Tuesday, November 3, 2015 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Since 1892 dailycardinal.com

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

gettin’ off the hook

‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ +ARTS, page 5

+ALMANAC, page 2

Exact Sciences CEO opts out of Judge Doyle Square deal By Phoebe Kiekhofer THE DAILY CARDINAL

In light of Exact Sciences’ recent financial struggles, the company’s CEO Kevin Conroy announced Monday he will no longer run the biotechnology company in downtown Madison. The company, which specializes in early detection and prevention of cancer, will instead have its headquarters located in University Research Park. In October, the city of Madison announced a $200 million redevelopment project downtown including a corporate headquarters for Exact Sciences located on Judge Doyle Square. Shortly after the project was announced, the stock price of Exact Sciences plummeted more than 50 percent after the company’s main product, Cologuard, was not included on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s list of recommended screening tests for colon cancer. Madison Mayor Paul Soglin assessed the economic costs and benefits of moving forward with the new headquarters in a letter sent to Conroy Oct. 14. He questioned whether Exact Sciences would still fulfill its promise of bringing jobs

and economic growth to downtown in light of the decrease in stock price. Conroy’s response released Monday announced the company would be instead located in University Research Park, but expressed optimism about the relocation in the face of the company’s financial burdens. “The opportunity to develop a campus allows us to bring our team together and make a prudent investment that benefits the company and community for the long term,” Conroy said in the release. Exact Sciences currently employs over 400 people, most of whom are UW-Madison graduates. Chancellor Rebecca Blank responded positively to the relocation, reflecting the partnership between the university and Exact Sciences. “I’m pleased that, through University Research Park, UW-Madison is able to help the city and Exact Sciences find a solution that keeps the company in Madison,” Blank said in a Monday release. “We look forward to continuing to partner with Exact Sciences on workforce development and lifesaving research.” Soglin said the city will review other development plans for Judge Doyle Square.

KATIE SCHEIDT/THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Madhatters bar pled no contest to multiple counts of exceeding capacity in 2013 and 2014.

Madhatters bar faces suspension of liquor license from city officials By Negassi Tesfamichael THE DAILY CARDINAL

The well-known Madhatters bar could soon close its doors after multiple incidents of selling alcohol to underage patrons, as well as exceeding legal capacity. Bar owner Ted Gervasi and other representatives for Madhatters, located on the 300 block of West Gorham Street, failed to show up at a special disciplinary meeting with the city’s Alcohol License and Review

Committee Monday. Gervasi told Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, that he was not told of the special meeting, which has since been rescheduled for December. Verveer stressed that Madhatters has learned from its actions and is still a safe business “I don’t want to give the negative perception that Madhatters is unsafe or running a disorderly establishment,” Verveer said. “The charges relate to prior years, and there is nothing from this

year, when much of the staff, including the managers, have turned over.” Madhatters pled no contest to 18 counts in a complaint filed in the Madison Municipal Court Aug. 6, while 13 other counts were dismissed. In September 2013, Madison police found the establishment to be at 36 percent over the 256-person legal capacity.

madhatters page 3

Madtown Hopper driver attacked by knife-wielding man Saturday

State funds for climate change research sponsor criticized

Madison police arrested a 25-year-old man for disorderly conduct after he attacked a Madtown Hopper driver early Saturday morning. Lahcen A. Martinez jumped into the parked, open-air vehicle, which was parked on the 400 block of North Frances Street, according to an incident report by Madison Police Department Public Information Officer Joel DeSpain. Martinez punched the 21-year-old female driver, who was restrained in her seatbelt, and tried to throw her out of the vehicle after putting a hand over her mouth.

State Treasurer Matt Adamczyk condemned the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands’ use of interest earnings toward UW-Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies in a Monday press release. The BCPL manages roughly $1 billion worth of investments in acres of Wisconsin land and a trust fund which distributes educational grants throughout the state, including the Nelson Institute since 2009. According to Adamczyk, who oversees the agency, the trust is prohibited from distributing funds to any institution except the state’s teaching schools. “In my opinion not only is this unconstitutional, but also improper,” Adamczyk said in the

hopper page 3

By Lucas Sczygelski THE DAILY CARDINAL

MORGAN WINSTON/THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Nelson Insititute for Environmental Studies at UW-Madison has been receiveing interest earnings from the BCPL since 2009.

release. “This money should be given as general aid to the UW System or designated for teacher training as prescribed in the state Constitution.” Paul Robbins, director of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, said in an email, however, that state law requires $100,000 of the BCPL trust fund be awarded each year by the institute in the form of need-based scholarships for environmental studies students. “We are enormously proud of the governor and legislature’s commitment to science training and workforce development in Wisconsin through these scholarships,” Robbins said in the email. Adamczyk said in the release he

funds page 3

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

almanac 2

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 125, Issue 36

2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100

Between the Sheets sex and the student body

The scoop on hookup culture: how hooking up is letting us down

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com

Editor-in-Chief James Dayton

Managing Editor Emily Gerber

News Team News Manager Adelina Yankova Campus Editor Bri Maas College Editor Ellie Herman City Editor Negassi Tesfamichael State Editor Andrew Hahn Associate News Editor Laura Grulke Features Editor Gilly McBride Opinion Editors Sergey Fedossov • Cal Weber Editorial Board Chair Conor Murphy Arts Editors Allison Garcia • Conor Murphy Sports Editors Jake Powers • Zach Rastall Almanac Editors Dylan Anderson • Liam Hutchison Photo Editors Will Chizek • Kaitlyn Veto Graphics Editors Bethany Dahl • Yi Jiang Multimedia Editors Steven Rybeck • Jen Wagman Science Editor Sai-Suma Samudrala Life & Style Editor McKenna Gramoll Special Pages Editors Kerry Huth • Justine Jones Copy Chiefs Theda Berry • Ellie Borstad John Joutras • Sam Wagner Copy Editors Jack Baer • Sophia Dramm Eva Jacobs • Ningyuan Ma Social Media Manager Madison Schiller

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Andrew Hahm Advertising Manager Corissa Pennow Marketing Director Victoria Fok

The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of WisconsinMadison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be word processed and must include contact information. No anonymous letters will be printed. All letters to the editor will be printed at the discretion of The Daily Cardinal. Letters may be sent to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.

Editorial Board Dylan Anderson • Theda Berry James Dayton • Sergey Fedossov Emily Gerber • Max Lenz Conor Murphy • Cal Weber

Board of Directors Herman Baumann, President Phil Brinkman • James Dayton Victoria Fok • Emily Gerber Andrew Hahm • Janet Larson Don Miner • Corissa Pennow Nancy Sandy • Jennifer Sereno Jason Stein • Jim Thackray Tina Zavoral

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

dailycardinal.com

ANNA WELCH sex columnist

hances are this Hallow’s Eve resulted in “hooking up” for bunches of Badgers. Whether that hooking up involved snogging a Scooby Doo, boning a skeleton or making a kitty say “meow” is up to interpretation. Describing something as “hooking up” allows individuals to disclose as much or as little about their encounter as they please. One could simply leave it at that, or go on to describe what deeds were done. Sometimes one night with an appealing stranger is exactly what we need and we shouldn’t be judged for that. But, it is important to be able to selfidentify what it is that we really want out of our weekends so that we can avoid a sinking feeling on Sunday. We’ve been sold the idea that “everyone experiments in college” and it is doing all of us a great disservice. College is all about new experiences, but just as no two Badgers have the exact same academic exploits, there is no single collegiate experie nce when it comes to experimenting. While “hooking up” is defined on a personal level, hookup culture implies sexual acts exchanged between two people— oftentimes strangers—and then a total lack of communication. Drinking culture and hookup culture are so closely tied it is almost impossible to separate the two. Oftentimes, hooking up or making out with someone at a party is the main motivation for drinking in the first place—otherwise it’s just a bunch of drunk, sweaty people in a room pretending to know the lyrics to pop songs. We use terms like “wheeling” or “spitting game” when a boy is clearly seeking out a sexual encounter (stereotypically with a female), but the closest equivalent terms for a girl doing the same thing would be her “going after” someone or being “all up on his dick”—this terminology sets clear messages that boys are doing what’s natural by seeking out sex, but girls are desperate or overbearing if they do the same. Hookup culture categorizes boys as people who seek out sex and girls as people who dress up and then wait to be sought out. This dichotomy casts men as predators and

women as victims—a system that isn’t working for anyone. This campus is much more than just “boys” and “girls” and we need to recognize that a system where some seek and some are sought ignores far too much. What do we want and why aren’t we getting it? If the current way we hook up isn’t really giving us what we want, why do we keep doing it? We do it because the high levels of stress we endure every day lead us to seek out equally or more intense weekend experiences. We do it because commitment means time and time is a precious commodity. We do it to feel instant gratification: to feel as though we are somehow being repaid for the money we spent on clothes and alcohol. We do it because it is exhilarating and pleasurable (sometimes). We’ve bought into the idea that one must go out into the world crop-topped or salmon-shorted, veins lubed with vodka, in the pursuit of a pair of lips and whatever other parts they seek. This framework means the only type of sexy night we are allowed to have goes: meet a stranger, do sexual things with said stranger, then actively avoid them for the remainder of our time here. Part of defining what hooking up means on a personal level is understanding our own needs. Seeking only one type of interaction, one type of touch, ignores the complexity of the things we crave. Taking time to interpret our own emotions and feelings as to what would give us the most satisfaction is important for having positive experiences here. There are a few reasons we might find ourselves feeling less than footloose and fancy-free after a night out. If we wake up wondering what went wrong it could be for a few reasons... Misguided skin hunger: Skin hunger is when we really need the touch of another person, but not necessarily of a sexual nature. Basically, we’re all just a bunch of infants who need our moms to snuggle us. Perhaps some of us have cracked the code and found a way to get enough cuddles at college, but I suspect many of us would have to think for at least a moment or two if asked when the last time we touched someone (in a platonic way) for 10 seconds or more was. When what we really need is to simply be close to another person, we might find ourselves feeling unsatisfied by a brief

Five reasons hookup culture is for the birds 1) This layout for getting laid leaves no room for times when what we really need is a good cuddling, or when snogging—and nothing else—would really fill our cup. 2) It sets us up to feel as though we have lost an opportunity or wasted a night (and an outfit), if a stranger didn’t press their light-beered lips to ours. 3) It perpetuates the idea that everyone is out to get some and therefore it is okay to go up behind a stranger and start grinding our junk on their bum. I’m looking at you, Langdon. 4) It means dressing up and getting good ‘n’ drunk simply to enjoy the company of good friends is not exciting enough on its own for a Saturday night. 5) It reinforces gender roles hardcore, big time. and random sexual encounter. It could be the case that hugging our friends or a night of platonic cuddling soothes the soul in a way that casual sex could not.

better place to start when seeking a genuine connection.

Succumbing to natural momentum: More than a few of us have probably been in a situation where kissing had us feeling on top of the world, so when asked if we wanted to do more we said yes, only to realize that we would have been totally satisfied by locking lips for another hour. Fear of killing a fun time or scaring someone away can sometimes make us “just go with it,” when we should have said, “No, I just really want to keep kissing you.” I’m not advocating for only kissing and nothing more, but rather for deciding what we want and not being persuaded otherwise by fear of ruining the moment.

First impressions are not everything: The glow of the blacklight and the solo cup in our hand may have us pining over hunnies who we would shy away from in the light of day. It’s not a matter of being picky, but rather knowing what we want and not letting ourselves feel let down if none of the party people we met last night were a good fit. Even if we’re not looking for a partner in life, we should keep in mind what is important when choosing our partner for the night. Does it matter to me if this person and I disagree about political issues (for example, a woman’s right to choose)? If something doesn’t go as planned will they be kind and helpful, or run for the door? What is important is not the answers to the questions themselves, but that we thought about them.

Looking for love in all the wrong places: Sometimes a hookup is the only way to scratch that itch we just can’t take care of on our own, but searching for the next love of our life in a dimly lit basement sets us up for failure. While there are probably at least a few lovely couples on this campus who met each other on a night out, more often than not meeting someone at a party is the first and last time two people interact. The lottery style of meeting people at parties does not put the odds in our favor when it comes to meeting someone with similar interests. Getting involved with organizations and groups on campus that we are interested in is a

Making sense of it all Hooking up and hookup culture are two different things. While we get to decide for ourselves what it means to hook up with someone, hookup culture is something surrounding us. Deciding what we want and need is important for feeling satisfied with our Saturday, rather than wondering why we don’t feel the skip in our step we expected. Whatever we choose to do we should feel good about it, and if we do not feel good it is in our power to readjust and get what we deserve. Got your dong stuck in a pumpkin? Anna doesn’t want to know about that, but she’ll answer your other questions at sex@dailycardinal.com

Add your creature to the daily cardinal zoo contact

graphics@dailycardinal.com

news dailycardinal.com

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

WCSU recognizes class diversity in students’ lives THE DAILY CARDINAL

Through this year’s programs, workshops and partnerships, the UW-Madison Working Class Student Union wants the campus community to consider how class affects every aspect of life, according to the organization’s finance director Hong Trinh. WCSU formed in 2007 to support first-generation, working class and nontraditional students, Trinh said, while also educating all students about the benefits of class diversity. One in six UW-Madison students are first-generation college students, according to Trinh, and she encourages others to think about how recent events like rising tuition and increasing prices of textbooks hinder working class students’ success. Trinh said the organization holds many events throughout the year, like bringing in keynote speakers, holding educational workshops and putting on a cultural showcase where students participate in community-building exercises. “We try to create safe spaces for students to come together, get to know one another and learn about class,” Trinh said. This year, WCSU looks to part-

ner with UW Housing to develop emergency housing resources for students who identify as homeless. Trinh said these students have come to WCSU in the past looking for support, and she said the organization is “passionate” about creating partnerships and compiling resources that would benefit them. WCSU also hopes to work with the Associated Students of Madison on the upcoming campus food pantry. Trinh said WCSU spoke out in favor of the food pantry during a budget hearing, and she hopes the organization can eventually provide sensitivity training to pantry employees on how they deal with working class students and students who identify as food-insecure. WCSU members are working to improve their impact on campus, Trinh said, by getting more students to take advantage of their resources and understand their mission. “Even if people don’t realize it, class touches every part of their lives,” Trinh said. “I would love it if we could get more students to recognize how we can help them.” The ASM Student Services Finance Committee approved WCSU’s budget for the 2016-’17 fiscal year, totaling $56,715.50, during their meeting last week.

KAITLYN VETO/THE DAILY CARDINAL

ASM Student Services Finance Committee Chair Thuy Pham hears a budget proposal from the Working Class Student Union.

MPD seeks two suspects in local battery case

SSFC SPOTLIGHT

By Madeline Heim

COURTESY OF JUNG-HUN SEO VIA UW-MADISON

New and improved flexible phototransistors could lead to a faster and more responsive way to sense light in many products.

Engineers create new, more efficient phototransistors UW-Madison researchers recently created a new and improved flexible phototransistor that could make many lenses more closely mimic mammals’ eyes. Engineering professor Zhenqiang “Jack” Ma and research scientist Jung-Hun Seo developed the phototransistors, devices that sense and collect light to convert into an electrical charge, with human eyes in mind, according to a university release. They used new materials to construct the phototransistors, making them more dynamic. “In this structure—unlike other photodetectors—light absorption in an ultrathin silicon layer can be much more efficient because light is not blocked by any metal layers or other materi-

als,” Ma said in the release. Their study, supported by the U.S. Air Force, produced the fastest and most responsive flexible silicon phototransistor currently available. The new technology is being patented by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and could improve many products that sense light, like digital cameras, night vision goggles, smoke detectors and satellites. “This demonstration shows great potential in high-performance and flexible photodetection systems,” Ma said in the release. “It shows the capabilities of high-sensitivity photodetection and stable performance under bending conditions, which have never been achieved at the same time.”

madhatters from page 1

license is relatively rare and is part of a larger disciplinary process for businesses. “We usually use something called progressive discipline, where we first look at a point assessments, then suspension hearings, and if there are still consistent issues after, we look at revocation,” said Mark Woulf, Madison’s food and alcohol policy coordinator. “There have not been many recent suspensions, and revocation is extremely rare.”

In the 2013 incident, police inspected the building and found the first floor to be at capacity, while the second floor was at over 70 percent of capacity. A year later, police said Madhatters was at 52 percent over the lawful capacity. Madhatters paid $8,314 for the 18 counts, and staff has regularly attended tavern safety training meetings since then. Suspension of a liquor

Madison police released surveillance photos Monday of two persons of interest who attacked a 29-year-old man on State Street last month. Police described the suspects as 20- to 23-year-old white males, weighing 165-175 pounds and standing about 5 feet 10 inches. The two suspects punched a 29-year-old man on the 500 block of State Street Oct. 23, leaving the victim hospitalized with a skull fracture, according to an incident report by Madison Police Department Public Information Officer Joel DeSpain. Police ask anyone with information on the identities of the men to call the Madison Area Crime Stoppers.

hopper from page 1 The driver bit the suspect and tried to get away before a passerby intervened. Police caught up with the intoxicated suspect and found that he had a six-inch folding knife with him. Police arrested Martinez for battery to a public transit operator, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, in addition to the disorderly conduct charge.

funds from page 1 will demand new leadership at the BCPL to stop “the environmental advocacy being pushed by partisan staffers.” This is not the first time Adamczyk has struck out against the agency and its employees. After obtaining a 49 percent victory last November on the promise of eliminating his office, which he believes “doesn’t really have any duties left,” the Wauwatosa native critiqued the BCPL for everything from its subscription to the New York Times to its executive director’s role on then-Gov. Jim Doyle’s 2007 task force on climate change and the agency’s brief mention of climate change on its website.

City, county officials share budgets with ASM committee By Ellie Herman THE DAILY CARDINAL

Members of the Associated Students of Madison Legislative Affairs Committee took a step back from discussions on state government campaigns Tuesday to learn about the city and county budgets. County Board Supervisor Leland Pan, District 5, and Ald. Zach Wood, District 8, detailed the current status of the 2016 fiscal county and city budgets, in an effort to gain student involvement in the process. Wood explained both the county and city budgets are broken down into two areas: capital and operating. He said the capital budget focuses on the purchasing of objects, such as a new bus barn,

while the operating budget would include services like hiring new bus drivers. The fiscal 2016 city capital budget could potentially include the creation of a midtown police station to help the understaffed west side Madison Police Department station. The city operating budget will allocate $100,000 to address issues of substance abuse and mental illness by organizing a team of social workers to talk with people in unstable housing situations, Wood said. Pan said the county budget will include funds to aid homeless services, better nonprofit organizations and clean up lakes and highways.

A section of the county capital budget calls for either a renovation of the current county jail, or the construction of a new jail completely, which Pan said he does not want to happen during a time of high racial disparities. “The county executive has been reshuffling to have a specific office on equity and inclusion to really put our priorities on issues of disparities, to make an entire office focused on those things,” Pan said. Legislative Affairs Chair Carmen Gosey said she was glad members could understand issues at the county and city levels as well as state, and encouraged future student participation in budgetary topics.

KATIE SCHEIDT/THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW-Madison graduate Ald. Zach Wood, District 8, shares the city budget with members of the Legislative Affairs Committee.

opinion 4 Tuesday, November 3, 2015

dailycardinal.com

Southeastern Asia threatened by fires JACK KELLY Opinion Columnist

alaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are literally choking under a thick haze of wildfire smoke caused by the yearly burning of forests for the production of pulp, paper and palm oil on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia. The smoky haze that has engulfed these nations had been described by the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics as a “crime against humanity.” Schools have been closed, roadways shut down and half a million cases of acute respiratory infection have been reported since July. This annual burning of land creates a thick smoke all across parts of Southeast Asia, and this year’s haze has been the worst in 20 years. Most of the forest fires that contribute to this massive and yearly disaster are started illegally by farmers. Indonesian farmers have been practicing this “slash and burn” strategy to clear peat forest to make way for agricultural lands for decades.

Enforcing any sort of sanctions against the farmers that produce palm oil could have serious repercussions on the economy of Indonesia. Rain showers have provided some relief to the smoked areas in Sumatra and Kalimantan, yet other areas such as Central Kalimantan still have areas of dense haze. Almost 300 “hotspots,” or areas of significantly hotter-thanaverage ground temperatures, have been recorded in Kalimantan, as well

Photo courtesy of NASA

A shot of Southeat Asia from space shows just how widespread the fires are in the region. as in Sumatra and on the island of Sulawesi. Indonesian President Joko Widodo recently cut a visit to the United States to devote his full attention to the haze crisis. He visited the most devastated areas of the country last Thursday. The Pollutant Standards Index indexes in the worst-affected areas have nudged past a measure of 2,000 —any reading over 300 is considered hazardous to humans and wildlife. According to the Jakarta Globe, an estimated 43 million people have been exposed to particulates from wildfire smoke, with hundreds of thousands of cases of acute respiratory disease being directly attributed to the burnings. Haze-related ailments have killed 19 people, and residents in the worst-affected areas will continue to be evacuated. Indonesian

Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said Wednesday “every half hour, all district and neighborhood heads will get updates on the air index of their respective areas so that they can order an evacuation immediately.” Additionally, a number of Indonesian naval vessels, including a medical frigate, have docked in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. Even though no evacuation has been ordered, certain ships are prepared to accommodate over 2,000 people if needed. The ships are reportedly available for use by anyone who wants to go aboard. Lung and respiratory expert Jan Arif Kadarman, who is serving on the medical ship, has treated a handful of patients aboard the ship in the last few days, including several small children.

The current conditions under which nearly 43 million people are living are ones that I would personally consider to be a crisis, but to call such a disaster a crime against humanity is a bit much for me. This is a practice that has been performed by generations of Indonesian farmers. They see no other technique as a more efficient way. However, I do believe that these farmers need to be held accountable for their actions. Traditional practice or not, these wildfires need to be put to an end. I believe that Indonesian government needs to create harsh punishments for any farmer that may commit such a crime. I am well aware that starting these fires is already illegal, but it is obviously not being enforced. It should be noted that 8.1 percent of Indonesia’s total product exports is palm oil, an important part of the Indonesian

economy. Enforcing any sort of sanctions against the farmers that produce palm oil could have serious repercussions on the economy of Indonesia. Something else to take into consideration is that acute respiratory disease, also known as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), is a life-threatening lung condition that prevents enough oxygen from getting to the lungs and into the blood. The fact that there have been half a million cases of such a disease reported by medical officials, is horrifying. These 500,000 cases of ARDS are just one reason why I believe the Indonesian government needs to step in. Having an economy that partially thrives off of an industry that is killing its people is unacceptable.

Haze-related ailments have killed 19 people, and residents in the worst-affected areas will continue to be evacuated.

If no action is taken by the Indonesian government, they could be facing an even worse crisis in the near future. Several experts have shared their belief that the dry season in Indonesia may last well beyond the end of October, when monsoon season usually begins. If these wildfires cannot be stopped in the coming weeks, the large majority of Southeast Asia may need to be evacuated. Jack is a freshman intending to major in journalism. Please send all questions and comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

How to make your schedule work for you next semester tom rademacher Opinion Columnist

nrollment can be a stressful time for us students. Especially when there seems to be an overwhelming number of requirements that we must fulfill in order to graduate. With enrollment for next semester right

around the corner, it is a good time to start thinking and planning ahead to make your schedule work for you. Doing more of what you want is entirely possible, even with taking prerequisite courses and fulfilling requirements. All it takes is a little forethought, future planning, a positive attitude and an open mind.

kaitlyn veto/cardinal file photo

As enrollment for classes begins, make sure to balance the classes you want to take with the classes you need for your degree.

The moment a new student sets foot on this campus, they should be looking far enough ahead to make their schedule work for them and not be forced to work for their schedule. This does not mean meticulously planning out every single semester from freshman to senior year. What this does mean is doing a little self-reflection and evaluating what you like to do and what you have to do as far as required courses. Be sure to balance out your schedule as best you can with courses that you enjoy and that you need. By balancing out your schedule, you will limit the chances of having a semester where you only take courses you dislike or feel forced to take, which is never a good thing. If students prepare and plan ahead, graduating in four years, studying abroad, having a double major or certificate, exploring classes of interest and fulfilling all necessary requirements can be done. We will always have to do things that we don’t want to do. It is a fact of life. We don’t always want to get out of bed in the morning, but we have to do it. We don’t always want to get a job, but if we don’t we won’t have any money to buy food or football tickets or clothes. We don’t always want to take 100-level courses, but if we don’t, we won’t have the skills or knowledge to take upper-level courses. If we don’t take upper-level courses we

won’t be able to graduate, and if we don’t graduate than we won’t be able get that six-figure salary or dream job we covet. You see how that works? A 100-level course will not directly help you find a job, but it will directly help you do other things and those other things will ultimately help you find a job. In a similar fashion, ethnic studies courses or natural science requirements, for example, may be completely irrelevant to your area of interest, but by taking them you will be learning something outside of your comfort zone that you may find even more interesting than what you are already majoring in. Some of the best classes I’ve taken on campus have been outside my history and psychology majors. Regardless, even if you still think 100-level courses or university requirements are a waste of time, then think of them as easy A’s or GPA boosters and get them out of the way early on in your years at Madison. University requirements are not meant to limit us students or make our lives more difficult. They are meant to ensure that we maximize our education by guaranteeing that we take a wide variety of courses. These courses are intended to expand our world view and keep us open-minded. The greatest asset of a liberal education is that students are able to complete a diverse range of classes that will help them

view the world in a broader fashion and teach them how to acquire and retain a wide range of skills and knowledge. By taking multiple classes, students are not limited to a narrow range within their major, but have the chance to explore other potential fields of study that might interest them more than the topic they are currently focusing on. Requirements are not meant to be restrictions. Keep an open mind when enrolling for courses you don’t usually take, and enter every class with a positive attitude and a belief you will learn something new and valuable.

Be sure to balance out your schedule as best you can with courses that you enjoy and with courses that you need.

When enrolling for classes next semester, regardless of your standing or year in school, remember to prepare and plan ahead to keep your schedule balanced, realize you will always have to do things you don’t want to, stay positive and keep an open mind. Tom is a junior majoring in history and psychology. How do you feel about Tom’s ideas for how to structure a schedule? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

dailycardinal.com

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

arts

The legacy of the Roland TR-808 keeps beating JAKE WITZ we gettin’ it

GRAPHIC BY HARRISON FANGMANN

Virgins enjoy ‘Rocky Horror’ experience By Eli Radtke THE DAILY CARDINAL

After narrowly dodging a blimplike floating condom, I followed a group of men in fishnets and an assortment of women in sequined outfits to my seat. Upon sitting, a man, who a moment ago I was convinced was a woman, turned from his seat directly in front of me and offered me a condom. I thanked him. He winked and turned back towards the show. Welcome to a viewing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Shannon Hall was a series of hundreds of interactions like this Friday night. As a crowd of wide-eyed “virgins” like myself took seats quietly, the more experienced of the crowd gaudily prepared for the spectacle. Virgins are those of us in the community that have never experienced Rocky Horror before. Some of us virgins had red “V”s adorning our faces; others were just trying to blend in. All of us had eyes about the size of dinner plates. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a unique combination of live stage performance, film and lascivious crowd participation. The movie originally came out in 1975, and since then, midnight showings where the crowd talks back at the movie and participates in some of the scenes caught on. Now, sitting in the theater, it was very clear who was part of the tradition and who wasn’t. A man in six-inch heels, leather accents and fishnets approached the microphone to give us rules; every rule was accompanied by choruses of commentary, almost drowning

out the message. Each rule was more sexual than the last, my favorite being “And for God’s sake, please, no fucking in the theater, that’s what the bathrooms are for.” I was sweating, my eyes darting from side to side and it felt like I had entered some kind of strange fetish convention. Then, the movie started. For all of you fellow virgins out there, I will give you this disclaimer to my review: I have been told I do well with weird. That being said, being prompted to yell “slut” or “asshole” any time the two main protagonists appeared on-screen became distracting during the movie/play/ cultural experience. As we cruised through the sing-alongs and strange critique of glam rock and sexuality, the shadow cast mirrored the actors they respectively portrayed on screen, an interesting duality that the showing is famous for. Sex Out Loud along with WUD Film and one other sponsor put up the showing in Shannon Hall, and while the WUD folk stayed back and enjoyed the show, the Sex Out Loud crowd made sure they were heard. Dialogue to poke fun at the movie was quite funny, when it could be heard. The roar from the crowd reminded me of a movie where fruit and vegetables were being thrown onstage. It sounded like a drunken riot at a burlesque show. For the non-virgins, this racket fueled their fire to join in and, I am sure, added to the experience. As someone who was not familiar at all with anything except the famous “Time Warp”—and only that

from Badger games and the occasional dance party—it was distracting and frankly annoying. The dialogue I was able to decipher from the rabble was funny and made me chuckle, but mostly the din from the audience directly canceled out the sound of the movie. This made it impossible to hear and certain aspects of the experience were lost on me. I had come with a group of friends who were mostly virgins, and by the time the show was over I was the only one left in the theater, an unfortunate fact because I do believe the showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a unique and chaotic experience that ultimately should have ended positively for them. This being said, I had a great time observing the crowd of vibrant personalities and even more vibrant costumes, and the shadow cast, the Velvet Darkness, killed it. The atmosphere was loud and energetic and seemed to be very rewarding for those with an in. Unfortunately, I think the combination of too many non-casted rowdy audience members yelling at the screen and the general size of Shannon Hall created an environment that wasn’t the most conducive for firsttime viewers. Overall, I had a positive experience and enjoyed the chaos, but for most it was too much. I would recommend going to a midnight showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” to anyone because it is a great cultural experience. I just wouldn’t recommend choosing such a big venue combined with such a rowdy audience.

here are some sounds that are so iconic and influential, so pervasive in modern music that most listeners don’t notice them due to how effortlessly they find their way into hundreds of songs. About 90 percent of those sounds come from the Roland TR-808, a drum machine from the early ’80s that redefined electronic music. The drum machine is mind-bogglingly simple. Sixteen buttons represent the 16 beats of a measure of music. Each button can be assigned a variety of bass, snares and claps which then combine to create a filledout rhythm. The cheapest drum synth at the time, the TR-808 substantially lowered the entry level for music production. It became the bread-and-butter instrument for bigtime producers working with artists like Marvin Gaye and Lil Wayne, as well as home studio enthusiasts. There’s no debate as to whether the TR-808 was influential—just look at artists whose entire careers can be dedicated to the machine. Kanye West’s genre-defining album, 808s & Heartbreak; the production crew for the Atlanta hip-hop scene, 808 Mafia; and countless lyrics in R&B and rap songs are just a few signs of the pervasiveness of not just the sound, but the machine itself. Take away the obvious name references and it’s still overly apparent just how important the machine is to music history. While nobody is arguing about whether the instrument was prominent, it’s still up in the air as to why it was prominent. There are obvious answers and subtle answers, all of which have equal merit in discussion. The most obvious and objective explanation for Roland’s world domination was the TR-808’s price point. While most drum machines at the time were priced in the $5,000 range, the 808 entered the market at a mere $1,195. That, combined with the size and accessibility of the machine, made it the go-to option for anybody trying to produce a beat. But that would disregard the fact that the TR-808 sold extremely poorly when it first released. Only around 12,000 were ever released, and the music community initially criticized it for sounding nothing like physical drums. This leads to the first real answer for how the TR-808 struck inspiration in the hearts of thousands of producers: the sounds it produced didn’t try to imitate. They were meant to be new, futuristic sounds that could be implemented in new, futuristic tracks. The 808 “clap”

does not sound like a human clap. The awkward flapping of human skin could not come close to making the clean and calculated bursts found on an 808. While genres like rock and disco traditionally used claps on the two-and-four beats of livelier tracks, TR-808 producers could lay claps down on any note they pleased, redefining the purpose of the sound for a brand-new audience. With the TR-808 also came the idea of building a song around the beat. When a track is built from the bassline up, the goal in production becomes less about the surface elements of lyrics and melodies and more about the underlying vibrations that hold the song together. I’ve personally tried producing tracks starting with melody and failed every time. A properly executed 808 bassline is both menacing and gentle. Club culture is built around the appreciation of that invisible force that ties all dance tracks together. The TR-808, whether intentionally or not, placed its emphasis on this aspect of music that would come to define a generational sound. What generational sound do I speak of? The sound of heaviness. Every sound in the TR-808 feels aggressive. The bass feels heavy, the snares and rim shots feel like bullets fired off from whatever speakers they burst from. Physical drums simply don’t have the power to be as “tough” as the TR-808. The tiniest variations of volume and tone in drum strokes reveal weakness and wavering. Listen to any drum cover of a pop song on YouTube; while the videos certainly entertain by showcasing the skills of world-class drummers, nobody could argue that a Skrillex song would somehow sound better with a physical drummer. The most obvious and simple answer though is that the TR-808 is fun. Laying four 808 kicks on the floor and letting it ride for an eternity is borderline therapeutic. The creative process of layering sound after sound over the same 16 beats is a beautiful oxymoron. The machine allows for infinite creativity while somehow confining production to 12 base sounds, a couple of knobs for pitch and a single ever-repeating measure. With only 12,000 units ever sold, it will be interesting to see whether the TR-808 will remain relevant in the coming years. Many producers are finding that it’s a lot cheaper and convenient to use samples of a TR-808 on a digital music program. While Zaytoven’s beats are filled with 808 sounds, the riddling hi-hats that have become a staple of trap music would be impossible to replicate on a true TR-808 machine. Do you love the sound of a TR-808 beat drop? Let Jake know at jakey.witz@gmail.com.

COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

The TR-808 beat machine impact is still heard in music today.

arts

dailycardinal.com

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Photo courtesy of deafheaven facebook

Tribulation and Deafheaven performed at the High Noon Saloon Thursday night. Deafheaven’s lead singer, George Clarke, surfed on the hands of the crowd.

Deafheaven experiments with the meaning of metal By Michael Frett The daily cardinal

As Tribulation opened the night with their long hair tossed over their instruments, snapping to whatever beat ripped out behind them, a curious thought entered my head. While Tribulation howled and roared, sprinting and grinding through the hellfire and death wails of their black-metal home, I couldn’t shake the familiarity of it all; I had seen some ghost of all of this before, in the hands of hair metal bands. It was a theme that’d stay buried in the back of my mind that Thursday night at the High Noon Saloon, tossed between Tribulation’s black metal flare and headliner Deafheaven’s shaded hollows. They both had no problems differentiating themselves, between their dynamic starts and stops, but there was a showman’s superficiality mixed in with those dynamics. Case in point: the opening act, Tribulation. The Swedish death metal band took the stage, show-

ered in blood-red light as their logo christened a black backdrop. Their banner was draped over one of their amplifiers, a graceful specter aloft in the center, almost like a coat-of-arms. They sang of “children of the night” and “dreams of the dead.” When they tore into galloped rhythms, they hung their heads and thrashed in unison, their long hair slapping the air just above their strings. It was all metal, in the most blatant use of the term. It was the same sense I had on the country fair circuit with the likes of Dokken, Warrant and Queensrÿche, who also took the stage in all black, with blackened banners tossed across the background and long hair blowing in harmony with their thrashing rhythms. They chugged their riffs in a synonymous cadence, rocking back and forth as one gaggle of metal. But behind the appearances, which seemed so commonplace to this outsider, there was a sense of musicianship that felt far more unique than a term as tossed

around and clichéd as “metal.” It started with Tribulation, who could blend a bit of chaotic thrash and power-chord play with more dynamic stops and breaks. There were moments that could pass off as pop, moments that could pass off as punk and moments that most metal bands wouldn’t even consider playing. Behind it all was the sound of metal’s vengeful spirit, but it was living in a world far more interesting than the average Northern Invasion or Hellfest mainstay. When Deafheaven came on, I somehow felt distant. There they were, the metal scene’s least-favorite “metal” band, hidden beneath ocean-blue lights. They reached out into the audience, who raised their hands toward Deafheaven’s George Clarke like fervent participants in some kind of religious revival. He beckoned the audience like a priest, and the audience answered. But there I was, feeling aloof as they led through the opening songs of their phenomenal new album, New Bermuda. Maybe it was the sensation that I had, in fact, heard

all of this before; they played those songs note-for-note, turning something that sounded natural into something that sounded rehearsed. Maybe it was that concealed appearance, where Deafheaven acted more like a band on a stage than a band playing to an audience. That feeling melted away, though. Deafheaven bombarded the audience with guitars and bass like waves tossed against a cliff. Slowly but surely, it eroded whatever apprehension I had for their set, as the galloping guitar rhythms bombarded me with a comfortably aggressive familiarity and tone shifts which blew that familiarity apart. Deafheaven’s uniqueness comes from how they meander around that silly definition of what “metal” is. So while trying to mime along with the wild drum rolls and the roaring guitars (air guitars are a habit I picked up from those same hair metal days I mentioned before), I was taken aback when they drifted into the more dramatic dream sequences between the

explosive bursts of metal. Clarke’s voice rubbed against the band like a gravel road, but the band would snake their way into quieter, more breathtaking shows. The guitars would sink into an aquatic progression, the drums would ease up their assault and there’d be interludes of feedback. It turned a metal concert into a sonic spectacle that loosened up as the night went on. At the end of the night, though the audience that floated a crowdsurfing Clarke across the room seemed wholly infatuated with the band, I still felt a little distant. Drowned in the deep blue lights of the stage, Deafheaven felt like a world apart from where I stood. But there was also a sense of wonder I pulled from the show. The band I saw wasn’t like the metal I knew, despite the clichés of throat singing and darkness. They were fluid and dynamic, the rehearsed standard broken up by the end of the night. Clarke’s growled pontification seemed more sincere than the priestly miming of other singers, and I hung on to every note.

RECORD ROUTINE

Garrett Borns triumphs in evocative new album CD REVIEW

Dopamine BØRNS By Paul Blazevich The daily cardinal

Electrifying pop hooks. A dreamy voice of smooth gold. The vibrations of pulsating synthesizers. All are recurring themes on Garrett Borns’ first studio album, Dopamine. Originally from Michigan, BØRNS moved to Los Angeles to record his first release, seemingly capturing the endless supply of sun, excitement and inspiration that the sprawling metropolis has to offer. In the vein of Kevin Parker of Tame Impala, Garrett Borns uses a falsetto and production themes from all over the world of music to create an album that sucks listeners into a world of glittering love and ecstasy. Lana Del Rey and HAIM are clear inspirations for BØRNS, and if it weren’t for Odd Future and Top Dog Entertainment, one would think that all music coming out of Los Angeles was Rodeo Drive glitz, Hollywood Hills glamour and Manhattan Beach

sun-bleached photographs. It is difficult to find a bad spot on this album, not a surprise when Emile Haynie (frequent Lana Del Rey collaborator) and Jeff Bhasker (frequent Kanye West collaborator) are often listed with production credits. The verses on the track “Dopamine” can be a bit annoying and uncomfortable, and “Electric Love” is a bit monotonous. Yet these small disturbances do not affect the endless playability of Dopamine. “10,000 Emerald Pools” is a pop ballad that sounds like a sunny Sunday morning. The synths of “Dug My Heart” are hypnotizing, and when mixed with Borns’ vocals create a wonderfully entertaining display that calls to mind the work of Beach House. “American Money” employs the popular trend of blown-out, distorted guitar. “Past Lives” is sad and poppy, electronic and a cappella. Dopamine is formed around love and sunshine, but as the listener ventures through the 40-minute project, every life experience—every happiness and every sadness—will come to mind. And that is the triumph witnessed here. Dopamine is a soundtrack for life made by an artist who has made the most of his 23 years and will continue to make the most of what is to come.

Grade: A

comics dailycardinal.com

Tuesday, November 3, 2015 • 7

“They sure as hell didn’t wear yoga pants in Leviticus!” Today’s Sudoku

Future Freaks

By Joel Cryer graphics@dailycardinal.com

Tetherball Net

By Will Santino graphics@dailycardinal.com

Subversion

By Tom Taagen graphics@dailycardinal.com

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

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

ACROSS 1 Loose garment with veiled eyeholes (Var.) 6 4-0 World Series win, e.g. 11 Act like a rabbit 14 Malarial fevers 15 Kind of pasta 16 Aussie bird 17 Job for one in a pasture 19 Salesperson, briefly 20 Board game components 21 Welsh canine 23 Sticks like glue 26 Not mortal, as a sin 27 Looked lustfully 28 Like some mikes 30 Scandinavian male name 31 Ocean shore 32 Prime Meridian letters 35 They play tag 36 Cheap flicks 38 Block of soap 39 “Be quiet!” 4 0 Partner of oohed 41 Like Santa’s cheeks 42 Put on the payroll 4 4 Sets something down clumsily 46 Road Runner’s nemesis

4 8 49 50 52 53 58 59 6 0 61 62 63

Most unflappable Synagogue speaker Denver athlete Alias, briefly Old New York ballfield “As to” Had in mind Brief and to the point Letter widths Closes, as a door Priest’s permission to leave

DOWN 1 Undergrad degs. 2 “Bleah!” 3 Feel regret over 4 They’re worth holding on to 5 Shoot for (with “to”) 6 Glasses, briefly 7 “What ___ you thinking?” 8 Ultimate goals 9 180 deg. from WSW 10 Impressions 11 Common twill pattern 12 Alpha’s opposite 13 Student of optometry? 18 Sit up and take notice

22 23 24 25 26 28 29 31 33 34 36 37 41 43 4 4 45 46 47 4 8 50 51 54 55 56 57

Lennon’s wife “... and ___ well” “___ of a Salesman” Some chocolate fixes Strong grip, metaphorically Quail flock What the hen did Fish also called “blue jack” Costume party items Lovers’ rendezvous Birth rites Y chromosome carrier Spinning office file Riotous bunch ___-l’Eveque (French cheese) Find Mourning band Like the old bucket of song Break-even amounts Sweetheart Go ballistic Sneaky-laugh sound Anger Olympic basketball team Was introduced to

Sports Sports

tuesday, November 3, 2015 Dailycardinal.com DailyCardinal.com

Press Conference

Badgers move on after winning weekend By Michael Tipping The Daily Cardinal

Football

Wisconsin (4-1 Big Ten, 7-2 overall) is coming off a convincing victory over Rutgers (1-4,3-5) last Saturday. Addressing the media Monday at a press conference, head coach Paul Chryst highlighted how impressed he was with play of his defense, the No. 1 scoring unit in the NCAA. “The magic is there is no magic. We’ve all talked, a long time, once you understand that, it’s fundamentals. If you have a good, sound scheme, and players that understand it, and good players executing it then I think you have a chance to have success,” Chryst said. Chryst also expressed his satisfaction with the play of the offensive line, a oft-injured group playing under heavy expectations from the fanbase because of success in recent years. “Any time you go through something as a group, that presents

the opportunity to come together. There are expectations because of what has happened previously but all that really matters is expectations for the current group,” Chryst said. Saturday, the front line helped junior running back Corey Clement rush for 115 yards and three scores in his successful return from injury. Looking forward to next week, the Badgers travel to face the Maryland Terrapins (0-4,2-6). Maryland features one of the best returners in the country in junior William Likely. Likely was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts against Iowa last Saturday. When asked about special teams coverage against Likely, Chryst said, “We are going to be challenged in a big way this week, he’s arguably the best in the game. This is to-date, maybe the biggest challenge we have.”

Men’s Hockey

Wisconsin (2-3-3 overall) is

brandon moe/the daily cardinal

looking forward to playing in Grand Forks, N.D. against No.1 North Dakota (6-0-2) next weekend after a successful two-game sweep of Arizona State. Head coach Mike Eaves brought up some individuals on the team who have stepped up in recent weeks, including freshman Patrick Sexton. “You know, you hate to say guys are ‘gamers’ but he’s got— the six inches between his ears make up for maybe what he is lacking in the six feet of body that he has, in terms of natural ability,” Eaves said. Eaves touched on how the growth seen in practice and in the games against Arizona State is preparing the Badgers for tough matchups like the coming one against North Dakota. “So we take that with us this week, and we get ready to play a team that’s going to be very good. We are going to have to play a very clean game, get good goaltending, specialty teams, but at the same time, there is an air of excite-

ment about having this challenge,” Eaves said. When asked about the readiness of his young team for the looming matchup against North Dakota, Eaves said, “I don’t think you can tell them or show them in video and really capture the environment they’re going into.”

Volleyball

Wisconsin (8-4 Big Ten, 16-6 overall) is currently riding a fourgame win streak as it anticipates tough matches against No. 25 Michigan (6-6, 16-7) and Michigan State (6-6,14-9) this weekend at the UW Field House. Addressing the media Monday afternoon, head coach Kelly Sheffield was very pleased with the support the Wisconsin fan base has shown the team. “First of all, we played in front of a couple sold-out crowds this past weekend so we’re really, really appreciative of the fan support and the energy they bring to us in the Field House,” Sheffield said. Citing how his team has

Jessi Schoville/cardinal file photo

moved away from leaning so heavily earlier in the year on junior middle blocker Haleigh Nelson, Sheffield feels that “we’re starting to get some more pieces to the puzzle.” When asked about the play and integration of freshman outside hitter Madison Duello into the serving rotation, Sheffield was excited about her progress. “Sometimes her serve comes from the ‘child’s menu,’ so we talked to her about let’s get rid of the corn dogs and the macaroni and cheese and the applesauce and things like that, and let’s start serving from the adult menu and putting some pace on the ball and really doing something with it and take some chances. When she does that, the ball dances for her,” Sheffield said. Sheffield was also asked about the possibility of a Big Ten postseason tournament in the future. “I think it would be awesome, I think it would just be a really, really cool event, and I’m not sure it will happen,” Sheffield said.

katei scheidt/cardinal file photo

Packers’ lack of threats on the edge becoming a concern Rushad Machhi breaking shad The Broncos exposed a lot of weaknesses in their romp over the Packers this past Sunday, but the most apparent was the glaring ineffectiveness of Green Bay’s wide receivers. After Jordy Nelson went down with a seasonending knee injury, the receiving corps took an obvious hit, but many were optimistic the talent on hand, in conjunction with the reigning MVP in Aaron Rodgers, would minimize the effects of that loss. It was becoming more and more apparent that was not the case, and Sunday’s loss punctuated the point that a change needs to be made. With wide receivers to be had this trade deadline, Ted

Thompson, I hope you are on that phone inquiring about several intriguing candidates. Let’s start with the problems. First and foremost, the Packers’ long-play ability has been completely neutered thus far into the season. Last year, the passing attack had the fifth-most plays of 20-plus yards (59) and was second in plays of 40-plus yards with 15. This season, Green Bay ranks 20th and 25th, respectively, in each category. So while playing against arguably the best defense in the league severely exacerbated the deep-ball issue, this has clearly been a negative trend for most of the season. While Nelson’s home run threat would naturally seem to lead to that decrease, such a substantial decline indicates additional issues are at play. One such issue is a decrease in the team’s yards after catch.

Last season, the team ranked seventh in the league with 2,230 total yards after catch, while this year the team is ranked 12th, on pace for less than 2,000. While that is not an alarming decline, the most surprising part seems to be where the decline is coming from. Last season, starting wide receiver Randall Cobb was a force after the catch, accumulating 556 yards after catch by himself. This year, the story has been quite different, as Cobb comes in ranked as the 19th best receiver in the category. Cobb also has to be the most disappointing player on this offense thus far. The reason many thought the Packers could survive the absence of Nelson was that Cobb seemed to have the goods to take over as a true No. 1 option. Thus far, he has mostly failed that test, in a season where he is on pace for less

than 900 receiving yards. While Cobb was banged up earlier in the season, coming off a bye week he looked just as ineffective as he had earlier in the season. Clearly the distraction of Nelson on the opposing team’s primary cornerback was a huge boon to Cobb’s success, as he has shown thus far that he does not have the goods to anchor a receiving corps. Clearly Cobb and the rest of the receivers could use a boost, and at the trade deadline this year, there are viable players available to provide that boost. It would definitely be worth it for Thompson to be inquiring about the Lions’ Calvin Johnson or the Bears’ Alshon Jeffery, both studs who would inject a potent deep threat to the offense. While interdivisional trades are rare, remember, the Philadelphia Eagles did trade quarterback Donovan McNabb to Washington in 2010. If

either of those two is unattainable, a call out west to San Francisco for Anquan Boldin or Torrey Smith would be well worth it. The 49ers have clearly shown they are willing to make deals for the future by unloading Vernon Davis to the Broncos. Either of those two would be a boost for the Packers, especially Smith with long ball ability. Regardless, in a conference where the teams at the top all have weaknesses of their own, the Packers are in prime position to reach the Super Bowl this season. Thus, it is imperative that Thompson make a move now to acquire a receiver to partially cover up what has become a glaring weakness. Do the Packers need to make a move to pick up another wide receiver, or is it up to the corps in place to pick up the slack? Email Rushad at machhi@wisc.edu to let him know what you think.