'A Different Dynasty' - Volume 50, Issue 26

STUDENT MEDIA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019 · VOL 50 Issue 26 · BADGERHERALD.COM

A Different Dynasty

Following another disappointing NCAA tournament, Badger men’s basketball team hopes to discover their new identity as a program.

pg. 12

Photo by Daniel Yun

Find us online at

152 W. Johnson Suite 202 Madison WI, 53703 Telephone Fax

http://badgerherald.com

Follow us on Twitter

608.257.4712 608.257.6899

@badgerherald

Follow us on Instagram @badgerherald

8,500 copies Published since Sept. 10, 1969

Like us on Facebook

http://facebook.com/badgerherald

LOOMING LEGALITY Herald Business

Herald Editorial Editor-in-Chief Managing Editors Print News Editors Digital News Editors Print Features Editors Digital Features Editors Campus Editors City Editors State Editors Opinion Editors Sports Editors Sports Associates ArtsEtc. Editors ArtsEtc. Associates Copy Chief Copy Editors

Photo Editor Design Director Design Associates

Matt O’Connor Peyton David Lucas Johnson Gretchen Gerlach Abby Doeden Emilie Cochran Parker Schorr Haidee Chu Aly Niehans Molly Liebergall Izabela Zaluska Mary Magnuson Anna Walters Maddy Phillips Molly DeVore Hibah Ansari Nuha Dolby Abigail Steinberg Cait Gibbons Vicki Dombeck Nour Hatoum John Spengler Justin Mielke Angela Peterson Emilie Burditt Veronica Kuffel Emily Penn Grace Statz Reina Werth Shayde Erbrecht Philomena Lindquist Amaya Munoz Yiting Duan James Strebe Fiona Hou Sam Christensen Lily Oberstein

Publisher Business Managers

8

Wisconsin’s first Rastafarian church opens on Mifflin Street, but police say it’s illegal.

MITSKI IN MADISON

Indie rock musician brings powerful lyricism, dramatic movements to Sylvee set.

Riley Liegel Austin Grandinetti Noah May

Herald Public Relations Public Relations Director Marketing Director Social Media Coordinator

Aidan McClain Ben Sefarbi Jesse McNamar

Herald Advertising Advertising Director Advertising Executive

Jacob Bawolek Patrick Williams

Board of Directors Chair Vice Chair Vice Chair Vice Chair Vice Chair Members

3

PHOTO PAGE

10

OPINION

4

NEWS

12

FEATURES

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

22

POINT COUNTERPOINT: MINIMUM WAGE College Democrats and College Republicans of UW-Madison debate the merits and pitfalls of an increased minimum wage.

DIVERSIONS

VOLLEYBALL: BADGERS PREVAIL IN OPENING SPRING GAME

8

ARTSETC

18

10

SPORTS

18

After Tionna Williams’ exit from the Badger Volleyball program, a replacement along with continued positive play from returners is vital for Wisconsin success

facebook.com/badgerherald

PHOTO

MITSKI MOMENTS

Fiona Hou The Badger Herald Photo · The rising indie rock star Mitski delivers a powerful performance at The Sylvee.

April 9, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 3

NEWS

@badgerherald

Experts praise Evers’ proposed investment in higher education Budget deliberation, approval process still ongoing, will require bipartisan support before impacting UW System

by Katie Amdahl Reporter

Following Gov. Tony Evers’ proposed increases to public education investment, a panel of experts gathered last week to discuss the implications of his proposed state budget for the UW System.

Evers’ budget intends to increase funding by $150 million, and includes capacity building initiatives which will fund the tuition freeze.

As for UW-Madison, these capacity budget initiatives will be particularly influential for computer science, engineering, business and nursing programs. The proposed funding for the school will primarily be allocated toward degree development, programs aimed at increasing retention for underrepresented students and initiatives that seek to increase the student capacity of high demand classes, according to the UW-Madison chancellor’s office.

In the news release, UW-Madison Chancellor

Rebecca Blank said that the plan will positively affect UW-affiliated people of all kind.

But Evers’ plan offers more than just physical benefits. His budget also encourages students and alumni to continue supporting and living out the Wisconsin Idea.

“This plan to reinvest recognizes the potential for our students, faculty, staff and alumni to positively impact our communities around the state,” Blank said.

Other UW schools have similar goals.

According to a news release from the UW System, Evers’ plan would allow UW-Platteville to foster affordable education while developing some associate degrees, UW-Green Bay to increase certain degree programs, and UWWhitewater to create an institute of Disability Innovation and Employment.

The experts on the panel discussed these possible changes for UW-Madison in the context of the entire state, since passing this funding would require bipartisan support.

Photo · Evers’ plan encourages students and alumni to continue supporting and living out the Wisconsin Idea.

Herald Archives The Badger Herald 4 • badgerherald.com • April 9, 2019

According to several experts, public perception may prove a challenge in passing funding. They pointed to the term “capacitybuilding initiative,” which may be misperceived as a building expansion when it is instead intended to expand less tangible services.

Jeff Buhrandt, the UW System senior director of state relations, said the focus was not on physical campus expansion, but instead an expansion of services.

This is specifically prominent when there are changing demographics for incoming college students in Wisconsin. This year, according to a Wisconsin Public Radio article, the number of college students from Wisconsin dropped 4.1 percent.

Because expansion often results in an increased maintenance and construction budget, many Wisconsin residents are hesitant to support the term, especially if trends like these continue.

“We’re not trying to add a lot of square footage.” Buhrandt said. “We understand that need may not be there.

Our operational budget does the same. We focus on high demand programs. We focus on student services we know are successful.”

Buhrandt cited Georgia State University as an example of successful capacity building.

Georgia State’s GPS Advising uses predictive analytics to intervene when students are currently underperforming or at risk of failing in the future. Their program has helped in increasing the number of bachelor’s degrees given to African American students by 103 percent, and in “[wiping] out their difference in the achievement gap,” Buhrandt said.

The experts also suggested the benefits of funding public education went beyond simply benefiting each individual university — it also has implications for the rest of Wisconsin, even including residents far from the university.

Rep. Katrina Shankland, D-Steven’s Point, said the UW System’s benefits are prevalent in local communities throughout the state.

“For every one dollar you put into the UW System in Wisconsin, you get $23 back for the economy and the local community,” Shankland said.

Shankland and Rep. Dave Murphy, R-Greenville, discussed the issue of connecting the benefits of funding the university to the rest of the public.

Shankland found this particularly relevant to her district, centered in Steven’s Point. She mentioned that she seeks to connect the benefits of UW-Madison research to people’s everyday, personal lives.“It’s about serving the whole state.…” Shankland said. “When I have farmers, county board supervisors, health departments and dairy business folks in my office, I want to talk about the [CALS] research that’s happening at UW-Madison.”

Shankland said she hopes that by directly connecting higher education’s benefits to people’s lives, they will be more interested in prioritizing public education funding. This, Shankland said, would be represented by future elected officials.

Nick Hillman, a UW-Madison educational leadership and policy analysis associate professor, elaborated on the problem by comparing short-term and long-term benefits to the public. Hillman said funding public education is a long-term benefit, as it is imperative for the future of the state.

“I think that a value proposition for universities is that we are training the medical professionals that can meet a family’s immediate needs, but at the same time are training people to be proactive and competitive so that we can maybe solve some of the really tough problems we are facing today,” Hillman said.

This budget, however, also carries a two percent wage increase for faculty members in the UW System. While this pay raise may help increase the retention of talented student and faculty in Wisconsin, it is also important to consider the salary for faculty based on other jobs as well.“The two percent across the board may be great, but pay is something that is a free market, and we have to compete in the marketplace at reasonable salary levels,” Murphy said.

Overall, the experts, as well as university faculty, were enthusiastic about the proposed budget and the importance it may have in the advancement of the UW System.

The process to approve the state budget is still ongoing. According to the Department of Administration, the budget’s tentative completion date is July 1. To do so, however, the split government will need to come to an agreement on funding for education, amongst many other important initiatives throughout the state.

“It’s our small businesses,” Shankland said.

“It’s the integrity of our community, and why many of us chose to live there in the first place.

I hope we can have the conversation to find common ground.”

NEWS

facebook.com/badgerherald

New report predicts rapid climate change in Great Lakes area Higher temperatures and extreme precipitation will bring more flooding, heat waves to Midwest, affect public health lead to the lake itself warming. With extreme rainfall creating runoff into the lake, the combined force of these events make for Warmer weather, extreme precipitation poor ecological conditions in the lake. and more flooding are expected for the Great UW botany and environmental studies Lakes region in the coming years, according professor Don Waller said he is concerned to a new report from local scientists. about the plants in the Great Lakes area in The report was commissioned by the particular.

Environmental Law & Policy Center “What really struck me is how many and includes researchers from various species are being affected and in many universities. Among the researchers was ways,” Waller said. “[We know] that most Daniel Vimont, a University of Wisconsin plant species are moving towards the atmospheric and oceanic sciences professor northwest, and have already. But as climate who serves as the director of the Nelson changes accelerate, what we’re finding is that Institute Center for Climatic Research. most plant species can’t keep up with the Vimont said the report confirms what rate — they are falling behind.” scientists already knew.

Waller said the average climate has “The fact that we have known about this changed by over 100 kilometers over the [change] already and that this report — last 50 years, while the average species which is an update of this and reiterates the changes only 50 or 60 kilometers. This has same thing — tells us were pretty confident created a mismatch in the climate, which is in the changes that we’re experiencing,” detrimental to plant species, Waller said.

Vimont said.

Waller is also concerned about aberrant changes in animal populations.

Some species are facing extinction because of the extreme changes, while other populations are booming.

Because of limited hunting, improved habitats, plenty of available food and milder winters, the whitetail deer population is thriving.

However, Waller said this has limited the ability of many tree species to regenerate across Wisconsin.

Waller also expressed concern over agriculture, as it is a basis for the Midwest’s economy.

Waller said farmers across Wisconsin and other states are already being affected by the recent record rain events.

“The problem for farmers is that spring flooding in particular means they can’t plant their crops when they want to,” Waller said. “Delaying planting means their crops are going to be growing later into the season, when the droughts may hit them. It’s kind of like a double whammy.”

Jonathan Patz, the director of the UW Global Health Institute, said extreme heat is also a cause for concern.

Photo · Report estimates air temperatures will increase three to eight degrees by mid-century, with a threefold increase on As a midwestern city, Patz extreme precipitation and heat. said Madison is susceptible to heat waves — which, according Marissa Haegele to the new report, will increase The Badger Herald

by Abby Doeden Print News Editor

The report found the Great Lakes basin has warmed nearly two degrees in annual mean air temperature over the last century, which is higher than the rest of the contiguous U.S. That trend isn’t expected to stop.

The report estimates average global air temperatures will warm between three and seven degrees by the end of the 21st century.

The increased air temperature will lead to increased precipitation, as warmer air can hold more water, Vimont said. This means we can expect more extreme downpours in the next 30 years.

“We’ve known that intense precipitation events are likely to become more frequent, but in the last few years, we’ve started to realize that the really extreme events — these 500 year, unheard-of events — are likely to be even more strongly impacted than the 1015 inch events,” Vimont said.

Additionally, Vimont said such warming will affect how the lake mixes, and could

threefold in coming years.

“People die in heat waves,” Patz said.

“We’ve actually done a study in Milwaukee, and during a heat wave, you get increased admission for heart disease, lung diseases, kidney diseases from dehydration, increased issues with diabetes and, surprisingly, attempted suicide.”

Patz said for these reasons, and the fact that some people don’t have access to a cooling center, heat waves are one of the biggest problems associated with climate change.

Patz is also concerned about the increase in flooding incidents, which decrease water quality.

“With floods, you’ve got the infrastructural damage, but water quality is also affected,” Patz said. “We’ve done studies in the central part of [Wisconsin] that shows an increase in childhood admissions for gastrointestinal disease related to heavy rainfall events.”

Patz said a newer problem in Wisconsin is the contamination from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. When there is flooding near CAFOs with containment ponds of hog waste, it can lead to contamination issues through runoff into lakes and streams.

Another problem is air pollution, Patz said. Ground-level smog ozone is increased in warmer temperatures and is unhealthy for asthmatics.

While these are all concerns to take into account, Vimont said it is most important for communities to begin buffering themselves against climate change’s impacts.

Vimont said even if global carbon emissions are reduced by a massive amount, an inevitable amount of change will still occur.

For Vimont, that requires conversations between scientists, businesses, community members and government organizations — the Wisconsin Idea in action. The best thing we can be doing now, he said, is to communicate the information and identify how to work together to build resilience against what is inevitably coming.

Vimont said he is especially focused on the Great Lakes, as they are a unique resource that need to be saved.

“The Great Lakes are an amazing national resource. They are iconic,” Vimont said.

“There’s 34 million people that live in the Great Lakes basin, there’s billions of dollars worth of industry generated by the Great Lakes — they are like the rocky mountains, something that everybody recognizes. And we need to be thinking of it as a national treasure and we need to be working to try to build resilience in the lakes and the communities that rely on them.”

April 9, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 5

NEWS

@badgerherald

Trump’s free speech executive order expected to have limited impact ‘Free speech’ executive order requires college campuses to promote inclusive environment, but implementation unclear

by Lauren Henning Reporter

President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring colleges to protect free speech, promote an environment that allows for competing perspectives, make federal loan information more accessible and make annual expansions and updates to their College Scoreboard.

Section 3 of the order has garnered most scrutiny, which rules that private or public colleges could risk losing access to federal research grants if they fail to protect the First Amendment right of free speech on campus.

The order also makes different governmental agency heads, along with the director of the office of management and budget, responsible for ensuring institutions that comply with federal free speech laws are appropriately granted access to research funds.

While The Washington Post reported the order was met with concerns over who would classify protected speech, University of Wisconsin law professor Anuj Desai said it is safe to say the order will bring little-tono change.

“There’s really no change in

anything with respect to the legal requirements that institutions of higher education would have to satisfy .”

Anuj Desai UW Law Professor

Desai said the order was more of a friendly reminder that college campuses are required to uphold free speech.

“There’s really no change in anything with respect to the legal requirements that institutions of higher education would have to satisfy,” Desai said.

Desai also said a majority of the order was not focused on free speech. Of its six sections, only one was geared toward free speech policies on college campuses.

While Desai believed little will come of the order, he did raise a concern that politically motivated regulation of free speech could become a greater possibility as a result of it.

6 • badgerherald.com • April 9, 2019

Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s director of the the Executive Order was signed. In the as a public institution. He cited the variety office of management and budget who also following year, UW released campus protest of speakers UW has hosted over the past serves as acting White House chief of staff, policy guidelines. year, including several conservatives, who has been known to hold strong views in UW Assistant Vice Chancellor John Lucas have spoken without disruption. support of free speech on college campuses. said these actions were done in the interest Culver said the executive order was a Desai said that while the OMB director of creating a clear policy that protected political display more than anything else, does not hold any de facto power in this speech on both sides of the aisle. as it was issued in response to irregular arena, that doesn’t always transfer over to “When protests or counter-protests occur, occurrences campuses. She suggested there reality.

UW–Madison works with organizers to exists a possibility that students are being “It is like a lot of things in government, ensure they are peaceful and holds people manipulated as political pawns through this where sometimes what matters is who is accountable when they disrupt events and executive order. talking to whom,” Desai said. speakers or violate the law,” Lucas said.

“One thing that is important to me UW journalism professor Kathleen Culver Lucas further emphasized that UW values and that I find really regrettable is that expressed similar sentiments that, overall, freedom of speech and inquiry beyond the campuses, I fear, are being used as tools in a the order will have a very limited impact. requirements of the legal obligations it has broader culture war,” Culver said.

But Culver did raise the concern of a possible chilling effect of student speech.

“My main concern is whether our students will see it as a reason for them to censor themselves — that they’ll take it as some sort of cue that they should be behaving differently on campus,” Culver said.

Culver also said lingering questions over the executive order and the campus policy it inspires revolve around whether the rules are written and upheld with viewpoint neutrality in mind.

She emphasized that if they fail viewpoint neutrality standards, it will never survive.

UW’s policies in this area are not expected to change. The Board of Regents approved a policy on academic freedom and Photo · Executive order requires colleges to protect free speech, promote environment allowing competing perspectives, make federal loan freedom of information more accessible and make annual expansions to their College Scoreboard. expression in Oct. 2017, long before

Courtesy of Flickr user Gage Skidmore

NEWS

facebook.com/badgerherald

Future of Henry Vilas Zoo uncertain after partnership termination After 105-year relationship, conflicts over money, accreditation leave the zoo searching for new partner, employees

by Malina Barker Reporter

From his back porch off Randall Avenue Chuck Erickson used to be able to hear lions.

This surprising neighborhood feature was thanks to the Henry Vilas Zoo. Erickson, who can no longer hear lions from his current home, is the Dane County supervisor for District 13, where the zoo is located.

The exotic animal attractions are one of the many unique values the zoo brings to the Madison community — one it is trying to maintain. But in an effort to maintain its Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation, the zoo is making changes.

As of March 31, the zoo will no longer be partnered with the Henry Vilas Zoological Society.

Formed three years after the zoo was created, the society fundraises for the zoo, which has allowed it to remain free. Erickson said this is one of the zoo’s key aspects.

“Anybody can go there… Basically, the zoo is free and open and that’s another great attribute of it,” Erickson said. “It’s another asset in our

community.”

For the past 105 years, the society has been partnered with the zoo, running its fundraising and concessions operations while Dane County has managed staff and the animals they work with.

Erickson said the society did “really well” fundraising for the zoo. But in a letter from Dane County Executive Joe Parisi to Tom Hanson, the chair of the society, the county government said the society had been raising funds that went to accounts that are inaccessible to the zoo.

Parisi wrote that money raised through donations and concessions should go to animal care. Funding is a concern for the zoo, as one of its unmet AZA requirements includes maintaining a sufficient staff, Erickson said.

To address this issue, Erickson has introduced a resolution to hire nine full-time-equivalent employees for the zoo. This resolution will be evaluated by the county board on April 11.

Mark Markel, dean of the UW School of Veterinary Medicine and a member of the society’s board of directors, said the AZA accreditation is key because it sets animal care standards.

“If you’re not accredited, then it’s less clear

whether you’re meeting those standards,” Markel said. “So as far as the comfort level ... I think it’s very important that the zoo maintains its AZA accreditation.”

This AZA accreditation has helped make the zoo a positive part of the Madison community.

While he was growing up, Erickson said his only memories of the zoo were animals pacing in smelly cages. Now, however, Erickson said visitors can tell animals are well cared for.

Erickson said he hopes staffing issues will have been addressed by the time the zoo is re-evaluated this June.

The zoo is working to fill some of the roles previously performed by the society. In a recent press release, Parisi announced that Centerplate will be the zoo’s new partner in assisting with concessions and attractions. In a later press release, Parisi announced the zoo is working with Mike Gill, a national consultant with more than 40 years of experience with zoos and aquariums. Gill will advise the zoo during this transitional period.

UW’s School of Veterinary Medicine became the official veterinary medical providers for the zoo earlier this year. While the zoo transitions into its next phsase, Markel said the veterinary school

will continue to ensure the animals have the “best medical care that can be provided.”

Markel said the society has been an “integral part of the zoo’s success,” and that he is not sure what fundraising for the zoo will look like now.

Erickson said he would like it if the society could continue to run fundraising operations off-site. Markel would also like for the society to continue fundraising, but said it is unlikely.

“Overall, I’m just sad,” Markel said. “I’m sad that this relationship, for a variety of reasons, is ending. It would be my hope that that doesn’t happen or somehow this gets turned around. It doesn’t seem … a likely outcome.”

As an undergrad at UW, Erickson said he remembered visiting the zoo, adding that he hopes students will continue doing so. Because the zoo is free and open to everyone, it is a valuable resource for both children and adults, Markel said.

Erickson said the impact of these changes remains uncertain, but he hopes it can remain one of Madison’s assets.

“We still want the zoo to be accredited, we still want it to be a special place,” Erickson said. “You know there are tons of people who go there. I still want it to be free and open to the public.”

NEWS

@badgerherald

Wisconsin’s first Rastafarian church plagued by questions of legality Church owners claim marijuana use is constitutional because of First Amendment’s religious expression protections, but police claim it’s illegal

by Anna Walters Campus Editor

Wisconsin’s first and only Rastafarian church, which also doubles as the state’s first “cannabis sanctuary,” recently opened its doors on Mifflin Street.

While the use of marijuana is illegal in the state of Wisconsin, the two Rastas who opened the church, Jesse Schworck and Dylan Bangert, claim their use of marijuana is constitutional, as reported by WISC TV. In the church, known as the Lion of Judah House Rastafari, cannabis is used as a religious sacrament.

Schworck told WISC TV that they do not sell or gift the products to the public. The church is non-profit, and one must be a member and make donations to participate in the use of the “kaneh-bosm,” or cannabis, Schworck said. According to the church’s website, it uses cannabis flowers, edibles and CannaCoffee, among other products.

“We all use cannabis to medi-

tate and also for the religious purpose for uplifting our mind and our body and our spirit .”

Jesse Schworck Church Rasta

To become a member of the church, one must fill out a membership card that includes an oath regarding the signer ’s sincerity. They have given out over 5,000 new member cards so far, according to WISC TV. ”We all use cannabis to meditate and also for the religious purpose for uplifting our mind and our body and our spirit,” Schwork told WISC TV. Schworck and Bangert believe they are protected and allowed to use marijuana through the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from interfering with an individual’s exercise of religion.

But Jason Freedman, captain of police for Madison Police Department’s Central District, said the issue is more complex.

“Just claiming that they are a religious institution or a religious organization does not mean that they are,” Freedman said.

“Even if they claim such and are such does 8 • badgerherald.com • April 9, 2019

not give them [legal permission] to engage in — this case — the utilization of marijuana without some requirements.

There are several standards they have to meet, and we do not believe they’ve met those standards. We are going to work towards making sure that the laws are followed as they should be, but their claiming that they are legal does not equate to them being legal.”

A similar case in the 1980s, Olsen v. Drug Enforcement Administration, ruled unfavorably for the petitioner who was seeking a religioususe exemption Photo · Church’s cannabis products were siezed by MPD, items are still in police custody. from federal laws prohibiting Marissa Haegle marijuana.

The Badger Herald Olsen argued an exemption is required by the to make their claim to law enforcement, first amendment’s guarantee of the free Freedman said. But as far as Freedman is exercise of religion. He argued his church is aware, there is nothing concrete other than entitled to an exemption similar to the one their claim they are exempt for religious granted by federal regulation to the Native reasons.

American Church for its sacramental use of In a video posted to the church Facebook peyote. page, MPD is seen seizing the church’s Olsen proposed a “restrictive religious cannabis products. Freedman said those exemption,” in which he detailed several items are still in the possession of MPD limitations to the marijuana use that he pending the investigation, and it is their would agree to, which included only using belief that there are more cannabis products marijuana during certain times and religious there. ceremonies, not going in public or driving Freedman said the police believe the vehicles after the use and only making it church’s claim is “facetious” and in violation available to members of the church of a of the law, but they are approaching the certain age. investigation carefully.

Olsen’s requests were denied, and the “We are mindful of the space they court held the First Amendment’s free are attempting to occupy in terms of a exercise of religion guarantee does not religious function, and so we are being require the requested exemption, and the more deliberate and making sure that we petitioner was not denied equal protectionunderstand the law and are acting within establishment clause rights by the not only the scope of our authority but the government’s refusal to accommodate his scope of best practice,” Freedman said. “If church’s sacramental use of marijuana. they had not claimed a religious affiliation, I The church will have an opportunity think we would have moved more quickly.”

Another issue was raised by Matt Tucker, a city zoning administrator, who said the location of the church at 555 W. Mifflin St. is not approved to be used as a church.

Tucker said the church would need to go through an approval process, which includes being inspected by the city to determine if the space is safe for the intended use. The space they are occupying is technically only safe to hold 15 people, he said.

“If they were to operate a place of assembly, they would need to obtain approval for that,” Tucker said. “They have come in and talked to us, and we have told them that they do not have [permission].

The approved use of that property is for general retail, not a church, so they do not have a legal use of that location.”

The building owners have been made aware that if they operate a church without approval or a zoning change of use, they could be prosecuted for violations of the city’s zoning ordinance, Tucker said.

ARTSETC.

facebook.com/badgerherald

Impressive ‘Miss Saigon’ performance plagued by controversies

Production features strong cast, but Overture Center’s cancellation of panel, work’s continued social controversies can’t be overlooked

by Josie Brandmeier ArtsEtc Staff Writer

The touring Broadway company of the “Miss Saigon” revival came to The Overture Center to perform the controversial musical April 2-7.

The show, set in 1975 Vietnam, tells the “love story” between Kim — a Vietnamese bar girl — and Chris — an American soldier.

First, it’s important to give credit where credit is due. Emily Bautista as Kim was absolutely breathtaking. Performing one of the most difficult scores ever written for a female lead, Bautista’s voice never faltered. Red Concepción (The Engineer) gave an electrifying performance as the conniving hustler who we first meet as the pimp at the “Dreamland” brothel in Saigon.

These two actors, accompanied by the incredibly strong ensemble, were bigger than the spectacular set surrounding them.

Bautista delivered emotional subtleties and intimate moments so that even audience members in the balcony seats experienced the show as if they were in the front row. Performing “The American Dream,” a number that features a kick line, fireworks and a giant dystopian face of Lady Liberty, Concepción was the most engaging part of the elaborate scene.

But even with powerful performances of a beautiful score by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, the story is unsettling — and not just because it is a tragedy.

Its use of the Asian women archetype as sex objects saved by heroic white saviors has made “Miss Saigon” has been a controversial topic since its opening in 1989. Its lead character is a Vietnamese sex worker who falls in love with, and dedicates her life to, a white soldier after only 48 hours.

In Madison, the Broadway tour was met with controversy. Local Asian-American activists and scholars planned a panel to contextualize the show, only to be canceled by The Overture Center over question disagreements.

The problem with “Miss Saigon” is not just that Kim is a sex worker, though the use of a fetishized stereotype does not help the script’s case. Eva Noblezada, the original Kim in the Broadway revival production, defended the show as “real,” despite its “demeaning” elements.

What makes the story so difficult to digest is that despite being the main character, Kim’s story is constantly regarded as unimportant. In pivotal moments throughout the show, Kim does not have a voice.

When she engages in sex work for the first time, Chris gets a whole five-minute song called “Why, God, Why” about the pain the situation caused him, the white GI soldier who just paid for sex. We never find out what the experience was like for Kim. After Chris abandons Kim, the audience has a glimpse into his life in America, where he struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and marriage problems with his new wife. Yet we never find

out what those three years were like for Kim, who gave birth to and raised a child on her own in a war-torn country. We only see her crouched on the ground, looking up at the sky and pining for her white soldier, as she is generally staged throughout this production. We do not know much about Kim, other than that she misses Chris.

The focus on Chris’ pain instead of Kim’s follows the show’s pattern of using an American narrative to tell a Vietnamese story. In discussing the Vietnam War, “Miss Saigon” focuses on American guilt.

Ignoring the perspectives of the North and South Vietnamese, the conflict is reduced to whether or not the U.S. should have been involved.

By ignoring the multiple layers of the conflict, “Miss Saigon” minimizes the Vietnamese experience in the Vietnam War as a backdrop for American anguish. The way in which the script emphasizes Chris’ guilt throughout the show in place of Kim’s is just one example of this.

But what “Miss Saigon” claims America is guilty of just demonstrates America’s moral superiority complex. The underlying theme of “Miss Saigon” is that America should have saved Vietnam and did a bad job. This perpetuates the harmful notion that Asian people need to be saved by the West.

“Miss Saigon” does not want the audience to think Chris is a villain, but rather a guy with good intentions who failed to save Kim. It never

considers that Kim and the other Asian women in the show had the capacity to save themselves.

I wish I could leave the theatre marveling over Bautista’s vocals. But what will stick with me is the tagline of the show, “The Epic Love Story of Our Time.” The show is about a woman impregnated and abandoned by an American soldier, who ultimately kills herself trying to send her son to America. It is a story about white supremacy and America’s false sense of moral superiority, but not a love story. I don’t believe the producers realize that.

“ It is a story about white su-

premacy and America’s false sense of moral superiority, but not a love story,”

The Overture Center plans to reschedule the Miss Saigon panel to April 24, though it is unclear whether or not the original panelists will agree to attend. For more context, read UW professor Timothy Yu’s essay “What’s Wrong with Miss Saigon?”

First Wave Line Breaks Festival connects arts, academia, activism Over five day festival, First Wave scholars represent fine arts culture found in hip hop through different art media like dance, film, spoken word

by Emilie Burditt ArtsEtc. Editor

First Wave, a multicultural art initiatives at the University of Wisconsin, focuses on connecting academia, art and activism.

This past week, First Wave hosted the Line Breaks Festival, which acted as an expressive outlet for students through dance, spoken word and film media.

First Wave is primarily centered around urban arts and hip-hop culture, and the festival’s art reflected these values. Thomas Valtin-Erwin, the program administrator at OMAI, said the festival ties into the mission of First Wave by connecting these art forms to academia and activism.

Valtin-Erwin said the Line Breaks Festival allows hip-hop to integrate itself into what is usually regarded as the “fine arts.” He said hip-hop has a kind of power that should be validated in the arts, in academia and in activism. Valtin-Erwin said the Line Breaks Festival helps illuminate hip-hop as a fine art and become more accepted in those topical

areas.

“Line Breaks is important because it illustrates the validity of hip hop in the fine arts and in academia,” Valtin-Erwin said. “That’s what makes hip hop theater so powerful — it demonstrates that hip hop is an art form with a lot to contribute to academic and artistic discourse.”

“ Line Breaks is important because it illustrates the validity of hip hop in the fine arts,”

Thomas Valtin-Erwin The festival was also helpful in giving the First Wave scholars an opportunity to professionally present their art.

Since it started as a series of performances, lectures and discussions in 2007, the

Line Breaks Festival has evolved into a contemporary performance free to both the UW campus and Madison community.

Audience members could watch Tiffany Ike — who opened and closed the festival — present her documentary film “Dal: Stories of Black Motherhood,” Dequadray White perform his solo show “Love U(s) First” or a number of other performances throughout the five-day festival.

The festival extended beyond a means of artistic self-expression. It was also a call for action.

“The theme of this year ’s Line Breaks Festival is a quote from Amiri Baraka: ‘The artist’s role is to raise the consciousness of the people. To make them understand life, the world, and themselves more completely,’” Valtin-Erwin said.

Though the festival hosted acts with deep meaning for the performers and audience, it was meant to be fun. Valtin-Erwin described it as thought-provoking, but also as a fun campus activity.

The festival is primarily run by the First

Wave scholar students, but some guest performers and directors are invited by OMAI to perform and also direct students in its production.

This year, OMAI invited and worked with the following performers: • James D. Gavins, performing arts director at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Green Bay • Natasha Oladokun, critically acclaimed poet and inaugural First Wave poetry fellow • Thiahera Nurse, teaching artist in Queens and creator of “The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 2: Black Girl Magic Anthology” All three guests performed during the festival, and all of them held workshops in topic areas like poetry and writing.

Between the five nights of performances, there was an average of roughly five performances per night. The student and guest performers performed well, and all are talented, engaging and dedicated, Valtin-Erwin said.

April 9, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 9

ARTSETC

@badgerherald

The Understudies Improv performs humorous acts with little practice Student performers practice short-form improv at first workshop of the semester with success in showing ridiculous spectacle of hilarity

by William Lundquist ArtsEtc. Staff Writer

The Understudies Improv, the University of Wisconsin’s only short-form improv group, held a workshop Sunday to give guests a glimpse of improv. The group is a staple of UW’s comedy scene, and they regularly perform shows in Memorial Union.

The first workshop of the year was a great opportunity for the group to recruit new members and practice their improv skills.

The practice began with four of the Understudies rotating in a circle, with two performing a scene and the other two waiting to rotate in. The moderator and captain of the group, Owen Desai, called for the circle to be rotated either right or left, which meant that each Understudy had to be prepared to be thrown into a different storyline than they were just performing. It was really interesting to see the Understudies get caught off guard, and then quickly adjust to the new scene.

One thing was clear from the beginning of the workshop — everyone in the group helped cultivate an extremely welcoming, fun-loving and boisterous environment.

Everyone was supportive of each other, and it never felt like any jokes fell flat, even if they seemed to came from nowhere. After each game or exercise, Desai would give feedback about what was working in each scene and what could be done to improve the storyline.

“I never focus on what’s funny or not,” Desai said. “Too much criticism can get people down if it’s framed negatively, so I give notes on what’s working and what can be done differently. Nothing gets taken personally.”

The diversity of wacky subject matters in each scene was remarkable throughout the workshop, and it contributed to the lighthearted nature of the workshop. The Understudies would portray an array of different characters and embody the demographics of these characters in the content of their speech and the accents they used.

Often the performers would not even get to choose their character. In most scenes, one would be given a name, gender identity or demographic by the other character in the scene. This is a staple of the Understudies’ short-form improv, where they are given a select few details. Typically this includes the “who,” “what” and “where” of a scene. Then they run with it.

I was shocked that the Understudies barely prepared the characters, plotline or dialogue of a scene, and that they relied almost entirely on audience suggestions and improvisation to come up with jokes.

The chemistry of the group allows them to fluidly perform scenes and bounce ideas back and forth that usually turn into a ridiculous spectacle of hilarity. Trying to sit through the entire workshop and take notes was 10 • badgerherald.com • April 9, 2019

considerably difficult, as I could hardly contain myself from laughing at most of their jokes.

Desai believes in the strict improvisational nature of the group’s comedy as a way to bring success.

“Our scenes are all improv — we don’t script anything,” Desai said. “We use our workshops to help us work on our games, but none of the content gets carried over into any show.”

One of the games Desai was referencing is called “Town Hall.” The game is a pro and con debate of any issue chosen by the audience. It uses eight Understudies, four on each side of the issue, standing in the audience debating.

At Sunday’s workshop, the issue was Arizona Iced Tea, and each Understudy assumed a character through which they debated the issue.

My favorite character was Melissa, played by Desai. Melissa was the principal of an all-girls school who insisted it was the most popular drink in the school and that her students would throw a fit if it was removed.

Other notable characters were George Washington, who condoned Arizona Iced Tea because it was the only drink you could buy with a single dollar bill. There was also the local convenience store owner, a hardcore Texan, who would rather sell cow piss than a product from Arizona.

I got to speak with another group member, Kat Azem, and I asked her how the group chooses what identities to embody in their characters, and what portrayals they tend to avoid.

Her answer made a lot of sense not only for their group, but also for how many comedians make their choices and navigate the gray area between political correctness and free speech in comedy “We’re always culturally sensitive with our jokes because you never know who could be in the audience,” Azem said. “That being said, when I embody a character with an identity different from my own, I avoid stereotypes at all costs, and use the structure of the scene to explore different facets of my character’s identity.”

I had a great time at the Understudies’s workshop, so you’ll probably have an even better time at one of their shows. Check out their Facebook for more details on upcoming events.

Photo · Understudies Improv practicing their skits for guest audience Willaim Lundquist The Badger Herald

SUMMER ON YOUR TERMS! GET A

HOUSING BOOST

THIS SUMMER

Looking for on-campus housing for June, July, or August? The Summer Housing Boost can help students cover the cost of living in residence halls over the summer. Apply by April 22.

summer.wisc.edu/housing-boost/

ARTSETC.

facebook.com/badgerherald

Mitski delivers high-pitched performance with powerful lyrics Performer wows audience with solo act under blue-green lights, using simple props like a table and chair for dramatic, emotional effect

by Emilie Burditt ArtsEtc Editor

Mitski Miyawaki, known simply as Mitski, performed her indie rock album Be the Cowboy, in addition to other songs, at The Sylvee Wednesday.

The concert started with her fast-paced songs that are more closely related to rock music, but Mitski brought out her guitar and played with softer vocals and a slower beat toward the end of the concert.

Mitski based her album on her apathy while on the road as she tried to keep up with her business. In an interview with Uproxx, Mitski said the album allowed her to regain and find herself. ”I had been on the road for a long time, which is so isolating, and had to run my own business at the same time,” Mitski said. “A lot of this record was me not having any feelings, being completely spent but then trying to rally myself and wake up and get back to Mitski.”

The cool-colored lights highlighted Mitski as the main presence on the stage. She performed with a table and chair that acted as a prop for her to engage with.

Mitski moved across the stage at times while singing, engaging with the audience as she belted her music. But for the most part, Mitski’s movements were crisp, clean and dramatic. They were pretty simple for a soloist, but Mitski used her movements to aid the powerful persona that she gave off during the concert.

When she played “I Don’t Smoke,” Mitski acted out punching herself in her stomach, and then dramatically circling her hand.

She repeated these movements during the chorus, as she did with other songs, but with movements that were specific to that song.

If she wasn’t moving her hands, Mitski was moving her legs or using the table as a prop. During a couple of points in the concert, Mitski opened her legs on the table with her back laying against it, all the while maintaining beautiful vocals.

Overall, her singing was high-pitched. Her voice was soft, but her lyrics were powerful, which was dramatized by her repetitive and fast-paced gestures.

At times, however, Mitski grew out of her mostly-contained movements and let out a heap of energy by flipping her hair and running across the stage.

Shortly after, she even started swinging the microphone around, which rallied the audience. Mitski started jumping ecstatically on stage, too, as if to crush away her past apathy.

The crowd sang along to a lot of her songs, and those on the second floor of The Sylvee primarily stood during the concert, swaying along to the beat like everyone else.

Mitski did settle down after the majority of the concert, much to the audience’s dismay, who called for her to bring back her table and chair after she dragged them off stage. Mistki didn’t listen though and instead brought out her guitar. Her music lessened in its energy but was no less engaging.

Photo · Mitski showing off her intense moves while still maintaining strong vocals.

Photo · Mitski singing at The Sylvee during her 2019 tour.

Fiona Hou The Badger Herald

Fiona Hou The Badger Herald

She played songs like “A Burning Hill” and “Two Slow Dancers” with her guitar. Before she headed off stage to end her concert, Mitski thanked the audience for coming.

“Thank you for feeling all the feelings,” Mitski said. “Thank you for connecting.”

“I had been on the road for a

long time, which is so isolating, and had to run my own business at the same time. A lot of this record was me not having any feelings, being completely spent but then trying to rally myself and wake up and get back to Mitski.”

Mitski Miyawaki

April 9, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 11

FEATURES

@badgerherald

FEATURES

facebook.com/badgerherald

Changing identity: A young Badger basketball team has left fans wondering about program’s reputation Inconsistent shooting, abnormally high turnover rate plagued team as the regular season drew to a close, persisting through their tough tournament loss to Oregon

by Vicki Dombeck Sports Editor

Once is a mistake, but twice is a pattern. Two seasons in a row, the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team has finished their season in an uncharacteristic and disappointing fashion.

First, in their 2017-18 season, Wisconsin had one of their worst years in two decades. They were unable to gel and seemed uncomfortable playing with each other. A season like this threatened to end what seemed like an NCAA basketball dynasty — a consistent deep playoff threat.

Nineteen years of leadership under former Wisconsin coaches Dick Bennett and Bo Ryan transformed an often-struggling program to one that demanded respect nationally. The program, an active playoff streak and the expectations that came with both were passed to current Head Coach Greg Gard following Ryan’s retirement in 2015.

The teams coached by Bennett and Ryan shared one common accomplishment: qualifying for the end-of-season NCAA tournament.

The 19-year playoff streak was one which dominated collegiate basketball and stood close to those known particularly for their basketball excellence such as Kansas at 30 years, North Carolina at 27 and Duke at 24.

These 19 years witnessed the collegiate success of iconic players like Jordan Taylor, Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky. It also saw memorable moments like Ben Brust forcing overtime against Michigan with a half-court heave and beating the undefeated and widely-favored Kentucky Wildcats to advance to the 2015 National Championship.

But just before they could reach the two-decade milestone, the final buzzer rang and signaled loss for the Badgers as they fell in a tough contest to Michigan State, ending their 2018 season and, consequently, the 19-year tournament streak.

Some will make excuses and say that the 2018 Badger team was filled with young players, especially for an unconventional season filled with injuries to starters. But those who don’t make excuses saw a fundamentally different Badger program — they recognized the weaknesses that led to their downfall.

12 • April 9, 2019 • badgerherald.com

Bent, not broken Starting point guard and then-freshman Brad Davison was an early Badger fan-favorite and passionate leader of the Wisconsin team. The Minnesota native grew up idolizing Big Ten basketball for its competitiveness, dominance in the NCAA and style of play.

Davison — the subject of an iconic photograph in which he stands bent over in remorse as Michigan State celebrated after defeating Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament — went on to write an article in a segment about the disappointing end to the Wisconsin season.

The article, “Never Again,” delves into not only Davison’s, but the team’s feelings toward the 2018 season. The article also addressed the uncertainties of the 2019 season, focusing on the unknown future of star forward Ethan Happ and his potential NBA draft bid. Most importantly, however, the article focuses on the team’s goal of never missing the NCAA tournament again.

With emotions already running high after losing the 19-year streak, Davison wrote this piece after he suffered a gruesome shoulder injury in only the fourth game of the 2018 season.

He returned from injury wearing a black brace that kept his shoulder in place for the rest of the season. It popped out of socket eight times even with the brace. It was certainly not an easy injury to battle for an entire season, but each time he returned.

Looking back at the struggles he faced at the time, Davison spoke about his injury and the state of mind he is in now.

“I don’t take anything for granted,” Davison said. “Whether it’s a practice, whether it’s a game, whenever you can go out there and play at full, 100 percent full health and do it with your teammates and with your brothers … we appreciate the little things more for sure.”

Trying to take that “nothing for granted” attitude and use it as fuel for the 2018-19 season, the rest of Davison’s article addresses the team’s disappointment in themselves following the 2017-18 season.

With the season behind them, Davison and the Badgers looked forward. They looked toward a redemption-tour schedule in the season to come, where they could reclaim victories against teams that defeated them previously, and saw it as an opportunity to make the end-of-season tournament.

“Everyone talks about the end of the NCAA tournament streak and people can spin it anyway they want, but I see it as we have an opportunity to start a new one, to be special in our own way and

hopefully do something that hasn’t been done in a really long time, which is win a national championship,” Davison said in his article.

He saw two central ways to grow during the offseason: build team chemistry and use the adversity of the previous season to strive for excellence in future years.

Injuries, coupled with the loss of key seniors Bronson Koenig, Nigel Hayes and Zak Showalter, meant that players were shifted into unfamiliar roles. Team chemistry suffered as a result and players lacked the required camaraderie for a successful season.

“The idea is unity. Everyone has it. Everyone sees it. Everyone can share a common goal because they share a common purpose,” Davison said.

Not letting the adversity tie the Badgers down would be one of their greatest challenges moving forward.

Road to redemption With a 19-year streak comes not only the prestige of an annual tournament berth but also the heightened expectations of fans accustomed to cheering on their team in the big dance.

Every March, teams across the country gather for Selection Sunday. Some wait in anticipation, looking to see whether they will be ranked first- or second-seed; others wait nervously to see if they would realize their childhood dreams of making the NCAA tournament.

Badger fans often take the NCAA tournament for granted.

Naturally, last season’s team faced criticism when they didn’t make the tournament. Doubts regarding the coaching staff and the players themselves left fans wondering what was next for the program as a whole.

While some college basketball players would see it as frustration from fans and critics that they could just brush off, Davison saw it as something else.

“I have absolutely no doubt that the adversity we faced last season will make us better in the coming one and beyond,” Davison wrote in his article. “No matter your circumstances you can always choose to be joyful, you can always choose to have a positive attitude, and you can walk around without trying to block out all the outside rah-rah that goes on with it. I think you have to use it as motivation.”

And use it as motivation they did.

Wisconsin came back in their 2018-19 season with a splash.

The Badgers got out to an 11-2 start, only losing to Virginia and Marquette — two teams that proved their worthiness of a tournament berth by the end of the season. Though Marquette lost their first tournament game, Virginia advanced to the 2019 National Championship.

A small mid-season slump showed off the team’s imperfections, but Wisconsin was able to persevere by defeating the unbeaten No. 2 Michigan at the Kohl Center to start their late season campaign.

The late season rally ensured a high seed for the Badgers in the Big Ten Tournament and an invitation to the big dance.

But once again, the 2018-19 season saw something different in the team and especially in how the season ended.

The differences have left Wisconsin fans wondering what is happening to their Badgers. After the team sloughed off their midseason slump, the remainder of their schedule looked promising and they were playing better than ever.

The team’s depth increased drastically. Their defense was one of the best in the nation, and they had arguably one of the best centers

offensively that will take care of it as well,” Davison said.

While some aspects of the Badgers’ game did improve, other important statistics stayed low — including free throw percentage and uncharacteristic turnovers.

Though inconsistent at times, the Badgers nabbed the four seed in the Big Ten Tournament, which earned them a double-bye from the opening rounds. They would eventually lose to the top-seeded Michigan State in the semi-final of the conference tournament.

Michigan State would also go on to be a Final Four team.

These inconsistencies in Wisconsin’s game were ultimately why the team was unable to beat Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament and remained on the team’s and the fans’ minds as the Badgers entered the NCAA Tournament as a five-seed.

With the Badgers coming back in the 2018-19 season with vengeance, they accomplished their preseason goal of returning to the end-of-year tournament. Making the tournament in itself was a success for the team after a season predicated on redemption and proving to themselves they were ready to go toe-to-toe with the best

“No matter your circumstances you can always choose to be joyful, you can always choose to have a positive attitude, and you can walk around without trying to block out all the outside rah rah that goes on with it. I think you have to use it as motivation.”

– Brad Davison, Wisconsin guard

in college basketball with Ethan Happ.

Wisconsin started to see some inconsistency in their final regular season game against Ohio State. Concerns ran rampant after the Badgers nearly blew a large lead, even though they left Columbus victorious.

Davison, regarded as one of the team’s all-around leaders who especially excels defensively, talked about the 20-point comeback allowed by the Badger defense.

“There are some things we can clean up defensively, transition defensively for sure, but I think if we clean up some things

teams in the country. Receiving the No. 5 seed was also something for the young team to be proud of.

But any fan of March Madness knows the history of upsets that come from the five-twelve seed matchup. In 29 of the past 34 tournaments, at least one 12-seeded team has upset a five-seeded team. The logistics behind it are yet to be figured out, but it is one of the toughest matchups to play during the NCAA Tournament.

Wisconsin fell victim to this long-standing curse of dangerous twelve seeds, losing in the first round to 12-seed Oregon. Wisconsin hadn’t lost in the first round of the tournament since 2013, and has

only done so a total of three times in the past 19 seasons, with an alltime tournament record of 38-23.

Once again, Badger fans were left curiously deprived of the long tournament run they had grown accustomed to in the last years of Ryan’s tenure as head coach. Criticism of the style of play and of the coaching staff abounded as the team heads into another long offseason discontent with how their season ended.

The team lost key seniors Khalil Iverson and Ethan Happ, so this offseason will prove tougher than last and will require adjustments in the Wisconsin program moving forward. This includes finding replacements for the lost leadership of Happ, developing distinct and productive roles for each starter, and possibly looking at ways to incorporate new and faster styles of play.

Fuel for the future Ultimately, Wisconsin is left with that same desire to never again let the season end in disappointment, similar to how the team felt after the 2017-18 season.

Wisconsin plans to keep moving up. Whether that means they make it to the second round next season or win the National Championship, the Badgers hope to consistently deliver to their fans the deep tournament runs they clamor for.

“We’re not satisfied where we are,” Davison said. “We’re going to take things one game at a time, every win moving out and every game is a huge opportunity. Our goals remain the same. Big Ten regular season, Big Ten Tournament, and make a run at the final four, it’s always been the goal.”

He ended his article from last season with a resonating sentiment — that the team has “an opportunity to be special.”

After this year’s tournament loss, Davison took to Twitter to deliver his message.

“Pain is the Best Source of Motivation & Adversity reveals Character! We Will Be Back Stronger than Ever![sic]” Davison tweeted.

More adversity provides more fuel behind their eventual goal of making it to the finish line — the national championship.

While it’s safe to say that there is much room for Wisconsin’s improvement, after the last two seasons, it is obvious that Davison and the Badger basketball team don’t just want to keep moving up.

They want to be on top.

badgerherald.com • April 9, 2019 • 13

Point Counterpoint: Minimum wage College Republicans: Wisconsin does not need $15 minimum wage Wisconsinites have started to see some of the legislative priorities of Gov. Tony Evers’ administration.

Evers has expressed interest in infrastructure reinvestment, K-12 Education and entrepreneurship. These legislative priorities have a potential for success in Wisconsin.

However, one of Evers’ legislative priorities could destroy the economic success Wisconsin has enjoyed for the past 8 years — a $15 minimum wage hike.

Evers promised his supporters a statemandated minimum wage of $15 or even more at a Milwaukee campaign rally with self-described Democratic Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders. Evers promised this 107 percent minimum wage increase to help low-income workers earn a higher wage. However, this “living wage” would actually hurt the same people it is intended to help.

Philosopher George Santayana said that “those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” So let’s examine how the $15 minimum wage played out for Seattle back in 2014.

A 2016 study from the University of Washington found significant job loss following the $15 minimum wage mandate. In addition, the low-wage workers who were fortunate enough to keep their jobs saw a reduction in hours because their employers simply could not afford the minimum wage increase.

The same economists conducted a follow-up study that showed more bad news for Seattle workers. They found that low-wage Seattle workers ended up with an average net loss of $74 per month.

Losing this money every month was detrimental to low-wage workers, with less money for groceries, rent and other monthly expenses.

The overall cost to low-wage workers in Seattle outweighed the benefits by a ratio of three to one. The results of this policy suggest that Seattle businesses were more sensitive to the $15 wage hike than the city council had anticipated. MIT 14 • April 9, 2019 • badgerherald.com

economist David Autor commented on the findings of the study, calling it “very credible” and “likely to influence people.”

The “living wage” proved to be nothing more than a soundbite once again, as lowincome families were hurt by the policy that was supposed to provide them a higher income. Following Seattle’s lead, a $15 minimum wage policy in Los Angeles resulted in an estimated three percent decline in employment over 10 years, according to another recent study.

The potential widespread impact of Evers’ push for a $15 minimum wage should be carefully considered before moving forward with such a policy. These policies in Seattle and Los Angeles resulted in harmful, unintended consequences for low-income employees.

In these examples, the effects of the hikes were only felt by one city, whereas the effects of a statewide minimum wage hike would hurt small business across our state.

Evers’ self-proclaimed “pro-business administration” would do well to protect the historically low three percent state unemployment rate championed by reforms under Gov. Scott Walker.

Meanwhile, at the national level, the American economy is booming again under President Donald Trump, with historic unemployment rates for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and American women. A $15 minimum wage in Wisconsin would jeopardize this unprecedented economic success. Simply put, a $15 or higher minimum wage would fail to achieve its intended goals, leave citizens jobless and move Wisconsin backward.

Ryan Christens (rchristens@wisc.edu) is a sophomore studying business Management and marketing. He is also the Recruitment Director for College Republicans of UWMadison.

College Democrats: Minimum wage increase will benefit workers The current federal minimum wage is not high enough for workers to thrive in a growing economy, and College Democrats of UW-Madison supports efforts to raise these wages.

Since 2009, the federal minimum wage has remained stagnant at $7.25 per hour. While there have been many efforts to raise the minimum wage during this period, the lack of success in these campaigns have left countless workers lagging behind as inflation and other factors devalue their earnings. Certain states and cities have raised their own wages, but there are still 21 states stuck at the current level.

There’s also a disconnect between the living wage and minimum wage standards. A living wage can be characterized as the earnings necessary to maintain a normal standard of living, and it usually differs from placeto-place. A study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology estimates that the average living wage for one adult is $11.41 per hour, and increases to $24.67 with the addition of one child. In Madison, the estimated living wage in 2019 is $13.27.

As Democrats, we believe it’s important that American workers receive wages that will provide them with a decent standard of living.

No one should need to work multiple lowpaying jobs just to afford basic necessities, and current policies are not doing enough to ensure this for our workers.

There’re a lot of misconceptions surrounding an increased minimum wage and who that would impact. People often believe that minimum wage workers are just high schoolers working part-time jobs in the fast-food industry, but that doesn’t accurately reflect these workers. In reality, less than 10 percent of these workers are teenagers.

Minimum wage workers span many career fields, too — from construction to retail to education and more. These can be really demanding professions, but the wages they earn do not reflect that. Additionally, more than half of these people are working full time.

Additionally, our current minimum wage disproportionately impacts different

communities. More than half of these workers are women, who already deal with issues like the gender pay gap. Additionally, a boost in pay could help communities of color, including 38 percent of African American workers and 33 percent of Latinx workers.

College Democrats support an increased minimum wage because everyone deserves a chance to thrive economically, and changing these policies would increase our ability to ensure this is a reality for more people.

Some other misconceptions include different ideas surrounding the economic impact increased wages could create.

Opponents believe there would be job loss, but a study by the University of CaliforniaBerkeley found no significant negative effects on employment. Moreover, wage increases can create increased job productivity that would incentivize employers to keep their businesses here instead of relocating, as opponents may suggest. The economy could also benefit from more individuals participating in the market and from fewer individuals needing welfarebased programs funded by taxpayers.

With this in mind, Democrats have taken action to raise wages during this new Congressional session. The Raise the Wage Act of 2019 intends to gradually raise the minimum wage in yearly increments, culminating in a $15.00 hourly wage by 2024. This legislation has more than 190 cosponsors, and it addresses many aspects of minimum wage issues — like tip-based jobs and fair wages for workers with disabilities.

Currently, employers are able to pay below the $7.25 per hour standard for certain types of jobs, but the Raise the Wage Act would put an end to this and ensure that all workers are being paid livable wages.

College Democrats of UW-Madison supports these efforts to raise the minimum wage, and we will keep fighting until American workers are paid the wages they deserve.

Cecelia McDermott (camcdermott@wisc.edu) is a freshman majoring in political science and geography. She is also the press secretary of the College Democrats of UW-Madison.

facebook.com/badgerherald

OPINION

A crucial lifeline, Wisconsin’s jails overcharge for detainee phone calls Overcharging for phone calls from jail disproportionately impacts low-income citizens, perpetuates inequality in criminal justice system much as $1 per minute.

What’s more, this overcharging for phone calls serves to perpetuate the For jail detainees across the country, systems which put people in jail in the first access to a phone call can mean all the place. difference. But considering their aberrantly According to the Prison Policy Initiative, high cost in Wisconsin, some have found 3 out of 4 people held in city and county limited access to such a lifeline. jails haven’t even been convicted of a According to a report from the Prison crime, let alone sentenced.

Policy Initiative, the average cost of a “Charging pretrial defendants high 15-minute in-state call from a Wisconsin prices for phone calls punishes people jail ranks seventh highest in the country, who are legally innocent, drives up costs and Wisconsin’s highest cost of a 15-minute for their appointed counsel, and makes it in-state call from a jail ranks third in the harder for them to contact family members country, at $21.97. and others who might help them post Phone companies construct contracts bail or build their defense,” according to with jails and prisons which allow the a report from the initiative. “It also puts companies to charge significantly higher them at risk of losing their jobs, housing, rates in exchange for the prisons and jails and custody of their children while they receiving a kickback of the revenue. are in jail awaiting trial.”

The price of the call falls entirely on its The negative impact of pretrial detention cannot be overstated, especially as it relates to economically disadvantaged citizens, and overpriced calls to loved ones and lawyers is just another way to perpetuate this class divide.

When people who have been arrested cannot afford to post bail, they are forced to organize their trial defense from behind bars, which becomes significantly more complex when it costs $20 just to have a 15-minute phone call. As such, it becomes more difficult for those arrested to organize proper defense, contributing to their increased chance of being Photo · Along with Michigan, Wisconsin’s in-state phone calls from jails are significantly more expensive when compared to other states in convicted of the the Midwest region. Data from the Prison Policy Institute. crime.

In every way, Cait Gibbons shape and form, The Badger Herald branches of the

by Cait Gibbons Opinion Editor

recipient. Prices start at a flat rate of more than $5, with increases depending on a call’s length.

This significant burden makes it difficult for those in jail to contact relatives, a lawyer or anyone else who might be able to help them, as it creates undue financial burden for the call recipient.

Fortunately, there has been some progress in this department. In 2014, the Federal Communications Commission crafted a set of rules which implemented price caps on how much phone companies could charge for calls from prisons. As a result, rates for both in-state and out-ofstate phone calls dropped significantly.

The problem is, most of the progress in this respect has been focused on state-run and federal prisons, and whereas city and county jails have seen no such changes — in-state calls from a city jail can still cost as

criminal justice system have worked to find ways to complicate the criminal justice process, especially for those who don’t have the means to maneuver through the process more easily. As such, those from less economically advantaged backgrounds are not only more likely to be convicted of a crime, but also more likely to be incarcerated for a longer time.

“ In every way, shape and form,

branches of the criminal justice system have worked to find ways to complicate the criminal justice process, especially for those who don’t have the means to maneuver through the process more easily.”

The criminal justice system does nothing to equalize the process based on socio-economic status, and instead constructs a regressive process which disproportionately impacts poorer citizens by stripping them of money they don’t have and forcing them to try to drudge through a system designed to work against them using sub-par resources.

The rate caps for state-run prisons worked, and had a positive impact on those incarcerated. We need to see those same changes come to city and county jails, too. To protect the right to a fair and speedy trial, they need to have access to necessary resources.

Right now, they do not have those access, and that is abhorrently unconstitutional and unlawful. The system is punishing legally innocent people for crimes they may or may not have committed, and giving them no chance to work through the process in the fair, legal way.

We have a long way to go before the criminal justice system is fair and effective, but this one change would have a very positive impact and would set us on the right path to lawful justice. Without change, the criminal justice system is anything but just.

Cait Gibbons (cgibbons@badgerherald.com) is a junior studying math and Chinese. badgerherald.com • April 9 2019 • 15

OPINION

@badgerherald

UW has nothing to fear from Trump’s free speech executive order UW System’s existing policy already covers much of Trump’s latest executive order, is praiseworthy for protecting free speech on campus

by Andrew Stein Columnist

More than a year ago, the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents passed a policy committing it to academic freedom and freedom of expression. Particularly, it requires that protesters who repeatedly disrupt speakers on campuses be punished with suspension and ultimately expulsion. In response, UW updated its policy in compliance with the System policy, defining disruptive behavior and outlining other guidelines.

On March 21, 2019, President Donald Trump signed the “Executive Order on Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities.” The president “seeks to promote free and open debate on college and university campuses.” The order accomplishes this by directing the Department of Education, among other agencies, to withhold federal research or education grants from institutions

that fail to promote free inquiry or First Amendment rights.

Given UW’s current free speech policy, this provision will likely have zero effect on Wisconsin’s public universities.

Opponents to this executive action question it as a potential overreach of federal power. As most of the institutions receiving these research grants are state universities, this is certainly a question that deserves an answer.

Because these state universities receive federal financial assistance, they are already required to comply with other non-discrimination statutes — such as Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination, or Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race or national origin. It is certainly not unfathomable to expect universities to uphold federal law when receiving federal funding.

Furthermore, the First Amendment has been completely incorporated to the states by the Supreme Court, meaning that its prohibition

against federal action abridging the rights of the citizens also applies to state action. This means that no state may make a “law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

As state universities are institutions of state governments, the First Amendment applies, and universities must be held to these standards. This executive action simply makes violation more threatening by requiring universities to uphold the First Amendment and ensure “free inquiry,” or lose federal research funding.

As this is the case, then perhaps this threat is unnecessary. If student’s rights are violated, schools are already liable to torts and lawsuits.

As such, this provision is likely only an attempt

by Trump to scare or strong-arm universities into taking a look at their policies and refocusing on the need for diversity and discourse.

Photo · Trump’s executive order is needless and frivolous on UW’s campus, thanks to our extensive and lofty free speech policy and protest guidelines.

Abby Doeden The Badger Herald

UW is no stranger to controversy in this regard. For instance, in 2017, a student posted a video on a university-provided storage site which displayed provocative messaging and depicted violent imagery. A Wisconsin state legislator caught wind of the video and argued that police should investigate. The university and UWPD recognized the video as protected speech, agreeing with the assessment of thenAttorney General Brad Schimel that “the student unquestionably has the First Amendment right to engage in hateful speech like this.” In the end, the video was removed for violating the site’s terms of service. This might have been a scapegoat for the university, but they should certainly be applauded for their protection of speech, even offensive speech.

And no discussion about free speech at UW could be free from mentioning the events which transpired at the Young Americans for Freedom event with Ben Shapiro. A conservative pundit, Shapiro’s speech saw protest and shouts from students who believed he was a threat to safety and a purveyor of hate speech. In preparation for the event, police were informed of plans to protest. They allowed the protests to occur, monitoring for safety concerns, but allowed the disruptions nonetheless. A UW spokeswoman said that “protests are a part of a vibrant campus community; we facilitate them to ensure they do not jeopardize free speech, teaching, research or safety. Successful facilitation safely provides for the expression of First Amendment rights while at the same time not infringing any other individual’s First Amendment rights.” Its likely the new UW System policies were created in response to this event, which garnered national media attention and controversy.

In lieu of these events and many others, UW has affirmed its commitment to protecting the First Amendment rights of its students and faculty.

UW should be applauded for its commitment to freedom and should continue striving to protect rights in a manner similar to the University of Chicago Statement for Free Speech, which guarantees “all members of the University [sic] community the broadest possible latitude to speak, write, listen, challenge, and learn,” and makes clear that “it is not the proper role of the university to attempt to shield individuals from ideas and opinions they find unwelcome, disagreeable or even deeply offensive.” Such a policy ensures intellectual diversity and a space for dialogue and disagreement. If it holds to this commitment, the university has nothing to fear from this frivolous and needless executive action.

Andrew Stein (andrew.stein@wisc.edu) is a senior majoring in political science and economics.

OPINION

facebook.com/badgerherald

A closer look at UHS’ inclusive work to ‘support sisters, not just cis-ters’ While institutional efforts to increase inclusivity are important, such efforts need to be part of a greater, campus-wide conversation

by Keagan Schlosser Columnist

Historically, the feminist agenda can sometimes undercut transgender rights. The most aggressive form of this unfortunate reality is trans-exclusionary radical feminism. But most of the time, feminists are simply unaware that their language or actions exclude transgender women from a movement that should welcome women of all backgrounds.

A seemingly harmless example of that would be the 2017 Women’s March, which birthed the wildly popular “pussy hats.”

Feminists flooded the streets clad in pink knitted caps, marching in solidarity for women’s rights. But the simple assumption that women should be associated with vaginas excludes transgender women who do not conform to biological standards.

The Women’s March has also recently come under fire for promoting anti-Semitism, which only furthers the notion that not necessarily every feminist is intersectional.

The problem of transgender exclusion prompted many feminists to urge those within the movement to “support sisters, not just cis-ters.” This play on words delivers a strong message — feminism cannot, under any circumstances, support transphobia. Without trans women and feminists coexisting and working toward the same goals, there is barely a point in supporting feminism at all.

Obviously, a looming topic on all feminists’ minds is access to and affordability of reproductive health.

Just like strives for equal pay and equal power, this issue must be addressed with intersectionality at the top of everyone’s mind.

The Student Alliance for Reproductive Justice recently invited Mary Landry, the Women’s Health Clinic director at University Health Services, to speak about the reproductive healthcare offered at UHS. She identified themes within UHS, such as longer waiting times for contraception needs and budgetary restrictions for reproductive health.

Landry also identified the clinic’s renaming as a problem, as she and her staff seek to ensure inclusivity.

“It is going to become a more unified space?” Landry asked. “We’re not sure what to call ourselves — sexual health? Women’s health? Reproductive health? Can’t we just get rid of all the labels?”

This small rewording shows that UHS supports inclusivity efforts, but also that the service has ways to go.

Photo · All UW students and community members should follow UHS and the GSCC’s lead in promoting the use of inclusive language on campus.

Lily Oberstein The Badger Herald Transgender students, though protected from discrimination under Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, may still feel discomfort seeking out health services. UHS should strive to provide the most welcoming care they possibly can.

One important step is the removal of all gendered titles when speaking about reproductive health. This goes for the clinic title itself — reproductive health instead of women’s health — and period products — menstrual hygiene instead of feminine hygiene.

As for distributing products itself in a comfortable setting, UW has done an efficient job of implementing menstrual products into women’s, men’s and unisex bathrooms.

However, it’s not easy to locate which

bathroom is stocked with menstrual products.

Of course, it is difficult to fill all restrooms on campus with menstrual products, but UW could increase this visibility by placing informational posters in all types of restrooms on campus. Such actions perform the invaluable tasks of increasing inclusivity on campus.

New efforts to increase inclusivity are not unfounded on our campus. At the beginning of the 2018-19 academic year, the former LGBT Campus Center rebranded itself as the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center.

They recognized the power their language had in reinforcing binaries, and altered their language to include students who use different language to describe their gender identity or sexual orientation. The fact that

UHS is actively considering a similar reform is promising.

But the topic of inclusivity for transgender people is not just for cisgender people to discuss. Providing inclusivity for all genders must be a larger conversation on campus.

Students should look to the changes made by the GSCC and UHS as signs to re-examine their own language and how it promotes or hinders an inclusive environment.

Institutional change is important and necessary, but so are colloquial changes within ourselves. Creating inclusivity for transgender and gender non-conforming students is a campus-wide effort.

Keagan Schlosser (kschlosser2@wisc.edu) is a freshman majoring in communications. badgerherald.com • April 9 2019 • 17

SPORTS

@badgerherald

Volleyball: Wisconsin seeks replacement for Williams in new season With Marquette and Purdue up next, Badgers start off spring season with sweep over UW-Green Bay and promising play from star returners

by Colton Mosley Staff Writer

As the spring slate opened last Saturday, the University of Wisconsin volleyball team had some major unfinished business.

In December, the Badgers dropped an Elite Eight matchup to the Illinois Fighting Illini in four sets, putting an end to their season.

Sophomore Dana Rettke dazzled in that regional final matchup, piling up 21 kills at a 51.5 percent clip.

Illinois’ Jacqueline Quade dueled Rettke with 25 kills of her own.

The Badgers put together numerous runs to combat the Illini’s hot starts in each of the four sets, but Illinois was able to grab narrow set victories and eventually eliminate the Badgers from going any farther.

This year, Wisconsin will look to outdo their Elite Eight appearance.

Wisconsin opened their spring schedule against the Phoenix of UW-Green Bay — a team the Badgers played in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last spring.

The Badgers took care of business with a sweep of the Phoenix. Both teams agreed to play a fourth set for additional experience, which the Badgers also won.

Six-year head coach Kelly Sheffield praised the number of fans in attendance for a spring game.

“Two thousand people being here for a spring match, on a Saturday where the weather is fantastic … this is an unbelievable volleyball community,” Sheffield said.

Wisconsin faced UW-Green Bay in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year and swept that matchup as well.

Wisconsin will conclude its spring schedule against Marquette on April 12 and Purdue on April 20.

But the team this year is much different, despite consistent rosters.

Senior Tionna Williams departed, along with sophomore Mariah Whalen, who transferred to Cal Poly after injury issues.

At Cal Poly, Whalen — a Wausau, Wisconsin, native—will transition to the sand court, which should ease the stress on her knee — the main source of her continuous injuries.

Outside of those changes, the Badgers have maintained their entire roster from last season.

Sophomore sensations Sydney Hilley and Rettke, who return as juniors, are potentially the best young tandem in the country. Libero Tiffany Clark captains the back row with energetic diving saves and communication among the defense.

The major question this season is the middle blocker role opposite Rettke. Williams held a middle blocker role all four years of her collegiate career in Madison.

While Rettke receives a majority of the praise, Williams has been a mainstay that Sheffield 18 • April 9, 2019 • badgerherald.com

didn’t have to worry about for most of his Wisconsin career.

Williams is one of only six players in Badger volleyball history to record over 1,000 kills and 500 blocks on her career.

Redshirt sophomore Danielle Hart looks to be the favorite for Williams’ replacement, but Coach Sheffield is definitely keeping his eyes open for what can benefit this team the most.

Last season, fans saw a lot of change-ups and tweaks to the rotation based on opponents and situation. This would not be surprising to see in this middle blocker position next year either.

Hart is the favorite right now, as she finished with a match-high of seven blocks and nine kills in the spring matchup against UW-Green Bay. Another potential replacement could be the 6-foot-7 Julia Wohlert, who was redshirted last season.

Wohlert can nearly match Rettke’s 6-foot-8 frame and would terrorize opposing offenses with constant size at the middle blocker position.

Two potential dark horse candidates are junior Nicole Shanahan and incoming freshman Courtney Gorum.

Shanahan has received minor playing time during blowout victories last season. In the spring game, Shanahan notched two kills on eight attempts.

Gorum, a former club teammate of Hart’s sister, enters as perhaps the most athletic of the Badgers’ recruiting bunch. Sheffield raved about her bouncing ability .“The first thing that jumps out at you about Courtney is her athleticism … she’s a big jumper and has the potential to be a big-time blocker,” Sheffield said.

It would be surprising for Gorum to receive any starting time at middle blocker, but the answer to the middle blocker question will come this fall.

Another exciting addition to this Badgers team is libero Anna MacDonald from Alpharetta, Georgia.

MacDonald’s sister Amber served as libero in her early years at Wisconsin before transitioning into a team manager role upon injury. Amber steered her sister away from Wisconsin rival schools to ensure her sister ended up a Badger.

Anna controlled the back row at Blessed Trinity High School as she helped lead her team to two state championships. She even set the Georgia state record with 3,297 career digs.

MacDonald gives Sheffield a steady defensive specialist to couple with the senior libero Clark.

Setter and former Hilley teammate Izzy Ashburn, outside hitter Liz Gregorski and walk-on defensive specialist Emma Whitehead round out the 2019 recruiting class.

Changes are imminent, but the Badgers will rely on their current roster to return to the deep rounds of the NCAA tournament.

Outside hitters Madison Duello, Grace Loberg

Photo · Though Wisconsin returns all but one player from last season, the Badgers will still have a big role to fill in Tionna Williams’ departure Daniel Yun The Badger Herald and Molly Haggerty will look to improve on solid 2018 campaigns.

Duello was recognized as a third-team AllAmerican, according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Incredibly, she upped her kills per set from 0.75 to 2.70, alongside a solid increase in hitting percentage.

Loberg averaged 2.66 kills per set and received the Big Ten Player of the Week award in early September.

The 6-foot-3 Loberg notched 19 kills against Iowa and an incredible 18 digs against Nebraska to upset the fifth-ranked Cornhuskers at the UW Field House last fall.

Haggerty returned to action after being redshirted in the 2017 season due to a nagging back injury. Her numbers dropped compared to her freshman season, where she was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. But Haggerty will look to rebound after an injury-free 2018 and offseason.

Wisconsin will lean heavily on Rettke for another successful campaign. The two-time AVCA first-team All-American became just the third Badger to earn two first-team honors.

Another first-team honor would match Lauren Carlini’s Wisconsin record of three.

Only 31 players have ever received four AVCA All-American awards, and only five have received four AVCA first-team awards.

Rettke has the chance to enter that elite

company with two more seasons alongside a setter she will continue to gel with.

The Badgers will play both Marquette and Purdue away to round out their spring season this April.

Marquette — who the Badgers swept last season on the road — poses to be a beneficial opponent this spring, as they have shown their tournament worth last season and only lost two seniors from last year’s squad.

The Golden Eagles also fell victim to the Illini in the NCAA Tournament last year, just one round short of the Badgers.

Purdue will also prove to be a great spring challenge for Wisconsin, as the Big Ten volleyball conference is dangerous regardless of the opponent.

The Big Ten proved its dominance last season, with five out of the top ten rankings being from the Big Ten. Purdue came in at No. 17.

Wisconsin beat Purdue in both matchups last season, including a thriller at the UW Field House that had a Rettke-led Badger team overcome a two-set deficit and finish off the Boilermakers in five sets.

Purdue returns all but three players to their roster this spring The match against Marquette will be Friday at 7 p.m., and the Badgers will play Purdue Saturday, April 20 at 1 p.m. Both games are away.

SPORTS

facebook.com/badgerherald

Men’s basketball: Wisconsin with opportunity for extreme makeover Happ’s exit from Wisconsin gives program unique opportunity to rebrand itself, acclimate to ever-changing sport

by Nour Hatoum Sports Editor

Friday, March 22 was an overwhelming day for the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball program.

The Badgers’ 72–54 loss at the hands of the Oregon Ducks brought with it the end of an up-and-down season that never saw Wisconsin reach its full potential.

It was also the final game of Ethan Happ’s career — a career that logged over 4,000 minutes and a number of individual achievements. Most recently, Happ was named a consensus second-team AP AllAmerican, becoming the first UW player to make an All-America team in multiple seasons.

But Wisconsin’s loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament also signified a marked improvement from a 2017-18 season in which the team failed to make the big dance for the first time in 20 years.

This season, Wisconsin won 23 games against the sixth toughest schedule in the nation, according to analytics expert Ken Pomeroy. Fifteen came in the Big Ten, which had seven teams win in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Badgers also boasted the fourth-best adjusted defensive rating in the country, per Pomeroy’s analysis.

The team’s rebound from an embarrassing season presents optimism moving forward while also raising uncertainty as to whether Head Coach Greg Gard can replicate its recent success.

That is to say that despite the team’s drastic improvements from a year ago, it relied too heavily on Happ’s offensive production in the vast majority of games this season, while too often Happ’s supporting cast was nowhere to be found late in games when their presence was most needed.

Much of Wisconsin’s inconsistency this past season had to do with the nature of its Happ-centric offense. There is no doubt that Happ was the team’s best option all season long, but working the offense through a 6-10 power forward who spends the majority of his time on the low-block can be problematic in today’s college basketball landscape, which demands more backcourt creativity and athleticism paired with consistent perimeter shooting.

By increasingly depending on Happ over the course of the season, Wisconsin’s primary backcourt — Brad Davison and D’Mitrik Trice — were largely stripped of their playmaking and offensive abilities. As the season wore on, both players’ shooting efficiencies dropped significantly.

Take Trice, who shot a robust 50.7 percent on 3-pointers and nearly 49 percent from the field over the season’s first two months. As the team entered the new year, Trice appeared to be a worthy second option on offense for Wisconsin.

Similarly, Davison shot 39 percent from 3 over that same stretch.Following his initial tear, Trice tailed off — shooting just 31 percent from the floor and 32 percent from beyond the arc over the season’s final 21 games, while Davison’s clip dropped to 32.7 percent.

Now, one can directly attribute these shooting woes to the rigorous Big Ten defenses that Wisconsin faced during the second half of the season. One can also argue that Happ’s playmaking ability provided more ample perimeter scoring opportunities for Trice, Davison and others throughout the Big Ten season. But neither of these explanations excuse the team from its immutable offensive approach and lack of execution.

With no Happ to lean on offensively, the Badger backcourt, 7-foot Nate Reuvers and others will suddenly be responsible for a larger share of the playmaking and scoring burden. That means that Trice and Davison will largely be tasked with facilitating the offense — setting the tempo and creating opportunities for each other and their teammates, which is something they haven’t had to worry about during the Happ era.

Happ’s exit — as well as Khalil Iverson’s — also opens the door for Kobe King, a former highly-touted prospect who has struggled to solidify his role in Wisconsin’s offense over the last two seasons despite demonstrating promise defensively. King played well for the Badgers in the Big Ten tournament, but other than providing temporary defensive effort, he has not accomplished much yet in his career.

With the offense opening up now, King can grow into a more consistent and, hopefully, more effective role coming off the bench for Trice and Davison. His shooting must improve — King shot just 30 percent on 3-pointers in 2018-19 — but there is certainly promise. Plus, he has the confidence of Gard, whose encouragement of King after the team’s loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament semifinal signaled an increased role moving forward.

“Kobe played well. That’s the Kobe we envision and want for the future,” Gard said of the sophomore’s performance. “For him to play well in this environment was a good sign.”

Photo - Ethan Happ’s consensus second-team All-America selection is impressive, but highlights concerns about the team’s direction as he prepares to launch his professional career.

Daniel Yun The Badger Herald Gard may also benefit from Micah Potter, who transferred to UW from Ohio State earlier this year. UW will file an appeal to the NCAA to try to get Potter in time for the 2019-20 season. If the appeal fails, Potter is eligible to play following the first semester.

Potter presents some Big Ten experience and solid perimeter shooting, which should surely benefit Gard’s offense and help stretch the floor for his teammates.

The Badgers are also expecting Tyler Wahl, who appears to be the team’s lone 2019 recruit, to make an immediate impact in the Badger rotation. At 6-foot-7, Wahl can help fill the hole left by Iverson’s departure, particularly on the defensive end. Wahl’s length gives him a ceiling of defensive utility that perhaps even Iverson could not reach.

Time will tell.

If this year ’s NCAA Tournament has proven anything, it’s that pairing a slower offense with a tenacious defense can still win games. But you need consistent guard

production on offense to win games. Look at the National Championship game — Wisconsin measures similarly to both Virginia and Texas Tech on the defensive side of the ball, but was nowhere close to matching their respective offensive productions come tournament time.

Virginia’s backcourt of Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome is among the nation’s best, while Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver looks poised to be an NBA lottery pick.

Should we expect next year ’s Badgers to be the same team they were in 2018-19?

Probably not. Losing Happ and Iverson will hurt the team on both sides of the ball. But their exit also gives the program a unique opportunity to rebrand itself and acclimate to an ever-changing sport. It will undoubtedly look awkward at first, but Happ’s departure opens the door for Wisconsin to reform its offensive identity into one that better suits the state of basketball in 2019.

April 9, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 19

SPORTS

@badgerherald

Football: Leonhard’s secondary to return with experience from 2018 Wisconsin cornerbacks and safeties look to last year’s beneficial playing time to fuel success in defense for 2019

by Ben Kenney Staff Writer

After last week’s dive into the units of defensive backs and linebackers, this week the focus is on Coach Paul Chryst’s secondary: Cornerbacks and safeties.

The key to a great defense is every position unit contributing simultaneously and taking pressure off the rest of the defense in the process.

Controlling the run game doesn’t matter if the opposing team is able to move the ball through the air, and vice-versa. Thus, a key variable contributing to the Badgers’ success this coming season will be the secondary.

Cornerback Cornerback is a key position for Defensive Coordinator Jim Leonhard’s unit.

If his players in the trenches are able to control the game at the line of scrimmage, as they often have in the past, and limit the rushing attack of the opposing offense, the secondary is able to sit back in coverage and pay more attention to covering opposing receivers.

Leonhard said goodbye to ultraproductive starting corners Nick Nelson and Derrick Tindal after the 2017 season, along with projected starter Dontye Carriere-Williams just days before the 2018 season.

After losing practically all of his production, Leonhard was forced to interchange corners constantly as the

2018 season progressed. Specifically, Leonhard started six different cornerbacks throughout the season, many of them freshmen who had never before played at the collegiate level.

Now, with all contributors at the position from last season returning to Madison for at least another year with at least some experience under their belt, Leonhard has the depth to foster competition and strength from the position as the season approaches.

Returning players who contributed meaningful snaps a season ago include sophomore Donte Burton, redshirt sophomore Deron Harrell, redshirt sophomore Faion Hicks, redshirt junior Caesar Williams, sophomore Madison Cone and sophomore Rachad Wildgoose.

Hicks, Williams and Wildgoose are more traditional outside cornerbacks and saw much of the work at the position a season ago. They started a total of 23 games between the three of them, recording a total of 88 tackles, 13 pass breakups, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

The likely contributors at the slot or nickel cornerback position are Burton and Cone. Cone led this position unit with two interceptions last year, while Burton played in four games, starting in one.

To go along with these names, Chryst and Leonhard will welcome true freshmen Semar Melvin, James Williams and Dean Engram when summer preparation begins.

Overall, similar to the improvements

needed at linebacker, Leonhard hopes his unit will use some of the valued experience gained last season to improve upon the low turnover and deflection totals they had a year ago.

Safety Four-year starter, 2018 team captain and 2018 Collegiate Man of the Year D’Cota Dixon played his last game as a Badger last season and has declared for the NFL draft.

With Dixon gone from the lineup, it’s now time for Chryst and Leonhard to find his replacement.

There’s no question it will be challenging to replace his memorable Wisconsin career, one which ended with 32 starts, 177 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 5 interceptions, 16 pass breakups and a .778 winning percentage, though his injury last season did give valuable experience to the youth at the position.

This youth, similar to the cornerback position, showed flashes at times last year, but struggled in others.

The two projected starters at safety are Scott Nelson and Eric Burrell.

Nelson, a redshirt freshman last season, started eight games for the Badgers and recorded 41 tackles, one forced fumble, 3.5 tackles for loss, six pass breakups and one interception.

Despite being thrusted into a significant role as a freshman, Nelson showed flashes of brilliance and toughness at the position, though at times also showed his lack of experience in certain situations.

One of the faults at the position last year were the injuries that plagued Nelson and Dixon.

On the bright side, these injuries gave way for Burrell to showcase his ability to make plays and punish receivers. Burrell ended up playing in 13 games and recorded 42 tackles, two forced fumbles, one interception and two pass breakups.

If Nelson and Burrell are able to develop this spring, stay injury free and build upon their productive 2018 campaigns, the back end of Jim Leonhard’s secondary should be in good hands.

Other names to know at the position are redshirt junior and Houston transfer Collin Wilder and redshirt freshman Reggie Pearson.

Wilder was known more as a special teams producer at Houston, and Pearson showed promise in his one start last season against Michigan, where he recorded a forced fumble to accompany his five tackles.

This wraps up the defensive side of the spring preview series. Although Chryst and his staff said goodbye to many producers on the defensive side of the ball, there is hope going into the 2019 season that new names can emerge and work together to bring back the vaunted Wisconsin defense we’re all accustomed to.

Positions up next for the spring previews are the offensive line and running backs.

Spoiler alert: Jonathan Taylor is good at football.

Make the most of your summer

“ ... the Badgers found some-

thing that allowed them to once again break through to the top of collegiate women’s hockey.”

MADISON COLLEGE

Smart Summer madisoncollege.edu/summer

Take an online class Enroll today!

JUNE 7-9, 2019 · POPLAR CREEK FRI, JUNE 7

alphabetical

ANDREW BAYER · AUDIEN · BROHUG · CID · DOM DOLLA · DUBLOADZ · GABRIEL & DRESDEN · GALANTIS · GHASTLY GOLF CLAP · ILLENIUM · J. WORRA · JASON ROSS · OLIVER HELDENS · OLIVER SMITH · PORN AND CHICKEN SHIBA SAN · SPACE JESUS · SPENCER BROWN · TINLICKER · VIRTUAL RIOT · ZEDD · ZOMBOY curated stage by:

S AT, J U N E 8

alphabetical

1788-L · ALAN WALKER · BLUNTS & BLONDES · COOKIE MONSTA · DESTRUCTO · DILLON NATHANIEL · DION TIMMER DJ SNAKE · DOMBRESKY · DROELOE · FLOSSTRADAMUS B2B 4B · G JONES · LIQUID STRANGER · MALAA · MOKSI MATRODA · NOIZU · REZZ · SPAG HEDDY · SUBTRONICS · TWO FRIENDS · WHAT SO NOT · YELLOW CLAW curated stages by:

SUN, JUNE 9

alphabetical

ARMNHMR · BENNY BENASSI · CHEAT CODES · CHRIS LAKE · CLAPTONE · CODES · CRANKDAT · DILLON FRANCIS EXCISION DETOX SET · GENE FARRIS · GETTOBLASTER · GRiZ · GTA PURPLE SET · HE$H B2B BOMMER · HEROBUST JUSTIN CARUSO · KAIVON · LATMUN · LUTTRELL · MARTIN GARRIX · NORA EN PURE · PEEKABOO · RUSKO · TROYBOI AND MANY MORE

T I C K E T S O N S A L E N O W AT S P R I N G AWA K E N I N G F E S T I VA L . C O M

SHOUTOUTS

facebook.com/badgerherald

Like our Shoutout page? Tag your tweets and instagrams #bhso to see them printed in future issues.

Just spelled restaurant right on the first try look at that UW education finally paying off Liv

@Liv_LEAPS

badgerherald.com Twitter: @badgerherald

Drank literal absinthe last night and still completed my skincare routine so you all have no excuse chloe

@chloeroseemoji

this is a personal thank you to everyone who walks their dogs on library mall. you are loved and needed more than you know (((abby)))

@itsabbysteiny

this three-year-old at the dog park just called my baby ugly? brave words from a child I could punt 20 feet Rose

@RoseIsLit

fuck you all...... scrolling through my timeline at work with ppl over my shoulder and it’s filled with a bunch of fucking furry porn daddy’s little girl @missphatcooch

i refuse to take orders from someone who voluntarily drinks diet Mountain Dew tumbleweed666 @djtallboi

today i walked into a work meeting that started out with a very casual “how are you” and in response i very professionally started ugly crying LMAO Kleah Danielle

Wisconsin be like

bolg

@EssenceOfBolg

@claysterrrr

April 9, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 23

ld ra

IN

He

JO

e Th

Wri adv ters, erti edit bran sing ors, d am exe pho bas cutiv togra es, sad p ors des hers, and igne cod rs, ers nee de

badgerhera

d

ld.com