12-5-2011

THEUWMPOST est. 1956

the student-run independent newspaper

December 5, 2011

Issue 13, Volume 56

Vice President Brent Johnson’s Resignation Letter page 13 2011 Basketball Preview inside

Time for SA to clean house page 20 Paul Simon at The Riverside page 7

Mayim Bialik visits UWM page 4

SA vice president arrested; accused of sexual assault

SA launches Vice President Brent Johnson accused of sexual assault by former SA member investigation of president

By Steve Garrison, News Editor, and Zach Brooke, Editorial Editor news@uwmpost.com

Vice President of the Student Association Brent Johnson resigned Sunday night after being accused last Friday by a former Student Association senator of sexual assault and harassment.

Johnson was arrested in relation to the police investigation Saturday afternoon after arriving late at the district courthouse where he was to be questioned.

Johnson was released after the district attorney’s office made the decision not to pursue charges against Johnson, citing a lack of evidence.

The alleged victim has also filed a temporary restraining order against Johnson, with a hearing date scheduled for Dec. 8.

The alleged victim, who asked to be referred to by her first name, Tiffany, because of the sensitive nature of the crime, and her former boyfriend, SA treasurer Michael Schultz, gave conf licting accounts to police about what happened the night of Johnson’s 21st birthday when the alleged sexual assault took place.

Statements provided to the UWM Post by both SA members, as well as statements given by Johnson, also show disparities in the accounts over what took place while Tiffany was a member of SA. Although the DA has decided not

to pursue charges, the Division of Student Affairs, Office of Student Life and Office of Equity and Diversity have initiated investigations in relation to the allegations. “…It was my feeling that there was a need for intervention in order to make sure that people were not being victimized,” Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Michael Laliberte said.

In the letter in which he tendered his resignation, Johnson wrote: “The value and urgency of the initiatives that the Student Association is currently undertaking demand personal sacrifice. I maintain allegiance to the best interest of my fellow students. This, even at risk of misinterpretation of my motives, leads me to the conclusion that my resignation will help return some semblance of normalcy to the student body.”

Vice president resigns during meeting

By Aaron Knapp Assistant News Editor news@uwmpost.com

Alleged sexual assault on Sept.

25th According to a police incident report obtained with the victim’s consent, Tiffany told police that the alleged sexual assault took place at her house on the night of Johnson’s 21st birthday, Sept. 24-25. Tiffany and Schultz had planned a Mad Men-themed birthday party, which included cigars, martinis, wine and chocolate tarts.

Tiffany told the UWM Post that Johnson loved Mad Men and often

Johnson was arrested on Nov 27th for failing to show up for questioning at appointed time.

referred to her as “Joan,” the office manager for the fictional advertising agency featured in the show.

“He actually bought me a poster of Joan and season one of Mad Men, but he wasn’t going to give it to me until he got done watching it all, so,

obviously, I never got it,” Tiffany said.

According to Tiffany’s statement to police, the group watched episodes

See JOHNSON page 2

SA under investigation Allegations of hazing, drinking and sexual harassment

By John Parnon

Assistant News Editor news@uwmpost.com

UW-Milwaukee is conducting three investigations into the actions of members of the Student Association, including allegations of sexual misconduct, alcohol in the office and a hostile workplace environment.

The university investigations were launched on Nov. 28, the day after SA Vice President Brent Johnson was arrested in relation to charges of sexual assault.

The alleged victim in the Johnson case, Tiffany, who asked to be referred to only by first name, has made allegations to the university that SA is an environment that fosters sexual harassment and that members use intimidation to prevent anyone from speaking up.

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SA Senator Matt Rosner said he felt like he had been part of a hazing incident where Johnson had tricked him into drinking Everclear.

“Brent says, ‘Here, here is a shot of vodka,’ … so I just did this [motioning throwing back a shot] then what happened was my throat was like… on fire,” Rosner said. “I started throwing up violently. It was probably one of the worst experiences I ever had in my entire life.”

Tiffany also alleged that SA President Alex Kostal had stolen two stuffed weasels while at a Center for Volunteerism and Student Leadership Conference at Camp Minikani in Hubertus, WI. Kostal said he had nothing to do with the theft of the weasels but confirmed that a Muppet doll was also stolen on the trip, which is currently sitting in the SA office, and he has no

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idea how that was stolen either.

SA has also launched an internal investigation through the Senate Oversight and Rules Committee, whose responsibilities include conducting investigations into misconduct by SA officials, and distributed about 50 surveys to members to gauge the climate of the SA. “We’re keeping it broad in our investigation and then having people come forward if they have any specific misconduct, but we are also investigating sexual misconduct, assault and harassment,” SORC Chair Tereza Pelicaric said.

Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Michael Laliberte is in charge of one of the university’s investigations. Laliberte said he was aware of the SORC investigations, but the university was conducting its

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own investigation and wanted to keep the two separate.

Police served a temporary restraining order to SA President Alex Kostal at Speaker of the Senate Rick Bank ’s request. Johnson was also mentioned in the restraining order but was not present at the meeting, because the chancellor had suspended Johnson from school on Dec. 1.

Johnson had sent in his resignation to Kostal 10 minutes before the senate meeting began.

The restraining order, signed by Chief Justice of the Student Court Anthony DeWees on Dec. 4, prevents Kostal from interfering with SORC investigations, retaliating against any SA member or entering any space owned or reserved by SA. As of Sunday night, Kostal will

In closed session Sunday night, the Student Association senate voted to launch an internal investigation of SA President Alex Kostal and Director of University Affairs David Sidhu for potential office misconduct and placed them both on unpaid administrative leave.

During the five-hour meeting, the longest so far this year, Brent Johnson resigned from his position as SA vice president after he was suspended by the university over an alleged sexual assault and other alleged misbehavior in the office.

Although most of the meeting was spent discussing other matters, such as Senate Finance Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee grants, the main event was how the senate would respond to the allegations against Johnson and an investigation of office conduct by the university, with over 30 audience members and local broadcast news teams present.

“Obviously, these are turbulent times for the SA,” Speaker of the Senate Rick Banks said at the beginning of the meeting. “Things are happening very quickly. After today, our next meeting will be January 29 as currently scheduled, [but] I foresee the need to have more meetings.”

Despite being placed by SA on administrative leave without pay on Monday and being suspended by the university on Thursday, Johnson officially retained his position as of Sunday night until he officially emailed a letter of resignation.

In the letter, Johnson maintained that he was innocent of the sexual assault charge, but said his leaving the SA was the best way for SA to go back to business.

“I maintain allegiance to the best interest of my fellow students,” Johnson said in the letter. “This, even at risk of misinterpretation of my motives, leads me to the conclusion that my resignation will help return some semblance of normalcy to the student body.”

Kostal will continue acting as president, communicating orders through Chief of Staff Angela Lang, but Johnson’s position will

See INVESTIGATION page 16

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A VERY SA ISSUE

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December 5, 2011

the uwm post

THEUWMPOST Editor in Chief Zach Erdmann

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News Editor Steve Garrison

Copy Editors Kara Petersen Brad Poling

Assistant News Editors Aaron Knapp John Parnon Fringe Editor Steve Franz Assistant Fringe Editors Kevin Kaber Graham Marlowe Sports Editor Jeremy Lubus Assistant Sports Editor Tony Atkins Editorial Editor Zach Brooke Photo Editor Sierra Riesberg

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JOHNSON

Continued from page 1 of Mad Men until midnight, at which point they decided to go to the bars.

Schultz and Johnson drank martinis while Tiffany had “a little wine.”

Schultz told police that they left for The Whiskey Bar, located at 788 N. Jackson St., at 9:45 p.m.

Tiffany said Schultz drove her and Johnson to the Whiskey Bar, where, upon arrival, Schultz ordered martinis for them. Tiffany said that she did not like it, and Michael ordered a tequila sunrise for her. Schultz said he ordered a tequila sunrise for Tiffany after she had finished her martini.

While at the Whiskey Bar, Schultz said that Tiffany was being f lirtatious, putting a bare hand down his back and kissing him on the neck.

Tiffany does not make mention of this, but said Johnson was taking her shoes off and putting them back on, which she described as “weird.”

The group decided to go to the Old German Beer Hall, located at 1009 North Old World 3rd St., after leaving the Whiskey Bar. Tiffany said that she did not finish her tequila sunrise, although Schultz disputes this.

At the Old German Beer Hall, Tiffany said that Schultz and Johnson went and ordered drinks while she found a booth. Tiffany said that after drinking the beer, which she believed to be a Sam Adams, she could not remember anything.

Schultz said that they were drinking from German “boots” that probably hold three to four beers a piece. He said that Tiffany was very drunk and began kissing him again.

Tiffany said that Schultz left bruises after pulling her hair and arm, in an attempt to “show he had control.”

Brent Johnson, Chris Salani, Michael Schultz, and Tiffany on the night of September 24th at Whiskey Bar.

“Brent looked like he was enjoying watching this,” Tiffany told the Post. “And at the time, I couldn’t do anything. I was just so wobbly, and the room started spinning.”

Tiffany said that no one had taken recreational drugs and that she could not explain why she felt “weightless” after ingesting the amount of alcohol she did.

“Just drinking the amount of alcohol I’ve had before, I’ve never had any effects similar to that from mixing my medication,” Tiffany said.

Tiffany said that, at the time, she was taking birth control and medication for post traumatic stress disorder symptoms she suffered after being raped when she was 14.

Schultz said that they did not finish their beers before leaving at bar close. Tiffany said that as they were leaving the bar, she had trouble walking and needed help getting to the car. Schultz said that she was very drunk but was able to walk. Schultz said that Johnson was drunk, but “functional,” when they got in the car to leave.

Tiffany said that she had trouble remembering the ride home, but said Schultz kept playing the song “Electric Feel” by alternative group MGMT. “Michael kept playing over and over ‘Electric Feel,’ because he said that was ‘our song,’ and I remember Brent saying, ‘Can you play another song? Stop playing that song!’”

Tiffany told the Post.

Tiffany said that the next thing she remembered was being “really hot,” and she decided to change out of her clothes. She said she went to her room and put on a Jim Morrison shirt and a pair of purple shorts. Schultz said the victim changed into a pair of pink sweatpants and wore no bra under the Jim Morrison shirt.

Tiffany took a seat between Schultz and Johnson on the couch, and the group continued watching Mad Men. Schultz said that Tiffany continued caressing his back and f lashed her breasts to the two men, an act which surprised him. Schultz said Tiffany then leaned over to him and whispered, “Make him stop.” He replied, “What is he doing?” to which she replied, “See what he is doing.”

Schultz responded, “I don’t see him doing anything.”

Schultz told police that Tiffany never said anything to Johnson during this exchange and that it was at this point that Johnson decided to leave, leaving him and Tiffany on the couch.

Tiffany told police that she did not f lash them but instead started making out with Schultz.

“After a few minutes, I started making out with Michael, and usually, I will kiss in front people, a short kiss … but I wouldn’t be completely making out, especially when somebody is sitting right there next to us,” Tiffany told the Post.

As they were kissing, Tiffany told police that Johnson put his left hand under her butt and his right hand on her thigh, squeezing so hard that it left a slight bruise, due to her anemia.

His right hand slid up her thigh, and Johnson pulled aside her clothing and inserted two or three fingers into her vagina.

“I said to Michael, ‘Make him stop, make him stop,’ and he was like […] he didn’t even acknowledge it, even though in his report he said he acknowledged it, but he didn’t,” Tiffany told the Post. “He kept kissing me and then the last thing I remember was saying, ‘Make him stop,’ and then I blacked out.”

Tiffany told police she thought it was 2:30 or 3 a.m. when she blacked

out; Schultz said it was about 3:30 a.m.

Schultz said Tiffany fell asleep for about 10 minutes before awaking, running to the bathroom and throwing up violently. He said that Tiffany felt bad, because she thought she ruined the night.

Tiffany said she remembers officially being up mentally between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. and that when she awoke, Schultz was next to her smoking a cigar, and Johnson was just leaving.

“I was like, ‘Why is he leaving?

Why is he leaving?’ I was so confused,” Tiffany told the Post.

Tiffany told police that she then ran to the bathroom and began throwing up liquids violently.

She laid down for a couple of minutes and then came out to question Schultz about why he did not stop Johnson.

“I was like, ‘Why didn’t you make him stop?,’ and he was just like […]

I don’t remember what his response was, but then he was like, ‘It wouldn’t surprise me if he wanted a Devil’s Three-way,” Tiffany told the Post.

Johnson was questioned by police on Nov. 27 in regards to what happened that night but said he wanted a lawyer present. The interview was then terminated.

He told the UWM Post that after returning from the bars, he sat on the couch with Tiffany and Schultz watching Mad Men, but left shortly after Tiffany began giving Schultz a back massage.

Tiffany said that there was no evidence that anything else had occurred while she was passed out.

“After that incident, I said to Michael numerous times that I wanted him to confront Brent about it, and Michael was never supportive, or sympathetic or tried to comfort

me at all,” Tiffany told the Post. “He never tried to comfort me.”

Schultz began dating Tiffany a week before the alleged incident took place and had been friends with Johnson for about a year, when they were both members of the fraternity Phi Sigma Kappa.

Schultz told the Post that he did not see anything sexual happen while they were on the couch.

“She’s making this allegation, but it seems unfounded, because I was there with them the entire time,” Schultz said. “If I didn’t see something happen, I can almost say nothing happened.”

Schultz said in an interview that his memory of the event was very clear, because he was the designated driver and was not going to “fully celebrate” Johnson’s birthday.

However, in his report to police, Schultz mentioned consuming several martinis and beers during the night in question. Tiffany’s interview with the Post confirms this and pictures she provided from the night show Schultz drinking martinis at The Whiskey Bar. “They [Schultz and Johnson] ordered martinis for all of us, and I take a sip, and I’m like, ‘I can’t drink all of this,’” Tiffany recounts. “So I gave it to Michael, and in that one picture, he might be holding two martinis, because there was a point when he had two martinis.”

Schultz pled guilty to operating while intoxicated in March earlier this year, according to public court records obtained by the Post.

Acquaintance Chris Salani is also shown with the group in the pictures provided by Tiffany.

Salani told the Post that he bumped

See JOHNSON page16

NEWS

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SA

Continued from page 1

remain vacant, said Communications Director and Senator Daniel Laughland in an email after the meeting.

“We have faith that our staff can continue their duties and continue to serve the students at UWM, even in this turbulent time,” Laughland said.

In addition to the decision to launch an investigation of Kostal and Sidhu, which happened during the last hour of the meeting, the senate also approved SAC grants, some SFC grants and reinstituted the Campus Activities Board after passing a new set of bylaws for the committee.

The SAC grants – those allotted for UWM student organizations for a variety of activities next semester were easily passed in a few minutes – the SFC grants, which are much larger and go to centers and larger entities on campus, were debated for almost an hour and a half.

“We put a lot of work into this, and there was a lot of outside hours that weren’t asked...” said Ridgeway, who assumed the position of chair after Johnson was placed on administrative leave.

At issue was whether or not the SA would start a daily, on-campus newspaper at the cost of $2.25 per student per semester next year,

newspaper proposal, arguing that there should at least be more research on whether students want it.

The senate also debated whether

December 5, 2011 include a $39 increase of funding per student to UPARK to fund a deal between SA and Parking and Transit, which would allow 400 parking

Alex Kostal leaves the Senate meeting after being served a temporary restraining order. Post photo by Austin McDowell

which the senate voted not to do, and whether or not SFC would give an extra $2 per student to SAC next year to give to student organizations for environmentally friendly projects, which it also voted not to do.

“We’re not in the business of starting businesses,” Laughland said at the meeting about the daily

or not to decrease funding to CAB, which has been defunct since October and unable to spend it’s nearly $300,000 budget for on-campus events. Funding was sustained at $6.70 per student next year, and CAB was reinstated later in the meeting.

Major SFC grants for next year that were tabled for next meeting

spaces to be open for students in the Klotsche Pavilion next year, and increased funding to the Athletic Department to help pay down its deficit.

The investigation of Kostal and Sidhu will be handled by the Senate Oversight and Rules Committee, which has already been investigating

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the SA office itself, asking all SA members to answer an office climate survey.

Sidhu admitted after he had been ejected from the meeting that he was under investigation for bringing up the trailer of pornographic film on YouTube on his office computer. Sidhu is also a member of SORC, but could not participate after being placed on administrative leave.

In an interview before the meetings on Sunday, Deputy Speaker of the Senate and SORC Chair Tereza Pelicaric said that the fact-finding committee will present its findings and a recommendation of appropriate action to the senate in the hopes of preserving SA. “Some individuals may be damned by what has been happening, but we want the SA… to come out stronger and better,” she said.

SORC held a meeting immediately after the senate meeting, which also went into closed session to begin the investigation. “[We outlined] the process for the investigation and [decided] where we want to gather testimony and further info that may be relevant to the cases,” Banks said after the SORC meeting.

The next senate meeting is scheduled to take place on Jan. 29, but the senate will likely meet sooner in an emergency meeting.

Infographic by Russell Pritchard

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December 5, 2011

the uwm post

Big Bang actress discusses Jewish upbringing

Mayim Bialik talks about faith, work and marriage

By Stephanie Schmidt Special to the Post news@uwmpost.com

Actress and writer Mayim Bialik spoke at UW-Milwaukee, through Jewish Student Services, in Bolton Hall at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

Bialik currently appears in the popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory on CBS. She plays Amy Farrah Fowler, the sort-of girlfriend of Sheldon Cooper ( Jim Parsons). She also had the lead role in the television show Blossom, which aired in the ‘90s, and appeared as a young Bette Midler in the movie Beaches.

In addition to acting, Bialik received a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA, although she did not pursue a career in science after graduation.

She is also releasing a book on holistic parenting, due out in March 2012.

Her multitude of accomplishments was not the primary reason that she was invited to talk. Rather, it was her ability to manage her career, family and spirituality.

Bialik ’s strong Jewish beliefs were mentioned throughout the night, but she didn’t attempt to sway anyone in the audience who did not hold traditional beliefs.

“I have no particular agenda, political or otherwise,” Bialik said. “I am just here to share my experience.”

Bialik spoke candidly and was very open with the audience. After walking in 10 minutes past the starting time, she apologized, saying she was just having some potstickers.

She also mentioned that it was her first time having sign language interpreters.

An incident where the lights in the hall turned off brief ly was

followed by a synopsis of her acting career and personal life.

Bialik was raised practicing reformed Judaism. She went to a public elementary school and attended Hebrew school once a week.

“I liked going to Hebrew school. I was that kid,” Bialik said.

Bialik stated that it was her connection to the Jewish world that kept her grounded during her time on Blossom. She later utilized the UCLA campus Hillel and spent a lot of her time there during college.

Because she started college two years after her former classmates, Bialik did not have a huge social group.

She met her husband, Michael Stone, while at UCLA. They were married during graduate school after dating for five years.

“I met my husband during calculus, so in case any of you don’t want to take calculus, I highly recommend it,” Bialik said.

Following the completion of her Ph.D., Bialik made the decision that she would return to acting, in order to best raise her two children.

Bialik said she is often asked how she keeps from going crazy in such an image-based industry. She then listed her seven values which help her remain sane: an appreciation for the complexity of family values, a routine or rhythm to the week, finding the little moments of joy in everyday, examining character, fostering an understanding that she is not God and having a sense of homeland.

While the planners of the event gathered note cards full of questions from the audience, Bialik turned to the sign language interpreters.

“Should I sing just to see what it looks like in signing?” Bialik asked.

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SPORTS

December 5, 2011

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Panthers avoid a UIC scare, remain undefeated in conference

Milwaukee escapes late Flame surge to lockdown two-point victory

By Nick Bornheimer Staff Writer sports@uwmpost.com

The UW-Milwaukee Panthers men’s basketball team overcame poor free-throw shooting and a late squandering of the lead Friday afternoon at the U.S. Cellular Arena to move to 2-0 in conference with a 73-71 overtime victory over the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Milwaukee (7-1, 2-0 Horizon) was coming off of a 59-41 beatdown over Loyola in their conference season opener Wednesday. This one had fans a little more anxious.

The Panthers’ Kyle Kelm scored a game-high 18 points, and the team would need nearly every one after shooting just 22 percent from the line down the stretch and giving up an 11-point lead with less than five minutes to play.

“He’s been big,” senior guard Kaylon Williams said, referring to Kelm. “He’s just very efficient, and he does what we need him to do.”

The Panthers, who appeared to be in control of the momentum, let UIC (2-5, 0-2 Horizon) hang around. The Flames took their first lead of the game with just over 27 seconds left in regulation.

Despite Williams missing five free throws in the final 2:10 of regulation, he made big plays when it counted, hitting a free throw to bring the game into overtime and a late free throw to help secure a tight victory.

“They’ll fall,” said Williams, who finished with 13 points. “I’m just glad my teammates picked me up.”

UIC was able to storm back from a 51-40 deficit with big plays from

seniors Paris Carter and Darrin Williams, who finished with 14 and 10 points respectively.

“Even when they got down by double digits, they continued to fight,” UWM coach Rob Jeter said.

“That shows a lot of character for that team.”

James Haarsma added 14 points, and Tony Meier contributed nine points of his own. Ryan Allen finished just a rebound and a point short of a double-double, but had a far bigger impact in a different facet of the game.

“Defensively, the blocks were big,” Jeter said. “[Allen] made some timely plays.”

Allen finished with five blocks, one of which saved the Panthers from falling in regulation. UIC’s Gary Talton went up for a layup as time expired, but Allen made an incredible block to see the game into overtime.

The Panthers gained momentum in the overtime on a Haarsma threepoint play and a Paris Gulley threepointer, as Milwaukee was able to squeak out a close one.

Jeter acknowledged that even though free throws have been emphasized in practice, the team still needs more work.

“Well, I’m glad we practiced free throws yesterday; that’s all we did,” Jeter said jokingly. “We really have to make sure that we can get to the free throw line and make them.”

The Panthers now must keep their nose to the grindstone, as they turn around and play Monday night at DePaul. Tip off is set for 8 p.m.

“It was a hard fought match.” Jeter said. “We still don’t have a full roster on the f loor, but guys just seem to step up and make enough plays.”

Sophomore Kyle Kelm poured in 18 points as the Panthers held of UIC Saturday afternoon. Post photo by Austin McDowell

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SPORTS

December 5, 2011

Panthers end phenomenal season in loss to Iowa State

Team falls to Cyclones in NCAA first round

By Tony Atkins

Assistant Sports Editor sports@uwmpost.com

The thrill ride that the UWMilwaukee women’s volleyball team has taken us on was a fun one. Unfortunately, the Panthers’ successful run came to a screeching halt – 25-19, 25-23, 25-23 – in Ames, Iowa, on Friday.

The Panthers came into Iowa hot off of a victory in the Horizon League tournament where they ended their season but one short year ago. This year, the Panthers took care of business in the Horizon League and earned a berth in the NCAA tourney. UWM even took to the Hilton Coliseum, the victor of a school-record 18 matches, but none of that mattered, because Iowa State will still be moving on to the second round

of play.

Although in a loss, the Panthers gave it to the No. 4 Iowa State Cyclones, who were led behind a phenomenal 15 kills, career-high performance from junior middle back Jamie Straube. Straube provided a 65 percent hitting stat, which was also a career best, and two setending kills for the Cyclones.

“I was like, ‘You know what? I'm swinging.’ I just got that confidence, and it was just working for me. I wanted to show my team that I'm not going down without a fight,” Straube said.

This bout included a lot of rallying and hanging around by the Panthers.

Oftentimes, the Cyclones were pulling away and garnering leads in each set.

Each set grew close and tense as the Panther drew near, but the Cyclones would rally behind their stars and pull

ahead time and time again.

The Panthers made sure they went down guns blazing, as they found themselves leading by four at 19-15 in the second set. The Panthers wouldn’t hold, though, as the Cyclones went on a tear, scoring eight straight points and finishing the set up on a 10-4 run.

Milwaukee was led by Elizabeth Egerer, with 10 kills, and Morgan Potter, with 11 digs. Senior Kerri Schuh and freshman Julie Kolinske added seven kills each as well.

This loss continues a winless streak for Horizon League teams in the NCAA tournament. The Panthers will look to rebound as they retool for next year. Iowa State moves on to play No. 25 University of Miami at the Hilton Coliseum for round two Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

Lindfors, Tucker shine, but Panthers fall to Western

UWM’s two-game winning streak halted

By Eric Engelbart Staff Writer sports@uwmpost.com

The UW-Milwaukee women’s basketball team looked to continue their strong play of late against the Western Michigan Broncos Saturday night. The Panthers, coming off of two consecutive victories, fell short in the final minutes, losing the nail-biter of a game 69-63.

Looking from an optimistic perspective, the Panthers seem to be finding an offensive identity, which seems to be getting the ball in the post to their dynamic duo: forward Sami Tucker and center Courtney Lindfors. The pair combined for 41 of the Panthers’ 63 points in the game.

Tucker recorded her third consecutive double-double, collecting

21 points and 11 rebounds. Lindfors was a force inside as well, scoring 20 points and grabbing five boards, while recording a season-best four blocks.

Western Michigan went into the game winless in their first five outings.

This time out, they were able to protect their home court. They were led by forward Michelle O’Brien, who had 12 points and 14 rebounds, and guard Corie Buchanan, who had 18 points, five assists and five steals.

With 13 minutes remaining in the second half, the Panthers were down 10 at 47-37. But they put together a sequence of brilliant plays and sparked an 11-1 run, tying the game up at 48.

This sequence was highlighted by a block by Lindfors and a steal and fast break layup by point guard Kiki Wilson.

However, the Broncos were able to reestablish control of the game in front

of their home crowd.

“Once we had the tie and gained some momentum, give them credit.

They made plays down the stretch, and we did not,” coach Sandy Botham said.

The Panthers’ three-point and freethrow shooting were both seen as team strengths entering this year’s campaign.

This game was a microcosm of the season thus far, as the Panthers were unable to perform in these two key categories.

They shot two of 15 from three-point range and just over fifty percent from the charity stripe. Notably, the Panthers missed five free throws and three threepointers in the final five minutes.

The Panthers face their biggest test next weekend. They will go head-tohead with No. 1 Baylor University on Thursday night and No. 18 Oklahoma State on Sunday afternoon.

the uwm post

NBA is back in time for Christmas A few things to keep an eye on this season

By Nolan Murphy Staff Writer sports@uwmpost.com

As America arose last Saturday morning from their Black Friday hangover, a pleasant surprise was at their doorstep. In the early hours of Saturday morning, the head of the National Basketball Player’s Association Billy Hunter and NBA commissioner David Stern set their egos aside and made up, and the NBA was back.

The NBA lockout ended after almost five months of back and forth talking. The NBA has promised a 66game season set to begin with a bang on Christmas Day, as the Celtics vs.

Knicks, Heat vs. Mavericks and Bulls vs. Lakers are scheduled to tip off. There is more than hope behind this tentative agreement.

Free agency is set to begin Dec. 9 and should play out like a mad scramble for wings at Brothers on a Wednesday night. The theme looks to be centered around the established big men available on the market. Marc Gasol, coming off a brilliant postseason, looks like he will be cashing in for a payday, as well as DeAndre Jordan, because both are restricted free agents – not to mention Tyson Chandler, who was critical to the Mavericks winning the title this past season.

The biggest splash could be seen with the rumored releases of players like Brandon Roy, Baron Davis and Gilbert

Arenas, with a possible amnesty clause in the new collective bargaining agreement.

This would allow each team the option of ridding themselves of one overpriced and underachieving player contract, let alone Chris Paul’s verbal desire to play in New York.

Basketball junkies across the nation can rejoice, as any possible thoughts of a “nuclear winter” are now nonexistent.

The headlines for the 2011-12 season read like an Oscar-worthy screenplay: 1. Season two of the “Heatles” reality series will be on center stage with championship or bust mentality.

2. Young stars such as Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose will be expected to raise their game even more.

3. How much does Kobe Bryant have left in the tank and will he catch Michael Jordan?

4. Do the Celtics Big 3 of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce have one more title run left in them?

5. Can Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire bring winning back to the Big Apple?

6. Will Dirk continue to dominate like he did in the 2011 Playoffs?

7. And for all of our Fear the Deer fans and readers, will Andrew Bogut ever be the same?

All of these storylines will be answered in the NBA in the coming months, along with some other pleasant surprises. However you want to look at it, the NBA is back.

End of the line A look back at a great year for Panther volleyball

By Mitch Pratt Staff Writer sports@uwmpost.com

The magical 2011 season for the UW-Milwaukee women’s volleyball has come to an end after losing to the Iowa State Cyclones in Ames, Iowa, Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Panthers, who finished the year with an overall record of 25-5, had come into the game as winners of 18 straight matches. The team ran the table throughout the Horizon League season and punched themselves a ticket to the big dance – the ninth in school history – by first defeating Valparaiso and Cleveland State during the Horizon League tournament.

Like many other conferences, Horizon League teams are guaranteed a spot in the national tournament when they win their conference tournament, but no team out of the Horizon League has ever gotten past the the first round, and that trend didn’t end this year.

The season, however, still had its highlights, because the Panthers had a very successful year nonetheless. The team has reached great heights, and some individuals have achieved great milestones: All of the senior players have played

in at least 60 matches in their respective careers at UWM. The Panthers became the first team since Notre Dame in 1994 to go undefeated in their conference in the regular season.

Senior Morgan Potter surpassed 1,000 digs for her career earlier in 2011.

The Panthers are 38-2 in home regular season matches in the five seasons under coach Susie Johnson.

It will be tough to replace what they are losing to graduation. Potter, who was named to the All-Horizon team at the libero spot, will be gone. Horizon League Player of the Year Kerri Schuh and senior Mackenzie Millis have been key contributors in getting the Panthers into the NCAA Tournament, but they both will be gone next year, too.

This team had a remarkable run this year, and this program has been extremely successful over the past several years. The Panthers will return a few contributors for next year in Horizon League Newcomer of the Year Kayla Price, freshman Taylor Golabowski and junior Anna Bartz. They’ll also have sophomore Rachel Neuberger in the front of the attack line. The team has put on a great show for us over the past couple of years, and we should expect nothing less from them in the years to come.

STANDING ROOM

ONLY

DREW MAGARY FILLS UP BOSWELL BOOKS

By Steven Franz Fringe Editor

fringe@uwmpost.com

“Sorry baby!” exclaimed Deadspin’s Drew Magary, moments after uttering – okay, exclaiming – a rather unfortunate four-letter word in the presence of a young infant during his hour-long reading Thursday night at Boswell Book Company, the former Harry W. Schwartz on Downer Avenue. Not that an apology was either in order or particularly meaningful considering that the infant, in all likelihood, possessed no concrete understanding of what language actually is, and the proceeding minutes were dominated by a variety of curses much more forceful than the one that he for some reason felt the need to apologize for.

Magary was speaking – before a crowd so packed that the Boswell management, rather oblivious to his career, needed to roll out more chairs for and still didn’t have enough to keep many people from standing – on behalf of his latest novel, The Postmortal. Released earlier this year, the novel, which Magary spent 10 minutes max reading from before moving on to other, juicier topics, is a bit of a departure for a writer the bulk of whose career has been constructed from caps lock-laced screeds against notorious former Packers quarterback Brett Favre or Sports Illustrated writer Peter King.

A science fiction book with only the vaguest relation to sports (Magary noted how many of the names in the book were taken from athletes), The Postmortal revolves around a hypothetical cure for

human aging and the theoretical social and economic fallout that comes in the wake of the basic disruption of human existence.

Magary is a man who talks like he writes, a wide-eyed, foul-mouthed Everyman who nonetheless has parlayed his fairly common opinions – part of the beauty of Deadspin is that it reflects, in the form of a major media source (the blog regularly accumulates around 5 million hits per month), the ideas and attitudes about sports and society that tend to not be reflected in the sheltered, elitist atmospheres of media corporations like ESPN and NBC – into a relatively lucrative and highly influential career.

He writes for multiple websites, which in addition to Deadspin include the (in) famous NFL satire site Kissing Suzy Kolber, the name of which is derived from a famous incident in which a drunken Joe Namath attempted to kiss Monday Night Football sideline reporter Suzy Kolber during a 2003 contest between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots.

The Namath incident is a fair summation of Magary himself: a man who, with uproarious confrontationalism (Peter King once sent him an email demanding an explanation for the weekly column Magary runs in which he picks apart King’s “Monday Morning Quarterback” piece for SportsIllustrated. com) threatens the sports media establishment to the point of discomfort.

Except instead of drunken flirtations, Magary’s threats come in the form of long-form articles about “Great Moments in Poop History” and “Drunken Hookup Failures” that rely as much (if not more

so) on reader submissions as they do on Magary’s own recklessly self-referential writing, which can get him into some trouble. His experiences at a friend’s Baptism, which he turned into a column several years ago, drew such ire from his family and friends that he decided to actually take the piece down.

The pronounced, striking normalcy of Drew Magary was what shone the brightest during his time at Boswell – the way he wore tennis shoes underneath his khakis, his air of vulgar deprecation, the way his reading voice, while boisterous (if there’s one thing Magary knows, it’s how to project his voice), lacked both nuance and a clear ability to articulate syllables. Here was a delightful amateur not only invading a professional’s field (two, in fact, if you count his novel) but going a step further to become a highly influential member of it, democratizing it somewhat, if not outright anarchizing it. While it’s doubtful that he’ll ever end up as a television correspondent for Sunday Night Football like one Peter King, a very foreseeable possibility is that Magary may very well become a more important writer and, if former Deadspin correspondent and current Sports Illustrated contributor Richard Deitsch is any indication, end up with a digital office right next door.

Afterwards, everyone went to Café Hollander to get good and drunk, because when you’re dealing with a personality like Drew Magary, that’s really the only thing you can do. Suzy Kolber, however, was probably not there.

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the uwm post

December 5, 2011

Now showing at a The desert still knows all theater near you Kyuss Lives! more than a reunion act

A look at what’s to come at UWM’s Union Theatre

By Kevin Kaber Assistant Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com

The UWM Union Theatre is one of the most notable and diverse movie theaters in the entire country, but it can be easy to overlook, in the context of studies and the day-to-day bustle of the UWM campus. Every week, the staff at the UWM Post provides a brief guide to the theater’s most notable titles, in an effort to encourage students to make the most of this unique and vibrant resource.

Color Series (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)

The last of the fall semester’s Experimental Tuesdays, Madison Brookshire’s Color Series is an ensemble of just that… color. Brookshire, an interdisciplinary artist from Los Angeles, has created a series of six films, which may be viewed separately or otherwise, of which each depict colors fading into one another. Though shown on 16mm and running at 74 minutes long, Brookshire actually created the color fading effects by just using the lights of his lab’s printing process. Brookshire describes that “the effect is a direct experience of time and vision.”

Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us? (Wednesday, 7 p.m.)

In this eye-catching documentary from seasoned filmmaker Taggart

Seigel, the state of the little-known, but well-feared “bee crisis” is explored.

In 1923, Austrian scientist Rudolf Steiner predicted that honeybees as we know them would be wiped from existence within the century. Recently, the bee crisis has risen to an all-time high, affecting the masses, especially commercial farmers and the beekeepers that must meet the farmers’ pollinating needs. Seigel investigates the hushed topic through means of interviews with scientists, including Michael Pollan, who recently served as a Distinguished Lecturer at UWM, philosophers and, of course, the beekeepers who are fighting to keep the species alive and well.

Aurora (Friday, 9:00 p.m.; Saturday, 3 & 7 p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m.)

Romanian filmmaker Cristi Puiu writes, stars and directs his fourth directorial effort, Aurora. Premiering at 2010’s Cannes Film Festival, the film follows Viorel (Puiu), a mysterious man with unknown motives. Moving slowly, quietly and, above all, creepily, Aurora feels as if it could make a turn for the worst at any moment. Eventually, the film’s story (and characters) becomes partially known. Surprisingly touching and also comedic, at times, the film is as about as impressive as they come; however, at a lengthy near-three hours, Aurora might feel like an exhausting trip for the typical moviegoer.

Aurora, a Romanian film, is as much mysterious as it is an interesting depiction of the soul.

Kyuss Lives!, a three-fourths reunion of the SoCal desert rockers, played as if reincarnated from its storied roots Thursday night at Turner Hall.

By Graham Marlowe Assistant Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com

There’s an element of “being there” to the desert rock sound of Kyuss, and the ‘90s anecdotes that trail behind it are as mysterious as the ego-shattering “generator parties” it took to finance it in and around Palm Desert, CA. Critics once looked to the baseless “stoner rock” label for descriptors, but well into the second millennium, the term – which signifies an open-air blend of psychedelia, blues and metal – is basically an honor in hindsight. And for Kyuss Lives!, a three-fourths reunion of the band started in 2010, the spiritual overtone and panoramic scenery of the music is living proof that their stomping grounds remain prime real estate for musicians of all kinds.

Since disbanding in 1995, lead guitarist Josh Homme has had no interest in reuniting, but if nothing else, he’s kept the music’s original spirit alive, both through sister acts (Queens of the Stone Age, Mondo Generator) and an ongoing series of instrumental jam sessions titled, The Desert Sessions.

Homme’s absence from recent gigs is obvious, yet Belgian guitarist Bruno Fevery showed Thursday’s crowd at Turner Hall that Kyuss has moved into more progressive territory that Homme

had only begun to breach before their original breakup.

One couldn’t modernize the group’s down-tuned, and at times, pummeling, metal if they tried, but the fact that Fevery wasn’t part of the Palm Desert scene doesn’t detract from what oozes out of his instrument.

Fevery, who once played in a Kyuss tribute band, gravitates to a wilder, more exotic style of playing. In adventuredriven concert staples, like “Asteroid” and “Gardenia,” he ditches the outdated Metallica playbook and replaces it with either mystical meanderings or the introspective funk-rock of Dave Navarro-era Red Hot Chili Peppers.

With enough familiarity from the recorded versions, Fevery’s explorations were an easy sell to the crowd of spirited skeptics. (Think “Whitewater” instead of “Odyssey.”)

Homme often played guitar through a bass amp, and in essence, his heavier style of lead emphasized volume over melody and lyricism. As such, these old metal songs have a tendency to lose their verve after years spent inside wellworn grooves, though the between- and within-song jams were inserted into the context of a respectable greatest-hits progression. This gave songs the kind of breathing room they once enjoyed in the presence of endless sunsets.

In other news, vocalist John Garcia,

whose pipes were never that great to begin with, has transcended his Beavis & Butthead-evincing wuss-wail and returned with the hardened earth tones of America’s best bluesmen. The colorful emotion behind the band’s words has historically been buried in the mix (à la My Bloody Valentine), though with considerably less artistic intent.

Nevertheless, Garcia’s voice sounded reinforced by lithium batteries, as opposed to another set of unreliable Duracells, which other ‘90s-based reunions would likely be forced to rely on. (How can one resurrect “being there” if there were not there in the first place?)

The word fresh should be avoided at all costs with music like this, though at any given moment, at any twist or turn that Homme might envy, the rhythm section – led by drummer Brant Bjork and bassist Nick Oliveri – bobbed along with renewed interest to “Freedom Run,” “Fatso Forgotso” and an especially peculiar transition from “El Rodeo” to “100°.”

Despite a lack of new material, Kyuss showed loyalists and skeptics alike that, minus Homme’s reservations, one should never dig up ghosts without good reason for doing so. Consequently, if anyone stumbles upon a recording of this tour, his or her hard drive will soon need an exorcism.

uwmpost.com

PAID ADVERTISEMENTS

December 5, 2011

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December Friday, Dec 9 Wilco & Nick Love Riverside Theatre Wilco is one of the most beloved bands in the history of alternative music, born in the 1990s in the middle of the altrock and Pavement-led indie scenes that had very little – if any – to do with the rootsy country music that the band has since made a living repackaging for the college radio crowd. Several of the band’s albums, especially the 1999 magnum opus Summerteeth (as well as Being There (1996) and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002), have gone down into the modern music canon as absolute masterworks, and have provided the backbone for a career with astonishing longevity. The alt-country boom of a few years ago has everything to do with Wilco, and as the band demonstrated just this very year with The Whole Love, a marvelous album in its own right, they’re still very much alive and inspiring a scene around them that continually grows – just not too much to lose sight of a band like Wilco.

Friday, Dec 9 Surgeons in Heat Linneman’s Riverwest Inn

Thursday, December 15 Cage the Elephant, The Joy Formidable, Sleeper Agent The Rave

Friday, December 30th – Sunday, January 1st Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra – The Gershwins: Here to Stay Uhlein Hall

Tucked between the tireless grunge-rock anthems and the increasing tedium of rap & hip-hop’s cash-money “caching!” of today is Cage The Elephant, one of Kentucky’s premier rock bands of the last half decade. An arid but wellbalanced production style, along with a hazy garage-blues backbone and a rap-like delivery that recalls Beck’s earliest MTV appearances, this post-grunge combo may strike you as either a lighter version of the Stone Temple Pilots or as (still) young-and-hungry leftovers from the ‘00s garagerock revival. Stylistically there is to be discussed, but regardless they’ve had a fast climb to the mainstream with just two albums. Their self-titled 2008 debut rose quickly on the UK Singles Chart, and before they knew it they found themselves touring with Silversun Pickups and Manchester Orchestra. Extensive touring, television appearances, and festival crowd win-overs have paved an easy path to stardom for these five, and their latest offering, January’s Thank You, Happy Birthday, is so much an innovation but a theme and variations on a personal style.

The Roaring Twenties were as interesting period as ever in pre-Depression America. Despite the time’s new social movements, the stage was set for massively popular American music. George Gershwin, along with brother Ira, composed and orchestrated some of America’s most successful pieces of music from the mid 1910’s to George’s untimely death in 1937.

Since then, the Gershwin Brothers have left behind a timeless repertoire of music that lived on through acts like Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra and will continue to live on for generations.

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra will help continue the Gershwin legacy with their New Year’s Eve Weekend show: The Gershwins: Here to Stay. Tickets range in price up to $99.

Friday, Decmber 30th The Mistreaters, Guilty Pleasures, Catholic Boys, Static Eyes Cactus Club

Friday, December 16 Mickey Hart Band Turner Hall Ballroom

Don’t let frontman John Mayer’s unfortunate name fool you.

Very few local bands capture the sizzle of downtempo 1970s powerpop the way Surgeons in Heat do, mixing a sound predicated on searing red neon lights and beaded doorways with a decidedly modern indie sensibility. Their songs don’t stray particularly far from formula, but a palpable 1990s alternative rock vibe drifts throughout songs that can only be described as sliding from one chord to another, swaying back and forth between the best of low-volume pop like Fleetwood Mac (who they’ve regularly covered in live shows for years) and the sultry Philadelphia soul that pervaded the pop charts in the decade of excess. Joining Surgeons in Heat on the bill will be Icarus Himself and Animals in Human Attire, the latter of whom will be finishing off quite a busy week of performances.

Saturday, Dec 10 Scott Hlavenka’s 30th Birthday Party Linneman’s Riverwest Inn Most Milwaukeeans might not know who Scott Hlavenka is, but the local bassist extraordinaire has become one of the most sought-after rock musicians in the city, working regularly for incredibly popular acts like local alternative circus Dead Man’s Carnival (where he’s featured, along with a spectacular false mustache as the bassist for house band Sir Pinkerton and the Magnificents) and the city’s definitive hip-hop ensemble, Fresh Cut Collective. Hlavenka makes a living from bringing the funk, and Fresh Cut Collective (featuring the man himself) will be headlining this jam-packed bill that also features The Ragadors, The Delta Routine, and I Am Not A Pilot. (Happy birthday, Scott!)

Also notable this week Fort Wilson Riot, Animals in Human Attire, Pearls of Mercury, Phantom Trails (Dec 6, Borg Ward) Reel Big Fish & Streetlight Manifesto (Dec 7, The Rave) Lee Greenwood (Dec 7, Potawatomi Bingo Casino Northern Lights Theater) Smokey Robinson (Dec 8, Potawatomi Bingo Casino Northern Lights Theater) Trapper Schoepp & the Shades (Dec 8, Yield Bar) Sevendust & Eye Empire (Dec 10, The Rave) Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound (Dec 10, Shank Hall)

Of all the Grateful Dead alum, Mickey Hart (drums/ percussion) has been the hardest to define, as well as the most progressive. Further, if one were to sift through the band’s recorded history, Hart best anticipated what the world of music might next offer us. In the context of the Dead, Hart found ways to integrate influences of worldbeat and other percussion-driven genres into an already expansive rock music palette. And through a series of onoff, far out ensembles like Planet Drum and The Rhythm Devils, Hart could safely say there is virtually no musical stone he’s left unturned outside of the Dead. The most recent incarnation of the Mickey Hart Band coincides with the Smithsonian Folkways release of The Mickey Hart Collection – a 25-album series that spans innumerable regions of the globe, including Sudan, Tibet, Indonesia, and Brazil.

Sunday, December 18 Gimme Shelter Times Cinema; 4pm $4

Woodstock wasn’t the only overpopulated “free” concert in American history, but no other example lived up to the ideals it stood for any better than that one. Less than four months later came the release of Gimme Shelter (1970), a documentary from the Maysles Brothers that tracks The Rolling Stones’ star-studded-concert-turned-dystopia at the Altamont Speedway in northern California. An impending doom swept over the film at the time, and many saw it as evidence of the counterculture’s naïveté, or at least proof that the counterculture could no longer be trusted, due to its numerous danger socio-political danger zones (in this case, the Hell’s Angels). “It’s creating a sort of microcosmic society,” said Mick Jagger, “which sets an example for America in terms of how one can behave in these gatherings”. With four births, four deaths, and “an awful lot of scuffles”, the key word there is “could.”

Also notable this week: Ballini, Ogburn and Baumann (Dec 12, Jazz Estate) Thomas Kiedrowski (Dec 14, Boswell Book Company) Mushroomhead w/ guests (Dec 14, The Rave) Mixtape Meltdown #7 (Dec 15, Frank’s Power Plant) UWM Jazz Combos (Dec 15, The Jazz Estate; 9 p.m.)

Disguised As Birds (Dec 16, Cactus Club) UWM Student Film & Video Festival (Dec 17, Union Theatre) Braid & Smoking Popes (Dec 22, Turner Hall)

Milwaukee has always been a fitting setting for the punk scene. With multiple venues supporting the genre, it’s safe to say that it’s in our roots. However, one Milwaukee punk band will be saying its goodbyes at the Cactus Club this winter.

The Mistreaters have been mistreating basements and clubs around the world for the better part of a decade now, but sadly they will be playing their last show in conjunction with the Cactus Club’s final event of their (elongated) 15th Anniversary celebration. Joining the Mistreaters are Guilty Pleasures, Catholic Boys, and Static Eyes to help say goodbye to a premier punk icon in Milwaukee while being one piece of the larger renaissance of the genre, locally, globally, and nationally that will surely help usher in a variety of artists who will have owed a substantial debt to bands like the one saying goodbye this night.

Saturday, December 31st The Get Down Turner Hall If you happened to have missed last year’s sold out New Year’s Eve party at the Turner Hall, fret not because there’s another this year. The Get Down is a New Year’s Eve celebration to end all. Featuring a delectable selection of soul and funk for patrons to groove to all night, The Get Down is sure to be (as it was last year) a sweaty funk-fest up until its balloon drop finale.

Tickets are sure to sell quickly (if not because of the party, then because of the buffet), so get them while they’re hot. But if you can’t make it to the Get Down – which tends to sell out days before New Year’s Eve actually arrives – there are a variety of other New Year’s Eve festivities at almost every bar around the city that are worth checking out, from the annual linesaround-the-block Dead Man’s Carnival New Year’s Eve show to Mad Planet’s massive retro dance party – which traditionally features free pizza and noisemakers to set off when the time is right – among other local music extravaganzas and wall-towall parties. But if we at the Post had to endorse one New Year’s Eve spectacular, it would be this one.

Also notable this week: Mike Krol, Sleeping in the Aviary (Dec 26, Frank’s Power Plant) Evan Christian (Dec 28, The Jazz Estate) Dumpster Babies, The Onions (Dec 31, Frank’s Power Plant) Jim Gaffigan (Dec 30-31, Pabst Theatre) Skrillex (Dec 31, The Rave) New Year’s Eve Bash Retro Dance Party (Dec 31, Mad Planet)

Beating the Cold RIVERWEST FEST 2 IS SET TO HEAT UP THE MID-DECEMBER AIR IF there’s one thing Milwaukee has

essentially reduced to an art, it’s the neighborhood festival. With dozens of festivals representing dozens of Milwaukee neighborhoods each year, barely a week goes by when there’s not some sort of hyperlocally based collection of bands and venders drawing substantial crowds to insundry corners in and around the city of Milwaukee.

Riverwest, the collection of bohemians and beer connoisseurs that extends west from the Milwaukee River to Holton Street, is the king of the neighborhood festival, with seemingly more street-based celebrations to its name than any other community in the city – Center Street Daze, the Locust Street Festival, the Riverwest 24 bike race, and now, the aptly named Riverwest Fest, which runs December 16th and 17th.

Most music festivals tend to center their events around the summer months, when the temperature readily lends itself to the idea of drinking cold beer (or soda, for underage fans) in the street, perusing local small businesses with friends while

assaulted on all sides by two or three stages’ worth of music. Or, in the case of the Riverwest 24, the very idea of riding a bicycle, which isn’t exactly appealing in 30-degree temperatures and/ or sleet. Milwaukee’s rich history of summer festivals dates back decades, and includes one of the most diverse arrays of ethnic and music celebrations in the world, and it’s only been recently that the idea of winter music festivals, especially in this cold climate, has taken a foothold.

But that’s exactly what’s happened with Riverwest Fest, now in its second year of existence, a mid-December concert event that is perhaps broader in scope than any of its other neighborhood compatriots. In addition to just the basic fact that the festival is spread over two days, as many as eight venues, both 21+ and all-ages, will have local performers, many of which are centralized in Riverwest itself, grace their stages. The scope of the festival, unparalleled by other galas that take place in much warmer months, itself seems to be influenced by the weather – no

mingling, no running from bar to bar, no outdoor stages. Just sweaty, packed-in bars and galleries that pump in heat from both rickety 50-year-old radiators and moving human bodies, an ideal situation for Wisconsin winters that can be notoriously bitter.

Riverwest Fest further differentiates itself from its summer counterparts (at least on the small scale) by extending itself so far during the day – the first show on either date starts at three o’clock and the festivities last until close – that it’s difficult to come by the festivalgoer’s nightmare of Too Many Shows At The Same Time. While some of the scheduled performances overlap, the staggered nature of the scheduling allows for a festivalgoer to chart his own progress rather effectively, and lay out his adventure hours in advance. It’s a lot like Summerfest, although indoors and on a much smaller scale, without national headliners – although many of the acts that are slated to appear are among the most popular in the Midwest, and most of the significant shows on the schedule

will be difficult to squeeze into due to the tremendously high demand.

For those new to the Milwaukee music scene, Riverwest Fest 2 will provide the perfect opportunity to make oneself acquainted with a nationally ignored but profoundly hyperactive local music environment. It’s difficult to find a down spot on the tightlypacked calendar, since the festival has been arranged so complexly that on any of the two days not a single minute goes by during which there isn’t some band rattling windows somewhere. It’s easy to meander from one bar to another – braving the cold, of course, but there are beverages for that – and discover some immensely talented group of so-and-sos to whom you haven’t been already exposed, and the experience should be quite educational for even the most ardent Milwaukee music fan.

For two days in December, the Riverwest air will be made warmly cold with the joyous sounds of musical unity. So make plans to be there. You won’t be left out.

DAY ONE

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16 JACKPOT 3-6PM Adam Helwin Cassidy DW Cat Ries Joz Z

UPTOWNER 5-7PM Brief Candles Heavy Hand Bedouins

CCC 6-8PM Midnight Runners Burning Sons Get Rad

GROUND ZERO 7-10PM Sugar Stems Landlord Rich People Uh oh

CLUB TIMBUKTU 8-10PM The Fatty Acids John the Savage Catacombz

QUARTERS 9-close Architects of the Aftermath Armada Short Walk Iron Cages

PUBLIC HOUSE 10-close Group of the Altos Centipedes Moon Curse Hot Coffin

STONEFLY 10-close Kane Place Record Club Mark Waldoch Flojo Big Falls

DAY TWO

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17 JACKPOT 3-6PM Gnarrenschiff House Noises Alta

QUARTERS 4-9PM Stock Options FuckHoney Magnetic Minds Customary Silence Ahab’s Ghost

CLUB TIMBUKTU 8-10PM Freshcut Collective Cyborg Fortress B*right Rio Turbo

PUBLIC HOUSE 9-11PM Slow Walker Absolutely Space Collecter Busy Bodies

STONEFLY 10-close Undercover Organism Myles Coyne & The Rusty Nickels

UPTOWNER 10-close Fahri Trent Fox and the Tenants Duke of Bilgewater

the uwm post

12 December 5, 2011

The Internet and ourselves

Jaill rocks Hotel Foster

Megan Boyle’s new book shows profound influence Local band plays to packed house of blog posts on self-expression

By Mitchell Moeser Special to the Post

By Jackie Dreyer

Chief Copy Editor fringe@uwmpost.com

Megan Boyle had me at first line: “i could never be a sports writer, unless my assignment was to write ‘sports sports sports sports sports’ for three pages.” (Mere days ago, I essentially said the very same thing.) At the heart of Boyle’s selected unpublished blog posts of a mexican panda express employee, which recently hit shelves, this feeling of wow-weird-I-never-thoughtanyone-else-thought-things-like-thatmaybe-I’m-not-a-weirdo-afterall-LOL is omnipresent.

Post after post is filled with seemingly arbitrary anecdotes, observations and thoughts – well, perhaps only arbitrary to the untrained eye. Because for those of us who have learned and grown up in an age so centered on the digital and technological, the Internet has become much more like a limb we never knew we had but now cannot be without.

The Internet taught us that we have a voice that can be shared with potentially millions and billions of people, but even if our voice only reaches 10 people, or maybe even just one, that can be enough, too, as long as we’re being heard. In an interview with Thought Catalog, Boyle herself went so far as to say, “I’m glad my first book is a bunch of stuff I originally thought wasn’t good enough for anyone to see.”

And that’s the beauty of the Internet, as well as why the stylistic choice of the

book being separated into blog posts is so effective.

Each post easily contains at least one line that screams, “This is me!,” or at the very least, makes you chuckle or makes you think. selected… has a way with turning the reader on themselves, urging introspection. In entry 1.10.09, Boyle writes, “my blood pressure rises during the period after sending a text message, before receiving a response,” which is spot on. In entry 2.05.09, Boyle writes, “sometimes being with people is fun but other times it feels like i’m operating myself from a distance, telling myself i’m having a good time,” and I’m fairly certain we’ve all felt this way at one point or another.

Boyle brings on a solid case of the giggles when she writes things like in entry 1.26.09, “i wish i could hang out with lil wayne, but I feel like he doesn’t ‘hang out’ with girls, he mostly has sex with them. if we could just kick it and drink cough syrup and spit 16 bars it would be good.” And then there’s the entire post for 7.26.09, entitled “embarrassing moments,” in which memories consist of things like, “email from my dad saying he’s read ‘everyone’ I’ve had sex with’ (age 23),” which is a post in the book about – you guessed it – everyone she’s ever had sex with.

Overlying themes of selected… alternate between sex, anxiety, selfanalysis and… Richard Yates. Yes, Richard Yates, the American novelist most well known for writing the book Revolutionary Road (1961), which was later turned into a feature film starring

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

More surprisingly is that Yates tends to frequently appear as a pop culture reference in the works of other authors and filmmakers, such as in the title of Tao Lin’s novel Richard Yates (2010).

Speaking of Lin, it must be said that Boyle’s work reads much like Lin’s – in fact, the two are married.

An accurate depiction of Richard Yates, as well as a general ref lection on Lin as a writer, was given by James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces (2003): “Richard Yates is a moving, very funny, discomforting, and heartbreakingly life-affirming meditation on extremes—extreme alienation, extreme intimacy, extreme confusion, extreme expectations—that reads like a meticulously and lovingly crafted collaboration between a weirder Ernest Hemingway and a more philosophically-minded Jean Rhys.”

Boyle follows in Lin’s footsteps to a degree, in regards to the extremism, yet simplicity, of her content. Admittedly, her (and his) writing style may not be for everyone. Criticism abounds when anyone doing anything tries to do it differently, uniquely. But we must appreciate Boyle’s selected unpublished blog posts of a mexican panda express employee for what it does tell us, not what it should tell us: The Internet has remarkably changed the way we look at the world around us and the way we look inwards at ourselves. A new perspective is never a bad thing.

fringe@uwmpost.com

Milwaukee’s own Jaill played at Hotel Foster Thursday night and left the crowd asking for more. In a time where originality seems to be the goal, Jaill uses a formula tried and true.

Driving bass lines backed by simple and pleasing guitar riffs, lead singer Vincent Kircher’s powerful voice came through in a way that did not disappoint. Although the venue isn’t ideal for a band that can, at times, use complicated and technical sounds, Hotel Foster was filled with the crisp music of these hometown heroes. Jaill’s sound consists of two guitars, bass and drums that come together to create an eerie and uplifting sound.

Billed for 9 p.m. at the North Avenue bar, the show was free to the public. The opening act was Hearts of Stone, who set the pace for the night.

Starting at 10 p.m., they played their straight set with minimal breaks and warmed up the crowd for the headliner.

The house was packed in anticipation of a good show, and no one was let down. After a short intermission, Jaill

Revving that small town Engine

Trapper Schoepp and the Shades’ Run, Engine, Run has Midwest sensibilities

By Kevin Kaber Assistant Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com

Boyle's selected unpublished blog posts of a mexican panda express employee unveils the key role the Internet (in this case, blogs specifically) plays in self expression, analysis and understanding for the tech-savvy younger Gen Y crowd.

came out and brought with them a wave of enthusiastic and inspiring melodies.

Jaill’s interaction with the audience bred an air of familiarity. The band played hard – not as if it were just another show, but one that mattered.

What’s good about Jaill’s music is that it’s not pretentious. The songs are all short and unique, with a distinct sound. While it is the aim of a lot of modern bands to stick out, using gimmicky effects or over-the-top stage antics, Jaill presents their music in a straightforward and refreshing way.

Jaill has numerous albums and are currently signed with Sub Pop Records. The band’s two founding members, Vincent Kircher and Austin Dutmer, have played together since 2002. They’re on their fourth bassist, Andrew Harris, but paired with the accurate playing and heavy percussion, it seems they’ve found their man. Jaill has numerous EPs and two studio albums, including last year’s That’s How We Burn, and can be found playing numerous gigs in the area, as well as on tour. Judging by the way they played at Hotel Foster last Thursday, this longrunning band is worth checking out.

It’s been two years since Milwaukeeans Trapper Schoepp and the Shades released their last album, Lived and Moved. Since then, they’ve developed their musical stylings and toned it down a notch or two, all the while staying true to home.

Questionably taking a page from current drummer Jon Phillip’s former and now disbanded group, Limbeck, Engine has a country twang overtone upon its 12 tracks – full of the sweetsounding licks that might be heard on a humble country song. The road trip worthiness is wrung all over the album inside and out, from its title and lyrics to the old-timey dashboard adorning the back cover.

From its opening track, “So Long,” onward, lead vocalist Trapper Schoepp (whose brother, Tanner, also plays bass and does vocals in the band) displays an impressive vocal range. Partnered with his well-achieved modest lyricism, Schoepp and company set the tone for the rest of the album while neither reaching too high nor falling too low.

The non-imposing feel that’s heard throughout is easy to get into, whether or not you’re a fan of pop rock, country or the combination of the two.

Guitars shed a sense of a slowmoving hometown – the same which country music likely prevails. Hailing from a small northwestern town in Wisconsin himself, Schoepp likely had no shortage of the small town dynamic – a bluesy feel that is largely absent from the state’s largest city. If it’s not for the scrupulous amounts of slight John Mellencamp, Bryan Adams and a dash of Wilco sentiments, Engine would have to rely completely on its

well written lyrics to carry it to its folk rock roots home.

Arguably, Schoepp’s lyricism is strongest when speaking about home, wherever that might be. “Cold Deck” (“The country station on the city bus/I jumped barbwire to climb Barn Bluff ”) and “Tracks” (“When the salt starts to lose its taste/You better find yourself another place”) both have a great deal to do with the small town Midwest experience. “I-94,” on the other hand, is more deliberate in its approach to describing the experience on the local interstate: “West on 94/Gonna’ take me to my door” where “the basement bars and steeples/are turning grey.” While Schoepp isn’t necessarily describing a single place, he’s more so describing the feel that so many Midwesterners know all too well.

From beginning to end, however, on the first listen through, Engine may seemingly lack a bit of musical diversity.

With each song, the music tends to blend into the next, but rest assured, there’s enough differentiated guitar solos, and even a well-placed violin, to add variety. Perhaps most importantly, the album’s sheer catchiness trumps all and, after a full listen or two, listeners will likely be singing along with Schoepp.

Overall, Trapper Schoepp and the Shades’ latest album, Run, Engine, Run, isn’t as much of a departure from Lived ’s interesting combination of folk and pop rock as it is a movement towards an easy-listening road album, with a lyrical attitude that’s neither brash or over the heads of listeners.

The feel is both uncannily similar to the country music that might be heard in small town bars and the old-timey rock sensibility that might be on the same jukebox.

uwmpost.com

December 5, 2011

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PANTHER BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2011

PANTHER BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2011

Kaylon Williams, the “old man out there” Women’s basketball preview

Senior guard knows his experience will be necessary for Panthers’ success Young squad looks to climb a top conference

By Tony Atkins Assistant Sports Editor sports@uwmpost.com

This season, UW-Milwaukee will be taking to the hardwood f loors across the country with a very talented and experienced group, consisting of three freshmen, three sophomores, seven juniors and three seniors. This is a team that will f loor some new faces, including junior college transfer, Demetrius Harris, who will fill in for Anthony Hill this year in the post.

What about the guy dishing out the ball, bringing the ball up-court and finding the good shots for Demetrius Harris, Ja’Rob McCallum and the rest of the guys? What about the f loor general as he enters his senior campaign?

Senior guard Kaylon Williams has worked his way up to this Division I play of basketball like any other player at the same level – and then some.

During his high school days, before coming out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Williams averaged over 17 points and led the Kennedy Cougars to a 63-11 record within three years. From there, Williams took his talents to Kirkwood Community College, where he led them to their first winning season in nine years.

Williams has been known as a hard worker during his years at Kennedy and Kirkwood. A great example of that toughness was displayed during one of his games at Kirkwood: He was hit with an inadvertent elbow that pushed one of his teeth through his upper lip, which laid him out for over thirty seconds. Williams later came

back into the game, bandaged under circumstances that many other players may have not been able to come back from – but he did.

After dealing with injuries himself over the years and being on a team that has recently been hit with more than a few key injuries, Williams knows that they can still fight through it all and be great competitors.

“As far as health, we all know we can play. We have a lot of depth at each position. We have some injuries, but I fully expect us to push each other and play well as the season goes on,” Williams said, when asked about the team’s injury situation.

Last year was Williams’ first year as a Panther since transferring from Kirkwood. During his first tour of duty, Williams turned in a phenomenal year as the f loor general. Coming to every game ready to play through injury and any other potential adversity, Williams posted a solid eight points per game with nearly six assists. The end result of that year obviously showed a player who had craftily transitioned into the Rob Jeter system, going so far as to help them clinch a regular season Horizon League championship.

So where do we go from here?

With the departure of key contributors Anthony Hill and Tone Boyle, the team will need to find a source of leadership to harbor all of the talent that will be taking the f loor this year for the Panthers. As they take to the court against teams like Marquette and Wisconsin, the team will have to be resilient and will need a strong leader out there.

“Every time I play, I always

approach the game with the mindset of a leader or a captain, and now that I’m a senior, it’s more obvious now,” said Williams. “It’s crazy how time f lies.

It’s your last chance, and we want to do what we did last year in the regular season. We also want to get to the [NCAA] Tournament.”

As the year went on for Williams, his game seemed to improve. He went the first six games without scoring in the double digits. Somewhere during the middle of the season, he began to score more and even messed around and got a triple double (as rapper Ice Cube would say). That is the Kaylon Williams that will need to make this team his own as the year goes on, and he is well aware of that play needing to carry over from last season.

“Last year, the early struggles were just all of us coming together, but as I became more comfortable being a leader, I think it will all f low over into this season,” Williams said.

Coach Rob Jeter knows that Williams is vital to this program’s present and future.

“He’s like an old man out there.

The way he manages the team, he’s a coach on the f loor. As a senior and a leader, I think he will be vital in teaching younger players like Shaq [Boga],” said Jeter.

This year, Williams is down to his last shot at the NCAA Tournament.

After coming so close just to come up short, a very hungry Panthers team takes to the hardwood behind a very motivated leader with something to prove.

By Jeremy Lubus Sports Editor sports@uwmpost.com

This year’s UW-Milwaukee women’s basketball team can be categorized many different ways: young, inexperienced, fast, explosive.

For a team that is chasing a conference title for the first time since 2006, they have something that is hard to find and impossible to teach: swagger.

Or as coach Sandy Botham calls it, “spunk.” The term may get more recognition in youth as swag, but no matter how it’s used, this group of Panthers has it, and much of it has to do with the inf lux of the last two recruiting classes.

“You can just tell by the way they play,” Botham said. “It must come from their high school careers. Many of them are coming from winning programs.”

Much of last year’s team returns, and with a handful of new, talented freshmen, the Panthers will be able to compete with anyone.

“Last year, we proved we can score a lot of points,” Botham said. “The problem was we really couldn’t stop other teams from scoring on a consistent basis. We need to improve on defense, and that’s where we began the season focusing on the most.”

The team will have to replace one of their most successful and talented players in the history of the program, Lindsay Laur. Her career put her in many record books, including finishing as the No. 3 rebounder (791) and No. 4 scorer (1,404 points) at UWM. As much swagger as the young squad has, it will quickly be tested, as they face a tough-as-nails non-conference schedule, which includes powerhouse programs, such as Oklahoma and Baylor in Norman, Oklahoma, and Waco, Texas, respectively.

“We are going to really learn a lot about ourselves in our non-conference season,” said Botham, who has won more than 230 games at UWM. “We are going to get beat up, but we play these games for a reason. To be the best, you go to play against the best.”

The Panthers, who were 12-18 last year (9-9 Horizon), had a much bigger frontcourt last season, as the team transitions into a quicker, smaller guard-oriented offense. The team is moving talented sophomore Angela Rodriguez away from the point guard position to a much more natural off

STAFF PREDICTIONS MVP Jeremy Lubus Sports Editor

Williams has been a critical reason for the Panthers rise back to the top in the conference. Post file photo.

guard spot. Rodriquez was an instant sensation last year, averaging 12.6 points per game, good for second on the team. She also got her fair share of cardio, averaging an impressive 36.7 minutes per game.

“I was so blessed to be able to be so successful right away,” Rodriquez said.

“I really enjoy being here so close to home. My family can come see me, and it’s a great environment to be around.”

Rodriquez’s fun, outgoing personality, combined with basketball skills, has helped lead to a wave of the area’s top talent to consider and choose Milwaukee.

“I played basketball with so many of the area’s top players during my [Amateur Athletic Union] seasons,” Rodriquez said. “I tell them how awesome of a place UWM is. Ashley Green actually told me she looked up to me in high school, and it meant so much to me.”

Green, now a freshman, is just one of the many top players from the Milwaukee area who are joining forces in college. At nearby Nicolet High School, the 5-foot-11-inch Green led her team to a state title and was a twotime all-state winner. The Panthers also recently had two local standouts from Milwaukee Vincent and Milwaukee King sign letters of intent.

Courtney Lindfors looks to improve on a solid freshman season. The 6-foot4-inch inside presence is something the Panthers are lacking in depth this season. She was third on the team last year in scoring at 9.2 points per game and ended up starting 21 games for the Panthers. Currently, she is averaging 12 points an outing.

“She is very talented and continues to improve every day,” Botham said.

“She has a great work ethic, and now I am hoping she can get away from those freshman mistakes.”

For the Panthers, the future is now and later with Rodriquez and Lindfors, as the sophomores will be asked to do much more than last season, and with Alex Klawitter being the lone eligible senior.

The Panthers have shown f lashes of brilliance in games; however, they only boast a 2-4 record to show for it.

Look for potential improvement as the team grows to be a more cohesive unit throughout the season.

COACH CONFERENCE OF THE YEAR WINNER

D’Aundary Brown Gary Waters (Cleveland St)

Cleveland State

(Cleveland St)

Tony Atkins Ray McCallum Assistant Editor (Detroit)

Rob Jeter (Milwaukee)

Milwaukee

Nick Bornheimer Ray McCallum Staff Writer (Detroit)

Brad Stevens (Butler)

Butler University

Mitch Pratt Staff Writer

Chase Simon (Detroit)

Brad Stevens (Butler)

Butler University

Nolan Bennett Murphy Staff Writer

Ray McCallum (Detroit)

Bryce Drew (Valparaiso)

Eric Engelbart Staff Writer

Kaylon Williams (Milwaukee)

Rob Jeter (Milwaukee)

Milwaukee

Alex Wendland Staff Writer

Ray McCallum (Detroit)

Rob Jeter (Milwaukee)

Milwaukee

Cleveland State

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December 5, 2011

the uwm post

uwmpost.com

December 5, 2011

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Brent Johnson December 4, 2011 Student Association of UWM

Letter of Resignation It is with sadness that I have witnessed controversy swirling around not only my own integrity, but around that of this exceptional Student Association. Rather than to watch as this Association combats controversies, distraction, and groundless innuendo, I choose to tender my resignation, effective immediately.

The value and urgency of the initiatives that the Student Association is currently undertaking demand personal sacrifice. I maintain allegiance to the best interest of my fellow students. This, even at risk of misinterpretation of my motives, leads me to the conclusion that my resignation will help return some semblance of normalcy to the student body.

I will continue to endure personal attacks to seek exoneration for the unwarranted and unproven claims against my integrity and good name. I remain confident and committed to the processes in place to establish truth. Be clear that when things become difficult, one must continue to hope and believe that truth will have its day.

With profound regret and with strong hope, I, Brent Johnson, formally tender my resignation as Vice President of the Student Association of the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.

Alex Kostal (left) and Brent Johnson (right) during their 2011 campaign. Post file photo.

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December 5, 2011

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December 5, 2011

JOHNSON

Continued from page 2 into the group by coincidence and recognized Johnson. He said that Johnson seemed unusually close to Tiffany, hugging her or something similar, but it did not seem unnatural.

Alleged sexual harassment in SA office Following the night of his 21st birthday, Tiffany said Johnson continued to make sexually degrading comments to her, both in the office and during SA trips, and that Johnson again groped her during a United States Student Association trip in Washington D.C. on Oct. 14.

Tiffany said that Johnson would refer to her as his “unofficial secretary” and “would grab my ass here or there in the senate office.”

“I had to go to the SA office, and I would go and sit in Brent’s office when he would be in there, and he would say, ‘Why are you sitting in the chair when my lap is open?,’ and all kinds of stuff, stupid small stuff like that all the time,” Tiffany said.

Speaker of the Senate Rick Banks said he first met Johnson in April 2010. Banks said that his first impressions of Johnson was that he was a good guy but socially awkward at times.

“One of the first times I had any regular interactions with him was the SAC meeting last year,” Banks said.

“It was funny, but it was like, ‘What’s wrong with this guy?’”

Banks said he never heard Johnson make sexually suggestive comments during Johnson’s tenure as vice president.

“Honestly, he has been one of the most professional people in the office,” he said. “He always comes in and does his work and all of that.”

Banks said he did hear Johnson tell jokes that he was unsure whether to take serious or not.

The trip to D.C.

Several members of SA attended a trip to the USSA conference in Washington D.C. from Oct. 12-17,

INVESTIGATION Continued from page 1

still be allowed to perform his job as president of SA, albeit without an office to work out of.

At the meeting, three members of SA were referred to SORC for investigations: Vice President Brent Johnson, President Alex Kostal and Vice Chair of SORC David Sidhu.

Sidhu was ejected from the meeting after the referral to SORC was announced and returned to the hallway outside of the SA office, where he was found crying silently to himself.

Later, during a conversation with SA Chief of Staff Angela Lang, Sidhu was overhead shouting, “I’m sick of your shit!”

Kostal and Sidhu were put on a pay freeze for conduct unbecoming of an SA official, determined at a SORC meeting immediately following the senate meeting.

Pelicaric said it can be difficult to be totally objective as a member of both SA and SORC. “There are specific incidents,

including Johnson, Tiffany and SA President Alex Kostal.

Tiffany traveled as a representative of statewide lobbying organization United Council, arriving on Oct. 12, while the rest arrived on Oct. 14 as representatives on behalf of SA. Tiffany said that the “Milwaukee kids” decided to go to a club called Love on Oct. 14, where they all danced together, with the exception of Kostal.

Tiffany was dancing with Johnson and said he put his arms around her and began grinding on her while grabbing her butt.

“Then he was like going like this [rubbing motion] over my boobs, and then he kissed me … really softly, and that’s when I moved away, like, completely, because I didn’t want to make a scene…” she said.

Kostal said that he did not see anything sexual taking place while Johnson and Tiffany were dancing but instead described it as friendly. “[That] is why it was a surprise again that I was hearing that apparent sexual assault had been attempted in D.C.,” Kostal said. “I mean … I was with Brent and Tiffany 90 percent of the time on the trip. There wasn’t a time period where I was out of the hotel for any large amount of time.”

Tiffany told police that she wanted to be accepted by the SA members, so she chose not to make an issue of the groping.

“I’m even a feminist, and if I was someone else looking out, I’d be like, ‘Oh, I would have just done this,’ and I would have said, ‘Screw you guys, I’m not dealing with this,’ but it’s so different when you’re actually in that situation.”

Tiffany said she went back to the SA’s hotel to spend the night, instead of the hostel room that UC rented, because it was getting late. She said she only slept for an hour before going back to the hostel, although Kostal claims that Tiffany spent the entire night in the hotel.

“She made the decision to spend the night with us, rather than go back to the hostel, due mainly to the fact that we had stayed out really late around where the hotel area was … and she didn’t want to spend money on cab fare…”

or alleged incidents, that need to be investigated further,” Pelicaric said. “And then when it comes to officemates’ conduct, we have a method of finding out if any of us on SORC is guilty of it.”

The SA is a shared governance body of students, who are considered elected officials.

Allocating segregated fees, which come out of students’ tuition, is one of their main functions.

According to the SA university website, “The Student Association at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee advocates on students’ behalf, sets policy regarding student interest, and allocates a portion of segregated fees to enrich campus life.”

The university’s investigation involves three different departments at UWM. Laliberte is conducting the first of the three on behalf of Student Affairs, and advisor to the SA Brandon James is helping Laliberte in his investigation. “[ James] is doing what I would consider the environmental scan of what’s going on, basically trying to get everyone’s statements, find out whether behavior occurred within SA,” Laliberte said. “And his report

See INVESTIGATION page 17

Before going to the hotel room, Tiffany said that Johnson, Kostal and she went outside to smoke cigars.

While outside, Tiffany alleged that Johnson put his hand under her butt and began rubbing her. “…He kept saying I looked like Joan that night, because it was this red, retro dress, but it was short, and he kept, like, moving his hand, and I elbowed him,” Tiffany alleged.

“Then this random guy on the street came up to us and started talking to Brent, and Brent is like, ‘Doesn’t she have sexy legs and a sexy ass? She should make a career out of it.’”

Tiffany said she shared a bed with Johnson and Kostal, but slept on top of the blanket in between them and that they had watched a movie until about 6 a.m., leaving her time for little more than an hour of sleep.

Police asked Tiffany why she was comfortable lying in bed with Johnson after he had allegedly sexually molested her. Tiffany said in the report that “she felt accepted by the girls and the guys after hanging out with them and didn’t want to ruin the night.”

After the alleged incidents in D.C., Tiffany said she again asked Schultz to confront Johnson about his behavior, telling him about what happened in D.C. Schultz said he would confront Johnson about the incidents Tiffany said, but when the three met in the Gasthaus, Tiffany said none of her concerns were ever brought up specifically. “…We’re having a beer, and Michael says, ‘Stop f lirting with Tiffany,’ or ‘Stop hitting on her’ … and Brent says, ‘Well, look at her.

How can you not?,” Tiffany said.

“Then Brent came to the agreement that he would stop hitting on me, and Michael believed him. They never even talked about the situation.”

Tiffany said that following Schultz’s response to her requests, and because she was becoming more involved in other student organizations, she decided to break up with Schultz on Nov. 11.

“I was analyzing everything that goes on in the office, analyzing the way these people act, you know, like, is all this really worth it? Is my mental

state worth hiding what he did to me?” Tiffany said.

Tiffany said she suffered emotionally because of the harassment.

“I’m having night terrors. I already had post traumatic stress disorder from when I was raped when I was 14, and I just got done with counseling,” Tiffany said. “It took that long. I’m on medication for trauma and then for this to happen?”

Tiffany reports alleged incident to police Tiffany first told advocacy field organizer Erika Wolf from the United Council about what was happening with Johnson, and Wolf said she needed to report it to SA. “I was still, at that time, a little fearful,” Tiffany said. “This was Nov. 17, and I was still a little fearful of them as a senator.”

Wolf went and talked to SA Secretary of Staff Angela Lang.

Tiffany said that Wolf felt she was the best person to turn to, because she was a woman with the most authority in SA. Tiffany said that apparently the guys in the office found out, and the whole staff had a meeting on Nov. 18 about the allegations. Kostal and Banks said that they did not hear about the allegations until Nov. 26 when Tiffany decided to file charges against Johnson.

Tiffany resigned on Nov. 19 at the FSC meeting. She said Sidhu’s alleged insensitive remarks during the meeting made up her mind.

“David Sidhu comes walking in, and he’s like, ‘Erik, I’ll sit the farthest away from you, so that you don’t file sexual harassment against me,’” Tiffany said.

A week later, on Nov. 26, Tiffany went to the UWM police station with Wolf to formally file charges against Johnson.

Schultz was questioned on Nov. 26, and Johnson said that he was informed that Tiffany had filed charges by Schultz.

Schultz arrested

questioned;

Johnson

“The detective called me on Saturday night saying, ‘OK, there is

a more important case that came up.

How about you come into my office at 4:30 tomorrow?’”

For his part, Johnson said he had no idea anything between him and Tiffany was wrong.

“I had only known her for a couple of months, and, I mean, I was unaware of any issue that she ever had with me. I mean, I was shocked when the allegations came out,” Johnson said.

Johnson was arrested by police on Sunday night for failing to appear at the district courthouse for questioning, as per investigator requests.

Johnson said he took a bus to the district courthouse, and, because the bus was running late, he did not make it on time.

“I called [the investigator], could not get in contact with him, and by the time I finally did get through to him, a warrant was already out for my arrest,” Johnson said. “But I was already downtown, so I just, you know, I was at the door.”

However, according to the Milwaukee Police Department’s arrest-detention report, Johnson did not arrive at the station until 6:10 p.m. on Sunday, an hour and 40 minutes later than his appointed meeting time.

Schultz said he suspected Brent was “unsure” how to proceed after the allegations were made against him.

“He didn’t feel comfortable with it,” Schultz said. “At first, he didn’t know exactly what to do but this […] he ultimately did show up.”

Johnson was released from Milwaukee County jail on Monday, after the DA’s office heard testimony from Tiffany. The DA decided that they would not pursue charges against Johnson.

“Suffice it to say, there were a couple of factors at play here, and we realized that we could not meet the burden of proof,” District Attorney Kent Lovern said.

Johnson said he was first informed by his father that the DA decided not to press charges.

“I broke down crying,” Johnson said about the news. “I tell you, it was the happiest moment.”

Stuffed weasels were allegedly stolen from The Center for Volunteerism and Student Leadership Conference at Camp Minikani in Hubertus, WI.

uwmpost.com

INVESTIGATION Continued from page16

will help direct us to a number of different things, which could include university charges or legal charges or work on the environment within the SA that focuses on training, supervision, that type of thing.”

Charges have also been brought forth that are being investigated by Assistant Dean of Students Daniel Kast on behalf of the Office of Student Life. “[There is] an investigation that there have been violations of University Code of Conduct, and those have been brought against individuals,” Laliberte said.

Individual complaints have also been filed with the Office of Equity and Diversity, and Laliberte said that that department is also conducting an investigation.

Laliberte said that James has finished about 75 percent of his interviews and hopes to have a report by the beginning of this week.

Laliberte also said anyone that has information and would like to come forward should speak with James, the Office of Equity and Diversity, or the Dean of Students Office.

“The allegations were very serious. We take them very seriously,” Laliberte said. “It was my feeling that there was a need for intervention in order to make sure that people were not being victimized.”

Laliberte confirmed that allegations had been brought forth regarding alcohol in the office, that the office was a place that bred or enabled sexual harassment and that the office was considered a hostile workplace environment.

“There was what we would consider a hostile workplace environment, which would include acts of intimidation or retribution.

That is one of the charges we are investigating,” Laliberte said.

Laliberte said the university is currently not investigating charges of hazing, but Rosner said he felt like hazing had taken place when had been tricked into drinking the shot of Everclear.

Rosner, who joined SA this semester as a senator, said the alcohol had been given to him by Johnson, and he had taken a shot of what he was told was vodka.

Rosner started throwing up, and he said Brent then gave him a glass, which he was told was water.

“I had one sip of it and… I was like, ‘Oh god, this is not water,’” Rosner said.

After being allegedly tricked into drinking Everclear the second time, Rosner said he began puking again.

Rosner said the alcohol was given to him the second time by either Johnson or SA Treasurer Michael Schultz.

“I know what Brent did to me was inappropriate,” Rosner said. “I know that, and giving me the Everclear was inappropriate.”

Charges made by the university won’t be made public, unless those being charged decide to make it public.

“No one individual has come forward with that particular

December 5, 2011

charge [hazing], but as part of our investigation, things come out that we will further investigate,” Laliberte said. “If there are charges as a result of my investigation that Brandon is conducting, charges would be filed right away with the Dean of Students Office.”

Rosner said that in addition to the hazing, at one point he had left his Facebook account logged in on Johnson’s computer, and someone had sent derogatory messages to his friends under Rosner’s name.

Rosner also said that the stolen weasels were done by “someone in Kostal’s group.”

Kostal said the weasels ended up in Rosner’s bed the night of the incident and that he had nothing to do with it.

Banks said he had heard it was Kostal that stole the weasels.

Rosner said he saw the allegedly stolen weasels at Kostal’s house while there for an event called SA

“The petitioner has made such a motion to prevent on the basis that by allowing the president and vice president to exercise all of their enumerated powers would do undue damage to certain individuals and the Student Association”

Thanksgiving.

Laliberte could not comment on allegations of SA members committing acts of theft.

The temporary restraining order filed against Kostal and Johnson, which was signed on Dec. 4 and presented at Sunday’s senate meeting, will see a continuance hearing on Dec. 15.

Banks, who requested the order, said it was based on the findings of SA’s climate survey given to all of the members of SA. “The petitioner has made such a motion to prevent on the basis that by allowing the president and vice president to exercise all of their enumerated powers would do undue damage to certain individuals and the Student Association,” according to the temporary restraining order.

“This order will allow for free speech and witnesses to come forward.”

Johnson said in his letter of resignation, “Rather than to watch as this Association combats controversies, distraction and groundless innuendo, I choose to tender my resignation, effective immediately.”

When asked about screening future SA candidates or requiring background checks, Laliberte said, “The university does not control how the SA officers are elected, and that’s really up to the students, if the students of the university wanted to instill that as a condition of being elected. That would be up to the students to do that.”

Julio Guerrero, Outreach Director, enters the SA office as a police officer stands guard to enforce the restraining order issued to Kostal. Post photo by Austin McDowell

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December 5, 2011

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20 December 5, 2011

EDITORIAL The following piece represents the views of the Editorial Board of THE UWM POST. The editorial board is not affiliated with the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and these views do not represent the views of the university.

Time for SA to clean house

Desperate need for reform in scandal-plagued student government In the wake of a week’s worth of bombshell revelations, capped off with an organized revolt against Student Association leadership at a tumultuous Sunday night senate meeting, there’s a lot up in the air right now. It’s not too early, however, for some sobering realizations.

The temporary restraining orders issued against President Alex Kostal and the resignation of Vice President Brent Johnson are drastic, but necessary, steps in the right direction. Though Kostal has not been formally accused of wrongdoing, Speaker of the SA Senate Rick Banks requested and approved a restraining order from the University Student Court for the president and vice president while investigations are ongoing.

The restraining order effectively prevents Kostal from engaging in any of his official duties or entering SA facilities outside of senate and Senate Oversight and Rules Committee sessions. In his request to the University Student Court, Banks wrote: “This motion is based on the feedback received from the Student Association Climate Survey and the belief that the ability of the president and/or vice president to exercise these abilities will do undue damage to certain individuals and the Student Association.

This order will allow for free speech and witnesses to come forward.”

Johnson, while never formally charged, nonetheless recognized the gravity of his situation, and did the right thing by resigning given the seriousness

of the accusations leveled against him.

However, it’s important to remember that while these steps needed to be taken, they are a far cry from all that’s needed to ameliorate the pervasive dysfunction that runs rampant within SA. There are other offenders within the SA that have not been targeted. Kostal and Johnson should not be made scapegoats.

Furthermore, the SA’s in-house investigation being conducted by SORC is a superfluous non-starter. So many members of SA, including members of SORC itself, have been compromised, and in light of the multiple investigations being conducted by the university, it is not clear what relevance any SORC findings would have. While an internal investigation at the very least demonstrates the SA is paying lip service to legitimacy, the most genuine act they could perform would be to cooperate fully with the university’s investigations.

Anyone who is guilty of misconduct in the SA needs to own up to it for the good of the university. Likewise, anyone with knowledge of misconduct within the SA needs to come forward.

Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Michael Laliberte has stressed the university’s eagerness to speak to anyone with information relevant to their investigations, and from our interviews with SA members, we have reason to believe that there’s a lot more the university needs to be told. Everything needs to come out.

This includes the findings of UWM’s investigation of SA. While we respect that the university cannot

comment on the investigation of individuals, we ask that the results of SA investigation be made public, and they include recommendations for reform.

We call for these things not out of desire to see anyone publicly condemned or humiliated, but out of a sincere belief that these actions are essential if the SA hopes to salvage any shred of respectability. Although it is important to remember that in the coming days and weeks, the SA will be referred to generally when specific acts of misconduct come to surface, but anyone who is aware of the actions and intentions of individuals within this governmental body knows there are plenty of examples of individuals who exemplify nothing less than complete respectability, in regards to the work they do on the behalf of the student body and for the overall betterment of one of the region’s most respectable education institutions.

In the midst of a scandal, there is often an overwhelming desire to respond swiftly and severely to the crisis in an effort regain some sense of normalcy.

This is both understandable and justified. As then-Senator Alex Kostal once said in a blog post, “If [SA] as an organization [is] serious about fixing our reputation in the eyes of the students, we must rebuff any attachment to our past demons.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

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All of us at THE UWM POST want to hear what you think and welcome your letters to the Editor. Feel free to comment about articles, opinions or anything you find in our weekly issues. Send your letters in an email to letters@uwmpost.com. In your submission indicate whether or not you wish to remain anonymous.

UWM Neighborhood Relations

When choosing a place to live, there are many pros and cons to consider. Living in a relatively large city, for example, entails making considerations and dealing with certain issues that one might not have to deal with in suburbs or rural areas, yet many of us choose to live in areas like Milwaukee’s eastside because of the quality of life that owes much to the presence of a large university.

I attended UWM from 2005-2006 as a transfer student, right around the time the Murray Hill residents, who referred to themselves as “permanent residents,” began slamming the university and its students in the media. I thought they were being far too uptight if not outright arrogant. Predictably, I was told that when I got older, I wouldn’t have so much of a tolerance for the supposedly out-of-hand student behavior, especially if I remained in the area. Now in my 30s, I still live on the eastside, work near campus and would like to publicly thank the two Murray Hill residents whose letters were published (UWM Neighborhood Relations: What’s love got to do with it?) for proving exactly how on-point my assertions as a student were.

The first resident uses smug phrases like “naiveté” and “fuzzy notion” to describe the practice-what-you-preach sentiment of the original article while linking the neighborhood’s problems with students to UWM’s expansion from a commuter campus to a more traditional university. However, the university has been in the area in one form or another since 1885, much longer than any of these residents have owned their homes, and had already grown from a small, two-year teacher’s college to a four-year doctoral institution by the time it joined the UW system in 1956. For all this talk of “disruptive” student behavior, who are these residents to feel justified in disrupting the university’s progress and the experience of its students, simply because they were too short-sighted (and dare I say, naïve) to consider that UWM would continue to expand its horizons in their lifetime?

The second resident uses hyperbolic phrases like “deterioration of the neighborhood” and lists rape alongside comparatively harmless nuisances such as public-drunkenness and noise as problems created by students as if they happen with the same frequency. Yet somehow, it’s the students who are out of touch with reality in this scenario?

Perhaps I could see the residents point if I knew the problems created by the students went far beyond what one could reasonably expect in a university neighborhood, but nothing is happening on Milwaukee’s eastside that isn’t also happening in Whitewater, Madison, Minneapolis or any other college town you could name. Does that justify such behaviors? Absolutely not. However, occasionally (and more than occasionally, in some instances) having to deal this type of behavior comes with the territory of living in the area along with reaping its benefits.

In the end, the complaints of these residents are the equivalent of moving to a rural area and complaining about having to drive to the next town to see a doctor or moving to the suburbs and complaining about the lack of diversity or cultural offerings. It all comes down to making wise and thorough choices when deciding on a place to live, something many Murray Hill residents apparently neglected to do.

- Nicholas Waldron

On Campus Arena

At the current rate that UWM is paying for the US Cellular Arena, it would take the new arena 160 to 250+ years to recover the $40-64 Million cost of the new arena. yeah, yeah, yeah, increased revenues, sure. But the department is running a $1.5 Million deficit every year on average already. They would have to make in excess of $1.5 Million in increased revenues (food, tickets, merchandise?) before it would make fiscal sense to keep this money suck of a department.

I really hate the fact that my segregated fees go to this insanity, and every time someone complains, the response is “it brings in revenue!” I don’t know if people are ignorant to the way economics work, but revenue doesn’t mean anything if it is less that expenditures (ask the Federal Government). If the benefit to UWM is bringing in money, it doesn’t, it’s running a deficit, and if having the department is “cool,” fine, but don’t take my money for it.

- casey1911 Can’t wait for the new on-campus arena, people who see the big picture understand how important it is in promoting the UWM experience and brand.

- Pete

James Haarsma (left) and Kyle Kelm (right) keep their eye on the ball in the 71-65 victory over South West Minnesota State University. Post photo by Austin McDowell

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OP-ED

The magical world of relationships

A Harry Potter-style look at dating

By Angela Schmitt Staff Writer editorial@uwmpost.com

In a recent column I wrote, I used an example of a friend of mine who is unfortunately dating a guy who is a huge jerk to her. After months of discussing the ups and downs of this terrible relationship, we decided that this guy she is dating is evil and that he should be only referred to as “Voldemort.”

Of course when she saw that I had mentioned her situation in a column, she said something like “Wow, thanks for the shout out…” But she still thought I should write a column about Voldemort and his evil ways.

As a joke, I took her advice out of context and wrote a special column about dating – well, dating in the world of Harry Potter. I realize that after writing an entire column about Harry Potter, it will probably be easier for me to win the Triwizard Tournament than to find a boyfriend, but I guess that is what I get for calling out my friend. So here is my magical Harry Potter dating column.

You meet someone, and he charms you. It’s like he’s cast a spell on you.

He even has a 12-inch wand made of sturdy oak! At first, everything seems great, but before you know it, it’s like he’s got you under the Cruciatus Curse.

He never wants to hang out. He just wants to get drunk on butter beer at the Three Broomsticks. He’s constantly

disappearing, and you don’t know where he’s going. Things really start getting suspicious when he says he has Quidditch practice at odd hours of the night. Better be careful, witch, it sounds like he’s about to Avada Kedavra this relationship.

Once he’s decided that it’s over, trying to get him back will be less effective than a first year in a wizards’ duel. Don’t even waste your time whipping up love potions, because as soon as they wear off, he’ll just be back to his dark magic. You can even tell yourself that maybe he’s just Imperiused or something, but deep down you know that’s a load of dragon dung. It’s time to face the facts: There’s no more magic left between you two.

Whatever you do, don’t lose your cool. Sending howlers and casting hexes on your ex will only make the situation worse. Once you’ve gone there, getting him back will be harder than passing NEWT level potions. In the mean time, take a trip to Hogsmeade, or go watch a Quidditch match, and forget about that snake.

The sooner you get over this wizard the better, because a bad relationship can leave you scarred for life. Take it from Harry Potter – scars like that come with a whole mess of problems. Get back up on that broomstick, and find someone new. Trust me, in the end, staying with that troll would have been worse than a bludgeon to the head.

Do televised debates promote good democracy?

December 5, 2011

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Sports suck/Long live sports Embracing cognitive dissonance

By Joe Ford Staff Writer

editorial@uwmpost.com

I hate how much I love to watch the Packers. The physical violence is abhorrent. Every time some player gets carted off the field in pain, with legs or arms bent at odd angles or strapped to a board to stabilize a spine or a neck, I question my enthusiasm for the sport.

My personal evolution has caused me to reconsider the value of sports in general, and I’ve come to understand what a divisive diversion this multi-billion dollar boondoggle is.

Baseball? I dismissed it when the Braves left for Atlanta. They expect team loyalty but will abandon fans at the thought of an extra dollar profit. Besides, watching a baseball game is as exciting as watching grass grow (depending on the grass, of course), and consumption of massive amounts of alcohol is the only way to sit through three hours watching grown men spitting and continually adjusting their packages.

Basketball? I’ve never been a fan, even when Lew Alcindor took the Bucks to the championship way back when.

Play is interrupted every 10 seconds, it seems, to call another foul, and two or three points for every trip up and down the court gets redundant, repetitive and boring, like NASCAR tracks. I don’t care how fancy the lay-ups get. How am I supposed to get excited about two points from one trip down the court somewhere

in the middle of the second quarter when final scores reflect just how many mind numbing numbers of these trips are involved?

Hockey? Brutes on skates. Just the opposite of basketball, you watch an entire game for one, two, maybe three points total. The refs and their whistles and the violence of men fighting with big wooden sticks breaks the monotony.

Again, where’s my beer?

Soccer? Besides being downright un-American, all that running makes me tired, and for what? Hours of people running back and forth on a large field, bouncing off each other, chasing, kicking and hitting each other, fighting over a rubber sphere they try to place into a small net at each end of a finely manicured lawn painted with a grid of lines and hash marks. I get nothing.

Golf? That game is so completely ridiculous I’m not even going to address it except to quote Mark Twain when he said golf is “a good walk spoiled,” not to mention the amount of valuable grassland dotted with ponds and creeks, fenced off so fools in funny clothes can run around with high-tech sticks and chase a little ball in their attempts to, well, you know the rest. Wait, I just Googled golf courses in Las Vegas. There are over 40 of them. Vegas is a freakin’ desert. Grass doesn’t grow in a desert. What kind of society squanders natural resources like that? (It’s a rhetorical query.)

Then you have the players, from any

sport. A bunch of arrogant blowhards with too much money for the most part, pumped up from fan adulation after squandering four years of free higher education. (The impact of sports on the higher education system is fodder for another rant when I address the proposed UWM basketball facility.) Foul mouthed and foolish, but held in high esteem, they’re scrutinized incessantly by a press that would better serve its public by highlighting the serious problems our society is riddled with.

My 30-something nephew knows scores and stats, players’ names, family histories, colleges they attended and on and on for an amazing array of players, teams and seasons, past and present, but he can’t name any of the Supreme Court justices and doesn’t know what “Citizens United” means. He drinks a lot, too.

Then there’s the rivalries, contrived and encouraged, senseless reasons to not get along with our fellow fans, because they root for our opponents. How are we supposed to coexist with people of a different color or religion or any number of other minor differences of class, nationality, beliefs and pursuits when it’s so easy to hate a Bears fan. Especially if their team beats ours at Lambeau.

Having said all that…Go Pack Go! 12 and 0, how far can they go? I’ll be watching. And I’ll hate how much fun I’ll be having watching them in Super Bowl XLVI. (What a stupid name.)

A herd of white elephants

Putting the student union renovation in context How television was a game changer in presidential debates

By Azad Safavi

Special to the Post

editorial@uwmpost.com

By William Bornhoft Staff Writer editorial@uwmpost.com

Believe it or not, there are still over 10 GOP presidential debates scheduled before the primary. Considering the high frequency of these debates, their overall importance in determining the president’s opponent in 2012 is questionable. At this point, it really isn’t a test of each candidates’ knowledge of the issues, but more a competition to see who can go the longest without committing a major gaffe. Perhaps televised debates are flawed from the start, because they place too much emphasis on the candidate’s appearance and not enough on their views on the issues and answers to the questions.

The first televised presidential debate was held in Sept. 1960 between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy.

As if Nixon did not already have enough trouble looking aesthetically appealing, especially compared to his Democrat counterpart, his grey suit almost matched the backdrop perfectly. The stark contrast in physical appearance of the two candidates seemed to have an effect.

Almost 70 million people tuned into the first television debate, and the majority of them had declared Kennedy as the winner. Surprisingly, the majority of people listening to the very same debate on the radio had thought Nixon won. Kennedy ended up winning the

election, and it’s clear that his physical appearance certainly played a role in his victory.

With this in mind, one could make a good case that Abraham Lincoln, while still being his honest self, might not win over today’s voters, given his less than appealing physical appearance.

To the same point, in a speech given at the Aspen Ideas Festival, New York Times columnist David Brooks cited a statistic that demonstrates how complete outsiders can guess who will win an election, simply based off the appearance of the candidates.

Now, does everyone in Congress have Hollywood-caliber good looks?

Certainly not. However, it has become increasingly beneficial for a candidate to look attractive and appealing on camera, even if their grasp on key issues is lacking. The way in which a candidate wins over the electorate has dramatically changed since the invention of the television and Internet.

It’s doubtful that any voter in the 1900s ever asked if a candidate “looked presidential.” Looks and appearances simply did not play as big of a role back then as they do now. Even if we do not intend for it to happen, our modern subconscious can become easily distracted by expensive suits and flashy jewelry. I suggest that we all either read or listen to the next debate, so we can give logic and reason a chance over looks and charm.

Walking through the union concourse, visitors will encounter a sight that has become familiar in the last three years: a display asking students to provide superficial input for a plan to renovate the UW-Milwaukee Student Union. Proposed additions include a fast and convenient restaurant à la Panera Bread, rooftop athletic facilities and places where students could go for massages and spa treatment.

While these things may sound wonderful on the surface, I think it’s important for us as members of the UWM student body to step back and look at the proposed renovation in perspective with other recent developments at UWM, in the UW System as a whole and in the state government from which UWM receives a hefty portion of its funding.

A recent UWM Post article documented the fact that more and more distinguished professors have been retiring early out of fear that cuts in education funding at the state level might lower their pensions and retirement benefits should they continue to teach for even one more year. Earlier this year, UWM’s contract with the graduate student union was not renewed, with the possible ramification that graduate

students will not be able to continue to pay for their education by serving as teaching assistants. As a result, we can expect to see many graduate students move on to greener pastures where they can afford their education, if this process has not already begun.

Even the support staff is feeling the pinch. With their unions under attack by the state government, they can expect to see a pay cut in the form of a loss of benefits, if they can even keep their jobs. Even before the recent attack on state workers’ unions began, UWM has eliminated a number of support staff positions in the last few years as a costcutting measure.

At the same time, UWM has been in a bit of a construction binge, building two new dormitory buildings in the last five years alone. When I came to UWM, there were not enough dormitories to house the whole freshman class. Now there are more dorm rooms than demand can fill to capacity. As a result, UWM will be following the lead of many universities around the nation and requiring all incoming freshmen to live in the dorms for their first year, a move that will raise the cost of living as a student for many, not to mention the skyrocketing cost of tuition.

It seems that with budget cuts causing an exodus of quality teachers from our university and lowering the

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Brody Hess Coming out is hard to do

quality of the education we receive, at the same time our tuition rises and rises to support the costs of all the expansion the administration constantly pushes for. Are we, as students, really willing to accept an increase in our tuition to pay for a new student union, knowing that the extra money will do nothing to protect the quality of our education?

Do we really need Panera Bread?

And if we do, couldn’t we just put it where City Subs currently sits? Don’t we already have athletic recreational facilities at the modern and convenient Klotsche Center, ones that aren’t rendered useless by weather during most of the school year, since I’m sure most of us don’t want to play volleyball on the rooftop in January? Do we really believe UWM is going to start doling out free massages to its student body of over 30,000 if we accept an increase in fees to pay for a new student union? Is it worth it?

Before letting flashy displays and pie-in-the-sky promises win us over to the idea of a new student union, as if the current one was inadequate, I think we should take a step back and put this proposed student union renovation in context with the current state, as well as the future, of our university.

22 December 5, 2011

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PET OF THE WEEK

Dixie My name is Dixie and I live in the heart of Riverwest! I’ve got three mommy’s whom I love to keep up all night long making a ruckus. I also have an over-sized sister cat who I like to try to bully (almost always unsuccessfully). My hobbies include playing with ghosts, being in the way and looking unbearably cute. I’m often misunderstood because I tend to go overboard with my teeth and claws during playtime, but I can assure you that I am full of love!

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PUZZLES

THEUWMPOST CROSSWORD

DOWN 1 Like jean shorts 2 Letter giver, maybe?

3 Entirely (2 wds.)

4 Cleo’s killer 5 “What a relief!”

6 Bishop of Rome

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SUDOKU INSTRUCTIONS: Fill in the squares so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 exactly once.

ACROSS 1 Certain animation, for short 4 Jobs’s job 9 Worlds Largest Ball of ____ 14 Vessel 15 Group of fish 16 Piano-like instrument 17 Make lace 18 House building materials 20 Smell 22 Cheese serving 23 Also 24 Greek cheeses 26 Shellfish selection 28 House building material 31 Speak 34 Mexican snack 35 Kitten’s cry 37 Negative prefix 38 Congress worker 41 Glorified 43 Famous last words?

44 You might RSVP to this (abbr.)

45 Not any 46 Dwelling unit 48 House building materials 52 Hyundai model 55 Olive-brown color, on photos 56 Marry 57 Separates hair 60 Window ledge 61 House building material 64 The Greatest 65 German city 66 Get educated 67 Large weight unit 68 Not those 69 Anatomical cavities 70 Ram’s ma’am

December 5, 2011

7 Pug or papillon 8 Lamenting poetry 9 Mr. Hanks 10 Author 11 Unknowing 12 World org.

13 Type widths 19 Legal matter 21 Jah follower 25 Depot 27 In the direction of 29 Computer “button” 30 NFL coach Turner 32 Digit 33 Discontinue 35 List of meals 36 Student’s dread 38 “Attack!”

39 Tokyo, once 40 Gibberish 42 Stringed instruments 47 Ram and Charger?

48 Habitable attic 49 Narcotic 50 Sleeper’s need 51 Salty solution 53 Calendar mo.

54 Indian drum 56 Desire 58 Word before duct or drop 59 Asian skirt 61 Understand 62 Compass pt.

63 Cell stuff

solution found on page 4

GODOKU

INSTRUCTIONS: Fill the squares so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the following letters exactly once: D, I, S, E, C, T, A, N, Y. One row or column will reveal a hidden word!

solution found on page 4

solution found on page 4

WORK AT JIMMY JOHN’S Now hiring drivers,in-shop staff and managers. F/T or P/T. Flexible hours. Fun, fast-paced workplace. Apply in person at 3129 North Oakland Avenue or 1344 East Brady Street.

Farmer Jones said: “Now, Mariah, if we should sell off seventy-five chickens, as I propose, our stock of feed would last just twenty days longer, while if we should buy a hundred extra fowl, as you suggest, we would run out of chicken feed fifteen days sooner.”

“Well, now, Josiah, how many chickens have we, anyhow?”

That’s the problem – how many chickens had they, anyhow?

24 December 5, 2011

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