University of Wisconsin-Madison
RE
V
Since 1892 dailycardinal.com
Thursday, October 25, 2018
l
: IEW
SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AN AUTHOR
+ARTS page 4
Halloween costumes already in your closet
Advocates fear memo could erase trans civil protections
By Defang Zhang STAFF WRITER
dor, EContra EZ is sold for an upcharge so that the program can be self-sustaining. “The revenue that we make from the slight upcharge will account for the initial purchase of the oral contraceptive and then be able to sustain future restocks,” Alzaidi said. Despite the upcharge, EContra EZ is nearly three times cheaper than its drugstore alternatives. Alzaidi said she hopes the implementation
With the rising number of high school graduates decreasing over the past few years and college enrollment falling, race and income proved to be the two most significant factors. What has the UW System done since then to alleviate the losses? The number of graduates will continue to decline in the next 20 years; meanwhile the percentage of low-income students and students of color will increase. Data shows there was a decrease in enrollment of white Americans from 138,299 in 2016 to 136,043 in 2017. In contrast, from 2016-’17, Hispanic students experienced an increase in enrollment from 9,158 to 9,766. African Americans in Dane County were 6.2 times as likely as non-Hispanic white Americans to live in poverty. The likelihood was 2.6 times nationwide. “Every one in three white high school graduates attend colleges within the UW system; this number dwindles to one in 10 for African American high school graduate students,” said Nicholas Hillman, assistant professor in the School of Education in the UW-Madison. These inequalities are further reflected in college graduation rates. In 2011, the graduation rate for African-American students was 31.9 percent, under half the rate for white students at 64.5 percent, according to the UW System database. “There is a strong correlation between income and non-equitable academic opportunities, not ability,” said Noel Tomas Radomski, the director of the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education.
contraceptives page 3
enrollment page 3
STATE NEWS EDITOR
transgender page 3
+L&S page 2
Schools search for methods to tackle income, racial disparity
By Andy Goldstein State transgender rights advocates expressed alarm after a report Sunday revealed the Trump administration is considering narrowing the definition of gender as both exclusively biological and unchangeable. Activists are concerned that the move comes as part of an effort to erase recognition and protection of transgender and non-binary individuals and roll back their existing protections under law. “Two years ago on election night, I feared the change in our country’s administration would challenge the progress so many people fought for,” Milwaukee Pride President Wes Shaver said. “After the latest memo from our president, we have no choice but to amplify the message that we will not accept anything less than equal treatment, respect and rights for all transgender, nonbinary and gender non-conforming human beings.” The Obama administration set a relatively lenient precedent, leaving identification mostly open to individuals when interacting with federal agencies. Concerns arose when the New York Times reported on a memo from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which requested a definition of
+L&S page 2
TÉALIN ROBINSON/THE DAILY CARDINAL
EContra EZ, an emergency contraceptive pill, are now sold for $13 at student unions on campus.
Contraceptives at low costs boost access to reproductive health ByJenna Walters CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR
An oral emergency contraceptive is now available for purchase in both student unions at UW-Madison, and at a lower cost than namebrand equivalents. EContra EZ, an emergency contraceptive pill, can now be purchased at the Badger Markets in Memorial Union and Union South for $13. The pill is a generic version of Plan B and can be purchased without a prescription, preventing preg-
nancy after unprotected sex. The implementation of the drug began when Sophia Alzaidi, president of Accessible Reproductive Healthcare Initiative, began brainstorming with University Health Services staff about ways to expand the accessibility to emergency contraceptives on campus. Alzaidi said the team ultimately decided the fastest way to make emergency contraceptives available was to implement EContra EZ in the Unions. Purchased from a ven-
City encourages homeowners with children to test for lead contamination in their water By Sydney Widell ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
JAMES LANSER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Lead may pose health risks in homes built before 1978 regulations, especially for young children. The city of Madison offers some families free lead testing.
Over the past year, more than 70 Dane County children were reported to have elevated lead concentrations in their blood in what officials are calling “a public health concern,” according to a statement released Tuesday by the Dane County Public Health. As health departments across the country pause to recognize Lead Poisoning Awareness Week, Madison’s agency reflected on the risks lead exposure
poses to children, and encouraged community members to test their homes — and their bodies — for the toxin. “Although anyone can get lead poisoning, young children are particularly vulnerable because their normal behavior of putting their hands, toys and other things in their mouth, increases their risk for exposure,” said John Hausbeck, environmental health supervisor for Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC). “A blood test is the
only way to know if your child has lead poisoning.” Areas with older housing in Madison, like the Isthmus and the near East and near West sides, are the most susceptible to lead poisoning. The homes built between 1950 and 1978 typically have less lead in them than homes built before 1950. That said, 42 housing units and childcare sites were inspected and advised about lead risks
lead page 3
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”