Weekend, February 27-March 1, 2009 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

COMICS

PAGE 4

Lamb of God serve up a mediocre offering

MELT WINTER WITH COLOR COMICS University of Wisconsin-Madison

Complete campus coverage since 1892

ARTS

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By Grace Urban

DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Two UW-Madison students sample varieties of bleu cheese Thursday night at a meeting of the Badger Cheese Club in the Class of ’24 Reception Room at Memorial Union. The club is open to all students and meets monthly.

Obama budget sends $475 million toward restoration of Great Lakes The budget President Obama revealed Thursday would send $475 million to the Midwest to clean up and restore the Great Lakes. The money would go toward combating invasive species, runoff pollution and contaminated sediment. When he was running for president, Obama committed to making restoration of the Great Lakes a priority. According to state Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, this money going toward the Great Lakes shows Obama is keeping his campaign promise. “This is great news for those

of us who care about our environment,” Black said. According to Emily Green, the Sierra Club Great Lakes Program director, the Great Lakes signiﬁcantly need this funding and are facing serious environmental problems, such as sewage and invasive species. She said without restoration effort, the lakes, which are the “lifeblood of our region,” could change dramatically. “We’re just really thrilled to see this commitment and very much looking forward to working with this administration,” Green said. State Sen. Neal Kedzie, RElkhorn, was a co-author of the

Great Lakes Compact, a collaborative effort among states and provinces bordering the lakes to protect and monitor the use of their water. The measure passed last year with bipartisan support. In the past, the federal government has not done an adequate job of protecting the lakes, Kedzie said, and this resource cannot be allowed to deteriorate over time. He said he is anxious to see the details of Obama’s pledge toward the Great Lakes. “I think we are ﬁnally starting to realize that we are in possession of the world’s greatest freshwater resource,” Kedzie said.

Students campaign for U.S.-based Olympics Basketball tournament to garner support for Olympic movement By Erin Banco THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison students and community members will participate in a recreational basketball tournament this weekend to support the city of Chicago in its bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. UW-Madison students Zachary Ellman, Brett Robbins, Alex Glazer, Paul Reimer and Jeff Lichy are volunteers for Chicago 2016, a nonprofit orga-

nization seeking the privilege of hosting the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The students will host the event in collaboration with the UW-Madison E n t re p re n e u r s h i p and Venture Capital club. According to Ellman, a Chicago native, the Chicago 2016 organization thrives off three main goals: gaining the privilege of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games, contributing to the Olympic movement and making a lasting contribution to the city of Chicago.

Weekend, February 27-March 1, 2009

of supervision by the Department of Wisconsin is notoCorrections in 2006, rious for its dispareither in prison or ity between white and under community minority citizens withsupervision. in the criminal jusIn response to tice system, but Dane shocking statisCounty is actively tics throughout looking for ways to Wisconsin, Gov. combat the issue. Jim Doyle formed Racial disparities in the Commission on Dane County prisons Racial Disparities in are among the worst March 2007, designed in the state, and disto study and recomparities in Wisconsin mend solutions for rank near the highest the racial disparity in in the nation. Wisconsin’s criminal BLACKS AMONG THOSE IN According to Laurie PRISON OR ON PROBATION IN justice system. DANE COUNTY Mlatawou, co-chair of Dane County has the Dane County Task Force on responded to the findings by Racial Disparities in the Criminal creating the Dane County Task Justice System, only 5 percent Force on Racial Disparities in the of Dane County’s population is Criminal Justice System. black, but black citizens represent The task force is comprised of 50 percent of those who are either Dane County citizens whose goal in prison or on probation. is to look in depth at recommenResearch by UW-Madison dations Doyle’s commission made sociology professor Pamela Oliver and identify which strategies will shows this disparity affects young be most effective in Dane County, black men the most. It revealed in addition to developing their own 47 percent of black men in Dane initiatives. Task Force members County between the ages of 25 prisons page 3 and 29 were under some form

THE DAILY CARDINAL

PAGE 5

Task force ﬁghts racial disparity in prison system

No whey!

By Megan Orear

“I would love to see such an international event that can bring so many groups and people together in a city that not only do I love, but I get to call home,” he said. UW-Madison is one of many campuses engaging in campaigning events, according to Ellman. He said students across the nation are engaging in campaigns to gain support for a Chicagobased Olympics. According to olympics page 3

BLACKS AMONG OVERALL DANE COUNTY POPULATION

SOURCE: PRISON POLICY INITIATIVE

JENNY PEEK/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Officer officially reprimanded for not investigating alder near marijuana smell The Madison police officer who did not investigate alleged marijuana smoke in a restaurant after seeing a Common Council member was officially reprimanded Thursday. Chief of Police Noble Wray sent a letter of reprimand to officer Carrie Hemming, stating she violated police department policy by not further investigating the incident. Hemming was conducting a firesafety and capacity inspection Feb. 8 of the upper area of Zander’s Sports Lounge, 118 State St., when she smelled marijuana smoke, according to the police department’s internal review of the incident. She later told her superiors she saw

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, in the room, but left upon seeing him. She then reported the incident to Sgt. Tony Fiore, who accompanied Hemming to Zander’s but did not check the upper area with her. Fiore was given verbal counseling for violating department policy. Verveer and Zander’s owner Mohamed Barkatallah both denied any wrongdoing and said there was no evidence of illegal activity. Verveer has previously stated he did not smell or see anything suspicious in the room. Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said in previous reporting he would not judge Verveer until the internal investigation was ﬁnished.

“…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: mostly cloudy hi 23º / lo 10º

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Weekend, February 27 - March 1, 2009

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 118, Issue 102

2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 l fax (608) 262-8100

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Alex Morrell Managing Editor 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 Aime Agather Chloe Cabot, Alex Kuskowski Danny Marchewka, Shana Pradeep

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 Eric Harris, Dan Hawk Web Directors Marketing Director Heath Bornheimer 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.

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

Board of Directors 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 l

Relationships 101: Making out like a bandit

DAVID HOTTINGER college cuestions

d. Note: Pussy David is “just swamped” with schoolwork. Davis Scrottinger has agreed to ﬁll in. Dear Davis, How can I convince my girlfriend we’re ready to take things to the next level? -Brody, College Court If there is one thing the ladies are concerned about these days, Brody, it’s their purity. Like jersey chasers to Jon Leuer at Monday’s, women will cling to their perch upon that pedestal that their moms told them to keep themselves on unless the men in their lives succeed in dragging them off it. Therefore, it’s not so much about convincing, Brody, but persisting. And being opportunistic. It’s the oldest story ever written: boy ﬁnds girl, girl likes attention from boy, boy spends money on girl, boy and girl get drunk at house party and wake up the

next day in a closet together. Your best asset here will be your tenacity; envision yourself as an immoral iron ball around her leg, constantly tugging her downward until she is too tired to resist. The law of gravity will be on your side; she’s up now, but it’s just a matter of time before she starts going down. I assume you’ve been intimate with this girl for some time now, so by ‘next level’ I take it you mean you want what all men eventually want: to start necking. You’ve probably progressed past all the stages of hand-holding, right up through kinky-ass hand sex. You two may have even dabbled in mutual backsturbation, taking turns rubbing the nether-regions of each other’s shoulders and lower backs. That stuff’s all good and swell, but as your question indicates, it gets old after a while. All couples eventually discover that touching is like cocaine; it feels good, but it doesn’t take long before you have to do twice as much to get half the jolt. Also, if you do it long enough in a certain way your nose will start bleeding, but that’s really neither here nor there and I wouldn’t recommend picking your girlfriend’s nose, anyway.

The Dirty Bird

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

I go to great lengths to provide my question-askers with reliable, accurate and, most importantly, practical answers that are completely based on my own opinions and limited life experience. That said, I did a little investigatory journalism for this one to make sure you get nothing but the best advice, Brod-man. I spoke with a rep from the campus org Making-Out Out Loud, which promotes safe and stimulating necking practices among students. The guy went on and on for a long time, so I sort of stopped paying attention, but I think the jist of his spiel was to wear a dental-dam when you do it. I’m not sure if he really understood what I was getting at, but in any event I realized that that advice wasn’t going to help you much. So I went the extra mile and began dating four girls simultaneously to discover just what was the best way to “take things to the next level,” aka drag her down to my level. But before I share my ﬁndings, Bro, you have to be sure you really want to take the next step. Once you start touching tongues, it doesn’t take long before heavy petting gets incorporated into the sessions, and after that

there’s really nothing left to do but get married. So I’d recommend you think long and hard about whether you could see yourself sticking your tongue in her mouth for the rest of your life. If the answer is yes, then here’s what you do: You talk about it with her. I know, I know I said all that stuff about weighing her down and getting drunk in closets, but really the best thing for couples to do is communicate. Be very straightforward. Tell her you’re still super stoked to be dating her, cuz you like really like her and all—and she has a smoking bod—but that if she doesn’t start putting out more then you’ll have no choice but to leave her for her older sister, who everybody knows is a loose goose. It’s called tough love. (If she starts crying after that, you’re halfway home; girls are really vulnerable when they get all emotional.) After the talk, just start sprinkling a little body glitter on your chest before you see her next (girls say they don’t like a guy in body glitter. Well guess what: they do). You two will be swapping spit within a week. Got any more brain busters? Email dhottinger@wisc.edu.

sex and the student body

Spunk without the funk ERICA ANDRIST sex columnist

’ve been called a switch hitter before, but I guess this is a new context. Welcome to The Dirty Bird, the Daily Cardinal’s new weekly sex column. My name is Erica, and I’m a senior program facilitator with Sex Out Loud. Alhough SOL gives me a lot of background I’ll draw on to answer your sex questions, I’ll be writing this column independently of SOL, and what I say does not necessarily correspond with their stance on any issue. I’ll be writing on topics of my own choosing and answering questions students ask me in programs until I start getting your questions at sex@dailycardinal. com. For realz, guys, ask me questions. Having your questions to answer takes the pressure off of me to think of something to write about. (Performance anxiety—column topic?)

When it comes to genital secretions, you are what you eat.

For the record

WEEKEND: partly cloudy hi 24º / lo 8º

At any rate, I can’t wait to start getting your questions. In the meantime, here’s a great one from a recent program: Is there anything I can do to make semen more palatable? For sure. Some people can’t get enough of the taste of their partners’ semen or vaginal secretions—it’s like a bonus post-dessert dessert. For others, it’s not quite cum brûlée. If we find ourselves in the latter category, there are things we can do head in a tastier erection.

The simplest and most immediate solution is to add another flavor to oral sex. This can be done in several different ways: e.g. whipped cream, flavored lube/sex dams/condoms, or sucking an Altoid. This is an easy and readily available way to alter taste—however, there are a couple of things to keep in mind when going this route. First, the skin of your genitals is more sensitive than the skin of, say, your face, so though you may have no problem putting honey in your mouth, putting it in your honeypot might cause an allergic reaction. Second, all of these items have one thing in common: sugar (even many flavored lubes). Sugar in the genitals can be problematic because yeast feed on sugar, and lots of sugar equals lots of yeast, and lots of yeast in the genitals equals yeast infection. This can be an issue for both male and female bodies. For this reason, it’s a good idea to go straight for the source. When it comes to genital secretions, you are what you eat. We learn in middle school that our bodies get rid of wastes via the excretory system, which is true—except for the fact that there are lots of other ways our body gets rid of wastes. Know how your sweat sort of smells extra gross when you go to the gym after a night out drinking? Or how a telltale sign of diabetes is sweet-smelling breath? It’s because when our bodies have unwanted stuff in them, they employ pretty much any bodily function/fluid to get it out. You guessed it—this includes spunk and sass. This can work both for us and against us. On the one hand, strongly bitter or spicy foods—broccoli, beer, coffee, garlic, onions, asparagus— can give genital secretions a more intense taste. Red meat can also be an offender, since protein equals nitrogen equals bodily excretion of ammonia (oven cleaner... mmm, yeah). Dairy too can be problematic, but at some point, really, we have to decide which is more important—the way cheese tastes or the way skeet tastes.

On the plus side, naturally sweet or mild foods with a high water content—pineapple, watermelon, cucumber, grapes, carrots—can make our genital secretions lighter and less concentrated (and perhaps more voluminous, since we’ll be well-hydrated). And some mellower spices or herbs, like cinnamon, parsley, ginger, or nutmeg, might provide a step in a direction you or your partner prefers, too.

At some point, really, we have to decide which is more important— the way cheese tastes or the way skeet tastes.

We can experiment with our diets, which may result in changes our partners find preferable, but alas, there isn’t a magical recipe for gourmet semen. However, it’s important to remember that while we’re all a little different and we all have different, uh, tastes, our/our partners’ sexual juices are not inherently bad for us. Semen is made of water, a little protein, a little sugar, and sperm itself (and contains fewer calories than you burn during half an hour of sex, so quit worrying about it). Vaginal secretions are pretty much the same—water, a little protein, some inorganic salts, and a few fatty acids (handy for lubrication purposes). Further, these juices are not vastly different from the other fluids our body produces, so they do not taste especially different, either. If our bodily fluids have strongly foul taste and/or smell, this may be a symptom of a sexually transmitted infection, and we as students can get free screenings through UHS. So there you have it. The Dirty Bird, helping to answer your most pressing, burning, throbbing questions right before the weekend. Questions, comments? E-mail me.

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Weekend, February 27-March 1, 2009

THE DAILY CARDINAL

Advocates of a proposal in Gov. Jim Doyle’s budget that would ban smoking in restaurants and bars statewide have allied in its support. The Holding Our Breath for Smoke-Free Air campaign, which was launched Wednesday, is comprised of 27 statewide organizations that support the ban. Maureen Busalacchi, executive director of Smoke Free Wisconsin, said the health beneﬁts of the ban are enormous. She said multiple studies have shown that heart-attack rates have fallen 20 percent in communities that have banned smoking in restaurants and bars. The campaign’s website, holdingourbreathwi.com, includes a petition and video testimonials, as well as links to studies showing the positive health and economic impacts of smoking bans. State Sen. Neal Kedzie, RElkhorn, said he believes the smoking ban, as a policy that does not directly relate to ﬁscal matters, should not be included in the governor’s budget. “The public should be given ample opportunity to debate the issues and then let them go to votes

in the committee and on the ﬂoor and let them stand by their own merits … It shouldn’t be done through the budget bill,” he said. State Sen. Fred Risser, DMadison, who has long been an advocate for a statewide smoking ban, said he thinks the measure is a budget issue as well as a policy issue. “Some people argue it is policy, I say it saves the state 2 billion dollars per year in health-care costs,” he said. The Tavern League of Wisconsin is against the proposal because it says it would have a detrimental effect on the league’s members. “We know that businesses will be forced to close and people will lose jobs,” league spokesperson Pete Madland said. The City of Madison enacted an indoor smoking ban in 2005, and Dane County passed a similar ban in 2008. Jessica Burda, a spokesperson for the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, said a statewide ban makes more sense for Madison-area businesses than bans in individual municipalities because it puts all the state’s restaurants and bars on the same competitive level.

Wis. unemployment rises 1.8 points Wisconsin’s unemployment rate climbed from 5.8 percent to 7.6 percent in January, according to data released Thursday by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. In comparison, January 2008 saw an unemployment rate of only 4.9 percent in Wisconsin. Wisconsin’s unemployment rate still remains better than the national average, which has grown to 8.5 percent. Although the struggling economy has caused a loss of jobs throughout the country, lawmak-

ers hope the economic-stimulus bill recently signed by President Obama will start to reverse the trend. “The jump in Wisconsin’s unemployment rate underscores the economic challenges we face as a nation and why we are taking strong action through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to put people to work,” DWD Secretary Roberta Gassman said in a statement. According to a White House statement, the stimulus plan will create or save 70,000 jobs in Wisconsin.

Fantasy sports club stresses similarities between stock market, fantasy drafts By Beth Pickhard THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison students can now learn about stock-market investments by joining a unique organization on campus. Eric Josephs, president and founder of the Fantasy Sports and Finance Club, said he started the group in the fall because of the similarities between choosing teams in fantasy-sport drafts and selecting stocks from the market. FSF, which is affiliated with the Wisconsin School of Business, has two stock-market leagues, one in the spring and one in the fall, and three fantasy-sport leagues. FSF held the first fantasy-baseball draft on campus Feb. 23. Josephs said members can participate in both leagues if they choose. According to Josephs, who is majoring in finance, stock investors look at characteristics including durability, competition and duration before investing. He said the same is true of fantasy sports. “You want to look at if [a player] is good in the first half of the season or the last half of the season and if a lot of people have insisted on them,” he said. According to Charles Engel, a UW-Madison professor of finance,

investments and banking, fantasysport drafting and finance share similar motives. Similarities include the diversification of risk through picking different players and stocks. However, Engel said fantasysport drafting and finance differ in terms of risk management. “I think that when people play fantasy sports they are willing to take risks if they can find somebody that is going to have a big payoff,” Engel said. “In stocks you are trying to manage risk because you could have a big loss.” Joe Pigatti, a member of FSF, was the first person to join Josephs in the formation of the club. He said he enjoys both the fantasysport and stock-market leagues. “[The stock-market league] is very helpful … It’s about investments, how to manage your money after college,” he said. Members are highly involved in the events when they act as owners and buyers in the leagues. “What really stands out about our club is that everybody is playing an active role, and I think that’s huge,” Josephs said. For more information on the Fantasy Sports and Finance Club, visit www.bus.wisc.edu/students/orgs/ detail.asp?id=97.

prisons from page 1

Supporters launch campaign for statewide smoking ban By Steven Rosenbaum

news

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LORENZO ZEMELLA

Man arrested for whacking people on bus with his hat A man was arrested Wednesday for disorderly conduct after allegedly grabbing bus riders and whacking them with his hat. Antonio Martinez, 41, was riding a Madison Metro bus when he began exhibiting “strange and erratic behavior” and attempted to stop passengers from leaving the bus, according to Joel DeSpain, public information officer for the Madison Police Department. When the driver of the bus was unable to control Martinez, police quickly responded and were able to get him off the bus at East Mifflin Street around 5:30 p.m. According to DeSpain, Martinez did not appear to be armed or under the influence of alcohol, but questions were raised about his mental health. “I don’t know what his deal was, but it’s not OK to do that on a Madison bus,” DeSpain said. “And when you have an incident like this you have to have zero tolerance for it.”

Metro spokesperson Mick Rusch said there is a passenger code of conduct and when people are disrupting that or disturbing others, it is taken very seriously. According to Rusch, the driver of the bus followed proper procedures.

“I don’t know what his deal was.” Joel DeSpain public information ofﬁcer Madison Police Department

“We have a lot of people riding the bus now, and different things can happen. There are a lot of people interacting with each other,” Rusch said. “It’s just something that drivers have always been trained to do and be on the lookout for. When it does happen, we just take care of it.” —Caitlin Gath

UW Hospital task force recommends new conﬂict-of-interest oversight A task force from UW Hospital recommended Thursday a series of conflict-of-interest rules be implemented in the institution. The recommendations come after a controversy over Dr. Thomas Zdeblick, a UW Hospital orthopedic spin surgeon, who earned over $19 million in royalties from a medical device company. Officials expressed skepticism about Zdeblick’s compliance with protocol in reporting salary. However, in January 2008, officials decided Zdeblick had in fact followed UW Hospital protocol and reported his salary after it reached $120,000. With the new recommendations, drafted by 15 hospital staff members, physicians would be required to report total salary amounts on disclosure forms. The recommendations differ from current poli-

cies, which require physicians to report salaries that exceed $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000. The task force addressed issues of conﬂict of interest in its recommendations, stating, “UW Health care providers are representatives even when performing outside activities.” Among several important recommendations, the task force suggested the oversight and management of health-care provider interactions with industry through a UW Healthcare Industry Interactions Conﬂict of Interest Committee. The committee would handle the pre-approval of activity with the industry, review educational materials, institute a management plan for interactions with patients and grant or deny permission to participate in such activities. —Erin Banco

will be holding a series of public hearings this fall to brainstorm solutions, starting March 16 at the Sun Prairie Library. “We really think we can come up with recommendations that can really help Dane County and affect the numbers right away,” Mlatawou said. Despite all the attention this issue is receiving from the state and county, the exact causes and real solutions are hard to come by. “We understand it is a large problem in Wisconsin, but we need to understand what exactly is causing the problem,” said Ryan Sugden, public information ofﬁcer for the Ofﬁce of Justice Assistance. According to state Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison, data collection and analysis are a key step in closing the gap. “Ultimately the problem arises from the deep structures of racial inequality and segregation that we have inherited from the racial past of this country,” Oliver said, but added there is no “one cause.” Oliver cited as other contributors widening economic inequality, the use of “tough on crime” as a “partisan and race-coded and political issue,” the fallout from the drug war and job discrimination within society. “The disparity in Wisconsin wasn’t created overnight; it won’t be solved overnight,” Sugden said. He added though it is a large problem, there are many little things that can be done to help combat it. On a state level, the Department of Corrections has put together a five-page action plan of steps it will be taking to enact recommendations and expand current programming. The Department of Transportation has received a million-dollar federal grant to assist in data collection and will be working to ensure that inmates have, at the minimum, a valid ID card when they leave the system to re-enter society. According to Mlatawou, one of the worst consequences of racial discrimination in the prison system is it reduces the chances for minority citizens to contribute positively to society. “It’s very difficult for them to get jobs,” she said. “There is still a lot of institutional racism at play, there’s still a lot of discrimination, even though it may be an unconscious bias.”

olympics from page 1 the Chicago 2016 website, over 1 million people have shown their support for the Chicago bid. The host city for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be chosen Oct. 2. Possible host cities include Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. The basketball tournament will take place at the SERF gymnasium Feb. 28 from 2 to 5 p.m. Leaders recommended donating 10 dollars per team at the door. Proceeds will be donated to USA Special Olympics on behalf of� Students Support Chicago 2016. The winning team will win the chance to attend a UW men’s basketball practice. Students and faculty interested in volunteering for Chicago 2016 can visit www.chicago2016. org/volunteer.aspx.

comics 4

Dentist Anyone? Denmark has the highest per capita consumption of candy in the world at 29.5 pounds. dailycardinal.com/comics

Weekend, February 27 - March 1, 2009

The Grand Canyon

Today’s Sudoku

Anthro-apology

By Eric Wigdahl wigdahl@wisc.edu

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. Into the wild.

The Daily Code 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

Sid and Phil

By Alex Lewein lewein@wisc.edu

The Graph Giraffe

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

“Kwzrsfbsgg wg bch o zilifm pih o bsqsggwhm ct hvs viaob gdwfwh.” Edward Abbey quote Yesterday’s Code:

“Money and Women. The reasons for making most mistakes in life. Looks like you’ve mixed up both.”

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Evil Bird Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com FILING ILL

1 6 10 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 23 25 26 30 31 32 36 38 40 41 43 45 46 49 52

ACROSS

Lay out a spread What mudders prefer Ruth not in the Bible Kicking partner? One dressed in white, stereo-typically Black stone “Hello” Dolly? Tot’s circle, perhaps Preﬁx with “trust” Places with plenty of alcohol Hardly lenient Type of trick in the book? French national anthem Etiquette expert Vanderbilt It has a point Blow one’s stack It’s on the house Palliates Literature’s White You may change them Banana and rumble Cote quote One place to see stars In short supply Opera house boxes

53 What Tenniel added to “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” 57 Opera goddess 58 Came apart at the seams 59 Before midnight 63 Leader in Qatar 64 “Be it ___ so humble ...” 65 Eat away at 66 Refuse to believe 67 Jerry’s straight man 68 Condensed wrap-up 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 21 22 23

DOWN

Subway alternative More than most Casual Friday option Shakes off Turns in Emptied a barrel? Leah’s son Like gen-tlemen’s agreements “Hoi” follower Some private school attendees Warbucks’ ward They’re committedto memory Occupy space Straight-billed game bird Ultimatum word Land of Apia

24 26 27 28 29 33 34 35 37 39 42 44 47 48 49 50 51 54 55 56 60 61 62

Check the ﬁt of Friable earthy deposit Rental agreement Tool for some surgeries “He’s ___ nowhere man ... ” (Beatles lyric) Recruiter Sam Crawl spaces? Jefferson is on them Candlemas month Pens for PDAs Dry champagnes Sharp end? Examined carefully Deliberately not notice Word with “blind” or “broad” Region’s weather conditions Companion of Theodore and Simon Go from pillar to post House painter’s calculation Beach bird “Gunsmoke” character Org. that drills “You betcha!”

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

arts

dailycardinal.com/arts

Weekend, February 27-March 1, 2009

Cale rolls on, but fails to chart his own path By Kyle Sparks

before being saved by “FondaLina.” On this track, Cale’s Christopher Priest’s novel best Donald Fagen impression “The Prestige” demonstrates coincidentally drives his most the importance of showmanship interesting track. His gruff voice in entertainment. Although Le doesn’t evoke the same effect as Professeur de Magie created a Steely Dan, which negates the magic trick to trump all magic music’s smoothness at times, tricks, he lacked the presenta- but it’s still an enticing alternation to garner the appropriate tive to an otherwise struggling level of acclaim. Meanwhile, blues album. The Great Danton could not On certain tracks, Cale’s perform the magic trick, but he guitar playing becomes too could enrapture a theater with machinistic. He rhythmicalhis performance. Le Professeur ly strums the guitar, but fails de Magie failed to garner the to provide the usual dynamic mass praise his illusion deserved quirks that indicate an emobecause most magic fans were tional discharge. His vocals are preoccupied with the display even more monotonous, leavput on by The Great Danton. ing him sounding like a less This distinction is often over- confident Mark Lanegan, who looked in music, yet it is hardly hits every note but misses every more obvious than on J.J. Cale’s sentiment. The monotony of Roll On. his blues would CD REVIEW H a v i n g be unbearable released his own if not for his work steadily ability to vary since 1971, styles. Cale is still recThese comognized as the plaints, however, could pen behind Eric possibly be Clapton’s “After Roll On chocked up as Midnight” and J.J. Cale self-indulgent “Cocaine.” impositions of Mostly because of the fact that, despite being an a specific paradigm in music. obviously capable songwriter, his And even though he will never shortcomings continue to come bleed through his instrument like Ray Charles, he can certainthrough in his performance. Roll On skips back and forth ly jam with the best of them. over the line between B.B. King For example, when he lets his and Steely Dan, usually landing blues roots take over on “Roll somewhere around easy-listen- On” and “Oh Mary,” he really ing jazz. The lead track, “Who sounds like he belongs on stage Knew,” presents a smooth, club- next to Clapton. jazz number that, for whatever But that one sentiment is reason, works well. His guitar Cale’s biggest pitfall. Instead of musicianship peeks through the forging an image for himself, he steady rumble in a modest, but sounds like he’s merely trying to effective manner. belong with his more commerNowadays, comparisons cially successful contemporaries. to Tom Waits have become a Although he wrote a number cop-out for journalists unable of beautiful compositions, the to get a handle of a songwriter’s emotional void in his delivery eccentricities, but his syncopated ultimately restrains him from vocals over a half-plodding, half- widespread acclaim. So while marching piano on “Former Me” other contemporaries and blues brings few other artists to mind. aficionados will laud him for his Unfortunately, the meat incredible songwriting, the rest of the album that follows the of us will be content waiting for opening track falls into a lull the next Clapton album. THE DAILY CARDINAL

PHOTO COURTESY EPIC RECORDS

Lamb of God have been releasing albums for 10 years now, and though they are considered the typical example of American metal, their technical strengths have given way to common metal ideals.

‘Wrath’ a familiar feeling By David Reed THE DAILY CARDINAL

It has been approximately three years since Lamb of God last released an album, and their latest work, Wrath, proves the band has what it takes to maintain a successful career as a metal band. So far, Lamb of God has been able to maintain a unique voice heard audibly over the din of various other, somewhat indistinguishable, metal bands, and their latest is no exception. As a contemporary metal album, Wrath is solid, and it’s no mystery why Lamb of God continues to stay at the forefront of metal music and culture; however, this album becomes disappointing when compared to some of Lamb of God’s earlier work, particularly Ashes of the Wake and As the Palaces Burn. It may be unfair to admonish Wrath for being unique to its predecessors, especially when the members of Lamb of God have been quoted saying they make a conscious effort to constantly adjust their sound in order to keep it from becoming dull over time— a phenomenon that seems to afﬂict metal bands more often than not.

But when this artistic direction is taken and it threatens to undermine the strengths of a band, it is hard not to doubt it.

CD REVIEW

Wrath Lamb of God As with any band that eventually reaches a notable level of mainstream success, Lamb of God is now confronted with a larger and more diverse fan base they must gratify in order to remain at their current level of success. Eschewing their overtly antiestablishment political message— one which garnered much of their initial notoriety—for fear of causing offense to new fans is a deferential gesture that hurts the band overall, especially since their new lyrical style follows already well-trodden metal conceits. Despite the obvious technical skill, their guitar riffs no longer feel entirely

“Lamb-of-God-like,” and at times, they seem to be more influenced by other current metal acts, rather than being the influence themselves. Furthermore, Wrath feels as though it spent far too long in the studio: The mixing is immaculate to the point of being over-produced, and the individual parts are often found solely promoting themselves instead of coming together as a unified piece. That is not to say, however, that Wrath lacks any transcendent moments. In particular, the song “In Your Words” is an excellent testament to Lamb of God’s signature guitar work and dynamic vocal shifts, which, despite having changed over the years, continue to be the band’s strongest attributes. “Grace” showcases the band’s song-writing talent by stitching together as many unique melodies into one effective piece as one is likely to hear on any metal album. Despite lacking the feel of an epic, unified album, Wrath is fast, relentless and dark without being the slightest bit overbearing or redundant, providing an experience that listeners won’t be able to help but head-bang along with throughout its entirety.

This Weekend at the Movies Local releases this weekend: Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li Waltz with Bashir Man on Wire Che: Part One Che: Part Two

Editor’s Pick of the Week - Che: Parts One & Two Do you have five hours to spare this weekend? Then you should make an effort to see Steven Soderbergh’s epic biopic about the assassinated Cuban revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Soderbergh spent years casting, filming and producing this flick, and given Soderbergh’s track record (“Ocean’s Eleven,” “Traffic”) this should be a great film. Benicio Del Toro immerses himself in the performance, chronicling the ups and downs of Che’s life with a fiery passion that is seen in few actors today. Simply put, if you have an entire afternoon free, be sure to check out both parts of the movie.

PHOTO COURTESY ROUNDER RECORDS

J.J. Cale has been releasing solo work for almost 40 years, yet he is best known for his contributions to Eric Clapton’s catalog as a songwriter.

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Weekend, February 27 - March 1, 2009

Editorial Cartoon

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By Levi Prombaum opinion@dailycardinal.com

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

inmate release pragmatic measure

ne of the money-saving measures under Gov. Jim Doyle’s budget proposal has provoked significant backlash. The plan would release up to 1,000 state inmates and potentially save $27.5 million, according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report. Doyle and company are stressing that only nonviolent criminals would see early release, and the offenders who don’t violate prison rules could reduce their prison sentences by a third. Additionally, inmates under extended supervision could receive early release, as well as terminally ill inmates or those with expensive, debilitating medical conditions. “I can’t emphasize enough that we believe we can do this safely,” Corrections Secretary Rick Raemisch said. “We’re not opening the back door and saying it’s time to leave.” Naturally, some aren’t jubilant over a potential influx of criminals back into the public, especially Republicans, who see it as an attack on the 1999 truth-in-sentencing law requiring inmates to serve 100 percent of their sentences with no time off for good behavior. In essence, it assails our principles of being “tough on crime.” Evaluation and validity of the law aside, Wisconsin has, in principle, supported truth-in-sentencing. Yet, in times of crisis—and by all accounts, our economy and state budget has reached this point—we must lean in favor of pragmatism over principle. Rep. Scott Suder, RAbbotsford and other Republicans assert inmates should serve their full sentences handed down by judges, but when the state is facing devastating budget cuts across the board, we must realistically determine whether continuing to punish low-risk, nonviolent criminals just to make a point—and at significant cost—should take pri-

ority over staving off heavier cuts elsewhere in the budget. To illustrate, suppose hypothetically we are adamantly opposed to McDonald’s and all it stands for. If a crisis erupts, there’s a food shortage and we’re on the verge of starvation, it would be realistic and acceptable to violate that principle of opposing McDonald’s if it’s next door offering free Big Macs. It’s not the most desirable or healthy option and doesn’t fix the overarching, largescale issue, but it helps mitigate the immediate problems—with maybe only some mild consequences to one’s blood pressure. This specific budget proposal aside, the truth-in-sentencing law—the toughest in the country—could benefit from serious revision and reconsideration. Although most truth-in-sentencing laws still allow time off for good behavior and don’t entirely eliminate an inmate’s chance for early release, Wisconsin has held this standard both for violent and nonviolent criminals. This kind of proposal gains great favor for “keeping Wisconsin safe,” but its application to nonviolent criminals is dubious, especially at a cost of approximately $30,000 to $40,000 per inmate annually. The law as is allows no discretion for authorities, projecting a harsh, blanket policy that ignores human differences and individuality. This initiative will not result in unmonitored, violent criminals— but it could save the state millions during a budget crunch that could be more effectively spent (or saved). We urge the legislature to support this measure—which has been proposed in numerous states with similar language—and to take advantage of this opportunity to fully review and revise the truth-in-sentencing law.

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Education boost worthy undertaking with budget JOE KOSS opinion columnist

“

oday, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. Compulsory school attendance laws and the great expenditures for education both demonstrate our recognition of the importance of education to our democratic society ... It is the very foundation of good citizenship ... In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.” The preceding quote is not from President Obama, nor Vice President Biden. It is a quote from the Brown v. Board of Education decision, and it highlights just how long we have struggled with equal and fair access to a good education. On Tuesday, Feb. 17, President Obama signed the $787 billion stimulus bill into law. Included in the bill is almost $115 billion in emergency aid for public schools and universities (cut down from the $147 billion the House allocated). There are some very stark facts that support a need for emergency aid: this generation of high school students is the first that will be less likely to graduate high school than their parents. In 17 of our largest school districts, less than half the students graduate. One in four high school students don’t graduate on time—that figure rises to one in three for minority students. Over 1.3 million kids drop out of high school every year, and the gap in graduation rates between urban and suburban schools is around 15 percent overall, reaching as high as 40 percent. Higher education stats aren’t any better: from 1982 to 2007, college tuition and fees increased 439 percent—median family income rose only 147 percent. In the last 5 years, adjusted for inflation, the average

cost for in-state tuition has leaped 35 percent (it will increase between 5-6 percent in Wisconsin the next 2 years). In the last 10 years, student borrowing has more than doubled— in 1993 the average debt was around $9,000 to around $20,000, a 58-percent increase after inﬂation—during this same time total funds available for ﬁnancial aid and grants actually decreased. Finally, last year the average net cost of a 4-year public degree was around 25 percent of an annual income for a middle class family.

In one quiet, forceful step, the Obama administration gave this country something it needed: money for our future generations.

The stimulus bill was the root of many points of contention, with Senator John McCain and other Republican talking heads reaching for the lowest hanging hyperboles and platitudes, ﬁnally settling on “generational theft” and “porkulus bill” and a select few governors threatening to decline the funds because they have “fundamental differences [with the president] on the role of government.” Spurious lectures from Republicans on generational theft aside (how did the last 8 years contribute to where we are today?), the infusion of over $100 billion might just help save our nation. A University of Washington study reported that without “massive intervention,” states across the nation would have to cut over $80 billion in educational spending and possibly lay off over 600,000 educational professionals. In a time when it is increasingly obvious that the path to a stable, well-paying and fulﬁlling life depends on a robust education and the ideal that parents’ children will inherit a world better than they did, drastic and draconian cuts to education would be perpetuating a national catastrophe. In one quiet, yet forceful step, the Obama administration gave this country something it needed: money

for our future generations. Specifically, it gives $54 billion to help states avoid deep budget cuts, $13 billion for public schools in low-income areas or that serve poor children, around $32 billion to increase the size of Pell Grants and a tax credit for families with children in college (around $2,500), $12 billion for special education and $5 billion for early childhood education programs. Throwing money at problems does not fix them, that is clear. Much needs to be done to address all the issues that plague our schools—we need to increase teacher pay, build greener schools, reinvent the way we assess teachers, our schools and our students, graduate more of them and shrink the achievement gap between our country’s haves and have nots. We need to make college more affordable to more families and redesign the way we re-educate our workforce. But this bill is help right here, right now. And it starts maybe as important as the money itself; it starts the conversation about how to best to spend the money and how best to reform our educational system. This Tuesday, President Obama, in his first address to Congress, laid out some of the reasons why our educational future is so very important, and challenged us: “If we confront without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit, then someday, years from now, our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed, in the words that are carved into this very chamber, ‘something worthy to be remembered.’” His words reminded me of an old Native American saying I recently read—that our work is about the “long run,” for the “adequate and full protection, health and balance of our young people seven generations from now.” Nothing will fulfill this old, wise saying better than beginning this needed reinvestment, a reinvestment of our minds, our sweat, our ingenuity and our money, in our greatest asset: our free public schools. Joe Koss is a junior majoring in secondary education in social studies. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

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Women’s Basketball

Lady Badgers fall to Buckeyes By Alex Lugo THE DAILY CARDINAL

In the last regular-season matchup, the Wisconsin women’s basketball team fell to No. 14 Ohio State 75-53. Although Wisconsin (6-12 Big Ten, 16-13 overall) earned a 54-51 win over Michigan State last week, the Badgers couldn’t stop the threegame win streak the Buckeyes (13-3, 22-5) had coming into the game. Wisconsin gave up a season-high 75 points to Ohio State Thursday night. “We were very disappointed defensively at half time,” Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said. “We talked about us not having a solid defensive possession the whole ﬁrst 20 minutes. And then that’s coupled with some missed layups and we sent three back in the second half, so from a rebounding standpoint, we were going to give that up because we wanted to make sure we got back in transition.” Wisconsin shot 23-of-63 from the ﬁeld for just 36.6 percent while OSU sunk 28-of-52 for a 52.8 percent record. The Badgers went into the second half down 40-29 and could not manage to get within much reach from that point on as the Buckeyes led by as many as 23 and maintained an 18-point lead

for the remainder of the half. “We had opportunities offensively to score and missed a ton of layups, rushed our shots and a lot of that has to do with Ohio State’s defense,” Stone said. Wisconsin sophomore guard Alyssa Karel, who averages 13 points a game, led Wisconsin again with 13 points—all in the ﬁrst half—and Teah Gant had 11 of her own, shooting 3-of-4 from the line. Rae Line D’Alie added 10 with ﬁve boards. Although Wisconsin only gave up 11 turnovers compared to Ohio State’s 14, the Buckeyes scored 15 points off of those turnovers, while the Badgers only managed six. Ohio State racked up 33 defensive board compared to Wisconsin’s 19. OSU freshman center Jantel Lavender, who is a Big Ten Player of the Year contender and leads the conference with 20.6 points and 10.5 rebounds a game, scored 21 with 13 boards. Senior forward Star Allen added 17 and senior guard Ashlee Trebilcock contributed 11. Freshman guard Samantha Prahalis got nine of Ohio State’s 15 assists and had just one turnover in 28 minutes. “[Prahalis is] a play-maker and a crowd favorite because of what she does,” Stone said. “Nine assists to one turnover, that’s pretty impres-

sive. In my opinion, she’s the freshman of the year in our league, there’s no doubt about it. She’s led this team, a very young Ohio State team, to another conference championship and they’re pretty good, there’s no question about it.” With this loss, UW secures an eighth seed in the Big Ten Tournament. The Buckeyes have now partially clinched the Big Ten title and with a win over Penn State on Sunday, they could have it for themselves for the fifth straight season. “The bottom line is, the end of the regular season is here, they’re going to crown Ohio State the conference champion once again and we’ve got to get back to some basics and understand that we don’t play this weekend, but we’re going to practice tomorrow,” Stone said. “We’re going to get after it and we’re going to get ready for next week because we have to find that chip back because we’ve got a lot to prove in the Big Ten Tournament.” The rest of the Big Ten will finish up the regular season Sunday, while the Big Ten Tournament kicks off in Indianapolis at the Conseco Field House March 5 and runs through March 8. —uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.

Women’s Hockey

Badgers host OSU in ﬁrst WCHA playoff game By Brandon Storlie THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin women’s hockey team begins phase two of its quest for a third national title this weekend as the Badgers host Ohio State in the first round of the WCHA playoffs. Despite amassing a 27-2-5 record and securing a secondplace finish in the WCHA regular season standings, the team knows that when it comes to postseason play, it is back to square one. “Everything we’ve done [up until] now is behind us, and everyone’s 00 right now,” Wisconsin junior forward and assistant captain Meghan Duggan said. “ E v e r y o n e ’s going into DUGGAN these weekends just trying to stay afloat and trying not to let their season end.” That inherent desperation pushes the team’s sense of competition up to a whole new level. “You’re playing for something now,” said Wisconsin senior forward and captain Erika Lawler. “You win, you move on. You lose, you go home. I think that the energy’s definitely going to be a lot higher.” The WCHA playoffs have treated the Badgers well in recent years. Wisconsin won back-to-

izzone from page 8 cial reasons. The Kohl Center opened in January of 1998 and funding relied heavily on donors and alumni. U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl donated $25 million alone, while other donor contributions exceeded $1 million. Prior to the 2006-’07 men’s basketball season, the UW athletic

back tournament titles on the way to national championships in 2006 and 2007. Last season, Wisconsin fell just short of the three-peat, losing the title game in overtime to the eventual national champion Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. On paper, Ohio State looks to be a favorable first round matchup for the Badgers. The Buckeyes struggled to earn an 8-23-3 record overall and registered a dismal seventh-place finish in the WCHA. Head to head, Wisconsin outscored Ohio State 25-4 in four games this season, shutting out the Buckeyes in the last three contests. The two teams’ last postseason meeting came in 2007, with Wisconsin sending Ohio State home on the short end of a 4-0 final. The Badgers have not lost to Ohio State since October 2004. Although the odds look to be in Wisconsin’s favor, postseason play offers no guarantees. “We’re going into the playoffs, and a team that’s [seventh] in the WCHA right now has just as good of a chance of making it to the NCAA tournament if they win WCHA’s,” Duggan said. “It’s hard to beat a team when you’re trying to end their season.” This weekend’s series with the Buckeyes also offers a change of scenery. Rather than hitting the ice at the Kohl Center, the two teams will drop the puck at the Eagle’s Nest in Verona. department sold 48 courtside seats at a price of $10,000 to $12,500 each. With a waiting list in place for other courtside seats should they become available, the athletic department has shown no reason to believe that the structure of things will be changing anytime soon. Although I understand the university needs to take advantage of

“We usually pack [that] arena, so there’s a full crowd and the atmosphere is really energetic,” Wisconsin sophomore defender Olivia Jakiel said. “The crowd really gets into it. I’m looking forward to it.” If the Badgers are going to make a run at another league playoff title, their second-place finish in the regular-season standings means that they will most likely have to go through both Minnesota and MinnesotaDuluth to do it. With both of Wisconsin’s two regulation losses this year coming to the Gophers and Bulldogs, the team does not need any extra motivation to come out on top this time. “We had a funky go at it with them these past couple of times, and it’ll be really good to get another chance at beating them,” Lawler said. “Plus, there’s LAWLER a lot more at stake now, so it’s definitely a good time to play them.” First, the Lady Badgers have to take down the talented Ohio State Buckeyes. Faceoff in the best-of-three series is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Eagle’s Nest, with a third game that will take place Sunday if necessary. economic opportunities like this to raise money for the school as a whole, it also needs to reevaluate its commitment to the students with these ﬁnancial decisions. Alumni can hold onto basketball season tickets for as long as they want. But as an undergrad, you’re only here for a few short years, and the UW athletic department should give its

Weekend, February 27 - March 1, 2009

Softball

LORENZO ZEMELLA/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

After losing to Drake last weekend, the Badgers are looking to get back on track in the Mayfair Tournament starting Friday.

UW prepares for the Mayfair Tournament By Joe Skurzewski The Wisconsin softball team (5-8-0) will see some familiar faces this weekend, playing in the Mayfair Tournament at Long Beach State University in Long Beach, Calif. Wisconsin continues its spring road trip of tournaments before Big Ten Conference play begins in late March. The Badgers enter the tournament having won three of five games last weekend in the New Mexico Invitational in Albuquerque. After a weekend where the offense of the Cardinal and White finally came to life, the Badgers have the opportunity to push their record above .500 for the first time this season. In the process, Wisconsin will face a tough slate of competitors, including the Cougars of Brigham Young and the Matadors of Cal State Northridge. Moreover, the Badgers will face familiar opponents in Long Beach State and Fresno State. Wisconsin played the 49ers of LBSU, as well as the Bulldogs of Fresno State in their first tournament of the season, the Cathedral City Kickoff in Palm Springs, Calif. In Palm Springs, the 49ers and Bulldogs soundly defeated the Badgers, shutting them out in two games and collectively outscoring Big Red 12-0. Wisconsin started off the season 0-4. Since then, it has posted a winning record. Wisconsin pitching will once again face the potent offense of Long Beach State (7-7-0). The 49ers’ lineup includes four hitters with batting averages of .300 or higher, including junior Kristen Pocock and senior Jennifer Griffin, a duo which lit up Badger hurlers in Palm Springs. And LBSU holds home-field advantage over Wisconsin and all other teams in the tournament. In the vein of potent offenses, Fresno State (6-3-0) brings a strong lineup of its own to Long Beach. In a different tournament in Palm Springs last weekend, the Bulldogs strung together three solid victories, outscoring their opponents 9-3. However, those victories were bookended by two crushing losses to the Florida Gators

and the UCLA Bruins, who collectively outscored the Bulldogs 18-2. A revived Wisconsin offense will look to capitalize off of Fresno State’s inconsistency and avenge the shutout loss to the Bulldogs earlier this year. Wisconsin cannot overlook the Cougars of Brigham Young (7-9-0). After winning four of their first six games, tournaments in Las Vegas and Palm Springs have tamed the Cougars, who have dropped seven of their last 10. But BYU won its last game against Tennessee Tech in impressive fashion, 8-0, and the Badgers must prevent the Cougars from riding their momentum into Long Beach as the two teams square off first on Friday. During the Palm Springs tournament, Wisconsin’s game with Cal State Northridge (4-6-0) was rained out. This weekend, the Badgers get two shots at the Matadors. Cal State Northridge comes off of winning three of five games in bizarre fashion in the UTEP Tournament in El Paso, Texas. A Jekyll-andHyde team, the Matadors outscored opponents 25-8 in victory, but were outscored in defeat 17-2. Wisconsin pitching will look to shut down the bats of sophomore Tracy Allen and junior Christina Saenz. The Badgers’ two games with the Matadors are also a family affair of sorts. Wisconsin senior Valyncia Raphael will get to face her younger sister Krystal, a sophomore at Cal State Northridge. The sisters grew up playing softball in La Habra, Calif., not far from Long Beach. “I’m really excited that we can be on the field together, even though we are on different teams, one more time before my career is over,” Valyncia said. The tournament runs this weekend, Feb. 27 to March 1. Big Red begins tournament play on Friday with games against BYU and Cal State Northridge. Saturday is rematch day for the Badgers, with games against LBSU and Fresno State. Wisconsin closes out tournament play on Sunday with game two against Cal State Northridge. —uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.

students the opportunity to make the most of it. Given the country’s current recession, it may be unfair to ask the university to take another ﬁnancial hit by moving student seating. But as for the lottery system that students have complained about for years, what better way to solve the problem than by instituting a system similar to that of

Michigan State? It’s time for the UW athletic department to stop using a lottery system that fails to recognize the most important element of being a fan: his or her passion and dedication to the team. How do you feel about Wisconsin’s student section lottery system? E-mail your thoughts to Matt at mfox2@wisc.edu.

THE DAILY CARDINAL

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Weekend, February 27 - March 1, 2009

Men’s Basketball

Clash of the clawed creatures By Matt Fox THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s second-half meltdown last Saturday was a big wakeup call for a team fighting for an NCAA tournament bid. The Badgers (8-7 Big Ten, 17-10 overall) will need to respond quickly if they want to keep those hopes alive this Sunday afternoon when they host the Michigan Wolverines (7-8, 17-11). The Badgers are coming off a difficult 61-50 loss at Michigan State. Wisconsin led 41-29 with 12 minutes remaining. But the Spartans took control of the contest with tough defense allowing just two field goals the rest of the game, and aggressive rebounding inside that resulted in many second-chance opportunities for Michigan State. Assistant coach Greg Gard said it’s crucial for the Badgers to not allow similar lapses the rest of the season. “We’ve just got to make sure we do a good job of staying focused and committing to that every possession,” Gard said. “Rebounding can’t be a sometimes thing, it has got to be all the time. We need to be more aggressive ourselves on the glass and try to get easy put backs ourselves on the offensive end.” When the Badgers faced the Wolverines in Ann Arbor at the end of December, Michigan was off to a hot start, winning 10 of their first 12, including two victories over top-five opponents. But the Badgers cooled off the Wolverines with a 73-61 win, and Michigan has seen its play decline

ever since, losing 8-of-10 in a onemonth stretch. Wisconsin shot nearly 59 percent from the field in their last matchup against Michigan, a big reason why the Badgers were able to pull out the victory. The Badgers held the Wolverines to just 39 percent shooting. Wisconsin also contained Wolverine sophomore guard and leading scorer Manny Harris, who shot just 3-for-13 from the field. UW junior guard Jason Bohannon said the Badgers had an excellent game plan for limiting Harris’ explosiveness. “We did a good job of just keeping him out of the lane, forced him into contact and staying straight up and not having him draw fouls on us,” Bohannon said. “He’s an excellent free throw shooter—he’s very good at getting people to leave their feet and finishing. Anytime we can force him into tough shots that’s to our advantage.” Harris ranks second in the Big Ten, with 16.9 points per game. Michigan junior forward DeShawn Sims also presents a low-post threat at 14.5 points per game, second on the team and 7.3 rebounds per game, third in the Big Ten. Besides these two stars, Gard says the team should not overlook the rest of Michigan’s roster. Freshman guard Zack Novak dropped 20 points and eight rebounds on the Badgers in Ann Arbor. “Those two guys really make them go, but they’ve got other guys,” Gard said. “That Novak kid has really shot the ball well. He’s at a unique position at a four, which sometimes people get

MATT FOX the fox hole

LORENZO ZEMELLA/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Wisconsin senior guard/forward Joe Krabbenhoft is averaging 8.6 points and has a team-high 6.4 rebounds per game. caught because you have to put bigger guys on him depending on who you have on the floor.” Wisconsin will have a full week of rest entering Sunday’s game. Although sophomore forward Keaton Nankivil says this rest has been a luxury, he’s not sure it presents an advantage. “At this point in the season, every team is kind of at the same

level where everybody is rested as you’re going to get,” Nankivil said. “But it’s late in the season, there’s no way to avoid kind of being worn down. Everybody’s at that point and we’re just going to try and play hard with what we have and hopefully get the win.” Tip-off for Sunday’s matchup is set for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

Men’s Hockey

Wisconsin searches for strong ﬁnish in Mankato By Ben Breiner THE DAILY CARDINAL

One weekend after losing control or their conference title destiny, the Badgers will try to regain their edge and move closer to a top-three finish in the WCHA standings. Wisconsin’s challenge this week: a trip west to Mankato to face off against the Minnesota State Mavericks. Although Minnesota State is sitting in eighth place right now, it has

shown the ability to take down more highly regarded teams. “They play a very aggressive style,” UW head coach Mike Eaves said. “They’re going to take away time and space, and they’re going to be strong on the puck, and they’re going to battle.” In Mankato, the Mavericks upset North Dakota in their WCHA opener and swept Minnesota a few weeks ago. The Badger players emphasized the importance of

NICK KOGOS/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Wisconsin freshman defender Jake Gardiner has two goals and has contributed 15 assists for the Badgers’ offense this season.

MSU’s Izzone should be a model for UW

Minnesota State’s gritty nature, saying that matching their energy would be important. Wisconsin has not historically fared well in Mankato, with a 46-2 record at the Alltel Center. “It’s a tough place to play ... That crowd, it reminds me of the junior hockey league,” Eaves said. “They get rowdy.” Last weekend, the Badgers’ proliﬁc special teams were silenced as Denver’s power play, which ranked eighth in the conference, scored four times against the vaunted Badger penalty kill. That unit will again be tested as Minnesota State converts on 21.2 percent of their power play, a mark that ranks second in the conference. The player charged with stopping that Maverick offense is Wisconsin senior goaltender Shane Connelly, who is coming off a rough weekend. The Pennsylvania native was tagged with two goals in the final minute of last Saturday’s game against Denver, then was pulled after giving up three first-period goals the next night. The coaches pointed to keeping Connelly’s confidence at a high level. “He’s worked hard, he feels good about himself,” Eaves said. “We talked Sunday night, got it on the table. What we wanted to map out this week was a kind of a plan to get back to being one of the best

goaltenders in the league, feeling that way, feeling good about yourself, to have that conﬁdence.” Connelly is giving up the sixth-most goals per game of any goalie in the conference, 2.75 per game. Despite last week’s struggles, the players are not dwelling on past opportunities. “The Denver series was a hard pill to swallow, it was just one of those weekends where we just couldn’t find a way,” freshman forward Derek Stepan said. “When we got to the rink on Monday, the coaches just said, ‘Alright, it’s happened now and now we’ve got to regroup’ … We’ve got to figure out what we can do to be better.” One unusual factor coming into the game is that Minnesota State played last Tuesday, earning a 2-2 tie with a non-conference foe in Nebraska-Omaha. Eaves, however, is unsure if the Mavericks’ short week could help or hurt them. “You can look at it in one of two ways. It gets them back into game mode or they’re playing three games in six days, where OK, fatigue may become a factor,” Eaves said. “I don’t know which one weighs the most.” The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. Friday night and 7 p.m. Saturday. Neither is televised, but both can be heard on WIBA-AM 1310.

trip to East Lansing, Mich., last weekend to cover the UW men’s basketball team allowed me to witness an excellent gameday atmosphere. The Breslin Student Events Center is a unique environment, an older building with a rich tradition of basketball. But what impressed me the most about the experience was the setup and character of Michigan State’s student section, the Izzone. UW’s Grateful Red would benefit if the UW athletic department incorporated alternative policies from Michigan State and other universities. Don’t get me wrong, I think the Grateful Red still represent one of the better college basketball student sections in the country. Although attendance leading up to start time has been questionable at times, the Grateful Red shows great enthusiasm from tip-off to the buzzer. The Badgers own a 118-10 record at home under head coach Bo Ryan, the fifth-best winning percentage in the nation during that time span. The student section is doubtlessly a huge reason behind this Kohl Center advantage. However, changes by the athletic department could elevate the participation of the Grateful Red to an entirely new level. There are major differences in the layout between the Grateful Red and the Izzone. While the Kohl Center crams its entire student section in three levels behind a basket, the Breslin Student Events Center setup allows for much more student participation in the game’s experience. Students are courtside, packed into a standing-only section that loops around most of the court. With this setup, not only are students given a much better view of the game itself, but they are also more involved with every action taking place, including the players’ emotions and substitutions from the bench. As a result, the students are tightly unified from their unique perspective. Throughout last weekend’s game, the Izzone was effortlessly synchronized in their cheers, creating a contagious energy that carried throughout the building. The MSU athletic department also uses a simpler, fairer system for assigning student seats. There are upper bowl and lower bowl sections. Admission to the lower bowl is determined by student attendance at games during the previous year. Attendance is determined by ranking students depending on how many games they attended, (students cannot miss more than two games to remain eligible for the lower bowl) along with the average arrival time prior to tipoff at each game, all calculated by scanning student IDs. Students are motivated to show up early, and this creates even more school spirit. Despite the freezing weather, students were out hours before game time just to get a prime spot for the Spartans’ showdown against the Badgers. It’s important to reward such commitment. It’s probably no surprise to anyone that the UW athletic department didn’t set things up this way for finanizzone page 7