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SHOULD WE PLAY NICE WITH BIG BROTHER?
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CAMPUS LAB AND THE WOLF POPULATION +opinion, page 7
+science, page 8
Local news guarantees community
STEM lacks female voices in classroom By Morgan Lock
By Allison Garfield
STAFF WRITER
ways of simulating that in an electronic search but I just think that that space needs to be there and it needs to be rich with texts.” In response, England gives his undergraduate classes at least one assignment that requires them to delve into the stacks at Memorial Library, learn how the library system works and take advantage of the resources librarians can provide. He sees it as his personal responsibility to give his students the confidence to research and discover for themselves.
More women than ever are participating in science, technology, engineering and math research at UW-Madison. However, there remains a disconnect in women feeling like they have a place in the classroom. A 2016 Women in Science and Engineering Leadership Institute of the University of WisconsinMadison survey showed that more women than ever before are participating in STEM-related research on campus. “Every year more and more female engineers graduate. The idea of a male dominated field is getting less and less prevalent,” Sydney Heimer, a sophomore studying Biomedical Engineering said. “It’s hard to know for sure because I didn’t see what things were like in my mom’s engineering classes, for example, but from what she’s told me, it’s getting a lot better.” Aurelie Rakotondrafara, an assistant professor working in a plant pathology lab, has yet to have a lab with less females than men since 2011. “Whoever applies — regardless of gender — if you are good [at your job], I think yes please come. I would say that we do make an effort not to prioritize candidates that are female, but we do encourage them,” Rakotondrafara said. Although some fields such as Environmental and Biomedical Engineering have started to take strides towards female inclusion, some fields remain behind. Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical
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CITY NEWS EDITOR
“Public discussion is a political duty,” the Supreme Court said in 1964. What is nott documented in the court case is how public discussion cannot exist without local journalism. It’s a common conception that local news coverage is dull and monotonous — lots of budget meetings, traffic reports and crime coverage. As the City News Editor at the Daily Cardinal, I encounter this perception frequently. Yet, local papers across the country are providing the information necessary for public discourse, from obituaries so that people know who they’ve lost, to local coverage on small businesses so people know where to go. These things matter to an informed community. Madison has “hyper-engaged local citizenry,” according to CapTimes reporter Abigail Becker — and that makes it even more vital. “Local government reporting is critically important to residents in any town, village, city or county,” Becker said. “It can be under-reported and somewhat undervalued.” Becker attributes some of this to the appeal of larger government news coverage. “Covering state and national government is really sexy [and] a lot of people are drawn to it because it’s big, it’s important,” Becker added. “But local government is just as important — the decisions that are made in [the] city will have a very direct, real and almost immediate impact on people.” Becker has been reporting at CapTimes for almost three years and primarily covers city and county
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GRAPHIC BY LYRA EVANS
While UW-Madison’s plan to modernize libraries through mass digitalization is designed to make resources more accessible, could removing physical copies from the campus’ stacks have unexpected consequences?
Screening the stacks By Sarah Kafka STAFF WRITER
In the Memorial Library stacks, students find old books, quiet study spaces and campus rumors of an axe murderer. At night it can feel like the start of a B- horror movie, but students have discovered their research and study skills here for 91 years. As more students favor internet connections, there is a push towards the digitization of more than three million volumes of books in Memorial Library; manifested in many forms. UW-Madison and libraries across the country have begun digitizing their physical
books, and Memorial Library’s crypt of knowledge is in danger of being axed itself. “Every once in a while, we’ll do a show of hands. You’ll have juniors and seniors say they’re never actually been inside Memorial Library,” UW-Madison Professor Samuel England said. “This always concerns me.” Having everything online can curtail discovery and drive learning into predetermined channels, he added. “[A library] needs to be a place that you can explore and be surprised by what you find on the shelf,” England said. “There are
Wisconsin lawmakers seek to legalize sports gambling, affecting negotiations with tribal nations By Bremen Keasey STAFF WRITER
States can now decide to legalize sports gambling after a 2018 Supreme Court decision — and some Wisconsin lawmakers want to get in on the action. Rep. Tyler Vorpagel, R-Plymouth, believes legalization would yield financial benefits — it would keep money in the state instead of losing potential revenues to other border states that legalized sports gambling. Illinois, Iowa and Indiana legalized sports gambling, while Minnesota and Michigan legislators are considering similar moves. The accessibility that Wisconsinites have to easily cross state lines to make bets is one big
reason why Vorpagel hopes to change legislation. “It doesn’t make sense [for Wisconsin] if other states allow gambling and can capture Wisconsin dollars from people interested in gambling,” Vorpagel said. Despite this, Vorpagel realized it may not be a reality in the near future because the state constitution has a blanket prohibition on gambling. There are two major hoops to jump through to get any legislation passed: First, getting a bill passed through the Legislature requires two consecutive sessions, followed by a statewide referendum in order to change the state’s constitution. The second — and potentially more challenging step — would be negotiat-
ing with tribal casinos.
“It doesn’t make sense [for Wisconsin] if other states allow gambling and can capture Wisconsin dollars from people interested in gambling.” Tyler Vorpagel State Representative R-Plymouth
Wisconsin’s 11 tribal nations operate 26 casinos — but they also are not allowed to offer sports betting. If a sports gambling bill is passed, the tribal nations would have to “renegotiate” their agree-
ments with the state to include it, according to a report issued in June by the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. Renegotiation would likely end payments for the exclusive right of gambling to the state from tribal nations amounting to $53 million during fiscal year 2017-’18, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. Some reports suggest the addition of sports gambling might not add as much to tax revenue as expected. Mississippi and Pennsylvania — two states that recently legalized sports gambling — brought in half of what they expected. Yet, Nevada brought in around $20 million from tax revenue despite nearly $5 billion worth of bets.
Vorpagel said since the Supreme Court decision was only a year ago, there is not much data about revenue to compare to Wisconsin. However, he thinks legalizing gambling would bring financial benefits by allowing for more competition in the marketplace. Despite the long road ahead for any possible legalization, Vorpagel believes it’s something people are interested in. Across a lot of sports media, podcasts or TV networks, gambling shows are more mainstream and also increase the amount of people who watch sports. “I think that if we would amend the constitution and it went to the voters, I personally think it would pass,” Vorpagel said.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
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Today’s Crossword Puzzle An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892
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Across 1. ‘’Planet of the ---’’ 5. Ice cream partner 9. Like a no-hitter 13. Spring training site 14. Popeye’s girlfriend 16. Flamboyant style 17. Humorous Bombeck 18. Olympic judges, collectively 19. ‘’--- Like it Hot’’ 20. Pregame presentation 23. --- Aviv 24. ‘’--- Master’’ (nickname for Phil Jackson) 25. First hitter 32. Christmas tree choice 33. Hall-of-Fame QB Bart 34. Tournament round 36. Shortstop Vizquel 38. Clean thoroughly 40. Home plate, in slang 41. Tyson, notoriously 43. Lauder of cosmetics 45. Spike at Knicks games 46. 1, 2 and 3 swingers 49. Three --- match 50. AFL-___ 51. A league leader 59. Bed support 60. Peace Prize winner Root
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25. Casino maximum 26. Poetic muse 27. Jeweler’s surface 28. Freshmen 29. ‘’Et tu ---?’’ 30. Griffith of the ring 31. Part of a stair 32. Watch pocket 35. ‘’That’s all --wrote’’ 37. Clubhouse visitor 39. Happens again 42. Guidry and Darling 44. The Indians’ lake 47. Clotho and Lachesis 48. Like a contract’s line 51. Olympic ceremony sight 52. Shakespearean villain 53. Soil mover 54. --- drive (sharp hit) 55. Jezebel’s husband 56. ‘’--- Kleine Nachtmusik’’ 57. ‘’No ifs, --- or buts!’’ 58. Catcher’s protector 59. ___-fi
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local from page 1 government. Her job looks different every day. She wrote about the surprise announcement of former Police Chief Mike Koval’s retirement Sunday. The next day, she was trumping through the mud at a farm in Cross Plains, Wisconsin. to learn about how farmers are dealing with higher levels of participation. On Tuesday, she covered two budget press conferences. “It truly is something different every day and I think that speaks to the amount of work that both units of local government are doing and what’s going on here locally,” Becker said. “People are very interested, engaged and opinionated on the local levels of government here.” Joe Tarr, News Editor at the Isthmus, has worked in Rochester, Minnesota; Knoxville, Tennessee; Anchorage, Alaska and Cambodia. A lot of the same issues come up in cities, he said, but Madison is slightly different than other places he’s worked.
“As for day-to-day challenges, both Becker and Tarr are confronted with one most journalists face: building trust.”
“Madison is very media-savvy so people understand media and they’re happy to talk to reporters,” Tarr said. “I think it’s changing a little and people aren’t quite as forthcoming as they used to be but, generally, officials and [the] public are pretty open.” Both the Isthmus and CapTimes publish in print once a week and are publishing online every day. At CapTimes, digital truly does come first, Becker said. “From my perspective as a reporter, I rarely actually think about that print newspaper,” she said. “The mission of CapTimes trying to be
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digital-first filters down to reporters — we’re thinking of the most effective way to tell [a] story online first.”
“I always feel honored when people choose to trust me and trust me with their story and let me tell that story to others.”
Abigail Becker reporter CapTimes
Tarr, who’s been reporting news since the early ‘90s, had a different perspective. “I don’t have a lot of hope right now, he said. “I hope things stabilize for the industry because it’s been this slow bleed of talent and jobs and newspaper closings and it’s sad to see. It would be nice if the industry figures out how to monetize the internet.” As for day-to-day challenges, both Becker and Tarr are confronted with one most journalists face: building trust. “There’s always a challenge, especially since the media in this town is very white,” Tarr said. “It’s a challenge to get people to trust you, understandably so.” There’s an added level of accessibility in local news, Becker stated. Many locals will reach out and ask her questions about a story to confirm its validity — it’s just another factor of the state capital’s hyper-engaged local citizenry. “I always feel honored when people choose to trust me and trust me with their story and let me tell that story to others,” she added. “It’s really hard in this time where people choose to believe what they want to believe, but I do think that people on the local level feel differently about local news coverage.”
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GRAPHIC BY MAX HOMSTAD
“The decisions that are made in [the] city will have a direct and almost immediate impact on people,” Becker of CapTimes said.
GRAPHIC BY MAX HOMSTAD
Despite growing numbers in research, women in STEM are still outnumbered in the classroom. Students expressed concerns of speaking up in class, fearing they would be improperly labeled.
STEM from page 1 Engineering remain relatively male-dominated on the UW-Madison campus, according to students. “I look around and the whole class is boys and there are literally five girls. It makes me feel weird and outnumbered. I’m not like anyone else there,” Lauren Westlund, a sophomore in the Mechanical Engineering Department said. The resurgence of females in research labs does not mean sexism is eradicated from the STEM field. The WISELI study showed that 49 percent of women experienced some sort of “hostile or intimidating behavior in the workplace.” “I’m way less likely to answer
stacks from page 1 A master plan in the making In 2015, UW-Madison — with input from faculty as well as undergraduate and graduate students — began developing a 25-year plan for the future of libraries on campus. Known as the “Library Master Plan,” the idea is to transition to six central libraries working together to bring more modern facilities to students. However, this would mean closing around 30 of UW-Madison’s current libraries, as well as remodeling Helen C. White, Memorial and Steenbock libraries. Currently one third of campus library space is used to house physical collections of books — totaling over 300 thousand square feet — but only 25 percent of these collections have been used in the past decade. UW-Madison junior Laura Buckman enjoys going to the library to check out books when she’s reading for pleasure, but when it comes to textbooks, it’s a different story — it’s much easier to carry around a laptop than a book for every class. “I feel that it’s better to have textbooks online maybe because I don’t really like reading it regardless,” Buckman said. The Master Plan will identify books that aren’t being circulated and move them to a new offsite storage facility, and at the same time consolidate duplicate copies. The plan also intends to rearrange books to be in more relevant
a question in class because I doubt myself and if I’m wrong, I don’t want people to think that all girls are stupid or make a generalization. If I say something stupid, they’ll just think that every girl is stupid,” Westlund said. Westlund noted the career advantages associated with being a woman in STEM despite the feeling of discomfort in the classroom. “I assume that people want more of a minority because right now everyone’s trying to gain women because they’re so highlighted in the media. I have an advantage when I’m applying for jobs because they need more women in engineering,” Westlund said. UW-Madison has taken ini-
tiative to prioritize females in STEM programs by implementing programs such as the Society of Women in Engineering and Women in Science and Engineering. Part of the goal of these programs is to make women feel less alone in a maledominated classroom. These programs have had high turnout rates since the beginning due to a community feeling women in STEM don’t necessarily experience from their classrooms or research labs. “These programs give you the little internal support that you need, [people] that experience the same things you do every day, it helps to feel less isolated,” Heimer said.
areas of campus while creating an online system to check out these books so students can access physical copies if needed. Buckmn has never had a professor like England who required her to search out a book in the maze-like stacks. Instead, she’s had professors recommend going to the library to find more sources, but never found it necessary and admitted she wouldn’t know where to begin. “I’ve been there to study, but I would have no idea how to even find a book,” she said. Throughout the development process, master-planners found there is enough space for 20 percent of the student population to study in campus libraries and hope that removing some of the books will allow greater space for studying. Buckman agreed that more study space would be helpful and emphasized the need for outlets so students can keep their laptops charged while they read online — England disagreed. “A library for me needs to contain books,” he said. “It needs to be a place that you can explore and be surprised by what you find on the shelf.” Moving online and sharing resources across the world The master plan doesn’t intend to limit students’ ability to explore — although the stacks might be diminishing, students are capable of finding more rare and interesting volumes online if they take the time to mine the
libraries’ digital collections. Jesse Henderson, a digital services librarian at Memorial Library and project manager of digital collections, said she and her team are currently digitizing a series of rare alchemy texts. “[This collection] is a first edition, there’s only going to be one or two first editions of [it] in the entire world,” she said. Many of the books selected to be digitized are so physically degraded that they cannot be handled without falling apart. Moreso, having a digital copy of these rare books means that in worst-case scenarios of fire or water damage, the volume will not be lost. “Digitization is not happening so that we can get rid of stuff,” Henderson said. Instead it is at the forefront of resource sharing and is a way to broaden the world. Henderson mentioned a professor who is originally from Spain and — though he now teaches in the U.S. — his research often requires him to return to Spain to access certain manuscripts. Unfortunately, he doesn’t like to travel, she shared. Moving resources online gives us the power to share ideas and texts with people and universities across thousands of miles. “Not only can they come visit physically, but we’re working on getting books out there so they can come look at them online so they don’t have to travel halfway across the world — it’s good for the planet,”
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Snapper’s Row: A week in photos
KALLI ANDERSON/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Badger men’s basketball players cheer as amateurs attempt to play a game. JUNAID KHALID/THE DAILY CARDINAL
ARCHIVES/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Musicians play a Tiny Table concert to celebrate city-wide John Vietnam Nguyen Day on Sept. 29.
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At this point, I’m looking at foreign services for a couple years then law school. I just really like the ideas going behind [law school] like justice and giving people what they deserve. I like the job that a laywer gets to do, and I think that’s what appeals to me more than anything else.
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— Humans of Madison
Oct. 1998: Highflying martial arts students practice techniques.
KALLI ANDERSON/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Daily Cardinal photographers visit the streets to find anonymous stories.
WILL CIOCI/THE DAILY CARDINAL
A student braves the wind and waves to take advantage of a break in Wednesday’s rain to enjoy a lakeside lunch.
TAYLOR WOLFRAM/THE DAILY CARDINAL
The sun sets on Lake Mendota, casting a magical effect on the sailing fleet.
TAYLOR WOLFRAM/THE DAILY CARDINAL
The 13th-ranked Badger volleyball team triumphed over No. 8 Penn State late Wednesday night at the Field House.
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‘Hustlers’ plays with sharp music, sultry dance performances By CJ Zabat MUSIC COLUMNIST
THOMAS YONASH/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Local residents enjoy the festivties of Freakfest on State Street by posing for a celebratory photo.
Arts Preview: Prepping for October Festivities By John Everman ARTS EDITOR
The SpongeBob Musical — Oct. 8-13 at the Overture Center for the Arts The lovable, weird wonderfulness that is SpongeBob SquarePants has made its way to the big stage here on dry land. SpongeBob first premiered on TV way back in July of 1999. He and the rest of the citizens of Bikini Bottom have become known the world over. The musical, based on the show, has been a smash hit everywhere it has gone. The musical production originally began in Chicago, but quickly moved to Broadway for a year-long stay. A North American tour opened on Sept. 22 in Schenectady, New York. And now, Madison residents will have the opportunity to see this live spectacle from Oct. 8-13 at the Overture Center on State Street. Lizzo — Oct. 10 at The Sylvee Lizzo comes to Madison for an epic night of music this month after visiting Wisconsin this past summer at Summerfest. She has been on the rise after her debut album in 2013 entitled Lizzobangers. Now, she is one of the most popular acts in the country. Lizzo has been busy recently, releasing another album, Cuz I Love You, and has also transitioned into the world of film, appearing in the movie “Hustlers” alongside Jennifer Lopez. Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You Too” tour is making its stop in Madison on Oct. 10 at The Sylvee. Fashion Forward - Oct. 12 at The Sylvee The Sylvee will transform for an evening into a fashion-filled venue, playing host to what is being called the largest fashion show the city has ever seen. Fashion Forward will be held on Oct. 12, featuring some of the city’s most popular retailers such as Jazzman, August and Ciao Bella. DJ Radish will be
providing music for the event and Chicago-based DJ Dani Deahl will be soundtracking a late night after-party following the event. All proceeds will benefit the Rape Crisis Center, Clean Lakes Alliance and Doyenne. COIN — Oct. 20 at the Majestic Theatre Nashville-based three piece alt-pop band COIN is coming to town on Oct. 20. Forming in 2012, the band has amassed a large following throughout the country with two EPs and two studio albums since then. COIN has played large musical festivals like Lollapalooza, but they also like to play smaller shows in more intimate venues where they can share the experience of their performance with their fans. Performing with Canadian rock band Arkells, COIN will be making their Madison stop at the Majestic Theatre. Chris Stapleton — Oct. 24 at the Alliant Energy Center Five-time Grammy Awardwinning country artist Chris Stapleton is making a stop in Madtown later this month! Stapleton is a talented musician, capable of integrating several genres into a given song. In 2017, The Seattle Times described his music as a blend of old-school country, Southern rock and bluegrass. Stapleton has been a very busy man in the last few years, with three studio albums released since 2015. But, he has gained a large following and earned a lot of respect in the industry in a short amount of time. He opened for legends like Tom Petty and the Eagles, and now going on tour as the headliner. His stop in Madison will be at the Alliant Energy Center on Oct. 24. Hamel Music Center opening — Oct. 25-27 UW will be the proud home of a beautiful, brand new music center beginning this month. Featuring state-of-the-art recording technology as well as
top-notch acoustics, students of the Mead Witter School of Music will benefit from the high-quality facility, as well as the citizens of the city who can enjoy a host of shows there as well. Opening weekend is set for Oct. 25-27, complete with a ribbon cutting and a statement by UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank. Entertainment will be a plenty, including a performance by the UW-Madison Symphony. The Hamel Music Center is located on University Avenue, across from Vilas Hall. Wizard Comic-Con — Oct. 25-27 at the Alliant Energy Center That same weekend, a massive celebration of comic books, fantasy and the like will take place in Madison. The Wizard Comic-Con is making its way back to Madison featuring photo opportunities and Q&A panels with a wide variety of celebrities from the world of scifi. This year’s festival is highlighted by several stars of the smash hit and pre-Superman series “Smallville,” which ended its 10-year run on the CW back in 2011. Series stars Tom Welling (Clark Kent), Erica Durance (Lois Lane) and Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor) will all be in attendance to answer questions and tell stories from the set. Wizard Comic-Con will be held at the Alliant Energy Center on Oct. 25-27. Freakfest 2019 —Oct. 26 on State Street The legendary Halloween celebration Madison has become known for returns for another round of music and fun! With three stages for music all along State Street, it promises to be an epic night with a wide range of artists to see. Lil Yachty and Gin Blossoms headline a large group for festival goers to dance the night away with. This year’s Freakfest will be held on Oct. 26 in downtown Madison on State Street.
We were all only 7-11 years old when the Great Recession hit, and some of us remember it more vividly than others. Now, with hindsight as our ally and curiosity guiding the way, we continue to learn more about this tumultuous period from those that lived it more acutely than us. Lorene Scafaria’s newest feature film, “Hustlers,” takes us to one of the sneakiest corners of these financially tarnished United States circa 2007-2013: a strip club called Moves in New York City. In its own way, it’s a spiritual sequel to Adam McKay’s “The Big Short,” but on a grassroots level that is just as materialistic and unabashedly American. “Hustlers” is an emotionally rich tale that goes much deeper than you’d guess, with even more panache than you’d expect. The greatest asset through the entirety of “Hustlers” is its score. A movie that takes place in a strip club would understandably have music on its mind, but every cue is pitchperfect both inside and outside of Moves’ dimly-lit walls. Scafaria told The Los Angeles Times that she thought of a film as a musical, and her vision pays off. From Janet Jackson to Frankie Valli, Scarafia’s song choices effortlessly fit into each scene. The best moments are the late 2000’s pop and R&B hits, perfectly setting up each year without feeling like a gimmick. There’s even a surprise cameo that won’t get spoiled in this review, and the build-up and execution are fun enough to warrant its own ticket. The cinematography and editing are both exceptional as well, working cooperatively to create a brisk pace, moving concisely underneath the juxtaposing colors of clubs, bars, single-family homes, penthouse suites and shopping malls. You feel participatory in the crimes and seduction of the hustlers in ques-
tions, but the camera never exploits gratuitous nudity, always focusing on what’s beneath the characters’ skin instead of just the surface. Past the flashing lights and high-energy tunes, however, are powerful performances and an investing story. Even though “Hustlers” may not have the accessibility and schmaltz of the usual Oscar bait, Jennifer Lopez may have the makings of a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Her turn as Ramona, a mother to both her fellow strippers and her daughter, is a high for the singer-actress’ Hollywood sensibilities. Constance Wu once again holds it down as a woman in a new world after charming audiences last year in “Crazy Rich Asians.” Side players Keke Palmer and Lili Reinhart flesh our their limited roles well, and Lizzo and Cardi B add some spice, albeit for not very long considering their high billing. Wu and Lopez’s central relationship, however, is a wholly engrossing anchor in a sprawling screenplay. Their journeys as two people of color working maligned jobs in the Recession Era are told with the respect and levity that it needs, and it certainly helps that their onscreen chemistry is great. Scafaria, who wrote alongside directing, flips between years to frame the story to the New York Magazine article that was originally published December 2015. This is a great setup to show the high stakes of the girls’ schemes and separates the film from the mediocrity of plenty of other crime sagas. “Hustlers” could have been a guilty pleasure B-movie with some fun moments and lots of melodrama. Instead, Scafaria and company settle for nothing less than a thrilling and sexy crime drama filled to the brim with music, performances and dialogue that are opulent, engaging and honest. And if that’s not the American Dream, the Recession should never have ended. Final Grade: B+
COURTESY OF KMUW
“Hustlers” empowers women with seductive crimes and nostalgia.
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Thursday, October 3, 2019
Riding Route 80: An etiquette handbook By Haley Bills ALMANAC EDITOR
Metro Transit’s beloved Route 80 is a service that many have proved they do not deserve. Though sometimes used routinely, it seems that certain individuals still haven’t figured out how to properly act when aboard this godly, paradisiacal vehicle. In the effort to eliminate some of the worst behavioral problems that sour the transit experience for others, here is a short etiquette handbook that all 80-riders should follow: Firstly, DO NOT ride the 80 if any of the following is true: 1 . Your destination is located within less than four stops from the nearest bus stop. If you are able to, this is a perfectly practical walking distance. In this case, taking the 80 would be uncalled for, and you would unnecessarily be crowding an already overcrowded vehicle.
2. You are carrying a contagious cold. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, there is no reason for a contagious individual to be riding the 80. Perhaps consider staying home before infecting other unsuspecting commuters. 3. You are expecting a sensitive phone call. The difficulties of your personal life should not be shared with the innocent ears of fellow passengers. If you would not say it in front of a parrot, you should not say it on the 80. 4. Your hygiene is not properly taken care of. This shouldn’t be too much of a challenge: a few swipes of deodorant and a breath mint should do the trick. After triple checking that you qualify to ride the 80, make sure you follow the following guidelines when aboard the vehicle: 1. Move to the motherhecking back of the bus when the bus driver asks for the first time. To be frank, the bus driver shouldn’t
even have to ask passengers to continue to file into the back. However, some individuals will continuously clog the front of the bus, delaying and, sometimes obstructing, the entry of oncoming passengers. This is not only an inefficient use of the 80, it is ill-mannered. 2. Thank the bus driver upon disembarkment. Again, this one should be obvious, but time and time again, many 80-riders prove to be disgustingly unappreciative of the 80 bus drivers’ service. 3. No manspreading under any circumstances. On or off the 80. 4. Only sit in the aisle seat if the window seat is already taken. It can make people severely uncomfortable when they have to climb over you in order to take the seat that you should have taken. Though not an extensive list, these rules should greatly improve the 80 experience for all. Please follow them.
GRAPHIC BY HALEY BILLS
A rare photograph of Route 80 when proper etiquette is followed.
Madison-area research reveals teen pregnancy rates among males have been stagnant for years By Madison Moore STAFF WRITER
GRAPHIC BY HALEY BILLS
Hodge confused at why the newspaper is titled “The Daily Cardinal” when it is only published once per week.
Smartass wants everyone to know that he’s confused as to why The Daily Cardinal only publishes once per week By Jordan Simon ALAMANAC EDITOR
This past Tuesday, Abraham Hodge, a student at UW-Madison, was walking into Memorial Union when he caught a glimpse of a copy of The Daily Cardinal, the most awesome student-run newspaper. Realizing that The Daily Cardinal was both totally tubular and exquisite, Hodge obviously decided to pick up a copy and have a read, as he does every week when each print issue is published. But in exercising this staple of his weekly routine, Hodge began to think to himself, “Wait a second, it’s kind of silly that the newspaper is called The Daily Cardinal when each print issue is only published once per week.” Following the groundbreaking discovery of this apparent irony, Hodge walked home thinking that this would be a funny thing to complain about to his roommates. “Look, all I’m saying,” Hodge
professed, “is that it shouldn’t be called The Daily Cardinal when it is only published once per week. It should really be called The Weekly Cardinal, don’t you think?” Hodge’s comedic rant did receive some chuckles from his audience, but it was, unfortunately, underwhelming — at least compared to Hodge’s high expectations. “Isn’t that a good point?” Hodge continued. “Yeah, no, it’s cool man,” his roommate, Brady, replied. “Good joke, dude.” Hodge gave Brady a nice thumbs up, but left the room disappointed. From that moment, Hodge swore that he would get a bigger chuckle from someone. He had to get a fitting response, one in equal proportion to the funniness of the joke, which was of epic proportion. The next day in his chemistry lab, Hodge leaned over to his lab partner and entered into his routine. “Look, all I’m saying,”
Hodge began, “is that it shouldn’t be called The Daily Cardinal when it is only published once per week. It should really be called The Weekly Cardinal, don’t you think?” His lab partner Karen, smiled and gave a slight giggle. “Really? That’s it?” uttered a frustrated Hodge. He tried reciting his joke yet again on his way home from class when he was stopped at a light. “What the hell is The Daily Cardinal?” the random woman on the street replied. After a week of this, we had not gotten word on whether or not Hodge had gotten an appropriate laugh, so we sent an Almanac reporter to investigate. In an interview with our team, Hodge said, “Look, all I’m saying is that it shouldn’t be called The Daily Cardinal when it is only published once per week. It should really be called The Weekly Cardinal, don’t you think?”
A recent study from the UW-Madison School of Ecology found that teen pregnancy rates among males have been stagnant for years. The team led by Professor Dr. Jones have compiled data trends from the last 10 years of incoming freshman. The inspiration for the study came from a dream Jones had, “I woke up and looked down in a panic at my belly, but there wasn’t a bump…it felt so real, Can I keep the child? How will my mom react?’ All these thoughts came rushing through my head. I was so concerned — I just knew I had to help all of the boys who were struggling with this newfound responsibility.” Jones predicted about half of all the incoming males would have experienced a scare over their teenage years, and of those one fifth would have resulted in a pregnancy. But it turns out, the total was much lower than that, trending at about 0.1% (this result Jones blamed on the small sample size due to students ignoring the @wisc.edu emails he sent to collect data.) “I don’t feel like it was a waste of time, I think many males are just too shy to come forward. After all, this is a serious issue and one I plan on trying to solve through another round of data collection.” What Jones discovered next would change his perspective on teen pregnancy forever, “It’s the condoms,” he boldly declares. “The rhetoric only describes the benefits of protection for women; it protects them against pregnancy, but not men.” When using a condom, the
rubber barrier acts like a cage and turns the outward fertilization back into your body and self-fertilization occurs. Men who use condoms are 87% more likely to have this reversal occur which can lead to male pregnancy, Jones’ study finds. “It’s sexist that these safe sex talks boast about condoms being effective against pregnancy, when, in fact, they only protect half our population. Boys, don’t be silly, unwrap your willy.” He demands that the campus wide Sex Out Loud talk include a portion on the dangers of contraception for men.
GRAPHIC BY HALEY BILLS
We’re always looking for more funny and insightful writers with fresh takes on topics ranging from the UW campus to international news. We accept and encourage creative submissions as well! Any and all submissions are more than welcome. You can send your submissions and any comments or questions to almanac@dailycardinal.com. All articles featured in Almanac are creative, satirical and/or entirely fictional pieces. They are fully intended as such and should not be taken seriously as news.
opinion dailycardinal.com
Thursday, October 3, 2019
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GRAPHIC BY SAM JONES
It seems like every website we visit, phone call we take and public space we visit is constantly under surveillance. Is there anything we can, and should, do about it?
Should we play nice with Big Brother? By Sam jones OPINION EDITOR
Amid the slew of memes about FBI agents watching us through our laptop cameras and the ‘Birds Aren’t Real’ conspiracy theory rants on social media, I cannot help but sit back and laugh. Partially because this half-skeptical, half-humorous commentary is consistently entertaining, and partially because I forget that most folks attempt to ignore the nature and current state of digital surveillance in their everyday lives. While NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and the controversy that arose in 2013 surrounding his leak of sensitive surveillance information piqued interest (and concern) among the public, the collection — and in some cases, sales — of bulk data containing our personal information are still being massively conducted.
The National Security Agency’s scope of data collection is a bit jarring, and their permissions include just about everything: conversations with your attorney typically covered under client privilege, phone and text messages, geographic location via cell towers, credit card networks, wire transfers and more. Yet, the NSA’s empowerment to gather such information under the ‘warrantless’ system of FISA (the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) Section 702, the Patriot Act, and other legislative measures, is the least of my concerns as it pertains to how my personal information is used. Sure, we could warn everyone about intimidation and compliance traps, advocate for slapping a sticker on your webcam, or preach to the value of encryption, but why? Tech
giants, social media platforms and other enigmas of capitalism are working alongside the government to gobble up any and all information they can, for in just a six-month span in 2017, U.S. law enforcement filed 32,716 data requests with Facebook. This isn’t even to mention the intrusivity of the advertising and marketing industry, which thrives on the monetization of personal information to ‘improve the customer experience,’ or in better terms, get us to cough up as much money and consume as many of their products as possible. Again, the use of ad blockers, VPN applications and opt-out programs within company databases may limit the scope of information acquired regarding your consumer behavior and presumed desires. Yet, there are still hundreds of data
broker companies gathering your age, political views, socioeconomic status and nearly 3,000 other specifying attributes in other ways. Needless to say, anything that can be caught on a camera, via social media, in your internet browsing history and other imaginable hubs of data, probably is. While this is initially a scary thought, our generation has grown up with this reality. As frustrating as it is to feel exploited by corporations — often times unknowingly — these systems increase our quality of life and the convenience of consumption. The internet and datasharing platforms are so heavily integrated in our modes of socialization and professional networks that, although hesitantly, one could argue we should simply embrace this reality. The internet and other tracking forms will not be
obsolete any time soon, as we need these tools more generally for safety, education and societal engagement purposes. Thus, I argue that we need to enlighten ourselves rather than intentionally staying in the dark just because it is uncomfortable to confront the fact that we are being watched constantly. Big Brother is very real — though not quite within the bounds of Orwell’s 1984 characterization — and since we can’t (and to be honest, don’t want to) beat ‘him,’ we may as well embrace the positive attributes of consumer experience optimization and consistent surveillance. Sam is a senior studying journalism with certificates in development economics and environmental studies. What are your thoughts on government surveillance? Does it bother you that corporations collect and sell personal information? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
No more free work: Unpaid internships unjust, unequitable By Chelsea Hylton STAFF WRITER
To most people, servitude ended in the United States long ago. To others, this form of oppression and inequality is still present in daily life. Just because there are some laws that have banned traditional forms of bondage, it has not necessarily banned the forms of subjugation living right under our noses. One main form of modernday servitude that persists are unpaid internships. Here at UW, students oftentimes turn to career fairs, different networking events and online job engines to help them secure their next internship. As college students, previous internship experiences are often a large factor that can help you land your next job that may even be unpaid as well. At times, students are so desperate to find employment opportunities that they will take those unpaid positions just to have something. Securing a position is hard enough as is, without even considering typical school-year tasks: sitting hours upon hours a week in lecture halls, and even more hours at the library, doing homework and working other jobs to make quick
and easy money. Students are left with very little free time to be involved on campus with other extracurriculars — how are we supposed to fill up our resumes if we rarely have free time? When we are applying for internships and submit our resumes, they can look a little empty if we do not have many other professional experiences to document. Aside from having trouble even getting offered a posi-
tion, more times than not they are unpaid. It is still true to this day that with some companies and jobs, interns are just that — interns. They do not hold a powerful job title, and are treated as such. They are the ones filing stacks of papers away, uploading important data to Excel sheets, running for coffee, printing meeting agendas and a bunch of other important tasks that may seem minimal but are actually important for … free.
Interns are putting in hours of work that often goes unnoticed without being compensated. Yes, the job experience does hold a lot of weight, and can teach a lot of different lessons such as how to interact with coworkers in a professional setting or even how to conduct yourself on a conference call. Even though these are valuable lessons and experiences, interns are still performing hours of labor without getting paid. You are working with no sort
The numbers behind unpaid internships A lack of respect and pocket change isn’t the only negative aspect of unpaid internships. Many folks simply can’t afford to live where their internship takes place, and perceived benefits don’t always.
The top-priority U.S. cities to intern in — New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles — are also in the top 10 most expensive cities to live in. NYC comes in at #1 in cost of living, San Francisco #2, and Los Angeles #9. A survey taken by 2014 college graduates found that, out of those who participated in an internship during their undergraduate years, 46.5 percent were unpaid. A large appeal of internships is the possibility of the company offering a long-term employment option. Of those who participated in paid internships, 63.1 percent were offered at least one job offer after their experience. Yet, those in unpaid positions fell behind, with only 37 percent receiving offers — a mere 1.8 percent higher than students who never participated in an internship opportunity.
of pay in return — that is modern-day, oppressive servitude.
How does that work? It may seem like a harsh statement, but that is essentially what it is. Interns are putting in countless hours of work that often goes unnoticed without being compensated. All internships should be paid. Interns are doing some of the same tasks that full-time employees are doing and when it boils down to it, it is just the job title that separates them. If interns weren’t expected to do this work, companies would have to hire another full-time employee to do those tasks. Just because they are not at the same level in a company, does not mean that their work is less valuable. Companies should value interns much more and take the work that they do more seriously. All internships should be paid, period. No more free work. Interns are important workers too. Chelsea is a junior studying journalism and Spanish. Do you think unpaid internships are fair? Is it feasible and equitable to pay all interns? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
science
8 • Thursday, October 3, 2019
dailycardinal.com
UW-Madison Lab seeks to create coexistence with apex predators By Zachary Ausavich STAFF WRITER
Science Expert Profile By Abby Widell STAFF WRITER
From low flow toilets in UW-Madison facilities to vegetarian options in campus restaurants, Cathy Middlecamp, chemist and Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies professor, has been influential to many sustainability initiatives on campus. A native of Queens, New York, Middlecamp came to UW-Madison as a graduate student, receiving her PhD in chemistry in 1976. “Many women and men can progress in their career by moving somewhere else… but my family and my husband were here and nobody was moving anywhere so I had to stay here, make my home here and make the best of what was here and figure out what to do with it,” Middlecamp said. Middlecamp teaches the Seminar for Community Environmental Scholars and oversees several doctorate students. She’s taught courses in Environmental Studies and Chemistry in the past, emphasising the importance of using real world context. “There’s an expression that people are using now. It’s ‘campus is a living, learning laboratory’… it means that instead of going to a lab with test tubes and beakers and all that stuff, you go out into the campus and find resources… and use all of that as a means for teaching concepts relating to energy, water, food and waste,” Middlecamp said. “Go to where the trash cans are. You’ll learn a lot.” Middlecamp also developed the Sustainability Certificate — a part of UW Madison’s curriculum since 2010 — and is hopeful for the effects sustainability education will have on campus. “Lots of people have influence on this campus and I think the most important group to start with is the students… And to the extent that I can channel student interest and also bring it to the attention of those who are in higher positions and leadership — I do that,” Middlecamp said. Serving 10 years as the Editor-in-Chief for ‘Chemistry in Context’ had a strong impact on Middlecamp’s desire to incorporate sustainability into her teaching. “It was my beginning of trying to teach chemistry as if people on the planet mattered. When I went to school there was no sustainability curriculum… Most of what I’ve learned about energy, air quality, food and plastic, I’ve had to learn along the way,” Middlecamp said.
The grey wolf morphed into the first members of the Wolf Clan, one that is still a large part of the Ho-Chunk nation in Wisconsin — at least that is what their mythical origin story narrates. Prior to colonization, the inhabitants of the land later named Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan were the people of the Ho-Chunk Nation — and within this tribe was the Wolf Clan. The Ho-Chunk Nation maintained a cultural reverence for the animals they lived beside, which for the Wolf Clan meant respect for the wolves in particular. Since this region was colonized from Native Nations, our relationship with wolves has evolved from that of neighbors to a more hostile one. The Carnivore Coexistence Lab at UW-Madison is working to mend the broken relationship with Wisconsin’s non-human residents. Founded by Dr. Adrian Treves, the Carnivore Coexistence Lab at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies examines interactions between humans and large carnivores. Treves tackles the complicated relationship between humans and wolves living in the Wisconsin and Minnesota regions through non-anthropocentric methods of minimizing conflict between farmers’ livestock and the native wolves. “Non-anthropocentrism doesn’t give higher standing to people, it just puts humans at an equal ground,” Treves said in describing his set of ethics. “I came to realize that these ethics of non-anthropocentrism preserve biodiversity.” This contrasts conventional conservation management, in which the government delegates the ability to kill these wolves to humans through hunting allocations and regulations. The CCL’s description of governmental regulation regarding hunting carnivores explains that the U.S. Federal Government and the Fish and Wildlife Services advocate for the killing of wolves to mitigate illegal killing and build human tolerance toward wolves. Following federal removal of the grey wolf from the Endangered Species List, 1,500 wolves were killed within two hunting seasons in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, according to the Humane Society’s report on the delisting of grey wolves. Fifteen hundred wolves is a significant blow. Today, Wisconsin is home to 905 grey wolves, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2017-2018 population survey. The populations are still recovering to previous levels after several years of delisted status, which allowed this population to drop. “We work to hold governments accountable to the broad public interest for preserving nature, and regulating its use by current generations,” the Carnivore Coexistence Lab’s mission states. In the case of Yellowstone National Park, wolves were eradicated in the 1920s, leaving the area without a wolf population for roughly 70 years until the Fish and Wildlife Services
COURTESY OF SKEEZE VIA PIXABAY
Wolves are considered predators to be feared, but the UW-Madison CCL is hoping to change that. reintroduced the grey wolf in 1994’96. The reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone is predicted to continue to increase biodiversity based on preliminary findings by the NPS. Wolves are known as apex predators, meaning they are at the top of this particular food chain. The reintroduction of wolves created many more feeding opportunities for scavengers living in the ecosystem. There is a large web of life linked to wolves killing prey in an ecosystem, according to Ed Bangs, wolf recovery coordinator for U.S Fish and Wildlife. When wolves enter an
ecosystem, they not only provide sustenance for scavengers, but regulate populations of prey species such as elk from overrunning the land, according to the NPS reports on the wolf reintroduction to Yosemite National Park. The CCL works toward goals of nonviolent coexistence with the environment through field research that does not harm the wolf while driving it away from livestock. Treves and the CCL are currently performing this research around the Bad River reservation by implementing techniques to deter conflicts between farmers
and wolves. The lab’s field research uses Fladgey, the practice of deterring the predatory species from areas of livestock using flags, strobe lights and other environmental deterrents. “Coexistence with minimal conflict is within our reach, what we need is the political will to achieve this and separate scientific evidence from current values,” Treves said. The work of the CCL moves society towards a place of harmony with wolves — one where they are treated not as enemies but as brothers once again.