'COVID-19 in College' - Volume 52, Issue 2

in College

COVID-19

STUDENT MEDIA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

WEDNESDAY, September 2, 2020 · VOL 52, Issue 2 · BADGERHERALD.COM

Students recovered from COVID-19 share experiences as year begins pg. 12

Illustration by Nuha Dolby

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 2019 · VOL 51 Issue 11 · BADGERHERALD.COM

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Returning student walks State St. for the UW partners with biotech company to Whilevaccine citizens andatscientists first time, witnessing the effects of the develop COVID-19 targeted Coronavirus pandemic, BLM protests and highh risk groups. alike strive to keep themselves overall 2020.

safe, divison on vaccine efficacy comes to a head. pg. 12

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The Badger Herald deemed these stories important to watch during the Fall 2020 semester.

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Tips on how to cope with a pandemic, online classes, Danielle leaving her dishes in the sink for a four days 2 • badgerherald.com • September 2, 2020

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Protesting for Progress Throughout the summer Madisonians flooded the streets to protest the murder of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake, demanding justice, community control of policing and the redistribution of city funds.

Photos by Ahmad Hamid, Molly DeVore, Savannah Kind

September 2, 2020 • badgerherald.com • 3

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Fall primary outcome results in increased representation of minorities

“Those in power have not been an accurate reflection of those they represent,” state rep. said, emphasized importance of diversity

by Aashna Sheth State News Editor

Wisconsin’s legislature is expected to become more diverse after the fall primary results released Aug. 12. The representatives from the Madison area are set to make history if they win in November.

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, Francesca Hong, the victor of the Democratic primary in the 76th Assembly District, would be the first Asian American in the state legislature, former Rep. Kelda Roys and Rep. Melissa Sargent D-Madison, the expected new state senators for Dane County, would be the first women elected from their districts and Madison Ald. Samba Baldeh, who won the Democratic primary in the 48th Assembly District, would be the first Muslim in Wisconsin’s Congress if elected.

Rep. Shelia Stubbs D-Madison, elected in 2018, was the first Black woman to be elected from Dane County, breaking 170 years of history.

Stubbs described her experiences while fighting for issues Black communities

face as difficult because other people in the state legislature do not face the same problems she does. She said the Capitol building did not have any pictures of Black people until she brought it on herself to rectify this.

Stubbs also said fighting for her community is especially hard because Democrats are the minority party in the state legislature. This means they do not have much say in what topics are discussed in session.

Stubbs also emphasized the importance of diversity in the political system.

“For too long, those in power have not been an accurate reflection of those they represent,” Stubbs said. “I think it just means something when people can relate to someone that looks like them or someone that understands their issues and their struggles.”

According to The Cap Times, Hong, a political newcomer, won the 76th Assembly District with 28.2% of the vote after defeating six other candidates in the Democratic primary. She is all but confirmed to speak for Madison’s isthmus, an overwhelmingly Democratic district.

Hong, who strongly believes in the value of community and coalition of diverse points of view, spoke about the importance of representation from communities that are not as visible in politics.

“I think we’ve kind of lost over the past ten years, at least in Wisconsin, this ability to see that the people’s voices are represented, and [they have] not been,” Hong said. “I chose to run because I wanted working people, working class folks, individuals, families, business owners … I wanted them to see that we could all still come together to make change.”

Hong said she plans to prioritize the allocation of funds to education, combatting COVID-19 and protecting human rights and equality for her constituents if elected.

According to The Cap Times, Baldeh, who served on the City Council for three terms before running for office, procured almost 50% of the vote in his district as well.

Baldeh spoke about the importance of representation in the government.

“No matter how much white people

know me or know Black people, they are not Black people … so when somebody with the same skin color represents you, you feel good,” Baldeh said. “[After being in the community] I would be able to reflect, or at least be able to advocate for what I know the community is feeling.”

The fall primary foreshadows a monumental shift in Wisconsin’s legislature. These representatives, if elected, will be able to bring attention to many issues that primarily impact communities of color.

Furthermore, this is not a shift only Wisconsin is experiencing. According to the Center for American Women and Politics, 583 women are running for seats in the House of Representatives across the nation a record high. This is a 22.5% increase from the previous record of 476 women. Of these 583 women, at least 248 of them are women of color, another record high.

It is likely November will bring a series of firsts to Wisconsin’s Capitol, allowing for more representation and opening the door to increased diversity in the future.

UW will have $10 million budget cuts, redistribute money to students UW estimated to lose $150 million, estimate predates fall sports cancellation, untold number of employees laid off

by Rachel Clark Reporter

The University of Wisconsin System announced Aug. 11 an untold number of employees would be laid off over the next two years resulting in a total of $10 million in budget cuts.

Interim System President Tommy Thomson announced these cuts will reach across UW System Administration only.

Each school in the UW System is experiencing internal budget cuts as well due to COVID-19.

“I can’t tell you exactly where the rest of the cuts are going to come from, but I can tell you we will do what is necessary to comply,” Thompson said to NBC15. “We’re arguing right now over the size of the further cut put out by the administration.”

According to NBC15, the UW System administration will experience a $6 million cut in salaries. Gov. Tony Evers’ administration projected that the state budget would face a $2 billion cut due to the current pandemic.

Evers previously ordered a $49 million budget cut this year, and in the most recent 4 • badgerherald.com • September 2, 2020

order Evers added another $250 million budget cut to all state agencies. This includes UW. UW spokesperson Meredith McGlone spoke on the financial impact to the university.

“In terms of the financial impact to UW–Madison, Chancellor Blank has stated that it is expected to be at least $150 million, and that estimate predated the postponement of fall athletics,” McGlone said.

UW’s budget before COVID-19 for the 2021 fiscal year was expected to be $140 million, according to Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Communications, Justin Doherty.

With the UW football season and other fall sports postponed the budget took a hit.

“I can’t speak for the university as a whole but, for the athletic department, a cancellation of the entire athletic year would mean revenue losses in the neighborhood of $130 million,” Doherty said.

The Big Ten announced the league will be postponing the fall season, publicizing this announcement on the same day UW

released the news about their budget and salary cuts to internal administration.

These cancellations and postponements of sports and other activities come from health and safety concerns due to COVID-19, so it is uncertain whether or not this revenue will be recoverf later in the fiscal year, should a postponed season come to fruition.

Thompson identified administration salaries as an area for cost reduction.

These savings will help fund scholarships for underserved and underrepresented populations of students who are attending or want to attend UW. “About half of the $10 million in savings will be put toward a new scholarship for underrepresented and under-served students,” Thompson told NBC15.

Along with cutting system administration salaries, Thompson plans to also limit out-of-state travel, eliminate several constly memberships and subscriptions and meet virtually for future UW System administration meetings to save more dollars.

Each of the 13 universities in the system have their own plans for cost-cutting that

Thompson was unable to comment on in the press release, as these current plans affect the UW System administration only.

“These budget reductions are designed to streamline our operations and ensure the UW System Administration can come out of the pandemic stronger by focusing resources on students,” Thompson said in the press release.

While these budget cuts total around a 10% reduction in current administration salary, they all directly resulted from the economic conditions caused by the pandemic, so it is unclear how the UW System will proceed in the future.

In the press release, Thompson said these cuts were made to ensure that all 13 schools within the UW System come out of the pandemic even stronger.

“To be the University’s biggest advocate and toughest evaluator, I will be directing my leadership to identify administrative savings now while championing investments for underrepresented and underserved populations,” Thompson said in the press release. “We are setting priorities in the face of difficult financial times.”

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Local workplace COVID-19 transmission under investigation

40% COVID-19 cases resulted in workplace, 14,670 people file for unemployment, increased from 3,368 from same week in 2019

by Lindsey Knuth Reporter

The risk of COVID-19 workplace transmission came under investigation in recent weeks following medical software developer Epic Systems Corp.’s decision to relax its return-towork mandate.

Epic’s decision now complies with the local public health order that states businesses must limit the number of individuals present in an office.

Many of the University of Wisconsin’s students financially rely on local restaurants, shops and jobs offered by UW through the student job portal. Dane County Executive Joe Parisi gave a statement on the return of student employees.

“My recommendations for companies to continue remote work as much as possible includes student employees,” Parisi said.

“Physical distancing, wearing a mask and working remotely whenever feasible are steps our community can take to reduce our risk of contracting COVID-19 and furthering its spread.”

As of Aug. 26, Wisconsin’s State Department of Health Services reported 26 active workplace, non-health care investigations of COVID-19 in Dane County. The department is not releasing

the names of the facilities under investigation, as previously done for nursing homes with more than two active cases.

Out of 1,188 total active investigations as of Aug. 26, 479 of them, were at workplaces. Parisi commented on the prevalence of workplace cases.

“There’s no doubt COVID-19 has a disproportionate impact on the service industry — bars, restaurants and other places where younger people tend to work,” Parisi said. “That’s why Public Health Madison & Dane County created the strictest public health guidelines in the state for those businesses.”

Businesses under the guidance of public ordinances are continuously updating their guidelines to either remain remotely working when possible or to ensure a safe return to work when in-person services are necessary.

UW put a COVID-19 Workplace Safety Policy into place and is following their existing Public Health Protocols. UW spokesperson Meredith McGlone specified protections in place for students who cannot virtually work.

“Where employees are working in-person, we have additional health and safety protocols in place including requirements for face coverings, physical distancing/occupancy limits and cleaning,” McGlone said. “We’ve put in place a

COVID-19 workplace safety policy and public health protocols which all employees are required to follow.”

To outline the current Dane County guidelines, Parisi said bars are closed except for outside service, and restaurants have a limited dine-in capacity of 25%. Parisi said these orders were put in place when COVID-19 cases began to spike in the community to better protect both customers and workers.

According to UW’s Smart Restart plan, all UW employees who are working on-site are required to follow additional workplace safety procedures. UW employees working in facilities controlled by other businesses may be subject to further workplace expectations. Free testing will be available to all UW employees and students.

“Keep in mind that some employees, including student employees, are able to work remotely and that will continue wherever possible,” McGlone said. “The university is making decisions about whether employees, including students, may return to in-person work based on public health guidance and the importance of the in-person work to critical university functions.”

Though some employees are able to continue working either in-person or virtually, many have lost jobs because of the pandemic. In Wisconsin,

the week of Aug. 9 through Aug. 15, 14,670 new people filed for unemployment. This number increased from the 3,368 claims reported during the same week in 2019.

McGlone offered a resource to support students balancing these new employment challenges with existing tuition and housing costs.

“We recognize that the pandemic is causing additional financial strain for many students and their families,” McGlone said. “We encourage students to reach out to the Office of Student Financial Aid to learn more about financial assistance.”

Amidst the conflicting COVID-19 legislation between local, state and federal governments, Dane County released strict guidelines maintaining social distancing, requiring mask use and limiting gatherings.

Parisi noted some grievances regarding the lack of organization.

“Public Health created a metrics oriented, datadriven plan in the absence of a cohesive state or frankly even federal blueprint that has left local units of government to make the choice to draft their own set of guidelines, or as we have seen in nearly every other Wisconsin county, have no restrictions at all,” Parisi said.

UW partners with biotech company to develop COVID-19 vaccine ‘There’s no one out there doing anything like this,’ spokesperson of biotech company said, vaccine targets those at high risk

by Azul Kothari Campus News Editor

Waisman Biomanufacturing at the University of Wisconsin and biotech company Heat Biologics are partnering to develop a COVID-19 vaccine for phase I and II clinical trials, according to a UW press release.

The vaccine would specifically target those at highest risk from COVID-19, including older populations.

Manager of Business Development at Waisman Biomanufacturing, Brian Dattilo, said the vaccine is currently in the preclinical phase, with phase I clinical trials expected for the first quarter of 2021.

Vaccines typically undergo three rigorous phases of clinical trials designed to prove their safety and efficacy.

Unlike conventional vaccines that work with inactivated viruses or viral genetic material, Heat Biologics’ vaccine consists of engineered human cells designed to activate more robust immune responses Jeff Wolf, founder and CEO of Heat Biologics, said.

Dattilo said the engineered human cells are modified to express the COVID-19 virus’s infamous spike proteins.

Just like in a typical vaccine, when the

modified cells are injected, they are designed to trick the immune system into believing it has been infected, Wolf said.

Most vaccines, including the flu vaccine, activate a single type of immune system response by generating what are known as neutralizing antibodies, which attach to pathogens and make it harder for them to infect cells. Dattilo said that Heat’s cell therapy vaccine platform is designed to generate what is known as a cellular immune response, which would allow recipients to take advantage of the full capabilities of the immune system.

One key difference between Heat Biologics’ platform and most vaccines is that their approach is designed to be much better at activating highly specialized T cells, a type of immune cell that targets specific pathogens, Wolf said, adding that Heat Biologics was built around this cutting-edge vaccine platform.

“It’s a very unique approach,” Wolf said.

“There’s no one out there doing anything like this.”

In addition to a COVID-19 vaccine, the company’s product pipeline boasts of three cancer vaccines, two of which are in phase I clinical trials and the third in phase II. Heat Biologics’ COVID-19 vaccine is based on one of their lung cancer vaccines. The lung

cancer vaccine leads T cells to invade the lungs to attack cancerous cells, exactly the kind of immune response that would be desired when it comes to COVID-19, Wolf said.

“We saw we had a powerful platform that can activate T cells to destroy whatever we want to get, so when COVID-19 came around, we said, we have a very powerful tool here, and we need to use this tool to eradicate and prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Wolf said.

Given national vaccine experts like Anthony Fauci predict a vaccine will be proven safe and effective by December, the general public may have access to a vaccine before Heat Biologics begins phase I trials.

Though, Wolf said current leading vaccine candidates may not be perfect.

“Usually it could take 10 years to get to get a vaccine approved, and we’re rushing through it in a few months, so you don’t know what percentage of the of the population these vaccines are going to help, or whether these vaccines are going to help the elderly,” Wolf said. “All of these current vaccines have the potential to be deficient in a number of ways.”

Dattilo said there is a high likelihood of leading vaccine candidates working well for younger, healthier people, but becoming increasingly less effective for older demographics. Such is the case with the flu

vaccine.

Wolf said because the Waisman Biomanufacturing vaccine is designed to activate a separate immune response, it could be used in conjunction with an existing COVID-19 vaccine.

Heat Biologics first developed their COVID-19 vaccine in collaboration with the University of Miami, Wolf said. The company sent the vaccine to Waisman, which will mass produce the vaccine for upcoming clinical trials.

Being a publicly traded company with sufficient capital, Heat Biologics is funding the research out of pocket, Wolf said.

In order to get a vaccine to clinical trials, companies like Heat Biologics require additional expertise when it comes to manufacturing, testing and passing FDA requirements, Dattilo said.

“Academic investigators, basic researchers or biotech companies, they are typically the scientific experts in their fields, but in order to get a product into a human clinical trial, additional expertise is needed,” Dattilo said.

“That’s where we come in.”

Dattilo said that while Waisman is a nonprofit part of UW, they work closely with the biotech industry, contracting with companies around the world.

September 2, 2020 • badgerherald.com • 5

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Madison nonprofits providing essential services struggle, lack funding Three local nonprofits each receive $50,0000 in aid, nonprofit spokesperson said a thousand dollars will only help 50 families

by Arushi Gupta City News Editor

Local non-profit organizations are working to provide assistance to minority populations in Madison who are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway announced $150,000 total in aid in July to three nonprofit organizations — the African Center for Community Development, Freedom Inc. and UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence — to support immigrant households.

Freedom Inc. Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director Kabzuag Vaj works with low income, no-income, low-wage workers and queer, Black, South-East Asian women and young girls.

Vaj said prior to the pandemic, this population was already disproportionately impacted by the government’s noninvestment in their communities.

The pandemic highlighted issues within these communities, Vaj said.

“A lot of our folks are lowwage workers who are essential workers, and so while everybody is safe at home … practicing safer at home ordinances, we have moms who have to work because they’re essential workers, but then who’s taking care of the kids at home?” Vaj said.

Vaj said before the pandemic, Freedom Inc. was working with a population already impacted by disparities around poverty, housing and health. According to Vaj, many people were hoarding supplies in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but what they did not understand is poor people couldn’t afford to hoard.

Vaj said distance learning amplified inequities, particularly with students of color who came from predominantly poor families. Vaj said many did not have access to the internet or computers.

Vaj said they also work with people who experience intimate partner violence, or gender-based violence.

“We also had to figure out if they were safe at home due to domestic violence, or sexual abuse, neglect and all of these things because that’s the population that we work with,” Vaj said. “We went into high gear to not only meet their basic human essential 6 • badgerherald.com • September 2, 2020

needs, but to also figure out if people were safe.”

According to NPR, Hispanic or Latino individuals make up less than 10% of the total U.S. population but 37% of all COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin. To support Latinx households, UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence received $50,000 in aid from the City of Madison.

Executive Director for UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence Veronica Figueroa said UNIDOS provides hotel vouchers, rent assistance and aid with eviction prevention

Figueroa said COVID-19 increased violence in the Madison community, both in domestic violence and sexual assault, specifically in children. This increase happens every time there is a disaster, which is why it is necessary for them to be prepared to deal with an increase in violence.

Figueroa said it is important to continue to request elected officials come up with a plan and funding to help organizations like UNIDOS deal with situations and to sustain the programs.

to victims of domestic violence because these populations need safe places to stay.

“We often end up having to find funding someplace else, whether that is our house or even our own family members for paying for hotel vouchers for people to go in until we kind of figure out how to or where to find a permanent housing situation for survivors,” Figueroa said.

Figueroa called the financial aid a “relief.”

The $50,000 in aid is still not enough in terms of housing, Figueroa said.

“With the relief funds that the county and the city and the state are receiving, making sure that those relief funds are being allocated across the board and just chunking the money to specific organizations, they should rather look at other organizations that are doing the work and spread that wealth among all of us to coordinate

services,” Figueroa said.

According to Vaj, $50,000 in aid might seem a lot, but giving a thousand dollars to one family will only help 50 families, which is a very low number next to the large number of families that are financially affected by the pandemic.

Vaj said the government needs to figure out a collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic because it has the power and resources to keep people safe.

Vaj said many organizations, including Freedom Inc., are turning to a mutual aid model, which she said is a part of people of color community models where POC help each other out.

Vaj said a moratorium is not enough and Dane County needs to cancel rent.

“People who’ve had two household incomes now have one, and people who had one now have nothing, basically,” Vaj said. “[$50,000] is not even enough to keep 50 people off the street or to help them pay for rent so that they’re not homeless and getting evicted.”

Figueroa said there is a need for better strategies to deal with violence during disaster. Figueroa added people are aware this is not the first pandemic the world experienced and these situations are known to increase violence, but communities are still not prepared to deal with this rise.

According to Figueroa, instead addressing situations through a crisisresponse approach, it is more effective to utilize prevention strategies because organizations cannot sustainably work in a crisis mode.

“Eventually, the whole philosophy will collapse if we continue to work on a crisis-basis every time one of our little ones gets shot and dies to then go and put a press release out there, or come out and do another March,” Figueroa said.

Figueroa said being proactive and cooperating within communities is necessary and different voices need to be heard. Elected officials can’t continue to make decisions without input from communities, Figueroa said.

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UW researchers work to develop faster saliva test for COVID-19 University Health Services also opens testing sites in preparation for the upcoming semester, capacity for 6,000 tests per week

by Joseph Mitchell Reporter

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin’s Dave O’Connor Laboratory and The Friedrich Laboratory are working to develop a new, less invasive COVID-19 test that can return results much quicker than the traditional tests used nationwide.

Traditional tests utilized a swab deposited into the patient’s nasal passage where it eventually reaches the throat.

The swab remains there for several seconds to collect the sample. The new test requires the patient to provide a saliva sample that is deposited into a test tube, collecting usable testing material without the need for a nasal swab.

Professor of Pathobiological Sciences for the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, Thomas Friedrich, said he and colleague David O’Connor, started developing the test in late February and early March.

Friedrich and O’Connor started to think of alternative ways to test for the virus as a response to the supply shortages of materials used in traditional tests.

Friedrich said conventional tests use a process called polymerase chain reaction.

This method of testing requires very specialized equipment that can normally only be found in certain labs, which means samples have to be sent to these labs to be properly analyzed.

Friedrich said this, along with shortages in materials needed to conduct PCR tests, can contribute to the long wait times to get results back.

According to Friedrich, their test uses a process related to PCR called loop-mediated isothermal amplification. LAMP-based testing uses much less specialized equipment to detect the viruses in patients. Friedrich said laboratories can even be set up directly at testing sites.

“We think LAMP will make it possible to bring testing to schools or workplaces, and importantly, to communities that lack strong health infrastructure,” Friedrich said.

Senior Scientist in the UW Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dawn Dudley, said the LAMP was developed 20 years

ago as a cost-effective alternative to amplifying DNA. The LAMP method is used to detect many pathogens like malaria, tuberculosis, influenza, HIV and zika.

Dudley said the test works by first heating the sample to inactivate potential viruses. The sample then is diluted and added to the RT-LAMP reaction where the virus breaks open, releasing its genome.

good solution for situations where you want to do repeated testing with fast turnaround.”

Friedrich said the LAMP method’s fast turnaround is an important tool to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. According to Friedrich, half of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs before the onset of symptoms.

The ability to get rapid results back to a patient

Dudley added the DNA is replicated using special primers which form extended strands of DNA. This process releases ions which change the reactions pH. Dudley said indicators will change the color of the solution accordingly, showing if the sample is positive or negative.

Friedrich said LAMP is less sensitive than PCR, meaning it can not detect very low levels of the virus.

“But we think this is okay because our approach focuses on catching people who have high, contagious amounts of virus and isolating them,” Friedrich said. “LAMP’s other strengths make it a

so they can quarantine themselves before they spread the virus is crucial.

The goal is to be able to test people who show no symptoms twice per week. Friechrich said their studies are looking into how they can accomplish this goal.

According to Dudley, the frequency is important to catch people at schools or workplace before they widely transmit the virus.

“A test is a snapshot in time, and people can be negative on one day and one day later become positive enough for detection,” Dudley said.

“People often need to be infected for several days

before there is enough virus to detect.”

According to Dudley, right now the test is not considered diagnostic. This means they cannot say whether individuals have COVID-19 or not. The test is considered research and can return results that individuals could be infected and may need a diagnostic test.

Friedrich said researchers are frustrated from the lack of a coordinated response from the Food and Drug Administration. Getting tests approved for widespread use can be a long process of proving the tests are safe and accurate. The National Health Institutes’ Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics program has helped fund the project and is working on getting government approvals.

Along with COVID-19 testing research, University Health Services is planning on increasing their testing capacity this fall.

Health Communications Specialist for UHS, Kelsey Anderson, said there will be four testing sites in total. The Ogg Hall and Holt testing sites will be reserved for students in university housing for required scheduled testing. The site at Henry Mall and the Fluno Center will be open to all UW employees and students.

Anderson said testing is open to all who wish to be tested but is encouraged for people of certain groups. These groups include those who have symptoms for COVID-19, those who were in contact with someone who’s tested positive for COVID-19 and those whose job puts them at high risk of coming in contact with COVID-19.

Anderson said the testing is to occur for as long as necessary.

For now test results are expected to be back within 72 hours. Once the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Lab begins processing tests, people can expect results within 24 hours. The testing sites have a capacity of 6,000 tests per week.

According to Anderson, UHS is implementing contract tracing in addition to opening test sites.

“We established a contact tracing process earlier this summer and hired new employees as part of this effort,” Anderson said. “Contact tracers work to identify anyone who may be at increased risk of exposure and will notify those individuals when that is the case.”

September 2, 2020 • badgerherald.com • 7

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Families, off-campus students deal with financial impact of COVID-19 Utility moratorium shut-offs, mayor requests extension, UW support may help students navigate financial setbacks of pandemic

by Bella Onsi Reporter

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway sent a request Aug. 10 to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, which regulates public utilities in Wisconsin, for an extension of the moratorium on utility disconnections. This request is in response to financial struggles that arose due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin, the current utility shut-off moratorium is set to end Sept. 1, 2020, but Rhodes-Conway’s new plan would move that expiration date to Spring 2021. An extension of the moratorium would permit those living in Wisconsin who are unable to pay utility bills to communicate with their utility provider and postpone their payments. In her request to the PSC, RhodesConway said the shut-off would help residents struggling financially due to the pandemic, unemployment or other economic constraints.

Since apartment and home leases are legal documents, it can be difficult for students to get out of their leases if they are unable to live in Madison this upcoming semester due to COVID-19. According to Campus Area housing, a sublease allows students to have someone else live in their apartment and pay rent if the apartment owner cannot stay in the apartment.

University of Wisconsin sophomore Yoonjin Lee is an international student from Singapore. As is the case with many students, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected both Lee’s education and the off-campus opportunities she expected to pursue as part of her college experience.

“I was contemplating back and forth of whether I should come back [to campus] because I still wanted to continue my studies, but I would be worrying my family members,” Lee said. “I ended up making the choice to come back because I already had signed an apartment lease that I couldn’t easily back out of, so it was definitely a stressful decision for me to make.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of 8 • badgerherald.com • September 2, 2020

Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in Wisconsin rose from 3.5% in February 2020 to 13.6% in April and then dropped to 7% in July. Given the overall increase and volatility of unemployment rates, some families face an uncertain financial situation.

Associate Director for Advising and Outreach in the UW Office of Student Financial Aid, Greg Offerman, said the Free Application for Federal Study Aid can help students whose financial circumstances have changed since 2018.

For students who are U.S. citizens,

keeping their FAFSA forms updated to include their family’s financial situation can be beneficial for finding ways to make college more affordable. According to the FAFSA website, the FAFSA can be filled out by any U.S. citizen and allows students to be matched with grants, scholarships, work-study programs, loans and more to suit their current financial situation.

“The 2021 FAFSA this year uses 2018 tax information, so a lot can change under normal circumstances from 2018 through the first seven and a half months of 2020, especially during the 2020 we’ve had

Photo - Moratorium would provide much needed financial assistance to residents, including students living on campus.

Marissa Haegele The Badger Herald

with the pandemic,” Offerman said. “So what students can do is send us a letter of special circumstances or appeal indicating what exactly has changed with their financial circumstances since 2018. Then, we can take that into consideration to make sure that their FAFSA information is as accurate as it possibly can be, so we can give them need-based aid accordingly.”

Students with financial concerns should reach out to the UW Office of Student Financial Aid. Senior Financial Aid Advisor Joselyn Diaz-Valdes, said an advisor can not only provide help to students seeking financial aid, they can also assist students in setting up a budget to manage their finances going forward.

According to the office’s website, international students who attend school on a visa are not eligible for aid through the office, but students can contact International Student Services for more information on programs available to international students.

While programs on campus like the ISS and Office of Student Financial Aid cannot help students living off campus pay their utility bills and rent, they can help students obtain money in other ways, such as scholarships and grants. In addition, the extended moratorium on utility disconnections would allow students the opportunity to continue living in Madison, even if their financial circumstances shifted since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While this extension would provide much-needed financial assistance, Lee, like many other students returning to off campus housing, still has other concerns surrounding the start of the semester.

“As an international student who is studying art education, I wanted to find opportunities to teach kids, but I don’t feel safe and secure knowing that the death count for COVID is drastically going up in the U.S,” Lee said.

ARTSETC.

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Returning student’s perspective on current state of State Street Coming back to campus, student reflects on first walk along famous street after coronavirus, BLM protests, other effects of 2020

by Jackson Walker ArtsEtc Associate Editor

As a freshman living in the dorms last March, the campus closure hit hard.

In the course of a week, campus administration sent my fellow student dorm residents and I away from the place we had come to call our new home over the past eight months.

Sending us away was ultimately the correct call, as campus was combatting a pandemic that we knew very little about at the time, but leaving still hurt.

For myself and a lot of other Badgers, taking classes at home proved to be a big adjustment.

Being so removed from campus felt as though I was no longer a part of the Badger community, as though I was spectating the events on campus, rather than taking an active part in them.

When the protests began on State Street in July, I looked on from home. I knew what was happening was the result of generations of mistreatment and was an important way to make unheard voices known, yet I couldn’t help but feel emotional seeing conflict on my campus.

Upon my return to campus for the Fall 2020 semester, I was anxious to visit State Street again to see what it now looked like since I had left nearly six months prior.

Arriving on campus after so long made me realize just how much has changed.

We have weathered a pandemic, a protest movement and much more in this crazy roller coaster that has been 2020, and State Street has been affected by each one of these changes in some way. I wanted to see what happened and whether or not it was the way I remembered it.

When I locked my bike and stepped onto the sidewalk, I was immediately met with a lot of the same feelings I remembered from my time as a freshman.

State Street greeted me like an old friend, with its familiar and steady hustle and bustle. As I began to look around, I felt very much like I was in a place that was experiencing a lot of healing both physically and spiritually.

Many of the familiar storefronts I had once known were now boarded up with particle wood and seemed almost unrecognizable from the outside.

Passersby wore masks, concealing their faces from the omnipresent virus.

Restaurants rebounding from economic damage had moved their operations outdoors in order to continue on their long roads to recovery.

It was clear that the events of 2020 had taken their toll, but had not entirely prevented my favorite place from fixing the damages. It was good to see that nothing could truly put a damper on Badger spirit.

Continuing down the street opened my eyes to just how transformed State Street had become in recent months.

My attention was immediately grabbed by the many colorful murals that now lined the sidewalks.

Each one used its own unique array of colors and had its own message to tell. I felt compelled to stand and stare at each one as if I were in some sort of huge art gallery.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe at the abundance of art and culture I was witnessing; It felt as though I was standing in the middle of a modern-day renaissance.

After leaving, I came to realize that the State Street I had come to know is still very much alive, but had taken on an additional role since I had seen it last.

What once was just a central shopping area had now become a canvas for expression of every sort.

State Street had become a crossroads between a bustling college town and a hotbed of artistic expression.

As a State Street enthusiast, I can confidently say that I appreciate the new change in pace and hope to see more as time goes by.

While I will unfortunately not be spending much time there this year, rest assured that 2020’s State Street has more to offer than ever before.

Photo · BLM statement art lines the boarded windows of State St., mingling with a few other political messages (See p. 10) Audrey Swanson The Badger Herald

September 2, 2020 • badgerherald.com • 9

ARTSETC

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Photo · BLM

Statements mixed with other political opinions

Veronica Kuffel The Badger Herald

Photo · Outside of Sencha Tea Bar, State St. Veronica Kuffel The Badger Herald

Photo · Political opinions on State St. Veronica Kuffel The Badger Herald

Photo · Powerful mural outside of Hop Cat Bar Veronica Kuffel The Badger Herald

The Madtown Crier: top five list of events to check out this week After a year of hiatus, The Madtown Crier is back with a top five list of events to check out this week

by Rachael Lee ArtsEtc Associate Editor

1. Lady Laughs Comedy: Show presents every other Thursday on ExtraAFComedy Facebook page.

Sept 3 at 7:30 p.m.

2. Virtual Terrace Paintacular: Art supplies can be picked up at Memorial Union, FREE sign up on the UW Union’s “Events and Activities” page.

Sept 3-6, 2 - 6 p.m. and Sept 7 11a.m. - 2 p.m., Painting 3 - 4 p.m.

3. Hilldale Farmers Market: Located at Hilldale Shopping Center, please wear a mask and follow safety protocol.

Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

4. Virtual Exhibit - UNPACKED: Refugee Baggage: Connecticut based, Syrian born multimedia artist Mohamad Hafez seeks to humanize the word “refugee”.

From Feb 2 - Dec 31, 2020, more info at https://sohe.wisc.edu/events/unpacked-refugee-baggage/ 5. Virtual Exhibit - What Would A Microbe Say: Ongoing online exhibit is a collaboration between artist Sonja Bäumel and Helen Blackwell of the UW-Madison Department of Chemistry, showing what a human body looks like through the eyes of a microbe.

From April 29 - Dec 31, 2020, more info at https://sohe.wisc.edu/events/what-would-a-microbe-say/ 10 • badgerherald.com • September 2, 2020

ARTSETC.

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Mother Earth Cleaners offers sustainable cleaning in pandemic

An interview with founder and owner of cleaning company that focuses on sustainability, customer service, efficient work amidst COVID

by Will Lundquist ArtsEtc Associate Editor

Tekla Wlodarczyk Nunez founded and owns Mother Earth Cleaners, one of the few cleaning services in Madison specializing in eco-friendly cleaning. But, she prefers the title of Chief Happiness Officer.

I had the pleasure of meeting Wlodarczyk Nunez as I sat outside my friend’s apartment building on August 14, one of the busiest cleaning days of the year.

Despite being swamped with houses to clean, Wlodarczyk Nunez offered my friend and I free pizza, cookies and masks. Her selflessness and dedication to environmental sustainability appeared immediately.

Wlodarczyk Nunez started Mother Earth Cleaners in 2009 with only four employees.

“When we started there were really no other green cleaning companies in Madison,” Wlodarczyk Nunez said.

The company has since grown to 15 employees, and now, dozens of cleaning services in Madison also claim sustainability as their business’s M.O. Wlodarczyk Nunez described one of their principal challenges: finding products both effective and good for the environment.

“One of the problems with green cleaning materials back then [was that] the products would say they were green, but they weren’t, or they were green and they weren’t very effective,” Wlodarczyk

Nunez said. “What we sought to do was to find legitimately green earth-friendly, non-toxic products that worked and worked well.”

Mother Earth Cleaners isn’t just about sustainability. They also strive to create a healthy work environment for minorities and potentially disadvantaged people who have trouble holding a job.

In the early years of the company, Wlodarczyk Nunez worked with a job training program run through the YWCA, which taught disadvantaged women job etiquette, resume writing and communication skills for job interviews.

“I was looking to start a company where people could learn job skills, and where people who had difficulty keeping a job would learn how to become a good employee.” Wlodarczyk Nunez said.

“They’re not cogs in a machine, they’re people with lives and families.”

Wlodarczyk Nunez believes her strong relationship with her customers is the backbone upon which her company thrives.

“It’s green cleaning that gets us in the door, but it’s the quality of our service that keeps us in the house,” Wlodarczyk Nunez said. “I’m not selling a clean toilet, I’m selling a trustworthy relationship that reduces stress in your life.”

Because the relationship with her customers is so important to Wlodarczyk Nunez, the company doesn’t have a cancellation policy requiring

customers to pay if they cancel within 24 hours.

“I’m going to charge you when you’re in a crisis,” Wlodarczyk said, bewildered at the notion.

The solid relationship Wlodarczyk Nunez strives to establish with her clientele paid off when COVID-19 first struck and Mother Earth Cleaners had to shut down.

“We closed our services several days before the state mandated that businesses close.” Wlodarczyk Nunez said. “I could not, in good conscience, allow my staff and my clients to mix.”

As soon as Mother Earth Cleaners announced their closure, however, a number of clients reached out offering financial support.

Wlodarczyk Nunez said clients helped with donations, tips and paying for their houses to be cleaned in advance.

“They sustained our bills for more than 2 months because when we did reopen, we weren’t at full capacity,” Wlodarczyk Nunez said.

Wlodarczyk Nunez says her mother, Rita Wlodarczyk, former president of the AARP and a political activist throughout her life in Wisconsin, inspired her to start her own business.

She also cited her father’s resourceful lifestyle in her home growing up as an influence on her dedication to sustainability.

“I wouldn’t say [my father] was poor, but that’s how you lived back then. You grew your own food, you didn’t throw things out, you repaired things. In

my household, a piece of tinfoil was reused more than once.”

Although many would call it old fashioned, this sustainable style of living is not only good for the environment but also good for your wallet. “[Sustainable cleaning] is not more expensive, and in some cases, it’s possibly less expensive.”

Wlodarczyk Nunez said. “If we replaced our towels with paper towels, we’d be going through cases on cases of paper towels. Our microfiber towels last us for years.”

Aside from using exclusively microfiber towels, Mother Earth Cleaners runs entirely paperless operation, the employees all carpool to job sites and the company uses concentrated cleaning supplies which are versatile enough to clean a variety of sources while reducing plastic waste.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, companies like Mother Earth Cleaners not only have to clean but also disinfect surfaces, which is an inherently unsustainable practice because only certain chemicals kill viruses and bacteria on the level of disinfection.

Mother Earth Cleaners uses Basic G, a highly concentrated germicide, which isn’t totally sustainable, but still much more eco-friendly than many disinfectants on the market.

It can be tough as a college student to dedicate time to making sure that your cleaning practices at home aren’t harming the world around us.

Underrated student art galleries: Inside Art Lofts, Gallery 7

Peek into usually unnoticed world of student art galleries, how they impact arts students of all types of backgrounds, styles, majors

by Jackson Walker ArtsEtc Associate Editor

There’s no doubt that the Arts Department at the University of Wisconsin is top notch. With our #1 national ranking in printmaking and #31 national rank in overall arts programs, Badgers are in for a quality education when they choose to study art at UW. While the UW Arts Department has many valuable tools in their repertoire, one particular asset that helps the Art School shine is their two student art galleries, Gallery 7 and Art Lofts.

While the two galleries are both spectacular, many UW students never get the chance to visit, or hear of them, at all. For this reason, the art galleries have taken on the reputation as underrated hidden gems on the UW campus.

But what exactly is it that makes our student art galleries so special? Art student Rachel Betters attributes this to their easy accessibility to students and availability to showcase all art styles.

“I love that we have a place to consistently showcase student work on campus,” Betters said. “Our campus galleries rotate frequently and showcase every type of student work. At our

campus galleries, everything from metalworking to painting to graphic design is given the chance to be shown.”

Printmaking professor Faisal Abdu’Allah cites UW’s art galleries as unlimited creative spaces where students can take on larger societal problems through their art.

“Artists in the 21st century see the art gallery now as a platform to question societal norms, explore innovative ways of seeing and provide opportunities for hard to reach communities to create projects beyond the white walls of the gallery,” Abdu’Allah said.

The first of our two art galleries is Gallery 7. If you are able to navigate through the labyrinthine Humanities building, you will eventually come across this arts venue aptly named for its position on the seventh floor of the building.

Gallery 7 is popular among art enthusiasts who appreciate a wide variety of showings as the gallery rotates out new pieces of student work on a near-weekly basis, keeping the art-viewing experience fresh and unique with each visit.

“Gallery 7 is probably my favorite because of how often it is changed, and how many different things are exhibited. Usually advanced

level classes and grad showcases, but [Gallery 7] also shows some beginner level works, showing just about every side of the art department,” art student Callum White said about the venue.

The Humanities Building’s seventh-floor marvel is often home to pieces smaller in size, such as paintings and sculptures, but on occasion, some larger pieces make an appearance in Gallery 7.

Previously, Master of Fine Arts student Heather McCalla featured an entire Audi car made of wood in Gallery 7.

In addition to Gallery 7, Art Lofts, also features student pieces as the newly renovated home to the Art Department’s sizably larger exhibits and multiple piece displays.

Showcased artworks in Art Lofts range from photography to murals to larger sculpture pieces.

While the loft has a wider variety of pieces, the scale slows down the time it takes the loft to cycle through new pieces. Nonetheless, Art Lofts is still able to rotate new pieces through on a semiregular basis.

Prior to its time as an arts gallery, Art Lofts served as a university warehouse until 10 years ago when it was remodeled to serve as a hub for arts facilities that were previously scattered across

campus.

The loft houses facilities for almost any kind of art creation you can imagine, from ceramics, glass, papermaking and even a bronze foundry.

“I can’t imagine the UW Art Department without the Art Lofts,” art professor Douglas Rosenberg said about the facility. “It serves as a meeting space for faculty and students and as a link to the community outside the campus as well.”

Alongside student created pieces, the Art Lofts’s new “Black Space” gallery also provides a space for accomplished artists from around the country to display works within the gallery.

Through the collective efforts of the arts department, students at UW can benefit from a wide variety of showcase options, thanks to our unique campus galleries.

While integral components in the education of art students, many Badgers outside of the major hardly ever get the chance to visit one.

While underrated now, expect Gallery 7 and Art Lofts to be in the headlines more and more in the future.

September 2, 2020 • badgerherald.com • 11

FEATURES

COVID-19 in College

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As colleges across America grapple with reopening during pandemic, UW students reflect on experience with COVID-19, express concern for future semester

by Abigail Steinberg Editorial Board Chair

In the past few months, much of the college experience has been reduced to watching. Watching Netflix, watching online lectures and watching higher education rapidly change. By the time this story is to be published, the University of Wisconsin is set to begin the Fall 2020 semester, guided by the Smart Restart plan to safely bring students back to campus to continue their degrees amidst a global pandemic.

Just weeks earlier, however, UW students and the rest of the world watched peer institutions attempt to do the same.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill abruptly shifted all undergraduate courses to remote instruction as several students became infected a week after beginning inperson classes. Syracuse University and Purdue University suspended students for attending large gatherings in violation of each institution’s campus health guidelines. The University

12 • badgerherald.com • September 2, 2020

of Notre Dame closed public spaces and moved classes online to stop the spread of the virus — their student newspaper begged their peers — “Don’t make us write obituaries.” And while New York University students lamented their meager quarantine meals on TikTok, Michigan State University canceled classes before they even began.

UW has not experienced any of these struggles yet, but as UW students watch peers at other institutions struggle to navigate college and avoid falling ill, it’s easy for students to wonder, “What if that was me?”

UW students who have tested positive and recovered from COVID-19 know the answer to this question, even as they continue to navigate an uncertain future.

LET’S GET PHYSICAL

The five students interviewed for this story are in no way a representative sample of possible COVID-19 experiences, severity or side effects. According to the World Health Organization, 80% of COVID-19 infections are mild or asymptomatic. If this sample were representative, one of these students would have suffered a severe case of COVID-19 — yet, all five said they had mild cases.

Senior Hallie Butterer thought she had a cold. Her roommate, Alissa, who requested to be addressed by her first name only, was tested because she had a known contact. She did not experience symptoms until a few days into isolation.

“Basically, I was asymptomatic,” Alissa said. “I had some chest pain, and like, a sniffle.”

Butterer’s symptoms — similar to a cold, complete with sinus pain and headaches — evolved into chest pains days into her isolation.

“It kind of felt like someone was sitting on your chest all day long,” Butterer said. “And then I lost my sense of smell and taste. But that was the extent of my symptoms.”

According to research by Vanderbilt University Medical Center, up to 80% of people who test positive for COVID-19 complain of losing their sense of smell or taste. In fact, a recent study based on retrospective data indicated those who have a normal smell function during COVID-19 were more likely to be hospitalized and placed on a ventilator. Only two students interviewed reported losing smell and taste.

UW senior Courtney Degen said she was frustrated by the loss of those senses. Degen experienced a consistent sore throat, headaches and congestion, and reported feeling sick to the point she couldn’t get out of bed and needed frequent naps for a few days.

“I think for me, the biggest thing was loss of taste and smell.

That’s something I’ve really never experienced before,” Degen said. “I could not even smell perfume if I sprayed it on my hand. It was crazy. And that was really frustrating. Everything I ate just tasted like mush.”

COVID-19 can cause a wide range of symptoms, the most common being fever, dry cough and fatigue. As scientists learn more about COVID-19, however, they’ve discovered less common symptoms. These symptoms may be precursors to more common symptoms, like fever and respiratory issues, according to Mayo Clinic.

UW senior Genessi Bryant experienced unusual symptoms like nausea and loss of appetite. These symptoms are present in less than 10% of those who test positive for COVID-19,

according to a meta-analysis published in the medical journal Gastroenterology. Though these symptoms came and went, Bryant is still experiencing some symptoms long after her COVID-19 diagnosis.

“I’ve only tried to work out, I want to say like three times and I usually do HIIT workouts,” Bryant said. “And I definitely felt the effects — like the respiratory effects — even when I’m going up the five flights of stairs to my apartment.”

Bryant is not alone. A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 35% of individuals who had COVID-19 and self-treated their symptoms were not at their usual level of health within two or three weeks after testing. For people ages 18 to 34 with no underlying health issues, 20% still felt symptoms weeks after testing.

In late June, Vice President Mike Pence said it was “a good thing” around half of the new COVID-19 cases in America were young adults because they were less at risk of becoming severely ill than older people. But recent medical research and anecdotal evidence suggest mild COVID-19 cases can still bring on long-term side effects, even in young people without underlying health issues.

“It’s almost like a blow to your ego to be in your 20s and healthy and active, and get hit with this thing and think you’re going to get better and you’re going to be OK. And then have it really not pan out that way,” said Fiona Lowenstein, a COVID-19 survivor, in an interview with The Guardian.

A PANDEMIC MENTALITY

The mental health epidemic among college students is nothing new, but just like many other societal issues, COVID-19 has exacerbated its negative effects. Several studies have shown a connection between social isolation and loneliness to poor mental and physical health. The widespread experience of loneliness is associated with a reduced lifespan and a higher risk of mental and physical illnesses.

Research on the psychological effects of quarantine during other past disease outbreaks, such as China’s quarantine

during the SARS outbreak in 2003 and the ebola outbreak in many west African countries in 2014 finds quarantines may correlate to mental health downturns.

Butterer said she felt anxious and frustrated during the first four days of her isolation, until her roommate, Alissa, tested positive and returned to the apartment to quarantine with her. Though she wasn’t completely alone during her illness, Butterer was still anxious.

“I did have a lot of anxiety knowing that I had it because it’s pretty scary to look on the news when the news is saying ‘This many people have died and these people are on ventilators,’” Butterer said. “Knowing that I had [coronavirus] made me really, really nervous even though I knew I was going to be fine. But just looking at the news and it saying there were 130,000 coronavirus deaths — I’m like ‘oh my god, that could be me.’ That was a little frightening and scary for me.”

The anxiety in those with COVID-19 is often paired with guilt. Many feel guilty for having such mild symptoms while others have severe cases, while some, like Butterer and Alissa, felt guilty for potentially exposing their family, friends and other acquaintances to the disease.

Degen lived this reality — her sister was the first in her immediate family to test positive for COVID-19, and she and her father tested positive soon after. Though her mother was never officially diagnosed with COVID-19, she did spend a few days in the hospital after having trouble breathing. Degen’s mother eventually recovered, though she still grapples with frustration surrounding the disease.

“It is difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact people don’t believe the virus is real or don’t understand the extent of the virus and how dangerous it really is,” Degen said. “[Coronavirus] may be hard to wrap your head around until you’ve experienced it. But having seen my mom go to the hospital over this, it’s really difficult for me to understand how people can be so selfish and misinformed about the situation.”

Though negative mental health effects during COVID-19 are common, Bryant maintained a positive attitude during her illness. As a self-described extrovert, Bryant did struggle with the isolation period, but found the extended time alone good for personal and spiritual growth and connecting with family via FaceTime. Bryant said it was nice to be forced to calm down and be alone with herself to engage in self-reflection.

Director of Marketing and Health Communications at

Illustrations by Nuha Dolby

University Health Services Marlena Holden said UHS is still fully operational to meet the mental health needs of all students, whether they have COVID-19 or not.

“We are still planning on providing all of the same services, it’s just going to look different,” Holden said. “So for example, in mental health services, they were able to pivot quickly this spring to provide all tele-mental health services. And we were able to meet about 80% of the same demand the same time last year. And we will continue that in the fall.”

Recent graduate Kara Erickson advised students allow themselves to mourn the experiences they lose throughout the pandemic, though they may seem small compared to the greater problems the pandemic has caused. And though so much is changing, there is still fun to be had.

Erickson said the at-home graduation her roommates threw her was more special than a regular commencement and suggested students still find ways to celebrate safely.

“It’s totally valid to mourn some of the things that you’re losing during this time,” Erickson said. “Try to adapt as much as you can and be creative in the ways you celebrate birthdays or graduation.”

SO, WHAT NOW?

Recovering from COVID-19 is a task within itself. After that, of course, comes the constant adaptation of navigating college during a global pandemic. For nearly all students, this semester will look profoundly different.

Just as students watch higher education change, recent and soon-to-be graduates watch the job market rise, fall and evolve.

For Erickson, the coming months will consist of searching for a job in the nonprofit sector.

According to a report from Johns Hopkins University, the nonprofit sector lost more than 1.6 million jobs from March through May — equivalent to 13% of all nonprofit jobs in America. Erickson’s primary interest is working with youth arts programming, but she understands the large toll COVID-19 has taken on the industry.

“I feel bad applying for jobs in the nonprofit world right now. I feel like I should be volunteering my time rather than looking for a paid position on a lot of these places,” Erickson said. “It would be awesome to get a paid position there. But it’s just such a year. It’s just a weird thing to be like ‘Things

are terrible, but do you need another worker?’”

For students whose education depends on fieldwork, the upcoming academic year remains in limbo as well.

Butterer, who is in her final year of studying for a Bachelor of Social Work degree, will fulfill her field placement online.

Though she will be working with a real social work agency, she will assist clients virtually.

Butterer said her agency seemed prepared to meet the needs of clients virtually. But, she is still concerned about the learning curve she may face in trying to get to know her clients, getting them the services they need, all while trying to keep everyone safe by conducting her fieldwork online.

Bryant is still waiting for information on her practicum with the School of Education. Education majors need a full semester of student teaching before licensure — but whether that semester will be online or in-person remains to be seen, especially when dealing with different school districts. Still, Bryant seemed fairly optimistic about the School of Education’s handling of the situation.

“Their main goal is to get us licensed and graduated on time,” Bryant said. “I’m OK with just sitting here and waiting for it. They’re trying to move so many pieces at a time … there’s just so many little cogs to this clock.”

Not all students are as understanding. At least 100 lawsuits have been filed against multiple colleges and universities as students demand refunds after schools pivoted to remote learning at the beginning of the pandemic. Several UW students have called for a reduction in tuition because they believe online learning is not as valuable as in-person instruction.

The Teaching Assistants’ Association, the graduate student union on campus, advocates for lowering the cost of tuition for the duration of the pandemic, in line with lower operating costs, since fewer students are on campus. They also advocate for the abolition of mandatory fees for students because many resources on campus, like the Wisconsin Unions or recreation centers, are reduced or inaccessible to students. Degen, though an undergraduate student, feels similarly.

“It’s hard because I understand that students want to go back to campus and campus, to some extent, needs to open to make money,” Degen said. “But at the same time, I think [UW] really needs to weigh those options and think about what’s the safest option, not what’s going to save you the most money.”

The coronavirus pandemic will continue to irrevocably change higher education for the foreseeable future. As UW students begin a semester like no other, many fear getting sick, while others mourn the in-person interactions that make the UW experience what it is.

Still, others remain hopeful.

“It’s all about finding the silver lining in every day, but taking it day by day,” Bryant said. “That’s probably the best thing [to do].”

September 2, 2020• badgerherald.com • 13

OPINION

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For everyone’s safety, UW must revert to fully online courses for fall

UW’s response to the ongoing pandemic is insufficient, university must consider revising Smart Restart plan for upcoming semester

Photo - In person instruction and on-campus housing risk the health and safety of all university students and faculty, hurt prior efforts to flatten curve.

live up to their promise of keeping students safe on campus, UW should remain remote, at least for the fall semester.

Badgers living off-campus is another story.

It’s good the university stops them from dining in on-campus dining halls to limit the number of people in a closed space. But, students are still highly likely to catch the virus in public spaces or at parties, where the university cannot enforce safety protocols.

The Dean of Students Christina Olstad threatened disciplinary action for students breaking protocols off-campus in a recent email, but they cannot enforce these rules with thousands of students — UW does not have the means to track or surveil everyone.

Another issue with reopening the university is testing and tracking. Gov. Tony Evers has ordered more than 350,000 tests for the UW system. According to the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, UW-Madison can provide more than 6,000 tests per week, but there are still about 40,000 undergraduate students in the university, and it takes time for students to get their results back.

If a student tests positive, by the time the student has the result, there is no way to comprehensively track how many people the student has contacted.

If students receive a positive result, UW will move them to live in a designated COVID-19 location. This raises additional questions.

How will students acquire items they need for classes from their dorms? How can the university make sure whoever retrieves the items will be safe? What about roommates living together or students who are high-risk?

A reopening UW also puts faculty at risk.

Scientific studies have found correlations between age and COVID susceptibility.

At UW, 93% of faculty members are above the age of 35. According to the Center for Disease Control, starting at the age of 30, people have twice the chance of hospitalization and four times the chance of dying, compared to 18-29 years olds. This means almost all faculty members who teach in-person classes or hold in-person office hours are much more likely to contract COVID and students are likely to spread the virus to them.

The university must remain remote if it wishes to protect both students and faculty members.

UW, just like other colleges, cannot reopen safely with in-person classes. The rush to reopen will harm its students and staff members.

Ahmad Hamid The Badger Herald

Ken Wang (hwang832@wisc.edu) is a sophomore majoring in political science.

by Ken Wang Columnist

Since March, UW and many other colleges and universities have been using remote learning, fearing instruction might risk students and the staff’s personal safety, and in an attempt to slow the spread of the infectious COVID-19.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, these measures proved at least partially successful.

But despite these efforts, the number of COVID-19 cases still increased in the following months, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But while the Trump administration claimed they would soon control these cases, the administration’s incompetence has put people’s lives at risk and caused case numbers to skyrocket.

14 • badgerherald.com • September 2, 2020

July 6th, following Trump’s tweet calling for schools to reopen in the fall, U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement issued a directive, forbidding international students from remaining in the U.S. if their classes went completely online. MIT and Harvard launched a lawsuit against this order, and over 100 institutions supported them, including UW. Prior to the lawsuit, UW announced they would hold all summer classes online. As such, the university has worked hard to keep students safe, and online classes have been working, meaning there is absolutely no need to hold inperson classes or reopen facilities or dorms.

Data collected by the New York Times also indicates no school in Wisconsin can handle a safe reopening. Reopening the campus and letting students move into dorms will only lead to an increased number of COVID-19 cases and

students being sent home.

Despite the Smart Restart initiative taken by the university, UW cannot totally control students’ whereabouts outside of classes or dorms.

This provides the great possibility that students may get infected or spread the virus in both classrooms and public spaces such as buses, restaurants, bars, etc. In the dorms, how can one roommate know if the other roommate is infected or not? If one person in the dorm is infected, it is likely they will infect their roommate as well.

Also, the dorms have communal bathrooms and shower spaces, which means if one person in one dorm is infected, then they will likely infect others in the dorm. Given UW cannot guarantee dorms will be completely safe for students to live in, and therefore they cannot

OPINION

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Meet The Badger Herald’s Fall Semester 2020 Editorial Board

by The Badger Herald Editorial Board

The Badger Herald Editorial Board is composed of six Herald staff members and represents the voice of our editorial department. Our purpose is to speak out and take a stance on the most relevant issues concerning the University of Wisconsin campus, the city of Madison and the state of Wisconsin. Each member of the Board is engaged with the greater campus community outside of the Herald, and we constantly strive to ensure we challenge ourselves with new perspectives. If you have suggestions for topics we should cover, or have a response to anything we write, feel free to send us an email at editor@badgerherald.com.

Following is this semester’s Editorial Board:

Abigail Steinberg — Editorial Board Chair Just when you think she’d finally leave the dingy halls of The Badger Herald and get a real job — she gets a real job but still finds time to be the HBIC of this damn board. Abby’s the name, screaming is my game. Sometimes I scream within the pages of this paper, sometimes from the comfort of my own home. I’m a senior studying journalism, political science and public policy and my dream is to be the first president under five feet tall.

This is my seventh semester with the Herald’s editorial department, my sixth semester on the Editorial Board and my second semester as Editorial Board Chair. I previously served as managing editor and opinion editor, and so I feel as if I have a good gauge as to what makes you people tick. But if I’m wrong — and I quite often am — I want to hear from you. Write for the Herald, submit a Letter to the Editor, email at asteinberg@badgerherald.com, tweet me @ AbbyRSteinberg or message me on JDate. That’d be a funny story.

Nuha Dolby — Print Features Editor I’m Nuha, I’m back for a second semester on this editorial board, and I’m just as mediocre as ever! I’m a junior, I study English and Math, I double as this semester’s illustrative director and print features editor and I’m excited to subject the rest of the board — and the public at large — to my very loud opinions.

Besides causing problems and taking names, I’m very into Bob’s Burgers, knitting and wearing plaid men’s boxers as shorts — and then getting upset when people tell me I’m not fashionable.

I also am always excited to hear from y’all — my Twitter is @ NuhaDolby, my email is ndolby@badgerherald.com and if you want to track down my middle school Tumblr and message me there, I’ll be thoroughly impressed.

Please don’t, though. My ugly pics are on there.

Harrison Freuck — Editor-in-Chief Your favorite sports-editor-turned-Editor-in-Chief is joining the Editorial Board for the first time this fall, and I look forward to keeping it controversial with you throughout this semester.

I’m a junior studying journalism with a certificate in sports communications and I don’t have a freaking clue what I want to do in life, except write. A lot. I like writing and reading and sports.

This is my fifth semester with the Herald’s editorial department and my first semester as EIC and on the Editorial Board, so we’ll see how this wild ride goes. If you want to send me your hot takes or if you want to say something about something, feel free to join the Herald’s editorial staff, email me at hfreuck@badgerherald.com or tweet me @HarrisonFreuck. Yee haw!

John Spengler — Digital Features Editor Still trying to be an intern with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, this fall will be my 5th semester with the Herald and my first semester with the Editorial Board. As a junior member of this board, I hereby promise to bring you the most controversial of opinions that I’m absolutely, 100% positive most of Madison doesn’t already agree with.

I’m a junior studying political science and economics, which places me among the non-journalists on this board — please don’t ask me how to write a lede. Other interests include reading half a book and then forgetting about it, cooking and arguing over movies. If you want to talk about any of these topics or are interested in writing a feature — it can be about literally anything please help I’m running out of ideas and it’s the beginning of the semester — feel free to email me at jdspengler@badgerherald. com. I’m also including a shameless plug for my twitter account, @John_Spengler, as I’ve been siphoning off followers by the day.

The Editorial Board serves to represent the voice of the Badger Herald editorial department, distinct from the newsroom, and does not necessarily reflect the views of each staff member.

Gretchen Gerlach — Director of Public Relations I’m Gretchen, and I’ve been a Badger Heralder since freshman-me prepared for a formal interview at 152 W. Johnson with the EIC only to find very few people knew what was going on, the office smelled like Hams, the keyboards were sticky and there was a massive hole in the wall.

This will be my seventh semester and final year with the Herald.

As much as I’ve loved covering city and state news, editing featurelength stories and my semester-long stint as managing editor, TV journalism is where my heart is at. I’m excited to graduate this spring with a BA degree from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication with a double emphasis in reporting and strategic communication.

In the meantime, I’ll be doing good journalisming as the PR Director this semester. If you want to get involved with the Herald, share your voice or just hang out on our ripped couches, email me at ggerlach@badgerherald.com.

This is all to say, you do not need a formal interview. Just come write for us.

Samiha Bhushan — Opinion Editor Hello readers, it’s ya favorite bubble tea enthusiast returning to the Editorial Board for the second time! My name is Samiha and this is my third semester at the Herald.

I’m a sophomore currently majoring in English Literature, though that will probably change in no time, knowing me. What I do know is that I love voicing my opinions, no matter the situation — don’t worry, I’m real fun at parties.

I also love hearing other people’s thoughts, and one of the main aims we have at the Herald is to stimulate community engagement — we want to hear from you. Please shoot me an email at bhushan3@badgerherald.com for anything. Seriously.

Whether you want to talk politics, rant about the inescapably frigid Midwestern weather or wax poetic about cheese curds, I’m always willing to chat.

September 2, 2020 • badgerherald.com • 15

OPINION

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Wisconsin lawmakers must hold police accountable following Kenosha Following the shooting of Jacob Blake, silence from Evers is not an option as Wisconsin residents demand police accountability

by Samiha Bhushan Opinion Editor

There is little question that America is facing a decisive moment in history.

For the past two months, BLM protesters have marched the streets of Wisconsin, calling for criminal justice reform. There has been a local response to the protests as the Madison school board opts out of their contract with the police. Statewide action, however, has been woefully lacking.

Rep. LaKeshia Myers, D-Milwaukee, sent a letter to Gov. Tony Evers in early June, asking him to call a special session of the Legislature with respect to the protests.

Evers has not responded to her request.

Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has stated this is due to Evers’ fear that the Republicancontrolled Legislature will initiate a series of sessions that will eventually result in no action being taken in reforming Wisconsin police.

It is a legitimate fear to say the least, as Republicans successfully bypassed Evers’ past special session on gun control last year just by convening and immediately adjourning the special session without

any debate. Right now, it seems as though Evers is doing the smart thing by not responding to Myers’ request — delayed action does seem better than no action being taken at all.

The problem with this boils down to one question — how much of a time delay can we afford?

Last Sunday a video went viral showcasing the tasing and subsequent shooting of unarmed 29-year-old Jacob Blake, a Black man residing in Kenosha.

He had been shot in the back seven times

by Officer Rusten Sheskey, a seven-year veteran of the Kenosha Police Department, according to the Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul in the statement and at a press conference in Kenosha.

This gross act of racial injustice has incited massive protests and rioting all over Wisconsin and the entire country.

Along with it came additional tragedy, when 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse shot three, killing two, protesters. Evers responded to this by announcing an increased presence of the National Guard in Kenosha, totaling over 500 troops.

As the situation surrounding Blake’s

death continues to escalate each day, it raises additional scrutiny as the state involvement comes to a grinding halt.

As the city continues to propose short term solutions, it is up to the state to permanently change the state of police in Wisconsin. We don’t need curfews, we need legislative bills guaranteeing increased accountability from the police and the state itself. Most importantly, we need it now.

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has expressed reluctance over calling a session over police reform, saying there’s no reason to “rush” into a legislative session.

“Sometimes politics is slow, but it also is deliberate and that’s how we get things right,” Vos said in a statement.

Suffice to say, there are several things wrong with Vos’ sentiment. There is a reason to rush into a session. As police remain largely unaccountable for their actions, lives are at stake. How many more people need to be injured, even dead, before lawmakers realize Wisconsin’s welldocumented history of police brutality against Black people must be addressed?

For Evers and the rest of the Republican Legislative, silence is no longer an option.

Refusal to hold special sessions regarding the BLM movement as protests continue to heat up — to the point of arsons occurring during the riots — will worsen the situation, perhaps even resulting in additional victims.

Increased accountability from the police has been long since coming. It is downright criminal as Republicans block bills supporting police reform and ultimately render special sessions useless with inane political gambits.

As protesters’ voices continue to be ignored on the state-level, there will continue to be more Jacob Blacks, George Floyds and Breyonna Taylors. Police reform must be supported bipartisanly and with concrete bills to establish equity within the criminal justice system.

Samiha Bhushan (bhushan3@ badgerherald.com) is a sophomore majoring in English literature.

Samiha Bhushan (bhushan3@badgerherald. com) is a sophomore majoring in English literature.

Trump’s new relief order is insufficient, broader fiscal package needed Statewide budget cuts, all-time high unemployment underscore need for more comprehensive relief for Wisconsin residents

by Anne Isman Columnist

It has been nearly seven months since Wisconsin recorded its first case of coronavirus back in February of this year, and since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has uprooted the lives of just about everyone, everywhere. Wisconsin has recorded over 75,000 total cases, currently averaging about 700 cases a day.

What has proven a dubious side effect of this pandemic, however, transcends the ever-growing case count. The economic downturn and rise in unemployment plaguing the U.S. continue to put a serious strain on Wisconsin residents, and President Trump’s new order to extend unemployment benefits at a lower rate than before will only further constrain the state’s already reduced budget for spending.

On March 27, Congress passed the CARES Act, which provided an additional $600 a week in unemployment assistance, supporting those who had recently been laid off with an essential financial cushion at the start of the pandemic. Shortly after, 16 • badgerherald.com • September 2, 2020

Gov. Tony Evers announced a $70 million, or 5% state budget cut, including a state hiring freeze to combat the economic strain COVID-19 had caused.

Given how intensely the pandemic has impacted the Wisconsin budget since its onset in March, it would be reasonable to anticipate that unemployment benefits, which according to The New York Times, have kept “millions afloat” amidst rising unemployment claims and financial insecurity, would continue at their current level, or at the very least, without the aid of struggling state budgets.

But Trump’s new order, announced in early August, does just the opposite.

According to a White House Memorandum, new unemployment benefits would require states to “provide temporary enhanced financial support to those whose jobs or wages have been adversely affected

by COVID-19.” What this means is that on top of the $200 reduction of

the $600 weekly unemployment benefits addition, which expired August 1, states will be expected to front $100 of the benefits, with the federal government supporting the remaining $300.

Not only is it unclear whether Trump has the ability to extend the unemployment benefits under an executive order, or without Congressional approval, but it is also uncertain whether the federal aid earmarked for such an extension can even last to support unemployed workers for the foreseeable future.

As of August 11, Evers has declined to state whether Wisconsin will accept Trump’s new order and agree to contribute $100 a week to support continued federal unemployment benefits.

Evers instead asked the Trump administration and Congress in a statement to“work together and act quickly to pass legislation that will provide real assistance for families and additional support and resources for states that are on the frontlines of responding to this pandemic.”

If Wisconsin were to agree to the new order, Evers could use money allocated to Wisconsin under the CARES Act to provide $100 a week in benefits, but this would prevent the emergency aid from being used for other sectors in need of funds.

For example, UW’s budget relies on state funding, and with current cuts in place and financial uncertainty ahead, they should not have to use emergency funding to cushion unemployment benefits that federal aid has established up to this point.

With the upcoming general election, anticipated budget cuts and a financially strained public university system, bipartisan support for a new and effective order is essential to not only support Wisconsin residents as the pandemic rages on and prevents many from returning to work, but in keeping a battleground state like Wisconsin from political disillusionment if a broader relief package cannot be agreed upon soon .

Anne Isman (isman@wisc.edu) is a sophomore studying economics.

OPINION

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The Badger Herald Editorial Board: Fall 2020 Stories to Watch

by The Badger Herald Editorial Board

The Badger Herald Editorial Board deemed these stories important to watch during the fall] 2020 semester.

Smart Restart

The Story — In an effort to adhere to public health guidelines while affording students a “normal” fall semester, the University of Wisconsin created a plan for academic instruction, housing and campus life in the midst of this global pandemic.

The plan, called “Smart Restart,” addresses the new academic calendar, health and safety, housing and dining, academic instruction and workplace plans, while acknowledging the inevitable — the plan will evolve depending on its success at keeping students, faculty and staff safe.

Under Smart Restart, UW will offer courses in-person and online before Thanksgiving break, at which point all courses will switch to a virtual format. Oncampus testing centers and surveillance testing will be offered, and testing for all students and staff in UW housing will be required.

Ultimately, the university will rely on students to practice social distancing and follow universal face covering requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus.

What to watch for — Despite universities across the country postponing fall instruction or canceling inperson courses altogether, UW continues to believe the Smart Restart plan will allow the Badger community a safe return to campus and partial in-person courses until Thanksgiving break — but not everyone is as optimistic.

UW faculty, teachers’ assistants and campus staff are protesting the partial inperson start to the academic year, citing the irresponsibility of bringing thousands of people from across the country back to campus.

Others have questioned the morality placing the onus on freshmen, many who have been deprived of social interactions for six months, to refrain from interacting with others during their first weeks of college.

Only time will tell as to whether the Smart Restart plan works, whether students will take responsibility for public health and whether in-person classes will put faculty and staff at risk.

Diversity, equity and inclusion in light of Black Lives Matter

The story — George Floyd, a Black American man, was killed by Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin this past May. Floyd’s death

incited protests across the nation against police brutality and systemic racism.

Then August 23, Jacob Blake, a Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was shot seven times in the back by police officer Rusten Sheskey. The shooting prompted several protests both in the state and nationally, with protesters mentioning Blake’s story in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Madison, too, has had its fair share of protests linked to the aforementioned events and has had plenty of racist, violent incidents of its own. Althea Bernstein, an 18-year-old biracial woman, was doused in lighter fluid while stopped at a red light earlier this summer. Four white men yelled racial epithets at her before lighting her on fire, and the incident has been deemed a hate crime. The recent protests have also brought calls for the firing and arrest of Madison Police Department Officer Matthew Kenny, who killed Tony Robinson, an unarmed Black teenager, in 2015 What to watch for — The events leading up to Kenosha

protester shootings have shaken the state and the rest of the country, with Gov. Tony Evers deploying National Guard troops in Kenosha. Protests demanding justice for Blake and Floyd still continue nationally, and Black Lives Matter activists held the first virtual Black National Convention in late August.

Chancellor Rebecca Blank issued an email in early July, describing various programs to be initiated in the fall addressing racial inequalities Black people face on campus.

With various faculty taking a stand in support for the BLM movement, it will be important to see how UW navigates through the coming years and how effective Blank’s programs will be.

The state-wide response remains insufficient. After essentially radio silence from the Wisconsin police department and the state, Evers has finally issued a special session to address police accountability on

August 31. The Senate has said they will gavel in, but not vote, on any of Evers’ bills. Protests both in Kenosha and the state continue on, calling for concrete action to be taken by Wisconsin lawmakers.

networks. As election day draws nearer, look to see if these same efforts maintain a Democratic advantage in the state or if Trump and the GOP are able to repeat their 2016 victory in Wisconsin.

The Story — November 3, Wisconsinites will go to the polls to decide who they want to elect to the U.S. presidency. Given its position as a swing state, Wisconsin inevitably plays a preeminent role in swinging the electoral college for one candidate or the other. Your vote will matter here more than it would in California or Arkansas — simple as that.

While current polls show Biden with a steady lead over Trump, campaign organizations will certainly be ramping up efforts to seize our ever crucial state and its 10 electoral college delegates. Additionally, youth voters in Wisconsin are poised to be a determining factor of both statewide results as well as the presidential election itself, as Wisconsin is the foremost state in 18 to 29 year old election influencers in the nation, according to Tufts.

What to watch for — This election cycle will be unlike any other that came before it. We are facing multiple simultaneous crises, each of which would be enough to dominate national debate on its own in a normal year. Campaigns will be forced to come up with inventive ways to reach and impact voters in a time when traditional political organization has been made impossible.

From virtual conventions to virtual phone and text banking, Wisconsin will be the subject of the most fervent political organization in the entire campaign cycle. Within this adjusted system of campaigning, there is some indication that Democrats have an edge here when it comes to securing political victories in unusual times.

While technically a nonpartisan election, Jill Karofsky earned her State Supreme Court seat with the support of various left-leaning interest groups and volunteer

The Story — In March 2020, our lives were overshadowed by the global COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has claimed lives and livelihoods around the world, but nowhere has it been as bad as in the U.S., which is on the brink of 6 million cases. The total death toll is nearing 183,000 as of Aug. 30.

States across the nation have enforced mask mandates, including Wisconsin where Gov. Tony Evers mandated masks in all public indoor spaces, including public transportation and businesses, beginning Aug. 1. Evers’ mandate has come under scrutiny from the Republican-controlled state legislature, making it a key issue to watch as we enter election season.

What to watch for —

Wisconsin’s swing-state status

The pandemic continues

While it is unclear if and when life will return to normal, many people have returned to work and school in the past few months, leaving many uncertain about where we go from here and how difficult the coming months will be.

Since the beginning of most COVID restrictions in March, the weather has been mild at worst, leaving the winter season as a big unknown when it comes to how it will impact the spread of the virus and whether or not the flu season will be just as bad.

Evers’ mask mandate will also be important to watch as the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed a lawsuit in late August against his use of executive power to impose the mandate, leaving many questioning whether or not the mask mandate will stand in court.

The Badger Herald Editorial Board serves to represent the voice of the editorial department, distinct from the newsroom and does not necessarily reflect the views of each staff member.

17 • badgerherald.com • September 2,, 2020

SPORTS

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Football: Previewing Wisconsin’s final six games in 2020 season

Despite UW canceling their 2020 fall football season, The Badger Herald predicts the results of Wisconsin’s last six games

by Will Whitmore Sports Editor

Though the University of Wisconsin’s 2020 fall football season was canceled, it’s still fun to predict what would’ve happened if the Badgers’ “conference only” schedule went on without any hiccups.

In an Aug. 6 article, fellow sportswriter Charlie Dern broke down Wisconsin’s first four games. Going off of Dern’s article, The Badger Herald took a look at Wisconsin’s final six games of the 2020 regular season.

Saturday, Oct. 3 at Maryland The year 2019 was a struggle for the Terrapins and first-year head coach Mike Locksley. During the first two weeks of the season, the Terrapins made some noise with wins over Howard and then No. 21 Syracuse. Over those two games, Maryland outscored their opponents 142-20.

The Terps soon received national attention by climbing to No. 21 in the national rankings, but shortly after, their season crumbled.

Quarterback Josh Jackson struggled through the air and only completed a dismal 47.3% of his passes during the regular season. Jackson’s play warranted questions about who would be the starter in 2020.

Between Jackson, redshirt freshman Lance LeGendre and sophomore transfer Taulia Tagovailoa, there was a quarterback competition in College Park. With so much uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position and including the fact that the Terps lost star running back Javon Leake to the NFL, it’s likely Wisconsin will cruise through this matchup without any trouble.

Wisconsin 5-0 Saturday, Oct. 10 vs. Purdue In this week’s matchup, the Badgers take on the Boilermakers before heading into their bye week.

Wisconsin has won 14 straight against Purdue, with their last loss being on Ben Jones’ game-winning field goal at Camp Randall in 2003.

In 2019, the Boilers limped to a 4-8 record and suffered an embarrassing 45–24 loss in their Nov. 23 matchup with the Badgers. Last year the Boilers struggled defensively, ranking second to last in the Big Ten in yards per game (436.3) while also giving up an alarming 192.5 yards on the ground.

These statistics don’t bode well for the Boilers’ chances in Madison since year-after-year the Badgers model their offense on being a ground-and-pound football team. I see running backs Nakia Watson, Garrett Groshek and Jalen Berger having a field day. With no answer for the Badgers’ physicality, Wisconsin continues their undefeated season.

Wisconsin 6-0 18 • badgerherald.com • September 2, 2020

Saturday, Oct. 24 vs. Illinois Before Wisconsin’s 2019 matchup against the Illini, the Badgers were clicking on all cylinders.

Wisconsin was ranked No. 6 in the country and had hopes of appearing in their first-ever College Football Playoff, but after a shocking 24–23 road loss, those chances soon vanished.

The Illini have talent and were looking forward to building off a 2019 breakthrough season — a season where Illinois made their first bowl appearance since 2014.

Quarterback Brandon Peters is proven and threw for 18 touchdowns with only eight interceptions. Though Illinois is set at the quarterback position, it will be difficult to replace running backs Reggie Corbin and Dre Brown. Last season, the duo rushed for a combined 1337 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Without a potent running attack, Wisconsin’s defense can neutralize Peters through the air.

Unlike 2019, the Badgers don’t look past Illinois and take care of business.

Wisconsin 7-0 Saturday, Oct. 31 at Michigan Wisconsin enters this Halloween showdown in Ann Arbor with a lot on the line. The Badgers are undefeated with hopes of contending for a

national championship. Michigan has a lot of depth offensively. The Wolverines bring back Ronnie Bell, the team’s leading pass catcher, and Nico Collins, who led the team in touchdown receptions last season. Sophomore running back Zach Charbonnet is a rusher that invites contact.

In his first year, Charbonnet bulldozed his way to 726 yards and found the endzone 11 times. The defense is also stout and only gave up 20.7 points per game in 2019.

I think this game will be a difficult test for the Badgers. Though Wisconsin has the luxury of not playing in front of 110,000 plus boisterous fans at the Big House, Jim Harbaugh and company control the clock offensively and end Wisconsin’s perfect season.

Wisconsin 7-1 Saturday, Nov. 14 at Iowa The schedule doesn’t get any easier after a road test against the Wolverines, as Wisconsin travels to Iowa City for a battle against the Hawkeyes.

One priority for Iowa is replacing seasoned quarterback Nate Stanley. In three years as a starter, Stanley threw for 68 touchdowns, which is second-best in school history. Stanley’s replacement is sophomore Spencer Petras. Petras is a promising passer and in his senior year of

high school at Martin Catholic High School, he threw for an astounding 50 touchdowns and 4,157 yards. Though Petras has talent, Wisconsin’s Defensive Coordinator Jim Leonhard’s gameplan will give the young quarterback fits. Following a disappointing loss, the Badgers bounce back and win their fifth straight against Iowa.

Wisconsin 8-1 Saturday, Nov. 21 vs. Rutgers The Badgers wrap their season up against Rutgers in a game that could send them to their second consecutive Big Ten Championship game. This shouldn’t be too difficult of a matchup for Wisconsin, as the Scarlet Knights failed to win a conference game for the second consecutive season in 2019. Jack Coan has a field day in his final game at Camp Randall as he leads the Badgers to the Big Ten title game.

Wisconsin 9-1 Though it looks like Wisconsin won’t be playing football until the spring at the earliest, it’s still fun to predict what would’ve happened if the Big Ten decided to keep their conference only schedule layout. Though there’s still a possibility of the Badgers playing in the spring, Saturdays in Madison this fall will be quiet without the Badgers suiting up every week.

Photo · In this scenario, senior quarterback Jack Coan leads the Badgers to an impressive 9-1 season en route to a Big Ten Championship Game appearance Justin Mielke The Badger Herald

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SPORTS

Basketball: Blue Blood status? Badger basketball still has a ways to go Though Wisconsin has had a lot of success in the 21st century, they still shouldn’t be considered among the nation’s elite

by Will Whitmore Sports Editor

Over the past decade, the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball program has been among the NCAA’s most consistent.

Wisconsin has appeared in the NCAA Tournament nine times in the past 10 years, including two trips to the Final Four. Also, the Badgers are tied for the seventh most NCAA Tournament wins (18) and have made six trips to the Sweet 16. Though Wisconsin has been a model of consistency, they still aren’t regarded as one of college basketball’s “blue bloods.” The question is, why?

The Badger Herald listed five reasons why the Badgers still aren’t considered in the same breath as the nation’s elite.

Still Haven’t Won the Big One While Wisconsin has been tremendously successful, particularly over the 21st century, they still haven’t been able to win a national championship. The Badgers’ haven’t won a national championship since 1941.

It seemed that Wisconsin was going to end its 79-year-drought during the 201415 season. Two days after knocking off undefeated Kentucky, the Badgers squared off in the national championship against Duke. Though Wisconsin controlled most of the game, they ultimately fell short 68–63 after squandering a nine-point lead with just

over 13 minutes left in the second half.

Though Wisconsin constantly competes for a national championship year-in-and year out, it’s hard to consider the program a “blueblood” until they win the big game.

A Regional Pipeline of Recruiting Don’t get me wrong, Wisconsin does a great job in the offseason of finding players that fit their system, but to play devil’s advocate, they struggle securing commitments from blue-chip prospects. According to 247 Sports, Wisconsin’s last five-star commitment was Sam Dekker. Also, UW currently only has two players on their roster that were ranked in 247’s top 100 recruiting rankings per class (Ben Carlson and Nate Reuvers).

Historic programs like Duke, North Carolina and Kentucky seem to reload with talent each year as the Wildcats have commitments from six players ranked in the top 100 in their 2020 class.

Though Wisconsin stockpiles talent, it’s difficult to consider them a blue-blood when they struggle to grab the “can’t miss” prospect.

A Smaller Pool of NBA Players Former Badger great and 2014-15 National Player of the Year, Frank Kaminsky, is currently the only Badger playing in the NBA today.

Kaminsky and his counterpart Sam Dekker were the last two players selected in the first

round of the NBA Draft in 2015.

There hasn’t been a Badger selected in the draft since Dekker and Kaminsky. Contrarily, blue-blood programs seem to reload each year with NBA talent. While Wisconsin’s team normally consists of upperclassmen, blue-blood programs tend to heap their rosters with one-and-done Mcdonald’s AllAmericans.

Wisconsin’s struggle to produce NBA talent makes it difficult to mention the program in the same breath as blue-bloods who consistently produce franchise-altering players.

Lack of Primetime Games To be a blue-blood, a team has to always be in the spotlight. Yes, Wisconsin does play in the Big Ten, regarded as one of the best conferences in the country, but they aren’t scheduled in as many primetime slots as the other elite basketball programs.

For example, ESPN’s “College Gameday” is a program that travels to venues across the country previewing the week’s top game. In the show’s 15-year history, the Badgers have only been featured twice while Duke and North Carolina have appeared a record 24 times.

The lack of primetime exposure makes it difficult for Wisconsin to showcase their tremendous campus and fanbase, things

that they could pitch to recruits. Being away from the spotlight also makes it difficult to associate Wisconsin as a top-tier program.

Their Program Tradition isn’t on the Same Level Looking at iconic programs like Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and Kansas, all programs have sustained decades of success. Up until the 21st century, Wisconsin struggled. From 1980-2000, the Badgers only appeared in four NCAA Tournaments and only reached one Final Four.

Over that time, Wisconsin also endured a 13-year drought without participating in March Madness. To be considered one of the nation’s elite, a program must sustain success for a long time.

Though the Badgers have had a great run during the 21st century, they need to continue to build off their recent success to be considered a blue-blood. If Wisconsin continues to win pivotal games, they can continue to build up their program’s tradition.

During the 21st century, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team has been one of the nation’s most consistent.

Though the Badgers have consistently competed for conference and national championships, the program still has a ways to go to be considered a “blue-blood” program.

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Selective streaming: What (not) to watch when streaming in quarantine Quick reviews to help you decide what’s worth your time on Netflix as selected by Herald resident film connoisseur

by Keagan Schlosser Banter Editor

If you’re a normal human and have a Netflix account, it’s safe to assume you have spent a hot second behind the red and black emblem this quarantine. You’ve spent hours scrolling through questionable Netflix originals, switching to Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO (if you’re bougie) and finally settling for a mediocre show.

I’m just like you, but I’ve taken some comm arts classes, so I like to pretend I’m a film critic. If you’ve been wondering whether you should invest your time on a trending show versus the third rewatching of “Grey’s Anatomy”, look no further.

Put on your beret and take a slow drag from a cig, here are my hot takes on a few “Suggested For You” streams.

Shows: “Normal People” (Hulu) – if you want to talk in an Irish accent for a week, this is the show for you! The characters in this bookturned-one-season-hit are super loveable and also super hateable. Quick warning – if you are single, you will immediately want to find a significant other. I literally redownloaded Tinder two episodes in. Also

20 • badgerherald.com • September 2, 2020

… lots of intercourse.

“Worth It” scale: can be slow, but hot & heavy if that’s what you’re looking for “Down to Earth with Zac Efron” (Netflix) – I love watching stupid rich celebrities spend way too much moolah on ridiculous trips. If you love Zac Efron, don’t watch this – he turned into somebody’s dad and most of the show is commentary from his random, granola friend. If you hate Zac Efron, this will give you lots of fuel. He cried over carbs in one episode.

“Worth It” scale: would not watch seriously “Community” (Netflix AND Hulu) – This gem recently came to Netflix and needs more hype. If you like “The Office” or “Parks and Rec,” I guarantee this show is ten times better … at least if you have an elite taste in humor. The show can be slightly problematic (as are all 2010’s sitcoms), but a lot of their jokes are also ahead of their time.

“Worth It” scale: definitely worth checking out if you want to laugh “(Un)well” (Netflix) – I think Netflix does a great job of producing documentaries. (I guess that’s what happens when you’re a media tycoon.) Therefore, this show about unorthodox health practices is well-produced, informational and pretty

entertaining. I will say that they’re trying hard to unnecessarily demonize some practices.

“Worth It” scale: If you love a good devil’s advocate and hate the idea of alternative medicine, this might be for you.

Movies: “Kissing Booth 2” (Netflix) – As I didn’t want to ruin “Euphoria’s” hunky Nate or “The Act’s” Miss Gypsy Rose, I actually didn’t watch this movie. Namely, because I have taste and hate wasting my time.

So, I asked my roommate, Isabel, to give a review. “I loved it, even though I know most people didn’t. Hot, hot, hot guys!” she said.

Isn’t it fun to pretend that 20-somethings are horny high-schoolers?

“Worth It” scale: if you’re my roommate, I guess “Spy Kids 2” (Netflix) – I started watching this as a joke and was immediately sucked in. This series was certainly before its time, and it shows. To this day, there are few spy movies with as much creativity AND emotional intelligence as this critically acclaimed film. The child actors do a phenomenal job, and Steve Buscemi has a little cameo here. What a cast!

“Worth It” scale: Even better than the first time I watched it, YES!

“Hamilton” (Disney+) – If you’re anything like me and had an obsessive “Hamilton” phase years ago, you might agree that this live recording lives up to the hype! If you know any lyrics, I wouldn’t recommend watching this in the company of others. Did I tear up at least seven times?

Of course. Did I re-fall in love with the entire cast? YUP. Did it make Lin ManuelMiranda memes even funnier? Duh. “Worth It” scale: Even if you were a normal person in 2015, this educational musical (what a sell, huh) is worth your time “Parasite” (Hulu) – I didn’t know what to expect starting this Oscar-winner, but boy oh boy was I kept on my toes. Although the plot becomes slightly predictable, the ending delivers a packing punch, sweaty! I truthfully wasn’t bothered reading subtitles during the movie, especially because there’s suspense in each scene. Props to my man, Bong!

“Worth It” scale: I’d say it’s slightly overhyped, but you have to watch this film Don’t come at me for any of these reviews.

I’m extremely picky and also highkey get bored watching shows. Hopefully, this list will help you and your roommate minimize fights because “you never want to watch anything I want to watch!”

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Unpack that: Tips on not hating your roommates during COVID-19

Healthy-ish ways to handle crippling stress of coronavirus, social distancing, your dirty, annoying roommates

by Arko Chatterjee Contributor

College is all about finding yourself — making new friends, meeting new people, rooming with enemies, normal stuff. If you’re lucky, you’ll find roommates that you completely jive with. But, it’s more likely that your living situation will present a few bumps along the way.

Maybe you’re a neat freak and your roommate is a slob. You do the dishes right after you eat and your roommate lets them “soak.” These small dissimilarities can really add up.

It’s difficult sharing a space with someone, so it’s no surprise that a pandemic might bring added tension into a household. In the age of online classes and virtual meetups, everyone is going to be spending a lot of time at home.

Whether you re-signed a lease with your

old roommates, are rooming with new friends or met some complete randos on Facebook, get ready for a college experience like never before!

Living in this COVID-era is a bummer, but that just means more time for you and your roommate to talk things out and plan out living in a healthy environment. Buckle up and get ready for some confrontation — we’re not living a passive lifestyle anymore.

Plan on organizing and decorating rooms or common spaces together to get a better idea of your roommates’ tastes while building a feeling of solidarity. Bud Light tapestries complement many modern interior decorations! Once moved in, have an honest and lively conversation about the semester.

It’s important to make plans in case someone gets the coronavirus. While it may be easy to blame Sarah for going to that “small get-together” last Saturday, you will have to be civil when leaving soup outside of her door.

Some general good advice is to take it one day at a time. It may get boring as you attend online lectures in the comfort of your Cheeto-dust littered bed. You can enjoy little breaks with your roommates. Ask how their classes are going or if their lazy souls ever considered vacuuming the living room.

Hobbies are exciting and often contagious.

Do what you love and it might just inspire your roommate to show his or her hidden talent — even if your hobby is watching “Vampire Diaries.” This will ensure a certain level of respect and appreciation for each other leading to a healthier and more wholesome college experience.

Get little things out of the way — wash a couple of dishes, buy that extra toilet paper, do your part and keep it clean. Use dull days that might end up being uneventful to spend some time with yourself. Learn to love yourself and you’re already halfway there.

Conflicts are inevitable, but talking about them and addressing issues promptly and

respectfully is always the best solution. Own up to your messes and make up for them.

Put up sticky notes (not passive-aggressive ones), make a group chat, get creative with ways to communicate opinions (once again, we’re avoiding passive-aggressively leaving the dishwasher dirty).

Getting things done together will instill belongingness and respect for each other.

Liking your roommate doesn’t mean hanging out 24/7. Being yourself and trusting your instincts is the best thing you can do. Accept each other ’s differences.

Night owls and early risers can live in harmony. People who hate pineapple pizza and monsters can live peacefully.

All said, keep in good communication with your roommate, grab some ice cream and the semester ahead shall be sweet. Keep that vibe going and before you know it, it’s 2021, you have lived a whole year together, and people aren’t wearing masks anymore — well, hopefully.

Pitches to NBC: New coronavirus game shows to reflect new lifestyles

It’s prime time for networks to turn a serious pandemic into a competition, reckless young adults finally find true love

by Keagan Schlosser Banter Editor

The coronavirus pandemic will change the way we interact in the world for years to come. Try to imagine when it will be acceptable to high five a coworker, go to a concert or slap a bag of wine in a frat basement. More than we know it, we’ve adapted to a pandemic world.

This virus has brought a shift in culture. We avoid people on the streets now — not out of social anxiety, but as a precaution against their potential illness (okay, maybe both, life has never been better for awkward introverts).

Not to be a cynic, but we could be wearing masks for the next few years, folks! When’s the next time you won’t have a mini panic attack using your bare hands to pump gas? This pandemic has brought on a ginormous culture shift and America needs an equally dramatic media shift.

We don’t need “Jeopardy” reruns to remind us of how life once was. We need media to accurately reflect the limbo we’ll be living in for the rest of our young adult lives. That’s why I, a girl who has taken exactly one (1) class on TV production, is proposing two new reality/game shows to bring to the air waves.

Make room, NBC, your world is about to quake.

Show Proposal One – “Masked Marriage” “The Bachelor” is classic, but citizens are looking for a relatable and realistic dating show — one that’s not filled with “content creators” begging for the attention of one chiseled, overly sensitive stud. In corona-times, it’s hard to find love — and “Masked Marriage” will portray these struggles.

The show pawns will be thrust into the open jaws of intimacy with a cute, overarching COVID theme.

Inspirations: “Masked Singer,” “Love is Blind” and “The Bachelor” Concept: The pilot season will follow three couples on their journey to love. The audience will learn about their interests and childhood

traumas. After introductions, the pair will get to meet each other — only they have to remain six feet away with their masks on. This is reasonable, considering it’s a pandemic. Mysterious!!

After several hours of small talk in an empty room, the couple will go on predetermined dates. These dates will include — shopping for groceries, taking a neighborhood stroll, getting tested for COVID-19. The dates aren’t necessarily a helicopter ride to an emptied out amusement park, but we’re going for realistic here.

The couple will finally reveal their faces midway through the season. After a few days of speculating what this person’s face will look like based off their eyes and nose bridge, the pair might be pleasantly surprised or disgustingly shocked!

The couple will be given a dramatic choice to continue the relationship or end it right there. If the couple advances, they will enter Quarantine Mode and live in a 400 square foot apartment for two weeks. The remaining episodes will follow their daily dramas and quirks.

Like any love-based reality TV show, there will be a proposal at the end. The couple will inevitably break off their engagement a few weeks after the show airs, and it will be the talk of the tabloids for months on end. And of course, the people involved will become Instagram celebrities and quit their jobs.

Show Proposal Two — “Dodge the Disease” In the modern-day game show, a contestant often faces a mental or physical challenge that they wouldn’t normally encounter. Surviving in the wilderness or running up a 20-foot wall is certainly entertaining, but isn’t the least bit relatable.

Americans want to watch a show and say “I could easily do that.” That’s where “Dodge the Disease” comes in.

Inspirations: “American Ninja Warrior,” “Survivor” and “Fear Factor” Concept: This intense, upbeat game show will incorporate everyday corona activities to physical challenges. Each contestant will be challenged to complete three rounds, each increasing in difficulty.

In the first round, “Symptom or Head Cold,” the contestant will be faced with several ambiguous symptoms — a headache, cough, explosive diarrhea — and will have to determine whether or not they have the coronavirus based on their specific groupings.

The second round will be a “Get Away From Me, You Nut!” challenge. The contestant will be in a simulated crowded area, such as a coffee shop line, where people just can’t seem to keep their distance! The contestant will have to endure three full minutes of shuffling around the area, keeping six feet from others.

The third and final challenge round will be the ultimate “Dodge the Disease” experience. The

contestant will have to walk down a 50-foot strip surrounded by mask-less patrons. The unmasked will be coughing, sneezing and walking at various speeds towards the contestant.

The contestant will have to successfully walk the full distance without being infected by a single droplet of a COVID germ. If they successfully reach their destination, they win and conquer “Dodge the Disease.”

Their prize will be a lifetime supply of Clorox wipes, toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

So, sure, these pitches aren’t “Wheel of Fortune” per se, but they are playful ways to mock a serious pandemic! Currently looking for producers to make this happen, HMU.

Photo - Two roommates try to hide their loathe for each other, simply cannot hold it in Courtesy of Keagan Schlosser

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Six hottest quarantine places to stay when sick in city of Madison Where to stay in a college town when you realize you’ve contracted a contagious virus and have nowhere else to go

by Keagan Schlosser Banter Editor

Hey, you, little off-campus dweller. Ya, you – the one who decided dorms were sooo freshmen year, and it was time to move up with life.

How’s your apartment going? Your Redbubble posters keep falling? Classic. Good despite the pandemic? Ya, ya, I hear you.

What was that? You’re kind of … upset? That UW-Madison hasn’t enacted any guidelines for its off-campus students regarding quarantine?

You want your institution to support you during this global crisis happening in the midst of your youth?

Girl, kind of dramatic, but I get it.

Although the dorms are the absolute last place I want to be during the coronavirus pandemic, University Housing residents have guaranteed quarantine facilities. If they test positive for the virus or come in close contact with someone who is positive, there are places besides the dorms for students to stay.

Me in my overpriced highrise? Literal scum.

Stay there, they said. Absolutely no university funds can aid you. I geeeeet it.

I would rather my tuition money go to Badger face masks instead of an isolated room

when I’m on my deathbed.

The university recommends off-campus students create a quarantine plan with roommates, friends and family in case a student contracts the virus.

If you’re like me and a) can’t and won’t go home to infect your entire family or b) would rather not have your roommates wait hand and foot on you for ten to 14 days, have I got some options for you!

Madison, Wisconsin is home to endless, dazzling locations to stay at when you’ve come in contact with a potentially deadly virus. Need a quarantine plan? Look no further than this pretty comprehensive list!

U-HAUL Storage Unit The best thing about this option is that there are so many locations! While a storage unit doesn’t sound desirable, they’re actually pretty spacious and very secure. You can rent a storage unit for a month for as low as $49.95. Now that’s a good deal!

Another pro: once your two weeks are over, you can easily sublease this unit to another maybe-sick student and get your money back in no time.

The empty rooms in Southeast Residence Halls While it’s unfortunate that the university is

only providing quarantine spaces for Housing residents, what is fortunate is that the dorms are a breeding ground for COVID-19! Give it a week into the semester and Witte’s entire 7th floor will be wiped out and put into temporary isolation housing. You get exposed? Bam! You’ve got a guaranteed room!

Event rooms in Memorial Union Now that all in-person events are most likely canceled, there’s absolutely no need for the rooms in Memorial Union. You know, the ones upstairs that frats and irrelevant orgs had their meetings in every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Almost all of the rooms have 20-30 comfortable chairs and a water cooler. Who could ask for more?

The Carillon Tower Of course you knew about this famous, ringing monument on the Social Sciences Hill, but did you know that it is easily accessible? At least to those who are in the know. All you have to do is knock on the bottom door in a specific rhythmic pattern.

Knock, knock knockity knock knock, then you say the words “dingity dee, I’m here for quarantine!” (and hold the long e for two whole notes). The small elf who works the bells will come get you and take care of you for a week!

Dringlez is a super nice guy, and he’s got a vibey place, trust me!

Photo - Find hip, cool spots to quarantine with some amenities when you are suffering from COVID-19 this fall Courtesy of Katie Hardie

Hoofers shed(?) area, y’all know what I’m talking about Now this is a luxurious, lakeside quarantine space. This one is special, and I’m sure it will fill up fast! So get reservations while space lasts.

Unlike many of the other shelters, this place has access to bathrooms, which is major. Perks: perfect view of Mendota sunsets. Cons: hearing the blaring Hoofers siren, reminding you that people own boats and you have a virus.

I guess a hotel A week’s stay in a Madison, Wisconsin hotel is bound to come at a steep price. This is honestly a last resort. Though it’s the most “comfortable” option and you would have a “TV” and “shower” and “access to food,” who wants to pay to be in a hotel? Luckily, there are a lot of them across the city, so always a backup plan.

While I may have missed a few, I hope this list has aided you and your roommates in creating a safe isolation plan. Every UW student deserves to be treated properly if they contract coronavirus, and these quarantine spots are sure to do the job.

They may be so nice, you’ll want to overextend your stay! But just in case you like your apartment, house, or friend’s closet in The James, wear your mask and keep your distance!

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