badgers are looking to carry their momentum to No. 21 Michigan State Saturday.

“We really had our backs against the wall last week, and we still do this week,” said sophomore strong safety Jay Valai, who was recognized as UW’s defensive player of the week for getting five tackles and successfully reading the passing game against Illinois.

Michigan State (4-1 Big Ten, 7-2 overall) boasts a potent offense with senior running back Javon Ringer, who averages 4.6 yards per carry and has scored 16 touchdowns this season. Against Michigan last week, Ringer scored two touchdowns and moved the ball 194 yards on the ground. Known for being a speedy, powerful back that runs low to the ground, Ringer will be difficult for the Badger defense to take down.

“I think he’s a beast,” Valai said.

“He’s 5'9", 200 pounds, so it’s a good look in the mirror.”

Gabe, Jill and Jake Copy Chiefs

THE DAILY CARDINAL

Jon and Mark Opinion Editors

By Scott Allen

Mario and Scott Game Day Editors

Football heads to MSU

Ben and Crystal Sports Editors

MATT WISNIEWSKI/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Junior quarterback Dustin Sherer will try to earn his second career victory Saturday at Michigan State.

t seems sort of odd watching this broadcast. A big scoreboard, a field of play, constant updates and, of course, legions of experts scrutinizing every angle of the day’s top contest.

Although this sounds just like a football game on ABC or an ESPN doubleheader, it also depicts the style and feel of election coverage, which many of us will watch next Tuesday.

At first some might scoff, saying that politics is far more serious than athletics and should be treated as such. A closer inspection, however, shows a number of parallels between watching televised sports and watching America select the next president.

On first glance, we have the scoreboard. When one tunes into either broadcast, the first question comes, “What’s the score?” Then come the teams, team colors and, of course, the mascots for each side. Although the Republicans share the elephant mascot with powerhouse schools like Alabama, the Democrats’ donkey seems like a less popular choice to represent a team.

The visual presentation of elections and sports also links them. While watching football, the fan always has one of his or her eyes on the ticker at the bottom of the screen to keep updated on scores from around the country and maybe check on their fantasy teams.

During the election, viewers will always look to the bottom of the screen for up-to-the-minute updates in battleground states, tracking party vote tallies and precincts reporting. The games of the night will be in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida, so fans should pay extra attention to those.

Then we have the waves of experts and loudmouthed fans.

Three- and four-person panels, usually populated by a levelheaded moderator and several colorful and/ or partisan experts, are staples of

both pregame and election shows.

Bill O’Reilly has his bombastic counterpart in Skip Bayless. David Brooks his eggheaded match in ESPN’s John Clayton. Hell, on Tuesday even Keith Olbermann will be around, giving the night an uncanny “SportsCenter” feel.

The final, and possibly most annoying, factor that will link sports and elections is the fans.

Not the sensible ones, mind you, but the brash fans, who will loudly condemn you for not siding with their team.

Opposing sports fans may pour beer on you or begin an “asshole” chant in your direction, but political fans will keep explaining an issue, like the immorality of welfare, to you, until you just stop caring.

The Internet provides an outlet for both kinds of fans to spout their most idealistic views and congregate with like-minded individuals.

These commonalities probably show that something is wrong with the way politics is presented on television and perhaps a much larger flaw in our political system.

This, however, is a sports column, so we’ll focus on how sports fandom can improve the electionviewing experience.

Wisconsin at No. 21 Michigan State

UW

MSU

MSU

MSU

MSU

UW

No. 1 Texas at No. 7 Texas Tech

TEX

TEX

TEX

TEX

TEX

TEX

No. 15 Florida State at Georgia Tech

FSU

TECH

TECH

FSU

FSU

FSU

No. 8 Florida at No. 6 Georgia

FLA

UGA

FLA

FLA

UGA

UGA

NY Jets at Buffalo

NYJ

BUF

BUF

BUF

NYJ

N YJ

Dallas at NY Giants

NYG

NYG

NYG

TB

DAL

DAL

Green Bay at Tennessee

GB

GB

TEN

TEN

TEN

GB

3-4 33-23

3-4 34-22

6-1 35-21

4-3 33-23

7-0 36-20

6-1 36-20

Last Week Overall