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Maddie Schwartz

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UW Board of Regents to decide on five percent tuition increase at April meeting

By Allie Waino STAFF WRITER

University of Wisconsin

System President Jay Rothman told the State Assembly’s universities committee last week that he will be asking the Board of Regents for a five percent in-state tuition increase at its April meeting.

If approved by the board, this will be the first time in a decade the tuition for in-state undergraduate students has changed. In 2013, undergraduate in-state tuition was frozen by Republican lawmakers and continually reapproved until 2021, when the Republican majority budget committee voted to lift the freeze.

Tony Evers and the university were in support of extending the tuition freeze for another two years.

Tuition for Wisconsin undergraduate students currently ranges from $4,750 annually at the system’s twoyear schools to $10,722 per semester at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. These costs do not include housing expenses, dining plans, required class materials and additional student fees.

“I think that five percent is a big increase, especially for people like me, a student who

is paying a majority of their tuition,” UW-Madison freshman Kylie Haakinson explained. “I chose this school because it was slightly cheaper than the University of Minnesota — these are the things I’m looking at as a student.”

Rothman said at an informational hearing he does not want students to choose a different university system due to affordability issues. However, he explained the proposed tuition increase is due to rising inflation within the system.

The system previously relied on pandemic relief funds to cover costs. Now, Rothman notes that financial uncertainty looms for late 2023 as inflation hurts the system’s spending power.

“My initial reaction [to the increase] was stress,” UW-Madison freshman Jill Diamond said. “I am a triplet, meaning I have two other sisters my same age. Sending three children to college at once is bound to be stressful on any person or parent, especially in America where college is costly. UW-Madison’s in-state tuition of $10,000 is not only affordable but insanely helpful in my case.”

An affordability review from the summer of 2022

deemed the UW System the most affordable public higher education system in the Midwest, according to Rothman. However, he noted that while it will remain the most affordable, “We also must keep talent here and invest in the people and programs that help students succeed.”

This sentiment contrasts what students like Diamond are expecting from the university system at its current level of funding.

“I wanted an outstanding education and that is why I chose [UW-Madison],” Diamond said. “I can get a great education without sacrificing my parents’ retirement money or dipping into student loans.”

Diamond’s siblings do not all attend college in the state — she currently attends the most affordable school among her siblings. Diamond said increasing her tuition would increase financial stress for both herself and her family.

Rothman said the university is “increasingly tuitiondependent, [and] a decadelong tuition freeze is not sustainable to make the investments students deserve and parents expect.” He believes necessary improvements can be made through a combination of receiving more revenue and additional calculated expenditure, which involves sharing resources with fellow UW schools.

Rothman also explained how, although UW-Madison is the most affordable flagship university in the Midwest, it is not affordable for applicants of lower socioeconomic means.

“The percentage of students

coming from lower socioeconomic means 10 years ago — that percentage has declined today,” Rothman said at an informational hearing. “We may be affordable in relative terms, but we are not affordable to everyone.”

Unaffordability has become a common trend in Madison. The city faces a booming housing crisis, where students and local residents lack affordable housing options in an ultra competitive market.

This is further complicated by the university enrolling its largest freshman class ever recorded for the fall of 2022.

If Rothman’s five percent increase is implemented, UW-Madison students will face increased tuition, increases in housing prices and rising prices on goods like groceries. This proposal comes amid country-wide inflation and signs of a potential recession. It’s predicted there will be an additional 7.9% increase on all food prices in 2023 as well.

The price of inflated goods are not taken into consideration by federal aid programs like FAFSA.

“It’s even hard now to get the correct amount of financial aid,” Haakinson said. “Who knows if you could receive the financial aid that you’re in need of [with the tuition increase].”

BRYCE RICHTER/UW-MADISON

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UW Housing plans renovation of Kronshage, Humphrey, Jorns

By Noe Goldhaber STAFF WRITER

The University of WisconsinMadison’s Division of Housing plans to update Kronshage, Humphrey and Jorns residence halls, home to approximately 780 residents. According to the Wisconsin capital budget, the renovation will include bathroom updates, a new heating and cooling system in common spaces, updated fire and smoke detection and elevator construction to increase the number of accessible dorms in Kronshage to over half.

The renovations will total approximately $80 million and also include plans for a connector bridge between Jorns and Humphrey halls. UW Housing will collaborate with the Wisconsin Historical Society since each of the dorms qualifies for the National Register of Historic Places due to their original construction date, according to the state capital budget.

“These are historic buildings, and we want to preserve and update them so that they can continue providing a good home to thousands of future Badgers for many decades to come,” said Brendon Dybdahl, director of marketing for UW Housing, in an email. “This work will make the buildings more accessible, e cient, safe and comfortable for residents.”

For some current Kronshage residents, like Savanna Rostad, hearing about the plans for renovations and facilities upgrades was exciting given current facility conditions. The renovations include updates to bathrooms and the water heating system in Kronshage.

“On my floor there is only one shower that has warm water, so we all have to take turns using that shower,” said Rostad.

Rostad also noted that despite the lack of warm water, she enjoys some of the older historical features that the building offers.

“I actually enjoy the crusty

One of many updates to Kronshage, Humphrey and Jorns residence halls includes increased elevator access. It will be added to the Gilman, Mack and Chamberlin Houses in Kronshage, mak-

to a dorm with a ramp and elevator is not just a convenience, but a necessity.

“I’m a student with a mobility related disability that requires that I use a cane most days if not everyday. There are some days that I would not be able to get out of an apartment with a walk upstairs,” Lockwood said. “While it’s not o cially registered as a housing accommodation, being in a building with a ramp and an elevator has allowed me to exist at this university.”

While Lockwood celebrated UW Housing’s decision to build more elevators, he noted it’s only the start to making campus infrastructure more accessible.

“For elevators, I would like to applaud UW for doing the bare minimum,” said Lockwood. “I see there’s a lot UW Housing is doing to make the dorms accessible. But, I want to note that that’s only for individuals who come into the school year knowing that they have a disability and knowing how to accommodate it in a communal living setting.”

oldness and the historical charm of Kronshage,” Rostad said. “I am such a fan of the old beautiful wooden dresses, shelves and closets.”

Rostad shared concerns about price increases of dorms post construction as well as the potential disruption caused by construction. Dybdahl indicated the renovations will not directly increase the cost to live in Kronshage, and construction related disruptions will be minimized.

Planned building updates spark conversation on accessibility on campus

ing more than half of Kronshage dorms “ADA accessible” — a goal set by UW Housing.

“When we’re thinking about campus infrastructure, which is very much the bare minimum of accessibility on a campus, we have all these infrastructure problems, and we don’t have a great way of working around them,” said Emmett Lockwood, a university house fellow and former resident of Phillips Residence Hall.

Lockwood has several physical disabilities that impact his accessibility and use of campus resources. For Lockwood, access

Lockwood also noted that since dorms can be the most or only feasible living option for disabled students due to scholarship availability and Social Security Disability income, UW Housing has a greater responsibility of providing access to accessible dorms for disabled students all four years.

“I think there is way more we need to do [to ease access of housing for disabled students],” said Lockwood. “When we think about the expectation that second, third and fourth year students live off campus and what that has led to, especially in a housing crisis, that means that for many students UW Housing is the most accessible of the inaccessible options.”

Granato gets the axe: Wisconsin to replace men’s ice hockey coach

By Donnie Slusher

Tony Granato is out as the Wisconsin men’s ice hockey head coach, according to the university’s athletics department.

“Coach Granato is a great Badger and no one is more passionate about Wisconsin hockey or the University of Wisconsin than he is,” Athletic Director Chris McIntosh said in the release. “I have great appreciation for the heart and soul that he has poured into the program during his time as head coach.”

The decision was made following two losses over the weekend against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals.

The Badgers are coming off of a 13-230 (6-18 Big Ten) season in which they ranked dead last in the Big Ten. This came directly after the 2021-22 season in which Wisconsin finished 10-24-3 (6-17-1).

Over Granato’s seven seasons, Wisconsin went 105-129-16 overall and 65-87-12 in Big Ten play.

“I believe our men’s hockey program can consistently compete at a championship level,” McIntosh added in the department’s announcement. “My intention is to find a coach that will lead the e ort to get us there.”

The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee was hired in 2016 as Wisconsin’s mere sixth

coach since 1966.

Coaching changes are at the forefront of Wisconsin sports this year, as in only his second year on the job, McIntosh fired Wisconsin football head coach Paul Chryst in October following a disappointing 34-10 loss to Illinois. Defensive Coordinator Jim Leonhard served as interim head coach before the hiring of Luke Fickell.

“We want to thank Coach Granato for everything he’s poured into this program in the last seven seasons,” McIntosh said at a press conference.

“He’s an amazing person. He’s an incredible

Badger. He’ll always have a place here.”

“Nobody’s given more to this program than Coach Granato and his staff.”

Wisconsin will now have to find just their third coach this century, after hiring Mike Eaves in 2002 and Granato in 2016.

“We will conduct a national search, it’s a wide open blank slate to find the next leader of our program that can help us get to that level of consistency and that level of success.”

McIntosh repeatedly emphasized Wisconsin’s championship standards, as he did after firing Chryst.

“At the end of the day, this program has a history and a legacy that has the

highest expectations. And it deserves a chance at getting back to a championship level, consistently.”

JEFF MILLER/UW-MADISON

Madison school district maintenance workers push for pay increase

By Ava Menkes STAFF WRITER

In the fall of 2022, the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) issued a $5-per-hour pay increase for over 700 sta members totaling $8.5 million. Lunch workers, special education assistants, security assistants and others were included in the recent raise.

However, the budget passed on a 6-1 vote with no additional funds allocated for maintenance sta . In response, MMSD maintenance workers pushed for a $5-per-hour pay raise at the Feb. 27 school board meeting, claiming their needs have been ignored.

The Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center scheduled to open on April 24

By Natasha Hicks STAFF WRITER

The University of WisconsinMadison announced the newly constructed Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center will open on April 24 on the site of the old Natatorium.

The new center will include features such as dedicated space for wellbeing services, like a teaching kitchen and spaces dedicated to supporting mental health, a 25-yard recreational pool, eight basketball courts, an ice rink, a climbing and bouldering wall, sports stimulators, multipurpose studios, an indoor jogging track and a rooftop fitness area, according to Sarah Barnes, associate director of marketing and communications at University Recreation & Wellbeing.

While many of these features are similar to those of the Nicholas Recreation Center, the climbing and bouldering wall, 4,300 square feet dedicated to wellbeing services and rooftop fitness area, will be unique to

the Bakke.

“I’m excited for the open area on the roof. None of the other rec centers have that option,” UW-Madison freshman Laura Bush said.

Like the Nicholas Recreation Center, the Bakke will contain sports courts, group fitness classes and cardio and strength equipment. The biggest difference between the two fitness centers is location, as the Bakke is in the Lakeshore neighborhood of campus next to the Lakeshore Path and Lake Mendota.

Students who live in Lakeshore expressed excitement for the Bakke to open because of the close proximity to where they live.

“It will be nice for those living in Lakeshore to have a gym close to us that has the variety of workout options the Nick does,” UW-Madison freshman Jordan Gross said.

Bush echoed this sentiment, explaining, “I am excited for it to open; it is going to be very nice to have a quality gym in Lakeshore. However, I would have liked if we could have had it open [earlier].”

On the other hand, sophomore Aaron Lebakken is most excited for there to be “less people at the Nick.”

With the opening of the Bakke, two other RecWell facilities will close: the Shell on April 19 and the Holt Fitness Center on April 2, according to Rec Well’s latest update. Though the buildings will stay, the Shell will return to UW Athletics’ domain and the upper floor of the Frank Holt Center will return to University Housing.

While many students are excited for the Bakke, some students shared they are upset about losing the Shell as a RecWell Facility.

“I am going to miss the Shell because the Shell is grunge,” UW-Madison freshman Erik Peterson said. “I love it.”

Bush said she will also miss the Shell and Holt Fitness Center, noting they are great facilities for beginners in working out.

“Those spaces are both typically not too busy and a nice place for beginners,” Bush said. “Without these, it might be scarier for newer students to feel comfortable.”

The biggest concern expressed by some students is a loss of access to the Shell’s indoor track. Though the Bakke will have a three-lane indoor track, it will not be a full-size 200-meter track like the one at the Shell.

“I loved running on the indoor track,” freshman Caleb Ekezie said.

Lebakken echoed this sentiment — “I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that a university like us will not have a full-size indoor track. How does that make sense?”

While the Shell was designed for athletic competitions and is home to men and women’s track and field, the new facility is designed for recreational use, according to Barnes.

“The track located at Bakke is an indoor running/jogging track for recreational use only, similar to the on the fourth floor at the Nick,” Barnes explained. “The one at the Shell is a 200-meter track for athletic competition.”

Though some students expressed they will miss the Shell, they remain excited about the Bakke’s new features and proximity to the Lakeshore neighborhood.

“I’m just looking forward to having a good quality gym in Lakeshore,” Gross said.

and stock clerks across the district, according to Larson. He said the district allocates for 217 employees in those departments.

“People are starting to get burnt out, hurt, feeling under-appreciated because no matter how much time you put in, the work is not going to be done,” he said. “We’re just short too many people.”

Larson said many school board members have been reluctant to consider motions to give maintenance workers a pay increase.

“It’s almost like they’ve been advised not to bring it up,” he said. “The board won’t even discuss it.”

“I’ll be real with you — people are feeling it,” custodian Matthew Ayala said during the board meeting. “We’re there for you, we got your back and we are hoping you guys got ours.”

District spokesperson Tim LeMonds said this group represented the lowest paid groups with starting salaries about $2 per hour less than custodians.

“We provided education assistants and food service workers a $5-per-hour increase to align their starting pay to that of the starting pay of custodial sta ,” LeMonds said in an email. “The starting rate for a building custodian is now almost identical to the starting rate for educational assistant and food service units.”

Outgoing Superintendent Dr. Carlton Jenkins said the district can only a ord to give raises where they are needed most, as the district has not received enough funding from the state. LeMonds said the district is trying to assist sta within budget constraints.

“The district continues to look for ways to appropriately value our custodial sta as we continue to navigate the very significant budgetary constraints that all school districts in Wisconsin are currently facing,” LeMonds added.

In an interview with The Daily Cardinal, maintenance worker Robert Larson emphasized that he and his colleagues are not limited to the role of a custodian. Various responsibilities include snow removal, tree removal, lawn care, playground installation and handling internal deliveries for the school. Operating responsibilities include plumbing, heating and electrical work.

There are currently 195 maintenance workers, custodians, equipment operators, grounds clerks

Larson criticized the school board for wavering on the issue.

“You’re making million-dollar decisions and you have no idea what you’re voting for,” Larson emphasized.

School board member Nicki Vander Meulen said she supports the workers’ push for a pay increase.

“It’s a stagnant issue,” Vander Meulen said. “I’m seeing classrooms aren’t as clean. I’m hearing from custodians themselves.”

Vander Meulen said that if the school is unable to clear snow or ice, they are unable to operate, which results in school closures. She said she was told shortly after approving the raises for other employees the board would then focus on custodians, but “no talks have happened since that vote.”

“It’s very frustrating because these are people,” she said. “These are our workers, and we’re paying under what other places are paying. People aren’t getting what they need to get.”

Larson said he believes the school board could have provided employees a “little bit [of] a smaller raise and included us in it.”

“We’re the only group that worked all the way through the pandemic,” he said. “We were there every day.”

A maintenance crew raise would mean MMSD could compete with other districts, attract quality workers and ensure a positive impact on students, according to Meulen.

“Without a doubt, we cannot be competitive without it,” Vander Meulen noted.

Vander Meulen said the raise would allow maintenance workers to get paid more fairly for their work.

“Anytime we leave anyone out, it’s not progressive,” Vander Meulen said. “Everyone deserves to be paid for their work and be prepared to pay the living wage, and right now we’re not doing that.”

LAUREN AGUILA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

DOJ seeks TikTok communications records

By Tyler Katzenberger STATE NEWS EDITOR

Wisconsin Attorney General

Josh Kaul joined at least 46 other states Monday requesting a state court order for TikTok to comply with an investigation into its communication practices amid growing privacy and health concerns.

The multistate investigation is seeking internal communications records to evaluate whether TikTok knowingly engaged in “deceptive, unfair and unconscionable” actions that negatively impacted youth users’ mental health, according to a press release from the Wisconsin

“This is about making sure that we do the right thing for the American people.”

Department of Justice.

Kaul’s amicus brief to a state court investigating the matter alleges TikTok failed to properly preserve internal communications and allows employees

to communicate with each other using auto-deleting messages.

“Parents in Wisconsin deserve to know what leadership at TikTok knew about the dangers of their product,” Kaul said. “TikTok must provide the relevant information requested in connection with this investigation.”

The DOJ claimed the app’s personalized algorithm has contributed to rising rates of hopelessness and self-harm among teens in Monday’s press release, citing a Centers for Disease Control report from February that found suicidal thoughts among teen girls jumped 60% from 2011 to 2021.

In response to concerns, TikTok announced new digital health features for families and teens earlier this month.

Every account belonging to a user below age 18 will be automatically set to a 60-minute daily screen time limit, and new screen time control features will be added to the app’s “Family Pairing” tool in the coming weeks.

“Every teen is di erent, and so is every family,” said Cormac Keenan, TikTok’s head of trust and safety. “We want our community to feel in control of their TikTok experience.”

Multiple Wisconsin lawmakers have expressed health and security concerns regarding TikTok in recent months, including U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, who previously called the app “digital fentanyl” that collects Americans’ data and censors their news.

Gov. Tony Evers signed an executive order in January banning TikTok on stateowned devices.

“In the digital age, defending our state’s technology and cybersecurity infrastructure and protecting digital privacy have to be a top priority for us as

a state,” Evers said. “This order ensures we will continue to be vigilant in monitoring these technologies while trusting the advice of these experts on evolving cybersecurity issues facing our state.”

The University of Wisconsin System announced a similar ban shortly after, according to the Associated Press.

TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance are also the targets of bipartisan federal legislation introduced Tuesday that would give the U.S. Secretary of Commerce expanded power to ban

TikTok and other foreignowned technologies that pose an “undue or unacceptable risk” to national security.

The White House announced Tuesday it would work with Congress on the bill.

“This is about making sure that we do the right thing for the American people,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

TikTok called the measure “a ban on the export of American culture and values to the billionplus people who use our service worldwide” in a statement Tuesday, according to Reuters.

Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates ramp up ad spending, targeting ahead of April election

ting families at risk in some of his ads.

In addition to the TV ad blitz, voters are also seeing a massive increase in campaign advertising on social media platforms, especially for down-ballot races like the state Supreme Court elections, according to WisPolitics’ Ad Watch.

Michael Xenos, professor of communication science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and expert on digital media on political engagement, told The Daily Cardinal the rise of political campaigns on digital media is due to ease and relatively lower costs, as well as the wide reach of social media campaigns.

By Nadya Hayasi STAFF WRITER

The 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election is shaping up to be one of the most expensive court races in state history, with a huge chunk of money being funneled into political advertisements on social media and television, according to a report by AdImpact on NBC News.

The report found $9.5 million was spent on advertising even before the primary elections among the four candidates, with Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz leading the candidates on ad spending. Protasiewicz, who won the primary elections with 46% of the vote, has also booked over $6 million worth of ad time through the general election on April 4, according to NBC.

While the Supreme Court race is the most expensive in state history, high political TV ad spending in Wisconsin

is not new, given historically razor thin margins in previous elections with the less than one point margin in the last two presidential elections.

Wisconsin was the top state for total midterm TV commercials for the 2022 U.S. Senate race, according to the Wesleyan Media Project.

A study released in 2021 by Northwestern University Professor Brett Gordon found political TV ads drive outcomes more in tight races. Negative ads were most e ective in swaying voters’ decisions, according to the study.

Both Protasiewicz and her conservative opponent Daniel Kelly have aired negative advertisements, according to NBC.

Most of Protasiewicz’s ads both pre- and post-primary focus on painting Kelly as an “extremist,” especially in light of Wisconsin’s abortion rights debate. Kelly accused Protasiewicz of being lenient against criminals and put-

“[Political ads in the digital space] are much the same as anywhere else, with the obvious di erences being greater ability to target and lower costs of campaigns in terms of both ad buys and what it takes to produce the ads,” Xenos said. “It’s easier to make a digital ad, especially for social [media], compared to shooting a TV ad or even producing a print piece, and costs of promoting them are much lower.”

Data from Facebook’s Ad Library shows political campaigns are also targeting voters online based on specific interests. Campaign strategists can use Facebook’s audience tools to filter their target demographic based on a variety of factors, including interests and behavior trends.

For example, Janet for Justice ads on Facebook calling Kelly out for allegedly defending child sex predators who lured and molested young girls were mostly shown to women in Wisconsin, according to public data from Facebook Ads Library.

“In a world where only mass media was available and targeting opportunities were minimal, campaigns had to

create broad-based messages that would appeal to the electorate as a whole,” Xenos said. “[Targeting] allows them to only spend money to send messages that they have reason to believe will resonate with the recipients.”

The state Supreme Court election is one of the most critical in 2023 with contentious issues like abortion rights and gerrymandering on the ballot. While Protasiewicz won the primary elections relatively comfortably against Kelly, the race remains tight, and candidates have thus turned to base messaging to win an election that will decide the court’s majority.

Wisconsin voters will decide who fills the open state Supreme Court seat in the state’s April 4 general election.

Karine Jean-Pierre White House Press

Wisconsinites cast their votes in primary elections for a State Supreme Court seat and in the US District 7.

TAYLOR WOLFRAM/THE DAILY CARDINAL

DRAKE WHITE-BERGEY/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Leopold’s Legacy: Inspiring or exclusive? IJTIN: Particle Physics

By Madelyn Anderson STAFF WRITER

Most aspiring conservationists and University of WisconsinMadison students have heard the name Aldo Leopold. Whether you’ve encountered him while flipping through the pages of “A Sand County Almanac” or heard of him while sitting in lecture, his presence is felt on campus even after he’s gone.

Leopold is often called the “father of wildlife ecology.” He began teaching in this field at UW-Madison in 1933.

In 2013, the university built a brand-new sustainable dormitory named after Leopold, equipped with a greenhouse, solar panels and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

Gold-level certified technology. These examples hint at Leopold’s legacy, but before we continue carrying on his torch, we need to ask ourselves, “Who was Leopold, truly?” And, more importantly, in a sea of influential environmental fig ures, why is it his name our campus so clearly remembers?

Long before molding minds in the classroom, Leopold was making a name for himself in the world of conservation. He studied forestry at Yale University, and shortly after graduating he joined the U.S. Forest Service.

During his time there, he pioneered preservation of wild areas and worked his way to a leadership position.

After years of service, Leopold’s path to Madison began in 1924 upon accepting a position at the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory.

While working as a profes sor, his love for learning began to blossom, and he soon found himself pursuing a faculty position at UW-Madison in 1933. Two years into teaching — in 1935 — Leopold and his family purchased their famous “shack,” situated on a piece of land they seeked to transform. The tiny home in Baraboo, Wisconsin would go on to become a driving force for Leopold’s story.

During his time restoring the shack and its surroundings, Leopold began to compose environmental writings. Between long days planting pine trees and encouraging students to get outdoors, Leopold reflected on the relationship between humans and nature. He questioned our responsibility to one another, creating countless essays that would later be compiled into his most notable book, “A Sand County Almanac.”

One of the most moving pieces from this book was an essay titled “The Land Ethic,” which spawned an idea that shaped the modern conservation movement. Using inspirational language, Leopold said, “The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants and animals, or collectively, the land.” This sense of unity would later spread to planet protectors everywhere.

Unfortunately, Leopold did not live to see the aftermath of his words, which were published in 1949. He passed away in 1948 due to a heart

attack he su ered while fighting a grass fire on nearby land.

Years after his death, Leopold’s name lives on — every year during the first week of March, people across the United States come together to celebrate “Leopold Week.” For the past 15 years, the UW Arboretum has hosted “Madison Reads Leopold,” an event involving community reading and nature walks. Across campus and beyond, his essays are read by a diverse group of people, brought together by their love of the land.

However, many readers have started to question if Leopold’s vision of community includes people who don’t look like him.

A renowned storyteller, Leopold knew the importance of his words. Unfortunately, he failed to use them to highlight the experiences and erasure of minorities in the American environmental movement, particularly Indigenous groups. Instead, he touches on tales of slavery with the ancient

Ethic,” a response essay in which Savoy asks, “Did Aldo Leopold consider me?” She dives into the realities of living as a woman with African American, Euro-American and Native American roots — identities she can’t hide or choose to stay silent about. Savoy notes that while Leopold’s ideas of becoming one with the land are noble, they are not entirely new.

Land has long been tied to humans, especially Indigenous communities. For Savoy, the land was a safe haven from bias and backlash. It did not judge or assume. It just was. If we truly want to commune with nature, we need to integrate these values.

Additionally, we need to recognize that we, like varying landscapes, are not monolithic. The story of the environmental movement should see and support our di erences. Savoy emphasizes this sentiment, calling for “Alien Land Ethic” and “The Land Ethic” to “meet and answer to each other.”

But is this possible in a post-Leopold environment? How are future conservationists being taught to consider their fields’ origin stories? At UW-Madison, Leopold is still a large part of the environmental education tale. Students living in the Leopold residence hall, specifically in the Greenhouse Learning Community, are naturally introduced to his work early on. However, these students recognize he is only one character in a larger story.

UW freshman Jon Morrell recalls learning about Leopold and his writing during a first semester seminar.

Odysseus

at the start of the land ethic, presuming issues of human ethics have since been dealt with.

But racism still exists, even thousands of years after this cited historical time of moral turmoil. For example, Leopold and those in his circle feared immigrants would “overrun the country.” He also used derogatory terms to describe people of Asian descent in his writing, and at times referenced outdated Anglo Saxon views.

Leopold biographer and UW-Madison alum Curt D. Meine contends that “labeling Leopold racist oversimplifies his wilderness advocacy.” He added that Leopold’s ideas contributed to a better understanding of human ecology, and the land ethic is inherently for everyone.

While it’s true Leopold didn’t define who qualified as a member of this collective community, is this a good thing? In a world that historically discriminates, what makes silence inclusive and not complacent? Does everyone have the privilege of simplifying Leopold to a beloved figure, separating his work from his unclear beliefs?

Writer Lauret Savoy tackles these issues in “The Alien Land

“I thought Leopold had a lot of forward thinking ideas about sustainability that not many people from his time did, like the land ethic,” Morell said. “But of course there were issues with some beliefs from his time, and it’s important to listen to other voices now too.”

Alexandra Blondin, another firstyear Greenhouse member, emphasized these points.

“As an environmental science student, I think it’s nice that there is a figure here to look up to,” Blondin said. “But I think we need to work on diversifying the people that we appreciate in that field. I don’t think he represents everything that conservation is today. Women and people of color have had to work even harder to make a di erence, and representation for that matters.”

Environmental stewardship is burning bright at UW-Madison, in Leopold and beyond. There is no one building, student or faculty member carrying on the land ethic’s torch, but an entire community.

As we continue to make change and blaze the path for conservation during Leopold week and beyond, let us remember to brighten the stories that are not always told. After all, the sun doesn’t shine on just one person.

By Ian Wilder STAFF WRITER

Most people can probably remember learning about the famous, yet not entirely accurate, Bohr model of the atom — a dense proton and neutron filled nucleus surrounded by layers of negatively charged electrons. The atom was introduced to me in elementary school as the fundamental building block of all matter, but that simplification hides an incredibly quirky world filled with intrigue and unanswered questions.

The search for fundamental particles of matter has been a goal of scientists and researchers for centuries. A fundamental particle is something as small as matter can get. If it can’t be broken down into a smaller particle, it’s a fundamental particle.

For a while, many thought they had found the answer with protons, neutrons, electrons and mesons. In 1968, an experiment at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center National Accelerator Laboratory based on the work of physicists Murray Gell-Mann and George Zweig would — along with countless later experiments at the CERN particle accelerator — help prove protons and neutrons are made of something: quarks.

It turned out protons and neutrons were made up of a combination of these quarks. A proton contains two up quarks and one down quark, meanwhile neutrons contain one up quark and two down quarks. Additionally, it turned out the same force that held together the nucleus — the strong force — held together quarks within the protons and neutrons.

The strong force is one of four elemental forces we know of in our world, alongside electromagnetism, gravity and the weak force.

And what about electrons?

Electrons are also, as far as we know, a fundamental particle. Are they a quark? Well, to the disappointment of any student studying particle physics, no. It’s more complex than that.

They are grouped as lep-

JEFFREY BROWN/THE DAILY CARDINAL

tons, which are also fundamental particles but respond only to the electromagnetic force, weak force and gravitational force. Distinguishing them from quarks, they are able to exist on their own and do not interact through the strong force.

So, why is this all interesting?

Well, to me, there are a couple of reasons. Though we think quarks, leptons, and Higgs boson and gauge boson particles — the last two of which I simply did not have space to expand on here — are the fundamental particles of matter, we’re not entirely sure.

All experiments we’ve ever run on subatomic particles seem to indicate they don’t have a substructure, but who knows what future scientific advancement may discover.

As our belief that protons and neutrons were fundamental particles proved, fundamental particles are only considered fundamental for as long as we aren’t able to split them.

The other reason I think that they’re interesting? A 150pound human is made up of 6.5 octillion atoms, according to an estimate from a chemist at West Virginia University. Most atoms contain multiple protons, neutrons and electrons, so try to imagine just how large the number of quarks and leptons that make up a human is. Then look at your surroundings — I find it truly ba ing.

This story only scratches the surface of particle physics, and I had to completely omit for space some other quarks such as charm, strange, top and bottom quarks — let alone some of the other leptons.

It’s part of what makes this so interesting to me — we continue to learn new facts about these particles every day.

So the next time you look out at the sky and think about how far our universe may reach, never forget the equally intricate and incredible world forming all of our biology, chemistry or even physics, in the form of particle physics.

Schwartz has done it all, now she doesn’t have to

By Justin Alpert SENIOR STAFF WRITER

On April 29, Wisconsin’s Maddie Schwartz and Penn State’s Bailey Parshall — who led the women’s softball conference with a 1.68 ERA — engaged in an epic pitcher’s duel. Through nine innings, the late-season contest remained scoreless.

Badger left fielder Morgan Kummer homered to give Wisconsin a 1-0 lead in the top of the 10th. Schwartz, 103 pitches into her 29th appearance of the season, induced three straight groundouts in the bottom of the inning to secure the Friday victory.

The senior’s 21st win of 2022 was arguably her most impressive: 10 innings and 110 pitches, allowing only one hit and one walk. With eight strikeouts and 20 groundouts, the Nittany Lions spent 10 innings mashing the ball into the dirt, if they made any contact at all. Schwartz had surely earned herself a restful Saturday as Wisconsin continued the weekend series with a double-header.

But not quite.

Schwartz was back in the circle for a 3 p.m. first pitch. In an e cient 41 pitches she allowed one hit over four scoreless innings, tallying yet another victory as Wisconsin crushed Penn State, 8-1.

Schwartz might have gone the distance in the blowout win had she not been scheduled to start the nightcap as well. Her third and final start of the series was a tough-luck loss, as she allowed four runs (one earned) over 6.2 innings. Leading 3-2 and one out from a third-straight win, Schwartz watched third baseman Skylar Sirdashney’s error unravel into a walk-o rally for the Nittany Lions.

Wisconsin’s ace right-hander hurled 251 pitches in a 25-hour span. For Schwartz, it was just another weekend in the o ce. At season’s end, her 213 innings ranked third in the Big Ten and her 2.46 ERA ranked ninth.

Alongside Schwartz on the Badger pitching staff were Tessa Magnanimo (54.1 innings, 3.35 ERA) and Ava Justman (62.1, 3.93). When it mattered most, however, whether a series opener, a must-win game or a late-inning jam, coach Yvette Healy trusted Schwartz most in the circle.

“They’ve never really thought about not using me in any situation,” Schwartz said. “I worked so hard through the middle of my career that I got to the point where I didn’t want anyone else to have the ball.”

Born a Badger

The Chanhassen, Minnesota native didn’t need much convincing to become a Badger. Schwartz, whose grandfather and great-grandfather attended the University of WisconsinMadison, grew up rooting for Wisconsin sports.

Healy’s recruiting e orts sealed the deal, but Madison attracted Schwartz for more reasons than just pitching.

“I put all my eggs in one basket,” Schwartz said. “That obviously isn’t

smart for recruiting, but this is where I really wanted to be. I knew if softball wasn’t a factor, I wanted to be here for school. As soon as it was an option, I made the easy decision.”

Schwartz’s omnipresence in the circle for Wisconsin in 2022 wasn’t handed to her. Rather, it was the product of her learning and developing under older veteran pitchers. She credits ex-Badger Kaitlyn Menz, who threw 637 innings from 2017-20 with 66 wins and a 2.55 ERA, with helping her grow as a young pitcher.

While Menz appeared in 36 games (25 starts) in 2019, the freshman Schwartz made a strong first impression. She posted a 1.64 ERA and held opponents to a .239 average in 55.1 innings, and she also threw

Badgers since 2021?

Physical preparation and adaptability

Healy doesn’t hesitate to put Schwartz, who has no track record of injuries, in the circle time and time again. That doesn’t mean Schwartz is immune to fatigue, though.

“It definitely becomes a grind toward the end of the season,” she said. “I’m just so lucky to get the ball in those big situations, so I never really think ‘my arm’s hurting’ or anything like that.”

In games she doesn’t start, Schwartz must stay loose throughout and get ready quickly when called upon. On Feb. 25 versus North Carolina, for example, Magnanimo entered for the final out of the seventh

with a curve, an o speed pitch which catches hitters out in front and leads to feeble contact or whi s. In her fifth and final season, Schwartz continues to experiment with new o erings.

“Usually, early in your career you take away pitches, then as you gain confidence with your few pitches, you add back to your repertoire,” Schwartz said. “I get to play around a lot now, and I have a lot more tools than I had my freshman year. It’s been fun to see how I’ve evolved as a pitcher here.”

Relief on the roster

Schwartz is striking out 0.63 batters per inning pitched through 36.2 innings in 2023 — right in line with her career rate of 0.65. This year especially, the Badgers don’t need her to be a batmissing flamethrower.

season. We’ve always wanted to win a Big Ten Championship, and having extra arms is definitely how you do it.”

That said, the heightened competition for innings in 2023 hasn’t detracted from the close-knit nature of Wisconsin’s pitching sta

“We’re all in each other’s corner — we think each of us can get it done on any given day,” Schwartz said. “There’s never any ‘Why is she pitching?’ or things like that because we’ve all bought into each other’s journeys as pitchers. We all do better when we all do better.”

A leader by example

Menz’s stoicism rubbed o on Schwartz, who was once a shy freshman battling for innings. Other leaders during Schwartz’s career include the vocal Ally Miklesh, who graduated from the program in 2022, and Kayla Konwent, Wisconsin’s all-time home-run leader currently in her final season. Because of her immeasurable role the last couple years, Schwartz has found herself in that group.

“I’m not necessarily the most vocal, but as a pitcher, I lead the team whether I like it or not,” she said. “It’s been amazing to learn from people like Kayla and Ally. We have a bunch

“I’m not necessarily the most vocal, but as a pitcher, I lead the team whether I like it or not.”

of leaders on the team who lead in different ways, and that’s what makes a good team.”

Could Schwartz, who has coached youth softball during summers in Minnesota, have a future in softball beyond her Badger career? She believes so. If not coaching, she hopes to work with sports in some capacity — perhaps applying her consumer behavior and marketplace studies degree to the business side of sports.

a shutout in one of her three starts. Throughout that debut season, Schwartz envisioned herself as more than a bullpen arm.

“I tried to model some of my work ethic around people like [Menz],” Schwartz said. “I had my time learning and waiting in the wings. It was kind of how I went about my business in the o season — I was hungry to earn that starting role.”

Schwartz made eight appearances, all in relief, through the first 24 games of 2020. Her 2.50 ERA and 17:2 K:BB suggested she’d be starting games soon, but COVID-19 wiped out the rest of the schedule.

A year later, she finally emerged as the ace, carrying Wisconsin’s pitching staff with 156.2 innings and a career-best 2.23 ERA. By every metric, Schwartz was one of the premier workhorses in the Big Ten.

The rubber-armed righty continued in 2022 with head-turning weekends like the one at Penn State. Making 41 appearances (30 starts) in Wisconsin’s 51-game schedule, Schwartz willed the Badgers to a 30-21 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance. There, she logged a save in the first-round victory over Canisius before struggling in a close victory over Georgia Tech.

What about Schwartz has allowed her to pitch so often, yet so well, for the

inning but allowed two baserunners. Schwartz took over and induced a game-ending groundout.

“It’s definitely a little more rushed,” Schwartz said of her preparation as a reliever. “You can’t just check out — you have to keep your body moving and not let soreness set in. I’ve found a routine that works for me. Our coaches are pretty good about telling us when they see us coming in, but it can definitely switch on a dime.”

Although Schwartz wasn’t satisfied with her early-career relief role, she admits it helped her save innings for this massive late-career workload.

A calculated tactical approach

Pitchers generally favor either riseballs, which generate strikeouts, or dropballs, which induce weak contact on the ground. Schwartz came to Madison as a riseball pitcher. To pitch so many innings and so many games, though, she needed more contact and quicker outs. Those 20 groundouts in the 10-inning Penn State masterpiece? They were a direct product of Schwartz’s newer dropball approach.

“Our pitching sta and our coaching sta ’s philosophy is no big innings — putting up zeroes or ones, not getting too deep into counts,” Schwartz explained. “I pitch to contact, which obviously isn’t as shiny and pretty [as strikeouts], but it has definitely worked for us.”

She complements her dropball

That’s thanks to the arrival of freshman right-hander Paytn Monticelli, whose 70 mph heater has helped her strike out 1.15 batters per inning in the first 41 frames of her career. Most notably, Monticelli struck out 13 Tar Heels in a Feb. 24 complete game.

“She’s been a great addition to the sta ,” Schwartz said of Monticelli. “She’s doing a great job for us, and she brings so much energy to the field. I’m really excited to see how she can keep contributing to our growth as a program.”

Unlike Schwartz in 2019, Monticelli didn’t have to wait long to become a regular starter for Wisconsin. Four of the freshman’s first seven appearances have been starts, and it looks like Monticelli’s here to stay. Schwartz, in contrast, made three starts in 24 total appearances in 2019.

Gabi Salo has also emerged to bolster Wisconsin’s pitching depth. The junior has already set a new careerhigh with 20.1 innings and boasts a 0.69 ERA with 23 strikeouts.

A deep pitching sta presents numerous advantages. For one, it keeps everyone more rested throughout the three-month regular season.

“Toward the end of last year we were so excited to go play [in the NCAA Tournament], but it’s hard not to run out of gas,” Schwartz said. “It’s a grind of a season, and this will give us more options going into the post-

“There’s a lot of stu that makes me happy, but coaching and being around the girls is something I’ve found really fulfilling,” Schwartz said. “I hope I can find a career that ties all my interests together.”

Finishing strong

Opening the season with four straight losses in Mexico was disappointing for the Badgers, but it opened their eyes to areas needing improvement. Lineup adjustments, improved defense and Monticelli’s rapid development have righted the ship as Wisconsin progresses through its early-season schedule.

“[Mexico] definitely changed ho we go about practice and go about our business,” Schwartz said. “We know nothing’s going to be easy. We have a lot of youth, so people are just shaking out the jitters. I think we’ll hit our stride going into Big Tens.”

Wisconsin begins its gauntlet of conference matchups March 24 at Michigan State. The regular season ends May 7, leading into the Big Ten Tournament. After that, if the Badgers have their way, they’ll make a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Injuries and performance will force adjustments to Wisconsin’s depth chart between now and the postseason.

When the lights are brightest in May, however, Schwartz will be in the circle.

Schwartz has cemented herself among Wisconsin's best pitchers in recent history. Now, as good as ever, she hopes to end her career on a high note as a deeper bullpen begins to fill around her.

“I worked so hard through the middle of my career that I got to the point where I didn’t want anyone else to have the ball.”

TAYLOR WOLFRAM/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Hopping freights with Bob Weir

By Graham Brown OPINION EDITOR

From the moment he stepped on stage at the Sylvee on Feb. 28, Bob Weir invited his audience to “enjoy the ride,” and for three hours and two sets I did just that. Understanding this abstract concept of “the ride” is essential to appreciating how Weir and the Grateful Dead’s mystique have endured for nearly six decades despite an ever-rotating cast. To the passengers we call Deadheads, the ride is not simply part of their personality — it is their reason for waking up each morning.

Deadheads like Randy who have attended over 250 shows are not the exception in the audience, but the key to understanding the band’s six decade legacy as a transcendentally American North Star to the forgotten citizen.

The Jam Band genre, pioneered by the Grateful Dead, is characterized by heavy improvisation. Weir and his Wolf Brothers do not construct a set list before the show — they simply kick on the amp and let the moment guide them. Any member can pull the melody east and west as songs they may never have intended to play bubble up to the surface, ensuring their key principle that no two shows will ever be the same.

“It’s like the energy we give them, they give right back to us,” one Deadhead told me.

Since their hippie days in Haight-Ashbury, the drug lens is how many Americans understand the Deadheads and for good reason — it’s how many Deadheads understand the Dead. Spliffs are lit at the first chord, bearded men approach you asking if you’re looking for ketamine, and the shoeless guy on the second floor is eagerly willing to let you enjoy his psychedelic wonder plant. The

present is intoxicating, and many are eager to be intoxicated by it.

Judge them if you wish, but they never sought your approval in the first place. As Weir declared from the top of set one, “I might be going to hell in a bucket, babe, but at least I’m enjoying the ride.”

“You can’t hop the freights anymore but you can chase the Grateful Dead around,” late lead singer Jerry Garcia once said of the band’s legacy. “You can have all your tires blow out in some weird town in the Midwest and you can get hell from strangers [and] you can have something that lasts throughout your life as an adventure.”

In its early iterations, the Dead was far edgier than it is today, and their music often summoned dark underworld figures from the peripherals of society. But both the intensity of their music and of the crowd have softened over the years. Khaki pants and flannel jackets now pale the bright kaleidoscope of color and flowers which defined the 1960s and ‘70s.

“It’s because we’re the ones who survived,” Deadhead Randy tells me, grimly.

It’s a heavy yet important reminder that their ride is not always high times and good vibes — it’s dangerous and it can consume you.

I met Randy and his partner Nate, each wearing stickers reading, “Another Dopeless Hope Fiend,” at the “Wharf Rats” table — a community of sober Deadheads who show up at every concert for anyone struggling to put a foot back in reality. Randy will be 30 years sober next month and has tried to give back to his community by working the table at hundreds of shows over the past two decades.

“We’re not here to say don’t

drink or don’t smoke weed,” Nate says. “We’re just saying we aren’t, and you don’t have to either.”

Both credit the community for saving their lives. They, along with numerous friends living coast to coast, follow the preachings of Garcia’s 1971 epic “Wharf Rat,” which tells the story of a homeless man on San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf who has served time for crimes he did not commit. Through no fault of his own, he is never able to stay clean. Yet, through it all, he retains some irrational sliver of hope for a better tomorrow.

“I know the life I’m livin’s no good,” Garcia sang in the transparently autobiographical song. “But I’ll get back on my feet again someday, The good Lord willin’.”

What keeps Randy and Nate aboard these days is the music, not the drugs. The music is why they both originally fell in love with the Dead, and drugs are certainly an avenue to explore that, but not the only avenue.

How long you stay on the ride is a matter of personal choice, but what ultimately matters more is who you are sharing the experience with on any given night.

Many Dead purists, like my parents, have refused to see them since Garcia’s fatal heart attack in a California rehab facility nearly 30 years ago. His presence was essential to the others’ creative performance, and it’s impossible for some to imagine the Dead without him.

But while the band might not be quite as good as its earlier variation, “It’s still good most nights and some nights it’s better,” Randy contends.

Weir and his cohort have managed to persist through continual evolution. In recent years, the Wolf Brothers have incorporated jazz, a

genre rhythmically at home with their jam roots. They’ve added a string and horn section and, early in the second set of the show in

But the second set was where Weir truly worked his wizardry He leaned heavily on the horns, giving a fresh interpretation to old classics like “Estimated Prophet” and “Franklin’s Tower,” which he masterfully shepherded into a beautiful, crescendoing version of “Terrapin Station,” spinning the crowd into psychedelic frenzy.

Towards the end of the hymn, as Weir sung the existential line “the compass points to Terrapin,” the man next to me rolled up his shirt sleeve to reveal a tattoo of a tortoise at the train stop, ready to hop on board.

Madison, the chemistry between drummer Jay Lane, bassist Don Was and Jeff Chimenti’s fluttering piano melody merged with the saxophones and trumpets, creating a beautifully improvised piece that would have felt at home in a French Quarter piano bar.

Bobby Weir and the Wolf Brothers may not produce the “once-in-a-lifetime” Dead show my dad still reminisces about, but they have created an experience that is possible to enjoy on any night, a feat the original Dead never truly achieved. For all the nights they caved the roof in, they “sucked a lot too,” Randy admits.

By drawing from The Great American Songbook, Weir has found a stabler way to keep his music consistent, yet fresh for even the most intense Deadhead.

His tamer, more mature side was on display in the first set with highlights including an extended interpretation of “Lazy River” and the rolling “Peggy O,” a 2,000-year-old acoustic melody from Scotland.

Some experience it through substance, some simply cannot. But all those along for the ride on Tuesday night came to the conclusion that the stop in Madison was special.

“How about that Terrapin, man,” everyone in tie-dye seemed to say as they headed for the exits. Who knows how long the ride can continue. The track must surely end somewhere. Weir, after all, is 75 years old and looks every bit a man who has lived far too many lives. But if the flowing white mane and wrinkled complexion show his maturity, his talent must too.

So, for now, the ride keeps going, just as it always has. It won’t be smooth in the future, but it wasn’t smooth in the past either. They will get by, and it will survive for all those seeking to be the heroes of their own adventure stories, in a country that seems to have forgotten the power of chasing the indescribable.

Graham Brown is the Daily Cardinal’s Opinion Editor and an Editorial Board member. Do you believe the Grateful Dead transcends American music? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com

Why I love grocery shopping and you should too

By Nina Starynski STAFF WRITER

I love going grocery shopping. And no, this is not an exaggeration.

I, like many other exhausted and overworked college students, don’t have much time during the day to think about things other than studying, eating, hygiene and the possibility of getting those precious eight hours of sleep.

But when I do get to think about something other than the eight-page paper due Wednesday or the group project I have to present next Monday, I think about the grocery store.

Instead of thinking about what I can do with a political science degree post-grad, I get to think about my weekly snack. What will make me the happiest this week: ice cream, pretzels or fruit? (Trick question, it’s all three.)

I have little control over how that teaching assistant will grade my paper, or how much tuition will go up next year, but being in control over my weekly snack choice gives me a sense of tranquility, however short-lived. Mediation can come in many forms, even at the grocery store.

You might be thinking, “Hey, this girl is nuts. The grocery stores are

packed whenever I go. They do not give me a sense of peace whatsoever” (I’m looking at you, Trader Joes on Monroe Street).

To this, I say: You have to go to the grocery store during a Packers game. Or a Badgers game. Or at 7 p.m. Or at 8 a.m.

Yes, unorthodox and completely shocking. I know.

I’m not advocating for you to miss every single fun event in your life. But going to the grocery store when there are no screaming kids or long lines will actually make you consider if the grocery store is actually the worst place on earth.

But, you do you.

Spending money is also extremely cathartic. Scientists even say that shopping releases dopamine. Now, I understand that this is a horrible way of maintaining your finances and can lead to a shopping addiction. Fortunately for everyone, I am neither a financial planner nor a life coach.

My solution to the cataclysmic “retail therapy” dilemma is this — instead of going to Target to buy that 10th tube of unnecessary chapstick, you can buy yourself necessities at the grocery store or just a fun snack to tide you over. It works for me.

It’s also fun to just walk around

in grocery stores. Growing up in northern Wisconsin, Culvers and Walmart were the few stores to remain open past 7 p.m. during the winter months. This gives teenagers little to do besides wander around the Walmart aisles looking for stu to buy.

It’s interesting to see what items we’ve convinced ourselves we need. Walking around the grocery store aimlessly provides mindless entertainment when you don’t want to spend any money.

Now, you might be yelling at me through your computer screen (or the paper) that “The illusion of choice still exists!” Frankly, it’s easier not to think about how ten major corporations control most of the food supply in America. There’s only so much I can do in one article.

Another positive component about the grocery store is routine. Most people have time throughout their week carved out specifically for grocery shopping. Why not relish this time to yourself? Getting out of your apartment, house or dorm is critical to staying sane. The grocery store is a perfect excuse for that.

Collectively, I think people need to start seeing the beautiful and exciting in the mundane. Sure, this can apply to the grocery store, but

it can pertain to many other things, like being excited for your usual walk to class. Maybe you’re excited to get that ordinary vanilla latte, or maybe you’re thrilled at the prospect of getting to see those ducks around the Terrace.

It’s really hard to be positive in an ever-changing world. But, start simple. You might feel better

at the end of the day if you start appreciating the ordinary, even for something as commonplace as the grocery store.

Nina Starynski is a sophomore studying Political Science, Criminal Justice and History. Do you think grocery shopping is meditative? Let us know at opinion@dailycardinal.com

MK DENTON/THE DAILY CARDINAL

This is a review of a movie about a bear that does cocaine

By Je rey Brown STAFF WRITER

“Cocaine Bear” is based on a real story that took place in 1985, in which a bear encountered an abandoned bundle of cocaine, ate it and then died. That bear, nicknamed Pablo EskoBear, is now stuffed and displayed wearing a sideways baseball cap at a tourist trap in Kentucky.

Instead of telling a story of human negligence killing defenseless wildlife, “Cocaine Bear” imagines an alternative series of events in which the bear gets blasted off the schneef before going on a murderous rampage … while continuing to consume copious quantities of schnoz candy.

Meanwhile, groups such as a local nurse and her daughter, the park ranger and her park inspector crush, a group of hoodlum teens, an engaged European couple on a backpacking trip and the cocaine kingpin’s crew wander the national forest the bambammed bear calls home. These groups intertwine in comedic combinations as they weave their way closer to the bear on their separate missions which vary from rescue to survival to recovering the scattered packages of party powder.

When I write movie reviews, I take a notepad into the theater. After seeing “Cocaine Bear,” I looked down at my pad to see

literally no notes. The movie was fun and campy in the sense that it knows it’s ridiculous, and it doesn’t undercut that or relieve the tension in ways that aren’t payoffs of jokes or kills.

“Cocaine Bear” was refreshingly competent for its place in today’s cinema landscape which mainly seems to be occupied by corporate megamovies, auteur-led capital-C Cinema films and music biopics. Yet it was missing something.

As the movie settled, I realized that the problem was not what was there, but what wasn’t.

I have no complaints about the execution of the characters.

“Cocaine Bear” is a comedic slasher movie so the only necessities are having both characters that are fun to root for and characters that are fun to watch die. This does that.

My issue is instead with the execution of the characters: the deaths weren’t as gruesome or creative as they could and should have been. With everything “Cocaine Bear” does right, in hindsight it slowly becomes annoying that they didn’t do more.

A premise like a bear doing cocaine grants a license to the film — if not outright demands the film — to be over-the-top bonkers and bloody. The 95 minute runtime is a rare and appreciated feature of “Cocaine Bear,” but the film only has brief glimpses at what it could

be. While there are a handful of fun, well-constructed killings by the snow-nosed bear, the film leaves you wanting more. The characters they choose to kill are entirely predictable, which is all the more reason “Cocaine Bear” should be insane, explosive, gruesome and silly when killing them. It occasionally accomplishes all of this.

Director Elizabeth Banks successfully delivers the fundamentals of filmmaking and occasionally provides glimpses

of her skill beyond that, making me wish all the more that she went even further to show off her imagination and talent in the death sequences.

My only other major issue is that Ray Liotta’s character as the intended cocaine recipient has too little screen time relative to his importance to the plot. His character’s lack of development negatively impacts other aspects of the film that we won’t discuss because they’re spoilers. It

seems like such a glaring issue that I would’ve expected Banks to have prevented it, so I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt; maybe Liotta’s untimely passing in May of 2022 or possible health issues in the time leading up to then limited his availability on set.

Nonetheless, I wholeheartedly recommend “Cocaine Bear” as a genuinely fun time at the movies, as horror-comedies often are. I give “Cocaine Bear” four out of five kilos.

Just at the Sylvee: On the road with Cory Wong

By Kai W. Li ARTS EDITOR

It’s both hilarious and ridiculous that Cory Wong’s March 2 show at the Sylvee opened with the main theme of the “Halo” video-game soundtrack, an artifact of meme culture that’s circulated around so ironically that it was the last thing I expected to hear in a packed concert venue. Somebody standing behind me asked, “Is that what I think it is?”

Yes. I know. Hard for me to believe, too.

Only seconds later, the chorale blared into the 20th Century Fox opening fanfare with Wong at the helm of his band, gesturing like a conductor of an orchestra.

Except this isn’t an orchestra. The band members are all wearing varsity jackets and dressed like frat house raiders. And Wong himself, who’s holding a kind of victory pose, seems fully aware that parody entertains self-awareness. The fanfare is a suggestion, an ostensible prelude to a night of fun.

This is the memo I imagine Wong and his band assume as their central philosophy: “We’re here to put on a show.”

As I’m stupidly waving around

my bandana half-way through their first set.

I’m having fun.

The Grammy-nominated guitarist and songwriter from Minneapolis performed in Madison on Thursday night as part of his Power Station tour, bringing on guest bassist Victor Wooten in the latter half of the show to an audience already well-acquainted with his prominence in the jazz and funk sphere.

On this tour, though, Wooten’s association with Wong brings him into the limelight of an eclectic musical melding of funk, bluegrass, pop, R&B and rock. “Assassin,” the opening song of their set list, sees Wong squatting like Chuck Berry at his brass section’s jolting hits. Los Angeles pop-folk band and opening act Trousdale rejoins Wong and his band on their song “Golden,” a kind of feel-good pop tune redolent of an 1980s boy-band.

Then there’s a song like “Meditation,” an interpolation of Je Beck’s “Too Much to Lose” which feels like a sun-streaked road trip across the pastoral, fielding a simultaneously reminiscent and bittersweet soundscape. It’s in these moments that Wong seems most poised to

indulge in our sentimentalities as music-lovers, unveiling the veneer of plain fun to speak to us as traveling musicians.

“We have a blast doing what we do,” he said to the audience. “We had two broken down buses that tried to prevent us from being here but we flew last minute [to Madison].”

The audience cheered.

“But there are a couple times in the year that what we do feels like work,” Wong continued. “We’ve found the main culprit:

the days where we are going through airports or trying to get on airplanes with all our gear.”

“So I’ve been kind of workshopping some ideas on how we can make less days of the year feel like work,” Wong declared to an amused audience. “Carryons only. That’s it.”

The band members came out with miniature saxophones and a drum kit barely big enough to fit into a suitcase. Wong himself displayed his small guitar the size of a lap child. They

looked like giants playing with tin cans.

If Wong’s discography seems like it’s merely a collection of fun, danceable funk tracks, then his live performances testify much more visibly to his showmanship. His stage becomes a pulpit for humor and delight, occupying the space through gags and stand up-like routines. His shows feel like utterances against banality, dancing and laughing it away in the embrace of fun.

COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES

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