Issuu

ROCKWELL BREATHES LIFE INTO ‘CHOKE’ Movie adapted from ‘Fight Club’ author’s book struggles while indie actor shines ARTS

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Complete campus coverage since 1892

By Megan Orear THE DAILY CARDINAL

The U.S. House of Representatives rejected the federal government’s plan to bail out banks Monday, resulting in a massive drop in the stock market and concern over the future of the country’s economy. The Dow Jones stock market index dropped 778 points Monday, the worst point drop in U.S. history but not the biggest drop percentage wise, according to CNN.

The bailout bill would have allowed the federal government to use up to 700 billion taxpayer dollars to buy bad mortgages from failing ﬁnancial institutions. Wisconsin members of the House were split over the bill, with U.S. Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D), Ron Kind (D), Gwen Moore (D), Dave Obey (D) and Paul Ryan (R) voting for it, and U.S. Reps. Steve Kagen (D), Tom Petri (R) and James Sensenbrenner (R) voting against it. Baldwin said in a statement the legislation brought before the House was not perfect but the defeat of the bailout bill “creates greater uncertainty in already troubled times.” market page 2

The three major stock markets plunged Monday after a $700 billion bailout plan failed to pass the U.S. House. The Dow Jones index fell 778 points—its worst one-day point loss ever.

MATT RILEY/THE DAILY CARDINAL

University’s rank drops in Trojan’s sexual health ranking of U.S. colleges By Emma Roller THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison is no longer one of the top 15 sexually healthy schools, according to a Trojan Sexual Health Report Card released Monday. The university dropped to 35th this year after placing 14th on 2007’s report card. The 2008 list ranked 139 U.S. colleges. Sperling’s BestPlaces, the independent research ﬁrm that conducted the survey on which the ranking is based, evaluated the availability of sexual health information, STD and

HIV testing services and the accessibility of condoms and contraception in determining the list. This year, students were also able to grade their schools in an electronic opinion poll to calculate a grade point average for each university. Trojan spokesperson Michael Bruno said this new method might have affected Wisconsin’s ranking. “By incorporating student responses directly, the rankings did get shaken up a bit,” Bruno said. sex health page 2

Today on the Web8 www.dailycardinal.com

Author kicks off 2008-’09 Distinguished Lecture Series Rebecca Walker, author of “Black, White and Jewish,” was the ﬁrst guest in UW-Madison’s yearlong series of visiting speakers. New Facebook application uses social networking to encourage civic participation A new Facebook tool helps situdents register to vote and encourages participation in the upcoming election.

SPORTS

dailycardinal.com

PAGE 7

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

IMAGE COURTESY UCRIME.COM

A sample image from UCrime.com shows the location of recent crimes around the UW-Madison campus. The website combines Google Maps and local police incident reports to create records of criminal activity.

New website uses maps to display downtown, campus-area crime By Rachel Racoosin THE DAILY CARDINAL

MONDAY’S MARKET WOES

PAGE 5

SAFETY & TECHNOLOGY

Bank bailout plan rejected in House of Reps. U.S. stock market experiences recordsetting point drop

Bielema: no time to dwell on “very painful” Michigan loss with Ohio State looming

In an effort to improve safety and awareness among college students, an innovative new website called UCrime.com is combining Google Maps and police incident reports to help students track crime at UWMadison and other campuses across the country. UCrime.com began in early August as an offshoot of its sister website, Spotcrime.com. Spotcrime.com, which was started in January, maps city crime in the United States, Canada and recently expanded to several cities in England. UCrime.com CEO Colin Drane said Spotcrime. com’s popularity has expanded to include nearly 2 million events being mapped. The success of Spotcrime. com inspired an expansion to university campuses, according to Drane. UCrime.com partners with Google Map technology to generate interactive maps

that create visual aids for crime statistics. After selecting a university map, a side key allows the viewer to narrow the map to a variety of different crimes such as arson, assault, burglary, robbery, shooting, theft, vandalism and other arrests. Under the Clery Act, universities are required by federal law to provide crime reports to the entire campus community, which is how the website receives the bulk of its information. UCrime.com visitors also have the opportunity to interact by commenting on local crimes as well as providing tips and other information. Additionally, Drane said UCrime.com is set to “provide free, easy-to-read crime maps and automated alerts through e-mail, Google and even Facebook” to registered users on the site. The site became available to UW-Madison in the second phase of university map additions and currently maps the crime statistics

at over 200 universities. In Madison, UCrime.com is already tracking a number of different crimes. Madison Police Department public information ofﬁcer Joel DeSpain said UCrime.com visitors might notice a standout offense when mapping downtown crime statistics on the site. “One troubling trend we have recently seen in the downtown area are robberies,” DeSpain said. At a news conference Thursday, MPD South District Captain Jim Wheeler said many of the recent violent robberies target UW-Madison students, faculty and staff. Drane hopes UCrime. com will aid in promoting safety on the UW-Madison campus by appealing to students through technology. “[The website] is another tool, another way to present information,” Drane said. “It is our objective to display crime data in a different format in order to increase awareness and promote safety.”

Crime Stoppers aim for text message tip line By Rebecca Holland THE DAILY CARDINAL

A possible Madison Area Crime Stoppers software upgrade could allow UW-Madison students and city residents to text message anonymous tips to help solve city crimes. TipSoft, the software Crime Stoppers hopes to begin using, would supplement the current phone and e-mail tip lines. “Nobody’s using their phone anymore—they’re text messaging with their thumbs,” said K. Scott Abrams, president of the board of Wisconsin State Crime Stoppers, Inc. “We see this as a good way

to get information to get the bad guys off the street by using modern technology and keeping people anonymous.” Paul Jacobsen, Madison Police ofﬁcer and coordinator of Madison Area Crime Stoppers, said he thinks people would be more likely to use text messaging because it is a faster, more convenient and, in some cases, safer. “Say you were in a situation where you couldn’t call and talk out loud, but you could text message that tip in, and you could safely do that without anyone else knowing it,” Jacobsen said. With the new software, the

system would accept text messages from anyone, and once received, would send back a conﬁrmation text and an ID number, Jacobsen said. The software protects privacy by never allowing the anonymous ID number and the original text to be traced back and forth. According to Jacobsen, the software is expected to cost between $5,000 and $7,000 per year. He said until a sponsor is found to cover the cost, the program has no estimated start date. Jacobsen said Crime Stoppers is still presenting the idea to diftexts 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.”

page two 2

TODAY: partly cloudy

dailycardinal.com/pagetwo

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

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

Career fair for brave of heart, accountants

Volume 118, Issue 21

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

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Alex Morrell Managing Editor Jamie McMahon News Editor Amanda Hoffstrom Campus Editor Erin Banco City Editor Abby Sears State Editor Megan Orear Opinion Editors Jon Spike Mark Thompson Arts Editors Emma Condon Ryan Hebel Sports Editors Ben Breiner Crystal Crowns Features Editor Sarah Nance Food Editor Marly Schuman Science Editor Bill Andrews Photo Editors Kyle Bursaw Lorenzo Zemella Graphics Editors Meg Anderson Matt Riley Copy Chiefs Jillian Levy Gabe Ubatuba Jake Victor Copy Editors Ashleigh Goit, Alex Berg, Hannah McClung, Brandi Stone

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

Editorial Board Nate Carey Dave Heller Jillian Levy Jamie McMahon Alex Morrell Jon Spike Mark Thompson Hannah Young l

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

KIERA WIATRAK taking kiera business s a college senior, I’m beginning to realize that the Terrace, slutty (but clever) Halloween costumes and convincing my boyfriend and his roommates that my hair is different (and hotter) than Sarah Palin’s will soon be things of the past. Instead, my thoughts are starting to turn toward my future. Naturally, when I heard about the pending career fair—even though I didn’t know what a career fair technically was (Ferris wheel? Cotton candy? Scary clowns?)—I thought it sounded like something I should attend. The career fair promised to offer networking for people of more than 40 majors, including journalism. So, I put on my most business-like clothes and printed a few resumes and within seconds, the youthful college student was gone and Sarah Palin was staring back at me in the mirror. Damn, I really do

Corrections or clariﬁcations? Call The Daily Cardinal ofﬁce at 608-262-8000 or send an e-mail to edit@dailycardinal.com.

look like her. Conﬁdently, (and rather republican-y) I walked into the Kohl Center and began my search for employers of vice president candidate look-alikes/reporters (or both). That’s when I discovered that someone had lied to me. There was no one at that career fair looking for writers. In fact, there didn’t seem to be many people there looking for anyone but business majors. And there were no creepy-ass clowns there either (the Trix bunny was, though). So, I decided to wander aimlessly and choose who I wanted to talk to based on the coolest display or tastiest treat. “It was nice to meet you, (insert business student here). We will be getting back to you shortly regarding the status of your résumé,” Employer A said, shaking the student’s hand before she walked away. Then it was my turn. “Hello,” Employer A said, extending his hand. “’Sup?” I asked, reaching past his hand for the plate of cookies. “So, why are you interested in

working in human resources?” “Are there nuts in these?” “Our company offers a competitive salary with beneﬁts.” “I’m not allergic or anything, I just don’t like them,” I said, chocolate dribbling down my chin. After a while—once my tummy started hurting because of all my hardearned candy—I decided it was time to start getting serious. “Can you tell me about your background in marketing?” Employer B asked. “I was actually more interested in that mountain,” I responded, pointing to the picture on display behind her. “Huh?” “It’s really pretty. Is that where your ofﬁce is located?” “Actually, we’re based out of Chicago.” “Oh. Well do you send any of your entry-level employees to that mountain?” I asked. “Not that I know of, but I can put you in touch with my supervisor if—” “Does that snowy heaven have anything to do with your company?” “I’m not sure, but—”

University drops to ‘B’ in report card for sustainability Rated categories include recycling, student involvement By Caitlin Gath THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison dropped half a letter grade in a sustainability ranking, according to the 2009 College Sustainability Report Card released last week, but university members said the school is not on the path to failure. UW-Madison dropped from a “B+” to a “B” in this year’s report card. According to GreenReportCard.org, only 15 schools received an “A” while 75 percent of colleges and universities earned grades in the “B” and “C” range. Each school’s report card is divided into nine categories including administration, green buildings and investment priorities. UW-Madison received an “A” in food and recycling last year and this year, but received a “C” in the report card’s new student involvement category. However, the report cited students’ role in the We Conserve program, among

market from page 1

For the record

WEDNESDAY: partly cloudy

Kagen said in a statement the bill would not have effectively helped average citizens. “I was elected to represent the best interests of families in Northeast Wisconsin––not Wall Street,” Kagen said. UW-Madison economics professor Stephen Malpezzi said he is concerned the financial market is near a meltdown and those claiming to have a plan that would fix the crisis are “fooling themselves.” According to Malpezzi, this financial crisis may negatively affect students when they graduate and

other sustainability initiatives, as a positive. The administration, climate change, and energy and transportation categories went down a grade as well. Mark Orlowski, the report card’s publisher and executive director of the Sustainable Endowments Institute, said in a statement the grading program is the only independent evaluation of sustainability. “[The report card] has the highest response rate of any college sustainability ranking or rating,” he said. GreenReportCard.org offers interactive sustainability proﬁles for 300 schools—public and private—with the largest endowments. Endowments can be anywhere between $150 million and $35 billion. UW-Madison’s endowment was nearly $2 billion as of June 30, 2007, according to the report card. According to Thomas Eggert, UW-Madison senior business lecturer, the university did not receive a lower grade because its efforts dwindled but because other universities are doing more. “We stayed consistent with where we were … it’s simply that

other universities have embraced the sustainability process,” Eggert said. Eggert said by embracing sustainability many universities have either hired or are in the process of hiring sustainability coordinators. Nick Devonshire, communications fellow at the Sustainable Endowments Institute said universities who receive “A’s” have a profound eco-friendly sense on campus. “They are publicizing sustainability efforts to the university and to the rest of the world,” he said. “They have students involved and to have a panel that looks at every single proxy and votes on it with sustainability in mind.” Sustainability coordinators are not only responsible for greening buildings on campus, but for student attitudes as well as improving the recycling effort. “Making a commitment to sustainability, ranging from local food sourcing to renewable energy investments is no longer a priority of only environmentalists,” Orlowski said in the statement. “Such innovations are capturing the attention of everyone, from college trustees to admissions applicants.”

enter the job market, especially those with liberal arts majors, and it may also make student loans harder to obtain. He said business students may lose some career opportunities but will also be in high demand in the job market because they would be needed to help ﬁx the economy. Malpezzi said although the job outlook may be more tough for students leaving college, getting a job will not be impossible. “Tougher doesn’t mean zero,” Malpezzi said. “Tougher means you have to think harder about how to get yourself out in the job market and how to make sure employers

know that you have things you can do for them.” UW-Madison sophomore Wes Patoka said he was disappointed the $700 billion bailout plan did not pass and does not foresee a solution to the ﬁnancial situation anytime soon. “If there’s no stop to this … once we graduate there could be a decimated labor market making it extremely hard to ﬁnd employment,” Patoka said. UW-Madison sophomore Cydni Chapman said she is mostly concerned about how the crisis will cause everyday commodities like gas and groceries to become more expensive.

“Fraud,” I shouted, storming away. By the end of the night, I became more and more convinced that the career fair was representative of the rest of the world, indicating that there would be no jobs for journalists upon graduation. So, I decided to adjust. “Hello, my name is Kiera and here’s a copy of my résumé.” “Journalism, well, we don’t get a lot of journalism applicants. You are aware this is an accounting ﬁrm?” “Yes, of course. But most people don’t realize journalism and accounting are closely related,” I said. “How’s that?” “Well, to be an accountant, you have to solve equations with numbers. But I think writing is like solving equations with words.” “Hmmm.” “I look like Sarah Palin?” “Thank you! I knew you looked familiar, I just couldn’t put my ﬁnger on it.” “So am I hired?” “Absolutely not.” If you think she’s hotter than Sarah Palin, e-mail Kiera at wiatrak@wisc.edu.

texts from page 1 ferent groups that could be affected, like the university, and is “absolutely looking for sponsorship.” “The program would target college students and individuals who utilize text messaging,” he said, “But the main thing that Crime Stoppers wants people to realize is that it has to be a partnership between all the different entities.” University Communications spokesperson John Lucas said the program could be good for the university because of the immense use of cell phones and the convenience of text messaging. “If they can get more tips into the system, that would be a positive thing,” Lucas said. In a 2008 Student Computing Survey conducted by UWMadison’s Division of Information Technology, 93 percent of students reported owning a cell phone and 75 percent used text messaging.

sex health from page 1 Sarah Van Orman, director of clinical service for University Health Services, said she does not know why UW-Madison’s ranking dropped, adding the university has many sexual health services available. Stanford University received the top ranking, followed by Columbia University, Cornell University, the University of Iowa and the University of Denver. Stanford replaced the University of Minnesota, which dropped to 23rd after placing ﬁrst last year. Ranked as the bottom ﬁve were Louisiana Tech University, the University of Notre Dame, Providence College, St. John’s University and DePaul University. In response to the university’s drop in rank, UW-Madison junior Peter Zook of the student organization Sex Out Loud said one problem may be UW-Madison students are hesitant to openly discuss the subject. “We’re still not readily able to talk about sex,” Zook said. This is the third year Trojan has conducted the survey as part of its Evolve campaign, which aims to promote sexual responsibility.

opinion dailycardinal.com/opinion

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

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

partisan politics prolong crisis

e, as Americans, are facing a turning point in the history of our nation. The current financial crisis stemming from toxic mortgages has already taken a steep toll on Wall Street and projects to affect the entire nation’s unstable economy with little confidence it will recover on its own. Yesterday, the House of Representatives had an opportunity to provide immediate relief to the financial sector in the form of a $700 billion bailout package, providing a concentrated influx of money to keep banks afloat while giving investors more financial confidence. This bailout was not without its misgivings, as $700 billion of taxpayer money is an enormous amount of money, and many argue the taxpayers are not the cause of the problem. Voting to pass the bill was by no means an easy decision for lawmakers, and ultimately the bill did not pass because of several “nay” votes on both sides of the aisle. What is most striking about the final voting is that leadership from both parties supported the bill, as did both presidential candidates. Local U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., voted to pass the bill, as did Janesville Republican Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who is also the ranking member of the House Budget Committee. Leadership from both parties negotiated the bailout, ultimately leading to a universal endorsement to pass the bill. Although House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, called the bailout a “crap sandwich,” he ultimately decided to vote for the bill. This could have been a shining moment in an otherwise dark time; leadership from both parties joined together and churned out a bill that, while not perfect on all accounts, provided much needed security to the economy. In the middle of a

highly divisive and attack-laden presidential campaign, there was hope that Congress could come together at a time when America needed it most while forgetting the partisan tactics of the current campaigns. All signs pointed toward bipartisan action, which would have been a breath of fresh air for Americans who were otherwise skeptical about Congress’ ability to pass worthwhile legislation. All hopes for such an action were shattered as Nancy Pelosi, D-Cal., strayed from her speech transcript yesterday morning to take unnecessary and damaging partisan jabs at the Bush administration, claiming this bill was designed to undo the trouble brought by his “financial irresponsibility.” In an equally childish move, Republican leadership blames Pelosi’s partisan words solely for swaying swing Republican votes against the bill, admitting no guilt or accountability. As a leader, Pelosi could have helped bring the two parties together in a difficult and trying time in America. Instead, she furthered the gap between the two parties and our country paid for it. Her insubstantial rhetoric damaged America, and the stock market responded with the worst drop in history because of this bill’s failure. The partisan politics on each side are detrimental to America. As the next generation, we have the duty and the responsibility to come together when the good of the country is at stake as we did in the days following Sept. 11: making sacrifices when necessary. Hopefully a new deal can be reached to shore up the financial industry and rebuild America’s confidence. Moreover, we hope petty partisan politics won’t get in the way of what America wants and needs: a stable economy.

Campus research should inspire UW students By Tom Hart THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison prides itself on its distinguishing achievements and characteristics that separate it from other major universities, such as the revolutionary research it conducts or its reputation for competitive sports programs. Unfortunately, the latter mention tends to outdo the former in terms of campus notoriety. One of the major neglected achievements I’m referring to is the construction project currently taking place on the south side of our campus for the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery (WID) and the Morgridge Institute for Research. Both are currently awaiting the completion of a brand new $150 million facility in 2010. These institutes will continue to serve as beacons for the advancement of our species. This venture is unbelievably noteworthy for several reasons. The institute is being funded by a record $50 million gift from former alumni John and Tashia Morgridge, and its goal of combining the benefits and financial backing of a private non-profit company (the Morgridge Institute) with the resources and progressive minds of a public university (UWMadison) is unheard of. This oneof-a-kind collaborative effort will unite leading researchers in the

fields of biology, computer science, and bioengineering. This research will draw from three different fields to create a unique working experience that will accelerate progress in the development of new health technologies. UW-Madison professor John Thomson has been named to the multidisciplinary scientific leadership team at the Morgridge Institute. As one of the world’s leading stem-cell researchers, his presence will add to the progressive orientation of the joint venture. “The opportunities at the Morgridge Institute come at a remarkable time for the course of my research, as well as for the advancement of science,” Thomson said in a statement.

The actions of this university serve as a great example to the student body.

Additionally, the hiring of world-renowned professor Sangtae Kim, formerly of Purdue University, will create an environment where scientific progress will be translated into tangible public benefits at the quickest

SOUNDBITES: MORGRIDGE INSTITUTE/ WISCONSIN INSTITUTES FOR DISCOVERY “Biologists now have access to instrumentation that creates an unprecedented depth of data, and we’re not, as a group, trained to deal with it. ... It is tremendously exciting for biologists to work right next to the mathematicians and computational biologists who can actually help analyze and understand the data.” —James Thomson “I am pleased to make the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery one of the cornerstones of this campus, something that every researcher, professor, student, alum and citizen of this state can be proud of.” —WID Interim Director Marsha Mailick Seltzer Source: Wisconsin State Journal

pace possible. “Throughout his years in academia and industry, Sang has proven himself as a bold thinker and exceptional leader who embraces interdisciplinary research,’’ Morgridge chair Carl Gulbrandsen said. “This is precisely what’s needed as we work to set the stage for world class collaboration and innovation at the Morgridge Institute.” But how many students actually knew about any of this in detail? There are few, if any, legitimate reasons to neglect these achievements any further. Stemcell research has controversially become a political hot-topic in recent years, with questions regarding the morality of research that involves embryonic stem cells. Furthermore, the Bush administration has vetoed every bill to make it through Congress that would lift restrictions for federal funding of this branch of research. Yet, Thomson’s recent breakthrough could allow scientists to sidestep these moral concerns through the isolation of stem cells in human skin cells. It is invigorating to know that these medical advancements will continue to take place at this university with the arrival of the WID and Morgridge Institute. It’s time for the whole campus to share my enthusiasm.

It’s nothing short of inspiring to be part of this university at a time when it seeks to improve the human condition.

This university is making huge strides as a research institution, and we as a student population remain relatively unaware or uneducated. Sure, we’ve read a few newspaper articles about Thomson and associate him with stem cells, but we lack the enthusiasm for this subject that we hold for sports or party rankings. Years from now, the relevance of the revolutionary research will be more impacting than whether or not we beat Michigan at the Big House. It’s nothing short of inspiring to be part of this university at a time when it seeks to improve the human condition, and the actions of this university serve as a great example to the student body. Even with the presence of moral scrutiny, the University of Wisconsin has taken a stand and affirmed their dedication to scientific progress above all else. Years from now, when I look back on my involvement at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I will be extremely proud of the many opportunities afforded to me but mostly to have been afﬁliated with a movement that sought to improve the future of mankind. That in itself should be inspiration enough to wear Wisconsin red, and I urge everyone to take the same sense of pride in UW-Madison. Tom Hart is a senior majoring in history and political science. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

arts Producers ‘Choke,’ Rockwell shines 4

dailycardinal.com/arts

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

By Brandi Stone THE DAILY CARDINAL

PHOTO COURTESY FOX SEARCHLIGHT FILMS

Although Victor needs saving throughout the ﬁlm, it’s Sam Rockwell’s performance that rescues this Palahniuk adaptation from tepid execution.

Fans of writer Chuck Palahniuk waited a long time for Hollywood to adapt one of his books for the big screen. So when “Fight Club” fans heard the news of another Palahniuk adaptation, “Choke,” they took notice, hoping for another cult classic in the making. But be warned. Unlike “Fight Club,” “Choke” relies not on action, but comedy, which, in this movie, only actor Sam Rockwell delivers. Rockwell, well known for his indie acting performances, plays the main character Victor, a sexaddicted con man who comes up with a master scam to pay for his mother’s (Anjelica Huston) hospital bills since she is suffering from Alzheimer’s. The trick: He purposely chokes on food at fancy restaurants so wealthy patrons will save his life and then feel responsible for him for the rest of his life—a responsibility that often comes in the form of cash. Without Rockwell as the lead role, this ﬁlm might have been a disaster. He captures Victor’s selfloathing attitude perfectly and has the audiences rolling with laughter, especially when he goes to visit demented patients at his mother’s hospital and puts on different personas to play along with the patients’ fantasies. At one point the patients even think he is the half clone of Jesus! Anjelica Huston, meanwhile, is her usual brilliant self, portraying Victor’s messy, yet outgoing mother. The most distracting part of this movie is how director Clark Gregg chose to leap back and forth between

Victor’s present situation and memories of his childhood. There seems to be no thought in the spacing of these scenes, and Gregg cuts between them randomly, leaving the audience dizzy and wondering when he’ll strike next. Rockwell’s voiceover narration can also get irritating, but, for the most part, it is well-written and adds comedy to the average scene. When compared to the explosive “Fight Club,” “Choke” is extremely slow paced and can appear hokey, especially when Victor is coming to terms with his mother and his abandonment issues. The script is solid and the actors are well-chosen, but you can tell this is Clark Gregg’s directing debut because the scene transitions are sloppy and lack connection. If you’re a fan of the book, the big chunks of material left out of the movie adaptation might also disappoint you.

Without Rockwell as the lead role, this ﬁlm might have been a disaster.

Overall, however, “Choke” is targeted more at fans of Palahniuk’s books than general audiences. “Fight Club” fans who haven’t read “Choke” will appreciate the witty voice-overs but be disappointed by the story, and average moviegoers will quickly forget this ﬁlm, thinking it outrageously bizarre and wondering why anyone would ﬁnd it hysterical. Grade: BC

‘War of the Worlds’ invades Madison stage By Caissa Casarez THE DAILY CARDINAL

When most people hear the title “The War of the Worlds,” they think of the 2005 movie starring Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning long before they remember the original radio broadcast created by Wisconsin-native Orson Welles. But don’t expect an adaptation of the film if you see University Theatre’s adaptation—expect better. Much better. Audiences familiar with the movie will recognize one key difference between that and this production: It’s set right here in Madison. In fact, one of the dominant settings is the WHA studios in Vilas Hall. Throughout the play, cities Black Earth and Sauk City (both in the Madison area) are referenced, as are Madison hotspots University Avenue, State Street and the Capitol. One of the major accomplishments of this production, held at Vilas Hall’s Mitchell Theatre, is the flexibility of the actors. The 10-member ensemble of mostly UW students (not counting the sound effects crew) go from happy-go-lucky performers and station workers enjoying their lives and not thinking about what lies ahead, to terrified townspeople and military workers (among other things) in the short span of 1 hour and 25 minutes. This drastic change in the characters’ attitude happens

because the play starts out with the Wisconsin Players’ radio production of the horror play, “The Monkey’s Paw,” which half of the ensemble is also involved in while the rest are station workers. This play-within-a-play, as those who’ve seen “The War of the Worlds” ﬁlm already know, is as delightful as a child compared to the rest of the play. The cast and crew do an amazing job of merging “The Monkey’s Paw” with “The War of the Worlds,” stopping the play after scenes to inform the audience of updates involving the Mars invasion. Although the actors have to make a drastic change in their characters in a short amount of time, they pull it off like professionals. Another reason for the play’s success is its interactivity. While both parts of the play are broadcast, the cast, led by announcers Peter Bissen and Norman Gilliland, talk to the audience as if it is not only their studio audience, but their radio audience as well. The technical crew also adds realistic sound effects, a fog machine and bright lighting. This production has it all. So dazzling, in fact, that they didn’t even need the fancy aliens from the 2005 ﬁlm. “War of the Worlds” will be playing at Mitchell Theatre this and next weekend. Students tickets are available for $14. Go to www. utmadison.com for more details.

Songs evoke ‘All these things that I’ve done’ DALE MUNDT croco-dale rock

celebrated my birthday this past Friday night. Although most of the night is pretty fuzzy between playing the arcade game at Wando’s and singing about religion and heroin in Qdoba, I started thinking about songs that act like time machines—the songs that instantly take you back to a specific moment. I started making a list of songs that do this for me. The first song I thought of was “Hand In My Pocket” by Alanis Morissette. I can remember exactly where I was standing in my orthodontist’s office the first time I heard that song. I remember that, being a junior-higher with a discerning taste in women, I felt cheated that all my assistant hygienists were ugly. I also remember that this song sparked my obsession with female singers, an obsession that has brought me the good (Leslie Feist), the bad (Vanessa Carlton) and the ugly (Amy Winehouse). I find it ironic that most of what I came up with were songs and groups I would never listen to now. Some great examples are the songs on the list that take me back to past relationships, like “Rocket” from Yellowcard, “One Slowdance” from Rufio or “The Best Deceptions” from Dashboard Confessional’s second LP. That was when Dashboard Confessional was just Chris, a guitar and a messy breakup. That was when I admitted I listened to emo. There is music I love simply because of the lyrics or the drumming or the sound in general. But there are other songs I love just because they have a specific connection to my past. A few weeks ago I wrote about going to an Okkervil River concert and how experiencing their music live changed the way I saw the music. In a sense, this column is about the exact opposite experience—how my life changes the way I experience music. I’m sure I’ve heard “All These Things That I’ve Done” by the Killers a thousand times, but when I hear that song, I’m standing in some redneck bar outside of Youngstown, Ohio, shouting “I’ve got soul, but I’m not a soldier” with a dozen guys that had just come back from Iraq with me. There are some songs I can’t explain. I don’t know why Wu-Tang’s “Bring Da Ruckus” takes me to the deli counter at Woodman’s. I don’t have a good reason why Savage Garden’s “Two Beds and a Coffee Machine” brings back such great feelings. The thing is, everybody has these songs. Everyone has a song that reminds them of that one time their uncle got drunk on Mother’s Day, or the time they almost lost their virginity. Weezer’s “The Sweater Song” reminds me of getting kicked off a mini-golf course, but I’m sure it makes you think of something entirely different. So go ahead and debate this column’s larger psychological meaning or its significance to the modern musical economy, I won’t be paying attention. I’m going to be listening to the Wallflower’s “One Headlight.” Upset that you’ll now forever associate “Hand in My Pocket” with Dale’s pubescent lust? E-mail your own own list to him dpmundt@wisc.edu.

dailycardinal.com/news

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

comics 6

Tasty chemicals. Lemon Pledge contains more lemons than Country Time Lemonade. dailycardinal.com/comics

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Smuckers Uncrustables

Today’s Sudoku

Anthro-Apology

By Eric Wigdahl wigdahl@wisc.edu

By Todd Stevens ststevens@wisc.edu

Angel Hair Pasta

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.

Help plan the future of The Daily Cardinal! Join the newspaper’s board of directors and its work of charting a course for this 116-year-old campus institution. Candidates must commit 5 hours a month for at least one academic year to the paper. Those with a background in media and business, especially sophomores and juniors and candidates of diverse backgrounds, are encouraged to send a résumé and short statement of interest to board of directors President Jason Stein at jstein@madison.com.

Sid and Phil

By Alex Lewein lewein@wisc.edu

The Graph Giraffe

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com SWEET DREAMS ACROSS

1 Supply with fresh staff 6 ___ one’s time 11 They employ speakers, brieﬂy 14 Shrine to remember 15 Ticket price category 16 “Well, ___ be” 17 Unrealistic aspiration 19 Grp. that sang “Do Ya” 20 Usher to, as a table 21 On the up-and-up 23 Counts 26 Bedding 27 Slightly 28 “Hurry up, will you?” 30 Hammered at a slant 31 Cake with a hole in the middle 32 Title for Italian monks 35 Abbr. in a company’s name 36 Oxford university 38 Trucker’s space 39 Teachers’ org. 40 Hard-___ (tough) 41 River known anciently as Obringa 42 “... one ___, under God ...” 44 Political slate 46 Certain room measurements

48 Easy gaits 49 “Funny money,” for one 50 Pope of 1963-78 52 30th or 31st, brieﬂy 53 Very intelligent person 58 Unwinding locale 59 Unnatural 60 Blackguard 61 Usual number of paces 62 Early Mongolian 63 Perfume compound DOWN

1 50 Cent piece? 2 Wallach of “Lord Jim” 3 West of Tinseltown 4 1839 slave mutiny ship 5 “Don’t bother” 6 Thai monetary units 7 Potential dilemma solver 8 Run a cloth over 9 Animal on Michigan’s state ﬂag 10 Hairdressers 11 No-sweat job 12 ___ a day’s work 13 Match game? 18 Produce-scale deduction 22 Gerund ender 23 First canonical hour 24 Without dissension 25 Sammy Davis Jr. hit

26 Some old Fords 28 Unit for measuring ﬂow of light 29 “National Velvet” author Bagnold 31 “Eso ___” (Paul Anka hit) 33 Not so well done 34 Promotes wrongdoing 36 Where “quiet!” may be heard 37 “Malcolm in the Middle” mom 41 They speak louder than words 43 It’s tapped for cash 44 After-shower application 45 Call forth 46 Take with a struggle 47 Optimist’s words 48 Likelier to win a baby contest 50 Auditioner’s aim 51 Number for one 54 “Are you calling ___ liar?” 55 Herriman’s “Krazy” critter 56 Direct ending 57 Always, in a sonnet

Awkward Turtle

a 1

By Meg Anderson anderson4@wisc.edu

b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

“Ohz hufvul olyl lcly illu mbssf lunbsmlk pu mpyl? Pa’z nvaah ib zv ova.” Dane Cook Quote

Yesterday’s Code:

Start with one-letter words and words with apostrophes, ﬁnd out how many places the alphabet has shifted, then use that knowledge to decipher the code.

“I come from a very big family, nine parents.”

sports Bielema focuses on Ohio State, puts loss behind dailycardinal.com/sports

By Nico Savidge THE DAILY CARDINAL

Football head coach Bret Bielema said Monday he wants to move on from a disappointing loss to Michigan and prepare for Saturday’s game against No. 12 Ohio State. “It’s not easy, it’s nothing I want to ever get used to,” Bielema said of the Badgers’ loss, their sixth in three years with Bielema as head coach. “It’s a very painful experience, but it’s something you have to endure.” He said the team is excited about Saturday night’s game at Camp Randall Stadium, where Wisconsin is riding a 16-game home winning streak, though that success will be put to the test by the Buckeyes, who were preseason favorites to win the Big Ten. To come out of the Ohio State game with a win, Bielema said the Badgers will need to put the Michigan game behind them. “The rest of the world can talk

about last Saturday,” Bielema said. “We cannot spend one minute on Sunday to this coming Saturday worrying about what transpired on Saturday. We can correct it and move forward, but we cannot dwell on it.” Despite Saturday’s loss, Bielema said he was impressed with the way the Badger offense ﬁnished the game, saying “for those guys to move forward, I look more toward how they played their last snap, and that’s why I’m excited about the opportunity we have in front of us this week.” At Michigan, tight end Travis Beckum did not play for most of the game because of a hamstring injury he aggravated during practice over the bye week. Bielema suggested that lack of time in practice may have led to Beckum’s mistake lining up for a twopoint conversion with seconds to go in the fourth quarter, which led to a penalty and Wisconsin missing an opportunity to tie the game.

“If Travis had lined up one half yard deeper on that two-point conversion, he probably would be the hero of Wisconsin football right now,” Bielema said. Wisconsin’s defense, which allowed 21 yards of offense from the Wolverines in the ﬁrst half, seemed to fade in the third and fourth quarters of Saturday’s game. Despite holding Michigan to an average of 0.9 yards per play in the ﬁrst half, the defense allowed all of Michigan’s 27 points in the second. Bielema said he believed that difference was because momentum swung away from the Badgers, not because of physical wear put on the defense. He also stressed looking ahead to the Ohio State game. When the Badgers and Buckeyes met last season in Columbus, Ohio State running back Chris “Beanie” Wells ran for 169 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Buckeyes to a 38-17 win over Wisconsin. Wells

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Head coach Bret Bielema recognized senior linebacker Jonathan Casillas (2) as the Badgers’ defensive MVP in Saturday’s game. returned from a toe injury Saturday against Minnesota, running for 106 yards on 14 carries as the Buckeyes defeated the Gophers 34-21. Ohio State freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor will start for the Buckeyes. Against Minnesota, Pryor ran for two touchdowns and threw for one more.

Bielema said he was impressed with Pryor, calling him “an extremely gifted playmaker” and saying he has “great presence.” Saturday’s match-up will be the ﬁrst time Ohio State has come to Camp Randall Stadium since losing to the Badgers on a 79-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of a 2003 game.

Foul keeps Badgers winless in Big Ten By Rebecca Autrey THE DAILY CARDINAL

EMMA VASSEUR/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Senior midﬁelder Kenny Dix scored the Badgers’ lone goal against Michigan on a deﬂection after the Wolverine goaltender made a save.

The Wisconsin men’s soccer team opened up its Big Ten season at home with a tie against Michigan Saturday. The Badgers (4-2-2) were up by one with 24 seconds left in regulation when they were called for a foul inside the goalie box. Wolverine Michael Holody scored on the penalty kick. Wisconsin midfielder Kenny Dix said it’s difficult for referees to call a penalty in the box so late in the game. “I mean, 20 seconds left, everyone just giving it their all, it’s just a really tough call to make,” he said. “But, you know [the referee] saw something I didn’t, so I’m not going to say it was a bad call.” Wisconsin head coach Jeff Rohrman said he thinks his team started panicking a little bit in the final minutes. “That’s where we didn’t show some of the maturity that I thought we needed to in terms of finishing games and doing some of the little things that help you finish off those three, four, five minutes of the game,” he said.

The Badgers started the game well, pulling ahead in the 28th minute on a goal by Dix. Dix scored on a deflection after Michigan goalkeeper Patrick Sperry blocked a shot from Badger forward Scott Lorenz. Wisconsin had a scare in the first half as well when a miscommunication between goalkeeper Alex Horwath and the defense almost led to a Michigan goal. The defense attempted to pass back to Horwath but instead passed behind him. The ball hit the goalpost, and Horwath recovered it. “Balls get placed behind your backs, and that can cause some confusion between your goalkeepers and your backs,” Rohrman said. “We were a little bit fortunate in that instance, but those things can happen.” Rohrman said Horwath is an essential member of this Wisconsin team and makes saves other keepers might not be able to. “His leadership, his organization has been first class,” Rohrman said. “I can’t say enough good things about him. In my opinion, he’s one of the

best goalkeepers in the conference, if not across the country.” Dix agreed, and said Horwath was the reason Wisconsin walked away from that game with a tie. “He saved us that game,” Dix said. “They had six or seven shots late in the game and Alex played great. The penalty kick, there’s nothing he could do. It’s like a given goal, but he was the player of the game, I think.” Dix said though the Badgers will learn from the Michigan game, they will focus on Western Illinois this week in practice. Wisconsin hosts the Leathernecks on Wednesday at the McClimon soccer complex at 7 p.m. Rohrman agreed, and said though the Badgers walked away Saturday with a tie, he is proud of his team and what they have accomplished so far this season. “It’s a team that has a lot of resiliency and a lot of ﬁght and a lot of competitiveness, so I know they’re going to come out ready on Wednesday,” he said.

Madden’s verbal miscues highlight need for real skills over football résumé ANDREW VAN SISTINE sistine’s chapel

hether you like him or not, comedian Frank Caliendo does a pretty good impression of John Madden. He has sketches where he rambles in Madden’s voice for as much as 25 seconds straight without ever speaking an audible word—and still, it sounds like something that would actually come out of the aged commentator’s mouth. What gets folks about Caliendo’s sketches featuring Madden is that they seem so real. He sounds just like Madden, and, with all due respect to the Hall of Fame coach, often makes about as much sense. For anyone who has ever listened to a game Madden has commentated, we all know that he has been known to say things like, “All they have to do is get the ball up the ﬁeld and score more points than the other

team. If they can do that, they’ll win the game.” Seriously, if I had a nickel for every time I have heard someone say, “I can’t stand John Madden,” I’d be watching all of my football games on a 62" plasma screen TV. What boggles my mind is how often television producers will ﬁnd some guy who made a name for himself in the NFL and think that by throwing a suit on him and plunking him in a commentator seat, he’ll be the latest and greatest football expert to ever grace their set. Take Madden, for example. There is no question he is one of the most distinguished coaches in professional football, leading the Oakland Raiders to eight playoff appearances, seven AFC West division titles and a victory in Super Bowl XI during his 10-year tenure, never once suffering a losing season. His .759 regular season winning percentage is the best of any head coach in NFL history. But is he a distinguished commentator? Well, that’s debatable. Anyone with an ounce of football sense often gets irritated by how many times he

throws out phrases that are purely common sense and not worth stating. And the number of “errs,” “ahhs” and “mmms” he uses in between thoughts would be enough to drive even Bobby Boucher up the wall. To be fair, Madden isn’t the only one who makes countless football fans mute their TVs on Sunday afternoons. FOX NFL’s Tony Siragusa makes a remarkably poor sideline commentator, cutting his co-commentators Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston off often for useless bits of trivia and obvious observations. To boot, if I had even a penny for the number of times he mixed up the names of the players on the ﬁeld, I’d have a nice surroundsound system to go with that plasma screen TV. Face it, Siragusa played a major role in helping the Ravens win the Super Bowl in 2001, but he is a big reason why TVs remain silent during football games he comments on. This is not to say every NFL star who goes into show business is a bust. Johnston, Siragusa’s booth-commentating counterpart, is a three-time Super

Bowl winning fullback from the early ’90s Dallas Cowboys who does a solid job color commentating his games. He never stutters, rarely states the obvious, has a great understanding of the game and is genuinely pleasant to listen to.

TV networks really ought to do a better job evaluating whether the former football stars they pursue are worth putting in the booth.

The same could generally be said for recently retired New York Giant Michael Strahan. He doesn’t sit in a booth and cover games, but thus far in his television career, he has provided valuable insight on his Sunday morning pregame show and even adds a bit of tasteful humor to the program. In the past, while he was still playing for the Giants, I have seen FOX NFL Sunday run segments where Strahan brought a camera with him on vari-

ous exploits. I used to think that was somewhat foolish for a player to be so wrapped up in extracurriculars when he had games to prepare for, but it turns out that the guy really has a knack for TV. The point is that TV networks really ought to do a better job evaluating whether the former football stars they pursue are worth putting in the booth. I would be willing to bet that whenever Brett Favre or Tom Brady or Peyton Manning retires, producers will be chomping at the bit trying to get these former NFL MVPs on their sets if any of them show the slightest interest in media work. But just because they were astounding athletes on the ﬁeld does not mean they will make amazing commentators. After all, if all you had to do was point out that the team with more points at the end of the game wins, John Madden would probably have a few more fans. Feel like there was some point where John Madden was a great color commentator? Set Andy straight at avansistine@wisc.edu.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

dailycardinal.com/news