Thursday, March 12, 2020 - The Daily Cardinal

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Thursday, March 12, 2020

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Tips to finish spring U.S. Girls concert review semester strong +Life & Style, page 8

ARTS, PAGE 3

Instruction moved online due to COVID-19

TAYLOR WOLFRAM/THE DAILY CARDINAL

The majority of schools within the UW System have suspended face-to-face instruction following Spring Break, with a tentative plan to have students return to campus April 10.

By The Daily Cardinal News Team

UW-Madison suspended faceto-face instruction Wednesday, starting March 23 — the date classes would typically resume after spring break — in an attempt to lessen COVID-19 risks.

Alternate delivery of classes will continue online until April 10, when a decision of whether or not to reinstate in-person instruction will be announced.

“I think the biggest question is … how safe is it to bring back gatherings of people?” Chancellor Rebecca Blank said in a statement. “We will be very much guided by the CDC at the national level and the local county health people at the local level.”

Students living in university residence halls have been advised to take all essential belongings with them when they leave for spring break. The university recommended they return to their permanent addresses, complete their coursework remotely and not return to campus until at least April 10.

Keeping the residence halls at 10 percent capacity versus 100 percent capacity reduces the risk of a spread of COVID-19 immensely from a disease control standpoint, according to Blank.

This raised questions for outof-state and international students, like UW-Madison freshman Keaton Chan from Hong Kong.

“I can’t go back home. If I go and come back, they would probably quarantine me for a while — or I might not be able to come back at all,” Chan said.

Although students living in dorms were recommended to return to their permanent addresses, the university residence halls will remain open for students who are unable to leave campus — like Chan and many other international students.

The campus-wide vacation has broader implications for students’ college experiences on a social, academic and financial level.

“I’m expecting to just stay in and not have a lot of social interaction,” Chan said. “Pretty sad times.”

Joan Schmit, a UW-Madison

School of Business professor, echoed concerns about the complications international students might face.

“So someone from Malaysia goes home — do they pay to come back again?” Schmit asked.

“I fully expect that we will stay [online] this semester; if a student went home — in or out of the country — and can’t come back for classes on April 10, I, as the instructor, still make that virtual classroom available to them.”

Schmit advised students to let instructors and administrators know ways they can help make this experience as painless as possible.

“Students worry about causing trouble or bothering people — don’t,” Schmit said. “We can at least try to help.”

Many students leaving the residence halls face financial concerns about the change in living conditions, monetarily and otherwise.

“We are working out the financial implications of this,” Blank said. “I would expect that there is going to be some com-

pensation for the students that are not in the residence hall for the full year.”

In an email sent out to the entire UW-Madison community, Blank called attention to the racial tensions the virus has been causing, stating that racist behaviors or stereotyping “in or outside of the classroom are not acceptable at UW-Madison.”

“It’s cool how they mentioned, in an official email, the racism,” Chan said. “I thought they wouldn’t really acknowledge that, especially here because it’s so subtle. When I read that part I was just like happy.

Maybe there is hope.”

Campus will remain open while faculty and staff continue their regular work schedules, and the university will continue its day to day operations with some exceptions regarding travel and events.

All university sponsored travel is suspended until April 10, except sports-related trips.

“We are working through a number of things on athletic events,” Blank said. “Our ath-

letics teams will be guided by any guidance by the NCAA. That guidance does not yet exist but we will follow it once it does come out.”

Six other UW System campuses temporarily canceled in-person instruction, including UW-Milwaukee, UW-Green Bay, UW-Superior, UW-La Crosse, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Stout, according to university press releases.

UW-River Falls plans to announce its final decision Thursday on whether to move to alternative methods of instruction, while UW-Platteville will make a decision by March 17.

U W - M i l w a u k e e , UW-Superior and UW-La Crosse are extending their respective spring breaks by a week.

UW-Whitewater, UW-Oshkosh and UW-Parkside have decided as of Wednesday not to suspend inperson instruction or change their spring break schedules.

Reporting by Aylin Merve Arikan, Dana Brandt and Morgan Lock.

People with disabilities can audit UW courses for free

By Sammie Johnson STAFF WRITER

In order to stay eligible for her disability insurance, Heidi Wenner can’t work — but she can learn.

And due to state law, she can audit any UW System course for free.

When adults of any age register for disability insurance, they are often unable to seek employment as it would remove access to their insurance. Often separated from the workforce some adults with disabilities look to other opportunities like volunteering or, for others, furthering their education.

“It is a wonderful experience no matter if you want to just come sit in the class in the back or if you

want to try and participate,” she said. “I don’t know what I would be doing right now if I didn’t have this to do, because you can only volunteer so much.”

Wenner added without this law she could not afford to take these courses.

“If they were to change the law I would literally be heartbroken…

I think it is something that does so much good,” she said.

A long-standing state law grants any Wisconsin resident who receives disability insurance the chance to audit state university courses free of charge, offering a chance for individuals to continue learning and further incorporate

themselves in the community.

“Sadly many of the people who do end up on disability have lim-

“This is an opportunity for people to continue with their education, find a way to spend time and connect with other people.”

Martin Rouse Director of Special Student Services

ited resources,” said Martin Rouse, director of the campus facility that

processes these guest auditors.

“This is an opportunity for people to continue with their education, find a way to spend time and connect with other people.”

Individual benefits UW-Madison has 58 guest auditors currently enrolled that fall under the Supplemental Security Income/Social Security Disability Income waiver, and that number has been growing consistently over the years. “[Auditing is] passive learning — you’re enrolled but you’re not taking the class for credit, though you might do the work yourself, it’s kind of up to you,” Rouse clarified.

Wenner found out about the

guest auditors program back in 2012 and has taken one class a semester since then.

While she shared at first it was intimidating to go back to school, she is currently happily enrolled in her 15th course at UW-Madison.

“The nice thing when you’re auditing, you can either just sit there and listen and take it all in or you can be as active as you want,” she said. ”I like to take notes and get as close as I can to pretend [to be] taking [the course].”

Any course in the catalog is fair game — the only obstacle to taking a class is if it’s at capacity, as

auditors page 2

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”

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Thursday, March 12, 2020

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 129, Issue 21

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Managing Editor Erin Jordan

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Editorial Board Robyn Cawley • Erin Jordan • Sam Jones • Anupras Mohapatra • Kavitha Babu • Max Homstad • Lauren Souza • Hazel Levy • Sam Nesovanovic Board of Directors Herman Baumann, President Jennifer Sereno • Don Miner • Scott Girard • Josh Klemons • Barbara Arnold • Robyn Cawley • Erin Jordan • Ignatius D. Devkalis • Nick Dotson

Democrats push for Medicaid expansion

By Hope Karnopp STAFF WRITER

Some Democratic lawmakers renewed a push for Medicaid expansion Monday in Wisconsin in the wake of financial concerns and public support for the move.

Sen. Jennifer Schilling, D-La Crosse, called for Republican action on Medicaid expansion, citing the fact that 70 percent of Wisconsinites would support the move.

“Republicans should do their jobs and act on stand-alone legislation introduced by Democrats that would allow us to join the 37 other states that have expanded their programs,” Schilling said in a statement.

Medicaid expansion was a key provision in the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, calling for broader eligibility based on income. But some states — including Wisconsin — chose not to do so.

The states that expanded Medicaid saw increases in insurance coverage, especially among lower-income individuals. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau reported taking Medicaid expansion in 2014 would have saved the state $1.1 billion through 2019, potentially funding other policy areas, such as education.

Rep. Jill Billings, D-La Crosse, also supported the Medicaid expansion, saying the additional money could help tackle other issues.

“Those are our Wisconsin taxpayer dollars that are sitting in the

auditors from page 1 auditors fill a course’s empty seats, Rouse explained.

The law and program not only provides an opportunity to expand one’s education, but also can break down barriers and differences between someone with a disability and someone without one.

“I could sit and discuss Shakespeare with you and for that little time my disability isn’t an issue,” Wenner said.

One popular course for SSI/ SSDI-waived auditors is an adapted fitness course taught by kinesiology and adapted fitness faculty associate Tim Gattenby. His course is different because it allows typical students to work and connect with students with disabilities. “[His course] is helping our UW-Madison students learn how to take care of people who have dis-

For the record

federal government or going through other states, and that money could really be used in our fight against our crisis with opioids, heroin, and methamphetamine in Wisconsin,” Billings said.

The biennial budget passed by the legislature did not include Medicaid expansion, which could have reduced BadgerCare and Medicaid spending by $339 million.

Medicaid expansion is a recurring debate in the legislature. In August, Democrats tried to introduce a bill to expand Medicaid. However, Republican lawmakers preferred to subsidize private insurance plans through the ACA. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has been outspoken of his opposition to the expansion.

“What Evers isn’t telling you is that roughly half of the 82,000 people who they want to push on welfare already have insurance on the exchange. The premiums on the exchange can be as low as 18 cents per month,” Vos said in May. “Instead of expanding Medicaid, we should focus on increasing opportunities to connect uninsured individuals to coverage they already can get.”

Sen. Schilling was more focused on the money lost by the state not expanding the program, costing taxpayers money thanks to Republican “political games.”

“In this budget cycle alone, accepting the Medicaid funding

would’ve saved $324.5 million in state taxpayer money, and brought in over $1.6 billion in additional federal dollars for health care services,” Schilling said.

Without expansion, Wisconsin taxpayers will pay more than $2 billion over the next two years in federal

income taxes for other states — like Illinois and New Jersey — to expand their Medicaid programs, according to the Department of Revenue.

Other states are also reviving Medicaid expansion debates. In Kansas, Republican Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning began working with the state’s Democratic governor to support Medicaid expansion, despite previous opposition.

“We need to make sure that we’re accessing all the funds we possibly can and one of those ways to do that is to take Medicaid expansion in the state of Wisconsin,” Evers said. “Republicans have been absolutely opposed to it, and frankly what bothers me going forward, is that we have a group of leaders who won’t let important things like this go to a vote.”

began in 1986 — has the highest number of auditors with disabilities.

“For two and a half decades now, we have filled every single class with guest auditors. [We] help train students to be more adept at knowing what is going on in the real world” he said.

And the law does not only apply to those who were born with a disability, but to individuals who acquired a disability throughout the course of their life, allowing programs like Gattenby’s to help anyone with a disability succeed.

“I would say success is coming back and finding that the program was helping you with whatever you were trying to do,” Gattenby said.

For these people, Rouse said the program can serve as a transition or trial period for people coming back from an illness, people interested in learning or just to pursue one’s interests.

“Say you were in an accident

it would be like — like, ‘Can I get to class everyday, follow the lectures, etc.,’” Rouse said. “[It’s] sort of like a bridge program.”

Potential for progress Gattenby said his adaptive fitness program is dedicated to helping people with diverse disabilities, both through programming and by creating new adaptive equipment. “[These events and equipment are] new aspects that have promoted more opportunities for people with disabilities but also trained other people to know that it is possible,” he said.

While this law can benefit the UW System and the lives of many individuals, there remains room for improvement.

Both Rouse and Gattenby agreed such a great opportunity deserves to be publicized more in order to reach a greater number of potential students.

“I think we could do a better job [of promoting] at other places and other entities. There’s communities that could have similar opportunities [and] that could only benefit everybody,” Gattenby said.

Even so, being accessible to everyone can be difficult, especially since there are many ways to qualify for disability — and sometimes the type of course one wants to take may be limited by their disability, Rouse said.

The university’s McBurney Disability Resource Center works with Special Student Services to try to accommodate these individuals, but there is an understanding those who are paying for the class and doing for-credit courses have the rights first to these resources.

And although becoming a guest auditor is rather straightforward — only requiring proof of state residency and SSI/SSDI status — Rouse added that another potential barrier toward greater inclusion is sometimes folks can have

a hard time proving residency if they aren’t driving or paying taxes, which isn’t uncommon among some people with disabilities.

While Wenner was able to take courses without many issues, she did share she wished she could participate fully in the classes — including discussion sections versus just lectures.

“It’d be nice if we were offered a discussion section, but I realize they don’t because you’re not paying for the class,” she said.

Considerations for the community Rouse added laws like this are important for able-bodied and individuals with disabilities alike to consider.

“I was at a talk recently by a fellow from Milwaukee who became disabled due to cancer and he used the phrase ‘all of us are temporarily abled-bodied people,’” Rouse said. “We are all one accident away from becoming disabled ourselves, so I thought that was a nice phrase to remind us.”

Whether someone is born with disabilities or becomes disabled throughout their life, every person is given the chance to achieve new heights in this program.

“Every client who comes in here and happens to be a guest auditor, to me, [is] an athlete, a celebrity, and they are a tremendous bonus to our community and to our student staff,” Gattenby said.

Having a disability can make life more challenging in many ways but Wenner clarified opportunities like auditing can be a silver lining.

“When you’re on disability, you are used to everything being difficult,” Wenner said, “This program gives you an opportunity to actually have something in your life that’s positive. If I get nothing else across to you, the reason I’m doing it is so that someone else can hear that and decide to take it.”

SAMMIE JOHNSON/THE DAILY CARDINAL

This law enriches the lives of individuals with disabilities and the community.

Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608262-8000 or send an email to edit@dailycardinal.com.

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abilities so it’s really a win-win for the community” Rouse said about Gattenby’s program.

Gattenby’s program — which

and want to get back to your education but you’re not ready to get back into full-time classwork. You could try auditing just to see what

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has also called for the legislature to again take up the issue.

While signing the HOPE bills related to opioid addiction and recovery in La Crosse, Evers called for the legislature to refocus on Medicaid expansion on March 3.

PHOTO COURTESY OF COBURN DUKEHART

Sen. Jennifer Schilling said it has public support and would save money.

arts

dailycardinal.com Thursday, March 12, 2020 • 3

SNL’s celebrity cameo identity crisis

By Phillip Klinker STAFF WRITER

For as long as I was able to stay up past my bedtime, I’ve watched Saturday Night Live.

When I was younger, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg were my comedic idols. My parents would show me old SNL skits from the heyday of Steve Martin, Gilda Radner and Billy Crystal.

Obviously a comedy sketch show that is over 40 years old is going to go through its highs and lows but recently I came to the realization that SNL doesn’t seem to know what it is anymore.

I began to notice a change as the era of Seth Meyers ended and Colin Jost took the head writer seat. This was also at a time when a lot of popular cast members (Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Kristen Wiig, Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis) also left the show, which is why I thought what I found to be an initial decline in quality might be a temporary slump.

And then Donald Trump was elected. Trump’s election, coinciding with what might have been a weaker cast that season and head writer fresh in the captain’s chair was a perfect storm for SNL to lose sight of what it was and it responded to these problems in

COURTESTY OF NEWSWEEK

Alec Baldwin frequently appears on SNL as President Trump, impersonating his mannerisms and speech for political sketches. just the wrong way: by falling back on gimmicky celebrity cameos and former cast members.

The impression of the president is an old and coveted position. It goes all the way back to Chevy Chase’s bumbling Gerald Ford and was masterfully continued by the likes of Darrell Hammond, Will Ferrell and Jay Pharaoh. But when Donald Trump became a presiden-

with non-cast and former cast members. Fred Armisen plays Michael Bloomberg, Larry David plays Bernie Sanders and Maya Rudolph plays Kamala Harris all in the same sketch.

SNL has always been a fun forum for celebrities to cut loose and show they don’t take themselves too seriously but almost always as the host for the week with maybe the occasional special guest.

It’s frustrating to watch the show lose its sense of self in a time where America needs quality SNL more than ever.

With the barrage of celebrity cameos and former cast members every week, the show is fundamentally different. It’s no longer an incubator of upand-coming writers, comics and

actors, but an open-house of celebrities and SNL alumni.

These non-stop guests have become a crutch that only makes the regular cast weaker while also depriving them of opportunities to stand out and advance their careers. It’s no longer a cohesive cast that makes one another stronger and plays off one another, but a few big-name cast members with most blending into the background and often going unseen.

This is the heart of SNL’s identity crisis and it puts the show at a crossroads. Will it devolve further into a playground for any celebrity who just so happens to be free that week or will it return to its roots as a group of young and rising comedians skewering the news and culture of the week?

tial contender, in the absence of a solid cast member’s impression, SNL brought on Alec Baldwin to fill the role.

Now SNL has an important recurring role being played by a Hollywood star and not a cast member. This seemed like a minor exception at first and then became more common. Suddenly the show is constantly filled

Railroad Earth brings folk rock energy, musical versatility to The Sylvee stage

By Jordan Simon ALMANAC EDITOR

For a band that openly rejects genre labels, Railroad Earth brought just the type of musical versatility they advertise during their show at The Sylvee on March 5.

Railroad Earth is a band from New Jersey that formed in 2001. Their sound has evovled since and the band has openly explored genres and welcomed outside influence.

Performing styles ranging from jam band rock to pure bluegrass, Railroad Earth’s range of music melded together to create an upbeat and energetic atmosphere that readily engaged their devoted fanbase.

The band opened their set with “The Hunting Song,” a muddy, soulful rock tune.

Beginning with a sharp melody on the acoustic guitar, the rest

of the band joined into the song to create a strong, full band sound with a mystic energy.

After the first set of lyrics, members of the band traded solos on stage, including a smooth and twangy lap steel solo, which presented an original and genuine experience of live improvisation.

After returning to the song structure, the band slowed to a soft ending, and then quickly switched modes into a faster paced, upbeat bluegrass tune.

Centered around a banjo melody and tied together with frequent violin fills, the transition highlighted Railroad Earth’s bluegrass roots while and simultaneously showcased their musical versatility.

The remainder of Railroad Earth’s set continued to exemplify this unique sound of jam band rock and bluegrass, as

well as elements of folk, blues and jazz.

Their repertoire also included an even blend of structured songwriting, free-form breaks filled with stunning improvisation, as well as sections where the entire band played a melody in unison to create tight lines.

Railroad Earth’s March 5th show in Madison was part of their winter 2020 tour. This is the band’s second tour since the death of co-founding band member Andy Goessling in 2018.

Opening for Railroad Earth was roots-rock band Old Salt Union. The band was comprised of instrumentalists playing violin, banjo, mandolin and upright bass, and worked to bring a more traditional bluegrass sound, yet remained upbeat and energetic. This show proved engaging.

COURTESTY OF CLAYTON JANNUSCH

Railroad Earth, a six-piece band from New Jersey brought energy to the stage at The Sylvee.

COURTESTY OF 4AD.

Toronto project U.S. Girls releases new pop-sounding album, “Heavy Light,” with the name inspired by a Franz Kafka quote.

U.S. Girls experiment with new, edgy sound

By Raynee Hamilton ARTS EDITOR

U.S. Girls released their newest album, “Heavy Light,” on March 6, just in time for their North American tour.

U.S. Girls is the longtime project of Toronto-based artist Meghan Remy who formed the band in 2007.

The music released by U.S. Girls has always been radical and experimental — facets which are incredibly apparent in “Heavy Light.” The album — which is arguably the most pop-sounding work the band has produced — is saturated with dreamy disco synth over the tones.

While this album may have more mass appeal than Remy’s past works, she stays true to her creative roots by creating a work that is a collage of many different inspirations and influences.

To create this album, Remy drew from a broad range of influences, such as Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and even Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who she borrows quotes from in the song “4 American Dollars.”

Even the name of the album “Heavy Light” is inspired by a Franz Kafka quote, in which

he reflects on the tension of living in the modern world.

Thematically, “Heavy Light” focuses on the darkness that invades the hazy nostalgia of childhood.

Including reinterpretations of past songs in “Heavy Light,” Remy reflects on the passage of time and the evolutions that it inevitably brings around.

Remy’s quote that she has a “mania for truth and vulnerability” feels especially relevant in her newest album, where she examines the past with a messy honesty that only she can convey.

“Heavy Light” follows Remy’s 2018 powerhouse art pop album, “In a Poem Unlimited,” which was shortlisted for the Juno Awards’ Alternative Album of the Year.

Compared to her past works, “Heavy Light” is much more temperate and restrained, but still exudes an intense authenticity that is characteristic of Meghan Remy.

Judging from this album, fans can likely expect a 2020 tour that is meaningful and certainly not boring. Tickets are available and until then, you should check out their new album, out now.

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Wisconsin basketball has some serious Team of Destiny vibes following the team

By Nathan Denzin SPORTS EDITOR

It’s extremely difficult to explain exactly why, but this Badger team feels like a Team of Destiny.

It’s been a little over a month since my last column explaining why Wisconsin would be perfectly fine without Kobe King – and what do you know, turns out they were perfectly fine.

But, this recent eight-game winning streak feels different than a team simply making the best of a bad situation.

Something has clearly changed around the team — games are consistently going Wisconsin’s way, and scoring droughts are fewer and further between.

So, what has changed? There has to be some reason beat writer Bremen Keasey and I have been feeling Team of Destiny vibes for weeks.

First of all, I think King’s departure was the absolute best thing that could have happened to both him, and the Badgers.

King was clearly petering out in the program — he didn’t have a single game shooting above 50 percent from the field in nearly a month before his departure.

King pointed to his lack of enthusiasm as a reason for leaving midseason as well, so combining lackluster shooting with increasing unhappiness, and you can end up with a player doing more harm than help despite his overall talent.

I also just want to throw in that regardless of his performance, his happiness, unhappiness or anything in between, it’s his decision to make, and we should all support players who make a decision that’s best for them.

It’s college, and 20-year-old kids deserve to be happy and have fun. Hopefully the move to Nebraska will be what he hopes it will be.

Moving forward from King’s transfer, I wrote about how players like Aleem Ford or Tyler Wahl would have to step up — and while Wahl hasn’t exactly become the world-beater I had hoped for (he’s still a freshman so I still think it will happen eventually), Ford has been excellent.

For much of Ford’s career at Wisconsin I felt he played timid — mostly putting up shots at the very end of possessions when the Badgers were in panic mode, or contested layups right at the rim.

It led to just 38 percent shooting from the floor, and 26 percent from three-point range this season before King’s transfer.

But since? Forty-seven percent from the floor, and nearly 40 percent from three.

That’s an astounding ninepoint difference in overall field goal percentage, and a 14 (!!) percent higher percentage from three.

Ford has also upped his rebounds per-game from 3.4 to 6.4, and his scoring totals are up another three points-per-game, from 7.6 to 10.6.

Ford’s aggressiveness on the

court is night-and-day compared to his play prior to the transfer.

He’s banging around in the post like I’ve never seen before and driving to the rim with authority.

It’s like a switch turned on in his head that said, “Hey, I’m 6’-8” and 225 pounds, I can bully these kids.”

I don’t think that’s any better exemplified by his monster slam against Minnesota with less than a minute left, which ended up sealing the game for Wisconsin.

In previous seasons Ford may not have made the cut to the basket, or put down a dunk with that sort of authority.

The change in Ford’s play has been part necessity, and part newly discovered offensive spacing in Wisconsin’s offense.

When King left, he was putting up about 10 points-per-game, and someone had to pick up the slack. Ford’s shots attempted per-game since then have risen by about 2.5, which means he’s getting to showcase his offensive skillset much more often.

However, King was shooting just 25 percent from three this season, which seriously hurt the Badgers offensive spacing.

Defenders knew King wasn’t a huge threat from beyond, so they could sag off in the lane and clog up Wisconsin’s motion offense.

With Ford now picking up King’s slack on offense, defenders have been slow to adjust to Ford’s unique mix of height, driving and shooting ability.

Sag off too much and watch a three splash through the net.

Play him too tight, and you might end up in a poster like

TAYLOR WOLFRAM/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Micah Potter has been arguably the best player for Wisconsin since he was allowed to play in December. highs in almost every As good as Potter Howard Moore was involved in a category, including plus and Ford have been horrific car crash that killed his eight percent on threesince King’s trans- wife and daughter, and left Moore point attempts (37.8 perfer, Wisconsin as a and his son with serious injuries. cent career, 45.8 percent team has improved All season the slogan “4 three-point this season), and tenin key areas in the Moore” has been on the back of shooting percentage by point jumps in free throw last 10 games.

Wisconsin’s warm ups, and in Aleem Ford percentage (75.2, 85) and They’ve shot the minds of every player during since Kobe player efficiency rating nearly six percent every minute of every game.

King’s transfer (20.5, 30.9). better from three Moore was a leader for the At 6’10” and 250 (from 33 to 38.5), Badgers, both on the court pounds he’s the Badgers four percent better and off it. best option for an autofrom the free throw All head coach Greg Gard rebounds matic bucket in the line (from 73.3 to could think about after winning per-game for paint, shooting over 50 77.5) and are turn- the Big Ten regular season title Ford, which is nearly double percent from close range ing the ball over at this weekend was how he wanted his per-game on the season. the best rate since to take the trophy to Moore so he total from But, his touch from the 2014-15 could touch and kiss it. early in the outside has been even Final Four It’s about more year more impressive. team (8.2 than a game at this Coming into the proper-game). point — but even if gram, coaches expected Potter Those modest we were just talking to primarily bang down low, increases across the about measurable three-point with occasional trips outside board have huge accomplishments that shooting the arc. However, the junior impacts on the swing set the Badgers apart percentage by has been stepping outside of of games. from the field, I can Micah Potter this season the paint much more frequentMore made three’s rattle those off too. ly — attempting three triples a and free throws Wisconsin has beatgame since King’s transfer, and lead to not only en every team (except knocking down over 43 percent more points for the Illinois somehow?) at Potter’s player of them.

Badgers, but fewer or near the top of the efficiency For some context on how transition possesBig Ten. rating this absurd those shooting numbers sions for opponents.

Wisconsin has season, up are, junior guard Brad Davison The same impact a better NET ratfrom 20.5 last year is knocking down about 35.9 per- can be found in liming than every Big cent of his threes, while D’Mitrik iting turnovers, espeTen team except Trice is shooting 37.6 percent cially in the system Maryland, Michigan from long range.

Wisconsin runs where State and Ohio State Potter has done more than possessions are more valuable — and a better RPI than everyprovide consistent offense than gold. one except Maryland and however, averaging seven It’s pretty hard to quantify Michigan State. Wisconsin has rebounds a game – with just Team of Destiny, especially in the most Q1 wins out of any Big over two offensive rebounds college basketball when you have Ten team. and five defensive rebounds mid-majors like Dayton and San And Wisconsin is your 2019per-game.

Diego State tearing through their ’20 Big Ten Champion.

He far outpaces the entire leagues this season, looking like It always benefits a team team in rebounding, with Nate world beaters. to be hot entering March, and Reuvers in second grabbing 4.5 However, here’s what I do know. there are few teams around boards per-game.

This season has been about the country hotter than the Against Indiana on Saturday, something bigger than basket- Badgers right now.

Potter nabbed 11 rebounds, lead- ball for the Badgers.

Nobody thought Wisconsin ing to some attention from famed Before the season started would be here, so who’s to say UW-alum Big Cat. Wisconsin’s assistant coach they can’t continue to win?

41.7 6.4

43

30.9

TAYLOR WOLFRAM/THE DAILY CARDINAL

this someday.

Ford hasn’t been the only Badger to step over the last 10 games though, as junior transfer Micah Potter has had arguably the biggest impact on the team since he finally became eligible.

Potter is averaging career

comics dailycardinal.com

Thursday, March 12, 2020 • 5

Australian Bushfires Extinguished

by Zoe Bendoff

After over 240 days, all bushfires have been extinguished in New South Wales About 5,000 koalas (12 percent) died because of the fires

Today’s Sudoku

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Over 12 milllion acres of land burned in New South Wales and 45 million acres across Australia Statistics from CNN

To get in contact with any of our artists, please email us at: graphics@dailycardinal.com

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almanac • farewell issue?

Leprechaun at end of rainbow clearly a Bernie supporter l

6

Thursday, March 12, 2020

dailycardinal.com

The Alleyway

By Anupras Mohapatra OPINION EDITOR

As I walk down an alleyway dimly lit With music blaring in my ears, as I see fit I stop for a second as I look at the ground below And I see my shadow follow me, toe to toe This makes me freeze on the spot Pushes me into deep thought As I ponder about how the dark brings out two of me My thoughts, like a winged Griffin, take me to the decade gone by And make me relive the lows and the highs Perhaps the shadow behind my back is my past still lurking Lurking behind me as I keep running Running away from the past and its iron grip Running before the past makes me trip

Blood on the hands, I now see blood on the hands As the trailing shadow lights up in my mind and I see my old self in plain sight I hear the chilling noises, of helplessness and sheer pain and hard fight The eyes are pitch black and the tears stream down the face A life was there to be saved, and I had failed in disgrace The lights dim and the bloodstained hands fade away As I stand still in the middle of this alleyway The shadow returns and I’ve snapped back into reality Perhaps the demons of my past will always follow me And I can never wash my hands off the blood I’d sworn to protect Perhaps I shall always be trapped in an alleyway, in a prisoner state of mind For I cannot rewrite history—the mistake was mine.

STEM departments uncancel classes

GRAPHIC BY HALEY BILLS

Hello. This cherub has a small favor to ask of you. It is asking for you to donate to Bernie’s campaign.

By Haley Bills ALMANAC EDITOR

Breaking: somebody finally found the end of a rainbow … and a Bernie-supporting leprechaun.

An individual from the Boston area took refuge in a nearby Irish pub when a downpour interrupted their commute home from work. After an ungodly amount of whiskey and Guinness, they stumbled home. But upon arrival, they were nearly blinded by an awe-inspiring, iridescent rainbow that arched over their house. Naked cherubs, all with the face of Lucky the Leprechaun from Lucky Charms™, whispered sweet nothings as small marshmallow rainbows floated in the air.

After regaining some sort of grip on reality, their eyes landed on a gigantic pot of gold “just sitting there” at the end of the driveway.

Plump golden coins sparkled and reflected the rainbow’s striking colors as they nearly spilled out in all directions. The cherubs softly chanted, “they’re magically delicious!” as the individual made snow angels in their treasure.

“More whiskey … more Guinness … I’m gonna buy it all!” they said as they dreamt

about what their new fortune could bring them. “A Gucci belt for every day of the week, an individual yacht for every one of my new cherub friends, a newfound will to live!!!”

But suddenly, the cherubs went silent. And it wasn’t out of shock for their alleged new slew of luxury water vehicles. It must’ve been the sight of the disheveled leprechaun who slowly slid down from the peak of the rainbow, making the colors become more and more mute as they trailed behind him.

The leprechaun cast a surprisingly long shadow on the high-net-worth individual. Upon closer inspection, his hair looked an utter mess. Even worse, his hairy beer belly protruded from underneath the battered, cropped “Bernie 2020” t-shirt that he wore.

His foot, which wore a dingy pointed-toe boot that was nearly unbuckled, was planted on the chest of one of the many snow angels. He sighed.

“You sir! You sir is what is wrong with America!” he proclaimed while shaking his fist in the air, causing a major disturbance to the floatingr a i nb ow- m a r sh m a l l ow- a i r.

“You have all the money in the world, more than the bottom half of the country to be exact and yet you selfishly want to use it all for yourself!”

After going on and on about the barbarous price of his necessary prescription meds, the ever-so-orgasmic Medicare for All and the benefits of socialism in general, the drunken multimillionaire sat up from their luxurious supine position amongst their many riches. Because the leprechaun was right. Only an utter asshole would keep a fortune like this to themselves.

Needless to say, a large contribution was made to the Bernie Sanders’ campaign that day. In addition, the pot-ofgold winner paid off all student debt, bought out the National Rifle Association and abolished it and personally funded an increased minimum wage, among other things. Cherubs and marshmallow rainbows were everywhere. And their willingness to give a shit about people other than themselves was contagious … The nation was finally at peace.

CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

STEM departments will still hold class depsite COVID-19 concerns

By Jordan Simon ALMANAC EDITOR

ECB OR E-HALL OR SOME SHIT — Following the decision by the University of Wisconsin-Madison to cancel face-to-face instruction after spring break and until April 10th, the university’s STEM departments have collectively announced that they will still hold class in defiance of the university’s disruptive decision.

“We understand that these are challenging times for folks, and there is lots to be mindful of in terms of staying safe. This is precisely why we have decided to continue classes,” said the head of the mechanical engineering department.

“If these students want to be doctors or engineers, they need to learn to stay productive and persevere through difficult and stressful times.”

The decision, seemingly short-sighted and brash,

should have prompted outrage from the student body, yet STEM students on campus don’t seem to be overly outraged.

“I mean this really sucks, but we all kind of saw this coming,” said junior Ted Morris. “Like these profs literally have no chill so I don’t think anyone is surprised that only STEM kids are required to go to class.”

Perhaps one of the biggest uncertainties of the situation is what will happen to STEM freshman who are forced to go to class but recommended to stay out of the dorms and provided with limited dining options.

When students emailed STEM administration to complain, they were provided with the response, “just eat some bugs and sing hakuna matata you’ll all be fine.

Also remember your coding assignments are due Monday.

No late submissions.”

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.

opinion Support for trans peers necessary, urgent

dailycardinal.com Thursday, March 12, 2020 • 7

By Sam Jones OPINION EDITOR

In a time where trans women are being killed at a startling rate, conversations over using one’s correct name and pronouns are considered controversial rather than necessary and Badgers who identify as trans are feeling increasingly unsafe. These students need our support more than ever.

These topics are not a matter of discussion or debate — trans folx are being impacted greatly by ignorance on this campus, and we cannot let these irrational arguments overshadow the wellbeing of our peers.

Cis students on campus don’t understand what it is like to face dysphoria at the hands of their peers when it comes to standard tasks such as receiving a University Housing assignment or taking a piss in a public restroom. In a system where trans students are not actively involved in campus planning and high-level decision making, efforts to be inclusive and aware of the unique struggles hindering the wellbeing of these students may appear to be an afterthought.

Heteronormativity is everywhere on this campus — but we can change that. While many UW students may have never engaged in open dialogue about the trans/GNC experience, this is no excuse for continued ignorance. UW has the resources to counter this harmful behavior via inclusion initiatives and programming.

Frankly, if we can convince a stadium of 80,000 people to cheer for fuzzy, animated letters in a predetermined race with literally no tangible result, we can manage to use our peers’ correct name and pronouns.

Unfortunately, a slew of antitrans legislation has been introduced across the nation at the state level in 2020 — the South Dakota Legislature has even proposed the enactment of a bill that would make it a felony to provide health services spe-

“ Frankly, if we can convince a stadium of 80,000 people to cheer for fuzzy, animated letters in a predetermined race with literally no tangible result, we can manage to use our peers’ correct name and pronouns. ” cifically for trans youth.

While this legislation obviously wouldn’t directly spill over to Wisconsin, we should be setting a precedent for the U.S. not only in laws, but interpersonal interactions and social norms as well. Just look at the rhetoric the university utilizes in marketing and outreach materials — “The Wisconsin Idea is our pledge to the state, the nation, and the world that our endeavors will benefit all citizens.”

The Wisconsin Idea is rooted in good intentions, but we

can’t focus on large-scale, global change if we can’t even take care of our own within a 936acre plot.

Especially in a city as presumably welcoming as Madison — which prides itself on its growing liberal and inclusive community — it is entirely unacceptable we continue to alienate our trans peers, either intentionally or unintentionally.

According to the 2016 Campus Climate Survey, 25 percent of trans respondents had “seriously considered” leaving UW-Madison. Of these folx, nearly onethird reported that an “unsafe or hostile envir o n ment” was the

reason for such a consideration.

Trans students are less likely to trust UWPD, feel comfortable approaching their professors and teaching assistants, and feel respected and welcomed on campus than nearly any other demographic group of students.

This is not even recognizing the experience of trans POC on campus, as this particular demographic of folx are disproportionately at risk. Rates of violence, harmful assumptions by police officers and a homelessness rate over five times that of the general U.S. population scratch the surface of these unique struggles. And on a campus that has struggled immensely with reckoning its racist past, this intersection of identities cannot be understated when acknowledging that many UW students have greatly disappointing college experiences.

Badgers, we must do better.

Gender identity should not negatively impact someone’s college experience — or experience in any space, anywhere — let alone lead a quarter of an

entire student demographic to want to drop out entirely.

Upon talking to various students on campus who identify as trans about their experiences in Madison, there were glaring injustices and cases of outright disrespect from their peers, professors and TAs, and the greater UW community.

People whom these individuals expected to be solid allies were in fact not. Programs that consistently emphasized the importance of cultural competence and reflective rhetoric did not hold up to expectations of fostering a safe space to come o u t in.

“The general theme I found in coming out was that people were more concerned w i t h b e i n g p e r c e ive d a s

GRAPHIC BY LYRA EVANS

inclusive and supportive than actually being supportive,” said one student. “I never expected perfection, but I did expect that people would be more concerned with making me feel accepted, heard and supported, than proving that they are an ally.”

While wanting to be inclusive and supportive is great, being an ally is more than sporting a trendy pin or reposting words of affirmation on the internet. Saying that you support trans folx — or that “trans people deserve to live authentically,” as one student noticed in their respective program — means absolutely nothing if you grossly mishandle interpersonal situations with a student that is trans.

“Pronouns are hard for me,” is not a valid excuse to misgender a person time and time again. While the evolution of language, particularly gendered language, may be difficult for some people to grasp at first, checking your own assumptions and privilege is an

active process and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Listening — rather than attempting to spew your ‘wokeness’ for all of Twitter to relish in — is not difficult.

Validating someone’s experiences, as coming out looks and feels different for everyone, is as simple as shutting up, not“I never expected perfection, but I did expect that people would be more concerned with making me feel accepted, heard, and supported, than proving that they are an ally.”

UW-Madison student

ing their needs and offering the support you can.

“I never fully felt listened to or heard in the opening months of coming out because my requests were often met with defensiveness, rather than introspection and growth,” said one student. “So one of the biggest ways to support trans folx is to listen to what they ask of you, rather than for you to [pretend to] know everything about trans people or how to be an ally for trans people.”

Not all is dismal, however.

Here on the isthmus we are in a unique position to offer our trans peers the support they need in terms of resources and access — we must bridge this gap.

Madison is one of the handful of cities in Wisconsin to offer gender affirming surgery, and has a group of 24 designated LGBTQ+ friendly medical professionals with ranging specialities. Having a hyperaware and knowledgeable physician or therapist not only ensures the continued physical wellbeing of trans folks but can provide an additional source of emotional support and validation as well.

UHS also has five professionals trained to provide hormone treatments, and offers HRT in an Informed Consent Model — effectively skipping the process of needing to acquire a letter from a mental health provider in order to begin hormone replacement. This sense of autonomy should be standard — expected even — across trans health services.

There are also a handful of local groups — such as the OutReach LGBT Community Center and the Madison Area Transgender Association — with the purpose of supporting queer+ trans Madisonians.

Apps like Restroom Refuge offer public ratings of these spaces in terms of their accessibility and comfort level, and offices like the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center provide resources to help queer students navigate campus both literally and metaphorically.

Given this information, though, how can cis Badgers be the best allies as possible in every space they enter? How do we undo years of discrimination?

For starters…

Use everyone’s correct pronouns! Here’s an informative piece detailing the effects of misgendering and the usage of incorrect pronouns.

If you do misgender someone, respond in an appropriate way that doesn’t proceed to ‘other’ this person further. Be empathetic and introspective — while cisnormativity is rampant, we can prevent these mistakes by consciously processing this change in language. (One student suggested looking at a photo of this person and repeating their correct name and pronouns as a form of practice!)

Yet, pronouns aren’t everything. While sharing your own pronouns and being aware of the needs of those around you is necessary, one must also deconstruct their own ideas about gender construction in order to really see someone.

Avoid unnecessarily gendered language such as “ladies and gentlemen” or “guys” — not only does this alienate NB/GNC folx, but reinstates the cisnormative tendency for people to assign gender arbitrarily (and in some cases, harmfully).

STOP GAWKING AT TRANS PEOPLE IN THE BATHROOM. These students are not a threat — we all poop, and the rooms in which we communally do this are not as big of a freaking deal as the media continually makes it.

Remember that the struggles of trans folx are not a “debate” or “abstract issues.” “They affect real people, many who may be in the room with you,” said one student.

While this list is nowhere near comprehensive, we as a community can (and need to) be better.

We must put our archaic perceptions of gender construction and expression aside, and band together to support our fellow Badgers regardless of something as arbitrary as genitalia at birth.

Cis people must act not only as strong allies, but as an additional defense system against transphobia — like a shield or suit of armor. By educating ourselves and those around us, we can foster a cultural shift of acceptance and celebration rather than xenophobia.

Sam is a senior studying journalism with certificates in development economics and environmental studies. How do you think cis students can be the best allies for trans peers? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

life & style

8 • Thursday, March 12, 2020

dailycardinal.com

Unspoken rules of campus sidewalks

By Megan Girod SENIOR STAFF WRITER

As college students, we understand the stress of trying to get across a large campus in a short amount of time. You sweat through your jacket, your music is blaring through your headphones as you bob and weave through the crowds of people that always seem to be moving too slow.

Here are some tips on unspoken rules of sidewalk etiquette: Taking your time while walking between classes is good — enjoy the scenery and the upcoming spring weather! Use it to destress and plan out your day. Call your parents or siblings and say hi! But if there is someone trying to get around you, just scooch over a little bit and let them pass. Like driving on a road, slow cars belong in the right lane rather than the left. They won’t shove you out of the way or let out that classic exasperated sigh and you can continue your way to class without a bruised shoulder.

Walk with the flow of traffic! If everybody walking the same direction is on one side of the sidewalk, make like a fish and go with the current. Don’t try to walk on the wrong side. If you do, odds are you will be shoved out of the way or cause a traffic jam that results in lots of glares and snide comments.

When walking in a group, if

there is a smaller number of people approaching you from the opposite direction, split your group in half and allow the opposite group to pass seamlessly. Don’t take up the whole sidewalk with your group, people will awkwardly have to juke around you to try and keep walking. Or your group will get split anyway and that’s also awkward. Just scooch out of the way and let people pass –– it’s easier.

Also if you are in a group or if you are walking together during a transition period, be aware that if you take up the whole sidewalk, people will be cranky and will shove past you because they are probably rushing to class. Try to minimize the pain of being shoved and divide the group into two small groups and continue to flow with traffic instead of chitchatting in the middle of the sidewalk.

Talking on the sidewalk! We all do it, it’s a natural part of being on campus. You will see people you know and will want to stop and say hi. Move to the side, don’t just stop in the middle of the sidewalk to chat when there are people trying to get around you. This will just lead to awkward encounters of people accidentally running into you because they weren’t prepared for there to be a whole person stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

Use the bike lanes if you have a

bike. That’s it, that’s the unspoken (but also spoken) rule.

Pay attention if you’re on your phone — it’s like distracted driving but way less severe. If you’re on your phone, head down, not paying attention you may not see a bike coming at you or the group that has stopped, there’s a line of people behind you or the fact that you have drifted into the oncoming lane of people. Just pay attention and avoid the situation of getting shoved and dropping your phone in the middle of a transition period.

Don’t be someone that just shoves people out of the way because you are running late to class. Prepare for the time it will take you to get to the actual building and the time it will take you to find a seat, especially in a busy lecture.

Be kind to those on the sidewalk, they may have just finished a hard exam or are having a bad day. Don’t be rude for the sake of being rude, show compassion because it may be you one day that is having a bad day and just doesn’t want to be pushed aside on the sidewalk.

There are lots of “rules” to walking on sidewalks in college, some of them are more important than others. Stay aware and pay attention, it may save you an embarrassing moment or a dropped phone.

TAYLOR WOLFRAM / THE DAILY CARDINAL

Be mindful of others as you are walking on the busy campus sidewalks.

Seniors give advice to freshmen

By Molly Abrams STAFF WRITER

LYRA EVANS / THE DAILY CARDINAL

Find little things that will help you stay organized and stay organized.

Little ways to save time

By Samantha Benish STAFF WRITER

We’ve all been there: you tell yourself that you are going to take a short study break and end up watching Tik Toks for over an hour.

Time in college is precious, especially in the middle of midterm season. Our whole day revolves around scheduled lectures, attempting to complete endless piles of homework and somehow finding time for ourselves. I’ve come up with a few useful ways to save yourself some time so you can relax just a little bit longer.

If you are anything like me, you wake up with just enough time to throw on some clothes, brush your teeth and head out the door. A useful hack that I have discovered is to set your breakfast out the night before. We are all culprits of skipping the most important meal of the day simply because we are running late. Meal prepping is an easy way to save a few minutes throughout your hectic week. Take an hour or so at the beginning of the week to prepare some breakfast, lunch or dinner for the upcoming “no-timeto-eat” days. Your stomach will thank you!

Not only is college hard, but it

is tiring! We all try our hardest to get a solid eight hours of sleep, but some nights it is nearly impossible. However, you are not going to stay focused when all your mind can think about is sleep. Building a quick snooze into your day will allow you to re-energize your mind and body. Even an hour of sleep will ensure that you are able to submit that paper by midnight.

My last bit of advice encourages you to take a deeper look into your everyday habits. Learning what your personal time-wasters are allows you to tackle them headon. For example, I spend about 20 minutes in the morning trying to decide what I want to wear for the day. But if I pick my outfit out the night before, it takes me about five minutes. Once you identify what these time-consuming habits are, it is usually easy to come up with a strategy to stop doing them.

Each hour of your day is valuable. Finding simple ways to shave a few minutes off your day leaves time for you to take a step back and breathe. With your extra time, you can start reading that book, binge Netflix or get that extra hour of sleep without sacrificing being late — again!

As midterm season passes, the end of the school year looms in the near future. While underclassmen dream of summertime, pre-graduation syndrome hits seniors, marking a period of reflection and reminiscing.

I asked graduating seniors the following question: “What is one piece of advice that you would give your freshman self?”

1. “To not take anything for granted and to go into every opportunity with a positive and open attitude” -Emma Winston 2. “To embrace uncertainty.

As a freshman, career expectations can be extremely daunting, I mean you have three more years of college education before you. Most UW-Madison students go through at least one major change if not more and that is OKAY. UW does an excellent job of providing academic exploration. So jumping out of your

comfort zone by taking new classes and exploring new organizations on campus is a great way to embrace uncertainty.” -Kia Pourmodheji 3. “College is all about discovering who you are and evolving into the person you want to become academically and personally. Trust yourself and your evolution. You’ll be happy you did!”

-Sylvannah Lang 4. “To forget FOMO and just enjoy what you are doing with the people you care about. That doesn’t mean going out when you think you should, but rather focus on being present and having fun with your people whatever you’re doing.”

-Mary Rogers 5. “Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you and you feel the happiest around.”

-Hannah Tarnow 6. “First off, get a bus pass and download the Google Maps app — this will make campus so much bigger and accessible, I’m talking Willy Street restaurants

less than a 15-minute bus ride and it’s FREE! Take advantage of the incredible Madison food scene — Monroe Street, King Street and Willy Street have award-winning chefs. Another big piece of advice I have for freshman year Colleen is to spend less time worrying about school and spend more time enjoying nights out AND nights in with your friends.

I can confidently say I have met my absolute best friends here over the past four years and the moments that stick out in my head are the most random ones. Don’t get me wrong, when you have exams study for them. By study I mean go to the library or coffee shop of your choice and do WORK (not sit on your phone) for four hours tops and then go and enjoy the time with your roommates, or call your parents because they miss you. The schoolwork will get done, I promise.

UW-Madison is a very special place so make your four years count, they go quick.” -Colleen Wermers

TAYLOR WOLFRAM/ THE DAILY CARDINAL

A graduating senior’s advice may help you make your college experience a very memorable one.