‘Come for the costumes, stay for the riots’: A history of Freakfest
Story by Drake White-Bergey
Freakfest was canceled for the third year in a row, prompting questions from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community about the future of the State Street Halloween party.
Freakfest began in 2006 at the behest of then-Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. However, Halloween parties have occurred on State Street since the 1970s. During the 1980s and 1990s, the uno cial State Street Halloween party increased in popularity.
“It was huge in the [19]80s. I was a student in the ‘80s and MTV would come down,” Cieslewicz said. “It was packed. Then in the ‘90s, it sort of went away. For whatever reason, it fell out of fashion and then in the late ‘90s or early 2000s, it started to pick up again.”
By the early 2000s, crowds of up to 65,000 attended the festival, according to the Daily Cardinal. In 2005, the year before Freakfest was o cially created, crowds peaked at around 100,000 people, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Alongside the increasing crowd sizes, the State Street Halloween party began to see increased chaos. In 2002 and 2003, police used pepper spray to disperse rioters throwing objects, uprooting trees and looting storefronts from the State Street area.
“A couple years before I took o ce, things were getting kind of dicey on State Street,” said Cieslewicz, who was Madison mayor from 2003 to 2011. “They had ended with some disruptions,
broken windows and bonfires in the street, that kind of stu . And then my first year [as mayor], 2003, we had the same thing.”
Prior to 2006, the city tried to mitigate the potential riots on State Street.
“In 2004 [and] 2005, we tried to bring in high intensity lights, we tried to provide food and things for people to do like costume contests and stu like that,” Cieslewicz said. “But it just didn’t really work. After a while, it got a reputation of ‘come to Madison and come for the costumes — stay for the riots.’”
“It just seemed like every year things would go fairly well, and then right at the end, around two o’clock or so in the early morning hours, things would go haywire,” Cielslewicz continued.
Samantha Garay, a 2007 graduate of the UW-Madison, attended Freakfest every year between 2002 and 2006. She said the years she attended the State Street Halloween Party were much more relaxed — and more fun — than when the city made the festival o cial in 2006.
“I preferred those years,” Garay said. “There were less barricades, less police attendance — I don’t think we had to pay any kind of fee. Everyone just dressed up, went down to State Street and walked around. It was insanely crowded, but everyone just had a good time.”
Cieslewicz and his sta put together Freakfest in 2006 to quell the chaos of prior years, he said. The first year of Freakfest ended peacefully without any major incidents, Cieslewicz
wrote in his “Citizen Dave” column for Isthmus. About 35,000 people attended Freakfest its inaugural year.
In the years after Freakfest began, attendance slowly declined. According to the Daily Cardinal, attendance in 2015 was 34,000 while attendance in 2017 dropped to 19,000. By 2019, the most recent year of Freakfest, attendance leveled out to roughly 20,000.
Current UW-Madison senior Juliet Stills attended Freakfest in 2019. She said the crowds drove her to leave shortly after arriving.
“It was extremely crowded, and you really could not walk. You had to push and shove because everyone was slowly moving,” Stills said. “There really wasn’t enough space, and I couldn’t hear any of my friends and it wasn’t worth it to stay there.”
Garay said the creation of Freakfest drained the fun out of the event. The closed-o , pay-to-enter event left out the communal aspect of the State Street Halloween party.
“They took the uniqueness out of it,” Garay said. “There were barricades up everywhere. I remember having to pay money, and it just kind of lost the appeal to me. There was just more rigidity and law and order — it just took the fun out of the entire experience.”
Freakfest canceled again (and again)
In response to COVID-19, the City of Madison canceled Freakfest and other large gatherings in 2020. In 2021, the city canceled Freakfest again because of a COVID-19 resurgence. And, in 2022, Freakfest
was canceled once again.
However, unlike in 2020 and 2021, this year’s cancellation was not attributed to COVID-19.
In a press release, the City of Madison said it “moved away from a formal/sanctioned event for Halloween.” Frank Productions, the company that was in charge of Freakfest’s live musical performances, declined to sponsor the event in 2022, according to District 8 Ald. Juliana Bennett.
Despite representing most of the UW-Madison campus community, Bennett said she was not consulted prior to the cancellation of Freakfest.
“It was a decision that was not really consulted with me as a city alder,” Bennett said. “I was just told by the mayor’s o ce that it was canceled.”
Bennett said she disagreed with the city’s decision to cancel Freakfest, but understood why it was canceled. In place of Freakfest, she said the city should host other activities on Halloween.
“Instead of bringing in a bunch of big name bands and paying a whole venue like they normally do, maybe they could have just brought out some local bands or worked with downtown businesses to put on a similar programming to what Freakfest did,” Bennett said.
Cieslewicz said future citysponsored Halloween events should have a focus on live music similar to Freakfest
“I think having a music festival of some sort is always going to be an enduring attraction,” Cieslewicz said. “So I would think
that whatever we do in the future, it’s going to have to involve music.”
The future of Freakfest
Cieslewicz believes the State Street Halloween party didn’t die with Freakfest. He said large-scale parties during the fall months have been happening on campus since the 1930s, and they will continue to happen whether sponsored by the city or not.
“There’s stories from the 1930s about how Homecomings could get wild and out of hand. I assume that regardless of whether or not the city is going to formally have Freakfest or not, people are going to show up on State with costumes and party,” Cieslewicz said.
Garay said she remembers her time at the State Street Halloween party fondly, and she wishes current students, especially those who haven’t had a chance to attend over the last three years, could go.
“I do wish kids that go [to UW-Madison] now could experience it because it was so unique and so fun,” said Garay. “There was just a sense of pride in it.”
Because of Madison’s long history of partying, Cieslewicz said the return of a party similar to Freakfest is inevitable. The only question is when.
“Whether it’s the fall blowout or the spring blowout, things will get a little bit askew,” said Cieslewicz. “But you know, I don’t know what will happen this year, it probably won’t happen next year or even 10 years from now, but I think it will happen.”
“…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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talks key issuesat College Republicans event
By Ava Menkes STAFF WRITER
on “low-tech training,” including career and technical education. He also promised to support the University of Wisconsin System but did not mention specific pol icy initiatives directly related to higher education.
“We need more nurses, we need more law enforcement people and we need more peo ple who can build things with their hands,” Michels said.
Michels was also asked about UW-Madison’s ethnic studies requirement but said he “hadn’t looked specifically” at the requisite.
abortion bans on cases includ ing rape and incest exceptions as recently as June, when he told WISN Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban was an “exact mirror” of his position.
When asked to comment on his oscillating abortion stanc es Tuesday, Michels said he “just disagrees with the sys tem of abortion.” He added he was against “born-alive” bills and condemned opponent Gov. Tony Evers for vetoing similar bills during his term.
passes because that is the job of our attorney general, and I trust our great prosecutors in our states.”
Toney added that additional abortion issues could be han dled on a “case-by-case basis.”
On crime, Toney promised to “enforce the rule of law, pros ecute crime and stand up with our law enforcement.”
Toney said he was adamant about tackling the drug epidemic.
Republican gubernato rial candidate Tim Michels and attorney general can didate Eric Toney spoke to University of WisconsinMadison College Republicans on Wednesday evening with two weeks to go before the Nov. 8 midterm elections.
Michels addressed his plans for education, abortion and economic policy if elected as Wisconsin’s next governor.
“We’re going to have bet ter economic opportunities in Wisconsin, better education opportunities in Wisconsin, we’re going to have more money in people’s pockets in Wisconsin,” Michels said, without giving specifics.
When asked about his plans for higher education, Michels said he would place a greater focus
The policy requires each undergraduate student to complete three credits of approved ethnic stud ies coursework to foster an understanding and appre ciation of campus diversity. Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature attempted but failed to make courses on the U.S. Constitution an alterna tive for ethnic studies course work earlier this year.
Instead, Michels placed heavy emphasis on parental involvement in K-12 educa tion policy. He said he plans to increase public funding for pri vate schools to promote school choice but gave vague details about how these policies would be carried out.
Michels currently sup ports adding rape and incest exceptions to Wisconsin’s 1849 near-total abortion ban. However, Michels supported
Evers said he vetoed the bill because such protections are already guaranteed under fed eral law at the gubernatorial debate on Oct. 14.
Though Michels opposed the “system” of abortion, he previously supported con traceptives, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. However, Michels also told the Journal Sentinel he is against abortion pills “being passed off as contraception” and would keep them illegal in Wisconsin.
Fond du Lac County dis trict attorney Eric Toney took a similar position on abor tion policy. Toney pledged to “enforce the rule of law,” which he said included Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban.
“We don’t pick and choose when to enforce the law — the lawmaking belongs to the Legislature,” Toney said. “I will defend any additional exceptions the Legislature
“I’ve brought together an opioid coalition which is harm reduction, education treatment and enforcement,“ Toney said, adding that he would “aggres sively prosecute those who ped dle that dangerous poison into our communities.”
Toney also promised to part ner with the Legislature to add additional prosecutors and special agents to Wisconsin’s Department of Justice.
“As the son of a police offi cer, I want to make sure that our law enforcement will have all the available resourc es and tools they need to keep us safe here in Wisconsin,” Toney said.
College Republicans presi dent Joe Krantz said he orga nized Tuesday’s event because the club “understands the importance” of the upcoming Nov. 8 election. Krantz added he was “thankful for the space to share ideas” with the candidates and was excited to see what Michels “can do for Wisconsin” if elected as governor.
Sabrina Madison appointed District 17 Alder
By Gavin Escott STAFF WRITER
Sabrina Madison was appointed as the new alder for District 17 on Tuesday, filling the remainder of former Ald. Gary Halverson’s term.
Madison was selected out of five other candidates who applied for the open position fol lowing Halverson’s resignation in mid-September. District 17, which spans Madison’s Far East Side next to the Dane County Regional Airport, was repre sented by Halverson since April 2021 until his past association with the Oath Keepers — a rightwing extremist group — leaked early last month, drawing imme diate and fierce backlash.
After a few weeks, Halverson resigned, citing safety concerns for his family. Hours later, Madison announced her inten tion to run for the seat.
In an interview, Madison told The Daily Cardinal she had been considering a run for alder for several years but said recent conversations about the homeless men’s shelter that veered into fear-mongering was what ultimately pushed her to run. She voiced her belief that she would be a good mediator between people who may not see eye-to-eye, noting she has experience “bridging the gap.”
“I felt like this was a more than appropriate [time] for me to use myself, not just adding my voice, my lived experience, my family members’ experi ence, but also the other com munity members who I know are dealing with homeless ness,” Madison said. “I felt like I [could] be a good community navigator to bring these oppos ing views together and try to find some common ground for the shelter.”
Madison, who has lived in the city since 2007, is the founder and CEO of the Progress Center for Black Women, a nonprofit co-working space that o ers a variety of specialized services and programming to help devel op everything from financial lit eracy to business skills.
She also created the Black Women’s Leadership Conference, which helps Black women across Wisconsin looking for leadership oppor tunities, as well as the Black Business Expo and the Black Excellence Youth Conference. Madison said she was moti vated to create these organiza tions after noticing an absence of women of color in leader ship positions, and said her appointment to the District 17 seat made her happy as she could participate in making decisions that affect minorities.
“I just felt this immense joy, like this immense happiness to sort of take part in a pro cess that I’ve only been able to sort of watch and maybe come and testify in,” Madison said. “I want to be in the room where the decisions are being made, especially for people who look like me and may have some similar backgrounds.”
Madison said communica tion with the community was a key goal for her, and she “[wanted] to be known for [being] one of the most acces sible alders” in Madison. She said she had already reached out to fellow Near East Side alders with an idea to create a forum to bring some of their constituents together.
“I am very much a fan of plan ning with folks who will take part in something,” Madison said. “It’s just very important to me to include people in what my priorities are.”
She said her highest prior ity in her first weeks in o ce is simply talking to the people in her district. Madison said many recent conversations revolved around crime and safety as well as the desire for a central space for seniors, and she under scored that while emotions were mixed, some people expressed happiness the homeless men’s shelter would be in District 17.
“So it’s like whatever I can do to bring value to the con versation between, for example, the leadership at the shelter, and the East Towne business district and the residents over there, what value can I bring [and] strengthen those relation ships,” Madison said.
Madison also serves as the chair of the city’s Economic Development Committee and chairs the Guaranteed Income Taskforce. She also sits on the board of the Overture Center and serves on a committee that selects future United Way board members.
She said she intends to run for a full term in April, which would last until April 2025.
2 Thursday, October 27, 2022 dailycardinal.com news Tim Michels
Corrections or clarifcations? Call The Daily Cardinal offce at 608-262-8000 or send an email to edit@dailycardinal.com. For the record l An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 132, Issue 11 2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com News Team News Manager Hope Karnopp Campus Editor Alison Stecker College Editor Anthony Trombi City Editor Charlie Hildebrand State Editor Tyler Katzenberger Associate News Editor Ellie Bourdo Features Editor Annabella Rosciglione Opinion Editors Priyanka Vasavan • Ethan Wollins Arts Editors Jeffrey Brown • Hannah Ritvo Sports Editors Donnie Slusher • Cole Wozniak The Beet Editor Mackenzie Moore Photo Editor Drake White-Bergey Graphics Editors Jennifer Schaller • Madi Sherman Science Editor Julia Wiessing Life & Style Editor Sophie Walk Copy Chiefs Kodie Engst • Ella Gorodetzky Copy Editors Chris Lopez-Henriquez • Julia Chumlea • Gavin Escott Social Media Manager Clare McManamon Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Asher Anderson • Brandon Sanger Advertising Managers Noal Basil • Sydney Hawk Marketing Director Mason Waas The Daily Cardinal is a nonproft 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 recy cled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appear ing 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 rep resenting a wide range of views. This accep tance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both.
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Policy: Letters must be word pro cessed 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. © , The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN -5 98 Editorial Board Em-J Krigsman • Anupras Mohapatra • Jessica Sonkin • Priyanka Vasavan • Sophia Vento • Ethan Wollins Board of Directors Scott Girard, President • Herman Baumann • Ishita Chakraborty • Don Miner • Nancy Sandy • Phil Hands • Josh Klemons • Barbara Arnold • Jennifer Sereno Editor-in-Chief Sophia Vento Managing Editor Jessica Sonkin
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style The Daily Cardinal’s official curderburger review
By Drake White-Bergey, Je rey Brown, Annabella Rosciglione, Hope Karnopp and Tyler Katzenberger EDITORS
What began as an April Fool’s Day joke has turned into Culver’s most in-demand item: the Curderburger.
The beloved fast food chain added a cheese curd “crown” to its Deluxe burger, resulting in an inter net sensation that everyone, includ ing the Cardinal, has to try.
The item returned to Culver’s menus on Oct. 12 and is available through the end of the month or until supplies last.
Notably, there are no Culver’s locations within walking distance of campus, despite many students’ desire to see a franchise start on State Street.
Because the Cardinal is commit ted to bringing you the best reviews, we assembled a dream team and paid a visit to the Mineral Point location on Oct. 13.
Our reviews of the Curderburger are as follows:
As a practicing vegetarian, I got the Curderburger without a meat patty. I was worried the burger would be scanty without the patty, but it turned out to be much, much more than I could have imagined.
The curd-patty was a great replacement for the meat patty. Its crunchy texture and awesome fla vors blended well with the rest of
the burger. Every bite was a burst of cheesy flavor — first the soft bun, then the crunch of the curd, then a rush of cheesy goodness.
I only have two complaints — the pickles overwhelmed the cheese, and it could have used a slice of cheddar cheese. I recommend get ting your burger without pickles, as the pickle juice drowned out the flavor of the cheese curd whenev er they were within the same bite. Conversely, I also recommend add ing a piece of cheddar to the burger. The extra cheddar-y flavor would only add to the overall experience of the Curderburger.
I give the Curderburger an 8/10. It’s a must-have for vegetarians and murderers alike.
- Drake White-Bergey
The Curderburger contains between its buns the juxtaposition of excellence and mundanity; it is ingenious to the degree it feels unin spired… delightful yet somehow dull.
In essence, the Curderburger takes a breaded and fried piece of cheese and puts it on one of their burgers in the place of the typical slice of cheese. To maintain my san ity, I will refrain from imagining how anyone could mess that up, yet quite frankly I am disappointed in human ity for not conceiving this sooner.
The Curderburger’s elegant simplicity is double-edged. It’s fun. It’s a good sandwich. It delivers on
being a curd on a burger; but at the same time, that’s all it is. The gimmick belongs perfectly within Culver’s branding as the burger franchise from Wisconsin, yet the sandwich itself isn’t phenomenal to the degree that demands a limited release. While the Curderburger would likely be an iconic staple of the regular menu if given the chance, I would guess Culver’s is using the pressure of limited time to compensate for what they rec ognize as not outlandishly special. Any more than a couple weeks with the Curderburger on the menu and you realize it’s just a burger with a fried block of cheese on it.
Yet simultaneously, where else can you get a burger with a fried block of cheese on it?
I highly recommend going out of your way to try the Curderburger while it lasts if you think you’ll have fun doing so. Again, it’s a good sandwich that I enjoyed. Yet, I do not feel compelled to have another during this Curderburger season, nor will I feel compelled to go out of my way for another during future Curderburger seasons if they con tinue as an annual occurrence.
Final rating: PG
- Je rey Brown
I have to admit I am not a cheeseburger girl — strictly ham burgers for me. Yet, I have been anticipating trying this burger
since last year; I was so sad when I couldn’t get one. The customer service was amazing — great job to the Mineral Point location, keep doing what you’re doing. The envi ronment was killing it, too. I loved seeing a packed lunch crowd.
The first bite was everything I could’ve asked for and more. The ratios were perfect. I was afraid I was going to get sick of it after two bites, but I honestly loved it. I, like Hope, also thought the burger was going to fall apart. Nevertheless, she persisted and stayed quite intact throughout the eating pro cess. Tyler’s got a little messy — not really sure what happened there, but I digress.
I do have to take o a point, however, for the fact that I prob ably just lost a week of my life after eating that much grease and cheese. Not the fault of Culver’s, but definitely glad this is not a per manent menu item for the sake of the general population’s health.
Final Rating: 9/10
- Annabella Rosciglione
I was heartbroken last year when I visited four Culver’s loca tions just to find that each one was sold out of the Curderburger. This time around, the FOMO had faded a little bit. I was sud denly nervous that adding a giant cheese curd would ruin my go-to Culver’s order. From the first bite, I was pleasantly surprised that the burger was not overwhelming.
I do have several opinions on the cheese “crown.” All the cheese
seeped out in the first few bites, leaving nothing but the breading for most of the sandwich experience. The cheese seemed sharper than Culver’s normal cheese curds — which is fine — but it did overshad ow the other flavors in the burger. I almost wish there was an additional slice of cheese to balance it out.
I will give extra props to Culver’s for the structural integ rity of the burger; my main fear was that the entire product would fall apart. Granted, I did leave off the pickles and onions. Overall, I thought it was a decent sandwich. I would order it again, but this time I won’t be eagerly awaiting the Curderburger’s return.
Final rating: 8/10
- Hope Karnopp
I walked up to the Culver’s coun ter unsure of what to expect from the Curderburger. After all, it’s just a burger with an oversized cheese curd on it — and the visual appeal isn’t the greatest.
But when I took my first bite into the cheesy, savory goodness, my Wisconsin patriotism was restored. The gooey cheese, crispy breading and juicy beef patty added delightful texture to every bite. I have to admit — the burger exceeded my expectations.
I do think the oversized cheese curd could have been more pro portional in size to the rest of the burger. The cheese spread out and spilled onto my tray, leaving me craving more cheese during the last few bites and leaving a small mess in the process. Overall, though, the burger was structurally sound and didn’t collapse under the massive slab of curd.
I will order the Curderburger again if I manage to make my way back to Culver’s, since the compa ny hasn’t invested in an obvious gold mine location on State Street. Ultimately, the burger lived up to the hype — even if it could’ve used some beer cheese.
Final rating: 8/10
- Tyler Katzenberger
Finding solace in Sundrop as a teetotaler at UW-Madison
By Anupras Mohapatra CONTRIBUTOR
Close your eyes and picture a party. What is the first thing you imagine? Chances are, you pictured alcohol in some form. Alcohol is at the heart of the University of WisconsinMadison’s reputation as a party school. Yet here I am, an oddity. While I may stick out like a sore thumb for several reasons, there is no reason more striking than me being a teetotaler: someone who does not drink alcohol.
People have asked me why I don’t drink and more often than not, I think to myself that it is none of their busi ness. Although, if the ques tion comes from people I care about, I try to give an answer
along the lines of, “I’ve never really cared for it.” In reality, there’s a lot more to it.
It is true that I don’t real ly care about alcohol. I was raised in the United Arab Emirates — a predominantly dry country — so I came to Madison not knowing much. Now, I am adept at recogniz ing the smell of beer, which is probably the effect you’d expect Wisconsin to have on me. However, I just don’t like the smell. I remember ask ing some staffers at The Daily Cardinal before the pandemic why they drank alcohol, and none of them enjoyed the taste or smell. All of them, as far as I remember, enjoyed the intoxicating effects.
This leads me to my next
point: I don’t like the idea of being intoxicated. The idea of letting the warm embrace of booze carry me to a deep slum ber sounds enticing. Who does not want to escape from the day to day? But I don’t want to lose control. I’ve not wit nessed people lose control first hand, but the unpredictability of drunkenness and the sub sequent hangover is not some thing I want to explore.
Lastly, the health ramifica tions of binge drinking are no secret. I don’t want to drink a little, and then drink more and then drink too much. If I wanted to give my body a bad time, I’d rather drink some thing that tastes nice and is not nearly as addictive.
Enter Sundrop soda. I was
first introduced to Sundrop during the summer at a pic nic in celebration of the drink. While Sundrop is refreshing, citrusy and an all-round great drink, it symbolizes something greater to me. Alcohol is typi cally the showpiece of the col lege social setting, and when ever I’m in such a setting, my options are an afterthought. On good days, I have had CapriSun or Gatorade, and on bad days, I’ve had tap water.
In Sundrop, I found a drink that is not an afterthought and by extension, I feel less like one myself in alcohol-heavy social settings. For once, I find myself on level footing, even if it comes at the cost of ingest ing more caffeine than the average soda. Had it not been
for the infectious enthusiasm of Sundrop fans around me, I’d never have tried the drink. For that, I am grateful.
I am not the first person to write about a teetotaler expe rience at UW-Madison, and I doubt I will be the last. There are more of us than one may believe. Misconceptions come down to the glorification of drinking culture, which pushes us teetotalers to the fringes of the college social scene. A study by University Health Services confirms this. But some of us are fortunate to find support in things like Sundrop. All of a sudden, we’re at equal footing, drink ing away intrusive thoughts on days that will live long in our memory.
life &
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It’s not that hard to ride the bus, right?
By Wylie Dituri STAFF WRITER
It’s 8 a.m. and you’re waiting for the 80 outside Dejope to take you to class. Boom. It’s there on time. You’re in class by 8:25 a.m., and all is as it should be. But come 10 a.m., 11 a.m., the bustling University of Wisconsin-Madison student body and our haphazard walking has dis rupted our beloved buses entirely o their scheduled rhythm.
Outside of their glorious early morning consistency, the 80-line is a guessing game. You spin the wheel, and it can come up anywhere from one to 15 minutes: the di erence between making it to discussion late or on time.
If you find yourself going from your dorm to class after 10 a.m., you don’t even consider taking the bus. Yet, somehow when one does, it’s still an overcrowded nightmare. It’s a minor inconvenience on a perperson basis. But for a school that houses half its student population 20 minutes from campus, a consistent public transportation system is the lifeblood of student learning.
The system is also built around the student-maligned, 10-minute bathroom breaks for the drivers at Memorial Union — a necessary inconvenience to keep our drivers sharp and safe on the road.
It’s been over a year since the last reported Badger Bus accident, and eight since one reported with a pedestrian. Yet throughout the day — as their bathroom breaks at the Memorial Union run long or short, or they’re forced to stop and wait as hordes of students fill the streets around them and the bus itself — it creates stacks of buses all traveling
as one.
It’s great if you’re there on time for the double buses. Then there’s no need to worry about being packed like a sardine into the bus — instead, you can feel like a nice Lays potato chip. But, on the unlucky days when you run up behind as the bus drives away, it’s all terribly demoralizing, as you’re resigned
stringent scheduling, a higher vol ume of buses at peak times and the replacement of more stop signs with tra c lights.
Keeping all the buses on a truly steady schedule — through holding drivers accountable for their time stopped and increasing the vari ety in where they’re scheduled to stop — immediately alleviates the
ate the majority of these problems. By pure volume, it would become almost impossible for a bus to not be right on the tail of the one you missed. Even when collected into hoards of two or three, and although not guaranteed, you could reason ably still expect a bus in no more than 10 minutes.
Now, as much as I’ve come for the
right of way.” But with the frivol ity with which students dart across the street, it almost seems as if they may be.
At the bare minimum, contain ing them to lights would forcibly reduce our frankly ridiculous lack of vehicle consciousness and work to help maintain a consistent sched ule for the buses. With enough properly placed lights, buses should never find themselves riding each other’s tails.
Also, fellow students: the lack of on-bus etiquette is ridiculous. Not a single person moves their backpack down to the floor to make space for more people — even though it would easily allow 10 more students onto the bus.
Boarding and disembarking from the bus is even worse. No one waits with an ounce of courtesy for those clawing their way out of the bus to their stop. It’s a veritable zoo of col lege students clawing their way into and out of the masses.
to waiting 20-plus minutes for the next set of three to arrive.
As night comes, and the bus moves to hourly, consistency returns, but their utility falls all the more. If you get lucky, it’s a nice little reward after a fun night at a friend’s home or dorm. But most nights, it just leaves you to walk home through the raw Wisconsin wind and biting cold air.
All this can be fixed by more
bus hordes that form at Memorial Union. The buses traverse almost everywhere on campus. Having some stop at Union South at coor dinated times with those stopping at Memorial Union would instantly keep their rhythm more clock-like.
Increasing the bus volume from seven to 10 during peak hours and maintaining a steady group of three buses into nighttime would allevi
bus system itself, we students also have some work to do.
In the almost streetlightless trip from Dejope to Linden and Charter, the haphazardly moving student body is almost impossible to pre dict. They cross the street at any odd chance — in many cases without regard for oncoming tra c and in turn their own life. No one wants their last words to be “I had the
As awful as we all are about bus etiquette, many of our issues would also be fixed with an increase in bus volume and a more rigid schedule. With more buses and fewer students per bus, there would be no need to claw and scratch your way on and o . So we all — hopefully — would simply stop doing so. But until then, I implore you to have some etiquette and thoughtfulness for others on your daily rides to and from class.
Wylie Dituri is a freshman sta writer and is currently undecided about his major. Do you think that the bus system in Madison has not reached its full potential? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardi nal.com.
Kanye West: where to draw the line
By Maddy Heuler STAFF WRITER
Singer, pop star and multimillionaire Kanye West has been acclaimed and recog nized for decades for his record albums, such as “Life of Pablo,” alongside his public marriage to Kim Kardashian. However, West is known first and fore most for his contributions to the rap community, alongside his outspoken and frequently o ensive narrative within pop culture. This narrative, lack ing pushback from a major ity of his fanbase, showcased personal struggles for the rap star as well, as he has publicly struggled with his diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
This attitude, whether right ful with his own mental health struggles or not, has taken a vicious turn towards margin alized cultural groups. It’s safe to say his platform is profiting o of malicious claims against these communities. Yet West’s fan base may have a bigger hand in the matter than we may realize.
In the past few years, his controversialness seemed to take a turn with the help of social media, fueling a fast and accessible way to spread his messages that connect to a massive audience. West’s most recent outburst was cap tured on the podcast “Drink
Champs,” featuring statements where he verbally claimed George Floyd’s death was the result of a fentanyl overdose.
Yet, these claims are com pletely false and defamatory, as it has been proven George Floyd was killed by the asphyxiating knee to his neck by Derek Chauvin, one of the convicted Minneapolis police o cers responsible.
Floyd’s family responded to West’s false and obligatory com ments with a multifaceted law suit, filing for harassment, mis appropriation, defamation and infliction of emotional distress.
Further, West has treaded on an alternate path within this same theme of the Black Lives Matter movement. His recent appearance at the Paris Fashion Week showing with his brand “Yeezy” promoted his radical position disagree ing with the Black Lives Matter movement. Here, his models’ clothing was labeled with “White Lives Matter’’ slo gans as they — West included — walked the runway.
Even more recent have been West’s public antisemitic hate speech towards the Jewish community. Following this speech, groups of demonstra tors lined a highway in Los Angeles holding signs labeled “Kanye was right about the Jews” with the inclusion of a
Nazi salute. West also made claims on twitter announcing a “death con 3” on Jewish people, referring to the defense system of the United States military.
His claims have both invited and encouraged hate speech against Jewish communities. Eyes have been directed on his partnering brand Adidas, which features his own brand Yeezy’s line, to terminate the partnership with West, which eventually ended Oct. 25. The wide range of communities and groups West is attack ing seems unprecedented and almost facetious.
These three events, occur ring back-to-back, are exam ples of the dangerous state ments and actions West has made, and what they mean for the communities he tears apart. But, where has the pushback been from his fans? It seems as though public figures have voiced their loud opinions, yet West’s strong following allows for these messages to resonate with far too many people.
Because his madness is closely tied to his genius, his music and fashion empire have built him the reputation of being “unrivaled.” Fans and the general public wrongly excuse his rampant behavior and separate it from his music and fashion.
This week, artists and
public figures such as his for mer wife Kim Kardashian have stepped forward to stand with the Jewish community and denounce Kanye’s platform. Yet the question must be asked, why did it take this long?
The long-time label of “Kanye just being Kanye” with regard to West’s statements is over. The lack of retaliation from power ful voices, as well as fans, is essentially how the singer came to achieve the power.
In this way, West became unbound. His platform and voice were built by fans who no longer support his man tra, yet strongly support his music and fashion. The singer holds a dangerous amount of power within society and is
not discouraged by backlash but rather, is empowered. The attention he gets from these ridiculous claims is a spark to his flame.
While listeners, myself included, may think they are immune, we all may be at fault for letting West get to the place he is. In the same manner, it has become part of our responsibility to take that platform back.
Maddy Heuler is a fresh man staff writer study ing Journalism and Political Science. Do you believe that Kanye West’s fans bear some responsibility for enabling his defamatory actions? Send all comments to opinion@daily cardinal.com.
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COURTESY OF JASON PERSSE VIA CREATIVE COMMONS
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Cardinal Notes: album reviews
The Daily Cardinal arts sta share their thoughts on recently released albums.
“Pity to Love” by Ronboy
By Jackson Walker STAFF WRITER
Just in time for the approach of overcast skies and chilly fall weather, indie rock singer-song writer Julia Laws or “Ronboy” released “Pity to Love,” a project full of the musician’s trademark dreamy melancholy.
Ronboy has only previously released singles, so “Pity to Love” is a momentous first ever fea ture project for the artist. Laws’ mournful tone underscores the project with a ghostly sadness not unlike current indie rock sensa tion Phoebe Bridgers. Bridgers’ influence throughout the album is clear as Ronboy bares the depths of her emotions in each song, bringing the listener on a journey into their feelings.
The album starts with “Always,” a slow track accompa nied by a driving beat that evokes a mixture of anger and sorrow. Then comes “Forget It,” a track similar to “Always,” but accom panied by an electronic backing score that punctuates the down trodden piece with staccato bursts of energy.
The ensuing track “Say Too Much” incorporates an upbeat drum cadence, this time allowing its energy to swell to an almost hopeful note before dampening the tone again with the transi tion to the album’s title track “Pity To Love.” Adding the noir-esque voice of a jazzy electric guitar to the score conjures images of rainy city streets and dark stormy skies.
In “Your Way,” Laws simplifies the score by inviting in a soft piano accompaniment and replacing her electric backing tones. Piano heightens the sorrowful nature of the album as though Laws was performing the piece with her
head hung low. Following this is “Oceans of Emotion,” a hot-tem pered track that brings back some of the angrier vibes heard earlier in the album.
Tracks “Boogeyman,” “Easy for You” and “Mercy” continue to showcase Laws’ haunting harmo nies before the album concludes with “O the Record.” Closing out the brief album, the piece o ers pleasing backing tones and an intense reverb that gives the listen er hope that perhaps the sun will peek through the clouds again. Even in its gloomy depths, “Pity to Love” shines in its eclectic instrumentation and solid production value. While it certainly won’t be blast ing over the loudspeak ers at campus parties, the album presents an opportunity to slow down, have a cry and reflect on the strange, beauti ful sadness of the world around us.
incredible stylistic adaptability over numerous collaborations with established producers like Madlib.
Gibbs’ latest record departs from the retro-sample, idiosyn cratic flair that stipples much of his discography. He traverses instead into an aesthetic that serves consistent clever and grimy bars over staggered trap beats while losing none of his emotional sincerity or humor.
ensemble, while “Grandma’s Stove” sees Musiq Soulchild vocal izing over a spacey and hollowed soundscape. “Lobster Omelette’’ melts o a lavish interlude into a mellowed, ritzy operatic build-up.
As in past records, Gibbs dis plays a consistency of lyrical quality that marks him as an unwavering, monumental figure in the rap realm. “$oul $old $epa rately” only confirms his deftness and versatility.
“Midnights” by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift dropped “Midnights” at 12 a.m. on Saturday, with additional tracks dropping a few hours later.
me feel important” from tracks five, three and 19 — “You’re on Your Own, Kid,” “Anti-Hero” and “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” respectively — are just a few lines that beautifully encapsulate the complexities of life in renowned Taylor Swift fashion.
By Kai Wen Li STAFF WRITER
Gary, Indiana rapper
Freddie Gibbs’s newest record “$oul $old $eparately” aims for a commercial aesthetic that never theless delivers consistent and ver satile production.
The release relieves a yearlong anticipation following Gibbs’s and The Alchemist’s masterful “Alfredo” — a record that displayed the rapper’s
There’s no shortage of nota ble features on the record either. These include Anderson .Paak, Raekwon, Pusha T, O set, Kelly Price and more — all of whom complement the maximal, occa sionally operatic textural spaces of the production. Cuts like “Dark Hearted” feature an orchestral
As I listened to the entirety of Swift’s 10th album, I transcended. Hearing Swift exclaim such relat able remarks poetically was emo tional, to say the least. It was no surprise “Midnights” broke the record for most streamed album in a single day in Spotify history. This album exempli fies Swift’s evolving style. “Midnights” is uniquely her in a way past projects didn’t grasp completely. It’s raw. It’s quirky. It’s dark. It’s beau tiful. Taylor Swift seems to let go of perfection. In turn, “Midnights” possesses a new Lyrics like, “From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes / I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this / I hosted parties and starved my body / Like I’d be saved by a perfect kiss,” “I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror” and “...if you never saved me from boredom / I could’ve gone on as I was / But, Lord, you made
Swift touches on the intri cacies of growing up in her 2010 track “Never Grow Up” and again in “You’re On Your Own, Kid” off “Midnights.” She portrays her insecuri ties in 2019 on “The Archer” and gives the listener a new deeper look in “Midnights’” “Anti-Hero.” She is relatable in her commentary about her relationships. Swift does not shy away from discussing the uncomfortable; perhaps this is why she resonates with so many young women.
“Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” like “All Too Well,” discusses regret and the loss of innocence at the hands of older men as she sings, “Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first” and “I would’ve stayed on my knees / And I damn sure never would’ve danced with the devil / At nine teen.” In an interesting twist, upbeat songs on the album portray her exhausting struggles.
Of course, “Midnights” is relat able. It tells the story of 13 sleepless nights. Tell me you have not tossed and turned over: the inevitable pros pect of growing up and entering uncharted territory, the insecurities many stare dead in the eyes but will not seem to fade, relationships that leave dark scars on your heart, or any other theme on this track.
“Midnights” is the antithesis of Swift’s past work. I heard listen ers voice their disappointment with this album. I challenge them to return and uncover the intricacies, beauty, and power Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” holds by releasing the clutches of perfection.
Interview: Mike Leckrone returns to showbiz
By Jackson Walker STAFF WRITER
A moonlit backdrop hung over the stage as guests took their seats to the sounds of gentile jazz through the speakers at the Overture Center. Before them stood a single chair and a microphone accompanied by a simple array of instruments: a piano, a drum set and a cello.
Could this be the setup for a con cert? A comedy show? A speech?
The audience got their answer when former director of the University of Wisconsin Marching Band Michael Leckrone took the stage in one of his signature sequin outfits to perform “Moments of Happiness,” a show as unique and multi-faceted as the man behind it.
Part standup comedy routine, part jazz cabaret and part storytelling ses sion, “Moments of Happiness” per sonifies Leckrone, mixing musical ele ments like jazz and music theory with flashy showmanship and witty humor as he tells stories of his personal his tory from childhood to the present.
“The whole idea was to temper [‘Moments of Happiness’] so that
everybody could get something out of the show,” Leckrone told the Daily Cardinal when asked how he would characterize his performance. “A vari ety show might be the best way to put it.”
Leckrone, 86, hadn’t taken the stage since 2019 when he performed his final Varsity Band Concert with the UW Marching Band, of which he served as director for 50 years prior. Under his leadership, Leckrone brought the band to new heights, developing the organization from near anonymity into one of the premiere marching programs in the country.
It was this life-long devotion to the performing arts and the members of the UW band, Leckrone said, that drew him back to the stage after his time away.
“I miss performing. That’s the quick, short answer. I really missed the interactions with the students,” he said. “That’s one of the things I really like about students; they’re always very lively, and you never know what you’re going to get. That was the fun of what I did for all those years.”
Much of the audience had some
prior experience with Leckrone as students, colleagues or fans of the band dating all the way back to his early days at the University of Wisconsin in the 1960s. He made sure to call out to them during the show, asking for a show of hands from any former band members.
In his performance, Leckrone showcased the many talents that led to his legendary reputation as a showman, cracking frequent jokes with the audience and even taking lead vocals for each selection of jazz and ragtime tunes. Accompanying him was a well-rehearsed trio of jazz players who each had a moment to shine during short solo sections scat tered throughout the performance.
Between each selection, Leckrone would share personal anecdotes. He began with stories from his childhood growing up as a musician, and talked the audience all the way through his legendary career with the UW Band. While with the Band, Leckrone wit nessed the rise of Wisconsin athletics to the national powerhouse it is today.
Of all the Final Four appearances and National Championships he wit
nessed in his time at UW, one event stands out in his mind above the others.
“The big moment for me was that first Rose Bowl,” Leckrone said. “That was an event in my mind that’s never really been topped.”
Though he did touch on that 1994 Rose Bowl, Leckrone shared other lesser known moments from his time with the band like bringing a live elephant named Molly into Camp Randall Stadium on a game day for a circus-themed halftime performance. As Leckrone recalled, the crowd in Camp Randall went wild as the animal approached mid field, only to find that Molly had done “what nervous animals tend to do,” right on the 50 yardline.
Touching on another memory, Leckrone described a prank by the tuba section during the band’s first trip to Lambeau Field in the 1980s.
As the section processed around the field for their “tuba tunes” routine, Leckrone found out all too late they had adorned their bells with card board letters spelling out “the Bears still suck.”
Following intermission, Leckrone
turned his attention to the crowd, call ing for participation as he composed a jazz arrangement on the fly, complete with an improvised solo from a mem ber of the audience.
To close out the show, Leckrone took a moment to acknowledge his late wife Phyllis in a tear-jerking tribute to their 62 year marriage before clos ing with a chorus of On, Wisconsin! which had the crowd on their feet clapping along.
The e ect is a production noth ing less than enthralling. It is clear Leckrone has not lost his touch, and it is easy to become transfixed with his intriguing grandfatherly storytelling style. This, combined with his intricate knowledge of music accompanied by the sounds of the jazz trio makes for a delightful evening for all audiences.
And while he has yet to solidify concrete plans, Leckrone admitted he is far from through with performing as more projects are already in the works for future shows.
“[Performing is] exciting, and it’s fun to get all revved up again on my part,” he told the Cardinal. “The one thing I haven’t been is bored.”
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“$oul $old $eparately” by Freddie Gibbs
ZOE BENDOFF/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Badgers finally claim wins in away series
By Matthew Neschis STAFF WRITER
Though only four games into the season, the pressure was mounting this weekend for the Wisconsin Badgers (2-4-0, 0-2-0) to put together a complete game and secure their elusive first win. They accomplished this and more in a much-needed series sweep of No. 10 Minnesota Duluth (2-4-0, 0-0-0 NCHC) at Amsoil Arena.
Despite trailing early on in Friday’s contest, the Badgers came barreling back to silence the away crowd of 6,573 and hand the Bulldogs their first home loss of the season, 5-2.
Wisconsin found themselves in penalty trouble early on in the game, as freshman Cruz Lucius was assessed a tripping minor with 9:49 left in the first period. Minnesota Duluth wasted little time before capitalizing on the one man advantage, burying a power play goal a little over a minute later.
UMD’s Luke Loheit got the scoring kickstarted, netting a back-hand shot from the edge of the crease to put the Bulldogs up 1-0.
The Badgers evened the con test moments later thanks to fresh man Charlie Stramel’s first colle giate goal. Forward Mathieu De St. Phalle led the o ensive zone rush and wristed the puck to Lucius, who corralled the pass behind the net. The forward then centered the puck to Stramel, who redirected the pass into the goal at 14:06 in the first.
Wisconsin took their first lead of the night as the first period drew to a close. After receiv ing the puck from defensemen Corson Ceulemans, Lucius skated into the slot, where he unleashed a back-handed shot with 2:56 left in the period. The goal, which gave the Badgers a 2-1 lead head ing into the second, made Lucius the first UW player with two scores on the season.
Minnesota Duluth tied the game at two apiece with their second power-play goal of the game. UMD’s Blake Bondi tip-in shot 23 seconds into the second highlighted UW’s struggles on
the penalty kill, marking the sec ond time this season the Badgers have allowed multiple power play scores in a night.
Forward Jack Gorniak helped Wisconsin reclaim the lead at 15:02 in the period, showcasing his blaz ing speed on the masterful scoring e ort. With both sides down a man after a pair of o -setting penalties, Gorniak sped up the left wing and navigated past a defender before slipping the puck through the fivehole of UMD goalie Zach Stejskal.
The Badgers added on to their 3-2 advantage several minutes into the third period. After UMD’s Wyatt Kaiser was called for high sticking – a penalty that would soon after become a five-minute major following Wisconsin’s successful coaches’ challenge –UW junior Ty Smilanic secured a cross-ice feed from freshman teammate Ben Dexheimer. The transfer forward did the rest, net ting the tap in goal at 5:14 in the period to extend Wisconsin’s 4-2 lead and record his first goal as
a Badger.
The final blow came o the stick of UW senior Owen Lindmark, who buried an empty-net goal in the final two minutes of the game to propel the Badgers to the 5-2 victo ry – their first of the young season.
“It’s good to get that first one,” Gorniak said following the win and his strong three-point perfor mance. “We’ve really built since our first game this year and you could see it last Saturday. That’s the first full 60 [minutes] we’ve played and we brought it into this game tonight.”
Looking to build on their state ment win from the night prior, the Badgers came firing right out of the gate on Saturday night.
Forward Brock Caufield netted the first goal of the night at 3:57 in the opening period to give the Badgers an early 1-0 lead. Following a barrage of shots by Wisconsin, De St. Phalle fed defenseman Mike Vorlikcy in the slot. Though the senior’s shot harmlessly angled out to the low left circle, the puck
was swiftly rebounded by Caufield and fired past UMD’s outstretched goalie for the score.
Wisconsin skated o the ice in good spirits after retaining their one-goal lead through the first peri od, but were soon confronted with trouble a minute into the second.
Vorlicky dropped to the ice in noticeable pain moments after being run over behind the net by UMD’s Quinn Olson. Following a brief discussion with Wisconsin athletic trainer Andy Hrodey, the defensemen was helped to the lock er room, where he spent the rest of the night. Referees assessed the hit afterwards and deemed it wasn’t worthy of a penalty.
Vorlicky’s departure did little to slow down the Badgers, who built onto their lead at 3:08 in the second period. With seven seconds elapsing in a power play, Lucius received a pass from Ceulemans along the o ensive zone boards. The freshman brought the puck up to the top of the right circle, where he uncorked a wrist-shot that rico
cheted into the back of the net and extended the score, 2-0.
The Bulldogs had little answer for the Badgers and goalie Jared Moe, who saved 12 shots in the third period en route to saving 35 overall in the game.
“There were key moments in that game for sure that he had to make big saves and he was there for us,” Badgers coach Tony Granato said of Moe.
In one last move of despera tion, UMD pulled goalie Matthew Thiessen with two minutes remain ing in the contest. The decision quickly backfired, as Gorniak capi talized on the empty net with his second goal of the series to cap o the dominant win, 3-0. The shutout was the second of Moe’s career and first since Oct. 15, 2021.
Following the series sweep and crucial tallies in the win column, Wisconsin will hope to build upon their newfound success at home against Penn State, with games scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29.
Badgers sweep Bemidji State, win ninth straight
By Maddie Sacks STAFF WRITER
The Badgers traveled to Bemidji State to play the Beavers on Thursday and Friday.
They swept the series with no trouble, totaling their ninth straight win of the season. Kami Cronish allowed no goals Thursday night and only one was allowed Friday night by Jane Gervais.
Thursday night, the Badgers came out looking strong. They took no time to get on the board, with Vivian Jungels scoring her first goal as a Badger just over a minute into the first period. Katie Kotlowski sent over a pass to Jungels who shot it straight through the fivehole of the BSU goaltender from the Beavers’ blue line.
Just five minutes later, Sophie Shirley scored, making it 2-0 Badgers. After receiving a center ing pass from Marianne Picard, Shirley easily maneuvered around
the goaltender to backhand in the second goal of the game. Lacey Eden joined in on the fun, put ting the Badgers up by three with an incredible zig-zag move around the goalie to slide the puck in.
Senior Captain Britta Curl had an exciting night as she tallied her 50th career goal, assisted by Jesse Compher — making it 4-0 Badgers at the end of the first period.
Back for the second period, the Badgers easily won the faceo and took no time in starting the next scoring streak of the game.
Sarah Wozniewicz scored after two Bemidji State players and a Wisconsin player took a fall. Wozneiwicz swooped in behind the fall, shooting the puck right over the goalie’s shoulder, making it 5-0 Badgers.
A little over a minute later, Simms scored the sixth goal for the Badgers, e ortlessly moving through the BSU defense to score an impressive backhanded shot.
Next up on the scoring squad was freshman Clair Enright, who took advantage of a miscommu nication between a Bemidji State player and the goalie. A split sec ond before the Beaver goalie was able to cover up the puck, Enright poked it right into the goal.
The second period ended with shots favoring Wisconsin 24-5 and the score at 7-0 Badgers.
In the third period, Picard fin ished o the scoring barrage with a goal assisted by the Edwards sisters making it the eighth and final goal of the game.
Thursday night was the Badgers’ eighth straight win. They dominated the Beavers, winning 8-0 with eight different scorers. The Badgers were simply too quick for the Beavers, result ing in an impressive night for Wisconsin hockey.
Friday night, the teams shared a total of eight penalties, with only one power play goal. Both
teams played their best, but the Beavers were just no match for the Badgers.
Wisconsin won the faceo to start the game Friday night, and Caroline Harvey was the first to score. Harvey was assisted by Shirley, whose assist put her in 10th for school history in career scoring.
With just over eight minutes left in the period, Casey O’Brien scored a goal after receiving a long, centering pass from Harvey. To end the first period, Jesse Compher scored as well, giving the Badgers an impressive 3-0 lead.
Early into the second period, Shirley scored o an assist from Curl, and Lacey Eden joined the scoring run as well, making it 5-0 Badgers. Jane Gervais made an impressive snag in the second period, shutting down a shot from Bemidji State. The second period ended with both teams down a player from two penalties.
In the third period, BSU got a second penalty while still killing o the first one, making it fouron-three. Once the two penalties ended, it was five-on-four, with Wisconsin having the advantage. Nicole LaMantia did not let the power play go to waste, scoring and making it 6-0 Badgers.
Grace Shirley finished up the Badgers’ scoring run with a falling goal after an impressive drop pass from Claire Enright, putting the lead at 7-0 Badgers.
With a minute left in the game, Bemidji State player Gabbie Smith finally put the Beavers on the board, ending the game at 7-1 Badgers.
This week’s games were another dominating show for the Wisconsin Women’s Hockey team. The team showed o impressive talent, precision and focus in both games against Bemidji State. This upcoming week, the Badgers will face the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs on Friday and Saturday.
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6 Thursday, October 27, 2022 dailycardinal.com
the beet Comedic actor Matt Walsh confused, anguished to hear he caused controversy on UW-Madison campus
By Mackenzie Moore THE BEET EDITOR
Far-right political commenta tor Matt Walsh visited campus on Oct. 24 for a screening of his new documentary, “What is a Woman?” This caused uproar on campus among the transgen der community and its allies, prompting protests.
Unfortunately for comedic actor Matt Walsh, he did not get the memo. As of now, the “Veep” cast member is under the impres sion he did something horribly wrong that would specifically infuriate a bunch of college stu dents in Wisconsin.
According to concerned friends and family, the “Bad Santa” actor has been distraught since he got the news.
“He’s just not acting like him self. He’s been drinking a lot since he heard last week, but I
don’t think he’s even using it to numb his feelings over the whole thing — he just thinks it will make the students like him more if he binge drinks every day,” said one anonymous source.
The actor is also reportedly spending most of his time sit ting naked in a cold tub of water outside of his home while eat ing bricks of cheddar cheese like Snickers bars. Witnesses say he isn’t always crying while doing so, but there’s enough sobbing to indi cate the gesture isn’t a joke.
In a move that speaks to how little Walsh knows about the University of WisconsinMadison, he reached out to The Beet via burner phone for more information.
“I-I don’t know. Is it because I’m from Illinois? Are they wor ried that I’m going to come up to their state and drive badly?
I think that’s the stereotype,” said Walsh.
However, that explana
Abortion hypocrisy strikes Tim Michels campaign
By Je rey Brown ARTS EDITOR
A recent leak out of the Wisconsin GOP gov ernor campaign reveals that, despite his pub lic anti-abortion stance, Tim Michels is himself an aborted fetus.
“There was always something off,” said University of WisconsinMadison student Garrett. “I mean look at those eyes — absolutely lifeless.”
This is only the most recent case of abortion hypocrisy among promi nent Republican candi dates. Georgia GOP nomi nee for US Senate Hershel Walker was revealed to have paid multiple women
he was sexually involved with to get abortions.
This leak from the Wisconsin governor cam paign prompted a live broadcast public response from Tim Michels himself.
“I am not an aborted fetus,” said Michels through his gloopy face. “These are lies of the leftist media try ing to tell you that I am an aborted incest fetus. This is fake news.”
The statement that Michels is an aborted fetus that arose from incestuous intercourse was not part of the original leak, but it is a credible component of this breaking story.
“Look at his big dumb squishy head,” an anon
ymous University of Wisconsin doctor told The Beet. “You know that rotten pumpkin of a cranium will go ‘splat’ when you drop it. Michels is definitely an aborted incest fetus if I’ve ever seen one.”
It has also been anony mously leaked to The Beet that Donald Trump, who has been appearing in sup port of Republican mid term candidates all over the country, has been asked not to comment on Tim Michels being an aborted incest fetus because “[Trump] is not trusted to refrain from calling Michels ‘Fetus-Face Timmy’ or a similar dispar aging nickname.”
This is a developing story.
tion wouldn’t explain why he was specifically targeted. After all, he’s from Chicago, and an
unscientific study conducted by UW-Madison students every day indicates 63% of the campus identifies themselves as being from a suburb of Chicago.
“Is it the red hair? Dammit, I knew this would happen. Once Conan hit it medium on Late Night, I was told there would only be room for one redheaded man in Hollywood. I feel so foolish,” said an anguished Walsh.
This also didn’t provide answers, as Midwesterners can never get enough of funny guys with low self esteem.
Walsh’s burner phone ran out of minutes just before he could be calmed down and it could be explained to him that he is not the same Matt Walsh surrounding the contention. In light of this, campus residents can expect to receive a check in the mail from the poor guy within the next week or so.
Serial killer arrives to next murder, is frustrated to real ize he only has a paring knife
By Mackenzie Moore THE BEET EDITOR
It’s been said in every entry level cooking class — there’s a knife for every job. Not only can using the incorrect knife increase the likelihood of injury, but it can make it more di cult to slice smoothly. Budding serial killer The Backhand Butcher, nick named after the form forensics indicate he stabs with, found this out the hard way.
Upon arriving at his next potential kill on the evening of Oct. 26, The Backhand Butcher thought the stage was set — it was dark, he could see through the window that the woman was home alone and he had his favorite chef’s knife on his hip — or so he thought.
After reaching for where the knife’s handle should’ve been, he found that there was nothing there. Taking a moment to gather himself, he then reached lower before real izing his mistake — he had forgotten to return his biggest, sharpest knife to his belt after cleaning it. In its place was a paring knife, which is more use ful for peeling apples than stabbing through pounds
of flesh.
“Darn it — I’m such a putz. I can’t believe I forgot to put the knife back immediately after I cleaned it. Gosh, that’s basic safety,” sighed the four-times-and-counting killer, shaking his head.
“I must’ve put the paring knife here by mistake after I de-veined those shrimp.”
The future Netflix miniseries subject didn’t take it easy on himself.
“I swear, this has never happened before a kill. Never. Not with the jog ger wearing headphones, not with the puppy-love teenage couple taking in the sunset from a cli , not even with that girl whose friends called her crazy when she warned them about me. Otherwise, their loved ones would still have the chance to say
‘I love you’ to them when ever they want,” babbled the exasperated Butcher. Out of options, the masked murderer checked the blade of his sole knife. Not only was the knife too small, but the blade was dull.
“Well this is just great, now isn’t it? I just sharp ened this knife like last Tuesday. God must hate me, I guess,” said the lit eral serial killer.
Ultimately, The Backhand Butcher sulked home with his head hung in shame. Though The Beet did not find the cold-blood ed killer’s address out of concern of being mur dered, it is assumed that he returned home to throw away all of his rubber chickens and balloon animals.
dailycardinal.com Thursday, October 27, 2022 l 7
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