Thursday, October 19, 2023 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

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Thursday, October 19, 2023

TRADING TASSELS FOR A CROWN

A MORE INCLUSIVE MOONSHOT

‘Aladdin’ star Senzel Ahmady was going to be a senior at NYU. She became Princess Jasmine instead.

NASA’s Linda Ham wants the next moon landing to reflect America’s diversity.

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UW System implements direct admissions program, but UW-Madison is not included By Anna Kleiber SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The University of Wisconsin System plans to implement a direct admissions program for eligible Wisconsin high schoolers next school year, UW System President Jay Rothman announced during an Oct. 5 UW Board of Regents meeting. Of the 13 UW System campuses, only UW-Madison, UW-La Crosse and UW-Eau Claire have opted out of the program. The decision to participate was left up to each university. The new direct admissions program will grant Wisconsin high school students automatic admission to one or more UW System schools, doing away with the tra-

ditional college application process for students who meet qualifications set by each of the respective participating universities. Qualifications for direct admissions would be based on academic performance and take aspects like grade-point average and class rank into consideration when making admissions decisions. Kelly Tyrrell, director of media relations and strategic communications for UW-Madison, told The Daily Cardinal the goal of the direct admissions program is to grow enrollment at UW System campuses that have seen a decline in enrollment in the last decade. “UW-Madison currently does not face an enrollment challenge,” Tyrrell said.

According to Tyrrell, the number of freshman applicants to UW-Madison was at an all-time high of 63,537 in 2023. UW-Madison is already exceeding a 2015 commitment to enroll at least 3,600 Wisconsin residents in each freshman class, according to Tyrrell. Separately, a Board of Regents enrollment policy requires UW-Madison to enroll at least 5,200 new undergraduate students annually who are Wisconsin residents or Minnesota reciprocity students based on a three-year rolling average, Tyrrell said. The university exceeded this goal with its most recent average of 5,600 Wisconsin or Minnesota students, Tyrrell told the Cardinal.

Despite a general increase in numbers this year, most UW System campuses continue to struggle with ongoing challenges that stem from a decline in enrollment over the last decade. Rothman said he hopes to boost enrollment system-wide and simplify the admissions process for students within the state through the direct admissions program. “I hope that direct admissions will not only grow enrollment but also streamline the admissions process and help expand the number of Wisconsin residents with a UW degree,” he said, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. The UW System plans to send out the first direct admissions letters in July 2024.

UW-Madison debuts a comprehensive aid Suicide prevention study combines program for Pell Grant recipients brain sensors with meditation By Ella Hanley STAFF WRITER

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By Olivia Camacho STAFF WRITER

The University of Wisconsin-Madison rolled out a new financial aid program this year, Bucky’s Pell Pathway. An extension of Bucky’s Tuition Promise, the new program covers tuition and fees for qualifying students as well as housing, food, books and other educational expenses. When choosing a college, most students are looking for somewhere that fits their academic needs, is in a location they enjoy and provides opportunities for success. For many students, there is another factor that trumps the rest: cost. UW-Madison has the highest tuition cost out of all UW System schools for both resident and non-resident students, which may deter wouldbe students from attending. “Many Wisconsin residents have the misapprehension that UW–Madison will be financially out of reach,” Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said in a press release. One recipient of Bucky’s Pell Pathway, freshman Colin Montanye, has seen the impact

of this firsthand. “Many of my classmates opted to attend either a technical college or another UW school simply because of the cost of attending UW-Madison,” Montanye said. To them, Madison is only affordable for students who “come from a wealthy family or have a surplus of scholarships.” Karla A. Weber Wandel, communications manager for UW-Madison’s Office of Financial Aid, said the new program solidifies UW-Madison’s commitment to providing “significant financial support” for Pell Granteligible students. Bucky’s Pell Pathway is associated with Bucky’s Tuition Promise, a financial aid program in its sixth year which covers tuition and segregated fees. Bucky’s Pell Pathway covers students’ entire cost of attendance, including books and other associated expenses, after other scholarships and grants. To qualify for Bucky’s Tuition Promise, a student must have an adjusted gross income of $65,000 or less, while Bucky’s Pell Pathway is granted to students who meet the requirements

to receive the federal Pell Grant. These grants are awarded only to undergraduate students with exceptional financial need who have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree. Both programs are available to Wisconsin resident first-year or transfer students and provide coverage for eight consecutive semesters, not including summer terms. UW-Madison wants to spread the word about the new program. “Our team works closely with the team in the Office of Undergraduate Recruitment and Admissions to get the word out to prospective Wisconsin students,” Weber Wandel said. “The team at OSFA also connects with high school counselors and other college access organizations [to] offer support through financial aid nights, workshops and one-on-one FAFSA advising.” UW-Madison hopes to eliminate the misconception that attendance is always out of reach due to finances, and they aim to continue finding new ways to support low-income students as they pursue higher education.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is set to launch a novel multi-phase study at the beginning of next year to determine if a combination of targeted brain stimulation and meditation practices can lower the number of deaths by suicide. The study will be led by UW-Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds and the Wisconsin Institute for Sleep and Consciousness. The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, who is funding the $14 million project, reached out to the Center for Healthy Minds in hopes of using the study to address the increased rate of suicide in the military. There are 22 military suicides a day, including active duty personnel and veterans, said Dr. Richard Davidson, founder and director of the Center for Healthy Minds. “I have the strong conviction that humans are born with the capacity for and the propensity towards flourishing. But like other capacities, it requires nurturing to be expressed,” Davidson told The Daily Cardinal. Participants will be assessed on wellbeing, suicidality and neurological measures before beginning a 4-week hybrid meditation program. The meditation practices in the program will be combined with non-invasive targeted brain stimulation, where sensors will be placed on participants’ heads during sleep. The sensors will send targeted frequencies to stimulate specific areas of the brain and assist the brain in consolidating and absorbing meditation skills learned in the program. The combination of meditation during wakefulness and neurostimulation during sleep is completely novel. Continue reading this story online at dailycardinal.com.

“…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 11

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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 Chiefs Noe Goldhaber • Madeline Gamburg Copy Editors Jackson Wyatt Social Media Manager Rachel Schultz

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Editorial Board Graham Brown • Tyler Katzenberger • Em-J Krigsman • Franchesca Reuter • Priyanka Vasavan • Drake White-Bergey • Ethan Wollins

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50 years after the Clean Water Act, pollution persists in Madison lakes Water pollution scarcely originates from specific sources now, but lake communities like those in Dane County remain at physical, economical and environmental risk. By Sanjeev Anand STAFF WRITER

Lake Mendota and Lake Monona form a central part of Madison’s identity. They enhance the surrounding area’s appeal and draw people to the beauty, recreation and vibrancy they create, according to Between Two Lakes. But underneath their glistening surfaces, the lakes tell a murkier story. Even with the Federal Clean Water Act’s implementation around 50 years ago, Mendota and Monona are classified as impaired, much like the rest of the 55% of lake acres studied in recent years in the United States. According to the Environmental Integrity Project, these lakes aren’t safe as sources of food and drinking water or as sources of recreation. The 1972 Clean Water Act set industry wastewater standards and enabled the legal implementations of water pollution control guidelines, making it unlawful for any party to emit any pollutant from a direct, or point source into “navigable waters” without a permit. The Clean Water Act has addressed point sources of pollution since its adoption, according to Paul Dearlove, deputy director and senior science officer with Clean Lakes Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and improvement of inland water and wetlands in Wisconsin’s Yahara River Watershed. While the act has addressed direct pollutant discharge, Dearlove said the problem has “morphed” since then. According to Dearlove, today’s lakes face pollution from nonpoint sources. These include both urban and agricultural runoff, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Anytime a significant disturbance or change occurs, there is potential for environmental harm from large amounts of runoff draining into surrounding water bodies via a watershed. Dearlove also noted how Wisconsin deals with this same type of nonpoint source pollution: runoff, specifically excess nutrient runoff from agricultural activity. Dearlove acknowledged Wisconsin’s status as a “major dairy production presence,” especially in northern Dane County at the helm of the Yahara River Watershed. This geography contributes significantly to the nutrient runoff into the Yahara lakes, including Mendota and Monona. “We have 60,000-plus units of livestock in our watershed, and that is equivalent to about 2.7 million people,” Dearlove said. This massive livestock population contributes a massive amount of manure, which gets washed into groundwater sources as agricultural runoff. Manure used to be treated more as a sustainable resource that was spread across the land before large industrial farms replaced tradi-

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tional small and spread-out ventures, according to Dearlove. This balanced spread enabled farmers to utilize the nutrients phosphorus and nitrogen stored in manure for crop health. “With pressures on the industry to get bigger and consolidate, you have now fewer farms,” Dearlove said. “They’re bigger, they’re more industrial, and you have these high concentrations of animals on a small piece of land”. “The negative effect is that you have massive amounts of manure being generated in fewer and fewer areas,” he added. The excess manure results in an overloading of nutrients into the soil, saturating it with phosphorus and nitrogen that wash into surface waters. According to the Clean Lake Alliance’s 2022 “State of the Lakes” report, phosphorus concentration trends in Mendota and Monona are considered fair, by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ standards. “If we have too much phosphorus in the system, it can lead to algal blooms, which we see commonly in the Madison lakes,” said Ellen Albright, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of WisconsinMadison Center for Limnology. Albright’s research focuses on what happens to pollutants when already in the lake. As a part of her doctoral work, Albright studied a process called “internal-phosphorus loading,” referring to how a nutrient is cycled and recycled when already in lake water. “What my research illuminates is that once pollutants or something undesirable is in a lake, it’s really hard to get it out, especially things like phosphorus,” Albright said. “These nutrients can be held in sediments and recycled in between sediments and water for a long time.” Albright also pointed to how

other pollutants used in consumer goods, such as perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), associate with sediments on lake floors to become “sticky in the system.” These pollutants settle in the lake’s sediments and recycle when the sediments are disturbed. Albright’s current research also focuses on aquatic plants and the role they play in structuring a lake’s ecosystem. She described large, vascular lake plants, called macrophytes, as “ecosystem engineers.” Albright said macrophyte roots stabilize lake sediment and slow down water disturbances with their biomass. However, nutrient pollutants in lake water threaten this role by spurring the excess growth of phytoplankton near the water’s surface. This blocks sunlight from reaching macrophytes and hinders their growth. Albright also pointed to how aquatic plants like macrophytes prevent shoreline erosion by keeping pollutants in lake sediment from getting disturbed and distributed through the water. “If you’re a property owner along the lake, all those waves are slowly eroding away your shoreline, and your land is washing out into the lake,” Albright said. “But if you have healthy aquatic vegetation, it’s gonna slow down that wave action and prevent shoreline erosion.” Grace Roper, UW-Madison senior and president of the Wisconsin Hoofers Scuba Club, attests to the impacts of lake pollution on human communities and initiatives. Roper said pollution and toxic algal blooms in Lake Mendota make diving near-impossible and limit other recreational activities in shallower areas. “There’s been a lot of algae problems right outside of the Hoofers by the Union. It becomes unswim-

mable because the algae is toxic,” Roper said. According to Roper, the water quality in Lake Mendota deters diving expeditions from happening there despite a community of local divers existing in Madison. “It’s pretty unfortunate because we have a lake right here, but we don’t really use it. That is because of the water quality,” Roper said. Roper added that lake cleanup initiatives, or “clean-up dives,” are also put in jeopardy because of unswimmable conditions. In addition to clean-up dives, UW-Madison’s Center for Limnology utilizes divers for research purposes. According to Albright, research plays a central role in informing decision-making in areas around lakes. The decisionmakers include property owners and members of every level of government among others. “This application of research has become particularly important as we’re facing an increasingly uncertain future,” Albright said. “Looking at different projections or scenarios gives us a better idea of how our lakes are going to be responding to different climate conditions and how we can adapt our decisions to this.” As the battle against lake pollution ensues, Dearlove acknowledged there are countervailing headwinds against the progress being made. While communities increasingly adopt green infrastructure and better manure management techniques, a wetter climate favors pollutant accumulation. “It’s a good thing that we’re doing the work that we’re doing as a community,” Dearlove said. “But we need to do a heck of a lot more of it in order to start to see actual, sustained water quality improvements in the lakes.” the good of public education.”

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Thursday, October 19, 2023

Evers announces $16.9 million for 988 suicide prevention hotline By Jasper Bernstein ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

In a stride toward bolstering mental health support for Wisconsinites, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) unveiled $16.9 million in federal grants Wednesday to support Wisconsin’s 988 suicide prevention hotline. The 988 Wisconsin Lifeline provides bilingual support with a “focus on de-escalation and coping skills” by answering calls, texts and chats from residents statewide, according to Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services. The funding is provided through two federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants, allocating $3.14 million in Congressional Spending Project grants through September 2024 and $4.6 million per year in Wisconsin 988 Improvement Project

grants through September 2027. “We are grateful for the federal government’s continued investment in this vital service,” Evers said in a press release Wednesday. “These grants will help continue the good work of the folks at the 988 Wisconsin Lifeline to make sure that when our family, friends and neighbors need someone to talk to, somebody is there to provide support and help save lives.” Since its inception of the three-digit number in July 2022, the program has fielded over 91,860 calls, 15,442 texts and 12,483 chats, the press release said. “This will further help college students get immediate assistance in times of crisis, and I’m appreciative of the additional funding,” UW-Madison senior and District 8 Ald. MGR Govindarajan told The Daily Cardinal. “Gov. Evers is putting his money where Wisconsin’s

values are at, and I applaud it.” The funding is earmarked to expand the hotline’s workforce, which currently sits at 49 trained counselors and 15 managers. It also aims to bolster collaboration with 911 centers and county programs while elevating the hotline’s public awareness. “I applaud the governor for providing funding for the 988 hotline, but more must be done,” said Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison. Hong argued that the shortage of mental health providers is reaching a “catastrophic” level. According to SAMHSA, less than half of people with a mental illness could obtain prompt access to care in 2021. “Directing flexible funds towards supporting existing mental health workers with competitive salaries and development is critical,” she said.

COURTESY OF WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES

Evers included $3 million in funding for the service in the 2023-25 state budget along with $1 million for the establishment of a “suicide prevention program.” Republican lawmakers eliminated them from the final state budget. No state funding currently supports the 988 Wisconsin Lifeline, and the Legislature slashed mental health funding to less than 10% of what Evers proposed. “There is hope. There is help,” said DHS Secretary Kirsten Johnson in the press release. “The 988 Wisconsin Lifeline has proven to be a valuable service in protecting and promoting the health and safety of all state residents. This funding will have a positive impact on saving lives.”

down on Janet Protasiewicz Black residents face ‘profound Vos doubles impeachment threats and persistent’ racial disparities By Megan Mladucky STAFF WRITER

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By Joseph Panzer STAFF WRITER

Black Dane County residents experience “profound and persistent” disparities in income, education and health outcomes, according to a report from an anti-racist nonprofit organization. A 10-year report released last Thursday by statewide anti-racist policy center and civic advocacy group Kids Forward found Black Dane County residents suffer disparities because of longstanding systemic racism in the community’s businesses, schools and laws. The report, a follow-up to the nonprofit’s 2013 Race to Equity findings, used over 40 indicators to measure disparities in life outcomes between Black and white residents. The report found Black residents experience lower median incomes, more difficulty buying a home and higher rates of unemployment compared to white residents. “Black and low-wage-earning residents are not experiencing the shared prosperity that working, paying taxes and being an asset to the community and the workforce should afford them,” the report read. A key instrument of these disparities is a history of policies that have disenfranchised the Black community by catering to the interests of wealthy white residents, the report concluded. Madison Mayor Satya RhodesConway issued a public statement on the report Friday, emphasizing the city’s commitment to expanding crucial citywide bus services and investing in affordable housing and public facilities to alleviate the racial divide. “While our city and our region have made progress in addressing some aspects of those racial disparities, it is not nearly enough and we must do bet-

ter,” Rhodes-Conway said. Kids Forward recommended the city expand its guaranteed income pilot program to all of Dane County in order to alleviate disparities found in the report. Dane County Executive Joe Parisi expressed support for expanding the program to countywide service but said funding the program remains a concern. “Funding is always the biggest challenge for the city and the county,” Parisi said. “That’s why we would certainly need partners from the federal government to the local businesses community [and] charitable organizations.” Beyond economic concerns, the report revealed lower educational prospects for Black students. According to the report, Black students scored lower on standardized tests, changed schools more often and reported lower feelings of safety than white students. Additionally, overcrowding in classes, lacking mental health services and persistent staff shortages create an atmosphere that puts Black students at a disadvantage. Kaleem Caire, the founder of charter school One City Schools, said part of the issue stems from a lack of Black educators in Dane County classrooms. “The racial dynamic is that we’re not graduating enough people of color from high school, let alone college, to be teachers in classrooms,” Caire said. Early childhood care is often unaffordable for Black households, and funding challenges in the Wisconsin Department of Instruction leave school districts understaffed and unable to provide adequate mental health resources for their students, the report read. The report also found Black residents statewide faced worse health outcomes, with respondents reporting being in fair or poor health at a rate twice as high as white residents. The report recommended the Legislature expand the state’s Medicaid program to alleviate health disparities. “Wisconsin’s downright refusal to expand Medicaid due to partisan politics, racism and classist tropes have hurt residents across the state, contributing to high medical bills, late stage [diagnoses] for chronic diseases, disproportionately higher maternal mortality rates for Black women and the closure of rural hospitals,” the report said.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos continues to threaten Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz with impeachment over a redistricting lawsuit despite objections from past justices. Vos, R-Rochester, has threatened to impeach Protasiewicz if she sides with Democrats in a case challenging Wisconsin’s legislative maps in the upcoming trial of Clarke v. Wisconsin Elections Commission, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Republican backlash came after Protasiewicz’s campaign for Supreme Court Justice in April of 2023 where she accepted a $10 million campaign donation from the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Protasiewicz also called Wisconsin’s maps “rigged” and “unfair” on

in 2002 that the First Amendment allows judicial candidates to state opinions on disputed political or legal issues. “Recusal decisions are controlled by the law. They are not a matter of personal preference,” Protasiewicz said. “If precedent requires it, I must recuse. But if precedent does not warrant recusal, my oath binds me to participate.” Protasiewicz also mentioned some Wisconsin justices in 2021 accepted Republican Party donations but were not asked to recuse themselves fromJohnson v. Wisconsin Elections Commission, the case that set Wisconsin’s current electoral maps. Vos revoked his initial threat of impeachment but will look further into the possibility if Protasiewicz votes for redistricting in the upcoming case, according to US News and World Report.

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the campaign trail. This prompted Vos to consider Protasiewicz’s impeachment on the grounds of her statement violating the judicial code of ethics. Protasiewicz rebuked Vos’ claims, declining to recuse herself from two redistricting lawsuits in an Oct. 6 statement. The redistricting case does not list the state Democratic Party as a plaintiff, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled

“If they decide to inject their own political bias inside the process and not follow the law, we have the ability to go to the [U.S.] Supreme Court and we also have the ability to hold her accountable to the voters of Wisconsin,” Vos told The New York Times. Vos met with former conservative Supreme Court Justices David Prosser, Patience Roggensack and Jon Wilcox in early October to discuss the possibility of impeachment. Prosser

advised Vos to drop the charge and said during their meeting it “will be viewed as unreasonable partisan politics,” according to the Cap Times. Prosser went on to call Vos’ statements “mere political grievance” and said there was limited empirical evidence for Protasiewicz’s impeachment. Wilcox took a similar stance against impeachment. “Impeachment is something people have been throwing around all the time. But I think it’s for very serious things,” he told The Associated Press. Wilcox also said he met with Prosser and Roggensack and told them he does not endorse impeachment, according to The Washington Post. The Senate will meet Thursday to continue discussion on a GOP nonpartisan redistricting plan introduced in September. Democratic lawmakers oppose the plan as currently written, and Gov. Tony Evers has indicated he would veto it. “Republicans are making a last-ditch effort to retain legislative control by having someone Legislature-picked and L e g i s l a t u r e - a p p r ove d drawn Wisconsin’s maps,” Evers said when Republicans unveiled their plan. Wisconsin is considered to be one of the most heavily gerrymandered states in the nation. However, the 2011 U.S. Supreme Court case Gill v. Whitford set a precedent that the court cannot hear partisan gerrymandering cases, meaning state redistricting debates must largely be solved at the state level, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.

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Republican-controlled committee blocks UW System pay raises in approved pay plan By Ava Menkes and Liam Beran STATE NEWS EDITOR & CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

On Tuesday, the Republicancontrolled state Joint Committee on Employment Relations (JCOER) blocked 4% of University of Wisconsin System employee pay raises in the approved 202324 state compensation. The two-year state budget initially included funding for 6% compensation increases for all state employees including UW System employees, according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This decision comes after Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, announced plans in September to prevent pay raises for 41,000 University of Wisconsin System employees, with employees anticipating a 4% increase in the 2024 fiscal year and a 2% pay increase in the 2025 fiscal year. Employees systemwide have voiced concerns for their livelihoods and financial stability as a result of the potential decision during protests at UW-Oshkosh and in Madison. The GOP-led Joint Committee on Employment Relations, of which Vos and Senate President Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, are cochairs, must approve the funding. However, JCOER did not take up those pay raises at its executive hearing. This decision comes after months of heated public debate over diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts at colleges. Vos said that the UW System has operated with too much impunity in creating job positions and has promoted an “ideological agenda.” “All this mumbo-jumbo about saying somehow we’re against the university system, we’re trying to actually get some kind of con-

trol for the taxpayers,” Vos said, saying that the UW System adds too many “bureaucrats” with taxpayer dollars. The Republicans weren’t in full agreement, though, on not taking up the budget. Shortly after the hearing, Sen. Howard Markelin, R- Spring Green, said in a press release that he was “very disappointed” that the compensation plan to increase UW employee pay did not have a scheduled vote. “The custodians, executive assistants, food service providers and local faculty at UW Platteville have very little to do with the politics of the university system,” he said. Marklein encouraged Vos and Kapenga to schedule a vote “as soon as possible.” Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard, D-Madison, lambasted Vos’ resistance to DEI and JCOER’ move to hold the pay raises “hostage,” expressing how Republicans have used this issue as a talking point to fight against the “woke Madison agenda.” Vos urged Agard to check with UW System employees on their attitudes toward university leaders and chancellors creating positions. “There is one agency in the state government that is allowed to create positions outside of the legislative process,” Vos said, highlighting the legislative process that other agencies go through in adding positions. “That’s the UW System.” Vos said he’s met with UW System leaders and proposed providing pay raises for UW System employees if “[the UW System] does not increase the number of positions without the Legislature’s authority.”

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He said the initial reaction from the UW System was that it would “rather not have the raises for our employees” over “any kind of control by the Legislature over the number of positions.” Democratic Minority Leader Greta Neaubuer, D-Racine, said her offices have been “flooded” with requests to approve the compensation plan and argued state employees feel like “pawns in a larger game.” Neubauer noted that roughly 50% of state workers are full-time equivalent employees under the UW System. In an email statement to The

Daily Cardinal, UW System President Jay Rothman said it is “unprecedented to withhold pay for tens of thousands of working families as was done today.” “While we are beyond disappointed, we are not going to give up being advocates for the work they do — because it is simply not right to leave these families behind,” Rothman added. UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin released a statement Tuesday afternoon criticizing JCOER’s decision. The withheld pay raises “defied both reason and longstanding legislative tradition,”

Mnookin said, adding that UW employees were “separated” from other state employees. Mnookin said JCOER’s choice harms people who contribute to UW-Madison’s success and “help move Wisconsin and its economy forward,” such as food service employees and researchers. “I, along with Universities of Wisconsin leadership, strongly urge members of the state legislature to work toward a fair and swift resolution,” Mnookin added. Vos said he will meet with UW System representatives later today to discuss further.

UW-Madison business school to launch a housing affordability, sustainability graduate track By Madeline Gamburg COPY CHIEF

The Wisconsin School of Business’ Department of Real Estate and Urban Land Economics will launch a new graduate track for housing affordability and sustainability in the fall of 2024. Although the University of Wisconsin-Madison is piloting the “affordable housing and sustainable development” track this fall with current business students, the 12-credit program will officially debut during the fall 2024 semester. Christopher Timmins, the future track director and a real estate professor at UW-Madison, told The Daily Cardinal the affordable housing sector is becoming increasingly important due to rising costs. “You see stories daily about housing affordability being a critical problem in almost every city in the country,” Timmins said. Unaffordable student housing is a regularly discussed issue within the sector. That discussion

is prevalent in Madison, where high rent and housing unavailability have prompted actions from the city and UW-Madison. However, unaffordability extends beyond students, Timmins said. Many middleincome learners cannot afford to live in the city because they’re “priced out,” he added. Timmins said rising interest rates make starting new projects increasingly difficult. “We’re facing all sorts of headwinds with respect to building more housing,” he said. The new track will give students the tools to explore this area of real estate in greater depth through curriculum and practical learning, according to a business school press release. Timmins said the department is currently working to establish connections for an internship requirement within the track, something he was “pretty confident” will be part of the program. Although the track’s curriculum is still being final-

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ized, Timmins intends to have a required class on affordable housing financing. He also plans to revamp a class on green and sustainable housing development that will delve into topics like climate resilience and healthy housing. Timmins will teach a new

housing justice class focusing on some of the most pressing ethical issues in the industry, including racial wealth gaps, home ownership gaps and discrimination posed in the housing market. With housing affordability and accessibility becoming a dominant narrative in real estate, Timmins

said the department hopes to train future sector employees. “My hope is that the master’s degree will be successful and these courses will be the building block for a larger set of classes here on similar topics that undergrads and people across the university can take,” Timmins said.

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A whole new world: Transitioning from college to professional life on Broadway By Breanna Bylak STAFF WRITER

Most university students dream of the day they walk across the graduation stage in cap and gown to receive their diploma, finally ready to take the first step in their career. But for 21-year-old Senzel Ahmady, her career kicked off with one giant jump when she received her first professional role as Princess Jasmine in the North American Tour of Broadway’s hit musical “Aladdin.” “I auditioned for this while I was at college, and I honestly didn’t really think I was going to get it at the time,” Ahmady said. “But Jasmine is an old dream of mine, and so I thought that I would audition for it anyways and put my name out there and get to know the Disney team and whatnot. And then they kept calling me back, and I got it! I was so surprised.” Ahmady said the audition process was easy to access because New York University’s campus was only a subway ride away. Besides a few missed classes — with the support of her professors — managing auditions and coursework seemed to work out for the now-professional princess. Adi Roy, who plays Aladdin, is still attending university online, but Ahmady decided to take a leave of absence while traveling across North America with the cast. Ahmady would be a senior at New York University. “I’m basically studying to do [this opportunity] right now, and if I want to go back to school, I could always go back to school,” Ahmady said. “But roles don’t always come by, so I just felt like I had to leave.”

Being thrust into the professional world of show business has its tolls, but Ahmady thinks learning by doing is the best way to practice her craft. “As much as they can try to prepare you for that when you’re in a musical theater program, you can’t really learn how it feels on your body, voice and mind until you actually do it,” Ahmady said. “I’ve definitely had to learn a lot about myself, making sure I’m okay mentally and physically and learning that not every show is going to be perfect.” Other than experiencing two days of back-to-back shows every weekend while traveling professionally for the first time, Ahmady said the hardest part of the show is being away from her friends who are still in school, especially since she never had a full graduation experience as part of the high school graduating class of 2020. “I feel like even though it was a really big life decision, I didn’t realize how much my life was going to change,” Ahmady said. “Did I make the right decision? Did I not? I know I’m going to feel the real F.O.M.O. [fear of missing out] when I see my friends graduating.” As for friends in the cast, Ahmady says Marcus M. Martin, who plays Genie, has been a friend like no other. “This is definitely his first professional show, too, but he just has this big brother energy about him, and he’s always checking in on me and making sure I’m okay,” Ahmady said. Other cast members have also extended a welcoming hand to

COURTESY OF DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS

Ahmady to make sure that she is still having fun and learning new things as part of the cast even though she left behind her college experience. “It’s definitely rewarding. It was also hard coming into this show so young, having no experience. There’s a few other younger people in this cast, and the people that have been doing it for a while welcomed me with open arms and kind of showed me the way to do things,” Ahmady said.

The shift from a college student to a professional is a huge leap in any business, and that leap for a stage actor can be especially jarring. Ahmady’s advice is to remember it is more than okay to learn along the way. “Just go for it and put yourself in rooms,” Ahmady said. “Even if you feel like you’re not ready or you don’t exactly know what you’re doing, feel confident about yourself. Even if you go into a room and you don’t exactly

know what you’re doing or how to exactly do things, you’re going into rooms to show people your talent and showcase yourself.” “You’ll always have yourself and your talent,” Ahmady added. Ahmady and the rest of the touring cast of “Aladdin” appeared at Madison’s Overture Center October 10-15, and they will continue their stay in Wisconsin at Milwaukee’s Marcus Performing Arts Center October 17-22.

Ten documentaries to watch for LGBTQ+ history month By Gabriella Hartlaub ARTS EDITOR

October is LGBTQ+ History Month, and while Madison has plenty of LGBTQ+ history of its own and Milwaukee was the site of a now-famous act of LGBTQ+ Protest, The Daily Cardinal highlighted films from a national perspective for viewing during October. Here are ten films that will expand your understanding of LGBTQ+ issues and put current struggles into historical context that are perfect for viewing this month. Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria (2005) Where to watch: YouTube Three years before the Stonewall Riots in New York City, the drag community in San Francisco took on a local establishment and corrupt police at Compton’s Cafeteria. This film tells the story of San Francisco’s “tenderloin” neighborhood and gives much-needed light and recognition to an act of queer rebellion. My Name is Pauli Murray (2021) Where to watch: Prime Video

Pauli Murray was a nonbinary Black activist whose writing and ideas inspired such legal legends as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Thurgood Marshall. This film finally allows their work to come to light and teaches about this trailblazing lawyer, activist, poet and priest. Common Threads: Stories From the Quilt (1989) Where to watch: YouTube The NAMES Project was a huge memorial quilt that spread the length of the National Mall, with each panel representing someone who had died due to HIV/AIDS. This film focuses on five of the quilt’s panels and tells the story of those five people who died due to the epidemic. Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (2003) Where to watch: YouTube This film follows the life of Bayard Rustin, a civil rights advocate often pushed to the side in talks about activists of his time due to his known iden-

tity as a gay man. This film uses archival footage and interviews with the man himself to explain his life and work as well as to chronicle his struggle to be recognised and taken seriously due to homophobia. United in Anger: A history of ACT Up (2012) Where to watch: YouTube In its prime, ACT Up was the leading group fighting against government and systemic silence surrounding the AIDS epidemic. This film comes from the perspectives of those who lived it and were a part of the organization as they struggled for the government and other leaders to recognize the epidemic. I Am Not Your Negro (2016) Where to watch: HBO MAX This film chronicles the civil rights movement through the perspective of James Baldwin, a prolific writer and gay man whowas prominent in the Civil Rights Movement through both activism and his writing. The film uses

interviews with Baldwin and narration from Samuel L. Jackson to bring Baldwin’s words to life.

Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine (2013) Where to watch: Tubi

Marsha P. Johnson, a selfdescribed drag queen and prominent figure of the gay and transgender rights movement in the 1980s, died under suspicious circumstances in 1992. The film follows activist Victoria Cruz as she investigates Johnson’s life and death.

The 1998 killing of Matthew Shepard, a gay man and University of Wyoming student, horrified the country and started a much-needed dialogue about hate crimes and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments in the United States. This film tells the story of Matthew Shepard through the perspective of one of his friends and defines the person outside of the horrific crime.

Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart (2017) Where to watch: YouTube

Welcome to Chechnya (2020) Where to watch: HBO MAX, Hulu or Amazon Prime

Lorraine Hansbury was the first African-American female playwright to have a play on Broadway with “A Raisin in the Sun.” Hansbury also attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for two years before beginning her writing career. This film profiles her life and attempts to show her writing and personal ambitions.

For an international perspective on LGBTQ+ Rights, David France’s film tells the story of a group of LGBTQ+ activists in the Russian Chechen Republic. The leader of the country is staunchly antiLGBTQ+ and has instituted programs to detain, torture and execute queer people. The film follows activists as they try to gain international recognition for crimes committed by the country’s leadership.

The Life and Death of Marsha P. Johnson (2017) Where to watch: Netflix

opinion

Thursday, October 19, 2023

dailycardinal.com

Daylight savings: Why is it still here? By Graham Brown OPINION EDITOR

LYRA EVANS/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Dane County proposes much-needed $11 million budget to address food insecurity By Kate Reuscher STAFF WRITER

A substantial $103 million budget increase to the Dane County 2024 budget was proposed on Oct. 2nd. Almost $11 million worth of it will be funneled directly toward food insecurity programs and local food bank expansions. The proposed increase in funding comes as a result of factors that have plagued every citizen: exorbitant inflation on necessities and a long-lasting pandemic that slowed down the economy. Programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) offered emergency allotments during the pandemic as relief for families. It’s estimated that these funds kept over four million people above the poverty line in 2021, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Properties. However, these SNAP benefits have been cut off since February of 2023, and food banks’ need for assistance is even more prevalent. More than 63,000 people received benefits in Dane County in 2022, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and a staggering amount of people will be affected by these expirations. While price inflation stabilized in September, the overall consumer price index has increased by 3.7% over the past year, forcing Americans to leave the grocery store with fewer items for the same total bill. Inflation might feel overwhelming now, but it pales in comparison to the index felt during the pandemic, with a peak of 9.1% in June of 2022. This $11 million increase will surely bring needed relief to those still reeling from the unprecedented costs of living as a result of inflation. In addition to inflated prices, overall food insecurity in family households in Wisconsin reached its peak in October 2020 at 15%. While it declined in 2021 as the pandemic slowed, it rose again in the spring of 2022 to 13%, nearly an identical percentage to when the pandemic was at its worst. Over half of the proposed $11 million will go toward Dane County’s Farm to Foodbank, a program born during the pandemic as a system of relief for families who most felt its effects. More than 50 local farmers participate in this program, having served approximately 3.8 million meals in 2022. This $6 million allo-

cation in the Dane County budget would benefit consumers and local farmers who continue to help put food on the table, feeding the local economy as a whole. Almost half a million dollars will be going straight to Madison’s Extended Hands Pantry, a Dane County organization that emphasizes serving culturally appropriate food and offers tutoring services with a mission statement of “feeding body and soul.” This food pantry provides for any and all residents of the Dane County community while also recognizing the lack of literacy in minority communities. Since this directly affects the education system in Madison, the funding will substantially increase the distribution of food and teaching, hopefully increasing overall literacy and community participation. There was an 80% increase in demand at Madison’s Extended Hands Pantry this past year, according to co-founder Jenny Czerkas. In light of this substantial increase, it becomes clear why there is a proposal to increase funding for these programs through the Dane County area. Additionally, the housing crisis afflicting the Madison community is certainly a factor in the food insecurity issue. While it predominantly affects university students, the food insecurity crisis bleeds out into all of Madison, with landlords raising rents to a level low-income students struggle to afford. That leaves students scrambling to cut costs wherever necessary in order to live near campus and attend the university. With total enrollment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison at a record high of 50,662 students this year, according to a university press release, the potential need for cheaper housing and cost of living is more needed than ever before. Overall, with increasing inflation prices and a halt on pandemic benefits, food banks supporting local communities like Madison deserve a hefty slice of the nearly $1 billion proposed budget for Dane County. Kate is a sophomore studying journalism. Do you believe the increased budget for food insecurity funding is enough to benefit the community? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

I’ll never forget my introduction to the Wisconsin experience. No, it wasn’t SOAR, it wasn’t Welcome Week, it wasn’t my first football game. It came later — the day I overslept my first class and left a lecture at 5:15 p.m. to be greeted by darkness. I made the mistake of wearing nothing more than a sweatshirt and jeans, lulled into false confidence by the sunny afternoon. But when I left, the sun had been put out, replaced by darkness and a stiff wind from the lake. Traversing back to my dorm, I faced another fork in the road — should I head to the dining hall to get a too-early dinner or return to my dorm knowing the bitter night might well make it impossible to leave? In two weeks, we will push our hour hands forward, satisfying one of society’s strangest tics. It’s a ritual that’s archaic, concretely harmful and well past its expiration date. It is said that daylight saving time was invented by Benjamin Franklin, who began to observe strange sunlight patterns in the summer months while serving as the U.S. Ambassador to France. In 1784, he wrote a letter to the Journal of Paris declaring it “extraordinary” that the sun would rise at 6 a.m. He proposed a system where our clocks would be set around the sun, not the other way around. He admitted it might be hard to switch at first, but “Oblige a man to rise at four in the morning, and it is more than probable he will go willingly to bed at eight in the evening; and, having had eight hours sleep, he will rise more willingly at four in the morning following.” Franklin was a man of habit, known for his maxim “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” He would wake up every morning at five and have the candle out by 9 p.m. For him and everyone living before electricity, living by the sun was the only feasible option. The majority of citizens were farmers who needed to start early and work until it got dark. But the proposal would not gain serious traction for another century until George Vernon Hudson, an entomologist from New Zealand, presented the idea to their Royal Society in 1895. This was eight years after a group of business leaders

COURTESY OF RICHARD HURD, CREATIVE COMMONS

and scientists in the United States established our four time zones, and when the federal government took control of them after World War I, they started adjusting our clocks twice a year. If this was just a simple quirk, we could live with it. But beyond making me realize why everyone told me to “make sure I bring a big coat,” daylight saving time has far worse consequences. The first Monday of November, the morning our clocks rip an extra hour of sleep from us, hospitals report a 24% increase in heart attack visits. On Nov. 6 this year, Americans will be more likely to have strokes, develop thoughts of suicide, and be injured at work. Students will be less attentive and sleepier. Researchers estimated that 30 people died in car crashes due to “sleepy daylight savings drivers” from 2002-2011. The biggest problem with changing daylight saving time is disagreement over which should be permanent: summer daylight saving time or winter standard time. Last year, the Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act with unanimous consent. The bill, which was never considered by the House, would have made daylight saving time the year-round standard. Senators Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., argued an extra hour of after-

noon sunlight would decrease seasonal depression and crime. But experts like the American Academy of Sleep Medicine say we should end the switch and adopt permanent standard time. They say we need extra sunlight in the morning for better sleep because it aligns more naturally to our circadian rhythm. Regardless of which time you prefer, it’s the act of changing it that is dangerous and unnecessary. As Mayo Clinic’s Rachel Ziegler told The New York Times, “If you ask any sleep specialist, I think most of us would be in favor of a permanent schedule.” As students, our hours spent asleep are vital and ever-fleeting. We are two weeks away from having an hour unfairly taken from us. More people are working from home than ever, and depression rates in the United States reached all-time highs this winter. Keeping sunlight in the afternoon year round will give people the time to enjoy it and stop the needless accidents that happen on a Monday of our choosing.

Graham Brown is an Opinion Editor. He is a junior studying Political Science and History. Do you agree we should adopt permanent Daylight Savings Time? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com

MEGHAN SPIRITO/THE DAILY CARDINAL

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Thursday, October 19, 2023

science

I Just Think They’re Neat: Coyotes By Soren Goldsmith STAFF WRITER

COURTESY OF MAYA LUIS

Science sit-down with Linda Ham By Paige Stevenson STAFF WRITER

Humans have not stepped onto the Moon since NASA’s final Apollo mission back in 1972. But NASA leaders, including Linda Ham, are optimistic a return to the Moon is inevitable — this time more diverse and educational than ever. Ham, a 1982 University of Wisconsin-Parkside graduate with bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and applied science, has spurred many major firsts for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) during her career at NASA. Originally hired as the first female Propulsion Officer in Mission Control, Ham worked her way through NASA stacking her resume with firsts. She was most notably NASA’s first female Flight Director, or leader of Mission Control. Ham is currently working as the lead on Technology Fusion at the Johnson Space Center, where she focuses on collaboration across industries. Ham works with the gas and medical fields to work on autonomous operations. These machines are basically self-operating robots, meaning they don’t need a human to control them. These robots could help with repairs and inspections for NASA. Additionally, Ham is one of the leading authorities in NASA’s most recent endeavor, the Artemis Project, which aims to put humans back on the moon by 2025. The project will see the first woman and first astronaut of color orbit the moon in November 2025. Ham said another exciting part of her job is working with private spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX to build a lander for the Artemis Project. “[SpaceX] needs our expertise or youth of our facilities because we have some very unique, skilled people with talent,” Ham told The Daily Cardinal. Ham said one of the main objectives of the Artemis Project was seeing if the moon could be inhabitable. The moon’s climate and terrain is vastly different com-

pared to Earth’s, but it would give valuable insight to life in harsher conditions. The Artemis Project also aims to collect samples from the Moon’s craters. Ham hopes that bringing these elements back to study would help give scientists insight into the Earth’s origins as well as information about our solar system in general. In addition, Ham wants to see if harvesting oxygen and hydrogen is possible in order to create fuel that could lead to longer trips through space. But probably the most pressing aspect of the Artemis Project is its mission for diversity, something Ham has been striving for throughout her career. As one of the few women working in NASA, Ham tried to cultivate an environment of progress and education. “I tried to be a role model for anyone who would come in my office or have issues maybe because they were a woman or a minority,” Ham said. Our world is very different in terms of cultures, perspectives and goals, and Ham thinks our institutions, like NASA, should reflect these differences. “If you’re solving a technology problem or an engineering problem, the more diverse your set of people is, the better answer you’re going to get,” Ham said. Diverse backgrounds means diverse problem solving, she said, adding that collaboration and joining together different ideas is how innovative solutions are created. These ingenious solutions lead to progress for the Artemis Project and for future astronomical endeavors in the future. Ham hopes her career-based achievements and her push for greater diversity within science-related fields are inspiring and illustrate how greater advancements into science can be achieved with more diversity. “When I say everybody, I mean any genders, any nationalities, or colors or ethnicity to be interested, because there’s billions of people on the planet and so much talent. We need these people whether it be in art, science or engineering.”

As winter descends upon Madison, the natural world undergoes a transformative shift. Birds fly to warmer climates, trees shed their leaves and creatures hibernate to escape the cold. It can feel like our local wildlife is vanishing, but there’s an exception to this trend, a creature that defies the seasonal norm: the coyote. When the days get shorter and the sun becomes scarce, Madison’s coyotes become increasingly active. Winter brings the beginning of coyotes’ search for mates as they breed in the spring. Additionally, as the abundance of rodents and plants grows scarce, these furry mammals must expend extra energy to locate alternative sources of food. The lack of vegetation during this time of year also offers residents an increased chance to see these elusive animals. Coyote sightings always increase in the winter, so if you want to spot one of Madison’s most secretive animals, now is the time to start looking. Coyotes have impressively adapted their behavior in order to coexist in urban places, where they are often seen crossing roads or scavenging for food. Although coyotes are naturally diurnal, they’ve adapted to be more nocturnal in most urban areas to avoid humans during the day. That’s why the best time to see them is at dawn or dusk. Coyotes have also learned how to find shelter in city settings. Dens have been recorded in culverts under heavily trafficked roads, basements of abandoned houses and directly behind drive-in movie screens. As a result, coyotes successfully live in every major city in America. However, their story was not always so triumphant.

SOREN GOLDSMITH/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Coyotes evolved in Mexico and the central United States 2 million years ago but didn’t expand that range until Europeans reached America. As part of mass predator extermination efforts between 1915 and 1947, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service killed nearly 2 million coyotes. This is the same effort that resulted in the extermination of gray wolves from the American west, but the campaign shockingly had the opposite effect for coyotes. Gray wolves tend to stay close when a family member is killed, but coyotes disperse. As a result, eliminating an entire pack of wolves is easier than dealing with more than one or two coyotes at a time. This scattering of coyotes is what spread them around the country. Coyotes were able to adapt and fill the ecological niche left open by the absence of wolves. They were first seen

in Wisconsin in the 1800s and were found in 49 states by 1950. Despite their abundance, scientists still don’t know exactly what coyotes are. Because they interbreed with wolves so often, a majority of coyotes are actually considered “coywolves.” The genetics are so mixed that an average coyote is about 25% wolf and at least 10% domesticated dog. Coyotes weigh 30-40 pounds on average and can display a variety of unique patterns on their fur. They are often a mixture of tan, black and gray but can range from black to strawberry blonde. They have pointed muzzles, long, brushy tails and slender legs to help them survive in the wild. The journey of the American coyote is a testament to their resilience, so next time you spot one in an unexpected place, appreciate them for helping Madison’s winter feel a little bit more alive.

SOREN GOLDSMITH/THE DAILY CARDINAL

sports l

Thursday, October 19, 2023

dailycardinal.com

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Questions emerge after Badgers’ shaky home football loss in pivotal Iowa game By John Ernst

Quarterback troubles

STAFF WRITER

Wisconsin’s highly anticipated battle with Iowa for the coveted Heartland Trophy and control over the Big Ten West did not go well for the Badgers. A dismal offensive performance led to missed opportunities, eight punts and two turnovers. Strong defense and low scoring is no stranger to the Hawkeye-Badger rivalry, but poor offensive play was the leading cause of the single-digit performance for the Badgers in this game. Here are a few takeaways from Wisconsin’s second loss of the season and their next steps for the coming weeks. Offensive momentum

Wisconsin lacked offensive momentum and aggressiveness, committed untimely penalties and was only able to put together three solid drives all afternoon, which combined for 201 yards and only six points. A third-down penalty backed up the offense on two of the drives, ending both of them on the next play. Wisconsin went 2-of-17 on third down on Saturday, their worst such measure of the season. Wisconsin heavily utilized running back Braelon Allen on their few successful drives, and the passing attack sought to push the ball downfield. The Badgers punted eight times, with Allen only compiling three touches on those eight drives. Allen, the most electric player in the Badgers offense, was synonymous with success, yet his number was rarely called during Wisconsin’s uninspired drives. What’s more, the Badgers were unable to set themselves up for third down, normally leading to a long pass attempt which either fell short or incomplete.

Wisconsin quarterback Tanner Mordecai was relatively unpressured in the first half but opted not to throw deep after the first drive. Mordecai suffered an injury to his hand late in the second quarter. Once Braedyn Locke replaced the injured Mordecai, Iowa ramped up the pressure and threw everything at the redshirt freshman, forcing throwaways and even a safety. Wisconsin’s offensive play calling seemed unimaginative with few deep routes, instead primarily relying on hooks and out routes. Any expectations of an Air Raid offense seemingly dissipated as the game progressed, and the positive balance of deep passing and Allen’s run game disappeared after the first few drives of each half. Although the Badgers lose experience with Mordecai, who will likely miss time with a bro-

ken hand, they get an option to structure the game plan around quarterbacks Locke, Myles Burkett and Nick Evers, a redshirt freshman transfer from Oklahoma. Evers, a former fourstar recruit, needs to get a shot, plain and simple, and Wisconsin needs to begin to get more creative with their playcalling. Playcalling When the Badgers had a set plan for their attack, the offense looked like a well-oiled machine. One of the Badgers’ more effective plays was a delayed pitch to Allen, proving that setting up more designed passes or plays needs to be part of the offense. Telling an inexperienced quarterback to sit in the pocket while the opposing team rushes five, hoping someone gets open, is not a recipe for success. Additionally, Wisconsin needs to design an effective offense for their players that

utilizes their strengths in Allen and the running game while balancing it with the pass. If the Badgers can’t complete a pass, defenses will continue to pack the box and limit any run attempt. Defensive pressure A major positive for the Wisconsin defense was their ability to get past the line of scrimmage and wreak havoc in the Iowa backfield. On four separate occasions, the Badgers dialed up blitz packages on third down, with the defensive line forcing two sacks and two batted balls. Wisconsin recorded nine tackles for loss. Their defensive performance returned to form following a quiet week against Rutgers, when they recorded just two tackles for loss and one sack. Although the Badgers typically only sent four rushers, they were able

to get fast pressure on inexperienced Iowa quarterback Deacon Hill and play a key part in the Hawkeyes’ 43% completion rate and 37 passing yards. Big Plays Iowa running back Leshon Williams’ 82-yard touchdown rush proved to be the difference in the low-scoring affair. Iowa rushed the ball 48 times, consistently pounding and wearing down a Wisconsin defense that has struggled with defending big plays, both on the ground and through the air. By the time Williams passed the line of scrimmage, the Badgers had six men in the backfield and no shot at tackling him. He broke a measly cut attempt by cornerback Jason Maitre, tossed safety Austin Brown to the turf in a Derrick Henry-esque stiff arm and was off the races for the game-sealing touchdown. Clock Burning

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Although Wisconsin stifled Williams and backup running back Kaleb Johnson, overcommitment by the linebackers and defensive backs on short runs led to many of Williams’ 10-plus yard carries. Iowa did not attempt a single pass in the fourth quarter, instead burning the time Wisconsin desperately needed. If the Badgers want to limit the big plays and stop the run attack from wasting precious seconds in future games, they must be patient when pursuing running backs instead of overcommitting and putting a safety in between the ball carrier and the end zone. The Badgers will look to bounce back against an Illinois team that took down the hot Maryland Terrapins last week. A win on the road is crucial for their Big Ten West hopes.