Thursday, January 31, 2019 - The Daily Cardinal

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Thursday, January 31, 2019

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Polar vortex, loss of Lake Mendota ice demand discussion on climate change

By Jessica Lipaz THE DAILY CARDINAL

Universities across Wisconsin canceled classes Wednesday due to extreme weather conditions, giving students the day off, but also bringing attention to a pertinent issue affecting the state — climate change.

Windchill temperatures accompanying a “polar vortex” reached -50 degrees below zero, prompting Gov. Tony Evers to sign an executive order that declared a state of emergency and closed non-essential state government offices.

The extreme circumstances caused by the polar vortex have even claimed multiple lives across the country, including one man in Milwaukee.

Although the phenomenon is not new, many recent studies, suggest a connection between the increased frequency of polar vertices and climate change.

John Magnuson, professor emeritus and director emeritus at the UW-Madison Center for Limnology, contributed to a new study with international scientists that links cli-

GRAPHIC BY MAX HOMSTAD

Polarizing temperatures cause arctic weather during a winter that yielded one of the latest freezes of Lake Mendota. mate change with decreasing freshwater ice. The research found that extensive loss of lake ice will continue

within the next generation.

Magnuson highlighted the relevance of the study’s findings to

Madison, drawing a link between Lake Mendota’s ice loss.

“People who are interested in

winter recreation and ice carnivals and things of that nature will begin to find that they have to pay more attention to what the lake is doing,” said Magnuson, implying the uncertainty of the lake’s future.

In 2019, Lake Mendota did not freeze until Jan. 10, marking one of its latest freezes in nearly 160 years.

Research conducted by Adam Hinterthuer, the outreach and communications specialist for the Center for Limnology, found that later icefreezes are accompanied by warmer spring seasons. This causes Lake Mendota to thaw earlier, shortening the time the lake is ice-capped.

Implications of this can lead to more algal blooms that harm local fish and wildlife. According to Mary Jean Huston, state director of Wisconsin’s branch of The Nature Conservancy — a globally active group that works in land conservation and energy solutions — climate change is also affecting Wisconsin wildlife outside of the water.

Huston described its impact on

lake page 3

ASM, Blank oppose changes to Title IX, encourage survivors

By Robin Cawley COLLEGE NEWS EDITOR

“I want to begin by stating unequivocally that every student has the right to be safe on campus,” UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank wrote, in an effort to reinforce expectations of protection on campus.

As the deadline for comments came to a close Wednesday, Blank and the Associated Students of Madison sent their thoughts about the proposed Title IX rule changes released by the Department of Education last November.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos opened up a two-month public comment period for the new rules that aimed to “clarify and modify” requirements for reviewing violations of gender-based discrimination and acts of sexual violence across campuses.

In 2015, UW-Madison participated in the first national survey that studied sexual assault and its impact on 27 campuses. It found that more than one in four undergraduate women would be sexually assaulted during their time at the

university, amounting to more than 27 percent — which was consistent with national numbers.

Despite these numbers, only 11 investigations were conducted.

In 2017, only one student faced disciplinary action, which reflects the “already intimidating nature of the reporting process,” ASM members wrote in their letter to the department.

According to the survey results, offenders were often identified as fellow students that were a friend or acquaintance of the survivor.

Assaults generally occurred in onand off-campus student housing.

Many of the incidents went unreported due to a lack of confidence that there would be a fair investigation or action against the offender.

“Sexual violence and misconduct is absolutely unacceptable and can have a devastating impact on students who experience it, both personally and in terms of their ability to complete their education,” Blank wrote.

While Blank found some chang-

Title IX page 3

IMAGE COURTESY OF JACE STEWARD

First student-led hunter safety course coming to UW-Madison

By Jenna Walters CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

The first hunter’s safety course to be offered at UW-Madison will be held in February, following an increased demand by students to learn how to properly use a firearm.

Members of the Badger Hunting Club who have become certified hunter education instructors, will run a six-hour course on firearm and hunting safety that is open to all UW-Madison students. The

course will teach students safe firearm handling and effective hunting techniques. Department of Natural Resources personnel will also be present during the course.

Hunting Club president Jace Steward said that many people who join the Badger Hunting Club have little to no experience with hunting, therefore it is the organization’s responsibility to educate members on how to be safe when using a firearm and hunting an animal.

There will be no active weapons used during the training, but students will be able to get handson experience with firearms that are inoperable.

Steward said using inoperable firearms is the safest way to teach others about gun safety. He said he realizes that people may be apprehensive about hunting due to fear of firearms, especially in light of recent

course 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.”

science

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Thursday, January 31, 2019

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 128, Issue 17

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

dailycardinal.com

autos Gab: the social media autos platform of the alt-right

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor-in-Chief Sammy Gibbons

Managing Editor Sam Nesovanovic

Cold-Cut Column

News Team News Manager Sydney Widell Campus Editor Jenna Walters College Editor Robyn Cawley City Editor Jon Brockman State Editor Jessica Lipaz Associate News Editor Will Husted Features Editor Grace Wallner Opinion Editors Izzy Boudnik • Kavitha Babu Editorial Board Chair Jake Price Arts Editors John Everman • Lauren Souza Sports Editor Cameron Lane-Flehinger Almanac Editors Samantha Jones • Kellen Sharp Photo Editors Kalli Anderson • Tealin Robinson Graphics Editors Max Homstad • Channing Smith Multimedia Editor Ethan Huskey Science Editor Tyler Fox Life & Style Editor Colleen Muraca Copy Chiefs Dana Brandt • Kayla Huynh • Emily Johnson Social Media Managers Zoe Klein • Abby Friday Special Pages Haley Sirota • Erin Jordan

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Managers Daniel Devkalis • Kyven Lee Advertising Managers Ally Moore • Daniel Tryba Nicholas Dotson 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.

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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.

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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 Sammy Gibbons • Sam Nesovanovic Izzy Boudnik • Samantha Jones Savannah McHugh • Justine Spore Haley Sirota • Jake Price

Board of Directors Herman Baumann, President Sammy Gibbons • Sam Nesovanovic Mike Barth • Barry Adams Phil Hands • Don Miner Nancy Sandy • Jennifer Sereno Scott Girard • Alex Kusters Kia Pourmodheji © 2015, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398

For the record Corrections or clarifications?

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

By Tyler Fox SCIENCE EDITOR

PHOTO BY CREATIVE COMMONS

By Tyler Fox SCIENCE EDITOR

Students are no strangers to emerging social media trends – as avid smartphone users, young adults are likely to pick up on new dating apps, new mobile payment apps (e.g. Venmo, Cashapp) and even new social media platforms. However, students may be unaware of a different kind of social platform that took hold in 2018 – a platform that touts its commitment to free speech and open dialogs for radical discussions.

Gab was founded by Andrew Torba after he claimed to witness excessive censorship on other social media platforms. The site works with little to no moderation, and post interaction occurs similar to Reddit posts, where users can upvote posts they agree with.

With no site-wide moderation, Gab’s only form of censorship exists in user settings, where the user can mute certain words or phrases they don’t want to see.

Torba described why he created the site in an interview with BuzzFeed News in December 2017: “What makes the entirely left-leaning Big Social monopoly qualified to tell us what is ‘news’ and what is ‘trending’ and to define what ‘harassment’ means? It didn’t feel right to me, and I wanted to change it, and give people something that would be fair and just.”

From the beginning, the platform has stated that its target audience remains conservative, libertarian, nationalist and populist internet users around the world – and that its competitors are Breitbart and Infowars.

With this target audience, it is no surprise that the platform has had become a host for extremist, antiSemitic and racist behavior. Perhaps the most infamous case involved a verified user of Gab that killed 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue.

Many of this user’s posts on Gab included anti-Semitic rants and conspiracy theories. These elements persist through much of the platform’s content.

As a result of this content and the Pittsburgh shooting, Google and Apple rejected the Gab mobile app from their stores, and domain host sites like GoDaddy and Joyent dropped support for the site. The website remained down for a week as the company scrambled to find a digital distributor to get them back off their feet – where a company named Cloudflare stepped in.

The digital security provider Cloudflare is often employed to protect websites from denial of service attacks, and was the subject of media attention after it ended support for neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer.

The company later released a

statement saying they would not attempt to control any form of speech on the internet and is now providing service to Gab. Financial problems have also stricken the platform, and according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, several thousand investors utilized the JOBS Act of 2012 to crowdfund their support for the company.

Despite these investments, revenue for Gab has fallen heavily since PayPal and Stripe stopped supporting the platform as well.

One thing key to remember from this: there exists a corner of the internet for all views and opinions. What subsisted in the far corners of 4Chan threads now thrives on an official platform for nationalists and radicalism, all as a result of the freedom of the internet. Anti-Semitic and racist behaviors now pervade on the platform, allowing individuals to form a collective voice of festered vitriol for ethnic and minority groups. The internet remains a largely unregulated place, but social platforms can provide their own framework of rules to govern their users and manage hate speech. What happens when a no-rules platform emerges specifically to cater to the radical opinions of certain white radicals?

The answer is Gab.

Amongst all the hullabaloo that’s resulted from UW’s cancellation of classes from extreme temperatures, it has become incredibly apparent to this observant car-person that not only does it suck having a car in Madison, but it especially sucks when its winter in Madison.

Case-in-point: Our quaint Madison residence has a small parking lot behind it which can hold, at most, six cars. Our landlords, bless their souls, often shoveled the lot when we received our small snow dustings in November.

But after the colossal amount of snow we’ve received in the last week, our landlords decided shoveling wouldn’t cut it. Nope, what was truly needed wasn’t just snowblowers, but a full-on plow.

Which, all things considered, is pretty helpful for us, because our cars were having quite some trouble getting in and out of said parking lot. That is, until the plow driver decided to plow exactly half of our lot, leave a giant mountain of heavy snow in the middle, and never return again (its been 7 days since he or she plowed).

Not only are cars now trapped behind this undefeatable mound of compacted plow-residue, but we now have half the spaces we usually have for parking, with the same amount of cars that need to be parked!

All this points to the fact that yes, it is indeed a challenge owning a car in downtown Madison.

An acquaintance of mine claims it took her 45 minutes to dig out her car. That’s simply too long in college-kid time. My recommendation: maybe consider leaving the car at the parents or somewhere else until the largest of snow storms have passed, otherwise you’re going to have a bad time.

Shutdown Stories: Campus research hindered

By Grace Wallner & Morgan Lock Before the government shutdown started, Dominick Ciruzzi, a PhD student in the hydroecology lab, had never considered how a lapse in federal funding might personally affect him.

However, over the last 33 days, he and his colleagues have been unable to apply for federal grants or contact their collaborators in federal scientific research agencies, which could have long-term consequences on his research.

Ciruzzi’s research focuses on the way forests interact with groundwater during times of drought in Wisconsin’s temperate forests. Like many UW-Madison PhD students, Ciruzzi’s work is partially funded by federal agencies, and he and

his advisor are collaborating with researchers from organizations like the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Forest Service.

Those federal scientists and administrators have been unable to do their work for the last 33 days while President Trump and Congress battle over a $5 billion border wall. For these federal researchers, missing proposal deadlines or not being able to go in to work could be detrimental to years of research, future studies and perhaps even their careers.

As stories of the shutdown echo across the nation, Ciruzzi is beginning to feel uncertain about the future of his own research as well.

“I’m fortunate to be in my position, but collectively my and others’ experiences are feelings of frus-

tration, anxiety and helplessness,” Ciruzzi said. “I just don’t know when it’ll stop; I hope it stops soon.”

The negative consequences that the shutdown is having on federal scientists and other federal workers — like TSA, Coast Guard and IRS employees — may outweigh the need for the shutdown, according to assistant professor in UW-Madison’s Management and Human Resources Department, Jirs Meuris.

“There is some level of irony, whether or not you agree with [funding a border wall], to have a shutdown over national security and then to expect workers who you depend on for your national security to work for an extended period of time without a paycheck,” Meuris said.

Ciruzzi’s salary hasn’t been affected by the shutdown, and he is grateful he has not experienced the same hardships facing certain fulltime federal workers.

Still, agency closures have limited his ability to make progress in his PhD research, and even if the shutdown ends in the near future, Ciruzzi worries about its long-term impacts on relationships between academic researchers and federal scientists.

“This will definitely substantially impact current and future collaborations with federal scientists, which right now are at a standstill,” Ciruzzi said. “I’m still getting paid ... but I don’t know for how long that will last; I don’t know if that’ll change.”

To view the full story, go to www. dailycardinal.com/section/science.

news dailycardinal.com

Thursday, January 31, 2019

GRAPHIC BY MAGGIE LIU

Chancellor Rebecca Blank and ASM criticized the proposed Title IX changes, saying that the new rules would lack protection for survivors of sexual assault.

Title IX from page 1 es helpful, she noted five areas that needed to be improved in order to provide equitable protective policies and procedures to students. Her concerns focused on the role of campus disciplinary proceedings, appropriate standards of proof, off-campus conduct, informal resolutions and cross-examination processes.

For each, Blank elaborated on her uneasiness in the proposal’s lack of clarity.

She sought a more definitive distinction between student and administration conduct procedures, along with criminal procedures.

lake from page 1 the Gray Jay, a bird native to northern Wisconsin, whose population is decreasing due to warmer spring temperatures spoiling their stored food from winter.

She also discussed the importance of making climate change a non-partisan issue.

This winter, Lake Mendota had one of its latest freezes in 160 years.

“We’re trying to improve the dialogue… people might not talk about it in terms of climate,” Huston said.

“We’re working on energy and climate change solutions, rather than arguing about things.”

course from page 1 national fatal shootings.

However, he said the organization tries to combat concerns by providing information and demonstratons of safe ways to handle guns. “[The Badger Hunting Club] makes sure there is no potential for risk during this course,” Steward said. “We are teaching safe handling and knowledge about firearms and hunting, and we believe that will promote a safe environment when it comes to firearms.”

In addition to learning how to use a firearm, the course will teach students the proper steps to take after shooting an animal, which includes how to care for that animal.

According to Steward, a common stereotype of hunters is that they don’t care for animals or the environment. But he says the reality is that

She said she believes universities should have the flexibility to choose between the standards of “preponderance of the evidence” and “clear and convincing evidence” exclusively for Title IX cases.

Nearly 80 percent of students live off-campus and more than 2,000 students study abroad each year. These students would be dismissed under the new Title XI procedures since they occur outside an institutional program or activity.

However, the UW System committed to a student non-academic misconduct code that applies to sexual harassment and sexual violence that does not occur on campus.

The organization assists farmers across the state with conservation efforts that capture and reduce carbon in the atmosphere by planting cover crops and restoring grasslands.

She suggested drawing connections between climate change and common Wisconsin pastimes that will be affected — like ice fishing, birdwatching, hunting and snowshoeing — to show people how the impacts are local.

Huston also stressed the importance of using young people and students voices to lead the discussion about climate change, encouraging them to notify local elected leaders to address these issues.

For now, students can expect classes to resume and a significant rise in temperature this weekend – highlighting the extreme polarity of this winter. many hunters have a deep passion for wildlife. He said the North American wildlife conservation model is benefited by hunters because it is heavily dependent on funds generated through hunting licenses.

“Hunting allows people to become active participants in nature, rather than observers,” Steward said. “When there’s less hunters going out every year, that is less funds generated for wildlife conservation.”

While the course is intended to serve members of the organization who plan to obtain a hunter’s license, Steward said the course could be beneficial for all students who wish to learn how to safely handle a firearm.

“We try to expose UW-Madison students to the importance and benefits of hunting as well as educating and creating new hunters,” he said.

In moments when a complainant wishes to not be identified, the university said they would be granted that request. The informal resolution’s lack of fact-finding and little impact on the respondents should ensure that addressing complaints of sexual misconduct can continue without the necessity of additional items.

Blank acknowledged the importance of allowing public input, stating that it “ultimately will result in better public policy.” Although ASM legislative affairs chair Laura Downer was surprised, she was happy Blank decided to share her thoughts on behalf of the university.

“She hit on a lot of the similar things that the students were also concerned about,” Downer said. “I really appreciate what she did.”

Last week, she and ASM chair Billy Welsh shared their lack of trust in changes that “would create additional obstacles in an already fraught process.” They also demanded student action, calling their participation and input “vital” to the campus community.

The ASM members took the opportunity to craft their own letter in response, which each member signed. They documented similar concerns to Blank in their letter, stating that the “changes to the Title IX

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rules serve only to restrict the rights of students.”

They included the fact that campus officials, like house fellows and athletic coaches, are unable to submit an official report.

They also noted the use of language like “severe,” “pervasive” and “objectively offensive” could confuse victims when deciding if their experience meets the requirements for sexual harassment and sexual violence and could “dissuade [them from] reporting altogether.”

Welsh said the importance of highlighting marginalized communities throughout campus that reported higher sexual assault rates than the ‘one in four’ statistic, like LGBTQ+, native and disabled students.

“ASM leaders share many of the same concerns as her, and want to create a campus environment where students feel safe and survivors feel supported,” Welsh said. “Unfortunately, this proposal does the opposite by [creating] more barriers and confusion for individuals who are in the midst of trauma.”

Throughout the past two months organizations across campus — Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment, Men Against Sexual Assault and the Teaching Assistants’ Association — held events at which students could write their responses to the proposed changes.

“I hope that Chancellor Blank’s letter is symbolic of future efforts to create a safe environment for our campus community,” ASM press director Morgan Grunow said.

In City of Madison, low temps create warm climate for crimes

By Will Husted ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Historically cold weather this week has created some headaches for local law enforcement officials in Madison.

While crime has been low, according to public information officer Joel DeSpain, the cold temperatures have made their way into various incidents this week.

Part of the reason for the lack of crime has been the closure of both malls in Madison. There are simply fewer opportunities to commit crime, DeSpain said.

However, as students awaited the news of a campus shutdown Tuesday, WiscAlerts began popping in about a robbery on 520 South Park St. Christian C. Killian’s suspected robbery of a local Pizza Hut launched a multiple-hour search for the suspect, which was further complicated by the sub-zero temperatures.

DeSpain said Madison police’s concern included, “our law enforcement partners in terms of their exposure. We were pulling people from the perimeter and replacing them with others so that they could get a chance to warm up.”

Madison Metro buses were brought around the perimeter of the search in order to warm up the officers on the frontlines according to the City of Madison website.

DeSpain also noted concern over the suspect’s well-being during the search.

“[Killian] was not dressed in a way you were going to survive a lengthy period of time in the wind chills that we had yesterday,” DeSpain said.

Additionally, the suspect broke through the ice of the Marshy UW Arboretum in his attempted escape, exposing him to the water below, causing further concern for his health, according to DeSpain.

Killian was taken to an area hospital for weather-related injuries after his arrest where he remains as he recovers for the immediate future.

DeSpain noted additional issues with the cold internally at the Madison police department, saying one of their primary concerns remains “being able to keep everyone up and responsive to calls.

We’ve had some inside baseball type issues of city gas pumps not working very well and squad cars being fueled up.”

Cold weather crimes also have taken the form of a string of car thefts in Madison.

Various Madison residents warming their cars to help alleviate some of the weather’s impact have found their vehicles stolen earlier this week.

Two juveniles are suspected of stealing a car in Fitchburg.

Officers located the vehicle near the reported theft site. Upon pulling the car over, the vehicle slid into a snowbank. Both juveniles have been taken to the Juvenile Reception Center.

“We have mostly younger kids stealing these cars so that continues to be an issue even in this cold snap,” DeSpain said.

As campus and businesses begin to make their way out of the freeze this week, local law enforcement along with others will have to deal with fewer complications from the severe cold.

THOMAS YONASH/THE DAILY CARDINAL

While temperatures reached below-zero, police dealt with a Pizza Hut robbery.

arts

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dailycardinal.com

Noname stuns Madison community

By Sammy Gibbons EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Eventually, I wonder, if rapper Noname will change her stage name to just Name, something that hints at the name she’s made for herself in the last few years of her career.

I’ve watched her grow as I have during my college years — three years back she performed a subdued, brief set as part of High Noon’s FRZN Fest, buried in a lineup. She’s played Madison several times between then and now, always bringing similar setlists featuring tracks from her debut full-length “Telefone.” Saturday, though, she ruled The Sylvee’s stage, confidence radiating through her as she danced under elaborate lighting.

She performed riding a career maturity boost — the release of her second album, “Room 25.

“The title pulsed on a neon sign hanging behind her mindblowing band. Back when she played High Noon on a small, dark stage, she maintained a quiet presence, not letting pizazz seep into showcasing her works.

But this show honored Room 25 and her growth — she seemed to be saying “I made this and I’m proud,” feelings that showed as she grinned and joked with the packed crowd.

Her latest show was more musically sophisticated than

any performance I’d seen of hers. Jazzy piano boldly led music behind her lyrics. Her three backup vocalists replaced impressive features, like Ravyn Lenae and Saba, who appear on the record, almost distracting from the main act with their incredible harmonies. Her smooth, dreamy rap fused R&B, hip-hop and jazz into a bouncier tracklist, keeping her trademark sound but twisted into danceable tracks.

Noname sang of growing up even, in a way, reciting tunes about having sex for the first time well into her 20s and learning what she’d missed. Lyrics touched on experiences of being black in America, like “Prayer Song.” Noname’s most impressive skill is exploring delicate topics in her words through bops, songs that keep the crowd swaying but engaged in the message. She hid in the stage’s shadows throughout the show, only her jamming figure noticeable, so the focus was drawn to her art.

This is one thing that’s been consistent for Noname’s shows: a dislike of the stage, apparently. Her sets often run short, formerly because she only had a dozen songs to share. In the several shows I’ve been to, she gives the audience what they came for — her music — and not much else, running through songs without talk breaks, like

we all have headphones in and are listening to the album itself.

This show wasn’t different; the audience was cleared out about an hour after she started. She kindly re-appeared with a beautiful encore of “Shadow Man,” a favorite track off “Telefone” featuring layered, infectious vocals, but I still craved more from her.

Noname’s authenticity stands out every time she

appears in front of crowds. She walks around the stage reciting her songs like she’s talking, a natural conversation flowing through her and touching each audience member. She flashes her blinding smile frequently and dances excitedly like it’s the first time she’s performing a song every time. In a time of turmoil, which she often somberly writes about, she boasts

triumph and self-love that infects all present.

The rapper is on an upward trek, dropping singles and appearing on several music festival lineups. It seems like nothing will slow her down, fingers crossed. From someone who’s seen her a dozen times, I still can’t get enough of her and can only hope I get to write another glowing review.

IMAGE COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Rapper Noname rocked The Sylvee with her bopping tunes that showcased her raw talent.

Cardinal Monthly Pick: ‘The Death and Life of the Great Lakes’

By Madeline Peterson LITERATURE COLUMNIST

For most Midwesterners, the Great Lakes frequently serve as a backdrop for outdoor adventure — frigid, clear and impossibly vast, this freshwater system is a central source for recreation, commerce and much more. Individuals and businesses across the continent depend on these lakes, and in the past century, this dependency has been reflected in a changing ecology that is taking place on a level that many Americans remain unaware of.

UW-Madison’s 2018-’19 Go Big Read pick “The Death and Life of the Great Lakes” by Dan Egan is a fastidious examination of these changes. Egan’s book traces the natural development and human impact on these crucial bodies of water from earliest history to the alarming present.

In addition to being a reporter for the Milwaukee JournalSentinel, Egan is also a senior water policy fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and his expertise shows. This book manages to be abundantly factual without sacrificing its narrative heft, calling attention to an issue that few civilians seem to recognize in an age in which the dire state of the planet’s climate is often overlooked.

At the forefront of the crisis affecting the Great Lakes are invasive species that enter the water systems by means of shipping vessels passing through a canal that links the lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

Egan writes of invasive mussels and lampreys that have leached the

lakes of life-supporting mainstays, causing toxic algal blooms and rampant depletion of the native fish population. Additionally, Egan recounts the human attempts at alteration and control of these destructive forces.

Ultimately, Egan’s book is a red flag, written for policy makers and civilians alike. After describing the threats closing in, such as an increased invasion of much bigger aquatic creatures and the contamination of drinking water for many across the region, Egan asserts that unless water policy changes rapidly, the lake system that holds a staggering 20 percent of the globe’s freshwater runs the risk of transforming into what Egan dubs “North America’s Dead Sea.” He closes the book on a humanistic note, reflecting on his son’s experience catching his first fish in Lake Michigan. It is arguably this final portrait that strikes the most harrowing chord with the reader, reminding us that the lakes are not just a vehicle for shipping transactions or a large patch of blue on a map, they are a foundational component of the places that millions of humans call home.

Regardless of one’s level of fluency surrounding the environment and natural science, all North Americans should become acquainted with this book. Egan’s thorough account sheds muchneeded light on an issue that lurks just below the surface of widespread acknowledgment, an encroaching threat that is all the more shocking because it is undeniably true.

Final Grade: A

opinion dailycardinal.com

Thursday, January 31, 2019 5 l

No-screen policies kill right to privacy CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Campus newspapers provide unique perspectives on issues.

Student journalism is valid, important

By Sammy Gibbons EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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couple weeks ago, an editor from Calvin College in Michigan called me hoping to get my thoughts on student journalists working in this era of media distrust.

We talked about it for several minutes — how our office has taken extra safety measures in the wake of what our government says about news media, how our content falls under extra critical eyes.

I talk about this among my staff and other student journalists, but rarely is the subject of how important student journalism is shared outside this circle. Jan. 30 marks Student Press Freedom Day — so let’s talk about this, out in the open, because now is a more important time than ever for us to exist.

For context: Daily Cardinal staffers spend dozens of hours in the office laying out pages, editing stories, creating graphics, balancing our budget and much more. This happens between full class schedules, part-time jobs, involvement in other student organizations — and everyone is unpaid. I can confidently say there’s few student groups more dedicated to their purpose than a university newspaper staff.

We are wholeheartedly committed to what we do.

We provide information to our niche UW-Madison community about subjects other publications overlook, and prioritize matters relevant to students and faculty. We take national topics and tell them from an angle that helps students understand them and how it affects us. Campuses are different worlds filled with unique people and experiences, and we’re immersed in it. We have access to groups and information, and the ability to focus critical eyes on university issues, that are just a straw in a pile for major publications. UW-Madison needs us to hold our administration accountable.

Luckily, we have two papers on campus that do just that.

The Badger Herald and the Cardinal are independent from UW-Madison, which prevents us from being filtered by administration, keeping us unafraid of telling campusrelated stories that need to be shared. If student journalism was not needed, we wouldn’t be a campus with two impressive, competitive newspapers.

Just as important as infor-

mation we put out to our community is the platform we offer students. We provide space for their voices, whether that be writing poetry for our almanac section or sharing thoughts on an issue through an op-ed.

We pride ourselves on being a learning institution — we welcome and encourage students who have never held a camera or written a concert review to try these things and more. We function like a professional newspaper and maintain professional quality in our work, but it takes a team to get there. We foster a collaborative learning environment in which peers work together to craft content for our publication, allowing us hands-on learning without a grade or salary looming over us.

Being a student publication gives us flexibility to play.

Even moreso, independence from the university allows us to do that. We can publish our monthly sex column, or start new collaborations, or write opinions about UW-Madison without issue. We’re fed new ideas and skills each day in classes and beyond, particularly ever-changing ways we can tell stories and evolve along with news media. We have staffers from various majors, contributors with multiple talents and interests, and we’re able to let them freely practice creativity.

Without independent student press, university administrators would not be held accountable. Student voices would be stifled, and aspiring journalists or ad salespeople or designers would not have access to hands-on, peer-topeer learning outside the classroom. The campus community would only receive information through one-sided mouthpieces and not be able to explore other sides of an issue, or have as deep of a local into our local culture.

The Daily Cardinal has been a crucial part of UW-Madison for 127 years, and we, along with other student publications, aren’t going anywhere. As college students in the political climate where the media is painted as the enemy, we’re needed to keep our small communities informed and held accountable and then dive fully prepared and do this essential work in the world beyond.

Sammy is a senior studying journalism. What impact do you think student journalism has on campus? Let us know at opinion@dailycardinal.com.

By Izzy Boudnik OPINION EDITOR

S

yllabus week — the best time of the semester for many students who welcome the opportunity to zone out in lecture, skip discussion and go out without any next-day consequences.

Oftentimes, professors repeat the same policies we’ve heard before. No, I don’t know yet if the final will be cumulative. No, you cannot use your laptop in this class.

For most students, a “noscreen” policy is simply a minor inconvenience. Taking notes by hand is cumbersome and practically antiquated compared to taking notes on a laptop. Many professors try to offset annoyance about such rules with empirical evidence, especially since this is a research university.

For example, I’ve been told to read the same Scientific American article for at least two of my classes, which explains the data behind the claim that students who take notes on a laptop have lower comprehension of class material than those who take notes by hand.

I get it. It’s funny to make memes about the ridiculous freshmen who sit in the front row of the lecture hall and noisily tap away at their Macbooks the second the professor starts talking, even on syllabus day.

This contributes to a strong case for a laptop = free classroom.

In addition, much of the research centers on the fact that laptop users type what the lecturer says verbatim. Since typing is so much quicker than handwriting, students use that to their advantage to try and document as much information as possible. On the other hand, students who handwrite notes are forced to hastily digest and summarize the information since they cannot record it all.

This leads to higher learning outcomes, since students immediately create their own memorization pathways.

I don’t disagree with the research, which speaks for itself.

I do, however, disagree with the way it is often applied in college classrooms.

I choose to believe that professors have the best intentions in mind when they choose to implement no-screen policies. However, when doing so, they forget that some students depend on technology to be successful in their class.

According to the McBurney Disability Resource Center, there were 2,220 students with documented disabilities enrolled at UW-Madison in 2017-’18. Listed disabilities include students on the autism spectrum, students with learning disabilities, those that are Deaf/Hard of Hearing, as well as several other categories.

These students do not enjoy

using laptops in class because it allows them to text their friends while the professor is talking.

Instead, they depend on technology for academic success.

In the same breath that many professors give their take on the use of technology in the classroom, most of them also take the opportunity to read UW-Madison’s institutional statements on diversity and equal opportunity for students with disabilities. When we talk about diversity, we often focus on the categories of race, gender and sexuality, forgetting that diversity of ability is important, too.

I have never met a professor who refused to let a student with documented McBurney accommodations, like myself, use technology in the classroom because of a no-screen policy, probably because that would be a violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. But it seems like many of them don’t realize that no-screen policies create a hostile environment for their students that require the use of laptops and other technologies in class.

For one, when a student takes notes on a laptop in a class that doesn’t allow them, they immediately stick out like a sore thumb. To their peers, not only does this immediately identify them as someone who receives McBurney services, it also makes them seem like someone who directly refutes the researched claims the professor has given for their technology policy.

McBurney students should not have to sacrifice their right to confidentiality in order to be successful in college courses, which they are almost certainly required to do when they are one of the few laptop users in a large lecture.

To other students, this might not seem like a big issue.

But lack of privacy is not the price “disabled” people pay to be treated equally in the classroom — indeed, since the Americans With Disabilities Act is federal law, this is something students are entitled to without penalty.

An example of the need for confidentiality is my hesitation to use the umbrella term of “disabled students” in this article to apply to all students who receive McBurney services because not everyone identifies with the term.

It also carries a stigma that is seldom more than mentioned in diversity and inclusion efforts. It is absolutely no one’s business but the students’ and the professors’ as to who receives accomodations and why. However, this information is involuntarily made public when a student takes notes using technology in a noscreens class.

Some professors offer

McBurney’s note-taking service as a way to rectify this issue.

Students are assigned a notetaker for the class and are able to access those notes after class, in the hope that the note-taker will be able to take notes more thoroughly or neatly than the student receiving accommodations might. I recognize this service as incredibly useful for students with chronic illnesses or other health issues, who might not be able to make it to every class.

However, every student knows that each person has a note-taking style that is unique to them. Students are encouraged to work with the McBurney Center to communicate with their note-taker if the notes they are given are not up to par, but such feedback only goes so far.

For a science class, for example, it might be okay for students to receive verbatim notes, because the information is fairly straightforward.

But for a humanities class, students may want to add personal notes or things they find interesting, and taking the time to do this in class can put a student that takes notes slower than average even more behind.

I think this should be relatable for students even without any challenges that make taking notes difficult — it is a pretty common experience to be in the middle of a sentence when the professor decides to change the slides, and now that sentence is incomplete forever.

Let me also add that oftentimes taking notes at home from the lecture slides is becoming more and more undoable: Many professors have stopped posting lectures, as it discourages students from coming to class.

Professors may be right when they say that taking notes on a laptop harms a student’s ability to do well in their class, but for some students, it is the only option. Enforcing policies that call them out for this does no good.

We are all adults. Professors should present their case as to why taking handwritten notes is a better choice, and then allow students to make their own choice. The information is important — but the right of all students to feel comfortable in every class moreso. By giving all students the choice to use technology in class, the right to privacy is also protected.

Per federal law, students at public universities are entitled to disability accommodations; no sacrifices necessary. When the next syllabus week rolls around, I hope my professors will be more understanding of how to implement them.

Izzy is a sophomore studying political science. What do you think about no-screen policies?

Please send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

almanac

6 • Thursday, January 31, 2019

dailycardinal.com

Astronomers use the moon cycle to explain Trump’s atrocious behavior

By Haley Bills STAFF WRITER

As the U.S. government shutdown extends and President Donald Trump’s behavior becomes more and more erratic, anyone who isn’t blindly putting their trust into the shady man desperately looks for some sort of hope for the future. Inspired by werewolf mythology, a coalition of astronomers threw all of their knowledge on how the universe works aside, much like U.S. citizens did when thrown into the bizarre climate brought on by Donald Trump’s inauguration, to attempt to explain the recent political phenomena.

The government shutdown, which began on Dec. 22, 2018, has become the longest in U.S. history. Coincidentally, the length of the government shutdown has exceeded one moon cycle, which takes about 29.5 days. Knowing this, the astron-

omers couldn’t ignore the fact that Trump has experienced at least one full moon sometime during the shutdown. Like any good astronomer would know, the moon has a great gravitational effect on water.

And since the human brain contains a high percentage of water, it could very likely be influenced by the moon, especially a full one. Perhaps, they think, this is why Trump has been acting so idiotically.

The idea of a full moon’s effect on the brain inspired the astronomers to reference certain passages from Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series. The astronomers, who unanimously identify with “Team Edward,” found some uncanny similarities between the president and the “Children of the Moon” that Meyer describes in her books: Like the werewolves in Twilight, Trump seems to have lost human consciousness as he insists on spending billions of

dollars on a wall that will stop illegal immigrants from crossing the border. Further, like typical werewolf behavior, they couldn’t help but notice that Trump has been acting feral, rather than rational, while he continues to conceal the details of his meeting with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

In order to better understand Trump’s unpredictable behavior, one of the more inspired astronomers explain that their “research lab is always stocked with massive amounts of fast food (I paid), including impressive stacks of Filet-O-Fish and McChicken.” Another astronomer exclaimed that, “the smell of the aging food actually symbolizes the souring of the United States government!”

Though the astronomers continue to find surprising evidence, the growing stench of rotten fast food has slowed productivity. It was last reported that their research has led to a

IMAGE BY SAM JONES

Astronomers reject that POTUS is a werewolf despite obvious proof.

99 percent chance that Trump’s behavior is actually just due to

his lack of empathy and colossal sense of entitlement.

IMAGES COURTESY OF NOAH LAROIA-NGUYEN

THIS WEEK’S MELANIN SPEAKING SUBMISSION IS FROM NOAH LAROIA-NGUYEN, WHO DISCUSSES LIFE AS A MIXED PERSON VIA POWERFUL PHOTOGRAPHY. READ NOAH’S FULL ARTIST STATEMENT AT DAILYCARDINAL.COM.

“AS A MIXED PERSON IT IS OFTEN EASY TO FEEL AS IF YOU HAVE LOST YOUR AGENCY, YOUR CHOICE, AND YOUR PERSONHOOD. THE LABELS AND NAMES PLACED ONTO YOU CAN FEEL LIKE THEY ARE ERASING THE PERSON UNDERNEATH. A COMMON EXPERIENCE IS THE STRANGE FASCINATION OR DISGUST SOME PEOPLE FIND WITH YOUR APPEARANCE. THE PROLONGED STARES CAN FEEL LIKE A SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATION IN WHICH MY FACE IS BEING DISSECTED FOR THE DELIGHT OF OBSERVERS.”

Oregon raises minimum wage to $3,000 an hour

By Dominic LeRose STAFF WRITER

Standing outside the Oregon State Capitol, Democratic Governor Kate Brown announced that she signed into law a bill that would raise the minimum wage in Oregon to $3,000 an hour.

“It’s time to stand up for the working families of Oregon and those struggling to make ends meet,” the 38th governor of the Beaver State said, followed by an uproar of applause from the audience, many of whom excited about the extra money they would be earning.

“Despite now having the highest minimum wage in

the country, this still may not even be enough to make a living off of. I’m proud of the Oregon Legislative Assembly for taking such bold initiative into assuring that the working people of Oregon can live in dignity and provide for their basic needs,” the governor added. Brown had been pressured until recently to push for a minimum wage increase, and boy oh boy did she pull through.

With lawmakers in states like New Jersey recently voting to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, the Fight For $15 Movement came in awe of Oregon’s initiative.

“This is truly great news,” Kelly Lynne, a spokeswoman for Fight For $15 said in an interview with CNN. “Now we’re going to have to change our name to Fight For $3,000, but we’re glad to see Oregon take such a bold move for workers. It’s time the rest of the country stand up for workers and not just the wealthiest individuals on top,” she further stated.

Likely 2020 Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren chimed in, stating that if she becomes president she would help advocate for a wage as high as $3,000.

“Look, raising the minimum

IMAGE BY SAM JONES

Burger joints scrambled to revise menus after wage changes. wage to $3,000 an hour is the only way that the middle class is going to grow. No one working 40 hours a week should be living in poverty in the 21st

century in America.”

Oregon minimum wage workers were thrilled with the news, now taking pride in serving $400 burgers to their customers.

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.

comics dailycardinal.com

Thursday, January 31, 2019 • 7

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Today’s Sudoku © Puzzles.ca

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

Across

43. ‘’Aunt ___ Cope Book’’ 1. Get it out to go faster 46. Famous Japanese5. Name in old radio American shows 47. Fruity TV executive?

9. Cynically callous 50. Arctic pullover 14. ‘’Do I dare to ___ 53. Brick load, perhaps peach?’’ (T.S. Eliot) 54. Romantic place to sit 15. Bering Sea port 57. Sophia’s homeland 16. Atlanta institution 61. Anabaptist sect 17. Fruity dog?

62. Fruity rockers?

19. King of the long ball 64. Clerical quarters 20. Veteran 65. Shrinking inland sea 21. Raymond Burr role 66. Future attorney’s 23. Continental prefix exam 24. Uses impertinent 67. Three-part treats language 68. Old Bologna bread?

25. Fruity teen burden? 69. Renowned architect 31. Tognazzi or Foscolo Saarinen 32. There’s no accounting for it Down 33. Madrid museum 1. Block used for small 37. Fabricate structures 39. Fa follower 2. Shakespeare’s Suffolk, 40. Narrow peninsula for one 41. Choice invitees 3. Just ___ (very little)

Winter Mood

4. Nattily attired 5. Principality in the Pyrenees 6. Wingless, extinct bird 7. Prefix for science 8. Carnac the Magnificent, for one 9. ‘’Human Concretion’’ sculptor 10. Billionaires in the making, e.g.

11. Rock’s opposite, often 12. Disappear slowly but surely 13. Force units 18. Cease being dormant 22. Big Ten sch.

25. Fast feline 26. It’s all the same to moi?

27. Golfer Isao 28. Krupp Works city 29. Mom-and-pop enterprise 30. Historic march site

34. Footless creature 35. Fender nick 36. Platte River tribe 38. Strong steam-brewed coffee 42. Condemns as worthless 44. It may be genuine 45. A deadly sin 48. Tiny Tim’s prop 49. Make possible 50. Last stand of 1836 51. Baseball star Garciaparra 52. Like mutton 55. ‘’C’mon, be ___’’ (help me out) 56. ‘’Desperate Housewives’’ star Hatcher 58. Gamble badly 59. 8th month of the Jewish calendar 60. Regarding, in legalese 63. River leading to the Rhine

Feminist Fauna

by Channing Smith

by Liqi Sheng

Winter Fashion

Not Yet Spring

by Maggie Liu

by Hai Van Van

FOR OUR SPRING 2019 RECRUITMENT MEETING Feb. 8 4-5 p.m. in Vilas — room 2195! Be there or be square!

To get in contact with any of our artists, please email us at: graphics@dailycardinal.com

sports 8

•

Thursday, January 31, 2019

dailycardinal.com

Men’s Soccer

Forever forward: Ex-Badger Schneider returns home to sign with Madison club

By Bremen Keasey MEN’S SOCCER BEAT WRITER

When striker Harry Kane scores a goal for his hometown team, Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League, Tottenham fans break into song, singing “Harry Kane! He’s one of our own!”

Every fan of every sports team feels a connection to their players, especially local ones. Badger football fans love players like Tyler Biadasz, who grew up in Wisconsin and starred for their University, but there’s a special connection in soccer.

USL League One’s newest team, Forward Madison FC, is attempting to replicate that bond with a player Madison-area soccer fans will already be familiar with: Madison native and former Badger Carl Schneider.

“I played club [soccer] in Madison in high school, college and even in the summers between college seasons in Madison, so it definitely makes a lot of sense I would usher this team into the city,” Schneider said.

Forward’s inaugural season kicks off on Aug. 6 against Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, and while they’ve signed another Wisconsinite — Milwaukee native JC Banks — Forward Madison managing director Peter Wilt knows that having a Madison native like Schneider in the team goes a long way to making immediate ties between fans and players.

“We want to be an aspirational team for kids growing up here. So

when they see Forward Madison play, they can think to themselves realistically, that could be me someday,” Wilt said.

Schneider, who grew up on the East Side of Madison, signed up for soccer in kindergarten and continued to play since then. In fourth grade, he tried out for the local club team the Madison 56ers, where soccer began to “ramp up.”

In his senior year of high school, Schneider was named Wisconsin State Journal player of the year and to the second team All-State as he helped lead La Follete to their first Big Eight Conference title in 2010 with a perfect 9-0-0 record in conference play.

Schneider received offers from Northern Illinois and UW-Milwaukee after starring in high school, and he felt pretty set on going to UWM, but after he had a “really good camp” during a summer camp at UW-Madison, coach Keith Tiemeyer expressed interest in having him on the team.

“As soon as the Badgers showed interest, I knew that was what I wanted to do over UWM,” Schneider said.

During the Badgers’ remarkable 2013 season, Schneider’s favorite memory was a 4-3 win in their Big Ten home opener against the defending champion Indiana Hoosiers. Wisconsin came back from two goals down twice to win in front of a sold-out McClimon

Soccer Complex.

“We had [about] 2,000 fans there, and everyone ran out onto the field [after the win]. That was special,” Schneider said.

After his Wisconsin career, Schneider traveled to Sweden, where he played for sixth division team IFK Åmål. While it was a pretty smooth transition in terms of culture shock, Schneider was a bit surprised by the lack of intensity.

Most of the players were part-time players, so Schneider had to learn to “push himself.”

His team won the sixth division title handily, earning a promotion into the next tier up, but Schneider didn’t feel pushed. After spending his Wisconsin career hoping head coach John Trask wouldn’t “run the team into the ground, ” the American defender would occasionally run sprints after the games to try and keep his fitness levels up.

After Åmål earned another promotion, Schneider then got word from Madison that Forward Madison was starting to form. IFK Åmål was hoping to keep him, but the pull back to his hometown was too much to turn down.

“I’m just really excited to spread the word about the team,” Schneider said. “It would be pretty cool to talk to locals and be like yup, I went to La Follete, I lived on the East Side.”

Schneider likely won’t be the last former Badger to suit up

BETSY OSTERBERGER/DAILY CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Carl Schneider started 36 games in his last two seasons at Wisconsin, and he’ll get a chance to start many more with the USL’sForward Madison. for Forward Madison, at least if Peter Wilt can help it. Wilt has a close relationship with UW head coach John Trask, and Wilt said there are plans for scrimmages between Forward and the Badgers, along with the possibility that some Badgers will be able to play for Forward’s affiliate team in Green Bay in

the USL League Two, a summer league for college players.

Regardless of who ultimately joins him, Schneider is happy his journey in soccer brought him home back to Madison, and he hopes casual fans enjoy this first season.

“I think it’s gonna be a party,” Schneider said.

Football

2019 recruiting class has Badgers set to do ‘more with more’

By Sebastian Van Bastelaer STAFF WRITER

Since the dawn of the Barry Alvarez era, Wisconsin’s football program has enjoyed success using a tried-and-true formula.

Non-factors in the recruiting races for many top athletes, they have excelled at finding under-theradar players who fit well with their pro-style system.

As a result, for decades now the Badgers have seriously outperformed the team rankings published by the industry’s top sites.

In the 2019 cycle, however, UW has flipped the script. The recruiting season isn’t quite over — though most marquee players signed their letters of intent in December — but at the moment, Badgers boast the 26th-ranked class. While that may seem lackluster for a team that’s challenged for the College Football Playoff in recent years, it’s also the best class Wisconsin has brought in during the online recruiting era.

The most well-known member of the 2019 class is four-star quarterback Graham Mertz. Hailing from Kansas,

the highly touted signal-caller has garnered considerable attention from both national audiences and a Wisconsin fan base that has been starved at the quarterback position since the days of Russell Wilson.

Mertz committed to Wisconsin, one of his first Power 5 offers, then ultimately spurned the advances of blue-chip programs such as Ohio State, Notre Dame, Alabama and others. An MVP performance (including a record five touchdowns) in the U.S. Army All American Bowl in January was the cherry on top of

CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Wisconsin’s 218.19 score in 2019 is the best the Badgers have recorded, nearly 13 points better than the 2014 class.

an already-sweet senior year.

Although Mertz’s quasimessianic reputation precedes him, he is not the highest-ranked player in this class. That honor belongs to Logan Brown, a five-star offensive tackle from Michigan. Ranked in the top 20 players in the nation, Brown also chose the Badgers over a bevy of contenders, including in-state behemoths Michigan and Michigan State. Given Wisconsin’s tradition of producing highly successful offensive linemen, Brown comes to campus with a chance to be an all-time great.

Brown also represents an encouraging trend; the Badgers have continued to recruit well in the state of Michigan over recent year, poaching top players from a more talent-rich area. They pulled two Michiganders in the 2019 cycle, and five in the preceding one. California, where big-name schools reign supreme, has also been a state in which the Badgers have surprisingly thrived of late — outside linebacker Spencer Lytle chose Wisconsin over Clemson and others.

The Badgers haven’t totally forsaken their identity, however, and have secured the commitments of the state’s top players. Running back Julius Davis is the top-rated player in the state, according to 247Sports’ composite rating. Davis, who hails from Menomonee Falls, made national headlines with a

touchdown run for the ages during the 2017 season. 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year Leo Chenal joins Davis in the 2019 class.

A physically imposing player who played all over the field, Chenal assembled a ridiculous statline in his senior season, with over 2000 rushing yards, 200 receiving yards and 47 total touchdowns — all while adding 120 tackles on the other side of the ball for good measure. His older brother John just joined the Badgers last year. The 2019 class is pocked with other in-state kids, both on scholarship and in the walk-on program.

True to form, however, the Badgers continue to do what they do best on the recruiting trail: In-state players comprise five of their six recruits in the 2020 class thus far.

Three of those five are offensive linemen — a fact that should come as a surprise to nobody.

It remains to see if the recruiting momentum will carry into subsequent classes or if the 2019 cycle was an anomaly. If results so far are any indication, there is reason to believe the success will continue. Their 2020 class is currently ranked seventh in the country; while it’s likely this will drop off, the performance thus far has been an encouraging sign for a program that has often made the most with less.