‘CRANK’ IT OUT AGAIN: Statham returns in the absurd(ly entertaining?) ‘Crank’ sequel ARTS
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SHERER THING?: QBs BATTLE FOR TOP SPOT
Curt Phillips impressed, but Dustin Sherer will likely land the starting position
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Monday, April 20, 2009
Doyle approval rating reaches all-time low By Megan Orear THE DAILY CARDINAL
Results from a new poll released Friday show Gov. Jim Doyle has his lowest approval rating since he took office in 2003. According to DOYLE the poll conducted by the St. Norbert College Survey Center and sponsored by Wisconsin Public Radio, the amount of people who are very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the way Doyle is doing his job has fallen to 45 percent. The poll was administered April 1-9. His approval rating was 68 percent in the spring of 2003 and 59 percent one year ago, according to
data collected by the Survey Center. Doyle spokesperson Lee Sensenbrenner said in a statement the survey results have little importance. “I’m sure we’ll see all kinds of polls that show all kinds of things as the election season gets closer,” Sensenbrenner said. “But what matters right now is getting our economy back on track.” According to UW-Madison professor of political science Charles Franklin, the slumping economy and the state’s budget problems are to blame for the drop in Doyle’s approval rating. “Governor Doyle is not directly responsible for the national economy or even the Wisconsin economy, [but] he is directly responsible for doyle page 3
Cymbalism PHOTO COURTESY EMMA ZAFFIRO
UW-Madison students involved in the Allies Program marched from Library Mall to the Capitol Friday as part of the Day of Silence to show support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights.
Students march to Capitol for Day of Silence supporting LGBT rights By Kelsey Gunderson THE DAILY CARDINAL
The UW-Madison Allies Program raised awareness and support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights in a march to the Capitol Friday. Tony Giuffre, a member of the Allies Program, said participants gathered at Library Mall Friday to protest with signs and listen to speakers before marching down State Street to the Capitol. “[The march] helped get our message across that ... everyone should be able to be who they are.” Tony Giuffre member UW-Madison Allies Program
Giuffre said the event was part of the national Day of Silence that recognizes the discrimination faced by students who identify as LGBT. “The Day of Silence is a national holiday that raises awareness to show support for the LGBT community,” Giuffre said. “The silence
reflects the silence faced by people who identify themselves as LGBT on a daily basis.” Emma Zaffiro, Allies Program co-president, said the event specifically raised awareness for the name-calling, bullying and harassment that many LGBT students experience. Zaffiro said the Allies Program is a student organization that works to educate the UW-Madison community about LGBT rights by organizing activities like the Day of Silence throughout the year. “Allies welcomes everybody regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identification,” Zaffiro said. “We are a peer education group, and we work to inform people about LGBT rights and issues that face the community.” According to Zaffiro, approximately 100 community members participated in the march, a significant increase from the 2008 Day of Silence. “It went much better than last year,” Zaffiro said. “We organized it a lot better, we had perfect weather and so many people turned out to show their support.” Giuffre said several anti-gay rights activists protested along with
the group, but said he was satisfied with how the participants handled the opposition. “We just stood next to them and silently protested,” Giuffre said. “It was great.” Giuffre also said he felt the event was a success, and the group did a great job expressing their support for LGBT rights. “We organized [the march] a lot better, we had perfect weather and so many people turned out to show their support.” Emma Zaffiro co-president UW-Madison Allies Program
DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Seniors in the University of Wisconsin Varsity Band throw their music into the air at their concert at the Kohl Center Saturday.
UWPD trains SAFEwalkers in campus safety awareness By Beth Pickhard THE DAILY CARDINAL
“[The march] helped get our message across that people in Madison still care about LGBT rights, and also that everyone should be able to be who they are,” Giuffre said. According to Zaffiro, the Allies Program organized the march in conjunction with Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools, an organization that promotes LGBT rights among high school and middle school students.
UWPD officers trained members of SAFEwalk for Badger Watch, a UW-Madison crime prevention organization, at Memorial Union Sunday. According to Heidi Laundrie, UWPD lower campus community officer, Badger Watch is a program that encourages members to watch for and report crime in the UWMadison community. Laundrie said Badger Watch began in 2002 as a volunteer program. She
said it has now expanded to include over 1,400 members. “Volunteers do as little or as much as they want to do,” Laundrie said. “If it’s nothing it’s just to keep yourself safe, you’ve done your job.” According to a release, Badger Watch training is easy and no further commitments are required. It allows community members to be better aware of their surroundings so they are able to report crimes when they see safewalk page 3
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
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An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892
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Procrastinating turns out not so cool beans
Volume 118, Issue 135
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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 Editors 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 Micah Thill Copy Editors
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.
MEGAN CORBETT little red corbett
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can’t believe I blew off my paper again. My ability to procrastinate is surpassed only by my ability to whine as I spend six hours in a library cranking out something I hope is “B” worthy. How I end up in this mess multiple times over the semester isn’t a very hard process to follow. Whether it be an undeniable urge to paint my toes, an insatiable craving for free bacon at Wando’s or an obsession with a YouTube video—I have spent what is probably months now giggling over “I’m on a Boat”—I will find something far more pressing to do than the work due tomorrow. In fact, I will lay out for you just what led to my most recent flurry of paper writing, and you will soon understand that I am a sick individual, at the mercy of my own lack of will
power, miniscule attention span and a slight Andy Samberg obsession. We were assigned an approximately eight-page paper for my history class, due a week from that day. “Eight pages on a debate between 19th century rabbi and a socialist?” I thought. “Psh. Child’s play. A page or two a day and I will have no problem.” Now for a while I had legitimate excuses to delay the writing process. Wednesday morning I had an exam. Thursday afternoon had an interview for a journalism project. Thursday night was just “The Office” and “30 Rock” so I snuck a page in, but my priorities were with NBC. But this is where I had made a fatal mistake. It was now Friday and I had one page done, but I decided I could go out for just a little while. After all, my friend was having a party and it would be rude not to go, right? So I put my homework aside for just a few hours. I woke up Saturday afternoon on the floor of our apartment. One little drink had led to one little game of beer pong, which led to seven little games of beer pong, the development of a
southern accent, a bar crawl, stealing a mason jar, developing an English accent and asking everyone on the street if they would like to join me for fish and chips, and finally passing out on the living room floor. This was not good for my paper. I spent all of Saturday watching movies, napping and singing “I’m on a Boat” until my roommate threatened to crack the CD in half and shanking me with the shards. I did open the Word file for the paper once, but soon realized it was in vain and took a bubble bath instead. So now we are to Sunday and the paper is due Tuesday, there is still plenty of time to procrastinate away. Since it is Sunday, I try to be productive in the least productive way. This means putting off the stuff that really needs to get done for easy stuff that I will feel good for doing, but was really completely unnecessary. This particular Sunday I decided it was time for spring-cleaning. We’re talking dusting, mopping, sanitizing the Spider Man toilet seat cover we found in the basement—the works. It
was hard work, but it was satisfying; mainly because it didn’t involve 19th century rabbis or socialists, but satisfying none-the-less. But as I sunk into the couch after a long day of cleaning, reality sunk in—I hadn’t watched the movie “Hot Rod” in three weeks. I popped it in, congratulating myself on a job well done. I planned to do a little typing while watching, but then the “Footloose” parody came on and my giggles could not be stopped. I tried to pick some sources, but was totally distracted by Will Arnett’s cameo. When the “Cool Beans” song finally came on, it was game over for my paper. Definitely not cool beans. And here we are, Monday morning, and everything worked out just fine. It came down to the wire, but I think I have finally learned my procrastinating les—wait a minute. If I’m writing my column, I clearly am not writing my paper...that I have still only written one page of... SHIT! If you know anything about 19th century rabbis or socialists you need to e-mail Megan NOW at mcorbett2@wisc.edu.
Buffing up the Brein
Sponsored by: Anytime Fitness 301 East Campus Mall (608) 237-2717 We all know a guy who could use some beefing up. You may even be that guy. This semester, over a 12-week span, we will be taking one such man, Ben Breiner (br-EYE-ner), and attempting to strap some muscle onto his gaunt frame. In performing this social experiment, we hope to not only boost Ben’s health, athleticism and confidence, but also provide valuable health and fitness insight and a realistic, average-guy’s step-by-step guide to getting jacked. l
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Recognition
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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
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© 2009, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398
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Ben tries to work while bystanders can’t resist copping a feel. This side effect should be accounted for in any muscle-building routine.
Week 10 Goals —Increase shoulder workout volume —Pretend he doesn’t like muscle attention —Focus on keeping rest periods consistent in length —Drink more water
Make the Brein Do Pushups! Do your part in helping Ben get jacked. From now until the end of Brein’s training, if you see him out and about you can make him do pushups by saying the CODE: Brein Time. If you see him, make it happen (and don’t mind his grumbling, that’s just how the Brein shows gratitude). Disclaimer: for the preservation of the Brein, each individual is limited to one (1) Brein Time every four (4) hours equivalent to 10 pushups.
Some people will tell you that they work out to stay healthy or in shape; others will tell you it’s to pick up members of the opposite sex. Very few straight people will admit to working out for the recognition of the same sex, even though your bros won’t admit they love it when their friends recognize their improvements. This week the Brein has felt this man love recognition in the form of random people he meets in his day to day life groping his muscles. This often unintended and secretly pleasurable side effect of lifting weights usually comes during the golden period of body building: before you are too big to be considered “cute” and when people still remember when you were puny. Seeing Ben in this surprising stage has caused men and women alike to instinctively give the Brein a quick muscle rub. Big Ben doesn’t discriminate when it comes to muscle compliments. Those from women let him know his babe magnets are starting to develop, and those from men let him know he is pulling away from the pack. It all adds up to more motivation for next week. Want to give the Brein a squeeze? E-mail him at page2@dailycardinal.com.
Brein Breaks This week the Brein mixed up his routine with box jumps and timed sets. In his timed sets, rather than choosing a number of reps for each set, Ben picked an amount of time for each set. This combined with the box jumps really got his heart working. By mixing up the pace and number of reps, length of rest periods and the workouts used to target a muscle group, Breiner hopes to keep his body from getting too comfortable with his workout plan. Ben wants to avoid getting stuck in the same routine for too many weeks in a row. Doing the same workout over and over and simply increasing the weight from time to time will lead to marginal gains. A varied routine that keeps your body guessing will give you rapid results in size and strength.
Workout Jam of the Week Each week, Breiner will have a theme song specially tailored to his name to help him get motivated to meet the week’s goals.
For the record
This week: “Red, Red Brein” based off UB40’s “Red, Red Wine.”
Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an e-mail to edit@dailycardinal.com. GRAPHICS BY JENNY PEEK/THE DAILY CARDINAL
PHOTOS BY LORENZO ZEMELLA AND DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL
dailycardinal.com/news
Monday, April 20, 2009
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Mayor announces committee appointments for new alders By Rachel Holzman THE DAILY CARDINAL
KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL
A UWPD officer trains members of SAFEwalk at a forum Sunday.
safewalk from page 1 them take place. Laundrie said the organization is constantly changing based on students’ concerns about campus and community safety. “Right now we have a lot more thefts, so we are geared a little more towards keeping your things safe,” Laundrie said. Members of SAFE Nighttime Services received training for the Badger Watch program at the forum. According to Troy Ruland, second shift SAFE supervisor, the SAFE program recently underwent several policy changes because of disorganization and lack of communication within their office. Ruland said his position was created to organize the SAFE office and oversee its employees. “I’m really the eyes and ears for both Transportation Services and the
students,” Ruland said. According to Ruland, there are currently 24 students working for SAFE, and they work six to 30 hours during a two-week period. Ruland said a smaller number of workers allows them to have greater contact with one another so they will work better together, which is crucial in emergency situations. “The more students I have on, the less I see them,” Ruland said. “The more I see them, the more I can interact with them.” Laundrie said she hopes the forum helps UW-Madison SAFEwalk members improve their overall service. “If one person walks out of here tonight with some knowledge that they didn’t know before or something happens and they are able to use what they learned, [Badger Watch] worked,” Laundrie said. For more information about Badger Watch or SAFEwalk, visit www.safeu.wisc.edu.
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz announced committee appointments for the newly elected alders in Madison’s student districts Friday. Bryon Eagon MANIACI won former Ald. Eli Judge’s position as District 8 alderman, while Bridget Maniaci took incumbent Brenda Konkel’s seat in District 2. “I’m excited to begin work with two new alders that will be representing Madison students,” Mayor Cieslewicz said in a statement. “Bridget and Bryon are sharp young leaders that will work hard for students on City Council.” Eagon will begin to serve on the Downtown Coordinating Committee, the Joint Southeast Campus Area Committee, the Pedestrian/Bicycle/Motor Vehicle Commission, and the Public
Safety Review Board. “I am eager to represent students on the council and am excited to work on these committees to advance the campus and downtown community,” Eagon said in a statement. “These committees encompass so many issues that students care about and I can’t wait to hit the ground running.” “Bridget and Bryon are sharp young leaders that will work hard for students on City Council.” Dave Cieslewicz mayor Madison
Maniaci will begin her first term as District 2 alder serving on the East Washington/Capitol Gateway Build Steering Committee, the Housing Committee, the Landmarks Commission, and the Sister City Collaboration Committee.
“I think the committee assignments will be a very good fit for the neighborhood and the issues I talked about in my camEAGON paign,” Maniaci said. “There is a lot of housing issues in our neighborhood, especially with several historical districts in the neighborhood as well.” Maniaci said her committee appointments, particularly her assignment to the housing committee, will give her the chance to impact the student issue of tenants’ rights. “The Housing Committee holds great possibilities to improve the quality of rental houses that a lot of students live in,” Maniaci said. Eagon and Maniaci will be officially sworn in as alders on Tuesday, April 21, just a few hours before their first Common Council meeting.
Madison ranked number two city for finding employment CNN’s Money Magazine named Madison the second-best city for finding a job in a ranking of U.S. metropolitan areas with populations of 200,000 or more. In the April issue of the magazine, Madison was praised for having only a 5.3 percent jobless rating with a population of
doyle from page 1 managing the state budget,” Franklin said, adding he thinks the governor is going to face a difficult budget fight with the Legislature. Over half of the survey respondents said they do not approve of Doyle’s overall plan to deal with the budget deficit, but a majority said they approve of certain specific provisions of the 2009-’11 budget, such as the income tax increase for families earning over $300,000, early release for non-violent prisoners,
556,000. Boulder, Colo. took the top spot on the list with a 5.8 percent jobless rate among 290,000 residents. The issue cites Madison’s major industries as government, education and biotechnology. Rankings are based on information from payscale.com and the
Bureau of Labor Statistics. All cities on the list have unemployment rates below the national average and have a high proportion of professional jobs. Trailing Madison on the list is Washington, D.C., Salt Lake City, Utah, Lafayette, La., and Huntsville, Ala.
domestic partner benefits and the statewide smoking ban, which celebrates its fifth anniversary today. Doyle is largely expected to run for re-election in 2010, but has not officially announced he will run again. Franklin said if Doyle runs, he will still have time to improve his approval rating before the upcoming election. Franklin also said the importance of the approval rating will depend on the public’s perception of the budget’s outcome, and whether Republican opponents decide to use the rating against him.
Approval ratings Doyle’s job: 45% Legislature’s job: 46% Doyle’s budget plan: 28% Domestic partner benefits: 60% Smoking ban: 66%
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Monday, April 20, 2009
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Editorial Cartoon
By John D. Liesveld opinion@dailycardinal.com
Cardinal View editorials represent The Daily Cardinal’s organizational opinion. Each editorial is crafted independent of news coverage.
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‘tea party’ not revolutionary
ast Wednesday, thousands of people flowed up State street and assembled near the state capitol, some sporting various costumes, including pigs, minutemen and corporate CEOs. However, it wasn’t for the annual Freakfest celebration. Instead, the crowd was there to support the “Tea Party,” a nationwide event aimed at protesting higher taxes at the state and national level. Wisconsin’s “Tea Party” was aimed specifically at Gov. Jim Doyle and other Democrats’ handling of spending and tax hikes. The event produced an impressive turnout, with event organizers estimating the total attendance at around 5,000 people, and attendees traveled as far as Milwaukee to take part in the protest. The event was arranged by a variety of groups, including the Wisconsin chapter of Americans for Prosperity. With the Republican Party losing representation in both the state government and at the national level, the protest was a powerful statement from the conservativeheavy crowd. Although conservatives are not normally known for state and local-level protests and rallies of this nature, the event was a welcome surprise from a party that prefers to do its talking through policy, not parlor tricks.
The “Tea Party” may not have been the most promising event in terms of unifying the two parties, but at least conservatives are taking the necessary means to be heard, even if they’ve lost majority at various levels of public office. However, one aspect seemed to be absent from the swell of protesting and criticism at the capitol: viable alternatives. The various speakers, signs and attendees all cited their various issues with the taxation and its ramifications, but little was said about how to handle budget shortfalls in different ways or better methods of fiscal responsibility. At times, the crowd and speakers delved too far into social conservative ideology and not enough into how to better tackle issues of budget deficits and taxation. Although the event sported the clever moniker and connection to the American Revolution’s Boston Tea Party, Wednesday’s “Tea Party” whiffed on delivering the same rhetoric. Bostonians demanded “No taxation without representation,” but Wednesday’s crowd only asked for the latter. Instead of basing their argument around emotional and revolutionary undertones, conservative leaders should organize behind clear alternatives and proactive solutions.
Letter to the Editor: U.S. prisoners fail to set proper precedent New York Times’ Nazila Fathi wrote an article on Saturday titled “Iran Sentences American Journalist to 8 Years in Prison.” The story explains how American journalist Roxana Saberi has been convicted by the Iranian government of spying for the United States. What initially began as an arrest in January for buying alcohol, transformed into accusations of working without necessary press credentials and eventually led to being put on trial for spying. Indeed, Roxana’s arrest and ever-changing convictions without a fair trial are sad and, from a judicial point of view, disconcerting. This, however, is not what I found troubling about the story. The article included comments from American politicians such as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who declared that she found the situation “deeply disappointing.” Senator Byron Dorgan from North Dakota was quoted saying that Iran’s actions are a “shocking miscarriage of justice.” “The Iranian government,” he contends, “has held a secret trial, will not make public any evidence and sentenced an American citizen to eight years in prison for a crime she didn’t commit.” Remove the words “Iranian government” and “American citizen” and change eight years to indefinite life imprisonment,
what do you get? American policy in Guantanamo. Perhaps if we as a nation became more disturbed by our own government’s actions, and demanded change during the dark Bush administration years, we could actually be in a moral position to cast down such reprimanding comments at a foreign government. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Our government, who daily acts in our name, has set a terrifying precedent. Perhaps now we can understand why we are to study and learn from certain historical texts. I encourage Senator Byron Dorgan, among others, to go back as far as Thucydides’ “History of the Peloponnesian War.” Here one learns how powerful hegemonic powers should not set precedents that are likely to harm them and deteriorate international norms. As Thucydides wisely warned his audiences, it is in “acts of revenge on others [that] men take it upon themselves to begin the process of repealing those general laws of humanity which are there to give a hope of salvation to all who are in distress, instead of leaving those laws in existence, remembering that there may come a time when they, too, will be in danger and will need their protection.” —Sarah A. Rola Zarate Senior, political science UW-Madison
Obama’s rail plan will help Midwest economy RYAN DASHEK opinion columnist
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early one in ten people are out of a job, according to the Department of Workforce Development, which stated that the unemployment rate in Wisconsin hit 9.4 percent in March, from 8.8 percent in February. This is higher than the national unemployment rate, which reached 9 percent in March. These are obviously very dire economic times for both Wisconsin and the entire nation, but recently President Obama revealed his strategy to introduce high-speed rail to the nation. His plan included a list of 10 top projects. On his list was a Midwest line that would link Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison and the Twin Cities to other major Midwestern cities. Many politicians believe supporting such an idea will not only relieve congested highways and airways but also help by supplying a much-needed boost to the slumping economy. Of course, many people still question the whole idea of a highspeed rail. After all, when many people are struggling to make ends meet, should we be investing in such big fancy rail systems? The answer is yes, we should. There are a myriad of reasons suggesting that high-speed rail will not only help to boost the economy, but also aid in easing the current strains on the environment. The Environmental Law and Policy Center estimates that “high-speed trains in the Midwest would be three times as energy efficient as cars and six times as energy efficient as planes.” A rail line would also decrease our reliance on cars and consumption of oil, as these rails would instead run on electricity. The benefits high-speed rail may be able to provide are just
as important as the advantages it has relating to the environment. It would not only create new jobs, but also increase the mobility of Wisconsinites in need of jobs, allowing them to extend their reach into major metropolitan areas. Gov. Jim Doyle, a major proponent of highspeed rail, also hopes to fund many, if not all, of the major rail lines in Wisconsin with federal stimulus money, easing much of the initial rail costs off of Wisconsin taxpayers. Governor Doyle has already offered several proposals for a rail in Wisconsin, and plans to utilize it to the fullest extent to alleviate the ailing Wisconsin economy. However, there are and should be some reservations expressed about some of Doyle’s rail expansion plans. A line from Milwaukee to Madison will likely be used often enough by commuters to sustain itself and avoid becoming another money pit, and the same can probably be said about another line running from Madison to St. Paul. However, Governor Doyle has also expressed wishes to build a line from Milwaukee to Green Bay, which is estimated to cost roughly $421 million. Now, I am no eco-
nomics major, but that is an awful lot of money to be spent connecting Milwaukee to a city of approximately 100,000 people. Sure, there are other towns the line would stop at, but let us get serious here: There is simply no way that line would be able to pay for itself. It would suck in tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars in maintenance and upkeep costs a year and is simply an impractical notion to even entertain in a time of economic recession. In the end, high-speed rail would be a smart choice as a connector to some of the major cities in the Midwest. The benefits provided to both the economy and environment are enough of a cause to support the idea. Really, the only caveat is that we cannot be completely unrestrained in where we set up tracks and need to carefully gauge economic and population growth factors to ensure that the rails can continue to pay for themselves in the future. Other than that, highspeed rails should be a welcome, yet overdue addition to the nation. Ryan Dashek is a junior majoring in biology. We welcome your feedback. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
Numbers don’t lie: High-speed Rail $421 Million Estimated cost of a commuter railway extending from Milwaukee to Green Bay, a project championed by Governor Doyle. $8 Billion Amount of stimulus money designated by Obama’s plan for rail improvement, in addition to $1 billion each year for the next five years 15,000 Number of jobs the new rail system would create during construction 2,000 Number of jobs the new rail system would permanently create for upkeep and maintenance
arts
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Monday, April 20, 2009
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Complex topics left in ‘state’ of disarray Take on reporting fails to capture truth or attention By Emma Roller THE DAILY CARDINAL
PHOTO COURTESY LIONSGATE
Viewers should embrace Jason Statham as the indestructible, adrenaline-starved Chev Chelios in the second installment of the intensely exhilarating ‘Crank’ series.
‘Crank’ up the intensity Mindless action without plot pleases eyes but not minds By Kevin Slane THE DAILY CARDINAL
Chev Chelios is one angry man. He spent the entirety of the first “Crank” film keeping his heart pumping with the use of adrenaline. He had a snowball’s chance in Hell of surviving, especially after falling thousands of feet from a helicopter directly onto the pavement, yet he is still alive. Now, in “Crank: High Voltage,” that indestructible heart of his is being stolen by Japanese doctors to give to an elderly Chinese gangster (kung-fu legend David Carradine) in poor health. Chelios (Jason Statham) is stuck with a battery-powered heart and needs to give himself a series of electrical jolts to keep the heart pumping. He’s like the Energizer Bunny, but angry and British.
But what “High Voltage” lacks in plot, it makes up for by not giving a damn about the plot.
Sound implausible and foolish? It is. But what “High Voltage” lacks in plot, it makes up for by not giving a damn about the plot. The film brings back memories of exploitation films of the
’70s, where the more violent and sexual a movie was, the greater an audience it got. The violence matches the first film, though the misogyny has been amped up to unhealthy levels. Literally every female character is a prostitute, or, if they’re a little nicer around the edges, a stripper. Chelios’ girlfriend Eve (Amy Smart) has become a stripper, and much like the last film, she is portrayed as a dumb bimbo as she once again must have sex in public with Chelios to help his heart keep pumping. Public sex is only one of the ways Chelios fights to stay alive, however. Whether he’s getting hooked up to a car, rubbing against a little old lady for static electricity, or breaking open a transmission box on a telephone pole, Chelios brings new meaning to the phrase “shock and awe.” Statham plays his role in his usual angry, sarcastic manner and strikes fear into gangsters’ hearts even while lacking a true heart of his own. Statham is at his best when he has no moral compass or extrinsic need for emotion, and “High Voltage” lets him shine. The average shot length of the film is remarkably short, giving audiences the same feeling of hurried panic as Chelios. Similarly, the editing is so frenzied and confusing it often feels more like
a Japanese cartoon than a film. The characters are cartoonish as well, playing shallow stereotypes of themselves with unrequited glee. Ling Bai’s crazed hooker is especially notable for portraying a character so far removed from reality that she might as well have been drawn onto the film. Despite this, audiences will enjoy the characters the same way a child will enjoy a Saturday morning cartoon. There are bad guys with paper-thin motives, morally ambivalent women wearing little clothing and one antihero who is the essence of cool.
Statham is at his best when he has no moral compass or extrinsic need for emotion, and “High Voltage” lets him shine.
If directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor hadn’t kept their tongues firmly in cheek while making this film, “High Voltage” could have been a disaster. Instead, viewers who go into the film expecting nothing more than an absurd action flick full of unnecessary violence and depraved sexuality will walk out of the theater happy. Grade: B
Viral Videos of the Week
“State of Play” is a terrible movie with an amazingly astute marketing strategy. By shamelessly pandering to media luddites with nostalgia-inducing montages of a reporter’s life, it softened the hearts of some of the most jaded film critics (it made A.O. Scott cry, for God’s sake). Although the movie itself fails to intelligently show the lack of objectivity in reporting today, perhaps the critical response it has received does exactly that. The movie takes place in an overcast Washington D.C. after the murder of Sonia Baker (Maria Thayer), aide and mistress of Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), a scenario depicted with heavy-handed similarities to the death of Chandra Levy. The plot follows reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe doing his best Mel Gibson impression) as he tries to unravel the murder case and find the truth. Conveniently, Collins and McAffrey were roommates in college, and soon Collins begs the reporter—apparently the congressman’s only political resource—to help him turn the tide of the media onslaught in his favor. Based on a 2003 British TV series, the movie features a star-studded mishmash of characters such as Helen Mirren as the caricatured newspaper editor, Rachel McAdams as the feisty, often braless Capitol Hill blogger and Jeff Daniels as the unscrupulous minority whip. Crowe and McAdams must team up to investigate the story, but must first reconcile their different positions on what angle to take. Though the intent here is to juxtapose the traditional hard-nosed reporter with media rookies, Crowe’s acting is akin to “The Big Lebowski” played by Air Bud, with McAdams as one of his lost puppies. And much like Beethoven (the Saint Bernard in the critically acclaimed 1992 film “Beethoven”), director Kevin Macdonald bit off much more than he could chew when filming the movie. By trying to weave together such expan-
sive topics as corrupt senators, shadowy government organizations and the role of journalists in modern society, the end result looks more like a finger painting than a tapestry critiquing political interplay. One saving grace of the movie is a cameo by Jason Bateman as the slick, pill-popping PR rep Dominic Foy. Another is the horribly photoshopped image of Affleck from his character’s military tour in Kuwait. And has it been mentioned that Rachel McAdams doesn’t wear a bra in some scenes?
The movie ends with a twist so incomprehensible it would make M. Night Shyamalan blush.
Unfortunately, there is no sexy male equivalent in the cast. Though Brad Pitt and Edward Norton were originally slated to be in the movie, they both presciently dropped out. The movie ends with a twist so incomprehensible it would make M. Night Shyamalan blush. It might even make him throw up a little, but in a way that would actually surprise you instead of just making you want to punch your brain out. Although it’s nice to think newspaper production is fueled solely by whiskey sipped from Dixie cups, the movie fails to address the less glamorous aspects of a reporter’s life, such as filing FOIA requests, sitting through five-hour budget meetings and diving into doubloon-filled swimming pools like so many Uncle Scrooges on corporate retreat weekends. With the omission of these topics covered in any Reporting 101 class, the movie loses all credibility. For a more accurate depiction of the world of investigative journalism, I highly recommend “Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley: The Case of the Sea World Adventure.” Grade: D+
Search terms: What Hurts the Most You know those commercials where the baby uses his webcam to preach insurance? Ever wondered what it would be like if that baby was older and less interested with insurance and more concerned with performing Cascada’s rendition of “What Hurts the Most”? Well it’s on YouTube and it’s hilarious. Especially when he uses a Nintendo Wii driving wheel and gets up close and personal with the camera. Search terms: Disney Templates Fail Warning: Watching this might ruin some of your favorite childhood Disney memories. But if you don’t blame Disney for reusing a multitude of animations for several movies then this can actually be entertaining. A mash-up of Disney classics—with “Robin Hood” easily showing up the most—that use the same choreography and stage direction becomes a highlight reel of memorable moments.
PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck headline the star-studded cast in this muddled depiction of the journalism profession.
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Happy birthday! Both Adolf Hitler and Carmen Electra were born on April 20th. However, he was born in 1889 and she was born in 1972. dailycardinal.com/comics
Monday, April 20, 2009
Light it up
Today’s Sudoku
Anthro-apology
By Eric Wigdahl wigdahl@wisc.edu
© Puzzles by Pappocom
Angel Hair Pasta
By Todd Stevens ststevens@wisc.edu
Sid and Phil Classic
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.
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 OPPOSITE MEANINGS ACROSS
1 Packed, as freight 6 “Bohemian Rhapsody” addressee 10 Eczema symptom 14 Amazed 15 An eclipse, to some 16 Barnyard hybrid 17 Leading? 19 “Carrie” event 20 Envisions 21 Get on one’s nerves 22 Cruel villains 24 Nobel Peace Center city 26 Black-and-white zoo attraction 27 The Brooklyn Dodgers? 31 Prepare to propose 32 Where you can be all you can be 33 Some change it regularly 35 Thumbs-up votes 36 Apothecary measures 38 Dance done in grass skirts 39 One feted in June 40 Automatic start? 41 Small digit 42 Laura Bush? 46 It’s used to stand tall 47 Alley cry
48 Literary spoof 50 Tampa Bay NFLer 51 Verdi classic 55 Gang’s territory 56 Cookout leftover? 59 Central Asian sea 60 Hooligan 61 It may be cradled 62 R&B singer Marvin 63 Hook’s underling 64 Fishy stories DOWN
1 Vientiane’s locale 2 Fever and shivering 3 Concert ticket info 4 Sitcom segments 5 Hibernation spot 6 The next day, to a poet 7 A bad way to run 8 “ all ___ are created equal” 9 Some small colonies 10 Obstruct 11 Reverse course 12 Bumpkin 13 A-lines’ lines 18 Do some manicuring 23 Turquoise ghost in Pac-Man 25 Weekend TV staple since ‘75 26 Hole in the hide 27 “Paper Moon” actor or actress
28 Guide down the wrong path 29 Leader Arafat 30 Soft and lustrous 31 Elizabethan dramatist Thomas 34 “Now I ___ me down to sleep “ 36 Turns aside 37 Opposite of include 38 Ojibwa in a Longfellow poem 40 Rouse 41 ‘93 accord signer 43 Bunker’s “Quiet!” 44 Mark from dirty fingers 45 Type of support 48 Large male deer 49 Charismatic trait 50 Sad color? 52 Worshipped celeb 53 Ready to be served 54 Word on a toy package 57 Electrician’s measure 58 Decide
Charlie and Boomer
By Natasha Soglin soglin@wisc.edu
sports
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Monday, April 20, 2009
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Women’s Tennis
Wisconsin defeats Penn State, falls to Ohio State By Emma Condon THE DAILY CARDINAL
After besting Penn State 5-2, the Wisconsin women’s tennis team startled Ohio State as they threatened to take down the Big Ten opponent before falling 4-3 to the Buckeyes in a third set tiebreak. The Badgers’ sophomore Jessica Seyferth split sets with her Buckeye opponent, sophomore Cami Hubbs. With the meet leveled at 3-all and the cool rain coming down, the pair raged through their decisive third set into a tiebreak. After leading most of the game, Seyferth misfired to give Hubbs her first lead 5-4, and the Buckeye took advantage of two more points to win the tiebreak and the final match 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (4). “It’s intense you know, and you live for those moments where you have the tight tiebreaker to clinch that match,” UW senior Liz Carpenter said, watching her teammate. “[Seyferth] clinched it for us last weekend and I know she really was wanting to do it again and it’s just heartbreaking to see that not happen.” No. 39 Ohio State (7-3 Big
Ten, 14-9 overall) swept the doubles matches for the early lead, but the No. 74 Badgers (3-7, 8-14) fresh off three straight conference wins did not surrender them easily and made a run for the lead in singles. UW freshman Angela Chupa won 6-4, 6-4 at No. 5 and junior Katya Mirnova dismissed sophomore Paloma Escobedo with her nearly unerring ground strokes, 6-2, 6-2. Carpenter celebrated her last season match as a Badger by adding her own win over feisty junior Kirsten Flower 6-4, 6-2 to give the Badgers the lead, threatening an upset, but the Buckeyes rallied indoors and added the win 4-3. “We almost upset a really good team. I think everybody realizes how close we are to doing some great things and today we almost did it,” said UW head coach Brian Fleishman. “I think they are going to use this not as a let down, but more of a ‘Hey, I think we’re ready.’” Despite the bitter-sweet loss to Ohio State, the Badgers collected a clean victory over the Nittany Lions (2-8, 5-17) Saturday afternoon. “We expected them to fight and
compete from the very beginning,” Fleishman said. “We were preparing our girls that they were going to come out fighting and scratching for every point.” The women came out swinging and swept the doubles matches to earn the early lead, and carried on that momentum as they rolled through wins at No. 1, 2 and 6 to clinch the meet. “Going into each match you build on that confidence, plus it helps the team spirit,” Seyferth said. “If you look over and see your teammates winning, that helps you.” Seyferth collected the Badgers’ last victory of the afternoon at No. 4, and the Badgers’ efforts put down the Lions by a final score of 5-2. “They’re consistent, and they did give us some free points,” Mirnova said. “I think a lot of us came out and hit the ball hard and stayed consistent and focused and it happened.” With the split this weekend, the Badgers concluded their spring season but have only days to rest before they host the Big Ten Tournament Thursday through Sunday.
LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL
UW junior Katya Mirnova defeated OSU sophomore Paloma Escobedo and PSU freshman Monik Mical this weekend at No. 2 singles.
Rowing
Wisconsin men’s and women’s rowing teams performed well this weekend By Daniel Lyman THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Wisconsin men’s and women’s rowing teams were in action this weekend and both teams posted solid results. The varsity and second varsity teams competed in the Stanford Invitational in Redwood City, Calif., Saturday and Sunday. In what is becoming a normal occurrence for the men’s varsity team this season, the boats from Madison were the first to glide across the finish line in each race the Badgers competed in. In the dual-style regatta meet, the first and second varsity teams first took to the waters against the rowers from Washington Saturday morning. The varsity race featured two of the top teams in the country, and it was the No. 2 Badgers who won the
recap from page 8 rushing yards on five attempts. Phillips was recruited by Wisconsin as a scrambling quarterback, but his performance through the air Saturday impressed Bielema. “I knew that [Phillips] could do things with his feet, but to see what he did in the passing game made a big statement to me,” Bielema said. Phillips, who said he must continue to develop his ability as a pocket passer, feels he benefited from sitting out last year as a redshirt to gain experience with the Wisconsin offense. “It’s not even close to how I feel a year ago,” Phillips said. “I just feel so much more comfortable with [the offense].” On the ground, Brown and Clay each averaged over five yards per carry. Brown, who sunk to third
softball from page 8 turn the game around.” Going to the top of the seventh the team and the crowd were on the edge of their seats. Wisconsin was three outs from its biggest win of the year. But Ohio State is a tough and talented team, and
race in 5:40.2—two seconds in front of the Huskies, who crossed the finish line in 5:42.9. The second varsity team also rowed a solid race, finishing in 5:46.3, but fell short to Washington, which finished with a time of 5:42.0. On Sunday, Stanford Cardinal hosted the meet. The UW varsity team defeated the No. 8-ranked Stanford, finishing in 5:44.13, while the Stanford rowers finished in 5:51.52. The second varsity also took home a victory, finishing in 5:54.13, 10 seconds in front of the Stanford boat, which finished in 6:04.47. Meanwhile, back in Madison, the third and fourth varsity teams along with the freshman teams were in action against Minnesota, and the teams from Madison swept all five races Saturday. in the depth chart last year behind Clay and P.J. Hill, made an impact on Bielema Saturday. “He’s physical, he’s strong, he’s into it. I know everyone wants to focus on John Clay, but [Brown] really brings durability to the position,” Bielema said. On the defensive side of the ball, Cardinal accumulated six sacks, including two from senior O’Brien Schofield. And sophomore defensive back Devin Smith added an interception late in the game. In the receiving game, Kendricks caught three passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Nick Toon had four receptions for a game-high 62 yards, and sophomore Aaron Henry, who normally plays defensive back, took some snaps at wide receiver and had four receptions for 39 yards. they did not quit. Vanevenhoven pitched an amazing game, but whether it was the steady downpour of rain or fatigue, the Buckeyes rallied to tie the game at 5-5. In that inning, Ohio State junior Courtney Pruner hit a 2-run shot to left center, and Ledford hit a triple that scored a run and pulled
The conditions at Lake Mendota were perfect for the racers and spectators, as smooth waters and warm sunshine made for a comfortable Saturday morning—a welcome contrast to last weekend, when the team had to postpone a race due to stormy and choppy conditions on the lake. The UW third varsity boat won its race in 6:06.5, in front of Wisconsin’s fourth varsity boat and Minnesota’s first varsity boat. The results were similar in the other races, with the Wisconsin boats soundly defeating the competition from Minnesota. Christopher Stiles was a rower on the second freshman boat and said it was nice to get out on the water against some competition. He said the meet was good preparation for the rest of the season. “We’re looking forward to racing
analysis from page 8 Phillips showed a great deal of potential in the game as well, throwing two touchdowns and running for one more. Bielema said Phillips has made huge strides learning the offense in the past year. “[Phillips] threw a couple of strikes,” Bielema said. “He’s a lot further along right now.” The progress Phillips made could not overcome his youth in other areas, however, and will likely need another year before he has completely mastered the starting role, something BROWN that should not be much of a problem given the years he has left to the Buckeyes to 5-4. Then, on a ball in the dirt, Ledford scored the tying run from third. The rally sent the game into extra innings, and it was not until the top of the 11th when the Buckeyes hit an RBI single that would prove to be the game winner. It was a heartbreaking loss,
Dartmouth, BU and MIT in two weeks and following that up with a strong performance at Eastern Sprints,” Stiles said. Stiles said racing at home on smooth waters was a positive experience. “You get out there and you know the lake well ... It’s nice to have water that’s rowable. Last weekend it wasn’t, but this weekend was pretty close to perfect.” The men will be in action again May 2 at the Cochrane Cup/Jablonic Cup in Blue Island, Ill. Women’s Although the varsity and second varsity men were in Redwood City, the UW women’s rowing team was competing in Gold River, Calif., at the Lake Natoma Invitational. The No. 9 lady Badgers also made play for Wisconsin. Sherer might not be perfect, but with the experience he has at the position, he’s certainly the best-prepared quarterback on the team. The future of the Badger running game was also on display in the game, with sophomore John Clay, junior Zach Brown and freshman Erik Smith showcasing the diverse styles of play they will bring to the team. Power backs Clay and Brown had productive games, rushing for 62 and 110 yards, respectively, while the more agile Smith had 56, including a 43-yard sprint down the sideline. Despite a slow start to the game, Clay was breaking tackles and gaining yardage for the Cardinal team by the second quarter. Smith was also unremarkable in the first quarter, as the White team had him doing the kinds of inside runs that would better suit Clay or Brown. but UW head coach Chandelle Schulte was extremely proud of her players, especially Vanevenhoven. “I thought she was great through 10, but you got to finish,” Schulte said. “It was the first complete game I’ve seen us play, through ten, minus that one [inning], and we can’t catch a break.”
a habit of winning Saturday, taking victories in each of their six races. The varsity eight won their morning race with a time of 6:32.44, defeating the boats from UCLA and Texas. The team’s impressive Saturday performance qualified them for the top group of racers Sunday, along with No. 2 Stanford and No. 3 California. The varsity four finished its race in 7:25.54, barely missing out on the victory to California, who finished in 7:23.94. Overall, the women finished third out of the field of nine teams, ahead of No. 19 UCLA and Big Ten rival No. 20 Minnesota. Next up for the women is the Big Ten Championships May 2, located this year in Columbus, Ohio. —uwbadgers.com contributed to this report. However, later in the game when Smith’s runs were mostly to the outside or when he was in the open field, his talent as a speedy back was clear. Brown said the different styles the three running backs bring to the game will be a valuable asset in the coming season. “We definitely bring something different to the table and I think it showed today,” he said. “It’s just great to have different backs that can do different things in the game.” Although the spring game does not show how the team will perform in the thick of Big Ten football, it can give an indication of the potential in many of the players. After Saturday’s contest it is clear the Badgers have an up-and-coming talent in Phillips and an improved quarterback in Sherer, as well as a ground game that brings a balanced threat to their opponents. The Badgers continue their homestand Wednesday against Minnesota and will be looking to continue their tough play. “I think the heart is something we’ve been missing for a while, and everyone dug deep today and hopefully we can keep it going,” Soderberg said.
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Monday, April 20, 2009
Football
PHOTOS BY LORENZO ZEMELLA AND STEPHANIE MOEBIUS/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Cardinal trumps White in spring game RECAP
By Scott Kellogg THE DAILY CARDINAL
Wisconsin’s spring practice season culminated Saturday with the spring game, where Cardinal defeated White, 56-20. On offense, Cardinal moved the ball methodically down the field with nearly every possession. Cardinal used a balanced attack with junior Zach Brown and sophomore John Clay, combining for 172 yards on 26 rushing attempts, and the quarterback combination of freshman Curt Phillips, senior Dustin Sherer and junior Scott Tolzien compiling 293 passing yards. Cardinal began the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Sherer to senior tight end Garrett
Graham on an out route. In White’s lone highlight of the game, sophomore linebacker Tony Megna intercepted a Sherer pass and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown. It was a pass both Sherer and Bielema were disappointed about. “We cannot beat ourselves,” Bielema said. “That throw came out late … You cannot have those types of situations from our offensive players.” Sherer was also frustrated with the interception but felt he responded well to his mistake. He finished the contest with six completions on nine attempts with one touchdown pass and one touchdown run. “It’s disappointing, but you have to bounce back,” Sherer said. “Stuff like that’s going to happen, so it’s all about how you respond to it.”
After Cardinal scored again on a 10-yard touchdown run by Sherer, freshman Curt Phillips entered the game for Cardinal halfway through the second quarter. Phillips marched his team down the field on his first drive and reached the end zone on a 13-yard touchdown scamper. After a three-and-out by White, Cardinal and Phillips once again drove down the field and reached the end zone, this time on a 13yard touchdown pass from Phillips to junior tight end Lance Kendricks on a flag route. Phillips, who had the benefit of playing with the first team offense against the second team defense, finished the game with 10 completions on 16 passing attempts and 36 recap page 7
ANALYSIS Phillips shines, but Sherer takes lead in race for starting spot
By Nico Savidge THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Wisconsin football spring game is hardly a foolproof look at how the team will play in the fall. To avoid any injuries, there were no kickoffs, all punts ended in fair catches and a “tackle” of the quarterback was a two-hand touch, adding to a host of odd rules meant to make the glorified scrimmage more interesting for fans. Although it is important to avoid reading too much into what happened at Camp Randall Stadium
Saturday, there were a few signs of what to expect when the Badgers take the field against Northern Illinois Sept. 5. First, senior quarterback Dustin Sherer has improved his game in spring practices and, though he is incredibly talented, freshman Curt Phillips is not ready for the starting role. Despite throwing an interception that sophomore Tony Megna returned for a touchdown, Sherer seemed to be a more accurate passer. Speaking of the interception after the game, head coach Bret Bielema said the team cannot have those types of situations from its experienced players, but admitted that, aside from the big mistake, Sherer is “significantly better” than he was last season. analysis page 7
Softball
Badgers unable to take game from Buckeyes in extra innings By Nick Schmitt THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Wisconsin softball team (1-9 Big Ten, 12-32 overall) does not believe in moral victories, but even though it lost 10-0 and 6-5 in Saturday’s doubleheader against No. 15 Ohio State (111, 35-6), the team showed some real encouraging signs. The Badgers sent out junior Letty Olivarez to pitch the first game. Going into the weekend, her ERA was a respectable 2.94, but she struggled against the Buckeye hitters. She gave up 10 earned runs on 10 hits and seven walks while striking out five. The game broke wide open in the top of the seventh when the Buckeye’s scored five runs, including a 3-run homerun from junior outfielder Leah Ledford. Senior Nichole Whaley led Wisconsin at the plate going 2-for-
2. The Badgers were successful at hitting off Ohio State senior pitcher Kim Reeder, who leads the Buckeyes with a 1.22 ERA, a 19-3 record and 146 strikeouts. But they did not get the necessary timely hits, leaving 12 runners on base. In game two, the Badgers came out looking like a different team. Wisconsin senior pitcher Leah Vanevenhoven kept the Buckeye hitters at bay early in the game. She only allowed one run in the first six innings and seemed to get better as the game went on. The usually dormant Wisconsin offense gave her support, too. In the bottom of the third with two outs and bases loaded, junior shortstop Katie Soderberg smashed a baseclearing double into deep center field giving the Badgers a 3-0 lead. “It feels good,” Soderberg said.
“I knew my swing was feeling good going into today, so I was ready.” Known more for her defensive ability than offensive, Soderberg’s 3-run double gave her six RBIs on the season. It was the first time all year the Badgers held a lead against a ranked team. Wisconsin added another run in the bottom of the third when senior Theresa Boruta scored from second base on a ball that got past Ohio State’s catcher. In the bottom of the sixth, Soderberg played hero again and added her seventh RBI of the year, slapping a ground ball off the pitcher that scored senior Alexis Garcia from second. “[I was] pretty excited,” Soderberg said. “It’s nice when anybody on our team starts with some big momentum. I think it’s something that can softball page 7
LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL
UW senior infielder Alexis Garcia and the Badgers hope to rebound from their 10-game losing streak Wednesday against Minnesota.