UWM Post 10/31

THEUWMPOST est. 1956

the student-run independent newspaper

October 31, 2011

The Power of Pink page 6

They Might Be Giants page 7

Issue 10, Volume 56

Hunter S. Thompson is back page 10

Moving on up to the East Side Freshmen required to live in dorms, beginning next fall

UWM may lose $9 million from state State expects UW System to cover 38 percent of budget lapse

By Aaron Knapp Assistant News Editor news@uwmpost.com

UWM is currently the only UW university without a residency requirement. Post photo by Carly Otto

By Steve Garrison News Editor news@uwmpost.com

Administrative officials have announced that UW-Milwaukee freshmen will be required to live on campus beginning next fall, with requirements for sophomores expected to be implemented in the next few years.

The requirement follows UW System Board of Regents policy, which states that students must live on campus

during their first two years of enrollment, unless they are veterans, married or live with their parents. UWM also allows a special exemption for students over the age of 20.

UWM was previously allowed to disregard this requirement, due to limited available housing, but through rapid expansion, the campus now has the capacity to accommodate the approximately 4,000 freshmen enrolled full time.

University officials argue that the requirement is a positive step for the traditionally commuter-based university, citing a 2011 study that shows students living on campus are more likely to participate in extracurricular activities, interact with peers and faculty and express greater satisfaction with their college experience.

The change, however, comes with a cost. Freshmen can expect to pay anywhere from $4,100 to $6,800 a year

to live in student housing, depending on the type of accommodation and location desired.

University student housing consists of five facilities scattered across the East Side of Milwaukee: Kenilworth Square Apartments, Purin Hall, Riverview Residence Hall, Sandburg Halls, and the most recent addition, Cambridge Commons.

See DORMS page 2

Whose neighborhood is it?

Increasing student tenant population has area neighbors concerned

By Callie Koller Special to the Post news@uwmpost.com

Since February, noise citations have increased 13 percent to 26 percent in the area surrounding campus. If you can be heard from 50 feet away, you have the potential to receive a ticket. Landlords are also encouraged to threaten eviction if there are two or more citations for a property.

“It’s not that neighbors, residents and students alike want to sabotage student

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NEWS SPORTS

activity, they just want you to have a more respectful good time,” UW-Milwaukee alum and local resident David Allen said. “It’s not like we’re anti-university.

It has added a lot to the area. And it’s not anti-students – its anti-improper behavior.”

The City of Milwaukee’s website states: “If noise gets too loud from a neighbor's property, call the occupant and ask nicely to have them keep the noise down,” which encourages neighbors to address the situation oneon-one before calling the police.

1-4 5-6

FRINGE EDITORIAL

The ghouls and goblins may be out today, but by tomorrow, they will be gone. Your neighbors will not be.

Although UWM is still considered a commuter school, a growing amount of students are adding tenant to their title and changing the culture of the community.

Allen said when he first moved to the area, neighbors were more invested in the community and had a greater sense of unity. This communal aspect is diminishing as renter occupancy has risen.

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“There used to be a babysitting cooperative and Mother’s Morning Out social event, which brought together the moms of the neighborhood to go shop or go out for lunch,” Allen said.

A residential space is considered owner-occupied when the landlord lives within the same building as the tenant.

Currently, that number is only 50 percent in the area.

COMICS PUZZLES

See NOISE page 3

UW-Milwaukee’s Chancellor Michael Lovell met last Thursday with a committee of dismayed and exasperated faculty and staff responsible for handling budget issues in order to address a state budget lapse that could cost the UW System $66 million.

The Academic Planning and Budget Committee discussed the recent decision of the Wisconsin Department of Administration for the UW System to shoulder 38 percent of the $174.3 million lapse, even though UW only accounts for 7 percent of the state’s expenditures.

More than half of UW’s cut will come from Milwaukee and Madison, with cuts of $8.85 million and $25.81 million, respectively, in the next two years, according to a statement from the UW System.

“We are very lean as a university, but this is just a perfect storm of events,” Dean of the College of Letters and Science Rodney Swain said. “With this bill, L&S is seriously looking at a major deficit. There is just no way we can continue to do this, even if it is one-time money.”

Swain referred to a number of funding setbacks to UWM and the UW System, most of which were part of the state’s biennial budget, which included a cap on how much the university can raise tuition and a $250 million cut to the UW System. Additionally, UWM must contend with a $50 million deficit projected for ten years (the subject of an APBC meeting last month), building and infrastructure projects, as well as dwindling revenue from marginal tuition.

“Even though we’ve had to do budget lapses in the past throughout our history, any time we’ve taken a major hit … we’ve never had to pay into a lapse when we had big hits like we had this year in the overall state budget,” Lovell said.

“What’s even worse is the fact that any time that we’ve had to pay part of a lapse, we’ve had six to nine months to come up with a plan to pay for it. They essentially sent this out on the 14th and gave us until the first week of November. So they gave us three weeks to deal with it.”

The lapse is a tool used by the state legislature in its biennial budget in order to keep the state government financially solvent when there is less tax revenue than expected. Although this lapse was expected, the UW System was taken by surprise when it was lumped with such a high proportion of the lapse.

“These are staggering numbers of what our percentage is compared to others,” Lovell said. “None of us can find a way that this is fair.”

See FUNDING page 2 uwmpost.com 14 15

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NOT AS SCARY AS NETWORK NEWS

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NEWS

October 31, 2011

THEUWMPOST Editor in Chief Zach Erdmann

Production Editor Melissa Dahlman

Managing Editor Mike La Count

Chief Copy Editor Jackie Dreyer

News Editor Steve Garrison

Copy Editors Kara Petersen Brad Poling

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

Distribution Mgr. Patrick Quast Off-Campus Distribution Alek Shumaker Business Manager Tyler Rembert Advertising Manager Stephanie Fisher Ad Designer Russell Pritchard Account Executive Dominique Portis Online/Multimedia Editor Kody Schafer

DORMS

Continued from page 1 The university has responded to increased demand for student housing through rapid development. Two new housing structures, the Riverview Residence Hall and Cambridge Commons, were added to North Avenue in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Sandburg Halls, the largest student residence facility with a capacity of 2,700 students, opened the East Tower in 2000.

Through these developments, the university can now accommodate 4,250 students a semester, according to the university housing website, allowing the university to begin requiring students to live in university housing next semester. Chancellor Michael Lovell

told the Journal Sentinel on Oct. 13 that sophomore requirements are expected to be implemented in the next 3-5 years.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Michael Laliberte said via email that student success is the driving force behind continued housing expansion.

“Since we know that living in university housing increases students' success and persistence, we will consider expanding this policy to include sophomore students after we institutionalize the first-year requirement and have time to process the anticipated changes in behavior,” Laliberte said.

Additional residence halls will need to be added to accommodate sophomores.

The Northwest Quadrant, formerly Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital, originally seemed like an appealing location for

the uwm post student housing. The site formerly housed nursing students and allows students easy access to campus. However, updating the facility for housing proved fiscally inefficient, requiring costly renovations to bring the building up to living standards. The university also faced pressure from surrounding neighborhood associations to limit the building’s use to instruction only.

Laliberte said it is just as well – the university has an overwhelming need for academic space, for which the building is more aptly suited. The university has not yet identified any other possible locations for future student housing.

Laliberte said that the housing facilities are financially self-supported, with bonds issued for purchase being paid off with revenue generated through room rentals.

NEWS BRIEFS Bank makes an error in your favor… collect $77.85 billion!

Germany announced Friday that the country found itself 55 billion euros richer after discovering an accounting error by nationalized bank Hypo Real Estate. German officials considered the bank to be troubled long before the error was discovered. This finding lowers Germany’s debt to GDP ratio by 2.6 percent, down to 81.1 percent. Over the summer, the European commission had approved 175 billion euros in aid to HRE, requiring the bank to make significant cuts in its activities.

George Carlin street catches Catholic heat

Board of Directors Jackie Dreyer Zach Erdmann Stephanie Fisher Mike La Count Kody Schafer

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Residence Hall choices for incoming freshman. Sandburg Hall (Top) Riverview (Left) and Cambridge Commons (Right).

FUNDING

Continued from page 1 The DOA filled this budget lapse by cutting from dozens of statewide agencies, but excluding a few agencies from cuts, like K-12 education. However, Lovell indicated that while the DOA cut only from specific parts of other agencies’ budgets, leaving budgets for things like basic utilities and operational costs in prisons alone, the committee made no such exclusions for the UW System, taking its budget as a whole.

“I don’t mean that we were being treated unfairly or that we weren’t made a priority … but we weren’t treated like the other agencies that were in there,” Lovell said.

Lovell also indicated that financial aid to students of the UW System will be part of the cuts.

“You can imagine how upset our students will be if their financial aid is cut,” Lovell said.

This cut, on top of all of the other funding cuts to UWM, left many committee members, the vast majority of whom are faculty and all from different

departments on campus, unsure of how to maintain high quality programs or even continue running the university.

Swain estimates that the College of Letters and Science will lose $1.1 million in 2012 and again in 2013.

“It’s a catch-22, though to some extent, because if you cut instruction, then you also cut your revenue stream at the same time,” Swain said. “I think we have to look at whether there are certain units that have to go away.”

Lovell explained that the DOA had given the UW System such a high percentage because it had more flexibility in how to cut funds and had alternative forms of generating revenue, namely tuition. However, the cap that limits any UW school from raising tuition by more than 5.5 percent annually does not allow for UWM to make up these cuts.

“We are not businesses,” associate professor in the College of Nursing Mary Pat Kunert said. “However, the people involved in this, well, tragedy … are expecting us to operate as businesses, and it doesn’t fly.”

Additionally, Chair of APBC and of Peck School of the Arts’ department of art and design Lee Ann Garrison noted

that there are not many places left for the departments, colleges and the university to cut from.

“They’ve said that we have that new flexibility, but what is it? I’m the department chair, and I can’t find one thing I can do,” Garrison said.

Professor of mathematical sciences Bruce Wade doubted UWM’s ability to maintain high standards in comparison to other universities with so many budget cuts, a difficulty not faced by other state agencies.

“The difference between a UW System school and the other agencies, effectively, is that we’re expected to be internationally competitive, and the DMV is not competitive – it’s a service,” Wade said.

The UW System is working collaboratively to get a hearing before the Wisconsin Joint Committee of Finance, which has the final say in how the budget lapse will be distributed amongst state agencies. The UW System hopes to convince the JCF to change its share of the lapse to 11 percent, or $19.2 million, shared across the system.

A petition to rename a New York City street after deceased comedian George Carlin has faced resistance from members of his former parish and school.

Corpus Christi Church Rev. Raymond Rafferty said that he did not feel Carlin was a proper role model for children growing up on 121st Street, and it was not necessary for people to open their minds to the debasement of the American language and the church. Currently, petitioners have gathered more than 2,800 signatures, including several from members of the community who feel that Carlin deserves the honor. “All these other streets have been named for people you’ve never heard of,” resident Roxy Myzal said. Why not, she contended, name a street after “one of the most brilliant American comedians ever?”

Ex-Goldman Sachs director indicted for conspiracy, security fraud Rajat Gupta, a former director for Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., was indicted for conspiracy and security fraud last week.

Gupta is one of the highestranking executives charged in a nationwide crackdown on insider trading connected to the cofounder of hedge fund Galleon Group LLC, Raj Rajaratnam. In an unsealed indictment filed with the Manhattan federal court, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission alleges that Gupta disclosed nonpublic, sensitive information to Rajaratnam while sitting on the board of directors for Goldman Sachs and Proctor & Gamble. Gupta faces as much as 20 years in prison if convicted on each of the security fraud charges and five years in prison if convicted of conspiracy.

Jesus goes to jail

SA marches in Brighten the Night in an effort to combat Milwaukee street crime.

A jury found Jesus Gonzalez, an active promoter of the open carry movement in Wisconsin, guilty of first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree reckless injury on Thursday. In May of 2010, after a night of drinking with two other men, Gonzalez got into an altercation with and fired at the two unarmed men – killing one and injuring the other. Gonzalez was said to wear his handgun on him everywhere and had previously been arrested two times for bringing his gun into stores.

NEWS

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NOISE

Continued from page 1

Long-term neighbors said that student’s respect for the house and community tends to decrease when they solely occupy a residential space.

Junior Abby Miller lives on the second f loor of an East Side duplex above a family. Fortunately, they have a good relationship, which Miller attributes to mutual respect.

"They’re kind of like our parents,” Miller said.

She acknowledges, however, that it can be easy to disregard neighbors when there is not a reminder that they are around.

“I kind of forget about neighbors when I go over to a friend’s house.”

In response to rising concerns over student tenant growth, communities have formed neighborhood associations to address issues and to preserve the area’s quality of life.

One of the largest is the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association.

Signs that read “Murray Hill” adorn light posts throughout the community and are a visual indicator of their presence amongst the 58 blocks between the perimeters of Hartford Avenue, Downer Avenue, Bradford Avenue and Oakland Avenue.

Formed in the ‘90s, the MHNA meets in the Urban Ecology Center every fourth Tuesday of the month to stay in touch with each other, discuss conf licts in the area and brainstorm ways to resolve them. “[Student tenants] think it’s campus and say, ‘If you don’t like it, move off campus,’” MHNA member Pam Frautschi said, a former dance instructor at the Peck School of the Arts and resident for 46 years. “What they don’t realize is that they’re not on campus, they’re in a residential neighborhood.”

Neighborhood Relations Liaison Heather Harbach also attends MHNA meetings and said, "There’s transition that comes with any neighborhood."

Harbach worked at Mount Mary College and Marquette University before settling down at UWM and said it cannot be compared to other campuses.

“UWM is different than any other schools in the neighborhood,

because it’s so tightly integrated into a residential community,” Harbach said. “It’s all around it.”

For many residents, including MHNA member and former assistant dean in UWM’s School of Nursing, Paul Ippolito, the idea of living anywhere else is unthinkable.

Both Frautschi and Ippolito share an admiration for the East Side that has kept them in the area long after retirement. However, throughout the last couple of years, the increased amount of noise, pollution and crime has tested their patience.

“We’re able to tolerate it, but only to a certain point,” Ippolito said.

The university has not been ignorant of these concerns.

In 2008, UWM formed the Community Outreach and Assistance for Student Tenants program, which provides resources for students living

“It won’t happen instantly, and it won’t happen overnight, but by [the student tenant] being there to say, ‘Hey, I’m a part of this with you,’ I think that’s the first step to overcoming the disagreements,” Harbach said. “There are a lot of great people in the area.” off campus and also provides leaders who serve as mediators in studentneighbor conf licts.

“There’s been a couple times when I was out on an issue follow-up where students thought they weren’t really in the wrong, and that’s a good opportunity to direct them to resources on campus,” UWM junior Steve Heimerl said. Heimerl has been a COAST leader for the past two years.

COAST leaders are assigned to blocks around campus and are responsible for the student needs within that area. They serve as a liaison between the university, students and long-term residents and also attend neighborhood association meetings. Heimerl’s block is in the MHNA area, and he has been

attending their meetings since he first joined COAST. Unfortunately, these are the only students who seem to attend the meetings. Harbach attributes much of the conf lict between student tenants and long-term residents to this communication gap.

“It’s about talking, keeping our lines of communication open,” Harbach said.

To encourage these relationships, UWM engaged in a pilot program this past summer called the University Neighborhood Initiative to Engage.

It involved 54 student volunteers, including members of COAST, going around door to door and distributing packets to neighbors containing information about resources at the university, as well as a brochure on how to be a good neighbor.

Suggestions in the brochure included keeping property clean and litter-free, refraining from making noise at levels that would disturb others and avoiding illegal activity.

“We want to let neighbors know that [the university and student tenants] are part of the community and [the long-term residents] are part of our community,” Interim Neighborhood Housing Office Coordinator Jes Berndt said. “We just want to let them know we’re here and we’re hoping for a good year.”

Although UNITE and COAST have significantly opened lines of communication between student tenants and long-term neighbors, it doesn’t mean the neighborhoods are suddenly at harmony.

“It won’t happen instantly, and it won’t happen overnight, but by [the student tenant] being there to say, ‘Hey, I’m a part of this with you,’ I think that’s the first step to overcoming the disagreements,” Harbach said. “There are a lot of great people in the area.”

Frautschi and Ippolito both enjoy coming back to UWM to enjoy entertainment, such as the Science Bag presentations, the Manfred Olson Planetarium and student theater productions.

“It’s a delicate balance between student tenants and long-term residents, but something as simple as introducing yourself to your neighbor can go a long way to improving community relationships and quality of life for all,” Harbach said.

October 31, 2011 3

Students share the streets of Murray Hill with families and other long-term residents in what is often an uneasy relationship. Post photo by Sierra Riesberg

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NEWS

October 31, 2011

the uwm post

Turning water into beer… sustainably Hundreds occupy MillerCoors explains water stewardship initiatives at School of Freshwater Science the streets of Milwaukee

Another chapter unfolds for Occupy Milwaukee movement

By Olen Burage Staff Writer news@uwmpost.com

Prior to working for the Miller Brewer Company Kim Marotta worked for 14 years as a public defender in Milwaukee. Post photo by Maxwell Larsen

By Danielle Mackenthun Staff Writer news@uwmpost.com

The UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences hosted MillerCoors Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility Kim Marotta to discuss MillerCoors’ strategy for sustainable usage of water Wednesday as part of its weekly seminar series, “All Things Water.”

Marotta discussed the five parts of MillerCoors’ Water Stewardship Initiative, which includes water efficiency, wastewater management, water supply assessment, water footprinting and community investment.

“We need great water to brew great beer, but we also know water is essential to life,” MillerCoors website on its water stewardship plan said. “We recognize that there is a demand for water by others besides us, so we pay close attention to our impact on water use in the communities where we operate.”

MillerCoors is part of a joint operation between SABMiller, a global brewing company based in the United Kingdom that owns Miller Brewing

Company, Leinenkugel’s and Molson Coors Brewing Company, which produces the Coors, Keystone and Blue Moon brands. MillerCoors has been running out of Chicago since 2008, and since that time, it has implemented their water conservation strategy.

At the lecture, Marotta explained that the percentage of drinkable water is low: only three percent of freshwater, two percent of frozen water and half of one percent of preserved water are usable. According to Marotta, solving the current water shortage crisis affecting the world is a responsibility that must be shared by all, including the private sector.

Additionally, 38 states have stress for water, according to Engineering Program Director of the School for Continuing Education Dr. Murali Vedula. MillerCoors has three breweries in these “water stressed” or “water scarce” areas, according to MillerCoors’ website.

“We're committed to increasing our water efficiency, as measured by the amount of water required to produce a barrel of beer, and have a 2015 goal to reduce our water usage by 15 percent,” a statement on MillerCoors’ website said.

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

MillerCoors’ commitment to water stewardship has spawned several sustainability projects, including the study of the procedures in eight breweries to help improve the quality and quantity of water. The greatest priority of this study is water control, and water shutoff is used to ensure that there will be enough water in future industries, population growth and agriculture. This study is expected to show how CO2 and energy can be saved, as well as money.

MillerCoors also partners with Milwaukee area organizations, like the Great Lakes Water Institute, the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center, the Milwaukee River Network, Discovery World and the Milwaukee Water Council, to host community events such as the Great Water Month, beach clean ups and water clean ups.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Great Lakes make up the largest freshwater system on earth and account for 84 percent of the United States’ surface water supply, as well as 21 percent of the planet’s water supply.

This week’s crossword solution

Try your hand at this week’s puzzles, turn to page 15 Last week’s solution

This week’s Sodoku solution

This week’s Goduku solution

Hundreds of protesters gathered at Lincoln Park Saturday morning to begin an organized march to the A.O. Smith/ Tower Automotive site in Old North Milwaukee, aiming to rally support against corporate greed.

The movement has been raging on for weeks in protest of the dealings of greedy corporations and the final say of the wealthy class in the affairs of the working class. Marchers young and old, from various walks of life, stood proudly during the event, chanting things like “Scott Walker has got to go” and “This is what democracy looks like.” The rhythmic sound of people banging on overturned buckets filled Green Bay Avenue and Capitol Drive.

“The super-rich [attack] the interest of the majority of the people,” Chance Zombor, of Occupy the Hood, said.

“The communities of color have been devastated by this crisis, and we’re expected to blame ourselves … We’re pitted against each other.”

For weeks, participants of the Occupy Wall Street movement had endured frigid weather, tear gas and even arrests for the sake of their message: the working class will not be ignored by the wealthy upper class.

“I resent the wealthy people who aren’t paying their fair share,” carpenter and contractor Gerald Popp Sr. said.

“Corporations only pay 15 percent due to capital gain while everyone else pays 35 percent in taxes. It’s unfair.”

The demonstration had its fair share of participants, like Popp Sr., who are tired of seeing the fruits of their labor whither on the vine. Organizers of the march offered the opportunity for these people to vent their frustrations.

“For me, it’s personal,” Citizen Action and Good Jobs Project organizer Jennifer Epps-Addison said. “The A.O. Smith plant was in my neighborhood … It’s time to start engaging folks that have been in crisis for the last 20 years.

Wisconsin has been hurting, but the City

of Milwaukee has been hurting for a lot longer.”

While Wall Street protesters don their Guy Fawkes masks, Milwaukeeans participating in the movement have a vendetta of their own.

“I used to have a job at A.O. Smith,” Harley Davidson CNC machinist Andy Voelzke said. “When I was there, I saw people that had worked elsewhere for 15 or more years. Their previous jobs had moved to Mexico, only to have it happen to them again, thanks to corporate greed.

Now most of them are too old to find another job.”

The diverse group of protesters was thoroughly upset about the conditions

“It’s about policy,” EppsAddison said. “What Milwaukee is experiencing is all about choices, not the economic crisis … I want to see the community pass policies that will benefit everyone, not just the wealthy class.” for the working class in Milwaukee, but anger did not fuel violence. There were no arrests, no property damage and no criminal mischief. Class warfare was far from the minds of the hundreds in attendance.

The waving of banners, singing of hymns and boisterous chanting of displeasure succeeded in turning the heads of people passing by. However, the ultimate goal of the demonstration requires a long term commitment and continuous dedication, according to Epps-Addison.

“It’s about policy,” Epps-Addison said. “What Milwaukee is experiencing is all about choices, not the economic crisis … I want to see the community pass policies that will benefit everyone, not just the wealthy class.”

SPORTS

October 31, 2011

THE UWM POST

Packers, getting there, staying there

How to keep up winning ways heading into second half of season

The Packers remain the team everyone is chasing this season at a perfect 7-0 record. Image courtesy of NFL.com

By Tony Atkins Assistant Sports Editor sports@uwmpost.com

Heading into the second half of the 2011 NFL season, the Green Bay Packers are currently the league’s only undefeated team. This week, the Packers’ only opponent is time, as they race to make any adjustments during their bye week. Although they are undefeated, the team has to clean up their play – head coach Mike McCarthy says so often. While the team looks great at 7-0, there are times they aren’t playing at the level of the team that won it all back in February.

Ranked at No. 1 on both the Associated Press and ESPN NFL power rankings, the Packers have some retooling to do if they want to keep winning in the winter games ahead against San Diego, Detroit, and Oakland, as well as a big showdown

in New York against the Giants. The team definitely could use improvement in a few areas before they head into this tough stretch of the year.

Running the ball After losing starter Ryan Grant last season, the Packers struggled with Brandon Jackson as a full-time back.

Then James Starks sparked the ground game later in the year and during playoffs, after spending time on the list of players physically unable to perform.

This year, Grant and Starks are both on the active roster, and they aren’t quite producing as the two-headed monster they were expected to be.

A counterargument could be made that Grant and Starks are splitting carries, which would make up for the lack of individual yardage. While that is true, the Packers aren’t running well as a team. Currently, the Packers rank 18th in rushing yards, and they sit at

Spotlight on new squad

Gold downs black 55-51 in big night from Boga, Haarsma

By Nolan Murphy Staff Writer sports@uwmpost.com

The UW-Milwaukee men’s basketball team kicked off their season Friday night with the annual full-court club intrasquad scrimmage. Many diehard Panther basketball fans filed into the Klotsche Center stands to catch their first glimpse of the 2011-2012 squad.

The defending Horizon League regular season champs showcased their new team, featuring two junior college transfers and three freshmen. Coach Rob Jeter split up the evenly matched black and gold teams by trying to build cohesiveness between groupings of players who will find themselves on the court together.

One of the major headlines in Friday’s scrimmage was the presence of freshman point guard Shaquille Boga, who looked mature beyond his years. He finished the night with an impressive 20 points in a losing effort. The loss aside, Jeter sees something special in his young guard.

“He is very comfortable with the basketball in his hands,” Jeter said. “We are just trying to keep it simple for him and hope he can make an impact defensively.”

On the gold squad, junior James Haarsma contributed in a big way, getting

25 points in his first game after having to sit out all of last season, due to transfer rules. Haarsma will be looking to continue contributing to the team heading into the 2011-12 campaign.

Jeter feels that the two junior college transfers, guard Paris Gulley and forward Demetrius Harris, will give the Panther team more size and maturity. Harris has a staggering physical presence that the staff hopes will give them a different athletic dimension on the court.

Jeter hopes to build off this scrimmage in practice in the next week by building cohesiveness while being shorthanded.

The team will be built around its senior leadership, as senior point guard Kaylon Williams will look to orchestrate the offense.

The black team ended up pulling out the 55-51 win, but there were no losers Friday night, as the players got a dress rehearsal for exhibition next Saturday versus UW-Parkside. Jeter was very pleased how his troops gelled together on the court, even with absence of two key players, senior forward Tony Meier and junior guard Lonnie Boga, both out with injuries.

The men’s team will return to the Klotsche Center for its only exhibition contest of the season against UW-Parkside Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.

27th in yards per carry with 3.8 yards per run. While they have played great fall football, championships are won in the winter on the ground. It is vital that the ground game improves moving forward.

Offensive line There isn’t much to say about the offensive line of the Packers: they block.

Sometimes they can come down with a case of 2009-it is, giving up sack after sack. The big injury to Chad Clifton has young Marshall Newhouse protecting the franchise and opening up lanes for the running backs. This is an issue that will probably solve itself over time, as these guys learn from one another. They had a week off to get it together, and they looked good up to this point.

Wide receivers The Packer receivers have been regarded as one of the best receiving corps in the NFL. When Aaron

Rodgers received the keys to this offense and receivers – the equivalent of a new Ferrari off the showroom – from Brett Favre, he took them for a long ride, all the way to the NFL’s promiseland, in fact. This year, the Packers are second in total receiving yards behind Drew Brees’ Saints and third in yards per game.

Yet all is not well. There have been a significant amount of drops at crucial moments. For this argument, we could consider tight end Jermichael Finley as a wide receiver. There have been drops left and right, a problem that was prevalent in the stagnant offense that was last season.

In week five against the Atlanta Falcons, the offense dropped some big passes in the first half that saw the Packers with a 14-point deficit. Drops are inevitable, but they seem to always come at the worst moments for the Packers. Also, Donald Driver has 13 catches for 107 yards through 7 games.

Defense The defense from last year that swarmed offenses aren’t like they once were, and it’s showing. Safety Nick Collins is out for the season, Cullen Jenkins is playing in Philly and Mike Neal, the replacement for Jenkins, has been out. Clay Matthews isn’t getting the sacks, but he is still a factor off of the stat sheets. Charles Woodson is leading the NFL again with five interceptions, but these turnovers can’t bail the defense out all season. Conversions on third downs and big plays have killed the Pack’s defense. There have to be some tweaks moving forward.

Special teams could also use a bit of work, but this team is playing well enough to win fall games. This play may not be enough to win the winter games down in the trenches. But as this group grows together, we will truly find out if the Pack can stay on top.

SPORTS

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October 31, 2011

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One up, one down for Panthers soccer

Women demolish UW-Green Bay, men fall to Loyola

Senior Keegan Ziada battles for the ball against Loyola, the Panthers lost 2-0.

By Nick Bornheimer Staff Writer sports@uwmpost.com Two first-half goals helped Loyola upset the UW-Milwaukee men’s soccer team Saturday night at Engelmann Field 2-0. The loss marks the seventh straight game that the Panthers have not been in the win column and the third straight game the team has been shutout.

Milwaukee (5-9-2, 2-3-2 Horizon) outshot the Ramblers (4-11-1, 2-5-0 Horizon) 10-6 and had double the shots on goal, but still experienced a crucial loss. The Panthers now find themselves in a position where they may not make the conference tournament, despite their impressive 2-0 start in league play.

“If we don’t win [at UIC next Saturday], we’re not in, so it’s really big,” Panthers Head Coach Chris Whalley said. “We’re not guaranteed that even if we win we’ll get in. We really laid an egg tonight – we let one get away at home to a team that’s bottom of the league. Not a lot of guys played well.”

Milwaukee made a late push in the

final few minutes and nearly tied the game up. Powerful shots by sophomore Robbie Boyd and freshman Nick Langford were stopped by Loyola goalkeeper Peter McKeown to secure the shutout.

The Ramblers took the lead in the 30th minute off of a ball shot by James Howe that was deflected into the back of the net. Loyola added one more in the 37th minute on a penalty kick from Eric Nock.

“We had a bit of bad luck, but we gave away a stupid penalty kick,” Whalley said. “We didn’t win the attack on the edge of the box, and they got a deflected goal, too. We’re not taking chances. We had some decent chances late tonight, and we didn’t take them.”

Milwaukee had six shots on goal, compared to only three by Loyola. The Panthers were the better team on paper but could not convert opportunities that the Ramblers were.

“It’s all our own fault. Right now, we aren’t capitalizing on other team’s errors, and they’re punishing us for ours. We’re not getting much luck, but maybe we’re not working hard enough to deserve it.

It’s just very disappointing right now, the way things are going” Whalley said.

The squad is now fighting to keep their season alive. The Panthers host Northern Illinois University in a nonconference bout Wednesday on the team’s Senior Night and will then travel to Chicago Saturday to take on UIC in a pivotal, must-win matchup.

Lady Panthers annihilate Phoenix 7-0 Senior Sarah Hagen netted three goals Friday night at Engelmann Field, as the No. 15 UW-Milwaukee Panthers women’s soccer team maintained a perfect conference record in a 7-0 routing of UW-Green Bay on a Senior Day “Pink Out” to support breast cancer awareness.

The Panthers (16-2, 8-0 Horizon) led by just one goal after halftime but exploded for six goals in the second half, bouncing back strong after losing only their second game of the season last week at Illinois State.

“It’s nice to get back on the winning track,” Panthers coach Michael Moynihan said. “What I was really pleased with was the quality of the goals,

Senior Sarah Hagen avoids a double team as the Panthers won 7-0.

Post photos by Sierra Riesberg the intensity that we attacked with. We stayed pretty relentless. Green Bay is very, very stingy… To get the goal output that we had today was phenomenal.”

Green Bay (3-11-4, 1-5-2 Horizon) had an outside shot of reaching the conference tournament when play started, but Friday’s loss meant the end of the year for Phoenix players.

Friday’s bout also shined light on an important cause – breast cancer awareness. The Milwaukee women wore pink uniforms to show support for and increase awareness and early detection of breast cancer.

“The goal is for us to raise some money and to raise awareness,” Moynihan said.

“The number of women that are affected by it, the numbers of families that are affected by it, it means a lot to a lot of people.”

Hagen scored the game’s first goal on a header in the 12th minute. Despite a 7-1 shot advantage in the first half and eight more shots in the first 14 minutes of the second half, the Panthers didn’t find the back of the net again until the 65th minute when junior Helen Steinhauser

recorded her third goal of the season.

Hagen converted a penalty kick less than two minutes later for her second goal of the game. Hagen struck again in the 68th minute to close out her regular season scoring with a hat trick. The three goals gave Hagen 22 on the season.

“Everything’s gone right with her,” Moynihan said, in reference to Hagen.

“She’s a phenomenal player, and she has a great supporting cast that helps her and gives her opportunities.”

The Panthers were not done on the scoreboard though, as freshmen Vienna Behnke, Morgan LaPlant and Kelsey Holbert all scored to cap-off the Panther onslaught. Milwaukee dominated the shot category with a 27-4 advantage on the night.

Milwaukee brings their undefeated conference record into the Horizon League Tournament next week, where they will host the lowest remaining seed in the semi-finals Friday night.

“We’re probably not going to put up seven goals again this year, but it certainly builds some momentum and some confidence again,” Moynihan said.

The power of pink

UWM volleyball clinches regular season title during “Pink Out”

By Mitch Pratt Staff Writer sports@uwmpost.com The UW-Milwaukee women’s volleyball team clinched another Horizon League regular season title Saturday evening upon defeating the Cleveland State Vikings 3-1 at the Klotsche Center.

The game was played with a backdrop not of the typical Panthers’ black and gold, but of a different color. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so the theme was “Pink Out” at the two UWM women’s sporting events this past weekend. It began Friday night with the Panthers’ women’s soccer team pulling off a 7-0 victory over UW-Green Bay and continued Saturday with the volleyball’s team 3-1 victory.

“The support people have given is phenomenal: coming out, wearing pink and participating in the events. It all helps. Every little bit helps, and that’s

a big bit,” Associate Athletic Director Kathy Litzau said.

Approximately $2,500 were raised during the soccer game Friday night, between a 50-50 raffle and a silent auction for the jerseys worn during the game. Also helping the cause were “Pink Out!” t-shirts, given to fans who made a donation of their choice. All the money raised goes to support the Norris Health Center’s breast cancer screenings for all women.

“The focus on breast cancer awareness, and the fact that we had a meaningful match, meant a lot,” coach Susie Johnson said. “Everybody is touched by it, and for us to be able to give back to that cause is a great thing.”

Johnson and her team walked in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure of southeastern Wisconsin back in September, which helped the players realize the significance of breast cancer awareness.

“We walked in the Komen event two years ago, and I think they’ve gotten better with the organization of it,” senior middle back Mackenzie Millis said. “It hits home with a lot of us, because we know people or have family with breast cancer. It’s nice to clinch at home in front of our hometown fans, but it’s really special to do it with the Pink Out going on.”

The pink of the “Pink Out” gave the team just what they needed to finish off Cleveland State and, ultimately, clinch the title. They did have a bit of a hiccup when they dropped the third game of the match after convincingly winning the first two games.

“The team let up way too much in the third game, but they bounced back in the fourth game,” Johnson said. “They knew what was on the line, but I was very proud of them for playing the match very focused.”

Coach Susie Johnson speaks to her team during a timeout. The Panthers clinched the Horizon League title. Post photo by Sierra Riesberg

GIANTS AMONG MEN THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS ROCK THE PABST

They Might Be Giants brought personality and musical firepower to the Pabst Theater Friday before a crowd of seemingly all ages.

Photos by Erik Ljung

By Steven Franz Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com “That’s how you do it, son.”

So spoke John Flansburgh, of Brooklyn’s seminal alternative rock pioneers They Might Be Giants Friday night at the Pabst Theater, in a running joke in which Flansburgh confused the line, uttered by Charlie Daniels at the end of a Geico commercial, as having been delivered by Gwyneth Paltrow in a straight-to-DVD movie. This led to the other John, John Linnell (keyboard and accordion), joking about Paltrow’s disease-infected role in Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion, all of which ironically led into probably the most heartfelt song the duo has ever written, “Careful What You Pack.”

But that’s pretty much They Might Be Giants for you, the science-obsessed alt-rock curators who once operated a phone line called Dial-a-Song, a local Brooklyn number that a fan could call to hear a song recorded specifically for the hotline. Bizarre and ingeniously silly humor has always been their forte, and mixing it seamlessly with genuinely heartfelt emotion has been the calling card of their entire career, which is, as of 2011, in its 30th year. To celebrate, the band took a break from penning children’s records – many of which were still quite popular with their adult fan base – to release their most recent album, Join Us. The concert was a sometimesscripted, almost always hilarious foray into the brains of the legends, who now host a podcast that doubles both as an extension of Dial-a-Song and a vehicle for the Johns to exercise their made-forradio rapport in earnest. Their live show functions the same way.

In between the 26 songs the band churned out over a two-hour period, if one John wasn’t making a wisecrack about something, the other was, and if the other was instigating the wisecracking, the former would surely respond. Then they would launch into “Don’t Let’s Start” or “Dead,” after which point the quips would fly all over again.

At two points the band even combined the jokes with the songs into almost living, almost breathing manifestations of the fundamental spirit of They Might Be Giants. The first occurred when the band performed the newer version of “Why Does the Sun Really Shine?” (from 2009’s Here Comes Science), which acted as a direct response to the fundamental scientific inaccuracy of its original version, in which the line “The sun is a mass of incandescent gas” was altered to “The sun is a miasma of incandescent plasma.” And the second came when the band retreated to the rear of the stage, donned Muppet-like sock puppets, and performed Join Us’ “Spoiler Alert” as “The Avatars of They,” a duo of castaway socks staging a protest they dubbed Occupy They Might Be Giants.

Through two encores, the band performed most of their beloved material, including a show-closing version of the culturally omnipresent Four Lads cover “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” that completely did away with Linnell’s famous accordion and ended in a blistering punk rock guitar riff.

But the divergence is perfectly fine; They Might Be Giants have reinvented themselves more than once during their career and have shown that being a musical chameleon does not necessarily mean one works outside of his comfort zone, especially if he can pull it off with grace and one-line zingers. That truly is how you do it.

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the uwm post

October 31, 2011

Being earnestly Ernestly Earnest

Bay View’s Boulevard Theatre adapts Oscar Wilde’s classic satire

Tess Cipinski, David Matthew Bohn, and Kyle Queenan star in the Boulevard Theatre's minimalist production of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. Image courtesy of boulevardtheatre.com

By Steven Franz Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com

The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde’s 1895 satire of an English aristocracy caught in an era of changing mores and uptight mannerisms, is not a particularly complicated play. There are no quick fire location changes weaved into the narrative, no special

effects required and very few actors actually needed to be involved in the production. Which means it’s a rather perfect production to be chosen by Bay View’s resident storefront theatre troupe, the Boulevard Theatre, to put on in its minimalistic 12 feet by 6 feet performance space.

The play itself is a classic in the literary canon, Wilde’s unflinchingly

witty send-up of aristocratic boredom, mistaken identity, marriage, manners, fashion, gender and whatever else he could rightfully fit, even for a few moments, into his three-act masterwork.

At the time of the play’s original premiere, Victorian England had been swept with a furor for the name Ernest, and as a response, the two protagonists of Wilde’s play at one point both take the

handle of the fictitious Ernest Worthing in order to lead a consequence-free double life. Unfortunately, each falls for a woman who is chiefly interested in the name Ernest and nothing else, which leads each to rechristen himself with the name in order to woo their respective lovers once and for all. Needless to say, hilarity ensues.

Algernon Moncrieff (Kyle Queenan), an aloof, knowing stand-in for Wilde himself – a preening bit of self-satire on the author’s part – is the good, if occasionally scathing, friend of John Worthing (David Matthew Bohn), a young bachelor entwining himself with two young girls. He is chiefly interested in Gwendolen Fairfax (Tess Cipinski), a girl born to city money who unfortunately is operating under the idea that Moncrieff is in fact Ernest Worthing, a brother he has invented for himself.

Under duress, he decides to kill off the Ernest character and confess his identity to Fairfax, but while in the country – under the assumption of his actual identity – Moncrieff breaks up his attempt to propagate the myth of the fictional Ernest’s death by pretending to be Ernest himself, at which time Worthing’s young country ward Cecily Cardew (Megan Kaminski) falls in love with, and becomes engaged to, Moncrieff – as-Ernest.

Identity is a chief concern of the play, especially family identity as it relates to money. At the end of the 19th century, the

first cracks were appearing in the armor of the English landowning aristocracy, as more and more young wealth was being centralized in cities like London, instead of vast estates like the fictional Pemberley of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The conflict-turned-vindictive friendship of Fairfax and Cardew is exemplary of the uneasy relationship between the two aristocracies, each equally silly, keeping a wary (but friendly) eye on the other, as is the relationship between city-bred Moncrieff and countrycultivated Worthing, as each must take on a fictional Ernest identity in order to coexist in the universe of the other.

The performances are mostly exceptional, especially the imageconscious, cuff-tugging Queenan and David Ferrie’s delightfully silly turn as the Reverend Canon Chasuble, charged with christening each Ernest with his new identity. The play suffers from a few self-consciously modern additions on the part of director Mark Bucher.

He vaguely suggests a homosexual subtext (on both male and female parts) that has been theorized for years but which holds no contextual weight in the play itself, and at the end of each act, the characters themselves have to be reminded that their parts are over and shuffled off the minimalistic stage in a fourth-wall breakdown that serves no purpose whatsoever. But the Boulevard Theatre has a winning formula, which The Importance of Being Earnest mostly continues.

Counterculture finds new voice Magic Trip’s many messages

By Graham Marlowe Assistant Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com

To “straight” Americans in the early ‘60s, the ideas of author and psychedelic visionary Ken Kesey were hallucinations so shockingly real (or unreal) that it scared them to their core.

Conversely, their version of reality, a mechanized dirge of sameness, is exactly what Kesey and his Merry Pranksters felt was a joke. In other words, the spirits of young people were hungry and suburbia wasn’t providing the nutrients.

Ironically, an obvious strength of Magic Trip, a new documentary from Alison Ellwood and Alex Gibney, is its framing of Kesey’s under-reported normalcy, made eccentric only by his zest for life itself.

But geniuses tend to surround themselves with other geniuses, and on his cross-country summer journey to the New York World’s Fair of 1964, the focus of the film, Kesey’s bus, Further, brought a colorful cast along for the ride, some of which were already famous in other realms, such as author and Kesey’s best friend, Ken Babbs.

Neal Cassady, Jack Kerouac’s

supernatural sidekick from his novel On The Road (1957), has a presence in the film that puzzles as often as it inspires. Cassady’s mind reels like an overdriven transistor radio, holding multiple conversations and rolling cigarettes as he plays the role of crazed tour guide – only to soon confront a handful of social changes inside the bus and beyond.

One change the film’s rare footage highlights is changing sexual politics, given how their interpersonal relationships soon resemble the looseness of a Mardi Gras parade, squabbling over who slept with who and who’s responsible for what. There are many reasons for such behavior, but Kesey’s bottomless supply of LSD – courtesy of his participation in the CIA’s then-recent human experimentation program MKULTRA – certainly fueled their psyches with enough richness for their imaginations to occasionally cloud their judgment.

The non-famous women aboard the bus – Paula Sundsten, Jane Burton, Cathy Casamo – are, for this reason, one of the movie’s treasures and provide the Pranksters’ most vivid ref lections of their experiences, one

of which recalls swimming in open streams amidst contact from a not-sodistant fourth dimension. Thankfully, these descriptions are vivid enough to make the film’s cutting edge editing style truthful to the mind-bending experiences it recounts.

As the bus travels eastward, their collective thirst for boundary-pushing is capped off by run-ins with poet Allen Ginsberg, spiritual teacher Ram Dass and San Francisco rock band The Grateful Dead, who “played what was in the air,” according to Kesey.

While the film has it moments of irreverent excess, its vantage point, a “schism” between the past generation and the future, Kesey leaves viewers with a number of powerful messages.

For someone who saw the future of humanity under a microscope, it’s all the more fitting that he began viewing the world through a kaleidoscope.

Kesey, an otherwise normal guy (who happened to be an acidhead), came to define the ethos of drug experimentation. That is, if you’re not savoring every last second of life on earth, you’re wasting your time.

There is a sad bitterness to his wisdom, however, not unlike the realization that non-stoned life is a bit duller.

Built from rare archival footage, Magic Trip shows as much of author Ken Kesey as it does of his storied bus ride to the New York World's Fair of 1964.

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October 31, 2011 9

Now showing at a theater near you

A look at what’s to come at UWM’s Union Theatre Boom! (Thursday, 7pm)

By Kevin Kaber Assistant Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com

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

The Nohl Fellows: Program One (Wednesday, 7pm) The first of three programs showcasing the works of the recipients of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Mary L. Nohl Fund for Individual Artists Fellowship, Program One features films by two different artists, Sara Buccheri (of the “Emerging” category) and Brent Coughenour (of the “Established” category). Both will be presenting two shorts: “Man Crashes Plane” and “House Ghost” (Buccheri) and “In Search of Lost Time: Time Regained” and “Working Title: Work-in-Progress” (Coughenour).

The Nohl Fellows program will continue on November 19th.

Campy films have an odd way of reviving themselves. Based on the failed play by Tennessee Williams, The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore, 1968’s Boom! stars Elizabeth Taylor and her then-husband Richard Burton as Sissie Goforth, a wealthy, terminally ill woman, and Angelo del Morte, a has-not poet whose name translates to “Angel of Death,” respectively. The film, which has won praise from John Waters, will show in 35mm for a $5 fee; however, it is the last remaining 35mm print in the country – one 15 minute reel is missing – and the lost footage will be depicted through a live performance.

Bad as Me is no small change Tom Waits’ latest release is a work of complex nostalgia

Tyrannosaur (Friday, 9pm; Saturday, 7pm; Sunday, 5pm) In 2007, Paddy Considine made his directorial debut with the short film, “Dog Altogether.” Expanding on that story, Considine reteamed with his cast and crew for the feature-length Tyrannosaur.

The film follows the story of Joseph (vividly depicted by Peter Mullan), whose violent tendencies have led him to live a remorseful life. Joseph decides to turn his life around after having a fatal outburst on his pet dog, and then he meets Hannah (Olivia Colman), a sympathetic and religious woman whose own secrets could shake Joseph’s world and path to sanity.

Tom Waits' new album Bad as Me is an exercise in nostalgia, something Waits has rightfully not made a habit of throughout his illustrious career.

By Steven Franz Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com

The Elizabeth Taylor flop Boom! has been reborn as a camp film opus with a John Waters stamp of approval.

At this point in Tom Waits’ long, illustrious career, there’s really nowhere else to go. After the 2004 release of Real Gone, his last spurt of wholly original songwriting (insofar as Tom Waits doesn’t write a song-by-song culmination of American music as a whole) before this year’s release Bad as Me, and perhaps his most abstractly forward-thinking bit of manic doom, he settled his creative juices a bit and put out two releases in the proceeding six years, neither of which were original. One was a live album (Glitter and Doom Live, a sequel of sorts to 1988’s Big Time) and another was a B-side compilation (Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards) with only a scant few then-new compositions to its massive name and repertoire.

When it was announced that the

newly-inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer had not just returned to the studio, but sometime in February had completed an entirely new album, the buzz was immediate, but the ultimate result of those mouse-quiet sessions is an album just as comfortably adequate as either of those releases, in a groove just as defined by the past.

And while Bad as Me is itself a tangibly excellent release, with the markedly nuanced, rootsy musicianship of any disc Waits has ever put out, its lack of the dangerousness and menace that has come to define the second half of the career of the man with a voice like a devil makes it feel rather surprisingly inessential.

That might be through no fault of its own. Waits has been on a forty-year tear almost unmatched by any living popular musician that has resulted in album after album that not only build on previous efforts but also push into profoundly new territory: Blood Money

into the world of off-Broadway theater, Mule Variations into the cowboy west, Swordfishtrombones into American pop music lore, Real Gone into the avantgarde world of industrial stomp and Waits’ twisted version of hip-hop.

Bad as Me breaks up that pattern and quite frequently looks back to those other releases instead of forward to the whisperings of whatever innovationmonster usually rattles around in Waits’ brain. It fails to differentiate itself from its predecessors, which makes it uniquely common in the man’s career.

Take “Kiss Me,” for example, which looks so far back with such a nostalgic gleam in its eye to Waits’ early, Small Change-era career that it goes so far as to layer itself with a bit of artificiallyadded needle-on-vinyl scratch that has nothing to do with – and acts in defiance of – its ready availability to stream online.

It’s also a tinkling, soulful, coffeehouse-ready ballad that stands up with any of that early material and might as well have been written in 1976 despite the well of age-wizened experience from which it bubbles: “I want you to kiss me like a stranger once again,” Waits whispers, in all likelihood to wife and longtime songwriting collaborator Kathleen Brennan, though the style of the song ironically (and perhaps pointedly) predates her involvement with Waits’ career.

And then Bad as Me launches into the tenor sax whomp of the Keith Richards-aided “Satisfied,” which looks even further back and lyrically rebuffs the Rolling Stones hit from which it takes its name: “I said I will have satisfaction/I will be satisfied/before I’m gone.” It’s this kind of kindness toward and active engagement with the fruits of Waits’ career that comes to identify Bad as Me’s content from the other albums from which it takes its inspiration wholesale, which is an oddly troubling concept that stains an otherwise excellent release. At the very least, Waits resists the urge to make his nostalgia simple.

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the uwm post

October 31, 2011

Sometimes cute Not an exposition just doesn’t cut it The Rum Diary shows writer’s human qualities

She & Him’s Christmas album is… nice

She & Him's new cutesy Christmas album is sure to make everyone's holiday a little more cute.

By Jackie Dreyer Chief Copy Editor fringe@uwmpost.com

Listening to A Very She & Him Christmas will make you want to recite “The Night Before Christmas” with all the gusto you can muster while visions of holiday sweater-clad kittens and puppies dance in your head. It will make you want to be in front of a roaring fire so badly that you’ll start making plans to build a fireplace in your apartment.

It will make you want to dress solely in red and green, with hokey Christmasthemed jewelry to match, and the only hat you’ll want to wear will be of the Santa variety. In essence, you’ll be the kind of person that every holiday cynic loves to hate.

Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, otherwise known as the indie/retro pop duo She & Him, have managed to expertly bottle their whimsy-filled sound – like the meringue of music, so light and fluffy, even when singing about sad subjects, like love lost – and put a holiday spin on it for their latest release, A Very She & Him Christmas.

The album dropped on Oct. 25, and it was as if the world’s media screamed

“Cutesy!” in unison. Deschanel more than held her own as Jovie, belting out “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with Buddy (Will Ferrell) in Elf (2003). Her voice held up to the crooners of years past with ease in that rendition – a cover that made it on everyone’s personal iTunes Christmas playlist. But She & Him’s version speeds the classic tune up too much, making you feel like you’re being rushed through it, and there’s a peculiar, echo-y mask over Deschanel’s voice that is more irritating than anything else.

At large, however, Deschanel’s voice and She & Him’s style is ideal for this musical genre, but it is difficult to visualize A Very She & Him Christmas as anything more than pleasant background music. It’s something to be played amidst the chatter of family and friends, the hustle and bustle of food being cooked in the kitchen, the tearing off of wrapping paper and bows from presents. Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Burl Ives, Brenda Lee, Gene Autry and the rest of the classic crooners gang set the bar high, and no Christmas album – no matter how cutesy – will ever be able to top what was done so perfectly the first time.

By Graham Marlowe

Assistant Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com

“Some of them were more journalists than vagrants, and others were more vagrants than journalists.” – The Rum Diary (1998) by Hunter S. Thompson In the sweltering heat of San Juan, Puerto Rico, amidst a dying daily newspaper, Hunter S. Thompson’s longwithheld novel The Rum Diary tells a fictitious account of his days at The San Juan Star in the early ‘60s, before fame and notoriety led him to more daring publications later on.

In Bruce Robinson’s film adaptation, it is not so much the fearlessness of Thompson’s prose that Johnny Depp (who plays Paul Kemp, a fictionalized Thompson) brings to life, as it is the author’s ability to capture the adrenaline rush of being a journalist.

What sets things in motion is the admission of Kemp’s editor Lotterman (Richard Jenkins) that Puerto Rico is part of America, not a sovereign entity, and thus part of the American dream.

Like Thompson, who spent his career wondering if such a dream existed, Kemp soon learns the island is merely an alibi for alcoholics (which make up most of the Star’s staff), a casino of bowling

alleys, bars and imperialist fools. He also sees an untapped paradise about to shake the greedy hand of real estate developers, particularly Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart), who attempts to bribe him for articles about his shady investment deal.

Unfortunately for Kemp, the tabloid nature of the daily makes it difficult for him to tell the truth about what he observes. “If [they] don’t print the dream, they’ll ask for their money back,” Lotterman says, bemoaning the island’s flux of private money and tourist saturation at the time.

Murking around in horoscope duties and disgusted by the area’s capitalist flair, Kemp befriends his co-worker Sala (Michael Rispoli) and Moburg (Giovanni Ribisi), a rum-addled employee fired long ago by Lotterman.

The three room together in poverty, digging deeper into stories, as they become entangled by a drunken incident with locals in an outdoor cafe and soon begin fearing for their lives after an instance of police brutality.

Sala and Kemp frequently talk of leaving Puerto Rico altogether, but after they catch footage of Richard Nixon in the 1960 presidential debate, both have a flash of willpower that guides the rest of the film, catching the attention of Sanderson’s fiancée Chenault (Amber

Heard), as she learns more about Sanderson on her own.

After oscillating from one end of the socioeconomic scale to the other in search of facts, Kemp decides to pursue Sanderson in a series of articles, all of which are rejected by his editor for fear of losing the paltry existence the publication holds by that time of the film.

Kemp’s ultimate decision to unclothe Sanderson’s dirty secrets forms the tipping point for those faithful to the book and proves Hollywood’s continual urge to commercialize Thompson’s message and characters. With no real special effects, the light that pours out from the film is natural, sometimes stark. Further, it’s hard for the author’s surreal version of the truth to come out Hollywooded-up.

Like many of Thompson’s protagonists, Kemp’s persona is preGonzo and post-hype, impressively preserved with the emotion of the book. This, in turn, brings Thompson’s writing down to a human level, and shows us someone who stumbled into the right person at the right time, at which point his own genius took over.

If Thompson were to watch the movie, he’d probably grin reflectively and light another cigarette.

Hollywood's adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's novel The Rum Diary is a stretch of the book's autobiography but clings faithfully to its themes.

uwmpost.com

October 31, 2011 11

A common man’s madness Take Shelter confronts mental illness

Micheal Shannon's performance depicts a simple man as he falls into paranoia in Take Shelter.

By Kevin Kaber Assistant Fringe Editor fringe@uwmpost.com

There’s an undeterminable gap between normalcy and insanity. The bridge toward psychosis is harrowing, especially when considering why and how one’s anxieties permeate the surface in the first place. It’s an interesting concept that has been successfully and unsuccessfully experimented with in movies. Jeff Nichol’s Take Shelter is one of the successful ones.

Set in small town Ohio, Curtis (Michael Shannon) is a husband and father in a lovingly close family. His wife Samantha (Jessica Chastain) sells homemade textiles on the weekends, but is otherwise taking care of the pair’s deaf seven-year-old daughter, Hannah (Tova Stewart). The family’s dynamic is seemingly, and likely has been, perfect from the beginning, but all of that starts to change when Curtis begins having increasingly horrid dreams.

His dreams all contain an apocalyptic storm that rains an amber liquid and, furthermore, puts people into a violent trance. The dreams creep their way into

Curtis’ life, and his fear of the storm embeds itself inside his ethos. Curtis begins changing his lifestyle to free himself of the real-life counterparts of his dream’s villains, like when Curtis kennels his dog after it attacks him in a dream, or when he asks that his coworker, Dewart, be replaced after Dewart runs over Curtis’ legs in another dream.

The manifestation of the storm is so deep that Curtis secretly begins planning and constructing a fully rigged tornado shelter behind his house, against the desires of his wife and the confines of his wallet. He also begins to seek help elsewhere, including checking out psychiatric books at the library, seeing a counselor and visiting his mother, who, at his age, was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Though it’s not clear where his dreams are stemming from, it’s even less clear why it’s happening to him.

Shannon’s Oscar-worthy layman has an intriguing outlook, regardless how maddened it may be, which only adds to the sympathy that audiences will give him. It’s almost a story fit for a mystery medical drama – why are these dreams occurring to this neighborly man, and

how will they be corrected? We may never know.

The film delivers Curtis’s journey into an early state of schizoid paranoia in a somewhat dry and slowly unfolding manner, which, at times, might cause loss of attentiveness, but it only adds to the realism of the occurrence. Even real life cases of insanity don’t happen overnight, so why should the film depict it that way?

Take Shelter is a somewhat new take on Kubrick’s 1980 horror, The Shining – except that Shelter is significantly less violent. Both Curtis and Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) slowly lose their minds, to different degrees, and tell themselves the solution to rid their madness – though one chooses to build a storm shelter and the other chooses to murder his family. Both films do so in an incredibly thrilling manner, even if Take Shelter plays out as a drama of sorts.

In this day and age, anxieties run deep among even the least likely people. It’s the extent that people change according to those anxieties that separates them from sane men. As in the case of Curtis, taking shelter is seemingly his only hope, but the question remains: what is he really taking shelter from?

the uwm post

12 October 31, 2011

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

No take backs

SA should not go gently into that good night Last Wednesday, the SA led a nighttime tour of UWMilwaukee neighborhoods to counter the perception that campus neighborhoods are unsafe after dark.

Called “Brighten the Night,” the event was kicked off at 6 p.m. from a vacant lot on the corner of Oakland Avenue and North Avenue. The walkers, joined by escorts from the UWM Police, proceeded to march through parts of the East Side, Shorewood and Riverwest.

It’s hard to know how big of a turnout SA was hoping for, though with the number of participants ranging somewhere in the single digits, it’s probably safe to say the response was underwhelming. This is just as well, because it’s hard to think of a bigger misguided exercise in futility.

There is so much about “Brighten the Night” that is either bizarre or contrary to reality that it’s hard to know where to begin. Even the name is perplexing, given the SA’s choice of meet-up location. That’s because the lot where the walk began from is the location of the former Pizza Man restaurant, which was destroyed by arson in Jan. 2010.

We suppose the connection could have been a symbolic attempt to dispel any lingering feelings of negativity

surrounding a scary but isolated incident of nearly two years ago. Even if that is the case, it’s still strange to begin a would-be victory march aimed to prove how crime-free UWM neighborhoods are with such a visible reminder of lawlessness.

Our criticism of “Brighten to Night,” however goes beyond its silly name and starting location.

Far more important to us is the SA’s apparent indifference towards the very real danger that exists in the neighborhoods surrounding UWM. In their press release publicizing the event, SA Vice President Brett Johnson said, “the constant safety warnings from the UWM Police make the area seem a lot scarier than it actually is. Our hope is to get rid of that stigma and let students feel empowered to explore their new home as a group.”

While the SA may not like it, we feel that the stigma exists for good reason, and it has a lot do with the need for the UWM Police to send out constant safety warnings. Since Jan. 1, the police district UWM is located in has experienced over 4,000 instances of Group A offenses – with especially high numbers for theft, vehicle breakins and property damage – and has a higher crime rate than Milwaukee as a whole. Those statistics don’t include

Riverwest, whose own police district has even higher numbers, including an assault rate that’s nearly double the rate of city at large.

Look, we appreciate that the SA wants to address students concerns about safety, and, as always, we give props to those willing to volunteer their personal time for community service, but telling students in UWMarea neighborhoods they have nothing to fear but fear itself is just plain wrong. And for members of the UWM student government to downplay the relevance of campus safety reports in an attempt to drum up enthusiasm for “Brighten the Night” is at best naïve, and at worst, irresponsible.

Ultimately, the reputation of UWM-area neighborhoods is tied to their crime rates. Until those drop, people have every reason to question their safety. A single after-hours stroll through the neighborhoods surrounding UWM isn’t going to change anyone’s perceptions about anything. If the SA wishes to empower students, they can start by informing them about the reality of campus area crime and how to go about minimizing risk. This, more than anything, will have a positive effect on our neighborhoods.

LETTERS

TO THE EDITOR

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.

Ideology camps and campuses

I am so glad that the Op-Ed written by Miranda Rosenkranz, "Conservative in College", was printed in the October 24 edition of the UWM Post. Miranda, I'm in the exact same boat you are. It's not right that conservatives on campus should have to keep silent for fear of being ridiculed by our peers for our views while liberal activist groups like the SDS can hold disruptive, embarrassing protests and be praised as if they are saints. The most obvious example of this is when the Student Association essentially defunded the UWM chapter of the College Republicans at the end of last semester in a purely political move that was as asinine as it was unbelievable. We conservatives need to stand up and make our voice heard around here, and let it be known that we are through getting pushed around.

–Zach Karthauser I recently read the article in the UWM post and found it interesting and insightful. Often, the minority in a group is ostracized just because of their minority status. I certainly understand that being a Republican on a liberal campus would make one feel like somewhat of a minority.

That said, from what I read about the author, I don't think she is a Republican. The author discusses how many Republicans are open to people of all different races, sexual orientations, etc. What you describe about Republicans may have applied to those who identify with the party in the past, but no longer. Take, for instance, the current crop of Republican presidential contenders. They do not express the same views as the author.

Several candidates have openly opposed gay marriage and the repeal of DADT. All of them oppose abortion rights.

These things are Republican, but they are not conservative. From the author's writing, I get the impression that she is more libertarian than she is Republican. Libertarians value freedom above all else. Freedom in the market, and freedom in your life. Government involvement at any level is diametrically opposed to libertarian values. Libertarians are about small government and free markets. Market regulations hurt small business more than large corporations. Ironically, Republicans regulate more of the market than Democrats do, but both parties are practically owned by large corporations. I needn't even start a discussion as to which party cares more about social regulations, that should be obvious.

The author also writes, "Conservatives ... value hard work, dedication and education. Individuals should not rely on the government to buy them groceries, pay their rent or provide them with health care... Instead, this is the responsibility of every person in this nation. This may seem like tough love, but the government has no place in these personal affairs."

I could not agree more. The government has absolutely no place in personal affairs. However, Republicans all over the country would disagree with both the author and myself. Regulations on how we behave in the bedroom, how we control our family size or what we smoke are all strongly supported by Republican politicians. Why is it that Republicans are so righteous about second amendment rights but don't apply the same philosophy to other aspects of personal freedom?

Finally, the author writes "I am right wing because I believe in the philosophies they [Republicans] promote." There is very little content about social values, but from what was written, I assume the author has a "do what you want so long as it doesn't infringe on my rights" attitude. This is very important because Republicans do not adhere to this philosophy. Democrats don't either, but that's a different argument.

I can completely understand the writer's intent. Clearly, both Republicans and conservatives are a minority group on campus. However, the author isn't a Republican. That’s not to say the Democratic party is better. It's pretty clear that both parties are pretty bad on any number of levels. But until we stop associating ourselves with any one party, our country will not get better.

We are not Democrats or Republicans. The world is more complicated than a two party system allows and it isn't fair to anyone to operate under such illusions. _William James I had to laugh after reading this op-ed bemoaning the sad, desperate predicament that conservative students face on a day to day basis in the overwhelmingly liberal college environment. Please do us all a favor and grow a spine already. I'm so tired of conservatives acting like they are such a persecuted minority, when the record of history will quickly prove that it has virtually always been the conservatives that have been on the side of oppressing minority groups in society. It's now your turn, as conservatives, to learn to take what you've been dishing out all these many years. If liberals, African-Americans, Latinos, Jews, Muslims, LGBT individuals, and the poor can survive the wrath of conservative hatred and oppression for generations, surely you, as a college student, can muster up enough self respect and conviction to get through a measly four years of being in the ideological minority at your school.

–LiberalOppressor666

OP-ED

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October 31, 2011

13

Do unto others… Regeneration

No room for lying, cheating, Millennials, baby boomers can learn from each other as torch is passed stringing someone along

By Jessica Wolfe

By Angela Schmitt Staff Writer editorial@uwmpost.com

With all of the chick flicks and love songs out there, you would think that people would know how to treat the ones they love – or even those they just like – however, this does not seem to be the case. Out of all of my friends, I can't think of a single one that is in a good relationship.

I can think of a friend whose boyfriend just cheated on her and is desperately begging her to be with him again. Another friend has been strung along by a guy while he goes out and sows his wild oats, or whatever he wants to call it. And I can also think of a friend whose boyfriend is always lying to her.

Everyone wants to meet someone who is going to treat them right and love them. If everyone is out there with the same goal, then why is it so hard to find?

What happened to the whole “I like you, so I want to be with you and be good to you” idea? For some reason, it just isn't that easy.

It's mind-boggling that there are more people experiencing bad relationships than real, healthy ones.

Almost everyone has been in some kind of situation where they liked someone and that person treated them like crap.

When you like someone and they treat

you badly, you start to put up walls, and you start to give up on the idea that a relationship doesn't always have to be bad, that you aren't always going to get hurt. No one deserves that, but unfortunately, that’s how it often is.

I know this is a lame example, but look at Justin Bieber. Last month, he rented out the Staples Center and set up dinner and a movie for his girlfriend inside the arena. Granted, that’s a bit grandiose and outside the budget of most guys, but the point is that he did something thoughtful and romantic to show her that he cares.

Justin Bieber is 17 years old, and he is putting most guys out there to shame. All it takes is putting a little bit of thought into it and doing something nice, no matter how big or small. It never hurts to try harder to be better to someone you care about and not take them for granted.

Plain and simple? If you’re into someone, be good to them. If you’re not, then leave. If you feel the need to cheat on someone or string them along, it is better to leave them be instead. It hurts someone a lot less to be dumped than to be played for a fool.

The bottom line is that people need to learn how to treat each other better. No more cheating, no more game playing, no more lies. It's not that difficult. You can't help who you like and don't like, but you can help how you treat them.

Guns, firms & stealing

Staff Writer editorial@uwmpost.com

A change is on the horizon.

Many companies are faced with an aging workforce and are cautiously welcoming a new generation of workers in the office. The global workforce is undergoing a complex generational shift, and employers are finding it difficult to manage an increasingly multigenerational workplace.

Within the next several decades, the majority of the workforce will be the socalled Millennials of Generation Y, those born between 1978 and 1995. They are considered the most educated generation yet. But is education enough to compete with the innovative baby boomers?

The characteristics of Generation Y are often highly generalized, but they represent a picture of America’s future labor force. Generation Y is not afraid to challenge the status quo.

A generation that has grown up challenging their parents will go on to challenge their employers – it’s inevitable. This is not necessarily a negative thing. Gen Y is willing to challenge new ideas and procedures.

However, real innovation and progress is the result of a focused and complete effort. This may pose challenges for Gen Y members. Multi-tasking is great, but

Millennials often take on too many tasks at once, thus hindering productivity.

Furthermore, Millennials are technology driven. They are exceedingly proficient with technology but seem to lack social skills. Their comfort with technology is both beneficial and counterproductive. They communicate in a different way than their elders, and this poses a challenge in the office, since Gen Y’s often prefer virtual problem solving over physical confrontation.

This generation has also experienced rapid technological progress and vast social change, which they have grown accustomed to. In fact, change and new technologies are considered to be the only relatively stable concepts in corporate America today, so Generation Y may be more prepared to enter the workforce than people are led to believe.

Generation Y aims to reform corporate America by tossing out baby boomer boardroom culture in favor of attitudes closer to their own mindset.

Yet, as of right now, baby boomers still run the show, and old habits die hard.

These are seeds by which generational conflict is sown.

Nevertheless, understanding Generation Y is imperative for employers.

Millennials are highly independent and refuse to let their career define who they are, something the baby boomers are now coming to realize. They are

often less loyal to employers, who must develop a stronger commitment to retaining employees.

Even in tough economic times, employers must do better job training workers and consider providing such benefits as sabbaticals, professional development opportunities and other options for Generation Y workers seeking greater fulfillment in the workplace.

Employers will reap the benefits of their efforts when they invest in the development of these young workers.

Generation Y is made up of talented, ambitious and motivated people who prosper through positive reinforcement and feedback.

More importantly, younger workers need to know how to adapt to the values and demands of their elder colleagues.

Until Millennials begin entering higherranking positions, they must adhere to the expectations of the baby boomers and live up to their high standards.

After all, the baby boomers are the managers, CEOs and presidents of our workforce. They are the bosses, and that’s not going to change in the near future. Generation Y members who are willing to adapt to the boomers in the boardroom will be the first to replace their elder, more respectable colleagues once they retire.

Manufactured reality in the minds of America

Concealed carry debate a How mass media gets us to screw ourselves manufactured sideshow

By Jesse Anderson Staff Writer

editorial@uwmpost.com

By Joe Ford

Special to the Post editorial@uwmpost.com

I’ve been trying to ignore this concealed carry controversy, but it’s next to impossible. The media coverage is bringing it to our collective attention, whether we like it or not. I figure it’s just another distraction.

People who feel the need have been packing heat surreptitiously since forever anyway. And they’ll continue to do so no matter what law says what. But, in spite of my attempts at ignoring this sensationalized pabulum, I have inadvertently formulated some questions and observations.

First, the training required to qualify.

Does this training feature an ethics component? Like when to shoot who and for what? Will a psychological profile be involved? Will anger management issues be addressed? How about screening for drug and alcohol problems?

A scan of the Wisconsin Department of Justice website for information on the licensing requirements shows the emphasis to be on technique, skill, accuracy and firearm safety. A DD214 (military discharge papers) gets you past any safety training and automatically qualifies a person instantly, post-traumatic stress disorder and all.

I know some people that fulfill all the

legal requirements and qualify for one of these licenses, and I have to say, I would rather they couldn’t aim a gun with any kind of accuracy. Technical competency should be less important than psychological temperament.

As this shakes out, it is becoming apparent that no firearms will be allowed in government buildings. Government offices will be off limits to armed citizens.

It seems it is okay to take out each other, as long as the people making the rules can ensure their protection from the blowback of this decision.

I wonder if guns will be allowed into their gated communities. I know Walker doesn’t live in a gated community, though he is currently surrounded by armed guards. Besides, he’s not the one making the rules. He’s just a corporate lackey fulfilling the demands of the real power behind the screen – the Koch bro types, banksters and hedge fund billionaires.

We in the Western world have really gone out of our way with money for research and development to refine and expand the killing power of our weapons.

Nowadays, you can tuck a tool into your waistband that packs enough punch to take out an entire McDonalds during the lunch rush. Have we have come a long way or what! Hey, if you’re eating that crap, you’re killing yourself anyways.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE COLUMN The Vatican and economic oversight

By William Bornhoft

Have you ever wondered why advertisements, public figures, senate bills, social movements and other popular concepts have catchy names attached to them? The Patriot Act, Budget Repair Bill, class warfare, the 99 percent vs. the one percent – these terms are all intended to influence audiences into taking a side on an issue. They are all attached to some kind of agenda that requires your action to accomplish.

This became a problem once it began influencing people to borrow money they couldn’t pay back to buy things they didn’t need, swaying elections and passing legislation in favor of corporate interests and taking away the rights of citizens. Mass media influence is diminishing our potential quality of life.

All outcomes aside, social influence begins with psychology.

Pavlov conditioned his dog to salivate at the ring of a bell. That concept persists on a massive scale, involving not a bell and a dog, but messages and human audiences.

Motivators, such as hunger, sex and survival instincts, drive our subconscious while the pursuit of pleasure, leisure and control drive our conscious thoughts and behavior.

In the 1920s, Edward Bernays, developer of the field of public relations, applied Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis ideas through mass media. What Bernays got from Freud was the idea that irrational forces and emotion drive human decision making, not only among individuals, but more importantly, among groups, much more than factual information.

Bernays experimented with this at the Easter Day Parade in New York City.

The president of the American Tobacco Corporation asked him to find a way of breaking the taboo at the time associated with women smoking, because they were missing half of their market. Bernays convinced a group of debutantes to hide cigarettes under their clothes, join the parade and, at his signal, light them all at once.

He then notified the press that he'd heard that a group of suffragettes were going to protest by lighting what they were calling “torches of freedom.” He knew that all of the photographers would be there. He had a symbol, young rich women smoking a cigarette in public, and he was ready with the phrase, "torches of freedom." In post-WWI America, liberty was on everyone’s mind, so they had to support the women in the ensuing debate about this. Emotion, memory and a rational phrase all wrapped into one symbiotic act of power for women and liberty for all.

The next day, newspapers all across the world showed that young, prominent women were smoking to symbolize freedom. From that point forward, the sale of cigarettes to women began to rise, because Bernays made it socially acceptable.

Mainstream media and popular culture, more than ever, develop a framework for understanding the world that leads audiences to develop strong views about not only products and brands but also race, gender, social class and politics. If delivered correctly, strategic, repeated messages can also create and destroy entire ideologies. These concepts eventually become habituated into roles, which millions of people subscribe.

Look at the divide between liberals and conservatives.

Knowledge and people's conception of what reality is becomes embedded in the institutional fabric of society.

Sociologists Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann called this the social construction of reality. When “reality” comes from mass media with an agenda, is it real?

Journalist and media critic Walter Lippmann argued that people – including journalists – are more apt to believe “the pictures in their heads” than come to judgment by critical thinking.

People condense ideas into symbols, he wrote, and journalism, then becoming a force of mass media, is an ineffective method of educating the public.

What it boils down to is that not everyone is aware of how mass media influences them to hand over money, vote for someone they know little about or support an agenda that will harm them and those around them. People supported the war in Iraq because “terror” came to our shores from Afghanistan. They supported Obama because the wanted “change.” They adhere to a polarized, divisive political structure because it is “democracy.” It is tragic that deception is everywhere, including our own minds.

Critical thinking and understanding how our thoughts and actions affect us and our community is important to building a desirable, sustainable reality.

The messages mass media communicate to audiences essentially provide a script to follow. While there is always a choice, following the crowd and giving in to emotional appeals is a downhill ride. Critical thinking can be an uphill battle – but the top of the hill has a better view.

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October 31, 2011

COMICS Primal Urges

Andrew Megow

I Like Your Shoes

She Said, He Said

Luna’s Upside Down World

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Carol Brandt

Kat Rodriguez

Andrea Thurner

PET OF THE WEEK Elle is the purrfect little princess, at just a little over 5 years old. She is affectionately referred to as a "cat bird," because her meows sound more like chirps. She greatly enjoys licking human skin until it's raw, but only with the best of intentions. She will stop at nothing to get fed, even when it's not time to be, cutting people off, meowing incessantly, bodyslamming doors and throwing her paws underneath them - the works. But she's good at warming up the bed on cold fall and winter nights, she is impossibly cute and her fur is really soft, so at least she has three redeeming qualities. Oh, and she's engaged to Dave Riesberg.

(No, not a male human, the female cat that belongs to Sierra Riesberg.)

To see your pet featured, e-mail petoftheweek@uwmpost.com!

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PUZZLES

THEUWMPOST CROSSWORD

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6

Mansion Author Capote Honda car Shopping center Snacked Pen point

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

ACROSS 1 School gp.

4 Fertilizer 10 Cooking grease 13 Circle part 14 Get tired 15 Rainy mo.

16 Desi’s wife (2 wds.)

18 Flowery necklace 19 Without values 20 Bird homes 22 Singer Mariah 23 Cows chew these 25 Understand 28 Ceases 29 Certain seafood 30 Release (2 wds.)

31 Asian dress 32 Entryway 33 13th U.S. president (2 wds.)

38 Baltimore baseballer 39 Office shape 40 ____ Carlo 41 Muffin ingredient 42 Punctuation item 46 State of agitation 47 “Darn it!”

48 Main artery 49 Motor inn 51 Word before gown or shower 52 Employ 54 Famed apple shooter (2 wds.)

57 Air blower 58 Attacks 59 Originally 60 Choose 61 Stand in the way of 62 Sample

October 31, 2011

7 African nation 8 Laws 9 Snaky fish 10 Artificially high voice 11 Bonobo, for example 12 Prefix meaning “three” 14 Chef Bobby 17 Angers 21 Heat unit 23 Dairy product 24 Consistent26 Alga product 27 Part to play 29 Container weight 30 Lounge 31 Discount (price) 32 Blueprint 33 Mothers 34 Take the wrinkles out 35 Sore soother 36 Gambling game

37 Mr. The Terrible 41 Daring, slangily 42 “Proceed” (2 wds.)

43 Fiery 44 More dry, as crackers 45 Name in comets 47 Believer 48 Equips 50 “____ the Night before Christmas” 51 Bundle 52 Alien ship 53 Tree gum 55 (On the) run 56 Roman three

solution found on page 4

GODOKU

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

solution found on page 4

solution found on page 4

THEUWMPOST is looking for a fine-arts entertainment writer distribution manager Interested? e-mail: post@uwmpost.com or stop by in person to room EG80 in the Union

A group of young folks bought twenty pieces of candy for twenty cents. Fudge costs four cents per piece, while gumdrops were four for a cent and chocolate drops two for a cent. How did they invest their money?

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October 31, 2011

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