University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Thursday, March 1, 2018
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From Instagram fan to Badger fam
Movie Review: Black Panther
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Our Wisconsin survey results show progress in cultural awareness By Kayla Huynh SENIOR STAFF WRITER
CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
University Health Services’ trans health model will provide students direct access to medical treatment.
Transgender care will see ‘affirmative’ shift under new UHS model By Sammy Gibbons FEATURES EDITOR
In addition to worrying about roommate assignments, meal plans and class choices, perspective transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming students routinely worry about resources regarding medical care available at UW-Madison before arriving on campus. In the past, students have chosen UW-Madison in part because of the services offered at University Health Services that aren’t commonly offered on other college campuses — how-
ever, barriers have persisted to medical care access within UHS. Now, staff members from UHS and the LGBT Campus Center are shifting toward a model that will help create an affirming, inclusive space for students, according to LGBTCC Assistant Director Katherine Charek Briggs. Come May, UHS will move to informed consent as a model of health care, a shift Charek Briggs said gives patients agency in their own medical care. Informed consent allows patients to make decisions about their own health care after being
fully informed of benefits and consequences by their medical provider. Since 2012, UHS has required trans students to go through a Gender Identity Consultation with a trained therapist or counselor prior to receiving medical care. Patients must then obtain a written letter from that counselor, permitting them to receive the treatment they seek. The informed consent model enables patients to forgo mental health counseling and consult
In a recent survey, students reported a UW-Madison inclusion program effectively increased awareness of and respect for diversity on campus among first-year students in residence halls. Survey data revealed students who participated in the Our Wisconsin program — a three-hour workshop focused on respect for diversity, community connection, identifying bias and gaining appreciation for others’ experiences — were more aware of cultural differences on campus. While just 1,000 students participated in the program when it piloted in fall 2016, the program has expanded to reach 4,332 students. Students also participated as facilitators and co-led the workshops with a staff or faculty member. According to the survey, 71 percent of students reported feeling very or extremely responsible for helping members of their residence hall feel welcome on campus after par-
ticipating in the program — a 22 percent increase from what students reported before taking the workshop. Aaric Guerrero, the program’s inclusion education director, said the surveys were administered both before and after students participated in the workshop in order to identify the impact of the program. Guerrero said the data prove the program has the potential to improve campus climate, especially for students of underrepresented populations. “The intent is that the dialogue will make the campus climate feel not as isolating for many of our students with underrepresented identities,” Guerrero said. “Students coming from a number of different backgrounds just don’t feel like they belong or have a home here — this is a way to try to change that.” The data also revealed the workshop encouraged students to be more likely to speak up when stereotypical comments
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“We just sell food”: Late-night food carts oppose new rules By Max Bayer CITY NEWS EDITOR
Members of the city’s Vending Oversight Committee were met with harsh reactions Wednesday night when they took up a proposal to phase out late night food carts. Opponents of the proposal argue food carts are consistently and unfairly the targets of reforms rooted in overconsumption of alcohol. Mario Armenta, one of the four current late night vendors, doesn’t know what would happen if the vendors were forced to shut down. “If they take away our place at night, what are we going to do? How are we going to support our families,” Armenta, the owner of Taqueria Sabor Queretano, said. “I think that it’s ... unfair.” Fairness was a theme echoed by all four of the late-night vendors who were in attendance and testified before the committee.
“I think that the Vending Oversight Committee, as best you’re doing, is constantly punishing the food truck vendors for some reason,” said James Davis, owner of the cart JD’s. Davis has been a food cart vendor in Madison since 2007. “Are y’all here to support the vendors or protect the vendors? Because I really can’t tell,” said Davis, who added the committee is constantly taking people out of places where they can make money. Prior to the meeting, Ald. Zach Wood, District 8, proposed an amended version of the ordinance change that, by 2023, would move all of the late-night vendors to Library Mall, however those in attendance said since some of them sell the same food, such a plan would be a conflict. Wood says the committee “has to take everything into account.” “We tried to find a workable balance between addressing seri-
ous public safety concerns and the vending program itself,” he said. The vendors instead suggested that lawmakers and the committee work to address the overconsumption of alcohol, a move that Lieutenant of Patrol Brian Austin said is difficult because of state and federal alcohol laws. Austin added that officers who patrol the 600 block of University Avenue say the crowds that build around the food carts are an issue. “All of those officers believe that the food carts, while not the cause, were certainly a considering factor of the density of the area and the problems that came with that,” Austin said. Regardless of concerns regarding the concentration of the carts, the committee approved the amended legislation, which will go before the Common Council at their March 6 meeting.
GRAPHIC BY MAX HOMSTAD
Humanities programs try to push the skills employers are looking for.
Despite usual stereotypes, humanities alumni see value By Luisa de Vogel ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
When Rebekah Paré was studying jazz piano in college, she didn’t imagine the skills she was learning in her music theory classes would someday be directly applicable to a career outside of piano performance. Today the improvisation skills Paré learned in her piano classes inform her everyday work as the associate dean for the College of Letters and
Science career initiative at UW-Madison. Students are often pressured into science, technology, engineering, mathematics or pre-professional majors due to a myth that students who study the humanities are unable to compete in the job market without a graduate degree, according to Paré. “Our humanities stu-
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“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
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Thursday, March 1, 2017
An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 127, Issue 32
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Depressed caregivers slip though the system
News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor-in-Chief Madeline Heim
Managing Editor Andrew Bahl
News Team News Manager Nina Bertelsen Campus Editor Lawrence Andrea College Editor Maggie Chandler City Editor Max Bayer State Editor Andy Goldstein Associate News Editor Luisa de Vogel Features Editor Sammy Gibbons Opinion Editors Madison Schultz • Jake Price Editorial Board Chair Jack Kelly Arts Editors Allison Garfield • Brandon Arbuckle Sports Editors Ethan Levy • Ben Pickman Gameday Editors Ben Blanchard • Bremen Keasey Almanac Editors Patrick Hoeppner • Savannah McHugh Photo Editors Cameron Lane-Flehinger • Brandon Moe Graphics Editors Jade Sheng • Camille Paskind Multimedia Editor Jessica Rieselbach • Hannah Schwarz Science Editor Maggie Liu Life & Style Editor Megan Otto Copy Chiefs Sam Nesovanovic • Haley Sirota Justine Spore • Erin Jordan Copy Editor Dana Brandt Social Media Manager Ella Johnson Engagement Editor Jenna Mytton Special Pages Amileah Sutliff • Yi Wu
Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Managers Mike Barth • Shirley Yang Advertising Managers Kia Pourmodheji • Abby Friday Marketing Director Elizabeth Jortberg 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 WisconsinMadison 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 Madeline Heim • Andrew Bahl Ben Pickman • Madison Schultz Amileah Sutliff • Samantha Wilcox Jack Kelly
Board of Directors Herman Baumann, President Phil Brinkman • Madeline Heim Andrew Bahl • Mike Barth Phil Hands • Don Miner Nancy Sandy • Jennifer Sereno Elizabeth Jortberg • Kia Pourmodheji Scott Girard • Alex Kusters The Daily Cardinal would like to acknowledge that its office, as well as the university as a whole, stands on Ho-Chunk Nation land. © 2015, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398
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Dear Ms. Scientist, How do vaccines work? Lisa L.
GRAPHIC BY CLAUDIA DEXTRE
Cancer patient caregiver depression goes untreated at a higher rate than their non-caregiver counterparts. By Maggie Liu SCIENCE EDITOR
According to the National Cancer Institute, 15 to 25 percent of cancer patients experience depression, often as a result of the stress and emotional impacts of being diagnosed and treated for cancer. However, the reaches of depression and illness are not just restricted to the patient in question — in fact, it extends far beyond the patient and frequently spills over and impacts the families of patients, who often act as caregivers for the patients. This interaction between illness and family caregiving is what captures the research interests of Kristin Litzelman, a UW-Madison professor of human development and family studies. “I am really interested in the way that illness and family impact not just the person who has the illness but also and everyone else in the family. This translates to looking a lot at family caregiving in general, and spouse caregivers in particular, especially for cancer patients,” said Litzelman. Spouse caregivers for cancer patients have been documented to experience higher rates of depression than non-caregivers, and similar rates of depression as cancer patients. While it’s well-known that spouse caregivers are at a higher risk for depression, “what we didn’t know was whether or not [the caregivers] were getting treated for depression,” said Litzelman. In a recent UW Carbone Cancer Center study, Litzelman looked at the rates at which the spouse caregivers of cancer patients received care for depression compared to regular married spouses. What she found out was worrying. Spouses of cancer survivors were about 30 percent less likely than regular spouses to have received adequate medical treatment for depression. In rural areas, the disparity was even greater — cancer survivor spouses living in rural areas were 70 percent less likely than regular spouses to receive adequate care. The persistence of depression in the spouse caregiver population could have a variety of impacts. Litzelman describes the impacts of caregiver depression
as “trickle down impacts” that end up affecting the quality of life for everyone, including the patient and the caregiver. “In the caregiving context, there’s the potential for a downward spiral there, where if one person has depression, that impacts the other person in that relationship, in that pair and then it can kind of go back and forth. And all of that can be triggered by the fact that one person as a health problem. We know that when someone has a health problem, their spouse is more likely to develop depression. And we know that when one person has depression, that tends to spill over,” said Litzelman, “So you end up with this potential for a negative cyclical effect.” Another form of trickle down impact is how patients ultimately perceive the medical care they receive. When spouse caregivers become depressed, they often have trouble helping out with scheduling and attending medical appointments, coordinating care, communicating with health care professionals and participating in the decision-making process. As a result, this can lead cancer patients to feel that they aren’t receiving quality medical care from the health care system. With this study, they were able to concretely identify that caregivers of cancer patients aren’t getting the care they need. However, in light of this new information, Litzelman says that the next step is identifying where and why caregivers aren’t receiving adequate care. “All this study tells is that they aren’t getting adequate treatment. But it doesn’t tell us if that’s because they aren’t getting screened for depression, if they’re not going to the doctor at all, if it’s because they’re getting diagnosed but then aren’t actually following through and filling their prescriptions or going to their therapy appointments,” said Litzelman. Without any idea of where the system is losing the caregivers, it’s difficult to determine where exactly things need to be changed and improved to better serve and treat the caregivers. As for the “why” side of the story, Litzelman thinks that it
may be related to financial and time constraints. Caregivers are often extremely busy caring for their family member and spending large amounts of money to transport and care for the patient at home, which may leave them little time, money or energy to attend their own doctor’s appointments. In rural areas, this problem is amplified because rural populations tend to be farther away from resources and access to mental health professional. In addition, emotional constraints may play a large role in why caregivers aren’t getting proper treatment. “It’s really hard to think about doing something like going to see the doctor when you’re already overwhelmed and stressed out, even if you have the time and even if you have the money,” said Litzelman. Ultimately, Litzelman’s long term goal is to help improve the healthcare system to efficiently serve these caregivers. One area of improvement is making primary care physicians aware that some of their patients might be caregivers and thus are more likely to develop depression. Since the primary care level is where most cases of depression are detected, improving this level of care could prevent more caregivers from slipping through the cracks. Another possibility to modifying the type of care that cancer treatment settings provide. Currently, many cancer treatment settings aren’t set up to care for both patients and caregivers. If the system could be changed to better pick up on the wellness and mental health situations of caregivers and families, it could further tighten the cracks. Some centers, like the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, have already begun to improve their care in that aspect. However, Litzelman says, the medical system as a whole is not set up to serve caregivers in this regard yet. “The end goal is to have everyone be happier and healthier in the whole family, and improve quality of life, and improve the experience of these families who are going through something really hard and need whatever the extra help we can give them.”
Vaccines essentially teach your immune system to fight off particular diseases. Think of it as a practice test for the real final exam. Vaccines are usually composed of an agent that is similar to a virus or bacteria that causes a disease. Typically, they’re made from dead or weakened forms of the original disease-causing germ. When the vaccine enters our bodies, our immune system responds to it by destroying it and learning how to create a defense against that agent, so that when you encounter that virus or bacteria is its live form, your immune system already knows how to fight it off. The immune system develops antibodies that can recognize the foreign disease-causing agent and mark it for inactivation. Because of vaccines, we’ve been able to effectively eradicate or restrict once-dangerous diseases, like smallpox, polio and measles.
Dear Ms. Scientist, What causes northern lights? Is there a such thing as a southern light? Jackson P. Northern lights, or Aurora borealis, have been long famed for their prismatic, dancing nighttime light displays. These dancing lights are actually an atmospheric phenomenon. They are caused by collisions between gas molecules in Earth’s atmosphere and electrically charged particles radiated across space from the sun. The charged particles are often flung towards Earth by solar flares at the sun’s surface. The different colors of the northern lights result from that fact that different types of gas molecules collide with the charged particles. For example, oxygen often causes the typical green colored northern lights, while nitrogen causes blue and purple northern lights. There are absolutely southern lights, also known as Aurora australis. They work in the same way as northern lights, only at the south magnetic pole instead of the north. Ask Ms. Scientist is written by Jordan Gaal and Maggie Liu. Burning science question? science@dailycardinal.com
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Thursday, March 1, 2018
Democrats eye new elections with Walker facing legal battle
GRAPHIC BY JADE SHENG
After denying calls to order special elections for two vacant seats, Gov. Scott Walker faces a new lawsuit. By Sonya Chechik STAFF WRITER
On Monday, a group headed by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder sued Gov. Scott Walker for refusing to hold special elections for two open state Legislature seats, leaving many Wisconsin citizens without representation in the state government. While opponents of the decision say it denies residents of those areas a democratic voice, Democrats hope races in the two legislative districts could help them extend their run of success in special elections. Walker’s decision to not hold the special elections was initially questioned by critics, referencing Wisconsin state law that specifies any vacancy occurring before May “shall be filled as promptly as possible by special election.” The petition was filed to support residents in state Assembly District 42, which includes most of Columbia County, and state Senate
consent from page 1 directly with a doctor who can prescribe them hormones, which can also be administered at UHS — one of the services not commonly available on other college campuses. UHS is the first Big Ten university health center to switch to informed consent practice. They are also the first of the UW System schools to do so, according to Charek Briggs. Shannon Juniper Neimeko, an associate counselor at UHS who focuses on trans health, said not requiring students to meet with a mental health provider eliminates some stigma surrounding being trans. “One of the things we want to emphasize is to really set things up in a way so that we can communicate to students we know that being trans isn’t a mental health condition,” Juniper Neimeko said. “It’s a medical condition that can be treated in the same way other medical conditions are treated, this is how medicine is delivered in every other case. So, let’s connect with that and offer that in a way that’s consistent.” To push the change forward, Charek Briggs and Juniper Neimeko offered a training for UHS staff medical and mental health providers. They shared information about identity, how
District 1, which includes parts of Green Bay and all of Door County. Both seats have been vacant since December when state Sen. Frank Lasee, R-De Pere, and Rep. Keith Ripp, R-Lodi, resigned to join Walker’s administration. In the last state legislative elections for each respective seat, Lasee won reelection with a large majority of 62 percent of the vote, while Ripp did so as well with a safe margin of 59 percent of the vote. However, earlier this year Democrat Patty Schachtner upset state Rep. Adam Jarchow in a special election after former state Sen. Sheila Harsdorf resigned to take a position in Walker’s cabinet. This flipped a district that had been held by Republicans for 17 years. The same district had voted for Trump by a large margin of 17 points, marking a 26 percent swing toward Democrats in less than a year. Walker tweeted that Schachtner’s win was “a wake-up call” for state Republicans.
Despite the safe margins of victory for Republicans in both vacated districts, Democrats feel they could contest for the seats in the case of a special election, as Harsdorf had won with 63 percent of the vote in 2016 prior to Schachtner’s surprising victory. Walker has argued by not holding new elections, he is avoiding wasting taxpayer dollars, as the state Legislature would have already adjourned for the end of the 2018 session before the seats could be filled. If a special election is not held, the vacancies will remain unfilled until normal elections in Nov. of 2018. This would leave the affected districts without representation for over a year, until Jan. 7, 2019. “Forcing citizens to go more than a year without representation in the General Assembly is a plain violation of their rights and we’re hopeful the court will act quickly to order the governor to hold elections” Holder said in a statement.
biases appear in health care practices and how the model will work, and has worked at other care centers previously. They will also meet with providers monthly to workshop the model as it unfolds. “Providers who are new to this model seeing that [informed consent] will be successful and how students respond goes towards the agency being more competent working with transgender and gender-nonconforming people,” Charek Briggs said. “This is just an important but routine part of your practice. It’s about normalizing care of TGNC people.” Although informed consent allows patients to opt out of meeting with a mental health counselor before seeing a medical provider, Juniper Neimeko said the model serves as a sort of “mental health intervention.” She said data indicates patients who have barrier-free access to gender-affirming care show decreased levels of anxiety and depression. The goal is to make TGNC patients feel comfortable accessing care they may have hesitated to seek due to bias based on one’s identity. Charek Briggs said informed consent will “diversify the narrative” around TGNC patients, who may not be interested in a medical transition. Other resources
will remain available, including support groups offered at UHS and the LGBTCC, as well as mental health providers who are trained to handle trans health, such as Juniper Neimeko. This combats the misguided conception that medical transition is required to “legitimize” TGNC, according to Charek Briggs. Charek Briggs worked with the group that implemented UW-Madison’s current model for trans health care. Charek Briggs has collaborated with other UW System four year schools to adopt that same model, but said those institutions, like UW-Madison, are ready for the change to informed consent. Charek Briggs emphasized this is not a special favor given to UHS patients — Charek Briggs and Juniper Neimeko said informed consent is the best standard medical practice, both for current students and the scores of TGNC students who are considering attending UW-Madison. “It’s a big reminder that this is baseline practice in a lot of places and for a lot of people; it should have been happening a long time ago, it should be a lot easier,” Charek Briggs said. “It is not a special favor, it’s trying to intervene in bias and barriers that have been here for a really long time.”
majors from page 1 dents, as well as our social science and natural sciences are graduating with a really fantastic set of skills that are in high demand,” Paré said. While UW-Madison’s humanities graduates may be prepared for the workforce, they still earn about $50,000 less, on average, than those in the natural sciences, according to a 2014 Letters and Science Careers Outcome Report, which surveyed graduates from the 2003-’04 and 2004’05 school years. However, Paré warns, future salary is not the best measure of a degrees worth, or a student’s success. “I’m always very concerned about talking to students about salary because sometimes we define success by dollars and I think that dollar signs and salaries is not the only measure of success in somebody’s life.” Paré said. “Being in a job that is fulfilling and exciting ... is probably for many people the most important thing.” Eighty-seven percent of workers with a bachelor’s degree are satisfied with their job, according to the State of the Humanities study on college graduates. The study also found that job satisfaction is not correlated with earnings. However, these “fulfilling” and “exciting” jobs that often draw humanities majors also tend to pay less, according to Paré.
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Only 42 percent of graduates in the humanities reported having enough money to accommodate for their lifestyle, compared to 51 percent of graduates in engineering. As a dean at UW-Madison, Paré helps students find jobs that are both intellectually and economically fulfilling, jobs she says are out there for humanities graduates. Through the revamped L&S career advising program, SuccessWorks, Paré said, students can connect with alumni in their field, practice interviewing with trained professionals and even access donated business attire. Critical thinking, problem solving, research, writing and teamwork are among the list of skills humanities students gain in their coursework that employers are looking for, according to Paré. “As a jazz musician I learned a lot of really interesting skills,” Paré said. “These kinds of skills have made me really flexible, I can think much better on my feet than some of my peers.” These are skills Paré uses in both her personal and professional life, something she says is important for students to keep in mind when reflecting on their coursework. “As educators we want people to look back on their education as having done something for them,” Paré said. “These skills aren’t only good for the workplace ... it’s also about life satisfaction.”
CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Our Wisconsin, a UW-Madison inclusion program, was considered successful by students who participated in the workshop last fall. Our Wisconsin from page 1 were made about another person or group on campus. According to the survey, while just 47 percent of respondents said they were very or extremely likely to speak up before taking the workshop, 62 percent reported feeling the same afterward. Karissa Harenda, a UW-Madison junior, said she had a positive experience with the program despite being apprehensive prior to participating. “I thought I would be learning things I had already learned before, but when it was over I found it very eye opening,” she said. “Having new students participate is beneficial, because we’ve all heard about diversity before, but some of us have never come face to face with it.” Not all students agree, however. UW-Madison sophomore Fiona Quinn said the activities in the program “felt below her” and taught her things that were
“just too obvious.” “It went for a really long time,” Quinn said. “It felt forced upon me, a little repetitive, boring and overwhelming.” Although Quinn had a negative experience of the workshop, she said the program has potential if improvements are made. “It’s good they’re doing it, but I just think it could be executed better,” Quinn said. “It just seems tailored to a younger crowd, and they could make it more age-appropriate and actually interesting.” Guerrero said Our Wisconsin will use data from the survey to improve the program in the future, but he is satisfied with the outcome so far. “I think if we are able to engage first-year students in some of these discussions and set the stage for what they’re going to experience over their time at UW-Madison, then they’ll walk out of here being able to engage in dialogue with those who are different from them,” Guerrero said.
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‘Black Panther’ film is a politically charged step in the right direction By Alex M. Jankovich FILM COLUMNIST
PHOTO COURTESY OF NPR
Black Panther: The Album is spearheaded by Kendrick Lamar.
‘Black Panther’ album is stand-out soundtrack By Carl Zabat MUSIC COLUMNIST
On paper, it was too good to be true: one of hip-hop’s boldest voices ever curating the soundtrack to one of Marvel’s boldest films ever. Could it be possible? Three singles and one monumental film later, Black Panther: The Album holds true. It’s an impressive and surprising collection of songs from musicians, each in their own but different element. Kendrick Lamar has assembled some of hip-hop’s biggest names and rising newcomers to create the definitive movie soundtrack. The opening track, “Black Panther,” serves as the album’s thesis and is one of the best on the record. As Lamar raps from the perspective of T’Challa, the titular hero, he establishes the theme of kingship that anchors the entire film and soundtrack. The lines “Nine faces, go against ‘em, I erased them with precision/ I embrace them with collision” particularly show the weight of responsibility in being king, along with the problems T’Challa comes across as he ascends to the throne. The song is short but packs in a lot, from Lamar’s mutating flow to the crescendos and diminuendos of its production. Following the opener, it’s evident the soundtrack doesn’t exclusively adhere to its companion film. Across 14 tracks, Black Panther: The Album bounces between using the film as mere inspiration, playing with the film’s themes and roleplaying between its characters. This works in the album’s favor, as it gives many artists the room to work in their comfort zones while keeping in line with the central ideas. Just like how Purple Rain can be listened to without watching its film of the same name, Black Panther: The Album is strong because it stands on its own. Highlight track “King’s Dead” has the most success in both using the film as simple inspiration and full-on paying tribute to it. As Future and Jay Rock rap about their riches and swagger, James Blake signals a driving beat change. Kendrick Lamar then raps directly from antagonist Erik Killmonger’s perspective, expressing his rage toward T’Challa, the nation of Wakanda and the world that has treated blacks so poorly throughout history. The album features some of American hip-hop’s most prominent and acclaimed voices, but the
numerous African musicians featured match their efforts. Saudi, a rapper from South Africa, hypnotizes in “X” as he slips in and out of Zulu and English. On the standout “Opps,” fellow South Africannative Yugen Blakrok makes following Kendrick Lamar and Vince Staples look easy. These are just two of the many features, and no matter where a voice on the album comes from, they all blend together in creating a cohesive sonic and vocal palette to experience. Travis Scott and Lamar pair up for “Big Shots,” a lackluster song compared to other bangers on the album and both rappers’ previous party songs. The high-pitched production sounds promising in the intro, and it blends in with the African aesthetic across the album, but there isn’t much new ground covered in either of the rapper’s verses. Lamar also pairs up with not one, but two of R&B’s most popular voices: The Weeknd and SZA. However, their tracks leave something to be desired: Both singers trudge through generic songs about heroism, and Lamar’s verses lack the sharp punch of his solo work. This dulling of quality is understandable, as the soundtrack is made to be more accessible for a larger audience, but that doesn’t make the lyrics less disappointing. What helps bring the album back up is its numerous connections to the “Black Panther” movie. I enjoyed the album through the first few listens, but watching the film connected more dots for me — the African drums and characters of Wakanda especially brought a new sense of life to their tracks. The fact of the matter is that film soundtracks are typically not this good. As a standalone record, Black Panther: The Album is a grand statement from both African and African-American musicians. As a companion piece, it is a fitting embodiment of what the “Black Panther” film accomplishes, even if it tends to diverge from the film’s content. As a Kendrick Lamar album, it may not reach the heights of his previous work, but that doesn’t take away from Black Panther: The Album’s better parts. Expect this soundtrack to go down in the books next to other essential film soundtracks like Purple Rain and The Blues Brothers. Final Grade: B+
Marvel Studios once again exceeds all expectations with “Black Panther,” their most impressive display of passionate world-building and inventive storytelling portrayed by a cast of well-established favorites and exciting newcomers. Director Ryan Coogler and his creative team have done a meaningful job of not only making a political statement within a superhero flick, but also creating a social awareness for representation around it. Following his debut in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War,” the film follows T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) as he returns home to the fictional African nation of Wakanda to accept his rightful place as king. Upon arrival, the inexperienced ruler is challenged by relative outsider Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), a ruthless mercenary who looks to use Wakanda’s most valuable resource for his own social cause. With the help of his allies and the nation’s special forces, T’Challa must defend his title as the Black Panther and the sovereignty of the country he has sworn to serve. The greatest achievement of this film is Coogler’s celebration of African culture. From the rolling hills of the African savanna to the technologically progressive nation of Wakanda, “Black Panther” displays the most elegant and awe-inspiring depiction of the continent since “The Lion King.” This intricately crafted cinematography was clearly a top priority for the filmmakers and is unmatched by any previous Marvel film. Although the visuals keep audiences engaged
throughout, its unprecedented score and soundtrack drive the emotional weight and cultural significance of the film. With a balanced blend of traditional, percussion-heavy rhythms of traditional Africa and the experimental hip-hop tracks curated by Kendrick Lamar, the film is able to celebrate the modern and traditional nature of the African experience. Authentic attire and vibrant colors present in the costume design also contribute to the admiration of Africa’s heritage while still allowing the characters to maintain their own identity and unique style. While the creative team perfectly conceives the nation of Wakanda, its characters and the impressive performances behind them are what give “Black Panther” a unique perspective. Chadwick Boseman leads the pack with a regal and nuanced turn as King T’Challa that will convince audiences of the character’s undeniable ability to govern a nation. The rest of the allstar cast is, of course, worthy of recognition, however a few actors in particular were able to command the screen whenever they got the chance. Letitia Wright gives the film some necessary humor as the younger sister of T’Challa, while Winston Duke provides an uncommon, yet stirring perspective on the consequences of the nation’s isolationist nature as M’Baku, one of Wakanda’s tribe leaders. Commanding the Wakandan special forces is Okoye, portrayed by Danai Gurira of “The Walking Dead,” who quickly establishes herself as the best action heroine in this universe. Audiences will be excited to return to the world of Wakanda in the upcoming
“Avengers: Infinity War,” where some of these characters will hopefully return to steal the show once more. Aside from the cultural phenomenon that “Black Panther” has become, it is also important to note the film’s ability to introduce a politics-heavy narrative to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Coogler presents the nation of Wakanda as a hidden utopia, filled with enough resources to live in isolation while still neglecting the disadvantaged societies around the world. While T’Challa is a man of tradition and wishes to maintain the safety of his established nation regardless of the outside world, Killmonger stands on the opposite side of the argument. Driven by a powerful performance from Michael B. Jordan, the character is a well-defined political adversary who aims to even out the economic and social disparities of modern society with the wrong means of doing so. The only negative aspect that holds this film back from the necessity for repeat viewing is its dependency on political tension as opposed to compelling action sequences. However, if the fight scenes portrayed in this film are only a small indication of what is possible with the character, audiences will be begging for an almost-guaranteed sequel. Regardless of any previous experience with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Black Panther” is a must-see film for all audiences. This politically driven narrative filled with unique and well-developed perspectives has lead to a new chapter in comicbook filmmaking. More importantly, it delivers a breakthrough in cultural representation.
Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
“Black Panther,” starring Chadwick Boseman, is a breakthrough in African cultural representation.
comics dailycardinal.com
Today’s Sudoku
© Puzzles by Pappocom
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
Fact of the Day
By Jake Borowsky
Today’s Crossword Puzzle
ACROSS 1 Karate blows 6 Column type 11 Bug spray no more 14 City in Morocco 15 Cause of employee elation 16 “Yay!” 17 Washer’s site 19 Sailor’s “si” 20 Some precious stones 21 Space to maneuver 23 Feisty 26 The human race 27 Spanish restaurant staple 28 Obviously decayed 29 Ticked off 30 Screen personas 31 “Golly!” 3 4 List-heading 35 Nutritionist’s topics 36 Refrain syllables 37 Inventor Whitney 38 Some mediums read them
39 Entranceways 40 With precision 42 Channel surfer’s need 43 Some cats 45 Wise king of Israel 46 Wilde of old Hollywood 47 Step in a flight 48 As well 49 Place to talk and relax 5 4 A Beatle wife 55 “Love Boat” bartender 56 Mobile mob 57 Sleep lab study 58 “I told you so!” smile 59 Use Twitter DOWN 1 French wine classification 2 Head topper 3 Japanese waist-cincher 4 City near San Francisco 5 Dot painting 6 Without any pizazz 7 Dinghy directors
Thursday, March 1, 2018 • 5
8 ___ de Janeiro 9 Sets aside from the others 1 0 Makes sidewalks 11 Formal reception area 12 Onetime Israeli leader Moshe 13 “Holy cow! ___ never believe it ...” 18 ___ keg (get the beer flowin’) 22 Just manage (with “out”) 23 “Cut off your nose to ___ your face” 24 Christmas tune 2 5 Library area 26 Jell-O formers 28 Like this puzzle’s theme? 3 0 Restaurant freebies 3 2 Keep your ___ the ground 33 German industrial center of the Ruhr 3 5 Submissive mental attitude 3 6 “Annie” showstopper
3 8 Slight paralysis 3 9 Thrill to pieces 41 One billion years, in geology 42 Sorrel-colored horse 43 Thespian 4 4 Nary a soul 45 Cinnamon unit 47 Night sight in the sky 5 0 ___-chi 51 Smelter input 5 2 Emotion-filled poem 53 One who once played at Shea
opinion 6
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dailycardinal.com
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Protesting, activism are worth the risk in standing up for rights IZZY BOUDNIK opinion columnist
W
PHOTO BY BRANDON MOE
Miles Bridges and other student athletes are victims of the NCAA, not cheaters who deserve ridicule.
Don’t blame the player, blame the NCAA system JAKE PRICE opinion editor
S
ince details of the FBI investigation into the NCAA last week exposed some “shocking” revelations about the corruption within college sports, we have seen analysts, economists and professional players offering their opinions on how to fix what is clearly a broken system. These ideas include paying players small stipends for their services, or eliminating the concept of amateurism, which would enable talented players to hire agents, sign endorsement deals and profit off their likenesses.
The broken system of the NCAA enables corruption on the parts of programs and agents.
While it should be obvious by now that the multibillion-dollar corporation that does not pay its labor force needs a 21st century reevaluation, the appropriate treatment of the current NCAA players caught up in the probe has been more ambiguous. Last week, as the Michigan State Spartans clinched the Big Ten title with a win over the Badgers, fans at the Kohl Center serenaded Spartans’ sophomore wing Miles Bridges with chants of “cheater.” Bridges, a projected lottery pick this upcoming draft, saw his name surface in the recent investigation. His crime? An agent paid for a dinner with his family last year without Bridges’ knowledge. Similarly, Florida fans threw $5 worth of money towards Auburn basketball players in the wake of a former assistant coach being named in the investigation, and two Auburn players losing eligibility. For the sake of transparency, Auburn reported the incident
so as to avoid any “controversy” from accepting cash payments. While the current Auburn players as well as Bridges avoided serious eligibility issues after minor contributions, this taunting from fans is evidently not an isolated event and requires more unpacking. I will be the first to admit that heckling players in sports is a part of the atmosphere and generally should not be ridiculed if it is within the grounds of social appropriateness. However, in these instances, it seems that the fans are either willfully ignorant to the circumstances surrounding these players, or have a sense of righteousness that supersedes reality. Take Bridges for instance, a 19-year-old NCAA superstar who passed on entering the NBA draft last year to further hone his skills at the college level. Bridges hails from Flint, Michigan (which is still without drinkable water for those who have forgotten) and as a senior in high school organized water collection for his hometown. This was despite being at a prep school in West Virginia where the problems were not impacting his own way of life.
The [NCAA] needs a 21st century reevalutation.
Considering that Bridges has opted to stay in school and has helped his hometown in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, it wouldn’t be far off to peg him as an ideal NCAA student-athlete. Now, after seeing his name listed in an FBI probe due to his family committing the unspeakable crime of accepting a free dinner, his eligibility was all of the sudden
in question, potentially affecting his upcoming draft stock. The 19-year-old then travels to play here in Madison and is met with chants unequivocally proclaiming him a cheater. Something about that doesn’t ring as just.
The current Auburn players as well as Bridges avoided serious eligibility issues.
The broken system of the NCAA enables corruption on the parts of programs and agents. As long as there is a large demand for student athletes to generate substantial revenue for schools, there are going to be people trying to subvert the rigid system. Is it fair to lambast the coaches and crooked agents who try and scheme to acquire better players? Probably. After all, they are the ones getting paid legally. However, with the only way of fixing this problem clearly in the form of compensating student athletes in some form or another, players (or their families) who acquire relatively miniscule gifts in the meantime should not be the subjects of fans’ anger. Anger toward the overall situation should be channeled towards those who have created, upheld, and exploited the broken system, not those who provide the actual product. Jake is a junior majoring in economics and history with a certificate in environmental studies? Do you think that college athletes should be paid? What are your thoughts on the NCAA? Does the organzation need to be reworked at all? Please send any and all comments and questions to us at opinion@dailycardinal.com.
hile student protest is an integral and rich part of UW-Madison’s history, some believe protesting has become a routine example of fanatical liberalism on campus. It seems like there is a different protest every day and too many issues to keep track of. The results of the 2016 election cycle have spurred marches for various causes all across the nation, as the Trump presidency continues to provide a limitless stream of controversial policies and scandals. About two weeks ago I witnessed my first on-campus protest as a student at UW-Madison when students gathered at Gordon’s to voice their disagreement with University Housing’s mandatory meal plan policy. I listened as the shouting of angry students overcame the quiet murmur of dinnertime conversation and watched as they marched, unified, through the crowds of people trying to buy food. But this time, that was all I did — I watched. Especially following the 2016 presidential election, participating in events like the Women’s March or the March for Science felt like an obvious choice. After arriving on campus, things felt different. The protesters at Gordon’s had all eyes on them. Many people looked confused as to what was happening and some were plainly angry that this event was causing a delay. I couldn’t suppress the thought that the reason I wasn’t chanting with them was because I didn’t want to sacrifice my reputation for this. And then February 14, 2018 happened. In the days following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the adolescent survivors of the tragedy have risen to almost celebrity status because of their outspoken activism. Their names and faces are recognizable to anyone who has watched the news in the past two weeks. In particular, a Stoneman Douglas senior named Emma Gonzalez has
made headlines for her passionate, articulate speech made just days after the shooting. The students of Parkland have shown that protesting and activism are not hobbies. They become reality when something has gone very wrong, to the point where the disruption of daily life is necessary in order to convince others that your cause matters. Recently, more than just protesting for causes, protests have become a way of proclaiming that all people deserve the right to live a safe, fulfilling life. It is 2018 and we are living in a different world than last year and the year before. Being able to brush off protesting is not only an exercise of immense privilege but also a manifestation of a lack of empathy. Some people have said that the Parkland students are demonstrating the skills of future politicians, but they shouldn’t have to be. No high schooler should ever have to become a lobbyist at 15, 16 or 17 years old just to prove that they have the right to feel safe in their school. They are making a tremendous sacrifice by choosing to dedicate their foreseeable future to activism and are an example to all of us. We owe it to them — and to each other — not to be silent. Some people are hesitant to participate in student protests because they are afraid of what others will think of them, but the truth is that every movement matters, no matter how small the issue may seem. More than I value my reputation, I value the lives of my classmates. I don’t want to attend a candlelight vigil on Library Mall ever again and that means encountering obstacles while enduring ridicule. Protests are not an example of divisiveness in the U.S. but rather a reminder that it’s important now more than ever to care about your neighbor. Izzy is a freshman studying political science and education policy. Have you participatd in protests as a student? Do you think protests enact actual change. Send any and all comments, questions or concerns to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
PHOTO BY JON YOON
Protesting is a sometimes uncomfortable, but necessary action.
almanac dailycardinal.com
Thursday, March 1, 2018 - 7
UW Housing “Opulence” eating plan requires $14,000 minimum deposit By Patrick Hoeppner THE DAILY CARDINAL
The UW Housing directorate announced early last week that the options available to students have expanded with the addition of the “Opulence” plan to the UW dining halls. The plan, long lobbied by students and parents, includes caviar and foie gras, along with fresh-baked baguettes unavailable to students participating in the typical meal plans. “Some of the more affluent students were complaining about the low quality of the food served to students,” a purchasing manager said. “This plan extends our culinary options to extremely expensive foods typically enjoyed only by the upper classes.” Proponents of the plan state that the $14,000 minimum deposit, only affordable to less than 0.03
percent of UW students, will bolster economic activity and stimulate the formation of a culinary culture here on the UW campus. “We need more exclusive societies on campus that help to stratify things,” the manager said. “We don’t agree with a hamburger culture every night,” a student employee of UW Housing said. “We’re conditioning our students to eat comfort food with fries every week and never let their taste buds explore outside their comfort zones. That’s how you create cultures of barbarism.” Opponents of the plan state that the new diet option is costprohibitive and virulently exclusive. The recently announced upcoming renovation of Gordon’s, slated to begin construction in late 2018, will include a sequestered dining area exclusive to the
members of the Opulence plan, complete with cloth napkins, glass pitchers of ice water and tuxedoed waiters. “We have always made an effort to include our more affluent students,” the housing director said, “and sometimes that means creating an environment which caters to them. “We had requests to let the members of the Opulence plan skip to the front of the checkout lines as well, but that got voted down by a lot of salty people.” The board of UW Housing has repeatedly declined requests for interviews. It is expected that the new meal plan will go into effect next week, and the exclusive dining area will open next month. As for the nature of the culinary plan, students are eager to find out what the future has in stock.
IMAGE COURTESY OF SAVANNAH MCHUGH
The new UW dining plan is engineered to exclude several students. “This should be an upgrade from the affordable fare. My tired palate can’t wait to experience
only imported food all week, every week,” a junior said My credit card maxes at $20k.”
Smelliest student on your floor takes first shower of the semester By Andrew Wheat THE DAILY CARDINAL
One of the most noteworthy developments of the last week is the smelliest kid on your floor has finally succumbed to his own stench and decided to take a shower for the first time this semester. Greg or Tony or Chris or whatever his name is (you don’t know, his body odor is too strong to bother with learning his name) is a running joke. Nicknamed “Basura Boy” by Rapha, the only Spanish speaker on your floor, everyone you know seems to agree on one thing: “That sack of old egg salad needs to take a shower,” says your RA. Last semester he only took “four showers,” according to his roommate. “I can think of four times where he went to the bathroom to shower.” Much to his roommates’ distress, the fact that he only showered four times last semester significantly impacted both of their abilities to meet people on the floor as the stench coming from their room was strong enough that everyone on the floor avoided it at all costs.
IMAGE COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
As “Basura Boy” came out of the bathroom, he was met with applause by everyone on the floor, lining a path to his room and cheering for him. Since it was now safe to approach, the smelliest kid was asked what prompted his decision to clean himself up. “Well, at first I thought it was pretty cool because in class no one would sit near me so I had a lot of space to stretch out,” he said standing in his towel outside the bathroom. “I realized it was becoming a problem when my TA passed out when I asked for help on an assignment.” When asked if that was when he decided to shower, he answered “No, that was about a week ago. I decided today because my roommate has been sleeping in the den for our floor, and I decided while it’s nice to have the room to myself, six nights of that is a little mean.” When questioned about their thoughts on the situation, the girls who live in the room next to his had this to say: “We’re so happy he’s finally showered, the smell was starting to creep into our room.” “Yeah,” the other interjected, “we’re pretty sure he hasn’t done laundry ever so his clothes are all just festering in the corner.” Asked if his hygiene habits were a problem for the building’s staff, your RA responded with a resounding “YES.” “The carpet at that end of the hallway hasn’t been vacuumed in weeks because the custodians don’t want to go down there. I have RAs from the floors above and below asking me to do something about it, and I can’t make myself head down without feeling woozy.”
IMAGE COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
The diet is 99.4% carbohydrate, with nearly every user reporting excessive weight gain and stomach cramps.
UW woman starts intermittent fasting diet based around Short Stack Eatery’s idiotic schedule By Regan Batterman THE DAILY CARDINAL
For those of you who are not familiar with Short Stack Eatery (sucks for you), you may not be aware of how convoluted their hours are. The popular breakfast spot is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Wednesdays, your window of opportunity briefly opens from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Thursdays and Fridays, you can treat yourself from 6 a.m. until midnight. Finally, SSE serves delicious dishes from 6 a.m. on Saturday to 9 p.m. on Sunday (yes, the whole time). As confusing as this is, one student saw opportunity amid the chaos. One young lady has combined her love for breakfast cuisine with weight loss goals and adopted an intermittent fasting
diet. On Mondays and Tuesdays, she refrains from food intake altogether. Come Wednesday, she’s first in line. “Usually, I’m starving after not eating for 57 hours,” she explains. A classmate of hers weighs in: “Her stomach growls so loud in our lectures on Tuesday I can’t hear the professor.” Because of her class schedule, on Wednesdays her morning pig out is her sole meal. “My last class ends at 2:10, so I don’t have time to get back before SSE closes at three. But the next four days... watch out!” She eats a “normal” three meals on these days, sometimes tossing a late night binge in after a wild Saturday evening. “They’re open, and who couldn’t use some drunken carboload?” Over the course of the week, she could
burn her way through the whole menu, but she is partial to the Sweet Potato Oatmeal pancakes. “They have strawberries on top, so I always get my fruit in!” What does she have to say to the haters? “As with any diet, people find mine confusing. But it’s a unique blend of the intermittent diet and meal planning; I always know I’m going to be eating one of the menu items! Also, I can’t cheat on my off days, because there’s no food available when the restaurant is closed!” [author’s note: I didn’t have the heart to tell her there are other places to eat in Madison]. In terms of exercise: “Have you been to SSE? It’s a whole six blocks off campus.” Our young innovator seems to be thriving.
It’s due time that you left your comfort zone and voiced your (likely wrong) opinions. Since we all seem to have too much to complain about, there are few better places to spew verbal venom than the Almanac. With so much cynicism in one place, our editors are keeling over from overexposure. To remedy this malignant plight, interested students can send their submissions to almanac@dailycardinal.com for consideration (ridicule) and eventual publication, if we deem your work decent.
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Thursday, March 1, 2018
dailycardinal.com
Men’s Basketball
How a 13-year-old Badger superfan used Instagram to become ‘part of the family’
GRAPHIC BY THOMAS VALTIN-ERWIN
Lilly Kuske saw her first UW basketball game in person just over a year ago. Since then she’s met nearly every member of the team and runs Instagram pages dedicated to Aleem Ford, D’Mitrik Trice and others. These relationships, and the work she does managing the accounts, gives her confidence and helps her manage her own anxiety. By Thomas Valtin-Erwin THE DAILY CARDINAL
Lilly Kuske sits on her bed with her head buried in her hands. She’s not an emotional person, but tonight the tears won’t stop. They swim down her cheeks and fall from her chin, darkening the red of her favorite Wisconsin sweatshirt. Florida’s Chris Chiozza has just ended the Badgers’ season with a desperation, buzzer-beating three in the NCAA Tournament. It’s here, from the bedroom of her home in Bloomer, Wis., that Lilly pens her final Instagram post of the 2016-’17 season. Tears streaming down her face, the 13-year old thanks every member of the men’s basketball team — redshirting players and all — for their hard-fought season. Nearly a year later, Lilly runs four dedicated fan accounts for the Badgers: one for D’Mitrik Trice, one for Aleem Ford, one for Walt McGrory and one for the whole Wisconsin team. Many of the players follow these accounts, including Lilly’s personal Instagram page. Though she’s still in the eighth grade, Lilly is operating what her mom, Amanda, says is tantamount to a full-time job. “It’s her first thing in the morning,” Amanda said. “She puts a lot of time into it. It’s not even just the posting; she’s researching. She knows everything about everybody.” ********* On Feb. 19, 2017, the Badgers beat the Maryland Terrapins, 71-60, in Madison. Nigel Hayes posted a double-double, his third of the season, and Ethan Happ recorded five steals, but it was
otherwise an unremarkable outing. But it was Lilly’s first taste of Badger basketball in person. She vividly recalls waiting outside the Kohl Center as the players slowly trickled out. It was then that she first met Trice and Ford, and a month later she started Trice’s fan page.
“I definitely consider her a part of the family. All my friends, everybody knows about her and who she is.” D’Mitrik Trice sophomore guard Wisconsin men’s basketball
Typically, a Division I basketball player would take no notice of the Instagram account of a middle schooler. But Trice is no typical player, and Lilly is no typical fan. Their friendship grew so that on April 5, Lilly’s birthday, she opened up her direct messages to a message from Trice. “I saw that it was her birthday, so I said ‘happy birthday’ last year. I gotta remember to do that again this year,” Trice said. “She had been there for so long keeping my fan page alive, so of course I gotta stay connected with her somehow.” Bloomer is a little over three hours from Madison, but the distance hasn’t stopped their relationship from developing. They talk frequently on the phone and over social media — Lilly even once interviewed Trice over FaceTime for a school project. Trice, who has two sisters back home, says she fits right in. “I definitely consider her a part of the family,” he said. “All
my friends, everybody knows about her and who she is.” Lilly has become so close with some of the players that, at the Badger Boosters’ Annual Steak Night at the Kohl Center last Spring, she was even recognized by Ford’s parents. “I met Aleem’s parents and they were like, ‘You should start a fan page for Aleem. Trice’s dad and I were just talking about this a couple days ago.’ And I was like, ‘You were talking about me? A girl from a small town?’” ********* As a freshman, Trice was thrust into a prominent role with the Badgers, and in his sophomore year, he was asked to be a leader on and off the court. But 10 games into the season, Trice suffered a foot injury that has kept him sidelined since. A few days after suffering the injury, a package arrived at his doorstep. Scrawled atop the return address was a familiar name: Lilly Kuske. Trice opened the box to find a host of carefully crafted goodies — cookies, candy, pictures, cards — to keep his spirits up during his recovery. And while Trice’s injury has kept him off the court, it hasn’t kept Lilly from updating his fan page, which features a new post almost daily. Trice acknowledges how uplifting it is to have a fan that remains dedicated through his absence, but it’s more than that, too. He says that interacting with Lilly has helped him develop the leadership skills that he normally would foster while playing. “It’s definitely opened up my eyes with watching games and not being on the court, being
more of a coach and a spectator,” Trice said. “I think that it’s helped me in the vocal aspect of being a leader.” Trice isn’t the only one growing through their relationship. Lilly has found benefits in nearly every aspect of her life, from schoolwork to the basketball court. “Obviously it gives me a drive. They give me goals to set,” she said. “It gives me goals of what I want to do and keep up with my grades, stuff like that.” Amanda, Lilly’s mother, sees this change, too. But as a parent, she’s seen another change. Like many kids her age, Lilly struggles with anxiety. But since her fan accounts have started to take off, Amanda says Lilly has something she knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she’s good at. “It gives her confidence. When she feels down or nervous about other things, this is something that she’s extremely confident about,” Amanda said. “It gives her a bright spot. I think it’s helped [with anxiety] quite a bit.”
“It gives her confidence. When she feels down or nervous about other things, this is something she’s extremely confident about.” Amanda Kuske Lilly’s mother
Among the goals that Lilly now has set in stone is attending UW-Madison. But she doesn’t want to just be a student; she wants to follow in the footsteps of Trice and so many others, walking through the tunnel onto
Ab Nicholas court in a cardinal red jersey and basketball shoes. To reach her goal, Lilly is infusing her own basketball game with moves she’s picked up watching the Badgers. She’s tall for her age, but she runs the point, bringing the ball up the court like Ethan Happ, ever reliable. She recounts a game where, inbounding the ball in the closing seconds, she drew a blocking foul practically identical to Brad Davison’s game-winning play against Western Kentucky. Amanda says her drive has become almost overwhelming. “She wants to make it to Madison. She wants to play,” Amanda said. “It’s constant. Morning, noon and night. That’s all she thinks about.” ******** Lilly and Amanda travelled to Madison for Frank Kaminsky Night and were there as the Badgers upended then-No. 6 Purdue. They stormed the court with a thousand half-drunk college students and danced with the players in celebration on a high in a season filled with lows. Once more, tears welled in Lilly’s eyes. This time, though, they were joyful. Far above the excitement and jubilation that night hung Kaminsky’s jersey, alongside Ab Nicholas’ and a 1941 championship banner. They’ll stay there as long as the building stands, forever immortalized in Wisconsin lore. Kaminsky and Nicholas are the only two Badgers with their jerseys hanging from the Kohl Center rafters, and it’s getting lonely up there. Maybe they’d enjoy the company of Lilly Kuske’s No. 5.