Thursday, April 30, 2009 - The Daily Cardinal

SAVING SPECIES ONE STUDENT AT A TIME Gas emissions from everyday activities wreak havoc on species struggling to survive

University of Wisconsin-Madison

FEATURES

The Thermals grab a group of friends from Portland, Ore. to rock the High Noon Saloon l

Complete campus coverage since 1892

PAGE 6

l

ARTS

l

PAGE 7

dailycardinal.com

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Mifflin receives lastminute sponsorship Block party sponsored for the first time since ’95

By Gabe Ubatuba THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Madison Street Use Staff Team voted unanimously Wednesday to grant a street use permit to Saturday’s 40th annual Mifflin Street Block Party, making the event officially sponsored for the first time since 1995.

Although the city’s risk manager must review the event’s insurance certificate to be completely official, Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, believes that will be a non-issue.

“I think it’s a done deal,” Verveer said.

This comes as a relief to Verveer, as the partnership between WSUM

91.7 and DCNY PRO LLC., a local production company, ends months of trying to find a sponsor to the block party.

“We’ve had a lot of false starts, starting with [the Wisconsin Union Directorate],” Verveer said. “WUD was told they couldn’t participate by Bascom Hall administrators, and I was just very relieved that WSUM came to the rescue.”

The permit allows for organizers to set up a stage at the intersection of Bassett and Mifflin Street, as well as block off the 400 and 500 block of West Mifflin Street and the 10 and 100 block of North Bassett Street.

Police will also block off the 10 and 100 blocks of both Bedford and Broom Street.

Although the event is now sponsored, the usual police policies, such as open container laws, will be in mifflin page 3

GRAPHIC BY ISABEL ALVAREZ/THE DAILY CARDINAL

The campus student government, the Associated Students of Madison, gives millions in university funds to student organizations each semester. The funds come from fees paid by every student on campus.

Follow THE MONEY

Groups may spend over $100k on salaries, others are left unfunded entirely

By Charles Brace THE DAILY CARDINAL

On Tuesday, the first part of this series looked at the amount of oversight of student groups that receive millions in university funds. However, the groups’ spending patterns provoke questions concerning necessary spending as well as the funding approval criteria.

ISABEL ALVAREZ/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said the city will launch several initiatives to preserve the lake and air quality in Madison.

Local officials push for greater environmental consciousness Lead singer of Guster promotes environmental awareness on campus through panel discussion

By Andrea Carlson THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group’s Big Red Go Green campaign hosted a panel Wednesday, allowing local officials to educate citizens about developing environmentally friendly practices.

The panel, organized by Big Red Go Green student interns, featured Guster lead singer Adam Gardner and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.

Eric Schmidt, director of the Wisconsin Union Directorate Distinguished Lecture Series, emceed the event. The distinguished lecture committee is the first carbon-neutral committee on campus, according to Schmidt. panel page 5

Salaries dominate budgets For many of the student groups, positions are not solely volunteer-based. Of the groups that receive money from the General Student Services Fund, the main pool of funding for student groups, almost all have salaried positions.

Leadership positions are typically salaried for funded groups, but many groups also have parttime positions where a student can earn an above-average wage for working 12 to 15 weeks.

According to the budget approved for the Greater University Tutoring Service in the upcoming fiscal year, five “student assistant” positions pay $9.19 per hour over 34 weeks, with each person expected to work 12 hours per week.

When the salaries of every GUTS position are added up, it totals $102,819.50. Such amounts for student group salaries are the norm on campus.

The MultiCultural Student Coalition has one of the largest budgets for salaries, totaling $131,117.04 for the 2009-’10

fiscal year, according to documents approved by the Associated Students of Madison Student Council in February.

This means over half of the budget given to MCSC is spent on salaries, which is also true for the groups Adventure Leadership Programs, the Campus Women’s Center, GUTS, PAVE, Badger Catholic, Sex Out Loud, WISPIRG, Wisconsin Student Lobby and the Working Class Student Union, among others.

WISPIRG does not give its student leaders a stipend, according to WISPIRG Treasurer Ashleigh Michael, though the group does have paid staff like many other groups.

Paid non-student staff at GSSF groups typically earn between $15,000 and $20,000 per year.

Some groups, like the Working Class Student Union, have budgets for next year that will pay group leaders for 46 weeks at 20 hours a week, with groups mandated to provide some services over the summer.

PART 2 OF 2

ssfc page 4

First probable Wis. swine flu cases reported, alert raised

By Megan Orear THE DAILY CARDINAL

Health officials announced the first three probable cases of swine flu have surfaced in Wisconsin Wednesday, the same day the World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert to its second-highest level.

An adult and child in Milwaukee and another adult in Adams County have tested probable for the virus. Their samples have been sent to the Centers

for Disease control in Atlanta for confirmation.

According to state health officer Dr. Seth Foldy, it is rare for a case categorized as “probable” not to be confirmed as the swine flu.

In response to these cases, four Milwaukee public schools will be closed until further notice, a move Foldy said was taken “out of abundance of caution.”

Wednesday also marked the first swine flu death in the United States, a 22-month child in Texas,

and the amount of confirmed cases in the U.S. grew to 91.

According to Foldy, the risk of this disease of the average Wisconsinite is very low, as only 3 of 140 tests performed came back probable.

After the outbreak of the swine flu in Mexico last week, UWMadison officials advised students and faculty against traveling to the country. However, student swine flu page 5

“…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

l

Thursday, April 30, 2009

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

TODAY: t-showers hi 71º / lo 45º

dailycardinal.com/pagetwo

Hello! Over here. You’ll be my friend, right?

Volume 118, Issue 141

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 Gabe Ubatuba Campus Editor Erin Banco Rachel Holzman City Editor State Editor Megan Orear Charles Brace Enterprise Editor Associate News Editor Caitlin Gath Opinion Editors Nick Dmytrenko Jon Spike Arts Editors Kevin Slane Justin Stephani Sports Editors Ben Breiner Crystal Crowns Features Editor Diana Savage Food Editor Sara Barreau Science Editor Bill Andrews Photo Editors Kyle Bursaw Lorenzo Zemella Graphics Editors Amy Giffin Jenny Peek Copy Chiefs Kate Manegold Emma Roller Jake Victor Copy Editors Anthony Cefali, Teresa Floberg, Jamie Stark, Megan Kozelek, Qi Gu

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Alex Kusters Advertising Manager Sheila Phillips Mindy Cummings Billing Manager Accounts Receivable Manager Cole Wenzel Account Executives Katie Brown Ana Devcic, Natalie Kemp Tom Shield Eric Harris, Dan Hawk Web Directors Marketing Director Heath Bornheimer 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 Nick Dmytrenko Dave Heller Alex Morrell Frances Provine Todd Stevens Jon Spike Gabe Ubatuba

MATT HUNZIKER his dark matterials

H

i. Hello. Yes. Hi? Yes. You’ll be my friend, right?

Yes, that was me tapping you on the shoulder while you attempted to carry on a conversation with a person other than me. I would have waited for you two to conclude your exchange but I just remembered another interesting aside to the story about my uncomfortable late formative years—the story I was relating to you in the corner of the kitchen when you excused yourself to the bathroom several minutes ago.

So anyway, after my first roommate transferred to another school—you know what? We should exchange phone numbers. I’m always up for things. I could call you a half-dozen times in a row some evening or just show up at your apartment unannounced to keep you company when you’re working on stuff or trying to unwind.

l

l

l

l

l

l

© 2009, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398

For the record The April 29 article “Outside groups spent over $1million in court race” incorrectly reported all of the money referenced went toward Wisconsin’s State Supreme Court. It actually was spent in both the Supreme Court race and the State Superintendent race, not just the high court election. The Cardinal regrets the error.

Okay, I can tell that my inability to pick up on your displays of polite uninterest is making you uncomfortable.

Frankly, you should have given up any hope that these none-too-subtle social clues would work after observing my tendency to stand six inches away from you while over-disclosing my personal issues without breaking eye contact or blinking for minutes at a time. But you seem nice, so let me explain how this is going to work.

You’ll give me your phone number in the false hope that it will get rid of me. I’ll continue my discomfiting anecdotes about people who are of no particular interest to you until you find an excuse to leave, then after tonight, you’ll ignore my calls, which will become gradually less frequent after what seems like an impossibly long interval of time.

Of course, we could also discuss these issues over dinner next week.

Does Thursday still work for you?

Matt’s last column in the Daily Cardinal runs next Thursday. He’ll just wait over here by the stereo for you to contact him at hunziker@wisc.edu. Or we could do lunch. How’s Thai?

OPEN SUNDAYS

Capital Brewery rustic ale

NFL Sunday Ticket

Open

M - F at 8am

25 1 $ 00 3 $

Capital Brewery tricked me when they threw the word “Rustic” on its ale, making me think it was a perfect beer for the country. Being a country boy from the rolling cornfields of Washington, DC, I had high expectations, even for a beer that was on sale for $4.99.

REG COFFEE

CAFE LATTES & CAPPUCCINO

l

l

a cool place, isn’t it?

Well, they seem nice. But let’s go talk in the other room. Here, I’ll stand in the middle of the doorway.

You look like you’re uncomfortable. Yeah, this party is kind of boring.

And this music really sucks. It’s your favorite band? That’s cool. We should go to their concert next month. I bet we could get tickets on Thursday if the place is open. Would that be a good night to get sushi? Here, I’ll enter a reminder about it into my phone.

Hey, that reminds me—we forgot to exchange numbers earlier. I think we got sidetracked talking to those other people. But anyway, are you ready?

Your phone’s dead? That sucks.

Cell phones are the worst. I used to have so much trouble getting a hold of one of my friends. I think they must have moved eventually.

But here, I can still get your number and then give you a call when your phone is charged. It should be okay by tomorrow, right? We could go get those tickets then!

So... what’s the number?

8... Okay, and the next digits? ...

8... 4... uhuh.

New Beer Thursday

Bar & Grill

l

Board of Directors

And did I overhear the two of you discussing the prospect of dinner sometime next week? I’d love to. Is sushi okay with you? Or we could do whatever you wanted. Great! It’s a date then. Well, no—not a “date” date.

That’s not what I meant—although how cute a couple would the two of us make? But no. Let’s take things slowly for now. We can see how we feel after dinner next week.

You’re getting another drink? Okay.

I’ll just wait here in the living room expectantly until you return.

Wait. Hello? Yes. Hi. Yes, that was me tapping again. Yep, you know, right after you mentioned it, I decided I’d like to get another drink too—is the reason I’m following close behind you.

Hey, we should throw a party like this together some time. Is your place big enough to have a lot of people over? It’ll have to be if we’re going to have a karaoke machine and everything. But we can figure that part out over sushi.

Oh, are these other friends of yours we’re walking toward? Great. We can invite them to our party later.

Hi guys! Nice to meet you. This is

The Churchkey

l

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

FRIDAY: PM showers hi 58º / lo 37º

COFFEE &

ESPRESSO BAR

626 University Ave. 259-0444

I couldn’t fathom why Capital would lead me so astray.

Keeping in mind the price, but also minding the fact that Capital is a reputable brewery, I doused my tastebuds with the first splash of this farm beverage, expecting to close my eyes and go back to the good old days.

Needless to say, that didn’t happen.

There’s a mild malty flavor and not much else, while it’s still thick enough

that it feels heavy going down.

Confused, disgruntled and upset, I couldn’t fathom why Capital would lead me so astray. I pondered, and finally came to the conclusion that they meant a different kind of rustic, something the dictionary confirmed. “Made of the rough limbs of trees,” Webster.com says. What an avant garde method of brewing beer. Bravo!

Yet, in the end, it’s an undesirable drink. Keeping the price in mind— which is only for a short period of time—it might not be a dumb purchase, because at least it’s a classy looking bottle. But in the end, there’s no reason I wouldn’t splurge the extra buck for a sixer of Schlitz.

Capital Brewery • Rustic Ale $4.99 at Riley’s Wines of the World

CLIMB ON BOARD OUR PAGE 2 TEAM AS A COLUMNIST FOR THE 2009-’10 ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR! We are now accepting applications for Page 2 columnist positions!

All five positions for each day of the week are up for grabs. To apply, please send three (3) sample columns between 600-750 words to features@dailycardinal.com

by TOMORROW!

dailycardinal.com/news

Thursday, April 30, 2009

l

news

3

Lawmakers pass bill to fight employee discrimination

By Grace Urban THE DAILY CARDINAL

ISABEL ALVAREZ/THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison students who did not attend college directly after high school received scholarships from the Adult and Student Services Center Wednesday.

Campus leaders honor unique students for earning UW degrees

By Brandice Altfillisch THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Adult and Student Services Center honored 26 students at the Pyle Center Wednesday for their tenacity in earning a UW-Madison degree.

According to Judith Strand, director of the Adult and Student Services Center, the goal of the event was to commemorate “non-traditional” students who persevered in pursuing their academic goals.

Recipients of the awards included men and women who did not attend college directly after graduating high school.

“It is a really important way to recognize a specific population of our campus that often goes unnoticed,” Dean of Students Lori Berquam said.

“These are, really, non-traditional students and they’ve had, usually, quite an

amazing past in terms of what’s gotten them to this point.”

The ASSC scholarships were divided into two different categories; those that were for the 2009-2010 academic year and those that were for single parents. The categories included the Bernice D. Kuney Scholarship, the University League Scholarship and the Bernard Osher Reentry Scholarship.

Molinda Henry, one of eleven recipients of the Osher Scholarship, said her daughter inspired her to go back to school and earn a college degree. “[The scholarship] means everything to me, it’s like freedom, it’s like a passport to anywhere I want to go,” she said.

Jacqueline Buleje, another recipient of the Osher Scholarship, said she has not attended school in almost

nine years.

“I left for family responsibility before my grandparents passed away, and it was my job to … take over my family at that point in time,” she said.

“Now it’s my turn to come back and finish what I started.”

The ASSC gave 11 to 13 scholarships each year prior to the addition of the Osher Scholarship in 2006. The association currently gives out 26 scholarships and awards annually. This year 143 students submitted applications.

The first Adult Student Scholarships and Awards Reception took place in 1980 after former Dean of Students Mary Rouse and former Director of Outreach Development Peg Geisler initiated the recognition of older students.

For more information on ASSC visit www.dcs.wisc.edu.

State lawmakers to re-introduce bill raising tax on beer

By Megan Orear THE DAILY CARDINAL

A bill to raise the tax on beer will soon be introduced to the Wisconsin state Legislature, but it is already receiving opposition from the governor and alcohol providers.

State Rep. Terese Berceau, DMadison, and state Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, are co-sponsoring the bill, which would raise the tax on a barrel of beer from $2 to $10, increasing the amount of taxes paid on one 12 oz. bottle to 2.4 cents.

The proposal would generate $40 million in revenue.

Berceau first proposed the beer tax four years ago, and she said she is re-introducing it because

she has noticed growing support from the public.

“I’ve had constituents come up to me and say, ‘Why don’t you raise that tax? We need the money,’” she said, in reference to the state’s projected $5.9 billion budget deficit.

She admitted the bill would be difficult to pass because lawmakers are afraid to put their name out there in public in favor of taxes “people can really understand.”

All-Wisconsin Alcohol Risk Education, a coalition to fight alcohol abuse, including UW Health in addition to law enforcement agencies and other health-care providers, is encouraging people to urge their state representatives to co-sponsor the bill.

Gov. Jim Doyle included a tax increase on cigarettes in his budget, but opposes the beer tax increase because “it is possible to responsibly enjoy a beer without any health risks,” while there is no healthy level of smoking, spokesperson Lee Sensenbrenner said.

Pete Madland, executive director of the Tavern League of Wisconsin, said this tax increase would disproportionately affect lower- and middleclass people, and it is a bad idea to put more pressure on the beer industry, especially during some of the worst economic conditions in 70 years.

“It is just not good economic policy to be taxing an industry that is important to our state,” he said.

UWPD investigates increase in campus vehicle break-ins The University of Wisconsin Police Department acknowledged the recent trend of vehicle break-ins throughout the downtown Madison area Thursday.

“There were ten [vehicle breakins] since April 15, the rate is higher than normal,” Lt. Eric Holen of UWPD said.

According to Joel DeSpain, spokesperson for the Madison Police Department, thieves are typically looking for items of value, mostly including electronic items and purses.

Currently, MPD has not registered any vehicle break-in case with a violent outcome.

“It typically happens when people are away from their vehicles, and sometimes happens in underground parking areas,” DeSpain said. “It will typically occur late at night and people find their cars have been broken into.”

Holen said in order to prevent theft from a vehicle, people should lock their cars and reduce the amount of valuables present in the vehicle or

hide them from view.

Location of parked cars is also important when trying to avoid theft, according to police officials.

“We would encourage people to park their cars in the levels of the parking ramp closest to the most activity, so that there are more people in those areas,” Holen said.

Anyone who sees suspicious activity is encouraged to call the police department and share their information.

—Patricia Mo

Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 20 51-47 Wednesday, an equal pay act allowing workers to pursue compensatory and punitive damages resulting from workplace discrimination in a court of law.

According to bill co-sponsor and Labor Committee Chair Rep. Christine Sinicki, D-Milwaukee, the bill has been in the works for 10 years.

Rebekah Sweeny, spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, attributes the bill’s passage to the Democrats’ gain of state Assembly majority in November.

“This is the first time Democrats have had a chance to consider measures of their own,” Sweeny said.

According to Mike Mikalsen, spokesperson for Rep. Steve Nass, D-Whitewater, SB 20 expands upon the current fair employment law, which allows the Department of Workforce Development to resolve cases of discrimination through their administrative process.

“The current law allows the Department of Workforce Development to reinstate a worker, to require that that worker receive all backpay, and … order that attorney fees and costs are covered,” Mikalsen said.

mifflin from page 1 place. The police’s crackdown on the event has previously drawn the ire of Verveer, but he said that because the party is no longer an “illegal party,” police will be more lenient.

“We now have a sponsor, we have a permit in hand, we have some semblance of organization to this event,” Verveer said.

The stage will be “about as simple as you can get for a street performance,” according to Matt Rockwell, chief engineer for WSUM, with DJs from the radio station playing with a

According to the bill text, those who have been discriminated against will now be able to take action in circuit court to recover compensatory and punitive damages caused by acts of discrimination in the workplace.

Despite passage of the bill, many Republicans feel SB 20 is more about helping trial lawyers than helping workers, and is a “jobkilling bill.”

“This is a payback to trial lawyers for their political activity last fall,” Mikalsen said.

However, Rep. James Soletski, D-Green Bay, said he doesn’t think it is a “big money maker” for trial lawyers.

“It’s a chance for someone to get some redress for real discrimination in the workplace,” Soletski said.

Yet Mikalsen believes SB 20, once signed into law, will increase litigation and negatively affect businesses and employment.

“Increased costs mean less money to hire someone or to give to employees in terms of pay increases,” Mikalsen said.

However, Soletski said he doesn’t foresee the bill having a large effect on employment.

“If employers don’t discriminate against their employees, we don’t have a problem,” Sweeny explained. potential headliner.

Dave Black, general manager of WSUM, said safety at the stage will be of little issue due to the behavior of partygoers around DJs. “When you have DJs, people tend to not clump and push toward the stage,” Black said. “People tend to congregate in groups that are discreet and separate.”

The annual block party meeting for residents will be held Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Madison senior center, where Verveer, representatives from the fire and police departments and party organizers will speak.

4

l

news

Thursday, April 30, 2009

ssfc from page 1 Funding not tied to group membership One issue the Student Services Finance Committee, the Associated Students of Madison organization that allocates the groups’ budgets, deals with is the difficult task of determining just how much funding a group deserves when its service to campus might be unclear.

Groups are required to give SSFC attendee lists and tell how many people are on their e-mail lists, according to former SSFC Chair Kurt Gosselin. However, no funding decisions can be based on how popular a group is on campus or how large the group is.

According to the 2000 U.S. Supreme Court decision Southworth v. The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, a group’s size, history on campus or the popularity of its ideas will not affect how much funding it receives.

“We can’t make the amount of money based on the number of members in a group,” Gosselin said. “There probably are a number of groups that have budgets higher than they necessarily need to provide their service.”

When the budgets for groups are compared to the estimated amount of students affected, some disparities are apparent. According to the end of the year report submitted by Advenure Learning Programs, they worked with 3,259 students in their outdoor activities in 2008-’09. ALP is set to have a budget of $133,199 in the next fiscal year, near the median amount for GSSF groups.

Contrast this with the 7,118 students the Student Leadership

Program said they served, according to their tracking forms from last year. Yet their budget for the upcoming fiscal year is set to be $73,016, roughly $60,000 less than ALP, even though SLP supposedly served almost twice as many students.

When the budgets of the two groups are compared for the upcoming year, ALP spends $87,545 on salaries while SLP spends $25,732 on salaries, though SLP spends almost twice as much on supplies.

The group Wunk Sheek said they contacted 3,160 students through programming events in the previous fiscal year and also said they estimated 1,000 students were served by their biweekly drum practice. Wunk Sheek’s budget for the upcoming year is over $109,480, with $37,935 allocated for student salaries.

“There probably are a number of groups that have budgets higher than they necessarily need to provide their service.”

Kurt Gosselin former chair Student Services Finance Committee

SSFC Chair Carl Fergus said it would be difficult to compare groups to one another as they might provide significantly different services. He said it was important to note that virtually all groups return funds at the end of the year, and that funds for GSSF groups were reduced in the most recent round of budgeting.

He said groups that do not

use large amounts of their funds would have their budgets reduced in the following years. This could be seen as incentive to groups to spend their entire budget in order to not receive cuts.

“I would think there would be [an incentive], but, I mean, I know in practice they don’t,” said Fergus when asked if groups might spend as much as possible to avoid future cuts.

Review process sometimes unclear Student groups that want to receive funding from SSFC must go through a lengthy review and eligibility process before even being put before the full ASM Student Council.

However, some groups have been critical of the way the process is handled and question whether it might be reformed.

Gerald Kapinos, president of the group Vets for Vets, said the process of SSFC reviewing a group’s proposed budget can be “highly subjective.”

“I don’t know if [eligibility guidelines] were as strictly applied to other groups,” he said.

Vets for Vets had its entire $43,334 budget cut for the upcoming year. Kapinos said the group is important on campus to help returning veterans deal with the problems of securing health benefits from the federal government or helping with issues of post-traumatic stress disorder.

For a group to receive funding, it must prove that it provides a direct service aimed at a majority of students on campus. A group must also show that students are the main focus of its activities, the university does not provide

dailycardinal.com/news a similar service and the services provided are educational, according to ASM bylaws.

Fergus said Vets for Vets was denied in the eligibility phase of the process because their services, like counseling, were not aimed at a majority of university students, one of the criteria for a group to be eligible for funds.

James Hill, president of Collegians for a Constructive Tomorrow, said because CFACT is typically seen as a conservative group, it faced tougher scrutiny from SSFC members—which would be illegal according to the Southworth decision.

CFACT was denied funding for the upcoming year, and Hill said that SSFC was wrong in the decision because CFACT provides the same services as the group Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group on campus.

“It is unfortunate that the system often fosters a combative atmosphere between GSSF groups and the SSFC.” Luke Lopas co-president CALS Sutdent Council

Hill said CFACT was filing a lawsuit over the issue.

“I don’t want to have anything to do with the lawsuit personally, but we got screwed,” he said.

Fergus said both groups were treated fairly and in accordance with university guidelines.

“CFACT was given the same eligibility packet, the same deadlines and the same opportunity to present as other groups, and

SSFC used the same criteria in judging CFACT’s eligibility for GSSF funding,” Fergus said in an e-mail.

SSFC denied five of the 12 groups that applied this year.

Other groups give a more comprehensive review of how the process works.

“Some necessary purchases are harder to make due to strict rules determined by SSFC,” said Greta Hughes, Internal Affairs and Development Coordinator for the Student Leadership Program on campus, in an e-mail. “However, I think SSFC generally does a good job at making sure student segregated fees are spent in a responsible manner.”

UW-Madison senior Bradley Schmock, Finance and Office Coordinator for the group Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment, said the eligibility and funding processes force a group to prove its benefit to campus.

Schmock said SSFC played an important role on campus despite the amount of paperwork given to groups.

“I think that SSFC is often overwhelmed with paperwork, and that there is some redundancy in all of the processes,” he said, but added, “I think the members of SSFC provide an extremely valuable, and often thankless, service to campus.”

Luke Lopas, co-president of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Student Council, said it would be valuable for SSFC members to attend more events held by student groups.

“Ultimately, both GSSF groups ssfc page 5

news

dailycardinal.com/news

panel from page 1 “Nothing that dramatic is going to be happening in the next hour and a half,” Schmidt said. “The aim here is to focus on the tremendous things these individuals are doing to promote sustainability through their work and their communities.”

In light of President Obama’s federal stimulus package, Madison will be able to allocate $1.3 million toward new environmental initiatives to clean the lakes and air and to weatherize city buildings.

According to Cieslewicz, the city wants to launch an effort to reduce carbon emissions by 100,000 tons over the next five

years.

“The most important thing we can do as a city is change the way we think,” he said.

Faramarz Vakali, member of UW-Madison’s We Conserve initiative, said there needs to be a continual effort to emphasize individual responsibility.

“Out of 43,000 students [at UW-Madison], only 43 individuals are sitting here in this room,” Vakali said when addressing the issue of student apathy. “That is what we have to change.”

We Conserve began in 2006 after a $29 million investment to increase efficiency in campus facilities. The program asks students and faculty to reduce the

university’s “environmental footprint” and to make conservation a conscious part of their lives.

The alternative rock band Guster, who performed at Memorial Union Wednesday, works through Reverb, a nonprofit organization founded by Lauren Sullivan, Gardner’s wife, to promote environmental sustainability.

“If we just sit here, preaching to the choir, we’re not going to get anything done. It’s all about the small steps that everyone can take,” Gardner said.

For additional ways to get involved protecting the environment visit http://www.wispirgstudents.org/big-red-go-green.

Flow it, show it

Thursday, April 30, 2009

DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

5

swine flu from page 1

ssfc from page 4

programs scheduled to leave for Mexico in the upcoming weeks have not been canceled.

The International Emergency Response Committee will make recommendations to UW-Madison about the programs May 7.

Health officials from the university are currently tracking the flu and preparing for an outbreak closer to campus by activating their influenza plan. The WiscAlert system will no longer be used to distribute information regarding the flu, but the e-mail alias pandemicinfo@mhub.uwpd. wisc.edu will send updates.

Gov. Jim Doyle said in a statement Wisconsin is ranked as one of the states that is bestprepared for the swine flu.

“This is a time to use precaution, use common sense and closely follow the direction of our state and local health officials,” he said.

and SSFC members should be working to better serve students on campus,” he said. “It is unfortunate that the system often fosters a combative atmosphere between GSSF groups and the SSFC.”

—Erin Banco contributed to this report

Andy Tolen and members of the Univerisity Theater’s “Hair” perform at the Memorial Union Terrace as part of the “Hair for Hair” charity event, which aimed to help donate to Locks of Love.

l

“Ultimately, both GSSF groups and SSFC members should be working to better serve students on campus.”

Luke Lopas co=president CALS Student Council

Gosselin said that guidelines had been revised in the past year to make the process of reviewing each group more clear, but he admitted it can sometimes be tough to determine if a group should receive funding.

“Some of the groups it has been very straightforward and very easy to make decisions on, others it is more difficult,” he said.

featuresstudent life 6

l

dailycardinal.com/features

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Are carbon footprints stomping out species?

Students have a bigger role in the sixth mass extinction than what meets the eye. The current destruction of species is the first one caused by humans.

Story by Patricia Mo

C

ompanies, organizations and people around the world are changing their lifestyles to reduce climate change.

Among the many consequences of global warming is a great decrease in the variety of life, and over time, the sixth mass extinction.

“Ninety-nine percent of the sixth modern extinction is due to man,” said Christopher Vaughan, professor at UW-Madison’s Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology.

In order to slow the mass extinction, students can change their consumer behaviors to lessen their carbon footprint. Contrary to this ongoing extinction, scientists have identified previous mass extinctions as mainly the result of natural causes or disasters. According to the Journal of Environmental Education, the growing population, along with the extensive amount of resources used by people, has stressed Earth’s ecosystems tremendously.

What’s happening?

“Huge numbers of species have died off and become extinct,” Lucas Moyer-Horner, a teaching assistant from the UW-Madison Zoology department, said. Humans are stressing it at such a rate that the biosphere cannot regenerate itself fast enough. According to Vaughan, overconsumption is the key problem.

“A U.S. citizen produces as many carbon emissions as four Chinese, 20 Indians, 30 Pakistanis, 40 Nigerians and 250 Ethiopians,” Vaughan said. Humans cause carbon emission from cars or from burning fossil fuels to generate electricity. Simple acts like driving to work or leaving the TV on, compromise the future of species when done unnecessarily. Carbon emission is not the only thing aggravating the way species live. In the past, many other influences like killing animals for commercial purposes or destroying and polluting their habitat have contributed to the sixth mass extinction.

“You combine all of these factors—habitat destruction, overkill, global warming and pollution,” Moyer-Horner said. “They act altogether and put a lot of stress on millions of species.”

This extinction means an end to a history of evolution within ecosystems.

Impact on students “Once [species are] extinct, it takes mil-

Graphics by Jenny Peek

lions and millions of years for diversity to evolve, so future generations won’t have the benefit of those species being here,” MoyerHorner said. Some students already feel affected by this change when comparing themselves to older generations. “I hear stories from my parents and grandparents about how things were when they were growing up and the more specific animals and plants,” UWMadison senior Barbara Heindl said. “Just knowing that I might not be seeing as much as them, and certainly in the future there might be even less.”

How far have students gone?

“Climate change could drive a million of the world’s species to extinction as soon as 2050,” Vaughan said. The consequences extend beyond just the absence of plants and animals in nature.

“Maybe there is some obscure plant somewhere that has precisely the right chemical to treat cancer,” said Timothy Van Deelen, professor in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at UW-Madison. The species’ presence in nature serves as a reference for humans in findings for medical and many other purposes.

“A lot of what we depend on in terms of finding new drugs or learning about manipulating molecules, we learn because we find examples of that in nature,” Van Deelen said.

According to Van Deelen, the effects of species lost through extinction could eventually hinder our ability to get clean air, water and abundant food from the ecosystems.

“People ask me, ‘Do you think we’re all going to go extinct?’—and the answer is no, but we’ll make it very difficult for future generations to live on the planet,” MoyerHorner said.

What’s the solution?

Overconsumption is harming the environment, but abandoning electricity altogether is not necessary to have a positive impact.

“I don’t think people should cut their consumption to zero. That is not realistic,” Moyer-Horner said. According to Van Deelen, helping the environment is far less complex than making unrealistic sacrifices.

“I think the first step is simple awareness and the second would be to try and reduce your ecological footprint,” Van Deelen said.

For those that do not consider their environment a priority, Van Deelen recommends going outside and creating an appreciation for native plants and animals.

“I think it’s important to develop a sense of place,” he said. “Living in the downtown Madison is just a very small part of the world.

There is a bigger part of the world, particularly the natural [one], that is worth getting to know and in a certain sense, being willing to act and protect something depends on the partial understanding that it is valuable to you.”

At UW-Madison, students have opportunities to join others through organizations like the UW-Madison Wildlife Society and Rethink Wisconsin, which support the local environments and ecosystems.

“It is really easy in Madison to do things that lower your footprint,” sophomore Diane O’Brien said. “We have the Farmers’ Market, which is huge, and you can easily eat local there.”

Students may also start individually by learning ways to conserve. Jessica Warwick, a member of UW-Madison’s student chapter of the Wildlife Society, shared her tips for reducing her carbon footprint.

“I try to save up and buy from somewhere such as Fair Indigo, a local-based business that sells organically grown cotton clothes.”

Warwick cites a concern for the future as a main motivator.

“Every little thing I do [to preserve the environment] makes me feel better. It makes me feel that I’m giving other people an opportunity for the future,” Warwick said.

Both present and future generations will be affected by the extinction of species and might experience a different earth.

“I wouldn’t want my future children to miss out on nature, the environment and the world in general,” Heindl said. “It’s about equality of life—I would feel really responsible for inhibiting the quality of their life.”

In order to help preserve the greatest number of species, students can alter their habits to reduce their impact on the environment and positively influence the community.

According to Van Deelen, if students develop a connection to their local environment, they will have initiative to protect it.

“If you make [the environment] important to you, then it becomes life-altering.”

arts

dailycardinal.com/arts

Thursday, April 30, 2009

l

7

‘Thermal’ energy fuels show Portland indie rockers invade the High Noon Saloon

By Kyle Sparks THE DAILY CARDINAL

PHOTO COURTESY NEW LINE CINEMA

Award-winning video game hot-shot Billy Mitchell met his match in upstart underdog Steve Wiebe.

Trying to best the ‘King’

By Caissa Casarez THE DAILY CARDINAL

Everyone young and old has at least heard of the popular retro video game Donkey Kong, whether it’s because of their parents playing the original version as a child, seeing the characters on a T-shirt or playing the countless spinoffs on any of Nintendo’s systems.

Director Seth Gordon used this universal familiarity with Donkey Kong and his camera crew to his advantage when he created 2007’s “The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters,” featured at the Memorial Union’s Mini-Indie Film Festival over the weekend.

In the documentary, we are first introduced to Billy Mitchell, the champion of Donkey Kong and fellow retro game Centipede since the 1980s. He is nothing like your stereotypical video game geek—he has his own line of hot sauce in Florida and keeps himself groomed. He is one of the unofficial celebrities of Twin Galaxies, an organization that keeps track of high scores from retro arcade games. Challenger Steve Wiebe is also someone that many viewers can relate to, especially with the recently dwindling economy. He turned to the arcade game Donkey Kong Jr. to find something to

Think you’re REFINED enough to write for the Arts page?

Want to sip wine with the most sophistocated birds in madison?

Show off your smooth writing skills by submitting three (3) sample columns between 500-600 words in length to arts@dailycardinal.com!

do after recently getting laid off from Boeing Airlines. Wiebe soon became a celebrity of sorts for Twin Galaxies when he beat Mitchell’s high score of 874,300 in Donkey Kong and confirmed his exceptional level of playing. However, this high score possibly resulted from a faulty arcade system he used when he challenged Mitchell’s record. Instead of playing Donkey Kong live himself, Mitchell sends in a possibly faulty tape of himself achieving an all-time high score of over a million points.

After seeing that tape, Wiebe kong page 8

It was Portland Night at the High Noon Saloon Tuesday as Madison played host to three of Portland, Oregon’s rising stars of the indie rock scene.

After a very forgettable set by Point Juncture, WA, The Shaky Hands warmed up the crowd with a southern take on northern music.

More the Harlem Shakes with a southern singer than Blitzen Trapper, their set slowly but surely swelled to a powerful mass. They were an apt tortilla-and-salsa platter for the rotisserie chicken that followed.

The Thermals took the stage to an eager crowd, starting their set with The Body, the Blood, the Machine standout romper “Returning to the Fold.” Without a second guitar, the usual punch to the face sounded more like a stinger, but nobody else in attendance seemed to notice.

As desperate for fun as the crowd was, The Thermals didn’t do themselves many favors. Just as the buoyant

dancing approached all-out mayhem during “A Pillar of Salt,” lead singer/guitarist Hutch Harris broke into the reflective ballad “Test Pattern.”

Regardless, the crowded front half of the Saloon would not be denied their fun. After bubbling and popping through a few newer tracks, everything erupted when Hutch started the opening chords to “Here’s Your Future.”

That was the turning point for the evening. Done walking through songs on their newest album, the Daily Cardinal-approved Now We Can See, The Thermals found their stage presence with their older, more ruthless and raw material. The band stopped going through the motions, playing rehearsed hooks and solos, and finally started to enjoy themselves as much as everyone else was.

They plowed through powerful cuts like “It’s Trivia” and “No Culture Icons” before eventually closing out their set with the adorably gimmicky “Everything Thermals.” thermals page 8

PHOTO COURTESY ALICIA ROSE

The Thermals’ live show succeeded in living up to energetic albums.

arts 8

l

dailycardinal.com/arts

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Third time’s a harm

Cliffhangers too often lead to disappointment

KEVIN SLANE citizen slane

W

PHOTO COURTESY SENATOR DISTRIBUTION

An inconsistent and overacting cast is just one of the problems that plagues Gregor Jordan’s woefully unfulfilling depiction of Bret Easton Ellis’ collection of short stories, “The Informers.”

‘Informers’ a boring trip Disorganized ‘Informers’ fails to elicit meaningful reactions

By Eamon Doyle THE DAILY CARDINAL

Gregor Jordan’s “The Informers” is a new window into the world that Bret Easton Ellis has been creating since the publication of “Less Than Zero” in 1985. It is a world of recurring and interchangeable characters, extravagant wealth and nihilistic depravity. This can be seen in the film adaptation of his novel “American Psycho,” which augments the text nicely, largely due to an impressive performance

by Christian Bale, and has become a unique reference point for Ellis, who comments on the movie version in his quasi-autobiographical “Lunar Park.” The film version of “The Informers,” however, has been ravaged in reviews thus far.

Although it is certainly not a great film—it is mediocre—I feel that some of these critics might have missed the point.

“There’s no plot, and it’s hard to care about characters who themselves don’t care,” suggest some reviewers.

Well, it has never been particularly easy to care about the characters in Ellis’ works, nor the circumstances of their lives. Almost without exception, his characters are wealthy, selfish, cruel and total-

kong from page 7 traveled to Mitchell’s hometown of Hollywood, Florida, to attempt to record a high score for Guinness World Records and to hopefully face Mitchell head-to-head, but Mitchell didn’t show.

“The King of Kong” is not like your normal documentary, probably because most documentaries don’t profile video game competitions

thermals from page 7 What was most impressive was the depth to which the audience members truly appreciated the group.

The times when the crowd especially lost itself were the lively cuts from their first two studio albums, More Parts per Million and Fuckin’ A. The Thermals are a study in synergy. Just as their simple lexicon purveys exceedingly complex themes in their lyrics, their basic chord changes

ly miserable. But the scariest (and most poignant) aspect of Ellis’ work has always been the way that it urges readers to confront the actuality of existential despair. “All I have in common with the uncontrollable and the insane,” he writes in “American Psycho,” “the vicious and the evil, all the mayhem I have caused and my utter indifference toward it, I have now surpassed ...

My pain is constant and sharp and I do not hope for a better world for anyone.” Thus, the debilitating and violent ennui that pervades his characters’ lives is an important part of the point Ellis is making.

The truth about this film’s mediocrity is simple: some scenes are better than others and the quality of the acting is inconsistent. “The Informers” captures some of the despair and emptiness that Ellis attempts to call our attention to, but it stumbles by overstating the case. Part of the problem might be that the actors appear too confident about what it is they are portraying. The great strength of Ellis’ writing consists in the way it captures the ambiguity of its characters’ boredom and emotional rot. His writing is disturbing because we recognize our own potential for this type of experience. “The Informers,” however, focuses more on the appalling

outward cruelty of its characters than on the cognitive and existential architecture underlying this facade. The dialogue suffers from a lack of nuance as the actors fumble with an unwieldy and one-dimensional agglomeration of apathy and moral turpitude.

Some grainy images of Los Angeles in the eighties are interspersed between a few of the scenes, and could have become a nice point of reference if Jordan had actually done something interesting with them. But he doesn’t seem to have made up his mind about what they signify, and his use of them is clumsy. The cityscape depicted in these shots hints at the potential (unrealized here) of the subject matter. The film’s strongest dimension may be its visual reference points—the “Flock of Seagulls” haircuts, the beaches, the rooftop pools—but Jordan fails to take advantage of this strength by neglecting to allow the visual to play a greater role in the film’s identity. Instead, it feels like a hasty and disorganized study of moral decline. “The Informers” could have been a nice addition to the Bret Easton Ellis catalogue if it had been handled with a bit more care.

Grade: BC

that are quoted in the film as being as energetic and mind-boggling as athletic competitions. Although only diehard Donkey Kong fans or older people will understand some jokes in the documentary, it also has its fair share of general hilarity. For example, throughout the documentary, Mitchell trained an 80-year-old hoping to reclaim her world record on fellow retro arcade game Q*Bert. Also, while Wiebe

taped the game he hoped to send to Twin Galaxies for the official high score, his then 5-year-old son, Derek, pleaded for him to stop playing so he could help him use the bathroom.

Whether you find the bathroom humor funny or not, however, its familiar topic, interesting plot and general hilarity make “The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters” a documentary not to miss.

embody excessive power. And while some of that force got lost in translation, there’s more than enough residual energy to provide a potent live show.

Nowadays encores are usually expected more than they are necessary, but this encore was very necessary. The Thermals came out and played covers by Nirvana and the Breeders before graciously taking off.

Overall, the mood of the night was satisfied. The Thermals have a way of making people wait on

them. Whether recording an album or hitting cities on tour, they always take a while to make it around. For fans, opportunities to see or hear the group are few and far between, building up incredible excitement for each chance. Although they might not have bowled everyone over, the energy was high enough not to disappoint. Perhaps Hutch summed it up best in his latenight tweet, “Madison was dope.

Drinking! Moshing! Drinking!”

ell, we’ve reached the end of the year, and because the final issue next Thursday will be full of summer previews, this will be my last column... or will it? Might some extra page space show up conveniently? Will I flex my considerable power as arts editor and kick some freshman’s measly article off the page for my own enjoyment? You’ll have to wait and find out.

OK, so what happened up there wasn’t funny. It’s actually true, but no one really enjoys being strung along before reaching a cliffhanger. In a TV show it’s acceptable, because for the most part you only have to wait a week to find out what happens, but when a movie does this, it borders on intolerable. Furthermore, the wait is almost never worth it, as the subsequent sequel almost universally disappoints.

One great example of this is the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series. No one was sure how the first one would fare, as films based on amusement park rides can be a rocky business. Still, the first film was a swashbuckling good time, and left no one on the edge of their seat. Then the second film came along. It was worse than the first, and finished with a ridiculous cliffhanger.

Although viewers barely had to wait a year for the next installment, it was even worse, leaving moviegoers with a sour taste in their mouths.

Occasionally, trilogies peak for the second film of the series rather than the third, but there are no film series’ that finish stronger than they started. “The Empire Strikes Back,” “The Godfather Part II,” “Terminator 2” and “Aliens” are all sequels that either equaled or surpassed the quality of the original film.

The problem? Every one of the aforementioned sequels has another sequel, and not a single one can hold a candle to

the first two.

No one sits around and says “OK guys, let’s have a ‘third movie in the trilogy’ night! Nothing but ‘Return of the Jedi,’ ‘The Godfather Part III,’ ‘Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines’ and ‘Alien3’ for us!”

It’s simply ludicrous.

When it comes down to it, filmmakers can’t make approximately the same film three times and expect each of them to be great, especially when they know there are sequels coming, and build in extended plotlines that arc over two movies. That’s why next week I still feel safe, because whether or not I end up having space to regale you all with film facts one more time, it will only have been a week, and there’s no way I could come back for a third encore next year.

Furthermore, the wait is almost never worth it, as the subsequent sequel almost universally disappoints.

But wait! I’m still the Arts editor! I could easily just ignore all the column submissions for next year and crown myself a columnist once again!

Perhaps I could come back stronger than ever, ready to wow the crowd with new ’70s sci-fi references or allusions to French new wave films!

Or could the third installment of “Citizen Slane” come back with a twist, featuring me as a television columnist?

“7th Kevin” or “Wisteria Slane” could be in The Daily Cardinal’s future. Or maybe if I learned how to read I could take the literature column and honor the great author of “Pride and Prejudice” with “Slane Austen.” Who knows what the future will hold?

You’ll have to keep reading this great publication to find out!

Want to send Kevin hate mail for wasting an entire column? Tune in next week to find out what his e-mail address is!

Or you could look at any old editions and realize that it’s kevslane@gmail.com.

PHOTO COURTESY WALT DISNEY PICTURES

No matter how dreamy the cast members are, sequels and trilogies can become too much, including the swashbucklingto-boring “Pirates of the Caribbean” series.

opinion dailycardinal.com/opinion

Thursday, April 30, 2009

l

9

Time for government to materialize more promises

By Molly Rivera COLLEGE DEMOCRATS

After the 2008 election, many supporters of President Obama have taken to the slogan “Yes we did.” Our incredible achievements across the state and nation should not be overlooked nor forgotten.

However, that statement fosters a sense of ultimate completion which inhibits continued engagement in Democratic politics. It fails to encourage future progressive actions.

With Wednesday being Obama’s 100th day in office, political media is obsessed with giving Obama an evaluation. From a Democratic perspective, a lot of positive changes have happened in America.

Obama and Congressional Democrats worked hard to build and pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which includes investments in renewable energy, new infrastructure, col-

lege affordability and creation of millions of jobs. Wisconsin’s U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., among other Congressional Democrats, advocated for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, providing health care to millions of children, and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, mandating equal pay for women in the workplace—both of which passed into law.

From a Democratic prospective, a lot of positive changes have happened in America.

Gov. Doyle and our state Legislature launched new efforts to invest in conservation and renew-

able energy sources through the Clean Energy Wisconsin plan, and increased college accessibility through the UW Growth Agenda.

Although these accomplishments certainly constitute positive changes in our country and our state, there is still work to be done. We are still engaged in two wars. Millions upon millions of Americans do not have health insurance. Wisconsin law bans gay marriage. But there is hope.

Our government is laying the groundwork for a country headed in a new direction. A new infrastructure is developing, creating new opportunities for actual change.

But the process does not stop there.

These ideas and promises must be carried out in public policy and legislation. Obama has pledged to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq. In the state budget, Doyle has proposed including domestic partner benefits for all state employees,

along with those at our university.

But these visions will not materialize without continued support.

Ideas and promises must be carried out in public policy and legislation.

The current leadership in government on the state and national level has the potential to shift the legislative agenda by prioritizing issues such as economic stability, health-care accessibility, environmental sustainability, and college affordability. However, these important issues will never be implemented in the form of laws if Democrats disengage and slip into complacency. The fall elec-

tions in 2008 generated a lot of excitement and involvement. But if that energy stops at the inauguration of Obama, he will not be able to deliver the change we need. If that commitment to Democratic politics, especially from the youth, does not emerge again in upcoming elections, then Democrats will not be able to maintain their position to significantly shape and improve public policy.

Students therefore must continue the movement of youth involvement in politics that was at the forefront of the election last fall. We must strongly advocate for the issues that matter to us. We can commit to Obama, but more importantly, we must commit to the issues for which he stands.

Molly Rivera is a sophomore and is the chair of the College Democrats of Madison. We welcome your feedback. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Letter to the Editor: ‘Giving cords’ detract from graduation’s focus There is no question that the University of Wisconsin— Madison is at a pivotal point in its history. Unless private funding is found, decreasing state funding and rising operational costs will inevitably push the university toward a point where it will have to choose between drastically reducing services or increasing tuition beyond “affordable levels.”

Given that reality, many groups have begun implementing wellintended, inventive financial campaigns to raise money.

The Wisconsin School of Business’s (WSOB) officially promoted but student-run “Make a Statement” campaign is such a campaign. However, I believe that this campaign, which has the goal of promoting undergraduate financial donations upon graduation, has crossed the line from inventive to inappropriate by inject-

ing itself into the spring 2009 graduation ceremony by providing anyone who donates over $20 with a “giving cord” to be worn at the graduation ceremony. These “giving cords” and their place at graduation are inappropriate for at least two reasons.

The “Make a Statement” campaign has crossed the line from inventive to inappropriate.

First, the use of the “giving cords” at graduation is inappropriate because it uses a traditionally academic medium (honor cords) to recognize financial donations at graduation, an event which is

Feel like your opinion isn’t being heard? Apply to be a Daily Cardinal Opinion Columnist.

Submit 3 pieces 550-650 words long to opinion@dailycardinal.com. The deadline is June 10th.

supposed to be centered on the recognition of academic achievement. It is understandable that the campaign wishes to publicly recognize its donors, but by mixing its fundraising efforts with an academic ceremony in which cords typically represent academic achievement, the campaign is effectively stating that these purchased cords rise to the level of academic honor cords. The use of such commercial honor cords is contrary to the historical academic use of honor cords, and diminishes the achievements of those students who have worked hard to earn academic honor cords.

Second, the use of the “giving cords” at graduation is inappropriate because those who have chosen not to participate in the campaign for whatever reason, whether financial or philosophical, should not be made to look ungrateful

or cheap on their own graduation day. Financial contribution awards ceremonies should be kept separate from academic graduation ceremonies. By mixing the two and by use of the “giving cord,” the campaign is either intentionally or unintentionally introducing an apparent shame factor at graduation for those who chose not to participate in the campaign, but who otherwise want to participate in graduation. Every graduating student has worked hard for their day, and they should be able to enjoy it without the fear that they will look cheap or ungrateful if they have not chosen to buy a “giving cord” or are unable to donate.

The “Make a Statement” campaign has a commendable goal and should be free to publicly recognize its donors, but the campaign should not be allowed to do so at graduation, an event that was

designed for the recognition of academics.

The only cords around my neck will be those which I earned academically.

I will donate to the “Make a Statement” campaign because I want to see UW-Madison remain a strong academic institution. However, at graduation, the only cords around my neck will be those which I earned academically not those that I purchased with a check.

—Benjamin Trachtenberg Wisconsin School of Business May 2009 Graduate

opinion Changes are needed to spark more happiness 10

l

dailycardinal.com/opinion

Thursday, April 30, 2009

JOSEPH KOSS opinion columnist

T

here has been a YouTube clip that has been making rounds for a couple of months called “Everything’s amazing, nobody’s happy.” In it, comedian Louis CK derides our current culture of indignant impatience and self-righteous consumerism. It has struck with resonance because he challenges us to take a second and self-reflect. We have become a culture of me-firsts and gimmegimmes. We have become indolent and opulent and selfish. We entered the 21st century thinking that since we were standing at third, we had hit a triple. The harsh realities of the last year have hopefully begun a much-needed wake-up call: We are nine years late in making the changes we need to move forward into this new century. The changes aren’t radical or daunting.

Shut up and listen Too many times people want to be heard, but refuse to listen. We learn much more from each other when we give the other person the time and respect to make their point. No man or woman on Earth has all the answers.

The problems of the 21st century are too big, too complex and too interrelated to be talked about in isolation. They require everyone involved in problem-solving to listen and col-

laborate. It is not about winning. It is amazing how much one’s opinion on things can change when that person is secure and confident enough to engage another in a reasoned discourse.

Life is passing us by in moments of wonder and intrigue.

Slow down Many of us go about our lives rushing from one engagement to the next, very rarely stopping to enjoy a moment of tranquility. We expect the world around us to accommodate our every need and desire. We demand instant access and immediate results. We almost never stop to say thank you. All the while, life is passing us by in moments of wonder and intrigue. Life has to be more than fitting in everything you needed to do that day. It has to be more than spinning wheels and fast food drivethrus. If we don’t slow down, we won’t have time to smile and laugh.

We won’t be able to wander down a street with no name and think to ourselves, as an old Zen saying goes, “What now, is lacking?”

Learn from those much older and much younger The hindsight of age and the freedom of childhood is lost on many of

us. Most of the time we are blindly intent on running to whatever is next.

But stop and watch a child play. Listen to their laugh. Walk through an elementary school and look into their eyes when they are painting or being read a story. Do any of us remember what it is like to be filled with that insatiable curiosity? Go to a senior center one evening and absorb their stories and become a part of their night.

They have lived their youth already, but they haven’t lived their life. Mark Twain once said: “Youth, it’s wasted on the young.” Learning from seniors and children will help put ‘youth’ into perspective.

Find happiness in the small things We all cannot be Pulitzer Prizewinning journalists or Nobel Prizewinning economists. We cannot all own our dream home or drive our dream car. Many times, we won’t get what we want in life. But we can find happiness. We can find happiness in opening the door for a stranger or sending a birthday card to a forgotten friend. We can make each other live happier by doing small things that show we care. We have the potential to have positive impacts on the people in our lives by committing “random acts of kindness.”

We can’t change the world. We can’t change the past. We can start to move forward. The movement we need is within ourselves.

Joseph Koss is a junior majoring in secondary education in social studies. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Don’t forget victims of false rape accusations

By Pierce Harlan and E. Steven Berkimer GUEST EDITORIAL

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Unfortunately, much of the “awareness” raised about a crime that victimizes all too many women is unnecessarily politicized and factually incorrect.

For reasons that have nothing to do with aiding rape victims and everything to do with advancing a larger political agenda, too many of the persons who dominate the public discourse about sexual assault feel it is necessary to insist that false rape claims are a myth.

We write for one of the few websites in America devoted exclusively to giving voice to the persons wrongly accused of sexual assault, The False Rape Society.

False rape claims are America’s taboo epidemic, and we chronicle news of false rape claims on a daily basis. We receive heart-wrenching emails, especially from mothers of young men who have been falsely accused. One young man recently told us our website stopped him from committing suicide. That is an awful burden to put on one little website, but these people have nowhere else to turn.

But our efforts aren’t universally applauded, as you can imagine. Our site is often dismissed by some feminists as unnecessary, to put it charitably, because, we are told, women don’t lie about rape. Financially interested sexual assault advocates habitually insist that false rape accusations account for only 2 percent of all reported sexual assaults, which, they say, is no higher than false reports for other crimes, despite both the absence of any evidential support for this claim, and the presence of irrefutable evidence debunking it. Such evidence can be found in Edward Greer’s “The Truth Behind Legal Dominance Feminism’s ‘Two Percent False Rape Claim’ Figure,” Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review from 2000, which traced the 2-percent canard to its baseless origin.

The fact is, every serious and unbiased study ever conducted on the subject shows that false rape claims are a serious problem.

The numbers vary from study to study, but they are always multiple times the sacrosanct 2-percent figure. Purdue sociology professor Eugene Kanin studied a mid-size midwestern city over the course of nine years and found that 41 percent of all rape claims were false.

Kanin subsequently studied two large state universities and found that in three years, 50 percent of the rapes reported to campus police were determined to be false.

In a separate 1985 study of 556 rape allegations, 27 percent of the accusers recanted, and an independent evaluation revealed a false accusation rate of 60 percent.

Police officers sometimes note in a moment of candor that a significant percentage of rape claims are false, but false claims generally are neither publicized nor severely punished, if they are punished at all, for fear of putting off women from reporting actual rapes.

So where does all this leave the men and boys falsely accused of rape? They are invisible collateral damage in the war on rape; virtually no one is looking out for their

interests despite the grievous harm many suffer. By tolerating false claims in the interest of not putting off actual rape victims, by not affording the presumed innocent the same anonymity their accusers receive, we have declared open season on the hapless men and boys who come within the crosshairs of women who would lie about rape, often at grave cost. Men and boys falsely accused of rape have been beaten and killed and have killed themselves; they’ve been fired from their jobs and lost their businesses; they’ve suffered from depression; they’ve lost their wives, their girlfriends and have been permanently alienated from their friends. Rarely do they ever come out of it whole, and for many, the ghost of a false rape claim trails them for the rest of their lives.

“It was the most horrible thing I have ever been through in my life ... I thought I wasn’t going to see my kids again,” said Darren Ball, who became so distraught over the lies told about him that he tried to throw himself into traffic. Concerned passers-by pulled him to safety. The stigma of being accused of rape never quite goes away, as Darren explained: “I should have been cleared completely, but I still get funny looks from people. Months after the charges were dropped, people were still saying ‘have you heard, we’ve got a rapist living down the road.’”

Darren’s toll was emotional.

Many men suffer horrific physical tolls as well. John Chalmers has to learn everything over again after being attacked by a man who wrongly believed Mr. Chalmers sexually assaulted his sister. It has left John with devastating brain injuries that have forced him to step down from a senior position at his family’s bakery.

But at least Mr. Chalmers has the opportunity to restore himself to a semblance of his former self.

Other young men aren’t so lucky.

Sumbo Owoiya, 18, was gunned down after Joseph Sullivan’s teenage girlfriend lied and told Sullivan that Mr. Owoiya had raped her.

Sullivan and an armed accomplice drove to the apartment where Mr. Owoiya’s family lived and knocked on the door. When Mr. Owoiya looked through the peephole, the gunman fired a shot that hit Mr. Owoiya in the stomach and lodged in his spine. He died a short time later.

Rape is a horrific thing, but a false rape accusation can be similarly life-changing and just as terrible.

The false rape claim epidemic will only be controlled when we look upon those who levy false accusations with the same disdain that we look upon rapists, and demand that their lies not be tolerated. Let us be brutally frank: As it stands, we are ignoring a significant class of victims because, when it comes to this issue, they were born into a politically incorrect gender. By any measure, denigrating the experience of the wrongly accused by dismissing their victimization as a “myth” or as unworthy of our discussion, much less our protection, is not merely dishonest but morally grotesque.

Pierce Harlan is a lawyer and E. Steven Berkimer is an IT professional. They run the blog falserapesociety.blogspot.com.

comics

Who has the biggest brat? Both Sheboygan, Wis., and Bucyrus, Ohio claim to be the Bratwurst Capital of the World.

Bucyrus has a much larger annual Bratwurst Festival; however, Sheboygan is home to the largest bratwurst manufacturer.

Thursday, April 30, 2009 11

dailycardinal.com/comics

l

Brat eating contest

Today’s Sudoku

Anthro-apology Classic

By Eric Wigdahl wigdahl@wisc.edu

© Puzzles by Pappocom

Angel Hair Pasta

By Todd Stevens ststevens@wisc.edu

Sid and Phil

By Alex Lewein alex@sidandphil.com

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

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

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

The Graph Giraffe

Frugal Gnome Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com BRAIN BUSTING ACROSS

1 A way off and on 5 Bee formation 10 Extremely desirable 14 Braving the waves 15 Case for a dermatologist 16 Autumn implement 17 Monetary unit of Ethiopia 18 Architectural addition 19 Admitting all contestants 20 Physically difficult, as labor 23 Doctor’s directive 24 It sometimes needs boosting 28 Free-bird link 29 Extinct bird of New Zealand 32 Overhauled 33 Go down on strikes 35 Scary 38 “Shall we?”

40 Sinuous 41 Cornell’s ___ Hall 42 Persuasion 45 H.S.T. running mate 46 It’s fit for a queen 47 Boy toy 48 Dubya classmate 50 Card combo in bridge 52 Brain protectors

55 Rhythmically lively 59 “Star Wars” knight 62 Rises dramatically 63 Thames town 64 Last word of the Bible 65 Gold unit 66 Debussy’s “Clair de ___” 67 Step on a ladder 68 Hasn’t, but should have 69 Fish-eating duck DOWN

1 Character in many a joke 2 From Dhaka or Osaka 3 Cargo ship 4 Arctic coats 5 Fixed expression 6 Cheese companion 7 “Black Beauty” author Sewell 8 Be hard on the nose 9 Proverbial truth 10 Get somewhere 11 Child support?

12 “A Song of Old Hawaii” accompaniment 13 “All ___ are created equal” 21 Ho-hum 22 “Me neither” 25 Without limit 26 Like a musical staff

27 Tool put away for the winter 29 Capital of Belarus 30 Wax eloquent 31 Actors Alan or Adam 33 Scruggs’ bluegrass partner 34 Cliff dwelling 36 “___ told you before“ 37 Writer Rand 39 Raking with gunfire 43 Texas city south of Dallas 44 Microbe 49 Jacket flaps 51 Rose-red dye 52 Goes for 53 Words with “two” or “hole” 54 Discredited veep 56 Manner of speaking 57 Wise guy 58 Marched along 59 Broad-mouthed container 60 It’ll never get off the ground 61 Domestic retreat

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

By Lindsey Heinz and Emily Villwock lheinz@wisc.edu

sports 12

l

More on dailycardinal.com: Former Badger hockey player Joe Pavelski selected to play for U.S. Men’s National team. dailycardinal.com/sports

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Softball

Vanevenhoven shuts out Northern Illinois

By Joe Skurzewski THE DAILY CARDINAL

In its final non-conference game of the season, the Wisconsin softball team beat Northern Illinois, 2-0, with a solid pitching performance from senior Leah Vanevenhoven and a late rally.

Northern Illinois (9-9 MAC, 1534 overall) came into Madison having won four of its last six games.

The Badgers (2-12 Big Ten, 14-35 overall) managed to overcome the solid pitching of Huskie freshman Morgan Bittner.

The game quickly turned into a pitcher’s duel. Bittner held a no-hitter through five innings Vanevenhoven gave up only three hits through her first six innings of work.

In the sixth, sophomore outfielder Ashley Hanewich broke up the nohitter with a drive to left. Hanewich challenged the arm of the Northern Illinois left fielder and stretched the hit into a double. The throw beat Hanewich, but Hanewich executed a perfect slide around the tag.

“I was actually nervous I was going

to get thrown out, so I just slid away from her and tried to ground it,” Hanewich said.

The Badgers then played small ball.

Vanevenhoven helped her cause with a sacrifice bunt, pushing Hanewich to third, and senior third baseman Theresa Boruta pushed the run home with an RBI single. After Boruta stole second, sophomore second baseman Livi Abney singled, pushing Boruta to third.

Boruta and Abney then fooled the Northern Illinois fielders, as Abney distracted the catcher by taking off for second, while Boruta came in to score on a close play at the plate. Boruta and Abney recorded a bizarre double steal and gave the Badgers a 2-0 advantage.

“Theresa did a fantastic job,” Wisconsin head coach Chandelle Schulte said. “Her and Livi played it out perfectly,” .

Vanevenhoven matched her counterpart Bittner in giving up three only three hits, and struck out one less batter than the Huskie pitcher. But the Wisconsin senior beat her opponent in the most important stat of

the game—runs. While the Northern Illinois freshman could not hold off the Badger offense, the Wisconsin veteran stayed strong in the circle and led her team to a late-season victory.

The win improved Vanevenhoven’s record to 6-12.

Wisconsin will now head to East Lansing, Mich., for a doubleheader with Michigan State this weekend.

The Spartans (3-12 Big Ten, 19-26 overall) split a pair of games with Penn State Wednesday.

Wisconsin’s meeting with Michigan State brings together two teams who have faced similar struggles during the 2009 campaign. While the Badgers have an opportunity to win in conference this weekend, Schulte and the players denied any added pressure against the Spartans.

“I don’t think there’s any more pressure than there was before, but I think we’d be disappointed if we didn’t come out with a win,” Schulte said.

“You have to go at every competitor like they’re number one,” Boruta said.

STEPHANIE MOEBIUS/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Senior Leah Vanevenhoven’s pitched a complete game Wednesday.

Student fans must prove themselves after change in ticket policy BEN BREINER one breining moment

N

ow that the cursed lottery is finally gone, the time has come for Wisconsin student fans to stand and deliver.

Oh? You thought that you had

no responsibility in all of this?

See, the lottery took control away from students and now it’s been returned. For the last two years the complaint has been, “But, I’m such a big Badger fan, how could I not get tickets?”

The problem is that fans don’t always show up. Week after week in the fall, the student section has been half full at kickoff, even

at big night games. Speak with most seniors and super-seniors and they’ll share with you the fact that the student section is less organized and simply worse than it was a few seasons ago.

For that, the lottery was partially blamed since it did not reward the most dedicated students. Now that impediment is gone, but does anyone really think the student sec-

tion will improve?

There is a sense of entitlement among many Badger football fans that the privilege of receiving the heavily discounted tickets is in fact a right. The answer always seems to be that it’s OK to miss every kickoff in the pursuit of one extra game of beer pong.

The athletic department does not need to give 12,500 tickets to students.

Student tickets will cost $133 next season, whereas regular season tickets go for $273 a pop, and that is before any kind of required donations and auxiliary fees.

Hell, it might be smart for the athletic department to shrink the student section until people get the idea that they should at least attempt to come on time.

Real fans actually care what happens over the course of a game. They even treat the game as (gasp!) the centerpiece of a gameday experience.

Instead, many Badger fans share the sentiments of one senior who emailed this newspaper saying of his gameday, “I will show up around noon and won’t really care that I’m missing the first quarter plus, once I’m at the game, I’ll be socializing and not paying attention at all.”

Let’s set a simple ground rule: if you don’t plan to arrive at the stadium at least 10-15 minutes before kickoff (to avoid the bottleneck at game time), you should never talk about how great of a Badger fan you are.

By doing that, you cheapen the idea of Badger fanhood in

every way.

And another concern stemming from the new ticket policy (and the old one) is that a student can still buy season tickets just to sell them.

Money is a better motivator than fanhood, so rest assured, this will not change.

And when push comes to shove, students don’t want it to change.

If your sister has a wedding, you don’t want to have to eat the ticket. If your best friend who goes to Minnesota is in town, you want to be able to go down the hall and buy a neighbor’s ticket.

Scalping is a necessary evil in this system. No matter how much you might want to avoid that fact, it’s the truth.

So the take-home point from this change in system should be obvious. Show the athletic department there is some value in student fans (i.e. raucous noise, present and energetic throughout the game), lest they take this newfound control of tickets away from students once more. Show them we deserve to be listened to.

Who knows? Maybe the athletic department will realize it can get more money from fans who show up on time and then leave a few thousand more students outside of Camp Randall on gamedays.

Hopefully a few of them would even get to see kickoff… on TV. Still excited to miss huge portions of Badger football games in hopes of reaching even greater levels of intoxication? Send your not-so-righteously angry e-mails to Breiner@wisc.edu.