MONKEYS GET FUNKY FOR FIRST TIME
Having trouble getting past the first date? Deer Cardinal gives the answer DEER CARDINAL
University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Non-human primates are induced to get their groove back with monkey music
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Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Board of Estimates discusses city budget By Joo-Hyun Kim THE DAILY CARDINAL
The city’s Board of Estimates met at the Madison Municipal Building Monday to vote on the city’s budget and discuss its implications. Agenda items included the appropriation of funds for Freakfest 2009, approval of the firefighter union’s contract for next year and discussing the use of federal stimulus funds. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz was not in attendance. The majority of items on the agenda were passed without much objection, though city alders raised concerns about some concerns. Representatives of the Madison Police Department were present to request funds for establishing a program that would allow police officers to acquire individually fitted rifles for
their use. Although the MPD sought to implement this program several years ago, they were unsuccessful and had to use one size of rifles for all police officers due to budget constraints. Many alders raised concerns about public safety and whether the program was a necessity. MPD officials argued that allowing police officers to use rifles that are specifically fitted for their body frames would result in a more effective use of firearms. The MPD also assured the Board that all new rifles would be safely stored in district stations. The Board voted to approve the program. The alders were also updated on meeting page 3
NICK KOGOS/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Chancellor Biddy Martin spoke with UW System employees at a ceremony and question-and-answer session Monday to celebrate the creation of domestic partner health insurance benefits.
Ceremony honors new benefits for employees By Kayla Torgerson THE DAILY CARDINAL
JOO-HYUN KIM/THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Madison Board of Estimates discussed the use of federal stimulus funds and funds for Freakfest 2009 at their meeting Monday.
Sen. Coggs to run for lieutenant gov. State Sen. Spencer Coggs, DMilwaukee, confirmed in an exclusive interview with The Daily Cardinal that he will run for lieutenant governor in the 2010 election Monday. Coggs has not made a formal announcement but said he has formed an exploratory committee. He said he will make a formal announcement within the next two weeks. COGGS Upon hearing current Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton had plans to run for governor, Coggs discussed the possibility of running for lieutenant governor with several friends. “I began to think about it, and again, it makes sense to me.
I’ve been in office for 26 years,” he said. He said the lieutenant governor position would allow him to continue economic initiatives and small business developments Lawton is currently focusing on. Coggs said being from Milwaukee will positively affect his campaign. He said though no elected governor has been from Milwaukee, LAWTON several lieutenant governors, including Martin Schreiber who was elected in 1970 and James Flynn who was elected in 1982, are from the Milwaukee area. coggs page 3
Chancellor Biddy Martin hosted a reception Monday to mark the expansion of domestic partner benefits for UW System employees. Martin said both same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners within the UW System have been fighting for these benefits for over a decade. “This community has argued for a very long time, that it’s essential to students, staff, faculty and the rest of the community to have domestic partner benefits because it’s the right thing and because we can’t recruit and retain quality people or keep a quality institution without what’s fair and right,” she said. Steve Stern, UW-Madison vice provost for faculty and staff and
chair of Domestic Partners Health Insurance Task Force, said the new policies will close the gap between same-sex and opposite-sex healthcare benefits. “Domestic partner health insurance matters a lot,” he said. “It’s an issue of fairness and it’s an issue of competitiveness and it’s also a human issue.” During the ceremony, Stern read a letter of appreciation from a UW System doctor thanking him for his efforts to make these benefits a reality. “Domestic partnership success is truly outstanding and a testament to tireless and dedicated work. So many people around the state are appreciative and will have immeasurable enrichment in their lives because of this, including us. For the first time now, my partner can be on my family health
insurance plan with the kids,” the letter said. Kate Siberine, a UW-Madison junior and employee at the LGBT Campus Center, said the new benefits will make the UW System more competitive against other schools in the Big Ten who already have domestic partner benefits. “It will help us as far as professor retention and recruiting professors that really are the best in their field,” Siberine said. According to Ingrid Rothe, an academic staff researcher at the Institute of Research on Poverty, the new benefits will have positive impacts on everyone on campus, not just the LGBT community. “[The benefits] make a huge difference in terms of making the campus an appealing place for all people to come to work here,” she said.
Glover, Taylor formally charged with burglary By Kelsey Gunderson THE DAILY CARDINAL
Former UW-Madison men’s basketball freshmen Jeremy Glover and Diamond Taylor were officially charged with two counts of burglary Monday, according to a complaint filed at the Dane County Circuit Court. Glover, a walk-on from Haymarket, Va., and Taylor, a scholarship recruit from Bolingbrook, Ill., were arrested Sep. 6 for burglarizing money and possessions from Sellery Hall and the Evans Scholars private dormitory on Langdon Street. According to the complaint, Glover and Taylor told Madison
Police Department officials they had been drinking alcohol at a party and later decided to enter several open dorm rooms in Sellery Hall and take anything that was readily available. When Taylor was asked why he decided to burglarize the dorm, he said, “I don’t really know. We were drinking and stuff. I knew it was wrong and stuff. We were just being dumb.” The complaint said MPD officials received a call reporting a break-in at Sellery Hall around 5:30 a.m. on Sep. 6. They later used surveillance cameras to identify Glover and Taylor as the intruders.
The complaint said Glover and Taylor reportedly stole iPods, an iPod case and almost $500 in cash, and entered up to 13 dorm rooms in the building. MPD officials were later dispatched to the Evans scholar building at 7:40 a.m., where Glover and Taylor stole more iPods and a cell phone from two rooms while the residents were asleep. They were caught leaving the rooms and putting liquid soap on the doorknobs by another resident on the floor. According to the complaint, Glover and Taylor will face a plea hearing Thursday. —Ryan Hebel contributed to this report.
“…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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Tuesday, September 22, 2009
An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892
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Freshman hazed into another dimension
Volume 119, Issue 15
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 Charles Brace Managing Editor Justin Stephani Campus Editor Kelsey Gunderson Caitlin Gath City Editor State Editor Hannah Furfaro Enterprise Editor Ryan Hebel Associate News Editor Grace Urban Opinion Editors Anthony Cefali Todd Stevens Editorial Board Editor Qi Gu Arts Editors Kevin Slane Kyle Sparks Sports Editors Scott Kellogg Nico Savidge Features Editor Diana Savage Food Editor Sara Barreau Science Editor Jigyasa Jyotika Photo Editors Isabel Alvarez Danny Marchewka Graphics Editors Amy Giffin Jenny Peek Copy Chiefs Kate Manegold Emma Roller Jake Victor Copy Editors Anna Jeon
Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Alex Kusters Advertising Manager Katie Brown Billing Manager Mindy Cummings Accounts Receivable Manager Cole Wenzel Jake Brewer, Ana Account Executives Devcic, Mara Greenwald, Hilary Kirking, Michael Kruyswyk, Kristen Lindsay, D.J. Nogalski, Jordan Rossman, Tom Shield, Sarah Schupanitz Web Directors Eric Harris, Dan Hawk Marketing Director Mia Beeson Archivist Erin Schmidtke The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than 200 words, including contact information. Letters may be sent to letters@dailycardinal.com.
Editorial Board Charles Brace Anthony Cefali Qi Gu Jamie Stark Todd Stevens Justin Stephani l
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Board of Directors Vince Filak Alex Kusters Nik Hawkins Jason Stein Jeff Smoller Janet Larson Chris Long Charles Brace Katie Brown Benjamin Sayre Jenny Sereno Terry Shelton l
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© 2009, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398
THURSDAY: thunderstorms hi 79º / lo 56º
ERIN KAY VAN PAY hail to the vp
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uring a vengeful yet random act of hazing that took place last Sunday night outside Sellery Hall, UWMadison freshman Scott Sandburg disappeared into the endless void of spacetime that is otherwise known as Dimension Y. Sandburg, 18, was smoking a cigarette on a table outside of the dormitory at approximately 9:30 p.m. Sunday night when UW-Madison sophomores Rob Tusinski, 19, and Nathan Jenkins, 20, approached him on moped. Tusinski ordered Sandburg to mount Jenkins’ mopeds, and the three scooted off to a deserted field on the east side of town. “It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Tusinski said of the abduction. “I mean, [Sandburg] was such an easy target, and we just needed to rub mustard on
someone’s face while making them do the crab-walk in women’s lingerie.” “Don’t forget the diapers,” Jenkins added. Hazing incidents typically occur during the initiation period of a club, sport or Greek organization. However, according to Jenkins, the two had been planning for one year to haze every freshman they came into contact with, no matter their affiliation with them. Both the students had been victims of a widelypublicized hazing incident in 2008 when Tusinski, then 18, had soiled himself in an effort to be initiated into the intramural table tennis team. Luckily, Jenkins managed to escape the scene with clean pants, though his entire body was Naired in the process. Bitter and jaded at such a young age, the two finished out their freshman year. Even with revenge on the mind, both students never would have guessed that their initiation efforts would thrust their victim into a matterless continuum. “Right as we were forcing a mixture of sand, toothpaste, ground
beef and Gordon’s vodka down the kid’s throat through a plastic pipe connected to my balls, we heard a small pop,” Tusinski explained. “At first I thought one of my nuts exploded, but then I realized that [Sandburg] had disappeared.” All that remained of Sandburg at the time of his jump from Minkowski space to the vast unknown was his cigarette and the free shirt everyone gets for attending SOAR. While not much is known about Dimension Y, what is known for sure is that Sandburg may not be having as pleasant a time as he would in University Housing. Researchers of this case believe Sandburg either has become an entity floating aimlessly through uncharted territories in a realm of inhuman existence where no one can hear him scream, is occupying the same universe that Jeremy Reed from the 1995 hit “Powder” entered after being struck by lightning at the end of the movie or has gone back in time to ensure that Tusinski and Jenkins were never born, a possibility that would be realized in due time if
the researcher’s calculations are correct. “I just hope I don’t go on academic probation,” Tusinski said. “That would f—,” Tusinski said, as he vanished into a fine mist. “Can you believe Tusinski shi—,” adds Jenkins, just in time to implode on himself and cease existence. ———— Scott Sandburg was known as an avid chain-smoker who enjoyed “just chilling” outside to an unvarying degree. Until he finds his way back into our current dimension, his presence will be greatly missed by his roommate Derek, who promises not to use Sandburg’s shower caddy until his safe return. Not even his conditioner, which he doesn’t use anyway. ———— If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Scott Sandburg into Dimension Y any information about his present whereabouts, or just want to talk about how great the movie “Powder” was, please contact the local authority on this issue: VP at evanpay@wisc.edu.
ASK THE DEER CARDINAL Life is hard. The Deer Cardinal is here to help. Deer Cardinal, I have my first date with a girl from my hall tonight, and I’m nervous. Got any tips for me? –Frank F. Frankie Fish, I had to take a trip down memory lane to answer your question, as it’s been a little while since I’ve been out in the dating world, but from what I remember, these are guaranteed aphrodisiacs for the ladies. 1. Use as much Axe Body Spray and Binaca Breath Spray as possible. When I went to see “Bring it On” with Kelly Mason in seventh grade, I loaded myself up with so much spray my dad had to drive us to the theater with the windows open. By the time Kirsten Dunst was rocking her routine, I was in the middle of
a 45-minute frenching session. Good thing I brought my handy tube of cherry ChapStick. 2. Don’t get physical until the second date. Girls want to be intimate, but if you try to start the night with an “accidental” slip of the hand, like I did with Chelsea Nathanson at the Diamond semiformal, you’re going to be shit out of luck. The only exception to this rule is a game of truth or dare. Anything goes when it comes to a little T&D. 3. Give her a mixtape to show that you care. I gave Alexa Andrews my “Summer Jamz 2000” mix for our two-month anniversary. Talk about instant attraction. I was getting biweekly over-thepants handjobs (OTPHJs) after that little CD-MP3 disc hit her boombox. Thank you, Kazaa! Deer Cardinal,
I’m looking to be a stand-up comic, but I’m not sure where to start. What’s the best way to get recognized? –James U. Sweet baby James, Some people think comedy is about telling jokes, when in reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The first thing you need is a distinguishing characteristic to show off your crazy zaniness. Are you overweight? Ugly? Sound like a chipmunk? A cross-dressing, fruit-smashing prop comic with a lisp? Because if you aren’t any of those things, you better start pretending now. One other tip: If you hear someone tell a joke, your thought process should go as thus: 1. Is it funny? 2. Is the joke-teller famous? If you can get away with steal-
ing it, by all means do it. Who’s going to believe Joe Schmo when he claims that James “Hot Pants” Updike, the greatest cross-dressing, fruit-smashing prop comic with a lisp of all time, stole his joke about Oprah and Kenan Thompson on stilts? As long as you steal from relatively unknown comics and keep up the kitsch, you’re golden. Got questions for The Deer Cardinal? Of course you do, you don’t know anything. E-mail deercardinal@dailycardinal.com to have all of your life problems solved by a bird.
Ven al primer evento organizado por The Daily Cardinal dedicado a los estudiantes que hablan español! Aprende a mejorar tu inglés, desarrollar facetas para escribir mejor e introdúcete en una comunidad de periodistas y expertos. No necesitas ninguna experiencia previa y cualquier estudiante puede unirse! Ven el Lunes 28 de Septiembre a nuestra oficina en 2142 Vilas Hall a las 7:00 p.m., University Avenue número 821.
(Come to The Daily Cardinal’s first ever Welcome Night for Spanish Language Students!) For the record Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an e-mail to edit@dailycardinal.com.
(LEARN HOW WE CAN HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH, DEVELOP BETTER WRITING SKILLS AND BE PART OF A COMMUNITY OF JOURNALISTS. NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED AND ALL MAJORS WELCOME! TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH IN 2142 VILAS HALL ON 821 UNIVERSITY AVENUE AT 7:00 P.M.)
dailycardinal.com/news
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
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New bill requires obtaining DNA from criminals upon arrest By Ariel Shapiro THE DAILY CARDINAL
REBECCA LI/THE DAILY CARDINAL
If approved, the parking lot behind Holy Redeemer Catholic Church would be developed into a high-quality apartment complex by fall 2011.
Holy Redeemer contemplates leasing land for apartments Members of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church met with developers and architects Monday evening to discuss the possibility of developing the church parking lot into an apartment building. Silverstone Partners Inc. has designed the La Estrella Apartments project to be financed with the assistance of some tax credits. This would allow the creation of “high quality housing with an affordable rental rate,” according to Tom Sather, a member of the project development team. Knothe & Bruce Architects will design the 46-unit project and plan to have the building include five floors of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The fifth floor will house a community room and rooftop terrace. “We also plan to sit down with neighborhood leaders to get input and feedback,” said Randy Bruce, another member of the develop-
ment team. Mark Landgraf, who brought the idea for the project to the church, said his vision is of a place where people can live and worship on the same site. Members of the parish expressed concern over the project, especially regarding loss of parking and the overall effect on parish life due to noise level and other possible disturbances. The plan calls for the parish to retain title to the land being used while receiving income from the developers on a yearly basis. After approximately 33 years, the developer will donate the apartment to the church, free of debt. Pending approval, construction is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2010 with an opening in fall of 2011. Housing will not be open to students, but project coordinators did not offer further details. —Grace Urban
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle introduced a bill Monday that would require attainment of DNA from suspected criminals upon arrest. In light of the recently discovered missing data of 12,000 convicted felons from the DNA database, legislators from both parties have begun to take action through audit and task force requests, and now through legislation. State Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, RRiver Falls, and state Rep. Ann Hraychuck, D-Balsam Lake, announced the introduction of a “DNA Saves” bill that would change the way DNA is acquired. “Currently [DNA samples] are taken upon conviction,” explained Jack Jablonski, spokesperson for
Harsdorf. “This would require them to be taken upon arrest, much like a fingerprint or mug shot.” Obtaining DNA upon arrest is not a new idea. This procedure has been commonplace in the U.K. for some time, and California began taking DNA upon arrest in January of this year, according to the office of the California attorney general. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said in a statement that he believes this new procedure would help convict repeat offenders. “There will be many times when somebody has committed a crime and they cannot figure out who that person is, but that person might have been arrested for something else and this would allow us to identify that person faster in the process,” Jablonski said. While stopping serial offend-
ers is one of the main objectives of the bill, it is not the only initiative Harsdorf and Hraychuck said they hope to achieve with the legislation. “DNA evidence not only saves costs for law enforcement agencies by expediting investigations, thereby preventing additional crimes, but it also exonerates those convicted of a crime they did not commit,” Hraychuck said in a statement. The collaboration of Harsdorf and Hraychuck shows there is bipartisan support on some public safety issues. “It is in the best interest of the state of Wisconsin and its citizens to collect DNA at the time of arrest,” Jablonski said. “If there is partisanship, I haven’t seen it. We just don’t even think that it is a partisan issue.”
Audit reveals excessive state spending on IT initiatives Nearly $400,000 in excessive funding was spent on state administrative operations according to an audit released by the Legislative Audit Bureau. The audit had “mixed results” according to a statement from state Rep. Samantha Kerkman, RPowers Lake, a member of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. The Department of
meeting from page 1 the city’s use of stimulus funds. Madison Metro has received $150,000 in federal grants, which is being used for lighting upgrades in public transportation, among other improvements. The city hopes to receive an additional $765,000 in federal stim-
coggs from page 1 According to Coggs, his relationship with the progressive community and his history of working
Administration spent a total of $113.5 million on IT consolidation projects between 2005 and 2009, with $86 million spent since 2006. The statement said these costs far exceed the estimates originally outlined. “These results are alarming, especially at a time when we’re confronted with massive layoffs, high unemployment and record budget
deficits. Once again, the government has been found guilty of wasting taxpayers’ money,” Kerkman said in a statement. The audit revealed that almost all of the IT consolidation projects have yet to be completed. Kerkman said she hopes to “reign in runaway spending” and will discuss the audit during the fall session with the Committee.
ulus funds to prepare for a possible outbreak of the H1N1 virus. Alders plan to use the funds to combat H1N1 and immunize children in Dane County. The Board of Estimates also discussed portions of the city’s capital budget, with large portions of it dealing with improvements to the city’s roads and infrastructure.
Officials from Monona Terrace requested funds for upgrading its computer network, replacing broken windows and commissioning a study on the safety of the bike path. Although some alders raised concerns about the viability of the budget projection, the items on the agenda were not met with much opposition.
with labor groups will help him network during his campaign. “My advantage would be the fact that I have an excellent record with the progressive community
... and no one has a better labor record than I,” he said. “I just have a wealth of relationships across the state.” —Hannah Furfaro
Don’t Be Like This Guy. Come to the Daily Cardnal Copy Worksohp When: Firday, September 25, 3 p.m. Where: Vilas Hall, Room 2142
Can’t wait to see you their!*
*Can you spot the 5 copy errors in this ad?
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Tuesday, September 22, 2009
This is No Monkey Business
UW-Madison professors show that monkeys can groove to music, contrary to previous evidence Graphic by Jenny Peek By K.J. Hanssman THE DAILY CARDINAL
While humans and other primates share many similarities in their molecular makeup and behavior, responding to music is not on the list. Researchers studying how primates respond to music have always found that they scarcely do and in fact, given a choice between music and silence, actually prefer silence. A new study at the UWMadison, led by Charles Snowdon, a psychology professor, recently became the first to get cotton-top tamarins to respond to music, using a new genre of music composed of monkey calls. Working with David Teie, a musician in the National Symphony Orchestra, Snowdon developed “emo” music for monkeys that he believes elicits an emotional response from cotton-top tamarins, forcing scientists to revise their understanding of evolutionary links between monkey and human communication. According to Snowdon, studies on primate response to music so far have shown that “if you give monkeys a choice between Mozart and rock, they prefer Mozart. If you give them a choice between Mozart and silence, they
prefer silence.” Snowdon and Teie hypothesized that primates showed little to no preference for human music because it did not take into account key elements of primate communication, like pitch range. Tamarins communicate in a pitch range three octaves higher than human speech and two times as fast. Taking these differences into account, Teie used patterns from mother-to-infant communication and threat calls in tamarins to compose music for the cello expected to calm or agitate the tamarins. “I did what I think music does,” Teie said. “I took what the elements [of communication] did separately and recombined them.” He then sped up the recordings in to match the tempo and pitch range of tamarin communication. Over the course of the study, tamarins also listened to comparable human music—Sam Barber to represent calming music and Metallica and Tool to excite. Elizabeth Abbs, a UWMadison senior studying zoology and psychology, recorded the tamarins’ behavioral responses to the different music. Abbs said the
tamarins were calmed by Teie’s soothing composition—they moved around their habitat less and began grooming each other. “We now have a genuinely expressive mode of communication with other species,” Teie said. “Not only did we get to know ourselves better, we have a better understanding of
what we have in common with [the tamarins].” Snowdon agrees that these results suggest humans can compose music that will affect the emotions of mem-
bers of other species and the fact that the tamarins’ response to Teie’s music highlights the long history of the emotional elements of human music.
The Media and Medicine: Lecturer says time to take up more responsibility Acclaimed medical investigative journalist Shannon Brownlee lectured at UW-Madison, saying the media can serve the public better by conducting more in-depth examinations of medical claims and pharmaceutical research. By Steve Furay THE DAILY CARDINAL
Ta m a r i n s may not operate on the same frequency as humans, and may march to a different beat, but according to Snowdon, emotional responses to music seem universal, across human and other primate species.
By now, the American public understands that the debates surrounding health-care reform have little to do with medicine. Both sides of the argument have launched accusations about the delivery systems, whether it’s suggestions of a government takeover of the health industry or the narrative of battling corporate insurance greed. But what’s often missing in the media is a direct confrontation with the science of the medical industry itself. An accomplished medical investigative journalist, Shannon Brownlee, addressed this issue at UW-Madison last week in a talk titled “Can Good Journalists Help Us Get Good Health Care?” For full coverage, visit dailycardinal.com/science
arts Pavement reunion draws music media divide dailycardinal.com/arts
JUSTIN J. STEPHANI j.j. dilla he biggest news the music world experienced in the past few weeks revolves around a band whose best album took 15 years to sell 150,000 copies. The early ’90s saw Nirvana unleash grunge, the Red Hot Chili Peppers maintain edgy alternative and Boyz II Men top the charts for months at a time. But instead, it is the reunion of Pavement, indie-rock icons from the same period, shaking up music fans around the world as much as the death of the King of Pop. Mainstream media outlets may not give a shit because Pavement isn’t one of those universally known names with a sensational story to boot. But alternative media outlets for music (online blogs, music webzines, etc.) are blowing up. This refreshing contrast reminds me of the doors the Internet opened, which created an ocean of options to sift through and answered the prayers of music addicts everywhere. By the way, most of them agree that Pavement deserves this attention. It may seem an unnecessary observation, but without the Internet, where would Pavement be today? Certainly not idolized by a subsequent generation of indie latecomers and definitely not selling out Central
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Park in a minute. Likewise, Beck’s Record Club, an excuse for Beck and his musical friends to cover a classic album they love in one sitting, embodies a breath of fresh air for music nerds. Only in the Internet age is it so easy to record albums and distribute them so casually. What’s more, this club is a medium for exposure. Wilco and Beck collaborating to cover Alexander “Skip” Spence’s Oar—an album and artist whose decline were the result of off-the-stage issues rather than lack of talent— stands as a tribute and public endorsement equal to a “Best New Music” tag from Pitchfork. And it’s small bodies of profound work from introverted, troubled artists like Skip Spence providing the best gems rediscovered online; just note how steadily names like Nick Drake, Moby Grape and the foreign music from the Ethiopiques jazz series increasingly receive mention (meta moment!).
It may seem an unnecessary observation, but without the Internet, where would Pavement be today?
Vintage and obscure, these artists represent an unavoidable combination for avid listeners, leading us
to dive into blogs, torrent searches and music stores every day looking for those rarest of discoveries. This never-ending well contains the nourishment for avid music listeners, and it is the Internet. And one of the first major catches any new music fan comes across is surely Pavement. The poster child for anti-industry success, Pavement is becoming that household name they never aspired to be, but based on their ticket sales, I don’t think they mind. In truth, nobody who cares for the integrity of the industry should mind anything the Internet has contributed to music. Ironically, the Internet came along and saved music just in time. Otherwise the profit-happy teen-poppers from Disney might still be an unavoidable force of industry. So while this media boom created laziness in TV programming and threatens ticket and DVD sales for movies, music was saved, and now flourishes, creatively. This is a fact buried beneath the Recording Industry Association of America suing individuals who download music and the labels grasping at the last of the money to be made through reissues. But anytime you hear news of a band or an album you have never heard about before, just remember, it’s an opportunity for personal discovery never available before. And it’s all thanks to the very enemy whom the RIAA (the people who should be promoting the art form) so determinedly base their attacks around:
the Internet. So while the RIAA attempts to stop this already blazing cultural shift, the news of a Pavement reunion should distract the attention of genuine music lovers and as a result, get the indie toes wet of a significant number of more casual music fans by simply creating and celebrating the music many love. But wait, isn’t that supposed to be
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the job of the RIAA? Maybe if they stop suing for a second, they’ll be able to harmonize their end of the industry with the Internet. But until then, dive in and download Pavement while you’re at it. Think Pavement is overrated? Well, then you’re stupid. But email Justin anyway and attempt to justify your foolish viewpoint at jstephani@wisc.edu.
PHOTO COURTESY MATADOR RECORDS
Although many consider Pavement to be the most influential band of the 1990s, they remain relatively unknown to the general public.
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It Just Doesn’t Taste the Same. You are born with about 10,000 taste buds, but this drops over time to about 5,000 by the time you are old. dailycardinal.com/comics
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Famished
Today’s Sudoku
Evil Bird
By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu
Angel Hair Pasta
By Todd Stevens ststevens@wisc.edu
Sid and Phil
By Alex Lewein alex@sidandphil.com
© Puzzles by Pappocom
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
Charlie and Boomer
By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu
By Natasha Soglin soglin@wisc.edu
Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com TEST DRIVE 1 5 10 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 29 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
ACROSS British title Like some shoulders “Hit the brakes!” A fit of shivering Shake awake Road runner Places for coin collectors? “Jeopardy!” contestants, collectively Demographic datum Areas by malls Tighten, as a fist Bundled units, in some product names They have certain rings to them Computer availability In power, as a king Combine, as traffic lanes Feature of some muscle cars Crib talk Cotswold cries ___ fatale “We don’t know who said it” abbr. Diminutive creature Chianti and Bardolino “Frasier” surname
41 Scrap for Fido, perhaps
43 Part of an old heating system 44 A bit of land in the ocean 45 Wedding reception staple 46 Admission 48 Arctic breakaway 49 Bad thing to be caught in 52 International accord, e.g. 53 Road no-no 56 Collection of verse 57 Throw into confusion 58 Aquatic predator 59 Catch, as livestock 60 Divas’ tributes 61 “Beowulf” beverage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
DOWN “Star Trek” android Ebullient Contraband carrier Snakelike fish Actress Shields Alex Haley book Double-play duo A drop-off among smokers? Act as a witness Lustrous fabric It creates a flashing light Applying to ears Friend of Kanga and
18 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 33 36 37 39 40 42 43 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 54 55
Owl Scapegoat’s burden MEGA Bloks alternative Overeats (with “out”) Reagan and Clinton each had two Flower cluster, as on a carrot The king of “Positive Thinking” Gridlock helper Grapevine tidbit “... tree falls in the forest and ___ ...” One who’s done for George of the CIA Exceptional, as a restaurant Extra dry U. of Tennessee athletes “1-2-3-kick” dance African fly Flat-bot-tomed canal boats Ball girl? “Me too” sort Chief of a Mafia branch Makes an offer One-time alternative to pounds Builder at Cuzco Cry of shock “Without further ___ ...” Turkey, maybe
You Can Run
By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com
opinion dailycardinal.com/opinion
Editorial Cartoon
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
By John Liesveld opinion@dailycardinal.com
THE DAILY CARDINAL
KYLE SZARZYNSKI opinion columnist am one of a few UW-Madison undergraduate students who can personally testify to the notion that Halloween in this city ain’t what it used to be. The annual holiday festivities on State Street date back to the 1970’s and could once be counted as perhaps Madison’s premier social event. The crowds, among the largest of any public gathering in the country, regularly amounted to 80,000 people, some estimating that the 2005 crowd topped the 100,000 mark. People from all across America would meet up with their Wisconsin friends for the Madison Halloween; other groups would meet up with no one and came just for the festivities. When I was a freshman in 2005, I even met someone who hailed from Alaska.
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Halloween in this city ain’t what it used to be.
What brought so many young people together was the chance to experience victimless debauchery en masse—surely there is nothing wrong with that. It was the chance to drink excessively, party hard and experience a near unbridled freedom on a level that the normal Madison weekend is unable to offer. And I hope I don’t sound too intolerably pretentious in saying that the Halloween of old was a unique opportunity to dull the jagged blade of omnipresent alienation, loosen the choke-hold of suffocating responsibility and at least get one’s feet wet in the waters of apolitical rebellion. If nothing else, it was a damn good time. Sure, there were plenty of nui-
sances and even distresses—racist costumes, sexual harassment and enough bro-ish behavior to tire out most Greeks—but none of these unsavory aspects disappeared with the changes, anyway. As with so many good things that involve mass participation without state sanction, the authorities decided that the Madison Halloween, if too large to destroy, needed intense regulation. I never experienced the “riots”—i.e. a few broken windows—that the local media decided were so decisive in the pre-Freakfest years; I was only left with the stifling response. During the Halloween of my freshman year, University Housing first barred guests from the dormitories (we had to show IDs to get into our own homes), law enforcement was as ubiquitous as grass and stadium lights showered State Street, making everything visible as if to signify that the shadow of the authorities was everywhere during the festivities. This was the last year before admission began being charged; it was the end of an era. According to the official story, the once again uncontrollable nature of the crowd forced the city to end Halloween as we knew it; according to most who were there on that early Sunday morning that erupted into violence, the cops unleashed brute force onto an energetic but peaceful crowd. As bar time released thousands more drunken revelers onto an already packed State Street, the cops, most of whom were dressed in riot gear or sitting atop horses, began marching up and down the road aggressively pushing people onto the sidewalk. The immediate effect of this unnecessary maneuver was to instill an attitude of detestation toward the cops; the crowd had been nothing illegal, unless boisterousness is a crime. As the cops became more and more hostile, the crowd became more confrontational and silly, alternating chanting, “Fuck the pigs!” and “USA!” Finally, the police retreated to Library Mall; many stupidly assumed the students had “reclaimed” State Street. I recall one
of my more astute (and less intoxicated) friends saying something like, “This isn’t over. This is about to get a lot worse.” Sure enough, within a minute or two, hundreds of cops started charging down State Street, launching tear gas bombs, spraying pepper spray, striking anyone too slow to get out of the way. The combination of thick poisonous gas, thousands of students lying on the ground crying, choking and coughing and the endless onslaught of uniformed men created an atmosphere that felt like a war zone. Hundreds were arrested. Remember, this vitriolic police behavior was not provoked.
I recall one of my friends saying, “This isn’t over. This is about to get a lot worse.”
The rest, as they say, is history. Mayor Dave, an idiosyncratic proponent of blending the nanny state and police state, led the way in remaking the Madison Halloween into the tightly-controlled spectacle that it is today. Starting in 2006, partygoers were charged a $5 admission fee and State Street was ringed with a fence. Corporate sponsors, crappy has-been bands (this year features Third Eye Blind) are now part of the fun. Unsurprisingly, attendance has plummeted. The Downtown Coordinating Committee has added insult to injury this year by pretending to want meaningful student input in the planning for this year’s Freakfest. Here’s my suggestion: Make State Street a public place again. Return it to the students on Halloween weekend. In absence of that, I’d recommend most do what I’ve done for the last two years: Stay home. Kyle Szarzynski is a senior majoring in history and philosophy. We welcome all feedback. Please send all responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com
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Cigarette tax trades rights to halt deficit By Collin Wisniewski
Authoritarian attitude dilutes Halloween fun
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Over the last two years, Wisconsin smokers saw a dramatic increase in the taxing of tobacco and cigarette. As part of efforts to fill state deficits, Gov. Jim Doyle approved a large amount of legislation over the last five years to increase the price of cigarettes to boost state revenue and promote a healthier Wisconsin. The Wisconsin state budget has fallen deeply into the red this year, but taxing cigarettes will not help bring it back in to the black. By taxing cigarettes, the government is abridging the rights of citizens rather than accepting their fiscal responsibility. Beyond that, increasing the tax on a “sin good” such as cigarettes—as good intentioned and morally sound an idea that is— creates many problems, however, and threatens the future revenue of Wisconsin. These increases in taxes have primarily been promoted as a double benefit to the state: the goal of the tax being to prevent people from smoking, thus benefiting the health-care system, while simultaneously raising revenue to fill a state budget deficit. But this logic is also very problematic. Firstly, the tax effect is degenerative; as more and more people quit smoking, the tax will generate less and less revenue until it reaches a point where it becomes ineffective. What happens when cigarettes and tobacco have been taxed to cinders and there are not enough smokers for this tax to be beneficial to the state? Will the state government simply look for another good that has a negative image in today’s society to bleed money from? Following tobacco, alcohol and gasoline will likely be the government’s next luxury items to become targets of taxation. The rationalization that these products are harmful to our citizens or country does not mean they should be taxed to death. Our lives as American citizens are based the concept of liberty and the right to make choices. As much as someone has a right to breathe fresh air, another citizen has a right to enjoy tobacco. Taxing tobacco based on a healthier America is beside the point, because people are free to live as unhealthily as they like, according to the laws that protect our life-styles.
Increasing the tax on a “sin good” such as cigarettes creates many problems.
As fewer people light up, fewer people will be going to hospitals seeking treatment. And while a healthy America should be an important goal in the face of a health-care overhaul, the onus will be placed upon the healthcare industry. If fewer people seek treatment for smoking-related diseases caused by tobacco, then health-care will see a dramatic spiral in its revenue.
Health care, from an economic point of view, does not benefit at all from the increasing of taxes on cigarettes; it becomes crippled. Rates for treatment would likely go up when a majority of people quit smoking, particularly under the unregulated, nonuniversal health-care system that America currently employs. It is important to remember, health care is a business. On the other side, people generally complain about footing the bill for the smoking habits of others, wasting their hard-earned dollars on someone else’s vice. That is, we as citizens have a portion of our paychecks subtracted every payday for Medicare and other social safety nets. Even if you do not smoke, you pay for smoker’s health problems every time you work. Some people believe this is unfair, as they are paying for someone who is knowingly damaging their own health. This is a valid point, but it too has issues.
Health care does not benefit at all from increasing taxes on cigarettes; it becomes crippled.
Using this logic, I should be very upset that I’m paying for every person who decides to do something dangerous and idiotic and injures themselves in the process when they knew the possibility of damaging their body is high. Likewise, smokers as well as nonsmokers pay part of their hard earned money toward Medicare, so do they not have the right to use it as well? Another issue with raising taxes on vice goods like cigarettes, one that is becoming ever more prevalent, is the creation of crime. As pointed out last Thursday in the Wisconsin State Journal, the state is seeing a rise in break-ins of convenience stores and gas stations. The primary theft? Cartons and cartons of cigarettes. Taxing goods that a majority of middle-class Americans enjoy inevitably leads to a frustrated population, one apparently that can be driven to crime. The government cannot simply tax a good without thinking of the possible complications that come with that tax, especially if it infringes on citizens rights. Passing increases on taxes for goods that people enjoy simply to fill deficit issues created by government officials who could not balance the budget is illogical and unjust to the citizens. Citizens should not have to pay more out of pocket for the mistakes made by irresponsible spending by the government. This is not merely an issue of taxing cigarettes, but taxing and scapegoating a good in order to justify poor planning. Collin Wisniewski is freshman intending to major in journalism. We welcome all feedback. Please send all responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
sports 8
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dailycardinal.com/sports
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Football
Bielema pleased with lopsided victory
LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Junior running back Zach Brown had one of Wisconsin’s six fumbles, but head coach Bret Bielema still has confidence in his backs. By Mark Bennett THE DAILY CARDINAL
Wisconsin football coach Bret Bielema seemed comfortable and confident during his weekly news conference Monday about Wisconsin’s victory against Wofford and its upcoming contest against Michigan State. Although some questions linger, such as who will start the game for the Badgers at the running back position Saturday, Bielema seemed content about the play of many individuals, as well as the play of the team as a whole. Even though the official depth chart currently has junior Zach Brown as the starting running back,
Bielema said the starting position may be decided by the performance of Brown and sophomore John Clay in practice this week. Bielema also said he is waiting to see how both Clay and Brown respond this week, and also hinted at the possible use of freshman running back Erik Smith in the future. “Smith came in and by no means took himself further out of the race,” Bielema said. Smith rushed for 54 yards on 10 carries against Wofford. Clay rushed for 70 yards on Saturday, while Brown collected 63 yards on the ground. Bielema also did not seem overly concerned with the ball-
protection issues the team had against Wofford. “I don’t mean to minimize six fumbles on Saturday, but what I do understand... through 15 games, John Clay put the ball on the ground four times,” Bielema said. “To put it down three times in one game is unacceptable, but it’s not like this is something that’s been a chronic issue. You can’t just overemphasize what happened in front of you.” As for the man handing the ball to these rushers, Bielema praised his quarterback, junior Scott Tolzien. “[Tolzien] has probably done more than what I expected. Scott always seemed to move forward [during the spring].” In fact, the Badgers’ starting quarterback ranks second in the Big Ten in both pass efficiency (161.8) and pass completion (69.1 percent). The offensive line has played a large part in this success, allowing only two sacks on Wisconsin quarterbacks through the first three games. That line was bolstered Saturday when juniors John Moffitt and Bill Nagy, who were both named starters out of the spring, finally saw their first action of the season. A healthy and experienced line will certainly be an enormous help to the Badgers as the Big Ten schedule progresses. Bielema openly admitted that, as is the case with all Big Ten teams, he was rooting for Michigan State against Notre Dame this past weekend. Although the Spartans will come into Camp Randall with only
a 1-2 record, Bielema reminded everyone that they were very close to being 3-0. “There are a lot of guys in this league trying to prove things,” Bielema said. Michigan State is certainly among that crowd, as they look to recover from back-to-back narrow defeats against Central Michiganthe Irish. Speaking of agonizing defeats, Wisconsin fans will certainly remember last year’s game against the Spartans. The Badgers had an 11-point lead with less than 10 minutes left in the game, before Michigan State began to domi-
DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Junior quarterback Scott Tolzien entered opening day as a costarter, but his strong play has pushed him to the front of the pack.
‘Wisconsin football’ could be a thing of the past NICO SAVIDGE savidge nation
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h en you think of “Wisconsin football,” what comes to mind? For generations of Badger fans, it has meant a strong defense that can overpower opponents based on size alone and powerful running backs who fight for yards and slowly push their way down the field. It’s low-scoring, it’s brutal and it’s definitely not pretty, but for years it has worked in the Big Ten. This idea of “Wisconsin football” has become so embedded in the minds of fans that when the team struggled last year, everyone from fans to head coach Bret Bielema talked about how the team needed to get back to playing that way. Wisconsin Football® has become a brand that fans and team personnel follow religiously, as if it were the only way to win games. But this season, with a surprisingly strong passing game and running backs who have not lived up to their hype thus far, Wisconsin Football® could be thrown out the window. Against Wofford, the most undersized and overmatched opponent the Badgers have (or will) face this season, Wisconsin racked up 258 yards. Subtract from that the 92 yards gained by
Curt Phillips on his fourth-quarter runs and the Badgers only ran for 166 yards against the Terriers. In his first start, sophomore running back John Clay managed 70 yards on 12 carries, while junior running back Zach Brown gained 63 yards on the same number of rushes. Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s quarterbacks threw for 172 yards, with junior quarterback Scott Tolzien completing 15 of his 20 attempts.
‘Wisconsin football’ has become a brand that fans and team personnel follow religiously, as if it were the only way to win games.
Compare that to the running game’s 404-yard curb-stomping of Akron in 2008, when P.J. Hill, Clay and Brown dominated the Zips and quarterback Allan Evridge could more or less sit back without much pressure. Last year, the Badgers were forced to play Wisconsin Football® because there was no other option for the offense; without a good quarterback, the team had to rely on the running backs. But in 2009, it looks like the focus of the offense might change from “three yards and a cloud of dust” to one based around its quarterback.
Bielema said in his Monday press conference that he was pleasantly surprised by Tolzien’s strong performances in the first few games of the year. “Going into fall camp, I had a certain level of interest and to see where certain guys responded, and he’s the one that just kept moving forward,” Bielema said. “When the issues were going on with the ball security at running back, he just was steady. He was solid.” Many fans are tied to the idea that succeeding in college football, and the Big Ten in particular, requires that a team be able to slowly grind toward points with their running game. But there’s no reason why Wisconsin cannot have success with a pass-centered offense. Obviously, three home games against opponents from weaker conferences will not test a quarterback or team the way the Big Ten schedule will. By the same token, if Clay and Brown were unable to put up big numbers against weaker opponents, what chance will they have against inconference competition? Given the weak performances of the Badger running game, some have acted like the sky is falling—that the team is doomed unless the ground game can lead the offense. But as long as Tolzien maintains the strong play he has shown in his first three starts and the running backs continue to be unimpressive, Badger football could
nate down the stretch, resulting in a 25-24 victory for the Spartans, courtesy of a last-second field goal. However, Bielema stressed that predictions and preparations for a game cannot be based on what happened the previous year. “I know we don’t have the same team. It’s up to us to prove that on a game-by-game basis,” Bielema said. Through all the ups and downs in the past three weeks, however, one very important statistic stands out for Bielema. “The big thing I like is three wins, zero losses,” Bielema said.
have a new identity. Hopefully, it won’t be as one-sided as the Wisconsin offense was in 2008, where shutting down one element meant stopping the team altogether, but having an offense led by its quarterbacks is not necessarily a bad thing.
As long as Tolzien maintains the strong play he has shown in his first three starts ... Badger football could have a new identity.
If this is the new look of the Badger offense, Wisconsin Football® as we know it might not be around much longer. The notion that a team cannot compete in the Big Ten unless it plays that style of football is outdated, and it could be time for the quarterbacks to take control of the offense. Tolzien will have his work cut out for him against Michigan State Saturday as the Badgers start Big Ten play, a time when Bielema said the team’s intensity “gets racheted up 10 more levels.” A strong performance against Michigan State could set the stage for a revolution in Wisconsin’s style of football. Perhaps 2009 will be the year the Badgers finally realize having a quarterbackcentered offense is not necessarily a bad thing.
BADGER BITS Men’s Soccer The Badgers swept the weekly Big Ten awards last week, with senior forward/ midfielder Brandon Miller earning Offensive Player of the Week and senior goalkeeper Alex Horwath taking the Defensive Player of the Week honor. Miller tallied two goals and two assists over the weekend in the Milwaukee Panther Invitational. Horwath allowed one goal in the two games, notched his 16th career shutout against Oakland and saved a season-high eight shots against UCSanta Barbara. Horwath was also named to the all-tournament team. Football The Big Ten announced its kickoff times for week two of the conference schedule. The Badgers’ Oct. 3 matchup with Minnesota will begin at 11 a.m. This year’s edition of the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe will take place at newly opened TCF Bank Stadium. The FBS’ longest-running rivalry will be broadcast on either ESPN or ESPN2.