Weekend, April 4-6, 2008 - The Daily Cardinal

SIBLING SENSATION HITS MADISON

5 Browns bring world-famous classical music gig to Overture Center ARTS University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Weekend, April 4-6, 2008

Police clear boyfriend as suspect in homicide

By Abby Sears THE DAILY CARDINAL

AMANDA SALM/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Police continue to investigate the homicide of 21-year-old Brittany Zimmermann, a UW-Madison junior, after finding her body at her West Doty Street apartment Wednesday. Investigators canvassed the area Wednesday looking for clues.

Remembering Brittany

By Erin Banco THE DAILY CARDINAL

After the tragic death of UW-Madison junior Brittany Sue Zimmermann, friends and former teachers spoke of the student’s character.

Elizabeth D o s t a l , Marshfield high school assistant principle and guidance counselor to Zimmermann, discussed her r e l a t i o n s h i p ZIMMERMANN with the student.

“Brittany was filled with such hope and such joy. She was excited to be a college student in Madison and to attain her dreams. To know that today

those dreams are gone and she is gone and her smile is gone is very disheartening for us,” said Dostal.

According to Dostal, attending UW-Madison was a goal of Zimmermann’s upon entering high school. She took the most rigorous courses available, completing eight Advanced Placement courses by the end of her senior year and earning college credit for all of them.

Dostal said she had a smile that wouldn’t stop and that she was an extremely positive, diligent and strong-willed student.

Zimmermann worked in areas around her hometown community of Marshfield, Wis. She volunteered at the local elementary schools and at Hope Lodge, a

Campus reaction

By Staci Taustine THE DAILY CARDINAL

In the wake of UW-Madison junior Brittany Zimmermann’s homicide, campus safety has become a major concern in the university community.

Director of the ASM campus safety campaign Kelly Arendt said, “Over the past year we’ve started to develop a lot of things with campus safety. We have a campus safety task force which encompasses the Dean of Students office, the Department of Transportation, University Communications, ASM and a bunch of other organizations that work together to help make campus safer.”

According to Arendt, ASM created a campus alert Facebook group, which was used yesterday to send out messages notifying group members of the tragedy. ASM also created a Neighborhood Watch Program in which volunteers gather to patrol three local zones on Friday and Saturday nights: the College Court area, the south side of Regent Street and the south side of State Street.

“We’re working really hard now to make sure that everyone still feels safe, that people won’t be worried on campus, and that nothing bad happens again,” Arendt said.

zimmermann page 3

Police continue to search for answers in the homicide of Brittany Zimmermann, a 21-year-old UW-Madison junior found dead in her apartment Wednesday.

Police cleared Zimmermann’s boyfriend, UWMadison student Jordan Gonnering, as a suspect in the case. According to a police report, Gonnering is cooperating with detectives and is aiding their investigation.

Madison Police Department public information officer Joel DeSpain said investigators continued to search for forensic evidence Thursday in Zimmermann’s West Doty Street apartment where she was found. Despite speculation, DeSpain said police could not confirm details about who found Zimmermann’s body or who made the phone call that led police to the residence.

Dane County Coroner John Stanley conducted an autopsy on Zimmermann’s body Thursday morning, but did not release conclusive results. Police said possible evidence from Zimmermann’s apartment and the homicide page 2

Campus vigil set for Sunday University vigil remembering Brittany Zimmermann Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

Library Mall For questions contact: Joanne Burg 608-262-3964 Neighborhood meeting for residents Saturday at 2 p.m.

Captiol Lakes Retirement Center (formerly Meriter Retirement Hospital) 333 W. Main St.

campus page 2

Panel speaks out about homelessness

By Grace Kim THE DAILY CARDINAL

DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Speakers from the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless address the common misconceptions of homelessness.

Wisconsin Union Directorate Community Service and WUD Contemporary Issues hosted the panel discussion of former and current homeless individuals at the Memorial Union Thursday.

The panel discussion focused on general misconceptions of homelessness and how to properly view the homeless. They stressed that the homeless are individuals who have systemic problems that involve multiple conditions.

“People tend to think of homelessness as personal failings on the part of human beings,” Mona Wasow, clinical professor emerita of social work, said.

“The main reason for homelessness in the United States, the richest

country in the world, is lack of lowincome housing,” she added.

According to Chicago Coalition for the Homeless leader Melody Brinne DeGagre, who has been homeless for two years, the homeless face problems such as domestic violence and the lack of proper living wages and affordable housing.

“I was shocked to find out that all the shelters I called had waiting lists and I couldn’t find one single solitary open bed for a single female in the city of Chicago for two weeks,” said DeGagre.

Helen Smith, a formerly homeless woman who advocates for Chicago Coalition, said she could not get any job, housing or temporary housing program because of her homelessness and felony background.

“You have to be there for six months before you can get any type of assistance,” Smith said.

Homeless individuals also struggle finding shelter and procuring gainful employment.

According to DeGagre, the main challenge for the homeless is feeling like human beings.

“Everybody crosses the street and acts like I don’t exist and nobody wants to talk to me and that hurts,” DeGagre said.

DeGagre said that she rarely comes across students that will talk or even look at her.

“I challenge the UW-Madison students to approach the homeless and make a direct connection.

Maybe it’s just having a conversation with homeless people to make them feel like human beings.”

“…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, April 4-6, 2008

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892

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News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Jill Klosterman Managing Editor Jamie McMahon News Editor Jillian Levy Campus Editor Amanda Hoffstrom Abby Sears City Editor State Editor Charles Brace Opinion Editors Rachel Sherman Mark Thompson Arts Editors Emma Condon Ryan Hebel Sports Editors Nate Carey Ryan Reszel Features Editor Sarah Nance Food Editor Marly Schuman Science Editor Jennifer Evans Photo Editors Jacob Ela Amanda Salm Graphics Editors Meg Anderson Matt Riley Copy Chiefs Andrew Dambeck Al Morrell Gabe Ubatuba Copy Editors Cathy Martin Hannah McClung, Shana Pradeep Mario Puig, Justin Stephani Laurel Tiedemann, Jake Victor

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Pregnant or know someone who is?

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WEEKEND: mostly sunny hi 57º / lo 36º dailycardinal.com/pagetwo

Terrorists sidetrack route to anniversary

Volume 117, Issue 118

2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497

TODAY: partly cloudy hi 57º / lo 34º

KIERA WIATRAK taking kiera business

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n a few days, my boyfriend Jeff and I will celebrate our one-year anniversary.

Neither of us has had a relationship last this long before. I once made it to 11 months with a boyfriend before Jeff, but by that point we were only speaking to each other via lines from “Family Guy.” After that disaster, I decided to remain single and possibly celibate (yeah, right) until my dying day. Then I met Jeff and, one year later, it’s time to celebrate.

But what are anniversaries really, if not just a big congratulations for not breaking up? Relationships, especially young ones, are constantly facing the strife of figuring out who the other person really is, usually by means of quirky incidents often involving tones you didn’t know the human voice was capable of, and suspicious smells you

campus from page 1 Director of Transportation Services Gordon Graham said in a statement, “SAFE Nighttime Services has responded to Brittany’s tragic death by doubling SAFE walk student employee patrols,” which are available from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., as well as SAFEride

homicide from page 1 surrounding area is being tested at the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory.

Zimmermann’s family is working with the Dane County Victim/ Witness Unit to inform them of case developments, according to police. The family asked for privacy as they grieve.

Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, a UW-Madison senior, urged the campus community to come together for support and compassion in the wake of the tragedy.

“Look after each other,” Judge said. “This is a time where we can kind of all help each other

didn’t know could come from the opposite sex.

If you can survive all of that, you get to toast each other on the anniversary of your first date, or your first kiss, or the first time you saw each other naked without running for cover.

Now, I get to do all of that with Jeff. But like everyone else, before we made it to this point, we had to survive our share of trauma, like ...

That time I thought he was kidnapped by Chinese terrorists Jeff spent last summer interning in China. I called his cell phone one morning but was instead greeted with a happy “Ni hao” belonging to a voice much too deep to be that of my boyfriend.

Being the calm and rational human that I am, with a broad understanding of technology’s imperfections, I decided that he was taken against his will and ruthlessly tortured. Now they were taunting him by answering his phone.

I quickly hung up the phone and called his mother to mourn her son’s imminent murder. cabs from 10:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. “[Zimmermann’s death] is eye opening, and it makes you feel unsafe,” UW-Madison sophomore Becca Heffernan said. “Madison feels different now, I don’t feel as safe.”

Although the university urged students to use SAFE services, UWout—not only to each other but also to friends and family of the Zimmermann’s.”

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said a neighborhood meeting is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Capitol Lakes Retirement Community, formerly the Meriter Retirement Hospital, at 333 W. Main St. “The purpose of this meeting is to start a dialogue between community members and the police,” Verveer said.

DeSpain said police received numerous tips regarding the case and encouraged residents who saw anything suspicious to call Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014.

My column Thus far, I have shared with the entire UW-Madison campus intimate details about our sex life (see below) and Jeff’s resemblance to a 12-yearold boy.

That time I thought I was fat “Do these jeans make me look fat?”

“No.” “But my stomach is hanging over the waistline. I look like Jamie Lynn Spears.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I’ve gained so much weight, though.

So I know for a fact that I’m fat.”

“Then lose it if you’re so worried.”

“You think I’m fat? Bastard.”

Puppies Anyone that has spoken to me for more than five minutes will tell you I have an unusual obsession with puppies. My fragile state has forced Jeff, on many occasions, to question whether or not I would trade him for a puppy given the opportunity. This anxiety has often been fueled by my forcing him to pant like a dog while I pet him.

Taking all of this into consideration, I begin to realize that surviving was more of a challenge for him than for me. Regardless, I like to think I played some sort of role in getting our relationship to the one-year mark.

I’d like to think it was my magnetic good looks or charismatic aura that pulled us through, but I’m pretty sure he’s just attracted to naturally insane women.

Either way, I’ll still be on my side of the traditional shared spaghetti noodle, jelly rolls, dictionary, derangement and all.

If you’d like to wish Kiera and Jeff a happy anniversary, e-mail Kiera at wiatrak@wisc.edu to find out where they’re registered.

Madison freshman Miranda Perrone said she struggled to get a SAFEride home Wednesday night.

Perrone said she was confused when she called SAFEride and was told that services would not be available until 1 a.m., so she instead walked alone to Memorial Union to take the

Route 80 SAFEbus.

University officials urge students not to walk alone at night and to be proactive about their own safety.

For questions about SAFE hours, students should refer to the program’s website http://www2.fpm.wisc.edu/ trans/safe/index.htm.

That time we couldn’t remember what happened We woke up one morning to find Jeff tied to the bed, the top half of my Spanish dictionary between my legs and a sacrificed squirrel on the nightstand.

We never figured out what happened. We never really discussed it again.

news

The Timetable for the 2008 fall semester classes is currently back in service.

The Timetable can be reached at http://www.registrar.wisc.edu/timetable.

Weekend, April 4-6, 2008

State budget still in need of reform One group claims proposed budget plans insufficient

By Jake Victor THE DAILY CARDINAL

Seven weeks after state officials announced a projected state budget shortfall of more than $652 million, negotiations with the State Assembly, Senate and governor remain at a standstill.

The Democrat-controlled state Senate passed a budget repair bill March 25, but differences from the version passed by the Republican-controlled state Assembly have stalled the bill.

Republicans have primarily objected to increasing taxes on hospital revenues, which is supported by Gov. Jim Doyle and which Democrats say will bring in more than $400 million from the federal government.

The nonpartisan group Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance criticized plans by both parties, saying they used borrowing and fund transfers to avoid longterm solutions.

“Difficult decisions have to be made there. And that means either you cut spending … [or] raise taxes, and legislators aren’t really keen generally on either one of those,” Dale Knapp, research director of WTA, said.

Knapp said he thinks the

findings will be taken into account in the negotiation process, but said lawmakers tend to ignore things they write.

Bob Lang, director of the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau, said members of the Assembly and Senate were “informally talking” about the shortfall, but he does not anticipate major improvements soon though there are still no official deliberations planned.

“At this point I’m not sure that anybody can tell you what the status is,” Lang said.

Despite the slow progress, spokespeople for state Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, and state Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, D-Weston, had more positive outlooks of the situation.

“We’re certainly optimistic that we want to get something done sooner rather than later,” John Murray, spokesperson for Huebsch, said.

Murray said the state must “live within our means,” adding it could mean scaling back additional spending in the second year of the budget.

Carrie Lynch, spokesperson for Decker, said Decker has been having talks with Huebsch and the governor’s staff almost every day. She described a “compromise of ideas” as critical for getting things done.

According to Lynch, Decker has made no major compromises recently on the repair bill.

UW students audition for ‘Jeopardy!’

“Jeopardy!, America’s Favorite Quiz Show” came to the UWMadison campus Thursday to cast students for the College Championship taping at the Kohl Center April 11 to 12.

Students lined up outside the Great Hall of the Memorial Union to earn the chance to appear on the game show.

TREBECK The first 1,000 students in line had the opportunity to take a 10-question written test in order to pass the first round.

Those who passed the written exam moved onto the second round, which consisted of 50 multiple choice questions that include a broad range of topics.

Those who passed the second round then moved to the final round in which they completed a mock Jeopardy game.

UW-Madison senior Robert Erdmann was one of the lucky students to pass the first round.

“I was a huge fan of the show in high school and after I found out there was auditions, I knew that I needed to come down here and give it a shot. I was really excited when I heard about it,” he said.

According to Erdmann, the test was not as easy as people think.

“I felt it was hard because you need to have such a broad understanding of things. Each question is not obvious but I think that if you have a good broad education and have exposed yourself with a lot of things, you will do well,” Erdmann said.

—Erin Banco

Democratic caucuses set for Sunday Wisconsin counties will hold caucuses Sunday to begin the selection of delegates who will participate in the Democratic National Convention held August 25 to 28 in Denver.

Each county will send an allotted number of delegates to the convention. The state of Wisconsin will have 92 total delegates at the DNC. Potential delegates must be selected Sunday at the county caucuses, after which they will proceed to Congressional District caucuses where the selection of delegates headed for the convention will be finalized.

These will be pledged dele-

gates, and their main job will be to vote for a presidential nominee in a way that mirrors the results of the Feb. 19 Wisconsin primary, according to Rachel Strauch-Nelson, communications director of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

Strauch-Nelson said delegates also have the opportunity to help unify the party by voting on other issues such as the party platform.

Competition for these positions will be higher than in previous years because of the excitement surrounding the race between U.S. Senators Barack Obama, DIll., and Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., according to Strauch-Nelson.

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A spoon full of ... gazpacho?

LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison students sample traditional Spanish cuisine at the ‘Taste of Spain’ held at Union South Thursday afternoon. Gazpacho, a cold Spanish soup, was among the sampled fare.

Catholic group’s appeal for funding dismissed

By Jillian Levy THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Associated Students of Madison Student Judiciary Committee ruled to dismiss the Roman Catholic Foundation-UWMadison’s appeal against the Student Services Finances Committee Thursday, citing revised bylaws still rule the religious group ineligible for student funding.

SSFC ruled in late February RCF-UW failed to meet funding eligibility requirements to receive funding from student-segregated fees. RCF-UW appealed the decision, citing they did not receive “neutral” hearing from SSFC.

The ruling from the Student Judiciary committee stated RCF-UW’s appeal lacked sufficient evidence, supporting SSFC’s decision to deny funding due to a lack of new information that would qualify the group for seg fee funding.

RCF-UW’s complaint alleged SSFC’s denial of funding prohibits them from educating the student body about Catholicism.

If the group was denied funding because of a religious element, the ruling would be in violation of the ASM constitution.

The complaint also alleged that SSFC used different criteria to rule on their case than was applied to

other groups seeking funding.

However, the Student Judiciary committee’s decision states, “Denying RCF funding does not violate their basic human rights of an education.

The viewpoint of Catholicism can still be spread across the campus without GSSF funding.”

The Student Judiciary committee’s ruling also said RCF-UW was held under the same standard of all funding applicants and dismissed the group’s claim.

RCF-UW was denied funding for the 2008-’10 academic years by SSFC for the third time Feb. 25, when SSFC said the religious student organization failed to fulfill eligibility requirements.

Chief Justice Abrahamson says she will run for re-election Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson announced Thursday she plans to run for another term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Abrahamson said she has found her duties on the court to be interesting and rewarding, and her decision is based on her desire to continue providing justice to constituents.

She also stressed the importance of voting in Supreme Court elections, as the court plays an important part in everyone’s lives.

“No one should be satisfied in leaving the election system to

everybody else,” she said. “This is not a spectator sport. We need to be engaged.”

So far, no one has announced they will run against Abrahamson. However, she said she expects a contender.

According to Mike McCabe, director for the watchdog group Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, special interest groups will likely recruit someone to run against her.

He said unless reforms are made, this next race could be as ugly as the April 1 Supreme Court race between incumbent Justice Louis Butler and

Judge Michael Gableman.

However, according to UW-Madison assistant professor of political science Howard Schweber, Abrahamson will likely run a more aggressive campaign than Butler did.

Schweber said a rightward shift in the court would occur if Abrahamson was ousted, but the more pressing issue in recent elections is the trend of special interest groups intervening to get a justice on the court who will benefit them.

—Megan Orear

zimmermann from page 1

started thinking about what it meant to balance going to medical school and getting married and starting a family, and what that meant for her future and whether she could do it all. She had all the normal questions that people do at that stage, but she was really optimistic about it,” Burg said.

With the stress of majoring in Microbiology and immunology, thinking about applying to medical school, Zimmermann was still optimistic about everything going on in her life.

“Everyone here knew her by her smile. I saw the picture they pulled off of Facebook and it was even bigger than that, she could just light up a room,” Burg said.

UW-Madison Dean of Students Lori Berquam expressed remorse

about the tragedy and explained what the university was doing in reaction to the situation. �“What has happened is awful.

We’re trying to pull together a vigil and some more information about Brittany so we can possibly start a website. We’re kind of all working on getting a bunch of things done at the same time,” Berquam said.

There will be a vigil for Zimmermann on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. on Library Mall.

Lori Berquam will lead the ceremony and student representatives from the Associated Students of Madison and the Wisconsin Union Directorate and the Union Council will all participate.

Students with questions should contact Joanne Burg at (608) 262-3964.

hostess for cancer patients.

“It is a very somber day here in Marshfield, but the high school has enacted our crisis management program where counselors are always available for anyone who wants to talk,” Dostal added.

Joanne Burg of UW-Madison’s Office of the Registrar said that Zimmermann worked in the office for three years.

“Other students who worked [with her] always loved Brittany because she was fun—they all became a family,” Burg said.

According to the Office of the Registrar, Zimmermann was always thinking about her future.

Burg said she talked about what she wanted in her future. “She

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Weekend, April 4-6, 2008

Call Mythbusters

Today’s Sudoku

Beeramid

By Ryan Matthes beeramid_comic@yahoo.com

© Puzzles by Pappocom

Mega Dude Squad

By Stephen Guzetta and Ryan Lynch rplynch@wisc.edu

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

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

Dwarfhead and Narwhal

By James Dietrich jbdietrich@wisc.edu

She just loves that banana!

Bananas contain a natural chemical which can make a person happy. This same chemical is found in Prozac.

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

The Crackles

Anthro-apology

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com TALK, TALK, TALK ACROSS

1 Castigate 5 Crescent’s tip 9 Bit of shattered glass 14 Immoralist 15 Base times height 16 Make mushy 17 Accelerator particles 18 “Needs more ___’’ 19 Aquatic vegetation 20 Start of a verbal quip 23 Collective bargaining result, perhaps 24 Brokenhearted sound 25 Beak 27 Boat, pronominally 28 “Can I?’’ addressee 31 More maudlin 34 Alternate form of energy 36 Accord creator 37 Middle of a verbal quip 40 Suffuse with color 42 Unparalleled 43 Kid’s collection 46 “A pox on you!’’

47 Group overseeing fed. property 50 Org. in a Jeannie C. Riley song 51 Meadowland 53 More green around the gills

55 End of a verbal quip 60 One of the principles of Kwanzaa 61 Apple chemical banned in the 1980s 62 Brief passing words?

63 Cabaret show 64 Acerbic 65 Visibly shaken 66 Can’t survive without 67 Get a load of 68 Amber quaffs DOWN

1 Dominican monks 2 Bathtub item 3 Em, for one 4 “For’’ words 5 “Mi ___ es su ...’’

6 Continent separating mountain range 7 Is popular with customers 8 Alfresco dining spots 9 Places for losers?

10 Work off some poi, in a way 11 Bitter-tasting amino acid 12 Prepared 13 What you can’t make do without?

21 Modernize 22 Org. for entrepreneurs 26 Body by Victoria product

29 Word with “chap’’ or “fellow’’ 30 Visage overlooking Tiananmen Square 32 Call the show 33 A little breather?

34 Affront 35 Part of a cell nucleus 37 Like pumice 38 Lothlorien extra 39 Snooty response to an accusation 40 “The Bottle ___’’ (Stevenson tale) 41 Theatergoer’s choice 44 Judge in 1 Samuel 45 Calm 47 Worldwide 48 Addled by age 49 Geological formations 52 Ayn Rand’s shrugger 54 “Awakenings’’ drug 56 Wall upright 57 Words said in passing?

58 47-stringed instrument 59 A bit pretentious 60 It pours but doesn’t rain

By Simon Dick srdick@wisc.edu

By Eric Wigdahl wigdahl@wisc.edu

arts

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Weekend, April 4-6, 2008

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CD REVIEW

Funplex The B-52’s

B-52’s back and better than ever

By Erin Schmidtke THE DAILY CARDINAL

PHOTO COURTESY ANDREW SOUTHAN

Young phenoms the 5 Browns’ well-developed piano prowess is more than enough to inspire young people to pick up the piano.

Sibling prodigies grace Madison

By Shana Pradeep THE DAILY CARDINAL

The average student doesn’t listen to classical music. Classical music is for older people with more time than thirst and less hair than homework. The 5 Browns, who are playing Friday night at the Overture Center, aim to change that thought.

Ryan, Melody, Gregory, Deondra and Desirae Brown are ages 22 to 29. They grew up in Texas and Utah, then moved to New York City to attend Juilliard.

Each started taking lessons at about age 3 and music subsequently became, well, their entire lives.

Today they perform all over the world, playing solos and pieces specially arranged for up to five pianos.

Some videos of their performances are available on YouTube.com, and within seconds it is obvious that this family has not only mastered the piano, but also is passionate about it.

Today they perform all over the world, playing solos and pieces specially arranged for up to five pianos.

Barring the amount of time spent developing their remarkable talent, the 5 Browns led lives similar to suburban children. After they finished practicing on the five pianos in their childhood home, they “did normal, ‘kid’ things with friends while growing up: saw movies, read books, played video games,” Ryan said in an interview with The Daily Cardinal.

While living in New York City, they were able to wander during

weekends and explore the music and museums the city has to offer.

“New York is the center of so much of the arts and culture. It was really a fun time out there,” Melody said.

The 5 Browns always have a full schedule. They tour during half the year, and the other half is spent rehearsing and getting ready to tour or record. They released three albums, most recently 2007’s Browns In Blue, which spent 21 weeks at the top of the Billboard classical music chart. On a few tracks from this record, the quintet veers away from their classical roots and zealously jumps into material strongly influenced by jazz.

To label them a “phenomenon” would not be a misnomer, and in the past few years many journalists and television hosts have done exactly that. The difference between the 5 Browns and current classical artists is their age.

As 20-somethings, they seem young enough for children to see them as “one of us,” and their playing is certainly vivacious enough to motivate asking parents for piano lessons. Adults admire the Browns’ mastery and dedication despite their ages. Their passion is obvious from the moment they step onstage until the meet-and-greet opportunities after performances.

“Our biggest goal is to try to get younger kids involved with classical music, or show kids who haven’t really had the chance to experience classical music before,” Gregory said.

But these pianists do not spend every night in a strange hotel room. They all have settled in Utah, and this proximity is convenient while they are rehearsing for a tour or album.

Gregory is currently working on his doctoral degree and

PHOTO COURTESY ANDREW SOUTHAN

The 5 Browns will visit Madison only one week before they depart for shows in Mexico, and they forward look to returning to Asia this spring. also has been learning Mandarin.

When they have free time the girls enjoy skiing, shopping or movies, and Desirae and her husband frequently attend the nearby Sundance Film Festival. Ryan is an avid gamer, which he defends, but his brother still calls him “totally lame.” They are also quite aware that this is an election year and often discuss conflicting opinions and new developments.

To label them a “phenomenon” would not be a misnomer, and many journalists and television hosts have done exactly that.

Next week the Brown family will be performing in Mexico.

They often tour abroad, playing in Japan and South Korea last year.

They are returning to Asia this year, Deondra said, and will be going to Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan this fall. They are especially enthusiastic about visiting China later this spring.

“We hear that so many millions of children are studying piano over there,” Desirae said. “We’re excited to go there and maybe be some kind of influence.”

Tickets are still available for Friday’s 8 p.m. performance, and student tickets are $10.

Regardless of the listener’s age, the intensity of the 5 Browns will definitely fascinate every audience member, whether or not the crowd is comprised of regular concertgoers. Attending a classical concert may not be at the top of a college student’s weekend to-do list, but any parent would enjoy hearing, “I saw an amazing family of pianists on Friday night” instead of “Nothing” as a response to “What did you do this weekend?”

For the first time in 16 years, the B-52’s have released a new album. A band can change a lot after such a long silence, and they have—but only a little bit. For the most part, they are as wonderfully catchy and wildly unique as they have ever been.

The B-52’s have updated their sound, making it fresher than ever, but by no means is this a sell-out.

Their new album, Funplex, features the killer harmony of singers Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson that fans are so used to. They share the microphone with Fred Schneider, whose classic exclamations make the songs complete. Typically he uses the spoken word instead of melody to express himself vocally.

The B-52’s have been an incredibly influential band since their beginning in the ’70s. They oftentimes go where other bands never have and combine strange instruments and sound effects.

The lyrics are even more different and can leave people wondering what on earth they meant in “Hot Corner” by “La-zars, qua-sars / Love pulses on the solar wind.”

Each song on the new album is fun and unique. It begins with “Pump,” a song with a driving, poppy beat that just begs the listener to get up and dance. Keith Strickland’s talent is particularly strong on this track and also reminds us why the B-52’s are just as great as ever. His transition from drums to guitar and bass has been musically seamless. He has done an excellent job filling in for their previous guitarist, the late Ricky Wilson.

Even though “Juliet of the Spirits” is the only slow song on the CD (and one of the best), each song is different from the others.

The song that stands out the most is the title song, “Funplex,” a kind of social commentary.

The lyrics mention “shopping for a new distraction” and ask, “Oh, honey / Is it all about money?” while maintaining the traditional quirkiness of the B52’s. It brings out the very best in them and may even be better than most of their classic, time-tested hits—including “Love Shack.”

The weakest song of the album, “Dancing Now,” is at least a decent song. Fun and unexpected lyrics are usually a strength of the B-52’s, but in comparison with the other songs on Funplex, this song is the biggest flaw of the whole CD. The angsty tone in the words is a bit of a disappointment. It is simply not as original as the rest of the otherwise strong album.

Funplex eases fears that the B-52’s might be gone forever. It seems like the opposite might be true. The title of the last song in the album pledges that they’ll “Keep this party going.”

It doesn’t look like they’re going to meet any resistance. As they say in “Ultraviolet,” B-52’s, “keep doing what you’re doing cause it’s what we like!”

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Weekend, April 4-6, 2008

view

Editorial Cartoon

By Meg Anderson opinion@dailycardinal.com

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

contribute more to isp initiative

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mong the Student Se r v i c e Fi n a n c e Committee elections and bylaw changes, the Campus Antiwar Network was able to add the Iraqi Student Project to the ASM spring polls.

ISP is a nationwide initiative to bring Iraqi university students to the United States to attend various universities across the country. Their attendance would be free of charge, as one side effect of the United State’s War in Iraq has been the complete breakdown of higher education in Iraq. An article on the Iraqi Student Project’s website states hundreds of Iraqi professors and thousands of students have been abducted or murdered as a direct result of failed U.S. policy in Iraq.

Instead of a grande mocha at Starbucks, you can help 20 Iraqi students finish their education.

To date, 15 universities participate in the Iraqi Student Project. However, there is a catch. Every single participant thus far is a small, private, liberal arts university with high tuition and massive private endowments. The one exception is Columbia College of Chicago, which is all of the above but has 11,000 students.

UW-Madison’s current budget problems do not leave room to completely pay for the tuition, living expenses, travel and books of five Iraqi students,

which is what CAN wants. The CAN initiative sought to make UW-Madison the first large, public university to support the national project.

The initiative calls for a $1 per semester tuition increase for every student at UW starting in the fall 2008 semester. By raising tuition $1, the price of a highlighter from the vending machine in College Library, the university can afford to fully fund five Iraqi students to come to Madison and study without the fear of being abducted or murdered by sectarian violence.

A major argument against ISP asks how removing Iraq’s best and brightest assists in rebuilding its educational system.

Proponents of this argument fail to understand that U.S. visas are not indefinite. The students will need to return upon completion of their education. Additionally, many U.S. student visas require them to return to their home country and live there for two years before coming back to the United States.

The Daily Cardinal Editorial Board applauds the students who helped make the Iraqi Student Project pass. Why stop at $1, though?

This initiative should expand for increased student contributions. Instead of capping our altruism, $1 should be the minimum contribution, and the Board of Regents should allow students to donate additional money to their tuition at their own discretion. Instead of that grande mocha from Starbucks, you can help 20 Iraqi students finish their education, and help them rebuild Iraq one graduate at a time.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

HILLARY ’08 Unless, of course, Obama gets the nomination.

In that case,

MCCAIN ’08

Students must continue to support Awe’s cause

By Chloe Cabot THE DAILY CARDINAL

The recent news that a UWMadison student faced deportation has rightfully inspired the campus community’s involvement. The case of Tope Awe, a third-year pharmacy student, brought the issue of immigration close to home.

According to many personal accounts, Awe is an exemplary student whose current situation deserves continued support and attention. Because of her accomplishments and her character, many argued for Awe to remain in the United States to complete her education. This request came true on Tuesday, and the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement declared Awe eligible to stay in Madison and finish her degree, assuming she wears an ankle bracelet and maintain constant contact with ICE.

Brown Apartments addresses recycling This letter is in response to a letter from Ms. Becky Goldenthal on March 28 regarding recycling opportunities at Steve Brown Apartments.

The employees at Steve Brown Apartments are fully committed to working toward a cleaner environment and to recycling, and all of our properties provide recycling bins through the City of Madison or through reputable waste-collection companies.

In addition, Steve Brown Apartments works with the Habitat for Humanity ReStore program, ensures that construction materials are being recycled at many of our job sites—including Lucky—will have switched all light fixtures to compact fluorescent bulbs by 2009 and purchases appliances that are Energy Star rated. We are also currently working with

Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy experts to increase overall energy efficiency at many of our properties.

Unfortunately through a miscommunication, the company we contract with removed the recycling bins that would normally be found at Ms. Goldenthal’s building in error.

We thank her for bringing this problem to our attention, and would like to assure her and those who read The Daily Cardinal that we are currently working with our account manager to resolve the issue.

We welcome feedback from our residents on ways to continue to keep our environment safe and thank Ms. Goldenthal for her commitment to the cause.

—Dan Seeley Community Manager Steve Brown Apartments

Most students remain unaware of Tope’s situation despite the protest and 1,300 petitions of students.

This marks progress, but is still far from a solution. With the success of recent protests, UW-Madison students should not settle for the deportation of Tope Awe immediately following her graduation.

Tope Awe has a unique story compared to most students on campus. When she came to the United States in 1989 with her family from Nigeria, she was only three years old and obviously had no voice in the matter. Awe’s parents had hopes of a better life for their children, which they felt could be accomplished through education. These dreams seemed less realistic when the family’s

appeal for citizenship through legal proceedings was continually denied, despite the need of frequent medical treatment for Awe’s father. This left the Awe family with little choice but to remain in the U.S., displacing their children and forcing them to accommodate to an American style of life.

Awe showed her personal desire to comply with immigration authorities in the incident of her arrest. Despite acting responsibly when arrested, the detention and resulting consequences have led Awe to be treated more like a criminal than a college student. Forcing Awe to wear an electronic monitoring device associates her with those responsible for. Her brother, Oluwabenga, will not be granted citizenship, even though he is married to a United States citizen and the couple has a very young child.

He currently resides under the same monitored conditions as Tope.

Deportation in this situation is unnecessary when considering the Awe family is not a threat to the United States. It would be pointless to punish these two individuals whose decision to come to the United States was made for them. The lives of Tope and Oluwabenga Awe have been fully established in Wisconsin, meaning deportation would strip them of every aspect life they have known, including a spouse and child. The community of supporters who have worked so hard to end Awe’s detention should not be fully content with the results of their work just yet.

These factors alone show Awe is deserving of the extended support required to grant her permission to remain in the United States.

Her positive reputation and contributions to UW further prove this. Awe has worked hard to better herself and impact the UW community and is an active par-

ticipant on this campus, as seen through her leadership roles as the co-chair of the African Student Association and the co-president of the Multicultural Affairs program in the School of Pharmacy.

Many UW students do not make the effort or spend as much time getting involved to the degree that Tope Awe has. Her positive influence on this campus shows that protesters and UW-Madison students should remain actively interested in the status of her case.

Despite acting responsibly, Tope is being treated more like a criminal than a college student.

Most students remain unaware of Tope’s situation, despite the protest and 1,300 petitions of the students organized by Selam Zewdie. These 1,300 students need to raise awareness of Tope’s case immediately.

The university’s action in notifying federal lawmakers is laudable, and without the work of state Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis.— prompted by UW’s move—Awe would not have been able to return to Madison in a timely fashion. Despite this progress, though, interpreting Awe’s release from detention as complete victory would be a grave mistake for those actively involved. The support of all these groups—students, UW officials and federal lawmakers—needs to continue until Awe is treated with civility and allowed to remain in the United States after her graduation.

Chloe Cabot is a junior majoring in Spanish and political science. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

dailycardinal.com/sports

sports

Weekend, April 4-6, 2008

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Tennis looks to collect dual wins

By Chris Lindeke THE DAILY CARDINAL

The No. 35 Wisconsin men’s tennis team will hit the road this weekend for a pair of Big Ten dual matches, playing at No. 39 Indiana Saturday followed by a showdown with No. 2 Ohio State Sunday.

The Badgers (4-1 Big Ten, 12-7 overall) have won five of their last six matches, including a convincing home sweep last weekend. UW took out No. 66 Purdue, 6-1, and followed up with a 5-2 upset victory over then-No. 15 Illinois the next day. The win over the Fighting Illini marked the third consecutive triumph for the Badgers over a ranked opponent.

The pair of wins also bumped the Badgers up 10 spots to No. 35 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association Collegiate Tennis Rankings.

This weekend’s outlook is not much different, or much easier, for the Badgers. Saturday, the Badgers head to Bloomington, Ind., to take on the Hoosiers (2-2, 12-5), who will be playing the second of a three-match home stand.

Indiana boasts several impressive victories on the season, including a 4-3 win on Feb. 5 over No. 37 Kentucky, where UW head coach Greg Van Emburgh was formerly an assistant.

On Sunday, the Badgers tangle with Ohio State (4-0, 21-1), a perennial powerhouse and the conference’s first-place squad, in a match that could have Big Ten title implications down the road.

The Buckeyes feature four singles players ranked in the top 120 in the nation, including three players in the top 35, as well as two doubles pairs ranked in the top 30. One of these athletes, junior Bryan Koniecko, the country’s 18th ranked player, is

the conference’s reigning Big Ten Athlete of the Week. Koniecko is currently riding a nine-match unbeaten streak. With his recent honors, the Buckeyes set a Big Ten record with six Athlete of the Week awards in one season.

The Buckeyes overwhelmed the Hoosiers 6-1 on Wednesday night.

Several Badgers have been impressive so far this spring season. Senior Nolan Polley continues to be UW’s most consistent player. Primarily competing at the No. 2 singles spot, Polley is unbeaten in Big Ten play and boasts a stellar 13-3 mark in dual match play this spring.

Sophomore Michael Dierberger is also unbeaten in conference competition. Freshman Marek Michalicka has done just as well, registering a 16-1 record thus far in the spring season playing in the top-four singles slots.

Women’s Squad The Wisconsin women’s tennis team will host a pair of ranked

foes as No. 28 Indiana and No. 29 Ohio State visit Nielsen Tennis Stadium this weekend.

The Badgers (0-5 Big Ten, 710 overall) are still seeking their first conference victory following a pair of losses last weekend on the road. The Badgers were defeated 6-1 by No. 62 Illinois Saturday and were then beat 4-3 Sunday afternoon at Purdue.

Saturday, they will take on the Hoosiers (4-0, 15-4), who had their eight-match winning streak snapped with a 6-1 home loss to No. 20 Notre Dame last Sunday.

The Hoosier lineup features no ranked players but poses a very balanced attack, with four singles players recording doubledigit victory totals in dual matches thus far.

The Buckeyes (3-1, 16-3), whom UW will face on Sunday, are a hot team as well, having won their last four matches and 10 of their last 11. Ohio State has won 17 consecutive doubles points in dual match play.

BRITTANY TRIPP/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Senior doubles player Chelsea Nusslock and partner Katya Mirnova are 5-0 this season at the No. 3 spot for the Badgers.

Women’s golf prepares for weekend Classic

By Adam Loferski THE DAILY CARDINAL

Saturday, April 5th Grand Entries at 1 pm and 7 pm Feast at 5 pm Nicholas-Johnson Pavilion, Kohl Center

This event is free and open to the public For more information, contact Alison Bowman At 715-304-9033 or ambowman@wisc.edu

Brought to you by Wunk Sheek (UW American Indian Student Organization) and the Associated Students of Madison

After a two-week break from competitive play, the Wisconsin women’s golf team will travel to Norman, Okla., to compete in the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic, their second to last outing before the Big Ten Championships in Pennsylvania.

The classic, which bares the name of the first woman to receive a golf scholarship from the Oklahoma City University, begins Sunday and will finish Monday.

Wisconsin returned from the Betsy Rawls Invitational in Texas just over two weeks ago, where they finished 12th out of 18 teams. The standout Badger performance went to sophomore Kelsey Verbeten, who tied for 29th with a score of 161, 17 over par. The course proved to be a bit of a challenge for all who competed, as not a single golfer

football from page 8 are trying to add a little speed to it—but fast football,” St. Jean said. “Every year, we are trying to be on the top of the charts.”

Practice Notes Bielema suggested that the injury to junior-college defensive tackle transfer Dan Moore may not be as serious as first feared, which is great news for a battered defensive line.

shot under par. Top honors went to University of Arkansas senior Stacy Lewis, who finished the course with a score of 151, 7 over par.

If previous outings are any indication, Verbeten will continue leading the Badgers at the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic.

However, her leadership alone will not be enough to drive the team to an impressive finVERBETEN ish. Luckily for the Badgers, the team is ripe with strong and consistent golfers to stay competitive every time they hit the greens.

Verbeten may have led the team recently, but senior Katie Elliott usually anchors the Badgers with her experience and skill. As the single senior on the team, Elliott “The results that they got back on Tuesday is that he’s basically, he didn’t have as extensive damage as they thought, but it’s kind of a wait and see mode,” Bielema said. “The plan is right now, they are going to basically take it easy on the knee for six weeks and hopefully he’ll be able to return for the second week of June when we go to full conditioning.”

As of right now, no surgery has been scheduled for Moore.

will have the responsibility of keeping the other golfers from getting too excited about the upcoming Big Ten Championships. For the team to be successful, Elliot will need to make sure the team takes the upcoming outings one at a time.

Along with Elliott and Verbeten, freshmen Carly Werwie and juniors Jeana Dahl and Natasha Lopez form the core of the team. With the Big Ten Championships less than a month away, they all must be on the top of their game if they wish to make a strong showing as a team. It all starts this weekend with the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic, as their success or failure will likely have an impact on their morale leading up to the championships.

Look for the lady Badgers to take their consistency to the next level and come on strong in Oklahoma in preparation for the Big Ten Championships.

brewers from page 8 next inning. That’s a new concept for this team on the road. It is one that should encourage Brewer fans this season and will represent another year of improvement on an inexorable march to the playoffs.

No, you don’t have to be at Wrigley Field to see that.

If you think the Brewers have a good shot of making it to the playoffs this season, e-mail Jon at bortin@wisc.edu.

sports Hodge returns to injured team

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARDINAL! The Daily Cardinal, which was first published April 4, 1892, turns 116 today.

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dailycardinal.com/sports

Weekend, April 4-6, 2008

By Tom Lea

JON BORTIN the bort report

THE DAILY CARDINAL

Day eight of the Wisconsin football team’s spring practice was the shortest of the season, due in part to the rash of injuries plaguing the team.

Freshman defensive lineman Patrick Butrym joined the group of injured players after suffering a minor shoulder injury Tuesday morning. While the injuries continue piling up, one notable player on the defensive unit returned to action and went through his first full practice of the year.

Junior middle linebacker Elijah Hodge, who was hurt for the majority of last season, finally returned to practice and resumed his role as middle linebacker, satisfying the itch to play he’s had all offseason.

“We’re football players,” Hodge said. “The thing you come here for, obviously education first, but then to play football. You can’t be a football player unless you are on the football field.”

Previously filling in for Hodge was sophomore Culmer St. Jean.

Last season, the Florida native started twice for the injured Hodge, and so far during spring practice he has been impressing the coaches.

“I think Culmer has really been [playing well],” head coach Bret Bielema said toward the end of Thursday’s practice. “Going into practice, [St. Jean] in my opinion, has really shown some things at the inside linebacker position. He’s a former quarterback and safety, [so] he’s got good ball skills.”

Upon the full return of Hodge, who looked impressive during practice, St. Jean will presumably receive fewer reps.

However, with talent across the

Brewers off to a strong start

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CHRISTOPHER GUESS/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Junior linebacker Elijah Hodge (right) suited up for practice this week after recovering from an injury suffered last season. Hodge ranked among the top three defenders on the Badgers in tackles. board at the linebacker level, he insists a healthy competition is beneficial.

“I’m just going to compete,” St. Jean said. “I feel like me and Hodgey are going for the one, so we are just going to compete to see how it turns out.”

For the outside linebackers, like most other positions, injuries have plagued the position for the majority of the spring season.

Senior Jonathan Casillas suffered

an ankle sprain last week during practice, opening the door for junior Jaevery McFadden, who was incorporated in 30 to 35 snaps per game last season, according to Bielema.

“I’m trying to take advantage of the opportunity that I’ve got with Casillas being down,” McFadden said. “Spring is going real good ... I still have a long way to go as far as knowing the game as a linebacker, but it’s going real good just trying to

make plays out there and help the team out.”

A season ago, the Badgers boasted a heavily hyped defensive unit, but still allowed opponents to score 23 points per game. Although nothing can be done about last season’s team, the defense still uses that fact as a source of motivation.

“We have a point to prove. We are really trying to go back to the Big Ten, hard-hitting, fast—we football page 7

Track teams lace up for weekend meets on road

By Scott Allen THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin men’s and women’s track teams will face their first major contests of the outdoor season at Auburn University this weekend, while the men’s distance runners will head to the West Coast to face some of the best in the NCAA at the Stanford Invitational.

The distance crew will compete in the famed “distance carnival” and is expected to produce some of the fastest times this year.

Sophomore Brandon Bethke, the Big Ten Indoor Athlete of the Year, will be looking to match his success outdoors with an early regional qualifying mark.

Sophomore Jack Bolas and fresh-

PHOTO COURTESY UWBADGERS.COM

Sophomore Brandon Bethke, who was named the Big Ten Indoor Athlete of the Year, will travel with the rest of UW’s distance squad to compete in the ‘distance carnival’ at Stanford this weekend.

man Evan Jager, who each had breakout indoor seasons, will also be in position to hit personal bests against the high-level competition.

The UW athletes will face runners from many distance powerhouses including Arkansas, Georgetown, Notre Dame and BYU. The sprinters and field event athletes will compete at the Tiger Classic this weekend in Auburn, Ala., where they will face among other teams Iowa, Penn State, Kentucky and Alabama.

Sophomore hurdler Nate Larkin will aim to cut 0.06 seconds off his 110-meter high-hurdles best to hit the regional standard.

Larkin was named the Big Ten Athlete of the Week for his 14.36 second winning effort at the Clemson Relays in the Badgers’ first outdoor competition.

Junior sprinter James Groce was runner-up in the 400-meter dash last year.

Other top athletes from the indoor season, sophomore jumper Rayme Mackinson and freshman decathlete David Grzesiak, will also be looking for regional qualifying efforts.

Last year, the Badgers picked up three regional qualifying spots at Auburn.

Women’s squad The women’s team will be look-

ing to rack up qualifying marks at the Tiger Classic as well. Like the men’s competitions, the focus will be on individual performances, as team scores are not tallied.

Senior distance runners Katrina Rundhaug and Ann Detmer, who each scored for UW at the NCAA Indoor Championships, have the opportunity to qualify for the Midwest Regional in the distance events.

Senior Blair Luethmers already showed her outdoor strength last week at the Adidas Relays in Raleigh, N.C., winning the pole vault for clearing 10 feet, 11.75 inches.

Junior Jenny Soceka, who also competes in the heptathlon, finished third in the pole vault at the Tiger Classic last year.

The top thrower last weekend was senior Kayla Schultz, who captured third in the discus and fourth in the shot put. Senior Amy Lewis also showed her strength at the Adidas Relays by placing fifth in the javelin.

Junior jumpers Chavon Robinson, Jessica Jeremiah and Megan Seidl each had strong showings last weekend as well.

In addition, senior sprinter Venus Washington, thrower Amanda Hoeppner and heptathlete Carly Ducharme will lead the women’s squad at Auburn.

can think of plenty of ways to analyze the outset of the beginning of the Major League season. When it comes to the Brewers and the Cubs in late March and early April, those options certainly aren’t limited to being at—I think this is still right—Wrigley Field for the opening series.

Hopefully you were scoring at home during those rain delays on Monday—your card should total about an hour-and-a-half of furling/unfurling/tarp-on-the-field. The whole event raises questions over why this game was scheduled there in the first place. Just 90 miles north, the Cubs and Brewers could have played a game that would have had them forgetting they were back from Arizona.

Considering what the Brewers have showed this week, though, maybe Milwaukee fans can be a bit less upset their team is again heading back to Chicago later this month before the Cubs ever show up at Miller Park.

If Eric Gagne had not allowed a game-tying home run to Kosuke Fukudome on opening day, the first two games for the Brewers would have been picture perfect. As it stood heading into Thursday’s game, the results were exactly that and the route there was close to it.

Just like in last season’s opener against the Dodgers at Miller Park, Ben Sheets was overpowering in his first game. The only two hits he allowed to a dangerous—if hapless— Cubs lineup were to Fukudome. And Sheets, by all indications, is healthy, though we know his injuries can crop up at any time.

His battery mate deserves just as much mention. For the life of me, I can’t understand why the Cubs did not make an effort to bring back Jason Kendall, a consummate catcher and professional. The move going from Johnny Estrada to Kendall is about as lateral as Sheets’ 12-to-6 curveball, which is to say, not at all.

Already, the improvement on defense for the Brewers is noticeable. Bill Hall, the infielder-turned centerfielder-turned third baseman, has made plays in the first two games where Ryan Braun may have erred.

For his part, Braun has looked passable on defense in left field.

While Mike Cameron serves out his suspension, the Brewers’ platoon at that position is working early.

Tony Gwynn made an opening day start and played the hero’s role for Milwaukee, and Gabe Kapler, a year past his last baseball action, filled in respectably against a lefty on Wednesday.

The biggest piece of evidence for me that the Brewers are ready to take the next step and take over Central primacy is their response to the Cubs’ best punch on Monday.

Even though the Brewers were a better team last year, they topped the league in losing games after holding three-run-or-more leads.

After Fukudome tied the game against Gagne in the ninth with nobody out, the Brewers responded with aplomb and went on to win the brewers page 7