University of Wisconsin-Madison
30 Acts of Kindness
Since 1892 dailycardinal.com
Thursday, September 26, 2019
l
PLASTIC ENGTANGLEMENT REVIEW
+L&S page 3
+ARTS page 6
Global Climate Strike
WILL CIOCI/THE DAILY CARDINAL
“Laws are going to be the way we change this because people don’t change on their own,” said Jared Schumaker, Chair of the Madison chapter of the Climate Reality Project.
City determines next steps after strike By Allison Garfield CITY NEWS EDITOR
Thousands of people showed up to Madison’s climate strike last Friday to support various local organizations that hosted
the protest. Though, one question lingers on many local activists’ minds: What next? Protest leaders demanded local county and city govern-
RETRACTION An illustration and caption on the front page of The Daily Cardinal’s Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019, edition did not meet the publication’s editorial standards and are being retracted. Digital versions have been removed from our website. The graphics accompanied a story highlighting ways in which students can protect
themselves from fraudulent spam emails. The illustration depicted student frustration with a high volume of unsolicited commercial emails and the caption questioned the motivations of businesses sending the emails. The Daily Cardinal regrets the error.
ments declare climate emergencies and put in place comprehensive policies to combat the climate crisis. One organization involved in the strike, NextGen Wisconsin, took the energy from students and the public and redirected it toward the polls. They spoke to hundreds of students, said State Director Hannah Marcus — and even got 120 people registered to vote. “Madison itself has seen climate change-related events in the past couple of years,” Marcus said, referencing the city’s severe flooding last year and environmental consequences of Madison Gas and Electric’s power plant fire. “It’s a safety concern for the commu-
nity of Madison and the community of the world.” Marcus said the Madison chapter of NextGen has yet to work with city officials, but they do “support organizations that put pressure on local government to set standards.” Jared Schumacher, Chair of the Madison chapter of the Climate Reality Project, noted several obstacles in planning and implementing the strike: lack of communication between organizations, difficulty finding funding from local businesses and — mainly — how to make the momentum from the strike last. Schumacher discussed it with the Youth Climate Action Team, a youth-run organization
who took the lead in planning the Madison climate strike. “There’s no one good answer and there’s no one overarching answer,” Schumacher said. “I think that’s what we need. This shouldn’t be the last strike because this isn’t something that’s going to be solved in six months and this isn’t something that’s going to be solved by the U.N. climate summit going on now.” Schumacher noted some difficult financial aspects to the strike, mainly that organizations want to get as many donations as possible due to already tight budgets, he also said many were willing to chip in. For example, Salvatore’s
reaction page 5
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
photos
2 • Thursday, September 26, 2019
An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892
dailycardinal.com
Snapper’s Row: A week in photos
Volume 129, Issue 6
2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100
News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor-in-Chief Robyn Cawley
Managing Editor Erin Jordan
News Team Campus Editor Defang Zhang College Editor Dana Brandt City Editor State Editor Jessica Lipaz Associate News Editor Will Husted Features Editor Sonya Chechik Opinion Editors Kavitha Babu • Sam Jones Arts Editors John Everman • Lauren Souza Sports Editors Nathan Denzin • Jared Schwartz Almanac Editors Haley Bills • Jordan Simon Photo Editors Kalli Anderson • Will Cioci Graphics Editor Max Homstad Multimedia Editor Ethan Huskey Science Editor Alberto Kanost Life & Style Editor Colleen Muraca Copy Chiefs Emily Johnson • Haley Mades Social Media Managers Miriam Jaber • Zoe Klein Special Pages Kayla Huynh • Justine Spore
Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Managers Ignatius D. Devkalis • Kyven Lee Advertising Manager Nick Dotson 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 Cardinalʼs 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.
WILL CIOCI/ THE DAILY CARDINAL
Boy smiles in front of the cameras after his immigrant father becomes an official U.S. citizen following a citizenship ceremony at the Madison courthouse Monday, Sept. 23.
WILL CIOCI/ THE DAILY CARDINAL
A.J. Taylor greets a child after Wisconsin football beat Michigan at home on Saturday afternoon.
WILL CIOCI/ THE DAILY CARDINAL
A cow’s herd moves around her as she stills for the camera while enjoying a beautiful summer day near Bellville, Wis.
“The hardest part would probably be dealing with my mom. Because my mom had a really rough time with accepting it. Like, the fact that her kid is sick and she can’t make her better. It wasn’t even the daily shots or having to wear appliances and stuff like that that was the worse; it was seeing my mom so utterly heartbroken that she couldn’t fix [my diabetes].” This is the first interview in “Humans of Madison,” a new series by The Daily Cardinal.
KALLI ANDERSON /THE DAILY CARDINAL
KALLI ANDERSON /THE DAILY CARDINAL
Editorial Board Robyn Cawley • Erin Jordan • Kavitha Babu • Sam Jones
After the Student Org Fair, clubs such as Feed the Change scheduled meetings to welcome new members to the community and provide updates about upcoming events.
WILL CIOCI/ THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Center for Journalism Ethics and Perkins Coie co-sponsored “On the Border and Beyond,” an ethics and immigration reporting panel held on Wednesday night at the Overture Center.
Board of Directors Herman Baumann, President Jennifer Sereno • Don Miner • Scott Girard • Nancy Sandy • Barry Adams • Josh Klemons • Barbara Arnold • Robyn Cawley • Erin Jordan • Ignatius D. Devkalis • Nick Dotson
© 2015, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398
For the record Call The Daily Cardinal or send an email to
edit@dailycardinal.com.
WILL CIOCI/ THE DAILY CARDINAL
WILL CIOCI/ THE DAILY CARDINAL
Members of the UW Marching Band dance on the field of Camp Randall during the 5th quarter after the Wisconsin-Michigan game on Saturday afternoon to celebrate the team’s victory.
People on the pier at Lake Mendota enjoy the last of the mild summer temperatures and bask in the sunshine on Sept. 15.
life & style
dailycardinal.com Thursday, September 26, 2019 • 3
Thirty acts of kindness that you should start implementing now By Cara Suplee STAFF WRITER
The The beginning of the school year is often accompanied by caffeine-induced crankiness or homework-overload headaches. It can feel like there’s no time to slow down and it’s every person for themselves. The only issue with this is that when we
are trying to exist in this survival mode, we forget that everyone else is right alongside us, trying to do the same. I work at a coffee shop, and every once in a while someone comes in and offers to pay for the stranger in line behind them. There is nothing quite like witnessing a stranger’s smile when their cup of coffee becomes a gift rather than a purchase.
GRAPHIC BY MAX HOMSTAD
An act of kindness can start a ripple effect — so go ahead and make someone’s day.
Gameday looks for any style, at any price, for any Badger fan By Kisa Sow STAFF WRITER
On any game day in Madison, expect the city to be flooded in a sea of red. As soon as you step out any door, you’ll be struck with insurmountable energy and spirit. These days require great stamina and energy: two things that would be hard to accomplish without the right preparation. We can all agree that game days are as much about outfits as they are about football or the actual game. Your day will instantly be better if you feel like your best self. When trying to be fashion forward, look back Some of my favorite game day looks include vintage apparel. These are easiest to find at thrift stores like St. Vincent De Paul, Dig & Save Outlet and Ragstock; all places that have one-of-a-kind apparel at great prices. Online sites like Etsy, Poshmark and Depop also have inexpensive and unique Wisconsin apparel that ship fast and are easy to buy. Since all of these places also give you the option to exchange your clothes, one way to save money can be by exchanging one game day outfit for another. Where spirit is born: State Street If you’re up for the adventure, take a walk down State Street (before game day if you want to survive). The best part about State Street is that you can easily make this shopping spree fun; stop at different restaurants to grab a quick bite and recharge when trying to find your look. Some of my favorite stores on campus
There’s so much beauty in the fact that these small acts of kindness can change the trajectory of someone’s day. This is why I gathered a list of simple acts of kindness that you can do to start living more thoughtfully and graciously. 1. Donate last year’s clothes. 2. Buy some candy or your friend’s favorite coffee order if they’re having a rough day. 3. Write thank-you notes to your professors/advisors/TAs 4. Make a sandwich or buy a coffee for someone less fortunate. 5. Tip generously. 6. Send a positive text message to three people right now. 7. Hold the door for someone. 8. Send someone flowers for no particular reason. 9. Compliment someone about something other than appearance. 10. Tell your friends and family why you love them. 11. Ask people how they are, and listen. 12. Say thank you more. 13. Pick up litter. (Mother Earth can use some acts of kindness too!) 14. Volunteer or donate to a non-profit that you are passionate about. 15. Tell the manager at a restaurant how good your waiter/waitress was. 16. Donate old books. 17. Make your roommate’s bed as a nice surprise for when they get home.
18. Write a positive comment or endorse someone on LinkedIn. 19. Try to make every person in a group conversation feel included. 20. Treat yourself to a nice dinner (can’t forget about self-kindness!) 21. Make a de-stress goodie bag for your friends during finals. 22. Learn the names of security guards, janitorial staff, library clerks and people you regularly see but don’t know personally. 23. Purchase extra dog or cat food and bring it to a shelter. 24. Write thank-you notes to your local police department, fire department, mailmen, librarians and others working important community jobs. 25. Run an errand for a family member or friend who is busy. 26. Put your phone away when you’re with company. 27. Email a former teacher who had an impact on your life. 28. Say “good morning” to the person standing next to you in the elevator. 29. Put a coin in an expired meter. 30. Deliver cookies to a friend. Small acts of kindness may seem insignificant in the moment, but the chain reaction that you can set off by making someone smile is immeasurable. So, go put some positive energy out in the world and it will find its way back to you.
How to start becoming an adult ASAP By Katie Arneson STAFF WRITER
Let’s Let’s face it — the time to become a grown-up is rapidly approaching. We need to take baby steps to prepare for the madness that comes along with full adulthood. While I’m no expert, I’m going to give some easy tips on how to gear up for life as an adult, and we can go through this change together. #1 Keep your space clean. I know I sound like your mother right now, but it seriously improves your mood and productivity so much if you keep your bedroom clean. Even doing something as simple as making your bed in the morning can make a sluggish day seem far more productive. Another tip to keep your space clean is to minimize the clutter. I promise you that you don’t need all of those flyers from the student org fair. Getting rid of the random pieces of paper and overall clutter will not only make your room feel bigger but it will also make you feel a weight was lifted off your shoulders. include the University Bookstore (bonus: they accept Wiscard) and Underground Printing for when I’m feeling creative. Go bold or go home If you’re looking for a trendy outfit that will also serve as a great conversation starter, check out these instagram accounts: @recessapparel_, @nextfour_ apparelandmore, @dressedbyjord, @ lojobands and @tailgatetailor. Get inspiration from others and put your own twist on the look. Don’t be afraid to get creative with paint, sharpies, a sewing kit or scissors. When you’re shopping, remember to keep an open mind, be creative and have fun! Feeling comfortable and confident is key to making your gameday the best it can be. Now go out, find your look and celebrate another Badger win!
My final tip to keep your space clean is to take out that trash, wipe down your bedside table and remember that you’re a boss who CAN conquer today. Regularly making sure your space is clean and neat will help you avoid future catastrophic breakdowns from an overly-messy room. #2 Have those uncomfortable grown up conversations. Nobody wants to tell their roommates that they seriously need to take out the trash. Let’s face it, we all know that it’s not a one-person job permanently assigned to you. Part of adulting is having conversations that make you feel like you want to bury yourself under your covers. Just think of how much better you’ll feel after your roommate agrees that they should be taking the trash out more, that your TA was grading unfairly or when your mom admits that she did forget to add textbook money on your card. None of these things can happen unless you buckle up and have that hard conversation! A lot of times,
miscommunication is part of the problem. Now is the chance to grow up and be honest when something is bothering you or you feel taken advantage of. #3 Never apologize for who you are. SO CLICHÉ, I know. However, the day you wake up and realize that you are that klutz and never apologize for tripping up the stairs is the day that you’ve officially made it to adulting. The day I told myself that I wasn’t going to let people walk all over me anymore was the day I became confident in myself. I’m not saying that becoming more confident will pay the bills, but I am saying that confidence will remind you that you’re capable of paying those bills, even if you just spent $40 on Amazon on a gameday outfit. Get up every morning and remember that you’re a winner, you’ve earned that chicken dinner and, to be honest, you deserve that extra slice of cheesecake too. In order to adult, it doesn’t mean you have it all together, it means that you are trying your best. Do your best to avoid self-doubt, it will all work out in the end.
WILL CIOCI/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Thrift it, borrow it, buy it or donate it — as long as it’s Wisconsin red, it will do.
news Madison community partakes in Global Climate Strike 4 • Thursday, September 26, 2019
Students emphasize their future in fight for climate justice pushing Madison Gas and Electric, Evers for urgent action By Morgan Lock SENIOR STAFF WRITER
WILL CIOCI/THE DAILY CARDINAL
UW-Madison students stepped up their effort in the youth-led climate strike on Friday attempting to enact change.
Many students throughout UW-Madison joined the Youth Climate Strike in Madison at the Ccapitol Friday afternoon justice in Wisconsin and around the world. The main goal of the climate strike was to urge Gov. Tony Evers to declare a climate emergency for Wisconsin, push for Madison Gas and Electric to become 100 percent renewable by 2030 and educate the community on climate justice. “We don’t really have a choice but to fight for our future, we’ve been forced to do this,” said Sophie Guthier, executive director of the Youth Climate Action Team and UW-Madison freshman. According to Guthier, MG&E made a lot of false promises about their efforts to reduce non-renewable energy sources — the strike focused on their role in local climate change. “The purpose of the strike was amplifying that combating climate change and supporting climate justice is
important,” UW freshman Eva Haubrich said. Haubrich elaborated on how the individual push to stop single-use plastic or reduce animal agriculture is a form of climate injustice since it is not economically feasible for many communities. YCAT takes climate injustices facing people of color as integral to their advocacy. “Climate change affects indigenous people and marginalized groups more than it affects privileged white people, and a lot of times it isn’t emphasized or even talked about,” said Haubrich. A plethora of youth activists spoke at the strike, emphasizing climate justice and educating the masses on the political and economic side of climate activism. “I think it [the strike] was successful, but I wouldn’t say that we accomplished everything that we wanted to,” Guthier said. “I still haven’t heard from Tony Evers about declaring a climate emergency and we still are having push back from MG&E.”
People’s Climate Emergency Office in Capitol generates energy for discourse on community sustainability, local government to provide necessary change By Jessica Lipaz STATE NEWS EDITOR
Despite Wisconsin having a significantly more environmentally conscious governor in Tony Evers than his predecessor, organizers at the Global Climate Strike in Madison called for more dramatic action from the executive office during Friday’s march. Throughout his campaign and during his first few addresses, Evers committed to pursuing 100 percent renewable energy use across Wisconsin by 2050. At the time, this was widely applauded by conservation voters and environmental organizations who acknowledged the efforts for a more sustainable future. However, new goals and higher sustainability standards
were set during the strike as marchers pushed Evers to plan for these changes to be made by 2030, and demanded he call for a state of climate emergency. “It’s very possible that we could see mass extinction leading to our own extinction, and I am fearful what kind of world we are leaving to today’s generation all because we are so bent on continuing to live as we’ve been living,” said Timothy Cordon, environmental activist and current social justice coordinator at First Unitarian Society of Madison. “I think shooting for 2030 is super ambitious but it is more in line with making this more doable for your generation and the generations to come.” Cordon has spent the last few months working to find a wel-
JACOB SCHELLPFEFFER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Along with the Youth Climate Action Team, community members join to call on legislators for climate action.
WILL CIOCI/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Organizers at the Global Climate Strike in Madison demand Gov. Tony Evers to prepare for reaching 100 percent statewide renewable energy by 2050.
coming space for sustainability conversations to take place in order to see these demands become a reality. With the help of Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, Cordon and fellow mobilizers found a place to further engage with community members at the state Capitol this week following the strike. Alongside the Youth Climate Action Team and other nonprofit organizations like the Sierra Club, the People’s Climate Emergency Office is open to the public, 9 a.m. to 6
p.m. from Sept. 23 to Sept. 27 in room 300NE. “I believe we should all be focused on how we can empower young people to make change, so I hope they use this space to organize and strategize on how to remedy the climate crisis we are facing,” Taylor said. “Our youth know a crisis when they see one. They are fighting for their future and we desperately need to follow their lead.” Cordon said that having access to the office is just the beginning of sharing ideas and
information to help the community move forward in their efforts to stop feedback loops causing what he calls “our current state of planetary hospice.” “I think that we just need to wake each other up, and that is the process we are in right now,” Cordon said. “The action that comes out of it is going to have to be dramatic legislation that transitions us from a car culture to a mass transit culture … solar power, wind power and putting our resources that direction as though our lives depend on it.”
WILL CIOCI/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Protest leaders demanded local governments put climate policies in place. reaction from page 1 Tomato Pies provided one hundred 16-inch pies with a $500 discount. Marcus stated that YCAT has a very clear next step. “They want Governor Tony Evers to declare a climate emergency for the state of Wisconsin and we are going to support them in their efforts to push back.” Ald. Syed Abbas, District 12, serves on the Sustainable Madison Committee and thought the protest was “phenomenal.” “It’s an environmental emergency,” Abbas said. “The strike was a great message for those policymakers and for other stakeholders to see [how] people are suffering and how this humanity can help policy. We all need to work together to achieve this goal.” The Sustainable Committee has worked over the past 10 years in several areas to reduce Madison’s carbon emissions. Abbas mentioned specifically the committee’s work on building code environmental impact, a plastic ordinance that would raise awareness of the product’s harm and targeting other singleuse plastics. The committee is also working on an ordinance that would provide more electric vehicle charging stations in city infrastructure to — hopefully and eventually — reach zero tailpipe emissions. “The committee is absolutely committed to addressing the climate goal: Zero carbon footprint for the city of Madison by 2030 and reaching that same goal for Dane County as a whole in 2050,” Abbas added. Zero carbon footprint, according to the Committee on Climate Change, means reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions or simply eliminating carbon emissions altogether. Madison set this goal in its 2012 Sustainability Plan. Abbas stated that Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway is working with both Renew Wisconsin — a nonprofit organization that promotes renewable energy — and Clean Cities Wisconsin — a nonprofit that works to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector. Rhodes-Conway’s Executive
Capital Budget seeks to increase the City’s energy generated from renewable sources by 33 percent in 2020. It will accomplish this through solar installations on City buildings, funding a pilot solar job training program and purchasing renewable energy credits. Schumaker said this is not enough. “We need to set an obtainable goal and [set] some legislation with a time frame,” he stated. “Not 2050 because that’s just too far away.” Additionally, Schumaker said that city officials need to support environmental organizations. More importantly, they need to talk about climate change to citizens and vice-versa. “One of the most important roles is speaking to legislators from the city level, county level, state level,” Schumaker said. “They all need to be talked to — and yelled at sometimes. Laws are going to be the way we change this because people don’t change on their own.” Abbas said that the Sustainability Committee is “absolutely” working with enough urgency, engaging with other city committees to create more sustainable practices and opening dialogues with local organizations. But he also stated that change comes through policies and the city encounters many state restrictions. “While working on ordinances, I realized you cannot put a ban on styrofoam or plastic,” Abbas said. “The state put a ban on cities to ban them so you have to find a creative way around it.” As a result, Abbas is attempting to create a partnership with other executive state offices and making changes in places he can. Still, he said, the state-level restrictions require more aggressive action. While some states — like in Illinois — can adopt state policy, Madison does not have that flexibility. “I hope in the future we have the power to create our own policies,” Abbas said. “Then we can be much more effective in reaching our climate goals.”
dailycardinal.com • 5
arts
6 • Thursday, September 26, 2019
dailycardinal.com
Majestic plastic artwork promotes local advocacy By Lauren Souza and Robyn Cawley THE DAILY CARDINAL
Plastic. It is essentially useless. Presenting itself as an ever-growing existential threat to our planet, this material waste becomes an exhibition of something wonderfully heartbreaking. The mounting accumulation of plastic turned into enchanting works of art that displays the multilayered impact on humans, animals and aquatic life. Opened on Sept. 13, Plastic Entanglements: Ecology, Aesthetics, Materials coincides with consistent advocacy of the environment. While special collection represents the beauty plastic products can provide, it also highlights the suffering of sea creatures and the changing landscape of the earth we walk on. “ W e hope the exhibition offers viewers a new perspective — more than one, actually — on a material so common that we don’t think about where it comes from, how we use it, how it is impacting the environment, local and global ecologies, and even our own health,” said Penn State gender and women’s studies and English professor, as well as one of the curators, Jennifer Wagner-Lawlor. Entanglement is at the center of this complex exhibit to present the literal ways plastic has become woven into our very existence. Our reliance on this material — both invisible, yet everywhere — has proven to be detrimental to human life. Plastic Entanglements is broken down into three different sections to reflect the evolution of plastic — past, present and future. The past, otherwise known as “The Archive,” explores how various materials of plastic have become a part of life, keeping a record of people’s imprint on the planet. “The Entangled Present” showcases how intertwined ecosystems are with plastic through plants, animals and humans. Plastic binds everything together, allowing exploration of the complex effects it can have on geographical locations and networks. The final section of the exhibit — “Speculative Futures” — focuses on the
unknown. What will the future hold based on the impact of plastic on our ecosystem? That is the question left pondering in your head when you stroll through this part. The omnipresence of plastic takes hold and the evolution of new biological and geographic forms. “The exhibition explores different sides of our lives with plastic, balancing the ecological concerns many artists bring to their work, with their simultaneous appreciation of the versatile material properties of plastic,” Wagner-Lawlor said. While walking through
COURTESY OF VICTORI + MO GALLERY
the exhibition, it feels familiar — plastic is nothing we haven’t seen before. But, Chris Jordan’s pictures of plastic left behind from the remains of albatross chicks on the Midway Atoll in the Pacific Ocean are a shocking image of the destruction of the living. Zanele Muholi creates a portrait within their “Crime Scene” photographs (2012), showing the horrid, harmful realities inflicted on LGBTQ+ individuals and communities around South Africa. The collection of photos shows the fragments of nameless victims covered in plastic sheets. Through this powerful work, Muholi represents the perception of LGBTQ+ individuals as social “trash.” The artwork titled, “Wavelengths,” caught the eye when wandering through the exhibit with its assemblage of plastic objects that were formatted by its use of color and shape. Its gorgeous composition was meant to reflect the world’s five major oceans, and the flow of color resembles the infiltration of marine debris charting through the oceanic water. these beautiful piec-
es of plastic were salvaged and repurposed to reflect the powerful obliteration of humanity’s existence. Utilization of the aquatic ecosystem reflects the unknown as well as the consequences of plastic and human impact. Matthe Northride’s “Horizon” brings everything to a basic level where hundreds of acrylic domed disks serve as miniature magnifying glasses that amplify tiny seascapes. The way that nature is viewed through a plastic lens shows the distortion that human waste has had on our ecosystem. “Plastic Entanglements reminds viewers that a material we often use fleetingly — plastic — has a lifetime much longer than our own, and that it also has nearly endless possibilities for c r e at iv it y and innovation,” said Amy Gilman — director of the Chazen Museum of Art. T h e ramifications of plastic weighs heavily on your mind when you navigate through the “Speculative Futures.” It leaves you motivated to do something — to not leave this unseen future even worse than the present. The closing section of Plastic Entanglements offers an interactive section to write about the next steps you will take in regard to our environment. Whiteboards are filled with different messages from people seeking action, as well as social justice causes they are fighting for. Put together by the Palmer Museum of Art, the collection includes 30 contemporary artists from around the world. Alongside Davis, Plastic Entanglements: Ecology, Aesthetics, Materials is curated by Joyce Robinson, a curator from the Palmer Museum of Art, along with independent scholar Heather Davis. “Part of the excitement around Plastic Entanglements will emerge from the fact that plastic is ubiquitous,” Robinson said. “Those who might be intimidated by a ‘contemporary art’ exhibition will find themselves immediately drawn in by the familiarity of plastic, which actually makes the world we live in possible.” The exhibit will remain open until Jan. 5.
COURTESY OF NBC
Chappelle has filmed a total of five stand-up specials released by Netflix.
‘Sticks & Stones’ show breaks critics bones as Chappelle strikes again By John Everman ARTS EDITOR
One of the best stand-up comedians of all time is back with another hour of hilarity … and be warned: this one is harsh. Dave Chappelle’s new Netflix stand-up special “Sticks and Stones” was made available by the streaming service on Aug. 26 to all customers. The special was filmed at The Tabernacle in Atlanta. Controversy has run sideby-side with Dave Chappelle his whole career. His groundbreaking sketch-comedy show “Chappelle’s Show” pushed the envelope of what was acceptable content to present on television while also promoting AfricanAmerican culture in a way few shows have been able to. Equally known for his stand-up specials, Chappelle loves to use the political and social climate in this country as inspiration for his material. This tactic is on full display throughout the entirety “Sticks & Stones.” As the title indicates, the legendary entertainer’s aim in this hour-long show is to challenge an audience which he feels has become too easily susceptible to quick judgement and a lack of a sense of humor. In a previous special, “The Age of Spin,” Chappelle makes the point that today’s media often distorts the truth, shaping information to fit a specific agenda. This time around, he goes as far as to mock the ‘audience’ in front of him, which represents American society. His material covers a wide variety of topics. From abortion and paternal rights to the LBGTQ+ movement, Chappelle leaves no stone unturned, offer-
ing up plenty of cringe-worthy content to be discussed in public and private sectors. As a fan of Chappelle for most of my life, I have always appreciated his over-thetop sense of humor. Anyone and anything are fair game in Chappelle’s eyes — even himself at times. Entertainers like this are good for society. They keep us in check and make us laugh at ourselves, even our most difficult issues to discuss. While some of his takes on certain topics may not be as popular — particularly regarding disgraced artists like Michael Jackson or Louis C.K. — it’s hard not to listen to what Chappelle has to say, taking it to heart and laughing at the ridiculousness of what he is uttering. Chappelle has never hidden the fact that some of his views are a little old school or perhaps out of touch. But he never apologizes for what he says on stage, stating that it is a strict policy of his to not feel bad for the content he comes up with. Exclaiming loudly to his critics abroad, one of the funniest moments of the entire special occurs when Chappelle calls attention to the fact that anyone at home unhappy with the special can stop watching at any time — “You clicked on my face!” Chappelle has never stopped being who he is. Society has become more inclusive and faster to place judgment on those who are slower to catch up. But the points made by Chappelle are valid and, if nothing else, worth a laugh or three. Final Grade: B+
Thursday, September 26, 2019
dailycardinal.com
l
melanin speaking
7
UW-Madison Melanin Speaking: Our Mission By Lauren Souza VICE PRESIDENT OF MELANIN SPEAKING
Melanin Speaking is a multicultural blog designed to uplift the voices and stories of students of color on this campus. We serve as a student blog that publishes issues online and a print publication. For students of color on a majority white campus, it is not only a struggle to be seen and heard, but to survive environments not friendly to us
whilst keeping our identity and culture. The issues we publish generally revolve around a particular theme that the people will then submit work falling into that criteria. A few examples are: “Clear Your Headspace,” which focused on mental health as a person of color; “Reclaiming me: A Journey through Intersectionality,” that explores the multifaceted identities within an individual and how they
all intersect; “Family and Home,” and the ways you can find these in unconventional spaces; “Colors of Gender and Sexuality,” which examines the complexities of gender and sexuality. Those are just a few ideas of what we tend to cover within our multicultural blog and are always open for new suggestions. Make sure to stay tuned for our latest issue so that you can submit your work. Although we are primarily
literature-based, we realize that not everyone is a writer, but everyone has a story to tell. And thus we’re trying to use a more open format — storytelling in any form: art, poetry, fiction, articles, personal anecdotes and reflections, etc. Since we exist as a space to uplift specifically students of color, we are only allowing submissions by nonwhite contributors. But fear not! Even if you are white and want to get involved, there
are definitely ways to do that. We would love to have more people to review submissions, maintain the blog, and update the Facebook page. We also offer career and professional development, as well as other unique opportunities for English majors! Having a space for artists of color benefits everyone.
COURTESY OF MELANIN SPEAKING
By Je La Anjale Que Walton PRESIDENT OF MELANIN SPEAKING
Dear Beauty,
of chiseled lines
so often so judgemental
and opposite parentheticals
on the outskirts of am I enough?
not of my own appearance
do I focus on your definition or what society has defined you as or better yet my definition of you yourself and I am reminded
and in retrospect
of me
to know what I knew before
my definition has created a push
for your definition never used a limit
and to repeat your name
for my own aesthetic
and here I have
in the remembrance of my great grandmother before me
not because you said so
for my own existence and worth
because ease is a better pain than acceptance
and how you both whispered to my mother’s womb
but because i’ve ignored your message
allowing judgement free judgement
and i’d rather hold what is filled in my sack
there is no such thing as enough
of free defining
leaving a contradicting love
than to confront your truth
of free will to be your name
for you and
to reframe my mind
but of who I have defined as enough
opinion Workforce millenials face tech stereotypes 8
l
Thursday, September 26, 2019
By Dana Munro SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The other day I was watching the 80s classic Nine to Five. The movie is about young Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton attempting to overthrow their sexist, slimy boss. The story was all about what it was like to be a working woman in the 80s, and
every p i e c e of office equipment in the movie was something I didn’t recognize — the old phones, the Xerox machine, even the coffee maker. Nine to Five took place around the time my parents were still early in their careers. My dad is a banker, and sometimes he regales me with stories of the old word processor machines they used in his office before computers. He can’t help but laugh at how antiquated those machines seem now. Thinking about the workforce in the 80s made me realize how much things have changed. All those bulky devices have become obsolete, along with the skills it took to operate them. Offices have changed drastically in the past few decades and the culture has as well. Instead of typewriters we use Macbooks, instead of paper time sheets we punch in on apps like Paycom. The office atmosphere has changed too. When my dad started in banking, he had to put on his suit jacket to go to the bathroom — now we can wear jeans to work. These days, some people can bring their dogs to work. I even had a massage this summer — at work — that my company provided. This led me to re-ask myself a question I think about frequently: are the young people of our generation lazy? Am I lazy? When I hear older adults say things like, “well back in my day you had to . . .” or, “you kids have it so easy now with your (fill in the blank technology)” I think to myself, maybe we are lazy? We do have new technolo-
gies that make things easier for us. We can find our way anywhere in the world with Google Maps. We can arrange a ride without lifting a finger. We can watch an entire movie on the toilet. Did Bill Gates and Steve Jobs make us lazy? I honestly used to think that, yes, they did. These modern day conveniences had lowered our ambition as a generation.
dailycardinal.com
work, I usually wanted to know what was going on in the news, so I went online and read some articles. I didn’t always know all the context behind them, so I would do some research. I was doing the exact same things at home that I had just done at work. I would end my days by listening to a podcast, and then go to work t h e next day and
GRAPHIC BY LYRA EVANS
But then I interned this summer at a theater in Chicago, and my mind was changed. My job was to create articles about the historical contexts of the plays we were putting on to give students watching the shows some background. I spent most of my days at work sitting at my computer and researching. I dug through arsenals of archives, articles and videos. The work was difficult and intense, even though it was at the comfort of my desk and all I needed was my computer. If this had been the 80s, maybe I would have been at the library paging through encyclopedias and reading hard copy books instead. Yes, I had the luxury of having all the information I needed virtually at my fingertips, but I still had to go out and find it — just in a different way. Instead of the Dewey Decimal System, I was using an advanced Google search and Proquest. Most of every day my fellow interns and I spent at work was at our computers, but we all had plenty of work to show for it at the end of the day — posters, articles, cast lists, etc. We did the same exact work that the interns at that same theater had done decades before. We just used different tools. Even though we were sitting on our butts, not buzzing around the office bouncing from one device to the next, we weren’t being lazy, we were just using our computers to help us create the best work we could. When I came home from
make podcasts. Our lives have become highly tech-oriented. In the 80s, you would work with floppy disks and then come home and play a board game
with your family: two very different things. In today’s world, we go to work and research online and make Excel spreadsheets, and then we come home and get back on our computers to do very similar things. Maybe we’re not researching Roe vs. Wade at home, but rather what movies are nominated for Oscars this year. Though the content may be different, the devices and the processes are the same. In this tech-driven world, our work lives and our home lives converge more and more. Work and play are more similar than they’ve ever been before, and casual onlookers can easily misconstrue this for laziness. Are they really working? It looks more like they are playing? But, we are working. I’ve seen some incredible work come out of the computers of the students around me. We are harnessing these tools to our advantage and sometimes even combining work and play to strengthen both. As soon as a question pops into our heads, we have the means to answer it. We listen to podcasts and Youtube and become more aware of the world around us so we can weave that understanding into our work and improve it.
I think that laziness, along with the rest of the host of millenial vices, cause older adults to hesitate in the hiring process. Is this young kid really going to be disciplined? Focused? Driven? They have it so easy now. Are they going to work hard, or rake in a salary while they determine what kind of avocado toast suits their personality on Buzzfeed? Yet, along with these technological developments has come an increased pace. Young people are expected to deliver work faster and faster as the technology develops. Not only has the speed increased but the bar for accuracy has risen. Typos are unforgivable now, thanks to spell-check. Yes, getting work done may be easier now, but the standards have been raised and we are rising to the occasion. To the older generations, don’t worry about us. Today’s young people are working and achieving just as much as ever. Perhaps it just looks a little different than it used to. Dana is a senior studying journalism and theatre. What are your thoughts on this generational and technological divide? How do you think office culture and productivity have evolved with the proliferation of technology? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com