'Hope for the Future' - Volume 53, Issue 4

STUDENT MEDIA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

TUESDAY, November 2, 2021 · VOL 53, Issue 4 · BADGERHERALD.COM

As UW continues to accept donations reaped from fossil fuel investments, student activists push for divestment pg. 12

Design by Corey Holl

Find us online at

http://badgerherald.com

152 W. Johnson Suite 202 Madison WI, 53703

Follow us on Twitter @badgerherald

Follow us on Instagram

4,200 copies Published since Sept. 10, 1969

@badgerherald

Like us on Facebook

http://facebook.com/badgerherald

MPD REPORTS CRIME DECREASE Herald Business

Herald Editorial Editor-in-Chief Managing Editors Print News Editors Digital News Editors

Science News Editors

Science Associate Editors Print Features Editors Digital Features Editor Campus Editors City Editors State Editors Opinion Editors Sports Editors

Sports Associates ArtsEtc. Editors ArtsEtc. Associate Banter Editors Copy Chiefs Photo Editor Graphics Director Design Director

4

15

Erin Gretzinger Arushi Gupta Savannah Kind Aashna Sheth Lila Szyryj Abriela Thiel Audrey Thibert Michaela Kihntopf Scott McInerney Anusha Ray Dey Azul Kothari Anne Isman Ben Baker Janani Sundar Sam Watson Elise Wiegele Sally Reed Phoenix Pham Jeffrey Deiss Maggie Degnan Hayden Kolowrat Will Romano Charlie Dern Gavin Derkatch Ian Patton Sam Harrigan Jackson Walker Rachael Lee Nick Woodhouse Lorenzo Reyes Hallie Humbert Olivia Evans Sam Huss Abby Cima Katie Hardie Corey Holl

Publisher

Shayde Erbrecht

4

Community members say the report reflects some positive changes but more is needed to address systemic issues

BEST OF MADISON’S BOBA TEA

11

Boba shops line State Street, but have you ever wondered why? Our ArtsEtc. editors have the answers

Herald Public Relations Public Relations Directors

Keagan Schlosser Matthew van Bastelaer Ken Wang

Herald Advertising Advertising Director

John Spengler

Board of Directors Chair Members

Philomena Lindquist Erin Gretzinger Arushi Gupta Savannah Kind Anne Isman Shayde Erbrecht Katie Hardie Ken Wang Keagan Schlosser John Spengler Mary Magnuson Nuha Dolby Matthew van Bastelaer Janani Sundar

NEWS

11

ARTSETC.

12

FEATURE

OPINION

19

SPORTS

22

BANTER

UW VENUE CHANGE SHOWS TED CRUZ DOES NOT GET CENSORSHIP

15

Though Sen. Cruz claimed he was censored by the University of Wisconsin after being asked to wear a mask indoors, the actions of the institution fall far short of infringement on his speech rights — something Cruz should well know

FROM THE KOHL CENTER TO CAMP RANDALL: SPORTS TRADITIONS

21

Beyond high-achieving teams, fans are drawn to Wisconsin sports for the university’s fun traditions that bring people together from around the globe at games 2 • badgerherald.com • November 2, 2021

PHOTOS

facebook.com/badgerherald

HAPPY HOMECOMING! Between beating Iowa at Camp Randall, storming the field, and attending a host of Halloween festivities and Homecoming events, Badgers had plenty to celebrate this past weekend

Photos by Justin Mielke, Abby Cima

November 2, 2021 • badgerherald.com • 3

NEWS

@badgerherald

MPD crime report prompts community calls for crime prevention

MPD reports decrease in crime after shift in focus to crime-prevention strategies, increased community engagement

by Meredith Opie Reporter

The Madison Police Department reported a decrease in crime this summer, from May 24 to Aug. 16, after implementing numerous crime-prevention strategies.

Crime declined in all targeted areas except for car theft, disorderly conduct and simple assaults in that time period, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

To accomplish this, MPD Chief of Police Shon Barnes said MPD instructed each district to identify three crimes they expected to see a rise in and then to develop strategies, problem-solving techniques and accountability metrics for each of those crimes.

According to Barnes, MPD also used problem-oriented policing, which involves scanning a specific crime problem, analyzing that problem, designing a response, then creating an assessment. One of the most successful strategies MPD used was a focus on community engagement, Barnes said.

“It’s really all about relationships and community building,” Barnes said. “And when I say community, the police are part of that too. When I say community members, I’m talking about the police, I’m talking about people who don’t wear the badge, I’m talking about elected officials, I’m talking about the media. My version of community consensus building is that we all are working towards the good of Madison, not just one group.”

Assistant Chief of Police Brian Austin said MPD also focused on a theory called the Koper Curve. According to the Koper Curve theory, random police presence in crime hot spots for 11-15 minutes and community engagement in those areas will reduce crime and increase community trust.

The Koper Curve theory builds community bonding between everyone from neighbors to police officers. This brings the community together and makes MPD more visible within Madison hotspots, Austin said.

“This was a great opportunity for us to get back out into the neighborhoods, both with our squad patrol and foot patrol, talk to residents and at the same time show a visible presence,” Austin said. “That alone I think helps deter behavior we would like to dissuade.”

Chief Barnes said moving forward, MPD will continue to use these successful strategies, while also continuing to focus on the crimes that have the greatest impact on the Madison communities and residents.

4 • badgerherald.com • November 2, 2021

City of Madison District 8 Alderperson Juliana Bennett said crime prevention strategies within MPD are a step in the right direction for the city.

“Crime prevention strategies are important in Madison and really any city in the U.S. because it comes down to responding to community needs and asking

community engagement and partnerships.

“Addressing these disparities really comes down to a couple of things — responding to the actual needs of the communities, providing services for these folks and the Madison Police Department partnering with community organizations and nonprofits,” Bennett said.

Photo - State Street liasion officers Jessica McLay and Kenneth Brown served to steward the realtionship between the public and the police department in 2015 Jason Chan The Badger Herald the question, ‘Why are people committing crimes in the first place?’” Bennett said.

Bennett said MPD still has work to do within Madison’s communities of color.

She said MPD must evaluate the barriers specific Madison communities face and ensure people’s basic needs are being met in order to help minimize crime.

Bennett said MPD can accomplish this by collaborating with community organizations and continuing to value

According to Bennett, the MPD budget should reflect all the needs of the community — one of the most pressing needs in District 8 is mental health.

MPD recently launched Madison Community Alternative Response Emergency Services, also known as Madison CARES, Sept. 1, 2021. Madison CARES is a program for Madison residents experiencing behavioral health crises, according to MPD. The program sends

a community paramedic and a Journey Mental Health Crisis worker to respond to nonviolent behavioral health emergencies, rather than police officers, MPD said.

“CARES is where we need to start moving funds to support community needs, instead of just adding more cops and hoping that somehow crime decreases,” Bennett said.

“Police officers who don’t have extensive training in mental health aren’t the best people to send to these calls. People that are trained mental health providers can respond to those calls.”

Gender Justice Director at Freedom Inc. Jessica Williams said prevention strategies that address the needs of families and residents who are hit hardest in the city are the same strategies that will prevent and reduce crime in Madison.

Lack of housing and income disparity are issues that will lead to an increase in crime, Williams said.

Many Madison residents are struggling to meet the needs of themselves and their families, and crime prevention starts with addressing those struggles.

“Crime prevention is so important because so many people are struggling in so many different ways right now and there are just so many financial factors that are impacting Madison residents and Madison families,” Williams said.

Williams also said MPD has to take steps in acknowledging systemic issues that play a role within policing in Madison. Realizing biases and understanding the history of policing in the U.S. is where transformation occurs, she said.

Austin said MPD was ahead of the curve with instituting implicit bias training, having done so for at least five years now.

Chief Barnes said MPD will continue expanding their training but doing so requires certain financial needs.

City of Madison District 10 Ald. Yannette Figueroa Cole said understanding how MPD spends their budget and how successful each of their resources is should play an important part in developing crimeprevention strategies.

In addition to analyzing the effectiveness of the MPD budget, Cole said she believes the best way to reduce the amount of crime in Madison is to maximize collaboration and efforts between agencies across the city.

“I really want to maximize the importance of collaboration with all the agencies in the city,” Cole said. “We need to do a better job of acknowledging that the police department does too much and we should be working collaboratively to solve some of these issues.”

NEWS

facebook.com/badgerherald

Proposals to build luxury apartment on State Street cause concerns

‘[UW] really should get more involved with the conversation of sustainable, affordable housing for its students,’ Ald. Bennett says

by Caroline Robson Reporter

With plans for a new luxury apartment on State Street, students and city officials are worried about the impact it will have on an already expensive student housing market.

The City of Madison is looking at proposals to redevelop a surface-level parking garage on the corner of Lake Street and State Street. Seven developers have submitted proposals for the site all of which would include building a new parking garage and— as well as an upscale apartment complex ranging from 100 to 300 units, according to the City of Madison.

“I think there’s also something to be said about how the university really wants to create a campus that is more inclusive and welcoming,” District 8 Alderperson Juliana Bennett said.

“They really should get more involved with the conversation of sustainable, affordable housing for its students.”

The University of Wisconsin offers on-campus living for all students, but it’s mostly firstyear students who live in on-campus housing, according to the UW Housing website. The average rent for student apartments is around

$800 per person, which many UW students consider unaffordable, Bennett said.

Many older houses typically located in neighborhoods a few blocks away from campus offer a cheaper alternative to the more centrally-located high rises, according to RentCollegePads.com. Building high rises in the city allows for these houses to stay more affordable by maximizing the space closest to campus and the city, UW Urban Planning Professor Kurt Paulsen said in an email statement to The Badger Herald.

“If you build more and taller housing closer to the downtown area, folks can walk, bike or take public transit,” Paulsen said. “But if that near-in housing is not built, it gets forced further out in the city or region. If growth is displaced to outlying areas without adequate bus service, folks have to drive cars and this causes traffic congestion and pollution.”

Madison’s geography makes expansion difficult, according to the Madison Neighborhood Indicators Project.

Nestled near the heart of the city and in between two lakes, there is not much room for expanding near campus so building up is one of the only ways to meet the needs of a rising city

and student population, Paulsen said.

Apartments may offer low-income units — particularly those that are priced lower and are able to be subsidized through low-income housing tax credits — according to the Tax Policy Center. There are still many roadblocks to giving low-income students affordable housing, Paulsen said.

“One of the challenges for providing affordable housing for students is that most students under age 26 are considered “dependent children” for purposes of qualifying for means-tested federal benefits such as the two major affordable housing programs,” Paulsen said. “Therefore, dependent children are not eligible for either of these programs.”

According to Bennett, UW students and members of the Madison city council have debated the effects of building more luxury high rises. Research and studies on other cities show that meeting the demand for housing will actually drive prices down, Paulsen also said.

“Research is quite clear that building new market-rate housing to accommodate this demand does not cause the price of existing housing to go up,” Paulsen said. “In fact, the opposite is true — not building housing to

accommodate demand is the main cause of rapid increases in housing costs in an area.”

Many of these units in the proposed apartments would be priced above market rate, according to current proposals the city.

The population of UW and Madison is growing, with 2021 being UW’s largest freshman class in history, and Madison growing 16% in the last decade. But there isn’t enough housing to meet demand, and building taller apartment buildings is how the cost of housing for students will eventually decrease, Paulsen said.

Many of the proposals feature rooftop spaces, pools, hot tubs, extra parking and luxury amenities — all of which drive up the price of construction and rent, according to the proposals.

“Adding all of these new, shiny luxury high rises isn’t doing anything in the way of actually trying to make [the] campus more affordable in the long run. They want a pool and a hot tub, but we live in Wisconsin,” Bennett said. “A lot of these luxury apartment developers come from out of state and are just using carbon copy models of things that they’ve done in other cities like it will work for Madison. That is not what we need.”

$2.5 million awarded to Dane County to combat youth homelessness Grant will further efforts to aid ‘invisible population’ in city of Madison through Department of Housing and Urban Development

by Graham Brown Reporter

After four years, the Dane County Continuum of Care and its community received a $2.5 million Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD. The city’s application was rejected in 2019, but with help from HUD advisors, they were able to position themselves to succeed this time. HUD distributed $142 million to 33 communities, and Dane County was one of 22 non-rural populations to receive the money, according to a recent press release.

The money will allow the city of Madison and Dane County to more effectively tackle the problem of youth homelessness, an issue the county has fundamentally struggled with, Continuum of Care Coordinator Torrie Kopp Mueller said. It also represents a recent shift in the city’s priorities to make a more concerted effort to prioritize youth homelessness.

Over the past two years, Dane County established a committee to solve the youth homelessness problem as well as the Youth Action Board made up of young people with prior experience being unhoused. These steps

not only helped bolster the county’s application but helped local leaders better understand the unique problems of youth homelessness, Kopp Mueller said.

“Young people experiencing homelessness tend not to be seen as much,” Kopp Mueller said. “They tend to couch surf, so they’re staying with friends and family, sort of bouncing from place to place. If they end up sleeping unsheltered they work really hard to hide themselves and not be noticed by people.”

The community will have the next six to nine months to put together a plan for where they want to spend the money. Leaders expect to hear from numerous experts and groups such as the CoC’s Youth Action Board and Briarpatch Youth Services, a nonprofit organization that helps serve youth and families in crisis in the Madison area, Kopp Mueller said.

Briarpatch Youth Services is a non-profit that serves 3,000 young people in the Madison area and works closely with local governments to help combat youth homelessness and children who are dealing with violence or economic insecurity.

Briarpatch Executive Director Gloria Reyes outlined some of its goals in the press release.

“Briarpatch is excited for the opportunity to

work in collaboration with our community to elevate the issue of youth homelessness in our community and to develop a comprehensive plan that will support and reduce youth experiencing homelessness and obtain sustainable housing,” Reyes said in the press release. “This funding opportunity allows us to proactively prevent homelessness in our community.”

According to Kopp Mueller, the YHDP money cannot be spent on developing more shelters and will likely be spent on programs to bolster services and increase the resources available to the homeless community.

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway recently appropriated two million dollars for development to help address Madison’s homeless problem. The grant and the Mayor’s budget represent a policy shift that has community leaders on the issue, such as District 6 Alderperson Brian Benford, excited. Benford has 30 years of experience as a social worker in Madison and is especially involved in solving homelessness, which he said was his “life’s work.” He currently represents District 6 on the Madison City Council and serves on the CityCounty Homeless Issues Committee.

“I think we take for granted how important

it is where we lay our head at night, where we can sleep safely, where we can begin to heal and begin to lay a foundation,” Benford said. “This [funding] can offer that hope that currently in the city of Madison there isn’t. I am so deeply appreciative of the mayor and the city and county staff to recognize that this was a need.”

Benford and Kopp Mueller expressed hope that the community partnership on this issue could be extended to include the University of Wisconsin and challenged students to get more involved with helping out.

The coming months will determine how the money will be spent and if the city can come up with a comprehensive plan to make a substantial impact on youth homelessness.

While all leaders are optimistic about the future, Kopp Mueller and Benford said there will be the ever-present obstacle of helping what Benford referred to as an “invisible population.”

“We live in a tale of two cities now where Madison is an amazing place for those with privilege, but for those that are vulnerable it’s one of the most dismal places in the United States,” Benford said. “As a student, as someone on campus, what can you do to leave a legacy so that people currently your age never have to suffer?”

November 2, 2021 • badgerherald.com • 5

NEWS

@badgerherald

Shootings down from 2020 but debate over reducing gun violence persists

Many local organizations, agencies wrestle with how to lower gun violence, improve racial equity in city of Madison

by Phoenix Pham City News Editor

In 2020, crime in the United States fell, except for homicides which increased both in Dane County and the U.S. But this increase is far from its historic highs of the 1990s.

Many Madison community and governmental organizations are working to reduce violent crimes in Dane County with varying approaches on how to address the problem holistically — and with keeping in mind racial equity.

But despite the increase in homicides, it’s important for the public to have a sense of balance when looking at crime statistics, University of Wisconsin Sociology professor Pamela Oliver said.

“Crime, generally, went down in 2020,” Olivers said. “The only thing that went up were homicides. Notice all the headlines about the homicides and no headlines about everything else going down. So what’s going on with homicides? The answer to that is, we don’t know.”

There are many possible reasons for the uptick, Oliver said. It could be the homicide rate bottoming out after declining for so long, the economic and psychological stresses of the pandemic or the proliferation of guns in the U.S., Oliver said.

There’s no evidence the increase was due to police reform, Oliver said.

Erin Gretzinger The Badger Herald 6 • badgerherald.com • November 2, 2021

“So much happened in 2020, but there’s no evidence that police reform had anything to do with homicides,” Oliver said. “One way or the other, you have a whole lot of stuff overlapping at once — what’s the effect of the pandemic, the economic dislocations, the general level of fear and anxiety?”

Current Madison Police Department data shows the number of shootings this year has decreased since 2020 but is still 14% higher than in 2019, Assistant Chief Brian Austin said.

Some of the incidents, such as the driveby shooting of a 17-year-old school student on Lathrop Street, have occurred near the UW campus, according to an MPD incident report.

“Regarding our shots fired [in Madison], it’s more people-based, meaning you’ve got ongoing disputes among different groups of people, and the shots fired occur kind of when those people encounter each other,” Austin said.

“They’re not necessarily tied to a particular location.”

Crimes that happen off-campus are outside the UWPD’s jurisdiction, UWPD Department Director of Communications Marc Lovicott said. The UWPD has an alert system, called Off-Campus Alerts, that anyone can opt into to receive information on crimes that the UWPD deems could affect UW students.

The UWPD only issues off-campus alerts for events that happen in the Langdon and State Street area because it’s the densest area of offstudent housing, Lovicott said. The UWPD calls the MPD for each incident to evaluate whether it qualifies as an “ongoing threat to the UW community,” meaning if the MPD resolves the incident before UWPD, then it doesn’t become an off-campus alert, Lovicott said.

For these reasons, some shootings near the UW campus haven’t triggered off-campus alerts, Lovicott said.

The UWPD works closely with the MPD to monitor crimes occurring near the UW campus, Lovicott said. The MPD works with many partners to prevent violence, Austin said.

“The issue of violent crime is … very serious and it’s also really complex.” Austin said.

“And I think that it gets to the point that it’s not a problem that the police can solve by ourselves. And it’s something that has to be kind of a community wide effort.”

One such group is the Focused Interruption, a non-profit that receives city funding to intervene and stop shooting and prevent retaliatory action. Founded in 2016, Focused Interruption has provided counseling and support to over 300 victims and perpetrators of gun violence, according to their website.

The MPD also works with Public Health Madison and Dane County, which is currently treating violence with a public health approach, Austin said. When asked on how

Photo - Hundreds of Wisconsinites gathered to commemorate the National Day of Action in support of gun violence prevention following a shooting in an Orlando, Florida nightclub that killed 49 people and injured 53 Amos Mayberry The Badger Herald the MPD was working to improve racial equity, Austin said the MPD is “very cognizant” of the issue, and has been proactive in reducing bias in policing.

“Frankly, we hire people [who] we believe are our ethical guardians of this community and treat people fairly, no matter who they are,” Austin said. “... A lot of these issues regarding equity span well beyond the criminal justice system ...

We are happy to partner with whoever wants to partner with us, is some of those issues certainly can’t be solved by by the police department.”

In a Wisconsin Law Review article, Freedom Inc. Co-Executive Director M. Adams said the police serve as “occupying forces” in Black communities. In order to stop high arrest rates, police brutality and police killings of Black people, Black communities must initiate democratic control over the police in their communities, Adams said.

One way this could be accomplished would be creating civilian boards that have complete authority over the priorities, policies, and practices of the police, Adams said.

Recently, Freedom Inc. called for defunding the MPD after the arrest of Katoine Richardson.

At the time of Richardson’s arrest, one MPD officer shot another MPD officer, but many media outlets wrongly attributed that Richardson shot the officer.

Freedom Inc. works to end violence against women, gender non-conforming, transgender folks, and children within communities of color by addressing the root causes of violence, poverty, racism and discrimination, according to their website.

“The police stopping, brutalizing, and kidnapping Katoine in no way served public safety,” Freedom Inc. said in a press release.

“Their incompetence endangered the life of someone they were supposedly sworn to protect, as well as the lives of those on State Street, one of the busiest areas in Madison. This reckless, racist behavior again demonstrates why we do not need police in our communities when all they do is criminalize young Black youth, especially those who are low-to-no income, femme, trans, and queer.”

NEWS

facebook.com/badgerherald

Chancellor Rebecca Blank leaves behind a mixed legacy at UW

‘I have to imagine [UW] is in the best possible position for a new leader to come in and make their mark,’ University Committe member says

by Sam Watson Campus News Editor

Chancellor Rebecca Blank will leave the University of Wisconsin after the 2021-22 school year and become the president of Northwestern University.

This decision surprised many, including University Committee member Lauren Papp.

“On the one hand, I was thrilled for her to have this opportunity and also at the same time, disappointed that I wouldn’t have next year to work with her,” Papp said.

Blank has led UW since 2013, according to the UW News page. During this time, she continuously proved her strong leadership skills, especially in the pandemic, according to Papp.

As a University Committee member, Papp facilitates communication between staff and campus leaders. Papp joined the committee in early 2020, which let her observe Blank’s leadership skills in action, she said.

“I have seen her really strive to keep those lines of communication open,” Papp said. “She welcomes input and takes shared governance, faculty, staff and student input very seriously.”

But Teaching Assistants’ Association Political

The BIPOC Coalition declined to comment on Blank’s departure.

Blank regrets this lack of communication, citing the limitations of meeting virtually as a complicating factor, she said in a recent interview with The Badger Herald.

The BIPOC Coalition is not the only student organization that has had difficulties with Blank in the past, Phillips said.

Blank also abruptly canceled meetings to discuss COVID-19 policies with the Associated Students of Madison, according to a tweet from former ASM Chair Matthew Mitnick.

Blank defended her decision and said ASM passed several important motions in early September without much communication with the UW administration, “setting the tone” for the rest of the year.

Office of the Secretary of the Faculty Chair Eric Sandgren said Blank’s public persona enhanced her leadership. Simple things like going to Badger games made Blank relatable to students and publicized her devotion to UW, Sandgren said.

“She has this public image of being quirky, like [she’s] everyone’s friend, but the moment anyone has any sort of criticism, she just hides,” Phillips said.

Photo - During an interview with student publications in October 2021, Chancellor Blank said one of the things she will miss most about UW is her office atop Bascom Hill Arushi Gupta The Badger Herald Education Committee member Jack Phillips said a lack of communication was one of Blank’s biggest flaws.

She refused to meet with the BIPOC Coalition during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and onward. During a virtual meeting, she rejected two of the BIPOC Coalition’s ten demands to improve the experience of students of color on the UW campus.

On a more serious level, Blank’s hard-working attitude helped faculty maintain positive attitudes during the lockdown, Sandgren said.

“More than anything, [Blank] helped us maintain morale so that we recognize that there’s someone out there fighting for us,” Sandgren said.

Another notable accomplishment during Blank’s chancellorship is Bucky’s Tuition Promise

Photo - Blank, who has been UW’s the longest-serving chancellor since 1986, will become the first female president in Northwestern’s history.

Arushi Gupta The Badger Herald — a financial aid program that offers free tuition to low-income students, according to the Office of Student Financial Aid website. This program enabled countless disadvantaged students to get a college education and publicized Blank’s commitment to higher education, Sandgren said.

But Blank is not always consistent on this front and her handling of Act 55 shows this, Phillips claimed. Act 55 was passed by the Wisconsin legislature under Scott Walker, limiting ASM’s influence on campus policy and effectively destroying shared governance, Phillips said.

While Blank had the power to push back against this new legislature, she did not do so in a meaningful way, prioritizing money instead, according to Phillips.

“She was running UW-Madison, a public institution of higher education as if it were a forprofit corporation,” Phillips said.

As a TAA Political Education Committee member, Phillips works to educate graduate student workers on various political issues and help the student body push back against legislation that might negatively impact them.

Under Blank’s leadership, there has been a lot of work to do on this front, Phillips said.

Sandgren thinks many of Blank’s critics fail to realize how well-regarded UW is both in the state of Wisconsin and throughout the world. This reputation has only been strengthened by Blank’s leadership, Sandgren said “I know how the world views UW-Madison,” Sandgren said. “They know it’s an incredible powerhouse. I was so confused to hear what

people are criticizing about it.”

While UW has not yet announced plans to replace Blank, Papp has high hopes for the next chancellor. According to Papp, Blank’s prior accomplishments will make it easy for her successor to adjust to the leadership position.

Thanks to Blank’s leadership, UW already has robust education, research and public outreach programs, Papp said. UW has also seen a recent increase in undergraduate applications, resulting in the largest freshman class in the school’s history, according to the UW News page.

“We all have benefitted already and will continue to feel the positive impact of Blank’s strong leadership,” Papp said. “I have to imagine [UW] is in the best possible position for a new leader to come in and make their mark as well.”

But Phillips is less optimistic. The next chancellor will have a lot of work ahead of them to undo the damage Blank has done to UW, according to Phillips.

To avoid doing more harm to the campus, the new chancellor will have to revert the status of shared governance to what it used to be prior to Act 55, Phillips said.

The new chancellor must also rebuild a relationship with the BIPOC Coalition and other student organizations that represent marginalized communities on campus, Phillips added.

“No matter what happens, even if we get someone who’s a good person, the position has been so corrupted that whoever fills that role is going to have to actively work against their own best interests,” Phillips said.

November 2 2021 • badgerherald.com • 7

@badgerherald

SCIENCE NEWS

Medical cannabis research shows great potential but still faces barriers ‘A lot of this hasn’t been rigorously studied ... that’s one of the things we really need to look into,’ UW expert says

by Elsa Palmieri Science Reporter

Recent studies on the use of medical cannabis provide differing evidence regarding the benefits or risks of the drug in medicinal treatments and applications.

The discussion surrounding cannabis is becoming more prevalent within the medical field as its use recreationally and medicinally increases nationwide. At the University of Wisconsin, experts are examining the history, potential advantages and potential downsides of using cannabis as a treatment in a variety of patients.

One of the groups looking at these effects is UW’s Continuing Education Program for pharmacists, which includes a class called Cannabinoids as Medicines. The class is run by Faculty Director of the Carbone Cancer Center Natalie Schmitz and professor of pharmacy and neurology Barry Gidal.

Schmitz and Gidal’s course aims to address the knowledge gap that exists within the medical field when it comes to implementing medical cannabis as an option for patients, while giving students a combination of perspectives from experts on psychiatry, oncology and pharmacy.

Schmitz said the class is important given

the current coalescence of cannabis’ increasing application and an undereducated sector of medical experts on the topic, shown through a survey recently done on Wisconsin pharmacists.

“With patients’ increasing use, it’s really important that providers, pharmacists, physicians, nurses — the full care team — is well educated on the topic, because there’s mixed results on the appropriate applications ... the potential risks and drug interactions [and] what the appropriate doses are,” Schmitz said.

According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, the benefits of medical cannabis can vary extensively based on the targeted application, along with the specific cannabinoid. There are around 120 different cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, with the most commonly used being delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, and cannabidiol, or CBD. Schmitz said CBD dominates as a treatment for different seizure disorders because of its FDA-approved medication, Epidiolex, whereas therapeutic applications of THC focus on pain and relief. Additionally, there is an FDA approved synthesized version of THC targeted for the symptoms of chronic wasting, a consequence commonly seen in patients with HIV or cancer.

According to Schmitz, there are still many

unknowns when it comes to the different cannabinoids and each of their target applications, despite confirmed benefits.

“A lot of this hasn’t been rigorously studied and so that’s one of the things we really need to look into,” Schmitz said. “Better understanding the roles of each cannabinoid in different therapeutic indications and how, or if, they are working together in these therapeutic indications.”

Associate pharmacy professor Lucas Richert ties in the classification of cannabis within the Drug Enforcement Administration as Schedule I, categorizing drugs with no medical value and high potential for abuse.

Richert said despite changes being made at the state and national level over the past decade, cannabis is still within the most restrictive category.

“I guess the debate today within pharmacists or physicians is whether or not cannabis is appropriate for a certain mission,” Richert said.

“How appropriate is it for a certain condition and how appropriate is it in the absence of randomized control trials?”

Research done in 2017 on the effects of medical cannabis at a national level aimed to answer these types of questions. Using all available and current

research at the time, a committee synthesized a Consensus Study Report within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to conclude which areas of medical cannabis application held promise.

According to the report, there is substantial evidence that cannabinoids are effective for treatments of chronic pain in adults and chemotherapy-induced nausea, along with improving patient-reported multiple sclerosis symptoms.

Furthermore, the study indicated no statistical association between cannabis smoking or use and incidence of lung cancer, head cancers and neck cancers — though all are common concerns that circulate through discussions of cannabinoid use.

When asked about the possible correlation between cancer and cannabinoid use, Schmitz concurred with the 2017 Consensus Study Report’s findings.

“Maybe there’s more research coming out, but typically, cancer isn’t at the forefront of my concerns,” Schmitz said. “The forefront of my concerns is mostly mental health. And if a patient has a history, or current unstable mental illness, if they have a familial history of schizophrenia, those are either contraindications or precautions to using some of these products.”

Lab Report: Motor and Brain Development Lab studies motor skills

Motor differences in people living with autism can tell us about what is happening in the brain, principal investigator says

by Maeve Griffin Science Reporter

Editor’s note: The Lab Report is a weekly series in The Badger Herald’s print edition where we take a deep dive into the (research) lives of students and professors outside the classroom.

The University of Wisconsin Travers Lab uses their study of motor skills to bridge the gap between the neuroscience of autism spectrum disorder and the daily living skills it impacts.

Principal Investigator Brittany Travers is especially interested in underlying motor differences she observed through learning paradigms, such as typing and folding in individuals with autism.

“We think of motor skills as at the nexus between the everyday life tasks and better understanding the neuroscience of autism and other conditions,” Travers said. “We take for granted so often our ability to move our bodies in a way that allows us to react to, and interact with, the world around us.”

The lab studies motor function, cognition and daily living skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorders through an interdisciplinary combination of neuroimaging techniques and quantitative measures.

8 • badgerherald.com • November 2, 2021

“We think about what motor differences can tell us about what might be happening in the brain and how motor skills impact our ability to do daily living skill tasks,” Travers said.

Undergraduate researcher Michelle Alder, a senior studying neurobiology on the premed track, found her way to Travers’ lab after pursuing a more refined research experience that accommodated her interests in both movement and the brain.

“It’s that intersection between psychology, occupational therapy, and the brain. They don’t leave out any aspect, it’s very holistic,” Alder said. “When you’re looking for results, you’re looking at how is this happening in the brain, how is this presenting physically and how does this relate to helping to improve the daily lives of autistic individuals that may require it?”

Alder’s research experience in Travers’ lab culminated in her recent Hilldale fellowship, providing her with a newfound sense of independence and investment in the lab.

The fellowship provides a unique opportunity to have her own independent project and connect with other students while making a meaningful contribution to the lab’s work, she said. Her project incorporates data collected in the lab with a meta-analysis of

existing literature, something she can see the implications of first-hand.

Alder works with two boys with autism in respite care for about a year and a half.

She said getting to know the two boys has expanded her understanding of autism on both an interpersonal and neurological level.

“The reading of literature and the results that I’m looking at, I can just see in the kids that I work with how these results could apply to them,” Alder said.

Travers is also excited by the state of their research and how it may translate into meaningful behavioral interventions for individuals with autism.

“We have some work that suggests that intensive balance training may be able to impact the brain and motor ability,” Alder said. “We are excited to think about how intensive behavioral interventions — we call it our biofeedback based video game intervention — and motivating interventions like that may be able to change the entire brain network.”

Travers compared the process of developing a research project to a Venn diagram, with the ideal research project at the intersection of the student’s interests, the literature’s pressing questions and a feasible timeline.

Among suggestions from researchers that motor functions and the ability to move are a result of the evolution of the human brain, the Travers lab focuses a lot on studying the brain stem, an early developing area of the brain lacking neuroimaging perspectives, Travers said.

“It’s opened up doors for us to explore this uncharted territory of the brainstem and better understand all of its functions and how that might lead to motor and behavioral differences,” Travers said.

Alder gained a host of skills thanks to the research process, she said, both in developing her independent project, executing the data collection and assessing scientific literature.

Her mentor played an immense role in guiding her while still giving her a sense of autonomy.

From skills as foundational as learning how to code using an R program to finding and critiquing reliable literature, Alder credits her lab experience as arming her with the tools to be successful.

“This lab is really good at critically analyzing the literature we read, thinking about their choices in their method and how they apply these results to daily lives of autistic individuals,” she said.

SCIENCE NEWS

facebook.com/badgerherald

‘Vaccine apartheid’ threatens America’s progress against pandemic ‘You could argue that every death that’s occuring ... is unnecessary or preventable, given that we have vaccines,’ UW expert says

by Azul Kothari Science News Associate Editor

While many parts of the world beg for the vaccine, in the United States, health officials are begging for people to take it.

Supply outstrips demand to the point that pharmacists have been instructed to break the seal on multi-dose vials, even if only one dose ends up being used. In Wisconsin, this results in an average of over 2,000 vaccine doses being wasted daily, according to data from Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services collected between Aug. 29 and Sept. 4.

Though University Health Services does not regularly calculate statistics on dose wastage, they also follow a policy of leaving no willing community member unvaccinated, senior clinical nurse specialist Tami Morin said in an email to The Badger Herald. The clinic has administered 260 doses per week over the past four weeks.

“UHS follows the guidance of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, which is to have no wasted opportunities for vaccination,” Morin said. “This means that if we need to open a vial to ensure one person can be vaccinated we will do it.”

This reflects plummeting demand domestically.

Wisconsin hit a peak of over 420,000 doses administered in a week back in April. Dosage numbers for the last week of September were less than a tenth of that.

Concurrently, a majority of the world’s population has yet to receive a single vaccine dose. Vaccine distribution has left entire continents behind, even when COVID-19 has not. As of October, the World Health Organization estimated just 4.4% of Africans were vaccinated.

Prominent health authorities have been warning of this since the pandemic began. In May, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that “vaccine apartheid” had become a reality.

Wealthy nations were able to cut to the front of the vaccine line by paying higher prices, said Dr. James Conway, the associate director of University of Wisconsin’s Global Health Institute. The timeliness of vaccine delivery demonstrates the prioritization of wealthier nations.

COVAX, a joint venture that aims to provide 92 of the world’s poorest nations their vaccines free of charge, has binding vaccine commitments with manufacturers just like the U.S. and the European Union do. But, wealthier nations have seen their commitments fulfilled much faster than COVAX, Conway said.

“Money talks,” Conway said. “The Western countries have committed to pretty high prices, to make sure that they were first in line. Covax signed contractual agreements that they also should be getting a decent amount of vaccine, but my understanding is that they signed on for a lower price.”

While the U.S. and other wealthy nations have succeeded in dosing most of their populations, COVAX has repeatedly had to scale back its distribution goals. Initially, its goal was to have two billion doses administered by the end of 2021 — a marker that current forecasts predict will only be met by the end of the first quarter of 2022.

The topic of vaccine inequity has repeatedly emerged in conversations regarding booster shots, which countries including Germany, Israel and the U.S. have begun offering to certain eligible populations. Germany in particular was criticized for using its vaccine supply on boosters even as it falls short on its donation commitments.

Speaking on vaccine boosters, WHO Emergencies Chief Dr. Michael Ryan said the situation was akin to handing out life jackets to people who already have them while letting others drown.

When asked whether race plays a role in how the lives of those from other countries are valued, UW medical history professor Richard Keller said “it certainly does.”

“It’s the countries with resources that are the ones that have the best vaccine distribution and production, and it’s the countries without resources that have the worst production and distribution,” Keller said. “I think it’s the job of better resourced countries to assist countries with fewer resources.”

For associate professor of population health sciences Ajay Sethi, the unequal distribution is reminiscent of the inaccessibility of antiretrovirals in the Global South for much of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

While the drugs were unaffordable in much of the world, patent laws prevented African companies from making generic versions.

“I know that I saw very similar sort of delays in getting important therapeutics to the world in the context of HIV medication,” Sethi said. “In some cases, companies overseas just began reverse engineering and producing those medications and disregarding the patent laws, simply because this was an issue of human rights and ethics.”

Intellectual property in the context of vaccines and other COVID-19 therapeutics has become a hotbed for controversy. The Brookings Institute, a centrist-liberal think tank based in Washington D.C., recently came out in favor of waiving intellectual property protections for COVID-19 pharmaceuticals.

In a piece published in June, the think-tank wrote that the main function of intellectual property law is restricting the dissemination of ideas in the short term to create innovation in the long term. By preventing the theft of innovation by competitors and guaranteeing short-term monopolies of successful invention, intellectual property law aims to motivate innovation.

But during a public health crisis, society cannot afford to wait for innovation in the long term, The Brookings Institute argued. Governments

Photo · Vaccine distribution remains unequal throughout the world, with some countries holding an excess amount while others are still struggling to gain access Ahmad Hamid The Badger Herald funding vaccine development and purchasing already create sufficient economic incentives for innovation.

After pressure from activists, in May the Biden administration decided to back a World Trade Organization proposal allowing other countries to design and manufacture COVID-19 vaccines without fear of patent litigation. Switzerland, Japan and Germany are among countries still opposed to the proposal, which requires unanimous approval.

Also in opposition, the pharmaceutical industry came out strongly against the Biden administration’s decision, arguing that it would strain supply chains, lead to counterfeit vaccines and undermine American innovation in biomedical discovery.

Advocates for the proposal contend the U.S. has a vested interest in vaccinating the world.

UW professor of pathobiological sciences Thomas Friedrich said unvaccinated populations anywhere, at home or abroad, are a threat to vaccinated populations everywhere.

Unvaccinated individuals are stepping stones that give the virus chances to mutate and bounce to vaccinated populations. In most cases, the SARSCoV-2 virus will bounce around unvaccinated people and be unable to infect vaccinated hosts, but the more unvaccinated individuals there are, the more opportunity the virus has to mutate

and attempt jumps into vaccinated populations, Friedrich explained.

The Delta variant threatens the entire world, but it emerged in a population with no widespread vaccination, Friedrich said.

To its credit, the Biden administration has committed 1.1 billion doses to be donated. Still, the U.S. and other wealthy countries need to do more, Friedrich said.

“I think the issue is a billion doses for a vaccine that requires two doses is a drop in the bucket,” Friedrich said. “We need 15, 16, 20 billion doses to vaccinate the world.”

Officially, the death toll for COVID-19 is over 5 million, according to Johns Hopkins pandemic dashboard. The true death toll may be far higher.

The Economist’s excess death calculation estimates 16 million people have died as a result of the pandemic so far. Even a small delay in vaccinating the world could result in catastrophic loss of human life.

“You could argue that every death that’s occurring due to COVID-19 is unnecessary, or preventable, given that we have vaccines,” Sethi said. “There certainly are going to be scientists and modelers estimating how many millions of deaths around the world could be prevented. Very similar estimates were done showing that by not providing the world antiretroviral therapy for HIV, millions of lives were lost.”

November 2, 2021 • badgerherald.com • 9

SCIENCE NEWS

facebook.com/badgerherald

UW’s Cool Science Image Contest celebrates science imagery Three contest winners describe their paths to prize, communicating their scientific interests through photography, art

by Dima Hamdan Science Reporter

The University of Wisconsin held its 11th annual Cool Science Image Contest, which emphasizes the range and beauty of science. The winners this year not only had impressive entries stemming from work in a myriad of scientific fields but also demonstrated an interesting perspective of scientific imaging and its significance.

According to a media release from the university, a panel of nine experienced artists, scientists and science communicators chose the winning pieces — which included 10 images and two videos, all taken by UW students, faculty and staff.

The Cool Science Image Contest ties creativity and innovation together. The range from biological to physical science is effectively portrayed through the contest winners, providing a unique opportunity for science communication.

A good science image is captivating and artistic, but just as importantly it casts question and intrigue onto the captured subject, contest organizer and UW science writer Chris Blanchard said.

“It’s much easier to get people interested in something that’s fascinating, that’s interesting, that pulls you in, and it’s the artistic elements in these, which you might otherwise consider hard science pictures, that really grips people,” Blanchard said.

“And that’s where you get people to take a step beyond that initial wow factor to say why is this

Photo · Contest winning microscopic image of an innervated mouse heart Rebecca Salomon Courtesy of Cool Science Images Contest 10 • badgerherald.com • November 2, 2021

so amazing to me, why is this image so beautiful, and that’s the artistic aspects that make images like these really effective for communicating science.”

A prime example of the use of captivating images to communicate science was graduate student Rebecca Salamon’s winning image. After multiple attempts using a confocal microscope, she was finally able to capture an image of a mouse heart, with easy-to-trace and threedimensional stained nerves.

This image was the direct result of Salamon’s research, allowing her to publish a methods paper on how to study hearts’ nerves without any physical manipulation of the heart and giving rise to her current thesis project.

“This was one of the first images I took, and I would say this was the image I was most excited about,” Salamon said. “I still get excited every time I take a cool heart image. Getting that image was one of the most exciting days in the lab.”

Another contest winner was Jeffrey Shokler, the director of technology and assessment for UW’s Office of Undergraduate Advising.

Shokler secured one of the winning spots with a telescopic image of Orion Nebula, one of the closest stars to Earth.

To Shokler, the photo was a personal triumph given his long established interest in astronomy. In an email to The Badger Herald, he explained there were many complicated nuances and details that went into taking this photo.

The photo required a specific camera, telescope and timing in order to turn out right, but this did not faze him. The challenge of taking the photo made it more alluring to Shokler.

“Long exposure astrophotography is technically difficult, perhaps not ‘hard,’ because there are so many ways that things can go wrong over the innumerable steps between data collection in the field, processing of the data and the finished image itself,” Shokler said. “It is that challenge, and results like this, that keep astrophotography interesting and fun for me as a hobby!”

UW undergraduate student Shin-Tsz (Lucy) Kuo was one of two undergraduate winners. Her close-up of a pair of dragonflies gliding across the water, captured on a simple point-and-shoot camera, pushes the boundaries of what is a strong science image.

The most inspiring aspect of her winning photograph is not only the simplicity of the tool but also the fact that Kuo is a computer studies and economics major who found interest in dragonflies as a past-time.

Through her win, Kuo showed that science photography can be done by anyone, since the significance of a photo lies not only in what it communicates but also how it increases appreciation of the world and nature.

In an email to The Badger Herald, Kuo said that photography is good at finding beauty in the

Photo · Shokler’s winning photo of The Orion Nebula, one of the closest stars to Earth Jeffrey Shokler Courtesy of Cool Science Images Contest ordinary.

“I find photography’s ability to preserve moments in time significant,” Kuo said. “The photo captures something we may have overlooked otherwise, and in the context of science, which places such an emphasis on evidence, providing photos can serve to introduce

people to new concepts or back up discoveries. I also feel that a single image can communicate points that descriptions may not always be able to as effectively.”

As UW put it in announcing the winners of the contest — there is sometimes “no substitute for the visual” when it comes to science communication.

Photo · Dragonflies mating, the photo that won the contest for Kuo Shin-Tsz (Lucy) Kuo Courtesy of Cool Science Images Contest

ARTSETC.

facebook.com/badgerherald

Got Boba? The significant presence of bubble tea on State Street

With shops on most State Street blocks, the question remains: how did it become iconic destinations for students, visitors?

by Ben Cadigan ArtsEtc. Writer

Boba tea recently exploded in the United States, sparking a nationwide trend which even brought several boba tea shops to State Street, including Taiwan Little Eats, Kung Fu Tea, Le C’s, Tenko Tea and Sencha Tea Bar. Boba tea, also known as bubble tea, was invented in Taiwan in the 1980s. Bubble tea can come in two forms, either with tapioca pearls or popping bubbles. The popping bubbles are filled with syrups of different flavors, typically fruit flavors. The tea can also be milk-based or fruit flavored.

The combination of different flavors of bubbles, pearls and tea results in a variety of flavor options, according to Goba Tea. As a traditionally Taiwanese tea, boba and other Asian foods bring a new cultural aspect to State Street, representing Asian University of Wisconsin students.

ArtsEtc. Editor Rachael Lee, an AsianAmerican student and former employee of Le C’s Patisserie and Tea House on state,

commented on the cultural significance of these locations, saying “I remember a friend, upon seeing a Hong Kong styled pineapple bun there, recounted how she would eat those on the way to school every morning.”

Many cultural food options on State Street are authentic, which can remind international students of home. Authentic cultural food on State can also help businesses in Madison, presenting more food options to students and families who want to experience a new culture.

For many international students, living and going to school in another country can be very difficult. Having familiar food options nearby can alleviate some homesickness.

“Particularly for international students, I think that the store was a space to cultivate a little home away from home,” Lee said.

“Customers can speak to the staff in Mandarin, which can be more comfortable and less daunting for those of whom English is a second language. There were familiar

Photo · Bubble tea shops mean different things to different people — for some, they are a home away from home, a study spot or a place to meet up with friends Marissa Haegele The Badger Herald snacks and drinks from home.”

The availability of cultural foods is important for helping multicultural students — especially international students — feel at home in an unfamiliar city or country.

UW has a large number of AsianAmerican and international Asian students, with over 1,200 initiatives dedicated to Southeast and other Asian students, according to UW’s diversity page. This affects the culture of State Street, as many students appreciate familiar foods and other products from their culture being readily available nearby.

Photo · Bubble tea, also called boba, originates from Taiwan, but in Madison, shops dominate most blocks of State Street Marissa Haegele The Badger Herald

Bubble tea shops are also a space where those who are unfamiliar with Asian culture and cuisine can get an introduction, “We try to make a welcoming environment for everyone, regardless of their familiarity or comfort level with boba,” Lee said.

Boba is not a culturally exclusive drink — everyone is welcome to get a taste of authentic Asian culture at any of the several boba and other Asian locations on State Street.

Beyond State Street, the U.S. and other countries are also excited about bubble tea.

Kung Fu Tea is another beloved bubble tea shop located on State Street and it is part of a larger chain, with hundreds of stores both domestically and globally.

According to their website, the founders were inspired to open Kung Fu Tea after

they saw a lack of authentic bubble tea places in Flushings, Queens. They found an opportunity to share with their community authentic versions of the iconic Taiwanese drink, while also providing a space to cheer oneself up and socialize with others.

The brand quickly blew up into a national sensation, providing a new cultural experience to Americans and people in other nations. This is no different than in Madison, where Kung Fu Tea proves itself another popular study destination and hangout spot, with lines often running out the door and onto the sidewalk.

The availability of bubble tea and the presence of Asian snacks and cuisine seems to be part of a larger phenomenon of Asian cultural influence on the landscape of State Street.

From the opening of J&P Market offering affordable Asian groceries to an array of restaurants and cafes providing options from Nepalese to Taiwanese cuisine, State Street constantly offers new ways to experience and become involved in Asian culture.

Eating cultural food and exposing yourself to other cultures can often increase awareness of minority groups in America.

Even if you are not Asian-American or an Asian international student, consider visiting a boba shop on State Street to support local business while having a refreshing, culturally rich drink.

November 2, 2021 • badgerherald.com • 11

FEATURES

Dying to Divest

@badgerherald

UW student activists and other organizations call on one of the university’s largest donors to divest from fossil fuels

by Maggie Degnan State News Editor

Climate change caused 262 deaths in the past year in the U.S. alone.

A recent United Nations report reflects an even grimmer future — before a child born today turns 30, the impacts of climate change, such as species extinction, widespread disease, unlivable heat, ecosystem collapse and rising seas will be staggeringly obvious. Scientists warn the number of people facing chronic hunger, extreme poverty and death will only grow as the climate warms.

As the planet’s temperature rises, students’ tolerance for stagnant climate policies declines. In the face of what some scientists call a climate emergency, University of Wisconsin student groups are taking action to combat climate change, demanding UW’s complete divestment from fossil fuels.

estimates confirm the foundation is actively invested in oil and gas.

Several groups have questioned the foundation’s investment in fossil fuels as the means to procure funds to donate to UW. For example, the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts — a statewide collaboration of scientists and stakeholders that UW created in partnership with the

Faculty Senate Support

Digging into Divestment The UW Foundation and Alumni Association, known as WFAA, is one of the UW System’s independent, private 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations. It’s governed by a board comprising UW-Madison alumni and donors.

The WFAA’s most recent asset class information is in its 2019-2020 Financial Report, but its last public estimate of its investments in fossil fuels is from 2017-2018. The report estimates WFAA’s investments in oil and gas were over $124 million of its approximately $3.8 billion total investments as of June 2018. Though, WFAA CEO and President Michael Knetter said fossil fuel assets have been a diminishing percentage of overall portfolio investments.

The 2018 estimate is based on oil and gas companies’ net

asset values, or NAV, which is a company’s assets minus its debts. Because private equity, hedge funds, timber, real estate, oil and gas don’t have quoted market prices, they’re carried at NAV per share or its equivalent. Oil and gas investments are paired together in the report under alternative investments, but quoted market prices are not available.

This means the most recent price that buyers and sellers of oil and gas agreed upon is not available to the public.

The data presented regarding fossil fuel investments is an estimate of what the foundation invested in those years. While specific information about tangible figures is not available, the 12 • badgerherald.com • November 5, 2021

given their strong relationship, but do not.

The Associated Students of Madison, the Climate Defense Project and student governments from UW-Stevens Point, UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-Stout and UW-River Falls have all called on the WFAA to remove its investments in fossil fuels.

In 2020, all Big Ten student body presidents unanimously passed a resolution demanding their universities freeze fossil fuel investments.

Student initiatives like WSCAC and UW Divestment serve as direct action groups, continuing to challenge the status quo of current sustainability efforts on campus. But students are not alone in their calls for divestment from the ground level on campus.

Department of Natural Resources — released a report calling on all UW System Foundations to sell their stocks and investments in the top 200 fossil fuel companies and ban any future fossil fuel investments.

The organization submitted the directive a year after Gov. Tony Evers asked the group to guide his Task Force on Climate Change, which resulted in a report detailing the extent to which Wisconsinites already experience climate change’s consequences.

On the grassroots level, the Wisconsin Student Climate Action Coalition is one of the many student-led groups pioneering the cause for responsible environmental efforts on campus. Also known as WSCAC, the coalition organizes with representatives from environmental and social justice groups to build a movement of UW students advocating for climate action, environmental justice and sustainability.

WSCAC Co-chair Stephanie Janeth Salgado Altamirano said the coalition works as a medium to allow direct action organization across UW’s many climate justice organizations.

One group WSCAC works with is UW Divestment Coalition, a student-led organization representing all 13 UW campuses.

UW Divestment’s team coordinator Molly McGuire said the coalition has three main goals.

“The first is to have all UW System Foundations provide transparency about what they invest in, the second is to have them divest from any fossil-fuel related companies and our third is to have them reinvest in companies that will actually benefit the state of Wisconsin and promote a clean, equitable future,” McGuire said.

McGuire said about 5% of a typical portfolio contains fossil fuel investments. Between all the foundations, UW Divestment estimated there are $7 billion of investments. The coalition evaluates the UW System Foundations invest $315 million every year in fossil fuels.

It’s McGuire’s belief the Board of Regents should create legislation to send a clear message to the foundation — if WFAA does not stop investing in fossil fuels, the UW System will not accept its money and end their relationship.

McGuire said she believes the UW System is culpable to a degree because they have the power to influence the foundation

UW’s faculty is governed by the Faculty Senate which can vote to change rules and pass resolutions outlining the faculty’s stance on divestment. Former Faculty Senate member Steph Tai, who currently works as a UW professor of law and as legal representation for prominent climate scientists and numerous professional aquatic science societies, co-drafted one such resolution for divestment and sustainable procurement.

“This is different from other divestment resolutions happening around the country,” Tai said. “[The resolution] calls not only for carbon-friendly investments that divest from fossil fuels, but also carbon-friendly procurement in terms of what we buy for the university — including things like food, paper and furniture.”

Tai said the secretary of the faculty is forming a working group to assist with the more practical efforts of moving forward with divestment, likely studying the acquisition processes and how to negotiate with the WFAA. The

working group is studying environmentally friendly procurement, Tai said. The resolution they co-drafted will give the group more force within the university to initiate change.

Though this is a good first step, the process is taking longer than Tai would’ve liked it to.

“There still needs to be work done by the University of Wisconsin Alumni Foundation. They unfortunately have been reluctant to proceed on this front,” Tai said. “Not only is this important for the future of the planet but also important in terms of not having risky investments, there’s more and more fossil fuel companies getting sued or hit with fines, so it’s

FEATURES

facebook.com/badgerherald actually not a very good investment from a non-environmental standpoint.”

While there’s near-unanimous faculty support for the resolution, this consensus is nothing new — a divestment resolution was first proposed in the 2010s but didn’t include the new details on the process of business spending.

Though UW Chancellor Rebecca Blank hasn’t vocalized a stance regarding divestment and more environmentally sound procurement, Tai said her support would serve the cause. Given the UW foundation’s status as alumni-run and owned, however, Tai stated the most powerful catalyst for the foundation to change would be if alumni spoke up.

“The risk of investing in fossil fuels is getting higher, and I think that’s what is going to change their position, not necessarily responding to climate change,” Tai said.

Tai added the working group will document risks for the foundation in a persuasive way.

introducing a new investment option in which donors could choose to place their money in a strategy with a heavier emphasis on ESG factors but chose not to pursue it because of the potential expenses.

Jandl said the Office of Sustainability doesn’t have a specific stance regarding the WFAA’s investments but is supportive of looking into financial leverage for achieving climate action.

In Jandl’s view, divestment is more of a symbolic gesture than it is a practical one for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“The more I’ve learned about divestment, the more I understand it’s an important thing from the perspective of sending a message and sometimes an important thing from the perspective of emissions reductions, but mostly the former as opposed to the latter,” Jandl said.

Knetter explained the foundation has a fiduciary responsibility to its board of over 40 alumni donors to pursue the best return on investment as prudent stewards of their gift.

Eliminating any category of investment could be a legal and ethical violation of their fiduciary duties.

Though, Knetter said the foundation listens to student and staff calls for divestment, considers these perspectives and has

Wisconsin is a public institution — their main goal is to support the mission of the university or college,” Fossil Free South Africa said on its website. “Since fossil-free investment fits the institution’s mission, it should pose no problem for them.”

Details of Divestment

Similarly to the point Jandl made about the tangible impact of divestment to actually reduce emissions, recent research from Ivy League experts shows that divestment from companies that do not meet the ESG criteria may not be as practical as some advocates believe. In order to have a real impact, major investors would need to divest in overwhelmingly large numbers.

Investment giants are beginning to do just that. Last month, ABP — one of the world’s largest pension funds with assets worth over $400 billion — said it will purge its entire holding of $17.5 billion in the fossil fuel industry and invest instead in Doubts About Divestment clean energy in the car and aviation industry. Ford Foundation, one of the largest U.S. private foundations which was built on The Office of Sustainability currently uses the Sustainability the back of the fossil fuel industry, also announced its plans to Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, or divest and invest in renewable energy. Coutts, STARS, to track UW’s sustainability progress.

Queen Elizabeth II and the British royal Though UW ranks the lowest out of Big Ten family’s wealth manager, has also promised universities, some of those schools’ reports — to divest. like the University of Minnesota — are expired.

Even BlackRock, the biggest asset manager UW’s most recent sustainable procurement on earth, which has historically refused to score is two out of three. take action on climate change, asked its Assistant Director of the Office of analysts to assess portfolios of those who Sustainability Nathan Jandl explained that have divested. They found investors who in the most basic sense, procurement is how disinvested from fossil fuels saw both moral UW obtains its goods.The procurement score and financial gain — reporting no negative evaluates the pathways through which UW performance as a result of divestment but sources its supplies such as food, furniture instead “outperformed their benchmarks” and paper as well as what kind of carbon and found neutral to positive results. footprint these goods have, which includes The Wisconsin Legislative Reference their lifecycles. Jandl said the Office of Bureau found there is no clear process Sustainability is currently working with through which the state can require the UW procurement professionals on campus about System Foundation to divest from fossil fuels how to improve these factors. because the foundation is a private 501(c)(3) UW’s sustainability efforts within the nonprofit corporation, but the Governor ’s context of the products and services it procures Task Force on Climate Change Report are better than its efforts regarding sustainable explicitly states the UW System Foundations investments, Jandl said. UW’s sustainable should discontinue investments in the top 200 $316,039,512 $5,434,478 $80,464,557 $124,785,961 $87,846,687 investment score is zero out of four since UW fossil fuel companies. did not self-report data. The only response Though the path seems unclear, several UW gave was “no” to a question that asked other high-profile universities have taken if the institution wished to pursue positive steps toward divestment in recent years. The sustainability investment. world’s leading higher education institutions, Infographic Katie Hardie “I don’t think it’s uncommon for institutions such as Harvard, Dartmouth, Cambridge, Source University of Wisconsin Foundation not to self-report on their investment Oxford, Columbia, Brown and Cornell strategies,” Jandl said. “The body that’s University have entirely divested from ongoing discussions about the issue with its Board of Directors. doing the investing in this case is the UW Foundation which fossil fuels. Even Big Ten universities, including Minnesota, A declaration of divestment would be welcomed by some is a private entity that is affiliated with UW but not a part of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and donors, but for many it would feel like their money is being it. There’s not a direct responsibility for them to report their Rutgers, announced their plans to divest — adding to the used as a political statement, Knetter said. On the other hand, investments to the university.” growing number of almost 1,500 institutions worldwide that student activists have argued not divesting from fossil fuels is a WFAA CEO and President Michael Knetter said the have divested $39.88 trillion total. political statement as well. foundation hires outside managers to invest funds on its Regardless of UQW, more young students who feel the But UW hasn’t shied away from politicization in the past — behalf, and it takes environmental, social and governance — threats of climate change will come into UW every year, UW was one of the first universities to recognize the apartheid also called ESG — factors into consideration when it selects meaning student vigor and power are only set to grow, student in South Africa and at the forefront of divesting by selling them. leaders contend. all its holdings in companies doing business in the country a Knetter said when looking through to the holdings of Leaders like McGuire and Altamirano will continue to stand decade before most other divestment campaigns. Now, a South outside managers, the foundation’s share of investments in up and fight for divestment and a sustainable future — whether African non-profit is asking UW to stop investing in fossil fuels fossil fuel-related entities are very small. Knetter also stated alumni investing in fossil fuels change their minds or not. completely. the foundation’s fossil fuel assets have been a diminishing “UW policies are not sustainable and do not live up to the “Donors do not, and should not dictate institutional percentage of their overall investments. morals and values that we now, as a society and as young investment policy, especially given that the University of The WFAA board of directors discussed the possibility of people value considering this climate crisis,” Altamirano said.

UW Foundation: Alternative investments

Itemized list of alternative investments in 2018

Private equity

Designs by Corey Holl

Timber

Real estate

Oil and gas

Hedge funds

November 5, 2021 • badgerherald.com • 13

@badgerherald

ARTSETC.

Grammy-nominated Black Pumas bring ferocious show to Madison

All attention on Black Pumas at sold-out Sylvee show that strongly delivered charismatic energy, enchanting performance

by Matt van Bastelaer ArtsEtc. Writer

Black Pumas brought their four-time Grammy-nominated music to Madison Friday, Oct. 15, playing a high-energy show that showed the sold-out crowd why the band is entitled to all the praise they are given.

While “Colors” is far more popular than most of their other songs, they proved that they are no one-hit-wonder.

Opener Neal Francis put on an incredible set, after which I was slightly worried that the opener had stolen the show from the headliner. Francis’ funk and soul fusion dripped with groove, cordoning off large sections of each song to jam and solidify the vibe of the song.

His most popular song “Changes” was a perfect example of this, with the song’s two distinct parts allowing for the band to show off their chops. They created an incredibly full sound and a strongly driven groove, augmented by Francis’ solos on his Clavinet keyboard, modified to have a whammy bar.

From their music to their outfits, watching Francis and his band felt like the entire crowd had been transported to the 70s. The band’s playful and loose style

created a fun atmosphere in preparation for the headliner, but it was still very clear that each member of the band knew their instruments backwards and forwards.

I was unsure at first, but luckily, the Black Pumas put on an incredible enough show that ensured they were not upstaged

by Francis. Just before they took the stage, “Because” by The Beatles played over the speakers and their large puma logo on the back wall was lit up a dark red. From then on, it was clear that the band meant business.

From the outset, all eyes were on lead singer Eric Burton. His energy was infectious from the moment he stepped on stage — Burton jumped off the stage in the first song to show the fans his devotion.

Throughout the set, he repeatedly thanked the audience for returning after a year and a half and expressed his affection for Madison, noting that the audience at The Sylvee was more engaged than those from previous shows.

Where opener Neal Francis and his band were loose and flowy, the Pumas were tight and concise. They didn’t jam for long periods of time, except where the R&B-feel of songs like “Mrs. Postman” allowed it.

When guitarist and Black Pumas cofounder Adrian Quesada did take a solo, it was always a ripper.

Quesada’s sparse but necessary playing sometimes acted as much as a percussion instrument as a melodic implement.

When not laying down a solo, he allowed his sound to blend with the rest of the rhythm section and create a soundscape for Burton’s vocals to shine in.

One of the show’s highlights came when Burton got the audience involved for a cover of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City.” The song’s repeated chorus created an easy way for the sold-out crowd to feel connected to the show, with Burton, Quesada and the rest of the band filling in the verses with an extrasoulful rendition of the 1974 classic.

The band began to wrap up their set with “OCT 33,” a powerful number allowing Burton to show off his energetic stage presence and generally-stoic drummer Stephen Bidwell to showcase his talents more than usual. The set was closed by fan-favorite “Colors.”

In 2021, the song was nominated for Record of the Year and Best American Roots Performance, and it was clear to the entire audience why. The song implores the listener to take a moment to appreciate the beauty around them — with such incredible instrumentation, the crowd had no choice but to heed the song’s message.

To begin the encore, Burton appeared on

the venue’s upper balcony to perform his cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” The singer explained that he had performed the song on the Santa Monica Pier before ever being discovered or meeting Quesada.

The song’s performance was beautifully arranged and clearly meaningful to Burton as part of his journey.

The entire audience was caught by surprise when the band closed the show with a rendition of Bobby Taylor ’s version of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.”

The cover was infused with a unique mix of funk and hard rock, giving new energy to the song.

The song was a fantastic way to end the show, with Burton and backup singers Angela Miller and Lauren Cervantes creating a haunting chord to end the entire show.

The concert was engaging from start to finish, with Francis and the Pumas giving the crowd hit after hit.

The lights continually added to the spectacle, adding to each song as much as possible — bathing the stage in golden hues for “Stay Gold” was an obvious but welcome choice.

The talent of each member was clear, with the entire band creating an experience that the audience will not soon forget.

Photo · Black Pumas showed a sold-out crowd why they are a Grammy-nominated group with a lively performance

Photo · Adrian Quesada, a guitarist and co-founder of the group, took on several spotlight solos during their performance

Chris Lotten Photography Courtesy of the Sylvee

Chris Lotten Photography Courtesy of the Sylvee

14 • badgerherald.com • November 2, 2021

OPINION

facebook.com/badgerherald

Venue change shows Ted Cruz does not understand censorship

Cruz moved his speaking event from Memorial Union, arguing the campus mask mandate was censorship by UW-Madison

by Jessica Lewin Columnist

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was scheduled in October to speak at Memorial Union in an event to promote his podcast “The Verdict” in coordination with the conservative student group Young America’s Foundation.

But Cruz and the Young America’s Foundation decided at the last minute to move the event off campus to the Madison Masonic Center after apparently realizing they would be required to wear masks.

They argued the University of Wisconsin was trying to censor them with the mask mandate all students and campus visitors are required to follow with extremely limited exceptions.

Cruz later Tweeted, “UW-Madison is

trying to stifle free speech and prevent @michaeljknowles and me from recording a live episode of #VERDICT. Their Marxist COVID mandates won’t stop us!”

The current Dane County mask mandate requires face coverings for people ages 2 and older in any enclosed space open to the public. On Aug. 5, UW issued a mask mandate that requires students, employees and visitors to wear masks inside all campus buildings.

These requirements were relatively easy to find and Cruz’s team appears to have been warned of the mandates ahead of their event.

If an 18- to 22-year-old student can figure out what county and campus mandates are, you would think a U.S. senator — who is a 50 year old with a career in government — could figure it out.

Photo · This wasn’t Cruz’s first time at the Madison Masonic Center which is where he stopped as a candidate ahead of the 2016 presidential primary in an attempt to sway Wisconsin voters Marissa Haegele The Badger Herald

Because it is so easy to figure out the regulations, it seems like Sen. Cruz’s choice to come to Wisconsin and create social media outrage with his absurd Tweets could have been an intentional way to generate free attention for his podcast.

It appears to be a skilled publicity stunt.

There is an understandable debate on the mask mandate. A lot of people think the mandate is unconstitutional or that people should have the freedom to make personal decisions regarding their own health.

Whether you agree with that statement or not, it is a fair point.But it should be no shock mandates like these exist in various counties.

Anyone who has lived in the United States during the pandemic knows there are varying mask mandates and potential vaccine mandates throughout the entire country.

Choosing to believe in the capabilities of our elected officials, I want to assume Ted Cruz, an esteemed senator, is informed enough to know he is not actually being “censored” by the mask mandates that apply to the 561,504 people living in Dane County. UW gave him an event at the main student hub on campus and simply asked him to abide by their guidelines.

Being from a heavily liberal state, I have seen quite a few attempts of censorship directed toward politically conservative minds. This occurrence, however, is not an example of censorship.

A more valid debate of conservativedirected censorship would be Twitter removing thousands of followers from Republican lawmakers’ Twitter accounts following the Jan. 6 insurrection, though these actions were likely done because the followers had some link to QAnon accounts.

While there is a lot of controversy on whether or not this action violates the First Amendment, it is very clear that it is a more valid cause for conversation and debate surrounding censorship.

Sen. Cruz having to change his venue is not censorship, especially when there is a large population of Republicans in Wisconsin and politically-conservative UW students are more likely to feel safe and respected on campus than their political opposites, according to a report by The Capital Times.

Does Ted Cruz think he is important enough for a large, public university to reverse a mask mandate just for him?

All in all, Sen. Cruz is a decently smart man, but his actions have been pretty disappointing. He is not wrong about the mask mandate. People should be able to choose.

Photo · Cruz accused the university of ‘trying to stifle free speech’ Marissa Haegele The Badger Herald They should be encouraged to wear masks for their health and safety and others, but requiring people to do something when personal health is involved could be reasonably argued as an impediment on rights and freedom.

With that being said, the school is abiding

by Dane County protocol and their own guidelines set up to protect campus.

Sen. Cruz works in government, so it might be a better use of his time to discuss concerns with his colleagues and superiors.

This is a more mature solution than calling out UW and students, who are just taking necessary precautions to keep classes in session.

We should also remember wearing a mask does not prevent Sen. Cruz from speaking.

In fact, the regulations allow his audience to hear him speak in the first place, all the while keeping each other safe.

It is unfortunate that he had to stoop so low and attack people trying to do the best they can, instead of calling into question the people of authority creating these mandates.

Jessica Lewin (jrlewin2@wisc.edu) is a sophomore studying journalism.

November 2, 2021 • badgerherald.com • 15

@badgerherald

OPINION

With Blank leaving, here is what we need in our next chancellor In age of online learning, imperative needs of university include fiscal responsibility, proficiency with modern technology

by Jonathan Draeger Columnist

In May of 2022, University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank will leave Madison and become the Chancellor of Northwestern.

Good for her, I guess, since she will make more than two times her current salary after a couple of years, but in the meantime we’ll need to find someone new for Madison.

The question is then, who would be a good fit? Before diving into the essential qualities of a good fitting candidate, we should think about some of the things Blank has done right so we can properly evaluate positive traits to look for in the next chancellor. Most of the things she did best were related to the finances, which makes sense considering her background in economics.

The most progressive thing Blank did was help institute the Bucky’s Tuition Promise, which guaranteed free tuition for everyone whose parents make less than $60,000 a year.

This was a great step to help more people that were previously unable to attend UW because of financial difficulties.

Though there is obviously a debate around the idea of “Free College for All,”

very few people think students should be restricted from attending college altogether because it is too expensive, and this measure helps solve that problem.

One argument against the Badger Promise might be that it decreases funds to the university, but Blank was great at fundraising, too.

Since 2015, she raised over $4 billion with the “All Ways Forward” fundraising campaign. This is an amazing accomplishment, and that amount of money will be able to help UW grow and develop as an institution of higher education.

Blank was really good with finances, ensuring that more people could attend the university while still maintaining enough money to run UW as a world class institution.

Whoever the next chancellor is should have the same focus. Though every student might not think about those things day to day, they make for a better learning environment. So, as head of a university, you should know your way around a budget, but what else?

Whoever the next chancellor is should also embody the mission of UW — “to discover, examine critically, preserve and transmit the knowledge, wisdom and values

that will help ensure the survival of this institution, future generations and improve the quality of life for all.”I think a simpler way of putting it would be to say to discover, unpack, understand and communicate the truth. We need a chancellor that in the modern day can help every student and faculty member get to the cutting edge of truth and discover new realities about our world.

This means our next chancellor needs to prioritize research and giving money to our science departments so they do not have to rely solely on grant funding. This way, instead of our researchers and PhD students having to focus on money, they can conduct their work and strive to better understand the world to pursue the true mission of UW. So far, the two main criteria I have for the next chancellor are that they can help fund UW and make knowledge diffusion their first priority in guiding the academics of the university.

A few less important criteria I would say would make great qualities in a new chancellor include hiring someone young, creative and bright. All of these are important in our ever-changing educational environment.

The last two smaller criteria I have for the

next chancellor are that they are creative and bright. Even before COVID-19, we were in a time of incredible change.

Social media is barely 10 years old and is already replacing many of our old institutions, such as many newspapers, television and media outlets. Before that, we had barely had ten years of the internet.

Who knows what new technologies will make an impact over the next 10 or 20 years, and we need a chancellor able to help cultivate creative and smart solutions to the problems those technologies might create.

If some of the university is backed by technology that is just five, ten, or 15 years old, it will be already out of date and we need a chancellor able to make and establish new systems that are ever growing and changing.

I’ve listed a lot of criteria, but I think we should try to pull from many different fields for a new chancellor. Not only could they come from an academic field, but I think someone from a more practical background could work as well.

Many people in the realm of startups, nonprofits and business could make effective chancellors for our university.

Jonathan Draeger (draegerrrr@gmail.com) is a freshman studying economics.

Photo ·As chancellor, Blank instituted Bucky’s Tuition Promise, and the next chancellor should try for similar innovations

Photo - The chancellor who fills Blank’s shoes should focus on funding research and keeping UW’s technology updated

Ella Guo The Badger Herald

Riley Steinbrenner The Badger Herald

16 • badgerherald.com • November 2, 2021

facebook.com/badgerherald

OPINION

Levy Hall to replace Mosse Humanities building, its troubled history After decades of design flaws, structural problems, UW’s College of Letters & Science is finally replacing Humanities building

by Fiona Hatch Columnist

The University of Wisconsin’s Mosse Humanities Building is almost universally criticized by the university’s students.

Sometimes referred to as a “prison” because of its unattractive metal, concrete exterior and dim interior lighting, Humanities can reasonably be declared one of the worst buildings on UW’s campus -- not to mention it is “no longer functional,” according to Chancellor Rebecca Blank.

But with the recent news of the university’s plans to build a College of Letters & Science building and renovate the Humanities Building moving forward, it is important to look at why these projects are so desperately needed in the first place.

Humanities was initially created because of minimal space in the Department of History, which at the time was located at the bottom of Bascom Hill. According to the Department of History, the building housed 23 professors and 34 TAs who were forced to share only 16 offices. The other liberal arts departments at UW also began to grow during this time as enrollment steadily By 1950, UW’s fall enrollment had grown to over 15,000 students. The school realized the need to accommodate its growing student population.

The Humanities Building was designed with the intention of not only expanding the Department of History’s floor plan but also to house the Departments of Music and Art. The thought was to create a commonplace for liberal arts students to have the bulk of their classes in.

But the building has fallen short of that goal. Key humanities departments, such as English and Language Arts, are still spread across campus. Enrollment has only continued to rise since the mid-1900s. The undergraduate enrollment alone has reached 47,936 in the fall of 2021 and most students have to spend time in the Humanities Building to fulfill their graduation requirements.

What had once been considered plenty of space for the four departments housed in the Humanities Building now feels cramped, with a student population over three times the size of what it was 70 years ago.

Another problematic aspect of Humanities is rooted in the timing of its construction. The building was constructed in the 1960s, during a period of intense student uprisings. A rumor falsely contended the building’s layout was specifically designed to deter mass student protests because of its small corridors and to ease police intervention. Should a crowd form, some thought the angled exterior walls would make scaling the building much easier for law enforcement.

Though this has been disproven by the

director of campus planning, the building’s oddness means the conspiracy continues to circulate through the school’s student body about how their right to assembly could be threatened by the building’s architectural design.

The building is also perplexing from a logistical standpoint. The Humanities Building spans an entire city block, making it one of the biggest buildings on campus.

Its floor plan is a strange contrast of small hallways and grand outdoor passageways, large lecture halls and cramped music classrooms, modern rooms with walls of windows and basement classes with fluorescent bulbs being the only source of light. While each individual aspect of the Humanities Buildings is unique and architecturally innovative, it is the combination that highlights its confusing nature.

Lastly, and perhaps most notably, is the degradation of the building itself. The concrete walls were controversial amongst students for their unappealing aesthetic and cold temperatures in the winter. But with clearly visible rusting and dirt, the material has also become a health concern.

Leaking windows are another sign of deterioration. Rain on stormy days and cold air in the dead of winter are impossible to keep out of classrooms in the building’s current condition.

Last spring, the northwest section of the building was even forced to shut down because of structural concerns found in an engineering review.

For these reasons and many more, it is time for change. UW has recognized this alongside their students and faculty and have announced plans to tear down Humanities to construct a new L&S building across from the School of Business. With a recent $20 million donation, construction for “Irving and Dorothy Levy Hall” is set to begin in 2023 and be completed in 2025.

Dean of the College of Letters and Science Eric Wilcots said in a statement the new building “will modernize the student learning experience and build research connections on campus, better serving the needs of our growing undergraduate population.”

The building will be better suited for modern technology — something that Humanities has been sorely lacking.

It will join UW’s other recent construction projects in efforts to become more environmentally sustainable, from energy efficient lighting and heating to more ecofriendly building materials — all features that are a needed change from Humanities’ environmentally abrasive concrete foundations.

It will also focus on a more open floor plan in classrooms and retire the traditional, cramped lecture halls the building has advertised for decades.

Campus Planning Director Gary Brown said to The Cap Times that the goal is to increase the flexibility of what these classrooms can be used for. Because of the proposed size of Irving and Dorothy Levy Hall, the 10 humanities departments currently spread across eight facilities will consolidate, therefore increasing academic efficiency.

With a new building on the horizon, it is finally time to say goodbye to the Humanities Building and all of its problematic qualities to welcome a novel frontier for UW as a whole.

Fiona Hatch (fhatch@wisc.edu) is a freshman studying political science and international studies.

Photo - It is time to say goodbye to Mosse Humanities building after 70 years and hello to the new Levy Hall, coming in 2023 Abby Cima The Badger Herald November 2, 2021 • badgerherald.com • 17

@badgerherald

OPINION

Rising Madison gun violence requires new public safety approach

Madison should focus on de-escalation techniques for MPD, providing substantial rehabilitation programs for citizens

by Ishaan Chadha Columnist

Over the last year, gun violence grew steadily and continues to persist in Madison. The Madison Police Department needs to address this issue if we want that to change.

In addition to being home to one of the most highly ranked public universities in the U.S., Madison also has a nationally acclaimed quality of life.

Strolling down State Street and through Capitol Square allows residents to experience a city lifestyle while the sunsets over Lake Mendota give the opportunity to relax by the Memorial Union Terrace. Though Madison can be a place for families to build a strong foundation, it is also a city where violence remains prevalent.

Madison has a 94% higher crime rate than the other cities in Wisconsin. The increase in gunfire and carjackings in Madison does not create an atmosphere where college students can thrive academically and socially.

But the solutions to these recurring issues are complicated. Still, more attention needs to be brought to the situation for positive change to happen. Not only does Madison need attention from its leaders, but it also requires action from its citizens.

When innocent people are getting killed, becoming numb to violence and death is not an option. Even during the pandemic, homicides in Madison and Sun Prairie nearly tripled from four to 11. Between 2019 and 2020, shots fired increased from 144 to 250. Stolen vehicles increased 16% to 744 and weapon violations jumped 18% to 191.

Even though Madison is ranked as one of the safest cities in the nation, there is still a prevalent rate of gun violence and the Dane County area continues to head down a dark path that recent events reflect.

Last month, police charged a 15-year-old Fitchburg boy with killing his 11-year-old sister.

Officers from the Fitchburg Police Department said the boy has been booked for alleged homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon.

Surprisingly, that wasn’t the only instance of gun violence that month. The day before, the Fitchburg Police Department arrested a 26-yearold man in Madison after being connected with the attempted homicide of a 41-year-old Fitchburg man.

In this situation, defunding the police isn’t the answer and Wisconsin communities understand that. Dane County does not need fewer law enforcement personnel. Instead, they should institute better training programs for officers to correctly deescalate firearm situations and avoid unfair bias by connecting more with citizens.

18 • badgerherald.com • November 2, 2021

Madison police officers have a history of scrambled responses to arrest situations. For example, two weeks ago, MPD officer Keith Brown fired a shot into a fellow officer while trying to shoot a suspect they were trying to arrest.

Minimal training has consequences for both citizens — like Katoine Richardson, who was arrested amid the friendly-fire shooting — and officers caught up in the scuffle. Gun violence reaches all parts of a community and creating a more stable police department helps control this problem.

Besides creating better training programs, Madison and Dane County should take a mental health approach to gun violence to figure out why people act out, so they can get the correct treatment.

Police departments can do this by using more background data and coordinating with social service providers to try and prevent violence.

The social providers will be able to connect with the local school districts to offer young people disconnected from school ways to better themselves mentally and physically to avoid a darker path.

As a community, Madison needs to do more to reach out to young people going through trauma.

The city can do this by enlisting ex-offenders who have turned their lives around to diffuse conflict and steer people back to civil society. Gun restrictions are essential for Wisconsin if we want to reduce gun violence in major cities. Wisconsin can do this by instituting background checks on all gun sales to disarm unsolicited violence.

Moreover, Madison has a considerable homelessness problem, as an estimated 4,515 people experience homelessness on any given day. Since living on the streets can lead to desperate and dangerous decisions, providing resources for people experiencing homelessness could play a role in reducing gun violence in

Madison.

Perpetrators of gun violence with intentions to hurt innocent people should be arrested immediately. To ensure a reduction in gun violence, judges should make rehabilitation mandatory so offenders will be able to get back on their feet once released.

Gun violence continues to be a problem around the country. To solve this cultural issue, the local government needs to get ahead of the situation by helping people understand that problems can be solved through non-violent means.

The city of Madison has done a solid job of calling on the community to help promote a safer environment. By making sure law enforcement teams up with the local community and changes their relationship with citizens, gun violence in Madison could de-escalate.

Ishaan Chadha (ichadha@wisc.edu) is a sophomore majoring in journalism.

Photo - In the face of rising gun violence in Madison, more training on de-escalation techniques could help prevent gun violence and police officer mistakes Marissa Haegele The Badger Herald

facebook.com/badgerherald

SPORTS

Football: Several current Badgers have their eyes on 2022 NFL Draft

For over three decades, Badger football has sent 289 players to NFL via draft with 84 of those picks in last 10 years

by Doug Scales Sports Writer

Since the start of the NFL draft in 1936, the Wisconsin Badgers have had no problem producing NFL-ready talent. Over the last 35 years, the Badgers have sent 289 players to the NFL via the draft, 21st out of all colleges.

With 84 of these draft picks coming in the last decade, the Badgers have been a growing force within the NFL and are generating more talent than ever before.

This is evidenced by current superstars Russell Wilson and J.J. Watt, two of the top NFL players over the past decade, both on track to reach the Hall of Fame.

More recently, the Badgers have found professional success in the backfield, with the likes of Jonathan Taylor, James White and Melvin Gordon.

These modern players are accompanied by legends such as Mike Webster, Elroy Hirsch, Alan Ameche and recent-retiree Joe Thomas.

With the growing stock of Wisconsin football, the Badgers expect to see even more talent selected in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft.

Photo · Jake Ferguson, who started playing for UW three years ago, has been a consistent playmaker for the Badgers Daniel Yun The Badger Herald

That talent will most likely begin with tight end Jake Ferguson who is projected to go around the third round of the 2022 draft.

Ferguson has been a consistent talent within the Badger offense over his last three years as a starter, posting over 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns.

He best showcased his talent last year over a shortened season, showing his explosiveness and ability to get off the line quickly and get downfield within the passing game.

He’s had a consistent, long career with the Badgers in which he’s continued to improve the facets of his game.

Scouts are somewhat concerned with his ability to block the edge, but this year he has shown improvement and stability within the running game.

He is projected as the fifth tight end to be selected in the draft, so he’s certainly among the cream of the crop at the position. Expect to see him producing on an NFL roster within the next three years.

Another player whose stock has been rising as of late is inside linebacker Jack Sanborn. He’s been dominant for the Badgers this year and has had an outstanding career as a Badger.

This season especially, he’s been all over the run game with 7.5 tackles for loss through seven games.

His fantastic positional instinct, as well as football IQ, are appealing to scouts, as he’s projected to go near Round Six in a defense-loaded draft.

That stock could improve as the year goes on and almost certainly will if he continues to play at this high level.

He’s one of the players within the draft who has the potential to over-perform based on where they were selected and could blossom into a star at the higher level. Even if he’s taken late, Sanborn has a good shot of becoming a recognizable force within the NFL. At the cornerback position, Caesar Williams is an experienced senior who elected to use the extra year of eligibility to improve his professional potential. Williams has plenty of starts under his belt under defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, a former NFL defensive back himself.

With one interception so far this season, the senior corner will look to build on his draft stock as he continues to make an impact on the backend of the defense.

Caesar Williams’ experience and coverage skills should prove worthy of a draft pick in the spring.

To continue with the defensive side of the ball, starting nose tackle Junior Keeanu Benton has made an impact that could make NFL scouts excited.

With multiple starters on last year ’s line moving on, Benton has had the opportunity to capitalize, and he has made the most of it.

Benton has the size and athleticism to be a

Photo · No. 95 Keeanu Benton has racked up seven sacks so far this season for 27 total sacks during his time at Wisconsin, showing his ability to execute after many Badgers moved on last year Justin Mielke The Badger Herald force on the defensive line at the next level.

The statistics do not pop off the page with him, but his impact goes much further than that as he contributes greatly to the Badgers’ top-ranked rushing defense. Benton has the talent for a long NFL career if his strong play on the field continues.

Back on the other side of the ball, the running game this year has been as strong as ever.

That can be heavily attributed to draft prospect guard/tackle Logan Bruss, who has performed at a very high level this season. He was named All-Big Ten Third Team last season and has helped the Badgers running game operate at an elite level.

Before this season, he was placed on the watchlist for the Outland Trophy, an award given to the best interior lineman in college football for that given year. Bruss possesses the talent needed to perform at the next level and is expected to be a late-round pick in the upcoming draft. With Bruss, he will bring experience from a school that has produced plenty of offensive line talent.

Looking ahead to the future, the Badgers have some elite potential for upcoming drafts. For 2023, the main Badger prospect is linebacker Leo Chenal.

He has been playing incredibly well alongside Sanborn this year, with five sacks already through seven games. His speed and frame at the linebacker position are hard to find, showing range when covering skill positions on the field, making him a valuable prospect for an NFL team.

It’s too early to tell where he’d be selected in the draft, but he has time to improve his stock and potentially be selected in the early rounds.

A much longer way away is the star running back Braelon Allen, who has the chance to develop into an elite-level talent over the next couple of years. Just a freshman, Allen has already showcased the potential to be the next great Badger running back.

These players’ potential to reach the NFL will be monitored over time, and the Badgers should be happy they get to keep these guys for a little while longer.

As the talent threshold within the NFL continues to strengthen, the Badgers continue to improve alongside.

They continue to produce elite-level talent, even more over the last decade than ever. This trend is likely to continue, with many talented Badgers taking the field this year and for years to come.

November 2, 2021 • badgerherald.com • 19

SPORTS

@badgerherald

Men’s Basketball: Brad Davison ready to lead team in sixth season

Davison looks to continue his impact on UW program with his play on the court, his leadership with younger players

by Ian Patton Sports Associate Editor

If this year’s Badgers Men’s Basketball team were a state, it would be South Dakota. Nationally, South Dakota is seen as a flyover team with few recognized names. The fact that the team has a freshman from the state of South Dakota also helps.

Even with national media being reasonably naive about the Badgers’ characteristics, one player who has worked his way into the national dialogue is Brad Davison, a returning sixth-year senior from Maple Grove, Minnesota.

The main reason for Davison’s national attention is equal parts his skill and his evident baller mentality. Davison tries to get every inch out of his game — from bounding steps back to flamboyant charges.While no announcer can go through a Badger’s broadcast without mentioning Davison’s history as a high school quarterback, that is probably the only constant in the 22-yearold’s career. On a personal level, covering Davison strikes as odd because looking into his career brings

back memories of myself as a young Badger fan watching Davison play his entire 2017 season with a dislocated shoulder. In a year that saw extensive injury, Davison was one of the several red shirts who Coach Greg Gard had to burn to field a competitive team. Davison was joined in this group by players who were touchstones of the previous season, including Nate Reuvers who had a storied career with the team.

Davison was the star among these talents, becoming one of only two other Badgers to average double figures in their freshman season.Over the last six years, Davison has racked up even more accolades, including scratching the 1,000-careerpoints mark while making the NCAA tournament in every season except for his freshman year and the COVID-19 season, which saw the Badgers bring home a Big Ten Championship.

Along with these, Davison was a major player in last year’s NCAA opening-round win against North Carolina in which he solidified his role as a shifty scoring threat or as I call him, “Step Back Brad.With a boatload of on-court success as Davison goes into

his final season with the Badgers, some massive impacts can be seen.

For one, the known veteran is slated to get married in the summer. Along with this, Davison has always had an upstart and passionate demeanor, but this year he looks more like a proud father as he mentors juniors Tyler Whal and Jhonny Davis as they grow into their new leadership roles with the team.

Lastly, Davison can be seen as a catalyst for a new influx of Minnesotan Talent to the Badgers, typified by the fact that before his arrival, the 2016 roster only had two players from the Gopher state compared to a combined eight in the six years Davison has been a Badger. When asked about this Minnesotan identity as a Badger, Davison said, “I take pride being able to play in front of fans, friends, and family that I grew up around.” While this family may have started around a table in Maple Grove, it has truly expanded to the whole of Wisconsin, as Badger fans hope to see a little more of “Step Back Brad” in what proves to be a truly heartfelt last run in the red and white.

Photo · Brad Davidson Daniel Yun The Badger Herald

Men’s Basketball: Player profile of Minnesota native Tyler Wahl

What to expect this season from the six-foot-nine forward as he heads into his third season with UW basketball program

by Mike Hall Sports Writer

From Jon Leuer to Frank Kaminsky and Ethan Happ, it’s almost impossible to overlook signature big men at the University of Wisconsin. Dominance down low is a generational theme in Madison, and Tyler Wahl, a six-foot-nine forward in his third year, wearing red and white, aims to climb the ranks and join Badger royalty.

The junior’s basketball roots extend far beyond growing up in Minnesota. In fact, his father, Tim, played professional basketball internationally in Germany and Holland after starring at Mankato State University. Like his son, he was also a finalist for Minnesota’s Mr. Basketball Award in 1977.

Wahl shined as an upperclassman at Lakeville North High School in Minnesota, where he played alongside former Badger teammate Nate Reuvers.

In his junior season, he accounted for 17.5 points, 12 rebounds, 2.9 blocks and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 63.1% from the field, leading the 27–5 Panthers to the 2018 Class AAAA State Tournament Semifinals.

The next year, he was recognized as a Mr. Basketball finalist and Minneapolis Star Tribune All-Metro Team member while putting up 18 points, 10 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game.

Lakeville North finished the year with another 27–5 record, garnering a conference title and a bid to the Class AAAA state championship match.

Unanimously, he earned two All-South Suburban Conference selections and repeated as a member of the conference’s All-Defensive Wahl concluded his high school career by capturing the school record for rebounds (905) 20 • badgerherald.com • November 2 , 2021

and finishing third all-time in scoring (1,397), becoming one of the most distinguished athletes to ever don a Panther jersey. Despite offers from Northwestern, Minnesota, Iowa State and Butler, he committed to UW on June 21, 2018, as a revered recruit.

As a true freshman, Wahl made an appearance in all 31 games, averaging 2.6 points and 2.5 rebounds over 15.5 minutes per bout.

The newcomer didn’t shy away from the national stage during his first year, as he notched three steals and snatched seven rebounds in a triumph over top-five Ohio State in January.

About two months later, in a seven-point win against No. 19 Michigan, the forward scored five crucial points to upset the Wolverines.

During the offseason, Wahl sprouted two inches and put on some added weight — he entered the 2020–2021 campaign at 6’9”, 220, personifying the “big man” position.

His sophomore season certainly didn’t disappoint as he started in 18 consecutive games to end the season while recording 5.2 points and 4.3 rebounds across 24.7 minutes per contest. He also exhibited his defensive capabilities, grabbing 31 steals and swatting away 21 shot attempts over 31 games.

Against Green Bay in Dec. 2020, Wahl secured his first double-double with 11 points, 15 (yes, 15) rebounds, two blocks and two steals. The sophomore dominated in January, and he racked up a 12-point, three-steal performance versus Indiana, another double-double at Penn State and a team-high 14 points and six rebounds versus Northwestern.

Not only did Wahl gobble up more rebounds

Photo · As a freshman, Wahl made an appearance in all 31 games with an average of 2.6 points per matchup Justin Mielke The Badger Herald and progress into a high-volume defender, but he became more assertive on both sides of the ball.

He reached the free-throw line 43 more times and registered 26 more blocks, trends that Greg Gard hopes will blossom even further as Wahl enters his junior year.

With the departures of forwards Aleem Ford, Micah Potter and Reuvers, who each appeared in all 31 contests last season, Wahl will have an opportunity to solidify himself as a sure-fire starter and showcase his scoring ability.

As an experienced big who can defend multiple positions, rebound effectively and put the ball on the floor, the Minnesota-native will serve as the Badger’s most pivotal piece down low.

Given that the six-foot-nine forward doesn’t require the rock to be effective, he should mesh well with sophomore Johnny Davis and supersenior Brad Davidson.

Look for Tyler Wahl to establish himself as an elite defensive threat and low-post bucket-getter as the season progresses.

SPORTS

facebook.com/badgerherald

Wisconsin athletics’ top five traditions, with a surprise at number one

Breaking down all the best tradtions in many Wisconsin Badgers sports, ranging from Camp Randall to the Kohl Center

by Sam Harrigan Sports Associate Editor

The University of Wisconsin has one of the most dominant athletic programs in America.

They have top-ranked teams scattered throughout their 23 men’s and women’s varsity programs. Wisconsin ranks 18th in the nation with 30 national championships, establishing itself as one of the most dominant programs in the NCAA. While all 23 sports have unique fan traditions, there are some that transcend Wisconsin. Here is a brief ranking of the top five sports traditions that define our great school.

5: “We Want More” Like many Wisconsin hockey chants and traditions, this one’s origins lie with 1969 graduate Phil Dzick. Dzick is a Wisconsin sports superfan who has made a name for himself as a staple at the Kohl Center and LaBahn arena. Dzick’s best-known chant has become the “We want more!” yell he leads after Badger goals.

It is simple, yet special. After a goal, Dzick stands up, counts the number of goals and then yells “We want more!” For example, pretend Wisconsin just scored its third goal of the game. The chant would go like this —

“One ... two … three … WE WANT MORE!” This chant gets repeated a handful of times, and then it’s back to focusing on the action on the ice.

In an interview with UW’s On Wisconsin Magazine, Dzick said he started the chant in 1981 during a playoff game at Clarkson.

Wisconsin won this playoff game, and Dzick has been leading this cheer at men’s and women’s hockey games in the 40 years since.

4: Fan Salute While every sport does it differently, thanking the fans is a very cool part of most Wisconsin sporting events. In basketball, football and soccer the fan salute tends to be simple, usually just high fives on the way off or a brief clap from the players. But this salute is a big part of a men’s or women’s hockey game or a volleyball match.

In hockey, win or lose, the team surrounds the “Motion W” at the center ice and raises their sticks to the crowd. This is quickly followed by the three stars of the game.

While it is not a Wisconsin-centric tradition, it provides an opportunity for three players to come out and salute the crowd individually.

These are two really cool ways for the players, both individually and as a team, to thank the fans that came out.While volleyball does it a little differently, the general premise

Photo · Varsity is a favorite UW tradition, loved by students, alumni alike Justin Mielke The Badger Herald is the same. After each game, the entire team runs over in front of the student section, gives some waves and high fives and then they put their arms around each other to sing “Varsity.”

It is always a cool thing to see as the players face their peers before running back to the locker room.

From a fan’s perspective, players showing their appreciation after a game is always a fun sight to see.

3. “Build Me Up, Buttercup”

Photo · Storming the field — a much rarer UW tradition, though it is not necessarily university sanctioned Justin Mielke The Badger Herald

The 1968 song by The Foundations has found its home at Wisconsin football games.

While it is unclear when it was first played, its origins are said to be around the 1998 season.

That year, Wisconsin had one of its most successful seasons in history, finishing 11-1 with a win in the Rose Bowl.

In the 23 years since, “Buttercup” has grown in popularity and is now played at every football home game. Typically, the PA system will play the first v erse of the song over the loudspeaker during a commercial break and then cut the audio as the teams return to the field. But, when the audio is cut, this tradition shines.

The “Camp Randall Choir” takes over, and 80,000 people sing the second verse in unison.

It truly is one of the most special fan traditions in college football. And these 90 seconds are, in a lot of people’s minds, the best part of a Wisconsin football game day.

2. “Jump Around” The single greatest tradition in college sports calls Camp Randall Stadium its home.

At the end of the third quarter, the 80,321 people inside Camp Randall Stadium and the 400,000 living alumni of the University of Wisconsin, all stand, rise to their feet and collectively lose their minds.In every home game since the 1998 clash against Purdue, this song has been played. While the tradition has not existed as long as some other of college football’s finest, nothing results in the sheer awe “Jump Around” does. The stadium goes from still to chaos in a matter of seconds. It is a sight to see and something all sports fans need to be a part of once.

1. “Varsity” Wisconsin has been singing its time-honored “Varsity” since 1898. It is a simple, interactive song that brings an entire stadium or arena to their feet. “Varsity” is the official alma mater song of UW, and it is played at all sporting events and major gatherings on campus.

“Varsity” is a bonding experience as you put your arms around your fellow classmates and sway with the song.

It is simple and all students, alumni and fans know the words. “Varsity” is my personal favorite part of any Wisconsin event. It gives me chills every time and makes me so proud to be a Wisconsin Badger.

November 2, 2021 • badgerherald.com • 21

BANTER

@badgerherald

Maskaphobia: Ted Cruz’s battle over masking reveals his true fears Maskphobia is a rare but serious condition that has been around long before start of this pandemic, and it’s no laughing matter

by Will Franken Banter Writer

Ted Cruz, a man like no other. A man who has done so much for his political party as well as his state — such as losing an election to an incompetent orange man who golfs about as well as he runs a country.

A man who went on vacation during a devastating snowstorm in his home state and has a reputation for being so horrific that the former speaker of the house John “Cry Baby” Boehner called him “Lucifer in the flesh.”

Whether you think he is a good politician is neither here nor there, but he is an impressive man to say the least. That only scratches the surface of his accomplishments throughout his career, but the real story today is not to highlight the unfortunately planned vacation.

The real story is that this outstanding citizen was able to make an appearance in Madison for a mere few hours and leave behind a trail of controversy, which seems to follow him everywhere. A misunderstanding with the university’s mask policy led to the relocation of Teddy’s live podcast with Michael Knowles — and nobody ‘Knowles’ who that is.

Cruz and his cohort planned to hold a live performance at a building on campus. When they were told masks are required or they couldn’t do the show on campus, Cruz and Knowles relocated to an off-campus building.

This is a touchy subject for the Texan Senator.

He tries to play it off as some sort of political stance

regarding the masks for his constituents, but let’s give him some charity, for sake of argument. Maybe the guy has maskaphobia? Yeah, maskaphobia.

Let’s go with that.

Sources have long wondered if his issue with the masks has nothing to do with politics but everything to do with a deep dark fear of a little bit of cloth over his face.

Maskaphobia is a rare but serious condition that has been around long before COVID-19. Mr. Cruz may have dealt with this fear his whole life, but it is clear, especially in the present day, that it can be very tough for someone with Maskaphobia.

“He might actually have no problem with masks in the COVID-19 sense. He just freaks out when he comes in close contact with masks,” Maskaphobia expert Dr. Herbert Fauci said, who is in fact the second cousin (twice removed) of Anthony Fauci.

Childhood friends of Cruz have confirmed he has never even had a Halloween costume that requires a mask.

“He went trick or treating as the horror film serial killer Michael Myers in 1979, but everyone thought he was just a mechanic with a knife,” said Ed Cruz, Ted’s weird brother who follows him everywhere.

Remember when Cruz put out a statement on Twitter that read, “Academia’s war on conservatives continues.”? This may be another diversion to hide the truth.

He may be worried that if this phobia of his went public, his whole career would be over and people would finally figure out he is a coward. He didn’t realize that people already figured that out after the Cancun trip.

“How idiotic does that sound to refuse to wear a mask in the middle of a pandemic,” the REAL Fauci said. “If he didn’t have Maskaphobia, he could totally put a mask on for a little bit.

But, as it stands, it poses too great a risk to his health and mental wellbeing — which is already barely hanging on.”

Cruz stirred up quite some controversy over

his maskaphobia, but in the end, we were grateful that he made an appearance. We must be accepting of people — phobias and all. Conservatives are already oppressed in society, and there is no need to exacerbate that for Cruz.

Following the show and fallout over his maskaphobia, Cruz announced he must go to Cancun because it’s too cold here in Wisconsin.

Photo · Cruz’s fear of masks started young and still haunt him today, the Texas senator’s secret brother says Marissa Haegele The Badger Herald

Photos ·The Badger Herald crushed the Daily Cardinal (a.k.a. the Dirty Bird) in our annual fall football game by a score so astronomically high, we lost track. Check out our chug-off, family-friendly photo and epic action shot from the glorious victory : ))))))))) Abby Cima The Badger Herald 22 • badgerherald.com • November 2, 2021

BANTER

facebook.com/badgerherald

BREAKING: No one wants to sublet problematic, overpriced rooms With spring study abroad on the horizon, UW students struggle to find willing victims to take over ‘luxury leases’ so :’(

by Erin Gretzinger Editor-in-Chief

As University of Wisconsin students studying abroad in the spring book their flights and pack their bags, many are starting to fear they will have to carry some other additional baggage — finding someone to sublease their apartments.

One of the any students finding trouble with the newfound problem is Phi Mu president Asyhlee Sopala, who needs someone to replace her spot before she flies off to Copenhagen next spring.

“I just don’t get it,” Sopala said. “I mean, my roommates and I listed our gorg apartment at the James for a discounted price — only 1,600 a month! Per person! It’s like, do people not get there’s a pool and they can just have their parents pay for it?!”

Sopala, like others across campus, is still trying to find someone to sublet her reasonably priced apartment for a single semester.

Every day, more apartments with luxurious overlooks, vaulted ceilings and private jacuzzis are listed on Facebook Marketplace, but the comment sections remain empty.

Many Parisian-hopefuls and Venice-bound students say the subletting market has been extra harsh and unforgiving this year.

One potential explanation is that a lot more people are trying to study abroad in the spring

after COVID-19 halted programs across the globe last academic year.

But local economists and students on budgets contend the real problem is an over-saturation of the subletting market due to the climbing quantity of high-priced units.

As famous economist James Smith once said: “Haha supply and demand or some shit, lol I don’t actually know how to do real math.”

Supply is certainly exceeding demand — much to the chagrin of students like Sopala.

Sopala loses hope each day that someone will snatch up her sweet pad — of course, after they pass a rigorous written and oral exam to prove that the new roomie will click instantaneously with her “besties.”

“My roommates are so fun and easy to live with!” Sopala said while eagerly smiling and vigorously shaking her head.

“I’ve always had a dream to study abroad, no sudden need to get away or whatever … I am heartbroken to leave my girls!” she said, bursting into seemingly nervous laughter.

Some students have gotten so desperate, they have taken to dating apps to swipe for subletters.

But Sopala said she has found this method to be unsuccessful.

“It’s honestly mostly just weird guys who work at Epic that respond to the ads, which obviously leads to nowhere,” Sopala said with a sigh.

As stressful as the lack of subletters has been

for tenants yearning to study across the pond, the effects of the dearth of affordable sublet housing have been felt across the city.

UW urban planning expert Amar Reddy said the amount of high-priced apartments available to sublet in the Downtown campus area is “astonishing” but also “stupid.”

“I always knew we had students here whose parents had deep pockets, but the living expenses in that area are truly unsustainable for most of the UW population — especially in a sublet situation,” Reddy explained. “And what 20-something honestly needs a jacuzzi on their balcony?”

Reddy worries the city is heading toward a second housing crisis — a social crisis rather than an economic one.

Given there is already a lack of houses on the market on the outskirts of the city, startup families are going to be driven inward, he explained.

Though mixing young families with young college students in the same complexes may be the only feasible option to meet the housing demand, Reddy worries about the social and safety implications.

“I’ve seen what students do in those apartments,” Reddy said. “So if you’re heading that way, all I have to say is good luck.”

Sopala says no matter what happens with subletting her apartment, she is going to realize

her dream of studying in Copenhagen this spring.

“I’m going to make it there, no matter the cost!”

Sopala said defiantly. “And I’m sure my dad won’t mind, either.”

Photo · Subletting is a minefield, good luck, Badgers!

Sarah Godfrey The Badger Herald

It’s really not even that cold: Take the parkas off, I’m begging you

It’s way too early to start dressing up like an adventurer trekking across Antarctica, save it for the polar vortex please

by Olivia Evans Copy Chief

Ah, fall. The season of University of Wisconsin students’ favorite things — Halloween, football and… parkas?

It’s no secret that fall in the Midwest is absolutely unmatched when it comes to random fluctuations in weather.

You can wake up to a rainstorm and 40-degree weather and end up sweating a few hours later when it warms up to 65 and sunny.

So, my question to you is, why are you wearing a parka??

The people wearing parkas when it’s above 40 degrees are the same people who wear sweatshirts in the summer. They’re the same people who unsolicitedly touch your neck and say “FEEL HOW COLD MY HANDS ARE!!”

They’re the same people who bring two suitcases on a weekend trip because they used to be a Boy Scout and take the “be prepared” motto a little too seriously. One of those suitcases is only for the parka.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward to winter as much as everybody else, but take the parka off.

It is not yet the time of year when we should walk into a lecture hall to be greeted with the unzipping of 150 parkas. You look like a fool, and you sound like one too.

I can hear your sleeves crinkling. I can hear you unzipping your parka when you realize you’ve made a terrible mistake. I can see you struggling to take it off without breaking stride, almost dropping your backpack in the middle of University Ave and confusing the poor little Starship robots who are just trying to cross the street.

How rude of you to bother the Starship robots. Their day is hard enough. You’re embarrassing yourself.

Wearing a parka before it’s actually cold out is like wearing a sign around your neck that says in all caps “I’m from the South.” And as someone from Virginia, I should not have to tell you that being from the South is not something to brag about.

Suck it up, put a flannel over your hoodie and pretend to be warm enough like everyone else. If Badger football fans can roll up to games wearing nothing but body paint from the waist up, you can leave the parka at home for a few more weeks.

Also, I’ve been hearing rumors of a winter 2022 polar vortex this year?! How do y’all expect to get through that if you’re wearing a parka in 40-plus degree weather?! Will you wear two of them??? A small parka with a bigger one on top???Are you willing to look like a marshmallow made of synthetic down filling???

Couldn’t be me.

At the end of the day, wearing a parka during fall makes you look like you sleep wearing socks.

It makes you look like you order hot coffee when it’s 80 degrees out. It makes you look like you keep your mask on when you’re alone outside, simply

because your nose gets too cold to take it off.

I’ve done all of these things, but do you know what I also did this year? I got through the entire month of October without putting on my damn parka.

Photo · I’m looking at you. Take it off. Take off the damn Parka. That’s a direct order from Bucky himself.

Erik Brown The Badger Herald November 2, 2021 • badgerherald.com • 23