Tuesday, May 3, 2011 - The Daily Cardinal

Page 1

Ed Board: After this year’s successes, new ASM leaders have big shoes to fill OPINION

University of Wisconsin-Madison

l

HOT RODS + HOT BODS = GOOD TIME Vin Diesel will hit you with a crobar if you don’t read our ‘Fast Five’ review ARTS

PAGE 6

Complete campus coverage since 1892

l

dailycardinal.com

l

PAGE 5

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Faculty Senate backs Badger Partnership

Police Chief questions Mifflin after stabbings

By Alex DiTullio

Though arrests are down, Wray warns block party not necessarily safer

The Daily Cardinal

After hours of deliberation, amendments and compromise, Faculty Senate members passed a motion stating they support the New Badger Partnership at their meeting Wednesday. The motion was a compromise between NBP supporters and skeptics. It said the senate would lobby for the NBP, but if the NBP is not included in legislation or it does not seem financially feasible after further consultation, they will use other means to achieve flexibility. The senate passed a separate motion detailing desired flexibilities for UW-Madison. The flexibilities include UW-Madison’s authority to manage personnel, money and tuition levels.

Judith Burstyn, chair of the University Committee at UW-Madison, said she was pleased with the outcome. “Firstly, getting the flexibilities passed independently I think was very useful; and secondly, the ultimate outcome allowed everyone to come out feeling good,” Burstyn said. Some members did not outwardly oppose the NBP, but said the university should use its resources to find the best method to achieve the flexibilities. They said the NBP is not necessarily the best model to ensure future success. Other said they were concerned the NBP could make UW-Madison look elitist, furthering tension between the university and other UW System schools. Some supporters of the NBP,

Matt Marheine/the daily cardinal

UW-Madison provost Paul DeLuca said the UW system benefits the state as a whole, but not UW-Madison however, said UW-Madison is elite, and many students attend other UW System schools with the goal of transferring to UW-Madison. “This university serves the state to a much greater extent than any other of the UW system schools,” Faculty Senate member Nathan Grant said. “I don’t think we need to apologize for the fact that we stand for the very best of Wisconsin and the United States’ education.” Furthermore, the senate’s failure to take an official stance on the NBP would seem like an opposition to

Chancellor Biddy Martin, some NBP supporters said. UW-Madison provost Paul DeLuca and other senate members said although the UW System benefits the state, it does not benefit UW-Madison. Also on Wednesday, 17 professors signed a statement detailing their concerns about the NBP. The concerns listed include maintaining UW-Madison commitment to the Wisconsin Idea and positive relations with the other UW campuses.

UW professor helps “Sesame Street” initiative

Ben Pierson/Cardinal file photo

Allie Gardner, newly elected ASM chair, said student council plans to increase outreach by establishing better relationships with student groups on campus.

New ASM chair has new ideas for council By Anna Duffin The Daily Cardinal

Newly elected Associated Students of Madison Chair Allie Gardner said she is optimistic about the future of ASM. Gardner, who estimated she has been involved with approximately 30 student groups on campus, said although she does not have as much direct involvement with ASM, her experience with groups will provide insight into how to lead student council. “I think that having that difference of skill set is going to be a benefit in how I get things done and how the committees are run,” Gardner said. ASM has many specific ideas in place for the year ahead, including implementing a new plan for shared

governance, establishing better relationships with student groups and creating more overarching goals that all ASM committees can work on collectively, Gardner said. She added student council, as a whole, plans to spend more time on campus-wide issues rather than internal affairs. “If what we’re doing does not reflect what’s going on on campus, we’re not doing our job,” Gardner said. In order to best accomplish this, Gardner said she plans to reach out to student groups as much as possible. Gardner said she disagrees with the many people on campus who think students generally do not care about what happens in ASM. She said her goal is to

inform students so they can take stances on issues addressed in student council.

“If what we’re doing does not reflect what’s going on on campus, we’re not doing our job.” Allie Gardner chair Associated Students of Madison

“I’ve heard the phrase ‘students are apathetic’ so much more than I can handle. I refuse to believe that,” Gardner said. “I think that you have to make students care about certain things.”

UW-Madison Center for Financial Security associate and former consumer science professor Karen Holden recently worked on a project with the popular children’s television show “Sesame Street.” The project is part of the non-profit initiative Sesame Wo r k s h o p , a 10-year, $100 million program to prepare preschool-age children for Holden educational and social success. Holden and five other advisers met to discuss lessons the group deemed important to teach children between the ages 3 and 5. According to the UW-Madison website, Holden was given the opportunity to “watch a day of filming, meet puppets and their puppeteers, as well as some ‘Sesame Street’ humans.” The initiative “For Me, for You, for Later: First Steps to Spending, Sharing, and Saving,” offers free bilingual kits including a “Sesame Street” DVD and activity book for children, highlighting positive decision making and valuing people, things, and money. In addition to the kits, more programs will be available online, including an interactive game starring Cookie Monster.

Madison Police Chief Noble Wray expressed his gratitude to law enforcement workers working at the Mifflin Street Block Party in a press release Monday, while also commenting on the seriousness of Wray several incidents that occurred during the festivities. The statement, which included general information on the nature of the day’s law enforcement, as well as the particulars of many specific incidents, featured Wray suggesting the annual cost of the celebrated Madison event may outweigh its perceived benefits. “Chief Wray also feels it is time for the city to take a hard look at this event to determine if this is something for which tens-of-thousands of tax dollars should be spent, particularly in these tight budgeting times,” the release said. According to the report, officers said the crowd was larger and more intoxicated Saturday than it had been in past years, though the number of arrests decreased this year. The MPD made 162 arrests, including 12 people that were taken to jail. Last year’s block party featured 206 arrests. The release elaborated on the event’s more severe incidents, including the two reported stabbings. Despite these and other serious incidents, Wray expressed relief that no large-scale rioting occurred. ­

Dylan Moriarty/the daily cardinal

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


page two 2

l

tODAY: mostly cloudy hi 49º / lo 31º

hi 63º / lo 40º

dailycardinal.com/page-two

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

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

Early morning: thoughts just keep coming

Volume 120, Issue 136

2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com

wednesDAY: sunny

Editor in Chief Emma Roller

Managing Editor Parker Gabriel

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 Jenna Bushnell, John Hannasch, Melissa Sharafinski, Benjamin Stoffel-Rosales

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Cole Wenzel Advertising Manager Nick Bruno Senior Account Executive Mara Greenwald Account Executives Matt Jablon • Anna Jeon Mitchell Keuer • Becca Krumholz Emily Rosenbaum • Daniel Rothberg Lizzie Stevenson • Shinong Wang Sun Yoon Web Director Eric Harris Public Relations Manager Becky Tucci Events Manager Bill Clifford Art Directors Jaime Flynn • Claire Silverstein Copywriters Dustin Bui • Bob Sixsmith The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of WisconsinMadison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be word processed and must include contact information. No anonymous letters will be printed. All letters to the editor will be printed at the discretion of The Daily Cardinal. Letters may be sent to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.

Editorial Board

angelica engel acute engel

H

ERE I AM. It is 3:27 a.m. on Monday, May 2. I am in the process of writing a paper for class. The opening quote, from “Comparative Studies on Intersubjectivity in Modern Art:” “As the self opens up to the other, while also offering itself per se, it cannot avoid being altered, and, by the same token, constitutes itself as an ever dynamic, changing self, rather than a foreclosed individuality.” Currently my ever dynamic, changing self is being altered by my listening to M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” this nine millionth time. With each repetition, deeper meaning is accrued. Similarly, meaning accumulates in e.e. cummings’ poem “All in green my love went riding.” Cummings repeats the deliciously threatening statement, “four lean hounds crouched low and smiling” four times. With each repetition, the threat of the smiling hounds seems more imminent. The smiling hounds manifest as depression in my life. If I had three wishes… well, I would only need one. I would

wish that the age of Kali-Yuga would come to an end immediately, so that all life forms would be assimilated into the Universal Self of pure awareness, omniscience and joy. That would be divine. Pandora says, “I’m bringing sexy back, / You motherfuckers watch how I attack.” Next stop on the train of thought: Obama. He brought sexy back tonight, didn’t he, America?

Next stop on the train of thought: Obama. He brought sexy back tonight, didn’t he America?

I was walking across the courtyard of my building when I received a text from a friend who went to my high school. I had been insisting that he talk to his grandma, whom he lives with, about his current depression because I believe that having a meaningful conversation with someone physically present will benefit him most. But then he said, “Not now. Waiting for Obama to come on the TV. Osama bin Laden is dead.” How did I react? I laughed, elated. Not because America triumphed, but because Osama

bin Laden being dead seemed so absurd. I mean, what? I was fairly convinced that he had already been killed or that he would never be found. In fact, I was even skeptical of his existence. Yeah, sure there’s the guy in the videos and the “political leader.” But history isn’t real in the way that my hands on this keyboard are real. I don’t believe in Osama bin Laden in the way that I believe in here, now. And, another thing: How could some religious nut who lives in a cave plan and execute the demise of American symbols of power? Then, later, that same friend from high school sent me a video of “Obama.” In it, he stands at the podium, says abruptly, “He’s dead!” He then turns and kicks down a door, through which he exits the press conference. Speaking of important people whose names end in “a,” (besides myself, of course), I was so excited to find this book about Spinoza (a 17th century philosopher) setting the stage for neuroscience. So excited. How was the author going to make that connection? I was dying to know. But, when I arrived at the call number location the computer told me, THE BOOK WAS NOT THERE. This is when my mood dove to subsubterranean levels. Seriously—I spent all that time finding this location to

NOT BE REWARDED? Instant gratification. I want to be able to say, “Let me feel eupho-

Instant gratification. I want to be able to say, “Let me feel euhoria forever!” and then feel euphoria forever.

ria forever!” and then feel euphoria forever. I mean, who doesn’t? Well, there it is—my last column for The Daily Cardinal this semester and maybe ever. And what is it? A heap of fragments. A collage. A montage—(of a dream deferred. Langston Hughes wrote a poem sequence with that title). But, you know, I am the self opening up to the other (you). Neither of us is a “foreclosed individuality.” Both of us changed because of this pile of crap the world thrust under your nose, for better or for worse. I tend to be biased toward the judgment that people in general would benefit from thinking more like me… so it’s imperative that the trajectory of your ideas follow those in this article. All the time. You’ll go far. I have. Not! (Yet). Comments? E-mail Angelica at aengel2@wisc.edu.

Overheard in Madison Girl in Library Mall:

I like to wear goggles when I bob for pickles. That way it doesn’t burn my eyes.

Girl in Vilas Hall:

It’s just so bad. Did first grade go so badly that he dropped out of school at the age of six? Or was he just stoned?

Girl at Starbucks:

You know what I got in my Easter basket? Jewish guilt.

Guy on State Street:

Girl in Union South, looking at a socialist organization’s website: Look! They used my photo. Girl 2: So, the socialists took it?

Girl talking to friend outside of Espresso Royale:

I’m so happy to see you, especially now that my uterus is feeling better.

Girl whispering to friend in an English class in Humanities:

Once I convinced my friend that owls weren’t real.

Look at that bitch up there... she follows Jodi Picoult on Twitter. What the fuck.

Girl in College Library:

Guy in Memorial Union;

Hey do you have his number? I’ve got a question about this homework. Girl 2: Yeah she does. Those late night booty calls don’t call themselves!

Delving into

Obama’s had a baller weekend. Yeah, he is #winning for sure. People say the darndest shit, so submit your Overheards to vstatz@dailycardinal.com.

’s History

A weekly dig through the bounds of our old issues: Thursday, May 4, 2000

Hannah Furfaro • Miles Kellerman Emma Roller • Samuel Todd Stevens Parker Gabriel • Dan Tollefson Samantha Witthuhn • Nico Savidge

Board of Directors Melissa Anderson, President Emma Roller • Cole Wenzel Parker Gabriel • Vince Filak Janet Larson • Nick Bruno Jenny Sereno • Chris Drosner Ron Luskin • Joan Herzing Jason Stein © 2011, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398

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

Twenty boxes of ashes littered among the camp, clothes and dead bodies scattered along the Nazis road of retreat, the foul odor from burnt bodies and starved, tortured victims crawling on the floor of the camp’s hospital. The was the situation described by U.S. Army 1st Lt. Medical Officer William McConahey Wednesday at Memorial Union as part of Holocaust Remembrance Week. He related his experience in liberating a concentration camp in Flossenburg, Germany in 1945. “We knew nothing about concentration camps in the Army,” he said.

“What I saw was simply intolerable.” Leaving his wife of 2-and-ahalf years and 9-month-old son at home, McConahey entered the U.S. Army as a doctor in July of 1943. His squad reached the concentration camp, where 70,000100,000 people had died, after the Nazis has abandoned it, taking with them all prisoners who could still walk. McConahey said there was little he could do to help the dying few left behind in the camp’s defunct hospital. “I walked in and saw all these men on the floor dying,” he said. “What could I do? Nothing.”

Signs with the phrases “Camp for Protective Custody” and “Freedom can be won by hard work” decorated the doors where executions sometimes took place, McConahey said. The camp had soldiers loaded with machine guns in six large watchtowers and 12 smaller towers. “The lights went out at nine o’ clock. Anyone who stepped outside was shot,” McConahey said. He described the barracks of the camp and how prisoners had to share one-person beds with two others because the camp was built to hold 3,000 or 4,000, while

15,000 were actually detained. “You hear people saying today that it didn’t happen, it was a hoax,” he said. “Well it happened, and I hope it never happens again.” UW-Madison junior Anne McCormick said while the details of the stories did not surprise her, she felt it was important to hear them from a survivor. McConahey said he feels it is important to talk about his experiences to help society learn from its mistakes. “The world hasn’t learned all that much,” he said. “People don’t know. People don’t know this.”


dailycardinal.com/news

Sen. Carpenter proposes workers’ rights amendment By Adam Wollner The Daily Cardinal

In an attempt to combat Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair law, state Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, introduced a constitutional amendment Monday to permanently protect the rights of public employees to collectively bargain. Carpenter said he wants collective bargaining rights to be protected by a constitutional amendment instead of a statute so these rights are not in flux every time a new administration is elected into office. “Instead of putting it in statutes where people like Gov. Walker can gut it and take away workers’ rights, I’d like to have to have a constitutional amendment so it’s placed in our constitution like Florida, so you can’t have the swings back and forth of taking away workers’ rights,” Carpenter said. Since the governor does not have to sign off on a constitutional amendment, Carpenter said Walker’s agenda will not effect the process. “What’s nice about this is Walker has no say in it, so we cut him out of

the equation,” Carpenter said. State Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, who was the only senate Republican to vote against the budget repair bill, said he will not announce his stance on the proposed amendment until after the collective bargaining law makes progress through the courts and he has a chance to speak with his constituents. Carpenter admitted it would take a great deal of time and effort for his proposal to pass, since a constitutional amendment must be passed by two consecutive legislatures and then ratified by the voters. Despite these barriers, Carpenter said he is confident the amendment will eventually pass, citing public support for collective bargaining rights and his success in passing other constitutional amendments. “It may take a couple years, but you have to start somewhere,” Carpenter said. Carpenter circulated the bill in the legislature Monday and said he hopes to find co-sponsors by May 13.

Students, staff celebrate new environmental studies major Bucky Badger and members of the UW Band led students, staff and other guests Monday in celebrating the new Environmental Studies undergraduate major through the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. According to Gregg Mitman, Interim Director for the Nelson Institute, four decades of work has gone into establishing the major. “For the first time in the history of the UW-Madison campus, students can pursue an undergraduate major in environmental studies,” Mitman said. The College of Letters and Science has worked in partnership with the Nelson Institute. Gary Sandefur, Dean of the

College of Letters and Science, said he is happy to celebrate their accomplishment and looks forward to seeing the number of students in the major grow. “I know it took a long time for it to happen and for those of us who got to be a part of it, it’s something we will always remember as something that happened during the time we were here,” Sandefur said. Like Sandefur, Mitman said he is honored and humbled to be a part of the Nelson Institute. “Today demonstrates what hard work, perseverance and the spirit of unity and cooperation that the heart of the Nelson Institute can accomplish,” Mitman said.

Kathryn Weenig/the daily cardinal

The UW Band and Bucky Badger helped celebrate the creation of a new Environmental Studies undergraduate major Monday.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

l

news

3

sprechen sie deutsch

Matt Marheine/the daily cardinal

The German Department hosted a performance of “Frau Geesche Gottfried” by Rainer Werner Fassbinder as one of the Year of the Arts events meant to highlight arts at UW-Madison

Dems fail to recall Grothman, Lazich as deadline passes As the recall deadline for most state senators passed Monday, activists trying to hold recall elections for state Sens. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, and Mary Lazich, R-New Berlin, failed to collect enough signatures. The Committee to Recall Grothman collected about 15,000 signatures, falling short of the 20,061 required. The Lazich Recall Committee believes they collected about 18,987 signatures, falling short of the 20,973 needed, but said they will not

know definitively until Tuesday. The committee called every signature a victory. “This is the heart of the Governor’s right-wing base,” Recall Lazich spokesperson Elizabeth Galewski said in a statement. “Sen. Lazich ran unopposed in the last election, so many of the people who are signing the recall petition are the same people who voted for her. Quite simply, every signature is a victory.” Lazich did not want to claim

victory until the count is finalized, but said the failure to collect enough signatures demonstrates that her constituents still support her. “I think it speaks volumes of the support within the district for the votes that I have taken, for the positions that I have taken, if they are not successful,” Lazich said. Efforts to hold recall elections have succeeded for six Republican senators and three Democratic senators and the voting will likely be held in July. —Patrick Tricker

City Plan Commission fast-tracks construction projects By Ben Siegel The Daily Cardinal

The City of Madison Plan Commission unanimously approved the allocation of conditional use permits Monday to allow for expansion and renovation projects to take place at the Central Library and the downtown bar and grill, Logan’s. Under Madison zoning laws, construction projects need to request land use approval from municipal authorities beforehand. The Central Library, located at 201 W. Mifflin Street, will undergo renovation and expansion that will add a partial floor to the 46 yearold site, along with an additional entrance. The hub of Madison’s public library system will also receive other internal and external modifications, all at cost to the city of Madison. “The most controversial aspect of the library has been the cost and whether or not the city can afford the rehab,” said Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, whose district includes both proposed construction sites. Verveer noted the fact that the building’s renovation has long been put off while smaller branches have undergone renovation projects due to less prohibitive costs. Earlier this year, the Urban Design Commission approved the project’s architectural proposal with near-unaniminity, indicating the general support the project enjoys despite financial worries.

Brett Blaske/the daily cardinal

The Plan Commission met in Monday and unanimously approved a construction project at Logan’s Madtown. “Its very seldom that you see the folks on this committee, which is mostly architects, give a project a perfect 10 score,” Verveer said. Construction is slated to begin in November and should take roughly two years, during which the library’s collection will be available in a stillundecided temporary facility. The construction approval gained by Logan’s is for a decidedly shorter term project. The W. Johnson Street establishment is converting its parking lot into two beach volleyball courts for the summer, complete with a foot of sand. “A lot of people have started talk-

ing about it and are really excited about it,” general manager Adam Mais said. “It gives kids something to do during the summer, another downtown activity.” Logan’s was also successful in extending its alcohol license to include the courts, in hopes of having the sanded area double as a dining spot when games are not being played. “One of things we talked about … is possibly doing picnic dinners, giving people picnic baskets and letting people have dinner on the sand, maybe with a bottle of wine,” he said.



arts

dailycardinal.com/arts

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

l

5

David tops off the year with his top five films David Cottrell co-ttrell it on the mountain

R photo Courtesy Universal Pictures

While “Fast Five” may strain the boundaries of credibility, star Vin Diesel is able to contribute to an overall fun atmosphere that helps make the movie a fun, if somewhat mindnumbing experience.

The fast and the ridiculous By Todd Stevens The Daily Cardinal

A while back, Hollywood remade the classic Michael Caine heist flick “The Italian Job” with Mark Wahlberg. It was a fun if slight crime flick that most people remember for its Mini Cooper chase scene, and soon after its release the studio planned to make a sequel set in Rio de Janeiro and entitled “The Brazilian Job,” but one way or another it all fell apart - maybe Marky Mark was too busy working on “The Happening.” Enter director Justin Lin and the “Fast and Furious” franchise, which for all intents and purposes have crafted “The Brazilian Job” as the new “Fast Five,” preserving all the fun and slightness of “The Italian Job,” but with a heavily heightened dose of stupidity and testosterone. “Fast Five” represents a bit of a shift for series, as where the first several films focused mainly on street racing culture, the curtly titled “Fast Five” is a full-on straightforward heist flick. Following the events of the fourth film, where ex-federal agent Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) and his better half Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) free Mia’s brother Dominic (Vin Diesel) from prison and all flee to South America. After a car theft on a train goes awry, the Toretto gang gets into a feud with a local drug lord (Joaquim de Almeida), leading Dominic and Brian to spearhead a daring revenge heist. In doing so they recruit a

who’s-who of supporting players from the previous films, including Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris, while catching the eye of walking bicep muscle Agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), looking to arrest the Torretto gang and bring them back to the states. It’s a lot of plot for a movie whose thesis is effectively “Cars are fast, girls are pretty.” And the majority of the story is meaningless, along with subplots about Mia’s pregnancy, Gibson and Ludacris constantly giving each other shit and some romantic interest between the two most nonessential members of the gang.

The film could be called an idiot savant version of “Ocean’s Eleven,” but even that implies some level of skill.

But that’s because the plot is secondary to Lin’s fetish for cars, hot women and most importantly, muscular, masculine men. Both Diesel and Johnson are impenetrable human shells of testosterone here. In at least three scenes, Diesel takes some sort of hit that even in a movie as cartoonish as this should kill him, yet he gets up and walks away every time. And to be fair, this invincible man routine does result in some entertaining sequenc-

es, including the aforementioned train heist and a climactic vehicular showdown involving a bridge and a flying bank vault. However, the movie is concerned with little else. Walker and Brewster are a match made in purgatory as two halves of the world’s blandest couple, and de Almeida does his best villainous mustachetwirling to little avail. Meanwhile, Gibson’s role consists of him constantly yelling “Y’all crazy” and not much else. The Rio setting around the gang isn’t any more fully formed. Lin throws in occasional shots of the Christ the Redeemer statue for some flash, but if not for that and the flocks of girls in bikinis, “Fast Five” could have just as easily been shot in Cleveland. And despite the fact that the gang has the entire Rio mob as well as a team of heavily-armed federal agents looking for them, they can apparently walk around freely throughout the city at will. The film could be called an idiot savant version of “Ocean’s Eleven,” but even that implies some level of skill. Instead, Diesel and Walker’s success is really due almost exclusively to their enemies’ incompetence. “Fast Five” is the very definition of dumb fun, which is about as smart as any movie starring the triumvirate of Diesel, Walker and Johnson has any right to be. But that at least means it’s still fun, despite its mindlessness.

Want to rock the pages of the Cardinal? Apply to be our music columnist! Send three writing samples to arts@dailycardinal. com by Saturday, May 14 to rant about music for 700 words every week. Seriously, your friends will think you’re so cool.

ecently, I re-watched the quality flick “High Fidelity.” It’s one of those rare movies that I can watch perpetually without it ever feeling stale. The movie follows a group of record store employees who have a penchant for conversing in lists: top five songs to play on a Monday morning; top five musical crimes perpetrated by Stevie Wonder in the 80s and 90s; top five track one, side ones—you get the idea. In this “top five” spirit, my last column of the semester is a countdown of my top five favorite movies. These aren’t the five movies I think are the best for any technical, artistic or cultural reasons. These are simply the movies that make me love movies. 5) “High Fidelity” (2000) “High Fidelity” is the rarest breed of adaptations—It’s actually better than its source material. I do love the Nick Hornby novel of the same name, but I love the movie that John Cusack and his co-writers distilled out of it even more. I’ll admit, part of my specific love for the movie was the change in setting from London to Chicago, but there’s much more to love. Jack Black, as the boisterous, opinionated record clerk, practically steals the movie from under Cusack in quite possibly my favorite role of his career. In the novel, his character is rather uninteresting and fades into the background, but Black changed that for the better. Cusack managed to incorporate Hornby’s witty and hilarious prose in a way rarely seen in movies by breaking the fourth wall continuously throughout the film, talking directly to the audience, recalling his top five worst breakups as he searches for exactly where he went wrong in life. 4) “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986) Every kid I know has yearned for a Ferris Bueller’s day of his or her own. It’s a movie that celebrates friendship, the capriciousness of youth and Chicago, one of the best cities in the world. John Hughes defined a decade in teen movies, and I would argue that “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is his magnum opus. Film critic Richard Roeper described it as “one of my favorite movies of all time. It has one of the highest ‘repeatability’ factors of any film I’ve ever seen ... I can watch it again and again.” His love of the film is showcased by by his tribute license plate, “SVFRRIS.” I couldn’t agree with him more. Any movie that can make skipping school to hang out in the Art Institute of Chicago seem unquestionably cool is good in my book. 3) “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” (2010) I’ve already written at length this year about “Scott Pilgrim,” so I’ll keep it short. While crafting this list, “Scott Pilgrim” proved quite troublesome. I knew it had rightfully earned its spot on the hierarchy—but that meant, to borrow a common saying from fiction writing, I had to kill

one of my darlings. “Fight Club,” a usual top five staple of mine, got the axe, but, admittedly, rightfully so. “Scott Pilgrim” manages to be both a groundbreaking and exceptionally entertaining flick. The movie moves at the speed of light in order to fit everything in—from screenwriter Michael Bacall’s plethora of quotable quips to director Edgar Wright’s astoundingly detailed shot composition and eye-popping visual effects. There is so much crammed into every frame of the film, multiple viewings are a requirement to truly appreciate everything it has to offer. If you’ve seen it once, see it again—trust me, you’ll appreciate it even more the second or third time around. 2) “Pulp Fiction” (1994) What made Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avery’s script for “Pulp Fiction” so revolutionary was that it managed to break almost every engrained rule of screenwriting— and yet it still worked. It assaulted the formulaic aspects of storytelling that were becoming fundamental to American cinema. Tarantino managed to singled-handedly resurrect not just film noir, but the career of John Travolta as well. After winning the Palme d’Or (Best Picture) at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival, and proceeding to become a mainstream theatrical success, “Pulp Fiction” changed the game for indie film by proving that a low-budget, independently financed movie could crossover into public success. But all those external implications are secondary to the fact that “Pulp Fiction” is a seriously solid movie—there’s a reason a week doesn’t go by without the heavily censored version playing on some basic cable channel. The move is jampacked with iconic scenes and tied together with Tarantino’s characteristic stylized dialogue. “Pulp Fiction” defined a decade in filmmaking and deservedly so. 1) “Rushmore” (1998) Co-written by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson, “Rushmore” is loosely based on the experiences the two childhood friends shared attending an elite prep school in Houston. While it may seem like typical John Hughes coming-of-age material at the onset, Anderson quickly pulls the rug out from under you, abandoning the standard high school movie clichés and cultivating an air of unpredictability. By the time you reach the film’s halfway mark, you honestly have no idea where Anderson will take you next. Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray deliver outstanding, off-kilter performances and give Anderson’s clever dialogue the punch it deserves. Anderson is one of those directors that packs every inch of the frame with detail, no matter how miniscule, and, as a result, you’ll undoubtedly notice something new on every subsequent viewing of his films. And, as an added bonus, the film’s soundtrack—handpicked by Anderson—is an exceptional collection of British Invasion tracks, so even with your eyes closed, “Rushmore” is a joy to behold. David will be back as film columnist in the fall. If you have any ideas for column topics that you’d like to see, e-mail him at dcottrell@ wisc.edu.


opinion 6

l

Osama’s death proves U.S. exceptionalism matt payne

opinion columnist

I

t was a Tuesday morning in September when everything began. It was a day that was to change America forever. Soon, parents would see their children off to war. Fathers would kiss their newborn daughters goodbye, and some for the last time as they went to levy justice on those who were responsible for murdering almost 3,000 Americans. For 10 years America paid a heavy price, as we sought to extinguish any further threat to our safety. Then came Abbottabad. Sunday’s operation in Abbottabad proved America will continually seek justice no matter how much time passes and we’ll deliver that justice with a SEAL team in the middle of the night in your living room if that’s what it takes. Osama bin Laden, the face of radical Islam, is now dead and there is surely cause for jubilation, if not celebration. Yet his death does not mean an end to terrorism or to the broader war on terror. So what exactly does it mean in the grand scheme of things? Will radical Islam wane now that their poster boy is dead? It depends on who you ask. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the answer is no, as they have indicated they are at a “heightened state of vigilance” due to the possible backlash from irate terrorist cells. If you ask members of the terrorist organization Hamas, the killing of the “Arab holy warrior,” as they recently referred to him as in a Reuters.com statement condemning the operation, is in fact justification for more hatred of America. Still, if

By John Liesveld opinion@dailycardinal.com

America secured a great victory by eliminating the world’s most infamous terrorist.

While former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was happy to see bin Laden gone, he did express his frustration to The Washington Times that the attack on Pakistani soil was a “violation of our sovereignty.” He went on to say that “If two organizations [are] conducting an operation against a common enemy, there has to be trust and confidence in each other.” The former head of Pakistan is exactly right. There needs to be “trust” between two wartime allies. The problem is that Pakistan has time and again given no indication there is any reason that we can “trust” them. After all, the most wanted man alive wasn’t living in a cave deep inside the mountains, he was hanging out in a mansion in a city with a heavy military presence. Finally, some have criticized

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

asm sets bar high for next year

U

Editorial Cartoon

you ask the members of what has become known as the Arab Spring, they will probably say that Osama’s death was just another nail in the coffin of the old Arab world, one which was dominated by despots and religious tyrants. Yet, the prevailing theme is people won’t stop hating America just because Osama bin Laden is no longer around. A better question would be to ask how this event will impact the U.S.’s role in the region, and specifically how it will impact its relationship with Pakistan, who apparently missed Osama’s luxury mansion 40 miles away from Islamabad.

view

ntil recently, the Associated Students of Madison’s bafflingly unorganized, unaccountable and bureaucratic funding system could justifiably be compared to a wild game of Monopoly with student segregated fees. This year, however, we were pleased to see ASM make some refreshing and efficient changes when it came to getting things done. The progress made by the Legislative Affairs Committee, headed by sophomore Sam Polstein, was ASM’s true success story this year. In the fall, the committee hosted the first annual Student Housing Fair, which attracted hundreds of students

dailycardinal.com/opinion

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

and gave them the opportunity to talk to various landlords faceto-face. Legislative Affairs also helped put together a gubernatorial debate and partnered with The Daily Cardinal to sponsor a wellattended debate between the State Assembly District 77 candidates. Most recently, the committee lobbied against the Voter ID bill at the state Capitol and put serious effort in making the negative effects of the legislation more visible to students. The Student Services Finance Committee also proved it is serious about reform. By the end of the session, ASM passed the Campus Services Fund, a plan proposed

those who took to the streets immediately following word that bin Laden had been killed. Their concern lies with the fact that celebrating in the streets could fuel more anti-American sentiment in the world. My question is why would celebrating the death of such an evil man fuel more anti-American sentiment? After all, this wasn’t just a victory for America, but also a victory for the world. That is, unless you agreed with bin Laden’s objectives, in which case I would ask

why would you care what such people thought anyway? Indeed those who believe reserved satisfaction is the proper response given the circumstances are certainly justified in their viewpoint, but worrying about hurting the feelings of those who hate us anyway is no reason not to celebrate. So how does one make sense of what happened at Abbottabad? What are the implications of such a historic event? These questions and many more will be answered in the coming weeks and months. No

matter what the answers are however one thing is certain—America secured a great victory by eliminating the world’s most infamous terrorist. To some the death comes as cause for celebration, to others it is a reminder that although we may have won a battle, the war is far from over. Either way you look at it, however, American exceptionalism has been proven again. Matt Payne is a junior majoring in Chinese and economics. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

by SSFC Chair Matt Manes, that would ensure funding for legal, tutoring and sexual assault support services—vital programs that deserve recognition and continued support from ASM. Manes also impressed us when he held town halls with students to discuss SSFC’s funding streams and distributed an incentive-based student survey to gauge support for the CSF.

tently live blogged and tweeted updates from SSFC and Student Judiciary hearings. That’s not to say we’ve been impressed with every move Student Council made this year. By the beginning of spring semester the Diversity Committee had functionally capsized under former chair Martín Uraga’s direction. Diversity on campus was a particularly touchy issue this year—with the Holocaust denial ad controversy bookending last school year’s diversity debate and the failed “diversity” photo shoot beginning this year’s conversation, the Diversity Committee had an opportunity to foster a muchneeded, campus-wide discussion on tolerance and respect. Instead, Uraga failed to set agendas for the committee, rarely showed up to Student Council meetings and ended up resigning after his first semester as chair. A series of shady decisions made by a set of heady ASM leaders also cast a shadow of embarrassment on a number of individual members’ tenure. After a few members were connected to a shadow registered student organization known as Associated Free Thinkers Ensuring Responsibility (AFTER) it became clear that some ASM leaders were

using their power to sidestep Student Council bylaws.

We were pleased to see ASM make some refreshing and efficient changes when it came to getting things done.

It is clear ASM is no longer paralyzed at delivering results. We were excited to see ASM support the New Badger Partnership and back the addition of a second student seat on the Board of Trustees. With this, it is safe to say Student Council has made strides to improve student involvement and campus outreach, as the council recently implemented a live feed of their meetings while individual members have consis-

We hope the new members don’t let their ideas for change become divisive or get in the way of this year’s successes.

Despite these setbacks, ASM made significant steps to build itself up as a relevant body in campus affairs. However, the newly elected ASM members who will carry out and test a number of this year’s proposals could not be more different from the old guard that has controlled Student Council for years. The fresh faces—many of whom are affiliated with GSSF groups SSFC has worked to defund—bring a different ideology and set of priorities. We hope the new members don’t let their ideas for change become divisive or get in the way of this year’s successes. If nothing else, we hope next year’s session takes substantive measures to fix the obnoxiously dated relic they call ASM’s website.


comics

AIR FORCE : ONE, get it? The “Air Force One” can only be called “Air Force One” when the President is on board. When the President is not there, it’s just a really expensive, big plane.

7 By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

dailycardinal.com/comics

Today’s Sudoku Finding all those syllabi you thought you lost

Evil Bird

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

l

© Puzzles by Pappocom

Eatin’ Cake

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

By Yosef Lerner graphics@dailycardinal.com

By D.T. dtollefson@wisc.edu

Hoop Dreams Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com Stay!

ACROSS 1 Wheelchair access 5 Get to the other side 10 Up in the air 14 Middle Eastern ruler 15 Treaty goal 16 “Aida” river 17 Type of property 19 Chess result, sometimes 20 Not vacant, as a restroom 21 Windshield extra 22 Little rascals 23 What debaters debate 25 Traffic report adjective 27 “Easy ___ it” 29 High as a kite 32 Water may flow through it 35 Low-cost, in slang 39 U.S. air-safety overseer 40 Gorilla, e.g. 41 Celebrated in history 42 Clairvoyance letters 43 Back muscle, for short 44 Toward the back of a boat 45 Torah chests 46 Natural talent 48 React to a bore 50 Like “Romeo and Juliet”

4 French Foreign ___ 5 58 Two-tone sandwich cookie 60 Egyptian fertility goddess 62 ___ Jean (Marilyn, originally) 63 Indian flatbread 64 Out like a light 66 Gaelic language 67 Snacks in Tijuana 68 ___ of Cleves (Henry VIII’s fourth wife) 69 Tourney rank 70 Flat-bottom boats 71 Untouchable Eliot DOWN 1 Install to new specifications 2 Essential acid 3 Jumbled confusion 4 Officiate 5 Tax-return pro 6 Take a breather 7 Desert watering hole 8 Clue for a bloodhound 9 Heated conflict 10 The “I” in ROYGBIV 11 What a home seller seeks 12 Envelope closure 13 Trees used for archery bows 18 Art ___ (1920s-’30s style)

24 Splinter groups, sometimes 26 Proceed slowly but surely 28 Tequila serving size 30 To-do list entry 31 Barks sharply 32 Fifty percent 33 Stone for many Libras 34 Make less anxious 36 Stanza writer’s “before” 37 Well-ventilated 38 Kind of colony 41 “Two Mules for Sister __”(Clint Eastwood film) 45 Namibian’s neighbor 47 Took creases out of clothes 49 Harmless cysts 51 Boxes with bows 52 “Shaft” composer Hayes 53 Pancho’s amigo 55 Cara of “Flashdance” 56 Signs to heed 57 Neck backs 58 Dollar bills 59 ___, medium or welldone 61 Put in the overhead rack 65 Burdened beast

Washington and the Bear

By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com


sports 8

l

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

dailycardinal.com/sports

Softball

Krueger named Big Ten Player of the Week By Matthew Kleist The Daily Cardinal

Hiring a new head coach for the 2011 season, the Wisconsin softball team started down a long road toward turning the program around. Perhaps in a testament to the leadership of head coach Yvette Healy or to the will of the team to turn a new page, the Badgers have proven their ability to play with the best in the Big Ten Conference. As the Badgers continue to improve as the season progresses, individual players are starting to be rewarded for their efforts. The first was freshman Amanda Najdek, named Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week for the week of April 4. Wisconsin can add another name to the list of honored Badgers as of Monday: Senior Jennifer Krueger was named the Big Ten Conference Player of the

Week. Krueger is the first Badger given the honor since Samantha Polito in 2007. Krueger led the way for the Badgers this past week as they improved their record to 6-10 in Big Ten play and 26-21 overall. She hit successfully in seven of 11 at-bats and reached once on a hit-by-pitch, scoring four runs in four games. In Wisconsin’s two game sweep over the Iowa Hawkeyes, the first in UW history, Krueger recorded two hits and scored once as the Badgers completed the comeback in game one, taking the victory 7-6. In game two of the double header, Krueger recorded one of her best nights at the plate. Going 3-3 with one walk, she stole a base and reached home once, helping Wisconsin to a 6-3 win. Later in the week, Krueger provided the only sparks in the

NHL shouldn’t discount Milwaukee as location for a future franchise Ryan Evans no, not that one

A

n uncertain ownership situation has led to a very uncertain future for the Phoenix Coyotes. Rumors have swirled for a while now that the team will inevitably be forced to relocate from the American southwest to the franchise’s original home, Winnipeg, Manitoba, where the Jets played from 1972 until 96. The Atlanta Thrashers, who have ownership problems of their own, have been rumored to be also exploring the possibility of a move to Winnipeg. A seventh Canadian franchise has been long been the rumored target for NHL relocation of expansion, whether it be Winnipeg, Hamilton or Quebec City. However one city that doesn’t really come up in the conversation for viable NHL markets is Milwaukee. The prospect of an NHL franchise in Wisconsin’s largest market is certainly an intriguing possibility, but the question that always comes up is whether the market could support another professional sports team? With the Stanley Cup playoffs now in full swing, I have overheard plenty of my hockey loving friends discussing the merits of an NHL franchise in Wisconsin. As a hockey fan, I would love nothing more than to have a team in Milwaukee, but would it make sense? Would there be enough fan support to justify it? Part of determining whether the NHL could survive in Wisconsin is looking at how successful the Wisconsin men’s hockey team and the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals have been. The Badgers are one of the biggest draws in the state. They fill up the Kohl Center on a regular basis and usually have an average attendance higher than some NHL teams. The Admirals don’t do too badly themselves attendance wise for a minor league franchise. The interest is there for a hockey team in Wisconsin. If teams like the

Nashville Predators can survive in the NHL then there is no reason that a state with a rich hockey history like Wisconsin, couldn’t drum up interest in an NHL franchise. The true measure of the hockey health of a state, and something the NHL looks at, is the state of youth hockey, and Wisconsin’s programs are certainly on the rise. Can Wisconsin compete with Minnesota, Illinois, Michian, Massachusetts, Colorado and the other hockey powerhouses in the U.S. at the moment? No. Wisconsin still isn’t there with the big boys quite yet. But the state is well on its way. Wisconsin is producing more elite players than it ever has before, and an NHL franchise in the state would only do more to develop the Wisconsin youth hockey programs. I moved to Dallas right around the time the North Stars relocated there and as a youth hockey player I saw first hand the wonders an NHL team can do for the local youth hockey associations. The Stars helped build hockey in the American South and if hockey can thrive there, I don’t see a reason why it couldn’t in Wisconsin. Natural rivalries with the Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild and Detroit Red Wings would help spur interest in a team as well. A team in Milwaukee would likely require some re-ordering of the current NHL divisional alignment so why not reunite the NFC north in a hockey division filled with regional rivals? It certainly wouldn’t hurt fan interest. The pieces of the puzzle are there for an NHL franchise to be succesful in Milwaukee. There is genuine interest in the sport in the state of Wisconsin that is ripe to be harvested. While a return to Canada seems to be in the cards for NHL relocation in the near future, Milwaukee is deserving of serious consideration for future NHL relocation or expansion. Could the NHL survive in Milwaukee? Do you want a pro hockey team in Wisconsin? E-mail Ryan at rmevans2@dailycardinal.com.

Badgers’ series against the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines. Perfect once again, Krueger hit her first double of the season and stole another base. She would score the only run of the game in the five inning, 9-1 loss. Failing to record a hit the next night, Krueger would still reach base after being hit by a pitch. Advancing around the bags, she would eventually score Wisconsin’s only run of the game on a sac fly as the Badgers came up short, falling 2-1. Krueger is having an impressive season at the plate, improving on her numbers from the last year. She leads the Badgers with a batting average of .385, 57 hits and 33 runs. She’ll look to continue her outstanding play as Wisconsin welcomes in-state rival Green Bay to Goodman Diamond for a double header Wednesday.

Matt Marheine/cardinal File photo

Jennifer Krueger was named the Big Ten Conference Player of the Week after going 7-for-11 with four runs and two stolen bases.

Men’s Golf

Badgers place eleventh at Big Ten tournament By Max Sternberg The Daily Cardinal

The Wisconsin men’s golf team saw its season come to a close on Sunday in West Lafayette, Ind. with a disappointing 11th place finish in the Big Ten Championships. While the young roster now moves forward into the 2011-’12 season without a coach, the program has plenty of promise. Despite the underwhelming finish, the Badgers had two individuals place in the top 35, led by freshman Stephane Dubois’ four-round total of 301, good for a tie for 26th in the individual competition. Sophomore Chris Meyer also had a solid fin-

ish, posting a 304 total that was new practice facility in the pipeline, good for a T32 finish. the future of Wisconsin men’s golf UW men’s golf seems to have is filled with promise. Since the plenty of upside even after a lacklus- departure of former NCAA Regional ter season and the departure of head champion Dan Woltman, the coach Jim Schmidt. The Badgers have not seen the Badgers will return their postseason and have strugentire seven-man roster, a gled to two consecutive roster that had been com11th place finishes in the posed of three freshman Big Ten Championships. and four sophomores. Now hoping to get Despite their youth, back on track both in the Badgers experienced terms of playing and flashes of brilliance in an recruiting, it seems like otherwise difficult seathings are starting to DUBOIS son. Dubois impressed in turn around, the beginhis debut season, showing tre- nings of a rebuilding process mendous consistency by finish- that should intensify when the ing in the top 50 in every event. new coach is announced someWith a new coach on tap and a time in the summer.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.