A much-anticipated jobs report for the state found an improved outlook for the state’s job market, with both positive job growth in the private sector and a drop in the unemployment rate.

According to the Department of Workforce Development report for January, the state gained an estimated 15,700 private sector jobs between December 2011 and January 2012, and the unemployment rate fell to 6.9 percent, the lowest rate since December 2008.

“In 2011, we stabilized

Wisconsin’s economy following years of steep job losses, and we put in place a foundation for job creation,” John Dipko, DWD spokesperson, said in an email to The Badger Herald. “After benchmarking and including the preliminary January 2012 data, Wisconsin gained jobs during three of the last six months.”

Rep. Roger Rivard, R-Rice Lake, characterized the numbers as encouraging. He said politicians often do not have patience in waiting for trends to develop, but the numbers show the policies of the current administration are

© 2 0 1 2 B A D G E R H E R A L D

Our cheddar is better, but is it Gouda enough? Wisconsin cheesemakers take 30 first-place finishes at a biannual international competition for the world’s best cheese. WEB EXCLUSIVE

THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1969

www.badgerherald.com Friday, March 9, 2012 Volume XLIII, Issue 103

Put on your barbaloot suits

Photo courtesy of Universal FilmsTime wasted by Diversity Commitee

OPINION | 5

The Ed Board weighs in on recent resolutions brought forth by Diversity Committee.

ARTS | 7

An animated version of ‘The Lorax,’ featuring a star-studded vocal cast, hit theaters last week. But will it live up to the Seussian legend?

Wisconsin chasing Rocky Mountain high

INSIDE

SPORTS | 10

The Badgers head to Denver in best-of-threes playoff series, needing a win to continue their postseason.

Mifflin culture under fire

Citizens weighed planning details for the Mifflin Street Block Party planning at a meeting Thursday night, focusing in on efforts to prevent a repeat of last year’s violent incidents and the “drunk culture” many neighborhood members said pervades the event.

The block party, which has been under heavy debate since incidents of violence which occured during last year’s event, has been the subject of collaborative planning from

students, neighborhood residents and city officials in recent weeks.

In previous meetings, the Madison Police Department proposed not to block off the streets since it would affect traffic flow to other parts of downtown.

Mifflin Neighborhood Association member Peggy LaHahieu said she believes it is important for students to reframe the theme of the Miffl in Block Party and not to promote it as a “drunk fest.”

“When the [student representatives] speak of that, they see it as a drunk

fest, and I personally am not happy with that,” she said. “It seems that we are having a little bit of confl ict there.”

LaHahieu said although changes are unlikely to occur overnight, it is still important to let the students know the neighborhood wants to see major alterations to Miffl in.

Mifflin resident Indy Stluka said they are now trying to bring down the party to a small-scale gathering, which would only be limited to University of Wisconsin and Madison Area Technical College students.

“We are trying to change [the party] away from the drunk culture,” Stluka said.

Larry Warman, chair of the Neighborhood Association, said he had seen a lot of harassments and problems stemming from past parties, and it is unlikely for changes to take place in the short-term of the event.

Beyond talk of the 2012 party, a proposal from Mayor Paul Soglin was also introduced to the association regarding a potential partnership between the Madison

Members of the Miffl in Neighborhood Association and Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, debated a plan from the mayor to build a facility that would house space for the Madison Fire Department to avoid moving fi refi ghters from other locations. Miffl in Street neighbors also voiced concerns that students’ goals for the party’s structure might not be in line with others involved in planning.

Andy Fate The Badger Herald

City offi cials seek change in focus from block party’s ‘drunk culture’ as long-term event goal

Andrea ChoiHerald Contriubutor

Voter ID order to be enforcedStudents requesting absentee ballots will not be required to follow law’s provisions

As the result of a hotly contested injunction to stop enforcement of the voter ID law, University of Wisconsin students and Wisconsin residents no longer have to present photo identification in order to receive an absentee ballot or cast a vote for the upcoming primary election.

This measure comes as a result of a March 6 ruling by Dane County Circuit Court Judge David Flanagan, which called for a halt to enforcing this law.

With the injunction, students can expect to take the same approach in requesting an absentee ballot or casting a vote as they have in the past, which includes presenting one’s name, address and a signature, Maribeth Witzel-Behl, Madison city clerk, said.

“For this election, spring break for UW is at the same time as the spring elections, so we anticipate that there will be a lot more absentee voting, just because people will be out of town,” Witzel-Behl said.

There are approximately 39,000 out-of-state residents in the UW system, David Giroux, a spokesperson for the UW System, said

Josh BrandauHerald Contributor

in an email to The Badger Herald.

Due to the timing of Wisconsin’s primary election this year, many of these students may need to rely on an absentee ballot in order to cast a vote, he said.

Although university students are affected by the new ruling, a statement from Milwaukee Alder Ray Harmon said many opponents of the legislation contend underrepresented citizens will be hurt the most.

James Hall, president of the Milwaukee branch of the NAACP, said in a statement all citizens of Wisconsin, including the elderly and non-English speakers, could

VOTER ID, page 2

MIFFLIN, page 4

Al Crist, UW System vice president of human resources and workforce diversity, said offi cials are currently at work creating a more unifi ed and cohesive System-wide personnel system. Regents also weighed the state of the System’s fi nancial aid programs available to students.

Matt Hintz The Badger Herald

Board of Regents paint grim picture for state’s financial aid

University of Wisconsin System employees presented a grim picture of fi nancial aid problems facing universities, at a Board of Regents meeting Thursday.

UW Financial Aid Director Susan Fischer said the financial aid program is no longer staying true to

its mission of addressing a “family’s ability to pay” as the unpredictability of financial aid resources makes the process diffi cult.

According to Fischer, UW is still last among its Big Ten peers with regards to the amount of need-based grant money available for students.

However, in recent years, Fischer said UW has doubled need-based gift aid and expects to catch up with the University of Iowa, the second to last Big Ten School for financial aid. They hope to continue with that upward shift, Fischer added.

“Right now, it’s still kind of

sad, but it used to be pathetic. So we’re improving,” Fischer said.

While UW System Interim Vice President Mark Nook said he sees the rises in student loans as a trend to be expected, Regent David Walsh credited the “decision makers” in the state with choking the students with tuition prices and loans.

“If [officials] care about the economy, they don’t want to dump in a bunch of debt that can’t build the next economy,” Walsh said. “We are

UW offi cial says campuses rank last in Big Ten for fundingTara GolshanHerald Contributor

January jobs report finds growth in private sectorSean KirkbyState Politics Editor

JOBS, page 2

REGENTS, page 4

• Photo ID requirements have been temporarily lifted for ob-taining an absentee ballot.

• A UW System offi cial predicts many students will opt for vot-ing with an absentee ballot in the upcoming election.

• Critics of the Voter ID law claim marginalized groups will have an easier time getting to the polls.

Effects of Injuction

12 a.m.WUD Film presents: “Robin Hood: Men in Tights”The Marquee Union South

The Badger Herald | News | Friday, March 9, 20122

Events today

Events tomorrow

All DayWatch Big 10 Basketball TourneyThe SettUnion South

9 p.m.WUD Music presents: Doomtree with MiloThe SettUnion South

Need to publicize your event? Send an email to:

editor@badgerherald.com

608.257.4712608.257.4712608.257.6899608.257.6899

15,000 copiesprinted every weekday.

Published sinceSeptember 10, 1969.

TelephoneTelephoneFaxFax

Editor-in-ChiefManaging EditorEditor-at-LargeNewsNews ContentDeputy NewsCity HallCity LifeState PoliticsState LegislatureCampus LifeHigher EducationMultimediaAssoc. MultimediaVideo DirectorEditorial PageEditorial Page ContentEd. Board ChairmanSportsSports ContentAssociate Sports

StatisticsArtsEtc.ArtsEtc. ContentComicsCopy ChiefAssoc. Copy ChiefCopy Editors

PhotoAssoc. Photo

Design DirectorDeputy DesignPage Designers

Web DirectorDeputy Web Director

Signe BrewsterRyan Rainey

Adelaide BlanchardPamela Selman

Katherine KruegerAlly Boutelle

Adrianna ViswanathaLeah Linscheid

Sean KirkbyMike KujakJackie AllenKatie Caron

Ramsey StatzMeher Ahmad

Gregori KanatzidisTaylor Nye

Reginald YoungAlex Brousseau

Elliot HughesKelly Erickson

Ian McCueNick Korger

Brett SommersLin Weeks

Allegra DimperioNoah YuenkelZach Butzler

Sarah WitmanKatie Foran-McHale

Tom GuthrieJackie SchmittGrace Edquist

Megan McCormickAndy Fate

Kelsey FentonEric WiegmannSigrid Hubertz

Kellie McGinnisKatie Gaab

Gus McNairPeter Zlebek

Adam ParkzerTim Hadick

Bryant MillerBryant MillerJillian GruppJillian Grupp

Roshni NedungadiRoshni NedungadiMichelle CannonMichelle Cannon

Dillon LohmerDillon LohmerMax NonnamakerMax Nonnamaker

Kenzie TempleKenzie TempleJulia WelytokJulia WelytokHeather WolfHeather Wolf

Luke NevermannLuke Nevermann

Advertising DirectorAdvertising DirectorDisplay ManagerDisplay ManagerClassifi ed Mgr.Classifi ed Mgr.ExecutivesExecutives

PublisherPublisherGeneral Mgr.General Mgr.Business Assoc.Business Assoc.Business Mgr.Business Mgr.

Readers may pick up oneReaders may pick up onecomplimentary issue each day.complimentary issue each day.

Additional copies must Additional copies must be picked up at be picked up at 326 W. Gorham 326 W. Gorham

St.St. for for $0.25$0.25 each. Contents each. Contents may not be reproduced without may not be reproduced without

written consent of the editor written consent of the editor in chief. in chief. Copyright 2012, Copyright 2012, The Badger Herald, Inc.The Badger Herald, Inc.

Peter HoeschelePeter HoescheleCorey ChamberlainCorey Chamberlain

Megan HowardMegan HowardAndrea PerkinsAndrea Perkins

Herald business

Herald editorial

Herald advertising

ChairmanChairman

Jake BegunVice ChairmanVice Chairman

Peter HoescheleVice ChairmanVice Chairman

Signe BrewsterVice ChairmanVice Chairman

Bryant Miller

Corey ChamberlainJillian Grupp

Roshni NedungadiPam Selman

Eric Wiegmann

Board of directors

TODAY TOMORROW SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY

39 28sunny

59 38 49 46 57 44 66 52sunny/windy showers few showers AM clouds/ PM sun

working. He said 94 percent

of business owners say Wisconsin is heading in the right direction, and he hopes the numbers will be a long-term trend. He also called the current situation an example of “economic gardening” for improvement in the future.

“You can’t grow grass in the Gobi desert, and you can’t grow jobs in a state that doesn’t have the

environment to grow jobs in,” Rivard said. “These results show [our reforms are] having an effect.”

However, Assembly Democratic Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, said in a statement the statistics show since taking office, Gov. Scott Walker has overseen the loss a total of 12,500 jobs.

He said Republican lawmakers should come together with Democrats and pass legislation creating more jobs in Wisconsin.

“The nation as a whole has added jobs for each of the past 23 months,” Barca said in a statement. “We need to take advantage of that national upward trend.”

University of Wisconsin

JOBS, from 1

potentially reap the benefi ts of this ruling.

“Judge Flanagan respected the history of Wisconsin and the state constitution — which emphasizes access for voters and expansion of the franchise,” Voces de la Frontera Executive Director Christine Neumann-Ortiz said in a statement.

The injunction serves as a temporary measure and could still be get repealed, Graeme Zielinski, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, said in an email to The Badger Herald.

The voter ID law states that voters must present either a Wisconsin driver’s license, Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issued identification card, military ID card or a U.S. passport in order to vote at the polls.

Although the matter could be settled through litigation, Zielinski said Gov. Scott Walker’s administration also has the ability to reverse the legislation.

If the injunction is appealed and overturned, it would mark the first time in Wisconsin history that voting rights of this

magnitude would be taken from citizens, Zielinski said.

The act, which passed last year, was an attempt to curtail voter fraud in the state of Wisconsin, although the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign maintains identity fraud in the voting process rarely occurs.

A hearing to proceed with the injunction is scheduled for April 16.

“We know that this kind of justice does not come easily, and we are prepared to continue fighting any efforts to strip this hard-earned right away,” Neumann-Ortiz said in the Voces statement.

VOTER ID, from 1

U.N. official highlights hunger campaignUW alum Bettina Luescher returns to campus to share experiences working abroad to empower citizens

Drawing on eight years of experience working for the United Nations, a University of Wisconsin graduate returned to campus Thursday evening to share her experiences representing the agency’s branch, which aims to end hunger worldwide.

“Quakes, Wars, and Celebs: Fighting Hunger Worldwide” is part of a two-day event featuring several talks from Bettina Luescher, a UW alumna and current chief North American spokesperson for the World Food Programme, the world’s largest humanitarian agency committed to ending world hunger. The Thursday lecture focused

on how the program both provides food to the hungry and administers humanitarian aid to reverse some of the main causes of hunger.

“We can all do something small and have an incredible impact,” Luescher said.

One in seven people in the world today are facing the problem of hunger, she said. She added the World Food Programme currently feeds 100 million people in 70 different countries.

Luescher also said hunger remains a major problem United States.

“Every third person in the U.S. would depend on this program for survival,” she said. “Hunger is the world’s biggest solvable problem. We know what to do, and we know how to fi x

it.”To illustrate this point,

Luescher shared her experiences in Afghanistan, one of the first places she went after joining the World Food Programme.

In Afghanistan, in addition to providing meals to children, she said the program also worked to make sure they were getting an education, which would allow them to improve their status for the future. She said they gave particular attention to schooling for girls by educating them on how to grow and to store food properly.

“Empower the women farmers of the world, empower the women and give them access and ownership of the land and teach them how to use

it, then they will cut the number of hungry from one billion to 150 million,” Luescher said. “Women are the key to fighting hunger in places all over the world.”

Luescher also emphasized the World Food Programme is completely voluntarily funded. She added spreading their message and reaching new audiences is one of the most important parts of their work.

One of the ways she said they do this is by partnering with celebrities, most notably the rapper 50 Cent and actress Drew Barrymore, saying they bring people together that the group could not otherwise reach.

She added it does not

take much to make a huge difference. $5, she said, can feed a child for months.

“It’s a lifesaver for someone halfway around the world,” she said.

Concluding her lecture, Luescher said the overall purpose of the World Food Programme is to “give people their chance just to have a regular life.”

UW junior Liyana Aziz said the talk provided an insight into the actual applications of the World Food Programme.

“[Bettina Luescher] is an insider, so she could show how they really do things, such as how they raise money and what proposals they make,” she said. “The areas they go in are dangerous, and it’s amazing how they still do it anyways.”

Allison JohnsonHerald Contibutor

GOP files complaint against judge in ID case

The state’s Republican Party filed a complaint Wednesday accusing a Dane County Circuit judge of violating a state statute after he did not disclose that he signed a recall petition when handing down a judgment that could invalidate the governor’s voter ID law.

The complaint, filed against circuit judge David Flanagan, comes after Flanagan issued a temporary injunction on Tuesday that barred the law requiring voters to present photo ID at the polls. Filed to address the judge’s signing of a petition to recall Gov. Scott Walker, the complaint states Flanagan should have recused himself from the case because he was

unable to remain impartial in his ruling.

Republicans claim Flanagan violated state statute because he did not recuse himself from the case, which he could not judge impartially. Republicans also allege Flanagan violated a Supreme Court rule requiring judges in judicial proceedings to remain impartial and uninfl uenced by outside factors.

Republicans said in the complaint the lack of disclosure served to further the interests of the recall movement and Flanagan’s signing of the recall petition demonstrates his disagreement with the defendant of the case.

“If he is not able to be impartial he has the obligation to recuse himself or at the very least

alert the parties that he signed the petition,” Ben Sparks, a spokesperson for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said. “It’s very clear from what he did that it was impossible for him to be impartial.”

The complaint alleges the injunction that would temporarily bar the voter ID law impacts the recall election process. In the statement, Republicans are asking that the Wisconsin Judicial Commission investigate the allegations against the judge and “administer the appropriate penalties.”

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said in a statement Wednesday he and his staff are in the process of bringing the matter before an appellate court and his office will continue to support the voter ID law and see that it

is upheld. The party also claimed

in the complaint that by not disclosing to the parties involved in the case he signed a recall petition, Flanagan “limited the parties’ opportunity” to fi le for judicial substation.

“In showing public opposition against Walker in signing the recall, [Flanagan] is aligning himself with the recall movement, committing violations on two fronts: a conflict of interest and a clear bias,” Sparks said.

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign executive director Mike McCabe said while signing the petition was an “unwise decision” on Flanagan’s part, a double standard is at play in the situation.

McCabe said the state Republican Party is being hypocritical because

they were silent on the ethics case in which Chief Justice Michael Gableman received monetary gifts.

According to McCabe, the law itself “doesn’t speak to the issue of signing recall petitions,” making it unclear whether Flanagan’s signing was a violation of judicial ethics.

McCabe also said the Republican Party is “bellyaching” because Flanagan’s ruling was not in their favor and added both parties participate in these types of complaints only when it is the opposite party who seems to have committed an ethical violation.

“It’s just transparently partisan when an outfit files a complaint in this case but is silent in other cases when the ruling happens to be in their favor,” McCabe said.

Danielle MillerHerald Contributor

economics professor Steven Deller said DWD collects the preliminary numbers through surveying homes and businesses. These numbers are sent to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which uses additional tax data to revise the numbers.

He said the data could be off due to survey errors as well as the way information is corrected, and the bureau has revised data by huge margins in the past. For instance, in June 2012, the state reported an increase of 11,000 non-farm jobs. However, the bureau corrected this figure to a loss of 9,000 jobs, creating a difference of 20,000 jobs from the original numbers.

However, Dipko said while the monthly job estimates undergo numerous revisions and can fluctuate significantly before they are finally benchmarked, Wisconsin’s total and private-sector preliminary job gains in January 2012 span a variety of industries and are beyond the margins of error.

“Taken together, these indicators suggest growth over the month,” Dipko said.

Deller said a trend could only be established if the upward swing lasted for three months, continuing through February and March.

“You can’t grow grass in the Gobi desert, and you can’t grow jobs in a state that doesn’t have the environment to grow jobs in.”

Rep. Roger RivardR-Rice Lake

• There are 430,800 manu-facturing jobs in Wiscon-sin as of 2010

• Wisconsin has the sec-ond-largest six-month decline in manufacturing jobs in the nation, second to California

• Wisconsin is secondmost dependent on manufac-turing jobs behind Indiana

Wis. Manufacturing:By the numbers

SOURCE: WKOW and NAM.org

The Badger Herald | News | Friday, March 9, 2012 3

The Badger Herald | News | Friday, March 9, 20124

Fire Department and developer Hovde Properties to build a new facility downtown for MFD.

Soglin said concerns have also arisen over the plan to build the new facility in 10 years, as some worry that starting it now will be tough under current financial conditions.

He said if the fire department decides to carry out the project 10 years from now without the partnership, it might have to find a new location for 12 city employees.

In an interview with The Badger Herald, Fire Chief Steve Davis said MFD has been pressed for downtown space for some time with 45 employees and only room for 25 of them.

“The buildings are to the point where they need improvements in the heating and the roofs,” Davis said in the interview.

The new facility would include an apparatus floor for fire trucks, with a residential floor and

offices above that, Davis said.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the development of the proposal is progressing very quickly, and some residents from the Miffl in neighborhood are not ready for a community meeting before they have a better understanding of the project.

Association member Scott Kolar said he is concerned about how the project is developing on a fast track and said he believes a community meeting is needed soon to discuss it.

“I just want to make sure that we got the neighborhood’s voice heard in there,” he said.

--Adrianna Viswanatha contributed to this report.

MIFFLIN, from 1

not getting the funds from the decision makers, and that’s going to be a shame for the students and a shame for the state.”

Contrary to Walsh’s belief, Nook said the net price paid for college tuition is less today than it was fi ve years ago due to grant aid and federal tax credits.

Over the past several years, the UW System has passed along generally modest tuition increases while retaining a reputation as one of the

nation’s most respected and most effi cient systems of higher education, Nook said.

However, according to Jane Hojan-Clark, UW-Milwaukee director of financial aid, the grants and fi nancial aid resources available are not suffi cient to meet demands of Milwaukee students.

“At the end of the day, there are not enough funds to meet the needs, and the needs are growing,” Hojan-Clark said.

In addition to addressing the needs of

UW students, the Board of Regents also deliberated over the school system’s employees in light of the upcoming university personnel system renovations.

The establishment of a new UW System personnel system, required by the state Legislature, is intended to connect all UW employees under one unified system, said Al Crist, vice president of human resources and workforce diversity.

UW-Green Bay professor Clifford Abbott

said the task forces working on developing the system are attempting to homogenize the structure and the current system is wrought with complexities.

“We are trying to find simplicity in this situation which sometimes results in winners and losers in terms of benefits,” Abbott said. “Every time we find a bright idea to meet one need, we find that it creates complexity on another end.”

According to Crist, the new system will be unveiled on July 1, 2013.

REGENTS, from 1

A branch of University of Wisconsin student government took up items designed to improve internal effi ciency as well as addressed the possibility of appealing to the Board of Regents if Interim Chancellor David Ward overturns its non-allocable budgets.

In a meeting Thursday night, Student Services Finance Committee Chair

Sarah Neibart said the committee will be focusing on making changes to increase its efficiency for upcoming academic years.

During the discussion, Rep. Ron Crandall proposed updating the committee’s website to make it more accessible. He said the committee should expand the website to accommodate a more clear and open government.

Secretary Ellie Bruecker said while creating a better web server would be beneficial, the majority of issues with SSFC bylaws stem from difficulty for readers in understanding the language of the laws.

“In the current form, you’re not going to understand

[the bylaws] unless you sit down with someone who understands them,” Bruecker said.

The committee focuses on clarifying and potentially changing problematic SSFC bylaws.

“The clarity of the rules and the means for explaining them are of the major complaints,” Plamann said. “Having a clear set of directives for how to go through [SSFC] bylaws will solve a lot of problems.”

Bruecker said she hopes these initiatives will increase communication between SSFC and General Student Services Fund groups in the future.

In addition to addressing the subcommittee items,

Bruecker also made a motion to amend the agenda to strike a special order to discuss a letter written by former committee member Justin Bloesch.

Bruecker said because the letter was not sent directly to SSFC, and because Bloesch was not present at the meeting, the committee should not discuss it to avoid hostility.

Neibart agreed, saying it would be inappropriate to discuss the letter.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to talk about people in their absence, and we already had this conversation, so at this point [discussing it] would be inappropriate,” Neibart said.

Bloesch’s letter sent to

Associated Students of Madison Coordinating Council members said SSFC had violated viewpoint neutrality during Multicultural Student Coalition’s eligibility hearing last semester, in which SSFC denied GSSF funding eligibility to the group.

According to Bruecker, Bloesch said in the letter he also violated viewpoint neutrality, even though he voted in favor of MCSC’s eligibility.

Neibart said these allegations were a “blatant lie” and maintained the committee was viewpoint-neutral and respectful throughout the process.

Despite the letter, she added she felt Bloesch was

viewpoint neutral during the process.

“I trained Justin, and I monitor all of the meetings. … I told him he couldn’t speak for anyone but himself,” Neibart said. “When you’re on SSFC, you have to protect the integrity of [SSFC’s] rules. It’s not the outcome; it’s the process,”

Along with these items, Neibart said she will report SSFC’s budgets for the year to Ward on Wednesday. The committee would likely hear back from Ward within two weeks.

Neibart added she anticipates Ward may overturn SSFC’s non-allocable budgets, at which point the committee would appeal to the Board of Regents.

SSFC maintains neutrality not violated in decisionChair says students would fi le appeal to regents if Ward overturns decisionsTahleel MohieldinHerald Contributor

Bill would bring back union rights

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, and Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, introduced the legislation to restore public unions’ collective bargaining rights in a press conference held Thursday.Olivia Thompson-Davies The Badger Herald

As the one-year anniversary of the passage of the bill repealing most collective bargaining rights for public unions approaches, Democratic legislators are seeking to do away with the contentious law.

At a press conference Thursday, Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, and Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, introduced the Collective Bargaining Restoration Act, which would create provisions in the state statutes dealing with how unions are certifi ed and the collection of union dues, as well as re-establishing the ability of public unions to collectively bargain.

The bill would repeal the collective bargaining legislation, originally part of the budget repair bill, passed by the Republican legislature last year and signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker.

In 1959, Wisconsin became the first state in the nation to implement

collective bargaining for public employees, a task Risser helped accomplish.

“Back then Wisconsin was known as a progressive, innovative state,” Risser said. “Gov. Walker and the Republican-controlled Legislature in less than fi ve weeks undid 50 years of labor, collective bargaining and peace.”

Although Wisconsin saw a slight jump in job growth this month, the state experienced an overall loss of jobs and increase in retirements for state and local government positions during 2011, Pocan said. He said these downfalls could be attributed to the labor unrest caused by the passage of Republican legislation last year.

Individuals from various public and private sector union organizations also spoke at the conference about how the budget repair bill has affected them. Sheila Ellis from the Department of Health Services called the bill an “assault on the workers of Wisconsin.” Still, she stressed the importance of creating a unifi ed state.

Risser, Pocan introduce proposal to repeal governor’s law to limit collective bargainingKylie PetersonHerald Contributor

“We’re here to discuss, we’re here to sit together and to work together to make this state better,” Ellis said.

Concern for the quality of education in the state is a high priority for Sara Bringman, a retired middle school special education teacher who spent more than 30 years in Madison schools.

Bringman said loss of collective bargaining rights, pay cuts and loss of six percent toward retirement has decreased morale

among teachers. “We’re killing public

education, not only in Wisconsin but across the country,” Bringman said. “We need to get our collective bargaining rights back, so our teachers and assistants and security people can concentrate on the education of our kids.”

Along with education, Walker’s budget repair bill is affecting public safety and other services funded by taxpayer dollars, Pocan said.

He said he feels it is

important for the state to maintain a high level of quality when it comes to these programs.

The Collective Bargaining Restoration Act was unsuccessful in an earlier attempt to pass through the Senate, Risser said.

Whether the bill would pass in a Republican-controlled Legislature remains uncertain.

Andrew Welhouse, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said

Fitzgerald stands by the reforms and the actions of the Legislature last year.

Risser and Pocan said they hope this summer’s recall election will encourage support for the bill and correct the political divide they say Walker has created.

“We are going to change this law; there is absolutely no question in my mind Wisconsin will restore collective bargaining,” Pocan said. “It’s not a question of if. It’s a question of when.”

“We are trying to change [the party]

away from the drunk culture,”

Indy StlukaMiffl in St. Resident

OpinionOpinion

Your OpinionYour Opinion · Send your letters to the editor and guest columns to oped@badgerherald.com. Publication is based on space and takes into account relevance and quality. Letters should be sent exclusively to the Herald. Unsigned letters will not be published. All submissions may be edited by the Herald for length and style. Reader feedback on all articles and columns can be posted at badgerherald.com, where all print content is archived.

Editorial Page EditorTaylor Nyeoped@badgerherald.com

The Badger Herald | Opinion | Friday, March 9, 20125

Block on voter ID law laudable

On Tuesday, Dane County Circuit Judge David Flanagan temporarily blocked new legislation requiring a form of state-issued photo identifi cation to vote in Wisconsin. Proponents of the bill are certain to appeal the ruling, but the law will not be in effect for the April primaries and local elections.

Critics of the legislation, like the American Civil Liberties Union, have charged it disproportionately affects already disadvantaged groups such as minorities, the elderly, students and the homeless, according to their website. Many voters in Wisconsin already have a Wisconsin driver’s license — the most common form of photo identifi cation — but many others do not. Individuals should not have to get a driver’s license or other state-issued ID in order to vote.

Last February, when throngs of people gathered at the Capitol to protest Gov. Scott Walker’s budget plan, it was not uncommon to hear chants of “This is what democracy looks like,” implying Walker’s plan is anti-democratic. There were, of course, some who took a more direct route in accusing Walker of being anti-democratic, via signs comparing him to the likes of Hitler.

Whatever one thinks of Walker’s controversial and largely unpopular (in Madison, anyway) plan, I’m not sure that it was exactly anti-democratic. After all, he had only just been elected to offi ce, and this is the game we play in a representative democracy. Elected offi cials make policy choices for all of us.

The new voter ID legislation, in contrast, blatantly undermines our conception of democracy. In the absence of direct democracy, the right to vote is among the most essential to ensure equality. This legislation belligerently disenfranchises already poorly represented groups for political gain.

There already exist large groups of people in Wisconsin who are ineligible to vote. Of the roughly 5.7 million people in Wisconsin, it is estimated by the Government Accountability Board that only 4.4 million are eligible to vote, and only 3.5 million are actually registered to vote. This leaves about 23 percent of the population ineligible to vote and about another 16 percent of the population that is not registered to vote.

Many of those who are ineligible to vote may be so for valid reasons. For instance, young children cannot be trusted to educate themselves about the issues and form their own opinions; most often they would simply be used as political

pawns by their parents. Others may be perfectly legally disenfranchised, but the justifi cation for their disenfranchisement may be questionable.

We take it for granted that individuals should not be able to vote until they are 18 years of age, but why? Why should precocious high school-aged individuals not be given the chance to vote? There may be very good reasons to continue prohibiting teenagers from voting, but there are other disenfranchised groups whose rights defi nitely deserve more serious consideration.

There are over 21,000 prisoners in the state of Wisconsin, none of whom can vote. Once released from prison, felons still may not vote until they have completed their parole and probation. Immigrants who are not American citizens are also ineligible to vote. It is not at all clear to me why a foreigner who moves to Wisconsin and sets up a permanent home here should be barred from voting in state elections when people like me can move here from Pennsylvania and vote less than two months later.

The most egregious consequence of this legislation is that, if it wins appeal, it will further damage the opportunities and prospects of the already worst-off: the homeless. Undoubtedly, it is already very diffi cult for homeless individuals to register to vote, or for that matter even care about politics, when they have much more pressing needs to be met. This legislation would only augment these diffi culties. It is yet another hoop through which they’d have to have to jump.

We as a society should be working to enhance, not diminish, the prospects of the least-advantaged among us. As it is, the homeless community has very little political power. They are a pretty small group. According to Never Homeless and Porchlight, they number only about 5,000 between Milwaukee and Madison combined, so politicians have very little reason to work for their votes. Additionally, they obviously have no resources to spare for political contributions, so politicians of our era naturally will have no motivation to push for policies to help them.

Judge Flanagan’s decision to block the new voter ID legislation is a good thing for Wisconsin, even if the injunction is only temporary. The benefi ts of this law in preventing voter fraud are outweighed by the costs of further consolidating political power in the hands of those who already have it. Instead of seeking to further inhibit those who are less advantaged by disenfranchising them, we should be discussing how to incorporate more citizens in order to form a more robust democracy.

Ryan Plesh (rplesh@wisc.edu) is a senior majoring in philosophy and physics.

Ryan PleshColumnist

Thompson’s energy plan careless

In an era of massive energy consumption, our society faces a critical dilemma — the fuels upon which we depend are running out. Although our daily lives are heavily predicated on the availability of energy sources, many of these sources are both detrimental to the environment and utterly unsustainable, particularly in the case of fossil fuels. Our nation needs energy alternatives that can provide the stability and sustainability our current energy systems are lacking.

The recent unveiling of U.S. Senate candidate and former Wisc. Gov. Tommy Thompson’s “Restore America” energy plan underscores the reality that many legislators remain ignorant to the energy crisis that lies ahead if dramatic changes are not made to alleviate America’s dependence on fossil fuels. According to the recent article “On Politics: Thompson Rolls Out Energy Plan” in the Wisconsin State Journal,

“Restore America” is a three-pronged energy plan that discourages the pursuit of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar in favor of increased harvesting and usage of fossil fuels.

One of the central issues addressed by the plan is the construction of the Keystone Pipeline, a pipeline system that would transport crude oil from oil sands in Alberta, Canada to refi neries on the U.S. Gulf Coast. However, this pipeline can only serve its purpose so long as there are fossil fuels to transport.

In addition, Thompson’s plan proposes the opening of new sources of oil, increased natural gas drilling and the expansion of natural gas extraction via opposition to current regulations — all proposals aimed at preserving the status quo in regard to energy consumption practices. These plan provisions bring to light an overall failure to acknowledge and account for the conditions in which we live, and the potential risks of failing to alter these conditions in order to achieve greater sustainability and security for future generations. In this sense, the plan advocates complacency, for it merely seeks to perpetuate the dangerous trend of fossil fuel consumption in this

country rather than looking for innovative energy alternatives.

Time and time again, legislators put forth plans with the objective of remedying American shortcomings. However, history is telling in regard to the fact that far too many of these proposals are designed to cope solely with our needs for the present and the immediate future. Such plans can effectively mask the reality that long-

term solutions must be actively pursued in order to alleviate persistent problems. Indeed, in the case of American fossil fuel dependence, the problem will continue to persist until dramatic efforts are made to curb this dependence and cultivate renewable energy sources.

Although energy consumption is primarily perceived as a national issue, it is critical to understand its repercussions on the state and local levels in the context of this

broader national scope. If this plan were to be implemented, Wisconsin would undoubtedly be adversely affected. After all, it will be government and industry at these levels that will be forced to comply with the provisions of this plan. However, it is also crucial to bear in mind that the momentum necessary to decrease reliance on non-renewable energy must begin on a small scale in order to alter overall demand.

Based on the potential ramifi cations of implementing this plan, it seems starkly ironic that the plan should be titled “Restore America,” for the term “restore” implies that there is an ideal point in history to which we as a nation should return. In fact, the dilemma at hand began at the dawn of industrialization — a turning point at which this nation began a course of escalating dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels. Although we will certainly never return to our pre-industrial state, we must come to terms with the reality that trying to maintain a lifestyle that depends almost completely on fossil fuels is unsustainable and short-sighted.

Hannah Sleznikow (hsleznikow@wisc.edu) is a senior majoring in political science.

Hannah SleznikowColumnist

Taylor NyeEditorial Page Editor

Yes, it can get worseHerald Editorial

A discourse on the role and scope of diversity on the University of Wisconsin campus should always be a welcome prospect. From last summer’s apparent mock-lynching to the affi rmative action debates in the fall, a meaningful discussion of campus climate is well overdue.

What we can absolutely do without, however, is the prolonging of a poisonous atmosphere of personal attacks and infi ghting that defi ned much of the fall semester for the Associated Students of Madison. This is precisely what is occurring with a series of resolutions put forth by ASM’s Diversity Committee last week.

The resolutions, through a blizzard of accusations and fl awed legal reasoning, are intended to effect a range of changes with a lack of evidence and authority. Calling into question the Student Services Finance Committee’s denial of funding eligibility to the

Multicultural Student Coalition, Diversity Committee alleges procedural negligence by SSFC in failing to administer criteria in an objective manner.

Diversity Committee has the authority to put forth binding resolutions pertaining to violations of the ASM constitution’s non-discrimination clause — a situation bearing little resemblance to what is currently at hand.

From one violation that has been reviewed and refuted many times over, Diversity Committee is calling for the entirety of SSFC budget allocations in the current session of ASM to be overturned and the entire process opened to the scrutiny of an unprecedented and procedurally-unfounded committee. Further alleging Student Judiciary’s complicity in affi rming the perceived negligence, Diversity Committee is attempting to circumvent the established impeachment process in calling for

the removal of the chief and vice chief justices.

Regardless of the dubious legal merits of Diversity Committee’s resolutions, the takeaway from this move is the failure by committees of ASM to respect the distinct responsibilities of its various branches. By engaging in what is essentially retaliation for perceived slights by SSFC and SJ, Diversity Committee is overstepping its constitutional purview to the detriment of its own charge as a committee.

Engaging in political stunts like this expends undue time and effort of student government as a whole — time and effort that could be much better spent in advocating for meaningful and necessary change toward improving campus climate. Resolutions of this sort do nothing to further diversity on this campus and only damn student government to procedural hell. This has to stop.

Signe BrewsterEditor-in-Chief

Alex BrousseauEditorial Board Chairman

Adelaide BlanchardEditor-at-Large

Ryan RaineyManaging Editor

Jake BegunEditorial Board Member

Reginald YoungEditorial Page Content Editor

Our nation needs energy alternatives that can provide the stability and sustainability our current energy systems are lacking.

Weekly non-voting Community MemberErik Paulson

Ed i t o r i a l B o a r d o p i n i o n s a r e c ra f t e d i n d e p e n d e n t l y o f n e w s c o ve ra g e .

MOUSELY & FLOYD ehmandeff.tumblr.com

CLASSIC BUNI RYAN PAGELOW pascle@badgerherald.com

RANDOM DOODLES ERICA LOPPNOW random@badgerherald.com

PRIMAL URGES ANDREW MEGOW primal@badgerherald.com

MODERN CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT DENIS HART mcm@badgerherald.com

THE SKY PIRATES COLLIN LA FLEUR skypirate@badgerherald.com

The Kakuro Unique Sum ChartCells

2222

3333

4444

5555

6666

7777

888888888

Clue341617

672324

10112930

15163435

21223839

28294142

363738394041424344

Possibilities{ 1, 2 }{ 1, 3 }{ 7, 9 }{ 8, 9 }

{ 1, 2, 3 }{ 1, 2, 4 }{ 6, 8, 9 }{ 7, 8, 9 }

{ 1, 2, 3, 4 }{ 1, 2, 3, 5 }{ 5, 7, 8, 9 }{ 6, 7, 8, 9 }

{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 }{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 }{ 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 }{ 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }

{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 }{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 }{ 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }{ 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }

{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 }{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 }{ 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }{ 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }

{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 }{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 }{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 }{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 }{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 }{ 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }{ 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }{ 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }{ 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 }

HERALD COMICS PRESENTS K A K U R O

DIFFICULTY: “Laffs” now account for 40% of company spending

DIFFICULTY RATING:Page now printed on Brawny Paper

Towelling

WHAT IS THISSUDOKU

NONSENSE?Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains 1, 2,

3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.What? You still don’t get it? Come, on, re-ally? It’s not calculus or anything. Honest-ly, if you don’t know how to do a sudoku by now, you’ve prob-ably got more issues than this newspaper.

HOW DO IKAKURO?

I know, I know. Kakuro. Looks crazy, right? This ain’t no time to panic, friend, so keep it cool and I’ll walk you through. Here’s the low down: each clue tells you what the sum of the numbers to the right or down must add up to. Repeating numbers? Not in this part of town. And that’s that, slick.

CLASSIC MADCAPS MOLLY MALONEY madcaps@badgerherald.com

C’EST LA MORT PARAGON paragon@badgerherald.com

YOURMOMETER LAURA “HOBBES” LEGAULT yourmom@badgerherald.com

TWENTY POUND BABY STEPHEN TYLER CONRAD baby@badgerherald.com

WHITE BREAD & TOAST MIKE BERG toast@badgerherald.com

Across 1 Title

matchmaker of early 19th-century literature

5 Drifting type 9 Some help14 With

21-Across, ship out?

15 Britain’s Douglas-Home

16 Need for a 17-Across

17 Special delivery of a sort20 Fluoride, e.g.21 See 14-Across22 Spots for rubs

and scrubs23 Is homesick,

say25 “Oedipe” opera composer,

193627 Response to

being tickled29 Th ey often

have quiet eyes

32 Moo ___34 Santa’s checking

things36 N.F.L. QB

Kyle37 Revolutionary Tribunal

casualty40 Verdugo of

“Marcus Welby, M.D.”

41 Oxford attachment?42 Automne

follows it43 Fort’s steep

slope45 Click beetle47 Go at49 98.6°, say52 Korean War

outbreak year54 Starchy56 African antelope57 Discovery of

Vitus Bering before his shipwreck

60 Paavo ___, track’s

Flying Finn61 “Live at

Red Rocks” pianist

62 Under tension63 Some tides64 City in Padua

province65 Shakespeare

title contraction

Down 1 Steele work 2 Where “ayuh” is an

affi rmative 3 What 007

might shoot with

4 He declared “Th e planet has a fever”

5 Largest ethnic group in China

6 Pasternak mistress

Ivinskaya 7 Implicatively 8 Large quantity 9 GPS screen

abbr.10 Curling rink

line seven yards from the tee

11 Destination after a

touchdown12 Scholarship-

off ering org.13 4-Down’s grp.18 Semicircular

canals’ locales19 Burning solutions24 2008 demolition

target26 Eolith or

neolith28 Fifth of fünf30 Glam rock’s

___ the Hoople

31 Old dagger32 Hook helper33 Dutch

Golden Age painter

35 Dirty38 Experiencing

down time39 Home of

Sistan and Baluchestan

44 Spanish term of endearment46 Printed slips48 Really put out50 “Th e X Factor” panelist51 Th ings Santa

checks52 “Doctor

Faustus” novelist

53 Footprint or fi ngerprint, say

55 Tears can create one

58 “Indeedy”59 “___ Cried”

(1962 hit song)

HERALD COMICS PRESENTS

Get today’s puzzle solutions at badgerherald.com

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

32 33 34 35 36

37 38 39

40 41 42

43 44 45 46

47 48 49 50 51

52 53 54 55 56

57 58 59

60 61 62

63 64 65

Puzzle by Joel Kaplow

Rocky the Herald Comics Raccoon™

Daylight

Savings Time

starts this

weekend so

you better just

limit yourself

to a 4-Hour

Energy.

CROSSWORD

HERALD COMICS PRESENTS S U D O K U

ComicsComicsThe Badger Herald | Comics | Friday, March 9, 20126

Noah J. Yuenkelcomics@badgerherald.com

Now Sponsored By Koch Industries

ArtsEtc.ArtsEtc.ArtsEtc. EditorLin Weeksarts@badgerherald.com

The Badger Herald | Arts | Friday, March 9, 20127

WEEKEND CONCERTPREVIEW

Great Midwest Bluegrass Bash

Saturday 8 p.m.$10 advanceMajestic Theater

Born in Flames

Saturday 9 p.m.Free!The Sett

Filthiest stand-up show of all time

Saturday 11 p.m.$2The Rigby

Ralphie May

Saturday 8 p.m.$32.50 advanceBarrymore Theater

Electric 6

Friday 9:30 p.m.$12 advanceHigh Noon Saloon

Doomtree

Friday 9 p.m.Free!The Sett

$ $ $ $ $ $T

$H

$

B R

Gaze at crystal console: Guess future of gaming

A few days ago, I stumbled across a few leaked gameplay images from Microsoft’s alleged Xbox 720. I’m fairly pessimistic when it comes to such conjecture, and quickly declared bull. Regardless of these sexy and heavily-pixilated images’ validity, their release shows the gaming community is offi cially looking toward what the future holds — and begs the question: Just what will the next generation of gaming systems have in store for us?

It’s been roughly six years since the Xbox 360 and PS3 have been released. Boy, how time fl ies. Based on the trends of the past, this means it’s about time for a new lineup of gaming consoles for techies across the globe to salivate over. Strangely, game developers have remained resolutely tight-lipped regarding the future front lines of gaming.

When considering the complete lack of information from either Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo, it’s fair to say we probably won’t be seeing any new systems for a few years at the very least. This makes our current generation of consoles some of the most long-lived to date … I knew it was worth shelling out my hard-earned lifeguard money for the all-holy 360.

This uncharacteristic longevity of our consoles is probably due to regular system updates, the monthly facelifts to our respective platforms that have no doubt extended their lives considerably. However, there are certain things that “updates” simply cannot change, such as processing power or outdated hardware. Since my Xbox was one of the fi rst to hit the shelves, I unfortunately have neither an HDMI port nor built-in wireless connectivity. Not that I’m complaining — Ol’ Bessie and I go way back.

In just a few short

years, PCs are already leaps and bounds ahead of consoles in terms of both processing and RAM, leaving a huge gap in video quality. Technology simply becomes obsolete after a number of years, and since consoles aren’t modifi able, the only thing to do is upgrade and ship a newer and smarter version. Assuming we ever see a new lineup of predecessors to our systems, it’s fair to say that with all the “developing” going on right now, there had better be some signifi cant changes in store.

One thing is for certain:

Discs of all forms will be going the way of the Dodo bird. In just a few short years, we may fi nally be free of those snap-able, scratch-able, poor excuses for game delivery. The replacement? Pure digital downloads.

Just imagine the joy you’ll feel at never having to deal with those bozos at Gamestop ever again, the satisfaction of watching them slowly go out of business as you download your favorite games from the comfort of your couch. Not to mention, gaming companies across the board will jump at the prospect of not having to shell out tens of millions of units of cheap plastic and optical material.

As hard as it is for me to say, recent successes of the Kinect and Wii can’t be overlooked. There will be considerable integration of motion

technology into the next generation of console; the question is, to what degree will that be important?

I don’t think I’m alone in stating I have not been in the least bit impressed by any Kinect title to date. Not only are motion-technology games cheesy, glitchy and primitive, but comparing them to regular controller-driven games is like comparing Bieber’s latest slew of auto-tuned garbage to the White Album.

Someday, maybe games will be so immersive that you will actually feel as though you’re inside the game. But until then, I think most would rather stick to the “old standby” of a controller than wave their arms around, or crouch and jump their way through some futuristic Mario game in their living room.

Graphically, it’s tough to even fathom what future consoles will hold in store for us. I was glancing at a screenshot of “Jetfi ghter II” from 1990 spliced on top of an HD screenshot of air combat in “Battlefi eld 3.” I almost dropped my bowl of cereal: The change in technology after 20 years is nothing short of extraordinary. The prospect of movie-like graphics combined with new 3D technology and — I suppose — the integration of motion capture techniques could truly make gaming the most lucrative entertainment industry to date.

Maybe most companies are just hesitant to ship out a sub-par system. Considering how valuable the video game industry is today, companies like Microsoft and Sony have a lot to gain and a lot to lose based on how well their next generation of consoles is received. This is especially true when considering the drastic change in entertainment technology over the past few years. But whatever the case, hopefully we can expect something in the ballpark of a 21st century equivalent of the N64, though that may be asking too much.

THE BADGER HERALD PRESENTS HERALD ARCADE

Intricate craftsmanship in ‘A Separation’ deserving of acclaim

Andrew LahrHerald Arcade Columnist

It’s a familiar story: A woman wants a divorce from her husband. In any American film, the concept would be predictable, commonplace and hardly worth making a movie after. But in Iranian director Asghar Farhadi’s “A Separation,” a familiar story is told in an unfamiliar way.

In the film, Samin (Leila Hatami, “There Are Things You Don’t Know”) wants a divorce from her husband, Nadar (Peyman Moadi, “About Elly”). Nadar is not a bad man, and treats his wife well, but they differ on what they think is best for their daughter, Termeh,

and Nadar’s father, who has Alzheimer’s. Samin wants to take Termeh out of Iran to give her a chance at a better education, while Nadar feels he must remain at his father’s side, refusing to commit him to a care facility.

The two are at an impasse as a judge denies Samin’s request for a divorce or signature for her exit visa, which, according to Iranian law, a wife must obtain from her husband before she can leave the country without him. Frustrated, both begin a period of separation.

While Termeh stays with her father, Samin moves in with her family. It is then that Nadar realizes he must hire help to take care of his father during the day while he is a work. He employs Razieh, a mother and housewife trying to help pay off her husband’s debts who quickly makes a bond with the broken family. Despite growing close, when Nadar comes home one day to fi nd

his father on the brink of death and Razieh nowhere to be found, he throws her out of his home, telling her to never return.

But Razieh was keeping a secret from her employer, one that will bring the families back together, only to further push salt deeper into their already gaping wounds.

The strength of “A Separation” comes from its flow of storytelling. The plot is divided in two parts: before and after Razieh’s expulsion. While the first half of the movie may seem odd and disjointed, it is crucial that the audience remembers every conversation and action of every character. The transition between the two halves is almost unnoticeable as the film fl ows from a family portrayal to a court case that puts everyone involved at risk of severe consequence.

The film’s narrative is a

hybrid of straightforward plot that then twists itself in its second half to one concerned with morality and choice that makes its audience think hard and engage with characters on a deep level. With a unique perspective, the film forces viewers to recall precisely what happened as the case progresses and differing testimonies are given.

Each character has a specific motive, making it all the more difficult for viewers to discern exactly who is telling the truth and who is not. A shaky camera brings about a sense of urgency during every judicial interaction and adds to every worried expression exchanged between the diverse cast. Emotions are worn well on all actors’ faces, making it hard to distinguish who is innocent and who is guilty. While a viewer may sympathize with Nadar or Razieh one moment, the film does its best to make

you question your alliances as the plot thickens with each passing moment.

The most fascinating aspect of “A Separation” is its showcasing of life in Iran. With strict borders and blockades on information, getting a glimpse of the human side of Iran’s residents and daily lives is diffi cult, and when achieved, breathtaking.

The film doesn’t feel too foreign to be enjoyed by audiences, and what is foreign only adds to the film’s appeal. As the trial continues, we see how the judicial system of Iran operates and how different it is from that of the United States. While poverty is an issue in Iran, there is a clear upper-middle class and social hierarchy. The different mannerisms and ways of speaking in Iran are also highlighted in “A Separation,” and are very understandable.

Iran’s government is too

all-encompassing in our perceptions of the country as a whole; “A Separation” breaks down these preconceived notions of the people of Iran and shows how their culture is different from that in the U.S., but their social and everyday problems and struggles are not so different from ours.

“A Separation” is not trying to stand out. It does not have an incredible score behind it nor is it try to highlight Iran as a country through spectacular visuals. It is, however, an amazingly well thought-out and put together film with a unique way to tell its story that will have audiences thinking well of it after the movie is over. Its Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film is well-deserved.

Asghar Farhadi demos cinema of Iran with drama, clashing familiesTim HadickArtsEtc. Writer

If someone were to wander around the University of Wisconsin grounds asking students about the one thing they remember from their childhood, chances are many of the responses would include books like “The Cat in the Hat,” “Fox in Socks” and “Green Eggs and Ham.”

The timeless books by Dr. Seuss — real name Theodor Geisel — remain a classic part of our childhood, and the fi lm companies have obligingly tapped into that market with movie adaptations, often with varying degrees of success (“The Cat in the Hat,” anyone?).

In the case of “The Lorax,” directors Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda (“Despicable Me”) have done a generally commendable job of taking the source material and building a classical story around it, but they lose much of what made “The Lorax” such a powerhouse in the world of children’s publishing in the fi rst place.

The trademark Seussian elements are still there — anthropomorphic animals (who spontaneously break out into song), bright colors everywhere and not a straight line in sight. Walking fish hum the “Mission Impossible” theme song, and the marshmallow-loving woodland critters are lovable and rendered beautifully.

However, that’s where the similarities end to the original source. “The Lorax” takes the sparse story, perfect for a children’s storybook,

and weaves an epic — if not slightly contrived — yarn of adventure, love and the classic “weak-triumphs-over-evil” line that fits into a running time of less than one hour and 30 minutes.

If the fi lm is to be believed, the tale presented in the original storybook was just one part of a larger drama. The story of “The Lorax” begins with Ted (Zac Efron, “Liberal Arts”), a boy from a town called Thneedville where there are no trees nor grass and everything is manufactured. Fresh air is sold by the bottle by a giant corporation run by Mr. O’Hare (Rob Riggle), a tiny man with a big temper. Ted is head-over-heels in love with Audrey (Taylor Swift, “Valentines Day”), a quirky and freedom-loving girl who dreams of seeing a real, living tree.

And so the stage is set for what many people have deemed impossible: crafting a real, screen-ready story out of a Dr. Seuss book, which is often known for its non-sequitur storytelling and open endings — if there is a story at all.

Surprisingly, the story works. There are identifiable main characters, the evil guy is evil, the good guy is good, the Lorax himself (Danny DeVito, of TV’s “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) is wonderful and full of life, and we fi nally get to see the Once-ler’s face (Ed Helms, of TV’s “The Offi ce”).

But a big part of the enduring charm of the original book was that it didn’t do any of those things. There were no main characters. The Lorax was a serious, humorless character who really did speak for the trees. The only part of the Once-ler we got to see (was he even human?) were his green arms, which were revealed in the

movie to be nothing more than really long gloves.

But more than that, the book left readers pondering, thinking. Much like the book, it doesn’t have a happy ending — on the contrary, it had a positively depressing ending, with the anonymous boy left in charge of a single truffula seed and the words “unless.”

It made readers wonder what would happen afterward, whether or not the story ended happily — and that’s why “The Lorax” was able to be such powerful book in less than 50 pages.

And just like that, the film loses a lot of what made Dr. Seuss’ original book so thought-provoking in the fi rst place. The fi lm comes off as a fun-sized version of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” without the facts.

A lot of the ambiguity — the deliciousness that made us fall in love with Seuss’ famed book — has been sucked out of the fi lm version, replaced with a shallow story about saving the townspeople of Thneedville from its self-imposed isolation.

There’s nothing wrong with environmental activism — in fact, it’s a very important issue that should have wider discussion — but “The Lorax” attempts to graft Greenpeace-esque morals with spontaneous musical numbers, with the end result being a somewhat sloppy work that is never quite sure what it’s supposed to be doing. “The Lorax” comes off as merely another PSA about the dangers of materialism and resource exploitation, and in the process loses much of the uniqueness that made the original work a nuanced bastion of sustainable living.

Some Seussian magic remains, but fi lm comes off as heavy-handed PSASeung ParkArtsEtc. Writer

THE LORAXChris Renaud and Kyle Balda

New ‘Lorax’ speaks, speaks, speaks, speaks for the trees

The movie version of Dr. Seuss’s classic book includes voice acting by Zac Effron, Dany DeVito, Rob Riggle, Ed Helms and Taylor Swift.Photo courtesy of Universal Films

A SEPARATIONAsghar Farhadi

½

$$

One thing is for certain: Discs of all forms will be going the way of the Dodo bird. In just a few short years, we may fi nally be free of those snap-able, scratch-able, poor excuses for game delivery.

T$

Sports

ClassifiedsClassifiedsTo place an ad in Classifi eds:Roshni Nedungadirnedungadi@badgerherald.com257.4712 ext. 311

The Badger Herald | Classifieds | Friday, March 9, 20128

EMPLOYMENT FOR RENTBARTENDING! $300/day poten-tial. No experience necessary. Training available. 18+ ok. 800-965-6520 ext. 120

Do you love working outdoors, are able to work in a fast paced environment and have great customer service skills? The Henry Vilas Zoo is hiring 30-40 individuals for the upcoming summer season. Positions are available in the gift shop and food service areas. If you are interested and would like to fi ll out an application please come to our job fair on March 9th and 10th 10am- 4pm in the Visitors Center at the zoo.

STUDENTPAYOUTS.COM. Paid Survey. Takers Needed in Madison. 100% Free to Join. Click on Surveys.

229 AT LAKELAWNNew. Modern. Luxury. Secure. FurnishedEVERYTHING INCLUDED! Sign before 3/30 and receive a free TV. Need a single bedroom or room-mates? WE CAN HELP!Website: 229living.comContact: info@229living.com;(608) 255-5175

2 Bedrooms near Camp Randall starting at just $842/ month! Heat Paid. Parking available. Great lo-cation! Please call Randall Park at (608) 251-2715 to schedule a showing.

Large 2 bedroom apartment across from Camp Randall. 38 N. Breese #5, New Kitchen, Hardwoods, Larger Bedrooms, includes HEAT. Please visit tal-lardapartments.com for pictures/ layout. 608-250-0202.

FOR RENTLarge 2 bedroom fl at at 518 S. Mills. Large Bedrooms, LR and DR, hardwood fl oors, large front porch. Please visit tallardapart-ments.com for pictures/ layout. 608-250-0202.

LARGE 3BR. 409 W. Dayton. New kitchen, free laundry in apt. New LR carpet/ hardwood floors, central air, furnished, porches. $1350. 835-2637

FOR RENT

UW heads west for Wolfpack Classic

The Wisconsin softball team has spent the last three weekends circling the southeast corner of the nation, competing in tournaments in Florida and South Carolina. This weekend, they will finally hit the west coast for a tournament in Reno, Nev.

The Wolfpack Softball Classic, hosted by the University of Nevada, will include the University of San Diego in addition to Wisconsin. The Badgers will alternate between San Diego and Nevada for their first three games on Friday and Saturday, before finishing the weekend with two additional games against Nevada.

Following a strong showing last weekend in

Charleston, SC — where the Badgers finished 2-1 — head coach Yvette Healy is happy with her team’s play thus far but wants to continue making strides.

“We’re in a good place to be, at .500, with the competition we are seeing.” Healy said. “I am happy with how we are starting to come together a little bit, but we haven’t gotten a huge amount of momentum yet.”

If momentum is what they are searching for, they will have to look no further than this weekend’s first opponent, San Diego. The Toreros have won seven straight games by sweeping through the San Diego Classic last weekend and beating Maine on Wednesday.

San Diego has been carried through the streak by its pitching, surrendering only 13 runs in the last seven games. As the Badgers prepare to slow down the Toreros, Wisconsin’s offense will certainly be the topic of emphasis.

“[San Diego] is strong. They have great pitching, and that is their biggest thing,” Healy said. “They have some people throwing great games for them, getting a lot of strikeouts and holding hitters down. We’ll have to get creative.”

Healy’s ability to get creative with offensive tactics has come, in large part, from the surprising source of freshman outfielder Maria Van Abel. The Kaukauna, Wis., native has greatly surpassed expectations in this season’s first month, emerging from the bench to starting in the outfield and batting second in the

lineup.She was able to quickly

catch the eyes of coaches with her numerous ways of jump-starting the offense.

Van Abel currently leads the team in hitting with a .455 batting average, while providing a change-up of speed by leading the team with four stolen bases. Her multiple facets made Healy’s lineup changes an easy decision.

“It’s always fun when someone comes in and can get hot for a couple weekends,” Healy said. “She has been a real boost and burst of energy for us, and you need that at the top of the lineup.”

The lineup change displays the coaches’ confi dence in the freshman outfielder; a confidence that has not gone unnoticed by Van Abel herself.

“It means a lot, knowing that the coaches think you can succeed,” Van Abel said. “It really helps you believe that you can succeed as well.”

The Badgers will face

Nevada on each day of the weekend, adding three road games to their record. The Wolfpack appear to represent the opposite end of the spectrum from San Diego, only winning five games on the season while losing seven of their last eight.

Nevada’s victories have come sparingly, but they tend to occur when senior Mallory Darby is on the mound. The Badgers will likely face Darby twice during the weekend, so Coach Healy sees an opponent just as diffi cult as San Diego.

“They’re at home, so it brings in the element that you have to beat a team on their home field,” Healy said. “They also have a few good wins. They may not have as many, but they have played a good schedule.”

Pitching for the Badgers this weekend will be Cassandra Darrah and Meghan McIntosh, both of whom had success last weekend in Charleston.

Darrah surrendered only

two runs over 10 innings of work, helping Wisconsin beat Connecticut and hang around against Kansas. McIntosh pitched an eight-inning complete game against Charleston Southern, striking out a career-high 14 batters. Nonetheless, there remains much room for improvement for the Badger pitchers.

“Getting those strikeouts and letting the defense work definitely boosted my confidence,” McIntosh said. “But I’m trying to look back on where my hard hits are given up, and keep the ball lower in the zone.”

While offering another chance for improvement from the Badgers pitching staff, five-game weekends can provide the gel a team needs to bring about success.

“These next two weekends are going to be pretty big for us to start putting it together,” Healy said. “I think we’re learning a lot and we’re getting better, but now you have to start putting it to use.”

Badgers looking to capitalize on solid performances from pitching, Van Abel

Sean ZakSoftball Writer

dominated the Pioneers 5-2 in their final home game of the season Feb. 18. With such recent success against Denver, Wisconsin is confident it has the No. 3 seed fi gured out.

“That Denver weekend we put together a pretty solid weekend with a win on Saturday,” junior forward Ryan Little said of finally turning the corner on their season. “The next couple weekends we were more consistent; that’s what we were looking for.

“With all the scouting we

do, we know their tendencies and stuff so that helps. Just knowing that we match up well and we had success against them earlier is a big thing.”

Freshman defenseman Jake McCabe spoke specifically about DU’s power play — which is the best in the WCHA with a 24.1 percent success rate. In its lone series this season against No. 9 Denver, Wisconsin killed all four of the Pioneers’ power play attempts.

“It was especially great to see our penalty kill do so great against them,” McCabe

said. “They’re first in the league and top fi ve [in power plays]. For us to shut them down like that, we had been struggling on the penalty kill, it was a really good thing for us and provides confidence for us. That’s one of their special teams and how they win so many games, knowing that we can shut that down and adjusting to their game, they might be adjusting to ours — it’s going to be a whole new series … we’re pretty evenly matched up and we think we’ve got a pretty good handle on them.”

Wisconsin’s on-ice success doesn’t only apply to this

season. While Denver tends to get the best of Wisconsin in the regular season (the Badgers are 10-19-4 against Denver under Eaves), the Badgers hold a stiff 12-1 record over the Pioneers in post-season play.

Normally, heading into big game situations, teams rely on their upperclassmen and experience. Well, on a Badger squad that has been pegged as youth-ridden, young, inexperienced and everything in between, that sort of experience simply doesn’t exist.

“I think the confidence feeling has to be huge for us

because experience doesn’t exist,” Eaves said. “I think that the way that we feel —

to play the last four games in the environments that we’ve had … those are good experiences for our people …

it’s just more of the same.”“It helps but I think

confidence is a bigger thing right now,” Little said. “We’ve established some of that in past few of weekends. Experience obviously helps but it’s not everything.”

Riding that confidence and a successful end of the season, for the fi rst time this year, the Badgers can firmly state that they are playing their best hockey of the entire year.

“It’s funny, Coach always tells us to tell you guys that’s our goal when we talk to media,” Little said. “Ironically enough, we are.”

CONFIDENCE, from 10

“It’s always fun when someone comes in and can get hot for a couple of weekends.”

Yvette HealyUW Softball

is junior Jordan Hull, who is second in the Big Ten behind his senior classmate with a 3-point accuracy rating of 48 percent. Their success will face a stern test in the Badger defense, which currently holds opponents on average to 27 percent a

game from three, good for tops in the nation.

The game could be decided on how the Badgers, not the Hoosiers, shoot from beyond the arc. While Wisconsin beat Indiana in their previous meeting shooting just 4-of-17 from beyond the arc (23 percent) there haven’t been many instances the

Badgers have escaped with a win while shooting poorly. In the Badgers’ 23 wins, the team has shot on average 39 percent from deep, compared to 25 percent on average in their eight losses. In games where the Badgers have shot 35 percent or more from three, the team is 18-2 compared to 5-6 in

games they shoot below 35 percent.

The Badgers — whose offense ranks in the bottom three of the conference at 63.8 points a game — will look to benefit offensively from the recent emergence of senior Rob Wilson, who came on nicely in the fi nal stretch of Wisconsin’s

conference schedule. In the past six games, Wilson has averaged 17 minutes on the fl oor while contributing six points per contest. Wilson’s recent contributions have been a major shot in the arm for a Badger offense that struggles at times, as the team comes into the tournament on a three-

game winning streak. The Badgers will hope Wilson compliments star point guard Jordan Taylor’s offensive production, as the leader of the Badgers puts in a team-best 14.6 points per game.

The winner of Friday afternoon’s game will face either No. 1 seed Michigan State or No. 8 seed Iowa.

B1G, from 10

“I think the confi dence feeling has to be huge for us because experience doesn’t exist.”

Mike EavesUW Men’s Hockey

The Badger Herald | Sports | Friday, March 9, 2012 9

Brooke Ammerman has had a standout season for the Badgers, racking up 74 points on 32 goals and 42 assists. After a tough loss to UMD in the second round of the WCHA tournament last Friday, Ammerman is confi dent UW is back on track. Andy Fate The Badger Herald

UW faces must-win matchup with MC

A do-or-die situation is upon the No. 1 ranked Wisconsin women’s hockey team as they enter the NCAA tournament.

The Badgers (31-4-2, 23-3-2 WCHA) earned the top seed in the tournament and will host Mercyhurst at home Saturday night in the quarterfinal round. The chance to prolong their season is at stake, as the winner in the one-game series will advance to the Frozen Four.

For head coach Mark Johnson, the upcoming game is an exciting event, but also the most challenging game to win.

“If you win the game then you are only two steps from a national championship, but if you lose the game you don’t really get that feeling of being close,” Johnson said. “It is a hard game to win, I think having been through it a few times the players understand that.”

After suffering an upset loss to Minnesota-Duluth in the semifinal round of the WCHA playoff tournament last Friday, UW is determined to learn from its mistakes and push forward, with one eye on another national championship.

Friday’s game presented the Badgers with ample opportunities. Johnson said although not playing a bad game, the team was not able to execute when it came down to crunch time.

Going only 1-9 on power plays against the Bulldogs, the Badgers have been working on improving their performance on special teams at practice this week. Sophomore forward Brittany Ammerman said she believes the loss will serve as motivation for the upcoming game.

“I think we have defi nitely put [the loss] behind us and we are using it as fuel to the fire for this weekend,” Ammerman said. “It is one of the most fun weekends of the year, it is our last stand at home and a lot of people come to this game so there will be a lot of good energy.”

Mercyhurst enters the game with an overall record

of 23-7-3 and, similar to UW, lost its last game. The Lakers fell to Robert Morris in the College Hockey America League Championship, 3-2.

The Badgers will have to keep an eye on forward Bailey Bram, who leads the Lakers’ scoreboard with 68 points this season. Bram was also a top 10 fi nalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award,

which is given to the top player each season.

For Wisconsin’s sophomore goaltender Alex Rigsby, the offensive production Mercyhurst is capable of is met with confi dence.

“I have been told they shoot a lot. I am excited for that part; I always like getting a lot of shots,” Rigsby said. “Everyone is

really excited about this weekend to play against Mercyhurst. It is a different team that we have never played against so far.”

The two teams have met only twice before in the NCAA tournament, the last time being in the 2009 championship game in which the Badgers shut out the Lakers in a 5-0 win.

Wisconsin remains

focused on the game ahead and is eager to begin play, hoping to repeat last year’s success as national champions. The program has achieved four national titles in the past six years under Johnson. A fifth title would tie the Badgers for the most national championships with Minnesota-Duluth.

But despite success in

the past, the Badgers are not underestimating their opponent.

“You have eight teams capable of winning the national championship and it comes down to the ability to come out on the ice Saturday and execute,” Johnson said. “It should be a good match up there, should be a lot of excitement.”

Wisconsin hosts Mercyhurst in NCAA Tournament quarterfi nal SaturdayCaroline SageWomen’s Hockey Writer

fl oor, keyed largely by Taylor’s three assets and zero turnovers. As had been the case seemingly ever since the Feb. 26 road upset of Ohio State — the start of its three-game winning streak — Wisconsin was crisp and aggressive, featuring consistent drives to the hoop and a healthy 27 free throw attempts.

Also on the Kohl Center fl oor, Rob Wilson continued his stretch of markedly improved play off the bench by

scoring eight points. The effort by the Badgers’ “other” senior paled in comparison to Taylor’s, but only in statistical prowess.

Since playing 16 minutes in the Feb. 16 loss to Michigan State, Wilson hasn’t played fewer than 12 in a game since. After scoring 11 points (two short of his career-high) at Iowa Feb. 23, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard/forward has contributed nine, four and eight in the Wisconsin’s fi nal three games.

Those numbers still hardly leap off the page, but keep in mind Wilson averages 3.1 points in an average of 10.7 minutes of playing time per game. Both of those statistics are the highest since his sophomore season, when he also scored 3.1 points in 12.2 minutes per game.

The result has been a suddenly reliable addition to Ryan’s bench, which has fostered a renewed sense of balance within Wisconsin’s offense. Against Illinois, four players scored in double digits. A poor shooting effort against Minnesota the game earlier had Taylor (22 points) and forward Ryan Evans (12) take care of most of the scoring, but against Ohio State, three players fi nished with at least 10 points while Wilson added nine.

Without so much as an inkling of change in attitude or demeanor, the former four-star high school recruit who just couldn’t quite live up to his early promise now fi nds himself a critical contributor in the Badgers’ rotation.

“Sometimes, a senior just gets inspired,” assistant coach Lamont Paris said in explanation of Wilson’s emergence. “It may be that he has said, ‘This is the last go-around. It’s now or never for me, and for us.’ He’s playing inspired basketball.”

Wilson, a Cleveland native whose quiet, reserved nature kept him mostly out of the limelight in his fi rst three years in Madison, was substituted into Sunday’s game only 17 seconds

FIAMMETTA, from 10

With a few wins in March, Wilson can grow from The Guy Who Showed Up Late into The Guy Who Showed Up Late, But When It Counted.

after tip-off. Initially, the move seemed to be an attempt by Ryan to give Wilson some early Senior Day recognition. Knowing that Wilson was about to play his fi nal game in front of them, the Kohl Center crowd delivered a steady stream of applause as Wilson came in for forward Mike Bruesewitz.

But then Wilson ended up playing 26 minutes, nine more than Bruesewitz (who was playing with three fouls). That playing time, the win the Badgers eventually wound up with and the post-game video presentation replete with baby pictures and old highlights all blended together to provide a fi ne Senior Day moment — one Wilson couldn’t really believe for himself, either.

“It was sort of surreal,

because you just look back on my freshman year and it’s like, time fl ies,” he said. “It was a great experience, man. My mom was here and there’s nothing more I can ask for than to have my mom experience what I experienced for four years.”

Of course, Wilson has a little more time to further refi ne his UW legacy. The Badgers head to Indianapolis this weekend for the Big Ten Tournament, an event they’ve never entered seeded lower than No. 4 under Ryan, but also one they haven’t won a game in since Wilson and Taylor enrolled.

Three consecutive fi rst-game losses, all by four points or less, have kept the most recent Wisconsin teams from entering the

NCAA tournament with a real, steady stream of momentum. Knowing that, and obviously knowing that the remainder of his time in cardinal and white is limited to a string of single-elimination games, Wilson’s ready to move past the wonderful pomp and circumstance of Senior Day.

With a few wins in March, Wilson can grow from The Guy Who Showed Up Late into The Guy Who Showed Up Late, But When It Counted.

“All of my memory is that we’ve gone down there and we haven’t won yet,” Wilson said. “That’s stuck in the back of my mind; that’s just something that we want to go and not leave without getting a win there. Even just winning a championship, you know? I

mean, Jordan won a lot in high school, we’ve been winning good throughout the season, so going down there and losing is something that we’re not used to. We don’t want to get used to it, either.”

Mike is a senior majoring in journalism. How far can Wilson and the Badgers go in March? Let him know on Twitter @mikefi ammetta.

SPORTSSports EditorElliot Hughessports@badgerherald.com

10 | Sports | Friday, March 9, 2012

WISCONSINFRI. Appx 1:30 P.M. ESPN

INDIANA

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT

Friday’s Games

1 MICHIGAN ST. VS 8 IOWA11:00 a.m. | ESPN

4 WISCONSIN VS 5 INDIANA25 min after MICH ST./IOWA | ESPN

2 MICHIGAN VS 10 MINN5:30 p.m. | BTN

3 OHIO ST. VS 6 PURDUE25 min after MICH/MINN | BTN

Confidence carries UW

Senior guard stepping up

Under Bo Ryan, the Wisconsin Badgers have never lost on Senior Day.

The program defi ned most commonly by its

consistency is 11-0 in home regular-season fi nales under its head coach, but last Sunday’s 70-56 Senior Day win over Illinois seemed a little more picturesque than usual.

Jordan Taylor had a stellar outing, tying for the team-high with 16 points. The Badgers shot an above-average 44.7 percent from the

Mike FiammettaMike’d Up

FIAMMETTA, page 9

Ryan Little is one of the Badgers’ few upperclassmen, but noted the team’s confi dence headed into the playoffs is more important this year than the lack of experienced leadership they have. Noah Willman The Badger Herald

The facial hair has made its traditional — and somewhat disgusting — return, meaning only one thing: It’s playoff time.

The Wisconsin men’s hockey team (16-16-2, 11-15-2 WCHA) journeys to Denver to face off with the Pioneers (21-11-4, 16-8-4 WCHA) in a best-of-three series — in what UW hopes to be the start of a lengthy post season.

But for the Badgers, the difference between this weekend and the last half of their season is small and insignificant — if even existent at all.

Essentially, since the start of the second half, Wisconsin has faced a do-or-die series almost every weekend, first fighting for home ice

advantage in the first round, then — after losing that possibility — the simple hope for a higher seed.

“It’s been playoff time a long time for us,” head coach Mike Eaves said. “We’re fi ghting for our lives in terms of RPI and trying to gain ground there so we keep our hopes alive. So nothing really changes.”

The Badgers haven’t had the most outstanding season, drawing a .500 overall finish in the regular season. But in its final three series, Wisconsin pulled off a 4-2 record, with three wins on the road — sweeping Bemidji State on the road Feb. 23-24, and scoring a 4-1 victory March 2 at Minnesota.

Kicking off their four-game win streak, the Badgers

CONFIDENCE, page 8

UW faces IU in B1G tourney quarterfinal

A high-level performance from Wisconsin’s Jared Berggren will be essential against Indiana’s leading scorer, forward Cody Zeller. Zeller leads IU with 15.5 points per game.

Megan McCormick The Badger Herald

It’s no secret that the Badgers have struggled in the Big Ten Tournament the past four years, failing to register a single win. On Friday, Wisconsin will seek to end its streak of four consecutive one-and-done conference tournament appearances when it takes on Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.

Wisconsin (23-8, 12-6 Big Ten), the No. 4 seed in the tournament, will face Indiana (25-7, 11-7 Big Ten), the No. 5 seed, for just the second time this season. The Badgers previously bested the Hoosiers — who reached Friday’s matchup with a 75-58 trouncing of Penn State in the first round of the conference tournament — by a score of 57-50 Jan. 26 at the Kohl Center.

In a tale of two sides of basketball, the best scoring defense in the nation will face off against the best scoring offense in the conference. Wisconsin currently allows opponents on average to score just 51.9 points per game, while Indiana scores an average of 77.5 points per game.

Come Friday afternoon, something will have to give.

If the Badgers hope to break their cold streak in the conference tournament they will need another solid game from junior big men Jared Berggren and Ryan Evans. The two combined last time around to hold Indiana’s two leading scorers, freshman Cody Zeller and junior Christian Watford, to a combined 19 points. Berggren displayed an aggressive style of defense rarely seen, swatting five Indiana shots while Evans nearly earned a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.

Currently, Indiana’s frontcourt duo averages a total of 27.3 points per game, with Zeller and Watford averaging 15.5 and 11.8 points a game, respectively. The Hoosiers also contain an extremely balanced offense, with four players averaging double fi gures.

Indiana, who currently ranks tops in the conference for 3-point shooting at 43 percent, features six players who shoot over 40 percent. Leading the Hoosiers in three-point prowess is senior Matt Roth, who leads the entire Big Ten with an outrageous 57 percent conversion rate from behind the arc. Complimenting Roth

B1G, page 8

Badgers feeling self-assured winning 3 of last 4 headed into playoffs; face off with Pioneers

Kelly EricksonSports Content Editor

Badgers look to cool down hot Hoosier shooting with solid perimeter defense

Nick KorgerAssociate Sports Editor