'Wage Wars' - Volume 50, Issue 27

STUDENT MEDIA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2019 · VOL 50 Issue 27 · BADGERHERALD.COM

Wage Wars Seen to stifle diversity and benefit the wealthy, unpaid internships leave students caught between the prospect of invaluable work experience and the threatening lack of a paycheck.

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Study finds Wisconsin jails charge oneand-a-half times more than national average for inmate phone call.s.

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A prison’s right to subdue inmates without their consent is detrimental to the quality of care and their personal autonomy.

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Junior Kayla Konwent returns from an injury plagued start as a leader in Wisconsin’s dominant offensive corps.

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bernie in madison

Henry Wang The Badger Herald Photo · As part of his 2020 run, Bernie Sanders, I-VT, held a rally at James Madison Park Friday.

April 16, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 3

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UW recognizes efforts, challenges faced by returning students Outstanding Undergraduate Returning Adult Student Award given to two hardworking, returning adult undergraduates

by Mary Magnuson Campus Editor

The University of Wisconsin recently announced the winners of its Outstanding Undergraduate Returning Adult Student Awards.

These awards were created to acknowledge the unique challenges and experiences faced by undergraduate students of non-traditional ages.

Chair of the award selection committee Sybil Pressprich said to be nominated for the award, students must be senior undergraduates returning to school after a significant educational interruption — one spanning at least five years.

They must also demonstrate academic success.

“Returning to school is challenging for nontraditionally aged students and for their families,” Pressprich said. “This award is a way to recognize the achievements of returning adult students and to encourage and support them.”

This year’s two award winners are Olivia Wine and Aysha Dominguez. Pressprich said they were chosen for their willingness to get involved in their community and go above and beyond both in and outside the classroom.

Dominguez is double majoring in political science and international studies and plans to

teach high school. After she graduates, she will be attending graduate school for curriculum and instruction.

Pressprich said what stood out most about Dominguez’s application was her dedication not only to her studies, but also her community. On top of commuting all the way from Beaver Dam, she leads a Girl Scout Troop, presides over a youth soccer club, leads a Destination Imagination team and is involved with a youth hockey association.

“Aysha impressed us with her ability to balance a very busy family life with her coursework,” Pressprich said. “ She has three kids who are involved in a number of activities which requires her time and attention. So her contribution to her community is amazing.”

Dominguez said, however, that her journey back to school has not been easy. Her husband suffered a back injury from a work explosion that left him with PTSD. Additionally, money constraints made returning to school difficult — she said there were times she could not find the funds to fill her car with gas to commute — yet she persevered.

Dominguez described the importance of both family and her volunteer commitments. She said her biggest fear was that she would have to let

Photo · To be nominated for the award, students must be seniors returning to school after a significant interruption to their education.

Marissa Haegele The Badger Herald 4 • badgerherald.com • April 16, 2019

go of one of the organizations she worked with, but that was never the case. She learned how to manage her time effectively.

“I am so honored to receive this award.”

Dominguez said. “I have worked very hard and am extremely busy in my personal life.”

Wine, the other award winner, is a sociology major with a criminal justice certificate. She found herself returning to school with a specific focus: to learn how to catalyze institutional change and create equitable structures for disenfranchised minorities.

Wine said her work with a local non-profit called Proud Theater set her on this path. She worked with young people who often fell victim to unfortunate circumstances as the product of systemic issues.

Pressprich said what stood out about Wine was not only her passion for criminal justice but also her willingness to challenge both her own and her peers’ worldviews. Aside from demonstrating this determination in her courses and volunteer work, Wine interns at the Dane County Community Restorative Courts on top of working a job.

“In classes, [Wine] will speak up and challenge fellow students, encouraging new perspectives and learning,” Pressprich said.

Wine said the biggest roadblock she faced was convincing herself that she was capable enough to come back to school. After so many years, she said it can be difficult to return to an activity requiring rigorous commitment and skill — not to mention the time commitment.

Like Dominguez, Wine plans to attend graduate school. She wants to attain a masters degree in social and criminal public policy. She said her overall career goal is create more equitable legal structures.

Wine wants to write policy that creates more resources for youth to prevent them from ending up in the legal system.

She also wants to help rehabilitate offenders so that they may have an easy transition back into society post-incarceration.

“More than anything, this award is proof that I made the right decision to return to school, and that I may be capable of creating the institutional changes that I find critical for our future,” Wine said.

Pressprich said the

challenges both of these women have faced returning to school reflect the barriers most nontraditional undergraduates must overcome.

Aside from financial constraints, returning adult undergraduates often have families to support and other commitments like work and volunteering taking up much of their time.

The perfect school/work/life balance becomes elusive.

Pressprich said sometimes these students also have to deal with bad memories from past educational experiences which may not have turned out desirably, leaving them with stunted self-confidence.

They may have to learn again the skills necessary to succeed as a student, like effective study strategies and note-taking. Not to mention they may have to combat a potential disconnect from their peers — Pressprich said students over 25 only make up two percent of undergraduates.

But Pressprich stressed how much this demographic of students can enrich the educational environment with all their experience.

“While a small group, they add so much to the campus. They bring life experience to the classroom and interactions with others and add to the diversity of our campus,” Pressprich said. “Returning adults frequently do very well academically and faculty often mention how they will encourage and support their classmates when working together on projects. Because they often bring work or military or other life experience with them, they bring a wide range of skills and knowledge to the learning experience.”

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From protest to party: 50 years later, Mifflin’s legacy continues Annual Mifflin Street block party shifted away from political roots, result of changes between Madison police, UW culture

by Molly DeVore City Editor

University of Wisconsin students will gather on Mifflin Street April 27 to celebrate spring one last time before finals, marking the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Mifflin Street Riot.

Remembering the barricades and nightsticks that accompanied the first Mifflin, then-UW freshman David Williams drew a stark contrast between that and the Don’t Go” t-shirts and beer cans, which have become Mifflin staples.

It all started when UW students were denied a permit to hold a street dance in protest of the Vietnam War, Williams said.

Students decided to put speakers on their roofs anyway and police responded to a noise complaint with riot gear, said Francesca Rheannon, who lived on Mifflin at the time.

This extreme response was the result of rising tensions between police and UW

students, Stu Levitan, author of “Madison: The Illustrated Sesquicentennial History, Volume 1, 1856–1931” and “Madison in the Sixties,” said.

Levitan said after the 1967 DOW Chemical protests and the Black Student Strike earlier that year, relations between students and police were strained.

“The cops are working class, blue collar guys living on the East Side, most of them are townies, few of them have gone to college,” Levitan said. “They resented these wimpyass college kids who are doing nothing but tearing down the country and bad mouthing the president and having sex and doing drugs … it’s a deep-seated antagonism.”

The animosity between police and students was worsened by the previous protests at UW, Levitan said. While students were hurt at these protests, police were also beaten badly, Levitan said, adding that police saw Mifflin as “payback for DOW.”

Photo · The first Mifflin block party took place in 1969 as a protest against the Vietnam War. Katie Cooney The Badger Herald

The 1969 Mifflin escalated quickly. Williams said once police showed up, he and several other students began gathering “projectiles” — rocks and bricks that they then threw at police who retaliated with nightsticks and tear gas.

Rheannon recalled being clubbed in the leg by police and then later spending the night in jail.

Williams said he and a few friends bribed a truck driver to give them his keys for a few cases of beer. They then used the truck and furniture to barricade the street and proceeded to throw whatever they could at the police.

These three days of violence and destruction had a big impact, Levitan said.

They signified a need for real change.

“Here was the clearest manifestation of hostility between the police and the youth community that turns what should have been a spring party into a three-night riot,” Levitan said.

The Mifflin riot resulted in community-wide change.

Levitan said the Madison community realized UW students had something to say and community members began to listen.

A new police chief, David Couper, was appointed shortly after that first Mifflin. Levitan said Couper fired many of the cops who had “busted heads” at Mifflin and built a better relationship between students and police.

Because of changes in both student-police relations and in how police address protests it is unlikely something like the Mifflin riots would happen in Madison today, Williams said.

Rheannon, who lived a just a few blocks away from the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York, said today, police are very organized and very “intent on nipping things in the bud.”

This makes it harder for protests to organize the way they did in the 60s.

There are many factors that contributed to the shift from protest-fueled riot to the current Mifflin block party which is sponsored by an apparel company, Wisconsin Red. Levitan said in the sixties, UW did not have much of a drinking culture, but instead a culture surrounding marijuana and LSD.

Students at UW in the 60s were also particularly focused on social justice issues, Rheannon noted. Many of her friends at UW continued to be involved in social movements throughout their lives.

“Political engagement was our lifestyle back then,” Rheannon said. “Once you see what’s going on, I don’t know how you forget it if you care about yourself and your kids and your life and the world and justice. You just can’t stop fighting for what’s right.”

Rheannon said Ronald Reagan’s presidency made a huge impact on the protest movement.

She said the U.S. was more dedicated to social justice before Reagan was elected because he led to the rise of capitalism.

Reagan brought the “defanging of political engagement,” according to Rheannon, who said people became more focused on big business under Reagan.

“If it becomes nothing but a

party, that’s reverting to its original intent. I will not criticize the current students for turning Mifflin back into a party because that’s what it’s supposed to be. It was a party that had a political legacy imposed on it because of what happened.” ” Stu Levitan Author, UW alumnus

But Rheannon believes this is changing.

She said youth like her 15-year-old granddaughter, who attended the Youth Climate Strike, are renewing society’s interest in political engagement.

Williams said it is important that current UW students know the history of Mifflin, which is why he is holding a symposium, “The May ‘69 ‘Battle of Miffland’ & Its Legacy,” May 4.

Today, Mifflin may be more of a party than a protest but to Levitan, it is still reflective of the original Mifflin.

“If it becomes nothing but a party, that’s reverting to its original intent,” Levitan said.

“I will not criticize the current students for turning Mifflin back into a party because that’s what it’s supposed to be. It was a party that had a political legacy imposed on it because of what happened.”

April 16, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 5

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Wisconsin jails charge above national average for inmate phone calls

Prison Policy Initiative study finds average phone call from Columbia County jail costs over four times more than calls from state prison

by Nuha Dolby State Editor

According to a new study, some county jails in Wisconsin are charging significantly higher than the national average for inmates to make phone calls.

The study, conducted by the Massachusetts-based nonprofit Prison Policy Initiative, was released in February 2019.

According to their website, the Prison Policy Initiative was founded in 2001 and aims to research and publicize how mass incarceration affects society. According to the report, jails in the state of Wisconsin average $7.98 per 15-minute phone call. This is almost one-and-a-half times as much as the nationwide average of approximately $5.61. The most expensive calls come from the Columbia County jail, where a 15-minute phone call costs $21.97.

The study suggests that rates are not flat — that is, there is typically not a per-minute fee. As such, the fee for a one-minute phone call from Columbia County jail is priced at $5.31. But despite having the highest listed price for a 15-minute call in the state of Wisconsin, other county jails charge higher fees for the first minute.

According to the study, the Marathon County jail charges $5.37 for the first minute, Polk County jail charges $5.53, Price County charges $5.61 and Iron County charges $5.80.

Wanda Bertram, communications strategist at the Prison Policy Initiative, discussed how these rates are determined.

“The jail phone industry is broken largely because jail phone companies compete for monopolies,” Bertram said.

“They do this by sharing revenue with the facilities themselves. The really high rates in Wisconsin jails, when brokered by these companies, happen when they promise to kick back some [revenue] to jail facilities.

That means part of the contracting process is distorted by collusion between jail phone companies and facilities.”

Securus Technologies Inc., a corporation that offers messaging, jail voicemail, video call and money transfer services, has previously received attention for a variety of issues.

In May 2018, Sen. Ron Wyden-D, Oregon, publicized a letter he had written to Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. The letter states that Wyden had discovered that Securus purchased real-time location information from major wireless carriers and made it available to the government via a portal.

6 • badgerherald.com • April 16, 2019

To access the information, Wyden said This has mainly disappeared, but smaller a call of the same length from a Wisconsin that correctional officers enter a number counties often underfund the jail with prison. into a Securus portal, upload documents the expectation that vendors will provide According to the FCC, the most recent purporting permission to access the data upfront fees for exclusive contracts. The legal action was in August 2016, when new and are then free to obtain the data. Wyden major national phone vendors generally do rates set caps for local and long-distance claimed that top Securus officials confirmed PR ... about how important security is and inmate calling. The new rate caps were that no steps are taken to verify the why exclusive contracts are vital. But there’s scheduled to take effect for prisons in documentation giving permission. no real security basis for exclusive contracts December 2016 and for jails in March 2017.

In May 2018, a New York Times article other than the jail gets a kickback and the But those rates were stayed by court discussed a former sheriff of Mississippi vendor gets to charge monopoly rates.” order, pending judicial review. As such, County, Missouri that utilized this Securus The PPI study also discussed comparative interim rate caps are currently in place and service to track other officers cell phones rates between local jails and state prisons. those caps only apply to interstate longwithout court orders, according to charges The study found that the average phone distance calls. Those rates are 21 cents a filed against him. It is alleged that between call from a local jail in Wisconsin will cost minute for debit/prepaid calls, and 25 cents 2014-17, the service was used at least 11 almost four-and-a-half times as much as a minute for collect calls. times to track a judge and members of the State Highway Patrol.

The NYT article also added that the tracking technology works even if location services are switched off. This is achieved by using cell phone towers to triangulate the phone’s location.

A March 2015 New York Times article added that the prison phone system is a $1.2 billion-a-year industry.

The article discussed the “concession fees” mentioned

by Bertram, or the commissions paid by the phone companies to incarceration systems in exchange for exclusive contracts.

In 2013, $460 million in concession fees was paid, according to the FCC. Kenneth Streit, clinical associate professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin Law School, suggested that these kickbacks are the logical reason for these contracts.

“Historically, sheriffs received much of their personal income from jails,” Streit said. “For Photo · According to the report by Prison Policy Initiative, jails in Wisconsin charge an average of $7.98 per 15-minute phone call, almost example, the Sheriff one-and-a-half times more than the national average. provided the food and charged the inmate or Courtesy of Pixabay.com county per diem rates.

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After long winter, UW Arboretum prepares for warm weather Despite severity, below-zero winter temperatures actually helped to create buffer between frozen ground, snow that protected wildlife

by Gretchen Gerlach Print News Editor

Though it may not feel as if spring has sprung, the University of Wisconsin Arboretum is well underway in preparing for the warmer months ahead.

To do so, the Arboretum follows an annual cycle where landcare and community activities change with the seasons, director Karen Oberhauser said.

Right now, the Arboretum is undergoing controlled burns, a process essential to new growth in the prairie. “[Controlled burns] really serve a lot of purposes,” Oberhauser said. “[They] help keep out shrubs and trees that would move in … and also provide bare ground for seeding which makes plants grow more lushly.”

According to the Arboretum website, native prairies, oak savannas and oak woodlands rely on these burns for new, healthy growth, and the burns conducted by the fire crew are done to mimic the ones that occur naturally in the wild. Many precautions are taken to ensure the burns are done safely, and the safety of the fire crew and visitors are of top priority.

“ We hear from students that

the Arboretum is a place to go to get away from campus.”

Karen Oberhauser UW Arboretum Director

Despite the harsh winter experienced in Wisconsin this year, where temperatures and wind chill hit well below zero, Landcare Manager Michael Hansen said the brutal weather was not as harmful to the Arboretum as some may think.

Hansen said the low temperatures froze the ground, which actually helped his team in getting necessary work done on the Arboretum. After the polar vortex when it snowed again, he said a buffer was created from the frozen ground and snow that actually protected the wildlife.

“The conditions were really good for working on invasive trees and shrubs,” Hansen said. “We didn’t have to worry about trampling plants.”

Though the Arboretum has bounced back after the severe winter weather, the

vegetation native to the arboretum is between the university and the city. university where research into restoration not yet used to the winters caused by the She said the space was formed when is conducted and questions about how changing climate, Oberhauser said. The a committee from the city of Madison the natural world works are answered. native plants have not evolved to fully deal approached the board of regents in hopes She said many UW students are involved with winters that get cold, then warm and of creating a place of respite. Now, the in the native plant gardens and help with then cold again, she said.

1,200 acres are enjoyed by all. research projects through the university.

To this end, Oberhauser said the “I think that it serves that role for a lot of As the Arboretum is located centrally in Arboretum is looking into the effects of university students,” Oberhauser said. “We Madison, Hansen stressed the importance freeze-thaw cycles commonly happening hear from students that the Arboretum is a of the land to the city community despite it during Wisconsin winters. place to go to get away from campus.” historically being used for research.

Hansen said the rain in late winter Another key function of the Arboretum “I would say it is a resource for before the land had fully thawed likely is the research and work experience it everybody to use in a variety of ways,” had the biggest effect on the Arboretum. allows. Oberhauser said the Arboretum is Hansen said.

Because the water had nowhere to go, a research center within the structure of the the Arboretum suffered some erosion damage, he said.

The Arboretum is home to one of the oldest restored prairies in the world, Oberhauser said, and while the land was once used for farming, the Arboretum’s goal is to fully restore the land back to what was there before.

“Our goal is to make [the prairies] as self-sustaining as possible,” Oberhauser said.

Another part of preparing for springtime involves getting ready for activities and programs hosted by the Arboretum, Oberhauser said.

Education and outreach, helping people learn about the environment and programs for children and family groups are all areas the Arboretum is gearing up for, she said.

Being a space for not only UW students and staff Photo · The Arboretum is home to one of the oldest restored prairies in the world and covers 1,200 acres. to enjoy but also for the greater Marissa Haegele Madison area is The Badger Herald representative of partnership

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Organizations urge improvement of corrections, re-entry system Experts say various stakeholders, from legislators to educators, play role in former prisoners’ ability to re-enter society, begin new life

by Caroline Li Reporter

Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development held a conference at Fountain of Life Covenant Church March 28 and 29 to discuss efforts by various stakeholders to improve the current criminal corrections system in Wisconsin.

According to The Cap Times, attendees of the conference discussed problems existing in the current corrections system.

Madison-area Urban Ministry peer support specialist James Morgan emphasized the importance of collaboration between stakeholders to effectively address these problems.

The role legislators play is crucial, Morgan said. They hold the power to revisit and make changes to current legislation — which could then impact individuals who have been incarcerated.

“There are a multitude of things that the legislators can do,” Morgan said. “Primarily, what the legislators can do is begin to listen to the citizens of this community and begin to implement legislations and draft laws that reflect the will of the people.”

At the conference, former Wisconsin Department of Corrections secretary Ed Wall emphasized the importance of getting state legislators involved to initiate effective changes, The Cap Times reported.

“Every seat in here should be filled with legislators — with people who can affect change by writing those laws that can make differences,” Wall said at the conference.

“There are a multitude of things that the legislators can do.

Primarily, what the legislators can do is begin to listen to the citizens of this community and begin to implement legislations and draft laws that reflect the will of the people. ”

James Morgan Madison-area Urban Ministry Peer Support Specialist

Beyond legislators, it is also important to involve as many people in the community as possible, Morgan said. This includes people who used to be in the criminal justice system, 8 • badgerherald.com • April 16, 2019

people who are currently in the system and educators.

Morgan further underscored the role played by educators in raising awareness among those in the community and expressed concerns over the state underfunding education.

He said the budget for statewide corrections programs outran that of the state’s educational system in the late 1980s, which might continue to be the case today.

According to The Cap Times, it was heartening for Morgan to see more young people in the community today get involved. MUM had held re-entry seminars at the University of Wisconsin campus, where interested students were able to talk with people impacted by the corrections system and gain greater insights.

UW Associate Law Professor Cecelia Klingele said the university is doing its part to provide support for individuals re-joining the community.

Klingele said there are various programs on Photo · Involving legislators and community members can provide a smoother transition for people reentering society. campus and internship opportunities available to Photo courtesy of Flickr user students that offer help.

Melissa Robison “There certainly is a community [on campus] that it is equally as important as providing Morgan said. “Because at the end of the day, and I think developing awareness about the employment opportunities. ultimately, this system impacts us all.” problem is the first step,” Klingele said.

She added that housing — a fundamental In regards to businesses, Morgan said it is human need — affects people’s daily life. The good to see more companies starting to hire inaccessibility to housing can substantially people who used to be in the corrections limit individuals’ development when reWithout secure housing ... your system and providing them with the means to entering society. earn a stable income, which reduces chances “Without secure housing, you don’t know ability to reliably commit to of reincarceration. where you’re going to be sleeping at night, being at a job, or to attending a Morgan also mentioned the importance you don’t know where you are going to be of pre-training, another area that companies waking up, you don’t have a place to keep treatment program is going to be could focus on to further smooth individuals’ your things, and wash your clothes and feed limited. transition to the workforce. yourself, your ability to reliably commit to Morgan said one way to achieve a better being at a job, or to attending a treatment Cecelia Klingele transition is through lobbying. He said program is going to be limited,” Klingele said. companies can lobby state legislators and While various existing problems were UW associate law professor officials to gain greater access to advanced discussed at the conference, Morgan said it technologies, which could better prepare takes a collaborative effort to make changes, individuals before entering the workforce. and everyone has a role to play.

Klingele said the community should also “We have to begin to talk to one another,” help individuals to secure places to live, and

“

”

ARTSETC.

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At Madison Ballet, new leadership gives way to ‘Emerging Voices’

Ballet styles ranging from traditional Vivaldi interpretation to contemporary take on ‘Mr. Brightside’ illuminates new talent at Bartell Theater

by Angela Peterson ArtsEtc Editor

For most college students, going to the ballet isn’t exactly the first option that comes to mind when choosing what to do on a Saturday night.

The music seems antiquated, choreography seems rooted in gender ideals of ages past, and the dance itself seems to lack any interesting characterization.

When I saw a member of Madison Ballet’s company come rolling on to the stage in a bright yellow t-shirt and pants that physically embodied “Mr. Brightside,” while the infectious classic by The Killers accompanied the concluding dance of the evening, the company had thoroughly proven these assumptions incorrect.

Under the direction of interim Artistic Director Sara Stewart Schumann, the company dedicated their spring performance, “Emerging Voices,” with the intention to introduce different styles of ballet to the community in the intimate confines of the Bartell’s Drury Theatre. A diverse program, featuring a different choreographer for each ballet, accomplished these goals.

Antonio’s Vivaldi’s classic “Spring” from “The Four Seasons” rooted the evening in tradition. With pointe shoes and a clearly demarked pas de deux (solo duet) this piece was a refreshingly simple delight. But if one expected the rest of the ballets to remotely resemble this traditional dance, they would be in for a surprise.

Ballet master Tom Mattingly’s piece “Inflow” found inspiration in the astrological definition of the word, meaning the liquid energies that run between people in their relationships. The ease and tension choreographed into the work oozed out of the dancers, executing the contemporary choreography with unbridled passion.

Following this was guest choreographer Mariana Oliveira’s dance to Giovanni Pergolesi’s “Sabat Mater.” While a classical work is used to accompanying this awardwinning piece, the ideas expressed in Oliveira’s choreography are anything but old-fashioned.

“I think it’s important that women not just be a passive participant in the art form.”

Tom Mattingly Ballet Master of Madison Ballet

”I went to an exhibit of Gustav Clint’s work,” Oliveira said. “To me, it was interesting to see such fine lines, very delicate, conveying such a powerful image.”

The corps of Madison Ballet broke new artistic ground in Oliveira’s piece, varying

swiftly between crisp linework and gracefully soft movements.

After intermission, a unique collaborative piece choreographed by company member Andrew Erickson set a sort of choreographic poem to Schoenberg’s “The Book of the Hanging Garden” song cycle. While I am familiar with Schoenberg’s music, I find it almost unlistenable. However, the accompanying dance made it much more palatable. Guest artists Alicia Berneche and Mark Bilyeu did a fine job performing Schoenberg’s work live as Erickson and Kristen Hammer performed the choreography, with a shifting night sky providing an added cyclical scenic element to the piece as a whole.

Guest choreographer Hanna Brictson’s piece “On The Brightside” rounded out the evening’s entertainment in an upbeat and modern fashion, as an urban introduction was paired with “Mr. Brightside” for a uniquely invigorating number.

The key to Madison Ballet’s future success lies in programming pieces like Brictson’s alongside mainstays like their yearly take on “The Nutcracker.” As the costs to produce classical pieces are rising — which has resulted in numerous canceled productions for Madison Ballet in the past — “Emerging Voices” was the only other ballet offered by the company this year. Providing ample opportunity for new artistry, along with relevance for the young population of Madison, these dances come across as a complete hybrid of ballet, jazz and

Photo · Madison Ballet dancers perform “Sabat Mater.”

Photo · Madison Ballet dancers await music for “Inflow.”

Angela Peterson The Badger Herald

Angela Peterson The Badger Herald

funk.

Compellingly, the evening’s program had an added emphasis on the power of women. In her introduction, Stewart Schumann was not shy to announce that she left the Lyric Opera’s ballet to become a practicing lawyer. Female choreographers designed three of the five works on the program. Gretchen Bourg, Madison Ballet’s managing director, continued to be a strong presence in the audience of the run as well.

For Mattingly, this feministic influence is also vital for Madison Ballet’s appeal to modern audiences. ”It’s an artist’s responsibility to reflect the times,” Mattingly said. “One of the ways that I try to do that in my work is to facilitate the environment of women through choreography.

Especially in classical ballet, the man is always leading the woman, the man is controlling pretty much everything the woman does ... In newer choreography, I think it’s important that women not just be a passive participant in the art form.”

Mattingly added that he often includes women partnering the men and each other during his pieces, which looked beautiful and strong during the performance of “Inflow.”

Hopefully, Madison Ballet’s 2019-20 season will include more of these strengths and modern works as it continues to evolve in the Madison community.

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Lucy Tan speaks on expectations, inspiration for writing at Lit Fest In Tan’s keynote speech she encouraged aspiring writers to just keep writing, despite the immense pressure society puts on people to get ‘safe careers’

by Emilie Burditt ArtsEtc. Editor

Wisconsin Union Directorate Publications hosted Lit Fest April 10 through 12, to celebrate writing and literature through panels and workshops. The theme of Lit Fest was simply to celebrate writing that sparks joy and creativity.

Michelle Thomas, the associate director of programming for WUD Publications, said Lit Fest started around 2013. The festival is focused on art, politics, music, travel, food, creative writing, fashion and lifestyle, social justice and culture, she said.

“I believe that LitFest is an opportunity for our magazines to share their work and make their presence known to the campus, while creating fun events for the campus community to participate in,” Thomas said.

The series hosted multiple events, one including a keynote speech from author Lucy Tan, who spoke at Union South April 11.

Tan wrote the book “What We Were Promised,” and is a current fellow and masters of fine arts graduate at the University of Wisconsin.

As Tan gave her speech, it was like she was telling a story. The vignettes of her life connected together to lead to her strong passion for creative writing.

Growing up with Chinese immigrant parents gave Tan a different upbringing, she said. Tan said she believes all parents have the same general values when raising their kids, but they have different ways of teaching those values.

Tan often felt lonely and separated from her community as an only child and with two parents who worked full-time. Tan said it’s not that her parents didn’t want her to have a social life, rather that they didn’t understand American social norms, like play dates .To entertain herself, Tan read books and started writing herself.

“When I wrote I wasn’t lonely anymore,” Tan said.

She became obsessed with traveling to new lands in her imagination and to new settings.

Eventually, Tan started thinking about the people who wrote those books. She’s now one of those people herself.

And as a teacher, she often finds her students wondering when they’ll receive the external confirmation that they’ve become a “real writer.”

Tan said that confirmation never comes.

Just as characters in books evolve, our experiences and life choices are always influencing who we are. She said that the career you have now doesn’t matter as much as you might think, but she understands that the decisions students make in college can be stressful, regardless of future plans.

With a mathematician for a father, Tan said her parents were comfortable with “safe careers,” or 10 • badgerherald.com • April 16, 2019

those in majors like engineering, pre-law and pre-med. As an English and East Asian studies double major, Tan felt like she didn’t have a safe career ahead of her.

She said she understood the pressure parents put on their children to enroll in majors that lead to safe careers because there’s always a “plan B,” or a fallback if that student’s first career choice doesn’t work out. With writing, however, there’s always a fear of failure for financial purposes.

Tan said writing can offer a change if you need it. There are very few tools needed to become a writer, and it’s easy to practice.

“Writing will always be there for you when you need it,” Tan said.

Tan always looked toward writing, even when she was in a different field of study. For example, after working in China for two years, Tan left to work in product management in New York City for three years, where she was traveling to conventions and organizing meetings.

During this time, Tan found herself scheduling her meetings with 30-minute time slots in between, which she would use to write. She decided that she didn’t want to give the best part of her day and time to a job she felt was secondary to her true passion — creative writing.

She decided she couldn’t be obsessed with anything as much as she is obsessed with writing. Eventually Tan applied to graduate school programs, which led her to UW. She recalled long days sitting in College Library trying to write her now published novel. As developing writing skills takes time and exploration, so does writing itself. She said it’s important to work just a little bit at a time.

Tan said she had to get lost before she got to the end of the journey. To those looking to write for a career, Tan said to not give up, even though writing can be hard. She confessed she only has a few hours a day of pure creative writing ability, but even after that, her brain is still processing her stories and evolving them, even if it’s subconsciously.

When her mom emigrated to the U.S., she found it difficult to only speak English, and at one point, her mom screamed her native tongue into a pillow. Tan said writing can feel like this sometimes. And that sometimes you just need to scream into that pillow. The first draft will always be the worst, though, Tan said, so just keep writing.

Photo ·Lucy Tan delivers her LitFest keynote address.

Courtesy of Jen Farley Wisconisn Union Directorate

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University Theatre’s ‘Twilight Bowl’ highlights great female talent Part of Big Ten Theatre Consortium New Play Initiative, Rebecca Gilman’s latest work resonates close to home with young Wisconsin audience

by Josie Brandmeier ArtsEtc Staff Writer

University Theatre’s production of “Twilight Bowl” by Rebecca Gilman opened Friday, taking a slice of Wisconsin life and bringing it to the stage.

With Jessica Fisch’s brilliant direction, Arianna White’s hyper-detailed scenic design, and the strong ensemble’s thoughtful performances, University Theatre created a show that was an intriguing portrait of lives generally easy to overlook.

Set in the bar of a bowling alley in Reynolds, Wisconsin, the show focused on five young Wisconsin women — and one from a Chicago suburb — facing different paths of adulthood over the course of two years.

The show felt true to the contrasting posthigh school lives of people growing up in small Wisconsin towns, resonating with many students in the audience. Hometown hero Sam (Bri Hunter) is a high school bowling star gearing up to attend Ohio State on a scholarship. Her cousin Jaycee (Erika Marks), on the other hand, is soon to be incarcerated after selling prescription drugs to help

her dad. There’s Clarice (Shasparay Lighteard) who works multiple low-paying jobs and the devout Christian Sharlene (Zhiyun Zhao) who loves her friends, though their profanities make her uncomfortable.

There’s even the Chicago suburbs outsider Maddy (Erin Wathen), who does not realize how arrogant she sounds by calling “Ohio State” her safety school when talking to the self-supporting Brielle (Alexandria Chapes), who had to leave University of Wisconsin-Platteville because it was too expensive. Maddy’s humble brags about the “careerism” of New Trier High School — one of the richest school districts in Illinois and the whole country — brought well-knowing chuckles from the audience.

Though all the characters besides Maddy come from the same place, the “different lanes” show what privileges they do and do not have.

One example of this is cousins Sam and Jaycee.

Sam, the bowling star, blames Jaycee for going to jail, claiming that Jaycee did not “apply herself” like Sam did. But Sam did not consider that her upbringing allowed her safety and support that Jaycee never had.

Throughout the show, the characters all

demonstrate moments of blindness to their own privileges and others’ pain. Chapes said this contributes to the play’s overall theme.

“I hope that people seeing the show take a moment to think about how they connect with other people,” Chapes said.

“I think it’s important for women who are seeing this to know it’s not taboo to be themselves.”

Erica Marks ‘Twilight Bowl’ Cast Member “ It was easy to forget that the play featured an allfemale ensemble, simply because the characters felt so real. Gilman wrote fleshed-out and complicated characters for the talented cast to connect with.

Marks noted that they spoke vulgarly, which is how women actually talk. Typical roles for female actresses do not always represent that.

“This play is about the real relationships that women have,” Marks said. “I think that’s important. I think it’s important for women who are seeing this to know it’s not taboo to be themselves.”

The play is part of the Big Ten Theatre Consortium New Play Initiative, an effort to commission a series of plays by American female playwrights. Prior to its run at UW, “Twilight Bowl” had its premiere at University of Iowa and received an additional production at the prestigious Goodman Theater in Chicago.

In addition to the female playwright and cast, almost the entire design team was female as well, from the sound, props, and lighting to the dramaturgy and costumes.

“The amount of girl power that went into this show is insane,” Marks said. ”Twilight Bowl” runs April 11 through 28 in the Gilbert V. Hemsley Theatre in Vilas Hall.

Student tickets are $15. To purchase tickets, visit artsticketing.wisc.edu, or visit the Vilas Hall or Memorial Union box office.

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Experience at an expense: In search of the ‘American dream,’ students often pushed to accept unpaid internships as necessary evil Posing barriers for economically underprivileged populations, unpaid internships have been linked to stark lack of diversity in non-profit organizations

by Matt O’Connor Editor in Chief

As the 2020 election inches closer, we’ll likely be subject to extensive, exhaustive rhetoric about “the American dream” and the hard work that is the ticket to success.

For some, their life has been a testament to the potential that exists in this country. For most, barriers to access keep the American dream just that — a dream.

There are many such barriers, some so deeply entrenched into the American experience that we simply accept them as standard practice. In recent years, many have pointed to unpaid internships as a glaring example of such barriers at work.

In this country’s intensely capitalist culture, payment for completed work is a core tenet of the American canon. For many, then, the widespread acceptance of unpaid internships seems antithetical to everything they’ve come to expect from an economy that claims it allows for the realization of goals as lofty as the American dream.

Indeed, their presence in America’s burgeoning workforce isn’t insignificant — a 2013 report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that just under half of all internships nationwide were unpaid. And they’re present in industries across the board — from communications and business, to politics and government, to engineering and tech.

Debate over their continued practice has grown intense, making the future of these professional opportunities uncertain. But regardless of public opinion or private practice, U.S. labor law is explicit — unpaid internships are legal.

12 • April 16, 2019 • badgerherald.com

Letter of the law The Fair Labor Standards Act, which was passed in 1938 and which has been regularly amended and expanded throughout the postwar period, requires for-profit organizations to pay their employees at least the federal minimum wage.

It would appear, then, that unpaid internships — or any unpaid work — with for-profit organizations would be illegal.

But the situation is complicated by technicalities and legal definitions. Per the U.S. Department of Labor, only those classified as “employees” under the law have a right to minimum wage compensation. Interns often aren’t classified as such, and therefore don’t always enjoy a legal right to compensation.

The distinction is important, as it’s this legal technicality that allows for so many unpaid opportunities in industries across the board.

However, for organizations offering unpaid internships, the government requires compliance with a series of seven standards.

Collectively, these standards are referred to as the “primary beneficiary test,” which courts have used when ruling on cases involving unpaid work.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the test “allows the courts to examine the ‘economic reality’ of the intern-employer relationship to determine which party is the ‘primary beneficiary’ of the relationship.” For an unpaid internship to be legal under the FLSA, it must meet the standards outlined under the primary beneficiary test.

The test’s first part maintains that both the employer and the intern must understand that there is no expectation of compensation. Such an expectation would establish that intern as an “employee” under the law, and would thus entitle them to at least the federal minimum wage.

The next few parts closely examine the connections of the internship to a student’s education and college commitments.

The test requires that any training offered by the employer must be similar to that offered through the intern’s college curriculum.

It also requires some connection between the internship program and the intern’s education, either through “integrated coursework or the receipt of academic credit.” Finally, the test maintains that the program must accommodate the intern’s academic calendar.

The test also requires that an unpaid internship’s duration be limited to a time period that provides “beneficial learning.”

Additionally, the work experience must “complement, rather than displace” paid employees, all while providing “significant” educational benefits. Finally, the test directs that both the intern and the employer must understand that the intern is not entitled to a paid position when the internship is over.

The Department of Labor maintains that the test is “flexible,” meaning that the legality of an unpaid internship program is examined on a case-by-case basis, and “no single factor is determinative.”

Such a legal basis has allowed unpaid internships to flourish among for-profit businesses. According to NACE, 38 percent of graduating seniors in 2013 reported an unpaid internship with a forprofit organization.

But the law’s standards only apply to for-profit employers.

Non-profit organizations and arms of the government are entirely exempted, facing no standards or legal restrictions on any unpaid internships they may offer.

National numbers reflect such a laissez-faire legality, as NACE found that 62 percent of all unpaid internships were with governmental bodies or non-profit organizations in 2013.

But regardless of an organization’s non- or for-profit status, the underlying logic behind any unpaid internship program, and the legal standards that allow for them, appears to suggest that relevant professional experience is its own form of payment.

Ripple effects Like any political science major looking to break into the world of campaign politics, UW senior Laurel Noack knows that experience and connections are crucial in landing a post-graduation job.

To that end, she’s held several internships with some big names, including the campaigns of Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Gov. Tony Evers. But there’s just one catch to these otherwise exciting opportunities — they both were unpaid.

Her experience isn’t unique for those in her field. Campaigns typically justify such unpaid opportunities through promises of unparalleled relevant experience, the chance for a full-time position after graduation and crucial connections that help interns land a paying job.

But for Noack, those justifications aren’t good enough. Since leaving her unpaid internships, she’s become an outspoken advocate of paid opportunities, both in political campaigns and beyond. At the heart of her advocacy is a belief that experience can’t replace a paycheck, especially for those students who rely on a steady source of income to make ends meet.

“Experience will help you in your career and you can put it on your resume, but experience won’t pay the grocery bills. It won’t pay your loans,” Noack said. “Ultimately, if a student has to pick between a paying job and an unpaid internship, most students have to pick the paying job. That leaves so many voices unheard.”

One group Noack has followed closely in the fight against unpaid opportunities is Pay Our Interns, a paid internship advocacy organization. While the organization’s focus lies in politics and government, its work spans a variety of industries.

Guillermo Creamer, the co-founder and deputy director of Pay Our Interns, said unpaid internships are inaccessible to many students, and therefore serve as a barrier to the workforce.

“One of the things we firmly believe is that the workforce system is a pipeline,” Creamer said. “In many cases, internships are an entry point in this pipeline. If the entry point requires you to afford something, you’re really creating this level of inaccessibility … Not many Americans can shell out thousands of dollars to work for free.”

Creamer said unpaid internships and the inaccessibility they create run counterintuitive to many organizations’ express goals of fostering diversity.

One realm where this seems to ring true is the U.S. Congress, which, until last year, was notorious for its plethora of unpaid internships in one of the world’s most expensive cities. Unpaid internships on Capitol Hill were so widespread that a 2017 report from Pay Our Interns found that just 6 percent of U.S. House members paid their interns.

To Creamer’s point about workplace diversity, a 2015 report from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies found that people of color comprise an underwhelming portion of Congressional staff.

According to the report, just 7.1 percent of Congressional staff identified as a person of color. Broken down by U.S. Census demographic categories, that number includes just 0.9 percent who identify as black, 2.1 percent who identify as Latino, 3.6 percent who identify as Asian American and Pacific Islander, and 0.6 percent who identify as Native American.

In a list of possible solutions to this lack of diversity, the center identified hiring and paying interns from groups that advance

professional development for POC specifically. And while it didn’t draw a direct line between unpaid internships and Congress’ problems with staff diversity, it’s logically consistent to conclude as much from an employer notorious for both unpaid internships and a lack of workplace diversity. Indeed, some lawmakers have started to draw such a connection amid intensified discussion over the topic earlier this year.

Despite the barriers they erect and the diversity they’re seen to stifle, many organizations claim they simply can’t afford to offer paid opportunities. Budgetary constraints, especially for small non-profits struggling to pay even full-time staff, often pose a real challenge.

anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 in financial support. Other department-specific programs also exist, like the Audrey Harris Internship Award at the Center for Law, Society and Justice, which awards $1,000 to 10 students.

But the unfortunate reality for those who seek professional development through an internship is that unpaid work is not an unlikely prospect. Despite increased scrutiny over their practice and the intensified attention they’ve received in the national media, many students have simply come to accept them as a fact of life, and expect them as a necessary evil in the search for relevant, resumé-worthy experience.

Making it work In advocating for paid internships, Creamer said Pay Our Interns pursues a “strategic” route with the promise to see their goals realized in cities and organizations across the country.

That involves a pragmatic, realistic approach, which takes local living costs and organizational budgetary constraints into consideration when advocating for wages within a particular city or at a particular organization.

But one thing paid internship advocates refuse to accept are arguments which suggest there are simply no funds to pay interns.

For organizations who proffer such arguments, Creamer said it’s “very hard to look at them and take them at their word.” Rather, he believes that paying interns is simply a matter of prioritization.

“The reality is that every company does have funding to pay their interns — they just have to prioritize,” Creamer said. “If you are an organization or corporation that is prioritizing diversity and inclusion, then by not allocating money for a paid internship program, you’re kind of looking the other way to your own mission.”

That’s a sentiment Noack echoed from her own experience.

She mentioned campaign politics specifically, particularly big, statewide races like those for the U.S. Senate. Such races regularly bring in tens of millions of dollars, but are also notorious for offering almost exclusively unpaid internships.

It’s that disconnect — between the money such campaigns raise, and the wages they claim they are unable to offer — which Noack finds unacceptable.

“Specifically, in the campaign world, we’ll see Senate races get millions of dollars within months, and we’ll see even lower-level races have hundreds of thousands of dollars — so to say you can’t pay interns $8 or $10 per hour means you shouldn’t be using them,” Noack said. “You don’t get to deny students the right to payment for hard work … I think it’s exploitative to treat students as not valuable when they obviously are.”

Interns across the country saw such budgetary prioritization play out on the national stage last year, when Congress appropriated nearly $14 million in funding for paid Congressional internships — putting an end to what had been a decades-long stretch of unpaid opportunities on Capitol Hill.

But Creamer stressed that for him and his organization, the fight against unpaid internships doesn’t stop there. At the state and local level, many governmental internships still go unpaid — not to mention other industries known for their unpaid work.

“The reality is you’ve got the fashion industry, the entertainment industry, the PR world — those workforces are full of unpaid opportunities,” Creamer said. “We have a lot cut out for us, so we definitely need to strategize how we would like to do that.”

At UW, students can attempt to access scholarship funds that financially support them when they land an unpaid internship.

At SuccessWorks, accepted student applicants can be awarded

A necessary evil At UW, unpaid internships have been formally integrated into the classroom across a variety of departments.

There, one can see the “primary beneficiary test” at work — the legality of unpaid internships bolstered by their relevance in a classroom setting and their ties to related coursework. Sociology/ Criminal Justice 694 — a course taught by Josh Mayers, a senior instructional specialist with the Center for Law, Society and Justice — is one such example.

In his course, Mayers said students complete a 300-hour internship and related coursework for academic credit. Through such an experience, students not only progress further in their degree and closer to graduation, but also receive relevant experience in their field of choice.

But such experiences are often unpaid, prompting a campusspecific example of what has become a nationwide discussion.

Mayers, however, said he and the students in his class don’t look at it through a lens of paid versus unpaid — rather, he views it as a more nuanced concept, which holds the possibility of long-term benefits.

“Often, even though it’s an unpaid internship, it’s giving them a few things that are of value,” Mayers said. “It’s giving them marketable work experience, it’s giving them something they can put on their resume, it’s giving them an opportunity for a recommendation from me and the placement supervisor.”

Additionally, Mayers said graduating students in his course often receive full-time, paid job offers from the organization where they interned.

Mayers said the program’s benefits expand beyond the experience and connections it offers its students, however. For fields like criminal justice and social work, which Mayers described as “fluid and dynamic,” it can be hard to determine the path one wants to pursue among the myriad options open to them.

“It’s not just that it offers them an unpaid benefit in that it offers experience — I think it’s broader than that,” Mayers said. “Consider its recommendations, it’s potential down-the-road for employment opportunities. It’s more than just a good, semester-long work experience.”

Mayers cited his own 34 years of experience in law enforcement, stressing that it can be hard to penetrate the “closed world” of social work and criminal justice. This program, he believes, accomplishes what can only be achieved through hands-on, practical experience in an internship — something which makes the debate over unpaid internships more of a nuanced conversation.

a no-brainer to accept it. But when that offer lacks compensation, the answer is less obvious, if its unpaid status doesn’t negate it as a viable option from the start.

The situation is further complicated by its wider implications.

When the wealth gap is at its widest point in modern memory and racial disparities continue to intensify, any program that appears to benefit the wealthy — and, disproportionately, white Americans — is likely to be met with scrutiny. And indeed it has, more so now than in years past.

With federal labor laws undergirding their continued practice, such scrutiny has set the stage for a national debate over this issue persisting well into the future.

Paid internship advocates claim this is all a matter of budget prioritization. People like Noack and Creamer, who were unpaid interns themselves, likely remember that when it comes time to pay for rent, food and other necessities, they don’t get to claim financial inability — unlike those organizations who offer unpaid internships.

And yet, Creamer and Noack accepted those internships. They knew they were a ticket for advancement — for a better job tomorrow, and for access to the connections that would get them there.

How we square that underlying truth about unpaid work with other, more uncomfortable truths — namely, that they block financially disadvantaged applicants from participation and stifle workforce diversity — will undoubtedly play a major role in how this country thinks about and values labor.

In the meantime, applications will continue to be submitted.

Interviews will continue to be conducted. Offers will continue to be accepted, and denials will continue to be lamented.

The machine will press on.

At what cost?

For many college students, financial constraints complicate what would otherwise be a clear choice.

When offered a relevant internship in their selected field, it seems badgerherald.com • April 16, 2019 • 13

OPINION

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Common cents: Unpacking the numbers behind the gender wage gap Though a gender wage gap does exist, its origins lie in different lifestyle choices, rather than gender-based discrimination

by Lianna Schwalenberg Columnist

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed and sent to the Senate HR 7, also known as the Paycheck Fairness Act. This bill would enhance the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which outlawed wage discrimination on the basis of sex by clarifying more precisely the reasons employers are allowed to use to justify differential wages for equal work.

Among other remedies, the bill prohibits employers from screening job applicants based on their salary history and provides women with additional legal tools for obtaining equal pay for equal work.

The Wisconsin representatives were divided across party lines.

According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, the median annual pay for women in Wisconsin who hold a full-time, year-round job is $38,594, while men earn an average of $49,306.

This means that women in Wisconsin are paid 78 cents for every dollar paid to men — an annual wage gap of $10,712. So yes, the wage gap does exist, but researchers struggle to find the smoking gun that says discrimination against women is the sole cause.

In an analysis published by the IZA Institute of Labor Economics, industry type, occupational segregation, differences in experience level, and educational attainment did account for most of the wage gap, but they attributed about 38 percent of the gap to “unexplained factors.”

“The persistence of an unexplained gender wage gap suggests, though it does not prove, that labor market discrimination continues to contribute to the gender wage gap,” the report said.

They also say that the decrease in discrimination over time correlates with the narrowing of the gap over time.

But suggestions and correlations aren’t conclusive.

Claudia Goldin, a professor of economics at Harvard University, published a paper in 2014 detailing her research on what she calls “temporal flexibility” and how women tend to value this more than men. She concluded, “the gap exists because hours of work in many occupations are worth more when given at particular moments and when the hours are more continuous.”

Women and men of equal education and experience might still make differential

14 • April 16, 2019 • badgerherald.com

Photo · Research behind the gender wage gap suggests that there is more to the story than just gender-based discrimination.

Herald Archives The Badger Herald wages within the same occupation because at certain points in their careers they make different decisions. Women will often take a pay cut to work flexible hours. Goldin suggests that the gender pay gap would be considerably reduced, possibly down to zero, if companies stopped rewarding individuals for working long and particular hours.

If the talking points aren’t very convincing, there is new evidence from the gig economy that might give us better data on the theories behind the wage gap. In a paper published last month, five economists examined the labor supply choices and earnings of over 1.8 million drivers for Uber.

This rideshare company pays its drivers using a simple, transparent algorithm that takes into account length of the ride in both

miles and minutes, plus a surge multiplier during excessively high demand. The pay structure is tied directly to output — not gender — and it is not negotiable. There is also no wage penalty for temporal flexibility as the work can be done completely on their own schedule. Because of all this, the authors hypothesized there would be no gender wage gap at Uber.

They found that male drivers earn about 7 percent more than their female counterparts, but that this gap can be entirely attributed to three factors. Twenty percent of the gap can be explained by preferences over the types of trips you tend to focus on — men are more willing to drive in areas with higher crime and more drinking establishments. Another 30 percent of the gap can be explained by experience on the platform — women leave

the platform more often than men. The remaining 50 percent of the wage gap was explained by speed preferences. Men tend to drive just a little faster than women and are thus able to finish more trips per hour.

This new data suggests that the wage gap is complicated. Even in jobs that are genderblind and have temporal flexibility, wage gaps still persist, though they are completely explained away by gendered preferences.

The mantra is “Equal Work, Equal Pay,” but it turns out, the work is not equal. If we really want the gap to be zero, we need to legislate the choices men and women make.

Lianna Schwalenberg (lschwalenber@ uwalumni.com) is a recent graduate with degrees in communication arts and philosophy.

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OPINION

Republican criticism of Evers’ budget nothing but a shot at public aid

Don’t let Republican hypocrisy confuse Wisconsin about budget deficits — structural deficits are part of every state budget

by Sam Ropa Columnist

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau projections for Evers’ proposed budget for the 202123 biennium show that the state will face a $2 billion dollar shortfall if economic conditions do not change. Republicans legislators wasted no time before they again condemned Evers’ “liberal wish list” as fiscally irresponsible — this time, with a number attached.

In their first public hearing on budget revisions, co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Finance, Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette and Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, used the projections to blast the budget and the decisions to spend more on schools and Medicaid as “irresponsible.”

Rep. Robin Vos, R-Rochester, speaker of the State Assembly, has said there is

“no way” Medicaid will expand and has attacked other parts of the budget for widening the state deficit.

The thing is, the deficit they’re referring to isn’t necessarily a budget deficit at all.

It is what economists call a “structural deficit” — a deficit that may arise if a budget is passed and there are no changes to employment, inflation, wages, economic growth, and tax revenue. These are projections of what could be, not what will be or what is.

One reason for deficits may be increases in state spending. It’s true that there are some spending hikes even through new services aren’t offered. The Wisconsin Budget Project explains that some factors affecting spending are out of state government’s control.”

Population growth, inflation, and an increase in health care spending mean that

Photo · The hypocrisy in Republicans’ criticisms of Evers’ budget reveal their true priorities.

Jon Yoon The Badger Herald

the state budget must grow every year just to keep providing the same level of services,” according to WBP’s website.

Passing a “flat” budget — one without higher spending — would likely “decrease assistance available to struggling families, since costs continue to increase.” Many of the items included in the biennial budget also address priorities that Republicans have left unattended during the Walker administration, like road repairs and education.

Thankfully, it’s likely that this budget will produce the economic conditions that will avoid the projected shortfall.

The critical investments in healthcare and education Evers’ budget proposes will secure healthier, better-educated communities which have long been the foundations for Wisconsin’s growth and — more importantly — shared prosperity.

The structural deficits of previous biennial budgets have been similarly high: $1.77 billion in 201517, $2.51 billion in 2011-13, making the likelihood that this one will materialize seem unlikely.

Republicans’ antideficit rhetoric, at every level of government, has always been a successful strategy.

But according to the same Fiscal Bureau projections, Wisconsin saw massive structural deficits under Walker ’s budgets, too.

So, do Republicans actually care about deficits?

No, of course they don’t — but there are huge political benefits to complaining about deficits, rather than criticizing the programs the deficits finance. By complaining about deficits, conservatives can obscure what they are really opposed to — distributing public

resources equitably.

Instead of acknowledging that they are ideologically committed to deregulating businesses, cutting taxes for the rich, defunding schools and taking people’s public health insurance, Republicans lambast the “fiscal irresponsibility” of government programs designed to help vulnerable people.

“ Tragically, Democrats buy

into [Republican] rhetoric, and increasingly temper their potentially radical proposals to something more ‘fiscally-responsible’ — or more palatable to conservative hypocrisy. ”

Tragically, Democrats buy into this rhetoric, and increasingly temper their potentially radical proposals to something “fiscally responsible” — or more palatable to conservative hypocrisy. Since it’s very rare that arguments against budget deficits are made out of good faith concern for long-run economic conditions, this isn’t a good policy-making strategy.

The conservative argument is intuitive though — if you think state government budgets work the same way household budgets do. When people manage their household finances, they do everything they can to not spend beyond their means.

People’s resources are finite, so they have to break even.

But government budgets, even ones that are constitutionally required to be balanced, don’t operate this way. State governments can sometimes issue bonds to finance spending like Wisconsin has for some infrastructure projects, and they can certainly run structural deficits — the way Wisconsin’s biennial budgets have for years.

Don’t let Republicans get Wisconsin riled up about deficits — especially ones that don’t exist yet.

Sam Ropa (ropa@wisc.edu) is a senior majoring in geography and anthropology.

badgerherald.com • April 16, 2019 • 15

OPINION

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Money begets money: UW must increase support for computer science As universities struggle to keep up with increasing demand for computer science, government has a duty to fund these programs

by Mitch Rogers Columnist

Technology has evolved in our economy at an unprecedented pace. To anticipate this evolving change, thousands of students across the country have declared computer science as their major.

At the University of Wisconsin, more and more students every year are declaring computer science for their undergrad degree, with the demand increasing nine times over the course of the last 10 years, making it the most popular major for the last two years.

Given the surge in demand, many universities across the country have struggled to accommodate all the students seeking to evolve with the economy and study computer science. As a result, some schools such as the University of Washington, have issued a cap for how many students can enroll in the computer science program.

UW has decided to take a different approach to the situation. The faculty

believe it is their duty to the students enrolled here to provide them with every opportunity possible. As a result, the faculty voted in 2016 not to establish a cap for the computer science program — a commendable decision.

Paying tuition here or taking out loans to fund the education received here creates tremendous economic burdens, and after spending all that money, all students should at the least have the opportunity to study what they desire.

This isn’t to be mistaken with the idea that anybody should be able to become a doctor regardless of if they don’t have the grades necessary to do so. Rather, imposing a cap excludes qualified individuals from majoring in something they are passionate about, despite the tens of thousands of dollars paid to seek out and gain skills necessary for future success.

Despite this honorable decision, the school has faced difficulty finding the faculty and space to accommodate the number of students signing up for classes.

Gov. Tony Evers proposed a $45 million budget for 2019-21, which included

provisions to increase high demand programs for UW campuses across the state, including computer science.

Republican lawmakers are creating their own budget, but whether or not they plan on including some of Evers’ proposals for increased spending at the university level remains unclear.

Regardless of political affiliation, most people should be able to reach a consensus that education is vital for progress.

Including spending in our state budget for public institutions such as UW is a down payment today that will become an investment in the future. Everybody wants Wisconsin to thrive, yet we do a disservice every time we disregard the importance of programs designed to give students necessary skills that will transfer through numerous fields in the private sector in the decades to come.

UW’s computer science program has seen its national ranking fall from ninth in 2007 to 13th as of 2018. Recruiting talent is already a fierce battle, as it’s no secret that faculty members could make much more in the private sector than

they do as professors. Coupling this truth with a potential for underfunding the programs will bring great consequences for Wisconsin.

If we don’t fund vital programs, we will see talent leave, more students be unable to seek opportunities, and the overall quality of education in this state will decline.If we want large corporations come to Wisconsin and create jobs, if we want see Wisconsin’s large cities continue to develop, and if we want to see Wisconsin keep moving forward, then it’s essential that we fund programs at the state level to give this hopeful thinking an opportunity to become a reality.

Like nearly everything in economics, the investment in education, or lack thereof, will have implications that integrate across numerous sectors. It’s important to not let short-sighted concerns or partisan tactics get in the way of potential success for our state.

Mitch Rogers (mrogers9@wisc.edu) is a senior majoring in economics.

Mental health behind bars: Inmates deserve autonomy in healthcare Decision to allow prisons to involuntarily medicate inmates subverts prisoners’ personal autonomy, detrimental to care

by Keagan Schlosser Columnist

An appeals court ruled in March that inmates in prisons can be involuntarily medicated by staff, even if the inmate is not dangerous or does not pose a threat to other inmates or prison staff.

In 2005, a defendant identified as “C.S.” was convicted of mayhem and sentenced to 20 years in prison. A 2015 jury found that C.S. was mentally ill and a judge ordered the inmate be medicated, despite the inmate’s opposition.

C.S. argued involuntary medication statutes are unconstitutional because they don’t require a finding that the prisoner is dangerous.

Last month, the 2nd District Court of Appeals ruled that statutes protect prisoners in ways such as informing them about treatment needs and determining whether the prisoner is competent to make treatment decisions. The court also asserted the state’s interest in caring for 16 • April 16, 2019 • badgerherald.com

mentally ill inmates.

In the U.S., 44 states have a jail or prison which holds more mentally ill individuals than the state’s largest psychiatric hospital. And in every county in the U.S. that contains both a jail and a psychiatric facility, more seriously mentally ill individuals are incarcerated than are in psychiatric facilities.

The prevalence of mentally ill prisoners does validate the question of medicating those inmates. But the question of whether jailing mentally ill individuals is the correct choice in the first place, and whether this mental health crisis is a result of the poor incarceration system itself arises with this debate.

People who suffer from mental illnesses — whether imprisoned or not — must be given the same autonomy as all other citizens when receiving care. Stereotypes swim around the idea that mentally ill people are not competent enough to make their own decisions or to be in charge of their own health care. In this era it

should be well established that not only should people have full capability to make their own decisions, but that mental health treatment and services can only be effective when the consumer embraces it — not when it is coerced.

Involuntary mental health treatment is a serious curtailment of liberty. No one outside of prison walls is being force-fed Zoloft, so why must it be any different for those inside? Involuntary medication reduces prisoners to animalistic standards, potentially leading to worse mental health conditions and behavior toward peers and workers.

If a person is mentally ill to the point that they are being forced to take medication, perhaps the answer lies in the alternative — removing them from a prison setting. Even if a person is receiving the right medication while incarcerated, prison is simply not the proper environment to improve mental wellness. In fact, it more than likely deteriorates it even more.

The solitary confinement that

accompanies imprisonment leads to selfharm, physical abuse and a multitude of other psychological problems. Adding a preexisting mental illness on top of that only worsens the state of a prisoner. The mental illness epidemic in prisons is a glaring sign that perhaps prisoners should not be imprisoned in the first place.

The bottom line is that no one should have to involuntarily take medication — especially when that person is deemed to pose no threat to their surroundings. Of course “threat” is a subjective term, and it’s easy to classify a potential danger as a current one. But in cases like C.S.’— where he was not deemed a present harmful force to other inmates — the answer should be clear. The real threat in prisons is their blindness to the fact that unconsenting medication strips inmates of basic human rights.

Keagan Schlosser (kschlosser2@wisc.edu) is a freshman majoring in communications.

OPINION

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We must recognize Robert Mueller is not our knight in shining armor Based on how the country reacted to Nixon and Bush’s transgressions, the Mueller Report likely wouldn’t have any major impact

by Sam Palmer Columnist

Perhaps now would be an appropriate time to reflect on the hours that have been spent, the trees that have been felled and the countless gigawatts of computer power that have been expended on dissecting every minute detail of the Donald Trump-Robert Mueller-Russia story.

In light of Mueller releasing his final conclusion recommending no more indictments for administration officials or Trump himself, maybe now is the time to ask if all that effort was really worth it.

“The Mueller report should be

released ... But whether it shows criminality or malfeasance or nothing at all, we should be aware that its effect on our national political trajectory will be small — if it has any effect at all.”

Today’s issue is whether the full Mueller report will be released, and Wisconsin’s congressional representatives have dutifully taken sides. Even reading about this is exhausting. No one really believes that there is anything in that report that will lead to any check on the Trump administration — certainly not the impeachment of Trump.

Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wisconsin, encapsulated the Republican perspective perfectly in his statement in an interview with CNN. “There’s going to be far more time for the networks around America to report on the great news that are making Americans lives better,” Duffy said.

In a certain sense, Duffy is correct.

The anticlimactic ending of the Mueller investigation has pulled back the “law-andorder” veil which has shrouded American politics for over two years. It has ended the Democrats’ political stupor, self-imposed as they waited for their deliverance from Mueller.

Everyone now has to accept that Trump didn’t win the 2016 election with skullduggery — at least, not entirely — or treason. His presidency is not an anomaly, but the relatively logical conclusion of political, social and economic currents stretching back decades,

Photo · This country’s politics are at the whim of much more than one person or one report, and we must recognize that Mueller’s report isn’t going to drastically alter the direction of this country.

Dan Chinitz The Badger Herald even centuries.

We can, and should, see things laid bare right now. Duffy, for his part, sees economic prosperity and national greatness —but that’s sort of what he gets paid to see. Make up your own mind about what’s really out there.

Marquette Law poll finds partisan divide in support for Mueller report, Sanders leading presidential race For those of you who thought that Trump had committed a crime and was going to be impeached or even sent to prison, I submit one pattern in particular — the historical treatment of high-ranking elected officials caught committing crimes.

There are some stunners here, but let’s just hit the classics. The Watergate scandal under former President Richard Nixon revealed a network of political sabotage and violence that ranged from undermining opposing presidential candidates to alleged assassination of leaders of the Black Panther Party. He

resigned before he could be impeached, and his successor pardoned him.

See also former President George W. Bush, whose administration planned and executed a war of aggression against Iraq, in flagrant violation of international law. Even though the war in Iraq resulted in a massive defeat for the U.S., not a single Bush administration official will ever see jail time.

Even though Nixon’s corruption led to a huge loss of public confidence in the U.S. government, he never received any consequences.

The point is, even if Trump had committed a serious crime, he was never going to jail.

He probably wouldn’t have even gotten impeached. To the political establishment, the upheaval that might be brought on by actually prosecuting political criminals is much scarier than potential loss of public confidence.

But again, that is only relevant if Trump actually committed a crime. Since, as far as we

know, he did not, we then only have to reckon with the utter incompetence of the Democratic Party from top to bottom, the rise of reactionary politics in response to technocratic liberal capitalism, refugee crises created by U.S. intervention and imperial domination and so on and so forth. Not too much to worry about.

The Mueller report should be released. Of course it should. Maybe it will be, maybe it won’t. But whether it shows criminality or malfeasance or nothing at all, we should be aware that its effect on our national political trajectory will be small — if it has any effect at all. We are at the whim of events far larger than the actions of one cartoonish chief executive.

It is long past time that we realized this. Let’s stop pretending that Mueller will save us. The only people who can save us are ourselves.

Sam Palmer (spalmer4@wisc.edu) is a recent graduate with a degree in biology. badgerherald.com • April 16, 2019 • 17

SPORTS

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Football: O-line, backfield seek restoration after two historic seasons After losses to the NFL, graduation, Wisconsin looks to re-establish iconic offensive line, running support around returning star running back Jonathan Taylor

by Ben Kenney Staff Writer

Week three of the spring position previews shifts focus from Jim Leonhard’s defense to the offensive side of the football, a unit also welcoming many new faces to the mix.

I don’t need to be the one to say that last year ’s Badgers disappointed for many reasons. This lack of success can partially be credited to the team’s offense only scoring 29.7 points per game, good for 61st in the nation, after scoring 33.8 points per game during the team’s outstanding 2017 season.

The underlying stats, however, paint a different picture.

An important statistic in evaluating offensive production is yards per play.

This stat takes the total yards gained by an offense and divides it by the number of plays the unit ran during the course of a season.

The 2017 Badgers, a team that went 13-1 and fell a drive short of the College Football Playoff, averaged 6.1 yards per play.

The 2018 Badgers, a team that went 8-5, averaged 6.4 yards per play.

The drop in offensive production on the scoreboard was not due to a lack of production by the team as a whole, but rather due to untimely turnovers and a lack of efficiency in the red zone and on special teams — Rafael Gaglianone, the team’s kicker, made an atrocious 58 percent of his field goals.

So, now that Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach Joe Rudolph has lost much of his 2018 and 2017 talent to graduation and the NFL, it’s time for him to rebuild his unit in order to bring the Badgers back into national relevance.

The first positional units of the offense previewed are the offensive line and backfield.

Offensive Line Badger fans know the offensive line has been a pivotal cog in Head Coach Paul Chryst’s and Rudolph’s offensive system, one premised on dominating the line of scrimmage and running the football.

Last year the line boasted NFL talent across the board in Jon Dietzen, Michael Deiter, Tyler Biadasz, Beau Benzschawel and David Edwards.

Football Outsiders’ end-of-year rankings had the unit as the best in the nation, outperforming the great offensive lines of Alabama, Oklahoma and other top programs.

Looking forward to 2019, however, only Biadasz returns to the team, and a new-look 18 • April 16, 2019 • badgerherald.com

line must be ushered in around him.

The good news for Wisconsin fans is that Chryst hasn’t had any trouble in the past bringing top-level talent at the position to the school, as he has seemingly rebooted the line to a perennial top-ten unit in the nation every year.

Current linemen on the roster who will

have Erdmann and Cole Van Lanen, players who both played in 13 games a year ago, battling for the positions.

Despite all these new names up front, Biadasz is encouraged with the progress that they’ve made as a unit since the spring began.

“They’re doing a hell of a job this spring

Photo · After a breakout freshman season and a dominant sophomore season, Jonathan Taylor will see adjustments to the offensive line and his backfield come fall.

Daniel Yun The Badger Herald battle for open starting jobs alongside Biadasz include redshirt sophomore Kayden Lyles, redshirt senior Jason Erdmann, redshirt sophomore Tyler Beach, redshirt senior David Moorman, redshirt sophomore Logan Bruss and redshirt sophomore Josh Seltzner.

With Biadasz on the sideline for the spring session and several spring practices in the books, the shape of the line around him is starting to form with Moorman at left tackle, Seltzner at left guard, Bruss at right guard and Beach at right tackle.

This lineup is not finalized, however, as Chryst and the staff will welcome in five-star recruit Trent Brown to the team in the fall and

so far,” Biadasz said. “It’s only week two and they’re doing a really good job of just catching along and building themselves each practice.”

Chryst and Rudolph hope that the development at the position continues as the spring and summer progress and that the line can come close to their 2017 and 2018 form.

Running Back and Fullback The answer in the backfield is clear.

Jonathan Taylor is back in Madison for his junior season and will be ready to defend the Doak Walker Award he received last fall.

Taylor is coming off a sophomore

season that not only lived up to the hype that followed his freshman campaign but exceeded it with 2,194 yards and 16 touchdowns. To put Taylor ’s historic first two seasons in perspective, he’s on pace to become the greatest running back in Wisconsin history.

What isn’t clear about the backfield, however, is who will play Robin to Taylor ’s Batman and keep him fresh throughout the season.

Last year, Taiwan Deal, Garrett Groshek and Chris James split the role of the team’s backup running back and filled it well, averaging 6.6, 6.5 and 4.7 yards per carry respectively. Groshek is back in Madison this season but Deal and James both graduated last spring, leaving a big hole in the rotation.

Chryst addressed the running back rotation when speaking after the Badgers’ 7th spring practice.

“There are spots or roles to be earned,” Chryst said. “That’s where spring is a good time to get reps, the consistency probably won’t come until fall camp.”

The likely heir to Deal and James’ role as one of Taylor ’s backups is Bradrick Shaw. Shaw was injured for all of the 2018 season but showed promise during his freshman year in 2016, rushing for over 450 yards on an average of 5.2 yards per carry.

Shaw and Groshek should do an effective job aiding Taylor this season — Shaw as more of the bruising, powerful back and Groshek as a third-down passing option.

The story of departed talent continues at the fullback position with Alec Ingold graduating and pursuing an NFL career.

The likely replacement for Ingold is redshirt junior Mason Stokke. Stokke played in nine games a year ago, only carrying the ball four times.

Other fullbacks on the roster are sophomore Leo Chenal and redshirt sophomore Coy Wanner.Both of these units — the offensive line and backfield — will work to take pressure off one of the most talked about positions coming into spring and summer football — quarterback.

Will Graham Mertz, the No. 5 overall quarterback in this year ’s class, take the helm as a true freshman? Will Jack Coan build off his productive-at-times 2018 season?

Next week the quarterback position will be previewed along with the wide receiver group, two positions with plenty still up in the air with the 2019 campaign around the corner.

SPORTS

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Golf: As Jordan Hahn secures legacy, Griffin Barela looks to fill his shoes Hahn plans to turn professional after graduation, while Barela, a sophomore, looks to follow his successful tenure

by Andrew Bell Staff Writer

Sophomore Griffin Barela and senior Jordan Hahn both ditched baseball by the end of middle school to focus on golf.

Hahn’s route to becoming a Badger started at a young age. Born in Janesville, Wisconsin, Hahn was raised a Badger fan and attended University of Wisconsin golf camps in 8th and 9th grade where his connection with the coaching staff began.

Barela took a different route, filling out a questionnaire sent to him by UW in the summer of his junior year of high school.

The first day the NCAA allowed coaches to directly contact recruits, he got a call from Head Coach Michael Burcin, and before he knew it he was on campus for his first visit.

After falling in love UW’s campus and its coaching staff, he knew that Madison was the place for him.

For me personally I think it’s always a good goal going into a tournament to go out and beat [Hahn]. I know he is always going to play well. It is always a good benchmark for me to try and match up to what he is doing.” “

Griffin Barela The two leaders of the men’s golf team are always down for a little friendly competition. Hahn and Barela like to push each other to their best along with their other teammates. They each have careerlow scores in the low 60s — Barela at 62 and Hahn at 61. Hahn’s 61 came in the Illinois State Amateur where he made his second of two hole-in-ones, a remarkable

feat.

“For me personally I think it’s always a good goal going into a tournament to go out and beat [Hahn]. I know he is always going to play well,” Barela said. “It is always a good benchmark for me to try and match up to what he is doing.”

It’s that same competitive spirit that helped fuel Barela’s favorite moment as a member of the golf team — last year ’s Big Ten Match Play tournament in Florida.

Barela said he enjoyed the competitive nature of the match play format and how the course set up for him.

The team won four straight matches at the tournament, taking home third place, but was stripped of a chance to play in the finals due to a tiebreaker. Hahn also appreciated the Big Ten Match Play but said his top moment as a Badger was the squad’s win at the Pinetree Intercollegiate this year.

“Everybody played really well and it was a really cool moment, one that I will remember for a long time,” Hahn said.

Each tournament presents a new opportunity for the two to compete with one another. Before preparation starts for a tournament the team must go through qualifying. Burcin gives automatic spots to two or three players each tournament depending on how they are trending from their previous play, providing an incentive for Hahn and Barela to consistently shoot low scores. Everyone else has the chance to qualify for the remaining spots.

During the winter time, qualifying consists of chipping and putting competitions in the indoor facilities. In the early spring, the team travels to St. Louis or Dallas to play for the final spots until the weather in Madison cooperates.

If there are three remaining spots, it comes down to the two lowest scores and then Burcin decides the final player. Preparation for these tournaments is driven toward practice involving potential situations they may face. This includes playing in various weather conditions and strategizing ways to play a new course.

The thorough, rigorous system set forth

by Burcin certainly plays into both Hahn’s and Barela’s competitive approach. But golf is as much a game of mental strength as it is of skill. All amateurs who play golf know it is a difficult, but rewarding, game, but Hahn said the hardest part of the sport for him is the mental game that comes along with it.

“At the end of the day it comes down to the mentality of knowing you are going to

be the best player you can be,” Hahn said.

“It boils down to the mentality of being positive week in and week out regardless of how you are hitting it.”

“ The

key to being consistent is more mental than anything. You can hit it terrible one week but if you have a good attitude you are going to hit in the hole in as few of shots possible.”

Jordan Hahn Barela notes that the hardest part of the game to him is adapting to each round and knowing that no two rounds will be the same.

“One day you are hitting the ball great and putting it poorly, and the next you may do the exact opposite,” Barela said.

He recognized the importance of keeping your mindset at a steady, calm level when you are struggling.

Having finished top 25 in all but one event this season, Hahn’s key to success all comes down to consistency. Like Barela, he highlights that dependable play comes down to having a strong mental outlook.

“The key to being consistent is more mental than anything,” Hahn said. “You can hit it terrible one week but if you have a good attitude you are going to hit in the hole in as few of shots possible.”

Always knowing he has the chance to win when he tees it up has proven to be successful for Hahn. In his final season, he is still seeking an elusive Big Ten championship.

To quell their mental blocks, Hahn and Barela both have their own routines when warming up that they repeat every time they compete. Hahn’s is more traditional.

“My superstition is that I use the same ball marker every time I play,” Hahn said.

“It is the only ball marker I carry in my bag.”

He keeps it in the same pocket so if it is

ever gone he knows someone is messing with him. Barela said he keeps his tees, gloves and yardage book all in the same pocket for every round.

The future is bright for these Badgers. As Hahn, a senior, approaches the real world, he plans to turn professional in the fall and leave behind a legacy of having the thirdbest scoring average in UW history.

Barela, now a sophomore, engraved himself in the UW history books last year when he finished with the third-lowest scoring average for a freshman in program history. In regards to his future, he hopes to become more consistent and limit poor results. He will consider his career a success if he can continue to improve bad scores while maintaining a positive attitude. He hopes to put together a year like Hahn in his junior or senior year.

For all their differences, Hahn and Barela share much in common. They are both hungry, talented golfers who push one another to be as good as possible. They approach the game professionally and buy into Burcin’s system. They are honest about their struggles with golf ’s mental tolls and are both slightly superstitious.

It’s safe to say that as Hahn leaves behind his Wisconsin legacy in the coming weeks, Barela will be there to pick up where he leaves off.

“ At

the end of the day it comes down to the mentality of knowing you are going to be the best player you can be. It boils down to the mentality of being positive week in and week out regardless of how you are hitting it.”

Jordan Hahn

April 16, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 19

SPORTS

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Softball: Kayla Konwent surpasses single season home run record After returning from injury for her junior season, Konwent leads the No. 25 Badgers in nearly every offensive stat

by Vicki Dombeck Sports Editor

As the University of Wisconsin softball team teeters in and out of the top 25 rankings, being ranked at all is an accomplishment of this Badger program.

The No. 25 Badgers are off to their best start in program history at 30–8 and are on track to easily surpass their best record in school history by the end of this season.

After losing heavy hitters and some experience from last year ’s NCAA Tournament Badger team, Head Coach Yvette Healy and Wisconsin fans weren’t sure how the 2019 season was going to unfold.

But Wisconsin came out firing at all cylinders with flashy defense, a dominant pitching core, all backed up by a powerhitting offense.

Wisconsin sits 28th overall in the country for team batting average, mainly because of junior Kayla Konwent.

Konwent sits fourth in the nation in batting average with a remarkable .483 clip and is currently ranked fourth in on-base percentage at .580.

With the newfound Badger success, let alone from a junior, Wisconsin fans are left wondering, where did Konwent come from?

Konwent is a Wisconsin native and a graduate of Central High School in Salem, Wisconsin. Not only was Wisconsin attractive to her because of the Badgers being her home town team, but she also played travel ball as a teenager with some of her fellow Badger teammates.

“ Any way that

I can get on, I know the whole team is ready behind me.”

Kayla Konwent Both junior Caroline Hedgcock and senior Stephanie Lombardo were Konwent’s teammates long before they all put on the Badger jersey.

While Badger fans have known Lombardo for making plays at first base and the plate for the past three years, Hedgcock has also 20 • April 16, 2019 • badgerherald.com

been drawing eyes in her first season as a Badger.

With that said, why are we just seeing Konwent as an offensive firepower?

The answer to that question is one word that no athlete ever wants to hear: Injury.

Konwent played in 13 games her freshman season — starting in 12 — until she was sidelined with an injury to her right throwing arm. A problem that developed over time before Konwent required surgery during her freshman year.

Konwent still wears a rather large brace on her right elbow when she plays now, but the good news for all the Badger faithfuls is she’s back at the plate and ready to make some noise. While looking back at the season so far, she’s got the volume on full blast.

Konwent is not only the leadoff hitter in the lineup, but she is also leading the Badgers in hitting percentage, on-base percentage, home runs, at-bats, hits, doubles, RBIs, total bases and slugging percentage.

She also recently broke the singleseason home run record for this Wisconsin program with 13 totals and at least 14 games left to play.

Due to her dominant play, she is constantly one of the main focuses of Badger opponents.

In Wisconsin’s last home series versus Iowa, Konwent was walked a total of four times — three in one game — as the Hawkeye pitchers would rather give Konwent a free base and make her teammates hit her in than see one of her hits go flying over the fence.

“My mindset or approach doesn’t change at all,” Konwent said about being walked.

“Any way that I can get on, I know the whole team is ready behind me. Whether that be [Taylor Johnson], Steph, Caroline or whoever, my goal is just to get on base every single time.”

Luckily for Konwent, she isn’t the only Badger powerhouse in the lineup.

Healy usually follows Konwent with sophomore catcher Johnson, Lombardo and Hedgcock. All of these Badgers are currently hitting above a .250 batting average, making Konwent’s understudies more like supporting roles.

“It’s hard to walk Kayla ever when you’ve got Johnson on deck,” Healy said.

With Konwent’s return, Healy saw a conflict in her lineup at the beginning of the season.

Photo · Kayla Konwent sits third in the nation in batting average and fourth in on-base percentage.

Daniel Yun The Badger Herald The two players that would be two of her leading hitters — Konwent and Lombardo — both played the same position at first base. Nevertheless, with the use of the designated player rule, Healy was able to incorporate all her top hitters.

Healy and the Badgers have found a way to legally work the system to keep all three hitters in the lineup by using one of them as the designated player for the Badger pitcher.

Also, through subbing in and out pinch runners when both Konwent and Lombardo get on, Healy is able to place those runners into right field for an inning or two — Hedgcock’s position — without having to take Hedgcock’s bat out of the lineup.

“We have so many true defenders that are really speedy kids, so it’s nice that any of them can come in and run and play defense,” Healy said.

Subbing in and out also allows both Konwent and Lombardo to play first base while they both get to hit. While this constant transition could be confusing for some athletes, it seems as if Konwent and Lombardo have figured it out.

“Me and Steph communicate a lot in between innings,” Konwent said. “We’re ... talking about the hitters, talking about what their tendencies are. I think a big thing of that is communicating.”

While it all may look confusing in action, it proves that Healy knows her Badger team better than anyone else and that is why she has been able to strategically lead this Wisconsin team to their best start in program history.

While Konwent may be seen to be the center of this strategic play — and rightfully so — the Badger offense has proved there to be more than one playmaker ready to lead this team to a third straight NCAA tournament appearance — which would be another first in school history.

Wisconsin will be back at Goodman Diamond in Madison Wednesday to host conference rival Minnesota in a doubleheader that will prove crucial to end-of-season rankings come Big Ten tournament time. The games start at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. and is available to watch on BTN2GO or tune into live stats at uwbadgers.com.

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