Thursday, February 3, 2022 by The Daily Cardinal

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Cancel culture +OPINION, page 3

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Thursday, February 3, 2022

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Elections are coming up in Wisconsin By Ian Wilder STAFF WRITER

The 2022 midterm elections are shaping up to be pivotal in deciding the future of politics in Wisconsin. With a couple key victories, Republicans could assume full control of the state government for the next few years. At the same time, Democrats are trying to maintain their seat at the negotiating table through the key reelection of incumbent Gov. Tony Evers. Gov. Evers is not being challenged by anyone from within his party for the nomination. In the highly unlikely case that a Democrat did choose to run for the nomination, Evers’ campaign, which will likely center around his positively viewed handling of the pandemic and Wisconsin’s historic low unemployment rate, will be a hard one to beat. There is strong competition in the bid for the Republican Governor nomination. The gubernatorial race is the key for Republicans to gain control of the state government, and it is therefore a highly anticipated race within the party to decide who will be best suited to run against Evers. One of the frontrunners in the Republican party is Rebecca Kleefisch, who was Lieutenant Governor for eight years under former Gov. Scott Walker who lost to Evers back in 2018. Some wonder whether or not Walker’s loss will loom over Kleefisch’s electoral chances. Kleefisch has, however, received a few endorsements, most notably

from Republican Assembly leader likely to lead to an expensive primary There are two seats in Washington Robin Vos. and general election in the guberna- D.C. that have opened up or are Very recently Marine vet- torial race. up for reelection; Wisconsin’s 3rd eran Kevin Nicholson joined the Two less-known Republicans are district’s seat is open following the Republican primary with a bang, also running for the nomination — retirement of Democratic U.S. Rep. blaming the Republican “machine” former police officer Adam Fischer Ron Kind. Democrats will be fighting for losing the last 11 out of 12 state- and marketing consultant Jonathan to flip a U.S. Senate seat, currently wide general elections. Wichmann. Wichmann has already held by Sen. Ron Johnson, who just “We can’t take Wisconsin to new secured the endorsedof former recently announced he will be seekheights if we elect a governor from the National Security Advisor to Trump ing reelection. same, tired political class that lacks Gen. Michael Flynn. “I believe America is in peril,” the vision, ability and will to fight Sean Duffy, former U.S. wrote Johnson in an opinion piece for the future of for the Wall Street our state,” said Journal. “Much Nicholson in a as I’d like to ease statement. into a quiet retireVos had prement, I don’t feel I viously asked should.” Nicholson to Sen. Johnson is stay out of the withdrawing from race, hoping his 2016 campaign to avoid the promise not to image of messy run for reelecparty politics. tion. As far back “I think as early last year, R e b e c c a former President COURTESY OF DONKEYHOTEY/FLICKR Kleefisch is the Trump promised best situated,” Here is a preview of what canidates will be running and why at upcoming elections. his “total endorseVos said. “She ment” of Johnson. has worked the hardest. She’s been Representative from the 8th Main criticisms of Johnson surdoing this for over a year.” Congressional District in Wisconsin, round his handling of the pandemic, Although starting the race from who many expected to run after he and only 36% of Wisconsin voters behind, Nicholson is backed by was encouraged by former President approve of Johnson’s job perforRichard Uihlein, of major Illinois Trump is not showing any intention mance. As the incumbent — coupled shipping-supply and packing com- of running at this time. with the tendency of midterm elecpany Uline. Uihlein announced Early polling between only tions to favor the candidate from the in an earlier statement that “If Kleefisch and Evers showed them party that is not in the White House [Nicholson] decides to run for neck in neck, which could indicate — Johnson remains a competitive Governor, he will have my full sup- another tight fought election similar candidate for the Senate. port and commitment to win the to 2018 when Evers beat former Gov. Despite a couple of other names primary and general elections.” Scott Walker by only one percent- being floated around the Republican The major financial backing is age point. party, Johnson remains the frontrun-

ner for the Republican nomination for the Senate. Democrats on the other hand will have a wide variety of options in the Democratic primary. At the forefront of all those candidates is Wisconsin Lieutenant Gov. Mandela Barnes. At this time, his main competitor within his own party is State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski. There are at least 10 other prominent Democrats running for the nomination, but with the primary election about a half year away, it is too soon to name other strong candidates. Wisconsin’s 3rd District is drawing eyes across the nation as Republicans attempt to swing the majority in the House of Representatives. Following the retirement of Democratic incumbent Ron Kind, a few Democrats have put their name forward to run for the nomination, including Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska) and former appointee to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation board of directors Rebecca Cooke, amongst others. The only Republican to announce their candidacy for the seat as of yet is Derrick Van Orden, who previously failed to unseat incumbent Ron Kind in 2020. The 2022 Fall Partisan Primary will be held on Aug. 9, 2022, and the 2022 Fall Election will be held on Nov. 8, 2022. You can register to vote right now, online, at www.myvote. wi.gov/en-us/, by mail, or alternatively in person by contacting your local election office.

Ways to celebrate the Lunar New Year on UW campus By Madeleine Afonso STAFF WRITER

Tuesday, Feb. 1 marked the first day of the Lunar New Year and the start of the Year of the Water Tiger. The 15-day festival is celebrated by many Asian communities around the world. The Year of the Water Tiger predicts a year of big changes and symbolizes a strong, brave and confident energy for the months ahead. Lantern festivals, time to honor ancestors, family, friends, households and plenty of good food characterize this two-week long time of celebration. UW-Madison community members are invited to celebrate the Lunar New Year at events hosted by UW student organizations from Feb. 5 to Feb. 12. “In Chinese culture the Lunar New Year is all about family and good luck,” a member of the Chinese American Student Association said in

an interview with The Daily Cardinal. “During this time families will come together to enjoy a meal together, kind of like Thanksgiving here.” The association is hosting a Lunar New Year Banquet on Feb. 12 at Union South in Varsity

Hall I & II from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Food, performances and activities to celebrate the most important holiday in Chinese culture will take place. All are invited to get together with friends, family and community members at the CHASA event.

COURTESY OF IQREMIX/REGULAR

Lunar New Year has arrived, here are ways to celebrate across the UW campus!

The Vietnamese Student Association is hosting Tet , or the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, on Feb. 6. Tet is a time for people to come together as a community with family and loved ones, share meals of Banh Chung and Banh Tet, and hope for good luck and prosperity. It is also a time for reflection and making changes in preparation for the new year. “The sense of unity pervades not only the individual households, but to the entire community. This makes us feel like we are one big family sharing the same values,” VSA President Lam Nguyen told the Cardinal. The celebration will take place on Feb. 6 at Union South in Varsity Hall III from noon to 4 p.m. There will be showcases of traditional Vietnamese performances, including the Lion Dance, Non La Dance, skit on the Banh Chung origin and tra-

ditional Tet food. As Nguyen added, the Tet traditions are also a way for younger people to learn Vietnamese values and pass them on to future generations. “For example, on the first day of the new year, we would visit our paternal family. On the second we visit our maternal family, and on the third we visit our old teachers. This routine reminds us of the important ones in our lives and how we should show appreciation for them throughout the year,” Nguyen said. Other events include Setsubun, a new years celebration for the coming of spring hosted by the Japanese Student Association on Feb. 5 from 2-4 p.m. at 312 S Park St. The Malaysian Student Association is also celebrating the Lunar New Year with food at the Multicultural Student Center on Feb. 5 from noon to 4 p.m.

“…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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An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 131, Issue 15

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ASM legislation on min. wage pay increase By Jessica Sonkin STAFF WRITER

Legislation introduced by the Associated Students of Madison (ASM) will raise future student council member wages to $12 per hour if passed. Currently, ASM bylaws mandate minimum hourly wages of $10.50 for student-held positions. Governance body members address wage increases as a necessary step to improve working conditions and housing affordability. Altered bylaws suggest that student governance positions be paid a minimum of $12 per hour, according to amended wage policy bylaw edits. If approved, the edits will take effect during the 29th session of ASM, which begins on April 24. “The intent behind this legislation is to not just raise our own wages to match rising costs of living on campus but to encourage other on-campus employers to raise their own wages,” said ASM Press Office Director Tyler Katzenberger. “This is why we founded the Student Workers’ Rights Committee — we are committed to advocating for better working conditions for each student on campus. We will continue to hold the university accountable to its employees through shared governance.”

“The intent behind this legislation is ... to encourage other on-campus employers to raise their own wages.”

Tyler Katzenberger ASM Press Office Director

Katzenberger and Legislative Affairs Chair MGR

Govindarajan sponsored the legislation, according to a press release. Govindarajan cites the potential wage increase to $12 per hour as a “first step” and acknowledges that ASM is working with wages they “directly control.”

Center) staff and is within the increase amount stipulated in our bylaws,” Lampron said. Govindarajan listed the following three reasons as deciding factors for a new minimum wage of $12 per hour: 1. Student segregated fees would not be raised. 2. ASM leadership may maintain “continuity,” meaning that continued leadership can benefit incoming Student Council leaders. 3. “Some ASM leaders felt hesitant about being paid higher than others, as we work best as a team.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANA BRANDT

ASM proposed legislation that would increase their wages to boost others. “[We] are in talks with Admin and Department Directors to increase wages for their student workers and expect them to go up too,” said Govindarajan. “ASM believes that ALL students across campus should have a minimum wage of $15/hr.” Bylaw changes require two votes, one of which was passed at the January meeting, according to the press release. The Student Council will vote again at an ASM meeting on Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. CST. “A bylaw change requires two votes of Student Council,” said ASM Chair Adrian Lampron, who explained which additional steps must be taken before changing the bylaw. “After the second vote, we’ll simply edit the relevant documents.” The first vote received “14 ayes, three nays and one abstention,” according to Katzenberger. “The Student Council meet-

Recent Student Services Financial Committee (SSFC) legislation will make the proposed wage increase applicable to General Student Services Fund (GSSF) organizations as well, added Lampron. In comparison: University wage raises The wage increase was formerly proposed “when approving ASM’s Fiscal Year 2023 Internal Budget, but the ASM Student Services Finance Committee reversed this decision due to conflicts with the aforementioned bylaw.” Lampron said the current wage amendment process began this fall in Coordinating Council. “Over several conversations and meetings of the Wage Policy Subcommittee, we selected $12 an hour because it is approaching the $13.50 wage of SAC (Student Activity

Payment increases greater than 15% are prevented by bylaws, according to Govindarajan. Nevertheless, Govindarajan reiterated his belief that $15 an hour should be the minimum wage across campus. The new wage of $12 per hour would better compare to hourly wages of other positions nearby. “The $12 wage proposed in last week’s legislation compares similarly to other campus positions in UW Housing & Dining, Wisconsin Union and RecWell, most of which already pay employees somewhere between $11 and $12 or are currently weighing plans to do so,” said Katzenberger. “Additionally, the $12/hr wage brings us closer to the campus minimum wage for non-student workers and wages for off-campus employers such as Kwik Trip, both of which are at or around $15/hr.”

[Disclaimer: Katzenberger contributes to The Daily Cardinal as a staff writer.]

County to sue manufacturers who caused costs By Sarah Eidstadt FEATURES EDITOR

Dane County is pursuing a lawsuit against the makers of PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” lingering in the soil and water near the Dane County Regional Airport. A resolution introduced at Thursday’s County Board meeting allows Dane County’s counsel to join class-action litigation against the producers of PFAS, a toxic chemical. County Executive Joe Parisi believes that this lawsuit will assure that the financial responsibilities from the toxic

waste cleanup will be placed on the chemical producers, not taxpayers. “The Dane County Regional Airport faces substantial costs to investigate and remediate PFAS impacts,” Parisi said in a press release. “PFAS manufacturers made millions selling these products and we owe it to the taxpayers of Dane County to make sure they aren’t forced to pay for cleaning up the contamination. Too often big corporations make huge profits and then walk away when a problem is discovered, leaving taxpayers stuck with the clean-

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

ing had low attendance due to the fact it was the first week of classes, however I expect the next one to have more people attending. With that, I also believe the second vote will be more in favor of the wage increase,” said Govindarajan.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARCUS WONG

Dane County plans to sue PFAS manufacturers for cost of cleaning up water.

up bills.” PFAS, or Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, are widely used, long-lasting chemicals that break down slowly over time. Both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) identify PFAS as emergency contaminants. PFAS can be found in everyday products such as clothing, food packaging and cookware. Firefighting foam used for training and emergency situations is the source of PFAS found in the soil and water near Dane County Regional Airport. Besides environmental harm, PFAS have been linked to adverse health conditions including kidney and testicular cancer, low birth rates and harm to the reproductive and immune systems. The Department of Natural Resources holds Dane County, the Wisconsin National Guard and the city of Madison responsible for PFAS contamination on and around the base. Chemicals from the firefighting foam have also contaminated a

well near the airport as well as Starkweather Creek and Lake Monona, resulting in fish consumption advisories. The National Guard Bureau is conducting cleanup under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), but actual cleanup may not begin for at least a decade, according to The Wisconsin State Journal. Dane County will select an outside legal firm on a contingency basis, avoiding upfront costs and joining a national, multi-city litigation process for PFAS manufacture accountability. “Dane County joining a multijurisdictional litigation process to hold PFAS manufacturers liable for contamination would be similar to the action taken by the county against opioid manufacturers,” the press release said. Other Wisconsin cities and airports face similar PFAS contamination challenges. La Crosse sued nearly two dozen chemical companies, claiming that they failed to warn of the damaging effects their chemicals could potentially cause.

opinion Is ‘cancel culture’ a problem at UW? dailycardinal.com

By Alessandro de Novellis STAFF WRITER

When freshman CJ Wallace first read about the university’s decision to remove Chamberlin Rock, he, like many other students, was left quite confused. “I was like, ‘we’re canceling a rock?’” Initially, Wallace, like many media outlets who reported on this story, felt that actions like this were emblematic of a larger, and potentially dangerous trend that is gracing many college campuses today: “cancel culture.” Evan Gerstmann, professor of Political Science and International Relations at Loyola Marymount University, is a UW-alum who has written numerous articles on the role of cancel culture on college campuses. He believes that the phenomenon is a threat to free speech, calling it “problematic,” “unaccountable” and “anti-democratic.” “It is a culture in which you don’t dialogue on or debate someone who disagrees with you or consider the possibility that you have something to learn from them,” Gerstmann said. “You make an effort to punish them: to get them fired, to get them de-platformed, to shame them, that is the number one feature of cancel culture that’s different than say a mere protest or disagreement.” Though Chamberlin Rock is more recent, critics of “canceling” have referenced other perceived instances on the UW-campus as emblematic of the culture. These

Thursday, February 3, 2022

range from a student-led petition for the removal of the school’s famous Abe Lincoln statue to when a grad student was forced to resign from her teaching posi-

ly holding people accountable for the words they put out.” Like McWhorter suggests, we ought to look beyond the headlines and to question the purpose

be removed. Yeah. discourage that behavior.” McWhorter believes that her activism isn’t some form of “cancel culture,” but rather functions

PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER

tion after it was made clear she’d been lying about her race. Nalah McWhorter, the president of the Black Student Union who was instrumental in pushing for many of these changes, believes simply referring to the work she and other students have done as “cancel culture” negates the importance of the conversation surrounding why they did it in the first place. “I think it’s really a way of holding people accountable but also making sure that they understand where they went wrong,” McWhorter said. “Society is real-

behind the work of her and all the other students who pushed for the change. For example, Wallace, who initially was skeptical of the rock’s removal, revealed his perspective on the issue had changed once discovering the rock’s unfortunate nickname, “N*ggerhead,” exposed in a 1925 Wisconsin State Journal article. “If I was on campus, and I heard that name being referred to this rock, that’s not okay,” Wallace said. “If the behavior of the students isn’t getting corrected, then maybe the rock should

as a means of changing the narrative for students of color on campus and amplifying their voice, an assertion that Gerstmann surprisingly agreed on. “They are using a process, they’re accountable, they’re making good arguments,” Gerstmann explained. “The absolute core of what I consider cancel culture, the problematic cancel culture, is its punitive aspect … this has none of those features.” The work these students did has helped kickstart the slow process of the school dealing with its complex history with

race and revealed areas that need to be addressed to make the campus a more welcoming place. Even the University faced being “canceled” after a homecoming video featuring only white students went viral. “Ultimately, they are the ones that need to be held accountable,” McWhorter said of the school’s administration. “I wanted to put pressure on them to make sure that they’re setting the tone for how students should act and how inclusive on their campus is.” The pushback McWhorter and other students involved in these proposals received demonstrates the uphill they’re currently facing. To ensure the most support from the student body for their actions, those who push for change must walk a fine line between accountability and expecting ‘perfection.’ To address the problems present on the UW-Madison campus, Gerstmann emphasized the imperative need for people to come to a common understanding, institutions must teach them about the country’s flaws, as well as its virtues; in essence, a holistic representation of the way things were and truly are. “People have to decide to have more dialogue.”

Alessandro de Novellis is a junior studying journalism and communication arts. Do you agree with these perspectives on cancel culture? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

The how and the why of the Effective Altruism approach By Declan Dally STAFF WRITER

Let’s say you want to be a good person. You figure that across your life, you want to donate roughly 10% of your time, money, or other resources explicitly to helping other people and doing good for the world. You do this through a variety of methods — while you’re a student, you volunteer at a local soup kitchen. As a young adult, you petition your boss at your office to increase the sustainability of your work environment. And as you grow older, you contribute some money to charities that you believe are making a difference: the local parks, climate action groups and perhaps that soup kitchen you helped at when you were still a teen. Remember that? Odds are, this roughly describes your history and future plans to fulfill your goal of being a good person. Moving forward this likely would make you a good person, or at least better than the average American who donates somewhere between 2% and 5% of their income — as well as some of their time and other resources. But imagine being able to do the same amount of good while expending about 1/100th of the time, money or resources you otherwise would have. That thought is the driving force behind the movement of “Effective Altruism” (EA) — the desire to best use our limited resources to help the most people. Effective Altruists think that

we should spend time learning how to do good in the most effective ways. Evidence has shown statistically significant inequalities in charities’ abilities to reach their missions — saving lives, curing diseases, etc. These inequalities are possible due to massive disparities between people and between nations and the current neglectedness of many life-saving interventions. Essentially, some nonprofits are better at invoking change than others. This ultimately begs the question — If you’re going to do good, why do good bad? In order to best explain EA, I have outlined some of the most important questions and points below. My aim is to offer some useful knowledge that people across the movement have spent years collecting. Is it wrong to take a rational approach to altruism? This is a good question, and one that really depends on how you define rationalism. It is commonly said that rational thoughts are fundamentally opposed to emotions — the head vs. the heart. Looking at it this way, it seems as though there is no room for rationalism when considering something like altruism, which is driven by emotion. However, I prefer to see rational thought patterns as those that enable us to follow our goals and act on our emotional desires intelligently and with purpose, setting us apart from other animals. No

one is arguing that you should give up your modern technologies because they were brought about with rationality rather than emotivity. In the same way, you would not want to neglect to offer help rationally in the most effective ways that you could when people’s lives are at stake. Using your head when you try to do good doesn’t take away your smile or the warm glow of altruism — it usually only makes it stronger. How can we possibly know what is effective? There is a famous example of charities providing bug nets to developing countries to help reduce childhood malaria fatalities. However, when a survey was conducted to check on the actual effectiveness of the nets, it was found that many of them were being used as fishing nets rather than for their intended purpose, at the expense of environmental damage to the local area. Providing nets in this way appeared to be a valid way to save lives but it was not. Something needed to change — something such as providing instructions on how to properly use the nets, which largely solved this issue. It is now standard practice for the most effective charities to prove the success of their solution in randomized control trials, surveys of the people being affected, alongside other evidence all gathered independently by people without a vested interest. Prioritizing these

sources over charities’ purchases marketing allows for the easy identification of sound charities. Nonetheless, It can be very

lives could hang in the balance. But shouldn’t we focus on the problems in our own backyards first?

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFF MILLER

hard to locate and learn information about what charities are the most effective — especially when some organizations use the flawed technique of rating charities by overhead costs instead of effectiveness. Luckily, most of this work is already done by organizations dedicated to finding the best charities and directing people towards them — see websites such as Open Philanthropy and GiveWell. In the same way that it would be reasonable to strongly consider medical advice from a doctor, we should also trust professional statisticians and unbiased charity reviewers to know how effective a particular intervention might be — especially when hundreds of

This is also a valid concern — if someone had the choice to save the life of a stranger on the other side of the world or a stranger in their city, most everyone would choose to save the closer person, all else being equal. The trouble is, all else is not equal.

Declan Dally is a junior studying English Linguistics, and a leading member of Effective Altruism UW-Madison. What are your thoughts on doing good in a more effective manner? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com. Continue reading online at dailycardinal.com

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Wisconsin gets UMD as homecoming gift SPORTS EDITOR

The No. 4 Wisconsin women’s hockey team (20-3-4) will take on No. 5 MinnesotaDuluth (17-8) this weekend at La Bahan Arena, returning to Madison for the first time since Jan. 10. The Badgers are coming off five straight games in the state of Minnesota, where the number four ranked team in the country went 2-2-1, including two lackluster performances against St. Cloud State and a sweep at the hands of rival Minnesota. Wisconsin will be on relatively short rest though, after playing a makeup game against bottom of the conference St. Thomas this past Monday instead of the normal weekend-only matchups. The Badgers were able to squeak out a win over the Tommies 3-1 in the rare Monday game, ending their four-day weekend with seven points. After a scoreless first period against St. Thomas, senior Sophie Shirley got the scoring going early in the second, sending one past the Tommies’ goaltender while on a breakaway 38 seconds into the period to put Wisconsin up 1-0. A cross-ice pass from Grace Bowlby found Brette Pettet, who tipped it ahead for Shirley in a beautiful display of hockey. The Badgers looked to have all the momentum and were ready to break out like they did twice earlier in the sea-

son, but they just couldn’t get the puck into the back of the net to gain full control. Despite outshooting St. Thomas 22-3 at this point, the Tommies found the equalizer against the run of play as forward Anna Solheim picked up an errant pass at center ice and finished the one-on-zero breakaway opportunity by flicking one past Wisconsin’s Cami Kronish. The goal didn’t deter the top team in the WCHA. After a barrage of shots that just missed the goal and two faceoff wins, sophomore Makenna Webster showed off some great puck handling along the left-side boards before finding an open Daryl Watts on the right goalpost for an easy tapin goal. The 2-1 Badger lead would prove to be too much for St. Thomas to overcome, giving Watts the game-winner. An empty-netter for the fifth-year forward with 13 seconds left in the third period would give Watts her second goal and the Badgers a 3-1 win. Surprisingly, MinnesotaDuluth will be on even shorter rest this weekend. The Bulldogs played a makeup game of their own on Tuesday, taking down St. Cloud State 5-1 on the road. It was a three-point game for the Bulldogs’ Elizabeth Giguere, as the senior recorded one goal and two assists in the afternoon. After killing off an early roughing penalty, UMD went on the attack in the first period. Giguere led that attack

both figuratively and literally, picking up a puck in the neutral zone to start a two-on-one breakaway for the Bulldogs. The fifth-year baited the Husky defender toward her before laying off the puck to Gabbie Hughes, who tapped in a shot to send the Bulldogs into the lead. The scoring would take a break for the rest of the first period but would add to their lead early in the second. Just 16 seconds into the second 20 minutes of play, Kylie Hanley would double the Minnesota-Duluth lead, converting a three-on-two break with a goal off a lovely onetime pass from Giguere. A bouncing puck ended up in the goal, and Giguere found the back of the net herself to bring the Bulldog lead to 4-0 heading into the final period. A Clara Van Wieren goal put UMD up 5-0 before St. Cloud State pulled one back in garbage time to end the game with a 5-1 scoreline. For Wisconsin, locking down Giguere and Hughes will be vital this weekend. The two forwards are first and second on the Bulldogs in goals, assists and points. Keeping them in check while allowing the WOW — Webster, Casey O’Brien and Watts — line to do what they do best could prove to be the key in sweeping Minnesota-Duluth for the second time this season. Friday’s tilt will start at 7 p.m. and Saturday’s at 8 p.m. Both games can be seen live on B1G+. l

By Christian Voskuil

JOE RICKLES/THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin women's hockey team will face off against MinnesotaDuluth this weekend in their first home series in nearly four weeks.

Basketball teams to honor Abloh, Black History Month with warmups By Christian Voskuil wear collection in SPORTS EDITOR

WILL CHIZEK/THE DAILY CARDINAL

2003 UW-Madison grad Virgil Abloh left a huge impact on the fashion world, and will be honored this month.

The University of WisconsinMadison’s athletic department announced on Wednesday the men’s and women’s basketball teams will wear special shooting shirts during the month of February to honor the late Virgil Abloh and February’s Black History Month. Abloh, a 2003 UW-Madison graduate, started the brand Off-White as a high-end streetwear fashion label in 2013 and quickly saw it rise to the mainstream. Once becoming a popular fashion designer through his own brand, Abloh was picked up by Louis Vuitton as the artistic director of the brand’s mens-

2018. In 2015, Abloh released “The RED Shirt” in partnership with the university which included “Wisconsin” across the chest, the Off-White signature lines and the Off-White logo on the back. Abloh, unfortunately, passed away late last year at the age of 41 but inspired many through his innovative designs. “It’s impossible to describe the impact Virgil had on our generation’s culture…” the university said in the announcement, “from the music we listen to, to the art we consume, to the clothes we wear. But more i m p o r t a n t l y,

Virgil was an aspirational figure to the young Black community and to an entire generation. On behalf of B ad ge r s everywhere, we mourn the passing of a Badger who changed the world.” The teams will wear an updated version of the 2015 shirt in partnership with the Abloh family with the updated year and “BHM” on the back. Despite a large cry for the school to re-release the shirts for the public upon the teams’ social media posts about the shirt, the university announced that there are no plans to sell them, and they will not be available to the public at all.

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Thursday, February 3, 2022

By Anna Feldman STAFF WRITER

I wouldn’t say I’m a pyromaniac, but I identify as a “pyro enthusiast”. I like to be the one to build the bonfire, set off a firework or even just light a piece of paper on fire and watch as it burns away to ash. However, as we know from Avatar: the Last Airbender, fire gets a bad rap. Why is the fire nation the villain? Isn’t it just as natural as water, earth and air? So, when I got an email from WCSB (the Wisconsin Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology) in mid-November that included an opportunity to participate in a prescribed burn, I was interested. Prescribed burns are intentional burns for land maintenance. The fire clears out vegetation, replaces old tree stands with a new succession of plants and replenishes vital nutrients for the soil such as carbon and nitrogen. Fires are a necessary disturbance for prairies and oak savannas, the dominant native ecosystems in southern Wisconsin. However, these prairies and oak savannas are now endangered habitats due to fire suppression, which became standard practice in the 1920s in Wisconsin in response to slash fires, an agricultural technique, and threats to urban settlements. When fires are suppressed, trees grow and shade out the prairie or savanna, and the ecosystem converts into thick forest which has a higher risk of burning uncontrollably when the spark does (inevitably) catch. There is growing recognition of the danger of fire suppression policies for land, and the necessity of prescribed fires. “There’s a whole cascade that works its way through the ecosystem by improving the vigor of that one activity, because these are systems that are adapted to being frequently burned,” said Jeb Barzen. Jeb Barzen founded and is the sole employee of Private Lands LLC, which explores methods of ecological restoration on privately-owned lands, and is an adjunct professor at UW-Madison. “I teach a prescribed fire and field ecology course at UW-Madison, do work that’s similar to a contractor, and work that’s similar to a nonprofit,” Barzen explained. I drove out to the prescribed burn at a prairie that Jeb Barzen was leading on his property in Spring Green, Wis. on a Wednesday afternoon, not really knowing what to expect. The goal that day was to burn five acres in order to clear out vegetation so there would be space to plant native vegetation in its place. I watched a couple of Youtube videos on prescribed burns in order to prepare, but I wasn’t sure if an undergrad-

MARCIA L. GETTO / GETTO PHOTOGRAPHY

Jeb Barzen adjusting Anna Feldman's water pack. In addition to the equipment, it's important to wear clothing made of natural fibers to a burn, that way they won't melt to your skin if they catch. uate student with no previous experience would be allowed to start setting fire to a whole field. I pulled into the sandy driveway and joined a small circle of pyro-ecologists, others like me who were interested in environmental conservation and liked to burn things. Everyone else there had years of experience conducting prescribed burns and were excited to welcome me into their group. I got outfitted in a fireproof shirt, helmet, gloves, a radio and put on a water pack. I took off my jacket because Barzen warned me, “once the fire starts, you’ll be warm.” The group climbed up the hill to start the burn. I was put on a team with a veteran pyroecologist to burn the length of the top of the hill. At first, my job was simply to monitor that the fire didn’t go past the set boundaries, and use my boot to snuff out any wayward sparks. However, after about ten minutes, I was instructed to pick up a drip torch and begin to help set the fire itself. Soon, the air filled with smoke as the pyro-ecologists spread out, lighting any plants in hope the fire would catch. My water pack was heavy on my back as I followed the bank of a stream. Unfortunately, that day the humidity was too high, and the fire never really caught. After two hours, we ended up burning just over an acre of land. Barzen says that according to the Wisconsin Fire Needs Assessment, less than 1% of the land that needs to be burned in the state is currently regularly being burned, but between 80-90% of ecosystems in the state are firedependent. Barzen believes it is imperative that we find ways to increase the amount of prescribed fires, particularly on private land. Hiring a contractor to do this is generally very expensive. One of the best ways to help, according to Barzen, is to increase the

number of people, particularly volunteers, involved in prescribed fires. To this end, Barzen is teaching LANDARC 581Prescribed Fire: Ecology and Implementation at UW-Madison for his fourth time this spring. The first half of the course prepares students with an understanding of fire ecology, and in the second half, the class gets to go out to the UW-Madison Arboretum to do prescribed burns themselves. Students are also required to do burns three separate times with organizations outside of class. At the end of the course, they receive certifications which are necessary to be on prescribed fire crews. Cole Wilson, a fourthyear wildlife ecology major at UW-Madison, took the course last spring and says that he cannot recommend it highly enough.

Wilson describes prescribed burns as an “important and underutilized tool by ecologists.” He participated in two prescribed fires outside of class with Barzen, including one where they went out to a marsh burning the tops of canary reed grass. “I was knee-deep in water, in a huge, heavy suit while lighting things on fire… and you could hear boreal chorus frogs,” Wilson recounted. This class inspired Wilson’s future career path. After graduation, Wilson is planning to apply to Conservation Corps positions with burns or as a wildland firefighter. Barzen’s work is helping to bring back a community that has the knowledge and skills to perform the prescribed burns which were stigmatized, and thus erased, during colonization. However, Barzen says that “there’s still a lot we can learn

from indigenous cultures about prescribed burns… what we’ve forgotten because of… an active removal of our concept of fire as a good thing from our culture.” According to the video Oshkigin Spirit of Fire, people indigenous to the Great Lakes region used fire as a tool to alter the environment for their advantage for a thousand years. Native Americans did burns to open up space for settlements, get rid of insects and stimulate the growth of fire-dependent species such as blueberries. However, after a deadly fire in a lumber town in WI in 1871, Franklin Hough, the first chief of the US Forest Service, promoted fire suppression in order to protect timber resources. Since then, anti-forest fire propaganda such as Smokey Bear shaped many people’s views on burning as something dangerous and harmful to a landscape. “The more we attempt to maintain an ecosystem in a static condition, the less likely we are to achieve what we intended,” Robert Averill, a member of the forest service wrote over a hundred years later in his paper on disturbance processes such as fire. Averill’s research showed that maintaining an ecosystem requires disturbances that alter it; land needs to go through cycles of disturbance and subsequent regrowth. “Native Americans figured this out hundreds of years ago, while we figured it out 50 years ago,” Barzen summarized drily. Now that we have this knowledge, we need people to help put it into action. So, put on some clothes made of natural fiber and leather boots and go join a burn crew. Fire isn’t as intimidating as you might think, and you’ll feel like a bad-ass walking around with a drip torch — Trust me.

MARCIA L. GETTO / GETTO PHOTOGRAPHY

The initial line of fire being ignited by a drip torch. Much of the leaf litter at the location of the prescribed burn is composed of oak leaves, which decompose slowly and burn easily.

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Thursday, February 3, 2022

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Tom Brady’s TB12 altered to include PopTarts, Domino’s, margaritas folling retirement By Mackenzie Moore ALMANAC EDITOR

F ollowing days of speculation, Tom Brady officially announced his retirement from the National Football League on Tuesday. Brady has long credited his longevity in the NFL to the TB12 Method, a lifestyle brand and method of living he created which excludes joys including dairy, alcohol and sugar in favor of a high-protein, plantbased intake. However, just after he hit “send” on his retirement statement, Brady amended his widely touted diet to include foods such as Pop-Tarts, Domino’s and margaritas. The original TB12 diet was created to pre-

vent inflammation and injury while boosting energy and recovery speed. However, now that the seven-time Super Bowl champion’s playing days are over, he now wishes to eat foods that promote naps and crumbling bones to support his desire to stay seated. Originally avoiding a public announcement of the changes, the new additions were discovered once Brady’s wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, walked into the living room to see the future first-ballot Hall of Famer laying on a couch surrounded by s’mores PopTarts, a salt-rimmed lime margarita and a large Domino’s meat lovers pizza.

However, it’s not just the diet portion of the TB12 Method that has been changed. The exercise regimen has always included different kinds of planks such as leg lifts and walking planks. The former quarterback has now added an innovative type of plank in which his stomach and knees remain on the ground and his hands are placed between his chin and a pillow as he watches new episodes of “Euphoria” on an iPad set directly in front of his face. The New England Patriots legend has long taken advantage of exercises created by BrainHQ to improve his mental strength and performance. Now that Brady won’t be

Bucky Badger sets off Camp Randall fire alarm after forgetting gopher in oven

bringing in enough of an income to afford the $14 per month subscription fee, he instead calls longtime teammate Rob Gronkowsi and exercises his brain by trying to comprehend what Gronk is saying. Disciples of the TB12 Method may be alarmed by the sudden adjustments that some perceive to be actively unhealthy. In Brady’s defense, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal used to eat two club sandwiches, fries and a pineapple soda before each game. Consequently, nobody should be surprised when the 44 year-old Brady joins the NBA and becomes an All-Star.

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Chumbawamba’s ‘Tubthumping’ now playing on constant loop in campus bathrooms

By Mackenzie Moore ALMANAC EDITOR

KYLE BURSAW /THE DAILY CARDINAL

Campus morale was high on Sunday after the Wisconsin men’s basketball team defeated Minnesota by a score of 66-60. After an afternoon of celebration, just before midnight, a restful night of sleep was evaded when Camp Randall’s fire alarm went off. Following hours of speculation, it is now known that the alarm was set off after Bucky Badger forgot to take the traditional post-win gopher he planned to eat out of the oven, filling the air with smoke.

Those in the Regent neighborhood may have noticed that no fire trucks were on the scene, making it seem as though everyone was just chill with whatever fate may reach the historic landmark. After briefly attempting to waft the smoke away using his commemorative Barry Alvarez towel, Bucky called the fire department to inform them of the situation, halting the dispatch of the trucks. The alarm, which was paired with flashing lights and

the robotic voice of a woman who didn’t really care whether or not anyone was burned alive, continued for roughly 10 minutes, implying that no effort was being made to turn it off. During this time, Bucky was reportedly attempting to bring the gopher back to edibility using an array of spices and condiments. Luckily, Bucky made the questionable choice to tastetest red pepper flakes by dumping a portion of the bottle into his mouth as if it was full of Tic Tacs. This prompted him to open the freezer and reach for a pint of Babcock Bec-Key Lime Pie, behind which the alarm’s master key was kept. To the relief of many, Bucky was able to stop the alarm without a hitch, allowing students to go to sleep and Bucky to return to his ketchup-lathered gopher carcass.

BRENNA REA /THE DAILY CARDINAL

By Mackenzie Moore ALMANAC EDITOR

After over a year of online classes taken in the privacy of one’s own home, University of Wisconsin-Madison students have had to readjust to using public bathrooms — an intimidating task for the shy poopers among us. A semester later, university officials responded to student concerns by installing speakers to play “Tubthumping,”

Chumbawamba’s 1997 hit, in all campus bathrooms. The new addition is intended to ease the anxieties of those who feel uneasy letting the unholiest of their demons out while sitting pantsless next to their fellow students. While the music may or may not be enough to cover the sounds and smells of last night’s Chipotle, it has not been an issue yet, as it fits the vibe of the song.

Aside from the benefits the song gives to those trying to use the bathroom on the down-low, it is also helping to make a case for UW-Madison’s return to the number one party school in the nation. Taking the lyrics to heart, many have begun filling their backpacks with whiskey, vodka, lager and cider to imbibe on while visiting the restroom. Early attendance numbers indicate that some have begun to skip classes in order to visit what are increasingly considered the hottest clubs on campus. However, there has been an increase in people stumbling into whatever classrooms are near the bathroom they were just in, taking incoherent notes, and calling it good. Put in the same situation, other universities would likely remove the song in order to put an end to what some may consider deviant behavior. Thus far, UW-Madison has adopted a “don’t ask, don’t tell” style policy. This may be partially contributed by Wisconsin’s drinking culture, but more importantly, removing the 1998 Brit Award nominee from bathrooms wouldn’t do much good. After all, if Chumbawamba is knocked down, it will get up again — the university will never keep it down.

We're always looking for more funny and insightful writers with fresh takes on topics ranging from the UW campus to international news. We accept and encourage creative submissions as well! Any and all submissions are more than welcome. You can send your submissions and any comments or questions to almanac@dailycardinal.com. All articles featured in Almanac are creative, satirical and/or entirely fictional pieces. They are fully intended as such and should not be taken seriously as news.

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Thursday, February 3, 2022

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Channel your inner romantic with ‘Brightside’ By Anupras Mohapatra SENIOR STAFF WRITER

American folk rock band The Lumineers released their latest album Brightside on Jan. 14. Prior to the album release, they released three singles in 2021, teasing the album. The album has nine songs and spans 30 minutes. Written by Lumineer co-founders Jeremiah Fraites and lead singer, Wesley Schultz, the band considers it their “best album yet.” My first introduction to The Lumineers was when I saw their music videos on my Youtube recommended page years ago. The thumbnail for “Sleep on the Floor” in particular looked perfect and I remember talking to an old friend who is a Lumineers fan, and decided I should give them a shot. Listening to their staple hits over the course of 2020 and 2021 had me feeling upset at myself for putting off listening to them for so long. I found myself waiting for new music. Thankfully, a new album came out in 2022. I was excited to say the least. The album starts strong with the title track “Brightside.” My favorite track from the album and the first of the three singles released in 2021. The song took one day to record, and as Spotify tales, it is about enduring, undying love and being there for your loved one in the toughest times. The lyrics and instrumentals meshed with Schultz’s soulful voice, convey these feelings effectively. Accompanying the song, the music video brings a collection of real life couples. Conventional and unconventional, straddling various age groups and identities, it is a celebration of love. Despite having no proper relationship experience yet, I find myself lost in imagination when I listen to the song, feeling strongly for a partner that does not exist. A testament to the song’s strength. Simple but effective, they

even create a vibe that seems to match the imagery in the album art. The next song on the album is “A.M. Radio,” the last single released before the album dropped. Bits and

high school and features clips from their early days of recording music and high school students following their passions. The following song is “Where We

use my own words for my future partner whenever such a day comes. The next song on the album is “Big Shot,” the second single released before the album. The

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The Lumineers newest album cover features a light blue sky with a hand reaching up, piercing the sky. pieces of the song — minus a chorus — existed back when the band was working on their previous album, III. Ironic now because the most striking part of the song is the chorus. It sticks in your head long after it is finished. According to Wesley Schultz, the song is “an anthem about the supernatural pull of calling in one’s life.” Complementing this trope, “A.M. Radio” has the “biggest chorus [they’ve] ever recorded,” with Schultz’s voice doing a lot of the heavy lifting. And to drive home the message about chasing one’s calling, the music video takes place at Schultz and Fraites’ old

Are,” which was directly inspired by a car accident that Wesley Schultz and his wife, Brandy, got into, per the Spotify storyline for the song. The lyrics are the true story, and the refrain sticks in your head. But it can also be seen as a metaphor for a relationship as a whole, again described in the Spotify storyline. Next came “Birthday,” which, as the name implies, is a birthday song that one could dedicate to their partner on their special day. The change of pace after the birthday claps midsong is quite nice in my opinion, but the lyrics describe the song quite well: “It’s alright.” I would rather

band intended on making the song fast paced at first, but settled for a slower paced, ballad-like approach, per the Spotify storyline for the song. I always listen to the song and think of my desire to be successful and my own man. It certainly feels like the song is challenging you in a way. Schultz also talks about how “we are all big shots in our own story.” This is followed by “Never Really Mine,” definitely one of my favorite songs on the album so far. It appears to be a song about two people not quite fitting as a couple, not quite making it work. An emotionally-

charged song about a familiar feeling: What’s not to like? The next song is “Rollercoaster,” which is probably the most fitting word to describe the album. A morose sounding song that appears to deal with loss, I quite like it. Certainly a useful song for releasing emotions, should one need to, with interesting lyrics. The last two songs on the album are “Remington” and “Reprise,” and they really are just one song when played back to back. “Remington” is only a minute and a half long, a staple “transition track,” and it fades into “Reprise” smoothly. “Reprise” serves as the final track, with lyrics calling back to the opening title track, adding a circularity to the album. “Reprise” has grown on me after a few listens, as it certainly felt rather average to begin with. Definitely makes you want to move around and bob your head a bit. Overall, the album is quite nice, with room for it to grow on me, and other listeners. The album definitely helps channel the inner romantic. There are some songs I quite like, but some I wouldn’t listen to as often. Based on the previous Lumineers albums I have listened to, I can say Brightside does not achieve the cohesive storytelling that the older stuff accomplished. My first time watching the “Ballad of Cleopatra” film and listening to Cleopatra absolutely blew my mind. III is simply riveting with its narrative arc revolving around three characters and across multiple generations of an addiction-riddled family. Brightside does not reach such heights, however I encourage everyone to give it a listen. Regardless of where you stand, it is likely you will find something you’ll like. Such is the result of experimental and spontaneous albums like this one. Grade: B+

Cordae’s freestyles are better than his recorded studio music By Seamus Rohrer ARTS DESK EDITOR

It’s been a busy month for Cordae. He released his sophomore album, From a Bird’s Eye View, on Jan. 14, an ambitious 14-track project with several highprofile features, such as Freddie Gibbs and Lil Wayne. It’s a solid record that’s fairly reminiscent of his first album, with an emphasis on production that still lets him display his flow. But Cordae’s most impressive musical endeavor of the month came two days prior, when he appeared on Power 106 FM in Los Angeles to freestyle. It’s not that From a Bird’s Eye View or The Lost Boy are bad — they’re well thought-out albums and they do enough to distinguish themselves from the mass of mainstream hip-hop — but Cordae is old-school. His real talent can’t be found in a polished, professionally-produced album. His real talent is in the gritty, precise flow of words from one measure to the next that is best represented by a freestyle. Cordae returned to Power 106 a champion, having absolutely

crushed his first freestyle on the show back in the summer of 2018. His first time around, he expertly dissected several diverse beats, from Kendrick Lamar’s jazzy “DUCKWORTH” to Lil Pump’s goofy “ESSKEETIT.” Switching flows effortlessly and spitting lines both humorous (“My money stronger than Larry Lobster”) and jawdropping (“I need the new Bugatti / for the few who got me / killing beats is a ruthless hobby”), Cordae had DJ’s Justin Credible and SourMilk amazed. So when Cordae walked into Power 106 on Jan. 12, greatness was bound to grace the airwaves of greater Los Angeles. On the video, you can almost see him channel his energy as the opening skit of Biggie’s “Kick in the Door” gives way to the thumping, sinister beat. It’s clear that when Cordae is rhyming off the top of his head, he’s more animated and energetic than when he’s in the studio. He ends an exceedingly impressive eight minutes by ad-libbing his own chorus over Kodak Black’s “Super Gremlin.” Because the freestyle is essen-

tially rap in its purest form, it’s nothing new. However, in the modern, heavily mediated reality of music, it has become more prevalent. Everyone is walking around with a camera and endless beats in their pocket. Platforms like YouTube are helping freestyles like Cordae’s, that would’ve been heard once on the radio, archive and spread. There are shows entirely dedicated to freestyles, like producer Kenny Beats’ “The Cave,” which garners millions of views regularly. Lin-Manuel Miranda even freestyled for Obama in the White House in 2016. Freestyle is one of the truest tests of the MC. Anyone’s voice can sound good in a studio, where modern digital production can transform a voice into something it could never be. Anyone’s flow can be smooth when they have hours to pour over an instrumental track and rewrite and rehearse line after line. The very nature of a freestyle strips an MC of everything but their natural talent. A quick examination reveals that Cordae’s is boundless, despite an underwhelming studio career.

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Rapper Cordae performing at the Openair Frauenfeld Festival back in 2019 and sporting a black hoodie and leather overalls.