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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.”
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Thursday, March 18, 2021
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Obuseh campaigning for her hometown By Sophia Vento STAFF WRITER
Since high school, Ayomi Obuseh has had a vision for the city she calls home. She developed a close relationship with a Madison West after-school care worker who fostered her passion as an activist and community advocate. “I used to talk about my vision for Madison when I was organizing in high school [with her],” said Obuseh. “I know that she would want me to do something fearless; I knew that the act of running would be something she would want to see.” Ultimately, the passing of that after-school care worker at Madison West is what inspired Obuseh to “throw [her] hat in the ring” for District 8 Alder. Obuseh is running for the District 8 position on the Madison Common Council — representing the UW-Madison campus and some of its surrounding neighborhoods — against a fellow UW-Madison student and woman of color, Juliana Bennett. Her platform is committed to social, racial and environmental justice, as well as campus safety, education and COVID-19 relief. She supports policies that range from the implementation of lights on Lakeshore Path, to an alternative crisis intervention program, to increased sustainability at UW-Madison, among many others. That after-school care worker, as well as Michelle Obama, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Obuseh’s mother are all inspirations to the alder candidate. “These powerful women of color who are fearless, who are brave — I hope to emulate in myself and give off to others,” Obuseh said. She has seen many endorse-
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community and their experiences. This, according to Obuseh, is indicated through the actions of local allies, groups and peoples that “have the best intentions, but the efforts that they are making are not as effective as they could be.” “It’s very short-sighted in many ways and was frustrating to realize,” said Obuseh. Understanding how to initiate progressive conversations
COURTESY OF BETTY LI
Ayomi Obuseh, a District 8 Alder candidate, is fighting for her home. LaTonya Johnson, in conjunction with her activism work relating to racial justice and youth involvement in Madison has sparked great support for her political ambitions. “I felt like I had the capabilities to do the job effectively,” reiterated Obuseh. “And I have connections with the community and that’s something we need more of.” Obuseh describes herself as an activist as well as an organizer and has expressed disappointment with the lack of progressive legislation in Madison. The city’s definition of progress is often not “holistic” in her point of view — it does not encapsulate the entire Madison
while inviting more people to said conversations is key, but making a concrete effort to write and pass more comprehensive legislation is equally important, said Obuseh, who has experience passing legislation at a state level. Obuseh also looks to approach issues through an intersectional lens. She underscored her hope for Madison to become the “epicenter” of this shift. Community is also central to Obuseh’s advocacy and campaign. “I have never seen Madison come together in the way it has,” Obuseh said, referencing the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement — emphasizing that it is
the role of the alder to ensure that this sense of community continues. Additionally, Obuseh hopes to facilitate and encourage strong connections between UW students and the broader Madison area. “I really want to make sure that students find a home here in Madison,” Obuseh said. “I do think we need to talk about ways in which we can help students produce more innovative and creative products that could work here in Madison.” Relationships between students and community members are integral because, according to Obuseh, the university does not promote enough engagement with the community despite equipping students with the skills to solve problems and be innovative. “As alder, I would continue to be a resource for many students, to connect them with community members — which can help them in their endeavors,” she said. When asked what she would like voters to know about her, Obuseh highlighted her deep bonds with Madison. “I am fighting for my home,” said Obuseh. “I went to school at Madison West, my friends are here, my family is here — my future is here.” “So every effort that I have made to help the community is because this is my home and these are my people,” continued Obuseh. “As an organizer, you do not organize people you do not love.” Voting for the District 8 Alder Seat will take place during the Madison Common Council election on April 6. Find out more about how to vote for Common Council positions at the city’s election website.
MMSD students begin modified in-person classes By Nicole Herzog STAFF WRITER
Kavitha Babu, Chair • Kalli Anderson • Will Cioci • Ian-Michael Griffin • Anupras Mohapatra • Riley Sumner • Gaby Vinick
ments from community leaders, including four MMSD School Board members, CEO and founder of Urban Triage, Brandi Grayson, and the Civilian Oversight Board ViceChair, Shadayra Kilfoy-Flores, among others. Her work as a volunteer coordinator for Democrat Tom Palzewicz’s congressional campaign, as well as in the office of Wisconsin State Senator
The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) announced plans Thursday to resume in-person learning for students grades 3-12 starting April 13, causing concerns among some local educators. Third grade students are scheduled to return to the classroom starting April 13, and fourth and fifth grade students will return on April 20. Both groups will receive four full days of inperson instruction per-week, according to MMSD. Sixth grade students, high school freshmen and seniors will also return to the classroom on April 20 for two full days in-person and two full days of virtual instruction. Seventh and eighth grade students as well as high school sophomores and juniors are also scheduled to return for two days a week beginning April 27. The scheduled return follows previous efforts to return students between kindergarten and the third grade to in-person instruction, which began on March 9.
“Our decision today is the result of the advice from public health experts, indicating the conditions are favorable for us to continue to move forward with our phased approach,” Superintendent Carl Jenkins said in a Q&A session Thursday night. Families have also been given the option to choose between having their child attend virtual or in-person classes via an online questionnaire sent last week. However, MMSD staff are required to teach in-person, according to The Cap Times. Some Madison educators expressed concerns about reopening due to the fact that teachers will not be prioritized to receive COVID-19 vaccines until March 19, which may cause some MMSD employees to return to the classroom before they can be vaccinated. The Madison teachers union, Madison Teachers Inc. (MTI), issued a statement expressing their concerns regarding the Dane County Public Health system’s decision to delay prioritizing MMSD employees for vaccination. “We are disappointed by the recent Dane County Public
Health announcement that the county will not start offering teachers and childcare workers the COVID-19 vaccine for at least two weeks due to a lack of adequate vaccine supply,” MTI said in a public statement. “Tragically, the effect of this decision delays access for many Black and Brown workers – many who are already working in person. Leaving workers unvaccinated poses a risk to the workers, their families, and the community.” Other school districts in the surrounding Dane County area, including Waunakee and Sun Prairie, have not experienced the same difficulty vaccinating teachers, with a majority of educators in these districts having received a vaccination within the past two weeks, according to WKOW. Several educators have individually voiced their frustration with MMSD’s failure to supply teachers with vaccines prior to the return to in-person classes. “MMSD should have secured enough vaccines for their employees,” one anonymous MMSD teacher stated in an interview with The Daily Cardinal. “With MMSD being the second largest
school district in the state, they should have been able to find some way to get vaccines for all of their teachers.” Some teachers have been able to receive the vaccine on their own accord, however, there remain additional health concerns, according to Van Hise Elementary School teacher Sharon Jimenez. “After being vaccinated for now, I feel pretty safe, as long as we’re following the protocol. And there’s the catch — we have to be following the most safe protocol,” Jimenez said. “Otherwise, I worry for the kids because you’re finding out more and more that there could be long term effects for the kids who do get it, even though they’re less likely to get it, but then they’re also spreaders.” Jimenez expressed her hope that in-person instruction will be able to safely resume inperson instruction so students can have a more constructive learning environment. “Teachers are working hard, and we just want what is best for our students, and what’s best for one another,” Jimenez said. “Eventually we’re going to get back to normal.”
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Thursday, March 18, 2021
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Wisconsin’s 2020 wolf hunt: What went wrong?
COURTESY OF WISCONSIN WOLF HUNTING FACEBOOK
what the DNR had recommended to the board. After tribal leaders made a request to the DNR to receive their due allotment, up to 50% of the state harvest, and the DNR decreased the harvest quota from 200 to 119. Charlie Rasmussen, a representative from GLIFWC, said that the tribes decided not to have a hunt and leave their portion of the quota as live wolves. Nonetheless, non-native hunters overshot their own quota, raking in 216 kills, approximately 20% of the state’s wolf population, over the course of three days. The DNR was not able to honor the tribes’ allotment of 81 live wolves. “There’s a lot of reasons why a hunt is really antithetical from the tribe’s point of view for cultural reasons and for spiritual reasons,” said Rasmussen. “For the idea of a harvest to be out of need. Tribes are not supporters of trophy hunting.” 86% of the harvested wolves were taken by use of hounds. The use of dogs had not been permitted in previous seasons due to its efficiency and low populations in previous seasons. Wisconsin is the only state in which their use in wolf hunting is permitted. Some cite the efficiency of the hunt as a result of pristine tracking conditions with the fresh snow the morning the hunt began. “The use of dogs is a very efficient method of harvest,” Randy Johnson, Carnivore specialist for the DNR said. “In northern Wisconsin, we had fresh snow both Monday morning and Tuesday morning, which is ideal conditions for tracking wolves.” With the vast majority of wolf harvests in the state taking place with the use of dogs, many are morally opposed to this method. The DNR was sued by the Wisconsin Humane Society in 2012 citing that they would like “reasonable rules are established to protect dogs from injury or death.” Hunters can be compensated for dogs killed during hunts and are limited to six dogs in pursuit. However, concerns arose that harvested wolves were not being reported in a timely manner, resulting in all harvest zones exceeding their quota. Hunters have 24 hours to register a kill online, but some suggest that wolves were reported as late as possible to keep the hunt open. On the Facebook page “Wisconsin Wolf Hunting,” users posted memes about registering tags in the middle of the night, along with pictures of their
also removed their spring breaks for the year. “This situation highlights one of the many unprecedented challenges universities face during a pandemic,” said UW spokesperson Meredith McGlone. “We hear the concerns that students are sharing and have taken a number of other steps to address them, including holding the Mental Health and Wellbeing Summit and week of caring.” Students, including Mitnick, wished that the University had considered other options when proposing the academic calendar changes. “It is really disturbing that the administration cancelled spring break without any viable alternatives,” Mitnick said. “I recognize the safety concerns; however, if UW implemented a Moral Restart with virtual instruction, then they could have a spring break no problem. In September, I told the Faculty Senate that they should do the same thing
that they did for the fall semester during Thanksgiving - keep the spring break as was previously scheduled and just put in-person courses online for the remainder of the semester.” As of Wednesday night, over 3,700 students have signed an online petition calling to “Give UW-Madison Students Wellness Days.” According to the 2021-2022 academic calendar, recess time is allotted for both Thanksgiving and during the Spring 2022 semester. “I’m not doing as poorly as I assumed I would be, but I’m not great,” UW-Madison freshman Emily Widgren said of the abnormal semester. “I have struggled with fully understanding the material in my classes and staying focused on my lectures. I want to apply to grad school and I’m afraid that this year and possibly next if we continue with this online format and start to take away breaks that I’ll continue to struggle.”
By Helena Wehrs STAFF WRITER
Shots rang out across Wisconsin on Monday, Feb. 22, as the state’s first wolf hunt in seven years took place. Packs of dogs raced across the fresh snow as hunters quickly overshot the harvest quota of 119. The hunt was closed just two days after it had begun as the DNR continued to receive reports of successful kills. The proposed late winter hunt had taken place despite an outdated state wolf management plan and inadequate regulation of the harvest. The Natural Resources Board had initially voted down the late winter hunt due to the lack of tribal consultation. However, the hunt proceeded due to a court order brought about by an out-of-state hunting group Hunter Nation’s lawsuit, without the necessary communication to tribal leaders. “I don’t want to call it miscommunication because no communication [happened],” said Abi Fergus, a wildlife specialist for the Bad River Band. “At this point it seems like willful ignorance.” Treaty rights in the Great Lakes region stipulate that tribes must be consulted before hunts are established, but the DNR did not make adequate attempts to reach Wisconsin tribes. Technicians did call Peter David, a wildlife biologist at the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, the Friday before the NRB special meeting where the quotas were established. As a member of GLIFWC, David works
+SPRING BREAK to the students in their classes. On Monday, Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning John Zumbrunnen addressed UW instructors on “the importance of self-care and wellbeing.” “I encourage you to consider how you might, as you think appropriate, share your own experience with students, including challenges you’ve faced and ways in which you practice self-care,” Zumbrunnen said. “Hearing directly and personally from instructors who they respect and admire can be incredibly powerful and important for students.” Implementing the academic calendar changes The UW-Madison Faculty Senate approved the removal of the spring recess in September. Other Big Ten schools, including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Michigan, Purdue University and Indiana University
with tribes in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota to affirm their hunting and gathering rights in ceded territories. “There was nothing that I would say qualified as tribal communication,” David said of the interaction. Fergus noted this trend of poor communication between the tribes and the state has lasted for years. “In the 2010s the state both ignored the tribes assertions about what portion of the wolf quota they would claim and the tribes asserting the buffer zones … There has been no conversation with the tribes for a lot of this.” When determining quotas for the hunt, Natural Resources Board members cited their concerns about the goal of the harvest and its conflicts with the state management plan, a document which outlines the state’s goals for population control and the actions the DNR should take to meet them. Keith Warnke, the Division Administrator of the DNR’s Division of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, stated that the hunt’s goal was to stabilize the population, as dictated in the plan, but NRB Vice-Chair Greg Kazmierski raised concerns about this objective. “I’m not sure that [this] follows the current management plan in place,” Kazmierski stated. The board proceeded to approve a motion with an initial quota of 200 wolves with no allocation to tribal harvests and a permit distribution ratio of twenty permits to each wolf harvested. The permit allocation was double
COURTESY OF WIKI-COMMONS
The wolf hunt ended early due to a high number of reports on successful kills. kills and YouTube videos for “wild game cooking.” Though hunters are not entirely to blame for the hunt’s undesirable outcome. The Wisconsin DNR neglected to update key information related to the harvest in its management plan. The current Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan was written in 1999 and was last updated in 2007. Many supporters of the recent wolf hunt cite a supposed wolf population goal of 300. Vice-Chair Kazmierski cited this “population goal” of 300 in the initial meeting discussing a wolf hunt, stating, “We know the population... It’s three times above the management plan goal.” The only time a population of 300 wolves in Wisconsin is mentioned in the plan is discussed in the context of 300500 wolves occupying premium habitat in the state. 350 wolves is the population minimum in the 2007 update where a variety of management strategies such as depredation control or public harvest are to be considered a possibility. Many Wisconsin residents did not want the hunt to take place to begin with. During the January 22nd meeting of the Natural Resources Board members heard nearly four hours of public testimony and received over 1400 written testimonies that were overwhelmingly opposed to the hunt. One such testimony came from Melissa Smith who spoke on behalf of a citizen advocacy group the Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance. “Those who propose this rushed hunt are doing so full well knowing that they need to rush and not follow best available science or the public trust because there’s an extremely high probability that wolves will have protections restored to the Endangered Species Act,” she said. Donald Waller, a recently retired ecologist and conservation biologist
from the University of WisconsinMadison, wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Post with environmental attorney Jodi Habush Sinykin. Waller had choice words for how the Wisconsin DNR handled the hunt, and presented two questions for organizers of future hunts: “Why do we allow unethical wolf hunts to take place? And just as importantly, why are we allowing the narrow interests of hunters to override sound, science-based conservation policy?” After the initial delisting of the gray wolf, the DNR had planned a hunt for November 2021 to give the department ample time to gather accurate data, public views and tribal consultation. This rushed hunt did not meet the tribe’s rights to consultation on harvests on ceded territories or include an updated management plan. The plan in use was written in 1999 and updated in 2007. Looking to the future, and to the possible 2021 hunt, tribal representatives and wildlife experts alike hope that state lawmakers, court and DNR approach the controversial hunt with greater tact and preparation. The DNR has already set a timeline for an updated wolf management plan to be written; a draft should be ready for public input in February 2022. “They clearly have to do a better job than they did this time,” David concluded. In the end, the state of Wisconsin failed to honor its own management standards outlined in a plan written over twenty years ago: “The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources adheres to the principles of adaptive management and the Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan will be periodically reviewed, and adapted to meet changing biological and social conditions.”
+REDISTRICTING
approval. The Republican proposal will probably be vetoed by Evers, at which point federal courts will likely be tasked with drawing nonpartisan maps, as they did in 1991 and 2001. In 2019, the Republican leaders denied they would attempt to pass redistricting maps through a joint resolution, which could not be vetoed by the governor, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty Executive Director Rick Esenberg had told the Wisconsin Examiner that he was not working with Republicans on a joint resolution plan, but added that redistricting is reserved to the legislature and “should be taken literally.” A 1964 court ruling found redistricting by joint resolution unconstitutional, but with a conservative-controlled state Supreme Court, that precedent could be challenged.
sure agreements before accessing the “map room.” It was only after Senate Democrats gained access to computer records in 2012 that it was revealed Republicans had created a partisan gerrymander by packing Democratic voters into districts or splitting their votes between two districts. As a result, Republicans have enjoyed large electoral victories in Wisconsin, even in elections where they failed to win a majority of the vote. In November’s elections, Democrats only won 38.4 percent of the Assembly seats despite getting 45.5 percent of the vote, and won only 36.4 percent of Senate seats with 46.5 percent of the vote. Later this year, the Republican legislature will consider the People’s Maps Commission proposals and then draft their own map proposal which will be sent to Evers for
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Thursday, March 18, 2021
By Nathan Denzin ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
It is a goddamn miracle we have made it this far into the college basketball season — COVID19 threatened to ruin a lot of dreams this year, but we finally made it to March Madness. We even get fans, as universities were able to find a way to put profit over safety to make this season ending tournament as entertaining for us at home as it can possibly be. There are a whole lot of good teams in this year’s tournament, and a whole bunch of them are going to lose right away. Here are some teams who are going to help that nightmare become reality for top teams like Alabama and Creighton, and make it to at least the Sweet 16.
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the stretch of the season to earn themselves the 5-seed. I see this going down as a classic 5-12 upset in the round of 64, to move the Gauchos on to a matchup against 4-seed Virginia, who has had to take some time off basketball before the tournament because of a positive COVID test. If Virginia isn’t on top of its game against USCB, the Gauchos could look to take advantage of sloppy possessions and turn them into quick points. Just because USCB hasn’t played a top 75 team doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be taken seriously. If they can catch both Creighton and Virginia on off days, the Gauchos could be dancing on the second weekend of the tournament.
energy they bring to the court — and Wisconsin learned the hard way that bench energy can be the difference during the pandemic. The Terrapins face off against
covering the women’s hockey team, I went to the Frozen Four in Minneapolis to cover the Badgers, and I very distinctly remember Colgate beating
per game. Both teams are prolific at scoring, and play at super high paces for college ball. While that isn’t usually a great recipe for an upset, if Arkansas isn’t hitting
Maryland USCB USCB comes into the tournament with a 22-4 record and a 12-seed, and only one loss since January. The Gauchos ate up the Big West conference in the regular season, and cruised through the conference tournament to secure an automatic bid in the tournament. The Gauchos are led by senior JaQuori McLaughlin (16.2 ppg) and junior Amadou Sow (7.6 rpg), and have a starting five and a sixth man that are all experienced upperclassmen. On the other hand Creighton is coming off an absolute spanking at the hands of Georgetown in the Big East tournament, and a lackluster 3-3 record down
This is kind of cheating because Maryland is a 10-seed but whatever they still count as a double-digit seed. Maryland was one of the last Big Ten teams to make it into the field of 68, but as Badger fans know the Terrapins have the ability to beat anybody if their whole team can click. Maryland has three players that average more than 10 points per-game, and play disciplined basketball only turning the ball over 11 times a game. Maryland boasts away wins at Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota, and a home win against Purdue to prove how dangerous they can be. The Terps biggest weapon is arguably the
COURTESY OF FLICKR USER CRAIG JAMES VIA CREATIVE COMMONS
The Maryland Terrapins (10) have a favorable matchup against a skidding Clemson program in round one. 7-seed UConn in the first round, and 2-seed Alabama in the second round. The Terps will be a pretty good barometer on how deep the Big Ten really is as a conference. If they sink against UConn it wouldn’t be a great look, but they have the potential to make it to the Sweet 16 and beyond if they can dictate the energy on the court. Colgate Back in 2017-18 when I was
Wisconsin in the semifinal game. I think it took an overtime or two, and the Raiders eventually won in a sudden death overtime. The game lasted until like midnight and I was up till at least 1 a.m. writing that story. I still don’t like Colgate because of that. Anyway they have a pretty good chance at making a run to the Sweet 16. Colgate plays Arkansas in the first round, which promises to be a pretty high scoring affair as both teams score near 90 points
their shots and Colgate is, the Razorbacks could go down. In the second round the Raiders would take on either Texas Tech or Utah State. Utah State would have been my other choice for a doubledigit seed making the Sweet 16 because Texas Tech is kind of bad, but I’m giving the edge to Colgate because of their crazy scoring ability. I won’t be rooting for them, but Colgate could dance past their first two games.
Big Ten has best chance in years to win an NCAA championship By Seamus Rohrer STAFF WRITER
TAYLOR WOLFRAM/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Michigan (1) and Wisconsin (9) have near-opposite paths to the title.
The madness is back. In 2020, the annual NCAA basketball tournament took a hiatus at the dawn of the Coronavirus outbreak. This was a major letdown for fans of the sport worldwide, and particularly disappointing for teams gearing up for a run at the hardware. At this time last year, the Badgers were coming off a scorching-hot run to end the season, and looked poised to make their deepest run in the tournament since Tyus Jones and the Duke Blue Devils broke their heart in the 2015 national title game. Since that year, the Big Ten has been consistently sending around seven teams to the bracket, which usually is good for first or second in the nation in that regard. In 2021, however, a whopping nine teams from the Big Ten received an invitation, easily good enough for best in the nation ahead of the Big Twelve and the ACC (with seven each). The Big Ten has firmly set itself apart as the best conference in college basketball this year. The conference boasts two topseeded teams in the tournament, Michigan and Illinois. Following them are two No. 2 teams, Iowa and Ohio State. Two of the best players in the sport will be representing the Big Ten this March,
Iowa forward Luka Garza and Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu. Both are considered among the favorites to win National Player of the Year. Not only does the Big Ten have elite, high-end talent, its middleof-the-pack contenders would be regular season favorites in most other conferences. The fact that teams like Wisconsin (9) and Rutgers (10) can each go 10-10 in conference play and still land respectable seeds depicts just how brutal the Big Ten has been this year. While every team in the tournament is eager to prove itself on a national stage, lower-tier Big Ten teams that still made the bracket like Maryland (10 seed, 9-11 in conference games) undoubtedly can’t wait to play an out-of- conference game. So how did so many Big Ten teams make the tournament this year? For starters, conference play was an absolute gauntlet. When looking at seeding, it’s clear lots of benefit-of-the-doubt was given to teams simply because they had to play a conference slate in the Big Ten. Rutgers, for example, went a dismal 1-7 against top-25 teams. Coupled with a mediocre .500 record in conference play, the Scarlet Knights don’t look like your average tournament-worthy squad. However, when considering all of those top-25 matchups were in the loaded Big Ten, Rutgers looks
like a battle-tested survivor. This experience will also be key when the bloodbath starts, as every Big Ten team in the tournament has played at least eight games against ranked competition. Michigan and Illinois –– as number one seeds –– have the easiest, if not the clearest, path to the final four. Regardless, once teams reach the sweet sixteen and onwards, anything goes. In the East, Florida State could give Michigan plenty of trouble, and Oklahoma State and their NBA Lottery-caliber guard Cade Cunningham would be no easy task for the Fighting Illini. In the South quadrant of the bracket, Wisconsin, Purdue, and Ohio State could all potentially win multiple games, but must get past the giant that is No. 1 Baylor. As always, 63 teams will go home disappointed this year. The March Madness bracket is ruthless, magnifying every possession on the court and leaving no room for error. Despite the consistently solid number of teams the Big Ten sends to the tournament every year, a national champion hasn’t come out of the conference since Michigan State cut down the nets in 2000. This year easily represents one of the best chances the conference will have to crown a champion.
arts Tony Soprano is the perfect anti-hero dailycardinal.com
By Philip Klinker STAFF WRITER
In preparation for our first fully online semester of college, my roommates and I sprung for the faster of the AT&T and internet packages. This package included a complimentary subscription to HBO Max. While the speed of the wireless connection may have been overstated, HBO’s vast library of original content became a TV staple in my apartment. I watched several recommended titles in the early months, but no show has quite dominated my binging hours like The Sopranos. On the surface, “The Sopranos” reads like a classic Scorcese-esque mob drama, complete with talented, authentic-feeling New York/New Jersey wise guys, brutal mob violence, internal politics and family drama. It centers around New Jersey mob boss, Tony Soprano, masterfully portrayed by the late James Gandolfini. If you’ve seen the show, you know that the story goes much deeper than that. “The Sopranos” is a beautiful and thoughtful story about mental illness, and the way we view it. It’s about economic and social anxiety for an aging and changing America at the time of the new millennium. It’s about family and what it means to be married or to raise children. It’s about all that and a lot more. However if you were to peruse the social media communities of the show’s fandom, you’re bound to find a different interpretation. There are forums and pages full of fans, many just recently discovering the show as I did, who see the show for all its style and charisma and think of Tony Soprano as a character whose actions in the series are endorsed by the creators or is at least defensible. They believe Tony’s actions are justified just because he spends so much
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time justifying them to himself. It’s an interpretation especially common in fans of mob stories who see a justified outlaw or a badass where there is a tragic figure. And I’m not saying characters can’t be both. Generally I like to focus on all the things a story is rather than gatekeep about what a story is not. I think art has a lot more to say than even the artist who created it could articulate and different interpretations can be and often are just as valid. There is rarely a “correct” interpretation of a piece of art, but to put it simply, “The Sopranos” is just not about cool guys being cool and doing cool, good things. People who can’t see the anti in the antihero have been around for as long as the concept itself. In the 1970 WWII movie “Patton”, the eponymous general is played by the great George C. Scott. Scott, who would become the first actor to refuse an Academy Award for this portrayal, played the controversial and boisterous military man as a rabid war dog. The movie is a product of growing anti-war sentiment in America as the Vietnam War passed its height. It may be his story but Patton is no one’s hero. Well, not no one. In fact a pretty important person saw the bloodthirsty conqueror Scott brought to life and thought he’d follow suit. Incumbent President Richard Nixon famously watched “Patton” on repeat, enthralled by Scott’s character, in the months before he escalated the Vietnam War by bombing areas of neutral Cambodia. Nixon’s national security advisor, Henry Kissinger, even said “When he was pressed to the wall, his [Nixon’s] romantic streak surfaced and he would see himself as a belea-
ANTHONY NESTE/THE LIFE IMAGES COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
'The Sopranos' shows mob boss Tony Soprano try to fight his inner-demons. guered military commander in the tradition of ‘Patton’.” Suddenly, the very war “Patton” sought to critique was getting even bloodier after the President saw it. This isn’t just a problem of the powerful or of a past generation. If you know more than a few young men studying business today you’ll likely find at least a few with a genuine admiration for Jordan Belfort as portrayed in “The Wolf of Wall Street”. The greedy, lying, cheating, exploitative character was even an inspiration for several retail investors during the recent Gamestop/ WallStreetBets affair. The real Belfort even weighed in, playing off of his persona from the popular movie to encourage the small time stock traders. Belfort seems to relish in the publicity garnered from the character based off of him and is known to lean
into it. Even Belfort, the man on whom the antihero is based, seems to miss that the movie is as much a tragedy as it is a hero’s journey. In storytelling what the protagonist does is extremely important but antihero protagonists like Tony Soprano, like Patton, like Belfort or “Gone Girl”’s Amy Dunne are even more significant in what they choose not to do. The cautionary tales and tragedies of these figures seem to get lost in their personalities or in their sympathetic nature. Antiheroes are supposed to be sympathetic. The best ones will have us cheering them on even as they commit great wrongs. As Tony Soprano brutalizes debtors, murders in a blind rage, cheats on and betrays his wife he remains sympathetic because we see the story from his perspective. Antiheroes show us that a villain
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is not some one-track-minded monster but a person with their own aspirations and justifications. They are compelling because they show us that one story’s one dimensional villain is another’s complex protagonist. In another story Tony would be a villain but this is his story with all the bad decisions and unforced errors that entails. Tony being a tragic figure is part of what makes the series so relevant 20 years after the pilot first aired. The show is currently undergoing a renaissance with fresh think pieces, cast reunions, podcasts and even a prequel, the upcoming “Many Saints of Newark”. A new generation is discovering the prestige TV of old and in “The Sopranos”, in its commentary on social issues, on mental illness on the very nature of the American way of life, we’ve found something that has never been more relevant, even if it’s told from our parents’ perspective. We’re supposed to see at least some of ourselves in most protagonists. They’re written to be relatable. We’re meant to even find ourselves rooting for them as they do wrong but it’s not because their actions are an example of how to be but because they are an example of how not to be. Antiheroes are sympathetic tragedies. There, but for the grace of God, go I. They show us there is a monster in all of us and that being human is deciding whether you want to embrace it or not. Antiheroes are useful, thoughtful, entertaining protagonists but too often we fall in the trap of fully embracing them and their choices. So root for Tony and all the other wicked heroes but maybe don’t list them under your role models.
Russo Brothers’ movie ‘Cherry’ fails to live up to expectations despite compelling plot with big names attached By John Bildings STAFF WRITER
Do you ever read a book, find yourself stunned, then spend hours trying to picture exactly what the adaptation will look like? The sights, the sounds — and more importantly, names involved? Nico Walker’s 2018 debut novel “Cherry” had that magical effect on me when I picked it up last November. Written by Walker, while serving a 11-year prison sentence for a string of bank robberies he committed during a PTSD-fueled battle with heroin addiction, the story tells an odyssey-like tale of a nameless young man who falls in love with a girl he meets at a local college, marries and soon becomes separated from as he enlists as an army
medic in the Iraq War. All of this happens before he faces unbelievable struggles upon his return and turns towards a life of crime to feed both of their drug addictions and combat the demons he faces from his years of service. “Cherry” caught my attention from a pop culture podcast I frequent on a regular basis — especially when I learned that none other than Marvel’s own Russo Brothers and friendly neighborhood Spiderman Tom Holland would be directing and starring in a film version. While the thought of Peter Parker holding up tellers and shooting up black tar felt as foreign as doing it myself, I was cautiously optimistic that the pairing would be able to put togeth-
PAUL ABELL/ APPLE TV+
Tom Holland is the star of the Russo Brothers' new thriller, "Cherry."
er an adaptation worthy of recognition. Holland, first recognized (and previously recommended) for his work in J.A. Bayona’s tsunami film “The Impossible” in 2010, provided what I thought to be a solid performance in last fall’s Netflix crime ensemble “The Devil All The Time” — attempting to showcase the development of dramatic chops in the years since he took over the web-slinging mantle. The move on the Brothers’ parts also seemed deliberate, breaking from the superhero franchise and foraying into prestige play in a trajectory that spans from Emmy-winning sitcoms, all the way to Marvel’s triumphant third phase conclusion in 2019. In what appeared to be an homage to filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and other crime directors from decades past, Holland’s unnamed protagonist frequently breaks the fourth wall throughout the “sections” (labeled as such) and explains to the audience why he is performing the actions he does. What works as informative and revealing in those previous films doesn’t match the tone of the matter here, and oftentimes comes off as mockingly sarcastic and feels as though it fetishizes the actions the protagonist undertakes to feed his growing addictions. Throw in moment after moment of baffling insert shots and cartoon-
ish text imagery to emphasize what we can already see unfolding before us, particularly a brutal basic training sequence that attempts to mimic the opening half of Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket”, and I was left wondering if the Brothers really forgot they no longer made sardonic, “let’s all stare at the camera” sitcoms or simply don’t care. The most confusing part about these hokey artistic choices? Most of this imagery fades before the heroin-lacedportion of the story even occurs. There were a few lone bright spots in “Cherry” that helped me stick it out despite the ill-advised interpretation was. The Iraq battle sequences, shot with the action-packed vigor I know they’re capable of providing, were pretty effective in capturing the brutality of war on screen – most notably when Holland’s squadron mates are killed by a desert explosive and the rooted trauma of what he’s endured during his time overseas begin to take center stage across the narrative. Holland does a decent job of capturing the energy of a depressed soul whose been beaten down by the world well into the latter half of the tale, once he turns into a living zombie who will do most anything to avoid horrifying withdrawal symptoms. Unfortunately, whether he’s sobbing on the phone to Emily from Fallujah or losing his grip on his sanity after an accident takes away his will to live,
his inherently plucky boyish charm still doesn’t quite capture the slowly growing monster Walker managed to construct in the novel. I give him an “A” for effort all around, but ultimately his performance led me to think that another young star — ahem, an often-sullen fellow named Timothée Chalamet — would have been a better fit. As the epilogue came to a close and I turned off my computer, I texted arts writer Dominic LeRose and told him how much I wanted to like this movie — but simply couldn’t because of how much of a jumbled mess I thought it was. It tries to jump through too many narrative hoops and capture too many tropes across a weird style of filmmaking that it felt more like a piece of fan fiction than anything else, disappointing for how much I enjoyed Walker’s book. If the Russo Brothers had something to say about modern America in “Cherry”, they didn’t quite know how to do it — a precarious situation I find myself in whenever I sit down to write reviews. Perhaps they’ll find it with the Marvel days behind them, yet until then largely fell flat in their first expedition beyond Captain America and company. As for Mr. Holland, I won’t sell my stock quite yet — but as our back-and-forth messages might reveal, he may be better suited for riding the romcom highway ahead.
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Warner Bros announces sexy cut of Space Jam 2 By Nick Rawling ALMANAC DESK EDITOR
After intense internet backlash following director Malcolm Lee’s decision to desexualize the image of Lola Bunny in the upcoming remake of the classic 1996 film “Space Jam”, Warner Bros has announced that a triple-X cut of the movie will be released later this year. The company is billing the movie as the “sexiest, most booty-licious sequel ever created.” “We really had no idea that getting rid of the anthropomorphized rabbit’s boobs would make people this upset,” one executive said. “Nevertheless, we feel we
need to give our audience what it really wants.” The new cut of the film will reportedly draw inspiration from Wattpad fanfictions authored by weird perverts. “Some writers get their ideas from dreams, or from greats like Shakespeare,” said Pete Krungus, one of the film’s creators. “I’m different though. My aha moment was when I read the line, ‘I want you to slam jam me, Bugs!’” To tease the film, Warner Bros also announced a few details to give audiences an idea of what the movie will be all about. Here are a few of the scenes viewers have to look forward to: Instead of painting a false tunnel on the gym-
nasium wall for Wile E. Coyote to run into, Road Runner will paint a fake glory-hole to trick his foe. Daisy Duck will do a 30-minute stand-up routine where she just talks about her corkscrew vagina the whole time. Bugs Bunny will have a massive bulge outline that is clearly visible in every scene he’s featured in. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will make a cameo appearance. LeBron will use Tweety as a butt plug. Finally, and most importantly, Lola Bunny will be hot and have huge boobs again. IMAGE BY ELDER KID COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
Joe Biden says he won’t intervene in Tomato Town By James Ma ALMANAC CONTRIBUTOR
It’s been two years since content creator Leviathan uploaded the iconic “Chug Jug With You” to SoundCloud. The song instantly became a top hit on TikTok and is today considered one of the most influential pop songs of the 21st century. But even more importantly, the song sparked an antiviolence movement with its reference to the ongoing atrocities in Tomato Town and its lyrics encouraging love and peace, like “I really love to chug with you” and “La la la la la ee a.” According to recent Gallup polls, after hearing “Chug Jug With You,” 85% of Americans now favor sending emergency humanitarian aid to the region. Just 12% believe taking action would give too much credit to the Fortnite community. The Biden administration, however, has refused to intervene, citing “uncertainty in the situation” and that getting involved would trigger backlash among the native
Tomatonians, whom early American settlers attempted to eradicate by putting explosives in their tomatoes, the cash crop of the region. A recent Security Council resolution backed this position. Action has been further impeded by conspiracy theorists, who claim that the Fortnite community is funding the violence by selling insurgents weaponry using offshore bank accounts in the Cayman Islands. Still, protest against inaction has been huge, and Instagram temporarily shut down its servers due to a huge influx of “stories.” According to one student at the University of Alabama, “This is big. Real big. Every day I login to social media I read about a hundred posts sayin’ that we gotta do somethin’. We must not let the fire burn out. We must continue to post more stories.” Yesterday, when asked about the latest developments during a press conference, President Joe Biden said, “How would I know? C’mon man.” The administration declined to comment.
IMAGE BY WHELSKO COURTESY OF FLICKR
Twenty-four hour spring break? Hell yeah!
TOMMY YONASH/THE DAILY CARDINAL
By Hannah Ritvo ALMANAC CONTRIBUTER
Stress is in the air. Midterms after midterms are slamming students while they labor through their spring semesters online. Luckily, UW-Madison sensed this stress, and they are generous enough to give us a Friday AND two Saturday’s off of school! When asked about this altruistic decision, the Chancellor told us: “we just knew that a Saturday off would be super relieving for a lot of students — and we’re really really concerned about their mental health right now.” Students deserve a break, which is why these luxurious twenty four hours are going to be so relaxing. However, some Badgers are planning on brutally abusing this extensive spring break. Nicole, a Kappa, stated she will be leaving for Miami on Saturday morning and returning Saturday night to enjoy the full extent of the break. When reminded we’re in a global pandemic, Nicole seemed confused, and stated “I just need my sun.” For students who have stayed in all year, the days off can’t come sooner. Olivia, who already has no classes on Fridays — and surprisingly none on Saturdays either — has stated that she
will be enjoying the day off by only watching two asynchronous lectures, instead of her usual four. She will also be celebrating spring break by studying for 12 hours at a local coffee shop, instead of in her dorm room. While spring break is short this year, the school is taking some initiatives to help improve kids’ mental health. Besides giving free snacks at Memorial Union — nothing says spring break in Miami like some barbecue chips and a pepsi — the administration has decided to spice things up. In an exclusive Almanac interview, a Gordon’s manager revealed they will soon be offering bottomless mimosas. This new initiative will occur only on wellness days, and it will hopefully relieve some students stress. Of course, only four may be seated to a table, which may lose some customers to Vintage. However, nothing can beat buying these bottomless drinks like using mommy’s dining plan money. Students will be able to go to Gordons at 7 a.m. and get absolutely wasted for “spring break.” You won’t even notice it’s 30 degrees out, and Lake Mendota feels just like the Carribbean Sea when you’re drunk enough!
We’are always looking for more funny and insightful writers with fresh takes on topics ranging from the UW campus to international news. We accept and encourage creative submissions as well! Any and all submissions are more than welcome. You can send your submissions and any comments or questions to almanac@dailycardinal.com. All articles featured in Almanac are creative, satirical and/or entirely fictional pieces. They are fully intended as such and should not be taken seriously as news.
opinion Police visibility is not the problem dailycardinal.com
By Riley Sumner OPINION DESK EDITOR
The Public Safety Review Committee voted to recommend that the City Council not pursue using body cameras for Madison Police officers. The City of Madison had allocated $83,000 for a pilot project that would purchase body cameras, in addition to another $50,000 that would be required to process the footage recorded by the cameras. The premise of body cameras worn by police officers makes sense: if an officer is being surveilled, they ought to be more cautious with their actions, and it would be easier to obtain evidence that could be used to convict officers of abuse of powers. While this seems like a logical thing to, body cameras fail to address the core issue: It doesn’t matter if there’s evidence from every angle — police officers have and will continue to get away with blatant displays of brute force against civilians. Recall over the summer amidst the Black Lives Matter protests, which took place all over the country, there were numerous instances where police officers were recorded committing violent atrocities against civilians protesting — often actions that were unprovoked. Take for example the police in Buffalo, NY. Two officers were recorded shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground who was reported to have severe brain injuries. In the video, numerous officers then continued to walk past the man, leaving him to lay on the pavement still injured, failing to assist him. Despite video evidence that clearly showed the assault, the charges against the two officers were dropped. The problem with the police is not a lack of evidence for their misconduct, but the fact that even if there is evidence, the justice system continues to fail the people it is
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meant to serve. Body cameras are also prone to “malfunctions,” as some officers say, raising more questions about their implementation. Too often, officers have reported that their body or dashboard cameras malfunctioned, or the recording of evidence was somehow so distorted that it would be unusable. The ACLU has advocated in the past that body cameras that police wear should be an additional form of evidence when investigating police misconduct. Either way, it is unlikely that an officer would be convicted of abuse or misconduct if the camera was discovered to not have malfunctioned, as it would likely be considered “circumstantial” evidence that a crime was committed when the camera went out. Suppose that the malfunctions of these body cameras are legitimate — the technology seems useless and prone to issues and therefore the City of Madison shouldn’t waste $83,000 on a technology that doesn’t work. Further, say that many of these malfunctions are falsified, and officers are intentionally turning off their cameras. Relying on the integrity of police officers to keep the cameras on has already failed, and holding the officers accountable for keeping their cameras on has proven itself unsuccessful. The culture surrounding policing in this country has devolved into a series of antiprotest legislation being passed. In Oklahoma, a bill was recently passed by the state legislature that would make it a misdemeanor to record police officers, and the charge would be raised to a Felony on the second offence. Out-of-touch legislators are pushing anti-Black bills that serve only to reinforce the harm that police continue to impose on marginalized communities. It doesn’t matter how much
footage of an event is collected — when too much of the country is focused on upholding
Madison community has faced as a result of the pandemic. In addition, police unions
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escalation” training to encourage officers to resort to peaceful methods of conflict resolution, and,
GRAPHIC BY ZOE BENDOFF
Police brutality doesn't occur due to lack of surveillance; it's the result of a culture that removes accountability. white supremacy, we need to focus on uplifting marginalized communities and stop relying on systems that continue to fail those communities. Ultimately, body cameras don’t fix the problem of police brutality. We need to refocus police spending on issues that can actually help protect people, rather than invest in some program that hasn’t really done much to prevent police violence. Instead, the $82 million police budget in Madison should face significant cuts to invest money in affordable housing, childcare and youth support, senior care, mental health services, small businesses and any problems that the
need to be dissolved. Rather than empower the working class, police unions have stood in the way of justice and supported police officer’s violence against people. The police unions are not an ally to the labor movement, and they shouldn’t be treated as such when they continue to violate and promote fear against the working class people who they are supposed to protect. Police officers are not trained social workers. They are not legal experts. They are a militarized branch of the law that imposes combat-style force that hides under the mask of “protection.” Less than 20% of police departments in the country provide “de-
either way, its effectiveness has been questionable. Requiring police to wear body cameras would not do anything to take away the power of this rogue branch of government that upholds the power of white supremacists. It will only put a band-aid over a bullet-holesized problem — a bullet hole that the police themselves are responsible for.
Riley is a Junior and Editor for the Daily Cardinal Opinion Desk. Do you think police body cameras are not the issue? Do you think Madison should send funds into other services? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
Fossil fuel companies are a cancer: UW must divest now By Nick Rawling ALMANAC DESK EDITOR
On March 1, the University of Wisconsin Faculty Senate passed a resolution urging the UW Foundation to divest from fossil fuel companies. But, before we take a victory lap, let’s flash back and remember that a similar effort failed in 2014 because it was too ‘divisive.’ Not only is this resolution too late, but it is also too little to urge the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association to divest. UW faculty — along with anyone else interested in the preservation of human civilization — needs to aim higher: urge national elected officials to nationalize the fossil fuel industry and manage its complete liquidation as quickly as possible. Fossil fuel companies are a cancer on this planet and on our civilization. Almost all climate experts’ projections for the future include mass extinctions and famines, and some less optimistic experts have said a climate apocalypse could start by 2050 if we stay on our current trajectory.
These companies fuel the engine accelerating us towards apocalypse: Just 100 of these companies are responsible for 71% of the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. While those predictions are obviously frightening in their own right, we do not need to rely on prophecies for the future to conceptualize the consequences of climate change. Those are easily detectable right now. Already, the Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its corals and one million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction. Frogs, fish and flowers which occupy vital roles in their respective ecosystems and which may never be seen again. Last month, more than 70 people died in Texas from a winter storm some experts have linked to the destabilization of the polar jet stream — caused by climate change. Year after year, extreme summer heat is killing an ever-increasing number of Wisconsinites,
and it already kills more Wisconsinites than all other weather disasters combined. To slow down this destruction, we will need to do more than ask the WFAA to stop sponsoring it. We will need to fight a long, laborious battle against companies and their representatives who — by exploiting our planet — have accumulated wealth and power most could only dream of. But again, we need only observe the present to get a vision for our future. To get an idea of what we’ll be up against, look to the plight of Steven Donziger, a Harvard Law graduate who has been on house arrest for more than one and a half years on a misdemeanor charge. March 15th marked Donziger’s 585th consecutive day on house arrest. Donziger’s crime? Winning a lawsuit against Chevron. In 2011, Donziger won a historic civil decision in Ecuador against Chevron and her predecessor company, Texaco, after they dumped over 70 billion liters of oil and toxic waste into
pristine areas of Ecuador’s rainforests; in doing so, they gave cancer and other illnesses to hundreds of the indigenous people that called those areas home. Chevron did this intentionally in order to cut costs, and they have still yet to pay for clean-up or for compensation to the victims of their actions. Holding fossil fuel executives to account for abusing the earth should not go unpunished. After Chevron issued an internal memo stating that their goal would be to demonize Donziger, they brought a bogus countersuit against him years later. Then the government appointed a private company, Seward and Kissel, to prosecute him on contempt charges. This law firm has represented Chevron in numerous other matters — which I’m sure is 100% coincidental. Chevron has attacked Donziger with everything at their disposal — money, lawyers and connections — in order to destroy his life. This is how we should expect these companies to treat
us if we try to protect our home and ourselves from them. If we take the task of saving the world seriously, Donziger’s present is our future. It is for this reason that we must pressure our institutions to not only stop financing fossil fuel companies, but to be allies in a war against their existence. Ordinary people do not have the resources to fight against fossil fuel companies. We need the University of Wisconsin — yes, the system, not just the Madison campus — on our side. A future of destruction and unaccountability, though we are already starting to see it and feel it, is not inevitable. A different future is possible. Fossil fuel companies are not a part of that future.
Nick is a Junior studying Journalism and Spanish. Do you think we need to take actionable steps towards ending climate change? Do you think UW should divest from fossil fuels? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
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MIC DROP
dailycardinal.com
BY LYRA EVANS
SUDOKU
DIRECTIONS: Fill in each row, column and square with the numbers 1-9
CROSSWORD
DIRECTIONS: Fill in words via the prompts across or down via their respective numbers.
Across 1. Spot of ink 5. Exam type 9. Eight musicians 14. Tibetan monk 15. Mall event 16. Animated 17. Top cards 18. Roaring feline 19. Fork features 20. Cited 22. Intended 23. Curved letters 24. Poetic dusk 25. Bread portion
29. Baby’s toy 33. President before JFK 36. Unending 38. Not cooked 39. Singer ____ Stewart 40. Goodbye (Sp.) 41. Adam’s companion 42. Orange drink 43. Chose 45. Corn spike 46. Dwarfed shrub 48. Hebrew feast 50. Circle part 51. Chinese “bear” 55. Soil 58. Party after a
wedding 62. Bride’s walkway 63. Painful 64. Youth 65. Previous 66. “Of ____ I Sing” 67. 43,560 square feet 68. Singes 69. Piglets’ mothers 70. Loch ____ Down 1. Hold responsible 2. Shoe fasteners 3. Foretelling signs
4. Sips 5. Norwegian city 6. Shower 7. African lily 8. Loan 9. Porridge 10. Customer 11. Songstress ____ Turner 12. Divisible by two 13. ____ the waters
21. Man or Wight 24. Deleted 26. Kind of type 27. Give in 28. Clapton and Roberts 30. Fir or poplar 31. Volcanic rock 32. Water pitcher 33. Lackluster 34. Extinct bird
35. First garden 37. Jot down 43. Money makers 44. Johnny ____ of “Edward Scissorhands” 47. Popeye, e.g. 49. Wicker material 52. Brother’s daughter 53. Active ones
54. Rice and Frank 55. Plant fluids 56. Become weary 57. China’s continent 58. Squealers 59. Canyon feedback 60. Enjoy gum 61. Looks at