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Weekend, January 26-29, 2017

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Students critique ASM’s political actions Chair claims politics are unavoidable, conservative students question their ability to be representative Story by Nina Bertelsen As students walk down East Campus Mall and look up, while fending off bitter January winds, they will catch a glimpse of a prominent sign proclaiming, “Black Lives Matter” that hangs in the fourth floor office window of the Associated Students of Madison.

Past the layer of glass, ASM representatives work to distribute $48 million in student segregated fees, run grassroots campaigns and represent UW-Madison students on campus and at the Capitol.

Recently, ASM has come under criticism for taking a stance on political issues. Some conservative students think that ASM’s actions do not represent the entire student body, and question if the group should be completely nonpartisan and politically neutral on all issues.

Student criticisms At the end of the fall semester, a conservative junior Harold Britton

LEAH VOSKULL (BOTTOM PHOTOS) AND WILL CHIZEK (TOP RIGHT)/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Associated Students of Madison has been criticized for the “Black Lives Matter” sign on their office windows (left), as well as their opposition to campus carry (top right). ASM Chair Carmen Goséy (bottom right) has defended these stances, and said she is willing to meet with students who disagree. filed a complaint with the Office of Compliance against ASM for displaying the “Black Lives Matter” sign in their office window.

ASM Chair Carmen Goséy

said that she and Vice Chair Mariam Coker hung the sign following Wisconsin Union President Deshawn McKinney placing BLM signs in the Union

and an increase in fear surrounding minority rights.

Britton said that he was not against the message of the sign, but was upset the student govern-

ment would publicly endorse the political platform behind BLM. “When ASM is promoting Black Lives Matter, they’re not just promoting black lives, they’re promoting these liberal ideologies and taking a partisan stand,” said Britton. “As a conservative on campus I don’t appreciate the people in charge of our student fees taking such a political stand.”

Britton said that he wouldn’t put his name behind BLM, “I wouldn’t want to see ASM force students to put their name behind that group … and saying our student body endorses that group when not all students do,” Britton said.

The Legislative Affairs Committee’s anti-campus carry campaign has also drawn criticism. In a blog post Abby Streu, a freshman and member of Young Americans for Freedom, said that “Student Council members are abusing their powers as student representatives to push their political agenda.”

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Professor’s PowerPoint slide labels black woman as an animal, sparks outrage

By Sammy Gibbons THE DAILY CARDINAL

MORGAN WINSTON/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Students on campus Tuesday were handed flyers outside the Chemistry Building urging them to join the Madison American Freedom Party, which fights “anti-white racism on campus.”

UW-Madison students denounce possible ‘alt-right’ group on campus

By Noah Habenstreit THE DAILY CARDINAL

Few issues have been as divisive recently as the rise of the “alt-right,” an extreme group that many see as a haven for white supremacists. Now, one student is seeking to bring the movement to campus.

Daniel Dropik, a UW-Madison student and the founder of the Madison American Freedom Party, caused a stir Tuesday.

Flyers advertising the “alt-right”

club urged students to “fight antiwhite racism on campus.”

The flyers direct students to the club’s website, which says the Madison American Freedom Party aims to become a “fully fledged registered student club.”

“Even the fanatically liberal-progressive stronghold of UW-Madison, cannot, and must not evade the fruitful opportunity for lively discourse, and intellectual growth, that UW-Madison’s own Alt-Right community can

provide,” the website says.

Many UW-Madison students were quick to denounce the club once it came to their attention.

Dane Skaar, who was handed a flyer outside the chemistry building Tuesday, took to Facebook to express his disbelief.

“Anti-white racism does not exist in American society period,” Skaar wrote in the post, which has been shared over 250 times. “This

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A lecture slide that showed a black woman above the word “animals” in a UW-Madison lecture Monday sparked student outrage on social media.

A student in the class tweeted a picture Tuesday of the PowerPoint slide, which appeared in a lecture of Botany 123. The message posted with the photo read “UW is definitely still #TheRealUW if y’all was confused.”

Professor Caitilyn Allen, the instructor of the course, said the day’s lecture topic was the Irish potato famine, which was caused by an organism called oomycetes. In an attempt to illustrate that oomycetes are no more related to fungi than to plants and animals, she showed a rough tree of life diagram featuring the controversial image.

Allen said at this point in the lecture a student asked her why she chose the image of the woman.

“I explained that too often scientific images represent all of humanity as a white male and I wanted to present humanity in a more representative way and especially

as a farmer because this class is about agriculture,” Allen said. “I’ve done research in both Uganda and Guatemala and I respect and admire the women farmers of the developing tropics.”

She said another student approached her after lecture and explained how attaching the word “animals” to a picture of a black woman was offensive, because of the non-biological, derogatory implications.

Allen addressed the issue and apologized in lecture Wednesday.

“I feel it was a mistake for me to have used that image because in addition to my intended and inclusive biological meaning the image also communicated an unintended and negative social message,” Allen said to The Daily Cardinal.

“I’m distressed that I inadvertently offended students. Certainly my intention was the opposite, but I do understand how it came across in a very bad way.”

She said she has not received any more feedback about the image.

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“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”

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Weekend, January 26-29, 2017

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 126, Issue 33

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UWPD chief hopes to bring leadership, knowledge to job Story by Sammy Gibbons Before being sworn in as the newest leader of the UW-Madison Police Department, Chief Kristen Roman sat down with The Daily Cardinal to discuss the most prevalent issues on campus, including campus carry legislation, undocumented students and sexual assault, among other issues.

Roman served as captain of community outreach at the Madison Police Department for 26 years. There, she led efforts to provide police services to individuals with mental illnesses in the Madison community.

Roman said she competed for the position with the intent of bringing her knowledge of community issues and leadership abilities to campus, and is excited to pursue new projects.

She plans to bring her leadership and communication skills to the UW-Madison campus and use it to strengthen the relationship between her department and individuals on campus and throughout the city.

What goals do you have for the future as UWPD chief and plans do you have?

Some of the things I’m looking at [are] that in my career, really within the last three years or so primarily, we all know we’ve seen a real challenge when it comes to police and community relationships and issues of trust. I really want to focus on having those community conversations around the relationship that the community has with police and, of course, my focus will be the campus community and this police department

and what role we play in supporting and furthering the mission of the UW and supporting students and faculty in the day-to-day work that we’re doing.

Other areas I want to focus on are building on and bringing in some of my experience around mental health. That’s kind of taking a look at how we engage with the campus community around supporting and identifying mental health crises or challenges. I know college is a very stressful time for young adults, and it’s also a time where mental illness can begin to manifest for the first time. These are … areas that I think police can really make a difference in collaborating and supporting individuals.

You actually just touched on my last question a bit, which is that of sexual assault. Last semester we saw two pretty highprofile cases on campus. How would you go about responding to cases such as those that have received national attention? ... Really just making sure that we are prepared to provide that investigatory support. If [a victim has] come forward and are courageous enough to be reporting to our department, then really we have an opportunity there to assure that they are connected to the various services and support systems that are in place, both on campus and in the city, through the criminal investigation. That’s just really about having the sensitivity, and a competency and understanding on all fronts as we move through those particular cases or those investigations.

One of the things that we saw protested, and probably will continue to see protested,

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Newly appointed UWPD Chief Kristen Roman hopes to use her 26 years of experience to maintain campus safety.

Corrections or clarifications?

Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an email to edit@dailycardinal.com.

By Nina Bertelsen THE DAILY CARDINAL

Tom Lechnir, former UW-Oshkosh baseball coach, asked the courts to reopen his 2014 lawsuits against former UW-Oshkosh officials following a lawsuit filed by the Wisconsin Department of Justice against those officials for mishandling funds.

Lechnir sued former Chancellor Richard Wells and former Vice Chancellor of Administrative Service Thomas Sonnleitner for not renewing his contract after he accused Wells of diverting funds for a new baseball stadium, the Oshkosh Sports Complex, without notifying donors.

The Oshkosh Sports Complex is one of the building projects Wells and Sonnleitner are accused of illegally backing in the DOJ and UW System’s lawsuit against them. Additionally, the lawsuit alleges the pair illegally transferred up to $11 million to the university’s private foundation to help fund the projects.

Lechnir alleged that Wells cre-

She has used the slide in previous semesters, but this is the first time it has received criticism. Allen said she will not use the image in her PowerPoint in future semesters.

UW-Madison spokesperson Meredith McGlone said the university is aware of the tweet, and reached out to the student, but had not heard back as of 9:28 p.m.

ated, and failed to pay, debt on the stadium by diverting money Lechnir raised to the sports complex. After making these allegations, Lechnir received his first sub-standard rating of his 31-year career and was told stadium debt was partially due to his administrative failings as a coach.

The former coach called his contract’s non-renewal improper and unconstitutional when he filed a state lawsuit in 2013 and a federal lawsuit in 2014. Lechnir believes that Wells attempted to set him up as responsible for failures with the construction of the Oshkosh Sports Complex, according to his lawsuit.

The state DOJ defended Wells and Sonneliner against Lechnir’s suit, which was dismissed only two days before the same department filed a suit against the pair for mishandling university funds.

DOJ spokesperson Johnny Koremenos told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the department understands the conflict of interest and has referred Lechnir’s state and federal cases to the governor’s office.

Tuesday. She said the university provided the student a link to the bias incident report page.

“It’s really important to know that help is available to students encountering issues like this in the classroom through the bias response team and other resources, particularly within the Division of Student Life,” McGlone said.

Nina Bertelsen contributed to this report.

UW-Madison College Democrats endorse incumbent for city council seat

By Gina Heeb

For the record

Former UW-Oshkosh coach asks to reopen case against officials following lawsuit

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Editorial Board Theda Berry • Negassi Tesfamichael Ellie Herman • Jack Kelly Amileah Sutliff • Dylan Anderson Sebastian van Bastelaer • Ben Pickman Samantha Wilcox Herman Baumann, President Phil Brinkman • Theda Berry Tyler Baier • Negassi Tesfamichael Grant Bailey • Janet Larson Don Miner • Ryan Jackson Nancy Sandy • Jennifer Sereno Jason Stein • Tina Zavoral Caleb Bussler

MORGAN WINSTON/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

The Wisconsin Department of Justice passed Tom Lechnir’s request to the govenor’s office due to a conflict of interest.

THE DAILY CARDINAL

The alderman currently representing campus in Madison’s city council secured an endorsement for re-election Tuesday from College Democrats of UW-Madison.

The student organization will support incumbent Ald. Zach Wood, District 8, in the race

against challenger John Terry Jr. for the council’s heavily studentpopulated district seat, which constitutes a large portion of downtown Madison.

Wood says if reelected, he will focus on improving campus safety, increasing downtown density, ensuring affordable housing and creating a more sustainable city.

Elected in 2015, he touts his experience in city government to voters.

“My more senior colleagues told me as soon I was inaugurated that it really takes a full year at least to learn the job,” Wood said.

“Coming into the home stretch of my second year, I’ve figured out how to get things done.”

Terry says if elected he will also

concentrate on tackling affordable housing issues, as well as homelessness in the city. As a formerly homeless individual, Terry says his background gives him perspective into what needs to be done for individuals without housing.

He says he would counter limited

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Weekend, January 26-29, 2017

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Trump’s EPA freeze could affect UW-Madison research

By Sam Schulz THE DAILY CARDINAL

A recent freeze on contracts and grants awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency could potentially affect millions of research dollars at UW-Madison.

The Trump administration instituted the freeze Tuesday, though the EPA has not issued any formal notices to the university about the status of existing or pending grants. UW-Madison officials awaiting confirmation of the freeze have said they are worried

by the news.

“We are very concerned if our EPA funding is frozen—for grants we have now, those that are pending, the effects on future funding.

These are challenging times for our researchers on a state and federal level,” said Natasha Kassulke, spokeswoman for the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education. “It is a competitive environment, made even more so by cuts to funding.”

UW-Madison had seven grants with EPA funding in 2016 with a

Walker plans to release full state biennial budget Feb. 8 Gov. Scott Walker will reveal his heavily anticipated biennial budget Wednesday, Feb 8., he announced in a formal letter to his colleagues.

The budget address will allow Walker to lay out the exact details and monetary investments of what he wants to give certain state agencies and programs.

Walker has proposed several plans ahead his official address, including an in-state tuition cut for all UW System schools, a welfare initiative that focuses on skills training, a funding increase for K-12

schools public schools and a promise to repair the state’s roads—the fourth worst in the country—without raising taxes.

Many legislators and parties involved in the proposals are awaiting specifics from Walker, who has not elaborated on details and likely will not until his address.

The budget address will live stream on Facebook live, Youtube and Periscope. Walker urged those who are unable to attend the budget address at the Capitol to tune in to one of those platforms.

CARDINAL FLASHBACK

Same city, different protest

total value of $2.5 million. There are also four pending proposals which would account for almost $2 million in funding. While the pending grants are most likely to be affected by the freeze, it remains to be seen whether the existing grants would see their funding cut.

“Research is a key function of every member of the faculty at UW-Madison. Funding, such as that awarded by EPA, contributes

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asm from page 1 Should ASM represent the student body on political issues?

Both Britton and Streu said they believe ASM should remain non-partisan. Currently, Britton said he does not believe ASM is politically neutral. He would like to see them adopt a viewpoint-neutral policy like the Student Services Finance Committee and not address political issues.

However, Goséy said that while ASM is officially a nonpartisan group, almost all of the issues the body must address are on the political spectrum.

“I believe we should take a stand on things,” said Goséy.

“This is what’s in the interest of students, taking a stand on something and advocating for why that is going to benefit students.”

ASM took a stance on campus carry because it was a safety issue and BLM because it was a people issue, and both were student issues, according to Goséy.

“When we take a stance on tuition, on affordability, those are by nature political issues.

However, we still lobby on them; we still advocate for student affordability,” said Goséy.

“Just because these are political issues and we don’t feel like they trickle down to the student level, they absolutely do and they impact students.”

Unlike his fellow conservatives, SSFC Secretary Kyle Watter said he did not have a problem with ASM taking a side on political issues.

“It shouldn’t be viewpoint neutral.

Because Student Council [representatives are]

CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

President Trump’s freeze on EPA grants and contracts puts the future of UW-Madison’s EPA-funded research grants in limbo. inherently being elected on your viewpoints,” said Watter.

But Britton believes that students organizations, and not the student government, should represent student voices to the legislature.

“Student government, if they didn’t do anything, student voices would still be heard.

They’re not the main route that legislature hears student voices from. They don’t have to be,” said Britton. “If they dropped that role I’m sure some organization would step in … If they do abstain, student voice would be still heard, and probably more accurately.”

Students criticize ASM election turnout; question ability to represent student body All three conservative students questioned if elected ASM representatives really represented the student body with such low voter turnout. This past spring ASM election turnout reached an all-time high at 11 percent of the student body.

“Right now it represents a small number of students, the ones who vote,” said Britton.

“When they are claiming campus mandates, when the election turnout is so low, it’s not going to represent the students.”

This past spring 19 Student Council seats were won by a progressive activist group. Goséy credited a council that was more like-minded on progressive issues for passing legislation such as Indigenous People’s Day and keeping a potential Amazon pickup point out of the Red Gym. Watter credited the grassroots structures for ASM’s tendencies to lean liberal and noted a “refocus” on social justices issues this session.

Additionally, Watter said it can be hard to draw conservative students to ASM. He said it can be difficult for them to be elected and difficult for them to pass legislation on the body.

“It’s just not a space conservative students would feel they can accomplish anything,” said Watter.

Goséy said she has been very clear that she is happy to meet with anyone who has concerns, and encourages students to come to open forums and to sit on grassroots committees and be part of the dialogue.

“I would highly encourage those students to get involved.

You don’t have to be on Student Council to be involved in ASM. You don’t have to be on Student Council to set up a meeting with me and talk about how you don’t feel represented,” said Goséy.

“I’m happy to talk about your side too and how [ASM] can be more accommodating … If they want their voices heard I encourage them to come to those spaces.”

According to Goséy, after Britton filed a complaint about the BLM sign she notified the Office of Compliance she would be happy to sit down with him.

However, Britton said this message was not relayed to him until after he sent an additional email saying he was disappointed to read their response in a public paper.

Britton noted that ASM’s preamble reads “a student government that will selflessly pursue the ideals of all without denying the ideals of one, that will be responsive without being repressive or restrictive”; a statement he interprets as a strong claim of neutrality that ASM has failed to live up to.

Madison has long been a hot-spot for political demonstrations. Protests are a common occurrence in the Wisconsin capitol, like last weekend’s Women’s March or this 1980s Apartheid protest. + Photo by Morry Gash

Steven Levitan announced as 2017 Spring Commencement speaker UW-Madison announced Steven Levitan, a UW-Madison alumnus and the co-creator of ABC’s “Modern Family,” as the 2017 Spring Commencement speaker Wednesday.

Levitan is the winner of nine Emmy awards for writing, and has spent over 20 years in the television industry. He graduated from UW-Madison in 1984.

Levitan is known as a writer and producer on “Frasier,” “The

Larry Sanders Show” and “Back to You,” but has earned most acclaim recently for “Modern Family.”

“We are thrilled to have Steven as our keynote speaker,” Chancellor Rebecca Blank said in a release.

“I also suspect this year’s graduates will get a few laughs along with some good advice,” Blank said.

The commencement ceremony will take place May 13 at 12 p.m. in Camp Randall Stadium.

CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Conservative students have recently criticized the Associated Students of Madison for being too political and not fairly representating all students.

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Weekend, January 26-29 2017 dailycardinal.com

‘I’m Just a Bill’ played

by White House staff following president’s 10th executive order

AYOMIDE AWOSIKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Vladimir Putin awarded comrade Donald Trump the highly coveted Russian award for “Best Golden Shower.”

Russian ties may indicate political experience, concern Trump voters

By Marc Tost THE DAILY CARDINAL

During the tumultuous time surrounding the transfer of power between former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump, allegations have surfaced that Trump may have a more long-standing relationship with Russia, Vladimir Putin and Russian businesses than he indicated. While these claims remain unsubstantiated, they, along with reports of Russian election hacking, place additional suspicion that the president-elect was helped in winning the election by the Russian government.

For many voters, however, these allegations pose other problems leading into Trump’s presidency. A large part of the president’s appeal during his candidacy was his lack of political experience, which set him apart from opponents and

gave him an “outsider” image.

This lack of experience proved to be a significant asset on the campaign trail. While very few political advisors would suggest making fun of veterans, disabled people and women, on election day voters shower that the mockery really resonated with them.

Now, in light of the new accusations, the outsider image may be challenged. Amateur alligator tamer and Floridian Bobby Joe Bodean commented, “I only voted Trump for president because I thought he had no idea what he was doing! Seeing that this might have been planned makes me think I might have made a mistake, and thinking makes my head hurt.”

This same idea was echoed among many Trump voters, especially those in less-affluent areas. While the way his cam-

paign was run indicated little to no political savvy, possible ties to the Russian president indicate unexpected levels of political and diplomatic experience.

In response to the allegation, many members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have called for various levels or retribution, ranging from a metaphorical slap on the wrist to a literal spanking. House Speaker Paul Ryan reminded his colleges that the accusations do not yet have any factual backing, and that a full investigation is still pending.

This, however, prompted U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer to shout “Since when have facts started to get in the way of the American people’s justice?!” across the floor of the House.

Trump could not be reached for comment, as he was out of the country playing golf with definitely not Putin.

IMAGE COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS - SHELLEY

This is a bill. He is only a bill. And he’s sitting up on Capitol Hill.

By Noah Mack THE DAILY CARDINAL

Late Tuesday night the famous Schoolhouse Rock song “I’m Just a Bill” was played in the Oval Office for President Donald Trump following the 10th executive order signed since his recent inauguration.

White House staff members explained to reporters that although it seems Trump has ignored the legislative branch recently, it just comes down to a basic misunderstanding of the entire Democratic process.

“Is the Capitol Hill an actual hill?”

Donald Trump president United States of America

“Of course I know what checks and balances are” said Trump after being asked some basic political questions by Cardinal reporters on the scene.

“I haven’t had to balance a checkbook since the third grade,” he said.

The informative video

Donald Trump president United States of America

After some coaxing from White House staff members, Trump sat down with Vice President Mike Pence, cracked a beer, and watched as the little animated bill sing its way through the house and senate.

Every few seconds, the newly elected president would pause the tape and ask a question, such as “Is the Capitol hill an actual hill?” or “Is that bill what Crooked Hillary’s husband looks like?”

After the song ended, the president tweeted out “@ SchoolhouseRock is #FakeNews.

Shit animation to further big government’s propaganda!”

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played for the president explains the long process a bill takes before it becomes a law through a series of heartwarming melodies and adorable cartoons.

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Positions run June to August. Apply online at www.tripplakecamp.com

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Radical goodness will help change our lives LUCAS JOHNSON opinion columnist

I KAITLIN VETO /CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Breaking past barriers and trying new things helps personal growth.

Pushing personal limits builds grit and character THOMAS RADEMACHER opinion columnist

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any people can push their mind or body to the limit, but very few people can push their mind and body past their breaking point and continue moving forward.

I challenge everyone reading this to sign up for that triathlon, marathon, or 5K you’ve been telling yourself you’ll train for. Go for that 100mile bike ride you’ve been wanting to accomplish. Start writing that book or creating that new smartphone app or computer program you’ve been thinking about. Compose some original music or set your sights on summiting a mountain. The only way to understand ourselves, know our limits and improve our minds and bodies is to push ourselves.

As college students we are in the perfect time of our lives to experiment and try different things.

Last year I went to a talk given

by Lonnie Bedwell. Bedwell was named National Geographic’s 2015 Adventurer of the Year, has whitewater kayaked the Zambezi River in Africa, the Gauley River in West Virginia and the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. He has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, summitted many of North America’s highest peaks and downhill skies when he is not roofing in Duggar, Ind. Oh yeah — he is also blind.

In 1997, Bedwell was injured in a hunting accident that permanently blinded him. A former Navy Petty Officer, he got involved in a program for veterans called Team River Runner. This organization helped him get started with whitewater kayaking, which led him to other outdoor sports. Not someone to complain, give up, or feel sorry for himself, he worked on achieving independence and reaching for goals after his accident. One of Bedwell’s most important lessons is that “Vision is in the mind. Don’t let your eyesight blind you from your vision.” Another lesson he teaches is that “The only thing keeping you from having the things you want is your will. Comparison is the thief of joy.” Bedwell is trying to teach that by creating goals and visions for our-

selves, we can strive to be better individuals. He wants all of us to believe that we can do great things, but only if we stop worrying about what other people are doing or might think of us.

Bedwell also instructs to “Humble yourself and swallow your foolish pride,” and that “Only you can define you.” Many times during Bedwell’s adventures he had to rely on help from other people. He realized his limitations and sought advice from those around him. Bedwell has accomplished many remarkable things, but he has never done them alone. He always had a trusted group around him that he could count on.

On our way to reaching our goals we will experience adversity. When this happens, we should think about what Arthur Golden, an American author, had to say about adversity: “Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.” Adversity is something that should be welcomed, not avoided. Furthermore, our eyesight often blinds us from realizing our true potential. By focusing on our vision and overcoming adversity to push our minds and bodies past their breaking points, we can achieve great things.

Life should be considered a constant learning process where we are always trying to better ourselves mentally, physically and spiritually.

As college students we are in the perfect time of our lives to experiment and try different things. There is no time like the present so stop making excuses and join that new club or organization and begin striving for your life’s goals. Create a bucket list and do something every day that gets you closer to checking items off it. After all, there is no greater reward for a job well done than the personal satisfaction of having done it.

In the words of journalist Hunter S. Thompson, “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a Ride!’” So go out and live your life!

Thomas is a senior majoring in psychology and history. Do you think pushing your personal limits builds grit? Please send all comments, questions and concerns to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

magine a world where characteristics that make us “different” are invisible. Race, gender, sexual orientation and religion are all inconceivable. Instead, what one sees in another is pure equality.

Under such a society, recognition of privilege and circumstance still exists. However, while people realize they’re better or worse off than another individual, they also realize that they are the same.

Since factors that have come to separate people in modern society do not exist in this one, all that remains is the recognition that others need help and you have the means to provide it. Let’s call this radical goodness; the idea that people should support people, period.

If this mindset is adopted, where would the globe’s problems stand?

If not diminished, they would be at least reevaluated. Imagine a global society where differences resulting in war and mass destruction, discrimination and hatred, were all minimized under the simple idea that we are alike as a species, but unalike in quality of life and have the means to right the unequally weighted ship.

Understandably, this is no simple gospel to preach or take hold of. Categorization and separation have always defined societies and it is hard to forget that many have received such discrimination.

Furthermore, there are certain things earned that have become socially acceptable to feel entitled to. Both these obstacles are deeply

engrained in our social construct.

The adoption of radical goodness would supersede such petty excuses for accepted underrepresentation, hatred and discrimination.

Let’s run through a hypothetical situation. You’re strolling down a city street when a struggling individual approaches and asks kindly for financial support.

Whether you decline or accept is an entirely different matter altogether, what matters is the recognition that the individual needed help, an instance where radical goodness would take the reigns without fail. Regardless the amount of the donation, the gesture brightens not only the individual but also those observing the generosity.

This, of course, does not only apply to financial support. Imagine a global society where those with discriminatory views saw every person as an equal. Imagine the sustainable and progressive society that would emerge.

From charitability to hospitality to expressive kindness, radical goodness has no drawbacks if universally accepted. Even if it were adopted and people took advantage of its vulnerability, radical goodness has the power to ultimately influence those who abuse goodness to reevaluate their values through goodness. Hate and division is never progressive. While anger may feel warranted, it is simply impractical and harmful.

In a snapshot of history where divisive ideology has dominated, radical goodness is the obvious key and when looked at through

a purely conceptual and definition oriented lense, the benefits are all encompassing. Racism? Sexism?

Homophobia?

Xenophobia?

Transphobia? Radical goodness renders all obsolete. Furthermore, radical goodness should not be a radicalized notion for when the aspects meant to differentiate us are removed from the mind’s eye, all that remains is the recognition that we are the same but unequally privileged. That recognition is the simple answer to unlocking the potential for a self-sustaining kindness machine.

As a white, straight, cisgendered male, I can’t relate to the lives of those with different characteristics than my own and therefore cannot preach a way of life that hinges on the necessity to put aside differences even if you’ve been on the receiving end of discrimination.

Instead, I present the idea as a building block for a reevaluation of how we treat one another day in and day out and hope it manifests itself in reflection.

Perhaps poet Maya Angelou said it most simply, “I’ve sailed upon the seven seas and stopped in every land, I’ve seen the wonders of the world not yet one common man … I note the obvious differences between each sort and type, but we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike. We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”

Lucas is a freshman studying journalism. What are your thoughts on radical kindness?

Please send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

arts

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Weekend, January 26-29, 2017

dailycardinal.com

Oscar nominations increase in diversity

By Jake Skubish THE DAILY CARDINAL

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS - DISNEY

Disney revealed the teaser poster for “Star Wars: Episode VIII.”

‘The Last Jedi’ title invites plot speculation

By Isaiah De los Santos THE DAILY CARDINAL

Following the events of “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens,” “Episode VIII” will hit theaters Dec. 15 of this year, but has remained nameless—until Monday morning.

“The Last Jedi” has been pegged as the title of the eighth installment, a name that carries its own mysterious aura. Turning to past titles could provide some context for what the next Skywalker installment holds.

“The Phantom Menace,” the first film in the prequel trilogy, is about Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power, as he is promoted from a senator to the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic.

Palpatine’s secret identity is the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, and this position gives the him power unbeknownst to the Republic.

“Attack of the Clones” is based on the Republic’s creation of a Clone army. This army leads an attack to help the Jedi when the Separatist army corners them on Geonosis.

“Revenge of the Sith” refers to Palpatine’s efforts to turn Anakin to the Dark Side of the Force. His efforts bear fruit as Anakin spurns his Jedi roots, and armed with the Clone army, utilizes Order 66 to wipe out the Jedi entirely as the Sith take control of the galaxy.

“A New Hope,” the beginning of the original trilogy, represents the reemergence of the Jedi to bring hope to the galaxy that was ruined by the Empire. Luke Skywalker, under an old Obi-Wan’s guidance, begins his Jedi training, set on the path to restoring balance to the Force—something Anakin was supposed to do.

“The Empire Strikes Back” follows the Empire’s assault on the Rebel base stationed in Hoth to

make an example of the Rebels following the first Death Star’s demise. The attack leaves the Rebels fleeing and retreating as the Empire starts building the reincarnation of the Death Star.

“Return of the Jedi” seems to signal to Luke because he is returning the Light Side’s rule to the galaxy. However, this mistake could be made without close attention to Yoda’s words, who tells Luke he is not a Jedi until he battles Vader. The Jedi returning in this film is actually Anakin, whose Jedi roots reemerge when he throws Palpatine to his death to save Luke from death.

“The Force Awakens,” the beginning of the new trilogy, calls attention to the demise of the Jedi who lay dormant as Luke goes into hiding after the massacre of his apprentices by Kylo Ren. That awakening takes the form of Rey, a force-sensitive orphan whose origins remain unknown, which brings us to “Episode VIII.” “The Last Jedi” makes first thoughts drift to the obvious: Luke. This could be a story about what Luke has been up to while in hiding and how he lost Ben Solo to Supreme Leader Snoke. However, he is also old and very reminiscent of Obi-Wan Kenobi hiding out on Tatooine. The menacing red text that the signature “Star Wars” logo is written in could be a sign of blood and what usually follows it: death. Luke’s possible impending defeat could leave Rey as the last Jedi. Yet, without much training—just like Luke before— she doesn’t yet constitute the title of a Jedi. So, this could play into that point, making Rey and Luke both the last Jedi (it works as both singular and plural) as her training begins for her date with destiny to take down Kylo Ren—unless Chewbacca beats her to it.

#OscarsSoWhite dominated last year’s Academy Awards, pointing out what anyone paying attention already knew: movies have a lot of white people, and the Oscars rewards those white people. The uproar sparked a genuine conversation about representation on screen, and in June, the Academy sent out 683 new member invitations, 46 percent of which were given to females and 41 percent of which to people of color.

The expansion seems to have worked: the picks this year are much more diverse.

Seven non-white actors/ actresses earned nominations, “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins is a strong candidate for Best Director and four of the nine Best Picture Nominees feature non-white leads. Best Documentary is led by three black narratives, and Best Animated Feature is a race between a story about a non-white female (“Moana”) and an allegory about racism (“Zootopia”). One year removed from a race between some white journalists (“Spotlight”), white Wall Street bankers (“The Big Short”) and a white astronaut (“The Martian”), a movie about three black female scientists is a serious contender for Best Picture.

If nothing else, this year’s diversity shows how easy it is to placate the Internet; reading these headlines would lead one to believe Hollywood just solved racism. Some of this optimism will dissipate when “La La Land” (deservedly) wins for Best Picture and Director (it almost certainly will; the academy is too self-indulgent not to pick the film about the magic of film).

The progress, though, is promising. The academy still heaped praise on a blatant anti-semite (Mel Gibson, with six nominations for “Hacksaw Ridge”), but it’s clear they’re trying.

While the racial diversity of this year’s field caters to the young viewers the Oscars ceremony so badly needs, it may not be the show’s most pressing fix. There is a growing chasm between what viewers seek out and what the Academy nominates. 22 of the 25 highest grossing movies this year were either

sequels, reboots, animated or superhero flicks; the highest grossing Best Picture nominee ranked 28th (“Arrival”). No doubt nominations themselves generate viewership for these underseen films, but if the awards show can’t start showcasing popular movies to begin with, it’s going to have a hard time maintaining its cultural relevance.

This isn’t really the Oscars’ fault: many big budget movies people flocked to see were garbage. Until viewers seek out original stories and stop buying tickets to Zack Snyder movies, this trend will continue. The Oscars could and should try taking more risks to appease blockbuster fans; “Deadpool” and “Rogue One” were worthy of nominations, for example.

But the burden falls not only on the viewers and the academy, but the film industry as well.

Quality, original storytelling can make money, as the success of “Hidden Figures” shows. As much money as sequels rake in, a business model based on character familiarity isn’t sustainable when troves of cinematic on-demand television have overtaken movies as the cultural touchpoint for millennials.

In a way, the Oscars’ significance has been diminished by the democratization of the Internet. In the past, we relied on an exalted Academy to tell us what was quality cinema.

Now, with personalized Netflix star ratings, we can judge qual-

ity ourselves. This might not be a bad thing; we have more options, more autonomy, and a greater ability to find the entertainment we want than ever before, and the deteriorating relevance of events like the Oscars might just be an inevitable sacrifice.

Personally, I hope this isn’t the case. Television can be great, but the Oscars are a celebration of the grandeur of cinema that the episodic pleasure of the small screen can’t always replicate. Movies, as opposed to television, have a more social viewing experience, and the Oscars are a manifestation of that collective joy, which is why I think they are still important.

As our entertainment becomes increasingly atomized, awards shows like the Oscars, however much they revere celebrity and excess, are one of the last places where everyone is watching, and where no one can say for certain what will happen. #OscarsSoWhite mattered because the Oscars matter, because we all watch the Oscars.

That circular significance is weakening, though, as the film industry recycles crap and we buy that crap, making the Academy’s nominations increasingly obscure. So please, watch the Oscars. Then, seek out original storytelling on the big screen so that future nominations can reflect not just our diverse demographics, but a diverse range of films viewers are invested in.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS - ONEILCINEMAS.COM

“Hidden Figures” was nominated for Best Picture this year.

Visiting Artist Colloquium features Milwaukee-based multi-disciplinary artist

By Amileah Sutliff THE DAILY CARDINAL

Multi-disciplinary, Milwaukeebased visual artist Jason S. Yi addressed his work and community artistic engagement yesterday afternoon as part of the UW Art Department’s weekly Visiting Artist Colloquium series at the Elvehjem.

Yi creates video, sculpture, photography drawing, multimedia and interactive installations.

He is internationally recognized and his work belongs to the permanent collections in Milwaukee, Kamiyama, Japan, Los Angeles and New York. His pieces explore

topics relating to belonging, terrestrial relations, the displacement and manipulation of space and many other complex elements of our human existence alongside the natural landscape.

Speaking to an audience largely made up of student artists and art faculty, he outlined detailed narratives regarding his process and inspiration for specific projects, offering advice to practicing artists along the way. His work spans a vast and diverse range of skills, and he noted that exploring new skills and uncomfortable territories is

an essential part of his creative process. The work he presented ranged from videos of his parents praying in Korean to photos of a large sculpture made of plastic orange construction fencing.

“I challenge myself to be unpredictable. I challenge myself to make work that stretches my abilities,” Yi said.

He described a time he agreed to the task of producing a museum-ready piece in a matter of three days, and advised that artists approach their work and artistic willingness with the same sense of whole-hearted trust in

their abilities.

“Often times, you have to have faith in what you do, and you have to back it up with an effort and faith on your part that might be daunting,” Yi said.

In addition to creating and exhibiting his work, he is heavily involved in supporting artists and the art community in Milwaukee. He talked about his work with the Plum Blossom Initiative that aims to support young emerging artists and emphasized the importance of getting out into the community as an artist, regardless of age or experience.

“I think in many ways, art-

ists have the responsibility to be the resistor, to resist authority and activate the community that you’re in,” Yi said. “Don’t you want to make the environment you’re in culturally more rich?

Don’t wait.”

The Visiting Artist series brings a new artist to deliver a talk each Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in Room L160 of Conrad A. Elvehjem Building. The colloquium is free and open to students the public.

Did you attend the Visiting Artist Colliquium? Let Amileah know at arts@dailycardinal.com

jumps dailycardinal.com

Weekend January 26-29, 2017 • 7

alt-right from page 1

A duck cannot walk without bobbing its head.

Today’s Sudoku

© Puzzles by Pappowcom

BETSY OSTERBERGER/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

UW College Democrats endorsed incumbent Ald. Zach Wood, District 8, which is represents the campus area.

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

endorse from page 2 knowledge of campus issues by working closely with students during his term and that his conflict skills would be useful in office.

“I don’t pretend to know all of the answers to problems that you students have,” Terry said. “If elected, I would have a liaison in the student sector to help me understand campus issues. I’m a fast learner, a listener and I can be confrontational—sometimes Mayor Soglin needs that.”

College Republicans of UW-Madison will not be

chief from page 2

ACROSS 1 Small lock of hair 5 Bottomless gulf 10 Aerobics class word 14 Tennis great Kournikova 15 Prefix with “type” or “plasm” 16 Invisible vibes 17 Clickable desktop symbol 18 Book inserts 19 Hoofbeat sound 20 What Lisping Louie would do when being congratulated?

23 Snakelike fishes 24 Outcast of long ago 25 Baby of a bald bird 29 Long-running fight 31 Teenagers’ facial disruption 32 Hairdos that don’t live up to their name 34 Acquire 37 What Lisping Louie did while idle?

41 Use a needle and thread 42 V-formation creatures 43 Shankar tune 44 Quiet “Excuse me” 45 One who died for a cause 47 La __ (Milan opera house) 50 Sound that breaks a hypnotic trance 52 Lisping Louie’s favorite B-movie weapons?

59 Endangered

60 Groups of countries in a special alliance 61 From square one 62 From quite a distance 63 Spinning woodshop machine 64 What all great inventions begin with 65 Raised seam or skin mark 66 Blunt fencing foils 67 Heavy beer drinker on “Cheers” DOWN 1 What to do in a long line 2 Foot measure 3 White coat that could give one the chills 4 Section of glass 5 Small Java program 6 Wild fight 7 Hindu gurus 8 Proofer’s “never mind” mark 9 Violent dance “pit” 10 Like some vows or cows 11 Dutch bloom 12 Slowly crumble from weather 13 Origami sheet 21 Stan of superheroes 22 Like a thick, deep-pile carpet

25 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35 36

Is a consumer?

Be sore Eat like a beaver Permit Costing nothing Ambulance initials Rhyming piece of work Print shop measures Swarming pest In a tense state Russian leader up to 1917 38 Old Irish alphabet 39 Word between single and married names?

40 Dep. opposite, at airports 44 Baseball slugger Pujols 45 Houses for clergy 46 Jungle primate 47 It’s for suckers 48 Rub raw 49 Hearing-related 50 Little pig (var.)

51 Recessed area 53 Having the required skill 54 Applaud 55 Opposite of lose 56 Reverse, as an action 57 “___ the twain shall meet” 58 Skinny-dipped

is the campus carry legislation that has been proposed. UWPD had signed a letter previously stating that they opposed the bill. What are your thoughts on that and what would your plans to keep campus safe if that were to pass?

I am working on a revision of that letter in my name, and will look for a similar show of support from all the campus chiefs, as was the case for that initial letter. My position is the same as it was from my predecessor and I will be supporting that with the letter … we’ll be talking about measures, then, within the buildings to increase and ensure safety, which, at this point, would be about talking with faculty and staff and students who are planning to carry if they’re willing to have that conversation, about what that looks like and what concerns we’ll all have about the increase.

Recently, Chancellor Rebecca Blank released a

epa from page 3 to a robust research culture at UW-Madison and makes it possible for universities like the UW to attract the best students and faculty,” Kassulke said.

EPA grants cover a wide variety of research topics, such as developing screening tools to detect environmental toxins and ecological restoration in Latino communities.

Most of the grants deal with issues that are of local importance, such as water qualities in

endorsing a candidate for the city council race this year, club Chairman Jake Lubenow told The Daily Cardinal.

“We’re not endorsing either candidate because neither have promoted conservative values and policies that the students here in Madison deserve,” Lubenow said. “Our organization has not endorsed candidates for city council in the past, but we look forward to enthusiastically supporting conservatives at all levels of government in the future.”

The Madison Common Council general election will take place April 4. statement about making UW-Madison a sanctuary campus. Do you believe that UW is a sanctuary campus, and how are you and UWPD going to ensure the safety of all undocumented students, faculty and staff on campus?

This is, again, one of those issues that when you look at police as an entity I think that clearly our role for the campus community in particular is we are not currently, and we will not be, looking at documentation, requesting documentation. Our approach and role as I see it is to ensure safety and protect individuals and that will not change.

I am certainly sensitive to the climate and concerns, but my assurance is that at present we are not changing our approach in any way. We want people, on a number of issues, whether it’s sexual assault or hate crime or any crime, we want individuals to feel safe and comfortable in calling the police and calling our officers to respond.

Madison lakes and rivers. From 2005 to 2008, Steven Carpenter, director of the UW-Madison Center for Limnology, conducted an important survey of environmental problems in the Yahara river watershed.

The freeze on grants comes as part of a larger effort by the administration to control the growth of government by temporarily halting federal hiring in all sectors of government besides military, national security and public safety until a long-term plan is in place.

is not a political view; this is a fundamental fact.”

Colin Barushok, chair of the Student Services Finance Committee, said the UW-Madison administration “is in for a rude awakening” from students if they write off Dropik’s message as “free speech.”

“Calling racism ‘alt-right’ and treating displays of white power as free speech will not ease the anxiety of students of color on this campus,” Barushok said.

The Madison American Freedom Party website previously included a club recruitment video, but YouTube removed it for violating its ban on hate speech.

Additionally, the website includes Dropik’s passionate defense of a conservative club on campus, Young Americans for Freedom, which some students have called a “hate group.”

“I can assert with confidence, that YAF is only interested in protecting the principles of conservatism,” Dropik said in a release. “We look forward to working with YAF.” However, Kara Bell, the chair of Young Americans for Freedom, said she has no interest in working with Dropik’s organization and made that clear to him when he reached out to form a partnership.

“We do not want to be associated with his group,” Bell told The Daily Cardinal.

“They can do what they want, but I made it clear we do not have similarities.”

In response to Bell’s comments, Dropik told The Daily Cardinal that Bell had not been in contact with him, though he acknowledged he “offered to help her on cases where [they] have common ground.”

For the university’s part, UW-Madison spokesperson Meredith McGlone said she does not believe there is truly a “movement” for the “alt-right” forming on campus.

“We’re aware of one individual. This is NOT a registered student organization. Judging by the response this is getting on social media, students appear to be rejecting this mindset pretty soundly,” McGlone said.

“Calling racism ‘alt-right’ and treating displays of white power as free speech will not ease the anxiety of students of color on this campus.”

Colin Barushok chair Student Services Finance Committee

After reading McGlone’s comments, Dropik told The Daily Cardinal that in fact, “upwards of ten” students have expressed interest in joining the club.

Additionally, Dropik said he received “a lot of hate mail” Wednesday.

The “alt-right” movement gained prominence with the rise and election of President Donald Trump. Citing its ties to white supremacy and neoNazism, the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center have denounced it as a hate group.

Sports

Weekend, january 26-29, 2017 Dailycardinal.com

Men’s Hockey

Men’s Hockey

Captain America: UW’s Kunin provides veteran leadership despite youth

By Bobby Ehrlich The Daily Cardinal

jon yoon/the daily cardinal

Corbin McGuire played at Madison Square Garden during his days in youth hockey, but that isn’t taking away from the excitement of going back with his collegiate teammate.

Badgers head East to Madison Square Garden for memorable weekend

By Ethan Levy The Daily Cardinal

The Badgers are coming off maybe their most impressive weekend of hockey this season after splitting a home series against No. 6 Minnesota. They have built up both momentum and confidence in the last few weeks, and are now set to face off against another Top 10 team for the second weekend in a row, inching toward the top spot in the Big Ten Rankings.

That alone should elicit tremendous excitement for the Badgers (4-2 Big Ten, 11-8-1 overall), but is instead only a small storyline for their upcoming weekend series against No. 8 Ohio State (3-2, 12-4-6). This won’t be an average road trip for the Badgers, as after the Buckeyes play host in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, both teams will travel to New York for a Saturday matchup in Madison Square Garden.

“It’s special; not for me, but I think for the players to get to play in an NHL building is pretty cool itself,” head coach Tony Granato said. ”With our basketball team being there, with it being a Top 10 team we’re playing against,

it being on the Big Ten network and all these other things, we also get to play at Madison Square Garden. It’s a big game to begin with, so all the extra stuff makes it that much more exciting.”

Though the players want to prepare for the matchup they way they would any other there is undoubtedly some extra excitement accompanying the chance to play in such a historic sports venue.

“It’s going to be a pretty special day for everybody.”

Corbin McGuire defenseman UW Men’s Hockey

“It’s going to be amazing. I think I am going to be spending the good majority of the first period looking around, looking at all the retired numbers and just looking at how amazing the new arena is,” defenseman Corbin McGuire said. “It’s quite a place. It will be an amazing, amazing thing to take part of.”

nithin charlly/the daily cardinal

The Badgers face another tall task this weekend, facing No. 8 Ohio State first on the road and later in New York.

McGuire, a senior from Ridgefield, Conn., played in Madison Square Garden numerous times with his youth team, the Junior Rangers, who were coached by NHL legend Mark Messier. Still, even for McGuire, the experience of playing at the Garden for his college team will be much more special.

“If you would have told me growing up as a little kid I would get to play for my dream school in my dream NHL arena, I would have told you you’re crazy, because I never thought Wisconsin would have a chance to play in Madison Square Garden,” McGuire said.

“It’s going to be a pretty special day for everybody.”

For the remainder of the Badgers who haven’t had the chance to play at the Garden before, they will be stepping onto the same arena as legends like Messier, Brian Leech, Mike Richter and Rod Gilbert, let alone the current NHL stars who could some day become Hall of Fame players in their own right.

“I think that guys, you know, they all follow NHL hockey, so they’re going to know that guys like Rick Nash plays on that ice.

And Lundqvist and Stepan and McDonough,” Granato said. “So I think that will be really cool for them to experience that.”

Still, amidst all the excitement of being in New York City, visiting the 9/11 Memorial, Times Square, the Rockefeller Center and, of course, playing at Madison Square Garden, the Badgers know that this is not just vacation—it’s still a business trip.

“I’ve kind of told the guys in the room that this is a great event that we’re going to be playing in,” McGuire said. “And the winning team is usually the one that remembers it the longest, so it’s important to come out of there with a win.”

During the offseason, forward Luke Kunin made waves when he was selected as the first sophomore captain of the Badgers since former head coach Mike Eaves captained UW in the 1975-’76 season.

Midway through Wisconsin’s season, he was selected for another captain role, this time for the U.S. Under-20 team that competed in the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship. That marked the second time that Kunin was named the captain of a U.S. team, as he captained the Under-18 squad coached by current UW associate head coach Don Granato. “[He has a] real determination to not settle for anything less than winning, anything less than success. Just a burning desire to win,” Granato said. “So he’s ultra-competitive, very comfortable being ultra-competitive, he doesn’t care if it pisses somebody off or he steps on somebody’s toes.”

Apparently Team USA knows what it’s doing when it comes to selecting captains. The boys representing the stars and stripes have won gold both times under Kunin’s leadership. For Granato, this comes as no surprise, as he saw first-hand what Kunin was capable of, both emotionally and physically, at the ripe age of 17.

“He knows what needs to be done and is willing to pay the price to do it. And he showed that confidence at that age,” Granato said. “Some guys drive is to score a goal. And he wants to score goals, too. But some guys lose sight of winning. He’s a bottom-line competitive guy.”

That mentality helps to explain why Kunin only found the back of the net twice throughout the seven-game tournament in Canada. While he is a prolific scorer and often scores sensational goals while wearing the Cardinal and White, Granato says Kunin couldn’t care less if he scores, provided the team comes away with a win.

And win Team USA did, coming out victorious in each of its seven games. That included two wild

contests in the single-elimination round, a shootout victory over Russia and then a shootout win in the gold-medal game against archrival Canada. In the championship game, Team USA fell behind by two goals in the third, but rallied to send the game into extra time.

When Team USA emerged victorious after the shootout, Kunin was the first to receive the trophy before passing it along to the rest of his squad.

“It’s very special when you win for your country and wearing that sweater,” Kunin said.

“It’s been a dream of mine to play in and win and for it to come true, it’s pretty surreal.”

With seven Big Ten series remaining, Wisconsin still finds itself in the thick of things in the conference race. To keep pace, they will have to continue winning tight games against the nation’s best teams, as they did in the second contest against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Those whiteknuckle games against rivals in a packed house can be made a little easier by Kunin’s cool leadership.

“Is he gonna be comfortable among his peers, to maybe get in their face when he needs to get in their face? Is he gonna be comfortable with pressure when things aren’t going right? The answer for him is yes,” Granato said of why Kunin stands out as a leader even among the nation’s top young talents.

Kunin, who is soft-spoken and has a quiet confidence to him, knows the feeling of big games all too well. And as Granato pointed out, he is focused on keeping his troops relaxed.

“I think you just gotta stay calm and just stick to it,” Kunin said. “You gotta trust the process. You know they’ll wear down if you play the right way.”

The Badgers now head east take on Ohio State, before hopping on a plane for a game in the famed Madison Square Garden.

For Kunin, leading his team into a hostile environment and then under the bright lights of the Big Apple will just be another chance to show why he continually gets that “C” stitched onto his sweater.

cameron lane-flehinger/the daily cardinal

Though he’s just a sophomore, Luke Kunin has plenty of experience being a team leader with Team USA.