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Ohhhh Yeah! The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Decemberists make their cases for 2009’s best
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Weekend, March 27-29, 2009
UW researchers make stem-cell breakthrough
Accused parka bandit charged with 8 felonies
By Melanie Teachout
By Caitlin Gath
THE DAILY CARDINAL
A team of UW-Madison researchers made a breakthrough in stem-cell research by discovering a way to increase purification of certain adult stem cells. Researchers in James Thomson’s lab, including associate scientist Junying Yu, made the discovery. The breakthrough will help remove genetic baggage from embryonic cells, which previously posed a threat to therapeutic treatment. Thomson is a professor in the UW School of Medicine
and Public Health and the director of regenerative biology for the Morgridge Institute for Research. He has previously contributed to several major stem-cell discoveries. In 1998, Thomson was the first to successfully culture human embryonic stem cells. In 2007, Thomson partnered with Yu to reprogram ordinary skin cells, creating induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells. According to Terry Devitt, a representative from University stem cells page 3
Birth-control costs to students may drop By Megan Orear THE DAILY CARDINAL
The cost of birth control for college students could decrease under the Affordable Birth Control Act, a provision of the federal spending bill signed into law by President Obama earlier this month. In 2005, Congress passed the Deficit Reduction Act, which inadvertently eliminated the discounts on contraceptives pharmaceutical companies could offer to family planning clinics and student health services, causing the cost of birth control to climb for many students. “By all accounts it was completely a mistake,” state Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, D-Madison, said. “I think it was just an oversight in drafting it, but it’s one of those things that once it went through, it never got fixed because their agenda was too busy.” The new bill restores incentives for popular brands to provide discounts to students, but University Health Services Executive Director Sarah Van Orman said she is not sure if the pharmaceutical industry will be willing to do this again.
Many students switched over to less expensive generic brands, but Van Orman said because the prices of some popular brands increased, students who could not afford them had access to a much smaller selection. “It really reduces our options if there’s someone that needs a different formulation than what would be available in the generic,” she said. According to Van Orman, UHS responded to the higher prices by getting more information out about BadgerCare and generic options but saw a drop in birth control prescriptions after prices rose in 2007. Peggy Hamill, state director of Pro-Life Wisconsin, said there is no reason for the government to subsidize hormonal birth-control drugs, which she said are proven to be carcinogens and accelerate the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. “Our government should not be in the business of paying for and promoting unhealthy behavior,” she said, adding that contraceptive drugs can act as abortifacients. birth control page 3
CHRISTOPHER GUESS/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
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Chancellor Martin announced her new initiative Tuesday to student leaders. The initiative calls for a hike in tuition but also in aid.
Students offer feedback for chancellor’s new initiative By Estephany Escobar THE DAILY CARDINAL
UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin explained her newly proposed initiative to students and listened to their feedback at a forum Thursday. The Madison Initiative for Undergraduates would propose a supplemental charge in tuition to improve educational quality for undergraduates while helping to make UW-Madison affordable to all students. “[The revenues from this initiative] will be divided between the need-based financial aid pot that will ensure affordability and economic diversity among the student body, and the other half roughly will be used to enhance undergraduate experience,” Martin said. Martin said the plan will add faculty and instructional support in high-demand majors and will enhance vital student services, including academic and career advising, internships and smallgroup interactions with faculty. Abby Solom, a UW-Madison freshman, said other initiatives could help keep college affordable besides a tuition increase. “I think what we can do is find ways outside tuition to keep it affordable, such as choosing cheap textbooks or finding other ways to reduce the costs for students,” she said. A UW-Madison engineering student at the forum asked Martin why all undergraduate students needed to pay extra money when engineering students already have to pay differential tuition. Martin said the benefits of the initiative will benefit high-demand cours-
es in the College of Letters and Science and also courses within it required by other colleges. “Everybody is going to benefit from increased faculty on campus, from the increase of economic diversity on campus, and everyone will be getting a good value still,” she said. Brendan Zyvoloski, a UWMadison junior, said he thinks maintaining and recruiting faculty who are committed to UWMadison will determine the success of the plan. “I’ve seen a lot of professors leave over my short time here. This focus on bringing in professors could benefit Letters and Science and the school in general,” he said. The new initiative calls for financial aid for all students who qualify and whose families make under $80,000 a year. Chynna Haas, a UW-Madison junior, said the biggest challenge of this program will be the communication with students on the issue. She said some students whose families make $80,000 or more will not think it is necessarily beneficial to them. Martin said if the UW System Board of Regents approves the initiative, undergraduate students will have the chance to provide input on the allocation of funds. Students with questions about the initiative can visit the Student Activity Center March 30 to April 3 from 2 to 5 p.m. to meet with university staff members. Students can also attend the next forum March 30 at 4 p.m. in Gordon Commons.
The man accused of being the “parka bandit” who committed multiple armed robberies throughout Madison was charged Thursday with eight felonies, including one for drug possession. Justin M. Simpson, 20, confessed to a series of armed robberies after Sgt. Chris Paulson of the Madison Police Department arrested him Sunday on Park Street. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, it is likely Simpson was using the robberies to bring in the cash necessary to fuel his apparent heroin addiction. Joel DeSpain, public information officer for the MPD, said it is not unusual for someone who has a drug dependency to have to keep committing crimes to feed their drug habit.
“The officer who spotted him was part of that proactive force that was on the street.” Joel DeSpain public information officer Madison Police Department
“We do see heroin in Madison,” he said. “Certainly heroin is not new to the city of Madison, and we do see it here.” DeSpain also said Simpson was hitting up locations all across the city. He is a possible suspect in armed robberies that took place in Monona, DeForest, Sun Prairie and Middleton. A full-scale dragnet was put up by the MPD for over a week while officers actively searched for Simpson throughout the city. “The officer who spotted him was part of that proactive force that was on the street,” DeSpain said. DeSpain said the police department had teams out who were prepared to go to a location if and when there was another robbery. “Other people were just out on the street looking for people who would just generally match the description of the suspect,” he said. According to the WSJ, Assistant District Attorney Vanny Lu said that if Simpson is convicted of each robbery charge, he could face up to 280 years of combined prison time and extended supervision.
“…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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DAVID HOTTINGER it’s getting hottinger
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ell, I hope everybody had a nice break. With the economy and everything, I suppose lots of folks had to scale things back a bit, but I hope you at least made it to Kalahari for an afternoon. My break was OK. I mean, it was going really well, with loads of hot chicks and tons of fun in the sun and shots all around. But then one day, mid-break, I made the mistake of turning on the TV. Dazed from hours in the mid-March sun, I mindlessly surfed my way up into the 40s, which never ends well, as the Great Cable Channel Desert begins with Lifetime at 29. Anyway, not thinking properly, I paused for just a moment on the History Channel and got a big dose of Debbie Downer when I found out the world’s going to end in 2012. The History Channel usually does a good job of crafting intriguing programs that take exactly one
half hour to tell you next to nothing. It used to be alright, and I suppose that’s why I still flip to it now and then, but now the shows it airs would literally be the dumbest shit on television if the rest of cable programming wasn’t right there with them. ‘Unwatchable’ is a word that often comes to mind. But this special on Year 2012 was different. Plus, afterward I checked Wikipedia. Turns out it’s true: the world as we know it is going to end in three short years and then we are all going to die vague, freakish deaths. No one is exactly sure how it’s going to happen. But between the Mayan calendar ending, the galaxy aligning, Mars attacking and everyone having AIDS, I don’t see how we are going to get out of it. Apparently, Nostradamus predicted some crazy shit too, like Sadaam and Hitler returning riding an army of dinosaurs that shoot flaming asteroids out their mouths. So that’s going to suck. What can you do though? Stop saving money, I guess. Not that I was. Now that I know the world is ending, I can also finally stop giving any thought at all to the future. I can start banging heaters and auctioning
The Dirty Bird ERICA ANDRIST sex columnist
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My current go-to fantasy involves me, one of my professors and the 7 South stacks at Memorial Library. It’s been so popular lately that I may have to write, “Dear Professor _____, thank you for a great class, and also for the innumerable masturbatory fantasies you’ve provided me throughout the semester” on the course evaluation. Erotic fantasies should be fun. They can add another dimension to both solo sex and partner sex. Whether we choose to act them out, keep them exclusively to ourselves or broadcast them in the student newspaper, they’re things we create for the sole purpose of lighting our fires in exactly the way we want them to be lit.
Our fantasies—no matter what they’re about—are good and healthy and normal and fine and OK.
Trouble is, lots of people have lots of problems with the things that turn them on. Whether our fantasies are “normal” or not is a big concern for lots of people:
For the record Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an e-mail to edit@dailycardinal.com.
off my kidneys and stop worrying about a modeling career or my credit score. I’m going to keep hitting the gym hard, though, ’cause when the war of the apocalypse begins I still want to be able to kick some ass, just in case we’ll be able to watch replays of that in heaven. But apart from all that, I’m really bummed about the world ending. I’m 22 and just found out the autumn of my life is already past. I had been banking on that autumn to finish my novel. And if my job search hadn’t already taught me that going to college was a complete waste of time, this news sure has. I could have taken all that money and time I spent learning and put it toward knocking off items on my Bucket List, like playing capture the flag on golf carts with paintball guns or finally visiting that great metropolis, Milwaukee. On the bright side, I guess we can stop worrying about all that global warming mumbo jumbo. And, it’ll be kind of cool to watch all of human history finally come to an end. I mean, how many people actually get to see something as important as the world ending? Well, I suppose in 2012 about 7
billion of them will. Still, millions of those will probably be blind people, so they don’t count. Plus, I’ll be able to tell my grandkids that it took the world ending to finally kill a guy like me. Well, on second thought, I probably won’t be able to tell any grandkids that. I’m sure there’s a silver lining somewhere. But boy, did it put a damper on my spring break. I was like, holy shit, if I wasn’t a senior right now, I’d only have like three spring breaks left before I died! It was pretty sobering. We’ll probably be able to think up a lot of hilarious jokes now, though. Like if someone’s arm gets torn off in a freak farm accident, he can go, “Well, it only had a few good years left in it anyway!” It would really lighten the mood. Or if you’re getting married to a girl you don’t really like, you can be like, “Babe, I want to be with you until the end of the world.” She’d be all flattered, but inside you’d be like “Joke’s on you, ho, that’s just in three years!” I’m sure I could think of more if I had time. It’s not clear if David will reply to e-mails anymore, with the world ending. dhottinger@wisc.edu though.
sex and the student body
MAKE FANTASY REALITY
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Vince Filak Alex Kusters Mikhail Hanson Nik Hawkins Dave Heller Janet Larson Chris Long Alex Morrell Sheila Phillips Benjamin Sayre Jenny Sereno Terry Shelton Jeff Smoller Jason Stein
WEEKEND: showers hi 41º / lo 30º
Is it bad to fantasize about somebody other than my bf while we have sex? I’m straight, but I sometimes get turned on when I think about other guys. Is that normal? Is it okay to have rape fantasies?
Is it normal to fantasize about eating hot wings in a waterbed filled with pomegranate kefir? While I’m brushing Steve Buscemi’s teeth? Okay, I made the last one up. Just for, you know, the purposes of this column. But the answer is the same as the answer to all the others: yes. Our fantasies—no matter what they’re about—are good and healthy and normal and fine and OK. What goes on in your head is vastly different from what goes on in real life. Ever feel like punching your roommate in the face? Sure. Ever actually punch your roommate in the face? Probably not. Just because we find something appealing in our minds doesn’t mean we will find it appealing in real life, or that we want to try it out in real life. In fantasy, we control all the details, we consent to everything and if we choose to keep it inside our heads, no harm is done to anyone, regardless of what we fantasize about. So what if I do have an interest in making my fantasy a reality? First, let me note again that this is not by any means a requirement. It may not even be possible—for example, if you fantasize about having sex with Ronald Reagan in a volcano (hot). But if you want to bring those fantasies to life, the first step (if we’re talking about partner sex) is to find a willing partner. Asking your partner to sit still while you lick applesauce out of her belly button might feel awkward, but a great technique for bringing up a sexual fantasy with a partner is to at least pretend it’s not awkward. If you stare at the floor, shove your hands in your pockets, and mumble, “You know, I really want to, you know, um, maybe just eat a little bit applesauce out of, you know, uh, your, uh, belly button,” your partner might not respond as well
as he or she might if you give her a big kiss and say, “Hey, I heard about this really sexy thing where I eat applesauce out of your belly button! Want to give it a try?” Negotiation is also a beautiful thing. Maybe my partner’s not ready right now to go down on me while I’m dressed as Big Bird, but a feather boa or two would be a totally OK starting point. Maybe your partner’s not totally thrilled about the idea you propose, but would be willing to give it a shot— especially if you were willing to try out this awesome idea he read about.
A great technique for bringing up a sexual fantasy with your partner is to at least pretend it’s not awkward.
One safety note—if we are consenting to act out a fantasy, especially one which might push our personal boundaries, having a safeword is a good idea. A safeword is a word designated to mean “no” or “stop” which is unlikely to come up during the course of the scene, e.g. “chocolate” (unless we’re acting out our deep Willy Wonka fantasies). When uttered by either / any party involved, a safeword stops the scene and everyone regroups to determine if and how they should continue. Fantasies are supposed to be about the things that get us hot. Men are hot. Women are hot. Steve Buscemi is hot. Whatever your sweet, sweet fantasy is, baby, it’s hot. If we’re interested in making it a reality, there are many ways in which we and our partners (if they’re involved) can keep it hot. Clear communication and a safeword can help us drop it if it turns out that it’s not.
dailycardinal.com/news
Weekend, March 27-29, 2009
Study: hospitals a source of economic growth in Wisconsin Even in light of current economic turmoil, Wisconsin hospitals have remained strong and benefit the state’s economy, according to a study released Thursday by UWExtension and the Wisconsin Hospital Association. According to professor Andrew Lewis, community development specialist for the Center for Community and Economic Development at UW-Extension, hospital employment will grow substantially over the next 10 years. He said the Department of Workforce Development projects one of every 12 new jobs will be in hospitals, which is an “incredible number.” This is because hospitals generally prosper even during tight economic times, Lewis said. “[Health care] is certainly a much more recession-proof industry than most,”
Zimmermann homicide case still active The investigation of the murder of UW-Madison student Brittany Zimmermann is still active, according to the Madison Police Department. Zimmermann, 21 at the time of her death, was found in her apartment on West Doty Street by her fiancé almost a year ago on April 2, 2008. According to the MPD, an investigative team is currently working on the case, which has become more focused over the past year. “We continue to be confident that with the support of the Zimmermann family and the community that the caring professionals of the MPD will solve this tragic crime,” MPD Chief Noble Wray said in a statement. Over the past year, over 200 tips and 2,900 pages of reports about Zimmermann’s case have been produced. Detectives have also interviewed over 700 possible suspects and contacted at least 830 people of interest. Although progress has been made on the case, Zimmermann’s family is not any closer to coming to terms with her murder. “The realization that never again will we hear Brittany’s contagious laugh, see her infectious smile or feel her arms around us in a hug is more than words can express,” Kim Heeg, Zimmermann’s aunt and the family’s spokesperson, said in a statement.
birth control from page 1 It is not possible to measure how the increased prices affected the number of unwanted pregnancies, according to NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Executive Director Lisa Subeck. She said she is hopeful pharmaceutical companies will restore the discounts and NARAL is currently urging them to do so. Roys said access to birth control is especially important to students. “I think we just have to see family planning and contraception as part of overall preventative health care, particularly for young people who are in college who want to plan their futures and delay having a family,” Roys said.
Lewis said. The study shows Wisconsin’s 145 hospitals generate $22 billion annually and provide nearly one in 14 jobs in the state. According to the study, poor economic times do have some negative impacts on hospitals. For example, hospitals face increases in charity care and bad debt during recessions. However, Lewis said Wisconsin hospitals stimulate the state economy by employing 113,000 people, creating $13 billion in revenue and purchasing $6.5 billion in services. The study concludes hospitals create a steady source of employment in all economic climates because they provide high pay relative to other service sectors, jobs across many skill levels and jobs that are not easily outsourced abroad. —Cathy Martin
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JEFF MILLER/UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
UW researchers recently discovered a way to delete genetic baggage from stem cells.
Communications, the previous problem was exotic chains from new genes and the viral vector becoming permanently integrated to the genome in the cell. “The original methods involve vectors that become inserted into the skin cell’s DNA,” Jeremy Berg, director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, said. “This is a type of mutation. Depending on where in the skin cell DNA this occurs, this can lead to disruption of key control genes that could participate in tumor development.” Before the recent breakthrough, the iPS cells still had some harmful flaws when used, making it extremely risky to use them in humans. “You just can’t move genes around willy-nilly in people. You just can’t,” Devitt said. According to Devitt, the new discovery is an advance in research because it takes the embryo out of the equation, ensuring the removal of excess genetic baggage. According to Berg, nothing is inserted into the skin cell’s DNA with the new method, successfully avoiding potential cancer problems. “Continued investigation of embryonic stem cells is still advisable, since iPS cells and true embryonic stem cells do differ in subtle ways and understanding these differences and their significance could be of considerable importance,” Berg said.
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Meow. Baby squirrels are called kittens. dailycardinal.com/comics
Weekend, March 27-29, 2009
Green Bananas
Today’s Sudoku
Anthro-apology
By Eric Wigdahl wigdahl@wisc.edu
© Puzzles by Pappocom
Angel Hair Pasta
By Todd Stevens ststevens@wisc.edu
Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. The Daily Code
Something Borrowed
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By Alex Lewein lewein@wisc.edu
The Graph Giraffe
By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu
“O’s vutj yias. Ckrr ruckx gizagrre. O’s roqk znk latmay zngz lkkjy ut vutj yias.” Quote from My Best Friends Wedding Yesterday’s Code:
“All I can say is that my life is pretty plain I like watchin’ the puddles gather rain .”
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
Evil Bird Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com VOWEL MUTATION
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Band of seven First of billions 16.5 feet “Rocky” villain Andean city Wax trapper Antic Yankee in the news, informally Four-stringed instrument, for short Doc wannabes Semiaquatic salamanders Hobby-store buys Relatives of burrows Balsamic, cider or white Seat for two or more Gain access Rub out Always, in verse Perfectly halfway from either bank Test starter? Sacred polyphonic song Old photo tint Go back Thoroughly “J’Accuse” author Zola Draped dress
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“The Wild Bunch” director Peckinpah 1972 DDT banner Container of peas ICU specialty “Big Bad John” actor Jack Brown v. Board of Education city “With ___ of thousands!” Pub competition Baseball brothers’ surname Area near the Mediterranean Get exes to become ex-exes Yellow ribbon bearer Armoire kin
21 Most urgent 22 Snack or nosh 23 Time before an important event 24 “Jaws” sighting 25 It causes blowups 26 Appear to be 30 Scythe-bearing visitor 31 180 degrees from NNW 34 66, for one (Abbr.) 35 Conductor Toscanini 38 URL punctuator 39 Satisfy, as demands 40 Assumption 41 Subtracts 42 Clearly visible 45 Snoop 46 Kind 47 Supporter’s response 49 Folklore being 51 Jack Haley role 53 What push comes to 54 Executive’s staff 57 Leave helpless with laughter 58 Toni Morrison novel 62 Not very bright 63 Penultimate Greek letter 64 Accord ender? 65 Chang’s bosom buddy?
By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu
arts
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Weekend, March 27-29, 2009
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Decemberists go rock opera on latest release By Carissa Carroll
tage, creating specific sounds that relate to the characters of the story Listening to an album by the and threading them throughout Decemberists is like listening to the album to tie it together and a master storyteller. However, add depth. the band’s singer-songwriter A highlight of the album is the Colin Meloy never holds your inclusion of Shara Worden (from hand and offers you a bedtime My Brightest Diamond) singing story. He throws you headfirst as the forest queen. Her throaty into tales of murder, revenge and voice fits perfectly, lending credibility to her star-crossed lovCD REVIEW ers, often leaving character’s claim listeners shocked of regal authority. Her songs with ghoulish are backed by delight. This has distorted guitar, never been as true which adds a sinas it is with the ister weight to her Decemberists’ lyrics and displays fifth album, The The Hazards of an evolution of Hazards of Love. Love The style of the Decemberists’ The Decemberists the album is more usual style. rock opera than a traditional set of Another addition to the usual songs. Several of the tracks were group is Becky Stark singing as originally written for a musical Margaret, providing a high reedy Meloy intended to create. After voice as a contrast to Worden’s, eventually declaring the work which works well with the pretty, “unstageable,” he turned the songs meandering love ballads she sings. into The Hazards of Love. The choice to create a narBecause of this, the 17 tracks on rative album does have the disthe album follow a story, the tale of advantage of allowing for fewer a woman named Margaret, her for- solid, single-worthy tracks. Since bidden lover and the villains who the songs are woven together, it interfere to keep them apart. Just as works better to listen to the album the title tracks from the band’s last as a whole in order to get the album, The Crane Wife, were based full effect. Still, some tracks can’t on a Japanese folktale, the ‘plot’ be held down by the overarching of The Hazards of Love was drawn plot, such as the villainous “The from numerous English ballads and Rake’s Song” and the ballad-esque the maniacal inner workings of “The Hazards of Love 1 (The Colin Meloy’s mind. Prettiest Whistles Won’t Wrestle These unusual beginnings do the Thistles Undone).” not in any way make the album Perhaps Colin Meloy thought campy or over the top; after all, The Hazards of Love was unstagethe Decemberists have a tradition able, but the band still manages to of telling sordid epics through pull together a clever tale of true their music. Rather, it allows love and its trials in an album that them to fully explore a narrative’s is a welcome addition to the band’s nuances and they take full advan- literary legacy. THE DAILY CARDINAL
PHOTO COURTESY JOSH WILDMAN
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have presented themselves as an eccentric indie rock group on their first two albums, but on their latest release, Karen O (middle) controls her wild side and fosters the band’s sound.
Say ‘Yeah’ to ‘It’s Blitz!’ Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ new release one of the best of the year By Kyle Sparks THE DAILY CARDINAL
It’s scientifically impossible to break an egg by squeezing it in one hand. Yet, there it is on the cover of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ new album It’s Blitz!: Karen O’s hand reaches in from the right and smashes that thing up, exhibiting a symbol of intimidating power and strength that YYY’s have done their best to embody in their seven years on the scene. Both the assertive title and the cover art are a little misleading, though. It’s Blitz! marks a distinct shift in sound from one of indie rock’s most heralded groups.
On It’s Blitz!, they sound like a band with a total mastery of their music.
The opening track, “Zero,” represents the trajectory toward maturity the YYY’s career had been hinting at. A buzzing synth sets the stage for the rambunctious Karen O, but instead she comes out sounding more like Madonna than Bikini Kill. Ultimately this dramatic shift in vocal delivery plays to the song’s (and the album’s) benefit. Karen O’s riot girl persona on Fever to Tell has slowly dissipated into a sophisticated indie rock goddess. Where she used to let out yelps of rage, she now ascends her voice above the sound, singing from her gut instead of her throat. Still, much of the credit for her transformation is due to the rest of the band. Whereas
Fever to Tell was largely carried by Karen O’s riotous yelps, she now blends in seamlessly with a band that’s more overpowering than ever.
CD REVIEW
It’s Blitz! Yeah Yeah Yeahs On It’s Blitz!, YYY’s sound like a band transcending their own music. They were always more avant-garde than edgy, an observation that becomes obvious on It’s Blitz!. Even 2007’s magnificent Is Is EP was a volatile force of nature, but its edges were noticeably smoothed down compared to earlier work. Here they’ve pared back their sound even more by fostering it. Instead of rushing through each hook, they nurture it, expanding their presence within it. The important component that facilitates cohesion is Karen O’s refusal to add intensity by straining her voice to its limits. Karen O’s signature shrieks and growls are minimal, replaced by densely layered, multi-dimensional music, where any forced vocal delivery would belittle the power of the track. Plain and simple, right now the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are untouchable. Everything they touch turns to gold. On It’s Blitz!, they sound like a band with a total mastery of their music, achieving any sound they put their mind to creating.
Over the last seven years, they’ve perfected melody with sparse instrumentation, and here they’ve augmented their sound to blanket the entire sonic spectrum. On one of the album’s many highlights, “Dull Life,” they take turns bouncing back and forth from echoing guitars a la Beach House and rollicking chord progressions that sound like TV on the Radio. Then they completely turn it loose, creating an explosive fury of mayhem. This is one of the only times YYY’s really let their enthusiasm take over, though. In terms of energy, It’s Blitz! is YYY’s most conservative effort, and it all stems from the increased role of the band. For example, “Skeletons” and “Dragon Queen” are complete entities even before Karen O lays down her vocals. It’s Blitz! leaves you more awestruck than exhausted, overcome by the enormity of what was once a sparse garage rock outfit. And before you know it, album closer “Little Shadow” provides the soothing ending you didn’t realize you needed until it came. A lullaby-like beginning signals the end of the road, rocking you to relaxation before it crescendos just enough to rouse the energy in listeners to hit “repeat.” So they’ve done it, they’ve broken the egg with one hand. They’ve forged a garage-rock sound that translates equally well to an arena. They’ve toned down their sound while making it even more powerful. They’ve grown beyond their own sound and fallen into a new one that fits just as well, and in the process, they’ve crafted an early favorite for album of the year.
PHOTO COURTESY CAPITOL RECORDS
The Decemberists are an oddity in indie rock, blurring boundaries between folk, garage rock, bard’s tales and timeless fashion statements (above).
Weekend On The Town When: Friday March 27, 7 p.m. Where: Neighborhood House Community Center at 29 S. Mills St. Who: The United Sons of Toil, Dissent and Revolt, Bilderberg and Pushmi-Pullyu Cost: $5 cover charge Why: All of the money collected from cover charge fees will be donated to Neighborhood House’s emergency pantry fund
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dailycardinal.com/opinion
Weekend, March 27-29, 2009
view
Editorial Cartoon
By Levi Prombaum opinion@dailycardinal.com
Cardinal View editorials represent The Daily Cardinal’s organizational opinion. Each editorial is crafted independent of news coverage.
sex column unfair target for censor
A
t the University of Montana, a sex column has sparked a fervent response from a member of the university staff. Kristen Juras, a University of Montana law professor who opposes the publication of the sex column in the school’s Kaimin newspaper, is threatening to take her case to the state legislature unless the newspaper establishes written policies for reviewing content and hiring employees. As a faculty member of the school, Juras says the column is “inappropriate” for college students and negatively affects her reputation. Juras also says that because the columnist is not an accredited “sexpert,” she is not qualified to write a sex column.
Having earned her degree in law, we would expect Juras to know about freedom of the press.
In the past, school newspapers that receive school funds must operate within certain guidelines. However, though the paper does receive student fees, it generates 65 percent of its income through ad revenue. Furthermore, the paper operates in an office purchased by a private donor. Regardless of whether the complaint came from a professor or a student, the newspaper has the right to decide the best course of action for the column, not a power play by a university official. The most glaring issue in this case is the professor’s actions to infringe upon the columnist’s freedom of speech. Having gotten her degree in law, we would
expect Juras to know about freedom of the press and an individual’s right to free speech. If the newspaper bends to the professor’s will, there would be little stopping her or other readers from complaining about anything they deem offensive, leading to censorship and conformity for the independent newspaper. Student newspapers are about appealing to the students who write in it, and the student’s column was by no means meant to offend anyone. If Juras does not agree with the material, she should just avoid reading it. Her reputation was not connected to the sex column in any way until she brought up this case and involved herself in the matter. Additionally, the claim that a college sex columnist should have a degree in sexology is as ridiculous as expecting a McDonald’s employee to have gone to culinary school. The writer even discloses at the beginning of her column that though she is not an actual “sexpert,” she has “years of experience.” If Juras feels that a student without a degree in sexology is unprofessional, she might want to think twice about how it looks having a law professor contacting her state legislature to complain about a sex column.
The writer even discloses at the beginning of the column that though she is not a “sexpert,” she has “years of experience.”
Working around hormonefilled college students, Juras should know that sex is on students’ minds and they have every right to write and read what they want on the matter. With local students outraged about Juras’ complaints, maybe she should take the columnist’s advice and get some protection. At the very least, Juras could stop being so anal about the content in the school newspaper.
Homelessness challenge demands student action By Michael Moran WUD SOCIETY AND POLITICS COMMITTEE
I have never been without a home or owned only the things I could carry, but a countless and growing population is undergoing a life of homelessness. Every trip down reliable State Street reminds me that there are people without a warm, safe place to go. If the weather is bearable, they shake their cups. That’s not something we should be alright with. In a city with such a rich background of human rights movements and rallies, I’m surprised to find the problem shaking in our face to be overlooked? There are several student organizations that put a cause to action and strive to alleviate the hardships of homelessness. WISPIRG has sponsored Hunger and Homelessness Awareness weeks, as well as various Hunger Clean-ups. Street Pulse prints monthly copies of the Street Pulse paper. The paper is then sold to Street Pulse vendors at 25 cents
per paper, who are either homeless or marginalized. The vendors in turn distribute the paper for a suggested dollar donation. This provides a work setting to those who would typically be denied any work. Street Pulse is also sponsoring a Box City in Library Mall on April 4th to raise homeless awareness.
Most importantly, don’t allow the atrocities of homelessness to pass without a fight. We are Madison, hear us roar.
Don’t let the progress end with these two groups. Certainly join them if you’re interested, but there’s still more everyone can do to help the homeless. Start a clothing drive in your dorm, apartment, fraternity or sorority and donate to shelters in
the Madison area. The shelters are becoming overwhelmed, especially with the economy scare, and need more help than ever. The River, a major shelter in the area, can no longer keep up with the demands for the food and clothing they supply and have begun halving the amount of support they can provide to each person. Find a shelter and support with whatever you can spare. If you’re feeling really ambitious, we have our lovely capitol within walking distance to lobby bills and hold rallies. UW-Madison and student organizations offer great resources for activism. All it takes is a little initiative and innovation and the support will come. Most importantly, don’t allow the atrocities of homelessness to pass without a fight. We are Madison, hear us roar. Michael Moran is a member of the WUD Society and Politics Committee. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
Letter to the Editor: Nuclear energy article exaggerates concerns In his March 23 article entitled “State not ready for more nuclear power,” Ryan Dashek makes good
points on nuclear energy while raising legitimate concerns, but does not put them into perspective. The impacts from irreversible climate change vastly outweigh the comparatively minuscule risks posed by used nuclear fuel. By volume, all the used fuel in the U.S. could be stacked on the field of Camp Randall stadium about 20 feet high. The form is a solid, water-insoluble ceramic shipped in incredibly durable containers designed to withstand extreme impacts. Transporting explosive gasoline poses a far greater risk, and yet we routinely allow these shipments on our highways. Rigorous analysis shows Yucca Mountain, a repository candidate, will most likely contain the byproducts almost indefinitely. Over a billion years ago, a natural nuclear reactor in Gabon, Africa, operated, and most of its fis-
sion products only moved several meters. Recycling nuclear fuel can dramatically reduce volume and required storage time by more than 95 percent. The problem is much more tractable than many believe. In addition, on a per energy basis, a nuclear plant provides more permanent, high-paying and multidisciplinary jobs than any other electricity source. Nuclear energy is a good investment for our economy as well. Alternative technologies should be utilized too. However, combating climate change without expanding nuclear power is impractical. The benefits far outweigh the risks, and Wisconsin law should be changed to allow for more nuclear power. —Rachel Slaybaugh Graduate student Nuclear Engineering
sports
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Monday, March 30, 2009
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Men’s Tennis
Badgers net home victories over Wolverines, Spartans By Emma Condon
ence play three weeks ago on the road against Illinois and Indiana, where they lost both matches. With this weekend’s wins, the Badgers improved to 13-5 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten. The Badgers fought tooth and nail to pick up the doubles point against No. 51 Michigan after freshman Patrick Pohlmann and junior Michael Dierberger fell to Wolverine opponents 8-4 at the No. 3 position. Juniors Michael Muskievicz and Luke Rassow-Kantor played steadily through 13 consecutive holds of serve to break Wolverines senior Andrew Mazlin and sophomore Chris Madden at 7-6 and collect the match 8-6. Finally, the No.
Junior Moritz Baumann, ranked No.47 in the country, won all four of his matches over the weekend.
hasn’t faced a third set in nearly two months, regrouped quickly to dismiss Michigan sophomore Jason Jung without even a final hold 6-2, 6-7 (1), 6-0. “I was serving for the match and I struggled a little bit, I lost a little bit of focus there, so it was hard to get back … but then the third set I played pretty well again, and I felt comfortable,” Baumann said. Finally, No. 37 Michalicka came up with the break to move up 4-3, end his match 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-4 and extend the Wolverine’s slump to eight losses (6-12, 0-3). The win snapped the Badgers' own five-game losing streak against the Wolverines who lead the Badgers all-time 8-69-1. “We were ranked ahead of them a little bit and they had lost some real tight matches this year, so it was sort of a tough match for us,” Austin said. “On paper we were maybe favored a little bit, but we’ve lost some really tight 4-3s to them the last few years, so I think all the guys went in knowing it was going to be a battle definitely, and we were able to kind of tough it out in the end.” Sunday, the Badgers leveled their alltime record (34-34) against Michigan State (12-7 overall, 0-4 Big Ten) with a win over the Trojans 6-1. With all three matches, the Badgers recorded the doubles point with clean play and firm wins at all three positions and continued the onslaught in singles, where Pohlmann took out senior Scott Rasmussen to earn the team’s second point in a 6-1, 6-1 spree. “I just played my tennis,” Pohlmann said. “I was relaxed on the court, I thought that I am going to win, so I tried to focus and just play my game.”
volleyball from page 8
Men’s and women’s track
THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Wisconsin men’s tennis team posted their first two Big Ten wins with a 4-3 victory over Michigan and a resounding 6-1 victory over Michigan State last weekend at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. “We had a lot of good wins here early on and to start off 0-2 in the conference, we were a little frustrated,” assistant coach Evan Austin said. “It was good to have a good home weekend and get ourselves going in the right direction.” The Badgers had only recorded two losses before they opened confer-
17 duo of junior Moritz Baumann and sophomore Marek Michalicka secured the point for Wisconsin with some heavy serves in the tiebreak game to go 9-8 (3). Despite Pohlmann’s quick singles win at No. 3, the Wolverines picked up three points with straight-set victories at No. 4, 5 and 6, leading for the first time in the match. At No. 1 and 2 Baumann and Michalicka both found themselves in decisive, must-win third sets to pick up Wisconsin's first Big Ten win and snap the Badgers' five-game losing streak against the Wolverines. The No. 47-ranked Baumann, who
LORENZO ZEMELLA/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
The Badgers are also in the midst of switching back to a 5-1 offense after spending last season in a 6-2 offense. The 6-2 utilizes two setters, but after the graduation of setter Nikki Klingsporn, Gabrielsen will be the primary player at the position. “[The new offense] is a little different for me, no hitting,” Gabrielsen said. “I think some people are moving to new positions, like Caity DuPont on the right side. So we’re trying to get used to it right now and hopefully we’ll get better at it during the spring season.” Coaching across from Waite was a familiar face—Christy Johnson, who coached at Wisconsin for several seasons. Johnson’s Cyclones also upset the thenNo.8 Badgers in the Field House in the second round of the 2007 NCAA tournament. JOHNSON Waite said that the teams had visited each other in past springs, adding that they had a good scrimmage before the match. He also spoke warmly of Johnson, calling her a great friend. The Cyclones also provided a test for a young Badger squad, which missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in Waite’s tenure last season. “You want strong teams [as spring opponents],” Waite said.
“You don’t want someone weak to come in here and you just can serve the ball over and they can’t get it back and you don’t have any rallies. So because they’re a strong team it was a great
challenge for us, and even in a time when we graduated a bunch and some people are sick and injured, it’s still a challenge for us to step up and learn some mental toughness.”
THE DAILY CARDINAL
Sophomore middle blocker Elle Ohlander (18) had three block assists against Iowa State, but the Badgers were out-blocked 20-3.
“We knew from the beginning there were going to be a lot of 4-3 so we’ve gotten more comfortable ... in those situations.” Evan Austin assistant coach Wisconsin men's tennis
“I think it was good to get sort of a comfortable win going into next weekend but it's going to be more important to have a good week of practice and set ourselves up to do well on the road next weekend,” said Austin as the Badgers look to Big Ten foes No. 58 Northwestern and Purdue. “We knew from the beginning there were going to be a lot of 4-3 matches so we’ve gotten more comfortable I think in those situations, and it’s just really good to see our guys step up in those situations … and that’s going to pay off for us.” The Badgers will look to add two more wins to their conference score next weekend against Northwestern next Saturday and Purdue on Sunday.
Dehn, DeFilippo qualify for NCAA regionals in Palo Alto By Adam Tupitza
DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Next, sophomore Peter Marrack and Muskievicz contributed two more straight-set victories to give the Badgers the singles split and secured the meet at 4-0 for the cardinal and white. Baumann maintained his perfect record, collecting his 18th singles victory of the year and sending away Trojan senior Alex Forger 6-3, 6-3. With the result determined, Michalicka came back from a first set loss and added another Badger win for good measure, defeating his opponent in a decisive tiebreak 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-4) and improving the Badger score to 6-1.
The Wisconsin men’s and women’s track and field teams each competed in the Stanford Invitational this past Friday and Saturday in Palo Alto, Calif. Sophomore Robert Dehn and freshman Mickey DeFilippo posted the most impressive results on the men’s side, each qualifying for the NCAA Mideast Regional with their marks. Dehn threw 214 feet, 6 inches in the javelin to secure sixth place, while DeFilippo finished fourth in the pole vault with a height of 16'6". Both scores give each player a spot in the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships, to be held the last weekend of May in Louisville, Ky. The other men’s field result was an 11th place finish in the discus by junior Rory Linder, with a throw of 148', 4". On the track, two UW teammates competed in the 200 meters. Sophomore Chas DeMers finished seventh with a time of 21.76 seconds, while freshman Brady Hammon finished 11th at 21.87 seconds. Also, Wisconsin’s entry in the 4x400meter relay finished third with a time of 3:15.82. The men’s team will again head to a warm weather destination next weekend, as they are scheduled to compete in the Jim Clark Shootout in Tucson, Ariz.
On the women’s side, senior Sarah Hurley finished 17th of 36 in the 3000 meter steeplechase with a time of 10:32.53. Junior Maggie Collison also competed in the event, finishing 30th at 11:11.11. The women will take a break from competition until a scheduled trip to Westwood, Calif., to take part in the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner Kersee Invite in two weeks. —uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.
NICK KOGOS/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
Sophomore sprinter Chas DeMers finished seventh in the 200 meters at Stanford
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dailycardinal.com/sports
Monday, March 30, 2009
Softball
UW earns first conference win at Indiana By Joe Skurzewski THE DAILY CARDINAL
LORENZO ZEMELLA/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
Junior pitcher Letty Olivarez pitched a complete game in the opening win over Indiana, but her homer could not propel UW to a sweep.
The Wisconsin softball team (1-3 Big Ten, 11-21 overall) split a pair of games Saturday against the Indiana Hoosiers (1-3, 5-23) in Bloomington, Ind. The Badgers won game one 5-4 but lost game two 3-2, their ninth one-run loss of the season. Both the Badgers and the Hoosiers entered Saturday’s play looking to get their first conference victories, and both were shut out by their Big Ten opponents last weekend with the Badgers losing a pair to Purdue and the Hoosiers dropping two games to Minnesota. Badger junior pitcher Letty Olivarez got the ball in game one, facing off with Indiana senior Ashley Hobbs. Wisconsin and Indiana got their offenses going right away in the top of the first. The Badgers played small ball, plating three runs off singles from freshman Karla Powell, sophomores Jennifer Krueger and Livi Abney, and senior Leah Vanevenhoven, as well as a sacrifice bunt from senior Theresa Boruta. Indiana responded in their half of the inning when Hoosier senior Emily Bergeson hit a two-run home run off Olivarez. Wisconsin scored runs in the second and third innings—runs
which would prove important later on and took a 5-2 lead. The Hoosiers stormed back in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring two runs and cutting the Badgers’ lead to one. But Olivarez managed to shut down Indiana’s offense in the seventh and clinch the victory. Olivarez hurled a complete game, giving up four runs on six hits to the Hoosiers. Despite her struggles in the first and sixth innings, the Wisconsin lineup gave her enough run support to win. In game two, Va n e v e n h o v e n faced off in the circle with Indiana sophomore Sara Olson. However, Va n e v e n h o v e n was quickly KRUGER replaced by Olivarez in the first inning after giving up two runs on two hits after facing only five batters. Wisconsin fought back in the third and fourth innings to tie the game at two. In the third, Krueger tripled and was brought home by a Boruta single. Then, in the fourth, Olivarez tied the game with a solo home run.
But Indiana’s Bergeson had the Badgers’ number in game two, hitting another home run in the bottom of the fifth and giving Indiana the lead for good. Despite a rally in the seventh, Wisconsin could not come back, and the Hoosiers won 3-2. Olivarez fell to 8-15 on the season, giving up five runs on 14 hits in the two games. Krueger and Boruta provided the highlights for the Badgers’ offense against Indiana. Krueger returned to the lineup after having to leave a game against North Dakota last Wednesday when she was hit in the head by a pitch. In the two games, Krueger went 5-of7 at the plate, crossing home plate four times. Meanwhile, Boruta went 3-of-7 hitting. Wisconsin now posts a record of 5-9 in one-run games this season. In those nine losses, only four of the Badgers’ opponents have winning records. The Badgers now prepare to face off with a cross-state rival, the UW-Green Bay Phoenix, in a doubleheader this Wednesday, April 4, at the Goodman Softball Complex. Game one starts at 4 p.m., with game two slated to begin at 6 p.m. —uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.
Volleyball
Undermanned Badgers drop four sets to ISU at Field House Without Dolgner, Wisconsin struggles against ex-coach By Ben Breiner THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Badgers opened their home spring season without one of their best players and lost all four sets they played against Iowa State Saturday afternoon. Senior outside hitter Brittney Dolgner, who led the team in kills last season, stood in the corner in street clothes making calls as the Badgers fell 25-14, 25-20, 25-12, 25-12. Due to the informal nature
of the match, the Cyclones took the court in shirts with numbers taped to the backs rather than jerseys, and the usual rule of bestof-five sets for victory was cast off. Wisconsin used only eight players during the match due to injuries and illnesses. “A lot of [the players] were sick this week and we almost cancelled this event because we didn’t have enough bodies, and obviously Brittney sat out the whole thing,” Wisconsin head coach Pete Waite said. “It’s one of those things where you want to be smart and be healthy for the fall, so we don’t want to risk anything with her going when she shouldn’t be going.”
The Badgers were competitive in the first two sets, but never led in the final two. Junior Allison Wack made the biggest impact on the stat sheet for Wisconsin, accruing 16 kills and 17 attack errors. “[Wack] really today became the go-to hitter, [Sophomore setter Janelle Gabrielsen] was setting the ball well and she was scoring well,” Waite said, noting that his line-ups were scrambled due to the limited roster. “Someone like [senior setter] Jessa [Benson], she was playing on the left side where she’s really a setter and she had to play that role with Brittney being out.” Iowa State, however, held a decisive edge in hitting, with a
percent of .239 compared to -.104 for the Badgers. The Cyclones also dominated at the net, outblocking Wisconsin 20-3. The Badger players and coaches agreed after the game that while the day’s results were not necessarily sterling, the spring season is more about getting players more experience and improv-
ing execution. “Spring is more the season to test out your new lineups,” Wack said. “We’re just trying a whole new thing this year. So really spring doesn’t count with your record, it’s just kind of a measuring stick.” volleyball page 7
DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Junior outside hitter Allison Wack was the go-to player for the Badger offense Saturday, leading the team with 16 kills and 51 total attacks.