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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Eagon and Woulf win District 8 primary By Rebecca Holland THE DAILY CARDINAL

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Gov. Doyle delivers his budget address Tuesday on the Assembly ﬂoor and announces a budget plan for the 2009-11 biennium, which must solve a projected $5.7 billion deﬁcit.

Doyle unveils plan with ‘largest cuts ever seen’ By Hannah Furfaro THE DAILY CARDINAL

Gov. Jim Doyle’s 2009-11 budget proposal unveiled Tuesday calls for sacrifices from taxpayers and smokers while attempting to protect education in the midst of the largest cuts the state has ever had to make. In light of the anticipated $5.7 billion deficit for the 2009-11 biennium, Doyle announced an “across the board” cut in state spending totaling over $2.2 billion over the next two years. Despite these reductions, Doyle promised to protect education funding. Doyle also promised a positive balance of $270 million by the end of 2011. The budget will provide a $12 million increase for need-based financial aid but also includes a cut of $174 million over two years for UW System schools. “Our university system is going to have to be more resourceful, but this budget makes sure that more

students in Wisconsin have a shot at a higher education and that tuition stays within the means of Wisconsin families,” Doyle said. UW System President Kevin Reilly said in a statement the entire UW System will be affected by these cuts, but it is too early to judge how they will affect campuses or academic departments. “In this down economy when lots of families have serious questions about whether or not they can afford college, we and the governor agree something must be done to ensure we don’t lose talented students,” UW System spokesperson David Giroux said. In an unprecedented move, Doyle and the UW System worked in conjunction on a plan that freezes tuition for families with an income below $60,000. “We applaud Governor Doyle’s efforts to protect higher education in Wisconsin and his recognition that quality education and research are critical to short- and long-term

economic health,” Chancellor Biddy Martin said in statement. Doyle also announced a 1 percent tax increase on yearly incomes over $300,000 to raise revenues while protecting middle class earners. “If you’re like 99 percent of Wisconsin, you won’t pay this tax,” Doyle said. The budget proposal includes both an additional 75-cent tax on a pack of cigarettes and a statewide smoking ban. Doyle cited prevention of youth addiction, increasing public health and decreasing state health-care costs as motivations for both proposals. “If the goal is to reduce smoking, and even further to reduce teen smoking and getting people started, it’s admirable,” Rep. Phil Montgomery, R-Green Bay, said. Other aspects of the proposal include giving beneﬁts to domestic partners and moving nonviolent offenders to rehabilitation programs early.

District 8 Alder candidates Bryon Eagon and Mark Woulf will continue their respective campaigns after winning the primary election Tuesday night. In a district that is 98 percent students, an unofﬁcial vote count totaled 498. Eagon took 263 votes and Woulf landed 117, beating out candidates Katrina Flores, with 110, and Jacob Schmidt, with 38. Eagon and WOULF Woulf, both 20 years old, are UWMadison students. Eagon lists downtown and campus safety as his top priority. Eagon also represents students on ASM Student Council and holds leadership positions in the student group Students for Barack Obama. After it was announced he would move on, Eagon thanked his supporters. “I deﬁnitely appreciate the support of students and look forward to continuing to talk with them over the next few weeks as the campaign moves forward,” Eagon said. Woulf focuses on issues related to alcohol and student safety. He

has served as a representative on the Alcohol and Other Drug Task Force and has argued for greater redistribution of police forces on the streets, rather than patrolling for house parties. District 8 residents were able to vote at Memorial Union, Memorial Library, Gordon Commons or Porchlight Tuesday. Adam Young, chief inspectoratGordon Commons, where the majority of voters cast their ballots, said voter turnout was low. At 2:30 p.m., only EAGON 110 people had voted, compared to 2500 in the November presidential elections. Young said low turnout was unfortunate because each vote carries more weight in smaller elections.“I would feel terrible if someone won or lost an election by one vote and I didn’t vote,” Young said. “But a lot of people don’t think it’s important. That’s the honest truth.” Young also said citizens have more direct communication with city ofﬁcials. “If you’ve got a problem with primary page 3

Troops honored before deployment to Iraq By Joe Skurzewski THE DAILY CARDINAL

Gov. Jim Doyle, along with state and national politicians and military officials, paid homage Tuesday to Wisconsin Army National Guard soldiers preparing for active duty and deployment to Iraq. A sea of camouflage, speckled with the faces of 3,200 anxious soldiers, covered the floor of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Alliant Energy Center Tuesday afternoon. The event marked the largest deployment of troops in the state of Wisconsin since World War II.

U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., acknowledged how some troops were entering their second or third tours in Iraq. U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told the troops they should contact their representatives if they do not have the equipment they need, receiving an ovation. Doyle addressed the troops last with words of encouragement. “We have the ﬁnest citizen militia anywhere in the world here in Wisconsin, in the Wisconsin National Guard,” he said. guard page 3

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UW to make partnership with Iraqi university By Erin Banco THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison officials and representatives from an Iraqi university took the first step in developing a relationship for the future in a teleconference phone call Feb. 13. According to Cynthia Williams, development program manager for the UW-Madison Division of International Studies, several faculty members from campus participated in the call. Gilles Bousquet, dean of the

Division of International Studies, lead the discussion with U.S. Embassy officials from the Salah ad Din Provincial Reconstruction Team in Iraq, who will help facilitate UW-Madison’s relationship with Tikrit University. Tikrit University, founded in 1987, is one of the largest universities in Iraq with over 12,000 students. “We believe that this is an exciting opportunity for both of our institutions,” Bousquet said in a statement. “Education will

play a key role in rebuilding Iraq, and UW-Madison has a strong tradition of international service and collaboration.” Williams said officials who participated in the phone call explored areas the universities could collaborate on in the future. “We asked what the needs were in Tikrit and what were some of the things we might have expertise in that would be helpful partnership page 3

GRACE FLANNERY/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Thousands of members of the National Guard gather at the Alliant Energy Center Tuesday for a ceremony honoring their service.

“…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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TODAY: snow hi 31º / lo 6º

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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

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

The reasoning behind the decline in Uggs

Volume 118, Issue 95

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News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Alex Morrell Managing Editor Gabe Ubatuba Campus Editor Erin Banco Rachel Holzman City Editor State Editor Megan Orear Charles Brace Enterprise Editor Associate News Editor Caitlin Gath Opinion Editor Nick Dmytrenko Jon Spike Arts Editors Kevin Slane Justin Stephani Sports Editors Ben Breiner Crystal Crowns Features Editor Diana Savage Food Editor Sara Barreau Science Editor Bill Andrews Photo Editors Kyle Bursaw Lorenzo Zemella Graphics Editors Amy Gifﬁn Jenny Peek Copy Chiefs Kate Manegold Emma Roller Jake Victor Copy Editors Danny Marchewka Caitlin Sachs, Todd Stevens

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

ASHLEY SPENCER back that ash up

no longer buy movies ondemand. I buy the crappy toilet paper that is rough and saves me a whole 43 cents. Sometimes, I steal nasty organic toilet paper from a certain coffee house’s bathroom. I no longer spend money unwisely on the weekends when I need to make myself feel better by purchasing my value in clothes. A hearty meal is a bowl of Progresso soup and a stick of gum. I thought I was living in poverty because I was a college student, until I realized my parents started buying the gross toilet paper, too. Sure, these times are tough in America and at Madison. I’ve seen the recession hit our very campus with a noticeable drop in Ugg prevalence on Bascom Hill. Personally, I was enjoying the idea of a recession because I thought it would give me a legitimate excuse to self-loathe in the comfort of my parents’ base-

ment for at least three months after graduation, while my father worked to feed me and my cheese habit. But now it looks as if my white suburban dreams are shattered. My middle-class family will no longer be able to afford me. This is what my father, Edward C. Spencer, claimed after I asked him to send me some computer paper to print out my homework and some résumés. He denied my request and told me to go steal from a campus library. He then said when I moved back in, he hoped I might be the primary breadwinner. My mom works three days a week at a preschool, and my younger brother works at a kids’ jungle gym called “Pump It Up” on the weekends. Already, the competition was ﬁerce; they make a whole eight dollars an hour, something I cannot fully wrap my head around. My dad is a trader at the Chicago Board of Trade. And despite working for him one summer, I have no clue what he actually does besides jump around in a pit of men all wearing bright, multi-colored jackets, making sign-language gestures and yelling at each other. He

ping at 64 bands under “current favorite” music will compromise her true breadth of musical taste, thus portraying her as a philistine to her hipster friends.

Year: Wisconsin ’12 Field: Pre-Pharmacy Friends: 497 Groups: 32

Editorial Board l

Groups about Brett Favre: 3

Clothing items under Interests: 4

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watches the numbers on screens, slaps his own forehead and curses our Visa bill. The man works from 9:00-1:30, which is when the market is open. I’ve always considered going into the family trade for the hours alone. If only I could understand the concept of buying and selling, get over my fear of unflattering coats and learn basic math. Because of the economy, my dad is thinking about getting a new job at the youthful age of 52. I suggested he aim high and apply at Starbucks or Old Navy, but it’s my mom who’s been making his coffee and folding his laundry for years, giving him no expertise in those careers. “Would you show me how to make a résumé?” my dad asked, as he has been working at the Board of Trade since his college graduation and hasn’t had to do anything like this since the ’70s when he smoked weed and wore paisleys. “Sure,” I said, knowing full well it would take this man a good seven hours to type up this sort of document on an actual computer, if he could figure out how to turn one on first. Obviously, anything involving computers is

the daily cardinal makes fun of you Emily Aycock is concerned that stop-

Nick Dmytrenko Dave Heller Alex Morrell Frances Provine Jon Spike Gabe Ubatuba Hannah Young

Vince Filak Alex Kusters Mikhail Hanson Nik Hawkins Dave Heller Janet Larson Chris Long Alex Morrell Sheila Phillips Benjamin Sayre Jenny Sereno Terry Shelton Jeff Smoller Jason Stein

THURSDAY: snow hi 18º / lo 8º

Watch out for Aycock’s step-brother, Tim Eervagina. What a prick.

Videos of co-ordinated Harry Potter song and dance routines performed in Chemistry class: 1

out—from a Best Buy salesman to a Blockbuster guy to a librarian. We discussed other places he could work. Food service was out, as T.G.I. Friday’s wasn’t hiring, plus cheap blue eye shadow is unbecoming on my father. Landscaper was out, as my father has never mowed our lawn, watered our ﬂowers or trimmed our bushes. My dad thought he might be good at sales, so I asked him to give me a pitch and try to talk me into something. “Buy this shit,” my dad said in his gruff Chicago accent. “Wow,” I said. “Convincing.” It was at that point that I realized I was going to have to man up and help out my poor, starving family that can no longer afford to buy namebrand sneakers or laundry detergent. My dad couldn’t sell a wig to a bald woman, my mom’s too pretty and delicate to work more than three days and my brother’s work routine involves jumping into a pit of rubber balls. My future has never looked so bright, at least in comparison. And that’s a point of a family: to make you feel better about yourself. If you’d like to give Ashley career tips, e-mail her at aaspencer@wisc.edu.

Want to write, copy edit, take photos or draw for The Daily Cardinal? E-mail edit@dailycardinal.com

Most Embarrassing Item: You may expect that Emily’s relationship would be her most embarrassing item. After all, a girl whose favorite thing is anything pink and is dating Travis (Aycock lover) is pretty out of the ordinary. Her choreographed Harry Potter Dance Video, however, takes the cake. Watching as several girls dance behind a chemistry lab table, bobbing up and down while singing the names of characters in the movie raises two major questions: “How?” and “Why?” Like many viral-video legends past, it is both unbelievable and ghastly... yet we can’t look away. Stupid Fact About Your Hometown [Kewaskum, Wis.]: Kewaskum has 14 videos on YouTube, including four about Sunburst Ski Area, six of homes for sale (presumably people trying to get out of Kewaskum), one about a waterwheel-powered pencil sharpener, one about dirt biking and one about paintballing—unfortunately, zero that represent Kewaskum well. Missed Opportunity: Emily claims she enjoys watching “pretty much anything that’s on... lol.” Indeed, her favorite TV programming spans a range from the “The O.C.” all the way to “One Tree Hill.” Perhaps this would have been a good place to show how well-rounded of an individual you truly are, Emily—after all, you do like clothes, ﬂip-ﬂops, sandals and jeans. Saving Grace: Proud member of The Anti-Jonas Brothers Club. Even though most of the 64 artists under her “current favorites” preach to a middleschooler’s angst, being Anti-Jonas Bros. is a step in the right direction.

Want your Facebook proﬁle to be made fun of? Join the group “The Daily Cardinal Makes Fun of You.”

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

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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Professor to host new Big Ten TV show A new program produced by University Communications will make its national debut Thursday at 4 p.m. on the Big Ten Network. Ken Goldstein, UW-Madison professor of political science, will host the show “Office Hours.” The show will feature some of the most intelligent community members at UW-Madison and cover topics ranging from stemcell research to studying the criminal mind. Peter Kleppin, senior university relations specialist at University Communications, is in charge of managing the logistics of the show. “[The show] will not only showcase [the professor’s] knowledge but do it in such a way that is informative to the general public,” Kleppin said. Though the show is only transitory, the Big Ten Network provided UW-Madison, Penn State and Northwestern University

an hour of primetime showing a week, which will stream in April. Kleppin said University Communications hopes “Office Hours” will fill the allotted hour. “The quality of programming that we’ve been producing, between the three of us, is reasonably good,” Kleppin said. “We’ve got shows that are in post production right now and [the Big Ten Network] knew we could fill the programming slots.” Thursday’s episode will focus on the nation’s current economic state, with guests Mike Knetter, dean of the Wisconsin School of Business, and Morris Davis, assistant professor at the Wisconsin School of Business. Students and faculty can watch the show on Dish Network channel 439, Direct TV channel 610 and Charter cable channel 73. —Brandice Altfillisch

Battery victim left in the dark A UW-Madison student was a victim of battery late Friday night but reportedly had no recollection of being hit after waking up the next morning. According to a police report, the 20-year-old victim reported the incident Monday afternoon. The victim told police he had been at a house party on Mound Street and said someone had punched him in the face. The student is unsure of whether he was hit inside or outside the party and has no memory of

guard from page 1 The UW Marching Band closed out an otherwise sobering event with renditions of “On Wisconsin” and “If You Want To Be A Badger.” Throughout the afternoon, family and friends of the troops also received praise for their sacrifices and their support of the military. Gale and Walt Jackson, whose son Daniel is a sergeant in the 829th Engineering Company headed for Texas, expressed gratitude for the support that their son and his comrades continue to receive. Daniel also served in Kuwait in the Persian Gulf War.

partnership from page 1 to them,” she said. Williams said the next step in establishing the relationship is planning a teleconference between Chancellor Biddy

primary from page 1 the city of Madison, you can call and speak to your elected ofﬁcial,” Young said. “You can’t do that with President Obama.” An election ofﬁcial since 1984, Young said low turnout is typical of alderic elections but shouldn’t be, especially because many issues

being hit. The victim remembers waking up Saturday morning at his University Avenue apartment and having his roommates take him to a local hospital. The victim had two of his teeth knocked out from the battery. There are currently no suspects in the case, but Madison police are helping the victim retrace his steps and are trying to identify others who were at the party with any information on the suspect. “I think it’s great that the state and the people are supporting the soldiers the way they are,” Walt Jackson said. “It wasn’t like this 45 years ago.” Daniel’s mother Gale said this deployment was harder for the family than when her son went to the Persian Gulf. “Maybe we’re more aware. And it’s Iraq, and not Kuwait,” she said. In the remaining weeks of February, the 3,200 troops will join the rest of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, also known as the “Red Arrow” brigade, at the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. The 32nd will then head to Iraq for a 12month tour of duty. Martin and Maher Saleh Allawi, president of Tikrit University, in the upcoming weeks. Allawi first contacted Martin about the partnership in late January. According to Williams, there is no set timeline for the development of the relationship. directly involve students. “A lot of students rent in private buildings, and there’s always the drinking issue that comes up with students,” Young said. The spring election, which will be held on April 7, will determine whether Woulf or Eagon takes Eli Judge’s position as District 8 Alder.

news

Paw & Order

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A Madison police officer and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz pet “Martie,” the sixth addition to the Madison Police Department’s K-9 team.

Man exposes genitals to woman and asks if she wants a feel A man exposed his genitals to a 23-year-old woman Friday afternoon and asked if she was interested in touching them. According to a police report, the woman contacted Madison police around 2 p.m. after the man approached her. The victim told police the man had

revealed his genitals to her while she was walking down the 10 block of North Hancock Street. After he inquired about touching his privates, the suspect reportedly attempted to follow her into her nearby residence. Responding police ofﬁcers held a man in custody, but the victim was

unable to positively identify the man as the suspect. The suspect is described as a white male, in his 20s, 5'6", thin build, with dirty-blonde or light-brown “buzz-cut” hair. He was reported wearing a tan or light-brown jacket, tennis shoes and carrying a black backpack.

Pharmaceutical case settlement brings in $9 million for state Although Wisconsin faces a budget deﬁcit in the billions, it will soon be $9 million richer in damages after a Dane County Jury found a pharmaceutical company guilty of fraudulent prices Monday. According to a statement from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the jury determined the company, Pharmacia Corporation, committed Medicaid and consumer fraud

budget from page 1 The $787 billion federal stimulus package President Obama signed into law Tuesday will help close the budget deﬁcit, Doyle said. Doyle promised to efﬁciently use Wisconsin’s share of this package, which he previously predicted to be around $3.5 billion. According to a White House statement, the American Recovery

by reporting signiﬁcantly inﬂated drug prices to health-care providers. Medicaid then had to reimburse these providers at a price much higher than the drugs’ actual value. The company, which violated the Medicaid Fraud law 1,440,000 times, may have to pay millions more in penalties on a case-by-case basis, the statement said. “Those fraudulent price

reports cheated the taxpayers of Wisconsin. I won’t tolerate fraud,” Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said in the statement. Pharmacia must give $7 million to the state to compensate for its money lost because of these high prices in addition to the $2 million it owes for violating consumer protection laws, according to the statement.

and Reinvestment Act will create or retain at estimated 70,000 jobs in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Agency Liaison Dick Jones said the majority of the new jobs will be in the area of infrastructure. In addition to employment, the bill focuses on increasing funding of higher education. Reilly hailed the bill as a step forward for Wisconsin students and families for its contribution to

financial aid. According to Montgomery, UW students are crucial to the future of the state. “It is in tough times, it is in the crucible of the fire that we find ourselves now that we will come out stronger, and it will be the students at the UW right now that will lead the way,” Montgomery said. —Jessica Feld contributed to this report

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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

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

doyle budget not sharing sacrifice

resident Obama ran on the coattails of the buzzword “change.” After unveiling his two-year budget plan for Wisconsin, Gov. Jim Doyle is pushing his budget on the tagline of “sacrifice.” In a very controversial portion of Doyle’s proposed budget, he proposed a new tax bracket for the top 1 percent of residents, a move that would raise their taxes by $312 million over two years. In addition, Doyle also proposed an increased income tax on individuals making more than $225,000 a year and couples making more than $300,000 a year. Although Doyle said Wisconsinites must share “the sacrifice,” the “we” portion seems to translate to the middle and upper classes. Even though wealthier members of the state may be able to handle tax increases, the effect on smaller businesses may be an issue Doyle will have to address down the road. Doyle also sent conflicting messages about his earlier convictions on education during the State of the State address in January, especially with the proposed funding in the new budget. “I will not allow cuts that ruin the quality of our classrooms or make universities and technical colleges out of reach for working families,” Doyle said in the January address. However, his proposed budget does not include any increased federal support to UW System colleges, choosing instead to feed the funds into K-12 schools only. The plan also includes a cut of $174 million over two years for the UW System. If Doyle considers this an effective measure to make Wisconsin universities and technical colleges available for working-class families, he is sadly mistaken. Even if Doyle is able to appropriate more funds for financial aid, an almost certain rise in tuitions around the UW System and a sus-

tained economic recession essentially price out many families. In addition, Doyle proposed a 75-cent cigarette-tax increase in the budget, following a $1-per-pack increase enacted in January 2008. The proposed increase would allegedly raise an additional $290 million over the next two years. However, we cannot help but remain skeptical. The last time Doyle and the Wisconsin Legislature relied on a cigarette tax in the budget projections, their numbers were millions short. Also, Doyle included a statewide smoking ban along with his budget proposal. If passed, the ban would cripple the estimated total revenue from the cigarette tax. Although we support most forms of sin tax in the state, Doyle cannot assume such taxes are going to reach their estimated totals, especially if he does it simply to curb smoking. With the public-relations nightmare Wisconsin’s alcoholism has become, perhaps a larger alcohol tax is needed. Doyle also proposed some wise budgetary decisions that transcend cost. Doyle’s proposed budget allows state workers and UW-Madison employees to add their partners, regardless of sexual orientation, to state health-insurance coverage plans. Doyle described the added cost as “modest,” but any cost to bring the university and state up to standard in equality is money well spent. Doyle’s proposed budget focuses on carefully thinning the “basic expectations” of government—such as education, safety and health care— as to still provide effective services. Although we applaud Doyle for keeping these sacriﬁces to a minimum, we question whether his all-encompassing “sacriﬁce” by all Wisconsinites is entirely accurate, and whether his projections account for the uncertain effects of upper-class tax bumps and cigarette tax hikes.

America’s troubles with math keep multiplying SEAN MCMASTER opinion columnist

must admit, as a math major, a little bit of me dies when I hear someone say, “I hate math.” What did math ever do to you? In fact, math may be one of the most helpful and useful skills that a person can learn in life. You use math every day, whether you are purchasing that late-night cup of coffee at the library or calculating just how long you have until your next class. Even cavemen used math to divide rations for the day. Math is basic logic hardwired into our brains and is the inquisitive nature of the human persona that fuels what we call science.

The decrease in math education over the years may be a root cause of the nation’s ﬁnancial woes.

Americans pride themselves on having a culture with pronounced technological prowess, much of which is rooted in mathematical and scientific advancements. Despite this fact, our nation doesn’t rank in the top 10 nations in the world with respect to math and science education. The quality of education in the two subjects has significantly fallen since the end of the Cold War, when technological advancement played an escalating role and ultimately depended on the education of the next generation. It seems that without the daily threat of mutually assured destruction,

education in the sciences goes on the back burner. One of the hardest concepts to grasp in elementary education was the fraction. A simple yet elusive expression containing two numbers, one above the other, with a bar separating the two. Such practical applications could be used to describe the amount of each color of M&Ms in a single bag. However, it seems that to this day, fractions still haunt many people, or at least corporations feel this way. For example, if you were to inquire about M&M distribution to the Mars Corporation, they would send you the following distribution for dark chocolate M&Ms: 17 percent cyan blue, 16 percent orange, 16 percent green, 17 percent bright yellow, 17 percent red and 17 percent brown. They deliberately provide numbers that are arbitrarily rounded. A more precise and accurate characterization of the colors would be: 1/6 cyan blue, 1/6 orange, 1/6 green, 1/6 bright yellow, 1/6 red and 1/6 brown. However, this would just induce unneeded panic because fractions are “scary.” On the bright side, at least the percentages add up to 100. In Germany, the numbers for M&M production go out to a decimal but do not necessarily total 100 percent. One might question if this is truly more accurate.

It seems that without the daily threat of mutually assured destruction, science education goes on the back burner.

The decrease in math education over the years may be a root cause of the nation’s financial

woes. The concept of financial responsibility, which includes income being greater than the amount spent, is a basic math concept of inequalities.

A little bit of me dies when I hear someone say, “I hate math.”

Failing to foster the education of the youth is not our nation’s only inadequacy in regards to the sciences. The budget of the National Institutes of Health, an institute responsible for funding much of the academic research in the United States as well as experiments on campus, has not increased since 2004 when inflation is accounted for. This stalls basic research instead of expanding its purview and influence, resulting in decreased applications and fewer medically relevant treatments. However, this might change, and the NIH may receive a modest $1.5 billion from the bailout bill that was just signed (one of the few benefits of this burden of debt). Maybe a few more research pursuits will emerge from this payment. Nevertheless, this is still a pittance in comparison to the institute’s budget as a whole. Really, math does not suck; it just may be the universal language linking everyone in the world. So, next time you check Facebook, bundle up to fend off the Wisconsin winter or go to the doctor’s ofﬁce, think about all the math and science that got you there and provided you with these amenities. Sean McMaster is a junior majoring in biochemistry and mathematics. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Evolutionist theory still just a theory In his recent piece titled “Darwin’s legacy muddled in sad, pointless debate,” Anthony Cefali extols the virtues of open debate in order “to better understand ... and possibly even to improve [subjects].” Yet apparently in practice, when the tide of opinion turns against his position, it becomes a “sad, pointless debate.” The opposing view is “arrogant” and motivated by “perverse special interests.” It rather seems like the form of debate he appears to encourage is a mere mockery of real debate; one in which his side always wins and the opposition is effectively silenced. Apart from the self-contradiction and ad-hominem argument, Cefali’s piece lamenting the continuing debate over evolution is rife with straw-man misrepresentation and a general demonstration of misunder-

standing. The mention of Carl Sagan toward the closing of his article is fortuitous, because Sagan serves as an excellent illustration of one of the many things Cefali doesn’t seem to understand.

A primary argument against evolution is that it postulates information from processes that haven’t been observed.

Sagan was involved with SETI, which scoured the cosmos for ordered information, primarily in the form of radio signals. They did this because they understood that information belies intelligence. Human experience conﬁ rms

that information only rises from an intelligent cause. DNA is highly ordered information and the quantity of information contained in a living cell is staggering. A primary argument against evolution is that it postulates information arising from random processes, which has never been observed. Evolutionists have yet to postulate a method for this vast quantity of information to be generated. A quick YouTube search for “Richard Dawkins information” reveals that he at least isn’t aware of such a process. I for one think a little more debate and a little more searching is acceptable before it becomes sad and pointless. —Timothy Reasa UW-Madison student Undeclared major

arts

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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Charles Spearin talks happiness with friends By David Reed

schooler form the basis for a disco-jazz ﬂourish. Charles Spearin’s The In this way, the interviews Happiness Project is not an album act as pebbles tossed into a still in the conventional sense, but pond, with the music emergmore of a musical experiment ing as naturally as ripples in that incorporates the voices of the water. This becomes most effective as the ripples extend those we hear around us. Spearin, known predomi- further out and Spearin and nately through his association his band take more and more with Broken Social Scene and liberties and further embelDo Make Say Think, recorded lishments to create a resonant interviews conducted with piece of music, which is where his neighbors concerning the you hear the most influence topic of happiness, and along from Spearin’s other works. The process is transparent, with a host of other musicians (some of them also associated but it is meant to be. The with his other projects) used sound of voices and instruments mimicktheir voices as CD REVIEW ing each other the basis for invokes an songwriting in emotional resoan attempt to nance to both “blur the line aspects. The between speaking and singmusic derived ing, and write from the natural inflecmusic based on The Happiness tions of the these accidenProject tal melodies.” speaker’s voice Charles Spearin T h e enhances and Happiness Project is a concept is enhanced by the juxtaposialbum at its core, and despite tion with its source. The words the grave connotations of are frequently left behind as such a definition, the album the music takes over, but the is (almost surprisingly) effec- listener is aware that the origin tive and extremely accessible. of the composition is based on The album never obsesses the words and voices of these itself with the premise to the individuals. In this way, they point of becoming derivative never leave us. and frequently allows itself to The Happiness Project’s most break from the confines of its astounding accomplishment, intended goal. The songs have however, is not its ability to no misgivings with breaking personify its human subjects away from the spoken-word through music, but the fact component and merely explor- that the music itself becomes ing the musical aspect the personified through the words words have inspired. and voices of Spearin’s neighOften, after presenting an bors. In “Ondine,” the listener entire portion of an interview, likens the whine of a violin to Spearin will focus on a cer- that of a child, and in using the tain phrase or sentence that has instrument as a replacement particular musical cadence or for the human voice, Spearin rhythm and use that one line gives the sound a new life. as a core melody or movement, We are reminded that all often by associating it with a sound can be and essentially specific instrument, which is music, and that instruments becomes the starting point for are tools for reproducing the developing a song. For example, sounds we hear all around us. on the track “Mrs. Morris,” the The trumpet is no longer simintonation of her voice is traced ply a trumpet, but the sound virtually note for note with a of our neighbor discussing with trumpet, and in “Vittoria,” the us the events of her life and “like’s” and “um’s” of a grade- what it means to be happy. THE DAILY CARDINAL

PHOTO COURTESY GOLD CIRCLE FILMS

‘New in Town’ presents the situational humor of a big-city girl from Miami placed in the small town of New Ulm, Minn, where learning to adjust to her surroundings eventually leads to an entertaining love story.

Nothing ‘new’ to see here

Renée Zellweger steps into the spotlight in this new romantic comedy By Crystal Crowns THE DAILY CARDINAL

“New in Town” is the perfect film to enjoy if you aren’t in the mood to think. The plot is simple and very predictable, and even though you will probably know how the film is going to end after the first 20 minutes, it’s entertaining to watch the romance and character developments unfold. Renée Zellweger plays Lucy Hill, a career-driven woman looking to work her way up the corporate ladder as she volunteers to restructure a manufacturing plant in New Ulm, Minn. The freezing winter weather in this small town is about as cold as Lucy’s heart. She has every intention of cutting jobs and has no interest in making friends with the townies. She thinks she is better than everybody she meets and finds it hard to adapt to the laid-back lifestyle in the small town. Lucy also seems to have all the material possessions she needs and a near-to-perfect life when she is living down south and working within an urban surrounding, but she notices that something is missing in her life: love. It is the little things in life that Lucy has always taken for granted. She soon learns that the key to happiness can’t be bought, nor can it be found without the help of friends along the way.

Lucy’s ﬁrst night in New Ulm is spent at her quirky, scrapbookmaking, tapioca-loving assistant Blanche’s house, where she has dinner with some true Minnesotans and meets the union leader, Ted (Harry Connick Jr.). Lucy and Ted appear to be complete opposites with only stubborn attitudes in common. Inevitably, they wind up arguing and eventually leave the dinner table after barely touching their meatloaf.

“New in Town” reveals the importance of not taking people at face value.

To successfully complete her job, however, Lucy must gain the cooperation of Ted and the union. After realizing this, she attempts to make peace with the man. Ted slowly begins to warm up to Lucy, and when he realizes he needs the help of a woman to get his daughter ready for a school dance, Lucy does not hesitate to put her superior sense of fashion to use. While Ted’s daughter is at the dance, Lucy gets a deeper look into Ted’s soul and realizes there is more to him than ﬂannel shirts and a scruffy chin.

Lucy eventually lets her guard down with Ted and tries to put herself in the boots of a Minnesotan, and they even go bird hunting together. “New in Town” has scenes that are laugh-out-loud funny, especially when Lucy’s big-city attitude is mixed with the small-town humor. At one point in the film, Ted tells Lucy to wear something that she can get dirty. As a result, Lucy puts on a thong because she thought he meant something sexually ‘dirty.’ The majority of the humor is right on the surface so viewers won’t have to look too hard for laughs. Additionally, it’s entertaining to watch Lucy and Ted’s relationship unfold, as they initially appear to have nothing in common, wind up hating each other but eventually fall in love. Lucy evolves into a lady who sees the importance of friendship, and after developing strong relationships with the townspeople, her heart thaws out and she is able to save the New Ulm branch and move up in the corporate ranks. “New in Town” reveals the importance of not taking people at face value. To gain a true understanding of who a person is, you must look past first impressions and be open to a life outside of your comfort zone. Only then will you figure out who people truly are, and only then will you find your true self. Grade: B

Will Joss Whedon’s ‘Dollhouse’ find a place in today’s science-fiction genre? ALI ROTHSCHILD season fin-ali

cience fiction, outside of the “Star Wars” franchise, always seems to come firmly attached to the word “cult.” In other words, you have to be some sort of marginalized freak to enjoy anything in the realm of fantasy, magic or space travel. Joss Whedon, creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel” and “Firefly,” probably has one of the biggest followings in the aforementioned realm. However, Whedon has also gained popularity outside of cult status (aka “the mainstream”) that other sci-fi franchises (“Battlestar Galactica,”

the more recent “Star Trek” incarnations, arguably even “Heroes”) have not. Perhaps this is because Whedon does a great deal of gender- and genre-blending in the traditionally limited sci-fi world, and he doe s a great job of it, too. Who else but Whedon would mix the genres of science fiction and musical theater in “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog,” a musicalsuperhero spoof that aired online during the writers’ strike of the 2007-’08 season? Whedon also manages to put strong female characters at the center of his shows in a genre that had previously been decidedly male. It is a great disappointment, then, to see that Whedon’s newest creation, “Dollhouse” starring Eliza Dushku and airing on Fox, looks like it’s going to be such a

freaking dud. The premise is that Echo (Dushku) has her personality wiped clear in some sort of futuristic laboratory so that it can be imprinted with other personalities. She is then sent out into the world to perform various tasks while being monitored by the people at this Dollhouse laboratory.

Although robots with human traits may be exciting, humans who act like robots do not create the same intrigue.

I’m willing to give Whedon the benefit of the doubt, as he has surprised me many times before.

However, after last week’s premiere of “Dollhouse,” it’s clear that Whedon has abandoned many of the rules that make his personal twist on sci-fi popular in the first place. The reason science-fiction shows are popular is because the weird, robotic and other-worldly have always felt strangely human. But in its first episode, “Dollhouse” has cleared the protagonist of her personality. Although we may pull for her to get a personality back, it’s going to be hard to identify with someone who is missing the root of what we consider it is to be human. Additionally, there seems to be no apparent deeper meaning underneath the goings-on at the Dollhouse factory. Eliza Dushku looks great and

all that, but her status as “bangin’ robot” makes me wonder how Whedon’s usually strong, independent female protagonists turned into nothing more than a male fantasy. In the world of sci-fi, there is never going to be an overwhelming appraisal of one specific show, series or superhero, because the appeal of a cult following is that only a certain amount of people “get it.” Whedon, who has managed popularity outside the “weird science kids club,” may not even attract his cult following, because although robots with human traits may be exciting, humans who act like robots do not create the same intrigue. Do you think a “bangin’ robot” is exactly what a sci-fi series needs to survive in today’s society? E-mail Ali at rothschild@wisc.edu.

comics 6

Ofﬁce Shenanigans . People photocopying their buttocks are the cause of 23% of all photocopier errors. dailycardinal.com/comics

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Run-of-the-mill

Today’s Sudoku

Anthro-apology

By Eric Wigdahl wigdahl@wisc.edu

Angel Hair Pasta

By Todd Stevens ststevens@wisc.edu

Sid and Phil

By Alex Lewein alex@sidandphil.com

Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. The Daily Code

Dream

a b c d e f g h i

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

“Nthitgspn p wjggxrpct wps gadlc plpn bn adcv gtsrpet Pcs X, utta hpixhuxts.” Priscilla Ahn Lyric Yesterday’s Code:

“I want bones like iron blood like mercury, so I can tell you when I’m rising and when I’m sinking in.”

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

The Graph Giraffe

Evil Bird

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com ANIMAL MAGNETISM

1 5 9 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 23 24 28 32 33 34 37 39 40 42 43 45 47 48 50 51 53

ACROSS

Run playfully Insensible condition Davidic verse Gray matter matter? In a crowd of Not just a franchisee Catchall category, briefly Indian rhythmic pattern Home pages, e.g. Sideshow attraction Comparative conjunction Early spring flowers Christmas carol start Soap unit “So ___ me!” Hard-shelled critter Feeds, in a sty It’s fit to be tied Flies upward Got off a horse, e.g. Proficient Pool stroke Rather dedicated to news Classic Paul Newman film Firstborn Small whirlpools Support for the elderly?

55 Old chap’s diner order? 61 Double agents 64 Try to persuade 65 Prepare for publication 66 It may hang on your conscience 67 Aspersion 68 Memorization method 69 Rumor sources? 70 One of the Cartwrights 71 Close forcefully 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 21 22

DOWN

Optician’s display Wednesday was named after him Southwestern plateau Lies together? They have a plate in front of them It’s on the Missouri Stop on a European tour, often Purim month They’re not who they pretend to be Ice cream effect Small colonist Wranglers alternative Post-wedding title, often Ides utterance Where Charlie may ride forever, in song

25 Tristan’s love 26 Class members 27 Certain musical group 28 Irritate by rubbing 29 Whatchama- callit 30 Use, as energy 31 Way up or down 32 Titanic’s undoing 35 Mrs. Lincoln’s maiden name 36 Chinese philosopher ___ tzu 38 Cheryl of “Charlie’s Angels” 41 Skinﬂints’ opposites 44 Believers 46 Knighted actor Guinness 49 Start of some aircraft carriers 52 “If ___” (Beatles song) 53 Movie producer Ponti 54 Breed of cattle 56 “Shhhh!” 57 Vanity plate in a twocar household, maybe 58 Object of pagan worship 59 Bread for a gyro 60 Word root 61 “Ben-Hur” studio 62 Overseas accord 63 Abner’s size?

Twenty Pound Baby

By Stephen Tyler Conrad stconrad@wisc.edu

sports

dailycardinal.com/sports

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Men’s Basketball

Bohannon’s re-emergence key to Wisconsin winning streak Shooter regaining outside touch, opening up offense By Scott Kellogg THE DAILY CARDINAL

Since Big Ten play began for the Badgers about two months ago, a noticeable trend evolved: strong correlation between junior guard Jason Bohannon’s performance and the success of Wisconsin as a team. In the Badgers’ seven conference victories, Bohannon converted over 55 percent of his field-goal attempts, but he shot only 33 percent from the field in their six defeats. The bottom line is that for Wisconsin to be successful, Bohannon has to put the ball in the basket. After consecutive 30-win seasons for Wisconsin and a Big Ten championship last season, the Badgers now find themselves in the middle of the pack in the conference. Two years ago, Wisconsin earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and last year the Badgers attained a No. 3 seed. This season, Wisconsin is merely fighting for a berth into the field. Just as it has been an up-anddown season for Wisconsin, it has

mcbain from page 8 reserved McBain. Offense has always been McBain’s strength, as he has been the topscoring defender on the Badgers for the past three years. This season he took that to a new level leading the team in goals and assists, and scoring more points per game than any other blue-liner in the country. His coaches and teammates, however, believe that his on-ice impact goes far beyond points and assists. “The highest compliment that you can give a player is the fact that he makes players around him better, and that’s where Jamie has grown to now.” Mike Eaves head coach Wisconsin men’s hockey

“I think the highest compliment that you can give a player is the fact that he makes the players around him better, and that’s where Jamie has grown to now,” Eaves said. “He becomes another coach when he plays like that … It’s easier for Jamie to be a leader when he’s playing the way he is, because he can lead by example, and when he says something it holds so much more credibility.” That leadership may be most evident when the Badgers go on the power play. There, he controls the flow of the offense, finding teammates from the point and often firing slap shots that get tipped by teammates or slip past opposing goaltenders. “It’s an unreal skill he has. It’s a lot tougher than he makes it look. He makes it look so easy, does it all the time,” said sophomore defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who paired with McBain last season. “He just comes across that blue line and he

been a somewhat erratic season for the junior, as well. During Wisconsin’s six-game losing streak in the Big Ten, Bohannon’s shooting percentages were poor. Against Minnesota, Bohannon made five of 13 field-goal attempts; against Iowa, he converted two of nine, and in contests with Purdue and Illinois, Bohannon went one of five and one of seven from the field, respectively. From behind the arc, Bohannon made eight of 24 attempts, good for 33 percent. “All the shots have been there throughout the season, [but] they haven’t necessarily been falling,” Bohannon said. “All the shots have been there throughout the season, [but] they haven’t necessarily been falling.” Jason Bohannon junior guard Wisconsin men’s basketball

In Wisconsin victories, however, the guard has put up strong shooting performances. Bohannon helped the Badgers halt their sixgame losing streak by scoring 20 points and making six of nine fieldgoal attempts against Illinois. always has his head up, and that’s the key because he’s finding guys left and right and putting the puck on net.” The Badger power play is the best in the WCHA, scoring on 21.9 percent of its chances. That is why McBain leads the league in powerplay points and Geoffrion, who centers the top power-play unit, has eight goals with the man advantage. “Being the top guys up there, I’m kind of the quarterback,” McBain said. “I love that, just to have that ability to be able to control the play up there and kind of decide what happens. That’s something I take a lot of pride in, and it’s worked out for us.” McBain was all but born into the sport of hockey, as his father, Bernie, runs a hockey training program in Minnesota. His father also helped get him to Shattuck-St. Mary’s, a Minnesota high school known for its stellar hockey team. “My dad gave me a hockey stick when I was about two, and ever since then it was something I’ve loved doing,” McBain said. “He’s the reason that I’m here … Just the sacrifices that him and my mom, family have made to make sure that I’d have the ice and the abilities to go out there and work on my skills, just become the best player that I can.” He then moved on to the U.S. Under-18 national team, where he earned a gold medal in a world championship tournament and first met Geoffrion, who described him as tall, skinny and quiet. The duo have developed into a potent scoring combination, as Geoffrion often stands in front of the net and screens for or tips McBain’s shots. In 2006, McBain was drafted as the 63rd pick in the 2006 NHL draft. He said that being drafted lifted a weight off his shoulders and allowed him to relax and focus on developing as a Badger.

Last week against Iowa, Bohannon scored 15 points on five-of-eight shooting, and back in January, he led a rout over Northwestern by scoring 20 points and making eight of 12 field-goal tries. In Badger wins, Bohannon is 17 of 35 on 3-point attempts— nearly 50 percent. Assistant coach Howard Moore knows when Bohannon is successful: the entire Wisconsin squad has an easier time on the offensive end, especially last Wednesday against Iowa. “With [Bohannon] making shots [against Iowa], it made them very aware of that, and not too anxious to go help inside. We were getting some good cuts in the post in the second half, and we really put the game away,” Moore said. In all but one of the Badgers’ losses within the conference, Bohannon failed to eclipse the 50percent mark from the field. And in all but one of Wisconsin’s seven Big Ten victories, Bohannon has shot at least 50 percent. When Bohannon hits at least two 3-point field goals, the Badgers are 5-2. “His main scoring situation is shooting the three-ball, and once he can knock those down consistently, he opens up a lot of things,” Moore said. Though he struggled shooting against Ohio State Sunday, McBain considered leaving Wisconsin after his sophomore year but came back to try to work on his game. “I think he just found the extra year gave him some more experience. The extra summer gave him some more strength and conditioning,” Eaves said. “And he just got on the ice and says, ‘I can see and do what I need to do and get it done.’ And that level of confidence does wonders for an athlete.” For his scoring prowess and leadership this year, McBain was nominated for college hockey’s most prestigious individual award, the Hobey Baker.

LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Junior guard Jason Bohannon has hit 15 of his last 27 3-point shots and came up big defensively against Ohio State Sunday. Bohannon chased and hassled Buckeye sharpshooter Jon Diebler into a subpar performance. Wisconsin has five games, plus the Big Ten Tournament in As the Badgers come down the stretch with six games left in the regular season, McBain will play an important role in Wisconsin’s fortunes. Despite his individual successes, however, the best way to measure McBain as a player may be the way his teammates respond to and respect him. “[Playing with him] is a pleasure,” junior forward John Mitchell said. “I think his talents and skill portrayed on the ice is just something that everyone can learn from and watch and mimic to try to improve their game. He has great hands, good vision for the ice, he’s really smart at the game.”

DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Junior defnseman Jamie McBain is the Badger’s top scorer this season and has been nominated for the Hobey Baker award.

March, to prove it is worthy of stamping its ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Whether they make the cut could bank on the jump shot of Bohannon.

porter from page 8 but defense is important. A lot of professional teams and players forget that defense can win games, especially when the season starts coming to an end and teams fight for playoff spots. A slow-paced, defensive-orientated team was what Suns general manager Steve Kerr was looking to build when he hired Porter in June 2008. “I knew this team had a difﬁcult transition,” Kerr told ESPN. “But frankly, I probably underestimated the difﬁculty of the transition.” Kerr said he still believes in Porter’s coaching ability, but that he just stepped into one of the most difficult positions in the league. With that being said, why fire Porter now? Wouldn’t that make things more difficult for the team that is finally becoming accustomed to playing his style of basketball? One would think another transition, especially mid-season, could only lead to more problems. With Gentry stepping in, I can’t see him getting more out of the players than Porter. In this case, taking a step backward and running D’Antoni’s former offensive push is probably not the best approach for the Suns. Phoenix may have made a huge mistake by letting Porter go, but unfortunately, we will never know what the outcome could have been if the Suns did not give up on him so quickly. Even though basketball is a business, you have to put a little bit of faith in your coach to pull the team out of a rut before cutting the strings. Do you think Terry Porter could have turned the Suns program around if he was given more time as the head coach? E-mail your thoughts to Crystal at crowns@wisc.edu.

sports 8

dailycardinal.com/sports

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Men’s Hockey

Quick ﬁrings give coaches no chance

McBain steps up as a leader By Ben Breiner THE DAILY CARDINAL

His mantra on leadership is relatively simple: “Make sure that my play carries more so than my voice.” When that play includes two crucial goals, a pair of primary assists and setting the winning tone in an important series sweep against an archrival, it sets a pretty good example to follow. That is what junior Badger assistant captain and defenseman Jamie McBain did against Minnesota in the team’s last series and is just one example of how he has grown into a team leader this season. “It’s just been a role I’ve obviously taken a huge honor in,” McBain said. “[Junior captain] Blake [Geoffrion]’s more of the vocal leader, and I just kind of go about it and make sure my actions speak louder than words.”

CRYSTAL CROWNS the crystal ball

McBain has moved into this leadership role after captain Ben Street went down with an injury early in the season. At that time, the Badgers were mired in a difficult start, failing to win in their first seven games. As the season progressed, McBain’s play, as well as the Badger’s fortunes, steadily improved. “He was almost forced into [a leadership role], but he didn’t have to force it too much because his play allowed him just to kind of ease into it,” Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves said. “Because of the way he was playing, he could say things and, again, there’s that credibility issue that was so strong from him.” Eaves went on to say that against Minnesota he saw a different level of fiery competitiveness from the usually mcbain page 7

KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

n Monday, The Phoenix Suns fired head coach Terry Porter after only giving him a half season to prove himself. The Suns had a 29-23 record, but the kicker was when the team lost five of eight games going into the All-Star break. Although some sports fans may applaud this move by Phoenix, it is obvious that Porter was not given much of a chance. Fifty-one games is not enough time to allow a head coach to get comfortable with a new set of players, nor is it enough time for a franchise to decide to write him off. At the time of Porter’s removal, the Suns trailed the Utah Jazz by only one game for the final playoff spot in the Western Division. This is definitely not a horrible position; the team does have a winning record. So why try to fix something that isn’t entirely broken in the first place? Sometimes it takes a while for the glue to set in, and Porter was that glue. Once the team had started winning and his ideas had started to stick, the Suns could have started building on their program. There is no doubt that Porter has outstanding basketball knowledge. He used to be an excellent NBA player and made two AllStar Game appearances during his 17 years in the league. After ending his career on the court, Porter became a coach. He was an assistant coach for a few professional teams, but got his big coaching break with his hometown team, the Milwaukee Bucks. After two years, he was released when the Bucks fell short of the playoffs at the end of their 2005 season. It wasn’t until this past summer that he had held a headcoaching job. Porter will be replaced by assistant coach Alvin Gentry, who plans on returning Phoenix to its former style of basketball. According to ESPN.com, with a starting lineup of Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, Grant Hill, Amar’e Stoudemire and Shaquille O’Neal, he feels that former Phoenix head coach Mike D’Antoni’s offensive approach will push the team in the winning direction. “We are who we are, and I think we have to go back to trying to establish a breakneck pace like we’ve had in the past,” Gentry said. “We have enough talent that we should not be on the outside looking in right now.” Yes, the Suns do seem to have a very talented team with some big names. However, that does not necessarily mean it was Porter’s fault they are not on top. Porter’s coaching style puts a lot of emphasis on defensive effort, though the Phoenix ball club seems to be more offensive-minded. Several NBA teams do focus most of their attention on the offensive attack, porter page 7