Fall 2008 Farewell - Thursday, December 11, 2008 - The Daily Cardinal

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Complete campus coverage since 1892

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Fall Finals Issue 2008

MATT RILEY/THE DAILY CARDINAL

“…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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Fall Finals Issue 2008

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

TODAY: mostly cloudy hi 28º / lo 7º

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Matt offers cheat sheet for final exams Literature and the Arts: Our Mutual Friend = John Rokesmith = John Harmon Igor Stravinsky Cubism

Volume 118, Issue 73 Circulation: 17,000 2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 l fax (608) 262-8100

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com

Editor in Chief Managing Editor News Editor Campus Editor City Editor State Editor Opinion Editors

Alex Morrell Jamie McMahon Amanda Hoffstrom Erin Banco Abby Sears Megan Orear Jon Spike Mark Thompson Emma Condon Ryan Hebel Ben Breiner Crystal Crowns Sarah Nance Marly Schuman Bill Andrews Kyle Bursaw Lorenzo Zemella Meg Anderson Matt Riley Jillian Levy Gabe Ubatuba Jake Victor Daniel Lyman Danny Marchewka, Todd Stevens

Arts Editors Sports Editors Features Editor Food Editor Science Editor Photo Editors Graphics Editors Copy Chiefs Copy Editors

Business and Advertising

business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Babu Gounder Assistant Business Manager Alex Kusters Advertising Manager Sheila Phillips Web Directors Eric Harris, Dan Hawk 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.

The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales.

Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief.

The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both.

Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager.

Letters Policy: Letters must be typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than 200 words, including contact information. Letters may be sent to letters@dailycardinal.com.

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

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

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

The Churchkey Bar & Grill

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FRIDAY: partly cloudy hi 21º / lo 19º

MATT HUNZIKER his dark matterials

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nstructions: Just fill out the rest of this cheat sheet, cut or tear around the edge of this space in the paper (don’t forget the dreamy picture at the top!) and glue or staple the page to the inside of your forearm—easy!

IMPORTANT DATES (memorize these!): Aug 7th 1285, March 22nd 1650, February 11th 450, etc...

Maths and Sciences: Three is a magic number The Periodic Table of Elements i2 + 1 = 0 Psychology: Pavlov’s Dog Uncomfortable dreams about your cousin Nervous crying Space for Additional Notes (write your own subject notes here!!!):

STUDY GUIDE BY SUBJECT History: The Magna Carta – 1215 A.D. Sparta > Persia in 480 B.C. Guam

Additional Blank Space (!!!!):

New Beer Thursday

Holiday Gift Wishlist: 1.

2. “Blade Runner” 4 Disc Special Edition 3.

4.

5. Something with cats

Question 4 – Discuss:

FINAL REVIEW (devise and then answer the following questions):

Question 6 –

Question 1 – Circle the BEST response: A. B. C. D. Question 2 – True or False: Question 3 – “_______” is to “_______” as “_______” is to: A. B. C. D.

Question 5 – In your own words:

ANSWER KEY: 1. C 2. It’s a gray area, really 3. “________” 4. “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 5.

6. Grizzly Bears Send your final scores to Matt at hunziker@wisc.edu.

Outgoing Cardinal Editors

Lake Louie milk stout What happens when you mix lactose with stout? Lake Louie’s Milk Stout happens. The lactose serves to pump up the caloric value of the beer, as well as adding some sweetness to the dark chocolate and coffee flavors.

The sweetness is far more apparent than the energy boost.

What Lake Louie does well here is they don’t burn their malts in the roasting process. The result is a rich and dark beer that tastes like a stout should, as opposed to tasting like a brick of charcoal. Be careful, if you don’t like stout flavors, the additional lactose will do nearly nothing for you. If you’re one of the chosen few who crave the finest and richest of stouts, this offering is of moderate to significant intrigue.

This Milk Stout is not only rich but also has an unusually light mouth feel—not be confused with light, which this isn’t. But who wants a light beer in the dreary haze of winter? If you do, you shouldn’t.

The alcohol content in this beer is not particularly impressive, and neither is the price, at $8.99. The real meat of this stout is the flavor and the texture, both of which are outstanding. For an above average wintertime stout, Lake Louie’s Milk Stout fills the niche nicely.

LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Our fearless, outgoing editors (clockwise, from top-left): Sarah Nance, Ryan Hebel, Gabe Ubatuba, Jamie McMahon, Meg Anderson, Jillian Levy, Amanda Hoffstrom, Abby Sears, Emma Condon and Marly Schuman.

Letter to the editor:

Lake Louie • Arena, Wis. $8.99 at Riley’s Wines of the World

WISPIRG neutral on Union South Project Petition

On Tuesday The Daily Cardinal ran a story that implied WISPIRG was taking a stand on the Union South Project and the petition currently circulating that requests another student referendum on the matter. While this implication might have been accidental, it is important to clarify that WISPIRG remains neutral on this particular issue.

WISPIRG works day in and day out to raise the political voice of students at UW-Madison, across the state, and across the nation.

We encourage participants of WISPIRG to express their opinions and a mistake was made correlating WISPIRG members signing the petition to WISPIRG supporting the petition.

For the record The Dec. 10 article “Illinois governor faces charges of corruption” incorrectly stated formerIllinois Gov. Jim Ryan is serving prison time for corruption charges. The article should have said Gov. George Ryan. The Cardinal regrets the error.

If this issue should go before the student body, WISPIRG will encourage everyone on campus to vote, as we do in every vote or election. We recently finished our New Voters Project where we registered over 6,000 students and confirmed with over 20,000 that they would be voting.

WISPIRG is a student run public interest group working on campaigns from hunger and homelessness to textbooks to the environment, which all have the same broad goal: Raise the political power of students and make politicians responsive to our concerns.

—Tony Uhl WISPIRG Chair tony.uhl@gmail.com or auhl@wisc.edu

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By Hannah McClung THE DAILY CARDINAL

The projected $5.4 billion state budget deficit will likely lead to a tuition increase at UW System schools in the near future, but chances are next semester’s tuition will not be raised.

According to state Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, there should be no changes in next semester’s tuition unless Gov. Jim Doyle enacts “emergency economic procedures.”

The inevitable increase in tuition for the 2009-’10 academic year will be decided by the 2009’11 state budget and announced in the spring.

In 1997, undergrads at UW System schools paid 35.8 percent of the instructional costs. Students now pay 56 percent, according to the UW System Fact Book for 2007-’08.

State appropriated resources cover slightly more than 24 percent of the UW System budget, which is down from nearly 34 percent in 1997, according to the Fact Book.

“Tuition at the 13 two-year UW colleges has remained frozen for two consecutive years, [but] tuition almost always increases on an annual basis,” UW System spokesperson David Giroux said.

According to Giroux, tuition will increase if state funding fails to keep up with operational costs.

The talk of boosting tuition costs for students has led univer-

sity officials and lawmakers to start proposing ways to minimize those increases.

Black said he aims to keep tuition increases to a minimum and to increase student financial aid to “assist students who would otherwise be priced out of an education.”

According to Mike Mikalsen, research assistant for state Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, spending cuts in the UW System do not have to be in areas of academic instruction, but in areas of administration.

In some cases, the number of people employed in administration jobs is increasing at a faster rate than the instructional side, Mikalsen said.

“The public, Legislature and students have to once and for all send a clear signal that the UW System and the Board of Regents need to make cuts and find ways to reduce expenditures,” Mikalsen said.

The UW System plans to decrease faculty pay raises from 5.2 to 2.5 percent, and is considering implementing a three-year advanced degree program, a process that would save students and the university money, according to Mikalsen.

“The silver lining to these dark clouds [of the economic crisis] is that the UW System can reorganize itself into a modern educational system, [replacing] the current system modeled on the 1973 enactment of the UW System,” he said.

Lack of ‘consumer confidence’ during holidays worries retailers

By Rebecca Autrey THE DAILY CARDINAL

With the country officially in a recession, retail experts anticipate Wisconsin residents will save more and spend less this holiday season.

Cynthia Jasper, a UW-Madison professor of consumer science, said consumer confidence will determine the success of this holiday season for retailers.

“I think some of it’s financial, but I think there’s an element of it that’s psychological too because when you put on the news everyday and … there’s so much uncertainty, it doesn’t make you feel like going out and spending either,” she said.

Jerry O’Brien,

executive director of Kohl’s Department S t o r e s Center for Retailing Excellence, said retailers are worried shoppers will not be spending as much this season due to economic constraints.

He said retailers are offering large discounts to bolster confidence and bring shoppers into stores.

“The biggest problem right now is that consumer confidence is so low, so if anything can help bolster it a little bit then I think it will have a very positive impact on the retail industry,” he said.

O’Brien said though retail in consumers page 5

Today on the Web8 dailycardinal.com/news

Union South petitioners speak at ASM meeting Advocates of a petition to postpone the demolition of Union South spoke during open forum at the Associated Students of Madison meeting Wednesday, hoping ASM would take action to hold a student vote, but no ASM member motioned to add any agenda items pertaining to construction.

The petition had 357 votes Wednesday night.

Fall Finals Issue 2008

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news Tuition increase unlikely for ’09 spring semester

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NICK KOGOS/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Union South, built in 1971, will be demolished next semester to make room for the new south campus union. It will host a bar and grill, a cafe, a terrace and multiple study corridors.

Union South to be missed by many Regulars reminisce about their time spent in ‘tight-knit’ building

By Cassie Holman THE DAILY CARDINAL

Built as a peace memorial in 1971, Union South has served students on the south side of UW-Madison campus for 37 years. Although it rarely drew as large a crowd as Memorial Union, Union South has served niche groups and provided a haven for students to study, hear contemporary music and, of course, have a hand at bowling.

But as demolition nears, the time has come for many to say goodbye.

“It’s a comfortable, tight-knit place,” said Jessie Hornyak, a UWMadison senior who has worked at Union South for the past four semesters. “People come in on a regular basis … I could tell you what the gray-haired man will eat for lunch every day.”

According to Shayna Hetzel, director of membership and building project communications, Union South was constructed as a temporary solution to satisfy the immediate needs of the campus with the theme “fewer walls, more bridges.”

The “peace” idea influenced the architecture to face inward from any kind of conflict that might be going on outside.

When the building opened in 1971, the games room opened first.

Alan Silow, a 1972 UW-Madison

graduate actively involved in the opening of Union South, shared a humorous memory about his experience with the games room on the “Union Memories Wikispace” page where alumni can post memories about Union South.

“I was asked to help ‘open’ the bowling alley with throwing the first ball,” he wrote. “When I did so it went into the bowling lane gutter and instead of rolling down, it broke through the gutter amidst much laughter.”

Throughout history, Union South has tallied some “firsts” to its name. It housed the nation’s first college campus blood donation center, campus volunteer center and all-ages dance club “Diversions,” which is now called Club 770.

SOAR, International Coffee Hour, football Saturdays’ Badger Bash and dance groups like UW-Madison Ballroom Association have made their home in Union South as well.

Tim Gleckler, director of retail

services, has spent 23 years with Union South. Gleckler began in 1985 as manager of the games room and has acquired many fond memories there, including meeting his wife.

“It will always be a special place,” he said. “To a certain extent I think I’m in denial that it’s really going to go down.”

Although she served a much shorter tenure, UW-Madison freshman Tara Centeno spent her first semester as a UW-Madison student employed at Union South.

“I really enjoyed working there because it was a fun and friendly environment. Most of the people came in with a smile and ready to chat,” she said.

When Memorial Union was built in 1928 and Union South in 1971, the student population was 8,000 and 32,000, respectively. The student body has now grown to over union page 4

NICK KOGOS/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Judge rules against releasing Zimmermann 911-call audio

By Abby Sears THE DAILY CARDINAL

Media organizations seeking to make the 911 call from slain UW-Madison student Brittany Zimmermann public hit a roadblock Wednesday as a Dane County judge denied their motion to immediately release the tape.

Instead, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Richard Niess approved a motion filed Friday by the city of Madison and Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard allowing them to hear the recording before a decision was made.

Last week, warrants detailing previously unreleased information, including contents of the 911 call that said there was audible screaming and struggling, were made public when a seal on the warrants expired and was never reinstated due to an oversight. Wednesday’s hearing was

initially intended to make a decision on if audio of the call would be released, until Blanchard and the city filed to intervene.

April Barker, attorney for the group of media organizations involved in the suit including the Wisconsin State Journal, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Channel 3000, expressed frustration in the delay and said her clients feel it is their responsibility as journalists to exercise the state’s open records laws to better inform the public. Conversely, Blanchard and other city and county officials said releasing certain portions of the tape could hinder the investigation for a number of reasons.

“I think it falls into three categories,” Blanchard said. “One is investigative detail, the second would be intimate privacy rights

of the victim family and other families of … murdered children, and third, due process rights of any accused person in connection with the homicide.”

Niess did rule to release audio of the 911 call from Zimmermann’s fiancé Jordan Gonnering, who found her dead in their West Doty Street apartment, and four pages of 911 Center documents on how the investigation into Zimmermann’s mishandled call was dealt with.

Robert Elliott, a Milwaukee attorney representing the Zimmermann family, also spoke in court and said the family opposes making the 911 recording public.

“The Zimmermanns do have a very strong interest in the outcome of these motions and generally we support certainly the position of the state and the county,” Elliott said on behalf of the family.

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Fall Finals Issue 2008

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Faculty reflect on Martin’s first semester

By Kelsey Gunderson THE DAILY CARDINAL

Throughout her first semester as chancellor, Biddy Martin has put her best foot forward in the effort to achieve new goals for the future of UW-Madison.

Martin officially stepped into her position with former chancellor John Wiley’s stepping down Sept. 1. Prior to receiving her position at UW-Madison, Martin earned her graduate doctorate

in German literature at UWMadison. Following her education, Martin joined the faculty at Cornell University, and eventually became provost at Cornell in 2000.

Martin said she enjoyed her first semester at UW-Madison and looks forward to working hard in addressing challenging issues.

“It’s been great, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it so far … it’s a

LORENZO ZEMELLA/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Chancellor Biddy Martin spoke to the Madison Rotary Club Wednesday and said she looks forward to the challenges that lie ahead.

wonderful place,” Martin said in an interview. “I’ve really enjoyed working with the students, faculty and community members.”

Other prominent UWMadison officials who work with Martin said she has transitioned smoothly.

“I think she’s been really great her first few months here,” said College of Letters and Science Dean Gary Sandefur, who was the university’s only internal finalist for the position. “It’s been very exciting to work with her.”

Martin reflected on her first semester at a Madison Rotary meeting Wednesday and addressed what she believed to be the most prominent issues facing UWMadison. As she spoke about the need to take a closer look at the university’s funding, Martin publicly announced Mike Knetter, dean of the Wisconsin School of Business, as a new, unpaid special assistant.

Martin said Knetter’s main duties will include developing strategies and opportunities for UW-Madison to receive more alternative sources of funding.

“We are going to be focus-

ing on how to be most effective at developing non-state sources of funding for the university,” Knetter said.� According to Knetter, officials need to change opinions of students and increase their awareness of funding coming to the university from sources other than the state and tuition.

“We need to be more proactive across campus at letting students know that funding is not just from the state,” he said.

Although Martin said she wants to increase financial aid, she still wants to work to sustain UW-Madison’s reputation as a world-class research university.

“We cannot have a world-class research university without an increase in tuition given what’s happening with our other revenue sources,” she said. “However, if we don’t hold harmless to those students whose families are at low income levels, then we won’t be serving the public.”

UW System Regent Colleene Thomas, a UW-Madison graduate student, said she feels the issue of martin page 5

Bail set for suspects in fatal beating

By Jack Zeller THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Madison Police Department revealed new details about last weekend’s homicide near State Street as police continue the investigation.

According to MPD public information officer Joel DeSpain, an altercation between Crave Restaurant and Lounge employee Ross Spang, 22, of Madison, and victim Eduardo Cadematori, 27, of DeLand, Fla., inside the bar led to the beating a block away. DeSpain said the dispute began when Cadematori attempted to take a beer from behind the bar and Spang tried to stop him.

According to an affidavit filed in Dane County Circuit Court and picked up by the Wisconsin State Journal, Spang said he tried to push Cadematori out of the bar and was struck in the mouth by Cadematori, drawing blood.

Spang said he retreated into the bar after being punched, where he found two patrons—Roynell T. Fuller, 19, of Madison, and another whose identity has not been released by police. The three men left the bar, stopping Cadematori near the intersection of State and Johnson Streets.

After a brief argument, the affidavit says Fuller struck Cadematori on the left side of his face, dropping him to the ground. Spang, as well as a witness to the crime, confirmed Fuller as the man who threw the punch.

DeSpain said police found Cadematori unconscious on the sidewalk where witnesses had moved him, but said he did not know whether Cadematori’s injuries had been a result of the punch, his head hitting the ground or a combination of both.

Cademartori succumbed to his injuries late Monday evening.

Bail has been set at $10,000 for Spang and $5,000 for Fuller. The two could face more serious charges now that the case is being investigated as a homicide.

union from page 3 40,000 and Union South is the first to undergo a makeover.

Hetzel said the plans for the new south campus union aim to meet the campus’ growing needs and reflect the future in green technology.

“In the most fundamental sense, the new building will be a true student union,” said Dan Cornelius, vice president for project management. “Right now, people don’t really view Union South as a union …

It’s much more of a service center.”

Despite WUD’s best efforts to keep students interests at the forefront of the construction, some students have raised voices at the increase in segregated fees and the lack of student input during the new union’s voting period.

Hetzel pointed out that the $96 increase per student per semester at UW-Madison is still below the UW System average of $120 for similar building projects.

However, many students cannot wait for the new union to open so they can take advantage of its facilities and study spaces. “[Union South] holds a sweet spot in my heart, but I am also really excited to see the new union,” Centeno said. “From the designs I have seen it looks beautiful and I can’t wait to see it … I just wish wait we didn’t have to wait three years.”

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UW-Madison juniors kick off campaigns for District 8 alder

By Callie Rathburn THE DAILY CARDINAL

Two UW-Madison students have announced their decision to run for the District 8 alder position on Madison’s Common Council.

Juniors Bryon Eagon and Jacob Schmidt announced their campaigns a week after the current District 8 alder, U W- Ma d i s o n senior Eli Judge, said he would not be running for reelection.

“I decided SCHMIDT to run because students need a pragmatic and progressive voice to advocate their issues on the city level,” Eagon said. “The experiences I’ve had working on campus and with the Obama campaign bring an experience and a knowledge of how to listen to students’ concerns and issues.”

Schmidt said he chose to run because he could “provide the 8th

martin from page 4 keeping college affordable is the important challenge Martin faces.� “We are going to have to think about how we can get students from lower and middle class families into schools because education is such a powerful tool for social and personal advancement,” Thomas said.

Martin also stressed the need to increase pay for faculty members

District with strong, determined representation rooted in the district’s student concern.”

“I have an ever present desire to brighten people’s day and improve our great city, state and nation,” he said.

Schmidt’s campaign platforms include tenant rights, snow removal, the downtown residential light initiative, social justice and economic growth. He said he plans to work on the issues students find most important and the concerns of local businesses.

The main focus of Eagon’s campaign will be on student safety around the campus community, particularly centering on strategic lighting, neighborhood watch and police programs.

Both candidates plan to follow Judge’s example.

“His passion and dedication for students is something I’ll definitely strive for,” Eagon said. “He was very accessible to students and receptive to their ideas.”

Schmidt said he hopes to follow

Judge’s ability to be nonpartisan and focus on the student issues.

Both candidates are gaining student support in their own ways.

Eagon made a YouTube video announcing his campaign.

“I think the video was a way to use contempoEAGON rary media to sort of reach people in a unique way,” Eagon said. “[The] constituency is so dominantly students, using the medium we are used to and use everyday was a strategy to reach more people.”

Schmidt has a Facebook group that provides viewers with the goals and plans of his campaign.

Eagon and Schmidt are currently the only two candidates running for the District 8 alder position, as previous candidate Michael Johnson has decided to exit the race due to family reasons.

to ensure UW-Madison remains competitive among other private universities.

“We operate in a market that requires we either pay competitively or we lose the best faculty,” she said. “It’s not because faculty deserves to make more than other hardworking professions …

I think it is our responsibility to be competitive.”

Brittany Wiegand, chair of the Associated Students of Madison,

said Martin’s reorganization of her staff in November is part of the gradual process she needs to undergo in order to officially transition herself to UW-Madison.

Martin said she rearranged her staff in a way she feels will be most helpful to achieving her goals.

The dropping of Wiley’s former top aides Casey Nagy and Deb Lauder will provide funding for a new vice chancellor of communications in the future.

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VIP and Office of Admissions to merge, application process will not change The UW-Madison Office of Admissions and Visitor and Information Programs will join forces Feb. 1, Provost Patrick Ferrell announced Wednesday.

The combined effort will become a part of the Division of Enrollment Management, which deals with Undergraduate Admissions, Student Financial Services, Office of the Registrar and the Integrated Student Information System.

“Visitor and Information Programs and admissions already collaborate on a variety of important programs and services, so it makes good sense for us to pool our resources,” Steve Amundson,

consumers from page 3 hard-hit manufacturing communities like Janesville, Wis., will suffer, he expects businesses in Madison to do well.

“If you’ve got a job you feel confident in, it’s a great time to buy.”

Jerry O’Brien executive director Kohl’s Department Stores Center for Retailing Excellence

According to O’Brien, holiday shopping for those with stable jobs will likely not be hindered by the economic climate.

“If you’ve got a job you feel confident in, it’s a great time to buy,” he said. “The deals are

VIP director said in a statement.

According to university officials, the collaboration will not change the student admissions process or campus tours. The joining of the two programs will focus on customer service to more efficiently answer questions from students and parents interested in the university.

Robert Seltzer, UW-Madison admissions director, will take over a leadership position in the Division of Enrollment Management with the joining of offices in February.

His work will focus on setting long-term plans for the university’s enrollment goals. good.”

UW-Madison senior Emily Erwin-Frank said she is saving this holiday season by making her friends’ presents instead of buying them.

“I’m graduating soon and I’m not going into an economy where there’s going to be great jobs, and I don’t know how much I’ll be making in grad school,” she said. “I really want to save this money that I’m making right now.”

Senior Melina Bast said she expects her family to cut back and that she scaled down her Christmas list this year in light of the economic situation.

“I think it’s in the back of everyone’s mind, where we are economically, and I think it’s really affecting the way people are spending their money,” she said.

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featuresfood Dining-in trend reflects poor economy dailycardinal.com/food

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Follow these helpful food tips to fill up on your favorite meals and keep your wallet stuffed, too.

By Oren Katz THE DAILY CARDINAL

With today’s economy, eating on a budget is the latest trend. Dining in is the new dining out, and a late-night snack has turned into eating munchies from the pantry rather than buying a comforting $3 slice of Ian’s pizza.

Although many people have already stopped shopping for clothes, the rising cost of food is definitely forcing students to become smarter grocery shoppers.

Restaurants, including the favorites, are now out of the question.

But be realistic, this isn’t the end of the world.

One Nova Lox and Red Onion bagel at Einstein’s costs $4.79.

Get the better deal and buy half a dozen bagels there for $4.39 and use a toaster and cream cheese at home. That’s enough bagels for the whole week.

On the bright side, a tough economy might have the potential to make people more aware of their spending. �UW-Madison consumer science professor J. Michael Collins says people are using more cash and less credit these days, and people tend to overall spend less using this method.

The Truth Food shoppers are certainly bringing more food home instead of dining out at restaurants and trying to use more cash than credit in grocery stores.�Although some may try to avoid

dining out, the reality is that some people are restaurant-lovers, and others are simply clueless in the kitchen. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the economy will eat them up. Go ahead and dine out, but these few extra tips may be helpful.

Tip #1: Happy Hours Keep track of happy hours.

This has the potential to cut the price of a sushi meal in half just by going out to eat an hour ear-

lier. Although dinner may be an ideal couple’s date, try going out to breakfast or lunch. Dinner is usually the most expensive meal when dining out, and restaurants sometimes offer the same meal for much less when ordering it for lunch.

Tip #2: Family Style Meals Chinese anyone? Family style dinners usually give more food for less. Get a couple of entrees and appetizers for the whole table rather than an entrée and appetizer per person. Then, split the bill. Always pack up leftovers for a great way to get two meals for the price of one.

Tip #3: Bake, Enjoy and Save Have dessert at home.

Bake a $3 box of a dozen chocolate chip cookies for everyone rather than having two overpriced bites of cheesecake in a restaurant.

Tip #4: Cut The Drinks Order water instead of soda. Restaurants make tons of money on overpricing soda and lemonade. Don’t be tempted by the

ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH HAMILTON

waiter who asks if you’d like to order a drink.

Tip #5: Make Lists Many would agree that their eyes are bigger than their mouths.

So, stop shopping for what looks good, and start buying what’s needed. Make a list before going to the market and you wont regret the junk you brought home—or the excess food you’ll end up throwing out because the expiration date beat your craving.

According to CNN.com, studies have shown that for each additional minute spent in the grocery store past 30 minutes, a shopper will likely spend an additional 50 cents to a dollar. Your list will ensure you won’t.

Lastly, don’t fret. There is some hope for the future. The Wisconsin State Journal revealed that continued high energy prices are having the most drastic effect on food prices and increasing the cost of everything from food processing to food packaging and transportation, though we have seen some energy prices go down.

According to Collins, cheaper oil prices should also decrease the energy costs associated with food. Many are hopeful that gasprice declines will lead the way to cheaper food prices and we will soon be able to afford dining out once again.

Columnists reflect and offer sound advice to foodies everywhere ARIEL KRAUT sweet-n-sour kraut

A

s I sit here in the College Library second-floor computer lab and stare out onto the lake, it’s hard not to get a little sad thinking this will be my last column of my run as Sweet-n-Sour Kraut.

I have to say, though, thanks to my column, eating for the sake of eating has never been better. I’ve finally found something I can direct all of this hungry energy into besides the refrigerator.

Aside from giving me an excuse to eat, having this column taught me a lot about life and the true art involved with food. I feel it is my duty to pass on these tips to all you eaters out there.

Love thy kitchen Before it became my job to write about food, I was really unadventurous when it came to cooking. Now I find myself breaking out the frying pan a bit more and getting creative. I may have set the fire alarm off in my apartment a few times, but at least I tried.

Eat what you love I’m sick and tired of people ridiculing each other about their likes and dislikes, especially when it comes to food. I’ll admit it: I hate cream cheese more than anything else in this world.

When I see it, I literally have to run in the opposite direction in order to avoid the gag reflex.

Many a bagel-lover has tortured me about my aversion to a good schmear, but I’m not going to defend myself any longer. One of my roommates eats olives with M&Ms stuck inside.

Another eats cottage cheese with French dressing. It sounds weird, but more power to them.

No one should be able to tell us what we should or shouldn’t eat, and the more creative we are, the better.

Relax a little

This applies to all the gourmets out there trying to be hip. Great food doesn’t have to be stuffy and uptight with teeny tiny portions.

Restaurants should be considered elite because their food is beyond words, not because there is a white tablecloth and five forks on your right.

Embrace gluttony I used to be a little embarrassed when it came to overeating in public. But now, after stuffing my face sometimes for research, I can honestly say I have no qualms about eating as much as humanly possible in a single sitting.

When I opened my eyes, I realized people, especially my family, are usually impressed with my consumption abilities, not appalled. Nothing feels better than carrying a slight food baby along from class to class. Don’t be ashamed.

Never worry about weight gain This goes along with embracing your inner glutton, but when it comes down to it, life is way too short to limit yourself. The Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior or Senior 15 is an inevitable aspect of the collegiate lifestyle. Live it and love it. Let’s be honest with ourselves, epic meals are always the best meals, especially when they are consumed at Dotty’s—sampler baskets for life.

Love Madison Above all else, I’ve learned to absolutely love Madison and the culinary hodgepodge that is this fine city. Where else can you find a main street sprinkled with ethnic masterpieces like Husnus and Himal Chuli?

Forgo Ian’s Pizza for a day and order some Vientiane Palace instead. We go to school in the best city ever, filled with endless options. There’s no reason to not try them all while you’re here.

Find these gems and be daring. You won’t be disappointed.

Consider these tips for the ultimate food experience in Madison, or wherever your lives and palettes may take you. Have an amazing year, and never stop eating.

If you can’t wait to spread the news about your food baby, e-mail Ariel at akraut@wisc.edu.

EMILY BISEK ‘em, ‘em good

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ednesday afternoon hit me with a pondering surprise. I just consumed a sandwich for lunch and continued searching for that little something extra to top off the meal before class. As I began scrounging the kitchen and pantry for possibilities, waves of food memories and growth washed over me.

How mature should I be today, I asked myself. A bowl of baby-food-like applesauce could hit the spot. The half-eaten jar winked at me from the bottom shelf, bringing back my earliest memories of food sitting in a high chair with my meal smeared all over my face and the floor. Nah, too child-like for today.

I could keep things easy and whip up a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but only if made with creamy peanut butter, strawberry jelly and wheat bread. I’d just eaten a grown-up sandwich with spinach and turkey—another sandwich didn’t sound appetizing.

Maybe I could graduate to a pot of pre-teen deliciousness in a box known as Kraft mac-ncheese. Cooked up wonderfully by babysitters throughout my life, older brothers for lunch during the summertime or my parents for dinner to ease my never ending request for more mac-n-cheese. Since it was my favorite food for a good third of my life, mac-n-cheese always brings a smile to my face.

Around age 10, I always requested homemade mac-n-cheese for my birthday dinner. But it had to be made with long spaghetti noodles or it wasn’t special enough. I glanced at the microwave clock—1:47. No time for mac-n-cheese right now. Time to move on.

A frozen pizza peaked out of the freezer at me, with all of its teenage memories wrapped under its plastic covering. Sleepovers, sports parties and late-night movies that pushed curfew popped into my mind, back from a time when

I could eat an entire Tombstone after basketball practice and not even flinch.

Stop daydreaming, Emily, I told myself in third person. It’s time to get serious about this decision before botany class rips all options from your hands.

As my choices dwindled I became more desperate. I’m too old to count on someone else cooking for me. The only family that would willingly save me from this dire situation lives hundreds of miles away, and my roommates are nice, but they have their own food dilemmas.

I could run to Frank’s and have a lunch lady help me out. I miss the always-fresh salad bar, never-expired cartons of milk and endless supply of delicious Babcock ice cream. A trip to Frank’s would require more cash, a willingness to walk all the way to Lakeshore and a stamp on my forehead proclaiming, “I wish I were still a freshman.” Neither of which is the case.

I could pay someone else to cook for me.

Some warm, fattening hand-delivered Chinese food sounds appealing. I could curl up with my favorite blanket, a season of “Sex and the City,” some girlfriends and go to town. This also proved impossible: The girlfriends and neverending time frame of an apartment sleepover were not available. Time ticked by, it’s now 1:53.

Seven minutes before I need to get my butt out that door. As my options continue to slip by, something grabs me.

Celery. Creamy peanut butter. Raisins. Yes, the ultimate trio. I smirked to myself as I compiled the delicious combination, dotting the celery with a row of raisins just like my preschool teacher taught me. Ants on a log never fails to deliver.

I munched away, remembering climbing on jungle-gyms, making younger kids swear in order to enter the older kids’ fort and maturing my taste buds. In the end, the beginning is often the most fitting, comforting and delicious. Sometimes, the beginning makes the best end.

Longing for lost days of PB&J or frozen pizza? E-mail Emily at bisek@wisc.edu and let her know.

featuresstudent life 8 Fall Finals Issue 2008

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Don’t hate...evaluate A

s millions of shoppers crowd the malls this week to purchase gifts for the holidays, UW-Madison students get a special treat of their own: the chance to grade the professors and teaching assistants they’ve grown to love and hate.

“I like to be able to give my opinion about what I think teachers should be doing to help me learn,” UW-Madison sophomore Kayla Simonson said. “I also like to be able to be harsh to the ones that aren’t very good teachers.”

Twice a year, hundreds of thousands of teacher evaluations are given out to UW-Madison students to ensure professors and teachers are teaching their classes effectively. However, many of the teachers that receive complaints still remain after years of student frustrations.

“I think that TAs pay more attention to what I write than actual professors because they have more riding on evals, but I feel like professors just do them because they are supposed to,” Simonson said. “I don’t think they actually read them.”

There is also concern over whether or not written comments will yield any change in how teachers approach their subject.

“I don’t write the long comments because I don’t know if the teachers actually read them,” UW-Madison sophomore Casey Spitzer said.“It just seems like after reading ratemyprofes-

Story by Nick Dmytrenko

sors.com, the teachers don’t switch up their style of teaching, no matter what the students suggest.”

Students are sometimes deterred from writing comments in larger lectures because of the number of evaluations that teachers will receive.

“On Tuesday, I filled out an evaluation for my psych teacher, but he obviously isn’t going to read 300 student evals,” Spitzer said. “I think writing about a TA makes sense because they have less students while professors have, like, 500.”

Faculty members have also expressed concern over the lack of importance of these evaluations, especially to those who are now receiving tenure.

“I know for a fact that there are people out there who never read their evaluations because they couldn’t care less,” UW-Madison Spanish TA Anthony Smith said. “I know professors that after many years of teaching

Five ways for evaluations to improve 1. Ensure that teacher evaluations have continued importance to those who have tenure and do research.

2. . Create a greater focus on the written portion of the evaluation.

3. Require anonymous reviews mid-semester to allow time for improvements to be implemented.

4. Have regular meetings with smaller groups of students to update the professor on the general student opinion of the class.

5. Demonstrate to students that their opinions are having an effect.

are still concerned about how they do their job even until they retire.

But there are professors that jump all the hoops they need to get tenure, and once they do, they aren’t as concerned.”

Although Wisconsin is one of the top research schools in the nation, this may interfere with the quality of instruction from professors conducting research, even more than those with tenure.

“When a professor gets tenure, it’s not that they can be totally horrible and get away with it, but with Madison being a research institution, sometimes promotions are based on what you publish and not how you teach,” Smith said. “I think research sometimes takes a slightly higher priority over teaching here, based on my experience.”

At UW-Madison, professors are allowed to subsidize their work through grant money they have received from the research. This means professors can essentially stop lecturing students and focus solely on their other work.

“You can buy yourself out of teaching if you have enough external support,” said UW-Madison physics professor Mark Saffman, who looks over professor evaluations for the physics department. “Teaching on research is important, but the weight varies.”

Steve Ackerman, a tenured professor for the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Department, makes 75 percent of his income based on research, and supports the idea behind the evaluation process. He believes teacher evaluations serve as another kind of research that allow professors to improve their teaching ability.

“Our approach to doing research is to collect data, and so there is a phrase

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY KYLE BURSAW

that is starting to propagate about teaching as research,” Ackerman said.

“If you want to change your teaching, you need to collect data, such as the student evals.”

of if the students liked the course, but it doesn’t tell me what I’m doing right or what I’m doing wrong,” Ackerman said. “I often spend most of my time looking at the written comments.”

As Ackerman points out, this is a give-and-take relationship because students need to provide constructive feedback in order for the evaluation process to be helpful.

“Generally you don’t get nearly as many [written comments] because students aren’t willing to take the time, although sometimes I wonder if they think we pay attention to them,” Ackerman said.

To get students to take evaluations more seriously, they need to feel that their

How teacher evaluations work Once all the evaluations are filled out and collected, they are brought to someone in the department office who tabulates the scores and types up the comments that the students have made. These are then placed in a file for teachers to review, long after the professors have given out final grades.

“The students are evaluating someone who determines their grade, so it is extremely important for the student to feel that it will not affect their grade,” UW-Madison physics faculty associate Jim Reardon said.

There are procedures also in place for ongoing review of tenured faculty.

“Every five years, a tenured faulty member is reviewed by the department and their review then goes out to the college, which includes student evaluations,” said UW-Madison physics professor Mark Saffman, who heads the board for evaluations of physics professors. “If they are really bad, I’m sure it would raise some flags.”

Ackerman has also taken extra steps to receive class feedback beyond what his department requires. This year, he submitted a mid-semester online evaluation that students could complete anonymously. In the past, he has regularly met with his Honors students to talk about how the class is going.

Additionally, he sees room for improvement with how the department presents and regulates evaluations. “[Evaluations are done] at the end of the year so it can’t help the class,” Ackerman said. “A lot [the evaluation] is about the teacher, but it’s not getting to what the students felt they learned by taking the class,” Ackerman said.

Although he has tenure, Ackerman continues to look over his reviews.

“I look for the general fill-in-thebubble, which to me is an assessment

opinions are making a difference.

“Students put a lot of time in toward our classes, and if these professors implement the changes we suggest, they would become better teachers,” Spitzer said.

Unfortunately, even with the possibility of doing online evaluations or taking additional comments midsemester, teacher evaluations do not look to be changing any time soon.

“This process has not been changed in seven years, in part to allow comparison so we can see whether or not anything is getting back,” said faculty associate Jim Reardon, who looks over TA reviews for the physics department.

After all this time, could change be in the air for the way the University evalutates its faculty?

“Good luck,” Ackerman said.

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Fall Finals Issue 2008

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featuresscience Deck the halls with fun and science

10 • Fall Finals Issue 2008

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By Bill Andrews THE DAILY CARDINAL

“Welcome to my lab!” the scientist cried out to the crowd, to Bucky Badger and even to Santa Claus. “Are we ready to learn? Are you ready to have some fun?” Cheers rocked the lecture hall.

The scientist in question, Dr. Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, a UW-Madison chemistry professor, has been welcoming crowds to his lab for 39 years now, for a science-themed Christmas show called “Once upon a Christmas Cheery / In the Lab of Shakhashiri.” This past weekend, he performed the show four times, and PBS will broadcast one of them later in the month.

The show is in the tradition on the Christmas lectures of famed British scientist Michael Faraday, who helped unravel the mysteries behind electricity, magnetism and light. Faraday believed science was inherently interesting, and enjoyed demonstrating some of the newly discovered aspects of his work to crowds. Not only did his work allow the public to understand better the nature of the world, but it also inspired future scientists who would otherwise have never entered the field.

“What I aim for is two things,” said Shakhashiri after the Saturday shows. “[No. 1,] to have people, everyone, appreciate what science and technology are all about. And two, for some of them who want to become scientists, engineers, mathematicians, to come forward and do similar kinds

PHOTOS BY DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Dr. Shakhashiri’s annual Christmas show showcases just how awesome a spectacle science can be. of experiments.”

And who wouldn’t want to do such experiments? During the show balloons exploded, bubbles floated on invisible gas, matches burst into flames, metals floated in mid-air and beakers of chemicals mysteriously changed color by themselves.

And that’s not even counting the musical numbers!

“It’s my way of sharing the joy of doing science with students, of course at UW-Madison, and future students at UW-Madison,” Shakhashiri said, gesturing toward the throngs of children in the room. These kids, most in the 6- to 12-year-old range, loved

every minute of the show, starting with the pre-show calls by Shakhashiri’s assistants to “express yourself vocally: Science is Fun!” The walls echoed the screams of children excited by science.

By highlighting the more exciting aspects of science, Shakhashiri said he wants to instill in his audience that science is an active pursuit — an exciting thrill with the occasional surprise.

“We try to make sure that people learn more about science actively, not simply sitting in a classroom in a lecture,” he said. “Science and technology are really the engines that drive ... progress in our society.”

And while Shakhashiri’s experi-

ments are a bit on the flashy side, he doesn’t skimp on the actual science either, explaining to the crowd that the giant fireballs are caused by a combustion reaction between methane and oxygen or explaining that superconductors are special because no energy is lost when electricity is run through them.

“If you really want to have fun in life... you have to concentrate,” he says at one point in the show.

But it’s not all cool explosions and easy-to-understand explanations.

Throughout the show, Shakhashiri and his assistants maintain the importance of safety in the lab, “just in case.” Even

his guests, Bucky and Santa, both eager to assist in the scientific fun, made sure to don safety goggles before getting started. (Bucky’s were perhaps the largest ever built.)

And, unlike so many holiday specials, these guests weren’t simply added bonuses: They added a lot to the show and even kept the action moving.

Bucky assisted with experiments and provided a foil for Shakhashiri’s knowing scientist, and Santa even provided some of the ingredients for future experiments as gifts, saying, “You’ve been a good professor.”

Among Santa’s gifts, though, was also a set of cards for each of the elements in the periodic table. Yttrium, element number 39, featured particularly prominently in honor of Shakhashiri’s 39th year doing Christmas shows. The element got a whole page in the program too as well as an experiment devoted entirely toward it.

This quirky approach to explaining science is exactly what the show was about, and everybody seemed to love it, especially the kids, who continually ooh-ed and ahh-ed and burst into applause countless times.

“I’m always overjoyed by the reaction of the audience,” Shakhashiri said.

“The facial expressions, the shrieks, I feed on that and it just eggs me on to do more.” Just like other holiday stories, it seems the giver gets just as much from his gifts as the receivers.

“It’s very very rewarding to me, and I learn from it too.”

You are what you meditate

UW scientists receive government grant to help study the surprising effects of meditation and compassion on the brain

By Jigyasa Jyotika THE DAILY CARDINAL

With the holidays approaching, hopefully families everywhere will

come together to celebrate their love for each other. They may not know the details of how love and compassion works in their brains, but at

least there are some TV specials to help in feeling it.

In the meantime, a team of UW scientists has been systematically

LEGAL NOTICE Draft EIS Release and Public Meeting: Proposed School of Human Ecology �SoHE� Addition and Renovation University of Wisconsin � Madison A public meeting to present the Draft Environmental Impact Statement �EIS� for the proposed School of Human Ecology �SoHE� Addition and Renovation project will be held by representatives of UW�Madison; UW�Madison SoHE; UW�System Administration, the Division of State Facilities; Ayres Associates; and the A/E design team at 5:30 PM on Thursday, January 29, 2009 in Room 132 of the WARF Building at 610 N. Walnut Street on the UW�Madison campus. Free parking is available after 5:00 pm in the adjacent parking lot.

A brief description of the project will be presented, and all persons will be afforded a reasonable opportunity to identify both orally ora and in writing any issues or concerns they believe should be addressed in the Final EIS for this proposed project.

The proposed project will construct an addition to and renovate the original School of Human Ecology Building and provides for facility demolition, new construction, and renovation, including: �1� demolition of two facilities��the existing Preschool Laboratory and Human Development and Family Studies Building; �2� new underground parking beneath the building addition that will provide approximately 50 stalls; �3� construction of an approximately 161,970 gross square foot addition to the SoHE building and project associated utility work; and �4� subsequent renovation of the existing 74,000 GSF SoHE building. Additionally, service access to Agriculture Hall will be changed to sub�surface service accessed from the new underground parking garage.

The Division of State Facilities retained Ayres Associates to prepare an EIS for the proposed project in accordance with sec. 1.11 Wis. Stats., relating to the Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act �WEPA�. The intent of the Draft EIS is to identify the potential positive and negative impacts of the project to the physical, biological, social, and economic e environments. Comments and inquiries raised on the Draft EIS are used to develop the Final EIS, which is circulated to the public and commenting agencies for a subsequent 30�day review period. A public hearing is then held on the Final EIS for additional comment. Following the public hearing, the University of Wisconsin System develops a conclusion on the findings of the EIS. This Record of Decision is circulated to key individuals and agencies involved in the EIS process.

The Draft Dr EIS is available for a 52�day public review and comment period beginning December 10, 2008 and ending January 30, 2009. Copies of the EIS are available at the UW�Madison Helen C. White Library and City of Madison Public Library �Central Location� and online at http://www.ayresprojectinfo.com/UW�SoHE. Comments on the Draft EIS can be submitted until January 30, 2009. Please send comments to: Ms. Kathleen Melland Environmental Scientist Ayres Associates 1802 Pankratz Street Madison, WI 53704�4069 �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

studying ethereal emotions like love, compassion and forgiveness at the neurological level. Concrete findings about emotions have so far been elusive, yet arguably central to human existence.

UW-Madison professor of psychiatry and psychology Richard Davidson not only thinks he may begin to find answers, but he received a $2.5 million grant from the Michigan-based Fetzer Institute earlier this year to study positive emotions like these.

“I think it would be fair to say that we are the most active research group in the world in the neuroscience of positive emotions,” said Davidson.

Davidson, who directs the UW Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, has been a world leader in the research on positive emotions in the human brain since its inception over a decade ago.

“With this grant, we plan to study the effects of other positive qualities on the brain — besides love, compassion and forgiveness — in the future and see how we can use the findings to find treatments for anxiety and depression,” said Davidson.

Using brain scans, his research has shown that people whose brains have nurtured higher capacities for love, compassion and forgiveness through mediation are significantly structurally different from those who don’t. (No word yet on those who watch lots of holiday TV specials.)

“We have studied Tibetan monks, amongst other practitioners of meditation, and their brains show significant signs of change after years of such meditation,” Davidson said.

“The brain is more plastic than we ever thought before and it will shape according to experience,”

UW-Madison emeritus professor of molecular biology Deric Bownds said. “So you are what you are doing.” That means the brains of pianists expand to incorporate their learning and practice and keeping it that way, and the brains of couch potatoes adapt to that lifestyle too.

Professors around the UW campus are not surprised that Davidson’s group received the $2.5 million grant.

“The University of WisconsinMadison has been identified as the mecca of emotion research primarily due to Richard Davidson and his team, who had the foresight to lead this research,” UW professor of psychiatry Jack Nitschke said.

Davidson’s group studies brains by scanning them using functional magnetic resonance images (fMRIs), which reveal areas of the brain that light up under different stimuli.

Although the fMRI technique, at best, can just establish correlations between brain areas and their likely functions, that may be enough information for the development of therapeutics for depression and other neurological conditions.

While negative emotions like anxiety and depression have received a lot of attention and are widely studied, Davidson is one of the few scientists in the world who studies positive emotions in humans. For his contribution to the field, in 2006 Time magazine named him among the top 100 most influential people.

In addition to meditating every day, Davidson agreed that he had a personal angle in studying positive emotions in the human brain, one worthy of any holiday special.

“I wanted to work on something that was of benefit to others and to alleviate suffering in the world,” he said.

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Fall Finals Issue 2008

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opinion 12

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Fall Finals Issue 2008

view: newsmakers of the semester

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The UW Athletic Department came under heavy scrutiny this past year over revisions to the football ticket policy. The new lottery system left many seniors empty-handed who would’ve enjoyed season football tickets in the past, and wristbands—though intended rightfully to eliminate seating disputes—reached the point of debacle following the Marshall game. With hundreds of student fans held up in the concourse growing increasingly riotous at the slow pace the wristband procedure created, it became clear that the ticket policy again needed amending—immediately.

The Athletic Department responded with the amount of care and responsibility students should recognize and appreciate. Responding to student feedback, they swallowed any pride and reverted to the old voucher system before the Ohio State game.

“We really do care about the students, and we value their input,” senior associate athletic director for external relations Vince Sweeney said. “[Their input] is what led us to this decision.”

Whether an entirely acceptable ticket system exists remains to be seen, but the Athletic Department responded appropriately to their customers. Look for more changes to be proposed and experimented within the coming year.

Biddy Martin’s first semester

taken some actions to distance herself from her predecessor. Among Martin’s moves have been establishing a relationship with Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, a lobby opposed by Wiley during his tenure as chancellor because of their political views. In addition, Martin has also created a position for a vice chancellor to handle communications, state relations and economic development.

Martin’s actions display a willingness to restructure her staff to the way she sees fit, as well as take necessary actions to address the growing budgetary issues at UW-Madison.

Better relations with WMC and a vice chancellor specializing in state relations could help restore funding from the Capitol as well as other sources.

Although Martin’s first semester was fairly quiet, she has shown the power to embrace new strategies in order to address the current problems of UW-Madison.

MA

After the long and eventful tenure of former Chancellor John Wiley, UW-Madison welcomed Carolyn “Biddy” Martin onto campus to follow in Wiley’s sizable footsteps. Through all the pomp and circumstance accompanied with a new chancellor, Martin has had little opportunity to enact any sizable changes.

However, Martin has

RK

THO

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Band hazing scandal

Football ticket issues DA ILY C

For the first time in 40 years, the Badger football team change has yet to be seen, and it might played a home game without the UW Marching Band have to wait until the band’s next trip present. The cause? Hazing allegations that were later conto Michigan, where hazing occurred the firmed by Band Director Mike Leckrone and Dean of last two times.

Students Lori Berquam.

Only time will tell if the Aiming to teach band members a lesson, Mike band truly learned its lesson Leckrone suspended the band on Oct. 11 for the from Leckrone slapping game against Penn State at Camp Randall. Shortly their wrists, but enforcing after, it was announced that the band drastic consequences, would simply be suspended from traveling publicly humiliatand new staff would be added to ensure ing the band and the band behaves like adults. The band was revoking these conthen allowed to travel to Lambeau Field sequences in less than for the Green Bay Packers game versus the a week might send Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 19. the wrong message.

Claiming that student leadership had If hazing occurs again, proven they were willing to step up, Leckrone it very well could end lifted the ban and promised change. The extent of this MEG ANDERSON/THE DAILY CARDINAL Leckrone’s job.

911 mishaps

THE

Campus gets out the vote

The Dane County 911 Center first came under fire in April after mishandling the call placed by UW-Madison student Brittany Zimmermann before she was murdered. In November, the 911 Center mishandled another call prior to the death of a man in Lake Edge Park.

Even though former 911 Center Director Joe Norwick stepped down Sept. 19, the center remains under fire. Norwick cannot single-handedly be blamed for the Zimmermann call error, his resignation paved the way for dramatic and effective change at the center.

County Executive Kathleen Falk and the County Board have since created 11 new staff positions at the center, added a $2 million computer system to the 2009 budget and allocated over $160,000 for software to standardize the questions dispatchers ask when taking calls.

Although these additions to the 2009 budget show Falk and the County Board are taking steps to repair the broken 911 Center, more immediate action should be taken to restore the faith of county residents.

The lost faith in the center warranted action in April; waiting until January to make actual changes is prolonging the mistrust and disappointment felt throughout Dane County.

JENNY PEEK/THE DAILY CARDINAL

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part of President-elect Obama when he reaches the White House. Obama must follow through on his promises to make college more affordable by giving a fully refundable $4,000 credit to cover the expenses of college.

Along with watching out for students’ financial needs, Obama must also follow through on his promise to change Washington politics. Many students turned off by petty partisan politics came out for Obama, and he owes it to them to follow through on his reforms.

The election of Barack Obama was certainly historical, and if he lives up to his campaign promises, the next four years will prove to JENNY PEEK/THE DAILY CARDINAL be as well.

SO

The election of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States is not something UW-Madison students will soon forget. For many, it was the first presidential election they could participate and vote in, and a large number joined youth across the country and participated with gusto.

Obama’s charisma and promise for change appealed to students and energized what some politicians and pundits had thought to be an apathetic generation. When he won the presidency on Nov. 4, Obama carried 66 percent of the youth vote.

But with this support comes responsibility on the

MEG ANDERSON/THE DAILY CARDINAL

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

In times of economic struggle, Americans must remember the spirit of giving JOSEPH KOSS opinion columnist

I

recently—and randomly— sat down and re-watched the movie “Elf.” I found myself laughing at the funny parts, admiring Will Ferrell’s humor and generally thinking that it is a hilarious take on the Christmas spirit—a funny and heartwarming film that sets the mood for the upcoming holiday season. I also found myself getting weirdly sentimental at the end of the film.

Buddy, the human raised by elves who can do nothing right, finds himself trying to save Christmas after Santa has crashed in Central Park.

Santa’s sleigh lost its carbine engine and thus doesn’t have enough fuel in the Claus-o-meter, which measures Christmas spirit. The only way to save Christmas is to naturally power the Claus-o-meter the old-fashioned way by getting the people of New York to

believe in Santa again. They use the most important Code of the Elves— “the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear”— as his love interest, Jovie, leads a large group of people in singing “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

In the end... well, we all know how it ends. So how does a 20-something college student get sentimental watching “Elf?” I am not too sure. I think it might have something to do with the simplicity of the message.

Buddy is cast away from his elf community to New York City in a quest to find his true identity and his family. Yet, what he finds is a city full of people who have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas, something that he has never once questioned.

For Buddy, the true meaning of Christmas isn’t rooted in religiosity; he found it in more ubiquitous themes. Themes of friendship, family and love. Of giving, sharing and laughing. In modern times, rampant consumerism has replaced much of what the holiday season used to be about. This year, with the heavy weight of social and economic prob-

lems burdening our collective psyche as a nation, might be the best to rekindle the joys of yesteryear.

Most will probably be receiving less in terms of goodies and gadgets, so maybe we should try to be more about giving this year: giving back to our commu-

nities, food banks, food kitchens.

We should try to be more giving to our families: more hugs and smiles.

We should find joy again in the simple holiday traditions, like the singing of carols or special family dinners. Maybe by getting less we can remember that it is really about giving more at this time of year, and in turn, get more out of this season.

The omnipotent Onion summed it up very nicely in a recent article: “Wealthy Cruelly Deprived of True Meaning of Christmas: The nation’s poor get to experience true Christmas spirit, while the wealthy, burdened by shopping and party obligations, are left out in the cold.”

Finally, if you don’t believe in the power of the holiday cheer, studies have recently shown that when a person becomes happy, a friend living nearby has a 25 percent higher chance of becoming happy themselves, a spouse experiences an 8 percent increased chance and for next-door neighbors, it’s 34 percent.

SARAH HAMILTON/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Also, consider this quote from Sophie Scott, a neuroscientist at the University College in London, concerning happiness and laughter: “It seems that it’s absolutely true that ‘laugh and the whole world laughs with you.’”

So how does a 20-something college student get sentimental watching “Elf?” I am not too sure.

Ho ho ho, Madison, eat, drink (if you choose to) and be merry!

And come back next semester full of holiday cheer. And the Angel said unto them, fear not: for behold I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people ... and on earth peace, and goodwill toward men.

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

MOUSTACHE BASH: Creepy? Yes. Entertaining? Definitely. Madison’s preeminent creepfunk rockers Steez are bringing back the ‘staches for the Third Annual Last Day of Class Moustache Bash w/ Herman Price, featuring an intermission moustache competition with prizes for the most impressive ‘staches. Bring a date, bring some fuzz and celebrate the semester’s end in style. When? Friday, Dec. 12, 9 p.m. Where? High Noon Saloon Cost? $5

arts

dailycardinal.com/arts

Fall Finals Issue 2008

The best of 2008

No. 1: Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend Most great albums exist somewhere in between technical knowledge and a vivid imagination. In contrast, the selftitled debut from Vampire Weekend flirts with Ivy League sophistication and elementary school playfulness to create something grand and altogether new.

It’s difficult not to immediately fall in love with the tight rhythms, the tremolo guitars and the bashful tone of Ezra Koenig’s voice. The record clocks in at 32 minutes with little hesitation other than the apologetic “I Stand Corrected,” which stands out because of its atmospheric maturity amid a record of unapologetically rambunctious tracks.

Vampire Weekend plays out like a tour of the East Coast. “A-Punk” bounces through the New York subway with its wordy verses and indecipherable chorus, while “Walcott” feels like an exhilarating late-night retreat from the safety of normalcy. “Campus” is an ode to the band’s intellectual background at Columbia University, and the tracks “Bryn” and “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” have eccentric rhythms that pull heavily from the city’s diversity.

Vampire Weekend accentuate their almost tribal rhythm section with lush orchestral synthesizers and moody organs, splicing well-polished melodies in between spider-like bass lines. The outcome is a record that is strong and upbeat, plucking even the most tentative wallflower from the wall with its abounding energy.

—Anthony Cefali No. 2: Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes With the release of their EP Sun Giant in April and self-titled debut album in June, Fleet Foxes have been one of the most intriguing new bands of 2008. Their rustic sound calls to mind the madrigal music of the Renaissance by blending vintage folk with worldly rock and baroque overtones. The album itself is a brilliant concoction of bucolic lyrics, ethereal melodies and sweeping harmonies largely driven by singersongwriter Robin Pecknold’s stunning vocals.

Their rustic sound calls to mind the madrigal music of the Renaissance by blending vintage folk with worldly rock.

The common comparisons to fellow Seattle group Band of Horses are

All the votes are tallied, and The Daily Cardinal art staff has made its picks for the top-five albums of 2008.

Enjoy, and happy finals from all of us.

valid given their strong vocals, liberal use of reverb and guidance of producer Phil Ek, but Fleet Foxes differ in their meticulously crafted pastoral sound.

Pecknold’s lyrics incorporate imagery of the great outdoors to illustrate stories of love, adventure and tragedy in simplistic rural settings.

The rustic imagery is exemplified in the aptly named “Ragged Wood,” a ballad about returning to the countryside that begins with the phrase, “Come down from the mountain / You have been gone too long.” The earthly theme continues throughout the album with charmingly somber songs like “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song,” “Meadowlarks” and “Blue Ridge Mountains.”

On Fleet Foxes, Pecknold’s graceful voice and enchanting lyrics brilliantly merge with the band’s swirling melodies to create one of the most authentic and innovative albums of the year.

—Justin Dean No. 3: TV on the Radio - Dear Science TV on the Radio had an enormous task: to follow up Return to Cookie Mountain, which appeared on the top of many critics’ top album lists in 2006.

A repeat of the dense, muddy tones of Cookie would have been one of those good-but-not-great follow-up albums most bands churn out. Instead, they livened it up while keeping their style, turning Dear Science into something special.

The Brooklyn-based band makes the style of the album clear: It’s going to be a little catchier and a little more fun.

Opening with the track “Halfway Home,” the Brooklyn-based band makes the style of the album clear: It’s going to be a little catchier and a little more fun, but it is distinctly TVotR. David Andrew Sitek’s haze of guitar is still there, Tunde Adebimpe still groans on the vocals, and Kyp Malone still chimes in with his high-pitched squeaks.

But the album just feels more fastpaced. Malone takes the lead vocals more often than before—his best performance is on the stellar track “Crying”—a heavier use of synthesizer keeps the beat speedy and Adebimpe even busts out a rap performance on the hectic “Dancing Choose.” It’s TVotR alright, but, dare I say it, better.

—Gabe Ubatuba

No. 4: Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer Calling the three-year layoff between Wolf Parade’s impressive 2005 debut, Apologies to Queen Mary, and this year’s At Mount Zoomer a “break” would be a joke. Since Apologies, Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner have combined to release four albums with three different bands. Although each release deserves recognition, At Mount Zoomer proves that each songwriter’s quirky style is best displayed in complement to the other’s.

Between Wolf Parade discs, two separate writers come into their own, and we can thank them for not rushing back into this project. The result is two brilliant minds, married in eccentricity and finally matured and comfortable with themselves, working in perfect cohesion.

More than just one of 2008’s best albums, At Mount Zoomer is a very strong argument for Wolf Parade as Canada’s best indie rock super-group. You get the sense while listening to At Mount Zoomer that this is a classic waiting to happen.

Twenty years from now people will look back and recognize At Mount Zoomer as the crowning achievement of two of our most fruitful songwriters.

—Kyle Sparks No. 5: Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster...

Combining raw punk-rock aggression, overstuffed arrangements, hyper-verbosity, youthful angst and a level of self-conscious indie-ness that would be offensive in almost any other context, Hold On Now, Youngster... sounds like an awful mess on paper but plays like a glorious one through speakers or headphones.

Lead guitars buzz through effortlessly catchy riffs on fast-paced tracks “Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats” and “...And We Exhale and Roll Our Eyes in Unison,” while “Knee Deep at ATP” makes excellent use of the band’s string section as a soft background to richly detailed lyrics before the song swells into a chaotic climax.

Belying Youngster’s messy aesthetic is the solid construction of its songs, from the album’s catchiest track, “My Year in Lists”—a pop gem at just a minute and 49 seconds—to “You! Me! Dancing!,” whose opening maps out the previously uncharted territory of punk-rock orchestral music. Los Campesinos!’ attention to detail bears further fruit on repeat listens, as each track on Hold On Now, Youngster... packs a wealth of melodic hooks and turns of phrase too large to take in all at once.

It’s an ambitious feat for a young band, and one that Los Campesinos! nail with confidence and enthusiasm on this stellar debut album.

—Matt Hunziker

GRAPHIC BY MEG ANDERSON

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Fall Finals Issue 2008

Finals week

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.

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 A STUDY IN FORESTRY ACROSS

1 First word in an Ed Wood title 5 Handle for Springsteen (with “the’’) 9 Game of letters and numbers 14 Bit of old Italian bread?

15 Brightly colored fish 16 Suitable in every way 17 Arab potentate 18 Arbor feature 19 Became a dad 20 For students, it’s private 23 Bang-up 24 Selling very well 25 King’s place 28 Word with “wood’’ or “chocolate’’ 30 It may be added to impress 33 Some nerve?

34 Seed protector 35 Length times width 36 Pirate’s exclamation 39 Unlucky fisherman’s haul, in cartoons 40 Audio plug-ins 41 “American Justice’’ channel 42 Catalogue contents 43 Relative of an English

horn 44 Character actress Claudia 45 Versifier’s eye 46 Take in the mail 47 Innocent one 54 Porous pot 55 “CHiPS” star Estrada 56 Yule tune 57 Word in telephone menu instructions 58 “Good!” in Genoa 59 Robert Browning’s “Rabbi Ben ___’’ 60 What sentence components should do 61 Divination practitioner 62 Result of hail, often DOWN

1 Common person 2 Stretch for the stars?

3 “Ah! perfido!’’ is one 4 Account 5 Stock classification 6 Hypothesize 7 Belted one out 8 Mothers and daughters 9 An ecclesiastic 10 Dummkopf 11 Wolfe in Stout books 12 Man from the Isle of Man 13 ___-school (traditional)

21 “La ___ vita” 22 Bean-based dish 25 ___ del Sol (region in Spain) 26 Agricultural pest 27 Affects emotionally 28 Blintz relative 29 “Best of’’ tracks, often 30 “Goodnight” girl of song 31 Opera giant 32 Support for an art major 34 Stuff put into a barrel 35 Ditched 37 Hebrew master 38 Avian chatterbox 43 “Otherwise, you’ll regret it!’’

44 Less likely to put up a fight 45 Ample at the equator, say 46 Basel’s river 47 Any old town 48 “Me too’’ sort 49 Beaks 50 Arboretum specimen 51 Creep like lava 52 “Coming Home’’ costar 53 Adirondack chair part 54 Auditing firm hiree, for short

Awkward Turtle

By Meg Anderson anderson4@wisc.edu

sports

dailycardinal.com/sports

Fall Finals Issue 2008

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15

Men’s Basketball

Matchup with Longhorns highlights winter opponents

By Matt Fox THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team has completed only a third of its regular-season schedule, but has already experienced a few of exciting games. Three of UW’s games have been decided by three points

ISABEL ALVAREZ/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Senior forward Marcus Landry anchors UW’s stingy defense.

farewell from page 16 a horrifying experience in math 221, things quickly changed.

Fast forward through joining the Cardinal sports staff in 2005, editing PowerPlay in 2006 and holding down the sports desk last year as editor… suddenly the last four-and-a-half years have gone by extremely fast.

My tenure at the Cardinal has probably been one of the greatest experiences of my life… so far. Meeting

or fewer, and the Badgers have compiled a 7-2 overall record. Wisconsin’s season has been highlighted by a second-place finish in the Paradise Jam Tournament and a last-second victory over Virginia Tech in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.

In his second year as starter, junior guard Trévon Hughes has taken an assertive role in Wisconsin’s offense. Hughes leads the Badgers with 13.2 points per game and has scored in double figures in five of eight games this season. Hughes also hit game-winning shots against Iona and Virginia Tech.

Senior forward Marcus Landry has tried to lead by example during his final season. Landry ranks second on the team with 12.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Also, Landry’s 2.3 blocks per game ranks second in the conference.

In addition to the play of its starters, Wisconsin has also received a major boost from its bench.

Sophomore forward Jon Leuer has contributed 9.8 points per game off new people and making friendships that will undoubtedly last the test of time, the experiences at the DC alone were worth the endless nights spent at the office.

Looking back at it all, there is nothing worth changing.

There were the long road trips: going 90-100 mph through the mountains of Pennsylvania and the 22-straight hour drive back from this year’s Outback Bowl. The Christopher Walken impressions, throwing the

the bench, and his improvement has caught the attention of UW head coach Bo Ryan.

“When you gain strength, you gain confidence,” Ryan said. “He’s improved from last year with his strength, and if he keeps doing it, then that’s why you’re in college, to learn.”

Despite improvement from the team as a whole, Ryan believes there is still plenty to be learned, which begins with maintaining focus.

“We’ve got to get established,” Ryan said. “We need to keep learning from every game, and that’s something that’s been a delight to be a part of in coaching is that we’ve had, for the most part, young men that have gotten better as the year goes on at those things.”

Here are three critical games to watch as the Badgers compete over winter break:

67-66 victory in Austin last season.

This year, the Badgers will have the homecourt advantage, but once again the Longhorns will present a tremendous challenge for Wisconsin.

Leading the attack for the Longhorns is senior guard A.J. Abrams, who leads the team in scoring with 19 points per game.

Another offensive threat is junior forward Damion James, the Longhorns’ leading rebounder with 8.4 boards per contest, and the team’s secondleading scorer with 14.5 points per game.

Wolverines were anchored by their two stars: sophomore guard Manny Harris and junior forward DeShawn Sims. Harris leads the Big Ten in scoring with 20.8 points per game, while Sims leads the conference in rebounding with 8.4 per contest.

The Badgers will have to limit the offensive production of these two players in order to secure a victory.

Texas at Wisconsin, Dec. 23 Badger fans have likely not forgotten about Wisconsin’s thrilling,

Wisconsin at Michigan, Dec. 31 Michigan hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament in a decade, but the Wolverines’ surprising start has Michigan believing that could change very soon. The Badgers will travel to Ann Arbor to face the Wolverines for their first game of conference play.

Michigan has already beaten two top-five opponents, UCLA and Duke. In both victories, the

Wisconsin at Purdue, Jan. 11 After returning all five starters from last season’s 24-8 squad, the Boilermakers are once again a legitimate contender for the Big Ten regular-season title, and Wisconsin will have its hands full when the Badgers travel to Mackey Arena.

Purdue has four players averaging double figures, including sophomore guard E’Twaun Moore and sophomore forward Robbie Hummel.

Wisconsin will have to rely on its defense to shut down a high-powered Boilermaker offense that leads the Big Ten conference with 77 points per game.

football around in the office—sometimes to a person who was actually ready for it—and of course the annual football and softball games, have all shaped and molded this soon-to-begraduate.

I’d like to start off by thanking all the readers out there, however many or few there are, who’ve read my columns over the last year and a half. From the reader who only read it once to the few that read it consistently, thank you.

Secondly, I’d like to thank Sam

Pepper and Jon McNamara, who gave someone who knew nothing about sports journalism a chance to write for a top collegiate newspaper. They laid the blueprint for my own rise through the Cardinal ranks, and their ability to have such a laid-back attitude while producing a great page every day inspired me to do the same.

Obviously, everyone hopes to go down in the history books or be remembered forever outside Camp Randall Stadium. For this aspiring

sports writer, hopefully at least one person has read my work and somehow been motivated. If so, my work here is done.

So to those of you who hated what I wrote, this is probably a very good day for you. For everyone else: With any luck you enjoyed my articles as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Thank you, and “On, Wisconsin.”

Are you going to miss Nate? Tell him at ncarey@wisc.edu.

sports

Find out more on dailycardinal.com. Check our website for a women’s hockey semester in review, a report card for the UW football season and updates, including bowl coverage during winter break.

16 Fall Finals Issue 2008

dailycardinal.com/sports

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Football

A fond farewell to UW-Madison

Badgers ready to face ’Noles in Florida bowl

By Nate Carey THE DAILY CARDINAL

For the fifth-straight season, the Wisconsin football team will head to Florida for its bowl game, and for the third time in the last four years, the bowl will take place in Orlando.

However, unlike in past years, the Badgers will not be playing in the Capital One or Outback Bowl against a member of the Southeastern Conference. This season, Wisconsin (7-5) will take on the Florida State Seminoles (84) in the Champs Sports Bowl.

Although the scenery may

“Sometimes in life you get to go against a legend, and we get to do it twice in one year.”

Jay Valai sophomore safety UW football

not be too different from past bowl games, the opposition will be, something that Wisconsin is excited for.

“Some guys enjoy certain things with certain cities,” head coach Bret Bielema said. “But with this group and the way they refocused after the four-game stretch, to be able to right the ship and be where they are today,

NATE CAREY sports magnate

I think they wanted a quality opponent, and Florida State more than fits the bill for that.”

The Champs Sports Bowl game will mark the first meeting between the two schools, and the Badgers have not played an Atlantic Coast Conference team in a bowl game since defeating Duke in the 1995 Hall of Fame Bowl.

The face of Florida State for the last 31 years has been head coach Bobby Bowden. Bowden has guided the Seminoles to two national championships and 12 conference titles and is currently ranked second behind Penn State head coach Joe Paterno on the list of all-time career victories.

Playing against both coaches in one season, something that hasn’t been done since Virginia played the Seminoles and Nittany Lions in 2002, has been a powerful motivator for the Badgers, especially Bielema.

“I’m sure that I am going to get entertained for a week down there, just the personality he has. Ever since the first time I’ve really been in this coaching profession he reminds me of a guy I played for, Hayden Fry,” Bielema said.

Going against a “mastermind” like Bowden is inspiring to the players as well.

“Sometimes in life you get to go against a legend, and we get to do it twice in one year,”

T

DANNY MARCHEWKA/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Sophomore safety Jay Valai will face off against high school teammate Christian Ponder, the starting quarterback for FSU. sophomore safety Jay Valai said.

For Valai, the inspiration to play well and defeat FSU runs deeper, as he will play against his former high school teammate, Florida State sophomore quarterback Christian Ponder. “[He was] one of my best friends growing up, so it’s going to be fun, I know that I can’t wait,” Valai said while sighing.

“Ponder, Ponder, Ponder, Ponder, it’s going to be exciting.”

Giving an insider scouting report, Valai mentioned Ponder’s ability to not only pass well (1,807 yards and 12 touchdowns), but run the ball (404 yards, four touchdowns) efficiently, too.

However, Valai reminded teammates not to panic over the

Seminoles’ dual-threat quarterback. “He’s human, so he can fall down like everyone else,” Valai said.

Defensively, Florida State will present a tough matchup for Wisconsin. Junior defensive end Everette Brown has a team-high 12.5 sacks. In the secondary, Rhodes Scholar and junior safety Myron Rolle ranks second on the team with 57 tackles. FSU ranks 13th in both passing yards and rushing yards per game and give up an average of 20.8 points per contest.

“They’re fast. I think they have a great defense,” junior quarterback Dustin Sherer said. “We just got to go out there and play Wisconsin football, do our thing and take care of our business.”

Daily Cardinal End of Semester Awards Teams of the Semester

Male athlete of the semester: SCOTT LORENZ

Men: Cross Country

At the start of the season, head coach Mick Byrne faced the challenge of replacing legendary coach Jerry Schumacher, who had established a powerhouse program in Madison. All his squad did was earn Big Ten and NCAA regional titles on the way to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

LORENZ

Lorenz, a junior forward, was the top scorer for the Wisconsin men’s soccer team in 2008. He scored over one-third of the team’s goals and was a staple of the Badger offense.

Female athlete of the semester: HILARY KNIGHT

Women: Hockey

For a team that has gone to three consecutive national title games, winning two, this may be the best team yet. The Badgers are undefeated, have the best offense and defense in the country and have already dispatched three top-seven foes.

Points: 23 Goals: 10 Assists: 3 Shots: 60 Shots on goal: 34

KNIGHT

Points: 39 Goals: 22 Assists: 17 Power-play goals: 9

The sophomore women’s hockey forward leads the nation in goals and points and has led her team to an 18-0-2 record and the top spot in the polls.

Winter break Badger sports schedules Men’s Basketball Dec. 13 UW-Green Bay Dec. 20 Coppin State Dec. 23 Texas Dec. 31 at Michigan Jan. 3 Penn State Jan. 7 Northwestern Jan. 11 at Purdue Jan. 15 Minnesota

Women’s Basketball Dec. 13 Marquette Dec. 22 Iowa Dec. 29 Minnesota Jan. 1 at Illinois Jan. 4 at Northwestern Jan. 8 Ohio State Jan. 11 Michigan Jan. 15 at Indiana Jan. 18 Illinois

Men’s Hockey Badger Hockey Showcase Dec. 27 AlabamaHuntsville Dec. 28 Harvard/ Lake Superior State Jan. 2/3 Northern Michigan Jan. 9/10 Alaska-Anchorage Jan. 16/17 Colorado College

Women’s Hockey Jan. 2 U.S. Select Team Jan. 9 Minnesota-Duluth Jan. 10 Minnesota-Duluth Jan. 16 North Dakota Jan. 17 North Dakota

his is the end… my only friend, the end.

Jim Morrison might have had a more depressing tone in mind when he wrote “The End” for the Doors, but while writing the final column of one’s collegiate career, it is hard not to feel the same way.

After doing something for so long—both school and writing for The Daily Cardinal—it is hard to imagine life without it. However, Jim was singing about an ex-girlfriend and I’m just lamenting over the end of a column.

So why do it? Why write a column? Is it to gain glory and fame by having your photo in the paper?

For most writers the answer is “no.”

No one notices or really cares who wrote what and as long as the article they are reading before class is more entertaining than people watching, the masses are satisfied.

No, the real reason is to tell a story—in this case a sports story—and try to convey some level of intelligence while doing so. For me, most articles begin and end in a form of incoherent babble that can only be understood by translating it after two pitchers of Guinness and sending it to Ireland.

But this is a happy time, a joyous occasion. The future is bright as another “well-rounded” product hops off of the UW-Madison assembly line, and it is sports that make it so bright.

The time from spring of 2005 to 2006 is a perfect example. The Wisconsin football team cruised over a “more talented” and “much faster” Auburn team 24-10 in the Capital One Bowl. The men’s basketball team almost made it to the Final Four, and the men’s hockey team returned to national prominence and won the NCAA national championship in early 2006.

This was the highlight of an extremely successful time in Badger athletics, and it is great to have been a part of it. But things are by no means perfect. College athletics are a flawed system in which money reigns supreme, and the lack of interaction between athletes and the media has fallen to an all-time low—past articles of mine have been fully devoted to rants of this kind.

If anything, my time at The Daily Cardinal and on this campus has opened up my eyes to the real world.

Skepticism and pessimism rank much higher now than they did arriving in 2004, and in the end that is really the point. To be labeled a “Homer” is the worst thing for a sports writer, and because of a UW-Madison education, hopefully I will never be awarded that disgrace. Although I may not be a wellrounded individual, this university has readied me for that dreadful outside world only seen in the old allergy commercials with the attacking flowers.

The end has finally come, and with the end of any journey or chapter in one’s life, it always leads to reminiscing.

Coming to UW-Madison in the fall of 2004, a naïve kid from Seymour, Wis., moved into the A-tower of Witte Hall and began his first semester, supposedly on his way to becoming a mechanical engineer. But thanks to an English class with a sports topic and farewell page 15