Thursday, February 28, 2019 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

University of Wisconsin-Madison

GREEN NEW DEAL: unrealistic yet promising

Since 1892 dailycardinal.com

Thursday, February 28, 2019

WHO WILL REPLACE HORNIBROOK?

+OPINION page 5

+SPORTS page 8

Honoring UW African-American alumna By Aylin Merve Arikan STAFF WRITER

In the 2017-’18 academic year, the UW System set a new record by awarding a total of 959 degrees to African-American students — a 42 percent increase over the past decade. Despite this increase, AfricanAmerican students comprised only 2.6 percent of the UW System graduating cohort in the last academic year. As Black History Month comes to an end, the nationwide awareness it brings does not. African-American UW System alumni have successfully accomplished many “firsts” since 1875 in both academia and athletics, when William Smith Noland became the first African-American to graduate from UW-Madison. Nearly 30 years later, George

Coleman Poage became the first African-American to win a Olympic medal, two in fact, in 1904. Poage claimed many achievements throughout his life in both academics and athletics. He also became the first AfricanAmerican individual Big Ten track champion in league history when he took first place in both the 440-yard dash and the 220-yard hurdles. Poage graduated from UW-Madison in 1903 with a history degree as well. Another UW-Madison alum, Gwendolyn Brooks, published “Annie Allen,” a poetry book which shares the turbulent story of a young African-American girl growing into womanhood. One year after its publication, Brooks won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1950. Afterwards,

Staff firing prompts ethics investigation into Soglin’s actions By Michael Parsky STAFF WRITER

A former Madison city employee filed a complaint against Mayor Paul Soglin alleging the city launched an unjust investigation into her actions after she voiced concerns about possible unfair property assessment practices. Laura Doherty, former Madison assistant city assessor and commercial supervisor, filed the complaint on Dec. 13, 2018. She was later fired from her post on Dec. 31, 2018. Doherty alleged that Soglin, along with other city personnel, started a “deceptive and inappropriate investigation” to “find a way to remove her from

a position of valuing commercial property,” according to the complaint. Doherty also believed that Soglin sought “to find a way to remove her from the city’s employment altogether.”

“Doherty alleged that Soglin started a ‘deceptive and inappropriate investigation’ ... to remove her from a position of valuing commercial property.’” During the investigation, Doherty was demoted to property appraiser. Doherty’s supervisor, former City Assessor Mark Hanson reportedly signed off on

when asked about her writing process, she said she would “drop the mop, broom, soap, iron or carrot grater to write down a line, or word.” ”Writing is the only work in which I am interested,” she said. Brooks was on campus during the Black Student Strike of 1969 and later documented her observations in a letter. “Cars are trying to run them down! I saw it happening. One tried desperately to run me down,” Brooks said, referring to an African-American student on campus at the time. “I don’t feel my time was wasted, because of the lengthy and ‘soul searching’ exchanges with manuscript-bearing and very earnest students,” Brooks said in an interview. Another notable alum is the investigation. According to the complaint, Hanson denied any involvement with the investigation despite the paperwork showing otherwise. Doherty reportedly aired her grievances to Soglin and Deputy Mayor Enis Ragland multiple times in 2016 and 2017. Doherty and Hanson informed the two officials about the persistence of inequitable and poor commercial property assessment practices under their watch. According to a Capital Times article, the city raised hotel and apartment property values in 2017. While the majority of properties saw their value increase, the Madison Board of Assessors ended up lowering many of the property values. Following 76 appeals, the Board of Assessors reduced the property values of 26 hotel and 24 apartment assessments.

Soglin page 3

GRAPHIC BY MAX HOMSTAD

UW System African-American alumni have achieved many firsts since 1875. Milton Coleman — a former senior editor of The Washington Post — who graduated from

CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

UW page 3

Wisconsin PEOPLE program revamps its learning services By Lexi Schweinert STAFF WRITER

The Pre-college Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence is revamping their program and opening a new office at Milwaukee’s Rufus King Middle School this week. The program started in 1999 and is designed to assist minority and low-income students on their path from high school into college. Services they offer include ACT prep sessions, tutoring and other afterschool programs. Assistant Director Gail Ford said the changes aim to increase the number of students who complete the program. Previously, around 68 percent of students who enrolled in the pre-college program ended up completing it. One change that the program hopes will increase the amount of students finishing the program is by creating an age restriction for applications. Starting in 2019, students will no longer be able to apply at any grade. Now they will need to apply in eighth grade or after.

“Previously, around 68 percent of students who enrolled in the program ended up completing it.”

Mayor Soglin could face penalties if the Ethics Board finds a violation against his actions in Doherty’s case.

UW-Milwaukee in 1968.

“In the old model, students enrolled in PEOPLE as early as second grade, so we expect that over the years we will lose some students, but we can certainly do better than 68 percent,” Ford said.

In years past, the program enrolled students in 15 districts across Wisconsin, including Waukesha, Racine and Kenosha. Now it will only provide services in the Madison Metropolitan School District and the Milwaukee Public Schools. “PEOPLE began in these two communities,” Ford said. “These are the two largest districts in the state with the highest number of students of color and economically disadvantaged.”

“In the old model, students enrolled as early as second grade, so we expect that over the years we will lose some students, but we can certainly do better than 68 percent.” Gail Ford assistant director PEOPLE program

Two of the main goals with these changes are to offer equitable services for all students and a more sustainable program structure. Nearly 100 percent of students who complete the PEOPLE Program enroll in college. Roughly half of them will choose UW-Madison, and those who do are awarded free tuition. The 2019 PEOPLE application is currently open and recruiting eighth graders in Madison and Milwaukee who plan to attend a partnership high school.

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

science

•

Thursday, February 28, 2019

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892

dailycardinal.com

ACS Honors UW Chemists

Volume 128, Issue 22

2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100

News and Editorial editor@dailycardinal.com Editor-in-Chief Sammy Gibbons

Managing Editor Sam Nesovanovic

Dear Ms. Scientist,

News Team News Manager Sydney Widell Campus Editor Jenna Walters College Editor Robyn Cawley City Editor Jon Brockman State Editor Jessica Lipaz Associate News Editor Will Husted Features Editor Grace Wallner Opinion Editors Izzy Boudnik • Kavitha Babu Editorial Board Chair Jake Price Arts Editors John Everman • Lauren Souza Sports Editor Cameron Lane-Flehinger Almanac Editors Samantha Jones • Kellen Sharp Photo Editors Kalli Anderson • Tealin Robinson Graphics Editors Max Homstad • Channing Smith Multimedia Editor Ethan Huskey Science Editor Tyler Fox Life & Style Editor Colleen Muraca Copy Chiefs Dana Brandt • Kayla Huynh • Emily Johnson Social Media Managers Zoe Klein • Abby Friday Special Pages Haley Sirota • Erin Jordan

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Managers Daniel Devkalis • Kyven Lee Advertising Managers Ally Moore • Daniel Tryba Nicholas Dotson The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be word processed and must include contact information. No anonymous letters will be printed. All letters to the editor will be printed at the discretion of The Daily Cardinal. Letters may be sent to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.

Editorial Board Sammy Gibbons • Sam Nesovanovic Izzy Boudnik • Samantha Jones Savannah McHugh • Justine Spore Haley Sirota • Jake Price

Board of Directors Herman Baumann, President Sammy Gibbons • Sam Nesovanovic Mike Barth • Barry Adams Phil Hands • Don Miner Nancy Sandy • Jennifer Sereno Scott Girard • Alex Kusters

For the record Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an email to editor@dailycardinal.com.

Why do we salt our roads in the winter? Sarah L.

JEFF MILLER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Chemical equations are written on a chalkboard mounted in the hallway of the Chemistry Building at UW-Madison.

CLARK XU STAFF WRITER Leading discoveries in energy production emerge from the collaboration between Chemistry and Chemical Engineering labs at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. UW Professors Ive Hermans and Manos Mavrikakis will receive national recognition for their catalysis research at the American Chemical Society 2019 Expo in Orlando, Florida on March 31. Hermans will receive the Ipatieff Prize. Hermans’ aspiration for his research group over the next few years is to make further improvements in the catalysts that facilitate chemical reactions at power plants and refineries across the world. “Ipatieff was a Russian immigrant to the U.S. in the 1930s. He started working at a company near Chicago called UOP where he made an important breakthrough in the production of synthetic fuel,” Hermans said. Ipatieff’s process turned raw oil into high octane fuel, such as the Octane 100 which powers airplanes. “It is claimed that this superior fuel was one of the reasons the RAF was able to best German planes during the Battle of Britain, and turn the course of WWII,” Hermans continued. In times of peace, catalysis research has industrial applications in the efficient production of various consumer goods from oil and natural gas. The alkanes in natural

gas, such as propane and ethanol, are the raw material for a wide range of useful products. The lab recently arrived at an important breakthrough when they discovered another catalyst for the oxidation of propane to propylene. Research currently focuses on understanding the mechanisms of this reaction to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and increase catalyst selectivity for propylene as a fuel gas. In addition, Hermans’ lab studies the coupling of ethanol molecules to make butadiene, the synthetic rubber in car tires. “Fuels and polymers like plastic and fibers define our current standard of living. How can we produce those chemicals in a sustainable way?” Hermans said. Mavrikakis will receive the Gabor A. Somorjai Award for Creative Research in Catalysis. His lab employs methods in computational chemistry, including quantum mechanics and computerized algorithms, to understand the role of catalysts in chemical reactions with industrial applications. Working alongside Mavrikakis are post-doctoral researchers Tibor Szilvasi, Thomas Kropp, Lang Xu, and Roberto Schimmenti. Looking back on his decision in 2016 to work with Mavrikakis, Xu said, “At that time, his computational catalysis strategy was a brand new concept for me, and I found the idea of using theoretical methods to understand how cata-

lysts function at the atomic scale very fascinating.” Somorjai is a Hungarian immigrant to the U.S. from the 1950s who contributed to the development of nanotechnology with his research on the effects that catalysts have on metal surfaces. Relating computational chemistry to the broader scientific community, Kropp said. “For a long time, computational chemistry focused on understanding experimental observations at an atomic level. Our group uses these insights to predict new materials for catalytic or sensing applications, thereby guiding experimental efforts.” With this theoretical underpinning, Mavrikakis’ personal style makes his lab a highly creative and productive hub for research. Szilvasi attested, “Professor Mavrikakis provides all the help he can so that his group members reach their goals. One can always knock on his door with any problems and he is always willing to help resolve any issues.” Xu said, “Not only does Prof. Mavrikakis’ research excellence continue to inspire me over the years, his enthusiasm for research and attention to every detail have also greatly influenced me and shaped the way I conduct my own work.” These professors build up a legacy not only in their new research, but also the researchers they mentor and teach. “The most important product of my lab is well-educated students,” said Hermans.

Road salt is a classic staple of Wisconsin winters. Road salt’s main purpose, contrary to some misconceptions, isn’t for creating more traction, but rather for preventing water from freezing on the roads by lowering the freezing point of water. Regular water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but salt water freezes at much lower temperatures. This process is called freezing point depression, and it helps our roads stay less icy and more safe when the temperatures plunge below freezing. However, road salt isn’t the greatest for our environment, as the sodium and chloride, along with other potentially toxic contaminants, leech into the ground and water (like Lake Mendota) and pollute them.

Dear Ms. Scientist, What’s the difference between tap water and bottled water? Mike M. Tap water comes from the sink or a bubbler (drinking fountain for you out-of-state folks), while bottled water is purchased from a store in a plastic bottle. Bottle water is virtually the same as tap water in most cases. They are both considered safe by United States regulation standards. Next time, think about grabbing a drink from the sink, because it’s just as good as bottled water.

The science behind abstract art perception ALEJANDRA CANALES STAFF WRITER Chances are that when you look at an image or painting, your first thoughts try to parse out or describe what you are seeing. Located on the ninth floor of the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, the Mandelbaum and Albert Family Vision Gallery serves the McPherson Eye Research Institute and the UW community with free exhibits linking the science of vision to art. The gallery’s current exhibit, which is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and runs through the end of May, is called Your Brain on Abstract Art. “Abstract art — when you actually look at it — gives you another way of looking at everything by not showing you anything in particular. It removes all the particulars and just shows you the general,” said retired UW-Madison chemist Rodney Schreiner, the exhibit’s

curator. “If you’re trying to find patterns in the world, looking at the general is better than being overwhelmed by the specifics.” The brain interprets visual information in two different ways. Through bottom-up processing, the brain takes parts of an image — like lines, edges, colors and shading — and uses that information to come to an understanding of the whole image. Those features help the brain perceive a three-dimensional object from its two-dimensional representation on the retinas in the eyes. Likewise, in representational paintings artists take advantage of those features to portray the threedimensional world within a twodimensional work. In contrast, top-down processing refers to how memories and emotions assign meaning to an image. While scientists like psychologist Karen Schloss study how and why colors affect people’s perceptions and emotions, artists attempt to tap into that uniquely

subjective experience with their work in trying to evoke a response from their audience. Representational art deliberately makes clear its subject, but Schreiner speculates that part of the barrier to engaging with abstract art comes from the frustration of not being able to satisfy the desire to see “something.” “When we look at something, the very first thing that our brain does is identify objects in space, and when you look at abstract art, it’s not there,” said Schreiner. “You can develop an appreciation for abstract art by noticing how you react, and if you look at enough abstract art you can associate the way you feel with a particular feature in the artwork.” Your Brain on Abstract Art features work from Chuck Bauer, Brian Besch, Pamela Callahan, Sue Jachimiec, Sue Johnson, Sandra Peterson, Trent Miller, Judith, Mjaanes, Ben Orozco and Rick Ross. Each of

these artists has a connection to UW-Madison, and the arrangement of their work is meant to highlight the contrast between their styles, use of color and draw attention to emotions that contrast evokes. Additionally, the titles of the artworks are displayed on folded-over cards to emphasize how cues from top-down processing, like specific words, affect the experience of viewing and interpreting abstract art. Schreiner also believes that the scientists rushing along this hallway on the way to their research labs could learn from their experience with this exhibit. “I believe it’s helpful for scientists in particular to look at what they see and not see it immediately as what they think it is,” said Schreiner. “Artists do this — and I think scientists need to do it too — to look at your observations and feel yourself observing these things.”

news dailycardinal.com

Thursday, Feburary 28, 2019

UW-Madison women of color take center stage at awards In 2019, a woman’s place is not in the kitchen nor in a daycare center, but wherever she wants to be. At UW-Madison, there are thousands of female students succeeding in academics as well as professors and researchers who continue to contribute to campus and the community. This is the 150th year of women graduating from UW-Madison and the 11th of recognizing women of color with the Outstanding Women of Color Awards. Over the years, more than 50 women have been honored. “This award was established to supplement the UW System award honoring outstanding women of color,” said Dr. Cheryl Gittens, the assistant vice provost of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement. “Therefore, each year, one of the UW-Madison honorees are also selected to receive the UW System award.” The recognition also serves as a reminder of the history of gender and racial inequality on campus. In fact, the university only admit-

ted male students for years after its doors opened in 1848. It was not until the 1860s when six women became the first to receive undergraduate degrees. Even then, controversy erupted when the Board of Regents decided to award them the same degree as their male counterparts. Back then, female students could only attend the Normal School, which had a separate curriculum, and could not be admitted to all departments. They were not allowed to study alongside male students until 1872. Fifty years after the first six white women graduated, Mabel Watson Raimey — the first black woman to receive a UW-Madison degree — graduated in 1918. Now women of color at UW-Madison are not only students but professors, researchers and leaders. As a historically white institution, UW-Madison has taken steps, including giving awards, to celebrate outstanding people of color. The tradition of celebrating outstanding women on campus dates back to 2007-08. These women are dedicated to the campus and local community through their hard work,

outreach and impact. “The recognition reception honors exemplary women on campus and in the local community who have made significant impact and contributions to scholarship, research and service,” Gittens said. This year’s honorees include assistant professor Bianca Baldridge, graduate student Mariela Quesada Centeno, associate professor Jennifer Young Choe Edgoose, academic support coordinator Melissa Metoxen and professor Cherene Sherrard-Johnson. The reception provides an opportunity to network and formally acknowledge the honorees. According to Gittens, both Chancellor Rebecca Blank and Deputy Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion Patrick Sims will formally give accolades to the honorees. Each woman will share their stories. The 12th Annual UW-Madison Outstanding Women of Color Reception will be held March 5, 5-7:30 p.m. at the Pyle Center. The school invites all to celebrate the diversity and achievements that these women have contributed and accomplished.

ing North Carolina’s GOP gerrymander, Rucho v. Common Cause, before the U.S. Supreme Court. Many Democratic representatives have advocated for Gov. Evers proposal. “In 2011, Assembly and Senate Republicans drew maps in secret with a partisan advantage of 64-35 seats in the State Assembly,” Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, said. “And for the past eight years, lawmakers have pushed through laws and policies that are out of line with the majority of Wisconsinites.” A recent Marquette Law Poll also found that 72 percent of voters support nonpartisan redistricting — a statistic Gov. Evers has referenced to support his plans. “Partisan gerrymandering is wrong when Democrats do it, and it is wrong when Republicans do it,” Rep. Robyn Vining, D-Wauwatosa, said. “Voters should get to choose their politicians, politicians should not get to choose their voters.” Sachin Chheda, Chair of the

Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, called for the Legislature’s participation in seeing Gov. Evers’ proposal through. “Governor Evers has heeded our call for moving nonpartisan redistricting reform forward, and now the Legislature must follow suit,” he said. “If they aren’t afraid of the voters, they won’t need to keep rigging the maps.” Although Gov. Evers’ intention for the Redistricting Advisory Commission emphasizes bipartisanship, many believe a joint agreement between state Democrats and Republicans to approve the commission is unlikely to happen due to political control. David Canon, political science professor at UW-Madison, reiterated the complication of this power struggle. “It is difficult to get a majority party in a state legislature to support this because it takes away that power from them and gives it to the independent commission,” Canon said. “The states that have adopted

this usually [do so] through an initiative process where the voters impose it on the state legislature.” Canon expressed his support for Evers’ effort to create this commission, but pointed to failed redistricting attempts to illustrate just how difficult it is to generate bipartisan cooperation on this issue. “Whether it’s the Democrats, back when Jim Doyle was in charge, or Republicans under Scott Walker [who] don’t want to give up that power to redraw district lines because they have been able to gain partisan advantage in the past,” Canon explained. “I strongly support the Governor’s effort to do this, I just don’t think it’s too likely to get support from the majority party in the assembly or the senate.” Members of the Republican party, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, and Senator Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, declined to comment on the proposal.

Soglin from page 1

value assessments. The developers are also major contributors to Mayor Soglin’s campaign, the complaint alleges. The complaint ultimately argues that Soglin’s complicit and seemingly influenced behavior in the property assessment practices violates multiple ethics codes, failing to serve in the public interest. It also puts Soglin at odds with Wisconsin state legislation that requires all property to be assessed at “its fair market value.” Soglin acknowledged he met with the property developers, but he denied Doherty’s allegations. A City of Madison Ethics Board meeting is scheduled for Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. The board will determine whether a breach in the code of ethics in the city ordinances occurred and if there is enough evidence to substantiate the complaint. If the Ethics Board finds a violation, Soglin could face further penalties.

By Tiffany Huang STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDY MANIS

Above are previous winners of last year’s Oustanding Women of Color Awards. This year’s nominees will be honored at a ceremony this upcoming March 5.

Evers’ new proposal calls for redrawing of voting districts By Michael Bogaards STAFF WRITER

In an effort to combat gerrymandering across the state, Gov. Tony Evers proposed creating a non-partisan commission to redraw legislative and Congressional district boundaries on Tuesday. The proposal intends to form a non-partisan Redistricting Advisory Commission made up of five members, four of whom would be appointed by the majority speakers and minority leaders of the assembly and the senate. The fifth member would be chosen by the four other elected commissioners. Gov. Evers cited the 2011 redistricting maps — which have been challenged for unconstitutional gerrymandering — as evidence for the need to create the new commission to redraw district boundaries

UW from page 1 As one of the top students in his high school, Coleman got a tuition scholarship of $128 a semester, which allowed him to attend college. While an undergraduate, he was also the chairman of the student organization Alliance of Black Students.

“Another notable alum is Milton Coleman — a former senior editor of The Washington Post.”

“It really opened my eyes,” Coleman said in reference to his time at UW-Milwaukee. His efforts at The Washington Post devoted more coverage to Latin and other ethnic minorities to increase representation in the media.

in the state. Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause Wisconsin — a nonpartisan, grassroots organization aiming to serve the public interest — explained one potential difference between this redistricting and the previous one is that public input will be emphasized during the drawing process. “Unlike the single, one-day public hearing that was held in 2011 for the consideration of the gerrymandered voting maps, this reform measure calls for a public hearing to be held in each of Wisconsin’s eight congressional districts so that the public will have ample opportunity to weigh in on the voting maps drawn by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau,” Heck said. On Mar. 26, Common Cause will be participating in a lawsuit challengColeman came to be known as a active supporter of diversity. “All of that came together at UW-Milwaukee,” Coleman said. “It sort of said that college can be the formative years of your life. It certainly is what I remember from my experience.” Kimberley Motley, another UW-Milwaukee alum, became the first foreign attorney to litigate in Afghanistan’s Criminal Courts in 2008. Motley left her position in the State of Wisconsin’s Public Defender’s Office for a nine-month program to train Afghan lawyers. During her time overseas, Motley spoke with many people, ranging from business owners to incarcerated individuals. These conversations convinced her to stay. “Laws meant to protect them were being underused, while gross and illegal punitive measures were overused,” Motley said. Motley witnessed “unjustness”

firsthand in the case of young Naghma Mohammad, who was negotiated as the price of a debt her father acquired. Naghma was going to be forcefully married to a man 15 years older than her. In representing 6-year-old Naghma, Motley saved her from the arranged marriage and had all the men involved in making the decision sign a document acknowledging what they did was illegal, and if they did it again they would go to prison.

Millions of dollars may have been lost in revenue. Commercial property developers are reported to have met with Soglin on May 8, 2018, to “exert influence on him to return to the prior poor commercial property assessment practices which greatly benefited them,” according to the complaint.

“African-American students comprised only 2.6 percent of the UW System graduating cohort in the last academic year.”

“The complaint argues that Soglin’s complicit and seemingly influenced behavior in the property assessment practices violates multiple ethics codes, failing to serve the public interest.”

“The laws are ours — no matter what your ethnicity, nationality, gender, race they belong to us,” Motley said.

This followed shortly after the implementation of the higher

arts

4 • Thursday, February 28, 2019

dailycardinal.com

Scott’s ‘ASTROWORLD’ electrifies Milwaukee By Carl Zabat MUSIC COLUMNIST

Travis Scott has built a reputation as one of hiphop’s definitive musicians. While his studio music and his live shows have become memes, both are no joke: ASTROWORLD was one of the best hip-hop albums in 2018 and his recent tour, “A S T R O WO R L D -W I S H YOU WERE HERE TOUR 2,” stopped in Milwaukee’s sold-out Fiserv Forum last weekend to prove he is nothing less than an electrifying performer. On Friday night, Scott performed a 32-song setlist that reached all corners of his career thus far. ASTROWORLD cuts made up 14 of those, with the whole album getting played save for three tracks. In addition, he performed five songs from his second album, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, and three more from his mainstream d e b u t , Rodeo. The remaining 10 songs spanned long-hidden gems and feature verses on other artists’ tracks. Scott exploded on stage with A S T R OWO R L D ’s opening tracks “STARGAZING” and “CAROUSEL.” Scott’s main stage featured a circular screen directly behind him and two smaller rectangular screens displayed higher up on each side, but to open the show, he surprisingly emerged from the B-stage on the other side of the general admission pit to fire, smoke and lasers.

The remaining 10 songs spanned long-hidden gems and feature verses on other artists’ tracks.

As someone who was sitting directly behind the B-stage halfway up the first level, this was a real treat, and the rest of the audience enjoyed it just as much. The Fiserv Forum’s seating is very elevated, resulting in uninterrupted views all the way around, and Scott utilized his arena status to reach everyone. Just when I thought he couldn’t bring the energy any higher after his opening two songs, he strapped into a circular track and rode it all 360 degrees around. After he got off, guests got to do it themselves

for almost half of the show. In the latter half of the show, projector sheets periodically ascended and descended to give those in seating bonus visuals and camera angles. Then, to the rocky instrumental of “Piss On Your Grave” toward the end of the show, a horizontal roller coaster track lowered from the ceiling as Scott rode and rapped with a guest right next to him. While there was no live band in sight, the mixing of many of the songs was crisp and clean, particularly “Piss On Your Grave,” which sounded as live as Scott’s vocals. Against smoke machines fizzing and pyrotechnics booming, some songs took a moment

COURTESY OF Billboard

for me to find the groove and decipher what was playing, but it was often worth the brief audio setback for the spectacular sensory overload. As far as ASTROWORLD songs, “BUTTERFLY EFFECT” and “CAN’T SAY” were highlights to experience live, and “goosebumps” from BITTSM blew me away. I had wished to see a couple of other older cuts like “Oh My Dis Side” and “pick up the phone,” but Scott still catered to many of his longtime and dedicated fans with songs from his Days Before Rodeo and Owl

Pharaoh mixtapes.

While there was no live band in sight, the mixing of many of the songs was crisp and clean, particularly “Piss On Your Grave” which sounded as live as Scott’s vocals. Sheck Wes was the sole opener of the night, performing a short set on the front platform with a rectangular screen behind him providing a little lighting in the dark Forum. Wes is in the beginning of his career, and his set reflected that, focusing largely on the hooks to songs from his debut album, Mudboy, like “Live Sheck Wes Die Sheck Wes” and “Kyrie.” As an opener, Wes was constrained by a smaller platform and less visual magic but didn’t have some of the live chops I expected. His flows are already basic (but o f t e n effective), yet he performed many of them a capella to end a song. This resulted in many incomplete vignettes that were part beathook breakdown and part disappointing verse. However, Wes stepped up to the challenge of performing his smash hit “Mo Bamba” to a crowd that wanted nothing more than to scream the lyrics back to him. The ending of the night, though, was the real highlight of popular music: Even bigger than “Mo Bamba” in 2018 was Scott’s last song, “SICKO MODE.” The entire night led up to this, a song so popular it provided just a little solace to the bore of Maroon 5 at the Super Bowl. Scott went allout with his audience straight away from the distinct opening notes, through the hypnotic beat change and straight on until the very last snare hit at the end of the song.

COURTESY OF Pulse Media Board

Travis Scott performed in Milwaukee as part of “ASTROWORLD WISH YOU WERE HERE TOUR 2” with Sheck Wes as the opening act.

COURTESY OF CID Entertainment

YTG graced Madison this past Friday at the Sylvee to play funky tunes.

Young the Giant fills Sylvee with energy, blending their new and nostalgic tunes By Sam jones ALMANAC EDITOR

Grown-up middle school angsters, tenured millennials and adult hipsters alike met at the Sylvee this past Saturday to jam out with Young the Giant, who kicked off their Mirror Master tour at the end of January. The openers, Sure Sure, were fresh and funky, the highlight being their notorious cover of Talking Heads’ “This Must Be the Place.” The self-proclaimed experimental pop band closed out their easy-listening set and the once-patiently waiting crowd got antsy. This was alleviated, however, when the lights dropped and YTG jumped directly into the ambient “Oblivion.” Sameer Gadhia’s vocals drilled into the crowd, booming in the audience’s chests as they planted themselves on stage. The drawn-out, vocalheavy hit from the Octoberdropped “Mirror Master” was followed by the hearty and unreserved “Something to Believe In” that gave everyone in the crowd a reason to dance, and the poppy, light, unadulterated “Heat of the Summer.” YTG then slowed down their set a bit with the punky and nostalgic “Apartment” and the sweet and light “Titus Was Born.” “Brother’s Keeper” and a cover of Radiohead’s “No Surprises” offered a bit of heart rate fluctuation relief, and Gadhia’s falsetto-heavy rendition of “Firelight” was distressingly beautiful, complete with shaky lights supplied by the crowd. The booming and candid “Amerika” then filled the venue in a hypnotic way, adequately setting up the vibe for their classic “Cough Syrup.” It had everyone feeling like they were a far-too-young-to-relate-torunning-away-from-a-missed-

fortune-preteen again and could only be described as pure, wholesome bliss. Their set was continued by the throbbing “Mind Over Matter,” which was complete with sympathetic stomps and head-banging across the board. The funky dance break induced “Nothing’s Over” and beats that had the audience shockingly begging for MORE cowbell. “Call Me Back” then pulsated the venue, forcing the crowd to ride the almost orgasmic wave of the song for their false ending. As anti-climactic as this false ending was, since it was extremely clear that they had no intentions of stopping due to their sustained energy and the lack of iconic tracks, it still rocked my frickin’ socks off. The spunky “Superposition” and sharp “Tightrope” had everyone’s feet in a trance, only to be followed by the electrifying “Silvertongue. Unsurprisingly, YTG ended their set with the flashy and stimulating “My Body.” Overall, the concert was evocative, triggering memories of my youth filled with their EP and forced me to fully recognize their musical transformation from the raw “Young the Giant” to soulful “Mind Over Matter” to funky “Home of the Strange” and now to the unapologetic “Mirror Master.” Their set was a perfect compilation of works from all four albums, cohesively flowing between new and nostalgic. As a longtime fan of YTG, this concert was a perfect representation of my own personal transition from youth to early adulthood, capturing the shift from the discomfort to the security that can be found in vulnerability. And with a largely student audience, I am sure this was not particularly novel.

opinion dailycardinal.com

Thursday, February 28, 2019 5 l

The Green New Deal: Admirable but flawed SAM JONES almanac editor

BETSY OSTERBERGER/The Daily Cardinal

UW’s lack of sidewalk salt this winter endangers all students.

UW, can you pass the sidewalk salt? DANA MUNRO opinion writer

think we all know the feeling. You’re walking to class and minding your own business when you find that you’ve lost your footing, your phone has slipped out of your pocket and is taking your earbuds and ears down with it. Suddenly, you’re facing the sky and praying you didn’t break a bone. We all slip on the ice once in a while, but I have never seen as many spills as I have this winter in Madison. I’ve heard stories of students slipping down ramps, stairs and more, leading to everything from sprained ankles to dislocated shoulders. The list of injuries is far too long.

Snow on the ground is putting students and faculty in harm’s way.

However, there is one easy and cheap remedy that the maintenance team has dropped the ball on: salt! I’ve seen almost no salt around the campus, and if it does end up being distributed, it tends to be a few days after snowfall, enough time for more than a few students to fall. I knew this issue couldn’t just be my imagination fooling me, so I asked the director of University Health Services, Dr. Bill Kinsey, if he’d noticed it as well. “We’ve definitely seen an above average number of muscular and skeletal injuries on campus due to

falls on the ice,” he told me. Of course, the maintenance team certainly has their hands full during the winter months, but the amount of untreated snow and ice on the ground is putting students and faculty in harm’s way and should be the top priority of facilities workers and management. Even if students aren’t seriously injured, many are needing to miss class to get assessed at UHS or even the University Hospital after falling. According to the National Floor Safety Institute (yes, it’s a thing), “Slips and falls ... represent the primary cause of lost days from work.” While the hilly terrain UW-Madison is built on is lovely, it makes students rushing to class even more prone to slip. The places that salt is distributed tend to be flat surfaces, but oftentimes staircases and hilly sidewalks are neglected when they should be the first places salted after snowfall. The slippery ground doesn’t just endanger students and passersby, it endangers the school as well. Students and parents have legal rights to sue the school due to on campus injuries. Many people who believe their falls were caused by unsafe sidewalks and steps can resort to suing landowners who don’t salt or shovel their property. UW, for your sake and ours, please take all precautions to ensure your students are safe and healthy. And in the meantime, students, strap on your skates because you never know what the next walk will bring. Dana Munro is a junior majoring in theater. Have you fallen this winter? What are your thoughts on the university’s winter cleanup efforts? Send all of your comments and thoughts to opinion@dailycardinal.com

’m just going to say it: Americans have no idea what the “Green New Deal” calls for. With the snazzy new name that holds the same connotations of the mainstream environmentalism movement, how could it NOT be the perfect gateway to renewable and clean energy? As great as the document is at stuffing the liberal agenda into one seemingly tightly-packed sausage of ideas, it is actually pretty sporadic and won’t lead to positive reforms to tackle the issue of human-induced climate change. Introduced by Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts on Feb. 7, the “Green New Deal” adequately takes responsibility for the United States’ historic role in contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, but the portrayal of the proposition has not been transparent in the media. Modeled after FDR’s “New Deal,” this document hopes to seize the same opportunity to “create millions of good, high-wage jobs,” “provide unprecedented levels of prosperity and economic security for all people” and “counteract systemic injustices.” Oof. The document also includes a laundry list of other ideas, with goals of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, investing in sustainable infrastructure, securing clean air, water and healthy food for all Americans and providing protection for “frontline and vulnerable communities” that include indigenous peoples, communities of color, women and other individuals that have historically been systematically disadvantaged.

Even the small number of specific goals listed, such as overhauling the transportation sector via clean public transit and instituting high speed rails, or cleaning up hazardous waste sites in hopes of spurring economic development on this land, seem to be too lofty and vague to install at a national level. Never-ending lists in a single document will not be effective. It doesn’t help that the content of the lists feels random. They also cater solely to the far-left wing of the party — there are few parts of the Green New Deal that are likely to appeal to Republicans. Sure, the document lays out the economic implications of climate change, which would normally be a good pull factor for the right, but upon taking a closer look, the most jarring part of this document is the amount of resolutions listed that do not seen to be directly tied to sustainability and curbing climate change. The already-complicated proposition became even more convoluted when the US Green Party added to the original document, thus creating what we now know as the “Green New Deal.” The Green Party added off-topic and unrelated resolutions like cutting military spending significantly, complete student loan forgiveness and tuition-free college, a Medicare-for-all program and even repealing the Patriot Act. Such ideas were not proposed by Rep. OcasioCortez or Sen. Merkley, but given that they are the faces of the document, they must now own up to all components of it. Thus it is no surprise that AOC is taking the most heat for the Green New Deal, given she is arguably the most-demonized politician by the right in the current media landscape.

Conservative news outlets are calling the “Green New Deal” “economically destructive,” “job-killing” and have even gone so far as to say that, if implemented, “we’d all be poverty stricken and America would be turned into a Third World basket case.” While these criticisms are harsh, and the last wildly offensive, there are many questions left up in the air regarding this proposition, such as the choice to encompass the whole liberal agenda at a national level in one document, rather than attempting to institute smaller legislation regarding climate change mitigation. If it was known that the document would be controversial, why was OcasioCortez chosen as the face of this proposal, given her massive following? And finally, while the whole point of the “Green New Deal” is to start fighting climate change as soon as possible, why introduce it now, when the president and numerous members of the Republican Party refuse to believe climate change research? Overall, I believe that at the surface level, the “Green New Deal” does a great job recognizing the widespread, pervasive effects of climate change and the United States’ massive role in contributing to it — and thus responsibility to mitigate these effects, but lacks the clarity, bipartisanship and reasonable funding to achieve such lofty goals. Sam Jones is a sophomore studying journalism, with certificates in environmental studies and developmental economics. What do you think about the “Green New Deal”? Do you agree with the way the proposed bill has been portrayed in the media? Send all of your questions, thoughts and comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

KATIE SCHEIDT/THE DAILY CARDINAL

The “Green New Deal” recognizes the issue of climate change, but it falls short in policy proposals.

comics

6 • Thursday, February 28, 2019

dailycardinal.com

Today’s Sudoku

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

Midterm Week

By Liqu Sheng graphics@dailycardinal.com

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Across 1. Work hard 5. Nautical pole 10. Something to make at night and break in the morning 14. Green Gables girl 15. Terse verse 16. ___ about (roughly) 17. Adhere to formalities 20. Metered ride 21. “I’m ___ here!” 22. Must 23. “Either you do it, ___ will!” 24. Mr. Hyde’s creator, initially 25. Smoke, for short 26. Talk foolishly 27. Like many windshields 29. Outlaws 30. Richmond-toD.C. dir. 31. Sin city 32. “Sesame Street” resident 33. Rice VIP 34. Be indifferent to, as an insult 37. Sibilant “Hey!” 40. Itar-___ 41. “___ my place” (reader’s lament) 45. NYSE event 46. Porn

47. Familiar with 48. Bert Bobbsey’s twin 49. Levy 50. Speed meas. 51. Côte-___ (French department) 52. Seinfeld’s goofy pal 54. Swiss capital 55. May time (abbr.) 56. Summon one’s nerve 59. Muslim priest 60. Colorful Apples 61. Algerian seaport 62. Promontory 63. Super stars 64. Sobbed Down 1. San Diego Chicken et al. 2. City east of Los Angeles 3. Trapped 4. Actor Cariou 5. Word of obligation 6. Bottoms 7. Costa ___ 8. Likable prez? 9. Enter, as one’s driveway 10. Arrive 11. Painkiller 12. Butte locale 13. Use a crowbar on

18. Musical scale sequence 19. Lines of thought? 25. Atkins dieter’s concern 28. Civil wrong 29. Beauty lover 32. Boyfriends 33. Remove from the manuscript 35. West Indies island belonging mostly to Fr. Guadeloupe 36. Hindu god incarnated as Krishna 37. Cocktail with bitters and no ice 38. “No details, please!” 39. Beethoven’s “Appassionata” et al. 42. “Probably...” 43. Temporary substitute 44. Deluge 46. Dance move 47. Was revolting 50. Hajji’s destination 53. Fall bloomers 54. Wally’s little brother, for short 57. Med. care plan 58. Use the oars

Antisemasaurus By Channing Smith graphics@dailycardinal.com

Guy Who Really Loves Snow

By Max Homstad graphics@dailycardinal.com

almanac dailycardinal.com

Thursday, February 28, 2019

Trump Pilots Pre-K ‘Trump Hotel Junior’ By Haley Bills and Nick Rawling THE DAILY CARDINAL

In an effort to respond to Elizabeth Warren’s progressive child care proposal, President Donald Trump has presented “Trump Hotel Junior,” a pre-K program for prepubescent patriots. When introducing the idea, Trump highlighted the program’s language classes: Students are taught to speak English and to arrest and interrogate anyone who is speaking a different language. Further, the curriculum extends only until the

children become semi-literate, and involves “as little [reading] as possible.” But the program isn’t just limited to language acquisition. Students learn science, taught by Mike Pence himself, through lessons of creationism, climate change skepticism and the healing powers of electroshock therapy. For playtime, some young patriots are encouraged to construct walls with playing blocks made of American steel. (Children are strictly instructed to build on the border between the daycare and the neighbor-

ing Mexican restaurant.) While the young boys are building the wall, the girls are separately taught the qualities of an “ideal” woman. They are given clothes for dress-up, raising their aspirations to one day become a beauty pageant star or a playboy model. Additionally, female students are not allowed to run for class president. Attempting to undo Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign, the daycare provides the children’s favorite food: McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King. In the cafeteria, the staff enforce a strict “no-sharing” policy in order

instill selfish neo-liberal ideals. The students with the richest fathers get the most food. Parents need not fear the scourge of gun violence in modern American schools: If ever there was an active shooter, Trump has promised to “run in there” to pacify the situation. Presuming that Trump’s supporters will no longer back the program when they realize it must be funded by tax dollars, Warren said she was “unphased” by the proposal. For now, MAGA children and their overbearing parents will just have to stick to terror-

GRAPHIC BY SAM JONES

The program is in a skyscraper to make the poor children feel worse. izing their classmates in their private, overpriced preschools.

Melanin Speaking Small Talks: The Greek Goddess, Hera By Fatoumata Ceesay MELANIN SPEAKING CONTRIBUTR

Artist Statement: These photos are part of a larger project (I hope) that deals with Greek gods and goddesses and incorporates black bodies into their stories. The first one (the one featured) is the goddess Hera, who was known as the goddess of marriage and birth. She is also linked to peacocks, which is why they are featured in the photos. I wanted to fuse together classical and contemporary photography with this project, and I hope the three photos can illustrate some of that.

FATOUMATA CEESAY/MELANIN SPEAKING

Avoid busting your a**: Expert’s guide to non-slipping success on an icy campus By Savannah McHugh THE DAILY CARDINAL

As winter rages onward and all of us question the evertrustworthy rodent who this year predicted an early spring, snow continues to blanket our fair city in ridiculous quantities. Because Wisconsin has decided to make up for the past three years of snowlessness by dumping it all on us at once, Almanac has decided to share some of its collective, snow-proof wisdom with its loyal readers: Tip #1: Wear shoes with traction! When you slip, it isn’t just because you’re a clumsy idiot, it’s because your feet don’t have any traction on the snow and/or ice. Wear some shoes with textured soles and nice warm socks, and consider purchas-

ing snow cleats if you want some extra safety points. Nobody likes a bruised tailbone. Tip #2: Waddle like a penguin! Walk with stiff legs and slap the ball of your feet against the ground, pressing down and dragging backward slightly to gain traction beneath your foot before taking another step. If walking on solid ice, walk carefully on the balls of your feet and try to slowly waddle. Coming down on your heels too quickly will cause your feet to fly out from under you. Tip #3: Walk on the snow! When faced with ice or snow, opt for the snow as it will be less smooth than the ice. If the snow is frozen solid and it seems you’re shit outta luck, refer to Tip #2.

Tip #4: Avoid smooth surfaces! Anything painted (lines in the crosswalk, painted curbs) is a death trap in slippery conditions like these. In addition, manhole covers, metal grates and the tiles in front of the Chazen are a oneway ticket to Sore-Ass-andScraped-Hands Land. Tip #5: Shovel your sidewalk! Unless you have a property manager who does it for you or are unable to do it yourself (and no, not just because you’re a lazy shit), shovel your fucking sidewalk. Unshoveled sidewalks build layers of snow and ice, creating hell for pedestrians. Shovel. Your. Sidewalk. If you can’t shovel your whole sidewalk, at least shovel a tiny walking path for anyone traversing your sidewalk.

There’s a good chance it takes less time than you think and will burn twice the calories of any Cyc class, and you get the satisfaction of knowing you did the world a favor. Go you! Tip #6: Sidewalk etiquette! Sidewalks inherently become much narrower this time of year, making it difficult to navigate in crowds. Walk single-file, not with your gaggle of blissfully unaware friends, and continue conversations when they don’t congest pathways and cause obstructions instead of stopping in the middle of everything and assuming everyone will go around you. It’s rude, selfish and makes you and your conversation partners look like contemptible idiots. Tip #7: We all fall! If you see someone take a nasty

fall nearby, help them up. If someone else helped them up, push them over and help them up again so you can take the credit. Just kidding, but really. Falling sucks, and if a simple gesture can help alleviate the suckiness and costs you nothing, consider helping your fellow ice-navigators out. Winter sucks, we know. Here at Almanac, we hope you stay safe during this icy bullshit!

COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

Articles and creative pieces featured in Almanac are entirely fictional and intended as such. Any resemblance to actual persons, events and situations is entirely intended for humorous or creative purposes and should not be taken seriously. Any comments, questions, concerns or thoughts can be sent to almanac@dailycardinal.com.

sports

dailycardinal.com

Thursday, February 28, 2019

Football

Softball

Hornibrook to transfer, starting job up for grabs By Jared Schwartz FOOTBALL BEAT WRITER

Wisconsin’s winningest quarterback in school history wants out. Senior Alex Hornibrook, who served as the Badgers’ starting quarterback the past three years, announced that he is leaving the team and intends to transfer, according to an announcement from head coach Paul Chryst Wednesday afternoon. As a graduate transfer, Hornibrook will be able to play for another school right away. Hornibrook’s decision to transfer comes at the heels of a disappointing 2018 season, in which he failed to build upon a promising 2017 campaign. After leading the Badgers to a school-best 13-1 record in 2017 and rifling off 258 passing yards and four touchdowns in UW’s Orange Bowl victory over Miami, the muchmaligned signal-caller regressed in 2018. Two inept performances against Michigan and Minnesota, where he combined to throw five interceptions, serve as a microcosm of his inability to string together quality performances. To compound his struggles on the field, Hornibrook suffered concussion symptoms sporadically all season, forcing him to miss four games. Still, Hornibrook’s career .813 winning percentage is the best of

any quarterback in school history. Hornibrook went 26-6 as a starter for the Badgers. “Alex informed us of his decision to leave the team earlier today,” Chryst said in a statement. “He contributed to a lot of our recent success and we want to thank him for all he did for our program. We wish him the best of luck.” Hornibrook’s decision to leave the program cuts a crowded starting quarterback battle to two. Fans will be intrigued at the thought of starting freshman Graham Mertz, the highly touted four-star recruit. A Mission, Kansas native, Mertz was the No. 3 ranked pro-style quarterback in the class of 2019, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Mertz capped off his high school career by winning the Gatorade Kansas player of the year award while throwing for a state-record 51 touchdown passes. If that wasn’t enough, Mertz further dazzled fans in the All-American Bowl, where he claimed the MVP and threw for a bowl-record five touchdown passes. Sophomore Jack Coan, who started four games in place of an injured Hornibrook for the Badgers in 2017, is Mertz’s biggest competition to start at quarterback in 2019. Coan, who travelled to Madison after setting Suffolk County records in Sayville, New York, showed

Be one in a million. Join a research effort with one million or more people nationwide to create a healthier future for all of us.

allofus.wisc.edu/dc

flashes of his potential in his limited on-field experience. Coan struggled in his first two career starts, resulting in losses to Northwestern and Penn State, respectively. However, Coan reached his summit during a 44-43 triple-overtime win at Purdue. Coan led the Badgers to a 14 point comeback late in the fourth quarter, throwing two touchdown passes to Danny Davis. Coan had little to do in UW’s 35-3 Pinstripe Bowl win over Miami, going 6-for11 for just 73 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The Badgers are set to start spring practice on March 26, now with a head-to-head clash for starting quarterback. Mertz enrolled in classes early, meaning he is already on campus and ready to participate in spring practices a semester earlier than most freshmen. The starting quarterback decision likely revolves around Mertz’s readiness to come in and start right away, and UW’s willingness to hand a true freshman the most important role on the field. Mertz represents perhaps the most exciting prospect to ever join the Badgers. However, Coan has a year more experience and has shown glimpses of playing at a high level. That’s not a terrible dilemma to have.

$25 Cash

CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

All-Big Ten sophomore pitcher Haley Hestekin leads Wisconsin in innings pitched this year, propelling the Badgers to a school-record 13-1 start.

Young stars lead for Badgers in record start By Andrew Guckes and Cameron Lane-Flehinger THE DAILY CARDINAL

After graduating five seniors from a team that produced a respectable 29-23 record in 2018, Wisconsin softball head coach Yvette Healy came into the season with an optimism that suggested more was yet to come from the Badgers. “There are a lot of players within the program looking to make big strides forward. It’ll be really fun to watch some new faces take their turn,” Healy said. Wisconsin lost a combined 683 games of experience with the departures of Kelsey Jenkins, Brianna Flugaur, Brooke Wyderski, Samantha Arents and Mariah Watts. However, the Badgers entered 2019 with a promising mix of returning starters and young talent, along with two highly-regarded juniors looking to make their first impact on the program. “We need some more hitters surrounding the meat of the lineup after graduating Kelsey Jenkins and Brooke Wyderski,” Healy said. “That was a ton of offensive output from last year,” she added. Three weeks into the season, Wisconsin has made good on Healy’s optimism with what is — by many measures — the best start in program history. After an early loss to Texas Tech on the second day of the season, the Badgers have ripped off 10 straight wins, the fourthlongest winning streak in program history. They now sit at 13-1, the deepest one-loss start to a season the team has ever had. The Badgers entered the season with a couple of fresh faces with the potential to generate big offensive numbers, and so far they’ve delivered beyond expectations. Junior catcher Kayla Konwent struggled with injuries during her first two years in Madison, but she’s well on her way to

making that a distant memory with her torrid start this season. Playing mostly as an infielder so far in 2019, Konwent has lead the team with a .923 slugging percentage and .596 on-base percentage. Both marks rank in the top 20 nationally for players with at least 10 games played. Pitcher Caroline Hedgcock, the 2016 MaxPreps National High School Player of the Year, transferred from Arkansas this year, and though she’s seen just nine innings on the mound, she’s managed to make her presence felt off the rubber. Two of the Badger’s most exciting returning starters are sophomores. Pitcher Haley Hestekin and third basemen Taylor Johnson, both All-Big Ten freshman selections last year, have built on fantastic freshman campaigns. Johnson ranks third on the team with a .426 on-base percentage, while Hestekin has been Wisconsin’s workhorse with a team-leading 38.1 innings pitched. Junior Kaitlyn Menz and Freshman Maddie Schwartz have backed up Hestekin with outstanding numbers in more limited innings, as both pitchers sport an ERA below 1.0. Healy said that the key to success with such a young team is finding a way in which each player can step up and fill a role. “It’s never easy at the beginning but luckily were a pretty patient staff,” she joked. “So were excited to teach and coach them around,” Healy said. Having set multiple program records already with their hot start, the Badgers are set to put up many more throughout the season — including a chance at a record-setting third-straight NCAA sectional appearance. “We’re talking about playing good softball. And hopefully in May we’re a better team than we are opening weekend,” Healy said. If that’s the case, the Badgers will truly be a force to be reckoned with.