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Racial disparities in city homeless persist By Philip Klinker STAFF WRITER
GRAPHIC BY MAX HOMSTAD
By having a voucher school status, some private institutions recieve tax dollars while excluding LGBTQ+ folx.
Tax dollars fund antiLGBTQ+ schools in WI By Addison Lathers STAFF WRITER
Rock County Christian School is a private college preparatory school in Beloit, Wisconsin operated by a nonprofit, interdenominational, evangelical Christian parent support organization. The school aims to allow students to thrive spiritually and academically according to their website. It also has provisions in the school constitution against gay marriage, transgender individuals, and bisexuals. “One of the reasons I left [RCCS] was that I strongly disagreed with their treatment of the LGBT community and ideas,” said AJ, who attended RCCS from kindergarten through freshman year of high school. RCCS is funded by tuition, donations, grants and — interestingly enough — tax dollars. Scott Walker’s Wisconsin Parental Choice Program grants state funding to schools like RCCS through vouchers — taxpayerfunded tuition subsidies that help children attend private schools, the vast majority of which are religiously affiliated. Public schools receive a sum of money for each student they teach. Private schools do not. However, when a private school applies to become a voucher school, a student, usually from a low-income family, can then attend the private school, taking the state-provided “voucher” money with them. Voucher schools exist in a legal capacity opposite of public schools, as they receive state funds but abide by a fraction of the rules and regulations that public schools do.
All public institutions must abide by equal protection, ensuring individuals are treated equitably and the state has a justified reason for any difference in treatment. In theory, it should not be possible for voucher schools, since they receive public funds, to discriminate against volunteers, staff or students on the basis of marriage, gender or sexuality. Dr. Julie Mead, an expert on school law assured it is possible for these schools to receive state money while actively discriminating. “The voucher language itself, about what schools have to permit and what they don’t have to permit, may make it possible to exclude LGBTQ kids or even straight kids whose parents are LGBTQ,” Mead said. “And because they have broken no law, they have not discriminated.” These tendencies are allowed by the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program, she added. AJ shared they had a friend at RCCS who told teachers he was straight so they would leave him alone. They clarified that they didn’t take extreme measures to change him, but the school obviously did not want him to be gay. “[Staff at RCCS] were never outright rude but they had the ‘love the sinner, hate the sin’ attitude. Which, personally, I fine insulting,” AJ said. Rock County Christian School’s list of “Foundational Statements,” reveals their position on the LGBTQ+ community and features frequent references to scripture for support. “We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary gen-
ders together reflect the image and nature of God,” one of their statements reads. The school affirms that marriage is between a man and a woman, and prohibits faculty, employees and volunteers from going against any of the 10 beliefs outlined within their Statement of Faith, reserving the right to turn away those who do. While not every voucher school participating in Wisconsin Parental Choice Program are discriminatory, RCCS is only one of the many religious schools in Wisconsin receiving taxpayer money while openly practicing anti-LGBT policies. Abundant Life Christian School, one of the largest private schools in the Madison area, also became a recent member of the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program this past year. “We don’t silo God to chapel. We don’t silo God to the Bible classroom. Everything we do, every moment of the day, we want to have our Christian faith lived out loud,” Director of Elementary and School Relations Barbara Weirs shared. The Wisconsin Parental Choice Program also allowed Abundant Life to keep the Gender and Sexuality portion of their Statement of Faith. “We believe that there are two genders, that they were predetermined by God, there’s male and female, as declared by Him,” Weirs stated. “We believe that marriage is ordained by God, and that it is to be between a man and a woman. And again, we take from the biblical principles of that.”
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The sharp racial disparity in homelessness has quickly become a prominent issue in Madison politics — and city officials voiced potential explanations and solutions for the imbalance. Historically, homelessness has been present in the city, but it does not hit everyone proportionately. Despite making up only 5.1 percent of the population of Dane County, Black people make up 53 percent of those seeking services for homelessness, according to statistics in the Wisconsin State Journal. The disparity is happening just as a housing crunch hits the city. Madison is Wisconsin’s fastest-growing city, with more millennials migrating to the state capital than ever before. But as the city grows, housing struggles to keep up in volume and affordability. The Wisconsin State Journal reported over a thousand affordable housing units would need to be built to match the rate of growth. Ald. Michael Tierney, District 16, who serves on the Homeless Issues Committee, contended that both the housing crunch and racial disparity in homelessness can be traced back to “exploitative” acts from landlords. “There are bad actors taking advantage of state law,” Tierney said of landlords selectively evicting tenants based on race — like giving month-to-month leases. Not only does this give landlords greater power over their tenants, but also allows for them to hike up rent on a whim, essentially. Consequently, landlords have more frequent opportunity to deny tenants a chance to reapply for leases, removing the need to evict the occupants completely. Additionally, Tierney examined how people, especially those of color, become homeless in the first place. He stated that in order to fight homelessness, the city needs to fight its causes
— like medical costs. One of the leading causes of bankruptcy in the U.S. is medical expenses. Tierney proposes that investing in affordable healthcare could greatly reduce homelessness because it would relieve costs that force people to choose between housing and their lives. Ald. Sheri Carter, District 14, serves on the council for Madison’s Community Development Authority, Madison’s housing authority and is the president of the board of directors for Porchlight, a homeless shelter downtown. Carter highlighted additional tactics landlords use to target people of color for eviction, such as reaching a certain credit score or face eviction. Though the CDA is currently seeking $1 million to put toward affordable housing, the future is uncertain, according to Carter. “Can we build our way out of it?” she asked. “That’s hard to say.” There have been some steps to make Madison more affordable. The city’s Finance Committee recommended $4.1 million of Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway’s 2020 operating budget to affordable housing projects earlier this month. The money will be allocated to three affordable housing developments and create about 200 affordable housing units. Both Alders Carter and Tierney, as well as Porchlight’s executive director Karla Thennes, emphasized that those suffering from homelessness — or on the brink — should reach out for help. “The squeaky wheel is the one that gets the help,” Thennes said. Additionally, they all underscored the stigma surrounding homelessness and urged citizens to rethink stereotypes. Thennes emphasized how anyone can be affected, regardless of gender, age or background. “Homelessness is an equal opportunity tragedy,” Carter said. “It doesn’t care who you are.”
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As the city grows, housing lacks enough volume and affordability.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
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An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 129, Issue 10
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UW scientist awarded grant for climate change research
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Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Ignatius D. Devkalis • Kyven Lee Advertising Manager Nick Dotson The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of WisconsinMadison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. 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.
COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
Dr. Dutton’s research contributes to a larger picture of the effects of greenhouse gases on global temperatures and subsequent sea-level rise. By Lindsey Mathiesen STAFF WRITER
Dr. Andrea Dutton, a research scientist at UW-Madison, received the “Genius Grant” to continue her research on constructing sea levels from 125,000 years ago. The motivation behind her research is to showcase the effects of rising sea levels on communities and educate the public on environmental changes as a result of global warming. In order to understand past sea-levels, Dutton analyzes limestone rocks and fossilized coral. Coral is hugely advantageous in terms of studying sea-level changes, as she describes in her “Reframing Sea Level Rise” Ted talk. By analyzing coral fossils, she learned that sea levels during the penultimate interglacial period were 20-30 feet higher than they are now. Since she recently transferred to UW-Madison from the University of Florida, most of her research is on climate change in Florida. Her research led her to become concerned about the
mid-Atlantic and southeast portions of the country in terms of sea-level rise, as those areas have seen particularly high increases. Dutton was recently awarded the MacArthur Fellowship — more colloquially known as the “Genius Grant” — for her work in answering essential questions concerning climate change. Most centrally, answering questions concerning how much sea levels will rise. Cecilia Conrad, the leader of the MacArthur Fellowship, explained that climate change scientists were specifically chosen to receive the grants in order to express the urgency the scientific community feels regarding the pertinence of climate change. The $625,000 awarded will go towards further researching and prompting public concern. The scientific community as a whole does not feel like the world –– in particular, countries that release a large amount of carbon into the atmosphere – is doing enough to combat the issue. Dutton herself argued in a CNN article that
Energy innovation Editorial Board Robyn Cawley • Erin Jordan • Kavitha Babu • Sam Jones
Board of Directors Herman Baumann, President Jennifer Sereno • Don Miner • Scott Girard • Josh Klemons • Barbara Arnold • Robyn Cawley • Erin Jordan • Ignatius D. Devkalis • Nick Dotson PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MICROGRIDS AT BERKLEY LAB
By Sophia Wells © 2015, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398
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STAFF WRITER
The majority of electricity in the United States is generated and managed by a system of large, remote power plants. These plants are connected to consumers via hundreds of miles of transmission lines. The Oak Creek Power Plant, located just south of Milwaukee, burns 6,000 tons of coal every day. The plant is one cog in a larger machine known as the centralized grid. Although critically important
to the country’s infrastructure, the centralized grid is terribly inefficient. Less than one-third of the coal burned at Oak Creek will become usable energy. Alternatively, the Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve in Appleton, WI utilizes a smaller-scale facility to produce electricity onsite. A computer monitors the energy generated by a combination of sustainable sources and fossil fuels, and makes decisions on how to use or store that energy based on efficien-
“policies that curb greenhouse gas emissions can have a strong effect on future sea-level rise.” Dutton has been cited by CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times. She also wrote for publications such as The Hill and Science Daily. Her work alarms the scientific community because it provides evidence that when the average temperature of the earth was only a few degrees warmer than it is now, the oceans rose 20 to 30 feet. If that were to happen today, many large coastal cities — such as New York and Miami — would be flooded entirely. Dutton’s data raises even more questions, prompting her to continue research. In an interview for InsideClimate News she is unsure how quickly the sea will rise, but she knows the rate ice is currently melting increased over the past few years. Dutton’s current focus is on educating the public about the effects of climate change, explain-
ing that the issue is undeniable. She is cited in articles discussing the 2019 IPCC report released by the United Nations. The report states with “very high confidence” that greenhouse gases are causing the Antarctic ice sheet to melt faster than was originally predicted, leading to a potential “sealevel rise of several meters,” which will cause “irreversible ice sheet instability.” The consensus among scientists is that greenhouse gas emissions are the primary cause of global temperature rise and subsequent melting of the ice caps. As the temperature rises, the oceans get warmer. Sea levels rise as a result of this process, as well as from the melting of the ice caps. According to World Ocean Review, more than one billion people live in low-lying coastal regions. The immense economic and humanitarian impact rising sea levels could have is incalculable.
cy and cost. This type of system is referred to as a microgrid. According to Robert Lasseter, dubbed the “godfather” of microgrids and an electrical engineer at UW-Madison, by moving the energy source closer to the consumer, microgrids reduce losses sustained during transmission and create opportunities to use energy more efficiently and optimize sustainable sources. Microgrid systems have the potential to drastically reduce waste, modernize the way energy is managed and allow the energy industry to meet sustainability goals. “Our [current] grid is the most complex system of the 20th century, but it’s, at best, 30 percent efficient,” said Lasseter. Instead of generating huge amounts of energy from far away, with microgrids, the consumer could generate their own energy on a much smaller scale. The close proximity to homes and buildings in a microgrid system, however, allows a local source to utilize this otherwise lost energy. This is referred to as co-generation, or combined heat and power. The ener-
gy that is lost can be captured and reused to heat buildings and homes. Despite the improved efficiency and security, there are several challenges associated with transitioning to the microgrid model. According to Lasseter, decentralizing the grid will not be straightforward — such a vast transformation of infrastructure, regardless of the apparent benefits, is an ambitious endeavor. “The future of the grid will be more determined by regulators and economics than by efficiency alone. The biggest challenge will be politics and people resistant to change,” said Lasseter. “The intention is to revolutionize the current grid from a system that depends on inefficient centralized generation and fossil fuels to one that consistently integrates smart microgrids and sustainable source,” said Tom Jahns, a professor of power electronics at UW-Madison. Jahns, Lasseter and other UW-Madison researchers are leading the charge in this transformation.
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Thursday, October 24, 2019 • 3
by Max Homstad
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
Across 51. ‘’It’s __ here!’’ (baseball 1. Word on an invoice announcer’s cry) 6. Naval noncoms 52. In shape 10. Stitch 55. Topper 13. Rod Stewart ex 56. Help from Hopalong? 14. Cardiologist’s con59. Take advantage of cern 60. Altercation 15. Islet 61. ‘’Daily Planet’’ re16. Miller’s imprecation? porter 18. TNT alternative 62. ‘’La Méditerranée’’, 19. Orient e.g. 20. Odds’ counterpart 63. Seine tributary 21. Do an accessory’s job 64. Beasts of burden 22. Drastic diet in DuDown luth? 1. Libertine 26. Straight up 2. Essayist’s alias 28. ‘’Caro __’’ (‘’Rigo3. Newspapers + radio + letto’’ aria) television 29. Soup scoop 4. Impart 30. Massive power 5. Soft 55 Across quantity 6. Ties that bind 34. __ Lanka 7. Captive 35. Grand Canyon trans- 8. NBA periods portation 9. Was in session 37. Card game 10. Breathing aid 38. Deserts 11. Palliates 41. Violin stroke 12. ‘’Father Knows Best’’ 43. Sow sound mom 44. Antennae 14. Choreographer De 46. Landscape with care? Mille 50. Sweet debut of 1912 17. Hankerings
21. Some 23. Society column word 24. Benin neighbor 25. Doc bloc 26. Rick’s inamorata 27. Something counted by dieters 30. Kay Miniver’s title 31. Encumbrance, so to speak 32. Something exploited 33. Pulls along 35. Pro __ 36. X and Y, in algebra 39. Scrubbed, as a mission 40. It’s cast at a casino 41. Press finish 42. Duel weapons 44. __ Martin (car) 45. Cyberauction site 46. Boring 47. Wipe out 48. Discourage 49. Jazzman Blake 53. Words of comprehension 54. Chain components, for short 56. __-Magnon 57. Avignon assent 58. Feathered wrap
Today’s Sudoku
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
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arts 4 • Thursday, October 24, 2019
Goodbye primetime, Hello streaming
Dying primetime TV: Loss for live viewers, win for binge-watchers By Robyn Cawley EDITOR IN CHIEF
With every passing fall season, primetime networks With every passing fall season, primetime networks attempt to launch new shows that appeal to audience demands of nonrepetitive love stories and “Not another lawyer show” — but not at the cost of losing dedicated viewers of their programs. And, yes, it’s a smart fiscal choice. But it’s certainly not the progressive, revolutionary choice. As a dedicated television viewer, I know the excitement of waiting for live episodes week-by-week. And no, it hasn’t gone away, thanks to CBC’s “Anne with An E.” However, I’m accustomed to watching “Schitt’s Creek” all at once, and the thought of waiting weekly breaks my heart — and attention span. But 10 years ago, I was a kid who had a half-page homework assignment and plenty of time to do dishes in between commercials. Being a college student, those breaks slow the pace and I wish I was around to watch “Stumptown” at 9 p.m. on Wednesdays. And streaming networks know that I will be around at one a.m., while primetime knows not to wait up for me. Networks’ programming pairs with their viewership — knowing who their demographic is allows for networks to cater to what their audience wants to see. Those who love shows like “NCIS” alum Michael Weatherly will return to watch him lead “Bull,” just like those who love seeing ‘Executive Producer: Shonda Rhimes’ will watch the next dramatic serial she crafts. The main networks — ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, The CW — air primetime programs from seven p.m. to 10 p.m. Shows are divided into time slots based on their genre, content rating and their success with fans. Nielsen ratings, which compare viewers to the number of households, are essential to whether shows are renewed, receive extended episode orders or switch to a better time slot. The budget for shows in tandem with ratings are integral to series renewal.
Shows are valued based on viewership — if the audience does not watch them, they don’t stick around to air typically beyond their first series. Jokes fall flat, storylines are often overdone, characters are not given the depth they deserve — and thus, people stop watching.
With the prevalence of streaming and DVR, ratings now take into account when shows are viewed overnight, as well as three and seven days after air. Primetime airtime slots — Mondays through Thursdays — are chosen based on show genre, lead actors and blocking tv shows, which is when four sitcoms run back to back as “Comedy Thursdays.” Fridays are where shows that are losing ratings or not doing well compared to other programs go. Every network has a collection of shows that make their way to the end of the week, some successful and some crossing to their death. One of my all-time favorites, ABC’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” successfully survived after a demotion to a Friday airtime due to a steady fanbase, while “Quantico” viewers lost the show after gradually they lost interest. This is the graveyard shift of TV programs known as “Friday night death slot.” Shows are valued based on viewership — if the audience does not watch them, they don’t stick around to air typically beyond their first series. Jokes fall flat, storylines are often overdone, characters are not given the depth they deserve — and thus, people stop watching. Therefore, this poses a question: Do networks cater programs to their audience or do audiences shape the roster for a season’s TV shows? It’s not far from the chicken or the egg metaphor. Each network has a general audience they focus their efforts on — CBS favors procedural series’ and NBC explores relatable, melancholy dramas — to get the biggest turn of viewer engagement.
Out of all of the main networks, CBS was the mostwatched in 2018-’19 season. “Blue Bloods,” “Hawaii Five-0” and “The Big Bang Theory” are among their most popular shows, running for years with a consistent fanbase. Procedurals — episodic and self-contained with each fortytwo minute periods — are a favorite among audiences that don’t binge, don’t have the time to watch it live and are not deeply invested in the characters. Those folx watching CBS shows often are not millennials looking for a show to binge. Instead, it’s often middle-aged and elderly viewers finishing their dinners while an episode of “S.W.A.T.” fills the living room. Historically, FOX has been considered a conservative network, especially in their broadcast news segments. In fact, while the program “Lucifer” aired its first season, a collection of mothers said the program “mocked the Bible” and “mischaracterized Satan.” After three seasons, the show was cancelled and picked up by Netflix in a matter of weeks. FOX attempts to reach to a broader audience — ”Brooklyn Nine-Nine” called it home for five seasons, while “Prodigal Son” is one of the best new shows of fall 2019. However, their attempts to reach to a broader audience are built on heteronormative storylines and predominantly white casts. The backbone of ABC is Shondaland. “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder” are among Shonda Rhimes’ most popular programs — and the ones garnering the most attention with the public. Thursday nights on ABC — TGIT — is the network’s most popular night. ABC attempts at progressivism are successful among their audience, except their programs focus more on diverse appearance then inclusive storytelling. ABC is not the only one — in fact, all of the major networks with primetime shows have yet to promote programming that is truly inclusive in nature. Yet, NBC attempts are the most appealing to audiences who love to binge. Between Michael Schur’s comedies and “This is Us,” they both have moments where narratives of Black folx are written by Black folx, and “The Good Place” balances morality and equity within the comedic walls of Ted Danson’s architecture. NBC knows who their audience is and knows where they are looking to head. Much like Shondaland, shows live in the same universe — “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D.” are headed by one executive producer: Dick Wolf. Narratives intertwine and spill over into the next night, encouraging fans of one show to stay tuned for the remainder of the week. The CW is the network for millennials — most narratives feature young adults tackling identity, sexuality and race in their daily lives. It has the lowest ratings of them all, but it’s not shocking knowing that many of the networks shows — “Jane the Virgin,” “Riverdale” and “The 100” are among the most popular now streaming on Netflix. The freedom of their network to attempt storylines nearing inclusivity shows in their Nielsen ratings. Numbers that prove that a show is doing well on The CW is a failure to any other main network. They know who their audience is — and how many of them are watching live TV — and they cater to it. But the best networks are the ones that both look at their audience and challenge them. FX does this with “Pose,” much like AMC does so with “Preacher.” Through sexual freedom, language use and gory fights with vampires, both shows push boundaries of familiarity. They are in control of the audience — not vice versa. And this is where a lot of primetime networks slip up.
Shows that build narratives around a specific number of seasons, limit the number of episodes per season and explore avenues that viewers are not rooting for are the ones that are the most creative. They are not afraid of getting canceled, because at least they were able to complete the story they had in mind. Yet again, the value of streaming continues to climb because freedom of expression is where streaming sites are able to excel. The reality is many live TV viewers are not college students or folx spending long hours at their jobs. Folx that work the normalized nine-to-five-hour workday are the ones able to watch live programming on a weekly basis. Primetime is for an old generation of viewers, while streaming is made for folx looking to the future of television.
Primetime shows are attempting to be more inclusive — they want to engage the same audiences with new content and also dip into the success of streaming platforms like Hulu and Netflix. When “Lucifer” moved to Netflix, it was sexier and darker — dedicated fans admired the writers’ room’s ability to push boundaries it wasn’t able to on FOX. The same thing happened to shows like “The Mindy Project” and the spinoff of “Full House,” “Fuller House.” If primetime networks want to move with the future of streaming — becoming more impossible with each passing day — they need to tell stories that reflect current viewing patterns, as well as focus on narrative structures that allow for connections between characters and viewers. And that’s a big ‘if.’ But instead of thinking about what could be, it’s time to face the facts: primetime is dead; streaming is the present and the future. While primetime television programs will continue to rake in viewers, the future of television viewing will be drastically changed 10 years from now. And one thing is for certain — live viewing will not be a part of that revolution.
dailycardinal.com • 5
No More Ratings: How success is measured on streaming services
Ratings are no longer the key to a show’s success. The world of television survived off of ratings — now, it’s become Each fall, the time-old networks push out a plethora of TV a lot more complex factors. This is not to say that we are living in shows, hoping to garner more viewership that tries to keep up with a post-ratings world — at least not yet. As long as advertisement the times. These shows will plead with the networks to get more remains a crucial aspect of the network TV model, ratings will episodes or the blessed renewal. Sitcoms, dramas, procedurals will always matter. aim for the highest fall ratings to show their talent — they will fail. When I say matter, I mean showing what kind of series is garThere has been a question buzzing around the TV industry and nering attention and bringing in a big profit. amongst popular networks: Is traditional TV still relevant? Ratings — the Nielsen’s rating system — tabulates viewership for We are living in an age where streaming, cord cutting, cord every given household but while evolving TV, the system is strugshaving or cord-never is normal. Roughly 10 years ago, if gling to remain relevant. Despite the changing form of broadcasting someone was asked what cord-cutting was, they would and primetime, networks continue to hold basic ratings accountable have been so confused. as to whether the show will make it or not. I grew up needing to DVR all my favorite shows One of the main reasons that ratings continue to exist is to help if they were going to be shown at the same time. networks determine how much to charge when it comes to ad time. It was a battle in my house to get to the remote However, the less important ad money becomes, the less important first when the clock struck 7 p.m. because if those ratings are. you didn’t, there wasn’t a way to watch that The emphasis on live viewership has decreased dramatically in show. Now, kids are growing up immersed recent years, especially since the transition to online streaming canin the likes of Netflix, Hulu and the future not yet be counted for purposes of ratings. of Disney+. This is the network’s dilemma. The shortcomings of the Nielsen rating system — particularly the millennial demographic, who are more likely to watch streaming services — are forcing networks to reevaluate the importance of ratings. It is a perfect storm: streaming is bringing in delayed waves of viewers while ratings are down across the board, making it harder for networks to change their shows or cancel them. Back then, it would take three to four weeks to determine if a show had traction. Now, it takes at least eight episodes to determine if it’s good. The drops in ratings is a prime example that the consumption of TV and media is changing. Streaming means there will be less traditional viewers recording their favorite show and fewer ads being displayed. When this fall season came around, 13 shows were entering into at least their 10th season or higher, such as “Grey’s Anatomy” (15th season) and “The Simpsons” (30th season). However, their viewership is down at least 70 percent from their records. The depletion of ratings in response to internet media growth shows that change is imminent. This will force networks to target certain audiences rather than working with producers to make the next big hit. It will force the network to loosen the grip of their formulaic system to make something distinctive. The internet forever changed television just as how television adapted to cable back in the 80s. The shifts in what is being renewed, what is being canceled and what is being picked back up are driven by a multitude of factors. It’s a generational drift that is causing these lower numbers due to the gap between primetime It’s and streaming. happening now. The evoluThe saying, “I’ll wait till it’s on tion of TV has already begun in Netflix,” has become the norm. I’ll admit GRAPHIC BY MAX HOMSTAD the form of streamings. Let the wars begin. to feeling the same way on whether or not I The legacy of traditional networks and TV shows holds a can realistically set aside time to watch primetime nostalgic place with older generations but the young people did shows live. not have that exposure growing up. It’s like hearing your parents The network USA was very popular when I was growdiscuss having a corded telephone that they had to share with their ing up. It had some of my all-time favorites: “Graceland,” family. The horror of it all. “Covert Affairs” and “Suits” to name a few. I can still But now, it’s hard to imagine a world where Netflix and Disney recall going to a friend’s house every Thursday to watch are not cherished for all the content and access they provide. “Graceland” live, but now I can find half of those shows on TV is showing up through an ethernet cable, not a coaxial Amazon Prime or Netflix and never have to worry about cable anymore. missing it. There will be a point where all of TV is delivered over the interCase in point as to how shows or networks as a whole net, because it’s better, it’s faster, it’s cheaper — at the moment. There lose their loyal viewerships. Especially given my age when will no longer be a dependency on ads concerning viewership. the internet became a thing, I do not think I would have fin-
By Lauren Souza ARTS EDITOR
ished half these shows if they were not offered on a streaming service to binge or catch-up on a season. The shift of moving to streaming as a means to watch my shows heavily impacted the ratings of these staple series. The networks were not lost on the decrease of ratings and viewers. “Graceland” was canceled after three seasons due to poor ratings. (Still salty about that). Interestingly, despite the lower rating success, it is causing shows to remain on air with no real evaluation. “Madam Secretary,” shown on CBS, has entered into its fifth season despite a nearly 50 percent drop in total viewers. In terms of primetime, it’s become easier to stay on the air but much harder to get on the air. There is no real balance of shows, it’s either good or bad television tipping the scales every season. Jumping back in time when broadcast television was the thing, there was an emergence of networks and channels causing cable to become even more expensive. However, providers realized it would be easier to group these channels, charging consumers owwne fee. The age of streaming came and blew cable out of the park. In response to the ever-increasing cost of cable bundles, streaming is presenting itself as an alternative. It is important to note that none of this would have been possible without cable and satellite companies. Primetime paved the way for streaming.
The answer to the question, “Is traditional TV still relevant?” is no. The legacy of TV is becoming extinct. It won’t happen tomorrow, but soon.
The revolution for streaming sites did not happen overnight. Take HBO for example, it dipped its toe into the streaming operation through HBO Go — a feature that came with a cable subscription or Amazon Prime and HBO Now — their actual streaming option. All of our screens are now TVs, there is no more linear television — a time when viewing patterns were predictable and controllable. The platform of the internet has opened up a world of possibilities. When it comes to the internet, it’s always changing, and it’s changing fast. The shift to streaming has brought on the streaming wars — a race to launch a new streaming subscription. It was only fitting that this would happen after the decline of the traditional cable bundle after the influx of households cutting the cord each year to services like Netflix. The worries of getting the best primetime slot have been long forgotten and in its stead is the focus on the number of subscriptions a streaming site can generate. In the streaming world, pulling a large audience isn’t crucial to a show’s survival. The services being offered are Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV and NBC. Who knows which network will offer one next. Multiple things can go wrong with this race to rule streaming. To match the reigning champ, Netflix, competitors are working to spew out new content distancing itself from prestigious TV and into something new — an age of anything goes. There is a budding tension between quality and quantity, but nothing is perfect. The answer to the question, “Is traditional TV still relevant?” is no. The legacy of TV is becoming extinct. It won’t happen tomorrow, but soon. The quick pace of streaming services has resulted in this race to be on top. The goal is for one of these sites of many a few to be able to own and make all the content. Half of these streaming sites have not been released yet and there are already predictions of what will come next. The future streaming bundle — meaning subscriptions to a bunch of streaming services for a carriage fee, making it more affordable than ordering each service or “cutting the cord.” When it comes to the internet, anything can happen. In the 80s, the creation of a cable bundle was all the fuss, now it’s streaming. What’s next?
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Thursday, October 24, 2019
dailycardinal.com
WILL CIOCI/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Despite affecting off-campus areas, the removal of Madison PD’s Langdon police officer position endangers a substantial population of UW students — especially those in Greek Life.
Diminished police presence on Langdon negligent, jeopardizes students’ safety By Brooke Wilczewski STAFF WRITER
M
y name is Brooke Wilczewski, and I do not want to ever have to say, “Me too.” My name is Brooke Wilczewski, and I never want to be robbed. My name is Brooke Wilczewski, and I am furious that the Langdon Street Police Officer position is being taken away. For the safety of myself and all of the other students and Madison residents that live in the Central District area of the city, I believe it is utterly irresponsible of the Madison Police Department to remove this critical position that fosters trust between Langdon residents and the police department itself. Just in the last week there was a shooting on Langdon Street, just a few hundred feet from where Greek life students were running a late night grilled cheese philanthropy event, while multiple other Greek Organizations held social events nearby. While the altercation occurred and nobody was fatally injured, this event makes it blatantly clear to Langdon residents and those in the surrounding area that violent crimes are still occurring on Langdon, endangering the lives of all that live nearby. Katie Hise, a member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority on campus who was at the fundraiser, recalls the events as they transpired. “I heard and saw the whole shooting situation happen. I was terrified and was wondering why no one was doing anything,” Hise stated. “When I saw the police cars I felt an immediate sense of relief and safety, the Langdon police officers have always been so protective of us and wouldn’t let us be in harm’s way.” Students on Langdon love Officer Figueroa, the Madison Police Department Neighborhood Police Officer in charge of Langdon Street and trusted resource for the entirety of the UW-Madison Greek community, and his team. We trust that he is there to protect us, and bring every student living on Langdon a sense of peace knowing that it is his sole job to be there if any risky situation should occur.
While gun violence is a larger issue in itself in Madison, sexual harrassment, dating violence, sexual assault, groping and stalking frequently occur in the Langdon neighborhood. As reported from the Madison Police Department’s 2018 Annual Report, the Central District — which covers both State Street and Landgon — shows that in addition to having the highest number of Drug/ Narcotic Offenses and Forcible Sex Offenses, Central District has the second highest number of Assault Offenses, Burglary, Damage to Property and Weapon Law Violation Offenses. These are not numbers to be taken lightly. In 2018 alone, when only considering the reported Forcible Sex Offenses, there were 55. That is 16 above the second highest District (East District at 39 offenses reported). 55 people were violated, and 55 people’s lives changed forever. As found from the newly released Association of American Universities Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct, a survey filled out by nearly 20 percent of the undergraduate and graduate students in February of 2019, one in four women on the UW-Madison campus have personally experienced sexual assault. Nearly 26.1 percent of
undergraduate women respondents reported having experienced a sexual assault since entering college. This number is appalling, and it doesn’t make any of our students safer to remove a police officer from an area that is one of the most densely populated hubs on campus for social events and potentially risky situations. I am not the only one that feels this way. Maya Parks, a sophomore in Alpha Epsilon Phi also shares feelings of fear, anxiety and unease with this decision.
Our safety and sense of comfort in our homes are being toyed with by the mayor’s budget and Madison Police Department as if our concerns are nonissues.
“With the removal of the Langdon officer position I am feeling mostly fear and anger. I am fearful of what that means for my safety. I am the type of person that has people walk me places at night, doesn’t use headphones when walking alone and texts to make sure my friends got home safely. Having an officer specifically for Langdon helped me feel safer,” Parks said.
“I am also angry because I can’t grasp the justification behind the removal of the position. The amount of people that live on Langdon, especially the amount of female students, makes me question if the police actually have our best interests at heart.” Another student, Katie Keith, a sophomore in Alpha Epsilon Phi who will be living on Langdon for a second year in a row, shares the same concerns. She is scared because she knows that she will not feel nearly as safe as she does this year, stating that “it is imperative we have extra security on a street so highly targeted and populated.” While it is the Madison Police Department that ultimately made the decision to reallocate their resources, this is largely due to budget cuts determined by the Mayor’s Office in the 2019 City of Madison budget to make room for different, city-wide projects. While we are not trying to discredit the importance of completing these city-wide projects, it is crucial to also consider the safety of the residents of one of the most highly populated neighborhoods in Madison. If Langdon residents aren’t here to walk on improved roads, what good do these roads do? As Officer Damion Figueroa so eloquently reminds all stu-
LEXISNEXIS COMMUNITY CRIME MAP
The highlighted central district is now patrolled by a single officer, which includes high assault areas.
dents on Langdon, if we ever need anything, if we ever are a victim of a burglary or an assault, or we see anything that makes us feel unsafe in the area, he is there for us. We already have a resource that is dedicated to the highly student-populated area that is Langdon Street. We already have someone whose sole job is to facilitate relationships with students, and maintain a safe atmosphere for us to get the best education from a highly regarded institution like UW-Madison. We already have an official protecting us so we can socialize with our fellow peers in a casual setting, to enjoy the campus culture, and ultimately to explore and grow as young adults. We already have somebody that has our back — always. The students of UW-Madison that live on Langdon are still here, and we are important. Our safety and sense of comfort in our homes is being toyed with by the mayor’s budget and Madison Police Department as if our concerns are nonissues. Our concerns are important and valid. Nobody on Langdon wants to be another name in a report or another number on the Police Department’s 2019 Annual Report. Our experiences and our fears are valid, and as one of the most highly populated neighborhoods in Madison, our voices deserve to be heard. The City of Madison and the Madison Police Department work for us. Students will continue to fight this, and we will win, for our safety and the safety of the students after us. Brooke has since called and emailed the Mayor and her staff and has yet to hear back about an official meeting time. Any students with further concerns should continue to call the Mayor’s office and make their voices heard. Brooke is a sophomore majoring in sociology and gender and women’s studies, with a certificate in global health. What are your thoughts on Madison PD’s decision to decrease police presence near campus? Send your thoughts to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
sports dailycardinal.com
Thursday, October 24, 2019 7 l
Football
WILL CIOCI/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Jonathan Taylor is scoring touchdowns at an unprecedented rate. Through just seven games this season, he has amassed 19 total touchdowns. His previous best was 16.
Jonathan Taylor set to break UW records By Raul Vazquez STAFF WRITER
Touchdown Jonathan Taylor! Jonathan Taylor with the carry, and that is a first and ten Wisconsin! Those sounds can regularly be heard echoing aroung Camp Randall On Saturday afternoons. For anyone who has been to a Wisconsin home game, it may seem like the junior running back is doing it all on the field for the Wisconsin Badgers. The Heisman candidate has been everything the Badgers could have asked for, and more. After a 132-yard rushing day against Illinois last week, Taylor continued to move up on Wisconsin’s all-time rushing yards list. At 5,128 career rushing yards, he now sits just 13 yards back of Montee Ball for second place on Wisconsin’s all-time leaderboard. What is most impressive about that feat is that he has done it with at least six games left in his junior year, while it had taken Ball four seasons to rack up that many yards during his tenure in Madison. Ron Dayne’s record as the top rusher in Wisconsin history is most likely safe – he is ahead of Taylor, who is likely NFL-bound after this season, by 1,997 rushing yards. Taylor needed just one carry against Illinois to cross the 5,000-yard mark – a 16-yard scamper on the first offensive play of the game for the Badgers. With that play he joined college football legends LaMichael James, Herschel Walker and, of course, Wisconsin great Ron Dayne, as only the fourth player to rush for over 5,000 yards by his junior season. Taylor joined that exclusive club with 19 fewer carries than LaMichael James, the nextfastest running back to that gaudy milestone. The general consensus across the Badges’ offensive unit and coaching staff is that Taylor is far and away the best running back they’ve ever played with, each confidently declaring him the best tailback in college football, and it’s not hard to see why.
Senior linebacker Chris Orr joked that he would try to “trip him,” or “throw turf in his face” in order to slow him down after Taylor’s masterful 186-yard performance on the ground and five total touchdowns against Kent State. As if his impressive rushing statistics weren’t enough for him, he is also finding the endzone at a far greater rate this year than he had in his previous two seasons in Madison. His previous-best scoring output for a season had been 16, which he accomplished a season ago. Through seven games this year, he already has 19 total touchdowns. That tally leads the nation, and his 15 rushing touchdowns are tied for best in the nation. Taylor can continue to add his name to the Wisconsin record book if he continues to score at this rate – Brian Calhoun and Montee Ball’s 22 rushing touchdowns are tied for third all-time for rushing touchdowns in a season. Melvin Gordon’s 32 total touchdowns in 2014 is also third all-time. With at least six games left, both those marks are within reach for the Salem, NJ native. During a 27-yard fourth down conversion against Michigan State, Jake Ferguson tripped at the one-yard line. Ferguson said he got caught by “turf monster,” claiming he was trying to help Taylor out by keeping the offense on the field at the one-yard line. “He’s running like a maniac,” senior wide receiver A.J. Taylor said after UW’s 48-0 win over Kent State. He later joked that he’s “ready for him to give us [the offense] a chance but whenever we get down there he always scores.” To make Taylor even more of a weapon, he has made himself a viable threat out of the backfield, a part of his game that was largely absent during his first two seasons. After catching just 16 passes for 155 yards and no scores combined over his freshman and sophomore seasons, he has now caught 16 passes for
138 yards and four touchdowns over just seven games in the 2019 campaign. The improvement has come from a tireless effort to improve his pass-catching ability, adding a new element to the historically run-heavy offense. Orr, and junior quarterback Jack Coan have noticed his efforts after practice, working with the jug machine and staying after practive with the wide receivers catching passes from UW’s quarterbacks. Though Taylor certainly has a spot at the next level, he has given his all into his junior
campaign, helping a Wisconsin team that still has College Football Playoff, and Big Ten championship aspirations. The Badgers will be hoping for another signature performance from Taylor this weekend against the No. 1 team in the Big Ten and No. 3 team in the country, the Ohio State Buckeyes. Wisconsin has lost the last six matchups with the Buckeyes, and are coming off a historic upset to the Fighting Illini. The last time Taylor met Ohio State, he was kept in check to just 41 yards on 15 carries, good for 2.7
yards per carry. This year won’t be any easier with the Buckeyes boasting a defense that limits offenses to just eight points per game and holds opposing rushing attacks to just 92.7 rushing yards a game. Taylor can help out Coan and the UW passing attack by breaking out a few big runs against OSU’s secondary and pass-rush. If he can, he can help the Badgers get their season back on track and find himself a little higher on a few of Wisconsin’s records lists.
WILL CIOCI/THE DAILY CARDINAL
If he keeps up with his current pace, Jonathan Taylor will likely find himself holding multiple UW records.
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dailycardinal.com
Thursday, October 24, 2019
In need of a last-minute Halloween costume? Almanac has you covered!
GRAPHICS BY ZOE BENDOFF
‘Sexy King Henry VIII’ and ‘Flamigo Run’ are just two of several incredible Halloween costume ideas prepared by the Almanac team, which are sure to make you the life of the party. By Haley Bills, Jordan Simon and Mira Gollard THE DAILY CARDINAL
We here at Almanac know the all-too-common struggle of finding the perfect Halloween costume. At this point, the 31st is only a week away! Do you have your costume picked out? If not, you are severely unprepared and should be worried. But don’t fret! The Almanac has generously taken the task upon themselves to brainstorm some unique, last-minute costume ideas that are sure to wow all your friends! Unfortunately we did copyright all of them — but for a small fee of $15.99 you can purchase a one-day license to sport one of our tasty Almanac Halloween looks (proceeds go to our editors’ Venmo accounts). 1. Flamingo Run If you don’t know Flamingo Run, what do you know? For those of you in the loop, in order to dress as this iconic UW-Madison one-stop shop, you’ll have to modern-day tar and feather yourself (hey, costuming takes commitment). First, prepare a hot glue gun bath and soak yourself for twentythree and a half minutes, and not a second more. Immediately after departing the tub, roll in the forty pounds of authentic flamingo feathers that you better have had gathered before you got into the bath. Then, put on some running shoes and grab some of your favorite snacks from your
local Flamingo Run. 2. Chad Wilkinson Who doesn’t want to be the godfather of the chemistry prelab videos? This costume will come together in several easy steps. Step one: get a bowl cut. Step two: tip your barber. Next, acquire a red tie and hand-paint a slightly slanted and very detailed periodic table onto it. Search for a white wife beater that would definitely show through the slightly see-through white button-up shirt that you will be sweating through all night. Lastly, throw on a pair of chemistry goggles, and you’re set! Carry around a test tube or beaker for an added spice. 3. The bruh-schoomf noise that the 80 makes Alternate spellings include Brshmppp and BshsHkPammoh. We don’t know how you’d dress up as this, but the idea is dope. Maybe just make these weird noises, and people will get it? 4. Chase Winovich First and foremost, you must look exactly like the Michigan fifth year defensive end. If not, please refer to the other costumes on the list. For this costume, you will need to find a way to get to Boston and break into the Patriots’ locker room. The 80 probably has a route to Massachusetts, so this shouldn’t be a problem. Once there, acquire his authentic jersey and any other accessories that would add to your look. To fully embody Winovich, you must constantly look defeated, embarrassed and inferior when
passing a Badger. 5. 2008 Britney If you are as close to a Britney level meltdown from midterms as we are, this costume shouldn’t be too hard. To start, shave your head and also wear a bald cap just to be safe. Wear a gray zipup sweatshirt and call an Uber every fifteen minutes as you will need to attack a nearby car with your green umbrella constantly. This costume may be the least cost-effective because you will surely have to cover all of the car damages, but it definitely will be the most entertaining. 6. Wyoming Don’t show up to the party because Wyoming doesn’t exist. It’s the perfect costume if midterm season has got you down this Halloweekend. 7. The cockroach that you saw in your apartment’s stairwell This costume requires some acting skills. Whenever someone’s eyes land on you, act like you have been caught committing a felony and quickly scurry into a nearby small space where no one can catch you. If you can track down a cockroach costume, this production might make more sense. 8. Sexy Culver’s Employee Reminisce in your glory days of burger flipping this Halloween — with a sexy twist! Since one out of two Wisconsin residents worked at Culver’s at some point in their lives, acquiring a uniform shouldn’t be too difficult.
Get that uniform on, and wear it with pride! Next, undo the top button of your dress shirt, and you’re sure to attract a mate and make them swoon. Mmm, spicy — just like Culver’s signature BBQ sauce! 9. Pre-Malone Dress up as the rapper Post Malone, but before he looked like a sewer rat. No need to get face tattoos or even release any music (it’s a costume of convenience and practicality really). All you gotta do is dress up as a mildly edgy teen with kind of a pubey mustache. Shouldn’t be too hard! 10. Wando’s fishbowl Who doesn’t love a trendy Wando’s fishbowl? For this costume, it is imperative that you become blackout drunk. After that, wear a pink, green or blue morph suit with a bold “Wando’s” written across the breast. Hot glue a straw to a headband, and you’re set! Group Costume Ideas 1. Sexy King Henry VIII If you’ve ever felt the need to embody England’s sexiest king (as we all do from time to time), then now is your chance! To start, begin by wearing a crown, a royal robe and some sexy mideival tights. Next, you will need to marry and divorce six different women – but please do refrain from beheading them. For some extra spice, you may even try splintering from the Catholic Church. It’s the perfect costume to share the word of
the Book of Common Prayer and spread the influence of the Church of England. 2. Light and moths Dress as one of the most fascinating acts of nature and wellknown memes! Gather a large group of friends and designate one “light.” Light: mummify yourself with bright yellow duct tape. Moths: wear a pair of fairy wings that have been doused in mud and violate the personal space of “light.” Depending on how large your group is, you may become a gigantic, impenetrable mass walking through the streets. We advise you to be responsible with this immense power. 3. The Joker, The Smoker and The Midnight Toker Who wouldn’t want to dress up as the chorus from the classic Steve Miller Band song. First, to dress up as the Joker, send one person to the store for clown make-up and a red suit, and then stop by Whole Foods to get seaweed which you will use as hair. To be the Smoker, all you have to do is yell for at least four hours in a row so that you lose your voice and gain that neato burrito chain-smoker rasp (because you obviously wouldn’t just smoke cigarettes for this costume, cigarettes are bad for you silly!) Lastly, is the Midnight Toker … we think this term had meaning at some point but the Almanac linguistics team spent 37 whole seconds googling toker and still could not figure it out, so you’re on your own for this one it seems.
We’re always looking for more funny and insightful writers with fresh takes on topics ranging from the UW campus to international news. We accept and encourage creative submissions as well! Any and all submissions are more than welcome. You can send your submissions and any comments or questions to almanac@dailycardinal.com. All articles featured in Almanac are creative, satirical and/or entirely fictional pieces. They are fully intended as such and should not be taken seriously as news.