ELECTION PREVIEW INSIDE
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Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Faculty Senate backs Cronon, talks budget By Alex DiTullio The Daily Cardinal
brett blaske/the daily cardinal
A crowd of thousands descended back on the Capitol Monday for the Memphis to Madison rally at which Rev. Jesse Jackson invoked the ideas of Martin Luther King Jr. and his support for unions and rights.
Jackson rallies union supporters Patrick Tricker The Daily Cardinal
Thousands of union supporters gathered at the Capitol Monday to continue Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1968 fight against racism and poverty in Madison in 2011. On the 43rd anniversary of King’s assassination, which happened while he was helping a union strike in Memphis, Tenn. to protect collective bargaining rights, Rev. Jesse Jackson reminded the audience that one bullet cannot kill a movement and urged them to continue the fight for King’s vision.
“We’ll get our jobs,” Jackson said. “We’ll reserve our democracy. We’ll get peace.” Standing with two workers from the Memphis strike to emphasize the parallel, Jackson highlighted the similarities between King’s struggles and the struggles in Madison more than 40 years later. “Consistent with his quest of organizing workers and protecting the public sector, I feel this should be perfect place for him to be today because Wisconsin is ground zero for the challenge for public workers,” Jackson said. He warned of increased segregation in Milwaukee––which is the
most segregated city in the country, according to census data–– and increased economic inequality resulting from union busting. He asked students to vote Tuesday to carry on King’s spirit. “Every student in this university system, 180,000, are eligible to register and vote tomorrow,” Jackson said. “If you want lower tuition, vote about it. If you want progress, vote about it.” University of WisconsinMadison history professor Will Jones, who has studied public unions for five years, spoke rally page 2
In response to the GOP’s open record request for professor William Cronon’s e-mails, the Faculty Senate passed a resolution supporting academic freedom. The Resolution in Support of Academic Freedom is a resolution aiming to protect faculty from “unfair open records requests.” After brief deliberation, the resolution passed unanimously. Also at the meeting, Vice Chancellor Darrell Bazzell explained how UW-Madison would operate financially as a public authority status. Bazzell explained the financial aspects of UW-Madison under a public authority status. The core campus budget, Bazzell said, would come from a combination of state and tuition support. One attendee said he disagreed with giving pay raises to professors at the students’ financial expense, but Bazzell said tuition increase would be modest. Bazzell said the state support that funds faculty salaries and other salaries has remained stagnant over the last several years. According to Bazzell, that part of the budget needs to improve. The university will continue to receive the same funding from the state as a public authority model, in addition to receiving funds from other sources like alumni. Former UW-Madison admin-
istrator Harry Peterson said the dependency on outside funding sources worries him. “Most donors believe salaries are the responsibility of the Wisconsin taxpayers,” Peterson said. “It will be extremely difficult to raise this kind of money for salaries. I do not believe it can be done.” Chancellor Biddy Martin said she needs the entire university’s support for the New Badger Partnership to work. “I’m tired, and if I’m out there completely on my own, I need to know that so that I can make the choices that will be best for the university,” Martin said. Also at the meeting, members briefly discussed and passed a resolution that urges the Departments of State and the Department of Homeland Security to process foreigners’ visa applications quickly and thoroughly. According to the Faculty Senate, the resolution, called the Resolution on Problems Caused by Recent U.S. Immigration Practices, would increase international collaboration by facilitating research visits of foreign scholars to the United States. In addition, Martin presented four professors with the 2010-’11 Hilldale Awards. The awards recognize top professors in the university divisions of biological sciences, physical sciences, social studies and arts and humanities. Recipients included professors Bruce S. Klein, Biological Sciences; Max G. Lagally, Physical Sciences; Marsha M. Seltzer, Social Studies; and Claudia F. Card, Arts and Humanities.
Leadership style is focus of race for Mayor By Taylor Harvey The Daily Cardinal
After facing off in the 2003 mayoral election, incumbent Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and former Mayor Paul Soglin will compete again in today’s election. However, this time it is about more than political philosophy. Because both Soglin and Cieslewicz lean to the left, significant policy differences on issues like crime, poverty and environmentalism are not as obvious as they would be in most two-party elections. UW-Madison political science professor Dennis Dresang said this particular race instead focuses on leadership methods and how fiscal and social decisions are likely to be made. “It’s a matter of confidence and style, and who’s more likely to run the city well,” Dresang said. When Soglin beat Cieslewicz in the primary election, Dresang
said it was clear where the votes came from. Soglin has split several of the traditional liberal parts of the city and also won the support of more moderate liberals. Dresang said Soglin is using Cieslewicz’s term events from his handling of the cumbersome Edgewater project as points to highlight how his leadership will differ.
“It’s a matter of confidence and style, and who’s more likely to run the city well.” Dennis Dresang professor Political Science
“Success is always greater when you bring people together with diverse experiences and backgrounds to discuss how to
solve the problems identified,” Soglin said. Soglin said he believes the mayor’s role is to guide processes and to encourage discussion, not to select an outcome and then impose a solution. Cieslewicz, who has held office since 2003, said after eight years of experience he is the best person to accept the challenges the city faces. Cieslewicz said his record shows he can handle any challenges that will be thrown at him over the next four years and pointed to his turn around of Halloween on State Street and managing various difficult economic issues. “I love the job and I love the city,” Cieslewicz said. “We were able to manage the city budget and we’ve managed strong fiscal standings, not resorting to budget gimmicks.” In response to Gov. Scott mayor page 2
victor bittorf/the daily cardinal
The Faculty Senate passed a resolution to support academic freedom and talked fiscal details of the UW-System split Monday.
“…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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Recalls gaining ground for Hopper, Hansen
An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 120, Issue 117
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News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Managing Editor Emma Roller Parker Gabriel
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Tuesday, April 5, 2011
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News Team Campus Editor Kayla Johnson City Editor Maggie DeGroot State Editor Ariel Shapiro Enterprise Editor Alison Dirr Associate News Editor Scott Girard Senior News Reporter Adam Wollner Opinion Editors Dan Tollefson • Samantha Witthuhn Editorial Board Chair Hannah Furfaro Arts Editors Jeremy Gartzke • Todd Stevens Sports Editors Mark Bennett • Ryan Evans Page Two Editor Victoria Statz Life & Style Editor Stephanie Rywak Features Editor Stephanie Lindholm Photo Editors Ben Pierson • Kathryn Weenig Graphics Editors Dylan Moriarty • Natasha Soglin Multimedia Editors Erin Banco • Eddy Cevilla • Briana Nava Page Designers Claire Silverstein • Joy Shin Copy Chiefs Margaret Raimann • Rachel Schulze Jacqueline O’Reilly • Nico Savidge Copy Editors Melissa Sharafinski, Sara Schumacher
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With about a month left to go in the search for recall signatures, campaign organizers against state Sens. Randy Hopper, R-Fond du Lac and David Hansen, D-Green Bay, say they will soon reach their goals and be able to get the recall elections started. The Committee to Recall Dan Kapanke, R-LaCrosse, was the first to submit its petition Friday after gathering the 15,588 necessary signatures. If the Government Accountability Board validates the signatures, the Republican HOPPER lawmaker from La Crosse will have to run for his seat again in the coming months. Democratic Party of Fond du Lac County Chair Rich Mantz said they are in the process of confirming they have the proper amount of signatures against Hopper, and if they have not yet reached it they are “probably not far off.” Hopper won his district in 2008 with a slim majority and
is receiving flack for his vote for the budget repair law as well as for the scandal surrounding his personal life. Because of this, Mantz said even conservatives are joining in the recall effort. Hopper was recently accused of not living in his district after separating from his wife and carrying on an affair with a 26-yearold legislative aid. Mantz said his constituents are concerned he has “gone Madison,” adding, “We don’t even know if he lives here anymore.” David Vander Leest, an organizer for the recall effort against Hansen, HANSEN said people are angry over his decision to leave the state during the capitol crisis. “After tomorrow’s election day we should be pretty much at our threshold,” Vander Leest said. Vander Leest pinned the success of campaigns against Kapanke and Hopper on the amount of money being put into the efforts. He said Hansen’s recall campaign, unlike the others, is truly grassroots.
Man dies after crashing stolen car, nine weapons recovered A 20-year-old man died Monday when he crashed a stolen car into a tree following a highspeed chase with police. Late Monday morning, the Iowa County Sheriff ’s Office notified law enforcement about two cars racing toward Dane County Highway 18/151, Dane County Sheriff ’s Office Spokesperson Elise Schaffer said. According to Schaffer, Verona Police located the vehicles shortly after but abandoned pursuit for safety reasons. Madison Police located one
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vehicle near Midvale Boulevard and Tokay Boulevard and pursued until the suspect approached a hill on Mineral Point Road, Schaffer said. The suspect then lost control and hit a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Schaffer. Officers recovered nine firearms from the vehicle, Schaffer said. The other vehicle crashed on Maple Grove Road, and that suspect fled on foot before stealing another vehicle, according to the report. Schaffer said he abandoned that vehicle as well and is believed to be at large.
kayla torgerson/the daily cardinal
Although the collective bargaining law passed weeks ago, protestors continue to show their disapproval of the bill.
rally from page 1 at the rally to denounce those who think professors shouldn’t take sides in the controversy and reaffirmed how important public sector unions are for our society. “That movement was weakened by King’s assassination 43 years ago today,” Jones said. “But no institution has carried on his vision, kept that movement alive, more than the unions of public employees.”
mayor from page 1 Walker’s budget repair bill, Cieslewicz said he extended all of the university’s union contracts until March 2014 so provisions of the bill will not be in effect for another three years. To resolve Walker’s proposed biennial budget, which would dramatically cut Madison’s state aid payment, Cieslewicz said he plans to reach out to neighborhood employees, non-profits and the business community to get their insight on how to balance the budget. “The main point is we need to continue to build a strong economy in our city, and many pro-
A representative of Madison Local 236 union spoke to the crowd about his work cleaning up the trash in Madison. A member of the crowd shouted back, “Pick up the trash in the governor’s office.” A couple of protesters in billionaire costumes––complete with bow ties, white gloves and top hats––held puppet strings tied to a picture of Gov. Scott Walker, while playing Steve Miller’s “Take the Money and Run.” posals we’ve had have been along those lines,” Cieslewicz said. A focus of Soglin’s plan for Madison is to use city resources not just to build up downtown, but to build up other neighborhoods in job-friendly ways. Soglin said last time he returned to office, the city had a problem of growing poverty rates, which he stabilized at 27 percent for 12 years. He said the poverty level was at 32 percent in 2008, and has now reached 51 percent. “I love this city,” Soglin said. “This city needs a leader who can manage the financial problems we face along with the challenges of growing poverty.”
news
dailycardinal.com/news
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
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Spring 2011 election guide: candidates, Issues, endorsements ***Visit vpa.wi.gov for polling places and additional information regarding today’s election
District 2
MANIACI
• Community/Campus Safety: Supported hiring new police officers and implemented Downtown Lighting Safety Initiative • Housing: Fought to give tenants more time in deciding to renew leases • Downtown Entertainment: Fought to create entertainment stages and vendors for 2009 Mifflin Street Block Party • Endorsements: Wisconsin State Journal, UW-Madison College Democrats, Downtown Madison, Inc., Democratic Party of Dane County • Political Experience: Current District 2 alder
RESNICK
• Campus/Community Safety: Require landlords to change locks when new tenants move in • Housing: Increase housing inspections and change date leases can be resigned • Downtown Entertainment: Refocus alcohol policy to address safety instead of prohibiting drinking • Endorsements: Mayor Dave Cieslewicz; Mayoral Candidate and Former Mayor Paul Soglin; Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8; Former Ald. Eli Judge, District 8 • Political Experience: President of State-Langdon Neighborhood Association
Bridget Maniaci, Sam Stevenson
District 8 Scott Resnick, Kyle Szarzynski
County Exec.
SZARZYNSKI
• Campus/Community Safety: Fight to ensure students will not be prosecuted for possession of small amounts of marijuana • Housing: Work to reform current process of security deposit returns • Downtown Entertainment: Find more venues for students under 21 and fight against bar raids • Endorsements: AFSCME; Teaching Assistants Association; The Capital Times; Ald. Satya Rhodes-Conway, District 15; Former Ald. Austin King, District 8 • Political Experience: Employed by Sierra Club; Vice-Chair of SSFC
• Currently serves as a Dane County Board Supervisor • More self-proclaimed moderate • Did not support the high-speed rail line between Madison and Milwaukee • Wants to support an economic growth corporation to stimulate development rather than create something comparable within the county government • Promised to be fiscally responsible and avoid borrowing for basic services
Eileen Bruskewitz, Joe Parisi BRUSKEWITZ
Supreme Court JoAnn Kloppenburg, David Prosser
STEVENSON
• Community/Campus Safety: Supports neighborhood policing and improved street lighting • Housing: Supports frequent and comprehensive building inspections and affordable housing • Downtown Entertainment: More all-age and 18+ entertainment licenses • Endorsements: The Capital Times, AFSCME, Madison Teachers Inc., Progressive Dane • Political Experience: None; Current UW grad student
• Has been a Democratic representative in the state Assembly since 2004 • Heavily critical of Walker, especially in the aftermath of the chaos surrounding the budget repair law • Said he wants to address the issue of racial disparity in county prisons • Pledged to create a Dane County Office of Economic Development • Supports initiatives for green jobs and high-speed rail PARISI
• Currently works as an assistant attorney general and has been with the DOJ since 1989 • Says she will be impartial as a judge • Boosted by the anti-Walker backlash from the collective bargaining bill • Has taught at UW Law School since 1990 • Backed heavily by Democrats and pro-union groups KLOPPENBURG
• Has served on the Wisconsin Supreme Court for 12 years • Was a Republican assemblyman before moving on to the high court • Says he is impartial and the “unpredictable” one on the bench • Endorsed by Sarah Palin • Says his job “is to find the law and apply it properly, not to make it up to advance some ideological objective” PROSSER
––Guide compiled by Scott Girard and Ariel Shapiro
arts How to improve the WI Film Fest 4
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Tuesday, April 5, 2011
David Cottrell go co-ttrell it on the mountain
W
hile I’m not exactly a film festival connoisseur, I’ve attended my fair share, including the Sundance Film Festival, the Chicago Film Festival, the Maui Film Festival and, of course, the Wisconsin Film Festival. They all have pros and cons, and each does some things better than the others. After my third year attending the Wisconsin Film Festival, I’d like to offer up my wish list of improvements. First off: location, location, location. Most of the festival’s venues are less than ideal. That usually comes with the territory of film festivals, however, some of the Wisconsin Film Festival’s venues tend to be particularly awkward and uncomfortable—none more so than the Frederic March Play Circle at Memorial Union. I’m not the only person to loathe the venue, which seems intentionally designed to prevent even moderately tall people from retaining feeling in their knees for the duration of a film.
The festival should do anything it can to entice more filmmakers to accompany their films.
During my time at this year’s festival, there was no topic of discussion I overheard more frequently than complaints about the Play Circle. Despite any nostalgia I may harbor for the Play Circle as a member of the WUD Film Committee, I will be more than happy to see it retired as the go-to film venue on campus after the brand new Marquee opens at new Union South this month. Without a doubt, the Play Circle should be retired as a venue for the festival and replaced by the Marquee. But why not take it a step further and replace another venue or simply add one? If they were upgraded I doubt anyone would miss the UW Cinematheque or the theater in the Chazen Museum of Art too much if they were upgraded. The Sundance Cinema in Madison is a perfect venue for the festival, with its modern stadium seating and professional projection system, and is clearly quite open to the possibility, as they state on their website, “We hope the [Wisconsin Film] Festival will consider us to be a
venue in the future.” One of the things I’ve come to appreciate about Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, is its transportation system. Multiple festivalonly bus routes are run, and clear stop markers and line maps are abundant. A complete out-of-towner can have the transportation system down pat in a day or two and hop a bus everywhere he or she needs to go with ease. While the Wisconsin Film Festival doesn’t need the infrastructure of larger festivals, it’s sorely lacking any transportation advice for festivalgoers. The festival could use a consolidated cache of transportation information including exactly how to get from one venue to another. Include this information both on the festival website and on maps made available at the venues. If I weren’t a UW student I would have no idea what buses I could take to get from one place to another. Even as a local resident, I would still find a consolidated festival transit map helpful. Some of the most satisfying parts of my film festival experiences have been Q&As with the director, writer, cast, or even crew that follow screenings. These opportunities for direct discourse between creators and observers are something all too rarely afforded to moviegoers. Festivals are likely the sole chance the average moviegoer ever has to interact with the auteurs of the medium. I was disappointed this year that only about a third of the screenings I attended had anyone present to take questions. The festival should do anything it can to entice more filmmakers to accompany their films. Also, the festival’s representation of local filmmaking is commendable. It is truly Wisconsin’s film festival. But, I would like to see more from the national film scene. Only two films offered at this year’s festival had truly built up a buzz on the national film festival circuit beforehand—“Project Nim” and “Bellflower”—but the reality is that “Bellflower” only made a last-minute appearance likely because writer/director Evan Glodell is a Wisconsin native. It may not be the main reason the festival was unable to entice a larger presence from filmmakers, but I’m sure this distinctively local atmosphere lowered the festival on many of their priority lists. If the Wisconsin Film Festival were to supplement its lineup by perusing more promising films with national names behind them, it would likely draw more attention from filmmakers, and inevitably more Q&A’s, which to me are truly the essence of the film festival experience. If you are fond of the Memorial Union Play Circle’s neck-breaking chairs and gum-ridden floors, feel free to debate David at dcottrell@wisc.edu
dailycardinal.com/arts
Need more movies? Check out our review of “Jane Eyre” at dailycardinal.com/arts
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Tuesday, April 5, 2011 Easy as voting. Vote today!
Today’s Sudoku
Evil Bird
Double-layered: The pattern of a tiger’s stripes is also seen on its skin.
dailycardinal.com/comics 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.
The Pipesmokers
By Joseph Diedrich jsdiedrich@wisc.edu
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
The Graph Giraffe Classic
Hoop Dreams
By Yosef Lerner graphics@dailycardinal.com
By D.T. dtollefson@wisc.edu
Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com
Running Amok ACROSS 1 Type of guitar 5 ___, beta, gamma 10 Clickable desktop image 14 Racetrack shape 15 More in need of a massage 16 City in Alaska 17 Romance novelist Roberts 18 Frighten 19 Baroque and Big Band 20 Three that run after run? 23 “___ boom bah!” 24 Abyssinian or Siamese 25 Point at a target 28 Sovereign’s representative 32 Confederate soldier, for short 35 25-Across aid 37 Laundry unit 38 Office reminder 39 Three that run after run? 42 Unbeatable rating 43 A Great Lake 44 Driving-test ritual 45 Wedded title 46 Popular Pontiac of the past
48 Pyramid topper on a dollar bill 49 Worm container? 50 Where you’ll find “The Office” 52 Three that run after run? 61 Month on the Hebrew calendar 62 Western “necktie” 63 Worshipped object 64 “The Biggest Little City in the World” 65 Anatomical backs 66 Refer to 67 Word said while tipping one’s hat 68 Tie ___ (drink to excess) 69 Strike-zone boundary 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
DOWN ___ fide Swear 1986 Starship hit Dispatches, as a dragon Franciscan Order founder’s birthplace Out of one’s ever-lovin’ mind Word before “fall” Berlin mister 407 in Orlando, e.g. Bumbling Wife of Mr. Dithers
2 Yemen neighbor 1 13 Place to brood 21 Bit of fastening hardware 22 “Can” alternative 25 Indian silk center 26 Mythological blood 27 Natural satellites 29 Silent screen sensation Bow 30 Red dye used in cosmetics 31 Like most movies 32 Las Vegas show 33 Beautician’s board 34 ___ out (proven) 36 “Post-” antonym 38 Bon ___ (clever remark) 40 ABBA hit 41 Cuban dance 46 Swimmer with long jaws 47 From the mountains of Peru 49 Computer game format 51 Fit together well 52 Close, in a search 53 Clever thought 54 Turner of Hollywood 55 Mob enforcer 56 Loser to Bush in 2000 57 Certain gas brand 58 Norse war god 59 Written reminder 60 ___ club (school singers’ group)
Washington and the Bear
By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com
opinion Merit selection circumvents partisanship dailycardinal.com/opinion
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
matt beaty opinion columnist
T
he past few months have brought out the bad side of Wisconsin politics with most, if not all, of the ugliness stemming from Gov. Scott Walker’s controversial budget repair bill. While I think Walker’s reforms will guide Wisconsin toward a more stable fiscal future, the manner in which the bill passed and the events following its implementation have dragged Wisconsin further into the dirty ditch of partisan politics. I cringe when I read about Rep. Gordon Hintz’s, D–Oshkosh, outburst where he said he wanted to “kill” a fellow assemblyperson. It was just as disappointing to watch the
Wisconsin Republican Party submit an open records request against UW-Madison history professor William Cronon. From what I know, Wisconsin is better than this. This deteriorating political environment has been highlighted in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race between incumbent Justice David Prosser and former district attorney JoAnne Kloppenburg. Like most races, there is bound to be blatant partisanship and disgusting campaign ads. After all, Prosser and Kloppenburg are running for one of the most important positions in state government, but the palpable bias and negativity surrounding these campaigns have furthered my conviction that judges should not be chosen through an electoral process. To be fair, most of the events negatively coding the election were not openly encouraged by the can-
didates, but rather by zealous supporters. However, neither Prosser nor Kloppenburg have made any real attempts to clean up their races. This is evidenced through what is perhaps the most disgusting aspect of the race: negative attack ads run by various political organizations. Bashing an opponent is nothing new in politics, but criticizing candidates on their level of partisanship takes away from the seriousness of the election. These commercials have distracted from the real experiences and philosophies of the candidates. I do not think Walker is the best governor. His power needs to be fairly checked and balanced. My objection comes from the belief that picking a judge because of one piece of legislation and one governor flies in the face of good decision making, especially when picking a supposedly impartial member of government. Doing so is just as bad as picking
Prosser because he is a “good complement” to the Walker administration. A judicial election will lead to partisanship, despite the fact that candidates are technically independent. So it does not come as a surprise that people are using the controversy over the budget repair bill to promote a judge they hope will support or overturn that specific piece of legislation. It is this natural tendency for elections to take on a partisan focus that furthers my conviction that general elections are not appropriate for the selection of Wisconsin’s Supreme Court justices. No matter how many times judges say they are impartial, people will still vote for a judge they feel aligns with their political opinions, regardless of their true judicial worth. Unfortunately, there is no perfect way to solve this problem, but a merit-based selection process,
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complete with non-partisan experts providing a list of possibilities and a governor appointment, will lead to a better selection of the highest judges in Wisconsin. Critics say there is no way this group of “experts” will come without bias. I tend to agree, but having people who study or have participated in the judicial process will make a more informed decision than the approximately 30 percent of people who will actually vote in an election. Today, there is an election and I hope everyone who is eligible to vote in Wisconsin will do so. It is important that every voter use their voice responsibly and vote for who they think will serve the entire 10-year term best. Matt Beaty is a sophomore majoring in math and computer science. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
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dailycardinal.com/sports
Softball
Badgers return home to face Notre Dame By Hayley Kuepers The Daily Cardinal
Despite reaching the 30 game mark on the season, the Wisconsin softball team has only played two games at their own diamond. The Badgers (1-3 Big Ten, 17-13 overall) are eager to return to the friendly confines of Goodman Softball Complex today where they will embark on a seven game homestand. First up for the Badgers is a powerful Notre Dame (3-0 Big East, 21-7 overall) team. The Badgers will have their hands full as they try to contain the Fighting Irish, who are undefeated in conference play and coming off a three game series sweep of Providence, where they outscored their opponent by 21 runs. The Badgers look to beat Notre Dame for the first time in Madison. The Fighting Irish have taken the last three games in the all-time series from the Badgers and lead the series, 4-2. The Notre Dame softball team reached two milestones amidst their annihilation of Providence over the weekend. Head coach, Deanna Gumpf, who is already recognized as the winningest coach in program history, recorded win number 400. The win came in a game where her Irish team shutout Providence, 9-0 in five innings of
play. Gumpf is in her tenth year as skipper at Notre Dame. Meanwhile, senior infielder Heather Johnson surpassed the previous shared record for most RBI’s in program history on Saturday. With 175, Johnson is the sole leader for most RBI’s in Notre Dame softball history. Freshman pitcher Amanda Najdek and the Badgers, however, will counter with their own recent accomplishment. “We’re not the most talented team in the country but we battle. We’re fighting back. We’re getting better.” Yvette Healy head coach Wisconsin softball
After an outstanding performance at Michigan State on Sunday, Najdek was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. Najdek is the first Badger to receive a weekly conference honor since Samantha Polito was named Player of the Week April 9, 2007. Najdek relieved sophomore teammate Meghan McIntosh in the first inning. A struggling McIntosh only recorded one out, while the Spartans had already took to a 3-0 lead via the long
ball and were threatening again with two runners on base. Najdek was able to pitch out of the jam and only gave up one run while throwing a career high six innings. Najdek also recorded four strikeouts in her first career win. Head coach Yvette Healy acknowledges that her Wisconsin team might not be the most talented team but they are good enough to hang with any team, including a talented Notre Dame squad. “I’m really proud of just the approach of this team,” Healy said. “We’re not the most talented team in the country, but we battle. We’re fighting back. We’re getting better.” This approach coupled with creative coaching and aggressive base running will be key if the Badgers are to stop a potent Fighting Irish team. Already this season, the Badgers have 59 stolen bases, second only to last season’s school record of 70. It will be important for the Badgers to get senior outfielder Jennifer Krueger on, who is dangerous on the bases. She led the team in stolen bases for UW last season with 29 and has 21 so far this season. Last season, Krueger was 3-3 and scored two runs for Wisconsin as they fell to Notre Dame, 11-3. The first pitch is set for 4 p.m. Tuesday at Goodman Diamond.
Lorenzo Zemella/Cardinal file photo
Jennifer Krueger, who leads the team with 21 steals on the season, leads Wisconsin into a matchup with a talented Fighting Irish squad.
Street wins ECHL Rookie of the Year Former Wisconsin men’s hockey forward and captain Ben Street was named the CCM ECHL Rookie of the Year and recipient of the John A. Daley Memorial Trophy by the East Coast Hockey League on Monday. The Coquitlam, British Columbia native posted 24 goals and 27 assists in only 38 games for the Wheeling Nailiers. Street also represented the Nailers in the 2011 ECHL All-Star Classic. Street is currently playing in the STREET AHL with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Penguins where he has 12 goals and 9 assists.
— Ryan Evans