STUDENT MEDIA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019 · VOL 50 Issue 21 · BADGERHERALD.COM
call to action As the UW administration works on improving campus climate from above, student leaders and activists seek to inspire change from the ground up.
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INCREASING STUDENT CAPACITY 6
‘INTO THE WOODS’
UW System requests $25 million to increase major capacity for in-demand STEM fields.
University Opera, Theatre team up to produce visually, vocally stunning musical on campus.
Riley Liegel Austin Grandinetti Noah May
Herald Public Relations Public Relations Director Marketing Director
Aidan McClain Ben Sefarbi
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PHOTO PAGE
12
FEATURE
4
NEWS
14
OPINION
William Maloney Matt O’Connor Riley Liegel Jacob Bawolek Aidan McClain Peyton David Emilie Cochran Lucas Johnson Aly Niehans Izabela Zaluska Kristin Washagan Patrick WIlliams Haidee Chu Molly Liebergall Abigail Steinberg
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SILENCE IS VIOLENCE: JUVENILE PRISON SYSTEM TRAPS YOUTH
ARTSETC
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SPORTS
15
Decision to delay closure of Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake correctional facilities until 2021 is not good enough to save kids who are being abused right now.
DIVERSIONS
MEN’S BASKETBALL: WHAT FREE THROW ISSUES MEAN FOR MARCH
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With few games remaining in regular season, Badgers rank 328th out of 353 Division-I teams in free throw shooting percentage, which could cost them come tournament time.
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PHOTO
Soglin, Rhodes-Conway advance to general mayoral election
Alice Vagun The Badger Herald
Maddy Phillips The Badger Herald
Photo · In the Madison mayoral primary election Tuesday, former Ald. Satya Rhodes-Conway and incumbent Mayor Paul Soglin advanced to the general election, which will be held April 2.
February 26, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 3
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Evers proposes $70 million to replace lead pipes over next two years
Lower-income families, people who use well water are disproportionately impacted by contaminated drinking water caused by lead pipes by Jackie Miller Reporter
In 1984 Wisconsin banned lead soldering in drinking water pipes, and, while main pipes were replaced, many pipes that branch off to individual buildings continue to pose health risks to hundreds of thousands of private homes and businesses across the state. According to Fox 6 News, Gov. Tony Evers plans to grant environmental officials $70 million to replace the lead pipes and improve the overall quality of Wisconsin’s drinking water over the next two years. Kevin Masarik, a groundwater education specialist at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, believes passing such legislation could fundamentally improve the health of people exposed to contaminants in their drinking water. “It depends on the contaminant, but there is a variety of both chronic and acute health effects of poor drinking water,” Masarik said. Masarik said the consumption or inhalation of lead leads to neurological damage and developmental problems, especially in infants and small children. Pregnant women are also more susceptible
to the repercussions of consuming lead, he said, as the contaminant can cause birth defects and even miscarriages. Although lead is a contaminant of great concern, there are other contaminants in drinking water that consumers can be affected by. Masarik said nitrates in drinking water, typically from fertilizers or leachate in landfills, can lead to a lack of oxygen in the blood and cause blue baby syndrome in infants that, if left untreated, can be fatal. “There are a variety of different contaminants that we would expect to find in well water and community water,” Masarik said. “Some are natural from bedrock, others are human induced, such as nitrate.” To sanitize drinking water, some cities use ultra violet radiation or ozone, but most often, facilities use chlorine as a water treatment, Masarik said. According to the City of Madison water quality website, Madison’s drinking water is sanitized using chlorine to destroy viruses and bacteria that may be present in the water. Additional steps can be added, depending on the specific contaminants that are present in a city’s drinking water. According to National Public Radio, because lead pipes
Photo · Wisconsin banned lead soldering pipes in 1984, yet multiple homes and businesses still use them. Marissa Haegele The Badger Herald 4 • badgerherald.com • February 26, 2019
are an issue in Wisconsin, many facilities add phosphate to their water supply to create a barrier between the lead pipe and the water instead of replacing the lead pipes altogether.
“It depends on the contaminant, but there is a variety of both chronic and acute health effects of poor drinking water” Kevin Masarik Groundwater education specialist at UW-Stevens Point
“Various other chemicals can be added to adjust for hardness and pH levels or to prevent corrosion, based on the water source,” NPR said. ‘But depending on where you are in the United States, there can be different challenges, and corresponding methods of treating drinking water.” Morgan Robertson, a UW-Madison associate professor of geography, the majority of people in the U.S. are fortunate enough to have treated water, yet many impoverished families in America and across the world still suffer from poor health due to the consumption of untreated water. Robertson said lower-class individuals all over the world face the consequences of poor quality drinking water, which she believed to be an act of environmental injustice. “People who don’t have money to protect their health through personal expenditures are disproportionately affected by this problem,” Robertson said. Expressing the same sentiment, Masarik said lower-income families are more focused on basic needs like food and shelter rather than water quality. Not only are low-
income families disproportionately affected by contaminated drinking water, but people who use well water rather than communitysanitized water are also more affected, Robertson said. Private wells are completely unprotected with no regulations in place to ensure that contaminant levels are not creating health safety hazards, she said. Even if homeowners were required to test their well water, some may be resentful if the proper tools and resources were not provided to do so, Masarik said. “Requiring homeowners to test on a routine basis most likely wouldn’t result in people being more likely to take corrective measures,” Masarik said. “In my sense it wouldn’t be effective unless they [officials] could devote the resources to go through with it.” Although Masarik believes that implementing regulations to have homeowners test their well water for lead and other contaminants would be beneficial for their health, he is unsure how feasible it is given the cost and availability of resources. Even if it is not required, Masarik said testing and education about water testing should be made more available to the public to help people understand the consequences of contaminants. “Testing is available, [officials] might need to do a better job at facilitating that-so people know how to do it and where to send the sample,” Masarik said. “Helping people understand the importance of what’s in their drinking water would go a long way.”
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Economic hardships put Wisconsin farmers at higher risk for suicide Of record number of suicides in Wisconsin in 2017, many were among dairy farmers struggling from historically low milk prices by Ben Baker Reporter
Throughout history, Wisconsin established itself as a diary production powerhouse. From fried cheese curds, to the foam hats dawned by Packers fans, dairy products are an integral aspect of Wisconsin’s state culture. Yet according to the Wisconsin State Journal, 915 Wisconsinites committed suicide in 2017, and a startling number of those who took their own lives shared one striking commonality: they were dairy farmers. John Peck, executive director of Family Farm Defenders, said rates of depression and suicide among farmers in Wisconsin have reached a level so extreme that the state has lost half of its farmers since 2004 The increase in suicides among dairy farmers can be seen as the byproduct of several economic hardships in the state, many of which stem from the low milk prices, Peck said. “Farmers aren’t getting a fair price for what they produce,” Peck said. “The milk prices are the worst they’ve been in ten years.” Frank Friar, an economic specialist at the
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, explained that what once was a healthy and stable industry has cracked under the weight of its own production. Friar stated that as farmers have become more efficient in producing milk, they have also produced a surplus of dairy and consequentially, the prices offered to farmers for their products have plummeted. “Farmers were pretty assured of having a home for
“Farmers aren’t getting a fair
price for what they produce. The milk prices are the worst they’ve been in years.” John Peck Executive Director of Family Farms Defenders
Photo · Economic hardships faced by diary farmers stem from low milk prices. Joey Reuteman The Badger Herald
their milk. The tides have turned … we have … too much production, not enough people drinking milk, and the trade issues of today,” Friar said. The “trade issues of today” refer to the U.S.’ ongoing trade war with China, which has had a severe impact on the industry, he explained. Peck said Wisconsin was set to receive a total of $10 million in relief money for the state’s farmers, but that has yet to materialize. “There are only 11 farms that received $50,000 each, 237 [farms] got less than $100,” Peck said. “62 farms go less than $20 … one farm got only $1.” Yet, Peck believes that while today’s crisis is in-part the culmination of overproduction and international trade discrepancies, there is significant blame to be placed on larger corporations that play a role in the dairy industry. Peck said large processors have been offering lower prices to farmers for their milk, and importing of dairy from outof-state, as they can purchase more for less. Peck attributes the drop in imported milk prices to what he describes as a monopolization of food production by large corporations, and their ability rig costs for their benefit, at the expense of farmers. “In Chicago, they set all the world food process at CME … Corporations can manipulate prices … companies like Dean Foods are paying farmers less for their milk, but prices aren’t changing in stores,” Peck said. Large companies have been importing milk from Michigan for years, according to Friar, who acknowledged that this business decision has been harmful to Wisconsin’s dairy farmers. Friar lamented that the current economy is such that imported milk has been making its way into Wisconsin’s dairy processing plants, but also made clear that he feels no anger towards the states which export their milk to Wisconsin. “Processors have been bringing milk in from Michigan all along … that’s a business decision they can make,” Friar said. “We’re not trying to start a war with Michigan … I think it’s a free enterprise system and supply and demand is sometimes a cruel concept.” Yet, as companies sell products made from imported milk, consumers across Wisconsin buy their products under the guise of helping local small businesses, Peck said. He took issue with the “Something Special from Wisconsin” label that often appears on dairy products throughout the state, as he believes it misleads the public as to where their dairy actually comes from.
Peck said that the “Something Special from Wisconsin” label is part of a DATCAP program aimed at promoting the sale of Wisconsin-made dairy products. He discussed the program’s rule that over 50 percent of production must occur in the state of Wisconsin for a good to receive the “Something Special,” designation. Peck stated that large companies will import the actual milk to make dairy products from out of state, but process it and or make cheese, yogurt, or ice cream in Wisconsin, earning a “Something Special” label without getting milk from Wisconsin farmers.
“Farmers need a fair price. Some
of that comes with management. Farmers need to get together and decide on how much to make. The Department of Justice can make sure that prices aren’t manipulated ... they need to enforce anti-trust laws ... and actually let farmers control the market.” John Peck
As the price of milk continues to drop, forcing more dairy farmers into bankruptcy and ultimately driving the rise in suicides, activists and state officials alike are offering possible solutions to keep Wisconsin’s dairy industry alive. Peck offered solutions of his own to aid Wisconsin’s dairy industry, emphasizing the need for farmers to control the market. “Farmers need a fair price,” Peck said. “Some of that comes with management. Farmers need to get together and decide on how much to make. The Department of Justice can make sure that prices aren’t manipulated … they need to enforce antitrust law … and actually let farmers control the market … DATCAP could get more involved and have better consumer labeling.” Whatever the solution may be, it is abundantly clear that the fabric of Dairyland is in jeopardy, and Wisconsin’s farmers are paying the ultimate price.
February 26, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 5
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UW requests $25 million to increase student capacity across majors Funding will be allocated toward in-demand STEM fields such as healthcare, computer science, engineering, business
by Ellie Colbert Reporter
The University of Wisconsin System has requested $25 million of their biennial budget to increase student capacity for high-demand fields such as healthcare, computer science and engineering across all UW System schools. The request was originally made at a Board of Regents meeting in August. Feb. 8, five Chancellors, including UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank, met to hear more details about proposed plans for their institutions. The plans vary across the UW Systems Schools, and emerged to address both student success outcomes and workforce needs, according to the Biennial Budget Request. UW System President Ray Cross said the System is working hard to meet address student needs. “UW System institutions are engaging in innovative and impactful work to meet the needs and address the challenges facing Wisconsin,” Cross said in a statement from the Board of Regents. At UW-Madison, these efforts are focused on expanding and enhancing four departments: engineering, nursing, computer sciences and business.
The College of Engineering would add an additional 800 spots, ease course bottlenecks — the seat capacity for each course, develop new courses, attract/retain more underrepresented students and graduate 650 more engineers over the next five years. Ian Robertson, Dean of the College of Engineering, said the demand from students is actually much higher than the school can currently accommodate for. “There’s a good opportunity for us to grow because we know the student demand is there in those areas, we just have to increase instructional capacity,” Robertson said. Increasing capacity includes hiring additional staff, such as tenure track faculty,
“UW System institutions are
engaging in impactful work to meet the needs and address the challenges facing Wisconsin.” Ray Cross UW System President
Photo - The plans vary across UW System schools but hope to address both student success outcomes and workforce needs. Marissa Haegele The Badger Herald 6 • badgerherald.com • February 26, 2019
technicians and academic advisors, Robertson said. It will also require modernizing existing instructional spaces to allow space for a growing student population, particularly in the most high demand fields of biomedical, mechanical, computer, chemical and biological engineering. The School of Nursing is another target for the capacity building initiative. It would expand the undergraduate enrollment by 25 percent and focus on updating their educational technology. Like the College of Engineering, high student enrollment has lead to these initiatives, Linda Scott, dean of the School of Nursing said. “UW-Madison students want to be nurses,” Scott said. “The work is rewarding and versatile, salaries are strong, and vast growth opportunities exist within the profession. And yet every year we must deny admission to more than 60 percent of qualified applicants. I would prefer to educate more of these qualified, talented, ambitious students here at the UW-Madison School of Nursing.” Increased enrollment is critical during Wisconsin’s current nursing crisis. Wisconsin’s elderly population is growing exponentially, and simultaneously experienced nurses are retiring from the profession, Scott said. This gap between the supply and demand of registered nurses is projected to reach 27,700 by 2040, according to the Wisconsin Center for Nurses. In the Computer Sciences Department, expansions include the creation of a new undergraduate degree, an additional 2,000 seats added to high-demand classes and graduation of an additional 800 to 1,000 more students over the next five years. The new major in data computing will be a combination of multiple disciplines, with requirements in mathematics, statistics and computer science. Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau, professor and associate chair of the Computer Science Department, said this is emblematic of the type of collaboration that is needed for the future of computer science, as computer and data science are transforming many industries and disciplines. “I’ve been here a professor for almost 20 years, and this absolutely the most exciting time for computing and related areas that I’ve seen,” Arpaci-Dusseau said. “There’s just so much excitement around the space, and to see the campus behind it, is really tremendous.” UW-Madison also plans to expand the School of Business. Plans include adding 300 additional spots, offering high-demand courses online and expanding courses
in growing areas. In addition, the School of Business will add three new masters programs. Despite this growth, many of these high-demand fields face racial and gender disparities, both on campus and in the broader industries. In Spring 2018, less than one-third of undergraduate students pursuing an engineering degree identified as female, according to the Office of the Registrar.
“There’s a good opportunity for us to grow because we know the student demand is there in those areas, we just have to increase institutional capacity.”
Ian Robertson Dean of the UW-Madison College of Engineering
This is an improvement from the past four years, Robertson said. The school is also working on increasing the number of women faculty, which has increased from 12 percent to 20 percent in the past four years. The Computer Science department faces similar statistics: In Spring 2018, UWMadison recorded 1,296 male undergraduate students pursuing a computer science degree, compared to 280 female undergraduates, according to university data. In the same semester, an overwhelming percentage of students pursuing the major were Caucasian: 813, compared to 18 African American students, 38 Hispanic students, 198 Asian students and eight Native American students. Arpaci-Dusseau found that many of these disparities exist before students come to UWMadison, and one way Arpaci-Dusseau’s department has addressed this is by creating partnerships with K-12 schools. “Often by the time people got to campus, even from the day they arrived, they had already decided they don’t want to be a computer scientist,” Arpaci-Dusseau said. “If you introduce it to people to it early, the idea is that they will see it is more than just sitting in front of a screen, they can understand there is all these beautiful ideas inside of computer science.” The approval date for these measures has yet to be determined.
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UW summer term launches catalog for incoming freshmen
Reflecting on their summer term experience, freshmen say coming to UW early helped them acclimate to campus culture before beginning classes by Mary Magnuson State Editor
While generally thought to be geared toward upperclassmen, The University of Wisconsin summer term created a catalog of experiences for incoming freshmen. Programs like the Mechanical Engineering Summer Launch, the International Student Summer Institute and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Quickstart brought freshmen to campus weeks before their fall semester in an attempt to not only ease their transition to school but to also provide them with important academic resources. Recently, UW announced the creation of several new programs they will be piloting this summer, including the Wisconsin Experience Summer Launch, open to all incoming freshmen and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Summer Launch, open to students in the electrical engineering or computer engineering majors. Assistant Dean of UW Summer Term Aphra Mednick said the process for creating these programs was student-based. “I help to align summer with what students are looking for and support campus as well,”
Mednick said. “We work with a lot of campus partners like financial aid, advising, registrar’s office, those kinds of things.” Mednick said the inspiration for these programs also came directly from students and families. Offices received calls from incoming freshmen asking about ways they could get ahead in the summer before they started on campus, Mednick said. UW thought summer start programs would be a great way for students to get adjusted to Madison and the campus’s wealth of resources before even starting the semester. For some students, like freshman William Woods, who participated in CALS Quickstart, the appeal of a chance to acclimate to campus before even starting the semester drove him to join a summer program. “I felt really nervous an out-of-state student that I wouldn’t fit in and that I would be behind everyone else,” Woods said. “So I looked for opportunities that would help me not only get the most out of my college experience but also hopefully help me acclimate.” Woods said Quickstart helped prevent the “culture shock” that can come with the chaotic college transition since it was a smaller, more
“friendly” group of people. Woods said that he got the chance to meet many “wonderful people” and make new friends. Quickstart made him feel more connected to the broad campus community since it exposed him to a variety of resources and organizations, including the lab that he now works in. “Quickstart has been a really rewarding experience and made the college transition seem effortless,” Woods said. “You get to start it with a set group of people who are all on the same page before you have to start doing it a little more independently if you chose to do so.” Freshman Audrey Swanson also participated in CALS Quickstart. Swanson said she was a little nervous coming to Madison, so she wanted something to help her navigate campus. “I’d never been in a big city before — that I was going to live in — so I wanted to find out what I was doing, so I could act like I knew what I was doing,” Swanson said. Like Woods, Swanson used the connections she formed during the summer later in her college career. She toured the Wisconsin Seed Potato Lab through the program, and now has a position working there. Swanson also said she met “lifelong friends,” one of which she will be
living with next year. Freshman Steve Manos participated in CALS Quickstart as well, and he said that one of the most important parts of the summer program for him was the academic advice he gained. “I gained a greater appreciation for the importance of advising, and being open with your advisor about the classes you want and your planning,” Manos said. “They’re there to help you, but they can only help you if you let them know what you want.” Overall, Mednick said the summer term programs are there to support the needs of students. And though Swanson mentioned that there were a few disadvantages — like being alone in the dorms for the first few days with no air conditioning — the Quickstart students emphasized how a summer launch program lent them a support network of peers and professionals. “It helped me find my footing in this new, independent environment of mine, it helped me meet people and make some new friends, because I didn’t really know anyone when I got here,” Manos said. “I think it made the beginning of my first semester go more smoothly than it otherwise would have gone.”
City of Madison files nuisance action against Heartland Housing Chronic nuisance at Tree Lane Family Apartments, Rethke Terrace threatens future of ‘housing first’ developments
by Mackenzie Christman Reporter
Consistent disturbances at Tree Lane Family Apartments have caused the city of Madison to file a chronic nuisance action against Heartland Housing, the development company responsible for the complex. Tree Lane Family Apartments first opened in June 2018 and currently functions as a supportive living facility for previously homeless families, according to the Cap Times. The formal action comes in response to several constituent complaints and police calls. The city proposed an increase of $275,250 in support services for the families living at Tree Lane with hopes that more support will help reduce conflicts on the property. Sarah Ceponis, Director of Community Impact at United Way of Dane County, said Tree Lane takes a “housing first” approach to assisting the homeless. “Housing first” is based on the idea that people need food and shelter before
addressing other factors that may have contributed to their homelessness, Ceponis said. Ceponis cited an 80 percent or higher success rate for the “housing first” model employed by Tree Lane and other local supportive living facilities, meaning that families helped by the system are likely to not experience homelessness again. “[The housing first model] ensures families can quickly gain access to housing and from there address barriers and work towards stability,” Ceponis said. Using this model, people may be able to keep their supportive housing, but Tree Lane had the most calls for service of any property in the West District of Madison for the months of July, August and September, according to the Cap Times. Another Heartland development, Rethke Terrace has faced similar issues and raised concern about the amount of money allocated toward supportive services, another reason for the city’s demand for funding their chronic nuisance action against the company. Despite the Heartland development’s
impending abatement, problems occurring at both current supportive housing sites and a recurring need for maintenance, a third supportive housing site has been proposed for construction on Park Street. James O’Keefe, Director of the City of Madison Department of Community Development, said Heartland has secured tax credits to finance the largest part of the proposed Park Street housing. The project still faces obstacles before it can become reality, some of which may be insurmountable, O’Keefe said. “[Tax] credits place obligations on the developer to complete the project within a specified period of time,” O’Keefe said. O’Keefe said Heartland was awarded the credits over a year ago and has roughly two to two and a half years left to build the housing on Park Street but has yet to receive a land use approval from the city. Not having the land use approval compromises Heartland’s ability to get the project done on time and, with doubts on the quality of their current supportive measures looming over the company, the city is unlikely
to extend their approval, O’Keefe said. “ ... until Heartland can convince decision makers that it is able to provide the support services to the building’s residents that are needed to make the project successful, [land use approvals are unlikely to be granted],” O’Keefe said. If Heartland is able to complete their proposed third housing site, Ceponis said that service providers for the Park Street living facility could apply for funding through United Way. For now, the city is focusing its efforts on providing more support at Heartland’s existing housing sites, especially Tree Lane. According to the Cap Times, the city’s finance committee recently approved a measure requesting an additional $165,000 in more security measures for Tree Lane. Heartland must make a plan on how it intends to resolve the problems faced by Tree Lane and present it to the city within 15 days. If Heartland fails to do so, they could face fines between $1,000 and $5,000 and the city could bill the company for police time, according to the Cap Times. February 26, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 7
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Evers to close ‘Dark Store’ loophole in hopes of saving taxpayers money This method of assessing property value has proved controversial as some see it as a way to allow big corporations to pay less in taxes
by Molly DeVore City Editor
Gov. Tony Evers announced Feb. 5 his biennial budget will include a provision to close the “Dark Store” loophole that allows businesses to base their tax assessments on their value as a vacant store rather than a store in operation, resulting in lower property taxes.
“Tax practitioners are always
looking for an advantage and they basically explore and try all sorts of new theories until they find one that sticks. ” Jerry Deschane Executive Director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities
This method of assessment has proved controversial, as organizations like the League of Wisconsin Municipalities see the method as a gap in the tax law that allows big corporations to pay less in taxes, forcing Wisconsin residents to pay more. Cory Fish, Director of Tax, Transportation and Legal Affairs for Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, opposes this view and said assessing stores based solely on the value of their physical structure is more objective. “With property tax we assess the value of property, not what’s going on inside,” Fish said. “If I’m a new store and there is a well kept-up vacant store across the street from me so it has the same economic location, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to compare yourself to it.” Mayor Paul Soglin, a supporter of Gov. Evers’ plan to close the loophole, said the traditional way of assessing property value for businesses is by the income method, where businesses are assessed based solely on their income. The Dark Store method, however, does not factor income into its assessment, he said. Jerry Deschane, Executive Director of the League Wisconsin Municipalities, said the Dark Store method is simply a way for large corporations to pay less than their fair share of property tax. “Tax practitioners are always looking for 8 • badgerherald.com • February 26, 2019
an advantage and they basically explore and try all sorts of new theories until they find one that sticks,” Deschane said. Fish said local governments are pushing to close this loophole because they want to collect more taxes. Under Wisconsin law, everyone must be taxed the same way, so if businesses are not able to assess their value as if it were vacant, homeowner should not be able to, either, Fish said. Doing so would disproportionately hurt small businesses, he said. “If the law is actually changed, they will be required to apply those same practices to everyone and when you apply those same taxation practices to everyone it’s going to result in those business taxpayers who are less able to afford legal representation,” Fish said. “Those are the people that are going to be hurt.” Closing the loophole would actually save taxpayers money, Soglin said. When businesses are able to pay less property taxes, homeowners are forced to pay more to make up the difference. In 2018, 71 percent of property tax was residential while only 20 percent was commercial, according to a report from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. In big cities like Madison, Deschane said the effects of these higher taxes are not always felt because there is so much property the impact gets “diluted.” But in smaller towns, these higher taxes are more impactful. “The burden gets shifted primarily to residential because that’s who pays most of the bill and it’s simply unfair,” Deschane said. A similar issue rose in 2008, when the Wisconsin Supreme Court voted in favor of Walgreens, who argued that their property in Madison should be based on market rents while the city of Madison used the income approach and assessed based on Walgreens’ actual lease payments. The legislation the league has been developing with Evers would address both of these loopholes and allow businesses to pay less property tax, Deschane said. “The Walgreens supreme court decision sort of started the ball rolling downhill in Wisconsin,” Deschane said. “Dark Store grew out of Walgreens.” Eliminating these loopholes would allow property tax to be assessed more subjectively, Fish said. Doing so would let local municipalities decide who to tax more, as many municipalities are currently taxing out of state businesses more because they are less “sympathetic.”
If the loopholes are closed, Fish said certain politicians could choose to tax some businesses more for arbitrary reasons, like if the business supported their opponent in the last election.
“If Wisconsin closes the loophole, since we were one of the first victims of it, it will probably lead to closing it in other states.” Paul Soglin Mayor of Madison
“What local governments are trying to do is move down to that approach where they can subjectively value that business more highly than the comparison approach would have allowed and so they can collect more taxes,” Fish said. While Soglin said the loophole has not attracted more business to Wisconsin because
businesses “probably realize that eventually the Legislature is going to fix this,” Fish argued closing this loophole will actually deter businesses from moving to Wisconsin. Deschane, on the other hand, said he is worried that if the loophole is not closed now, it will become “the norm.” “Now would be the time to stop it,” Deschane said. “Under Wisconsin constitution property has to be assessed uniformly and if Dark Store doesn’t get closed down, it becomes the law of the land eventually.” The loophole has been used in several states in recent years including Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. It is uncertain if Evers’ provision to close the loophole will pass as it has been voted down in the past. Fish said he does not believe the legislation will pass without some compromise. Deschane said, at this point, politicians in both parties want a solution to this issue, though he does anticipate push-back from businesses. Soglin hopes if Wisconsin can close the loophole, other states will follow suit. “If Wisconsin closes the loophole since we were one of the first victims of this it will probably lead to closing it in other states,” Soglin said.
Photo · Eliminating the loophole would allow property tax to be assessed more subjectively, one expert says. Katie Cooney The Badger Herald
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International Festival brings various cultures, performers to Overture
Weird weather caused some cancellations, but didn’t stop numerous performers, vendors from representing diversity of Madison at Overture Center’s annual event by Grace Statz and Angela Peterson ArtsEtc. Staff Writer and ArtsEtc. Editor
Though weird Madison weather forced some performer cancellations, the International Festival at the Overture Center Saturday still created a diverse, entertaining environment instilling a further sense of community within Madison. More than 30 groups from different cultural heritages were slated to perform prior to the day’s weather cancellations, but many groups still made it out to perform, sell cultural clothing and food, and share in the diversity of Madison. Prior to entering into the performance space, vendors awaited spectators and greeted them with cultural wares, foods and beverages. Foods from curries to pasta to fondant cookies all found their place in the fair. More booths awaited guests on the upper
level of the center, featuring handmade clothing for dolls and even a koto player. These experiences are not typically available to the average Madisonian, so to see them all in the same space was positively overwhelming. The groups at the International Festival perform with such energy that you can’t help but be captivated and enveloped in what they represent. It was truly an amazing spectacle, a one of a kind event. Each group showcased the beauty behind their culture in their own ways. The opening ceremony for the event consisted of a Ho-Chunk welcome from Elliott Funmaker and other members of the Ho-Chunk nation. The group performed traditional Ho-Chunk songs honoring the flag and veterans as well as songs such as the men’s fancy dance which displayed beautiful movement and regalia One of the groups at the festival, DanzTrad, performed and taught Mexican dances. They try to involve everything that represents the culture,
traditions and life in Mexico. Their incredible ability to illustrate influences from other regions reminded us of the aspects of Europe and Africa that are embedded in Mexican culture. DanzTrad is a magnificent example of how art allows blendings of cultures and how performances can allow people to experience life somewhere else in a way that it may not normally be portrayed to them. To DanzTrad and many other organizations present, events like these are important to the community because it allows for the opportunity for Madisonians to better understand people from different regions and look for solutions within the community. Varied performance styles allowed for performers of all ages and cultures to shine. Children associated with the Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association performed amazing routines and tricks with various fruits and vegetables. Elsewhere in the facility, choirs such as the Mt. Zion Gospel Choir and the Madison
Männerchor brought a multitude of styles of music to the event. With a large number of acts, the event served as a marvelous sampling of different culture’s art. There was a striking variation in the demographics present in the audience at the event as well. Young and old alike found a spot in the crowd to watch the performances and sample different cuisines. The audience was as diverse as the performers on stage, with the packed crowds leading to more opportunities for interaction between audience members who did not know each other prior to the day’s events. Through events like Madison’s International Fest we gain the ability, or at least the opportunity, to understand and connect to the rest of the world. The entertainment provided is like no other. More than that, the festival created a space in which people are able to be a part of more than themselves.
Photo Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association performs a lion dance.
Photo Members of the Ho-Chunk Nation perform traditional dances at International Festival Saturday
Angela Peterson The Badger Herald
Angela Peterson The Badger Herald
February 26, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 9
ARTSETC
Wisconsin siblings create online gallery to promote local artists Siblings craft unique online gallery filled with works of arts by various content creators curated to tell modern, heartfelt stories through images by Angela Peterson ArtsEtc. Editor
Online art galleries have become more common as both the digital world and art world seek to expand their reach. While most online galleries allow buyers access to collections curated based on prices or mediums, Hasbrook Galleries focuses instead on curating art from local Madison artists. Founders John and Katherine Giesa are siblings from Milwaukee who sought to provide up and coming artists a platform for their work while focusing on the culture of art instead of its price. John, a senior at the University of Wisconsin, was inspired to start a gallery of his own after exploring the art scenes of both Milwaukee and Madison. Upon sharing this idea with his sister Katherine, the two set out developing a one of a kind online gallery from the ground up. Surprisingly, the two admitted that it wasn’t until Katherine graduated from Vassar College and moved to Madison for work that they finally became close friends instead of mere siblings. Hasbrook Galleries has allowed them to further this relationship into something
quite “serendipitous” as Katherine put it, focusing their energies on bringing greater insight to the power of art and its ability to influence the world while reflecting it all the same. “How we curate the show creates the story in itself” the duo mentioned in our interview. The Giesas spoke mostly about the process of curation that they go through when deciding which pieces to show next. In the spirit of discovering new artists and styles, John said he frequents the art department at UW in search of student’s work that may fit the gallery’s current theme. Both siblings work within their social networks to connect with different local artists or galleries, emphasizing that it takes a “community effort to show community artwork.” John went on to explain that each piece takes skill to properly photograph after it’s found. He typically spends multiple hours working to find the best conditions to represent a piece so that the viewer’s experience is as close to reality as possible while online. Katherine Giesa, on the other hand, spends her time working on the technical aspects of the gallery, complimenting her brother’s business and outreach skills to combine
their mutual love of art in an impactful way. The current show on display was curated based on the theme of “Sociological Figurations” combining the works of eight local artists into a larger concept of the body as seen by the artist. When clicking through the Hasbrook Galleries site, there are plenty of areas to explore. The most recent show features each piece of art accompanied by a statement from the artist who created it. While the art itself makes the Gallery worth looking at, the statements given by these artists deepen the meaning of their work, connecting each individual piece back to the theme as a whole. One statement that evokes the theme of “Sociological Figurations” best is for Devon Hatton’s untitled work. “This piece of Devon’s is a vignette of intimacy that expose a battle between self-preservation and self-destruction. She concentrates on the struggle of uncontrollable mental illness and invisible burdens in day-to-day life. Her obsessive and repetitive methods of drawing act as therapy — a purging of silent afflictions. The drawings become recurring ghost images weaving in and out of reality — a mixture of clarity and confusion with
Photo · Devon Hatton’s untitled work evokes themes of self-preservation, destruction
Photo · Jake Casey’s “Induction” is featured in the galleries
Courtesy of Devon Hatton Hasbrook Galleries
Courtesy of Jake Casey Hasbrook Galleries
10 • badgerherald.com • February 26 2019
the figure and space sometimes becoming a single entity. Empathy and familiarity play an important role, as the discussion of internal battles is both universal and extremely private” While this is just one way “Sociological Figurations” is examined through the current display, Hatton’s piece exposes the difference between traditional gallery pieces and those found on display at Hasbrook Galleries, emphasizing genuineness through the artist’s words that speak volumes to the meaning of their work. Their next show will be curated by the theme of showing art as it is, not by a particular dominating rhetoric. In the future, John and Katherine Gisea hope to continue providing exposure for lesserknown artists and expand their audience along with the gallery format itself. Luckily, every exhibit done by Hasbrook Galleries will stay displayed on their website, which John and Katherine hope will contribute to building a strong foundation for the up and coming artists in Madison, acting as a permanent portfolio and database to pull from.
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‘Into the Woods’ explores relationships, dramatic themes through fables Classics fairy tale characters intertwined themselves in a plotline that represented harsh realities of life in the unrealistic setting of a fairy tale by Emilie Burditt ArtsEtc. Editor
A delighting and enchanting performance of “Into the Woods” premiered at Shannon Hall in Memorial Union Thursday. The musical, whose music and lyrics were written by Stephen Sondheim, incorporated different stories from the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. More than 90 students performed in and worked on the production directed by Professor David Ronis. Classic fairy tale characters like Rapunzel, Cinderella, Jack from “Jack and the Beanstalk” and Little Red Riding Hood appeared throughout the show. Interestingly enough, these characters, among others, intertwined themselves in a story that represented the harsh realities of life in the unrealistic setting of a fairy tale. The plotline was based on the needs of a baker who had a witch place a curse of infertility on him. The witch promised him and his wife the ability to have a child by lifting a
curse if they brought her “The cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, the slipper as pure as gold.”
“ Between the varied charac-
ters found in the story, common themes of life, love and loss emerged. Fidelity and revenge are also explored, particularly in the show’s second act”
This lyric alluded to the classic fairy tale characters encountered through the rest of the show, setting up the interactions between the couple and these well-known stories. Between the varied characters found in the story, common themes of life, love and loss emerged. Fidelity and revenge are also
Photo ·Zoe Bockhorst, Miranda Kettlewell, Christian Brenny and Michael Kelley perform in “Into the Woods.” Courtesy of Beau Meyer University Theatre
explored, particularly in the show’s second act. These scenes appeared rather sultry, and some scenes in the performance are violent. People’s eyes are pecked out by birds, toes and heels are cut off to fit a shoe, and the Wolf acts rather sexually attracted to Little Red Riding Hood. That said, the scenes weren’t visually graphic. Save a few screams during the show’s violent moments, the musical showed no blood or gore. The woods were set with huge trees that were hung from the stage ceiling, and in the background hung a crescent moon. On the moon was a deer, whose antlers turned into branches that twisted around the edges. During the performance, actors appeared to fly across the stage with the aid of cables. It allowed the actors to look as if they were climbing trees, beanstalks and towers, and flying. The sound effects throughout the show were also impressive and dramatic. During one interaction between the witch and Rapunzel’s prince, the witch threw the prince off of a tree by using her magical powers. Coupled with another moment of flight, this moment was particularly effective. Another dramatic
moment came after the Wolf sang to Little Red Riding Hood when he decided he was going to eat her and her grandma once she arrived at her grandma’s house. He posed dramatically in front of an orange-lit background, where he howled a big “Awhoo!” before running off stage.
“‘Into the Woods’ had many
operatic-sounding songs, which ... fit well with the fairy tales .” As a musical, “Into the Woods” had many operatic-sounding songs, which were done really well. Though this may have grown old for some, the music fit well with the fairy tales. The first act was especially good. Following a traditional fairy tale narrative, it seemed like the majority of people’s problems had been fixed by the end of the act. Despite how well done the musical was, the show could have ended at intermission. The second act was too long, and it took a few unnecessary and prolonged twists involving a giant. The actors and actresses held their enthusiasm though, along with the live music that played below the stage. Overall, many production elements combined to make an entertaining show right on the University of Wisconsin’s campus.
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‘I am UW’: student activists, leaders and UW administration strive to improve campus climate
Student communities work together with UW officials to draft policies, foster conversation on campus to create a more inclusive, positive college experience by Tolu Igun Staff Writer
In the fall of 2017, Agalia Ardyasa made the decision to pack her bags and travel more than 9,000 miles away from home to attend college in the U.S. Originally from Jakarta, Indonesia, Ardyasa said her time at the University of Wisconsin has been treating her better than she could have ever expected. “Everyone is always curious about my background and why I decided to go to Madison,” Ardyasa said. Now a sophomore, she has found companionship through her classes and student organizations, where she discovered her place as a leader. Ardyasa became involved with the Associated Students of Madison almost immediately, now serving as the Equity and Inclusion Committee chair. During her first semester on campus, Ardyasa attended several kick-off meetings for student organizations she believes strive to improve UW’s campus climate. “I did not have a specific goal in mind, but I knew I wanted to be more involved in making UW-Madison a better place,” Ardyasa said. “I stayed active and tried my best to contribute to the team.” Ardyasa has many responsibilities as EIC chair, but she primarily serves as a liaison between students and administrators on issues of diversity, inclusion and equity matters on campus. Since Ardyasa views her role as a rewarding and eyeopening experience, she believes the campus climate has been improving. She said her time on campus has been overwhelmingly positive thus far as she surrounds herself mostly with people who have a similar vision and mission on life. Yet for a multitude of reasons, this same sense of belonging does not unfold so easily for others. For certain students, feeling welcome and safe on campus may never be their reality. While the campus climate results from the university’s first administered survey found that 81 percent of students experience a positive campus climate, a different picture begins to form when focused on particular groups. Only 69 percent of LGBTQ+ students, 67 percent of students with a disability, 65 percent of students of color, and 50 percent of transgender or non-binary students agree that time spent at UW is positive overall. The Other Side It has been a hard journey for UW senior Ricardo Cortez de la Cruz II. De la Cruz, a First Wave Scholar, began his college career by surrounding himself with the 14 fellow students in his cohort as a means of support. Without much diversity on campus, de la Cruz struggled to find people outside of First Wave who could relate to his experiences, making his first year difficult. Attempting to overcome this adversity, de la Cruz has made several efforts over the years to challenge the status quo. After an incident in 2016 where one of his cohort sisters was spat on and insulted inside Sellery Hall, de la Cruz decided filing a hate and bias report was not enough. 12 • February 26, 2019 • badgerherald.com
This was the third incident reported within a week, so his cohort took action into their own hands with a social media movement known as #TheRealUW. The hashtag garnered media attention from several news outlets across the nation while simultaneously stirring controversy in Wisconsin and beyond. For further efforts, de la Cruz has received backlash from his fellow students over the years as extreme as attempted kidnap and a threatening letter that attempted to justify why he and his fellow protesters should be shot for their actions. Looking back, he admits his experience was more dangerous than he previously thought. Through his eyes, campus climate hasn’t changed. Farhat Bhuiyan was also a student at UW when these events took place. Following the 2016 incidents, Bhuiyan said campus climate marginally improved through increased efforts by the university, social media attention, and student involvement with projects working toward improvement. In the long run, however, she believes campus climate has suffered from a lack of accountability and a widely shared commitment to change from everyone at UW. “I remember the noose incident in Camp Randall, the student who was spit on and called the n-word, and the student who found swastikas on their door,” Bhuiyan said. “These terrible acts were publicized, but there are many more cases that aren’t reported.” Bhuiyan had a tough freshman year. She felt like an outsider within UW’s social landscape and couldn’t adapt to the pace of classes because she didn’t move into the dorms like a majority of her fellow classmates. Like Ardyasa, Bhuiyan tried to surround herself with people who care about her and value similar things, while also challenging her to become a better person and pursue new experiences. But this search came later than it did for many of her freshman classmates. “I think people immediately try to connect with the people they live with as freshmen in the dorms,” Bhuiyan said. “Everyone is on the same level and there is a lot to bond over because their experiences are relatable. I definitely felt like I missed out.” Bhuiyan began to make these connections with likeminded individuals through the Wisconsin Union Directorate by applying for one of their leadership positions. Entering as the associate director for the Global Connections Committee, she has sought a position within WUD every year since. The organization has become Bhuiyan’s community on campus as well as a great place for her to grow and learn. Now serving as the vice president of internal relations, she considers a key part of her role to serve as a liaison between students, staff, alumni and community members. Of the many responsibilities Bhuiyan takes on, she acts as a resource for numerous students in WUD roles by promoting their leadership and development. Ardyasa, de la Cruz and Bhuiyan all view themselves as playing an active role in improving UW’s campus climate as student leaders. But not everyone on campus interprets their efforts to improve campus climate as effective.
While activists like de la Cruz are often viewed more negatively for their actions, Ardyasa and Bhuiyan are less likely to receive backlash for the work they do through student university positions. Bhuiyan got involved in her roles to find a community on campus where she could also effect change, but she acknowledges that other students have different experiences that inform the various ways they work toward that same goal. “It’s important to understand that everyone has different priorities and to recognize that sometimes other people who may act as an obstacle to accomplishing your goals are really just fighting for their communities in the only way they know how,” Bhuiyan said. “I am UW” While Interim Dean of Students Argyle Wade appreciates how much students like de la Cruz, Ardyasa and Bhuiyan continue to push and ask for more change, he also understands the difficulty for some to establish a balance between the immediate and long-term change. “Students, especially undergrad students, if you’re only here for four years it’s hard to have a longitudinal lens,” Wade said. “And our students refresh every year. There’s always a new group of freshmen, so you’re starting with them at that same spot you just started with the seniors four years ago.” For someone like Chief Diversity Officer Patrick Sims, who was a graduate student at UW and spent the last 15 years transitioning from his role as a faculty member to an administrative official, the ebb and flow of campus relations is more clear-cut. Sims’ perspective allows him to understand the difference between what it feels like to pressure administrators in his graduate department to make improvements and what it feels like to be in the hot seat himself. Having compared and contrasted experiences from both sides, Sims can now see not only why some believe efforts to improve relations are inadequate, but also how much work goes on behind-the-scenes to make change happen. Given the constant changes in population and the needs of each student and their communities, UW administrative officials continuously juggle priorities and strategize solutions with the intention of improving campus relations. But addressing how to do this on an administrative level is a slow process: These issues require time and teamwork. Many of the solutions implemented on campus in recent years — such as Our Wisconsin, the Discussion Project and Badger Promise — began to materialize after analyzing the data from the 2016 campus climate survey. Building the instrument to administer such a survey took almost two years. Analyzing the data provided by thousands of student responses took another four months. Based on that, a subcommittee dedicated another six months to drafting a set of recommendations that would allow them to proceed. It took nearly three years of action and analysis for the administration to conclude what their next steps would be, and during this time thousands of students cycled in and
out of UW. More recently, a new campaign has come to fruition based on two of the campus climate report recommendations — promoting shared values around diversity inclusion and finding ways to encourage dialogue across difference. Sims said they wanted to find a message that was affirming across the board. One that didn’t discredit or dismiss identity differences around which not only students, but also staff and faculty, could feel a sense of cohesion. This affirming message — I am UW. “We want to show the full breadth of what the UW experience is,” Sims said. “It’s not just the typical assumption about whether you’re a cis-gendered, white male student at UW. We have different experiences across the board, so we want to highlight those.” The campaign is planned for promotion on digital and social media platforms in an attempt to reach students where they often direct their attention. Sims said there will also be sessions on campus to demonstrate how the “I am UW” experience can be owned by students and taken to the next level. Wade believes many students are passionate about improving campus climate. This is especially true, he believes, among students who feel that their identity is not being valued or represented in the UW community the way it deserves to be. Wade said, however, majority students are the ones who really need to be called to attention and asked to participate in deeper ways because it’s not just a certain Designed by Sam Christensen group of students that need to be doing the work. “Once you engage in [improving campus climate] — you’re going to want to continue,” Sims said. This sentiment resonates with Ardyasa, who is a student member of the “I am UW” advisory board, because she has been actively advocating for a more inclusive UW from her first moments on campus. But some students simply don’t know where to start.
Bhuiyan admits that many issues surrounding campus relations often seem large and complicated. She believes, then, that the priority lies in focusing on what one can do rather than what they cannot. This includes making new connections, building bridges and creating allies to achieve a greater goal. “I would encourage [fellow students] to find an issue
they are passionate about through clubs, programs, or other activities and focus on understanding how that issue interacts with bodies on campus,” Bhuiyan said. Bhuiyan believes that finding a support group or a community that is passionate about similar issues is the first step to creating lasting change. She said if students fail to take chances or try something new, they are depriving themselves of a learning opportunity.
“If you want the world to change, you’ve got to participate in it,” Sims said. “You don’t get to complain about the outcomes if you don’t participate in the process to effect the change of the outcome.” Mobilizing change Every UW student came to the university with a purpose in mind. While their reasons may differ, the goal for everyone is to achieve that purpose some way, somehow. But to fulfill these goals, the environment in which each person is expected to exist must be welcoming and safe for the entire student body. One can hope the campaigns and ideas put forth by the administration will help improve campus climate and relations, but they will never be enough without well-intentioned and interested students participating alongside. Change in terms of administrative efforts will always take time, but the more people willing to join in, the more likely the change. “Playing it safe is not going to help [students] or this campus in a way that it could,” Wade said. “So I hope when we think about all, we’re really thinking about all and not just the students who are already fairly passionate or already out there doing a lot.” Not everyone is contributing to the negative experiences some students face on campus, but not everyone is playing an active role in ensuring a positive experience either. While some students may never find interest in working toward this common goal, Bhuiyan said those who are interested and passionate should lead by example — we cannot change other people’s behavior, she said, but we can control our own. badgerherald.com • February 26, 2019 • 13
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An age-old problem: Fred Risser, ageism and guaranteed reelection
Risser has energy, progressivism of his colleagues, but his history of uncontested races is strikingly undemocratic by Ethan Carpenter Columnist
As of 2018, the average American predicts they’ll retire at age 66. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the average American life expectancy is 79 years old. Twelve years past that expectancy, at an astonishing 91, Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, is still going strong. After 62 years of representing constituents in the Madison area, he shows no interest in retirement. In the age of Twitter politicians and Facebook organizing, the idea of a World War II veteran holding office may raise eyebrows. Today, youth are taking center stage in politics. The stars of Democratic politics today, both at the party’s center and in its budding democratic socialist wing, are no longer Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., but instead young firebrands like Beto O’Rourke and Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York City. Irrespective of what side of the gun control debate one occupies, there’s no denying that the national conversation around weapon restrictions has been controlled for nearly a year now, not by the entrenched interests of venerable lobbying groups such as the National Rifle Association, but by the young survivors of the massacre at Marjory Stoneman-Douglas High School advocating for themselves. With organizations like Run For Something helping sweep a record number of young liberals into office, and right-wing social media fronts like Turning Point USA and Campus Reform wading into the muddy trenches of the internet to try and establish a conservative base among a new and increasingly progressive generation, Berkeley activist Jack Weinberg’s old turn of phrase, “Don’t trust anyone over 30,” feels like something that easily could be said today. That said, there is without a doubt a place for people like Risser in a modern, progressive movement. Age bias cuts two ways, and as someone who has written in fervent support of up-and-coming young leaders in politics, it would be hypocritical to demand people look at the youth on their own merits and dismiss the elderly out of hand. Indeed, research has shown that the popularly held stereotype of elderly people as incapable and infirm is largely unsupported by fact. Risser shows that every time he refuses to take the capitol elevator — something he’s always done, climbing the stairs even when on crutches. In their many years of service, our elder civil servants are reservoirs of living memory, experience, and for all the continuity they 14 • February 26, 2019 • badgerherald.com
Photo · Term limits are not the solution to concentration of power, as they would risk loss of experience and wisdom, but voters must be able to have a chance to vote out a representative who no longer serves them. The Badger Herald archives represent, a testament to the human ability to change with the times. It would be absurd to think that the needs of Risser ’s constituency haven’t changed since his first election to the legislature in the sixties, or that he could hold office for such a lengthy period of time if he were out-of-step with those he represents. Even if his age is no strike against him, however, there are reasons to raise eyebrows at Risser ’s extended service. Jeff Mayers of WisPolitics has called Risser “the institution inside the institution,” and he’s served for long enough that it’s hard to deny. The smallest margin he’s ever beaten a challenger to his incumbency by is 11 percent, and as the years wound on, the sense that any serious opposition was rising against him has unraveled. Since 2004, he has faced no challengers in either the primary or the general, and he was all but guaranteed reelection long before that. For all his service, the character of American democracy is not a ballot with one name on it. This problem is not unique to Risser, but rather systemic — if any individual concentrates enough influence to be effectively unbeatable in their election, then something is wrong with the elections themselves. While term limits might on the surface seem
like a solution to the problem of concentrating power, it would also extract a bitter price in terms of lost experience and wisdom. Death aside, the ultimate term limit is the fact that in a democratic nation, the voters should be able to bar from representing them someone they don’t want. Likewise here in Madison, “mayor for life” Paul Soglin has been defeated once, and now faces a genuine challenge from candidate Satya Rhodes-Conway in the wake of his abortive gubernatorial campaign and a primary where the sum of votes for his various opponents well outweighed the votes he took in. No term limit is needed to get rid of Soglin — when he no longer represents the city, the people do all the heavy lifting needed. Too often, discussions on these matters center around the forced retirement of long-serving lawmakers, rather than addressing the core issue that in these same districts and under these same conditions, the problem becomes not youth or length of service, but whether the system is sufficiently open to challenge. Risser certainly doesn’t deserve unanimity, but he deserves to make his case to his voters. Running for office, especially in broader areas such as those that a state senator might
represent, demands an investment of time and money that few can make, especially when said investment would be contesting the resources of one of politics’ most entrenched incumbents. Public funding of campaigns that marshal sufficient support, and a welfare system that ensures the investment of time that a campaign demands would not be out of the question for those in difficult financial situations could all open the doors to more challengers at less cost. As the Gov. Tony Evers era begins and the wheels of politics turn as they always did, Risser will be staying on as a public servant and will continue an illustrious career of advocacy for progressive causes. For all he has done, and for what he continues to do with verve and strength that match and outmatch those far younger than him, he deserves respect and consideration. He deserves to be looked at as a candidate judged on his own merits, rather than simply the bundle of assumptions that come with a climbing number of years. The only thing one can say with confidence that he does not deserve, however, is 100 percent of the vote. Ethan Carpenter (emcarpenter2@wisc.edu) is a sophomore majoring in political science.
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Silence is violence: Cycle of abuse in juvenile prisons must end now Decision to delay closure of Lincoln Hills, Copper Lake detention facilities unacceptable — state must take action now by Sam Ropa Columnist
Last year, the state legislature unanimously passed Act 185, a bill to dramatically reorganize Wisconsin’s juvenile correctional system and close two of its existing youth prisons, Copper Lakes School for Girls and Lincoln Hills School for Boys, by 2021. For years, the prisons have hosted a cycle of abuse — sexual assault and harassment, child neglect, abuse of prisoners, strangulation and suffocation — that went unreported to law enforcement and the parents of prisoners. Since 2014, the prisons have been under internal or criminal investigations by state
agencies, the state and federal Departments of Justice and the FBI, all of which found evidence of prisoner and prison worker abuse and systematic attempts to cover up the abuse. Gov. Tony Evers’ proposed budget delays closing them within two years and includes allocations for more staff at the prisons, decisions which he hopes will ensure the new juvenile prisons and rehabilitation centers are properly staffed and equipped to meet inmates’ needs. But this decision leaves children behind in Wisconsin’s most notably abusive prison. When a Lincoln Hills guard trained other guards to use excessive force on inmates, when the prison’s chief psychologist mocked an inmate’s naked body, when multiple inmates attempted suicide in the same month, when a teenage inmates toes were amputated after a guard slammed his foot in a door, when inmates were sexually assaulted by staff and by other inmates — no one was held criminally responsible. Now that the governor has the opportunity to embrace a new juvenile justice system, he must do it as soon as possible. In January 2018, The Badger Herald reported reducing Wisconsin’s prison population requires that rehabilitation is the goal of juvenile justice. Youth Justice Milwaukee advocates for this approach, and has shown how involving community stakeholders and investing in community-based organizations and treatment facilities can increase accountability and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in juvenile justice. Much like its adult prison system, Wisconsin’s juvenile incarceration rates show devastating racial disparities. Of the 173 per 100,000 youth
Juvenile Prisons & Youth Incarceration in WIsconsin 173 youth incarcerated per 100,000 in 2013
338
children incarcerated as adults in 2016
44,157 Arrests of Youth Age 10-16 in 2015
$30 million
cost of juvenile correctional facilities operation in 2015 Designed by Sam Christensen
the state incarcerates, 147 are children or teenagers of color, the fifth highest disparity in the country. The Wisconsin juvenile correctional system, run by the Departments of Corrections and Health and Human Services, has two designations for young people under its control. “Type 1” refers to young people locked in prisons, like Lincoln Hills and Copper Lakes, while “Type 2” designates youth in a similar legal status to Type 1 prisoners but who aren’t imprisoned themselves. Act 185 requires the Department of Corrections open at least one new Type 1 prison for serious offenders and children convicted as adults and convert Copper Lakes and Lincoln Hills into adult prisons. For non-serious offenders, the act establishes a new class of county and tribal-run secure residential care centers. The other existing Type 1 prison, the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center, will roughly double its size. If the state’s goal is to emphasize rehabilitation in juvenile justice, it isn’t clear this is the way. While the transition to residential care centers may shift some juvenile offenders out of prisons, it isn’t clear how the centers would differ from prisons or if they will truly emphasize rehabilitation. Neither does the legislation clearly address Wisconsin’s juvenile recidivism rates — 63 percent for Lincoln Hills Schools and 71 percent for MJTC. Clearly, closing Copper Lakes and Lincoln Hills by 2021 won’t make Wisconsin’s juvenile justice system moral. It won’t get rid of our collective impulse to punish society’s most impoverished and traumatized people — even when those people are children. It won’t do anything to close racial disparities in Wisconsin’s juvenile prison population or force us to confront the white supremacism that gave rise to the issue. It may not even leave Wisconsin with fewer juvenile prisons. But closing the prisons without delay will end one especially cruel incarnation of prison violence. It would show this administration prioritizes kids who are traumatized by the prison system it is responsible for. And it would be action — not silence or procrastination — against the state’s abuse of prison workers, teachers and children. Sam Ropa (ropa@wisc.edu) is a senior majoring in geography and anthropology.
Data courtesy of: - ACLU - Wisconsin Department of Corrections - Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health - Justice Policy Center - U.S. Census badgerherald.com • February 26, 2019 • 15
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Fight for racial inclusivity and equality requires campus-wide effort In response to research about lack of inclusivity Hmong students feel on campus, HASA offers thoughts about next steps by Hmong American Student Association Letter to the Editor
The HMoob American Studies Committee, a student-led activist group, spearheaded a research project aimed at uncovering the experiences of Hmong students at the University of Wisconsin. The committee reported that all participants in the project felt excluded and unwelcome on campus. The following is a response to the research from the Hmong American Student Association. The Hmong American Student Association is the largest Hmong student organization present at UW. For the past 30 years, HASA has proudly presented a variety of meaningful events that range from socials to professional development workshops to cultural conferences for their members and members of the greater Madison community to participate in every year. HASA is one of the strongest studentlead organizations on our campus. People know HASA and that is why our statement in response to HMASC’s research is
necessary. We may not speak for all Hmong students enrolled at this institution, but we represent them, and we will stand by them.
We feel it is important to address “the fact that scholars do feel out of place and/or excluded here on campus.
”
We understand that HMASC’s research may not be everyone’s experience. But we feel it is important to address the fact that scholars do feel out of place and/or excluded here on campus. It is common for Hmong scholars and other students of color to feel as if they don’t belong when they enter a lecture hall of 300 students and there is no one who looks like them. Whether we consciously recognize it or not, there’s a gut feeling of not belonging present. HMASC’s research has positive intentions. There may have been a number
of scientific procedural changes that could have enhanced the research, but the findings are important. As an organization that provides a safe place for people of color, specifically Hmong scholars, HASA does agree that UW has limited spaces for students of color. There is no doubt there are places on this campus that students of color prefer more than others. People who visit our campus will see this to be evident as well. HMASC recognizes this issue and wants to bring forth change.
We want to encourage our Hmong “community and our fellow POCs to keep fighting for inclusivity and equality.
”
Our community, regardless of racial backgrounds, must reflect on how and why we are able to have places like the Multicultural Student Center that is based in UW’s Red Gym. If it weren’t for advocates like HMASC, the university
would not have the Black Cultural Center, the APIDA Cultural Center or the LatinX Cultural Center. Granted, the APIDA and LatinX Cultural Centers were only recently established. Inclusivity is still lacking on our campus, but there is progress. That is what’s important and that is what we should highlight. These are the small steps leading to a greater movement. We are aware of the controversial views that some audiences have in regards to HMASC’s research but HASA will not comment on them. Rather, we want to encourage our Hmong community and our fellow POCs to keep fighting for inclusivity and equality. The Hmong American Student Association (hasa.wisc@gmail.com) is a registered student organization at the University of Wisconsin. They seek to support students, community leaders and scholars within the Hmong community, promote higher education, address the concerns and needs of students and the Hmong community on campus, and serve as a channel to develop, display and recognize the talents and creativity of the students.
As UW buildings crumble, so might its academic reputation After catastrophic flooding around campus, it is clear that UW must allocate more money to build strong infrastructure by Courtney Degen Columnist
The polar vortex late January followed by a quick soar in temperatures a few days later caused massive flooding after multiple pipes burst in both Vilas Hall and the Chemistry Building. Less highlighted was the 30 incidents of flooding that took place in 28 academic buildings over the course of that weekend. These floods forced the relocation of about 180 course sections the following Monday and Tuesday, and many parts of both Vilas Hall and the Chemistry Building are still being repaired, forcing several class to be permanently relocated. The problem, however, is about more than inconvenience. While other Big Ten universities — such as Ohio State University, the University of Illinois and the University of Minnesota— allocate about 10 to 12 percent of their maintenance budgets toward preventative measures, the University of Wisconsin only 16 • February 26, 2019 • badgerherald.com
dedicates 4 percent. David Darling, the assistant vice chancellor for UW’s Facilities Planning and Management, explained to the Board of Regents that UW’s buildings are “expansive, aged and fragile,” and require more attention from all aspects of maintenance. In the case of the Vilas Hall and Chemistry Building floods, Darling explained that many heaters failed, causing pipes to freeze and eventually burst. If more attention had been paid to checking the heaters more frequently, perhaps these floods would not have occurred. Over half of the University of Wisconsin System’s buildings were built between 1950 and 1980, requiring many updates and repairs to keep up with their maintenance. With a low maintenance budget and only 4 percent of it dedicated to preventative measures, these buildings will likely continue to have issues. To keep up with its peers in the Big Ten, UW would need to spend $16 million annually. Darling explained to the Board
of Regents the university would need another $21 million annually to keep up with maintenance setbacks, and the university currently has about $1.5 billion of outstanding maintenance needs. At a university as large and renowned as UW, building maintenance deserves great attention. I remember going to my first lecture at the university, excited to be learning on such a beautiful campus, only to be disappointed by the lack of air conditioning and overwhelmingly vandalized seating in Bascom Hall. While projects such as improved seating and the installation of air conditioning may seem minuscule, it is the lack of attention to problems such as these, along with ignoring larger problems such as pipe maintenance, that can largely disrupt learning environments. I remember leaving class early on a 90-degree day, when hundreds of students sat in what felt like a sauna, trying to pay attention to the professor. In the case of the recent floods, there was constant
uncertainty of where to go for over 100 classes, and many students are now permanently impacted by a change in location for both their classrooms and their professors’ office hours. It seems obvious, but UW needs to dedicate more money to building maintenance, specifically focusing on preventative measures. In a state with such unpredictable weather, Wisconsin’s buildings need to be prepared for extreme temperature variations, such as the 70 degree jump which occurred in early February. Without proper care, buildings will continue to create problems and students’ learning will continue to be impacted, perhaps damaging the UW’s overall perception as a top university. Courtney Degen (cdegen@wisc.edu) is a sophomore majoring in political science and journalism.
OPINION
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Don’t buy into scare tactics when developing understanding of issues
Lobbyists tend to use deceptive language to garner support for policy changes, so voters must take time to fully understand the issues by Lianna Schwalenberg Columnist
Gov. Tony Evers promised his first state budget proposal will close the so-called “dark stores loophole” whereby big-box retailers such as Walmart or Menards contend the property value of their active stores are more comparable to vacant stores and thus appeal to pay property taxes as such — as if they were a vacant, dark store. This issue gained traction in a very local 2008 state Supreme Court case, Walgreens v. City of Madison, and since then, state legislators from both parties and both chambers have tried and failed to put an end to this practice. This question appeared on many Wisconsinites’ ballots last November as an advisory referendum: “Should the state legislature protect residential property taxpayers by preventing commercial and manufacturing property owners from using
tax loopholes to shift the tax burden to homeowners?” This is a very loaded question, but let’s try to understand the issue. Property value assessors generally look at three criteria when determining taxable property values: The cost to construct an identical property, the net income generated from the property and the recent selling prices for similar properties. The sales approach is a uniquely practical tool because the cost and income approaches tend to artificially inflate a commercial property’s value. Sales of similar properties represent what someone is actually willing to spend on that type of property. So an obvious objection is that these large retailers are not using comparable properties — they are choosing stores in bad locations where no business could possibly be profitable, properties that are run-down and empty, to evaluate a much more profitable property. A common misunderstanding, as
explained by Bob Vujea, the property tax manager of Meijer, is the difference between functional and economic obsolescence. A retailer may take on significant costs to make its store look a certain way and operate to its standards, but those costs only produce value to the present user. Someone who buys an active Meijer store might not be able to use any of its signage, drive-through windows, or other design elements. In an open market, that property might be worthless to them. “A potential buyer is not concerned with the previous owner ’s business,” Vujea said. “The buyer is purchasing the physical structure — not the business inside the structure — and that purchase determines the market value of comparable properties, whether vacant or occupied.” Some equate this situation to the absurdity of having two identical homes, yet appraising one to be more valuable and more taxable simply because someone lives in it.
Photo · The “dark stores loophole” is not a loophole at all. In fact, it is a regular property assessment practice, and politicians’ use of the “loophole” language is misleading for voters. Jon Yoon The Badger Herald
A second commonly-used argument against this assessment practice is that it unfairly shifts the tax burden onto homeowners who are forced to shoulder the remaining costs of essential municipal services. “Homeowners will pay larger tax bills,” said Jerry Deschane, executive director of the Wisconsin League of Municipalities. “It’s a mathematical certainty.” The state’s referendum question made similar implications in its wording. But this is an empty threat from lobbyists who hold a particular belief about taxation. Decreasing property taxes on highly profitable businesses and maintaining, even lowering, property taxes on homeowners are not mutually exclusive events. The economic theory behind this phenomenon is supply-side theory, and it suggests that if government can reduce its spending, thereby lowering the tax burden on everyone, they will still gain a boost in revenue through economic growth. Obviously, there is a lot of political baggage in this discussion so we will not linger further, but the “mathematical certainty” is definitely not certain. But most troubling for lawmakers trying to put an end to the dark store loophole is that any effort to selectively stack the tax rate against big-box retailers is, in fact, unconstitutional. The uniformity clause of the Wisconsin Constitution, which requires uniform taxation of property, says “There is only one class of property, property that is taxable, and the burden of taxation must be borne as nearly as practicable among all property, based on value.” Courts have interpreted this to be a safeguard “against unequal, and consequently unjust taxation.” Besides Wisconsin voters changing the clause in 1974 to allow for nonuniform taxation of agricultural land and undeveloped land, the uniformity clause is still intact. Legislators cannot vote to tax a property at a higher rate simply because the property is owned by a bigbox retail company. Before buying into the “dark stores loophole” spin, it is important to understand why the practice exists, always be suspicious of threatening language used to scare voters, and look into the actual process it takes to amend tax law before we start labeling things as loopholes. Lianna Schwalenberg (lschwalenber@ uwalumni.com) is a recent graduate with degrees in communication arts and philosophy. badgerherald.com • February 26, 2019 • 17
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Men’s basketball: No. 19 Badgers face struggling Indiana Tuesday night
Winners of eight of their last ten Big Ten road games, Wisconsin hopes to score another critical win at Assembly Hall by Danny Ziolkowski Staff Writer
Coming off two important conference wins over Illinois and Northwestern, the No. 19 University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team (19-8, 11-5 Big Ten) will head to Bloomington, Indiana, for a matchup with the unranked Indiana Hoosiers (13-14, 4-12) Tuesday night. While the Hoosiers have gone cold losing 12 of their last 13 games, there are no easy wins in the Big Ten, especially on the road. The Badgers have always been known for their slow offensive style of play, but that is something that could actually hurt them come Tuesday. When teams play slower, the score tends to be closer towards the end of the game. Just look at Wisconsin’s last two games against Illinois and Northwestern, two other unranked conference foes. Both were less than six-point victories — against teams they should be defeating by double-digits — that came down to the wire and relied on Wisconsin’s inconsistent free throw shooting far too much.
But Indiana has something neither of those two squads has: star power. Between freshman guard Romeo Langford and senior forward Juwan Morgan, who average a combined 32.1 points per game, the Hoosiers have multiple options to run sets at the end of games. Langford, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard, is considered one of the top prospects in the upcoming NBA Draft if he decides to declare. He uses his height and athleticism to glide past defenders and get to the rim with ease. He’ll likely be guarded by Brad Davison for most of the game, who will be tasked with trying to veer Langford out of the paint and force contested threes, where he’s shooting only 27.1 percent on the season. Morgan, on the other hand, shouldn’t be as big of an issue for this Wisconsin squad. Most of the time, Morgan is the biggest man on the court for the relatively small Hoosiers, something that will undoubtedly work in the Badgers’ favor. At 6-foot-8, Morgan’s relatively smaller frame should allow Ethan Happ and Nate Reuvers, both over 6-foot-10, to make life difficult for him inside. It should also force
Indiana to bring double teams into the post when the Badger bigs get the ball down low, opening up the opportunity for kick-outs to shooters like D’Mitrik Trice and Davison, who both are shooting over 40 percent from downtown this season. A relief for Badger fans is that the Hoosiers are just about as bad from the free-throw line as Wisconsin. While Wisconsin shoots a paltry 65.4 percent from the charity stripe — putting them at 328th in the country — Indiana is right alongside them at 65.5 percent. This should place less pressure on Happ, who has been abysmal from the stripe as of late and has made only two of his last fourteen attempts. Perhaps seeing the other team miss a few could boost his confidence and help the Badgers close the game down the
stretch. In theory, the Badgers should run away with this game, as they have both the shooting and size advantages. But Langford is going to get his, which means it will be more about containing the freshman than completely stopping him. As long as the Badgers get off to a good start and get a solid lead by the break, they should have no trouble finishing. Indiana is an ice-cold team looking to turn it around before the end of the season, and Wisconsin is a good team trying to ensure a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament. With only four games to go in the regular season, it’s time for the Badgers to start playing their best basketball of the year.You can catch the game live on ESPN, or listen in on the Badger Sports Network at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Photo · Wins against Illinois and Northwestern bumped the Badgers up to No. 19 in Monday’s AP poll. Wisconsin is seeking its eighth Big Ten road win of the season Tuesday night. Daniel Yun The Badger Herald
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Men’s basketball: Free throws could end up being Wisconsin’s kryptonite
Ethan Happ’s free-throw struggles have forced Head Coach Greg Gard to adjust his playing time late in crucial games
by Ben Kenney Staff Writer
One of the fundamentals of winning college basketball games is good free-throw shooting. As games come to an end, regardless of whether a team is leading or trailing, a team’s success at the free-throw line often can be the difference between a win and a loss, or between a national championship and an early NCAA Tournament exit. Not one of the 10 most recent NCAA Champions shot below 70 percent from the stripe as a team, with six of those teams finishing top-20 in the nation in free throw percentage. When averaged out, the last ten teams to win the NCAA Tournament shot 75.4 percent from the free-throw line. As of Feb. 22 — with five games remaining in the regular season — the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team has shot 65 percent from the line, good for 328th out of 353 NCAA Division-I teams. While some of their losses can be attributed to factors other than a lack of success at the free throw line, the Badgers’ struggles have cost them a chance
at winning meaningful games and have primarily stemmed from one player. We all know how good Ethan Happ has been this season. As written previously, he is the only player ever in college basketball to average more than 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a single season. The only player ever. But thanks to 11 straight misses from the line as of Feb. 22, his season free-throw percentage has dipped to a dreadful 43 percent. Happ is now also the only player in Division-I history to average more than 17.5 points in a season and shoot less than 45 percent from the stripe, and is one of two to average more than 17 points and convert free throws at less than a 45 percent rate (Chuck Stuart did so in the 1993-94 season at Florida International). Happ has garnered serious national player of the year attention this season, and it is well deserved. But if he were to win the award with his current statistics, he would fall 12 percent under Bill Walton’s 1972-73 record for the lowest free throw percentage by an award
winner. He would also be the only award recipient in the last nine years to shoot below 71 percent from the stripe. And Happ’s free-throw deficiencies have already been a deciding factor in close games. Most recently, Happ struggled to make key free throws late in the second half against Michigan State, and while Wisconsin defeated both Minnesota and Maryland earlier this month, both games were decidedly closer after Happ could not make key free throws down the stretch to give Wisconsin a comfortable lead. If all of Happ’s 113 free throw attempts this season were erased, 49 of them makes, the Badgers would rise from 328th in the nation to 63rd in free throw percentage and would rank higher than teams including Duke and Villanova. In last Monday’s win against Illinois, Happ sat out the final four minutes of the game. The game was close and was clinched thanks to Wisconsin’s good free throw shooting down the stretch. “It was tough because you want to be out there with your team and help them win,” Happ said. “I trust in my guys and coach did too and we ended up winning the game so that’s all there is to it.”
Photo · Despite his tremendous play in the 2018-19 season, Ethan Happ’s struggles at the free-throw line have been a recurrent theme. For Wisconsin to make a run in March, the team must address one of its biggest concerns. Daniel Yun The Badger Herald
Happ’s playing time at the end of close games, or lack thereof, will be an interesting story to follow as the Badgers close in on the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. Nearly two decades ago, the ‘Hack-a-Shaq’ strategy — intentionally fouling poor free throw shooters late in games common — made its mark on the NBA, though it has not been as common in college basketball. But there may be situations going forward where Head Coach Greg Gard benches Happ at the end of games, like he did against Illinois, to avoid a potential ‘Hack-a-Happ’ movement from gaining steam. Gard has strong free throw shooters on his roster, including Brevin Pritzl, Brad Davison, D’Mitrik Trice, Nate Reuvers and Kobe King — players who are all shooting at least 70 percent from the free-throw line in 2018-19. It would make sense for Gard to transition to a late-game lineup consisting of his best freethrow shooters if the situation calls for it come tournament time. Despite his struggles at the line and sitting the end of Monday’s game, it’s still important to acknowledge that Happ’s performance is among the main reasons the Badgers are nationally ranked at this point in the season, and that his play will most likely dictate the Badgers’ success in March. After all, he was one of only eight Big Ten players named to the Naismith Award Watch List in early November, and has outplayed many of the other players on the list. Happ and the Badgers will look to find their stride at the free-throw line and finish the regular season on the right note as they take on Big Ten foes Indiana, Penn State, Iowa and Ohio State in the coming weeks.
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After years of neglect, UW should bring baseball team back to campus
With access to top talent, support, reberth of Wisconsin baseball program would bring success, pride to Madison community hockey, men’s and women’s track and field, and women’s volleyball. The Badgers happen to be the only Big Ten university without a baseball team, but fielding one in the near future seems unlikely based upon Athletic Director Barry Alvarez’s lack of interest in doing so over the last several years.
petition to bring a baseball team back to the university. Instead, Alvarez and the rest of the athletic department here at Wisconsin The University of Wisconsin hasn’t had have chosen to invest nearly $130 million a baseball team in 28 years. The last time into renovations of Camp Randall Stadium the Badgers fielded a team was for the — easily enough money to field a baseball 1991 season, and it doesn’t appear that team for years to come. they will be fielding a new one anytime Block’s club team has even proven to soon. be competitive. The Division-I team went Like other UW sports teams, the 19-4, including 12-0 in the conference, baseball team competed in the Big Ten to finish ranked No. 7 last season. This conference, where they won Big Ten team has proven tough against other club championships in 1902, 1912, 1930, 1946 baseball teams, including some others the and 1950. But the team didn’t manage to Big Ten, demonstrating that Wisconsin has win another conference title in its final 41 the foundational culture and skill to field seasons. a varsity team that can compete at the The Badgers were fairly mediocre over varsity level. the years, ultimately becoming one of the But the athletic department is still least successful programs in the country. disinterested. Senior Associate Athletic The team recorded a 6-22 record in its Director Justin Doherty has stated in the final season. past that “Our goal currently is to remain The team was cut from the university as competitive as we can in the sports we in 1991 to eliminate a $1.9 million debt currently sponsor.” in the athletic department, who today Jeff Block, the current head coach So while Wisconsin could field a is prospering from the successes of of Wisconsin’s club baseball team, has baseball team, the university is actively numerous teams, including football, received nearly 8,500 signatures on a electing not to do so because it supposedly men’s basketball, men’s and women’s isn’t in their best interest. This pointof-view does make some sense — Alvarez likely wouldn’t want to fund a team that may struggle to win games early on after Wisconsin’s athletic programs have seen great success under his stewardship. Still, this disregard for bringing America’s pastime back to UW does not benefit the university whatsoever, because it is clear that a Wisconsin baseball team would draw significant interest from both students and alumni, especially those who have never before experienced college baseball. The community would welcome a varsity baseball team, as support for the team wasn’t the issue when it came time to end the program in 1991. In fact, based upon the nearly 8,500 people who have signed Block’s petition, it is safe to say that the student body and the community of Madison as a whole are again ready for baseball to be a part of the UW experience. The Badgers would draw interest from the campus and surrounding community alike, and this can be Photo · Wisconsin last fielded a baseball team in 1991. After a promising start to the program in the early to middemonstrated by the success of the 20th century, the team suffered from years of poor play, resulting it its ultimate removal from the university. Madison Mallards of the Northwoods Baseball League, an amateur team The Badger Herald Archives by Harrison Freuck Staff Writer
“ So, while Wisconsin could field a baseball team, the university is actrivelt electing not to do so because it supposedlt isn’t in their best interest.”
who has been playing in Madison since 2001. The Mallards have drawn large crowds for years and even won league championships in 2004 and 2013. Madison Area Technical College also fields a baseball team, which has seen success in previous years, including a 3522 campaign in 2018 that featured a 17-6 home record.
“ ... it is clear that a Wisconsin baseball team would draw significant interest from both students and alumni, especially those who have never before experienced college baseball.”
The success of its neighboring college demonstrates just how good Wisconsin could be at varsity baseball, who could utilize students on the current club team as well as players from other surrounding colleges like MATC. So, Madison is a place that has enough potential fan support for a baseball team here at the university. To me, it is frustrating that the athletic department and university are unwilling to even hear people like coach Block out and give them the opportunity to prove that reviving the baseball program is the right choice for Wisconsin. There are numerous reasons why Wisconsin should revive this program, including an already supportive fanbase, a really good club baseball team and the potential for even more revenue to enter the athletic department. Conversely, there are few reasons why they shouldn’t. In the end, it is sad knowing that Wisconsin hasn’t fielded a varsity baseball team in nearly 30 years, yet they continue to field a great club team and they also have local teams in the Mallards and MATC that have proven their worth to the community. All that I ask is that Wisconsin gives another opportunity for the baseball program, for the sake of our campus and for the Madison community. February 26, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 21
BANTER
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Bucky fur, galoshes combine to create signature Wisconsin look We don’t have many original ideas here in the Banter section, so here’s another article about weather-appropriate clothing by Angela Peterson ArtsEtc. Editor
The weather, it is a thing. Since we have very few original ideas here in the Banter section, we’re going to talk about it again. These past few days, no one’s been certain whether to walk out of their place rocking galoshes, winter boots or sneakers. It’s a pure tragedy that students must hold a wide variety of possibilities in their wardrobe to account for the variable climate, also making students unhappy about their lack of available school spirit in some of these outfit choices. Most of us are not fortunate enough to have both a motion “W” slapped across a pair of running shorts and a Bucky-laden sherpa sweater. Luckily, there are ways to amp up school spirit
in otherwise drab ensembles. Follow these tips to reinvent your winter wardrobe into something Bucky-approved. Stencil “W” on clothes Fabric markers are wonderful inventions with untapped potential. Stencils, once limited to the confined space of a paper, seem like a really cool way to make the fabric markers work for a Wisco look. Simply find some University of Wisconsin stencils and a reddish looking fabric marker (pink will suffice in a pinch) and add the logo to whatever jacket you are wearing out that day. It may look a bit hasty, but everyone will know your #wiscopride. Invest in car decals This is a quick and sticky solution. Just put the car decals on otherwise drab snow-pants and then you have cute Bucky ski gear. While a good quick fix,
this might get a little costly as the stickers need to get reapplied. Stickers are not the encouraged way to go about this but definitely work in a pinch. Add pure Bucky fur to your apparel Yes, that mascot costume might be a little worn, but the fur sure does look cozy. Using a little breaking-and-entering skill, snippets of Bucky fur can easily make any outfit winter appropriate and positively Wisconsin in nature. Stuff a little fur on the tops of your galoshes to make a warm footwear option while protecting against the great puddles of State Street. Add length to your short sleeve University Bookstore t-shirt you got for free at Student Orientation, Advising and Registration by creating furry long sleeves. It might be a tad unconventional, but these are the trends that swag badgers have been abided by for ages.
Radiate the sensibilities of a badger OK, so all your clothing efforts failed. It’s okay, we can’t all be Bucky-nistas. Still, if you want to be a badger during these wintery rough times, just come along and act like one. According to my allknowing knowledge source on badgers, the animals engage in a sort of shortened hibernation called torpor where they will have heavily decreased physiological activity for 29 hours. Now I know you might think, “Wow, this writer can finally use words longer than three syllables,” but this knowledge is crucial to understanding the way to encapsulate the personality of a badger in this wacky winter. Basically, do not show up to class every other day. I think not showing up on Tuesdays and Thursday is a hot take, but definitely increases badger-tude. No need for Bucky galoshes with that kind of attitude!
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mannnnnnn i miss summer 2018. hard day at work? drink! Pool day? drink! UU? Meet on the roof bitch. Tuesday but u got work tomorrow? Why not Kleah Danielle
once I start getting a healthy amount of sleep each night, it’s over for u bitches Rose
@RoseIsLit
@claysterrrr
I’m on an “ADJUSTED” sleep schedule where I wake up on the couch at four am, drink a full glass of water, clean the kitchen, and trip over everything on my way to my real bed 45 mins later
I can’t wait to be famous and have all my mean tweets of every celebrity ever to resurface E$AP
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Not responding to a snapshot of just my face with affirmation for my attractiveness is downright wreckless and even felonious in some states Henlo
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I would love to be hot but I will settle for having a slightly above average sense of humor chloe
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One time I was making a frozen pizza for the kids I was babysitting and the cat tried to jump in the oven when I tried putting it in. It still haunts me Maddie
@pooleparty23
February 26, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 23
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