Thursday, March 3, 2022 by The Daily Cardinal

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Thursday, March 3, 2022

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Covid in the Philippines

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ASM meeting with Chancellor Blank By Alison Stecker CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

Members of student government discussed alterations to the new campus COVID-19 policy with University of WisconsinMadison Chancellor Rebecca Blank and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Lori Reesor in a closed-door meeting early Wednesday morning. Shared Governance Chair Reez Bailey and Chair Adrian Lampron presented the Associated Students of Madison’s suggested amendments included a “strong affirmation” of students’ rights to wear masks, providing air filters in classrooms with improper ventilation, the creation of a shared governance process for students to apply to drop a class or withdraw without penalty and for instructors to apply for COVID-19 accommodations. According to Shared Governance Chair Reez Bailey, the alterations are important to make sure every member of the community feels protected as the campus mask mandate ends on March 12. “We want to make sure every member of our campus continues to feel safe,” Bailey said in an interview with The Daily Cardinal. “Part of that is ensuring that even if that’s just one professor or one student that does not feel safe, they are able to pursue their education and job here on campus in a way

that makes them feel comfortable and accepted.” The chancellor was very respectful and responsive to ASM’s advocacy, offering a compromise to every request, Bailey said. “We were really happy to get this meeting, and I think the fact that the chancellor was willing to sit down and meet with us faceto-face signaled how she was willing to listen and hear our advocacy,” he said. This meeting comes a week after UW-Madison’s English Department voted to request an extension to the mask mandate on campus. “Masks help mitigate that risk. We urge you to ... continue to mandate wearing masks indoors until such time as the (CDC) recommends stopping or campus has put measures in place allowing individual instructors/programs to require masks in their classrooms,” Miranda Alksnis, an instructor for freshman composition, tweeted on Feb. 25. Although ASM was not in close coordination with faculty or departments on campus, they conversed with leaders of the Teaching Assistants’ Association (TAA), ACLU, UW BIPOC Coalition, Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment (PAVE-UW) and other stakeholders on campus to gather information for their COVID-19 policy suggestions. “We always had a good work-

ing relationship with TAA and that form of instructor advocacy,” said Bailey. “Although we had not been in as close coordination with faculty, I feel very confident with our advocacy and outreach to the student body and student structures.” In response to ASM’s first requested alteration, an affirmation of students’ right to wear a mask at any time without academic consequence, the chancellor told ASM that if any students experience issues with professors, they should report it. The second alteration asked the university to establish a shared governance process for professors, TAs, lecturers and other instructors to apply for COVID-19 accommodations, including a mask mandate in their classrooms. Blank said that while professors can ask their students to mask, they ultimately cannot implement mandates. A meeting recap provided by ASM stated that she clarified that accommodation requests are also still available, but no requests have been filed since the mask mandate removal announcement. The university had 40 accommodation requests in the fall and 20 in the spring, although it is unclear whether faculty, TAs or instructors filed them. The meeting recap stated that most of these applications were approved by the university, but that individuals may not have received the exact accommoda-

tion listed on the initial request. Chancellor Blank also referenced ASM’s third alteration, stating that students can either withdraw for mental or physical health issues or use the medical withdrawal process, but the university cannot make this a shared government process for privacy reasons. There is also a graduated tuition

ing with Blank and Reesor was very productive and each point was thoroughly discussed and rebutted, resulting in a good compromise coming out on either end. He stated that he is sure that the majority of students will support the alterations, and they should “watch their emails” for information about the COVID-19

COURTESY OF KATIE SCHEIDT

ASM met with Chancellor Blank in seeking to gain more flexibility in COVID policy. refund if students choose to medically withdraw. ASM’s final request for the university to purchase physical air filters for all classrooms was rejected. Other schools have tried air filters and found that they had no major impact in large classrooms, so the university will not purchase them, Blank said. According to Bailey, the meet-

mask mandate policy the Friday before spring break. “I feel confident that most students would see these policy suggestions that we brought forward as reasonable,” Bailey said. “We’re not asking for the mandate to be reinstated, but we’re asking for more flexibility around individuals who have preexisting conditions and safety concerns.”

Common Council approves grant funding six police officers By Francesca Pica STAFF WRITER

The Common Council narrowly voted 13-7 Tuesday night to accept a $750,000 federal matching funds grant from the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing (COPS) Hiring Program. The grant provided by the DOJ is expected to provide funding for six additional Madison Police Department officer positions in 2023. According to the terms of the grant, the city will match 25% of the cost in its 2023 budget, and will pay 75% by 2025. After that, the city must cover the entire cost of the new officer positions. Madison was initially awarded the grant by the DOJ on Nov. 18, 2021. The city was previously offered a COPS Hiring Program grant in 2020, however, the Council declined to accept the federal funding.

PHOTO BY CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER

Common Council approves federal grant that funds additional six police officers.

During the Tuesday Council meeting, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes addressed the council, stating that the additional officers hired through the use of the grant will enable MPD to focus on pursuing a trust- and legitimacybuilding initiative that aims to connect and improve relationships with Madison youth. “[The additional officers] would be a great addition to our team because they would not have to divide their attention among some of the other activities that we are asked to do,” said Barnes. According to Alder Barbara Harrington-McKinney, Dis. 1, who voted in favor of approval, the grant provides much-needed investment in improving relationships between law enforcement and the public, especially young people. “This is an opportunity to really begin to invest at the ground

level and build relationships with young people,” HarringtonMcKinney said. “I would much rather have a police officer, just as a mental health officer, show up with compassion and really talk through problems and situations.” Several alders who voted against accepting the federal grant voiced opposition to the proposal, citing concerns about the cost of such a commitment. Alder Grant Foster, Dis. 15, who voted against the grant, pointed to the large cost of maintaining the funding after the grant expires. “This sounds like a good deal in the beginning, but we’re talking about adding almost $600,000 per year to our operating budget,” said Foster. “That’s $600,000 per year that could be going to our affordable housing fund. That’s $600,000 that could be going towards our community services funding.”

“…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 3, 2022

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 131, Issue 19

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Ukraine War: Human costs of power politics By Tyler Katzenberger STAFF WRITER

A 6-year-old boy killed when his apartment building was bombarded. A 25-year old engineering graduate hit by a stray bullet. And Yelena Ivanona, a geography teacher, lying six feet underground as her students and family mourn. These are just three of at least 536 civilian casualties from the first week of Russia’s assault on Ukraine. But for those still fighting, reminders of death and destruction are everywhere. “I have done nothing to entertain myself as usual,” 19-year-old Ukrainian resident Christina Pylypiv said. “I can’t live with the thought that Russians live without danger. Their houses are whole, while Ukrainians are left without houses.” Pylypiv is a third-year international relations student at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. She is currently staying with her grandmother in western Ukraine, an area she says is relatively safe. But the war’s effects are still inescapable. Nightly curfews, public transport delays and school closures quickly became reality for much of Ukraine. “People are just sitting in their homes when they don’t have to work,” Pylypiv said. For Americans with family inside the war zone, anxiety is just as pervasive. UW-Madison sophomore Brian Blinder said he worries about his grandpa and other extended family who live in Southern Ukraine, where Russia has made their greatest push into Ukrainian territory. Though his family is safe now, the situation is unpredictable. “They’re stuck there and really can’t do anything about it, so it’s scary to watch,” Blinder said. “I just pray every day that [war] goes away and they’re all safe.” Shocked and horrified Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, three days after recognizing the independence of two separatist states in eastern Ukraine. Though Russian military forces were building on Ukraine’s eastern border for months, the invasion surprised even the most knowledgeable political science experts. “Literally, up until the last minute, I did not think he would i nvade, ”

UW-Madison Political Science Professor Yoshiko Herrera said. “I thought it would be crazy. He would never be able to have easy control of Ukraine.” Both Blinder and Pylypiv said the war caught them off guard. Pylypiv added that her family wasn’t prepared, and had to urgently rush to gather essential resources. “My dad woke me up with horrible news that the war had started at 5 a.m., and then he rushed to the supermarket to buy food,” said Pylypiv. In a televised speech announcing the invasion, Putin called the Ukrainian government “neo-nazis” and accused them of waging genocide against Russian minorities within their borders. Western news outlets have continuously debunked Putin’s false claims of genocide. “They did not leave us any other option for defending Russia and our people, other than the one we are forced to use today,” Putin claimed. “In these circumstances, we have to take bold and immediate action.” The real motive behind Russia’s invasion, says UW-Madison Political Science Professor Jon Pevehouse, had more to do with geopolitics. He explained that Russia is concerned about Eastern European defense strategy, especially since Ukraine expressed interest in joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Established in the aftermath o f World War II, NATO is an intergovernmental military defense alliance among t h e U . S . , C a n ad a and 28

European countries. “Historically, Russia has always wanted a buffer between itself and Europe. Whether it was Hitler going in with Operation Barbarossa or WWI encroaching on its borders, Russia has always felt a little bit under siege,” Pevehouse said. However, Herrera claimed Putin has used this excuse to justify conquest throughout his 22-year reign. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Putin led a violent military campaign in Chechnya, a separatist region near Russia’s southern border. Death toll estimates from the conflict range from 25,000 to 100,000. “They just bombed the place to smithereens,” Herrera said. Putin executed similar strategies in bordering Georgia and Crimea in 2008 and 2014, respectively, capitalizing on U.S. preoccupation in the Middle East. While these wars were also planned as Russian security operations, Hererra believes Putin’s recent assault on Ukraine suggests his goal is more about projecting power than ensuring peace. “Putin could have, ten days ago, ended this without this escalation,” Hererra said. “He could have said, ‘Ok, I wanted everybody to take us seriously, I wanted NATO to not expand, and everybody to know we’re extremely mad about this in Russia.’ But the invasion shows it wasn’t really about NATO expansion.” “Resilience and resistance” from Ukrainians Though Putin expected a quick victory, Ukrainian forces have mounted a staunch defense against the Russian military thus far. Ukrainian citizens at home and abroad are signing up for combat, building barricades and sabotaging Russian w a r

efforts. Their inspiration comes from Ukrainian P r e s i de nt Vo l o dy my r Zelenskyy, who famously replied, “I need ammunition, not a ride,” when the U.S. offered to evacuate him from the battlefield. Pylypiv says that almost every Ukrainian she knows is helping with the war effort, including things as simple as giving blood for soldiers. Some citizens are even fighting Russian soldiers with their bare hands. “People here are very brave and united,” Pylypiv said. “They wanted us to panic, but they only made us stronger. It’s a historical moment of our nation when we have a chance to show the real side of who we are.” She also said young people are joining the Ukrainian “IT Army,” a decentralized band of young citizens carrying out cyberattacks on Russian targets. The “IT Army” scored its largest victory last Monday when they successfully crashed the Moscow Stock Exchange and Russia’s largest lending bank, Sberbank. Citizens have also created an ingenious test to weed out Russian assailants. Pylypiv explained they uncover enemy soldiers by telling them to repeat “palyanitsa,” a hard-to-pronounce Ukrainian word. ”[The Russians] all fail,” she said. To counter local resistance, Putin has asked Ukrainians to lay down their arms. Pylypiv said that Putin must be absurd to think anyone would do that. “They invaded our territory and beg us to give them petrol, food, money,” Pylypiv said. “What are they thinking? That we will be helping them to destroy our house?!” In actuality, many Russian troops have laid down their arms or purposefully sabotaged their equipment to slow the invasion. Pevehouse says the morale gap between Russians and Ukrainians, when combined with international condemnation, is the explanation behind Ukraine’s underdog story. “I think he boldly went in militarily, thinking that Ukraine would fold quickly,” Pevehouse said. “Instead what you’ve seen is that Ukraine has been far more resistant than he’s expected, and the international community has taken more serious measures than he expected.”

opinion Tensions between COVID-19 and civil liberties dailycardinal.com

By Bea Millan-Windorski STAFF WRITER

From the confines of the University of WisconsinMadison, we often think of debates over COVID-19 restrictions through the lens of mask mandates in class and vaccination card requirements for events and venues. While there are active debates surrounding the balance between restrictions that ensure community safety and the promotion of civil liberties, these discussions take an additional sense of urgency in developing countries. After visiting family in the Philippines, I saw firsthand the negative impacts authoritarian governments have when addressing COVID-19. The current government’s approach in this island nation has been marred by the suppression of civil liberties in the name of pandemic response and an anemic economic recovery plan that leaves the most vulnerable populations of the country behind. At the start of the pandemic in early April 2020, presidential strongman of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, gave military officials the order to “shoot to kill” individuals found in violation of the government-mandated quarantine. This order culminated in a shocking standoff where residents in the San Roque barangay of Quezon City were violently dispersed after gathering to protest the disappointing government response to economic difficulties. The Duterte regime continues to use COVID-19 restrictions as

Thursday, March 3, 2022

a means to entrench power and corruption. His government is notorious for extrajudicial killings of dissidents under the guise of a war against drug use. Under his leadership, the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of the Philippines plummeted to 33 on a scale of 0 (very corrupt) to 100 (very clean). The 2021 Transparency International’s report on CPI states, “While doing little to combat the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the population, governments have utilised it to further curb rights and freedoms, further entrenching authoritarianism.” With the emergence of new variants, the potential of the pandemic stretching into a third year is becoming more of a reality. This is particularly worrying to the Philippines as they move into a presidential election cycle in April. Propelled by a misinformation campaign on social media, the current favorite to win the top spot in the country is Bongbong Marcos Jr. He is the son of Ferdinand Marcos, a dictator who is most famous for his 20-year reign that is synonymous with martial law, corruption and repression. Two years into the pandemic, key economic issues have yet to be resolved. Quarantines are shown to effectively curb the spread of COVID-19, an approach that is paramount to the Philippines where the disease is currently the third main cause of death, and vaccines are

available in limited quantities. However, in a country heavily dependent on tourism, harsh travel restrictions have significantly eroded the economy. This depression is marked by a 9.5% contraction in GDP, the largest dip since WWII. On a micro level,

munities, such as the Igorot and Ifugao populations. These ethnic minorities are dependent on selling their palay (unmilled rice) and other produce in palengkes (public markets). Many are currently cut off from their livelihoods because

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

specific communities across the country are also in crisis. In an interview with Dr. Pepito Balgos, the mayor of Bambang, he discussed the economic struggles his rapidly growing city is facing amid the pandemic. Bambang is in the northern mountainous region of the Philippines and is heavily dependent on rice agriculture. Balgos explained how COVID-19 restrictions particularly impact indigenous com-

their animist religions oppose vaccinations and to enter pelengkes, individuals must present proof of immunization. The lack of economic relief from the federal and local governments leaves these local populations in financial limbo. While it is incredibly important to understand the need for restrictions to keep our communities safe, it is equally important to recognize how authoritarian gov-

ernments in developing countries like the Philippines can utilize mandates to exploit their citizens. It is natural for a population to express discontent when a government fails to outline a concrete plan for economic relief and recovery. As the Philippines potentially enters another six years of repression under another authoritarian government, the global community must hold Duterte and Marcos Jr. accountable for continued human rights violations. As members of the international community, we can support the Filipino people by staying informed, donating to watchdog organizations like Amnesty International, and doing our best to fight the pandemic domestically in order to curb the more extreme impacts the virus has abroad on developing countries.

Bea Millan-Windorski is a sophomore studying History, International Studies, and Filipino (Tagalog) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As a second generation Filipino-American, she is particularly interested in Southeast Asian studies. Do you agree current COVID-19 mandates in the Philippines infringe civilian liberties in the nation? Send all comments to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.

Technocracy at work: The risk for democracy in Italy By Giacomo Campagnola STAFF WRITER

The beginning of February signified a turning point in Italian political affairs, as 2022 began with a serious rise of political tensions within the country. The elections for the President of the Italian Republic have never drawn much attention. Unlike in the American government, the head of the state acts more as a nonpartisan defender of democratic institutions, having almost no executive power but a say in the constitutions of the government. This month marked an exception. The reason for this is simple — one of the shortlisted names to assume this position was Mario Draghi, the current Prime Minister. This led to the question: Who would replace him as the head of the executive? Draghi is already a well-known figure in the international political scene, having served as the President of the European Central Bank until 2019. Last year, he was appointed leader of the national unity government following the resignation of its predecessor Giuseppe Conte. He, along with his ministers, have been successfully leading the country since, working on a number of crucial reforms for the modernization of the country — from public administration to bureaucracy and the fiscal system. As a testimony to the success of the current executive, The Economist awarded Italy with the title of Country of the Year. This recognition was mainly because of their accomplishments in containing the pan-

demic and restoring credibility in the possibility to achieve a sustainable growth in productivity, something which escaped the country since the late 1990s. Results indicate industrial production in the last year has been growing more than in the rest of Europe — 4.7% Italian growth against 4.4% growth for the eurozone — as forecasted by Standard and Poor reports. Additionally, the spread rates to German Bunds have been among the lowest in the last decade, showing the confidence that international investors place on the country’s leadership. The vacancy left from the departure of Draghi would have spurred a governmental crisis, requiring new elections in an extremely delicate period of the pandemic. Moreover, it would have reopened the conflict between political forces in a time of relative harmony and cooperation. The situation was ultimately resolved, perhaps anticlimactically, with the reelection of the former President Sergio Mattarella. While everything is de-facto unchanged, this averted catastrophe still creates a lesson for us observers, and can perhaps teach us something about the unresolved contradictions that curse the third biggest economy of Europe. While the Prime Minister’s achievements are undeniably impressive, his election still casts a shadow on democracy as a whole. Being never explicitly affiliated with any political party, Draghi is the fourth technocrat to rule Italy since 1993. It is often argued that periods of crisis like the

current one call for the presence of competent politicians — politicians who can see beyond political divisions and ideologies and pursue forward-looking, although often unpopular, reforms and policies. For example, in the midst of the Sovereign debt crisis that hit Europe in 2010-11, Mario Monti, who served in the European Commission after studying Economics at Yale, led the country out of inevitable bankruptcy. As aforementioned, Draghi has a similar, if not more impressive, academic and professional record. After a Ph.D. in Economics at MIT, he worked for Goldman Sachs, the World Bank and the Italian Central Bank, all before landing at the ECB in 2011. Is it possible that the reliance on competent yet unelected political figures paves the way for a weakening of democracy and its core values? Both a pinch of common sense and ample empirical proof by political science research can tell us that competence, especially for the head of governments, is a desirable feature. However, we must not underestimate the distortions of politics and representative democracy in particular. If competence is so desirable, why can completely inexperienced politicians become president of the United States? And conversely, how is it that during a life-threatening pandemic electors worldwide have trouble believing scientists and pharmaceutical companies who have devoted time and resources to devising the best ways to defend ourselves? Why is the general public so skeptical of technocrats?

PHOTO COURTESY OF EUROPEAN PARLIMENT

Unfortunately, no clear cut answer exists to this puzzling question. Still, we can put forward some hypotheses. Technocratic governments where there is no formal election — and therefore, no accountability to voters — take away from the core values of democracy. At least that is the message often put forward by scared electors. Even if the policy proposals of elected politicians are inferior to those of competent but non-political representatives, some may prefer to choose and err themselves, as at least this gives them a sense of control over their destiny. Even more so, the executive branches of many governments (Draghi is no exception) tend to use non-conventional ways of passing laws in a more timely manner to cope with emergencies like the pandemic. However, this effectively takes away any control that the Parliament,

the only organ directly elected by the people, has on policy-making. Especially when these decisions are costly, as in the case of lockdowns and other (sometimes) arbitrary restrictions to some commercial activities, hearing these come from the mouths of unelected despots undermines the legitimacy of these containment measures. When these tools are abused, electors fear that the emergency state is being used to establish an autocratic regime. Continue reading online at dailycardinal.com

Giacomo A. Campagnola is a second-year Master student studying Economic and Social Sciences. Do you agree Italy’s near political upheaval points to the need to reevaluate unelected government officials? Send all comments to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.

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Thursday, March 3, 2022

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Packed Kohl Center, Hepburn game-winner lead Wisconsin to thrilling victory By Justin Alpert SPORTS EDITOR

ARTURO PARDAVILLA III/Wikimedia

Commissioner Rob Manfred: The face of MLB's current crisis

A letter to Major League Baseball By Justin Alpert SPORTS EDITOR

Commissioner Manfred and the 30 owners, MLB’s Opening Day has always been a milestone event in a year’s progression. Temperatures are rising, snow is melting and school’s end is entering view on the horizon. Most importantly, though: Baseball will be on with little rest for the next six months. Opening Day will, barring further disaster, still occur in 2022. Thanks to the continued lockout of players, it will not occur as scheduled. Tuesday, after a night and day of promisingly accelerating negotiations with the MLBPA, you officially canceled the first two series of the season. Media insiders’ Twitter flurries extended deep into Monday night. After months of idleness, you and the players began meeting to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement. This CBA dictates several economic aspects of MLB including minimum player salaries, luxury tax thresholds and postseason structure. Massive divides between what you want and what the players’ union wants had reportedly been narrowed, but not enough to end the lockout and make an on-time Opening Day possible. Very basically, you are raking in boatloads of money and the players feel they deserve a bigger share. Consistent with labor disputes in any industry, both sides have their supporters. It makes sense why you—30 obscenely wealthy owners for whom Rob Manfred speaks— have shown little urgency to reach an agreement with the players. Whether the season includes 100 games or 162, your 2022 profits will remain huge. Big-market owners, the Yankees’ Hal Steinbrenner for example, value their current power and long-term earnings over any short-term financial implications. Small-market owners like Miami’s Bruce Sherman, on the other hand, struggle to fill seats even during the summer and surely don’t mind surrendering afternoon home games in April. Steinbrenner and Sherman, you are equally guilty.

Manfred, although you essentially represent these men, you are hardly free from blame. Your interest in improving baseball is rightfully questioned by players and fans alike. Your recent comments have included an objectification of World Series championships and a suggestion that owning an MLB franchise is not a surefire source of profit, but rather a financial gamble. The ultimate slap in the face came Tuesday, when you took the podium minutes after the deadline passed and Opening Day was officially delayed. You didn’t say anything particularly surprising, but you flashed an ear-to-ear grin, as if to suggest a victory for you and the league. Fans nationwide, meanwhile, desperate to see their teams on the field, could only watch in fury. Make no mistake, Manfred and the owners: This is not a victory for you. MLB, notoriously inept at marketing its modern stars, is locking out the likes of Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and dozens of other standout performers currently in their primes. Generational talents of Clayton Kershaw’s caliber, nearing the end of their storied careers, remain unemployed. Inexperienced prospects on 40-man rosters, the stars of tomorrow, will inevitably suffer from this period of inaction. Those who follow professional baseball, be it a hometown team or the league as a whole, have every right to be angry. In Atlanta, fans are eager to flock to Truist Park and continue celebrating their World Series title. Likewise, Mets diehards cannot wait to fill Citi Field’s seats and witness the return of Jacob DeGrom. Then, a night later, they want to see Max Scherzer’s ferocious snarl in friendly colors for the first time. So, your immediate reaction may be one of victory, one expressed with a beaming smile. That’s valid when considering 2022, but a long-term outlook hints at the further and possibly irreversible degradation of America’s interest in professional baseball. Or, put in terms you can understand, money loss. Frustratedly, Baseball fans

The 10th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers secured the regular season Big Ten championship with a 70-67 victory over the eighthranked Purdue Boilermakers on Tuesday. Few games in recent memory have lit up the Kohl Center like Tuesday’s. A crowd of 17,287, most of whom followed the whiteout dress code, began encircling the arena over two hours early and poured inside well before tipoff. They proceeded onto the court, as well, not seconds after the final buzzer. Anticipation for the critical late-season matchup didn’t appear to suffer much despite Purdue’s Saturday loss to Michigan State, which dropped them from their fourth-ranked position and put Wisconsin in the driver’s seat in the conference standings. Thus, the Kohl Center was unwaveringly loud. In a rematch of the January 3 game, a 74-69 Wisconsin win, the two teams battled it to the last second of clock. The Badgers took a 33-28 lead into halftime despite minimal contributions from leading scorers Johnny Davis and Brad Davison, who combined for a mere six points (and one made field goal) in the opening 20. Jahcobi Neath, in his second game back from a one-game suspension, hit a go-ahead threepointer with 4:28 remaining and the Badgers maintained that lead going into the break. Things remained close until a few minutes into the second half, when baskets on three consecutive Wisconsin possessions, including three-pointers by Chucky Hepburn and Brad Davison, gave the Badgers a

45-36 advantage with 14:16 on the clock. Purdue climbed back into it with three consecutive scores by guard Jaden Ivie before 7’4” center Zach Edey tied the game 52-52. Neither team built much of a lead for the last seven-plus minutes. Then, with 11 seconds to go, Ivie hit a game-tying threepointer. The sophomore led the Boilermakers with 22 points and five assists while adding five rebounds. Along with Edey (17 points, nine rebounds), Ivie was the catalyst for Purdue’s offense. Wisconsin had one shot to avoid overtime and secure the victory. Hepburn dribbled upcourt to the left, stepped back then banked in a game-winning threepointer with a second remaining. The shot wasn’t exactly a beauty, but Hepburn didn’t seem to have much doubt about it. “I knew we were about to be Big Ten champs after I released it,” Hepburn said. Tyler Wahl stole a desperation pass and, having ended the 70-67 victory, prompted the Kohl Center faithful to surge past any feeble security efforts. Camp Randall Stadium’s crowd stormed the field after a win over Iowa this past fall, but Tuesday’s victory felt far more deserving of such a mob. Wahl led Wisconsin scorers with 19 points and also tallied five steals. Though the junior forward has averaged only 11.5 points per game this season, he excelled on the biggest stage yet. Johnny Davis, despite a frustrating first half against an impressive Purdue defense, finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and an assist. Regardless of individual production, Davis’ skill and demand for attention make

him immensely valuable when he’s on the court. Hepburn, the man of the hour, added 17 points and a pair of assists. Not long into his college career, the freshman may have etched himself into Wisconsin basketball lore. Of course, to what extent Tuesday’s game-winner is remembered partially depends on how the Badgers fare in postseason play. Wisconsin plays Nebraska in what’s little more than an exhibition game Sunday before entering the Big Ten Tournament, which begins March 9, as the top seed. Then, assuming at least a decent performance in the tournament, the Badgers will earn a high seed in the NCAA Tournament. There, contrary to any and all preseason expectations, Wisconsin will have a legitimate shot at a national championship. March Madness is appropriately named, and every round can present unforeseen challenges no matter the seed, but these Badgers are undoubtedly wellequipped for a deep run. Wisconsin fans, whose emphatic support for this team was apparent as ever in the Kohl Center on Tuesday, figure to travel well this spring. Athletic Director Chris McIntosh spoke on-court during the postgame celebration and echoed the general love surrounding coach Greg Gard’s current squad. “Tonight, I know three things,” McIntosh said. “The first, we’ve got the best damn fans in the league. Our student section tonight was out of this world. Two, we’ve got the best damn coaches in the league. Coach of the Year. C’mon! And I know one thing. We’ve got the best damn team in the league.”

SHANE FRUCHTERMAN/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Hepburn and the Badgers celebrate their last-second victory

almanac Report: Putin ordered Ukrainian attack to prove manliness dailycardinal.com

Thursday, March 3, 2022

By Mackenzie Moore ALMANAC EDITOR

The world was distraught on Feb. 24 after Russia invaded Ukraine. Given Putin’s unquenchable desire to have the world see him as a big boy, it’s not a surprise that former Soviet Union territory is the target of the unprovoked attacks. While Putin appears to have a threat-making tic, some thought it would take special circumstances for Russia’s president/ dictator/captor to actually follow through. A tip was sent to The Daily Cardinal suggesting that such a circumstance was met. The evening before the attack, Putin was seen for the first time without a stick up his ass. According to the anonymous source, the former KGB member was found sitting in his office with his feet up on his desk, sipping a

Cosmo and listening to Madonna’s 1984 Like a Virgin album. Further, close analysis of security footage has shown that Putin was mouthing the words to “Material Girl” while moving his pinky finger — the one on the same hand holding the martini glass — to the rhythm. However, the gnome with nukes swiftly went from closed eyes and a cheerful smile to desperate cries and stomach bile when he realized that he’d left the door unlocked and looked over to see one of his subordinates at the door, who elected to scurry away after making eye contact. As someone with the reputation of being the kind of individual who rides a horse without a shirt like John Wayne with a Napoleon complex, Putin was immediately horrified. Given that cosmos are considered a

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girly drink andMadonna is a gay icon, Russia’s Karate Kid was nauseated by the thought that both his masculinity and sexuality would now be called into question. Putin quickly concluded that nothing says “dominance” like invading an innocent country that takes pride in its sunflowers and arresting Russia’s own children when they hold up a piece of paper asking for Putin to

Elden Ring review CONTRIBUTOR

By Angela Glowacki CONTRIBUTOR

COUTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

slinging. Not to mention how both major iterations of SpiderMan, Peter Parker and Miles Morales are known for their quips and wise cracks. In all my hours of playing Elden Ring, never did my character crack wise. Not once was a successful dodge roll followed up by a lighthearted “Swing and a miss!” My character never let out a “Yeesh, bad hair day!” upon seeing an undead skeleton king with embarrassingly bad hair. This is a disappointment to say the least. On top of that, and I don’t mean to be hurtful, but it seems like not a single person at FromSoftware has even seen a picture of New York City. There was

damaged, as Putin simply can’t bare the idea of Hitler being more feared than him. Ukraine’s impressive resistance has made for a more difficult than expected start for Russia and its troops. As refugees are forced to separate from their families and homes are destroyed, the world can only hope that No Gluten Putin ends his power trip soon — hopefully before the rest of Russia’s soldiers realize that they’re at war and not being welcomed for training. In any case, it’s more likely that the rest of Russia’s troops abandon their posts and surrender than it is that Ukraine and its citizens will sit there and take it while Putin sits in his office doing 5 lb bicep curls as his own people call for him to end the war.

Exploring the totally legit ways people are informed via social media

By Jeffrey Brown Like many gamers over the past week, I have been playing Elden Ring, the new title from developer FromSoftware in the Dark Souls genre. While I have enjoyed much of my experience exploring the vast world and challenging the diverse array of enemies, I can’t help but feel disappointed. Other reviewers have called it a masterpiece and, while I respect their opinion, I find it tough to agree whole-heartedly. Don’t get me wrong — the combat is fantastic and the world is incredible. It is an amazing game in so many ways, but, at the end of the day, Elden Ring did not make me feel like Spider-Man. Like Dark Souls and Demon Souls before it, combat in Elden Ring revolves largely around learning how to time and aim the iconic dodge roll. Success hinges on the player’s ability to learn the tells of bosses and avoid massive blows. Dynamic and ingenious, the dodge roll is a rightfully beloved mechanic. Unfortunately, this falls short of feeling like SpiderMan. Sure, Spider-Man does dodge roll, but it is not near enough movement on its own to make me feel like Spider-Man. Where are the backflips? Where is the wall climbing? Where is the web-slinging? I just don’t find it believable that this character was bitten by a radioactive spider. Quite frankly, I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel like Spider-Man without web-

stop the war and use his words. As one would expect, the rationalization for the aggression was that it was necessary for Russia and its 4,477 active nuclear warheads to feel “safe.” On March 2, Russia escalated the attacks, bombing civilians, a hospital and a broadcasting tower in the nation’s capital of Kyiv, cutting off radio and television communications. A Holocaust memorial was also

a point where I thought I saw the Chrysler Building, but that was just another spire of what appeared to be a castle. Last I checked, there are no castles in New York City. Maybe I’m missing something because no other review I’ve seen has noticed these immense oversights. With how consistently it falls short, I can’t help but think the developers of Elden Ring weren’t even trying to make me feel like SpiderMan. This is why, despite being an amazingly fun and well-crafted gaming experience, I can’t in good conscience recommend Elden Ring to anyone. Rating: 4/5

As we move deeper and deeper into the digital age, the lines between mainstream media and news are becoming increasingly blurred. Now more than ever, young adults are given incredible access to information about current events. Interested in seeing how young adults engage with news and media, I took to the streets to gather information. “I would say if it takes more than 280 characters to explain it, it’s probably not that important,” one sophomore reasoned. “I consider myself to be pretty well informed,” a freshman claimed. “Every morning, I start my day by reading the most recent posts on Yik Yak, then I scroll on TikTok. Sometimes I watch the first 30 seconds of The Washington Post’s videos.” “GlueSniffer3000 on r/newstoday wrote this post explaining why President Biden is actually an alien based on his Chinese takeout order. It got like 20 awards and a bunch of upvotes, so I think it’s fair to say they’re pretty reliable,” an avid Reddit

user shared. These answers, although not surprising, prompted me to ask one student about how they used their feed to help them come to their own conclusions. Expecting them to tell me about all the ways they fact check what they hear by seeking out other news platforms or, at the very least, venturing further than their uncle’s Facebook page, I was instead answered with a long pause.

“At this point, I’m not sure if any of my opinions are my actual thoughts or something I read somewhere,” they finally said, but they did assure me that they’ve truly never felt more informed about events going on in the world. However, after asking about their thoughts on Putin and the events happening between Ukraine and Russia, I was met only with a quizzical stare — “What’s a Putin?”

COURTESY OF JESO.CARENEIRO VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

We're always looking for more funny and insightful writers with fresh takes on topics ranging from the UW campus to international news. We accept and encourage creative submissions as well! Any and all submissions are more than welcome. You can send your submissions and any comments or questions to almanac@dailycardinal.com. All articles featured in Almanac are creative, satirical and/or entirely fictional pieces. They are fully intended as such and should not be taken seriously as news.

arts The DEIB Festival: Interview with the President, Secretary of MTNA l

Thursday, March 3, 2022

By Maddie Urlaub STAFF WRITER

In lieu of a year full of much-needed movements, protests and advocacy for systematically marginalized people, the University of WisconsinMadison Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) is putting on a DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging) Festival. This is a new festival for the Mead Witter School of Music and hopefully will not be the last of its kind. Music studied at the UW-Madison Mead Witter School of Music is predominantly white. Required music history and theory courses for music majors only cover western music. Though elective courses can be taken in more diverse studies, it is not required. Secretary of MTNA, James Osorio, states the purpose of the DEIB Festival is to “elevate composers who are underrepresented, marginalized and living.” This elevation is done through the festival’s performances with musicians, poets, dancers and many more artists. These students involved in the festival will bring a platform of collaborative works by diverse marginalized artists to hoist their voices. James

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continues that the DEIB Festival will “introduce a diverse array of equally strong and important composers who are not part of the ‘canon’ [Western classical music].”

“Although the global classical music community has been somewhat better at acknowledging the work of many contemporary non-western composers, they are still not suffi-

PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

The DEIB Festival hosted by MTNA directly affects the students of UW-Madison by promoting the visibility of marginalized communities. This festival will project a stage to voice beliefs/concerns while providing a source of inspiration. President Lina Lee mentions,

ciently introduced, least performed, studied or properly interpreted.” Lina continues to explain that the majority of musicians here at UW-Madison, including ones performing for the festival, have only been trained in classical western music. Classical Western

music includes pieces by Western European and North American composers. According to Lina, the DEIB Festival will feature “repertoire outside of the Western canon can be something beyond [the performers] comfort zone.” wwThis festival will inspire and continue to inspire marginalized students of UW-Madison across contrasting majors of study. James states, “there is a beauty in connecting students from different fields together and finding a way to converse their own respective crafts with each other.” This connection across vastly different majors is not something seen often or easily done. The future, in regards to the DEIB Festival, seems bright. When asked if we will see this festival again in the future, James states, “We are definitely working towards that.” A repeating festival like this one would mean the continuous representation of marginalized artists by the students and faculty of UW-Madison. It has all the potential to become the most exciting Mead Witter School of Music event of the year. As Lina explains in regards to the future of this festival, “I hope that this festival brings an opportunity for every-

one to spread this spirit outside the school of music as well in awareness of underrepresented and systemically excluded groups.” The future of marginalized artists consists of initiatives much like the DEIB Festival hosts and the artists performing for it. Secretary James expresses the importance of initiative and emphasizes, “I think what lacks right now is initiative and initiative is what we need more than ever.” This initiative goes for the artists performing in the festival and the surrounding UW-Madison faculty/students’ support. Lina followed James’ comment, stating “People can promote more art by marginalized communities by performing more of those works themselves through their own initiative.” Making this festival possible requires initiative from the students and faculty of UW-Madison. As the hosts of the DEIB Festival have explained, initiation is the future of marginalized artists. How people initiate and involve their support will directly affect these systematically marginalized communities. The DEIB festival dates are Feb. 21, 23, 24, 26 and March 1 and 4. Tickets are free for faculty and students.

Still Woozy sells out the Sylvee By Hannah Ritvo STAFF WRITER

Still Woozy released their first full-length album If This Isn’t Nice, I Don’t Know What Is in August, and are now in the midst of a seven-month-long tour around the world. They stopped in at The Sylvee on Friday night and performed a sixteen-song set for an extremely dedicated crowd. The Sylvee was sold out — a large feat — and it was clear that the crowd was full of diehard fans as soon as lead singer Sven Gamsky began his first song of the night, “Window.” The crowd knew every word, and matched Sven’s fantastic energy perfectly all night long. Still Woozy brought along indie singer Wallice to open for them. Wallice is a 23-year-old indie pop singer from Los Angeles, and her melodic songs capture the coming-of-age every young 20 year-old experiences perfectly. She sang her hit singles “Punching Bag,” “23,” and “Off the Rails,” all of which touch upon the struggles of being an adult and slowly growing up. The crowd talked over Wallice for her first few songs, but as the night progressed people began to listen more. I’ve always loved Wallice, and I definitely believe she deserved more respect than the crowd granted her. The audience did quiet down when she covered “Heart Shaped Box” by Nirvana, which was a great choice by her. It was a fun opportunity for members of the crowd who weren’t familiar with her music to sing along with the opener. Wallice finished up, and the audience eagerly awaited the entrance of Still Woozy. When Still Woozy came on, the crowd went wild. Lead singer Sven Gamsky had an incredible stage presence, running all around the stage all night long. I have no idea how he was able to dance while also singing perfectly, but it was amazing to watch. Guitar player Tani Legwurk matched Sven’s energy perfectly, following in his footsteps and frolicking across the stage all night. They had incredible energy and the crowd definitely ate it up. The audience’s energy was definitely top tier, and concertgoers danced along all night to Still Woozy’s fun beats. Every song was a perfectly crafted masterpiece; Sven’s voice mixed with the fun, loud beats he chooses create unforgettable songs. While doing some research, I found out that Sven writes and produces his music in his garage, which he has been doing since the age of 13. If you’ve ever listened to a recorded Still Woozy song, you’ll understand how insane that is. These energetic songs created a super fun atmosphere for concertgoers, and gave the crowd an opportunity to dance and sway along with Sven and his bandmates. If you haven’t checked out Still Woozy, you definitely should!

PHOTO BY HANNAH RITVO/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Still Woozy lead singer Sven Gamsky brought the energy all night.