Monday, November 3, 2008 - The Daily Cardinal

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2ND MICHIGAN TRIP YIELDS SAME RESULTS UW alone in Big Ten cellar after blowing another fourth-quarter lead to Spartans SPORTS Complete campus coverage since 1892

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Monday, November 3, 2008

Fewer arrests, larger crowds at Freakfest ’08

By Abby Sears THE DAILY CARDINAL

With a lower number of arrests and increased ticket sales at Freakfest 2008 Saturday, police are hailing the event as a “hat trick”—the third successful Halloween celebration in a row since the city began gating off State Street and charging admission to the event.

The Madison Police Department reported 77 arrests as of 2:45 a.m.

Saturday—a significant decrease from the 126 arrests made at Freakfest 2007. MPD public information officer Joel DeSpain said there were a few fights, but most arrests were for minor offenses such as open intoxicants and underage drinking.

“The crowd overall was very well behaved [and] people had a great time. There were a couple of incidents but nothing really serious, no property damage,” DeSpain said. “We’ve had three successful Freakfests in a row and were very pleased with the way it went.”

DeSpain also said there were several small house parties reported in the downtown area, including a larger party a good distance away from Freakfest on Mound Street.

The regional draw of Freakfest brought a number of area law enforcement agencies together to police the event. Officers from the

Halloween arrests by the numbers

2008 Friday: 56 arrests Saturday: 77 2007 Friday: 55 Saturday: 126 2006 Friday: 87 Saturday: 148 Check out Page 6 for photos from Saturday on State Street.

MPD, Wisconsin State Patrol, the Dane County Sheriff’s Department, the University of Wisconsin Police Department, Capitol Police, the Fitchburg Police Department, the Sun Prairie Police Department and RTM Security were all on hand to patrol the crowds.

Ticket sales for this year’s event also increased from Freakfest 2007 with an estimated 38,300 sold in 2008 compared to 34,000 attendees last year, despite a hike in ticket prices.

Attendees paid $7 for advance tickets and $10 the day of Freakfest, up from the $5 advance price and $7 day of charge in 2007.

Among the thousands of Freakfest

LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Madison Police Department, along with several other local law enforcement agencies, policed the Freakfest 2008 event on State Street Saturday, where a total of 77 partygoers were arrested. partygoers was Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, who observed the crowd while walking down State Street in everyday attire.

“I came as the mayor,” Cieslewicz joked. “It seems like [the crowd] is in a good mood. It seems like people are having a good time and I don’t see any pushing or shoving or anybody being rude. I think it’s going to work out fine.”

UW-Madison sophomore Katherine Biskupic said she was enjoying her second year at Freakfest even more than the first because she knew what to expect from the event.

“I think it’s so fun if it’s all in moderation, but some people overdo it,” Biskupic said. “It’s been pretty tame

Many challenges for next president

By Nico Savidge THE DAILY CARDINAL

On Jan. 20, 2009, either Republican presidential candidate John McCain or Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will take an oath of office and be sworn in as President of the United States.

On Jan. 21, one of those two men will sit down behind their new desk inside the Oval Office and begin their fouryear term leading the nation.

No matter how the elec-

toral vote turns out Tuesday night, regardless of which states turn blue or red or even who is elected, the next president will face a daunting list of challenges to tackle in their administrations.

The winner of this election must handle an economy stuck in global financial crisis, an army fighting two increasingly

JOANNA MOONEY/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Thousands celebrate on Halloween Although Friday may not have been the night of the city-sanctioned Freakfest event, it was the actual Halloween holiday, and thousands of partygoers still made their way downtown to celebrate.

The Madison Police Department estimated that a crowd of 10,000 partied on State Street Friday night. As of 2:41 a.m., police had arrested 56 people, mostly for alcohol violations and disorderly conduct. Arrest numbers were consistent with those from the Friday before Freakfest in 2007, when 55 people were arrested.

Police said the crowd was relatively calm for the most part, but a few incidents did occur. While making an arrest outside of a bar on State Street, two Wisconsin State Troopers suffered minor injuries in a scuffle. Police said one partygoer was taken to a local hospital after falling off a secondstory roof on University Avenue.

Several private house parties were reported in the downtown area, but according to police the majority were small gatherings and did not pose any significant problems.

Sixty-day incident log now available on UWPD website

By Amanda Hoffstrom THE DAILY CARDINAL

unpopular wars and the looming threat of climate change, to name just a few of the issues that will confront the 44th president.

According to three UW-Madison professors, the crisis affecting the world economy will be the most immediate problem.

“It is going to really control what they do for probably the first six months or a year in office,” UWMadison political science professor Barry Burden s a i d .

“Whether it’s the financial bailout, the up and down of Wall challenges page 4

Federal law requires universities to have 60 days of crime data available for public view during business hours, but a new online incident log from the University of Wisconsin Police Department aims to make UW-Madison’s data more accessible.

According to UWPD Capt.

Karen Soley, who worked on implementing a web version for about 18 months, the log was placed on the UWPD website in mid-October. It lists every case number university police have generated within the last 60 days.

Prior to the online version,

a daily crime log was available upon request weekdays in the UWPD office at 1429 Monroe St. Soley said the online crime log will also be updated weekdays.

Soley said a key difference between the hard copy and the online log is the addition of a status column, which lists whether a case is open, complete or if no further action will be taken. If a case is listed as open, it means UWPD records personnel have not yet entered possible updates from police reports. “[The] goal is just to make it easier for people who want to know what’s currently happening on campus, at least take a look [at crime log page 4

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

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Halloween weekend not quite wedded bliss

Volume 118, Issue 45

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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 Tanya Adams, Shana Pradeep

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MEGAN CORBETT little red corbett

T

he most popular question last week was “What are you going to be for Halloween?”

Well, my costume wasn’t very exciting, but at least I can say it was original.

I was a very pissed off greeter at my cousin’s wedding. How did you miss such a great costume, you may ask. You didn’t—I was two hours from State Street and, like I said, was not very happy about it.

When I first got the save-the-date card from Jake, I was too excited to notice that it overlapped with Madison’s biggest party of the year. And when Melissa asked me to be in the wedding, I was too honored to realize that I was committing to the entire weekend, so I couldn’t even enjoy the regular holiday festivities. But as Halloween approached and I realized that being a greeter is possibly the lamest wedding job ever, it became all too clear.

My mom tried to tell me it would be OK, maybe even fun. After all, Jake and Melissa had invited me to the rehearsal dinner, where we could wear costumes and drink apple cider.

Seeing as only one person in the wedding party was under 20, no one was too excited about it. But things really picked up at the haunted corn maze after dinner. I am close to my family, but the whole ordeal was pushing the boundaries of cousinly love.

So, I spent my Halloween lost in a corn maze in freezing temperatures receiving drunk dial after drunk dial from revelers back in Madison.

I reminded myself tomorrow would be the wedding, and with the wedding came free drinks. I told myself it wouldn’t be that bad.

Positioned in the back of the church with a big painted-on smile, I began to doubt the previous night’s reasoning.

It was freezing, I couldn’t see anything and the other greeter was flirting with me. Usually I wouldn’t have cared, but seeing as I was pretty sure he was somehow related to me, I just wasn’t feeling it. Maybe it was because we were in Iowa, but he didn’t seem to

mind the notion of kissing cousins. I introduced him to my cousin Kathy and ran away.

Inevitably, as the day went on, I began to draw comparisons between the party at the reception where I was and the party on State where I should have been. When my roommates were dressing up as Playboy bunnies, I was in the bathroom trying to get baby throw-up off my dress.

While the neighbors were fighting about who could do the longer keg stand, I was trying to break up a fight about who was better, the Braves or the Cubs. I didn’t have the heart to point out to my uncles that both teams ultimately sucked—the Brewers didn’t exactly leave me bragging rights this year.

And when my friends at school were listening to O.A.R. and watching “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” I was stuck rocking to Kenny G and watching a Power Point of Jake and Melissa’s baby pictures. Things got a little crazy when the DJ played “The Monster Mash” twice in a row, but soon we were back to the easy listening love jams of Michael Bolton. I was back to pound-

ing my head on the table as well.

Things finally started to wind down around 10:30 p.m. My cousin Dan and I enjoyed one last beer. He was even more upset with the weekend than I was. Apparently he had been planning to visit me so he could go to Freakfest for the first time and get free room and board. I didn’t mind that he had planned all this without me. I owed him for his Eggs and Kegs breakfast before the Iowa game. We clinked our bottles and vowed for next year.

I returned to Madison feeling well-rested, but not exactly overexcited about my weekend. I walked into my apartment to find it pitch black and silent. It was 2 p.m., so at first I thought we had been robbed.

But soon I realized that my roommates were simply hiding in their rooms, suffering some of the worst hangovers of their lives and severely depleted monetary funds. I guess there is one thing you could say about my weekend: at least the beer was free.

If you want to get married on Halloween, Megan isn’t coming. If you want to share a story from your weekend, e-mail her at mcorbett2@wisc.edu.

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VOTE TOMORROW NOV. 4

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Monday, November 3, 2008

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Wilco members play “Concert for Change” Three members of the band performed a free concert Saturday

By Matt Riley THE DAILY CARDINAL

KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Freakfest attendees made their way to the Mountain Dew Amp/ Z104 stage near the capitol to watch O.A.R. perform Saturday.

O.A.R. performance draws huge crowds at Freakfest 2008

By Abby Sears THE DAILY CARDINAL

Along with thousands of attendees in a wide array of Halloween costumes, Freakfest 2008 also brought headlining band O.A.R. to the Capitol Square as a part of the city’s collaboration with music promotion company Frank Productions.

The band took the Mountain Dew Amp/Z104 stage located at the top of State Street near the Capitol around midnight to a packed crowd of Freakfest attendees.

“Every single time you see them, it’s totally different.”

Meghan Minnehan Freakfest attendee

Meghan Minnehan, 23, said she traveled from Chicago for her first Freakfest this year. Minnehan, who said she has seen O.A.R. play over 50 times, said she decided to come to Madison’s annual Halloween event just to watch the band perform.

“Every single time you see them, it’s totally different,” she said. “It’s awesome.”

Katherine Walczak, a sophomore at Northwestern University, and Hannah Cox, a sophomore at the University of Georgia, said they were nearly trampled when concertgoers near the stage became rambunctious and began pushing one another.

“I like it but in the middle it gets too crowded,” Walczak said.

“Both of them fell on the ground,” Cox added, gesturing to two friends who were caught in the crowd.

At one point, O.A.R. frontman Marc Roberge said the band would not continue performing if attendees did not stop pushing each other.

“Make some new friends,” Roberge

told concertgoers as he tried to stop the crowd from becoming physical.

Madison Police Department public information officer Joel DeSpain said the large-scale performance was the only real concern police had throughout the night. After seeing a surge of people head toward the Amp stage once the band began playing, DeSpain said police restricted access to the area to prevent overcrowding.

“We were concerned about the number of people who were at that stage, so we took some steps to sort of create a little more space for people,” DeSpain said.

Despite some bodysurfing in addition to the pushing, DeSpain said no injuries were reported near the O.A.R. stage.

Several local bands also played throughout the night on various stages. The Dollyrots, Thriving Ivory, The Hard Lessons and Donavon Frankenreiter performed on the Amp stage prior to the headlining act.

KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

O.A.R. headlined the 2008 event after the group Lifehouse headlined Freakfest 2007.

Halloween festivities started early this year for those who attended a free “Concert for Change” in support of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama featuring three members of Chicago’s Wilco at the Wisconsin Union Theater Saturday.

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, DWis., urged students to vote early and volunteer their time to the “Get out the Vote” campaign.

Feingold expressed his appreciation for Wilco’s music as he introduced Jeff Tweedy, Pat Sansone and John Stiratt of the band.

The political efforts of the performance were evident by the campaign literature and volunteers seeking support at the event. However, the political connection was overshadowed by the excitement and curiosity of the attendees to see Wilco perform with only half of its members.

Lead singer Tweedy admitted that Wilco does not “have a lot

of songs for a hope-filled auditorium,” though the band played Sky Blue Sky’s “What Light” as its opening number. Wilco then sang “Christ for President,” a song written by Woody Guthrie in 1938, or as Tweedy said, “a long time before Christian ideals appropriated rightwing politics.”

The band also played Woody Guthrie’s “California Stars” and Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released.” Tweedy sang, “Feingold, we love you baby” during Wilco’s “The Wilco Song,”

which debuted Thursday night on The Colbert Report. “It’s Wilco the Song, like Joe the Plumber,” Tweedy said jokingly.

Wilco ended its performance with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’s “I’m the Man Who Loves You,” telling fans to “keep hope alive, and we’ll see you on the other side of Tuesday.”

Following the performance U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., led attendees on a march to the City Clerk’s Office to vote early.

CHARLIE BAKER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Members of the Chicago-native band Wilco performed at a free ‘Concert for Change’ Saturday at the Wisconsin Union Theater.

University ranked first in Big Ten as best public institution UW-Madison was recently ranked No. 14 by business magazine Kiplinger’s Personal Finance in a national ranking of the best values in American public universities.

Kiplinger.com analyzed records for over 120 universities while focusing on academic quality, overall cost and financial aid availability.

The results showed UW-Madison

ranked 14th in affordability for instate students and 15th overall for non-resident students.

The magazine looked at standardized admission test scores, student-faculty ratios and graduation rates to determine the quality of the public institution. Analysts also focused on tuition, available needbased assistance and average debt

post-graduation.

University of North CarolinaChapel Hill received first place, but UW-Madison is the highestranked Big Ten campus, followed

by Michigan (26th), Ohio State (27th) and Indiana (40th). Other UW System schools also made the list including UW-La Crosse (38th) and UW-Eau Claire (65th).

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College Republicans show support for McCain in rally Local Republican figures speak to students about voting

By Erin Banco THE DAILY CARDINAL

The UW-Madison College Republicans hosted a rally at Library Mall Friday to reiterate their presence on campus and their commitment to Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Peter Theron, Republican candidate running for the 2nd Congressional District of the House of Representatives, and Brian Schimming, former political director of the Wisconsin Republican Party, both spoke at the rally.

Schimming stressed the

crime log from page 1 the log] and have some sort of sense of what kind of calls we’re dealing with,” she said.

Soley said common police calls include traffic stops, check persons and area, and request for assistance. “In terms of crime, the most common crimes are disorderly conduct, criminal damage and theft.”

In the 60 days prior to Oct. 31—the day the log was last updated—there were 76 reports

importance for McCain advocates to continue to show their presence and support on campus and throughout the Madison community.

“We can win this thing,” he said. “The major thing that is going to get us through is showing people we are still in this and we are still pushing to elect Senator McCain.”

A masked Obama supporter confronted students at the rally and denounced McCain’s values through a megaphone.

“There are a lot of students out there who are for McCain but do not want to wear pins, or show that they want him because they are scared of what people will say … I think the [campus] environment is kind of oppressive,” Schimming said.

Halfway through the rally,

the Obama supporter stood next to Schimming while he spoke about the importance of showing a united front to students on campus. Schimming attempted to de-mask the Obama supporter, which led to a dispute between the two men.

“See, this is what they have to do … act like children,” Schimming said.

Students for McCain leaders asked attendees to sign-up to help the campaign pass out flyers and work with the “Get out the Vote” initiative.

At the end of the event, Theron introduced himself and asked the approximately 25 students who attended to vote for him as opposed to his competitor U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., who has held the position since 1998.

of theft, 58 detox conveyances and more than 100 liquor law violations, which mostly occurred at campus residence halls and Camp Randall.

The University of Michigan also has a daily crime log, which has been on the Internet since the late 1990s, according to Michigan’s Department of Public Safety public information officer Diane Brown. Other Big Ten schools that offer online logs include Ohio State University and Michigan State University.

Associate Dean of Students Kevin Helmkamp said those in the dean of students’ office think the new log is a good idea.

“We’re generally supportive of finding any way that works for students to get more information about safety issues on and around campus, and certainly hopeful that students will take advantage of this additional effort,” he said.

To view UWPD’s 60-day incident log, log on to www. uwpd.wisc.edu.

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challenges from page 1 Street, declining home prices, mortgage prices, [the economy] is definitely dominating people’s worries at the moment.”

David Canon, UW-Madison political science professor, agrees the economy will be a major issue, but said how the president handles the crisis will depend largely on Tuesday’s Congressional elections.

“[The economy] is definitely dominating people’s worries at the moment.”

Barry Burden political science professor UW-Madison

Many experts predict Democrats will maintain their majorities in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Canon said if McCain is elected, he would have a hard time dealing with a Democratic Congress.

“A lot of his economic policies would be dead on arrival,” he said.

“There are some areas on economic policy where [McCain] would have to give in to the Democrats.”

Canon said if Obama wins Tuesday his legislation would have an easier path through Congress.

UW-Madison history professor Jeremi Suri said American economic problems will become foreign policy issues, and the next president should be prepared to make new diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis. Suri said McCain or Obama should “meet with the leaders of other major economic powers … [to] talk through these issues and come to some common

game plan.”

Suri echoed what British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said a few weeks ago when he suggested the next president and other world leaders create a new Bretton Woods Pact, referring to the global financial institutions created after the second World War to keep the world from experiencing another Great Depression.

“If the United States is able in the next year or so to play an active role as a leader in bringing people together around financial issues,” Suri said, “the United States can establish enormous credibility.”

He added that depending on how the new president handles the crisis internationally could affect the War on Terror.

“I think this is a classic case where crisis provides an opportunity for leadership, and with leadership, international leadership, we can get a lot of help in Afghanistan,” he said.

Burden and Canon agreed the War on Terror will be another important challenge for the next president.

Canon said, like with economic policy, McCain would have a hard time dealing with Democrats in Congress that have tried to push the issue of a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq since taking the majority in 2006.

“That would probably be the stickiest issue for Democrats in Congress and the president to deal with,” Canon said.

Americans will choose Tuesday who they want to lead the nation through these issues. Burden said these challenges will drive participation in this election.

“What is getting people to the polls this time around is there is a lot at stake.”

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McCain, Obama have different plans for fixing economic crisis

By Rebecca Autrey THE DAILY CARDINAL

Experts agree the economy will be at the forefront of voters’ minds as they head to the polls Tuesday.

Mark Copelovitch, a UWMadison political science professor who specializes in economic issues, said presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain have different opinions on the role of government in the economy and on levels of government spending.

Copelovitch said although both candidates agreed on the financial bailout bill, they might differ on the “deregulation verses re-regulation debate,” which he said is the long-term component to the bailout bill.

He said McCain has traditionally disliked regulating financial markets, while Obama is more likely to get the government involved.

“I think Obama, he’s played it a little bit close to the vest, but I think he’s more along the lines of someone

Candidate plans for the economy McCain - plans to keep taxes low for families and businesses - would veto pork-barrel spending bills and get rid of government programs that do not work to decrease spending - would make work schedules more flexible for older Americans - wants to expand domestic oil and natural gas exploration and crack down on oil speculators - plans to eliminate tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas

Obama - would provide tax cuts for small businesses and families making less than $250,000 a year - would raise taxes for families and businesses making more than $250,000 a year - would eliminate income taxes for seniors making less than $50,000 a year - wants to tax profits of oil companies in order to give American families $1,000 to pay bills - plans to cut corporate taxes to keep jobs in U.S.

who’s going to say OK, there’s going to be serious new regulation of banks and investment banks and financial institutions,” Copelovitch said.

According to UW-Madison political science professor Barry Burden, voters’ concerns about the economy in the election could end up helping Obama.

“It’s just dominating everything else; the Iraq War, other domestic issues, the background of the candidates, all of that stuff is secondary to the economic situation and it’s worked to Barack Obama’s advantage,” he said.

Burden said McCain is not as comfortable talking about economic issues. He said the current crisis has overshadowed issues like foreign policy and national security, where McCain is often at his strongest.

The fact that McCain is a Republican automatically associates him with the economic policies of the Bush administration, Burden said.

“McCain shares that brand in common with them and the brand is hurting,” he said.

According to Burden, whoever becomes the next president will have his hands tied for some time by the current economic situation, and the bailout bill specifically.

“It’s a huge sum and it’s going to leave less money for tax cuts and less money for spending on health care, education, environment, or even the Iraq War,” he said.

Feingold opposes justice dept. employees at polls

By Megan Orear THE DAILY CARDINAL

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., wrote a letter to Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen Friday expressing concern over Van Hollen’s plan to deploy assistant attorneys general and special agents to the polls Tuesday.

In the letter, Feingold asked Van Hollen to reconsider this plan.

“The announcement and execution of your plans may have the effect of discouraging legitimate voters from attempting to case their votes,” Feingold said in the letter.

If Van Hollen decides to continue with this action, Feingold requested in the letter that he provide information about where the Department of

Justice employees will be sent out, how the locations were chosen and what the employees will be doing.

Feingold also requested Van Hollen not deploy law enforcement personnel to polling places, saying they would intimidate voters.

According to a statement from elections task force coordinators Kevin Potter and Roy Korte from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Van Hollen and the DOJ have the authority to enforce Wisconsin’s election laws.

The coordinators said these DOJ employees would assist local law enforcement agencies on issues they do not have expertise in.

“The fact is that district attorneys

Judge says group must discontinue running misleading campaign ads A judge ruled Saturday that the interest group Coalition For America’s Families must stop running radio advertisements claiming state Assembly candidates support free health care for illegal immigrants.

Mark Radcliffe, a Democratic candidate for the 92nd Assembly District, requested a restraining order against CFAF, claiming the group’s radio ads were stating falsely that he supports a government-run healthcare program that would benefit illegal immigrants.

Similar ads were being run about four other Democratic candidates for the Assembly.

Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Lister ruled that Radcliffe “is entitled to relief from false representations that are attended to affect voting at an election,” and upheld that ruling Sunday after CFAF motioned to overturn it.

CFAF spokesperson R. J. Johnson said in a statement the group will immediately appeal the ruling. He said Radcliffe showed support for Healthy Wisconsin, a healthcare plan CFAF claims would benefit illegal immigrants, during a radio interview.

The judicial decision is unprecedented and based on facts and law, according to a statement from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

“The facts are that candidate Mark Radcliffe never endorsed nor claimed to support free health care for illegal aliens,” said Jim Smith, executive director of the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee.

—Megan Orear

and local law enforcement agencies do not deal with election law issues on a daily basis and do not have the same level of expertise as they do in other matters,” the statement reads.

Potter and Korte said law permits election observers, as long as they comply with rules established by the Government Accountability Board.

Alec Loftus, communications director for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, said he thinks Van Hollen is using his staff to carry out the bidding of the Republican Party.

According to Loftus, these employees at the polls would suppress voter turnout and disenfranchise voters in heavily Democratic areas.

Monday, November 3, 2008

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NEWS IN BRIEF Obama lead strong in Wisconsin, according to new UW Badger Poll Results of the UW Badger Poll released Friday show Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama with a strong lead over Republican presidential candidate John McCain in Wisconsin.

According to the poll, conducted Oct. 21-28 by the University of Wisconsin Survey Center with 538 randomly chosen individuals, 52 percent of likely Wisconsin voters favor Obama while 42 percent favor McCain.

Among all adult Wisconsin residents, the poll shows Obama leading McCain 54 to 38 percent.

Democratic vice presiden-

tial candidate Joe Biden leads Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in favorability 45 percent to 32 percent, according to the poll.

It also shows the most important issue in determining who Wisconsin residents vote for is the economy.

The poll shows Wisconsin voters believe Obama would better handle the economy, leadership, ability to deal with corruption in Washington D.C., foreign relations, the Iraq War, Afghanistan, terrorism and understanding the problems of ordinary people.

Obama outspending McCain in state 5-1, according to Wis. Ad Project The Wisconsin Advertising Project released a study Friday showing Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has outspent Republican presidential candidate John McCain 5-to-1 on television advertisements in Wisconsin.

During the week of Oct. 21-28, according to the study, Obama spent $1,084,000 compared to McCain’s $202,000 just in Wisconsin.

Ken Goldstein, UW-Madison political science professor and director of the Wisconsin Advertising Project, said Obama purchasing more airtime gives political scien-

tists the opportunity to measure the effects of advertising in elections.

“The advertising advantage held by the Obama campaign this year puts us in unchartered waters. This year the spending is hugely unequal and in some cases, the Obama campaign has massive advantages,” Goldstein said in a statement.

The study shows both presidential candidates have spent the most in red states, and spending on television advertisements by presidential candidates totaled nearly $38 million during the week of the survey—a new record.

DoIT names UW alumnus new director, to take over in January The UW-Madison Division of Information Technology announced John Krogman as its new director Friday.

Since 2002, Krogman, a UW-Madison engineering alumnus, has been associate vice chancellor of information services, chief information officer and director of the library at UW-Platteville.

“John has a stellar record as a leader of service organizations. He is eminently qualified to steer DoIT as it provides reliable, affordable services to UW-Madison schools, colleges and service units,” Ron Kraemer, UW-Madison CIO and vice provost for

information technology, said in a statement. “John has management and leadership experience … he embraces collaborative solutions to complex challenges.”

Krogman said he is “thrilled” to be chosen to lead the organization.

“I am equally excited to partner with the UW-Madison community to insure that DoIT continues to provide superior IT services,” he said in a statement.

Krogman, who plans to start working Jan. 1, 2009, will oversee 800 staff members and a budget of $70 million as director of DoIT.

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freakfest in photos 6 Monday, November 3, 2008

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COSTUMES & SIGHTS OF FREAKFEST ’08

Photos by Lorenzo Zemella and Kyle Bursaw

opinion dailycardinal.com/opinion

Editorial Cartoon

Monday, November 3, 2008

By Levi Prombaum opinion@dailycardinal.com

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

Local involvement key to combatting voter apathy

By Natalia Washington CONTEST WINNER

$1000 for 1000 Words Contest: finalist

Empower and educate voters

By Rule Johnstone CONTEST FINALIST

Many observers are calling the current election the most important that American citizens have ever voted in. Although this claim might seem melodramatic, it is true that there simply couldn’t be more at stake. Regardless of your political leanings, both parties believe that something has gone awry in Washington, and our nation’s reputation, economy and image have suffered tremendously.

For some, the seriousness of these crises is obvious, and these people will vote. However, it is unfortunate that the number of young people who vote is so much lower than other demographics.

Granted, youth voting has always trailed behind other age groups, but we are entering a new era, where our generation is the first to grow up with computers, the Internet, cell phones, etc. This means that we are the first to see the world differently in this new electronic age. Just as the baby boomers were markedly unique from previous generations due to their progressivism, our generation is set to bring monumental changes to the world. The only way we can bring our country out of the abyss we are now falling into is to exercise all the power that we have.

Voting is part of that power.

It is necessary to address the problems we currently face in getting young people to vote. First and foremost, a large number of stu-

dents simply don’t care about politics. This indifference stems from several popular notions among our generation. For one, many politicians don’t seem trustworthy. This is exacerbated by the fact that we are so used to technology to a degree no other generation is. Therefore, old, white-haired politicians can seem even more out of touch than they usually would in past eras.

In addition to our degree of technological proficiency, we are considered the most media savvy generation ever to exist on this plan-

Our generation is set to bring monumental changes to the world.

et. Websites like YouTube allow us access to video clips of politicians, which allow us to scrutinize endlessly. Every misstep or Freudian slip a politician makes will be looked at under a microscope. It is true that politicians can be sneaky, but this is not an excuse to be overly cynical and sacrifice your vote. The Internet can just as easily misinform as it can inform. There is simply so much information available that it is easy to slide into the comfort of johnstone page 8

The year 2008 is a landmark year for American politics.

An African-American man and a woman are running for the highest offices, representing a major achievement for our society as it gives voice to historically marginalized groups. It is a critical time for the future of our planet. Decisions made in the next four years may well affect our climate, many scientists believe, and determine the course of global politics as tensions rise over energy, the economy and environmental refugees.

Yet, for all that is at stake, many in our generation believe that our votes in this election will not count. Not in a statistical sense, but in the feeling that no matter who is elected to the White House, our biggest problems will not be solved. This is a key issue as we approach Nov. 4.

Our generation wants exactly what all societies want: food, water, shelter, a job and security. But short-term strategies have caught up with the world, and despite numerous warnings, all of this is threatened. Our economy has been operating under a business model of infinite growth on a planet with finite resources. Tipping points soon will be reached (if they have not been already) concerning glacial and permafrost melt, which will exponentially raise the number of environmental refugees, like the victims of Katrina. Increasing cases of childhood and geriatric illness are linked to poisoned and overused food and water systems.

Domestic security, job security and Social Security are all being thrown into doubt. Few are satisfied, from the left to the right of the political spectrum.

The need for long-term solutions should be obvious to anyone who has more than 40 years to live.

But the problems seem insurmount-

able, and the examples of our elders are inadequate at best. Changing the culture quickly from short-term to long-term thinking is a daunting task. Historically, great shifts in policies have come in reactions to crises. Consider the kinds of changes that happened after Sept.

11. An event of that magnitude has yet to be repeated. Of course, we pray one doesn’t happen.

If the laws we pass reflect what we think is right, a more passionate discourse will evolve among our generation.

So what will it take for the politicians, the leaders of our parents’ generation, to take immediate and effective actions that will not only help solve problems like the exorbitant cost of health care, but will ease the minds of young Americans who will most acutely feel the repercussions of these decisions?

Are effective and agreeable actions even available? These are the questions some in our generation ask themselves when they cynically and pessimistically decide to avoid the voting booth on Election Day. The solutions to these kinds of complex problems will not be simple, nor easily found. Education will help, and so will a more proactive attitude from our elders. What is needed most, however, amounts to something more like a change of heart. We have to be able to believe again in our own power and agency. This is why we should become more active in our communities. Begin a recycling program in your hometown. Volunteer at a community center. Join an advocacy group for an issue you’re passionate about. Participate in a fundraiser for a good cause. Get involved in local government. The possibilities are almost

endless.

From these experiences, a more positive attitude can be drawn about our future. Knowledge of our own power is key, as are examples of positive change all around us. It really is as Gandhi said when he asked us to “be the change you wish to see in the world.” Getting our generation of Americans to the polls is equivalent to getting us to believe in our ability to govern ourselves. The “us and them” paradigm separating citizens of our generation with the leaders of the American administration, a distinction classically characterized by age, can be healed if it is possible to return to “government by the people,” and if we can believe in this possibility.

The sense of disenchantment and disenfranchisement is especially seen in the case of corporate entities with political interests.

If the laws we pass reflect what we think is right as opposed to what benefits those with financial power, a more passionate discourse will evolve among our generation in the Wisconsin tradition of “sifting and winnowing.”

Is there a simple statement that can move us all together toward the polls; a piece of knowledge; a statement of logic? Maybe, but it’s improbable. The easiest thing one might do is point to what is already obvious. Two-thousand and eight is a landmark year for American politics. Now is the time to address the issues that affect us all. Now. —Natalia Washington UW-Madison sophomore philosophy major “$1000 for 1000 Words” was a contest held in October challenging UWMadison students to both discuss why the youth vote has been traditionally low and come up with unique solutions to the problem.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Make a difference locally with WISPIRG As we walk down the street in the final stretch of the election, we are bombarded with Obama posters, the occasional McCain sign and by overly enthusiastic people in yellow reminding you to vote. Everywhere we look, there is something about the election. However, as we walk all starry-eyed about the election, we fail to see the homeless man sleeping on the heat vent right next to us.

Window shopping down State Street, we walk right past the men and women who are begging for some spare change so that they can eat tonight. With the economic crisis upon us, poverty will become a much bigger issue if we do not start making changes now. When voting, consider national issues, but think about the local issues, too. When picking your candidate, consider how they plan to help those in our local community

who are in need. Although it is easy to be wrapped up in the glory of the presidential campaigns, you should also think about researching a little about the local candidates and what they plan to do for our community.

While voting for the leaders of our country and local communities is very important, there are also other ways that we personally can make a difference. Students can donate canned foods and money to the first annual Red and White Hunger Fight, which is challenging student organizations and groups all over campus to collect food and fundraiser for local families in need this Thanksgiving.

There are food collection bins in many apartment buildings and grocery stores, in addition to people collecting small donations. The money will go to making Thanksgiving baskets for those in need this holiday

season. Fundraising will go until Nov. 22. To get more information about RWHF contact Michele Dalton at mdalton@wisc.edu. You can also join the Hunger and Homeless campaign of WISPIRG at one of their meetings to get involved. The meetings are every Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. in 2241 Humanities.

The positive change that we make within our community is as powerful as the changes made by the leaders of our country. We can make small differences by serving our community.

We can make systemic change by electing leaders who will assist the marginalized populations who need it most. Get out and vote on Nov. 4, and push for issues we care about!

—Ashley Buell UW-Madison freshman, WISPIRG intern

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dailycardinal.com/opinion

Monday, November 3, 2008

johnstone from page 7 dogmatism.

In response to this problem, we must remember that politicians have never been a completely trustworthy group of people. Dating back to the Roman Empire, trust for silvertongued statesmen has always been at arm’s length. This lack of trust is fully understandable, since politicians by nature rely on rhetoric, appeasement and charm. This is simply the nature of politics, and this crafty demeanor is necessary to succeed in the highest levels of the political world. Therefore, we must take the good with the bad.

Just as no person is perfect, neither is any politician. We must choose the lesser of several evils.

Empty cynicism is not going to solve any of the problems we face today. We must have constructive cynicism. We must recognize the problems our country faces, decide for ourselves what the best solution is, and vote. Otherwise, you disenfranchise yourself and become just another voiceless face in the crowd.

There is only one way to empowerment, and that is by acquiring knowledge.

Although some students are indifferent to politics, others simply aren’t informed. According to the popular adage, ignorance is bliss.

Unfortunately, this is a luxury we currently do not have. The fate of our country hangs in the balance, and that is no dramatization.

From here, we can either go the way of the Romans, or prove that America really is a “city on a hill,” distinct and superior to any nation that preceded us. This election is a critical turning point. The direction we take will shape the U.S. and the whole world for centuries to come.

This is not a time to sit idly. It is not valid to say you won’t vote because “one vote won’t make a difference.”

If everyone in the country said that, democracy wouldn’t work. We are the offspring of the greatest generation our country has yet spawned,

the baby boomers. In many ways we are improved versions of our parents, and all of their hopes rest on us. This country needs us. They need us to inform and empower ourselves, and set our nation on a straight course again. It is pointless to feign ignorance. Most of us will be paying income taxes to the winner of this year’s election, so it is no excuse to claim that we are not affected by politics.

Getting young people to vote is not about persuasion, but rather making them understand the influence they have. The only way we are going to politically empower ourselves is by becoming informed and voting. There is only one way to empowerment, and that is by acquiring knowledge.

There are no shortcuts to becoming knowledgeable, though.

We must pick ourselves up by the bootstraps. Instead of thinking of voting as futile, and that politics is a topic to be avoided, we need to view these as means of empowerment. We must address the difficult issues in this country; hesitation will only leave us powerless and vulnerable. There are unpleasant realities in the world that are easily ignored while in college, but we can no longer afford such indifference. Our nation’s place in the world hangs in the balance; our fate is not yet decided, and it is up to our generation to steer the course.

When one asks how to get young people motivated to vote, it is a misnomer, because it is not a matter of persuading or brainwashing; the individual must ultimately decide for themselves. My message to my peers is this: Erase your doubts and cynicisms, do not think of voting as an obligation or tedious chore.

Think of it as self-empowerment.

Educate yourselves on all the issues and decide which candidate is the most qualified to serve you. Then act on it by voting. The stakes are too high for a gamble.

—Rule Johnstone UW-Madison junior history major “$1000 for 1000 Words” was a contest held in October challenging UWMadison students to both discuss why the youth vote has been traditionally low and come up with unique solutions to the problem.

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

Make voting top priority

By Amanda Munsey CONTEST FINALIST

In a society plagued by a failing economy, rising taxes, an unstable job market and an unpopular war, it is necessary to encourage voter turnout in the 2008 presidential election. In particular, Americans between the ages of 18-24 tend to have an exceptionally low voter turnout in comparison with other age groups, leaving them underrepresented in Congress. Too many young voters think that their vote will not make a difference, are too busy to go out and vote or just do not care enough to make the effort to get to the polls on Election Day. However, there are various strategies that can be applied to encourage youth voter turnout.

Before tackling the problem of getting young voters to the polls, it is necessary to analyze what encourages people to vote or not to vote. Many Americans feel that it is their civic duty to vote on Election Day, and that alone is enough to get them to vote.

However, too many Americans come up with excuses not to vote. Many popular excuses among young voters include the idea that their vote will not make a difference, they do not like either of the candidates, they do not have time to vote, they do not trust the government, or they just do not care. Young voters are sick of hearing negative ad campaigns that have little or no truth to them. People vote when they have trust in the government, an interest in politics, and a belief in the efficacy of voting. In order to get young people to vote, it is necessary to convince them that the political system works and that their participation matters—an increasingly difficult task in these turbulent times.

In a generation where computers and cell phones surpass old-fashioned methods of communication, it is imperative to integrate these technologies into new forms of voting. The use of Internet voting would greatly increase youth voter turnout as it would make voting more accessible and decrease the amount of time it takes to vote.

However, it would be necessary to come up with an online voting system that ensures a low risk of voter fraud.

If it is not possible to prevent voter fraud with a completely online system, then polling places should incorporate more advanced technology right at the polling sites. For example, they could have computer stations allowing voters to choose candidates rather than using electronic ballots that are very confusing to new voters. Getting rid of these conventional methods and introducing more modern forms of voting will increase youth voter turnout.

Young voters need to be informed on issues that directly affect them.

Make Election Day a national holiday. This year’s presidential election is undoubtedly one of the most important elections in recent history, and youth voter turnout could have a huge impact on the results of the election. If young voters did not have to worry about finishing homework for a class or were able to get a few hours off of work, they would be much more inclined to go to polling locations and vote. Too many young voters use the excuse that they are too busy to register, go to the polling location, wait in line, and then finally cast their vote. Giving voters time off from work or class would allow them to make voting a priority rather than something they only do if they have enough time.

Another huge barrier to youth voting is the sad reality that many young voters just do not care or do not think that their vote will make a difference.

Stirring up an interest in politics in young people can combat low youth voter turnout even before they are old enough to vote. Many young people care more about who will win Sunday’s

football game or who will win “Project Runway” than about who will be elected to this country’s highest office. If more high schools incorporated some form of politics into their curriculum, this could spark an interest in politics in many future voters. Young voters need to be informed on the issues that will directly affect them—tuition costs, health-care policies, and the job market, to name a few. Once young people start to show an interest in politics, politicians will start to show an interest in issues that matter to young people.

Ideally, this would send the message that politicians are interested in young people’s values and that their votes do make a difference.

Although it is difficult to predict youth voter turnout for this election, employing various strategies, including the use of Internet technology at polling sites, making Election Day a national holiday and educating young people on political issues would greatly increase the number of young voters on Election Day. New forms of voting technology make voting more accessible and appeal more to younger generations than long lines and paper ballots. Canceling classes and giving employees time off of work to vote takes away the excuse that they are too busy to vote. Most importantly, educating young people on the issues most significant to their generation and on the importance of voting will trigger an increased interest in politics among young voters. The strategies mentioned in this essay target the core reasons young people do not vote in an effort to restore faith in the electoral system and encourage young voters to hit the polls this Election Day. —Amanda Munsey UW-Madison senior biology major “$1000 for 1000 Words” was a contest held in October challenging UWMadison students to both discuss why the youth vote has been traditionally low and come up with unique solutions to the problem.

Determine presidential election through the popular vote, not electoral college RYAN DASHEK opinion columnist

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omorrow many of us will be heading out to the nearest polling station and casting votes for our preferred candidates. We’ll return home and watch, later that night, as votes are tallied, hoping that our favored candidate will prevail. In actuality, however, the real decision on who becomes next president does not take place until Dec. 15, when the Electoral College convenes and each elector casts their votes for a presidential nominee.

The 2000 election showed us (and the 2004 election almost showed us), we still have a very flawed system for presidential elections. The Electoral College, as it stands, causes presidential candidates to focus on larger swing states, discourages people who vote

in the minority of a state from actually voting and decreases the significance of any minor parties.

Instead, elections should be based on the national popular vote—not on the Electoral College.

For those of us who have lived in Wisconsin all our lives, it is hard to imagine a presidential election year go by without our televisions and radios blaring messages from candidates. However, not all states receive this much attention from nominees. In fact, many states receive very little attention at all.

According to FairVote, an organization dedicated to reforming the presidential election process, in the 2004 election, candidates spent more money advertising in Florida alone than in 45 other states combined, despite the fact that it only accounted for 6 percent of the total popular vote.

Traditionally, only swing states, such as Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin, receive the brunt of presidential candidates’ attention.

States that typically vote only for

one party are often disregarded— this includes California and Texas.

Thus, issues that are important to states that usually vote in favor of one party go unnoticed by the candidates—this discourages voters from participating in the electoral process.

However, just because a state often favors one side does not mean that the entire state agrees—there may actually be a large number of dissenters. For example, New York most often votes Democrat, but there is still a sizable Republican population. These people, ignored by the candidates, are often disillusioned by the electoral system, knowing their votes count for very little as their state sides with the Democratic nominee.

So this small population is completely disregarded and their votes usually go toward nothing. Yet, in a popular vote, their votes would be tallied with the rest of the nation’s, allowing these people to voice their actual opinions, rather than being completely ignored. Why would

they even bother voting otherwise?

A national popular voting system would actually allow their votes to count towards something more.

Minor parties, such as the Green and Libertarian Parties, are marginalized by the presidential electoral process, especially with a ‘winner-take-all’ mentality in each state. This, unfortunately, leaves us with really only two viable options in electing a candidate who has a chance to win—Democrat or Republican. However, what choice do we have with only two options?

Rather, if the election was based on the popular vote, this would open up opportunities for minor parties to come in and become more influential political entities.

Consequently, Americans would have more choices than the standard two-party system could ever provide.

Of course, there are a myriad amount of other reasons to ditch the Electoral College. Among these reasons is the fact that it favors voters in less populated states, despite

the idea that we live in a country where everyone is supposed to be equal and carry an equal weight in elections. It causes the popular vote to become inconsequential at times, which was shown to us in 2000 and almost again in the 2004 election.

Instead of continuing with this flawed system, we should look to alternatives, the most promising of which is to go simply by the popular vote. Currently, four states have enacted into law bills that cause the state’s electors to vote, when the College convenes, for the candidate who has won the national popular vote, rather than the state vote.

This system avoids the potentially complicated situation of appending the Constitution, though these bills will not take effect until at least 70 percent of the Electoral College is on board. Hopefully, this bill gains momentum in each state and is passed so that our votes actually count.

Ryan Dashek is a junior majoring in biology. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

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Monday, November 3, 2008

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Legend hits soulful stride

By Kaitlyn Schnell THE DAILY CARDINAL

PHOTO COURTESY THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks headline the stellar cast of “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” giving Kevin Smith all the talent he needs to create another classic comedy that only falls short of his previous films because of its lack of completely absurd, hilarious dialogue.

‘Zack and Miri’ trims the fat

By Mark Riechers THE DAILY CARDINAL

At last heeding the demands of impassioned fanboys, Seth Rogen and Kevin Smith made a movie together. And though it could never have lived up to the expectations of diehard Kevin Smith fans, audiences will still laugh their asses off, and possibly hurl when they see how constipation can impact anal sex scenes.

The story is all in the title— two platonic friends, Zack (Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) are broke and resolve to make a porn flick to pay the bills.

If you’ve never seen “Clerks.,” “Mallrats” or anything from the Kevin Smith canon, consider “Zack and Miri” to be your gateway drug. Audiences get a taste of the Jersey Trilogy staples, but the movie remains accessible for moviegoers who don’t know what “snoogans” means.

Smith’s raunchy dialogue col-

ors every scene with a brown coat of filth and F-bombs. Plus the man’s encyclopedic knowledge of sex acts adds legitimacy to a movie about filming them.

If you’ve never seen anything from the Kevin Smith canon before, consider “Zack and Miri” to be your gateway drug.

Unfortunately, Rogen doesn’t get a chance to debate the semantics of “Star Wars” or comic book sex with a hetero lifemate. In fact, there are few inane conversations, which drove previous Smith films “Clerks.” and “Mallrats” along in lieu of a plot. “Zack and Miri” spends little time on off-topic rants, something that Smith fans will sorely miss. Trimming the fat

keeps the story moving, though, which means we get to see more porno action.

Smith still pours himself into the script, with evident dashes of personal history. For example, after losing their first batch of sets, Zack decides to shoot the movie in the coffee shop at night. “Clerks.” was filmed late at night inside the convenience store that Smith worked at by day, and Zack and Miri’s first foray into porn seems to borrow heavily from Smith’s first foray into filmmaking. It makes you wonder how close “Clerks.” was to being a porno set in a convenience store.

Since at this point we realize that Zack is an alternate universe version of Smith, we can guess how it ends. Smith has said that when he has sex with someone, he wants to marry them.

Zack and Miri’s scene together is passionate, adorable and awkward—an awkwardness that per-

vades the last half of the film.

The chemistry in their complicated friendship is a testament to the acting chops of Banks and Rogen, solid even in the most absurd comedies.

The supporting cast is stellar but doesn’t get nearly enough screen time. Jason Mewes is a horny, naked Jason Mewes, but not much else. Traci Lords barely gets enough on-screen time for us to recognize her as the celebrated porn star, while Jeff Anderson, the beloved Randal of “Clerks.,” only gets a cameo. Craig Robinson steals every scene he’s in, but that’s not nearly enough. At least he gets to be Oprah-rich.

The end result is a film that will leave you wanting more of everything: more of these characters, more raunchy dialogue and more graphic sex. It might end a bit prematurely, but what we get is still heaven.

Grade: AB

Dennen expands on folk roots for third release

By Jacqueline O’Reilly

But once the second track, “Make You Crazy,” starts to Hope for the Hopeless opens play, it takes the listener in with a modern folk-rock melo- a completely different direcdy infused with the notes and tion. There’s an unexpected rhythms of classic blues. It’s the hint of reggae music that lends sound Brett Dennen introduced itself to the musical stylings of to his listeners on his previ- Femi Kuti, a famous Nigerian ous albums, So Much More and Afrobeat musician. The song features Kuti’s voice, his self-titled CD REVIEW along with unique debut record, musical instrubut now, with ments, including a more developed, prachand drums and ticed approach chimes, creating a for his latest musical jubilation release, he sets with cultural flair. out to masThis foray into Hope for the ter this rockuncharted terriHopeless tory for Dennen blues hybrid.

Brett Dennen makes it hard to On his latest release, Brett Dennen makes determine which direction he his music sound easier than will take the album next. it’s ever sounded before. It is As it turns out, the remainder as if he just plopped down in is classic Brett Dennen: soulful, the recording studio one day folksy and rich with sentiment. and this was what came out of As a whole, the record is cohesive, him—a rhythmic confession of with each song possessing traits of emotion about leaving a lover the others, but not so much that and heading to San Francisco. they all sound the same.

THE DAILY CARDINAL

The record, however, is a little redundant, having many overlaps both in emotion and sound between songs, but it doesn’t serve as a severe detriment to the record’s quality. It’s an easy album to follow, and each song plays a key role in its makeup.

On his latest release, Brett Dennen makes his music sound easier than it’s ever sounded before.

The constant that keeps the album’s quality so high is its powerful lyrics and Dennen’s distinctive voice. Although the lyrics might be melodramatic at times, their meaning is honestly expressed and lend the album significant emotional depth.

Some songs talk of feeling empty after losing love, while others sing of refusing to let a

lover go.

Others discuss general life lessons and the injustices that naturally arise in life. In Dennen’s emotion-packed “Heaven,” he sings, “Castles and cathedrals crumble / Pyramids and pipelines tumble / The failure keeps you humble / Leads us closer to peace / Heaven, heaven / What the hell is Heaven? / Is there a home for the homeless? / Is there hope for the hopeless?”

These types of lyrics get the listener invested and emotionally connected to the music, making for an enjoyable album.

In total, Hope for the Hopeless is phenomenal. Although it trips over the bumps of repeated melodies and the occasional exaggerated lyric, the record still holds its own. It has sonic characteristics similar to John Mayer, Jack Johnson and Dave Matthews Band, and if Dennen continues to make such high quality music, he might just be able to establish himself prominently among those artists.

With the reputation to uphold of a serenading king, multiplatinum, Grammy Award-winning recording artist John Legend fully satisfies his fans on his third studio album Evolver.

Legend’s album epitomizes what a groovy R&B album should entail.

From blues, to jazz, to gospel, every aspect of emotion is captured. Similar to his debut studio album, Get Lifted, the singer-songwriter/pianist collaborates with many guest artists, including Kanye West, Brandy, Estelle and Andre 3000.

In contrast to most other R&B productions, Legend is endearingly passionate as he conveys a polite lover.

Even in the album’s first single, “Green Light,” when singing, “Dying to meet you / So let’s mess around / I’ve got an obsession / Of us getting down,” his delivery is that of a gentleman.

The album starts with a tranquil introduction, but Legend wastes no time jumping into a couple of playful dance numbers. “Green Light” and “It’s Over” are both top picks that let listeners get their groove on. Andre 3000 adds a splash of fun in the former, and Kanye West brings a sense of self-confidence to the funky latter.

Asking his lover to take him back is a theme for a couple of the songs on Evolver, as “Everybody Knows” and “This Time”—the album’s main ballad—both tug at those sensitive heart strings of pleading men.

In addition to the new material adequately displaying Legend’s sultry vocals, a variety of instruments add color throughout. Whether it’s solely piano melodies, tambourine breakdowns, violin orchestras, soft electric guitar riffs or trumpet blasts, Evolver covers a plethora of unique sounds.

CD REVIEW

Evolver John Legend As is expected from such a rhythmand-blues inspired musician, Legend leaves no shortage of sexual interpretations. Songs such as “Quickly,” “Cross The Line” and “Satisfaction” erupt with passionate ideas about escaping into ecstasy, hooking up with a best friend and yearning for fulfillment from a partner. The melodies paint a sense of urgency, while at the same time soothing and relaxing listeners with their hip-swaying tempo.

Legend also throws a few wildcards into the mix. “No Other Love” has a reggae, island backbeat. And “If You’re Out There,” a gospel tune about inspiring a generation and encouraging change, sounds strangely like a tribal song out of “The Lion King.”

“I Love, You Love,” an emotional, longing lullaby that mimics some of Aaron Neville’s greater works, is an excellent contender for one of the strongest songs on the album.

Other sensual tracks, such as “Take Me Away” and “Good Morning,” feel like a hot air balloon ride on a sunny summer day; they’re that blissful.

In a nutshell, John Legend nailed his third studio album. In fact, Evolver’s listeners are changing their alarm clocks to wake up to “Good Morning” at this very moment.

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Reaganopoly.

Reagan leads election history with the highest possible vote with 54,455,075 in 1984. dailycardinal.com/comics

Monday, November 3, 2008

Honey Crisp apples

Today’s Sudoku

Anthro-Apology

By Eric Wigdahl wigdahl@wisc.edu

© Puzzles by Pappocom

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.

Potatoes O’brien

The Daily Code a b c d e f g h i

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Iextlx whg’m fnkwxk fx.”

Sid and Phil

By Alex Lewein lewein@wisc.edu

The Graph Giraffe

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

Grateful Dead lyrics Weekend 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 Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com

YOUTHFUL FUN ACROSS

1 Parts of box-ing gloves 6 Musicians’ org.

11 Crack pilot 14 Project, as charm 15 March master 16 Hydroelectric power site 17 Introduction to the public 18 First romance, often 20 Tackle box gizmo 22 More dry and withered 23 Rate of speed 25 Ancient Cuzco residents 28 Fly in the ointment 29 Busy activity 30 Old Spanish coins 32 Canonized femme, briefly 33 Conservationist’s advice 35 City destroyed in Genesis 37 Typed in 40 Story with a moral 44 Beach spread 46 Lined up perfectly 47 Formerly named 50 Arch enemy 53 Back-seat 54 “No ifs, ___ or buts!”

56 57 58 60 62 65 68 69 70 71 72 73

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 19 21

Cordage material Shakespeare’s wife Got too personal Sensual Noted Wild West scout “Drying out” program Bar need William and Harry’s mum American chameleon Land to which Cain fled Bottomless depth Common bedroom furniture material

DOWN

Was presidential Firefighter’s tool Certain kid on a camping trip Bring forth ___ place for Poplars with fluttering leaves Newshound’s need Drinking vessel Egyptian snake Settles a debt Garnisheswarning Come into view Brown with a Band of Renown Depart from the truth

23 Prepare apples for applesauce 24 Chief port of Yemen 26 At the apex of 27 Emmy-winning Thompson 30 One-time Argentine leader 31 Places in order 34 Part of a musical gig 36 Make imperfect 38 Lambs’ dams 39 She played “Ghost” 41 Popular line dance of the 1950s 42 Beef buyer’s specification 43 Nose (out) 45 Units of instruction 47 Part of a table setting 48 Tenor Caruso 49 Readied for the printer 51 Finnish baths 52 Under the weather 55 Wine adjective 57 Basketball game site 59 Anti-tradition art movement 61 Mine wagon 63 Poke fun at 64 Influence 66 Maximum effort 67 Anther visitor

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

sports

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Monday, November 3, 2008

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Wisconsin men’s basketball triumphs over Augustana

By Crystal Crowns THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team cruised past Augustana College Saturday night 81-57 after taking the lead within the first four minutes of play and building on it.

This exhibition contest at the Kohl Center marked the first meeting between the two teams and gave the Badgers their 32nd consecutive exhibition victory.

Augustana—a Division II team from Sioux Falls, S.D.—had a slightly higher shooting percentage than Wisconsin, finishing just under 50 percent on the game. “[Augustana] can shoot it,” Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said.

“Division II, Division III teams, you don’t play ‘horse’ with them.”

Although the Vikings were able to connect on almost half of their shots, their defense struggled from early on as the team collected five fouls in the first minute and four seconds of the game. Additionally, Augustana gave Wisconsin 19 second chances by not pulling in the defensive boards and allowed the Badgers 30 points from the paint.

“I think we embarrassed ourselves,” Augustana head coach Tom Billeter said. “I look at the stats and we shot about 50 percent. They killed us on the boards and we foul

too much, but we did some things.

We worked hard. And size difference was huge.”

Wisconsin senior forward Marcus Landry set the pace for the Badgers early, racking up 11 points by halftime, at which UW led 39-24. Landry demonstrated a broad shooting range, threatening the Vikings from the paint and beyond the arc. He finished with a game-high three 3-pointers and 21 total points.

Also entering double-digit scoring were Wisconsin junior guard Jason Bohannon—the 2008 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year—and sophomore forward Jon Leuer, registering 12 and 15 points, respectively.

Wisconsin’s defensive intensity also did not go unnoticed. The Badgers forced the Vikings into 10 turnovers before the half, scoring 20 points off those mistakes.

Wisconsin senior guard/forward Joe Krabbenhoft—last season’s Big Ten All-Defensive Team honoree— demonstrated defensive hustle by jumping over the score table and into the first few rows of fans at mid-court with 7:06 left in the first half. He was attempting to keep the ball in play after he deflected it away from the Augustana offense.

“That’s Joe,” Ryan said of Krabbenhoft’s hustle. “He sets a great tone that way. Now we just got to

make sure we always turn that hustle into positive things. That’s what Joe works on every day.”

Wisconsin’s second-half defense remained solid and forced Augustana to commit another six turnovers.

Redshirt freshman Nathan Truex led the Vikings with 15 points and senior guard Marques

LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Wisconsin freshman guard Jordan Taylor scored five points and registered a team-high five assists in his first college-level contest Saturday night.

UW wins shootout with Minnesota-Duluth

By Brandon Storlie THE DAILY CARDINAL

In a series that saw a pair of successful comebacks and the ejection of its captain, the Wisconsin women’s hockey team avenged a loss in last year’s national championship game, taking four points from MinnesotaDuluth this weekend.

After a 2-1 come-from-behind win Friday, the Badgers (6-0-2 WCHA, 10-0-2 overall) fought back to a 2-2 tie Saturday, despite the ejection of senior captain Erika Lawler.

The Bulldogs (2-4-2, 4-4-2) broke a scoreless tie 24 seconds into Friday’s second period. Minnesota-Duluth junior forward Saara Tuominen took a centering pass from junior forward Sara O’Toole and crashed the Wisconsin net, tipping the puck over the shoulder of UW senior goaltender Jessie Vetter.

The Badgers fired back a few minutes later. After shots from senior forward Angie Keseley and sophomore forward Hilary Knight, a rebound

came out to the left of UMD junior goaltender Kim Martin and Lawler buried it in the open net.

“It was kind of a scramble, and I was just in the right place at the right time,” Lawler said. “I was just hoping I wasn’t going to hit any feet in front of the net before it went in.”

Four minutes later, Wisconsin converted on the power play for the only other goal it would need.

UW freshman forward Brooke Ammerman attempted a pass to sophomore forward Mallory Deluce, then skated into the slot. Falling to her knees, Ammerman backhanded the puck over Martin’s shoulder, securing the 2-1 win for the Badgers.

“It was awesome after we got that first goal, and we just kept it coming,” Ammerman said. “That second one put them really back on their heels. We just took it to them from there.”

Saturday’s first period proved nearly disastrous for Wisconsin. With Minnesota-Duluth already up 1-0,

ANNA STONEHOUSE/THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW freshman forward Brooke Ammerman scored two goals this weekend.

bielema from page 12 The head coach is supposed to lead by example, and Bielema is setting a horrible precedent for his team.

Wisconsin racked up 12 penalties total for 121 yards, and was constantly giving Michigan State free yards.

When asked whether his team was

undisciplined, Bielema answered with a resounding, “absolutely not.”

The Badgers haven’t been able to close out most of their games this season, and the team’s 4-5 record is a result of that. But with the team’s head coach losing his composure, it isn’t a shock that the team does as well.

Poor coaching strategies and a

Blank finished with 13 points.

Ryan said even though his team performed well Saturday night, they need to make corrections on transition defense and other small details before the season starts.

“Things that we have been pretty strong at over the years, those kinds of things don’t happen by accident, they

Lawler was ejected for a slew-footing call against Martin. As Martin moved to her left to steer the puck wide of the crease, the players’ skates converged, sending Martin crashing to the ice. Lawler was assessed a fiveminute major for the contact and a game misconduct.

Trailing 2-0 with less than seven minutes to go in the second period, the Badgers finally found the net. On a five-on-three advantage, senior defender Alycia Matthews fired a shot from the left point. The rebound found the stick of Angie Keseley, and Keseley found the net, cutting the deficit to 2-1 at the end of two.

Ammerman tied things up five minutes into the third period with a shot that rang off the near post. The game remained physical and fast-paced throughout the rest of regulation and the overtime period, but neither team was able to pull ahead. “[Ammerman] adjusted nicely and had an impact on this weekend,” head coach Mark Johnson said. “That tells me that she’s bringing her game up to where it needs to be.”

With the game recorded as a 2-2 tie, the Badgers and Bulldogs headed to a shootout. Sophomore forward Kelly Nash was up first for Wisconsin, and she scored the only goal the Badgers would need, sneaking a shot five-hole past Martin. The shootout win gives Wisconsin an extra point in the WCHA standings.

“I did that exact same thing on Vetter this week [in practice],” Nash said. “She [said] she hates it when I do that, so I just figured I’d do it again.”

The Badgers are off next weekend but return to action Nov. 15 and 16 at North Dakota. lack of leadership are the main shortcomings of the Wisconsin football team, and there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel, as these flaws have been highlighted and exacerbated all season long.

E-mail Nate at ncarey@wisc. edu with any comments regarding his thoughts about Bielema and UW’s lack of leadership.

have to be taught,” Ryan said. “You have to start playing in college as if there is nothing else around and stay focused all the time. The younger guys tend to drift a little bit.”

While Ryan is aware that playing Division I college basketball may work up the nerves of his rookies, freshman guard Jordan Taylor came off the bench strong for the Badgers as he finished with five points and a team-high five assists. “[Taylor] is a good player and that is why he is here. He’s doing some nice things; he really has done a good job of taking care of the ball,” Ryan said. “Once he got into the flow of things, he was pretty solid.”

Landry and Krabbenhoft both agreed that this exhibition game gave the younger players like Taylor a chance to get out on the floor and gain some confidence.

“I think [this game] was very beneficial,” Krabbenhoft said. “To see all of the guys get a chance to get in and to show what they learned, what they’ve gotten better at in the summer and what the freshmen can bring to this team. I’m glad everybody got a chance to get in there and contribute to the win.”

The Badgers will welcome UWWhitewater Nov. 11 for their final exhibition game before heading into regular season play.

UW men’s hockey picks up first win of the season at North Dakota Saturday

By Brandon Storlie THE DAILY CARDINAL

The eighth time was the charm for the Wisconsin men’s hockey team this weekend.

In what looked to be another heartbreaking weekend after a 3-2 loss to North Dakota Friday, the Badgers rallied from a late two-goal deficit to down the Fighting Sioux 5-2 in their first win of the season Saturday night in Grand Forks.

Down 2-0 heading into the third period, Wisconsin (1-4-1 WCHA, 1-6-1 overall) scored three goals in 1:21, took the lead and never looked back. Junior forward Blake Geoffrion and senior forward Tom Gorowsky led the way for the Badgers with two goals each.

Wisconsin had multiple chances to get its first win on Friday night, but relinquished multiple leads to the Sioux (22-0, 2-4-0).

Freshman forward Derek Stepan’s first goal as a Badger put UW in front early in the second period.

Sophomore forward Patrick Johnson forced a turnover behind the North Dakota GEOFFRION net and sent a pass to a wideopen Stepan in slot, who put it home, giving Wisconsin a 1-0 lead.

The Sioux tied things up midway through the second as North Dakota senior forward Brad Miller fired a wrist shot over the shoulder of senior goaltender Shane Connelly.

The game remained knotted at 1-1 through the second intermission.

Sophomore defenseman Brendan Smith recorded his third goal of the year on a power play to put the Badgers ahead two minutes into the third, but the Sioux answered less than two minutes later with a goal

from senior forward Andrew Kozek.

The two teams traded power plays for the rest of the game, and North Dakota eventually capitalized with a game-winning goal from freshman forward Jason Gregoire with just over five minutes left in the game.

Saturday night looked like more of the same for Wisconsin as the Badgers trailed by two going into the third period after goals from Gregoire and senior forward Ryan Duncan, a former Hobey Baker Award winner.

A power play effort from GOROWSKY Stepan got UW on the board 56 seconds into the final stanza, and Geoffrion tied the game with a power play goal of his own less than a minute later.

Gorowsky finished off the early-period triple threat with a goal on a give-and-go from junior defenseman Jamie McBain.

Sophomore forward Sean Dolan was credited with the secondary assist on the play.

Gorowsky added an unassisted insurance goal on a backhanded breakaway to put Wisconsin ahead 4-2 with 6:18 left in the game.

North Dakota attempted to mount a comeback late in the game, pulling freshman goaltender Brad Eidsness on a power play with less than four minutes to go, but it was not to be. Geoffrion found the empty net for his third goal of the season, propelling the Badgers to a 5-2 win.

After earning the much-needed split in Grand Forks, the Badgers return home next weekend to face the Michigan Tech Huskies.

Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Kohl Center.

—uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.

sports Badgers give up late lead to the Spartans 12

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Monday, November 3, 2008

GAME COLUMN

NATE CAREY sports magnate

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DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW junior running back P.J. Hill finished with 106 rushing yards and a touchdown Saturday against MSU.

RECAP

By Ben Breiner THE DAILY CARDINAL

EAST LANSING, Mich.— Another trip to the state of Michigan, another double-digit lead in the fourth quarter and, finally, another mistakefilled road defeat for the Wisconsin football team.

The Badgers lost for the fifth time in six games Saturday when Michigan State junior kicker Brett Swenson drove a 44-yard field goal through the uprights to give his team a 25-24 lead with seven seconds remaining.

The Badgers fell despite out-gaining the Spartans by large margins in both rushing and total yards.

“It’s hard to swallow,” Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema said. “If you are able to run the football effectively, which we were able to do, and stay penalty free, you should be able to get the win. And obviously we weren’t able to do that.”

A 32-yard UW touchdown by freshman running back John Clay gave the Badgers a 24-13 lead with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, and then the slide began.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Badgers were assessed 20 yards in penalties before the defense even stepped on the field.

First came a delay of game penalty on sophomore safety Jay Valai for bumping into a referee on his way

onto the field. That was followed by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Bielema for the way he responded to the call. The Badgers took 121 yards in penalties.

Moments later, Spartan quarterback Brian Hoyer erased a 3rdand-17 with a 38-yard completion, and after a pass interference penalty on Wisconsin, senior running back Javon Ringer ran in for the score.

The Badgers went three-and-out on their next possession and MSU tacked on a field goal to cut its deficit to 24-22.

Wisconsin responded with an eight-play drive and appeared to have the game in hand when Clay ran for a first down deep in Spartan territory. The play, however, was called back on a holding penalty and the Badgers were forced to punt four plays and two penalties later.

From there, Hoyer and the MSU offense covered 52 yards on two completions to junior wide receiver Blair White. That helped set up Swenson’s game winner.

“Throughout the whole game I felt that we had pretty much control of it,” UW sophomore wide receiver David Gilreath said. “[Early in the third quarter] momentum turned a little bit and then I felt the we got it back and then really thought that we had the thing sealed with John Clay running it down there. The

holding call obviously hurt too …

Everything is just kind of in disarray right now.”

Wisconsin accomplished what it wanted to do on the ground, accumulating nearly 300 rushing yards and limiting Ringer, the Big Ten’s top rusher, to 54 yards and 2.6 yards per carry. Clay and junior running back P.J. Hill each ran for over 100 yards and a touchdown on the day. It was the first time since 2005 that two Badgers ran for more than 100 yards in the same game.

“The offensive line did an excellent job,” Clay said. “They stepped up big time, opened up the holes and all they did was their job. That’s why I got my yards.”

The Wisconsin pass defense, however, was far more suspect. Hoyer threw for 258 yards on the day without accounting for at least three pass interference penalties Wisconsin committed.

The Badgers are now 1-5 in the Big Ten and alone in 11th place in the conference standings. Saturday marked the third time this season that Wisconsin lost after leading in the fourth quarter.

“I can’t say it was a pretty game, but we just kept hanging around,” Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio said. “[Wisconsin] ran the ball, well, effectively, but it shows you that you just need to keep playing.”

eadership on any sports team ultimately comes from the top, and if the Wisconsin football team’s 25-24 loss Saturday to Michigan State proved anything, it’s that the Badgers are definitely lacking in that department.

Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema made two costly errors in the game, one of which was a coaching error, and the other of which was a due to a character flaw, both of which proved crucial to the Badgers’ loss.

Late in the second quarter, with under a minute left in the half, the Badgers were marching down the field.

Junior quarterback Dustin Sherer hit freshman wide receiver Nick Toon for a gain of 26 yards, getting the Badger offense down to the 14-yard line of Michigan State. The offense quickly ran to the line of scrimmage and spiked the ball with 21 seconds left, all while having two timeouts left.

The head coach is supposed to lead by example, and Bielema is setting a horrible precedent for his team.

Why Bielema didn’t use one of his timeouts is unclear. The Badgers could have ran a play on first down, instead of wasting it on stopping the clock.

Being at the 14-yard line, Wisconsin could have gotten a first down—which would have stopped the clock—without scoring a touchdown.

“We knew we had two timeouts,” Bielema said. “For second and third down we wanted to have the option to run the football and be able to call a timeout. So we worked it out and got our points.”

Bielema’s reasoning doesn’t hold much weight. Wisconsin passed on

second and third down, incompletions to junior tight end Garrett Graham and Toon, and was never in a conventional running formation.

Considering the final score, one more play could have made all the difference. The Badgers could have run the ball on the first down knowing they had one more timeout and a first down to stop the clock. But by spiking the ball on first down, UW was forced to throw the ball, something Wisconsin was going to do anyway.

“We’re obviously happy that we are kicking field goals and scoring points, but we want those things to turn into touchdowns,” Bielema said.

Being so concerned about scoring touchdowns as opposed to field goals, why wouldn’t Bielema use a timeout to give his offense another play to do just that? Bielema’s rationale doesn’t make much sense, and neither does taking two timeouts into halftime.

However, Bielema’s first-half blunder pales in comparison to the unsportsmanlike penalty he received late in the fourth quarter. With Wisconsin leading 24-13 and the Badgers kicking off after a 32-yard touchdown by freshman running back John Clay, the Wisconsin sideline was flagged for a delay of game penalty.

The five-yard penalty was nothing special. But the 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty that Bielema provided the Spartans because of his comments to an official not only gave MSU great field position at the Wisconsin 44-yard line, but also the momentum for the Spartans to continue their comeback.

“When I came down and asked the official what was the call for the foul, he said that he was being interfered with doing his job,” Bielema said. “I told him that in my opinion he wasn’t really doing a good job and that’s what drew the 15-yard penalty.”

Although what Bielema supposedly said to the referee is fairly uncontroversial, the fact remains that Bielema and the Badgers cannot afford such penalties. Michigan State moved down the field easily and scored a touchdown to cut Wisconsin’s lead to five. Had Bielema not lost his composure, perhaps the Badgers’ defense would have been able to stop the Spartans. bielema page 11

Men’s cross country wins Big Ten(th) title, women finish second

By Scott Allen THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin men’s cross country team has officially dominated the Big Ten for a decade.

The No. 6 Badgers edged out No. 9 Michigan by 17 points on the Wolverines’ home course in Ann Arbor for their 10th straight Big Ten title Sunday. Michigan scored 57 points while Wisconsin put up 40 points with three runners in the top 10. First-year head coach Mick Byrne showed he can continue UW’s elite distance-running tradition after succeeding Jerry Schumacher, whose teams won the Big Ten title every year except his first season in 1998.

Sophomore Landon Peacock was the Big Ten runner-up, finishing nine seconds behind Minnesota sophomore Hassan Mead, who won the individual crown. Peacock, who took ninth last year, finished the hilly 8,000-meter course in 24 minutes, 35 seconds, averaging 4:57 per mile.

“Peacock really helped with breaking the race open” head coach Mick Byrne said. “We gave Landon

the green light to break it open at the end of the race. It was remarkable to see him take the bull by the horns and step up in such an important race.”

Byrne touted the return of seniors Stu Eagon and Matt Withrow at a press conference last Monday, but the duo of former NCAA All-Americans underperformed. Withrow and Eagon made their season debuts after struggling with injuries early on in the season. Eagon, who earned fifth place last year, took 13th in 25:00. Withrow, last year’s Big Ten individual champion, ran 25:10 to finish as UW’s seventh man in 23rd place.

“Eagon was hesitant in his running style, but it was still good to see him battle hard,” Byrne said.

“Hopefully [Eagon and Withrow] burnt off the rust so that they can be a threat in the next few weeks.”

In 24:46, senior Christian Wagner took fourth overall behind Minnesota senior Chris Rombough.

Sophomore Jack Bolas also broke into the top 10, running 24:50 for

a seventh place finish.

Right behind Eagon was junior Craig Miller, UW’s fifth man who covered the course in 25:01. Junior Ryan Gasper ran 25:06 for 19th place.

Women The Wisconsin women’s cross country team upset three of the NCAA’s top 10 squads to finish second behind Minnesota.

The Badgers were ranked No. 16 in the nation going into Sunday’s race, but defeated No. 8 Michigan, No. 9 Michigan State and No. 10 Illinois. Wisconsin was just four points shy of winning the Big Ten title with 67 points to Minnesota’s 63, but head coach Jim Stintzi had the best performance of his five years coaching at UW. “When the scores were announced we were a little down but we were still proud of the fact that we raced well,” Stintzi said. “Because there are so many top-ranked teams in our field, it was really an exciting and electrifying race that was a tight battle the whole way.”

After emerging as Wisconsin’s top

runner with a seventh-pace finish at the elite Pre-Nationals meet, senior Gwen Jorgensen was the Big Ten runner-up in just her second season running cross country. Jorgensen completed the 6,000-meter course in 20 minutes, 27 seconds, averaging 5:29 a mile and finishing a good distance behind Michigan State senior Nicole Bush, the individual champion who ran 20:15.

Junior Hanna Grinaker, UW’s former top runner who finished fifth overall last year, was the second Badger finisher in 21:14, which was good for 11th place.

Two freshmen scored for Wisconsin Sunday. Caitlin Comfort was right behind Grinaker in 12th place, running 21:18, while Ashley Beutler crossed the line in 21:24 for 15th place.

Sophomore Leah Coyle was UW’s final scorer, running 21:42 for 27th place. Senior Sarah Hurley took 52nd in 22:21 and sophomore Alexa Renstrom was UW’s seventh finisher, placing 54th in 22:30.

“The girls ran smart races from top to bottom,” Stintzi said. “They

PHOTO COURTESY UWBADGERS.COM

Wisconsin sophomore Landon Peacock had a second-place finish to lead the Badgers in the Big Ten Championships Sunday. knew where they had to be and they competed really well.”

—uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.