UWM Post 10-17-2011

THEUWMPOST est. 1956

the student-run independent newspaper

October 17, 2011

Chancellor Inauguration pg 2

Men’s soccer pg 5

Issue 8, Volume 56

Bjorn album review pg 12

Milwaukee’s Wall Street The Madness is back

City protests against corporate greed Panther Madness returns with style

Three thousand marched downtown in protest of wage disparity, corporate malfeasance, and big bank bailouts.

Post photo by Jesse Anderson

By Steve Garrison News Editor news@uwmpost.com Three thousand protesters marched through downtown Milwaukee Saturday morning, joining demonstrators around the world in protesting against the perceived economic and political power of the “one percent.”

Ninety-five cities worldwide, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Rome and London, joined Milwaukeeans in protesting against corporate greed, wealth disparity and bank bailouts as part of the ongoing Occupy Wall Street movement.

A diverse group of demonstrators from various unions, community organizations and online-based organizations packed into Zeidler Park at 11 a.m. carrying signs that read, “Justice is what love looks like in public,” “We are the 99%” and “M’lord, the peasants are revolting.”

Organizer Khalil Coleman, 25, said he was

happy so many people from different walks of life were willing to unify under the Occupy Milwaukee banner.

“I believe Wisconsin and Milwaukee would be the cornerstone of a lot of great things happening around the globe,” Coleman said. “We have a lot of issues here, and we have a lot of dedicated people who want to see things change … I think that is what is going to help spark change across America and around the globe.”

The size and scope of the Occupy Milwaukee protest caught some organizers by surprise, with attendance conservatively estimated at 500 for the event in previous days. “…we did not think we were going to have 3,000 people in the streets,” organizer Peter Rickman, 29, said. “I think it shows that people are energized and enthused, and they see some real possibility in getting activated and mobilized and taking to the streets.”

See OCCUPY page 3

The Rim Rockers provide entertainment during the Panther Madness.

Post Photo by Austin McDowell

By Tony Atkins Assistant Sports Editor sports@uwmpost.com

There may or may not be an NBA season on the horizon, but who cares? Panthers’ basketball is back to business.

This past Friday, Panther Madness made a return, officially kicking off UW-Milwaukee’s men’s and women’s basketball season. The night was filled with many activities and performances and gave students a sneak peak of the product that will represent this university during the 2011-12 campaign.

The festivities began as guests walked into the Klotsche Center’s “Arena.” The gym was filled with blazing trumpets, crazed fans and the excitement for two teams expecting to make a gigantic move in the Horizon League this year. Pounce the Panther was in mid-season form as well, entertaining the crowd like only Pounce could. There was even

an appearance by newly inducted Chancellor Michael Lovell, whom I sat next to. He gave me his impressions of his first Panther Madness.

“I think it is great to get over 800 students out here to support these programs. It is very exciting to see people out here supporting their teams,” Lovell said.

The event itself began with the Milwaukee Buck’s affiliated Rim Rockers, who put on a terrific aerial display with a great show of high flying dunks, engaging and energizing the crowd.

After that, it was all about basketball. The arena lights dimmed as the Panther tunnel filled up with smoke and introductions began. The women’s team was introduced first, including five freshmen who are going to take to the court this year after a 12-win season last year.

“I think this year we have a good group of girls that have been working hard to improve and get

See MADNESS page 6

Engineering UWM’s future Lovell inaugurated as UWM’s new chancellor

By John Parnon Assistant News Editor news@uwmpost.com

Mustache jokes, athletic running puns and proverbs about lions and gazelles aren’t the usual fanfare surrounding a university suit and tie affair, but all of these could be heard at Michael Lovell’s inauguration as chancellor of UW-Milwaukee this past Friday at the Helen Bader Concert Hall.

Lovell is the eighth chancellor in

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UWM’s history, following Chancellor Santiago who left UWM in 2010.

Speakers included Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, UW System President Kevin Reilly and U.S. Senator Herb Kohl.

The only group that was not seen at the inauguration on Friday was younger UW-Milwaukee students, with only a handful of attendees under the age of 30.

This group of students will be the ones most immediately affected

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FRINGE EDITORIAL

by Chancellor Lovell’s proposal to require freshmen to live in on-campus dormitories beginning fall 2012.

Lovell said during his speech that this was a direct result of UWM changing from a commuter institution to a traditional residential campus and cited expansions in university housing facilities as making this possible.

Lovell received a custom-made medallion before giving his speech. The medallion took about 1,000 hours to put together and “is a symbol of where our

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campus is today and the directions we are heading,” Lovell said.

Lovell also talked about the importance of improving UWM’s role as a research university and acquiring corporate sponsors and partners.

UWM Alum Gale Klappa embodied this point as Master of Ceremonies.

Klappa is president and CEO of We Energies, a company UWM has partnered with before.

UWM Alum Naima Adedapo was also at the inauguration to sing

COMICS PUZZLES

the national anthem. Adedapo was a contestant on season 10 of the popular TV show American Idol.

Lovell said there has been a 37 percent increase in degrees granted over the last decade, contributing to a growing UWM alumni population.

“Our Alumni Association is growing by more than 5,000 individuals annually,” Lovell said.

“Those individuals are amazing. I’ve heard

See LOVELL page 2

� THERE’S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR

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NEWS

October 17, 2011

THEUWMPOST Editor in Chief Zach Erdmann

Production Editor Melissa Dahlman

Managing Editor Mike La Count

Chief Copy Editor Jackie Dreyer

News Editor Steve Garrison

Copy Editors Kara Petersen Brad Poling

Assistant News Editors Aaron Knapp John Parnon Fringe Editor Steve Franz Assistant Fringe Editors Kevin Kaber Graham Marlowe Sports Editor Jeremy Lubus Assistant Sports Editor Tony Atkins Editorial Editor Zach Brooke Photo Editor Sierra Riesberg

Lovell’s new medallion

Art department spends 1,000 hours on its creation

By Lyla Goerl

Distribution Mgr. Patrick Quast

Staff writer news@uwmpost.com

Off-Campus Distribution Alek Shumaker Business Manager Tyler Rembert Advertising Manager Stephanie Fisher Ad Designer Russell Pritchard Account Executive Dominique Portis Online/Multimedia Editor Kody Schafer Board of Directors Jackie Dreyer Zach Erdmann Stephanie Fisher Mike La Count Kody Schafer

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Post Photo by Austin McDowell

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Lovell held back tears as he discussed the sacrifices his family has made for him to be named UWM's newest chancellor. Post Photo by Austin McDowell

LOVELL

Continued from page 1 their stories of success and overcoming diversity. I’ve seen the tears of joy rolling down the graduates’ cheeks as I shake their hands and say congratulations.”

Lovell’s inauguration was the final event of the week-long “Lovell-palooza” celebration on campus. Events included a battle of wits with Lovell titled, “Are You Smarter Than The Chancellor?” and an egg-drop competition that tasked students and the chancellor to design an apparatus that would ensure that an egg would survive a two-story fall.

The inauguration began at 3 p.m. and lasted for two hours, with a reception in the Wisconsin room at the UWM Union where free drinks and snacks were available to those in attendance.

Paul Freund, one of the few UWM students in attendance, said he still remembered his first encounter with Lovell.

“I took a picture with Lovell the other day. I came up to him in front of Chapman Hall and stuck my tongue out. He was laughing, the photographer was laughing – it was fun for everyone,” Freund said.

Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele said he’s never been more excited about a chancellor of UWM than he is right now.

“Mike has big ideas about what’s possible. He gets excited about what can be done, and he doesn’t just have a vision, but he rallies people around it,” Abele said.

Barrett said Lovell is coming with a tremendous amount of energy and support.

“Obviously there are a lot of fiscal challenges with the state, the way the state has cut back on support for UWM and education in general,” Barrett said. “He’s going to have to do more with less, and he’s going to have to be collaborative…but he is certainly up to the challenge.”

President of the Student Association Alex Kostal took the stage clad in a suit, a tie and sneakers to speak about Lovell.

“Lovell’s perspective is what we need now…he is friendly and approachable around campus and makes me at ease when talking to him,” Kostal said.

Kohl said Lovell’s new role as chancellor is “the right man, the right place, the right time and the right job.”

Third District Alderman Nik Kovac said he had a lot more hope for Lovell than he did Santiago, UWM’s previous chancellor.

“I think he is a great guy, and I think he is a positive step. I wish he was more of a positive step,” Kovac said. “I hope he will be able to speak truth to power, not just in Madison but elsewhere.”

When Lovell took the stage at 4:30 p.m., he was greeted with cheers from the crowd and even brought tears to several audience members’ eyes.

“Our university is changing faster than ever. To take advantage of opportunities, UWM must change its internal structure to be more efficient, nimbler and better prepared to respond to a global world,” Lovell said. “We must take advantage of the resources we have available.”

UW-Milwaukee Jewelry and Metalsmithing Professor Frankie Flood teamed up with Yevgeniya Kaganovich, Bryan Cera and Chancellor Michael Lovell in creating a medallion to commemorate the inauguration of future chancellors.

“We wanted to create an object that represents a vision to UWM and the City of Milwaukee,” Flood said.

The brainstorming started during spring of 2011. The team met many times, and with countless ideas being thrown around, they eventually came up with this design.

Using his own equipment, Flood designed a computer image of the proposed medallion. Graduate student Bryan Cera then made the image come to life using a 3D computer program. After creating the 3D image, the actual making of the medallion began.

Flood used a machine to help cut out the pieces that created the chain and the “map” of campus. The medallion, which was presented to Lovell at his inauguration Oct. 14, is made out of aluminum.

The process for designing, cutting, anodizing and putting it together took about four months. It took 91 pieces to make up the chain and over 100 pieces to make up the medallion. Over two hours were spent assembling the final object, making the entire time spent working close to 1,000 hours.

The medallion has gears in the back that open and close. When it is closed, viewers can see “UWM” and when opened, a small disk has Lovell’s name and year he was inaugurated engraved upon it.

Lovell was presented the medallion during his inauguration. When not wearing it, the medallion will be displayed in a case somewhere in Chapman Hall.

“I’m not sure where exactly it will be displayed in Chapman Hall, but we wanted others to be able to see the finished project up close,” Flood said.

Peck School of the Arts Art & Design Chair Lee Ann Garrison cannot be any happier with the end result.

“It’s an incredible design, both high-tech and beautiful into one,” Garrison said. “I’m very proud of them.”

For more information on the process of the making and images of the medallion, go to http://frankief lood.blogspot.com/search/ label/medallion.

Lovell meets campus Inauguration week events build dialogue between chancellor and students

By Aaron Knapp Assistant News Editor news@uwmpost.com

In a week’s worth of interactive events, Chancellor Michael Lovell invited students to join him in celebrating his inauguration last week, starting with the Panther Prowl on Sunday and ending in Panther Madness on Friday.

These Inauguration Week events pitted Lovell and students in friendly competitions, allowed for students to work side-by-side with the chancellor, but more importantly, it was a chance for Lovell and the students to get to know one another.

“I talked to Michael Laliberte, the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, and I told him that I wanted the students to be heavily involved in inauguration week, and we essentially blocked my whole week off during the day to have special events with the students,” Lovell said.

Since Former Chancellor Carlos Santiago left the position last October, Lovell has been acting chancellor until the UW System officially hired him as chancellor in April. He rose through the ranks quickly for a comparably short career at UW-Milwaukee, starting as dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science in 2008.

While he was dean and interim chancellor, Lovell continued to teach classes and stay involved with students.

Laliberte has noticed that Lovell’s drive to stay in touch with students has not changed since then.

“I think Chancellor Lovell is unique in the sense that he really has the desire to be out on campus, involved with students and to participate with students,” Laliberte said. “This is probably the third inauguration I’ve been a part of on campus, and this is the first time that a chancellor has made the statement, ‘I want to be involved with the students, and I want students involved in my inauguration week,’ which was really

the premise behind putting all of these programs together.”

Wherever Lovell went during inauguration week, Laliberte was never far away, standing off to the side allowing Lovell to take the spotlight. A relative newcomer as well, having been in his position since last November, Laliberte explained how Lovell has cooperated with staff, faculty, organizations and students across campus to make the events work, showing his willingness to work with everyone and anyone.

“It’s clear that he is somebody who wants to be connected to the students and hear what they have to say and build relationships,” Laliberte said.

According to Lovell, students conceived all of the events of inauguration week except one. They asked Lovell to teach his favorite class, so he went back to a course he taught in mechanical engineering collaboratively with Nathaniel Stern, an associate professor in the Peck School of the Arts.

They both explained that in the second class of the semester students would be divided into teams for an egg drop competition. They would get minimal materials and would have to design something that could protect an egg to be dropped from the second story of a building.

“It’s always my favorite thing when we go and drop the egg off the second story of a building, see who survived and see how far we can throw them. It’s a lot of fun,” Lovell said.

Lovell and Stern held this egg drop competition at the Institute for Industrial Innovation, affectionately called “[Lovell’s] baby” by Stern. The winning team, Team Rocket, stayed true to their name by designing what looked like a rocket that was remarkably effective at protecting the egg, especially when in the second round of the competition, they had to throw it, sending it soaring

See EVENTS page 4

NEWS

uwmpost.com

OCCUPY

Continued from page 1 Despite the size, the first aid tent gathered dust, and no arrests or property damage were reported, according to Fran McLaughlin, media contact for the Milwaukee County Sheriff Department.

The Occupy Wall Street Movement’s roots can be traced to a Sept. 17 march in New York City that drew 1,000 people, with seven arrested. After the march, an estimated 100 to 200 people began the ongoing occupation of Zuccotti Park.

Despite its humble beginnings, the movement has gone global in recent weeks, largely the result of decentralized, online organization through social networking sites.

Because of the decentralized nature of the protests, the specific goals of the movement have been difficult to discern, no less so in regards to Occupy Milwaukee.

One of the most contentious issues discussed during Wednesday’s general assembly was whether the group should release a list of demands.

Several organizers argued that a list of demands would open the group up to criticism from the media and could potentially fracture the movement.

Others argued that a list of demands would have the opposite effect, creating a clear, concise message and giving the message “teeth.”

Although they toyed with the idea of releasing a list of general goals, the group ultimately decided by majority vote to leave its specific expectations undefined.

Many in the park on Saturday were happy with the organizers’ decision.

“I think our greatest strength is diversity,” UW-Milwaukee junior Julio Guerrero said. “I am a democrat, you know, but there are a lot of people who are to the left and the right of me here, because this is not about politics. This is about what is right and wrong.”

Matt Douglas, a graduate student at Marquette University, said he first became interested in the movement a week and a half before the protest, because the message just resonated with him.

“I think part of its appeal is that a lot of different groups can get behind the fact that the bank bailouts, the banks in general, are getting a lot more than the regular people are, and as such, I do not think it is going to suffer from a lack of cohesive leadership or anything like that,” Douglas said. “If anything, it gives the movement strength.”

Following the assembly in Zeidler Park, protesters marched to the corner

of Wisconsin Avenue and Water Street where JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Associated Bank are located.

Demonstrators surrounded the entrance to JP Morgan Chase with crime scene police tape while speakers representing various aspects of the community discussed how they have been impacted by corporate malfeasance.

Labor leader Michael Bolton railed against the dismantling of America’s workforce, asking protesters if they would allow the younger generation to lose hope that they would do better than their parents.

“Freedom isn’t free,” Bolton shouted through a bullhorn. “You have to stand up for it. People have been beat up for decades.”

According to the march and rally narrative distributed during the Wednesday general assembly, the banks were chosen because they had a part in and are symbolic of “the economic collapse and the long-running erosion of economic security, opportunity, fairness and justice.”

Protesters then continued their march down Water Street, gathering outside the M&I Bank off of Mason Street where more speeches were delivered.

A mock sit-in was directed by Dave Somerscales and Pete Hanrahan, but poor communication in the large crowd caused confusion among the group, some of whom left or went back to Zeidler Park out of fear of arrest.

The protest finished up back at Zeidler Park, where a general assembly was held to discuss further actions.

Max Farrar, 20, is a student at DePaul University in Chicago and offered advice to the Occupy Milwaukee organizers during the general assembly.

He is currently involved in actions with Occupy Chicago.

“I think it fantastic to see a thousand people come out here today, and I think it speaks to the organization of this … movement,” Farrar said. “I think that is something that is unique to Milwaukee and good for Milwaukee. In Chicago, it was entirely impromptu, and we have tried to iron out all of our organizational structures on the ground without any previous planning, unlike Milwaukee, unlike New York.”

Problems with communication aside, many of the organizers considered the protest a success, and more actions are currently being organized.

Rickman said that the group is currently considering another large-scale action for Saturday.

October 17, 2011 3

I heart female what?!

Audience members discuss sex like you never heard in sex ed

By Callie Koller Special to the Post news@uwmpost.com

From the get-go Monday night, Rachel Dart and co-speaker Marshall Miller set a brash and unabashed tone for the sex-talk titled, “I Heart Female Orgasm.” This presentation marked the third time the program was presented at UW-Milwaukee, previously visiting in 2005 and 2009.

Although it was the second night of the National League Championship series at Miller Park, baseball didn’t deter the crowd from filling nearly all of the 550 seats.

“I know it must have been a hard choice, Brewers or orgasm,” Dart said, “but I think you made a good one.”

Tasteful tunes, like Snoop Dogg’s “Sexual Seduction” and Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body,” greeted audience members of all demographics as they made their way into the Union Ballroom.

Most noticeable was the significant amount of gentlemen, many of whom were in the front rows. Although the title had “female” in it, guys like 19-yearold sophomore Ryan Benavides said that “made [the event] more interesting” to check out.

The “I Heart Female Orgasm” program is one of several co-created

by Miller and his wife who have been

giving presentations at college campuses throughout the U.S. for over ten years.

Miller feels that even if teachers wanted to discuss sex constructively, they are limited by the curriculum.

“You get really good information on what could go wrong…but so much is missing,” Miller said.

Sex in many high school health classes is defined as STDs, paranoia and shame. Shows like “16 and Pregnant,” which document teenagers throughout their pregnancy, reinforce the idea of negative consequences. “[16 and Pregnant] seems so fearrelated like, ‘This could happen to you,’ which it could, but I feel like so much of the conversation about sex is scary, and I don’t know how helpful that is,” Dart said.

On the other hand, as Miller pointed out, the positive messages people receive through the steamy scenes on the big screen are not accurate representations of real life.

“I think one of the challenges of Hollywood sex is that it’s entertaining but falls short of true sex education,” Miller said.

Miller feels honored to provide the opportunity for people to discuss sex openly and honestly without the threat of judgment but rather understanding.

Despite the large crowd, audience members were comfortable asking intimate questions about their sexuality

as well as sharing embarrassing stories.

“People are so happy to have the information and talk about it in a way that’s approachable,” Dart said, who traded personal anecdotes with the audience as well.

Midway through the presentation, the audience was divided into three groups: men, women and those who are gender neutral. Reconvening after twenty minutes, the groups were meant to encourage discussion that wouldn’t have otherwise been brought up in a larger gender diverse audience.

Program Coordinator for the LGBT Resource Center Warren Scherer said he wants to get UWM on the same schedule as UW-La Crosse, which hosts the “I Heart Female Orgasm” presentation every odd year.

“The students at UWM change over every year. On average, we have 4,000 new students per year; if we [host the program] every two years, we’re catching 8,000 new people who could potentially benefit from the information,” Scherer said.

The two hour long presentation was hosted by UWM Union Programming, the LGBT Resource Center, the First Year Center, the Women’s Resource Center and the Norris Health Center.

At the end, Dart appropriately wished everyone, “Good luck and plenty of orgasms.”

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October 17, 2011

the uwm post

UWM officials plan to offer Signs and wonders unique student IDs for voting amongst the GAB reverses decision on student ID stickers

By Steve Garrison News Editor

news@uwmpost.com

The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board reversed their ruling last month that would allow universities to affix stickers on student IDs that would make them eligible for voting purposes in next spring’s elections, as per requirements in the Voter ID Bill passed last May. UW-Milwaukee officials have changed course in response to the legislative decision, now supporting a plan to produce a separate, compliant identification card that students can request, as well as making available web-based documents that can verify enrollment status and a student’s current address. “…We want to make sure that all eligible voters are enfranchised, so we want to do our part to ensure that students are able to identify themselves, as per the new law, as potentially eligible to vote in local elections,” Director of Enrollment Services Beth Weckmueller said.

Weckmueller said the university is in discussion to develop a publicity campaign informing students on the bill’s impact and how they can go about obtaining proper identification materials.

The voter ID cards will cost approximately a dollar a piece to produce and are expected to be rolled-out early next year.

The university expects 1,000 or fewer students to request the voter ID material, Weckmueller said, but the university is prepared in case of larger demand.

The Voter ID Bill, which was signed into law last May, will require voters in next spring’s election to produce a Wisconsin-issued form of identification,

a military ID or passport before being allowed to vote.

Campus IDs are also allowed to be used for voting purposes. However, the requirement that IDs contain a student signature, an expiration date and an issuance date is not currently met by any universities in the UW System.

The bill has drawn heat from Democrats who claim it is an attempt to disenfranchise voters who typically do not have valid ID cards, including students, the poor, senior-citizens and minorities.

Republicans claim that the bill is necessary to curb voter fraud.

“I think we have seen time and time again, people want to make sure that, not only on this issue, but on a number of other issues, that there is voter integrity in the state of Wisconsin,” Governor Scott Walker said in a brown bag address in May. “We want to have confidence that each and every vote that is cast, and cast legally, is the one counted.”

Several Democrats have said that concerns over voter fraud are overblown, and The New York Times opined on Oct. 9 that voter ID legislation is an example of Republicans “abusing the trust placed in them by twisting democracy’s machinery to partisan ends.”

In September, the Government Accountability Board allowed universities to affix cost-effective stickers containing the required information to campus IDs, but the decision was challenged by Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau.

Fitzgerald asked the Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules to review the board’s decision, claiming that the stickers would hinder “clean” and “fair” elections.

The GAB reversed their decision last week before the committee’s review, with

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

GAB Director Kevin Kennedy releasing a memo stating that although universities first proposed using stickers for campus IDs, they would now prefer to develop a separate student identification card.

State Rep. Gary Hebl, D-Sun Prairie, accused the GAB of turning from “a watch-dog to a lap-dog” because of its decision, but JCRAR Co-Chair Jim Ott, R-Mequon, stood by the committee’s decision.

UWM Student Senator Eric Grow first proposed introducing counterfeitproof stickers for voting purposes, which received unanimous approval from the student government.

“It is unfortunate that political posturing often gets in the way of common sense solutions,” Grow said via email.

He said he still believes any campusissued voter ID card needs to be safeguarded against fraud and expects the Anti-Counterfeit Voter ID Card Bill currently in the senate to pass by a majority vote on Oct. 23.

“There is an undeniable push towards authentication methods in governmentissue identification documents, and the university should not produce something not up to this standard,” Grow said.

“To ensure legitimate elections at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, it is vital that a voter ID card contains significant anti-counterfeit features.”

Weckmueller said the proposal to create voter ID materials will be shared with campus administration and the Student Administration during the next few weeks and hopes to begin ordering supplies in November.

“We are open to additional input, but assuming there is general agreement with this approach, we will then begin to flesh out our implementation plans and order supplies next month,” Weckmueller said.

This week’s crossword solution

Try your hand at this week’s puzzles, turn to page 19

constellations

New grant allows Einstein@Home to continue research with volunteers

By Olen Burage Staff Writer news@uwmpost.com

UW-Milwaukee’s Einstein@Home project recently received a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to continue the research of the late theoretical physicist Albert Einstein.

The Einstein@Home project, developed by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory in 2005, allows average people to use their personal computers to aid scientists in measuring theorized gravitational waves throughout the solar system. Users will allow their computers to become processing devices to aid in research.

Before modern technology, Einstein theorized that the universe is full of gravitational waves caused by exploding stars, colliding black holes and other cosmic events. However, such waves were considered so infinitesimally small that not even the most advanced technology of Einstein’s time was able to detect them.

More recently, LIGO in the U.S. and the team behind the GEO 600 project in Sarstedt, Germany, have synergized with a ground breaking idea and capable technology to study said waves. No matter how great their technology and resources, they still need significant volunteer assistance.

Einstein@Home uses personal computers to process data from the LIGO and GEO 600. Users can download software onto their computers that receives data from a main server.

While the user’s computer is idle, it processes the data from the two main sources. Afterwards, the data is sent back

EVENTS

Last week’s solution

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This week’s Sudoku solution

This week’s Goduku solution

far past the other designs and gently landing in a bush.

“The entire idea was to keep the egg from cracking, so if it’s going to fall, it might as well fall in the direction we want it to,” Team Rocket member Chuang Chen said.

Jerome Scott, a junior in mechanical engineering and another member of Team Rocket, also works for the Student Success Center, which helped organize inauguration week.

“I feel like if I ever had to meet him in the future, that it would definitely be an easier process, now that I at least know what he looks like,” Scott said.

“I feel like it’s made him really approachable and maybe an easier person to talk to,” Chen added.

Scott also attended Lovell’s trip to the Hope House and Pantry with the Center for Volunteerism and Student Leadership, which sends student volunteers to this pantry every Tuesday and Thursday. With Laliberte and other volunteers, they brought donations to the pantry and put together grocery sized bags of food for impoverished people.

“I think it’s really significant that [Lovell]’s doing this because we’ve had

to the server and more is sent to the host computer to be processed. This software doesn’t affect the way the computer runs, nor is it even noticeably active.

“I needed a lot of computing power, but I didn’t know how to get it,” UWM Professor and Albert Einstein Institute Director Bruce Allen said. “I’ve always liked the idea of people getting involved in scientific research.”

Taking part in the study is Cornell University Professor Jim Cordes and UC-Berkeley Professor David Anderson, the creator of the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing, an open-source software platform for computing and data acquisition using volunteered devices.

BOINC is the precursor of many computer projects including Einstein@ Home. Over 200,000 people signed up in 2009, making it one of the biggest volunteer computer projects in the world.

Although LIGO’s computing core is thousands strong and growing, it still needs much more processing power to appropriately manage and measure all of their calculations. LIGO is dependent on students, instructors and science enthusiasts alike to offer their personal computers as processors with very little sacrifice. By downloading BOINC onto a computer, a person can instantly become part of the massive research effort to further study and understand Einstein’s suggestions and complex theory.

Owning a personal computer also includes the added luxury of signing up anonymously for those who would prefer privacy. Their servers are protected by a firewall and configured for high security for added peace of mind. The program can be cancelled and dismissed at any time. a partnership with the Hope House and Pantry for three years, and it’s great that he’s serving with the students that he sort of serves,” Nicky Glaser said.

Glaser graduated from UWM in May and now works for CVSL as an AmeriCorps Vista.

Of all of these events, Lovell and Laliberte agreed that their favorite was the trivia challenge, “Are You Smarter than the Chancellor?,” where Lovell outsmarted three students, but was also outsmarted by three other students.

“It was really fun to have a very healthy competition between me and them,” Lovell said.

For Lovell, the objective of these events was to not only celebrate inauguration and get to know students, but also to get students, faculty and staff engaged with one another and with the campus as a whole.

“I think it’s important for all of us on the campus, particularly the faculty and staff, to realize the reason why we’re here is for the students,” Lovell said. “UWM is changing right now. We’re becoming much more of a traditional kind of campus where 30 years ago we were a commuter campus.

And so when we do that, it’s much more important to build a sense of community.”

October 17, 2011

SPORTS

THE UWM POST

break the tie Money in the Banks Can’t Men’s soccer settles for secondJunior soccer star Cody Banks leads by example for Panthers

By Nick Bornheimer Staff Writer

sports@uwmpost.com

The UW-Milwaukee men’s soccer team is off to a good start in the 2011 campaign with a 2-1-2 conference record and already have scored more goals than last year. Junior forward Cody Banks is a key contributor to the Panthers’ success.

He is one of the few players on the team with more than two years experience and the only player left from his entire recruiting class. Though he’s only a junior, Banks is in a position that is crucial to a young team.

“I try to take on a role of a leader on the team,” Banks said. “We have a very young team, and all of the new guys are good people. Everyone gets along.

As far as being relied on more heavily, I just try to make as big an impact on each game as I can.”

His impact was immense in their most recent victory when the squad found themselves knotted in doubleovertime with the rival UW-Green Bay Phoenix. With the Chancellor’s Cup on the line and less than 10 seconds before a shoot-out, Banks volleyed in the game winning goal – a pretty big moment for his first goal of the year.

“I just happened to be that guy that got the chance at the very end of the game, and I was able to finish it,” Banks said. “Most of the attention goes to the player who gets that winning goal, but if it weren't for Jaime [Bladen] and Nick’s [Langford] goals, we wouldn't even have made it to OT.” Big moments, however, should not

feel unnatural to Banks. Banks was named First Team All-State, the Capital Times Boys Soccer Athlete of the Year and won a state championship while playing high school ball at Madison Memorial. Upon his departure, Banks was the school’s all-time scoring leader

Banks said. “I am very proud of what I’ve accomplished in high school, but, ultimately, once you reach the college level, nobody cares what you have done in the past, so it’s important to keep getting better.”

With numbers like the ones Banks put up in high school, he was obviously afforded an opportunity at the next level. Banks always knew he wanted to play soccer at the collegiate level. He just didn’t realize it would be so close to home.

“As a young kid, I always knew I wanted to go as far as I possibly could with soccer,” Banks said. “I never really thought I would go to an instate college, but I was immediately drawn to Milwaukee when I came on my recruiting visit. I loved how Engelmann Field was right in the middle of campus and just the close feel of the campus. My teammates are all great guys, and I am glad I made the decision to come here.”

Banks’ decision to take his talents an hour east on I-94 is a choice that coach Chris Whalley is definitely happy about.

Junior Cody Banks has scored a pair of goals this “Cody plays in every game. He’s season. Image courtesy of Cody Banks a hard worker and a hard trainer,” with 64 goals and 46 assists. TwentyWhalley said. “He brings a lot to the one of his goals at Memorial proved to team. He’s really a team player and cares be game winners as well. about the team first.”

Banks realizes that his success in Banks’ drive and focus on the field high school doesn’t warrant him any is thanks to some advice from his father. praise with his new teammates.

“Growing up my dad always told “Once you get to college, you realize me ‘Never let anyone out work you,’ so I that everyone on your team was the always have that in the back of my head star of their high school team, and it’s when I'm playing.” those who continue to grow as players that become standouts at the next level,”

straight conference tie

By Nick Bornheimer Staff Writer sports@uwmpost.com

Despite dominant second-half play and a 6-1 overtime shot advantage, the UW-Milwaukee Panthers men’s soccer team was forced to settle for a doubleovertime 2-2 draw against Wright State Saturday night at Engelmann Field.

Consecutive goals from freshman Laurie Bell and senior Robert Refai gave the Panthers (5-6-2 overall, 2-1-2 Horizon) a late lead, but a Milwaukee turnover in the 71st minute helped Justin Laird and Wright State (6-4-2, 2-1-1 ) knot the game at two apiece, leading to Milwaukee’s second straight 2-2 conference draw.

“It’s disappointing that we didn’t win the game,” UWM Coach Chris Whalley said. “We’re a possession-oriented team, and if you’re going to turn the ball over, you’re going to get caught, and that’s what happened to us tonight.”

Milwaukee had a chance to claim a share of the conference lead with a win Saturday but is still within striking distance, trailing only Cleveland State (3-1-1 Horizon) in the standings.

Wright State was able to find the back of the net first in Saturday’s contest when a 15th minute Panthers turnover led to a Wright State run that gave Bry Rockwell-Ashton’s his fifth goal of the season.

The Panthers played from behind until the 59th minute when Wright

State’s Brian Cothern was given a yellow card that set up a free kick opportunity

by Panthers senior Ross Van Osdol just right of the 18-yard box. Van Osdol sent a beautiful cross that junior Cody Banks was able to redirect to Bell who drove it into the net.

A goal in the 69th minute gave the Panthers the lead. Another Wright State yellow card gave Milwaukee the ball and a chance to run. Senior Keegan Ziada sent the ball to Banks who crossed, pulling Raiders goalie Craig Feehan from the box and setting up Refai’s conference leading seventh goal of the year.

The Milwaukee lead was brief. The Raiders answered back just over two minutes later when Cothern assisted Laird for his fifth goal of the season.

“We have to stop making silly mistakes that give them good opportunities. We need to start keeping some clean sheets,” Whalley said.

In both overtimes, Milwaukee was the aggressor but could not find the back of the net.

“We gave everything we had,” Whalley said. “In overtime, we were far and away the better team. Down 1-0, it would have been easy to pack it in and not show the character I think we showed in the second half and in overtime.”

Milwaukee heads to Valparaiso this Saturday in hopes of ending their fourgame winless streak. The Panthers have just three conference games left before the Horizon League tournament.

SPORTS

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October 17, 2011

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Defense, Schuh spark Panthers

Gritty effort helps keep team unbeaten in conference

By Nolan Murphy Staff Writer sports@uwmpost.com

The UW-Milwaukee women’s volleyball team left the Kress Center Saturday night in Green Bay just as they had arrived, undefeated in the Horizon League. The Panthers fought back from a poor start in the first two sets, for a valiant 17-25, 16-25, 25-11, 25-22 and 1512 victory in five sets over the UW-Green Bay Phoenix.

The Panthers remained atop the Horizon League Saturday, the only unbeaten team with six remaining matches. Senior right hitter Kerri Schuh led UWM’s offense with 20 kills. In the most pivotal moment of the game, during

the fifth set, senior Mary Beth O’Brien finished off the Phoenix with her sixth kill of the night.

Defense for the Panthers (17-4 overall, 10-0 Horizon) was the spark. Freshman Kayla Price was impressive with 15 digs, while Schuh added 16 digs of her own to go along with her game-high 20 kills.

Milwaukee finished with four players with double-digit dig totals.

Milwaukee has dominated UWGreen Bay in their last 40 meetings, winning 37 of them. Phoenix senior Abbey Gitter led the Green Bay offense with 16 kills. She has piled up doubledigit kills in 11 games already this season.

The Panthers are back on the road next weekend, heading to Wright State Friday night and Butler Saturday afternoon.

Panthers’ women’s soccer keeps rolling along

Hagen continues impressive play in win over Butler

By Mitch Pratt Staff Writer sports@uwmpost.com

The No. 12 ranked UW-Milwaukee Panthers women’s soccer team took their undefeated Horizon League record to Indianapolis Saturday night to face the Butler Bulldogs.

The team came back to Milwaukee all smiles after a 4-1 victory, improving its conference record to a perfect 6-0. Senior standout Sarah Hagen tallied two scores, both in the second half as the Panthers stayed atop of the Horizon League standings.

Hagen’s first goal came when she buried a shot off a free kick from 31 yards out in the 48th minute to push the Panthers lead to 2-0, and three minutes later, she added her second goal sealing the game.

Freshman goalkeeper Natalie Fettinger made her collegiate debut as goalkeeper and did not disappoint. She made six saves in the contest, including five in the first half alone.

The Panthers (14-1, 6-0 Horizon) also received nice contributions from freshmen Kelsey Holbert and Morgan LaPlant, who both scored their first goals of the year. Holbert’s strike came in the 18th minute to put the team on the board early in the game. Butler (7-7-1, 2-3) scored a goal late, but LaPlant scored in the 88th minute to eliminate any hopes the Bulldogs had of a comeback.

The high-powered Panthers attack was held in check for the better part of the first half, as shots were even at seven a piece. The pace was evenly matched until that point, but UWM was able to turn it on in the second half scoring three goals. The Panthers only allowed two more Butler shots and finished the game, outshooting the Bulldogs 20-9.

The Panthers will be in action next week with two more road games. The first is in Chicago to take on Loyola Wednesday night, and then the team travels deeper into Illinois to take on Illinois State Saturday afternoon.

MADNESS

Continued from page 1 “I think this year we have a good group of girls that have been working hard to improve and get better,” sophomore guard Emily Decorah said.

The introduction of the men’s team followed. Just one win away from the big dance last year, the Panthers will be looking to defend their regular season Horizon League title as they have yet another year of experience under their belts. This year, they will have a tough go against some great teams, such as Michigan State, but they are looking to step up to the plate.

“I feel like we have added some key pieces to our team that will help us continue on with our success from last year. We definitely have the talent and leadership from our seniors. I definitely see

us running the table and clinching a spot in the tourney this year,” junior guard Ja’Rob McCallum said.

Perhaps the highlight of the night was the introduction of Rob Jeter, the men’s basketball coach, who walked through his players, faced the crowd and did the “dougie” dance move to perfection. It was definitely a sight to see.

“That’s that old school, the young people weren’t ready for that,” Jeter said.

After the team introductions, the games continued. There was a pretty funny dance off, in which the winner won an iPad 2. There was a shootout against Chancellor Lovell where two lucky students each won an iPad 2. A thrilling game of musical chairs where participants had to make a layup before taking a seat followed, and an intense men versus women 3-point shootout went into an overtime round.

A dunk contest judged by Jeter and Sandy Botham, the women’s basketball coach, continued the event. As I looked on at the spectacle, I asked Chancellor Lovell if he was going to join in the dunk contest.

“Not a chance,” he said.

The return of Panther Madness, while overdue, was worth the wait. It was a good time for everyone. The teams are looking forward to a successful year, and Panther Madness was a great way to kick off this year for the programs. If the games are anything like how Panther Madness was last Saturday, the crowd will be a tough six man for opposing teams facing the Panthers.

“The fans were really into it this year.

I think this will encourage people to get out to games and support the teams,” senior Dane Poe said.

2011 MILWAUKEE LGBT FILM/VIDEO FESTIVAL Carl Bogner helps preview the 2011 Milwaukee LGBT Film & Video Festival

By Steven Franz Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com For more than two decades, the UW-Milwaukee Union Theatre has played host to one of the longest-running LGBT film festivals in the country.

Now four days long instead of the usual 11, the 2011 Milwaukee LGBT Film & Video Festival will run this weekend, starting with a major event: an openingnight screening of South by Southwest smash hit Weekend Thursday night at the Oriental Theatre. The UWM Post recently sat down with Festival Programmer Carl Bogner to discuss the state of the festival, its expanding reach, and its role in a rapidly changing LGBT environment.

UWM Post: To start with, just provide us with some background about the film festival.

Carl Bogner: The festival is in its 24th year. It was started by students, one of whom now runs Outwords Bookstore, Carl Szatmary. It eventually fell into the hands of the film department, which has run it for most of its life. It’s had different shapes. It used to be two weeks, Thursday through Saturday. Currently, we have a packed four-day weekend and then monthly screenings throughout the year.

Post: How have you seen it change over time?

CB: LGBT cinema has changed. Mostly it’s gotten more mainstream. I think that has to do with the rise of independent cinema. When I first started getting involved with it – I was the manager of the Union Theatre, and I would host the festival – the films were more edgy, and the content may have seemed more aggressive. There weren’t as many romantic comedies. The work tended to be more political. A lot of the flowering of gay cinema, which was then called queer cinema, was in the ‘90s, when there was a lot of activism around AIDS. And those conditions were reflected in the

cinema of the time.

As more people are making movies now, as independent film has more of a foothold, it’s actually led to an increase in more conventional narratives. That’s a generalization, there’s a lot of great political, edgy, transgressive work, but as a programmer for the film festival, I get to look at more conventional genres. A consistent threat throughout has been a really strong documentary focus.

Post: It’s interesting that the more independent it gets, the more conventional it gets.

CB: Gay and lesbian moviegoers have the same film going fantasies as anyone else.

They want to see a couple united at the end of the film, hopefully with at least a kiss. And as there are more gays and lesbians making films, there are more people making engaging narratives that conform to that genre. In a lot of ways, we’re past that definition of “independent” as meaning “alternative.”

Independent seems to refer to financing as opposed to content. You could cynically say there are more people who realize that gays and lesbians are a market.

When I first started working on the festival, the most popular genre would always be coming-out stories, stories about teens coming out to the world and being embraced. Usually films with happy endings ended up being the most popular films. Now, romantic comedies tend to be the more popular film. Coming out isn’t the central drama of these kids’ lives. They’re more comfortable with themselves and they’re making more daring declarations – Tomboy, for instance, about this amazing 10-year-old girl who tries to pass as a boy.

Post: A happier ending than Boys Don’t Cry? CB: When you look at it through the lens of Boys Don’t Cry, there’s an anxiety. Any movie where a character tries to pass as what they’re not, there’s always the drama that they’re going to be caught.

With Boys Don’t Cry in our heads, we

know that they will be punished severely.

Luckily, this movie remains in the realm of 10-year-olds, who can be cruel but have different reactions, and it’s a very sweet film.

Post: It’s interesting that this is the Milwaukee LGBT Film & Video Festival, but its locale is almost exclusively at UWM. Do you feel constrained by this, or do you feel it’s a good niche?

CB: We work on it. We try to get our footprint out. We have our opening night at the Oriental Theatre, but we also have an event coming up at the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center. Our monthly screening is going to be at the Milwaukee Art Museum. We try to hit the road as much as possible. I think the opening night at the Oriental and the rest of the festival being at the Union Theatre reflects the campus community aspect of the festival.

We are the Milwaukee LGBT Film Festival, not the UWM LGBT Film Festival, and I’d say our audience is primarily community more than it is students. But I love the Union Theatre.

They’ve been a great host for a really long time, and it’s just my favorite venue in town. And there are a lot of campus groups involved; it’s hosted by the film department. We try to be both a campus and a community festival.

We could stand to appear in the community with screenings more often, but as it is now, the Oriental for opening night is our biggest community gesture.

Post: Those monthly screenings are interesting because they’re still considered part of the festival despite being year-round.

CB: I hope the nomenclature isn’t confusing. In some ways, it was a way for the festival to have a year-round presence. In a lot of people’s minds, they’re different – we have the festival itself then the monthly screenings. In my mind, the monthly screenings might be different, too, because in a lot of ways, they’re more interesting than the program. They don’t have the burden of being a premiere. They have a different

weight, and we have more flexibility to meet a film’s release schedule. We have some films that would be on DVD by the time the festival came around, like Gregg Araki’s Kaboom or Xavier Dolan’s Heartbeats [last year], which we would have missed and wouldn’t have played in town at all if we hadn’t featured them in a monthly screening.

Next year is going to be our 25th anniversary, so with the monthly screenings, we’re trying to engage with LGBT history, either with documentaries – the screening at the Art Museum on World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 is a documentary called We Were Here, which is about San Francisco in the AIDS years – or with films like Joseph Losey’s Boom! from 1968. Do you know it?

Post: Oh yeah, I know that movie. I’m a huge John Waters fan, so I know all about that movie.

CB: The reason we’re showing that is because for the monthly screenings, we’ve solicited suggestions from the community, and we have a die-hard Boom! fan. We like to ask people, “What’s your personal LGBT film?” And I like that because it might not be representations of gays or lesbians, but for them, as a gay or lesbian or trans person, the film means a lot to them.

Post: That’s kind of the idea of the gay icon, as most gay icons through history, like Judy Garland, haven’t themselves been gay.

CB: That movie is just so queer. Like the décor. It’s helpful to have a John Waters endorsement; he credits that film to having helped inform his sensibilities.

But a movie like that would be a harder sell to put in the festival. To have it as a monthly screening, we can play with the definition of what LGBT cinema means by using this person’s suggestion. And the monthly screenings are still trying to find a definition. I’m intrigued by it, as it engages with more voices than the main program.

Post: Is there a particular reason you

chose the packed four-day format?

CB: It’s an experiment. We had done 11 days, which is just taxing on the staff – which is just me and a few people from Peck School of the Arts – and ideally we would do the 11-day format and the year-round screenings, but it’s a way of striking a balance. When we did have 11 days, the weekends tended to be packed, and we’re actually showing not that many fewer films in four days, because most weeknights we’d only be showing one thing.

Post: How have you seen local attitudes change toward the festival over time?

CB: It’s always been pretty welcoming.

In terms of the local press, people have always been really responsive. There were times, and I still can’t quiet believe this, where people would tell me I couldn’t put a poster up for the festival because “we’re a family restaurant.” I haven’t encountered that in some time, and it used to be common. I can remember the days when the Union would get bomb threats during the festival. There used to be fundamentalist religious literature that would surface on all of the tables outside the festival. That stuff has become unusual.

Post: I want to ask a fairly broad question about the role gay cinema now plays in a more powerful gay rights movement than there has been in the past.

CB: There’s always a lag. It’s not always that you come across what I would call “activist work.” It used to define queer cinema – directors like Todd Haynes or Tom Kalin or works that came out in the early ‘90s were definitely connected to a gay reality that meant you had to be an activist and fight. A good example [of the change] is Weekend, our opening night film, which is one of the best things we’ve ever shown. In the movie, it’s very clear that gay reality is different from straight reality, but the movie doesn’t rest on that difference. The way the movie engages issues of queerness or issues of difference still within a very romantic narrative arc is something new.

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the uwm post

October 17, 2011

The life of Egyptian royalty “Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt” makes a stop in Milwaukee

By Steven Franz Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com

The Milwaukee Public Museum has a history of ups and downs. On the one hand, as recently as two years ago, it faced a multimillion budget shortfall that threatened to cripple the local institution once and for all, forcing the museum authority to furlough its employees and suspend 401(k) contributions.

But on the other, the Museum boasts three successive and successful feature exhibitions for three consecutive years, culminating this year with “Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt,” a beautiful and incredibly significant bit of archaeological theater with one brightly glaring flaw: it doesn’t concern itself with educating you about just how historic it actually is.

The exhibition is ostensibly about Cleopatra, the famed last Pharaoh of Egypt, but its true worth lies a little deeper than that. While many of the artifacts that are on display were in some regard related to the ancient queen – including a bit of papyrus that actually bears her signature – most of the museum’s special exhibit space is related to the general aura of Egyptian royal life, the images that reflect it and the day-today trappings that go along with being royalty.

Images of Cleopatra herself are few and far between, aside from a massive, 16-foot statue that once stood, along with its male counterpart (which is also featured in the exhibit), at the doors to her temple. Oddly enough, the images of many of her family members, including her own father and Caesarion, her love child with Julius Caesar, are quite prominent.

Franck Goddio, the founder of the European Institute of Underwater Archaeology, spent years excavating underwater sites along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea where massive seaports once stood in the days of the Pharaohs. What he describes there was a melting pot of Mediterranean culture, especially in the days of Cleopatra – an Egyptian ruler descended from a Greek dynasty who carried out “bureaucratic” relationships with the Roman Empire, so much so that she bore children by both Julius Caesar and Marc Antony.

“What’s unbelievable about the site is the meeting point of Greek culture and Egyptian culture,” Goddio said. “You have, for example, Egyptian gods, which are interpreted for the Greek culture.

You have also a god-like Serapis, who

was invented in a dream by the pharaoh Ptolemy and is a symbiosis of the god Osiris and another.”

The sculpture of Serapis on display at the exhibition was, in fact, commissioned not by Cleopatra, but by her father. The sculptor who carved the impressive bust, which was found at the bottom of the sea under three feet of sediment, was a Greek named Praxiteles, who was one of the most famed sculptors in the history of Grecian art and arguably the most notable during his lifetime.

But this fact, which makes the piece, damaged as it is, an immensely significant work of art, is left mostly unmentioned by the exhibit. Sophie Labat, Goddio’s associate at IEASM, offhandedly described how a great deal of important information regarding the immensely historically valuable artifacts was left off the placards for the sake of simplicity. On the one hand, this contributes tremendously to the exhibit’s beauty – which was obviously of utmost importance to its designers, as the lighting and mood of the place is akin to a movie set and often quite gorgeous – but on the other leaves a variety of amazing and important information floating in the ether, inaccessible to the public at large.

Take the example of a three-foot stone naos, for instance, a shrine at the fore of an ancient Egyptian chapel.

Goddio and his crew did not find the whole thing, only a small part of it.

According to Goddio, “Engraved on the walls of that naos is a calendar, and it’s considered the first astrological calendar in the world.” And that’s not where the significance of the piece stops; “[JeanFrancois] Champollion himself ” – the French archaeologist who translated the Rosetta Stone – “studied that piece and could not interpret it, because there was too much missing. And we found that missing part, and on that part, we had the surprise to discover text, which is the creation of the world according to the Egyptians. That text was known to exist but had never been read before.”

The presence of a piece of such archaeological worth in the city of Milwaukee is an incredibly important thing, and the Milwaukee Public Museum is to be commended for accomplishing the feat of convincing the exhibition, sponsored by National Geographic, to set up shop only a short jump away from the UW-Milwaukee campus. It would, however, be nice if the exhibit were capable of articulating just why it matters so much.

The marble visage of Cleopatra greets visitors as they enter the exhibit dedicated to her, now on display at the Milwaukee Public Museum. Post photo by Steven Franz

uwmpost.com

October 17, 2011 9

Like clockwork Portugal. The Man’s Turner Hall set is a bit too professional

By Steven Franz Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com

The last few months have been a chore for Portugal. The Man. On top of an already grueling touring and recording schedule, the band’s van containing all of their instruments and amps was stolen from maybe the most important set of their lives, Lollapalooza. Luckily, the van and amps were recovered, but the instruments remain at large, meaning a big part of what has made five guys from the Pacific Northwest into Portugal. The Man remains missing.

But the band is nothing if not goaloriented, and the loss of their property hasn’t detracted them from the brutal touring schedule for which they’ve become known. Their set Friday night at Turner Hall was a reflection of the band’s straight-line mentality. In addition to their nonstop touring, they’ve released an album a year since 2006, if for no other reason than they planned to at the beginning of their career.

Schedule to Portugal. The Man is of the utmost importance, which doesn’t

detract from the quality of their music – which is great – but when it comes to shows, the one-two-three-four boot camp approach that the band takes becomes overbearing and overwhelming, and live performances can seem more like dress rehearsals than anything else.

It’s unfortunate that the band remains such steadfast adherents to schedule and scripture, because in their music lies an element of freedom and airy openness that doesn’t quite translate when their set became a train station with songs replacing steam engines. “Sleep Forever,” a big Pink Floyd-influenced track with an expansively wide-open sound, wasn’t given the room it needed to flourish.

And the soulful, Bowie-influenced wail of lead singer Casey Bates (they even dropped in a cover of Bowie’s “All the Young Dudes”) was treated with a level of strict, objective professionalism that it doesn’t really deserve. There was no noodling, no improvisation, no interaction with the audience outside of a few vague (but heartfelt) thanks to the substantial crowd, who could barely get a roar in edgewise in the two- or threesecond gaps between songs.

The band seemed to take the least stock in the aspect of their performance that was most fundamentally performative, preferring instead to create an atmosphere almost like a club DJ set, as opposed to making the band itself the centerpiece of the proceedings.

There were a few payoffs to this strategy, especially with the minimalist light show, which totally eschewed any overhead lighting whatsoever in favor of a cobweb of orbs that glowed blue, green, white and red at various times during the show, making it seem, at times, like it was being held in someone’s incredibly massive, fire-damaged basement instead of Turner Hall. And there is something to be said for letting the music speak for itself.

Without a rubric for the interaction of the audience with the band, and only a scant few clues that Portugal.

The Man was actually performing for someone other than themselves, the Turner audience was left with something fundamentally incomplete.

Portugal. The Man stuck a little too closely to formula Friday night at Turner Hall, and the results were less than spectacular. Photo by C.J. Foeckler

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October 17, 2011

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October 17, 2011 11

Lombardi is a winner Peter Wolf Crier at Club Garibaldi Playwright Eric Simonson brings a legend to life

Minneapolis trio proves strength of latest material

By Graham Marlowe

By Casey Buchanan Staff Writer fringe@uwmpost.com

Upon walking into the lobby of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, it was obvious that they wanted to evoke a certain type of emotion before the show even started. Green and gold banners adorned the walls, and bright green carpets draped over the stage.

The stereo played the sounds of massive crowds psyching themselves out.

It was a truly great job of capturing the feel of being in a football stadium mere minutes before kickoff. The anticipation in the air was brimming in the opening moments before showtime, and Vince Lombardi, the man of the hour, was the main topic of conversation.

Lombardi is the story of the legendary football coach who brought the Green Bay Packers back from the depths of being one of the worst teams in professional football and made them three time back-to-back-to-back champions.

Michael McCormick (Gerard Neugent) is an up and coming writer for Look magazine. He is sent to Green Bay in the middle of the 1965 season to write a piece on Lombardi (Lee Ernst) and what it is that makes

him a champion.

Vince is more than happy to give Michael all the information he wants.

It is when Michael begins to interview the people closest to him that we realize that Vince may not be the man everyone thinks he is. Michael begins to see Vince Lombardi the human being, not Vince Lombardi the living legend.

Lombardi is an amazing portrayal of a larger than life icon. The highs and the lows of his character are brought out in Ernst’s spectacular performance.

We see the human side of a man that is deified, not just with Packer fans, but sports fans across the nation. We see a man who is supported by his patient and loving wife Marie (Angela Iannone), who seems to be the only person who gets to see the opposite side of his bulldog persona. We see a man whose philosophy about football is used as a gospel for his players and himself on and off the field.

We see all these things in the man, but at the forefront, we see a football coach that never took “no” for an answer. Lombardi should be mandatory viewing for anyone who is privileged to call themselves a Green Bay Packer fan. As Vince would say “there are no excuses” and there should be none for missing Lombardi.

Assistant Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com

Folk rock is a great place to start when building one’s musical identity, but the ones who really stick with it often are, or become, musicologists, in some form.

Minneapolis indie veterans Peter Wolf Crier have risen like a phoenix from the ashes of such stylings (2010’s Inter-Be).

Due to the immense personal growth in the form of last month’s follow-up, Garden of Arms, Peter Pisano’s vision now requires a third person (Laarks’ Kyle Flater) to give it the proper electricity.

PWC played but one song (“Down Down Down”) from Inter-Be for Saturday night’s audience at Club Garibaldi, yet the crowd understood the change of demeanor with deep, immobile gazes. They also felt the presence and pained genius of Persian thinkers like Rumi, whose ancient wisdom is plastered all over PWC’s blog, while Pisano, Flater (guitar/keys), and Brian Moen (drums) pummeled Milwaukee, the “no-bullshit town,” into graceful submission.

With so many coming and going from the venue, the chill of the outside world, of immediate reality, lingered behind the musicians, gnawing at the spirit of the group, as sarcastic oneliners spewed from Pisano and Moen to counteract the brisk indoor breeze.

Flater, meanwhile, said not a word, content to color each song with guitar and keyboards while Moen and Pisano beat the hell out of their instruments with teenage fervor. At times, Flater even turned away from the audience – not to hide his technique from audience view, à la Eddie Van Halen, but to swim atop the layered structures of Garden material, as Pisano winced with joyous relief in a blanket of programmed loops and old memories that often took several minutes to prepare.

One could also hear echoed fragments of Jagjaguwar labelmates’ songs, like “Perth” (from Bon Iver’s 2011 self-titled album), as Pisano warmed the room, noodling his way from his subconscious to the songs’ recognized beginnings.

Songs like “Beach” and “Right Away” essentially became a conversation with the songwriter’s own self, answering looped vocal harmonies with complementary, real-time vocal responses. The lyrical content of those phrases showed listeners that PWC have either come to grips with quarter life anxieties, or that they’ve made enough concessions with themselves to continue along its current, emotionally-charged journey, “wanting to die in every sound” (“Having It Out”).

The group’s continued display of inner strength holds an outward calmness that is only ironic when one has

heard the band speak with candor about their inspirations. Pisano and Moen play almost exclusively to adventurous skeptics, given their sometimes hazy, overstuffed metaphors, yet they speak matter-of-factly to their audience with the stoned lucidity of a shaman.

Rarely has this band been simple and direct in the lyrics department, but they’ve somehow nailed the disorder that coincides with early adulthood better than many of their contemporaries – all of the missing friends, all the inebriated missteps and all of the rough changes included.

“Settling It Off ”, “Krishnamurti” and “Never Meant to Love You” are not simple emotions. As when Pisano solos with the jagged and prickly power of Neil Young, he always finds a fresh, unnamed emotion to tease us with or to beat out of himself, with the help of Moen’s extreme dexterity.

Things ended with a choice cover – INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart” – which fit Pisano’s voice like a surgical glove and gave an endearing sendoff to how simply the group can address life’s complex struggles. The difference here is that PWC have no interest in humorous softrock experiments (like Justin Vernon’s Gayngs). They just want a new home for their voice every now and then.

the uwm post

12 October 17, 2011

Looking ahead to a fine Weekend An exploration of music

UWM Post previews the LGBT Film Fest

By Fringe Staff fringe@uwmpost.com

Weekend (Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Oriental Theatre) If LGBT cinema really is swinging toward the mainstream and away from the activist tendencies that came to define it in its earliest days, then writer/ director Andrew Haigh’s Weekend is at a rather counterintuitive crossroads. While its frank, expressive portrayal of lust and growing love between two men is certainly unembellished – were one of the men to be replaced with a woman, much of the film could remain surprisingly constant – it certainly operates as a specific manifesto about the exclusive complexity of gay identity in the 21st century and is rather politically apolitical.

Weekend is the story of Russell (Tom Cullen), a not-quite-out gay man living in London. He is a bit unsure of himself, not in terms of his sexuality – which he is quite certain of – but of the necessity for others to know and accept it, partly out of shame and partly out of the simple idea that it’s not anybody’s business but his. This worldview is challenged several times through the course of the film.

At one point, riding the underground, he stands uncomfortably by listening to the homophobic, if not outright bigoted (the film differentiates between the two), prattling of a few nearby young people, but no more significantly than when he meets, goes home and interacts with Glen (Chris New).

When we first meet Glen, he uses the morning after a supposedly innocuous one-night stand to quiz Russell about himself and his expectations for an art project, revealing a series of anxieties about Russell’s sexuality. The singleshot conversation, which Glen records, is contentious and brilliant on the part of Haigh, as both parties reveal the negative, positive and conflicting faces of their own views about sex. Haigh places no viewpoint in a more positive light than another, and as the film goes on, Glen reveals that he can only spend a few days with Russell because he’s leaving for Portland, and both men grapple simultaneously with the circumstances of their relationship and the binary opposition that each presents to the other.

In a sense, Weekend is a gay answer to Alfonso Cuarón’s 2001 masterwork Y Tu Mamá También, both in form and content. Both films present a startlingly frank depiction of human sexuality, in such barren and forthright terms that the unfettered reference and portrayal of the act itself becomes a form of political ideology. And like the latter film, Weekend is shot in a hyperrealistic, cinéma vérité style – long takes, natural lighting, surprisingly little makeup, on-location shooting – that lends itself wholesale to the open and natural treatment with which it treats a rather complex conversation about human sexuality. Here it is, says Haigh, straightforward, factual, as it exists in life. And within that statement, which in its blatant realist tendencies is on the surface rather apolitical, lies a strong, forceful and often touching political message. (Steven Franz) Tomboy (Saturday, 5 p.m., Union Theatre)

The French suburbs are as good a place as any for coming-of-age plotlines, and with relative ease, writer/director Céline Sciamma follows a path similar to 2007’s Water Lilies with her new drama Tomboy – except this time Sciamma makes her point through 10-year-old Laure (Zoe Heran) rather than a pack of anxietyridden freshman girls.

With an overabundance of silence and soft-spoken characters who seemingly carry all of the world’s ennui on their shoulders, viewers would be surprised to know if Sciamma had not been introduced to the master of cinematic minimalism, Director Jim Jarmusch. But unlike Jarmusch’s work, there is actually a shred of hope at the end of this film.

Even in its darkest moments, sources of light still brighten the film’s soulsearching content, and the way Sciamma emphasizes the gender-role crash course of grade school playgrounds is thoroughly entertaining. At times, the caricature is comical, at times it is heartbreaking.

However, there are no tests involved as the laissez-faire parents – played by Sophie Cattani and Mathieu Demy – seem to completely trust the budding intuition of their children by letting them roam free entirely unsupervised for

days on end, often with her younger sister Jeanne (Malonn Levana) watching the house, that is, if she’s not sharing secrets or joking around with Laure.

No one in Laure’s neighborhood will obtain parent of the year awards anytime soon, but the children’s ruthless preying upon Laure’s tomboyish demeanor and femininity is only justified when they uncover that their friend Mikael is actually Laure, a direct threat to their hyper-masculine agenda. It’s here that the freedom allowed by Laure’s parents helps guide her gender-role vision quest, part of which takes place in a nearby forest – Hollywood’s storage unit for all childhood secrets.

Though when Laure kisses the beautiful, dark-haired Lisa (Jeanne Disson), it backfires when Lisa is the one asked to check Laure’s sex in front of the other boys after a failed urination attempt in those same woods after a game one day – a humiliating bit that colors the film indefinitely once it arrives. Perhaps Lisa proves that acceptance comes first and understanding comes second.

While we never really uncover Laure’s family dynamic – aside from a metaphor-drenched scene where Laure’s father lets her man a vehicle momentarily – Laure somehow, amidst a random assortment of predatory children, manages to find herself despite their constant badgering and fleeting sense of self-recognition.

This film is less about coming to grips with the transient nature of human friendships and more about Laure’s identity formation. The one at the film’s core, though, is as masculine as it gets, and so Laure emerges as tremendously courageous if not downtrodden in spirit. (Graham Marlowe) Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same (Saturday, 9 p.m., Union Theatre) As with any other film festival, the Milwaukee LGBT Film & Video Festival has its fair share of quirky, no-budget and questionably satisfying features. Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same is one of them. Set in presentday New York City, Jane is a lonely, but cheerfully innocent stationary store clerk. She visits a therapist regularly and

See LGBT page 14

Björk’s Biophilia experiments with medium, couples with smartphone apps

By Christopher Ryan Stone Staff Writer fringe@uwmpost.com

Björk does not have an idiom, nor do her compositions have a genre, as it is with all works of art fully realized and fiercely independent. Attempting to understand them by reference to something external is an act in defiance of their nature.

Her latest creation, the enigmatic Biophilia, is not an exception to this rule – it is, rather, its very paradigm.

Biophilia is only an album in the sense that James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake is a novel. The traditional concept of an album is but a hollow vehicle for a volume of expression so multilayered as to tear asunder the restraints of its frame. It’s a veritable onion: a pastiche of opposites unified and stacked, one atop the other, from the core that is the artist’s vision, to the outer peel that is the inclination to denigrate such a vision by throwing album upon it.

To pierce to the core, one must understand the enveloping structure, the cyclical give and take of theory and practice, of harmonic tradition and dissonant innovation, of the yearning creation and apathetic creator, of the ephemeral and of the eternal. The term biophilia is a nod to Harvard Biologist Edward O. Wilson’s theory of the interrelationship between the living, mortal structure of the human and the divine forces governing the nature of the cosmos. Knowledge of the one, to Wilson, may shine insight into the nature of the other, as Björk seeks to demonstrate.

This she does with a complexity that is not only dazzling, but also perhaps unprecedented. In “Moon,” two harp parts wash the listener, variously in ascent and descent, while several Björks howl hauntingly of renewal, “To risk all is the end all and the beginning all.” Linked in with this are the song’s accompanying video and

app with the moon’s cycle – constant and yet ever-changing, spatially remote from and yet fundamental to earthly existence.

“Dark Matter,” conversely, explores the esoteric, removed fully from sensory experience, knowable only by theoretic necessity. In modulated glossolalia, the artist echoes along to a thickly resonant chromatic journey between musical scales, in nebulous drift, bereft of metrical structure (This was constructed, by the way, out of an experiment with a computer game controller).

In “Hollow,” the singer tells of being “swallowed” by the DNA that links her to a chain of ancestry extending back to the abyss and forward to the eternal.

And if there is a single description under which each song falls, it is surely something analogous to such swallowing: a swirling microcosm consumes the listener and shoots her, f lashes him, closer by degrees to the overarching macrocosm that is the work in full.

A Tesla Coil is used as an instrument on “Thunderbolt.” An Indonesian gamelan and celesta combine to form a “gameleste” on “Crystalline.” You will not hear this sound elsewhere. Both “Hollow” and “Moon” are composed in outlandish 17/8 time, apparently to belie the rigidity of electronic music.

Each song has its own iPad app to further f lush out its theme, a poetic narrative and scientific meta-narrative, in each case. A garishly beautiful photo shoot is included.

If you want an electronic album with ten songs, thematic unity and sonic homogeneity, run. If you want an experience that is elegantly disturbing, that engages the intellect through the senses and vice-versa, that plays with the nature of meaning, constructing and deconstructs expectations with laughing irreverence, or if you simply want something that is human, look no further.

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October 17, 2011 13

A run from freedom

A well-kept London secret, The Rifles, does a 180 on Freedom Run

By Kevin Kaber Assistant Fringe Editor Fringe@uwmpost.com

As is the case with most independent rock bands these days, the second or third album is always the turning point: a change of direction that aims towards mass released, radio-friendly, commercial entities or lacks the feeling that the given band formerly bestowed upon its works. The London garage rock band, The Rifles, is a perfect example of this unfortunate fact.

Within its first few moments, it’s clear that The Rifles’ junior album, Freedom Run, is a departure from past efforts. The album’s opening track “Dreamer” begins with a humble, strings-assisted buildup to a Los Campesinos!-type harmony, complete with xylophone, an instrument foreign to the indie band, in the poppiest threads ever heard from this band.

The rest of the album plays out the same way, music of uncanny similarity against romantic, middle school-esque poetry. The lead single of the album perfectly exemplifies this issue. In “Tangled Up in Love,” an opening of strings leads to lovelorn lyrics, like “I'd sail all the seven seas to get back to your door/You're everything I need,

everything and more.”

Thematically, Freedom Run is an effort to produce a hopeful record with somewhat obsessive, hopeless romantic lyrics. Phrases like “take me back to your home” and “I need” play out incessantly.

The album leans toward emotional frankness, following a mostly drawn out formula.

But that’s not to say that the album doesn’t work. In its own radio-friendly method, Freedom Run is successful in creating catchy sing-alongs, but reaching the point where avid Rifles fans will do just that might be a grudging path to take. The Rifles’ earlier efforts are far removed from their third album. Neither No Love Lost nor Great Escape was much to write home about lyrically, yet both managed more of a bite than this latest effort.

The Rifles, like so many other bands, have left their roots in search of labelpleasing and catchy pop-tunes. Has the band left its heavy garage-birthed riffs for good? Maybe so, but the band has obviously forged its place within their new occupation as a pop-rock band.

Perhaps Freedom Run’s “Coming Home” says it all: “I’m coming home/We gotta keep moving on.”

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the uwm post

October 17, 2011

Copying the past

The Thing’s reboot is more remake than prequel

By Kevin Kaber Assistant Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com

In the midst of October, horror films premieres are always a certain thing, and with Hollywood’s current streak, nothing is more certain than a remake.

John Carpenter, the master filmmaker responsible for classics like Escape from New York, Halloween and Christine, is again, and has been for his entire career, at the mercy of sloppy revitalizations of his iconic franchises. Currently at the chopping block is three-part remake, one-part prequel of 1982’s The Thing, appropriately given the same title.

Right away, paleontologist Kate is whisked away to dig up an extraterrestrial at a Norwegian research facility in Antarctica. When the frozen life form is extracted, it is taken back to the base and further studied. While the researchers are celebrating the important find, the Thing escapes and begins picking off people one by one.

Of course, this is the same Thing from the original The Thing and is capable of mimicking its victims perfectly. Once this is realized by the researchers, a struggle to

find out who the real humans are ensues.

The odd part about this remake lies in the fact that the events unfold nearly the same as the 1982 version. With the exception of a new assortment of characters – being placed at a Norwegian camp instead of an American one and a beginning and ending that feel extremely cheesy – the characters discover the Thing’s weaknesses and administer tests on each other similarly to the Carpenter/ Kurt Russell vehicle from 1982.

For instance, the Norwegians use flamethrowers to ward off the Thing (why an Antarctic research facility needs a flamethrower, perhaps to minimize shoveling, we may never know) and hang out in a carbon copy of Carpenter’s American camp’s recreation room. The Thing itself (though, for the record, it is the same Thing) morphs chest-mouths in its human victims. The differences are slim, but the similarities are uncanny, lazy and above all, trite. A little more creativity could have been used to distance the alien from what its highly imaginative creators did in the ‘80s.

A lot of the cheesiness comes from the movie’s special effects. In 1982, CGI was impossible to achieve, so Carpenter and

his team relied heavily on puppetry and other physical effects and makeup. In the end, Carpenter’s effects were stunning, innovative and jaw-dropping. But in 2011, using a technology that has been more or less perfected, the special effects look almost like lower-end videogame graphics.

Furthermore, being set in the Antarctic would elicit sub-zero temperatures, but Kate and her colleagues never look too chilly, especially when outdoors.

Computer generated breaths and makeuprosy cheeks, besides fake snow, were the only evidence of the camp’s temperature, a bothersome fact when looking at the 1982 Thing, which was actually shot in the subzero conditions.

Overall, the 2011 The Thing does what it set out to do: provide cheap thrills and scares, just like any other horror flick.

It’s just that, although it’s not technically a remake, it uses plenty of the same situations and conventions that are used in its Carpenter predecessor – only granting a small scenario to wrap it around to the beginning of the original. Like its nasty, extraterrestrial villain, today’s The Thing literally mimics yesterday’s.

Though 2011’s The Thing is a prequel, its plot borrows heavily from the original.

LGBT

Continued from page 12 obviously has a lackluster, set-in-stone routine. The future looks dim for Jane until three intergalactic beings inhabit the Big Apple.

In a far away galaxy, the planet Zots is facing ozone degradation due to an abundance of “Big Feelings” (e.g., individuality, love, etc.). Three lesbian Zots-lings, Zoinx, Zylar and Barr, have displayed such feelings on their home planet at the risk of its atmosphere and, as such, are removed to Earth where their feelings are likely to be lost, due to Earth’s lovelorn batting record.

While Zylar and Barr struggle to assimilate to Earth’s ways, Zoinx runs into Jane. (In sort of a tangent to Jane and Zoinx’s tale, a pair of government investigators tail and monitor the aliens at all times, especially Zoinx – literally men in black.) The latter two curiously fall for each other, the awkward earthling awkwardly teaching the awkward alien the awkward romantic ways of Earth. Their bond is nothing other than odd, but in an intriguingly heartfelt sense. Their bubbly relationship is refreshing and, though cliché in some definitions, a pleasing effort on behalf of the filmmakers, who demonstrate that low budget constraints aren’t necessarily a death wish.

Though distracting at times, the Ed Wood-influenced special effects and the

black-and-white photography (which is only broken at the film’s end) aren’t off-putting enough for audiences to lose interest. In fact, by being unflattering, they actually put emphasis on Jane and Zoinx’s human(-oid) endeavors, however inspiring or comical they might be.

The Ed Wood throwback styling in Codependent Lesbian is hardly impeding.

In fact, the confined efforts of writing and special effects actually play a nice contrast with Jane and Zoinx’s relationship. Never was this film meant to be taken seriously – the title alone is a testament to this. But the un-seriousness of the film sometimes gets taken too far.

Some of the situations the aliens find themselves in, like learning how to dance or drinking alcohol, are exactly what’s expected from a fish-out-of-water tale.

Even the film’s version of the “Men in Black,” strange in their own duplication of the preexisting movie series, exchange conversations that not only go too far, but go too far in the wrong direction.

Director Madeleine Olnek successfully creates an interesting and equally entertaining story that makes full use of the cast and crew’s comedy and theater roots. Even if some of its content is groan-able, it actually plays as a departure for film in general. Olnek proves that it doesn’t take huge financial backing to produce a heartfelt film. Instead Codependent Lesbian achieves its successes through its awkwardness. (Kevin Kaber)

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October 17, 2011 15

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the uwm post

October 17, 2011

EDITORIAL The following piece represents the views of the Editorial Board of THE UWM POST. The editorial board is not affiliated with the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and these views do not represent the views of the university.

Hitting a Wall Street Lack of vision could hurt protesters opportunity to spur reform So the Occupy Wall Street protests have spread to Milwaukee. While never inevitable, it’s only natural, in a sense.

Even though the Cream City is located hundreds of miles from the movement’s center in the heart of America’s financial Mecca and even though Milwaukee was but one of dozens of cities worldwide where demonstrations were held, it’s fitting to see these kind of protests right here in our backyard, given our city’s unique history.

By heritage and temperament, Milwaukeeans have long championed selfless civics and sympathy for the downtrodden and economically marginalized. Often these convictions went so far as to translate into electoral victories for the socialist party. For much of the 20th century, Milwaukee was represented by socialist politicians, including three mayors and one member of Congress.

This wasn’t just a turn-of-thecentury phenomenon. The last socialist mayor, Frank Zeidler, was reelected in 1952 and 1956, as Wisconsinites were being represented in the Senate by Joseph McCarthy. Zeidler served until 1960, within the lifetime of most United States senators (average age 62) and American CEOs (average age 56).

This isn’t to say that the Occupy Wall Street movement shows socialism is making a comeback or that all protesters are necessarily socialist. Far

from it. We just think that no one should be surprised by the size of the protests this past weekend, given Milwaukee’s past.

And while the eventuality of protests in Milwaukee was predictable, the outcome certainly was not. This weekend’s demonstrations were preceded by high-profile clashes between protesters and police in New York, and there was no small risk of similar actions occurring here.

Fortunately, the city was spared from altercations, even as similar demonstrations turned violent in other parts of the world, including Rome, which saw widespread vandalism and the deployment of riot police.

No reasonable person wants their doorstep to become a hotbed of political unrest. But any true patriot must honor people’s right to peaceably assemble, provided the protesters do not act unlawfully. Those who demonstrated in Milwaukee did not, and they are to be commended, as are the police who admirably performed their duty of maintaining order and ensuring the safety of the public.

How Milwaukee and the country should respond to the movement, however, is an entirely separate question.

And one that’s extremely hard to answer, in large part, because we still don’t know what the protesters want. While the protests have succeeded in tapping into

the large well of frustration that’s out there right now, it doesn’t seem they’ve called for any specific goals.

Scratch that. It seems they’ve called for many specific goals, several of which are only loosely related to what happens on Wall Street. In fact, the gathering in Milwaukee seemed to be largely directed against Scott Walker, with protesters calling for a recall of the governor. We understand that a large contingent of the protesters are made up of the same people who demonstrated at the state capitol earlier this year and are still vehemently upset over the causes and outcome of the standoff, but it seems confusing and counterproductive to inject local grievances into what’s billing itself as a national movement.

This is a shame because it gives credibility to stereotypes of who the protesters are – a fragmented collection of rabble rousers and ne’er-do-wells. In reality, all sorts of people, even straightlaced conservative types, have reasons to be concerned about how financial institutions have treated them over the past decade.

By failing to articulate a nonpartisan list of demands, the protests risk losing any sense of solidarity with a good number of people who are inclined to be sympathetic towards their cause. Absent of any overarching goal, it’s hard to see the protests swell to a size where they become too big to fail.

FEATURE PHOTOS

LETTERS

TO THE EDITOR

All of us at THE UWM POST want to hear what you think and welcome your letters to the Editor. Feel free to comment about articles, opinions or anything you find in our weekly issues. Send your letters in an email to letters@uwmpost.com. In your submission indicate whether or not you wish to remain anonymous.

How now brown Mao? In response to “Black labor and Leninism” I read with interest your front-page story, "Black labor and Leninism."

Jonathan Flatley, the visiting scholar from Wayne State University whose lecture is the subject of the article, is clearly right to identify as a worthy area of inquiry the subject of Leninism's influence on the American political mind.

Still, it is confusing to see Leninism discussed so casually and uncritically -- as if it exists in a purely theoretical space -- in your newspaper. Sorry to say, Leninism is not one of those subjects that can be discussed in such a way, given the realities of 20th century history.

It might be helpful for the UWM Post's editors to study some of those proud Leninist concepts like "war communism" (and the related body count). You might find yourselves less ready to refer so blithely to an ideology as bloody as this one (whatever the visiting lecturer may have said about it).

There is a particular irony in your paper's uncritical reporting of the visiting scholar's suggestion that Leninism provides inspiration with respect to workers' rights. Did you know that Lenin ordered the shooting of striking (and even merely absent) workers?

Of course, he did many other things, as well. For example, he ordered the forced conscription of poor people into military service (he called it "mobilization of peasants"). He also ordered his secret police to massively infiltrate all private life, to ferret out and punish those who entertained minority viewpoints. These are just a few of Leninism's "gifts" to humankind.

It was Lenin who showed his comradely spirit on December 25, 1919 by writing the following words to another senior Bolshevik: "It is stupid to tolerate St. Nicholas Day; all Chekists have to be on alert to shoot anyone who doesn't turn up to work because of St. Nicholas Day. Special measures are needed at once ..." See Volkogonov, Dmitri, "The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Empire," pp. 73-74, HarperCollins (London), 1998 (which includes a useful summary of some of the documents stored in the KGB archive). Such orders were not irregular; they are characteristic of the Leninist political concept and manner of acting.

Horrible as it is to reckon with, such abhorrent cruelty defines Leninism, just as much as abhorrent cruelties define Stalinism and Nazism. Do not mistake yourselves by supposing that Leninism can be practiced or even reimagined in some form that excludes ruinous and capricious violence.

Lenin's own writings and the rest of the historical record make perfectly clear that Lenin insists upon it.

Needless to say, state violence, mass murder, demonization of groups, and demonization of ways of life do not merit even the barest consideration as potential options for the way forward. Surely if the UWM Post were aware that Leninism stands for these things, it would dare to challenge any visiting scholar's suggestion that we look to Leninism for "help."

Of course, I do not mean to suggest that "capitalist" political economies should escape scrutiny. I do not mean at all to suggest that social conscience should be stifled or social action disavowed. Quite to the contrary. But we also must be careful to turn a critical eye to ideas floated (often romantically and ignorantly) as potential alternatives to the current status quo.

With regards, E. Jansson

POST HAIKU

Pitchers in playoffs, Even the aces, will need Home runs a plenty Images of downtown protests. Post photos by Sierra Riesberg

– M I K E L AC O U N T

uwmpost.com

OP-ED

The new social divide Level of education is the new social hierarchy

By William Bornhoft Staff Writer

editorial@uwmpost.com

Throughout the 20th century, ethnicity and religion were arguably the leading factors in determining one’s socioeconomic status in the United States.

In the present century, it’s becoming clear that the amount of education a person has makes the largest impact on their life.

People who are college educated are living an increasingly different lifestyle than the non-college educated, and it’s not simply a contrast in personal income.

People who are highly educated have dramatically lower divorce rates, are less likely to pick up a smoking habit and even have a longer lifespan.

During a speech given at the Aspen Institute, New York Times columnist David Brooks said, “It used to be important that you were born into a Protestant Establishment family. Now it’s important that you’re born into a welleducated family.” So what has changed in the last few decades that has widened the social gap between those with low and high levels of education?

The increasing demand for higher education in the job market could be a possible explanation. In 1953, less than 10 percent of American adults possessed a college degree. Wealthy and impoverished alike lived and worked in the same towns and attended the same schools. Today’s rich and poor not only live in different neighborhoods, but also often occupy completely different towns and cities.

The lifestyle, opportunities and general attitude of a modern American

who has a yearly income of $100,000 is radically different to the American making $50,000 or $35,000 a year. A person born into a family with a household income of $96,000 has a 1 in 2 chance of completing college, but someone born into a family with a $37,000 income only has a 1 in 17 chance of receiving a college degree.

Not only does a person with a higher education level tend to make more money, they also are generally more trusting of the society around them and have a more positive worldview. To put it simply, people who have more money have a better chance of receiving a higher education, and people with a higher education level tend to make more money and lead happier lives.

It is a vicious circle that is reminiscent of the social barriers that once barred working class Catholic families from achieving the kind of wealth and success that Protestant families had. Policymakers have tried and failed to close the gap between the educated and non-educated.

Some might attribute the problem to our nation’s increasing wealth gap.

That could very well be the case. A large majority of the population simply doesn’t have the money to complete the college education that is needed to compete in the workforce. However, some statistics say otherwise. Only 8 percent of college students drop out for financial reasons.

A more likely cause is a lack of support from surrounding family and friends to continue their education. Whatever the reason for the social gap between the educated and non-educated, policymakers must consider that the issue is just as personal and emotional as it is fiscal.

Reigning in Halloween’s erotic ensembles

Cost and practicality should play a part in costume selection

By Jessica Wolfe Staff Writer editorial@uwmpost.com

Was Mean Girls’ Cady Heron right when she said that Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and other girls can’t say anything about it?

This statement is repulsive, yet completely accurate. Sex appeal has become an integral component to Halloween, far more important then candy and carving pumpkins. Ghosts and goblins, witches and warlocks, all have transformed into sexy cops, nurses, referees and, most recently, Snooki.

In the eyes of college students everywhere, the meaning of Halloween has been highly distorted. It has evolved into an occasion where it is perfectly acceptable for girls to step out in risqué attire. The “see more, wear less” look will surely be popular again this year, so mark your calendar people, for Oct. 31 is All Hallow’s Sleaze.

Not only are girls attracting major attention when they wear such costumes, they are also attracting some real creeps – and let’s be honest, no one wants that.

Once the hype of Halloween has passed, girls will regret forking out a ridiculous amount of money on an unoriginal costume that they can’t

return. Halloween costumes are serious business. Stores like Halloween Express, Party Express and Spencer’s Gifts have dominated the Halloween costume industry and all sell the much sexier styles we have grown accustomed to. These often sell for $50 to $70 a pop, even though they consist of little material.

But it is still possible to look cute without looking like you stepped off the set of a bad porn film. Girls who choose to cover up this Halloween can compensate with a remarkably inventive and interesting costume.

Vintage and thrift stores offer a unique selection of costumes and clothing at a fraction of the cost. Assemble the components yourself and get creative, not commercial. Originality isn’t easy, but, with a little time and thought, dressing up for Halloween doesn’t have to scare your budget or your mother.

Halloween is the one day a year that you can dress however you want without worrying about what message you’re sending, because the whole point is to be something you’re not. But let’s not forget that the past two Halloweens have averaged 43 degrees, a mere eleven degrees above freezing. If you choose sexy over scary, that’s your prerogative. But please wear a coat – there’s nothing sexy about contracting pneumonia.

October 17, 2011

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Never a dull moment in Milwaukee nightlife

Diverse bar scene makes for interesting experiences

By Angela Schmitt Staff Writer editorial@uwmpost.com

Milwaukee is a great city to go to for college. Of course, I don’t mean because of its academic offerings – I’m talking about the Milwaukee bar scene. It never ceases to amaze me how different my night can be based on which street in Milwaukee I decide to go out on.

The culture on Milwaukee Street is 180 degrees different from Water Street, and if I were to head over to North Avenue, the atmosphere would be wildly different from Old World Third Street. It's kind of weird, but at the same time, it's incredibly convenient that I can choose to go to bars in different areas of town based on my expectations for the evening. The funniest difference, for me, is how the pick-up lines vary from street to street.

On Milwaukee Street, pick-up lines are a little more thought out. Guys like to talk themselves up a lot and namedrop Ivy League schools while dazzling you with their Affliction t-shirts. On North Avenue, the guys are all revved up from

whatever sporting event is on, so they boisterously run their mouths about what teams they like or about how Brett Favre is a tool, terrible person and/or major life disappointment.

Water Street, on the other hand, is a weird mix of “bro” guys who all stand together acting too cool and the guys who put it all on the line and give it their best shot. This past weekend, I was out on Water Street and the “give it your best shot” guys were out in full force. Of course, some of them had a few missteps, and I was on the receiving end of one very hilarious one.

I was standing at the bar waiting to get the attention of the bartender when a skinny, slightly nerdy-looking guy literally just started leaning on my shoulder. This obviously got my attention, so I looked at him and said, “Excuse me.”

He apologized and said he was very drunk. He then proceeded to push his drink at me and said, “Would you mind taking a sip of my drink for me? I think it's roofied.”

I, of course, said, “No, thank you.”

He probably should have stopped

there, and I would have just thought it was mildly amusing, but then he went on to make this the best pick-up line I've ever gotten and, subsequently, made my night. He said “Please, just try it. One sip of this roofied drink, and I will have you under my spell.” And yes, that last part was said in an ominous, creepy voice.

So yeah, I gave him my number. Just kidding. I seem to be a magnet for some ridiculous pick-up lines, but that one really takes the cake. I think it's hilarious, and I appreciate it any time someone uses a little humor to start a conversation. I know I've said before that I think pick-up lines are cheesy and stupid, but it’s part of the dating culture, so kudos to that guy for at least being amusing.

That is the kind of charm I always encounter on Water Street. I don't know if it's just me, but whenever I go out there, something ridiculous always happens. That’s the great thing about this city, though – there is such an incredible mix of people, which makes for a lot of interesting nights with nary a dull moment.

Milwaukee’s identity crisis

City suffers from lack of authenticity

By D’Andre Dawsey Special to the Post editorial@uwmpost.com

Who are we, Milwaukee? We, as a city and a community, are simply confused. With the lack of guidance we give our youth to the way “adults” behave, this city needs a wakeup call. As much as it pains me, a 23-year-old who has lived here my whole life, to say this, our community doesn’t have a legitimate identity to take pride in.

From our clothes, to our music, to our day-to-day lives, we are lacking the defining factor that so many other cities seem to have. So much of our swag is borrowed from other regions – Wiz Khalifa-style haircuts, skinny jeans and more – that if an out-of-town visitor came in to the city, they would

immediately think of us as “The Land of the Copycats.”

As a community, not just the black community, but the city as a whole, we need to do a better job of branding ourselves to the rest of the nation.

Believe me, there are definitely reasons to highlight Milwaukee culture, whether it’s the pride we take in our local sports teams, our beer or our motorcycle manufacturing tradition.

There are enough things to identify ourselves with that we don’t need to copy other regions’ styles. Now that the idea is out about the things we need to take pride in externally, we need to fix internal issues for the civilians in this city.

The 18-25 year old populace in the city is doing a horrible job at setting an example of who Milwaukeeans really are.

For the youth, we, by and large, don’t do

enough to mentor and set an example of what to avoid doing as you get older.

There are more than enough ways to reach out to the kids of all races in our communities, but many people do not see it necessary to do this. That’s definitely not the idea to have if we are to make the necessary changes to our community.

On a social level, there are so many things that need to be improved. Violence in the nightlife scene (fight at Club Mixx, random scuffles on Water Street and the list goes on) has become far too common and is unacceptable for our city as whole.

We need a new identity. We need to want people to come to Milwaukee and know that whatever they’re here for, whether it’s to raise a child or just to party, the culture of our city needs to improve in order to be that model city that I know we are capable of becoming.

Post photo by Sierra Riesberg

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COMICS

October 17, 2011

WRITERS WANTED

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Primal Urges

Andrew Megow

Mock Duck Soup

Mitchell Moeser

I Like Your Shoes

Carol Brandt

She Said, He Said

Kat Rodriguez

sports news UWM entertainment

$3 MICROS & IMPORT PINTS $.40 WINGS

Luna’s Upside Down World

Andrea Thurner

LADIES NIGHT

FREE RAILS FOR THE LADIES 9pm - 1am

$.25 TAPS & RAILS $1 YAGER & CHERRY BOMBS $3 16oz RAILS $2 TAPS FREE PIZZA DURING SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

$2.50 BOTTLES

PET OF THE WEEK

Dexter Dexter loves the Packers and shows his pride by wearing his doggie jersey on game day! He enjoys showing it off on long walks around campus. He can’t wait for Halloween to dress up like a ferocious lion Rawwwrrr!! “Go Pack Go,” barks Dexter.

To see your pet featured, e-mail petoftheweek@uwmpost.com!

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THEUWMPOST CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Invitation letters 5 Survivor network 8 Suffix for land or city 13 High cards 14 Meadows 16 Wrestler Hulk 17 Supervisor 18 Singing voice 19 Quite heavy 20 Candy miniature brand 23 Monty Python opener 24 Certain equinox 25 Vertex 29 Los Angeles, for example 30 Yank 32 Decay 33 Flower parts 36 Candy miniature brand (2 wds.)

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October 10, 2011

19

SUDOKU INSTRUCTIONS: Fill in the squares so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 exactly once.

solution found on page 4

GODOKU

INSTRUCTIONS: Fill the squares so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the following letters exactly once: X, S, A, E, P, J, O, U, T. One row or column will reveal a hidden word!

solution found on page 4

solution found on page 4

Harry and Jim, two rival marble shooters, started in to play for keeps when each had the same number of marbles. Harry won twenty in the first round, but lost two-thirds of his stock in the play-off, which left Jim four times as many as Harry. Can you tell how many marbles each had when they commenced to play?

20 October 10, 2011

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