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Tuesday, November 18, 2014
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City law to crack down on synthetic marijuana By Patricia Johnson THE DAILY CARDINAL
WILL CHIZEK/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Madison Police Department Captain Brian Ackeret (right) discusses the risks associated with synthetic cannabinoid use.
Synthetic cannabinoids in Madison may see a short-lived future after Public Safety Review Committee members approved recommendations Monday to move an ordinance forward that prohibits the possession, sale or display of the drugs. Synthetic cannabinoids typically found in Madison are chemicals shipped from China in powder form that distributors mix with acetone to spray on leaves, according to Madison Police Department Captain Brian Ackeret. Individuals usually smoke the leaves and are then exposed to “dangerous” risks. “It’s not regulated by the FDA, it’s based on people doing it on their own and then they sell it to retailers as ‘K2,’ or ‘Spice’ packaging,” Ackeret said. “It looks like it’s safe
based on the packaging. You display it at a 7-Eleven, head shop, a gas station.” Most establishments do not record their synthetic cannabinoid sales because shop owners do not fully understand the legality of the product, according to Ackeret. The ordinance proposes to set the cost of fines for possession, sale or display of synthetic cannabinoids higher than minor marijuana possession and open container fines. Any individual caught violating the ordinance would be charged between $500 and $1,000 and establishments are subject to fines between $1,000 and $5,000. “The thing is, it’s not comparable to marijuana because of the dangerousness of the product,” Jennifer Zilavy, assistant city attorney, said. “A kid can get a hold of this and do it one time and end up with brain
Author Bill Bryson discusses power of humor in DLS talk By James Moes THE DAILY CARDINAL
Best-selling author Bill Bryson visited UW-Madison Monday as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series to promote his work, read select passages from his books and tell stories about his life as an author. Bryson began his lecture by discussing his childhood growing up in the ’50s, which he chronicled in his book “The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid.” “The ’50s was a great time to be a kid,” Bryson said. “It was just a really happy, unusually euphoric time, I think particularly for children.” Bryson explained the euphoria he experienced while growing up was also present in his hometown’s appreciation for humor. “Making jokes, good jokes, was something that was appreciated,” Bryson said. He conveyed that humor during his lecture, which, like most
of his writing, was filled with stories and anecdotes from his life. UW-Madison history assistant professor Elizabeth Hennessy, who introduced Bryson prior to his lecture, praised the interactive approach he uses with his audience. “What I find so inspirational about Bill’s writing is his ability to take readers along with him as travelers in a way that opens up the richness and humor of the world,” Hennessy said. Bryson also discussed his career as an author and the writing process involved. “[Being an author] is hard work, but when you get it right and it feels right to you it is very, very satisfying,” he said. The writer used his visit to Madison to give advice for UW students interested in becoming authors. He urged students to remember that perseverance is “really the key thing.” “If you really want to do something just keep at it,”
damage, or dead.” The idea behind the ordinance is to discourage teenagers and young adults from using the substances by cutting them off at the source. “Our primary concern from the law enforcement perspective is the retailers,” Ackeret said. “I think that even just having this ordinance in a few successful prosecutions, people are going to be making financial decisions and say it’s probably not worth that small financial gain.” Since synthetic cannabinoids appeal mainly to young people, the city will seek ways to provide “holdopens” for first-time convicted individuals violating the ordinance, similar to a probation period. In these instances, these individuals cannot receive any future convictions for a period of time and may receive smaller fines or dropped charges.
UW alumnus, film director to screen his documentary ‘Facing Fear’
ALAYNA TRUTTMANN/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Renowned author Bill Bryson (left) shares comedic life experiences and advice with students at UW-Madison. Bryson said in an interview with The Daily Cardinal. He also addressed the general student body, warning them not to waste the opportunities college provides. “It is the best opportunity you’re ever going to have to just
indulge yourself in the process of learning and absorbing information and figuring things out and deciding what you might do with your life,” Bryson said. “Once you leave college, you’re not going to have those opportunities anymore.”
Film director and UW-Madison alumnus Jason Cohen will speak with students and community members Tuesday night following a screening of his Academy Award-nominated documentary “Facing Fear.” Centered around two men’s journey to forgiveness, the 2013 short subject documentary tells the story of an assaulted gay teenager, his then-Neo-Nazi assailant and the unlikely partnership that emerged from their chance meeting 25 years after the attack. Matthew Boger and Tim Zaal, the film’s subjects, will accompany Cohen on his visit and participate in the conversation after the screening, according to a university release. The screening, which will take place 7 p.m. at UW Hillel, will be free and open to the public. The film is 23 minutes long. Cohen will also hold a separate screening at 3 p.m. Tuesday in room 4070 of Vilas Hall for journalism and communication arts students.
Student Services Finance Committee hears ASM 2015-’16 internal budget By Maija Inveiss THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Associated Students of Madison proposed an internal budget of $1,400,514.74 for fiscal year 2016, an $87,246.08 increase from the current year,
to the Student Services Finance Committee at a meeting Monday. The budget included funding for a vote coordinator position to help plan future campaigns. The committee also added funding for a newly introduced food pantry
Oh the humanity!
staffed by students. ASM Vice Chair Derek Field said the food pantry would be a response for student need since there is no resource like it on campus. Representatives questioned the location and how food would
+ ALMANAC, page 2
Hope is not lost! Let Almanac help!
be distributed to students. Field said he believes they might use a Wiscard swipe method, but proponents are still brainstorming ways to make sure the students who need nonperishable items are getting them.
“I have just not seen an implementation plan whatsoever dealing with this,” SSFC Secretary Brett DuCharme said. “I am very concerned about this funding not
budget page 3
The Ballroom Thieves
Folk rock trio brings coziness and warm harmony
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“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
almanac These 10 simple photos will restore your faith in humanity tODAY: partly sunny
Wednesday: snow
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Tuesday, November 18, 2014
dailycardinal.com
An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 124, Issue 44
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 Jack Casey
Against all odds, these fire fighters are standing against massive walls of flame. There’s nothing these people care about more than making sure civilians stay safe. I feel proud to belong to the same species as these brave folks.
Managing Editor Jonah Beleckis
News Team News Manager Sam Cusick Campus Editor Adelina Yankova College Editor Emily Gerber City Editors Irene Burski, Patricia Johnson State Editor Eoin Cottrell Associate News Editor Dana Kampa Features Editor Melissa Howison Opinion Editors Ryan Bullen • Cullen Voss Editorial Board Chair Haley Henschel Arts Editors Cheyenne Langkamp • Sean Reichard Sports Editors Jack Baer • Jim Dayton Almanac Editors Andy Holsteen • Kane Kaiman Photo Editors Emily Buck • Thomas Yonash Associate Photo Editor Will Chizek Graphics Editor Cameron Graff Multimedia Editors Alana Katz • Ian Zangs Science Editor Danielle Smith Life & Style Editor Claire Satterfield Special Pages Editor Haley Henschel Copy Chiefs Kara Evenson • Justine Jones Jessie Rodgers • Paige Villiard Copy Editors Theda Berry • Megan Grove Social Media Manager Rachel Wanat
There’s something about the smile of a child that just makes you think “Wow, humans truly can be beautiful.” The warm, innocent eyes of an unspoiled soul will win over even the wickedest of hearts. Isn’t being alive right now just incredible?
Look at these goofballs, just hanging out in huge gull suits. This is the definition of free spirited. Wouldn’t your day just be made so much brighter if you saw these two walking down the street? My faith in humanity is totally restored.
Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Brett Bachman Accounting Manager Tyler Reindl Advertising Manager Jordan Laeyendecker Assistant Advertising Manager Corissa Pennow Marketing Director Tim Smoot The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of WisconsinMadison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor-in-chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be word processed and must include contact information. No anonymous letters will be printed. All letters to the editor will be printed at the discretion of The Daily Cardinal. Letters may be sent to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.
Editorial Board Jack Casey • Jonah Beleckis Haley Henschel • Cullen Voss Ryan Bullen • Michael Penn Kayla Schmidt l
Board of Directors Herman Baumann, President Jack Casey • Jonah Beleckis Jennifer Sereno • Stephen DiTullio Brett Bachman • Janet Larson Don Miner • Phil Brinkman Jason Stein • Nancy Sandy Jordan Laeyendecker • Tim Smoot Tina Zavoral
Has there been a more perfect moment than this one? Hunting butterflies in the grassy countryside next to snow-capped mountains sounds like something from “The Sound of Music,” but it’s what these people were actually doing when this photo was taken. Isn’t that incredible? Humanity doesn’t have to be limited to just humans. This friendly otter embodies everything that it means to be all about people. Live like every day is your last. I can’t think of many things that ubiquitously tie into the human experience more than memory and nostalgia. This photo will make you feel nostalgic about people remembering: God bless.
Few things are more majestic than beast and man working in harmony. This guy must feel like a serious boss wielding a patriotic bird like it’s nothing.
© 2014, 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. all photos courtesy of creative commons
It’s the bottom of the ninth, two outs, runner on third, time to pull out the bunt for the most cinematic finish imaginable to a World Series. Can’t you feel the tingles down your spine?
He’s led some of the world’s finest musicians and played the greatest concert halls known to man. And now maestro Benjamin Wade is making you believe again, believe that there is more to life than bingeing on whatever’s nearest. His presence makes me wish I had incredible gifts like a few of us lucky humans.
There’s nothing quite like spending summer nights with your friends at Warped Tour. Doesn’t this photo just sum up everything that’s right about being young and American?
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Proposed fee for ‘green’ vehicles sparks controversy By Leo Vartorella THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s 2015-’17 budget request, released Friday, has sparked considerable debate, especially regarding a new $50 fee for registering hybrid and electric vehicles. The fee is meant to tax drivers for highway and road services that are usually paid for by gasoline taxes, which do not reach the drivers of “green” vehicles, Kevin Traas, the director of transportation policy and finance for the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association, said. The funding initiatives set forth in the budget will ensure continued safety and efficiency for the state’s highways, according to John Rathke of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Wisconsin. However, the tax is viewed by other experts to be a punitive measure, disincentivizing the purchase of environmentally friendly vehicles. UW-Madison professor Calvin DeWitt, of the Nelson
Institute for Environmental Studies, said though recent developments in national policy, such as the Recovery Act of 2011, have encouraged the manufacture and purchase of hybrid and electric vehicles, the DOT’s budget appears to contradict such policies. “To punish [hybrid car drivers] ow is completely backwards,” said Elizabeth Ward, conservation programs coordinator for the Sierra Club—John Muir Chapter. Ward pointed to the influence of the “highway lobby” as one factor contributing to the DOT’s emphasis on continued highway expansion, even in the face of declining car transportation. With such a focus on highways, Ward said the DOT “forgot they’re supposed to be about transportation infrastructure.” However, DeWitt does not attribute the dissonance between national and state policy simply as an act of conscious antienvironmentalism on the part of the DOT. Instead, DeWitt drew attention to the structural orga-
nization of government, with increased “departmentalization” rendering DOT Chairman Mark Gottlieb unable to reconcile budgetary concerns with the greater goals of the state. DeWitt said a reduction of dependence on foreign oil and increase in energy independence can be achieved only by utilizing transportation alternatives that do not rely on carbon-based fuels. While the registration fee of hybrid and electric vehicles may achieve the goal of raising state revenue, there must be consideration of bigger objectives when crafting the budget, DeWitt said. The responsible stewardship of a state’s financial resources and its natural resources should always be the aim of government, DeWitt added. The punitive nature of the registration fee discourages the kind of environmentally conscious actions that government should work to promote. Buying a hybrid or electric car “shouldn’t be penalized, it should be applauded,” DeWitt said.
UW-Madison journalism, media experts discuss political discourse in a digital age By Eric Cummings THE DAILY CARDINAL
A panel discussion sponsored by the Bipartisan Issues Group and the UW-Madison chapter of Society of Professional Journalists debated the effects of media innovations and their implications on the political process Monday night. The panel consisted of three speakers and focused on new ways of informing the youth, online commentary in the digital age and how traditional media lives on. Chris Wells, an assistant professor of UW-Madison’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, opened the discussion by describing five separate paths for news to reach consumers. The first three—journalism, strategic communication and personal interaction—were already well-established practices, Wells said. However, the two new
paths—social media and algorithmic targeting—reshape the media landscape and the way people receive news. Despite the development of social media, Wells maintained the importance of traditional journalism. “Journalists are one crucial channel that still provides information to us, even if we get all of our news from Facebook,” he said. Wells concluded his lecture by pointing out that media innovations have allowed politicians to side-step journalists in an attempt to reach their target audience directly through social media and email. Michael Xenos, a communication arts professor at UW-Madison, led the discussion on digital commentary, stressing his disappointment in political discourse found online. “The story of Internet research
and politics is that it’s so hard to make these sweeping generalizations of commentaries,” Xenos said. “So much is context dependent.” Originally, the Internet was believed to be an ideal location for political debate, serving as a marketplace of ideas. Instead, negativity and insensitivity dominate the vast majority of online discussions, leaving little tangible benefit for participants in online discussions, Xenos said. Robert Schwoch, a lecturer and undergraduate advisor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, concluded by speculating about the future of traditional media. He emphasized the importance of objectivity and transparency in journalism, especially in light of sponsored news stories. “For objective news to work, people have got to know it’s objective,” Schwoch said.
KAITLYN VETO/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Student Leadership Program representatives presented the group’s 2015-’16 budget, reduced by almost $10,000 from this year.
budget from page 1 being allocated correctly.” ASM Chair Genevieve Carter said the food pantry addresses a current issue on campus and if it is not done now, there would be a two-year wait. “That’s two years where students would not have access to [the food pantry],” Carter said. “We have an opportunity to make this happen.” In the meeting, SSFC also approved a budget of $32,896.30 for the Veterans, Educators, and Traditional Students. VETS is a student organization that provides support and information for student veterans, according to its website. They also educate and raise awareness of military
service and veterans’ issues to the UW-Madison campus. The Student Leadership Program also presented its budget of $56,693, a $9,260 decrease from the current budget. SLP aims to help increase individual leadership skills through education and experiences such as the Big Ten Leadership Network, according to its website. The SLP representatives said a large portion of the group’s budget needed to be returned the previous year because the financial coordinator stepped down in January 2014. The remaining coordinators had a lower focus on advertising and a higher focus on programming content. SSFC will decide on the ASM Internal and SLP budget Thursday.
UW-Whitewater Chancellor Richard Telfer announces upcoming retirement UW-Whitewater Chancellor Richard Telfer announced Monday he will retire from his position effective June 30, according to a UW System press release. Telfer has been a part of UW-Whitewater’s campus for over 20 years, according to the UW-Whitewater website. During that time, Telfer served as a professor, department chair, assistant dean for the graduate school, provost, vice chancellor and associate vice chancellor until his appointment as interim chancellor in 2007. During his tenure at
UW-Whitewater, Telfer strengthened retention and graduation rates, developed freshmen learning communities, established the Academic Advising and Exploration Center and the Honors Program, according to the website. UW System President Ray Cross released a statement praising Telfer for his work with the UW System. “Under his leadership, UW-Whitewater’s reputation for academic and athletic success has soared both in the state and beyond,” Cross said in the statement.
UW-Madison places ninth in report ranking study abroad involvement
ABIGAIL WALDO/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
UW-Madison students consider opportunities at a campus-wide study abroad fair.
A Monday report ranked UW-Madison No. 9 among U.S. colleges and universities based on the number of students who take advantage of study abroad programs. The 2014 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange measures the globalization of U.S. education over time. This marks the eighth consecutive year UW-Madison has placed in the report’s Top 10 for the number of students studying abroad, according to a university news release. The report shows UW-Madison students studied in 82 countries across six con-
tinents during the 2012-’13 academic year. UW-Madison hosted the 22nd largest total of international students amid U.S. colleges and universities, with most coming from Southeast Asian countries, according to the report. Director of International Academic Programs Dan Gold addressed the significance of UW-Madison’s standings in the Open Doors Report. “These rankings speak to the importance we at UW-Madison place on the role of international experiences in student development,” Gold said in the release.
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By Betsy Osterberger THE DAILY CARDINAL
As a brisk wind blew most Madisonians into their homes and students into libraries Sunday night, an intimate crowd scuttled into The Frequency to stay warm by the light of folk rock group, The Ballroom Thieves and their openers, The Oarsman. Fresh off a two-week break in Spring Lake, Michigan, The Ballroom Thieves’ lead vocalist and guitar player Martin Earley said the group has moved onto the “meat and potatoes” of their tour. Hailing from Boston, Earley and his band mates, percussionist Devin Mauch and cellist Calin Peters, have been making waves across the country with their unique sound that Tony Sarabia from WBEZ-Chicago called, “folk music but not really, rock but not really.” Their show at The Frequency mainly consisted of songs off their first full album, set to come out this spring. “We’re really excited because at the start of the New Year we’re going to slowly start releasing some of those songs to build some hype for the new record,” said Earley. Songs on the new album are indignant of the growth of sound The Thieves have experienced since the release of their first EP in 2012, “The Devil & The Deep,” at which point Earley and Mauch were working with a different cellist. By the time they released “The Ballroom Thieves”EP in 2013, they had discovered Peters and were on
their way to discovering their place in the music industry. The band’s maturation is clear in their soon-to-bereleased album. “I think we’re kind of at a point where we’re kind of finding the sound that we really want to explore further,” said Earley. “Lyrically, I think it’s evolving as well. We’re writing more mature songs now than we used to be so you can definitely see the progression to the record and check the band out that way.” As the band makes progression in fan base and maturity, their humble and fun-loving personalities haven’t been left by the wayside. While touring can be exhausting at times, the trio has a few tricks up their sleeves to keep their perspective in check when they’re on the road. “We try to make sure that we have time to check out the new places that we’re going to because it’s such a big part of what makes this job so interesting,” Earley said. Whether they are doing a hot wings challenge in Chicago or white water rafting in Washington, The Thieves try to make plans to see the cities in which they play. They’re not too shabby at making friends in these places either. During The Oarsman’s opener at The Frequency, The Thieves stood among the quaint crowd, greeting familiar fans like longtime friends and new ones with open arms. The Oarsman joined The Thieves for just the weekend in what they called a “#TINYTOUR” on their
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BETSY OSTERBERGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Ballroom Thieves, a folk rock trio hailing from Boston, Massachussets, brought a warm coziness to The Frequency. Facebook page. Their folk rock set evoked a sense of chilling honesty that made you ache for more when they left the stage. In the middle of their set, the lead vocalist of this Chicagobased foursome, Marcus Christopher Maloney, candidly explained that he started writing music after his fiance left him. Upon realizing that booze and
whining were not the answer to his problems, he grabbed a guitar he stole in middle school and an iPhone and recorded an album. After being discovered by stations like NPR and Daytrotter, Maloney put together the band. “I met one guy in a bar, I met the other ones in church … and then two or three months after
it started we just hit the road,” said Maloney. The band has been touring their first album, Writing House, for the past year and will head back into the studio this month to record their new album. They’re also collaborating with a group of other singer-songwriters to put out the “HYMNS” EP this holiday season. Sales from this exclusively digital Christmas EP will be donated to help Ebola victims. After all the recording and holiday hype, The Oarsman head back out on tour after the New Year with Josiah Early. Maloney, who writes most of the lyrics for The Oarsman, says he draws inspiration from a host of life’s elements, from girls to John Steinbeck. “Just traveling, you know, we’ve been all over and we get to meet all sorts of beautiful, interesting, wild, weird, fantastic people.” Both bands took full advantage of The Frequency’s intimate space, conversing and joking directly with the crowd and mentioning multiple times how happy they were to do a few shows together in the Midwest. After The Ballroom Thieves took the audience on a musical adventure through heartwrenching ballads and footstomping folk songs they stepped down on the floor to play their last song amongst the crowd; an untitled tune that came out of their recent trip to Spring Lake. The crowd swayed silently around the three musicians, as Earley, Mauch and Peters ended the night with warm harmonies and a soft acoustic melody.
Kung Fu ready to leap into Madison at The Frequency By Brian Weidy THE DAILY CARDINAL
With a sound that combines Herbie Hancock, Frank Zappa and a host of other jazz-fusion influences with the sounds of dance music today, Kung Fu has rapidly become one of the best live acts around today. I got a chance to catch up with keyboard player Todd Stoops before the band embarked on a weeklong Midwestern jaunt. Before joining Kung Fu, the five members of the band each had their own gigs. Originally, the group was billed as a super-group with Stoops coming from RAQ; guitarist Tim Palmieri, bassist Chris DeAngelis and drummer Adrian Tramontano all coming from The Breakfast and saxophonist Rob Somerville coming from Deep Banana Blackout. It took some time for all of the pieces to come together as a band.
“For a band like Kung Fu, we wouldn’t identify with being a jam band per se.” Todd Stoops Keyboardist Kung Fu
“I honestly think it was within the first year of us actually wanting to be a band,” Stoops said. “I mean the whole thing sort of started out as kind of like something to do on
PHOTO COURTESY OF KUNG FU
Kung Fu, a jazz-fusion inspired band from the Tri-State New York area, will bring their eclectic sound to The Frequecy Nov. 18 Monday nights and we had all of our other bands working and the chemistry as a group was really, really strong from the get-go.” With this great initial chemistry, the group began to finally travel outside of Connecticut (where they are based) throughout the Northeast and into other parts of the country. While it took over a year for them to finally start going, they began to like what they heard. “The response of the live shows was awesome and the music we were producing, it just sounded like the freshest stuff we’d pretty much ever done collectively,” Stoops said. “We were really excited about it and we had a meeting and said ‘let’s make this a full-time
gig’ and here we are now.” Trying to define the band’s sound is no easy task, but Stoops believes it’s a combination of everything they were listening to before while also putting their own spin on the genre popularized by Weather Report, The Headhunters (Hancock’s seminal backing band) and more. “When we were just doing these Monday night gigs in New Haven, Conneticut, they were free shows and we did mostly covers,” Stoops said. “And everybody, almost from the instant, wanted to do ’70s fusion covers. We all started talking about an appreciation for Jeff Beck and Mahavishnu [Orchestra] and the Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock stuff.”
Stoops and the rest of the band’s influences range far and wide within the fusion genre; however, it was later in the process where those influences really started seeping into the band’s songwriting. “And as we were having fun with that, some of the original stuff that we started producing kind of leant its ear to that kind of sound as well,” Stoops said. “The first album that we did, the self-titled album had much more of that fusion type of mindset.” As the band continued to work together, some of those fusion influences stuck around, but as they played more and more, their recorded output started moving farther and farther away from the fusion sound they had created on their debut. “On Tsar Bomba, we tried all genres,” Stoops said. “We definitely had our fusion ideas on that album, but we also had our funk and some of the more edgy stuff on there.” While the band is often lumped in with other “jam bands,” an occasionally derisive term used by lazy journalists to describe bands who improvise, Stoops has mixed feelings about the word while also recognizing the band’s roots in that scene. “For a band like Kung Fu, we wouldn’t identify with being a jam band per se, our other projects, absolutely,” Stoops said. “RAQ sometimes would go out and not
write a set list and end up playing three or four songs for an hourand-a-half because we ‘jammed.’”
This show is the first time the band is coming to Madison.
Stoops would continue by saying, “Kung Fu doesn’t do any of that,” Stoops said. “Our songs are all very composed and if there was a ‘jam band’ section, it would really just be where the solo is. Our songs are structured such that they feature a different musician or group of musicians per song, so that’s where we get the jam band thing. I think it kind of ends there.” This show is the first time the band is coming to Madison. They play The Frequency Tuesday Nov. 18 with support from Red Rose. The doors open at 8 p.m. and the band’s maiden voyage into Madison will be something you will not want to miss. “[The tour] is bringing Kung Fu to Madison actually for the first time,” Stoops said. “Everybody in the band has played Madison a bunch before in other bands, but Kung Fu proper has never played it, so we’re really excited about that.”
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Brother Ali and friends rip up the High Noon Saloon By Robert Vanderwist The Daily Cardinal
Thursday, hip-hop fans young and old headed east, at least a few miles, and packed the High Noon Saloon for a night of passion and energy lead by the one and only Brother Ali. Supporting Ali on the bill were Bambu and MaLLy, all three backed by the sounds of DJ Last Word. Before the first rapper even took the stage, DJ Last Word kicked off the evening with some hip-hop classics of the last decade, which had people singing along from the moment the crowd filtered though the door and gathered in front of the High Noon’s small, intimate standing room. The first opener and acting “host” of the show, MaLLy started the night off with an eclectic set that had everything from trap beats to spoken-word and a cappella verses, (which seemed to be a recurring theme) and a show stacked with such talented lyricists. MaLLy made sure that the crowd was ready for an energetic show, utilizing timeless call-andresponse battle cries including “Hell Yeah” to get everyone in the building involved as he dove into an ad-libbed verse all about Madison, Wisconsin.
The young Minneapolis native spoke to the crowd and proclaimed his love and respect for Atmosphere, Brother Ali and the rest of his Rhymesayers Entertainment family. Brother Ali later spoke high praises of MaLLy on stage, calling him the new generation of the collective and the perfect artist to carry on the Rhymesayers tradition, and I couldn’t agree more. While his set may have been more energetic and his stage presence more rowdy than the other artists on the bill, MaLLy closed his set with a down-tempo song that commented on several personal struggles in an extremely emotional yet empowering light. DJ Last Word didn’t leave the stage all night, keeping the music going even inbetween sets. MaLLy was followed on stage by Los Angeles, California rapper Bambu. Before he took the stage, what started as a cute intro involving a “phone call” from a little girl spiraled into a heavy social commentary and a heavy start to the set. An L.A. native originally from Asia, Bambu noted that the issue of immigration is extremely important to him before performing a song about the prejudice and societal struggles faced by immigrants in his hometown.
The social commentary continued throughout his set, which didn’t surprise me frankly, I’d expect nothing less from any artist directly supporting Brother Ali. Bambu talked about the issue of gender imbalance and stressed the importance of making hip-hop shows a safe place for all. This was the subject of one of his most powerful songs, “The Queen is Dead.” Bambu brought his set to its highest level of energy during his last song, “Iron Bam,” which features an instrumental sample of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” and saw an insane reaction from the audience, which now packed the High Noon Saloon wall to wall. Bambu, MaLLy, and DJ Last Word kept the show going for the next twenty minutes until Brother Ali’s set, keeping the crowd alive with classic hiphop ranging from Snoop Dogg to Ludacris to A$AP Rocky. DJ Last Word played a symphony of record scratches while Bambu and MaLLy ran around the stage like madmen, singing along to the tracks and enticing the audience to do the same. When Brother Ali took the stage, the entire room was wired. But things really took off with his third song, “Self Taught,” arguably one of Ali’s biggest hits. This
was followed by several older songs, including “Daylight” from Ali’s 2007 album The Undisputed Truth. Taking a moment to speak some truth to his audience as I’d hoped he would, Brother Ali shared his thoughts on revolution, asserting that listening to music alone doesn’t make anybody a revolutionary and encouraging all of the aspiring revolutionaries in the audience to take action and fight for what they believe in. his was Ali’s segue into two of his most popular and most political songs, “Uncle Sam Goddamn” and “Mourning In America.” The latter was the title track of Ali’s most recent studio album, Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color. What happened next was a major shift in the nature of Brother Ali’s set. After a couple of upbeat songs reminiscent of the laid-back, optimistic Rhymesayers sound, Brother Ali went from a haunting a cappella verse into his song “All You Need,” a heavy emotional reflection on some of the deepest struggles in Ali’s personal life. This brought the show to a surreal halt as the audience listened to him rap with an impressive flow and haunting solitude at the same time. The pace picked
up with his next song, “Ear to Ear,” which featured another freestyle verse primarily about Ali’s love for Madison, the city where he was born. Before closing his set, Brother Ali reminded his audience, “It’s not about how good you sing, or how loud you sing. It’s about how much you mean what you’re singing.” After his “last” song, Ali stood on the stage and listened to the crowd go wild for all of about ten seconds before insisting that encores are corny. He told the crowd that it seemed pointless to leave the stage and wait for an inevitable encore call, only to come back to the stage, act surprised and perform an encore that had been determined since before the tour started. Therefore, Ali stayed on the stage and was immediately joined by Bambu and MaLLy for his “encore.” After giving his regards to the venue staff and proclaiming his love for the Rhymesayers family, Ali played “Home Away From Home.” The night ended at its highest level of energy as the High Noon Saloon crowd danced and sang along to all three rappers, closing the book on a night that showed just how powerful Midwestern hip-hop can be.
RECORD ROUTINE
Pink Floyd float peacefully away on final elegy to Richard Wright ALBUM REVIEW
The Endless River Pink Floyd By Andrew Edstrom The Daily Cardinal
The Endless River is the final album by Pink Floyd. It is a ambient, instrumental farewell assembled from various recordings from before the death of
keyboardist Richard Wright. It is not meant to be held up against classic albums like The Wall or The Dark Side of the Moon, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do. It is a fine goodbye. Like much of Pink Floyd’s work, The Endless River is designed to be listened to as a cohesive unit. Tracks fade into other tracks, making for a very immersive experience. In today’s single-oriented music culture, it is refreshing to see an album that is actually meant to be listened to as an album. Unlike their previous work, there is very little in the way of riffs or melody. The sound is
spacey, ethereal and minimalist in its musical exploration. While their previous albums were tailor-made for smoke-filled, postured attics, The Endless River seems like it would be much more at home in a parlor specializing in deep-tissue massage. That said, it is not some lame, jammy new-age album. It is deliberate, ambient and classic. This format gives David Gilmour an opportunity to stretch out with improvisation. On “Things Left Unsaid,” Gilmour takes an Ebow to his acoustic guitar for some captivating, legato leads. After some tasteful slide work on “It’s what
we do,” he returns to the acoustic sound for “Ebb and Flow.” Through the rest of the album he alternates between these two sounds, with occasional forays into his diatonic blues and classic rock roots (“On Noodle Street,” “Alons-y (1)”). Gilmour’s leads are accentuated by Wright’s atmospheric keyboard. Though the synth sounds are not as sophisticated as those used by today’s artists, they are surprisingly warm and threedimensional. Complemented with sparse drums by Nick Mason, supplementary bass parts and various other percussion instruments, these keyboard
parts hold together the album. Without them, it would be an empty jam band record. With them, it is Pink Floyd. In the spirit of its name, The Endless River ends the same way that it begins. A bouncing, inquisitive guitar part fades in on the first track, then returns to fade out at the end. This cyclical quality makes it seem like the album never concludes, and one can’t help but assume this is an intentional move for the final album of Pink Floyd. Though their time together has come to an end, the music lives on.
Rating: A-
TV on the Radio mourn their fallen friend and comrade with austere and unvarnished pop music on Seeds ALBUM REVIEW
Seeds TV on the Radio By Brandon Danial The Daily Cardinal
Shortly after the release of Nine Types of Light in 2011, TV on the Radio’s bassist Gerard Smith passed away after a brief battle with lung cancer. Now several years later, TV on the Radio have delivered Seeds, which is in many ways a eulogy to Smith, expressing the band’s collective overcoming and acceptance of his loss.
Death is an unwanted variable that causes bands to traverse an abyss of emotion that (more often than not) adds a dimension of dark dreary undertones to the group’s style, which for better or worse, leaves a new impression on their sound. These influences surface regularly throughout Seeds. Several tracks, while seemingly tied to the loss of a lover, can be translated as lead singer Tunde Adebimpe’s personal struggle with Smith’s loss. But where most groups drown in their own sorrowful descent, TV on the Radio create progress out of a possible deterrence. No single member is recognized as the band’s leader, allowing everyone to contribute their own flair to each song. In terms of their stylistic range, this is TV on the Radio’s most reserved sound. But the lack of experimentation
lets them create a very polished album. Dave Sitek production layers extremely well with Jaleel Bunton’s drumming, adding a more sophisticated ensemble of percussion to their repertoire. But while the music may sound more refined, the band’s shared abilities aren’t utilized to their fullest extent, restricting a normally adventurous group to clean-cut riffs and less imaginative hooks. While less abstract, Seeds is enjoyable and creates buoyant melodies that uplift the brooding moments of introspect. It’s rare to see a band stay cohesive after a tragic event, but TV on the Radio has shown their resolve, and hopefully, learned that death can be conquered through music.
Rating: B
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opinion Aid funding needs to evolve past music 6
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Tuesday, November 18, 2014
LILLY HANSON Opinion Columnist
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he reworked version of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” single became available Monday, Nov. 17 and pre-orders on iTunes are already reaching $1 million. The Band Aid 30 project, led by Bob Geldof, features famous pop stars from the UK such as One Direction, Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran with the purpose of helping raise money for the fight against Ebola. But one has to ask the question: Is pop music the best way to tackle problems in the developing world? Would the world be better off without the ridiculous celebrity culture lecturing the general public via song to about issues such as Ebola, while doing double duty and promoting their business profiles and enhancing their earning powers? If we are picking things to point fingers at, we have to look at the media. We have the choice of reporting world issues as they seem or through the lens of an inaccurate portrayal. For whatever reason, and there are many good and bad, the Band Aid 30 project chose to treat the world like children and give a simple and erroneous message. Ebola is a complicated situation and the solutions are even more complicated, yet the media views Band Aid 30 as a simple solution to a complex problem. The problems of the world cannot be fixed with such a blatant lack of understanding of a complex problem. Anything that raises money
and awareness for the causes they support is a good thing. Because of this, I’m not saying that Band Aid 30 is a bad thing in that way. But the way the money is given, through empathy for people who don’t “know it’s Christmas time again”. Where the real problem lies for me is with the lyrics. While the lyrics have been changed from the original heavy criticized “there won’t be snow in Africa” line or the “well tonight thank God it’s them instead of you,” the song still remains to have the feel of singing about a continent of helpless people. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” is about singers who appoint themselves the representatives of “voiceless” Africans. But are the Africans really voiceless? The lyrics remain to paint a picture of an alarming Africa full of “dread and fear” and “there’s death in every tear.” I know I am on a touchy subject, and probably walking a fine line right now. I know that those suffering with the Ebola virus need all the help they can receive, but a song about dependent and vulnerable people is an immoral way to receive that help. I still encourage people to listen to the single and even buy it (only if you want to), but I also encourage more educated solutions to the Ebola outbreak. Doing something is better than doing nothing, and I am glad that the money raised by purchasing the single will be going to help those suffering with the Ebola virus. The growing Ebola crisis remains an easily ignorable news
dailycardinal.com
GRAPIC BY CAMERON GRAFF
ticker—hidden next to news stories of Kim Kardashian’s butt. The world needs blunt inspiration to give human tragedy abroad the deliberation it deserves. Band Aid 30 provides it with clunky
and patronizing lyrics. I wish people were not given a misleading portrayal of the continual helpless Africa while listening to One Direction belt the lyrics. Lilly Hanson is a fresh-
man columnist for The Daily Cardinal. How do you feel about the music industry taking the lead in raising aid? Please send your feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
Nuclear expansion poses the greatest threat to security PATRICK T. HILLER Letter To The Editor
D
id you notice? Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel just announced plans to massively “upgrade” the US nuclear arsenal. It might have been swallowed by other breaking and ongoing news: ISIS and another beheading, Ebola, Ferguson, or the historic comet landing of Philae – at least one positive story. In addition to local news, stories in my own community of Hood River, Oregon include the transport of coal and construction of coal terminals, blast zone determination for oil trains, or the legacy of the Hanford nuclear production complex, which was part of the Manhattan Project. Those unique or ongoing events certainly have their place in the news cycle and matter to us at different levels. Does that mean that we should numbly accept new plans by our government to revitalize systems which without doubt are the greatest threat to human survival? Did we forget that our President told the world in Prague in 2009 that America is committed to seek peace and security by creating a world without nuclear weapons, and for that announced intention received a Nobel Peace Prize?
The concerns outlined by Secretary Hagel could have provided an excellent opportunity to significantly implement the needed steps away from nuclear weapons. Cheating scandals on qualification tests or misconduct by top officers overseeing key nuclear programs certainly are worrisome. Even more worrisome is the fact that nuclear weapons still exist and are not considered an abnormality. The more troubling aspect of Hagel’s announcement is the broader nuclear modernization program. Making sure the so-called triad of strategic deliver systems grows, the Pentagon can plan for plenty of new missile submarines, new bombers and new and refurbished landbased missiles. The Monterey Institute of International Studies sums up their well-documented report: “Over the next thirty years, the United States plans to spend approximately $1 trillion maintaining the current arsenal, buying replacement systems, and upgrading existing nuclear bombs and warheads.” Even the most doubtful among us will see the contradiction between the commitment of seeking a world without nuclear weapons and “revamping the nuclear enterprise” as Hagel noted in his keynote speech at the
Reagan National Defense Forum last week. It appears that the absence of the Cold War and the soothing rhetoric about a world without nuclear weapons keeps us complacent--or can anyone imagine one million people demonstrating against nuclear weapons as they did in New York City in 1982? That same year was the largest exercise in direct democracy (voting on an issue rather than representatives to decide ‘our’ view) when voters in referenda in about half the states decided overwhelmingly to call for a freeze on research, development, production and deployment of nuclear weapons. I think we the people should make ourselves heard again. Conflict transformation experts help us articulate many, some of them are: First, nuclear deterrence is a myth and ought to be rejected by all people and governments. In the Santa Barbara Declaration by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation the major problems outlined with nuclear deterrence are: (1) its power to protect is a dangerous fabrication; (2) the assumption of rational leaders; (3) the threatening of mass murder is illegal and criminal; (4) it is immoral; (5) it diverts badly needed human and economic resources; (6) its ineffectiveness against non-state extrem-
ists; (7) its vulnerability to cyberattacks, sabotage and error; and (8) setting an example to pursue nuclear weapons as deterrence. Second, diminish the role of nuclear weapons in security policies. Once the “unthinkable” nuclear option no longer plays a central role in security planning, and once the nuclear weapons are de-coupled from conventional military forces, the elimination of nuclear arsenals can be facilitated. Third, don’t wait for conditions to be ripe. There is statistical certainty that a nuclear weapon will be used at some point. The only way to make sure it does not happen is to eliminate all. Fourth, encourage compliance with all international treaties and create new ones that will ban and eliminate all nuclear weapons worldwide. We are at a time in history where a Global Peace System created conditions for global collaboration through international laws and treaties. It is time for the United States to meaningfully participate in this system. Fifth, move our government toward unilateral disarmament. Without a nuclear arsenal we are not making anyone less secure. What if the United States would take the lead in a global “disarmament race”? After decades of international military interven-
tionism the United States might become a loved and respected country again. Sixth, recognize the role of nuclear weapons in the chain of global violence ranging from hand guns on the streets of Chicago to catastrophic environmental and humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons use. Violence and the threat of violence on all levels perpetuates violence. No Russian take-over of the Ukraine, Chinese territorial claims, or even Pakistani expansion of nuclear arsenal makes it any more logical to revitalize our nuclear arsenals. We can reject the myth of nuclear deterrence and we can help the government shift the spending priorities to healthcare, education, infrastructure, the environment, renewable energy, low income housing and many more important areas. Currently our public conscience is lacking urgency with regard to nuclear weapons. We owe it to ourselves and our children to activate this urgency and make the elimination of nuclear weapons a step toward a world beyond war. Patrick T. Hiller is a conflict transformation scholar. Tell us how you feel about the U.S.’s nuclear program and please send all of your feedback to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.
comics
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Today’s Sudoku
I’ve got a box full of letters
Anthro-apology Classic
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
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7
By Eric Wigdahl graphics@dailycardinal.com
© Puzzles by Pappocom
Angel Hair Pasta Classic
By Todd Stevens graphics@dailycardinal.com
Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
FACT OF THE DAY: A TYPICAL PENCIL HAS enough graphite to draw a line 35 miles long
Sid and Phil Classic
By Alex Lewein graphics@dailycardinal.com
Graph Giraffe Classic
By Yosef Lerner graphics@dailycardinal.com
Evil Bird Classic
By Yosef Lerner graphics@dailycardinal.com
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
I AM TRYING 2 BRK YR HRT
8 Two-toned cookie 4 49 Equipment for balancing 50 Feudal slave 51 World power until 1991 52 Harsh satire 54 Underground growth 56 Muhammad follower 57 Memorize 62 Abbreviation in an ad 63 Last thing bid? 64 About to explode 65 Before, to a sonneteer 66 Back, front and Scotland 67 Milo of “Barbarella”
3 Mascara’s target 2 24 Malaria ACROSS symptom 1 Object thrown in defeat 25 Be way off target 6 Clear a cribbage board 27 Shoo-___ (sure 11 Eliot Ness, e.g. things) 14 Rounded molding 31 Cattle moving 15 Kind of jacket tool 16 Two halves 33 Mary Kay 17 Conquer in a fury competitor 19 Common Olympics chant 34 “Anna Karenina” 20 Big toe woe author 21 It may be flared 37 Tourist transport 23 Dalai ___ 39 Manipulates 26 Overly inquisitive type 40 Hammer 28 Skillful wielding god 29 Opposed to, to Jethro 42 Stadium Bodine walkway 30 Hardly Herculean DOWN 43 Guy’s date 31 One working diligently at 1 Crib sheet user? 44 Network devices a trade 2 Eggs, to a biologist 45 Wear away 32 Suffers, as an injury 3 Stir-fry pan through erosion 34 Not suitable for serving 4 Tastefully fine 46 Less of an at shul 5 Timber wolf illusion 35 “___ got the whole world 6 Emotionally rattled 47 Famous French ...” 7 Ping-pong ball stopper impressionist 36 ___ out (relax completely) 8 Counterfeit (var.) 50 Accord maker 37 Cow comment 9 Box-score blemish 53 “Sure, why not?” 38 Fully anesthetized 10 Canine holders 55 Dayton’s state 41 Warners or Ringlings 11 Deck supports 58 Tie the knot (Abbr.) 12 Store, as fodder 59 Open-wide word 43 When California was 13 Blackjack “adversary” 60 66, e.g. (Abbr.) panned 1 8 1980s demographic 61 Coffee 45 Indo-___ languages group alternative 47 Informers, in slang 22 It may be spun at sea
The (Semi-)Daily Code
Waiting for Godot Thanksgiving
a
b
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e
f
g
h
i
j
k
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“M ger’x ks sr, M qywx ks sr.” Samuel Beckett’s delighful conclusion to “The Unnamable.” Start with one-letter words and words with apostrophes, find out how many places the alphabet has shifted, then use that knowledge to decipher the code.
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Sports
tuesday, november 18, 2014 DailyCardinal.com
Press Conference
Building off highly successful weekend By Shea Gallup the daily cardinal
It was a good week to be a Badger fan. The football team dominated Nebraska to remain tied with Minnesota for first in the Big Ten West. Men’s basketball raised last season’s Final Four banner and dominated both of its opponents. The volleyball team beat Iowa to earn their 15th consecutive victory. Both women’s hockey and women’s basketball added wins to their belts. The men’s and women’s cross country teams each punched their tickets to the national championship after strong finishes in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional. The athletic department recapped the weekend success and looked ahead to the
upcoming schedule at the weekly Monday press conference.
Volleyball
Wisconsin head coach Kelly Sheffield spoke about his team’s performance over the past few weeks and about the upcoming games this week. The Badgers have won 15 consecutive streaks. “It’s been very challenging, the schedule has been very, very challenging and the travel has been tougher,” Sheffield said about the streak. “We haven’t really looked at how many wins in a row we’ve done, but I think we’ve done a really good job of continuing to try to find ways to get better.” The Badgers play Illinois at home Wednesday and Ohio State on the road Friday. Both are Top 20 opponents. Sheffield is look-
Wil gibb/cardinal file photo
Volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield has No. 2 Wisconsin rolling lately, winning 15 straight matches to earn a 24-2 record.
ing forward to the opportunity to play at home. “We’ve got two more home matches, both of them are really, really close to sell-outs,” Sheffield said. “The fan support has been awesome and hopefully we will be able to win both of them.”
Men’s and Women’s cross country
It is a very exciting time for the cross country program as the men’s and women’s teams are both going to the national championship Saturday. “Obviously we’re extremely happy and excited about the performance of both squads. Both teams executed the race plan to perfection,” said UW Cross Country and Track and Field Director Mick Byrne. “On the women’s side we knew that it was going to be a battle of Big Ten teams. On the men’s side those young guys bunched up in a group and ran together the entire race, ran with great poise and great confidence.” Wisconsin has won 47 conference championships and is a regular at nationals year in and year out. “We can’t take any of this for granted, and especially with two young teams. They know that it’s a national championship,” Byrne said. “They’ve had some good success, they’re very confident and are excited.”
then you have a lot of confidence going into your next game.” The Badgers play Vanderbilt this Thursday at home. “They have always been very good, well coached. We try to play different SEC, ACC, Power Five opponents that are comparable to us, and will give us a good challenge,” said Kelsey. “We’re trying to play those teams that give us an opportunity to showcase our skills and look good when it’s selection time at the end of the year.”
Women’s basketball
Men’s hockey
The Badgers opened their regular season this past week with a victory over Illinois State. “We are very pleased to open last night’s season with a win,” said head coach Bobbie Kelsey. “It’s always nice to get the “W” just starting out of the gates because
emily buck/the daily cardinal
Sophomore forward Grant Besse leads the Badgers in shots with 21, but Wisconsin has still sputtered to an 0-6-0 start.
Coming off a weekend with no games, the men’s hockey team travels to Colorado this upcoming weekend. “One of the measurements will be how we play this weekend,” said head coach Mike Eaves. “The issues dealt with
fundamental things.” This week the Badgers will be playing two different teams— Colorado College Thursday and Denver Friday. They’ve been off to a slow start so far this year and Eaves was asked about the similarities between this team and the 2012 team that also got off to a slow start before turning it around and making the playoffs. But to do that again, Wisconsin must find a sparkplug to rally the team. “Guys like that are a huge factor. The difference is that we were a veteran team then, but now we’re a young team. But guys having been there are able to say, been there done that,” Eaves said. “The message comes down to controlling things you can control on a day-today basis. That’s the culture in the locker room right now and that’s a good one to get for these young guys to learn and understand that.”
After years of malaise, Bucks ready to own the future rushad machhi breaking shad
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hatever’s in the water in Milwaukee these days has certainly been working for the Bucks. After another exciting victory this past Sunday over the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat, they moved to 5-5, a record that might seem pedestrian to an average observer. But make no mistake, already having five wins before Thanksgiving seems like a miracle after last season’s 15-win debacle. While playing .500 ball the rest of the way out might be unrealistic (Milwaukee has had one of the easiest schedules so far), the high-flying Bucks should continue to be a joy to watch this season as they continue to provide hope for a bright future thanks to several bright young pieces. The first cog in the Bucks’ improved machine is point guard Brandon Knight, who finally looks to have balanced
his scoring and passing. Knight has shown an improved stroke from distance this season, swishing more than 40 percent of his triples. However, his passing, arguably the weakest aspect of his game in years past, might be his biggest improvement. After failing to eclipse more than five assists per game in any of his first three seasons, thus far Knight is dishing out almost 6.5 per game. Don’t trust per game stats? Fine, even the advanced ones indicate his growth as a point guard. His assist percentage, a stat that estimates the percentage of teammate’s field goals that player assisted on, has increased from 26.6 percent in 2013-’14 to 35.8 percent this season. This would have put him between Ricky Rubio and Kyle Lowry, both point guards highly regarded for their passing ability. If Knight continues his borderline all-star play, it looks like Milwaukee has found its long-term solution at point, provided they will shell out some money to keep him for the next several years. While the backcourt could
still use another piece next to Brandon Knight for the future (apologies to Jerryd Bayless and O.J. Mayo), Milwaukee has one of the most promising, talented and young frontlines in the league. After Larry Sanders pretty much took last season off, he’s back and looks close to regaining his 2012-’13 form as a defensive enforcer. Per Basketball-Reference. com, Sanders currently has the best individual defensive rating in the league, and his dominant shutdown of a red-hot Chris Bosh Sunday showed why he’s earned it. The lone issue thus far with Sanders has been his propensity to get into foul trouble, resulting in him having to sit for large chunks of games. Currently he averages over four fouls per game, limiting him to just over 22 minutes per game. However, if he can reduce his foul rate to his 2012-’13 level of just 3.2 per game, the Bucks will have their reliable rim protector and defensive centerpiece back. The ceiling on the Bucks is not infinitely high because of Sanders, but rather two young
studs that go by Giannis “Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker. Both have come out of the gate explosively, with Jabari having the fifth most dunks in the league, while Giannis sits a few spots behind at eighth, leading the Bucks to have the second most dunks total thus far per BasketballReference.com. While both are known for their athleticism, other aspects of their games have also been really impressive so far. Jabari seems to be improving and getting more assertive with every game, as he continues to be in the right place in the right time for many easy baskets. He will also be a force to be reckoned with in transition for many years to come. Giannis’ growth, both in terms of his literal height and his basketball game, have been utterly impressive so far. Now standing at a towering 6-foot-11 Giannis definitely improved his ball handling and court vision during the offseason, and it definitely shows. He has also figured out how to score in a variety of ways, posting up more, getting to
the rim more, and as a result, getting to the foul line more as well. If his game continues to advance incrementally like this, he will become a 6-foot-11 ball handling nightmare. While the sample size is definitely small, what I have seen from the Bucks thus far has me very excited. Do not get me wrong, I don’t expect Milwaukee to make the postseason (although it’s definitely possible in the awful Eastern Conference), and the players I have mentioned above still have lots of room for growth, such as outside shooting for both Giannis and Jabari, who have thus far underwhelmed from deep. With continued development and the addition of one more young talented piece, maybe The Pandas Friend (the artist formerly known as Ron Artest) will be correct in his prediction that Milwaukee will be a championship contender in three to five years. Have the Bucks finally gotten the right players to sustain success? Are Jabari and Giannis headed for stardom? Email machhi@wisc.edu and let him know your thoughts.