The Clarion issue 12-7-22

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What’s your favorite holiday movie?

Managing Editor Kelly Feng shared her Top 10 list of holiday classics with “Elf,” “Home Alone,” “Christmas Vacation” and an older classic topping the list » 8

Volunteer over spring, winter break

CISCO GARCIA Staff Writer

Are you looking for plans during spring break or winter break? The Volunteer Center has some great oppor tunities for you to take a trip and help our community or someone else’s com munity. They have opportunities in the Madison area and out of state.

For the out-of-state trip, students will be going to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. Volunteer activities will include weeding, groundskeeping, general landscaping, trail creation and maintenance, mucking pastures, deep cleaning of animal care areas, preparing transport vehicles, sanding and painting of fences/shed/ani mal care areas. There will also be tours, educational talks and the opportunity to hike in local national parks. Volunteers will stay at the Cowboy Bunkhouse Hostel.

Applications for the alternative spring break trip are due Jan. 25. Everyone who applies will be required to participate in a group interview before being approved for the program.

There will be two Madison-area day trips during winter break and four local day trips during spring break. These trips are currently being planned by stu dent leader, Madalyn Breunig.

The winter break day trips include:

• Volunteering at Little John’s Kitchen on Jan. 9 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Card and sachet making at the Truax Campus on Jan. 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Serving at the Ronald McDonald House on Jan. 12 from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students must be vaccinated against COVID-19 and wear a face covering to participate.

The Volunteer Center asks that you sign up in advance to participate in the winter break activities. Sign up online at https://forms.office.com/r/paahAKEY51.

If you have any questions about these trips, please reach out by email to Volunteer Center advisor Brianna Stapelton Welch at bstapletonwelch@ madisoncollege.edu or Breunig at mlbre unig@madisoncollege.edu.

Women’s basketball improves to 6-6 on the season »11

EMBRACE FASHION

Student designers embrace imagination, sustainability

KELLY FENG Managing Editor

For most people, thrift stores like Goodwill are dumping grounds for old clothes and a way to make space in their closets. For Madison College fashion marketing students, the real value of thrift shops is igniting their creativity, upcycling vintage gar ments and giving them new life.

Fashion students, showing off upcycled outfits, paraded down a runway in front of the audience on Nov. 21. The runway was part of the sixth Annual Fashion Show, titled “Embrace Your Imagination,” presented at the Truax Campus. The event included remarks from guest speaker and international fashion designer Therese Marie.

The runway show was a journey of thrifting, reconstructing and sustainability mixed with swathes of vivid colors and contrasting tex tures.

throwback gear for their creations.

Among the themes, the audi ence had a front-row seat to casual and revived Goth to country chic. Students also paid homage to the French Revolution, abstract art and global diversity.

The upcycled outfits came from Goodwill, St. Vincent de Paul and local charities.

Afterward, the global designer and Wisconsin native Therese Marie shared her experience as a designer and advised the fashion marketing majors. In a discussion moderated by Fashion Marketing Program Director Betsy Hurd, the fashion designer reflected on the newly created collection and praised the students. She talked about how she became inspired by thrift stores and the ideas she developed from combing such shops.

Six months later, Marie

Balancing student life while being a parent

IMAN ALRASHID Copy Editor

Being a college student who has children comes with many additional responsibilities outside of classwork. It’s a balancing act that many experi ence at Madison College.

Darion Lanagan is a 24-year-old journalism student at Madison College who has a 1-year-old daughter.

“Being a father is breathtaking ... scary, but the best thing that happened to me,” Lanagan said.

But being a parent and a student wasn’t easy at first.

“My grades dropped down, my GPA dropped down,” Lanagan said. “I am a father when my daughter needs me. I will never let her down.”

Madison College has a group to support students like Lanagan, the Student-Parent Affinity group. The newly formed group at Madison College is available to help students navigate the challenges of balancing

EMILY FAUST / CLARION

Anne Hahm models a student’s creation during the Embrace Fashion Show held at the Truax Campus on Nov. 21.

The students emphasized sourc ing existing material and compress ing their carbon footprint using sal vaged yardage, vintage curtains or

learned

EMILY FAUST / CLARION

Student model Shahayra Majumeler walks across the runway during the show on Nov. 28.

IMAN ALRASHID / CLARION

Madison College journalism student Darion Lanagan holds his daughter, ZaRayla.

Lillian Coppelman

EDITOR IN CHIEF

clarioned@madisoncollege.edu

Kelly Feng

MANAGING EDITOR

clarion@madisoncollege.edu

Taleise Lawrence ASSISTANT EDITOR

Vacant NEWS EDITOR clarionnews@madisoncollege.edu

Mary SeGall

OPINION EDITOR clarionopinion@madisoncollege.edu

JD Smith-Nelson

ARTS EDITOR clarionarts@madisoncollege.edu

Ross Litscher

Chase DeMasi

SPORTS EDITORS clarionsports@madisoncollege.edu

Andres Sanchez Chirinos

PHOTO EDITOR

Kylie Phillips

WEB EDITOR

Iman Alrashid Paige Zezulka

COPY EDITORS

Vacant BUSINESS DIRECTOR clarionads@madisoncollege.edu

Valenzia Cina Luis Alcala Roblero GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Megan Anderson Paul Becker

Sierra Brunner

Andy Corcoran

Jackson Crossen

T Clearwater

Bryce Dailey

Emily Faust

Coffi Fandonougbo Cisco Garcia

Camryn Gardner

Ebenezer Idowu, Jr.

Craig McKinley Grant Nelson

CONTRIBUTORS

Doug Kirchberg ADVISOR dkirchberg@madisoncollege.edu

CONTACT US NEWS

PHONE: (608) 246-6809

ADVERTISING

PHONE:(608) 243-4809

FAX: (608) 246-6488

Holiday service

SUBMISSIONS

To submit an item for publication, drop it off at The Clarion office, Room B1260G Truax and Room 109 Goodman South or email it to clarioned@madi soncollege.edu. The Clarion reserves the right to refuse to publish any editorial submission or advertisement, which may be edited for length, taste and grammar. All opinions expressed in editorials and advertisements do not necessarily represent those of the Mad ison College administration, faculty, the student body or the Clarion staff.

CORRECTIONS

The Clarion strives for accuracy in all of its articles. If you have questions or con cerns, please call us at (608) 246-6809 or e-mail: clarioned@madisoncollege.edu.

REMEMBERING

Adam Lee Suby, 1987-2009 Philip Ejercito, 1981-2013

By Matt Coan, Librarian

Libraries can help chase away the winter doldrums

Finals? Does anybody still do those? Do faculty still require those? Heck, a few projects, a paper or two and you’re headed for winter break. Barring any job or jobs you have to go to, household chores, laundry, holiday shopping, snow removal, childcare, elder care and personal care, you can just chillax. Sofa city, am I right?

After a few days, though, things might get a little boring, especially if friends are away with family or significant others. However, I’m not here to curse your darkness, friend! I’m here to shine a light on some possible cures with materials from your friendly Libraries.

First off, did you know Madison College Libraries has a new film database called SWANK that has a lot of feature films? You will have to log in when you’re off campus, but once you do you will have access to nearly a thousand titles, including the holiday fave, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Some of my all-time favorite movies are there, such as “All the President’s Men,” “Cabaret,” “Defending Your Life,” “Do the Right Thing” and “Ex-Machina” to name a few from the first part of the alphabet.

You prefer old school DVDs? We have plenty to get you through the eight nights of Hanukkah or to the feast of Karamu. Besides a few traditional holi day-themed titles, we also have videos that require a substantial time commitment, like the “Game of Thrones” series, “Brooklyn 99” or “Last Man on Earth.” We have plenty of other features, including “Titanic,” which has a long run time. That one is not about the holidays, but it does feature plenty of ice.

Can you believe our libraries still have books? We have more than 300 titles in print book form published in 2021-22. We also majorly boosted our e-book collection during the worst of the pandemic, so yes, there is plenty to read. Perhaps your studi ous eyes are tired from reading textbooks for class. In that case, we have more than 600 audiobooks to choose from. If you have little children to keep entertained over the holidays, check out our huge Children’s Diversity Collection.

Not sure what you want to read, listen to or watch? Ask one of our librarians or student work ers. We will do our best to find something to make the most of your time while visiting sofa city. Happy Holidays from your Madison College Librarians.

PUBLICSAFETY

By Sgt. Lucas Adler

Meet Public Safety Officers for coffee on Dec. 13

Join Public Safety on Tuesday, Dec. 13, for Coffee with Public Safety! Stop by and enjoy a cup of coffee on us and chat with some of our officers. We will be located in the Gateway at the Truax Campus. Periodically Public Safety holds the Coffee with Public Safety event to show our appreciation to our students and the campus community. This gives us a chance to get to meet folks on campus and to get to know you all better.

We hope to see you there and best of luck to everyone on finals as we come to the end of the fall semester.

WolfPack Alert

Have you signed up to get WolfPack Alerts from Madison College? These alerts notify you of school cancellations or about emergencies on or near campus. If not, please do so on our webpage. Registration is free, easy and takes about a minute on your mobile device. In addition to our Facebook page, we have a Twitter account! Be sure to follow @PublicSafetyMC to stay informed of what’s happening on your campus.

PHOTO PROVIDED TO THE CLARION

Public Safety Officers invite students to join them for coffee in the Truax Campus Gateway on Dec. 13.

PAIGE ZEZULKA / CLARION

Volunteers filled and distributed Thanksgiving baskets at the Goodman Community Center on Nov. 19 as part of the Thanksgiving Basket Drive.

BRIANNA STAPLETON WELCH / CLARION

Madison College volunteers at the event included, from left: Emily Bartosch, Adam Frohmader, Katherine Wolf, Keyanna Wilson, Wendyam Ilboudo, Tania Spira, Paige Zezulka, Jovhany Michaud and Katrina Willis.

Learning about ‘forever chemicals’ found in water

PAUL BECKER Staff Writer

The closure of Well 15 in 2019, locat ed on East Washington Avenue near the East Towne Mall, began a heightened course of action over the community’s water supply. Local and national pub lic concern grew due to statistics of higher PFAS levels present in drinking water. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has recently set Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) standards in August of this year, being 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for individual or combined PFAS group contamina tion.

So, what are PFAS? The Wisconsin Department of Health Services states that PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are man-made chemicals used in food packaging, firefighting foam and nonstick cooking wares, among others. PFAS are both tasteless and odorless, as well as water, stain and heat resistant. Known as the “forever chemical,” PFAS DO NOT naturally break down in the environment, taint ing our food, water and wildlife.

Taking firefighting foam as an example, when applying the foam to a fire, certain air emissions are inevi table. And, as they travel through the air, biota (e.g., humans, water, plants, wildlife) are the recipients of such emissions. Soil sediments and surface

Want to learn more?

Here are some sources for more information about PFAS:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—PFAS Fact Sheet.

• United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—National PFAS Testing Strategy//Fact Sheet: 2012/2015.

• PFOA Stewardship Program City of Madison—Perfluorinated Substances.

• WORT article—Madison Water Utility Holds Community Meeting On Well 15 Treatment Project (by Emily Kaysinger, July 5, 2022).

• Environmental Pollution Centers—What are PFOA and PFOS and How Dangerous are They?

water also fall to the bioaccumulation of PFAS. Irrigation systems in turn spout out carcinogenic substances onto our crops and wild plants.

Because of these existent environ mental threats, national standards have been placed on PFAS by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Two PFAS compounds that are highly regarded in drinking water, PFOS and PFOA, have standards of 0.004ppt and 0.02ppt, respectively. PFOS and PFOA have since been eradi

cated from production in 2015, accord ing to an EPA fact sheet on its PFOA Stewardship Program.

Aside from the environmental fac tors of PFAS production, public health provides another considerable concern. More than 6,400 PFAS-related lawsuits have been filed since 2005, according to Bloomberg Law, and several companies find themselves responsible for bil lions in damages. At this rate, although PFAS production has been significantly reduced due to EPA strategies, many more litigations will be filed.

Bloomberg Law did not report on the details of such lawsuits, but public health risks of PFAS consumption may include impacts on immune system functions, increased risk of cancer, reproduction complications, hormonal disruption and delays in childhood development.

PFAS accumulation within our soil and water, on our packaged products and the process of PFAS production, has led to the inexorable conclusion that nearly every single American has PFAS inside their bodies.

To ease one’s concern despite the harrowing statistics of potential and actual harms, Wisconsin's PFAS regula tion is seemingly under control, by the EPA and locally, the Wisconsin DNR. PFAS levels in the Madison area's 22 wells meet the federal drinking water standards, some even nearly undetect

able. A few areas of concern, however, persist. Slow progress and lax civilian/ department expert conjunction has delayed the reopening of contaminat ed Well 15 by over two years. Well 9, located near John Nolen Drive and Lake Monona, has troubling PFAS levels, from a combined 52 ppt in April 2019, to the most recent 29 ppt in Sept. 2021.

Even considering the decrease in contamination levels, Well 9 poses a significant threat to those whose water line is sourced from there, as it contains relatively higher amounts of PFAS, in contrast to the other wells.

Well 9 very well may meet the same demise as Well 15, without proper directive and interest. And, accord ing to new evidence, as stated by the Wisconsin DNR, public health can be impacted at lower levels than the feder al standard that has been placed.

This raises a few important ques tions: should the MCL standards be lowered, what might we be able to do to reduce PFAS consumption and how do we feel about the quality of our water source?

The public has the right to know about the safety of its drinking water and the water used for crops, and the right to participate in local discussion and updates relating to this issue. You can find more information about PFAS in Chapter NR 809, a part of Wisconsin State Legislation.

Things to check to get ready for winter driving

KELLY FENG Managing Editor

With an average snowfall of 45.79 inches, Wisconsin win ter wonderlands can be dan gerous. Since none of us want to be stuck in a ditch or on the side of the road, we talked with Madison College's Automotive Technician Instructor, Craig Kleinsteiber, to discuss vehicle readiness and safe driving.

According to Kleinsteiber, the best thing car owners can do is to maintain their cars year-round. Owners should have their vehicles inspected one or two times a year.

National Society of Leadership and Success inducts 35 members

CLARION STAFF REPORT

The Madison College chap ter of the National Society of Leadership and Success inducted 35 new members during a ceremony held at the Truax Campus on Nov. 28.

Advisors Ellie Rome and Brandon Herrera welcomed the new members. Chapter President Buya Jammeh served as the keynote speaker during the event.

Other chapter officers who participated in the ceremo ny were chapter treasurer Wendyam Ilboudo, leadership program assistant Ashley Belk, chapter secretary Skylar Bowser and member outreach coordinator Allie Lobue.

Three Madison College staff members received the Impact Leader Award. They were Elizabeth Schaefer,

senior lab coordinator in Business and Applied Arts, John Peck, an economics instructor and Amy Nemmetz, an instructor in the School of Human and Protective Services.

In addition, member Adam Frohmader received the advanced leadership certifi cate from the society.

The fall 2022 inductees were:

Jami Anderson

Shennendoah BakerWainwright

Ashley Belk

Isaiah Brown

Lillian Dockerty

Logan Felland

MeriEllen Fleener

Alexis Gorder Austin Gorsuch

Ari Greenlee

Luke Hoffman

Kayla Hunter

Rhiannon Jenkinson

Monserrath Julian Zuniga

Jordan Keehn

Jessalyn Kolinski

Kyle Lee

Tynaziah Lofton

Zachary Mainguth

Michael Malone

Diego Morales Carruyo

Bridgett Moss

Loche Mothoa

Ryan Olson

Megan Powell Cori Puza

Zachary Ramirez

Rohith Ravikumar

Fallon Riley Monica Root

Brittany Sanford Isaiah Shields Casandra Swalehe

Naida Yang

Since the Madison College NSLS chapter was established in 2017, the group has induct ed 414 members.

Without an inspection, "Those minor problems that you used to have, or you didn't know about tend to become bigger once the cold weather comes," Kleinsteiber said.

Assess the tires.

One of the key players in winter driving, tires are a crit ical component of a car. There are standards and numbers that the automotive industry recommends:

Optimal tread depth. Because you want traction or control during winter, ensure your tires have tread depth in the five-thirty-seconds of an inch range.

Illegal numbers. Tires with tread depth in the two-thir ty-seconds of an inch range should be thrown away, and are illegal to drive with.

To assess your tire depth, take a quarter and put it upside down into the treads. If you can see the head of George Washington or the top of his head from any point in the tire, it’s time to replace them.

Prepare your vehicle.

Using essential automotive fluids and components will help keep you from the side of the road.

Antifreeze. Make sure your

vehicle has enough antifreeze. Too much added water, your car can freeze and your engine can crack. Automotive experts suggest a 50/50 mixture of water to coolant.

Oil transmission fluid. Oil should be checked yearround and during the winter. Without enough oil, issues from the cold are amplified.

Windshield washer fluid. If you're driving down the free way and the fluid is low, your visibility is poor, making driv ing hazardous.

Swap out the wiper blades. If your wipers need to be in better shape and are streaking across the windshield, it's time to replace them.

Car emergency kit. Emergency kits should remain in cars, especially during the winter. They should include water, bandages, reflective triangles, flashlights, extra bat teries and a jumper cable.

Behind the wheel.

When you drive in the win ter, Kleinsteiber says it's all about common sense.

If it's slippery, slow down and maintain a safe driving distance.

If it's treacherous out, stay home. If you must go out, stay alert, pay attention and keep your driving distance.

Give yourself plenty of time to get where you must go, which means leaving earlier.

While Kleinsteiber admits winter preparation like buying new tires, automotive fluids and windshield wipers cost money; it's best to be prepared.

"In the grand scheme of things, it costs money upfront to do these repairs and have these inspections," said Kleinsteiber. "But it would save yourself a lot of money and headaches down the road if you can get that handled before something major hap pens."

CLARION STAFF PHOTO

Newly inducted members of Madison College chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success gather on stage for photos after the induction ceremony on Nov. 28.

FASHION

how to sew and enrolled in fashion school.

By sharing funny sto ries from her early days of designing, Marie quickly pointed out that her tra jectory to success wasn’t overnight.

Marie reflected on how unanswered emails encouraged her to return to the drawing board, help ing to refine her skills.

She mentioned that it also helped her to have thick skin and a strong sense of self.

“Never be intimated by any designer (or) any other look. I would be so afraid if I knew a certain designer was at the show. You have to start learning what makes you strong and be proud of whatever you put out.”

Marie shared how she overlooked her minor sew

ing mistakes, like seams coming off or uneven heels, to boost her confi dence. Toward the end, Marie looked around the room and, noting many of the younger audience members, touched on social media.

“Never worry about what anybody is doing on social media. That is not what drives you. You drive yourself. Keep finding yourself. What can I do bet ter? How can I be the best at what I’m doing?

She encouraged the stu dents to continue attend ing classes and lectures to improve their skills and career development.

Editor’s note: Fashion design students participating in the show included Nisse Rosholt, Krystyna Kalies, Anne Everywhere Hahm, Mary SeGall, Shahayra Majumeler, Shehide Munishi. Lily Depauw, Oliva Voelker, Owen Kress-Russick,

Amanda Neumaier, Mikayla Bechman, Josephine Morris, Frances Jung, Mason Douglas, Jaeli Murray, Cianeishly Rosado, Magdalena Ayasa Biloga, Emily Bender, Adrian Ajdini and Josie Shiraz.

The fashion show is a collaboration between

age that this is a key step, and with time it becomes an important part of their life.

parenthood and student life.

Student-parents go through chal lenging times like any other person – every family situation has unique circumstances.

For Lanagan, being a father gives him the power and the determination to keep him going to get the future he has been dreaming of. With warm, caring words, Lanagan explains how spending time with his little girl reminds him constantly of his goals in life.

“Spending time with her gives me the power to continue and get fur ther education,” Lanagan adds.

Being a father, going to college and working two jobs is not easy. Working hard runs in Lanagan’s family, his mother is a hard worker who set up a fitting example to lead her family.

“I learned from the best; my moth er worked hard to provide us with everything we wanted. We name it, and she gets it,” said Lanagan.

Watching a parent take on the challenge of pursuing higher educa tion demonstrates to children of any

Successfully completing a college education may set the bar of expec tations for your family – a positive effect that can ripple through gen erations. And this is the situation in Lanagan’s goals.

“I want my girl to get a high edu cation, bachelor’s or even master’s degree ... this picture in my mind all the time,” he said. “If I can do it, she definitely can do it,” Lanagan added.

But with all this challenging work comes the potential for burnout. All student-parents need support from their families, friends and even strangers going through the same sit uation and know what they are going through.

In Lanagan’s situation, he has a big loving family who helps him.

“My family is a great support, and I’m so grateful,” Lanagan said.

At Madison College, the StudentParent Affinity group is here for any student-parent who feels burned out and needs help or just someone to talk to.

Student-Parent Affinity Group supports all students by providing a warm environment where they can

Fashion Marketing, Barber Cosmetology, Photography and Visual Communications Program.

For more information on Madison College’s fashion marketing department, visit https://madisoncollege.edu/ academics/programs/fash ion-marketing.

meet other students living under the same pressure of working, studying and caring for their families.

Anna Nickolai, a senior disability resource liaison at Madison College, and Mary Ciesielczyk, student-parent support coordinator run the affinity group.

Nickolai and Ciesielczyk would like to reach all Madison College students through the Student-Parent Affinity Group to tell them that their doors are open to any student who needs help and support.

“We are here to listen and take action to help any student that needs help,” Nickolai said.

Through the Student-Parent Affinity group, you can meet with students who share the same strug gles and the same goals and dreams. Sharing life’s experiences and sharing stories about your children makes you feel that you are not alone in this world and that there are many people there to support you and inspire you.

If you would like to join the Student-Parent Affinity Group, or just need additional support, con nect with Nickolai and Ciesielczyk at anickolai@madisoncollege.edu or mciesielczyk1@madisoncollege.edu.

Transphobic violence is often under reported on a global basis

T CLEARWATER Staff Writer

The LGBTQ+ community has come together every Nov. 20 since 1999 all over the United States for the Trans Day of Remembrance to mourn the lives lost to transphobic violence.

Each year, many are lost in this gender diverse and expansive community: trans binary, non-binary, two-spirits, agender, gender-nonconforming, gender-fluid, gen derflux, genderqueer and so many more.

Often this is done at the hands of either an intimate partner, family or alleged friend and most often done with a gun. The highest affected groups are Black and Latina transwomen, but there is as much as a 50% underreporting of transphobic vio lence. This is often due to misreporting.

Transphobic homicides and femicides both get reported as not being tied to their identities, which in both often centers around feminine gender. Femicide is more prominent in South America, and a special type of intimate partner death – the Dowry killing – is high in South Asia. Like the United States, these countries often fail to accurately report these deaths. In the cases of trans women, this is notably higher worldwide. Often femicide goes unreport ed and trans women often get unclaimed by their families, deadnamed and/or mis gendered by all parties involved, but so do individuals from all gender expansive and diverse communities.

A report in The Global Americans titled “Femicide and International Women’s Rights” highlights this issue. It found that, “Much of the data that is collected on homicides is not disaggregated by sex, which results in many murders of women not accounted for, especially in armed conflict and in poverty-stricken areas. Nevertheless, there have been recent improvements in the collection and avail ability of data on femicide. Since 1995 more than 100 countries have conducted at least one survey addressing the issue.”

It is due to the work and diligence of the LGBTQ community that we can learn the basic information of just a handful every year that have suffered a violent end of their lives. The Human Rights Campaign, which tracks trans murders in the United States, relies on community help with leads and to correct information as do many other LGBTQ organizations. Because of the need to protect themselves, people sometimes submit this information anony mously.

On the official website for the Human Rights Campaign, you can find articles providing some statistics on transphobic violence. They highlight that since 2013:

• More than four in five (85%) of victims tracked were people of color, including about 69% who were Black and 15% who were Latinx

• 77% were under the age of 35

• 69% of deaths involved a firearm

• 15 people were killed by police or while incarcerated, including two in 2022

• In 40% of the cases, the killer remains unknown or at large with no arrest made

• Of those with a known killer, 65% were killed by a person they knew

• 19% of those whose killer is known were killed by an intimate partner

• 9.7% were killed by a friend or family member

• 36% were killed by an acquaintance

• 70% of those killed were initially mis gendered by the media and/or police

A display in the Madison College Gateway throughout November and part of December recognized the 37 people in the United States who died from transphobic violence between Nov. 20, 2021, and Nov. 20, 2022.

The display was set up by the Student Senate Racial Equity Committee and assist ed by the GSA.

EMILY FAUST / CLARION

Fashion marketing instructor Betty Hurd interviews global designer and Wisconsin native Therese Marie at the Embrace Fashion Show on Nov. 21 at the Madison College Truax Campus.

EMILY FAUST / CLARION Mason Douglas models an outfit in the show.

What's your favorite holiday movie and why?

Those we lost to transphobic violence honored

T CLEARWATER Staff Writer

Every Nov. 20 the LGBTQ community nationwide holds memorials and vigils for community members who were killed as a result of transphobic violence. In our events we often hold speak outs and teach-ins so that our community members can share important information and per sonal stories.

We also often hold special religious ser vices and offer beverages and snacks at our vigils while having these services accompa nied by music after the speaking.

This year I worked with many commu nity members to put together a vigil at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Many of the other community members are a part of Trans Advocacy Madison or Transgender Madison, just two of our local groups for trans and nonbinary rights, social engage ment and community here in Madison.

I was also part of organizing activi ties for a Trans Day of Remembrance at Madison College on Nov. 21. A vigil table was created in the Gateway with the help of some other GSA members and one of the advisors Emmalee Pearson.

The public event itself went well. One of our beloved community members and friend to many of us, SunShine, stepped in early to help lead the event when we had to do some program reordering. In my presentation before the name readings, I shared statistics about trans phobic violence. I explained why it is important to always make sure to center Black and Indigenous people in advocacy and educational work as well as spoke about #MMIWG2S (Missing Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirits) and how large of an epidemic it is.

In addition, I shared some informa tion on what a two-spirit is. As a person who identifies as one, I spoke about how harmful some misconceptions of our com munity are. As I spoke about two-spirits, I identified my own tribe and the strug

Transgender awareness

How to carry Transgender Awareness Month into the rest of the year

TALEISE LAWRENCE Assistant Editor

November was Transgender Awareness Month and has been observed for the last 24 years. It started as just one day, titled Transgender Day of Remembrance. This was in response to the unsolved murder of Rita Hester in Massachusetts. Hester was a Black transgender woman. Since that day in 1998, the event has become bigger. It is now an entire month of remem brance, with over 200 cities observ ing it.

With 13 states signing bills that are anti-LGBTQ, it’s no surprise that anti-transgender killings spiked last year at a record-breaking 57. There

were likely even more; the Human Rights Campaign suspects that the deaths are underreported, for rea sons such as victims being misgen dered or incorrectly identified.

Though this is certainly a nation al issue, it also affects us here in Wisconsin. In Milwaukee on June 15, 28-year-old Brazil Johnson was shot and killed. She studied culinary arts at Milwaukee Area Technical College, which is at the same conference as Madison College. We’re not as far removed here in Madison as people would like to believe.

Murder is not the only hardship the transgender community is facing. Transgender women also face a lack of access to health care, high rates of discrimination in employment and high rates of family rejection.

A couple of years ago, I was reflecting on the difficulties that the trans community faces. I decided to vent to my straight, cisgender and

Hockey is a sport that's for everyone

MEGAN ANDERSON Staff Writer

One book that has been on the shelves among many other graphic novels is “Check Please! Book 1: # Hockey.” Although it was published in 2018, I had not even heard about it. Surprising, considering it involves two awesome and super cool things: hockey and LGBTQ themes. The author had come up with the concept while writ ing a screenplay for hockey. She studied up on the sport and fell in love with it, and the bro culture that comes with it. The main characters are two young gay men on a college hockey team.

Although it is not as obvious at first with its gay themes as other LGBTQ graphic novels, that’s the beauty of it. It focuses on a hobby and sport loved by many people, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. This comic book that I found on a shelf at the bookstore reflects a bigger real-life movement by the NHL and fans of the sport: the “Hockey Is For Everyone” movement.

On the NHL’s official website, it describes this campaign as “Hockey is For Everyone” using the game of hockey – and the League’s global influ ence – to drive positive social change and foster more inclusive communities. Taking a look at this

white teammate about it, and maybe together, we could figure out how we could help. When I told her that trans women of color are murdered are higher rates than cis white women, she didn’t even look up from her phone. I was shocked that someone could have so little empathy for oth ers just because they weren’t part of that group.

So what can you do? These are a couple of suggestions that you can try. One is to read books and watch films made by transgender people. These can range from biographical to inspirational to even works in the fantasy genre. Educating yourself is a great way to show support, and you can find good works of art while doing it! Another thing you can do is join Madison College’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance. Joining a group can help create community, whether

"'The Polar Express.' It's something I would always watch as a kid during Christmas time."

- Elodie Godard

"Probably 'Elf' because of the humor."

- Thomas Beck

"'Nightmare Before Christmas.' I don't have a specific reason. I just like it."

- Taylor Coles

CLARION STAFF PHOTO

A display in the Truax Campus Gateway remembers those lost to transphobic violence.

Protect yourself from the flu by getting your vaccine now

COFFI FADONOUGBO Staff Writer

Flu season is upon us, and statistics from the Center for Disease Control show just how much of an impact the virus can have on daily life.

The CDC says that the flu has result ed in 9 million to 41 million illnesses, 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations and 12,00 to 52,000 deaths annually between 2010 and 2020.

The burden of the flu in the United States can vary widely and is deter mined by several factors, including the characteristics of circulating viruses, the timing of the season, how well the vaccine is working to protect against illness and how many people got vacci nated.

While the effect of the flu varies, it places a substantial burden on the health of people in the United States each year. According to the CDC, the flu is defined as a contagious respira tory illness caused by the influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat and

sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death.

Every year, Madison College pro vides free flu shots for students to help them stay healthy. This past fall, the college held free flu shot clinics at its campuses from Oct. 4 through Oct. 17.

Aurel Z., a student in the Information Technology Program, was one of those who got a flu shot offered by the college.

“It’s a good opportunity for us to quickly get the shot,” she said. “I really appreciate that Madison College does this every year … I wish, and I hope all Madison College students can do the same thing as me and get their flu shot.”

No one wants to miss class because of an illness and having your flu shot can help protect you from getting severely ill from the virus.

It’s not too late to get your flu shot now. Although they’re no longer avail able on campus, most pharmacies in the area still offer affordable flu shots for customers.

VIOLENCE

gles two-spirits face even in the Indigenous community. I ended my discussion by recognizing the history of the brutality towards two-spirits since the beginning of white invasion that we can understand gender here in the U.S. is based deeply off colonial construct and is greatly problematic due to its very nature.

Initially I planned to give some his tory of the cruelty towards two-spir its that fueled many extreme prac tices of assimilation and genocide of Indigenous people, but the emotional pain was starting to take its toll, so I cut it off early before I cried to start the name readings.

In the reading of names, I made sure to cover the two-spirit that was on the list and a member who is Latina took the Spanish names and anyone reported Latina/Latino for our reading of names that was shared

HOCKEY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

internet page made me realize they are not just all talk, either. Below the slogan are different sections of mar ginalized groups that may or may not have grown up with hockey in their communities.

From communities of color, such as African Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, to the LGBTQ community to hockey players with disabilities, they made an effort to make hockey a fun expe

AWARENESS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

that is with people who are like you or are different from you.

If these ideas sound too time-con suming for a student, one super simple thing you can do is analyze the language you use in your everyday life. Do you refer to a group of people as guys? Do you assume the pronouns of someone you’ve never met? Maybe

by four readers.

There were short speeches made by each person who read names. Afterward, as I and other organizers started to place candles and turn on or light them, we had people going up to speak their minds and anything they had prepared for the vigil.

After everyone spoke, I announced that we had the candles lit and had placed the QR codes by each photo so that people can pull up each person’s individual page on the Human Rights Campaign’s website as well as that I would be playing a song by HGM, an Indigenous music label, about #MMIWG2S.

We decided to leave the electric candles out all night. Because I forgot something at the Capitol, I returned with my white sage and white sage candles to have a private moment of mourning for the two-spirit who lost their life in 2022, Acey Morrison.

The candles could beautifully be seen from the street, and it continued to bring tears to my eyes.

rience.

Many hockey players, both cur rent and former, have come out as gay. Considering it is celebrated in an organized sport, rather than hidden, is a good sign of progress.

Even here in Madison, Wisconsin we have our own LGBTQ hockey association named the Madison Gay Hockey League Association. They accept all skill levels of hockey, even if you haven’t stepped foot on ice and are a totally new player, they’ll teach you. I recommend taking a look at it for anyone interested in starting hockey.

it’s time to reflect and question why you use certain terms. I’m not saying that phrases like “ladies and gentle men” are evil, but it is important to recognize the prevalence of gendered language as the norm.

Transgender Awareness Month is a great time to remember those who lost their lives for being who they are, celebrate the people in your life who are transgender or nonbinary and reflect on ways we can all better ourselves in the future.

Countering some arguments that support teaching CRT

EBENEZER IDOWU, JR. Staff Writer

After reading my anti-critical race theory piece in the last issue of The Clarion, several things might be running through your head. You may be wondering why someone would dare to argue against challenging the white narrative or wondering if the part about things getting plugged into critical race theory is true or asking yourself who on earth Kali Fontanilla is. In this follow-up article, I address some of the arguments that have been used to support critical race theory in K-12 schools.

Argument #1: Critical race theory is minority history. Some proponents of critical race theory argue that it rep resents the only true effort to tell the history of minorities. They say that the fact that different branches of critical race theory (Lat Crit, Tribal Crit, etc.) exist proves that critical race theory is the best historical account of people of color.

This is incorrect because, once again, critical race theory is not real history; it is a legal theory. But even if it did constitute a historical narrative, and wherever and whenever woke his torians inject it into history, it is a gross misrepresentation of the facts.

It gives a fatalistic view of America, seeking to castigate her for her flaws and completely ignore her successes. It disregards incidents of racial progress and movements toward equality, how ever few they may be. Let me repeat that last part: it disregards any occur

rence of racial progress and equality.

That means that critical race theory insists that people of color have not made progress in this country, and that race relations can never be improved, when there is much evidence to the con trary: the American Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement (both white and Black people participated in the protests) and the Double V campaign. So much for minority history; critical race theo rists downplay their accomplishments and view them only in the context of “inequality still prevailed; this did not really do much to stop it.” Critical race theory is not so focused on telling the history of non-whites as it is in twisting that history to fit a leftist narrative.

Argument #2: Critical race theory does not divide us. Some may dispute the notion that critical race theory seeks to divide people into racial castes, shaming the oppressor, white people, while pampering the victim (everyone else). They argue that hegemony simply wishes to examine the role of racism in American society.

In order to perform this analysis, however, critical race theorists must separate the white man’s social experi ence from everyone else’s. They insist that the former has an insurmountable socioeconomic advantage due to his privilege, and that society has turned him into a fragile and racist result of privilege.

Does this not lead to a fragmented society? The one labeled “oppressor” will become ever more self-conscious of his assigned position; the one labeled victim will become bitter because he

can never get ahead no matter how hard he tries because of the straight white male. Interracial friendships and associations that were once strong as iron will weaken. Many will break com pletely. This then results in even more division, as individuals will only want to associate with people of the same race, gender and socioeconomic status as them.

Get enough of this, and society falls apart, torn at the seams, the very fabric which held it together: unity. We have already seen some of this, to an extent. We already have enough division in America. We do not need it anymore.

Argument #3: The only people who oppose critical race theory are white. Another common argument critical race theory supporters use is that the opposition consists solely of fragile rac ist white people who do not want to talk about race and lack a proper under standing of what critical race theory is. This claim crumbles before the truth; a small dose of reality breaks it apart. There is a considerable amount of peo ple of color who do not think favorably of critical race theory. Yes, they are real and no, they are not race-traitors. (To even suggest that they are is racist.)

Kali Fontanilla, the former high school educator I mentioned in the previous issue, is of Jamaican descent. Candace Owens, a black conservative author, commentator and activist, is another good example. You may have heard of her movement, Blexit, which seeks to wake Black people up and turn them into independent/conser vative voters. She does not stand for

critical race theory, and in a Fox News interview, she even called for parents to withdraw their students from pub lic school education, according to a Black Enterprise article by Andrea Blackstone titled “Candace Owens Says, ‘It’s Time to Pull Our Kids out of School’ Because They Are Taught ‘How to Hate White People,” published April 7, 2021. Both of these black women (yes, you heard that right) do not support CRT in public schools. Neither does Larry Elder, the Black Republican who ran against Gavin Newsom for California governor and was labeled the Black face of white supremacy. As Lisa Benatan and Matt Wall observed in their Fox News article, “Larry Elder says he would support legislation banning crit ical race theory in schools,” published Sept. 8, 2021, he stated he would pass a critical race theory ban if elected. I could go on and on and mention Amala Ekpunobi, Antonia Okafor, Rob Smith and Felicia Killings, but for the sake of brevity, I will not. You got the point. There are a lot of Black people who do not support critical race theory, and it is time people admitted it.

There are many other arguments for critical race theory I could debunk, but I chose these ones to illustrate the point, which I hope you get by now.

There are many good arguments for why critical race theory should not be in public education. Some are just as good, or even better than the argu ments for it. Those who bear these views deserve to be given a voice and an opportunity to articulate their opin ions, too.

DREAMSTIME / TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

K-pop albums offer more than music

TALEISE LAWRENCE Assistant Editor

I’ve always been a big fan of pop music. There’s just something about the catchy and upbeat style that scratches my brain in the perfect way. It should be no surprise then that I fell into the expansive world of K-pop. Decades and decades of music that I had never heard of, save for the few that crossed into mainstream U.S. music, like “Gangnam Style” by solo artist PSY or “Boy With Love” by the group Bangtan Sonyeondan, aka BTS.

With all this new music, I quickly realized one of my favorite aspects of K-pop: the physical albums.

I’m not bashing Spotify or Apple

Music by any means. I stream music as much as the next guy. But there’s just something different about having a physical copy of something. Being able to hold an album in your hands and think, “Wow, this is mine” feels pretty cool. It’s also a good way to support the artist and also get something for yourself.

Ever since I was little and we had fancy CD racks in the living room, I’ve loved looking at physical albums. Seeing what pictures the band chose to put in the lyric pamphlet and how they stylized it was interesting to me. Did they choose a simple font with no pic tures? Or did they match the pages to the theme of the music? Granted, there weren’t too many options to choose

from, but I thought it was so cool.

Imagine my surprise when I bought my first ever K-pop album, which was “Proof” by BTS. I opened it up, expect ing the three CDs I was promised and maybe a lyric book as well. Instead, it seemed like a million different things fell out at me. Of course, I did get the promised music, but there was also a photobook, notes from the members, an abundance of photocards and a poster. Every album I’ve bought since then has been much the same.

It was amazing. Here I was, expect ing simply the music I came to love. I got that plus so much more. The pho tocards are like your own personal lottery; there’s a different one in each album. Some people buy multiple

Artist Trevor Steffen talks roots, style and inspiration

CAMRYN GARDNER Staff Writer

From a small Madison apartment bedroomturned-art-studio, a young man sits, focused on the canvas sitting atop his paint-stained easel. Before diving back into the colorful acrylic world with his paintbrush, he thought fully studies it while humming along to a hiphop beat.

Looking into 22-year-old Trevor Steffen’s art brings the viewer into another universe. A world where hands can come out of mouths, rivers flow through eyeballs, flowers bloom in the places of shoeprints and extraterrestrial creatures roam freely.

“Most of my inspiration comes from reality and a lot of what’s actually getting put onto the canvas is my fantasy,” Steffen said.

Born and raised in the small town of Reedsburg, Wisconsin, Steffen moved to Madison two years ago to be closer to the art scene and people with whom he can share his creative works. He took art classes in high school but is otherwise self-taught in his craft, often acrylic paintings done on canvas.

He has been drawing and painting for over 10 years, excelling in right-brain creativity. One of his earliest memories involves playing drawing games with his Grandma Mary, who greatly influenced Steffen’s interest in the arts.

In addition to drawing and painting, Steffen is also a photographer and videographer.

After graduating from high school, Steffen experienced some life changes, pausing his artistic output. Since returning to art in 2020 he hasn’t stopped, continuously producing paintings or at least putting effort into an ongoing piece.

“What inspired me to get back into it was actually a friend of mine, Tyson, asked me to paint the side wood piece of his nightstand. So, I did that for him, and it kind of sparked the whole interest again,” Steffen said.

“Trevor wants to master his craft,” said local rapper Tyson Tully. “He will literally paint over other paintings of his because he needs to get these creations, these visions out of his mind.”

Steffen describes his style as cartoon real ism, drawing from everyday moments and sprinkling in supernatural or mystical twists.

“(I) cartoon because there’s a lot of bold colors with bold lines, so it gives kind of a car toony vibe, but also realism because I use a lot of elements of real faces and real parts of the body. I use a lot of shading to make it look more realistic,” Steffen said.

Steffen’s good friend and frequent custom er Dylan Dunse said of his style, “I’ve never seen anything like it before. You know, it’s just super one-off.”

Steffen’s apartment walls are decorated with over 50 of his paintings. His art room

albums just for the photocards! They might only be the size of a credit card, but they can resell for thousands of dollars. The most expensive re-sold photocard is one of Jungkook from BTS, which was bought for $3,213.

It’s like being a little kid again. I always loved the little vending machines in malls where you could get sticky hands, rubber ducks and bouncy balls. Buying a K-pop album creates that same experience. You might not know what exactly you’re getting, but you know you’re going to love it. Half of the thrill is simply the suspense and excitement.

I might be biased, but K-pop albums are the coolest collection of audio recordings out there.

CAMRYN GARDNER / CLARION

Local artist Trevor Steffen describes his artistic style as cartoon realism that allows him to sprinkle in supernatural or mystic twists.

ERIN HOOLEY / CHICAGO TRIBUNE / TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

South Korean K-pop band BTS performs in concert on May 11, 2019, at Soldier Field in Chicago.

showcases several pieces, including several large 42-by-38-inch portraits. One is of a man with no irises in his tear-filled eyes. He is attached at the brain to a crimson red, monstrous looking creature with a wicked smile. Red, black and mauve paintbrush strokes make up the background. While this may be a bit harrowing to some viewers, do not fret, for Steffen has a variety of approaches.

One canvas shows a self-portrait, a painting of a face split down the middle. Half of this shows Steffen’s everyday appearance, flowing brown hair and hazel eyes with a green and white background. The other half shows a purple head and shoulder with several features that pique the mind’s interest. A creeping man shows up near the side of the figure’s head, as if looking down on him. Where this half of the painting’s eye

might be is a mouth, with misshapen eyes above it. In the chest is a square shaped hole, inside of it is another blue man painting.

Another canvas holds painted pieces of broken glass shards, faces appearing out of almost every bold, blue brush stroke on the canvas, evoking the viewer to stop and study the picture.

A different depiction sees tree branches making up the shape of a human eye, with lush green serving as the outside background. At the same time, the subject in the piece, a cyclops, holds onto the edge before falling into an allusive red and white spinning tunnel.

People, creatures or people turned into creatures make appear ances in most of Steffen’s art. He has several paintings of silhouetted faces, with lines forming into faces. People in general inspire his cre ations.

“I see faces in everything — like

spills and designs on, like, walls, and on the sidewalk, and in my dreams and everywhere,” Steffen said.

While he has a fulltime job now, Steffen hopes to find a career through his art. He hopes to paint murals around the Madison area. Like many people, he wants financial independence by doing something that fuels his soul.

Art is an escape for Steffen. He improves his craft each day by pour ing a different part of himself or his world onto the canvas, gaining a sense of accomplishment and sat isfaction. In turn, the world gets to appreciate a unique style of art that Steffen has produced.

“I paint what I feel, and I paint what I see in some of my dreams. This is my way of getting through dark times, and it’s just an outlet as well,” he said.

To view Steffen’s art, visit his TikTok page, @R3V_studios, where he frequently posts new content.

CAMRYN GARDNER / CLARION

A creation by Trevor Steffen.

KELLY FENG Managing Editor

Oh, the weather outside is fright ful, but watching holiday classics is so delightful!

If you’re tired of wrapping presents and baking cookies or have attended too many eggnog parties, watching a holiday classic is a great way to unwind. The following are some of my picks of the best holiday movies.

1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

In this all-time classic, George Bailey, played by the great James Stewart, is troubled and suicidal. To top it off, it’s Christmas. As the angels talk about him, they tell George’s life in flashbacks. He starts to jump from a bridge but stops by rescuing his guard ian angel, Clarence. George’s guardian angel returns the favor by showing George what his town would have looked like — if it wasn’t for George’s good deeds over the years.

2. Elf (2003)

A hilarious but touching movie about a human man raised by Santa’s elves at the North Pole. Will Ferrell stars as the main character, Buddy, a human raised by Santa’s elves. Buddy journeys to New York to meet his bio logical father, played by James Caan.

3. Home Alone (1990)

Over three decades and $285 mil lion later, watching 8-year-old Kevin McCallister bungle the Wet Bandits’ burglary plans never gets old. Played by then child-star Macaulay Culkin, Kevin endlessly entertains as we watch

him home alone, hilariously preventing a break-in.

4. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Rarely do sequels eclipse the origi nal, but this one does with boisterous slapstick humor and touching senti ment. This rambunctious return to juvenile joviality knocks it out of New York. In this hilarious flick, Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin, is left alone again, foiling the Wet Bandits and the Sticky Bandits.

6. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

Beloved by any generation, this movie easily entertains everybody from a cranky grandpa to a restless teen.

In this timeless animation, Charlie Brown becomes disheartened by the holiday, seeing overwhelming material ism from his friends. He tries for mean ing by directing the school Christmas play, but nothing seems to spark joy. With the help of his friend Linus, Snoopy and other friends, he eventual ly finds meaning.

Sarah

8. Four Christmases (2008)

Whether we like it or not, Christmas has a way of bringing everyone together — sometimes when you least expect it. In this Christmas story, Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn play a couple who spend every Christmas avoiding their different set of parents and new spouses. When the weather cancels their annual Christmas beach vacation, they visit four rollicking households.

9. Die Hard (1988)

Although there is some internet debate about whether “Die Hard” is a true Christmas picture, more mov iegoers than not agree it’s a holiday classic. While the idea of terrorists doesn’t exactly evoke memories of Santa and his reindeer, the 1988 Bruce Willis action flick takes place during an office Christmas party. One thing is for sure — you’ll have an added jolt to your holiday.

10. Catch Me If You Can (2002)

5.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

Let’s face it — not everybody looks forward to seeing their in-laws for the winter holidays. After watching this Chevy Chase movie, your annoying rel atives will seem comparatively normal. The cast includes Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

7. The Family Stone (2005)

This holiday film is about anoth er dysfunctional family reunited at Christmas. Although the dysfunctional family is becoming a cliche, the charm ing flicks breathe new life into a flawed family with fun twists and turns. It features an all-star cast that includes

Some argue this 2002 crime com edy-drama film is not a Christmas classic. However, pivotal scenes occur on Christmas Eve over several years, showing the story unfolding. The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, is drawn from the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr., a famous con artist who cashed fake checks worth over $2.5 million, culmi nating in his arrest on Christmas Eve 1969. In this fast-paced flick, a charm ing Leonardo DiCaprio impeccably impersonates his way through life.

Last-minute holiday shopping ideas

CAMRYN GARDNER Staff Writer

The holiday season is upon us. Enter the peppermint hot chocolates, twinkle lights, wholesome movies and of course, a dash of stress.

Rock orchestra show defies a description

SIERRA BRUNNER Staff Writer

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is a rock band founded in 1996 by Paul O’Neill. The group now has 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify and its biggest hit is “Christmas Eve/ Sarajevo 12/24.”

Trans-Siberian Orchestra has toured every year since 1999, which is 23 years. They always tour in November and December.

Recently I got to experience one of their shows in Green Bay at the Resch Center. The team that performed was East Coast, which consisted of violinist Roddy Chong, guitarists Joel Hoeksra and Chris Caffrey, bassist Tony Dickinson, singer and dancer Natalya Rose, singer GabrieLa and so many more.

The Trans-Siberian East Team was phe nomenal. The stage presence was there; they had lasers, fire, fog, strobe lights and two stages!!

Putting the show into words doesn’t do it justice; there just aren’t words to describe how amazing they are. I spent a week trying to figure out how to describe it, and I can’t think of anything other than phenomenal.

O’Neill takes pride in being “as over the top as we can make it.” He once said, “There’s no second-class seats at a Trans-Siberian Orchestra show. I want people to walk out of our shows speechless and still not believing what they have seen was possible.”

Honestly, I believe him because I still don’t believe what they did at their Green Bay show was even possible.

Planning for the holidays can take a lot of thought. Toward the end of the semester, college students and faculty have a lot on their minds. If you’re going to be giving gifts this year and haven’t had the time to plan out what you’re getting for your loved ones, fear not. I’ve got you.

My first suggestion to last-minute gift shoppers is to hit up the small stores in your community. It’s a great time to support these shops and find unique gifts for your loved ones. The classic spots in Madison for shopping small are the State Street and the Monroe Street stores, where you can find clothing and jew

elry boutiques, record shops, book stores and more.

If you aren’t near these locations or want to explore elsewhere, there are many additional lovely and eclec tic places to shop scattered through out the city and the suburbs. I try to find the smaller downtown areas of suburbs or smaller towns, and typically am met with a few different cute shops. Another way to support local businesses is through buying gift certificates – think restaurants, bakeries, spas or activity-based businesses (ex: pottery studio or an indoor golf range).

Beyond the realm of shopping small, Madison and the surrounding areas are home to many department stores that offer a wide variety of goods. There are the East and West Towne Malls, Targets all around and places like Kohl’s, Macy’s and Cabela’s to name a few.

Greenway Station in Middleton is a great spot to hit if you’re looking for several stores in one area. Plenty of these are budget friendly as well, such as Home Goods, Five Below and Marshall’s. The hub of stores on Madison’s East side surrounding the East Towne Mall is also a good loca tion if you don’t want to travel far in between stores. Hilldale on the West side off University Avenue is also an option for last-minute shoppers, offering a blend of chain and local stores and restaurants.

The frugal and environmental ly conscious shopper might hunt for something special at one of Madison’s many thrift stores. Here, you can find pretty much anything that floats your boat, like antique style mirrors, knickknacks, state ment clothing pieces, baskets, pic ture frames, collectible cameras or vintage jewelry if you’re lucky.

Apple dump cake is a favorite holiday recipe

LILLIAN COPPELMAN Editor in Chief

The origins of dump cakes are unclear, with recipes sweeping the nation around the late 1960s. Whatever the origin, there was one thing clear about this dish; it is deli cious and easy to make. With several distinct types of dump cakes and diverse ways to make them, this des sert is certainly one for the recipe books.

My personal favorite dump cake to make is apple dump cake. With crispy toppings and sweet apple to complement the taste of the cinna mon, it is pleasing to the tastebuds for sure.

The recipe for apple dump cake calls for 6 medium apples, 1 ½ tea spoons of cinnamon and ¾ - 1 cup of butter.

A 13-by-9-inch cake pan is greased on the sides and bottom before lay ing the apples, which are peeled and

chopped into slices, down evenly on the bottom.

While apple dump cake can be made with fresh apples you can use two 20-ounce (about 591.47 mL) cans of apple pie mix as a substitute to avoid cutting and peeling apples.

On top of the apples, yellow cake mix and cinnamon is sprinkled to create a flat layer. The mix should have little to no bumps on the sur face to avoid uneven baking.

The one issue that I run into while making apple dump cake is the butter. If not enough butter is used or if the butter is not spread proper ly when assembling the dessert, then the crisp of the dump cake is lost. The dump cake can come out of the oven powdery in places instead of a crispy golden brown.

To prevent this issue from hap pening, adjusting the quantity of butter used is ideal or changing how to place the butter on the cake. The butter can either be melted and

poured evenly on top of the cake or be cubed and placed equidistant to each cube for ideal melting spread in the oven.

The dump cake is baked at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-60 min utes (or until the top is golden brown and bubbling). Once cooled down for 15-20 minutes, it should be ready to eat. Apple dump cake is best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream for the authentic sea sonal dessert feel.

This is a dessert best for those who struggle with baking or are looking for an easy-to-make treat. Whether you are looking for a dessert for the holidays or just a sweet treat, dump cake is some thing that can be enjoyed any time of year. My personal favorite recipe for apple dump cake can be found at https://bakeitwith love.com/apple-dump-cake/?ms clkid=b71a88d4b27d11ec850eccfe78d cad41.

Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson and Diane Keaton.

CLARION STAFF PHOTO

“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,”

“Elf” and “Home Alone” are classics.

SIERRA BRUNNER / CLARION

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs at the Resch Center.

EDITORS: ROSS LITSCHER & CHASE DEMASI CLARIONSPORTS@ MADISONCOLLEGE.EDU

MEETTHEPACK

MEN’S BASKETBALL

NIK FELLER

A sophomore guard/forward from Poynette, Nik Feller is currently second on the Madison College men’s basketball team in scoring with 15.1 points a game. He has started all 12 games for the WolfPack and averages 4.8 rebounds a game and has 16 assists. He leads the team in field goal percentage, hitting 55.3% of his shots (57 of 103). Last year, he started 11 of the 27 games he appeared in and was selected

Change was needed for Badgers to move ahead

ROSS LITSCHER Sports Editor

On the final Saturday of the college football regular season, Wisconsin lost the Battle for the Axe game to rival Minnesota, the first time they’ve lost back-to-back games to the Gophers since 1993-94. That capped off what was a roller coaster regular season to say the least. Despite clinch ing a bowl berth for a 21st con secutive season (only Georgia and Oklahoma have longer active streaks), the Badgers 6-6 record is their worst in over 20 years.

Head coach Paul Chryst was fired on Oct. 2 after a 2-3 start and DC Jim Leonhard was named interim head coach, taking over a tough situation and leading the team to a 4-3 record the rest of the way. The assumption was that this was a test run to eventually give Leonhard the permanent coaching position after the season, which makes the news the day after the axe game all the more shocking. Wisconsin announced that they’ve hired Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell to be the Badgers 31st head coach.

Let me start off by saying I love this hire even though the announcement was way out of left field. Fickell is an Ohio native who was on Ohio State’s, his alma mater, defen sive coaching staff for 16 years, including being their interim head coach in 2011.

In 2017 he got his first head coaching job with the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. His successful sixyear tenure there included a 57-18 overall record, winning the AAC coach of the year three times and leading the Bearcats to their best season in school history in 2021, going 13-1 and becoming the first ever group of five team to be included in the College Football Playoff. I feel like this is a home-run hire for AD Chris McIntosh, who is hiring his first head coach since tak ing over athletic director for Barry Alverez in 2021.

While there are concerns about how upfront he was with the team about all the coaching moves this year, I do believe Fickell is the right guy for the job and will rebuild the program into a winner again. I don’t think the Badgers will

Women’s basketball team improves its record to 6-6

CLARION STAFF REPORT

The Madison College women’s basketball team led from start to finish to beat Prairie State College, 63-47, at home on Dec. 3.

Madison College took an 18-10 lead in the first quarter and outscored Prairie State in every quarter after that.

Cora Hansen scored a team-high 16 points, while Jordanna Davis added 13 points and Kaylee Anzalone had 11 points. Taylor Ripp posted a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds.

With the conference sea son yet to begin, Madison College has already exceeded its win total from a year ago. The team now stands at 6-6 overall, while last year’s squad finished 5-19.

Madison College’s next game is at Loras College on Dec. 8 against the Loras College JV team. The WolfPack returns home on Dec. 10 for one last game before the holiday break, when they play Kishwaukee College at 1 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

JORDANNA DAVIS

A freshman guard on the Madison College women’s basketball team, Jordanna Davis is averaging a team-high 12.2 points a game. She has started six of the 12 games this season and has 21 assists, 25 steals and averages 4.1 rebounds a game.

Davis was a three-sport athlete at LaCrosse Logan High School, playing bas ketball, volleyball and softball. She was a two-time all-conference selection in basket ball and was selected for the WBCA All-Star Game as a senior. The daughter of Tiffany

Early lead fades as WolfPack falls short

CLARION STAFF REPORT

Madison College built an early dou ble-digit lead in the first half against vis iting Prairie State College, but was unable to maintain the momentum and fell, 69-66, on Dec. 3.

The Prairie State rally began late in the first half, as Madison College went on an extended scoreless streak and saw their lead shrink to 33-30 at halftime.

Despite going cold late in the half, the WolfPack still hit 56% of its shots in the first half (14 of 25), showing just how well they were shooting to open the game.

In the second half, Madison College actually had a better shooting percentage than Prairie State, 47.8% to 45.7%, but Prairie State got off 12 more shots thanks mainly to their rebounding advantage.

Prairie State out-rebounded Madison College, 34-24, for the game and scored 16 second-chance points compared to three for the WolfPack.

Keith Hoffman led Madison College with 26 points. He hit nine of 12 field goal attempts, including two of three from behind the three-point line. Nik Feller scored 13 points, while Cortez Telfered added 11.

Madison College is now 6-6 overall and has two games remaining before the hol iday break begins. The team’s next games are at Loras College on Dec. 8 and at home against Kishwaukee College on Dec. 10 at 3 p.m.

Madison College 80, Western Technical College 54

A two-game losing streak came to an end in convincing fashion as visiting

second team all-conference and all-region. Feller was an honorable mention allstate player in high school and was his team’s MVP twice. The son of Amy and Hans Feller, he is a sports business major.

Burr and Glenn Davis, she is a liberal arts transfer major at Madison College.

Profiles of WolfPack athletes

FELLER

DAVIS

CLARION STAFF PHOTO

Madison College’s Keith Hoffman goes up for two of his game-high 26 points against Prairie State College at home on Dec. 3.

EMILY FAUST / CLARION

Madison College’s Taylor Ripp (22) looks to pass the ball during her team’s game against Prairie State College on Dec. 3.

3 WolfPack athletes earn All-American honors

CLARION STAFF REPORT

Three Madison College soccer players have earned National Junior College Athletic Association AllAmerican honors after the 2022-23 season.

Sophomore Lexi Kulow and fresh man Madison Johnson from the wom en’s soccer team were named to the AllAmerican team, while freshman Gabe Voung was a selection from the men’s team. Kulow and Voung were both firstteam representatives, while Johnson was named to the second team.

FALLS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

Madison College defeated Western Technical College, 80-54, on Nov. 30. Madison College took a 39-23 halftime lead and never looked back.

Deante Luster led the WolfPack with 19 points, hit ting 7 of his 11 shots including three of five from behind the three-point line. Cortez Telfered added 17 points, Nik Feller scored 13 and Keith Hoffman had 10.

Rochester CTC 73, Madison College 67

After holding a small half time lead, Madison College fell just short in its bid to upset No. 6 Rochester Community and Technical College, losing 73-67 on Nov. 22.

The first half was a tight defensive battle, with Madison College claiming a 30-24 lead. Rochester went on a run to open the second half and raced to a 38-37 lead, pushing it to 63-51 with just under nine min utes left to play.

Madison College closed the gap, but fell short in its late rally. Feller led the team with 19 points, while Luster had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Telfered added 14 points, and Hoffman had 10.

Carl Sandburg College 87, Madison College 81

Madison College saw an eight-point lead slip away in the final 10 minutes of the game, falling to Carl Sandburg College, 87-81, on Nov. 19.

Hoffman led Madison College with 25 points and eight rebounds, scoring 16 points in the second half. Luster added 15 points, while Feller scored 13.

CHANGE

Kulow and Johnson have extended the women’s soccer team’s streak to five straight years with an All-American, while Voung is the first All-American from the men’s soccer team since 2017.

Kulow, a midfielder, was named the North Central Community College Conference most valuable player and Region 4 Division III player of the year. She helped guide the WolfPack to the Region 4 Tournament title, scoring two goals and adding two assists in the championship match. Kulow wrapped up her Madison College playing career with 11 goals and eight assists.

Johnson led the WolfPack this sea son with six goals and five assists. All of her goals were game-winners. Her best performance of the season came against Kishwaukee College, where she scored two goals and had three assists.

Voung, a forward, led all of NJCAA Division III men’s soccer with 25 goals, which set a new school record. He was named conference most valuable player and Region 4 player of the year, becoming the first Madison College men’s soccer player to win both awards. He scored goals in 13 of the team’s 17 matches this season.

MCSPORTS

Madison College schedules and results.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Schedule

NOV. 1 at home vs. McHenry County College, 83-78 LOSS

NOV. 4 at home vs. Mesabi Range CTC, 60-53 WIN

NOV. 5 at Waubonsee Community College, 97-74 LOSS

NOV. 9 at University of Dubuque JV, 80-71 WIN (2OT)

NOV. 11 vs. North Central Michigan College, 82-80 WIN (OT)

NOV. 12 vs. Bay College, 73-69 LOSS

NOV. 15 at home vs. College of Lake County, 77-58 WIN

NOV. 17 at home vs. Rockford University JV, 95-76 WIN

NOV. 19 at Carl Sandburg College, 87-81 LOSS

NOV. 22 at Rochester Community and Technical College, 73-67 LOSS

NOV. 30 at Western Technical College, 80-54 WIN

DEC. 3 at home vs. Prairie State College, 69-66 LOSS

DEC. 8 at Loras College JV, 8 p.m.

DEC. 10 at home vs. Kishwaukee College, 3 p.m.

DEC. 29 at Elgin Community College, 3 p.m.

JAN. 10 at home vs. Bryant & Stratton College, 7:30 p.m.

JAN. 12 at home vs. College of DuPage, 5:30 p.m.

JAN. 17 at Joliet Junior College, 5 p.m.

JAN. 19 at Harper College, 5 p.m.

JAN. 24 at home vs. Milwaukee Area Technical College, 5:30 p.m.

JAN. 26 at home vs. Gogebic Community College, 7:30 p.m.

JAN. 28 at home vs. UW-Baraboo, 3 p.m.

JAN. 31 at College of DuPage, 7 p.m.

FEB. 2 at home vs. Joliet Junior College, 7:30 p.m.

FEB. 7 at home vs. Harper College, 7:30 p.m.

FEB. 9 at Milwaukee Area Technical College, 8 p.m.

FEB. 11 at home vs. South Suburban College, 3 p.m.

FEB. 21 at Rock Valley College, 7:30 p.m.

FEB. 24-

FEB. 26 NJCAA Region 4 Tournament, at Joliet Junior College, TBA.

TEAM

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

Western Technical College 94, Madison College 60

Madison College suffered one of its most lopsided losses of the season on Nov. 30, falling to Western Technical College, 94-60. The WolfPack fell behind, 26-13, in the first quarter and never closed the gap.

Offensively, the WolfPack struggled, hitting only 20 of 75 shots in the game.

Mikala Williams, Taylor Ripp, Cora Hansen and Reyna Knox each scored 10 points for Madison College in the loss.

Rochester CTC 96, Madison College 70

A big third quarter enabled Rochester to take an insurmountable lead over

go away from their run first, ground and pound style of play that has led to many great lineman and running backs to come out of UW, but changes are coming, specifically in the recruiting department.

One thing the Badgers severely lacked under Chryst was their recruit ing compared to the blue bloods of col lege football, and in recent years it has definitely caught up to them. This year was the first time since 2003 that UW lost to Minnesota and Iowa in the same season. Teams of similar styles that the Badgers used to run over are now just toss-ups, and the Badgers’ struggle to find consistent quarterback play is more obvious than ever. The Ohio State game this year was a clear sign that other teams in the same conference are in a completely different league as far as player talent goes. With USC and UCLA arriving in the Big Ten in 2024 (because geography apparently means nothing), the Badgers basically had to

decide now whether they wanted to compete for top tier players with these big-time schools or be left in the dust. If Wisconsin wants to be a consistent win ner and keep up in the always changing college football world, this was the right move to make.

Now I don’t want to write this without thanking Paul Chryst and Jim Leonhard for their contributions to the program. Both played football for the Badgers and came back to be coordi nators before taking on head coaching roles. Chryst was our OC for our Rose Bowl years in the late 2000s and early 2010s and has the third most wins in program history. Leonhard has been DC since 2017 and has consistently led one of the best defensive units each year. Both Chryst and Leonhard will always be remembered as important parts of the Wisconsin football story and I wish them the best going forward. But at the end of the day, time waits for no one and the Badgers’ football program needs a restart.

At this point it is unsure if Leonhard will remain defensive coordinator here; he has been offered many other

Madison College as the WolfPack fell on the road, 96-79, on Nov. 22.

Rochester outscored Madison College, 32-16, in the third quarter alone.

Kaylee Anzalone and Ripp led the WolfPack in scoring, both netting 17 points.

Cora Hansen added 13 points and was the only other player to score in double figures for Madison College.

Madison College 80, Carl Sandburg College 76

Big games for Ripp and Anzalone led to an 80-76 Madison College victory over Carl Sandburg College on Nov. 19.

Ripp scored 22 points and had 14 rebounds to lead the WolfPack in both cat egories, while Anzalone added 21 points. Davis was the only other player in double figure in scoring with 12 points.

college football and even some NFL coaching jobs in the past year, but his roots are with Madison and Wisconsin. With that being said, I’m sure we can all agree that the Packers are in desperate need of a new defensive coordinator after witnessing the Joe Barry master class of a 2022 season, so Jim Leonhard is definitely welcome there. I would assume the Badgers would let Leonhard coach the team in their bowl game this year, as most of the time new coaches don’t begin their tenures with a bowl game (the only one that I can remember is Sonny Dykes with SMU in 2017). After that though, the Luke Fickell era offi cially begins, and with him bringing his recruiting department from Cincinnati (that has recruited and developed many NFL draft picks in recent years), expect them to get a head start in the early signing period that is just around the corner, and also to hit the transfer portal hard which is important for Wisconsin to keep up in the modern college football world. Madison is a great college football city and I believe that Luke Fickell will give them the com petitive team that Wisconsin deserves.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Schedule

NOV. 1 at home vs. McHenry County College, 79-60 LOSS

NOV. 4 at home vs. Iowa Central Community College, 82-65 LOSS

NOV. 5 at Waubonsee Community College, 90-60 LOSS

NOV. 9 at University of Dubuque JV, 74-57 LOSS

NOV. 11 vs. North Central Michigan College, 57-36 WIN

NOV. 12 vs. Bay College, 44-40 WIN

NOV. 15 at home vs. College of Lake County, 67-56 WIN

NOV. 17 at home vs. Rockford University JV, 74-41 WIN

NOV. 19 at Carl Sandburg College, 80-76 WIN

NOV. 22 at Rochester Community and Technical College, 96-70 LOSS

NOV. 30 at Western Technical College, 94-60 LOSS

DEC. 3 at home vs. Prairie State College, 63-47 WIN

DEC. 8 at Loras College JV, 6 p.m.

DEC. 10 at home vs. Kishwaukee College, 1 p.m.

DEC. 29 at Elgin Community College, 1 p.m.

JAN. 3 at home vs. Oakton Community College, 5:30 p.m.

JAN. 10 at home vs. Bryant & Stratton College, 5:30 p.m.

JAN. 12 at home vs. College of DuPage, 7:30 p.m.

JAN. 17 at Joliet Junior College, 7 p.m.

JAN. 19 at Harper College, 7 p.m.

JAN. 24 at home vs. Milwaukee Area Technical College, 7:30 p.m.

JAN. 26 at home vs. Gogebic Community College, 5:30 p.m.

JAN. 31 at College of DuPage, 5 p.m.

FEB. 2 at home vs. Joliet Junior College, 5:30 p.m.

FEB. 7 at home vs. Harper College, 5:30 p.m.

FEB. 9 at Milwaukee Area Technical College, 6 p.m.

FEB. 11 at home vs. South Suburban College, 1 p.m.

FEB. 21 at Rock Valley College, 5:30 p.m.

FEB. 24FEB. 26 NJCAA Region 4 Tournament, Joliet Junior College, TBA.

EMILY FAUST / CLARION

Madison College’s Cora Hansen (34) is trapped by the Prairie State College defense as she looks for a teammate to pass the ball to during a home game on Dec. 3.

Keepin’ it Classy

The Clarion offers free classified advertising to students. Send your ads of 70 words or less to clarionads@madisoncollege.edu. Space is limited. Submission does not guarantee publication. Must submit 7 days prior to publication.

Help Finding Housing

Madison College is partnering with Rent College Pads to provide a curated list of houses and apartments avail able near all campuses in the district. The site is exclusive to the Madison College community. Visit madisoncol lege.edu/housing to learn more.

Personal Research Help

Madison College libraries are now offering a Personal Academic LIbrarian program to help support students with research help. For more information about the new program, visit the https://libguides.madisoncol lege.edu/pal.

Pick Up a Bus Pass

Madison College offers Madison Metro bus passes for its students to help them commute to campus. New bus passes are availabe in Student Life. Bus passes can be mailed to your home. Visit madisoncollege.edu/buspass for more information.

Lockers Available

Students can reserve lockers at the Truax Campus by visiting the Student Life Office, Truax Room B1260 or register them using the form at mad isoncollege.edu/locker. Students must provide their own lock. There is no charge for locker use.

50 Clubs to Choose From

There are more than 60 clubs avail able at Madison College. Participating in a student-led club is a great way to meet new friends or develop a new skill. Visit madisoncollege.edu/ clubs-organizations to learn more about how you can join.

Join the Clarion

Writers, photographers and graphic artists are invited to join The Clarion staff at any time during the school year. If interested in helping out, email clarioned@madisoncollege.edu to connect with our editor and learn more about the newspaper.

WolfPack Alerts

Remember to sign up for the college’s WolfPack Alert emergency messaging system. You will get need-to-know info about school closings and urgent updates. Go to madisoncollege.edu and search “WolfPack Alert” to find instructions.

Listen to Clarion Radio

Madison College has it’s own online student radio station. Listen in at ClarionRadio.com. The station is always looking for students who are interested in producing their own show. Email clarionmedia@madison college.edu for more information.

The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once.

Objective Difficulty