University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Thursday, March 18, 2021
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Students struggle without spring break By Gina Musso COLLEGE NEWS EDITOR
During the mid-semester, many students and faculty experience burnout and exhaustion caused by weeks of schoolwork, heightened by the midterm slump. Traditionally, students are able to curb this exhaustion with a nineday spring recess before they finish up their last few weeks of the spring semester. But this year, in the hopes of minimizing student travel and activity amid the COVID-19 pandemic, UW-Madison has abandoned its spring break. Instead, the university is offering no classes on Saturday, March 27, Friday, April 2 and Saturday, April 3, along with an extra week of winter break that students enjoyed in January. Due to the prevalent challenges posed by the pandemic, along with the normal stressors of a spring semester, some students are struggling to find the time to relax and recharge that a normal spring recess offers. “I was a little sad when we did not have a spring break but I didn’t know how much it would affect me until now,” said Cordy Nguyen, a sophomore studying political science and English. “It feels like a chore to tell myself that I just have to get through this week, except I have to tell myself
that every week and it makes it worse that we are only half way through the semester, and I wish I could have a break from all the school work.” UW faculty are also feeling the pressures of the mid-semester without a recess and noticing its impact on their students. “I certainly think that people got burned out very quickly,” said Cabell Gathman, a part-time lecturer of Gender and Women studies at the university. “The way that people often feel at the end of the semester, like as finals are coming up, I think most of us, students and instructors as well, felt that way very early in the semester, and it just didn’t get any better. Even coming back after the winter break, folks were a little bit recharged. But again, I think very quickly, people feel more overwhelmed this year sooner.” UW initiatives to address mental health Last week, the university held a Mental Health and Wellbeing Summit to address students’ mental and physical health amid the pandemic through workshops and activities. The idea for the summit was first proposed to administrators by Dean of Students Advisory Committee member and UW-Madison senior Elias Tsarovsky as a way for students to learn about the resources available on campus and
utilize them. “Use this mental health and wellbeing summit to really check in with people,” Tsarovsky told The Daily Cardinal. “This is campus administrators showing that they care about mental health and well being. So, hold them accountable for it, because everyone does care and we really need to just work together on it.” While the summit was held in a virtual format, some students did not have time to attend the live discussions. “I know UW had a wellness summit last Thursday and Friday but I had a midterm on Thursday at the exact time as the speaker,” Nguyen said. “I have been so overwhelmed with school work that I couldn’t go on Friday either because my choices were either to complete assignments I am behind on or attend that summit.” Other students felt that the format was not ideal when most every day activities are also online, causing students to be less motivated to attend. “Attending an event online after a day of online classes is not doable for many,” said Associated Students of Madison Chair Matthew Mitnick. The university also hopes faculty can offer support and connection
spring break page 3
GRAPHIC BY LYRA EVANS
Citizens advocate for non-partisam redistricing at public forum By Tyler Katzenberger STAFF WRITER
The People’s Maps Commission held a public hearing last Thursday in Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District — which includes the city
of Madison — where citizens voiced concerns about partisan gerrymandering in the redistricting process. Redistricting, or the redrawing of voting districts, occurs every ten years after each U.S. Census.
GRAPHIC BY LILY HOUTMAN
Voting districts are redrawn to represent population changes and make sure that each district in Wisconsin represents roughly the same amount of people. The commission was created by Gov. Tony Evers in January 2020 and consists of a chairperson and one representative from each of Wisconsin’s eight congressional districts. Its primary responsibility is to create impartial maps which will be submitted to the state legislature for consideration in 2021. “The people should choose their elected officials, not the other way around,” Evers said when announcing the commission. “Wisconsin must look to the people, not politicians, to assist in drawing maps that fairly and accurately represent our state.” As part of their map-making process, The People’s Maps Commission has held a virtual hearing in each congressional district to gather public input on redistricting before drafting their recommended map. Thursday’s hearing, held in the state’s 2nd Congressional District, was the final opportunity for citizens to voice their opinions. Retired nurse and Dane County resident Wendy Carlson
said at the hearing that she worried that gerrymandering posed a threat to democracy. “I have deep concerns for the future of democracy in our state and in our country,” Carlson said. “Legislators in gerrymandered safe seats are no longer accountable to the will of the majority of voters … this is un-democratic and un-American.” Dane County resident Shirley Smith agreed that gerrymandering has consequences for real people. “It’s clear that until non-partisan maps for voting districts are drawn and adopted, making each person’s vote count equally, ordinary citizens will continue to struggle for our lives and livelihoods,” Smith said. Carlson went on to express support for local resolutions favoring non-partisan redistricting. These efforts have been led by the Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, an organization advocating for non-partisan redistricting. Voters in 28 counties and 20 municipalities have passed a Fair Maps referendum, with four counties and the city of Appleton slated to vote on the referendum in the April elections. A similar resolution, which is approved by county
governments instead of voters, has been passed in 54 counties, which represents over 80 percent of Wisconsin’s population. Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Executive Director Matt Rothschild also testified and criticized the lack of transparency in past redistricting processes. “In 2011, the drawing was done in the dark, in the locked map room of a private law office,” Rothschild said. “That’s not how redistricting should be done in a democracy. Redistricting should be done in sunlight, not in darkness.” The 2011 redistricting process was dominated by Republicans, who controlled the Governor’s office and both houses of the state legislature. In just two months, Republican legislators released their new maps, passed them through the Assembly and Senate after holding one public hearing and delivered them to former Gov. Scott Walker’s desk, where they were signed into law. During the process, only Republicans were allowed to see how the maps were drafted, and were required to sign non-disclo-
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“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”