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From farm girl to sustainable fashionista By Clare McManamon SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
On any average day, Anne Runde will walk to class and encounter three or four people complimenting her “one-of-akind” thrifted outfits. Runde is the owner and founder of Threader.Co, an online thrift and custom apparel store. Since founding Threader.Co in May 2020, Runde has sold over 2000 items through the business’ Instagram and Etsy pages. Growing up on a dairy farm in rural Wisconsin, Runde learned at a young age what it takes to run a business. However, her interest in sustainable fashion did not develop until she was in college. As a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Runde started shopping at the thrift store as a way to inexpensively “spruce up” her personal style. She was inspired to start reselling thrifted pieces after finding fashionable items at the thrift store that were not her size. “I just found this huge market gap,” Runde said. “There were all
these affordable clothes that didn’t necessarily fit me, but they would fit somebody else.” When she first started, Runde sold simple, thrifted t-shirts for 5 dollars on Instagram. Recently, Runde found her “thrifting niche” — selling vintage and customized Badger gear. “I’m really passionate about providing a sustainable alternative rather than going to the bookstore and spending $80 on a brand new Champion windbreaker,” Runde said. In June 2021, over a year since Runde started the business, Threader.Co went viral. Runde created a TikTok advertising a vintage pop-up event she and her friends were hosting in Madison. The video gained tens of thousands of views. The line for the pop-up stretched two blocks down State Street. Threader.Co’s online orders skyrocketed. At first, Runde was able to manage the increase in orders and followers but as school began in the fall she struggled to balance her classes, social
life and business commitments. Runde’s roommate and best friend, Cammi Ganshert, began to notice a shift in Runde’s personality and demeanor. Since Runde runs Threader.Co out of their living room, Ganshert is often the first one to see the clothes Runde thrifts and customizes. She has been nothing but supportive of Runde, but their relationship grew “tense” as Runde tried to find balance in her life. “We had a heart to heart conversation,” Ganshert said. “I was like your mental health is not good and it’s making our dynamic bad… you are too great of a person to be pushing yourself this hard.” In December alone, Runde had to complete and ship out 57 customized orders before Christmas. After the holiday rush and finals, she shut down her Etsy shop for all of January and sought out resources from University Health Services to better deal with her mental health struggles. “I mean it was very nice when I had all those orders. I had a lot of money, but I’m realizing now
that it’s not about money for me,” Runde said. “I’m way more happy now but less [financially] comfortable. It’s a trade off for me.” Ganshert is proud of the progress Runde has made with her mental health and business. “In the past three months, I’ve been able to see her find that balance and do the things that she wants to do, all while being able to make money and feel fulfilled in her business,” Ganshert said. “It’s been super awesome to see her do that.” Runde reopened her Etsy shop in February, but is trying to be more mindful of the number of orders she accepts. After she graduates in May, Runde plans to stay in Madison for another year to help run Madison Vintage Events. The collective is “a community of entrepreneurs fueling the city with the best vintage goods, art, and clothing.” Their next event is June 11 and 12, and will feature vintage clothing for sale, local artwork and live music. Runde does not know how long she will run Threader.Co,
but she plans to continue thrifting daily, even if she stops or sells the business. Looking to the future of fashion, she hopes that other consumers will implement more sustainable fashion choices into their closets. “A significant amount more people are choosing to shop secondhand now, and I think that’s just going to be kind of the precedent,” Runde stressed. “Sustainable fashion is only going to get more popular; it’s going to be the next wave.”
IAN EVANS/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Anne Runde starts online thrift store.
‘Busting down the cardboard’: Next year’s senior class officers By Claire LaLiberte STAFF WRITER
Margo Wyatt and Liam McLean were high school acquaintances, but it wasn’t until college that they connected and realized they would be a powerhouse duo “in terms of getting things done,” said McLean. Each described the other as ambitious and hard-working, with big ideas and plans to accomplish them; seeing these qualities reflected in one another inspired the two to form a ticket and run for senior class office at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The McLean and Wyatt ticket commanded more than half of the vote, comfortably earning them the titles of senior class president and vice president, respectively, for the upcoming 2022 to 2023 academic year. Their platform prioritizes achieving a more unified, engaged campus, facilitating networking events for graduating seniors and improving the dialogue and culture on campus surrounding sexual assault and harrassment. McLean is from Fox Point, Wisconsin, and studies political science with certificates in leadership and entrepreneurship. Wyatt is from Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and also studies political science; she is doublemajoring in international relations with a certificate in French.
Both are energetic leaders who are passionate about the university. Wyatt praised the campus’s vibrancy and sense of community, and McLean stated that when he looks back at his experience here, he has found the most gratification in making change and taking on leadership roles. McLean previously served as Interfraternity Council (IFC) president, motivated by a desire to shift the culture from a “self-isolated community” to a “purpose-oriented platform.” He sought to drive engagement between Greek Life and the community as a whole, spearheading initiatives such as a partnership with Feed the Change, a non-profit
that combats food insecurity. But perhaps most notable were McLean’s efforts to prevent sexual assault. Studies have indicated an alarmingly high rate of sexual violence within Greek Life, and McLean organized trainings and events to educate students and break the stigma felt by survivors. McLean stated that his most gratifying experience as IFC president was working with PAVE (Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment) to host their first Denim Day. “To see that [over 1,000] people felt moved to stimulate a dialogue” around such a pervasive and serious issue was deeply impactful to McLean. A 2020 study of 33 American uni-
COURTESY OF GAVIN ESCOTT AND MARGO WYATT
Next year's senior class officers Liam McLean (left) and Margo Wyatt (right).
versities, including UW-Madison, indicated that approximately one in four undergraduate women and one in 14 men experiences sexual violence during their time in college. Wyatt cited this statistic as a sobering indication of the urgency of these initiatives, and reminded students that it’s statistically likely that “most people on campus have close friends who are survivors.” McLean and Wyatt also aim to improve networking on campus in order to help seniors secure jobs after graduation. UW-Madison boasts one of the nation’s largest and most active alumni networks, and Wyatt and McLean aim to capitalize on this and provide greater opportunities to students. Wyatt is one of the founding members and former Diversity, Equity and Inclusion chair of Badger Tank, an entrepreneurship club that works with students to implement their business ideas into reality. Badger Tank connects students with resources and individuals that will help them advance their career goals, and Wyatt hopes to use these experiences to provide similar networking opportunities for students in all disciplines. “Everyone is insecure about their future ... because humans have a natural inclination to be afraid of rejection,” said McLean. “The idea of these alumni network-
ing events is [creating] a chance for people to confront rejection in a comfortable environment.” Voter turnout for senior class elections hovered at around 5%; Wyatt hopes to change this. She and McLean aim to make their office as accessible as possible and foster an open line of communication between class officers and students. Wyatt added that the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been felt throughout the whole of the senior class’ academic careers, and this has profoundly affected the social and professional lives of students. She and McLean aim to combat this by bringing the campus together and breaking down barriers that separate students from one another. McLean stated that his experience in campus leadership has opened his eyes to the “structural divisions” that exist on campus, separating students on the basis of academic field, identity and more. He and Wyatt aim to create events and programs that “[bridge] these fractured parts of campus that may not otherwise engage with each other.” “We’re in boxes in terms of what we’re studying and our identities. That’s what we know,” said McLean. “But that’s where I see the potential for community-building. We need to bust down the cardboard.”
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
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An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 131, Issue 21
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Solar Farm approved in Dane County By Gavin Escott STAFF WRITER
Last Thursday, state regulators gave the green light for the construction of a massive solar farm in southeast Dane County, which advocates say will help disentangle Wisconsin’s energy grid from fossil fuels and facilitate the switch to sustainable energy. Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission voted 2-0, with one member abstaining, to allow Invenergy to build the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center in the towns of Christiana and Deerfield, around a half hour outside Madison. The 300-megawatt center would be Wisconsin’s largest renewable energy plant and will generate enough emission-free energy to power 60,000 homes, a quarter of the county’s 240,000 households. Additionally, there will be 165-megawatts of battery storage — the equivalent battery storage of 6,000 electric vehicles, which will help bolster grid reliability. Invenergy, a Chicago-based solar developer, has two other facilities under construction in Wisconsin, with another awaiting approval. According to Invenergy, an estimated $200 million will be invested in Dane County over the project’s lifetime, and around 600 jobs will be created during peak construction.
Editorial Board Kalli Anderson • Kavitha Babu • Will Cioci • Anupras Mohapatra • Riley Sumner • Gaby Vinick
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The project is expected to generate $1.2 million per year in new revenue for local governments. The project has a base operating lifespan of 35 years, with agreements available to extend it to 50. During this time the project will have a host of positive benefits for the environment. In a statement, Clean Wisconsin asserted that the phosphorus runoff around the project site would be reduced by as much as 96% and reduce CO2 emissions by 15 to 20 million tons, which is corroborated by Invenergy, which estimated emission reductions from the project to be the equivalent of taking 145,000 cars off the road. Clean Wisconsin Climate, Energy and Air Program Director Chelsea Chandler said it’s a much-welcome step forward in Wisconsin’s transition to clean energy. “[The] approval of the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center marks important progress in the transition to clean, renewable energy that will benefit our communities and climate,” Chandler said. Governor Evers has outlined his plans for Wisconsin to be carbon neutral by 2050, but currently Wisconsin only receives less than 1% of its electricity from solar. Proponents hope this project contributes to a trend towards
greener sources. “This project accelerates the local transition to clean energy,” declared Heather Allen, the executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, a nonprofit that works for the advancement of renewable energy in the state. “With enough capacity to provide one-quarter of the local solar needed to meet Dane County’s Climate Action Plan, Koshkonong’s approval is a major milestone in the transition to energy independence for the region.” The project will be built within a 6,384 acre Project Area, most of which is currently farmland. Of that, Koshkonong Solar has approximately 4,600 acres under contract, which represents the entirety of the land necessary to accommodate the solar panels for the 300 MW capacity, and space for potential future panels, to a max capacity of 429 MW. “Every kilowatt of clean energy adds up to make a difference, and given the urgency of climate change, a 465 MW project like Koshkonong is a big step in matching the scale of the crisis with the scale of solutions,” Chandler said, adding that it was essential the commission continues to approve utility-scale projects like this. However, not everyone was on board with the commission’s actions. Christiana and Deerfield residents
expressed anxiety that their voices weren’t listened to during the process, when they voiced concerns that the project would lead to the loss of prime farmland, decrease property values, and endanger people living near the project. “We’re not against solar panels in the proper space, but with the safety of all these wires around our home, for us, for our children [it’s a concern],” said Sharon Lund, whose house is at the intersection of underground power lines that connect the solar panels. Residents also argued that Invenergy’s land leases with property owners violated the state constitution, which they said limits farmland leases to 15 years, below the 25 year lease Invenergy has with landowners. The Commission members who voted in favor for the project pushed back, calling it a “not in my backyard” type of attitude, and saying arguments around the constitution lacked merit. WEC Energy Group and Madison Gas and Electric have announced their intentions to buy the plant for $649 million as part of their plans to go carbon neutral by 2050. Construction is set to begin soon, with an expected completion date of December 2024.
UW Medicine, Public Health LGBTQ+ program By Noa Chamberlin
The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of WisconsinMadison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be word processed and must include contact information. No anonymous letters will be printed. All letters to the editor will be printed at the discretion of The Daily Cardinal. Letters may be sent to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.
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STAFF WRITER
The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health is the first academic health center in the country to launch the American Medical Association Foundation’s LGBTQ+ Fellowship. This fellowship is aimed at transforming the health equity landscape for the LGBTQ+ community. “The focus of this innovative fellowship is to integrate primary care and public health to optimize the health of LGBTQ+ and gender expansive individuals and to advance LGBTQ+ health equity,” Dr. Elizabeth M. Petty, the principal investigator and director of the AMA Foundation’s LGBTQ+ Health Fellowship Program, said in an interview with The Daily Cardinal. The first fellow will start their training for the year-long program in July 2022. Additional scholarships will be available for fellows who want to extend their training beyond one year. The program will accept an additional fellow each year thereafter, with the aim of recruiting “three fellows per year annually by the fifth year,” according to the news release. Fellows will be physicians who have completed primary care residencies, have a passion to care for LGBTQ individuals, gender diverse communities and health equity. Petty said that the two physicians were identified through a national robust application and recruitment process. “Fellows will interact on a daily basis with faculty members and other learners, including fellows, across all primary care fields,” Petty told the Cardinal. “They will also regularly interact with clinicians and learners in other specialties.” Over the course of four years, the AMA foundation will donate
$750,000 to fund an advanced fellowship training program for physicians in primary care, which will help optimize the health of LGBTQ patients. According to Petty, the fellowship is structured to help current doctors pass on what they learn to the incoming medical team members. “The fellowship is designed to be highly individualized and flexible with a core framework to advance skills and knowledge in LGBTQ+ health to build their clinical and scholarly expertise in this area so they will be future national leaders advancing LGBTQ+ health,” she said. The fellowship will consist of three domains: clinical and specialty care experiences working with LGBTQ and gender diverse individuals; scholarships that may include research, innovative teaching and/ or producing resources; and working in partnership with community groups to help address identified
doctor when facing medical health problems because of the lack of inclusion and LGBTQ diversity that is presented in medical facilities. The AMA Fellowship is working to educate medical workers and allow any person to be able to receive medical assistance without feelings of discrimination. Petty reflected on the healthcare system in Madison, Wis. “We are fortunate here that our health system, UW Health, has been a recognized ‘LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader’ for a number of years, including 2022, by the Human Rights Campaign. UW Health has been diligent [in] building affirming gender services programs [and] hiring world-class experts to deliver patient care,” she said. “Our fellows will definitely benefit from working with those faculty members.” There are many organizations partnering with the AMA Foundation funded LGBTQ+
DRAKE WHITE-BERGEY/THE DAILY CARDINAL
University of Wisconsin-Madison to launch new LGBTQ+ public health program. patients’ needs. According to Dr. Alexander Camacho of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the LGBTQ community faces challenges that prevent them from attaining proper healthcare. Camacho’s report found that members of the LGBTQ community have been less likely to go to the
Fellowship to integrate primary care and public health to optimize the health of LGBTQ and gender expansive individuals. According to Petty, the main goals of the scholarly collaborative fellowship serve as a foundation for the purpose in making a more inclusive medical space. These goals include: building on the existing LGBTQ
support foundations and inclusion programs, an increase in education and research that assist care services in achieving equality for LGBTQ and gender diverse individuals and to emerge as a nationally prominent medicine fellowship program that advances on health equity. The AMA Foundation funded LGBTQ+ Fellowship is one that is full of dedicated members who are working to make a change for the better in the medical system. “The staff and faculty are incredibly talented and deeply committed members who have significant expertise in LGBTQ+ health, affirming gender care, education and diversity, equity and inclusion work to be part of the leadership team,” Petty said. “They have played critically important instrumental roles in developing this fellowship–from helping to conceive and develop the proposal to creating, and ultimately, implementing the curriculum and scholarly projects.” The hope is to eradicate any further discrimination and health disparities for LGBTQ and gender diverse individuals. Petty stated that one of her goals for the future is that the fellowship will continue to grow and provide meaningful community engagement and impact in this region and across the country. “The goal is to extend educational opportunities across all health professions, develop successful fellow-to-faculty pathways, have a diverse cohort of fellows that advance health equity broadly, become a model for, partner with, newly established fellowship programs across the country and provide notable clinical, academic and public health advances that shape the future of LGBTQ+ and gender affirming health care across diverse rural and urban communities in Wisconsin and beyond.”
almanac Joe Biden stepping down from presidency to run after ice cream truck dailycardinal.com
Thursday, April 14, 2022
By Mackenzie Moore ALMANAC EDITOR
When Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election, millions of Americans shared tears of relief and a shrug of acceptance. However, despite becoming president of the United States, voters always knew that there was one thing more important to Biden than helming the executive branch: ice cream. Despite his well-known fondness for the dessert, few expected that he would prioritize it over the most important job in the nation. Yet, Biden has announced that he has stepped down from the presidency effective immediately to chase an ice cream truck. “Look, folks,” began Biden in a video feed from the Oval Office. “There’s a lot of problems that need to be addressed in this country — people can’t afford to live on a single income, the cost of a college education is too high and the
lesser prairie chicken population is nearing a very dangerous low,” the now-former president said with a squint in his eyes, as if he accidentally sat on a tack, but didn’t want to make a fuss about it. “But now, I’ve found a greater calling. That calling, my fellow Americans, is a double scoop of chocolate chip in a waffle cone — extra sprinkles. I can hear that the ice cream truck is near, and it is my duty to chase after it until my mission is complete. May God bless you all and may God bless our troops.” Biden then haphazardly removed his mic, leaving it on the desk before running out of frame. Some have questioned whether or not the announcement was a joke. However, the fact that Biden stated his desire for the ice cream he’s most known for ordering — plus sprinkles for a little pizzazz — indicates that the 46th President of the United States
COURTESY OF BIDEN FOR PRESIDENT VIA CREATIVE COMMONS
is deathly serious. This isn’t the first time that the Scranton, Pa. native has faced criticism for his love of the frozen treat. As tensions were growing between Russia and Ukraine
The Daily Cardinal also hid an egg on campus By Jeffrey Brown CONTRIBUTOR
To celebrate Easter, nondenominational Christian student org Badger Cru announced Monday that they hid an egg on campus with a $500 reward for the student who finds it. Their announcement poem makes clear finding the egg does not require digging, trespassing or destruction of campus property. In the spirit of the season, we at The Daily Cardinal also hid an egg on campus, but ours does require destroying campus property. We want every student to start digging
up gardens, breaking into offices and smashing walls to find the egg. Unlike Badger Cru, who will be providing hints throughout the week, we offer no help. You will have to be thorough in your search. Leave no building intact in search of this egg. That’s a big ask for busy students. Finals are fast approaching and students are beginning to hunker down. What kind of reward is attached to our egg that makes us so confident students will drop everything to find it?
Five hundred dollars sounds nice. It does. But what about no more tuition? That’s right, the reward for finding our egg is no more tuition payments or classes for anyone. If there are no more buildings intact to hold lectures in — or even better, the Bursar’s Office collapses in a pile of rubble — then that will be a happy coincidence. So what are you waiting for? Get digging, Badgers! Signed, The Daily Cardinal
MACKENZIE MOORE/THE DAILY CARDINAL
on Jan. 25 of this year, Biden came under fire for stopping at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in Washington D.C. The following are a few of the complaints by reporters and politicians.
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“Is it appropriate at this time? Vladimir Putin watching this commander in chief chomping on ice cream?” - Shaun Kraisman, Newsmax. “Why is Putin doing this? Because he knows Biden is weak. Biden would rather have ice cream with somebody than stand up for Americans.” Senator Rick Scott, Florida. “The world is falling apart thanks to his weakness and Joe Biden gets ice c—and look at that! A double scoop there, old Joe.” Grant Stinchfield, Newsmax. Further, Fox News followed the excursion as if something crazy like, oh I don’t know, a government insurrection was happening. Those who were up in arms about the scandal can now rest assured, as whenever the classic ice cream truck tune of “Turkey in the Straw” grows nearer, the former president can finally roll up his sleeves, put on some tennis shoes, grab some wadded up cash and chase that dairy dragon on his own time.
Congress announces bipartisan effort to prevent climate catastrophe By Jeffrey Brown CONTRIBUTOR
In response to the recent UN Climate Report describing climate change prevention as “now or never,” Congress has announced a massive bipartisan bill to ensure the safety of the future generations and the planet as a whole. The groundbreaking bill includes massive spending on green infrastructure, including renewable energy, public transportation, higher density suburbs and so much more. For many, this bill could not have come sooner. “It really astounds me this took so long for us to get to,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said. “I guess we have been so busy passing legislation for the benefit of our citizens that we forgot to address climate change.” With climate change being as large of an issue as it has been for so long, many have been left puzzled by how it has appeared to slip through the cracks of an otherwise stellar democratic body. “On behalf of all my fellow senators, we are truly sorry,” Sen. Ted
Cruz stated in a live television statement. “We care deeply about the safety and wellbeing of not only every American, but every person and creature across the globe. We are appalled by our own failures to address this sooner, and we hope we can be forgiven for the unnecessary suffering we have caused up to this point.” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi gave a speech recognizing her massive failure to see not only how important this issue was, but how awful it was that large corporations profited from it. “To learn that massive American companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron benefit from the destruction of ecosystems makes me sick,” Pelosi announced. “It
upsets me to my core that there are people out there in positions of power who would allow or even encourage cruelty for personal gain.” She then had to excuse herself due to the overwhelming sympathy she felt for all who have suffered due to her negligence. While we had little reason to doubt them, Americans can now rejoice knowing our elected bodies are looking out for us. People all over the world can let out a sigh of relief knowing their lives matter to those in power. While the battle against climate change is just beginning, we can all rest assured our government is doing its job to ensure the safety of all living beings present and future. We are in good hands.
We're always looking for more funny and insightful writers with fresh takes on topics ranging from the UW campus to international news. We accept and encourage creative submissions as well! Any and all submissions are more than welcome. You can send your submissions and any comments or questions to almanac@dailycardinal.com. All articles featured in Almanac are creative, satirical and/or entirely fictional pieces. They are fully intended as such and should not be taken seriously as news.
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‘Drive My Car’ is a gentle, ghostly emotional epic about life’s winding roads By Rebecca Perla ARTS DESK EDITOR
The act of driving is among our most routine, and also one of our most paradoxical — the idea of moving forward in one respect while remaining completely stationary in another. You may have thought something similar at one point. Maybe you’ve even thought about it while behind the wheel, jolting your subconscious awake from the neutral state of an activity demanding our full attention. It’s that very paradox that makes Japanese writer-director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s decision to center driving in his marvelously intelligent film, “Drive My Car,” potent, poignant and rather perfect. In this epic of wandering souls, seeing what’s ahead means recognizing the road you’ve been traveling over this whole time. “Drive My Car” follows Yûsuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima), an accomplished actor and respected director known for his multilingual productions. Yûsuke is married to Oto (Reika Kirishima), a television writer who is herself a very respected creator. They work well together in every way, even tying their creative process into a fervent sex life. They come up with ideas for exotic stories together, narrating them out lushly in their post-coital moments. All is not perfect between them, however. After a flight to a theater festival is unexpectedly delayed, Yûsuke returns home to
“DRIVE MY CAR” ORIGINAL MOVIE POSTER/C&I ENTERTAINMENT
“"Drive My Car" stars Hidetoshi Nishijima as a grieving actor-director and Toko Miura as his driver. find his wife having sex with a young actor from her television production. He quickly walks away, distraught and unseen, but convinced that he should stay silent about what he saw. When Oto later dies unexpectedly from a brain hemorrhage, all Yûsuke has left is silence. Two years later, grief still consumes Yûsuke’s life. In fact, he still drives his little red Saab to productions playing a practice tape that Oto once created for him to help with his character’s dialogue memorization. She speaks and he responds. He knows Anton Chekhov’s lines by heart. But that same heart won’t let him stop replaying Oto’s tape. And it just so happens that a
festival event has hired Yûsuke for a two-month production of the very play that he can’t stop repeating: Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya.” So he drives and repeats. He stays connected. He even purposely chooses housing that’s an hour away from the Hiroshima festival just so he can spend time with Oto’s voice during the drive. When he arrives at the festival, however, the producers mandate that he has a chauffeur for liability reasons. His assigned driver is a buttoned-up woman named Misaki (Toko Miura). Yûsuke objects. He refuses. But in the end, he must live with this woman driving and being in his car. Misaki is a good driver. A good listener. And as time and events
unfold, it begins to seem like Misaki may well be very good for Yûsuke Kafuku, too. In spite of its title, “Drive My Car” is far from driving. This Japanese film, based on a short story published in The New Yorker, has quite a bit for viewers to ruminate upon if they can slow their minds down, read through all the many English subtitles and forget about the clock. The film wrestles emotionally with our shared experience of grief and loss — how those experiences can destroy or transform. The movie also weaves in scenes from Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” to illustrate its point that surviving grief, taking time to listen and embracing those we love
are the only viable choices in life. We must keep living, Chekhov’s characters tell us. “Drive My Car” is essentially a character study of the most forthright kind. An attentive moviewatcher will find themselves closely studying the characters of this movie; the looks they trade when conversations take confessional turns, the hints of reaction when a revelation is reached, the slow chipping away of formality to yield unexpected understanding underneath. Even if “Drive My Car” isn’t a movie you analyze, you surely will be absorbed. But there’s a touch of whimsy to it all, a cheekiness that stretches from a humorously curated soundscape to the way the screenplay matches its cruisecontrol speed. Art and life are shown to be interchangeable in “Drive My Car,” and time affects how we see both. This dazzlingly meditative, “Best International Picture” Oscar winner is a film filled with delicate, cross-lacing emotional mysteries. “Drive My Car” is an uncanny work of artistic self-reflection about how ideas, people and images can be imbued with new meaning without really changing. Sights can shift even on the most routine of life’s commutes. In this movie about things we should say and shouldn’t, things we fully know and others we never can, that makes all the difference.
The Flaming Lips blow up The Sylvee By Noa Chamberlin STAFF WRITER On Saturday April 9 at 8 p.m., I went to a concert… with my dad. And honestly, he matched the crowd more than I did. But that is to be expected from a psychedelic rock band formed in 1983. Despite their age, these guys know how to put on a performance. First off, the opening act, Heartless Bastards, came on stage. The American Rock band from 2003 got the crowd dancing and swaying to their relaxed rock ‘n roll music. The lead guitarist of the band stole the show with his many solos that happened throughout their 45 minute performance. Shortly after, The Flaming Lips came on to the stage to the sound of their screaming fans. Although many college students from Gen Z may not be so familiar with The Flaming Lips, the group has won three Grammy Awards, including two for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. They were also placed on Q magazine’s list of the “50 Bands to See Before You Die” in 2002. The lead vocalist, Wayne Coyne, came out on stage wearing a slick black suit, his hair long and voluptuous with gray curls flying loose. The stage was set up with the two drum-
mers on either back corners and both wearing neon green wigs. In the front right corner was the keyboard, the front left corner had the basset and in the middle of the stage was Coyne. He was standing in a huge blow-up bubble, something he started doing during the pandemic. Before the band even started singing, Coyne was on stage with a mechanic flying bird that he flew around the crowd as a way to lead into their first song: “My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion”. Throughout the show, Coyne kept saying “You gotta scream! Let the world know how good you’re feeling” to keep the crowd engaged, jumping and singing. The crowd consisted of people in their early-30s to their mid-50s whose energy matched that of a teenager. This concert was nothing short of a party; within the first two songs, confetti was blown twice and the music beat so loud you could feel it throughout your entire body. During the second song, “Do You Realize??”, one of the band’s most famous songs, an enormous blow-up rainbow spanned the entire stage, confetti was blown and rainbow lights danced throughout the theater. By their third song, “Yoshimi
Battles Pink Robots”, an enormous light pink blow-up Robot about 12 feet tall stood on stage next to Coyne and the band. The light show and the screen behind the band consistently featured bright neon lights in sporadic motion with lasers and disco balls. While the set was being changed between songs, glowin-the-dark balloons were passed among the crowd. At one point, Coyne took a stage light on a string and swung it around like a lasso while the crowd screamed and jumped to the beat of the music. As I listened to the concert, I realized that The Flaming Lips perform not with the intent to be as focused on the lyrics of their songs, but more on valuing the beat of their music and creating an interactive experience with their audience. The music was so loud at points that the lyrics couldn’t even be heard. But the crowd didn’t care. They knew they were there to party and feel the intensity of this unique and crazy environment that makes it feel as though you are submerged in the music and rock; listening to the music, you can’t help but move your body to the rhythm. Coyne came into the Sylvee with one mission: make this
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The Flaming Lips take the stage at The Sylvee with blow-up rainbows and dolls, neon lights and a personalized bubble for the lead singer. the best show. “We can never take concerts for granted. You never know what’s gonna happen in this beautiful chaotic world we live in,” Coyne said. “This could be our last concert, but if it’s our last concert, we will make sure it’s our best concert.” The Flaming Lips “American Head” American tour started in November of 2021, and the 39-date tour is
reaching an end as their last concert is coming up in the beginning of May. I don’t know if I would listen to The Flaming Lips’s music on my own time, but if given the opportunity, I would attend one of their performances again. Seeing The Flaming Lips in concert is nothing like I’ve ever seen before and their concert is an experience I will never forget.
science dailycardinal.com
Thursday, April 14, 2022
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STEM Major spotlight: Conservation Biology By Joyce Riphagen SCIENCE EDITOR
In my freshman year at the University of WisconsinMadison I, with many other STEM students, struggled through the CHEM 103/104 sequence (if you took 109, I don’t want to hear it). I spent hours and hours balancing equations, calculating pH, free energy and other things that I’ve already forgotten. Lecture, homework, exams, discussion… I dreaded almost every aspect of chemistry, but none so much as lab. Comparatively, a threehour lab isn’t so bad — I know other classes struggle through 5-hour marathon labs that I’m pretty sure would kill me. But it felt like torture to be inside as I watched the sunsets get earlier and earlier, knowing that
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getting out of lab only meant I’d have to start studying. This prompted a crisis. I’d planned to be a biologist researching in a lab, pipetting and centrifuging the days away. Now, that future felt unbearable. I knew I liked biology, nature and solving problems, and that I hated the thought of a career stuck behind a desk. I spent hours scrolling through the list of UW’s biology/botany courses, combing the guide for something that’d be a better fit — and I landed on Conservation Biology! Conservation Biology (ConsBio) is a major within the Department of Botany in L&S. The major was initiated by Aldo Leopold (of Sand County Almanac fame) in the 1940s, and it has continued to expand. The major offers a lot of freedom. Students have plenty of wiggle room to explore different disciplines and specializations such as limnology, ornithology or mycology. ConsBio majors take coursework in biology, physiology, ecology and social sciences. Unlike Biology or Botany, ConsBio doesn’t require that you take any physics or organic chemistry — which I discovered halfway through CHEM 343. Many ConsBio classes focus on fieldwork and practical applications of class-
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A field trip for BOT455: Vegetation of Wisconsin. We climbed a hillside to observe a prairie at the edge of the Driftless. room learning in order to prepare students for careers working outdoors or in natural areas. Majors learn the basis for how ecosystems function, and why ecosystems are distributed the way they are, in addition to practices for conserving our natural resources. My personal favorite part of being a ConsBio major is the fieldwork aspect. It is so, so fun to be outside, running around in the woods
and to be able to call it homework. For those interested in fieldwork or ecology, I highly recommend BOT 455: Vegetation of Wisconsin. It will destroy you, but you also get to go to a bog, so it balances out. ConsBio graduates have many options post-undergrad. Personally, I plan to, eventually, go to grad school for a doctorate in order to pursue my interests in research, but that’s not the
only possible path. Those with a B.S. in ConsBio can work as a field or lab technician, wildlife educator, consultant, animal rehabilitator… the list goes on. Basically, if you like being outdoors or have a big passion for nature, this might be a good fit for you! You do still have to take some chemistry, unfortunately, but the rest of the experience is well worth it.
Say goodbye to winter blues: Sunnier skies are beneficial to your health By Julia Gozdziewski STAFF WRITER
After a predictably cold and snowy Midwestern winter, there are few days more worth celebrating than the first sunny day of the year. For University of WisconsinMadison students especially, the sun emerges as a sign that the end of the semester is near, and with it, brings the promise of afternoons spent with friends at the Memorial Union Terrace, study sessions on picnic blankets on Bascom Hill and long walks along the Lakeshore path. If you’ve noticed that your mood is boosted by sunny days spent outdoors, you’re not alone. An estimated 10 million Americans struggle with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This mood disorder, commonly referred to as the “winter blues,” is characterized by feelings of sluggishness, apathy and other general symptoms of depression during the winter months. Even for those who do not experience symptoms to this severity, exposure to sunlight is correlated with higher levels of happiness. This has been confirmed in studies such as one con-
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Many students enjoy a sunny day and soak up Vitamin D on the grassy lawn of Bascom Hill at UW. ducted by psychologist Mark E. Beecher at Brigham Young University. Over a six year period, Beecher analyzed the level of distress of approximately 16,500 adults across 19 different weather and pollution variables. While temperature and pollution variables had no statistically significant impact on participants’ emotional stress, the study found that exposure to sunlight was correlated with marked decreases in anxiety and other
negative emotions. What is it about the sun, though, that makes us happier? The answer is found in sunlight’s role regarding our secretion of two hormones: melatonin, the “hormone of darkness,” and serotonin, which produces feelings of happiness and contentment. When it gets dark, our body initiates the production of melatonin to increase drowsiness and ultimately, to encourage us to sleep.
During the winter months, however, when the sun begins setting as early as 4:30 p.m., our body begins producing melatonin much earlier than is needed. This results in higher levels of melatonin that intensify feelings of tiredness. As people living in colder climates experience decreased energy throughout their daily lives, new or increased anxiety, apathy and other depressive symptoms can become common for those afflicted
with SAD. As the days (finally) become longer during the spring and summer months, the sun plays a vital role in shutting off melatonin production in favor of producing serotonin. The more sunlight we are exposed to, the more serotonin our body produces, thus intensifying the emotional returns of one of our “happiness hormones.” While spring and early summer mark a busy time for most college students, this highlights the importance of ensuring that the looming stress of finals season does not overtake our ability to spend quality time outdoors. Whether enjoying food outside with friends or even taking a quick walk around the block, dedicating study breaks to soak up some UV rays might just be your key to staying sane during the final stretch of the semester. And with the great outdoors serving as one of the most natural (and free!) mood boosters available, there is little reason why any of us shouldn’t be scheduling some time to soak in the summer sun — just make sure to bring some SPF.
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By Sophie Reeves STAFF WRITER
UW-Madison is welcoming a new club that is launching the week of April 22nd. IfYou’reReadingThis.org is a national organization whose purpose is to create a support network for mental health for students by students. It currently has twelve chapters at universities throughout the country, and its thirteenth is in the process of being established on our very own campus. The stigma surrounding mental health is a very serious issue and is a barrier that the organization is trying to break. It works via open letters that students and faculty submit, talking about their own experiences with mental health. Each letter is accompanied with a name and a photo so that readers know that mental health is not something that any one of us should be ashamed about. The idea behind the letters is that others will read them and be reminded that they are not alone in their struggles with anxiety, depression, etc. The goal is that the readers will then be prompted to submit their own letters and so on and so forth, thus eventually creating a network that individuals
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feel safe and supported in. The organization recognizes that being vulnerable about these topics can be scary but hopes that cultivating a group of peers that individuals can talk to will furthermore foster an environment of support and positivity. It hopes to build a bridge between students struggling with mental health and people that care about them. IfYou’reReadingThis.org was founded at the University of Virginia in the fall of 2016. The founder, Alexandra Pentel, noticed that there existed a handful of social campaigns surrounding mental illness, but none were all that successful in ending the mental health stigma due to the degree of separation that a screen creates. She became passionate about creating an in-person community of like-minded peers that wanted to create and give friendship and connection to anyone interested in joining. The organization strongly emphasizes the importance of reminding individuals that they are loved. Since its founding, IfYou’reReadingThis has gained national traction and recognition. Many college campuses lack adequate men-
tal health resources, especially those that feature student and faculty experiences directly. The UW-Madison chapter of IfYou’reReadingThis will focus on building a community of people from all backgrounds through providing a space for a more open conversation surrounding mental health. Letters will be featured on the campus-specific Instagram account, and, if the author is willing, others will be able to contact them about their story to provide support, ask questions, etc. Additionally, once they become established, the UW-Madison chapter is hoping to launch simultaneous initiatives, such as recruiting a group of students to volunteer on phone help/crisis lines, conduct interviews that can be viewed on social media platforms and administering random acts of kindness. Fo r more i n f o r m at i o n , v i s it IfYou’reReadingThis.org. For more information about the UW-Madison chapter, contact ifyourereadingthiswisco@gmail.com. Similar organizations already established on campus include the Badger Support Network (BSN) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
Taking advantage of the Midwest sunshine By Jordan Smith STAFF WRITER
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Trader Joe's has exploded in popularity, all because of social media. So, is it worth they hype?
My first experience at Trader Joe’s By Cristina Ingwell STAFF WRITER
It’s very rare that a grocery store takes over social media, quickly growing its brand presence through platforms like TikTok; yet, that is exactly what Trader Joe’s has done. The store is famously known for its customer service and its “free trying” of any one product. I had heard about Trader Joe’s before on social media — YouTubers and TikTok influencers always seemed to shop there, and because of this, I thought it was overhyped and probably really expensive. Because of the Trader Joe’s “trend,” a stereotype arose about the people who go there. The employees are always said to be over-friendly, and the customers are stereotyped as “basic white girls” or “granola girls.” It was a random Tuesday evening in April, right before the rain started in downtown Madison. I was at my friend’s house along with some other girls.
One of my close friends mentioned that she needed to get some groceries and that everyone was invited to come with. She had noted that she was going to go to Trader Joe’s, simply because it was right up the street. I said I had never been there before, not really thinking too much of it. Everyone immediately turned and looked at me with expressions of complete shock. Their faces communicated their internal thoughts of, ‘CRISTINA ARE YOU JOKING?’ I knew that the grocery store was in Madison and had healthy options for food, but that was about it. Because of my lack of recognition with the store, my friends told me that I was coming with them. As soon as I walked in, I was shocked with the size of the store. Growing up, I had always gone to larger stores like Woodmans or Costco. This one was different: it was a small building that
had hues of light brown and green throughout its aisles. Upon walking in, my friends went straight to grabbing their favorites, and I told myself I would only buy one thing. However, at that exact moment, a hand reached around the corner and into my lap fell “Bamba Puffed Peanut and Corn Snacks,” soon followed by “Almond Butter Almonds.” I decided that these would be the first items I tried from the famous Trader Joe’s. After later tastetesting, I would rate the Puffed Peanuts a 10/10 because of the balanced flavors throughout. They had this amazing hazelnut cream filling — something I quickly fell in love with. The almonds were not as good, but still very tasty! After experiencing it for myself, I can say that it may be overhyped, but the snacks I had were pretty good. I will definitely be going back for the Bamba Puffed Peanuts!
As a Californian, I must say I am a bit distraught when it comes to the rarities of sunshine in the Midwest. Not only that, but add the frequent occurrences of snow, despite it being April — a fully-fledged spring month. However, as distressing as it is to wake up most spring mornings and see a gray sky as opposed to blue, the lack of sunny days has ultimately taught me the importance of taking advantage of the cloudless skies and sunshine, no matter the weather outside. So, for anyone struggling with the lingering effects of wintertime sadness, let’s discuss the advantages to being outside during the occasional days the sun is shining. It has been proven that sun exposure to skin increases our brain’s release of the
hormone serotonin, associated with boosting people’s moods with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). However, this serotonin boost is not limited to helping people with these specific mood disorders. Every person produces a unique amount of serotonin, and for every person, when sunlight enters the eye, it stimulates the retina that cues the brain to produce even more serotonin. It’s clear that exposure to sunlight is an important part of everyone’s routine; yet, we still often think of taking advantage of sunny days as a chore that involves spending time away from being productive, doing schoolwork or whatever other demands the day has in store. What a lot of us forget is that higher serotonin levels are necessary
for staying focused for long periods of time and increasing productivity. The moral of the story is that taking breaks outdoors is productive, and is an essential part of a successful work routine that, most importantly, is sustainable for us to participate in every day. The Memorial Union Terrace is opening back up on April 13, Madison’s Saturday on the Square Farmers Market is returning April 16 and throughout campus newly green spaces are covered in sun. With all of that, let’s keep one thing in mind: taking part in these activities is not just about the importance of sunshine when it comes to self-care, but also about the importance of sunshine as it relates to our everyday college work environment.
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There are nearly 900 student organizations on campus, and IfYou'reReadingThis.org will join them!
opinion An evaluation of what’s in a first name dailycardinal.com
By Anupras Mohapatra SENIOR STAFF WRITER
In recent weeks, our news feeds have been inundated with talk of a new Supreme Court justice. With the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer, President Joe Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his replacement. Justice Jackson is the first Black woman justice in U.S. history. There have been many notable moments in her confirmation hearing so far. Justice Jackson’s husband was seen shedding tears in a heartwarming moment. Her daughter was caught beaming with pride, in what will likely be an era defining picture. However, something that has really irked me is the constant misspelling of her first name — Ketanji. Justice Jackson’s parents named her Ketanji Onyika, selecting from a list of African names sent by an aunt based in West Africa at the time. Ketanji Onyika means “lovely one.” I have seen several tweets calling her Kantanji, Kentanji and Kentaji. Some of these tweets are made by major media outlets — a stain on journalism. Others are made with the sole intention of belittling her. After all, Tucker Carlson used Justice Jackson’s name as part of a tirade questioning her credibility. As you might expect, this is nothing new. Giannis Antetokounmpo will likely go down as the greatest Buck of all time, when all is said and done. His career so far already has him heading firmly towards Hall of Famer status. I don’t find too many people inspirational, but he
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is one such person. His surname “Antetokounmpo” is the hellenization of “Adetokunbo,” a Yoruba name which means “the king/crown/ royalty from across the seas.” This name holds great weight as it is, but in the case of the Antetokounmpo family, even more so. The Antetokounmpos have had to fight adversity all their lives to get to where they are today. The name is a part of their journey. Yet, the surname is often reduced to a punchline. Why is Antetokounmpo so difficult, when, say, Isaiah Hartenstein or Timothée Chalamet is so effortless? The answer is insidious, rooted in racism. The examples are plentiful. I have personally witnessed people with “ethnic” names select dull as dishwater nicknames to go by. Such beautiful, meaningful names are reduced to the most blasé words in the dictionary, just to cater to other people’s linguistic inability or lack of respect. While low-grade websites shill “exquisitely exotic” names to “remind you of sun, sea and sand,” people who naturally inherit such names face obstacles. A study comparing callbacks for job interviews between applicants with white names and African American names found 50% more callbacks for white names. Another study regarding emails sent to white professors with a white sender name — Alex — versus a Chinese name — Xian — found fewer responses to the Chinese name. All of this suggests that diversity statements and anti-discrimination laws count for nought. You’re at a
disadvantage for being yourself. You do not belong because your name does not meet white hegemonic standards. Names are at the heart of our identity. They carry great significance. Family names are passed down for generations. The name given to a child is one of the most important decisions parents
speech — alliteration to be precise. In a way, my parents did name me “gem” or “ornament,” since Anupras is a type of Alankar, a type of gem. However, colloquially speaking, my name means alliteration. My Hindi teachers loved pointing this out every year. Considering how I have always been drawn to languages and writing, I have lived up to
PHOTO COURTESY OF LLOYD DEGRANE/WIKICAGO VIA WIKIMEDIA
make. As children come to life as vessels of love, parents anoint them with grand titles, wishing to manifest destiny. My parents decided to name me Anupras. They had intended my name to mean “gem,” but they didn’t quite get it right. Well, it’s complicated. Alankar is a Hindi word that means “gem” or “ornament,” although it is most popularly used in a metaphorical sense to talk about figures of speech. Figures of speech are “language ornaments” in the context of Hindi grammar. Anupras is a kind of Alankar. A figure of
my name. I wouldn’t trade my first name for anything. Since I have come to the U.S., I have stood firm with my name. Being a stubborn person in general, I have made people repeat my name multiple times. I prefer that over accepting a meaningless Anglo name. Thankfully, I’ve mostly encountered people who want to get it right. Some people even get it absolutely spot on! I appreciate them to bits. I don’t expect people to nail the pronunciation of my name. After all, growing up in Dubai, I have heard
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Arabic speakers call me Anubras instead of Anupras. The Arabic alphabet lacks a hard p sound, which means native Arabic speakers substitute p’s with the existing b sound — Baa. It is understandable. Mildly amusing, even. People raised in the States will roll their r’s more than my name needs, or stress syllables wrong. Nonetheless, I appreciate any genuine effort. People with ethnic names deserve the same respect and opportunities afforded to those with white names. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson deserves her name to be written right 100% of the time. The Antetokounmpo name should get the reverence it deserves. My name, Anupras, should be said as “uh-noo-praas.” Not “anew-prus” or anything else ridiculous. I expect to see Anupras Mohapatra written accurately at all times. I am proud to be Anupras, and I stand firm in my name and my demands. I don’t ask for anything special. Just the bare minimum respect we deserve to see put on our names. I yearn for a day when people with ethnic names won’t need to change them and won’t be affected adversely, simply because they choose to be themselves. Anupras is a junior studying Computer Science and Journalism. He served as an opinion editor in 2020, and currently serves on the Editorial Board. What does your name mean to you? Is it fair to see “ethnic” names treated differently than others? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
Customer service jobs: The backbone of America By Erin Mercuri STAFF WRITER
At 16 years old in a crooked Starbucks hat, a coffee-stained apron and a name tag that read “Hi, my name is Erin,” I stood behind the counter as a woman double my age animatedly expressed her outrage. Verbalizing animosity at me for the uncontrollable: caffeine in a light roast cup of coffee. Immediately, I wondered how had I gotten here. Why was I taking the brunt of this woman’s anger? As a high school student working a minimum wage job to pay for the occasional gallon of gas.What had I done to deserve this stranger’s anger over a caffeinated beverage? To this day I’m still unsure. Maybe it was the right time for her and maybe I was in the wrong place. Or maybe she saw me as a scapegoat, a commercial robot paid hourly by a corporate institution to heed her every complaint. Three years later, and I still think about the light roast coffee incident. As a customer service employee, it should not be expected of me to brace myself for emotional turmoil every shift because of the possibility a customer is unhappy with their service — controllable or not. Society is civil. We are not wild animals. There is order. Patience, understanding and kindness are universally understood forms of respect. So why
does it feel as if customer service employees are the exception to these forms of respect? Is there a simple solution to diminishing this seemingly complex power dynamic between customer service employees and the people we are hired to help? My answer to closing the gap is a strong belief that everyone should work a customer-service job at some point in their life. The customer service industry is a humbling, unforgiving, ruthless line of work, yet extremely necessary. Without customer service employees, your favorite restaurants, grocery stores, malls, coffee shops and gas stations couldn’t operate. So why are customer-facing positions often undesirable? A study done by the National Library of Medicine dove deeper into dysfunctional customer behavior and its effects on customer-contact service employees, theorizing that “customercontact employees experience emotional exhaustion more frequently than other employee types.” Despite this, every customer service employee has heard the belitting phrase “the customer is always right.” This completely dismisses the humanity of every customer service employee. Customers are becoming increasingly less civil and customer service employees are expected to bear the brunt of it. So, what happened to treating others how
you want to be treated? Empathy is vital to human understanding, it’s about seeing a situation through someone else’s eyes. Without empathy towards customer service employees “dysfunctional customer behavior functions as a stressor, engendering psychological stress” in the very employees that are meant to assist customers. Due to the pandemic, customer service employees no longer provide basic services to customers such as answering questions or selling products. There is now an expectation that we provide services far beyond the scope of our job descriptions. We are mask mandate enforcers, security guards, an open ear and, worst of all, bearers of bad news. All of it takes a mental, physical and emotional toll on employees who never expected to be frontline workers. I’m not a healthcare hero — I’m a bartender. That being said, working in various customer-facing industries has made me more empathetic towards employees. This is why I suggest every person at some point in their life should hold a job as a customer service employee. According to Indeed, a customer service employee can learn a myriad of interpersonal skills while working in a customer service position such as teamwork, patience, managing
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conflict, managing stress and most of all — respect. These skills can be translated into dayto-day life either as a customer or as an employee. Currently, while working as a bartender, I have developed transferable skills that aid me not only at school and at home, but in public. I know my local Target employees can’t control what’s in stock and what’s not. I know the L.L. Bean employees at the mall a town over cannot control the shipping time of a backordered item. And I know that the wait times at my favorite restaurant are not two hours long to spite me. It is unreasonable to expect customer-facing employees to have control of the uncontrollable. Recognizing this truth and giving a little empathy can go a long way. I truly stand to believe that
everyone should work a customer service job at some point in their life. To those who never do — the opportunity to be patient, understanding and kind to the very employees that make society run is still readily available. So, next time you feel yourself getting frustrated — something bound to happen to us all — I implore you to remember that we, as customer service employees, are trying our best. With that being said, I thank you, as I do with all my customers, for your patience and understanding. Have a good rest of your day. Erin Mercuri is a sophomore studying communication arts. Do you agree that everyone should work a customer service job at some point in their life? Send all comments to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.
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Badger bats go quiet as Illinois sweeps UW By Justin Alpert SPORTS EDITOR
The Wisconsin softball team lost each of its three games at Illinois this weekend and dropped to 20-11 on the season. Minimal run production and high strikeout totals plagued the Badgers’ offense at Illinois’ Eichelberger Field as the Fighting Illini won 4-1, 4-2 and 7-1. Maddie Schwartz, the stalwart of Wisconsin’s pitching staff, started Game 1 on Saturday afternoon and struggled to miss bats—it was the first of her last 15 starts without a strikeout. Schwartz walked three batters in the 87-pitch, six-inning outing while allowing nine hits and four earned runs. Illinois struck first in the second inning, taking a 2-0 lead on a pair of RBI singles. The RBI hits came from eight-hitter Paige Berkmeyer and nine-hitter Gabi Robles, whose bottom-of-the-order production proved invaluable to Illinois’ offense. Wisconsin center fielder Ally Miklesh cut the deficit in half with a solo home run in the fourth—her second longball of the season. The senior is enjoying a stellar 2022 campaign at the middle of Wisconsin’s lineup, slashing .392/.494/.527 with 19 runs, 13 RBI and nine stolen bases. The Fighting Illini struck back with a pair of runs in their half of the fourth and extended their lead to 4-1. Wisconsin got two runners on base in the fifth but failed to score before going quietly in the sixth and seventh.
It was a dismal showing from the Badger offense, which managed two hits while striking out 13 times and not drawing a walk. Illinois pitcher Tori McQueen was excellent in her ninth win, throwing 101 pitches in the seven-inning effort. Her ability to keep the ball up, highlighted by the strikeout total and Wisconsin’s lack of ground balls, led to a dominant outing. Wisconsin didn’t have to wait long for another shot at McQueen, as the teams began Game 2 of the Saturday doubleheader after a short break. The Badgers didn’t have much more success, though, going hitless until the fourth inning. With Schwartz resting, the Badgers had Ava Justman on the mound and she failed to get nine outs. The left-handed sophomore allowed a two-run home run and a walk before exiting in the third inning. Tessa Magnanimo was greeted by another two-run shot upon entering, and the Badgers trailed 4-0. Justman’s final line was three earned runs on four hits and a pair of walks in 2.2 innings. She failed to record a strikeout. Magnanimo kept the game within reach, allowing three more hits but no additional runs after the home run. Wisconsin managed a run on a Kayla Konwent RBI single in the sixth, then added another when pinch-hitter Jolie Fish homered in the seventh. No matter, Illinois held on to
win 4-2. While the Badgers made more contact in Game 2, they still managed only three hits and a pair of walks. McQueen impressed once again, throwing 108 pitches in another complete game. McQueen wasn’t in the circle for the series finale Sunday afternoon. Instead, Wisconsin went up against Lauren Wiles, who entered with a 3-2 record. Schwartz started for the Badgers. Much like in the first two games, Illinois scored first, this time on an RBI groundout after a pair of hits in the second inning. Konwent tied the game with a solo home run in the third inning. It was the seventh home run of 2022 for the senior, and her 4-for-4 performance in the leadoff spot was one of few bright spots for Wisconsin’s offense all weekend. With a 1.302 OPS and 23 RBI, Kowent has been nothing short of spectacular this season. Illinois took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning and chased Schwartz after only 40 pitches and four-plus innings. Wisconsin’s ace had one of her worst outings of the season to date, allowing seven runs (three earned) on eight hits and a walk while striking out three. The senior’s body of work is undeniable, though— even after the uncharacteristic weekend, Schwartz is still 15-5 with a 2.64 ERA and 73:25 K:BB in 108.2 innings. Magnanimo entered in relief for the second consecutive
SHANE FRUCHTERMAN/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Badger pitcher Maddie Schwartz delivers a pitch during the first game of the Illinois series in an unusually rough outing for the senior. game and pitched well once again, striking out a pair in two scoreless innings. She boasts a 2.01 ERA and 22:3 K:BB across 14 appearances this season and is clearly Wisconsin’s top weapon out of the bullpen. The Badgers managed seven hits in the 7-1 loss, although four of those came from Konwent. Strikeouts, 12 of them this time, returned to be an issue for Wisconsin’s lineup. Wisconsin now sits at 20-11 on the season, but more importantly a pedestrian 5-4 in conference play. The weekend
sweep was undoubtedly the low point of the season so far, as the Badgers’ inept offense gave the team little chance of winning. Further, a rough weekend from Schwartz exposed Wisconsin’s relative lack of pitching depth. Justman, the No. 2 starter, has a 3.77 ERA and opponents have hit .286 off her in 61.1 innings. The Badgers will look to return to their winning ways this weekend when they host Michigan State in a three-game set at the Goodman Diamond in Madison.
Gary Brown, Wisconsin running backs coach, passes away at age 52 By Donnie Slusher SPORTS WRITER
KELLI STEFFES/UW ATHLETICS
Gary Brown worked as the UW running backs coach in the 2021-22 season.
Gary Brown, who served as the Wisconsin running backs coach during the 2021-22 season, died Sunday at the age of 52. Brown didn’t travel with the football team to the Las Vegas Bowl due to health concerns, and he had spent the most recent weeks in hospice care in his hometown of Williamsport, Pa. A Penn State star, which turned into an 8-year NFL career, Brown gained respect as a running backs coach. After successful stints with the Cleveland Browns and seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Brown retired from coaching, but came back to coach the 2021 to 2022 Badger running backs. Brown underwent two bouts with cancer, including after the 2019 season when he was not retained by the Cowboys. He underwent immunotherapy and did not coach in 2020, prior to coming to Wisconsin. Members of the UW football program shared their remorse. “Though he was only on our staff for a year, he had a
profound impact on our players and our program,” head coach Paul Chryst said in a statement. “We are all better people for having known Gary. He was a tremendous person, a terrific coach and a joy to be around. He had great energy and passion for life and showed that every day.” Freshman running back Braelon Allen added on Twitter, “This one hurts … rest easy coach.” Wide receiver Markus Allen said, “Never question why you meet some people in life, god puts people in your path for a reason. Love Coach GB.” Former safety Collin Wilder shared a populaer video from the 2021’s preseason camp of Brown working with the running backs and added, “Just a small sample of the light Coach Brown was to everyone around him and how he brought the energy every single day. His love was so genuine and it went beyond the football field. Rest in Heaven, Coach.” Freshman quarterback Deacon Hill who met with Gary Brown during Hill’s recruitment tweeted, “Be thankful for those who your
cross paths with because you never know what will happen. GB you brought energy and light into each day you were here. Can’t believe you’re gone... Rest easy coach.” Brown also received kind words from those he worked with in Dallas. “Gary Brown had a big heart partnered with a big smile and a big personality. His energy and spirit were infectious. He lit up every room he walked into and touched the lives of those who knew him in such a positive way,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. “Everyone who knew him, loved him. He meant so much to the players he coached and the coaches he coached with.” Former Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray, who made the Pro Bowl three times with Brown as his coach tweeted out, “Great Father, Husband, Coach, and Mentor. Appreciate you and your family more thananything GB... Thank you for teaching me the way on the field and in life. Appreciate you Gary Brown.” Brown is survived by his wife, Kim, his daughters Malena and Doriana and son Tre.