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Thursday, October 12, 2023
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‘ADVENTURE TIME’ GROWS UP
WILLY STREET STAYS LOCAL
‘Fionna and Cake’ explores identity and selfdoubt in reboot sure to please longtime fans.
How an iconic Madison neighborhood kept its character by resisting gerrymandering.
+ ARTS, PAGE 6
+ LIFE & STYLE, PAGE 7
Survey sent to students asks if UW System renamed trans women are ‘real women’ ‘Universities By Liam Beran
CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR
Some University of Wisconsin-Madison students received an online survey Monday asking for feedback on what they say are inflammatory and biased questions about transgender athletes’ participation in club sports. The survey, sent by University Recreation and Wellbeing as part of an ongoing ten-university study conducted by University of Indiana researcher Dr. Austin Anderson, asks student athletes in intramural and club sports to rank their agreement with statements such as “transgender men are not really men” and “transgender women are emotionally unstable.” Before doing so, students are prompted to give rankings of their “religious commitment” and political identification. “It felt like some of the statements were pretty inflammatory,” UW-Madison Swim Club president Cole Witt said. “It would’ve been upsetting to me if I was trans to be reading that stuff.” The survey warned of “risks or discomforts” in a message prior to the questions. Those risks included potentially “uncomfortable or private questions about your experiences and perceptions” and “potential loss of confidentiality.” Neither the survey invitation email nor the disclaimer prior to taking the survey provided a transphobia warning. Some students were disturbed while taking the survey. “When I looked at the survey, I was frankly horrified,” said Emmett Lockwood, Associated
Republicans are pushing bills to restrict the access of trans athletes in private, charter and public schools, including UW System schools. Kelly Tyrrell, UW-Madison media relations and strategic communications director, told The Daily Cardinal in an email that the survey was a response to a Big Ten researcher. “The timing was merely a coincidence, and drawing a connection between the two would be misleading,” she said. Still, Lockwood said it’s “highly concerning” that the survey came immediately after campus trans athletes felt they needed to defend their right to participate in front of the state Legislature and is RecWell’s first communication on trans athletes since. Lockwood spent almost seven hours at an Assembly Committee on University and Colleges meeting, where he testified “about [his] ability to participate in athletics as a trans man at this university.” “I feel like people would probably be upset reading this, knowing the political climate on campus,” added Witt, the swim club captain. Witt said he isn’t aware of any guidance on what RecWell sends to members of club athletics. Swim Club has had trans and non-binary athletes before, he said — there was a trans athlete who attended the first few team practices last year and a non-binary athlete competes on this year’s team. Lockwood also said he isn’t aware of any communication standards for RecWell. RecWell sent survey to aid research Sarah Barnes, associate director of market-
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Students of Madison equity and inclusion chair and a club men’s water polo athlete. “If someone said most of the things put in this survey to me as an athlete, it would be a hate and bias report.” Lockwood also took issue with language in RecWell’s invitational email, which asked about “transgender participation” in campus sports rather than the “participation of transgender athletes.” The decision to use “transgender” as a noun instead of an adjective “takes the person out of it,” Lockwood said. “[UW-Madison] is putting out a survey where students could just agree with statements around gender identity being a figment of one’s imagination, or trans men and trans women not being truly men or women,” Lockwood said. Survey follows week of tense hearings on bills to restrict trans rights The survey’s release comes as Wisconsin
ing and communications for RecWell, told the Cardinal via email that RecWell collaborates with other Big Ten universities “whenever possible” to share research participation opportunities if they have Institutional Review Board approval, which she said Anderson’s does. “Please keep in mind that while sharing research in this space is a best practice, it is not an endorsement of that research or its content,” she added. Barnes said Anderson’s research helps “collegiate spaces across the United States” devise ways to create spaces that are inclusive. “In order to get the research he needs, he needs support from partners in this field,” Barnes added. Anderson, the University of Indiana professor, told the Cardinal that because he isn’t located within UW-Madison, he “likely wouldn’t have the access to send such a survey
to the entire student body” and would need further permission and “origination” from campus administration. “My research is largely within the campus recreational sport space, so that is the focus of the study,” he added. He said study is an extension of a similar study researchers did with NCAA intercollegiate athletes. The email RecWell sent to students eligible for the study said it is meant to provide participants, administrators and other interested parties information about “transgender athletics participation,” its acceptance and “further direction in this emerging participatory category.” “This information will expand the discussion around transgender athlete participation in campus recreation and will help to inform future educational and policy initiatives,” the email read. Trans athletes already face discrimination at UW-Madison As a three-year member of UW-Madison’s men’s water polo club, Lockwood said his team has been “nothing but respectful and supportive.” Though he’s had difficulties with transphobia before — particularly in one instance where a commentator misgendered him during a livestream of the collegiate Water Polo Association — he said club presidents have always supported him throughout his tenure and during that incident. But working with RecWell hasn’t been easy, especially in uniform compliance, Lockwood said. The team has always “had to go through the wringer” to get a uniform approved for him. “I have not received what’s colloquially known as top surgery yet, so I still wear what one would deem as traditionally a women’s water polo suit,” Lockwood explained. Throughout his first year and every year since, branding on his suit has been a “point of contention.” “They design a suit that’s different than the one they designed for the women’s team to match the branding of men’s club water polo,” Lockwood said. His club presidents have “gone to bat for [him]” with RecWell about getting a suit approved yearly — it’s occurred two separate times, and Lockwood said communications have been termed to him as RecWell “putting up a little bit of a fight.” In general, Lockwood said acceptance from other athletes and across state lines — while dealing with differing state laws on participation — is a continual concern for trans athletes. ASM, UW-Madison’s student government, is already bringing forth legislation at Wednesday’s Student Council session to designate UW-Madison as a trans sanctuary campus, Lockwood said. He said ASM may add RecWell as not being an enforcement factor, in that legislation, on trans sports bans. ”I’m proud of myself and other trans athletes who, every day go through an attack on our sports, go through an attack on our personhood,” Lockwood said. “I really hope the decision about this messaging from Rec Well does not discourage other trans students from participating in club or intramural athletics because we have a rich history in sports.”
of Wisconsin,’ new logo
COURTESY OF UNIVERSITIES OF WISCONSIN
By Ella Hanley STAFF WRITER
The University of Wisconsin System is being rebranded to the “Universities of Wisconsin,” President Jay Rothman announced at UW-Eau Claire on Tuesday. The rebrand will cover the 13 universities it represents — including the University of Wisconsin-Madison — and will be accompanied by a new logo and trademark. “Our new identity aims to broaden awareness of our universities across the state,” Rothman said in a press release. “We believe the Universities of Wisconsin identity is more relatable for students, families and employers.” UW System administrators plan to start using the new name immediately, but the University of Wisconsin System will remain the name until the transition is finalized in early 2024. Mark Pitsch, UW System spokesperson, told the Associated Press that while administrators will adopt the rebranding immediately, the name UW System will remain unchanged within the legal system. The universities have been collectively referred to as the UW System in state law, which can only be changed by legislators. The rebrand comes as Gov. Tony Evers issued a proclamation Monday to mark the week of Oct. 8-14 as “Universities of Wisconsin Week.” According to the UW System press release, Rothman will continue advocating with lawmakers of both parties to “advance” the Universities of Wisconsin. The UW System is currently facing budget cuts after state Republican lawmakers sliced $32 million from the UW System’s 2023-25 budget in an effort to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Although UW-Madison said it is equipped to absorb the cuts, other schools, such as UW-Oshkosh and UW-Green Bay, have announced employee layoffs as structural budget deficits grow. The cost of the overall rebrand will be about $480,000, Pitsch told the Journal Sentinel.
“…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 133, Issue 10
2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000
News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Drake White-Bergey Tyler Katzenberger
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Center for Campus History highlights Latinx engagement at interactive UW-Madison exhibit By Clara Zimban
News Team News Manager Ella Gorodetzky Campus Editor Liam Beran College Editor Cormac LaLiberte City Editor Francesca Pica State Editor Ava Menkes Associate News Editor Jasper Bernstein Features Editor Ellie Bourdo
Opinion Editors Graham Brown • Franchesca Reuter Arts Editors Noah Fellinger • Gabriella Hartlaub Sports Editors Maddie Sacks • Seth Kruger Special Pages Editor Annika Bereny Photo Editor Lauren Aguila • Meghan Spirito Graphics Editors Henry Moore • Zoe Kukla Science Editor Madelyn Anderson Life & Style Editors Hina Suzuki • Erin Mercuri Podcast Director Honor Durham Copy Editors Jackson Wyatt • Isabella Barajas • Sophie Filipczak • Brynn Sproul • Sreejita Patra Copy Chiefs Noe Goldhaber • Madeline Gamburg Social Media Manager Rachel Schultz
Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Emily Chin Advertising Manager Samuel Mayo Marketing Director Claire Taylor 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.
Editorial Board Graham Brown • Tyler Katzenberger • Em-J Krigsman • Charlotte Relac • Franchesca Reuter • Priyanka Vasavan • Drake White-Bergey • Ethan Wollins
Board of Directors Scott Girard, President • Ishita Chakraborty • Don Miner • Nancy Sandy • Phil Hands • Nathan Kalmoe • Josh Klemons • Barbara Arnold • Jennifer Sereno
© 2023, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398
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STAFF WRITER
The Latinx Heritage Month Planning Committee presented an interactive exhibit Monday on the history of Latinx activism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Center for Campus History discussed the history of acts of Latinx resistance on campus at Monday’s exhibit. Latinx student organization MEChA, which stands for Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (Chicano Student Movement of Aztlán, the home of the Aztec people indigenous to Mexico), was invited to speak on the importance of community, safe spaces and intersectional self-knowledge. The exhibition highlighted Latinx engagement and victories at UW-Madison over the past century and contended that these are a testament to the community’s “continued push for recognition, space and resources.” Looking at the history of marginalized people must be central when discussing the history of UW-Madison, said Taylor Bailey, assistant director of the Center for Campus History. “UW-Madison is a predominantly white institution. It was not founded or created with people of color in mind,” Bailey said. “Existing as a Latinx person in early years was actually an active resistance, forging a way in a space that is not only not welcoming to you but also not built for you to succeed.” The exhibit highlighted the sense of exclusion and ostracization that the Latinx community felt “when it came to their studies, student organization and spaces of belonging.” Latinx student organizations were integral in bringing Chican@
and Latin@ Studies programs to UW-Madison in 1976. Bailey said this shows the importance of other forms of resistance, namely “meeting with administrators, making committees [and] making your voice heard through public policy.” Although Latinx student organizations worked to effect change, they were also spaces where students found community, Bailey said. “We can think about claiming space as resistance.” MEChA is a nationwide Latinx student organization focused on interacting with and giving back to the Latinx community. It was officially established at UW-Madison in 1970. MEChA student leaders said having safe spaces on campus for Latinx students is key to their community’s well-being. “Something that’s very important about having the MEChA house is that it gives us that autonomous space where we can really just have our community without really having to worry about anything else,” said MEChA board member Josiah Gomez. “It’s very much a communal space. There’s not many spaces like the MEChA House on campus.” “It’s also just a safe space for people that are not white,” added Karla Martinez, another MEChA board member. MEChA’s previous house was demolished in 2011 to construct the Hamel Music Center. Then, in 2015, UW-Madison’s campus master plan outlined possible demolition of the current house for development projects. Construction planned through 2027 does not require this, but UW-Madison stated in an update that the MEChA house could be
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affected or removed in possible future phases of development. Board member Marisol Dashnaw said MEChA provides an important space for students to express themselves and their culture. “There’s student artwork everywhere up on the walls representing who we are, our values, what we believe in and how we feel about our experiences,” Dashnaw said. “That’s something that really differentiates the MEChA house from any other space on campus.” MEChA promotes Latinx resistance to oppression by educating members about their cultural and political identity while providing them with academic and social support. “[MEChA] promotes knowledge of the self: where you’re from, where you’ve been situated, with an emphasis on intersectionality,” Gomez said. “The big thing within our chapter is understanding that
we also have indigenous roots and not denying that to ourselves.” By being a platform for Latinx students’ self-expression and understanding, MEChA helps UW-Madison’s Latinx community navigate their complex sense of self, according to Gomez. “Having Mexican parents but being born here, there’s always going to be that passion for Mexican and American cultures coming together,” Martinez said. “I think it’s about embracing that clash, that ultimately you’re not going to be fully Mexican or fully American. But I do still want to keep my Mexican culture.” The fruits of Latinx sociopolitical engagement at UW-Madison “are just a few examples that showcase the community’s continued push for recognition, space and resources,” the exhibition reads.
The prominent author and comedian spoke By Jones Millstone-Rivo STAFF WRITER
Students, faculty and local residents had the chance to hear from writer and comedian Baratunde Thurston on Thursday, Oct. 5. Each year, the Nelson Institute of Environmental Science invites a distinguished expert in the field of conservation to speak at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as part of the Jordahl Public Lands Lecture Series. Thurston spoke about some of the ways that ordinary citizens can help to foster positive relationships with the outdoors. Thurston, who is the author of The New York Times Best Seller “How to be Black,” entertained the audience at Shannon Hall with humorous tales of his upbringing in Washington, D.C. Thurston emphasized his mother’s influence in nurturing his appreciation for the natural world as well as the inspiring life of resilience she led and strong set of guiding values she provided. Using his family’s history as an example of the racial discrimination faced by Black Americans throughout the 20th century, Thurston stressed the necessity for a collective national healing to rectify some of the previous
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era’s abuses and to ease the tension that polarizes our society. Thurston also spoke of the capacity for the outdoors as a vehicle for healing and the breadth of educational opportunities buried within our nation’s public lands. “This is not just something to use,” he said. “It’s something to belong to.” Thurston’s new television series, “America Outdoors,” focuses on featuring the stories of ordinary Americans who use the outdoors in a constructive and enriching way. In the show, Thurston travels to different locales across the United States and meets with diverse groups of people — from a team of Indigenous
roller skaters in Portland to urban gardeners and kayakers in Los Angeles — all of whom share a love for nature and a unique outlook on the current state of the environment. “I want people to see the outdoors as a place where we can literally experience common ground among the wide range of differences that make up this nation,” Thurston told the Times. Thurston expressed similar points Thursday, emphasizing the unity of the American nation and the importance of maintaining the country’s parkland. “America Outdoors” would not be complete, however, without mentioning climate change, which has been
named one of the most divisive issues facing the country today. In the show, Thurston meets with James “Ooker” Eskridge, the conservative mayor of Tangier Island, Virginia, a town that is quickly disappearing due to rising sea levels. While the two did not have much in common ideologically, Thurston was moved by the mayor’s dedication to his land and community. “We were on the coast of his island and seeing tombstones in the water,” Thurston said. “You can show data about climate change and you could watch an Al Gore presentation and see the temperature going up. But then you can wade through a graveyard. Hearing him describe having to exhume his ancestor to his own backyard; he got emotional talking about it. It made it real. I didn’t expect to have that experience at all. I definitely didn’t expect to have it with someone who’s seemingly so different from me.” These types of moments, according to Thurston, are the essence of “America Outdoors” — telling stories of incredible tragedy and resilience in the natural world alongside groups often overlooked in the national discourse.
news Dane County announces $10.8 million to fund 438 affordable housing units
dailycardinal.com
Thursday, October 12, 2023
By Vanessa Gavilan STAFF WRITER
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced nearly $11 million in early October to create more affordable housing units in the county. Eight projects were selected to provide 410 housing units in the city of Madison and 48 units in the towns of Oregon and Fitchburg, according to a county press release. The funding comes from the Dane County Affordable Housing Development Fund, which was created in 2015 to provide funding for affordable housing projects in the county. According to the 2024 county budget, The Affordable Housing Development Fund has already secured funding for the affordable housing projects. Parisi proposed allocating funds for the projects to address housing accessibility issues for low-income households in the Madison area. “Through these types of partnerships, we can create more affordable housing projects and, in turn, advance efforts that make housing more accessible in our community,” Parisi said in a press release. Dane County has faced financial gaps that impact the accessibility of housing and especially affordable housing, with the 2019 Housing Needs Assessment revealing an average rent growth of 2.3% per year. Household income increased 1.3% per year in the same report. An applicant for funding,
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Northpointe Development, will receive almost $4.5 million in funding for three of their county projects. The projects will aim to provide affordable housing in the county’s increasingly tight housing market, according to Northpointe principal owner Sean O’Brien. “We identified a couple of different opportunities to build in locations that we already have a presence,” O’Brien said. “We felt like these were a couple of opportunities to really add to that need and meet that need [for housing] in the county.” Their biggest project — a 124unit property at 6706 and 6714 Odana Road — is focused on proximity to local services that can support tenants.
“[The property is] close to schools, jobs and retail,” O’Brien said. “It’s right on multiple bus lines really near to the new BRT line for the city of Madison, so it’s a very well placed redevelopment.” The two other projects in Fitchburg and Oregon will cater to families that do not meet the county median income, according to O’Brien. Beyond the creation of buildings, the projects are also working to address broader housing affordability issues by creating social resources, O’Brien said. “We have a supportive service coordinator, and we work with the county and other agencies to find folks that are homeless to occupy those units and then
work on connecting them with services so they can maintain housing,” O’Brien said. The Neighborhood House Community Center, a Madison community center that provides free meals, laundry services and youth programs, also received $1.3 million to provide affordable housing units. The funding would help Neighborhood House construct a building that contains a new community center on the first floor with 50 affordable housing units and 10 market-rate units on the upper floors. The project would reflect Neighborhood House’s mission to support communities through social services, accord-
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ing to Neighborhood House Community Center Executive Director Laura Gundlach. “We’re excited to have affordable housing and [be] working with other service providers, and being able to support residents at our own community center,” Gundlach said. The project, located on South Mills Street, will feature various rates depending on residents’ income and depend heavily on funding from the county. “The funding that we received is huge,” Gundlach said. “I have a whole kind of budget and capital stack that we’re working towards, and the scope that will go towards funding affordable housing.” This funding is just one part of a larger process to construct buildings that can meet accessibility needs in Dane County, O’Brien said. “When you apply for these funds, it’s just the next step into moving your project forward,” O’Brien said. “Affordable housing is getting more and more difficult to do in this environment because your rents are limited, and increasing those rents isn’t an option for workforce housing. We as developers just need to get creative and find other sources of financing to fill those gaps.” The Northpointe Development projects are currently in the process of applying for tax credits in the next year, O’Brien said, while Gundlach said the new Neighborhood House Community Center aims to start construction in late 2024.
Bill would expand UW System disabled parking privileges By Anna Kleiber SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Republican lawmakers in the state Legislature introduced a bill to expand disabled parking privileges on University of Wisconsin System campuses. The proposed bill states a person with a disability that limits or impairs their ability to walk may apply for “special motor vehicle registration plates or a special identification card entitling a motor vehicle used by the person to certain parking privileges.” Under current law, vehicles bearing these plates or cards are entitled to a legal exemption from meter payments and time limits on municipal parking spots that have at least a 30-minute time limit, bill author Rep. William Penterman, R-Columbus, testified on Sept. 27. Penterman is in favor of amending current statutes in place to ensure UW System campuses honor disability identifications issued by the state Department of Transportation. These identifications are special motor vehicle registration plates or an identification card that allot parking privileges.
The bill passed 87-8 on the Assembly floor in a bipartisan vote. “[UW campuses] are able to charge fines for parking in spots that are covered by these legal exemptions if they are located off-campus,” Penterman said. “These potential parking fines create confusion and unnecessary hurdles for disabled individuals, who must get duplicative permits from the campus or receive a ticket.” Bill co-author Sen. Patrick Testin, R-Stevens Point, testified he was made aware of instances when individuals with disabled plates were ticketed on UW campuses because UW campuses are not required to extend parking privileges to people with disabilities. Testin said that while many UW campuses already adhere to the spirit of the law, this bill will get rid of the “unnecessary barrier” of the completion of duplicative paperwork. “I believe this proposal is necessary because our statutes should reflect our values,” Testin said. “The State of Wisconsin and its associated entities should make accommodations to meet the needs of those who are disabled. This
legislation takes another step in that direction.” The bill has also been endorsed by Disability Rights Wisconsin, a nonprofit that works to protect the rights of people with disabilities statewide. Kristin Kerschensteiner, director of Legal Advocacy Service for Disability Rights Wisconsin, told The Daily Cardinal the bill will “level the playing field” for people with disabilities on UW campuses. “A lot of times, it’s referred to as a parking privilege, but it takes a little more for someone to be able to have equal access when they have a disability,” Kerschensteiner said. “So walking up Bascom Hill might be no big deal to most students, but it can be a huge barrier for some.” Kerschensteiner said “extra measures” must be taken ensure equitable access. She told the Cardinal the UW System should have to adhere to disability statutes that are required for “little bitty towns and other places around the state.” In written testimony on Sept. 27, the UW System Office of Government Relations said many campuses already comply with the current law and that
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this bill may negatively impact the limited amount of parking stalls available on campus. “Many of our campuses already comply with the spirit of the law and allow extended time limits and waive payment for vehicles displaying proper registration plates or identification cards,” the UW System said.
UW-Madison Transportation Services testified in March that it honors the “spirit” of the current law and allows people disabled plates or place cards to park in metered spaces with time limits over 30 minutes for free. The bill passed the Senate Committee on Transportation. It is currently awaiting a Senate floor vote.
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Q&A: Vanessa McDowell-Atlas, CEO of Young Women’s Christian Association way, but it doesn’t stop us. It only makes us go harder, to be able to press forward in spite of these barriers that are put up. We know there is a whole population of folks that we carry on our backs, we are trying to make sure that they have opportunities and access. We’ll continue to fight for individuals that are silenced or don’t have the means or platform to advocate for themselves.
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By Sim Khanuja STAFF WRITER
Vanessa McDowell-Atlas has been an integral member of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) for nine years and has undertaken the role of CEO for about six years. Emphasizing collaboration and diligence, McDowell-Atlas shared with The Daily Cardinal her knowledge on YWCA’s mission as well as its programs, strategies, struggles and goals. As a Wisconsin native, she outlined the organization’s role in eliminating racism and empowering women along with her insights on how the YWCA has strived for equality in Madison. As a Madison native and UW-Madison alumna, can you tell me about how your life and education in Madison originally got you involved in YWCA? I was born and raised in Madison. I went to the Madison School District through sixth grade, then my family moved to the Middleton School District. I graduated from Middleton High School. I went to UW-Madison, where I graduated with a degree in sociology. From there, I actually worked in banking. I was a teller at Summit Credit Union and then went to work for Mount Zion Baptist Church. I was executive assistant to the pastor and did that for about 10 years, and then worked a small stint in the Wisconsin Equity and Inclusion Lab on the [UW-Madison] campus. Then I moved to YWCA, and I started in a role called the “Director of Supportive Services,” co-directing our housing department at the time. About a year later, I was promoted to the Chief Programs Officer, which meant I was the head of all our direct service programs. A year later after that, I was asked to fill in the role of interim CEO, then I applied for the permanent role in June of 2017. I’ve been CEO ever since. Earning a Bachelor of Arts in sociology, what did you initially see yourself doing in the future? How has your background in sociology translated with the work you are doing for YWCA? When I chose my major, it was based on an experience that I had on campus in the chancellor’s office as a student and started noticing some things that were bothersome. As student workers that worked downstairs in the chancellor’s office, we were asked to find new jobs because they were cutting back and had some funding issues. I noticed that most of the people that worked in the lower office of the chancellor were people of color and everyone that worked upstairs was white.
So, I was training one of the white student workers upstairs on how to do my job, and they would be taking over those duties. She told me [the chancellor’s office] had just hired her sister in a student role, and she made a comment about how [the office said they] liked to keep it “in the family.” And that sent me on a journey of righteous indignation. That really sent me into what I believe is my purpose and what I’ve been doing ever since, which is to fight against injustice — racial injustice in particular. So that was an experience that forever shaped my life and is the reason why I went into sociology, because I really wanted to study systems and people. I think [sociology] prepared me in understanding how systems work, how they disadvantage people of color and how we fight against that. And so YWCA’s mission aligns with my personal values, and what I feel my purpose is. What is YWCA’s main mission? Our mission at YWCA Madison is to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. What are YWCA’s efforts in ensuring their mission statement? What programs and services does the organization provide? We operate in three programmatic areas. One is housing and shelter, the second is job training and transportation, and then the last is race and gender equity. Within those three buckets, we have numerous programs that we offer to the community, whether it’s housing programs that we do in our downtown location where we serve over 100 women and children as well as men and children in our building. We also do community housing programs, [which is] getting people housed through programs that try to alleviate them having a shelter stay. We operate a 90-day shelter in our building of 12 rooms to provide immediate assistance to folks in housing insecurity. We have other programs that we offer for folks that are doubled up — those who don’t have a real place of their own to stay. In our chapter in transportation, we have a program called YWeb Career Academy, where the goal is to fill the class with people of color and women who want to go into the IT tech field. It’s a 15-week course that serves that demographic, and it’s been a phenomenal program that has really changed the trajectory of so many lives. We are now in our 90th cohort of operating — we’ve been operating that program since 2014. We give people skills
to be able to find careers that change the trajectory of their family’s lives. We also have transportation and transit services. We have something called JobRide, where we get low income folks safely toand-from work all hours of the day. We also do race and gender work in our community. We finished our annual racial justice summit last week — which was a huge success — where we bring different speakers to talk about issues of racial and gender justice work. We also [offer a program] called Creating Equitable Organizations to do deep work with organizations around what they’re doing to make their workplaces equitable. We also do work in restorative justice, where we are in different middle schools within the Madison Metropolitan School district, and we do work with other school districts around restorative justice and create restorative justice circles and clubs in schools. We also have community centers that we partner with to offer restorative justice programming. One of the other cool programs we offer is collaborating with Briarpatch Youth Services. In conjunction with the Madison Police Department, any student between the ages of 12 and 16 that may get a municipal ticket or [about to receive a ticket] can be offered restorative justice and get the ticket completely wiped out if they go through our program, keeping them out of the, what I call, criminal “injustice” system. What are the main obstacles that stand between YWCA and their mission, and how does the organization plan on overcoming them? Racism and gender injustice still exist in America, and there are things happening in our community. We have [antitrans] bills that are being passed right now, creating an environment not welcoming for everybody — that stands in the way of the work we do. [Another obstacle is] being in spaces where people don’t want to have conversations about race and how that impacts people’s experiences. Housing should be a human right, but there’s many folks that are facing housing insecurity — that interferes with work we’re doing. Finding landlords, finding housing for individuals who need to be housed and mostly folks that are people of color or marginalized folks that can’t do that because of barriers that are set before them — that gets in the way of the work. [Challenges are] systems of oppression created to do just what they’re doing, which is to put barriers up for folks that look like me. So those are things that they get in the
What have you seen to be YWCA’s impact on the community? We’re uniquely positioned in that we provide direct service. We also have an advocacy platform which we’re able to inform people by the actual service we do, and [we also have] racial justice and gender equity work we do. There’s no other organization in this area that does all that work simultaneously. The impact is great in our community and for a lot of folks that otherwise may not be served. We are the largest provider of affordable housing for single women in Dane County, and a lot of people don’t know that. We have had women staying with us for years, and the oldest tenants have probably been staying with us since the ‘70s. I think we provide a real need in our community that, if we weren’t here, would go unmet.
“Our mission at YWCA Madison is to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.” Vanessa McDowell-Atlas CEO Young Women’s Christian Association
As CEO, what does your regular day look like when working for YWCA? My days are different everyday — it just depends on what’s happening and what needs to be met. Today, I’m working on the budget. [My day] could be in meetings with stakeholders or meetings with residents where residents come [in my office] and we talk about what’s going on. [My day] could be having staff meetings or going and participating in community events. So everyday is different, but I come with the mindset of wanting to be of service to my community. What is the most fulfilling aspect about your role within YWCA? The relationships I’m able to form with our participants and residents. Also, just seeing the impact in individuals’ lives, giving them opportunities, access and learning from each encounter that I have. [A fulfilling aspect] is also being a model for young Black girls who see me in this room and know they too could [have my role] if they wanted to. How can those interested in YWCA get involved? You can go to our website, ywcamadison.org, and there’s information about how to get involved. You can call us at either location and get more information. What future plans does YWCA have? What do you see the organization accomplishing down the road? I think it all depends on what the community’s need is. One of the things I’m proud we’re able to do is we pivot to the needs of the community. We see what’s going on in our community, listen to what folks are saying and see if we are able to step in and help. I’m excited that we continue to be nimble and be able to adjust and readjust to the needs of our community that are ever-changing.
sports dailycardinal.com
Thursday, October 12, 2023
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history of Iowa The deep-rooted history The football in Madison between Wisconsin and Notre Dame football By Caroline McGartland STAFF WRITER
By Grace Cannizzo STAFF WRITER
The Big Ten released league football opponents for the 202428 seasons on Oct. 4. This competitive schedule for Wisconsin includes a Sept. 5, 2026 matchup against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, which will continue the teams’ storied football rivalry that spans more than a century. The teams first met in Madison in 1900 when the Badgers secured a 54-0 win. Wisconsin continued this winning streak and defeated Notre Dame in their next two games in 1904 and 1905, leaving the Irish scoreless in all three matchups. Wisconsin wasn’t greatly challenged by Notre Dame until their 0-0 tie in 1917, which was followed by great success from Notre Dame in the years to follow as they established a winning streak of their own. The teams have periodically met ever since, having competed in 17 games in total. The Badgers have won six, the Irish have won nine, and two of the games ended in ties. The Badgers and the Irish last
met in 2021 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, where Notre Dame defeated the Badgers 41-13. This game was significant in reviving the rivalry, as the teams had gone 57 years without playing each other. The programs’ opposition is a result of their deep-rooted competitive matches and a product of those who have created a legacy within both programs, such as former Badgers head coach Barry Alvarez. Alvarez became the assistant football coach at Notre Dame in 1987. He coached the team for three seasons — the most notable being his 1988 season, where he led the Irish’s defense to a 12-0 undefeated season and national championship. His last season with the Irish was in 1989, and Alvarez became Wisconsin’s head coach the following year. He held the title for 16 years from 1990 to 2005 and became the winningest coach in Badger football history, leading Wisconsin to 11 bowl games and winning eight of them. Before retiring, Alvarez spent 18 years — from 2004-21 — working as University
of Wisconsin-Madison’s athletics director. Today, a statue of Alvarez sits outside of Kellner Hall and Camp Randall Stadium with an inscription detailing his accomplishments with the Badgers. While the majority of his coaching history involved Wisconsin, his time being a coach for the Irish contributed to his career and influenced Notre Dame’s football program. Like Alvarez, former Notre Dame and Badger quarterback Jack Coan was also involved with both teams. In 2021, after graduating from Wisconsin, Coan shocked Badger fans by transferring to Notre Dame to play one last season of college football. Coan was a highly regarded player who had a remarkable impact on both program’s teams, adding to the complex history of the rivalry. The long, elaborate history of Wisconsin and Notre Dame’s opposition will continue in 2026 at Lambeau. The Badgers will have a chance to avenge their 2021 loss to the Irish.
After a dominating win against Rutgers last weekend, the Wisconsin Badgers will welcome the Iowa Hawkeyes to Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday for the second of back-to-back home football weekends. These Big Ten teams have met for over 100 years, beginning in 1894 with a 44-0 shutout win for the Badgers. Wisconsin leads with 49 wins to Iowa’s 45 over their storied history. There are some strange crossovers within the programs after a century of consistent play. One crossover between these two programs is the former head coach for Wisconsin from 2006 to 2012: Bret Bielema. He started off as the defensive coordinator under Barry Alvarez in 2005 and became Alvarez’s successor starting in the 2006 season. Bielema had great success at Wisconsin, becoming the third coach in NCAA history to win 12 games in his rookie season and being named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2007. He continued to be successful throughout his career at Madison, but Bielema’s origins in football lay with another team: the Hawkeyes. Bielema played as a defensive linemen at Iowa from 1989 to 1992 under Hayden Fry. He was a walk on, but he had grit that earned him a scholarship and the honor
of serving team captain his senior season. Bielma was a part of the 1990 Iowa team that won part of the Big Ten Title. Even when Bielema left Iowa, a part of his alma mater is always with him — Bielema tattooed the Iowa logo on his leg. In an interview with Yahoo Sports. Bielema revealed that he always wore high socks to hide his secret from the Badgers fanbase. The pride that coaches, players and fans have from both of these programs is enormous. While Wisconsin has come out on top over the last few matchups, the series has been evenly matched throughout its history. Both teams come to play year after year, with many games in the last decade being decided by less than 10 points. These teams are playing for the satisfaction of respect at their schools, so everything is left on the line. Even head coach Luke Fickell prioritizes understanding this Big Ten rivalry. Fickell calls himself a traditionalist when it comes to rivalries and knowing how important they are to a school. He believes in understanding the history and how the rivalry games have a different feel than other matchups. The Badgers begin a new chapter in this series against the Hawkeyes at 3 p.m. on Saturday, looking to continue their undefeated streak in conference play and retain the pride of the Madison community.
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New streaming show ‘Fionna and Cake’ brings ‘Adventure Time’ into adulthood By Liam Beran
CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR
As an unmoored, wistless twenty-something college student with a perennially messy apartment, “Fiona and Cake” is intensely relatable. I missed “Adventure Time,” the show from which “Fionna and Cake” wildly spins off, when it hit televisions in 2010. To my knowledge, it follows the sometimes nonsensical and frequently heartfelt escapades of a human boy named Finn and a talking dog named Jake in the post-apocalyptic, technicolor wasteland of Ooo. “Fionna and Cake,” in contrast, follows gender-bent versions of those two characters: Fionna, voiced by a plucky and sensitive Madeleine Martin, and Cake, portrayed by a delightfully unhinged Roz Ryan. Prior to the spin-off, the pair existed solely in in-universe fanfiction written by a key villain, the delusional Ice King. But during the “Adventure Time” series finale, the Ice King is transformed back into his human form: a bookish, 20th century human named Simon, played with a pitch-perfect mix of deadpan depression and surprising warmth by Tom Kenny. As a result, sometime prior to the series, Fionna and Cake’s world is changed into a drab, lifeless city, with Cake now a normal house cat.
Executive producer and former “Adventure Time” showrunner Adam Muto immediately drops us into Fionna’s new life, in which our heroine runs from dead-end job to deadend job, and her greatest adventure is getting a vet appointment for Cake. The internal conflict of Fionna, a blunt, intelligent woman trapped in a world of sleepy bus tours and solitary nights, drives the beating heart of the show. When Fionna and Cake, who’s eventually gifted speech, come to the land of Ooo, Fionna’s desire for a world of magic and adventure leaves her questioning whether she can reinvent herself and create her own magic — even if she’s not supposed to. ‘Til the end, Muto and the creative team push back on any simple answer. Externally, Fionna and Cake are chased by the universe-maintaining Scarab (Kayleigh McKee), who sees their origin in fanfiction as an abhorrence. Internally, the pairing must confront the reality of a world with real magic and real consequences. Their adventure runs in tandem with that of Simon, who struggles with loneliness after losing his partner, Betty (Felicia Day), and being stranded in an unfamiliar, bizarre future. It’s a lot for one show to handle — at times, the narrative threads can feel overly divided, especially during
an overpacked climax. While touching, the slow-burn romance between Gary Prince (Andrew Rannells) and Marshall Lee (Donald Glover) — remixing the original series’ groundbreaking queer pairing between Princess Bubblegum and Marceline — becomes lost in the noise, especially as the two are perpetually stranded in the “normal” world. But even as some episodes pack too much in their 22-minute time frames, knockout episodes, like one in which Gary and Marshall’s date at a blood drive is contrasted with Fionna, Cake and Simon’s hellish trials in a vampire dimension, showcase the creative team’s juggling ability. The show is rendered in gorgeous animation harkening back to the classic cartoon series, replete with absurd character designs and a rainbow cornucopia of neon hues. The animators, though, aren’t afraid to experiment as the gang visits new places physically and emotionally: one choose-yourown-adventure game-styled segment toward the end of the series is a particular showstopper. The music, too, carries the show through some of its most tear-jerking moments. “Steven Universe” creator Rebecca Sugar, who’d also worked on the original series, hammers home a melancholy elegy to Simon’s lost life in
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the second episode. Sugar continues to pepper gorgeous, genre-averse beats and musical interludes throughout the show’s run. Like its protagonist, “Fionna and Cake” isn’t content to be just one thing. It’s one part meditation on depression and loss, another a frantic, candy-rush fever dream and one more an exploration on the limits of identity and self-definition. As its protagonists hop through different
worlds, it, too, morphs through different genres, tropes and tones — it strikes against formula and tradition in a way that sets it apart from so many recent shows. Although its tight, ten-episode season comes to a quick end, it’s one rollercoaster that you absolutely shouldn’t miss. The complete first season of Fionna and Cake is available to stream on Max.
The Midwest Princess is Back: Q&A with Chappell Roan By Jane Houseal & Hannah Ritvo
STAFF WRITER & ARTS EDITOR EMERITUS
Part-time popstar, full-time princess Chappell Roan is finally giving the Midwest the attention it deserves. Roan’s first full-length album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” debuted on Sept. 22. Last Tuesday, Roan returned to the Midwest from Los Angeles for the first leg of her new tour. Roan is quickly rocketing to pop stardom, but her path to success has not always been an easy one. She grew up in a small town in Missouri without the queer representation she later found in Los Angeles. Following a cross-country move and the release of her hit single, “Pink Pony Club,” Roan was dropped from her label and forced to move back in with her parents. “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” took four years to create, but the result is a perfect 49 minutes of music that blends cheeky relatability with cool-girl anthems you’ll want to listen to on repeat. The album starts off with a song that proves Roan isn’t afraid to be extra. “Femininomenon” is campy and fresh, putting into words how we all feel about “online love.” But Roan doesn’t only do pop anthems. “Kaleidoscope” is a soft ballad Roan wrote alone that showcases both her vocals and songwriting ability. “It just kind of proved to me that I can write songs by myself that I love,” Roan told The Daily Cardinal. “And I’m just really proud of it.” The Midwest Princess tour brings the West Hollywood vibe that Roan originally left Missouri to find to cities all over the country with rotating themes, local drag queen entertainment and high-
energy performances. The Cardinal spoke with the queer popstar about her songwriting process, impeccable style and drag persona. She shared advice for other queer people growing up in small towns, revealed her inspirations and discussed her plans for the future (more fun shows!). This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. How does it feel to be coming back to the Midwest? I think it’s only the right thing to do. Considering the tour name and the album name, and it’s where I was born. I feel it’s very important to consider the Midwest because a lot of tours don’t hit it. I know on this tour I’m not hitting a ton of places, but the Spring Tour, I’m definitely hitting a lot of the Midwest. There are a lot of queer kids who need this, too. So I think it is very important and very exciting. This tour is your second headline tour ever. What are you looking forward to? And what should fans expect? It’s a blast. Last tour was super fun. I learned a lot. Every night genuinely feels like a party. I have a lot of fun. We’re doing themes again, so you get to dress up. I have a lot of outfits that I travel with. I mean, I just love doing shows. I also love touring in general. I’m really lucky that I like it. Can you describe the environment at one of your shows? It’s pretty similar across the board — it’s a feeling of party fun. We have local drag queens opening every show, and they get the energy up immediately. The feeling is very electric. Everyone’s dressed up, so it’s a very collective, fun vibe. You’ve said before that Chappell
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Roan is almost like a drag persona to you. How is Chappell different than Kayleigh? I think that Chappell is a very confident, sexy, loud version of myself, Kayleigh. I’m very introverted. I like a lot of quiet time and alone time. I don’t dress super loud outside of travel. It’s honestly a drag version of myself, a kind of theatrical party girl, I would say. How do you approach the songwriting process? I just get inspired by daydreams that I have or fun words that I’ll pick up and write down. Super Graphic Ultra Modern was in an Architectural Digest video that I heard someone use to describe a design. I was like, “Ooh, that’s cool.” I get inspired by movies or relationships or words. I try to just keep a lookout for everything around me that seems inspiring. Would you say that your sound and your approach to the songwriting process has changed over the years?
I think I was really hypercritical of myself as a writer when I was younger. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more gentle and understanding, and my sound is vastly different than when I started. I was very dark, heavy, angsty, ballady pop. Now I’m more of a slumber party pop girl. I think that changed as I got happier and felt better about myself. The music just changed with that. Who is this album for? I had Midwest queer girls in mind. Girls like me who needed this when I was younger. [I wanted] someone who grew up in a town that wasn’t very accepting [to know] that there was someone that understood them and celebrated them. I believe that the album will reach whoever it’s meant to reach. I wrote it for whoever needs to hear it. I think specifically the queer community who maybe doesn’t have a community in their small town. Do you have any advice for people who might be in a similar situation growing up in the
Midwest and being queer? There’s more people in your town that are like you than you think. It’s going to be okay. Don’t feel pressure to stay. There’s a big world outside of where you’re from, and there are communities where you can be openly queer and safer and accepted. Is there any song you’re particularly proud of on this album? I’m proud of “Kaleidoscope.” I wrote that one alone. It proved to me that I can write songs by myself that I love. I’m really proud of it. You have such impeccable style. How have you developed your personal style and how do you think it reflects your music? I’m really inspired by Hannah Montana and Bratz dolls and things that I would have loved when I was little. Glitzy, sparkly, loud colors. Campy drag clothes. Very extra. I’m inspired by my 10 year old self. Has there been anything that’s been particularly challenging in creating this album? It’s been four years. I think the most difficult part was being dropped, running out of money, moving back home with my parents and balancing part time jobs. Persistence was difficult for me. It’s really hard to keep going when you just have no idea what’s going to happen. What does the future look like for you? I’m gently moving into writing again. It’s difficult on tour to kind of settle down and do that. Next year I’m opening for Olivia Rodrigo. And in between shows I’m doing some headline shows. We have festivals lined up for next year. There’s a lot of fun shows lined up for next year. I try not to think too much outside of touring just because I genuinely don’t know what’s going to happen.
life & style
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Willy Street spirit prevails, no thanks to gentrification By Erin Mercuri LIFE & SYTLE EDITOR
HENRY MOORE/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Layering clothes for Wisconsin’s colder weather By Lalitha Viswanathan STAFF WRITER
I was walking home from classes, sweat dripping down my face, wearing a loose pair of sweat shorts and a fitted t-shirt. The weather was over 70 degrees, and it was a beautiful fall day. The next day, I woke up freezing, and the sky was gray. It was 49 degrees. I wore heavy sweatpants and a large sherpa jacket, hoping that I would not get sick from the dramatic weather change. Some days in Madison, the weather can make you feel like you’re in the dead of winter in the morning but in a nice summer day by 3 p.m. One way to combat this is to layer outfits. First, you want to put on a base tank top or t-shirt, generally a neutral color that would match whatever color pants you are wearing. The base tank top is typically more form-fitting and would be the layer that you wear indoors in classes. This season, trendy bottoms include linen pants or comfortable jeans. For class, you want to feel snug and
cute throughout the day. For a good color scheme, anything that’s beige, black or navy will allow you to mix and match with other tops. Next, you’ll want to wear a loose-fitting long-sleeve top that is easy to take on and off. Finally, wearing a winter coat is always important when the weather becomes extremely cold. These jackets could be sherpas, hoodies, leather jackets, jean jackets — whatever you could think of that works as an insulating layer. Wisconsin weather can be so unpredictable on any given day. Preparing your outfits the night before can prove to be a waste of time because of the random weather patterns. Many times I’ve walked up Bascom Hill, sweating from my trek to the top. Nothing is worse than feeling hot and gross. And the worst part: I had to stay in those clothes for the rest of the day. Having an option to add or remove clothes is a smart choice, especially on this campus. Layering is fun once you’ve chosen your own personal style, and it adds a little more flair to your fall look.
BRYCE RICHTER/UW-MADISON
Famous for its weirdness, Williamson Street, lovingly referred to by residents as “Willy Street,” is a haven from the growing threats of chain restaurants and big box stores occurring across Madison. As a neighborhood, Willy Street community members understand the implications of cultural displacement and the negative effects it can have on community bonds and small businesses. Confident in their sense of community, small businesses on Willy Street fight off the looming effects of franchise stores by banding together through community events to preserve the neighborhood’s unique charm. In 1984, the MarquetteWilliamson neighborhood solidified its stance on chain restaurants when controversy arose over a proposed Taco John’s drive-in on the corner of Williamson and Brearly Streets. The neighborhood succeeded at stopping the development of the chain restaurant, and the land was donated to the neighborhood before becoming Willy Street Park. The unwavering, robust community spirit exemplified in the 1980s is no different from the Willy Street community today. As large chains pop up around Madison — including the addition of a Starbucks on East Washington Street — Tiffany Olson, owner of Madison Greenhouse Store, 1354 Williamson St, is doubtless in her community’s desire to shop local. “There’s five good coffee shops within a few blocks of there. Corporations moving into the area are bound to be a little bit disappointed because I do think most people are
going to be loyal to independent, locally run places, which is really what [Willy Street] is known for,” Olson said. Brendon Smith, Willy Street Co-op marketing and communications director, echoed a similar sentiment. “It’s great not to see a lot of chain stores on Williamson Street, and I am hoping that’s not just luck,” Smith said. “Once the chains come in, it’s
“We knew what that room meant to us. But we didn’t really realize what it did or could mean to the whole neighborhood.” Brendon Smith Willy Street Co-op Marketing and Communications Director
hard to keep a unique identity.” These small business owners are confident in their community choosing to shop local, but the community on Willy Street is built by more than just shopping local. Willy Street businesses work to build bonds within their neighborhood by holding and supporting community events. The Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center stands at the intersection of community preservation and community building. Annual events like Fête De Marquette and the Willy Street Fair work to bring community members and local businesses together to gain visibility for the neighborhood and their respective businesses. Each year the Willy Street Fair brings together more people than the year before. Gary Kallas, the Executive Director of Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center, predicted that an estimated
150 vendors and 25,000 people attended the annual event this past year, with one-third of the vendors coming from the Willy Street neighborhood. “Through that growth, we’re able to promote more and lift up more promotion of various businesses and the community at large,” Kallas said. “[This event] essentially put[s] us on the map by saying ‘Hey, we have this wonderful place, come visit us, sample for a weekend, have some fun, clean up after yourself and then go home.’” Each new community event on Willy Street offers a unique opportunity to bring the community together and continue strengthening community bonds. “Whether it’s the various small business boutiques or restaurants and bars, there’s a certain inclusiveness to Willy Street that invites and welcomes people of all identities,” Kallas said. At the core of embracing inclusivity and togetherness to preserve community bonds is Willy Street Co-op a grocery cooperative founded on Williamson Street that aims to “cultivate and empower community, customers, employees and suppliers.” In efforts to engage the community and foster bonds, the Willy Street Co-op plans to rent a location across the street from their Willy Street East location for community classes and events. “We knew what that room meant to us. But we didn’t really realize what it did or could mean to the whole neighborhood,” Smith said. While the future of Willy Street is uncertain for small business owners amid the threats of franchise stores, Olson is certain the heart and soul of the community will never change.
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Surrounded by a sea of smoke, Wisconsin raises cannabis reform conversations
TAYLOR WOLFRAM/THE DAILY CARDINAL
In a time where scientific output is at an all-time high, why is innovation slowing?
Science’s failure to invest in failures By Lauren Stoneman STAFF WRITER
Scientists today should be innovating at a faster rate than ever before. The field of science has never been more densely populated, our network of communication has never been stronger and our technology has never been more advanced. Taking Newton’s words to heart, we are standing on the shoulders of giants at unprecedented heights. In some ways, scientists are meeting these lofty expectations. The last few decades have shown an exponential growth in the amount of papers being published and patents being granted, with the volume of literature doubling every 15 years. It is intuitive to think this level of research must mean major scientific breakthroughs across the sciences. But that is not what we are seeing. Innovation is slowing every year. Across scientific fields, new papers are less and less likely to break from past established research or push science in unexpected directions. In short, science is facing a paradox: despite exponential growth in all forms of scientific research, meaningful breakthroughs are few and far between. The reason for this paradox is not that scientists have exhausted their list of all possible innovations. To be sure, breakthroughs are going to be more hyperspecific now than they would have been 50 years ago, but we’re far from the point where scientists should just throw up their hands and assume there’s nothing left to discover. There are, it seems, more practical causes for the slowing of scientific progress — some that are unavoidable, and some that we need to consciously work to change. One explanation is that the millions of new papers
released each year have led to information overload. No one scientist can take in all of that research, let alone discern what might be useful to a given project. With limited time and resources, scientists tend to rely on research that expands on well-established sciences rather than focusing on unfamiliar or disruptive studies. In other words, we end up with more of the same. Solutions to this problem are becoming more viable every day. Scientists can, for example, take advantage of AI tools that will synthesize large quantities of information and direct their research accordingly. This way, researchers won’t need to sift through possibly thousands of independent studies before starting their own. Unfortunately for the field of science, this issue is not the only thing contributing to the slowing of scientific progress. If it were, we would already be seeing an upswing. More of the factors limiting development have to do with the business of science — a system that is fundamentally flawed. Innovation requires failure. The two things are inextricably linked. But in 2023, both universities and scientists have incentives to avoid failure at all costs. This has led to a problematic industry culture of “playing it safe.” Failed experiments and disproven hypotheses, while necessary for scientific progress, undermine a university’s reputation as a successful research institute. This loss of reputation and the inevitable loss of funding that comes with it means universities would sooner support research that defends existing breakthroughs than research that pushes boundaries. Professor James Evans, director of The Knowledge Lab at the University of Chicago, puts it in terms of movie production. If a studio has the option to produce a new, “independent
script [that] could be amazing, or Transformers Nine, they’re going to go with Transformers Nine.” For the sake of self-preservation, they’re going to go with the safer bet. This means universities are tossing out some of their best potential research. Katalin Karikó, winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine, was rejected from a tenure-track position at the University of Pennsylvania for the very research which ultimately won her the award. The reason? Her research into disease treatment using mRNA was considered too far-fetched to warrant funding. Situations like these are all too common — scientists say grant review boards have biases against lesser-known institutions and unorthodox research. Scientists, then, also have incentives to play it safe. Their success in academic positions depends on their ability to be published and to be cited, and negative results are rarely published. So, scientists conduct small-scale research projects that show incremental progress instead of pursuing new ideas that could have negative outcomes. There’s no easy fix for this system. The field of science can’t reasonably exist without funding, but that same funding is stifling the field of science. The only solution is to see donors put their money behind a greater variety of research proposals and a more diverse breadth of scientists. This will mean we see more experiment failures and undermined research in the shortterm. But if we are interested in seeing meaningful contributions in science long-term, it’s time to bite the bullet and invest in failure. Lauren Stoneman is a junior studying History, Philosophy, and Political Science. Do you agree scientific innovation has stagnated? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com
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By Hana Razvi STAFF WRITER
The decision to legalize marijuana for recreational and medicinal purposes has been an ongoing debate between lawmakers in Wisconsin for years. A 2022 study at Marquette Law School found that 69% of registered voters in Wisconsin support the legalization of recreational cannabis. Ideally, this would be enough to push lawmakers to do the same. However, it’s not that easy. The real hurdles to get past are Republican legislators who actively block the introduction of these bills, according to ACLU Wisconsin. The cannabis plant contains two cannabinoids called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC causes mind- and mood-altering effects that generally help regulate stress, reduce inflammation and relieve chronic pain. CBD can reduce the negative side effects of THC, such as heightened anxiety and paranoia. The most well-studied benefits of human cannabis use include improved sleep, reduced nausea and vomiting, improved appetite and, most importantly, an improved quality of life. Researchers at the National Library of Medicine have come to the conclusion that although cannabis may not be the end all cure for diseases, it does have the power to improve a person’s quality of life. Even though a disease may persist in the human body, there is a possibility for the symptoms to be more manageable with consistent marijuana usage. Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz signed a cannabis legalization bill into law, allowing the recreational use of marijuana for all adults over the age of 21 beginning on Aug. 1. Minnesota became the 23rd state to legalize marijuana, AP News states. Every state bordering Wisconsin has legalized marijuana use to some extent. Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota have all legalized cannabis for recreational use within the last decade. Iowa permits it for medical consumption. Many Democratic lawmakers fear the risks of Wisconsin falling behind in the weed legalization movement prove greater risk than rewards. Each year, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers includes decriminalization and adult-use legalization in his
executive budgets, hoping that legislators will consider them. Ever’s 2023-25 budget request also included the same legalization efforts, but the effort failed to pass the Republicancontrolled Legislature. Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard, D-Madison, an advocate for marijuana legalization, strongly believes it is the best decision for Wisconsin. “Legalization will bring us hundreds of millions of dollars in state revenue, and quite frankly, potentially billions of dollars of economic stimulus,” Agard told the Wisconsin Examiner in September. “It would bring an industry out of the shadows and allow it to thrive in an open and transparent manner. Illicit industries are not healthy for our state.” Agard highlights the potential economic benefits legal cannabis has to bring to Wisconsin. The amount of tax revenue Wisconsin is missing out on because Republican legislators, such as Assembly Speaker Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, refuse to sign the bill into law is astounding. In Illinois, easy access to dispensaries has generated around $1.5 billion dollars in cannabis sales during 2022 alone. Further analysis has proven that Wisconsinites have contributed about $36 million out of the $452 million Illinois collected in tax revenue from marijuana sales in 2022. Analysis from Minnesota’s Department of Revenue estimates around $110 million in tax revenue for Minnesota by 2027. Studies show that half of Wisconsin residents over the age of 21 live within a 75-minute drive to a recreational dispensary. Many residents travel to surrounding states to spend their hard-earned money at these dispensaries, contributing to other states’ economies when they would much rather have easier access in their home state. Wisconsin has danced around the topic of marijuana legalization for far too long. Although Evers and Agard are fighting for the legal use of recreational cannabis to Wisconsin residents, there is still a long battle ahead. Hana is a junior studying Journalism and Strategic Communication. Do you believe that marijuana should be legalized in Wisconsin? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.com