“Yum Yum Room” brings Aussie theatrics to Madison ARTS
.
PAGE 5
UW RETURNS TO HOME, SWEET HOME Badgers prep for first home game in nearly a month vs. Indiana GAMEDAY
l
SECTION B
Caitlin Kirihara/the daily cardinal
page two
tODAY: partly sunny hi 58º / lo 38º
2 • Thursday, November 11, 2010
dailycardinal.com/page-two
Thursday Guest Column
An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 120, Issue 52
Dormitory living: A bona fide college experience
2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100
News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Emma Roller Managing Editor Todd Stevens Campus Editor Kayla Johnson City Editor Maggie DeGroot State Editor Ariel Shapiro Enterprise Editor Alison Dirr Associate News Editor Beth Pickhard Senior News Reporters Jamie Stark Ashley Davis Opinion Editors Dan Tollefson Samantha Witthuhn Editorial Board Chair Hannah Furfaro Arts Editors Jacqueline O’Reilly Jon Mitchell Sports Editors Mark Bennett Parker Gabriel Page Two Editor Victoria Statz Life & Style Editor Stephanie Rywak Features Editor Madeline Anderson Photo Editors Danny Marchewka Ben Pierson Graphics Editors Caitlin Kirihara Natasha Soglin Multimedia Editors Eddy Cevilla Briana Nava Page Designers Claire Silverstein Joy Shin Copy Chiefs Anna Jeon Margaret Raimann Nico Savidge Kyle Sparks Copy Editors Lauren Foley, Ben Siegel
Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Cole Wenzel Advertising Manager Mara Greenwald Accounts Receivable Manager Michael Cronin Billing Manager Lizzie Breckenfelder Senior Account Executive Taylor Grubbs Account Executive Alyssa Flemmer Dan Kaplan Rick Maturo Nick Bruno Carly Ettinger Matt Jablon Graphic Designer Jaime Flynn Web Director Eric Harris Marketing Director Erica Rykal Public Relations Manager Becky Tucci Events Manager Bill Clifford Art Director Jaime Flynn 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 Wisconsin-Madison 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 Hannah Furfaro • Miles Kellerman Emma Roller • Nico Savidge S. Todd Stevens • Dan Tollefson Samantha Witthuhn
Board of Directors Jason Stein, President Emma Roller • Cole Wenzel Samuel Todd Stevens • Mara Greenwald Vince Filak • Janet Larson Alex Kusters • Jenny Sereno Chris Drosner • Melissa Anderson Ron Luskin • Joan Herzing
Rebecca Alt guest columnist
U
pon entering college, everyone told me that living in the dorms was a once in a lifetime experience that I simply could not pass up. They said it was THE PLACE to make life-long friends and accumulate ridiculous stories that I would cherish for the rest of my life and pass on to my children. In a way, they were correct on all accounts, but left out a few minor details. One thing they forgot to mention was the fact that I would be officially signing away my right to privacy for the next nine months. When you’re living in a 16.4 by 12-foot room that has virtually no insulation between the next room, or from the outdoors for that matter, there is absolutely no way you’re ever going to be able to steam in
anger or listen to your embarrassing guilty-pleasure music ever again. For example, I enjoy listening to Christmas music beginning in October, which is not exactly socially acceptable to the majority of the population. With a roommate who hates Christmas, there was zero chance of me listening to “Frosty the Snowman” or “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and stringing Christmas lights in the room before Thanksgiving. On top of that, you will most likely overhear both entertaining and disturbing things coming from your neighbor’s room. You could be so lucky as to catch up on some dorm floor gossip about who hooked up with who this weekend (another downfall to living in such contained premises), or you could be even luckier and overhear the ACTUAL hooking up going on just two feet from your lofted bed. Which brings me to another slight setback with dorm room living: the lofted bed. First off, there is no ladder provided
Buffalo Bill’s
Orange Cream Ale Upon first pour, I mistook my pint of Buffalo Bill’s Brewery Orange Cream Ale for my roommate’s freshly poured glass of kombucha. It’s a strange pale orange color, a hue no self-respecting beer should ever develop. It’s even more confusing on the palate. It tastes like a mimosa, or perhaps Sprecher Orange Dream…gone sour. Like Easter time with my family members— mimosas are my saving grace. That said, as a rule, I cannot enjoy fruity beers unless they are brewed well and the subtle—key word—flavor of the chosen fruit doesn’t overwhelm the ale. Leinie’s Berry Weis? Tastes
like stale Fruit Loops. Or a worse, yet more apt, characterization: like a wheaty wine cooler. Reminds me of high school parties. Notable exceptions of my arbitrarily imposed rule include New Glarus’ dessert beer, Raspberry Tart (raspberry pie in a bottle, dark and tart but not too yeasty), citrusy Bell’s Oberon and Dogfish Head’s Aprihop because, well, they’re delicious. And I’m a sucker for anything by Dogfish Head. Unfortunately, Buffalo Bill’s orange-y cream ale falls into the former, doomed category of fruit beers. It has its merits, however. Writing this review was much easier after two of them, of course,
Page Two now features a
GUEST COLUMN spot, running every Thursday! But—we need your help!
writing creatively, have a knack for telling stories or simply think your life is
uncannily entertaining, submit a well-polished For the record
column today to vstatz@wisc.edu.
Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an e-mail to edit@dailycardinal.com.
which is utterly terrifying when you’re sober, let alone stumbling home inebriated in the pitch black trying not to awake your roommate. Last year I had to climb atop my desk chair, then on top of my desk and finally onto a one-inch ledge on my lofted bed so that I could leap over onto my mattress. While getting down, you have a 50 percent chance of missing one of those vital steps, and if you aren’t sober those odds raise to about 80 percent. You also are subject to hitting your head about 149 times on the ceiling when you wake up because you forget that you are lying only two feet away from the ceiling. And last, but definitely not least, you will most likely wake up sweating profusely countless times throughout the year because, as you all know heat rises, and up in that loft, unless you’re sleepin’ in the nude you probably are going to sweat through your pajamas. On the subject of hygiene and staving off the common
New Beer Thursday
If you enjoy © 2010, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation
friDAY: chance of rain hi 50º / lo 40º
Feel free to e-mail with questions as well!
and it’d be a fitting beer to sip with grilled fish in the summertime, if you can get over the weird dichotomy of tart and creamy. If you do decide to try this beer—you fruit beer lovers out there—serve cold and enjoy with lighter foods. This 70-degree weather in midNovember won’t last long, so now is your time to try! But, in my opinion, no beer should ever taste like that moment when, after all the plastic Easter eggs are found by the little ones, your aunts and uncles inquire when you’re going to get a “real job.” Bottoms up! —Erica Pelzek
cold, you can forget it. Not only are you constantly only three feet away from your roommate, but the communal bathrooms are similar to a gas station restroom, except they come complete with showers that are cleaned once a week. I quickly realized that there was no way I was NOT contracting the swine flu when I noticed that the showers had not been cleaned for a full week, the toilet paper hadn’t been replaced all weekend and the girl next to me in the shower was urinating. However, my friends and family did get one thing right in their advice about dormitory living. I did actually make a substantial amount of friends while taking Flaming Dr. Pepper shots, slappin’ the bag of Franzia before floor dinners, collecting in someone’s room Monday nights for “Gossip Girl” and enjoying a pleasant hangover breakfast at Pop’s before dragging our tired asses to College Library for eight hours. Dorm living: Is it worth the fun or not? E-mail alt2@wisc.edu
dailycardinal.com/news
Thursday, November 11, 2010
l
news
3
Suder, Barca elected as Assembly leaders
Danny Marchewka/the daily cardinal
The Associated Students of Madison heard complaints from various minority groups about the proposed Campus Services Funds, which the groups fear will cause them to be underrepresented.
ASM hears concerns, passes internal budget By Anna Duffin The Daily Cardinal
The Associated Students of Madison heard complaints about the proposed Campus Services Fund and passed their initial draft of their internal budget Wednesday night. The meeting began with students from different minority groups saying they feel underrepresented on campus, and feared that the proposed Campus Services Fund would not help this problem. The fund would allow ASM to allocate funds to student services they think are important. Some smaller groups expressed concern that since they are smaller, they will be ignored. Williams said he was glad they came to the meeting. “Obviously students should care, because we’re dealing with a $1.1 mil-
lion budget, and there’s lots of things in there that students care about,” he said. ASM also debated and passed the initial proposed internal budget plan. Included in the discussion was debate over the new Government Relations Advisor. The main functions of this position would be to serve as a lobbyist for ASM at the Capitol and to teach students how to lobby. The budget for the Government Relations Advisor is currently is drafted at $60,000. Shared Governance Chair Kyle VandenLangenberg pointed out that this is a low wage for a lobbyist and asked if someone who would work at this price would be able to accomplish what ASM wants. ASM Chair Brandon Williams said
he has faith in the position. “I think that a lobbyist is crucial to the effectiveness of our legislative abilities,” he said. ASM delayed voting on the position until later in the semester so they could make a more informed decision. Changes made in the internal budget included cutting the Creative Works Fund from $10,000 to $5,000, removing funds for proposed the tenant rating website and changing the Chief of Staff from an hourly waged position to a stipended position. Also at the meeting, former ASM representative Maxwell Love said ASM is not doing enough to reach out to the student body. “There’s something wrong with outreach if you don’t even know what ASM is,” Love said.
34-year-old man arrested on cocaine-related charges Madison Police arrested a 34-yearold man on cocaine related charges Sunday. Michael Ware faces charges of possession of cocaine and possession with intent to deliver cocaine, according to the police incident report. A Madison police officer, who was working on a separate cocaine-related investigation involving Ware, noticed Ware driving on the 800 block of Burr
Oak Lane and pulled him over. “After the officer took Ware into custody on the previously existing probable cause to arrest charges relating to Cocaine Delivery, a search uncovered additional Cocaine Base which was confiscated for prosecutorial reasons,” Madison police officer Howard Payne said in a statement. Ware was then transported to the Dane County Jail, police said.
Want to be a part of campus history? The Daily Cardinal is looking for an archivist to organize bounds in book form and on microfilm. Get in on this incredible opportunity to go back in time by e-mailing edit@dailycardinal.com for more information.
“This was a case that involved an extremely conscientious officer paying attention to the neighborhood in which he was patrolling,” Payne said in a statement.
Assembly Democrats and Republicans named their leaders for the upcoming legislative session Wednesday. State Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, was elected by his peers to the position of Republican Majority Leader. “I am humbled and honored to have the support of my colleagues as we begin the important job of getting Wisconsin back on the right track,” Suder said in a statement. Suder, an Iraq War veteran who was first elected to the Assembly in 1998, said he looks SUDER forward to working with Governor-elect Scott Walker and the rest of the legislature on dealing with Wisconsin’s financial problems. State Rep. Bill Kramer,
R-Waukesha, who has been in the Assembly since 2007, was chosen to serve as the Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore, who presides over the Assembly in the absence of the Speaker. “The challenges we face as a state and as legislators will require hard work and difficult decisions and I am excited to begin work in January as part KRAMER of a new Republican Majority,” Kramer said in a statement. Assembly Democrats chose former congressman and current Majority Caucus Chair state Rep. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, as their Minority Leader for the next session. Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, D-Madison, will take over as Democratic Caucus Chair.
300,000 images found in child pornography case The ongoing investigation of a Madison a sexual assault and child pornography case has uncovered about 300,000 images. Madison Police arrested Spiess, of Sun Prairie, for alleged drunk driving on Oct. 29. During the police’s search of Spiess’ vehicle evidence was found, which began a child sexual assault and child pornography investigation, police said. This evidence included prescription cough medicine, printed child pornography and a duffel bag containing children’s underwear. There was also a cigar box containing several flash drives. On Tuesday Spiess was recharged with seven counts of possession of child pornography among other charges.
Authorities have been examining suspect Michael Spiess’ digital storage devices found in his van, but have not began to examine his computer. Some of these images allegedly include the suspect in sexually suggestive poses with the victims. Assistant Dane County District Attorney Brian Asmus told the Wisconsin State Journal there is a possibility federal prosecutors might take on the case due to the volume and type of material found. He was then re-arrested Thursday after authorities allegedly found images showing someone who appeared to be Spiess with nude boys. No victims have been identified at this time, police said.
news 4 Thursday, November 11, 2010
dailycardinal.com/news
l
ALRC grants new Bistro and Pub an alcohol license By Jourdan Miller The Daily Cardinal
Danny Marchewka/the daily cardinal
Approximately 200 students, faculty and community members participated in the making of a video Wednesday for the Make It Better Project, which focuses on eliminating bullying and harassment.
Filming of LGBT ‘Make It Better’ video draws large crowd By Molly Reppen The Daily Cardinal
Approximately 200 students, faculty, and community members gathered on Bascom Hill to participate in the making of a video hosted by the LGBT Campus Center and UW Housing Wednesday. The video entitled, “Make It Better,” focuses on the impact of bullying and harassment in the LGBT community and how to work toward eliminating homophobia. The video campaign is in response to the “It Gets Better” campaign, in which people submit encouraging and positive vid-
eos supporting the LGBT community. The video was organized to show statistics that represent how people in the LGBT community are affected by homophobia and bullying. “I felt like I could help [with the event] because I feel like it’s everyone’s responsibility to help with something,” UW-Madison freshman Zachary Pickett said. “I’m really glad that there’s so much support here from students and adults.” People were separated into seven different groups. During filming, the groups walked in one -by -one to represent the high
Second committee says Catholic center’s proposed size too big for area Members of the Urban Design Commission were concerned about the scale and height proposed for the St. Paul Catholic Student Center and Residential College Wednesday. The proposed plans for the $45 million project include the renovation of the current center into a 14-story, 10,000-squarefoot space to serve as a spot for social gatherings, a residence hall and a chapel. Committee member Mark Smith said he was very similar with the site and had concerns about the building’s size. “Really trying to squeeze 50 pounds into a five-pound can,” Smith said.
Committee member and design professional Melissa Huggins said she felt the building “doesn’t feel good” for this site. Huggins said Memorial Library should be taller than the surrounding buildings in the area. Ald. Marsha Rummel, Dist. 6, said she felt the proposed building wouldn’t fit in with the area. Many committee members said they were concerned about height of the building in relation to surrounding buildings such as the Pres House. “Pres House has neither been for or against it at this time,” Father Eric Nielson, Director of St. Paul’s, said.
Short attention span? Short attention span? Short attention span?
Follow @ dailycardinal on for all the campus news, Badger sports and local entertainment info you’ll ever need.
statistics associated with bullying against the LGBT community. When the group came together at the end, the participants yelled “Stop the silence!” Students expressed excitement number of people who came out to support the cause. “It’s exciting that people actually care about awareness of the bullying that goes on against the LGBT community,” UW-Madison junior Kate Wallner said. “It’s really something that we have to address not only within our university, but also within education systems throughout the country and the world.”
The Alcohol License Review Committee granted Baldwin Bistro and Pub an alcohol license Wednesday. Pug Mahones, a bar, previously occupied the space at 1304 East Washington. Scott Ehrlinger said his vision for the space was “a 180 from the previous establishment.” Ehrlinger said there will be a “full kitchen with fresh, local food and a seasonal menu that would cater to local businesses for lunch.” Dylan Bryne, a resident of the area for four years, said he was in support of the new pub. “I’m very excited about business being back in my neighborhood and to have a place to grab a burger after work,” Bryne said. Madison resident and Bryne’s neighbor Matt Krueger said he
agreed with Bryne. “I look forward very much to an establishment that is an amenity to the neighborhood and not a detriment,” Krueger said. Krueger also spoke about the previous problems nearby residents had with Pug Mahones. “Arguments and loitering were particularly annoying,” Krueger said. Ald. Bridget Maniaci, Dist. 2, said she was in full support of the pub. Maniaci said she had been working with Ehrlinger to finalize his plans and was confident that the new establishment would be an asset to the neighborhood. “There is a real need of viable businesses in this area,” Maniaci said. “I have full faith in the operational capacity of the applicant.” Sconnie Bar and Retro Tavern, two controversial alcohol license requests, were both referred for the third time to a future ALRC meeting.
Doyle names Westfield writer and UW-Lacrosse alum Poet Laureate Gov. Jim Doyle appointed Westfield writer Bruce Dethlefsen as Wisconsin’s Poet Laureate Wednesday. “Bruce Dethlefsen is a dedicated and talented poet,” Doyle said in a statement. “He has exceptional credentials and a devotion to poetry and representing our great state. I am confident he will be an outstanding Poet Laureate.” Dethlefsen will take the place of Marilyn Taylor, who was appointed in November of 2008. “I look forward to being an ambassador for the wonderful
poets and poetry of Wisconsin,” Dethlefsen said in a statement. “Serving as Wisconsin’s Poet Laureate is a tremendous honor, and it represents a great opportunity to encourage and support local cultural and creative talent.” Dethlefsen graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and received his M.A. from the University of WisconsinOshkosh. He has recorded one CD and written three books in his career. Dethlefsen will serve a two year term beginning immediately.
It’s all Greek to me!
Justice Prosser running for re-election in 2011 Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser announced Wednesday his intention to run for re-election in a non-partisan race in April 2011. Prosser was first appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1998 by former Gov. Tommy Thompson, and then ran unopposed in 2001. PROSSER “I am gratified for the outpouring of bi-partisan support from across the legal and political spectrum,” Prosser said in a statement. Before serving in the Supreme Court, Prosser was in the state Assembly for 18 years, for two of which he spent as Speaker. He has also served as Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commissioner, Outagamie District Attorney, and an attorney and advisor in U.S. Department of Justice. “My wide range of experience— in all three branches of government including as a prosecutor, lawmaker, tax appeals commissioner, and 12 years on the Supreme Court—has given me the background to serve the people of this great state effectively,” Prosser said.
MATT MARHEINE/the daily cardinal
WUD and the Politics Committee held a panel discussion Wednesday on the effects of U.S. involvement in Turkey, Greece and Cyprus.
featureshousing
dailycardinal.com/features
Thursday, November 11, 2010 l
5
danny marchewka/the daily cardinal
Ready, set, sign! As November 15 approaches, the pressure to sign leases builds. But do students need to commit to a living situation ten months in advance?
“I
t was the most stressful time in college. Wherever you went, there was stress … You go to the library and you’re studying, and there’s stress. You couldn’t even go home without thinking, is she going to be there?” Just over three months into freshman year, Megan Kraft, now a UW-Madison junior, signed a lease with her good friend from high school, a girl she met briefly through mutual friends and a girl she met that day. Kraft said she entered a lease despite not knowing much about two of her future roommates because she felt pressured to solidify the next year’s living situation since it was already December. Although the four girls developed a friendship throughout freshman year, within two months of the new leasing period, the roommate dynamics began to shift. Kraft said this created an environment, both in and out of the apartment, plagued by uneasiness and tension. It came to the point where one roommate was not on speaking terms with the other three. “We don’t have that much experience dealing with legal documents, and the landlords here really take advantage of that.” Nicole Tautges junior UW-Madison
“No one was talking, and if anything was ever said, it was a rude comment and usually that would turn into a fight,” Kraft said. “We’d be stressed even more because we should have been studying instead [of arguing].” Searching for a conveniently located apartment, compatible roommates and satisfactory rental rates can be stressful for students. Kraft and her roommates’ situation is just one of many potential repercussions when
one rushes into a lease without time to explore options or establish relationships with future roommates. Yet, just as fall arrives, messages infiltrate student inboxes, urging them to start their search for the following year’s leasing period. The same message reverberates throughout campus: look now before it’s too late. Thus, the rush begins to sign a year-long lease that will not start until three quarters of a year later. According to Adam Frey, regional sales and marketing manager for Goldleaf Development, a large Madison-based property owner, searching for housing and needing to decide when to sign a lease is an important factor for a college student’s maturation. “It forces our young adults to make an adult decision, like, ‘Do I want to know for sure that I’m going to be in this two-bedroom 10 months from now or do I wait and see what’s still available later on?’” Frey said. “It’s always that give and take when making tough decisions.” This fall was UW-Madison freshman Kimmy Callan’s first time searching for off-campus housing. She looked during the first week of October because her sister, a UW-Madison senior, told her the housing search in Madison started early. Kimmy had also received multiple emails from property owners and management companies telling her to begin her search, and several of her friends had already signed leases. “I just kept hearing from people about the high rises. specifically that they’re going to go fast so I should sign soon,” Callan said. “I knew I had more time if I wanted to sign other places, but once we’d all gone and seen it together, all the other girls liked it a lot too, so we knew if we wanted to live there, at least we’d have to sign soon.” With five girls she met in the dorms at the beginning of the school year, Kimmy signed a lease for the August 2011-12 leasing period on Oct. 26.
According to UW-Madison junior Nicole Tautges, many area landlords and property management companies make decisions solely with their best interests in mind rather than the students’. She said property owners and managers encouraging students to sign leases so far in advance was unfair and unnecessary. “Within this environment of haste that the landlords create, students get ripped off because they don’t have time to survey their options, which is sort of their fault,” Tautges said. “But, we’re also very inexperienced renters. We don’t have that much experience dealing with legal documents, and the landlords here really take advantage of that.” “Last year, we signed almost half our apartments [in the campus area] in the first 15 days, so November 15 through the 30.” Adam Frey Regional Sales and Marketing Manager Goldleaf Development
She said the general message property owners and managers send is if students choose not to sign early, all apartments will be gone. According to Danielle Tolzmann, the program coordinator of UW-Madison’s listing service, Campus Area Housing, students should not feel pressured to sign in November. Although there was a shortage of housing on campus 25 to 30 years ago, Tolzmann said this is not the case today because of recent development such as the downtownarea high-rise apartments. “Now there are definitely more quality rentals available than there are students to live in them,” Tolzmann said. “Even so, that trend to sign leases in November continues.” UW-Madison senior Ben Morris is an exception to this November rule, unaffected by the anticipation
Story by Alexandria Harris and Valerie Klessig from students as well as management companies and property owners. Morris said it is unnecessary for students to search for housing and sign a lease more than two months before moving to a new place. While studying in Germany his junior year, he did not think about his housing situation for the following year until mid-summer. “There were hundreds of options. This was early July on Craigslist, [when I searched] for 20 minutes.” Morris said. “It just reinforced my thought that, ‘This is a college town, there are thousands of students moving out every year, every semester.’ You’re not going to have a hard time finding housing. It’s there.” Morris was happy with his apartment, location, roommates and rental rate and said he would not change anything about his current living situation or how he went about searching for it. In addition to Morris, others saw the practicality of waiting to sign a lease until later in the year. UW-Madison junior Elise Sutter, along with the girls she chose to live with, focused on classes first semester of their freshmen year instead of searching for housing and signing a lease. “Some of my friends had signed in October, and honestly I thought it was kind of ridiculous because I didn’t even know that was something I had to start thinking about yet,” Sutter said. After winter break, Sutter and her future roommates found an apartment off Langdon on Howard Place, signing their lease in January. Sutter said waiting did not cause more stress but rather helped them narrow their options. Another perk to waiting, she said, was that their landlord lowered the monthly rental rate by $200. While some waited to sign until just after Christmas break or sometime during second semester or summer, a typical perception among students is that the best apartments went first. Frey, who has worked for Goldleaf for nearly nine years, said every year he witnesses the largest
rush to sign leases in mid-November and sees the most popular apartments leased first. “Last year, we signed almost half our apartments [in the campus area] in the first 15 days, so November 15 through the 30,” Frey said. “We signed 248 units in November alone. That’s almost 20 apartments a day, that’s fast.” According to Tolzmann, while some apartments tend to lease quicker, not all properties are even on the market yet, so early lease signers limit their options. She said students could benefit from waiting until after winter break because many property management companies and landlords became more willing to negotiate later into the lease signing period. “As early as December is when we start hearing from property owners to lower the published rent rate, but, generally speaking, February into March is when we really start hearing that they need to lower their rates on the rentals they may still have available,” she said. “This is a college town, there are thousands of students moving out every year, every semester. You’re not going to have a hard time finding housing.” Ben Morris senior UW-Madison
Even if students are not worried about rental rates, Morris said they should not believe they would lose the opportunity to find their ideal living situation if they chose not to sign in November. “You can find exactly what you want in a short amount of time because there’s so much,” Morris said. “We’re in a large college town…There’s plenty of property open, and it’s not all signed away in November. In fact, I would be really surprised if the majority of it were. There’s always something. Always.”
arts 6
l
dailycardinal.com/arts
Thursday, November 11, 2010
An early Christmas ‘Gift’ By Nick Cusatis
refrain, Boyle strips the song down to its core. Much like the popular If you’ve forgotten who Susan Jeff Buckley rendition, this song is Boyle is, don’t worry, you’re not driven by Boyle’s vocals and stands alone. You might, however, remem- as proof that her success is anything ber the story of the 49-year old Scot but a fluke. whose remarkable pipes brought Her interpretations of classic her international stardom when she Christmas songs such as “O Holy auditioned for “Britain’s Got Talent” Night,” “Away In a Manger” and in Jan. 2009. “Do You Hear What I Hear” are slow Her performance of the song and melodic, with a clear emphasis “I Dreamed a Dream,” from Les on her vocals. And while these songs Miserables, moved the crowd to are definitely enjoyable, fans looktears, and at that moment Boyle’s ing for a more creative approach to quaint little life was turned on its Christmas music—such as the one ugly head. Within days, her perfor- Jimmy Buffett took on Christmas mance had gone viral on YouTube Island— should look elsewhere. And and she’s been in the spotlight, at even if The Gift finds Boyle strayleast to some degree, ever since. ing from traditional arrangements at Her debut album, I Dreamed a times, she sticks to the basics for the Dream, was comprised mostly of most part. covers and Christian hymns, and The album concludes with an achieved remarkable a cappella version CD REVIEW commercial sucof “O Come All Ye cess upon its release Faithful,” a track last November. The that features solely Gift, Boyle’s latest Boyle’s voice and endeavor, doesn’t a backing choir. stray far from the Favoring light formula of its predearrangements and cessor with predoman easy-listening The Gift inantly Christian, vibe, this song— Susan Boyle unoriginal material. and the entire The Gift kicks album—is one to off with “Perfect Day,” a song origi- be listened to during the holiday nally written and performed by the season while sipping on some cider. legendary Lou Reed. The tempo of The Gift is a Christmas album that her rendition is about the same as the can definitely be enjoyed by mass audioriginal, but Boyle adds a church- ences, with Boyle proving once again like twist with orchestral accompani- that she can sing hymnals and folk ment and beautiful vocal delivery. songs very well. Unfortunately, the lisThe second track, “Hallelujah,” tener is left wondering what she can do is undoubtedly the album stand- beyond those contexts. Whether or not out. Written by Leonard Cohen, Boyle can provide anything beyond “Hallelujah” opens with the power- cover albums—and whether or not ful lyrics, “I heard there was a secret her career will ever reach the point it chord / That David played and it did with her “Britain’s Got Talent” saved the Lord / But you don’t really appearance—remains to be seen. But care for music do you.” Accompanied ultimately, the fact that she’s had this by only a piano, stringed instruments opportunity in the music world is a gift and a back-up chorus for the song’s in and of itself.
the daily cardinal
photo courtesy university theatre
Arthur Noble and Adam Aufderhaar star in “The Yum Yum Room,” a thought-provoking and gritty play.
Make ‘room’ for this play By Riley Beggin The daily cardinal
Having low self-esteem, finding your first love, experimenting with drugs and alcohol, making friends, losing friends, feeling trapped and fighting with your parents: do any of these experiences sound familiar? In “The Yum Yum Room,” the struggle of coming-of-age is tackled in all its uncomfortable, tense glory. This production, written by Australian playwright Stephen House, is set to make its debut in the United States this weekend at Madison’s own Hemsley Theatre. “The Yum Yum Room” follows Tom, a teenage boy growing up in a small town in which nothing is secret. Raised by a single father, the story traces Tom’s struggle as he loses interest in school and turns to his dreams of being a DJ. Then, Tom falls for the flighty Annabelle and hits the ground hard. The Yum Yum Room itself is a haven, a place for Tom to escape the stresses and realities of his estranged teenage existence. The Theatre for Youth production is especially applicable to high school students and young adults, but it doesn’t spare any grit for the young audiences. “I knew it’d be a cool show for kids––we’re not dumbing anything down,” director Andy
Wiginton said. The play is rife with strong themes and relatable topics, but the audience is left to decide what they want to take away from it. “The goal was to create a beautiful piece of art that tells a story, not to preach,” Wiginton said. The set itself is an artistic piece, with a starkly simplistic frame made out of string. The original script called for a very realistic set, but limited resources called for a different interpretation of Tom’s world. “The set is almost his mind––his thoughts and emotions and how they mingle together,” set designer Cynthia Dean said. The string set starts loosely webbed on the edges and becomes tighter and more complicated as it moves towards the center of the stage and the focal point of Tom’s struggles––his family dining room. Even the lighting has symbolic significance, from the cold fluorescent illumination in the dining room to the warm, stained glass bulbs in the room of Tom’s confidant, Mrs. Mac. “Each character’s space is defined by the lighting in there,” lighting designer Jono de Leon said. The set and lighting extends over the small audience, bringing them into the story as well. The audience’s participation in
the production doesn’t end with the show itself, however, as high school students and various youth clubs will have the chance to participate in “forum theater.” “It’s a way to get people to practice the change they want to see and learn strategies to make that happen in a safe environment.” said Wiginton. Arthur Noble, who plays Tom, describes the exercises they will work though with students as a “theatre for social and cultural awareness.” Teeming with relatable but often controversial material, the show looks to be a thought-provoking and interactive reflection of teenage life. “The story isn’t neatly wrapped up,” Noble said. “There are no solutions because life isn’t like that. It’s just intended to start conversations.” If nothing else, the piece promises to pack a punch. “I have been directing for more than ten years, and this is one of the most powerful pieces I’ve ever worked on,” Wiginton said. You can see “The Yum Yum Room” November 12th, 13th and 20th at 7:30 p.m., and November 14th at 2:00 p.m. at the Helmsley Theatre. Tickets are $10 for students and adults, and can be bought at the University Theatre box office or at www.utmadison.com.
Want free Lotus tickets? The first person to correctly answer the following question will win a pair of tickets to the show.
The song “Simian” is from what Lotus EP? Send your answer to arts@dailycardinal.com and you could win!
From Steve Nash to Faith Hill: the mystique of music in sports kyle sparks total awesome
I
remember the first person who introduced me to RJD2. The brass call-and-response sample off “Ghostwriter” trumpeted through my family room while Kobe Bryant threw a head-fake right, then dusted an entire defense with a pretty lay-up along the left-hand baseline. I doubt I actually watched the NBA game the ESPN commercial was advertising, but I remember watching a game on TNT a few days later and looking for those same trumpets. Mike D’Antoni’s seven-seconds-orless offense was in full swing. Raja Bell plucked the guitar strings with shut-down perimeter defense and a soft-spoken offense. Boris Diaw kept a steady beat with a soft mid-range touch and calculated passes. Shawn Marion chimed in with soulful harmonies while flying through the paint
and sweeping in to collect boards. Everything came together in a steady flow, a perfectly constructed verse of humble parts overachieving as a whole. Then it happened. Steve Nash took the outlet pass and swerved around traffic. Amare Stoudemire popped out to the top of the key, trapping a defender as Nash blew past. He ducked baseline, directing the orchestra straight into the opposing wing before blowing the rock toward an unattended basket. Stoudemire used one hand to hammer it home and the other to launch into the trumpet-led chorus. I was euphoric. Basketball seems almost entirely alone in its ability to match music to its action, though. Baseball players get to choose their own personal theme songs for each home at-bat, yet the sport itself remains utterly void of soundtrack. Budweiser called up Los Campesinos! for their Fall Classic ads, but there was not a single depiction of the game itself set to the tune. Baseball has the crack of wood and the smack of leather,
yet their most distinguishable song— “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”—was written some hundred years ago and says nothing about the game itself, only the experience that surrounds it. It’s outrageous to think a marketing agency could do so little with the personalities on the San Francisco Giants alone—and maybe there is a reason the sport’s soundtrack and its television ratings share the same chkkch chkkch chkkch of passing tumbleweed. Yet, it may be the case that baseball is better safe than sorry. I had very little to complain about this past Sunday night. The Packers rolled over the Cowboys, the flag football team I’ve played with each year but this one took home the intramural championship, and I was one dropped James Jones touchdown from a clean sweep in all three of my fantasy football leagues. But that was a heavy icing to cover up Sunday Night Football’s pre-game hullabaloo. You’ll never hear me say I wouldn’t go out to dinner with Faith Hill, but you’d better believe I would never
bring her out to beer-and-nacho night with the Pack. The NFL’s assumed country persona has been around at least since I memorized the words to Hank Williams Jr.’s “All My Rowdy Friends Are Back for Monday Night” in the third grade, and nowadays the country introductions are about as forced and outdated as the quarterbacks who share their tenure. It’s enough that the pop-country theme puts both of the NFL’s feet in what is only a fragment of the league’s demographic; but the fact is, that’s not even what the NFL sounds like. The NFL is dominated by tension and release. Each play is a study in strategic physical aggression, with some 30 seconds between each one to gather stress. When Nick Collins unloaded on Roy Williams’ helmet Sunday night, we didn’t hear violins— we heard a violent crunch of bottled aggression. When Brandon Jackson bruised his way into the end zone, we didn’t hear clean guitars and harmonicas—we heard a very linear willpower drive through brute strength. When
Clay Matthews returned an interception 62 yards for a touchdown, we didn’t hear blissful sagas of life on the beach and fishing with your dog—we heard a decade of intense weight lifting and speed training make one of the world’s best athletes look uncomfortable carrying a football. The NFL sounds angry, oppressive and malicious. The pop-country themes distract from the sport’s most basic hostile tendencies; but maybe that’s the point. Maybe the popcountry identity is not supposed to appeal to a fragment of the sport’s demographic, but rather a fragment of everyone else. After all, the NFL grabs the most viewers from all different musical backgrounds. Maybe the NBA is the one with the problem of narrowminded marketing, and maybe that’s why I can never seem to find anyone who likes the NBA who doesn’t also like RJD2. Think this column belongs on the sports page? Wondering where the NHL lies in this mess? E-mail Kyle at ktsparks@wisc.edu.
housing guide dailycardinal.com/housing
By Kristen Klimo
security deposits.” With all the contradictory advertising and word of mouth, it’s no surprise student renters become confused. “I think just educating students can go a long way,” said Nancy Jensen, Executive Director for the Apartment Association of South Central Wisconsin. “I have three kids, and every one of them has needed guidance.” Leases can be very confusing, said Bergey, and with the sense of urgency students feel it easy to sign something without understanding the conditions. The Non Standard Rental Provisions come at the end of the lease and deal with conditions specific to the property. This can be overlooked in the rush to sign, and students may leave uninformed. “The best advice I can give is to make sure you read a contract thoroughly before signing,” Bergey said. “Really doing the legwork up front can save you a lot of time in the end.” Lucky for distressed student renters, help is on the way. A new program called Student Tenant Education and Mediation (STEM) is opening a new office close to campus. Jensen said STEM will provide a place for students to come with problems related to renting. “There are a lot of things to look at when leasing an apartment,” said Jensen. “If they don’t like the lease options, they can adjust it or look for another property.” When it’s up and running students will be able to access STEM through phone, email, scheduled appointments and drop-in hours. The program is also hoping to partner with the Associated Students of Madison (ASM) for further student input and involvement. Jensen said she hopes land-
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Informed student renters STEM from education
THE DAILY CARDINAL
It’s that time of year again in Madison. The weather turns cold, football season heats up, and students frantically begin the apartment search for next fall. But for many, the search began even earlier. “I feel like you have to be looking at apartments early or else you aren’t going to get what you want,” said a junior majoring in business currently renting with Madison Property Management (MPM). There is also a great deal of discrepancy and confusion regarding when landlords are allowed to begin showing apartments for future rentals. Under Madison City Ordinances, no landlord may enter a leased premise for the purpose of showing it to prospective tenants until one-fourth of the lease period has passed (Sec. 32.12 Subsection 8). So for a lease starting Aug. 15, they could not begin showings until Nov. 15. However, this does not apply to sublets, or if an agreement has been reached in the Non Standard Rental Provisions. But what about open houses? Many companies are currently advertising open houses showing “model units.” This technically does not go against the Madison City Ordinances since the model is not for rent. Confusing? Oh, yes. According to the Wisconsin Bureau of Protection, tenant/ landlord relations are second on their list of the top 10 complaints only behind telemarketing. Spokesperson Brock Bergey said the numbers have been consistent for a couple of years. “The complaints are broken down into different subcategories,” Bergey said, “and the most frequent have to do with
lords will also become involved in the process so they can learn how to better mediate situations. It will also give them the opportunity to hear firsthand from student renters what problems keep occurring. “Landlords and students
can learn the laws and property management practices,” said Jensen. “We want to keep them out of the court system.” While STEM hopes to ease the renting process, there is still a lot to think about, especially for first-time renters.
l
7
“My advice would be to consider where your classes and the location you want to rent,” said the MPM renter. “If you find something you’re interested in, find someone that lives there for an opinion about the building and the company.”
housing guide 8
l
Thursday, November 11, 2010
dailycardinal.com
Check out www.dailycardinal.com/media for photo slideshows from the biggest campus events, Badger games and more
housing guide dailycardinal.com/housing
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thank you, veterans. The staff of The Daily Cardinal extends its thanks to all American veterans for their service and wishes all active duty personnel a safe return home. Spring 2011 Sublet: Aberdeen Apartments Single room • 3 studious, respectful female roommates • Shared bathroom with one other person • $600/month everything included OBO Free laundry in apartment Contact: mmferrara@wisc.edu
l
9
housing guide 10
l
Thursday, November 11, 2010
dailycardinal.com/housing
Scoping Out the Biggest Stories ... since 1892
comics
No hair cuts for you...
dailycardinal.com/comics
11 By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu Thursday, November 11, 2010
Staying awake in your 7:45 a.m. discussion
Today’s Sudoku
In Alaska it is illegal for a kangaroo to pay a visit to a barber shop at any time.
Evil Bird
l
© Puzzles by Pappocom
Branching Out
By Brendan Sullivan bsullivan3@wisc.edu
Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
Eatin’ Cake
By Dylan Moriarty eatincake@gmail.com
Crustaches
By Patrick Remington premington@wisc.edu
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
Graph Giraffe Classic
By Yosef Lerner graphics@dailycardinal.com
Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS
ACROSS 1 Stare at heavenly bodies? 5 Women in a letter’s salutation 11 USN rank 14 Length x width 15 De Havilland or Hussey 16 Took a chair 17 Soaring sport 19 Link between home and school, briefly 20 Gangster’s piece 21 Fenway Park, for one 23 More widespread 26 Large U.S. publisher? 28 Roll call reply 29 Source of secondhand goods 31 Picked out 33 Sawbones’ org. 34 Emotional exhaustion 36 Thrill-seeker’s activity 41 Go where one’s not welcome 42 Word we share? 44 TV’s Dr. Welby 47 In a ceremonial way 50 Fish also called a Jerusalem haddock 51 Change from bland to blond?
52 Fumble around in the dark, e.g. 53 Pedigree 56 Stately shade source 57 Certain extremity 58 Another soaring sport 64 Winter walking hazard 65 Beetle type 66 Pennsylvania port or its lake 67 Suffix with “mountain” or “profit” 68 Fine, shiny fabric 69 Semester-start purchase DOWN 1 “Well ___-di-dah!” 2 Geological span 3 When night comes o’er the land 4 Uneven 5 Shed one’s skin 6 “Open, sesame” speaker 7 Accomplished 8 Dispatch boat 9 Money-making business 10 Long, dramatic tale 11 Gets a glimpse of 12 Outdoorsman’s love 13 It’s got the anther 18 Long-jawed fishes 22 Garb worn by Gandhi
23 Shaggy Scandinavian rug 24 Two-syllable poetic foot 25 German woman 26 One using Elmer’s 27 False testimony 30 Eggs on a yegg 31 Cupid’s teammate 32 “___, two, three, four!” (marching words) 35 Cheap film, slangily 37 Corner of the market 38 Antelope seen on safaris 39 “___ contendere” (no contest) 40 Nervous swallow 43 Bread type 44 Guppy’s cousin (Var.) 45 By the item 46 Texas player 48 Not a pretty fruit 49 Biceps band 51 Purge, Pied Piper-style 54 Tarzan’s “family” 55 Black-tie event 56 Make bucks 59 Nibbled on 60 “What did I tell you?” 61 Fury 62 Give the thumbs down to 63 Come by
Washington and the Bear
By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com
12
l
Thursday, November 11, 2010
opinion
view Cardinal View editorials represent The Daily Cardinal’s organizational opinion. Each editorial is crafted independent of news coverage.
doyle leaves rail supporters puzzled When Gov. Jim Doyle signed an $810 million high-speed rail deal with the federal government the weekend before the midterm elections, it seemed like he wanted to throw one last political punch before becoming a lame duck. In light of this, politicos and average Joes alike were shocked when Doyle put the brakes on the rail project last week. It’s unclear if Doyle’s decision is rooted in some type of political ploy or just evidence that he believes governor-elect Scott Walker will inevitably kill the project. However, no matter what his reasoning is, work on the rail should continue. The plan is projected to create over 5,000 construction jobs and would cost Wisconsin taxpayers only $7.5 million a year in upkeep. Walker has called the project a “boondoggle” for taxpayers, but this maintenance cost is a minimal price to pay considering Wisconsin already spends over $3 billion a year on transportation. Additionally, continuing the project would prevent Talgo, a Spanish train company that Milwaukee spent over $3 million recruiting, from leaving the state. Ending the project now wouldn’t come without extra costs. In addition to the $14 million the state has already spent, Wisconsin taxpayers will still be responsible for paying over $83 million originally covered by federal stimulus funding to renovate the Milwaukee train station and the Hiawatha line. Moreover, Wisconsin and Southern Railroad has said it plans to bill the state for eight months of labor and supply costs whether or not the project continues. It’s both disappointing and confusing that Doyle is halting a project he’s worked so hard
dailycardinal.com/opinion
for. By continuing work on the rail until January he could easily call Walker’s bluff and force him to either continue the project or make the politically vulnerable and irresponsible decision of dismantling the rail and repaying potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in funding already spent on the project. However, the pieces are now falling into place to shift Wisconsin’s rail funding to projects in other states. Despite Walker’s campaign promise to use the funds for other infrastructure projects such as improving roads or expanding highways, a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate and President Obama’s veto power would surely block any attempt to redirect the funds. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has already warned Walker about the consequences of canceling the project and other states like New York are lining up to rake in any unclaimed funds. Because Walker is now in a position to either give up the money or build the rail, he will inevitably be forced to renege on one of his campaign promises. If he actually cares about two of his primary campaign planks, creating jobs and promoting infrastructure, finishing the rail would be a no-brainer. Though Walker was critical of Democratic leaders when Harley-Davidson threatened to leave the state, if he decides to permanently end the rail project, he will be solely responsible for forcing Talgo to eventually pack up shop. Walker fell into the unfortunate position of regurgitating national GOP talking points during his gubernatorial campaign. Now that he’s elected, he has the chance to make the best decision for Wisconsin. We hope he takes up that challenge.
High-speed rail is too costly for Wisconsin matt beaty opinion columnist
O
ne day after last Tuesday’s election, Gov. Jim Doyle halted work on the $810 million high-speed rail project—believing the rail can’t move forward when the state and Washington D.C. are not cooperating partners. With this suspension, Doyle made the right choice considering the poor state of Wisconsin’s current economic status. While it is true that the project is funded by a federal stimulus grant, Wisconsin taxpayers are going to end up paying more than they bargained for. The yearly operating costs to uphold the rail reach an estimated $7.5 million. Because the stimulus money only covers construction and materials, Wisconsin will have to pick up that tab with money the state can no longer afford, considering its multibillion dollar deficit.
Doyle made the right choice considering Wisconsin’s current economic status.
If the experience of Amtrak is any example, then Wisconsin should realize the new train will lose money and perpetually siphon taxpayer dollars. The Cato Institute estimates total subsidies for a single Madison to Milwaukee ticket to be $68. This new rail line would act as a drain on Wisconsin’s resources, much like Amtrak has to the federal government since the 1970s. The general public lacks a true demand for a rail line, dooming the project. The vot-
ers of Wisconsin expressed their discontent by voting Walker, who campaigned to turn the rail money into funds for road construction. The Department of Transportation estimated that only 40 percent of the seats will be filled ten years after the project is completed. This tells me that most of Wisconsin realizes that the rail line doesn’t deserve priority on the political agenda. And without true enthusiasm for the project, the state of Wisconsin will never see the real benefits. The jobs created will be lost when high-speed rail has to make budget cuts to keep it out of debt. Because it is unlikely to significantly slow the use of cars, the possible environmental benefits might never be realized. Furthermore, people will see no substantial benefits outweighing the costs to taking the train— taking a bus will ultimately be cheaper than the proposed $30 one-way ticket to Milwaukee. Public rail transportation may be viable in some areas, but the Madison to Milwaukee route is not a long enough distance to justify a high-speed line. The availability of frequent bus rides to Milwaukee makes me question the need to spend $810 million to get passengers from the two cities via public transportation in such hard economic times. And it can be argued that if Walker is willing to cancel rail construction, he will still need to find ways to substitute the jobs lost from the project in Wisconsin. According to Gov. Doyle, that is thousands of temporary jobs and 55 permanent jobs. Canceling one infrastructure project doesn’t make Walker an advocate against them. Walker will still aim to invest in infrastructure, like road reconstruction, to create short-term jobs. Lowering taxes on early investments can spur private sector businesses and lay down roots in Wisconsin to create permanent jobs.
Furthermore, Walker must continue to fight for the money to fund the state’s highways, a major component in his campaign. I remember a time when riding on Illinois’ highways could be compared to riding over railroad tracks and Wisconsin’s roads were like tile floors. Because this is no longer the case in many areas of Wisconsin, the problem deserves priority. But these funds will not be easy to come by and will require a lot of political maneuvering. But since Walker promised the citizens of Milwaukee reconstruction, this is an issue he will have to deal with.
The jobs created will be lost when high-speed rail has to make budget cuts to keep it out of debt.
The people of Wisconsin elected Walker to bring in new private sector jobs and help fund and repair existing infrastructure that needs improvement, like telecommunication networks and highways. Wisconsin cannot expand while what it has is currently falling apart. In a different situation I would support this project, but construction is not viable in our current economic situation. Because the economy is hurting, this project should be pushed to the back burner. Wisconsin needs to focus on keeping what infrastructure it has the best it can be, while building private sector jobs and finding ways to rid the increasing deficit. When this happens and public support grows from its current level, the prospect of the rail line can be rethought. Matt Beaty is a sophomore majoring in math and computer science. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
Interested in saving planet Earth? Share your concerns with Mother Nature by writing for The Green Room! This moment of zen brought to you by The Daily Cardinal.
E-mail opinion@dailycardinal.com for more information.
opinion Walker’s plan for high-speed rail a huge fail dailycardinal.com/opinion
Thursday, November 11, 2010
l
13
Jaime Brackeen opinion columnist
N
ewly elected governor Scott Walker hasn’t even been sworn into office yet and he’s already making big changes for Wisconsin—and not necessarily for the better. Just days after the 2010 midterm-election results declared a nearly sweeping Republican victory in the state, Gov. Jim Doyle put a halt to a highspeed rail project that Walker avidly campaigned against. The Wisconsin high-speed intercity passenger rail plan was formed in 2009 as a way to develop the Milwaukee to Madison segment of what is known as the Midwest Regional Rail Corridor, according to the Department of Transportation.
But I believe it’s because he doesn’t want to waste any more money on a project that Walker aims to permanently shut down.
The Wisconsin DOT applied for a stimulus package provided by the Federal Railroad Administration Recovery Act to make this project a reality. As a result, Wisconsin received the hefty sum of $810 million for the project, and, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the state purchased two 14-car trains manufactured by Talgo Inc.—a train building company based in Spain where fast trains known as “bullet” trains are already in place. Not only are we heavily invested in the project, but this plan will also serve to repair the existing Hiawatha line that runs from Milwaukee to Chicago and would increase train speeds on the track from 79 mph to 110 mph. The peak of the project is supposed to create over 5,500 jobs for Wisconsin. Therefore, my question is: Why in the world are we stopping this? Doyle’s reasoning behind pausing the plan is to not encroach on the soon-to-be governor’s decision making. But I believe it’s because he doesn’t want to waste any more money on a project that Walker aims to permanently shut down.
Who’s to say that an investment today couldn’t turn in to a huge benefit a few years down the line?
It is important to note that what has already been spent of the stimulus money must be paid back if the project is canceled within the first 20 years of
Graphic by caitlin kirihara/cardinal File Graphic
commencement. This includes $14.5 million in contract cancellation fees. The $83.4 million spent to upgrade the Hiawatha line, regardless of the new rail system, will also be added to further burden taxpayers.
We will then have to pay the government this money back, putting our state into further economic trouble with absolutely nothing to show for it.
It seems to be easy for Walker to forget about these costs. His plans to demolish the project show his lack of concern for the engineers, construction workers and contractors who have been promised employment—individuals who will find themselves out of work under Walker’s authority. The Chicago tribune reported Walker saying he doesn’t want the high-speed rail project to go through because he thinks it is a “waste of taxpayer money.” He’d rather the funds go to repairing roads and bridges. Unfortunately for him, the $810 million allotted to Wisconsin is strictly allocated for a rail stimulus package. In order for the funds to be transferred to another project, new laws would have to be passed by Congress. This is not likely since 25 other states applied for this stimulus money for a total of 77 different rail projects. States like New York would be happy to stimulate their own economies with the funds we are about to carelessly throw away. A Wisconsin DOT representative, Cari Anne Renlund, makes a good case for the installation of the high-speed railway, according to stateline.org. To those complaining about
the subsidies the state would have to pay each year for rail upkeep, Renlund argues that currently, “the state pays $1.38 per Wisconsin resident on rail, compared to $360 per person on bridges, highways and roads.” When taking these statistics into account, the rail doesn’t sound like such a bad deal to me. Walker wants to repair roads and bridges, but he doesn’t have any funds guaranteed for this purpose. The millions of dollars already spent on this project will go to waste if the project is canceled. We will then have to pay the government this money back, putting our state into further economic trouble with absolutely nothing to show for it. In his first year, it seems Walker would want to improve Wisconsin’s economy—not dig it into a ditch.
Government officials can’t just snap their fingers and solve all of our problems; repairing the economy takes time.
Ultimately, the problem is that Walker, and the citizens who voted for him, are not thinking long term. Who’s to say that an investment today couldn’t turn in to a huge benefit a few years down the line? Government officials can’t just snap their fingers and solve all of our problems, repairing an economy takes time. This high-speed rail project has been developing for almost 20 years. So Walker, give it a chance and don’t shut it down the first day you take the governor’s seat. Jaime Brackeen is a sophomore intending to major in journalism. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
sports 14
l
dailycardinal.com/sports
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Men’s Basketball
Leuer powers 93-59 exhibition victory
Matt Marheine/the daily cardinal
Senior forward Jon Leuer led an efficient performance for the Wisconsin offense. He finished 10-16 from the floor and poured in 25 points in just 25 minutes of play. Leuer is a preseason All- Big Ten pick. By Max Sternberg the daily cardinal
Wisconsin men’s basksetball closed out their exhibition slate in style on Wednesday, cruising to a 93-59 win over Division II Minnesota State-Mankato. Taking advantage of once again having a significant advantage inside, the Badgers leaned heavily on senior Jon Leuer, as the
preseason all-Big Ten forward put up 19 points on eight of ten shooting while grabbing seven boards as Wisconsin built a comfortable lead that got as high as thirty points late in the first half. “He’s the real deal,” MSU coach Matt Morgenthaler said after the game. “It’s unbelievable the things he can do.” The senior finished the game
Men’s Soccer
Big Ten tournament, OSU loom for UW By Matthew Kleist the daily cardinal
After finishing the regular season with a pair of shutout wins, the Wisconsin men’s soccer team (1-41 Big Ten, 4-12-2 overall) travel to University Park, Pa to participate in the Big Ten Tournament. The Badgers will take on rival Ohio State in the first round of the tournament. The Badgers and Buckeyes met in the regular season when Wisconsin traveled to Columbus, with Ohio State taking the 1-0 win. In a close game that was decided by the first half goal, freshman keeper Max Jentsch made six saves, playing an impressive game despite allowing the goal. Jentsch has really stepped up his game as the regular season came to an end. The young keeper started the last six games for the Badgers, where he went for a 3-3-0 record over that span. Even with a .500 record in those last six games, his impact has been tremendous, with the three losses coming in games decided by one goal. Finding his rhythm, Jentsch won three of his last four starts, with all three wins in a shutout fashion. He closed the Badgers’ regular season with two shutout wins. That effort earned him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and a spot on the College Soccer News National
Team of the Week. The Badgers face an Ohio State (4-2-0, 10-5-2) team that earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament. The Buckeyes look to earn a second straight Big Ten Tournament championship after capturing the title last year. Ohio State keeper Matt Lampson posted a goals-against-average of 0.68 during the regular season, giving up only 12 goals. Lampson tops the Big Ten in goals-against and save percentage, and sits second in saves. The Buckeyes have outscored opponents by a margin or 18-12 over the regular season. In contrast, the Badgers have given up 27 goals and only netted 18 of their own. Leading the Buckeyes in scoring is forward Konrad Warzycha with seven goals on the season. Ohio State also puts a handful of other impact players on the field. Forward Chris Hegngi and midfielder Austin McAnena have each scored three times and have three assists. Finally, midfielder Sam Scales has two goals and four assists. Wisconsin is led by freshman forward Chris Prince, who finished the regular season with seven goals. Also contributing to the Badger offense are senior defender Aaron Nichols with three goals and two assists, and freshman midfielder Joey Tennyson (three goals, one assist).
with 25 points and 11 rebounds, his second straight double-double. While Leuer was in the game, the Badgers outscored MSU 63-31. “Jon made a lot of different types of moves,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “He did just about everything you could do offensively.” Leuer’s stellar start allowed the Badgers to shut out an opponent in the paint for a third-straight
half, outscoring the Mavericks 20-0 in the first half before finishing the game with a 40-14 advantage inside. Leuer and junior guard Jordan Taylor took control from the onset, providing 29 of the Badgers’ first 40 points and 35 of the 50 points the Badgers put up in the first half. The offensive dominance did not end with these two as the team shot over 65 percent from the field in that first half before cooling off to a mere 58.5 percent for the game. Once again proving invaluable in initiating the offense, Taylor got into the mix himself, putting up 20 points of his own on seven of nine shooting while also having five assists, two rebounds and a steal, one of eight steals for the Badgers on the night. “The way Jon can score, the way everybody on our team can shoot the ball,” Taylor said. “It spreads things out and makes it easier for guys like myself and [Wquinton Smith] to get in the lane and find open guys.” “The main thing was we were able to get good quality looks, high percentage shots,” Leuer said. “Those are the type of looks we want to get and tonight we were able to get them.” Meanwhile, the Mavericks struggled, shooting just 28 percent in the first half and failing to record a two-point field goal for nearly 17 minutes to start the game. Despite the encouraging performances by Leuer and Taylor, even this 34-point victory had its flaws. Once again an opponent was able
to put up 20 points on his own as Jefferson Mason got hot in the second half and finished with 20 point and nine rebounds in just 25 minutes of action. “We still feel we have some things we need to improve upon, especially defensively,” Leuer said. While the Badgers were working on their 34-point win, the program made headlines off the court by signing four players from the class of 2011. Ryan was able to get two forwards, Frank Kaminsky from Lisle, Ill. and Jared Uthoff from Cedar Rapids, Ill. Perhaps more importantly, Ryan added to the growing depth at the guard spots by signing guards George Marshall (Chicago) and Traevon Jackson (Westerville, Ohio).
“[Leuer] is the real deal. It’s unbelievable the things he can do.” Matt Morgenthaler head coach Minnesota State-Mankato basketball
“I’ll take these guys against anybody [in quiz bowl],” Ryan joked. “And they can play … they’re good parts to a team puzzle.” With the exhibition slate behind them and the regular season looming, the Badgers head into Sunday’s game against Prairie View A&M looking to embark on a season they hope will yet again serve to prove their early-season critics wrong.
sports
Thursday, November 11, 2010 15
dailycardinal.com/sports
Football
l
The latest in a long line of NCAA scandals, Newton controversy not surprising nico savidge savidge nation
T
Danny Marchewka/cardinal file photo
Senior offensive lineman Bill Nagy (76) will likely start at center in place of sophomore Peter Konz. Nagy has played at three positions this year and is part of a gound game averaging 216.0 yards per game.
Nagy uses versatility to fit in whenever needed on UW O-line By Parker Gabriel the daily cardinal
A year ago, senior offensive lineman Bill Nagy played in just three games.What a difference one season can make. Not only has Nagy started all but one of Wisconsin’s nine games so far, he has played three different positions in the process. After starting the first four games at right guard, junior Kevin Zietler took over the job. Nagy’s workload did not end with the lost spot though, as Wisconsin debuted a jumbo package that included the Hudson, Ohio native lined up at tight end, No. 89 jersey and all. A week later against Ohio State, the Badgers opened in the same formation and bludgeoned the Buckeyes with it. Nagy’s time at tight end did not last long, however, as an injury to sophomore center Peter Konz forced him into his first career snaps at center at halftime in Iowa City on Oct. 23. After Konz aggravated the same injury last week against Purdue, Nagy is poised to make his first start at center Saturday against Indiana. Teammates and coaches alike have taken notice of this jack-of-alltrades act, a perfect living example of UW’s next-man-in philosophy. “Number one is he’s willing to do it,” offensive line coach Bob Bostad said. “He’s an active learner, spends a lot of time studying film
and for us he’s a good football player. You want to get good football players on the field.” Senior left guard John Moffitt may have been the logical choice to replace Konz in the middle—he has fifteen career starts at center for the Badgers—but that would have opened another position to fill, so Nagy jumped in. “His focus is right on and that’s what you need to do and that’s how you have success,” Moffitt said. “The example he’s put forward is just awesome for the young guys. It’s pretty special.” For as seamless as Nagy makes the transition look, it has not come without a steep learning curve. Guard and center are similar positions in terms of assignments and style in Wisconsin’s system, but playing tight end takes a different mind set. “With the tight end position I have to listen to the whole formation,” Nagy said. “I’m usually kind of tuned out to that a little bit, but that’s helped me understand the game better.” While depth along the offensive line is not a problem for the Badgers, the willingness and ability of Nagy to fill in at center helps preserve organizational depth beyond this year. Sophomore center Travis Frederick started four games last year, including two at center, but did not win a starting spot during fall camp and opted to take
a redshirt this season. Thanks to the program’s depth, and the versatility of Nagy, that redshirt can be kept and Frederick does not have to be forced into action late in the season. “We have a lot of guys that can play. Just coming into the season in the weight room and seeing all the guys develop,” Nagy said, rattling off the names of Frederick and redshirt freshmen Ryan Groy and Zac Matthias and Casey Dehn. “That just says a lot about coach [Bostad] and how good of a coach he is.” While the young players can look to Nagy’s willingness to play multiple positions as inspiration, the veterans might just be happy that he is not playing tight end any longer. “When Billy signs autographs, I think he probably signs it number 89 and not 76,” Konz said with a laugh last week. “He thinks it’s going to help him with the ladies.” Nagy addmitted he liked the tight end jersey, saying the number formally worn by stand-out Garrett Graham had certain advantages. “I think it slims me down a little bit, that’s what I’ve been told at least,” he said smiling. “I think I look a little faster.” Fast or not, unselfish play like that from Nagy is a big reason why the Badgers are 8-1 and squarely in the middle of the Bowl Championship Series conversation.
his has been a bad month for people who still believe in purely amateur student athletics. Over the past week, a number of reports have surfaced about Auburn junior quarterback and Heisman Trophy frontrunner Cam Newton. According to reports originally published on ESPN.com, a man who said he represented Newton told Mississippi State he was looking for payment to sign there. And later, recruiters from Mississippi State told ESPN Newton and his father asked for money in return for Newton’s committment to the school. Almost one month ago exactly, Sports Illustrated dropped a similar—if less timely—bomb on college football fans. Their article, “Confessions of an agent,” is a tell-all by former veteran agent Josh Luchs in which he names 30 athletes he said he paid during the 1990s with cash and gifts that violated NCAA rules. These are not, of course, the only revelations to surface about college athletes, and by no means will they prove to be the last. What they show, however, is further evidence that the idea of amateur college sports and “studentathletes” in major revenue sports is a joke. Anyone who was truly shocked by the allegations against Newton or the stories in the article about Luchs—and there has been plenty of hand wringing in the past month about them—clearly has not been paying attention to the world of college athletics for a long time. What it boils down to is simple: College sports are big money for universities. Given the choice between being A School That Does Things The Right Way and a school that rakes in a ton of TV revenue thanks to a star player, it’s easy to see which track many universities will take. There are millions of dollars at stake when it comes to player recruiting, so the temptation to throw a few thousand (or, in Newton’s case, a few hundred thousand) dollars at a player is clearly there. The same goes for professional agents like Luchs, who could see millions in com-
Former Badger Michael Davies had some words of warning for a former teammate. No. 9 always was an enforcer.
Looking forward to playing agains Brendan Smith tonight. He should probably keep his head up. @MikeGDavies
DAVIES
mission if they’re the guy who gets the first-round draft pick. This system of payment has been around for years, and we can only assume is more common at major programs than we would like to believe, possibly even this one. Obviously, I have no evidence to suggest the Wisconsin Athletic Department has taken part in any wrongdoing whatsoever, and no one else does. But, in a purely hypothetical scenario, if it came out next week that a Wisconsin football player took money from an agent when he played here, would it shock you? Would you truly be taken aback if an investigative report found that UW recruiters discussed payment for a prized player? If it would, you need to realize the world college athletics has become. We should not be surprised at any revelations of athletes taking money from schools when they are theoretically amateur student-athletes. Considering the amount of money at stake, it is almost inevitable that schools and recruiters would resort to paying for players.
Would you truly be taken aback if an investigative report found that UW recruiters discussed payment for a prized player?
Now that we have established that the problem exists, the next question is what we do about it. The solution of stripping college athletics of its amateur status and letting this system of payment be an open and accepted process is not an option. Such a system would create a college recruitment process similar to professional free agency bidding wars, with the richest and largest programs able to lure top recruits away from the smaller schools like TCU or Boise State that have made college football so much fun in the past few seasons. At the same time, the status quo is hardly desirable. While the existence of this kind of payment is obvious in general, specific cases are far more difficult to nail down— surely the problem is more widespread than USC, Cam Newton or the players Luchs named, but we cannot say for certain which schools are taking part. The result is a recruiting underbelly that only rears its ugly head when programs are stripped of wins (and players of awards), embarrassing athletes and the NCAA as a whole. Clearly, then, the solution is exactly what people have been saying for years: The NCAA has to do a better job investigating violations and enforcing its rules. Programs should know that whatever benefit they get from paying a star player (and whatever profit a star player gets from accepting money) can be taken away when, not if, the NCAA finds out. Until that point, the system of pay-to-play will only become more prevalent. How should the NCAA handle scandals over recruiting? E-mail Nico at savidgewilki@dailycardinal.com.
16
l
advertisement
Thursday, November 11, 2010
dailycardinal.com