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Manmade pandemics? +OPINION, page 7
Delays in construction on chem building By Abby Bradbury STAFF WRITER
With the fall semester well underway, University of WisconsinMadison students are adjusting to a (mostly) in-person class schedule for the first time in a year and a half. However, for the thousands of students taking a chemistry course with a lab this semester, classes remain virtual due to ongoing construction delays of the university’s chemistry building. The Chemistry Building Project, which began in 2018, is a two-phase project that includes the addition of a nine-story tower, as well as the renovation of lower floors in the building that normally house lectures, laboratories and student services for undergraduates. Though the new tower was planned to be completed by the end of this summer, the project is experiencing continual delays that have affected the ability of chemistry students to attend labs in person and conduct research in the building. For undergraduate students, this transition to online marks the fourth semester of virtual labs, a less than ideal format for hands-on experiments. The lack of in-person
lab experience is becoming a growing concern for students. “I spent a month or two doing actual labs before going online in March 2020,” said Cole Bell, a third year UW-Madison student currently in organic chemistry. “It’s definitely a concern of mine that I’ll be doing lab work in my post-graduate studies having no in-person experience.” Chemistry students found out only in late August via email that the building would not be available for labs, lectures or research. The delay also impacts researchers and collaborators who rely on the building facilities, instruments, data and research from students. The UW-Madison Chemistry Building is a complex structure of four interconnected buildings. There are two concurrent closures in chemistry buildings that both contribute to the transition to an online format for students. Construction on the northeast building on the corner of University Avenue and North Mill Street was focused on renovating classrooms and teaching labs for undergraduate students. Originally planning to open in June, the elevator shafts
were unable to pass pressurization tests, rendering it a fire hazard and unable to be used this semester. The second closure results from issues with renovations of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems of the two oldest buildings — the Daniels Wing and the Mathews Wing. In late August, there was a planned eight day shutdown of the renovated wings to connect the air systems to the other buildings. Midway through this shutdown, it was announced that due to exhaust problems, the opening of these buildings would also be delayed. There is potential for the two wings to open in late October or early November, a senior graduate student who wishes to remain anonymous said. Graduate students at large are experiencing problems, as most of the research facilities are currently unavailable. These setbacks have led to various timelines adjustments to give graduate students more time to complete essential components of their degree — such as the thesis background exam and research proposal. These closures have implications for both undergraduates taking
their essential chemistry courses and graduate students getting the necessary research they need to complete their degree. More senior graduate students have expressed concern about this affecting their ability to graduate at their intended time. An extra semester for graduate students could lead to loss of grant funding and compensation from
future jobs they are unable to start without final elements of their degree completed. “The impact goes beyond just the students in our department, it goes beyond our university,” said the anonymous graduate student. “It’s impossible to calculate just how widespread these delays are for graduate students and researchers.”
COURTESY OF IRENA CLARKOWSKI
The new chem building construction has expereinced many delays, causing worry.
UWPD, UHS Mental Health Services crisis responders By Claire LaLiberte STAFF WRITER
In the past, when a University of Wisconsin-Madison student called emergency services for a mental health crisis, an officer from the University of Wisconsin Police Department would arrive in response. But in an effort to provide the appropriate support and specialized help necessary for these emergencies, the university has announced that, effective Oct. 4, first responders will be joined by mental health professionals from University Health Services. This partnership was designed over the course of about a year, with serious input from not only the departments involved but also the UW-Madison BIPOC Student Coalition, the Associated Students of Madison (ASM) and the Mental Health Services’ student advisory board. This venture by UWPD and UHS implements what is known as the “co-responder model.” UHS Mental Health Services Director Sarah Nolan and UWPD Chief Kristen Roman stressed “the uniqueness of this pilot on a college campus” and the benefits this program has shown in the few cities where it is in place, per a Department of Justice publication.
Impacts of the program include a decrease in recidivism, fewer instances of violence and arrests and improved relations between police departments and communities. The co-responder model also connects those struggling with mental illnesses to resources that can help them directly. ASM Press Director Tyler Katzenberger stated that students in crisis will feel the benefits of this
program alongside the responders, as they will “have immediate access to proper mental health support care from UHS,” underscoring that “UWPD officers aren’t forced to multitask as counselors” through this coresponder model. As of right now, this program will only run two days per week. According to Katzenberger, the hope is “to see the program expanded to late nights and weekends to provide
COURTESY OF JEFF MILLER/UW MADISON
Police will now be collaborating with UHS when responding to mental health cases.
more complete mental health crisis response service, especially since alcohol and drug use are more prevalent during these time periods.” When a student is in crisis during the program’s operating hours, two trained mental health professionals will be sent along with the UWPD response. In a joint statement, Nolan and Roman stated that the co-responder model will “allow mental health clinicians to work directly with students and schedule follow-up care directly.” Nationwide police responses to such crises have faced criticism from those who state that police officers are not sufficiently trained to assess or treat an acute mental health emergency. This program aims to rectify that in Madison by allowing mental health professionals to “evaluate the situation in real time” instead of going off a police assessment, Nolan and Roman said. Along with this real-time evaluation, the mental health professionals’ responsibilities will include bringing the student experiencing a crisis to the hospital, if necessary. This was made possible by ASM, who provided $3,284 in funding for transportation to the hospital. ASM Chair Adrian Lampron stated in the release that this fund-
ing represented the organization’s commitment to UHS Mental Health Services’ ideas. According to Nolan and Roman, the departments involved “will continue to evaluate and explore potential opportunities to add layers of service, such as wrapping into the City’s CARES model.” CARES, which stands for Community Alternative Response Emergency Services, launched on Sept. 1. The program sends a City of Madison Fire Department paramedic and a responder from Journey Mental Health to respond to mental health crises. As of now, CARES only operates from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays; Dane County’s long-term goal is to make this a 24-hour service, seven days a week. Katzenberger emphasized the importance of mental health services being treated as its own discrete emergency service, as “responding to mental health crises is just as important as responding to fires, crimes and medical emergencies.” This partnership hopes to create just that for students here at UW. Students and campus community members seeking mental health resources can find them at https://www.uhs.wisc.edu/mental-health/.
“…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, October 7, 2021
An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 131, Issue 7
2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000
News and Editorial editor@dailycardinal.com Editor-in-Chief Addison Lathers
Managing Editor Grace Hodgman
News Team Campus Editor Ellia Nowakoski College Editor Sophia Vento City Editor Jackson Mozena State Editor Annabella Rosciglione Associate News Editor Samantha Henschel Features Editor Gina Musso
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From health crisis to information disaster By Audrey Perry SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Facebook’s temporary shutdown on Oct. 5, 2021, gave our mediated world a time of peace. Frances Haugen, former Facebook product manager, notes on C-SPAN, “For more than 5 hours, Facebook wasn’t used to deepen divides, destabilize democracies and make young girls and women feel bad about their bodies.”
prohibited from moving towards a better light and helping those struggling the most. Many credit COVID-19’s disproportionate effects on minorities to systematic oppression. “Structural racism created the conditions that made racialized groups vulnerable during the pandemic and that will make it more difficult for them to recover,” said University of Wisconsin-
can prolong the mistrust people have in getting vaccinated. Media became a makeshift reality during the pandemic. It seemed to be the only way to access each other, whether that be for social purposes, work purposes or news purposes. While it was important to have a way to remain connected to people, that comes at the price of higher exposure to misinformation about the news.
Opinion Editors Ian-Michael Griffin • Em-J Krigsman Arts Editors Rebecca Perla • Seamus Rohrer Sports Editors Lara Klein • Christian Voskuil Almanac Editors Gillian Rawling • Nick Rawling Photo Editor Irena Clarkowski Graphics Editors Jessica Levy • Zoe Bendoff Science Editors Joyce Riphagen • Emily Rohloff Life & Style Editor Allie Sprink Copy Chief Olivia Everett Copy Editors Kodie Engst • Jane Mccauley • Tess Vasilakos Social Media Managers Clare McManamon Podcast Director Hope Karnopp
Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Brandon Sanger Advertising Managers Noal Basil • Sydney Hawk
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 Ian-Michael Griffin • Grace Hodgman • Em-J Krigsman • Addison Lathers • Anupras Mohapatra • Riley Sumner
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© 2021, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398
For the record Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an email to edit@dailycardinal.com.
COURTESY OF GINA MUSSO
People around the world have been led astray due to misleading information disseminated on some Social Media platforms. Not only did users get a break from these types of divides, but they also got a break from the spread of COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation — something that has plagued the United States since the 2016 presidential election. Through the pandemic, Facebook has been one of the main social media platforms that skewed COVID-19 from a health crisis into an information crisis. While there are still debates on the circumstances surrounding the pandemic, one thing is for certain — it has had extremely disproportionate effects on underprivileged communities. With social media platforms continually allowing disinformation and misinformation to spread regarding the vaccine, individuals may be
Madison Public Affairs Professor Denia Garcia. Due to educational and wealth disparities, minorities are more likely to be working frontline jobs where they are unable to work from home. Possible language barriers and health disparities also contribute to minorities being less likely to have access to health care benefits. Thus, they are more likely to be exposed to the disease and less likely to get treated. “COVID-19 has exacerbated racial inequalities across health, social and economic outcomes,” Garcia stated. So how does misinformation in the media affect minorities and underserved communities in a disproportionate way as well? Misinformation in the media
Based on a study from the Pew Research Center, more than half of Americans who use social media as political news platforms say they have seen false information about COVID-19. 70% say the media exaggerates the risks. Anyone with the click of a button can spread conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots, whether that is claiming it to be unreliable or claiming that it can protect fully against the disease. The CDC states that misinformation spreading throughout social media is in regard to the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine, and now possibly the booster shot. Tweets such as @ RealCandaceOwens claiming, “It’s not that the vaccine didn’t
work, it’s just that you need a booster shot plus all the unvaccinated people to get vaccinated in order for the vaccine to work.” or @TyCardon tweeting “Keep an eye on ‘breakthrough’ cases, hospitalizations and deaths from up north over the next few weeks. Many states are still sitting on the last 2 weeks of data. There’s a reason Fauci’s now trying to redefine ‘vaccinated’ to include only those who’ve received the booster,” present false information that spread rapidly. Candace Owen’s tweet had 4,196 retweets and Tyler Cardon’s had 1,428. The more misinformation is spread in the media regarding COVID-19, the less trust and confidence people can have towards getting the vaccine. Educational gaps also contribute to a lack of trust in COVID-19 vaccines. Pew Research Center confirms through surveys that Americans with access to a higher level of education are more likely to know about the implications of their technology. Those who have that higher level of education are more savvy with digital knowledge, whether that be noticing a phishing scam, a private browser or noticing factually incorrect information. Educational inequality can result from parents’ income — those of lower socioeconomic status may not have access to the kinds of high-level education needed to learn about disinformation and misinformation. The CDC suggests using “trusted messengers” when encountering news, but this may be difficult to obtain based on educational disparities. While it may be easy to use trusted news sources, such as The New York Times or The Washington Post, social media comes at easier access. It’s free. It’s convenient. When accessing these reliable traditional news platforms, they have set time limits and then ask for a subscription. Social media is at our fingertips. As people continue to use social media as news, the exposure to misinformation can prohibit our country’s journey towards getting vaccinated — but there is hope. Action is being taken by UW-Madison Journalism Professor Mike Wagner and a team of researchers to fight the damage that misinformation from the 2020 election and COVID19 have caused. They are targeting the problem from the roots — Facebook and Twitter, two of the largest misinformation ecosystems. “This project will help determine what corrections of misinformation are effective and get that information to professional fact checkers, who can work in real time to correct misinformation circulating on social media,” Wagner said in a UW-Madison release. If there is a way to debunk misinformation, there is hope for more vaccine trust. Overall, if social media content moderation becomes in better tact and there is more educational access teaching not only how to track disinformation and misinformation in the media, but also how COVID-19 has increased racial disparities, there is hope for a better future. If we cannot move forward from this cycle of misinformation consumption, we cannot help those in serious need.
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Construction of new county jail to exceed budget By Jackson Mozena CITY NEWS EDITOR
The new Dane County jail currently under construction is predicted to exceed its $148 million budget approved by the Dane County Board by an additional $22 million.
According to an analysis conducted by criminal justice research organization the JFA Institute, the total cost of completing the plans for the new Dane County Jail will exceed $170.1 million. Dane County initially partnered with the JFA
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The new jail being constructed now supposed to exceed the budget by $22 million.
Institute in June to cut costs surrounding the project and decrease the county’s jail population. Initial funding for the project was approved in June 2019, with a budget of $148 million to construct a seven-story jail tower to replace two jails located in the City-County Building and the Ferris-Huber Center — both built in the mid-1950s. The new tower will be constructed behind the Downtown Public Safety Building jail. According to District 5 County Supervisor Elena Haasl, rising construction and contracting costs are mainly responsible for driving the project over budget. Haasl explained in an interview with the Cardinal that they feel the estimation raises concerns about the efficacy of the program. “It’s probably a mix between construction costs going up and different contracting increases in costs,”
said Haasl. “We kept approving more funding because we kept going over budget. But now that it’s way over budget, even the County Executive has said that we need to rethink this because it’s just been spiralling out of control.” In order to remain within the current budget, the JFA Institute recommends that the county reduce the number of floors in the jail, from the initially planned seven to five. If the County Board approves plans to reduce the number of floors, the capacity of the new facility would be reduced from 922 beds to 666. In their analysis, the JFA Institute concludes that the reduction in capacity is sustainable as long as the jail population remains in the low- to mid-500s, which is consistent with the number of people incarcerated in Dane County during 2020. Despite this, the Institute suggests that the
building’s design should remain flexible if more floors become necessary in the future. Haasl stated that the board remains undecided on whether to remove the top two floors from the plans or approve $22 million in additional funding. “It’s still something that we need to figure out in the near future,” they said. According to Haasl, some County Board members feel that additional funding is necessary, as the current facilities located in the City-County Building and the Ferris-Huber Center are too outdated to remain in operation. “There’s pressure to build a new jail because they’re worried that things aren’t up to code,” Haasl said. “The new one would supposedly be a more humane jail … so people keep pushing for that despite it being over budget.”
Election audit advances in Wisconsin for officials By Ian Wilder STAFF WRITER
The 2020 presidential election audit gained new traction in Wisconsin Friday when Assembly Speaker Robin Vos released a statement that the first set of subpoenas had been signed and issued across the state. The audit is being led by former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, who was selected by Republican lawmakers for the position in June. Vos’ statement read, “Justice Gableman is dedicated to finding the truth and has determined subpoenas are necessary to move forward in his investigation.” Republican-led audits of the 2020 election have been emerging across the nation, with all of them upholding the results of the election, so far. Notably, audits are currently ongoing in Texas, which former President Trump won by about six percent. The audit in Wisconsin is beginning to draw more attention,
as President Biden flipped the state by just over 20,000 votes, or 0.7% of the total vote in Wisconsin. Speaker Vos’ statement did not include any information about who was being subpoenaed, but Green Bay City Clerk Celestine Jeffreys and Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall-Vogg both independently confirmed that they were recipients of the subpoenas. At least five other offices have confirmed that they have received subpoenas, but the exact number remains unknown. Based on those documents, proceedings will be taking place in Brookfield in about two weeks time. Justice Gableman, who has seen bi-partisan criticism at times, had previously announced that the goals of the audit were not to overturn the result of the election, but rather “to put everything I know and everything I learned before you, the citizen, so that you can make up your own mind.”
Green Bay has been of particular interest to the GOP election audit movement, as the election there was funded, in part, by grant
“Apparently they’re all drinking the Kool Aid.”
Tony Evers Wisconsin Governor
money from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, which received partial funding from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Although a federal judge had previously blocked a lawsuit, which challenged that funding, the subpoena issued to Jeffreys indicates that Republicans are continuing to look for signs of wrongdoing in Green Bay. The audit has been extremely unpopular with Wisconsin
Democrats from the start. In August, Speaker Vos, amongst other Republican lawmakers, met with former President Trump, after which they set a 680,000 dollar budget for the investigation. Former President Trump had been previously critical of Vos, but critics, including Governor Tony Evers, saw the meeting and the high budget as a commitment to the former President. After the meeting, Evers called the probe “outrageous”, and added that “apparently, they’re all drinking the Kool-Aid,” referring to the fact that Wisconsin Republicans had agreed to join the former president ’s plan. Republican lawmakers argue that there is nothing wrong in ensuring that the election was conducted fairly. Election experts, including University of Wisconsin-Madison Political Science Professor Barry Burden, contend, nonetheless, that the negative outcomes of the audits outweigh any potential benefit.
“My concerns about the reviews that are underway in Wisconsin is that they are likely to do the opposite of what the advocates say will happen,” said Burden. “They are decreasing confidence in the election system rather than increasing it regardless of what they find.” The subpoenas are the beginning of a likely lengthy process, as election audits across the nation
“They are decreasing confidence in the elction system rather than increasing it regardless of what they find.” Barry Burden UW-Madison Political Science Professor
have taken months, such as was the case in the Arizona audit, which recently led to a report that upheld the results of the election.
SSM Health planed to end Midwifery Program, reversed By Sam Tuch STAFF WRITER
SSM Health of Wisconsin revealed Tuesday that they would be reversing course on a recent decision to end its Midwifery Program, after they were met with widespread backlash from patients
“Despite high patient satisfaction, positive outcomes and substantial investment in the program, we are unable to sustain the program further.” Matt Hanley and Dr. Mark Thompson SSM Health's interim Regional President and President of Medical Groups
and experts alike. A spokesperson announced in a statement that while the nursemidwife program, “is not sustainable, SSM Healthy truly values women’s health and remains committed to offering equitable
access to care, including midwifery services.” According to Channel 3000, the decision to end the program would have left four nurse-midwives out of jobs come Dec. 31. Nurse-midwives were notified a day before patients. The healthcare provider originally had plans to transition patients under care of midwives to OB-GYN providers. In an email to staff obtained by Channel 3000, SSM Health’s interim Regional President Matt Hanely and Dr. Mark Thompson, president of Medical Groups, wrote, “Despite high patient satisfaction, positive outcomes and substantial investment in the program, we are unable to sustain the program further.” In another statement to the Wisconsin State Journal on Monday, spokesperson Lisa Adams added, “many women who choose midwifery care choose to deliver their babies with community-based midwives. Because of these trends, we are not seeing the number of
births needed to sustain the current model of employing midwives within the SSM Health Women’s and Newborn’s program.” According to current SSM nurse-midwife Emily Beaman, the Midwifery Program has seen over 300 births since its inception. The decision was criticized by many, primarily due to the perception that the move prioritizes profit over people and adequate healthcare for expecting mothers. In response to the decision, Dr. Michelle Drew, a nurse-midwife, tweeted “So care by an OBGYN at
“So care by an OBGYN at 4x the cost of a midwife between salaries & malpractice makes more ‘economic sense’...Shame on @ ssmhealthwi.” Dr. Michelle Drew Nurse-midwife
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SSM Health quickly withdrew statement on plans to discontinue midwife program. 4x the cost of a midwife between salaries & malpractice, makes more ‘economic sense’ […] Shame on @ssmhealthwi.” Twitter user Jackee Hack added, “I used to work at the competing hospital in Madison as a labor nurse and I couldn’t imagine what it would look like without midwives. This makes me sad.” Data has shown that midwives play a significant role in contributing to the health of newborns and mothers. According to a research
study published in the National Library of Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health, “a substantial increase in coverage of midwife-delivered interventions could avert 41% of maternal deaths, 39% of neonatal deaths, and 26% of stillbirths, equating to 2.2 million deaths averted per year by 2035.” According to SSM Health, the Midwifery Program will continue “until a new, sustainable model is in place.”
sports Camp Randall Stadium’s field named to honor the retired Alvarez
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By Lara Klein SPORTS EDITOR
Just months after announcing his retirement as athletic director, Barry Alvarez has made his way back to Camp Randall in a big way. Last Friday, Chancellor Rebecca Blank announced that starting next season, the football field at Camp Randall Stadium will officially boast the name Barry Alvarez Field. The stadium’s turf is set to be replaced prior to the 2022 season as part of a $13 million fundraising campaign. The new turf will have the words Barry Alvarez Field written in the corners to honor the beloved AD and coach. Donors who helped this naming become a reality include some of Alverez’s former players and his close friends Ted and Mary Kellner. Several of these players, including Mike Thompson, Joe Thomas and Lee Evans, spoke his praise in a video that aired during Saturday’s game against Michigan as Alverez stood watching with his wife, Cindy, from center field. In a video distributed by the university, Alvarez expressed his overwhelming sense of gratitude. “I’m touched. I’m honored,”
TAYLOR WOLFRAM/DAILY CARDINAL
Former head coach Barry Alvarez speaks during halftime at his dedication ceremony at Camp Randall. he said. “I love my players. I love what they say. It means so much to me, and I’ve said this all along: I got into this business because so many coaches touched my life.
That’s overwhelming.” Alvarez joins an elite crew of coaches who hold similar honors, including Mike Krzyzewski, Pat Dye and Paul Bryant, who also had
courts or fields named after them due to their coaching success. During his time as head coach from 1990 to 2005, he helped lead the Badgers to win three Rose Bowl
titles — 1993, 1998 and 1999 — and set a program record for career coaching victories with a record of 119-74-4. Wisconsin had only won nine football games in the four years prior to Alvarez’s arrival. Equally as impressive are the 16 national titles in six different sports that were secured during his reign as athletic director from 2004-21. These national titles were won by Wisconsin’s women’s lightweight rowing, men’s cross country, men’s hockey, women’s hockey, men’s indoor track and men’s rowing teams. Blank summed up Alvarez’ success at the university during the ceremony. “Barry Alvarez has had an immeasurable impact on the UW-Madison campus and beyond in the state and in college sports,” she explained. “This type of career deserves recognition at the highest level.” Alvarez was named into the College Football Hall of Fame and UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010. While his success on the field had already secured his legacy, this naming will remind fans of Alvarez’s impact on Wisconsin athletics for years to come.
No. 4 ranked Badgers to take on Hawkeyes
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Libero Lauren Barnes celebrates with teammates after scoring a point. By Taylor Smith Badgers home winning streak, SPORTS REPORTER
After going 2-0 this past weekend, the No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers’ (11-1) volleyball team will continue their Big 10 conference play against the unranked Iowa Hawkeyes (2-12). Wisconsin is 3-1 in conference play and Iowa is 0-4. The Badgers were ranked No. 5 last week and were able to move up in the rankings after a sweep against the No. 7 ranked Minnesota Gophers (now ranked No. 8) and a four set win against the Illinois Fighting Illini. The win against the Gophers added to the
which now stretches 26 games. After this impressive weekend, the Badgers swept the Big 10 awards for the week. Freshman Julia Orzoł was named both the Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week. Fifthyear senior Sydney Hilley was named the Setter of the Week for the third time this season, while fellow fifth-year senior Lauren Barnes was named the Defensive Player of the Week for the first time this season and third time in her career. This matchup is the first between the Badgers and Hawkeyes since Nov. 22, 2019.
Their last match was played at the UW Field House and Wisconsin secured the W in three sets. Last season’s match between the two teams was canceled due to COVID-19. Iowa senior Courtney Buzzerio is one to watch in the front row, averaging 4.415 kills per set. Buzzerio has played in every set so far this season and plays all the way around. The 6’5” right side also waverages 1.66 digs per set. Senior Maddie Slagle leads the team in digs, averaging 3.321 per set, and has made an appearance in every set so far this season. Julia Orzoł has been a stand out player recently for the Badgers. Orzoł now leads the team in kills per set, averaging 3.68, and is second in overall kills this season, with 103. This is especially impressive considering she has only played in 28 of the 41 sets this season. Barnes had a remarkable weekend in the back row. With 23 digs against Minnesota on Friday and 26 against Illinois on Sunday, Barnes surpassed 700 career saves. As a team, the Badgers have been seeing a decrease in service errors in the past few matches. They had 17 service errors in their only loss this season against Maryland, and have kept the service errors under ten each match since. The Badgers will play the Iowa Hawkeyes at the UW Field House on Wednesday at 6 p.m., in an attempt to continue their at-home winning streak.
Every week, 100+ student journalists around the country take it upon themselves to rank the top 25 teams in college football. Daily Cardinal sports editor Christian Voskuil and writers Joe Rickles and J.J. Post are three of the voters on the Student Media Poll. Here is how the Student Media Poll ranked the top 25 this week: Alabama (29) ....................................................................................... 1 Georgia (11) .......................................................................................... 2 Cincinnati ............................................................................................ 3 Penn State ........................................................................................... 4 Iowa ..................................................................................................... 5 Oklahoma ........................................................................................... 6 Ohio State ........................................................................................... 7 Michigan ............................................................................................. 8 Oregon ................................................................................................ 9 BYU .................................................................................................... 10 Coastal Carolina ................................................................................ 11 Notre Dame ........................................................................................ 12 Michigan State ................................................................................... 13 Arkansas ........................................................................................... 14 Oklahoma State ................................................................................. 15 Mississippi ......................................................................................... 16 Kentucky ............................................................................................ 17 Florida ................................................................................................ 18 Auburn .............................................................................................. 19 Wake Forest ...................................................................................... 20 NC State ............................................................................................. 21 Texas .................................................................................................. 22 Arizona State ..................................................................................... 23 Clemson ............................................................................................. 24 SMU ................................................................................................... 25 Dropped out: Texas A&M, UCLA, Fresno State, Baylor, Iowa State Others receiving votes: Iowa State, Texas A&M, Fresno State, Baylor, Virginia, Virginia Tech, UTSA, Pitt, Stanford, Western Michigan, UCLA, Mississippi State, San Diego State, Boston College, Oregon State, Appalachian State, Army, Houston, Maryland, Nevada, Hawaii, Texas Tech To keep updated on the Student Media Poll’s Top 25 each week, follow them online: studentmediapoll.com or @studentmedia25 on Twitter and Instagram.
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I just think they’re neat: Giant Pumpkins By Julia Wiessing STAFF WRITER
There is nothing quite like seeing a pumpkin that weighs more than a cow, and is about the same size. These enormous pumpkins are exhibited around the globe, from the Kyogle’s Giant Pumpkin Festival in Australia, to the River Prairie Ginormous Pumpkin festival in Eau Claire, Wis. Each of the giant pumpkins has a pedigree akin to that of a show dog. At festivals, they’re carefully wheeled around by volunteers and cradled in the arms of a forklift to be weighed. How and why do people grow these behemoth squash? It all starts with the seed. A single seed of a champion pumpkin, which weighs over 2,000 pounds, can be bought at auction for up to $1,600. Luckily, procuring a giant pumpkin seed doesn’t have to break the bank; growers will often share their seeds, and the de facto choice for giant pumpkins — Dill’s Giants — can be bought for as little as a dollar. Once you’ve planted your seedling, it’s important to consider which plant is going to pollinate your pumpkin. You want to find a pollinator pump-
BRENNA REA / STAFF ARTIST
If you manage to grow a champion pumpkin, there could be grand rewards in your future... kin with equally impressive pumpkins in its family tree. Every pumpkin has a pedigree, found on websites like PumpkinFanatic.com, that detail the lineage of the seed and the pollinator plant. These lineages can go back almost 50 years, and display the weight
and winnings of each member in your pumpkin’s “family.” Giant pumpkins need a lot of water and nutrients to grow. At peak growth, your pumpkin will be putting on over 30 pounds a day. The nutrients needed to bulk up so quickly are transported through the
stem, which is small enough to wrap a hand around. Jessica Savage, a botanist at the University of Minnesota, took it upon herself to figure out how these massive pumpkins were able to get so big so fast. The secret behind these giant pumpkins’ ability to
grow? They have more transport vessels than your average pumpkin. This means that they are able to quickly transport sugar from the leaves and water from the roots to support their rapid growth rates and impressive bulk. Taking care of your giant pumpkin is where the real work comes in. Any sign of rot, cracking or softness can disqualify your poor pumpkin from competing, so it’s crucial to check in with your pumpkins daily, shield them from the elements and feed them high quality plant food in order to get them to truly enormous sizes. You could also consider giving them little kisses or words of encouragement. While growing a giant pumpkin takes a lot of work, care and luck, it’s a rewarding venture. Like many other festivals across the state, the River Prairie Giant Pumpkin Festival awards cash prizes to its winners. The grand champion of the festival is awarded $4,000, alongside a giant, bright orange wrestling belt emboldened with the title “Squash Master.” Imagine — with proper cucurbit care, you too could be the Squash Master! Go forth and grow giant pumpkins, or simply find a chance to marvel at one of the ginormous, orange beauties.
Should you get a flu shot? Yes. You should. By Joyce Riphagen SCIENCE EDITOR
For the typical college student, the flu is not a huge concern. Many of us haven’t had the flu in a long time, and don’t quite remember just how miserable it can be; symptoms of the flu include fatigue, weakness, muscle aches, chills and much more. We’re all familiar with the flu shot — each year, come fall, organizations like University Health Services begin sending out reminders to get vaccinated. But why is it so important to get a yearly flu shot? What we know is that the flu is caused by the influenza virus. The flu virus and the coronavirus have very similar methods of transmission: both are spread by respiratory droplets emitted by infected people, and less frequently by contact with fomites — objects likely to carry infectious disease, like frequently touched doorknobs. Masks can control the spread of the flu, just like they are scientifically proven to control the spread of COVID19, and have been recommended for flu prevention since the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. Additional methods of prevention include staying home when sick, avoiding contact with sick individuals and frequent hand washing — all of which you should already be doing! On top of these methods,
those who are able should get vaccinated. Though most healthy college students with no immunocompromisation are unlikely to suffer serious illness from the influenza virus, the flu can still cause students to miss several days of class, as it’s symptoms tend to feel pretty heinous and can easily knock you out for up to two weeks. In comparison, those who get the flu shot typically report soreness or redness at the injection site coupled with mild fatigue and muscle aches. These side effects almost always disappear in a few days. Additionally, getting a flu shot early on in flu season keeps the campus community safer. Students and faculty who are unable to get vaccinated due to some underlying health condition rely on herd immunity to stay safe; these people are at much greater risk for complications as a result of the influenza virus. Serious effects of the flu can include the development of pneumonia, myocarditis (inflammation of the heart), encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or a host of other conditions. The flu can also exacerbate medical problems, such as asthma or chronic heart disease. Complications from the flu can be fatal. Unlike many other diseases, such as HPV, prevention of infection by the influenza
JEFF MILLER / UW MADISON
Getting a flu shot has many of the same benefits as COVID vaccination. virus requires yearly vaccination. Last year’s flu shots will not give any significant protection against infection with the current year’s virus. This is because influenza viruses mutate rapidly, which renders the previous year’s vaccine useless against the new strain. Viruses mutate as they replicate — each reproduction of the virus involves copying the virus’ DNA, which presents an opportunity for errors in the transcription or translation of the genetic material that then cause mutations. Harmful mutations will be
removed from the population by natural selection, but beneficial mutations have an advantage over their un-mutated counterparts, and therefore begin to make up more of the population. We are seeing a similar process now with new variants of the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The Delta variant of the virus is an example of a mutation which confers resistance — this does not mean you should not get vaccinated against COVID if you are not already; the vaccine still significantly reduces risk of illness and
hospitalization from infection with known variants. Getting vaccinated against influenza yearly prevents infection with the new strain, limits the hosts for flu viruses to mutate in and helps keep immunocompromised people healthy. UHS offers flu vaccines for free at a variety of locations across campus. Appointments take just 15 minutes, and can easily be made online. The more people get vaccinated against the flu, the slower the flu will spread, and the more people will avoid infection altogether.
arts Elevated Confessions: Julien Baker captivates The Majestic Theatre l
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By Cailyn Schilitz STAFF WRITER
Although there was no moshing and masks stayed on at the Julien Baker concert, it was anything but quiet. People in line cautiously befriended each other, bonding over which songs they suspected they would cry to and how strange it felt to be back in line for a concert again. “It’s a very polite crowd tonight,” said Justin Martin, a bartender at the Majestic Theater. “I work at some of the other venues around here, and some things can get out of hand. People don’t like to be policed about the masks. It’ll be nice to have a quieter night.” This was the overwhelming consensus among attendees: any song could open the floodgates, and although the live music scene felt unfamiliar, it was good to be back. Opener Thao, a San Francisco-based veteran rocker influenced by Lucinda Williams and punk music, energized the audience with her electrified mandolin and catchy, yet haunting guitar hooks. She seemed to hover above the floor in her leather booties, that is, until the blue lights behind her flashed and she finished a song with angsty stomps. Those spooky riffs in combination with howly vocals and Elvira-esque bangs gave Thao’s set the vibe of a vintage Halloween soundtrack that had gone indie-rock. As Thao switched from her black electric guitar to the amped-up mandolin, she revealed that her bassist and drummer had recently told her
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what it means when a Gen Z audience calls her “mommy.” The crowd laughed and echoed off their favorite Freudianinspired TikTok sounds. Then, Thao mentioned that her fifth album would be available at the merch table. “Hand-stamped by mommy, I guess?” she laughed with a guitar pick between her teeth. The crowd erupted into cheers and laughter as Thao launched into her next song.
only her guitar and a piano, according to UW-Madison student Rae Leung. “Her style is so raw and confessional, and I’m curious to see if having a full band will change that at all,” Leung said. Baker grew up in a devout Christian family in suburban Tennessee and was first introduced to music through church. She has since distanced herself from her religious roots, wanting to explore spirituality with-
CAILYN SCHILTZ/THE DAILY CARDINAL
She ended her set with “Fool Forever,” calling on Julien Baker, her band and the audience to participate in a cacophonous call and response. Thao’s music feels like snapping back at an authority figure — there’s wit, intensity and just enough danger to keep egging on the adrenaline. That adrenaline carried the audience to feel every ounce of the hurt and longing that characterizes Baker’s music. This tour and her third album, “Little Oblivions,” released in the winter of 2021, are the first that feature Baker backed by a band. Her previous shows and albums were largely solo acts, with Baker alone, armed with
out labels. Her upbringing in the church is reflected in her music both lyrically and stylistically. She opened the show with “Hardliner,” the first track off of “Little Oblivions.” Two white spotlights illuminated Baker, dressed in skinny jeans and a dark grey button-down with a name tag reading ‘Carl.’ Her tattoo sleeved shifted and flexed as she played her tan guitar. The opening keyboard notes sounded like an electrified church organ, chords weighing heavy on the ears, like sins on the soul. The lights and slight fog on the stage were reminiscent of a youth group concert at a
contemporary Christian megachurch, and the passion behind the lyrics could easily be mistaken for religious devotion. The close listener will realize that references to saviors and crucifixion are metaphors for Baker’s experiences with trauma, addiction, mental illness and abandonment. The full band lifted Baker’s melancholy lyrics of an inevitable falling out across the packed venue. As the song progressed, the guitars rang out and yellow lights ascended behind the band. During guitar solos, Baker swung her floral guitar strap around and rocked with her back to the audience. She was just as lost in the music as the audience was. Between songs, Baker wasted no time with chitchat. As she tuned her guitar, she expressed her gratitude to be out touring again and thanked the audience for wearing their masks and getting vaccinated. The band slipped backstage and some fans hooted to break the silence. “I love your music!” someone yelled from the mezzanine. “It’s not for everyone; glad it’s for some,” Baker responded. She then played “Sprained Ankle,” her very first single that launched her into the music business. The softness of this song matched the light breathiness in Baker’s voice and contrasted from the expressive electric guitars and heavier drums of her newest album. The lyrics took center stage, and the crowd knew every word. After the final group refrain of “marathon run-
ner, my ankles are sprained,” a hush fell over the crowd before they broke into what can only be described as depressed applause. Fans found a relatable release in her lyrics. Though they stem from Baker’s own life and experiences, she wrote about them in a more vague and thematic way that allowed any listener to put themself behind the guitar. “It sucks that Julien and other people have felt like this too,” said Leung. “But if I were an artist, it would make me feel good to know that people can find meaning and catharsis in my music. I would hope it might make them feel less alone in what they’re going through.” Backed by her band, Baker closed the show with “Appointments,” a song off of her sophomore album. She sang about how hard it is to believe that you’re wanted, and how it’s even harder to give up the hope that you might be someday. The crowd screamed along to every word. This tour illustrates both Baker’s growth and consistency as an artist by featuring songs off all three of her albums. Each album adds a little more instrumentation and sonic complexity, but she used that skillfully to elevate her intimately relatable lyrics rather than mask them. The style evolves, but the heart-wrenching confessions endure. Final Grade: A
Why vagina cupcakes are essential to ‘Sex Education’ By Ashton Jenks STAFF WRITER
Recently, Netflix came out with their third and final season of “Sex Education,” a show in which the son of a sex therapist starts a commercial “sex education” clinic at his school in order to subsidize the crappy education the school gives. Touching on subjects as common as the pressure to lose one’s virginity to things such as Vaginismus, the show truly accomplishes what its leading character Otis seeks to do: educate teenagers about the subjects they thought were taboo. Rotten Tomatoes says the new season is as “raunchy and riotous as ever,” but even with its shockingly explicit scenes and British setting, the show is much more socially valuable than another raunchy go. Probably the wildest installment of the show yet, with the most strange twists, this season is particularly important in that it examines a fair amount of more nuanced topics and gives representation to so many different situations and groups, even more so than before. With the current nomination of a Supreme Court packed with conservative judges, Texas’ passing of harsher laws regarding women’s reproductive rights, and general women’s and LGBTQ+ rights issues cropping up all around the world, this fresh take on relationships and sexual health is a vital thing to be put into the world. The season begins with Moordale getting a new principal after the scandal of season two. Hope, the new principal, seems cool and relatable at first, but quickly she turns darker and darker, engaging in the extreme emotional abuse of some students. Obviously
somewhat satirical in nature, her character still highlights the false ideas that educators have about children in schools all over the world. Hope returns the school back to supporting abstinence only and creates gender segregated sex ed, causing a mass panic about sexual fears. She attempts to crush the leading characters’ spirits, refusing to give proper information, not allowing nonbinary and transgender students to wear and participate in the identities they feel most comfortable with and instituting uniforms and strict school guidelines on student productions and clubs. Obviously, this results in a spicy rebellion, but you’ll have to watch to find out the conclusion. In response to this, students discuss how harmful bad sex education is, as well as echoing a prochoice sentiment. We also get to see transgender students bonding together and establishing that gender is a social construct, and that being allowed to present comfortably is essential to success. Lastly, individuality — even in a vulgar manner — is emphasized, with Lily struggling to feel okay with raunchy creativity, the “wall of pensises” being painted over and replaced with something else and students performing their own, out of school drama pieces. Aside from this, the season also touches on a sexual assault case with Aimee, and her ability to genuinely talk through it in a positive way and not beshamed for it, as well as her boyfriend being supportive and caring throughout it all. This is an important thing for young minds to see: sexual assault is not the victims’ fault at all.
Differing LGBTQ+ perspectives are also seen in not only the nonbinary and transgender representation, accompanying season two’s excellent portrayal of asexuality. Eric goes to Nigeria, despite fears of homophobia there, and finds confidence in himself after being exposed to a broader range of LGBTQ+ identities. Adam also struggles with being perceived as gay and working through toxic masculinty issues. Even adults get a toehold in this season, as we see Adam’s dad struggle with his divorce, his mom becoming more comfortable in her sexuality and our star therapist Jean struggling as an elderly parent with a new partner. There truly is something for everyone. Overall, this season was a much needed loud, aggressive endeavour into how truly in need of self expression and safe education our modern teenagers are. It catches your eye and forces you to pay attention to needed social lessons about topics most, even those who agree, are afraid to breach. Featuring — obviously — a central titular romance, explicit wild situations and even positive information about kinks and sexting, there is still room for a soft nonbinary discovery scene, cute freindships and vagina decorated cupcakes. Of course, we’d love to see more, but the effect of this show being out on television now is phenomenal. Keeping teenagers in the dark is never good, and this show in its final season highlights it all. Final Grade: A
opinion The next COVID-19 could be so much worse dailycardinal.com
By Michel and Lenni Justen STAFF WRITERS
The hospitals shut down within days. No one shows up to work anymore, and no one could blame them in light of the awful, unnamed virus spreading everywhere. The crucial supply chains – for protective gear, for food, for gas, for everything — were also crippled. Hardly anyone is leaving their house, and those that do encounter apocalyptic scenes. The culprit? A deadly pathogen. But not just any pathogen, a manmade, engineered pathogen. A pathogen designed to kill as many people as possible. Unfortunately, this terrifying hypothetical is not hypothetical enough. Emerging biosynthetic technology holds the power to wipe out our species — a power previously reserved to only a select few world leaders with access to huge nuclear arsenals. The threat of man-made pandemics needs to be seriously addressed. COVID-19 was and continues to be a trying hardship for everyone, no doubt, but it could have been worse. It had a mortality rate of around 2.3% and a transmissibility rate (R0) estimated at around 2.4%. In nature, these viral attributes play out in a game of genetic trade-offs. A virus with a higher death rate might kill its host before they pass it on, in which case it is hard for that virus to spread to other hosts. Other viruses may spread rapidly but affect their hosts less severely. A natural virus could undoubtedly have a constellation of attributes that make it worse than COVID-19, but its deadly impact is evolutionarily constrained. These constraints do not exist on engineered pathogens — pathogens fine-tuned to kill. For example, an existing pathogen with a mortality rate of over 50% could be modified to have a much higher transmission rate. Indeed, this already happened. In 2012, researchers in the Netherlands
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and here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison used animal models to genetically modify H5N1, an influenza strain with a mortality rate of around 60%, to spread far easier. It worked. A virus that could previously only spread by touching or handling infected poultry could now spread through droplets. The U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity candidly stated that the release of this virus would be an “unimaginable catastrophe for which the world is currently inadequately prepared.” This modification serves as a testament to the fact that the technology to engineer a viral killing machine already exists. Worse yet, as bad as this constructed contagion is, it is not even an upper bound. A virus could, in principle, have an even higher death rate combined with an asymptomatic period of a month or longer, allowing it to diffuse globally before even the first detection. Our capacity to imagine just how bad an engineered pandemic could get is highly constrained. Synthetic viruses are no longer science fiction — they’re a reality. The increasing democratization of who could design such a virus — and how easily — requires us to dramatically rethink what we are going to do about it. The field of synthetic biology has undergone exponential growth in recent decades. What would have been unimaginable years ago is commonplace now. For example, the Human Genome Project cost around $3 billion and took 13 years. Today, you can get your own full genome for $300 — free shipping included. Similar exponential advances have occurred in the technology that made the modification of H5N1 possible. The rate of progress in synthetic biology shows no signs of stopping, so it is logical that there will be new advances we can hardly imagine today (e.g. DNA printers). Knowledge
and technology currently localized at the field’s frontier will become more and more democratized. We must not allow this democratization to happen. On the current course, the population of people capable of creating and releasing a deadly pathogen will eventually overlap with the population of people who would release a deadly pathogen given the opportunity. And who would want to release such a deadly pathogen? History shows that there are several possible motives. Take suicidal mass murderers, doomsday cults, and radical environmentalists as examples. The death count stemming from people who want to kill others is typically constrained by how such people can kill others (e.g. pistol vs. automatic weapon vs. jumbo jet). The current rate of progress and democratization in synthetic biology would remove almost all constraints. Pathogens built with malicious intent have been the primary focus so far, but those modified in the name of science — like the H5N1 modification discussed earlier — pose risks too. Modifying an existing pathogen to increase its functioning is known as “gain-of-function” research. A long history of pathogens escaping labs exposes the dangers of storing super-pathogens, like those made with gain-offunction research. There are examples of both unintentional and intentional lab leaks. Back in 1978, a year after smallpox was effectively eradicated, lab-stored smallpox virus escaped in the UK, infecting two and killing one. The last person to die from the disease that killed more than 500 million people in its last 100 years died from a lab outbreak. It is a chilling tale of surprisingly common laboratory escapes, even from labs with Biosafety Level 4, the highest possible international safety standards. Some evidence suggests COVID-
19 may also have come from a lab leak, although there is debate about this evidence and whether the research in Wuhan counts as gainof-function research. There are also examples of lab pathogens being intentionally weaponized. In 2001, Anthrax tracing back to the Department of Defense’s lead laboratory was used in a bioterrorist attack that killed 5 and sickened 17. Essentially, storing lots of pathogenic death is bound to kill. So what should be done about the risks posed by engineered pathogens? With respect to gain-of-function research, the answer is straightforward: this dangerous research should be banned. While there is some theoretical value in understanding how these viruses behave, it is (1) unlikely that a virus in nature would ever be as bad as what can be created in these labs, and (2) any potential value is outweighed by the proven possibility of a leak, intentional or not. With respect to reducing the risk of a malicious actor engineering a pandemic, the answer is more complex. We need to build a “global immune system,” in the words and ideas of Rob Reid, a leading thinker on the danger of engineered pandemics. This global immune system needs to be multi-faceted. It needs to make the synthetic biology infrastructure harder to hijack, survey for possible outbreaks and ready society to deal with an outbreak at any stage. There are promising policies and technologies at each of these stages. To make synthetic biology infrastructure harder to hijack, we can mandate the current work of the International Gene Synthesis Consortium (IGSC), creating global regulations on monitoring all DNA prints and comparing them against a
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list of known pathogens. To survey for possible outbreaks, we can get creative with online symptom search scanning, wastewater testing and promising new detection systems. To prepare society for an outbreak, we can work on universal flu vaccines, distribute personal PPE stockpiles and improve our vaccination pipeline. These are only a fraction of the countermeasures already being discussed. The ideas and technologies are there, but two really important things are missing: money and attention. As a prerequisite, the need for the global immune system must be recognized and funded. Funding all these countermeasures won’t be cheap, but it is an investment that will pay itself off. This is especially true since many investments, like improved outbreak detection, are applicable to engineered and natural viruses. And we know natural viruses are inevitable, especially as humans relentlessly encroach on wildlife. Consider the cost of COVID19. COVID-19 killed more than 4,790,000 people, and counting, and estimates predict it will cost $80 trillion globally. Funding countermeasures may pose high upfront expenditures, but these costs will be more than covered in mitigating deadly (and costly) viruses. To continue reading go online to dailycardinal.com/section/opinion
Michel Justen is a senior studying Neurobiology and Psychology and President of Effective Altruism UW–Madison. Lenni Justen, his twin, is a senior studying Physics and Political Science and an intern at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence researching biosecurity. Do you agree with the need to better prepare for a future with engineered pandemics? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
UW-Madison’s Hypocrisy: A Lack of Freedom for Many By Ethan Wollins STAFF WRITER
As the University of WisconsinMadison nears a 93% rate of fully vaccinated students, there have yet to be substantial changes to its policies surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. On the contrary, many have even called for greater restrictions. Though, one must ask: why? Could it be from the constant headline of 100,000+ new COVID cases every day? Those lobbying for stricter policies fail to realize that new cases are barely the problem and are far from the central issue this pandemic has brought to our society. Since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, we were inundated with fears as to the fatality of the virus. Before vaccines, COVID related deaths were only preventable from precautionary social practices: social distancing and wearing a mask. In lacking a more effective means of protection, almost 300,000 people died before vaccines were emergently approved by the FDA on Dec. 11, 2020. The production and distribution of vaccines completely changed our idea of COVID overall. Many health professionals predicted that herd immunity could be achieved
faster by administering widespread vaccines. In validating these claims, April 2021 saw a steep drop-off in COVID-19 cases due to the increasing rate of fully vaccinated people. It has remained clear that vaccines prevent infection — but more importantly — hospitalization and death. This has been the principle of all COVID policy up until the Delta variant. The new belief is that while vaccinated people can still become infected, known as breakthrough cases, with the Delta Variant, the fully-vaccinated are still well-protected against hospitalization and death — the two facets of why COVID is such a horrific phenomenon. If the overwhelming majority of our campus — as vaccinated people — are still protected from death and hospitalization, it makes zero logical sense to care about an increase in cases, especially if the majority of them are unvaccinated individuals. Yes, these unvaccinated individuals are more at risk of having severe complications, but, realistically, they have had ample chances to get the vaccine. The fully-vaccinated should not be blamed for the increase in cases, nor should they bear harsh restrictions and safety protocols for the lapse in judgement on the part of
the unvaccinated. Evidently, UW-Madison thinks otherwise. Restrictive policies persist because of the 7% who remain unvaccinated. To put it bluntly, UW-Madison students are not dying from this virus. The high vaccination rates and age demographic of college students provides logical reasoning to trend back towards normalcy. Sure, the 7% who remain unvaccinated should get constantly tested for the virus. Their lives should be nowhere near normal until they put aside their misinformed beliefs. But, for the nearly 93% of students who are fully-vaccinated, there is no reason to subject them to restrictive policy, especially if this policy is hypocritical. Why is the student body allowed to attend a 70,000 person football game maskless — packed into the bleacher seats like sardines — but are required to cover our mouth and nose in a 15 person discussion section? Scientists have explained the logic behind masking inside, but not outside, as this is purely for airflow. It is reasoned that the higher airflow present in the outdoors will generally “blow away” any potential COVID particles produced by someone’s mouth. This is unlikely to occur
with a lower airflow, experienced in indoor settings and buildings, where these potential particles will lack the force to be “blown away.” Logically speaking, is this idea of “airflow” even relevant when so many people are close together? I for one find it baffling that the people in charge of the university think this way. More so, UW-Madison’s policy furthers COVID-19 paranoia. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs about the virus, especially if they are high-risk, but subjecting everyone, regardless of vaccination status and risk category, to policy that has barely changed since the vaccine was released implies that COVID is still as deadly as it was. In drawing on the consequences of policies unreflective of current times, one UW-Madison student, who wishes to remain anonymous, said to me that he was “kicked out of class for coughing twice.” Even though masks are thoroughly worn in the classroom, an innocent student, who is vaccinated and could have coughed for a multitude of reasons, was forced to leave his learning environment over fear from the professor. As vaccines have become widespread, society as a whole is not
being harmed the same as it was at the start of the pandemic. In other words, those that are vaccinated are not at the same risk of becoming hospitalized and dying. Our community as a whole needs to realize the true facts of this virus, and how a vaccinated status is the answer for a sense of normalcy. It is time for this logic to reach the UW-Madison officials in charge of policy making, as a higher percentage of fully vaccinated students should induce less restrictive policy. This would include no masks and dismissing the thought of required testing for vaccinated individuals. We as a society need to remember that this virus impacted our lives because of the rates of hospitalization and fatality. As these effects are minimal on the fully-vaccinated majority of our campus, maintaining restrictive mandates is irrational and hypocritical.
Ethan Wollins is a sophomore majoring in political science and journalism. Do you think university policies are non-reflective of the current state of the pandemic? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
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Students report wanting to go back on Zoom after actually having to shower now before classes her nose), Cassie Weller, Darren’s groupmate in class, who sits next to him every day, had something to say about the situation. “I don’t even think he wears deodorant.” That was all she could muster between deep inhales of fresh air. Marrissa Klein, a senior Engineering student, has similarly hated being back in person. “I could roll out of bed one minute before class. Unwashed body, unshaved legs, unbrushed hair,” she said. As Klein continued her rant, a blue jay fluttered down and nestled on her head, mistaking her hair for a nest. It was somewhat poetic. “Not having to walk all the way to Engineering is what I miss the most,” Klein continued. She didn’t even notice the bird. “I actually see people now. I have
By Sammie Johnson ALMANAC CONTRIBUTOR
Most students have rejoiced about being in-person again. We’re able to see our friends, make new ones and actually know how tall our professors are. But, some students are missing the ease and privacy of Zoom school. The main reason? Students actually have to shower now, so as not to offend their classmates. Who knew? One such rebel, Darren Koffman, has refused to change his old ways in protest of inperson classes. “I don’t want to have to wear my gray sweatpants with no stains instead of my grey sweatpants with stains in order to leave my house for class. It’s ridiculous.” Respectfully socially-distanced away from Darren (and plugging
to remind those I haven’t seen in a while that it’s me, not Coconut Head.” From Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. Yes, Marrissa, I know the one. Professors have noticed the shift in overall classroom aroma. “I come to work to get away from my 13-year-old boys, not to be constantly surrounded by what smells like their BO,” said Professor Roberts. This year for Halloween, instead of candy, Roberts said he will be handing out those little sneaker balls that keep your shoes from smelling. Chancellor Rebecca Blank has released an official statement on the matter. “For those struggling to adjust to normal human decency now that there’s in-person classes again (you’re welcome)... Please. Buy some soap.” Wise words as always, Becky.
GRAPHIC COURTESY OF JESSICA LEVY
Chancellor Rebecca Blank is lactose-intolerant, rude to cows By Mackenzie Moore ALMANAC CONTRIBUTOR
GRAPHIC COURTESY OF ALI LEIB
For years, Chancellor Rebecca Blank has been known for her love of milk, going so far as to appear in various pro-dairy videos and post a selfie of her drinking a glass to celebrate new graduates. Because of this, many have wondered what her goto milk is; guesses range calorie-conscious from skim to indulgent whole Unfortunately, milk. there is now a new question in mind: Is Becky the milk connoisseur she is alleged to be, or is she about to break the hearts of thousands? The first tip was a small, but concerning statement from an anonymous source who claims that they witnessed Chancellor Blank put almond
milk in her coffee and even take a sip of the dairy alternative straight; a very suspect move for someone who has the community believing that she lives and breathes “Babcock Dairy’s finest.” Sadly, this is not the only reported anti-dairy action of one of the representatives of America’s Dairyland. Before a photoshoot involving a classic shot of Blank drinking a glass of one of Wisconsin’s natural treasures, she was allegedly caught popping a lactaid and praying the Hail Mary for strength. While she is said to have left the shoot in good spirits, trail camera footage from a local farm shortly thereafter shows the chancellor slapping a cow across the face and flipping the innocent
heifer the bird. When reached for comment, the cow gave a long, depressed “mooooo,” as if they had experienced the greatest atrocity of the 21st century. Confirmation of this rumour may not be reached until Chancellor Blank herself confesses; those wanting to speed the process along are encouraged to buy out the supply of lactaid and dairy alternatives in the Madison region. If necessary, some have suggested that a task force be formed to physically destroy the remaining products with baseball bats and sparklers. While the chancellor herself is sure to watch her step as the rumor spreads, the allegation may be confirmed or denied based on whether or not she ultimately has a public breakdown.
A bold new approach to climate change, looking forward to it By Jeffery Brown ALMANAC CONTRIBUTOR
New research released this week shows that due to climate change, people currently under 40 will experience weather disasters over their lifetime at an unprecedented level. Thankfully, the Democratic Party is already springing to action, finding this research to be “an indictment of the way things have been for far too long,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “It is an absolute horror that things have gotten as bad as they have,” she continued. “That is why we are looking to pass the funding of an groundbreaking initiative to rebrand the destruction of our climate as something for younger generations to look forward to.”
A bill currently making its way through the House of Representatives would fund a federal agency tentatively titled “This is Fine Agency” or TIFA. This agency would aim to excite today’s young people for the unique opportunity to “experience about a fourfold increase in extreme events if global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsuis.” A key figure vying for a leadership role in the brand new agency is a demon that was summoned when the ocean caught on fire two months ago. They look forward to making sure that mortals look on the bright side of annual record-breaking heat waves, floods and wildfires. “It’s just so important to me that the young mortals of today
remember that each day is a new opportunity for a new experience that society as a whole is utterly unprepared for; how exciting!” the demon said before having to take a call with former president Ronald Reagan, who hopes to serve in an advisory role to the agency. Senate Majority Chuck Schumer has stated his enthusiasm to work in a bipartisan manner alongside both the hellbeast and the demon hoping to lead TIFA. When asked for comment, Mitch McConnell said the GOP will not allow the federal government to overstep its role in the US by funding the TIFA. “This planet’s going down and I don’t give a shit how young fuckers feel about it,” he said, before also leaving to take a call from Ronald Reagan.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
We’re always looking for more funny and insightful writers with fresh takes on topics ranging from the UW campus to international news. We accept and encourage creative submissions as well! Any and all submissions are more than welcome. You can send your submissions and any comments or questions to almanac@dailycardinal.com. All articles featured in Almanac are creative, satirical and/or entirely fictional pieces. They are fully intended as such and should not be taken seriously as news.