THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1969
MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011 VOLUME XLII, ISSUE 131WWW.BADGERHERALD.COM
Poll: Walker would barely survive recall efforteffort
NEWS | STATE
Rep. Brett Hulsey: Media whore extraordinaire Badger offense has a miserable day, failing to score a single
touchdown in the annual Cardinal-White scrimmage
OPINION | COLUMN
Offensively challenged SPORTS |FOOTBALL
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Bus routes to avoid housing
University of Wisconsin community members file onto the route 80 bus outside of the Memorial Union. If Metro’s proposal is passed, the 80 would only operate once every 40 minutes past 9 p.m. and would be the only bus route servicing the Lakeshore area.
Megan McCormick Th e Badger Herald
What at first appeared to be a scene from Alice in Wonderland was actually an Easter celebration Saturday morning on Capitol Square. Kids made hats and led the parade around the square as part of the 10th Annual Easter Hat Parade, which also included visiting farm animals.
Laura Hill Th e Badger Herald
UW students take sides on new plan
As debate surrounding the proposed New Badger Partnership has continued to intensify, University of Wisconsin students have organized to raise awareness of the plan’s possible implications for students in an attempt to sway popular opinion.
As students in opposition to the plan continue to rally supporters, one group of students formed a new organization to centralize efforts to mobilize supporters of the measure.
Jon Alfuth, co-founder of Students for the New Badger Partnership, said the group was established in the absence of a unified voice for students in support of the proposal.
Alfuth, a second-year graduate student, said the group has worked to foster grassroots outreach efforts for nearly six weeks in order to give students the opportunity to express support for the proposal.
“As we’ve reached out to talk about the Partnership, we get people on the fence to consider it a big thing
for students,” he said. “We want to debate the proposal based on its merits, not the personalities of people involved in discussions.”
While the organization has found support among a faction of students that favors the plan, Alfuth said the battle has proven difficult at times because there are a lot of issues currently competing for students’ attention, and some key aspects of the proposal, including figures for financial aid and tuition increases, remain uncertain.
As the debate surrounding public authority status has gained momentum, students have also intensified efforts to organization in opposition to the measure.
Beth Huang, a UW sophomore, said a loose coalition composed of members of different groups, including Student Labor Action Coalition and United Council of UW Students, has come together to oppose the separation of the campus from the System.
She said although a lot
Chancellor’s Badger Partnership target of support, opposition; rally atop Bascom planned for Tuesday; groups facing scrutiny
BADGER PARTNERSHIP, page 2
Katherine KruegerCampus Editor
Baraboo representative will challenge Olsen in recall election
With half of the eligible senators facing the prospect of a special recall election this summer, a challenger has announced
his candidacy to replace Republican Sen. Luther Olsen.
Rep. Fred Clark, D-Baraboo, released a statement announcing he will run against Olsen, a Republican from Ripon.
Clark said he hopes to move the Legislature past the recent gridlock and said his previous
experience as a business owner would be a good indicator for his success representing the district.
“As someone who’s raised a son and had to make payroll every month as private employer, I know how hard it can be to support a family and make ends meet in today’s economy,” Clark said
in a statement. “That’s why I’ve worked hard to support small businesses and to enhance economic development and the quality of life in rural areas.”
Clark announced his candidacy last week at a press conference.
Olsen supporters forced themselves into the room
where Clark was speaking and caused a minor disruption in the back. Some shouted at Clark, but he continued on with his conference.
University of Wisconsin political science professor Charles Franklin said the outcome of the election between Clark and Olsen would be hard to predict
since recalls have been relatively infrequent in Wisconsin. Still, Olsen is one of more than a dozen Senators that could face or are facing recall.
“I think the main thing about recall elections is that they’ve been so rare in
Leah LinschiedNews Reporter
Rep. Fred Clark says he hopes to move past gridlock; scuffle breaks out at announcement
RECALL, page 2
Three late-night campus bus services will have different routes and stop times by next semester, ultimately resulting in less frequent service to the Lakeshore residence hall area, Madison Metro announced late last week.
Saferide routes 81 and 82 would be redrawn for the first time since the late 1990s to accommodate the shifts in campus housing patterns, said Margaret Bergamini, the buss pass coordinator for the Associated Students of Madison.
As a result, route 81 would no longer service Lakeshore, leaving route 80 as the area’s only late-night service provider. The 80 would run only every 40 minutes, compared to the current 15-minute cycle operated by route 81.
The Madison Metro Transit Planning Department, University of Wisconsin transportation service planners and ASM’s bus pass advisory committee have been meeting since late fall to redraw the routes, Bergamini said.
Madison Metro general manager Chuck Kamp said the three bodies meet on a periodic basis to review the 80 routes.
“Occasionally, that review will yield proposals to make adjustments to better serve the needs of students and others,” Kamp said. “That seemed to be the case this time.”
Bergamini said the groups generally aim to keep the headway, the time that elapses between buses, at less than 20 minutes.
“That’s what we were striving late at night, but we did not get that for the Lakeshore dorms,” Bergamini said. “We were trying to stay within the current budget but at the same time rearrange things so we could get more frequent service, and we didn’t succeed in all parts of campus.”
Bergamini said 40-minute headway for the 80 would begin at 9 p.m., with a 15-minute headway until that time for night service, which begins around 6:30 p.m. However, service during the day for the popular campus route would not change.
Bergamini said the headway for routes 81
Metro proposes adjustments that would affect campus’ 80, 81, 82; Lakeshore services slashed
Alexa SunbyCity Reporter
METRO, page 3
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Poll fi nds Wisconsinites dead even on Walker recallResults show 47 percent would remove Walker from office if given the chance; only 35 percent in favor of recall efforts on GOP senators
According to recently released polling data, Gov. Scott Walker would only barely survive a special election where recall petitions filed against him.
The study, commissioned by Wisconsin Public Radio and conducted by St. Norbert College, interviewed 400 adults by phone between April 5 and April 18. Part of the interview concerned recall elections and whether Wisconsinites supported
removing the governor and senators from office if a recall election is held.
Just under half — 48 percent — of respondents said they would vote to keep Walker in office, while 47 percent would remove him from his gubernatorial responsibilities.
The same 400 interviewees felt less strongly about removing senators from office in a recall election. Just more than half of those surveyed said they would keep Republican senators in office and 35 percent would remove
them. There was a larger number of respondents that said they would keep Democrats in office — 57 percent.
University of Wisconsin political science professor Barry Burden said the poll results show less citizens in favor of recalling the senators because they see Walker as the most responsible for the political upheaval that has taken place in Wisconsin throughout the past three months.
”Only about a third of a public is willing to vote against state legislators,” Burden said in an email to
The Badger Herald. “This might reflect lower levels of information about what individual state senators have been doing, but it’s also that Walker’s role is more deserving of sanction.”
Wisconsin’s rules allow for the recall of any elected official that has been in office for at least one year, meaning a recall petition signature drive for Walker could not begin until January. Around 533,000 signatures would be required to trigger a recall election against the governor, which is
25 percent of the total number of votes cast for governor in the November 2010 primary.
Another poll conducted by St. Norbert asked respondents to agree or disagree with certain provisions in Walker’s proposed biennial budget.
Of the cuts to state programs contained in the budget, a majority of interviewees disapproved of the $834 million cut to public K-12 schools, $250 million cut to the UW System and cuts and changes to SeniorCare prescription drug benefits.
Andrew AverillState Editor
In the wake of Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill, Wisconsinites above the age of 50 organize at a rally last month to save SeniorCare. Walker’s proposal would make it more difficult for seniors to be eligible for the SeniorCare program..
Megan McCormick Th e Badger Herald fi le photo
SeniorCare target of bipartisan legislation
Senate Democrats are busily drafting a bill that would prevent changes proposed in the governor’s budget to SeniorCare’s eligibility and enrollment requirements that would force the elderly to pay more for prescription drugs.
Five Democratic senators are drafting the bill, which they said would prevent Gov. Scott Walker from “raiding” SeniorCare for millions of dollars and “punishing” seniors.
“This bill will stop the raid on SeniorCare funds,” said Sen. Robert Wirch, D-Pleasant Prairie, in a statement. “The bill will require that all funds in the SeniorCare program be used only for SeniorCare purposes, such as increasing the type of drugs available in the program or reducing enrollment fees.”
The bill would also require the state to continue applying to the federal government
for funding. The federal government provides 15.5 percent of the program’s budget.
SeniorCare is a program for Wisconsin residents above the age of 65 that helps cover prescription drug costs. Those not eligible for other forms of medical assistance can enroll for an annual fee of $30 dollars, and coverage is determined by income.
Currently, the more than 91,000 people using SeniorCare pay annual deductibles ranging from $500 to $850 and co-pays of $5 or $15 per prescription. Under Medicare Part D, those costs could rise.
Under Walker’s budget proposal, all patients eligible for SeniorCare would be required to apply for, and if eligible, enroll in Medicare Part D by Jan. 1. That health benefits plan would become the primary form of coverage for seniors.
The fight to save SeniorCare has bipartisan support.
“The SeniorCare provision has been
identified by the Republican caucus as something that needs to be changed,” said Andrew Welhouse, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau.
Since the budget proposal hasn’t been introduced on the floor yet, changes can still be made with amendments, Welhouse said. After the governor introduces his proposal, the Legislature takes it up and makes changes — and that process has not yet started.
Any changes to SeniorCare would also require federal approval. On Wednesday, Sen. Herb Kohl sent a letter to Walker urging him not to
move forward with the proposed alterations to SeniorCare, promising to oppose any changes to the popular and cost-effective program.
SeniorCare’s success comes from the ability of the state of Wisconsin to negotiate volume discounts and rebates form pharmaceutical companies, unlike the federal government, said Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, in a statement. This forces pharmaceutical companies to provide the lowest prescription drug costs to seniors.
Wisconsin is the only state with a program like SeniorCare that forces pharmaceutical companies
to bargain for lowest possible drug costs, said Nino Amato, president of the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups. That would change if the provisions in the budget were passed, he said.
Although forcing seniors to enroll in Medicare Part D rather than SeniorCare would free up $20 million for the state to use to plug deficit holes elsewhere in the budget, Medicare Part D is not a viable substitute, Amato said.
The fact that costs would rise under Medicare Part D makes the proposed change essentially a tax on the elderly and their families, said Amato.
of students have heard about the proposal, most do not know how they feel about it and have expressed concern about possible tuition increases in the wake of the state budget’s extensive cuts to higher education.
“A lot of people do not like the idea of separating from the System and think it would undermine the mission to serve the state of Wisconsin,” Huang said.
She added points in opposition to the proposal have especially resonated with transfer students
and students at other UW System schools.
Students hope to continue raising awareness with a rally scheduled for Tuesday on Bascom aiming to draw attention to the proposed public authority status and the “Briefcase Brigades” event on Wednesday targeting the state Legislature and the unavailability of quality jobs for college graduates, she said.
While Huang acknowledged certain students have been publicly singled out for their support or opposition to the
Partnership, she said debate on issues important to every student, including financial aid, would remain respectful.
Alfuth said members of his organization have been targeted by both direct and indirect attacks in recent weeks, with members of the campus community also questioning whether the group was actually established by students.
He added the core membership of the group, composed of about 24 students, would continue to advocate open and constructive dialogue across campus.Students protest the New Badger Partnership at Bascom Hall.
Jacob Schwoerer Th e Badger Herald fi le photo
BADGER PARTNERSHIP, from 1
previous experiences,” Franklin said. “As an incumbent within a conservative-leaning district, Luther might
have an advantage.”
Olsen ran unopposed in his most recent election victory.
Gov.
Scott Walker received 57 percent of the vote in the district in the November 2010 election and President Barack Obama took 52 percent in the 2008 election, somewhat below the statewide average.
However, Clark’s current position as a representative is also advantageous.
Senate districts are comprised of three Assembly districts, and
Clark’s district makes up one third of the population of Olsen’s, giving him more support in that region.
Because of the politically charged nature of recall elections, where the stakes are high, both parties can be energized and turn out more voters than previous elections, like what happened in the Supreme Court election, Franklin said.
RECALL, from 1
Senate Democrats propose bill to carve out budget provision forcing Wisconsin’s elderly to apply for Medicare Part D plan
Ellen Anevicius News Reporter
Clark
THE BADGER HERALD, page 3MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011 NEWS
Since route 81 will pick up route 82’s Mifflin loop, route 82 will now cruise past Breese Terrace down Old University Avenue and loop around the UW
Hospital. The furthest east the route would extend is the Memorial Union.
The bus routes run about 30 minutes in total for late night service. Bergamini said the groups intended to use
Memorial Union as a pseudo-transfer point if students needed to travel further than just one of the Saferide routes.
Metro is holding an input session Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m.
METRO, from 1
BRIDGETON, Mo. (AP) — The St. Louis area’s most powerful tornado in 44 years rips into an airport and through a densely populated suburban area, destroying up to 100 homes, shattering hundreds of panes of glass at the main terminal and blowing a shuttle bus on top of a roof. Yet no one is killed, or even seriously hurt, and the airport reopens less than 24 hours later. How?
Early warnings, good timing and common sense all helped prevent a tragedy Friday night. But on Easter Sunday, many of those cleaning up the mess also thanked a higher power.
“I don’t know why God decided to spare our lives but I’m thankful for it,” Joni Bellinger, children’s minister at hard-hit Ferguson Christian Church, said Sunday.
Lambert Airport reopened for arriving flights Saturday night, and departing flights began Sunday morning. Still, dozens of flights have been canceled, the airport’s Concourse C is still closed and complete repairs could take up to two months.
The tornado peaked at an EF-4 level, second-highest on the Enhanced Fujita scale, packing winds of up to 200 mph, National Weather Service meteorologist Wes Browning said. It was the most powerful twister in metropolitan St. Louis since 1967 — and eerily, it followed a path similar to that of the earlier tornado.
Entire subdivisions were destroyed. Cars were tossed about like toys, roofs tossed hundreds of yards and 100-year-old trees sucked out by the roots.
County officials said during a news conference Sunday that 2,700 buildings were damaged. Gov. Jay
Nixon said Saturday that up to 100 were uninhabitable. The damage clearly will cost millions of dollars to repair, but a more precise estimate was unavailable Sunday.
The twister destroyed two of the homes John Stein owns on a street in the city of Berkeley, and damaged five others. “Everything you’d find in a war zone except the bodies,” Stein said.
Residents in nine communities and unincorporated parts of St. Louis County were still sorting through the rubble Sunday. Ameren Corp. had about 2,000 workers seeking to restore outages that affected 47,000 homes and businesses immediately after the storm. The utility said 18,300 were still without electricity on Sunday, and it could be several days before all power is restored.
Yet the common refrain was: It could have been worse. Stuff was destroyed, not lives.
The normally busy airport took a direct hit, with hundreds of panes of glass shattering from the force of the wind. The shuttle bus on the roof was among dozens of vehicles that were damaged.
But the airport had been quiet Friday night. Few planes on the ground were filled with passengers, and those shook but didn’t topple. Just a couple of hundred passengers and workers were in Concourse C, which took the brunt of the damage, airport director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge said. Five people suffered minor injuries.
Residents praised the weather service for warning them about the tornado more than a half-hour before it hit. Warning sirens blared at the airport, where security officers and other workers herded people to stairwells and bathrooms.
Residents also paid attention to the sirens, and local TV stations switched from network
programming to radar of the pending disaster and stern warnings from meteorologists to seek refuge in basements.
“The bottom line is the 34-minute warning and the heeding of that warning by the citizens has saved countless lives,” Nixon said.
Browning agreed.“The public did what
we told them to do,” the meteorologist said. “Many came out of the basement without a scratch, and there
was nothing left” of their homes.
Bridgeton Mayor Conrad Bowers believes divine intervention also was at work. His own home had moderate damage, but several houses in his neighborhood were obliterated. In many of them, mercifully, no one was home when the twister hit. One family was out for dinner. Another was away playing cards. Another was visiting relatives in Dallas.
“The grace of God,”
Bowers said. “What else can I say?”
At Ferguson Christian Church, nearly three dozen people were gathered on Good Friday to watch the movie “Passion of the Christ” when the sirens began to blare. Pastor Stacy Garner paused the movie and hurried everyone to the basement. They were out of harm’s way as the tornado imploded the sanctuary above them.
Like hundreds of residents in surrounding
communities, church members have been back trying to salvage what they could. Their Easter Sunday services were at a college campus. They’ve had a lot of help from neighbors and friends.
“It’s not just our church, but people from all over the neighborhood have come to help and clean up the mess and pick up the pieces, and try to figure out what we’re going to do from now on,” said Bellinger, the children’s minister.
St. Louis tornado causes damage, but leaves no deaths or injuries
Contractors look at damage caused by a tornado at St. Louis’ Lambert International Airport. It was expected to be at full capacity later this week.Johnny Andrews St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Jim SalterAssociated Press
Easter Weekend twister destroys over 100 homes, shuts down major airport
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Administrative Excellence initiative Biddy’s back-up plan
Last week was bad for the New Badger Partnership’s prospects in the state Legislature. Reps. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, and Robin Vos, R-Burlington, each said they had doubts that the University of Wisconsin-Madison will garner the votes to split from the UW System cast a pall over Chancellor Biddy Martin’s hard-won successes thus far.
When the chair of the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities and co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee say something like that, it is enough to immediately
change the dialogue.“I think it has a good
chance — I don’t think we have the votes right now, and I don’t think it’s guaranteed by any means, but I am very hopeful,” Martin said at a recent campus forum.
That’s a far fall in tone from just a few weeks ago. The state has finally found an area where the Legislature will not follow Gov. Scott Walker, and it means the uphill battle for Martin will only get taller.
So with the possibility of the Legislature striking the New Badger Partnership growing, why is Martin not panicking? Why is the pressure to find another immediate fix to deal with $125 million in cuts not growing?
It is because the New Badger Partnership never was the immediate fix. That job will fall to the Administrative Excellence
initiative, which is already being carried out by the Chicago-based Huron Consulting Group.
The idea, according to the Administrative Excellence site, is to make UW “more effective, efficient and flexible.” That reads eerily similar to the New Badger Partnership, which is not accidental. No matter what plan we go with next year, Administrative Excellence will determine where the first changes are made to deal with the loss of tens of millions of dollars in state funding over the next two years.
It is funny Administrative Excellence has not been more publicly displayed as a complement to the New Badger Partnership, as even a quick read of its goals eases many concerns about the New Badger Partnership’s shortcomings in the immediate future.
The site says, “areas of focus will include the university’s administrative structure, accounting and financial reporting, human resources, facilities, construction management, information technology, internal auditing and budgeting, procurement and other areas.” So by streamlining our current structure, pinpointing unnecessary costs and making a lot of smaller changes in what we currently have, the idea is we can cut our budget without chopping programs that benefit students.
Administrative Excellence will also follow something closer to the shared governance process the New Badger Partnership would have gone through in a perfect world. A committee that includes Martin, the provost and the vice chancellor
for administration will oversee the project. A panel that includes students, faculty and external stakeholders will also contribute, along with smaller “working groups” tasked with specific goals.
It’s collaborative, careful and clear in its goals. Not convinced? Visit the Administrative Process Redesign website, which provided the principles adopted by Administrative Excellence. Quality management jargon aside, the program has worked to make UW more nimble. And it can do it again with Administrative Excellence.
So, we are going to get through this, with whichever plan we wind up with. We will absorb the cuts and grapple with tuition hikes, and it will hurt. But UW will live to see another finals week.
That being said, it is not
time to abandon the New Badger Partnership. The principles behind it still stand: We need means to overcome cuts in the long term while still competing with peer institutions, and that means more alternative funding and freedom from state oversight. Something must change, and it can’t be enough to simply keep us afloat financially.
The New Badger Partnership is not the only way; it is just the best way that has presented itself. Nass and Vos said it themselves that greater flexibilities are on the way — they just might take the form we expect. In the meantime, Martin must continue to be bold in what she asks for and fight for that with everything she has.
Signe Brewster ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in life sciences communication.
Signe BrewsterEditor-at-Large
Hulsey jumped at the chance to hold an impromptu Q-and-A with the media following a Walker press conference.Matt Hintz Th e Badger Herald fi le photo
Rep. Brett Hulsey ‘that guy’ in the Wisconsin Legislature
We all know “that guy.”He’s in our lectures
and discussions, raising his hand with asinine questions and interjecting misguided commentary while professors and TAs are talking.
He’s the annoying guy trying to monopolize party conversation by talking over people and one-upping every story.
He’s the guy you always try to avoid but you inevitably run into.
Well, Rep. Brett Hulsey seems to be “that guy” in the Legislature.
If there’s one person who loved the media attention generated by the budget repair controversy even more than Gov. Scott Walker, it’s Hulsey, the freshman Democrat from Madison. His omnipresent voice in various news stories to gain public notice even merited a feature story in Isthmus, though he may not appreciate
the portrait News Editor Bill Lueders presented in “Why Brett Hulsey Won’t Shut Up.”
I’ve been asking myself Lueders’ question for a while. Even though I consider myself a left-leaning individual, I just can’t bring myself to like Hulsey.
Elected just last November, Hulsey never met a news reporter he didn’t like. It’s as if he has a sixth sense for when a recorder or video camera is nearby. And he always had a fresh set of rehearsed talking points to decry Walker and other Republicans and rabble-rouse the Capitol crowds.
One such example of this behavior is when Hulsey attended a Walker press conference. As soon as the governor left the podium, Hulsey bustled over to take his place and field his own impromptu question and answer session with the press. Naturally, Walker’s aides weren’t pleased with this and tried to drown out Hulsey by turning off the microphone and opening the doors to the rotunda noise.
Hulsey was one to stand on a chair or some other platform among the
crowds of protesters to fan the anti-Walker fires. That’s right; there were times were he literally raised himself on a sort of pedestal to fire off scripted rhetoric.
Not surprisingly, some of Hulsey’s colleagues have made clear to members of the media that he’s a pain to work with. The caucus likes to coordinate its general public message, and especially during the recent controversy it was important for it to have a united, strong message. Some saw his exaggerated rhetoric as taking away a bit of respectability from the opposition.
Now, to be fair, Hulsey was not the only legislator gaining attention for his agitation with the other side, given the deep partisan divides of the budget repair debates.
In particular, Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca of Kenosha and Rep. Gordon Hintz of Oshkosh gained a lot of liberal support for fiery speeches on the Assembly floor. And of course, the “Wisconsin 14” achieved a sort of folk hero status when they fled the state to break quorum.
However, it’s hard to believe Hulsey is sincere
Alica YagerEditorial Board Member
when he’s so new to the Legislature and yet grandstands like he’s been there for years. A lot of the budget repair issues he opines on are complicated and involve a lot of history, so it’s hard to think him qualified to come out on the forefront of this fight like veteran legislators, such as Barca.
Perhaps Hulsey saw the budget controversy the same way as Walker did: a chance to bolster his political resume and popularity in preparation for a higher-up office.
That certainly wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for Hulsey. He first exhibited his tendency toward
political coat-tailing during his Assembly campaign last fall.
Despite a pretty strong assurance of victory against Green Party candidate Ben Manski, Hulsey felt the urge to brag about endorsements from prominent Democrats like Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and state Reps. Kelda Helen Roys, Mark Pocan and Spencer Black.
The problem? Well, Baldwin, Roys and Pocan never officially endorsed Hulsey in his race. And despite Black’s endorsement, Hulsey ran campaign literature with quotes that Black never
actually uttered and never approved for use, so Black rescinded his endorsement.
Talk about a dishonest politician.
In the aftermath of the budget repair bill controversy, it would be wise for Hulsey to take a step back and try to mend fences among his Democratic colleagues if he ever wants to be taken seriously in the Legislature. It’s one thing to be a maverick. It’s another thing to be “that guy.”
Alicia Yager ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in journalism and French.
Action required by Faculty SenateHerald Editorial
Editorial Board opinions are crafted independently of news coverage.
Opinions of the New Badger Partnership have become increasingly divergent in the weeks following Gov. Scott Walker’s budget announcement. However, one vital voice has been noticeably absent from the debate.
As the university’s main shared governance arm, the Faculty Senate has yet to come out with a position since Walker’s plan reframed the debate by turning UW into a public authority and splitting it off from the
UW System. The body came out in
support of the original plan as proposed by Chancellor Biddy Martin before Walker’s budget announcement, but it appears opinion has fractured since. Considering the differences between Martin’s original vision and Walker’s proposal, this isn’t surprising — especially given the vagueness of the first proposal.
However, Faculty Senate is the clearest embodiment
of UW’s cherished shared governance principles. It should vote on the New Badger Partnership out of the simple realization that any concerns about shared governance under the new system are rendered null when it refuses to exercise that governance under the current one.
Even Martin, the plan’s most committed advocate, is demanding guidance.
“If I’m out there completely on my own, I need to know that so that I can make the choices that will be best for the
university,” she told assembled faculty at a recent meeting.
This is a clear opportunity to influence the tone of the discussion — and send a message to the state’s Joint Finance Committee that this university’s faculty is a voice worth listening to.
While we have consistently supported the New Badger Partnership as a much-needed extension of budgetary and administrative freedom, we understand that the plan also raises
serious questions. But opponents also lose a valuable opportunity when debate over the most substantial revamping of the university’s founding mission takes place entirely among members of the Board of Regents and the Legislature.
We encourage the Faculty Senate to vote in the manner they think best. But they need to vote. Unlike many of the state’s senators, the New Badger Partnership is unlikely to be subjected to a recall if we don’t like what we see.
Adam HoltManaging Editor
Kevin BargnesEditor-in-Chief
Sam CleggEditorial Board Chairman
Michael BleachEditorial Board Member
Alica YagerEditorial Board Member
Signe BrewsterEditor-at-Large
Kyle MianulliEditorial Page Content Editor
Allegra DimperioEditorial Page Content Editor
Jake BegunEditorial Board Member
REHABILITATING MR. WIGGLES NEIL SWAAB www.neilswaab.com
SUDOKUNONSENSE?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 I
KAKURO?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.
The “Mortal Kombat” franchise hasn’t had the best reputation over the past decade or so, but with it’s latest reboot, NetherRealm Studios is trying to give the MK name a new life. The 2011 “Mortal Kombat” brings the series back to a system closer to “Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3,” arguably the competitive apex of the series, with a few modern fighting game enhancements thrown in.
The roster is pure fan service, with most of the characters from the first three games (and a few beyond) making return appearances. This is especially true of the female cast members. Apparently the average cup size in the “Mortal Kombat” universe is somewhere around an H. Whether you’re into that or view it as unnecessary pandering is up to you.
Graphically, “Mortal Kombat” is outstanding, with characters’ outfits becoming torn and bloodied as their fights rage. At the end of a character’s two or three rounds, he or she is a complete mess. Blood splatters onto the floor and dries to a slightly browner hue. The effect becomes ridiculous in training mode, where spending as little as 15 minutes pounding on your unkillable training dummy turns its entire upper body into a glistening red nightmare. This is more a point of amusement than a detriment, though.
After a decade of unsuccessful experiments with the third dimension, 2011’s “Mortal Kombat” returns the series to the 2-D plane, though gameplay wise it doesn’t necessarily feel like a typical 2-D fighter. Instead, the game plays closer to 3-D fighters like “Tekken” or “Virtua Fighter.” Combos are primarily made up of chains and specials, many of which cause ground bounces similar to “Tekken’s” bound system or pop-ups that allow you to perform horizontal juggles more typical of 3-D fighters.
New to the series is the addition of a three-tiered meter which fills as you take damage or hit a blocking opponent. Each “bar” of the meter allows a different ability, though the overall effect is similar to the super bar as used in “Street Fighter III: Second Impact.” This is particularly true of the “enhanced” specials, which allow you to spend a bar to beef up one of your special moves.
Two bars will net you a “breaker,” allowing you to bust out of an opponent’s combo any time you’re in hit stun and he or she is physically in contact with you. High level play, even in the early stages of the game’s competitive life cycle, typically sees 40-plus percent combos. As higher
damage combos work their way into everyday play, use of breakers is going to be especially important in keeping the game competitive.
A full meter grants you an “X-Ray,” which is essentially “Mortal Kombat’s” take on the super combo. As the name implies, X-Ray attacks zoom way in, allowing you to see the victims bones shatter and organs rupture as he or she is brutalized by the opponent. The characters of course will stand up immediately afterward, regardless of if their spine is still connected to their ribs or if they still have a liver. Hell, you may have even broken their neck twice in one fight. It’s “Mortal Kombat,” though, so who cares?
One issue with X-Rays is that they all have hyper armor. For those unfamiliar with the term, this means that if you hit someone during the startup of his X-ray, he or she will take damage, but you won’t interrupt the attack (and in most cases, you’ll end up eating the X-Ray for 30-some percent and lose on that trade). This means that after your opponent has a full meter, your best bet is to hang back and hope your opponent makes a mistake on which you can capitalize. Despite popular belief, there’s nothing wrong with turtling, but the overall offense-heavy gameplay effectively gets turned on its head after the meter fills.
Gameplay modes include a standard arcade “ladder” similar to the original titles, a well-realized story mode and an obligatory training room (with a bare-bones tutorial to boot). The most fun aspect of single player is perhaps the Challenge Tower, a series of 300 special-condition fights and mini-games. Tag team matches have also been added and can even be played cooperatively with a friend — or in teams for up to four players.
The game’s online features are robust, but the netcode leaves a lot to be desired. Matches range from being playable to having input delays of over a second. This is especially disappointing given Warner Brothers’ promise to make MK the “Gold Standard” for online fighting games.
Despite some minor hangups, “Mortal Kombat” is, at its core, a solid fighting game. Its addition to the roster at Evo 2011 will guarantee that the much maligned series gets a shot at the competitive scene, which will hopefully keep NetherRealm interested in developing the franchise further with quality in mind.
Alex Girard is a senior majoring in journalism and communication arts. E-mail questions and suggestions to [email protected].
Alex GirardHerald Arcade
MORTAL KOMBAT
NETHERREALM STUDIOS
‘Twilight’ heartthrob teams up with Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon in film adaptation of Sara Gruen’s best-selling historical novel.åPhoto courtesy of Fox 2000 Pictures
‘Water for Elephants’ makes big splashFilm is hardly ‘greatest show on Earth,’ but proves satisfying enough for tough-to-please Gruen, Pattinson fans alike
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, “Twilight” lovers of all ages! Step right up for a filmmaking spectacular that will leave you dazzled, romantically satisfied and all-the-more confident that Robert Pattinson cannot act but can look dang good while (not) doing it.
Whether your faith lies with Robert Pattinson and his every cinematic move, or with Sara Gruen’s gritty and romantic historic novel, the film adaptation of “Water for Elephants” does not disappoint.
“Water for Elephants” (Francis Lawrence, “I Am Legend”) tells the story of the Benzini Brothers Circus as it trudges it’s way through the Great Depression, bringing hope and spectacle to the dreary lives of children and families throughout the country. Told through the brooding eyes of Jacob Jankowski (Pattinson, “Remember Me”) using the familiar “old-man-reflects-on-his-life” formula of “Big Fish,” the film focuses on the slowly building love-triangle between Jacob, the ravishing star of the circus, Marlena (Reese Witherspoon, “How Do
You Know?”) and her psychopathic husband, and ringleader of the circus, August (Christoph Waltz, “The Green Hornet”).
The film prepares the audience for spectacle right from the beginning, as a 93-year-old Jacob tells the story of the Benzini Brothers Circus catastrophe to a young circus manager, who notes its status as one of the greatest show-business disasters of all time. And although the intrigue of the story’s introduction fizzles at certain slow points, the film offers a fairly consistent amount of entertainment from the enchanting sets and costumes to the whimsical score courtesy of James Newton Howard.
In particular, performances from Witherspoon and Waltz keep the momentum of the film going, while Pattinson fades into the background as a pretty little prop. As a leading man, Pattinson’s inexperience and failure to express emotion on that ruggedly charming face of his is a poor excuse for the complex and compassionate character in Gruen’s novel.
Luckily, Pattinson is safely cushioned between two Academy
Award-winning actors, so all he has to do is look really really ridiculously good looking. Which he accomplishes effortlessly. Amen to those golden locks and crooked smile.
Waltz takes the cake as star of the show, delivering a chilling and unsettling performance as the abusive ringleader of the Benzini circus. Incorporating the manic tendencies of Colonel Hans Landa (“Inglourious Basterds”) into his role, Waltz has become a master of malice in performances that make us both intrigued and terrified to look him in the eye.
As his wife, Witherspoon starts on a promising note, perfecting the balance between superiority over Jacob and curiosity toward his compassion for the animals. However, as their “romance” attempts to blossom over the course of the film, the chemistry between the two actors is strained. As actors, their difference in status is far too prominent to overlook, giving the relationship an unrealistic and perplexing tone that is as potent as elephant dung.
And while most of the actors bring Gruen’s characters to life on screen, the film’s
greatest strengths fall under director Francis Lawrence’s attention to the film as a period piece. Incorporating aspects of prohibition, the Great Depression and the lavish spirit of the Roaring ‘20s, much of the film’s spirit emerges in these moments of historic awareness.
From the costumes to the sets, Lawrence creates an energy out of what is left unsaid, wrapping the story and its actors in a glittery spectacle that the illusion of the circus can never truly express. And while fans of Gruen’s novel might be disappointed with the omitted grittiness and passion of the novel, the film’s attention to the overarching theme of spectacle and magic makes the cinematic journey worthwhile.
Natalie SandyArtsEtc. Reporter
Avicii, a.k.a. Tim Bergling, was ranked 39th this year in DJ Mag’s 100 Best DJs and is most known for his hit ‘Bromance.’Photo courtesy of Ministry of Sound
Segredo to host international house artist
Old Madison clubs such as Headliners and Mad Ave used to bring big-time celebrities to Madison. These days, Segredo, a boutique chic bar and restaurant that opened over a year ago on University Avenue, hopes to turn this region of the Madison bar scene into a classier entertainment district.
“This place used to get some big names back in the day. Megadeth, Ray Charles and Joe Cocker all played down here,” said Shayne Miller, Segredo’s general manager. “We are bringing back that history.”
Segredo is scoring big celebrity names with one of the top-ranked DJs in the world, Avicii. Avicii is only 21 years old but has already made a name for himself in the music industry as the 39th best DJ in the world. He took the world by surprise as he brought his music all the way from Sweden; it is fast becoming popular in America.
Avicii’s techno beats may use voice-overs from other songs, but he also dabbles in making his own original vocal works. Avicii has created a number of different songs but is most known for his worldwide hit “Bromance.”
“He will play all his songs, but once he plays ‘Bromance,’ this place is going to go nuts,” Miller said. “It is comparable to at a football game when they play ‘Jump Around.’”
Miller said it is going to be hard to stand still once Avicii gets the music
Night club owner hopes presence of established Swedish performer Avicii will open doors for more live entertainment
going because his music is something that gets everyone on the dance floor in a massive rave. The techno music that Avicii plays is not just the latest trend; it has always attracted a large audience.
“This style of music is liked by so many people,” Miller said.
This is why Segredo expects a full house upon Avicii’s arrival — according to Miller, tickets are already close to being sold out. To make sure this concert is memorable, Miller said Segredo is going all out. He predicts around eight hours of set-up time to get things ready for the show and plans to construct a wall of sound, great lighting and a huge stage three and a half
feet tall just for Avicii. Their plan is to allow concert-goers to hear the music loudly no matter their location within the club.
“You can’t be at Madison on Wednesday night without being able to hear us,” Miller said.
Many people are surprised that Avicii is not going to be performing at the Majestic Theater or Orpheum, but Miller is confident Segredo will not disappoint its guests.
“This is us proving that we are a venue like the rest of them,” Miller said. “I want to keep this show small and extremely special for everybody. We want to have it somewhat intimate.”
Segredo had to pull a lot
of strings in order to score an appearance by Avicii.
“It was actually a combined effort of a lot of people. The Prime Social Group out of Columbus, Ohio, and also Runway Madison were the ones that did the hard work,” Miller said.
This is just the beginning for Segredo’s ultimate goal: to score other big name performances in the future. With Avicii’s upcoming performance, Segredo hopes to attract similar big name acts in the future.
“You can get anybody if you try hard enough,” Miller said.
Avicii will be playing at Segredo April 27. Doors open at 9 p.m. Tickets are now $45.
Jenna SeversonArtsEtc. Writer
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS
Actors:ROBERT PATTINSON
REESE WITHERSPOON
FRANCIS LAWRENCE
Wake up!
with the Badger Herald
SPORTS
page 7 THE BADGER HERALDMONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011
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ASO to my friend who is constantly on her smartphone. I don’t care who you’re texting or how stimulating your Scrabble game is or how much you want to stalk so-and-so on Facebook, it is not appropriate to be on your phone during a group dinner or when I’m trying to have a legitimate con-versation with you. I see the top of your head more than your face. Now,
put the phone down and socialize like a normal human. Thanks.
HMFASO to law school exams making up 80% of your grade. DHMFASO to hav-ing an 8 hour take-home Constitutional Law exam on the DAY OF Miff lin.
THMFASO to not understanding 95% of what has happened in that class. SO to thinking about burning the constitution to the ground so we can stop
talking about it.
HUGE ASO to the creepy middle aged man who was in line behind me at the post off ice and peered over my shoulder to get my name and address. Big-ger ASO to him then spending the time to fi gure out my wisc email ad-dress. You asked me a harmless question and I responded as not to be rude. If I wanted you to know my name or if I wanted to meet up for
drinks I would have given you my name and contact information. It is not acceptable to steal someone’s personal information from their return ad-
dress. I’m off icially creeped out. smh
improve.“My wide receivers did
a great job of getting open, and it’s my job to put it in their hands,” Brennan said. “I felt like I left a lot of plays out on the field today.”
While the quarterbacks struggled to get the ball out to their wide receivers during the game, the youth of the wideouts was still noticeable.
There were several drops and poor angles taken.
With senior Nick Toon still out, sophomore Jared Abberderis has been leading the receivers through the spring. Saturday, Abbrederis caught two passes for a total of 40 yards.
“I think that we showed up a little lackadaisical today,” Abberderis said. “We didn’t really bring it as much as we should have. We had some nice plays, we just had some stopped drives, just didn’t finish them.”
While the quarterbacks and wide receivers struggled, the running backs and offensive line stood out as bright spots for the offense.
Freshman running back Jeffrey Lewis carried the ball a team-leading 11 times, averaging 2.6 yards per carry. But it was sophomore James White, junior Montee Ball and senior Zach Brown who stood out, moving the offense down the field.
“I’m very excited because I think Zach Brown gives us a three-deep at the running back; that may be as good as we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Bielema said.
Working with new running back coach Thomas Hammock, the trio showed it could control the game much like it did last year. Still, the tailbacks have higher expectations heading into the 2011 season.
“We’re trying to do better than last year,” White said. “We’re just trying to get better each and every practice. We’re trying to
remember what happened last year and just try to improve off last year.”
Failing to record a touchdown in the spring game wasn’t exactly the start that White and the running backs were looking for.
“Going into the game, all running backs expect to score a touchdown, so I guess I didn’t expect not to score one,” White said. “I mean, things happen; you’re not going to be able to score every single game.”
The Badgers didn’t put together their best performance in the spring game, but they still found positives that they can take away from the experience. It’s the negative plays and missed opportunities, though, that will drive the Badgers through summer conditioning as they prepare for fall camp.
“There was some good and some bad,” Budmayr said. “The biggest thing is to just learn from the bad and carry it forward into the summer and into fall camp.”
OFFENSE, from 8
ability to stop the run and force the quarterbacks to scramble often.
“I think Brendan Kelly, Louis and David can give us some really nice rotation there at defensive end, and I thought (defensive line coach) Charlie’s (Partridge) done a nice job of getting our guys to convert from run to pass really well in the inside position,” Bielema said. “That was showing up today in making guys get out of the pocket.”
The linebackers’ strong play also extended into the pass game as well. O’Neill broke up at least two passes and nicely wrapped up running back Jeffrey Lewis in a solo effort outside the tackles.
Redshirt freshman Ben Ruechel picked off a pass, as did Fenton, who in the first quarter tipped a pass by Joel Stave high in the air and managed to spin around and catch the ball before it hit the ground.
UW’s defensive backs
also impressed Bielema, especially at the safety position. Throughout camp, Shelton Johnson and Dezmen Southward have battled for playing time at strong safety opposite Aaron Henry at free safety. And heading into the spring, Bielema said he worried about filling in that spot.
But after Saturday’s game, the play of Johnson and Southward has reassured the head coach.
“I was really worried, concerned, about the safety position, but Shelton Johnson, Aaron Henry and Dezmen Southward, I think, are three guys that can really give us some ability there that I didn’t know was going to be there,” Bielema said.
Southward started the first half, recording four tackles and, on two occasions, displayed an adeptness at filling in the gaps on rushing plays.
On the first series, he blitzed from the strong side and did well to clog up the running back’s
avenue. Later in the first half, he shot through the clutter and wrapped up the running back near the line of scrimmage.
Johnson started the second half and also recorded four tackles. He deflected a pass from Joe Brennan to Isiah Williams that would have landed the Cardinal team with a first down in the red zone.
Later, after Budmayr hit wide receiver Jared Abbrederis in the middle of the field for a first down, Johnson immediately popped the wideout with a hard hit from his shoulder, although Abbrederis did hang on.
Elswhere in the secondary, Devin Smith picked off an underthrown pass from Budmayr near the red zone and Peniel Jean lead the defense with nine tackles.
The Cardinal team did allow at least four plays over 20 yards, but allowing only one scoring drive the entire day added confidence to the already confident group.
DEFENSE, from 8
leadoff for the first time since the team’s opening game against Texas State, went 2-3. After missing 14 games due to injury, Massei has now gone 6-12 with two runs, two RBIs, a double, a triple and a home run since her return. She’s batting .522 in her last seven games dating back to March 19 and has four multi-hit games in that span.
Given a 2-0 lead, Darrah got into a groove. After getting Kelley Wedel to line out to shortstop to end the first, Darrah retired the next 10 batters she faced. Illinois went 1-2-3 in the second, third and fourth innings, but finally broke through in the fifth inning.
With one out in the fifth, Jackie Guy singled to center field. Alex Booker pinch ran for Guy and took second as Ashley Conrad walked. Danielle Vaji then singled to left field to load the bases for the top of the order. Zymkowitz hit a grounder to shortstop, but it was hit too softly to allow Peace to throw home. Peace then tried to get Zymkowitz at first but the throw was not in time, and Illinois had closed the score to 2-1.
Peace got another chance on the next batter, though, as Hollie
SPLIT, from 8 Pinchback grounded a ball to short. Peace came home and got the second out on a force play. Peace then closed out the inning by catching a line drive from Meredith Hackett, leaving the bases full.
Darrah finished off the game from there, getting the Illini to go three-up and three-down in both the sixth and seventh innings. Darrah finished the game by getting both Conrad and Vaji to strike out looking.
-- UWBadgers.com
offense’s spring game performance last year. “It’s good for us to have a setback like that, as long as we use it to our advantage to realize that there’s a sense of urgency here, and we gotta have a great offseason to move forward.”
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
You’d be hard-pressed to find an offense that’s clicking after 15 practices. Timing and chemistry
needs to develop over the summer and into fall camp.
Having said all that, Budmayr — like every other player on the roster — needs to progress and he knows it. After all, his position happens to be the most important one on the field.
Does he have what it takes to lead this offense and keep UW at the top of the Big Ten? At this point, it’s just too early to tell.
This much is obvious:
Budmayr needs to make smarter reads. He needs to develop a stronger presence in the pocket. Most importantly, he needs to take care of the football — something he struggled to do all spring.
The Badger offense is continuing to evolve to take advantage of Budmayr’s strengths, and that adjustment comes with growing pains. Frankly, it’s a good thing results in the spring don’t count for anything.
Sure, the spring game
was disappointing and maybe a bit frightening, but it just reinforced something we already knew.
Budmayr has a lot of room to improve — and he’ll need to if the Badgers want to contend for another conference title.
Max is a senior majoring in journalism. Concerned with the Badgers’ quarterback situation? Let him know at [email protected].
HENSON, from 8
Wisconsin scored two runs in the first inning and that would be all the support that freshman Cassandra Darrah would need as the Badgers (24-19, 4-8) topped Illinois, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon at Goodman Diamond.
Darrah threw her 15th complete game of the year and improved to 13-7 on the year - the second-most wins by a freshman in school history - by limiting the powerful Illini lineup to just one run in seven innings of work. The Corydon, Iowa, native struck out five and walked one while surrendering only four hits.
Entering the weekend, Illinois (20-18, 7-5) was leading the Big Ten in
batting average, runs, hits, doubles, total bases and on-base percentage during conference games. But Darrah held the Illini to their lowest run and hit totals since they had one hit in a 1-0 loss to Long Beach State on March 20.
After Illinois stranded two runners in the top of the first, Wisconsin got all the offense it needed in the bottom of the inning.
Mary Massei started things with a single up the middle. Jennifer Krueger then reached on a fielding error by Illinois pitcher Pepper Gay and, one batter later, Stephanie Peace drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Shannel Blackshear then hit a deep fly to right field
to bring home Massei and advance Krueger to third. Blackshear’s second sacrifice fly of the season gave UW a 1-0 lead.
Krueger’s tag-up to third proved to be crucial. With runners on the corners and two outs, Peace took off for second base. Illinois threw down but the throw was cut off by second baseman Danielle Zymkowitz because Krueger broke for home. Zymkowitz was unable to get a good grip on the ball, however, and Krueger scored the eventual game-winning run.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jon Budmayr felt constant pressure Saturday and finished 10-for-23 with an interception. Zhao Lim Th e Badger Herald
Last season, Wisconsin’s offense averaged 41.5 points per game. In its annual spring game, UW failed to score a single touchdown.
Saturday, with a new format pitting first-team offense against first team-defense, head coach Bret Bielema got the more competitive game he was hoping for, with the defense winning 29-27.
The defense, also the White team, was spotted seven points at the beginning of each half, and a majority of the scoring came from the “rapid fire” kicking exercises after the first and third quarters.
Besides these points, third string kicker Kyle French scored the lone actual game points on a 44-yard field goal.
Despite the lackluster day offensively, head coach Bret Bielema was pleased with how the spring went overall.
“This was one practice out of 15,” Bielema said. “What you guys saw was one day, but I have been happy with the way basically both sides of the ball as well as our kicking game is coming around and continue to move forward.”
With questions as to who will fill in at quarterback, Bielema gave sophomore Jon Budmayr, redshirt freshman Joe Brennan and true freshman Joel Stave each a chance to lead the offense.
Budmayr started the day handing off to junior running back Montee Ball for five yards.
After two more carries from Ball, Budmayr threw an incomplete pass.
The offense looked just about the same through the rest of the game. Before the UW offense picked up a second first down, each quarterback had already thrown an interception.
Budmayr finished the day 10-for-23 with one interception, while Brennan finished 4-for-23 with two interceptions and Stave was 8-for-15 with one interception.
“Right away it’s going to jump out on the offensive side to replace the starting quarterback,” Bielema said. “The three guys that got the majority of the reps today aren’t anywhere where we needed to be for us to be a competitive team in the fall. They need to continue to move forward.”
With UW’s struggles most notably at quarterback, Budmayr knows he needs to improve his game, especially in pressure situations.
“Taking advantage of opportunities and not turning the ball over in crucial situations,” Budmayr said of what he needs to work on. “I think that’s one of the things I need to get better at. Crucial situations doesn’t mean end of the game; it’s first down you can’t turn the ball over, third down you have to keep the chains moving to keep our offense on the field.”
Brennan, meanwhile, characterized his spring as up-and-down and was quick to note his need to
OFFENSE RECAP
Despite losing several key players from a year ago, there remained plenty of reasons to talk up the Wisconsin football team’s offense.
Just a few include returning backs Montee Ball, James White, another sure-to-be solid offensive line and two rising wide receivers.
However, in Saturday’s spring football game at Camp Randall Stadium, the defense stole the show with the aggressive mindset defensive coordinator Chris Ash has been preaching all spring.
“There’s definitely a new swag, a new mentality to
just to out there and feel like you’re going to win, you’re going to dominate,” linebacker A.J. Fenton said. “That’s the confidence they want in us, and I think you saw that today.”
The White team (defense) topped the Cardinal team (offense), 29-27, and never conceded a touchdown.
The White team allowed just 376 yards on 113 plays — an average of about 3.3 yards per play.
“I felt a lot of people made production today,” defensive end Louis Nzegwu said. “A lot of people took strides, even from the last practice. I think we’re light years ahead of where we were on day one, and I think a lot of
people stood out.”In the defensive
domination, the White team forced four turnovers (three interceptions and one fumble) and recorded eight tackles for loss (five of which were sacks) to set the offense back a total of 30 yards.
The White team allowed just 2.6 yards per play against the Cardinal’s much-hyped run game. Although running backs James White (5.9 yards per carry) and Montee Ball (4.1) finished with solid yards-per-carry averages, it didn’t come easy.
Members of all three defensive units made stops on the run. Among the defensive line and linebacking corps, David
Gilbert, Conor O’Neill, Michael Trotter and Brendan Kelly led the way with six tackles apiece.
Gilbert and Nzegwu each had a sack and another tackle for loss while Trotter, who filled in at middle linebacker for the injured Chris Borland, also played well. The redshirt freshman pressured the quarterback often, forcing one fumble on Jon Budmayr and took Ball head-on on a draw play and stopped the back for two yards.
Head coach Bret Bielema came away impressed with the production of his defensive line in its
DEFENSE RECAPDefense turns swag on, forcing 4 turnovers and allowing just 376 yards of total offense during scrimmage
Elliot HughesAssociate Sports Editor
Kelly EricksonAssociate Sports Editor
Quarterbacks can’t find any rhythm as Badgers fail to reach end zone; only actual points come on field goals
Darrah’s dominant performance leads to series split with Illinois
As expected, Budmayr still has a long way to go
OFFENSE, page 7 DEFENSE, page 7
By now, you’ve all probably heard.
The Badger offense was painful to watch during Saturday’s spring game.
In the one practice that fans get to see, UW failed to produce a touchdown. That’s unfortunate for everyone involved — except Chris Ash and his defense, which brought relentless pressure and recorded numerous “sacks” of the two-hand-touch variety.
The numbers speak for themselves. First-team quarterback Jon Budmayr was 10-for-23 with an interception. Second-team quarterback Joe Brennan was even worse, going 3-for-17 with one interception.
The quarterback play Saturday was awful.
But keep in mind: The Cardinal-White scrimmage was the final practice of a long spring camp. Saturday was a bad day for Budmayr and the quarterbacks, but what about the rest of spring practice?
Unfortunately, the quarterback play has been subpar all spring, and the coaches and players are well aware. They’re not hiding from it.
“The three guys that got the majority of the reps today aren’t anywhere where we need them to be for us to be a competitive team in the fall,” head coach Bret Bielema said.
“It’s April right now,
and we’re fortunate it is because we still have a lot to go and a lot of room to improve, myself mostly, before fall camp starts,” Budmayr added.
Well, Bielema and Budmayr are certainly being honest with the situation at hand as UW welcomes a new starter under center.
All eyes will be firmly focused on Budmayr as fall camp nears with the starting job now essentially his.
Brennan, a redshirt freshman, is still very raw, and true freshman walk-on Joel Stave is in no position to lead UW after just a couple months on campus. The only true challenger was Curt Phillips, but you can officially take him out of the competition.
Bielema revealed Saturday that redshirt junior has been ruled out for the year. Phillips suffered his second ACL tear this past November, but according to Bielema, Phillips’ knee failed to heal correctly and he’ll need to undergo another procedure.
You have to feel for Phillips, who’s worked relentlessly to see the field in 2011, but opponents aren’t about to show the Badgers any sympathy.
Now Budmayr is the only quarterback with any game experience — albeit in mop-up duty.
As the first-team signal caller this spring, Budmayr struggled, and that was highlighted Saturday.
But that shouldn’t really surprise anyone. In fact, that was to be expected.
Consider this:The redshirt sophomore
hasn’t started an actual game in over three years
(he missed his senior year of high school due to injury) and those live snaps are impossible to truly replicate in practice.
He’s going against a pretty talented first-team defense, which has amped up its blitz packages in an effort to get more pressure on the quarterback — not the easiest thing for a new signal caller to deal with, especially when simply laying a finger on his green jersey counted as a sack in the spring game.
The UW secondary is loaded with experience, featuring three senior starters. Meanwhile, with Nick Toon (his most dynamic downfield target) sidelined, UW’s most experienced wide receiver is Jared Abbrederis, a redshirt sophomore. Those wideouts and their drops didn’t give the quarterbacks much help Saturday.
His starting center — Peter Konz — has been out with injury, and his tight ends have all had health issues of their own.
That’s a lot of challenges to work through. The return of all those injured starters will only help Budmayr and the passing game, but inconsistency on offense is commonplace during the spring.
Take a look at what Scott Tolzien — the man Budmayr is replacing at quarterback — had to say a year ago at this time, when the eventual Big Ten champion Badgers wrapped up their spring game.
“We need to be better than that in the fall,” Tolzien said of the
Max HensonTake it to the Max
HENSON, page 7
Freshman pitcher Cassandra Darrah struck out 5 and gave up just 4 hits in a winning effort Sunday.Zhao Lim Th e Badger Herald
