'Budding Solutions' - Volume 51, Issue 12

STUDENT MEDIA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019 · VOL 51 Issue 12 · BADGERHERALD.COM

BUDDING SOLUTIONS Lack of research, regulations of CBD may pose threat to those looking for alternative therapy pg. 12

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Stephanie Beatriz discussed the intimacies of her life and career as a bisexual Latina, answered students questions.

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FEATURE

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BANTER

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Experts said some benefits touted by markets or consumers don’t have strong scientific backing.

BEATRIZ OPENS UP TO UW

Shayde Erbrecht

NEWS

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SHOUTOUTS

‘TIS THE (FLU) SEASON: GET VACCINATED

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Risk of spreading flu is increased on college campuses, and it is too easy to get vaccinated for students to choose not to.

BASKETBALL: BADGERS FIND NEW IDENTITY AS SEASON BEGINS The departure of Ethan Happ may just have provided a necessary shock to the team that allows other talent to rise to the occasion.

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WORLD WAR JOY TOUR

Photos by Suraya Salim and Maggie Hendon, design by Caitlin Geurts

PHOTO

The Chainsmokers, 5 Seconds of Summer and Lennon Stella radiated vigor as they performed at the Alliant Energy Center on Saturday, entertaining students and community members alike.

November 12, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 3

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UW professor elected member of National Academy of Medicine Jonathan Patz is currently the John P. Holton Chair of Health and the Environment in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies

by Janani Sundar Reporter

University of Wisconsin professor Jonathan Patz was recently elected a member of the National Academy of Medicine for his pioneering efforts in the field of climate change as a health issue.

Patz said he was thrilled to be elected and it validates the topic he spent his career on, which is the health effects of climate change.

“For so long I’ve been heralding climate change as a human health issue, not just an environmental issue so to be recognized by the National Academy was really, really nice,” Patz said.

Patz is considered a pioneer in the field of climate change as a human health issue. He first began his research in the early 1990s. When he started, the topic of

the effects of climate change on human and global health was very novel as very few people were doing research on this particular topic, he said. He saw that so many diseases are sensitive to the weather, especially mosquito-borne diseases and water-borne diseases.

Patz said if the climate is changing, then the risks of those diseases will also be changing. He views climate change as one of the largest environmental public health risks the human population faces.

Patz’s research has now shifted from looking at the risks of climate change to looking at quantifying the health benefits from attacking the problem. He said as people get to a low-carbon economy, whether it be from clean energy and transportation or sustainable food, there are immediate health benefits.

“In reducing the threat of climate

Photo ·Jonathan Patz has participated at the national and international level in developments in the field.

Katie Cooney The Badger Herald 4 • badgerherald.com • November 12, 2019

change, we have these co-benefits to health — from cleaner air, cities designed for people, not just for cars, people getting more exercise and also more vegetablebased diets — that are easier on the environment and on our cardiovascular system,” Patz said.

Patz came to UW 15 years ago as a cluster hire. He is currently the John P. Holton Chair of Health and the Environment in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the Department of Population Health Sciences. He became the first and still is the director of the UW Global Health Institute since 2011.

The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. When there is an unresolved scientific issue, the National Academy of Medicine puts together an expert panel and writes a consequent report. Patz participated in some of these reports even without being a member in the academy.

Patz said now that he is a member, he could be given the opportunity to chair a

report pertaining to his field of expertise.

Patz has participated at the national and international level in developments pertaining to the field of climate change.

When Congress asked for a national assessment of climate change, Patz cochaired the first health expert report as he was one of the few people wellversed in this research. Patz was also on the health chapter of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and served as the lead author for 14 years. He was a part of several iterations of the IPCC reports.

Patz and his team have made many discoveries, such as the impact of climate change on increased risk for asthma, the relationship between heat wave mortality and latitude, identifying populations most vulnerable to heat-related morbidity and the association of Hantavirus outbreaks with El Niño in the southwestern U.S. UW professor Daniel Vimont worked with Patz on understanding the impacts of climate change on human health in Wisconsin and the role of climate variations on the prevalence of Zika and dengue in South America.

“The National Academy is one of the top honors that can be awarded to a scientist in the United States,” Vimont said. “You are among the elite scientists in the history of our country if you are elected to one of the national academies.”

Vimont said it is a “very big deal” and well-deserved by Patz.

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Dane County’s budget for sex trafficking prevention efforts increased

County Executive announced $80,000 in Dane County’s 2020 budget in response to local, national concerns, trends

by Savannah Kind Reporter

County Executive Joe Parisi announced Oct. 23 the inclusion of $80,000 in Dane County’s 2020 budget for Project Respect in response to a rising prevalence of sex trafficking.

ARC Community Services runs Project Respect, a program launched to help sex trafficking survivors through counseling, crisis intervention and advocacy. Project Respect plans to use the money from the 2020 budget to create a new full-time position focused on reuniting survivors with their families and stabilizing living conditions, according to a Dane County press release.

“Sex trafficking is a growing concern locally and across the country,” Parisi said.

“It often flies under the radar screen and people aren’t aware that it’s occurring. This summer I met with a lot of different folks who deal with the issue to see what more the county could do to help out.”

The new position in Project Respect will also allow for more rapid responses to calls from other Dane County organizations. According to its website, Project Respect’s mission is to support survivors’ efforts to change their lives.

Director of Project Respect Jan Miyasaki spoke at the Dane County press conference when the 2020 budget was announced.

“Thank you to the county executive for the strength to acknowledge the problem of sex trafficking and the need for specialized human services for survivors of sex trafficking — in our own backyard,” Miyasaki said in the conference.

Last year, Parisi added a new position in the Neighborhood Intervention Program. The new position was tasked with carrying out prevention efforts in the community and working with vulnerable populations which could be potential targets of sex trafficking.

Parisi hoped the creation of these two new positions could help mitigate the effects of sex trafficking in the community.

“We want to alert people to the fact that it occurs and work with hotels and law enforcement and start training people to spot what could be sex trafficking,” Parisi said. “Then we want people and resources available for people who have been trafficked to help them with safety planning or case management or whatever resources they may need.”

Dane County Director of Human Services

Shawn Tessman discussed the new position in the Neighborhood Intervention Program in an email.

Prior to the creation of the position, Tessman said the Neighborhood Intervention Program did not have a direct focus on sex trafficking prevention.

Nevertheless, many young people who were at risk were supported by the staff through other programs, Tessman said.

“The new position has created space for staff both within the agency and at partner agencies to collaborate more effectively, problem solve together, process through specific instances, and provide more support to those most affected,” Tessman said.

Tessman said the Neighborhood Intervention Program employs prevention strategies in different ways. The program often partners with local nonprofits, law enforcement and schools to find ways each organization can help within the community.

Another strategy, Tessman said, is to try to make sure individual needs are met so people are less likely to turn to sex trafficking as an alternative way to make a living.

Neighborhood Intervention Program also provides training upon request to service agencies on what trafficking looks like and what they can do to help others, Tessman said.

“Any person is vulnerable to being exploited through sex trafficking — however there are several life circumstances that may increase a person’s risk,” Tessman said. “For example, traffickers often seek out individuals experiencing homelessness, poverty, and/or addiction and use these situations to coerce the individual into trafficking.”

Neighborhood Intervention Program works with individuals who are under 18 in the community who may be at risk of

being exploited. Tessman said the program does not need a confirmation to prove the individual is being exploited before extending help. Instead, they provide resources and services to young people in the area that benefit them.

Tessman also said it is important for people to be conscious of the language they use when discussing sex trafficking as it can have a profound impact on those affected.

Tessman said people can use personfirst and empowering language to support people who have lived this experience.

“A lot of folk who meet the legal definition of ‘trafficking victims’ do not think of themselves that way or may not have the words to define their experiences,” Tessman said. “There is no single narrative or story that explains every person’s experience. There are a lot of different ways this form of exploitation could look or feel to any individual.”

Photo Joe Parisi announced an $80,000 budget for Project Respect in response to concerns about sex trafficking.

Lauren Henning The Badger Herald November 12, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 5

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UW remains biggest water consumer in Madison, but water use decreases “In the past year, with the new governor, there has definitely been more interest and focus on water issues and conservation statewide,” water specialist said

by Erin Gretzinger Reporter

The University of Wisconsin Sustainability Department released its first ever report on sustainability for the 2018 fiscal year, which revealed UW’s consumption declined, though the university remains the top consumer in the city.

In Gov. Tony Evers’ 2019 State of the State Address, Evers declared 2019 the year of clean drinking water in Wisconsin, bringing the topic of water conservation to the forefront of issues in the state.

Amy Deming, Madison Water Utility outreach specialist, said the newly-brought attention to the importance of water conservation in Wisconsin is taking place in many forms across Madison.

Deming said Madison Water Utility hosts events ranging from recent informative “Water Walks” at elementary schools and efforts through tours and other forms of activism to encourage Madison residents to imagine a day without water.

“In the past year, with the new governor, there has definitely been more interest and focus on water issues and conservation statewide,” Deming said. “It’s something that really complements the work we are doing at Madison Water Utility.”

UW sustainability analyst Alex Frank contributed to the foundation of UW’s first Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System report, better known as the STARS report. Frank said the self-reporting system is the standard sustainability reporting framework used by institutes of higher education to measure their sustainability progress.

The report, released in August, measured the differences in sustainability performance of UW from the 2007 fiscal year to the 2018 fiscal year. The water section of the report revealed that UW’s consumption of potable water based on the weight of campus users decreased by about 22% from 2007 to 2018.

“If you are comparing 2007 to 2018, we actually have more students and staff in that time, but we still had a per user decrease in water,” Frank said.

Despite this decrease, UW-Madison is still the largest consumer of water in Madison, according to the Madison Water Utility billing department. In 2018, the city of Madison pumped just over 9 billion gallons of water. According to the STARS report, UW’s total water consumption was about 822 million gallons in 2018, accounting for just under 10% of the city’s total usage.

Deming said the average Madison resident uses 53 gallons of water a day. Based on research done by the Environmental Protection 6 • badgerherald.com • November 12, 2019

Agency, Madison Water Utility calculated the amount of water Madison residents use each day on specific utilities. Deming said nearly one-quarter of all water consumption goes into flushing toilets. Leaks account for 11% and showers account for 19% of all usage.

Deming said the city’s programs to reduce water waste are simple. Madison Water Utilities’ toilet rebate program pays people $100 to replace their older toilets that take more water to flush, having a huge impact on individual houses’ water usage. Deming said landlords and house owners can make a difference by replacing old appliances and fixing leaks.

“These are significant ways to sort of have passive water conservation throughout Madison,” Deming said. “It actually does add

up to a lot of water.”

The same types of programs that Madison Water Utilities advocate for are mirrored by conservation programs in place at UW. Frank said UW has a water fixture replacement program going through the Green Fund project.

Frank said the upgrade of old excerpts reduces the amount of water per flush by 50%.

While the city’s overall usage is lower than the national average of 60 gallons per person per day, Deming said Madison still has room for improvement. With UW being a large consumer of the city’s water, Deming explained how getting students involved is challenging.

“One of our biggest things is taking something that is out of sight and out of mind … and just encouraging people to think about where that water comes from and how their

Photo ·UW’s water consumption has declined, but UW remains top Madison water consumer.

Courtesy of Flickr user John ‘K’

actions impact the community,” Deming said. “This is especially challenging when I think about the university because [students] might not feel super invested in Madison as a community.”

Deming and Frank both agree small actions can make a difference. Frank said while many major water conservation efforts are best accomplished at the institutional level, personal changes add up and students can advocate for better water conservation on campus. Deming said people can do their part in the simplest ways, and moreover, that it is working.

“Everything makes an impact,” Deming said.

“We have seen as a city that water usage has been going down every year pretty much, so it has been making a difference what people are doing.”

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UW pushes for bill to fund project that finds, identifies missing soldiers “Families all over the state are missing their loved ones without the closure of knowing what happened to them,” spokeperson said

by Margaret Terry Reporter

The University of Wisconsin is advocating for Senate Bill 446 to provide funding for research to find and identify Wisconsin soldiers who are missing.

Torrey Tiedeman, the communications and outreach coordinator of the Missing in Action Recovery and Identification project, said the purpose of the project is to advance the recovery of missing-in-action service members from overseas by using different practices and student volunteers across the UW system.

According to the project’s website, it brings together four scholarly disciplines: history, archaeology, forensic anthropology and genetic analysis. These areas work together to survey sites and exhume and identify remains. These teams are composed of students, researchers, student veterans, alumni and volunteers.

The researchers specializing in archaeology and genetics have been working with the United States Department of Defense since 2013 to identify missing U.S. soldiers, according to AP News.

State Sens. Roger Roth, R-Appleton, and Dale Kooyenga, R-Brookfield, and state Reps. Ken Skowronski, R-Franklin, and Christine Sinicki, D-Milwaukee, are the lead authors on the bill. It will provide $360,000 to the project over the next two fiscal years if passed.

Tiedeman said that since 2014, the project has found and identified three soldiers, all of whom were killed in France during World War II. These recovery missions are assigned to the UW MIARIP and funded by the DOD, according to AP. Angela Roidt, communications director for Roth, wrote in an email that some projects can cost $1.5 million and take up to two years to complete, and due to the success of its past missions, the U.S. Department of Defense began partnering with similar programs throughout the country.

“The DOD has not assigned the team any Wisconsin MIA cases, which is why the state is helping with this bill,” Roidt wrote.

Charles Konsitzke founded the project and is the team leader. Konsitzke is also the associate director for the UW Biotechnology Center, which hosts the projects. He said he started this project because a civilian asked UWBC to help them find

a missing soldier. Konsitzke said he doesn’t have personal connections to any missing-in-action soldiers, but he did come from a military family.

He said he felt motivated from witnessing how academics can further the search for soldiers.

Roth is a lead author on the bill and circulated it for support among his legislative colleagues in the senate and the assembly. Twenty-seven state senators and 61 representatives have signed onto SB 446 since its introduction Sept. 23.

Roidt wrote in an email that Wisconsin has 1,500 missing-in-action service members of the 82,000 nationwide.

“Families all over the state are missing their loved ones without the closure of knowing what happened to them,” Roidt wrote.

Roidt also wrote that Roth served four tours in the Middle East. He was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and three times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Roth is a military officer in the Wisconsin Air National Guard holding the rank of first lieutenant. Roth’s military experience allows him to understand the sacrifice of those who serve, as well as their families, made for our freedom.

“It is our duty to give every effort and attempt

to bring their remains back home to their families,” Roidt wrote.

The bill will benefit both the Wisconsin missingin-action soldiers and their families at a lower cost and with greater effectiveness because of the resources UW would have access to. Roidt wrote that with the increase in funding under the bill, the project “could conduct recovery missions in areas of the world that are off limits to DOD missions.”

Wisconsin has led the nation on missing-inaction recovery projects. With this bill, Wisconsin could become the first state in the nation to fund the project’s mission, Roidt wrote.

This project has worked closely with the Defense Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency since 2016. “[The project] is tasked with recovery missions from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency,” Tiedeman said.

The DPAA provides the UW project available information on the case, equipment and some of their own personnel.

Tiedeman has a military background. He said the project has enabled him to “continue serving without being in the military.”

Photo ·The bill would provide funding for research to find and identify missing Wisconsin soldiers.

Mary Magnuson The Badger Herald November 12, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 7

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Untested CBD products could be potential health risk, as sales spike “There are many other claims out there, and we don’t have any strong evidence that those claims actually count or not,” doctor said

by Arushi Gupta Reporter

With recent spikes in the availability and sale of cannabidiol products that are being used as an alternative treatment for pain and anxiety, doctors warn of potential health risks and unproven claims of benefit from CBD. 7-Eleven stores installed CBD dispensing robots, Canadian company Cronos bought a CBD company for $300 million and HempAmericana, Inc. released an online portal for the sale of CBD products.

The director of the Doctor of MedicineMaster of Public Health program at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, said CBD could have countless benefits it has not been systematically tested for.

He said the only benefit that has been found for CBD in clinical trials is for intractable seizures, which are seizures that don’t respond to any type of treatment or therapy, and that Epidiolex is the only medication containing CBD that is FDA-approved.

“There are many other claims out there, and we don’t have any strong evidence that those claims actually count or not,” Navsaria said.

The FDA has issued seven warning letters this year to firms for marketing “unapproved new drugs that allegedly contain CBD.” Three of the firms are based in Florida.

CBD products can be easily found online and in stores, including Walgreens. CBD American Shaman sells anti-inflammatory creams and a large variety of CBD products for beauty, wellness and pain relief on its online website and stores throughout Wisconsin and other US states.

“Even if I knew or had reasonable evidence that CBD is valuable, for example, for intractable seizures, I don’t know if I tell someone to just go out and buy CBD — not the prescription one that I talked about — I have no idea how much active ingredients I’m actually getting,” Navsaria said. “I don’t know about the purity. I don’t know what else is in there. There’s all sorts of questions that would make it very difficult for me to say yes, it’s okay to take this.”

This issue is a problem not just for CBD, Navsaria said, but also for almost any herbal supplement or homeopathic remedy on the market.

Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy Natalie Schmitz’s research focuses on looking at 8 • badgerherald.com • November 12, 2019

the labeling accuracy of different products to check if they have as much CBD in them as they claim as well as if they contain any other cannabinoid.

“Some other ones that I haven’t started yet, but are on the horizon, are looking at if your drugs screen test positive from CBD and overlooking the absorption and how the body breaks down topical CBD,” Schmitz said.

According to Forbes, people using CBD products can test positive for cannabis in urine drug tests. This can be alarming for individuals whose jobs require them to be tested for drugs.

Though companies will make consumers believe CBD has numerous benefits, Schmitz said there is not enough literature to support the effectiveness of CBD.

“Anecdotally, it seems that different conditions have had some benefits, such as pain, anxiety, but I think more research needs to be done before I can make a conclusive statement on its effectiveness,” Schmitz said.

In a recent study, researchers observed that CBD can actually cause liver damage and liver toxicity. Moreover, side effects of CBD include nausea, fatigue and irritability.

Though significant risks of using CBD have not yet been observed, Schmitz said it still has numerous potential risks, such as drug interactions that can lead to personal harm. Such drug interactions include increased levels of certain medications in the blood.

Schmitz said the sale of CBD products

Photo ·CBD products are readily available throughout Madison, and Wisconsin as a whole.

Nuha Dolby The Badger Herald

could be regulated if the FDA compiled and published some sort of guidance and developed a standardization program.

She also said state-proposed guidelines and quality measurements could help in ensuring that CBD is sold without any risks to the public.

“I think that whenever you see a product that is being touted for so many different cures or remedies, you should stop and ask yourself, how is it possible that one item is doing all these different things?” Navsaria said. “I think there is a lot of profit motive here. I don’t think this is about trying to help people — I think this is about trying to maximize sales of a product while it’s something trendy. It could be that some other usage could be shown over time, but the evidence for that is not really there.”

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As Chinese imports fewer recyclables, Madison’s profits go down ‘The recycling system still functions, the money’s just not there like it once was,’ recycling coordinator Bryan Johnson said

by Ben Baker Reporter

After China implemented a new set of standards for importing recyclable goods in 2017, waste management operations in Madison find themselves at a financial downturn.

Recycling and sustainability have always been pillars of Madison’s identity, Bryan Johnson, the City of Madison recycling coordinator, said. He said Madison has been a city of sustainability for over 50 years.

The city has earned its stripes as a hub for recycling, adding an impressive number of items to its list of what may be recycled, many of which are regarded as trash by other cities and towns across Wisconsin.

“Styrofoam is something that is very

unique to us,” Johnson said. “You don’t put it in your cart, but if you bring it to a drop off site, there’s actually a spot in Waunakee that accepts it to recycle it. Also we’re unique in the way we do plastic bags as a city, where you have to bundle them, but bundled plastic bags are something that can go in your recycling cart.”

Madison’s Department of Waste Management sends out crews to collect recyclable waste from residencies. Materials are then delivered to competitors such as Pellitteri Waste Systems, which are responsible for purchasing, processing and reselling recyclables.

As expansive as the departments’s efforts to collect recyclable materials are, Lynn Morgan, Madison’s Public Affairs Manager for Waste Management, said limits on recyclable pick

Photo · Recycling bins are available across campus, including College Library.

Lena Simon The Badger Herald

up do exist. Morgan said the city imposes restrictions on what buildings and residencies are integrated into the department’s grid.

“The way that things are structured, the City of Madison collects recyclables from residences — single family and, I believe, up to four family units within the city,” Morgan said.

But such restrictions hardly make life easy for waste management. Madison imports recyclables from other, less eco-friendly locations and that these efforts originally served to significantly increase revenue brought in by the city. But in the wake of new restrictions placed on imported recyclables by China, both Pellitteri and Madison’s profits have been measurably reduced.

Johnson said China emerged in the 1990s as a pioneer of recyclable material trading.

As a result, corporations and governments alike sold their recyclable waste to China as a system of trade that initially appeared mutually beneficial.

But as more and more recyclable material made its way to China, the nation soon realized it was also sorting through nonrecyclables and could no longer sustain such a massive influx of garbage. In response, the government placed a series of quality and cleanliness quotas on incoming recyclable goods, Johnson said.

As a result, Johnson said, companies that originally processed and sold waste from Madison have been forced to reduce the amount of waste they purchase from the city, while simultaneously increasing purity requirements for waste materials they are willing to accept.

Consequentially, Johnson said media outlets and citizens of Madison alike often point to a “recycling crisis,” unfolding in the city. He added, however, he thinks this is a mischaracterization of an issue he sees tied more to supply and demand than the functional abilities of the Department of Waste Management, both in Madison and across the country “The money is what’s driving all the headlines that are saying ‘recycling is in crisis,’” Johnson said. “You know, that’s a money problem, not a system problem. The recycling system still functions, the money’s just not there like it once was.”

Morgan echoed similar sentiments, saying that collection procedures by Madison’s Department of Waste Management have been thorough and up to the task.

Morgan described the company Pellitteri as the primary processor of recyclable materials for the city of Madison and said many outside the business frequently conflate the responsibilities of the two distinct entities.

“There’s quite often confusion along this because people hear ‘Waste Management’ and what have you and they may be looking for a city and find their way to us,” Morgan said.

Yet the City of Madison continues to lose money as recycled materials are left unused by companies like Pellitteri, while those goods which are processed are purchased for significantly cheaper.

But Johnson believes that through grassroots efforts, the citizens of Madison themselves may hold a critical role in reversing the impending “recycling crisis,” threatening Madison.

“I would just encourage the people of Madison to continue to help,” Johnson said.

“For one thing, keep recycling because yes, it matters, and keep it clean.”

November 12, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 9

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Stephanie Beatriz holds intimate discussion of intersectionality at UW ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ star Stephanie Beatriz visits Shannon Hall at Memorial Union to discuss acting career, TV culture as bisexual Latina

by Samiha Bhushan Staff Writer

Even within the large expanse of Shannon Hall, Fox and NBC’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actress Stephanie Beatriz delivered an incredibly intimate interview regarding her experiences as a bisexual Latina woman in the entertainment industry.

Growing up, she described her affinity for theatrical roles. According to Beatriz, theater generally employed “colorblind” casting while movies she watched as a child rarely had non-white actresses.

Beatriz expresses her frustration at people’s ignorance about this issue.

“Colorblindness [in film] isn’t a thing,” Beatriz said. “People who say that likely live in a system that allows them to say it.”

After living in New York for eight years, Beatriz described her disillusionment in terms of her life and profession.

“I had been hired at the Shakespeare Festival so many times in a row, I was losing a grip on New York and thought, ‘Why don’t I save some money and go down to L.A?’” Beatriz said.

Following her performance in a few plays in Los Angeles, she expressed her luck in acquiring an agency to help her land jobs on television. Beatriz discussed the difficulties of getting hired as a person of color, but she still had ambitions to be a part of an established TV show.

Beatriz laughed as she recounted speaking with the agency early on.

“I remember telling my agency I wanted to be in something like ‘Parks and [Recreation],’” Beatriz said. “’Please get me something like ‘Parks and [Recreation].’’”

Beatriz then went on to describe her early interactions with the writing staff and directors of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” an action-comedy TV series where she plays badass detective Rosa Diaz.

“I got an audition and the script had no title,” Beatriz said. “It just said ‘Untitled Pilot Project’ by Mike Shur and Dan Goor. I was so excited.”

She further explained her original interaction with the show.

“I originally auditioned for the role of Amy Santiago because it was delineated in the script that she was Latina,” Beatriz said.

The casting director saw potential and made her read another role instead.

Beatriz said the original name for the role of Rosa Diaz was Meghan. The description of the character was “fiery and red-headed.”

“I think they were initially trying to create an Irish cop character,” Beatriz said.

The weeks following her initial audition, she got a callback for both Amy and Meghan. Beatriz stated she did a screen test, and was eventually cast in the role of Meghan, who eventually became Rosa Diaz.

Beatriz gave insight into the ninety-ninth 10 • badgerherald.com • November 12, 2019

episode of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” where Rosa comes out as bisexual to Charles Boyle, another detective on the show, and a good friend of hers.

Beatriz talked about the process of creating Rosa as a bisexual character.

“I always played Rosa as queer,” Beatriz said. “There were clues in the script, like early on she says Tonya Harding was hot.

There was always a joyful sexual tension with Gina Linetti.”

The character Gina Linetti, played

by Chelsea Peretti, is an eccentric administrator on the show.

Beatriz described her own coming out story, where she came out as bisexual to some family and friends. She then shared how she accidentally came out publicly on Twitter. According to Beatriz, people’s reaction to her coming out went back to her role as Rosa, where they began to question Rosa’s sexuality on the show.

Beatriz recounted a conversation she had with the series creator Dan Goor.

“He called and asked me if I would be interested in exploring Rosa as queer, specifically as bisexual,” Beatriz said.

She said with her experiences as a bisexual person, she thought it would be good to portray that for others watching the show.

She further described the intersectionality of her identities, both as a bisexual woman and a person of color.

“I was particularly interested in the specificness of what it means to be a Latinx and to be queer,” Beatriz said.

This, Beatriz said, stemmed from her desire to represent a community that hasn’t always been accepted before.

She reflected on her current struggles as a bisexual woman beyond her professional life. ”Coming out to my parents wasn’t even an option,” Beatriz said. “I came out to my sister, and she said, ‘don’t tell mom and dad.’ That’s a crushing thing to hear — it essentially means to hide who you are.”

Even now as an LGBTQ+ activist, Beatriz said she still doesn’t talk about her sexuality with her parents.

Difficulties in her personal life prompted Beatriz to ask the screenwriters to make sure they explicitly stated Rosa’s identity as bisexual and to ensure it was stated more than once. She wanted to see a depiction of her real-life struggles.

Beatriz also spoke about her main aims for the future.

“I’m excited to see the landscape of television continue to change so it can more honestly reflect what the American public really looks like,” Beatriz said.

She concluded by expressing her hope to be a part of this change in the TV landscape with both “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and her upcoming musical drama “In the Heights.”.

Photo · Stephanie Beatriz spoke with UW students not just about her own experiences with intersectionality, but about applying this to her on-screen character in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” as well.

Ahmad Hamid The Badger Herald

ARTSETC.

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A visit to Rocky Rococo’s inspires pizzeria-arcade nostalgia

A love letter to Rocky Rococo’s reminding us that the Madison born joint is still a quality pizza option, relic of bygone era, nostalgic experience

by Adam Fearing Staff Writer

On a cold November evening, I trudged through snow and biting wind to review a sausage pizza at the Regent Street Rocky Rococo’s.

Rocky Rococo’s is a regional pizza chain headquartered in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

Founded in Madison nearly 50 years ago by a pair of college students, Rocky Rococo’s peaked at 120 locations in 1986, but has since receded to 40 restaurants.

The fictional namesake of the brand is an aggressively Italian pizza purveyor who wears a white suit and fedora and was portrayed by Madison comic actor Jim Pederson until his death in 2016.

I love Rocky Rococo’s — not necessarily for the pizza, but primarily for the mythos surrounding the brand. In an era where fast food companies have long discarded their mascots, Rocky Rococo continues to honor their eponymous founder. Burger King and the extended Ronald McDonald Universe have been swept into the dustbin of history, and Colonel Sanders is kept on life-support only to have the character trotted out by a rotating cast of actors.

Amidst it all, Rocky Rococo soldiers on.

The Rocky Rococo lore is meticulously fleshed out. According to the company’s official website, “Mr. Rocky Rococo was born in 1948 in Newark, N.J., the son of Lillian ‘Mama’ Rococo and Albert ‘Night Breeze’ Rococo.”

Rocky’s father, Night Breeze, abandoned his family soon after baby Rocky was born, leaving Mama Rococo to raise their child only with the help of her brother-in-law Uncle Sal. In Rocky’s early years, he floated through odd jobs before landing in the pizza industry and opening his first restaurant in 1974.

Details of Rocky’s personal life are not easily located, but there is a paragraph on the website that says he carried on an illicit love affair with a subordinate named Bess Quality for 25 years until they were discovered in 1999.

I frequently engage with the Rocky Rococo’s brand on social media platforms, and so much so on Facebook that I was awarded Top Commenter status at one point a few months ago.

Seeking to capitalize on this, I began a correspondence with the company, which ended with them graciously mailing me a coupon for a free large pizza (face value ~$17). With this in hand, I arrived at Rocky Rococo’s at around 7

p.m. that night.

The cashier assured me that my coupon entitled me to as many toppings as I desired, and while Rocky Rococo’s has an impressive array of options including andouille and feta, I decided to play it safe with Italian sausage, onions, peppers and olives.

Rocky’s signature offering is a square-shaped pan-style slice, with a thick, doughy crust forming the foundation for heaping layers of sauce, toppings and a warm blanket of real Wisconsin cheese. These slices are dense — the first few bites are pleasant but finishing one becomes a bit of a chore as you near the end.

The pizza makers are disciplined — they arranged exactly two large pieces of sausage per slice on my gridded pie. These sausages were the highlight of the slice — large savory chunks of seared meat with notes of fennel. The sauce was typical, though on the sweeter side.

In my opinion, Rocky Rococo’s makes a very decent slice. If you’re in the market for a pizza meal, you could do much worse than their signature pan-style. I prefer it vastly to mass market alternatives like Pizza Hut and Domino’s, but there’s no denying that area competitors like Pizza di Roma and Ian’s have it beat.

While I didn’t order them on that night, Rocky’s also has attractive side options like their breadsticks (always order with nacho cheese) and toasted ravioli (the St. Louis treat).

In some respects, Rocky Rococo’s is a relic of a bygone era. This is apparent at most of the locations — where faded décor and throwback rock hits playing on the PA hearken back to a time when children celebrated their birthdays at pizzeria-arcades.

The closure of the Rocky Rococo’s Party Pizzeria on East Washington Avenue last year seems to indicate that these types of establishments no longer hold the cachet among children that they used to. I don’t spend much time around children so I’m not sure if this is the case or not, but if you’re a kid who has access to Fortnite and Virtual Reality, why would you want to spend your birthday playing Skee Ball?

For those of us who did grow up scrounging for lost tokens underneath arcade machines, an occasional visit to Rocky Rococo’s is a bittersweet reminder of a simpler time. And since it would be extremely weird for a grown man to visit Chuck E. Cheese alone, this is probably your best bet for pizzeria-arcade nostalgia.

‘The Lighthouse’ exemplifies other-worldly, unparalleled filmmaking

Groundbreaking filmmaking, allusions to Greek mythology, unforgettable performances lead ‘The Lighthouse’ into droppingly chilling territory

by Matt Fraga Staff Writer

The reason I love movies is because, for two hours, I can enter another world. All my worries and doubts take a back seat, and I become a part of a new reality. This is especially the case for Robert Eggers’ “The Lighthouse,” starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson.

Dafoe plays Thomas Wake, a seasoned lighthouse keeper with more than a few loose screws. He is established as a fanatical, abusive boss to Robert Pattinson’s character. Ephraim Winslow (Pattinson) begins as the polar opposite of Wake, following the rules, refusing to drink and dismissing the superstitions Wake holds dear. The audience watches the film through Winslow’s perspective. We have the same reactions as him, especially when interacting with Wake.

Dafoe gives one of his most memorable performances, which is saying a lot. Similarly, Pattinson gives what I believe to be his best performance to date. He has quickly made up for the Twilight Saga over the past few years with films like “Good Time” and “High Life.”

He has a new film out on Netflix as well and will be the next actor to don the cape and cowl as

Batman in 2021.

“The Lighthouse” is Eggers’ follow up to his critically acclaimed 2015 debut, “The Witch.”

Much like his first film, Eggers does a fantastic job of creating an eerie, ominous atmosphere.

Every aspect from lighting to editing to sound design and set design builds an unsettling mood.

Unlike “The Witch,” this film is shot entirely in black and white, and, after seeing it, I cannot imagine it any other way. Along with the black and white, the film is shot in a 1.19:1 aspect ratio, similar to silent-era films of the early 20th century. The boxy aspect ratio enhances the feeling of isolation, covering just over half of the screen.

The film starts with a menacing doomsdaylike foghorn from the lighthouse which can be heard intermittently throughout the movie.

The score is very stripped, mostly relying on high pitch tones and deep horns sounding like didgeridoos. Mark Korven — who oversaw sound design — is a master at balancing loud, bombastic music with quiet, understated music.

The dramatic shifts in music mirror the shift in Pattinson’s character.

The film is marketed as a horror/thriller, which is evident in the trailer. Simply labeling it as such would be a disservice, though. “The

Lighthouse” is exceptionally unique, and it crosses multiple genres, which makes it so gripping to watch. While there are grotesque moments, there are just as many moments of pure joy. Eggers establishes a sense of dread from the beginning, but there is also plenty of humor throughout. Dafoe’s old-timey sailor slang lends itself to some great comedic moments.

The movie could have been a bore, but Eggers does such a good job of balancing the dreary, unassuming moments with gripping scenes which leave you on the edge of your seat. ”The Lighthouse” has a lot to say about power, calling into question our perception of traditional masculinity. The power dynamic between Wake and Winslow is a consistent point of conflict. Anytime the characters seem to bond, chaos soon erupts. This constant struggle for power is a major reason for the demise of each character.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the film is its roots in Greek mythology. The supernatural is a major element of the film. Both Wake and Winslow are allegories of Greek figures.

Winslow is comparable to Prometheus, who tried to steal light from the gods. According to myth, his punishment was to be chained to a rock while an eagle ate his liver for all of eternity.

Wake could be compared to the Greek god Proteus, who was, as Homer put it, the “old man of the sea.” Proteus, like Wake, disliked sharing his knowledge. He was also able to shapeshift, which may or may not be relevant to “The Lighthouse.”

The similarities do not stop there. There is no shortage of mermaids in the film, which are reminiscent of Greek sirens, who were said to lure sailors with their song, bringing death and corruption to all who followed.

Though these resemblances exist, the wonderful thing about this movie is that you do not need to be familiar with Greek mythology to enjoy it. It can be read simply as an entertaining movie about two opposing characters’ dissent into madness as a result of their isolation.

It is not often the closing shot of a film leaves me speechless, but I was frozen, jaw on the floor, once the end credits rolled. A movie like “The Lighthouse” does not come around too often.

It is as close to perfect as a film can get. It is apparent from his first two projects Eggers has a deep appreciation for technical filmmaking.

These aspects of the film may not always be apparent, but they act to set the tone for the film and grab the audience’s attention, never easing up.

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Budding solutions: Athletes advocate for CBD use, but risks, regulations remain hazy Lack of research, regulations of CBD may pose threat to those looking for alternative therapy

by Anna Walters Digital Features Editor

David Wells, a retired All-Star Yankees pitcher, said he is living proof that cannabidiol can transform an individual’s life. Cannabidiol, better known as CBD, is a chemical compound in cannabis that has started permeating the sports world.

In an interview with ThePostGame in 2016, Wells said he hopes major sports leagues will start to realize its potential too, instead of focusing on “quick fixes.”

“They need to open their eyes and understand what this can do. I would rather see a guy take CBD or medical marijuana than see a guy taking a painkiller,” Wells said.

Wells admitted in the interview that he spent a large portion of his 21-season career under the influence of heavy painkillers.

The physical toll pitching took on his body landed him in the operating room for a plethora of surgeries due to injuries he sustained during his career.

Prescription painkillers, introduced to him after one of his first surgeries, became part of his daily regimen to stay competitive in the MLB. His drug abuse carried on throughout his entire career and even after his retirement in 2007.

After seeing a segment on TV about CBD, he decided to give it a chance. Wells said he now uses CBD oil instead of pills to manage his pain. The relief he felt from CBD instantly turned him into an advocate for change in how sports leagues handle pain management.

A Joint Effort

Athletes like Wells and even Wisconsin’s Brett Favre have opened up the conversation about drug abuse in sports. CBS reported that in his Packer days, Brett Favre took a month’s worth of painkillers in two days.

Ex-Detroit Lions wide receiver, Calvin Johnson, said trainers handed out painkillers “like candy.”

It’s clear Wells is not alone in his call for change, as CBD has become a budding trend in the sports world.

Professional athletes like Rob Gronkowski, Ryan VandenBussche, University of Wisconsin alumni David Ahrens and former NCAA athlete Treyous Jarrells, among many others, have come out over the past few years to publicly declare their support for CBD as well A large community of athletes, from runners to volleyball and football players, have become ambassadors for advocacy organizations like Athletes for Care, which funds research on CBD and other solutions to health issues athletes face. Recently, tennis player John Inser even became the face of a CBDinfused sports drink called Defy.

CBD can be taken in the form of oils, topical lotions, capsules and pills, edibles or through vaping devices.

Advocates have cited perceived benefits like relief from pain, inflammation and stress, and increased focus, better recovery and sleep — not to mention the non-addictive characteristics of CBD that are appealing to many as well.

Hashing out the Law

But, the current legal status of cannabis in Wisconsin 12 • badgerherald.com • November 12, 2019

has been criticized as foggy, amid contradicting legislations passed in different cities and varying opinions from policy-makers on the legalization of marijuana.

It was only at the end of 2018 when congress passed the cannabis-legislation-changing Farm Bill, that CBD products started cropping up on shelves across Wisconsin.

The bill removed hemp with 0.3% or less THC — the compound in cannabis that gives a high — from both federal and state lists of controlled substances and lifted restrictions on its sale, transport and possession.

Natalie Schmitz, an assistant professor of pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin, is familiar with the complicated nature of the legislation surrounding cannabis.

Schmitz worked as a medical cannabis pharmacist for three years in Minnesota, and is now working on establishing a program at UW that studies cannabinoid therapies for neurological disorders and traumatic brain injuries.

“It’s a very confusing law. Even though hempderived CBD with less than 0.3% THC is legal, cannabis is still a class one substance,” Schmitz said.

“I feel like that’s really, really shaky territory because there could be traces of THC, and then what happens when somebody was using [CBD] for their knees or something like that and then they test positive for THC? It all looks the same.”

A.J. Taylor

Badgers Wide Reciever Getting Blunt About CBD in Sports Even more complications arise when CBD is taken into the realm of professional and college sports where athletes are strictly drug tested, Schmitz said.

For most high-level athletes, CBD remains outside the field of play.

In 2019, CBD was removed from the World AntiDoping Agency’s list of prohibited substances, but it remains prohibited in the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL —

though the NFL announced in May they were looking into alternative forms of pain management. But, PGA and U.S. professional tennis do allow players to use CBD. The UW Athletics Department currently does not prohibit CBD use for athletes, but is discouraging it, Erin Hammer, a primary care physician for UW Athletics, said.

“Probably the biggest concern for athletes that are subject to drug testing is that there is a significant possibility that athletes could test positive for THC, the psychoactive property of marijuana,” Hammer said. “That is based on the experience from other sporting organizations, for example, Major League Baseball, where CBD is actually prohibited because they’ve had several athletes test positive for THC.” According to Hammer, there is a zero-tolerance policy for THC in the NCAA. A.J. Taylor, Badgers wide receiver, said though he has heard of CBD and its potential benefits, the risk is just too great.

“I was having knee problems ... towards the beginning of the season.

Somebody had contacted me and asked me about it, and just told me about CBD and offered it. I did consider it, but nothing ever really came about it,” Taylor said.

Athletes can be drug tested by the NCAA, the Big 10 Conference and the University of Wisconsin at any given time.

Tests look for different drugs, but most commonly, they are trying to detect THC, Taylor said.

“I feel like that’s really, really shaky territory because there could be traces of THC, and then what happens when somebody was using [CBD] for their knees or something like that and then they test positive for THC? It all looks the same,” Taylor said. “Nobody’s going to know if it’s weed or if it’s CBD. That can just get into really uncharted waters.”

CBD sold in stores is currently not regulated by the FDA, which poses a risk to athletes or even workers who are subject to drug tests that detect THC, Schmitz said.

In 2018, a school bus driver in Illinois lost her job due to a failed drug test after she claimed to use overthe-counter hemp oil capsules to relieve back pain that left trace amounts of THC in her system.

According to the report from ABC, the bus driver said the CBD was helping with her aches and pains, but that she’ll never take it again after losing her busdriving permit.

A 2017 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that about 69% of CBD products had labels that were inaccurate — either claiming to have higher or lower levels of CBD or THC than what was really contained in the product.

Jennifer Helmer, an herbalist at the Community Pharmacy in Madison — where many go to buy their CBD products — said to look for hemp companies that are going above and beyond to be reputable.

“Athletes can be put in a hard place when they are trying to wean off of painkillers yet fail to pass a drug test if they are using CBD,” Helmer said.

While Taylor said he has been lucky enough to only need to take over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or Icy Hot for his pain, some aren’t as lucky.

A recent study found that youth participants in highinjury sports like football and wrestling were 50% more likely to misuse opioids than people of the same age who did not participate in these sports.

“I’ve been lucky enough to not get any big injuries or anything or have to take the strongest stuff. Some guys

had to take oxy[codone] after their surgeries, but that’s really the extent of it,” Taylor said.

The Roots of Research

Schmitz is currently researching the accuracy of labels on CBD products sold in Madison.

“Luckily, a lot of the products we’ve been looking at

“It’s hard to know when culture will shift because this is such a unique problem. I don’t think any other compound has had the same kind of stigma [as cannabis].”

Natalie Schmitz

Assistant Professor of Pharmacy University of Wisconsin-Madison locally are relatively accurate,” Schmitz said.

The regulation of how CBD-producing hemp is cultivated is also an important factor, Leah Sadler, a research agronomist at the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, said. The Michael Fields Institute conducts industrial hemp production research and provides educational resources on hemp.

While it is currently illegal to use synthetic pesticides to grow hemp, the current lack of regulation poses a threat to the health of individuals consuming it, Sadler said.

“Because the way the CBD is extracted [from hemp] makes it significantly more concentrated. If a grower does spray chemicals on the plant, and then it’s harvested, dried down and extracted, you can potentially run into the significantly higher levels of those chemicals in the CBD,” Sadler said. “I think it’s important that before we advocate for students to use CBD, it needs to be regulated so we are preventing other harmful chemicals from being consumed. ”When it comes to Division I athletes and even her typical patients, Hammer said she has concerns about recommending these products too, not only due to the lack of regulations, but also the lack of research to back it.

Despite the rapid changes in legislation and anecdotal evidence of benefits, the health effects of CBD remain relatively unknown, Schmitz said.

Hammer said the holy grail of medicine is to find a product that controls pain, has minimal side effects and is cost effective, and while there is early evidence that

CBD could be that product, the medical standards for recommendation have not been met yet.

“The quality of these products is really lacking at this point, and as a physician, if I’m going to recommend a product to a patient, I want to have confidence that it is safe and there is consistency in what is contained in that product,” Hammer said.

Schmitz agreed. While CBD is relatively low risk — citing sedation and fatigue as possible side effects — the research to give organizations like the NCAA or major sports leagues grounds to recommend its use just aren’t there yet, Schmitz said.

For now, Schmitz said it’s a waiting game.

“There isn’t the literature out there to support absolutely go use [CBD] or don’t. It’s kind of a waiting game as far as its efficacy, but it looks promising,” Schmitz said. “There’s definitely benefits to it, but we’re still trying to figure out if there’s any long term safety concerns.”

A Promising but Hazy Future

Schmitz recounted her days as a cannabis pharmacist in Minnesota, where the patients she served worked with their providers to get off opioids by using CBD or THC as alternatives for pain management. She has hope that there may be a place for similar therapies in the sports world.

“I think eventually, there’s definitely a role for that, but I think the policy behind using it or not using it will need to change before that’s a major role,” Schmitz said. “We definitely know that opioids are dangerous and addictive, so I agree that CBD or cannabis therapies are a good alternative. But again, we need to look at the efficacy behind that and the safety long term, and then trying to manage testing positive for THC.” Schmitz, Helmer and Sadler all agreed that before any of this is possible, the stigma around cannabis in general must change.

This stigma prevents people from using an alternative to working with their pain and sometimes depression and anxiety, Helmer said.

“It’s hard to know when culture will shift because this is such a unique problem. I don’t think any other compound has had the same kind of stigma [as cannabis]. It’s still a class one substance, which means that the DEA sees no medical use and finds it highly addictive,” Schmitz said.

Earlier this year, a Marquette University Law School poll showed that during the last five years, significantly more Wisconsinites have come to support legalizing marijuana.

Taylor said that he doesn’t see CBD catching on in the NCAA unless marijuana is legalized first. For now, they just hope for more research and normalization of the plant.

“I think policy follows the evidence, and we just don’t have the evidence to support the use of these products,” Hammer said. “I think once there is evidence that shows that CBD is effective, then the policy will change. In addition, the quality of the products will be up to par.”

November 12, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 13

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Understanding the intersection of gun violence and mental health

Before any legislation can be productive or effective, politicians must agree to address a core issue — mental health

Photo · Gun control legislation means nothing without all-encompassing approach to addressing the issue.

thinking of committing suicide has the necessary resources prevent suicide.

Increased mental health access would allow many people’s issues to be resolved — even temporarily — before they would have the opportunity to purchase a firearm.

Essentially, increased mental health funding, coupled with longer waiting periods for firearms, would ensure that people considering suicide by firearm have longer to contemplate their decision and find help.

Additionally, should a person be threatening a large scale shooting, ERPOs and mandatory waiting periods would ensure community safety until the potential perpetrator is identified and either imprisoned or given mental health help.

Evers convened a special session Nov. 7 to force the State Legislature to vote on ERPOs and background checks, two issues that would have been a first step in ensuring the safety of Wisconsinites and Americans at large.

But the Republican-controlled Legislature did not allow these life-saving measures to be heard and ended the special session before a debate or vote could occur. Additionally, Republicans slashed the governor ’s budget for mental health resources in half. It is clear Wisconsin Republicans prioritize the NRA and interest groups over the well-being of their constituents. Until state Republicans are no longer beholden to the NRA and start listening to common sense and their constituents, sadly, little to no progress can be made.

There is a link between suicide, firearms, mental health and mass shootings.

Legislation that targets firearms without providing an increased budget for mental healthcare are clearly missing an important, lifesaving link.

The core of a problem needs to be examined before a proper policy prescription can be given. Even if a person was stopped from committing suicide by firearm and certain firearm safety policy provisions were implemented, that does little to address the mental health problem.

Connecting firearm legislation with mental health would ensure that a suicidal or homicidal mentally ill person was not only unable to get their hands on a weapon, but also ensure that the help and care will be given, which would address the true core of the problem.

Herald Archives The Badger Herald

William Keenan (wkeenan3@wisc.edu) is a senior studying political science.

by William Keenan Columnist

To create a solution to a problem, it’s important to understand the core of the problem. But what happens when a solution is designed based on a false understanding of that core?

There is an epidemic in the U.S. of mass shootings, suicide by firearm, and violent crimes committed with firearms, without question. In 2019 alone, there have been at least 21 deadly mass shootings.

There clearly is a problem in the U.S. and many think that there is a gun problem. Across the country, many states have passed legislation, convened special sessions and assembled task forces all aimed at reducing gun violence. Whether it be background checks, Extreme Risk Protection Orders, or a longer cool down period, a majority of legislation has focused

14 • badgerherald.com • November 12, 2019

on the gun aspect of the problem.

Here in Wisconsin, Gov. Tony Evers called for a special session to be held Nov. 7 to force the Republican-majority assembly to vote on ERPOs and background checks.

These various “solutions” have attacked a core problem surrounding guns, which is the seemingly unlimited access to them, while ignoring the actual core of the problem, which is declining mental health.

According to a 2017 Pew study, 39,773 gun deaths occured in 2017, and of those 39,773, 23,854 were suicide — about 60%.

Lessened opportunity to speak with therapists and access community resources, and decreased funding for mental health professionals, facilities, and services have undoubtedly led to an increase in suicide via firearm in the last decade or so.

To a person who is seeking to end their own life, a firearm provides a permanent delete button to ones life. Access to these

weapons should not available in the same day or the same week, which is why gun control laws need to be coupled with mental healthcare expansion. Laws such as mandatory ‘cool down’ periods, background checks, and the closure of the ‘gun show’ loophole would ensure that anyone thinking of committing suicide by firearm, have more time to find access to mental health resources and think through their decision.

At the same time, these mental health resources need to be properly funded.

If a legislature wants to cut off the issue of suicide by firearm, in addition to gun control laws, mental health as a field would need to see an increase in funding.

Providing more access to rural mental health care, funding more facilities and professionals such as social workers and therapists, and creating more community resources would ensure that a person

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‘Tis the (flu) season: Students should get vaccinated as soon as possible On college campuses in particular, flu shots protect you and everyone around you — and the effort is certainly worth it

by Anne Isman Columnist

One day in late September, I rushed out of Van Hise to East Campus Mall to secure my spot in line for UHS’s first flu shot satellite clinic of the season. I had never been so eager to get a flu shot, but after seeing my floormates fall one after the other to the cold spreading on my dorm floor that week, I could only imagine how fast the flu might move from room to room. I knew that I had to get my flu shot as soon as possible, and after a short fiveminute wait in line, I did.

“ Getting the flu shot is as much about protecting others as it is about protecting yourself ...

Herd immunity protects a community of individuals from an infectious disease or illness, like the flu.”

But most college students across the U.S. are significantly less motivated to get their flu shots than I was. A 2017 national survey found that while 70% of college students surveyed believe that it is important to receive an annual influenza vaccine, only 46% of those respondents actually got one.

What’s even more alarming is that vaccine rates on college campuses range between 8-39%, meaning that nationally, most students go unvaccinated during flu season. This poses a risk to roommates, fellow classmates and faculty that may not have yet received their vaccine.

Considering that you can catch the flu from someone simply by talking to them from six feet away, unvaccinated students are not only extremely vulnerable themselves, but they can also easily spread the sickness to their peers if they happen to contract it.

The state of Wisconsin has also shown low vaccination rates in the past — according to Wisconsin Public Radio, last year, only 40% of the state’s population received the flu vaccine, which was actually a record high.

This year, just 16% of Wisconsin residents have gotten their flu shots so far, even though flu season is rapidly approaching.

One of the main reasons that college

Photo · Alarmingly, only around 8-39% of college students nationally are vaccinated against the flu.

Alice Vagun The Badger Herald students do not get a flu shot is that they believe themselves to be “healthy enough” to not need one. Even so, getting the flu shot is as much about protecting others as it is about protecting yourself. In other words, herd immunity protects a community of individuals from an infectious disease or illness, like the flu, simply by the sheer number of people with immunity in that population.

It takes roughly two weeks to become immune to the flu after getting the shot, meaning that the earlier students receive their vaccination, the more effective herd immunity will be in preventing the spread

of influenza to those have not yet been vaccinated or cannot receive the flu shot for various medical reasons. Given that flu season is starting early this year in Wisconsin, it’s advisable to get a flu shot soon.

While students may feel reluctant to get the flu vaccine due to the possibility of side effects, which are usually no worse than a low fever, they should rest assured that significant side effects are extremely rare, and there are essentially no downsides to getting a flu shot.

It’s not worth the risk of contracting the flu simply to avoid getting the shot,

especially when it is free to do so and easily accessible on campus. Taking the initiative to get your flu shot is a necessary step in starting an important routine of looking after yourself and your health.

Students can get vaccinated at UHS, located on the 6th floor of 333 East Campus Mall, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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

November 12, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 15

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Wisconsin population is declining, prompting need for ‘brain gain’

Economic impact of declining population will further encourage young people to leave, thus creating snowball effect

by Harry Quick Columnist

A report by Forward Analytics, a division of the Wisconsin County’s Association, has predicted that the Wisconsin population will begin to decline by 2026. The report attributes this to three factors: a decrease in teen pregnancy, delay in childbirth and an inability to keep young people in the state.

A shrinking population poses a danger to the Wisconsin economy and the welfare of everyone in the state. Wisconsin must do its best to turn this situation around.

When young people leave to go to college or start careers elsewhere, they take with them the kids they might’ve had and leave behind their older family members. This makes the population older and the workforce smaller, simultaneously increasing the amount of money the government must pay in Social Security and Medicare, while reducing the amount of money raised in tax dollars.

For 2019, Wisconsin has budgeted more than $6 billion for the UW system, and

nearly $13 billion for Medicaid and other health services. The budgets for both UW and health services are projected to grow as UW enrolls more students and as the population grows older.

A shrinking and aging population is going to raise the costs of our public services while making it harder to raise money to fund public services. Public services and subsidies will be scaled back — possibly meaning a rise in-state tuition rates — or taxes will be increased. All of these outcomes will drive young people away from Wisconsin, starting the cycle all over again.

To stop this from happening, Wisconsin has to reverse the causes of the declining population.

Obviously, promoting teen pregnancy is the absolute worst way to do this. Teen mothers and their children are more likely to do poorly in school and live in poverty.

Since 2007, teen pregnancies have been cut in half, and the policies that achieved this should be kept in place.

The delay in childbirth is due to an entire generation suffering financial

trouble. People settle down and have kids later, since finding that first stable job and buying that first house is not as easy as it once was. This is principally due to ballooning student debt. The problems causing that are a nationwide issue, and for this problem to be fixed a national effort would have to be made.

“ Drawing young people to

Wisconsin will make this state a magnet for investment — a state with more people has more ideas, more productivity and is a place where firms can hope for growth.”

Our state should be focusing on two things: retaining its current population of young people, and encouraging more to move to Wisconsin. The UW system is key

in achieving this goal. People are more likely to stay in the state where they go to college, and UW attracts students from across the nation. More investment in UW now would help prevent this decline in population and all the bad that would come with it.

Drawing young people to Wisconsin will make this state a magnet for investment — a state with more people has more ideas, more productivity and is a place where firms can hope for growth. In fact, Dale Knapp, director of Forward Analytics said, “Immigration has to be a part of the solution.”

Immigration can be a divisive issue, and this is not for a good reason. After all, would you rather have a state comprised of immigrants and natives, that has the money to fund good schools, colleges and social insurance for the old and sick — or a state with high taxes, failing institutions and not enough money to care for people who need it?

Harry Quick (hfquick@wisc.edu) freshman studying economics.

is

a

University should prepare students for all parts of being a teacher

In light of Chicago Teacher Strike, it is important for education students to understand the field, be fully dedicated

by Elizabeth Ellick Columnist

For 11 days in October, 300,000 Chicago students were out of school while Chicago teachers were on strike. The Chicago Teachers Union was striking for not just higher pay, but also better resources and more staff and support within the school system.

In a radio talk from the Wisconsin Public Radio, Jon Shelton, an associate professor of democracy and justice studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, discussed why this strike is significant in the nation’s third-largest school district and beyond.

Shelton explained teachers are asking for a limit on charter schools in the district, a social worker in every single school, a nurse in every school, higher pay for the lowest paid school employees and for the city to increase affordable housing for both teachers and students. The affordable housing request is a stretch in terms of 16 • badgerherald.com • November 12, 2019

things that unions can ask for, but it is certainly of interest, given the excessive number of homeless students in Chicago.

Shelton also mentioned this strike could definitely create a ripple effect beyond just Chicago, given that the 2012 Chicago Teachers’ strike set a new model for how teacher unions can operate and get the community on their side. With a teacher strike, it is important for unions to rally the community on their side, especially if parents are advocating too, because at the end of the day it is the parents who pay taxes for these schools and who can help get the message across.

It’s important to consider how this might impact college students interested in pursuing careers in education. Teachers often become teachers not for the money, but for the impact that it will have on youth and how it will shape the future of the world.

But if students are unaware of the life they are entering when they decide to pursue the field of education, then the university should make them aware of

some of the difficulties. As made clear through the Chicago strikes, the problem that teachers have is about more than just pay — it is about many difficulties they

“ The teachers are trying to do

more than improve their own situation, as they are trying to improve the lives of the children and other people working in the Chicago school system.”

face with their profession.

The teachers are trying to do more than improve their own situation, as they are trying to improve the lives of the children and other people working in the Chicago school system. The union is using its

leverage to fix a large set of problems that school systems face. These are the types of people that should be educating children: people who care about the children’s well being just as much as their own.

Students pursuing careers in education should be willing to fight for their students when they fight for themselves, and the Chicago Teachers’ Strike makes that poignantly clear.

Universities should make more of a point to address what a life in education would be like so students can make an educated decision as to whether or not they should pursue a different career. Teachers have to be incredibly passionate and love what they are doing to have a positive impact on their students. I know this from personal experience, so if a student isn’t passionate about it or ready to fight for their students, then they should probably consider pursuing a different field.

Elizabeth Ellick (ellick@wisc.edu) is a sophomore intending to major in political science.

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OPINION

A good night’s sleep is a priority — everything else comes after

Sleep deprivation to complete school work will never be beneficial to student life — mental, physical health should be a priority

by Talia Gottlieb Columnist

It’s 11 p.m. on a Wednesday. State Street has fallen dark and eerie, with only the distant glisten from the Capitol illuminating Madison’s vacant streets. For many, these closing hours of the day signify rest, relaxation, sleep. For the student, however, his night may have only just begun.

A bundled and brazen stroll downtown, a quick caffeine pitstop, an ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’ mentality coursing through his veins, and off to the 24-hour College Library he goes.

One could say that pulling at least one “allnighter” is somewhat of an unspoken graduation requirement. At least once in a student’s college career, they might find there are simply not enough hours in the day. We must show up to work, we must complete the assignment, we must study for midterms — among all the requirements, sleep is seemingly the easiest to forfeit. We value our waking hours and put sleep on the backburner. Ironically, it is sleep that students desperately need to succeed.

To our dismay, there is no alternative to sleep — unfortunately, no number of cups of coffee will be able to compensate for a sleepless night.

In a Scientific American article titled “Sleep Deprivation Shuts Down Production of Essential Brain Proteins,” author Emily Willingham used the scientific findings of Sara B. Noya at the University of Zurich, Franziska Brüning at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and Chiara Cirelli at the University of Wisconsin to analyze and discuss the biological reasons behind the necessity of sleep.

Imagine this. It’s 11 p.m. on a Wednesday night. The same overworked, overtired student decides to skip the library and turn in for the night. As he starts to grow tired, he allows himself to fall asleep. This student has just given in to “sleep pressure” and listened to his internal clock rather than drowning it in a piping hot latte.

This clock, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, serves as the control center for the sleep-wake cycle and is responsible for regulating protein-making transcripts, Noya found.

Noya said there are two peak times when neurons signal for these protein-making transcripts — once in deep sleep and once right before waking. Through a deliberate series of tests focused “on the synapses of the mouse forebrain,” Noya was able to show these two peaks are crucial for protein building and “rapid refreshing of synapses during sleep.” Sleepdeprived mice saw no such peaks, nor did the cells build the transcribed proteins.

“Sleep is essential for the brain: Learning and memory benefit from sleep, whereas sleep

loss causes cognitive impairment that can only be reversed by sleep,” Cirelli said.

In other words, sleep is not for the weak, but for the wise.

So why are students prioritizing all else over sleep? The Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington is also the creator of the online platform Thrive Global and, following an incident where she collapsed due to sleep deprivation and exhaustion, she made it her mission to spread the importance of mental rejuvenation through sleep.

In a Thrive Global article titled “How the ‘I Don’t Sleep Much’ Culture is Impacting Your Health,” author Gabriel Smith addressed the cultural defect that assumes busyness as the cause and tiredness as the effect.

Smith boiled this mentality into a simple phrase.

“If you’re not tired, you’re not busy enough,” Smith said.

Smith discussed the prominence of sleep Photo · Getting enough sleep goes a long way toward support mental health for students. deprivation on college campuses, where students Riley Steinbrenner boast their three-hour The Badger Herald sleeps and gloat their exhaustion with pride. among college-aged students. Though college the little things — such as sleep. As proven, Sleep is seen as a note of inefficiency and weakness among student bodies as college students face the pressures and stress of fully sufficient sleep provides enormous mental and developed adults, “rational thinking and the physical health benefits. students race to be the most versatile and ability to regulate emotions and impulses are still WebMD’s article, “Surprising Reasons to Get accomplished individual. developing” until age 25.

Living independently More Sleep,” lists sharper brain, mood boost, This omnipresent competition is a product of a competitive society. College students are for first time, facing new challenges, immersing in healthier heart and weight control as some a completely new environment with completely of the more prominent results of prioritizing setting unrealistic short-term and long-term goals new people — many, if not most, college students sleep. As the minds of college-aged students are that inevitably lead to some degree of failure. still changing and developing, maintaining a Accompanied by this feeling of failure are not are not equipped for this considerable change.

Though mental health issues are being seen physically and mentally healthy lifestyle is of the only the mental defects caused by too little sleep, more than ever, with this prominence comes an utmost importance. but also additional mental health concerns.

So, when 11 p.m. rolls around this Wednesday On Oct. 9, 2019, ABC News covered Stanford increase in awareness and available mental health services.

University Health Services at UW offers night, be sure to take an extra moment to think University’s decision to update its mental health services to better aid their student population. a slew of in-person and online mental health about what will truly benefit you, your health resources. and your success.

This policy change reflects one of the nation’s Regardless of current mental state, when most poignant issues — suicide on college students are searching for measures of Talia Gottlieb (trgottlieb@wisc.edu) is a junior campuses.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death improvement, it is crucial to begin by tweaking studying marketing.

November 12, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 17

SPORTS

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Men’s Basketball: Badgers find new identity as fresh season begins Ethan Happ’s departure raised questions about Badgers’ future, but it may have provided them with opportunities for growth

by Justin Mielke Staff Writer

The absence of Ethan Happ is conjuring up many questions about the future of the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team (1-1) this season. It also is leaving many people skeptical about the where the offensive production will be coming from.

This might be part of the reason why the Badgers were left out of the AP preseason top-25 poll to start the year. But the absence of Ethan Happ might just be a blessing in disguise for the Badgers.

In the 2018-2019 season, Ethan Happ started in 34 games playing a total of 1088 minutes. Not only did he rarely leave the floor, but the ball rarely ever left his hands either. Happ was responsible for putting up 24.9% of all shots taken by Wisconsin throughout the entire season.

Individually, Happ was efficient on the offensive side of the ball by shooting 53% from the field, converting 257 of his 485 field goal attempts. Happ was responsible for scoring 589 of the Badgers’ 2333 points all of last season.

So yes, individually Happ scored a lot of points and produced a generous amount of the total offense for the Badgers, but the real question to ask is, how efficient was it?

The Badgers were scoring only 68.6 points per game last season. This was detailed with season lows of 46 points against Virginia, 52 points against Minnesota and Michigan, 56 points in a second meeting with Minnesota, 55 points against Michigan State and then a disappointing 54 points in their first-round exit of the NCAA tournament last season against Oregon. The Badgers ranked 277th out of 353 Division I college basketball teams in points per game last season.

Happ’s inability to step outside and shoot the three was also problematic for the Badgers last year as Happ found himself double-teamed in the post frequently. The constant pressure led to 104 turnovers by the big man and a very predictable offense to defend.

With all of this being said, this is no knock on Happ. He was a phenomenal athlete who accomplished a lot in his collegiate career and was one of the best players to ever play for Wisconsin.

However, he undoubtedly slowed down the offensive efficiency for the Badgers due to the attention he drew on himself and his one-dimension style of play.

This is why the departure of Happ should lead to optimistic hope in Madison.

Now Nate Reuvers will take over in the low post at the center position. Reuvers will provide a much more versatile approach to the offense with his ability to knock down the three along with his shot-blocking presence in the low post.

This year without Happ, the Badgers will be forced to share the ball more and look to 18 • badgerherald.com • November 12, 2019

have a much more balanced attack on the offensive. During their exhibition match against UW-La Crosse, the Badgers had five scorers in double figures, a balanced attack as Kobe King said. ”Even in our scrimmage we had pretty balanced scoring,” King said. “It could be anybody’s night.”

The Badgers will be forced to look to everyone on the court for scoring production this season. Their team is perfectly capable of producing big numbers with guys like D’Mitrik Trice and Brad Davison handling the ball, complemented by aggressive wings in Aleem Ford and King who will be looking to drive to the basket.

“We got guys who can kind of create and hit shots,” Kind said. “It’s nice to have that kind of depth. It doesn’t really put a lot of pressure on one person. I think that will help us make a deep run.”

King is one of those players, and this

season he will be looking to finally make his mark and establish himself as a dominant force in the Wisconsin offense.

“It’s good to see that he is confident,” Head Coach Greg Gard said of King. “He had the whole offseason to prepare, where a year ago he didn’t.”

Kobe King — former Mr. Basketball of the state of Wisconsin — was sidelined due to an injury in his true freshman season, and then only played in a limited role coming off the bench last season. King was scoring 4.2 points per game in his 19 minutes per game.

“Kobe has worked, Kobe has improved his game, improved his body,” Gard said. “It’s good to see him stepping up. He has had a good offseason and a good preseason. He is ready for his opportunity.”

Another major area the offense can improve on for this upcoming season is free-throw shooting. The Badgers only shot 64.8% on free throws last season, much of which came from

Happ’s dismal 46.6% from the line.

“We got to get better at the line, and we will be,” King said. “The more we shoot in the Kohl Center, the better we will get. Coach Gard said we are all capable of making 80% of our free throws, so we will definitely grow in that area.”

A 15% increase in free throws would significantly help the offensive efficiency for the Badgers. Getting to the line is not the issue for the Badgers, as Coach Gard explained.

“That is step one, now we need to convert,” Gard said.

We will see what lays ahead for the Wisconsin offense and how they will perform this upcoming season against top tier defenses. According to RPI college basketball’s ranking of strength of schedule, the Badgers will be facing the 22nd toughest schedule in the nation, a difficult task given the team’s youth and inexperience.

Photo · Increased output from returning players will be needed if Badgers are to find success in 2019-2020 season Justin Mielker The Badger Herald

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SPORTS

Volleyball: Surprising contributions lift Badgers to No. 4 ranking

After falling in NCAA tournament last season, Badgers look primed to make run at title this year as new talent emerges

by Colotn Mosley Staff Writer

A season ago, the Wisconsin volleyball team reached the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament before their neighbor to the south, the Illinois Fighting Illini, ended their chance at a national title.

The future seemed bright, however. The Badgers lost only one starter in middle blocker Tionna Williams and returned their three All-Americans from a year ago.

Then the Badgers suffered their worst start to a season in nearly 30 years. With a brutal non-conference slate, UW stumbled to a 4–4 record before Big Ten play started and hadn’t registered a home win.

They couldn’t finish sets. They lacked a defensive presence both at the net and in the back row. They relied too heavily on two-time All-American middle blocker Dana Rettke.

Their reward for that poor play? Facing a stretch of five ranked teams in their next seven games.

The now-No. 4 Badgers won every one of those ranked contests and haven’t lost yet in the Big Ten. Their 12-0 start to Big Ten play is the first such streak in program history.

Their play in all three phases of the game has improved dramatically and three unexpected players have helped spark that turnaround: freshman Izzy Ashburn, junior transfer from Minnesota Lauren Barnes and redshirt sophomore Danielle Hart.

Ashburn, a high school teammate of current setter Sydney Hilley, makes her impact at the service line. She currently leads all Power 5 conferences in aces per set with 0.54 and has recorded a service ace in the last seven matches.

“I’ve known Barnes for a long time. She’s just a really fiery, go-getter. She brings her 100% effort to every single practice, every single game. ”

Dana Rettke Badger Middle Blocker

Her 37 service aces are already the thirdhighest mark in Badger history during the 25-point rally scoring era. Former Badger and Team USA setter Lauren Carlini has the top mark with 45 service aces.

Both Ashburn (0.54) and Rettke (0.40) would top Carlini for the highest aces per set mark if they can sustain their current averages.

Head Coach Kelly Sheffield raved about her serve early in the season.

“Her serve is awfully good,” Sheffield said. “She goes back there with confidence and puts some pace on it and gets that ball to dance.”

Lauren Barnes has also succeeded in the serving game, but her greatest asset is flying around the back row. Barnes complements Clark as almost a second libero with defensive specialist Sarah Dodd suffering a season-ending injury before the season began.

Barnes brings over a lot of experience from her time as a Gopher. She played in every match the past two seasons at Minnesota and has settled into her role as a Badger nicely.

Rettke, a club teammate of Barnes in high school, welcomes the energy she brings to the Badger defense.

“I’ve known Barnes for a long time,” Rettke said. “She’s just a really fiery, gogetter. She brings her 100% effort to every single practice, every single game. You know if she’s upset, for sure, but it comes from a place of love and a place of wanting to be the best and wanting to play for the best. She’s awesome.”

Against Maryland, Barnes recorded a season-high and game-high 15 digs and even a couple assists from the back row.

She even recorded her first career kill against Indiana Sunday.

Lastly, middle blocker Hart has recovered from a slow start to the season and has forced opponents to worry even when Rettke is off the court.

In the first 10 games of the season, Hart was hitting .224 with only 1.4 kills per set. In the last 10 games, the Virginia Beach native is hitting .386 with 2.03 kills per set.

“[Ashburn’s] serve is awfully

good. She goes back there with confidence and puts some pace on it and gets that ball to dance. ” Kelly Sheffield Head Volleyball Coach

Photo · New faces have emerged to propel Badgers to top of Big Ten following shaky start to season Justin Mielke The Badger Herald

Hart’s best games seem to come against top-tier opponents. Her finest performance came against then-No. 2 Nebraska where Hart rattled off a career-high 10 kills on just 14 swings.

In the Badgers’ five-set thriller with Illinois, Hart totaled 11 blocks – the highest mark of any Badger this season.

She has vastly improved her defensive prowess at the net. In Big Ten play, Hart is currently eighth in the conference with 1.17 blocks per set.

“Our blockers have gotten a lot better, especially Danielle,” Sheffield said. “Her blocking moves are a lot cleaner. She’s reading a whole lot better.”

These three unsuspecting players had relatively no impact on last season (Hart played minimally last season); however, their impact on the various phases of the game has kept the Badgers in crucial matches along this historic 12-game winning streak.

They don’t earn top billing in the conference like the duo of Hilley and Rettke, but their complementary contributions could lead to the ultimate goal – a national championship. A goal that has ruminated in their minds since the Fighting Illini ended that chance last year.

November 12, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 19

SPORTS

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Football: Badgers at distinct disadvantage among other programs

Wisconsin consistently ranks near bottom of top 25 recruiting classes, significantly lacks talent needed for more explosive offense

by Danny Ziolkowski Staff Writer

Take a look at the ESPN 300 for the 2020 high school senior class of football players. Up and down the list, players are almost exclusively committing to major programs like Alabama, Clemson, LSU and Georgia.

Top recruits — especially from the South where elite skill position players are found — don’t want to play in the cold of a Midwestern winter.

If they are willing to bundle up, they choose storied programs like The Ohio State University, Michigan or Notre Dame. The Wisconsin Badgers fall just short of that “storied” label.

We have plenty of history, but there’s just something missing.

It’s been that way for years now, and it’s part of the reason the Badgers are forced to play a slowed down, old-fashioned style of football we’re going to call “dinoball.” So don’t go blaming Head Coach Paul Chryst every time you think we should throw but instead run up the gut.

The style of play also ties in, at least in part, to the level of talent throughout Wisconsin’s high schools.

Each year the state produces at least a few highmajor, sometimes even elite, offensive linemen.

For decades the Badgers have capitalized on

being the state’s only NCAA Division 1 program.

Joe Thomas, Travis Frederick, Ryan Ramczyk, Rick Wagner, Kevin Zeitler, Peter Konz, Kraig Urbik — the list of in-state lineman who became Badgers and later made the NFL literally feels endless.

It’s entirely possible I missed a few all-time greats, and that just goes to show the depth of linemen in the state.

With that in mind, it’s easy to see why Wisconsin’s next best position seems to always be running back. Chryst can essentially guarantee wide-open running holes and therefore opportunities to make plays to any tailback he’s

Photo · Outside of offensive lineman, Badgers lack recruiting prowess needed to consistently compete with best collegiate programs Justin Mielke The Badger Herald 20 • badgerherald.com • November 12, 2019

trying to convince to come to the University of Wisconsin.

Having players like Melvin Gordon, Ron Dayne, Montee Ball, John Clay and now Jonathan Taylor has built up a culture at UW that ultimately helps in the recruiting process. Wisconsin is one of a few schools that truly has a claim at “RBU.” While Chryst relies on his running game to fuel long, sustainable drives, high powered offenses across the country are throwing the ball around all game. Inherently they’re taking risks, but ultimately making game-changing, momentumswinging plays.

The question is, which offensive style wins football games?

Over the past couple of seasons, losses in big matchups with Ohio, Michigan and Penn State have proven you need to take some chances to win at the highest level.

And, in the end, that comes down to the quarterback. We’ve all had moments begging Chryst to take a shot and he runs it up the middle.

But if you don’t trust the man under center, what’s the point in taking those shots?

Jack Coan has played well, and he’s undoubtedly closer to what a championship team needs than Alex Hornibrook or Joel Stave ever were.

But still, he’s not the guy who’s going to come in and change the Badgers’ offense enough to make it unpredictable.

That’s why Badger fans got so excited to land freshman Graham Mertz this year. The four-star Kansas product has been hailed as the best QB to come here since Russell Wilson, so people were stunned to hear Coan would be starting this year.

Chryst got on Mertz early, securing a commitment when he was just a junior in high school. Not too long after, top-tier offers from those same programs mentioned earlier started rolling in.

It seemed like every day on Twitter, Mertz was announcing he had a brand new offer from the likes of Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney.

Badger fans everywhere held their breath all the way to Dec. 19 of last year, when it became official that Mertz would be a Badger.

His case is a great example of why Wisconsin needs to recruit proactively and take risks if they want to land elite talent.

But until he shows he’s ready to start in the Big Ten and earns that nod from the coaching staff, fans are going to have to be content with dinoball.

Maybe that will be next year, who knows. With Jonathon Taylor likely gone to the NFL after this season, Mertz may very well get a chance to prove he can come in and change the culture at UW. The Badgers are storied when it comes to the running game, but that won’t land you quarterbacks and wide receivers. Hopefully, Mertz can turn it around. It’d be great to feel comfortable throwing on third and five.

But he might not be what we all hyped him up to be, so Wisconsin fans everywhere need to be ready to watch more ground-and-pound, dinoball football for years to come.

SPORTS

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Women’s Soccer: How Dani Rhodes cemented her leadership role

Early career dominance, losses when she underperform demonstrate importance of Dani Rhodes’ offensive production to Badger success

Badgers’ success this year.

In fact, the Badgers’ losses this season are more indicative of her importance to the team than even their wins. For example, Star forward Dani Rhodes made the Purdue Boilermakers recently knocked her mark in Madison the moment she the Badgers out of the Big Ten tournament stepped onto the field as a freshman. The in the first round. The Boilermakers were Waukesha, Wisconsin, native started her a No. 8 seed while the Big Ten champion career for the Badgers Badgers were a by participating in No. 1 seed. It was all 22 games and a poor loss and the immediately having a Boilermakers were significant impact on able to pull off the the team’s fate. upset by effectively Her opening shutting Rhodes year was just an down. introduction. Over Rhodes managed the next three years, to get off just two Rhodes went on to total shots on the hone her game and game while others, cement herself as the namely forwards leader of the team Murtha and Emma in overall offensive Jaskaniec and production. In just midfielder Maia her second season Cella, each put up competing with the three a piece. Rhodes team, Rhodes led also trailed Murtha the Badgers in total and Jaskaniec in goals, assists, points shots on goal for the and shots on goal. game.

This trend There’s really no continued into way around it. Even Rhodes’ junior against a team that season as she helped they handled in the carry the Badgers to a regular season, the Sweet 16 appearance Badgers need Rhodes in the 2018 NCAA to have a strong tournament — only performance. If she the second time the doesn’t, her prowess team had advanced on the field has to that far in their capture the majority history. Rhodes again of their attention in led the team in goals, order to free others assists, total shots to have scoring and shots on goal. opportunities.

In each of these When she is two seasons, relegated to just the however, Rhodes fourth best offensive often was able to put producer on the up such numbers team, it’s difficult for despite the fact she that to happen. often did not play the It is for this entire game. In her same reason the Photo · Without significant offensive production from Rhodes, Badgers have showed propensity to struggle against teams they previously handled sophomore season, Badgers barely held Rhodes started all on against Purdue 22 games for the Daniel Yun earlier in the season Badgers.

The Badger Herald as Rhodes had just Yet she was one shot all game ninth on the team long. season after successful season despite the the team for total minutes played at this for total minutes played throughout the Following their disappointing loss in the point in the 2019 season. season, trailing the leading time played fact that she saw the field less than almost every other starter on the team. Had she Each and every minute Rhodes plays is Big Ten tournament, the Badgers will need by 400 minutes. Not much changed in the Rhodes to step up if they are to match or played the rest of those games, there is no meaningful.

There is little time for her to 2018 season as Rhodes continued to lead improve upon last season’s performance in telling what ridiculous stat lines she may remain on the field with other starters in the team in offensive output despite not the NCAA tournament. have accrued. order to pad her stats. leading the team in minutes played.

As shown by the crucial offensive role Rhodes clearly acted as the lifeblood Even with her relatively limited time on Rhodes played even fewer minutes she’s played throughout her career, much of the of the Badgers as they made the field compared to starting defensemen in 2018 than she did in 2017, as she was of the Badgers’ success is dependent on her three straight appearances in the NCAA and midfielders, Rhodes has undoubtedly 11th on the team for total minutes played ability to deliver. tournament. She has continued to do so in been the most important factor in the

by John Spengler Sports Editor

throughout the season. While some of this is undoubtedly because forwards tend to get subbed out more frequently near the ends of games, it does not account for the extent of the discrepancy as fellow forward Cameron Murtha played over 100 minutes more than Rhodes during 2018.

Rhodes led the Badgers to successful

her final season in the cardinal and white.

Rhodes currently leads the team in goals, points, total shots and shots on goal. With 11 goals on the season, Rhodes has scored over 40% of the Badgers’ goal total.

Once again, Rhodes achieved this feat with limited playing time compared to her fellow starters. Rhodes ranks just ninth on

November 12, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 21

BANTER

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What is a pig? What is a bull? Many badgers struggle with this After win over Iowa, many confuse steer on trophy with pig, concern over knowledge of barnyard animals remains high

by Angela Peterson Public Relations Director

Saturday, the Badgers delivered a blow to Iowa Hawkeyes with a 24–22 win at Camp Randall stadium. Stakes were high after a two game skid for the Badgers, so players and fans alike were especially happy to keep the Heartland Trophy in Wisconsin.

The win came down to a stuff during an Iowa two-point conversion attempt with about three and a half minutes left in the game. Chris Orr and Eric Burrell led the charge on the stuff, and a breakaway Johnathan Taylor run on the next series all but secured the W. The joyful sentiments here, especially after that play, pervaded the mind of the journalist running The Badger Herald Sports Twitter that day, which may or may not have been the same person writing this article.

Overcome with glee at the thought of keeping the Heartland trophy, the journalist quickly sent out this tweet as they left the press box.

“GIVE US THE PIG ...” the tweet said. “Oh wait, we already have it. 24-22 #Badgers, final.”

Clearly, the journalist here refers to the trophy as a pig. Oink.

The next day, the official tweeting arm of Wisconsin Football posted a special postgame video interview with Chris Orr, where he too expressed his enthusiasm for keeping the pig.

“We stuffed them and we got the pig,” Orr says in the video.

So, combined between the two tweets, there is a journalist, a football player, 16 retweeters, and 203 people who are ok with liking the fact some of us though the Heartland Trophy was a pig. Even CNN correspondent Manu Raju was onboard with this Alas, despite all of the best intentions in this time of high emotions, there is a critical error in these thoughts.

You see, while Minnesota and Iowa play for a trophy in the shape of a sow, Iowa and Wisconsin do not. They play for a steer.

For those of us still struggling with our barnyard animals, it is only fair to take a

Photo: The 2010 Badgers hoist the Heartland Trophy Badger Herald Archives 22 • badgerherald.com • November 12, 2019

trip back to Old MacDonald’s farm (E-I-EI-O).

Pigs, I am told, go “oink,” whereas a steer is a male version of a cow so they’d probably also say “moo.” That much makes sense so far. Yet the Heartland Trophy does not make any sounds, so we cannot take this assumption based on sounds alone. Further evidence is needed to secure knowledge that we all understand the Heartland Trophy is a steer and not a pig.

Next up, we might think to take a look at the color of the animal. Piggies vary in color between a light pink and a brownish color.

Steers come in a wide variety of colors, to the traditionally black and white spots typically associated with cattle to light brown, to jet black. Turns out, animals can come in a lot of colors. Still, the Heartland Trophy is bronze and therefore unable to be identified by color.

Traditional diets also give clues in the types of meat produced with each animal.

Cattle are used for beef dishes and steak.

While I am on this subject, because I have a platform with this paper and all, I am going to reiterate cattle-based dishes are terrible

for their environmental impacts due to the amount of energy needed to be produced in their consumption.

Pork, while still highly energy inefficient, is still about twice as efficient in production than beef is. Pork, of course, is the meat that comes from a pig. The Heartland Trophy is inedible.

Exhausting almost all other options, we must turn to shapes to distinguish the differences between a sow and a steer. A steer has horns, and the presence of horns on the Heartland Trophy points to it really being a steer. While similar in overall stance, Floyd of Rosedale, the piggy on the trophy for the Minnesota-Iowa game, does not have horns. Clearly, that is the true pig in Big Ten West rivalries involving the Hawkeyes.

Speaking of, with Iowa playing the undefeated Gophers next week, basically all Badger fans should be cheering for the Hawkeyes to actually get the pig.

In closing, I, on behalf of my fellow confused sports fans and players, declare that the Badgers GOT THE BULL and the Hawkeyes can KEEP THE PIG!

Photo: Cows that go “moo” Joey Reuteman/Badger Herald

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#IOWAvsWIS @badgerband: Uses fire extinguishers as instruments Me:

Today I reclaimed my joy by becoming a mermaid. I genuinely laughed for the first time in over a week. Here are two of many pictures.

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Exclusively listening to the Sound of Music soundtrack today.

All other music is inferior.

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Someone told me that if you write in comic sans, it gets your creative juices flowing Regardless if that’s true, I finally have an excuse to write everything in comic sans public transportation fan account @emo_orange

November 12, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 23