University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Tuesday, September 30, 2014
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City officials fight to eliminate homeless discrimination By Patricia Johnson THE DAILY CARDINAL
Madison’s Equal Opportunity Commission members continued the ongoing battle to establish a protected homeless class Monday after discussing an ordinance to address the issues of housing and employment for destitute citizens. The ordinance draft will forbid establishments in the areas of employment and permanent housing in Madison to discriminate
KAITLYN VETO/THE DAILY CARDINAL
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank discusses the university’s upcoming tuition freeze and the importance of understanding budget policy when addressing student leaders.
Chancellor addresses Leg Affairs campaigns By Scott Bembenek THE DAILY CARDINAL
Student government leaders discussed criteria for future campaigns with UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank in a meeting Monday. Associated Students of Madison Legislative Affairs leaders emphasized choosing issues that affect all students in their daily lives on campus about which they will feel strongly and volunteer to support. Committee leaders said the campaigns must deliver measurable results and be specific, attain-
able, relevant to student life and time-bound in order to be feasible. Blank also discussed her own interests in legislative affairs and important issues facing the university today, specifically budgets. Blank, who has a background in economics and worked for the White House under both the Clinton and Obama administrations, placed importance on understanding budgetary concerns. “Budget policy, in my opinion, is the most important policy,” Blank said. “If you don’t understand budgets, you never really understand what is going on
inside state legislature.” She spoke specifically of the upcoming tuition freeze and how it will affect university funding. Blank said it is important to know where funds should be allocated. Regarding tuition, Blank also pointed out that UW-Madison is currently well below market price for out-of-state tuition when compared to other Big Ten schools. She said a tuition freeze should apply primarily to in-state undergraduates. “I want to make it clear that
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based on citizens’ homeless class. “It’s a part of Equal Opportunity laws. You want places that allow everybody regardless of their gender, their race,” Lucia Nuñez, EOC member and Department of Civil Rights Director said. EOC members have presented the idea of a protected homeless class ordinance previously and received both opposition and sup-
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Assembly Democrats ask DMV centers to extend hours Wisconsin Democrats asked in a letter Monday that DMV centers across the state expand their business hours so that more citizens can receive a voter ID. Assembly Democrats asked Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb to increase weekend hours, evening hours and open mobile DMV centers, according to the letter. With just 35 days left until Election Day, Democrats urged the DOT to help register voters. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman estimated 300,000 Wisconsinites do not have the proper forms of ID. “If Wisconsin doesn’t offer DMV service hours that make sense for its citizens, in effect, it will be stripping thousands of people of their right to vote,” said Andy Jorgensen, D-Milton, in a statement. Jorgensen pointed out that the majority of DMV centers
are only open two days per week and that in Wisconsin there is one DMV center for every 689 square miles. He compared this to Indiana, which also has a voter ID law, but has one DMV center for every 311 square miles. The Democratic caucus chair also noted that Alabama, Indiana, Maine, Texas and Virginia all set up mobile DMV centers to help rural citizens get the correct ID. Jorgensen said Gottlieb still has time to appeal to the Joint Finance Committee for increased funding to cover extended hours. There are currently four Democratic legislators and 12 Republican legislators on the joint committee. The law was introduced by Republicans on the grounds that it would eliminate voter fraud and restore confidence in the voting process. — Eoin Cottrell
Michelle Obama, Chris Christie endorse gubernatorial candidates Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race drew national eyes Monday as first lady Michelle Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie both visited the state to campaign for Gov. Scott Walker and Democratic challenger Mary Burke before the Nov. 4 election. As Burke introduced the first lady to a crowded room of Democratic campaign followers, she took time to describe why she believed she should be the next governor of Wisconsin, highlighting her private sector experience as a CEO at Trek and explaining her plan to create jobs while balancing a budget. Burke also spoke about the importance of creating a brighter future for young Wisconsinites. “I believe everyone should be given a fair shot to get ahead as long as they are willing to do the hard work,” Burke said. Following Burke’s introduction, Michelle Obama stepped up to
the podium before an enthusiastic crowd. Obama said Burke understands the importance of having a strong middle class. Obama also stressed the importance of having a Wisconsin governor willing to work with the White House on moving Wisconsin forward, rather than take uncompromising positions that hurt voters. Meanwhile Govs. Walker and Christie toured local businesses in Hudson, Wis. Christie told Wisconsin Republicans to turn out in full support, as Democrats were hoping to “make an example out of [Walker]” for making difficult decisions, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. Both Christie and Obama stressed the importance of voter turnout, as polls predict a close gubernatorial race. — Eric Cummings
Aerial Acrobatics + ARTS, page 4
SHOAIB ALTAF/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
Michelle Obama (second from the right) at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
What should you do after graduation? + ALMANAC, page 2
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
almanac
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 124, Issue 16
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 Sam Cusick Campus Editor Adelina Yankova College Editor Emily Gerber City Editors Irene Burski, Patricia Johnson State Editor Eoin Cottrell Associate News Editor Dana Kampa Features Editor Melissa Howison Opinion Editors Ryan Bullen • Cullen Voss Editorial Board Chair Haley Henschel Arts Editors Cheyenne Langkamp • Sean Reichard Sports Editors Jack Baer • Jim Dayton Almanac Editors Andy Holsteen • Kane Kaiman Photo Editors Emily Buck • Thomas Yonash Graphics Editor Cameron Graff Multimedia Editor Alana Katz Science Editor Danielle Smith Life & Style Editor Claire Satterfield Special Pages Editor Haley Henschel Copy Chiefs Kara Evenson • Justine Jones Jessie Rodgers • Paige Villiard Social Media Manager Rachel Wanat
Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Brett Bachman Accounting Manager Tyler Reindl Advertising Manager Jordan Laeyendecker Assistant Advertising Manager Corissa Pennow Marketing Director Tim Smoot The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of WisconsinMadison 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 Ryan Bullen • Rachel Wanat 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 Jordan Laeyendecker • Tim Smoot Tina Zavoral © 2014, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398
For the record The Daily Cardinal would like to clarify several points made in a Sept. 25 article titled “Green Fund future uncertain.” The segregated fees in the fund, mentioned in the fourth paragraph, are restricted regarding a university department’s normal, campus-wide activities and functions not all campus-wide activities and functions. ASM is also not prioritizing any groups applying for funding based on the group’s personal relationship to the organization.
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Wednesday: rain
What should you do after graduation?
It’s never too early to start formulating a plan for after you graduate. Lucky for you, Almanac has compiled all you need to know into one handy place: this easily-made-pocket-portable (with just a few simple folds) worksheet. So whether you’re a senior eager to join the impenetrable workforce or an infant who just knows it’s best to develop crippling anxiety about the future sooner rather than later, your answers are here. And Here!
Go to Law or Medical School —You just haven’t gotten enough of studying —Intrigued by having extra letters at the end of your name —Best way to impress people at high school reunions —The money’s decent —Puts something behind oft-used phrase “I’m gonna sue your ass to hell!” —You’ve always wanted to be the rich aunt/uncle who gives cool gifts —Helping people find themselves crushed by absurd debt is your passion —What else are you going to do?
Go to Grad School in the Humanities —Get to incessantly talk about the GRE —Will certainly help you in the real world —Beats having to get a job —It’ll be like applying to college all over again! —You want to become an anthropology professor —People will stop expecting anything from you —You will fit right in with 18and 19-year-olds on campus —People will instantly know how smart you are —What else are you going to do?
And Here!
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tODAY: partly sunny
Join the workforce —At least someone values your expertise —Welcome to the next 45 years of your life —Get to bond with a new group of “work friends” —You’ll have plenty of free time once you just buy your own place and pop out a few kids—you know, settle —It’s the American dream for fuck’s sake. What else do you ungrateful whiners want—a deeper human experience? —People will think you’re a stable person —Let the promotions roll in! —You’ll be able to teach your boss how to use their iPhone —What else are you going to do?
Move back in with parents —Free rent —Will get to rekindle relationships with people from high school —Won’t need to adjust to a new city —Can still be classified as a dependent —Everyone’s doing it —Mom is right in saying, “It will give you plenty of time to look for a job and a new place” —There’s no place like home —It’s the perfect beginning for the indie movie that is your life —Your manager at Subway will be so glad to see you back —What else are you going to do?
news dailycardinal.com
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MEChA, AHA receive eligibility status The Student Services Finance Committee approved two student groups in its last eligibility meeting Monday. Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán is the parent group of a national organization that focuses on Chican@ history and culture. MEChA also organizes the four-day Raza Outreach to discuss minority issues and reach out to the student community. The leaders, mostly seniors, said they saw the approval as a way to continue history. “I’m a senior, so I feel like it is amazing that we’re going to have money for the upcoming people,” Amanda Villanueva, a CulturArte coordinator, said. “By continuing what MEChA does as an organization and movement … I feel really proud of this history we’re making.” Villanueva said she was worried about obtaining funds but thought the group represented itself well. “We’ve always been through this process, always having to
prove to the campus and to [the Associated Students of Madison] what we do does matter and does create change,” Villanueva said. While the majority of the SSFC members said MEChA met the criteria and voted approval, Secretary Brett DuCharme said the group did not adequately support experiential learning, leadership development and engagement. DuCharme said his main opposition was that Raza Outreach, which MEChA considers core programing, is a four-day event, not a multifaceted campaign. “The committee decided, and so I stand by the committee’s decision,” DuCharme said. “I just define campaign differently than they do. Simply going off the definitions and interpreting and being consistent across all groups, I define ‘campaign’ more narrowly.” Atheists, Humanists, & Agnostics also received eligibility unanimously with four abstentions. — Dana Kampa
First DLS lecture of the year to feature Sheryl WuDunn UW-Madison’s Distinguished Lecture Series will start up again Tuesday with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and businesswoman Sheryl WuDunn. WuDunn is the co-author of three New York Times bestsellers, including “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,” which served as inspiration for an award-winning PBS documentary that focused on combating social injustices against women. A third-generation Chinese American, WuDunn uses interviews and her own experiences to assess and understand culture, society and poli-
tics in East Asia. She and her husband Nicholas Kristof received a Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for their reporting on the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. In addition to being a non-fiction author, WuDunn formerly served as vice president of investment management at Goldman, Sachs & Co, journalist and executive at The New York Times. WuDunn released a new book “A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity” last Tuesday. Her lecture, which is free and open to the public, will take place in Memorial Union’s Shannon Hall at 7:30 p.m.
UW social welfare study receives grant A new branch of an ongoing study at UW-Madison recently received a two-year, $300,000 grant to fund a project that concentrates on legal representation for low-income litigants and ensuring every person a just and empirical foundation for each trial. The project, directed by UW-Madison law professor Tonya Brito and UW-Milwaukee social work associate professor David Pate, points out that lawsuits regarding foreclosures, social security and non-
payment of child support have been at an increase since the 2008 economic recession, making their research more relevant than ever. Brito and Pate will use the grant from the National Science Foundation for the third and last stage of their qualitative research, according to a release by UW-Madison News. Their work previously accepted seed funding from the Institute for Research on Poverty, of which both Brito and Pate are affiliates.
THOMAS YONASH/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Student Services Finance Committee Secretary Brett DuCharme challenged MEChA’s core programming eligibility.
John Doe target requests special investigation for lead prosecutor who is accused of misconduct The head prosecutor in the ongoing John Doe investigation has been accused of misconduct in office by the leader of a conservative group after the leader himself was accused of illegal campaign coordination by prosecutors in the case. Eric O’Keefe, president of the Wisconsin Club for Growth, sent a letter Friday to Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm accusing him of using his office to his financial and political benefit. He also requested a judge appoint a new special prosecutor in the case. In the letter, O’Keefe demanded an investigation be launched to determine whether Chisholm unfairly treated Walker and his supporters in his official capacity as DA of Milwaukee County. The Club, along with 28 other conservative organizations, is the target of the
ongoing investigation into illegal campaign coordination during Wisconsin’s 2011 recall elections for several senators and Gov. Scott Walker. On the same day O’Keefe sent the letter, a federal appeals court overturned a previous court’s injunction on the investigation, allowing it to continue for now. A panel of three judges ruled that allowing the case to continue would clear up much political uncertainty for voters before the Nov. 4 election. “The commencement of this federal suit also produces uncertainty, because it entails review by a district judge, three or more appellate judges and potentially the Supreme Court of the United States,” the judges wrote in their decision. “The state case might be over today had the district judge allowed it to take its course.” —Andrew Hahn
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THOMAS YONASH/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Lucia Nuñez, an EOC member, discusses an ordinance to establish a protected homeless class and eliminate discrimination in housing and employment in Madison.
port from the public. In a February meeting, Zach Brandon, president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, brought up concerns on behalf of employers in the city. Brandon said at a February meeting that employers do not want to be wrongfully charged with discrimination if a homeless individual does not meet the establishment’s requirements. Nuñez said the EOC holds investigations when the city receives complaints about housing, employment and public accommodation. Nuñez said the committee will not disregard rules implemented by individual establishments, including places of employ-
leg affairs from page 1 tuition freeze language applies to instate undergraduates,” Blank said. She noted the possibility for increased revenue that would come with market-priced out-ofstate tuition. “Given the quality of this university, I just think we’re way underpricing it,” Blank added. “We subsidize undergraduates who are instate, but our out-of-state students we should get market for.” However, Blank also pointed out that any increase in tuition needs to be accompanied by financial aid increases, bringing up the crucial role that the diversity of backgrounds and experiences plays in education. “I don’t want to threaten the diversity of experience that we bring to this university, particularly from out-of-state,” she said. Dean of Students Lori Berquam addressed the importance of addressing student debt and the need for additional financial aid from the government so students can affordably earn an undergraduate degree without being overcome by debt. “We need far more financial aid both on the state level and on the federal level, frankly, so that our students don’t have to shoulder so much,” Berquam said.
UW-Oshkosh picks new chancellor Andrew J. Leavitt will begin as the new chancellor of UW-Oshkosh, the UW System’s third largest campus, beginning Nov. 1. Leavitt has served since 2009 as the University Advancement vice president for the University of North Georgia. UNG is a multiplecampus comprehensive public university that serves 16,000 students. He was also largely responsible for UNG’s fundraising efforts, leading the campaign Living Our Values - The Campaign for North Georgia, which raised $44 million for students, faculty and staff in higher education, according to a UW System press release. Leavitt was also a professor for the chemistry department at the University of West Georgia and was named Honors Professor of the Year in 2004 and Outstanding Faculty Member of the year in 1999 and 2004. Leavitt will succeed Richards Wells as UW-Oshkosh’s eleventh chancellor. Wells announced he was stepping down in August following 14 years of serving in the position.
ment that have certain requirements to hire applicants. “You still have to abide by the rules that a place may establish,” Nuñez said. “Our laws don’t override those rules, they just have to be applied evenly.” Ald. Anita Weier, District 18, agreed to sponsor the ordinance with language alterations that will prevent redundancies in city law policies that already pertain to appearance-based discrimination. Weier’s support as an alder will allow the law to move forward in the legislation process. The draft will be presented to the entire EOC next week to begin the deliberation process before the city council can make a decision.
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Tuesday, September 30, 2014
By Owen Desai The Daily Cardinal
The streets full of orange cones and cars blocking off entrances wasn’t for Madison’s never-ending construction this time, but instead to help set up for 10Fest, an event celebrating the Overture’s first ten years of existence. Typically overflowing in a sea of red towards Camp Randall, a large amount of Madison’s community was headed towards the Capitol this past Saturday. Downtown Madison was completely transformed, hosting a variety of events such as circus tents, aerial acrobatics, wagons, and many kid friendly activities. The arts have been very important to the Madison community. Since the late 1920s, numerous theaters have been built to put local and national talent on display, and Jerry Frautschi is someone to thank for helping this continue. In 2004, Frautschi pledged $205 million to build the Overture Center for the Arts, renovating Capitol Theater and reinventing the space to create a much larger performing arts center. The Overture was decorated floor to ceiling Sept. 27 with historical flags and drapery along with statues of well known circus performers such as a sword swallower, a giant woman, conjoined twins and a fire breather to name a few. The day was full of many different shows, ranging from swing dancing, movie screenings, live
orchestral performances and an aerial acrobatic show. Cycropia, a local aerial dance group, performed on the hour, every hour, throughout the duration of 10Fest. Glittery painted faces, ribbon threaded hair and rainbow striped leotards glided through the air as the acrobats swung on drapes and cylindrical objects hanging from their pyramid tower. The entire two to three minutes of each performance were extremely graceful, as if the performers were weightless.
The Overture provides a fantastic venue to host the many talents that come through this city.
“I love that the whole community is here. We can share this energy and aerial experience together,” said Linda DiRaimondo, a choreographer, dancer, and costume designer for Cycropia since 1998. “I think that 10Fest and events like this help keep the arts alive. It helps keep us vibrant and happy as a community.” The Overture was surrounded outside by a variety of historical circus wagons from the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI. Covered in gold mirrors and cages,
Niamh Rahman/the daily cardinal
Cycropia was among the entertainers gathered at the Overture to perform at 10Fest, wowing the crowd with their acrobatics. these wagons were quite a sight. In between each of the wagons were many art vendors and numerous activities for children to participate in like getting henna and their faces
Panda Bear electrifies The Majestic with trance-filled and vision laden performance By Jacob Witz The Daily Cardinal
It was Sept. 26 and thousands of UW students and Madison citizens were trying to catch the slow-wave that stretched across Camp Randall during the South Florida Bulls football game. Later that night though, only a couple hundred people headed to the Majestic Theatre to catch the psychedelic waves of Panda Bear, aka Noah Lennox, the noisy-yet-harmonizing percussionist and singer for Animal Collective. Lennox put on a show filled with wild visuals and blaring strobe lights for the Majestic patrons while performing loads of new material. The show started with the New England-based Blues Control, a droning acid rock duo. They began their set with a distorted instrumental jam of the classic Beatles song “Day Tripper.” The iconic riff was transformed into a droning loop played alongside dissonant keyboard-banging, which garnered many bobbing heads of approval from the audience. As the set went on, it devolved into more and more noise. The dissonance of the instrumental freak-outs combined with the strained looks of audience members attempting to enjoy it led me to believe that I had somehow wandered into a “Portlandia” skit. After about thirty minutes of nonstop acid-fueled jams and drum loops, many were becoming antsy to see Panda Bear take the stage. Lennox’s set-up looked like a futuristic battle-station due to the huge mass of wires draping from several different electronic boxes.
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When he finally stationed himself behind his tools, the audience went wild. He began his set with an incredibly harsh electronic blair coupled with a projected video of horrifyingly-painted tribal humans screaming directly to the audience. Some of the crowd was spooked by this intro, but most audience members knew that this was only the start to what would be a luscious soundscape of Lennox’s harmonies. Their anticipation became reality as Lennox began playing a beautiful and poppy new track. The washed-out Beach Boys-esque harmonies that we’ve come to know from Lennox were ever-present, but were now being coupled with catchy bassheavy drum loops. For the rest of the show, Lennox almost exclusively played new material that resembled this new style. He only performed two songs from Tomboy, his fourth album, and played zero tracks from his highly-praised third album Person Pitch. This didn’t seem like it fazed any of the concert-goers, as everyone was dancing to and thoroughly enjoying his new material. In the middle of his set, the drum machines faded as Lennox transitioned to a gentle harp ballad. During this song, the image of two naked bald blue women caressing each other was projected onto the screen behind Lennox. The calm melody was a great opportunity for me to stand still and realize just how insane the on-screen visuals really were. The tribal peoples from the introductory track returned, this time spewing brown bile from their
mouths while smiling. It was a visual that I was fine with seeing once but would like to never see again in my life. Even with the trippy visuals and great new material, the greatest part of the performance was Lennox’s excellent vocals. The Brian Wilson-like singer never missed a note, captivating the audience with his incredible harmonies and vocal range. All of his melodies paradoxically sounded nostalgic and foreign at the same time. He would often sustain one word for so long that it began to resemble an ancient religious chant. After Lennox finished his set, audience members began stamping their feet on the wooden floor of the Majestic and shouting in excitement for the encore. Lennox returned to the stage only to play yet another new track, this time sounding like a psychedelic rendition of the underwater music in “Super Mario 64.” Finally, Lennox performed “Surfer’s Hymn”, a fan-favorite off of Tomboy. The audience gleefully sang along to the dreamy bleeps and bloops of Lennox’s electronic contraptions. This performance is going to make the wait for the new Panda Bear album even more unbearable. Lennox was on point with his new material and showed once again that he can sing like no other. Danceable drum beats proved to blend excellently with his classic psychedelic style. Lennox has clearly been putting an immense amount of work into his new album, and it’s most definitely paying off.
painted. There was also a TRY Circus, where kids could do some of the acts performed in a circus such as tightrope walking, aerial ribbon dancing and balancing on a
giant cylinder. Occasionally, circus children would walk through the crowd on giant stilts dressed in animal costumes. Madison community member Anastasiya brought her daughter Ilyana to 10Fest. “This is great. There’s something fun, easy, and entertaining for the kids,” she said. She thought that this was a fun activity to do in Madison along with going to the Farmers’ Market. As the event continued on, many Madisonians filled the space where there wasn’t a live performance, circus act, wagon or kids activity going on. Obviously this event was very well organized and managed all thanks to the volunteers and staff. A man named Mitchell, one of the many members of Overture Security, worked the entire event. “I think 10Fest is great because it brings people together and shows some Wisconsin history,” he said. “I like that all of the stuff here dates back to the 1800s.” When asked what was his favorite part he said that it would definitely be the live music. Overall this event ran seamlessly and yet again showed off another side of Madison that we can be proud of. The Overture provides a fantastic venue to host the many talents that come through this city. Many touring TV shows, ballets, and concerts for children and adults come through here every weekend, all which can be found on www. overturecenter.org.
RECORD ROUTINE Garage guru dispenses usual wisdom on latest album Black Moon Spell ALBUM REVIEW
Black Moon Spell King Tuff By Michael Frett The Daily Cardinal
King Tuff (real name: Kyle Thomas) doesn’t hide behind any autobiographical ambiguities on Black Moon Spell. In fact, he’s pretty forward about who he is and what he wants to do. In “Madness,” he declares his raison d’être in traditional Alice Cooper fashion: “King Tuff is my name/I got madness in my brain/ Pleased to meet ya/I’m gonna eat ya/because I’m batshit insane!” Nor does he hide where he comes from; echoing Springsteenian mantras, Tuff declares in “Black Holes in Stereo”: “I learned more working at the record store than I ever did in high school.” So, it’s no surprise that Black Moon Spell sounds like the product of man fluent in Cooper’s Love It To Death and T. Rex’s dirty glam rock hooks. Grimy guitars sound off their occasionally off-kilter riffs and spacious bends, while Thomas builds his comic-book worlds where aliens drop off 45s (“Black Holes in Stereo”) and romance is summed up in chewing gum and tattoos
(“Beautiful Thing”). The backing band hammers out 60s pop rhythms glittered up with 70s glam, turning the spotlight over to Thomas and his frontman and lead-guitar antics. That isn’t to say Black Moon Spell is all ball-trippin’ garage punk (more than once does Thomas delve into psychedelic acid wash blackouts). Towards the back half of Black Moon Spell, Thomas trades in the psych-tinged shredding for acoustic guitars and moments of tenderness; “Eyes of the Muse” takes on 60s pop rock with a penchant for Edgar Winter’s “Free Ride,” while guitars gently tap dance around the power ballad “Staircase of Diamonds.” Black Moon Spell executes garage punk’s standards to a T; that might be the only flaw in the record. Black Moon Spell does nothing to really personalize the genre, nor does Thomas really seem to have much in mind beyond a 40-minute blast of garage rock a la mode. It’s kind of like ordering “the usual” at your favorite late night diner—you’ll enjoy every moment you spend with it, but it’s just another steak and potato dinner. You’ve had it before, and you’ll probably have it again. But, hey, it’s your usual for a reason. There’s no denying Black Moon Spell is one of the tastier options on that greasy garage rock menu.
Rating: B
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Tuesday, September 30, 2014
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Tim and Eric and Dr. Brule bring joy and discomfort By Samuel Johnson The Daily Cardinal
Outside the Barrymore Theater on Saturday night, a long line of avid Tim and Eric fans excitedly anticipated the comedy duo’s performance with special guest Dr. Brule (played by the iconic actor John C. Reilly). As I entered the venue, hoards of fans purchased merchandise from the duo’s Adult Swim comedy show, some already in costume of their favorite characters. It was clear at that moment this crowd knew exactly what they were getting into and were happy to be a part of it.
A large part of the sketches was audience participation.
Opening act DJ Douggpound spent about twenty minutes hyping the audience with pre-recorded punch lines created from sampling small parts of pop culture phrases and songs. He knew exactly how the audience would react and used it to fuel his comedic presence before introducing Tim and Eric. Throughout the show, Douggpound stayed on the side, cuing videos, clips and images that
went along with jokes. After an introductory video by Tim and Eric, the duo came on stage poised with energy and already in character. They immediately got the crowd to stand up and pump their hands with them, declaring that the entire show would be an improvised set. They subsequently fidgeted around and purposely struggled to come up with any improvised material, yelling at audience members who were yelping with joy along the way. Between character and scene changes, they exclusively premiered the newest installment of their Adult Swim anthology titled “Tim and Eric’s Bedtime Stories.” The genius behind this idea kept the energy and laughs at an almost constant high throughout the show. They performed new sketches of well-known characters from their TV show, like the misguided and creepy entrepreneurs Mark and Terry Cinco, and ministers Skott and Behr. The Cinco Brothers promoted their new children’s energy drink, Grum soda, which includes “lots of tar, nicotine, and peppermint jack cheddar cheese.” They even brought out the grotesque, nightmarish mascot, Grum, to help promote the newly marketed soda. A large part of the sketches was audience participation. Often, the duo would bring up
a fan, some already aware of what they had to do and others just following along in an awestruck manner. Even security would include themselves in the bits, escorting audience members offstage and out back when either Tim or Eric was “upset” with their behavior. This use of audience participation electrified the show, dismantling the conventional performer-audience separation.
It was clear at that moment this crowd knew exactly what they were getting into and were happy to be a part of it.
After Tim and Eric took a break and left the stage, Dr. Steve Brule stumbled down the center aisle to thunderous applause, eventually making his way onstage. He carried a backpack filled with VHS tapes and had his own faulty microphone that would frequently “zap,” giving his hand a jolt at any moment throughout his set. The wildly popular Tim and Eric character told his life story through many hilariously awkward anecdotes and audience participation. His character’s talk show cohosts Jan and Wayne
Graphic by Cameron Graff
Skylar, played by Tim and Eric, joined him onstage to perform an outrageously funny wedding ceremony to end the show. As the many fans that attended the performance know, Tim and Eric have a very original and niche comedy style that can only
be described as “weird” or “eccentric,” but in the best way possible. This comedy pair and their wonderful costar Reilly mastered their unique humor in a way that all audiences can fully enjoy alongside the superfans in costume sitting next to them.
Twin Peaks converges on The Frequency with friends and tasty music By Mary Sullivan The Daily Cardinal
Approaching the hole-in-thewall haven that is The Frequency, I could feel some real live music magic in the air. The rest of the square was pretty much dead, but the lull of bright lights and cigarette smoke lured us magnetically towards the end of the block, where we found musicians and concert-goers alike basking in the awesomeness of the first quarter of the night. Chicago-based VARSITY (all four bands on the bill hailed from the Windy City) opened up the night around nine. When I entered, the club was buzzing in the aftermath of Stephanie Smith’s powerful, wailing vocals over VARSITY’s self-proclaimed “fuzzy” style of pop rock. Next up, garage rockers The Liqs, followed by NE-HI, took the stage and both bands absolutely crushed it with a contagious enthusiasm of playing fantastic rock ’n’ roll at an authentic venue with their insanely talented peers. While a friend and I were downstairs finishing up some quick business with Twin Peaks, The Liqs barreled through the doors, one long haired member looking frazzled and holding two pieces of a guitar. “Dude, did you break your guitar?!” a voice called out. “Yeah! Fuck. I don’t know what happened. Shit.” followed by a chorus of “Dude!” cackles and high fives all around. Upstairs, I hustled over to stage right, cozied up against a set of stage stairs that would eventually come to bruise my bone and take me out of commission for a few days—which brings me to Twin Peaks opening song:
Sunken’s one and a half minute “Out of Commission” (hooray for transitions!). It was a perfect take-off: fast, loud and in your face. The mob went ape shit, I got knocked down for the first of many (MANY) times and my sweet, innocent roommates took to the back of the venue for fear of losing any limbs or getting their faces melted too hard.
Saturday morning I awoke on my couch with a throbbing headache, sweat-dried hair and a big, blue, limp right leg.
Sometimes I go to garage rock or punk shows where people are pushing each other and everyone is pissed off because they can’t see or someone is sweating on their back, but the coolest thing about Friday’s show at The Frequency was that amidst the sweat, bruises and screaming, everyone was smiling. This can be explained by a number of factors but I like to think Twin Peaks had a lot to do with the positive vibes. They are excited to be there in their young age and that also makes them exciting to watch. They aren’t jaded by years of living on a tour bus or irked by “those damn teenagers and their cell phones.” They just want to have a good time and hope that everyone else does too. One thing Twin Peaks has gotten right is their band dynamic. Bassist Jack Dolan and guitarists Cadien Lake James and Clay Frankel write their own songs, bring them to the band and sing
them live. This makes their live shows so distinct that each song feels like the opening track of a new show. James stepped out for the majority of the tracks, leading the chilled out, stoner vibes of tunes like “Stand in the Sand” and “Irene” as well pop rock head bobbers like “Strawberry Smoothie” and “Telephone.” He’s the kind of front man who takes his music religiously serious but at the same time hypnotizes the crowd into a happy, carefree environment. Dolan brought the punknatured thrashers like “Sloop Jay D” and “Fade Away” that got the crowd all riled up. He delivered his quick vocals in time with his rhythmic bass and punched out the cheeky lyrics with an uninhibited intensity. He shut the show down with his Sunken hit “Boomers” and joined the many ambitious crowd surfers for a quick ride himself. Frankel’s got all the cool, Jagger/Reed vibes of an old school rocker singing about girls and music, making the crowd swoon for Wild Onion favorites “Good Lovin’” and “Making Breakfast” and getting our feet moving for “I Found a New Way.” He’s the charmer of the group, chitchatting with the crowd between songs and flashing his contagious smile throughout the show. Drummer and backbone of Twin Peaks, Connor Brodner exhibited perfect rhythm, astounding control and an electric stage persona for the only member who didn’t actually speak or sing to the crowd during the show. Between songs, you could see the guys looking to Brodner for some reassurance or
a quick laugh to ease the nerves.
The Liqs barreled through the doors, one long haired member looking frazzled and holding two pieces of a guitar.
The band has an obvious but seemingly unplanned balance of respect for one another, weighed by their collective love and devotion to the music.
Saturday morning I awoke on my couch with a throbbing headache, sweat-dried hair and a big, blue, limp right leg. I felt many things, but the overriding feeling of gratitude for bands like the four that played at The Frequency Friday night was the strongest. I love rock ‘n’ roll. I love its earliest roots and I worship the legends that have lived and played before us, but I also feel incredibly blessed to be young and alive in a time with so much talent, passion and ungodly fun. Thank you, Twin Peaks & co., for proving to Madison that the indie rock show is alive and here to stay.
opinion HeForShe: time to act 6
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Tuesday, September 30, 2014
LILLY HANSON Opinion columnist
U
N Women Goodwill A mb a s s a d o r Emma Watson said, “How can we affect change in the world when only half of it is invited or feels welcome to participate in the conversation?” This was the inspiring message she delivered Sept. 20, 2014. Watson’s HeForShe speech, and the campaign itself prompted discussion on modern feminism. Her speech has stimulated conversation over the connotation of feminism in the modern age and of the challenges still faced by men and women alike in overcoming gender stereotypes and gaining equal rights. In her speech, Watson illuminates the circumstance that fighting for women’s rights has “too often become synonymous with man-hating.” She continues in her speech by defining feminism as “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of sexes.” Being the first campaign of its kind, HeForShe is a solidarity movement for gender equality that brings together one half of humanity in support of the other, for the entirety of humanity. On the campaign’s website, www.heforshe.
org, it is stated, “the movement for gender equality was originally conceived as a struggle led only by women for women, but in recent year men have begun to standup in addressing inequalities and discrimination faced by women and girls.” Since the launch of the campaign, 158,726 men all over the world have taken a stand for gender equality. Yet what exactly does taking a stand mean? Looking closer at the website, by agreeing to “The HeForShe Commitment” men are simply stating that they agree that “gender equality is not only a women’s issue, it is a human rights issue that requires [men’s] participation. [Men] commit to take action against all forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and girls.” Simply put, men are signing to join the movement … to do nothing. What good is spreading the word if you are not going to be spreading action? Everyone, especially in western society, knows that actions speak louder than words. While sharing on Facebook and Twitter that you agree with Watson and the campaign’s ideas is a start, it is nowhere near close to fighting and ending inequality. In this technological era, social media has helped jumpstart many social movements. And the HeForShe campaign is no exception. After Watson’s speech hit the Internet, thousands of people got involved to
pledge their support, including a few famous faces such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Forest Whitaker and Russell Crowe. But what is next after supporting the campaign? Women and men around the world are empowered to change society, yet no change has been made. Of course, there is understanding that changes in societal ideas don’t happen overnight. But, to quote Watson herself, “if not now, when?” When will women and men be free from prejudice? When will women be allowed to chase their dreams without be labeled as bossy? And when will men be allowed to shed their “manly” aggression without be labeled as weak? I am not asking for worldwide participation in the campaign, but instead UW-Madison participation. You don’t have to join the movement or even visit the website. To begin our own “campaign” we must free ourselves of stereotypes. The stereotypes of men, the stereotypes of women, even the stereotypes of college students. To quote Watson one last time, “if we stop defining each other by what we are not and start defining ourselves by what we are, we can all be freer.” Tell us how you feel about this resurgence of feminism and please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
Newest EA Sports games split opinions MILLER JOZWIAK Opinion columnist
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s someone who grew up in a house without an X-Box or a Playstation, I am probably not the first person to come to mind when comparing EA Sports’ FIFA and NHL 15. However, my lack of knowledge really makes me an expert. As a freshman living in the dorms I have had the opportunity to play and watch the video games for the first time in an unbiased manner. The two games are very similar in their style. Games are typically played between two people. Both games rank teams and players in a similar fashion and have extremely vivid graphics. NHL has a Be a GM Mode and FIFA has a Career Mode in which the gamer builds a team from the ground up. All the similarities beg the question: Which game is the best waste of time for a college student? NHL 15 was advertised by EA for its new physics features. The EA NHL website says, “12 Player NHL ® Collision Physics utilizes the power of next generation consoles and the critically-acclaimed NHL Collision Physics system, to put every player on the ice into physics at all times.” The new 12 Player physics system is the first sports game to put all players in the game in real world physics at the same time. The physics of the puck in the game has also been dramatically changed to act more authentically while in play. In addition the NHL Skill
Stick, which is the ability of players to maneuver the puck, the game has been advanced to “give the player more control.” This feature has not been positive for some. The increased sensitivity and quicker goalie response time has made it more difficult to score in some cases.
All the similarities beg the question: Which game is the best waste of time for a college student?
Despite the advances made by these new features, the game has met some negative reviews. The main problem EA has run into is the lack of features on the version of the game for the current-generation Xbox One and PS4. EA left out multiple features on those games including the ability to draft in Be a GM Mode, a function that is key in building your own team. This led to cancellations in the game’s preorders because of fans disappointment in the lack of features. However, these changes for the console do not make much of a difference when playing with a friend, and can be avoided if you own an older generation Xbox 360 or a PS3. FIFA has also had its ups and downs. FIFA’s new improvement is its change in players’ emotional reactions to plays. Players now react within the context of the game and have
over 600 reactions. Strategy has also been changed in FIFA. Altering formation and tactics has become more customizable in 15, making knowledge of the game more important. Goalkeepers have also been entirely rewritten. Their reactions are more lifelike and they can better predict shots. Not only is their play better, but so are their aesthetics. In older FIFAs keepers would catch and pass every ball they touched. Now real deflections and tipped balls off of keepers’ hands are programed into the game. FIFA tried to make the game more realistic with shirt pulling and chest heaving. However, one of the downsides to the game is it does not have any of Brazil’s domestic teams. The Brazilian national team is still in the game, but one of football’s biggest countries will not have its domestic teams. Although FIFA’s missing teams has not been met with the disdain that NHL is receiving for pulling features. Overall the two games are very similar and provide lots of entertainment. However, FIFA 15 clearly out ranks NHL 15. NHL’s lack of features is one of the main reasons its ranked 5/10 on Gamespot.com, as opposed to FIFA’s 8/10. Although the collisions and fighting of NHL are not in FIFA, it still requires more skill and tactic to win, and for that FIFA wins. Miller is a freshman and a new columnist for The Daily Cardinal. Tell us your opinion on the games and please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
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New age musicians lack critical respect and acclaim ELI SANBORN-FARRIS Opinion columnist
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eing a fan of rock and roll from the 1960s, I occasionally visit YouTube to listen to albums and songs from the decade. Sometimes during these digital jaunts (and against my better judgment) I make my way over to the comments section to see what my fellow YouTubers have to say about the music. Usually all I find are genuine words of approval towards the music and its creators from die-hard fans, but every now and then I come across a particularly cantankerous individual who has taken the commenting opportunity to bemoan the state of contemporary popular music. As anyone who’s ever witnessed the level of vitriol exhibited by some YouTube comments can attest, these users employ derogatory and polemic language to describe the ways in which they feel the quality of music of yesteryear far surpasses that of today’s musical offerings. What individuals such as these fail to understand is that music quality is an implicitly subjective concept, meaning that all music has been forced to contend with what came before and to be judged in relation to contemporary assumptions about what constitutes quality music.
“Today, the Beatles hold an exalted place in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. But 50 years ago, when they first crossed the Atlantic to perform in the United States, the reaction was decidedly mixed.” Cary Schneider writer The Los Angeles Times
I should probably clarify at this juncture that I’m not personally in love with today’s popular music. My purpose in writing this isn’t necessarily to legitimize or valorize the likes of Katy Perry, One Direction, Miley Cyrus, or whoever else the radio feels compelled to run on a seemingly endless loop. Instead, I assert that music should be judged for what it is by listeners with their own agency in deciding what music means to them and to not be measured against some perceived notion of what ‘good’ music must sound like. After all, many who are sure about what is great music today would be scorned had they lived just a few decades earlier. Take, for example, the opinion of the Los Angeles Times regarding British boy band One Direction: “Obviously a press agent’s dream combo… they project a certain kittenish charm which drives the immature, shall we say, ape.” Feels a tad harsh, right? It seems even worse when you realize that it’s actually the paper’s February 1964 assessment of The Beatles. As Cary Schneider writes in the Los Angeles Times nowadays, “Today, the Beatles hold an
exalted place in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. But 50 years ago, when they first crossed the Atlantic to perform in the United States, the reaction was decidedly mixed.” Mixed may be putting it lightly. As William F. Buckley, Jr. practically snarls in the September 13, 1964 edition of the Boston Globe, “They are god awful... They are so unbelievably horrible, so appallingly unmusical, so dogmatically insensitive to the magic of the art that they qualify as crowned heads of anti-music.” Upon hearing Sgt. Pepper a few years later Mr. Buckley exiled himself to some remote Caribbean island, I presume. Critiques such as Mr. Buckley’s provide a muchneeded lesson in context for those Beatles über fans that lament the death of ‘good’ music when presented with contemporary popular music. I love The Beatles and regard them as possibly the best musical group to yet inhabit existence, but my entrancement with the Fab Four doesn’t blind me to the fact that they were just as disparaged in their time as many pop artists are today. Miley Cyrus’ MTV escapade might not seem so shocking when one imagines how incredibly perplexing it must have been for the generation that fought and won World War II to see its sons and daughters writhing to the strange, unpleasant noises emanating from the four mop topped young lads singing openly about lust and longing on national television (a device that didn’t even exist when they were teens). Hell, when asked about Miley Cyrus’s risqué “Wrecking Ball” video Paul McCartney himself remarked, “I don’t think it was explicit at all. You couldn’t see anything!” New music will always be measured against and expected to justify itself in relation to music that came before. To argue that contemporary popular music is some horrendous departure from the seemingly eternal perfection of music from, say, the 1960s, is to ignore the reality that quality has always been a process of negotiation rather than one of strict rules and standards. Cultural reactionaries decrying the demise of quality music should understand that liking one particular group or style of music does not entail the delegitimizing of other kinds of music or artists simply because they are different. After telling the audience at a show in 1965 that the band was about to play their latest song, “Help”, John Lennon quipped, “Or our latest electronic noise, depending on whose side you’re on.” Just you wait. It won’t be long before the YouTubers of the future are exhausting their comment space pining for today’s electronic noise. How do you feel about today’s music? Tell us how you feel and please send us your opinion and all of your feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
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Today’s Sudoku
Donald Michael for Spider-Man!: Michael Jackson tried to buy Marvel Comics in the 90s so he could play Spider-Man in a film adaptation.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014 • 7
On the Genealogy of Morels
Not By Joyce
By Sean Reichard sreichard@wisc.edu
© Puzzles by Pappocom
Eatin’ Cake
By Dylan Moriarty www.eatincake.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.
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
Evil Bird Classic
By Caitlin Kirihara graphics@dailycardinal.com
Caved In Classic
By Nick Kryshak graphics@dailycardinal.com
Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com FOOLY COOLY
ACROSS 1 Go up, as a ladder 6 Not much 10 Acts on an afterthought 14 Good Samaritan, e.g. 15 Song for one 16 Pay-per-view event, sometimes 17 Payment to a mobster, perhaps 20 “Do the Right Thing” role 21 Comet or kite feature 22 Move like Elvis 23 F or H preceder 24 Seemingly limitless 25 Upholstery trim 28 $.01 29 Work a shuttle 32 Computer system developed at Bell Labs 33 Title in Hamburg 35 Make accustomed 37 Quack remedies 40 Booster cable hookup 41 Scandinavian war god 42 Dispatched 43 Capitol VIP 44 Do-others separator 46 Acapulco party
48 “Tried” partner 49 Plural of 15-Across 50 Where Noah landed 53 Sagan or Perkins 54 Quick, as a study 57 It’s in the heart 60 A short distance 61 Oft-bruised items 62 Food-wrap trademark 63 Dumbo’s claim to fame 64 ___ Bell (fast-food chain) 65 Make scholarly revisions DOWN 1 Bottle and salary 2 Coin for Fellini 3 Golden calf, for instance 4 “We have ___ the enemy ...” 5 Cape ___ Island, Nova Scotia 6 Resting no more 7 One way to cook eggs 8 Nobel Prize-winning U.N. workers’ grp. 9 Friendly Islands native 10 Cancel, to NASA 11 Portuguese lady 12 You can’t do it alone 13 Eyelid problem 18 Captured
19 Word before “Pizza” or “River,” in films 23 Repaired 24 “Aida” composer 25 Pre-imago insects 26 Really stupid 27 Mountain climbing accessory 28 Formal belief 29 Music selections 30 “Well, ___ you something!” 31 Seed covering 34 Play to the back of the room 36 Second-generation Japanese/American 38 Relating to the nervous system 39 Break the news to 45 Peach stone 47 Treat badly 48 Vacation jaunts 49 Ability to greenlight 50 Part of a church 51 Pro ___ (in proportion) 52 Seer-and-doer 53 Big reptile, informally 54 About 4,050 square meters 55 Prepare for the future 56 Watch the bar 58 Khan’s title 59 Yosemite ___
Sports
tuesday, September 30, 2014 DailyCardinal.com
Press Conference
Badgers rolling into Big Ten schedule both games will be tough tests for her team.
By David Gwidt the daily cardinal
Football
Wisconsin head football coach Gary Andersen opened his press conference Monday by praising his team for its resiliency in what was a hard-fought 27-10 victory against South Florida. After a rather pedestrian offensive performance in the first half, the Badgers rallied to score 24 second half points. “It’s great to be in the position we’re in to win at home. Very good second half,” Andersen said. “I thought the kids did a great job again dealing with some adversity that faced them which you’ll get every weekend every football game. They did it well.” Andersen also spoke very highly of his defense, which ranks top-20 nationally in several major categories. Andersen said he’s not surprised by the caliber of play from the defense considering lack of experience. “I would never say I’m overly surprised,” Andersen said. “But I’m happy with where they sit at this point. And if they can sustain that and maintain that for 12 regular season games, they will be a special defense.” Although the second-year Wisconsin coach sounded happy with the overall direction that the team is headed in, he did mention that having greater success passing the ball will be necessary in order to become an elite team. “We don’t want to be pigeonholed as an offense,” Andersen said. “We need to mold the offense to be as effective as it can be with the young men that we have. And we’re still looking for development. That’s coaching.
Volleyball
wil gibb/cardinal file photo
Volleyball head coach Kelly Sheffield praised his team for overcoming the loss to Penn State by defeating Ohio State Sunday. The Badgers play Northwestern and Illinois this week on the road. And that’s player performance.” On the injury front, Andersen confirmed speculation that sophomore wide receiver Rob Wheelwright has fully healed from injury and is ready to go. He also announced that Joel Stave will take snaps in practice again this week.
Women’s soccer
With the 1-0 victory over Purdue, the women’s soccer team recorded its eighth shutout in 11 games. When asked about her team’s shutdown defense, head coach Paula Wilkins said that good defense is a team effort that every player on the field plays a part in. The cornerstone of that
defense is current Big Ten codefensive player of the week, standout goalkeeper Genevieve Richard. When asked what she has done this year to play at this high of a level, Wilkins told reporters that her experience makes “hard plays look simple.” However, she quickly added that when one player wins an award, the rest of the team deserves recognition for their contribution as well. Wilkins also discussed the return of senior forward Cara Walls, one of the best goal scorers on the team. “Anytime you have a senior on the field that can score goals, it gives confidence to the people around her. She holds pos-
session of the ball better than any player we have right now,” Wilkins said. “That takes away from no other player on the team, but it is just something she has been able to develop over the past couple of years. She adds a different dimension to the field.” With the victory over Purdue Sunday, the 2014 team became the fastest group in school history to reach the 10-win plateau. Wilkins attributed the historic start to an abundance of quality veteran leadership combined with a large number of players with potent scoring ability. Wisconsin will play Ohio State this Friday and Penn State Sunday, and Wilkins feels
Coming off a tough loss against Penn State, head coach Kelly Sheffield began his portion of the news conference by talking about how impressed he was with the bounce-back victory over Ohio State. “I was really happy with how the team responded coming out of [Penn State],” Sheffield said. “Against Ohio State [Sunday], I thought we responded the right way against a team that’s very difficult to prepare for and I thought the team was ready to go. I thought our coaching staff, the assistants did a really, really good job of having the team prepared and ready to move forward.” A reporter hinted at the idea that the loss to Penn State may serve as a positive thing for the team and bring the players “back down to Earth” after such an incredible run of dominance. Sheffield brushed off that notion. “I don’t know if it’s a back to earth thing. It’s just I think when you get it handed to you, you don’t play the way you want to play,” Sheffield said. “I think you’re able to really look closely, especially when you’re playing a really talented team. You get to go back and get to evaluate. You’ve got to hand it to us, we weren’t just outplayed.” The Badgers are slated to play two road games this week against Northwestern Wednesday and then Illinois Saturday. The stout defense of Northwestern, as well as the veteran leadership of Illinois, will surely make things interesting for Wisconsin this week.
Selig may not tug your heart strings, but still successful Jim Dayton spawn of dayton
I
n the hierarchy of the Big Three pro sports commissioners (maybe next time, NHL), everyone hates Roger Goodell and everyone loves Adam Silver. But if you ask somebody for their opinion on outgoing MLB boss Bud Selig, you’re likely to get a resounding ‘meh,’ the verbal embodiment of that shrug emoticon nobody knows how to type. Selig is set to retire in January after serving for over 22 years. He’s undoubtedly a Hall of Famer, but most people just seem to dislike him anyways. With that in mind, it’s time to reflect on Selig’s tenure and evaluate the good and the bad.
‘Roids
“Everybody’s juicing in baseball!” says your misinformed, watches-three-games-a-year friend. Steroids seem to be the most prevalent attack on Selig and they certainly have the most merit. He presided over a period when home run numbers
inflated to epic proportions and Barry Bonds became a living, breathing caricature. Did Selig just think the six 60-plus home run seasons that occurred from 1998-2001 were normal, considering there had only been two such seasons to that point? I sure hope not. Not to mention, five of those six ‘roided-out seasons came courtesy of players who were at least 30 years old. Clearly something was up. As the suspicion became overwhelming and scandals like BALCO came into the public eye, Selig began to crack down on steroid use. Under the current drug policy, a player is suspended 50 games initially, then 100 games on a second positive test, and finally gets a lifetime ban for a third offense. Testing also started last year for the previously unregulated human growth hormone. Selig’s actions may have come a little late, but he eventually moved the sport in the right direction regarding its biggest controversy. Drugs will never be fully eradicated in baseball, but their usage has seen a steep dropoff since the late 90s. That’s a huge credit to Selig.
1994 World Series cancellation
This was an egregious mistake. When the MLB Players Association went on strike Aug. 12, 1994, Bro Selig decided to give a big middle finger to baseball when he canceled the World Series a month later. Just canceled it. By doing so, MLB became the first major sport to ever cancel its entire postseason due to a work stoppage. To date, it’s the only major sport to do so, because for the purposes of this column, I will once again spurn the NHL and its 2004 debacle. You can’t really find any positives for Selig here. The strike was a colossal error caused by stubborn ownership, but it’s an error that Selig was responsible for nonetheless. Canceling the World Series, though, was unjustifiable.
Wild card games and interleague play
I’m grouping these two together because they both draw the ire of the chronically annoying baseball purists, the people who live by the stupid “unwritten rules.” Under the old system, each league had two divisions. Only division winners made the playoffs,
meaning four total teams reached the postseason. In 1994, Selig restructured each league to have three divisions, and the three division champs and the best non-division winning team would make the playoffs (a change not fully realized until 1995 because of the strike). Adding four extra playoff teams as well as the addition of two more teams in 2012 was a massively positive change for the baseball postseason. Because more teams have a chance at making the playoffs, those fringe teams stay relevant longer and keep attendance higher. More playoff games means more games on television, leading to a significant revenue boost. Meanwhile, Selig began interleague play in 1997 as a way to revitalize interest following the strike. Interleague play has since gone from a brief June experiment to a year-round ordeal to accommodate an odd number of teams in each league. You can’t really detract from interleague baseball. It gives fans a chance to see their team play someone they don’t normally play. Attendance for interleague games was initially higher than regular games, but this disparity has decreased since interleague is so
much more ingrained in the baseball schedule now. Regardless, it’s been a beneficial change.
World Series home-field advantage
OK, this is another move that most people hate. Following the despicable tie in the 2002 AllStar Game, Selig decided to give home-field advantage in the World Series to the league that wins the Midsummer Classic. Previously, home-field advantage alternated between each league on a yearly basis. I’ll admit I don’t like this rule, either. It seems dumb to place such emphasis on a meaningless spectacle meant to reward players for a solid half-season of work. But you can’t deny that the home-field advantage rule makes it more interesting and worth watching. The 2014 MLB All-Star Game had higher TV ratings than the 2014 NFL Pro Bowl or the 2014 NBA No Defense Game. It’s controversial, yes, but I do begrudgingly enjoy having an added element of interest to the all-star game. Has Bud Selig helped or hurt baseball? Email jim.dayton@dailycardinal.com to discuss.