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

University of Wisconsin-Madison Since 1892 dailycardinal.com Wednesday, October 21, 2015l

By Katie ScheidtTHE DAILY CARDINAL

The Madison Common Council voted Tuesday to pass a compromise solution for down-town businesses regarding a license fee increase.

The compromise solution, passed without debate, decreased the proposed fee from $13 to an eventual $5.50 per square foot in 2018. According to the compro-mise, the revenue from the fees will go to improved maintenance and new programming in the

downtown area. The solution was passed as

a response to Madison Mayor Paul Soglin’s proposal to increase license fees for downtown side-walk eating and retail areas.

Under the initial proposal, sponsored by campus-area alders Mike Verveer, District 4, and Zach Wood, District 8, restaurant owners would have been required to pay $13 per square foot starting in 2018, leading to a total cost far exceeding that of owners in cities like Milwaukee and Minneapolis.

On top of concerns about the fee increase, business owners also voiced apprehensions about the Mayor’s plans for the revenue.

In an Aug. 18 letter to the Common Council, Fromagination owner Ken Monteleone called for a clearer revenue plan.

“There should be a clearer statement of purpose, and a guar-antee of use, that accompanies this change to the current license fee fund,” Monteleone said.

LEAH VOSKUIL/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Council finds compromise on sidewalk café fee hike

Kickin’ it in gearTHE SERF

The Tae Kwon Do Club hosted a self-defense seminar Tuesday. The session aimed to provide techniques for students to pro-tect themselves on campus + Photo by Morgan Winston

By Lucas SczygelskiTHE DAILY CARDINAL

A Republican-backed bill to prohibit the use of secret John Doe investigations into possible illegal political activity passed both hous-es of the state Legislature early Wednesday morning.

The Assembly approved the bill Tuesday, and when Senate Democrats blocked their house from voting on the bill the same day, Republican leadership sched-uled a vote on the bill for 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, sending the bill to Gov. Scott Walker’s desk later that day.

Wisconsin’s unique John Doe law, which has been in place since the state was a territory, provides prosecutors the power to conduct secret investigations without pub-lic scrutiny. It was recently used to investigate Walker’s office for what prosecutors said were campaign law violations before the investiga-tion was halted in the courts.

It may still be used in cases of homicide or gang-related activ-ity when witnesses are at risk of retribution.

Legislature votes to limit John Doe investigations

By Scott BembenekTHE DAILY CARDINAL

Movimiento Estudantil Chican@ de Aztlán, a UW-Madison student organi-zation geared toward helping people identify themselves on campus, is looking to forward their mission throughout the upcoming school year, accord-ing to Clara Huerta, the group’s financial specialist.

MEChA is a student organi-zation with the mission of pro-moting arts, education and cul-tural celebration of the Chican@ community on the UW-Madison campus through various events and guest speakers.

For the coming school year, MEChA wants to promote their mission on campus and reach as many people as possible, according to Huerta.

“I feel like people find it really difficult to find a space,” Huerta said. “Our mission is really to help those people find the space where they feel safe and just be able to do what we do here.”

MEChA holds various cul-tural events on campus to help forward their mission. Among these events is CulturArte, which aims to expose students to art forms from different cul-tures through workshops.

The group also holds out-reach events such as the Raza outreach and the Mes Chican@. The Raza outreach program serves an educational purpose, bringing in lecturers and educa-tors to speak on various issues. The Mes Chican@ events are cultural celebrations such as concerts held on campus.

Each year, MEChA sends members to the National MEChA Conference. The national conference brings together representatives from various regions to submit ideas for workshops that will make

A Madison inmate at the Dane County Jail has gone missing since Monday with his whereabouts unknown.

The 34-year-old inmate, Terry J. Buttke, Jr., has offi-cially been declared absent without leave from the Dane County Jail, according to Lt. Kerry Porter from the Dane County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials released Buttke from the Public Safety Building on the 100 block of West Doty Street Monday at 8:45 a.m. to do volunteer work under Huber Law, a work-release law that allows

inmates to leave unescorted for out-side employment.

“It’s not uncommon at all to have our sentenced inmates under Huber work release fail to return to the jail,” said Porter. “Our pro-tocol is the same.”

Police initially arrest-ed and charged Buttke for jumping bail and for carry-ing a concealed weapon.

Porter said police have issued a warrant for Buttke’s arrest and have urged anyone with infor-mation on his whereabouts to call 911.

—Negassi Tesfamichael

Dane County Jail inmate on the loose

Under the initial proposal, downtown businesses would have had to pay $13 per square foot for sidewalk space. With the new compromise, the businesses will pay $5.50 per square foot.

fee page 2

john doe page 2

mecha page 2

SSFC SPOTLIGHT

MEChA looks to enhance campus culture

BUTTKE

+OPINION, page 5

What if...

HBO’s “The Leftovers”

+ARTS, page 3A false anthem“If You’re a Badger” and

representation on campus

you disappeared?

news

By Bri MaasTHE DAILY CARDINAL

A team of Wisconsin sci-entists recently came closer to uncovering the elusive process by which nacre, more commonly known as mother-of-pearl, is cre-ated in nature.

The strong, resilient and iri-descent material often naturally lines the shells of some mol-lusks and forms the outermost layer of actual pearls. Widely used for decorative purposes, nacre can also be used to make tooth implants, architectural tile and parts of various musi-cal instruments.

UW-Madison physics profes-sor Pupa Gilbert led the team that used spectromicroscopy to observe the chemical process of nacre formation in a mollusk, according to a university release.

With support from the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, the team uncovered the begin-ning stages of forming the bio-material at both atomic and nanometric scales.

“Amazing chemistry hap-pens at the surface of form-ing nacre,” Gilbert said in the release, discussing the rapid dehydration of calcium carbon-ate that occurs in those begin-ning steps, crystallizing and transforming the material in a

way researchers had previously never observed.

Gilbert said in the release that the key part in forming nacre is in how the atoms are arranged.

“The actual chemical compo-sition of calcium carbonate does

not change,” Gilbert said in the release. “Only the structure does upon crystallization.”

Gilbert’s new, more detailed understanding of the environ-mentally friendly biomaterial could one day mean industrial

applications for the process, according to the release. These applications could include the creation of durable bone implants and other medical uses, as well as fireproofing and making cars more efficient.

2 Wednesday, October 21, 2015 dailycardinal.coml

By Peter CoutuTHE DAILY CARDINAL

Timothy Tansey and Fong Chan, two researchers from the UW-Madison’s School of Education, are working with agencies across Wisconsin and the nation to help improve the effectiveness of vocational reha-bilitation (VR) agencies.

With an annual budget of around $2.5 billion, the VR pro-gram is able to help more than one million disabled people a year with their goals of inde-pendent living and employment, according to a university release.

Tansey and Chan, who are faculty members of the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special

Education, will work alongside Southern University on a five-year, $12.5 million federal grant to improve the VR program.

The grant will fund two projects, which both began Oct. 1. The first project is titled “Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center for Targeted Communities: Educate, Empower, and Employ (Project E3)” and is focused on helping people with disabilities living in impoverished commu-nities gain employment.

Tansey and Chan will play a key part on the sec-ond project, called the “Technical Assistance Center for Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Program Evaluation

and Quality Assurance.” The project is funded by $2.5 million of the total $12.5 million grant and will evaluate the effec-tiveness of the new initiatives. Tansey and Chan will work alongside Michigan State facul-ty members, the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation and colleagues from UW-Stout.

Other UW-Madison faculty members from the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education and the Department of Counseling Psychology will contribute to the projects.

The primary goal of the grant is to improve the lives of people living within mar-

ginalized communities, but it also has immediate benefits to UW-Madison students.

“The capacity to provide students with these research opportunities is invaluable in helping us attract high-quality doctoral applicants,” Tansey said in the release. “Such efforts also are integral in assisting the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education retain its ranking as ... the nation’s No. 1 Rehabilitation Psychology pro-gram. Collaborative efforts like this will continue to keep the Rehabilitation Psychology pro-gram, the department and the School of Education at the fore-front of research and practice.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF UW COMMUNICATIONS

Nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl, is created naturally by mollusks who use it to line their shells. Uncovering its chemical process could lead to industrial applications in the future.

First steps in elusive mother-of-pearl genesis discovered

Research helps employees with disabilities

up the conference, according to Huerta.

Currently, MEChA has a non-hierarchical structure, with six working student staff members. Each MEChA chapter belongs to one of 10 regions that cover the United States, with a national coordi-nating council responsible for organizing the national con-ference held every year. The UW-Madison branch is part of the Tierra Mid-Atl region.

Members can choose to attend sessions covering vari-ous topics ranging from immi-gration issues to what it means for members to be Chican@.

One of the inclusions in MEChA’s proposed budget for next year was funding for a new financial specialist posi-tion, which the group had not previously had. This change

came in order to help internal workings for the group after recent internal restructuring, according to Huerta.

The Associated Students of Madison Student Services Finance Committee approved MEChA’s budget for the 2016-’17 fiscal year at their meet-ing Monday. While MEChA initially proposed a $93,314 budget, the committee made changes and approved the final budget at $87,247.

LEAH VOSKUIL/THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Student Services Finance Committee approved MEChA’s budget Monday, arriving at more than $87,000 for their 2016-’17 budget.

mecha from page 1

Fromagination is an artisanal cheese café on the Capitol Square with a small patio space of roughly 12 chairs and 133 square feet.

Under the old proposal, Fromagination’s fees would have tripled from $550 to $1729, an amount of money that Monteleone hoped would go to city program-ming instead of a general fund. Now, the new proposal would have Fromagination’s fees total $665.

Beginning with the 2016 vend-ing season, State Street area fees would switch from a per-seat charge to a per-square foot charge, starting at $4.50. The fee would increase to $5 in 2017 and then $5.50 in 2018.

Fees for cafés across the rest of the city will switch to a flat $3 per square foot fee.

The solution was well-received by representatives of downtown businesses.

Food Fight Restaurant Group Managing Partner Greg Frank called the solution “a fair com-promise, especially since the money will be used for down-town programming.”

fee from page 1

Republicans argue that the secret probe should be replaced by a grand jury in cases of possible bribery, pay-to-play schemes, ille-gal campaign financing and other acts of political misconduct.

“The John Doe statute needs to be reformed because it allows for unconstitutional investigations; it curbs free speech and it is ripe for abuse,” said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester. “Their investigations can keep going … until they find some reason to jus-tify the witch hunt they began.”

Calling the exemption for poli-ticians “unbelievable,” Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, said the bill means the “era of clean government is over.”

“It’s going to make it easier for political corruption to take place, more difficult to be investigated and nearly impossible for political cor-ruption to be prosecuted,” Barca said.

Rep. Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee, argued that the secrecy of John Doe investigations empower witnesses to testify without fear of political retribution.

“Would you be compelled to testify against your caucus mem-ber if you knew they were doing something illegal?” Goyke asked the legislature. “The answer is no. The reason why John Doe is a useful tool is because it can pierce that relationship.”

Democrats also attacked the grand jury system, which requires 75 jurors, for being too expensive for counties to afford, potentially ending many investigations.

“You’re bankrupting your counties, particularly your small counties,” said Rep. Fred Kessler, D-Milwaukee.

The Republican majority tabled a Democratic amendment to shift the cost associated with a grand jury to the state.

Vos warned that Democratic criticism was “hyperbole,” com-paring it to their staunch opposi-tion to Act 10, which Vos claimed has improved schools statewide.

“I have dozens of examples of your hyperbolic rhetoric where you say the world is coming to an end and the reality is 100 percent the opposite,” Vos said.

john doe from page 1

Clara Huertafinancial specialist

MEChA

“Our mission is really to help those people find

the space where they feel safe and just be able to do

what we do here.”

arts

H BO’s “The Leftovers” is something special. It is a series that ventures

beyond the realm of what television attempts to cover. It delves into the deep, intimidating, often terrifying questions you have been too afraid to ask. It is a show that is not always pleasurable to watch, but it forces you to feel, to question and to face the unsettling reality that you most likely will never learn the answers.

The series is centered around a very simple concept: the big, cog-nitive question, “What if?” More specifically, what if two percent of the world population vanishes in a single moment? How will that moment affect the rest of human-ity? The series is based on the novel by Tom Perrotta, who is co-pen-ning the television interpretation with “Lost,” alum Damon Lindelof. Lindelof is used to tackling large theoretical questions, however, unlike “Lost” this show is not interested in giving answers to the phenomenon but on studying the repercussions of it.

Season one centered on the Garvey family living in the small, fictional town of Mapleton when the event took place. Justin Theroux plays the father, Kevin, an emotion-ally conflicted, overall torment-ed human being ever since the event. Kevin was chief of police of Mapleton until he started sleep-walking, as well as seeing and hear-ing things that weren’t there. He lost his job, following in the footsteps of his father, ex-chief of police, who was locked up in a mental institu-tion for similar reasons. Is he crazy or are the voices real? After the event, what is real? This is the type of question that sparks a reemer-gence of religious faith in society. Outside of Mapleton, rumors spread of a prophet in the commu-nity named Holy Wayne that can supposedly heal people’s suffering with a hug. People buy into this idea (which may or may not be legiti-mate) because they are desperately seeking to be healed.

Kevin’s wife has left the family to join the mysterious and socially destructive neighborhood cult, the Guilty Remnant. The Guilty Remnant is a complicated group with interesting objectives. They believe the rest of humanity does not deserve to exist since the “depar-tures” left. Each member had a special connection to the departed. They dedicate their lives to preserv-ing the horrific memory of the event, drowning themselves and their com-

munity in grief. They view denial and moving on as selfish. The Guilty Remnant do not speak, they wear all white, they eat mush, they rid themselves of all their belongings, they block off all mirrors and, on a symbolic note, they chain-smoke. Their non-violence welcomes people in society to physically assault them, adamant not to defend themselves. They relish each hit because they think they deserve it and the pain makes them feel better.

The grief causes people to lash out and act in ways they never would before. Norah (Carrie Coon), Kevin’s love interest, is a victim of this. After her husband and kids disappeared, she gives in to the self-harm move-ment. Jill Garvey (Kevin’s daughter) is a part of a changing teenage cul-ture where recklessness is height-ened to a new level. In the pilot, a group of them play a sick version of spin the bottle where self-inflicted burnings and sexual chokings are a deal of the draw.

The theme of religious rebirth in face of the unexplained is explored further in this current sea-son. Season two seems to be com-pletely reinventing the series. The strange opening scene, featuring a Neanderthal giving birth, made me check to make sure I was watching the same show. The scene is revealed to be an introduction into the new location, where the cavewoman is an ancient ancestor from the area. The town of Miracle, Texas, is flock-ing with tourists and religious nuts because it was the only area seem-ingly unaffected by the sudden departure—nobody in the town disappeared. The Garveys (plus Norah and an adopted baby) decide to move there to escape the chaos of Mapleton and start anew. Ever since the event, the locale has been revered as holy ground. The first episode of season two focuses completely on a new family, the Murphys, who are revealed to be the new neighbors of the Garveys. It is clear that their story is going to be a central focus of season two, intertwining with the Garvey’s narrative.

The rich content of the series makes it irrelevant that the over-all mystery will never be solved, which is a monumental accom-plishment for a generation of tele-vision that is pressured to reveal their cards when a show starts los-ing momentum. “The Leftovers” does not need this crutch because it is in constant momentum, continu-ally giving more food for thought to the intricate, compelling and unexplainable characteristics of humanity. It is a show that not only demands to be watched, but also to be reflected on sincerely.

Do you like “The Leftovers”? Let Ben know at bagolden@wisc.edu.

Family and Friends will perform with The Oh Hellos and Cereus Bright at the Majestic Saturday.

Family and Friends remains true to name

‘The Leftovers’ keeps viewers wondering

By Eli RadtkeTHE DAILY CARDINAL

A mere two months after their first appearance in Madison, Family and Friends is returning to town. On tour with The Oh Hellos and Cereus Bright, they will be at the Majestic on Saturday, Oct. 24. Their style is an interesting one to define, a blend of Georgia-style indie rock and percussive folk.

Family and Friends’ sophomore album XOXO, a fast-paced and anthemic record, features animat-ed choruses and driving melodies. These themes are thoroughly exem-plified in the second track on the record “Amadeus.” If you enjoyed early Mumford & Sons or The Avett Brothers, Family and Friends will probably be a good fit for you. Though the music is stellar, what makes the group truly extraordi-nary is the people in it.

I was lucky to be present when Family and Friends played a show in Cedarburg this summer. Meeting up with them after the show, I can attest that the band fits the name. They are friends first and musicians second. Observing them hanging out, I realized just how close of

a relationship the band members share. It’s a tight-knit group; the band formed in Athens, Georgia, while members of the group were studying at the University of Georgia. Athens is a venerable gold mine of superb artists, with R.E.M. and The B-52’s representing just two of many exceptional bands who got their start there.

I interviewed lead singer Mike MacDonald, who acknowledged the similarities between Athens and Madison. Both cities are large enough for national bands to stop by on tour, yet small enough for up-and-comers to get noticed.

“The music scene there is amaz-ing, it’s super supportive, and there are all sorts of genres … it definitely helps being around the university,” MacDonald said about the music culture in Athens.

The show Saturday will be MacDonald and the band’s second show in Madison after playing the Frequency in August.

“We’re just stoked to get back, that was such a fun environment and a great show for us … It’s going to be a super energetic show,” MacDonald said.

Beyond their recorded music, Family and Friends’ live shows are electrifying. Drummers Ryan Houchens and Alejandro Rios are rarely seated and often danc-ing while they play. The two bring an infectious energy to each song. MacDonald adds that “there’s no telling what they’re going to do… they play off of each other and have a mind of their own. They are always providing energy for the band.”

However, the men with the sticks aren’t the only sources of liveliness. The bassist, affectionately dubbed “Tuna,” grooves like you wouldn’t believe, often doing the running man while pounding out the backbone of the songs. Vocalist Casey Harper has been known to break tambou-rines and guitarist JP McKenzie will pull out a guitar made from an oil can. All these artists add their own talents and flair to the equation, culminating in an entertainment experience well worth the price of admission. Watching a band do what they love with the people they love in this manner is inspiring. In the end, their performances aren’t shows, they’re gatherings of Family and Friends.

dailycardinal.com Wednesday, October 21, 2015 3l

COURTESY OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS FACEBOOK

BEN GOLDEN tv columnist

RECORD ROUTINE

Album’s promising start quickly disappoints

By Rose LundyTHE DAILY CARDINAL

Canadian based folk-rocker Dallas Green—also known as City and Colour—attempts to reach new depths on his fifth release, If I Should Go Before You. He introduc-es themes of mortality—a common theme for singer-songwriters—to his folk-fuzz-inspired sound. In order to distinguish himself from inadver-tently exploring the same tropes as other artists within the genre, Green attempts to contextualize his fears of mortality within a relationship, hence the title of the album.

Green hits the hardest imme-diately in the very beginning of the album. The musical sound of City and Colour on the record is

rarely better than when Green can play with his touring band. Having those very talented musicians in studio amplifies the best parts of Green’s compositions.

With an experimental start, Green utilizes psychedelic influ-ences, powerful electric guitars and echoing drums to create the near-ly nine minute opus, “Woman.” Ethereal and driving, “Woman” evokes similarities to the best compositions of artists like Justin Vernon, Blessed Feathers, Sharon Van Etten and Sufjan Stevens through Green’s moody, somber and powerful vocals as well as his intro-spective lyricism. Unfortunately, fol-lowing “Woman,” the remainder of the album fails to reach the heights set by its first track.

The rest of If I Should Go Before You highlights a problem within the singer-songwriter genre as a whole and a definite issue with Dallas Green’s work. After experimenting with “Woman,” Green returns to the songwriting format that he is accustomed to working with, which ends up creating a diminishing return on enjoyment. As opposed to continuing the example set by

Justin Vernon and company, Green regresses and the body of work produced creates a pleasant, yet very homogenous listening experi-ence. Songs like “Northern Blues,” “Killing Time,” “Friends” and “Map Of The World” are occasionally diffi-cult to distinguish from one another as they follow a similar song struc-ture and hit the same emotional points. The worst offender is “Map Of The World” with its generic sounding blues-inspired pop style, which could be easily mistaken for a song off of a John Mayer or David Gray album. Aggressively bland, the vaguely blues-inspired licks of the songs following “Woman” inspire no real emotion, as the pained and reflective lyrics are drowned out by overpowering blues pap.

Despite the adventurous approach that Green takes to “Woman,” the rest of If I Should Go Before You falls into the trap of chronic repeti-tiveness. This repetition ultimately makes City and Colours’ latest offer-ing very forgettable. If I Should Go Before You is pleasant at best and milquetoast at worst.

Grade: C+

If I Should Go Before You

City and Colour

ALBUM REVIEW

GRAPHIC BY HARRISON FANGMANN

l

Merchant: Adinner review

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison

community since 1892

Volume 125, Issue 292142 Vilas Communication Hall

821 University AvenueMadison, Wis., 53706-1497

(608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100

News and Editorialedit@dailycardinal.com

News Team

News Manager Adelina YankovaCampus Editor Bri Maas

College Editor Ellie HermanCity Editor Negassi Tesfamichael

State Editor Andrew HahnAssociate News Editor Laura Grulke

Features Editor Gilly McBride

Opinion EditorsSergey Fedossov • Cal Weber

Editorial Board Chair Conor Murphy

Arts EditorsAllison Garcia • Conor Murphy

Sports EditorsJake Powers • Zach Rastall

Almanac Editors Dylan Anderson • Liam Hutchison

Photo EditorsWill Chizek • Kaitlyn Veto

Graphics EditorsBethany Dahl • Yi Jiang

Multimedia EditorsSteven Rybeck • Jen Wagman

Science Editor Sai-Suma Samudrala

Life & Style EditorMcKenna Gramoll

Special Pages Editors Kerry Huth • Justine Jones

Copy ChiefsTheda Berry • Ellie BorstadJohn Joutras • Sam Wagner

Copy EditorsSophia Dramm • Tess Lo

Social Media Manager Madison Schiller

Business and Advertisingbusiness@dailycardinal.com

Business Manager Andrew Hahm

Advertising ManagerCorissa Pennow

Marketing Director Victoria Fok

The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales.

The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000.

Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recy-cled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

All copy, photographs and graphics appear-ing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief.

The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising rep-resenting a wide range of views. This accep-tance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both.

Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager.

Letters Policy: Letters must be word pro-cessed and must include contact information. No anonymous letters will be printed. All letters to the editor will be printed at the discretion of The Daily Cardinal. Letters may be sent to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

© 2015, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation

Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an email to edit@dailycardinal.com.

For the record

Editorial BoardDylan Anderson • Theda Berry

James Dayton • Sergey Fedossov Emily Gerber • Max Lenz

Conor Murphy • Cal Weber

l

Editor-in-ChiefJames Dayton

Managing EditorEmily Gerber

Board of DirectorsHerman Baumann, President

Phil Brinkman • James Dayton Victoria Fok • Emily Gerber

Andrew Hahm • Janet LarsonDon Miner • Corissa Pennow

Nancy Sandy • Jennifer SerenoJason Stein • Tina Zavoral

The strength of group Halloween costumes

4 Wednesday, October 21, 2015 dailycardinal.com

life&style

By Claire Grummonthe daily Cardinal

Over a month into school and the leaves are changing, pumpkin spice is ubiquitous and Badger football is well underway.

You know where your classes are and how to get there in the least amount of time to ensure three extra minutes of precious sleep.

You also know one other thing for sure: that if you eat “Gordon’s,” “Four Lakes,” or anything you pathetical-ly made in your apartment, you’ll essentially combust.

Nothing can be compared to a home-cooked meal or at the very least, something that doesn’t require a “Hooked” app or a microwave.

Merchant is a bit on the pricey side, so save it for a special occasion with friends — or just wait until your parents visit.

121 S. Pinckney St. When you walk into Merchant,

immediately there’s an over-whelming sense that this is the place to be.

Deep rich browns and glossy woods create the perfect atmo-sphere for this cozy restaurant and bar. Everyone has a finely crafted cocktail — within each glass is an intricate work of art.

Merchant’s food is all locally sourced, fresh and seasonal. The goal, as co-owner Joshua Berkson told me, was to create a restaurant inspired by the “American Craft Movement.”

“[Merchant] injects hospitality with quality, individuality, human-ity, humility, soul and purpose, taking traditional conventions and challenging them in strategic ways,” Berkson said.

Every dish that exits the kitch-en is made from the finest ingre-dients crafted by dedicated and passionate chefs.

What to EatIf you’re with a group, start

with one of Merchant’s seasonal boards. The “Ploughman’s” board is a delicious mix of divine local Wisconsin cheeses, farmer’s mar-ket pickled veggies and charcute-rie that pulls inspiration from Madison, Brooklyn and Europe.

Berskson described the seasonal appetizer as being “inspired with lots of different textures and flavors.”

Even though summer has come to an end, Madison’s farmers still have a surplus of delicious tomatoes. Fortunately, Merchant recognizes their worth and puts them to use with delicious pine nuts, Maldon salt, Tuscan salami, white wine vinegar

and house-made ricotta. I craved this dish for days after and still do.

After eating in the dining halls for weeks, eating a farm-fresh tomato is truly a blessing. This dish creates a faint reminder of summer, while the ricotta and Tuscan salami summons the taste of fall.

Entrees at Merchant change with the seasons, and occasionally they do a wonderful fish fry. Having grown up on the East Coast, I spent many summers in Cape Cod chow-ing down on fried fish, coleslaw, and french fries.

Merchant’s fish fry, an homage to summer, reminded me of those warm days at the beach that ended with fish ’n chips and a beautiful sunset. The fresh perch is beer-bat-tered and certainly would make any Sconnie proud.

While the fish was a special, you can’t go wrong with Merchant’s classic chicken — a unique take on coq au vin.

“The chicken is deboned, tied and lightly cured. We roast the chicken to

then get crispy skin. It’s ridiculous,” Berkson said.

While dining at Merchant, Berkson gave me a tour of the kitchen where I could see the fine craftsman-ship that goes into each dish.

Every chef is dedicated and proud of their work, and the bond between the staff resembles that of familial ties.

No one appears to be stressed, anxious or worried. There is no head chef yelling orders, there are just pas-sionate chefs, creating delicious food, inspiring each other everyday.

Look out for...LucilleA new, sister restaurant of

Merchant, named Lucille, is com-ing to the Square and will be a “Neapolitan pizza oven in a neigh-borhood bar.”

Pizzas will be inspired by historic, rich and inspiring neighborhoods. If Merchant is any indication, Lucille is sure to bring a level of authenticity and luxury to Madison.

CLAirE GruMMon/the daily Cardinal

Merchant’s cheese board is assembled with care to detail.

CLAirE GruMMon/the daily Cardinal

Workers prepare meals using fresh, seasonal ingredients.

By McKenna Gramollthe daily Cardinal

Halloween is less than two weeks away, meaning the process of researching, googling and borderline stalking the internet to find the per-fect costume is in full swing.

While it may seem like a lot of work to coordinate or organize for just one weekend, I urge you to con-sider the power of a group costume.

On the outside, these costumes show organization, creativity and intentionality in a holiday that is usu-ally lacking in these characteristics.

For the members of the group, group costumes are a great source of energy and excitement.

They are also very practical in terms of safety — both in the literal and social sense. You won’t have to explain your costume by yourself over and over, and there is always a group of people you can return to in the throngs of Freakfest and house parties.

Group costumes are also a reason for you to stick together. Because, let’s be honest, who really is your group without Scary Spice?

Below is a list of some of the easi-est group costumes to replicate come the end of the month.

Any boy/girl band everNostalgia is one of the greatest

catalysts to a dull, lackluster party. Sometimes all it takes is a passionate rendition of any anthem from The Killers or ‘NSYNC to remind us of better times (e.g. without midterms, without bills).

In this same vein, bands — par-ticularly from the ‘90s or ‘00s — are a fail-proof and rather timeless group costume that takes the party wher-ever the group goes.

Speaking of taking the party, consider the addition of a Bluetooth speaker from a responsible friend.

While you may not have a cho-reographed dance routine lined up, a group sing-a-long takes the group costume element up a notch.

Easiest band replications include: The Spice Girls, The Backstreet Boys, ‘NSYNC, KISS and The Cheetah Girls (“band” being used subjectively here).

Political Not only is the 2016 presi-

dential race a gold mine for SNL characters, the candidates beg to be immortalized, if not just for a night in Halloween costumes

across the country. Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump

and Hillary Clinton are a trio with the biggest name recognition and opportunity to show off your fabu-lous impersonations of these colorful politicians (see: Larry David for a flawless Bernie).

Make sure to brush up on the most dividing political issues the night before to make for great “cocktail conversation.”

Dig through your own closet of stuffy, rarely used business formal clothes for some of the simplest costumes. Goodwill, St. Vincent De Paul’s and your grandpa’s closet might also offer cheap replications. To authenticate your look, check out wigs online.

Celebrity transformations A nontraditional take on the

“group” element of “group costumes” involves focusing on just one celeb-rity — especially one with his or her fair share of stylistic evolutions.

Each person can represent a dif-ferent look in that celebrity’s roller coaster of life or career events.

Notable examples include the many different music video looks of Britney Spears — from classics

like “Toxic” and “Hit Me Baby One More Time” to new rendi-tions like “Womanizer.”

In a shorter time period, Miley Cyrus has covered comparable ground with looks from her “Hannah Montana” days to her eccentric MTV Music Video Awards looks.

More elaborate costumes include the many music video looks of Lady Gaga or Beyonce.

TV/movie castsEquivalent to the solo “cat” cos-

tume, the group TV show or movie cast is perhaps one of the easiest fall-back looks to choose.

Casts can come from any type of show or film background and usually contain a myriad of col-orful characters.

Contemporary examples include the cast of “Orange is the New Black” and “The Office,” whereas classics could be anything from the cast of “The Breakfast Club” to “Scooby Doo.”

Consider a group costume to show unity, effort and continuity in a college town whose prior-ites may be much different on Halloween weekend.

dailycardinal.com Wednesday, October 21, 2015 5

The UW anthem doesn’t represent campus

T he class clown; not the cool one that has the good jokes or even the one that

does stupid stuff that makes everyone laugh. No, I speak of the sub-variety of this personal-ity that sits in the back of the class and has a comment for everything. Someone you want to tell to take a long walk off a short pier, but you know they thrive on any attention. So, you are forced to grind your teeth, smile, and watch as the second hand crawls across the clock face, leisurely strolling towards your freedom.

I am not saying that this indi-vidual is this man. I am sure he is a stand-up gentleman that has his life together and is going to do great things. This I applaud, and say to you that this is not about you personally. It is about what you have made, and how your brainchild has become “that kid” in the back of the class.

I know that calling this out will only make more people watch the video. Some of the things I have to say may even anger some people. I am willing to risk the mob because some-thing must be said, and the com-ment section on the Youtube video is disabled, so I was left no choice but to wage my war in the light.

The video of which I speak is “If You’re a Badger (University of Wisconsin Anthem).” This video was posted on Sept. 30, 2015, and has since gathered 13,735 likes, to my knowledge. Yes, I could have let sleeping dogs lie, but such affronts to how I see my school needed to be addressed, and thoroughly so.

To start, why in the name of

all that is good would you turn “Varsity” into a back beat and part of a hook for a song? Is nothing sacred anymore? When I sing that song, I want it to be as it is, with friends on either side, remembering the good times that have been, not helping sing about debauchery and support-ing sub-par rhymes.

I will admit the song gets stuck in your head; it’s a real ear worm. Congrats, but ticks get stuck in you too and I think, after a couple listens, ticks are what I prefer.

I will be the first to come out and say I can’t sing, and my rhyming isn’t all that good, so I am by no means saying I could do better. At least I have the decency, though, not to force it on other people. Much like those awful “American Idol” tryouts we see, the sad fact is more than one person had to think this was actually a good idea.

Aside from the generic beat and rhymes that might make even a preschooler flinch, truly what has me riled up is the mes-sage. I can remember when I first received my letter of acceptance here, my top choice of schools, I was euphoric. As the son of two graduates, I was born a Badger, I will die a Badger.

I love this school as much as anyone, but one of the things that really pissed me off was when I told people where I was going they would smirk and mention the notorious reputa-tion for partying that is associ-ated with UW-Madison. Not that this school is ranked 13th in the nation in public institutions and 47th in the world overall, or that we have some of the top pro-grams respectively in the world. No, all of this seems to not quite make the cut in the video. In fact, the only mention of our brain-

power as Badgers, in general, is the line “Big drinkers, even big-ger thinkers.”

Excuse me while I go vomit. The more I view this video,

the more I am desperately searching for redeeming qual-ities. At least, if nothing else, there are some major landmarks shown that our school can take pride in, although I don’t know if I would even show someone this on mute, let alone with the sound on.

There is virtually no men-tion of actual campus besides a quick shot of Humanities, some cuts on Bascom and a mention

of North Hall (one of our old-est campus buildings) which is immediately tarnished by using it in the lyric “We go to class in North Hall/ but we partying in the hall of fame.”

At least the video plays into the stereotype it is obviously try-ing to represent: longboarding down Langdon with snapbacks and girls walking around in scantily clad clothing. It is exact-ly that stereotype that gives the hardworking community that doesn’t show up drunk to mid-terms or “replace pre-labs with pregames” a bad name. I don’t mind what anyone else does on

their own time. I just wish I didn’t have to stand under their umbrella generalizations. Next time, the rest of us will represent ourselves, thanks.

Eli is a senior majoring in general engineering. Have you seen the “If You’re a Badger (University of Wisconsin Anthem)” music video? Do you agree with Eli’s claims that the music video doesn’t accurately represent the population of the UW campus? Do you disagree with his views? If so, what would you change? Please send all com-ments, questions and concerns to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

l

coUrTesy of flickr

The University of Wisconsin-Madison accepts a diverse population of students with different interests. Some of these students dream of being a Badger their entire lives.

opinion

eli radTkeOpinion Columnist

at least the video plays into the stereotype it is obvi-

ously trying to represent: longboarding down langdon

with snapbacks and girls walking around in scantily

clad clothing.

No, i speak of the sub-variety of the personality that sits in the back of the

class and has a comment for everything.

L ast month in the White House Rose Garden, President Barack Obama

and Chinese President Xi Jinping stood side-by-side and hosted a news conference on the topic of corporate cyber attacks. In the news conference, President Obama stated that both China and the United States would refrain from cyber attacks aimed at pilfering company intellectual or trade secrets for commercial advantage. However, events fol-lowing the news conference are raising questions on whether this agreement is going to be upheld.

The first of such events came the day following the announce-ment of the two-nation agree-ment. While President Xi was meeting with the executives of several American technology companies in Seattle, a hacking group who is believed to have links to the Chinese government

attacked one such company looking for trade secrets. In a blog post on Monday, security services provider CrowdStrike said that it had tracked a number of attacks on American technol-ogy and pharmaceutical compa-nies leading up to and closely following President Xi’s visit to the U.S.

Possibly even more concerning is that CrowdStrike has report-ed that the attacks on American companies have continued in the three weeks since Washington and Beijing signed the cybersecurity agreement. This news of further hacking attempts will surely put

new pressure on the countries’ agreement, and a number of ana-lysts already have expressed skep-ticism towards the agreement’s survival. President Obama stated that the U.S. would be “watching carefully” to see if the agreement led to progress and did not rule out economic sanctions against Chinese companies if the cyber attacks continue.

Seven of the recently attacked companies are firms in the fields of technology or pharmaceuti-cals. Attacks against such com-panies are usually attempts to obtain intellectual property and trade secrets. According to CrowdStrike, several of the recent attacks were the respon-sibility of a hacker group called Deep Panda. Deep Panda is a group that often goes after strate-gic national security targets, but also has hacked companies in an array on industries.

Even though the U.S. and China have this agreement, and these cyber attacks are still coming, I

believe that President Obama and his advisors need to take great cau-tion in enforcing any economic sanctions against China.

According to the United States Census Bureau, China is the United States’ second larg-est trading partner, creating 15.4 percent of the total trade the U.S. does on the world market. Enforcing any sort of sanctions against such a valuable partner could have serious repercussions.

Something else to keep in mind when considering sanctions against

China is that they own 7.2 percent of the United States debt as of 2014. 7.2 percent of $18 trillion is $1.296 trillion. If the Chinese were to collect such a debt, that would leave the U.S. economy in ruins, further emphasiz-ing the need to proceed with caution.

To conclude, these cyber attacks that continue to occur are no laugh-ing matter. Both the Chinese and the Americans need to enforce their ends of the agreement over the “hackers” that are established in their respec-tive nations. If they do not crack down domestically, much greater consequences could be on the hori-zon. This is a situation that shows just how much money dictates inter-national affairs, and how dangerous the exchange of currency between world powers can be.

Jack Kelly is a freshman plan-ning on majoring on journalism and strategic communications. Were you aware of the cyberse-curity deal between China and the U.S.? Please send all com-ments, questions and concerns to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Cybersecurity steps into the spotlightJACK KELLYOpinion Columnist

Writing is a tough job, but is worth all the hard work

F or the past hour, I’ve been staring at a blank Google Doc page. My fingers are

lying motionless at the helm of the keyboard. My mind is wan-dering into space. Not a single idea is coming to mind.

One of my many passions is sharing my opinion. As a debater in high school, I have taken a great thrill in presenting an argu-ment. Yes, I am a nerd like that. Although we churn out articles each week, us writers don’t always have as easy of a time as it may seem. At times, a golden idea will reveal itself only to peter out half-way through writing the article. Sometimes, multiple ideas will come to mind but simply refuse to flourish into an entirely coherent thought. Time may not be on your side, and homework will get in the way of researching the issue you have an itch to write about. And there are times when your mind literally goes blank. No inspira-tion. No ideas.

One of the hardest obsta-cles to overcome is expecta-tions. The majority of the time, they’re expectations that I put on myself. As a writer, I refuse to publish an article that doesn’t provoke thought, change opin-ion or pique excitement. I am an opinion writer after all; it’s what I do. When I look through my file of articles, it’s sad to see more articles I’ve trashed than

submitted: some simply aren’t good enough. I love to start a debate. I really love to argue.

As a novice writer, I am con-stantly trying to define myself. Should I be professional or con-versational? Should I argue a cer-tain side or merely provide per-sonal insight? What is it that I’m known for? I want to be the best. I want to be read by many. But how do I get there? The prob-lem with trying to define is try-ing not to confine. As a political science major with strong opin-ions, it’s hard not to write about political issues. You would prob-ably be reading an article about some political topic right now if it weren’t for my lack of time to do research. There’s always a constant battle between what I want to write about, how I want to write it and what actually can flow from the tips of my fingers when I sit down to write.

Looking at my first three articles for The Daily Cardinal, there simply is no way to define what is my signature. Altering the course of mass incarcera-tion, my first article, was very research-heavy, very argumen-tative and very reminiscent of my debate background. My sec-ond article, regarding Walker’s absence being harmful for Democrats, was focused on the big current events issue of the week and my opinion on it. The article was more about my own inferences, backed up by evi-

dence, rather than the evidence itself. The piece on the rise of collegiate Quidditch was the odd duckling.

I wrote about my passion and not about what news deemed as important. I combined my expe-rience with an explanation of

what it is that makes my passion so interesting. Last but not least is the article you’re reading now, a piece that practically escapes potential categorization. There truthfully is no way to categori-cally define the pieces I have written so far. Each and every one, despite being from me, has its own character and defining attributes. There is no piece that is distinctly “Ben Miller” and perhaps that’s a good thing.

With regards to the articles that have yet to come from me, I’m not sure where I will take them. By leaving myself open up to this point, I have allowed my articles to define themselves.

When I start to write an arti-cle, I never know what the end product will be. The fact that it simply comes from my mind as I write is what defines it as genu-inely me. It is not something that I artificially constructed in my mind. Without a doubt, I am excited to see what journey I will take you on with my subsequent articles. My one goal is to keep you, the reader, coming back for more. It may not be easy being a writer, but it sure is a heck of a lot of fun.

Ben Miller is freshman major-ing in political science. Please send all comment and questions to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

BEN MILLEROpinion Columnist

Although writing may not seem like a demanding hobby or occupation, many writers spend hours or even days on their pieces. It may not be an easy job, but a lot of people hold it in high regard.

6 Wednesday, October 21, 2015 dailycardinal.com l

opinion

However, events following the news conference

are raising questions on whether this agreement is

going to be upheld.Even though the U.S. and

China have this agreement, these cyber attacks are still

coming.

It may not be easy being a writer, but it sure is a heck

of a lot of fun.

COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

As cybersecurity is becoming an imortant issue, there is a higher demand for jobs in the computer sector. Having code-writing knowledge is becoming a valuable asset.

COURTESY OF PIXBAY

comics“We all suck more than we’d like to.”

dailycardinal.com Wednesday, October 21, 2015 • 7

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

© Puzzles by Pappocom

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

Today’s Sudoku

ACROSS 1 Wild in the wild 6 Cold shower? 11 Melancholy 14 Concert venue 15 Cultivated land 16 Country club fig. 17 Exert 19 Flightless Aussie bird 20 Twangy, as a voice 21 Amtrak amenity 23 Disrespect, in slang 25 Moor’s makeup 27 White House staffer 28 “___ Maria” 29 Plane’s undercarriage 32 Anklebones 34 Not perfectly round 35 TV reception enhancer of

old 38 Diplomat’s building 42 Parkinson’s disease drug 44 Draw out 45 Like clothes off the rack 50 The lowest form of wit 51 “Not to mention ...” 52 Smeltery refuse 53 Revenuers, for short

54 Certain fortuneteller 57 Pisa landmark 59 Mom, pop and school

org. 60 Junior or senior, e.g. 64 Suffix for “velvet” 65 Make indistinct 66 Black, in Spain 67 Summer clock initials 68 A bit teary-eyed 69 Figure of speech

DOWN 1 Marvelous, in slang 2 “To ___ is human ...” 3 Implant again 4 Faris and Paquin 5 Falls behind 6 Taken dishonestly 7 Ad add-on 8 Optional course 9 And others, for short 10 By way of, briefly 11 Coin 12 Fighting force 13 More sullen 18 Spanish appetizer 22 One spelling for Iraq’s

capital 23 Computer info 24 Film director Reitman 26 “Much ___ About Nothing” 29 Dance named after an

aviator 30 ___ de plume (pen name) 31 One who taunts 33 Rarely 36 “___ too shabby” 37 Christ’s followers 39 One’s own worst critic? 40 Gulf War missile 41 Cravings 43 Carpentry tool 45 Emulated Dr. Dre 46 Makes very happy 47 Not on the level? 48 Diner 49 All excited 53 More whimsical 55 Titan or Minuteman, e.g. 56 Things one sings? 58 “What ___ wrong?” 61 Pull-down exercise tar-

get 62 Dadaist pioneer 63 Fish eggs

Future Freaks By Joel Cryer graphics@dailycardinal.com

The Beatniks By Rodney Lambright II graphics@dailycardinal.com

Dig It! By Tom Taagen graphics@dailycardinal.com

Sports DAILYCARDINAL.COMSports WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2015DAILYCARDINAL.COM

Men’s Soccer

UW faces matchup with familiar foeBy Jarek PetrasTHE DAILY CARDINAL

With just four games remain-ing in the regular season, the Wisconsin men’s soccer team takes a break from conference play to face in-state opponent UW-Milwaukee.

The Badgers (1-2-2 Big Ten, 3-9-2 overall) look to earn their fourth win of the season, all of which have come on the road. Wisconsin won just three games last year, so to tally their fourth would objectively solidify improvement.

The UW-Milwaukee Panthers

have dropped six of the last seven games to the Badgers and were shut out in each of those losses. The all-time series sits at 17-14-7 in Wisconsin’s favor.

The Panthers (1-4-1 Horizon League, 3-8-2 overall) hope to end their three-game losing streak and also attain their fourth win of the season as they host Wisconsin on Wednesday. The last two games Milwaukee lost were home games in which they were shut out. Milwaukee, much like the Badgers, is not efficient at home and has only won one game there this season.

Leading the way for the Panthers are senior and fresh-man midfielders Declan Rodriguez and Francesco Saporito. Both Rodriguez and Saporito have eight points on 28 shots. Rodriguez has three goals and two assists while the freshman from Alberta, Saporito, has scored two goals to add to his four assists.

The Badgers are coming off a short road stint where they won a match in double overtime against Saint Louis, 2-1, but also dropped a match to Big Ten opponent Ohio State, 0-2. It appears that Wisconsin is playing with more aggression and camaraderie this year, however the results have

yet to come. There is still a lot of hope considering the three leading point scorers are just sophomores.

Christopher Mueller leads the Badger squad with 11 points, four goals and three assists, and has played a solid midfield all year. 2014 Big Ten All-Freshman play-

ers Tom Barlow and Mark Segbers are tied for second in points with eight apiece.

Look for the Badgers to under-mine the meaning of home-field advantage on Wednesday at Engelmann Stadium. Kickoff is Wednesday at 8 p.m.

O n any given Saturday in the fall, Camp Randall Stadium is typically

packed to the brim. That’s not nec-essarily the case at kickoff, which students usually miss because

they’re busy cashing the keg at their buddy’s cousin’s girlfriend’s pregame on Breese Terrace, but they get there eventually. By about midway through the second quar-ter, most of the student section finally joins its already-seated Camp Randall cohorts, who come from both nearby and the far reaches of Wisconsin to cheer on the Badgers.

Shift your focus (quickly,

because there’s literally nothing remotely cool to look at along the way) 251.9 miles south down I-39 to Memorial Stadium, a horseshoe-style venue situated on the campus of the University of Illinois. It’s a typical fall Saturday, and, like their conference-mates in Madison, the Fighting Illini are set to take the field. Unlike their conference-mates in Madison, the Illinois foot-ball team faces two unique obsta-

cles foreign to much of the Badger faithful: Memorial Stadium typi-cally sits about two-thirds full, and the sentiments and attention of the state is blurrily, if at all, honed in on Champaign.

Illinois has filled Memorial Stadium to 63.2 percent of its 62,870-person capacity this sea-son, based on attendance statis-tics from FightingIllini.com and stadium capacity facts on ESPN.com. Obviously, stadium atten-dance isn’t a conclusive metric, but it is partially reflective of the meager interest the program draws, both throughout the state and on campus. It’s dishearten-ing to see a state team play in a stadium spotted with pockets of empty seats, especially when the other main in-state compe-tition at the collegiate level is Northwestern, which has strug-gled with branding and atten-dance issues for some time.

Whether its continued unpopu-larity as a destination stems from the action on the foggy gridiron of Ryan Field, a place that knows neither love nor enthusiasm, or the convenience of watching foot-ball from home, Illinois home foot-ball games continue to fall short of embodying its full potential.

This contrasts sharply with the sports culture in Wisconsin, where a common belief in the Badgers, Brewers and Packers seems to permeate the state as a whole. The Bucks are trying to get on that same level, with its pre-season game at the Kohl Center in Madison and its adoption of a lum-berjack-chic color palette aimed squarely at bringing in a younger generation fans from outside the city of Milwaukee. That rebrand-ing effort is still in its early stages, but represents an aspiration to

be what makes Wisconsin teams uniquely special.

The world the Badgers walk into this Saturday is vastly dif-ferent from the tri-tone fandom that colors Wisconsin sports. While Wisconsin athletics live in harmony with the Packers and Brewers, and increasingly the Bucks, the Illini contend with a cluttered market that includes the Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox and, yes, Evanston’s own Wildcats. Supporting both Illini and any of the aforementioned teams is by no means mutually exclusive, but it’s hard to disagree that the hold Chicago sports have on Illinois makes it all the more dif-ficult on the Illini to firmly grasp the state’s attention.

What the Badgers have estab-lished in Wisconsin really is one-of-a-kind. In Alabama, you align with the Crimson Tide or the Tigers, in Oregon you’re either a Duck or a Beaver, Floridians have the choice between the Gators, Seminoles and Hurricanes and the 35-year-old war between Western Michigan and Central Michigan rages on.

While UW comfortably holds its monopoly on college football fans in the state, Illinois continues to battle for relevancy. The product that head coach Bill Cubit is put-ting on the field should eventually draw fans in but, until Illinois sus-tains continuity both in the coach-ing staff and in its level of play, it will continue to play in front of frighteningly sparse crowds.

Will the Fighting Illini ever earn the full attention of Illinois? Or is the type of fandom surrounding the Badgers unique to Wisconsin? Let Jake know at jake.powers@dai-lycardinal.com.

Wisconsin, Illinois programs are state-school opposites

JAKE POWERSpowers to the people

JESSI SCHOVILLE/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Senior Drew Conner, ranked the 17th best player in the Big Ten coming into the season by TopDrawerSoccer, has just three points this year.

JESSI SCHOVILLE/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Wisconsin has just one win in the month of October, scoring five goals and allowing seven in its last five games.

EMILY BUCK/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Despite a bit of a resurgence under interim head coach Bill Cubit, Illinois still struggles to draw in fans.

dailycardinal.com l 7 Monday, October 19, 2015

sports