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WHO SHOULD BE MADISON’S NEXT
SPRING CLEANING TIPS +OPINON
MAYOR?
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Champions, again
CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Senior forward Annie Pankowski couldn’t play for more than nine months after being cut from the 2018 Olympic team but made the most of her return with five goals in the NCAA tournament.
Wisconsin writes redemption-filled script in title run By Cameron Lane-Flehinger SPORTS EDITOR
March 24, 2019. The day had been — literally — circled on Kristen Campbell’s calendar for a year. The alarm she set on her phone for the same date said it all: win a national championship. Campbell’s single-minded focus on that Sunday in late March started a year earlier, when the junior goaltender gave up a season-high four goals to Colgate in a double-overtime loss in the national semifinals. Campbell said she felt that she had let the team down with her performance. Annie Pankowski’s journey to the national championship game started five months earlier, on Dec. 10, 2017. The senior forward had taken a year off of school for national team centralization, the demanding sixmonth process that USA Hockey uses to select the Olympic team every four years. Pankowski was one of the final players cut, an experience that she later said in a public essay that she had trouble processing at the time. She had been assured that the 23-person roster for the Olympics was set, and several family members and friends had already booked their tickets to South Korea to see her play.
The 2018-’19 season wasn’t easy skating by Wisconsin’s typical standards. The Badgers had to come from behind twice in their first game of the season, needed overtime winners in back-to-back games against Harvard on Thanksgiving weekend and dropped their first meeting of the year against Minnesota in Madison. It was Wisconsin’s first home loss in nearly two years. Despite their early hiccups, the Badgers were in pole position to win a record-setting fourth-straight WCHA regular season title. Needing just a win and a tie at home against Ohio State to beat out the Gophers, they lost two shootouts.
“There was just a type of feeling going into those games ... no one had a doubt [that we would win].” Maddie Rolfes senior defender Wisconsin Women’s Hockey
Wisconsin got a chance at redemption two weeks later in a WCHA tournament semifinal matchup against the Buckeyes.
Behind 2-1 late in the game, the Badgers stormed back with a pair of goals to guarantee they wouldn’t face Ohio State again. At the time, it seemed like it could become a turning point for the season. In retrospect, it was just the beginning of a de-facto revenge tour. “There was just a type of feeling going into those games, no one had a doubt [that we would win],” senior defender Maddie Rolfes said. “They got that second goal and sometimes it feels like the mood on the bench goes down a little bit and we kind of sink back onto the bench, but no one really did that that time.” The win over Ohio State set up a rematch with Minnesota. After dropping their fourth regular season game against the Gophers 3-1, Wisconsin flipped the scoreline to capture a WCHA Tournament title and cement itself as the favorites for the national championship. Two weeks later, after a comfortable win over Syracuse in the quarterfinals, a long-awaited rematch was in store for the Badgers: a Frozen Four matchup with Clarkson. Wisconsin had gotten close to a national title two years earlier, when it dropped the championship game 3-0 to the Golden Knights. 12 players
on the 2019 team played in that game, and they weren’t shy about mentioning their desire to make amends.
“If I could have scripted how it would play out, that’s pretty much how it would have gone.” Mark Johnson head coach Wisconsin Women’s Hockey
“For the people that played in that 2017 game, it’s important,” Pankowski said after the Badgers beat Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals to set up a rematch with the Golden Knights. Wisconsin again dominated the shots, by a 40-14 margin, and this time it carried over to the scoreboard as well. Pankowski scored twice, joined by senior forward Sam Cogan and juniors Presley Norby and Abby Roque — all of whom had played in the 2017 loss to the Golden Knights. The Badgers didn’t have much time to revel in the win, with their sixth matchup of the season against Minnesota just 48 hours away. Johnson woke up at 3 a.m. the
morning of the game and, unable to sleep, attempted to script the perfect outcome in his head. The head coach didn’t tell his players what he had visualized, but he didn’t need to. A pair of Minnesotans combined for the first goal, as Norby set up senior captain Sophia Shaver for Wisconsin’s early lead. A period later, Pankowski got her ultimate redemption in the most distinctive way — with her schoolrecord ninth shorthanded goal. Campbell’s shutout made her the first goaltender ever to finish the tournament without allowing a goal. The game’s final moments — Wisconsin’s players tossing their gloves and sticks into the air even before the final buzzer sounded, before rushing out onto the ice for a massive team-wide hug — looked straight out of a movie. “If I could have scripted how it would play out, that’s pretty much how it would it would have gone,” Johnson said. Given the choice, it’s unlikely Campbell, Pankowski or their teammates would have chosen the journey they ultimately took to the national title. But there’s no denying that in the end, it made for a more compelling story.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
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An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 128, Issue 25
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Defying critics, Mayor Soglin strives to extend 22-year legacy in Madison By Jon Brockman CITY NEWS EDITOR
With less than a week left to go before Madison’s mayoral election, longtime incumbent Paul Soglin looks to convince voters he remains the right man for the job. Soglin —who was first elected in 1973 — has been Madison’s mayor for more than 20 years in three non-consecutive stints, with the most recent stretch starting in 2011. After initially committing to not run again, Soglin announced his reelection campaign last October. Months later, he came in first in the mayoral primary, with a slight edge over former alder Satya Rhodes-Conway, to advance to the general election. In a crowded primary of six candidates, Soglin pulled in 28.6 percent of the votes, a winning number but less than he had received in his last two primary campaigns. Though his totals of 49 percent in the 2011 primary and 52 percent in 2015 were much higher than his vote share this year, Soglin said the differences came as a consequence of the crowded field and the negative campaigns run by his opponents. “It was a bit different because in this primary, there were five candidates that were relentlessly pounding away at me,” he said. “So to finish first was a relief.” The other candidates — District 10 Ald. Maurice Cheeks, River Alliance of Wisconsin Executive Director Raj Shukla, local comedian Nick Hart, City of Madison Racial Equity Coordinator Toriana Pettaway and Rhodes-Conway — all heavily criticized Soglin’s performance in their campaigns. As a result, Soglin said the results of the primary were much more difficult to predict beforehand. “It was very hard to tell because with five candidates constantly pounding at you, we didn’t know how well I would do and … we didn’t know which one of them would come through the primary,” he said. “We did
analysis and basically came to the conclusion that any of those who were the top three finishers could have come in second.” Most of the criticisms came in against Soglin’s record on homelessness and racial equity issues, but he said the critics were ignoring the positive progress he has made. “The critics are a very small group of people who have made a career out of encouraging the homeless community to stay on the streets and have failed to construct affordable housing themselves,” he said. “You just start with [former Tenant Resource Center executive director] Brenda Konkel. She calls it my ‘war on the homeless.’ She absolutely refuses to recognize the enormous success we’ve had in terms of building affordable housing and getting people off the streets. Why? Because she wouldn’t have anything to do if there were no homeless in Madison.”
“Madison has a mayor that gets it and has been successful in finding the financing and getting affordable housing built.” Paul Soglin incumbent mayor Madison, Wisconsin
Soglin said he made homelessness a main focus, highlighted by the creation of the city’s affordable housing fund, which has been more successful than intended. Originally with a goal of creating 1,000 units of affordable housing, Soglin said the fund had created closer to 1,300 units. He also cited 150 homeless veterans his administration had helped put into homes, in addition to a number of chronically homeless families. Affordable housing has been one of the key issues of the campaign; nearly every candidate offered a proposal to expand the city’s efforts to facilitate its creation.
Soglin agreed affordable housing is important to the city but said his administration’s improvements have been largely overlooked. “One of the biggest areas of improvement is what we’ve done in regards to housing,” he said. “So-called ‘progressive’ leaders in Madison had totally failed in the previous decade to build either market housing or affordable housing.” In response to criticisms against him on growing racial inequity, Soglin said the economic standing of African-Americans in Madison massively improved during his time in office. He noted unemployment in the African-American community dropped from more than 25 percent to less than 7 percent. “We’ve seen significant improvements in unemployment and in African-American incomes. Previously, two-thirds of all African-American kids were in households under the poverty line, now it’s only onethird,” he said. “We’re on the right track there … but now we not only have to continue that but we have to enter other areas, specifically entrepreneurship and wealth accumulation.” Soglin cited a study by the Brookings Institute that out of the 100 biggest American cities, Madison was only one of 11 to have economic growth that covered all racial and ethnic groups, which he considered an “exceptional record.” Despite all the negativity from his competitors, Soglin said he was ready to convince Madison voters everything they have heard about him is not true. “[I’m going to] try to get them to look at the record, to look at what I’ve done in regards to housing and recognize that in terms of homelessness, that Madison has a mayor that gets it and has been successful in finding the financing and getting affordable housing built,” he said. When he initially announced in July he would not run for reelec-
tion, Soglin offered his support to Rhodes-Conway, calling her “eminently qualified.” He declined to say if he stood by his comment. “I’m going to focus on what I’m capable of doing, which is really unmatched here in Madison and by others,” he said. “I’m only going to talk about my own candidacy and the fact that the success I’ve had is really unmatched.”
“This is going to be a very close election. There’s no question about that.” Paul Soglin incumbent mayor Madison, Wisconsin
Though his decision to backtrack on his non-candidacy announcement has drawn considerable amounts of criticism from his opponents, Soglin stands by it. He said he changed his mind after realizing then-candidate Tony Evers had a legitimate chance to unseat Scott Walker as governor, citing the opportunity to work with a progressive governor as a cause for optimism. He also said people of all backgrounds, including those in the African-American and business communities, urged him to change his mind and seek another term. As the longest-serving mayor in city history, Soglin has been through multiple primaries and elections. However, he has never lost a race while in the mayor’s office. His last general election in 2015 was a landslide victory for Soglin, where he received more than 70 percent of the vote. Though his long record of successful elections may make him seem untouchable, Soglin recognized he will have a tough battle with Rhodes-Conway when Madison voters go to the polls on April 2. “This is going to be a very close election,” he said. “There’s no question about that.”
Editorial Board Sammy Gibbons • Sam Nesovanovic Izzy Boudnik • Samantha Jones Savannah McHugh • Justine Spore Haley Sirota • Jake Price
Board of Directors Herman Baumann, President Sammy Gibbons • Sam Nesovanovic Mike Barth • Barry Adams Phil Hands • Don Miner Nancy Sandy • Jennifer Sereno Scott Girard • Alex Kusters Kia Pourmodheji © 2015, 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.
WILL CIOCI/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Longtime Madison Mayor Paul Soglin looks to win reelection in a tough campaign against former alder Satya-Rhodes Conway.
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Thursday, March 28, 2019
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ASM, UWPD seek increased campus safety initiatives in wake of Langdon St. attack By Elea Levin STAFF WRITER
SAYA INOUE/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Teach-in occurs outside the cancelled “Miss Saigon” panel.
‘Miss Saigon’ panel held at Overture Center cancelled, causes UW faculty uproar By Alyssa Hui SENIOR STAFF WRITER
After receiving backlash for misrepresenting Asian narratives, a panel discussion on the Broadway musical “Miss Saigon” was organized to provide community members an opportunity to share concerns about the controversial musical. The panel, “Perspectives on Miss Saigon: History and Community,” organized by UW-Madison’s Asian American Studies Program in collaboration with the Overture Center for the Arts, was canceled Wednesday — less than 24 hours before the event. Set in 1975, “Miss Saigon” tells the story of a young Vietnamese woman who falls in love with an American G.I. Historically, the play has been promoted as an epic love story; however, some have said the film promotes stereotypes and harmful messages about the Asian community. “The play ‘Miss Saigon’ uses yellowface and racial stereotypes,” said Timothy Yu, a professor in UW-Madison’s Asian American Studies Program. Despite the Overture’s notification of the event’s cancellation, the Asian American Studies Program hosted their own “teach-in,” a dialogue on a subject of public interest, held on the sidewalks outside the arts center. Dr. Lori Kido Lopez, a UW-Madison Asian American Studies professor, expressed her shock to the panel being canceled at the teach-in. “This doesn’t make sense to us,” Lopez said. “Those of us who met with them had a common goal, and that was to educate the public. We wanted to make sure there was an opportunity to talk about this show and bring new voices to the conversation.” In a news release, Overture’s Senior Vice President for Equity and Innovation Dr. Ed Holmes said, “we determined that we have a misunderstanding with the people that we are collaborating with for this dialogue.” Professor Yu said they worked hard with the
Overture over the past couple of months and imagined an informative conversation would have taken place. “Instead of having an educational discussion, it turns out that our questions were too inflammatory and too provocative,” he said. “Quite simply, they wanted to have the conversation ultimately on their terms.” Vice President of Marketing and Sales at the Overture Lex Poppens said they felt the intent of the forum, where all sides of the issues are present and engaged, did not occur. Leslie Bow, a UW-Madison Asian American Studies Program professor believed her questions were fair and similar to the initial questions the Overture had. “I am an educator. I am trying to have a forum that is intellectual and civil,” Bow said. “For some reason, the CEO of the Overture, Sandra Gajic, somehow suspected there was an agenda beyond the questions that were being posed.” Bow also added she still wants to know the answers to her initial questions. She also added she had never experienced this before, calling it “unprofessional.” “I still want to know those things but whether I can keep investing time with a partner that will just pull the rug out from under me is questionable,” Bow said. Poppens said the Overture offered to let the group use Promenade Hall Wednesday night for the teach-in, but the group declined. He also said the Overture would reschedule the panel after the showing of “Miss Saigon,” which will run next week. Lopez said the faculty did not accept the same room space because they felt betrayed, saying they “didn’t want to have any events on their terms anymore.” She also added the Overture has yet to invite the panelists to reschedule. “We doubt that they will, and we will not work with them anymore,” Lopez said.
While UW-Madison administrators continue to seek ways to ensure campus is as safe as possible, a violent assault that occurred on Langdon St. last month inspired students to demand new and improved safety measures on campus. One month ago, UW-Madison freshman Sophie Morris created a petition to extend the Blue Button emergency system implemented on campus. Freshmen Madison Buening and Molly Teske also reached out to the Associated Students of Madison to voice their apprehensions about campus safety. “This really concerns me because this is not how I want freshmen to feel about UW-Madison in their first couple of months on campus,” Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair Agalia Ardyasa said. “The feeling of
[being] safe and secure on campus is very important, especially for those who just experience transition from high school to college.” After speaking to UW-Madison Police Department, the Madison Police Department and Greek Life student leaders, ASM concluded the proposed Blue Button system was not the most effective solution — considering the current emergency poles are not often used by students. “At this point in the discussion, I think initiatives like extending SafeWalk or maybe a UW shuttle throughout campus would be the best approach,” Morris said. “That being said, I don’t think any safety initiative would be a waste — or redundant — in such an important matter.” The Student Safety Advisory Board are currently discussing various alternative safety initiatives with UWPD. Proposed safety measures include increasing
outdoor lighting on and around campus, extending the SafeWalk service hours and raising awareness of the WiscGuardian app. “I’d love to see more initiatives that serve the best interest of our students – either it’s adding lights, more officers at certain hours, adding resources or increasing services related to student safety,” Ardyasa said. WiscGuardian allows users to set a “Safety Timer” and share it with their contacts on the app. If the student does not deactivate the timer within a certain amount of time, the “Guardians” who share their timer will receive a notification immediately. Because many students do not know about the app, students are hoping to discuss it within SOAR groups this summer so freshmen and transfer students are more aware of the safety features available on campus, Buening said.
areas, said UWPD Director of Communications Marc Lovicott. The goal of these new safety programs is not only to make the campus a safer place but also to ensure students are aware of the safety measures in place, Buening said.
“The feeling of [being] safe and secure on campus is very important, especially for those who just experience transition from high school to college.” Agalia Ardyasa Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair Associated Students of Madison
“It’s not only [for] being safer. But if you feel more safe on campus, you’re more likely to get involved,” Buening
GRAPHIC BY MAX HOMSTAD
One of the challenges to implementing these safety measures is Langdon St. — one of the main areas of concern — is off-campus.
“if you feel more safe on campus, you’re more likely to get involved. People don’t want to go to clubs if they don’t know how to get back safely.”
Madison Buening freshman UW-Madison
UWPD hopes they can work with ASM to help them navigate the local government system and connect with local alders and other city officials who may be able to help with off-campus
said. “People don’t want to go to clubs if they don’t know how to get back safely.” The hope is that UWPD, ASM and other student organization leaders will work together to determine which safety initiatives are most effective and should be implemented. To see this change, the Student Safety Advisory Board will continue to meet regularly. “What better way to have students buy into safety initiatives then having students involved and helping along the way with the process?” Lovicott said. “We want to be collaborating and communicating and having them share ideas with us.” To discuss how to further campus safety initiatives, focusing on improving, as well as increasing, current emergency aid, the Student Safety Advisory Board will meet again this upcoming Thursday.
arts 4 • Thursday, March 28, 2019
The DAily Cardinal Presents: Film Festival
Follow the Flock Mountain Man, Haley Heynderickx, Lizzo, Rico Nasty, KOKOKO! and Hubert Lenoir performed at SXSW last week
“Booksmart”
Photo Essay by Michael Makowski
Mountain Man is a trio of folk singers who met during their college years in Vermont. The three women make unassuming folk music that, as their name might imply, hints at the traditional American folk style of Appalachia. Their friendship was felt from the stage as they embraced one another and engaged the audience, chatting with the frontmost audience members. “Where are your hats?” they
Haley Heynderickx is an American singer-songwriter from Portland, Oregon who makes introspective, sincere music. Although accompanied in her album with an array of instruments, she performed alone with only an acoustic guitar in a quiet SXSW venue above a bar, tucked away in the middle of boisterous
asked, reminding people to take care of themselves in the hot, Texas sun and urging them to drink water. With closed eyes and angelic harmonies, Mountain Man was the excellent pairing to a warm spring day.
Sixth Street. Alone on the stage, she decried the modern music industry of its obsession with streaming counts and exploitative personalities. She is a testament that quiet and sometimes tender music can reach feelings of rage and self-inadequacy.
“Given that uppermiddle class, white suburban life is a default setting for the depiction of American life in the media, it’s brilliant to use it as a platform for this niche style of comedy.” -Christian Memmo
Music Festival COURTESY OF Matt Winklemeyer
Lizzo is an American rapper, singer and songwriter who makes empowering and incredibly catchy music. Her performance is an expression of self-love, and in her songs she implores people to find acceptance of themselves in the journey that Lizzo goes on with her music. At one point, she turned her back to the audience, asking them to show “some love for her back-fat.”
Her support of b o d y- a c c e p tance and sizeinclusivity is not only evident in her music, but in her stage presence. Together with plus-sized dancers flanking her sides, she sings and dances in a way that leaves the audience animated and beaming.
Rico Nasty is an American rapper whose shows are a performance of ferocity that demand attention and participation. She can be many things on stage: caustic, forceful, witty and empathetic. She engages the audience with calls to a mosh pit and embraces star-struck
fans. Rico Nasty has disarmingly powerful stage presence, and her performance is a celebration of her journey toward self-confidence.
KOKOKO! is a Congolese group that makes banging rhythms on upcycled, homemade instrumental artworks. The artist and musician collective merge traditional African rhythms with
modern DJ and electronic music production in an innovative way that forces the audience to embrace the beat and give to dance. Their performance is exciting, raw and electrifying.
Hubert Lenoir is a wild and jazzy act from Quebec, Canada. Think a French-Canadian Foxygen. Their debut album, Darlène, is a selfdeclared “post-modern opera” and tells the story of a suburban woman in Quebec City who falls in
love with a suicidal American man to sweeping, bilingual music. Their performance is more narrative showmanship than it is a standard pop-rock concert. Water-spitting, scaffold-climbing, micthrowing — this band is ecstatic, theatrical energy.
“Despite that simple synopsis, there are several absurd events that warp this mundane plot and setting into a hilarious and provocative film. comedy.” -Molly Carmichael
COURTESY OF SXSW
“With its nononsense tagline, ‘Getting Straight A’s. Giving Zero F’s,’ a double dose of comedic cockiness and cinematic audaciousness collide in Olivia Wilde’s ‘Booksmart.’” -Christian Memmo
With its no-nonsense tagline, “Getting Straight A’s. Giving Zero F’s,” a double dose of comedic cockiness and cinematic audaciousness collide rather vividly in Olivia Wilde’s “Booksmart.” Despite a cliche premise involving teenagers and the costly efforts to touch the cusp of social popularity, “Booksmart” utilizes its self-awareness in a post-Superbad world to take the generic tropes fronted by its predecessors and carves an identity that not only defies mediocrity but generates an entirely new nuance altogether. While teen comedies like “Youth in Revolt” or “Eighth Grade” focus on characters of lower social strata finding contentment from within, “Booksmart’s” protagonists, Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever), have nowhere to go but down. After building obsessively impressive high school careers and hyper-obedient moral codes, they are faced with a paradigm. Their boorish and partying peers are just as academically successful as them, yet thriving with popularity and exaggerated coolness. As the superiority complex crumbles around them, Molly and Amy are determined to ingratiate themselves with the partiers for one slim chance at redemption before graduation, setting a slew of surprising events into motion. Molly and Amy’s dynamic is a refreshing one, redesigning the bromance template from one that relies on sexual adventure and alcohol-imbued benders to a more controlled yearning for identity and renewal of relationship values. Although those raunchier elements are present, they aren’t the core of Molly and Amy’s motivations. Instead, the girls frequently reminisce on the nature of their friendship, using insidejoke token systems — declaring “Malala” for bravery — to push one another deeper into the rabbit hole of a libatious rebellion. This tight bond is made even more natural through the ongoing commentary that constantly challenges them to consider the worth of their actions. Wilde is able to create personas that are not only admirable in what they’ve achieved, but in how they carry themselves against the hostile backdrop of high school. Whether that entails Molly’s romantic revelations or the gradual embrace of Amy’s timid homosexuality, the comical rapport is doled out patiently between moments of genuine contemplation and introspection. To this extent, the heroines are just as profound in their support for one another as they are gauche in navigating party attire etiquette and failing to talk up their crushes. Taking a look at the film itself, “Booksmart” is drop-dead gorgeous. If the Los Angeles setting was chosen only for its visuals, it could hardly be blamed. The
sun beats down with hot, striking shadows that bring out a truly dazzling palette of blue skies, lush greenery and painted stucco homes. The candied aesthetic is carried deliciously into the night, with choirs of streetlamps casting a soft, velvety texture over Californian street scenes that comprise much of the girls’ odyssey. The true star of style, however, is the editing. Early in the film, Molly and Amy rendezvous to carpool to school, dancing along to a grooving hip-hop track. With a hard cut, the music abandons the girls to dance in utter silence, in the middle of the street, in bright daylight. Among crowd laughter and the dancing that continues inexplicably, this moment is symptomatic of the editing at a larger glance. Editor Jamie Gross seems to expertly capture the essence of adolescence, with all its awkward hiccups and moments of self-consciousness that it involves. With the work of cinematographer Jason McCormick, the typical scene may be abruptly interrupted by pop music and characters sashaying in slow motion, as if to portray imagery of the quasibadass. However, it may end with a quippy line that marks an instant smash cut to the next shot, such as in the final scene that elicited raucous laughter from the audience as the credits slammed against the screen. Wilde’s visual choices are stellar, providing reinforcement to the narrative that makes this story not only a trip to get through but a delight. It may seem to follow the typical narrative beats of the hero’s journey, but the moving parts that make the movie work to rearrange and joyfully play with the techniques seen in comedies and build a creative playground for the characters to discover themselves in. Feldstein and Dever’s chemistry is unbelievably charismatic, yet believably natural and wellearned as this friendship tumbles through highs and lows that challenge and edge the girls toward a position of inner harmony. The on-screen world is vibrant and perpetual, offering satisfying conclusions that don’t feel forced or unwelcome. “Booksmart” is a splendidly promising debut for Wilde’s directorial career, proving that the coming-of-age genre doesn’t necessarily require shockfactor comedy or hierarchical cliches to get its message across with boosted entertainment value — which is quite respectable for something that gives zero F’s. – Christian Memmo
“Villains”
Next up is “Villains” — crime drama meets black comedy — directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen. The two leads, Mickey (Bill Skarsgard) and Jules (Maika Monroe), are the perfect imperfect protagonists. They aren’t too sharp
SXSW dailycardinal.com • 5
and rob gas stations for a living, though their love for one another and inherently good nature is evident within the first few moments. The two barely pull-off a mediocre robbery before running out of gas in the middle of nowhere. While freaking out, Jules calms Mickey down by draping her hair over his face, which is strange and endearing — also making for a cool shot. Faced with a possible arrest, the two decide to break into the one house within sight. The film immediately takes a dark turn when the couple finds a young girl locked up in the basement while looking for a siphoning device. This is when Mickey and Jules meet the lovely George (Jeffrey Donovan) and Gloria (Kyra Sedgwick) — the sadistic residents. Given how eccentric each of these couples is, the film manages to make the overarching plot (which is a bit stale) into something fresh with several unconventional elements all brought to the film by the great characters. The film is mostly limited to the house of George and Gloria, which looks like the set of a 1960’s advertisement. It’s completely inviting to Jules and Mickey as they make cereal and do drugs, though they soon see the evident cracks in its all too meticulous facade. The house mirrors George and Gloria’s southern charm and pressed clothes, but can’t completely mask their unhinged psyches. As much as the film revolves around Mickey and Jules’ escape, it is much more intriguing in the contrast between the two couples. Luckily this film had no shortage of outstanding performances. Monroe and Skarsgard give each character their respective quirks and personalities with great physical acting. Moments such as when a partially incapacitated Jules flops around the floor or Skarsgard’s uncomfortable facial expressions were some of the most amusing. George and Gloria offer a different type of appeal, one that nails the wholesome American stereotype. Both offer such an exceptional performance that makes every antic or escape plan Jules and Mickey craft ten times better. George’s southern charm adds so much comedic value that you can’t help but laugh when he treats his hostages as some mundane task. – Molly Carmichael
hood with a series of events that pushes one of them to the brink. Despite that simple synopsis, there are several absurd events that warp this mundane plot and setting into a hilarious and provocative film. Given that upper-middle class, white suburban life is a default setting for the depiction of American life in the media, it’s brilliant to use it as a platform for this niche style of comedy. DeBoer and Luebbe gave a Q&A after the screening in theater, in which they explained that they would write out a completely ordinary scene, and then throw in an absurd twist. However, they were careful to avoid the random without a purpose. Most of their absurd elements were to dissect aspects of social norms and suburban life. Both the creators grew up in the Midwest and wanted to play into the idea of excessive politeness that motivates a lot of the odd decisions the characters make. The movie begins with the two lead women, Jill and Lisa (DeBoer and Luebbe respectively) watching their children play soccer.
mentary, all delivered with a mandatory cheer that makes scenes hard to watch but feels real. The characters and acting are all-around exceptional from the lead women Jill and Lisa. Jill’s husband, Nick (Beck Bennett) also stood out given that he was in his element playing a peculiar character. He was given some of the best, yet strangest antics that took dorky suburban dad to that next level. What began as a fascination with the new filtered pool water turned into an obsession where he brought pool water to restaurants and froze it into popsicles. Aesthetically, the costumes and sets are meticulously coordinated. Each main character was always excessively donned in his or her set color. This film pays sharp attention to detail in every aspect from specific acting choices to each shot. Despite being an independent film with a small budget, it managed to be just as compelling and memorable as any other big name film — if not more. – Molly Carmichael
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“Greener Grass”
“Greener Grass” is an absurdist comedy directed, written and led by Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe. Originally a short film, DeBoer and Luebbe turned it into a full-length narrative feature film due to its positive reception. The premise is fairly simple: two women living in a tidy neighbor-
Within the next few minutes, Lisa compliments Jill’s baby to which Jill insists Lisa takes the child. That is one of six outlandish events that take place. It’s far better to be caught off-guard so I will not discuss the rest, but they vary between shocking, embarrassing or truly outlandish. This world has few rules in terms of realism despite its guise, and the audience is quickly shown that nothing is off limits — keeping them fixated. Other than those six events, the film refuses to spare the audience of uncomfortable moments and not wasting any opportunity to get shots of extreme close-ups of a twitching mouth or awful makeouts. One of my favorite scenes is at a four-way stop where everyone refuses to go first in order to outpolite one another. The questioning of norms feels like “Curb Your Enthusiasm” but with a dreamy Lynchian twist (“Twin Peaks” was credited as being a major influence). The dialogue embodies forced social cues like excessive apologies or being over compli-
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Historians say the French Revolution might have been a pyramid scheme By Haley Bills STAFF WRITER
Historians recently uncovered evidence suggesting that a pyramid scheme, much like the ones that relentlessly pester the timelines of unsuspecting Facebook users today, may have actually caused the French Revolution. When searching a forest near the Palace of Versailles, an archaeologist came across a suspicious-looking rock. After much investigation, a decaying baguette sleeve, which advertised the prospect of “losing an average of 31 pounds in 90 days,” was found. Next to it was a letter written by King Louis XVI himself. According to professional
translators, the letter loosely translated to say, “Hey girl! Picture your dream chateau. Picture each room adorned with gold and decorated with portraits of your family. Are you fighting for it? Or have you
decided it’s too far out of reach?” The latter half of the message, which said, “I don’t know about you, but I wake up every morning and fight for that exact thing. I turned my can’ts into cans and
dreams into plans. Are you ready to take life by the reigns and build the future you’ve always dreamed of but never believed you could achieve? Well, I have great news for you: I’m looking for five people to join my team…” convinced experts that the royal family were the ringleaders of a pyramid scheme that controlled the masses. Illegal in many countries, pyramid schemes are characu n a a e y mnn m terized by empty promises of he wa n socash r profit to enrolling members. eaxtra e Only those at the top benefit, and because of this, historians couldn’t ignore the many parallels that could be drawn to GRAPHIC BY SAM JONES the infamous hierarchy of the The secrets to financial flexibility is worth dying for (and freedom from tyranny). French Revolution. Perhaps,
Badgers don’t do breaks: The grind really never stops By Lindsey Cardell STAFF WRITER
Spring break has sadly come to a close for students at UW-Madison and with it, every student is experiencing the satisfaction of finishing all of the extra homework that was assigned by professors over break. Yes, many students worked around the clock in the weeks leading up to the break so they could pass their midterms and turn in lengthy projects on time. In an interview, Nic Turnal said that he “hadn’t slept for three weeks straight,” and that his current diet consisted of only “espresso shots, 5 Hour Energy, and straight-up cocoa beans.” But despite Bascom Hill being packed with students who appeared to be more zombie than human, students still found themselves packing their notes and books into their carry-on suitcases to bring with them on vacation, just so the learning
wouldn’t stop! All across the country you could spot UW-Madison students hard at work on all of the fun and educational assignments they received right before the break. Every sandy beach in Florida housed a student sprawled out in the sun, sporting a new second-degree sunburn and a stealthy understanding of every organic-chemistry concept ever. A certain selfie taken at Cloud Gate in Chicago this past weekend even went viral because it pictured a college-aged man decked out in Badger gear as he measured the angles of reflection produced by the famous sculpture. And now, students are back in town, ready to face another wave of tests, projects and papers knowing that all of those extra readings and homework problems they finished with joy and appreciation over break will guide them through the final six weeks of the semester until summer
they think, it was a pyramid scheme that orchestrated this societal structure. This finding, which conveniently explains the bourgeoisie’s accounts of hardship, brings new meaning to Marie Antoinette’s famous quote: “Let them eat cake!” Experts theorize that the proclamation was actually just a slogan for a type of weight-loss cake. The study of history has saved humanity from repeating some dreadful mistakes, and historians are hopeful that these findings will come as a lesson and save at least one person from looking like an idiot when tempted to join a pyramid scheme.
The Real Devil’s Lettuce: ~Cilantro~ By Savannah McHugh PAST ALMANAC EDITOR
Local political crusader Sydney Becky McAmanda has been superfluously active on Twitter as of late, claiming she has single-handedly discovered the source of mankind’s evil after a recent drunken jaunt to the local Chipotle. Ms. McAmanda took to Twitter at approximately 3:13 a.m. on Tuesday morning, minutes after arriving home at her trendy sorority co-op community housing house. “GUYS I THINK I KNO WHY EVERYTHING SUX,” McAmanda wrote in an alcohol-fueled Twitter tantrum that clocked in drastically below the newly-established 280 character limit and lacked extensive clarification. “BCUZ OF CILANTRO!”
By Rachel Haynes
When questioned by Cardinal Correspondents as to why the herb was responsible for all the evils of mankind the following morning, McAmanda had (surprisingly) not much more to say. “Ionno, it just, like, sucks,” she clarified while sucking on her iced soy latte with whipped cream from Starbucks and munching on an Einstein’s Bagel with extra honey-almond cream cheese. “It tastes like soap.” McAmanda’sclaimis(evenmore surprisingly) not unfounded; scientificstudieshaveprovengeneticvariants near smelly sensors and chemical receptors in the brain polarize cilantro-eaters drastically. They either taste some sort of herb, or theyaredisgustedbythesoapy-dirty Devil-spawn they’ve happened to missintheirfoodandhaveforgotten
to throw on the floor and set on fire prior to consumption. While research has proven cilantro to be the actual Devil’s lettuceformanypeopleanddemands it be collected and completely destroyed, never to be consumed byhumansorbeusedtoexcessively season everything on Chipotle’s menu ever again, political science expertsknowitcan’tbethatsimple. “The solution isn’t simply incinerating that foul, horrible, green atrocity,” said political science professor May Beimbiased. “One single solution will not fix the multitude of complex problems facing our society.” Cardinal Correspondents wait to see how the complete eradication of cilantro will aid this country in addressing its arguably more serious issues.
Spring Flower Spring is coming
MELANIN SPEAKING - SMALL TALKS
When I wake up My soul is no longer frozen My bones don’t ache My skin is reawakening Spring is coming
I am a flower I arise with a new liveliness I can smile My skin hugs the sun like it’s been gone too long
I am a seed I was buried beneath the earth No light in sight Only darkness, no warmth But alas, The sun always comes around
And it has The air fills my lungs deeper than it has before Spring is coming I am blooming All wise flowers know That the sun also rises
Yes sometimes it might go But it will rise again And young flower you will shine like never before You gleam in the sunlight You have endured darkness, pain, and the cold But the whole time you kept telling yourself Spring is coming And now she is here once again
We’re always looking for more funny and insightful writers with fresh takes on topics ranging from the UW campus to international news. We accept and encourage creative submissions as well! Any and all submissions are more than welcome. You can send your submissions and any comments or questions to almanac@dailycardinal.com. All articles featured in Almanac are creative, satirical and/or entirely fictional pieces. They are fully intended as such and should not be taken seriously as news.
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When Madison goes to the polls on April 2, Satya Rhodes-Conway is the right choice for mayor. Her dedication to selflessly pursue change will serve the city well.
Cardinal View: Satya Rhodes-Conway will provide the change Madison needs view Cardinal View editorials represent The Daily Cardinal’s organizational opinion. Each editorial is crafted independent of news coverage.
Paul Soglin is practically synonymous with Madison politics and has created quite a legacy for himself, serving as mayor for longer than anyone else in Madison’s history. He’s worked toward providing the city with affordable housing, improving public transit and hiring more women and minorities in the city during his 22-year tenure. However, if we simply focus on what has already happened and don’t look forward to the potential of the city, we can’t expect to make progress. This is why it is imperative that Satya Rhodes-Conway is elected as Madison’s next mayor. Rhodes-Conway would bring ambition and enthusiasm to the office of the mayor that Madison hasn’t seen for quite some time. She’s not looking to create a legacy for herself; she’s looking to create concrete change. She is a candidate who has engaged with communities and citizens from every corner of Madison, knocking door after door and leading a grassroots campaign that hasn’t relied on bigmoney donors.
She’s also shown you don’t need money to win, as she earned just 1 percent fewer votes than Soglin despite significant funding discrepancies in February’s primary election. One issue plaguing voters, however, is distinguishing between the similar stances both Rhodes-Conway and Soglin maintain. While Soglin has spoken on the need for better care of the homeless in Madison and for improved racial equity, he has not always practiced what he has preached. He consistently received criticism for not more effectively tackling racial equity and issues facing the city’s homeless population. For instance, he implemented an ordinance that fines people $100 — on their first offense — for sitting on a public bench for longer than one hour between 5:30 a.m. and 1 a.m.
it is imperative that Satya RhodesConway is elected as Madison’s next mayor.
Though some progress has been made over the years, it hasn’t been nearly enough. Satya Rhodes-Conway is more than prepared to lead Madison forward and pursue progressive policies. Rhodes-Conway writes on her website “Renters are
having a hard time finding places that are affordable.” She is thinking of college students and recent graduates, who struggle to find affordable housing in a city where premium housing complexes crop up each year. With this in mind, she aims to support housing cooperatives and bolster programs in place that help people secure affordable housing. Addressing homelessness is a large part of her housing platform, a perspective which Soglin has lacked.
Rhodes-Conway will respect the work Soglin has done while ushering Madison into the future.
As mayor, she will serve low-income individuals and communities of color, those who are the most affected by Madison’s housing market. Food accessibility is an issue these communities face as well, and Rhodes-Conway recognizes this in part due to her experience on the Madison Food Policy Council. She hopes to continue the work she has done as part of the council with the goals of supporting urban agriculture projects, increasing access to healthy and locally-sourced foods through improving the city’s transportation system and mini-
mizing the gap in health outcomes caused by not having access to healthy foods.
Satya RhodesConway is more than prepared to lead Madison forward and pursue progressive policies.
Climate change, something that has loomed over Madison for quite some time — especially after last August’s catastrophic flooding — is a subject on the minds of many of the city’s voters, and it is one RhodesConway is more than prepared to face head-on. The mayoral candidate pitched her flag in Madison after landing an environmental internship 20 years ago. Her dedication to the environment remains as a firm pillar of her campaign, specifically a focus on climate change preparation. A highlight of her campaign is increasing ecological resilience through planning and land use, something that would hopefully block damages caused by climate-related flooding. As climate drastically changes, our city between two lakes needs a forwardthinking mayor in office in the midst of this uncertainty. R h o de s- C o nway is focused on sustainability as well; during her tenure as
the alder for District 12 and as a member of the Sustainable Madison Committee, she supported the 2011 Madison Sustainability Plan. With this focus, she aims for the city to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and food waste, transition to clean and renewable energy sources, and increase the city’s green infrastructure. People from across the city and the state alike have recognized Madison’s need for new progressive leadership. Rhodes-Conway has received endorsements from active and retired elected officials from Madison and Dane County, mayors across the country after her time working with the Mayors Innovation Project and local organizations like the Affordable Housing Action Alliance, the Four Lakes Green Party and the Teaching Assistants’ Association. If that’s not convincing enough, Soglin himself endorsed Rhodes-Conway when he made his bid for the Democratic gubernatorial race last year — when he signaled he was ready to move on from his post as mayor — calling her “eminently qualified.” Paul Soglin has served his city well for more than twenty years. However, a true leader knows when it is is time to pass the baton to the next generation. Satya Rhodes-Conway will respect the work Soglin has done, while ushering Madison into the future. Madison: It’s time for change.
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Fashion: what comes around, goes around
KALLI ANDERSON/THE DAILY CARDINAL
If you’re overwhelmed with spring cleaning, listen to a Spotify playlist to get into the cleaning mood.
Spring clean your home and your mind By Emily Kroseberg STAFF WRITER
Spring has sprung and it is officially time to come out of hibernation. Hallelujah! One way to ease this transition from the Wisconsin tundra into the new season is by decluttering your life and starting fresh. There are many simple ways that you can alleviate stressors in your dorm, apartment or house that will allow you to have more time to actually live. Here are some easy ways to declutter your home and your mind. First stop: the kitchen First, let’s start in the naturally most messy room of the house. As college students, deadlines are always on our minds, however, expiration dates are not. Begin your spring cleaning by looking through your fridge and pantry to dispose of (or donate) any foods that are just taking up space. Next stop: the bathroom Now, let’s head to the bathroom. It’s as simple as setting five minutes aside to clear out all of the mostly
empty hair containers, dried up travel size shampoos and the old makeup products that have sat untouched for months. Not only will this make you feel better, it will also make room for new summer products. Closet station, expect delays Next, head straight to your closet and pack up your winter coats and thick sweaters. After that important step dig through your closet and pick out everything you haven’t worn in the past six months and make cuts. To make this fun, swap clothes with your friends and create a whole new closet! Final destination: the desk Similar to clothing, another thing that accumulates quickly is schoolwork of semesters’ past. If you haven’t already thrown out the handouts and syllabuses of that biology class you took freshman year by now, it’s finally time to part. Such a sweet, sweet sorrow. Don’t let it haunt you any longer. Renovation station Lastly, never underestimate the power of redecorating or rear-
ranging your room. Whether you stop at Target and grab new sheets, invest in some new wall décor or a couple of throw pillows — a little truly goes a long way and helps balance your feng shui. Refresh the photos you printed in the beginning of the school year and replace them with all the memories you made this past semester. Sometimes even just moving around the furniture in your room will bring some excitement into the little place that you call home. You don’t have to be Marie Kondo to have a worry free space, but watching her Netflix series is a good start. Stop and smell the roses The last thing you need to think about when you’re enjoying the spring sunshine is the clutter in your closet. Once all of this is done sit back, light a few candles and admire your work as you invite the summer in. Now that you have a free space to think, give yourself that time to do so, enjoy the spring air and get ready for finals. Yay!
KALLI ANDERSON/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Trends in fashion come and go, but vintage style lasts forever. By Rhiannon McCarthy STAFF WRITER
“Mom” jeans. Itty bitty sunglasses. Chunky sneakers. Biker shorts. What do all of these fashion trends have in common? They are all trends from the past that have eventually resurfaced in today’s fashion landscape. Style-gurus and high-fashion brands make their statement by recycling old fashion trends and reinventing them because in this industry, making a unique, eye-catching statement is key. Icons and models like Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber and Zendaya can be credited with doing this as they wear designer names like Balenciaga chunky sneakers and Levi’s “mom” jeans, and it’s also no secret that their strong social media following is certainly paying attention. It’s not just the high-fashion world and celebrities that are
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recycling these old trends — everyday people are, and most of these trends are on campus. That’s right, I’m saying the things that the Jenners or the Hadids wear on the regular are attainable for the average Badger. You’re probably wondering, “how” they do this. It’s because they aren’t your typical highfashion trends. They are very practical, which is something that these trends actually pride themselves on. They aim to be fashionable yet wearable. “Recycling trends have gone on for a very long time. It happens before the 19th century, but you see it in almost every decade of 19th century,” according to Beth Dincuff, a fashion history professor at Parsons Art and Design school in New York City. As much as we’d like to take ownership of adopting “vintage” pieces, this cycle of wearing the past trends has gone on long before we found it cool. But while wearing fashion from past decades isn’t totally new, the rate at which these trends are recycled is faster than ever before. With every decade, the fashion-world is reinventing the trends from the decade prior. Thus, today’s boom of the “90’s-nostalgia” is very prevalent in today’s fashion realm. Neon pinks and teals, Guess crewnecks, even shirts that say “90’s Baby”. Our generation has certainly taken a liking to 90’s trends. Many credit this resurgence to the feeling of nostalgia, even if we were born at the latter part of the decade, we still want “in on the action.” While it’s hard to predict exactly what will come next, it’s safe to say that in the fashion world, trends may come and go, but they will always later make a comeback. So instead of trying to foresee the future and make predictions for fashion trends, try looking back at your parents’ or even your grandparents’ style, because that might just be the next big trend of summer 2019.