Issuu

‘MILK’ ONLY A LUKEWARM BIOPIC

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A solid production overall, ‘Milk’ doesn’t stand out among other ﬁlms in its genre.

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100-0: A case of poor sportsmanship or playing the game with honor and integrity?

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

UW’s Acacia house renovations put on hold By Rebecca Holland THE DAILY CARDINAL

LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Amira Hanania, journalist for the Ma’an News Agency, spoke to dozens of UW-Madison community members Monday about her experience as a Palestinian reporter.

Palestinian reporter shares difﬁcult story By Grace Kim THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison students and faculty members gathered in the Wisconsin Union Theatre Monday to listen to Amira Hanania’s experience as a Palestinian reporter. According to Hanania, the Ma’an News Agency is the only independent news network in the Palestinian territories that advocates both sides of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict free from any political power. Hanania, who challenges western stereotypes of Palestinian political opinion, said the Israeli-Palestinian issue is a political conflict but it also presents a problem for journalists who want to report against government-sponsored propaganda. Hanania spoke of her expectations for President Obama, saying there is a need for mutual respect for a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “I really believe that Israeli government and other people change their attitudes toward Palestinians.

It will not be easy. It will be hard as anything in history,” Hanania said. “We have so much hope that Barack Obama can make a change … we are excited for the future but we are also worried.” “As a future leader, you have to support the lives of all the people ... regardless of what politicians say.” Amira Hanania Palestinian journalist

Before the lecture began, directors of the lecture displayed Live from Bethlehem, a documentary ﬁlm about the difﬁcult situations of Ma’an. Michael Curtin, professor of communication art and director of global societies, said the documentary, which portrays Hanania as a subject, is “remarkable” because it deals with the management of

governments, partisanship as well as the demanding tasks of video production. “The video focuses on people who confront the challenges every day working for the Ma’an … news service in a very complicated and contentious environment,” Curtin said. In addition, Hanania encouraged all UW-Madison students to think about the ways to prevent war in Gaza and conﬂict between Palestine and Israel. “As a future leader, you have to support the lives of all the people, especially people who have faced the challenge for so long, regardless of what politicians say,” Hanania said. “This is what you should look forward in your leader and this is what you should be when you become a leader.” The next lecture in the Distinguished Lecture Series will take place Feb. 2 with the guest speaker Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium and host of the PBS magazine “NOVA Science now.”

UW administrators respond to Iowa senator UW System President Kevin Reilly and UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin responded to an Iowa senator Monday about conflict-ofinterest policies at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Sen. George Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote to university officials Jan. 12, citing his distress over rules for conflict of interest among physicians. In the letter, Martin and Reilly mentioned the contro-

versy over Dr. Thomas Zdeblick receiving over $19 million in royalties from Medtronic, a medical-device company based in Minneapolis, Minn. The administrators said several changes are being made to address the concerns of both Sen. Grassley and Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wisconsin. According to Martin and Reilly, Zdeblick did not break any uni-

versity rules while inventing the new medical technology, stating, “he has been operating under the terms of a management plan developed by the Conﬂict of Interest Committee, also consistent with University policy.” Kohl and Grassley established the Physician Payments Sunshine Act of 2009 Jan. 22. If passed, the act would require manufacturers to report payments to physicians.

A proposal for extensive renovations to UW-Madison’s Acacia fraternity house met a tied vote Monday night at the City of Madison Plan Commission meeting, and may go to the Common Council for further review. The Langdon Street fraternity house has been working with the Alexander Company to transform the upper levels of the 81-year-old house into apartments, as well as build an additional four-story apartment building in the parking lot. Together, these buildings would be completed for leasing in August 2009 and are to be called Vesta Apartments. Dan Peterson, communications director for Alexander Company, said the house was in need of some repairs, which would be completed at the same time as the new building. “It’s a fraternity house, so it’s quite old and it’s quite beat up,” Peterson

said. “The same amenities that are going to be included in the new apartments are going to be in the existing house as well.” The new building would also have a lower parking garage and outdoor parking for mopeds and bicycles. Opponents to the renovations claim undesirable aesthetics ruin the charm of the neighborhood, and the size of the building hinders a small walkway from Langdon Street to the lake. Alderwoman Lauren Cnare, District 3, said her main concern was, “lack of useable, open space.” The Alexander Company argues that it is within the guidelines of the Urban Design Commission, and has already made revisions to the plan. Further, they maintain that space at the apartment buildings is unnecessary, as this is an area of lots of widely used communal space, including State Street and Memorial Union.

RESTAURANT EEK Eat classy on a student budget. During Restaurant Week, participating restaurants will offer three special, ﬁxed-price, three-course menus for just $25 per person (beverages, tax and gratuity not included). Some restaurants are also offering a three-course lunch menu for $15 in addition to the dinner special. To see which restaurants are participating and for more information, visit

madisonmagazine.com/winterrestaurantweek.

PICK OF THE DAY Capitol Chophouse

KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

A main course of New York strip steak with Idaho baked potato. Boasting the greeting, “Recovering vegetarians welcome,” Capitol Chophouse, 9 E. Wilson St., Capitol Chophouse handpicks the best cuts of meat from local suppliers and ﬂies in the freshest seafood to ensure freshness and amazing quality. For lunch, warm up with an appitizer Capitol chowder, or keep it light with a ﬁeld green salad or the Capitol chop salad. Main entrees include a grilled pork tenderloin sandwich with red wine reduction, grilled chicken bruschetta topped with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and asiago cheese.

Vegetarians, enjoy a portobel lo panini topped with black olive tepenade and goat cheese. Just because it’s lunch doesn’t mean skimping on dessert. Indulge in a chocolate terrine, banana bread pudding or harvest carrot cake. For dinner, enjoy a mini shellﬁsh sampler or wedge salad with steak and potato or seared scallops. To learn more about Capitol Chophouse, visit chophouse411. com/capitol. Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. To make reservations, call 608255-0165.

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

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

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Motherhood lets Kiera pass on life lessons

Volume 118, Issue 79

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News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Alex Morrell Managing Editor Gabe Ubatuba Campus Editor Erin Banco Rachel Holzman City Editor State Editor Megan Orear Charles Brace Enterprise Editor Associate News Editor Caitlin Gath Opinion Editor Jon Spike Arts Editors Kevin Slane Justin Stephani Sports Editors Ben Breiner Crystal Crowns Features Editor Diana Savage Food Editor Sara Barreau Science Editor Bill Andrews Photo Editors Kyle Bursaw Lorenzo Zemella Graphics Editors Amy Gifﬁn Jenny Peek Copy Chiefs Kate Manegold Emma Roller Jake Victor Copy Editors Ryan Hebel Brandi Stone

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KIERA WIATRAK taking kiera business About one month ago, I became a mother. Not the kind of mother with permanent stretch marks—no, I still have seven or eight years until I pop one out of my uterus—but a mother to someone else’s child. A guinea pig, to be exact. I adopted Penelope—who I affectionately call “The Pig”—from my sister, who had two. After The Pig went all Hannibal Lector on the other pig and completely bit her nose off, she was no longer welcome in my parents’ home. I thought it would be cool to have an animal around, but what I didn’t expect was to fall head-over-heels in love with her. Basically, I kind of think she’s my daughter. But the problem is that guinea pigs are only expected to live between 5 and 8 years, meaning they grow up a hell of a lot faster than your human baby. With each month

The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. The Daily Cardinal is a nonproﬁt organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than 200 words, including contact information. Letters may be sent to letters@dailycardinal.com.

equivalent to one human year, here’s looking into the future of raising a happy, healthy guinea pig. 14 months “Penelope? Mommy wants to have a talk.” “Squeak.” “You’re a very pretty young pig, and the boys are going to start looking at you a little differently than you’re used to.” “Squeak. Squeak.” “Aww, you love being scratched between the ears. Don’t you my pwetty wittle piggie wig wig!” “Squeeeeeak.” “But as I was saying, boys might try to—and this is very hard for Mommy to say—touch you in places you might not feel comfortable with. Like on your whiskers. I know you hate that.” “Squeak?” “Are you out of hay? Oh my goodness! You are! I’ll be right back to reﬁll your bin.” “Squeak. Squeak... Munch. Munch. Munch.” “But I just wanted to let you know it’s OK to say no. Your body is exactly that—your own, and you don’t have

to do anything you don’t want to do. OK? OOOKKKK?” “Munch.” “All you need to say is, ‘I respect my body and I expect you to respect it as well.’ And if they still push it, just tell them you spend most of the day in a pile of your own feces. That should do it.” 17 months “Penelope, I found something in your room this morning. Do you have any idea what that could be?” “Squeak. Squeak.” “I’m very disappointed in you, Penelope.” “Squeak.” “I found spinach hiding in your litter.” “Squeak! Squeak!” “Do you know how much calcium there is in spinach? Listen, I know the cool pigs might all be doing it, and that it might feel good, but Jesus, Penelope! There are long-term consequences for these kinds of things.” “Squeak! Squeak, squeak, squeak, SQUEAK!” “Penelope, come out of your igloo right now!” “Squeak!”

“I’m going to count to ﬁve, and if you don’t come out, I’m going to take away your chewing blocks!” 20 months “Well, Penelope, I knew this day would come. And I’m so proud of you.” “Squeak.” “Living on your own—well, it can be lonely but so gratifying.” “Squeak.” “This month’s rent is all taken care of—God, I swore I wouldn’t do this,” I said as I wiped a tear from my cheek. “So I’ll come by once a day to change your food and water. And if you ever need anything else, you know where to ﬁnd me.” “Squeak.” As every good mother does, I plastered a smile across my face for the sake of my child. Then I gave her a kiss on the top of her head and shut the door to her brand new cage, now independently residing in the living room instead of my bedroom. If you’d like to send Penelope a graduation present, she loves diamonds and 24-karat gold. E-mail Kiera at wiatrak@wisc.edu for Penelope’s new address.

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Board of Directors Vince Filak Alex Kusters Mikhail Hanson Nik Hawkins Dave Heller Janet Larson Chris Long Alex Morrell Sheila Phillips Benjamin Sayre Jenny Sereno Terry Shelton Jeff Smoller Jason Stein l

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Where: 2195 Vilas Hall For the record The Jan. 23 article “Senators protest against abortion clinic” incorrectly stated that UW Hospital spokesperson Lisa Brunette claimed “less than 10 percent of abortions cater to the second trimester.” It should have stated that less than 10 percent of all abortions are in the second trimester. The Cardinal regrets the error. Corrections or clariﬁcations? Call The Daily Cardinal ofﬁce at 608-262-8000 or send an e-mail to edit@dailycardinal.com.

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

NEWS IN BRIEF

Suspicious man entices female A 16-year-old female reported a suspicious encounter she had on Friday, January 9 to Madison police. According to a police report, the victim was asked if she wanted a ride from an unknown male driving a dark-colored SUV around 8:00 p.m. The victim told police the man approached her as she was crossing a pedestrian bridge that connects West and East Badger Road. The victim reportedly saw the man

again as she got to the other side of the bridge. She believes the man was looking to pay for sex. The victim reported the incident after a female acquaintance said a similarly described man, also in a SUV, followed her as she walked in the same area. The suspicious person is described as a Hispanic male, late 40s, short black hair, with a slight accent. He was driving a dark-colored, possibly green, SUV-type truck.

Woman arrested after car chase LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Graduate students spoke to a room full of undergraduates looking to serve the nation after graduating from the university.

Students eager to serve nation By Hannah McClung THE DAILY CARDINAL

Representatives and participants of national and international service programs shared experiences and answered UW-Madison student questions during an informational panel Monday. The Morgridge Center for Public Service of UW-Madison sponsored the panel as a part of its series “Jobs and nonproﬁt and social entrepreneurship.” Organizations on the panel included AmeriCorps State/National, AmeriCorps VISTA, Peace Corps, Teach for America, Jesuit Volunteer Corps and Cross-Cultural Solutions. According to Megan Schultz, a devoted Teach for America participant, graduate schools look highly on Teach for America alumni. However, all of the organizations offer long-term volunteer programs both in the United States and abroad,

focusing on areas from agriculture and community work to teaching. “[Volunteering] gives [students] a better chance to get to know themselves and gives them a better sense of community,” said Dan Colleran, National and International ServiceLearning and Volunteer Coordinator for the Morgridge Center. According to Autumn Hensel, AmeriCorps VISTA leader and past participant in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, AmeriCorps provided her with important professional development in the nonprofit sector. “The Jesuit Volunteer Corps challenged me to face the things I didn’t like about myself,” she said. Francesca Smith, AmeriCorps State participant and manager of an AmeriCorps VISTA program said AmeriCorps State allows participants to try something without an extremely long-term commitment.

“I am hooked on national service … AmeriCorps provided me with direct service experience and handson work,” Smith said. Andrew Trembley, Peace Corps participant and UW-Madison graduate student said what participants experience in the Peace Corps stays with them for a lifetime. “Peace Corps is a means of realizing your own dreams and the dreams of the people in the community,” he said. Alexis Cariello, Cross-Cultural Solutions participant and UWMadison senior designed an independent study program through the school of social work. She also traveled to Tanzania for a semester working with male prisoners and a special-needs class. “Service is about community and relationships,” she said. “The most tangible things I took away from my experience were the relationships.”

Provost drafts strategic framework document UW-Madison’s Secretary of the Faculty made plans Monday to discuss the university’s strategic framework draft for 2009-2014 at their next meeting. The draft describes administrators’ vision for the future, citing UW-Madison as an institution which will become “a model public university of the twenty-ﬁrst century—serving as a resource and working to enhance the quality of life in our state, the nation, and the world.”

According to David Musolf, secretary of the faculty, the Ofﬁce of the Provost originally drafted the manuscript. “The Provost has been having conversations about it with many people, including the university committee,” he said. The document outlines the university’s goals for focusing on its core mission, its public purpose and its global research. “[It] is an outgrowth of the reaccredidation process,” Musolf

said. “This will be forming the strategic plan for the university for the next 10 years.” Goals for the next 5 years include reinvigorating the Wisconsin Idea, preparing global citizens and leaders, ensuring a diverse community, strengthening the university’s preeminence in research and becoming a model stewardship. Julie Underwood, interim director for the Ofﬁce of the Provost, will present the draft to the Senate Feb. 2. —Erin Banco

Assembly to consider ‘ﬁrst steps’ toward economic growth By Megan Orear THE DAILY CARDINAL

The state Assembly will convene Tuesday to act on its ﬁrst two bills, which aim to increase the amount taxpayer money directed toward Wisconsin businesses and reduce job outsourcing. Assembly Bill 1 would require that at least 5 percent of state and local government spending go to Wisconsin-based businesses. Assembly Bill 2 states services purchased by state agencies must take place in the United States. In addition, the Assembly will consider a bill Wednesday that would extend unemployment compensation. After roughly 2.6 million

U.S. jobs were lost in 2008, the amount of jobs lost in the ﬁrst few weeks of 2009 grew to 207,120 Monday, when seven companies announced 71,400 layoffs in one day, CNN reports. Although Wisconsin’s unemployment rate of 5.8 percent remains below the national average of 7.1, state unemployment has risen 1.2 percent since December 2007, according to the Department of Workforce Development. “These [bills] are just the ﬁrst steps of our aggressive agenda to create jobs and grow our economy,” Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, said in a statement.

Jim Bender, spokesperson for Assembly Minority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, said the ﬁrst two Assembly bills would be an appropriate ﬁrst step “if they actually did something.” “The goal of these bills is a little unknown because there’s no data to show that the taxpayers are even going to save money,” Bender said. He said he does not think these bills will be very effective because they are not changing the law, but are simply setting goals. State Rep. Spencer Black, DMadison, said he expects the bills to pass and be effective first steps to keeping and creating jobs in Wisconsin.

A Madison Police officer arrested an intoxicated woman in her driveway early Saturday morning after she reportedly eluded the officer’s sirens and engaged in a car chase. According to a police report, the officer spotted the suspect’s car in front of him moving erratically across the southbound lanes of John Nolen Drive. The officer then turned on his sirens as the suspect headed eastbound on the Beltline Highway. The driver pulled over near South Towne Drive but reportedly drove away as the officer was about to approach her car. The suspect then avoided the officer by driv-

ing from the Beltline to Monona Drive, to Stoughton Road, then back to the Beltline, to Highway 14, to McCoy Road and ﬁnally to her Fitchburg home. The police report cites that during the chase, the suspect hit a guardrail and evaded two sets of road spikes. The driver was arrested in the driveway of her home after getting out of her car. The suspect, 24-year-old Kristy Hulbert, was arrested and tentatively charged with Eluding, OMVI - 2nd offense, Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Prohibited Alcohol Concentration - 2nd offense, Imprudent Speed and Deviating from Trafﬁc Lane.

Woman pleads no contest to DUI A Madison woman avoided a trial Monday by pleading no contest to a charge of harboring a felon after she drove her friend away from the scene of a fatal drunken-driving crash that took place last February. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, Jan Pilon, 33, of Madison will not face a prison sentence under a plea agreement reached with Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard. However, Pilon may still serve time in jail as a condition of her probation. Nicole Endres, 29, was found guilty of six felonies after she reportedly pinned

her passenger, Craig Sawciki, 26, under her car, resulting in his death. Pilon testified she was following Endres in a separate vehicle after leaving a bar on February 16, 2008. After the crash, Endres and Pilon reportedly left the scene in Pilon’s car and went to Pilon’s house, where they refused to answer the door for an hour. Dane County Circuit Judge Stuart Schwartz will decide Pilon’s sentence after a pre-sentence investigation is finished. Endres is now scheduled for sentencing on February 27.

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

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

feingold proposal aids democracy

n wake of the current controversy following Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s alleged attempt to sell or barter for the open senate seat vacated when President Barack Obama left for the White House, Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., plans to take matters before the federal government. Feingold, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, desires to create a system that restores appointment power to the people rather than a state’s governor. “I plan to introduce a constitutional amendment this week to require special elections when a Senate seat is vacant, as the Constitution mandates for the House, and as my own state of Wisconsin already requires by statute,” Feingold said. Vacant senate seats, usually deserted when a new presidential administration picks and chooses its members and cabinet positions, have caused a large amount of public outcry. In the weeks following Blagojevich’s alleged acts, New York Governor David Paterson drew harsh criticism from Democrats for his selection of Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand.

Feingold’s proposed amendment creates a logistical dilemma: If the people elect the governor, should they not trust him with appointment powers? Unfortunately, the recent gubernatorial appointments have proven too problematic to be an effective replacement method. Governors are under too great of party pressure to select from their own party. The current appointment structure also dissuades the presidential administration from selecting a cabinet member from a state with a governor from the opposite political party, as the chances of losing a potential vote in the legislature is too great. With every solution, there are drawbacks. Using a special election would cost more ﬁnances and labor, but such costs are worth giving people the ﬁnal say over a gubernatorial appointment. Congressional voters and state legislatures should endorse Feingold’s amendment proposal as soon as the subcommittee convenes. Such an amendment change can only translate to more democratic representation in the legislative branch, a stipulation that should always remain of the highest priority.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Article misses true meaning of Christmas quote In response to “In times of economic struggle, Americans must remember the spirit of giving” by Joseph Koss: Last semester Joseph Koss wrote a ﬁne, warm, fuzzy-inspiring piece on Christmas and the spirit of giving, which was published in the Fall Finals Issue of The Daily Cardinal. Although Koss refers to Buddy from “Elf ” and his meaning of Christmas not “rooted in religiosity,” he closes his piece with what appears to be a badly-mangled indirect quotation from the Bible (ellipse included in the original piece): “And the Angel said unto them, fear not: for behold I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people ... and on earth peace, and goodwill toward men.” This seems to be pulled from the Biblical book of Luke, chapter 2, verses 10-14: “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will ﬁnd a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’” Since these verses were brought up, in what I would

consider to be a misleading fashion, I would like to attempt to clarify what is going on here. The peace and joy referred to are not due to laughter, gifts or the spirit of giving of the holiday season. The focus here is not on people, but instead on this baby—a baby who would be a savior. The presence of a savior implies that people needed saving—a far cry from being full of “holiday cheer.” Just a few verses earlier, it is clear that the purpose of the savior is to save the people from their sin or their violations of the moral law. Upon brief examination, it would appear that all of us have done bad things (lying, stealing and cheating, to name a few), which deserve punishment. I would like to suggest that this is the reason some people, particularly those in the Bible, celebrate Christmas. They celebrated because they knew they had done wrong, and that they deserved punishment. But instead of mercilessly overseeing judgment, God had provided a savior to take the punishment for them. We have the same opportunity today: repentance and faith in exchange for eternal life. And personally, I ﬁnd it that much more satisfying and meaningful than mere holiday cheer. —Timothy Reasa UW-Madison undeclared major

Bucket list captures key Madison wonders, thrills TOM HART opinion columnist

s I begin the final semester of my five years here at UW-Madison, I have been hit with a wave of nostalgia. The past five years have been instrumental in the formation of the person I am today. I have many memories here in Madison, and I feel that I am ready to move on. But there is one feeling that I do not want to have in the future: regret. I do not want to find myself ten years, or even ten months from now looking back and thinking, “Man, I wish I would have done that.” So, in a final attempt to alleviate any current concerns that I may experience these future feelings, I have made a sort of bucket list. Think of me as Jack Nicholson, except I’m not dying and I’m not friends with Morgan Freeman... although I did admire his speech in “Deep Impact.” “We will rebuild!” I’m merely trying to finish my last semester here in Madison with a bang.

I do not want to ﬁnd myself ten years from now looking back and thinking, “Man, I wish I would have done that.”

First things first. The Abraham Lincoln statue. I know it’s a little cliché. Everyone jumps up on his lap for a picture, but it is a Madison must. The Lincoln statue is the defining image of the Bascom Hill district. Honest Abe has watched countless numbers of UW students trek up that infamous hill since it was dedicated in 1909. His stare has witnessed the passing of two World Wars, the modernization of State Street and the stirring protests of the 1960s. If only the statue could speak, what stories would it tell? Second item to be checked off the list would have to be a tour of the New Glarus Brewery. Situated just 30 miles outside of Madison, the honorable home to those delicious Spotted Cow brews is only a short drive away. Designated drivers are recommended, however, because the tasting room will surely be the longest part of the selfguided tour. On a related note, how could I leave out a Capital Brewery tour? Their Middleton location is only a Sammy Sosa hop, skip and a post-steroid jump away. No excuses. It’s on the list. After those brewery tours, a nice walk across a frozen Lake Mendota is next on the list. You have to get rid of that hangover somehow. A straight walk across the lake from the Memorial Union will take you directly to the Governor’s Mansion. A quick look left will also give you a good view of the Mendota Mental Health Institute where notorious serial killer Ed Gein lived out his ﬁnal days. Gein was the inspiration for the Hannibal Lecter series.

Hello Clarisse. On a lighter note, two events on Capitol Square must be attended before you leave the city. The Farmer’s Market is best enjoyed on Saturdays and Wednesdays during the warm months of the year. Concerts on the Square take place Wednesday nights during the month of July. It’s worth a return visit if you aren’t staying in Madison for the summer already. Another Madison favorite would have to be spending a night in the Duck Blind for a Madison Mallards game. The all-you-caneat-and-drink section requires a designated driver as well. Mickie’s Dairy Bar on Monroe Street also makes the checklist. You can’t leave Madison without building up a nice little food baby at this ‘50s joint.

The last item to be checked off the list would have to be the Madison sunset. Although sunsets are often taken for granted, Madison’s deﬁnitely should not be. The best place to view this daily occurrence is from the sidewalk across from the Washburn Observatory. A red sun sets over Picnic Point every night. Several Native American mounds also lie within walking distance, and the renovated observatory is set to reopen this summer. My actual bucket list would most likely take up this entire page, and some items are not ﬁt for print, but if you want to get a head start, I suggest planning yours out as soon as possible. Tom Hart is a senior majoring in history. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Cabot gives teen angst royal treatment in ‘Forever Princess’ By Brandi Stone THE DAILY CARDINAL

PHOTO COURTESY ODEON

Although “Milk” never quite rises above the level of a typical biopic, the individual performances, including those from James Brolin and Sean Penn, make “Milk” a worthwhile endeavor for audiences.

Got ‘Milk’? You should By Frances Provine THE DAILY CARDINAL

Gus van Sant’s “Milk” has once again brought moviegoers’ attention toward that limited genre of the biopic. Critics love them (think of “Ray” and “Monster”), but they’re usually not the most exciting or innovative movies of the year. That’s why one would be intrigued to see what Sant, who is known for his independent, more avant-garde work, would do with a biopic of a politician, of all people. Although Harvey Milk never made it past being a member of the San Francisco board of supervisors, he is known for being the first openly gay man in politics in America. After living in various cities around the States, he finally settled in a gay neighborhood in San Francisco, the Castro, where he began his career as a politician on a soapbox, reaching out to ostracized homosexual youth. Despite Sant’s background, the director seemed intent to create interest in “Milk” not with clever or unique filmmaking, but by focusing on the real-life quirks and eccentricities of Milk and the Castro. Milk listens to opera and makes controversial, charismatic jokes to his audiences and co-workers. He ends up dating a desperately clingy Hispanic man who stumbles into

his camera shop drunk one night. These whimsical unconventional aspects of Milk’s character lend some humor to an individual whom is doomed from the beginning. The bulk of the ﬁlm, it should be noted, is dialogue. Dialogue between Milk (Sean Penn) and his lover (James Franco), between Milk and his political enemy Dan White (Josh Brolin), between Milk and his protégé (Emile Hirsch). And though, through stellar acting on the part of Penn and Brolin, the dialogue never quite sags, it doesn’t build up quite the way it should either.

The bittersweet story of Harvey Milk is as inspiring as it is mournful.

“Milk” is at its best during moments of feverish intensity— rioting, White’s act of deﬁance against Milk, even the sonorous passion of an opera singer. Unfortunately, such jolts of energy enter the movie rarely and late on, with a less-than-smooth transition from all the conversation.

And while “Milk” is certainly a good movie by all accounts—great acting, interesting plot—it never quite reaches a level of engagement beyond the solid biopic. It is moving at parts, but most of all when it shows, at the very end, the real footage of thousands marching after the assassination of Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone. Brolin’s gruff yet mentally fragile White adds a nice layer of complexity, and Penn is appropriately charismatic, but there isn’t the heartbreaking apex one would expect. Furthermore, the small things Sant does do to make “Milk” stylistically different from its counterparts, like the splitting up of a mass phoning operation into hundreds of little screens of people on the phone, aren’t enough to make up for the hopelessly standard and mainstream character of the ﬁlm, to the point where they almost come off as gimmicky. The bittersweet story of Harvey Milk is as inspiring as it is mournful. It is about not only gay rights, but about the power of outcasts who organize together to demand respect. Unlike its subject, however, “Milk” is not different, and deserves no more respect and than its fellow Hollywood biopics. Grade: B

After waiting almost two years, Princess Amelia Thermopolis of Genovia will wear her tiara for the last time in “Forever Princess,” the tenth and final installment of Meg Cabot’s bestselling “Princess Diaries” series. True to the name of the series, each book is written in diary form from the perspective of everyday teenager Mia Thermopolis, who also happens to be the sole princess to the small European country of Genovia. All ten books cover Mia’s journey through high school, with “Forever Princess” covering the final weeks of her senior year. After four years of craziness, it seems like Mia’s life is finally going great: she aced her senior project (a 400-page romance novel called “Ransom my Heart”), she got into the college of her choice, and she has the sweetest most perfect boyfriend. With graduation around the corner, Mia can finally escape the evil confines of high school, From an outward glance, everything seems to be going perfect for the future ruler, but, in reality, it is anything but. Sure, she wrote a novel, but no one seems to appreciate her hard work, or even care. Colleges only accepted her because she is a princess, she is still not on speaking terms with her ex-best friend (the crazy radical, Lilly) and her relationship with her seemingly perfect boyfriend is in jeopardy, since her ex-boyfriend Michael, who she is still madly in love with, returns from Japan and wants to hang out. These sound like your normal, teenage girl problems that any girl

can handle, but in true Mia fashion, she is able to take a simple situation and, with her naïve overreactions and outrageous outbursts, create comedic chaos. Jumping from Mia’s sophomore year (book nine) to the end of her senior year was a risky move by Cabot, but one that paid off. Cabot is able to achieve a balance between the old, awkward Mia that we have come to love—and sometimes want to shake because of her stupidity in easily answered situations—and a new, more mature Mia who is new and unpredictable to old readers. After nine books of the same, typically teenage Mia, it is refreshing to see her use her brain for more than just sarcasm and pop culture references. Written from the perspective of a slightly crazed 17-year-old high school girl, the writing is not exactly profound, but keeps you entertained with its in-the-moment urgency since it is written while the problems are occurring (usually from the bathroom). This book can be an eye roller with its cliché problems and girl talk, but the fun of the book is how Mia and her friends handle each of these normal situations in unexpected ways. The writing is witty and fun, but the humor is really only appreciated by teenage girls who have been in those crazy high school, boy-trouble situations (sorry boys). True, the books in “The Princess Diaries” series are definite guilty-pleasure reads, but ones all girls could appreciate and then laugh about how ridiculous we were in high school.

PHOTO COURTESY BUENA VISTA PICTURES

Anne Hathaway, Mia in “The Princess Diaries” movies, should be ecstatic about the newest book in the series, “Forever Princess.”

To all single ladies who like ‘Single Ladies’: Put your hands down DALE MUNDT croco-dale rock

he semester break brings spare time, and with it the opportunity to contemplate the great questions of life. I spent virtually the entire break trying to decide which of the great mysteries to ponder. With only a few days of break left, I finally hit on the question I wanted to devote my life to understanding: What the fuck were Beyoncé and her producers thinking when they released “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”? With Nickelback and Soulja

Boy getting played on the radio, it’s not like “Single Ladies” is the only bad song on the air right now. But “Single Ladies” raises the bar for overall crapiness. The deluge of nonsense begins with the vocals. No matter what else you want to say about Beyoncé, the woman has a fantastic voice. Her voice was the centerpiece of Destiny’s Child, and her voice has carried her to numerous platinum/gold albums. Compare “Single Ladies” to another recent song, “If I Was A Boy”. Although “If I Was A Boy” is generally uninspired and has equally vapid lyrics, it showcases the rich texture of Beyoncé’s voice. The melody of “Single Ladies,” however, restricts itself to a range of five consecutive

keys on the keyboard for all but 29 seconds. You could literally play two minutes and 48 seconds of this song on the piano without moving your hand. Sad, just sad. The rhythm isn’t much better. The beat seems interesting at the start of the song and blends well with the verse. However, when the chorus starts, the rhythm and vocals seem disconnected from each other. Instead of serving to tie the entire song together, the chorus feels disjointed and, in turn, causes the song to become stilted and awkward. Even the music video—normally a sure thing with a woman as beautiful as Beyoncé—ﬂops. The choreography and directing are ﬁne, but I challenge you to watch Beyoncé’s facial expressions without laughing. I’m sure that the producers of this

video simply assumed that viewers would be too busy imagining themselves having sex with Beyoncé to notice the ridiculous facial expressions. Unfortunately for Beyoncé, spandex and high heels can only distract so much. Personally, I think the worst part is the lyrics. Although the song is entitled “Single Ladies,” only one phrase actually addresses single ladies: “Now put your hands up.” The rest of the lyrics consist of flaunting a possible new man in the face of an exboyfriend. Instead of celebrating singlehood, the lyrics are a 2:30 a.m. drunken voicemail that insists, “I’m soooo over you.” The lyrics aren’t content to merely drunk-dial the ex, though. At the 2:20 mark, Beyoncé quotes

one of the most powerful lines in movie history: “To infinity and beyond.” Yes. That’s correct. While telling off an ex, the lyrics actually quote Buzz Motherfucking Lightyear. That will show him that you are a confident, single woman. You go, girl. This song is awful. I cannot imagine any situation that would justify the recording, production or release of a song this bad. Maybe next time I have a break from classes, I should devote myself to a higher calling. Something like Facebook stalking. It has to be more worthwhile than listening to “Single Ladies.” Did Beyoncé speak to your heart with “Single Ladies”? Tell Dale how you really feel by e-mailing him at dpmundt@wisc.edu.

comics 6

Talk about squealing like a pig. A pig’s orgasm lasts thirty minutes. dailycardinal.com/comics

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Humdrum

Today’s Sudoku

Anthro-apology

By Eric Wigdahl wigdahl@wisc.edu

Angel Hair Pasta

By Todd Stevens ststevens@wisc.edu

Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Sid and Phil

By Alex Lewein lewein@wisc.edu

The Graph Giraffe

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Evil Bird

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com WHO’S THE BOSS?

1 5 10 14 15 16 17 20 21 22 24 25 28 31 35 36 38 39 40 41 43 44 45 46

ACROSS

Shipping and handling, for instance Famously temperamental singers Bandy words ___ podrida (hodgepodge) Yet to be sworn in, as a politician First name in fragrance Be bossy Affront Hippocampus Group of playmates? “The Little Red Book” author Certain parcels of earth Sancho Panza’s mount Raindrop sounds Readied some beds Be bossy It’s said to be wise Took pleasure in Jenny in “Love Story” Be bossy Cholers It’s full of hot air Peoria-to-St. Louis dir. Engage canines?

47 49 51 56 60 62 63 64 65 66 67 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 19 23

“Hmm, I don’t know” Exile of 1979 Liqueur choice Get one’s juices ﬂowing Be bossy Mutt on the comics page Soapy role of note It may come before the fall Some dolls Bit more than a quart Word used to calm people down DOWN

Points of convergence Ardor Right-angle ﬁttings Had a general reaction Atlanta-based airline One way to be advised? Cat scanners? Symptom for a dentist Fulton’s power Grouper groups Hood’s beneﬁciaries (with “the”) Play makers? Lancastrian symbol Hoppy hour drinks? Like topiaries Delicate purples

25 26 27 29 30 32 33 34 36 37 39 42 43 46 48 50 51 52 53 54 55 57 58 59 61

Get ___ of (obtain) Crouch in fear Pass along Winter blankets? They might be drawn “My Friend Flicka” author Danzig natives Sound of a perfect jumper Halftime cry Word repeated by Fat Albert Kind of theater College conferrals Where some promotions occur Vestments Drew’s great-aunt Bearded comics character Hog-wild Unmasked, as an undercover cop Having the same properties Susan on “Desperate Housewives” Column of a lifetime Letters where Jackie Robinson lettered They may be involved in a spill Annual athletic award Chilling pieces?

The Frugal Gnome

By Lindsey Heinz and Emily Villwock lheinz@wisc.edu

sports

dailycardinal.com/sports

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Wrestling

Wisconsin falls short at Northwestern in dual meet By Daniel Lyman THE DAILY CARDINAL

The No. 15 Wisconsin wrestling team traveled to Evanston, Ill., this past weekend for a Big Ten dual meet against the No. 19 Northwestern Wildcats. At the end of a competitive meet, the Badgers fell short, 21-19. Their record now stands at 6-5-0 overall, 0-2-0 in the Big Ten. The Wildcats improve to 9-3-0, 2-0-0 in the Big Ten. The day started out in favor of Northwestern, as No. 3-ranked Brandon Precin scored a major decision at 125 pounds., over UW’s Drew Hammen. The junior improved his season record to 20-1 with the victory. At 133 pounds NU’s Eric Metzler, a native of Luxemberg, Wis., scored a win over UW’s Kyle Reeve, 12-6. Wisconsin senior Zach Tanelli, at the time ranked No. 5, got the Badgers on the board by defeating No. 16-ranked Keith Sulzer in the 141-pound weight class, 3-0. With the victory, Tanelli’s record this season improves to 17-3, and he jumps to the No. 2-ranked wrestler

basketball from page 8 they have needed to foul opponents to conserve time and shrink deficits, the opposite of Ryan’s strategy, which involves holding the late advantage and consistently making free throws when fouled. “In our last couple of games, we’re not playing with an open lead [where the other team would have to foul],” he said. “You have got to try to get a lead and you have got to put people at a [disadvantage] defensively,” for that style to work.

sportsmanship from page 8 there. The Pittsburgh Steelers lit up the Cleveland Browns 31-0 a month ago. Tennessee destroyed Chattanooga 114-75 on the hardwood in their season opener this year. The Yankees crushed the Kansas City Royals 15-6 back in August. But none of those instances were egregious attempts to maul, embarrass and humiliate the lesser team. In fact, I would bet that Pittsburgh and Tennessee each had second or third stringers in the game towards the end and did their best to kill the clock. Besides, none of those instances even come close to rivaling the scale of imbalance between Covenant School and Dallas Academy. Academy did not score any points during the contest, and they have not won

at 141 pounds. Ranked No. 5 at 149 pounds, junior Kyle Ruschell followed up Tanelli’s win with one of his own, recording an 8-4 victory over NU’s Andrew Nadhir. With the win, Ruschell lifted the Badgers to within one point of Northwestern, 7-6. At 157 pounds, UW true freshman Ben Jordan fell short against No. 17 Jordan Welch, 6-0. Fellow freshman Andrew Howe came away with a much better result, scoring a major decision victory over Northwestern’s Dominic Marella, 16-5 at 165 pounds. The freshman ranks No. 13 in his weight class, and Howe looks to be a force for years to come, with a record of 16-4, with the four losses all coming to opponents ranked in the top-ﬁve. With Howe’s victory, the Badgers and Wildcats were gridlocked at 10 points apiece. Northwestern reclaimed the lead in the 174-pound match as Robert Kellogg pinned UW’s Travis Rutt at 6:19. NU’s Jake Herbert got another win for the Wildcats, getting a tech fall over Wisconsin’s Eric Bugenhagen

at 184 pounds. The Northwestern senior, who spent last year training for the Olympics in Beijing, holds the No. 1 ranking at 184 pounds. The victory gave Herbert his 20th win of the year against zero losses. Wisconsin would go on to ﬁnish the day with two victories. No. 3-ranked senior Dallas Herbst pinned Northwestern’s John Schoen in 4:42. After Herbst’s impressive win, Wisconsin trailed 21-16. In the heavyweight match, UW’s seventh-ranked Kyle Massey scored a 5-1 decision over Northwestern’s Ben Kuhar. Massey’s win propelled the Badgers to 19 points, falling painfully short to NU’s 21. The Wisconsin wrestlers will look to notch their ﬁrst Big Ten victories of the season later this week when they have road dual meets against Michigan State and Penn State. They will take on the Spartans at 6 p.m. Friday, January 30, and will face the Nittany Lions at noon Sunday, Feb. 1. —uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.

The Kohl Center has not been a friendly environment for Purdue recently—they have won just once in their past nine trips to Madison. However, the Boilermakers RYAN have a threegame winning streak against Wisconsin overall. “They played better than we did, at both ends,” Ryan said about their most recent contest.

To earn a win Tuesday, the Badgers will need to contain sophomore forward JaJuan Johnson, who posted 19 points in Purdue’s 70-62 win over Minnesota Thursday and scored 20 points against Wisconsin the last time they faced each other, which was just a few weeks ago. Overall, Ryan said Tuesday’s game would be a fairly even matchup between two teams he believes play a similar style of basketball. “[Purdue] will get after you,” Ryan said. “That is something we have hung our hat on, too.”

a game in the past three years. downright pathetic. Do you think Covenant School There was no reason for vengeance, no past score to set- displayed poor sportsmanship? E-mail tle. They did it because they Andy at avansistine@wisc.edu. could, under the direction of an unsportsmanlike coach and the encouragement of some raunchy, greedy fans. When a game ceases to be a contest and becomes a onesided exhibition, teams should change their play accordingly. After all, it is no longer a contest at 59-0 in high school. Not to say they should give up, throw in the towel and let the other team have a chance, but they should ease up and be a good sport. Players, coaches and fans alike know that the game is over when you put the last five girls on the bench out to chew up the clock after half time. There is no excuse for shooting threes in the second half. That’s just

PHOTO COURTESY UWBADGERS.COM

The Badgers fell to Northwestern over the weekend and have six conference contests left before the Big Ten Campionships.

sports 8

dailycardinal.com/sports

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Men’s Basketball

UW looks to knock off Purdue By Nico Savidge

Sportsmanship is important at all levels

THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team will try to break its four-game losing streak against No. 16 Purdue at the Kohl Center Tuesday night. After a loss to Illinois Saturday, the Badgers fell to 3-4 in Big Ten conference play, and need a win against the Boilermakers to avoid losing consecutive home games for the first time under head coach Bo Ryan. Ryan noted the similarities between Purdue and Illinois, saying they are “two teams that are well-coached and play hard and are playing very well at this point.” The Badgers’ current skid started in West Lafayette with a loss to the Boilermakers Jan. 11, and Ryan said it is affecting his team’s confidence, especially in shooting from the floor. Wisconsin made 36 percent of their field goals against Illinois and 38 percent the last time they played Purdue. “Nobody that I’ve ever seen can tell me that they’ve known a good shooter who wasn’t very, very conﬁdent about the ball going in,” Ryan said. “When you have people who shoot it and hope, that’s when you run into problems.” Although the team has been struggling, Ryan thinks they have made good decisions about what shots to take. “You just have to get good looks, you have got to knock them down, you have got to play with that confidence,” he said.

ANDY VAN SISTINE sistine’s chapel

DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Wisconsin senior guard/forward Joe Krabbenhoft is averaging 8.7 points per game and is leading his team with an average of 6.9 rebounds per game. He also has registered 46 assists on the season. Against Purdue, the Badgers will need to get back to Ryan’s style of basketball, namely disciplined play that lets the team make more free throws than their

opponents can attempt. The slump, and the situations Wisconsin has found itself in, have often kept the team from playing that way.

Because the Badgers have recently been trailing more often than leading late in the game, basketball page 7

Women’s Basketball

Badgers prepare for important Big Ten contests By Adam Loferski THE DAILY CARDINAL

After a strong start to the season, the Wisconsin women’s basketball team has been incon-

sistent lately in Big Ten conference play. The Lady Badgers put up a dominating performance against Illinois during their last home

KYLE BURSAW/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Wisconsin freshman guard Jade Davis and the Badgers hope to get a win streak started this week as they host Purdue Thursday night.

game on Jan. 18 only turning the ball over a total of five times in the first half. They held Illinois to 43 points and put up 61 of their own, with three players putting up double figures. However, the following road games were not so kind to the Badgers. While the intensity from the Illinois game carried over into the Penn State and Michigan State games, the stats and the “W” did not. Wisconsin lost both games, turning the ball over 21 and 22 times, respectively. “We’re weathering a little bit of a storm right now. We need to value the basketball a little bit better,” Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said. “The process is, with eight games remaining, to keep getting better every day, and play your best basketball at the end of the year.” The Lady Badgers have two games on their radar. First, they will host Purdue (13-7) on Thursday evening, and then travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to battle the Wolverines (9-10) Sunday. Considering Purdue, Stone said, “They’re pretty special. They’re very well coached [and] they’ve got tremendous depth.” Stone emphasized that “[taking] good care of the ball” is essential for the Badgers to secure the victory. Home court advantage should also help the Badgers. This season, Wisconsin has gone 9-2 at

the Kohl Center. One of those losses came against Big Ten leader Ohio State. Despite the team’s recent inconsistency, Stone doesn’t seem worried. “I’m very optimistic about our kids,” Stone said. “They work hard. They want to get better.” One player who has certainly done so in Stone’s mind is junior forward Mariah Dunham. “[Dunham’s] versatility helps us a lot,” Stone said of her emergence as a scorer. “Mariah is breaking out and playing good basketball at the right time.” Whatever the outcome of Thursday night’s game against Purdue, the Lady Badgers will have to keep that game fresh in their minds. Following the road game at Michigan State, the Badgers travel to West Lafayette, Ind., to face off against Purdue again, their second meeting in 11 days. With only eight games remaining in conference play, time is running short for the Badgers to capture a top seed in the Big Ten Tournament at the beginning of March. However, Stone is confident in her team. “We’re right there in every single game. Our defense is putting us in the [right] situation. The kids are playing hard; attitude is very, very good. We just need to shore up a few details.” —uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.

his past week I caught wind of a particularly sad and shameful story that came out of Texas. Two weeks ago in a high school girls basketball game between Covenant School and Dallas Academy, Covenant School won by a margin of 100-0. Yup, 100-0. Apparently spectators and an assistant coach on the Covenant bench were cheering and encouraging the girls to reach the century mark. They beat up on a team of eight girls from a school that only has 20 girls altogether and has not won a single game in the past four years. And, by the way, the score of the game at halftime was 59-0. A week later, the headmaster and board chair of Covenant issued a statement on the private Christian school’s website that stated, “It is shameful and an embarrassment that this happened. This clearly does not reflect a Christlike and honorable approach to competition.” The head coach responded in an e-mail to a local newspaper that he would not apologize “for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity.” That coach was fired Sunday. Good riddance, I say. There is such a thing as making a statement, and then there is being malicious. It was a girls high school basketball game. Many times, the combined scores of each team does not even add up to 100 at the high school level. Mathematically, 100 points in a 32 minute game equates to more than three points every minute. To compare, an NBA team would have to score at least 150 points in regulation to match that rate of points per minute in a game—that rarely ever happens. For a coach to allow his players to slaughter an opponent that has not scored even a single point into unimaginable oblivion is disgraceful, no matter what the game or level of play. Furthermore, what kind of example is that coach setting for his players? As a student teacher and fledgling high school girls basketball coach myself, I know that I have to convey the same standards and discipline to my players that I want them to demonstrate on the court. If Covenant’s former coach conveyed to his players that it is OK to beat the lights out of their opponent with no restraint and no mercy, even though the game was over before halftime, then can he really claim that his girls played with honor and integrity? They were executing orders—his orders—and there was no honor or integrity in what went down in that gym two weeks ago. You never hear of professional teams or even collegiate teams intentionally piling up the points when the game is all but over. Sure, teams have blowout wins here and sportsmanship page 7

Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - The Daily Cardinal