Thursday, December 8, 2011 - The Daily Cardinal

Badgers stomp in-state rival green bay

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+SPORTS, page 12

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Thursday, December 8, 2011

Student center plans revised

By Kate Ray The Daily Cardinal

St. Paul’s student center proposed new plans for a six-story building instead of the originally planned 14-stories.

After an eight-month break, Randy Milbrath, main architect for the planned St. Paul’s Catholic Center, presented a new scaled-down plan to the Urban Design Commission.

While the original plan included space for student rental housing, that has been dropped in the revised design.

The new plan proposes a six-story building that will provide space for a chapel, offices, living quarters for priests, an educational facility and a student center.

These plans were deferred Wednesday to allow more time for architectural plan revisions.

Many council members were pleased with the smaller design.

“I am very glad to see how the conversations have evolved regarding this project,” Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said. “The massing and height of the structure has come down substantially since the original concept.”

Council members opposed to the plans expressed concern with the structural design of the building.

“Typically, church buildings like this have large lower halves that support the vertical rise of the building,” Melissa Huggins, design professional, said. “But the front of this building doesn’t support much of anything.”

The commission chose to defer the decision regarding the initial approval of this plan so that architects will consider the changes they discussed regarding the architectural design.

New housing proposed Plans for new apartment complexes were also presented Wednesday.

A proposed eight-story complex at 1323 W. Dayton St., near Union South and Camp Randall, would house 73 units.

A second complex consisting of two separate apartment buildings was proposed by landowners Scott Faust and Ron Fedler for the block of Bassett, Johnson and Dayton Streets, which is on the same block as the DoubleTree Hotel.

The first 12-story building would have underground parking on West Johnson Street, while the second U-shaped three-story structure would be located on Dayton Street.

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Members of Badger Catholic and the group Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics gathered in Varsity Hall Wednesday to discuss issues such as same-sex marriage, abortion and contraception.

Campus groups debate hot issues

By Sarah Olson The Daily Cardinal

The Wisconsin Union Directorate’s Society and Politics Committee hosted a debate Wednesday between members of the group Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics and Badger Catholic, centering on the issues of same-sex marriage, abortion, embryonic stem-cell research and contraception.

On the issue of same-sex marriage, AHA emphasized the social and economic chal-

By Samy Moskol

By Anna Duffin

The Daily Cardinal

sb 107 page 2

Badger Catholic representative Madeline Gibson pointed out the physical risks of hormonal contraception and emphasized the use of alternative methods for family planning. She also described the value of sex, saying contraception hinders sex as an expression of love. “There is a deeper meaning to sex,” Gibson said.

AHA member Laura Burns expressed concerns about the potential risks of refraining

debate page 3

Regents to discuss policy on crimes against minors

Walker signs new state housing law The City of Madison’s renting ordinances are nullified after Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill into law Wednesday that standardizes Wisconsin’s tenant laws throughout the state.

Senate Bill 107, authored by state Sen. Frank Lasee, R-De Pere, allows landlords to search prospective tenants’ histories and use conviction records, income levels or employment history to deny leases.

“Good renters end up paying more or having to move when a bad tenant moves in,” Lasee said in a statement. “This bill will help put an end to these problems for both landlords and good renters.”

The law has come under scrutiny by student groups and tenants’ rights advocates who

lenges same-sex couples face because they cannot receive social security benefits or financial benefits from a deceased partner. “This is a clear problem of equal rights,” said Quinn Heck of AHA. Badger Catholic’s Matt Bayer responded by emphasizing the connection between marriage and procreation. “Marriage is not only about love but also about how that love can give rise to new life,” Bayer said.

Regarding contraception,

The Daily Cardinal

Government

On dailycardinal.com ASM elected former Nominations Board Chair Niko Magallon, who was removed from his former role, to its Diversity Chair position Wednesday. + Photo by Grace Liu

After sexual abuse scandals rocked Penn State and Syracuse University, the UW System Board of Regents is discussing reviewing its policies for handling crimes involving minors in its schools.

At the board’s meeting Thursday, members of the Business, Finance, and Audit Committee will propose system policies to audit in 2012.

Among the policies the committee is proposing the board’s auditors study is how crimes against minors are reported in the system.

“We’re looking at really a pretty broad assessment of all the applicable laws, policies, rules and procedures that all address this one topic about reporting crimes against minors,” UW System spokes-

person David Giroux said.

According to the Board of Regents December agenda, “in the wake of scandals regarding allegations of crimes against children at higher education institutions, it is essential to evaluate the adequacy of policies related to the reporting of crimes against minors.”

Giroux said increased attention to crimes against minors has made members of the board think it needs to study the system’s policies and laws.

“This is obviously an interest of every institution of higher education in the country that’s come into sharper focus in recent months, unfortunately, and we think its time to undertake a systematic, thorough review of those laws, policies, rules and regulations,” Giroux said.

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”

news 2

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tODAY: partly cloudy hi 31º / lo 16º

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Friday: sunny

hi 21º / lo 13º

dailycardinal.com

Culture and reputation: Drinking at UW

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

I think that sometimes there’s a sense even on campus that drinking, and a lot of drinking, is part of the identity here. Dr. Sarah Van orman, Director of UHS

Volume 121, Issue 2

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Any college campus has a drinking scene, but UW-Madison is particularly known for its party school status. Here at Madison, students take the expression “work hard, play hard” seriously.

But some worry an alcohol-based culture leads to expectations that pressure students to drink.

Although the 2012 U.S. News & World Report ranks UW-Madison among the top 10 national academic institutions, UW-Madison is nonetheless stereotyped as the party school full of beer-guzzling students living for the weekend.

Earning the ranking

There may be some truth to this stereotype as The Princeton Review’s list of party schools for 2012 ranks UW-Madison No. 14.

According to Rob Franek, senior vice president and publisher at the Princeton Review and author of Best 376 Colleges, there are five different factors that the Princeton Review looks at when creating the party school ranking list: the rate of alcohol, beer and drug consumption, the hours of study outside the classroom, and the popularity of the fraternity and sorority system on campus.

Dan, 18, a freshman in Sellery Hall who declined to give his last name, said he knows four or five fellow residents who have been sent to detox after binge drinking.

However, he said he does not think many students actually suffer from alcohol problems.

“A lot of students at Madison have alcohol abuse and not

grace liu/cardinal file photo

The Mifflin Street block party contributes to UW-Madison’s reputation as a party school with a drinking culture. alcohol problems,” Dan said.

“They get into trouble and have problems because they over drink, but they’re not dependent on alcohol.”

Associate Residence Life Director Larry Davis said at the beginning of the year residence life often sees a “handful of students” who go to detox and the majority of these students “hardly drank in high school.”

“It’s so much a part of Wisconsin culture”

Whether or not first-year students factor in the party-school stereotype when deciding on colleges, their behavior once they arrive on campus can be affected by their preconceived notions of

the school.

“There’s certainly for many students an expectancy that [drinking] is going to be part of what being at Madison is about,” Dr. Sarah Van Orman, director of University Health Services said.

“A lot of alcohol is viewed as a point of pride.”

The percentage of students who participate in high-risk drinking in Madison is significantly higher than it is on the national level and compared to the rest of UW System campuses, according to Van Orman.

Echoing Davis’ observation that freshmen sometimes take drinking too far, Van Orman said high-risk drinking is in fact most prevalent among younger stu-

Committee stalls full rail funding

sb 107 from page 1

The state Legislature’s finance committee delayed funding to construct a new facility for the MilwaukeeChicago train line Wednesday.

Although the Joint Finance Committee approved an additional $2.5 million request from the Department of Transportation, it denied the department’s request to spend $5 million on planning and designing the new train car maintenance facility.

The committee delayed additional work on the train line maintenance facility until the DOT submits a report assessing the cost of building the facility in Milwaukee.

The decision comes after

argue it will negatively impact student renters by changing Madison ordinances that were developed with student tenants in mind.

The Wisconsin Alliance for Tenant Rights began circulating a “responsible landlords pledge” Wednesday to “find another way to protect tenants’ rights” and maintain Madison’s original ordinances, according to group spokesperson Colin Gillis.

“All we have left is the pledge,” Gillis said. “All we can

Gov. Scott Walker rejected $810 million in federal money last year that would have covered costs of the new facility as well as a new line that would have connected Madison and Milwaukee.

Democrats criticized the Republican-controlled committee’s vote, calling the $2.5 million allocation “a waste of taxpayer money.”

“Today’s action by the Joint Finance Committee would have been unnecessary if not for Governor Walker’s shortsightedness and rigid partisanship,” state Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, said in a statement.

Student arrested at D.C. protest Seven protesters from Wisconsin, one of which is a UW-Madison student, were arrested in Washington, D.C., Wednesday after demonstrating with Occupy protesters, according to Dane 101.

Four were taken voluntarily into custody early Wednesday during a Take Back the Capitol protest and three demonstrators, including UW junior Thi Le, were arrested for lying down and blocking traffic later in the day.

Around 150 Wisconsinites largely associated with Occupy movements across the state boarded a bus to D.C early Monday, joining thousands of protesters from across the country to participate in the week-long Take Back the Capitol action.

Le was jailed Oct. 10 after refusing to sign a bond agreement that would have made it illegal for her to commit administrative code violations.

dents at the university.

According to Van Orman, many students who abuse alcohol suffer consequences including sleep deprivation and academic or social struggles but do not change their behavior.

“Part of the challenge is it’s so much a part of Wisconsin culture,” said Orman. “I think that sometimes there’s a sense even on campus that drinking, and a lot of drinking, is part of the identity here.”

Davis said he thinks freshmen’s high consumption of alcohol may be due to feeling pressured to live up to the standard of a “typical” UW-Madison student.

“I think that students are most influenced by other students,” Davis said. “It’s the high-risk behavior that’s affiliated with drinking that concerns me.”

Back to the BASICS

To combat early alcohol abuse, the university instituted the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) this fall.

When students violate the university’s alcohol policies, they are required to attend mandatory educational intervention. Firstoffense violators are referred to Group BASICS, while repeat offenders are required to attend two one-on-one substance abuse counseling sessions.

But Dan thinks that UW-Madison’s party school image is not going anywhere.

“I think Wisconsin will always be known as a party school,” Dan said. “I don’t think the school will be able to escape its stereotype of being a drinking school.” do is ask.”

Rob Kovach, Lasee’s chief of staff, said SB 107 allows students to have a consistent understanding of tenant laws throughout the state.

With SB 107, “local governments can’t make rules that are more complicated,” Kovach said in September.

SB 107 will go into effect Dec. 18.

Walker also signed 20 other bills into law Wednesday, one of which provides legal protections for property owners who use lethal force to defend themselves from attackers.

Changes under new tenant law Madison ordinances

Under SB 107

• A landlord cannot show a unit until one fourth of the lease is up, which is usually around mid-October

• A landlord can show a unit at any point during the lease

• A landlord must give 24 hours notice in writing before entering the unit

• A landlord can charge more than one month’s rent for the security deposit

• A security deposit cannot exceed one month’s rent

• A landlord can deny tenancy based on past conviction records, employment histories or income level

• A landlord must give 12 hours notice before entering

news

Thursday, December 8, 2011 3

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dailycardinal.com

UW System task force meets for first time

By Jacob Riederer The Daily Cardinal

A special legislative task force on UW restructuring and flexibility met for the first time Wednesday to address operational and monetary issues within the UW System.

The committee was created as a part of the biennial state budget in order to provide operational flexibility for UW-Madison and the UW System.

Gov. Scott Walker’s original state budget included making UW-Madison a public authority, removing it from the UW System, but the Legislature rejected the proposal.

At the meeting, Dr. Aims McGuinness, a senior associate with the National Center on Higher Education Management Systems, advised the committee to give more flexibility to each individual college and university within the UW System.

“You should do at a system level only what cannot or should not be done at a campus level,” McGuinness said.

debate from page 1

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Architects behind the Memorial Union renovation proposal discussed the environmental impact the project will have immediately and in the future.

Public hears from planners on impacts of Union renovations

By Christina Spiewak and Ben Siegel The Daily Cardinal

The short and long-term environmental impacts of plans to renovate Memorial Union were open to debate in a public forum Wednesday, but voices of opposition failed to materialize in the modest turnout.

The meeting was an opportunity for the public to respond to a report on the project’s environmental impact.

Released by the consulting firm Cornerstone Environmental Group, LLC, on Nov. 18, Environmental Impact Assessment detailed the possible consequences of the project, including the removal of a 150-year-old oak tree that has proven contentious due to its historic nature.

“The short-term impacts are pretty

large, but the long-term impacts are large and beneficial so in some degree they offset each other,” Cornerstone project manager Ben Peotter said.

Improved building accessibility and functionality, shoreline protection and increased park space from Alumni Park are mentioned in the report as some of the project’s long-term benefits.

Roughly 10 to 12 people attended the meeting, none of them students. Peotter attributed the limited turnout to past public forums that have already given people the opportunity to express their concerns about the project.

Wednesday’s meeting, held at the Memorial Union’s Tripp Commons, marked the end of the required public comment period following the Environmental Impact Assessment.

from the use of contraception.

“I think we should be afraid that the number of children we’re having thrusts our children into poverty and endangers the resources available on our planet” Burns said.

“One of the most important things you can do in your higher education is learn about other perspectives.”

Chris Calvey president Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics

The large crowd assembled in Varsity Hall was generally respectful throughout the debate, applauding in agreement

If the UW System is too centralized, they would have to make a “one-size-fitsall” policy to apply to every UW campus, whether a small regional campus or major research university, he said.

Fred Mohs, a member of the task force, questioned the idea to give more flexibility to each campus.

“It’s hard for me to see over a long period of time how the state Legislature will just give money to a decentralized university system without reserving some control,” Mohs said.

Task force member David Olien said the task force should focus its time on creating revenue, as opposed to making it more flexible.

“What’s really important is the revenue side of the equation here,” Olien said. “And I think that is what this task force ultimately has to wrestle with.

The amount that can be saved from greater flexibility from state government is trivial compared to what is going to have to be raised from other sources.” and polite in opposition. Laughter was heard in response to Gibson’s comments on chastity but appeared more skeptical than malicious.

Members of the audience took advantage of the 30 minutes allotted for the questioning of each side after the debate.

Most of the questions were directed to members of Badger Catholic.

AHA faced criticism from the audience regarding its definition of “personhood.”

To audience member Ty Sander, it was clear that both debaters and listeners enjoyed the debate but entered the debate with their own beliefs and perspectives.

“If just one person changed their views on one of these issues, it was all worth it to me,” he said.

AHA President Chris Calvey agreed. “One of the most important things you can do in your higher education is learn about other perspectives,” he said.

Report: Clean energy program benefits economy

By Samy Moskol The Daily Cardinal

A study conducted by the Legislative Audit Bureau concluded that Focus on Energy, a program that provides incentives for residents and businesses to invest in renewable energy technology, gives back $3 to Wisconsinites for every dollar invested.

The audit was requested after Gov. Scott Walker’s biennial budget cut $300 million from the system over the next three years.

The bureau compared the money saved from using renewable energy to costs of the program and its implementation. They concluded benefits outweigh the costs of the program three times for businesses and one and a half times for residences.

Focus on Energy, which is overseen by the state’s Public Service Commission and was established in 2005, is funded primarily by energy utility providers.

Investor-owned utility providers are

required to contribute 1.2 percent of their revenue to fund the program, which in 2010 provided more than $93 million.

The program provides incentives to businesses and residents to invest in renewable energy technology with the money.

Utility providers make up the revenue with natural gas and electric rates. In turn, on average, $1 of customers’ monthly energy bill goes to fund the program, according to the bureau.

Keith Reopelle, senior policy director for Clean Wisconsin, advocated for the continued funding of the program.

“This audit clearly shows that increasing investments in Focus on Energy will lower energy bills, and help homeowners and businesses save money,” Reopelle said in a statement.

Joint Audit Committee Co-chair Samantha Kerkman, R-Randall, said in a statement she hoped the audit would lead to “more transparency and a better public understanding of the program.”

on campus

Bone marrow Badgers

Students assembled Wednesday to raise awareness about bone marrow transplants and to register people on campus to donate bone marrow. + Photo by Ben Koeppen

page two Feelin’ hungry for a lil’ bit of Hungary 4

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Thursday, December 8, 2011

Elliot morris the morr, the better

W

ell people, it’s official. I’m studying in Budapest, Hungary next semester. I know, I know­— you’ve all been sitting on the edge of your seats waiting anxiously for weeks to hear what my decision was going to be.

Oh wait, you’ve been enjoying Thanksgiving festivities and studying for finals instead?

Damn you all for not caring.

This has been an important decision that affects each one of you. After all, I will regretfully no longer be here every Thursday to grace five or six readers with my endless highquality tidbits of wisdom.

But the fact of the matter is, I have indeed been going through some pretty intense deliberation over the past month or two about whether or not I should go. My number one concern has been that I’ll never be able to get over the fact that Hungary sounds so much like “hungry.”

I love bad puns so much that I fear my repetitive, nonstop use of this incredibly convenient coincidence will annoy people to the point that I will put myself in legitimate danger of being pushed into a river.

Thank G o d I got it out of my system during b r e a k .

My family thanks me, I’m sure.

My second, and far more consequential concern, is that as awesome as Budapest sounds, I’ll be unreasonably sad to leave Madison. Bring on the waterworks, right? But seriously,

dailycardinal.com

I think I speak for every student here when I say that we live in an incredible city with some pretty awesome

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people. I know that Budapest is kickass too, what with its incredible architecture and long history (Who am I kidding? I’m just excited to legally buy alcohol for

the first time!). It’s just that the past year and a half here have been so incontestably idyllic that it’s hard to imagine that even a world-class city could beat Madison.

Supposedly, love makes you blind. It applies to cities too, right?

(Once I realized that my affinity for these 78 square miles surrounded by reality shouldn’t get in the way of a life-changing experience,) I had to make a decision nobody wants to make: Which semester should I forego for this adventure? Halloween or Mifflin?

Basketball or Football? Cold or really god-damned cold? After another unspeakably good Halloween, that incredible win on Saturday and a downright

balmy autumn, I decided I just couldn’t pass these things up even for one semester. Spring it was.

It hit me yesterday that this is happening in less than two months, most of which will be spent back home in Lincoln, Nebraska. (I was a Husker fan, but I’ve seen the light.) I have to make the most of my last few weeks here. My final goodbye after exams needs to last me not one single month of break, but eight long months away from this school I love so dearly. But knowing it’ll all be waiting for me when I return makes me feel better, and the extra long break will make it that much more gratifying to finally return next August.

But I think I’m going to sign off for now. I’m getting awfully Hungary and I want a sandwich almost as much as my dog wants Kibbles and Bits after a long day of crime fighting.

Going to miss Elliot next semester? Send him you’re woeful farewells at ejmorris2@wisc. edu. Or use that as an excuse to make a trip out to Budapest for a nice visit and some legal boozing.

The Dirty Bird sex and the student body Absence makes the heart grow fonder

I am studying abroad next semester, and my boyfriend and I are planning to try to make it work long distance for a few months while I’m gone…

Do you have any suggestions for successful long distance relationships?

—T.G.

I know this is an awkward convo with potentially unpleasant themes, but it will allow you to address some major issues before they arise.

Many, many people do LDRs very successfully for a very long time, but it doesn’t just magically happen. It takes unique kinds (and quantities) of communication and effort, and it starts before any distance comes into the picture.

Ultimately, I don’t have “the” answer for you, T.G., but in lieu of that, here are several answers that have worked for some people and may potentially work for you.

Long-distance relationships are hella hard, and that’s not pessimism—it’s realism.

I have some more uplifting things to say, T.G., but on account of that difficulty, my first tip is for you to chat with your boyfriend and establish expectations for the time you’re apart.

For example, how often will you call/email?

Obviously, it will take more work to maintain closeness when you’re not seeing each other for weeks and months at a time, but how much effort is “enough” to satisfy you both? Conversely, how often can you realistically promise to call one another without getting resentful or crazy?

You’ll also need to talk about relationship boundaries.

What’s okay and what crosses the border into cheating? Can you go out dancing with other guys? Can he take a date to the law school semi-formal? Can pictures go up online? Do you want to straight-up open the relationship while you’re away?

Frequent contact: Check in briefly multiple times daily. I’m not talking about 20-minute phone calls, but rather 20-second texts or e-mails. If your partner’s favorite song comes on the radio and you’re thinking about him, send a quick text. If you come across a Youtube video or blog post he’d love, send an e-mail.

Little surprises go a long way toward keeping us connected to our partners and involved in their lives, when we’re together and when we’re not.

If you have a smartphone and you (or your parents) refuse to pay a bajillion dollars for those aforementioned texts, download WhatsApp. WhatsApp uses an internet connection to send mobile messages without ungodly additional charges on account of being overseas.

Share Google calendars or class schedules so your partner can provide extra support

Erica andrist sex columnist Dear Erica,

(or less distraction) during midterms week, and you won’t freak out when he doesn’t text you back for awhile because he’s in the middle of a fourhour seminar.

But don’t overdo it: On the flip side, don’t feel obligated to call every single day. Consider scheduling longer phone or Skype dates just a couple times each week. These will provide something to look forward to and will also help you avoid mundane nightly conversations that start to feel like more of a chore than a treat.

Joint activities: Find activities you can do together even without physical togetherness. Watch a favorite movie or TV show while on the phone, or go for a run solo and log on to Skype while you stretch afterward. Get two copies of a book and read a few pages together each evening.

Old school love letters: Write actual letters.

Find (or make) some cute stationery, write your partner a note, and drop it in the mail—but don’t tell your partner it’s coming. You’ll get a little bit of excitement knowing that your letter is on its way, and a bona fide letter in the mail buoys the soul in ways email just can’t quite match.

Skype, sexting and lots ’o masturbation: Masturbate a lot. One’s sexual needs don’t diminish

when a partner becomes physically unavailable; take matters into your own hands (or vibrators or dildos or whatever), because sexual frustration can easily evolve into relationship frustration.

Video chatting and sexting can also help keep us sexually connected to our partners.

Avoid pining over your lover: Live your own life. Staying busy and involved will prevent you from sitting around and missing your

partner all the time, and sitting around and missing your partner all the time will prevent you from staying busy and involved. College is short. Time abroad is usually even shorter, and I guarantee it will fly by before you know it. Don’t forget to enjoy it.

Worried that your college love won’t be able to survive the trials and tribulations of a longdistance relationship? E-mail all of your questions and concerns to Erica at sex@dailycardinal. com and learn how to keep the romance alive and vent your sexual frustrations.

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Thursday, December 8, 2011

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Apple iPad 2

When it comes to headphones it is clear that not all are created equal, and one look at a pair of Apple’s earbuds will leave you running for better options. Two of the best on the market are Beats by Dre and Skullcandy’s Aviators, and I had the pleasure to use both for a couple of days.

First things first, the look. If you like the sleek style of Apple products the white body of Beats should s e e m familiar and match quite nicely with your Macbook and iPhone 4S. On the other hand, the Aviators have a metal band across the top and the actual speakers completely cover your ears, avoiding the suction that occurs with Beats.

With a black and metal aesthetic, the Aviators will fit nicely with those douchey cop sunglasses.

All kidding aside, when it comes to sound quality there was no comparison.

The Beats handled the low range and a lot of the treble really well, only clipping when the volume was cranked on a

endlessly impressive device.

On Monday night, I used an iPad to watch a live NHL game, then I watched an episode of “Community,” and later I called my brother on FaceTime and he told me he’s going to be a father in June. He told me that, and I watched him and his wife say it on a 10-inch screen.

Did I really need an iPad to do that? No, of course not. There are very few things, perhaps none at all, that you can do on an iPad and can’t do on a laptop or iPhone— that was the case when it came out, and it hasn’t really changed with the second iteration.

But that’s not the point of an iPad: You don’t need it, but you sure as hell want it. And if you want it enough you’ll pay for it. If not, you can still do everything an iPad user can do—you’ll just do it without one more incredible device.

Logitech Couch Mouse When it comes to versatility, it’s hard to match a product like Logitech’s “Couch Mouse.”

As its name suggests, the wireless mouse has been designed so it works basically everywhere, including your couch. Thanks to a sealed bottom, the Couch Mouse works as well on fabric and soft, uneven surfaces as it does on a more traditional mouse pad or flat desk.

It takes all of a few seconds to set up, with a tiny USB receiver that juts out less than half an inch from your laptop so you can leave it there and readily deploy the mouse at a moment’s notice.

You will pay for that flexibility, though, as the Couch Mouse isn’t cheap ($48.95 at the DoIT Tech Store). Online reviews have also faulted it for relying on two AA batteries instead of a rechargable one.

But if you prefer the feel of a mouse to your laptop’s trackpad and don’t want to be chained to your desk, the Couch Mouse is perfect.

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Beats by Dre vs.

Scullcandy’s Aviators

($499 for the 16 gb version we tested) What do you want me to say?

The iPad 2 is beautiful. It’s amazing. It provides a great platform for all kinds of media, from headline news to long-form journalism to TV to movies to games about launching birds into pigs. It is incredibly easy to use, has a remarkable display and everything you’ve heard about the quality of its applications are true, and then some.

None of this is new information, of course. If you’re interested in buying an iPad you’ve read a million and one reviews telling you as much.

When the iPad came out, I’ll admit I was in the camp that spent no shortage of time making fun of it—I never saw the point of a giant iPod Touch and figured it was just because people naturally gravitated toward anything Apple made.

Of course, today I consider myself an iPad convert, having seen the light of what it can do.

There’s no way of getting around it, playing with an iPad is quite a lot of fun and it just looks cool. Apps from Esquire, with its awesome page design, to the live-streaming from networks like ESPN, to the simple pleasure of Angry Birds are all improved by being on the big screen. The possibilities with those great apps to change how you consume almost any form of electronic media is limitless—if, of course, you can pay for it all.

That is the obvious stumbling block with the iPad (our 16 gb version was $499 at the DoIT Tech Store), not to mention the perhaps unforseen cost of all of those pretty apps.

The New York Times isn’t free any more, magazines that have free content online charge for it on an iPad and, while the device is a great platform for services like Netflix and Hulu Plus, they of course require subscriptions. It’s one benefit of tablets of course— they’ve finally given news outlets a way to make money again­—but it can be a curse for us free-loaders.

Still, if you can stomach the price you’ll be rewarded with a fascinating and

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treble-heavy song. The problem was the midtones. These got washed out on the two folk albums I played, losing a lot of the beautiful vocal harmonies. The Aviators packed a little less punch on the bass end, with just a little clipping when I cranked Childish Gambino, but the mids sounded gorgeous. For someone who listens to only the occasional hip-hop and a lot more rock or folk, the Aviators had the better sound quality.

As far as comfort the Beats got obnoxious after about 20 minutes. While it’s nice that they suction to your ears, blocking out a lot of outside noise and letting you keep the volume low (a godsend for those on their way to hearing damage), if your ears are that awkward in-between size they’ll get uncomfortable. The Aviators completely enveloped the ear, and while less sound proof, I still only needed 25 percent volume to hear well as I rode my bike to class. As far as the banding goes, both were fairly comfortable, but the Aviators felt much more secure, which, if I would deign to spend that much on a pair of cans, I’d like them to stay in place.

Last comes the price. For $200, the Beats completely underwhelmed me. Remember these are only the middle range Beats that I am reviewing, there is a more expensive step up, but for $200 I’d expect more out of these. The Aviators, however, are $150, and I must say I was impressed. Skullcandy never struck me as high quality, but I was pleasantly surprised by these headphones.

It really boils down to personal preference, as both have their positives. The Beats pack a good bass punch especially for the size, but they lose a lot of the mids. The Aviators don’t have as much moxie when it comes to the bass, but the mid range rings clear. If you want the sleek style and bass punch, go for the Beats, they are a nice set of headphones.

If you’re proud to wear your aviator sunglasses every day and you don’t need to feel the kick drum in your music, go for the Aviators.

Targus Stylus Pen

Wireless Keyboard Wires are a hassle. They clutter your desk, leaving less room for the rest of your junk. So, if wire management is something you struggle at, it may be time to buy an Apple wireless keyboard for your Mac. The easy-to-install keyboard follows in the beautiful designs of the other products of the late, great Steve Jobs. It is small, doesn’t waste any space and will be familiar to anyone who has been on a Mac in the past decade. The

keys type just like a Macbook’s, and the bar on the back raises the board up enough to stave off carpel tunnel syndrome for a while. While there is no backward delete key, a pet-peeve of a Windows-to-Mac convert, it is a minor inconvenience for the keyboard’s elegance and convenience.

If you are using the keyboard for an iMac, it would be a good idea to purchase The Magic Bar by Mobee. It is a USB charger that you slide the keyboard into when it is low on batteries.

It will save you the hassle of batteries, but at the expense of introducing wires back to your workstation. Furthermore,

the bar makes a touch typist sound like a air-soft machine gun compared to when not in use. But for those who are opposed to batteries and are willing to stash away the charger to the back of the desk, it is a smart buy.

With the holiday season approaching, both the keyboard and the charger will make a great gift or selfindulgence for the casual Mac-lover.

Mobee Wireless Mouse The Mobee wireless mouse is an Apple-approved alternative to the Magic Mouse. Cheaper in price and lacking in only a couple scroll functions, the Mobee product is the economical choice for someone who just shelled out the money for a new Mac computer.

Along with the drop-on style charger that doesn’t require extra cords into the mouse itself, this mouse is an inter-

esting alternative to the traditional Mac mouse. It is light-weight and ergonomic enough; it could be a bit wider for people with a bigger grip.

Some features are fidgety, like a 360 zoom works better when twofinger screen scroll is enabled. But a two-finger screen scroll disables a two-finger full-screen app scroll, a useful feature for OS X Lion. And the option to use one-finger to swipe between screens is sure to illicit groans every five minutes. Though these mediocre features are fairly disappointing, it would still make a great stocking-stuffer. Despite those

inconveniences, the inductive charger is just plain cool, and the mouse functions like a mouse should: It clicks, goes where I tell it to and features like zoom and scroll are good—even from 10 feet away!

But if you are willing to spend the 20 or so more dollars for a Magic Mouse, do it.

How many times has this happened to you: You’re trying to navigate around your iPad, or any touch-screen device for that matter, and you can’t get it to work because of those 10 little inconveniences you call fingers? So frustrating!

Well rage no more, friend, because Targus has side-stepped eons of human evolution to give you its stylus pen ($25 at the DoIT Tech Store), a more precise alternative to your own tactile dexterity.

The two-in-one stylus has a rubber end on one side and a ball-point pen on the other, meaning you can still write stuff down on real-life paper when your tablet gets boring. It’s got a good weight to it that makes it easy to use, plus it’s shiny black finish makes it look like the kind of nice pen you can expect to get when you graduate.

It’s a perfectly good accessory for an iPad, but ask yourself—is it really worth paying $25 for a tool you already have, quite literally, at your fingertips?

arts ‘How to Make It’ from rags to riches 8

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Thursday, December 8, 2011

By Michael Penn II the daily cardinal

In the proverbial melting pot of New York City, there are hundreds of different pathways on the “rags-to-riches” story; some ending in success and a large majority ending in failure and bitter disappointment. This conceptual journey to the top is chronicled in the popular HBO show “How to Make It in America,” where two fashion designers/entrepreneurs make their slow climb to achieve the American dream through the underworld of New York’s fashion scene.

For the show’s creator and executive producer, Ian Edelman, the fact that “How to Make It” even made it on air is a blessing itself. Rising from humble beginnings in the Big Apple, Edelman reflects on the realities of his world around him by embracing the scenes and cultures through themes he places within the universe of the show.

Before HBO, Edelman worked in marketing firms across Los Angeles; the transition from that realm to television involved many lows before reaching his current pinnacle.

“I was doing on-air promos in the creative services department [at G4],” Edelman recalled, “and then I left, and I was the creative director at Viewpoint Creative, a marketing company in L.A.” In a strange series of events, “How to Make It” was picked up during a transitional period in Edelman’s life. Newly married and

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in a job he hated, this relative nobody in the television world went from unemployed to executive producer in the course of a weekend.

“I had a few problems working at Viewpoint Creative,” he said.

“I’m a very hardworking person, but there was someone I didn’t get along with. I was basically fired on a Friday and then [HBO] picked up the pilot for ‘How to Make It’ to shoot it on Tuesday, and I had just been married two weeks prior to that,” he said. “That was a rollercoaster situation in my life.”

dailycardinal.com

Though Edelman worked on the West Coast, his rags-to-riches story is rooted in New York. His youthful immersion in New York culture still resonates in the themes and imagery of “How to Make It.” “I grew up skateboarding in the early ’80s and playing street basketball in the ’90s … I think those are the two things that shaped the vision on ‘How to Make It,’” Edelman said.

Edelman stylishly embraces the hardened sensibilities of being on the climb through the main characters, Ben and Cam.

“In season one, we began with a spool of denim and [Ben and Cam] couldn’t even raise $1500,” Edelman said. “To watch them go on this journey will be really rewarding because we are trying to tell a ragsto-riches story, so we had to begin with the rags which isn’t really the sexiest thing on television, but I think there is a charm and an innerbeauty to that.”

Though the first season of “How to Make It” garnered early comparisons to “Entourage,” and some of the writers of

photo courtesy Home Box Office, Inc.

Authenticity is crucial to the show’s success when it comes to the setting according to Edelman.

• University Theatre is putting on “Batboy: The Musical” just in time to procrastinate for finals. This is the last weekend to see the show, and tickets run $15 for students and $22 for the public. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.

• The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art’s Spotlight Cinema is playing “Bonsai,” a Chilean romantic comedy. The film starts at 7 p.m. and costs $7.

• StageQ presents “Clapptrapp: The Sound of Musicals,” a non-musical for fans of musicals. The play features some reversal of gender roles and is quite raunchy. Probably not for the faint of heart or prude, the play starts at 7:30 p.m. and costs $12.

• The UW Polish Film Festival continues with Poland’s first 3-D film “1920 Bitwa Warszawska.” The film starts at 7 p.m. at Eastgate Cinema and is free.

• “Beauty and the Beast,” the touring Disney musical which on Tuesday starts at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $40 at the Overture Center. Check out our review online.

12/9

• The Queers return to the Frequency with The Transgressions and Direct Hit. The 18+ show promises punk rock for $10 in advance, or $12 the day of. The shenanigans start at 9 p.m.

• Madison’s own Screamin’ Cyn Cyn and the Pons will be performing at the High Noon Saloon with Pink Mink and Birthday Suits. The show is a steal at $5 and starts at 10 p.m.

Prepare for a crazy night.

• The Barrymore Theatre is hosting “The Santaland Diaries,” which is a one-man one-act play based on David Sedaris’ essay and adapted

by Joe Mantello. This play is perfect for Christmas lovers and “haters” everywhere as it recounts Sedaris’ time working as an elf at Macy’s.

Tickets are $20 in advance and the show starts at 8 p.m. There are also shows on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, starting at 7:30, 8 and 5 p.m. respectively.

12/10

• Bon Iver’s sold-out show is Saturday night, and you probably don’t have tickets, so instead of wallowing in a bottle of whiskey you could check out local gal Katie Powderly at the High Noon Saloon, preparing for her “From Sea to Shining Sea” tour. Tickets are $7 and the show starts at 9:30 p.m.

Earl Foss & the Brown Derby and Josh Harty open.

• The German Art Students, more Madtown locals, are having their CD release party at Mickey’s Tavern, starting at 10:30 p.m. The show is free, and the CD was inspired by last spring’s protests. Also playing are Brighton and Sons of Atom.

• Redefined, the co-ed a capella group, is performing at the Wisconsin Union Theater at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 for students and $12 for the general public.

The show will find them performing everything from Adele to Matchbox 20 to Stevie Wonder. The group records their sixth album this spring.

“Entourage” are involved in this production, Edelman reemphasized the differences between already being a star and working relentlessly to become one.

“The comparisons are to be expected,” he said, “but I think it was more of a first-season thing when we were launching it… and then people realized that the show was so different. Those comparisons probably didn’t do us any favors in terms of growing an audience for ‘How to Make It,’” he said.

“If you were tuning in to see what it’s like to go to a party at Jessica Alba’s house, you weren’t going to get that… but you were going to get a raw Lower East Side house party with some tattooed freaks. We have our own thing.”

Edelman has reflected on his own personal narrative of ragsto-riches through his show’s creation and success. The show has maintained its popularity and has just wrapped up its second season.

Still, Edelman remains conscious of managing the process of going through the highs and lows of life.

“Hopefully the highs are still ahead of me. It’s all highs and lows, every day there’s a high and a low,” he said. “The height of it is coming from my very limited television background to getting a show not only shot by HBO but then on the air has been an amazing blessing beyond anything I could’ve expected. [As for] the lows... I’m just managing the process as I go.”

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• As finals approach, students will undoubtedly need to find new ways to procrastinate. On Sunday, Dec. 11, “Guys on Ice” is at the Overture Center. Two shows run, at 3 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $35, and the show focuses on two ice fishing buddies.

• Monday, Dec. 12, finds G-Side at the High Noon Saloon. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. The Alabama duo are supported by Dill and Gutta Foundation.

• The Gomers will lead into Rockstar Gomeroke with a Guitars for Veterans Benefit. Guitars For Veterans starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, and features a sing-off. There is an $11 cover. Gomeroke will follow at 9 p.m. with a $5 cover.

• The Barrymore Theatre will have “A John Waters Christmas” on Wednesday, Dec. 14, a monologue by the famous director. Tickets range from $35 to $99 for VIP tickets, and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

opinion Blagojevich prison sentence appropriate dailycardinal.com

Matt Beaty opinion editor

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orse trading sounds fun, but political horse trading is exactly what former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich committed to receive 14 years in jail. He was charged with 17 counts of corruption pertaining to his willingness to trade political favors and donations for facilitating public funds to certain projects, including children’s hospitals, race tracks and President Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat.

Some people objected to his conviction, saying that he never received a bribe and never actually gave the senate seat away. This is a good point: Walking into a Walgreens with the intention to steal Cheetos— and being too stupid to steal a bag—is certainly not a crime.

But the severity of Blagojevich’s crime was worse than stealing Cheetos. Blago was corrupt, just like most Chicago politicians. His actions were but one small part of the culture of corruption that stains Illinois and lessens the legitimacy of its politics.

Blagojevich’s trial would be more surprising if there wasn’t

Hunter S. Thompson’s

Thursday, December 8, 2011

so much precedent for Illinois Blagojevich’s jailing. The main governors being thrown in jail. concern, at least for me, is finalFormer Gov. Otto Kerner was ly punishing somebody for the charged with 17 counts ranging rampant crimes our so-called from bribery to tax fraud. Former public servants committ yearly.

Gov. Dan Walker was Taxes in Illinois are convicted for the bad certainly high. They loans involved with were increased in an Frist American Savings end-of-session vote & Loan Association. last year that I hapFormer Gov. George pened to watch on TV Illinois Ryan helped give away at 2 A.M., which gives governors bad truckers licenses a sense of the chicasentenced to prison. which led to the deaths nery that exemplifies of six children in an the Illinois governaccident. And yet those ment. But perhaps the are only the people who got costliest tax in Illinois is the caught. U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson corruption tax.

Jr., D-Ill, was often cited as being “For the Good of Illinois,” involved in Blagojevich’s trading a PAC in Chicago, argues that of the senate seat, but was never the cost of corruption trials, formally brought up on charg- internal extortion and invalid es. I can’t stress this enough— government contracts should Illinois politicians, especially be thought of as a tax on the those from Chicago, are corrupt. population of Illinois. Taxpayer But was Blagojevich’s dollars fund corruption trials, 14-year sentence deserved? of which there has been 1,500 Many people say that answer in the last 40 years. Some estireally depends on if the harsh mates have put the cost of this sentencing will actually pre- tax at $500 million a year. vent future corruption. Part So yes, Blagojevich’s sentence of the sentence is about deter- is deserved. His sentence sends rence—teaching people they a message that the state governwill not be let off easy if they ment is finally starting to treat betray the public trust. This is politicians under the rule-of-law. a hope people shouldn’t hold But punishing one guy ceronto, because corruption is cer- tainly doesn’t solve the problem. tainly still prevalent.

There are still many corrupt However, deterrence is Illinoisans, and many of them are only part of the validity of in position of power. Jesse Jackson

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Natasha Soglin/the daily cardinal

Jr., for instance, should be investigated for his involvement in the attempted senate seat debacle. The citizens of Illinois deserve better, and politicians around the United States need to know that someone is watching them (let’s not forget that many U.S. congressmen and congresswomen from both parties are being looked into for possible insider trading).

Blagojevich’s sentence is an ending to one of the most disgusting, yet oddly entertaining, episodes in

Illinois history. He was caught and punished appropriately. But there is more corruption out there, and his sentence is hardly satisfactory.

At least I can take solace that politicians are finally seeing that their actions can have consequences on themselves, and not just the people they supposedly represent.

Matt Beaty is a junior majoring in computer science and co-editor of the editorial page. He was born and raised in Illinois. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Spelling Corner!

Blagojevich: C-O-R-R-U-P-T-I-O-N

opinion@dailycardinal.com

Green Room: Students can help UW recycle electronics Nick Fritz opinion columnist

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ecycling old electronics has been an important step in keeping our environment safe. And yet, based on personal experience, not many people take advantage of cell-phone and computer recycling centers.

Well, UW-Madison has changed the game. Recent tallies show that more than 350 tons of computers, monitors and peripheral equipment has been recycled by UW-Madison between July 2010 and June 2011. This number is incredibly impressive, but where did all of this stuff come from?

According to UW-Madison News, the sources of the material include university departments, state agencies, Wisconsin municipalities and other campuses. The Madison campus has taken it upon itself to bear the burden of running a very large yet very effective recycling program. However, some may still be wondering what the big deal is. Who cares about recycling? What in the world does it do for me?

Put simply, it can save your life. These materials contain toxins such as lead, mercury, aluminum, silicon, cadmium, chromium and radioactive isotopes. All of these can lead to serious health problems if ingested in any way. By recycling such materials, it keeps them out of landfills and water supplies. If computers were to sit in a landfill, their harmful toxins could leak into the soil and eventually poison our food. The same could be said if it got into our water supply. We would ultimately be poisoning ourselves if we did not recycle such materials.

If not dealt with, over 700,000 pounds of these hazardous materials could be in our soil or in our lakes and rivers. This would cause pandemonium since much of our food and water we take for granted would be deemed unsafe to consume. Then what? Wisconsin needs to identify these potential crises and prevent them from ever happening.

Luckily, UW-Madison’s Materials Distribution Services (the property recycling department of campus Purchasing) and the campus Division of Information Technology (DoIT) partnered with Universal

Recycling Technologies (URT).

According to their website, URT is dedicated to recycling materials responsibly and ethically, working with its partners to design and sustain a comprehensive compliance program. They provide strict supervision during the processing of waste and they never ship waste offshore. This type of company is exactly what we need to keep our planet healthy.

URT understands the importance of responsible recycling and has even been given e-Stewards Certification.

This is no easy feat to accomplish. There are mountains of requirements to adhere to, not to mention rigorous on-site audits performed at least once a year. To have an e-Stewards Certification means that you truly embody to the nature of the responsible recycler.

URT is clearly stepping up to do its part and I commend DoIT and UW’s Materials Distribution Services for partnering with such an esteemed organization.

I am proud to be able to say that my school is doing its part in keeping our state—ultimately our planet—safe.

I do, however, have one bone to pick. Where are all the students?

The sources of the material, listed

by UW-Madison News, does not

include the student body of any school. In this day and age, most students have a laptop computer or at least access to one. These laptops generally have a fairly short life given the rapidness of technological improvement and frequency of student use. So why aren’t 20,000 computers coming in every year from students alone?

Although the university is doing a great job in contributing to this cause, I believe an education program is needed for the students on campus

so that they can contribute.

This is by no means suggesting that every student should have to recycle their computer.

But perhaps, when students go home in a couple of weeks, they can ask their parents about that old computer they got when we were 13, or that very first cell phone that weighs 15 pounds and has a cracked screen, and bring them back to school to recycle safely.

Nick Fritz is a junior majoring in marketing. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

comics

10 • Thursday, December 8, 2011

Today’s Sudoku

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas... Hippo milk is pink. dailycardinal.com

Donald Trump making up his mind

Evil Bird

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

© Puzzles by Pappocom

Eatin’ Cake Classic

By Dylan Moriarty EatinCake@gmail.com

Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Tanked Life

By Steven Wishau wishau@wisc.edu

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Caved In

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com

AT THE AUTO FACTORY ACROSS 1 Backbreaker, in a proverb 6 Plan detail 10 Slays, in slang 14 Kind of stew 15 Jason’s fictional ship 16 China-North Korea river 17 Billiards option at the auto factory?

19 Sunflower support 20 “What did I tell you?”

21 Goes one better than 22 Shaping tools 24 One-horse carriage 25 Chaotic brawl 26 Professional fool 29 It pairs with “Faith,” in a saying 32 Sadat of Egypt 33 Sacred choral work 34 The Sopranos were here 35 Small river dam 36 Swim meet divisions 37 Before you know it 38 Oceanic eagle 39 “___ in Toyland” 40 Positive electrode 41 Well-intentioned one 43 Game similar to bridge

4 Be in a bee 4 45 Dogpatch creator Al 46 Ending with “hemi” or “strato” 48 Isle near Mull 49 Aggressive lawyer’s advice 52 Cafe ___ (black coffee) 53 Guitar at the auto factory?

56 ___ Romeo (Italian car) 57 Annapolis institution, initially 58 Assuages 59 Fathoms 60 Those born in late July 61 Rodeo rope DOWN 1 A boy and his sis, e.g.

2 Common test answer 3 Hoarfrost 4 Slithery slayer 5 If or if not 6 Overly sentimental 7 Those in favor 8 I, to Claudius 9 Some may be junior or technical 10 Delicacy from the sea 11 Bill Cosby book read at the auto factory?

12 Beat it

1 3 Bottom-line figures 18 Lion’s bellow 23 Boatloads 24 Play the lead 25 Apportions (with “out”) 26 Shot the breeze 27 A month in Madrid 28 Certain work stint at the auto factory?

29 Embarrassing mistake 30 Domicile 31 Gives an edge to 33 Normand of silent movies 36 Gravy helping, perhaps 37 Break sharply 39 Dutch South African 40 Wearable wares 42 “Carmen” and “Norma” 43 Playing with a full deck 45 Musical finales 46 Stocking problem 47 Barber’s symbol 48 “I’m ___ mood to argue” 49 Talk back to 50 Takes advantage of 51 Exxon precursor 54 Suffix with “Japan” or “Taiwan” 55 Sheep’s cry

Crustaches Classic

By Nick Kryshak nkryshak@wisc.edu

Washington and the Bear

By Patrick Remington graphics@dailycardinal.com

By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com

sports

dailycardinal.com

Thursday, December 8, 2011

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Conference challenges would help clear up BCS Max Sternberg

stern words

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ast week’s ACC/Big Ten basketball challenge was just one of many such challenges spread across the world of college basketball throughout the month of December. While most of the teams focus on the individual games themselves and not as much on winning the challenge as a conference, there is no doubt that conference bragging rights are at stake.

In the world of college basketball, it is just that, bragging rights.

But if there were to be the same type of challenge played on the gridiron, the outcome could give a conference more than just the satisfaction of victory. In fact, it could be the way we finally get to a system that allows the BCS to truly determine a worthy national championship.

It comes down to the notion that the only way to reasonably determine which conferences are better than others is to put them

on the field, with six teams from each conference hosting non-conference games. So lets say we have the Big Ten/ACC Challenge the first week. Instead of debating whether a 30-point win is enough against a weak opponent like UNLV, we can see for ourselves whether Wisconsin is better than, say, Virginia Tech.

But even that wouldn’t be enough. You could pit the SEC against the Big East, the Pac-12 against the Big 12, and the Big Ten against the ACC and still find yourself in the position we are at today, stuck with two teams that many feel are the best two in the nation and a third out in Stillwater, Oklahoma that feels differently.

So why not have another series of challenges the second week?

In week two, pit the SEC against the Pac-12, the Big East against the ACC, and the Big Ten against the Big 12.

But even though we could determine that the SEC and the Big 12 are better from top to bottom than the Big East and ACC, we could still be left with the dilemma we find

ourselves in right now.

So why not keep it going?

Week three you pit the ACC and SEC, the Big Ten and Pac-12, and the Big East and Big 12.

Same problem?

Week four you could match up the Big 12 with the SEC, the Big Ten with the Big East, and the ACC and Pac-12.

Four weeks, four challenges.

Figure out which is the best conference. No more argument.

What is there to lose?

The only thing that stands to disappear in this scenario is the irrelevant non-conference game.

Sure you won’t get an opportunity to see LSU try to put 75 up against Northwestern State or Oklahoma State attempt to throw up a triple digit score against Sam Houston State, but then again would you really miss it?

If you are the average college football fan, I guarantee that the answer would be no.

While this won’t necessarily avoid the debate, especially in terms of undefeated non-AQ teams, it will make it much more clear come time to set up a championship matchup.

Enough with the computer projections and enough with the entire concept of subjective national champions.

Having non-conference games of consequence would totally change the landscape of college

football. It would take the power of scheduling out of the hands of the teams themselves and into the hands of neutral arbitrators. And who wouldn’t want to see Stanford play Oklahoma State to open up the season? Who wouldn’t want to see a late November matchup of Alabama and Oklahoma? From the standpoint of the fan, these challenges would be a welcome respite from having to sit through analysis of Georgia Southern’s visit to Tuscaloosa with a game left in the season.

The BCS often talks about how their system ensures that every game matters. But honestly does a game between LSU and ArkansasPine Bluff really matter? Pit power conferences against power conferences and then you can honestly say

that each and every game matters.

It is not a perfect system that I am proposing. The notion of using polls and hypothetical computer rankings to determine the participants in a national championship game is about as arbitrary as it gets in the world of big-time athletics.

But it would help out a ton.

It would give us a true picture of which conferences truly do reign supreme. It would allow us to point to specific games and specific statistics to argue for the best teams and best players in the vast world that is college football.

And in time, it may even give us a true national champion.

Will Max’s system help college football? E-mail him at max.sternberg@ yahoo.com.

Photos by Ben Pierson (left) and Matt Marheine (right)/cardinal file photos

UW’s games against Pac-12 opponents such as Oregon State and Arizona State would mean a lot more under Max’s plan.

Sale of Packers’ stock is a meaningless ploy Nico Savidge savidge nation

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t 8 a.m. Tuesday morning, Wisconsinites and Green Bay Packers fans worldwide had the chance to buy a $250 piece of paper that means practically nothing.

Within a couple of hours, according to the Green Bay PressGazette, Packer fans gobbled up 28,000 of those pieces of paper, dropping the requisite $250 so their team could raise some of the $143 million needed to pay for upgrades to Lambeau Field.

For their trouble, the proud new owners of those pieces of paper will receive precisely zero dividends, no game tickets, no merchandise, nothing. You will be able to cast a vote at the Packers’ annual meeting, where you can mingle with other proud owners of pieces of paper, and where your vote will be one of quite literally millions of others.

Still, when those pieces of paper went on sale Tuesday morning they flew from the proverbial shelves. Soon afterward, proud Packer fans boasted about their new purchase on Facebook and Twitter, advertising that they were now part-owners of football’s world champions. The Internet responded with appropriate snark.

“The Packers are essentially printing money and don’t have to do anything for it,” Gregg Rosenthal wrote on ProFootballTalk.com Wednesday.

Notre Dame professor Richard Sheehan went further.

“The stock sale is basically a scam from an investment perspective,” Sheehan said in a statement Tuesday. “It offers no meaningful input and no financial benefit.”

Financial benefit isn’t the point, of course. My esteemed fellow columnist Ryan Evans bought Packer stock Tuesday, and said he didn’t do it because he thought he would make money or cast the deciding vote on what free agent the team would sign next summer.

He did it, he explained, to be a part of something bigger than himself.

And while that’s usually an idea I can get behind (it’s something I get to do every day here at The Daily Cardinal), I can’t wrap my head around it in a sports context. Maybe it’s because I grew up cheering for teams that aren’t publicly owned, like the Packers are, teams where the owner was a top one percent-

type old man who was always trying to move the franchise if he didn’t get his way. Maybe it’s because I outgrew the idea that a team really cares about its city and its fans, and the Packers never did. Sports teams are soulless, we’re all taught, but the true believers in Green Bay must have skipped that day.

Still, I just don’t get the point of buying stock in a team.

It’s better as a fundraising model than its alternative, of course: The extortion professional sports teams engage in to force cities and states to pay for their upgrades and stadiums. It’s certainly preferable to what’s been happening in Minnesota, where the Vikings have been pushing the state legislature for public financing of a new stadium. At least the people in a stock sale are choosing to take part, and aren’t being forced to fund upgrades to Lambeau Field with their tax dollars.

Packer stock is meaningless, except for the meaning given to it by the community of Packer fans.

That’s nice, I suppose, but ultimately so many of these new “owners” of the Green Bay Packers have just paid $250 in the football equivalent of a bake sale. It’s a great novelty, not to mention a good idea for fundraising, but while I wouldn’t consider Packer stock a “scam,” it’s certainly not worth the hundreds of dollars fans have been giddy to give.

Right now, there are thousands of Packer fans who feel the immense pride that can only come from owning a piece of paper. And there’s no doubt those pieces of paper will be found beneath Christmas trees in Green Bay and Madison and the rest of Wisconsin, not to mention in frames on living room walls for years to come. Maybe I’m just too cynical, but I just don’t get it.

What is the appeal of Packers stock? E-mail Nico at nicosavidge@gmail.com.

Sports

Thursday December 8, 2011 DailyCardinal.com

Men’s Basketball

Badgers down in-state rival Green Bay

By Ted Porath The Daily Cardinal

After two straight losses, the No. 16 Wisconsin men’s basketball team got back on track against in-state foe UW-Green Bay. The Badgers (7-2 overall) looked like a team on a mission and soundly defeated the Phoenix (4-5 overall, 2-0 Horizon), 70-42.

“We felt we wanted to come in here and definitely get a win. I think we were a little bit more focused,” junior forward Ryan Evans said.

After a rough afternoon against Marquette on Saturday, in which he had an uncharacteristic five turnovers, senior point guard Jordan Taylor returned to his preseason All-American form against the Phoenix, scoring a game-high fifteen points while dropping in ten assists for his first double-double of the year. In classic Taylor fashion, this was all accomplished without committing a single turnover.

“Ten assists, zero turnovers, there’s not too many guys in the country that have that,” head coach Bo Ryan said. “He saw the floor well. He would get an angle and guys would help to him and he’d

find the open guy, and that’s being a good point guard.”

Also contributing to the Wisconsin victory were Evans and junior center Jared Berggren, who scored 14 and 13 points respectively, providing a much needed presence in the paint.

The Badgers bench was also a big contributor, with a total of ten different players combining for 21 total points.

“It’s always good to see when you have guys come off the bench.

We know we have plenty of guys who can step in and give us some good minutes, and we were able to show it tonight,” Berggren said.

After Green Bay cut the Badgers’ lead to one at 12-11, Wisconsin was able to distance themselves from the Phoenix, going on a 14-1 run to take a 26-12 lead despite rotating subs off the bench early and often.

Wisconsin was able to keep the lead at double digits and went into halftime up 33-21.

Wisconsin continued the shooting woes that plagued them in their first two losses, shooting only 36 percent from the field and making only two out of 11 from behind the

arc in the first half.

Fortunately for the Badgers, they continued to play great defense, forcing the Phoenix to shoot under 30 percent and causing nine turnovers in the first half.

Wisconsin wasted no time taking control of the game in the second half, scoring eight straight points coming out of the break to boost their lead to 20 points. The Badgers continued to tack on from there and cruised to the victory.

The biggest reason for the Badgers’ success in the second half was their ability to finally start making consistent shots; the Badgers shot 58 percent from the field in the second half.

This was not the case for the Badgers’ three-point shooting, however, as they shot three out of 17 from behind the arc, continuing their recent long-distance shooting struggles. This lack of shooting could be seen as a silver lining, as the Badgers won a game while not shooting well from three.

Wisconsin will now look forward to their final game of the three-game home stand against UNLV.

Mark Kauzlarich/the daily cardinal

Jared Berggren’s 14 points provided Wisconsin with a muchneeded presence in the paint in the win over UW-Green Bay.

Women’s Basketball

Wisconsin aims to keep modest winning streak alive

By Ryan Hill The Daily Cardinal

The Wisconsin women’s basketball team (4-5 overall) won consecutive games for the first time Monday night against St. Louis and look to extend that winning streak Thursday against Kansas (7-1) as part of the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge.

The Badgers look to continue their stellar play that was on display in the second half against the Billikens Monday night.

After shooting just 25 percent in the first half of that game, Wisconsin came out a different team after the break, hitting 59.1 percent of its field goals and committing only six turnovers.

The type of play seen in the second half against St. Louis will be required if the Badgers hope to have a chance to keep

up with the high-octane offense Kansas has shown so far this season. Through eight games, the Jayhawks average 77.1 points per game and have four players averaging double figures in scoring.

“We have to try not to give the ball right back,” Wisconsin head coach Bobbie Kelsey said of slowing down the Jayhawks. “If you turn it over you’re just fueling the fast break. So the guards have to take care of the ball and not make silly passes.”

Against Kansas, the Badgers will be looking to avenge last year’s loss to the Jayhawks, when Kansas won a 93-86 thriller in overtime.

Kansas, which is coming off of its first loss of the season on Sunday against Alabama, is led by forward Carolyn Davis. The 6 foot 3 junior is averaging 16.9 points per

Mark Kauzlarich/the daily cardinal

Ashley Thomas has taken on a more vocal leadership role with the Badgers this season, a role she says she embraces.

game and shoots an astonishing 68.1 percent from the field, good for third in the nation and could give Wisconsin senior forwards Ashley Thomas and Anya Covington problems down low.

“If [Kansas] gives it to the post and they’re one-on-one, we’re not going to win that game,” Kelsey said.

The Jayhawks have also outrebounded seven of its eight opponents so far this season, something that wouldn’t seem to be a huge concern for the Badgers if they would’ve met earlier in the season. The Badgers have struggled rebounding in recent games, being outrebounded in the last three

games by a total of 117-87.

Thomas will try to build on her breakout performance on Monday as well. She posted career highs in points (14) as well as rebounds (seven) and credits patience as the key factor in her recent play.

“One main thing that I’ve been working on is just slowing down when I catch it on the block,” she said. “I felt like my advantage was my speed in the post, but I just have to take a breath.”

Kelsey also praised Thomas for her vocal leadership that has been prominent this season, a role that has been relatively easy for Thomas to embrace.

“On the court it’s easy for me to

just communicate,” Thomas said. “I just feel like somebody has to, and I guess it’s just easy for me to talk to my teammates. Sometimes it’s more of like a comfort thing for me.”

The Badgers have also drastically improved as far as limiting turnovers. They committed a Kohl Center record 31 turnovers against Oral Roberts on Nov. 13, but have averaged only 16.2 turnovers over the last five games.

“It definitely just starts in practice and making game-like situations in practice and understanding that we have to value the ball on every possession,” junior guard Taylor Wurtz said of the improvement.