'Paper Cuts Deep' - Volume 54, Issue 4

Paper Cuts Deep

Evolution of Wisconsin’s paper industry

Design by CAITLIN THIES AND CAROLINE CROWLEY

SHOP SMALL SHOP SMALL

“When you shop small, you get to talk to people who ... really care about you getting a good product. And they’re trying to build a base of repeat customers, so there’s a little more investment in making sure the customer is satisfied and not just a focus on making the sale in that moment.”

Lydia Scott, Manager at Mimosa Books & Gifts

Students speak out on misrepresentation in Summer Term photoshoot

by Maddie Bergstrom Campus News Associate Editor

When junior Trang Hoang came to the University of Wisconsin, it was her first time in the United States. Despite having spent most of her life in Vietnam, Hoang didn’t feel too out of place at the university amidst other international students.

That changed when Hoang entered lecture halls.

“I started noticing, ‘Oh, I can count how many people look like me,’” Hoang said.

Senior Stephanie Salgado Altamirano recalled seeing diverse advertisements of UW during her senior year of high school, which led her to apply to the university.

“I thought, ‘That is so diverse relative to other colleges I could apply to in Wisconsin,’ and therefore I want to go there,” Salgado said. “Those pictures were clearly crafted to make me think that way.”

Despite UW advertisements frequently displaying diversity, over 60% of students are white, according to the 2020 spring enrollment report. Last summer, both Hoang and Salgado tried to participate in UW advertisements themselves to represent diverse students.

Hoang works for the Center of First Year Experience — specifically the SOAR program — at UW. Over the summer, she received an email from supervisors about a paid opportunity with the Division of Continuing Studies.

Salgado received the same email from her boss while working for the Transfer Transition Program, which is under the same office as the Center for First Year Experience.

The email stated the Summer Term office was looking for UW students to participate as extras in a photoshoot, which would be used as digital and print advertisements. With a total of four sessions between Aug. 17 and Aug. 18, students could receive $75 for each session they were selected for — all they had to do was fill out the Google Form attached to the email.

“I was in the office with my coworker, and we were like, ‘Oh, this is a good chunk of money for just a photoshoot,’” Hoang said. “And also, I think this campus needs a lot more diversity, and as a student of color, it’s a good chance to participate in this with my friends and also to show the diversity.”

Hoang went to click on the Google Form in the email that was just sent to her but it was no longer collecting answers. Hoang asked her supervisors to inform the Summer Term office of the link, but never got the opportunity to sign up.

Salgado, on the other hand, was able to access the Google Form. She and her coworker completed the application, which required them to submit their name and year in school, along with a picture of themselves.

“We both put pictures that were very cultural to our backgrounds so they could choose us,” Salgado said. “So, my friend had cultural attire and I had my hoops, long nails and a shaved head. I had told my coworker — jokingly — if you get selected in the photoshoot and I don’t, it will be racism. And we were just laughing about it.”

A couple days later, Salgado’s coworker received an invitation to participate in the photoshoot sessions, while her email remained empty.

Shortly after the photoshoot took place, Salgaldo spoke to two of her friends who were

Google Form — to not ask for pictures — and truthfully reflect [what the] campus looks like. Campus does have spots where students of color feel safe to hang out, and there’s communities out there. But it’s not to the extent that they had it in this picture.”

The goal when advertising is to always use current students in photos, marketing director for the Division of Continuing Studies Angela Rockwell said in an email statement to The Badger Herald. According to Rockwell, six students were invited to participate out of 11 total survey respondents.

“Based on availability and the number of

much earlier, Salgado said.

The office should’ve ensured everyone had access to the link, Salgado said, as well as advertised the opportunity better. Salgado and Hoang learned about the photoshoot from their jobs, not through posters or word of mouth on campus.

Salgado said the way UW advertises, utilizes and talks about diversity is very transactional in her experience. In general, diversity looks good, Salgado said. It makes other students want to come to the university and it adds to the conversation.

“I never saw it with the intention to actually truly represent, make people feel seen, make people feel safe,” Salgado said.

The university does not provide enough resources for students of color, Salgado said. Rather, the university offers a “performative role,” which Hoang agreed with.

Even with students of color constantly advocating to change the campus, the university does little to actively give to communities, Salgado said. Currently, 476 students have signed a petition to prevent two Indigenous homes on campus — MEChA and Wunk Sheek — from being torn down for parking lots.

“These are all things that students of color actively know that [are] a reminder that we’re not welcome here for who we are,” Salgado said. “We are more welcome here because of what we get to provide as an image, tokenization, as an asset — so they are the drop of diversity, they’ll bring a different perspective into the conversation. Which [this] may be true a lot of times, but why do we have to [pay] to go to an institution for us to educate people?”

Results from the 2021 Campus Climate Survey demonstrate that historically underrepresented groups report less-positive experiences on campus.

Additionally, The Color of Drinking, an exploratory study at UW, investigated the impact of alcohol culture on students of color. The results found that nearly 62% of students of color experience microaggressions, while Black students consider leaving UW at three times the rate of white students, often citing the racial climate as the number one reason.

involved about their experience. She learned that the other individuals in the photoshoot — other than her two friends — were not UW students, but paid actors from agencies in Chicago and Milwaukee.

The actors in the image Salgado saw included predominantly people of color.

“I thought it was misleading, I thought it was tokenizing,” Salgado said. “I thought the university should have been honest with that

students needed for a particular photoshoot we, at times, need to supplement with non-UWMadison students,” Rockwell said in the email. “It’s a goal of UW-Madison to enroll a broad range of students in our programs and it’s also the university’s goal to reflect representation in its marketing materials.”

Both Salgado and Hoang learned about the photoshoot in August, but they were told the Summer Term office began promoting the roles

Over and over again, Salgado said, these surveys explain how students of color feel isolated, tokenized and unsupported, while the data reflects how UW stands in diversity.

Moving forward, Salgado said she hopes the university takes more accountability.

“[They should] acknowledge it, communicate to campus how they have messed up and do better for the future in ensuring that misrepresentation and misleading photo admission are not targeted towards seeing students as assets and from a transactional point,” Salgado said.

Only two students in photoshoot were UW students, students say

Not all students enrolled in Summer Term are UW students, the photoshoot’s marketing director said.

KATIE COONEY. THE BADGER HERALD.

Dane County approves initiative to address opioid epidemic

by Lucy Wentink City News Associate Editor

The Dane County Board of Supervisors approved the Harm Reduction and Prevention Act, a $750,000 emergency initiative to address opiate and fentanyl-related emergencies in the community.

The initiative will increase awareness in the community and educate about the dangers of opiates and fentanyl, according to the Dane County Executive’s Office.

Safe Communities of Madison will partner with local schools to develop and present a prevention and harm reduction curriculum focused on building resiliency and identifying

risks.

In Dane County, opiate-related deaths have increased more than 30% in the last five years. Overdose deaths involving fentanyl are up 70%, according to the Dane County Executive’s Office.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

“Fentanyl is very prominent in our local drug market here in Dane County,” University of Wisconsin Associate Professor of family medicine and community health Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar said.

Drug dealers are mixing fentanyl with other drugs like heroin, cocaine and MDMA because it takes a very small amount of fentanyl to produce a high, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This can be particularly risky for people who don’t realize they are taking fentanyl and may be taking stronger opioids than they are used to.

Like many other parts of the country, Dane County has seen that it is not so much pain pills increasing the rates of death but illicitly manufactured fentanyl, Salisbury-Afshar said.

According to Salisbury-Afshar, there are two ways to look at the rate of addiction. One is to do broad surveys of the whole population

and ask questions about substance use. The other is to look at how many people are going to treatment.

“We’ve seen a rise in both of those numbers, so I feel confident that there is an increase,” Salisbury-Afshar said.

Many groups in the community are receiving funding to provide Narcan, medication lock boxes and fentanyl test strips through this initiative, according to the Dane County Executive’s Office. These groups include the African American Opioid Coalition ($100,000), the Recovery Coalition of Dane County ($10,000), Dane County Senior Focal Points ($15,000) and Pride in Prevention Coalition ($50,000). Also, $120,000 will be allocated to the school curriculum.

The initiative is creating a prevention specialist position within the Dane County Department of Emergency Management to oversee the Narcan “leave behind” program.

“That is where EMS will leave behind a kit with the family or friends that have Narcan, fentanyl test strips and a pocket mask to help with rescue breathing and to put them in a better position to be prepared if an overdose would occur in the future,” Dane County Emergency Management Assistant Director Carrie Meier said.

In October 2019, there were 804 EMS responses for suspected opiate overdoses. And so far this year, the number sits at 1136, Meier said.

One challenge leaders in the community face is getting people the assistance they need when they are ready, Meier said. Oftentimes, there are delays in getting people to help when they request it, according to Meier.

“We want to make sure that people have the tools that they need, and there’s a lot of really great programs here in the county,” Meier said.

One of those programs is the Recovery Coaching program through Safe Communities. These coaches will go to the emergency room upon request when a patient comes in and has had an overdose, Meier said. The recovery coach will walk hand-in-hand with that patient to get them the care they need and help them along the way, according to Meier.

Coaches are individuals or affected family members in recovery from substance misuse who want to share their strengths with others who are struggling.

The program’s goal is to reduce the time from when an overdose first occurs to when the person makes contact with a professional who can help begin the path to recovery.

“I think we’re working really hard at changing the stigma and getting people the help they need,” Meier said.

$750,000 Harm Reduction and Prevention Act works to change stigma, county official says

The Harm Reduction and Prevention Act will help people recover from substance misuse by getting them into contact with professional resources more quickly.

JASON CHAN. THE BADGER HERALD.

Five UW students to run for Madison Common Council

by Audrey Thibert Managing Editor

Five University of Wisconsin students — Juliana Bennett, Maxwell Laubenstein, Samantha Givich, Charlie Fahey and MGR Govindarajan — have announced candidacy for the 2023 Madison Common Council term.

Juliana Bennett will run for District 2 alder, Laubenstein and Givich will both run for District 4 alder and Fahey and Govindarajan will both run for District 8 alder.

The position of District 2 alder was previously held by Patrick Heck, who said he will not run again because redistricting placed his house out of District 2 and into District 6, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. District 2 runs north of the Capitol from North Lake Street on the UW campus to North Blair Street.

Bennett announced her candidacy for District 2 alder Tuesday, Nov. 22. In her press release, Bennett said she is running in District 2 due to redistricting and to make room for other UW students to run in

District 8 due to her graduating in December.

Bennett has held the position of District 8 alder since 2021. During her time as alder, Bennett has focused her efforts largely on expanding affordable housing and housing options for the Madison houseless population as well as pushing for alternative public safety options, increasing sustainability in Madison and advocating for underserved people, according to the press release.

Bennett has aided in the approval of the first purpose-built men’s shelter, increased CARES funding and supported the Madison Public Market.

In an email statement to The Badger Herald, Alder Patrick Heck said Bennett brings her two years of experience as the alder for District 8. District 2 is much different than District 8 in terms of its constituents, needs, and issues, but there is some overlap since a fair amount of District 2 has student residents.

“If college students were to represent both District 2 and District 8, students would obviously have a larger voice in city matters,” Heck said. “However, changes to city policy generally require the support of at least eleven of the twenty alders, so working together with many other alders is typically necessary to effect change.”

Charlie Fahey and MGR Govindarajan will run for the position of District 8 alder. District 8 includes most of the UW Campus north of Regent street and east of North Lake Street.

Fahey serves as an Executive Board Member of the Campus Area Neighborhood Association and as a representative in both ASM and SSFC. Additionally, Fahey is a UW Legislative Affairs Committee member and member of the student misconduct panel.

In an email statement to The Badger Herald, Fahey said District 8 is unique and faces unique challenges, so it will take a unique voice to

represent it.

“I’m running because I am deeply concerned with housing and the cost of living in Madison,” Fahey said. “Good housing is unattainable for many residents, especially students. If elected, I’ll continue my record as a housing advocate to support affordability.”

Govindarajan currently serves as the ASM Legislative Affairs Committee Chair and was previously an ASM Budget Committee member. Govindarajan will run on a platform that prioritizes affordable housing, increased mental health services, improvements in safety on and offcampus, and better modes of transportation.

Former District 8 alder Max Prestigiacomo, BIPOC Coalition Member & Former ASM Sustainability Chair Ashley Cheung and community activist Dominic Zappia have all endorsed Govindarajan.

In an email statement to The Badger Herald, Govindarajan said he has spent a year and half working on issues that matter to students at the state level, but realized more and more that these issues are better solved at the city level.

“Many of the issues faced by our community are issues also faced by me, meaning I’ve lived and experienced the same issues and I have a personal interest in addressing these issues as well,” Govindarajan said. “I’m hoping to not only represent young people but also bring them and their voices to City Hall and get them directly involved in the process as well.”

Maxwell Laubenstein and Samantha Givich both announced candidacy for District 4 alder. District 4 encompasses the Capitol and all of Madison west of districts 8 and 2.

Laubenstein is currently a representative at SSFC. In a press release, Laubenstein said he came to Madison as a “budding environmentalist” and has since used his position at SSFC to hold UW fiscally accountable through policy that helped ensure every dollar within students’ reach supported those in the most desperate need.

“As District 4 Alder, I will provide a fresh voice for the district that properly represents our neighbors by continuing to fight for community needs, including cost of living, affordable housing, and sustainable infrastructure,” Laubenstein said in the press release.

Givich, who is also running for District 4, is currently the Assembly Messenger of the House Sergeant at Arms.

Laubenstein and Givich will run against incumbent Mike Verveer, who has held the position since 1995. Before Verveer was elected as alder, he served as an assistant district attorney for Dane County.

The 2023 spring election will take place on April 4. Students and others in Madison can vote at their designated polling places.

Current District 8 Alder Juliana Bennett to run for District 2

UW students Juliana Bennett, Maxwell Laubenstein, Charlie Fahey, Samantha Givich and MGR Govindarajan are running for alder positions across Madison.

PHOTOS COURTESY CANDIDATE CAMPAIGNS.

‘Shop Small Wisconsin’ efforts work to aid small businesses

by Aashna Sheth State News Associate Editor

Gov. Tony Evers proclaimed ‘Shop Small Wisconsin’ will run from Nov. 22 - Dec. 31 for the second consecutive year. The proclamation, issued by the Governor’s Office, encourages Wisconsinites to buy from small and local businesses over the holiday season and celebrate their contributions to their communities.

This announcement comes amid inflation across the nation and concerns from small business owners, who have mostly pessimistic views on their future business growth, according to the National Federation of Independent Business.

Seventy percent of small business owners are raising prices, and 50% of them consider inflation to be their largest problem, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Small business owners on State Street have felt inflation’s effects since Wisconsin

consumers are more conscious of what they’re spending because their cost of living has increased, from their food, to their gas, to their home, small business owner Paul Strong said. As a result, Jazzman, Strong’s clothing, shoes and accessories store on State Street, must be aware of their price points and what consumers are willing to spend, Strong said.

Additionally, Mystery to Me owner Joanne Berg outlined how inflation has affected supply chain issues, which also contributes to higher prices. Mystery to Me, a local bookstore, has been affected by rising costs of paper and its delivery from China, as well as other delivery and delay fees, Berg said.

“A lot of paper and printed books come from China so we deal with shipping issues or things get delayed, but it also makes things more expensive because of export

rules and things like that that are changing,” Berg said. “So, book prices have gone up by 50 cents, sometimes $1 – some publishers have raised the price of a hardcover book $3-5.”

Supply issues tend to effect small businesses more than larger retailers, Berg said. Larger retailers are able to buy in bulk, cutting out some outside shipping costs, but small businesses are not, which means they rely on their communities.

Small business owners now must find new ways to compete because inflation is not going to stop. It’s not just the price of a book — it’s also the price of the paper and where the paper is coming from, creating a domino effect, Berg said.

Another issue with larger retailers is that they ship products to consumers, which requires packaging and fuel costs, Strong said. By buying from small businesses, consumers can mitigate those outside costs, while keeping money within the community, Strong said.

“We all live in the area, we employ people in the area, so the money stays local,” Strong said. “[Shopping small is] also more environmentally friendly compared with the Amazons of the world when they have to ship things with all the packaging and the fuel cost, so by coming to a local business, you’re really helping the community.”

According to Evers’ proclamation, an estimated two-thirds of every dollar

spent at small businesses stays within the community. This is mostly due to their hiring of local residents and buying local products and supplies.

Berg echoed these statements, adding that not only does the money going into a small business go back into the community, but the presence of small businesses can help the community as well, Berg said.

Small businesses improve property values – if a city has a vibrant downtown area that’s not just a strip mall with chain stores, more people will want to spend time there, Berg said.

Jazzman, located on State Street, is a small business surrounded by other small businesses, according to Strong. As a result, Strong hopes State Street shoppers feel pride in shopping small and enjoy visiting the shops nearby.

Berg said as a small business owner, her favorite thing continues to be working within her community and seeing community members interact with each other.

“The number one thing that I get great joy from is having neighbors meet each other in my store and knowing that they want to support me,” Berg said. “If there’s ever a day that I feel tired or wonder why I’m doing this, somebody always seems to say thank you for being here, we really appreciate having your store in our neighborhood.”

State Street businesses hope Gov. Evers’ proclamation will mitigate effects of inflation

State Street businesses are working to turn a profit and compete with large retailers amid inflation and supply chain issues.

ABBY CIMA. THE BADGER HERALD.

The Recylopedia: UW researchers dive into plastic recycling

by Sofia Valdes Gillespie Science News Reporter

Nearly 380 million tons of plastics are produced each year, and scientists estimate that by the year 2050 this number will rise to over 30 billion tons, according to a recent study by University of Wisconsin researchers. Everyone, everywhere uses plastic. As concerns about the environment’s health grow worldwide, so too do the concerns around plastic recycling practices.

Plastic is made in a couple different ways. According to the British Plastics Federation, they can either by ‘synthetic’ or ‘biobased’. Synthetic plastics are made from nonrenewable resources like coal and crude oil. Biobased plastics are made from renewable resources found in everyday life, like starch, fats and vegetable oils.

According to BPF, the most commonly used plastics are synthetic plastics made from fossil fuels. Crude oil is extracted from beneath the surface of the earth or the ocean, and distributed through pipelines that can reach thousands of miles in length.

Sometimes, oil spills from pipelines into the ocean or environment, causing longlasting consequences to the environment. This is only the first step to creating the final plastic product.

Recently, UW professor of chemical and biological engineering George Huber and postdoctoral researcher Houqian Li collaborated to publish a paper explaining the current state of plastic recycling. The research paper is over 100 pages long and covers the current state of the plastic recycling industry, different approaches to recycling and emerging recycling technologies.

Li is a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. His research focuses on sustainable catalysis for renewable energy. He worked alongside Huber and several others to write the research paper.

“I helped write this paper to expand my expertise in plastic recycling,” Li said. “I also thought it would be an opportunity for everyone in this area to learn from our

research. It’s like a textbook that anyone can use, maybe before they do research or teaching.”

The majority of packaging plastics are used for food products. They protect people from contamination, preserve food, allow for easy transportation and prevent waste.

According to Huber and Li’s paper, nearly 40% of plastic eventually ends up in landfills in developed countries. Developing countries have fewer restrictions on leftover plastics, so it is more likely to end up in the environment.

According to the paper, less than 10% of plastics are actually recycled. This is partially due to the varying compositions of different plastic materials. Second, it is costly for manufacturers to sort through different plastic types and clean them for recycling. Third, it is expensive for companies to shift from using plastic products to more advanced recycling options.

According to TWI Global, the most common way to recycle plastics is through

Mechanical Recycling. Mechanical Recycling is the process of sorting through recycled goods, cleaning them up and preparing them for re-use.

Another common practice is called pyrolysis. Pyrolysis involves the thermal degradation of plastic waste at different temperatures to produce energy. The end result produces oils, waxes, gasses and char. These materials are used as raw materials to fuel machines and industrial processes.

Though this process seems to be the best solution, it requires virgin plastics to be recycled. Virgin plastics are new plastic materials that have not been processed before.

“Many companies have built up the thermal degradation process in plastic plants to perform pyrolysis,” Li said. “They do this to manufacture plastic resins with virgin properties.”

New solutions to plastic recycling are still in the making. Huber and his colleague Reid Van Lehn are making their own efforts to contribute by researching Solvent-Targeted Recovery and Precipitation.

STRAP is a method of reclaiming polymers, the building blocks of plastics, using solvents. Together, they hope this new solution allows for the recovery and recycling of polymers into new plastic materials. In the future, STRAP can potentially provide manufacturing companies with an alternative solution to their packaging process — it will be beneficial to both the manufacturers and the earth.

Chemical engineering major at UW Abdullah Alkarzai is currently taking a class with Huber. Alkarzai enjoys the course and has discovered a new interest in plastic recycling. Before taking this class, he was less aware of how intricate the recycling process is.

“Professor Huber’s class made me interested in recycling,” Alkarzai said. “I might like to do some work in the future with plastic recycling. I have enjoyed learning about his research into plastic recycling by using solvent extraction.”

Recycling is a multilayered process. This study shows the intricate processes that take place after the plastic hits the recycling bin.

Behind the scenes, scientists like Huber and Li are working hard to figure out how to make better use of these discarded materials.

“At times it was hard to write several chapters, put the paper together and make sure all of the references and details were taken care of. But what motivated me was that it could be helpful to society and researchers,” Li said.

Researchers publish extensive paper detailing practices in the plastic recycling industry

UW committee finds ethical research approaches lend to honest results

by Sarah Matysiak Science News Associate Editor

A 2014 research study used Facebook data on otherwise uninformed and unknowing users to analyze mood changes. The study entailed altering users’ feeds with either optimistic or pessimistic content to study whether “emotional contagion,” or the transfer of similar emotional states between people, was possible through social media.

Though the study was legal according to Facebook’s terms and conditions, which specify that user data may be relinquished for research, participants who could not express consent for the study and researchers call it unethical.

Vice Chancellor for research policy and integrity in UW’s Office of Research and Graduate Education Brian Fox said scientific investigation at its core requires integrity.

“Ethics means that you’re carrying out research in a fair, open, transparent way so everyone can understand what you are doing,” Fox said. “You’re following protocols that are inherent in the design of experiments and represent best practice for working with living creatures.”

University of Wisconsin Vice Chair of the

Institutional Review Board and director of animal research Michelle Ciucci said ethics are at the center of research and research policy and compliance.

Ciucci said the risk-to-benefit ratio is a good indicator of the ethics of a study. For example, an experimental cancer drug would benefit patients by slowing or eliminating the cancer. The risk, however, would be unknown side effects. Researchers must ensure patients fully understand the risk-to-benefit ratio.

Other times, the benefit can even extend past a certain individual.

A risk of getting an MRI, for instance, can be discomfort in a patient, Ciucci said. Directly, the individual might not benefit, but overall it benefits everybody in that researchers can apply the knowledge gained from the MRI to other areas in language processing and engage in treatment.

“Not all research directly benefits that individual necessarily, but there is a benefit to our science and our knowledge base,” Ciucci said

Determining if a study is ethical or not involves assessing whether the benefits outweigh the risks,

Ciucci said. In cases with little to no benefit to society or the individual compared to the risks, the research would not be approved.

Since the findings of a study ultimately rely on the participants, they must express informed consent first, which is the crucial aspect of developing and carrying out an experiment the Facebook emotional contagion study neglected.

Ciucci said there is a history of failing to inform participants appropriately and gain their consent prior to implementing the experiment, especially on marginalized populations. Because of this, after intensive investigation, one of the biggest milestones for research ethics was produced in 1974 — The Belmont Report, which Ciucci regarded as the “cornerstone of modern human subjects research.”

Three aspects guide the report — respect for individuals, beneficence and justice. These three aspects together help unite and guide research happening everywhere in a growing society under rules, regulations and required training, Ciucci said.

“We know that not everybody is seen as equal

in society, and we have huge problems with diversity, equity and inclusion, so something that we’re really paying attention to now in all research is our consenting process,” Ciucci said.

But as society evolves, what experts consider ethical today may not be the same years from now, Ciucci said.

Constant reexamination and oversight of ethics by those like Ciucci help maintain an upto-date code of ethics for both human and animal research. In reviewing animal research ethics, for example, Ciucci said the oversight process always involves related experts or scientists, such as veterinarians, veterinary technicians and other scientists.

Ethics always includes a non-scientist member of the public who the research doesn’t necessarily concern but wants to ensure the research is done ethically, Ciucci said. This non-scientist reviews the research alongside scientific experts on every panel, instating the checks and balances system of ethics.

Fox said having this transparency between those involved with research and the public fosters confidence in the scientific enterprise.

Without ethics, it would be all too easy to have results compromised or tainted by misconduct, improper reporting or conflicts of interest, causing science to struggle in the sense that it would be built on false premises and indefensible starting points, Fox said.

Additionally, it is often the case that researchers conduct human and animal research only when there are no appropriately rigorous alternatives. In animal research but also applicable to human research, the three R’s call to refine, reduce and replace.

One of the ways to avoid the rise of ethical problems, Fox said, is through anticipation of situations such as authorship disputes, especially in circumstances that don’t involve misconduct, cheating or falsifying information.

“I always recommend people start discussing this early,” Fox said. “Who’s going to be contributing? Have it all out in the open. Don’t make any [hidden] decisions or at the last minute without consultation. That’s the best way to hope to avoid a misunderstanding and later problems.”

Ethics, though not referenced often in research papers or publications, are a major component of any experiment’s development and at the heart of all research, Ciucci and Fox said. Anyone can be responsible for it, too.

“There is ongoing training and oversight for ethical and responsible conduct of research, including undergraduate students, graduate students, research staff and professors,” Ciucci said. “It starts with the individual and then it’s built into these bigger systems. Our researchers are incredibly dedicated, and we have a very strong commitment to ethical and responsible conduct of research.”

‘Ethics means that you’re carrying out research in a fair, open, transparent way so everyone can understand what you are doing,’ UW expert says

UW researchers collect all kinds of data, such as brain scans, and they must ensure this data is managed ethically.

AHMAD HAMID. THE BADGER HERALD.

Crossing the species barrier: Primate virus could infect humans

by Mahak Kathpalia Science News Reporter

In the wake of recent outbreaks of diseases like COVID-19 and monkeypox, an increasing number of researchers around the world are working to preemptively identify possible emerging infectious diseases.

In a recent study by the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Professor Tony Goldberg identified cell surface receptors that allow the Simian hemorrhagic fever virus to enter human cells. While SHFV is typically found in African wild primates and no infections have been reported in humans yet, Goldberg said it could potentially cross the species barrier and become a zoonosis — a disease animals can transmit to humans — in the future.

Scientists first discovered SHFV in 1964 when macaque monkey colonies died from Hemorrhagic fever in the U.S. and Russia. But the virus’s distribution in wild primates remained unclear for a long time.

Goldberg and his collaborators from UW were the first few people who discovered SHFV’s wild origins in Kibale National Park, Uganda and sequenced its genome in 2011.

“I decided to look for unknown viruses in the monkeys and this was just becoming possible because of technological advances in DNA sequencing,” Goldberg said. “So, we took a look and Simian hemorrhagic fever virus was one of the viruses that popped right out. We were surprised because we weren’t looking for it. We like to say we didn’t find SHFV, but SHFV found us.”

There have been numerous emerging virulent and zoonotic diseases like HIV and Ebola, both harmful viruses originating in animal populations.

To predict whether a pathogen like SFHV could cross the species barrier, Goldberg said it is essential to gain deep knowledge of its basic biology. This knowledge includes studying which cell receptors a pathogen uses, the kinds of cells it commonly infects, how quickly the virus replicates in its host and whether it mutates.

After 10 years of extensive research on all these features of SFHV, Goldberg and his colleagues found both monkeys and humans share the cell surface receptor for this SFHV.

“The virus can latch onto the human receptor just fine,” Goldberg said. “The virus seems to be able to pass between primate species very easily without any problems with replication and it doesn’t even mutate that much. All those things — together with the fact that these viruses are distributed all throughout Africa and many primates at high levels interact with people — [made] us realize that this could potentially be a zoonosis.”

According to one study, for a pathogen in animals to transform into a pathogen exclusively infecting humans, it must go through a couple of intermediate stages. The pathogen needs to first

cause a primary infection by crossing the species barrier. Next, it must start circulating through the human population without the help of the animal host. Lastly, once a lot of rounds of transmission between humans begin to predominate, it can be successfully characterized as a human infectious disease.

While Goldberg and his team said they believe this virus could jump into humans and cause primary infection, it is much harder to predict whether it can persist in the human population because of the complexities associated with successive stages.

Professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences in the UW School of Veterinary Medicine Thomas Friedrich said viral transmissions between animals and humans are very common since the human body harbors “a biome for the virus” and other factors help regulate the emergence of infectious diseases.

“Humans get infected with animal viruses all the time, but most of the time, they don’t notice

that they are infected — a few cells in a human are infected and that’s it,” Friedrich said. “Or they get a little sick, or maybe they even get very sick and die, but that virus does not get out of that person.”

Goldberg and Friedrich said it is still crucial to engage in genomic surveillance to rapidly identify pathogens like SFHV in populations that closely interact with animals worldwide. Researchers could develop diagnostic tools to test for the pathogens they keep an eye on and start proactively making a library of vaccines against them, according to Goldberg.

Despite its benefits, Friedrich said it could often be difficult to gather resources and garner support for such research, even in studies related to existent human pathogens.

“Once an outbreak is contained and the threeto-five year funding cycle ends, people [think it] is not a problem anymore,” Friedrich said. “That happened in 2014 [with Ebola]. It was really scary, but there are only really small outbreaks now. It’s not a big deal. So, it’s hard to get funding for that.”

The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic has started to shift this trend. The scientific community is receiving more support for building pandemic preparedness.

Different organizations are allocating more of their budgets to fund research on monitoring potential pathogens. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded approximately $36.3 million to academic institutions for research in developing vaccines for a diverse family of coronaviruses in 2021.

“I think now finally we are getting to learn that we need to maintain this infrastructure that we built to monitor the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and its evolution so that we can feed that into updating vaccines,” Friedrich said. “We need to diversify that so we can detect and characterize new pathogens and know what’s going on and have ways to mitigate the situation. So we need to maintain funding, public support and policymaker support for pandemic preparedness in all of its forms.”

UW researchers show SHFV could infect humans, highlighting importance of emerging infectious disease research

The Loka Initiative: What climate scientists can learn from religion

by Scott McInerney Science News Editor

Dekila Chungyalpa found success merging faith and conservation in the Himalayas. While there, she realized the environmental conservation movement should work with religious groups to improve environmental practices.

Now, Chungyalpa is the Director of the Loka Initiative in the Center for Healthy Minds — an interdisciplinary program which supports faith-based environmental and climate efforts. The Loka Initiative launched in 2019, and they have partnerships with evangelicals, First Nations and Tibetan Buddhists.

“Our goal is basically to activate and support faith and Indigenous communities to be as resilient as possible when it comes to environmental and climate issues, because those are the biggest stakeholders,” Chungyalpa said.

While they are often forgotten as stakeholders in the climate issue, many faith leaders across the world support climate solutions, Chungyalpa said. In fact, over 80% of the world subscribes to a faith, and faiths collectively own over 8% of habitable land. They also are collectively the third-largest category of financial investors, Chungyalpa said.

Chungyalpa is working to bring the forces of faith and science together to address climate issues. The Loka Initiative does outreach and partnership events to connect University of Wisconsin researchers and faith leaders. Through these partnerships, faith leaders can learn from experts while informing them on what their faith values in the climate movement.

Recently, The Loka Initiative held a public event where they hosted a panel of climate scientists and evangelical leaders from across the country. The event was the end of a gathering called Creation at the Crossroads, where church leaders and pastors came together to discuss creation care — caring for God’s creation. The event was designed to promote healthy discourse surrounding climate change and creation care in Christian communities.

Creation at the Crossroads connected pastors with three UW scientists, who trained the pastors on topics such as biodiversity, conservation, global public health and climate projections, Chunyalpa said. The training helped pastors understand how the climate and

environment are changing and how they can address it in their own congregations.

“Here is this perfect example of how religion and science come together to strengthen one another,” Chungyalpa said. “Because the religious leaders were also informing the scientists on, ‘These are the kinds of communications that actually work for our communities, and these don’t.’”

The Loka Initiative is also funding a research project that is studying ecoanxiety and climate distress, Chungyalpa said. The project focuses on developing resources for managing those emotions and channeling them into activism and other pro environmental behaviors.

Kirstina Fiedler is a fourth year undergraduate at UW working as a program assistant for the Loka Initiative. She felt powerless to the world’s problems during the pandemic, but when she met Chungyalpa last spring she felt empowered to join The Loka Initiative.

Fiedler said the Loka Initiative is developing a course about eco-anxiety, going with the initiatives focus on mental health. The Loka Initiative works to connect people with eco anxiety to communities, many of which are faith-based, that can make them feel empowered towards climate activism.

“I think what’s so powerful about Loka is that it really gives you hope that your actions matter and your voice matters and like, you can do something and you’re not just an observer. It’s like you have some control,” Fiedler said.

When developing The Loka Initiative, Chungyalpa wanted to use religion to fill knowledge gaps in the climate movement. To achieve this goal she planned to build partnerships with faith groups that global environmental groups don’t represent.

She said Indigenous people are often

underrepresented because they are place based, or dependent on location. Representation of these communities can be conflated, and many will associate representation of one Indigenous group with representation of all Indigenous groups, which means the values of some Indigenous people can go underrepresented.

The Loka Initiative works to bridge that gap without bringing in their own agenda. Chungyalpa said a foundation of The Loka Initiative is that they are entirely informed by the values of their faith partners, such as Indigenous elders.

“I think this is an example of how Loka works. When we say we are in partnership, we take it really seriously,” Chungyalpa said.

Chungyalpa said that working with First Nations elders, they really try to listen to the environmental values of their communities. She said First Nations don’t want to use technical scientific terms when talking about these issues, as they believe it creates a separation of natural things.

The Loka Initiative is currently working on a documentary with the First Nations of Wisconsin, Fiedler said. The film will explore traditions of the First Nations and how they manage the land sustainably.

Though she is just getting started in the climate and faith fields, Fiedler is amazed by how the connection of faith on environmentalism comes together at an international level.

“It’s incredible how international this movement is,” Fiedler said. “I would love to continue working for the local initiative and continue this work. I think I’m definitely like just getting started.”

The Loka Initiative partners UW researchers with faith leaders

“Here is this perfect example of how religion and science come together to strengthen one another.”

- Dekila Chungyalpa

PHOTOS COURTESY THE LOKA INITIATIVE.

The Loka Initiative connects faith communities and climate and environmental scientists.

Paper Cuts Deep

Evolution of Wisconsin’s paper industry

by Lydia Larsen Science News Editor

When Mike Grosskreutz started working at the Wisconsin Rapids pa per mill in 1980, he thought his job would last until retirement. After all, the paper mill was the place everyone in the area wanted to work. Forty years lat er, Verso, the then owner of the Wisconsin Rapids paper mill, announced their plan to shut down the mill in June 2020.

“Morale dropped quite a bit,” Grosskreutz said. “Kind of like you’ve pulled the rug out from everybody’s feet. And nobody knew what to think or do or say.”

Verso said the decision to close the mill stemmed from COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a sharp decline in de mand for the glossy magazine paper Wisconsin Rapids mill produced.

The Wisconsin Rapids mill was one of the last paper mills in the state to produce magazine paper, though Wisconsin Paper Council Executive Director Scott Suder said the paper industry is more than just printing paper. Wisconsin’s paper mills pro duce tissue products like toilet paper and napkins, specialty paper products used in food packaging, cardboard box mate rial and more.

“You know, paper is not just what people might think of, just white paper,” Suder said. “Fiber and paper making is in almost

every aspect of our lives. Not just paper towel ing, but it’s in aerospace. It’s in your car, it’s in your phone, it’s in your clothing.”

Wisconsin’s paper industry is as old as the state itself, with Wisconsin’s first paper mill starting production in 1848. Wisconsin leads the nation in the number of paper mills, number of paper industry employees and amount of paper sold, according to a 2019 report from the Wiscon sin Paper Council.

Wisconsin’s paper industry generates about $18 billion and employs over 30,000 people, making it the fifth-largest manufacturing sector in the state. At the time of the report, Wisconsin had 34 paper mills. There are now 32, according to Suder.

Wisconsin’s paper industry has grappled with shifting consumer demands and transitions in company ownership for the last few decades. While some paper mills have evolved to meet these new demands, others don’t receive the in vestment they need from their owners, leading to shutdowns, lost jobs and detrimental impacts on communities across the state.

Shredding of an Industry

Wisconsin Rapids is one of the latest mill clo sures in Wisconsin’s paper industry. In the past three decades, at least a dozen paper mills closed with many sitting empty, undergoing redevelop ment or being sold for parts.

The reasons Verso gave for the shutdown didn’t satisfy the 900 employees who lost their jobs, Wisconsin Rapids Mayor Shane Blaser said.

“There’s lots of ‘Why here? Why now?’” Bla ser said, “You know, what’s wrong with our mill? Why, isn’t it marketable? Why isn’t another com pany interested in buying it? What’s wrong with it? What’s it going to take? You know all those questions are kind of up flurrying around.”

Other industries have expanded into Wiscon sin Rapids, and people found new jobs at those companies or other nearby paper mills, Blaser said. While there is no tracking mechanism for where the employees ended up, Blaser estimates that about one third of the employees retired fol lowing the announcement.

Tim Pavlik is the president of United Steel Workers Local 2-94, the union that represented the Wisconsin Rapids paper mill workers. After the initial shock wore off, he worked with other local leaders to help the employees find other employment opportunities through job fairs and career assistance programs.

“From when they announced in June till the mill shut down in August, we had a very, very short time period,” Pavlik said.

Two years later, things have settled down in Wisconsin Rapids. But, the city’s economy still feels some of the effects. The shutdown lowered the city’s median income, Blaser said, making Wisconsin Rapids a less attractive location to re tail outlets that are looking to expand in the area. Residents drive to nearby Plover to shop, but many want to see more retail in their own city.

The mill closures in Wisconsin Rapids are not an isolated incident. In the late 2000s, many pa per industry employees came to University of

Wisconsin-Oshkosh director of customized re search and services Jeffery Sachse with their con cerns about the paper industry when he worked for the Wisconsin Department of Workforce De velopment. At the time, paper companies had started shutting down smaller paper mills and moving their production to larger facilities.

Like Wisconsin Rapids, paper mills can close due to a decline in demand for the type of pa per they produce. But economic incentives and a lack of connection between out-of-state com panies and the communities who run the paper mills has also led to paper mills closing across that state.

In the 1970s, privately owned paper compa nies started turning to private equity firms for money to invest into their paper mills, Sachse said. Because of this change, the families and in dividuals who actually ran the paper mills gave up their position as the company’s main deci sion maker. The new leadership often chose to restructure the company.

These changes often took the form of bank ruptcy proceedings and merging companies un der new ownership. As a result, a lot of paper in dustry leadership left the state. This change then opened up Wisconsin’s paper industry to man agement decisions made by people who don’t live and work in Wisconsin, Sachse said.

Before out-of-state companies and private equity firms owned many of Wisconsin’s paper mills, most were run by families and companies based in the same community. In Wisconsin Rap ids, the Mead family owned the paper mill for most of its history. When there were no family members left to take over, they sold the company and its paper mills.

“It kind of had this aura about it and the his tory and the community but that all changed once it became no longer locally owned, and it just became a business and a balance sheet for somebody,” Blaser said.

Before Paper, Comes Pulp

Industries and communities outside of Wis consin Rapids felt the effects of shutdown too — one such industry being pulp production. The Wisconsin Rapids paper mill was the state’s largest consumer of pulpwood, which comes from trees that don’t meet the quality standards for lumber and are instead used to make paper. Pulpwood is broken down into wood fibers — pulp — then reformed to create paper products.

When the mill closed, professional loggers in Wisconsin’s northwoods didn’t have a place to sell their pulpwood.

The day Verso announced they were shutting down the Wisconsin Rapids paper mill, Dennis Schoeneck had five trucks of freshly-cut wood ready to head for Wisconsin Rapids. Then, a friend who worked in the logging industry ad vised him to call Verso. When he did, a mill em ployee told Schoeneck that as of 4 p.m. that day, the paper mill was no longer accepting wood shipments.

“I sent two of our trucks down there and that was it,” Schoeneck said. “So I didn’t get … a month, I literally got four hours. Talk about a

shock to a system.”

When the mill closed, there was a flood of pulpwood on the market, which caused the price to drop, Schoeneck said. Many Wisconsin loggers went out of business, but Schoeneck managed to hang on. While his logging business generates enough revenue to make a living, there isn’t enough income to invest in new equipment.

When loggers struggle, forest health struggles too. UW professor and wood products specialist Scott Bowe said loggers play an important role in managing the state’s private and government owned forests.

To manage a forest correctly, loggers can’t go in and only take the valuable wood that goes into lumber. Loggers must take the pulpwood and there needs to be a market for it, Bowe said. When some northeastern states lost portions of their paper industry, it impacted the manage ment of their forests because there was nowhere to sell the timber once it was harvested.

A managed forest has younger, healthier trees, stores more carbon and experiences less disease, Bowe said. People see the deforestation happen ing down in South America and assume loggers do the same in Wisconsin, but the state is actually gaining forest land.

“So, in Wisconsin we talk about healthy forests depending upon a healthy forest products industry,” Bowe said. “So, if we don’t have an industry that wants to use those raw materials, we have no financial incentive to manage our forest.”

Repackaging The Narrative

Though some say the paper industry is declin ing in Wisconsin, Suder said the paper industry is far from dead. While Wisconsin lost several paper mills in the past decade, the industry has diversified and companies have become more specialized. So, while the industry has consoli dated, production in Wisconsin’s paper mills is going strong.

Suder pointed to Green Bay Packaging as an ex ample of growth in Wisconsin’s paper industry. In 2021, the company began production on their new $500 million paper mill. The mill holds the first new paper machine the state has seen in over 35 years.

The new Green Bay Packaging paper mill was designed to be more environmentally friendly than a traditional paper mill, which uses a lot of water and energy. The new paper mill has a net zero water certification and uses more recycled material in their production process. The compa ny also switched from coal boilers to natural gas, which cuts down on sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions.

Unlike Verso, Green Bay Packaging is based in Wisconsin and operates paper mills locally. While the Wisconsin Rapids mill made magazine paper, Green Bay Packaging makes the material used in cardboard boxes.

Green Bay Packaging’s new mill is part of an emerging generation that produces different products than traditional magazine and print ing paper. The industry is evolving toward more specialty papers, such as food packaging, labels and materials used in corrugated boxes. In fact, Wisconsin is Amazon’s number one producer of

cardboard boxing materials, Sachse said.

But even if older paper mills want to get into the packaging and cardboard market, they can’t sim ply transition from producing white or magazine paper to specialty papers and containerboard, Sachse said. Without companies making a large investment, older mills don’t have the right equipment that would allow them to move into more lucrative paper markets.

While paper mills produce different products today, they also look remarkably different than they did 30 years ago. Mills are undergoing the process of automation, with much of the equip ment becoming digitized over the past several years. Anyone walking through a modern paper mill will see very few people on the floor with the machines and more people monitoring op erations in windowed offices, Sachse said.

There is a strong demand in the industry for tech nically skilled workers — one that is not being met. With the loss of the traditional as pect and the effects of an aging work

force, the industry struggles to efficiently replace outgoing employees.

UW-Stevens Point associate professor Roland Gong said mills are now looking to fill these po sitions with engineers. Though most of his paper science and chemical engineering program’s graduates end up with high paying jobs in the paper industry in Wisconsin, it is still in need.

The ‘Mill Bill’

Constant shutdowns and ownership changes take a toll on people who work in the paper in dustry. The Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association was one group who wanted to take matters into their own hands — they decided to form a co-op after the Wisconsin Rapids mill shutdown.

Forestry professionals watched for years as different entities came in and purchased paper mills. These companies didn’t reinvest in the pa per mills and instead sold them off a few years later, Great Lakes Timber Professionals Associa tion executive director Henry Schienebeck said. These constant changes affected loggers across the Great Lakes region.

Schienebeck wanted the loggers and the com munity to control their own destiny. For a couple years before the Wisconsin Rapids paper mill shut down, they discussed the idea of forming a co-op. They thought if they owned and got the community involved in managing the paper mill, they could run it wmore efficiently, Schiene beck said.

“If you’re an owner of something, you take better care of it, right?” Schienebeck said. “If

you had to earn it … you just do all these things that make it more cost-effective to run. That’s the model we were using, and still are using.”

The Great Lakes Timber Professionals Associa tion partnered with local representatives to find financial resources for the co-op to buy the paper mill. This “mill bill” would have provided the co-op with funds to start the process of buying the mill.

While both the state Democrats and Republi cans wanted to pass the bill, it quickly became a partisan showdown over where to obtain the funding. Republicans wanted the money to come from the American Rescue Plan Act funds, which were designed to help businesses affected by COVID-19. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers wanted to use the state’s general purpose revenue fund ing.

The “mill bill” passed the state Legislature, but it never went into effect because Evers vetoed it. Evers said that American Rescue Plan Act funds are not suitable for the long term investment the project needed. He also cited legal problems that could arise if the federal government didn’t think COVID-19 directly caused the mill closure.

After Verso closed the Wisconsin Rapids mill in 2020, the company merged with Biller udKorsnäs AB, a Swedish paper company. The Swedish company is currently running its paper mills in Escanaba and Quinnesec, Michigan, with no apparent plans for the Wisconsin Rapids pa per mill.

Wisconsin Rapids hired a company to do a re development study using a federal grant, Blaser said. The report isn’t finished yet, but it will in clude some options for redevelopment of the mill property now that the mill is no longer running.

Grosskreutz said there was hope that someone would buy the Wisconsin Rapids paper mill for a couple years, but now too much time has passed. The machines will no longer run correctly after sitting idle for so long.

Grosskreutz got his full retirement, but he took a job operating a dump truck in the summer for a landscaping company and became an ordained minister.

Despite all the changes, Pavlik believes there are still opportunities in Wisconsin’s paper in dustry.

“The paper industry has opportunities,” Pav lik said. “I believe that. I [also] believe that it’s a different industry than it was when I got into it 27 years ago. My father was a 48 year employee at Consolidated Paper and it was different when he got into it. So I think it’s continuing to be a strong part of Wicsonsin’s economy going forward.”

Grosskreutz said there was hope that someone would buy the Wisconsin Rapids paper mill for a couple years, but now too much time has passed. The machines will no longer run correctly after sitting idle for so long.

Grosskreutz got his full retirement, but he took a job operating a dump truck in the summer for a landscaping company and became an ordained minister.

“Of course I would miss somewhere I’ve been for 40 years. What I’m doing now, I enjoy it,” Grosskreutz said.

Despite all the changes, Pavlik believes there are still opportunities in Wisconsin’s paper in dustry.

“The paper industry has opportunities,” Pav lik said. “I believe that. I [also] believe that it’s a different industry than it was when I got into it 27 years ago. My father was a 48 year employee at Consolidated Paper and it was different when he got into it. So, I think it’s continuing to be a strong part of Wicsonsin’s economy going forward.”

Police presence in schools

Point: Police officers do not belong in schools

by Katie Sullivan Opinion Writer

The inception of policing in schools came about in 1948 with the Los Angeles School Police Department, an initiative aimed at patrolling recently integrated schools, according to the ACLU. At that time, the reigning belief was that allowing Black students into previously all-white schools would be accompanied by an increase in violence.

The blatant criminalization of Black students that prompted school policing decades ago is a sentiment that persists today. Roughly 47% of public schools in the nation have security staff present at least once per week, with a higher concentration of on-campus law enforcement officers in schools with more students of color.

The American education system has already failed its students in a didactic sense with whitewashed U.S. history curricula that fail to wholly address the nation’s deep-rooted racism. This complacency, coupled with law enforcement presence in schools, perpetuates the oppression and harm that come hand-in-hand with policing.

The guise of safety and protection that is offered by police presence in schools is an insidious force that is made more powerful by the unwillingness to confront the vicious realities of our national history.

Children are socialized to accept pro-police sentiments as inarguable and objective when presented with law-enforcement-headed programming such as “Officer Friendly” and D.A.R.E. These programs herald police officers as trustworthy, positive figures while bypassing the opportunity to educate students about the

dangers of police brutality.

Black students are disproportionately harmed by policing. A 2018 report from the ACLU revealed Black students lost 66 days of school per 100 students due to suspensions compared to just 14 days for white students. The implicit biases in disciplinary measures enacted by school personnel target students of color and contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline.

Police surveillance in schools yields higher volumes of disorderly conduct charges. According to the New York Times, however, these charges often consist of arrests based on trivial offenses such as turning off the lights in the girl’s bathroom or violating the dress codes. These instances do not necessitate the invocation of police power.

School policing inherently perpetuates racism in its operations by punishing perceived deviance, which cultivates a more dangerous environment for students of color. And support services to address this hostility are limited. According to a study conducted by the ACLU, 14 million students go to schools with police officers but without crucial counseling staff.

If prioritizing the safety of students in public schools is truly the objective at hand, then defunding the police, reallocating funds to mental health services and implementing transformative justice initiatives would be a more effective way to achieve it.

Katie Sullivan (kbsullivan2@wisc.edu) is a sophomore studying health promotion & health equity and communication sciences & disorders.

Counterpoint: The role of police in schools should be reevaluated

by Jessica Lewin Opinion Associate Editor

It is no surprise that in recent years there has been both hesitation and movements against policing institutions around the country.

In a Gallup poll that was conducted in the weeks following George Floyd’s death, Black respondents’ confidence in the police was at a low of 19%, and 56% among white respondents. In 2021, however, the confidence in the police rose to 27% among Black respondents and remained 56% among white respondents.

Though confidence levels have risen since 2020, most recent data shows they remain low in 2021. This begs the question of whether police officers in schools would be beneficial.

The creation of the police in the United States rests on the moral ideology that the police are meant to protect and serve the individual and thus the American people.

All institutions are susceptible to corruption and policing institutions are no exception. Police departments around the United States may very well have been corrupted by unconscionable or explicit racism. But, just because something has been cracked, doesn’t mean it’s broken.

Here lies an opportunity to repair the trust that has been broken among large demographics of the American public. With other reforms and bias training, police in schools could reinforce a positive relationships among students. If policing can be adjusted to support the community’s

needs, the relationship between police and civilians could fundamentally improve.

Building healthy, genuine relationships with students outside of a criminal context could transform young people’s understanding of law enforcement. In turn, students could trust policing institutions to protect them from harm, not cause it.

Additionally, after many treacherous school shootings in the past few years, many have argued to arm teachers in school as an answer. According to the Washington Post, however, researchers have found no evidence that arming teachers, among other security measures, has any effect on school shootings.

One of the arguments supporting this idea is that even a highly trained teacher with firearms would be unable to respond as quickly or effectively as a member of law enforcement. So if arming teachers is not the answer and law enforcement is much more effective at protecting students, then maybe the answer lies in reconsidering the role of police officers in schools.

If police are allowed to serve in schools, they have the potential to restore the trust they have lost and return to their intended moral role in society. They could rebuild relationships in their communities, giving young people the confidence they need to believe the police can be a positive force in their lives.

Jessica Lewin (jrlewin2@wisc.edu) is a junior studying journalism and philosophy.

Madison mayoral candidate Gloria Reyes is proposing bringing police officers back into schools as part of her election bid. After supporting an effort to remove officers from schools during the pandemic, she suggests that this is now a good time to reevaluate the issue. Should police officers serve in schools?

MARISSA HAEGELE. THE BADGER HERALD.

Commodification of holidays, excessive consumerism damage Earth

by Celia Hiorns Opinion Editor

While the U.S. is already considered a consumerist country, the holiday season exacerbates this reputation during the months of November and December. Over the past 20 years, holiday spending in the U.S. has more than doubled, with spending in 2022 projected to be more than $940 billion.

This kind of consumption can have adverse effects on the environment and society. Consumerism — particularly disproportionate use and spending — contributes to climate change and wealth inequality, according to the United Nations.

Carbon-heavy, wasteful production systems draw global resources away from the developing world and place disproportionate impacts on the environment. The U.S. is largely responsible for this trend. According to World Population Review, the U.S. was the second-largest contributor of greenhouse gases in 2020, producing 12.6% of global emissions.

Though consumerism is a global issue, the U.S. has a particular history of consumption that has influenced spending patterns worldwide. Starting during World War II, the American government explicitly promoted domestic spending to help stimulate the economy.

Stemming from that era was the onset of the consumer’s republic — a cultural phenomenon that linked patriotism with spending. Initially, much of this spending was home-related and domestic, though it evolved when corporations recognized an opportunity to reach eager consumers.

Mass consumption evolved to reflect the results of targeted marketing campaigns, leading to an even more deeply materialistic American culture, according to NPR. Today, the global economy is strongly connected to the consumption habits Americans have developed over time.

To experience the idealized image of comfortable Americans, Europeans adopted many of the same consumption habits in a process called Americanization. The spread of these spending habits normalized consumerism, leading to the commodification of winter holidays.

In essence, gift-giving and consumption have become central to the winter season. A capitalist society has allowed corporations to take advantage of a consumerist culture under the guise of nostalgia and generosity. At best, businesses are encouraging mass consumption. At worst, they are preying on consumers through the bastardization of holiday traditions.

Corporations use manipulative

psychological tactics during the holiday season to encourage consumers to spend. One example is the scarcity principle, which by telling customers that a good is in low supply, convinces them to buy before much thoughtful consideration. This tactic is

Knowing that children have difficulty discerning promotional content, companies create appealing advertisements that encourage children to engage with a capitalist, consumer culture. For many children, the holidays are about receiving

to 1 million extra tons of waste per week, according to the National Environmental Education Foundation. And about $500 billion worth of items are bought and returned. Many of those returns are then thrown away by retailers.

Of course, reversing the deeply embedded influence of capitalism in the holiday season is a hefty undertaking. Ethical consumption under a capitalist system is difficult, but there are choices individuals can make to reduce their carbon footprint and their impact on global inequality.

Not buying gifts at all — while perhaps a somewhat extreme measure — is an option. But even reducing the number of things you buy can have an effect. According to Deloitte’s Holiday Retail Survey, the average number of gifts people plan to buy has reduced by more than 40% since 2021.

This can help reduce the number of items that end up in landfills but also help individual financial interests as prices remain high. Concern about inflation was another trend in the Deloitte survey and a major motivating factor for reducing holiday spending.

Another measure to reduce environmental impacts during the holiday season is to use less disposable wrapping. Consumers can opt for reusable options, like cloth bags, or to not use gift wrapping at all. Purchasing services or other gifts that do not involve tangible items could be a good solution to this issue.

Food is one of the largest contributors to individual carbon footprints, and waste significantly increases during the holiday season. Preparing holiday meals that rely less on meat and dairy as well as being careful to not overbuy can have major benefits for the environment.

Perhaps the most impactful change shoppers can make this year is to buy locally. According to Earth.Org, online shopping can harm the environment through excessive packaging and increased carbon emissions. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, people have become accustomed to the convenience of online shopping. But buying from sustainable producers can dramatically reduce environmental impacts and support local businesses.

particularly effective as people aim to finish holiday shopping on a deadline.

Another particularly controversial strategy involves marketing to children. The government imposes regulations on how businesses are allowed to interact with minors, but the impacts of advertising still reach children.

gifts, and marketing campaigns reinforce this notion for minors early in their lives.

The volume of consumption that wintertime marketing encourages has profound impacts on the planet and global inequality.

For example, the trash produced between Thanksgiving and Christmas contributes

The holidays can be a great time to reconnect with loved ones, and recentering our celebrations to focus less on items can create a more meaningful experience and a healthier planet. Resisting a consumerist culture is a challenge, but everyone can take steps to have a more sustainable holiday season.

Celia Hiorns (hiorns@wisc.edu) is a sophomore studying journalism and political science.

America’s history of consumerism contributes to wasteful spending, carbon emissions during holidays

Excessive consumerism during the holiday season leads to negative environmental impacts and items in landfills.

ABBY CIMA. THE BADGER HERALD.

Wisconsin’s divided government has profound impacts on policy

by Jack Rogers Opinion Writer

Many people in Wisconsin found themselves glued to the television on election night, waiting for results to slowly trickle in from across the state. Voters felt this election had higher stakes than ever before — advertised as referendums on abortion rights and democracy, among other issues. Consequently, Wisconsin had a 60.2% voter turnout — among the highest in the nation.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers secured reelection in his bid for governor and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson edged Mandela Barnes out of the U.S. Senate race. While these two high-profile elections were covered by almost every national news outlet, elections for the state Legislature lacked the same coverage. The results of these elections could have just as big of an impact on the people of Wisconsin.

Republicans came out on top in both State Senate and Assembly elections. The makeup of the Senate is now 10 Democrats to 22 Republicans, with one open seat. The Assembly is not too different — 35 Democrats and 63 Republicans.

State Democrats take consolation in the fact that Republicans were unable to win a supermajority in the Assembly. A supermajority would have given the GOP the power to pass legislation by overriding the governor’s veto. Such Republican dominance would be an indictment of Wisconsin democracy and a misrepresentation of a state with almost even political division.

With a divided state government, Evers faces an uphill battle in accomplishing the policy agenda he campaigned on — investing in public education, solidifying abortion rights and protecting voting rights. Many of these issues hinge on gaining bipartisan support from the legislature.

Working against a Republican-dominated state Legislature is nothing new to the reelected governor. Since January of 2021, Evers has vetoed 126 GOP bills — a record high. The Democratic governor served as a goalkeeper in his last term, blocking conservative legislation on issues ranging from election law to abortion rights.

Bipartisan cooperation seems especially unlikely after a bitter campaign season. Republican and Democratic candidates ran on fundamentally different platforms, seemingly disagreeing on every issue. In a statement given to the Associated Press, Evers described his GOP opponent’s stance on abortion and education as “radical.”

Regarding abortion rights, Wisconsin Democrats realize legislative help is not coming from Washington. The chance for Roe v. Wade to be codified federally appears unviable given

the Republican flip of the U.S. House. Evers and the Democrats must either compromise with Republicans or use the courts to overturn the 1849 near-total abortion ban currently in place. Reaching agreements with Republicans in the Legislature is not totally out of the picture for Evers. In a radio interview on WISN-AM, Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos

use the Senate as a block on Evers’ agenda.

Evidently, the governor and the Legislature will have to settle for a bargain or risk political deadlock, leaving a government that serves political parties more than the people.

Additionally, the Department of Administration projects the state budget surplus at more than $6.5 billion. How and

income tax with a flat tax.

Evers and the Democrats wish to use the surplus to invest an additional $2 billion into public schools — including funding to the University of Wisconsin System’s tuition freeze — alongside tax cuts for middle-income families, according to his newest budget proposal. Crucially, these policies would benefit working families across the state — the GOP alternative indulges the economic elite.

The courts may be the only way for Evers to bypass a political stalemate with the Republican Legislature and achieve some of his campaign promises on abortion rights. In July, Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit that aims to overturn the state’s 19th century abortion ban.

Legal processes like this do not need approval from the Legislature and an often liberal-ruling Wisconsin Supreme Court looks promising for Evers if the challenge is brought to the state’s highest court. A legal win for the Democrats could result in the reinstatement of significant abortion rights, which based on referendums showing public support for the policies, would also benefit Wisconsin citizens.

Though the state Supreme Court has a recent history of 4-3 rulings in favor of politically liberal outcomes, the court only has three liberal justices. One conservative Justice, Brian Hagedorn, is known to unreliably swing — voting with the liberals in some cases and with the conservatives in others.

The upcoming Supreme Court election in 2023 could change the tilt of the court.

Conservative Justice Roggensack is retiring, leaving room for a potential liberal justice to fill. A reliably liberal-leaning Supreme Court would be monumental for Evers and the Democrats of the state.

This spring, the state Supreme Court ruled in favor of a heavily gerrymandered redistricting map that favored Republicans in the Legislature. This map makes it nearly impossible for Republicans to lose control of the State Assembly or Senate. A reliably liberal court could reverse the tide of conservative gerrymandering and enable fairer maps to be drawn.

Evers’ back-to-back statewide election victories highlight the current disparities between the popularity of Democratic candidates and the representation they receive in the Legislature. Alternative non-partisan legislative districts could restore balance and competitive electoral outcomes.

hinted at compromising with the governor if Evers agrees to conservative tax cuts.

But the Republican Party is not unified on this strategy of compromise. The Senate majority leader, Devin LeMaiheu,was less enthusiastic about working with Evers. According to PBS, LeMaiheu said he wants to

where these funds are distributed has already become the source of intense debate.

Republicans in the Legislature and Evers see the record surplus in a very different light. LeMahieu believes that the surplus is a chance to give back to the state’s wealthiest residents, proposing replacing the existing progressive

A shakeup of the partisan makeup in the Legislature could mean a state government free from a terminal political standstill, forcing Republicans to compromise and allowing Evers to pursue the agenda he was twice elected on.

Jack Rogers (jkrogers3@wisc.edu) is a freshman studying economics and Chinese.

Despite moderate success, Democrats may face challenges amid political deadlock

As Evers enters second term in divided Wisconsin government, political deadlock will impact policy outcomes.

DAVID GUENTHNER. THE BADGER HERALD.

Madison must invest in extracurriculars for low income youth

by Aanika Parikh Opinion Writer

Community centers and programs are crucial for young people to build meaningful relationships with others as they develop into responsible and active citizens. But, this opportunity is not available to everyone in their adolescence. Access to resources for involvement, such as sports teams and leadership events, is often limited for lowincome families.

To battle this inequality, the Madison Parks Foundation has created the Kids Need Opportunities at Warner program, through which low-income youth can explore various hobbies and learn to coordinate efforts with other youth. Recently, the program received a $94,000 dollar grant to expand its services. Whether it’s a friendly game of basketball or a career training event, such opportunities provide students with the skills necessary to succeed in the real world.

Because access to these invaluable resources is skewed to middle and upper-class students, young people from wealthy backgrounds tend to have greater opportunities to succeed in the workplace and to participate in the community as active, informed citizens, according to the OECD. Programs like KNOW are crucial to bridging the gaps in social participation between young people from varying socioeconomic backgrounds.

But, the benefits of young people’s community involvement echo far beyond their individual lives. Professor at Harvard University’s Malkin School of Public Policy, Robert Putnam emphasizes the importance of the “social capital” that team activities develop. These tight-knit community networks result in the sense of cooperation and belonging that youth might otherwise seek through more dangerous alternatives, such as gang participation.

Community cohesion and teamwork are cultivated at a young age through after-school sports and extracurriculars. While school is assuredly responsible for a portion of this engagement, local community centers are also critical. In a study conducted in Glenview, a low-resource urban neighborhood, researchers recorded the social improvements after a summer recreational facility was implemented for the town youth.

A Glenview pastor involved in the implementation claimed the program had an “immediate impact,” as he saw a steady decrease in the “negative crowd hanging out” which had previously been more common. Moreover, the local police department reported decreased incidents of crime and drug trafficking. The town’s young population instead turned to the new community centers that offered various enrichment opportunities such as music, dance and academic tutoring outside the classroom.

These programs are incredibly important in turning adolescents into well-rounded individuals.

Furthermore, local centers also serve as spaces for young people to engage in the physical activity necessary for their health, according to a study conducted at the Institute for Behavioral and Community Health.

The role recreational centers play in youth development cannot be underscored enough. But, not every child has access to these facilities and community-building opportunities. Studies like

potentially unwelcome activities such as graffiti, which can lead to lower levels of facility use.

In fact, the study found that the use of neighborhood recreational facilities increased by a factor of at least 1.23 with every $10,000 increase in neighborhood income. Hence, the community centers that have the most use are almost wholly located in wealthier neighborhoods that tend to be inaccessible to low-income families.

people with local involvement opportunities, finding transportation to the facility is troublesome for many of the students it aims to reach.

The Warner Park Facility manager Zach Watson explained that many students travel a minimum of one hour on Metro Transit buses to access the facility, which inevitably limits their ability to participate in some of the available activities, such as a referee training program that requires timely arrival.

Low-income youth often live in public housing sites like those offered by the Community Development Authority in the city of Madison. The CDA’s eastern public housing sites include the Truax Park Apartments which are 30 minutes to an hour away from the Warner Park Community Recreation Center by bus. Additionally, young people in the CDA’s west site, which includes the Romnes Apartments and the Triangle Site, travel a minimum of one hour by bus to reach the Warner Park center.

The Men of Dane County’s $94,000 donation made earlier this fall aims to rectify these shortcomings. The donation specifically funds vans to transport students to Warner Park in hopes of increasing participation in the park’s leadership and sports events.

It is unclear whether funding students’ travel to distant locations for after-school activities is a viable solution. Local centers within middle to upper-class towns allow adolescents from the same area to become cohesive as a community. When poor youth are forced to travel for long periods of time from different regions to access community facilities, they lose the opportunity to build relationships with individuals from their own neighborhoods. In other words, residents of the lower-income community do not receive the chance to accumulate the “social capital” that Putnam deems vital to development.

Pride in, and identification with, one’s community are crucial to uplifting underserved youth and their entire neighborhoods. While creating programs like KNOW may be important initial steps to provide young people with development opportunities, more permanent solutions may be renovating low-income community centers to increase usage.

IBACH report that the use of community facilities is concentrated primarily in higher-income communities.

Interestingly, there was no significant difference between the number of physical recreational centers in high and low-income neighborhoods respectively. But, poverty-stricken communities often see more unfavorable conditions and

Unfortunately, a similar trend can be seen in Madison’s KNOW program. The Warner Park Community Recreation Center, which was designated by the Madison Parks Foundation as its newest location, is not known for its accessibility. While the decision was designed to serve low-resource families in the northeastern neighborhoods of Madison by providing young

The problem is not necessarily the difference in the number of facilities available across poorer and wealthier neighborhoods. The poor quality and inadequate infrastructure in low-income centers is causing this disparity in which communities use these facilities. As such, renovating these areas is vital to decrease reliance on funds that send students further away from their local neighborhoods to participate in proper extracurricular activities. This money must be directly invested into these communities, rather than increasing low-income dependence on wealthy neighborhoods.

Aanika Parikh (aaparikh5@wisc.edu) is a freshman studying molecular and cell biology.

Local program receives $94,000 grant to increase public transit to recreational facilities for young people

Places for young people to build relationships with others are not highly accessible for low-income families.

MAIZONG VANG.. THE BADGER HERALD.

CAROLINE CROWLEY. THE BADGER HERALD.

JUSTIN MIELKE. THE BADGER HERALD.

The 2022 NCAA Division One women’s volleyball champion will be crowned Dec. 17 in Omaha, Nebraska. The Wisconsin Badgers are looking to repeat as champions and lift their second-ever national trophy.

Wisconsin finished the regular season strong, winning their last 18 matches and earning a second consecutive Big Ten championship title. With a record of 253, the Badgers earned one of the four top seeds and the right to host their regional competition.

The Badgers started their defense of the national championship Dec. 2 with a meeting against the Quinnipiac Bobcats. Out of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Quinnipiac earned a spot in the tournament with their program’s firstever MAAC Championship. They finished with a record of 14-14 but heading into the matchup they had won 12 of their last 14 matches.

Wisconsin was heavily favored on paper, and it didn’t take long for their dominance to display itself on the hardwood. A 4-0 run in the middle of the first set extended the Badger’s lead to 17-11 and a service ace by Liz Gregorski eventually capped off the set.

Wisconsin never looked back and held the Bobcats under 10 points in the following two sets and secured the 3-0 sweep. Devyn Robinson recorded 11 kills and paved the way for Wisconsin’s domination in the front court.

With the victory, the Badgers advanced to the second round and a date with the TCU Horned Frogs was on the horizon. TCU would come into the match looking for revenge after the Badgers swept the

Horned Frogs earlier in the season. This meeting took place over three months ago, but both teams have adapted as they grew into the season.

TCU earned an at-large bid after finishing third in the Big 12 conference. Their season was headlined with a strong finish as they won eight of their last 10 affairs. On the heels of an upset against the Washington Huskies in the first round, TCU was looking to continue its Cinderella run against the Badgers.

If they were going to have a chance, they knew they were going to need a big night from outside hitter, Audrey Nalls. She led her team in kills all season and recorded 25 against Washington, a program record in an NCAA tournament game.

But Nall’s and her team’s luck ran out as the Badgers’ dominance carried over from their first-round match. Wisconsin won the first set 25-9 and followed it up with a 25-11 win in the second set. The Badgers’ defense was on fire as they forced 11 blocks, and on offense, Sarah Franklin led the match in kills with 13. The third set was tighter, but Wisconsin secured the sweep with a 25-23 victory.

“I just think it’s really exciting to be here, with the team and gritting it out every single weekend and being able to earn that, so I am really excited for what’s to come and what more we can do for the rest of the season,” Franklin said in a press release.

Sweet 16

With the win against TCU at their backs, the Badgers advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 10th year in a row. Another rematch

Volleyball: Looking ahead at road to another national championship title

As championship begins, Badgers must face tough lineup

by Ethan Wright Sports Writer

awaits the Badgers, but this time it comes in the form of a Big Ten opponent — Penn State. The Badgers will look to build on their two earlier wins against the Nittany Lions. The first one, in September, saw the Badgers easily win in three sets. The latest matchup forced the Badgers into a fiveset thriller that might speak to the current status of this Penn State team.

Penn State finished fifth in the best conference in the country and has won nine of their last 10 matches. They earned an atlarge bid and their 42nd straight trip to the NCAA tournament — the only program to appear in every edition of the tournament.

Outside hitter Kashauna Williams and middle blocker, Allie Holland led the Nittany Lions to wins against UMBC Retrievers and UCF Knights in the first and second rounds respectively. The Knights forced Penn State into a fourth set before the Nittany Lions were able to get things going offensively and finish off the match. Williams led the team in kills and points. Dec. 8, the Badgers will play Penn State on the same day as the UW Field House will host the Florida Gators and the Pittsburgh Panthers, with the winners meeting on Dec. 10. This could set up an earlier season rematch between Wisconsin and Florida. The last time the two teams played, fans broke the attendance record for a regular season match. The game ended in heartbreak though, as Wisconsin fought back from two sets down only to lose the fifth and final set.

A matchup with Pittsburgh has some historical significance for the Badgers as well. Both teams made it to the Final Four

last year, with the Panthers bowing out in the semifinals before Wisconsin went on to lift the national trophy. Courtney Buzzerio and Serena Gray are names to look out for as they’re hoping to punch their ticket to Omaha.

Final Four

If the Badgers reach the Final Four for the fourth consecutive year, they will play either the Louisville Cardinals, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks or Baylor Bears Dec. 15. The Badgers fell to Baylor earlier in the season while beating the Cornhuskers in both of their matchups.

The most likely Final Four opponent for the Badgers is the Louisville Cardinals. Louisville is ranked fourth in the nation and holds a record of 28-2, including their two wins in the playoffs. They have only lost once since early September and finished first in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

National Championship

If the Badgers do reach the National Championship game, the team that will most likely stand in their way will be the Texas Longhorns. Texas has spent almost every week this season as the number-oneranked team in the country. They’ve only dropped one set since the beginning of November, and their dominance has been on display through the first two rounds of the tournament.

If all goes to plan, on Dec. 17 the Badgers will be lifting the trophy in Omaha, Nebraska, celebrating their second consecutive win as national champions.

If the Badgers win the National Championship game, it will be the team’s second national title.

ABBY CIMA. THE BADGER HERALD.

SHANE FRUCHTERMAN. THE BADGER HERALD.

Step-by-step guide to hosting for the holidays

by Caroline Crowley Managing Editor

All of your loved ones are gathered in a room. The conversation floats above the classy holiday playlist coming from the kitchen. You’re grazing on the charcuterie board of a lifetime as a mouth-watering dinner awaits you in the dining room.

This may sound like a fairytale — or a daunting task. But really, it’s exactly what your holiday party is going to look like this year. Below are all the things you need for a successful, low-stress holiday bash.

First, you’re going to need a playlist or two. No party is complete without music, and no hosting duties can possibly be completed without the perfect soundtrack.

To start your journey, put on your favorite holiday album or playlist full of your guilty pleasures. “Mistletoe” by Justin Beiber, anyone? How about Ariana Grande’s “Santa

Baby”? Whatever makes you feel productive should be one notch past an acceptable volume on your headphones for the next few steps.

Now that you’re up and moving, it’s time to clean. It’s the most dreadful part of the holiday hosting process, and that’s why it’s getting done first. Everyone wants to show off a clean space, so there’s no turning back after this step — you’ll be too excited anyway.

When you’re done cleaning, it’s time to get in the kitchen. You’re doing a potluck holiday this year, complete with a shared spreadsheet. One column should be labeled “Food Type,” another “Dish” and the other “Name.”

You’ll fill in the food type column with cells like “dessert,” “entree,” “appetizer,”

“salad,” etc. until you have enough dish types for everyone. If you don’t trust your friends, maybe just order a pizza.

As the host, you’ll be making the main dish. It’s lasagna. Who can go wrong with noodles and cheese? There’s a lasagna adaptation for any dietary restriction, and everyone loves it. I have no idea why this dish is served as little as it is, but we’re bringing it back this year.

With a pan of lasagna in the oven, it’s time to whip up a dessert. Now, I know what you’re thinking — I thought a potluck meant I only had to make one thing? Yeah, no, but this is the easiest and most delicious dessert you’ll ever make.

All you have to do is buy a box of Betty Crocker’s fudge brownies and cook them exactly according to package instructions.

Top them with a dusting of powdered sugar after they cool and you will never hear the end of the compliments. Trust me, people have been asking me for my brownie recipe since fifth grade.

Okay, the lasagna is out and the brownies are in the oven. Remember that charcuterie board from a dream? It’s time to make it a reality.

Since it’s the holidays, you’re going to make your charcuterie into the shape of a tree or something else festive.

I suggest some fancy breadsticks, water crackers and a baguette cut into slices for your bases. For cheese, get some brie, goat cheese and aged cheddar. Pair these with grapes, fig jam and bread and butter pickles. And, of course, don’t forget some nice salami and prosciutto. You can pick your favorites of these foods to best suit your taste buds.

Your charcuterie board is assembled and your guests’ arrivals are on the horizon. Hop in the shower and get ready. Wear your favorite holiday attire and get ready to reap the benefits of all your hard work!

Okay, so that playlist you’ve been listening to for the past six hours on repeat can turn off when you’re ready for guests to arrive. Now it’s time to turn on the most nostalgic holiday tunes of all time. Subconsciously tying your party to holidays of childhoods past is what will make it memorable.

This music should include Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, along with some jazz. It should include songs everyone grew up listening to, depending on the audience of your party.

As your guests walk up to your door, turn off all overhead lights. Your entire space should be warmly lit exclusively by lamps and Christmas lights. Take your charcuterie board out of the refrigerator and put it on a coffee table.

Pour a glass of your favorite wine or soda and you’re set for the party of a lifetime. Finally, it’s time to enjoy the amazing party you worked so hard on. Enjoy talking to your guests until the charcuterie board is picked through, then put your lasagna back into the oven to warm it up.

Serve up your dinner and enjoy! Serve the brownies and other desserts after dinner and talk until you’re too tired to clean anything in your house. Put on your favorite holiday movie — I suggest “Just Friends” or “Klaus” depending on what you’re in the mood for.

After your last guest departs, put on your favorite pajamas and fall asleep. Leave cleanup — aside from putting leftovers in the refrigerator — for the morning.

There you have it — the best holiday party ever. Enjoy, and happy holidays!

How to throw best holiday party anyone has ever seen

MARISSA HAEGELE. THE BADGER HERALD.

Must-Try HOliday Trends

by Janani Sundar Editor-in-Chief

Shackets

It’s a shirt. (Cue pillow pet song). It’s a jacket. It’s a shacket. Yes, that is what they’re called. Shackets are all the rage these days with everyone and their grand ma wearing them. Shackets combine both the comfort and look of a good old flannel shirt with the warmth of a jacket. These closet staples save you the time of needing to find additional outerwear components to keep you warm. Rather, they allow you to flaunt your perfect outfit without being covered by a clunky parka or puffer jacket. Plus, they come in a variety of colors and styles with cropped, oversized and trench. They are also incredibly versatile in what they can be paired with in that you can pair them with liter ally anything — jeans, leggings, leather pants or even sweatpants.

UGLY Sweaters

Don’t argue with me on this one. Ugly holiday sweat ers will never go out of style — in this season of course. These tacky, gaudy and beautiful creations are your one chance to embrace your inner weirdo and no one can make fun of you for it. Ugly holiday sweaters come in an infinite number of styles, allowing you to really find the one that speaks to your inner soul. For example, the one I have has a stuffed reindeer sticking out of it, and I love it. So, if you see someone skipping down State St. with a reindeer sticking out of their shirt, don’t forget to say hi. When in doubt of what to wear to a holiday party, you can wear these sweaters with no questions asked.

Matching Sets

Sweater Vests

Before you leave this article, hear me out on this one. I’m not talking about those prep school uniform sweater vests that five year old boys wear. I’m talking about cute ones that you can pair with a collared or mock neck long sleeves. If you’re really daring and willing to embrace the cold of Wisconsin winters, you can wear them by them selves. These also come in a variety of styles and patterns. There is the cropped look but also the oversize fit if that floats your boat. Obviously, there is the traditional argyle print, but there are also plenty of other cute prints such as florals, fair isle or my personal favorite, houndstooth.

COWL NECKS

I’m not going to pretend like mock and cowl necks are a hot new trend. Heck, I had a cowl neck sweater in high school, but they are making a more prominent comeback. As someone who always felt suffocated by turtlenecks, mock and cowl necks were the perfect compromise. Just for clarification, mock necks are like turtlenecks but are not as high up and lay closer to your collarbone. Cowl necks have the same amount of fabric as turtlenecks in a sense but are more loose and lay around your neck kind of like a scarf. Speaking of scarves, both of these options save you from needing to carry an additional item of clothing in the winter if your neck gets cold. Mock and cowl necks are common in sweaters but that isn’t the only option if you are look ing to sport this trend. There are fashionable mock neck bodysuits or even mock neck tees which are incredibly versatile that can spruce up an outfit without drawing attention away from the rest of the elements.

Matching sets have made a comeback in the last year or two. While these come in plenty of varieties, the ones I’m talking about are specifically for the holiday season. Matching sets save you the time of having to pick a top and bottom separately. If you’re someone who likes to get really dressed up for holiday parties, there are gorgeous top and midi skirt or pant sets decked out in holiday colored sequins. If you’re someone who is more muted with their style, don’t worry — I have something for you as well. Matching sets come in lovely ribbed sweater combinations of long sleeved tops and midi or mini skirts or fitting crop tops with wide legged pants. If you want to go really crazy and look super put together, there are even three piece sets with a tank top and skirt and a cute cardigan. And if you’re someone who prefers to stay in for the holidays, I have something for you, too. Several retailers sell comfy, cozy lounging around matching sets with a sweatshirt and joggers or pullover sweaters and wide leg pants that you can wear around the house like pajamas or wear out without being ac cused of being in your pajamas.

Velvet Jumpsuits

Velvet is the signature material of the holidays, and I’m not complaining because 98% of the time, velvet is pret ty comfortable. I’m a firm believer that one can never go wrong with a good jumpsuit. Though the functionality of going to the bathroom is limited, they are still such slay pieces of fashion. Navy, forest green and holiday red velvet are beautiful this time around and are just the right amount of glitz and glimmer to not wash you out. While velvet jumpsuits are somewhat specific, that doesn’t mean there aren’t options for you to find your style within the category. There are so many different sleeve patterns from strapless to spaghetti straps or even halter and necklines from sweetheart to wrap to plunging. There are even velvet jumpsuits with cute cutouts if you want to show some skin this holiday sea son. A velvet jumpsuit with a rocking pair of heels is the perfect girl boss outfit. And if you’re someone who prefers to stay in for the holidays, I have something for you, too. Several retailers sell comfy, cozy lounging around matching sets with a sweatshirt and joggers or pullover sweaters and wide leg pants that you can wear around the house like pajamas or wear out without be ing accused of being in your pajamas.

What to get

in your life Hot Girl Gift List

by Sexperts, The Two Important Editors

Selecting the right gifts can be hard, and online gift lists all repeat the same five items over and over. Here’s a comprehensive gift guide for those tough-to-buy-for people in your life.

Situationship

There are two different routes you can take here — one for each person on either side of every situationship.

For the person who is secretly infatuated with their situationship, who tries not to say “I love you” every time their partner walks out the door and who never shuts up about their situationship to their friends — don’t do what you want to do.

Don’t come up with a gift that has a ton of sentimental value — you’re coming on too strong, just as you feared. Your situationship is avoidant, and you are anxious.

What you really want to do is get them an experience gift. That experience is therapy. Leave them and send them to a therapy session.

And for the person who is oblivious — or denies — that the other side of their

situationship wants to date them, you have a couple options.

You could buy them something terrible — I mean something so terrible they should want to stop seeing you. They won’t listen to the blaring red flag, I promise, but get them something without value to obsess over. They will think about any sort of sentimental meaning behind gifts for weeks. To be honest, maybe you should just not get them anything at all.

OR, you could get them something perfect. This is a miracle situation, because this would have to mean that you found love for them somewhere in your cold, noncommittal heart. Congrats, I hope to get an invite to your wedding.

Roommate you don’t speak to

Box of post-it notes, each one with a different thing you dislike about them/living with them. Below are some examples (from experience):

You shit your pants too much

You sleep with banana peels in your bed with you

You steal my clothes

You have never bought toilet paper

Why not continue the no-talk streak? This

way you can passive aggressively call out your shitty roommate.

Hot TA

Envelope labeled “important documents.” Inside that, a smaller envelope. Inside that, a piece of paper. On the paper, a link to a Google Doc. On the Google Doc, a collage of 75 of your sexiest, most thirst trap pictures. No money spent. It’s a win-win.

Landlord

A big fat “Fuck you.” This could take many forms: 300 maintenance requests submitted all at once

Stop paying rent (they won’t actually evict you)

Steal your own packages and gaslight them into thinking their security is really bad Fill their office with 400 balloons Fish in air vent Yourself

Vibrator. Everyone deserves an orgasm. Period.

Your boss

Buy your boss a $3 lottery ticket. They probably aren’t paying you enough, so why should you spend any of your hard-earned money on them?

To be nice to them, give them hope that they could win some actual money from your gift. Hopefully they don’t, because you

deserved that shit. But if they get $10, maybe they’ll give you a little extra bonus in the New Year!

Your best friend who already owns everything under the Sun

Liquor. Hard liquor. If you’re of age, of course. If you’re not, get them some coloring books or something.

Your significant other’s parents

Liquor. Hard liquor. That’s what they’re going to need after spending time with you over the holidays.

White elephant or secret Santa

Everyone wants the best gift during a white elephant exchange — including you. Get whatever you need around the house so everyone passes on it, and you get to take that home instead of some weird pair of socks.

For secret Santa, it depends on if you like the person you got. If not, they’ll never know it was you if you buy them a gift card to Chili’s with the wrong amount written on the back. If you like them, get them something amazing and tell them it was you after the fact.

Your mom

Wrap me up and put me under the tree, baby. Or like a handwritten letter in a frame saying how much you love her could be cute.

these special people

Struggling to find a gift for the most random person ever to enter your life? Never fear, Sexperts, The, have your back.

AUDREY THIBERT. THE BADGER HERALD.

by Audrey Thibert Managing Editor

We have all seen them — the creepy, white, bug-like robots that roll around campus from dorm to dorm, getting in the way of students on their way to classes throughout their trips. Some think they are “cute” or “efficient.” But au contraire.

In economic terms, there are more negative externalities than positive externalities when it comes to these contraptions. In other words, THEY CAUSE MORE HARM THAN GOOD. For a Starshit trip to be successful, there must be perfect weather, no traffic and a short distance to travel. Never have I seen a day in Madison where these are all true at the same time.

Intellectuals and dunces can agree — these robots are far from efficient. They stop foot traffic and car traffic (safety hazard), they can never keep food warm, they prolong wait times and they are legitimately stupid. Not to mention you cannot order drinks without spillage because of all the start and stop from these idiot bots.

Here I have listed a scenario that embodies the Starshit robot.

Picture this, you are hungry in your dorm. It’s cold and snowy outside, so it seems like a good idea to order using the Starshit robot. You open the app to order a sandwich. Of course, all the robots are busy

right now. You wait 30 minutes, growing hungrier by the second. Finally, a robot is available. You order your food. You wait. And wait. And wait. Where is the robot? It has been at the corner of Park and Dayton for 13 minutes. What the hell is it doing there? You are hangry now. You put your coat on and trudge into the wilderness to see what is going on.

Upon arriving at Park and Dayton, you see that (surprise surprise) your robot has lodged itself into a snowbank. At this point, you are ravenous. You just wanted a sandwic, and now your sandwich is lodged in a snowbank. You pull the robot out of the snowbank and walk back toward your dorm to wait for it because you can’t open the robot to get your food until it has arrived at its destination. When the robot (which had to wait at every street and walkway) eventually arrives, you open the capsule and pull your cold, soggy, sandwich out. Worth the hassle? I think not.

Ultimately, there is not even a question of if these robots are cute — they are not. It is not a question of if they are efficient — they are not. It is not even a question of if they are funny — they are not. It is a question of if they are a nuisance to the University of Wisconsin community — they are.

by Caroline Crowley Managing Editor

Listen, Starship robots (SRs) are controversial. I get it, I really do. But what people don’t understand is that they are necessary — not for delivering food but for campus culture.

Whoever is ordering food from SRs probably shouldn’t have made it into the University of Wisconsin. Walk, bus, bike — do whatever you have to do to get to your food not via a Starship.

You should know that a robot that has to cross a street and stop abruptly will not get you your food intact or in time. And drinks? I mean, come on.

That being said, I am certain the little white robots and their orange flags are a top contributor to UW’s top rankings for university culture. SRs are multipurpose robots, and I will outline these purposes below.

Firstly, Starships are essential for teaching freshmen how to walk. If an SR is annoying you by disrupting your walking patterns, you should ask yourself if you are any different from the robot.

Do you hesitate before stepping into a crosswalk? Do you fail to anticipate the light changing to walk? Do you take awkward pathways through traffic? Do you walk down the middle of the sidewalk?

The answer to all of those questions is probably yes, and you are most certainly not

as cute as an SR.

Nobody can compare to the cuteness of an SR. I would rather watch that little guy cross the street than Beyoncé or Miles Teller any day of the week. They aren’t bug-like — they look like a combination of Eve and Wall-E. How could that not be cute?!

Therefore, an SR can get away with crossing the street in a non-efficient manner. Even though they slightly disrupt foot traffic, you can literally just walk around them. And who has ever heard of a Starship getting hit by a car? They hesitate way too much to disrupt car traffic.

Besides, the real hazards are not SRs — they are people. People who throw SRs down flights of concrete stairs and kidnap them to other countries are the problem. Leave them alone!!! They are just here to be helpful and cute and not for you to endlessly bully.

How could you bully something that thanks people for helping it out of a snowbank or that screams when it gets pushed down stairs? There is a special place in hell for those who torment SRs, and I mean that.

Can SRs deliver food? No. But Starships are cute. They teach freshmen how to walk. They make me, and many others, smile when they walk down the sidewalk. These robots are completely necessary for the culture at this university, and that cannot be denied.

AUDREY THIBERT.. THE BADGER HERALD.