Part two of our immigration reform series looks at in-state tuition FEATURES
University of Wisconsin-Madison
l
PAGE 4
GAMEDAY COUNTS DOWN TO BIG TEN OPENER
Garrett Graham and company look to take down Sparty in their conference opener GAMEDAY Complete campus coverage since 1892
l
dailycardinal.com
National Women’s Health Day Rally
THE DAILY CARDINAL
ISABEL ALVAREZ/THE DAILY CARDINAL
PAGE B1
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Panel stresses rape prevention By Melanie Teachout
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk declared Wednesday to be National Women’s Health Day to honor all those striving to procure comprehensive health care.
l
Organizers from Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment hosted a panel Wednesday to provide UW-Madison students with information on resources available to help victims of sexual assault. Representatives from the Rape Crisis Center, Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, Office of the Dean of Students, University Health Services, UW Police Department and a sexual assault nurse examiner were present to explain how to prevent sexual assault and describe the best ways to help victims. According to Rosalie Migas, director of services at Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, one major problem facing DAIS is that the shelter for victims is almost always full. “We have the highest per capita residence ratio in the entire state.
In Dane County, we have one bed for approximately every 19,000 residents,” Migas said. “The average shelter in the state of Wisconsin is one per every 7,000 residents.” According to Migas, a drawback with the tight space is when they are at full capacity they must enforce a waiting list and serve those in immediate danger first. The services provided by DAIS are similar to those in the RCC and UHS. They all provide versions of counseling and support systems for those looking to leave abusive relationships or who have been assaulted. According to Jennifer Hendrickson, community education coordinator at the RCC, there are always employees available to go to the hospital when a victim of abuse arrives in the emergency room and the hospital contacts the RCC. pave page 3
Madison UW students still face
Rx
OUR AILING HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
A collaborative reporting project of All Together Now, Madison, WI • ATNMadison.org
By Ryan Hebel THE DAILY CARDINAL
The U.S. Census Bureau cited Wisconsin as one of the most widely insured states on Monday, but that’s little consolation to thousands of UW-Madison students who lack health care and view every health insurance experience as a never-ending wait for the dentist. About 10 percent of UW students said they were uninsured or didn’t know if they had insurance in a recent University Health Services survey, according to UHS Director Sarah Van Orman. “There are some students who simply do not have health insurance [other than UHS coverage],” Van Orman said. “I don’t think they’re not trying to get care, it’s just that they can’t afford it and they’re making difficult decisions.” According to a 2008 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, young people from 19-29 years old represent 30 percent of all uninsured people, and with the current recession, more students are losing their parents’ health benefits, forcing them to buy private plans or risk going uninsured. “Unfortunately many people ... have a sense that, ‘we’re young and omnipotent and that we’re never going to get sick ... it’ll never happen to us and I don’t want to spend $100, $200 or $500 a
health-care obstacles
Part one of a series with All Together Now focusing on the national health-care debate month for health insurance,’” said Byron Crouse, UW professor in Family Medicine. That’s a big risk, according to Van Orman. “If you don’t have insurance, an emergency visit, just for a simple thing, can be anywhere between $500 and $1000 ... something like an appendicitis, that could easily be $5,000 to $10,000.” “I don’t think they’re [students] not trying to get care, it’s just that they can’t afford it and they’re making difficult decisions.” Sarah Van Orman director University Health Services
Other students who don’t live in the Dane County area may fall under their parents’ Health Maintenance Organization, but such plans are often regionally based. “Usually it’s not a problem if they’re from Green Bay or Milwaukee, but sometimes it’s Minneapolis, sometimes it’s New York,” Van Orman said. “If you break your leg and go to the emergency room that’s covered, but when you need to see a specialist a week later, the HMO will say, ‘you
can come home.’” For students who need any or better insurance, Orman said 3,000 currently purchase UHS’ Student Health Insurance Plan, or SHIP, which offers health-care coverage to students for $1,476 per year (or $615 for the fall and $861 for the spring and summer semester). Orman acknowledged some students find cheaper policies under private insurers, but typically, “you pay for what you get.” Red flags include high deductibles, numerous policy exclusions, high coinsurance rates, maximum out-of-pocket costs and other provisions. Capped benefits are especially problematic for students because they’re often “in the fine print.” “They’ll say they’ll pay all your upfront costs, but then they’ll have an in-patient cap, a day-surgery cap or a lifetime maximum cap,” Orman said. Orman welcomed students to bring in possible policies to the UHS staff for review. If students prefer outside consulting, many non-profit health-care advising organizations exist in Madison, including ABC in Health and Madison’s Center for Patient Relationships. Look for more coverage of the health-care debate by The Daily Cardinal and All Together Now in the coming weeks.
ALISON BAUTER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Experts from various sexual assualt resources provide information on ways to prevent rape and help victims Wednesday at a panel.
Survey ranks UW entrepreneur programs among best in U.S. Both UW-Madison graduate and undergraduate entrepreneurship programs within the School of Business ranked among the top 25 in the nation, according to a recent survey. The survey, conducted by the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine, ranked the graduate program at 11th and the undergraduate program at 16th, according to a release. The release said the survey reviewed over 2,000 programs across the U.S. over a seven-month period, and this is the first year both UWMadison graduate and undergraduate programs ranked in the top 25.
Mike Knetter, dean of the UWMadison School of Business said the programs aim to provide an education that is relevant to the outside world. “Our business school is focused on bringing undergraduate and graduate students from across campus in close contact with local companies and startups, and helping to create opportunities for new ideas and technology to drive the future,” he said in a statement. The survey ranked the programs based on academics, students and faculty and outside-of-the-classroom education.
“…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
Thursday, September 24, 2009
An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892
(608) 262-8000 l fax (608) 262-8100
News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Charles Brace Managing Editor Justin Stephani Campus Editor Kelsey Gunderson Caitlin Gath City Editor State Editor Hannah Furfaro Enterprise Editor Ryan Hebel Associate News Editor Grace Urban Opinion Editors Anthony Cefali Todd Stevens Editorial Board Editor Qi Gu Arts Editors Kevin Slane Kyle Sparks Sports Editors Scott Kellogg Nico Savidge Features Editor Diana Savage Food Editor Sara Barreau Science Editor Jigyasa Jyotika Photo Editors Isabel Alvarez Danny Marchewka Graphics Editors Amy Giffin Jenny Peek Copy Chiefs Kate Manegold Emma Roller Jake Victor Copy Editors Gabe Ubatuba
Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Alex Kusters Advertising Manager Katie Brown Billing Manager Mindy Cummings Accounts Receivable Manager Cole Wenzel Jake Brewer, Ana Account Executives Devcic, Mara Greenwald, Hilary Kirking, Michael Kruyswyk, Kristen Lindsay, D.J. Nogalski, Jordan Rossman, Tom Shield, Sarah Schupanitz Web Directors Eric Harris, Dan Hawk Marketing Director Mia Beeson Archivist Erin Schmidtke The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. 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. 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 typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than 200 words, including contact information. Letters may be sent to letters@dailycardinal.com.
Editorial Board Charles Brace Anthony Cefali Qi Gu Jamie Stark Todd Stevens Justin Stephani l
l
l
Board of Directors Vince Filak Alex Kusters Nik Hawkins Jason Stein Jeff Smoller Janet Larson Chris Long Charles Brace Katie Brown Benjamin Sayre Jenny Sereno Terry Shelton l
l
l
l
l
l
© 2009, 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.
FRIDAY: thunderstorms hi 70º / lo 53º dailycardinal.com/page-two
College Life: Confessions of Bucky Badger
Volume 119, Issue 17
2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497
TODAY: partly sunny hi 76º / lo 53º
JON SPIKE academic misjonduct
A
t UW-Madison, we are incredibly lucky to have one of the most endearing mascots in all of sports: Buckingham U. Badger. Bucky is the very face of this university, whether he is pumping up the crowd at a Badger football game, celebrating with students during the All-Campus Party or sharing a drag off of a cigarette with a local Madison teenager. I was lucky enough to sit down with Bucky to ask him a few questions about being the most important mammal in all of Madison. (Note: Interview edited due to language, violence and brief nudity. Also, Bucky spent most of the interview smoking about a half a pack of cigarettes and taking the occasional dose of one of the several pills he brought along.) Me: Bucky, what’s the hardest part of your job as mascot of UWMadison?
Bucky: Well, I know this Bucky... well, I knew this Bucky...he’s dead. Had a hell of a run. Couldn’t take the pressures of the job. Hell, I can barely take em (at this point in the interview, Bucky takes about three pills out of one of his pill bottles and swallows them down with a swig out of a flask full of whiskey). Me: Uh, pressures? What exactly are you talking about? Bucky: About having to be such a [expletive deleted] role model all the time. Let me put it this way: If I have to high-five one more goddamned toddler, I’m going to [expletive deleted] maul someone. The only good thing is that sometimes the parents slip me a ten-spot or a Jackson to get their kid to appear on the jumbotron during football or basketball games. Yeah, I’d say I’m 90 percent in this gig for the money. (At this point in the interview, Bucky takes another large swig out of his flask, throws it at a woman and her newborn child walking by, and proceeds to put out his cigarette on my forearm).
Me: (Ahem) Let’s, uh...moving on. What exactly are those pills you are taking?
I had big money on that mascot contest...lost a lot of cash betting on myself in that thing... [expletive deleted].
Bucky: Ah, come on, can’t a guy just relax once in a while? The pressure man, the pressure, the guy before me, he just let the pressure get to him and he couldn’t handle it. Good guy, though. Hell of a bass. I learned my lesson from him though: Never mix and match your liquors...
Me: Okay Bucky ... so you just admitted that you’ve bet on the Capital One Mascot Challenge, been bribed by parents to get their kids on the jumbo-tron at home games and gotten addicted to painkillers Are you worried that all of your vices will ruin your legacy?
Me: Right... So Bucky, you didn’t come out on top in the Capital One Mascot Challenge? Why do you think you came up short in the end?
Bucky: What legacy? I’m an overweight, balding, washed-up rodent who wears a goddamned striped sweater with no pants on...please kill me.
Bucky: Me come up short?! It was the [expletive deleted] fans who were too [expletive deleted] lazy to vote me into the finals! I tell ya... they’re active enough to command me to do 42 push-ups on a gameday Saturday, but they are too [expletive deleted] lazy to get online and vote for me in the mascot challenge! “Oh yeah Bucky, do some pushups! We scored!” You do some goddamned pushups, it’s 130 degrees Celsius in this [expletive deleted] suit. And
(Note: It was at this point in the interview that Bucky passed out, likely from taking too many shots of tequila in a short amount of time. I poked him with a stick for a couple of minutes, got tired and left him there. I’m sure everything went fine). Have you seen Bucky passed out in a dumpster, smelling of urine and some cheap wine? Let Jon know where to find him by sending an e-mail to spike@wisc.edu.
New Beer Thursday Redbridge lager This week in New Beer Thursday we are reaching out to all our readers allergic to gluten as we sample Anheuser-Busch’s Redbridge. Hailing from the African beer domain, Redbridge is brewed with sorghum rather than the traditional barley or wheat. Brewing a gluten-free beer is an admirable pursuit, and I credit AnheuserBusch for combating Celiac Disease one brew at a time. Having never tried a gluten-free beer, I was reassured knowing that this particular beer was “made with me in mind,” according to its website. In a blind smell test, this would certainly pass as a standard beer, however light it was. The coloring seemed fine too, and certainly didn’t suggest the beer didn’t contain a key ingredient. Sorghum Gluten being significantly sweeter than barley and wheat, the first sip hit me with a wave of sweetness I wasn’t quite prepared for. Falling into the same flaw as last week, Redbridge is particularly carbonated, so much so that it has a head in the bottle for the duration of drinking. The faint taste of the oh-so-familiar hops
linger through and reminds you that you are drinking beer, not soda. The subsequent sips were not much better. The aftertaste left something to be desired, and often made me wish I had a palate-cleansing beer to help wash this one down. The fact of the matter is, wheat and barley have significant tastes, and one comes to expect them in a beer. Though there is no word to accurately describe the aftertaste (tonic water comes to mind), it certainly isn’t what one expects in a beer. Without being completely familiar with gluten-free beers to compare it against, I’m hesitant to completely discredit Redbridge Ale. However, for the average beer drinker, I’d skip the sorghum, and stick to the usual barley and wheat-based beers.
• Redbridge lager • $8.99 at Riley’s Wines of the World
dailycardinal.com/news
Thursday, September 24, 2009
l
news
3
9 percent of Wisconsin residents uninsured By Steven Rosenbaum THE DAILY CARDINAL
PATRICIA LAPOINTE/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Madison’s criteria for street vendors throughout the downtown area is extremely unique, but still draws many students every day.
Panel to judge fate of food carts downtown By Alyssa Connolly THE DAILY CARDINAL
Your favorite lunchtime food vendor could be traveling to a new location following this week’s city review panel of all downtown food carts. Members of Madison’s Vending Oversight Committee, as well as some city employee volunteers, make up a team of 25 to 30 judges who will sample the food and drinks throughout the week at each of the roughly 40 vending carts in both Library Mall and on the Capitol Square. “The main purpose of the review is to decide and designate who can go where based on the points system,” Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, and panel judge, said. “Frankly our obligation is to get stomachaches this week.” Verveer said the judges base their rankings on food quality, cart aesthetics and originality of type of merchandise. The vendors with the highest ranking will have first choice of their location for the next year. “Each of the cart vendors is different,” Verveer said. “Some of them feel very strongly that they can make more money on Library Mall and some feel strongly that their follow-
ing is on the Capitol Square.” The vending coordinator who is responsible for tallying the scores, Warren Hansen, could not be reached for comment. Dan Cox of the Jamerica food cart said he has been in Library Mall since 1999, and that the Buraka and Loose Juice carts have been there even longer. The well-known “fruit stand,” however, has been in its location in front of the University Bookstore for 30 years, Fresh Wind Produce’s Don Helley said. “We’ve had a pretty good record,” Helley said. “We’re always in the top three.” Verveer has been judging the vending carts for over ten years. Though he wouldn’t name his favorite cart, he said he thinks the overall food cart program in Madison is very unique. “You can’t just open up a cart and sell cans of soda,” he said. “There are rules that everything that you sell has to be fresh and personally prepared.” The VOC will meet next Wednesday, Sep. 30, to review the scoring and approve the list of vending locations for the next year, which begins and ends April 15.
Top USDA economist to speak at UW The United States Department of Agriculture’s chief economist, Joe Glauber, will speak at UWMadison Thursday on U.S. trade policy and agriculture. According to a release, Glauber’s speech is part of a symposium honoring the 100-year anniversary of the creation of the UW-Madison department of agriculture and applied economics. Glauber, who received his Ph.D. in agricultural economics from UWMadison in 1984, took his position as chief economist with the USDA
pave from page 1 Hendrickson attends workshops to speak about consent, and said one of the most important things people can do for a victim of sexual assault is to provide support. “We talk about how people can be supportive to someone who has gone through sexual assault,” she said. According to Jennifer Young, senior psychologist for University
in February 2008. Glauber’s main responsibilities have consisted of providing agricultural commodity reports and updates and outlooks for the future of agricultural prices in the U.S., according to a statement. Glauber’s speech will take place Thursday at 8:45 a.m. in room 1111 at the UW-Madison Biotechnology Center, and will be followed by a talk Friday by David Kaimowitz, director of the Natural Assets and Sustainability unit at the Ford Foundation. Health Services, UHS provides similar services with mental health, individual, group and couple counseling free for any UW-Madison student. “The main thing is individual therapy to help planning safety, trauma recovery and helping the victim focus and study so they can stay in school,” she said. For more information regarding these resources, visit www.uhs. wisc.edu.
The U.S. Census Bureau released a report Monday revealing that Wisconsin has one of the lowest rates of people without health insurance in the country. The report, consisting of data from 2008, said that Wisconsin had 9 percent uninsured last year. The Census Bureau website lists the rates as three-year averages from 2006-2008. Over that period, the national average rate of uninsured is 15.5 percent, while Wisconsin’s rate is only 8.9 percent, the fourth lowest in the country. Only Minnesota, Hawaii and Massachusetts have lower rates. Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, DMadison, vice chair of the Assembly Committee on Health
and Health Care Reform, is pleased with those numbers. According to Roys, Wisconsin is a pioneer in health-care expansion, and there are many reasons why the state has such a low rate. “I think one of the most important things that we can point to is our children’s health-insurance program. We have one of the best in the country,” she said. Roys also pointed to BadgerCare, a program for lowincome families, and a new version called BadgerCare Core Plus for low-income, childless adults. Wisconsin provides more access to health care outside federal programs because “you can be pretty poor and still not qualify,” Roys said. According to Roys, reforms have been passed in the legisla-
ture to protect consumers, such as prohibiting insurance companies from looking at someone’s entire medical history and using a pre-existing condition as basis to cancel coverage after he or she gets sick. However, Roys said more policies still need to be enacted to increase coverage even more. She said both better use of electronic medical records and giving people with chronic diseases the resources to better manage those diseases on their own are needed reforms. “Even 9, 10 percent in Wisconsin, you’re still talking about half a million [uninsured] people, and that’s just a huge number,” Roys said. “There’s no excuse for that in an industrialized nation.”
Audit: Sex offenders, child care providers share addresses By Grace Urban THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Legislative Audit Bureau released a report Wednesday revealing four registered sex offenders who share addresses with licensed child care providers. The report follows a request made by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee for an audit of Wisconsin Shares, a child care subsidy program administered by the Department of Children and Families. “There are significant problems with Wisconsin Shares ... that affect the integrity of the program,” said Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma, co-chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. “These problems are simply intolerable; they require immediate action.” According to the audit, it is believed that though there were
address matches, no children were harmed. Sen. Robert Jauch, D-Poplar, chair of the Committee on Children and Families and Workforce Development, emphasized the effectiveness of the audit. “It’s doing its job to act as a laser beam and focus in on the strengths and weaknesses ... in a system that deserves our review and warrants our complete attention fixing those problems,” Jauch said. “As important as it is to immediately fix problems that are identified, we have to continue to commit ourselves to providing the tools, the resources and the statutory changes needed to prevent problems like this from happening in the first place.” Rep. Tamara Grigsby, DMilwaukee, chair of the Committee on Children and Families, along with
Jauch, is drafting legislation that will provide tools for the DCF to regulate child care providers. These tools include the authority to ensure child care providers and those working or living at the same address do not appear on the sex offender registry and a requirement of four reviews of licensed child care providers per year. The legislation also gives the DCF authority to suspend Wisconsin Shares payments to child care providers under investigation for criminal offenses. “We will continue to fight this fight,” Grigsby said. “First of all to make sure that the taxpayers’ dollars are not being irresponsibly used, but most importantly to make sure that our children are in quality environments where people are responsible.”
featuresstudent life 4
l
dailycardinal.com/features
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Expanding equality The debate over immigrants’ rights continues in Wisconsin, bringing the issue of in-state tuition to the forefront Story by Valerie Klessig
D
onning a cap and gown, she received her high school diploma and, with the ending of an era, another began. Claudia, who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of her immigrant status, planned to further her education at the collegiate level. Her goals were similar to many aspiring young adults, but with one difference: she was not born in the United States. When undocumented students apply to state universities and private and technical colleges, they are classified as non-residents and granted out-of-state tuition. This barrier made higher education financially unavailable to many students who had lived most of their lives in Wisconsin. According to research published by the Urban Institute, an estimated 65,000 undocumented immigrant students graduate from high schools each year. These students have lived in the United States for five years or longer, many brought here at a young age by their parents. In the majority of cases, undocumented immigrants have either entered the country without valid documents or entered with valid visas that have now expired. Although Claudia, an undocumented student who came with her family to America when she was nine, was accepted to UWMadison, she could not afford the out-of-state rates. “It completely brought me down,” Claudia said. “It’s more than disappointment. It’s somebody shutting the door in your face and saying you can’t do it.” If she went to UW-Madison, she would have had to pay for college on her own because undocumented students were ineligible for federal aid and most scholarships because they lack the requirement of permanent residency. “It’s that belief that ‘if you’re undocumented, you can’t go to college’ that makes kids drop out of high school, get into
GRAPHIC BY JENNY PEEK/THE DAILY CARDINAL
LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL
People advocate for immigrant rights in a march in May. things like gangs, and give up on life because, what’s the point? I know this because it happened in my family,” Claudia said. On June 29, 2009, Gov.0 Jim Doyle signed the biennial state budget which included a provision granting in-state tuition to qualified undocumented immigrants. Wisconsin was the eleventh state to enact this law, reversing the situation for undocumented students like Claudia and their families as their hopes converted to reality. “At that point, it seemed unreal,” Claudia said. “I’d been waiting all these years for this to happen. I just burst into tears.” Claudia applied to UWMadison last spring in hopes that the provision granting instate tuition to qualified undocumented immigrants would be included in the 2009-2011 state budget. Claudia knew that she had to join the fight and rally support to encourage Wisconsin’s state Legislature to include the provision in the budget. “When I first went to lobby, I was scared,” Claudia said. “I was like, ‘Why are they going to listen to me?’” Voces de la Frontera, a membership-based nonprofit organization in Milwaukee, Racine and Madison that advocates for the rights of low-wage and immigrant workers, inspired Claudia. Claudia said she felt stronger with every testimony given and every demonstration. “This law is amazing because it gave me hope,” Claudia said, adding that going to the marches and testifying mattered in the end. “Even if I can’t vote, I can get ten other people to vote. It’s so important to let students know that even if they’re undocumented they can still get organized and try to change the law because it can be changed.” This bill struggled at the state level since it was initially introduced by State Rep. Pedro Colon, D-Milwaukee, in 1999. Doyle included the provision in his proposed budget in February 2009. Although both the Joint Finance Committee and the Assembly approved the provision, the Senate Democratic Caucus removed it. Some opponents of the measure felt it would contribute to Wisconsin’s “brain drain” if undocumented students graduated and then left the state, according to a May 2009 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article. Rep. Phil Montgomery (R-Green Bay) previously stated in the article that they should not include the provision because it did not make economic sense for the state. The Conference Committee returned the provision to the budget. The passing of
migrate. Because we have responsibility in the migration that happens, I feel that we have responsibility for opening our borders wider than we do.” According to the research briefing “Legal Issues Facing Immigrant Dairy Workers in Wisconsin” published in July 2009 by Harrison, Sarah Lloyd, and Trish O’Kane, it would take roughly 26 years for a Mexican-born immigrant who is not a spouse or minor child of a permanent legal resident to be approved for permanent residency through family-based admission, one of four routes to “As a nation we need to reconsider what borders mean eventual citizenship. UW-Madison sophomore and how legitimate our curMariana Berbert moved to rent immigration policies.” America with her family when she Sarah Wieckert was 12 years old by request of the managing editor American company for which her The Daily Cardinal father worked. Although she came to America over seven years ago, she is a legal permanent resident sent a crucial message to immi- but is not yet finished the citizengrant students who work hard but ship process. receive little in return. “The process is annoying, but “If you don’t allow those kids I feel like I can’t even complain to be educated you will never because we have so much help,” get the teachers, the nurses, the Berbert said. “I can’t even imagine higher-educated workforce to what it would be like if we didn’t come back to the city and help have a really powerful American those populations,” Colon said. company asking us to stay.” “It’s just a small reminder to the According to David Giroux, feds that they have not done spokesman for the UW system, their job [regarding] immigra- the issue for the university is not tion, and they really need to get about illegal versus legal residents, working on it.” but rather about achieving its goal The 10-year struggle in the of educating a strong workforce state Legislature reflected the con- for Wisconsin. troversy that surrounded this issue “We’re not talking about inviton a state level. UW-Madison ing people from other countries or sophomore Bob Nelson, a resident other states to come here and get of Illinois, saw the issue from two some sort of special treatment,” Giroux said. “We’re talking about different perspectives. “I understand that they’re in a people whose families already live horrible situation that they didn’t here and who will likely live here bring upon themselves,” Nelson in the future. We can either edusaid. “At the same time, it seems cate and prepare them for a 21st unfair to my family and me century job or we can leave them because I’m an American citizen, out and hold the state back.” Cindy Breunig, a member of and I’d be paying way more than they would be paying and they’re Voces de la Frontera, said immigrants make many positive contrinot legal citizens.” Some wonder whether a fea- butions every day to communities sible path to legalization for immi- that often go unrecognized. grants even exists. According to “This is a small step to say UW-Madison community and that we recognize your positive environmental sociology profes- contributions,” Breunig said. sor Jill Harrison, because of the “We welcome and want you here constrained legal pathways, very in the state of Wisconsin, and few people can afford to use typi- here is opportunity to continue cal paths to legalization. She said to follow your dreams through the United States, out of moral higher education.” obligation, needed to streamline Claudia said she wants the immigration opportunities to inspire others with her that did exist. achievement. “As a nation we need to recon“I’ve been waiting so long sider what borders mean and how to say that I’m a UW student,” legitimate our current immigra- Claudia said. “Now I can motition policies are that prevent so vate other people and it gives many people from coming into them hope. It not only affects the United States,” Harrison said. the student, it affects the entire “Some fundamental power imbal- family who is fighting for that ances in the global economy privi- student. It literally affects the lege those in the United States and whole community because now make life harder for people else- these kids have a future and where that in turn drive them to before they really didn’t.” this law in June 2009 enabled immigrant students to attend state universities and technical colleges paying the same rates as their high school classmates. To qualify, a student has to: live in the state of Wisconsin continuously for at least three years, graduate from a high school or receive a GED in Wisconsin, and present the institution with an affidavit stating that they have or will apply for permanent residency once they are eligible. According to Colon, this law
opinion Student vote will bring reason to ALRC dailycardinal.com/opinion
JAMIE STARK opinion columnist
I
f there’s one issue this campus cares about, one shared obsession, one reason innumerable students vie to attend the prestigious University of Wisconsin, it’s booze. In all honesty, we may not all drink, but most of us do, and we’re all affected by it. Some students watch classmates lose brain cells and some students visit Ian’s at 1 a.m. for Mac n’ Cheese pizza or projectile vomit in a stairwell. Eighth District alderman and UW senior Bryon Eagon is currently lobbying the Common Council to add a student seat to the Alcohol Licensing and Review Committee (ALRC), which oversees all alcohol policy within the city of Madison. Primarily, the committee grants and revokes alcohol licenses to boozy establishments in Madison. Most recently, they approved the KK bar’s slap-on-the-wrist license suspension. Currently, the committee has seven voting members––two alders and five citizen members appointed by the mayor.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Last spring during the end of former student alder Eli Judge’s term, Judge successfully added a student technical adviser position to the committee. Mark Woulf, a UW senior, currently fills that position, though he can’t vote during committee. Other city interest groups have non-voting, technical advisers on the ALRC, including the Madison Police Department and the tavern league. Several weeks ago, a proposal was brought to council to add a third alder to the committee. However, that would mean eight voting members, with the possible consequence of numerous, undesirable tie votes. The first solution was to appoint another voting citizen member, hired by the mayor. Eagon then proposed an amendment making the possible ninth seat a student voting member. “This would create a lot of ownership for students to actually have a full vote and full voice on an issue they are really passionate about,” Eagon said. “[Students are] such frequent users of these types of establishments, they know what places are safe and could
provide first-hand insight for places to go to,” Eagon added. “They’re not going to be a rubber stamp. They want fun, safe places.” With students like Eagon and 2nd dist. alder Bridget Maniaci on Common Council, city government is not a collection of antique codgers determined to hate on students and deny us access to liquid confidence. Students can bring a unique, underrepresented voice to the discussion of alcohol policy in a community that needs to consider reality while combating alcohol problems.
Students care about their own safety and that of their friends’ and realize how alcohol can affect their environment.
Over 42,000 adults add to Madison’s population for a majority of the year, and many of us can (legally) consume adult beverages. We are an integral part of this community. We live and play in the parts of town most affected by alcohol policy. Students care about
their own safety and that of their friends’ and realize how alcohol can affect their environment. The college population can bring what Eagon calls “new dynamics and new insight” to the table much more effectively if we have a vote than if we just have speaking rights like any other meeting attendee. If the amendment passes, a voting student member could be added as soon as November. It’s worth asking: would any student in their right mind be willing to sit on a committee like this? According to Eagon, yes. Last spring, when ASM interviewed potential applicants for the non-voting student adviser seat on the ALRC, eight students applied. If the position had added influence in the form of a vote, undoubtedly there would be increased student interest, even if it would only be a nerdy, civic-minded student minority that considers joining. Though it’s possible to imagine numerous frat boys jockeying for a position with real power in determining what bars open where. Seems like considerable bragging rights for impressing the ladies.
l
5
Regardless of the student seat amendment’s fate, Eagon’s push has helped force Common Council members to remember students as Madisonians, even in future, unrelated decisions. “No one else had even thought for a second, why not include the students,” Eagon said, when discussing the reaction to his amendment. The minutiae of a student appointment must still be hammered out. Would a student appointee need to be 21 or just 18? Would the student be appointed through ASM to ensure the selection was student directed, or would that deter students from MATC and Edgewood from applying? We certainly cannot start a student-run, pan-Madison-college commission with the sole purpose of appointing one student to a committee on city council. There must be a solution that ensures students, not the mayor, appoint our student representative. If that happens, we can have a bigger voice in the conversation about our favorite subject. Jamie Stark is a sophomore intending to major in journalism and political science. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
Use power of the purse to advocate for social and humanitarian causes By Kathy Dittrich THE DAILY CARDINAL
Michael Pollan is in town. He speaks Thursday at the Kohl Center and Saturday he will make an appearance at the Food For Thought Festival in downtown Madison, speaking about his book “In Defense of Food” for the Go Big Read program. In recent years Pollan has become the spokesperson for the real food movement in this country. Much of his activism focuses on the food industry’s effect on our health. Pollan attributes increased levels of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease to our diet, and he argues that health care reform in this country will fail if we do not change the way we eat. In order to change our diet as a nation, Pollan asserts that we need to change the way food is grown, processed and consumed in this country. This food system overhaul, Pollan writes, is “even more difficult than reforming the healthcare system.” Difficult doesn’t begin to describe the situation the government is in, “subsidizing both the costs of treating Type 2 diabetes and the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup.” If Washington’s hands are tied when it comes to food system reform, it is up to the voters to enact change. Arguably Pollan’s greatest contribution to the American conversation about our food system is his advocacy for “voting with your dollars.” Every time you make a purchase you are essentially saying that you support everything that went into the production and distribution of whatever it is you are buying. When you fill your gas tank, you are supporting the oil industry. When you buy textbooks and notebooks, you are supporting the lumber industry. When you purchase a new pair of jeans, you are supporting the cotton industry. What went into producing and
bringing you, the consumer, a good is not always clear. It’s difficult to know whether or not your gas money is supporting drilling in the Niger Delta by Shell and Chevron, whose presence in a region inhabited by some of the world’s poorest people has lead to severe pollution, destruction of mangrove forests and depletion of fish stocks. It’s not easy to find out if your clothes were sewn by Chinese workers making less than minimum wage, or if the paper in your notebook was harvested from old growth forests.
We can choose to support practices and companies that value workers, the land and our health.
In the case of our food, we do not always know where it comes from, what chemicals and pesticides were used in the fields, whether genetically modified seeds were planted, how far the product has been transported, or what kinds of preservatives were added to increase the product’s shelf life. These are things the average consumer does not know, mostly because the information is difficult to obtain. But as a consumer we should be more aware of what business practices our money helps sustain. When Election Day roles around, do we vote for a politician whose platform we’re not sure of? Do we vote for someone whose voting record is unclear? When you begin to look at spending your money as casting a ballot, a means by which to support or not support an industry and its practices, you take back control of your food chain. You have the power to spend your hard earned dollars supporting a food industry whose practices are friendly to both the environment and your health.
We have the opportunity every day to vote with our dollars. We can choose to support practices and companies that value workers, the land and our health. We can refuse to contribute to those which destroy the earth, poison our bodies, and do not provide living wages. Put your money back into the community by supporting local growers and purveyors. When you purchase locally you decrease the distance your food travels, which in turn reduces the amount of gas burned in transportation and increases the freshness and healthfulness of your food. When you choose to spend your money locally you are contributing to your own health and wealth. The farmer you purchase from may patronize the coffee shop or restaurant where you work. This kind of grower-consumer relationship has been largely lost in the United States. As a nation we have become disconnected with our food source. When you purchase tomatoes at the farmers’ market you have the opportunity to see the person who planted, cared for and harvested those tomatoes. When you purchase a sandwich at Subway you have no way of knowing where those tomatoes came from or who was involved in their production. The big oil companies use their money to lobby Washington D.C. and effect change to their benefit. We too can use money to change the way the food industry does business. By refusing to support unsustainable farming practices, unlivable wages and the production of processed nonfood food products we can encourage the food industry to change. If we demand food that is both good for us and the environment, the food industry will be forced to change the way they do business. Kathy Dittrich is a senior majoring in English and French. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
GRAPHIC BY PATI MO/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Are you a perfectionist? Do you hate typos? Have you memorized the proper spelling of “Cieslewicz”? Then come copy edit at the Daily Cardinal!
Daily Cardinal Copy Workshop Friday, September 25, 3 p.m. Vilas Hall, Room 2142
comics 6
l
Ironic. McDonalds calls frequent buyers of their food heavy users. dailycardinal.com/comics
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Heavy Weights
Today’s Sudoku
Evil Bird
By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu
Angel Hair Pasta
By Todd Stevens ststevens@wisc.edu
Sid and Phil
By Alex Lewein alex@sidandphil.com
© Puzzles by Pappocom
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.
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
The Graph Giraffe
Charlie and Boomer
By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu
By Natasha Soglin soglin@wisc.edu
Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com IT’S A ZOO OUT THERE!
1 6 11 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 29 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 44 45 46
ACROSS
Bandanna worn to protect a hairstyle Foals’ fathers Infielder’s touch Cuban’s “now” Roguish guy Bride’s oath CNN’s “The Situation Room” host Conversationalist’s gift Goalie’s grp. Shampooer’s step Agenda’s content Pizzeria’s offerings Carson’s predecessor Lords and ladies Reservoir’s outlet Basketball’s Shaq Verse’s author Gray wolf Cooperstown’s Nolan Organizes, in a way Kunta Kinte’s slave name Mindy’s alien buddy Simple partner? Ham’s device It’s easy to miss They’re quickened by excitement Kind of hog Fop’s prop
47 49 51 54 55 58 59 60 61 62 63 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18
Errol’s last name Mild expletives Selma’s state, briefly Cattle grazing area 1968 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Waiting period, it sometimes seems U.S. Open winner Els Overturn Farm creature? Make a second request Tasteless DOWN
Sunrise’s synonym “I sense bad news” (Var.) “Shake, Rattle and ___” “Feed me,” in Pekingese? Heaven’s horn blower One side in an informal game QB misfires Bring the house down? Apple of 12-Down’s eye? Installment program? Highly-ranked golfer Eve’s partner Plenty Misleads
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 34 37 41 43 44 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 56 57
Whopper Fish’s food Fruit stones Performance averages “The joke’s ___” Legendary Crimson Tide coach “My apologies” Townshend of The Who Yippie Hoffman Has ups and downs? Wear a long face Burned rubber Expires Two-time green jacket wearer Bernhard Hunger reminder River’s smaller relative Bloodsucking annoyance Musician Redbone Lady of Spain Yard sale disclaimer “A Fatal Gift” author Waugh Sausage segment Raggedy doll Useful mineral Spot for a rubdown
You Can Run
By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com
arts Re-release ‘Song’ rather than hiding it dailycardinal.com/arts
KEVIN SLANE dr. slanelove
D
uring halftime of last Saturday’s football game, the UW band once again regaled us with what I assume was a wonderful performance, though I couldn’t really hear it in the student section. Usually the halftime performances are more for the benefit of the adults, with the students occasionally engaged by a song like “Sweet Caroline”. However, my mid-game space-out was interrupted by the announcer, as he informed us the band was now playing “the time-honored classic ‘Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah’”. Most people remember the song from one of those Disney sing-a-longs that your elementary school music teacher put on video when she was tired of teaching a bunch of third graders to sing “Jingle Bells” for the tenth year in a row. But most people have no idea what movie it came from.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The movie was called “Song of the South,” and even during its release in 1946 it was considered racially insensitive. The film blends live action and animation, with the animated characters representing characters in a story told by Uncle Remus, a perpetually happy slave who spins morality tales for the children of his plantation owners. When the film was released the NAACP “applauded its artistic merit,” but also criticized the “impression it gives of an idyllic master-slave relationship.”
Even during its release in 1946, “Song of the South” was considered racially insensitive.
The film had occasional rereleases, but Disney has intentionally never released it on home video or DVD, citing the potential conflicts that could arise. Even the great film critic Roger
Ebert, who rarely advocates censorship, believed the film should stay locked in the Disney vault so as to not make a mark on impressionable children. Although I can understand Disney’s viewpoint, I still think “Song of the South” deserves a rerelease of some sort. Not only could film students everywhere benefit from seeing the kinds of films that were the norm during this time, but the film would hardly be the top choice for parents to pick out for their kids. Who wants to rent “Song of the South” when your kids could be watching guinea pigs fight crime in “G-Force”? Furthermore, aren’t there already enough Disney classics that incorporate racism? Films like “Peter Pan,” “The Jungle Book” and “Dumbo” all feature stereotypical interpretations of a certain race, but are considered time-honored classics, not shut away in the Disney vault forever. Sure, Uncle Remus (portrayed by James Baskett) was a living, breathing representation of racism, but the natives in “Peter Pan” singing “What makes a red man red” and
naming the lead bird in “Dumbo” Jim Crow are just as insensitive.
Although I can understand Disney’s viewpoint, I still think “Song of the South” deserves a re-release of some sort.
The point is, racism existed in the early 1900s, and continues to exist today. If we can look at films like “Birth of a Nation” and “Gone with the Wind” as movie masterpieces made during a backwards era, why can’t “Song of the South” be re-released? Additionally, won’t the forward march of progressive policies always find something that is politically incorrect? What may have been acceptable 50 years ago almost certainly won’t be acceptable 100 years after that. What if “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” is
l
7
banned in the year 2100 for its grotesque portrayal of Hispanic stereotypes? Sure, they may seem harmless now, but the citizens of tomorrow may find that children are affected by the subtle jokes, or even constraining chihuahuas to Mexican roles. It may sound absurd, but political correctness is a fickle thing. Disney has made enough money off “Song of the South,” from the theme park ride Splash Mountain (based on the animated characters in the film) to the sing-a-longs, but no one knows the context from which they came. As George Santayana said, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” If we turn our back on a film because of its questionable content, we’re not only ignoring what was considered a great film, but we’re also writing revisionist film history. Have you seen an elephant fly recently? Tell Kevin about it at kevslane@gmail.com.
PHOTO COURTESY WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES
Even though “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” may be considered harmless Disney entertainment now, it could be seen as racist in the future.
Around Campus Tonight Micachu & the Shapes with Chairlift Micachu & the Shapes’ debut, Jewellery, is a gorgeous marriage of traditional folk and off-the-wall expressionism, a refreshingly unique take on a genre plagued by redundancy and conservatism. And as if Micachu weren’t incentive enough, Chairlift has that one song in that one iPod commercial. It’s a can’t-miss conglomeration of upand-coming (and infrequently visiting) indie acts and, best of all, it’s free. Who: Chairlift, Micachu & the Shapes, the Soft Pack When: Tonight, 8:30 p.m. Where: Memorial Union Terrace Cost: Free
sports 8
l
dailycardinal.com/sports
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Football
Badgers use new style for same approach
ISABEL ALVAREZ/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
Junior tight end Lance Kendricks has rotated with seniors Garrett Graham and Mickey Turner as blocking and pass-catching tight ends. By Ben Breiner THE DAILY CARDINAL
Wisconsin has always been associated with power football, and an integral part of that had been the thankless yet important job of fullback. From recent stalwarts like Bill Rentmeester, Chris
Pressley and Matt “the Hebrew Hammer” Bernstein to former NFL standout Cecil Martin who blocked for Ron Dayne (recruited mostly as a fullback), all the way back to Heisman winner Alan Ameche, the position has been essential to Badger offenses.
Volleyball
Wisconsin drops opener By Sam Sussman THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Wisconsin volleyball team went into Wednesday night’s Big Ten opener against Iowa with confidence, riding a two-game winning streak. However it was the Hawkeyes who left with their heads held high, winning the match in four sets. The Field House, ranking fifth in the country with an average attendance of 3,528 fans, was packed, the student section was boastfully obnoxious, and the band was roaring. Hopes were high for the Badgers (5-4). Yet, it didn’t take long for the Hawkeyes (8-4), led by junior middle blocker Becky Walters, who recorded an outstanding game-high .478 hitting percentage, and senior libero Christina Meister, to make their presence felt. The Hawkeyes jumped off to a quick lead in the first set. The Badgers now had to play catch-up, something they did throughout the night after losing the first point in every set. The lead see-sawed back and forth midway through the first set. After senior outside hitter Brittney Dolgner ran into the media table trying, but failing to keep a play alive, Iowa went up 16-15. The Hawkeyes did not look back, and take the first set, 25-21. This play epitomized the Badgers’ night. Whenever the Badgers seemed on the verge of a momentum shift, they fell just short. The two lone seniors, Dolgner and outside hitter Caity DuPont, seemed to lack their usual energy. Dolgner recorded nine errors and only six kills on her way to a hitting percentage of .107. DuPont had her first match without an ace since September 6. “Brittney sat out Monday and Tuesday with the flu. She didn’t have the same elevation on her jump,” head coach Pete Waite said.
“She was tentative.” This tentativeness was evident not only to Waite, the Hawkeyes and the fans, but to the other Badgers as well. “Everyone always has to be ready,” junior outside hitter Allison Wack said. Despite the result, Wack certainly was ready, posting a game-high 17 kills. So were a few other Badgers, as some of the younger players were forced to pick up the slack. In the second set it was freshman right side hitter Kirby Toon providing the spark, with four kills. In the third set it was freshman middle blocker Alexis Mitchell’s turn, driving home 4 kills as well. “I tried to focus on swinging hard, being aggressive,” Mitchell said. “I wanted to go in there and do what I needed for the team.” Waite was disappointed with the outcome, but did like his team’s performance in the second set. “In the second set things picked up,” Waite said. Wisconsin came out rolling after a timeout at 15-15 to win the second set 25-19. At 18-16, junior libero Kim Kuzma wisely let a close ball sail long. After this second set of brief superiority, it was all downhill. “We were a little inconsistent heading into the third,” Waite said. There were too many unforced errors.” The Badgers put up a team total of 32 attack errors to Iowa’s 15. The only player who displayed consistency was Kuzma, who had a game-high 18 digs. It was consistency that led to the eventual Hawkeyes’ victory. Iowa went on to win the third and fourth set 2522 and 25-18, respectively. Although the Badgers totaled 11 more kills than the Hawkeyes’ 48, Wisconsin also had a .170 hitting percentage to the Hawkeyes’ .275.
This season... not so much. Although there has not been a change in offensive philosophy, the Wisconsin offense has not featured that big, bruising fullback. Instead, it has opted to put tight ends in the backfield to lead the way for running backs. In two of the last three weeks, the team has not even listed a fullback on the depth chart. “We run a 13-personnel is what we call it. One back, three tight ends,” senior tight end Garrett Graham said. “So you know, we’re able to do a lot more things. Mickey [Turner] especially has been in the backfield a little more and you’ll see Lance [Kendricks] floating around there too in motions and stuff like that.” Kendricks and team captains Graham and Turner all share starting tight end spots and have thus far been important in both the running and passing game. The trio has combined for 21 receptions for 234 yards. Each of the three brings a slightly different skill set to the offense, which almost always has two of them on the field. “I’d say none of us are the same,” Graham said. “Lance [can] really stretch the field, is a fast guy, really strong, a freak in the weight room. He’s real physical when it comes
to blocking. Mickey, he’s going to get things done. He works really hard, unselfish. I’m probably a mix between both of them.” The comments about Kendricks are especially notable, since when he arrived at Wisconsin, he played wide receiver. Out of Rufus King High School in Milwaukee, he was considered one of the top 15 receivers in the 2006 class by scout.com. The staff moved him over to tight end, but even after coming back from a broken leg suffered against Michigan State, his passcatching skills were still far ahead of his blocking. Then Kendricks started the 2009 season with two catchless games, but still drew praise from coaches for his work in the run game. The receiving ability showed up last Saturday, as Kendricks had team highs in catches and receiving yards against Wofford. “I appreciate what Lance has done as far as getting himself prepared so that he can do what he’s doing,” Offensive Coordinator Paul Chryst said, noting how well he transitioned to the new position. “You know, guys come in and you don’t know which direction they go and to his credit, he’s found a way on the field and a major contributor to this offense.”
Kendricks, was at a loss when asked to consider how he would have responded in high school to the prospect of lead blocking for a big back like sophomore John Clay. “I don’t know what I would have said [as a senior],” Kendricks said. “I probably would have freaked out then, but now it’s fine. I’m so used to it now, it doesn’t bother me.” Both Graham and Kendricks said that being a lead blocker in the running game was a change from blocking from the normal tight end position but not an exceptionally challenging one. “There’s a lot of carry-over,” tight ends coach Joe Rudolph said. “Now this is a little bit different. I would say the level of difficulty enhances a little bit and but they’ve adapted well to it and they’re doing a good job.” The change itself was not a matter of shifting the game plan more toward tight ends and away from fullbacks, but simply responding to a roster without many players in the classic fullback mold. “I think a good offense takes advantage of the people,” Chryst said “[The tight ends] were all good players, worthy of being on the field and so I think you adjust to players as opposed to trying to say scheme for something or another.”
Myths about FCS team scheduling revealed BEN BREINER boom goes the breinamite
A
f ter Wisconsin finished up its blowout of Wofford, head coach Bret Bielema faced a difficult question about his schedule. Was the first non-sellout in 41 games a referendum on the opponent? Bielema did his best to answer, pointing to challenges in getting schedules to line up and claiming the goal was to build as strong a schedule as possible.
Good schedules are defined by the best opponents a team plays, not the worst.
The problem is that getting mad about playing FCS teams is that two big myths exist about scheduling FCS opponents. Myth 1: FCS opponents drag down a strong schedule. Sadly, fans are looking at the scheduling issue completely backwards. Good schedules are defined by the best opponents a team plays, not the worst, and fans need to look at that when venting scheduling rage. No one cares that Florida plays an FCS and a Sun Belt team since the play Florida State. Eight of the top nine teams in the coaches poll play FCS opponents this year including everyone in the top six (it’s a joke that Penn State and Ole Miss are in the top six at all with the teams they’ve faced, but that’s another story). Hell, some of the
schedules ESPN rated as its 10 hardest before the season feature the likes of UC-Davis, Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State. What many of those teams do have is at least one non-conference opponent that is considered pretty good, usually a BCS team. And that’s what the Badgers need. They need a team like the West Virginia and Oregon squads they played in the early 2000s. In the six seasons since Wisconsin faced West Virginia, its BCS non-conference foes have all rated somewhere between lacking and mediocre (2004 Arizona, 2005 North Carolina, 2007 Washington State). Now the Cougars may have been good when they were scheduled, as they were strong enough to get to the Rose Bowl in 2002, but the goal must be to get a decent caliber of BCS conference opponent. If the Badgers face a slate including one team at that good BCS level, a decent mid-major (Fresno State or UNLV), an average MAC or Mountain West team and someone from the FCS, that sounds like a perfectly fine schedule. Myth 2: Wisconsin pays FCS opponents to come to Madison and pad its record Yes it’s true, the Badgers pay opponents such as Wofford and Cal Poly $500,000 to play in Camp Randall, and everyone gets steamed over it. But ask yourself, why should they come here if they don’t get any money out of it? It’s expensive to fly over 100 people at least 1,000 miles. Someone has to pay to house and feed the players, coaches and staff on the trip. Does anyone think they just come jaunting over to Madison and spend
that money because they just love playing football so much? No. It’s highly doubtful that the teams split gate receipts in any way, so if even 60,000 regular fans and every student pays for a ticket at face value (73,500 total fans), the university stands to pull in over $2.5 million dollars. And that does not include parking fees, mandatory seat donations or luxury suits.
Some of the schedules ESPN rated as its 10 hardest before the season features the likes of UC-Davis, Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State.
The $500,000 is not just a big deal. It sounds like a lot of money, but the extra home game more than makes up for it. All the hyperbole over it is just ridiculous. The Future: Why it could get better Wisconsin’s schedules in the next few years should include Arizona State, which shared a Pac 10 title two years ago, Oregon State, which won nine or more games for the last three seasons, and Virginia Tech, which has won two straight ACC titles. Assuming each of these teams is still around those levels when they face Wisconsin in coming years (and that’s a big assumption), the schedules will look fine. With one or two strong teams on the schedule, all the outrage over FCS opponents will probably just disappear. Think Wisconsin should still cut the FCS foes? Tell Ben all about it at breiner@wisc.edu.