'Memes@UW' - Volume 49, Issue 4

STUDENT MEDIA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

TUESDAY, October 3, 2017 · VOL 49 Issue 4 · BADGERHERALD.COM

MEMES@UW

Through use of irreverent humor, pointed criticism, internet jokes foster closer-knit campus community page 14

MADTOWN CRIER

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Madtown Crier Madtown refuses to slow down. Here are some upcoming events The Badger Herald recommends to keep you up to speed.

Thursday 10/5 Art Opening: Gillian Drier at the Black Locust Cafe, 6-9 p.m., FREE

Tuesday 10/3 Japanese Breakfast at The Sett, 8-11 p.m., FREE

Wednesday 10/4 “The Unknown Girl” screening at MMoCA, 7-9 p.m., $7 / FREE for members

Thursday 10/5 Studio Clearing Sale at Art In, 6-10 p.m., prices vary

Friday 10/6 Studio Clearing Sale at Art In, 6-10 p.m., prices vary

Saturday 10/7

Friday 10/6

Art En Route at Gallery 1308, 2-4 p.m., FREE

Sunday 10/8 PHO at the High Noon Saloon, 7:30 p.m., $10 adv / $12 dos

Monday 10/9 MMoCA Gallery Night at the Allen Centennial Garden, 5-8 p.m., FREE admission

Saturday 10/7 Kaleo and ZZ Ward at Orpheum Theatre, 7:30-10:30 p.m., from $38

2 • badgerherald.com • October 3, 2017

Learn to stargaze at Rennebohm Park, 7-8 p.m., FREE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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BIG TEN SCHOOLS FOR VOTING 6

MENS HOCKEY PREVIEW

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The Big Ten Voting Challenge hopes to tap into competitive school spirits to increase voter participation among students.

With the departure of key players and the 2018 winter Olympics game underway, UW hockey programs face uncertainty.

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COVER STORY

OPINION

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BANTER

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SHOUTOUTS

VILLAGE PIZZA TO BRING ITALIAN DISHES TO CAMPUS

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Brothers Arturo Ruiz and Berna Cazares have converted Bob’s Copy Shop into Village Pizza.

MEMES MANIFEST ON CAMPUS

14

Internet phenomena take on special meaning within UW context.

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First test-run for automated buses may debut at UW this fall UW experts believe self-driving vehicles will decrease drunk driving fatalities, traffic deaths by factoring out human error

by Izabela Zaluska State Editor

University of Wisconsin researchers are testing the transition of self-driving vehicles onto Wisconsin roads and are working on a self-driving mini-bus that may be demonstrated at UW this fall.

David Noyce, University of Wisconsin Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory director, and his colleagues have been working on how UW can advance autonomous vehicle technology. Noyce said they are working hard on bringing an automated mini-bus to campus that may be presented in a one-day demonstration sometime this fall, but it is still in the works.

Noyce, along with Rep. Adam Neylon, R-Pewaukee and a variety of other experts, are part of the Steering Committee to discuss the future of autonomous and connected mobiles and the preparation needed to bring it to Wisconsin roads. The committee was created through an executive order by Gov. Scott Walker.

Noyce said there are various projections on the timeline for when cars on the road will

be fully autonomous. Wisconsin, however, has the potential to be a leader in research, implementation and ultimately usage of AV technology.

In about six to eight months, the steering committee will make its recommendations to the state Legislature, Neylon said. The bill will likely be introduced in the next legislative session.

“We’d like to have legislation that comes out of this to clear hurdles that allow for self-driving vehicles and connected vehicles to operate on Wisconsin roadways,” Neylon said.

Traffic deaths for April low, UW experts say it’s not enough Currently, there is a lot of ongoing preparation to see what a roadway system with both regular and autonomous vehicles will look like, Noyce said. He believes it’s important to look at the transition of autonomous mobiles into society through a research standpoint and let people try it, get used to it and explore it.

One of the biggest concerns people have is the transition period when both cars and autonomous vehicles are on the road, Noyce

said. People are also concerned for how AV will react in different types of weather conditions, such as slippery roads and black ice.

Neylon said one of the advantages Wisconsin has is being able to test AV in snow and ice. This advantage has the possibility of making Wisconsin a “leader” in the industry. Wisconsin is also one of 10 states in the country that received approval to test AV. “There are a lot of advantages in Wisconsin, from our talented and skilled workforce, the UW System and our climate and weather patterns,” Neylon said.

Jon Riehl, a transportation systems engineer at UW Traffic Operations and Safety Lab, said another concern is privacy issues with data collection and cybersecurity issues.

Despite the concerns, all three experts said one of the main benefits of AV will be safety. More than 90 percent of traffic related fatalities are the result of human error, Neylon said.

Riehl said there is huge potential to decrease drunk driving fatalities with AV, especially in rural areas. He believes AV will

be a net positive for most people and for society. The switch over to AV is inevitable, whether people like it or not, he said.

“ Once you take human error out of the equation it will save lives, whether that’s from drunk driving, distracted driving or any of the things that go into human error.

”

Rep. Adam Neylon Riehl predicts in 2025 there will be a number of different almost fully autonomous vehicles being tested. There will be the 10 to 20 year period of vehicle turnover, and by 2075 there will be fully autonomous vehicles on the road, Riehl projected.

“In the end [AV are] coming, we need to prepare in a way that helps society and doesn’t hurt it,” Riehl said.

‘Care Talks’ to help caregivers communicate with doctors UW professor Paul Smith creates program to improve communication between caregivers and doctors, a top concern for caregivers

by Matt O’Connor Campus Editor

In conjunction with medical organizations and community leaders in Green County, University of Wisconsin professor Paul Smith has developed a program to facilitate effective communication between caregivers and medical professionals.

Smith, a professor in the department of family medicine, cited a survey conducted by the Aging and Disability Resource Center as one of the primary motivations behind the creation of this program.

“There was a survey in Green County, and the number one thing that came up as a challenge for caregivers was communication with healthcare professionals,” Smith said.

In most cases, these caregivers tend to be spouses, family members or close friends, and often times the caregivers don’t know how to ask for proper medication, accurately relay important medical information or find the best doctor for their

4 • badgerherald.com • October 3, 2017

specific situation, said Smith.

As a response to the survey results, the Aging & Disability Research Center teamed up with Smith to develop a program called “Care Talks” that would remedy these concerns.

Care Talks is a series of four two-hour workshops with small groups of caregivers aimed at training them in methods of effective communication with medical professionals.

In an effort to meet changing healthcare demands and a shrinking nursing workforce throughout the state, the University of Wisconsin Read...

“The overarching goal of Care Talks is to build on current communication skills that caregivers already have and expanding those to be even more effective with people in the healthcare system,” Smith said.

The program, which is a part of the Community-Academic Aging Research Network in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, is operating out of local Aging & Disability Resource Centers in

Green County.

In the development of Care Talks, Smith said he was inspired by the UW School of Pharmacy’s MedWise program which focuses on improving communication between patients and their pharmacists.

Smith is studying the results of the program, which is still ongoing. The study will examine the efficacy of the program on participating patients, caregivers and medical professionals.

Nick Argeroudis, a former hospital administrator, and Lee Clay, manager of a business specializing in caregiving and health care called Prevent Health Strategies, are teaching the Care Talks program.

Argeroudis said his professional life exposed him to the necessity of a program like Care Talks.

“As a hospital administrator, I was jubilant that there was a study being done at the university to see how patients communicate with caregivers,” Argeroudis said. “There’s a lot of confusion in how patients communicate with physicians

and doctors. This is a huge step toward improving that.”

One of the most important lessons taught in the program is that it’s okay for patients or caregivers to fire their doctor and find another one, said Argeroudis.

Many of these individuals do not realize this was a possibility, Argeroudis said, and failed to seek better care options for themselves or their loved ones.

Moving forward, the Care Talks program will be adding more classes and offering expanded services. Future lessons will involve patients who have no caregiver so they will be able to communicate with their doctor and get the care they need, said Smith.

Ultimately, Argeroudis believes the human element of the program is the most rewarding part of teaching it.

“It’s so cool to see the light go on in these people’s eyes,” Argeroudis said. “I applaud the university for reaching out into the community.”

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UW students assist in post-hurricane mosquito control efforts Overpopulation in mosquitos following Hurricane Harvey causes delays in relief and cleanup efforts

by Kate Lawless Reporter

After Hurricane Harvey struck Texas and flooded several areas, a rapid rise in mosquitos drove two University of Wisconsin students to study this increase and help with the hurricane relief effort in Texas.

Mosquitos breed in standing water, making flooded areas after a hurricane an ideal home for the insects according to an article by UW-news. Millions of mosquitos have appeared in the southeastern part of Texas, which has interfered with daily life and recovery efforts.

UW students Melissa Farquhar and Erin McGlynn, were dispatched to Texas to assess if the mosquito control methods employed by Clarke, a company that specializes in mosquito control, were effective, according to the UW-news article.

Clarke’s website said after the health department of Texas hired them, they began using aerial sprays of adulticide and traps to kill adult mosquitoes.

According to a UW-news article, Farquhar and McGlynn were initially flown into Corpus Christi, a city along the southeastern coast of Texas.

“We saw trees and telephone poles down and some buildings that were pretty much flattened,” McGlynn said.

The graduate students were then transferred to Houston four days after arriving where they received a crashcourse in the mosquito statistics in Texas, according to the UW-news article.

The team did not test for mosquito-borne diseases, but rather measured the progress of the mosquito-control company, the article added.

Glynn said she and Farquhar would bring the traps back to their mobile lab in order to identify and count the mosquitos.

“I think we were both surprised how little overlap there was in mosquito species between Wisconsin and Texas,” McGlynn said.

Their findings were then sent to the health departments in the area, who are responsible for identifying if the species

found could potentially carry diseases harmful to humans.

According to the UW-news article, a typical mosquito trap in that area would normally collect 10 to 20 mosquitos in a night, but workers are now finding several thousand per trap in areas around Houston.

After relief effort teams in Texas realized they were being overwhelmed by the amount of work needed to catalog the increasing mosquito population, they asked Clarke and Dynamic Aviation, a flight company that would assist in the aerial sprayings, to come to their aid, according to Dynamic Aviation’s website.

Farquhar and McGlynn were recruited

by Clarke through the Upper Midwestern Regional Center of Excellence for VectorBorne Disease, a UW department that monitors for disease-spreading species of mosquitos and the effectiveness of control efforts.

Several Centers of Excellence have been set up all over the United States and are funded by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, according to

the CDC website. The center in Madison is funded by a $10 million grant and is responsible for entomology, the study of insects.

Farquhar said she had studied vectorborne diseases at the UW Arboretum during the previous summer. McGlynn has completed three out of four years of medical school and has an educational background in disaster preparedness and entomology.

“I think it’s a really unique experience to see how companies like Clarke deal with disaster relief,” Farquhar said about her involvement in Texas.

McGlynn said she was inspired to learn more about the subject of disease and insects after taking Dr. Paskewitz’ medical entomology course at UW. Paskewitz said the problem in Texas is not a disease situation, but an enormous output of nuisance mosquitos that are preventing people from doing serious cleanup work.

The students returned to Madison on Sep. 21 to further study the information they gathered in Texas.

Tool created by UW professors predicts flooding, storm severity UW professors Kenneth Potter and David Liebl developed a multi-use research tool for planning and development after hurricanes

by Madeline Boulanger Reporter

In response to environmental changes associated with climate change, two University of Wisconsin professors have joined forces to create a new tool for mapping larger weather events, such as floods or severe rainstorms.

Kenneth Potter, UW civil and environmental engineering professor, and David Liebl, another engineering professor, collaborated on a program that can predict flooding in certain areas and effectiveness of public water systems.

“With climate change we know that storms are going to increase in magnitude and frequency,” Potter said. “There will be more of them, and they’ll be bigger.”

Using data from a 2008 storm that caused severe flooding of the Baraboo River and the breaching of Lake Delton in the Wisconsin Dells, the professors created a series of rainfall files simulating the 2008 rainfall as if it had taken place over Lake Mendota, Madison and central Dane County.

The results showed Madison would not be prepared to face this level of rainfall or the high flooding that would occur.

“What we saw on the model was that the high water elevation would sustain for a week or 10 days,” Liebl said.

Apart from floodi ng shutting down traffic from one side of the city to the other, damage sustained downtown would affect the city as a whole. Liebl explained any underground utilities that are floodproof now may become worn down and damaged over a long period of time, and affect the functionality of Madison’s water systems.

Reducing the amount of rainfall that ends up in Lake Mendota is key in preventing this flooding. Some of the solutions being used on campus and in the city include a volume pollution trading system, green roofs and rain gardens.

On campus, the Facilities Planning and Management office researched which parts of campus are at risk for flooding.

“They’ve done a lot of work to try and

change the way rainfall is handled on campus so that more of it is going into rain gardens and green roofs and being held on the landscape rather than draining directly into the lakes,” Liebl said.

The modeling tool developed by Liebl and Potter is not only useful in Dane County. The tool can be used to predict potential flooding across Wisconsin and across the country with the help of local scientists.

“What we’re recommending here could be done anywhere in the world but you have to have people who understand the landscape,” Potter said.“The concept you can take everywhere, the modeling you can take everywhere but understanding the landscape requires local knowledge.”

In regions recently affected by hurricanes, the tool is most useful in planning and development.

The model can be used to predict where flooding may occur, giving builders a better understanding of the land which they plan to develop.

“What we’re doing will be able to identify areas they were not aware might be vulnerable to a flood that would be reasonably likely to occur in a five or 10 year period in the future,” Liebl said.

“As communities develop, having that capability allows them in their planning process to think more carefully about how to prevent vulnerability from those type of extreme weather events.”

The simulation can be used to test the effectiveness of public works such as dams, stormwater facilities and underground utilities. Furthermore, the model can also help detect how much water public works would be able to take before failure.

Liebl said both testing effectiveness and detecting the amount of water the public works would be able to take is important in being able to prevent damage that results from flooding.

“Just to be able to think about those things ahead of time would allow them to be able to better prepare and armor their facilities to prevent damage,” Liebl said.

October 3, 2017 • badgerherald.com • 5

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Big Ten Universities launch initiative to increase voter turnout Voter turnout for people under 30 at an all time low, Big Ten Voting Challenge aims to civically engage students

by Abby Doeden Reporter

In the competitive spirit of the Big Ten conference, the schools have now come together for the Big Ten voting challenge.

On Sep. 18 University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank, along with the chancellors of Rutgers, Penn State, and Purdue at their respective universities, announced the launch of the collective initiative to advance civic engagement on campus through the challenge in a statement.

The Big Ten Voting Challenge is a nonpartisan initiative that’s encouraging young, college-aged individuals to vote as part of their civic duty, the statement said.

According to the statement, the voter turnout for people under 30 is historically low, especially in midterm elections, making this year a good time to tackle low voter turnout.

“We know we can all do better. Our democracy will thrive when all voices are represented, and students can play an integral role in shaping our collective future,” the statement said.

The Big Ten Voter Challenge’s goal is to help increase voter turnout at all 14 Big Ten universities.

Each school will approach the challenge in their own way, coordinating events and outreach that is suitable for their campuses. Currently, the challenge will continue until after the 2018 elections, where two trophies will be awarded — one to the highest eligible voter turnout, and the

One of the most important “values we teach at our universities is the importance of civic engagement,” Blank said in the statement. “Voting in elections gives our students a voice in the democratic process and in the decisions that affect local, state, and national issues.

”

Rebecca Blank UW Chancellor other to the most improved turnout.

UW has been a very engaged campus compared to others, Katherine Cramer, UW professor and Director of the Morgridge Center for Public Service, said. She is hopeful this challenge will make voter participation continue to rise.

“I am hopeful that the voter challenge will spark more engagement in the future,” Cramer said.

“There are many students working on engaging their peers through ASM and the Morgridge Center, and it is great to see people embrace this 6 • badgerherald.com • October 3, 2017

important form of democratic action.”

The Morgridge Center for Public Service is home to three undergraduate students who serve as Vote Everywhere Ambassadors funded by the Andrew Goodman Foundation, Assistant Director of Civic Engagement at Morgridge Center for Public Service, Megan Miller, said.

The ambassadors are meeting with registered student organizations and administrators to

communicate the importance of voting. They have already had meetings with the Chancellor, College Republicans, Young Progressives, the League of Women Voters and will soon meet with the Madison City Clerk and a representative from the Campus Elections Engagement Project.

The Morgridge Center for Public Service will be leading the campus participation in the Big Ten Voting Challenge, and in her statement,

Blank encourages all students to reach out to vote@morgridge.wisc.edu to learn more and to get involved.

“Civic engagement is so important because if we are going to have a democracy we need people, and a wide range of people, to participate,” Cramer said. “It is important to vote in college, because for most people these are young adult years, a time of life that is really important for

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UW graduate student creates Soglin rallies for Madison as next interest-based social app Amazon headquarters location

by Gretchen Gerlach Reporter

In an effort to connect people who share common interests and passions, University of Wisconsin graduate student Heemanshu Suri created the app “MyyUtopia,” a hyperlocal social networking platform for the next generation.

Suri, an international student from India, has always loved math and science and discovered his interest in computer science during his time as an undergraduate student. He later went to graduate school under the UW Masters in Computer Science program, where he began developing MyyUtopia.

Before developing his app, Suri recalled a time in his life where he struggled to find a unified platform to network with others who shared similar interests as him.

“Most of my friends had moved to different states or countries and there were numerous times when I did not have good company to spend time with,” he said. “To even play a game of cricket every now and then, I had to search facebook groups and hunt down friends living near me to do just about anything.”

It was this inconvenience, Suri said, that made him look into ways to solve this problem.

After doing a bit of research, Suri found he was not the only one facing this issue. Certain demographics such as teenagers, those who identify as LGBTQ+, introverts, and those who self-identify as socially impaired have difficulty finding groups who share similar interests, passions and hobbies, despite the

Image courtesy of MyyUtopia

popular social media platforms widely used today, Suri said.

Suri collected user feedback at each stage of the app’s growth, and spent over three months on market study and data collection before creating the first prototype.

“Since I have been working alone, and with only a computer science background, it was difficult for me to think like a user,” Suri said.

Even now, with MyyUtopia available for free download on Google Play, Suri is still making efforts to gather feedback and provide a more user-friendly experience.

The latest version allows users both oneon-one and group online chatting, offers personalized recommendations based on users interests and hobbies and matches users with friends, events and groups they might be interested in.

The app places a high priority on the safety and security of its users, allowing users to choose who they contact, who can see their location and who they want to block or report.

All conversations on the app are private and secure and allow additional privacy settings for women if they choose to enable them.

MyyUtopia is meant for any and all groups of people, and the effect that MyyUtopia could have on a college campus like UW is tremendous, Suri said.

Hellen Rottier, a UW student and house fellow, said that on a campus as massive as UW’s, an app like MyyUtopia could be extremely helpful for many students.

“With such a large and diverse student body, finding people with similar interests can be hard,” Rottier said. “MyyUtopia could benefit all students and make such a large campus feel smaller.”

Suri also sees MyyUtopia as a way of helping international students, who leave their family and friends back home to come to UW. Suri said it would give them a chance to find people familiar with or interested in their culture and find relevant cultural events here on campus.

In the past three months, 3,000 people have installed Suri’s app, and the requests for the iOS version has been abundant from users both in India and the United States. MyyUtopia has been featured in a number of magazines and newspapers including Madison Startups, Product Hunt, Startup Tales, and won App of the Day in Design Nominees.

Suri hopes to continue his work on MyyUtopia and help his users build the best life for themselves.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from, or what your race, age, or demographic is; the only thing that matters are the passions that you share,” Suri said. “MyyUtopia gives you a way to connect with the people who perfectly understand your hobbies, and share them too.”

by Madeline Westberg Reporter

Amazon announced in a press release earlier this month that the company is looking for a location to build their second corporate headquarters. Madison Mayor Paul Soglin believes Madison would be the right fit.

According to the proposal request, Amazon will be looking to create a second headquarters, hire around 50,000 employees and spend $5 billion in capital expenditures to build and maintain the facility.

Amazon released a set of guidelines of what they are looking for in a possible headquarters location. These standards include a metropolitan population of one million people, a 45 minute travel time to an international airport, public transportation, a close proximity to highways and the availability of buildings for the headquarters itself.

Mayor Soglin said Madison would make an excellent location for the new Amazon headquarters based on these guidelines.

“You have to assume that the employees interested in Amazon are a cadre of people who find Seattle attractive, Soglin said.

“When you leave the West Coast, those same people find Madison attractive.”

While Madison itself doesn’t meet the population requirement, the city and its surrounding areas would, Soglin said.

By including Dodge and Jefferson Counties, or considering cities such as Janesville, Beloit and Baraboo, Wisconsin could have a statistical area that exceeded 1 million people and met Amazon’s requirements, Soglin said.

In addition to the population requirement, Soglin addressed the distance to international airports.

The Dane County Airport is not an international airport, and Madison does not have direct access to one, Soglin said.

Madison is, however, a 45-minute flight away from three international airports in Detroit, Minneapolis and Chicago.

“Having access to those three airports means that we are as close to the international community as any location in the United States,” Soglin said. “We clearly exceed the number of international flights of east and west coast cities.”

Soglin said Madison has many things to offer Amazon outside of these requirements. The company is seeking large populations of techsavvy millennials, and he said Madison could provide that. Technology companies, such as Epic Systems, would work in Madison’s favor.

The move to Madison would also benefit Amazon in that they would be able to utilize the Madison-area institutions that already exist, Soglin said. Amazon could take advantage of the presence of the University of Wisconsin as well as the tech companies in the area.

UW professor of urban and regional planning, Alfonso Morales believed Madison would be a positive business move for the company.

“I think [Amazon would] be a positive move, but I’m not sure he can convince Amazon to come here,” Morales said. “The question is, would Amazon attract young professionals and keep them in Wisconsin.”

Soglin said Amazon’s presence in Madison could benefit the city by bringing quality jobs that pay well, offer benefits and help employees prepare for retirement.

Amazon will be accepting proposals for metropolitan areas to apply until Oct. 19.

The location will be chosen and announced in 2018.

Photo · Mayor Soglin said Amazon can utilize UW’s tech savvy campus to its advantage.

Dana Kampa The Badger Herald

October 3, 2017 • badgerherald.com • 7

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The Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival

Photo · The Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival took place in Library Mall in Madison this past weekend, bringing together the community and cannabis advocates Jack Dougherty The Badger Herald

8• badgerherald.com • October 3, 2017

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Japanese Breakfast delivers intimate tracks despite prior plans to discontinue Michelle Zauner turned personal heartbreak, loss into emotionally raw lyrics that give an insight into the singer’s life

by Celeste Benzschawel ArtsEtc. Staff Writer

Music that speaks to human experience and tragedy is something most can relate to, and Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast has plenty to say. Her music speaks to loss and love and much more in between. In light of her future stop to Madison on Oct. 3, The Badger Herald spoke with her about her musical journey.

Perhaps you recognize her name from an older project, a Philadelphia band called Little Big League. Their music was coined as “emo,” but since then Zauner has drifted away from that, channeling more of a lo-fi, indie rock sound.

The ending of Little Big League came stemmed from personal matters that Zauner had to address. Her mother fell ill and she went back home to Oregon to be with her, a time span that covered about a year, she said. Her mother has since passed away, and dealing with her mother ’s death became something she expressed through music.

“While I was out in Oregon and had

nothing to do but be sad, I started pouring a lot of those feelings into an art project that eventually became an album,” Zauner said.

2016’s Psychopomp is the album in question, in it Zauner has poured out raw, heartfelt lyrics about her personal experiences. For her, that album was meant to be the end of Japanese Breakfast. She said she had been touring for three years prior and needed some sort of routine in her life after her mother ’s death. She ended up getting a job unrelated to music for that purpose. But once the album was released she changed her mind — it was gaining a lot of traction. She got signed to a label and tour after tour kept happening. That’s when she realized that she could turn Japanese Breakfast into a real career.

Next came her most recent album, Soft Sounds from Another Planet, released summer 2017. With this album, Zauner said there was a lot more focus and intention.

Psychopomp took around six months to record and had contributions from a lot of other people. Soft Sounds from Another

Planet was instead recorded over a one month period with just one other person, Craig Hendrix.

For this album her thought was, “We’re gonna make something focused and special.”

And special it is. Touring for this album has been great, she said, and they are heading out of the country to Europe, where they’ve been before, and also to Australia and Asia, where they are going for the first time.

In the end, Japanese Breakfast was somewhat born out of dealing with her mother ’s death, but it can’t be restricted to only that either. This solo project was a way for her to step into herself, to have a defined role that she could control. She said that wasn’t necessarily there for her with Little Big League.

“I never understood what my role was until this project. My strengths are in directing projects,” she said. “[It’s] finding people that I trust and are inspired by and having this opportunity to work with them

or bring them together with other people.”

She also had more to say after Little Big League came to an end, especially dealing with such a familiar, and at the same time, unfamiliar human experience.

“I think I’ll always have a lot to say.

That’s why I do what I do, because I feel like I have a lot to express at all times,” Zauner said.

Making music isn’t the only thing that Zauner does, either. She’s picked up a side project of directing music videos, both for herself and for other artists. She said she’s currently working on her eighth video that will be released in a couple weeks. There’s also a video for the album in the works. For her, breaking into a new medium has been a learning experience, she said.

Madison will soon get to connect with Japanese Breakfast and their music — to hear the human truth, all with a dreamy, indie twist. Look out for the song “Road Head.” Zauner said it’s her favorite to perform live — it’s got an “amazing baseline.”

Photo · Japanese Breakfast’s most recent album was released on July 14, 2017.

Photo · Her performance will be held at the Sett on Oct. 3.

Craig Scheihing Photo Credit

Ebru Yildiz Photo Credit

10 • badgerherald.com • October 3, 2017

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Family-owned breakfast café in west-Madison has something for everyone New food endeavor proves successful for owner of Lola’s Café, attracts customers with fresh ingredients, made-to-order meals

by Kristin Washagan ArtsEtc. Editor

Francisco Gonzalez opened his second family-owned restaurant in Madison, Lola’s Café, on Aug. 1 to bring his own style of breakfast foods to Madison’s far west side.

Gonzalez’s first restaurant in Madison, Francisco’s Cantina, is located downtown and specializes in casual Mexican cuisine, featuring a full bar and outdoor seating.

However, with Lola’s Café, Gonzalez wanted to try out a new direction.

“Well I opened this kind because we have a restaurant, a Mexican restaurant, downtown. Before opening that Mexican restaurant, I was working in a different family restaurant,” Gonzalez said. “So I don’t know, I just wanted a change. I wanted to give it a try.”

The restaurant first opened a week prior to their Aug. 1 grand opening with a soft opening, and let word of mouth compel customers in.

Lola’s Café offers a wide assortment of breakfast items, with a modern, familyfriendly atmosphere. With a focus on fresh ingredients and simple yet delicious homemade comfort foods, Lola’s Café brings a much-needed outlet to west Madison.

When creating the menu, Gonzalez turned to friends and family to recreate some of their personal favorite breakfast foods, along with thinking back on some of his favorites from other restaurants.

My menu is things that I like, things that I see at other restaurants that I use to go that were good, but I put my own touch on them,” Gonzalez said. “I just create my menu on what I think people will like.”

Gonzalez firmly believes in creating fresh, made-to-order meals — and holds that standard at the forefront of his café.

For Gonzalez, there’s no room to cut corners — he ensures that all foods that arrive at the table were made personally for you.

“You know, every restaurant has their own way they do things. I’m a very traditional person and like to keep everything fresh and made ready to order,” Gonzalez said. “It’s a little harder, but I think it’s better for them. It might take a few minutes more, but they’re getting something fresh and something made right when they order it.”

The establishment emphasizes the importance of fresh food and ingredients in

creating the best possible dishes. Fresh foods simply taste and feel better, according to Gonzalez. Through the use of both local and healthy ingredients, Gonzalez hopes Lola’s Café stands out.

“I focused a lot on things that are good for people, healthy and the ingredients — I get a lot of my ingredients local…” Gonzalez said.

“So I did it based on that part too, what is going to be available all year round?”

“Lola is my grandma. She was from the country of Mexico, and she moved to Mexico City before I was even born, like in the ‘60s or ‘70s,” Gonzalez said. “She sold food on the street: breakfast, like tamales, coffee; you know that kind of thing.”

His grandmother later expanded her business to serve traditional Mexican dinner entrees as well and is a large reason why his family entered the culinary world.

Photo · Lola’s Cafe is located about three miles from West Towne Mall at 610 Junction Rd. Aidan McClain The Badger Herald Gonzalez owns the restaurant alongside his parents, who play an integral role in its management and production. As a familyowned business, honoring traditions is of utmost importance.

The name, Lola’s Café, serves as a tribute to Gonzalez’s grandmother, who established the love of food and cooking in his family from a young age.

“She passed away two years ago. So we thought ‘let’s put her name here.’ We were between two different names, and we were like ‘ah, let’s just put my mom’s name! That way I remember her every day,’” Gonzalez said.

While many menu items are inspired by his grandmother’s love for homemade breakfast foods, other menu items are inspired by

Gonzalez’s travels and experiences at other American-style breakfast restaurants.

One menu item that has become a hit at the establishment, according to Gonzalez, is their eggs benedict — served with a homemade hollandaise sauce by Gonzalez himself.

“That’s another thing that has become very popular. They love them, they love my hollandaise sauce — I make it myself,” Gonzalez said. “I travel sometimes and I find restaurants that serve eggs benedict and I thought I’d give them a try. And you know, they’re working well, people like them — so I’m glad I put them on the menu.”

Lola’s Café offers multiple varieties of eggs benedict, from more traditional versions with eggs, ham and hollandaise sauce to special versions with asparagus and other vegetables.

Gonzalez believes there is an entrée on the extensive menu suitable for all tastes and dietary needs, from vegetarian and healthy options to traditional bacon and eggs.

“A lot of people go for the scramble.

You can choose vegetarian, you can choose meat or cheese — there’s a lot of choices for everybody,” Gonzalez said.

“Meat people, veggie people: There are options for everybody.”

In the restaurant’s first two months, Gonzalez expressed that their only setback so far was timeliness — which his staff and himself are learning to perfect. Because of the new, large menu and new location, the first few weeks served as a learning experience for his staff.

“There were some times when we were very new, or, you know, some employees were a little nervous — everything was new for us. There we no real complaints about the food, they said the food was excellent but it was taking a little long,” Gonzalez said. “You know, we’re getting there. We make sure that won’t happen again, making sure people get their food fast and good, too.”

With newly improved service and fresh ingredients, Gonzalez hopes more Madison residents will come out and try the food at Lola’s Café.

Visit Lola’s Café at 610 Junction Rd. for inexpensive, made-to-order breakfast delights and personalized family service.

October 3, 2017• badgerherald.com • 11

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Gillian Drier explores black masculinity in new art showcase Her paintings counteract hypermasculinity with tenderness in hopes of encouraging a thoughtful dialogue

by Sara Easa ArtsEtc. Staff Writer

Local artist Gillian Drier will be showcasing her artwork at a gallery beginning Oct. 5. Her work will be showcased at Black Lotus Cafe throughout the entire month. The artwork focuses on black men and how they are perceived in society, Drier said.

“One of the issues I see a lot in the black community is criticism of how gender is displayed and the hyper masculinity ideal is something that really bothers me,” Drier said.

Her critique of hyper masculinity is depicted by the juxtaposition between the men in her paintings and the stereotypical man in modern society.

In one of Drier ’s paintings, for example, the subject embodies fragility, which is sensed by the use of warm colors, exposed skin and even flowers. The tender moments illustrated by Drier provide a sharp contrast to the more typical portrayals of men which embody solely strength — portrayals in which they are represented as one dimensional and incapable of emotional expression.

Her work also examines the subject of both physical and emotional growth and maturity, specifically in relation to black identity, Drier said.

She stated that her inspiration is in part drawn from the Afropunk movement. The Afropunk Fest originated in Brooklyn, New York but spread across the world to include

cities like Johannesburg and Paris, drawing thousands of participants annually. Drier finds the movement beautiful and interesting.

While the paintings serve as social criticism in a way, they have also drawn critique from people questioning Drier as to why she did not feature more women in her artwork.

“I was really surprised about that,” Drier said.

But Drier is motivated by other artists who explore similar issues through various mediums.

“It’s good to have perspectives from different people,” Drier said. “Because I’m not experiencing it first hand — it’s an observation.”

For expressing these observations, Drier uses oil or water based oil paints. This allows her to make things matte or shiny. The possibilities are seemingly endless.

In addition, she uses a large canvas for many of her paintings — approximately four by three feet — which she uses to depict elements that pop and others that fade into the background. Common features in her work include broad brush strokes, minimal color scheme and subjects that make eye contact with the viewer.

Drier likes to do paintings that have similar tones. Using the same undertone allows her to construct paintings with a cohesive appearance. Often while painting, her work in progress will spark a new idea, which is consequently realized in the form of a new project, she said.

Drier recently graduated from the University of

Photo · Drier’s art shows African, African-American and black identities.

Courtesy of Gillian Driver

12 • badgerherald.com • October 3, 2017

Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, specializing in painting and graphic design.

“It’s been interesting getting an education at a predominantly white university,” Drier said, explaining that even the subject of art history is comprised predominantly of European art.

Eurocentrism in art history is not a new topic of discussion. Serious efforts are underway by students and teachers alike to incorporate art from other parts of the world into curriculum. Their hope is that more art programs will include art like the sculptures created by the Toltecs or paintings from the Ming Dynasty, along with more commonly recognized art like that of the Renaissance.

Drier ’s circumstances at the university pushed her to explore the issue regarding how people of color work in a fine art setting. When Drier creates her art, it’s a new experience for her to share a point of view that she’s never gotten to share with other people.

Her goal for the showcase is to encourage dialogue about the work and its meaning, Drier said. Artwork should lead to interesting conversations with people who are trying to trade off their viewpoints.

The event is sponsored by Queer Pressure, a local organization dedicated to creating accessible and inclusive spaces in Madison for people from marginalized identities.

Photo · Drier graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May 2017 with a Bachelor in Fine Art. Courtesy of Gillian Driver

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Madison venues to convert to art galleries to display local artists’ work MMoCA’s bi-annual event brings thousands of people from surrounding cities to Madison for exhibitions, live music

by Aidan McClain ArtsEtc. Editor

On Oct. 6, Madison will bloom with creativity as local venues convert into galleries to showcase the work of artists for MMoCA’s bi-annual Gallery Night.

Gallery Night occurs in May and October and benefits both the community and the artists involved. Over 50 venues will participate, and they get to choose which artist’s work they choose to display. It event distinguishes itself from other art events by offering live music, artists demonstrations and opportunities to speak with the artists. By holding this event, MMoCA accomplishes its goal of spreading art.

“MMoCA’s mission is to connect people with the transformative power of art,” Erika Monroe-Kane said, MMoCA’s director of communication. “Gallery Night is a fun, free and important way to do this.”

Gallery Night brings people together to celebrate and appreciate art — and not just residents of Madison. Residents from surrounding cities are attracted to Madison’s vibrant art scene because of events like Gallery Night, Monroe-Kane said.

Since Gallery Night takes place all over the city, participants are given the chance to

explore a neighborhood or store they may have never been to before. The vastness of the event means that businesses all over pull in a lot of revenue. Gallery Night benefits the general public, artist and the economy.

All of this has been happening since 1988, where a few modest participants held a smallscale version of the event. Now, MMoCA staff work with the venues, ensuring they plan properly and iron-out details, MonroeKane said. With the thousands of participants arriving to Gallery Night 29 years since its creation, extra planning is required.

“Most venues increase their staff the evening of Gallery Night, they have larger crowds and greater sales,” Monroe-Kane said.

People should try to go to as many venues as possible, as each one has something unique to offer. That goes for the business in general and the type of art displayed.

Types of displays will include photography, sculptures, mixed media, performance art and video.

Some of the participating downtown locations are 100 State St., Artist and Craftsman Supply and Barriques Coffee Trader, Monroe-Kane said. Moving west, places such as the Allen Centennial Garden, Higher Fire and HotelRED will be participating. Eastbound, people can explore

Access Wisconsin, Art In and the Goodman Community Center.

Participants will also get to see the unveiling of Alumni Park. At 6 p.m., people will be allowed into the park for more artwork displays and artist talks. The park will hold these events until 9 p.m.

Following the sure-to-be exhausting day, participants are invited to a Gallery Night after party in MMoCA’s lobby. The party is free to members and $5 for the general public.

From 9-11 p.m., attendees can make art, enjoy drinks from a cash bar, have pizza from the Roman Candle Pizzeria and dance to the music of DJ Boyfrrriend, according to ErikaKane.

With the seemingly endless activity list, participants are encouraged to use the venue list and map available on the MMoCA website.

This is not an event that an art lover should miss. Those who aren’t into the art scene in Madison should also attend — they might just discover something that they love, and feel good while doing it.

“MMoCA contributes to the quality of life in Madison,” Monroe-Kane said. “People are attracted to places that are dynamic and creative. The arts play a critical role in this.”

Photo · Gallery Night attracts thousands of people to Madison’s participating venues.

Courtesy of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

Village Pizza to deliver authentic Italian dishes to Madison community Brothers Arturo Ruiz and Berna Cazares expect to open the student-focused Italian restaurant in less than two weeks

by Aidan McClain ArtsEtc. Editor

Brothers Arturo Ruiz and Berna Cazares have converted Bob’s Copy shop into Village Pizza — a restaurant that will be specializing in Chicago-style deep dish pizza.

Ruiz came from Mexico City and has been working in Madison restaurants for about 12 years. He has spent time at Rosati’s Pizza, Icon and the Great Dane. Needless to say, his experience will help launch Village Pizza into a popular destination for college students — the group the establishment hopes to target.

The brothers hope to draw in students by having good, fast food. The prices will be around $10, but lunch specials can bring the prices down to $7 for two slices of pizza.

The brothers want people to know that the restaurant is categorized as fast-food.

“We want to serve to most of the students,” Ruiz said. “We’re focusing on

more fast food and the students. They can get fast, easy and cheaper meals.”

The restaurant is located next to the UU, which means it’s also in close proximity to Ian’s Pizza. The brothers will differentiate themselves from Ian’s, and the other pizza places in town, by offering a variety of pizza styles, Ruiz said.

Chicago-style deep dish will be the main draw, but if deep dish isn’t preferred, thin crust and double dough will be available.

The restaurant will also offer pastas, sandwiches and wings. The homemade alfredo pasta is expected to be a big seller, Ruiz said.

The foods will be prepared in the restaurant’s full kitchen, where they will use fresh ingredients to make the best fastfood possible. Village Pizza wants to use authentic Italian ingredients.

“We’re going to have totally different ingredients,” Ruiz said. “We’ll use different oils and different sauces that are really

authentic Italian. We’re going to mix together different types of cheese to make something new.”

Being a food and dairy hub, Wisconsin will provide many of the ingredients.

The other ingredients also come from the Midwest. The special sauces and meats are sourced from Illinois, Ruiz said.

Even though the brothers don’t have any grand-opening promotions planned, the taste and prices will surely draw in the student body. And there’s alcohol. The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. during the week and will remain open until bar close on the weekends.

There will be beer and wine but no hard liquor. The alcohol selection will be the expected domestic brews — nothing international.

With all that there is to offer, people will be wanting to try Village Pizza as soon as possible. The brothers expect to officially open within the next two weeks. All that

needs to be done now is some finishing touches and wait for inspection, Ruiz said.

Converting from a printing shop to a pizza restaurant wasn’t easy.

“We had to change the whole electric,” Ruiz said. “We had to build the exhaust system and get a plumber.”

The hard work will surely pay off. With enough experience under his belt, Ruiz wanted to open his own restaurant because it’s something he thinks he’s ready for, Ruiz said. After the inspection happens, the brothers will prove to the community that they are ready to operate a business in a town that already has different pizza businesses.

At the end of the day, Ruiz wants people to know that the restaurant will be focused on the student body.

“We are a new, Italian-style establishment in Madison,” Ruiz said. “We welcome everybody but the place is more tailored to students with the fast food.”

October 3, 2017 • badgerherald.com • 13

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MEMES IMPACT CAMPUS CLIMATE IN REAL LIFE Students, faculty, alumni take notice of bridging effect throughout UW

by Aaron Hathaway Senior Contributor

Photo · Shane Linden (above), founder of two Facebook meme pages, enjoying the unique call of the oft-memed Park Street crossing signal.

Emily Hamer The Badger Herald

Photos · One of the first memes ever posted on Linden’s first page, UW - Meme County Courtesy of UW - Meme County

14 • badgerherald.com • October 3, 2017

In April of 2012 the Mifflin Street Block Party loomed on the horizon, a dark harbinger of debauchery. Hoping to curb attendance that year, University of Wisconsin Dean of Students Lori Berquam took to YouTube with a video message for Madison students: Don’t go to Mifflin.

Despite her best intentions, Berquam’s video met a hard audience. Many students felt the video came off as patronizing, and quickly flooded the YouTube page with negative ratings and derisive comments. A techno remix of Berquam’s video appeared within 24 hours of its publication. In short order, “Don’t go” became an internet punchline — a meme.

Berquam described the video as “a disaster” on Twitter, and the University pulled it from YouTube hardly a day after its debut.

“At the time, it had it’s desired impact, although not everybody would want to admit that,” Berquam said.

Attendance at Mifflin 2012 did indeed shrink, dropping to around 5,000 in comparison to 2011’s estimated 15,000. For many students, though, the legacy of Berquam’s video overshadows its effects on the party.

Five years later, “Don’t go” remains a joke on campus, even though the students who witnessed its birth have since graduated.

“I don’t even think about the video now,” Berquam said, though she also noted, “I think my videos have gotten better.”

Still, “Don’t go” is part of an ever-growing collection of selfreferential local humor — memes rooted in specific details of the student experience. These jokes often take the form of homemade image macros, contemporary memes adapted to suit the Madison community.

But these campus memes are more than menial laughs. They represent an online expansion of identity, a way of fostering community through the

celebration of commonalities and shared experience. As memes migrate from esoteric corners of the Internet to corporate Twitter pages and mainstream politics, their role in our lives and our identities continues to evolve.

Rise of the meme

When Shane Linden started the Facebook page “UW-Meme County” in the fall semester of 2016, he had no idea he was starting a movement. Linden, now a senior, printed out flyers promoting the page and taped them on bathroom walls in the School of Human Ecology and Humanities. At the start, Linden’s page netted barely a hundred likes. But as word of the page spread, it gathered more and more users.

The page grew steadily, then the only active Facebook page dedicated specifically to UW-related memes. As page administrator, Linden would receive and post user submissions, though most of the content was his own.

“The first month or two I made a meme a day,” Linden said. “That was exhausting.”

Today, the page has some 3,800 likes. Along with the group UW-Madison Memes for Milk-Chugging Teens, also Linden’s creation, the UW meme community on Facebook numbers more than 7,000 members, though many may be duplicate members between the two forum’s networks.

The distinction between a Facebook page and a Facebook group is important: Whereas content on pages must be managed and published by designated administrators, groups are more democratic — once joined, all group members are free to post their own content.

Linden started the MilkChugging Teens group in the spring of 2016, hoping to democratize Madison memes.

“I didn’t want to be the person to decide whether or not something’s a meme,” Linden said. “This is just a much simpler

and easier way for people to have their own memes out in the campus community.”

Users share memes frequently, submitting through the Meme County page as well as posting directly to the Milk-Chugging Teens group. Hot memes tend to net some 300 to 400 likes, while tepid submissions bring in 50. The content shared often uses familiar joke formats but modified in a campus-specific manner. Technically speaking, a meme is the structure for a joke — the Advice Dog upon which a user imposes text, or the act of sneaking someone a link to Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.” However, in colloquial and more contemporary usage, individual images are often referred to as memes.

As the definition changes, so does the fodder for mockery. On campus, recent punchlines have been the widespread Wi-Fi outage or the Mentos viral ad campaign.

“That was just so good for the meme economy,” Linden said.

Other times, the focus of the memes are simply minor details of the student experience — the recorded crosswalk voice stating “walk sign is on to cross Park,” or lunch at QQ Express.

The joke isn’t so much the detail itself, but the meta-concept of finding humor in such banalities, Linden said. It’s about the shared delight of being in on the joke.

“Memes give people a culture to latch on to,” Linden said. “They express ideas that might otherwise just be stuck in individuals’ heads, and allow people to come together to recognize these, to come closer to the campus as a whole.”

Campus memes are by no means exclusive to UW. The University of California-Berkeley’s unofficial meme group, UC Berkeley Memes for Edgy Teens, was one of the first and now boasts over 100,000 followers. This summer, Harvard University rescinded admissions offers to 10 students connected to sharing offensive memes in a mass Facebook message between incoming students titled “Harvard memes for horny bourgeois teens.”

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The meme group is becoming an unofficial tenet of the collegiate experience, and their rising prominence hasn’t escaped university officials, either. UW spokesperson Meredith McGlone said the university knows about UW’s Facebook meme scene.

“We’re aware of these pages, as well as many other UW-themed social sites, but do not actively monitor them or endorse their content,” McGlone said.

The meme and me

Facebook’s role as a popular platform for meme groups connects memes to real names, as opposed to sharing memes on anonymous forums. Because of this, memes take on greater meaning for our identity: what we share reflects our tastes, our knowledge, our interests.

For Robert Howard, director of UW’s digital studies program, memes and self-image are closely linked.

“People can actually use [memes] to express their personal identities, which are typically linked with places, like the institutions they work for or go to school at,” Howard said.

Junior Megan Bernards, a user on Milk-Chugging Teens, believes campus memes help bring her closer to the student community. They allow her to gain fellow students’ insights on what they think about different events, people or the campus itself.

Furthermore, the group also allows her to know that she is not the only one on campus who feels annoyed or bothered by something going on.

“Instead of getting frustrated or whatever, you just make jokes about it,” Bernards said.

Catalina Toma, associate professor of communication science, believes sharing these campus memes isn’t just about getting a laugh.

Meme pages and groups allow for an informal, accessible way to get a sense of belonging, to bring oneself closer with the local community — even if most of those users are relative strangers. This sense of community, Toma said, can contribute to better well-being.

“This is not about memes. It’s about identity, it’s about community, it’s about social connection. The memes are just a new tool that satisfies this,” Toma said. “There’s already a Badger community in existence, and these memes are capitalizing on that strong sense of identity by picking up on quirks that maybe only Badgers would understand.”

These meme pages can also help provide a connection to people who have moved beyond campus.

Will Meyers graduated last May, but continues to post in the UW meme pages. For Meyers, collegiate memes provide a remote, mobile way to still feel involved in the campus community.

“The memes allow you to reflect on your past Madison experience, those little inside jokes that only UW students would understand. It just makes you appreciate your time more.” Meyers wrote in a message to The Badger Herald. “They also keep you up to date on current events happening around the school. I’m told there is this guy who is like giving out mentos or something?”

Memes in modern discourse

Memes’ adaptability gives them appeal and makes them a potent vehicle for expression of any kind, personal or otherwise. Largely visual and adherent to familiar structures, memes are widely understandable.

Professor Ron Howard said this accessibility, combined with the relatively low level of computer literacy needed to modify or spread memes, makes them well-suited for self-expression.

Beyond riffing on school rivalries or campus quirks, UW’s Facebook memes can also reflect current discussions in social justice and politics. As issues arise, so do memes in response. Posts appeared critiquing UU and Wando’s practice of censoring hip-hop from jukebox playlists, lambasting fraternities following conduct violations or criticizing the efficacy of the Associated Students of Madison.

“Memes are catering to this particular audience of college students who might find this visual medium and the humor much more appealing than a serious conversation,” Toma said.

And while they are no substitute for a serious conversation, memes can breach uncomfortable topics with the cushion of a familiar format and an informal tone, Howard said. They can comment on contemporary issues without belittling the problem itself and can spread that message to thousands.

Memes alone cannot bring change, but their digital mobility enables them to easily voice perspectives across platforms. For Linden, one of the most important elements of memes in advocacy is their lack of entry barrier.

“Unlike a lot of these satirical outlets, where you have to be part of an organization or newspaper, anyone can make a meme and deliver their commentary,” Linden said.

“They offer a method of examining ideas, humor and concepts in a way that I don’t think we’ve ever really had in the past.”

And though their mobility can deliver important commentary and challenge institutions, the propagation of memes can just as easily spread toxic ideas, or normalize dangerous behavior. A notable example of this is Pepe, the notorious cartoon frog.

Originally the creation of cartoonist Matt Furie, the amphibian was appropriated as a symbol of White Supremacy, and is now classified as a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League.

Howard points out that the casual nature of memes can be dangerous, as it can implicitly normalize harmful behaviors or viewpoints expressed as a joke.

“It’s easy for us to dismiss these informal communications as, ‘oh well, he’s just joking.’ But the thing is that when we joke a lot over time, we’re both expressing our shared beliefs, and potentially changing them,” Howard said. “The danger there is that people begin to perceive [harmful behavior] as normal, as what we always do, and then it renders acceptable things that maybe as a society we shouldn’t think are acceptable.”

In the local meme scene, Linden says he hasn’t encountered any problems with the UW groups sharing hateful content.

He speculated that Facebook’s lack of anonymity likely discourages these types of posts.

The future of the meme

While the meme seems eternal, the outlets through which they flow can be transitory. Facebook stands out as a significant outlet for meme propagation, joined by and perhaps surpassing outlets like Twitter, Reddit and 4chan. According to Toma, the meme’s shelf life seems promising, thanks to its close link to a sense of belonging. The platform across memes spread, however, isn’t nearly as secure.

“The impetus remains, and it will probably manifest itself in something new that we can’t even envision right now,” Toma said.

Though Linden’s Facebook meme monopoly continues to thrive, Linden places little stock in its longevity — but he doesn’t take it personally.

In a year he speculates his pages, despite their current popularity, could be dead.

“Someone’s gonna come up with a better platform, and people are gonna use it,” Linden said. ‘That’s just how the Internet works.”

Photos · Memes can serve as anything ranging from a quick poke at the strenuous nature of college life to irreverent pieces of ironic or random humor related to UW. Courtesy of UW - Meme County

October 3, 2017 • badgerherald.com •15

ARTSETC.

New writers will share their unique knowledge of sex positivity, allowing the column to expand to include a variety of perspectives

by Aidan McClain ArtsEtc. Editor

The Badger Herald finds it important to talk about sex.

The Hump Day column allows students to talk about topics relating to sex that people may not otherwise want to talk about. This year, the column is being reworked with new writers.

The Badger Herald spoke with these new writers so the general public can be more familiar with the columnists.

The following interview was edited for style and clarity.

AD: Deep stick.

BH: What advice can you offer readers that may want to experiment sexually, but don’t know where to start?

AD: If you want to sexually experiment, I believe that you should with your own body first.

Masturbating regularly allows you to learn about your body so that you can have positive sexual experiences. Plus, it’s a great stress reliever for all of us stressed students.

BH: What is your sexual identity?

The Badger Herald: What is your year in school and major?

AD: My sexual identity based on the Kinsey scale would be mostly heterosexual with some homosexual experiences.

Adi Dina: I am a Sophomore majoring in English and Art History.

BH: How would you describe your sexual perspective in three words?

BH: Why did you want to write for this column?

AD: I chose to write in this column because I think sex positivity and safety is an important conversation, particularly on college campuses.

I believe that sex education needs to be a more widespread thing at UW and on campuses nationwide.

BH: What do you think you can offer the column?

AD: Last semester I took a human sexuality course and had important, thought-provoking conversations with my classmates. I learned how critical open conversations about sex are to our wellbeing.

BH: What does sex positivity mean to you?

AD: Sex positivity to me is to make sex an open, comfortable conversation devoid of shame and awkwardness.

BH: What is the importance of consent in sexual activity?

AD: Consent is the most important aspect of sexual activity. In order to have good and safe sex you must communicate with your partner consent should be an essential facet of your conversations.

These types of conversations are a must.

BH: What is your favorite sex position?

16 • badgerherald.com • October 3, 2017

AD: Safe, open and fun.

TI: Sex positivity to me means being comfortable in your own body and being able to engage in conversations about sex without feeling ashamed.

Not only is sex positivity about oneself, but it can also involve learning about other people’s sexuality and being comfortable around people who are different from you.

BH: What is the importance of consent in sexual activity?

TI: Consent is crucial. People also need to understand what consent means. No means no.

Just because a person does not say no, it does not mean they said yes. And someone who says yes can later change their mind and want to stop.

BH: What is your favorite sex position?

TI: The stand and carry position.

BH: How has sex positivity impacted your life?

BH: What advice can you offer readers that may want to experiment sexually, but don’t know where to start?

AD: Sex positivity has impacted my life in an incredible way. I believe that good sex begins with good communication. I am very comfortable having conversations about sex with both my friends and my partner, which has improved my sex life significantly.

TI: Do not ever do anything you are not comfortable with. Your partner needs to respect your boundaries, but you also need to make sure they understand where you draw the line before things go too far. Make sure you are able to communicate with each other.

BH: What is your year in school and major?

Tolu Igun: I am a junior studying psychology and philosophy.

BH: Why did you want to write for this column?

TI: I think it is important for young adults to learn about different people’s perspectives on sex. Everyone has a unique experience, so there is no reason to compare oneself to someone else.

Everybody is not doing it and that should never be an excuse for you to.

BH: What do you think you can offer the column?

TI: I learned a lot about sex from a human sexuality course I took that I feel like we all should have been taught as we were growing up and navigating puberty. I would like to talk about sex from the psychological perspective I have gained.

And I would like to offer my honest opinion.

BH: What does sex positivity mean to you?

BH: What is your sexual identity?

TI: Heterosexual technically, but if I am attracted to someone who is also attracted to me, that’s all that really matters.

BH: How would you describe your sexual perspective in three words?

TI: Open, connective and fun.

Political Science and Comm Arts with a minor in Digital Studies.

BH: Why did you want to write for this column?

EU: When it comes to sex, too many people perceive it as a taboo topic. I think writing for this column facilitates a conversation for people to be more open about sexual expression.

BH: What do you think you can offer the column?

EU: Drawing from our experiences, I think the team of columnists for Hump Day will bring about different perspectives on sex.

BH: What does sex positivity mean to you?

EU: Sex positivity to me is all about embracing sexual expression with a large emphasis on promoting self-love and body positivity.

BH: What is the importance of consent in sexual activity?

EU: Consent is fundamental to sexual activity.

Especially on college campuses, consent is key in creating a sex-positive atmosphere. Any sexual act should be comfortable and most importantly, enjoyable.

BH: What advice can you offer readers that may want to experiment sexually, but don’t know where to start?

EU: My best piece of advice is to know yourself and your body before experimenting sexually with others. Everyone is different and having a clear idea of what your preferences are can give you a positive start on including others into that area of your life.

BH: How has sex positivity impacted your life?

BH: How has sex positivity impacted your life?

TI: Learning about the importance of sex positivity has allowed me to become more confident in my own skin. Sex was treated as such a taboo topic when I was younger, but I really think it is necessary for teens and younger kids to learn about as they grow up. Sex shouldn’t seem so complicated in one’s adult life.

EU: To me, sex positivity is everything. I want people to know that sex can be such a positive force in your life when there is proper consent and communication between all parties involved — even if it’s just yourself. Sex positivity is centered around acceptance and respect. Growing up, I always thought sex was very shameful and something that should never be spoken about, but sex should be talked about and it should be a healthy conversation.

BH: What is your year in school and major?

Erica Uyenbat: I am a sophomore majoring in

OPINION

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Foxconn: Brilliant economic reform or misuse of taxpayer dollars?

College Republicans: Foxconn will leave its mark on Wisconsin

College Democrats: Foxconn budget should be used elsewhere

A capital investment of ten billion dollars.

Thirteen thousand jobs created.

An expected seven billion dollar annual economic benefit for the state.

It’s not every day that a Taiwanese technology company decides to construct and run its first American based LED factory in Wisconsin.Beating out several other competing states, the company chose Wisconsin because of not only the incentive package that was passed by the State Legislature, but also because of the stage that has been set over the past few years.

Governor Walker worked diligently to bring this deal to our state, successfully showing that Wisconsin is a great state where bold reforms have transformed it into the ideal location for not only small and local companies but also those on the international side.

Following the passage of the budget, $5 million is being invested in the Wisconsin Technical School with $110 million increase in the UW system which includes a continuation of the tuition freeze.

The groundwork Governor Walker has laid with Act 10 and more recently has put education in Wisconsin in a solid place to prepare for 13,000 jobs that will need to be filled upon completion. UWMadison Chancellor Rebecca Blank has also discussed having the university work with the company in the future, as noted in a press release by the university.

For jobs, Foxconn will provide the state, and more specifically the counties surrounding the proposed area, a boost as it looks to hire skilled laborers. This even holds the potential to bring in families from out of state as they move here to participate in the opportunity with a predicted yearly median wage of over $50,000 and benefits.

The deal quickly gained support by members of the state legislators, both republicans, and democrats, as they worked to pass the $3 billion incentive package.

In a desperate attempt to leave the impression he actually did something worthwhile for Wisconsin before the gubernatorial election, Scott Walker pushed for and approved a $3 billion subsidy in incentives for the Foxconn, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, to build a new plant in the state. Masked under the dubious claim the plant will bring jobs to Wisconsin, the deal is extremely risky and the potential return for taxpayers could be minimum.

There is no guarantee how many jobs the company will provide. The Republican-controlled legislature and the Governor agreed to the deal though they knew the facility is simply expected to create between 3,000 and 13,000 new jobs. That is a huge disparity the lawmakers seem to have blindly agreed to.

The annual payout to Foxconn will be between $200 million and $250 million, according to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, which means the state will pay between $15,000 and $19,000 dollars per job per year, assuming 13,000 positions are actually created. But that’s the best case scenario, as we could be paying up to $83,000 each year per job if the company provides the minimum 3,000 jobs.

The subsidy would be the largest ever from a U.S. state to a foreign company and 10 times bigger than anything Wisconsin has extended to a private business. This is completely absurd, considering the typical deal would be closer to $2,400 per job per year, according to Timothy Bartik, an economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.

Walker has gone too far. This deal will cost taxpayers $3 billion dollars, which will go straight into the pocket of a large foreign cooperation, in return for the feeble promise that it will create only a fair amount of jobs.

Not to mention, the potential jobs Walker purchased for Wisconsinites may end up going to Illinois workers as well, because Foxconn is planning to build the plant right near the Illinois border and the company never explicitly said they would only hire Wisconsin workers. Democrats in the State Legislature pushed for changes to the deal to prioritize Wisconsin workers and businesses, protect taxpayers from overpayments to Foxconn and increase environmental oversight.

However, these precautionary measures were shot down and rejected by Republicans and there

The Democrats went even as far to to oust their minority leader over his support of the bill. It’s a bit hypocritical to claim to support economic and job growth, and then turn around and remove a party leader for doing that exact thing.

Foxconn is and will be a strong point in

“It’s

not everyday that a Taiwanese technology company decides to construct and run its first American-based LED factory in Wisconsin.

”

Bailey LaSage College Republicans Social Media Director our state’s history, where a compilation of the bold reforms put in place by Governor Walker came together at the right time in order to support and be able to take on the challenge of the first Foxconn plant in the United States.

Bailey LaSage (blasage@wisc.edu) is a senior majoring in political science. She is also the Social Media Director for College Republicans.

remain no protections for Wisconsin workers.

Job creation shouldn’t have a price tag, you say? Well even if that is the case, Foxconn has been known to be a corporate monster elsewhere in the world. According to the New York Times before Foxconn pledged to create jobs in Wisconsin, the company made a similar promise in Brazil.

Foxconn pledged to invest billions of dollars and build one of the world’s biggest manufacturing hubs in the state of São Paulo, and essentially create 100,000 jobs. However, the lofty promises fell short leaving São Paulo still waiting for jobs six years later. Now the area where Foxconn said it would build a plant is totally abandoned.

If Scott Walker truly wanted to improve the state and spawn more economic growth, he should have invested the money into education. However Walker is sadly under the impression Wisconsin schools are simply a liability, as he dramatically slashed $250 million from UW funds and K-12 schools just two years ago. For a man who wants the state’s economy to flourish, he clearly needs to do some research to see where he can actually get the best bang for his buck.

Stanford University published a study that concluded an educated population is powerfully related to long-run economic growth. The study found education increases labor productivity and increases the innovative capacity of the economy.

No matter what area of education — elementary, secondary, the UW system — it will always have a high, if not the highest, return on investment.

The bottom line is education is always the answer. While Wisconsin waits 25 years to see a return on the investment, the money could have pumped life into our schools and the entire state could have benefitted from the immediate economic boost. But alas, 3,000-13,000 people can look forward to the possibility of a job in Southwestern Wisconsin. $3 billion dollars could have done so much for Wisconsin, yet here we are, settling for a business deal that is mediocre at best.

Claudia Koechell (ckoechell@wisc.edu) is a sophomore majoring in history and political science. She is the press secretary for UW College Democrats.

October 3, 2017 • badgerherald.com • 17

OPINION

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Trump does not value LGBTQ+ rights, no matter what he promised President Trump campaigned under the guise of supporting gay and trans equality, but his hypocrisy has gone too far

by David Weinberg Columnist

Recently, during President Donald Trump’s hourlong tirade disguised as a campaign rally, Trump berated numerous NFL players as “sons of bitches.”

Trump accused them of desecrating the American flag by kneeling during the national anthem to bring attention to police brutality and unequal treatment of African Americans. Ironically, it is Donald Trump who knows more than anyone else about trampling a flag.

True disrespect is not peacefully-protesting for a fairer America; it’s holding high the flag of a community and then fighting every day against their basic rights.

Perhaps the most heinous action taken thus far in this administration’s crusade against the LGBTQ+ community is President Trump’s ban on transgender military service members — which he unexpectedly announced in an early-morning tweet.

This new policy was not only condemned by the majority of past and present military leaders, but was even opposed by the majority of citizens of every U.S. state. Trump’s order was not only based in transphobia, but misinformation. Trump cited the “tremendous medical costs” of gender-transition related medical treatment as a primary reason for the ban. However, these costs — approximately $5 million annually— pale in comparison to the $84 million per

year spent by US taxpayers on military members’ erectile dysfunction medication. I suppose it’s more important to this president that men can get it up than that our soldiers live as their true selves.

Thousands of transgender Americans valiantly and successfully serve in our armed forces every day, and countless more have done so in previous decades.

These individuals deserve our utmost respect and admiration, not denigration. Having a five-time Vietnam War draft-dodger deny a group of Americans the chance to defend their country is the utmost form of hypocrisy.

Unfortunately, this administration’s attacks on the transgender community haven’t stopped there.

During the 2016 presidential primaries, Donald Trump surprised many when he said Caitlyn Jenner or other trans individuals should be able to use whichever bathroom they prefer. However, as soon as Trump entered office, he quickly flushed away his support of trans bathroom rights and instead caved to religious conservatives. In February, Trump issued an executive order reversing Obama-era protections allowing transgender students to use the bathroom corresponding with their gender identity. This means students could be forced into the uncomfortable situation of using a bathroom that aligns with their sex at birth instead of the gender they identify as and

present themselves. This action makes trans students more susceptible to harassment and will undoubtedly make this vulnerable group of students feel more unsafe in their schools.

But it doesn’t stop there. Over the summer, Trump’s Department of Justice argued in court that workplace discrimination laws covering race or gender should not be extended to LGBTQ+ individuals, taking the stance that it should be legal to fire an employee because of his or her sexual orientation. Is being fired because you’re gay really how you Make America Great Again?

Furthermore, the appointment of conservative justice Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court puts the status of countless LGBTQ+ families in constant jeopardy. At any time, the resignation or death of a liberal-leaning judge followed by the return of a samesex marriage case could lead the Supreme Court to overturn the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling that made gay marriage legal across the United States.

These policies undoubtedly have an effect on the lives of LGBT students. While LGBTQ+ students already worry about threats of bullying, antiLGBTQ+ governmental policies can sometimes lead homophobic individuals to believe that harassment is acceptable or that LGBTQ+ students aren’t worthy

of being treated like other students. Furthermore, the enactment of anti-LGBTQ+ policies can lead these students to have higher rates of mental-health problems, depression, and addiction. Luckily, the LGBT Campus Center at the Red Gym offers discussion groups, community events, and support to welcome and assist LGBTQ+ students at UW. Even better, the 2018 and 2020 elections provide an opportunity to reverse course and fight back.

When Donald Trump ran for president, he promised to be a different kind of Republican. Trump was the first Republican to include the LGBTQ+ community in a GOP convention speech, offering to “protect” them from extremist violence. The reality is that the biggest threat to the everyday lives of America’s LGBTQ+ community comes not from ISIS or foreign extremists, but from the Oval Office. Words are meaningless when they’re not followed by actions.

To President Trump, protesting to bring attention to racial inequality might seem like trampling the American flag, but to truly disrespect a flag is to hold it in your arms and then fight to shatter the lives of the communities it represents.

David Weinberg (dweinberg4@wisc.edu) is a sophomore deciding between political science, finance and journalism.

Political decency has left the building, may never return Amidst constant arguments over the use of political correctness, political deceny has vanished as we know it

by Eric Hilkert Columnist

Many people have framed the Trump presidency as an end to the era of “political correctness.” Politically correct is such a loaded phrase though, that it has lost any meaning in our current social climate.

Originally defined as showing respect to people of all backgrounds, ethnicities and sexual orientations, its meaning has mutated over time. Certain people now associate being politically correct with those that reprimand you for any and every joke you make, lest it insult a single person.

Trump rode a perceived lack of political correctness to an election victory last November. His supporters called his public demeanor “refreshing”, “no-nonsense” and continue to praise his “straight talk.”

Without jumping into the fact that 90 percent of the things Trump says are nonsense, it is important to understand that his approach appealed to enough Americans that he got elected. So expectations for him to turn over a new page after he moved into the White House were always foolish.

However, there is something viscerally sad about seeing the president of the United States 18 • badgerherald.com • October 3, 2017

act so thoroughly un-presidential. Though Trump has insisted his behavior is “modern day presidential,” it is far from it.

Our president should represent the best of us. He or she should operate with class, dignity and grace. Regardless of your views on Obama’s policies, he was undeniably poised and classy.

Trump, on the other hand, stumbles through every interaction with the grace of a bull in a china shop and the dignity of a drunk uncle at a holiday dinner.

The latest example of Trump acting thoroughly disgusting was his re-tweeting of a GIF depicting him physically harming his election opponent, Hillary Clinton. The GIF, clearly edited out of multiple videos, shows Trump hitting a golf ball, and then cuts to footage of Hillary struggling on stairs and falling over. The GIF creator* had superimposed a golf ball onto the footage of falling Hillary, to give the comedic effect of Trump appearing to knock her over.

This GIF was eerily similar to one Trump retweeted this summer of him beating up CNN, a trusted media outlet. But Trump does not respect our media; instead he needlessly rambles about Fake News.

This is not only the end of political

correctness, but the end of political decency.

Here is the president, still making fun of his opponent almost a year after the end of the election. He demeans media outlets that contradict his worldview. He takes baseless shots at our previous president and centers much of his agenda on just undoing his predecessor’s accomplishments.

The saddest part of this is, as Trump abandons decency and continues to maintain support from his uber-loyal base, other politicians must be getting ideas. This election, Marco Rubio tried to insinuate Trump’s genitalia didn’t measure up because of his small hands. Trump assured his reports that he had no issues down there. Welcome to modern politics.

Just last week, Ted Cruz, a suffocatingly conservative Senator out of Texas, favorited an incest porn video on Twitter. Outside of the irony of a senator who pushes his Christian beliefs down his constituents’ throats committing such a sinful act, it is just another stark example of the fact that nobody seems to care about their public image anymore. People will defend anything as long as it appeals to their basest instincts.

In America in 2017, we have politicians who represent the worst of us. Vile. Racist.

Photo · In today’s America, political decency is a distant memory.

Dan Chinitz The Badger Herald

Xenophobic. Incest-porn loving.

We need to change. For America’s reputation around the globe. For the youngest generations sake. For America’s sake.

Eric Hilkert (ehilkert@wisc.edu) is a junior majoring in finance.

OPINION

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Corporations’ hold on Wisconsin’s economy made bad Foxconn deal possible Walker’s preferential treatment of the corporate elite will move Wisconsin backward rather than ‘forward’

by Michael Sauer Columnist

The con is made official. Duped and outfoxed, Wisconsin has slid into a dangerous regression thanks to the decision of Governor Scott Walker and the Legislature to approve a colossal package of corporate welfare for the Taiwanese company, Foxconn. In the bloated incentive package, Foxconn is slated to receive $3 billion in cash payments and tax breaks, roughly $250 million per year for 15 years.

Ever so hesitant to use his self-proclaimed business acumen to benefit the state of Wisconsin, Walker is content in receiving only $181 million per year in return. In other words, Wisconsin will be running in the red to the tune of $69 million per year for the indefinite future.

Thinking of this another way, the analysis of economist Michael Hicks finds, “this tax subsidy is the equivalent of every household in Wisconsin writing a $1,200 check to a multi-billion dollar Taiwanese manufacturer. We will be paying $66,000 per job for jobs the company boasts will pay less than $54,000.”

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau’s report on the matter shows only by the ripe year of 2043 will Wisconsin be paid back in full for its initial

$3 billion investment. That’s right my fellow citizens, we must wait a quarter-century to be fully compensated.

Out of respect for Walker and the Legislature’s shared negligence for the environment, Foxconn is permitted to shirk several environmental protection standards other companies are required to follow, all in pursuit of its amoral profiteering agenda. Additionally, no environmental impact statement needs to be considered, much less completed.

Most assuredly, those transgressions, even on an individual basis, are the cause of immense concern. But the real dagger is hidden deep within the recently passed Foxconn law — a provision, wholly unprecedented in Wisconsin’s democratic history, to bypass the state appeals court on the matter of lawsuits against Foxconn, sending lawsuits directly to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

The Legislature is forcibly shoving aside the notion of ‘separation of powers’ for the express purpose of fast-tracking the completion of the corporate welfare phenomenon. Independent judicial courts are being used as Republican pawns in a highly corrosive agenda. Public trust

and faith in institutions are already quite low, and now justifiably so.

But alas, Wisconsin is too open for the wrong kind of business. Wisconsin’s economic complexion has been and will continue to morph into a slew of behemoth transnational corporations. Startups in the state are virtually nonexistent. Without the vibrancy of startups, hardly anyone can truly compete with the giants on the same field.

Knowing full well Wisconsin’s democracy is a farce, gigantic corporations have the capacity to dominate the political system and reward their own crookedness. If you’re the casual corporate tycoon type browsing your weekly edition of The Badger Herald, you know you have it made here.

Wisconsin is more than willing to subsidize your obscene pollution, ignore your gross misconduct in court and relinquish our integrity in the democratic process for your profit margin.

Everyone else — from college students, to working families and middle-class folks — can expect the same detrimental diet, carefully prepared with the ingredients of budgetary duress, economic anxiety and suppression of opportunity, to produce a lethal dosage of ‘screw you’ stew.

Wisconsin has sold its soul and natural treasures for the promise of “jobs.” Any job, for any substandard wage, for any lack of benefits will do. Under the primitive leadership of Walker, Wisconsin has ditched its legacy of robust middle-class jobs and became a harlot to the open market. We have no standards.

Foxconn was made possible by preferential treatment geared toward the corporate elite.

Now fully established, the vultures of prey need only circle around their prize and strike to their heart’s delight. Foxconn is the clear indication this administration will do whatever it takes to deliver for their bosses up top.

‘Forward’ has long been Wisconsin’s motto, but recently holds meaning in name only.

The current trajectory is a manifestation of backwardness and if left uncontested, it will poison the very ideals that generated respect in an era not that long ago.

We are slipping speedily down a path we have never seen before. Wisconsin must stand up and forcefully declare “no more.”

Michael Sauer (mjsauer2@wisc.edu) is a freshman intending to major in political science.

Requiring Gender and Women’s Studies courses would improve society A mandatory graduation requirement would give students more information about sex and relationships, producing more well-rounded citizens

by Abigail Steinberg Columnist

In 1819, Lord Byron wrote, “What a strange thing man is; and what a stranger thing woman.”

Little did he know, these words would stand the test of time. Men think women are fragile ninnies; women think men are sex-crazed brutes. And no one seems to think anything of people who do not fit into those categories — we are ignorant to identities that lie anywhere but the ends of the gender spectrum.

The ignorance does not stop there. Basic female anatomy can seem like mythology to both men and women. Doctors see cases of severe appendicitis get mistaken for period cramps. Most people are unaware of the different symptoms between male and female heart attacks.

These misunderstandings are not only inconvenient but detrimental to the culture, relationships and well-being of all humans, regardless of gender, identity or sexuality. Given that this university stresses the idea that our education should be used for the betterment of society, it is both logical and imperative that women’s and gender studies courses be required.

The benefits to mandatory women’s and gender studies classes are numerous, both from an educational and personal standpoint.

Educationally, understanding gender identities

different than your own often leads to a broader understanding and appreciation of humanity.

Women’s studies classes also improve intimate relationships. A thorough examination of the female anatomy can dispel myths and misconceptions, leading to more satisfactory relations between partners. On top of that, communication between couples often increases, leading to greater trust and emotional intimacy. Put them together, and you have healthier and happier relationships.

Women who take these classes are also better equipped to decide between treatment options for various illnesses, from yeast infections to ovarian cancer. Women also have different precursors for heart attacks, but many are unaware because they are not the symptoms exhibited in film or television.

The content of these classes creates a fuller life, and may even lengthen it.

Making these classes mandatory is the most effective way to facilitate these changes, Obviously, the idea of required preventative education is not a new phenomenon. AlcoholEdu and the U Got This!

Program are required for all first-year students in order to educate them on the consequences of the party scene.

These programs do not aim to eradicate alcohol or sexual relationships. Rather, they are meant to give students the resources to have a deeper

understanding of these habits and how they affect our productive individuals. lives, so they can make the choices that preserve their Let Women’s and Gender Studies be the first step. physical and mental wellbeing. A healthy person can most effectively impact the world in a positive way, Abby Steinberg (abigailsteinberg@outlook.com) is a fulfilling the Wisconsin Idea badgers strive for. freshman majoring in political science and intending to The idea of general education requirements major in journalism. accomplishes the same idea.

Communications requirements ensure that we can connect, mathematics ensure that we can reason, ethnic studies ensure that we can understand those who are different than we are.

Each is integral to producing a well-rounded individual that participate in an everchanging society, as does the opportunity to discern the complexities of gender and femininity.

By making Women’s and Gender studies mandatory, we will gain the knowledge that Photo · Attendees of the Women’s March last January advocated for equal rights. makes graduates of UWMadison esteemed and Riley Steinbrenner

The Badger Herald

October 3, 2017 • badgerherald.com • 19

OPINION

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You’re not going to change the world with a social sciences degree The assumption that a degree in humanities will somehow make a measureable impact is lofty and unrealistic

by Amanda Love Columnist

Many people will say the reason you shouldn’t major in sociology, anthropology, women’s studies, various ethnic studies or other social sciences is because the job market is riddled with high unemployment and low pay for graduates in these fields. Better to major in the science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) fields, or learn a trade, because that way you’ll find a job more easily and get paid better, you’ll hear.

But this isn’t one of those arguments.

After all, you’re doing what you love and are going to make the world a better place, the job market isn’t all that bad, money isn’t everything anyway and maybe you’ll even go on to graduate school to become a respected expert, right? Not so fast.

Rather than doing what you love, you just might feel helpless and become depressed studying the social sciences. You’ll learn interesting things about people for sure, and about how society plays into the abundance of injustice in the world. You’ll probably notice you can’t really do much of anything by yourself about this thing called society and begin feeling like maybe the world is unjust to

you personally.

If only more people would listen, then they could be liberated, but most people will have other ideas. Maybe you could become a sociologist, the one social science occupation where people report relatively high levels of satisfaction, and then people will listen!

But there are only 2,600 sociologists in the entire United States according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and there aren’t many places for new ones. More likely you’ll end up in a highly stressful life as a high school teacher.

Still, maybe you can reach the next generation there.

But then we have to consider the social sciences might be creating more problems than they solve. For instance, you might want to look at an increasingly well-known Twitter account called New Real Peer Review (@ RealPeerReview), dedicated to posting links to absurd research published in peer-reviewed journals, particularly in the social sciences.

Their examples highlight the fact that the social sciences are heavily influenced by postmodern philosophy, a kind of extreme skepticism that developed in reaction to the stuffy and conformist societies of the West right after World War II. So extreme, in fact, that we can’t assume that even objectivity really exists; the only truths we truly know about are lived

experiences.

How far can we take this? Beyond the bounds of intuition, for sure. A paper in the journal of Sociology of Education proposed discouraging young children from emulating heterosexual relationships, lest they get the idea that heterosexuality might be normal. What are the pressing issues of the day? A paper in the journal Qualitative Inquiry investigates the nature of shared human-pigeon lives. You know, in case the plot of the pigeon dating computer game Hatoful Boyfriend ever becomes a reality.

The friendliest idea of the 20th century — Marxism — also makes an appearance here, with a new name and mission: critical theory, which brings us ideas like intersectionality and the matrix of oppression. Workers of the world! You’re kind of bigots, actually.

Sure, last time, it resulted in repeated attempts to eradicate existing society and begin anew when people realized they couldn’t achieve their utopian vision with all of the cultural baggage of the past. While this lead to violence, re-education camps and death and the growth of murderous fascist movements in reaction, there’s no way that could ever happen again, right?

But suppose you’re brilliant, above all

that, and want to contribute your unique ideas somehow. Better fall in line, honey.

The diversity of ideas you’ll find here is in how far left people can take their politics, with more than 95 percent of academics in the social sciences identifying as left of center, many of them radically so, and all the outlook on the world that comes with that.

Are you conservative or libertarian?

How adorable. This isn’t going to be a kind journey for you. Liberal? Problematic, at the very least, but acceptable. Soon you’ll be down the black hole of self-criticism.

Not everyone is cut out for STEM, though, and maybe philosophy, journalism, English, international relations, psychology, any foreign language, pre-law or many other majors just don’t interest you. Maybe you’re a masochist who read all of the above and thought it sounded great. Maybe you just don’t believe me — and you should definitely research what I’ve said.

The great thing is that you’re free to make your own choice. I warned you, though.

Amanda Love (alove2@wisc.edu) is a senior

Policy differences between opioid crisis and War on Drugs devalue lives Look at the handling of the opioid crisis in comparison to the War on Drugs, and it’s clear white lives are valued at a higher level than people of color

by Will Maher Columnist

Wisconsin, like the country, is in the midst of an opioid epidemic. Drug overdose deaths increased sixfold between 1999-2014 with opioid pain relievers accounting for much of the rise. This crisis decimates communities. It lowers life expectancies, destroys families and tears at the heart of the country.

Imagine a reality where politicians recognized the threat posed by opioids and responded with aggressive policies meant to curtail their spread. They criminalized opioid abusers and imposed stiff sentences on lowlevel offenders. Instead of treatment and counseling, the government favors sending addicts to prison for long periods of time.

These politicians are bolstered by their ‘tough on crime’ stances. Mandatory minimums force judges to harshly sentence nonviolent drug offenders, and the incarceration rate has skyrocketed.

Imagine that since the opioid crisis primarily affects white people, they have been incarcerated at an unprecedented rate. Young white men, in particular, have been arrested at astounding levels. According to one expert, this War on Opioids “foreseeably and unnecessarily blights the lives of hundreds of thousands of young disadvantaged white Americans.”

20 • badgerherald.com • October 3, 2017

Photo · Deaths from opioid overdose have increased throughout Wisconsin over the past few years.

Courtesy of Flickr User Pavement Pieces Imagine the police targeting white youths, stopping and frisking them based on little, if any, cause.

Imagine that American troops have undertaken military operations in Appalachia, a hotbed for illicit opioids. Thousands have been killed as the government and cartels battle for control of the area. The government

also funds paramilitaries in Canada, targeting suppliers north of the border. While these groups have been accused of atrocities, the government does not encourage questions on the subject. Despite thousands of lives and billions of dollars, these efforts have not helped the problem. However, President Trump has doubled down on a failed policy.

President Obama did the same thing upon taking office in 2009 and both parties seem content continuing current practices.

Imagine police forces across America, flush with military surplus, resemble occupying military forces. The communities they are supposed to protect increasingly resent their presence. Shootings of unarmed white men rarely result in police convictions, even when the case reaches trial. Impassioned calls for justice have been met with indifference or scorn. NHL players who kneel for the national anthem are told to respect their country.

Imagine that the opioid crisis and our government’s response have come to define life for many Americans. These policies fill America’s prisons, shape police interactions and help create a permanent underclass.

If what you just read doesn’t sound like our government’s response to opioids, you’d be correct. Thankfully, nobody has been foolish

enough to declare war on them. Politicians have instead recognized that the best way to address this public health crisis is by treating addicts. Governor Walker recently signed several bills which will do just that. And, while you could argue that more needs to be done, the vast majority of politicians agree that this isn’t a problem more arrests will solve.

This is in sharp contrast to our War on Drugs. While politicians treat high opioid use among white people as a tragedy, crack use among black people is a crime. The America described above shouldn’t sound too alien, change a few details and you essentially have the last 50 years of drug policy in this country.

While optimists may say we’ve simply learned our lesson, a look at the current administration’s policies suggests otherwise.

Opioids, like crack, destroy lives.

As a country, we can’t lose sight of the importance and value of each and every life.

It’s frustrating to watch politicians place a greater value on some lives, approaching the opioid problem with the right policies while simultaneously continuing the disastrous War on Drugs.

Will Maher (wmaher2@wisc.edu) is a sophomore

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Four former Badger rowers make waves at 2017 World Rowing Championships Former members of UW Rowing successfully represent the United States at international rowing regatta competition

by Stephanie Browne Associate Sports Editor

In 1969, pictures of Former members of the University of Wisconsin women’s rowing team, Grace Latz and Sophia Vitas, as well as Ben Ruble and Dariush “Tim” Aghai from the men’s rowing team represented the United States at the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida.

Recent 2016 Wisconsin graduate, Sophia Vitas, raced in the women’s eight, just two seats away from 2011 graduate Grace Latz who sits at seven seat. Although the two Badgers missed each other by a year in the Porter Boathouse, they share commonalities from their separate experiences of wearing the Wisconsin “W.” Both women walked on to the Wisconsin women’s rowing team, and each came out of it with a profound commitment to consistently striving for improvement.

“It’s fun coming to practice with the attitude to want more, taking advantage of each session to learn and get faster,” Vitas said.

This go-getter attitude is echoed in fellow national teamer, Grace Latz.

“Those who get good at rowing know the learning is never done when you get into different boat classes, new lineups, new rhythms and move up from freshman to varsity,” Latz said.

This nugget of wisdom seems to have served the former Badger well, as this is not her first time representing the United States on the international level. After graduating from Wisconsin, Latz was selected to row on the national team numerous times, and she attributes much of her success to the Badger rowing experience.

“Rowing at Wisconsin teaches you a lot more than just how to take your blade in and out of the water,” Latz said. “Having a long winter forced us indoors on the erg more than other programs, but you really hone your mental toughness there.”

Grace Latz won gold at the 2015 World Rowing Championships in the women’s four, and raced to a fifth-place finish in the women’s quadruple sculls event at the 2016 Olympics Summer Games in Rio de Janerio, Brazil.

“Our coach [at Wisconsin], Bebe Bryans, did an excellent job making us adaptable athletes by putting us in pairs and straight fours, something most programs don’t do, but was so crucial in learning better technique and understanding of how the boat should run,” Latz said.

While rowing for Wisconsin’s first Big Ten championship team in the varsity eight, Latz extended her determination outside of the boathouse. She initiated a game day recycling program, and was awarded the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department StudentAthlete Community Service Award for her

notable contributions to environmental sustainability on campus.

“I think being an athlete made me more disciplined with how I spent my time, making me more productive and efficient that if I had more free time,” Latz said. “I was immersed in whatever I was doing.”

Latz, along with Vitas and the United States women’s eight raced in the A Final of the 2017 World Rowing Championships, after clinching second place in heats and repêchage, finishing less than one second behind New Zealand and Canada, respectively.

Former captain of the Wisconsin men’s rowing team, Ben Ruble, made his first appearance on the United States national team roster at this 2017 worlds. Before graduating from Wisconsin in 2013, Ruble raced at various impressive collegiate races such as the IRA National Championships and Eastern Sprints.

Emulating the appreciation for continually

Studying at Cambridge, “while training in a program

with no NCAA restrictions, requires unrelenting hard work, but it is all worth it to win the race against Oxford,

”

Photo · The 2016 women’s rowing team sculls over Lake Mendota.

Jason Chan The Badger Herald

-Ben Ruble learning embraced by Grace and Sophia, Ruble continued to grow as both an athlete and a scholar upon graduating from UW. He enrolled at the University of Cambridge. And won one of the most historic rowing races in the world, The Boat Race.

“Studying at Cambridge, while training in a program with no NCAA restrictions, requires unrelenting hard work, but it is all worth it to win the race against Oxford,” Ruble said. “Wisconsin prepared me for Cambridge very well by teaching me the fundamentals of rowing and then helping me improve throughout my four years.”

Now a veteran of the World Rowing Championships after earning a lane in the men’s four B Final, Ruble remembers the beginning of his rowing career in Madison.

“One of the central focuses, from day one at Wisconsin, is to get better every day,” Ruble said. “I really embraced that idea and it has taken me this far.”

It seems as if they’re all in the same boat, progressing and taking more.

“We’re a bit scrappier, but more willing to tackle a challenge because the wind whips up waves on Mendota, the lake will ice over and you will erg a lot,” Latz said. “Better to have that than be unsure how you’ll handle a challenge if it’s always been easy sailing.”

Photo · Members of the 2017 men’s rowing team.

Courtesy of UW Athletic Department October 3, 2017 • badgerherald.com • 21

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Where are they now? Badger Alumni excelling in the pros Headlined by J. J Watt , former badger football standouts are making waves throughout the National Football League

by Brice Schreter Sports Editor

The success of the University of Wisconsin football program in the last decade is unquestioned. The Badger ’s have had 15 straight winning seasons and are already off to a blazing hot start this season. With this incredible track record of success it shouldn’t surprise anyone that some of Wisconsin’s alumni are achieving great success in the National Football League. Lets take a look at some of the former Badger ’s and what there doing in the league.

JJ Watt

J.J Watt at number one? Yeah, that one was the biggest lock of the century. The Pewaukee native and Houston Texan star is already a surefire NFL hall of famer and he’s just 28 years old. Watt is in the conversation as the best all around defensive player in the league. In just six NFL seasons Watt has been named league defensive MVP 3 times first team all pro four times. Watt is also the only player in the history of the NFL to record multiple 20 sack seasons and is already the

Houston Texans all time leader in both sacks and forced fumbles. The guy is an absolute stud who makes opposing coaches and quarterbacks cringe just from the thought of him bearing down on them.

Joe Thomas

Offensive Tackle Joe Thomas has been the only bright spot for a Cleveland Browns team that has been completely atrocious for as long as anyone can remember. For the last decade any argument about the best offensive linemen in the league almost surely included Thomas, the Brookfield Wisconsin Native.

Thomas is the only offensive linemen ever to make the Pro Bowl in his first 10 seasons as a pro. Yup, you heard that right, not one down year or one serious injury in ten years as a pro (knock on wood). Thomas has been first team all pro eight times and the two years he didn’t receive the honor he was named to the 2nd all pro team. This guy will be joining J.J Watt in Canton someday that’s for sure.

Russell Wilson

Sure he may have only played one year for the Badgers but oh what a year it was.

Since being drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd round of the 2012 draft he has been nothing short of remarkable. Wilson has already led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory and is one Malcolm Butler interception away from having 2 under his belt. Wilson’s been to 3 Pro Bowls and was also the 2012 NFL rookie of the year. Wilson and the Seahawks have come out scorching hot to start the season and it will be interesting to see what they can accomplish.

Travis Frederick

After being drafted by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2013 draft Sharon Wisconsin Native Travis Frederick has certainly lived up to his hefty expectations.

Frederick is a 3 time pro bowler was selected as first team all pro last season. At Center Frederick is the heart and soul of what many experts call the best offensive line in the entire league. At age 26 Frederick still has many goods years ahead of him and his relationship with sophomore quarterback Dak Prescott will be pivotal for the Cowboys continued success in the future.

Melvin Gordon

After being drafted 15th overall in the 2015 NFL draft by the San Diego chargers Gordon’s rookie season was plagued by injuries and fumbling issues. Last season however Gordon broke onto the scene with over 1,300 hundred total yards and was eventually named to the pro bowl. In the first few weeks of this season Gordon has been the Charger ’s every down back and he looks to continue to excel in that role this season.

James White

White was selected by the New England Patriots in the 4th round of the 2014 NFL draft. After a quiet first couple of seasons in the league White burst onto the scene during last years Super Bowl where he scored three touchdowns including the game winning touchdown in overtime that capped off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. White looks to build off this success this season as he is set to be the Patriots top option out of the backfield.

Celebration raised $49,644 for American Family Children’s Hospital

by FIRSTNAME, LASTNAME Position

DUMMY TEXT — In 1969, pictures of protests covered the front pages of almost every newspaper in the nation. In Madison, four students sat at the Brathaus on State Street arguing over how to better record and combat the protests run-amok on campus.

The idea was to create an alternative voice on a campus, a voice that would cast the protests in another light and challenge common ideology.

Gathered in the back of the Brathaus, the Herald’s founders, Patrick S. Korten, Nick Loniello, Mike Kelly and Wade Smith, debated late into the night about how to establish such a voice. [● 100 words] “How about revitalizing Insight and Outlook [a student magazine that had died in the early ’60s]?” No, they decided, that would be too boring. After the sixth beer, their vision became surprisingly clear: “How about starting a weekly newspaper? A newspaper that would focus on Madison and issues facing UW students?”

After several months of fundraising, scrounging for desks and typewriters, and renting offices where the Sunroom Café now stands (above Steve and Barry’s on State Street), the first issue of The Badger Herald was published Sept. 10, 1969. In the mid-1970s, the Herald 22 • badgerherald.com • October 3, 2017

[● 200 words] moved to 550 State St. (above the current Qdoba). When the Herald moved to its present-day offices at 326 W. Gorham St. in 1998, the editors kept much of the furniture, including the original desks and homemade light board.

“This newspaper is an experiment. We are attempting to do what has never been done before, ” wrote Korten, the paper’s first editor in chief. (Korten went on to work as a congressional journalist and staffer and is now a public relations consultant at Rowan & Blewitt in Washington, D.C.) In the early years, keeping a conservative newspaper afloat in liberal Madison was a moment-by-moment ordeal. [● 300 words] Reporters sent out to cover the riots would sometimes come back bloodied. And, with tear gas shrouding the streets, editors were occasionally forced to wear gas masks while laying out the week’s paper. Staff members even put chicken wire on the Herald’s windows to discourage Molotov cocktails and other missiles.

“It was fully expected to go out of business in a year, ” said Loniello, a Herald contributor for 10 years and currently an attorney at Loneillo, Johnson and Simonini in Madison.

Against odds, the Herald did survive. [● 400 words] It picked up State Street merchants, regional businesses and eventually even national corporations as advertisers. The Herald attracted writers and readers from a variety of backgrounds and philosophies.

In 1971, the Herald

Photo · Lorem ipsumwas on the brink of dolor sit amet, consecteturbankruptcy. Needing adipiscing elit. In egestascash badly, the Herald sed est maximus hendrerit.hosted a fundraising In congue aliquet metus, etdinner and managed vestibulum enim pharetrato lure conservative in.author William F. Buckley to speak on the paper’s behalf.

Firstname LastnameThe fundraiser was The Badger Heralda success and the

Herald survived, eventually becoming a daily newspaper in the 1980s.

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, the Herald flourished, at one point reaching a circulation of 20,000, a circulation that proved bigger than theaudience (Today, the Herald boasts a daily circulation of 16,000). [● 500 words] As the Herald grew in size and importance, its content became more closely watched and criticized. The Herald was no longer a fledgling conservative rag free to consistently offend whomever it pleased without community reaction.

In 1993, the Herald was criticized for printing a cartoon in which the Cleveland Indians mascot, Chief Wahoo, was equated with Sambo. While some found the satire racist, the Herald argued that the cartoon was an attempt to attack racism rather than promote it.

In 1999, the Herald was attacked after

printing another controversial cartoon. [● 600 words] This one involving a student of color being shocked that Ward Connerly, an anti-affirmative action activist, was AfricanAmerican. This time, the Herald’s editor in chief capitulated, offering an apology and a retraction on the front page. The Opinion editor quit the Herald, convinced the leadership had forgotten the paper’s ideological roots.

In 2001, the Herald published a national advertisement by conservative author David Horowitz that argued against giving AfricanAmericans reparations for slavery. In the weeks that followed, the Herald weathered threats and protests. Its distribution was disrupted.

While many newspapers capitulated, the Herald stood firm. [● 700 words] The editors refused to concede that the Herald was a “racist propaganda machine ” and did not apologize for publishing the advertisement.

The Herald’s position was lauded in Wall Street Journal, USA Today and the Wisconsin State Journal. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel editorialized that the Herald is “living proof that the Constitution is a living document. “ In the three decades since its birth, the Herald has grown from a weekly conservative rag to the nation’s largest fully independent student daily and the most award-winning student newspaper in Wisconsin. [● 800 words] Today, the Herald’s founders look with pride and astonishment at the

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Men’s Hockey Season Preview: Tony Granato leads a promising group

Badgers look to build off successful 2016-2017 campaign without disruption from Winter Olympics

by Daniel Yun Contributor

The 2016-’17 season was a huge success after Tony Granato resurrected the team to a winning season finishing with 12 wins, 2nd in the Big Ten, and 17th nationally.

Furthermore, Tony Granato won Big Ten Coach of the Year and star forward Trent Frederic (33 points in 30 games) received accolades including Big Ten Freshman of the Year. As the start of the 2017-‘18 season draws near Wisconsin for the first time since 2014 has been ranked in the preseason polls (No.12).

“

One of the unique challenges

this season that the team will face

is the absence of head coach Tony

Granato.

”

This upcoming season the Big 10 is introducing a couple of major changes most notably welcoming Notre Dame into the conference. Notre Dame was ranked fifth in the nation at the end of the season and made a semifinal appearance in the 2017 NCAA Frozen Four. Another change is the Big 10 playoff format. The new playoff system will have a three week playoff with the quarterfinals on school sites, then semifinals to the championship. In addition, the first seed of the Big 10 will obtain a first round bye.

One of the unique challenges this season that the team will face is the absence of head coach Tony Granato during portions in the season. Tony Granato was selected as head coach for Team USA in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Another challenge will be that the Badgers will immediately kick off Big 10 conference series matchup against Ohio State on October 6th and 7th. The series will be key indicator on how team improved from last season. Fortunately, with only one key notable departure (Luke Kunin heading to Minnesota Wild) the Badgers still retain most of their key players.

Furthermore, Coach Granato’s focus during the offseason was to add more depth across the roster. The result, the Badgers arguably boast one the highest quality incoming freshman class this year with four out of seven players selected in the NHL draft and an all-star transfer goaltender.

Offense

The Badgers finished ninth in the country with 3.39 average goals per game last season. In addition, Wisconsin’s power play conversion percentage was at

21.5 percent which is six percent higher than Big-10 average. Keep an eye out for Cameron Hughes (seven goals, 25 assists) and Trent Fredric (15 goals and 17 assists) this year as they will be the main offensive weapons. The duo will be supported by forwards such as Ryan Wagner (nine goals, 17 assists, Seamus Malone (10 goals, nine assists), and Will Johnson (10 goals, 12 assists). Defensemen Jake Linhart (six goals, 17 assists) will chip in point production from the blue line. Incoming freshman forwards including offensive duo Jason Dhooghe, Sean Dhooghe, and Linus Weissback (drafted by Buffalo) are expected to contribute to offensive scoring as well. If most of the players can keep up with similar stats from last year the Badgers will be one of the top scoring teams in the nation.

Defense

One of the noticeable weaknesses that the Badgers must focus on will be preventing the puck from passing the goal line. The statistics reflect that struggle.

Wisconsin from last season had a penalty kill percentage of 80.3 percent and gave up an average of 3.28 goals per game.

Overall, Wisconsin is ranked 46th out of 60 in defense. Fortunately, as Jack Linhart and Cullen Hurley start the team added much needed depth. This season three highly talented freshman defenseman man and an All-American transfer goalie will join the Badgers. Defenseman Tyler Inamoto, Josh Ess, and Wyatt Kalynuk will immediately help contribute both offensively and defensively for the Badgers. Furthermore, expect sophomore JD Greenway and Patrick Sexton to take a bigger role in defense.

Last season, goaltenders Jack Berry (.898 save percentage, 2.66 goals allowed per game) and Matt Jurusik (.882 save percentage, 3.70 goals allowed per game) did a respectable job keeping the Badgers to somewhat survive in defense. However, with Matt Jurusik departing to the USHL and the Big 10 becoming more competitive a highly talented goaltender was needed.

Arguably the biggest spotlight will be on transfer goaltender Kyle Hayton.

Hayton spent the last three seasons with St. Lawrence a member of the ECAC conference. Last season, An Kyle boasted a .929 save percentage, 2.28 goals against average, and was awarded ECAC goaltender of the year. In addition, Kyle was a semi-finalist for the Mike Richter Award (NCAA most outstanding goaltender).

First Game vs Michigan Tech October 1st, 2017 Wisconsin will play against Michigan tech for the first time since January 3rd, 2015. (Wisconsin won 2 to 0). Puck drop will start at 2 pm in the Kohl Center.

Photo · Arguably the biggest spotlight will be on transfer goaltender Kyle Hayton.

Jason Chan The Badger Herald

October 3, 2017 • badgerherald.com •23

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New organization looks to improve hockey student section The club will look to build the student section from a game day experience to a tight-knit group of students

by Erik Helm Contributor

Madison has been ranked as the number one college football town in the country from respected outlets across the country, from Sports Illustrated to USA Today. And a large part of that stems from the atmosphere in Camp Randall come kickoff.

Despite the national recognition, football isn’t even the best sporting event in Madison for a lot of people. That title belongs to a team in the Kohl Center, and it’s not basketball. And this year, some students have decided to make the best student section even better.

Six students have organized and created an official student org for the student section at men’s hockey games with the intention to improve on the student section both during games and outside of the arena.

The Crease Creatures, as the student section at the men’s hockey games have been called since the move to the Kohl Center, have already created one of the most intimidating stadium atmospheres in the Big Ten, if not the country. But with the creation of the student org, the founders are trying to expand the fellowship of fans past the gameday experience.

Zach Epstein, the new president of the Crease Creatures, says the club is going to include monthly meetings where students

can suggest new chants or ideas to make the game experience better. They’ll also create pregame meetups where dedicated fans can get to know one another and organize away game watch parties around campus with the overall goal of creating a friendly atmosphere.

“

For the first year to be successful,

we need to one, make sure people

that have student tickets understand that the org exists. I think education is the most important thing.

Zach Epstein “Everyone on the board, myself included, we think hockey is by far the best student section. We want to make sure when other people come, they leave the game thinking the same thing,” Epstein says, who credits the willingness of the students to dance with the band as one of the features that sets apart the hockey student section from others on campus.

That’s not to say there won’t be challenges in the first year of the student org. Epstein says one of those challenges

Ben Pierce The Badger Herald Photo · UW “Crease Creatures” cheer on the men’s hockey team against Minnesota last January.

24 • badgerherald.com • October 3, 2017

”

is simply making sure that students know about the new org.

“For the first year to be successful, we need to one, make sure people that have student tickets understand that the org exists. I think education is the most important thing,” Epstein says.

One way they have been able to communicate with students is through email. Because the club is free this first year, any student who bought men’s hockey tickets was automatically joined into the club and signed up to receive emails from them.

Epstein also expressed some difficulties about adding to a student section that already has such a rich history of tradition.

“It’s hard to really plan to change things,” he said. “Things kind of have to happen naturally for it to become a tradition.”

Within games, Epstein says there isn’t too much he wants to change. He describes Phil, a student section favorite, as a “one-man student section” who is always prepared.

And from the band, “They just need to keep doing what they’re doing. As far as I’m concerned, they’re doing an excellent job,” he said.

One place they can look at changing is the music that’s played during the games. Epstein says the Crease Creatures have looked into getting in contact with those in charge of the playlist to try and

organize more communication between the two groups about the in-game music and creating a specific feeling in the Kohl Center during games.

Despite the concerns of education and tradition, Epstein says he believes the club can be successful in its first year. Past that however, he hopes his club can be a part of a bigger movement.

In his views for the future, he cites Ohio State’s student section as something that UW-Madison should look to emulate.

In Ohio State’s system, they have one overarching student org called “The Block O.” But under that head group, they have branches assigned to either football, men’s basketball and men’s hockey to organize those game day atmospheres.

“We have such great students and student fans. I’m honestly surprised we don’t have something more in place like that,” he said.

“If I could come back in ten years and look at Wisconsin athletics and the student fan population, that would be something I would love to see.”

Epstein and the Crease Creatures already have the support from the hockey program and UW-Athletics, who both played a large part in organizing the kick-off event during ticket distribution to students on Tuesday.

But for now, it is up to the students and whether or not they will support this newly found club.

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BANTER

BANTER

by Teymour Tomsyck Managing Editor

BINGO Why is bae leaving us?

She recently bought glasses

Your RA has discovered and removed your blow up doll

Your roomate didn’t pay for Netflix this month

She is a woman and you are doggo, your love is forbidden

You don’t tip 20 percent

You don’t write for The Badger Herald

You like iceberg lettuce

The pumpkin spice lube was too much

You are in grad school

She said she’d only put up with your meme habit if you got Hamilton tickets

She is going to the store for smokes, but that’s exactly what Dad said before he left

He joined a frat

You wouldn’t pull the lever when experiencing the trolley problem

Attachment issues because you’re basic

You won’t stop using Oxford commas

You write for The Cardinal

Climate change denier

You aren’t politcally active enough

You didn’t donate to #WeekOfRelief

He’s tired of pulling hair monsters out of the drain

Her friend found your Farmers Only profile

They realized your mysterious persona was all a front, you actually are emotionally unavailable, likely forever

You keep putting the toilet paper on the wrong way

Fidget spinners don’t belong in the bedroom

October 3, 2017 • badgerherald.com • 25

DIVERSIONS

26 • badgerherald.com • October 3, 2017

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Prof: “what issues are going on in the us right now?”

live look at me in October: Alesha Guenther @Aleshaguenther

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This is about to be on every #j202 quiz this year while I was away from the table at a DJ event today a girl complimented my music and my laptop stickers I’ve never felt so validated

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I just want someone to want me as badly as tammy’s finance director wants me to donate

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Oh, none. I sprayed Febreeze on my backpack because it smelled like my Subway sandwich.

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listening to frat boys talk makes me wish i was even more hard of hearing than i already am smh

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October 3, 2017 • badgerherald.com • 27