THEUWMPOST est. 1956
Issue 21, Volume December 5, 201156
Extreme Midget Wrestling at Turner Hall page 8
2012 Horizon League Women’s Basketball Championship Bracket (March 5, 7, 9, 11)
Horizon League round one tonight page 6
5, 2012 IssueMarch 13, Volume 56
the student-run independent newspaper
First Round Mon., March 5
Quarterfinals Wed., March 7
Semifinals Fri., March 9
Championship Sun., March 11
(7, 8 seeds host)
(1, 2, 3, 4 seeds host)
(Highest remaining seed hosts)
(Highest remaining seed host)
#1 Green Bay #8 Milwaukee
Game 3
Game 1
#9 Valparaiso
Final Regular-Season League Standings w/ seeds 1. Green Bay 2. Detroit 3. Wright State 4. UIC 5. Butler 6. Loyola 7. Cleveland State 8. Milwaukee 9. Valparaiso 10. Youngstown State
17-1 14-4 12-6 10-8 9-9 8-10 6-12 5-13 5-13 4-14
Game 8
#4 UIC Game 4
#5 Butler
Game 9 -- 1:00 p.m. ET NOTE: Host school will play second semifinal on Friday
#2 Detroit #7 Cleveland State
2012 Horizon League Champion
Game 5
Game 2
#10 Youngstown State
Two party system returns to UWM
Game 7
#3 Wright State Game 6
#6 Loyola
Students protest cost of education
ERC announces new demands
SORC decides not to investigate SA trip
Reimbursement receipts show drinks purchased, miles unaccounted for By Steve Garrison News Editor news@uwmpost.com
By Stephanie Schmidt Staff Writer news@uwmpost.com UW-Milwaukee’s Education Rights Coalition held a rally on March 1, in recognition of the National Day of Action for Education Rights. The ERC is mostly made up of members from the Students for a Democratic Society, Milwaukee Graduate Assistants Association and AFSCME. The rally began in the Union at noon and moved out to Spaights Plaza shortly after. Students were banging drums and chanting “no cuts, no fees, education
boards, print advertisements and television commercials, but also online advertising through social media networks, like Facebook, Twitter and FourSquare. A UWM branded Pandora station was also launched, which Ford said made UWM the first university in the country to do so. The campaign was created by Lipman Hearne, a marketing and communications firm that also has accounts with more than 300 other institutions of higher learning. Vice Chancellor of University Relations
Student Association officials from both the executive and legislative branch started drifting into office EG79 around 6:45 p.m. on Thursday night for the Senate Oversight and Rules Committee meeting, during which allegations of misconduct during a United Council trip would be reviewed. “What are you doing here?” Vice President Sana Khan asked, as treasurer Nick Kadulski walked into the inner office. Kadulski, appointed treasurer at the beginning of the semester, was the official who referred what he called “inconsistent” travel receipts submitted by executive staff members for reimbursement to SORC. “I am here to explain it,” Kadulski said. Little was made clear about what occurred, however, during the 40 minute SORC meeting, which frequently devolved into procedural arguments. Kadulski told SORC that he was notified by Brandon James, director of the Student Association Professional Staff, that gas reimbursement receipts submitted included 90 miles of travel unaccounted for during the three day event, which took place at UW-Parkside in Kenosha from Feb. 10-12. Kadulski, who said he felt his responsibility as treasurer “was to justify what I was about to sign off on,” told James he would investigate the discrepancy, but was mostly unconcerned. The miles added up to little more than $20 in reimbursements, an “immaterial” amount. Another issue was the inclusion of three drinks on one of the receipts for which they were seeking reimbursement. Drinking during the SA trip is a violation of a contract that executive members signed with the Student Association Professional Staff at the beginning of the semester. Kadulski said he was reassured by Lang that the drinks were purchased for UC members and the officials who went – which included Lang, Khan, Senator Matthew Rosner, Special Assistant to the President Eric Grow, Office Manager Andrew Hapka and Director of Outreach Julio Guerrero – did not drink while they were there. To explain the mileage, Lang prof-
See FRESHMEN page 4
See INVESTIGATE page 5
Michael Laliberte, vice chancellor for student affairs (left) speaks with Eddie Chapman, junior and member of SDS outside of Chapman Hall. Post photo by Zak Wosewick. should be free!” Participants also held signs that read “forgive student debt,” “cut Walker not UWM” and “chop from the top.” They also met with the vice chancellor to announce the new demands. “The Education Rights Coalition is working today in connection with campuses all over the country for a National Day of Action,” participant and SDS member Mike Gold said. Gold manned the information table in the Union while the rally was taking place outside. “What we’re doing today is revealing the Education Rights Coalition’s new de-
mands, which are updated from two years ago,” Gold said. When Gold mentioned the demands of two years ago, he brought up a similar rally that occurred in March, the National Day of Action for Education Rights rally, at which 16 arrests were made. UWM offered to drop those charges a month later, but it was obvious that police remembered this as they were stationed throughout the area. This year, the ERC made their demands known. Informational fliers were distributed entitled “Education Rights
Coalition demands for a better university.” Stated demands included tuition freezes, forgive student debt and make high level administrators take “at least a 5% pay cut before cutting the salaries of faculty and staff.” In connection with demands, the protest moved to Interim Provost Johannes Britz’s open forum at 1 p.m. An estimated 30 people entered the already packed room, still holding their signs. As they listened they quietly formed a picket-line.
See PROTEST page 4
Where are all the freshmen?
Freshmen enrollment at UWM looks to be down five percent By Audrey Posten Special to the Post news@uwmpost.com
After reaching an all-time high five years ago, freshmen enrollment at UWMilwaukee has slowly decreased every year since and is on track to drop five percent in the upcoming school year. According to Director of Enrollment Services Beth Weckmueller, in fall 2007 there were 4,535 freshmen at UWM. By fall 2010 that number had dropped to 3,760 students. This past fall, the number dropped
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yet again, to 3,678. Executive Director of the Department of Recruitment and Outreach Janis Ford said the economy is definitely a major factor. More students are applying for and receiving financial aid. Despite the higher need, Ford said the number of scholarships and donor options have decreased. Even though recruiters stress the advantages of gaining an undergraduate degree, she said many people are still not willing to take a risk on higher education. “Let’s face it, it’s not cheap,” Ford said. Both Ford and Weckmueller said
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UWM is not the only state university suffering from lower freshmen enrollment. Ford said UW-Madison has even minimized its stringent admission standards in order to bring in more students. As a result, she said some students are drawn away from UWM. Ford said UWM would like to have at least 4,000 freshmen enrolled every year. In an attempt to get back to that number, the university has deployed a number of methods to increase enrollment. One of those is the “Powerful Ideas. Proven Results” ad campaign, which was launched last fall. The campaign includes not only bill-
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New Provost on Campus Ready…
Four Finalists for University’s second in command visiting campus By John Parnon Assistant News Editor news@uwmpost.com The four finalists for the position of Provost at UW-Milwaukee have been conducting their two-day on-campus interviews over the last week, with the last scheduled interview to be on March 5. The position of interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs is currently held by Johannes Britz, who has also been selected as one of the four finalists for the permanent position by Chancellor Lovell. The provost is a position directly under the chancellor and is in charge of overseeing all academic affairs on campus, which includes program array development, measuring student success and strengthening UWM’s research and scholarly work. These are only portions of the responses from the candidates. To see the rest of the interviews, visit uwmpost.com. T. Taylor Eighmy Eighmy is currently the senior vice president of research at Texas Tech University. He began his career in higher education in 1986 as a research assistant professor, the same year he earned his doctorate in civil engineering at the University of New Hampshire. Eighmy is a member of the U.S. EPA Chartered Science Advisory Board and was the founding director of the Coastal Response Research Center, the Recycled Materials Resource Center, and the Environmental Research Group at UNH. Texas Tech had an enrollment of just over 32,000 students last semester, making it similar in population size to UWM. What is the largest issue facing UWM’s campus right now and how would you address it? Obviously, there are significant concerns about resources. However, I found broad but cautious optimism on campus and a desire to proactively move forward. The strategic plan will be crucial as the path is articulated by the community. What role should a provost play on campus?
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The provost has a number of important roles: champion for excellence in discovery scholarship, pedagogy, learning outcomes and engaged outreach; guarantor of the core values of the institution and its academic programs...Optimism, enthusiasm and humor are helpful attributes too. What is it about UWM that appeals to you? UWM has all the ingredients to be
a wonderful “new metropolitan research university for the 21st century.” I see great collective leadership, strong advocacy from external partners, extremely talented faculty, staff and students, and an exciting story waiting to unfold. Deirdre Mageean Mageean is currently the Vice Chancellor of Research and Graduate studies at East Carolina University. She received her doctorate in 1989 in geography from the Open University in England, 12 years after she earned her master’s in sociology from the University of York. Mageean was awarded the East Carolina Women of Distinction 2011 award and has just over 30 years of experience in higher education. According to her curriculum vitae she has earned a total of $3 million in grants and award money to date. Mageean could not be reached for comment on this piece. Johannes Britz Britz is currently the interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at UWM. He has held the position since 2010, after leaving his position as dean of the School of Information Sciences. Britz holds a doctor of divinity degree in Christian philosophy and ethics, as well as a doctor of philosophy degree in information science, both from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Britz planned the first ever African Information Ethics conference and helped start ethics and egovernment in Africa, with funding from UNESCO. What is the largest issue facing UWM’s campus right now and how would you address it? The budget cuts, that’s been trying us in many ways. It inhibits our growth agenda; it won’t allow us to grow as fast as we want to grow… The increasing student tuition is also a major challenge for the students. We need to absolutely find alternative ways to support students in terms of scholarships or support. What role should a provost play on campus? The provost oversees all the academic affairs on campus. That includes suspending or shrinking on campus. Program array development. Ensures students success in terms of graduation rates and retention rates. To address the diversity on campus. The achievement gap. Strengthen our research and scholarly work. Campus climate and communication. What is it about UWM that appeals to you?
I like the people, I like the faculty, the workforce, the students. When I came here as a budding professor, the people I interact with, the culture on the campus, it appealed to me a lot. We’ve grown tremendously in the last 10 years. It’s a university on the move, and it is tremendous to be a part of these tremendous changes. Harold Jones Jones has been the dean of the school of health professions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham since 2001. He holds a doctorate from Duke University in biochemistry as well as a bachelor degree in biology from Rhodes College. Jones was the chief of the science policy and analysis branch at the National Institute on Drug Abuse in the ‘90s and has been the chair of six different committees during his time at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Student enrollment last semester at UAB was just over 15,000, but UAB is the largest employer in the entire state, with close to 18,000 faculty and staff. What is the largest issue facing UWM’s campus right now and how would you address it? I believe that the largest issue facing UWM is how to balance the desire to grow the university’s research profile while maintaining and increasing access, affordability and quality for undergraduate students. It will require that UWM look at ways to optimize integration of research and discovery into the undergraduate classroom and to grow research in areas that lend themselves to this effort. What role should a provost play on campus? As the institution’s chief academic officer, the provost has the responsibility of working with deans, chairs, faculty, staff and students to ensure that the university’s academic offerings are of the highest quality and to develop processes and strategies to promote faculty and student success. Also, as part of the university’s senior leadership team, the provost must be a strong collaborator with other members of that team in promoting the institution’s vision, values and priorities. What is it about UWM that appeals to you? What I have discovered is that UWM is doing an excellent job of becoming a top-tier research institution and achieving that goal within the context of its urban mission. What appeals to me is the opportunity to work in a senior leadership position with a community that is passionate about its purpose and vision.
set… LEGO!
UWM student competes in LEGO build-off to become next LEGO Master Model Builder By Aaron Knapp Features Editor news@uwmpost.com Andrew Stigen didn’t want to be a cowboy when he got older. Nor did he dream about being G.I. Joe or discovering aliens on Mars when he was growing up. Sure, none of those dreams would have been bad, but Stigen liked his LEGOs, and he was more than happy creating his own cities and worlds where any and all of those dreams could take place. “[I] would come home from school and always want to play with LEGOs,” he said. “I guess some people stopped, but I just kept doing it.” Now Stigen is grown up. He is 25 years old, has an architecture degree from UW-Milwaukee under his belt and pursuing another in graphic design, bartends and makes homemade beer in his apartment. But even as an adult, he has no plans of giving up his LEGOs – “buckets and buckets” of LEGOs, he says, between Milwaukee and his hometown of Baraboo, Wis . That unwavering enthusiasm for LEGOs has landed him in a competition to become LEGO’s Master Model Builder, which if he wins will give him a full-time job creating and maintaining LEGO structures at Chicago’s LEGOLAND Discovery Center, in addition to doing demonstrations and presentations. Stigen faced off against seven other competitors, all from Illinois and some of whom already work for LEGO, Sunday night in three build offs, two half-hour and one hour long contests, which will require the contestants to create structures in the allotted timeperiod with no prior knowledge of what they must build. Their work will judged by a panel made up of both children and adults. “I think it’s going to be more fun than anything,” Sitgen said. “I like doing things sort of like this where you have to design in a real short amount of time.” Although Stigen has no qualms about admitting that he still enjoys playing with LEGOs, in spite of running jokes amongst his family and friends, he says that LEGOs are really just a means to an end, symptomatic of an unyielding drive for creative design. “It’s mostly about the passion for building things,” he said. “The architecture and the LEGOs – they work hand in hand. It is fun to be able to create something of my own.” As a senior in high school, Stigen thought that his knack for building and design would best be suited for mechanical engineering, but after a lackluster internship experience in the field, he saw that the work lacked the creative outlets he got from LEGOs. “It wasn’t for me; not a lot of hands on stuff,” he said. “There was no ability to create something of your own.” He came to UWM for architecture, his second choice, and knew by the end of the first day that he had
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March 05, 2012
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Two hundred free parking UWM College Dems return spaces may become Student organization reforms with new available in Pavilion
Parking deal between SA and administration seeks senate approval By Steve Garrison News Editor news@uwmpost.com After months of meeting with UW-Milwaukee administration, the Student Association is on the brink of closing a deal to bring 200 more “free” parking spaces to campus. The proposed acquisition, which would require student segregated fees to be raised by $6.50, will be under review at the next senate meeting on March 10. If it passes through the senate, students can expect to begin parking in the Klotsche Center pavilion parking garage next fall. “We are really pleased because it is a fair deal for the students,” Special Assistant to the President Eric Grow said. Grow, who serves on the Senate Finance Committee, said he has been working with administration on the acquisition for months. “We fought tirelessly for this deal, it is a fair deal for the students, and every day 200 students are going to have free parking and it is only for a $6.50 tuition increase,” he said. Parking has always been a problem at UW-Milwaukee, traditionally a commuter school. Last spring, SA managed to close a deal allowing students to park for free at the Northwest Quad parking
LEGO
Continued from page 2 come to right place. Despite the heavy workload of the architecture program – Stigen says that the Architecture and Urban Planning building is “probably the only building where the lights are on 24/7” – he grew close relationships with other like-minded design junkies. “Especially being a studio, you learn a lot from other people, and it’s more a free-flow of ideas than anything else.” Rather than getting a job right away or getting his master’s degree in architecture after finishing the architecture program in 2010, Stigen decided to take his passion for creative design in a new direction and get another degree in graphic design. “I didn’t want to lock myself into only doing buildings for the rest of my life,” Stigen said. “I’m more into design as in designing anything… I really just like making things, [and] I felt that expanding my design base
garage, allocating $15.10 from student segregated fees to cover the cost of use. SA argued that the NWQ would provide safety to commuters and enhance student life by allowing participation in student activities and events. However, Physical Environmental Committee member Alan Horowitz argues in “Nine reasons why free parking for students (or anyone) in the NWQ is a very bad idea,” that the student subsidized parking garage is environmentally unsound and reduces lot usage elsewhere on campus, resulting in budget shortfalls. “Free parking caused a rather large hole in the parking budget, a hole that needed to be plugged,” Horowitz said. SFC agreed last fall to increase student segregated fees by $5 for 201213 to cover the budget gap and keep the NWQ parking garage subsidized for another year. Horowitz said he was still opposed to student subsidized parking on campus, “but the necessity to balance the budget led me to compromise.” Grow, who is running as vice president with United Panthers, said he hopes the senate vote “doesn’t become too politicized.” “I hope that, despite any differences, the senate can come together in support of this student-friendly deal,” he said via email.
would be a little more beneficial to me than solidifying my direction and just doing buildings.” Whether it be with paper, computer programs or toys, Stigen relishes the opportunity for a design-off, and with encouragement from his friends and family, he applied for LEGO’s master builder job on Feb. 17, receiving a call soon after that he was chosen to participate in the competition. Although he admitted before the competition that he would undoubtedly have a case of “the butterflies,” he was determined to not go in with a strategy – just his experience with LEGOs and a clear head. “I’ve always liked going into design problems with my mind open,” he said. “If I went in with a sketchbook with all of the ideas I wanted to do, then I would focus more on trying to fit those ideas into what they gave me instead of creating something out of what they gave me.” The winner of the competition will be announced by LEGO on Monday, March 5.
leadership after semester-long court case By Zack Garhart Staff Writer news@uwmpost.com
Recently the UW-Milwaukee witnessed their College Democrat party dismantled temporarily on behalf of a file of appeal for allegations of misconduct under the Student Association constitution. The appeal, filed by SA Senator Matthew Rosner, took place late last summer during which Rosner and other individuals familiar to the organization were notified by the previous administration of the College Democrats of UWM’s lack of activity. Upon filing the claim, Rosner came to find through documents that the College Democrats of Milwaukee were not holding elections. Additionally, the organization had not abided by their own charter nor the constitution set in place by SA for student organizations. Rosner, although unrelated to the College Democrats and other political organizations, said that this raised attention, especially considering the timeliness of the appeal. “We felt that the College Democrats in Milwaukee would be active in the Scott Walker recall effort, but we saw nothing,” Rosner said. “Especially since this student body is one of the largest in the state.” The appeal resulted in prohibiting the organization’s members who were involved from their duties, and a temporary restraining order was filed as well. Rosner said that the result of the case was not surprising. He also said that this case is important in showing other student organizations that if they do not abide by the constitution of SA, similar measures will be taken. As each of the members was stripped of their titles, the party was forced to start
fresh. In witnessing the recall effort launched against Gov. Scott Walker, new party administrator Julio Guerrero, who also serves as director of outreach for SA, said that the lack of activity from the College Democrats of UWM hurt the party as a whole. Because of his involvement with the College Democratic Party, Guerrero said he felt obligated to step forward and help jump start the program again. Guerrero was later named the court appointed administrator for the party. He said his objective was to find the most qualified students for the leadership positions, while also making sure that the College Democrats of UWM were set on solid grounds. “It’s a matter of setting up tables and talking to students because people are naturally going to find themselves compelled to these issues that the Democratic Party is working towards,” Guerrero said. “We want to educate and empower students in the recall effort since they are the ones feeling the issues that are currently at hand.” It did not take Guerrero much work to find a qualified candidate for the position where he first looked towards students on campus involved with the recall effort. He found Colleen Cullen, a strong advocate and contributor to both the Democratic Party and recall effort. Cullen has a strong background in politics, studying both law and political science, and eagerly accepted the position as chair of the College Democrat Party at UWM. Though the party has yet to be officially recognized, Cullen has been working vigorously with individuals such as Thomas Dake and Rick Clark from the Center of Student Involvement to set things in stone. “I submitted the charter two weeks ago
for the party and am currently waiting on everything to become official,” Cullen said. “I’m working with Andy Suchorski from Marquette to organize the two parties and create a strong effort from Milwaukee’s college student body as a whole.” First and foremost, Cullen needs to tackle the hurdles of funding and membership. These two aspects, she said, are crucial in the party’s growth. Additionally, the College Democrats of UWM are looking to attend conventions on both the state and national level. “The College Democrats of America [Winter Conference] is coming up on March 9-10 in Chicago, and we’re hoping to get members to represent Milwaukee on the national level,” Cullen said. “Our College Democrats of Wisconsin [Conference] is on March 31, so we are looking to be established as a party by then and bring as many members as possible.” In the time between organizing efforts for the recall election in summer, the party members said they will be looking to bring Wisconsin politicians such as Tom Barrett, Chris Larson and Kathleen Falk to Milwaukee in an effort to engage a wide student body. Most of all, the party is looking to clear up any misconceptions about their temporary absence on campus at UWM. Cullen said that the old club ended and it is behind them, but the new party has been started and their efforts are to come back even stronger. Social unity and political activity are critical attributes, which Cullen said she is looking to instill in the new party on campus. If interested in joining, email uwmdemocrats@gmail.com.
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The UW System Board of Regents recently approved an increase in the maximum salary for provost at UWM from $237,847 to $317,262. A link to an article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that provided this information, as well as reminded that many current employees at UWM were facing pay freezes, was posted on the Facebook wall for the rally, along with the comment “pissed yet?” Britz did mention that for him the salary was “a lot of money.” “Talk is cheap Interim Provost Britz!” a male protestor shouted in response. Jacob Glicklich, co-president of the MGAA, related to these sentiments later. “[Britz] is very good at general rhetoric,” Glicklich said. “But at the end of the day he is going to go back to his six figure
your life trying to work off the four years you spent in college trying to get the job that you go and I think it’s a ridiculous cycle,” Gold said. The rally planned to highlight the flaws and show possibilities for improvements “There’s an opportunity to become actual allies and actually improve things and be a better model for progressive leadership,” Glicklich said. “That is what we’re trying to inch toward and to publicize and I guess, allow them space to do the right thing.” A deadline has already been set for a response to the rally. “By March 15 we want to see that they’ve seen the student views and are changing their behavior in accordance to demands, in terms of an initial deadline for when we’ll know what they’re going to do, what they’re not going to do and what we should do in response to that,” Glicklich said.
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salary and other people are not.” The chanting from earlier soon returned and the protestors left the room. Britz maintained composure during this time and did not seem to be affected by the demonstration. However, Marcia Parsons, a professor of dance at UWM, did begin to dance to the beat of the chanting in what appeared to be a mocking way. “I’m gonna dance,” Parsons said as soon as the protestors had filed out. Fliers and signs distributed showed how tuition has doubled in 10 years and student debt has now exceeded credit card debt in America. “[The level of debt] is wrecking people’s careers, wrecking people’s lives,” Glicklich said. Gold remarked on how it is ridiculous how high the student debt is. “I think that the problem here is that everyone is expected to go to college so you go there and then you spend the rest of
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Continued from page 1 Thomas Luljak said the initial development costs for the campaign totaled between $120,000 and $125,000. He said additional costs were added for things like photography and vinyl for billboards. Luljak said refreshing the content will also cost more, but that UWM hopes to save money by getting help from inside the university. Just months into the campaign, Luljak said the feedback has been positive. The campaign focuses on telling the stories of the people of UWM and Ford said the university did a good job of producing visual evidence of that, which she said is more believable than statistics. “Sometimes advertising shows what something might become,” Luljak said, “but this shows what UWM actually is.” Although everyone wants immediate results, Ford said the campaign probably will not show dividends until next fall. But no matter the results, Luljak said he anticipates a three to five year run time for the campaign. The DRO also relies on a number of other approaches to recruit students. UWM spokespeople can be found at approximately 100 college fairs every year. Recruiters also visit nearly 300 high schools across the Midwest, as well as a number of state twoyear colleges and technical schools. Ford said UWM is involved in the Midwest Student Exchange Program, which allows out-of-state students to attend universities at 150 percent of the cost of in state tuition. That could save an out-of-state UWM student participating in the program around $5,000 every year. Ford said at least 50 UWM students participated in the pro-
gram last school year and that the number will likely grow this year because Illinois has now joined the program. UWM has also tried to target recruitment at groups that Weckmueller said are typically underrepresented in higher education. These groups include African Americans, Latinos and Southeast Asians.
This fall there were 847 targeted freshmen enrolled at UWM, and Weckmueller said that number has inched up every year. “We want to make sure they are wellrepresented,” she said, “so that we are reflective of our own community.” Campus tours are also a large part of the recruitment process. Last year UWM accommodated more than 6,000 individual tour-takers, as well as around 80 groups. Ford said visiting campus often makes a huge difference to prospective students because it debunks a lot of preconceived notions they had about UWM. Some of those issues include safety, lax admission standards and the notion that campus is impersonal due to all the concrete and tall buildings. Of all the things the DRO uses to lure students in, Ford said focus is placed primarily upon UWM’s location. The nearness to Lake Michigan and downtown Milwaukee are touted, as well as greater opportunities for internships and student teaching placements.
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March 05, 2012
Debate fires up over Wisconsin jobs Fireside Forum focuses on free trade and job loss
By Claire Sprenger Staff Writer news@uwmpost.com Foreign relations expert Edward Alden and labor leader Phil Neuenfeldt got into heated debate over foreign investment and the job market at the most recent Fireside Forum on Foreign Policy. Alden argued that American manufacturing jobs are declining because of relatively high taxes, strict regulation and complicated immigration policies. Neuenfeldt countered that it was corporate greed that is destroying American jobs, pointing to the growing wage disparity between CEOs and their lowest-level employees. “When you listen to the debates in Washington, you hear more or less the same things,” Alden said. “I have been thoroughly exposed to the arguments of the proponents of free trade and [its] opponents.” The forum, which focused on the
role free trade plays in Wisconsin job growth, was part of a larger series sponsored by UW-Milwaukee’s Institute of World Affairs. The goal of the Fireside Forum, held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Union Fireside Lounge, is to inform young voters on important issues facing the nation before the presidential election next fall. The topic is close to Wisconsin’s heart. According to the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a “nonpartisan, non-profit partnership forged to strengthen manufacturing in America,” Wisconsin saw a 20.5 percent decrease in the number of manufacturing jobs available from 20002010, with 56,938 jobs lost to China during that same period. Both Alden, senior fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations, and Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Neuenfeldt were invited to speak on the issue. Neuenfeldt began his commentary on Alden’s initial speech saying that he agreed with many of the points
Alden made. “I thought I was actually coming to debate,” Neuenfeldt said. Neuenfeldt did end up disagreeing with Alden over creating jobs through incentivizing foreign and domestic corporate job growth. Alden argued that several factors, including high taxes, strict regulation and complicated immigration policy, alienated foreign investment and compelled domestic companies to ship jobs overseas. “The U.S. must become more investment-friendly,” Alden said. Neuenfeldt argued that corporate wages were the root cause of job losses. CEO pay in America vastly exceeds the pay of their lowest-level employees, partly the result of higher loser limits. Furthermore, U.S.-based companies focus more on increasing revenue than foreign companies, which focus more on long-term effects. Both guests agreed that people should be given more assistance in job-training and education, saying
that middle-class citizens with families are deserving recipients. Neuenfeldt said that the “pipeline of labor skills” necessary in Wisconsin to create job growth is not discussed nearly enough. Many manufacturing work forces are aging, Neuenfeldt said, with few new workers adapting to growing industries. Alden, speaking in broader terms, asserted that the United States spent years persuading other countries to adapt to capitalism’s efficiency, to its detriment. The last decade had no trade-sector job growth. “Are we going to have a lost decade like Japan?” Alden said. “Well, sorry, we already had it … The question is whether we’re going to have two lost decades.” The Fireside Forum on Foreign Policy will wrap up on March 6 with a debate between two national election candidates. David Haynes, editorial editor for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, will moderate.
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INVESTIGATE Continued from page 1
fered that the company they rented the cars from was unreliable in reporting mileage. She said she was given a document by SAPS that showed that the company only recorded 60 miles of travel for a previous trip to Madison, when one way to Madison is 90 miles. Kadulski began to grow concerned, however, when he sat down to question members who attended the trip. “As I interviewed everybody, it became very conflicting,” he said. “There was kind of a general, overall agreement to the story,” but that could be because he sat down with the group together, Kadulski noted. He decided to alert SORC to the inconsistencies when “rumors started flying around” that attendance at the conference was almost nonexistent that the members were drinking and drug use might have occurred. Kadulski would not say during the meeting who he heard the rumors from, but said after the meeting that he was told the rumors by someone he trusted. “I am just a numbers guy,” he said. “I felt it was in the best interest of the parties involved – for the treasurer position, for the SA – to bring this to everybody’s attention.” The decision to alert SORC to the inconsistencies was complicated by the involvement of several of the members in the upcoming election. Both Dan Laughland and Tereza Pelicaric are running for president and vice president, respectively, with Allied Student Voice, and Rick Banks is running for president with United Panther. Regardless, SORC voted 4-1 not to request a formal investigation from the senate and to suggest that mileage be reimbursed. Committee Chairperson Pelicaric advised everyone in SA to “be cautious” about their behavior, but said it was not worth investigating. “I am pretty certain that everyone on the trip was over 21,” Pelicaric said. “As long as there is no sexual assault and whatnot going on, that is their decision to drink.” Senator Michael Ludwig said that he could not agree to recommend reimbursement, citing the missing 90 miles, “or whatever the mileage is because we don’t even know,” and the fact that one of the people on the trip talked about the drink selection at the bar. “That is not responsible stewardship, as everyone likes to call it, of student money,” he said.
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March 05, 2012
SPORTS
Down and out
Fourth seeded Milwaukee was trounced by Bulter Friday 71-49 By Nick Bornheimer Staff Writer sports@uwmpost.com
There will be no glass slipper for the UW-Milwaukee men’s basketball team this season. The Butler Bulldogs most likely ended the Panthers’ NCAA tournament bid for the second straight year Friday when they dismantled UWM 71-49 in the second round of the Horizon League Championship in Valparaiso.
Khyle Marshall earned a doubledouble for the Bulldogs (20-13) with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Roosevelt Jones scored 17 of his own to help Butler to a 22 point victory. The Panthers (20-13) didn’t have a single player score in double-digits in the contest. James Haarsma led the team with nine points. Milwaukee shot just under 32 percent from the field and was outrebounded by 21 on the night. The Panthers never seized any control in the game, but kept it manageable throughout the first half,
bringing the game to within one point after a Tony Meier three with 1:40 left in the first half and trailing by a surmountable six points at the break. From the second the second half began, it was all Bulldogs. Butler scored the first nine points of the half and didn’t look back until the final horn sounded. The Bulldogs led by as many as 25 points in the second half. It was second chance opportunities where Butler was really able to thrive. The Panthers could only put up three sec-
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ond chance points to Butler’s 21. Butler also scored 52 points in the paint versus Milwaukee’s 16. This year it looks like Butler will not be dancing either. Butler was eliminated by number one seeded Valparaiso in Saturday’s semifinals. According to NCAA tournament analysts, the Bulldogs would have needed to win the tournament and earn an automatic birth to qualify for the tournament. Both Milwaukee and Butler now must wait to see if they will be playing more postseason basketball. Though the NCAA tournament doesn’t seem likely, both teams could qualify for the NIT tournament. The Horizon League Championship game between Valparaiso and Detroit will be played this Tuesday at 8 p.m. CST and can be viewed on ESPN. The winner earns a ticket to the big dance.
Panthers regular season ends with losses to UIC and Loyola Team struggles without injured team captain Angela Rodriguez By Eric Engelbart Staff Writer sports@uwmpost.com The UW-Milwaukee women’s basketball team struggled this week in the absence of star player and team captain Angela Rodriguez. The team came into the week looking to extend a two game winning streak, after defeating Butler and Valpairaso in last week’s action. The Panthers lost to UIC 59-52 Thursday and fell 69-62 to Loyola in the regular season finale on Saturday. Both games were winnable for the Panthers, but they were unable to protect second half leads. Angela Rodriguez missed both games due to an ankle injury. Thursday’s matchup against UIC was the first time Rodriguez had missed a game in her career with the Panthers.
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Post file photo
Stakes raised in this year’s game of ‘tag’ for Packers with Flynn Why giving Flynn a franchise tag could potentially work for the future of the Pack
By Zack Garhart Staff Writer sports@uwmpost.com Aaron Rodgers is not the most important person to the Packers organization. In fact, his influence doesn’t come close to that of another individual. The one by the name of Ted Thompson stands lengths ahead of Rodgers as being responsible for not only a recent Super Bowl title, but more importantly for building an organization poised with opportunities to seize numerous Lombardi Trophies. Thompson was brought over from Seattle in 1992 as a scout by then General Manager Ron Wolf. He would eventually become the master mind behind the Packers success. In fact, Wolf sent a plane in the middle of the night to snatch up Thompson in fear that his talent would be sought after by other organizations. Though Thompson ventured back to Seattle for a stint as their vice president of operations in 2000, his heart and devotion remained true to Green Bay as he returned in 2005 as the Packers general manager. As GM, Thompson has experienced both praise and blame, most famously for the departure of Brett Favre. While the waves from Favre’s dramatic attempt at revenge have since
settled, Thompson faces yet another crucial decision in regards to off season contracts with his quarterbacks. While Rodgers’ fate is sealed, backup quarterback Matt Flynn’s is rather uncertain. Talk of placing a franchise tag on Flynn has rightfully circulated both within Green Bay’s management and sports networks alike. While the idea of restraining Flynn to a franchise tag sounds farfetched and costly to the organization, it would not be above Thompson considering the potential repercussions. A franchise tag has two different forms, both exclusive and non-exclusive. An exclusive tag would mean Flynn could be signed to the Packers under a one year contract with either the salary of an average of the top five salaries for quarterbacks in the league or a salary equaling 120 percent of his salary last year. In either case, Flynn would not be able to negotiate with other teams. A non-exclusive tag is essentially the same contract structure except it allows the player to negotiate with other teams, while also allowing the Packers to match a proposed contract by another team. If the Packers wish not to match the contract, Flynn goes to another team after the 2012 season. This is where things get interesting. The
Packers would then be eligible to receive up to two first round picks in the 2013 draft from the team who picks up Flynn. Although the NFL has placed strict rules on teams trading their ‘tagged’ player a year after the placement, heads are turned in favor of the ‘tagging’ team in nearly every case. If such tag were placed on Flynn, this would mean a valuable opportunity to expand on Thompson’s philosophy of structuring his roster with depth at each position in the draft, assuming the Packers were in fact rewarded two first round picks. The bottom line: if a franchise tag were to be used on Flynn, it would be non-exclusive. However, it is likely that Flynn will float in the free agency market, which is dominated by big name quarterbacks, when it opens up on March 13. At that point, Flynn will possibly be joined by the iconic Peyton Manning in contention for the biggest contract from a team like the Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins or Seattle Seahawks. Nonetheless, Thompson is faced with yet another decision regarding his arsenal of talented quarterbacks this off season. The diplomatic route, though not necessarily the smartest approach to the problem, would be to use the team’s franchise tag on tight end Jermichael Finley and allow Flynn to collect his winnings from another
team in free agency without direct compensation. Regardless of the decision, much like with Favre’s charade in 2008, there is likely to be criticism directed Thompson’s way. While this all may seem irrelevant to some, having a qualified backup quarterback is arguably one of the highest priorities to any team. It doesn’t take much to look back at this year’s shoot out against Detroit in which Flynn shattered Packers records or even his heroic effort against the Patriots in the 2010 season in which he almost lead the underdog Pack to a surprise victory. After all, no one wants Green Bay to resemble Indianapolis in that their dismantling may come at the hands of a quarterback unfamiliar to the system, in the case that Rodgers were to go down to injury. Yet, as fans and spectators alike, it would be inappropriate to initially classify Thompson’s decision as right or wrong. After all, it took three years for his critics to eat their words about sending Favre out of town in favor of Rodgers. Above all, Packers fans remain faithful and, as hard as it may be at times, uphold trust in the most important individual in this organization: Ted Thompson. important individual in this organization: Ted Thompson.
Horizon League Tournament: round one tonight Tip off at 7:00 p.m. at the Klotche Center By Eric Engelbart Staff Writer Sports@uwmpost.com The Horizon League Women’s Basketball Championship begins tonight. The tournament consists of 10 teams and will wrap up next Sunday with the championship game televised on ESPN U. If the Panthers win Monday, they will need to play David to the Goliath that is the UW-Green Bay Phoenix on Wednesday. On Monday our eighth seeded UWMilwaukee Panthers (9-20, 5-13) will take on the ninth seeded Valparaiso Crusaders (9-20, 5-13) in a first round contest. In their last matchup, the Panthers held the Crusaders to 31 points, while easily winning 50-31. The Panthers may potentially be without team captain Angela Rodriguez, who is suffering from an ankle injury. The defending champions, the UW-Green Bay Phoenix are the obvious favorite to win the tournament. The Phoenix (27-1, 17-1) are ranked 11th overall in the nation. UWGB’s team features senior forward Julie Wojta, who averaged 19.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in the regular season. Green Bay has a first round bye and won’t play until Wednesday in a quarterfinal matchup against the winner of UWM and Valparaiso. If the Panthers reach the quarterfinals, defeating Green Bay will be a tall order. Green Bay dominated the Panthers in both of their matchups in the regular season, winning by margins of 35 and 46 points. The Detroit Titans (18-12, 14-4) are the second seed in the tournament and are the only team that defeated the Phoenix during the regular season. The Titans have won nine of their last 10 games heading into the tournament, including their defeat of UWGB on February 9. Detroit is led by freshman phenomenon Shareta Brown, who averaged 17.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in her first season with the Titans. Other quarterfinal matchups include the third seeded Wright State Raiders (19-11, 12-6) taking on the sixth seeded Loyola Ramblers (1316, 8-10), and the fourth seeded UIC Flames (17-12, 10-8) going up against the fifth seeded Butler Bulldogs (1316, 9-9). It will be interesting to see how the tournament plays out, as many possible upsets are brewing. Detroit seems like the most likely team to knock off the seemingly impeccable UWGB Phoenix, as they were the only team to do it in the regular season. If the Panthers can pull off a miracle quarterfinal upset of UW-Green Bay, it will be an upset worthy of being transformed into an inspirational Hollywood movie.
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March 05, 2012
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Will the pressure be too much for Braun?
Brewers’ OF Ryan Braun is approaching a season like never before By Mitch Pratt Staff Writer sports@uwmpost.com
After a few long months of stress and anxiety, Ryan Braun has found out his fate and he is now exonerated. He is a free man of all charges that were brought against him back in December. Fortunately for the Milwaukee Brewers organization and fans, Braun will be able to suit up for the team at Miller Park on April 6, when they welcome division rival St. Louis Cardinals to town. The question I have to ask though is: Just how will he do in 2012? It’s interesting to ponder how well he’ll produce in 2012 given the litany of pressures that surround him. The obvious
WOMEN
Continued from page 6 On Thursday, the Panthers (9-20, 5-13 in conference play) faced off against the UIC Flames (17-11, 10-7). In a game full of momentum swings, the Panthers couldn’t hold on late and were burned by the Flames, 59-52. The Panthers were unable to maintain a late lead against UIC. UWM held their largest lead of the game at 48-39 with under seven minutes to go. UIC took over from there, finishing the game on a 20-4 run, a sequence highlighted by back-to-back three pointers from reserve Emily Kobel, the second of which gave the Flames the lead for good. Without Rodriguez, freshman Ashley
pressure is to go out and have the same MVP-caliber production that we’ve seen for the past few years, despite the apparent positive test for performance-enhancing drugs. The other pressure that Braun faces is to produce without another MVP candidate, Prince Fielder, protecting him in the lineup. I think that the protection of Aramis Ramirez (or others) will be enough protection for Braun. Ramirez hit .306 last year with 26 home runs and 93 runs driven in. Not Fielder numbers, but I think he’s far from being done in this league. To me, the pressure of producing despite the positive drug test might have the most impact on Braun’s ability to play baseball this year. It’s already been a complete circus at Brewers’ camp in Maryvale, Ariz. with all the commotion surrounding
Green took an elevated role in the Panthers’ offense against UIC. Green scored a careerhigh 18 points in the contest. Sami Tucker, who last week shared Horizon League Player of the Week honors, scored 14 points and added 11 rebounds in a losing effort. On Saturday, the Panthers couldn’t topple the Loyola Ramblers (13-16, 8-10), as the Panthers lost a tightly contested matchup 69-62. The game against Loyola represented a chance for the Panthers to leapfrog Cleveland State in the Horizon League standings heading into the conference tournament next week. The Panthers managed to keep the game close against Loyola. The Panthers were within a point, 55-54, at the 6:17 mark in the second half, following a pair of free throws by center Courtney Lindfors. The Ramblers responded with a 7-0 run, and the Panthers couldn’t close the gap to any smaller than five
the victorious appeal of that 50 game suspension that just doesn’t seem to go away. In the eyes of many, Braun will be able to shake off this dark cloud and let his play do the talking. It wouldn’t surprise me if he went out and homered in his first at-bat on opening day in front of a raucous crowd. What a scene that would be. It will be interesting to see what becomes of the 2012 Milwaukee Brewers. There were a few losses (one large loss) and some additions, but it’s basically the same unit that won 96 games a year ago. Subtract Fielder, Casey McGehee and Yuniesky Betancourt and enter Mat Gamel and free agent acquisitions Ramirez and Alex Gonzalez and what will we see out of the Brewers? Remember, opening day is just weeks away.
points after that. The Ramblers were led by guard Monica Albano, who hit six three-pointers and scored 25 points. The Panthers had four starters in double digits in the game, but only got two points from their injury-ravaged bench. Courtney Lindfors contributed a team high 18, and added three blocks to her Horizon League leading total. Freshman Ashley Green continued her strong play, scoring 14 points while collecting 13 rebounds. Sami Tucker just missed a double-double, finishing with 12 points and nine rebounds. The Panthers will face tough competition in the first round of the Horizon League Championship Tournament. The Panthers, who enter the tournament as an eighth seed, will face eighth-seeded Valparaiso (9-20, 5-13). The game tips off Monday at 7 p.m. at the Klotsche Center..
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March 05, 2012
the uwm post
Musical wasteland: a rebuttal
If you think Milwaukee music isn’t eclectic, you’re not paying attention By Steven Franz Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com
Little wrestlers rock Turner Hall The Extreme Midget Wrestling Federation’s Milwaukee visit was met with a far-too excited crowd
Photo courtesy of Erik Ljung By Kevin Kaber Assistant Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com An ambulance was parked outside of the Turner Hall last Friday night. For the venue that normally serves music acts and can be rented out for wedding receptions, the mobile medical station outside Turner was an unlikely sight. Of course on the other hand, the event taking place inside was an even more improbable experience. Inside Turner, an incredibly rowdy
crowd took seats and tossed back mass quantities of Pabst Blue Ribbon and Schlitz around a miniature-wrestling ring. Lil’ Rampage, a colorful little person, chatted with patrons, provoked a waitress and others, and posed for pictures in the moments leading to the event – Extreme Midget Wrestling. “How many of you came here to see some midgets?” Rampage asked over the PA. The obvious drunken reply loudly resonated throughout the hall. “How many of you came here to get drunk?” he then asked. Again, everybody erupted
boisterously. Finally, Rampage posed the big question: “Do you support midget violence?” Now normally, this question would be answered with “no.” Not only would anyone who has watched Little People, Big World understand that the term “midget” is rather derogatory, but it can generally be assumed that not too many normal people would want to associate with violence, let alone “midget violence.” Regardless of what normalcy or ethics would have, Turner’s Extreme Midget Wrestling event was in a different state – one where everybody (including middle and late aged men and women, a lot of whom were dressed in business or dress attire) supported midget violence. Our emcee for the night, a man of normal anatomy wearing sweatpants, an Affliction tee and plenty of (probably safe to say) Axe hair gel, declared that “You’ll only see midget wrestling right here in America!” The National Anthem was played, although not too many paid attention; instead they found it more suiting to chant “U.S.A.!” – the unmentioned theme for the night. Like “professional” wrestling, the Extreme Midget Wrestling Federation follows a sort of heroes versus villains strategy. Following the introduction of the referee, a lanky six-foot-six-inch gentleman that was subsequently beaten up
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I once saw the Fatty Acids play in a little venue called The Factory, a loftturned-concert-space hovering above the wasteland that was once La Piazza on North Ave., and it was so impossibly hot I thought I was going to collapse. It was the dwindling end of winter and it was hotter than hell in there, a heat that practically breathed, and the whole place was absolutely full of people, easily more than 100 of them all jumping and screaming and their clothes by the end of the night stuck so forcefully to their skin it felt like they were grafted on. Nobody cared. The Fatty Acids played maybe 10-orso songs for probably close to an hour, and the conditions were so wretched – all those bodies emitting their own heat in a place without air conditioning to begin with, so that even with temperatures outside maybe hitting 50, maybe, it was a human furnace – that they became fun, so that even in a temperamentally exceptional show, because the Fatty Acids are a temperamentally exceptional band, the defining characteristic was the environmental fume to which we became attached, as if with Stockholm Syndrome. One of my friends slammed his tooth into my head – he’s a very tall person – and I didn’t even feel it. I woke up the next day with a beautifully painful wound. (A note: the Fatty Acids once set a speaker on fire at Art Bar. I was there for that, too.) I once waded through bodies to see John the Savage play The Hotel Foster – this is John the Savage after their brilliant reinvention into a hellish gypsy/ punk/circus act, making them one of the most unique acts I’ve heard – in a house so packed they had to turn people away. This happens often at The Hotel Foster, especially when bands are playing. And right there, right in the middle of that legitimate bar with tables and stools and wood paneling and beautifully vintage cash registers (those cash registers really are gorgeous) there developed one of the most intense mosh pits to which I’ve ever been privy, a mosh pit which rekindled my love of the things. Us with our hands in the air, spilling our beers, while Michael Skorcz with his frightening howl of a “singing voice,” a shriek so guttural you can barely tell there are words in there somewhere, came down of the stage with his accordion in tow and reveled in the frenzy with us. It was communal. After the show, a well-dressed blond dilettante, a horrified look on her face, asked me how I could listen to music like that. I looked at her like she was a lunatic mom and laughed. Speaking of mosh pits, I saw Call Me Lightning at Cactus Club, Call Me Lightning being the type of arena-ready, fist-pumping punk rock that once defined my entire listening habits, and a straightup old school punk pit broke out, complete with hair-swinging, shoulder-grabbing, hair-ruffling and chest-slapping. If your pal or some stranger or anyone really fell down, you reached down there and pulled him up. The crowd had to literally convince Call Me Lightning to play an encore, because they were too tired at first to continue. Someone pulled themselves up bodily and clutched the thick wood beam that transgresses the width of the concert space as if it were a loved one, seven feet off the ground. I saw a group of teenagers skank to The Invaders at Summerfest for two straight hours at a show I thought and hoped would never end. They didn’t out-
last the cock rock band, whatever it was, over at the Rock Stage, but they came close, the group of 40-something ska veterans they were, and all the while the kids never stopped moving. By the end of it the whole Cascio Stage area was barren save for the two groups – band and skanking punks – trying to gleefully outlast one another. The fact of the matter is the media simply no longer functions like it used to; national music press doesn’t look on scenes and cities as compacted, diverse communities worthy of exposure. There is no more Seattle scene, no more Austin scene, no more Chicago scene, no more Athens scene, no more New York scene. That’s not to say that there aren’t tightknit communities worthy of admiration and exposure with young, flighty groups working their way in and around musical styles, reinventing rock and roll as they each in their own way reinforce it. The opposite is true. If anything, Milwaukee is more diverse than Seattle in 1991, which was a community as defined by its smallness as it was by the exceptional talent boiling within, a fact which Cameron Crowe’s documentary Pearl Jam Twenty makes plentifully explicit within the first few minutes of its run. The only reason you know anything about Soundgarden, Nirvana, Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam is because the media made the effort to alert people to the existence of those acts. The only city-focused “scenes” that exist now are places like Brooklyn, which doesn’t feature home-grown acts but rather a variety of émigrés, like Milwaukee’s own Zeti (nee Pezzettino), places that have built their musical communities from a variety of localities around the nation (and world) who move to the scene, rather than facilitating it from within. Music is so rarely a lucrative art these days – perhaps for the better – that it just makes more economic sense to move to an existing community, one that already has its own substantive music economy, record companies and media attention, if economics are indeed one’s primary motivation, than it is to stay put. Milwaukee’s scene is just as vibrant and interesting as Brooklyn’s, and while many bands would love to be able to get rich from their trade, and almost all would certainly not turn down the money and press, there’s something to be said for lingering in obscurity, playing for and with your friends. If Cactus Club plays host mostly to bands who “just never seem to get much press and are almost secrets for people that are ‘in the know,’” it’s because the press isn’t paying attention. Take it up with them. Take it up with Rolling Stone, take it up with MTV, take it up with Spin. (By the way, did you know that The AV Club’s head music writer, Steven Hyden, is from Milwaukee?) To blame those bands, most of whom try really, really hard and a great many of whom are quite excellent and indeed eclectic, for the lack of attention that other people give to them is silly on any level. Hopefully this process has been educational. Hopefully you understand now that on any given night in any Riverwest or Bay View bar, and probably still more basements, some band or other is playing to a full house and there’s sweating and moshing and spilled beer everywhere, and maybe by this point you’ve learned enough to be there, too. If not, at least you can go tell your California friends that you know a little bit more than you used to. And anyway, what’s wrong with heavy metal?
fringe
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Caste of Killers take no prisoners
Comedy troupe opens new series By Graham Marlowe Assistant Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com As the world scrambles to siphon off its remaining drops of fossil fuel(s), Milwaukee-based comedy group Caste of Killers kicked off a new monthly series Wednesday at a loosely packed Cactus Club, in the hope of making local comedy more sustainable. For the six who shared the stage, their humor carried with it the high energy of a rock concert, bound by a common bond of creepiness. Without the stigma of an “opener” the topics * marijuana culture, social awkwardness, the emotional investment of relationships * blurred together as each comic riffed on them to differing comedic heights. In the current era, where over-the-top is “in” and everyone knows it, they give that industry trend a memorable name (if only a great first impression). Ryan Lowe, who skipped the Ego and landed head-first into the Id for his boisterous set, colored the night with his dark-eyed poker-face casualness, culled in part from actor/director Jon Favreau (Swingers, The Break-Up) but also from Billy Madison’s smoothoperating “Crazy Karl” character. As in the face of utter absurdity, Tony Tudor remained cool amidst anecdotes about “nonviolent” fight clubs, getting maced at a Renaissance fair and telling Confederate flag tattoo bearers to consider getting mullets. For a guy who says his life resembles a metal ball stuck between broken pinball flairs, Lowe’s presence filled the room with hilarity. Jokerz Comedy Club host Mario Robinson made his affinity for the herb clear from the beginning, though this was less a disclaimer towards understanding him than it was a way of easing the easily offended into his zone. It certainly helped for material about conversations with his car’s GPS unit (“Garmin”), but those about politics and Wisconsin winters also had their sweet spots, falling somewhere between sobering thoughts and stoned giddiness. A veteran of “third-world countries” (like Applebee’s in Detroit), Tudor brought a special contrast to
WRESTLING
Continued from page 8 by a group of the miniature wrestlers (a cheaply composed gimmick that lit the eyes of everyone in the room), the emcee introduced Skinny Timmy, the self-proclaimed “sexiest midget alive.” No one liked Skinny Timmy though. Perhaps it was because Timmy was the tallest wrestler of the night or that he knocked Wisconsin extensively. Either way, Skinny Timmy was panned a villain in the drama of Extreme Midget Wrestling. Lil’ Rampage was pitted against Timmy in the opening match that obviously had its fair share of ups and downs, though crowd favorite Rampage ultimately won. With a fair share of suplexes, choke slams and (step) ladders, each match from then on followed a formula: pan someone as the enemy (in one case, a Canadian), ensue struggle, then let the good guy win (in one case, Baby Jesus, the night’s smallest wrestler measuring just inches over three feet tall, who
the evening, and spent much of his stage time picking at his own mild insanity. Of all his punchlines, the best blended self-criticism with absurd counterparts. In one bit, Tudor relayed how an ex-girlfriend’s parents “thought [he] was retarded,” a humorous attribute of his quiet-guy-goneberserk persona that gives the humor an enjoyably dark twist. “I wish I didn’t masturbate in my sleep,” Tudor said. “I also wish I didn’t fall asleep on the bus with my eyes open.” While there were many kinds of oddness, Madison native Jason Hillman struggled to keep momentum with the heckle-happy crowd – so much that Art Bar regular Lara Beitz’s acerbic riffs on the alien nature of dating (delivered like firecrackers at a CEO meeting) went forgotten by the time Hillman fast-walked off the stage. Among several blanks shot by Hillman, he destroyed any target in his path like an impatient Daniel Tosh * celebrities (“they’re not retarded, they’re Kardashian”), sociopathic roommates and raunchy quips about the Wendy’s dollar menu and the hookers who frequent its parking lots. Host Ryan Holman gave himself plenty of time between the acts to pose off-color inquiries like “How do fat people have sex?” and “Why does olive oil get an extra [virgin]?” before turning the spotlight on himself. Equally brainy and offensive, Holman capitalizes on his unpredictability without relying on the creepiness of, say, Zach Galifianakis for the punchline. After suggesting that maybe “Africa America” is near “Caucasia”, he is also quick to ponder a possible lawsuit: “Lotion and tissues should be able to sue [masturbation] for defamation of character.” Like Zach G himself, the further Holman drifts from the focal point, the more prone he is to self-awareness where he occasionally asks, “…too far?” to the chagrin of all. Normally Holman emerges the hero but some zingers come dangerously close to tarnishing that rep with their tactless delivery. Given the familiarity of Holman’s face in the scene, the risks taken with his jokes is what makes Caste of Killers the fearless, take-noprisoners unit it is. quickly became a favorite by doing cartwheels and sling-shotting himself from the ropes directly into his opponents). But really, who would give two shits about varied matches while downing an incredible amount of drinks. Turner Hall patrons were there to see the “midget violence” that they paid for. The event itself is something seemingly only discussed in whispers – something that the general public, especially those that watch TLC, might more than likely find demoralizing. With that said, those business-type people were more than thrilled to end their work week with a nice dinner downtown and join the numerous frat boys and drunkards that represent a better picture of the EMWF demographic (among the few families that thought bringing children would be suitable). With many cell phone videos being captured, every one of them would have stories to quietly disperse amongst themselves. However exploitive EMWF might be deemed by the rest of society, it definitely found a surely home with Turner’s crowd.
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March 05, 2012
the uwm post
The hidden genius of Project X A brilliant film dressed as a dumb one
Project X is theoretically a terrible, streamlined, audience-baiting teen comedy. But lurking beneath that surface is a surprisingly brilliant critique of media and our relationship with it. By Steven Franz Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com The least important elements of filmmaking are performance and writing. An actor’s performance, while invigorating if excellent and awkward if terrible, has ultimately no bearing on a film’s success; some of the greatest films ever made feature amateur actors with no experience who don’t know what they’re doing, and some of the worst films ever made feature fine, sometimes
award-worthy performances – see Taken – that have no bearing on the fact that the film is thoroughly, miserably bad. And dialogue only needs to get the point across; unless it’s purposefully constructed to add to the artifice of a film, as with Tarantino, it only needs to serve as a method of conveying information to be successful. The new Todd Phillips-produced Project X is not well-performed at all. Its dialogue is sometimes insipid, especially given that most of it is poorly-performed by inexperienced actors. However, proving the idea
that such elements of filmmaking are indeed unimportant, Project X is – stunningly – an utterly brilliant film, especially in a formal sense, one that offers both a pointed critique on the nature of voyeurism in the YouTube age and the manner in which modern omnipresent media has come to define, if not replace, reality. No. Really. Ostensibly the film is a gimmick, a supposedly-real collection of found footage (which takes the form of cell phone video, YouTube clips, and brief interjections of re-
constructed television news footage) that purports to document the preparation for, and execution of, the most epic house party conceivable. Its humor is lowbrow, its women are half-naked. Drugs are consumed (while drinking). Romance is inserted half-heartedly, despite the obviously leering sexual intent of the thing – see its half-naked women. It’s the extension of a long history of house party films that include Animal House and, appropriately, House Party, except it aims to top both of those films, if not all others. (It mostly succeeds.) Genre is a concept of which Project X is keenly aware, one which director Nima Nourizadeh molds, shifts, subverts and reinvents. In addition to being a house party film (as well as a teen comedy), it also includes elements of Hollywood musicals – long, unrelated, uninterrupted sequences of music and dance, sometimes set to songs that are allowed to unfold in their entirety – and, most notably, “documentary” filmmaking akin to Cloverfield or Paranormal Activity, the formal construct that it most intelligently uses to make its most pointed media critiques. It’s shocking. Project X is, at its heart, a critique of YouTube, of the prevalence of the video documentation of “real” life and of the response to the camera of those being filmed. As such, it involves a reinvestigation of the idea of voyeurism in the digital age, one in which the acts of both watching and being watched have been totally redefined by changing media, especially the internet. Rather than the old concept of filmic voyeurism, one in which the Watched have traditionally operated without awareness of that fact, Project X substitutes a new relationship between Watched and Watcher, one of mutual aware-
ness of the association. Each character has two natures – a performative one, assumed in presence of the camera, and a “natural” one, assumed without knowledge of the camera’s existence. The idea inherent to this concept is that basic human relationships have dissolved into this duality, facilitated by the basic presence of the ever-present Camera; the reality of YouTube is therefore different from the reality of the physical world, but sometimes preferred. And when the performative face falls apart while the camera watches, the effect is especially jarring. And then a bunch of girls take off their clothes. But moreso than even the nature of voyeurism, the film has, by virtue of its very construction, presented us with a new framework for the very idea of reality. Taking the form of a YouTube video – one in which several different cell phone camera perspectives are often utilized; real life imitating filmic art – Project X supposes itself as a “documentary” crafted entirely from media. It’s a world which is entirely constructed from television and the internet, the documentation of which becomes its reality. The idea that the observation and documentation of reality has itself becomes a substitute for reality has its roots deep in postmodern literature, and Project X, which offers post-film commentary on the footage within from actual TV personalities Jimmy Kimmel and Jillian Barberie, itself portrayed as real footage from their respective shows, more thoroughly investigates the media’s relationship with those the media documents than any film in recent memory. Maybe ever. And also a crazy guy shoots everything with a flamethrower. It’s genius.
fringe
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December 5, 2011 March 05, 2012
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Now showing at a A ghastly Ghostory theater near you School of Seven Bell’s latest underachieves
A look at what’s to come at UWM’s Union Theatre
School of Seven Bells’ Ghoststory can be characterized as a bland underachievement. By Samantha Radle Staff Writer fringe@uwmpost.com
Chile’s Bonsai meets the reception of the critically acclaimed novella on which it was based.
By Kevin Kaber Assistant Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com The UW-Milwaukee 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. 1920. The World’s Most Important Battle (Monday, 7 p.m.) Oscar-nominated Jerzy Hoffman directs this epic about the PolishSoviet War. Immediately following World War I, Poland’s conflicts with neighboring countries led to the Polish-Soviet War. Seen through the
eyes of two young Poles, Ola and Jan, the war is a larger-than life backdrop for the two’s budding romance. Set in the heroic Battle of Warsaw in 1920, a battle in which the Polish prevailed against all odds against the huge, cold force of the Soviets, 1920. The World’s Most Important Battle, or 1920 Bitwa Warszawska as it’s known in Poland, is a grand work vivid in its detail. Though the Union Theatre will not be able to show the film in its original 3D, 1920. will still maintain its outstanding imagery. The Nine Muses (Tuesday, 7 p.m.) This fitting Experimental Tuesday work is a masterfully edited essay of sorts. British director (and Officer of the Order of the British Empire), John Akomfrah’s quasi-documentary/ personal essay is a culmination of astounding cinematography of the Alaskan landscape, mystical stock
footage and narrations from the nine muses of Zeus and Mnemone. In a truly experimental way, Akomfrah’s Nine Muses explores the movements of human populations in the post World War II era. Bonsai (Friday, 9 p.m.; Saturday, 7 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m.) For a small fee, Union Theatre patrons will be able to view Bonsai well before it hits theaters internationally. The Chilean film follows Julio, who shares a highly sexual relationship with love interest Emilia, which eventually diminishes to nothingness. Thereafter, Julio begins documenting his life in a journal while taking care of a small bonsai plant, which in itself becomes a smashing novel. Derived from the incredible novella of the same name from acclaimed Chilean writer Alejandro Zambra, Bonsai is sure to be as fine of a work of art as the original.
School of Seven Bells first gained attention as a neat and tidy shoegaze band with the release of 2010’s Disconnect for Desire, a smoother take on the classic late-‘80s genre. Characterized by clean chords trailing into endless drones of melodic fuzz, shoegaze is the dreamy, distracted bastard child of gritty postrock and spacey ambiance, among the likes of Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth. It has both noise and pop in its bones, and is probably most famously incarnated in My Bloody Valentine’s 1991 masterpiece Loveless. Ghostory, meanwhile, is shoegaze’s anemic descendant. The album makes an ambitious yet bland start with “The Night,” upbeat and bright, its guitars coating layers of gloss over the choppy hi-hat beat. “Love Play” graciously tones down the breathlessness of the first track, and the magnetic static of the bass gives the song a fluid grace. It’s the closest School of Seven Bells comes to their less structured previous album; however, now something seems to be missing. Alejandra Deheza’s vocals never seemed to be the focal point of the band’s music, but they’re particularly vapid on Ghostory. Airy and light and thin as a tissue, they simply evaporate into the music – that can often be a redeeming effect, and it’s actually a defining trait of this genre, but here Deheza’s lucid monotone gets almost grating after a few songs. It’s a bit boring. “Lafaye” hints at Ladytron-like
electropop, but the even polish of the song is less suited to Seven Bells’ guitars than Ladytron’s clean synths. The echoes of Benjamin Curtis’ hazy guitar seem to reverberate in an empty, pristine room, and the music seems almost comically overproduced at times. “Low Times” is stronger: its stop/ start dynamic lends a much-needed edge to the music. The guitar seems to have as much momentum as a freight train – chords that take a full mile to come to a stop, distortion reverberating endlessly, or at least as long as the instrument is plugged in. The monastic ambience of “Reappear” is a welcome breather in the album, and it is wise timing for an instrumental track. “White Wind” is sturdier and more visceral than atmospheric and the sinewy guitars add some weight. At over eight minutes long, the closing track, “When You Sing,” has more complex melodies and direction than the entire rest of the album – even with its length, it seems better composed and more kinetic than any of the other songs. School of Seven Bells is better than a lot of what’s out there. They have a beautiful aesthetic, and it’s surprising they haven’t garnered more attention. But Ghostory isn’t likely to do that for them – there’s just not enough to pay attention to. The songs are so fluid that they run together, and the whole thing seems a bit… sterile. Maybe they haven’t yet adjusted to playing as a duo (Deheza’s twin sister Claudia left the band in 2010), or maybe they’re just feeling listless. In any case, here’s to hoping they get a fresh bolt of inspiration before their next album.
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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.
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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.
Please drink responsibly The grass is always greener It’s time to curb Wisconsin’s culture excessive drinking While it might be known as the land of cheeseheads, Wisconsin’s roots in beer brewing grow much deeper than its roots as America’s dairyland. A large population of German immigrants began to settle in Milwaukee and other nearby cities in the 1840s. With them, German immigrants brought their knowledge, expertise and love of beer. Huge breweries were started here, such as Schlitz, Pabst and Miller, that dominated the beer industry. Many of the nation’s largest breweries are no longer based in Wisconsin, but the culture of binge drinking that has existed for generations remains. While Wisconsin’s love affair with beer and drinking in general is not inherently bad, we believe it’s time for the state to curb its habit of over-consumption. Not only are the negative effects of binge drinking costly to the taxpayer, many Wisconsin families are torn apart and our roads are less safe. The badger state is number one in binge drinking, and many of its residents find that as a source of pride. On Facebook, there’s a popular page titled “WISCONSIN: OUT DRINKIN’ YOUR STATE SINCE 1848!” As a result of the heavy drinking culture, Wisconsinites are more likely than anyone else in the U.S. to drive while drunk, and it has the high-
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est rate of drunken driving deaths than any other state. The Wisconsin Legislature should work harder to pass laws that promote a culture that enjoys alcohol at safe, moderate levels. Similar to the regulations on cigarettes, reducing the accessibility and affordability of alcohol could save the state money in health care and law enforcement costs. However, like all social problems, the government cannot solve it entirely on its own by passing a series or laws and regulations. The 1919 National Prohibition Act not only failed in its attempt to prohibit intoxicating beverages, but it was far too heavy handed and an invasion of freedom. Even waging a culture war attacking the act of drinking itself is far too lofty and unreasonable. Michael Fendrich, who is the director at the Center for Addiction and Behavioral Health Research at UWM, said on a Milwaukee Public Television program that much of the way we go about solving the problem depends on how the issue is framed. He said that while Wisconsin as a collective does have a drinking problem, the different communities within the state experience negative effects of over consumption in various ways. Fendrich cites how drunken driving death rates are highest in rural areas, and that binge drinking is
most popular among young adults and college students. How the government currently deals with crimes and social problems resulting from alcohol abuse is mostly reactionary. Large amounts of state dollars go to dealing with crimes that are a product of over-consumption and treatment facilities that seek to repair lives that have been damaged with addiction. More personal accountability must be taken by all those who drink, regardless of if they are of legal age yet or not. College students should be mindful that excessive drinking not only is harmful to academics, but can lead to dependency. A study done by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that one out of every four full-time college students became dependent on alcohol at some point during the year. This is especially concerning because problems with substance addiction that begin during college years have the potential to last a lifetime. Even those who drink underage should understand when enough is enough. It’s time that Wisconsinites of all ages understand how this culture of drinking is not only harmful to the individual, but also makes our roads more dangerous for everyone and destroys families.
In response to: Musical wasteland
I wonder a bit if you are suffering from a grass is always greener effect. When we travel to Minnesota or Chicago it always seems that the local papers are littered with information about bands and bars and the clubs all seem packed with music fans. When bands come up from Chicago to split a bill, they often talk about how bad it sucks for them down there and how great Milwaukee is. The metal and cover places you are talking about exist in all towns and cities and typically are on the outskirts or in suburbs or in hotels. I think that is to be expected. Missing from the mentions above are Puddler’s Hall, which just started hosting shows, Circle A, which does great indie shows on Saturdays, Tonic (where I saw Mike Benign and Slo-Fi for the first time this weekend,) The Hotel Foster, which is doing great touring and local acts, Linneman’s, Bad Genie. I’m sure I missed a few but those jumped to mind as being very supportive of local up and coming bands. Finally, Marquette should be thrown in to the list of colleges and universities located in Milwaukee. (However, I still would not call Milwaukee a college town any more than I would call Chicago a college town.) Jim Dier
A change in philosophy In response to: Shared governance inaction
The SA is a student organization. It is not an employer. It should not be viewed as employment, it should be viewed as campus service. That’s the point the whole mentality and philosophy of the SA needs to change. The service that is done within that org should not be bean-counted and given a monetary value. If anything, a very nominal stipend of $500-$1,000 could be offered. Change SA. All of the other student organizations are volunteer. Lots of the officers of many student organizations put in ridiculous amounts of time and energy to make their org and this campus great. The current highly paid model for the SA has been tried, and year after year students have to pay for the negative results. It’s gone on for too long. It is time to flip the script. Walter T. Fudd
OP-ED A look at morality
Catholic moral outrage should be directed at self By Brian Holmes Staff Writer editorial@uwmpost.com President Obama’s recent mandate proposal that employer funded insurance companies give women free access to contraceptives has outraged many religious organizations, primarily Catholics. However, these days it’s hard to see how the Catholic Church has the clout to condemn anything. It would seem a woman’s right to choose disgusts the archdiocese more than a grown man having sexual intercourse with children. If as much effort was put into ridding their institution of individuals involved in this cover-up as condemning a woman’s right to choose, their moral outrage wouldn’t be so absurd. It is common knowledge that the Vatican has vast riches from rare historical documents to statues and sculptures worth billions. Catholic churches spend countless dollars beautifying their buildings. Paying compensation to the lives destroyed by their negligence should be
the number one priority. However, the answer for many Catholic institutions has been to file for bankruptcy. Money will never repair the lives ruined by the church’s negligence, but compensation is owed to the victims and their families. It has been proven that the hierarchy of the Catholic Church chose to ignore sexual abuse, relocating the perpetrators instead of going to the proper authorities. Aside from scandals, a little brought up fact is that religious institutions including the Catholic Church enjoy tax exempt status. For an establishment that doesn’t pay taxes, they seem to have a lot to say on government policies. Perhaps they should pay abuse victims off with all the money saved by not paying taxes. Over the years one could fathom that to be quite an accumulation of green. While Catholic advocates bellyache about “liberals” discriminating against religion by recognizing female employees’ right to choose, some are tired of picking up the slack for wealthy institutions that don’t pay taxes. Yet, these same
institutions want the power to influence government legislation. Because of the outrage felt by Roman Catholic groups, Obama compromised a bill stating that Catholic institutions would not have to pay for or refer their employees to birth control options but would have to offer an insurance plan that would address these choices. This has done little to squelch the religious right’s unquenchable anger. And the Catholic Church is still outraged. In contrast, Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri has offered a plan suggesting that religious employers should not have to pay for anything that goes against their moral beliefs. One can only imagine how far this could go. Perhaps it may be against an employer’s moral convictions to support healthcare for a woman’s pregnancy out of wedlock? What if an employer adheres to religious extremist, David Barton’s (whom many right wing politicians respect) claims that Jesus was against the minimum wage. If they aren’t allowed to pay employees under the federal minimum
wage, is their religious freedom being discriminated against? The Catholic Church has not been the only religious institution to be enraged by this mandate but they are by far the most powerful and morally questionable. It is hard to believe these arguments are still valid in 2012 and even harder to believe an institution can be so supercilious after ruining the lives of countless children and adults. One’s faith is their own business unless they use it to discriminate against others. Where is the outrage about sexual prescriptions for men such as Viagra? The president needs to stand firm on this, or risk losing his support base. He has the support of many liberal religious leaders, moderates and independents. He is not going to receive any support from the religious right or Tea Party Republicans even if he single handedly cured cancer; so what’s the point in trying? In essence, before involving themselves in political advocacy, the Catholic Church needs to clean up the mess in its own backyard.
No need for new union
Construction is too expensive and unnecessary By Miranda Rosenkranz Staff Writer editorial@uwmpost.com
There has been much push lately for a new Union. The university seems to be advertising it with publicized concepts, events and rallies. However, this school does not need a new Union. Tearing down and re-building is wasteful, costly and not the proper way to build a strong reputation. First of all, the current Union building has potential and remodeling could better utilize space and other needs of students. The Union is not the most attractive, but with some face-lifts, it has potential. Replacement is unnecessary. America in general has a wasteful attitude. Instead of improving existing structures, people are more inclined to tear down and start over. In places like Europe, buildings predating the 1400s are still in use and serve the needs of people. Tearing down the Union would send tons to clog landfills. Building creates waste as well and consumes resources. Rather than hurting the environment,
the university should try to have a minimal impact by remodeling. Another problem with re-doing the Union is the concepts are ugly. One of the design features odd angles and a ‘60s modern feel. Another design has walls of windows. Although this design may look better, this is Wisconsin and in winter those windows will not insulate well. The university needs to go back to its roots and strive for classic architecture. Holton, Merril and Garland were built over a hundred years ago. These structures are brick with classic gothic-style details. The newly acquired Northwest Quadrant is also brick and although it is not gothic, it perfectly fits into campus. On the other hand, Bolton, Enderis and Curtin look like something out of Soviet Russia. Those designs were progressive and modern at one time, but now look like blocky slabs of concrete. Trends come and go in architecture, but classic is always in. The new Union, if ever built, should reflect the classic styles on campus and in the city of Milwaukee. The university is not in a place to rebuild the Union. The Northwest
Quadrant was just purchased, the School of Freshwater Sciences is being set up and remodeling in the Honors House still needs to be completed. Instead of throwing money on tearing down and re-constructing the Union, the university should focus on a reputation for strong academics. The graduation rate is only 43 percent and retention is in the low 70’s. Students will not want to go to a school with pitiful success rates. UWMilwaukee has potential to be renowned. The journalism department has a Pulitzer Prize winner. A graduate student of the electrical engineering department won a Nobel Prize. Also, the Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business has educated people who went on to become CEOs of companies such as Harley Davidson and Bath and Body Works. The university should focus funds to promoting success of students and advertising that UWM is a great school. Another reason for not building a new Union is the lack of money. The Union will not repay itself. Instead, the money comes out of student’s tuition. Granted, the students of this school currently will
Nothin’ but mammals The pursuit of nakedness By Jesse Anderson Staff Writer editorial@uwmpost.com
Last Wednesday began like any other. It was a “leap” day, which was kind of cool. Just before my 5 p.m. class, I sat in the Union eating my lunch. With no enthusiasm, I started walking to class. Just then, I looked out the window and
saw a naked man gallivanting through Spaights Plaza. He was coming toward the entrance nearest to where I was standing. I had to do a double take. I said to myself “wait, is that a naked man?” I quickly retrieved my phone and took a picture as he made his way through the entrance. He casually walked into the Union yelling “shalom.” He was not streaking,
which requires running. He was strutting with a sense of swagger that suggested he owned the place and did this every morning. Then, after again questioning whether a naked man was really walking around campus or if I experienced a glitch in the Matrix, I decided to be a few minutes late for class. I ran to tell my friends at the UWM Post about the newsworthy event.
not feel the burden of construction costs, but future students will suffer. The UW System is experiencing budget cuts, the economy is down and tuition keeps getting higher. This university needs to stop frivolous spending in order to keep tuition low. The university should re-invest in quality of education. Future students will not only suffer from higher tuition rates, but also from a year or more without a Union. The building serves as the epicenter of campus. All student organizations, restaurants and services would have to be relocated. Not only would building a new Union raise tuition but also would make campus difficult to navigate and inconvenient to attend. If this school is not known for good academics and tuition rates are high, why would students want to come to this school? Paying more for quality is understandable; however, students will not want to go to a school with pretty new buildings if the academics are nothing special. Instead of wasting funds on tearing down and re-building, t Steve and I quickly went outside the main entrance of the Union on Kenwood. The scene suggested some righteous action had just unfolded. The expression on people’s faces was that of delight. The naked man had put on quite a show before campus police caught up with him. The excitement ended with three officers forcing the naked man into a police car, leaving his clothing on the hood of the car.
To read the rest of this story, visit uwmpost.com
March 05, 2012
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The best lesson you should learn
The only place to find true happiness is within yourself By Angela Schmitt Staff Writer editorial@uwmpost.com
I was recently perusing my Facebook feed when I saw that one of my friends posted a link to a blog entry titled “30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself.” The headline piqued my interest if you haven’t noticed by now, I love a good list, so I clicked on the link and began to read. What I found was a list comprised of 30 of the most important lessons that I think young adults need to learn. Some of my favorite things on the list were: stop running from your problems, stop trying to hold on to the past, and stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. The point on the list that stood out the most to me was “stop exclusively looking to others for happiness: if you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either. You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.” We’ve all heard the old adage “how will someone else love you if you don’t love yourself?” and if you’re like me, you’ve rolled your eyes and thought that sounded really cheesy. I have learned though that not only is it absolutely true, but finding happiness and contentedness within yourself is tantamount to being able to be happy in a relationship. Before I had ever been in a serious relationship, I was convinced that all I needed to do to find happiness was to get a boyfriend, and then the birds would start singing, and life would be all rainbows and butterflies. Boy was I ever wrong. When I got into a serious relationship, I quickly found that while it’s fun and falling in love is nice, you have to put work into it, and there are ups and downs. If the relationship isn’t working, then trust me, you are anything but happy. During the break up with my boyfriend I remember thinking to myself “well that didn’t work, what is going to make me happy now?” Soon I got back into the swing of things, and started getting used to being single again. I began spending more time with my friends and catching up with people who had fallen by the wayside while I was wrapped up in the relationship. I read books, went to museums and did whatever I wanted on a whim without having to worry about making time for a significant other. I took time to do things I wanted to do, and I started doing all the things I didn’t have time to do because I was busy with my relationship. I stopped worrying about finding what would make me happy, and I just started to do my own thing. Soon enough I started to feel great, and my life had never felt so relaxed. In short, I found the happiness I thought a relationship would bring me during the one time in my life that I was completely focused on myself. This time we are in college is a growing phase. We’ll have a lot of fun, and we’ll make some mistakes, and we will learn a lot of lessons. In my own experience, I think that the most important lesson that I will carry on with me in life was the lesson I learned when I took time for myself and found happiness on my own. We will spend our whole lives going from one thing to the next trying to find happiness. The truth is that as soon as you stop worrying about it, and just do your own thing, you’ll eventually find yourself in a pretty good place. Henry David Thoreau put it best when he said “Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it eludes you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.”
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March 05 , 2012
COMICS Primal Urges
Andrew Megow
I Like Your Shoes
Luna’s Upside Down World
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Carol Brandt
Andrea Thurner
I Like Your Shoes
Carol Brandt
PUZZLES
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March 05, 2011
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THEUWMPOST CROSSWORD
SUDOKU
ACROSS
INSTRUCTIONS: Fill in the squares so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 exactly once.
1 Boulder holder 4 Frugal sort 10 Back of the neck 14 Be sick 15 Circus worker 16 Grad 17 Takeout toss-in (2 wds.) 19 Cut the peel off 20 Listening devices 21 Chalkboard accessory 23 Get to your destination 25 Clinton’s VP 27 Beer container 28 Small 29 Remote 30 Kid 32 Actress Ryan 33 Strange 35 Takeout toss-in (2 wds.) 40 Loud enough to be heard 41 Chomsky’s sch. 43 UPS’ “nickname” 46 Low digit? 47 Erstwhile Toyota model 49 Agt. 50 Lincoln and Vigoda 52 Fisherman 53 Still... (2 wds.) 55 Unaccompanied performances 56 Existed 57 Takeout toss-in 63 Periods 64 Seal of approval 65 Roman three 66 Pause 67 Being 68 Explosive initials DOWN 1 2 3 4
Scrooge word ___ de Janeiro The other you? Pirate disease
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5 Behind the times 6 Museum stuff 7 Gene stuff 8 Bard’s “ever” 9 Actress Winona 10 CA wine valley 11 Palin’s state 12 Baby foods 13 Come out 18 Common street name 22 In, again 23 Cash machine 24 Sandal maker 25 Open houses? 26 Seer 29 Bounded 31 “A mouse!” 33 Stem growth 34 Caviar 36 Like sushi 37 Big fish 38 Implied
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Ireland Sticky black substance Ale maker American patriot Paul Musical dramas Spitefully unpleasant Tangelo (with “fruit”) Lawn bowling game Plus Bird house Chinese dynasty World Series mo. 2008 World Series tm. Clan Take a seat
solution found on page 4
ANAGRAM CRACKERS INSTRUCTIONS: Unscramble the letters below to spell out everyday English words. When you’re finished, unscramble the circled letters to find the missing word from the quip!
VHANE
––––– RIYAH
––––– VIGNAS
solution found on page 4
–––––– SPESAS
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Q: What’s green and sings? A: “___ ___ ___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___” solution found on page 4
Know something we don’t? Send tips to news@uwmpost.com
IN-WORD Find as many words as possible using only the letters from this week’s IN-WORD. Words must be four or more letters long. Slang words, proper nouns, and contractions are not permitted. Only one form of a verb is permitted. Words that become four or more letters by the addition of “s” are not permitted.
VILLAGE
Can you find 18 or more words in “VILLAGE”? Our list can be found on page 4.
solution found on page 4
16` March 05, 2012
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