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Wednesday, February 9, 2011
UW professors discuss Egypt’s political future
The Pack are back
By Patrick Tricker The Daily Cardinal
anna jeon/the daily cardinal
Green Bay Packers fans flocked to Lambeau Field to welcome home the Super Bowl XLV champions and the Lombardi Trophy Tuesday.
Political science professors Howard Schweber and Jeremy Menchik expressed optimism about a democratic Egypt but doubted the ability of protesters to bring it about at a forum Tuesday. “It is conceivable [President Hosni Mubarak] could be gone the end of the week,” Schweber said. “It is conceivable that he could hang on until September … I think the answer to that question is no longer in the hands of the protesters.” Mubarak may have avoided being ousted, according to Menchik, though he is unlikely to keep significant power. He fostered fear of instability and radical groups to stay in power, according to Schweber, by opening the border with Gaza, which risked letting in Muslim insurgents, and by having plain-clothes security forces loot cities.
“Mubarak’s strategy was simple all along,” Schweber said. “‘If you don’t accept me, then chaos will follow. It’s me or the radical extremists. It’s me or Egypt goes up in flames.’” Schweber and Menchik emphasized the role that other groups, including the military, the Muslim Brotherhood and the secular middle class, would play in determining the path Egypt’s government would take. They downplayed fears that the Muslim Brotherhood would gain power through the polls and revert to an Islamic state like Iran. “The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is not a violent radical organization,” Schweber said. “Let me state this more strongly. The stuff you hear on television about this being a modern 1979 is hysterical fear-mongering.” Although they have ties egypt page 3
State senate passes bill requiring 2/3 majority vote to raise taxes By Ariel Shapiro The Daily Cardinal
The state Senate passed a bill Tuesday requiring a two-thirds supermajority in order to raise taxes. The bill passed with a vote of 20-12, with State Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, as the only Democrat supporting it. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, slammed Democrats for not supporting the measure to prevent tax increases, calling the bill a “last line of defense” for businesses. “It’s always amazing to see how hard the Democrats will fight for their tax hikes,” Fitzgerald said in a statement. “The way they acted today, it was like a kid getting
their favorite toy taken away.” State Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller criticized Republicans for failing to pass measures that would actually create jobs. “While failing to create any jobs, Republicans have touted the importance of the ‘message’ their bills are sending,” Miller said in a statement. “But this legislation is a loophole-ridden gimmick that seems to send the message that Republicans believe the people of Wisconsin can be easily fooled.” Gov. Scott Walker praised the legislation, which already passed through the Assembly in January, and is expected to sign it into law. The Senate also passed legislation that will undo changes
to auto insurance requirements made under the Democratcontrolled 2009-’11 legislative session, resulting in lowered minimum coverage. State Sen. Mary Lazich, R-New Berlin, was pleased with the legislation, saying the former requirements could have priced insurance out of the reach of families suffering from the recession. However, state Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, said this bill is a setback for Wisconsin drivers. “I have fought for mandatory auto insurance for over two decades, and I was proud to be able to get it passed into law last session,” Carpenter said in a statement.
Driver hits car near Union, arrested for alleged drunk driving A 49-year-old Madison man was arrested after allegedly driving drunk and hitting a parked car near Memorial Union Monday. Madison Police arrested the suspect, Jeffrey Johnson, on tentative charges, including a fourth offense of operating a vehicle under the influence. A 21-year-old Madison man was driving behind the suspect, who was driving his Cadillac at about five mph, according to a police report.
The witness told police he watched the Cadillac veer to the right and strike a parked car. The witness then got out of his vehicle, walked up to the suspect’s driver’s side window and told him he should put the car in park, according to Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain. The witness told police he thought the driver was intoxicated. “The man behind the wheel just stared at the concerned citi-
zen and continued to drive east toward Lake Street,” DeSpain said in a statement. The witness followed the suspect in his car and approached the suspect when he stopped at the corner of Lake Street and East Johnson Street. The suspect took his keys out of the ignition after the witness ordered him to do so, police said. Police then arrived at scene and arrested the suspect.
ben pierson/the daily cardinal
SSFC Legal Counsel Tyler Junger made a case against CFACT’s funding eligibility at a student judiciary meeting Tuesday.
CFACT knowingly violated UW policy, says SSFC By Ben Siegel The Daily Cardinal
The Student Services Finance Committee cited new evidence from a federal court case to argue against the funding eligibility for Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow at an Associated Students of Madison Student Judiciary hearing Tuesday. CFACT is a conservative, freemarket-oriented organization that advocates against creating “green jobs” and aims to disprove widespread disbeliefs about global warming, according group’s website. Based on e-mails between
CFACT members in their regional and UW campus offices, SSFC Legal Counsel Tyler Junger said CFACT knowingly violated UW System policy, which forfeits their eligibility to receive funding. “Documents discovered after the original decision was delivered prove that the violation of ASM equipment policy was, in fact, intentional,” Junger said. SSFC denied CFACT funding eligibility for the third consecutive year this fall due to a violation CFACT 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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A student’s inner dialogue during discussion
Volume 120, Issue 85
2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100
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Kathleen Brosnan ’leen back
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K cool, I’m not late. Prince really knows how to put the pep in my step. That power walk was worth it; I’m a little sweaty, but shit happens. And besides, I’d rather be a little sweaty when no one is here rather than be the sweaty-and-out-of-breath mess that stumbles into class five minutes late. Where to sit, where to sit? Are there any lefty desks? Anywhere? Nope. OK. That seat has a nice view of the lake. Now I can watch ducks waddle on the ice. No, no. Don’t sit there. You’ll get too distracted. There aren’t any ducks in Wisconsin in January anyway, right? Whatever. There’s a nice spot facing a concrete wall. Perfect. “Back to school! Back to school, to prove to Dad that I’m not a fool! I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don’t get in a fight! Ohhhh, back to”—well helloooo, gorgeous eyes. All right, all right, we got some eye candy up in Helen C. White. I haven’t seen him in any of my other classes. Are his eyes blue? No, they look green. Maybe they’re a greenishblue. Oh shit, he sees me staring. Avert eye contact quickly. Yep just looking at my notes. All of a sudden I’m just really interested in my notes. Fifteen seconds have passed; I think it’s safe to look up. Nope, definitely not. He caught me looking at him again. Should have waited an extra ten seconds. Dumb Kathleen, dumb. More people are starting to file in. Give them a little smile; you don’t want to come off as coldhearted. OK, whoa Kathleen, tame the smile; you don’t want to come off as a freak hopped up on coffee. Hmmm that kid looks familiar. Where have I seen him before? Did I have a psych lecture with him sophomore year? Or maybe he hosted a party that I went to for like five minutes my freshman year? Nope. Scanning him up and down… oh God. He’s sandal boy. The kid that always wears sandals even when it’s
cold out. How does he do it? More importantly, why does he do it? Oh no, and he hasn’t clipped his toenails since… maybe September. Gross. Must look away. TA has landed. Can’t read his facial expressions. Can’t read his voice inflection either—pretty monotone. But I can attempt to read his hair. We got some gel going on. It’s flicked up in the front, sort of like my classmates did back in fifth grade, but I’ll let it slide. Maybe he’s got a lunch date and he’s trying to impress another TA. Props to him for going on dates. OK enough of this, time to concentrate. TA: “Hey guys, I’m Mike and we’ll just do the standard getting to know each other activity. Name, year and something interesting about yourself so we can remember who you are.”
So you lied? Why would you do that, Kathleen? Why? Why?
interesting about me is that my uncle is Pierce Brosnan. You know, from the James Bond movies.” Crap, no one is laughing. Not even a little bit. They think I’m serious. TA: “Cool, looks like we got Hollywood among us. Do you call him Uncle Pierce?” Do I play along? Does he know I’m kidding? I really wished he had some facial expressions or inflection in that voice. Me: “Definitely… Actually, no. I was making a joke. He’s not my uncle. We just share a last name. I, uh, thought it might be funny.” TA: “So you lied? Jimmy just finished telling us about the hospitals he volunteered at in South Africa and you feed the class a lie? Why would you do that, Kathleen? Why? Why?” Me: “Umm I don’t know… I have a dog.” TA: “Yeah, don’t we all? Next.”
Oh man, I’m second in line. Got to think of something quickly. As soon as someone tells me to think of something interesting to say, I become the least interesting person in the world. And when I’m put on the spot my voice gets all squeaky and sometimes cracks like I’m a 13-year-old boy. OK something interesting. Think. Think. I have a black lab? Lame. Everyone and their third cousin has a freaking dog. Think! Oh shoot, the kid next to me is talking about his service work in South Africa this past summer. I can’t top that. Think! TA: “Wow that’s awesome, Jimmy! Thank you for sharing. OK you’re next.” Here it goes. I guess I’ll go with my staple answer. Me: “Hi, my name is Kathleen Brosnan and I’m a senior. Something
Rough crowd. Real rough. I’ll just sit here and try to pretend I’m not embarrassed for being made a fool in front of everyone. I’ll just nod and smile as everyone else tells their stories. Oh my God, my TA thinks I’m a liar. He hates me. He really, really hates me. I want my mommy. TA: “Thank you everyone for participating; I’m sure in about two weeks I’ll have all your names memorized. Now we’re going to dive into discussing the reading. Who can tell me the significance of the first chapter? What was the author trying to convey through his writing style?” I hate to raise my hand first. Once one goes up, I’ll raise mine. Bingo. Thanks, Bobby boy for starting us off. Now once he finishes I’ll raise mine. I hate when people keep their hand raised while someone is answering a question. Oh well looky, looky, little miss Jessica is one of those people. Put your hand
down. That’s obnoxious. Clearly you don’t care about what others are saying and you’re just concentrated on saying whatever stupid thing you have to say. Mike won’t put up with this. As a matter of fact, he’s looking at Jessica right now. He’ll tell her off. TA: “Jessica, looks like you have some input. I like your enthusiasm!” Are you kidding me? Oh and she’s just reading a passage out of the damn book. Anyone could have done that. TA: “Thanks for sharing, Jessica! Ann, I saw your hand up.” Grrr, she beat me to the punch. Discussion sections should have buzzers, just like they do in Jeopardy. I know I look like I just rolled out of bed, and your eyes might be more apt to look in the direction of Ann who looks like she just came from a Miss America pageant, but come on, I did the reading too! Speaking of looks, she too looks familiar. Did she live in my dorm freshman year? Or maybe she works at the Union and I recognize her because I get chicken fingers there an embarrassing number of times. Wait a second, that’s the girl that spilled beer on me two years ago when I was playing cards at the Terrace. I knew I saw her at the Union. Accident or not, we’re enemies. Oh shoot, and she’s saying basically the same thing I was going to say. OK flip through the pages and look for something new. Gosh darnit; I brought the wrong book. TA: “Great, Ann! Kathleen, what were you going to say?” Ummm. Ummm. Me: “… I like turtles.” Do you not get that last reference to turtles? If you don’t, YouTube “I like turtles.” Do you think raising your hand during discussion is a surprisingly complicated process? Do you have an inner dialogue going in your head during discussion? Please share with Kathleen at kqbrosnan@ wisc.edu.
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Wednesday, February 9, 2011
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Parisi leads poll, McDonell leads funds in county exec race By Ariel Shapiro The Daily Cardinal
kathryn weenig/the daily cardinal
Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, formally announced his endorsement for Scott Resnick in the race for the District 8 spot on the city council Tuesday. Eagon and Resnick are both recent UW-Madison graduates.
Ald. Eagon endorses Resnick By Grace Gleason The Daily Cardinal
Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, formally announced his endorsement for Scott Resnick, one of three candidates running for the District 8 seat on the Madison Common Council, at Memorial Union Tuesday. “From issues from alcohol policies to the development process and local safety issues, Scott really understands what’s important to the constituents of the eighth district and students at large,” Eagon said. State Representative Donna Seidel, the Assistant Minority Leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly, also endorsed Resnick, who interned in her office when he was a student at UW-Madison. “He understands clearly the importance of staying connected with the communities and being right on target
with the people that he will represent … the constituents of the eighth district will be very, very well served by Scott Resnick,” Seidel said. Resnick, a recent UW-Madison graduate, now serves as president of the State-Langdon Neighborhood Association and partner at a start-up technology firm. He said he hopes to bring more student issues to the table at Common Council if elected to the District 8 seat. “Campus safety and really making landlords more accountable for the properties that they manage … those two single things are really the most important things that can be done here on campus,” Resnick said. Resnick discussed his plans for initiatives such as installing street lighting on Spring Street and mandating landlords change their buildings’ locks when new tenants move in.
“We can make a safer campus just by making these simple changes to our ordinances,” Resnick said. The candidate also mentioned economic development initiatives, such as creating a job fair for Madison businesses to connect with graduating seniors. “We should be looking at how do we partner and make sure that Madison oriented businesses can reach out to graduating seniors who want to stay in the city,” Resnick said. Resnick said the student vote will be essential in deciding the election, since District 8 encompasses the majority of the dormitories on campus as well as popular student neighborhoods on Langdon and Johnson Street. The primary elections for Common Council will take place on Feb. 15.
With the Dane County Executive primary election less than a week away, state. Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison, leads a poll he commissioned, while Dane County Board Chairman Scott McDonell is ahead in campaign fundraising. Parisi released a poll conducted by Forward Strategies that puts him in the lead with 28 percent of the likely vote, with a 5.2 percent margin of error. However, the candidate with the next highest standing in the poll is not McDonell, who was the first to enter the race and is often seen as a frontrunner along with Parisi, but conservative candidate County Board Supervisor Eileen Bruskewitz with 18 percent. McDonell also trailed Joe Wineke by 13 to 15 percent, and found himself seven points ahead of Zach Brandon. A fifth of those polled were
undecided about who they would vote for in the primary. Additionally, the vast majority of the likely voters were over the age of 50, with only 1 percent between 18-24. Even though Parisi’s poll shows McDonell toward the bottom, he is doing the best in terms of fundraising. According to numbers from the Dane County Clerk’s Office, McDonell raised $52,000 in the second half of 2010 and another $32,000 in January. Bruskewitz reported over $45,000 raised between 2010 and January 2011, while Parisi raised over $40,000 between the first two periods. However, the biggest financial jump was for former City Councilman Zach Brandon, who started with about $2,000 for 2010, and then said in a press release he raised $56,000 in January.
Greyhound bus parking near Memorial Union sparks debate The dispute over bus parking on Langdon Street near Memorial Union was the topic of debate at the Transit and Parking Commission meeting Tuesday night. Complaints arose when Greyhound bus services began providing service, 10 buses daily, at Memorial Union Jan. 17. There were concerns the additional buses would contribute to existing problems related to intercity buses, City Transportation Operations Analyst Keith Pollock said. “We felt this was a serious public safety issue at hand,” Pollock said. City traffic engineering staff then met with the city attorney and found out city officials have some authority when dealing with traffic safety, Pollock said. The city attorney said there could be changes to traffic regulations at the location to maintain safety, but it
CFACT from page 1 of Associated Students of Madison system policies regarding a failure to return $329 worth of electronic equipment borrowed from ASM. Christopher Neal, legal counsel for CFACT and outreach consultant for the SJ, said the e-mails were taken out of context and there was a misunderstanding between the ASM and CFACT regarding ownership of the borrowed items. The e-mails were discovered during an investigation of an ongoing federal lawsuit CFACT brought against UW-Madison for previously denying the group funding. CFACT alleges they were previously denied eligibility because of their conservative beliefs.
could be legally problematic to prohibit Greyhound from using a particular curb space. As a short-term solution, the city implemented four 15-minute bus spaces on Langdon Street on January 18, Pollock said. However, the plan resulted in the loss of $67,000 in revenue due to the removal of parking meters, according to city officials. Committee member Kenneth Streit questioned why the bus companies do not move to another location. “They should come up with a total-
ly different location that doesn’t have anywhere close to the pedestrian density as the Memorial Union,” Streit said. The companies will continue to use Memorial Union unless another location on campus is found, Pollock said. Another issue brought up at the meeting is whether or not Greyhound is responsible for paying the parking meters. Committee member Margaret Bergamini said if the buses are parked there, they are liable for the meter. —Maggie DeGroot
kathryn weenig/the daily cardinal
Professors Howard Schweber and Jeremy Menchik talked about the influence the protests will have on Egyptian leadership.
egypt from page 1 to Hamas and Hezbollah, the Brotherhood is very hierarchical and has shown a commitment to nonviolence over the last 30 years and could act as buffer against more radical groups in an Egyptian democracy, according to Schweber. Menchik said this shouldn’t
be seen as a validation of the United States’ promotion of democracy in the Middle East. “In some ways we’re irrelevant,” Menchik said. “Twitter and Al Jazeera and WikiLeaks have done more to promote democracy in the Middle East in the past 10 years than the U.S. has.”
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Gaelic Storm and ‘Rocky Horror’ cure winter blues Elana Siegel wud columnist
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photo Courtesy Richter Scale Records
...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of the Dead gives us more of the same, and it’s getting old for those not enthralled.
And we will know your mediocrity By John Barisone
of the album and honestly, what were you expecting? Following You wouldn’t expect a band the intro, “Pure Radio Cosplay” with a name like …And You Will and “Summer of All Dead Souls” Know Us by the Trail of Dead deliver the Dead’s signature brand to meddle in the mundane, and of raucous rock, but this time it’s they don’t. For nearly a decade tinged in psychedelic undertones. now, the Trail of Dead have been But, as has been the case with crafting record after record of cat- their last couple of albums, the Dead erwauling guitars and explosive cannot sustain the momentum. The vocal epiphanies, only catching middle of the album is something of their breath for the occasional a lull. Aside from “The Wasteland,” tension-mounting interlude. In a rollicking couple of minutes of other words, the mantra of the pitch-perfect modern rock, songs like band’s sound has always been— “Fall of the Empire” and “The Spiral Make it epic. Jetty” sound like mere shades of bigger songs that never got written. They begin with a promising melody, but each stagnates without taking off. The Tao of the Dead, their seventh It is for this reason that, despite album, finds the Trail of Dead the album’s blazing trajectory, it undeterred in their lofty ambinever clearly finds its footing. Not tions, though this time around the because the Dead have set the ambiresult is a mixed bag. tion bar any less high, but because they set it all over the place. Like an angry alcoholic, the album attacks or slows down, exerting its intenFor some fans, this formula sity without any sense of direction has delivered on the goods, but or purpose. “Somewhere Over the for many critics a sound this big Double Rainbow,” apart from its has been a welcome occasion to awful title, arrives after the album’s dismiss it as ‘contrived,’ ‘over- crowning achievement—the stormy wrought’ or, at worst, ‘cheesy.’ ballad “Ebb Away.” Instead of offerTrue, the band has at times been ing any stab at continuity in this any of these things, and often all sequence of greatness, “Somewhere at once, but it has rarely com- Over the Double Rainbow” meanpromised their ders through a CD REVIEW ability to make an psych-rock jam sesenjoyable album. sion. It is a crimiThe Tao of the nal moment on the Dead, their sevrecord, sounding enth album, finds more like a tackedthe Trail of Dead on Rush B-side undeterred in the than an actual pursuit of their song. Tao of the Dead lofty ambitions, Tao of the Dead ...And You Will Know Us is not the album though this time By the Trail of Dead around the result of epic importance is a mixed bag. it purports to be. The Tao begins in typical fash- Even while the album certainly fails ion, with an intro of inclined gui- to deliver on the roaring promise of tars set to a steady march of drums its beginning or its sprawling finthat, once reaching a soaring alti- ish, fans of anything the Dead have tude, are bolstered even further done since World’s Apart will not with piano. It is grandiose, sort have trouble finding more than a of ridiculous, but it sets the tone few moments of fleeting greatness. The daily cardinal
n case you haven’t heard, the Packers won the Super Bowl! In their honor, I’ve decided to devote this column to discovering some green and gold in the arts here on campus. First, the green. Gaelic Storm, the rocking Irish music band, is coming to the Wisconsin Union Theater Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. The best way to describe Gaelic Storm's show is just plain fun. You might have caught a glimpse of this if you’ve seen James Cameron’s “Titanic;” the ensemble provided the festive music for the steerage level party that Leonardo DiCaprio's and Kate Winslet's respective characters attend. This feisty party music leads to dance, drink and drunk.
As a band that tours roughly 200 days a year, it’s important to the members of Gaelic Storm that they continue to enjoy performing.
The band's appearances in this century are just as much fun. Unlike other ensembles (cough, cough, The Black Eyed Peas), this ensemble is just as good, if not better, live. While onstage, their humor shines through. "We've got merchandise for sale over here. If you guys want to get an autograph after the show, or a photograph, or just give us money, that'd be great," frontman Patrick Murphy said in a typical quip. Not only are the members of the ensemble funny, but they also seem to truly enjoy themselves onstage. They bop and dance along with
their own music and interact with the audience, often encouraging the crowd to sing along. As a band that tours roughly 200 days a year, it’s important to the members of Gaelic Storm that they continue to enjoy performing. “We made a promise to each other that the day we stop having fun, we stop,” Murphy said. “And at the end of every year we look back and go, 'Wow, that was a great year.' We just keep looking forward to the next year because each year it gets better and better.” This fun, rocking band is well worth the $10 student ticket. If you’re looking for a little gold, and I do mean a little, come see University Theatre’s “Rocky Horror Show,” which opens with a preview show Thursday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Wisconsin Union Theater. In addition to the 7:30 p.m. times, the cast is also performing midnight shows March 4 and 5. Student tickets are $10 for both midnight shows as well as for the preview performance on March 3. If you haven’t seen the show, Rocky often makes an extended appearance in an extremely small gold Speedo. I couldn’t get the word as to whether UT’s rendition of this science fiction classic will also feature such golden attire. Costume designer and MFA student Katie Gray was coy when describing the costume design. “I know that people have certain expectations when they come to see the show,” she said. “It's been a fantastic challenge figuring out how I could meet those expectations while still putting my own unique spin on the costumes.” While we don't know exactly what Rocky's costume will entail, University Theatre gen-
eral manager Michele Traband assured me that whatever Rocky shows up in, it will be “attention-getting”! To hear more about the Pack’s win, visit the secondyear Master of Fine Arts review show, CAPUT MORTUUM, in the 7th Floor Gallery of Humanities. The exhibit’s namesake piece, Caput Mortuum I & II (The Persistence of Radical Mediocrity) by Anthony Bruce Roark and Douglas Bosley, features a radio-playing sousaphone. Today, reviews of the game flowed through the sousaphone’s tubes from the disc jockeys of 101.5 FM.
If you haven’t already seen the show, Rocky often makes an extended appearance in an extremely small gold speedo.
This highly ironic art piece certainly makes the viewer chuckle. The modern sounds of classic rock station 101.5 FM come through an old, dented sousaphone. Tangles of wires criss-cross and spew out of the back of the main structure, but the result of this seemingly complex set of electronics is a rather simple radio and a few lights. While you’re at the gallery, be sure to also check out the rest of the floor of Humanities, an arts treasure trove itself, or go see the other half of this exhibit at the Art Lofts Building at 111 N. Frances St. Both exhibits close tonight at 5:00 p.m. Continue to celebrate the green and gold for as long as possible with the green and gold arts here on campus. Go Pack Go!
photo courtesy lost again records
Gaelic Storm will be bringing their brand of Irish music to the Wisconsin Union Theatre, followed by “The Rocky Horror Show” in March, both of which promise to be a fantastic, and cheap outing.
science & technology
Wednesday, February 9, 2011 • 5
dailycardinal.com
Stem cell pioneer James Thomson honored internationally
By Kristen Klimo THE DAILY CARDINAL
Stem cell research is a field that seems to fly under the radar for years until the next scientific breakthrough. Embryonic stem cells are able to generate any cell type in the body. Many believe that this potential provides enormous promise for individuals suffering from a wide variety of diseases and injuries. Since 1998, you would be hard pressed to enter into a discussion involving stem cells without stumbling upon UW-Madison scientist James Thomson. Because of this, Thomson was honored, along with Shinya Yamanaka, a stem cell investigator at the University of California-San Francisco with this year’s prestigious King Faisal International Prize in Medicine. Thomson is a cellular biologist at the Morgridge Institute for Research. He graduated in 1981 from the University of Illinois with a degree in biophysics and then completed his doctoral degree in 1988 at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1998 he and his research team released an article in “Science” showing that they were able to isolate embryonic stem cells and sustain them in culture. “It’s going to be a pervasive tool that anybody that’s interested in the human body and human medicine is going to use,” Thomson said in a 2008 interview with the Academy of Achievement. “And I think it’s going to change human medicine.” So, why did this scientific breakthrough create such controversy among researchers, Congress, religious leaders
and the general public? The answer lies in how they are aquired. Stem cells are special because they have the potential to develop into any of the 220 cell types in the body. This ability makes them, in scientific terms, “pluripotent.” In normal development, they exist for only a few days in the embryo and then quickly differentiate. Scientists hope to use these cells to grow replacement tissues for people with diseases or injuries such as Alzheimer’s and spinal cord injuries. Scientists could grow stem cells in culture and then coax them to grow into heart cells or nerve cells by introducing different gowth conditions. Embryonic stem cells are harvested from embryos that are created for in vitro fertilization. In vitro fertilization is an option for individuals and couples who are having difficulty conceiving. Those wishing to become pregnant can go to a clinic to allow scientists to combine their genetic material in the lab. According to experts, the scientist will grow 7-8 embryos in the lab and then implant 2-4 of them in the woman’s uterus. The hope is that at least one of them will implant and begin development. People who have this procedure decide the fate of the embryos that are not implanted. According to Thomson, they can donate them to other couples, keep them in storage indefinitely or donate them for research. The catch in donating them for research is that they will be prevented from fulfilling their original purpose. “I thought long and hard about whether I would do embryonic stem cell research,” Thomson said in a 2007
interview with The New York Times. Many people, including former U.S. President George W. Bush, believe the destruction of embryos to be used for research is unethical. This is because each embryo has the potential to develop into a baby. “I kept returning to two fundamental questions,” President Bush said in August 2001. “First, are these frozen embryos human life and therefore something precious to be protected? And second, if they’re going to be destroyed anyway, shouldn’t they be used for a greater good, for research that has the potential to save and improve other lives?” Bush concluded that his administration would not allow for the creation of new stem cell lines, but that research could continue on the 60 lines already in use. In his opinion, the decision of life and death had already been made, so scientists could continue using them for the greater good. Even Thomson is slightly unnerved when it comes to embryonic stem cell research. “If human embryonic stem cell research does not make you at least a little bit uncomfortable, you have not thought about it enough,” he said in 2007. But the scientific progress regarding human stem cells did not end in 1998 after Thomson’s initial research. In the wake of the controversy created by embryonic stem cells, researchers focused their efforts on a new wave of stem cells: induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), commonly called adult stem cells.
Danny Marchewka/ THE DAILY CARDINAL
James Thomson is a member of the scientific leadership team at the Mogridge Institue for Research. iPS cells are derived from human adult differentiated cells and are in a sense tricked in to reverting to stem cells. In 2006, Yamanaka developed the technique for doing just that. He simply forced mouse cells to express genes only present in stem cells. This caused them to revert. Thomson then used this technique to create iPS cells from adult human skin cells. This discovery has been a cause for excitement. “It’s not simply that we found a replacement for embryonic stem cells from a less controversial source,” Thomson said in 2008, “but the idea that you can actually change the identity of a cell by this fairly simple manipulation is really big.” In light of the breakthroughs involving iPS cells, Thomson and Yamanaka were co-recipients of this year’s prestigious King Faisal International Prize worth $200,000. He joins the ranks of 57 scientists who are dedicated to making a positive difference in the world.
From this group, nine were later awarded Nobel prizes in their respective fields. Today, according to his website, Thomson is focused on using embryonic stem cells and iPS cells to understand the biology involved in pluripotency. This includes discovering what conditions cause the stem cell to develop into a specific cell type and how the stem cell becomes more specialized. Thomson says that his work has always been about helping people, but he still thinks the cells are, for lack of a better word, ‘cool.’ “I think the cells are neat, right? I can’t tell you precisely why, but I think it’s good,” Thomson said in 2008. “I very much hope that what I do in my laboratory does benefit people. I think my career would be extremely satisfying if that’s true.” James Thomson could not be reached in time for an interview regarding this piece. This is the reason all quotes are from past interviews.
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Chance of death by moped on campus
Today’s Sudoku
Evil Bird
Presidential Immune Systems: U.S. Presidents George Washington, Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln all contracted smallpox and recovered from the disease.
dailycardinal.com/comics By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu
© Puzzles by Pappocom
Hot Sauce
By Oliver Buchino buchino@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.
Eatin’ Cake
By Dylan Moriarty eatincake@gmail.com
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
Crustaches
By Patrick Remington premington@wisc.edu
By Angel Lee alee23@wisc.edu
First in Twenty Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com Needing Guidance
ACROSS 1 Group of lions 6 The sun’s setting? 9 “It’s ___ point” 14 Keeps out of sight 15 Groundbreaker 16 ___ Loa, Hawaii 17 Striking success 18 ___ in a day’s work 19 “Alma” or “dura” follower 20 Popular seek-and-find series 23 Pole with a blade 24 Type 25 Beach pest 27 Deliverers of product lines? 32 Life stories 33 Sword’s superior, in a saying 34 Anticipate 36 These may lead to lead 39 Epochs 41 Share equally 43 Very mean boss 44 Unit of length for Noah 46 Was laden with 48 Spectrum part 49 New Delhi dress 51 Menacing
53 Vocal vibration 6 Egg cells 5 57 Old biddy 58 Left the straight and narrow path 64 Written in base-8 66 “At Seventeen” singer Janis 67 Fine-grained sedimentary rock 68 Of some value 69 Architectural addition 70 Digital weapon? 71 Lathered up 72 Oscar- winning role for Jamie 73 Comedian Wanda DOWN 1 “That was close!” 2 One good way to be filthy 3 What a getaway car may be waiting in 4 Sweetums 5 Heartless Dickens miss 6 He played Quint in “Jaws” 7 Nut with caffeine (Var.) 8 Whoops and hollers 9 Fertilizer ingredient 10 Pasture plaint 11 “Groovy!” 12 Center of Boston
3 Linger too long 1 21 Distorts, as data 22 Bit of Vaseline 26 Dunderhead 27 Blueprint datum 28 Machu Picchu location 29 One way to vote 30 Hanging on every word 31 Where to store grains 35 Arboreal critter of South America 37 Verifiable 38 Visionary sort 40 Country visited by Anna Leonowens 42 Mortise insert 45 San Francisco conveyance 47 Takes away power 50 U.N. workers’ gp. 52 Move down the runway 53 Biblical pronouns 54 Odd- numbered page, often 55 Willow shoot 59 Samoan currency 60 “Employees ___” 61 Word on an intersection sign 62 Moisturizer ingredient 63 Yearnings 65 European peak
Washington and the Bear
By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com
opinion Relations with Egypt compromise democracy dailycardinal.com/opinion
miles kellerman opinion columnist
F
oreign policy is in many ways a complicated and high stakes-chess game. Every move is carefully planned and every consequence dreadfully considered. Like chess, the available choices for every move are predetermined by the irreversible actions of the past. Given these circumstances, each player must take into consideration the complexities of every remaining piece in order to make the best possible move. But even if we were to consider every likely course of action, our choice remains, at best, a calculated risk—one whose outcome could change the course of history.
A dictator is sometimes easier to deal with than an unpredictable democracy.
Nowhere is this more apparent than with the current conflict in Egypt. The Obama administration, caught largely off guard, is faced with quite the political dilemma. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, oppressive dictator and friend of the United States, faces a possible removal from office due to mass public demonstrations in support of government reform. Such reform, however, threatens to eradicate one of the United States’ most strategically important allies. The importance of our response to the situation is a product of a long and complicated history with both Egypt and the Middle East. Since 1974, Israel has remained one of the United States’ strongest allies, and also one of our largest recipients of foreign aid. President Obama will submit to Congress a budget request for 2011 that includes $3 billion of aid to the Jewish state, all of which is budgeted toward the military. This alliance, however, hasn’t sat well with the rest of the Arab world, including Egypt, until 1978. It was in this year that the Camp David Accords, under the Carter administration, created a peace agreement between Egypt and the United States. But getting Egypt on board required a financial incentive from the U.S. in the form of aid. Thus, Egypt remains one of our largest recipients of military funding, as evident in the discovery of American-made tear gas used in the current Cairo demonstrations. In order to gain a better understanding of our relationship with Egypt, I spoke with Jon Pevehouse, a UW-Madison political science professor. Professor Pevehouse, while recognizing the important role of Israel in Egyptian-U.S. relations, also emphasized Egypt is a “bridge state of sorts—they link the U.S. to the wider strategic situation in the region.” They are an ally who we work with on issues ranging from the broader peace process, Lebanon,
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Yemen and our relations with the Arab world in general,” Pevehouse stated. “Remember, when Obama made his famous address to the Arab world early in his presidency, he did it in Egypt. That was not by accident.” This strategic importance is evident and profound. Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world, the Arab League headquarters are in Cairo and the state lies in a geographic crossroads between Africa, the Middle East and Mediterranean Europe. This tactical importance, along with our incentive to preserve peace between Israel and Egypt, has led us to appease the transgressions of President Mubarak in pursuit of higher goals. Mubarak has repeatedly imposed religious discrimination, electoral fraud, systematic torture and the suppressions of press freedom while superficially enhancing the power of Egypt’s executive branch. Yet one can easily find photos of George W. Bush and Barack Obama sipping tea and acting friendly with Egypt’s 30-year leader. Dick Cheney even considers the man, not surprisingly, a “good friend.” But to be fair to Cheney, this is actually quite accurate. Despite Mubarak’s shortcomings, he has served the United States well. He is, in respect to the foreign policy aspirations of the U.S., a pawn (chess pun intended). We appease his actions because he is an ally— one that is safe, obedient and controllable. And this is certainly not the first time the pursuit of democracy and human rights have been de-emphasized in the quest to maintain relations. One must only look toward our relationships with countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Uzbekistan to realize that the American goal of spreading freedom and democracy is one that is, while certainly legitimate, often inconvenient.
This is certainly not the first time the pursuit of democracy and human rights have been de-emphasized in the quest to maintain relations.
Thus, the current uprising in Egypt leaves us in quite a dilemma. The Obama administration essentially endorsed the removal of Mubarak from office once public will took a turn for the worse. This was a risk, given that if Mubarak was able to maintain power, our betrayal could lead to short-term repercussions. On the flip side, however, lies the United States’ greater fear: free and uncontrollable elections. A dictator is sometimes easier to deal with than an unpredictable democracy, especially when such democracy could lead to the institution of extremist Islamic movements. No such extremist organization has garnered more fear than the Muslim Brotherhood. While the organization’s Egyptian faction is opposed to the state of Israel and is certainly not the biggest fan of the U.S., it is not a significant threat. In a recent New York Times opinion article, Scott Atran brought attention to the organization’s small number (100,000 out
1978 Israeli Prime Minister and U.S. National Security Advisor engage in chess. of 80 million Egyptians), their missed opportunities to gain public approval and their refusal to associate with Al-Qaeda. Professor Pevehouse echoed this sentiment, “I don’t fear the Brotherhood in power in Egypt… If they don’t have their act together now, when are they going to? And don’t underestimate Arab nationalism contra Islamic fundamentalism.” According to a NYT article by David Kirkpatrick, Mohamed el-Beltagui, a leader of the Brotherhood, announced they would not put forth a candidate in the event of an election in order to “rebut Mr. Mubarak’s argument to the West that his iron-fisted rule was a crucial bulwark against Islamic extremism.”
Despite this, the United States continues to impose its influence in order to control who comes into power. Although the situation is rapidly evolving, that person appears to be current Vice President Omar Suleiman. Suleiman, who might fulfill Egyptians’ need for a symbolic change, appears to be quite similar to Mubarak politically. Because the United States is focused on protecting Israel and establishing a better partnership with the Middle East, it is also attempting to maintain the status quo despite the wishes of the Egyptian public. It is an unfortunate irony that in the pursuit of what the U.S. feels is best strategically, our government attempts to dismantle the very democratic uprising that inspired our
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own independence. What the Obama administration should take note of, however, is that the Egyptian people are intelligent, aware and fully capable of directing the course of their own affairs. Our continued disruption exposes the hypocrisy of our position toward Mubarak and will only intensify anti-American sentiment in a politically tumultuous region. Let us hope this is a lesson soon learned, for the future of U.S.-Middle East relations, the safety of Israel and our efforts toward counter-terrorism could very well depend upon the repercussion of our next move. Miles Kellerman is a sophomore majoring in political science. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
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Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Men’s Basketball
Wisconsin set to battle with streaking Hawkeyes By Jeremy Wodajo The Daily Cardinal
Bo Ryan and Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery have plenty in common. In addition to both being at the helm of their representativeBig Ten men’s basketball programs, Ryan and McCaffery are also both proud Pennsylvania natives. McCaffery grew up in Pittsburgh, Pa., nearly 300 miles away from Ryan’s hometown of Chester. Despite this distance, Ryan has gotten to know McCaffery quite well both as an athlete and coach. “[Fran] was a heck of a player, tough competitor—kind of a playground guy too,” Ryan said. “He’s a very competitive guy so coaching seems to fit him.” McCaffery’s Hawkeyes (3-8 in Big Ten, 10-13 overall) are coming off back-to-back Big Ten wins, and will be looking for their first threegame winning streak of the season when UW visits Carver-Hawkeye Arena Wednesday night. Hovering around the .500 mark, the Hawkeyes have been a Jekyll and Hyde team, especially on the defensive end of the floor. In Iowa’s
ten victories this year, their opponents are averaging 53.1 points and shooting 35 percent from the field, including 24 percent from three. However, the Hawkeyes are also 0-12 when opponents shoot a better field goal percentage and 0-9 when out-rebounded. Still, Iowa has won two straight games and is certainly peaking just in time for the Badgers’ arrival. “In scheduling, it’s always about when you play a team and where you play them,” Ryan said. “And if there’s a team playing with more confidence than Iowa I don’t know who that would be, other than Ohio State.” The all-time series between Iowa and UW is tied at 76-76, although the Hawkeyes hold the advantage at home 48-25. Despite winning four of six in Iowa City, this time around won’t be as easy whenlooking at Iowa’s 10-13 record. “You ask a lot of coaches; they would tell you they would much rather have played Iowa a month ago,” said Ryan. “But that happens a lot in our league.” That said, the Badgers are playing with a bit of confidence of
Matt Marheine/cardinal File photo
Winners of five of their past six, Jordan Taylor and the Badgers travel to Iowa City to face an Iowa team who has won two straight.
their own. UW has won five of six, with two of those victories coming against teams then ranked in the AP Top 20. Junior guard Jordan Taylor and senior forward Jon Leuer, arguably the best duo in the Big Ten, have no doubt led the recent charge. The tandem is averaging a conference-best 39.6 combined points per game, and Taylor owns the nation’s best assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.9.
“If there’s a team playing with more confidence than Iowa, I don’t know who that would be.” Bo Ryan head coach Wisconsin men’s basketball
Men’s Hockey
Matt Marheine/Cardinal file photo
Defenseman Frankie Simonelli won the team’s hardest shot contest, with a slap shot clocked at 94 mph.
Badgers use bye week to engage in friendly skills competition By Ryan Evans The Daily Cardinal
Despite Taylor’s emergence as one of the elite guards in the nation, he was absent from Monday’s Cousy Award finalists, given annually to the nation’s top point guard, another indication of just how under-the-radar the Bloomington, Minn. native has gone this season. But Coach Ryan noted that while the ten finalists are all deserving of the honor, his focus has always been on the team and its maturity throughout the season. “I never worried about what lists anybody’s on or what awards or anything else,” Ryan said. “I’m still one of those old coaches that never gives out any individual awards at any of our functions because I always thought it had Wisconsin on the front of the jersey.” Through it all, Ryan knows this disappointment will not deter Taylor from remaining one of the league’s top performers. “Jordan will be okay,” Ryan said with a smirk. “He’ll recover from that.” With a confident Iowa team up next on the docket, he’ll have to recover quickly if the Badgers hope to continue their winning ways and head back home on a good note.
With a bye week on the calendar, the No. 7 Wisconsin men’s hockey team used the down time in practice last week to participate in a team-wide skills competition. Drawing inspiration from the NHL’s All-Star weekend, the Badgers participated in four different competitions: most accurate shot, fastest skater, hardest shot and a breakaway trick shot contest. “I’ve never done anything like that before,” sophomore defenseman Justin Schultz said. “It was pretty cool. We had all of the equipment out there that was pretty accurate. It was nice to go out there and have a little bit of fun.” Schultz took home the fastest skater competition, an event he said he didn’t expect to win. “We have a lot of fast skaters on the team,” he said. “I thought [Jake] Gardiner would win that one or [Craig Smith] he’s pretty quick too. It’s nice to win though.” Junior forward Jordy Murray won the shot accuracy contest and freshman defenseman Frankie Simonelli won the hardest shot with a slapper that hit 94 mph on the radar gun. “Guys were clocking in around
85 and I got up there, swung the bat and hit 95 which is good to see,” Simonelli said. “Zdeno Chara hit 105 last week so I was expecting to get up in the 100s, but 95 will have to do,” he said with a grin. The breakaway challenge saw the Badgers unleash their best dangles to try and beat the team’s goaltenders. After an impressive display from all, it was senior forward and captain Sean Dolan who was judged the winner with a pair of creative self-inspired shots. “I needed to do something crazy,” Dolan said. “So I came down and dumped the puck in the corner, but had another puck in my glove and with the goalie watching the first puck, I put the new one down and was able to score.” For his final shot, Dolan drew inspiration from a former Badger teammate. “I couldn’t think of anything else so I just wanted to come down and score really quick while the goalie was goofing off in the net, and I gave myself a standing ovation which I learned from a guy who used to play here, Tom Bardis, he used to do that.”
Hope springs eternal for teams across midwest as baseball season approaches Parker Gabriel
parks and rec
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ith an entire state basking in the glory of Aaron Rodgers, Ted Thompson and the rest of the Green Bay Packers organization, it’s sort of easy to get over the frigid temperatures this week. The cold and extra few weeks of football has done some masking of its own. Lost somewhere in a snow bank or a ski boot or a Valentine’s Day card is a glimmering benchmark of warmer days. Pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training next week. Opening day is still seven weeks away, but once we get players into camp, it’s never long before the first full workouts and split-squad scrim-
mages get underway. The players get sick of the daily spring grind quickly, and no matter how slow of a start Corey Hart gets off to, I’m sure he’ll be ‘ready for the regular season to start’ by the second week of March. Still, it gives us a chance to see what young players can do, overanalyze the performance of veterans, speculate as to what particular lineup or pitching combinations might mean—even if it’s all completely arbitrary—and generally just relish the fact that there are pros out there honing swings and pine tar levels. Folks in this neck of the woods should be particularly excited that baseball is just around the corner because the Brewers look great on paper, the Cubs found at least one compelling player and the division as a whole should be fun to watch all summer long. Obviously, the Brewers had a busy
offseason. For the first time since I’ve started following them the pitching staff has the makings of a team strength. All the talk has been about the trades for Shaun Marcum and 2008 AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke. But, it’s not unrealistic or homer-ish to think that these acquisitions might really help Milwaukee’s homegrown ace, Yovani Gallardo, pitch without feeling like he has to win every start for the team to compete. The biggest pitching question might be whether or not John Axford can continue to pitch well in the closer role. I wouldn’t bet against him, not with a mustache like that. The Brewers tend to roll through closers and big-league hitters are very good at figuring out pitchers with enough exposure. Still, having Takashi Saito and LaTroy Hawkins should be some relief for the Brew Crew faithful. Bolstering their pitching staff
should make for a summer of dynamite pitching matchups in the NL Central. The Cincinnati Reds will attempt to defend their division crown with their young hard-throwing nucleus of Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez and Mike Leake. The Cardinals have veteran aces Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter to go with the young Jaime Garcia. Even the Cubs added a dynamic pitcher when they acquired Matt Garza from the Tampa Bay Rays. The North siders gave up a ton of talent to get Garza, but he should help them stay in contention for much of the season, as Greinke and Marcum will do the for the Brewers. The difference in Milwaukee is that they have a young, powerful offense to go along with their new arms. Even in a doomsday scenario where Hart flails at sliders, Prince Fielder feels the pressure of being in a contract year, Casey McGehee can’t reproduce his offensive
output, and the bottom part of the batting order shows no improvement, Milwaukee should still be around .500 thanks to pitching. San Fransisco won a World Series title with a lot less offense than the Brewers have right now. Granted, Greinke and Gallardo may not be Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, but at least the front office in Milwaukee has figured out the importance of pitching and has taken real steps toward making theirs elite. I’m not anointing the Brewers division champs, or even favorites just yet. There are plenty of things that could derail a successful season for any team—injuries chief among them. Still, this has the makings of a special summer at ballparks all across the Midwest. Think the Brewers are ready to rule the NL Central? E-mail Parker at pjgabriel@dailycardinal.com.