Wednesday, May 6, 2009 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

Dan Deacon’s electronic storm tore through Madison Monday to thundering cheers ARTS

PAGE 5

University of Wisconsin-Madison

FORMER BADGER BALLER A MODEL EXPORT Rashard Grifﬁth’s journey overseas laid the framework for today’s journeymen SPORTS

Complete campus coverage since 1892

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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

By Rachel Holzman THE DAILY CARDINAL

DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Sophomore Tyler Junger defeated Brian Benford as the next ASM chair at the election Tuesday night.

ASM elects Junger chair THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Associated Students of Madison voted Tyler Junger over Brian Benford as the next ASM chair Tuesday. Support for both candidates was strong, as Junger won with a 16-14 vote. The two nominees tied in the first appointment hearing Friday. ASM representatives also elected Tom Templeton as vice chair and Kurt Gosselin as secretary. Because both candidates had a similar stance regarding outreach, one of ASM’s most pressing issues, most of the discussion was based on their past leadership experience. Several representatives who endorsed Junger, who ran for Responsible Leadership in ASM slate, said he had the necessary qualifications to fulfill the role. Representative Matt Manes said specifically Junger’s knowledge about ASM gave him the

edge over Benford. “It’s working knowledge that only comes with being involved in the administration,” he said. “I feel that’s where Junger exceeds Benford.” According to Representative Rebecca Newman, Junger provides a better representation of ASM because of his professional attitude and communication skills. “I see the position of chair obviously for being the face of ASM, but also for being the most active role in communicating within the administration and representing ASM in the best light,” she said. Many representatives also voiced their support for Benford, who is a former District 12 Alder and ran under the For Accessibility Community and Empowerment of Students (FACES) slate. Representative Katrina Flores, who ran for District 8 alderman this spring, said Benford brings a

sort of “electricity” that she deemed necessary to mediate ASM and create a vision. Flores said Benford’s various former leadership positions stood out as important qualifications for the role. “[He has the] most extensive experience on so many different levels. He can look to reform ASM better than his counterpart,” she said. Following the chair vote, representatives deliberated the vice chair and secretary positions. Templeton defeated Jonah Zinn as vice chair with a 14-11 vote, Zinn went on to win the Academic Affairs Chair. ASM representatives also elected Theotis Sharpe as the Nominations Board chair, Adam Johnson as the Legislative Affairs chair, and Lauren Vollrath as the Student Activiy Center Governing Board chair. The Finance Committee chair will be chosen Friday.

ASM striving to include students ASM sees value of student organizations, looks to reach out

By Rory Linnane THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Associated Students of Madison, UW-Madison’s student government, is charged by its constitution “to ensure the greatest participation by students” in governance and policy-making. But former ASM Chair Brittany Wiegand, who was involved with ASM sessions 12-15, from 2006 to 2009, said student detachment from ASM has been a problem for years that members only began to dig into this year.

ASM’s lack of clout within the student body became most apparent in February, when the student body voted down a proposed new constitution that had passed unanimously through Student Council. Following the failure of the constitution, “outreach” became a favorite buzzword. Representatives began efforts to become a more inclusive student government. Students reject constitution When the new constitution failed to pass the student body, representatives tried to determine why they lost student support. Former representative Kurt Gosselin, who was on the constitutional committee, said though con-

PAGE 8

Council postpones ban on cheap liquor in city

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

By Beth Pickhard

PART 1 OF 2

stitutional committee members were deeply invested in the process, the committee lacked the support it needed from the student council to inform students going into the vote. “The constitution didn’t fail on ideology,” Gosselin said. “It failed in the ground game.” Former representative John Tackett, who was also on the constitutional committee, agreed that there was a lack of resources. “We tried to pick out the techniques we could feasibly do with the asm page 3

The Common Council voted to move discussion of a proposal banning the sale of cheap liquor throughout Madison at Tuesday night’s meeting after many liquor distributors and grocers voiced strong opposition. Ald. Michael Schumacher, District 18, constructed an ordinance banning the sale of less than a pint of liquor or fortified wine and sales of less than a sixpack of beer. Schumacher said the city has too much panhandling, and the ordinance would make it more difficult for alcoholics to accumulate enough money to purchase alcohol or pressure others into buying it for them. “This is an attempt to create a uniform playing ﬁeld,” Schumacher said. “This will basically allow the police to know what conditions they can enforce for all retailers.” However, the proposed ban, which was passed by the ALRC April 15, incited controversy at the Common Council meeting when

many local liquor and beer distributors and grocers came to speak in opposition. Casey Trudgeon of Wisconsin Distributors played on the current economic climate in making his argument against the ordinance. “Do we really want to pass something that may hurt our businesses in this current economic state?” Trudgeon asked the council. The council voted to move discussion of the ordinance to the June 2 meeting to allow for more collaboration with the liquor industry. Tim Bruer, District 14, warned the industry representatives that the council will still vote for this ordinance should they decide to not participate in discussion of this proposal. “You folks really need to come together,” Bruer said to the industry representatives. “Because if you fail to come forth and participate, you will get regulation and you will not like it.” The new proposal would go into effect in September and would affect all 123 of the retail license holders in Madison.

Break it down

BECCA LI/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Jarius King, whose breakdancing moniker is Man of God, busts a move in front of Memorial Library Tuesday afternoon.

Regents to vote on discipline revisions By Kelsey Gunderson THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Board of Regents will vote Thursday on proposed revisions to the UW System conduct rules that could allow universities within the system to punish students for severe off-campus misbehavior. David Giroux, UW System communications and external relations director, said under the proposed revisions, off-campus behavior would be punishable if students fall under the list of actions subject to discipline and are serious and repeated. “Only when you meet both of those criteria at the same time are we talking about any kind of

sanction,” he said. Giroux also said because an action must meet these two criteria, punishment under the revised rules would be in only extreme and rare situations. “We are talking about really serious situations that demand the university’s attention,” he said. “We’re not going to go looking for more students to discipline.” Colleene Thomas, a UW System regent, said before the revisions the rule for off-campus discipline was vague, making it difﬁcult for ofﬁcials to make decisions and for regents 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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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

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

TODAY: thunderstorms hi 71º / lo 53º

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Ashley says good riddance, for now at least

Volume 118, Issue 145

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 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 Copy Editors Tanya Adams Matt Hunziker, Sarah Mittermaier Frances Provine, Todd Stevens

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Alex Kusters Advertising Manager Sheila Phillips Mindy Cummings Billing Manager Accounts Receivable Manager Cole Wenzel Account Executives Katie Brown Ana Devcic, Natalie Kemp Tom Shield 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.

THURSDAY: thunderstorms hi 71º / lo 49º

ASHLEY SPENCER back that ash up

ue the obligatory Green Day because it’s time for me to say goodbye to you, dear reader. I hate to turn to one of the all-time graduation clichés and get all sappy on your ass, believe me, emotions are the last thing I like to experience, but this song has signaled the ends of various chapters of our lives, and it’s the end of my favorite chapter: backing my ash up at UW-Madison. I hope you had the time of your life reading about my funny, albeit pathetic, little existence, probably not much different than your own. If you’re anything like me, you’re sitting in lecture making a to-do list, kind of doing the Sudoku but stopping because you lack the mental capacity to do so by Tuesday, or you’re sitting in the union eating one of those huge delicious wraps made for people who strive to be obese. I’ll miss those. I thought maybe I’d write something that didn’t acknowledge my departure from the paper, from Madison, and just try to laugh and

keep denying. I’d rather do anything than write this last column—it’s come to define the very essence of me, it’s introduced me to so many interesting people at bars, at Amy’s, Plaza, Echo Tap—and of course, it introduced me to so many sweet, nerdy, newsy people at the Cardinal, that windowless cave in Vilas. It’s the place where I wrote my first lead, made my first best friend and first started backing my ash up to the dismay and revolt of many. This publication has given me so much—from the ability to write about sext messages, to using words like “fuck” and “twat” on a weekly basis. However, my defining moment as a journalism major was on my last day as state editor of the Cardinal, what I did before writing investigative columns delving into the art of pole dancing, when we published a sketch of a hamburger I drew. I would never have had all of these experiences if I didn’t stumble into the Cardinal’s organizational meeting as a freshman, then a virgin, a political moderate and a social leotard. Before then, I hardly imagined I would work at a college paper and actually love it—and not just the semi-attractive males that occasionally worked here before they figured out the Badger Herald pays their staff. When I came to college, I had a lot

of expectations—but being a columnist, especially one whose moniker is derived from a grotesque, catchy song about booties circa 1997, is something I never quite imagined as high school senior, though I was quite fond of Juvenile’s touching lyrics. But that’s the thing about college: when you come here, you expect certain things to happen—you’ll have the best time of your life, man, and drink beer at the terrace, and you’ll make all these friends on your floor, study abroad, and party at Mifflin and Halloween, and you’ll eat Ian’s pizza, and go to Badger games and by the end of it, you’ll have your job and your life together. I had somewhat of a four-year plan ingrained in my head because I’m a planner by nature. I’m always making to-do lists, and I’ve realized they were for naught, because they haven’t helped me keep my life on track. They’ve helped me graduate in four years, only to be confronted with the future, a future I can only see as far as next week. Currently, my life resembles my bedroom, and it’s a fucking mess. I think if I learned anything after filling out blue books with my numb right hand, studying for endless hours in cages and various coffee shops, is that it’s the unexpected that ends up defining who you are.

the daily cardinal makes fun of you Mandi Hawk

is missing all the fallen Pipefitter bitches. about an hour ago

Sex: Female Major: Economy, Sociology Relationship status: In a relationship with Mark Bannon

Editorial Board Nick Dmytrenko Dave Heller Alex Morrell Frances Provine Todd Stevens Jon Spike Gabe Ubatuba

Looking for: Friendship, Networking

Life happens when you stop thinking about what’s going to happen. The best times I’ve had weren’t planned— watching Obama’s inauguration. It was Perkin’s breakfasts with my best friends in our going-out outﬁts. It was spontaneous dance parties with umbrellas on a dead-end street in Ireland. It was walking down State Street, looking toward the Capitol, on a fall day with farmer’s market cheese in my knapsack. It was Sundays spent in the library getting nothing much done, watching the Asian kids play hide and seek. It was writing in Espresso Royale, alone, by myself, at peace for once. I’m not sure where or who I’ll be in ﬁve years. I’ll be happy if I’m not homeless and sharing the sidewalk with Scanner Dan (if that’s the case, I hope a sorority adopts me). There are no more great expectations. I can only expect to remember my time here fondly, to keep to laughing without hesitation and to keep sharing my stories. Thank you for laughing with me, and being a chapter in the story of my life. This is Ashley Spencer’s last column. Typing that last sentence made Ashley feel dead. She plans to start blogging at http://backthatash.blogspot.com/, wherever her life takes her. E-mail her at aaspencer@wisc.edu.

Do you love:

Music Movies TV Books?

Religious views: Atheist

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

Political view: Liberal

One of about 200 photos that Mandi took of herself and decided to put online.

Birthday: May 12

Most Embarrassing Item: I once thought of writing a story about a rebellious college girl with a godly gift at drawing cartoons. She would work at a pipe shop during the day, drawing her cartoons between selling customers tobacco and explaining the features of the new limited edition Roar bong on display. At dusk, she would mysteriously disappear to a world unknown to her peers. This place was actually Visions Gentlemen’s Club on East Washington, where she worked to cover the costs of her drawing habit—colored pencils are far more expensive than one would anticipate. She calls herself Mandi Hawk, and she’ll “try almost anything once (with a customer), if not for fun, at least for the experience.” Then I realized this book had already been written, by God.

Then apply to be an arts columnist. Just send three 600word column to arts@dailycardinal.com

Deadline: May 16

Stupid Fact About Your Hometown [Milwaukee, WI]: In Milwaukee in 2004, 2,773 participants set the Guinness world record for the largest pillow fight. Mandi’s friends asked if she was in, and she replied, “I’m down as duck feathers.” Missed Opportunity: Most artsy girls like Mandi love “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”—like way too effing much. It doesn’t quite make sense, but you should probably check it out, Mandi, and eventually add it to your favorite movies. Saving Grace: Despite being surrounded by numerous vicious and vulgar musical artists only appreciated by angst-ridden artsy folk, Weezer finds itself in Mandi’s collection of favorite music. It should be required that every 12-year-old boy and girl own a copy of Weezer’s first four albums ... so many glorious masterpieces to cherish all the way through adulthood.

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

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

dailycardinal.com/news

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Statewide smoking ban sparks debate at public hearing By Paul Waldhart THE DAILY CARDINAL

In a public hearing Tuesday, state senators and representatives suggested amendments to the newly proposed statewide smoking ban that could be passed as early as next week. The bill would prohibit and penalize public smoking in all indoor areas, sports arenas, public conveyances and certain outdoor locations. According to state Sen. Mary Lazich, R-New Berlin, the hearing focused on exceptions to the smoking ban, such as cigar bars and

asm from page 1 manpower we had,” Tackett said in an interview after the student vote. “The problem was relying on students to be more interested or enthused about possible reform than they were.” Another problem for ASM was the competing Vote No Coalition, which former ASM representative Chynna Haas helped organize. The coalition was comprised of 18 student organizations that helped convince students to vote against the constitution. “Before the constitution vote, I ran all around the libraries,” Haas said. “It was that back-and-forth conversation that did it. I was there in person to take any questions that [students] had about it.” Wiegand said ASM and student organizations should have been more willing to collaborate. She said some of the conﬂict over the constitution may have stemmed from divisive attitudes from ASM members and student leaders. ASM attempts to collaborate with student organizations After witnessing the power of student organizations in the constitution vote, representatives attempted to foster a more cooperative relationship with them at Disc(US)sion 2009. The April forum was set up like a town hall meeting, giving students the opportunity to provide feedback about ASM functions. “ASM needs to be proactive in bringing groups to the table,” Haas, who helped organize the forum, said. “Right now [ASM] doesn’t work with [organizations] through

tobacco retailers. State Rep. Spencer Black, DMadison, said there was strong public support for the ban because of the dangers of secondhand smoke. “Workers should not be exposed to health hazards,” he said. “Madison’s success is a good example of where a local initiative will lead to statewide action.” Spencer Black state representative D-Madison

Black also said many taverns are currently split on the issue as more and more communities begin to follow Madison’s example by banning tavern smoking. “Madison’s bars and taverns have done quite well with the ban,” Black said. “Madison’s success is a good example of where a local initiative will lead to statewide action.” council; we work with them through funding … There’s this adversarial relationship that emerges.” Surveys sent out electronically from The Daily Cardinal to ASM representatives reﬂect a shift in attitude about committees’ relationship with student organizations. Separate surveys were sent to the 15th and 16th session, and at least 14 representatives responded to each survey anonymously. Fifteenth session council members collectively said it is more important “to work on a grassroots committee” than “to involve student organizations in committee work.” Sixteenth session council members responded with the opposite. Eighty-six percent of survey respondents from the 15th session and 63 percent of respondents from the 16th session spoke or plan to speak to student organizations about ASM at least once a week. Average students lost in the shufﬂe Student organizations comprise an attractive market for student council representatives. If representatives reach student organization leaders, they reach extensive listserves and audiences. According to the National Survey of Student Engagement of over 6,000 UW-Madison freshmen and seniors in 2008, approximately one-fourth of students are not involved in a cocurricular activity. Many representatives said they are concerned about this section of students who are not reached by these efforts. See tomorrow’s issue to find out how representatives plan on reaching underrepresented students.

When asked about the prospects of the proposal, Black predicted the Legislature’s decision to ban tavern smoking could be on Gov. Jim Doyle’s desk within the next week. Maureen Busalacchi, executive director of Smoke Free Wisconsin, a leading organization advocating for the ban, said proponents of the ban vastly outnumber opponents. “We need to go smoke free and do it quickly,” she said. “I’m very optimistic that we’re going to get Wisconsin to be smoke free.” Lazich, however, expressed concern about the hearing’s timing and the ability of opponents for the ban to attend. “It was very short notice, less than 24 hours … the public didn’t have much notice, particularly people around the state,” she said. According to state Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, about 300 people were in attendance, and he did not see any problems with the short notice. A public hearing of the Assembly’s version of the smoking ban will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m.

news

Man beaten, robbed on Langdon Street Three suspects allegedly beat and robbed a Van Dyne man early Sunday morning in the area of State Street and Langdon Street. According to a police report, around 12:30 a.m. Madison police were notified about a fight near Langdon Street. When the police arrived, the perpetrators had already fled. The 20-year-old victim told police he was walking from State Street to Langdon Street when he heard someone from behind him say, “Give me your money.” When the victim turned around, one suspect

regents from page 1 students to know their rights. “We’re coming forward with a document that provides a structure where students can understand fairly clearly what they are responsible for,” she said. “Administrators are provided with clear guidelines about how to proceed.” Thomas said the revision plans stemmed from community members who live near the UWMilwaukee campus and were concerned about student behavior. According to Giroux, the regents

punched him in the face. The victim said he then fell to the ground, where he was kicked multiple times and had his hands stomped on. The suspects fled with the man’s wallet. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he received stitches for two deep head cuts. The first suspect is described as a black male, 6'3" to 6'5", 220 lbs, wearing a blue jacket. The second suspect is described as a black male, 6'5", and 230 lbs. The third suspect is described as a black male, around 6'0", but huskier than the first two perpetrators. also took student rights into consideration when devising the revisions. “There is understandable concerns from all sides,” he said. “The difficulty when you’re drafting any law, rule or revision is to find the middle ground.” According to Giroux, the revisions are part of a two-year review process that began in February 2007 and involved several forums to gain community feedback. If the revisions get the regents’ approval at Thursday’s meeting in Milwaukee, they will be sent to the state Legislature for review.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

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arts

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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

BEN PIERSON/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Dan Deacon’s live shows afford audiences a kaleidoscopic array of colors, sounds, songs, body surﬁng, organized mosh pits and group activities for a complete experience.

Electronic wizard entrances the masses By Matt Hunziker THE DAILY CARDINAL

Back when Dan Deacon was touring in support of his 2007 breakthrough album, Spiderman of the Rings, he set his one-man show up in the middle of the ﬂoor, using his own awkwardly frenetic dancing to draw the audience in to the action, namely the ecstatic dance music pumping out of his sequencers. Having expanded his lineup to a 15-piece live ensemble for Monday’s show at the Majestic in support of this year’s excellent Bromst, Deacon was up on the stage again with no trouble ﬁring up the packed crowd for a show that was part concert, part group therapy session and part all-night hokey-pokey. Teeth Mountain led off the night’s triple bill with a hypnotic mix of tribal percussion and drone

music that slowly built over the course of a pair of long set pieces. Fellow Baltimoreans Future Islands followed with a set of drum machine-driven new wave that prepped the audience for Deacon’s own up-tempo electronica.

Throughout the night, what happened between songs left as much of an impression as any other part of the performance.

After leaving the crowd in the dark to listen to Enya and Blind Melon for several minutes, the ensemble took the stage and launched into “Get Older,” the ﬁnal

and perhaps most charged song on Bromst, beginning a set dominated by the new matieral. Eschewing conventional stage effects, the show’s visual spectacle was provided by a collection of homemade lighting rigs synched up with Deacon’s jerry-rigged synthesizers. Between the ﬂurry of activity on stage, the hyperactive crowd and the music itself, the effect was ecstatic as the group moved on through “Red F” and “Paddling Ghost.” Throughout the night, what happened between songs left as much of an impression as any other part of the performance. First officiating a dance-off and later organizing a venue-sized, rapidly spinning mosh pit, the interaction between Deacon and the audience defined the show, culminating with a massive human

bridge leading all the way out of the Majestic, onto the street and then back into the venue once more. A task which, given the hundreds of people involved, went surprisingly smoothly.

Dan Deacon and his ensemble might be the best show on tour.

The concert reached a sweaty fever pitch as the last of the bridge participants made their way back down onto the ﬂoor and Deacon’s ensemble kicked off “The Crystal Cat,” the night’s only song drawn

from Spiderman of the Rings and a kaleidoscopic fan-favorite. At this point, a mix of overstimulation and the pace of the performance itself nearly brought your correspondent to the point of dry heaving or losing consciousness, neither of which seemed very worrisome as crowd surfers sailed by overhead and technicolor cats zoomed around the stage’s projector screen. It was the climax to what had already been a delirious spectacle. Translating an album into an exciting live performance is a challenge, and one that a good deal of artists struggle with. A group that puts on an outstanding live show, then, is well worth the price of admission. Based on Monday’s evidence, Dan Deacon and his ensemble might be the best show on tour at the moment. Anywhere.

Television’s inﬂuence is easily forgotten, but never irrelevant ALI ROTHSCHILD season ﬁn-ali

here’s a somewhat famous speech from Newton Minow in 1961 that declared television a “vast wasteland.” At times it’s a hard point to argue—they thought it was bad in 1961, before “Survivor” opened the door to reality television. Today’s programming probably makes “Gilligan’s Island” look like “Masterpiece Theatre.” But let’s withhold all of our judgments about MTV, TLC and other dumb, peripheral processing shows for a second and consider the fact that TV may be the greatest art form we have. I’m not arguing that analyzing some postmodern poetry or attending an Ibsen play isn’t more intellectually stimulating. I can’t say that tuning into an hour of TV drama is more politically charged than attending a political rally. But since the purpose of art is to convey truth, beauty and all that other crap, when TV actually achieves that apex, the television box has the scope to reach the less-privileged, uneducated and stubborn in a way that no other art form can. Movies can be spectacular onenight stands, but television is a

long-term relationship. Your favorite show changes and you hate it, but then you ﬁnd your way back to it again. You invest yourself in a characters, and it’s like you know them. That’s the key to getting people to care. Your favorite character commits a crime, and your concept of good and bad changes. Watching someone’s marriage fall apart makes you feel better about your own bad relationship. A character you thought you knew turns out to be gay, and how could even a total homophobe not feel for them? Seriously, if every person against gay marriage would just watch Keith and David on “Six Feet Under,” I swear Proposition 8 would have turned out differently. Emotional investment in a fictional character may be the spark that makes our world leaders think twice about a political issue—just look at the UN’s conference on “Battlestar Galactica.” “Summer Heights High” is the best TV import I was exposed to this year. Only eight episodes long, the Australian TV show hilariously detailed high school life through one actor playing the parts of an over-zealous drama teacher, a spoiled private school student and a deadbeat bully. It was silly and over-the-top ridiculous, but, at the show’s end, I found myself sympathizing with

the bully-equivalent character I hated in high school and appreciating the profession of teaching more than I ever thought I could. And that’s what I’m trying to get at—people’s opinions, especially as they age, are not easily swayed. But if a show can effectively manipulate your emotions, it becomes a whole different ball game. I’m sure this all sounds hopelessly sappy and/or abrasive, but

I mean it, and since it’s my last column, I figure there should be a point to why I churned out 500600 words every two weeks. Whether any of you found this column enlightening or boring or whatever, I hope I was able to communicate how much I believe in television. As stupid as TV can be, it also comes through. For all the damage it may do to our schoolwork, brains or careers, I

think we consistently come out for the better. It was a pleasure writing for you. Stay flossy and take a break from finals to watch some good, politically-relevant, life-changing TV. Or some Tila Tequila. I don’t give a crap. Peace. Let Ali know what you’ve learned from watching the desecration of dead bodies by e-mailing her at rothschild@wisc.edu.

PHOTO COURTESY HOME BOX OFFICE

Could “Six Feet Under” make you feel differently about Proposition 8? Television’s inﬂuence may be subtle, but its effects can be just an effective and more exposed than other forms of media.

comics 6

Aloha. The Hawaiian alphabet only has 12 letters. dailycardinal.com/comics

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Finals Week

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.

Sid and Phil

By Alex Lewein lewein@wisc.edu

The Graph Giraffe

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Evil Bird

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com HOW DO YOU HUE

1 5 10 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 23 25 26 29 31 32 37 38 39 40 42 43 44 45 49 50 53

ACROSS

Hardly Ph.D. material Of equal size Ganges access “... what ___ lurks in the hearts of men?” Lorna of literature Partner of every Dracula portrayer Lugosi Run circles around Vulcanized product Tailor’s chalk ingredient Cranial mass “Get Smart” bad guys Madame Bovary’s problem Ballet dancer Nureyev Insigniﬁcant speck “Don’t tell ___!” Clue, e.g. Upper-rank NCO Disagreeable Very funny one Places for wildlife Screwtape, for one They may be caught Rest of the day? Reason to get some ice Trumpeting bird Bechamel, e.g. Ballet ﬁnale, e.g.

57 Freedom from hardship 58 Pondered 59 Trans-____ Range 60 Lost 61 Lead Belly classic “Goodnight, ___” 62 Lunar valley 63 Glossary entry 64 Some pastries 65 Fawning females? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 22 24

DOWN

Chapter 11 issue Pigmented peeper part Steelworker’s place Reasons to use flashlights Title words with “Flanders” Worsens, as relations Leather wine bottle Ark finder, familiarly Certain math class Affect emotionally Country with a palm tree on its flag Property measurement units 1,000 large calories Dry-___ (like some steak) Word with “clear” or “in”

26 A ﬁle that can’t be opened 27 World power until ’91 28 Old Venetian VIP 29 Painting Grandma 30 Muesli ingredients 32 Group of quails 33 Certain IDs 34 Aspires 35 Subject to debate 36 Peak seen from the Ionian Sea 38 Pass on, as a genetic trait 41 Sal’s canal 42 Day in Durango 44 Nobel and others 45 Blood and tears link 46 Full or ﬁrst quarter, e.g. 47 Chorus platform 48 Col. “Hannibal” Smith, and friends 49 What Fido follows 51 Surrounding glow 52 Manipulative person 54 Eclectic assortment 55 Hill partner 56 Is green without envy?

Charlie and Boomer

By Natasha Soglin soglin@wisc.edu

opinion

Wednesday, May 6, 2009 7

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

raise a glass to raising the tax

his past week, state Rep. Terese Berceau and Sen. Fred Risser announced their co-sponsorship of a bill intended to raise the tax on beer in Wisconsin to $10 a barrel. In a state that cheers for a baseball team named the “Brewers,” and where people might falsely believe beer is our ofﬁcial state drink, the mere idea of this bill may seem to go against the culture of the Badger State. But once a little analysis is done, it becomes clear that this proposal is common sense. Math alone shows that there will be little impact on consumers. The tax rate of $10 per barrel translates to a mere 2.4 cent increase per 12 oz. bottle, a change that most beer drinkers won’t even notice. As for breweries, it is hard to imagine Wisconsin’s beer industry experiencing many adverse effects either. One can assume that the tax will simply be passed on to consumers through barely perceptible prices hikes. Even if breweries eat the tax themselves, this tax hike will only bring Wisconsin on par with most other states in the nation. Currently, Wisconsin has one of the lowest tax rates in the country for beer, Wyoming boasting the lowest. It seems that most of the opposition to the increase comes from lobbyists working on behalf of the breweries, who take advantage of our alcohol-friendly tax policy and politicians like Gov. Jim Doyle who oppose the tax are looking out for the interests

of MillerCoors more than the interests of the state. Wisconsin has likely received some increased business from its low tax rate, but it is unlikely that a mass exodus of breweries will follow once the tax is brought to a more midrange level. However, that risk is offset by the massive budget deficit the state is currently facing. The extra 2.4 cents generated for every bottle sold will create $40 million annually for the state, much of which would go toward hiring direly needed new state prosecutors. Any additional money raised by the tax can be funneled into preventing drunken driving and fixing Wisconsin’s culture of excessive alcohol consumption. Although the alcohol tax itself may not prevent binge drinking because of its low cost, it could help fund programs that have been effective at curbing dangerous drinking behavior. In these dire economic times, revenue streams are drying up and state lawmakers need to find new ways to keep the coffers full. Even if this new tax increase doesn’t have much of a direct impact on safety, as some of its proponents claim, it certainly provides a new revenue stream to help out legislators desperately trying to sort out the government’s balance sheet. As anybody who has ever run out of money knows, some sacrifices and hard choices need to be made. Paying a couple cents more for a bottle of beer is not one of those difficult decisions.

Concern for swine ﬂu is worth the squealing Global fallout could be disastrous if pandemic surges

SEAN MCMASTER opinion columnist

nfluenza. When you normally think about this illness, you picture an annoying sore throat accompanied by a mild fever and head congestion. The current variant of this infection, swine flu, has been receiving considerable attention, now considered nearly a pandemic. The responses to swine flu range from humor to concern with some Mifflin-goers donning masks in the midst of resonating caution as the illness continues to spread across the world.

It is in the best interest of all to ensure that spreading of the virus is limited and ultimately stopped.

Humans have suffered from influenza for millennia, with Hippocrates first documenting the infection more than 2,400 years ago. In any given year, nearly a billion cases of flu lead to 500,000 deaths. The virus is not only one of the first viruses isolated (1931) but is also o n e of the most heavily

Letter to the Editor:

Influenza is an RNA virus that is transferred by bodily fluids (such as saliva and mucous) coming into either direct or indirect contact with soft tissue (such as the eyes or the nose). Like other viruses, influenza cannot be treated with antibiotics because antibiotics only treat bacterial infections. One must rely on his or her own immune system to repel and ultimately build up antibodies against the infection to ensure limited symptoms upon subsequent infection. Viruses, while not formally considered living organisms, require one for reproduction. Because of this, the treatment of viral infections is extremely difficult; only a limited number of antivirals exist and these are highly regulated. Now you might ask, “Why should I be more concerned about the swine flu than a normal influenza?” Well, for one, this strain of influenza has a greater infection potential than typical influenza strains. This could be due to our lack of a natural immunity to this new strain because we have not been exposed to it. Despite there being many strains of influenza, each is typically species-specific, meaning there

This strain of inﬂuenza has a greater infection potential than the typical inﬂuenza strains.

is limited zoonotic transmission (infection from one species to

To Chancellor Biddy Martin According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007 report, the global temperature could increase by up to six degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Global warming is a serious issue. We need to start combating it now. Here at UW-Madison, we should work toward eliminating all greenhousegas emissions on our campus. The College Sustainability Report Card for 2009, created by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, gave UWMadison a grade of “B.” Good, but not great. This indicates that we need to do more on campus to reduce our ecological footprint and create a more sustainable and carbon-neutral environment. UW-Madison is in the midst of a building boom. Many buildings are heated and cooled by the Charter Street coal plant. As students of the University, we oppose this use of coal and would like to suggest some alternatives. The current plan is for the Charter Street coal plant to stop using coal and start using biofuels. The problem with this is that no matter what kind of biofuel you use, it will not be available by the winter here in Wisconsin. At that point, we would have to start importing biofuels from other

warmer parts of the country, wasting a lot of energy and money trucking these biofuels campus. We propose that part of the budget for these new projects be allocated to installing solar panels on roofs. Also, it is more important to make older buildings more energy efficient than to build new energy-efficient buildings. By installing solar panels, we could reduce our dependence on coal, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide and other pollution emissions, such as particulate matter, mercury and sulfur dioxide. Over the next four years, undergraduate tuition will continue to grow, bringing in a lot more money to the University. While it is appropriate that the majority of this money go to increased financial aid, a portion should go towards creating sustainability on campus. With thousands of students and over 100 professors on campus, we have the knowledge and technology to completely eliminate our use of coal. UW-Madison can and must lead the way into a greener future. —Brenna Rothstein Caroline Blodgett Katie Buroker Caroline French

researched. The CDC stated that a flu pandemic in the United States could cause an overall economic loss of $71 to $165 billion. With increased globalization (as demonstrated by the domino effect of the financial crisis), the impact on a global scale could be catastrophic to both human life and economic stability. The shutdown of Mexico City left the local economic activity at a standstill. This has lead to lower pork prices for all exports from North America.

another, such as pigs to humans). However, the swine ﬂu is an exotic variant of inﬂuenza, consisting of components from birds, pigs and humans. Many nations have taken considerable precautions, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO), to contain the extent of the infection

and limit the loss of life. This includes raising the Pandemic Alert to 5 (out of 6), signifying widespread human infection by other humans. Even local governments have gone so far as to close schools, businesses and other public gathering places. Because so little is known about the virus, it is necessary to take these extreme measures to prevent the spread of the infection.

With increased globalization, the impact on a global scale could be catastrophic.

In the end, it is better to be safe than sorry. Viruses have a high potential for mutations, particularly RNA viruses, and while these mutations can be equally beneficial or detrimental to the virus, the beneficial mutations are almost always naturally selected. These can confer additional pathogenic properties and harmful symptoms, allowing for secondary infections by opportunistic pathogens. With each generation of viral passage to a new host, additional traits can accumulate. Therefore, it is in the best interest of all to ensure that spreading of the virus is limited and ultimately stopped before the virus has the opportunity to mutate further and become even deadlier. Sean McMaster is a junior majoring in biochemistry and mathematics. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal. com.

GRAPHIC BY JENNY PEEK/THE DAILY CARDINAL

sports Ex-Badger discovers joy, success overseas 8

dailycardinal.com/sports

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

By Ben Breiner THE DAILY CARDINAL

For many basketball players, entering the NBA draft after their sophomore year and never playing in the league would be an upsetting turn of events. But ex-Badger center Rashard Griffith sees his journey through professional basketball, which never took him to the world’s top league, in an entirely different light. “I’m content with what I’ve accomplished in my career,” Griffith said. “My main thing is God does everything for a reason, and He worked everything out for me, and that’s what I believe in.” Griffith played for some of the top teams in Europe over the last 14 years, earning a Euroleague championship along the way. He has lived in countries like Turkey, Italy, Israel, and currently Romania. His start, however, came in cardinal and white in the early 90s. Griffith came to Madison after a dominant prep career in Chicago at King High School. He was the first McDonald’s All-American to attend Wisconsin. Griffith made an immediate impact, scoring 27 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in his first game. Standing at 7'0" and weighing over 300 pounds, Griffith was a dominant post player who partnered with future NBA all-star wing Michael Finley and point guard Tracy Webster to give the Badgers a strong, talented nucleus. By the end of the 1994 season end, Griffith helped lead Stu Jackson’s Badgers to the school’s first NCAA Tournament birth in 47 years. He then rang up 22 points and 15 rebounds in a first-round win over Cincinnati before Wisconsin was eliminated by Missouri. “It was a high energy level,” Griffith, who led the Big Ten in blocks as a freshman, said. “I got there, I was a freshman, I was a heralded recruit, one of the top recruits in the history of Wisconsin, so I felt some pressure, but [with] the atmosphere, everybody made me feel comfortable.” The next season brought a change

in the head coaching position as Jackson was out and Stan Van Gundy took his place. Griffith continued to develop, leading the conference in rebounds and blocks, and averaging 17.2 points and 11.2 boards per game. It was the first time since 1977 that a UW player averaged double digits in points and rebounds– a feat no one has achieved since. Despite boasting the talents of Griffith and Finley, Wisconsin struggled to a 13-14 record, and the team got its third coach in as many years as Dick Bennett replaced Van Gundy.

“I’m content with what I’ve accomplished in my career.” Rashard Grifﬁth center CSU Asesoft

Unfortunately for Griffith, the new coach’s plans did not quite mesh with his star center. “He told me point blank that the style of ball he was going to play was not suitable per say for the NBA,” Griffith said, describing the new game plan as, “half-court defense, grind-it-out, no fast break, walk it up slow game.” Faced with this prospect, as well as the departure of Finley, Griffith decided to test his luck in the NBA, and was selected 38th overall in the 1995 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. At training camp that summer, head coach Mike Dunleavy advised Griffith to go overseas because Griffith would not see much playing time that year. Griffith signed with Tofas S.K., a basketball club in Turkey, with the hope that working on his game would lead to an eventual return. “They wanted to sign me, but we never could come to an agreement on money because they didn’t expect me to go over there and do well and then my money to keep going up like it

did,” Griffith said. “They just wanted me to go over there, stay in shape, get better, but not get as good as I did. And I did, and then, like I said, my money kept going up.” Griffith said he was offered a bit more than the NBA’s minimum salary, but rejected the offers. “I’m making two times, three times more than minimum, and I don’t get taxed out there.” Griffith said, adding that outside of the NBA, European leagues are one of the best opportunities for basketball players to earn a living. He noted players like Juan Carlos Navarro and Josh Childress, who both recently left the NBA for Europe and better contracts. For young players, however, playing in Europe can be a difficult transition off the court. “I’ve seen players come over here that first year and they weren’t able to adapt because they weren’t used to being away from home,” Griffith said. “In my case I had my father with me my first six years over here. He stayed with me, traveled with me. When I was in Turkey, he traveled to every game, road games, out of the country, and it’s an experience that I would say everybody needs to go through.” Four of the next five seasons were spent in Turkey, culminating in the 1999 and 2000 Turkish National titles. In the fall of 2000, however, Griffith would move to his most successful destination, the Italian club Kinder Bologna. Griffith joined an extremely talented team that featured future NBA players such as point guard Marko Jaric, all-star wing Manu Ginóbili and French sharpshooter Antoine Rigaudeau. It was the ability to find their roles, however, that made the team truly special. “We all came together, made sacrifices. We realized that everybody can’t score 20 points,” Griffith said. He credited head coach Ettore Messina for making the players accept their places on the team. Acting at a rebounder, low-post player and shot blocker, Griffith

BRAD SMITH/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Center Rashard Griffith remains the most recent player to average double digit points and rebounds in a season for Wisconsin. averaged nearly 14 points and 8.7 boards. The team won the Euroleague title, a competition which includes only the strongest teams on the continent. Since then Griffith has played for several teams in Italy and Spain, and is now playing for Romanian powerhouse CSU Asesoft. In light of a number of US high school players who are considering Europe’s professional leagues over college and sometimes even high school competition, Griffith has expressed some concern. “I wish them the best, but [if] it was me, I would at least finish high school … college did my good,” Griffith said. “Sometimes you can get like a LeBron

James or a Kevin Garnett, you’ve got some guys who can bypass college and go straight to the NBA. Everybody can’t do that.” Despite never making it to the NBA, Griffith still has managed to find a level of contentment in the career he carved out. “It made me appreciate things a lot more after I came overseas,” Griffith said. “I see that God has blessed me with this God-given ability to play basketball but also gave me a good head on my shoulders, not to go out there and do stupid things. And I had good family around me too and friends to support me” If only everyone could be so lucky.

The NBA Finals, MLB All-Star Game highlight the dog days MATT FOX the fox hole

don’t think I’m alone here when I say that most UW students don’t enjoy the week after Mifflin. Reality sets in quickly and I realize what an absurd amount of reading needs to be done to make up for a semester of relentless procrastination. But while the idea of finals sounds nauseating, the week after Mifflin is also a week closer to summer, an amazing time to be a sports fan. This summer offers another exciting schedule, so here’s a preview of some top events to look forward to in the summer of 2009. The NBA Finals The Cavaliers and Lakers are still the clear frontrunners to take the court in early June. Both teams dominated in their opening round appearances and will have homecourt advantage in their respective conferences leading up to the finals.

The matchup of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James has star power written all over it, so I’d be surprised if NBA Commissioner David Stern isn’t secretly rooting for these teams to go head-to-head in early June. Still though, there are still plenty of other impressive teams remaining that could still pull an upset and challenge either of the No. 1 seeds for the title. In particular, the Nuggets have been spectacular after acquiring guard Chauncey Billups, a missing piece the team desperately needed. The Rockets enjoyed a superb second half of the season, took down an excellent Blazers team and have already shown the Lakers they’re ready to battle with a win in L.A. on Monday night. Lastly, Dwight Howard continues to carry the Magic, while the Celtics are still hoping they can hold on in time for superstar Kevin Garnett to return from injury. MLB All-Star Game I was fortunate enough to be in the stands for last year’s All-Star Game, the last at the old Yankee

Stadium. The American League squeezed out a 4-3 victory in a wild 15-inning affair. The game really showed that when it comes to MLB All-Star Games, anything can happen. By the last inning, both teams were dangerously low on available pitchers, and just barely avoided another bizarre tie game like the one that occurred in 2002.

The matchup of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James has star power written all over it.

The result of this was a new rule proclaiming that the winner of the game would own home ﬁeld advantage in that prospective year’s World Series. Whether you’re an advocate of this rule or not, you have no choice but to pay close attention to the game’s outcome. It could have huge implications for your favorite team come October.

Tour de France Let’s be honest here—unless you’re a diehard cycling fan, you’re probably watching this event for one reason only: to witness the comeback of Lance Armstrong, a story that just might be intriguing enough to amass a large audience. Armstrong captivated Americans with seven straight Tour de France titles from 1999-2005 after battling cancer. Armstrong retired after his 2005 victory, but returned to competitive cycling last January. He says he wants to continue to raise awareness for the ﬁght against cancer, and also prove he has won his titles in clean fashion despite several doping allegations targeted against him in recent years. Armstrong broke his collarbone several months ago, but recently returned to training, and this could set the stage for a dramatic reappearance in the 2009 competition. Horse Racing Each event ﬁnishes in less than three minutes, but horse racing season is another exciting event

for any sports fan enjoying a lazy Saturday afternoon in the summer. Horse Racing has not had a Triple Crown winner since Afﬁrmed did it in 1978, which makes us wonder when another horse will ever achieve this great feat. Last Saturday at the Kentucky Derby, surprise 50-1 longshot Mine That Bird came out victorious after 3-1 favorite I Want Revenge was an early morning scratch. It may seem unlikely, but how amazing would it be for a former 50-1 horse to be the one who actually completes the Triple Crown? I don’t know about you, but that’s deﬁnitely something I’d like to see. So enjoy a summer of sports— a time filled with entertaining mainstream sports as well as some alternative events that deserve more recognition. If following sports has taught me anything, it’s that part of the thrill of watching lies in the fact that each event is completely unpredictable. Any other events you’re looking forward to this summer? Let Matt know at mfox2@wisc.edu.