The Daily Cardinal - Thursday, October 29, 2009

University of Wisconsin-Madison Complete campus coverage since 1892 dailycardinal.com Thursday, October 29, 2009l

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”

Trick and Treat!

ASM supports student voting member on ALRC By Andrew KasperThe Daily CarDinal

Associated Students of Madison unanimously voted to officially endorse a Common Council amendment that would make a permanent position for a student representative on the Alcohol License Review Committee.

According to ASM Legislative Affairs Committee Chair Adam Johnson, the amendment would modify the pending expansion of the ALRC from seven vot-ing members to nine, mandating that one of the new positions remain permanently set aside for a student representative.

UW-Madison student and Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, proposed the amendment.

Johnson, a proponent of the amendment, asked the student council to support the amend-ment before the vote.

He said he plans to attend the Common Council meeting next Tuesday with other members of

the LAC in representation of students and in support of the amendment.

According to Johnson, a

strong student presence at next week’s Common Council meet-

H1N1 vaccine shortage in WisconsinBy Rebecca AutreyThe Daily CarDinal

University Health Services has postponed a Nov. 3 H1N1 vac-cination clinic due to vaccine shortages throughout the entire state of Wisconsin.

Stephanie Marquis, spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, said the state has received only 300,000 doses of the 407,000 promised by the Center for Disease Control. As a result DHS has narrowed priority groups even further from those recommended by the CDC.

Currently pregnant women, health-care workers, people who care for infants less than six months and kids six months to four years will receive the vaccine first.

According to Marquis, most health-care workers in the state have already been vaccinated so they can remain healthy and con-tinue to see patients.

Although the CDC has also named six- to 24-year-olds a prior-ity group, DHS has asked healthy people over 18 who do not have underlying medical conditions such as respiratory and cardiovascular problems to be patient.

“We all want the vaccine as quick-ly as we can,” Marquis said. “The reason these individuals are targeted is because they could really become very seriously ill if they receive the virus.”

Sarah Van Orman, execu-tive director of University Health Services, said in a press release Wednesday UHS expects to receive more doses of the vaccine and will let students know as it becomes avail-able. Currently UHS is only provid-ing H1N1 vaccinations to people in designated high-priority groups.

Mae Knowles, spokesperson for Meriter Medical Clinic-McKee, said the clinic would follow DHS recommendations when administer-ing the vaccine. In the meantime, she said priority and non-priority groups can take simple precautions to stay healthy.

According to Knowles, people should wash their hands, not share straws and drinking cups, avoid peo-ple with flu-like symptoms and cover a cough with a sleeve.

Knowles said that most peo-ple who contract the flu will be fine if they follow self-treatment guidelines, such as drinking flu-ids, getting rest and taking fever-reducing medications.

However, she stressed that patients who experience shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest, sudden dizziness, severe vomiting or who get better and then get worse should immediately seek emergency care.

Committee considers stricter late-night vending regulationsBy Erin BancoThe Daily CarDinal

Late-night vendors on Broom and Johnson Street may be moved to Library Mall because of complaints from residents in the area, members of the Vending Oversight Committee said at their meeting Wednesday.

Karen Foxgrover, member of the VOC, said residents of the area often complain about the noise vendors bring to the area.

Warren Hansen, street vend-ing coordinator, proposed assigning spots for vending carts on Broom and Johnson street to help stop disputes between

vendors.“The police are very uncom-

fortable dealing with this … monitoring the [area],” Hansen said. “The idea of having specifi-cally assigned areas is so people don’t show up wherever they

ISABEL áLvAREz/The Daily CarDinal

aSM members voted to support an amendment Wednesday that would allow for a student voting member on the alrC.

asm page 3

vending page 3

The UW-Madison campus gets into the halloween spirit, with the hoofers haunted house (left), and Trick-or-Treat with the Greeks (right).photoS By dAnny MARChEwKA/The Daily CarDinal

UW student dies in motor accident

Craig Houston, a UW-Madison student, was killed in a motorcycle acci-dent Saturday Oct. 24 near Oshkosh, Wis.

Houston was traveling on his motorcycle on Highway 41 late Saturday night when he crashed and died on the scene, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

Officials are still unclear if Houston was hit by another car.

Houston was a junior at UW-Madison, according to UW-Madison spokesperson John Lucas.

“It’s tremendously sad, and a loss to our entire community whenever we lose a student,” he said.

According to his obituary from Westgor Funeral Homes, Houston graduated from Neenah High School in Neenah, Wis., in 2007.

The obituary also said he was an excellent student who was involved in various extra-curricular activities.

Houston’s visitation is scheduled for Saturday Oct. 31 at 9:30 a.m. followed by the funeral at 1:00 p.m. at the St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Neenah, Wis.

‘Muffin man’ robs teenagerA 17-year-old boy was robbed

along West Johnson Street early Tuesday morning while he was

robbery page 3

two oF A KInd MAKE dEFEnSE dynAMICO’Brien Schofield and Chris Maragos emerge as leaders in senior year

Costumes and candy make for a creepily commercial halloween

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Editorial BoardCharles Brace Anthony Cefali

Qi Gu Jamie StarkTodd Stevens Justin Stephani

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Board of Directors Vince Filak Alex Kusters

Nik Hawkins Jason Stein Jeff Smoller Janet Larson Chris Long Charles Brace

Katie Brown Benjamin Sayre Jenny Sereno Terry Shelton

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I ’ve never really understood country music. I’m not exactly sure what a honky-tonk bar is,

but I’m pretty sure that if one burned down, nobody would

care. However, recently I was lucky enough to receive a sneak peek into the gritty underworld of country music and its stars.

It all started when I was trying to enjoy a sub-par burger at a local Texas Roadhouse. After one too many kiddie cocktails, I excused myself and stumbled to the bath-room. Three wrong turns later, I found myself in a labyrinthine base-ment area. The door at the end of the maze-like cellar had a window barely large enough for me to glance through, and I peered in to see where the door led. To my amaze-ment, I saw every major country music star gathered for some sort of meeting. My memory is a bit fuzzy, but here’s their exact conversation in its entirety:

Tim McGraw: Hello everyone, glad you could make it. Let’s get this Country Music Stars meeting underway. First things fi rst: Trace Adkins, we’ve received numer-ous complaints about your songs. You just aren’t singing about God enough, hoss.

Trace Adkins: I know, I know. Honestly, I don’t go to church all that much. Don’t know nothin’ ‘bout the bible or Jesus and stuff.

McGraw: Are you kidding me? Do you think any of us know anything about God or Christianity? We all just make stuff up. I mean, I know God did something important or is sort of a big deal or something

like that.

Toby Keith: Hey, wasn’t God like...uh, the invenentor of the alphabet or something?

McGraw: Yeah, that sounds right to me.

Taylor Swift: I think I heard God was the first dinosaur to trade with people.

McGraw: Uh, Taylor... maybe you should leave now. Is your mother coming to pick you up?

Shania Twain: Yeah, are you even old enough to have your driving temps yet?(Taylor Swift leaves room crying)

McGraw: Well, I guess we’re the reason for the “Teardrops on her guitar”! Am I right?(Room erupts in laughter)

McGraw: Alright, next order of business: how to treat women. We’ve had some country singers asking about if they should change their lyrics to imply that women should do something other than just be a stay-at-home mom. Reba, what do you think?

Reba McEntire: Hey, I think it’s just fi ne treating women like they won’t make it out of the kitchen. Women should aspire to be one of two things: either a country singer or a stay-at-home mom.

McGraw: Good, I’m glad we got that fi gured out. Say Big, where’s your partner Rich right now?

Big: Uh, he’s actually at our bank-ruptcy hearing right now. We’re a

bit tight fi nancially.

McGraw: Haha, how embarrassing! I make a motion that we hereby refer to Big & Rich as Small & Impoverished. Is there a second to the motion?

Toby Keith: Second.

McGraw: All in favor?

Everyone: Aye.

McGraw: It’s settled then. Your band name is now as embarrassing as your songs.

McGraw: Has anyone seen Eric Church? He’s 30 minutes late!

Brad Paisley: Uh, you know how he always sang about loving his truck? Well, he actually tried literal-ly making love to his truck the other day. Had to go to the emergency room when he got his, uh, lower extremity stuck in the fuel tank of his pickup. The doctors aren’t sure if he’ll ever be able to have children.

McGraw: I’m starting to think maybe it’s better if Eric Church doesn’t ever reproduce. Ever.

Kenny Chesney: Hey guys... What tired catchphrase should I turn into a song next? I was thinking of using “What goes around comes around,” but I’m not sure how to incorporate alcohol into it. Ideas?

Garth Brooks: How about “Shut up woman, get on my horse?” It’s short and to the point.

Chesney: I like it!

McGraw: People! People! Y’all are

gettin’ off-topic here! The next order of business: NASCAR. We need to bring up NASCAR more in our songs! We’re going to lose sponsorships if we don’t talk about how great it is to crack a beer and watch NASCAR races on Sunday afternoons.

Zach Brown: Hey guys, what’s going on in here?

McGraw: (Whispering to Chesney) Oh goddamnit, who told Zach Brown where the meeting was this week?

Brown: So yeah, I went to Tokyo for the meeting like you guys told me to, but I think you made a mis-take. Our meeting wasn’t in Tokyo at all! But no worries, I found it!

McGraw: Yeah, Zach... listen... the meeting’s getting a little crowded, y’know? We don’t want to violate any fi re codes. Maybe you should leave...

Brown: But my mom made you guys cookies! Look, they’re shaped like cowboy hats! Hilarious!

McGraw: You know what? Meeting’s over. Christ, could we have just one meeting where some no-talent Nashville washout doesn’t show up to ruin everything?

Blake Shelton: Sorry, hombre. No can do.

Would you interrupt Taylor Swift mid-speech to state your case for why “Single Ladies” is the best music video ever made? Let Jon know at [email protected].

With Halloween on the horizon, pumpkins are every-where. It certainly is the sea-son of pumpkin carving, roasted pumpkin seeds and homemade pumpkin pie. For those of you craving a warm slice of pumpkin pie with fewer pesky calories, look no further. The final installation of pumpkin ales has brought us to Shipyard Brewery’s Pumpkinhead ale. The best overall descrip-tion of pumpkin head is simply put—pumpkin pie in a bottle.

Of all the other pumpkin ales reviewed in October, none have come close to tast-ing like a piece of pie. That being said, Pumpkinhead falls short of being declared a beer. Over-the-top pumpkin sweetness and savory cinnamon and nutmeg lack the full body and hint of hops that several other seasonal brews bring to the table.

Right off the top, an aroma of pump-kin and nutmeg wafts from the bottle, grant-ing a gift to whatever keen nose is nearby. It

truly is a wonderful scent if you can find it. The lack of strength in any respect, with the exception of pumpkin taste, is a key, but unfortunate fea-ture to note. Wheat beer is commonly thought of as a summer drink, so it’s questionable as to why Shipyard uses it in this case. It would be interest-ing to see if the particular ale were any better if made with a barley base. There’s no doubt that it would add a bit of body and some deeper flavor.

Only one thing could recover a good beer sta-tus—alcohol content. Yet again, Pumpkinhead falls short. Instead of a punch-in-the-face, warm-you-up-high content, Pumpkinhead crawls in at a measly 4.5 percent alcohol by volume. Any lower and you just have a screwed up batch of a new Jones’ Soda flavor. Intense sweetness and high carbonation make this statement somewhat feasible. Take away the alcohol and you defi-nitely have a marketable soda.

All critical comments aside, Pumpkinhead set out to do one thing—taste like pumpkin. And for this, Shipyard deserves a prize—there’s no doubt they succeeded. The 2007 West Coast Brew Fest agreed and awarded a first place in the specialty competition. Much better suited for a drinking with a dessert than a dinner, Pumpkinhead cer-tainly isn’t made for a full session, but makes a wonderful addition to a fall feast. Don’t let this review steer you away, Pumpkinhead is definitely worth a try this holiday season.

New Beer Thursday Shipyard Brewing Company Pumpkinhead Ale

Shipyard Brewing Company Pumpkinhead Ale

$7.99 at Riley’s Wines of the World

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A local country music meeting goes south

TODAY:cloudyhi 63º / lo 52º

FRIDAY:a.m. showershi 55º / lo 37º

2 Thursday, October 29, 2009 dailycardinal.com/page-two

JON SPIKEacademic misjonduct

simply put—pumpkin pie in a bottle.

newsdailycardinal.com/news Thursday, October 29, 2009 3l

Edgewater developer revamps design plansBy Caitlin GathThe Daily CarDinal

After enduring several months of criticism, the company behind the Edgewater redevelopment has gone back to the drawing board.

After taking into consideration the concerns of neighborhood residents, as well as city officials, Hammes Co. has redesigned much of its previous plan.

The main concerns over the original plan centered on the height of a new hotel tower, cars blocking the planned lakefront view corridor and buses and trucks creating too much of a distur-bance. Tax incremental financing was also an issue, as was making sure the hotel remained a pub-lic space, said Amy Supple of Hammes Co.

The new proposed designs include a removal of the top level of the 1973 tower to create a public terrace with cascading steps down

to the waterfront.The terrace will allow for more

green space, as well as a level of interaction for the public, Supple said. During the winter months, an ice rink will be added into the space.

The company also removed the top three levels of the new hotel tower, significantly lessening its height and reducing the 228-room capacity to somewhere between 180 and 190 rooms.

Supple said the goal of the rede-velopment is to make it a destina-tion within the city and especially the Mansion Hill neighborhood.

“There is no place that uti-lizes the waterfront,” she said. “We don’t leverage our greatest assets: the lakes.”

Construction of the new hotel is estimated to create 700 to 800 jobs and between 400 and 500 permanent jobs once it is complete, according to supporters.

BEn piErson/The Daily CarDinal

ald. Thuy Pham-remmele, District 20, and ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, discuss the consequences of late-night vending at Wednesday’s Vending Oversight Committee.

want.”However, representatives

from the city attorney’s office, who attended the meeting, said the city could not make site assignments on roadways, but could on pedestrian walkways.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said if the noise was not con-trolled and disputes between vendors did not cease, the committee might have to “bite the bullet” and vote to move the vendors to Library Mall, a pedestrian walkway.

Rosemary Lee, a member of the VOC, said she would not be happy if the committee voted to relocate vending carts to Library Mall. She said it would be “unfair” to the small business people.

“I am all for having the vendors there too,” said Hawk Schenkel, also a member of the VOC. “But the reality though is that there are problems associ-ated with it, if we can’t change it legally then we need to get rid of it.”

Schenkel suggested assign-ing vendors to specified zones

of Broom and Johnson Street, rather than to certain spots. The VOC referred the proposal to the city attorney’s office, which will report back to the commit-tee at their next meeting.

The VOC motioned to invite all late-night vendors to the meeting for discussion about the proposal.

The VOC also discussed raising fees for special-event vending, prohibiting vending near public schools and imple-menting a stricter seniority system for vending outside of Camp Randall.

ing will work to prove that students feel strongly about the issue.

“It will give students a chance to speak in open forum and to be one of the primary responses to one of the biggest criticisms of this: that students don’t care enough about it,” he said.

Students are currently rep-

resented on the ALRC by a “technical advisor,” which is a student who had speaking rights at the meetings, but no voting role.

However, the passing of the new amendment would not give ASM control over the student representative.

If it is passed, the ALRC student representative will be a “generic citizen” chosen by the mayor and could come from

any of the Madison colleges, not necessarily UW-Madison.

Johnson said if the amend-ment is passed, ASM will send a list of approved students to the mayor in hopes that he will con-sider their recommendations.

ASM Secretary Kurt Gosselin said the placement of a student member on the ALRC with full privileges, regardless of the stipulations, would be “a complete victory.”

asm from page 1

Sheridan names committee to consider expulsion of Wood

Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, appointed a Special Committee on Ethics and Standards of Conduct Tuesday to consider a resolution to expel Rep. Jeffrey Wood, I-Chippewa Falls, from the Assembly.

The committee was formed in response to a proposal by Rep. Steven Nass, R-Whitewater, to have Wood removed from his seat following three OWI arrests over the last year.

Wood has stated that he will not seek re-election, but he will not resign from his seat in the Assembly.

Wood said he did not think a replacement lawmaker from his district would be able to serve his constituents as well as he could, according to WKOW 27 news.

The Wisconsin state legislature has only ousted a colleague twice in the past. It would require a two-thirds majority of the Assembly, equivalent to 66 votes.

vending from page 1

waiting for the bus, according to a police report.

The victim, who is a resident of Stoughton,Wis., was waiting on the corner of West Johnson and North Frances Street sometime before 8 a.m. when the suspect walked up to him, asking to see his wallet.

When the victim responded that he did not have one, the suspect replied, “Gimme what you got.” The victim complied and gave him the few dollars he had on him, the report said.

After the victim handed the money over, the suspect then reached into the boy’s pocket and stole his banana nut muffin.

The suspect was described as a black male, approximately 27 to 29 years old, between 5'9'' and 6'0'' and 175 to 200 pounds. He is also said to have black hair, brown eyes with the “whites” of his eyes look-ing very yellow and shaved lines in his eyebrows. The report also said he was wearing a pulled-up black hoodie with dark jeans and

tan boots.The suspect is still at large and

was last seen walking south on West Johnson Street.

robbery from page 1

features

C andy and costumes dom-inate the UW-Madison campus when Halloween

arrives. Students leave Walgreens carrying candy bags the size of pillowcases and insist that their parties be “costumes-only.” Such things raise the question of why this holiday came to be centered on candy and dressing up.

Americans will spend approximately $4.75 billion on Halloween this year, according to a September 2009 survey by the

National Retail Federation. The study—the Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey—found that on average, each con-sumer this fall will spend approx-imately $17.99 on candy and $20.75 on costumes.

Halloween originated in the Celtic festival, Samhain, during which the boundaries between the living and the dead dissolved, says UW-Milwaukee anthropol-ogy professor Bettina Arnold. On Halloween, the graves of the dead

open, and spirits and humans can pass back and forth between the supernatural world and the world of the living.

But candy companies and mod-ern advertising have conspired to change the original meaning and customs of Halloween.

Halloween now serves “a busi-ness which has resources,” and has become “a social phenomenon,” said UW-Madison professor of mar-keting research Neeraj Arora. “Kids are into candy because of that,” and “there are social welfare implications in what companies do.”

The mass advertising for candy “is pretty typical for America,” said UW-Madison sophomore Melissa Balch. “I think it’s bad on a lot of levels, for nutritional and general celebratory reasons.”

Candy companies gear their campaigns to maximize profit and Arora supports companies doing what is best for them.

“They do what they do to maximize their bottom line, and if that takes more candy then that’s what they’re supposed to do,” Arora said.

UW-Madison associate pro-fessor of marketing Joann Peck said candy companies have more affected the type of candy bought on Halloween than the traditions of Halloween itself.

“Candy companies do holiday promotions [because] most of the candy sales in the U.S. are dur-ing Halloween,” Peck said. “For chocolate, [sales are] bigger than Valentine’s Day. So they spend a lot of money advertising those brands because they know that’s when most of the sales for the year will be.”

Larger candy companies like Hershey’s thrive during the Halloween season.

“People splurge at Halloween,” Peck said. “They know the brand names, and they had them as kids, so they treat themselves at Halloween. A lot of private labels are increasing, but not in Halloween candy.”

But there are things aside from advertisers contributing to the commercialism of Halloween.

“Halloween. What’s the first thought that comes into your head? Candy. If there’s one part that needs to take a stand a little more, it is parents need-ing to educate their kids that...

Halloween is not about candy,” Arora said. “[Candy] is a very small piece of the whole rationale for having something like that.”

Arora said candy companies should alter their advertising, but not necessarily cut down on advertising.

“There’s a responsible way to conduct business, and the one thing perhaps we could do better as businesses is probably be a bit more responsible about the ingre-dients that go into the candy,” Arora said, adding that children cannot rationally evaluate a candy commercial to discriminate between the good and bad things about the product. “Kids don’t quite see that, they will latch onto the feel-good aspect of that behavior.”

Peck said candy companies are making an effort to conduct busi-ness in a way that is healthier for the consumer.

“One thing the candy manu-facturers are doing is using small-er packaging,” Peck said. “If you think of the ‘200 calorie packs,’ [they are] not exactly healthy, but it makes people aware of how much they’re eating.” In addi-tion to portion control, Peck said candy companies are also mak-ing nutritional information more available for consumers.

Costume sales also play a role in commercializing Halloween. College-age consumers tend to go overboard on spending for costumes more than the gen-eral population. On average, they spend $29.26 per person each year, according to the NSF sur-vey. College students are twice as likely to celebrate Halloween by dressing in a costume than by handing out candy.

Halloween has been trans-formed from a spiritual tradition into a holiday of commercialism, according to Balch.

“Children dressed in scary cos-

tumes, haunted houses—I don’t see anything wrong in it,” she said. “Maybe it’s sort of a cor-ruption of the holiday but I don’t really see it as a bad thing.”

UW-Madison students typical-ly celebrate Halloween by dress-ing in costumes and attending Halloween parties. For them, it is hardly a holiday to commemorate the dead.

“It’s more about partying and drinking and not really celebrat-ing Halloween, but having an excuse for a party,” UW-Madison fifth-year senior said. “I don’t think they’re really dropping the tradition, I think they’re just focusing more on parties and hanging out with people their age,” adding that the concept of Halloween changes with age.

For children, Halloween is centered on trick-or-treating.

According to Arnold, some scholars believe that trick-or-treating originates from Samhain. Historically on Samhain, people in Wales would leave food outside the door to pacify the dead and leave the doors unlocked for dead rela-tives to revisit.

Geigler said she trick-or-treated until she went to college, adding that she did not think there was an age limit on that tradition.

“My costumes were more girly things, like princesses—Dorothy from ‘The Wizard of Oz,’” Geigler said.

But Geigler’s trick-or-treating experience shows how American customs have further altered the traditional idea of Halloween as a ceremony to recognize the dead.

“I come from a Christian fam-ily, and we weren’t allowed to cel-ebrate Halloween,” said Geigler. “We could dress up in normal costumes, but not goblins and ghosts. [My mom] didn’t want us to celebrate anything doing with evil spirits.”

Despite the influence from candy companies and costume stores, the traditions of Halloween still serve as a foundation for what is now mainstream U.S. holiday.

“I think business is doing what they’re supposed to be doing and it’s a happy time of the year,” Arora said. “Kids and parents can go crazy one time of the year and celebrate Halloween... as long as we don’t forget the real meaning of it.”

halloween4 Thursday, October 29, 2009 dailycardinal.com/features

How did Halloween start? Halloween on campus revolves around getting three sheets to the wind and not getting arrested. But where exactly did this holiday originate?

LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

GRAPHIC BY JENNY PEEK/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Melissa Balchstudent

UW-Madison

“Maybe it’s sort of a corruption of the holiday but I don’t really

see it as a bad thing.”

Story by Diana Savage

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artsldailycardinal.com/arts Thursday, October 29, 2009 5

Group ends up going in ‘Circles’By Anthony CefaliTHE DAILY CARDINAL

There is a moment in the Explosions in the Sky song “First Breath After the Coma,” when the listener is enveloped by the combi-nation of sound and the song title. It may have taken fi ve minutes to get there, but the patience pays off. Explosions in the Sky achieve a variety of emotions without the use of discernable vocals, a challenge that often pays big when done right, and in this case it truly does. But it makes us ask, “why?” What can we get across in music that we can’t express with words?

Chicago-based post-rock trio Russian Circles has been wrestling with this question since their debut release “Enter” in 2006. While their songs are incredibly effective, alive with rapturous drums and brick-wall guitars, the overall experience of their third release, Geneva, rings largely incomplete. Other than the pleasantly melodic “Melee,” the uncomfortably optimistic “Malko” and the uncan-nily climactic “Philos,” the record feels lost amidst the search for some higher purpose. As far as post-rock is concerned, Russian Circles defi nitely display the most energy and affi nity for gut-wrenching bombastics and cold, desolate atmospheres.

Russian Circles as a product echoes this intensity, with a name reminiscent of the Cold War, fore-boding album art and obtuse song titles. Since their fi rst incarnation as Dakota/Daktoa, the members of Russian Circles have been fl irting with the more lucid ideas present-ed in Geneva, burying any chance at comprehension behind song titles like “Death Rides a Horse” and “Don’t Pee in my Bed and Tell Me it’s Raining.” “Geneva” pushes itself out beyond this cryptic tom-foolery, approaching the concept of a cohesive whole moreso than any previous release.

Album opener “Fathom” begins raucously, like a symphony trying

to coordinate itself in the dark, and fi nally fi nds rhythm just before hit-ting bottom with the introduction of an anxious drum kit. Unfamiliar strings permeate Geneva, and along with inaudible vocal samples, help to provide us with a location that feels like one of David Lynch’s dreams, a harsh and unforgiving reality. But these songs aren’t meant to feel like anything other than that. They are devoid of comfort, leaving a frigid metallic aftertaste. Even when they slow down the tempo in the tracks “Hexed All” and “When the Mountain Comes to Muhammad,” the songs give off an air more akin to prostrate com-placency than that of approaching a meditative enlightenment.

The title track is the most dis-jointed. Rhythmically, the bass and drums lay the listener down on a torture rack and pull to a triplet rhythm punctuated by lackadai-sical guitars. Somewhere during relocation, “Melee” begins its slow, thermodynamic ascent. “Malko” is the stand-out track on the record precisely because of its ability to be recognized. Before the song descends into fuzz and blast-beat fi lls, it sports the only genuine guitar riff, lead-ing us fearlessly closer to the end of a brazen experience. The album closes with “Philos,” a track that reverberates with a maturity and grace that the title implies. The rest of the tracks on the album search for the focus and structure of “Philos,” building up to a fantastic fi nish a long time in the making.

The problem with Geneva is that it answers the question, “How can we create emotions without words?” with another question: “Where do we go from here?” Geneva was more of the same from a promising group of atmo-spherically intriguing musicians. At the same time, this aimless-ness is a strength. The repetitions echo time, which marches on to nowhere in particular. Thankfully, there is nothing wrong with this.

Halloween hits for scaredy cats

B efore I get too far into this topic, I have to admit something to all of you: I

am absolutely, no-holds-barred 100 percent the worst horror movie viewer of all time. I can’t stand getting scared. Even the mildest of scary movies leave me covering my ears, squinting my eyes and praying for the film to be done already. The only time I force myself to watch horror movies is when they seem ready to become a cultural hallmark, or when they are so critically acclaimed (“The Sixth Sense,” “Let the Right One In”) that I can’t truly call myself a movie expert without seeing them.

The thing is, when I do sit through a horror movie, I marvel at the technical wizardry in the film. The ambient sound, pulling us into the action; the dim light-ing and quick editing alerting us to the impending danger ahead—It’s a film maker’s dream come true. But for me, that dream is a horrible nightmare. The film’s

respective elements come togeth-er so well in their intent to freak me out that I can’t appreciate a film like “Halloween” for what it is because I managed to see less than half of it.

So, for those of you who were hoping I’d give out a helpful list of must-see screamfests for this Halloween, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be doing it justice. So instead, I crafted my own list of three Halloween-themed films that are masterpieces in their own right but won’t leave you clutching your pillow, screaming at the dumb bimbo on the screen to quit walking by herself down by the foggy pond.

1. “The Nightmare Before Christmas”

“But Kevin,” you say, scratching your overly dense noggin, “isn’t ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ more about Christmas?” Fortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth, as I already have my own list of ritual-istic Christmas movie viewings that simply can’t make room for another Tim Burton fi lm. Jack Skeleton, the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, is bored with celebrating Christmas over and over. When he fi nds Christmastown, he decides to com-bine the two, resulting in the most creepy Christmas ever. Despite its fantastical characters and strange animation, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is still grounded in reali-ty; after all, once Halloween fi nishes, isn’t Christmas eagerly awaiting just around the corner?

2. “Donnie Darko”Sure, “Donnie Darko” is

scary, but not in the slice-em

dice-em “Scream” type of scary. The film messes with your con-cept of reality and features one of the scariest supporting charac-ters in Frank the Bunny, a creepy giant rabbit who follows Donnie at every turn, convincing him to do devilish things. The film reaches its climax in the midst of a drunken costume party, as the protagonists explore a haunted house. If you don’t think that’s Halloween enough for you, then I really doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion.

3. “Ghostbusters”While not expressly situated

around Halloween, this Ivan Reitman classic not only features creepy ghosts and otherworldly beasts, but fea-tures Rick Moranis hosting a cos-tume party before being possessed by demons. Be sure to check out Dan Aykroyd before he disappeared off the face of the Earth and Bill Murray before he limited himself to droll Wes Anderson comedies and silly cameos. “If you piss your pants/ When you watch ‘Scream 2’/ Who you gonna call? ‘Ghostbusters!’”

Kevin’s most embarrassing moment was crying at the fi rst scene of “Ghostbusters” when he was seven. To share your hor-ror movie phobia, e-mail him at [email protected].

KEVIN SLANEdr slanelove

PHOTO COURTESY SUICIDE SQUEEZE

Russian Circles’ latest album makes their aimlessness a strength.

Even the mildest of scary mov-ies leave me covering my ears, squinting my eyes and praying

for the fi lm to be done already.

“Donnie Darko” messes with your concept of reality, and fea-

tures one of the scariest supporting characters in

Frank the Bunny.

GenevaRussian Circles

CD REVIEW

Geneva was more of the same from a promising group of

atmospherically intriguing musicians.

comicsl

© Puzzles by Pappocom

Angel Hair Pasta By Todd Stevens [email protected]

Sid and Phil By Alex Lewein [email protected]

The Graph Giraffe By Yosef Lerner [email protected]

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

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

Today’s Sudoku

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Charlie and Boomer By Natasha Soglin [email protected]

Evil Bird By Caitlin Kirihara [email protected]

Washington and the Bear By Derek Sandberg [email protected]

6 Thursday, October 29, 2009 dailycardinal.com/comics

Let Me see you ‘tootsie roLL.’ Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America.

Scary

SHHH!

ACROSS 1 Beer component 5 Eighteenth U.S.

president 10 Mil. letter drops 14 Bar in a narrow dish 15 “... bad, bad ___

Brown” 16 They won’t boost a

2.0 GPA 17 Drove 90 in a 75

zone 18 Certain American

dogwood 19 NFL snappers (Abbr.) 20 Library feature 23 Spotted cat of the

Americas 24 Hatch from Utah 27 Angler’s boot 28 “Keep your pants

on!” 31 Critters with eyestalks 34 “Beloved” author

Morrison 35 Book’s guide 40 Fonda role 41 Become attracted by 42 Meat retailers 44 Old Testament song 49 ___-surface missile 50 Kind of diver 52 Book written in first

person

56 Space travel meas. 58 Medalworthy behavior 59 Frosty coating 60 “Dies ___” (mass

hymn) 61 “Spirited Away” genre 62 Victorian and

Mesozoic 63 Best buds 64 “... to say the ___” 65 Car insurance topic,

perhaps

DOWN 1 Site of Gorky Park 2 South American

llama 3 Looked lasciviously 4 Take baby steps 5 Act self-satisfied 6 Catches one’s breath 7 Opera highlight 8 “Silent Night” or “The

Little Drummer Boy” 9 Trainee 10 Right on the nose 11 Norm’s last name on

“Cheers” 12 “___ the land of the

free ...” 13 Frying pan sound 21 Corsica, to the French 22 “I ___ You Babe”

(Sonny and Cher hit) 25 Attachment for “len” 26 CBS maritime drama

28 Candle cords 29 Facial tissue additive 30 Stevie Wonder’s “___

She Lovely?” 32 Thing jotted down 33 A good way off 35 Brass instrument 36 “C’est ___” (“it’s

his”) 37 Act of aiding an

enemy 38 Professorial talks 39 Barfly 43 Word with “potato”

and “pepper” 45 Left unharmed 46 Be ambitious 47 ___ Brothers (failed

investment banking firm)

48 Word used to express possibility, in the Bible

50 Brings to ruin 51 Bird with long plumes 53 Speedskating track

shape 54 Source of misery 55 Skater Kulik who won

gold at Nagano 56 “Keep a stiff upper

___” 57 “La-la” lead-in

opiniondailycardinal.com/opinion Thursday, October 29, 2009 7l

When is a costume “too soon?” We’ve all joked, cried and projectile

vomited about the crucial ques-tion. But, as with the war in Iraq, there can be no standardized timetable to redeploy costumes from distasteful to hilarious.

Some feel there should be a Halloween code of conduct stat-ing costume wearers must wait at least one year after a celebri-ty’s passing to impersonate them for Halloween. However, before briskly walking away, a random girl I asked in Grainger said it was never too soon.

What’s the standard we Badgers must operate under while purchas-ing leftovers from Ragstock and ransacking our mothers’ closets? The legend that was a ticket-less Halloween can only be remem-bered by the senile seniors. But a Freakfest ticket is not a contract of sub-mission to The Man. Where else will you fi nd a $7 ticket to a decent concert? Although this is the fi rst year almost all UW stu-dents have never experienced a free Halloween on State Street, our city has a reputation as one of the biggest and best Halloween parties in the country. If we want to keep up our image as a top spot on All Hallow’s Eve, a steep stan-dard of decorum must be upheld when it comes to impersonating deceased stars.

Consideration of fl atlined celebrities’ attitudes is integral to costume appropriateness. Billy Mays would feel honored by the plethora of costumes in his likeness; the man is beat-ing that Australian Sham Wow whacka from the grave.

However, the means of pass-ing may occasionally be inap-propriate to display in conjunc-tion with a celebrity’s likeness. Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin costume with matching sting ray wound? Sounds like the definition of “too soon.” The man was recently canonized in Australia and children look up to him even six feet under.

What about dressing as the late Ted Kennedy? But add cra-nial scars to that parade float-sized head you’re wearing, and you’re sporting a “too soon.”

Perhaps a nice Biddy Martin get-up would impress your friends.

Presidents before JFK are standard appropriate costumes. Wheelchair-bound FDR with

a harem of vamps and flap-pers—never too soon. Just don’t forget your martini.

One costume is destined to be the most hackneyed, repul-sive costume of the season—Michael Jackson. There will be plenty of variety—MJ with wine-sipping Macaulay Culkin, Michael and a pill-toting doc-tor, Jackson 5 edition Michael, Michael holding his infant son Blanket over a balcony, perhaps even a Jackson family com-plete with half-exposed Janet Jackson. But is it too soon to moonwalk down State Street with one bedazzled glove? Not for a true fan.

As you stumble up and down State Street this weekend, know there are worse fates than pay-

ing $7 for Freakfest. Those $7 dollars get you in to jam out to Third Eye Blind. $7 for a time machine trip back to eighth grade sounds like a great value. Freakfest is more than just walk-ing on a public sidewalk. Not to mention, who doesn’t pine for a Facebook profile picture with

cops on horseback? Is it worth it to have big

name bands like O.A.R. and Third Eye Blind play Freakfest? Why not hire less than the 110 private event staff used this year and book bands with smaller sal-aries? Ticket prices could drop significantly, but there would still be entertainment to make the festivities involve more than binge drinking and ogling sug-gestive costumes. With 30,000 to 40,000 expected to attend, it would be difficult to negate the costs of Madison Police out in full force. The city will not likely go back to cover-ing the costs of the increased attendance and accompanying police. If we continue having tickets to fund police overtime,

they might as well charge a few bucks extra to bring in musical entertainment.

The real cost associated with Halloween in Madison is the risk of being exposed to friends and neighbors masquerading as a pill-popping Heath Ledger. Or even more tacky and “too soon,” Farah Fawcett as an angel.

If you see a dead version of Brett Favre or a living Billy Mays, say “hi” and let me be the one to judge

the appropriateness of your offensive celebrity costume. Happy Halloween. Stay classy, Madison.

Jamie Stark is a sopho-more intending to major in journalism and political sci-ence. Please send responses to [email protected].

The thin line betweenfunny and “too soon!”

For the past week, The Daily Cardinal Editorial has urged readers to e-mail city alders with their opinions about adding a student vote to the Alcohol License Review Committee. How could a student vote help the ALRC? The student angle would help to focus new development on projects similar to Segredo, the new bowling boutique on University Avenue. The concept of Segredo is more about atmosphere than alcohol, and it is a fi ne example of how student dollars are important to the local community. We need a voice to ensure students are considered in future development. We encourage students to show they care about having a voice in city affairs by attending the next common council meeting in full force. The next common council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the City-County Building. Check out The Daily Cardinal in the upcoming days for more on how you can work to bring a student vote to the ALRC.

Contact city aldersThe contact information for all city alders can be found at cityofmadison.com/council. Send an e-mail to city offi cials to let them know your stance on creating a student voting member on the ALRC.

The ALRC Student Vote Campaign

JAMIE STARKopinion columnist

Cardinal View editorials represent The Daily Cardinal’s organizational opinion. Each editorial is crafted independent of news coverage.

view

W hen we declared a boy-cott of the Nitty Gritty bar for owner Marsh

Shapiro’s comments about a stu-dent voting seat on the Alcohol License Review Committee, we were not just asking students to seriously consider where they spend their money. We were also pointing out to city officials and businesses that students have a clear impact on neighborhoods across the Madison community.

The new Segredo Madison bar at 624 University Ave. is the perfect example of how students shape the business community. It will spur jobs and surrounding businesses for years to come, but the reason it is there in the first place is because its owner saw a student demand for 18-and-up establishments. The ALRC has approved Segredo’s liquor license, apparently indicating they think students are smart enough to spend money there, but members balked at the idea of a student voting seat.

The city’s Common Council must not show such a cavalier attitude for the distinct impres-sion such actions make, that city officials are content to see stu-dent money support Madison’s economy while denying them the right to advocate for themselves. If city alders care at all about students, not as cash dispens-ers but as community members who work to make Madison a more vibrant city, then they will approve a student voting seat on the ALRC.

We do not see this even as a strictly alcohol-related issue. Our issue is with some alders and business owners who do not think students are mature enough to handle the responsibility a vot-ing seat brings. Others correctly realize that students will lend a thoughtful, innovative and prag-

matic voice to a committee that impacts their community. As a city we already allow 18-year- olds to run for Common Council seats, yet to listen to some alders creating a student voting seat would be to invite pandemonium

into city affairs. Students already showed in

the spring 2008 city elections that their electoral impact is just as significant as their eco-nomic clout. When Ald. Bridget Maniaci, District 2, beat eight-year incumbent Brenda Konkel, some observers claimed there was a political conspiracy to remove Konkel. But the reality is stu-dents, who make up a major portion of the district, wanted a representative who better advo-cated for their interests and the interests of the area.

A rational, nuanced approach is needed to address an issue like the student voting seat, one that gives students the respect they deserve as a thriving part of the city. This applies not just to alders on the isthmus, as stu-dent-supported projects like Segredo, University Square or even Halloween increase down-town profits to raise tax bases for the city as a whole.

We call on the Common Council to enthusiastically endorse the proposal for a stu-dent voting seat. Students are the engine for economic development in the city, and we are demanding alders not take that for granted.

alrc seat about more than alcohol policy

City offi cials are content to see student money support

Madison’s economy while deny-ing the right to advocate for

themselves.

sportsl

T he mantle for Badger athletics is usually car-ried by football and bas-

ketball, two sports that have a certain style to them. Both have an aura of teams that boast less talent than top foes, but can hang with the best due to strong fundamentals, good coaching and a slow-paced, disciplined approach. Furthermore, neither sport was considered a pow-erhouse in any fashion before 1990, and since have been seen as spunky overachievers.

On the ice, however, consider the Badgers a powerhouse.

The Wisconsin hockey program is an outlier among its top three sports, as it is one of the strongest in the history of NCAA ice hockey competition. This is a team with history, prestige and a massive edge in getting top talent.

In fact, Badger hockey may be the equivalent of an Alabama or Miami in college football, or a Duke in college basketball.

Wisconsin ranks fourth in national titles all-time, and since the program started in 1963, no other team has won more NCAA crowns. Even though the state of Minnesota is considered the most hockey-crazed in the country, the Badgers hold a 6-5 lead in champi-onships over the rival Gophers.

From 1973 to 1990, Wisconsin won it all five times (one every 3.4 seasons). Even in the 16-year gap between the 1990 and 2006 titles, the team went to the NCAA tournament 10 times, appeared in the title game once, won a MacNaughton Cup for a WCHA regular season championship, pro-duced a Hobey Baker runner-up (Steve Reinprecht) and, just for good measure, an NHL star in Dany Heatley.

Two of Sports Illustrated’s top-20 American hockey play-ers donned the cardinal and white (Mike Richter and Chris Chelios). Alums Ryan Suter, Brian Rafalski, Heatley and even Joe Pavelski, who left campus just over three years ago, could find themselves representing their countries in the Olympics this winter.

That’s probably not something most casual crease creatures were aware of.

But with this lofty history comes built-in recruiting advantages, which make the struggles of the last few seasons even more troubling.

The group of defensemen has

been the most talented in the country for the last two years, and this season features seven players drafted by NHL clubs, three of them first-round picks. All togeth-er the team has 11 drafted players accounting for nearly half of the players who have seen ice time thus far.

The problem recently has been losing great talents before they get comfortable on the college level and produce. In the last three sea-sons, potentially special players like Kyle Turris and Jack Skille (both top-10 draft picks) left before they were juniors.

This season’s team, however, is deep, talented and, for the first time since the 2005-’06 champi-onship year, experienced. But with that, and the records over the last three seasons, the expectations and pressure also grow.

To maintain the standing and level of success the program has attained, this year must be differ-ent. It can’t be another season when a talented UW squad finishes just within or just outside the 16-team NCAA tournament field.

The hockey team stands apart from basketball and football because of its history as a pow-erhouse and ability to bring top recruits to Madison. Now, even after a 1-2-1 start, the team needs to start playing up to the level of that historical caliber.

Still don’t think the marquee hockey program compares to UW football or basketball? E-mail Ben at [email protected].

8 Thursday, October 29, 2009 dailycardinal.com/sports

Men’s Hockey

Behind Geoffrion, power play threateningBy Parker GabrielTHE DAILY CARDINAL

When an opponent goes into the penalty box and a two-min-ute one-man advantage is given to the Badgers, senior center Blake Geoffrion and the rest of the Wisconsin power-play unit have one thing in mind: put the puck in the back of the net. Through the first two weekends of the regular season, Geoffrion has already tal-lied three goals, and they have all come on the power play.

All too often, a team will see a power play coming and get over-ly aggressive, often rushing shots or trying to slot the perfect pass through the opposing defenders. Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves tries to harness that aggressiveness, using an approach he refers to as “TWIG,” or “take what is given.”

“When each young man has the puck on his stick, he is like the quarterback in football,” Eaves said. “He has to have the ability to read the defense and take what is given.”

Geoffrion has been the enforcer on the unit so far this year for Wisconsin, spending most of his time in front of the net scrapping for re-directed pucks, trying to take away the opposing goalie’s vision, and capitalizing on rebound opportunities. That dirty work suits the senior just fine.

“A lot of times people think that because you have a man advantage you don’t have to work as hard,” Geoffrion said. “I think you have to work harder.”

Eaves has seen the work ethic,

and knows what to expect when Geoffrion is on the ice.

“He is really good at under-standing what his role in the power play is and he becomes a fulcrum of that,” Eaves said.

Despite the three early goals for the senior, he is quick to point out that, without good puck move-ment and decision making from the players on the blue line and on the wings, he would not have any chances to score.

“It’s really all about the guys finding me. I just kind of sit in front of the net and dig at the puck and hopefully it goes in,” Geoffrion said. “Those guys [outside] make plays and get me the puck.”

Geoffrion is joined on the pri-mary power play line with true freshman Justin Schultz, sopho-more Derek Stepan, and juniors Brendan Smith and Michael Davies. Every time this line is on the ice, no matter how long or short the advantage, the course of the game can change.

“You always want to score, or give your team some momentum off of that, Geoffrion said. “You don’t want it to be a negative effect where you don’t get set up or you have guys getting frustrated.”

So far this year for the Badgers, Wisconsin has scored on five of their 28 power-play opportunities. This translates into a 17.9 percent scoring rate, currently good for fifth in the WCHA.

The stat is a bit misleading, how-ever. On opening weekend against Colorado College, Geoffrion scored on the power play less than

five minutes into the contest. Later in the period, though, he suffered a concussion and missed the rest of the weekend. The Badgers went 0-9 on the power play after he was knocked out. Last weekend in two games against Minnesota State, Wisconsin notched four power play goals in 18 chances.

While the Badgers rank in the middle of the league in power play

efficiency, Eaves said he expects the results to improve as the sea-son moves on. Once the offense is set, the passing sequences and decision-making can get technical, and group chemistry can take time to develop.

“We’re getting there,” he said. “Guys are getting in rhythm, our power play needed repetitions and we got that last weekend. I think

we’re on the right track.”With a roster that features the

talent and depth that the Badgers have, a dynamic power play unit can provide an element that very few teams will have the ability to combat. In order for this particular unit to unleash its full potential for the rest of the season they will have to remember fundamentals, such as TWIG.

STEPHANIE MOEBIUS/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Wisconsin scores on 26.3 percent of its power plays when senior forward Blake Geoffrion is healthy.

Time for hockey to return to glory Football

Around the Big Ten: Week 9BEN BREINERboom goes the breinamite

Badger hockey may be the equivalent of an Alabama or

Miami in college football, or a Duke in college basketball.

By Scott KelloggTHE DAILY CARDINAL

The conference race is heating up and teams are beginning to bat-tle for bowl game positioning as the Big Ten surpasses its halfway point in the schedule.

Indiana at No. 4 IowaAfter downing Michigan State on

the road last weekend, Iowa is now clearly the Big Ten’s only shot at a BCS National Championship Game participant. Now that Iowa is square-ly placed in the national spotlight, pundits around the country are bash-ing the Hawkeyes for their close calls against Northern Iowa and Arkansas State, but select defendants, such as ESPN.com writer Adam Rittenberg, are pointing to the Hawkeyes’ feats of going into State College, Madison and East Lansing, and coming out without a loss. It will be interesting to see the national opinion of Iowa if the Hawkeyes keep winning. Indiana (1-3 Big Ten) is in the midst of another poor conference season after allowing Northwestern to overcome a 25-point deficit last weekend.

New Mexico State at No. 17 Ohio State

The Buckeyes’ season already feels like a disappointment, considering Ohio State already has two losses at this point in the season. But the Buckeyes have to keep their head up, realizing if they win their remaining games, including the late-season clash against Iowa, the Big Ten title will be theirs.

Purdue at WisconsinThe Boilermakers are still rid-

ing high after upsetting Ohio State two weeks ago. Purdue took care of business against Illinois last week, and is now in the middle of the Big Ten with the Badgers with a 2-2 record. While Purdue looks to keep its momentum going, Wisconsin is hoping to halt the force of its two-game losing streak. This game will have bowl game ramifications. While both teams have little chance of tak-ing the conference crown, both are still hoping to play in a New Year’s Day bowl game.

Michigan at IllinoisThe Wolverines’ dream start is now

a distant memory, as Michigan now has a 1-3 record and finds itself near the basement of the Big Ten. In that basement are the Fighting Illini, strug-gling through a brutal season.

No. 12 Penn State at NorthwesternThe chances of a conference cham-

pionship for the Nittany Lions are slipping with each Iowa victory, as the Hawkeyes own the tiebreaker with Penn State. Penn State’s eyes may now be on a New Year’s Day bowl game.

Michigan State at MinnesotaThe Spartans’ chance for a Big

Ten title went out the window last weekend, but they are still looking to position themselves for a good bowl game, and should help their position-ing with a win this weekend against the struggling Gophers.