Weekend, January 29-February 1, 2015 - The Daily Cardinal

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Weekend, January 29 - February 1, 2015

Katie Couric to deliver commencement speech

By Bri Maas THE DAILY CARDINAL

COURTESY OF UW-MADISON

Katie Couric, a host on major TV news networks for more than 25 years, will be the spring 2015 commencement speaker.

UW-Madison senior class officers announced Katie Couric, a journalist, author and philanthropist, as the 2015 Spring Commencement ceremony speaker Wednesday.

The officers began the process of choosing a speaker last May, when they sent out a survey to the incoming senior class asking what the students wanted in a commencement speaker. They used the compiled suggestions to begin brainstorming names of possible speakers.

“We definitely took a lot of the comments to heart and really made sure we were taking into account our class’ interests,” Senior Class President Maria Giannopoulos said.

The committee of four officers unanimously decided Couric was the best fit because she is well known across audiences and fit what students were looking for, according to Senior Class Vice

President Annie Paul.

“We wanted somebody who not only would the students enjoy and be able to look up to, but also the crowd itself,” Paul said. “We felt like she was the perfect allaround person to lead our class into the next phase of life.”

“Thanks so much for inviting me and ‘On Wisconsin!’”

Katie Couric news anchor Yahoo Global

Paul added that philanthropy was a very important factor in the selection process and Couric’s work with cancer awareness makes her a “female trailblazer” and sets a great example for students.

Couric was also chosen for her relatability to students. She went

to the University of Virginia, so she will serve as a good example of what students can do with a public university education, Giannopoulos said.

“Although she’s not a UW alum, she did go to an institution that’s very similar to ours, so I think that’s one thing they can take away from her,” Giannopoulos said. “In a few short months, we’ll be out there in the world, trying to find jobs.”

In a video announcement disseminated by UW-Madison Wednesday evening, Couric, clad in a foam Cheesehead and Bucky Badger shirt, expressed her excitement to speak at commencement.

“I am really honored to be joining you in Madison this May,” Couric said in the video.

“Thanks so much for inviting me and ‘On Wisconsin!’”

The spring 2015 commencement ceremony will take place May 16 in Camp Randall Stadium.

Sen. Ron Johnson hears cybersecurity testimony, concerns

By Leo Vartorella THE DAILY CARDINAL

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., held a hearing Wednesday to discuss the importance of information sharing in cybersecurity and heard testimony for revised legislation.

Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., joined Johnson, chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, in hearing a panel of five expert witnesses from the cybersecurity field testify on the need for revised legislation in regard to information sharing between corporations and the government.

This rallying cry comes on the heels of several profile hacks in 2014, including that of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Scott Charney, corporate vice president for Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing Group, explained that current laws make it difficult for companies to share real-time hacking information without being penalized. He argued that publicly sharing security breaches brings negative market results for corporations and that anonymity must be ensured for any information sharing.

Richard Bejtlich, the chief security strategist for the cyber-

security company FireEye, introduced the most troubling statistics. He stated that the average time between a breach and detection of hackers was 205 days and that the FBI or other outside sources discovered the hacks in 70 percent of these cases.

Software networks can be infiltrated for nearly seven months before hackers are noticed, Bejtlich said. This presents a problem that affects not only corporations but also other institutions like universities.

Bob Turner, chief information security officer at UW-Madison, said the information sharing culture must be more reciprocal if cybersecurity is to improve. While the government is often reluctant to share its cyber intel, improved reciprocity would go a long way in helping deal with cyber attacks.

UW-Madison’s top strategy for preventing such attacks is “a robust cybersecurity education training and awareness program,” Turner said.

Turner’s goal is to implement a program like this in the fall. He hopes it will become a staple of incoming student education.

Super Bowl Badger

NICK MONFELI/THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf meets with ASM Coordinating Committee Wednesday to discuss the Campus Strategic Framework and Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget plan.

Coordinating Council voices concern over framework, biennial budget with provost

By Madeline Heim THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Associated Students of Madison committee chairs raised questions surrounding the Campus Strategic Framework and upcoming biennial budget during a meeting Wednesday.

UW-Madison Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf met with Coordinating Council members to ask for suggestions on the document, requesting input from the group regarding what they would like to see emphasized or improved. The framework, created by former Provost Paul M. DeLuca, Jr., outlines goals, visions and priorities for UW-Madison.

+ SPORTS, page 8

James White talks about his first Super Bowl experience

ASM Chair Genevieve Carter expressed concern about maintaining campus diversity and inclusion programs as a priority of the framework, arguing that for many universities, those programs are the first to go in light of budget cuts.

Also in attendance was UW-Madison Vice Provost for Student Life and Dean of Students Lori Berquam, who responded by stressing the administration’s commitment to those programs.

Berquam said the university would need to continue to build resources that support the concepts in the Diversity Framework

introduced in October.

The provost also spoke on the biennial budget to update the council on the impending cuts to the university as detailed in Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget plan.

Mangelsdorf assured the council that shared governance and students’ rights will continue to be supported by university administration.

“Shared governance is the soul of the University of WisconsinMadison,” Mangelsdorf said, detailing how Wisconsin’s shared governance is unique because it is laid out

council page 2

Got the cold weather blues? +OPINION, page 6

“…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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Weekend, January 29 - February 1, 2015

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Lawmakers hear concerns over new EPA regulations

By Andrew Bahl THE DAILY CARDINAL

Lawmakers from both the state Senate and Assembly convened Wednesday to discuss stricter Environmental Protection Agency regulations designed to lower carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.

The Joint Committee on Energy and Utilities heard testimony regarding the regulations from state officials, utility industry representatives and environmental advocates. The rules, not scheduled to be finalized until summer, have already met resistance from state and national politicians.

“It is ironic that while we’re being asked to clean up our act, China is building power plants by the dozen,” state Sen. Rick Gudex, R-Fond du Lac, said. “The regulations are fruitless and a bad situation for the people of Wisconsin.”

Bart Sponseller, director for the state Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Air Management, criticized the EPA regulations as overly penalizing to Wisconsin by imposing a stringent timeline for states to submit proposals

detailing how they will meet emission thresholds.

“This penalizes us in relation to other states who haven’t taken as much action as we have to curb carbon dioxide emissions,” Sponseller said in his testimony.

Public Service Commissioner Ellen Nowak echoed these concerns and emphasized potential economic ramifications, noting that the costs to upgrade infrastructure to meet the requirements could total between $3.3 and $13.4 billion.

“I’m concerned that the costs of the proposal will threaten our ability to supply affordable energy to our residents,” Nowak said. “Its absolutely good to help the environment but you have to say at what cost is it not worthwhile.”

Keith Reopelle, senior policy director at Clean Wisconsin, refuted claims that regulations were exorbitant, emphasizing the effects the rules could have on reversing climate change and establishing the U.S. as a leader in regulating carbon emissions.

“This is the most critical action on carbon ever,” Reopelle said. “If global warming goes unchecked, there will be consequences.”

Man arrested for driving while high The Madison Police Department found a 39-year-old Beloit resident slumped over the wheel of his running car, which was stopped in an East Washington Avenue traffic lane on Saturday, according to an MPD incident report.

Luis F. Garduno was arrested on the 2900 block of East Washington Avenue after driving his car under the influence of synthetic marijuana, according to the report.

After police questioning, Garduno admitted to having

smoked synthetic marijuana. He was also surprised to learn he was not in Beloit, the report says.

There were three children under the age of 10 in the car with Garduno. The children were turned over to a family member, MPD Public Information Officer Joel DeSpain said in the release.

Garduno was officially arrested for operating while under the influence, possession of a synthetic cannabinoid and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the report.

DANA KAMPA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Project Director Andrew Inman laid out the updated plans for a 10-story hotel on East Washington Avenue, highlighting changes to parking and the view from the sidewalk.

Urban Design Commission debates history, progress

By Dana Kampa THE DAILY CARDINAL

The issue of protecting established and historic areas such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Lamp House conflicted with the need for development in an Urban Design Commission meeting Wednesday.

Issues of height, limited parking and pedestrian experience were committee discussion topics for the hotel and housing projects considered, with residents more often opposing large development projects than supporting them.

To accommodate previous concerns, the designers of a 10-story hotel on East Washington Avenue pushed back the parking lot, moved the building farther from the street and

altered the overall design aesthetics. However, the height of the hotel remains under criticism.

“The overwhelming goal for the project is to create unique areas that are overwhelmingly a positive experience, not just for the guests, but for the public,” Josh Wilcox, Gary Brink & Associates vice president and senior project manager, said.

Neighbors Bill Gates and Nan Fey agreed with commissioners, saying the building is too tall.

“No matter how beautiful this building has become, it doesn’t belong on this site,” Fey said.

Ald. Ledell Zellers, District 2, also urged consideration of the project as a whole.

UDC design professional

Melissa Huggins said that, while evaluating exceptional design is subjective, she appreciates the designers’ efforts.

“The fact is, this is a city, and we need to have big, tall buildings,” Huggins said. “This is the kind of building I want to see in my city.”

UDC gave final approval for the project in a 5-2 vote.

The commission also approved a building addition to the Walmart by Highway 30, two apartments on Jupiter Drive and Hercules Trail and facade improvements to The Park Hotel on South Carroll Street.

UDC also heard informational presentations for a new Ho-Chunk Nation office and two apartment buildings.

Legislators protest casino decision Democratic and Republican legislators sent a letter to Gov. Scott Walker Wednesday requesting he reconsider his decision to deny the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin permission to construct a casino in Kenosha County.

Walker announced his rejection of the proposal last Friday, citing the financial risk to taxpayers.

The letter, signed by 10 Kenosha area representatives, claimed that Wisconsin taxpayers were already protected in the case

of any lawsuit from other tribes.

Aside from a previous agreement to compensate the state for any legal costs, the Menominee and their Hard Rock International partners agreed to post a bond to protect taxpayers following Walker’s announcement.

The legislators also described the potential of any lawsuit in the letter as “unlikely to be successful.”

“The benefits are too great, the opportunity is too extraordinary, for you to not give this a second look,” the representatives concluded in the letter.

council from page 1

council inquired about administrative methods to combat these possible issues.

Although Mangelsdorf emphasized efforts to combine campus programs to promote efficiency while generating revenue for the university, she said that given the size of the budget cuts, tuition increases are likely.

Carter concluded the meeting by asking the council to brainstorm tactics for keeping the UW-Madison community informed on these issues as the budget discussion progresses.

in state statute.

The council still expressed concern that the institution could suffer if Walker deems the UW System a public authority, as shared governance would no longer be backed by law in the statute.

With an end goal to protect academics from cuts that could be detrimental to students’ education and avoid a possible tuition spike for both in-state and out-ofstate students, members of the

MEMORIAL UNION

Open Mic Night Performances at Der Ratheskeller Wednesday night featured acts such as the musician above, stage name Bill Villain. + Photo by Nick Manfeli

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Weekend, January 29 - February 1, 2015

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Netflix, Amazon battle for title of best online TV JAKE SMASAL smasaltov!

Over the past year, one of the newest and best rivalries in TV history began and is now officially heating up. As Netflix continues to produce original content, Amazon has thrown its hat into the ring and now has come up with its first bona fide hit, “Transparent,” which stars Jeffrey Tambor as a father struggling to tell his children about his desire to be a woman, is garnering ridiculous amounts of praise.

Amazon versus Netflix is a rivalry that would have been inconceivable even three years ago. Then, most of the world didn’t even know “House of Cards” was going to be a thing, and Amazon was just somewhere you went to compare prices with whatever you wanted at Target. If you had told me then that both of these companies would be serious players in the TV market, I would probably have laughed at you and made a joke about whatever was funny three years ago (Snuggies?

Sarah Palin? I have to be close).

Both are rapidly upping the ante with their own original content, to the point where their series win awards and generate just as much interest as the pilots that the networks trot out. So, now, in television netherworld that is January and February (TV, it turns out, is a lot like spring semester in that not much worth noticing happens until about March) let’s examine who has the upper hand in this battle of the streaming titans.

Also, before we begin, it’s probably

best to clarify that HBO has not been included in this competition because it would win almost every category. Pitting HBO against the other contenders would be like a race between Usain Bolt, a man with bricks tied to his legs and myself; it just wouldn’t be fair.

Original Content: Amazon has less than Netflix, in part because it crowdsources which pilots it should bring to series. The aforementioned “Transparent” has been its only show to garner much attention; nothing else really seems to have landed for them. Maybe some of their pilots this season will catch fire. More likely, however, they won’t. Netflix, on the other hand, is gonzo with original programming. “Marco Polo” kind of bombed and “Hemlock Grove” is by all accounts mediocre television, but everything else seems to be working. “House of Cards” has officially reached mega-popularity, and “Bojack Horseman” was a success earlier this year.

ADVANTAGE: Netflix Other Programming: This one’s kind of tough. Amazon has a bunch of Comedy Central’s catalog, including “Nathan for You” and “Broad City.” They also have some of HBO’s back catalog, highlighted by “The Sopranos,” which would be a much bigger deal if HBO GO did not exist. Netflix has IFC, FX and the BBC. Sadly HBO GO exists, and I love “Comedy Bang Bang” and “Peaky Blinders” enough to swing it. ADVANTAGE: Netflix Nostalgic Programming: An underrated category: what are you watching when you want to recapture some of that childhood magic? As it turns out, this one’s

graphic by Cameron Graff

easy: Netflix has “Pokémon.” Much like Pikachu’s effectiveness against water-type, “Pokémon” is super effective against shows that aren’t “Pokémon.” ADVANTAGE: Netflix Best service to use while concurrently buying Christmas presents

for your entire family: Another easy one. ADVANTAGE: Amazon Well, it looks like Netflix takes this one, at least for now. The programming is what matters. Until Amazon is able to further expand its catalog and have more commercial

success with its original programming, it won’t be able to stop Netflix from retaining its crown as the queen of stream. Thanks for playing!

What’s your opinion of these streaming titans? Send Jake your thoughts at smasal@wisc.edu.

Island of Misfit Toys members come for Live from the Nest

By Conor Murphy THe Daily Cardinal

courtesy of anthony sanders

The Island of Misfit Toys is a band based out of Chicago with music that spans across multiple genres.

Anthony Sanders and Danny Radovanovic, members of The Island of Misfit Toys, are performing at Live from the Nest this Saturday afternoon.

The two, along with Spencer LaBute and University of Wisconsin-Madison student Andy Holsteen, compiled an assortment of their poetry into a zine called “Luck.” Sanders and Radovanovic are based out of Chicago, and Sanders is performing under the name Songlines/Dreaming Track, while Radovanovic is perform-

ing as Stutterbot.

The two musicians went to high school together, and Sanders said it was poetry which “got me out of high school.”

“It interests me because it is both a direct expression of self in a world that constantly tries to obfuscate who you are, while also allowing you to be as mysterious as you’d like,” Sanders said.

Based out of Chicago, The Island of Misfit Toys have a crisp, passionate sound, and the group’s 2013 release Furiouser & Furiouser credited nine performers. Merging Edward

Sharpe and The Magnetic Zero’s large choral composition with the mixed instrumentation of Beirut and well-arranged duets, the band creates a lush, acoustic take on relationships.

Sanders said that he’s excited to come to Madison and meet Holsteen’s friends, and noted he and Radovanovic will “probably play an IOMT song.”

Join us for the Live from the Nest performance where the two will perform at the office of The Daily Cardinal in 2142 Vilas Hall Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

An interview with the two will occur before the performance.

RECORD ROUTINE

Björk’s legacy of creating her own unique sound continues in new album ALBUM REVIEW

Vulnicura Björk ByPaul Blazevich THe Daily Cardinal

Anthony Sanders and Hailing from Iceland, Björk is the original “melancholy hipster singing chick,” a group of artists also inhabited by

such stars as Lana Del Rey, FKA Twigs, and SZA. Her most recent release, Vulnicura, takes a page out of the book of modern pop music by arriving on the doorstep of many fans without much warning.

A staple in avant-garde women’s vocals for three decades, Björk does not disappoint with this new release. Instead, she advances past some of her greatest work on past projects like Homogenic and Medúlla, most notably with the staples of Vulnicura, the painful “Lionsong” and dancing electronic touch of “Quicksand.”

By employing the frequent

Kanye West collaborator, Arca, as lead producer on Vulnicura, Björk takes an artful step past most of the down-tempo, independent vocalists that seem so common these days.

One can even say that Arca’s work on Björk’s eighth studio album is what truly shines through and gives this album its crisp edges and shiny layers. His production style is immediately recognizable, with the awkward gaps, ugly noises, and thrashing percussion that combine to create a beautiful, non-symmetrical symphony.

Halfway through Vulnicura, Björk and Arca hand listeners a

difficult, yet rewarding, stretch of songs. “Black Lake” and “Family” retain the minimalist approach that is so common in critically appraised music today. Ambient sound, distant and industrial percussion as well as Björk’s creeping vocals make for experimental gold throughout the central few tracks.

To complete the story of Icelandic heartbreak, Arca creates a meandering track in “Mouth Mantra” that feels so distant, yet is brought back down to Earth by Björk’s macabre vocals. Vulnicura bids listeners farewell with “Quicksand,” mentioned earlier as

a highlight of the album. Produced

by Björk herself, this track exemplifies the chaotic direction in which electronic music is heading, then miraculously groups this sound with her slow female vocals. The lyrics describe this contrast perfectly, “I am broken when I’m whole; when I’m whole, I am broken.” An intriguing metaphor for love, no?

While Björk’s Vulnicura does not overshadow her past work, it unquestionably shows that Bjork is leading the movement, after starting it herself.

Grade: B

other news The Daily Cardinal’s local coverage of Super Bowl XLIX tODAY: maybe snow hi 36º / lo 14º

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Weekend, January 29 - February 1, 2015

Friday: partly sunny hi 27º / lo 16º

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An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 124, Issue 57

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

News and Editorial

edit@dailycardinal.com Editor-in-Chief Jack Casey

Managing Editor Jonah Beleckis

News Team News Manager Adelina Yankova Campus Editor Bri Maas College Editor Ellie Herman City Editor Irene Burski State Editor Andrew Hahn Associate News Editor Laura Grulke Features Editor Gilly McBride Opinion Editors Max Lenz • Cullen Voss Editorial Board Chair Haley Henschel Arts Editors Allison Garcia • Conor Murphy Sports Editors Jack Baer • Jim Dayton Almanac Editors Dylan Anderson • Andy Holsteen Photo Editors Emily Buck • Thomas Yonash Associate Photo Editor Will Chizek Graphics Editor Cameron Graff Multimedia Editor Ian Zangs Science Editor Danielle Smith Life & Style Editor Claire Satterfield Special Pages Editor Haley Henschel Copy Chiefs Theda Berry • Kara Evenson Jessie Rodgers • Paige Villiard Copy Editors Megan Grove Social Media Manager Madison Schiller

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Brett Bachman Advertising Manager Corissa Pennow Marketing Director Victoria Fok

The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales.

The Daily Cardinal is published MondayThursday and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000.

Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor-in-chief.

The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both.

Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief.

Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager.

Letters Policy: Letters must be word processed and must include contact information. No anonymous letters will be printed. All letters to the editor will be printed at the discretion of The Daily Cardinal. Letters may be sent to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.

Editorial Board Jack Casey • Jonah Beleckis Haley Henschel • Cullen Voss Max Lenz • Michael Penn Kayla Schmidt l

Board of Directors Herman Baumann, President Jack Casey • Jonah Beleckis Jennifer Sereno • Stephen DiTullio Brett Bachman • Janet Larson Don Miner • Phil Brinkman Jason Stein • Nancy Sandy Corissa Pennow • Victoria Fok Tina Zavoral © 2015, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398

For the record

Corrections or clarifications?

Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an email to edit@dailycardinal. com.

Aaron Rodgers catches glimpse of Olivia Munn, rendering Super Bowl unimportant

By Brett Klinkner The Daily Cardinal

In a pleasant personal revelation for Green Bay Packers quarterback and MVP frontrunner Aaron Rodgers, upon arriving home after a 28-22 overtime loss in the NFC Title Game to the Seattle Seahawks, he caught site of celebrity girlfriend Olivia Munn and instantly registered that advancing to the Super Bowl is utterly irrelevant.

“When I walked through my front door and caught a glimpse of that world-class beauty, I had an epiphany of sorts and realized, ‘Who the fuck cares about football, or anything else in the world for that matter?’” Rodgers told the press. “[Munn] had that look in her eye and ever-so-lightly grabbed my hand,” Rodgers continued. “At that point you could have asked me what I do for a living, or my parents’ names, or where I grew up, and I honestly wouldn’t have been able to come up with a damn thing.”

Rodgers proceeded to announce his retirement, divulging his plan to cut all professional ties, deposit his entire fortune into savings and begin a life secluded from all of civilization not named Olivia Munn.

In response to Rodgers’ com-

ments, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy echoed much of the same sentiment, explaining that if he were going home to “that breathtaking angel,” he would most certainly regard a simple sporting contest as meaningless and trivial as well. “[New England and Seattle] can stress over a silly old championship and live out their childish dreams for one more week,” Rodgers told Cardinal reporters.

“I won’t be watching a single moment of Sunday’s game…I’ll be too busy calling a hot route at the line of scrimmage all day, if you know what I mean.”

As it would appear, Rodgers’ innumerous successes in his life and career, as well as his most recent shortfalls surrounding the game he used to love, truly no longer hold any significance.

Quite frankly, this Daily Cardinal reporter couldn’t agree more.

In his closing remarks, Rodgers centered on opposing quarterback Russell Wilson.

“I saw that [Wilson] was praising his God after the game, like he had achieved something notable, or attained something of value, but… I date Olivia Munn. Has he not seen her?”

photo courtesy of wikimedia commons

Actress, model and current girlfriend of Aaron Rodgers smiles for the paparazzi as their flashbulbs capture her utterly breathtaking radiance.

Area man officially listed as ‘questionable’ for getting piss-drunk during Sunday’s Super Bowl

By Brett Klinkner The Daily cardinal

Citing mental anguish, leading to deep, widespread physical pain, as well as “spiritual devastation,” Oshkosh, Wisconsin resident-drunk Thomas Giles, 42, has reported to local media that he is ‘Questionable’ for getting absolutely shit-housed during Sunday’s NFL finale.

Giles, a ‘cheesehead’ since birth and an avid bingedrinker, has been through a physiological and psychological “hell-roller-coaster” since his Packers went down to the Seahawks two Sundays ago, self-diagnosing a multitude of

ailments along the way and claiming that if there aren’t immediate, rapid improvements, he won’t be able to get “super-duper fucked up” and reach his typical Super Bowl Sunday blackout drunk levels.

“I want to get out there and binge-drink. I want to perform, I want to get unreasonably hammered, and I want to compete,” Giles told Cardinal reporters. “But, my body is aging, and my heart is just too broken from that demoralizing loss for me to turn around and attain the same staggering B.A.C. that friends and family have come to expect.”

Shattered heart, depressed

spirit, “totally fucked” psyche, collapsed liver, torn rotator cuff, sprained torso, twisted knee, numerous slipped discs, and “head just hurts” are only a handful of the thirty-some specific injuries that Giles has released to the public via his lifestyle blog, ‘Thomas Time’ over the past 10 days.

By The Numbers: This would be the first season in the past 27 that Giles — self-proclaimed “Cal Ripken Junior of getting lit up on Super Bowl Sunday” — hasn’t eclipsed a 0.15 B.A.C. for the big game.

“I want to do it. I want to be a hero and role model

for everyone out there watching,” Giles stated in his most recent press conference. “I want to get all-out pickled; slurring my speech by the coin toss, outright stumbling by halftime and making overt, aggressive sexual advances at the wives of my closest friends and strangers alike by the fourth quarter.”

At press time, Giles had just posted to his blog that once the special day comes around, he might be able to muster up the courage to “down a few Miller Lites,” and he hopes that potential bartenders won’t irresponsibly over-serve him.

California Mega Millions first lottery to offer bachelor’s degree as prize

By Dylan Anderson The Daily Cardinal

In addition to granting the ability to administer bachelor’s degrees to 15 community colleges, California has approved its Mega Millions lottery to award them as prizes.

This unprecedented move is part of California’s forwardthinking plan to increase the affordability of a first-rate college education.

“By adding the bachelor’s degree as a prize in the Mega

Millions lottery, Californians from every walk of life will have access to the top-notch education they desire,” Gov. Jerry Brown explained. “A college degree was once something only the wealthy elite could achieve.

Now one will be accessible to people from every ethnic and socioeconomic background.”

State officials reported that they, along with executives from Mega Millions, have optimized the odds so that the degrees are not too easy to obtain.

“The odds have been set to one in 75,” Mega Millions CEO David Williams said. “Approximately one third of Americans have bachelor’s degrees, and the average Californian plays about 25 lottery games per year, so the odds were a no-brainer.”

After winning the right to a degree, prizeholders will be able to select the discipline of their degree. All types of bachelor’s degrees are eligible to be selected with the exception of any of the performing arts.

The decision has been relatively controversial, and opponents suggest that online colleges such as DeVry University already offered top-value degrees. “While online colleges are nice, not everyone has access to the Internet yet,” Brown said. “But nobody is too poor to play the lottery.”

California legislators have also proposed a bill to hide secret geology degrees all over the state that may be discovered by geocache players.

comics

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Today’s Sudoku

Weekend, January 29 - February 1, 2015 • 5

I (don’t) want wind to blow Beeramid Classic

By Ryan Matthes graphics@dailycardinal.com

© Puzzles by Pappocom

Dwarfhead and Narwhal Classic

By James Dietrich graphics@dailycardinal.com

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

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

The Graph Giraffe Classic

By Yosef Lerner graphics@dailycardinal.com

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Ludicrous Linguistics Classic

Yourmomeater Classic THE GLOW PT.2

ACROSS 1 Window ledge 5 Haul, slangily 1 0 ___ Major (“The Great Bear” constellation) 14 Black-and-white snack 1 5 “No” vote from a horse?

1 6 They’re generally caught at night 1 7 Mismatched battlers 2 0 Cold-weather coat 2 1 Broad sash 2 2 Fork it over 2 3 Onlooker 2 5 Lousy eggs?

2 7 Dusting cloth 3 0 Boat maneuverer 3 2 Level charges at 3 6 Many Monopoly props.

3 8 Beginning of a plan 4 0 Ran quickly 4 1 Nagging pettily 4 4 “___ Care of Business” (rock classic) 4 5 Abnormal breathing 4 6 Window part 4 7 Makes pig noises 49 Place to get balmed

50 Currently possesses 51 After-bath powder 53 Boyfriend 56 Loudly weep 59 Three, on a sundial 60 Rain cloud 64 Famous couple of 1981 68 Open to the breeze 69 Cliff-base rock pile 70 Got off the bus, e.g.

71 Bishop’s garb 72 Packed, as pistols 73 Windblown box DOWN 1 Carbonated beverage 2 Iraq neighbor 3 The L of L-dopa 4 Orleans’s river 5 Bogus cure-all 6 Farm biddy 7 Tupperware part 8 Strongly encourage 9 Cause for inaction, sometimes 10 Action film gun 11 Acquire through labor 12 Words before “precedent” 13 Needing a tan, apparently 1 8 Calendar page

19 Cantonese fruit (Var.) 24 Speed detector 26 Brat 2 7 Speeches that lose listeners 28 For the birds?

2 9 Wall-climbing lizard 3 1 Kidney-related 33 Heep of fiction 3 4 Medicinal plant 3 5 Singed parts, sometimes 37 Duck, as an issue 3 9 Make up one’s lines 42 Consist of, as a plan 43 Relied (upon) 4 8 Tops in cunning 5 2 TV Western “Kid” 5 4 Give assistance to 5 5 Boat used in Alaska 5 6 Evidence of an old injury 57 Youngs-town’s state 5 8 Fishhook feature 6 1 “Road to ___” (Hope-Crosby film) 62 Army bunch 63 Gorge to the max 6 5 Bread or liquor 6 6 Lichtenstein’s forte 67 Born, in France

By Cella Donnelly graphics@dailycardinal.com

By Laura “Hobbes” LeGault graphics@dailycardinal.com

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Stay warm with human connection yukako hirakawa Opinion Columnist

P

eople living in Wisconsin get used to the chilly weather, but we still feel cold no matter how many times we experience harsh winters. According to a 2008 report, “Cold and Lonely” by Chen-Bo Zhong and Geoffrey J. Leonardelli from the University of Toronto. It might be true, though, that feeling cold is enhanced by social exclusion, not the winter chill itself. The report mainly focuses on two experiments; one is about social exclusion making people feel colder than they really are. Participants who felt socially excluded gave lower estimates of the room temperature by a median of 2.58 points.

The other experiment showed those who feel socially excluded want warmth, as measured by their preferences for warm foods and drinks. In this experiment, participants are led to believe they were

playing a virtual ball-toss game with three other participants that were actually controlled by a computer. There were two groups of participants in the study, those excluded from social interaction and the control group. In the group excluded from social interaction, people received two ball tosses in the beginning but were then excluded from the rest of the throws. This increased the participants desire for warm food and drinks, more so than the control group.

From these experiments, it is clear that those who are socially excluded feel cold and prefer warm food compared to those who are socially included. We live in Wisconsin where people experience one of the coldest winters in the United States. Now is the time for Wisconsinites to get involved in activities that can make one feel included in the community.

Connection between people is key for us to feel warm.

Do you think that UW-Madison already provides a sense of belonging for students? According to the UW-Madison Annual Accountability Report in 2003, about 28 percent of students feel UW-Madison creates a sense of “belonging” for students. That means that a majority of students feel UW-Madison does not provide enough opportunities for students to experience enough personal connection.

Connection between people you’re close to is comforting, but it is still important to reach out and make new connections.

It’s unfortunate that certain students think they lack connection between people within campus. UW-Madison should be more and more careful about students in terms of making

opportunities for them to communicate with each other.

However, students should also work hard on their own to make connections with other people.

Personally, I was afraid of branching out and making new connections. I simply felt comfortable spending my time with people that I knew quite well. It is important to treasure close relationships, but meeting new people helps give us different aspects and insights into life. That is what I realized after I came to UW-Madison as an international student. Every time I face new people, I still have anxiety over interacting with them. Regardless, I do not stop trying to meet new people from different backgrounds mainly because it is rewarding to experience new viewpoints and broaden my outlook on the world.

Even if I am majoring in journalism and political science, that does not mean I have to communicate only with people of my major. I have met many students majoring in a variety of things from computer engineering to

economics. After meeting these people, I quickly learned just how diverse our interests are and how much I can learn from others. This new interest even led me to write this article. Using my newfound interest in science paired with my interest in journalism I am able to do new and interesting things.

Connection between people you’re close to is comforting, but it is still important to reach out and make new connections. Even though I get nervous meeting new people, I still value the exchange and I think we all could learn from these experiences. In addition to that, during these frigid months it is good for us Wisconsinites to treasure people’s connections and keep ourselves warm.

Yukako is a junior majoring in journalism and political science. Do you agree with her assesment on the need for human connection? Please send all feedback to opinion@ dailycardinal.com

Take a break from winter break and think about school marisa Bernstein Opinion Columnist

T

he transition from a relaxing winter break back into the seemingly indefinite schedule of constant work and exhaustion is never a simple task. As I am a naïve freshman this year, I originally predicted the four weeks spanning from Christmas through mid-January to be far too short of a break. After all, I had been in college for an entire semester, dragging myself out of bed to my 9:55 a.m. classes, always worried if my schedule would overlap with that of the custodians who cleaned my bathroom for me every day in my residence hall, having to pick out what vegetables would go in my omelet at Gordon’s, so on and so on. In my mind, one month would simply not be enough time to recover from all of these stressful freshmen woes.

I quickly found that I was wildly mistaken. As soon as I arrived back home in Minnetonka, Minnesota in December, I found myself missing Madison. My brother and parents were asleep by 9:30 p.m., and I resorted to talking to myself as I tried to find spaces for my belongings in the room that was once my bedroom, but is now used as my mother’s crafting studio.

My schedule for each day of break looked a lot like this: Wake up at 11 a.m., eat breakfast, work on memorizing a Nicki Minaj song or two, call my mom and ask what would be for dinner, watch the music video to Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk and pretend I was one of the Motown backup dancers, organize my sock drawer, think about going to the gym and then not go, greet my family as they got home from work and school, eat dinner, comment “ew” on Justin Bieber’s Instagram photos just to see what kind of backlash I would

get from 12-year-old girls who live to protect Justin from haters like me and finally as I was about to drown in my exhaustion from the long day, go to bed. What a life, man.

Despite my organized and carefully planned schedule, I never felt as though I accomplished anything during the long days. What I learned is that relaxing and doing absolutely nothing is only beneficial for so long. I am a people person and I love to stay busy, so a month at home with no car and an absent family was enough to make me revisit the friendship bracelet I started making five years ago. So much free time destroyed the schedule that I had built during first semester and made it nearly impossible for me to complete anything that I had originally aspired to do over winter break. I felt as though I had an infinite amount of time, but I have to say, the month really got away from me.

We all need a break, but from experience I can confidently advise you that a month is simply too much time to spend doing nothing.

Things I did not do over winter break despite my best efforts and planning: switch my WiscMail to Office365, clean out my backpack and throw away old papers, exercise, make any money… I should just stop there.

As students at UW-Madison, we are granted this month off from our rigorous academic calendars, and I have learned that it is important to use this time wisely. While it may seem appealing to use the full four weeks for a well-deserved hiatus, the break is a wonderful opportunity to do something

productive, or dare I say it, educational. In between my days spent in bed alternating between watching Netflix and napping, I was able to squeeze in a day at a public relations company based out of Minneapolis. I shadowed the employees and learned a lot about a profession that I have interest in possibly pursuing— something that I would not necessarily have the time or oppor-

tunity to do while taking a full course load at Madison.

Breaks are both liberating and necessary. However, I feel that I could have benefitted from a month-long internship, a study abroad program or a volunteer project during my time off. We all need a break, but from experience I can confidently advise you that a month is simply too much time

to spend doing nothing. Next year, I will do things differently. After all, there are only so many Nicki Minaj songs to memorize in this world.

Marisa is a freshman writer and is undecided on a major.

What do you think of her take on making break productive? Do you disagree? We’d like to hear from you. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

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dailycardinal.com

Weekend, January 29 - February 1, 2015

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sports

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Men’s Basketball

Trying to replicate last week’s result versus Iowa

By Brian Weidy the daily cardinal

When the Badgers and the Iowa Hawkeyes come together Saturday for the second time in 11 days, fans of both teams should expect a closer game than their Jan. 20 tussle at the Kohl Center.

Before their first meeting, Iowa was off to a blistering start in Big Ten play, sitting comfortably at 4-1 with a pair of wins over Ohio State and a hardfought win over Minnesota at “The Barn” while the Badgers were still reeling from the loss of Traevon Jackson.

Fast forward to this upcoming Saturday and we see a drastically different picture painted. The Hawkeyes (4-3 Big Ten, 13-7 overall) have lost two in a row, including a 32-point beatdown at the hands of the Badgers and an excruciating four-point loss to Purdue at Mackey Arena.

For the Badgers (6-1, 18-2), the infusion of sophomoreBronson Koenig running the show at point guard has been a jolt of energy into a team that badly needed one. Koenig has dished out seven assists against

just two turnovers since being installed as the starting point guard while averaging 37 minutes per game.

What may be even more important for the Badgers is that Koenig has found his three-point touch once again.

Coming off the bench, Koenig was shooting just 12-40 from three, just 30 percent. Since becoming a starter four games ago, Koenig is 10-19 from three, a blistering 52.6 percent.

For the Hawkeyes, their biggest concern is whether Aaron White plays. White suffered a shoulder stinger against Purdue. White’s status was updated to day-to-day, according to the team’s official Twitter feed Wednesday morning.

White is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder at 15.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Without him, the Hawkeyes lose a key piece of senior leadership they’ve come to rely on for all four years he’s been on campus.

In his absence, Wisconsin transfer Jarrod Uthoff will need to step up. With White sidelined for much of the team’s game against Purdue, Uthoff

struggled badly, shooting 2-14 from the field and missing all five of his 3-point attempts.

If White can’t play, Fran McCaffery, head coach of the Hawkeyes, will have two routes to go down to replace him in the lineup. He could replace White with Gabriel Olaseni, who in just 23 minutes collected 16 rebounds against the Boilermakers. However, Olaseni looked exhausted from the additional minutes.

McCaffery could also go smaller and start some combination of Peter Jok, Anthony Clemmons or Josh Ogelsby.

Both Jok and Clemmons have started games this season, but Ogelsby, a senior, could provide the veteran leadership needed if the team’s best player and unquestioned leader can’t play.

The two teams are set to tip off at 11 a.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena Saturday. The last time they faced off in Iowa City, the Badgers won a hard fought game, edging out the Hawkeyes 79-74. Expect a score closer to this than last week’s 82-50 drubbing, as the three previous matchups were decided by an average of 4.3 points.

kaitlyn veto/cardinal file photo

Bronson Koenig has done a tremendous job filling in for injured Traevon Jackson, tallying a 7:2 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Women’s Hockey

Women’s Basketball

Badgers still have chance at WCHA title

Nation’s leading scorer comes to town as Badgers battle Buckeyes

By Bobby Ehrlich the daily cardinal

The last time the Badgers (144-2 WCHA, 19-4-3 overall) took on Minnesota State (0-17-1, 2-21-1), Wisconsin scored 16 goals in two games, while allowing just two.

The Mavericks will be searching for their first win in conference play when Wisconsin comes to Mankato this Friday and Saturday. Freshman forward Nicole Shammel leads the team in points with four goals and nine assists and will head the charge for Minnesota State.

She will look to dish to leading goal scorer freshman forward Hannah Davidson, who has found the back of the net five times. Davidson has been extremely efficient, notching her five goals on just 26 shots.

Minnesota State’s struggles can certainly be attributed to its youth. The Mavericks have just seven upperclassmen in comparison to a whopping 16 underclassmen. Three of their top five point

leaders are freshmen. Caught in a rebuilding year, Minnesota State has been the bottomfeeder of the WCHA all year, including dropping one of last week’s contests against Minnesota-Duluth by a score of 12-0.

After a frustrating 1-1 tie against Clarkson last Saturday, the Badgers had an offensive explosion in the Sunday game, winning 4-0. They were led by freshman phenom Annie Pankowski, who earned her second hat trick of the season.

Pankowski has been an offensive wizard this season, collecting 28 points. This mark puts her at a tie with redshirt senior Brittany Ammerman, who plays left wing on the same line.

For her stellar play last week, Pankowski earned WCHA Rookie of the Week honors for the third time this season. According to UWBadgers.com, Pankowski is tied for second in the nation for points scored among freshmen.

Pankowski’s successful

line also includes freshman Emily Clark, a testament to the Badger’s strong play from underclassmen. But what sets them apart from Minnesota State is the balance of youth with experience. Ammerman provides senior leadership on her line, while Wisconsin’s top line is comprised of seniors Karley Sylvester, Katy Josephs and Blayre Turnbull.

Look for this veteran line to make the difference in the weekend series with Minnesota State.

The seniors must come out firing and take away any hopes of a Maverick upset early.

While Wisconsin should handle Minnesota State with ease, no road game is ever easy and the Badgers will need to earn two victories to remain in the hunt for a WCHA title.

Minnesota currently leads the conference by eight points, so the Badgers will need to take advantage of a weaker opponent this weekend.

betsy osterberger/cardinal file photo

Last week, Annie Pankowski was named WCHA Rookie of the Week for the third time this year.

By Tommy Valtin-Erwin the daily cardinal

The Badgers (3-6 Big Ten, 7-12 overall) look to bounce back from three straight losses Thursday against Ohio State (5-3, 13-7) and electrifying freshman guard Kelsey Mitchell at the Kohl Center at 8 p.m.

This will be the third straight time the Badgers meet the Buckeyes while riding at least a three-game losing streak, but they’ve won both previous contests by an average margin of 15 points.

After a 2-1 start in Big Ten play, the Badgers hit a rough patch, going just 1-5 since. Their defense will have a tough matchup against the eighth-highest scoring offense in the country.

Mitchell leads the Buckeyes with 25.9 points per game, a figure that also leads the country. She also leads the nation in 3-point field goals with 75. Mitchell went off in an overtime win against Purdue last Sunday, tallying 37 points. Of those, 31 came in the second half or overtime.

Wisconsin head coach Bobbie Kelsey said the game plan for guarding Mitchell is to “try to just get it out of her hands ... Let’s hope she’s off and she’s missing.”

The biggest problem for Wisconsin during its threegame losing streak has been rebounding. The Badgers have been outrebounded by an average of six boards per game, and have given up 47 offensive rebounds.

This may bode well for them,

however, as the Buckeyes are just 295th in the nation with an average rebounding margin of -4.9.

Wisconsin will be without its second-leading scorer in senior forward Michala Johnson, who tore her ACL in an early December game against Miami. In Johnson’s absence, junior guard Nicole Bauman has stepped up to lead the Badgers in points, averaging 12.9 per game.

The sharpshooter from New Berlin, Wisconsin, is shooting 43 percent from long distance this season, which ranks fifth in the Big Ten. The Buckeye defense is just 186th in 3-point field goal defense this season, and the Badger offense may look to exploit that weakness.

What stands out in Ohio State’s Big Ten losses this season is their opponents’ ability to get to the free throw line.

In three conference losses, the Buckeyes have given up an average of 23 free throw attempts per game.

In their five conference wins, they have given up just 17. If the Badgers can get some free points at the charity stripe, then they should keep the game in reach.

The Badgers’ defense has stepped up in their three Big Ten wins, holding opponents to just under 32 percent from the floor, compared to 42 percent in their conference losses. If the Badgers can limit Ohio State’s shooting and get to the free throw line, then they should have a good shot at winning.

Sports

weekend, January 29 - february 1, 2015 DailyCardinal.com

Feature

White savors Super Bowl experience Former Badgers running back relishes game’s hype, excited for future of Wisconsin football Story by Jake Powers James White is no stranger to big football games. The former Wisconsin running back, now a rookie with the New England Patriots, arrived in Arizona Monday for one of the most anticipated games of his life: Super Bowl XLIX. In his time with the Badgers, which spanned from 2010-’13, White played in four bowl games, including three consecutive Rose Bowls in the first years of his collegiate career.

Despite his experience with postseason football at UW, White has been humbled by the national spectacle that the week leading up to the Super Bowl has become.

Starting with a spirited send-off from fans Monday in Boston, to Media Day Tuesday and on to a few days of highly focused practices before Sunday, the week leading up to the game has developed into a frenzy.

White said that while the anticipation before bowl games in college was always thrilling, preparation for the Super Bowl is on “a totally different spectrum.”

“I’m just excited to be here, excited for the opportunity,” White said in a phone interview. “I come to work every day and give it all I have. Not many people make it to this point. I’m just excited to be here.”

White is not the only former Badger converging on Phoenix

this week. He’s joined by teammate Jonathan Casillas, and the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson,

photo by nithin charlly

O’Brien Schofield, David Gilreath (injured reserve) and Mike Taylor (also on injured reserve). Although White and Wilson, teammates in 2011, don’t keep in touch regularly, they’re members of an increasingly ballooning fraternity of former Badgers that have made the jump to the next level.

A total of 34 Wisconsin players are on NFL rosters, a product of what White identified as a professional atmosphere surrounding UW athletics that holds players accountable for their actions, both on and off the field.

“That has to do with a lot of things at Wisconsin as far as the school, and as far as ath-

letics,” White said. “I feel like [it’s] a lot of responsibility in college.”

Drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, White was immediately immersed in the championship culture in New England.

T h e Patriots h a v e topped the AFC East six seasons in a row and are playing in their sixth Super Bowl since 2002.

The team’s perennial spot in the playoffs has, rightfully so, driven expectations skyward and created a deeply engrossed fan base.

This type of impassioned football following is nothing new to White, as the rookie running back drew parallels between the intensity of football fans in Madison and those in Foxborough.

“I feel it’s pretty similar.

Very passionate football fans,” White said. “They love the team and they love to see us. They’re very kind, very friendly people.

Very similar to the Wisconsin fans.”

Although White has seen limited playing time, as he has just nine carries and five receptions on the season, he feels that he has steadily improved throughout his rookie campaign. He’s paid special attention to cultivating the skills necessary to become the versatile, catch-all back that defines the position in the NFL. “I’m just trying to become an overall football player, a complete player,” White said. “A

guy that can pass block, run up the middle, catch the ball, do all the stuff that I do.”

In addition to his focus on improving his stock as a professional running back, White has kept a close eye on his alma mater. White praised freshly hired head coach Paul Chryst, whose tenure as offensive coordinator overlapped with White’s first two seasons with the program.

“I’m definitely excited. He’s a Wisconsin guy,” White said of Chryst. “He’s a great coach, really likes to get to know his players. He likes to have fun.”

A part of Chryst’s job description includes fostering the high level of play that has become associated with the Wisconsin running back position in recent history. UW has produced a 1,000-yard rusher in each of the last 10 seasons, starting with Brian Calhoun in 2005 and continuing with Melvin Gordon this past fall.

White kept the streak alive in 2013, rushing for 1,444 yards and 13 touchdowns during his senior year.

Wh it e’s best season as a Badger a l s o allowed him a firsth a n d look at the heir apparent in Wisconsin’s line of elite running backs in Corey Clement.

Clement was a freshman during White’s last year at UW, but their limited time together was enough to convince White that the rushing baton will be in good hands

next fall.

“I think he’s already shown—he’s always trying to prove himself, this past year and the year before, my senior year. He’s a guy that plays with a lot of energy,” White said of Clement. “He’s definitely the next big guy there.”

While White will continue to keep tabs on Wisconsin football, his attention this week is squarely on working hard in practice and preparing for Seattle. Although he may not have a large impact on the game Sunday, White’s humility and desire to soak everything in will make his inaugural trip to the Super Bowl a special one. photo by grey satterfield

Men’s Hockey

Minnesota series could salvage yearlong disappointment

By Andrew Tucker the daily cardinal

No explanation is needed for why a series with Minnesota is important. But for a struggling Badgers hockey team, these two games against heated rival Minnesota could mean the difference between a disappointing season with a high point or a total disaster.

“It’s a game that’s easy to get up for,” said senior goaltender Joel Rumpel. “You learn to hate the Gophers.”

When the Badgers (0-5-1 Big Ten, 2-15-3 overall) take on the rival Golden Gophers (2-22, 11-9-2) this weekend, there are three key things to watch for that should decide the outcome: Minnesota’s strength on the power play, sophomore forward Grant Besse’s recent goal-scoring hot streak and the

return of UW junior defenseman Eddie Wittchow.

Minnesota is far from the highest scoring team in the Big Ten, sitting 25 goals behind the leader Michigan. However, the Gophers’ winning advantage this year has come when they’re on the advantage: they have the most power play goals (22) in the Big Ten. While that seems impressive, what makes it more impressive is that they don’t have the most power play opportunities in the Big Ten, resulting in their percentage of goals to chances (.256) being the best in the Big Ten. When you compare this to the fact that Wisconsin is the worst penalty killing team in the conference, you’ll see that Wisconsin has to fortify a weakness to nullify Minnesota’s

strength if the Badgers hope to grab a win this weekend.

The Badgers did exactly that when they beat the Gophers in a shootout two weeks ago, holding them scoreless on the power play on five chances for the game.

Sophomore forward Grant Besse came into the season with expectations to be one of the offensive leaders for the Badgers, being one of the few returning players on a young team. Much like the rest of his team, Besse struggled early on, but he has recently come into the form people expected him to have.

Over the last four games, against Michigan and Minnesota, Besse has scored four goals in regulation, as well as a game-winning goal in a shootout against Minnesota

two weeks ago. When you consider the fact that he has seven goals on the season, you see that more than half of his scoring has come in one-fifth of the season. His stats are even more impressive when you consider that the Badgers were shut out in one of the four games, meaning Besse really has scored five goals in three games.

Besse believes his recent success lies in a simple game plan.

“A big reason I’ve been able to score a couple goals the last couple weekends is just putting shots on goal and [finding] openings,” Besse said. “If I continue to do that, I’ll be able to be successful.”

Wittchow is the Badgers’ best and most physical defenseman, yet he has only played in half the team’s games. This has been due to a number of injuries, and most recently being

suspended last weekend for an altercation in one of the games against Minnesota.

The Badgers have struggled this season for many reasons, but one of them has surely been the lack of star power on defense, and Wittchow’s return will provide the team with some of that.

“Eddie is one of the top defensive guys in the league, so when he’s out of the lineup it’s obviously a little harder out there to fill his void,” Rumpel said. “It helps… knowing you’ve got a guy like Eddie back there to help you out if you make a mistake.”

The Badgers and Golden Gophers face off Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin fans are encouraged to take part in a “white out” for the rivalry series.