Tuesday, December 9, 2008 - The Daily Cardinal

WE’RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD...

New ‘Oz’ adaptation hits Overture Center this weekend ARTS

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Fresh off a win over Utah, Idaho State visits Kohl Center tonight

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Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Two arrested for weekend attack

By Abby Sears THE DAILY CARDINAL

KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

DAs propose increase in alcohol tax

By Megan Orear THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin District Attorney Association released a resolution Monday proposing a raise in the state’s alcohol tax to fund more public prosecutors.

The WDAA hopes the state Legislature will consider the tax increase to resolve the shortage of prosecutors in the state, many of whom have quit because of low pay, heavy caseloads and understaffing.

According to WDAA President Ralph Uttke, the Legislative Audit Bureau did a study in 2007 that found the state is in need of 121 more prosecutors, a shortage Uttke said is “critical.”

Uttke said he is not sure what the exact amount of the tax increase would be but does not think it would be significant enough to greatly reduce con-

sumer demand for alcohol.

“It would be such a minimal tax, the likelihood is on a six pack of beer it would be less than two cents, so I don’t see that it would decrease the amount of alcohol consumed dramatically,” he said.

Wisconsin has the third lowest beer tax in the country, according to the proposal, at 6.5 cents per gallon.

John Murray, spokesperson for state Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said a bill proposing the tax increase will very likely get introduced in the Legislature in the next session, but similar bills have faced opposition from both Republicans and Democrats in the past.

State Sen. Fred Risser, DMadison, authored a bill proposing an increased beer tax two years ago. He said the bill was

“very unsuccessful” and was not even given a hearing.

Risser did not say how successful he thought the WDAA proposal could be in the Legislature, but said it may depend on how high the increase would be.

“I think that increasing the tax on alcohol is a legitimate source of raising revenue,” Risser said.

Although he would have no problem with the tax increase, Risser said a very strong lobby group, the Tavern League of Wisconsin, would be opposed to the measure.

According to Murray, district attorneys can be influential in regard to legislation, but he does not believe more taxes are the answer.

“The problem isn’t that we tax too little but that we spend too much,” Murray said.

UW German Club students survive crash on trip to Chicago, driver of colliding car killed

By Erin Banco THE DAILY CARDINAL

Seventeen members of the UW-Madison German Club survived a crash on Interstate 90 near Arlington Heights, Ill., in which a car lost control and collided with their school bus Saturday.

The organization was making its annual trip to Christkindlmarket in Chicago.

According to German Club President Jesse Allhands, the crash was caused by a car that sped off a ramp as it entered the freeway.

“The car lost control and skidded all the way from the right

hand lane to the left hand lane where our bus was,” Allhands said. “There was nothing the bus driver could have done.”

In a statement on the club’s website, Allhands said none of the members of the club were seriously injured but a few needed to get neck and back X-rays. According to Allhands, the driver of the school bus was not injured, but the driver of the car died on the scene. The Wisconsin State Journal identified the driver as Hai Qui, 38, of Rolling Meadows, Ill. The club did not make it to Christkindlmarket and arrived back in Madison at the same

time they would have if they had gone to the event.

Allhands said he was impressed with how the bus company handled the situation.

First Student, the Ohio-based bus company that supplied the bus to the students, waived all of the trip costs and representatives met with club members directly after the incident.

On the club’s site, Allhands said any students involved in the crash needing counseling can visit University Health Services and the Offices of the Dean of Students.

There have been no parent complaints to German Club directors since the incident.

Madison Police arrested two suspects in connection with a beating outside a downtown bar early Sunday that left a 27-year-old man with a life-threatening head injury.

Roynell Fuller, 19, and Ross Spang, 22, both of Madison, were arrested on tentative charges of substantial battery after a bar fight at the Crave Restaurant and Lounge, 201 W. Gorham St., ended with the victim being knocked unconscious on a nearby street.

A local paper from the victim’s hometown identified him as Eduardo Cademartori, a wellknown race-car mechanic from Florida. According to the DeLandDeltona Beacon, Cademartori had been in Madison for a week to train with his teammates.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said Cademartori sustained serious head injuries in the attack and remains in critical condition at a local hospital.

“By a miracle, the victim is hanging on by a thread,” Verveer said, noting Cademartori’s prog-

nosis as “bleak” and that the suspects could face more serious charges if Cademartori dies from his injuries.

Madison Police Department public information officer Joel DeSpain said Spang is an employee at the Crave, where the fight initially broke out before moving outside to the intersection of Johnson and State Street.

“There was some type of dispute between the victim and the Crave employee and then the Crave employee follows the victim up the street and brings with him two other people,” DeSpain said, adding that police are still searching for the third suspect.

As police continue their investigation, Verveer said city officials are seeking to review operations at the Crave the night of the beating. According to Verveer, Sunday’s attack was not the first time police have been called to the establishment. He said officials will now examine if there was adequate staffing at the Crave “to ensure that management did everything they could have” to prevent violence.

Remembering genocide

KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Ishmael Beah, a prominent human rights activist, spoke to UW-Madison students and faculty about his experience as a former child soldier.

Peterson pleads guilty in Marino homicide

By Rebecca Holland THE DAILY CARDINAL

Former UW-Madison student Adam Peterson pleaded guilty to the charge of first-degree intentional homicide at a hearing Monday for the January stabbing death of Joel Marino.

Peterson will be moved from the Dane County Jail to the state prison system and will be sentenced within 60 to 90 days. Extended supervision “will be determined at a later date,” said Dane County Circuit Judge James

Martin, who imposed the mandatory life sentence at the hearing.

“The state has agreed to a recommendation of extended supervision not greater than 40 years from [Monday’s] date,” Martin said.

The guilty plea means Peterson will not face trial, previously scheduled to begin in January.

Peterson, who appeared at the hearing in a quilted anti-suicide smock, has been on suicide watch since Sept. 25, peterson page 3

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

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Tuesday, December 9, 2008

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

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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 Nate Carey Dave Heller

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Babu Gounder Assistant Business Manager Alex Kusters Advertising Manager Sheila Phillips Eric Harris, Dan Hawk Web Directors Account Executives Katie Brown Natalie Kemp, Tom Shield Accounts Receivable Manager Cole Wenzel Marketing Director Andrew Gilbertson Assistant Marketing Director Perris Aufmuth Archivist Erin Schmidtke The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000.

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© 2008, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398

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KIERA WIATRAK taking kiera business

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n today’s world, it’s very hard to maintain integrity in the workplace. With so many distractions and underhanded tactics, it’s very difficult not to sell out and choose money-making tactics over the dignity of your career.

You see, journalists are often prone to bribery from corporations and public figures because of their distinguished role in society. But I have resisted, thanks to my new-found strength from Degree Girl.

Although I have had many, many offers, I am one of the few true journalists left in this God-forsaken country whose only hope may be the comfort of family style restaurants like Old Country Buffet, which features more than 100

delectable buffet options daily!

I have resisted the conniving use of flattery, gifts and all-inclusive Caribbean Luxury Vacations at Sandals Resorts in order to provide my newspaper and my readers with the objective reporting and wake-me-up holiday gift certificates—now available for your coffee fiend relatives at Starbucks today—that they deserve.

As an expert in my field, I have watched my underlings fall victim to corporate pressure. Unfortunately, they just don’t have the hindsight to understand how much they are hurting the American people by doing so. I am here to tell you that we all must watch out for less-than-savory marketing strategies. As I sit here and write this, sipping my refreshing beverage of choice—Diet Coke—I feel it is my obligation to warn my readers that marketers will attempt to hide their advertisements in movies, television shows and other media so that you don’t even know you’re being marketed to.

Web-based textbook exchange to launch

By Caitlin Gath THE DAILY CARDINAL

An up-and-coming student textbook initiative created by a first-year UW-Madison law student is set to hit campus soon.

The initiative, co-created by student Steve Walker, will allow students to virtually connect with one another to buy and sell books on a website he and his friends produced.

“What we’re giving people allows [students] to avoid the bookstore, which is what gives the high prices,” Walker said.

“Students can pay a lot less and then get a lot more when they sell them back.”

Walker began his initiative as an undergraduate at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. After doing well in various business competitions, he decided to launch it upon arriving in Madison.

To finish implementing the program, Walker said he needs to complete the website and begin advertising through fliers and Facebook groups.

Although the initiative has potential to be an effective and cost-saving option for students, State Street’s University Book Store and Underground Textbook Exchange do not foresee a loss in sales.

According to Steve Scheibel,

textbook department manager at University Book Store, peer-topeer bulletin boards are nothing new and have always been implemented into bookstore budgets.

“If you knew the person across the hall from you was taking a course you were taking in the fall, you would sell your book to them,” Scheibel said.

“Peer-to-peer has always been a factor that we take into account.

It’s out there, it happens.”

Sean Owen, manager of Underground Textbook Exchange, said since the Internet has become more widespread, the store has always had to consider it competition.

According to Owen, with an established business like the Underground Textbook Exchange, there is a refund policy students can always fall back on.

“I think a lot of students will still go with that level of comfort,” he said.

For Walker, his goal is to get as many people visiting the site as possible.

“The more people we get on the site, the better it is,” he said. “The more books that are on there, the more books people have to buy, and they’re going to be happy with what we’re giving.”

Record number of UW degrees awarded

For the record Corrections or clarifications?

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

WEDNESDAY: partly cloudy hi 18º / lo 16º

This holiday brought to you by Apple iPod

Volume 118, Issue 71

2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497

TODAY: snow hi 30º / lo 8º

The UW System awarded more than 32,400 degrees in 2007-’08—the highest total in the system’s history.

UW System Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Rebecca Martin said in a statement the findings show the system is reaching goals of its growth agenda, a plan to achieve access, affordability and growth for the state.

“The UW System contributes significantly to our state’s highly qualified workforce, and these skilled graduates will help Wisconsin businesses succeed in today’s innovation economy,”

Martin said. “The data show that we’re opening up new pathways and new transfer options for students. This is one way that our system is increasing degree production to meet workforce demands.”

The reports also found UW campuses awarded a record number of undergraduate degrees and that the number of undergraduate transfer students has increased over the past two years.

According to one report, the number of transfer students since 2000 is over 15,000.

To view the reports, log on to www.uwsa.edu/opar/orb-im.

People who haven’t had the extensive professional training that I have may be unable to recognize these disgraceful tactics, especially if they don’t own a pair of long-lasting, super-stylish Gap jeans. But worry not. I take my watchdog role very seriously. Make sure your very own family watchdog grows up healthy and strong with a daily dose of Iams dog food.

I will continue to represent my readers in my longstanding fight against corporate aggression as you fight your own aggressors and find the strength to say no to drugs.

I am confident, mostly because of my acne-clearing Neutrogena face soap, that I will be successful in my endeavors as a service to the American people and Sprint customers, who are invited to check out the Sprint upgrade program and learn how they can save up to $150 on a new phone.

The American people are quite fortunate to have my services, and those of Charter’s Charter Digital Cable Big Value Package. Wait. Who am I kid-

ding? Charter sucks.

But as a dedicated and dignified journalist, I will ask nothing in return.

Not even Rock Band for Nintendo Wii, a game the whole family can enjoy together.

The readership of an untainted industry alongside a brand new Toyota Camry for my loved one is enough reward for me.

I feel a special connection with all of my readers, as they indulge themselves in reading my column every Tuesday on their Macbook Pros. I would never consider exploiting this trusting relationship, as the journalists who don’t keep their clothes looking and feeling like new with Tide Total Care often do.

As the holidays approach this 2008 season, product placement is growing as money-grubbing sellouts watch their wallets get fatter than your belly after a satiating Omaha Steak, shipped free for the holidays.

For inquiries regarding your invoice, e-mail Kiera at wiatrak@wisc.edu.

Utah man questions legality of a UWPD officer’s e-mails A Utah man said he wants a written apology from the UW System Board of Regents after a UW Police officer allegedly sent him an unwanted e-mail using a “fake name.”

David Nelson, who has no connection with the university, said in a statement he believes a UWPD officer attempted to illegally contact him because of an e-mail Nelson sent to UW-Madison officials in November.

The e-mail addressed an Oct. 11 incident at Camp Randall in which UWPD officers used a Taser on Margaret Hiebing, 54, when she refused to move out of the aisle.

UWPD Sgt. Jason Whitney said Nelson was not directly involved in the Taser incident.

“He sent an e-mail to everyone in the department about how [UWPD] handled the Tasering incident,” Whitney said. “He sent an e-mail about how disgusted he was.”

Nelson said he is concerned

about an e-mail he claims he received from UWPD officials after his initial e-mail, which asked him to confirm his identity.

Whitney said an unidentified officer from UWPD sent the e-mail in his free time.

“One of our officers replied to him on his own time trying to figure out who he was,” Whitney said. “This was completely legal. He was using his First Amendment rights to do so.”

According to the statement, Nelson also said the messages were not aggressive, but he questioned their legality. He claims he was simply exercising his right to free speech when he sent the e-mail in November and said UWPD officials are investigating only to threaten him for speaking out against the university.

Whitney said UWPD has not directly received any further e-mails from Nelson and are not planning on responding to him in any way.

—Kelsey Gunderson

Suspicious man grabs Edgewood student A 22-year-old female was able to escape a suspicious man’s grasp early Saturday morning on the 100 block of North Broom Street, according to a police report.

The victim, an Edgewood College student, told police a man grabbed her near the intersection of North Broom Street and West Mifflin Street around 12:15 a.m. as she was walking to her downtown residence.

The woman said the man grabbed her firmly above the elbow and said, “My name is Todd. I’m looking for

my dog. Can you help me?” She said “Todd” then began to pull her toward West Dayton Street.

According to the police report, the woman was able to call her boyfriend on her cell phone before “Todd” let go of her and fled the scene. The victim’s boyfriend arrived minutes later.

“Todd” is described as a white male in his mid-40s, 5’7” to 5’8”, average build, with a moustache and goatee, wearing a dark non-hooded jacket, a dark hat with ear flaps and carrying a backpack.

University to begin surveying graduates Officials from UW-Madison are getting ready to begin the recording and processing of graduating students’ future plans.

Students will soon be encouraged to answer a confidential online questionnaire about plans for future jobs, employers and salaries.

According to university officials, UW-Madison does not currently have a concrete method of obtaining the information.

Graduating students will be encouraged to provide their input for the study through e-mails containing a link to the questionnaire, which

will be posted online and will require a NetID and password to log in.

Students can also access the questionnaire through the MyUW Portal and will be able to participate in the study until the spring semester commences.

The information will give the university an idea of what students are accomplishing after obtaining a UW-Madison degree.

Students who encounter technical problems with the survey should contact the DoIT Help Desk at (608)-264-4357 or at help@doit.wisc.edu.

dailycardinal.com/news

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Students petition against new union

peterson from page 1

By Erin Banco THE DAILY CARDINAL

A group of UW-Madison students are collaborating in an effort to stop the demolition of Union South, which is set to begin in January 2009.

Students involved in the movement are from organizations on campus including the Student Tenant Union, Student-Labor Action Coalition, Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group, Campus Antiwar Network and College Democrats.

“Our only interest is preserving the students’ rights as outlined in [state law]; we don’t necessarily want to stop Union South from being built, just to pause it until a fair number of students have a voice,” Tyler Junger, an Associated Students of Madison Student Services Finance Committee representative, said in a statement.

Over 200 students signed an online Facebook petition Monday.

Kyle Szarzynski, a member of

Student Progressive Dane and the Student Tenant Union, said in a statement the main problem with a new building is the amount of money students will have to pay each semester to fund the project. As sanctioned through the passing of a 2006 ASM referendum, students will have to pay $96 each semester in segregated fees until 2040 for funding. “[Students] don’t want to pay for a new union and at the very least they want the chance to voice their thoughts,” Szarzynski said.

Chynna Haas, president of the Working-Class Student Union, said ASM recently passed a referendum requiring 15 percent of the student population to vote on capital building projects.

“We just want ASM to hold the Union South building project to the same standard and that 15 percent of the minimum vote in that election instead of the 6 percent that voted

LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison students are petitioning against the demolition of Union South, which is scheduled to commence in January. previously,” she said.

The union’s Vice President for Project Management Dan Cornelius said the project has been enumerated by the state Legislature, signed into law by Gov. Jim Doyle and approved by the State Building Commission, as well as many city agencies.

“We have an amazing building that really meets the needs of the campus community right now and will for generations to come,” Cornelius said. “Any delay that we have, the people it impacts are the

students. It’s less money that we have to put into the materials and into initial space in the building.”

Several students of the opposition group plan to speak during the open forum portion of the ASM Student Council meeting Wednesday.

“We can make a change with enough student pressure and if our voices are heard,” Szarzynski said. “If student council wants to have any legitimacy over the student body then they would ultimately adhere to our commands.”

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when he attempted to hang himself in the shower with a pair of jail-issued uniform pants nearly three months after he was arrested and charged in connection with Marino’s death.

On Jan. 28, Peterson entered the home of 31-year-old Marino, where an argument ensued and resulted in Peterson stabbing Marino in the abdomen and upper chest with a paring knife. Police said the homicide was the result of a botched robbery attempt and that Marino and Peterson did not know one another. In a recorded phone conversation with his father while in jail, Peterson said he stabbed Marino “out of nowhere” and that he “just wasn’t thinking sanely” at the time of the killing.

Police found Peterson’s DNA on the knife at the scene and a stocking hat and backpack nearby, but it was a series of calls from his twin brother Eric concerning Peterson’s welfare that put him on police radar.

Detectives traveled to the home of Peterson’s mother in Grant, Minn., where Peterson was living after dropping out of UW-Madison, and arrested him June 26.

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dailycardinal.com/opinion

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Union designers conscious of costs We appreciate the Daily Cardinal’s interest and support of the new south campus union, both in the past and in the editorial on Thursday, Dec. 4.

However, we would like to clarify a few points about the Orchard Street pedestrian mall and potential future light rail platform.

Due to the overall impact of project construction, Orchard Street will need a significant reworking since large portions of existing streetscape will be torn up during construction—think the current Library Mall utility project on a larger scale. As in every aspect of the project, we are highly cognizant of all cost implications, thus taking every available measure to ensure every dollar spent is not only necessary but will ultimately help result in a better building and site.

Plans do call for the corridor to be reconstructed as a pedestrian-oriented space, which will become a tremendous resource for the campus and local communities. Our project team is constantly looking for outside sources of funding to help share the costs related to the site, but Orchard Street is controlled and owned by the university rather than the city, meaning the project will likely bear responsibility for most work. Fortunately, the cost of this portion of the

project is a very small percentage of the total budget.

The light rail platform is shown in some designs because our site is slated as a stop on the proposed passenger rail route. As such, we have designed the site in order to effectively accommodate this potential future use, which is still many years away from becoming a reality—if ever. In the meantime, this area will continue in its current function as a freight rail corridor, but it will also have a small amount of added green space. Any future improvements will not be funded by student dollars.

Hopefully this information helps clarify the current state of the project. Again, we thank the Daily Cardinal for your continued support.

We also encourage all UW students interested in getting more involved in the project to consider applying for a position on the Design Committee, which the official studentmajority group responsible for working with the architects.

More information is available on our website, http://newunion.wisc.edu.

—Dan Cornelius Vice President for Project Management, Wisconsin Union

Controversial billboard not uncivil nor offensive

By Tom Hart THE DAILY CARDINAL

Separation of church and state was in national headlines yet again this week, inciting a firestorm of public debate across the country. While gay marriage has been the most pressing issue within the debate in recent weeks, a new story arose this week in Olympia, WA. An anti-religious billboard placed next to a nativity scene at the state Capitol building sparked the controversy. The message that was advertised on the sign read, “At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail.

There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.” Provocative? Yes. Offensive? I think not, but the protests outside the Washington capitol last week have proven that a sizable amount of the population thinks otherwise.

Bill O’Reilly was quick to pounce on the issue on his talk show last week, referring to Gov. Christine Gregoire, D-WA, as a “pinhead” and a “coward” for not removing the sign immediately.

The Fox News host claimed that sign should be taken down because it violates “appropriate decorum.”

In an extremely far-fetched analogy, O’Reilly went on to compare the incident to a hypothetical situation involving Martin Luther King Day. The outspoken right-winger claimed

that the state was effectually allowing any kind of hate message to be posted, including imaginary signs that state “Dr. King is just a myth and superstition, and his words and ideas harden the heart and enslave minds.”

Hold your horses, Mr. O’Reilly.

I appreciate well-founded analogies, but comparing racially discriminatory beliefs with spiritual beliefs is absolutely ludicrous. The two systems of thought are completely unrelated.

O’Reilly’s personal attacks on the Washington governor only expose the weakness of his overly porous argument. Gregoire took a stand much to the chagrin of a large fraction of her voter base when she defended the legality of the billboard’s presence. Her actions demonstrated more heroism than cowardice.

In a joint statement with Attorney General Rob McKenna, R-WA, Gregoire reiterated that policy allows groups to sponsor displays regardless of their views. “The U.S. Supreme Court has been consistent and clear that, under the Constitution’s First Amendment, once government admits one religious display or viewpoint onto public property, it may not discriminate against the content of other displays, including the viewpoints of nonbelievers,” the statement said.

As it turns out, the group responsible for the sign is the Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The FFRF is a nonprofit organization

founded in 1976 “to promote the constitutional principle of separation of state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.” Litigation is the organization’s main weapon against Establishment Cause infringements and it has been successful in multiple lawsuits.

Controversial billboards are nothing new in Madison, where the foundation placed a similar sign at the Wisconsin state Capitol building last week for the 13th consecutive year. A new billboard displaying the phrase “Reason’s Greetings” was also unveiled in the Atwood neighborhood, adjacent to Wilson’s Bar & Grill.

Freedom of speech is one of the most important pillars of American democracy. It is upsetting that American citizens continually attack this freedom of expression under the guise of protecting our nation’s ideals.

Every human being has the right to choose and express their beliefs freely.

We are fortunate to live in a society that promotes this ideal. I do fear, however, that continuous encroachments on the separation of church and state weaken this essential principle. I therefore commend the FFRF, Gov. Gregoire and Attorney General McKenna for their efforts to preserve our personal freedoms.

Tom Hart is a senior majoring in political science and history. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

arts

dailycardinal.com/arts

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

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Plot and pace never come together for ‘Girl Cut in Two’

By Mary Chen THE DAILY CARDINAL

PHOTO COURTESY OVERTURE CENTER

Chris Kind and his merry band of Oz-goers will bring the much-loved tale, “The Wizard of Oz,” to life on the Overture Center stage this weekend. Why should you go see it? Because, because, because, because, because!

Hello ‘Yellow Brick Road’ With new twists on an old classic, “The Wizard of Oz” will send Madisonians young and old “off to see the wizard” this weekend

By Brandi Stone THE DAILY CARDINAL

The story we all fell in love with as children, “Wizard of Oz,” is flying over the rainbow and coming to Madison’s Overture Center this Friday through Sunday, Dec. 14.

The play is based on the 1939 MGM classic film, but, according to Chris Kind, who plays the heartcentered and emotional Tin Man, the story has been changed a bit to show the audience something new.

“There were some things that were cut from the movie that we added back in... So when people come see the show, it’s not going to be a carbon copy of the MGM movie,” Kind said.

Kind said the production’s biggest challenge was bringing the magic and glamour of Oz, particularly Emerald City, to life on stage. That’s where set and costume designer Tim McQuillen-Wright came in, creating visually stunning backdrops and costumes based on the elegance and glamour of art deco Hollywood.

Kind describes Emerald City as the play’s most visually stunning setting.

“We have a giant reflected Oz door—they call it the MGM gate since it is actually a recreation of the MGM studios gate with an Oz flair to it,” Kind said. “The chorus comes on-stage in these brightly colored emerald costumes with these amazing backdrops. The lights are constantly moving—it’s pretty impressive.”

Where this production truly excels, however, is in the special effects. Kind said the breathtaking special effects will sweep audiences away, making them believe they are following Dorothy to the Land of Oz themselves.

“It’s a very rare scene where something doesn’t burst into flames or start smoking,” Kind joked. “There’s a lot of pyro in this production and I can’t believe the special effects guy doesn’t fall over from stress with the amount of things he has to have burst into flames Kind went on to describe the splendor of the story’s famous cyclone.

“The way the tornado is set up— the back going one way, the front going the other—you get this real sense of a cyclone, and the house is

in the middle and spins out with stuff flying across the back. The first time I saw it, my jaw dropped.”

Kind is very excited to be a part of the production and says everyone, from children to grown adults, will love the show.

“It’s rare that you find a story that is so universally loved ... if we put our effort into it, [audiences are] going to love the performances,” Kind said.

With its amazing scenery and beloved characters, “The Wizard of Oz” is sure to captivate the entire family as they travel down the Yellow Brick Road and experience the magic of Oz with Dorothy, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and of course, Kind’s Tin Man.

Claude Chabrol’s new film, “A Girl Cut in Two,” focuses on typical tragic love-triangle drama and the psychological trauma that often follows.

The plot focuses on Gabrielle (Ludivine Sagnier), an attractive young television weather woman who, throughout the film, is tossed like a pinball between two equally bad suitors: Charles (François Berléand), a dishonest novelist twice Gabrielle’s age who takes advantage of her trusting nature, and Paul (Benoît Magimel), a mentally unstable young dandy living off a generous inheritance. Such a premise seems like it would provide plenty of opportunity for intensity and suspense, but the film runs more like a drawn-out documentary. It is painfully slow paced and lacks diversity in both scene and emotional atmosphere.

One of the film’s biggest flaws is that Chabrol tells it through a series of mostly quiet conversations between his largely one-dimensional characters. This leaves viewers confused about the psychology behind Gabrielle’s desperate love for Charles, not because the film doesn’t provide any reasons—one character points to the absence of Gabrielle’s father—but because it lacks convincing emotional chemistry.

After Charles is finished catalyzing Gabrielle’s sexual awakening, a process that includes inducing her to perform debauched sexual acts with multiple men at a high-class

brothel, he eventually abandons her.

Devastated, Gabrielle flings herself pathetically at the spoiled Paul, though she retains an attachment for Charles. Tense as this love triangle may be, it inevitably leads to an anticlimax fueled by jealousy and filled with violence, which seems completely out of place.

“A Girl Cut in Two” is not for anyone looking for an engaging or entertaining movie.

The biggest disappointment rests with the filmmakers’ stubborn indifference to the emotional weight in any of their scenes. Even the plot’s most intense moment is documented like one of the film’s many colorless dinner conversations, immediately tapering into a long, drawn-out conclusion devoted to more dry, psychological dialogue. Chabrol’s decision to reveal character backgrounds through conversations like this only adds to the monotony.

Although the film might have merit in its thoughtful attempt to explore themes of class conflict and cut through the mores of French bourgeois society, its lack of entertainment value and emotional power undermines these loftier objectives.

“A Girl Cut in Two” is not for anyone looking for an engaging or entertaining movie.

Grade: D

‘The Wizard of Oz’ where: Overture Center when: Fri.-Sun. cost: $29-$69.

Tickets and times available at www.overturecenter.com.

PHOTO COURTESY IFC FILMS

Despite its steamy premise, famed French director Claude Chabrol’s script and leading lady don’t establish much chemistry or cohesion.

Do you hear what Dale hears? Holiday radio offers few options DALE MUNDT croco-dale rock

O

ver the past few weeks, I have been listening, in small doses, to the Christmas radio station, 94.9 FM. I’m curious as to how this awful phenomenon not only survives, but begins at an earlier date each November. While I don’t have a definitive answer to that question, I have noticed that there are really only five types of songs played on the holiday station.

The first type is the classic Rat Pack-era rendition of a Christmas classic. These are the songs that taught us Christmas traditions, like reindeer names and the Hawaiian word for Christmas. They evoke

a nostalgia for some vision of Rockwellian Americana—one where your drunk uncle didn’t urinate on the plastic manger scene in the front lawn, and children were grateful for the oranges and hard candy in their stockings instead of throwing fits because their parents bought them “NFL 2K8” instead of “Madden.” These Norman Rockwell Christmas tunes aren’t that bad.

The second type is the Manheim Steamroller/TransSiberian Orchestra instrumental song. The main purpose of these songs is to make you feel vaguely less wussy about listening to a light rock station playing music by artists you normally wouldn’t be caught dead listening to. A side benefit of these songs is that you don’t have to worry about getting the lyrics right when you sing along. Instead of tripping

through the words only to realize that the singer changed the lyrics to “make it their own,” you are free to “jah-jigga-jah-jah” and “meedly-meedly” all on your own.

Add some enthusiastic air-guitaring and you have a sure recipe to make your significant other question their life choices.

For musicians, this magical “spirit” inspires crappy covers of already overplayed songs.

Next is the Celine Dion-style Christmas anthem, which tends to contain more religious or overtly emotional songs. You can recognize these songs by the soaring, cli-

mactic high note somewhere near the end of the song. These songs are often accompanied by your mom sniffling, “Oh, I just love Josh Groban’s voice.” Any other mother in the room is biologically programmed to add, “I know, his music is so beautiful. Why can’t the music you kids listen to be like that? It is so loud, with all that yelling and hip-hop.”

Then there’s the modern remake of a previously popular holiday song. I briefly mentioned the evils of these songs last week.

My theory is that the “holiday spirit” affects everyone differently.

For instance, it causes your grandmother to shop but prompts your douche-bag roommate to put on a Santa hat and invite girls to sit on his lap. For musicians, this magical “spirit” inspires crappy covers of already overplayed songs and makes light rock stations swoon

at the idea of Faith Hill covering Christmas hymns.

The fifth, and final, category is the song “The Christmas Shoes.” Somehow, this song is so blatantly over-emotive and sappy that it defies any attempt to be categorized with other, less heart-wrenching songs. This song is used at least once every 30 minutes to balance out the other 27 minutes of upbeat songs full of holiday cheer. Then, the DJ allows 27 more minutes to regain his composure before playing it again.

I’m sure these categories aren’t perfect, but I’m sure some radio station will begin their Christmas music sometime in October next year, so I’ll have plenty of time to figure out what I missed.

Think Dale left something out?

Send your heavy metal Christmas hits to dpmundt@wisc.edu.

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LONG LIVE ULTIMATE FRISBEE! In the U.S, Frisbees outsell footballs, baseballs and basketballs combined. dailycardinal.com/comics

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Hot cocoa with really big marshmallows

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.

Classic Sid and Phil

By Alex Lewein lewein@wisc.edu

The Graph Giraffe

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Evil Bird

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com MAKES GOOD ACROSS

1 Deep hollow (Var.) 6 Pain in the neck 10 Stick with a stick 14 Introduction or preface 15 Rod in a rod 16 Letterman rival 17 Middle name of 20th U.S. president 18 Free-for-all 19 On a grand scale 20 Makes personally favorable 23 Overcast sky, to some 25 Morsel for a mare 26 NFL team or musical group 27 Kind of science or gettogether 29 “Verrry interesting’’ Johnson 30 Makes a meal, in a way (with 44-Across) 33 “Reach!’’

37 Arithmetic directive 38 Prognosticate 41 Beauty preceder 42 Some edible grains 44 See 30- Across 46 Feeling of gloom

49 Expressed pain 50 Title for Flaubert’s Bovary 53 ___ alai 55 March 15, e.g.

56 Makes a game thrilling 59 Salacious 60 Expensive car trips 61 Drug bust figures 64 “But only God can make a ___’’ (Kilmer) 65 Parmenides’ home 66 Is literate 67 Charon’s river 68 Depend (on) 69 Till now DOWN

1 Corp. treasurer, often 2 Earth, for one 3 It’s all dots and dashes 4 50s nonconformist 5 Gwyneth Paltrow role of 1996 6 Skier’s garment 7 Get a life?

8 Job opening 9 Leash 10 Crossed one’s heart 11 Beat back 12 In reserve 13 Deducts from wages

21 Kind of guard or scheme 22 Vex (with “at’’) 23 Prestigious award 24 Temperamental 28 Horned viper, for one 29 Seed covering 31 Butcher shop offering 32 Asner et al.

34 It keeps teams in the clubhouse 35 Be of one mind 36 Prolific plants 39 Marvel production 40 Tango requirement 43 It stretches at the gym 45 Pixies 47 Morning hrs.

48 Bit of mail 50 Some grilled sandwiches 51 Thwart 52 Winner in a famous headline 53 The Pink Panther, in “The Pink Panther’’ 54 Test ore, e.g.

57 Result of being bored 58 Creole vegetable 62 Praiseful poem 63 Mach 2 flier, for short

Classic Awkward Turtle

By Meg Anderson anderson4@wisc.edu

sports

dailycardinal.com/sports

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

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UW women’s basketball prepares for UW-Green Bay

By Nico Savidge THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin women’s basketball team will look to extend its eight-game winning streak as it travels to UWGreen Bay Wednesday.

Head coach Lisa Stone said Monday the Badgers will need to play well against the Phoenix, who are undefeated in the 2008-09 season and are favored to win the Horizon League.

“They have been good for a long time,” Stone said. “It has been a longstanding tradition, the players work very hard … they play very well together.”

After facing Green Bay, Wisconsin will return home to face

in-state rival Marquette at the Kohl Center Saturday.

The Marquette game will be the Badgers’ eighth in just over two weeks, a grueling stretch for the team.

Nevertheless, Stone said they have been able to avoid many of the injury and fatigue issues that often arise with such an intense slate.

“We’ve survived it,” she said of the team. “They’ve done a great job handling the tough schedule.”

However, some effects of those many games were evident in Wisconsin’s win over Northern Illinois Sunday. In that contest, the Badgers jumped out to a large lead in the first half and set a Kohl Center record for

shooting percentage by making 61.9 percent of their shots from the field.

But the team seemed to fade as the game wore on, and went from leading by 20 in the second half to a six-point victory. That is something Stone said they could not do later in the season.

“We can’t fade like that,” she said.

“We have to stay focused defensively [and] offensively for 40 minutes.”

According to Stone, the Northern Illinois game should be a learning experience for the team, to show they cannot let up even with a large lead.

“We get the ‘W’ and we’re happy about that, but … there’s a lot to be taught,” she said.

Since starting the season with a loss to South Dakota State, the Badgers have been on an eight-game winning streak, including an upset victory over No. 6 Baylor in the Paradise Jam Tournament.

The “daily growth” of the team and its increasing confidence is marked by consistent play overall.

“We’re playing very strong defensively, and that’s keeping us in games,” Stone said. Wisconsin’s scoring defense is ranked second in the Big Ten, allowing opponents 55.6 points per game on average.

Offensive production from players like sophomore guard Alyssa Karel, who has scored in the double digits all

nine games this season and posted 25 points against Northern Illinois, has also been crucial in the Badgers’ run.

That success earned the Badgers a tie with Minnesota for the top ranking in the Big Ten. Stone said although “having confidence become contagious” among players has been crucial to the team this season, they have to stay focused on the games to come to achieve results.

“We talk about staying humble,” she said. “We haven’t done anything yet and we’ve got to continue to get better. The fact that we’ve been successful [and] found different ways to win is very encouraging.”

Wisconsin wrestling finishes in 13th place at the Cliff Keen Invitational

By Adam Loferski THE DAILY CARDINAL

The No. 11 Wisconsin wrestling team finished up competition in Las Vegas this weekend at the Cliff Keen Invitational, bringing home a tie for 13th place.

Having competed in five dual meets so far, this is Wisconsin’s first invitational of the season.

Forty-eight teams competed in the invitational, nine of which were nationally ranked before the meet.

Individually, 96 wrestlers at the meet were also nationally ranked, including four NCAA national champions.

After the first day of competition, Wisconsin sat in 18th place.

Two Badger wrestlers, junior Drew Hammen and freshman Tom Kelliher, did not make it out of the first round of competition.

However, many wrestlers were in battles for third place. Junior Kyle Ruschell was the only Badger still in contention for the title at his weight class.

Finishing on top for the Badgers was senior heavyweight Kyle Massey, who took third place. On his way to capturing third, Massey took down Chris Kasten of Purdue, Dustin Rogers of West Virginia, Corey Morrison of Ohio State and finally Tucker Lake of Nebraska.

Massey’s third place finish marked his second from the Cliff Keen Invitational in two years.

However, Massey was not the only Badger to take top-five honors. Ruschell, at 141 lbs., finished in fourth place. He had fewer matches than Massey on his way to the podium, but the competition proved to be just a little bit tougher. Ruschell won his first match against Trevor Chinn of Kehigh, but fell to fourth place after losing to Jake Patacsil of Purdue in a close match, 9-7.

Rounding out the Badgers in the top five was true freshman Andrew Howe at 165 lbs. Howe earned his fifth place finish by defeating Ethan Headlee of Pittsburg and Scott

Glasser of Minnesota. Howe was then defeated by Stephen Dwyer of Nebraskra. This placed Howe in the match for fifth place. However, the match never actually happened.

His opponent, Andy Rendos of Bucknell, forfeited because of a medically related reason.

Senior Zach Tanelli and true freshman Travis Rutt also competed for the Badgers. Tanelli took seventh last year but failed to place this year when he was defeated by Chris Diaz of Virginia Tech, 8-3. Coming into this match, Tanelli was undefeated thus far this season and was ranked eighth in his weight class.

Rutt also lost his match to Shane Onufer of Wyoming.

The Badgers’ efforts were enough to rack up 64.5 team points, tying with fellow Big Ten opponent Illinois. The team from Nebraska took home first place honors with 124.5 team points. Cornell University finished in second place with 91 points. Representing the

Big Ten, Minnesota took home third place with 89 points.

The Badgers travel from Las Vegas to the Wisconsin Dells this

coming Saturday in a dual meet against Northern Iowa.

—uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.

ANNA STONEHOUSE/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Wisconsin senior heavyweight Kyle Massey had an individual finish of third place after defeating wrestlers from four other universities.

Wisconsin men’s and women’s swimming teams break records at the Texas Invitational over the weekend

By Rebecca Autrey THE DAILY CARDINAL

It was a record-breaking weekend for the Wisconsin swim team at the Texas Invitational in Austin, Texas.

Wisconsin senior Scott Rice broke the school record for the 200-yard butterfly in the preliminaries Saturday morning, and then posted a 1:43.73

in the finals later in the day to break his own record.

“Scotty put together one of the best races I’ve seen from a UW swimmer in my time here,” head coach Eric Hansen said. “He’s talented and he’s worked hard and has set himself up to be very successful at the end of the season.”

PHOTO COURTESY UWBADGERS.COM

Wisconsin senior Scott Rice broke the school record in the 200yard butterfly Saturday with an impressive time of 1:43:73.

big ten from page 8 squads to Final Fours in their short tenures. Relative newcomers Tom Crean at Indiana and Tubby Smith at Minnesota were able to take their previous teams to the NCAA semifinal round and won a national championship, respectively, before coming into the conference.

This means the conference is led by a group of proven leaders and seasoned veterans who naturally force one another to step up or let their school fall behind. This

also means a number of positive outcomes for the teams in the Big Ten. For starters, in a conference chock full of highly competitive teams, when any two of these teams meet each other on the court after Christmas, the loser won’t fall as hard in the eyes of the national pundits and, more importantly, the NCAA selection committee. It also means the selection committee will probably find more teams from the conference worthy of making the tournament.

Look for as many as seven teams to

In addition to Rice, junior Phil Davies broke his own record Saturday in the 100-yard freestyle. Davies said his goal before the Invitational was to come in under 40 seconds in the event. Davies finished with a schoolbest 43.50 in the preliminaries to break UW senior Kyle Sorensen’s record.

“It was a long meet, and I came out a little slower in the finals, but it was a great race for me,” Davies said.

Other members of the men’s team had individual success as well in Texas. Senior Mike Hopkins swam a personal-best time of 1:44.78 in the 200-yard backstroke final. His time is good enough to put him in consideration for the NCAA Championships in the event.

Davies, Sorensen, sophomore Conner Andrews and freshman Wes Lagerhausen were on the men’s 400yard freestyle relay team that came in fourth overall with a time of 2:55.99.

“Our relay was great, we came out two seconds faster than we were at this meet last year,” Davies said. “It

get an invitation to the big dance at the end of the year.

To the schools and the conference, this means more national attention and probably more money from media outlets and advertisers who want to be linked to Big Ten basketball.

And to the fans, it means tougher battles on the court, more intensity from the stands and a greater interest from the student bodies. Basketball mania will extend out of March into January, and Midwesterners will

was just a great meet for everybody.

The women’s team also did well, leaving Austin with four new school and Big Ten records to their name.

Freshman Ashley Wanland was part of all four record-breaking performances.

Wanland, a three-time U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier, broke the school record in the 100-yard breaststroke by almost half a second in the preliminaries on Friday. She then shaved even more off her time in the finals and finished the event with a time of 1:00.07, the new UW record.

Although Wanland said the pace of the race was faster than she expected and she made some mistakes, overall she was happy with her performance and her time.

“It’s a great feeling, no doubt,” she said. “This meet has been great for a lot of us.”

Wanland, along with teammates sophomore Maggie Meyer, senior Christine Zwiegers and freshman

not be the only ones tuning in.

So far, Big Ten basketball has shown in this fledgling season that it is a force to be reckoned with and demands attention.

Commissioner’s Cup or not, the teams of the Big Ten conference have made a statement in the last few weeks and have proven they can compete with anyone.

Do you think the Big Ten Conference is strong enough to send one of its teams to the Final Four? Send responses to Andy at avansistine@wisc.edu.

Beckie Thompson, set a Big Ten record in the preliminaries of the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:38.00.

The record only stood for a short time because the team broke it by ninehundredths of a second in the final of the event.

Thompson also broke a school record in the 50-yard freestyle Thursday.

“The fact that Beckie Thompson has been part of three Big Ten records and Ashley Wanland has been part of two of them is something that really speaks for itself,” said Hansen.

“I’ve really been impressed with how our freshmen have come out and competed.”

Hansen called the meet “electric” and “one we’ll all remember.”

“This is a great group of kids, a hard-working group of kids, and this sets us up well to use the momentum from this meet in our training in December and January,” he said.

—uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.

basketball from page 8 Wilson and the rest of the Badgers’ backcourt will have their hands full trying to shut down Bengals leading scorer Amorrow Morgan, a 6'5" junior guard averaging 17.5 points a game.

The Badgers will also need strong contributions from their undersized frontline going against a tall Idaho State frontcourt that features Deividas Busma, a 7-foot junior.

The Badgers have never faced Idaho State and are 4-1 against the Big Sky conference.

Wisconsin will look to improve on their 110-7 record at home under Bo Ryan.

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dailycardinal.com/sports

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Men’s Basketball

UW to host Idaho State

Big Ten conference a force to reckon with

By Jake Langbecker THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team returns to the Kohl Center Tuesday night to face Idaho State.

The teams’ overall records indicate a Wisconsin advantage, but if you take a look at each school’s previous game, it tells quite a different story.

Wisconsin (6-2) is looking to rebound from a disappointing 61-58 loss Saturday night at Marquette. The Badgers led most of the game until the seven-minute mark of the second half, when they surrendered a 12-0 run and failed to reclaim the lead.

On the other side, Idaho State (25) is coming off one of the biggest wins in school history, following a 72-68 victory Saturday over a Utah team that was ranked third in the RPI. Senior guard Matt Stucki, who almost registered a triple-double with 20 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, led the Bengals. The game was particularly special for Stucki, who was returning to the court following the birth of his first son Colton.

Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan has been preparing the team against any sort of let down following back-toback road games against BCS conference schools, a rare feat that only five schools will be completing this season.

“Idaho State is coming in here for a reason,” Ryan said. “They feel they can compete. A couple problems early but they had to work through some things just like the rest of us. But that

ANDY VAN SISTINE sistine’s chapel

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KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Wisconsin junior guard Trévon Hughes leads the Badgers with 111 total points this season, averaging 13.9 points per game. win the other night, that’s a pretty big deal. They won’t be coming in lacking any confidence.”

Saturday’s loss at Marquette wasn’t without its silver lining. The Badgers saw a big contribution from freshman Rob Wilson, who recorded career highs in minutes (20), points (seven), and rebounds (five). The freshman from Cleveland, Ohio, has impressed Ryan with his ability to learn, and even drew a comparison to Wisconsin great

Devin Harris.

Ryan added, “He’s learning things.

Anytime I see somebody learning and working to get better, listening and keeping a good notebook, I’m impressed. Still to this day I was always impressed with Devin’s notebook.

[Rob] knows he has a lot to learn and that’s what I’m impressed with. He’s hungry. I like those guys.” basketball page 7

10th straight loss in the Big Ten-Atlantic Coast Conference Challenge was hard to swallow last week, especially knowing that Iowa’s freshman forward Andrew Brommer let overtime—and a crack at a win against Boston College—bounce off of the rim on the first of a one-and-one at the free throw line. Just as tough was watching Illinois senior guard Chester Frazier dribble the ball as time expired in their game at home against Clemson. He did not even try to throw up a brick to force an overtime, instead handing the Tigers the 76-74 win.

But if we take away the two blunders and the two losses by Michigan State and Purdue, there is no question that the Big Ten looks far better from top to bottom than it has in years. Even Penn State and Northwestern, two cellar-dwelling teams in the conference standings in recent years, managed to pull off a victory in their respective games last week and currently have better records than the three ranked teams in the conference.

Speaking of ranked teams, look

out for Ohio State, Michigan and Minnesota. Although unranked since the beginning of the year, these three teams have been making waves for their play so far this season. Minnesota has yet to lose a game this season and could be looking at a perfect non-conference record going into Big Ten play if they can just topple Louisville in two weeks. Ohio State has gotten off to a surprisingly good start as well, brandishing a perfect 5-0 record to date with two consecutive wins against ranked opponents.

And who would have ever thought Michigan was capable of defeating the No. 4 team in the country twice in just a little over two weeks?

You can probably chalk this surge of improved performance in the conference up to a wave of new coaches and new attitudes at many of the schools in the Big Ten. In terms of experience, Bo Ryan and Tom Izzo are old fogies in the Big Ten coaching arena—both, by the way, have made the NCAA tournament in each of the last seven years. Michigan, Penn State, Iowa, Ohio State, Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota and Indiana all have head coaches with five or fewer full seasons under their belts at their current schools. Thad Matta at Ohio State and Bruce Weber at Illinois have already taken their big ten page 7