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Why is crunchy food so addictive? +SCIENCE, page 4
Weekend, Monday,January September 26-29, 11, 2017 2017
PUMPED UP CAMPUS +ARTS, page 5
UW business, engineering anticipate Foxconn needs
+SPORTS, page 8
By Maggie Chandler COLLEGE NEWS EDITOR
It’s no secret that engineering has been touted as one of the most in-demand fields. Now, engineering schools throughout the UW System have another reason to expand their programs—Foxconn. In July, it was announced that Foxconn, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, would invest $10 billion into Wisconsin’s economy to build a new plant in the southeastern part of the state. Company officials said it could create up to 13,000 jobs. After the announcement, several institutions began making pitches to Foxconn for funding in exchange for curriculum designed to produce engineers for the company. One of them was UW-Madison. Dean Ian Robertson of the College of Engineering said industry partners and recruiters want engineers with business
skills. At other university programs, business and engineering students take a set of common courses together, he said. As part of the program, students usually participate in a full-year senior design project, allowing for better communication skills. “The results from programs at other institutions [are] very positive, more job offers for both groups of students, higher starting salaries, and faster promotion,” Robertson said in an email. “This is the type of course I would like to see us develop at UW-Madison.” Currently, the UW-Madison School of Business offers programs for non-business majors, but Robertson said he thinks there could be more offered for engineering students. While he said business school Dean Anne Massey is also interested in forging stronger ties with engineering, the
two still have to meet. But for Paul Jadin, president of the Madison Regional Economic Development, an economic development agency for the Madison area, educators should also take other companies’ needs into account outside of just Foxconn. “I would not suggest that UW-Madison needs to retool its engineering program just to be more competitive for projects like Foxconn,” Jadin said. “My point is, don’t just assume Foxconn is the only attraction effort the state’s had and everything else has to be driven based on the reasons that they came here because everyone is very, very different.” Still, with the extra funding universities could receive from Foxconn, UW System schools are looking to make some changes; UW-Platteville, known for its engineering program,
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Trice and Ford: Bradenton Brothers
BETSY OSTERBERGER/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
Senior Selina Armenta co-founded Dreamers of UW-Madison to provide support to undocumented students.
Wisconsin Dreamer calls for advocacy, education following DACA announcement By Lawrence Andrea CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR
ILLUSTRATION BY LAURA MAHONEY/THE DAILY CARDINAL
The School of Engineering and the Wisconsin School of Business are looking to collaborate after the announcement Foxconn, a Taiwanesse electronics manufacturer, will open factwories in Wisconsin.
Trump’s education secretary vows to ax Obama-era campus sexual assault rules By Lilly Price STATE NEWS EDITOR
Universities across the country may have to rewrite their policies on how to handle investigations of sexual assault on campus, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced Thursday, although it does not appear UW-Madison will be affected. In a speech at George Mason University, DeVos said guidelines added by the Obama administration to the nation’s current sex discrimina-
tion laws ignore due process and have failed students. Obama-era guidelines on Title IX enforcement will be replaced with a new policy that ensures those students accused of sexual assault have the same rights as victims, Devos said. Although federal guidelines may change, universities would not necessarily be compelled to alter existing rules. The way sexual assault cases are handled at UW-Madison is not expected to change, according to Chancellor
Rebecca Blank. “We have worked hard to develop a set of policies and practices that serve our students well and we do not plan to change them,” Blank said in a statement. Blank went on to say she believes UW-Madison is fair, impartial and ensures victims and the accused have a fair process. DeVos, however, disagreed that the guidelines nationwide were fair.
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Selina Armenta was just three years old when she traveled from Mexico to the U.S. with family friends over 18 years ago. After President Donald Trump’s announcement last week to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, enacted under the Obama Administration to block the deportation of young people who immigrated to the United States without proper documentation as children, Armenta is worried not only for her future, but also for her family. Given the political climate of the past year, as well as what Armenta called UW-Madison’s “lack of action” in helping Madison’s undocumented population, Armenta co-founded a student organization, Dreamers of UW-Madison, last year. The organization aims to provide support for the self-described dreamers who “are dreaming for a better future and for better opportunities here in the U.S..” “We thought there was a need for some sort of support group or
some place to go for resources on our campus and in Madison, and there wasn’t a whole lot being done by the university itself,” Armenta said. “[UW-Madison was] very careful about what they said and could and couldn’t do. We decided to take the initiative and bring the organization to campus.” Aside from providing emotional support and guidance to undocumented immigrants, Armenta’s organization, which was founded last year, also encourages people to talk to their congressmen and legislators to pass the DREAM Act, which has already received support from representatives such as U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis.. Armenta—who has lived in Madison ever since traveling to the U.S. to meet her still-undocumented parents who arrived here a year before her— was not surprised when she heard the president’s decision to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. But she says the lack of clarity about the program’s fate has
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“…the “…the great great state state University University of of Wisconsin Wisconsin should should ever ever encourage encourage that that continual continual and and fearless fearless sifting sifting and and winnowing winnowing by by which which alone alone the the truth truth can can be be found.” found.”
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First Wave scholarship to take year off, re-evaluate program By Lawrence Andrea CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR
UW-Madison’s First Wave program, a four-year, full tuition hip-hop scholarship, will not be accepting applications for the 2018-’19 academic year. The decision to put the program on hold—the first time in its 10-year existence—comes amid talk of changes to the program that offers scholarships to artists across the country. The program may shift to a generalized art scholarship instead of being targeted to young hip-hop artists, according to Mary Carr Lee, the communications director of the Office of the Vice Provost and Chief Diversity Officer. She said the one-year break will allow the program’s three staff members to collaborate with students and alumni on how best to shape the program to support developing artists. “We’re looking to make [the program] stronger and provide more linkages to curricular units that support the development of artists and appreciators of art who and better align the mes-
saging of the program with what actually happens for the students who are in the program,” Lee said. “This will allow students to capitalize on the expertise of the arts faculty and the wrap around support services that is consistent with the rest of the scholarship programs that are in [the division].” The idea to broaden First Wave into a generalized art scholarship is not welcomed by senior First Wave student Ricardo Cortez de la Cruz II. De la Cruz said the program is already broad, and fears an attempt to expand it will take away opportunities for students who need scholarships. “People are getting it twisted that we are just hip-hop artists,” de la Cruz said. “We have painters, poets, rappers, the list goes on. I feel like broadening it is going to diminish the fact that we bring in minority students and people who actually need the scholarship.” Additionally, de la Cruz said broadening the scholarship would detract from its hip-hop
focus. He thinks this is especially detrimental in Madison, where bars are removing hiphop from their music selections. The Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement is also considering whether to continue allowing students from other colleges to transfer into the First Wave program. According to Lee, the division will examine if accepting transfer students is “congruent with the program’s first-yearinterest group model.” A transfer student himself—like many other First Wave students—De la Cruz said that, hopefully, the university will not make this change. He said without the scholarship opportunity, many students wouldn’t be able to attend a prestigious university like UW-Madison. “It is always good to take a step back and evaluate things in order to take three steps forward,” de la Cruz said. “I think that a lot of the things that are in discussion are still in discussion, so nothing is a set thing yet.”
BETSY OSTERBERGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
UW-Madison’s First Wave scholarship will not accept applications for the 2018-’19 academic year in order to discuss potential changes to the program with students, alumni and faculty.
foxconn from page 1 is also looking to develop a relationship with the company. Dr. Philip Parker, assistant dean for outreach and new ventures at UW-Platteville’s College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science said he thinks the relationship with Foxconn will be “a perfect fit” since the university is already geared towards workforce development. “Yes, we send some students to grad school, but by and large, we send students—engineers— directly to industry and businesses,” Parker said. “That’s kind of our niche is that I hear over and over that our students are ready to hit the ground running on day one and I think this will be true for Foxconn also.” Parker said the school hasn’t started planning curriculum around Foxconn yet, but the company did send a list of employment areas that they are specifically interested in. Existing programs such as the Master’s in Supply Chain Management already satisfy some of Foxconn’s desires and the Industrial Engineering Program is known for having business skills as a core part of the curriculum, Parker said.
“We have many areas that already directly align and our students work for companies like Foxconn anyways,” Parker said. “It’s not a stretch at all to say what we have currently is going to meet many of their needs.” Jadin agrees. UW-Madison’s research reputation was one draw for the company and Jadin welcomes the cross training approach—but it doesn’t necessarily mean the education programs in Wisconsin’s universities need to change, he said. “Those schools—UW-Madison and UW-Platteville—already have a very high-quality reputation,” Jadin said. “Our graduates in engineering are respected. It’s more about ‘Can we graduate more numbers in order to accommodate businesses that we’re attracting?’ as opposed to saying ‘Somehow we’ve got to find a new way to do things.’” Even with the interest in Foxconn, Parker said UW-Platteville has been working with a variety of businesses on making changes to the program long before the company’s announcement in July. A new class which Parker said will carry a title similar to “Leadership Competencies for Early Career Engineers” is a prime example. The class, which will be offered
during UW-Platteville’s winter break, was designed in a collaborative process between the school and 20-30 engineers. Educators will focus on behaviors that employers want from workers such as study priorities, communication skills, productivity and self-motivation, Parker said. “It’s cool because it’s not too often that you actually get to work collaboratively with the industry on designing a class—we work with the industry a ton,” Parker said. “We work with the industries on capsule design projects, on other class projects. We do field trips to industries. So we have a great relationship already, but this is pretty unique to have them at the virtual table designing a class.” Students will directly connect with engineer supervisors through guest presentations, which Parker said he thinks will help reinforce the importance of the behaviors that are being taught. “We don’t want to be the ivory tower. We cannot meet the needs of employers unless employers are at the table with us,” Parker said. “We are so focused on workforce development and we can’t say that—we can’t be that—unless we are joined at the hip with industry.”
ERIK FRANZE/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
Students looking for food carts on University Avenue at night will have to go elsewhere, thanks to a new city ordinance.
Will relocating late night eats curb crime? Some city lawmakers believe it could In efforts to reduce crime in the area, city officials are tweaking late night vending laws near a strip of downtown Madison bars. Two popular food carts, Little Chicago and JD’s, will be uprooted next weekend from their usual spots on the 600 block of University Avenue, after city council voted unanimously last Tuesday to restrict food carts from the area at night. The ordinance, co-sponsored by Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, and Ald. Zach Wood, District 8, is effective between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. It eliminates two vending zones off of University Avenue— one at the intersections of North Frances Street and the other at West Gilman Street. The move is designed to discourage loitering and crime at bar close time, Verveer told The Daily Cardinal.
“It was the concentration of these very popular food carts that led to concerns,” he said. Crime on the 600 block of University Avenue—which sees heavy late night foot traffic on the weekends because of the row of bars it encompasses—has recently spiked, according to city officials. Verveer said late night crowds in the area weren’t just ordering food and going. They’re hanging out, loitering and causing fights, he said. “I’m not going to say the problem is fixed yet,” Verveer said. “We’ve tried other strategies, and we’re hoping a combination of them will be effective.” Little Chicago and JD’s can then be found in areas where late night vending is permitted, including off of Lake Street. —Gina Heeb
DACA from page 1
undocumented immigrants. There is an “extensive” application process to qualify for DACA, she said. Hopeful applicants must confirm their identity, time spent in the U.S. and that they arrived in the country before DACA was passed in 2012. Moreover, those who have committed a felony or have more than three misdemeanors will not qualify. Renewal of the program—required every two years—costs $495, Armenta said. “It is not guaranteed that you’ll receive [access to the program],” Armenta said. “The repeal is affecting families, students and parents. Some recipients have kids and entire families started here. I just want people to look more into it and educate themselves before making assumptions.”
complicated things for her and her family, even as Congress tries to search for a solution. “I’m worried for my future because I intended to go to law school after graduating UW-Madison. Now, I’m not sure how soon that will be,” Armenta, a UW-Madison senior majoring in legal studies, said. “I’m worried for my family more than anything because, when you apply for the program, you release a lot of personal information and a lot of your family’s information.” Although Armenta is encouraged by the work of her club and her support group, she said many hold misconceptions of the program. She said one major misconception is that DACA is automatically given to
title nine from page 1 “The notion that a school must diminish due process rights to better serve the victim only creates more victims,” DeVos announced. She added that internal university investigations of sexual assault, where students and faculty act as “lawyers and judges,” lets both victims and the accused down. This is especially true when victims are re-traumatized by an accused student appealing the case, or when a student has to “sue their way to due process,” DeVos said. “Through intimidation and coercion, the failed system has clearly
pushed schools to overreach,” DeVos added. Her department is currently hearing from those involved in both sides of an investigation to replace Title IX with a “workable, effective and fair system.” Critics say changing current policy would weaken victims’ rights and perhaps deter them from reporting an assault. “It sends a frightening message to all students: Your government does not have your back if your rights are violated,” victim advocate group National Women’s Law Center said in a statement.
comics dailycardinal.com
Monday, September 11, 2017 • 3
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MadisonAreaPaganPride.org
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Monday, September 11, 2017
An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 127, Issue 4
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UW-Madison offers new course on social genomics
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Dear Ms. Scientist, Why do we crave crunchy foods? Bonnie P. Photo courtesy of creative commons
An artistic rendering of the structure of DNA, which carries our genetic information. By Cayla Guerra the daily cardinal
The human genome is like a blueprint that lays out how each of us are built, how we function in society and sometimes even how we die. The rapidly expanding field of genetics encompasses everything, from the nucleotides that write the code to the way we treat one another. Social genomics is a new field that merges sociology with genetics. It asks how our genes affect our functions in society. Social genomics is a topic of interest to Jason Fletcher, professor of public affairs and sociology in the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison. He will be teaching a sociology class on this topic this fall, called Molecular Me: Social Implications of the Genetic Revolution. A significant number of people who haven’t had much experience with genetics are fearful as the field expands rapidly. One of their main concerns is eugenics. The idea that genomics may change a person’s race was severely perverted by Nazis in World War II. Learning more about social genomics is important to avoiding these atrocities in the future. “Race doesn’t capture genetic differences very well at all. The mechanism of discrimination isn’t directly genetic; it is completely human and made up,” Fletcher said. “People are very reasonably scared, but one of the main ways to combat it is to get educated,” Fletcher added. Getting educated about social genomics can help the public understand how sociology is impacted by genetics in the past, today and in the future. Fletcher’s course, Molecular Me: Social Implications of the Genetic Revolution, aims to give students a well-rounded education in sociology with a genetic twist. The influence of social genomics is far-reaching. Education itself could be drastically changed by applying social genomics. For example, personalized education isn’t far off, where the educational needs of the individual are tailored for them at a very young age. “Maybe we find an early diagnostic tool in the genome for
diseases like dyslexia, autism or ADHD. They would be able to be uncovered genetically very early in the person’s life. So there’s some possibility that as the genetic tools of prediction get stronger, we could provide additional resources for people who have those disorders at a much earlier age,” Fletcher said. The plausibility of personalized education programs are increasing rapidly. Along with it, there may be a rising need for people to address any issues that may arise because of these programs. In order to be equipped to deal with potential issues, these pioneering sociologists and policy makers will need to be educated in the field of social genomics. “Genetic information is not a deterministic factor, just a predictor. ADHD and autism, for example, are not single gene mutations. You’re going to miss some cases and misdiagnose some. So we need the policy makers to consider this when making decisions about implementation,” Fletcher said. Fletcher’s unique course will help prepare future policy makers for such circumstances, when genetic information alone isn’t sufficient. A basic understanding of genetics and how it plays into policy will be essential for well-informed decisions in the near future. “It could be that only kids of wealthy parents are able to take advantage of those kinds of tests. Maybe it’s mostly wealthy families or schools that can pay, which would increase stratification because low-income children wouldn’t have access to those resources,” Fletcher said. It is imperative that the next generation of social workers, childcare specialists and teachers are cognizant and informed on the issues that may arise due to personalized education. This will allow them to advocate for people in situations like the one Fletcher described. Environmental factors are also becoming more and more important in genetics, and the total merger between the environment a person is raised in and their genome is very near. Epigenetics looks deeply into how a person’s environment affects who they are and what they pass on. “Epigenetics really brings back the environment to be
central. It plays a major role. Anything from nutrition or stress could be flipping switches that turn up and down our genes,” Fletcher said. The epigenome controls how your genes are expressed and when. That means they can change minute to minute and are dependent on a person’s circumstances. Examples of this can be found in acquired traits that famine survivors passed down to their grandchildren. Geneticists and biologists will need to keep in mind epigenetics and sociological differences when researching, because the synergism of sociology and genetics is becoming increasingly evident. Another trend on the rise today is genetics in social media. Fletcher isn’t concerned with sharing his genetic information with sites like 23andMe which can become public. In fact, he predicts that a dating site based partially on genetic traits is coming sooner than we think. Non-private DNA seems to be around the corner. “I’m less concerned with confidentiality—it’s like how a lot of people use social media, which definitely isn’t private. Same thing for DNA companies; it’s not private. I think there’s a big chance of a data hack on these companies. Where you’d be worried is if you had genetic traits that increase your chance for disease,” said Fletcher. The advent of non-private DNA will raise some important legal issues. Will people be able to access DNA from their partners or spouses to learn what diseases they are predisposed to? Will people be obligated to know if they themselves carry certain genetic traits that predispose them to a disease? Lawyers may have an increase of cases like these in future, making an understanding of social genomics ever more important to strengthen their ability to serve the public. An education in social genomics will be vital to almost everyone in the next generation of the workforce. If students are interested in enrolling in Jason Fletcher’s social genomics course, search “Soc 496” on the course guide in MyUW for the Fall 2017 term. It is an advanced level special topics sociology course and is L&S credit type C.
When I sit down with a big bowl of crunchy potato chips, there is a one hundred percent chance they’ll be gone by the time I get up. Crispy, crunchy and fried foods are delicious, and most people, including me, crave them. Crispy is a lot better than soggy or mushy. Why does our brain crave something that isn’t really good for us? The answer to this lies in our senses. We eat constantly. As a result, habituation causes our brains to lose appreciation for the taste and smell of many foods (this is why you get sick of eating the same food over and over again). However, crunchy foods are noisy and activate our sense of hearing. This means our senses of hearing, taste and smell are engaged. When crunchy foods activate these three different senses, this deviates from our usual habituation and thus is pleasurable for our brain. So remember, next time you’re enjoying some crunchy fried chicken, it’s appealing not only to your sense of smell and taste, but also to your sense of hearing.
Dear Ms. Scientist, Is my dog really color blind? Clyde B. No, they actually aren’t! Dogs can absolutely see color, but they see a more limited color range than we do. While we can see the colors of a rainbow, a dog would most likely see various shades of gray, blue and yellow. The reason for this difference between man and his best friend lies in the cone cells that exist in our eyes. Cone cells are the color receptors in our eyes that are responsible for our color vision. There are typically three different types of cones in mammalian eyes, all of which detect different wavelengths of light. When these three types of cones are combined together, they are able to sense a full color spectrum. As humans, we have all three cone types, but dogs only have two types of cones. Because they have some cones, dogs can still see some colors, but without all three, they see fewer colors than we do. So maybe next time when you’re thinking of buying a new dog toy for your dog at home, think about buying a yellow toy instead of a red one!
Ask Ms. Scientist is written by Maggie Liu and Jordan Gaal. Burning science question? Email us at science@dailycardinal.com
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Monday, September 11, 2017
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Essay compilation on alien life asks: where is everybody? By Lucas Sczygelski THE DAILY CARDINAL
Dr. David Bowman, orbiting Jupiter, is preparing to leave his spaceship. By this point in “2001: A Space Odyssey,” the onboard computer, HAL 9000, has murdered his fellow astronauts with the kind of unsmiling single-mindedness we’ve come to expect of artificial intelligence. Bowman slips his sweating forehead into the dome of a helmet and switches the wretched computer off, then opens the ship’s bay door to meet an entirely different category of intelligence on the other side. Contentedly orbiting Jupiter is the alien Monolith, with its perfectly straight surfaces, its inert intelligence boiling under glassy black panels. No, this is not the kind of extraterrestrial life our imaginations yearn for. Where are the little green men, we ask, with their tentacles and their eyes, with their flying saucers and their warp drives? But according to a new collection of essays written by some of the world’s preeminent cosmologists, astrophysicists and geneticists, assembled and edited by Jim Al-Khalili, Clarke and Kubrick’s 1968 science-fiction film might be more correct than any of our popular imaginings; the gleaming monolith, a foreign and nonbiological intelligence, might be the best we can hope for. The authors of “Aliens: The World’s Leading Scientists on the Search for Extraterrestrial Life” ask the question “Where is everybody?” and come back with predictably scattershot answers. It’s a question humanity has tried answering before. In 1870, the British astronomer Richard Proctor looked up at Venus, with its thick atmosphere, and nodded. Yes, he said, it’s definitely got life: Probably at the poles. We used to believe there was life on Mars too, huddled around the imaginary canali so confidently etched onto Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli’s 1877 map of Mars. Well, we know how both
of those assumptions turned out. Astro-geniuses of one day are recast as drooling schizophrenics in the next, firmly planted in pitiable ignorance. There’s a Bob Dylan line about this kind of thing; “Inside the museums, infinity goes up on trial.” Well, if you visit a science museum, you’ll see the guilty verdicts as read: Aristotle, Ptolemy, Proctor, Schiaparelli. All wrong in their own way, all laughed at by the next whiz kid. As we learn more about the universe, it pushes back, getting stranger, sneering at more PhDs. “This is the position of the universe with regard to human life,” Martin Amis writes in his novel, “The Information.” “The history of increasing Humiliation, dear sirs, proceeds apace.” So what are the scientists doing now to answer the question? The SETI program is still chugging away, scanning the skies for the faint blip of a radio wave, a surefire sign of intelligent life. We haven’t heard anything yet. According to Matthew Cobb, an evolutionary zoologist, this is because there are no alien civilizations. We’re truly alone—or we’re only accompanied by unintelligent prokaryotes, quietly stinking up some far-away rock. “We can be beguiled by our unique abilities, and indeed by the very fact of our existence, into imagining that our evolution was the expression of evolutionary trends toward increased intelligence, and that given the immensity of space, these tendencies will be repeated on other worlds,” Cobb writes. “None of this is true. There is no direction to evolution … Even if we accept that abiogenesis [the creation of living matter from non-living components] is a relatively trivial event, that would almost certainly mean that we live in a Universe of slime, populated at best by unicellular biofilms aggregating on the surfaces of exoplanets.” The other possibility, insists cosmologist Martin Rees, is that
PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
Research suggests alien life doesn’t look the way we might think.
other intelligent life has already evolved beyond its organic sheathing into a non-biological intelligence that we couldn’t comprehend if we tried, like the Monolith in “2001.” How would we communicate with that? What would it think about softbodied things like us? “Life on a planet around a star older than the Sun could have had a head start of a billion years or more … It may be only one or two more centuries before humans are overtaken or transcended by inorganic intelligence, which will then persist, continuing to evolve, for billions of years,” Rees writes. “This suggests that if we were to detect ET, it would be far more likely to be inorganic: we would be most unlikely to ‘catch’ alien intelligence in the brief sliver of time when it was still in organic form.” Both outcomes are rather distressing. After hearing this, what are we supposed to do with science-fiction novels, movies and comics? Science-fiction aliens, with their damp grey skin and their slanting nostrils, with their fizzing intellects and their mindbending spaceships, just won’t elicit the same shuddering gasps of “what if ?” anymore. Books by Asimov or Card, Herbert or Wells will be met with a condescending smirk as the wised-up 21st century reader tosses the yellowed paperback aside for more realistic fare. Surely we would have heard from the likes of them by now, s/he’ll say. With a soft thud, the earnest science-fiction writers join the aforementioned astronomers in defeat. A few of the book’s essayists hold out hope. Here’s the astrophysicist Sara Seager: “I must confess that I allow myself to speculate and daydream, because I am part of the first generation who has it within our reach to find signs of microbial life.” With a technique she helped develop, scientists plan to use highpowered telescopes to detect the biosignatures of exoplanets— compounds like Earth’s oxygen, which normally reacts with other compounds, but makes up 20 percent of our planet’s atmosphere because of continuous photosynthesis. Within our lifetime, the data will start rolling in. Louisa Preston even remains optimistic about life on moons in our own solar system. Sure, a 62-mile-thick sheet of ice covers Europa, and liquid bodies of methane and ethane slosh on Titan’s frigid surface—but you never know. For now, we’ll just have to speculate. Martin Amis once again puts it best, this time from his novel, “The Pregnant Widow”: “We don’t understand the stars, we don’t understand the galaxy. The night is more intelligent than we are—many Einsteins more intelligent.” Amis’ character, planted on a park bench, proceeds to “[sit] on, under the intelligence of the night.” If the scientists assembled in “Aliens” are to be trusted, then that’s all we can do—sit down, look up at the stars and revel in how little we know.
JON YOON/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Foster the People played in Madison for the first time on Saturday.
Foster the People set the bar high for concerts this year By Logan Rude THE DAILY CARDINAL
As the first major concert of the semester, Foster the People’s sold-out show at the Orpheum was a triumphant success. Breaking into the mainstream with their hit single, “Pumped Up Kicks,” Foster the People have been a mainstay in alt-rock since 2011. However, Saturday marked the band’s very first appearance in Madison. Fans came out in droves to see their musical darlings. With a line that stretched halfway down the 100 Block of Johnson Street, it became abundantly clear that the fans would convey their excitement shown in line to a raucous display of affection during the show. As guests poured in, the crowd began to move like the ocean— ebbing and flowing toward and away from the stage as wave after wave of eager fans fought for the best spots available. Opening for the headliners were California-based indie pop band Palm Springsteen. Combining heavy reverb and synths with a pop-oriented sound, Palm Springsteen were fantastic openers for Foster the People. Their brief set was just enough to leave audience members craving more music before the headliners arrived. Not only did their performance get the crowd excited, but the band clearly attracted a handful of new fans with their contagious sound. After a soundcheck that lasted nearly an hour, Foster the People finally emerged into the smoke-filled theater. Kicking off the show with a series of tracks from their new record, Sacred Hearts Club, the theater was enveloped in bass so heavy my organs felt like they might burst. A slight departure from the group’s previous work, songs from Sacred Hearts Club were clearly influenced by hip-hop and EDM production. Despite this new aesthetic for the band, they were still able to hold on to what made their previous albums so enjoyable. A dizzying light show synced to the pace of the beat accompanied every song, creating visuals that took the performance to a new level. Despite the Orpheum’s small size, it seemed as though Foster
the People were performing for an audience of thousands. Following a succession of tracks from Torches and Sacred Hearts Club , the band finally broke into tracks from their sophomore album, Supermodel. The psychedelically-inspired songs served as a gorgeous bridge to the massive finale. Near the end of the set, frontman Mark Foster participated in the age-old tradition of preaching about music’s power to unite people from different walks of life. While the speech was as cliché as they come, Foster had a point. There was a feeling that the fans had a genuine connection to the music the band had created over the years—a connection that I haven’t felt at a show in a very long time. Immediately after his speech, Foster broke into a stunning rendition of the track “Sit Next to Me”—one of the lead singles from Sacred Hearts Club. Fueled by an overwhelming sense of bliss and unity, the audience sang along to the chorus word for word. Then, as expected, Foster the People closed down the show with two tracks from their debut album. The anthemic “Miss You” provided an extended instrumental to which heads, hands and bodies could be seen bouncing up and down recklessly. The lights went dark and everyone waited patiently for the most highly-anticipated song of the night: “Pumped Up Kicks.” Screams of excitement rang out as soon as the iconic opening drum-and-synth combo rang through the theater. The infectious whistling near the end of the track combined with an acoustic break made for a serene conclusion to a show of massive proportions. After their clearly successful Madison debut, fans could be heard raving about the show as the full house slowly emptied into the dimly lit State Street. With a staggering amount of concerts soon to come in Madison, Foster the People set the bar unbelievably high for upcoming artists. If other bands can capture the energy and excitement that Foster the People brought, then we are in for a spectacular collection of concerts this fall.
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Hurricane Irma relief not proactive enough for elderly Floridians HANNAH SCHWARZ opinion columnist
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PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
Colin Kaepernick has not been signed as a starting quarterback because of his National Anthem protest.
NFL needs to accept social responsibility SAMANTHA WILCOX opinion editor
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merica’s No. 1 television show is back. This week marks the triumphant return of the NFL, which consistently rakes in millions of passionate viewers across the nation. Rabid fans flock to their couches with decades-old jerseys, cherished lucky charms and their pored-over fantasy rosters to watch the epic matchups of the weekend. However, this year one key player won’t be on the field. Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick opted out of his contract this year, making him a free agent for the 2017-’18 season. However, despite his impressive resumé, there are no starting position offers in sight. Last year, Kaepernick made the controversial decision to kneel during the National Anthem in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. He said, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Despite [Kaepernick’s] impressive resumé, there are no starting position offers in sight. His protest was met with loud opposition, as well as loud praise. Many were appalled by his lack of respect for the flag, and for the lives that have been sacrificed in order to protect it. Others were overcome by his bravery to put his future on the line in order to further such an important social cause.
While there are many in support of Kaepernick, NFL teams are hesitant to sign a player who is so polarizing. Despite Kaepernick’s impressive resumé—he brought the formerly tired 49ers to a Super Bowl after a half season as starting quarterback—NFL front offices are hesitant to sign him because of the backlash they would receive.
Now is not the time for the NFL to sit quietly in the corner.
The NFL has a huge social influence in this country. Players are idolized; teams are worshipped. It is cowardly for teams to choose not to sign a talented and qualified quarterback because they don’t want to take a stance on an issue that is affecting millions in this country. Remaining silent on major issues when people’s lives are literally on the line is something that the NFL is unfortunately not new to. In 2014, the NFL famously bumbled Ray Rice’s domestic violence punishment. Rice dragged his then-fiancée’s unconscious body out of an elevator after knocking her out. While he was indicted by a grand jury for third-degree aggravated assault, he was merely suspended for two games by the NFL. The backlash against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the rest of the NFL is still strong for their lack of tact and total insensitivity towards how the league treats domestic violence. Now, the league has cracked down on players accused of violence against their partners, but it continues to be a pandemic issue across the league. By choosing to ice out Kaepernick because of his
social statement, the NFL is siding against millions of people who acknowledge the truth that African-Americans are unfairly discriminated against by law enforcement. While kneeling during the national anthem is a controversial choice, it is protected under the Constitution as free speech and should not get in the way of his talent getting him a starting position for an NFL team. The NFL should take this moment to realize that their actions regarding Kaepernick will help sway the nation. While some are rightfully angered by Kaepernick’s disrespect towards the flag and those who have fought for it, he is ultimately fighting for an equally valiant cause. By looking at the bigger picture instead of focusing on their profits and season ratings, the NFL could be a part of a national conversation regarding racial inequality, and could perhaps even help to turn the tides and help improve the lives of millions.
t looks as though America cannot get a break from the devastating tropical storms as Hurricane Irma barrels towards Florida and the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas. Civilians are trying to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey as Hurricane Irma gets closer to Florida by the minute. In one of the country’s hours of need, it is difficult to not be frustrated and disappointed in the Trump administration’s lack of initiative to handle these national disasters. A few days ago, the House passed a bill that gave over $15 billion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide aid for those who were affected by Hurricane Harvey, leaving little funds to the citizens who are just beginning to deal with Irma. Rick Scott, Florida’s governor, called for people to evacuate their homes on Saturday evening, but leaving their houses in dangerous weather is not possible for the majority of retired citizens who live on the coasts of Florida. Many older Floridians, like my grandparents, have chosen to wait out the hurricane in their homes. The sad reality for older residents is that there is no feasible way for them to leave the state. Flights arriving and leaving Florida have been cancelled and driving in a vicious storm would be more unsafe than staying in their homes. Having many citizens stay in their houses is not an acceptable option when they have no access to food and clean water once the storms hits. The passivity of the President’s actions is best exemplified by his tweet: “Hurricane looks like largest ever recorded in the Atlantic!” The tweet has an oddly positive tone when people are fearing for their lives and homes. This tweet has been followed by other tweets with weather updates and telling citizens to listen to their government officials for guidance, when the
president himself should be the one leading the effort to protect people from the hurricane. One would think there would be a greater sense of urgency from the government to help evacuate people from Florida after the flooding destroyed people’s homes in Texas and left thousands stranded in water, but once again their actions are passive. More resources should be allocated to getting people out of their homes before the storm hits rather than waiting for the storm to reach its peak. People who are stuck in their homes need to be rescued and more government funding has to go to setting up shelters for displaced Floridians to stay. It is upsetting to me that our taxes have gone to transporting Trump to his various private golf courses and campaign rallies when this money could be put to better use in times of crisis. Once again while people are in states of disaster, Trump, his cabinet members and their spouses have retreated to Camp David in Maryland to deal with the hurricane. There is a sense of uneasiness among the American people as our President is unable to take action and help those who are struggling to survive the storm. Trump is the nation’s leader, and in times of despair, we need guidance the most. The president is supposed to be a beacon of light guiding us out of the dark, but Trump has left citizens in the dark with no way out. Our only hope to get through this difficult time is to rely on each other as American citizens and light our own path through the dark. Hannah is a junior majoring in communication arts. What are your thoughts on the way Trump and his administration have handled Hurricane Irma? Please send any and all questions, comments and concerns to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
Players are idolized; teams are worshipped.
Now is not the time for the NFL to sit quietly in the corner, letting the Kaepernick situation play itself out and hopefully be forgotten. It is their opportunity to prove that they care about the wellbeing of the nation, and are willing to use their power and influence in order to help change the climate for the better. Samantha is a junior majoring in journalism and communication arts. What are your thoughts on Kaepernick not getting signed? Is his national anthem protest the reason? Does the NFL need to pick a side? Please send questions to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF UW-AOS
Hurricane Irma is currently wracking the state of Florida.
almanac dailycardinal.com
Monday, September 11, 2017
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First assignment in engineering course syllabus just brags about class difficulty By Ayomide Awosika THE DAILY CARDINAL
Late Tuesday night every student enrolled in Mechanical Engineering 201: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering received an email from their professor with the class syllabus attached. The syllabus outlined the criteria for grades, the dates of their five midterms and most importantly their assignments for the semester, the first of which piqued the interest of the majority of students. Concerning this assignment their professor wrote: “Due Friday, September 8th, every student enrolled in this course must prepare a list of sentences discussing the difficulty of this class and their engineering major in its entirety. Students must be prepared to answer
any question, statement or comment (directed to them or otherwise) pertaining to difficulty of any variety with a swift rebuttal about how hard their classes and majors are.
“Classes haven’t started yet and we already have an assigment. What other majors have to deal with stuff like this?” Ken G. Neer UW-Madison freshman
“There will be no volunteers; students will be chosen at random. Failure to complete the assignment will result in removal from class and expulsion from the School of Engineering.” After receiving news of
this, the Cardinal reached out to incoming mechanical engineering major Ken G. Neer who seemed more than up to the task. “My brother told me it would be difficult, but I never imagined being an engineering major would be this difficult.” He continued, “I mean, classes haven’t started yet and we already have an assignment. What other majors have to deal with stuff like this?” When asked if he was prepared to be randomly selected he replied, “I didn’t sleep a wink last night; I’ve just been working on this assignment.” When Cardinal reporters later mentioned this to the course’s professor, he seemed proud, saying, “That kid, Ken, is going to go far in this world. That kind of dedication and it
PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
Madison engineering students prepare a speech for their classes. isn’t even day one yet?” He continued, “Also, this isn’t in the syllabus, but their final project is going to be my students ver-
sus the pre-med kids. Whoever complains the most throughout the semester gets a better curve on their final exam.”
Man contests public urination charges, citing self-defense By Marc Tost THE DAILY CARDINAL
PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
An image Madison police are placing below stop signs on State.
Early Wednesday morning, Madison resident Holden W. Magroin was released from Dane County Sheriff ’s Department after being arrested on Regent Street the previous night and charged with public intoxication as well as public urination. A source who wishes to remain anonymous reports that during an allegedly “painfully silent” car ride home with his wife, Magroin announced that
he would be going to court to fight the charges. The source went on the disclose that when pressed on how he would oppose the charge, the accused urinator replied “Umm ... see, the thing is … well, where was I? It was self-defense!” The source stated the opinion that this seemed to be made up on the spot and postulated that it may have originated with Magroin’s love of national news stories. Cardinal reporters caught up with Magroin later in the week
to uncover more on the story. He was quoted saying: “Here’s the thing: Was I drunk? That’s for the court to decide. I really had no choice on the matter. I was walking completely normally down an alley on the way home from the pub—I mean ... church!—when this stop sign started leaning towards me. I didn’t feel safe, so I took the only action I could to protect myself.” When asked for more details, Magroin simply stated that he had been in church Tuesday night from 8-11:30 with
his friend Dave. Dave could not be reached for comment. When asked for a comment on the story, arresting officer Charlie McCop stated that he had observed Magroin stumble out of a bar, named Whiskey’s Church, start shouting wildly about how dark it was and then proceeded to urinate on a stop sign. At this point, McCop felt that he “had no choice but to arrest the clearly inebriated man.” At press time, McCop was apprehending a different man urinating on the same stop sign.
Study finds immature behavior, vulgar language clinically linked to regular Monster energy drink consumption By Patrick Hoeppner THE DAILY CARDINAL
Monster Energy has found itself under public scrutiny in recent days after a University of Wisconsin study released Friday established a correlation between excessive consumption of the energy drink and immature, verbally belligerent behavior. “Based on the parameters we have noticed,” a leading researcher at the University of Wisconsin said, “it is evident that mere exposure to the Monster Energy brand elicits an adverse reaction in some of the consumers, namely those who expose themselves to the accelerant and then engage in highly stimulating activities, such as video games.”
“Imagine turning the entire convention center into one giant test tube, without a control group, and zero operational parameters.” John Kaffeine Researcher UW-Madison
The global sports drink brand, highly recognizable for its role in promoting action sports events like motocross, snowboarding and monster truck derbies, has come under global scrutiny in recent weeks for its links to adverse behavior among several professional
video game athletes. Additionally, the logo’s ubiquitous presence on extreme sports jerseys, mixed martial arts octagons and various strains of third-rate apparel has established the threeclawed swipe as one of the world’s most damaged brands. “[The Major League Gaming Convention] gave us a perfect testing ground to see just how Monster affects people’s frontal lobes,” a UW researcher said. “Imagine turning the entire convention center into one giant test tube, without a control group, and zero operational parameters.” The communication link of one gamer, StarFox69, was cut after a torrent of profanity poured from his gaming headset. Subjects and expletives included the mothers of opposing gamers, the responsiveness of his teammates and Gov. Scott Walker. “He just started going bonkers,” said one of the MLG gamers surveyed, “and went off the rails.” Analysts of StarFox69’s behavior describe the erratic nature of his comments and the precise placement of the verbal outburst, occurring immediately after the consumption of six units of Monster—equivalent to over fifty ounces, or three pounds, of concentrated liquid adrenaline. “Kids are playing video games younger and younger,” a leading scientist said, “and with that exposure comes related exposure to substances—much like facing the pressures associated with socializing at a top-ranked party school. We can only hope that kids are responsible with their choices while engaging in these games.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
A sample of Monster Energy Drink, collected from the drinks distributed at the Major League Gaming Convention.
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dailycardinal.com
Football
UW may have just found its next great runningback in Jonathan Taylor Sebastian van bastelaer
Unopinionated Growing up as a kid in the D.C. area, Wisconsin football was a program in my periphery. Unlike a majority of current UW cohorts, Badger football wasn’t part of a weekly routine for me, nor was I constantly aware of their year-toyear roster and coaching changes. I’d take note in the wake of big wins and losses (Big Ten titles, the Ohio State win in 2010, the Kirk Cousins Hail Mary in 2011), but for the most part, they were just another program in my eyes. While that would come to drastically change, there was one thing that always came to mind when I thought of Wisconsin football (as it does for most people), and that was the run game. So since I’ve arrived on campus, I’ve been surprised to bear witness to two seasons of Badger football that lacked the physicality and consistent success on the ground with which this program had become synonymous. While the playcalling hadn’t changed much and a commitment to running the football remains entrenched in the coaching philosophy, there was a slight disconnect between the expectations and the reality. The physically dominant offensive lines opening massive holes at the line of scrim-
mage, and the cadre of supremely talented running backs that would run through said holes, were often nowhere to be found. Needless to say, this program has been more than fine in the past several years. The defense, which has traditionally been a strength, has risen to new heights. Winning the time-of-possession battle continues to be a trademark of Wisconsin football, as the running game, while occasionally sputtering, still usually does enough to keep the ball out of the opponents’ hands. Furthermore, the dip in production in the run game since the days of Melvin Gordon and his illustrious predecessors can be somewhat explained by injuries to both the offensive line and running back groups and a foolhardy change in recruiting strategy by Gary Anderson’s coaching staff. As a result, however, many Badgers fans have been pining for a return to the days of backs who can rack up 100yard games, running behind behemoth offensive lines who will impose their will on the opposing defenses. Well, those days of waiting may be over. Salvation has arrived, and its name is Jonathan Taylor. I’ve generally been one to preach caution, particularly when young players have big games against vastly inferior competition, but I’m disregarding that creed in this situation. I’m all-in. While the Badgers will certainly have to face far stronger defenses in the coming months than they did in
the first two games of the campaign, sometimes you can just tell when a player will be special. Taylor has shown the vision, patience and physical ability to be an absolute superstar at the position. He still has much to learn, and will certainly accumulate the requisite bumps and bruises on his way to fulfilling his potential. But the potential is clearly there. Furthermore, an offensive line that was unable to jell and consistently stay healthy over the past couple years has taken a big step, and it showed against FAU on Saturday. Taylor was often given great blocking, and even when he wasn’t, he still showed his ability to make something out of nothing. This ability to make defenders miss certainly makes the line look better, as does Alex Hornibrook’s recent discovery that he is allowed to move around behind the line of scrimmage in order to avoid sacks. Continued offensive success will bring the line closer, instill more confidence and improve their overall play. The real tests have yet to come, and the running game may suffer due to its inexperience or—god forbid—further injuries as the season wears on. Perhaps I’m jumping to conclusions too quickly. Maybe the glory days of the running game haven’t quite returned. But let me have this. As a fan who was unable to see the likes of Gordon, Ball, White, Clay, Dayne and others in person, it’s really nice to be able to say: Now this is Wisconsin football.
Jonathan Taylor Week Two Stats Rush yards: Yards per carry: 223 8.6 Touchdowns: Longest run: 3 64 yards Jonathan Taylor became the fourth true freshman in Wisconsin history to rush for at least 200 yards in a game. The previous three were Alan Ameche (1951), Ron Dayne (1996, five times) and Zach Brown (2007)
Cameron Lane-Flehinger/the daily cardinal
Jonathan Taylor had a historic day against FAU, and will look to continue that momentum against BYU.
Cameron Lane-Flehinger/the daily cardinal
Derrick Tindal thinks UW’s secondary will continue to improve.
Wisconsin still has mistakes to correct, despite decisive victory By Jake Nisse The Daily Cardinal
Wisconsin (0-0 Big Ten, 2-0 overall) defeated Florida Atlantic (0-0, 0-2) in a comfortable 17-point victory on Saturday, but a couple of crucial mistakes allowed the Owls to stay in the game for longer than expected. Florida Atlantic head coach Lane Kiffin’s team trailed just 21-14 with 4:29 remaining in the first half, but the Badgers cleaned up their play after that point, closing the game on a 10-0 run. The first of Wisconsin’s major mistakes was a blown coverage in the first quarter which left Florida Atlantic junior wide receiver DeAndre McNeal wide open for a 63-yard score. According to senior cornerback Derrick Tindal, there was miscommunication between him and the other defensive backs—Tindal expected safety help over the top, and, accordingly, moved infield instead of following the Owls’ receiver, leaving him wide open on the sideline with nothing but the end zone in front of him. “I should’ve done a better job of relaying it to the corner [Nelson], and I didn’t, and it turned into a big play,” Tindal said. “We gotta fix that.” Still, Tindal and his fellow defensive backs did adjust, not allowing another big score in the second half. The Badgers, led by improved secondary play after halftime, recorded a second-half shutout for the second consecutive week. The senior felt his unit communicated better in the second half, and the results corroborate his opinion. Now, he says, they just have to make sure to eliminate those costly mistakes that result in big plays and seven points for their opponents. “I feel like if we know our plays and stuff nobody can really move the ball on us,” Tindal said. “Nobody can actually line up and beat [junior cornerback] Nick [Nelson] on a go route, or beat me on a go route. I have major confidence in my whole back end, and we’ll fix it.” Another player who will be hoping for a cleaner performance next weekend at BYU is redshirt sophomore quarterback Alex Hornibrook, who threw a brutal, back foot interception deep in Badgers’ territory that led to one of the Owls’ touchdowns. With just three yards to go to collect a first down, Hornibrook was baited into an egregious mis-
take, as Owl’s sophomore defensive end Leighton McCarthy saw Hornibrooks errant throw drop into his hands, giving Florida Atlantic a short field with 5:36 remaining in the second quarter. “I think somebody came in my face so I kinda sped up a little bit,” Hornibrook said. “I should’ve just thrown it out of bounds, but I was trying to throw it and make a play.” While ultimately the Badgers finished the game strongly to secure another early season victory, Hornibrook still never seemed quite comfortable after his interception. The second year quarterback still didn’t go through all of his progressions, and floated passes off of his back foot that fell short of open receivers. After completing eight of his first nine throws to start the contest, the redshirt sophomore went just 8-19 following his hot start, and the Badgers’ offense sputtered to just one second-half touchdown. It may seem petty to nitpick a 17-point victory, but Hornibrook knows his offense is capable of improvement—the type of improvement which will be necessary for the tricky conference schedule that lies ahead. “I think the group does have high expectations,” Hornibrook said. “Obviously we’re still getting wins, which is good, but we want to clean it up even more and do better.” Those expectations, in essence, define the reaction to the Badgers’ schedule thus far. Anything other than comfortable victories against Utah State and Florida Atlantic would be viewed as disappointments, as the Badgers invited those two non-conference opponents to Camp Randall for likely one-sided tune-up games. And while the Badgers have a spotless record so far, that doesn’t mean they have played perfect football. The first halves of both games featured varying degrees of sloppy play, including some turnovers and many missed big play opportunities. Wisconsin is not yet where it wants to be, but these are certainly the games to address and observe its shortcomings. That same luxury won’t exist in three weeks vs. Northwestern. Referring to the defensive backs’ first-half mishap, Tindal said, “we’re gonna hit the practice field hard, try to fix all the corrections we can. We’ll be back.” It’d be unwise to doubt him.