Action Project - Wealth & Poverty - Thursday, March 25, 2021 - The Daily Cardinal

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Action Project Issue, Spring 2021

GRAPHIC BY LYRA EVANS

“…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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Action Project Issue, Spring 2021

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UW research fights poverty with policy

By Hope Karnopp STATE NEWS EDITOR

The most recent report from the Institute for Research on Poverty at UW-Madison, published in October 2020, showed 10.6 percent of Wisconsinites lived in poverty in 2018.

That rate has not changed much from 11.1 percent in 2009, when the state was beginning to recover from the Great Recession.

Before lawmakers attempt to fight poverty with policy, researchers have to develop an accurate measure of poverty in the state. There are multiple ways to measure and understand poverty, depending on who you ask.

How do you measure poverty?

Researchers at the Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) developed the Wisconsin Poverty Measure

of the cost of living in the country.

And then within Wisconsin we adjust for the fact that living in Milwaukee [or] Madison is much more expensive than living in Bayfield or anything up in the northwest part of the state,” Smeeding explained.

There are other ways to measure poverty, including the market income poverty measure — which only includes income — and the Census Bureau’s official poverty measure, which takes into account public cash benefits.

The measures offer different pictures of poverty, but “overall trends in poverty according to the three measures are similar over the last several years, until 2018,” according to the report.

In 2018, the IRP’s poverty thresh-

GRAPHIC BY LILY HOUTMAN

(WPM), which takes family income and public cash benefits into account, adds noncash benefits like FoodShare and tax credits and adjusts for geographic differences in prices.

Timothy Smeeding is an expert on poverty and economic mobility and the former director of the IRP. He explained why the WPM provides a more holistic picture of poverty in the state rather than looking only at income.

“We adjust for the fact that the cost in Wisconsin is only about 90 percent

old for a two-child, two-adult family was $27,904. Using the WPM, researchers determined that the state poverty rate was 10.6 percent, continuing an increase since 2015 when poverty hit its lowest point since the Great Recession.

The IRP has not yet studied poverty in 2019 and 2020 due to the pandemic. The report noted that the pandemic has included “historic rates of unemployment and closure of schools and child-care facilities, but also significant intervention by the federal

government spending trillions of dollars to stabilize the economy.”

“In 2020, poverty will probably be higher. In 2021, poverty should go back down, we hope,” Smeeding said. “It’s a strange economy and it’s a strange recession. The last recession was more widespread, it wasn’t quite as steep.

This particular recession particularly hit women and minorities.”

What impacts poverty?

Beyond measuring the scope of poverty in Wisconsin, the IRP also uses the WPM to research how benefits and expenses affect poverty.

Anti-poverty policies like tax credits, food stamps, housing programs and energy assistance led to a drop in poverty, while increasing costs like out-ofpocket medical expenses push more people into poverty.

In 2018, there was a shrinking effect of the Earned Income Tax Credit, a tax break for low- to middle-income workers and families. Still, FoodShare had a larger impact on reducing poverty compared to 2017.

On the other hand, costs like work expenses, including child care and medical expenses paid out-of-pocket rose in 2018. Medical expenses have a large influence on elderly poverty rates in Wisconsin, which rose from 2015 to sit at 9.7 percent in 2018.

“Higher medical out-of-pocket expenses means you have less money to spend on other things you need, so that makes poverty go up. Higher costs of going to work, including child care and commuting costs, means you have less [money] after,” Smeeding explained. “If you subsidize child care more or we took the Medicaid expansion, we’d end up reducing poverty because people would need to spend less on those things, particularly elderly people and disabled people and mothers with kids.”

Where does poverty exist in Wisconsin?

In 2018, 15 counties in the east central region of the state had poverty rates below the state average of 10.6.

Fifty-five counties, including Dane, did not have a statistical difference from the state average.

However, Milwaukee and Racine counties are higher than the state poverty rate, a trend that has been consistent throughout the IRP’s research.

Milwaukee County’s poverty rate was 16.2 percent and Racine county’s rate was 14.2 percent in 2018.

“The variance of poverty within Milwaukee County is much higher than the variance between Milwaukee county and the rest of the state,” Smeeding explained.

According to the report, the poverty rates within the county ranged from 6.9 percent in the western part of the county to 31.6 in the central city of Milwaukee, “suggesting significant economic segregation” within the county.

How does research support public policy?

After researchers like the IRP’s determine the scope of poverty in the state, policymakers and advocacy groups can use the research to develop policies to fight poverty in the state.

The IRP continues the longstanding Wisconsin Idea, which describes how university experts worked with the state government in the early 20th Century to develop innovative legislation.

The IRP’s annual report is supported by the Wisconsin Community Action Program Association (WISCAP), which represents local community action agencies that provide services to low-income individuals. WISCAP advocates for public policies affecting people in poverty at the local, state and federal level.

WISCAP Executive Director Brad Paul, who has developed antipoverty legislation at the federal level, explained that the IRP and WISCAP are like “cousins” because the IRP informs WISCAP’s policy.

“The main reason [the report] is valuable for us is that it includes the value of benefits in one’s household

income. Why that’s important is it shows that anti-poverty programs and benefits can help lift someone out of poverty,” Paul explained. “Your typical federal poverty measure doesn’t do that. For us, as an advocacy organization, it’s valuable for us to point to that and say, ‘See, this is how it’s helpful that we’re investing in robust public benefit programs.’”

Among other policies, WISCAP supports expanding broadband, the availability and affordability of childcare and Medicaid in Wisconsin.

They also have introduced their own comprehensive legislation designed to fight poverty in Wisconsin.

How do policymakers and advocates develop policies that fight poverty?

In the 2019 legislative session, WISCAP worked with lawmakers — including Sen. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee, and Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison — to introduce the Wisconsin Opportunity Act. The bill was introduced by 18 representatives and co-sponsored by six senators.

The bill was referred to a committee in October 2019, but never passed through either chamber. The pandemic put all legislative activity on hold in March 2020. Paul said WISCAP is planning to reintroduce the bill in April with some changes.

“This is the blueprint you need to fight poverty in Wisconsin. It includes housing provisions, access to health provisions, job and income supports and transportation,” Paul said. “It’s all of the things that [community action agencies] see on a daily basis, the needs of those folks who come through their door, expressed through legislative language…It’s a multipronged approach.”

Paul explained that aspects of the large package, called an omnibus bill, could also move forward as standalone bills. The 2019 bill would have increased funding for housing grants,

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TAA continues the fight for fair treatment under Act 10

By Ellie Nowakowski STAFF WRITER

Overworked, underpaid and burglarized — this is reality felt by graduate student workers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Graduate workers — while being paid an average stipend of $13,667/year — are required to pay Segregated Fees to the university every semester, despite being employees. Fees total $1468.60 per academic year for domestic students, and international students are charged an additional $200 in International Student Services fees.

Simply stated, graduate workers have to pay 10.7% of that back to the university by way of segregated fees.

“The pandemic has exacerbated both TA overwork and the financial precarity of students across the university and workers across the university,” TAA Co-President Miranda Alksnis said. “What you have there is a really toxic combination, and graduate workers are reaching a breaking point. It’s just a question of whether or not the university can be made to listen in time to protect people from further harm.”

Graduate workers have until April 2 to pay their segregated fees, but the Teaching Assistants’ Association — the Graduate Worker Union of UW-Madison — hopes to have those fees remitted. The TAA is flexible in terms of how the UW-Madison administration replaces the funds and ultimately just want their needs met, Alksnis said.

“It’s hard to even think about at this point because for the UW-Madison administration, many of whom make six figure salaries, [Segregated Fees are] chump change,” Alksnis said.

“For me, that’s a trip home to see my family in Canada.”

It isn’t a matter of taking away the funding, and the TAA believes the monetary funds are important services. Rather, it’s a matter of asking the university to find funding elsewhere.

“This is something that we think will really improve the lives of our community, not just to grads directly by giving them more money — that’s always good — but also by giving them the peace of mind that comes with greater

financial stability,” said TAA Stewards Council Co-Chair Stephen Dennison.

Graduate workers have long fought for more fair treatment, but Act 10, which was enacted March 11, 2011, makes negotiating with the university for changes in policy more complex. The legislation was highly protested at the time by TAA. Because the TAA is not a certified union, they lack the leverage to make UW-Madison administration meet or bargain with them.

“We continue to advocate for graduate workers and we continue to raise issues that we hear about and try to do our best to make graduate worker concerns heard, but it can be hard to, because in some more formal, official channels, we’re not necessarily included in those discussions,” said TAA Co-President Alejandra Canales.

Professional pressures and near total supervisor control are examples of the stressors that graduate workers face, with an unjust impact on BIPOC graduate workers according to Alksnis. Because

there isn’t direct university policy, supervisor treatment of graduate workers is varying and can often be exploitative.

This leads to uniquely isolating experiences for graduate workers, said Alksnis.

The TAA is currently pushing to end segregated and mandatory fees for all graduate workers as part of their Financial Precarity Campaign. Graduate and undergraduate workers can pledge to withhold their segregated fee payment until the April 2 deadline to show their support for the effort.

“We want to show support for one another, and we want the university to join us in showing the support and solidarity by making sure that we don’t have this unjust burden levied on us anymore,” said Dennison.

The TAA also runs a Mutual Aid fund and has dispersed $31,660 to 279 graduate workers in the past year.

With the April 2 deadline for segregated and mandatory fees approaching, the TAA will consider its options to make sure those fees are remitted for graduate workers.

Segregated Fees at UW TIMING:

Each semester, UW-Madison charges segregated fees to all students, including graduate workers

PRICING:

Fees are $734.30 per regular semester, and $362.99 per summer semester

DISTRIBUTION:

Segregated fees fund things like UHS, ASM’s budget and the Wisconsin Union

ACT 10:

Proposed by former Gov. Scott Walker, passed in 2011. Publicsector unions can not negotiate for anything other than raises; they must hold yearly elections and receive a majority vote of all union members to continue to negotiate

Data from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the UW Bursar’s Office

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Action Project Issue, Spring 2021

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The changing face of State Street amidst COVID-19

By Molly Davis STAFF WRITER

A large housing developer has proposed a plan to build a ten-story apartment complex on the 300 block of State Street, which would displace a number of downtown businesses already hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chicago-based developer and college housing projects specialist Core Spaces already owns two major housing structures in the downtown Madison area, The Hub and The James. This plan, if passed by the city, would become the largest project yet for the company.

The project, which would cost an estimated $100 million, requires the demolition of a number of buildings and the displacement of ten businesses, including A Room of One’s Own bookstore, the Canterbury Inn, Casa De Lara and Community Pharmacy.

These businesses now face the decision of whether to shut down or relocate.

“We’re hoping the move won’t interrupt people’s wellness and access to care,” Co-op member and Community Pharmacy employee Rose Spolar said. “Several people have been working here for 10 or 15 years, and they’ve developed long-lasting relationships with customers.”

Spolar grew up in Madison.

She remembers visiting a Room of One’s Own bookstore when she was young, and she said this feeling of change caused surprise, grief and frustration for customers and employees alike.

As the holistic health store and pharmacy looks for a new lease near the East side, Spolar believes the financial and logistic impact of the move is not as big of a concern as the potential that the move will sever ties between the

shop and the community.

“There’s an emotional impact that comes along with seeing these historic businesses change,” Spolar said. “It’s not like when the McDonald’s changes.”

The most recent development plan is just one in a series of large, luxury apartment buildings in the past decade. Steve Brown’s Lucky complex went up in 2011 as part of the development of University Square, which also holds several University of Wisconsin-Madison administration offices. The luxury Ovation apartments were completed in 2015; Core Spaces built The Hub in 2015 and The James in 2017.

Core Spaces Senior Development Manager Mark Goehausen said that the central location of the new development would bring both students and young professionals to the luxury units and that its amenities will be comparable to the existing buildings owned by the company.

“We are strong believers in Madison, and even though State Street is suffering as a result of the pandemic and social unrest, we know that it will come back better than ever,” Goehausen said.

Plans include integrating some of the existing building facades into the design to preserve some element of their history. There is also potential for displaced businesses to opt to move back into the retail spaces after construction is complete.

The proposal also includes plans to include “affordable workforce” housing units, something that District 4 Alder Mike Verveer encouraged in correspondence with the developer, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. The building will be in a location designated by the city as a “super preferred area” for affordable housing.

However, only 77 out of the 481

units have been designated to be “affordable” — which comes in at just over 16 percent. In a city with a vacancy rate of three percent that is experiencing rising costs associated with rent, this may prove to be a serious problem.

For City of Madison Director of Planning, Community and Economic Development Matthew Wachter, the plan, like any other city development project, has its pros and cons. On one hand, the city desperately needs housing, but building high-end high rises downtown may be further contributing to a larger trend of displacing working-class communities over the past few years.

According to Wachter, a healthy vacancy rate in any city is around five percent, which is important to keeping an equal playing field between tenants and landlords. When the vacancy rate drops, landlords have an advantage in decision-making over tenants who are lining up for housing.

The city does what it can to incentivize the development of affordable housing by offering financial subsidies, but it cannot mandate the construction of a specific type of housing. This has caused a perfect storm for a slow-moving trend of displacement for working-class tenants and businesses.

“Displacement is what we worry about as a city — someone who was stable and had housing or commercial space they could afford [and] no longer does [have a home] because of prices that have gone up,” Wachter said. “Downtown has been seeing pretty rapid change for decades now.”

Spolar said that she has noticed more and more retail franchises and chains pop up in the city as it became less affordable. She concluded that Madison’s downtown area is becoming more sterile and

COURTESY OF THE WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY (LEFT) AND TAYLOR WOLFRAM

State Street has evolved, turnover accelerating during COVID-19. privileged as a result.

“The only people who can afford to be here are people who carry a lot of privilege,” Spolar said. “By sterilization, I mean the inherent exclusion of a lot of people. What matters?

Money. That’s it.”

While many businesses have decided to move as a result of the new development plan, including the historic Room of One’s Own Bookstore — which has been doing business in the downtown area since 1975 — other businesses will not be able to reopen elsewhere. Owner of the Canterbury Inn David Waugh said that if the plan goes through, the hotel will most likely close for good.

The six-room boutique hotel won’t be able to find a similarly-sized space that could accommodate the move.

The property has been run as a hotel since the early 90s, and Waugh has been operating the Canterbury for the past three years. He said that one of the charms that would be lost if the building were to be demolished is the unique artwork and murals painted on the walls of each of the hotel rooms.

Maintaining the character and his-

tory of State Street has been one of his priorities as an owner and operator of multiple downtown businesses.

“I think it’s very important that any development respects the character and the fabric of state street, and a lot of that is the historic buildings,” Waugh said. “We do need development and affordable housing, but I hope the developer does a good job of respecting the character of the State Street area. I think in order for retail in the area to have any chance of survival, housing is part of the equation.”

For many retail businesses, the pandemic was the nail in the coffin that followed years of shrinking retail popularity. Wachter said that bringing more housing options and more income into the neighborhood might be a good way to invigorate the area and bring much-needed traffic to local businesses.

“There’s a question of what exactly is going to come back into these places that have been hit the past year,” Wachter said. “There is that bigger conversation about what is that longer-term vision for State Street.”

Homelessness rises in number and intensity throughout the pandemic

By Sarah Eichstadt STAFF WRITER

The population of homeless Madisonians has increased and the conditions this community has faced have become increasingly precarious in the past year where the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has had severe financial repercussions for Americans. Homelessness has long been an issue experienced by members of the Madison community, a fact most apparent in the downtown area, where dozens of homeless people have no choice but to live on the streets.

According to The Department of Housing and Urban Development, Dane County homeless services assisted approximately 3,465 local residents from October 2019 to September 2020.

Black people made up 46% of this number despite representing only 14% of the county’s total population, while Whites and Latinos represented 41% and 5% respectively. Seventy percent of Dane County’s homeless population is made up of men.

Michael Basford, the director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the number of homeless residents to increase considerably in the past year.

“When the pandemic hit the largest effect that we saw was a substantial increase all over the state in unsheltered homelessness,” he said.

Victor is one Dane County resident who lost his home during 2020

after failing to pay his mortgage due to COVID-19 related financial struggles.

“I went to the hospital for an operation, came back and there’s two notices at my door from the sheriff and the bank that said, ‘You got four days to evacuate,’ so that’s why I’m out here,” Victor said.

Randy, another homeless Madison resident, echoed this sentiment, saying that the pandemic prevented him from being able to seek treatment for drug addiction.

“It’s impacted me tremendously. I was actually headed to a treatment facility when I was released from jail, and because of COVID-19, they were no longer taking people,” Randy said.

Karla Thennes, the executive director of Porchlight, explained that the restriction of in-person treatment for mental health and drug addiction has been one of the greatest problems faced by the homeless community this past year.

“Anxiety is just through the roof ... Any of our folks with mental health issues were just not doing well at all,” Thennes said. “No one’s sitting here on a Zoom call with a homeless person. They just don’t have access to wifi or laptops.”

Basford voiced his frustrations with Madison’s low minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, which he feels hampers the ability for homeless people to purchase housing.

“If you’re working full time, you should be able to sustain yourself

no matter what job that you’re doing,” Basford told the Cardinal.

“Earning minimum wage, you have to work 94 hours a week to be able to afford a two bedroom apartment in the city of Madison.”

Basford also indicated that officials have ignored the racial disparities present in Madison’s homeless population, which disproportionately is made up of Black people.

“The plan on homelessness for the state that we’re operating under is 30

“This is generations of silent segregation, red lining, lack of access to education and job opportunities. Everything that comes with white supremacy.”

Michael Basford Director Interagency Council on Homelessness

pages long, and I think there’s about two sentences that even acknowledge the fact that racial disparities in the homelessness systems and in the housing markets have an effect on what homelessness looks like in Wisconsin,” Basford stated.

Basford, who aims to introduce a racial equity component for a new state housing plan, claims that the increased rates of homelessness among Black people is the result of decades of systemic racism that has economically disenfranchised an

entire community.

“This is generations of silent segregation, red lining, lack of access to education and job opportunities,” Basford explained. “Everything that comes with white supremacy.”

“Housing is a right,” he continued. Basford hopes to see a day where homelessness is solely a temporary state. “There’s always going to be a situation where somebody falls through the cracks. A system that is heavily invested would be one where somebody’s homelessness is brief and it’s not recurring.”

While the city and some local nonprofit organizations do offer aid in the form of shelter and other necessities, numerous unhoused groups choose not to use these resources to preserve a sense of freedom that many in the homeless community value.

“The freedom’s nice. Don’t have to worry about bills. Don’t have to worry about mortgage,” Victor shared. “On the other side of the coin it can suck.

Weather wise. Drama wise. There’s a lot of thieves out here.”

Homeless residents have also chosen to avoid shelters due to the risk of theft and potentially contracting COVID-19 from others. According to Thennes, in September and October approximately 250 people chose to sleep outside rather than risk infection at a shelter.

“There’s always been that encampment, even in the winter time but nowhere near those numbers,”

Thennes stated about how homeless folks must live outside. “People didn’t want to be in a mass shelter with 100 people in one location. They thought it was safer to sleep outside.”

The city designated three locations where homeless residents would be allowed to create temporary encampments using tarps and other assorted materials. Thennes explained that the city chose to allow the creation of these encampments so that the homeless population would be less scattered, thereby allowing officials to more easily provide services to the homeless in the future.

Prior to the pandemic, Porchlight’s men’s shelters would host 100 men in one room, sleeping only inches apart, Thennes explained.

Once it became clear that the original arrangement was no longer appropriate, Porchlight relocated shelters to temporary locations where cots were spaced 6 plus feet apart and catered meals were provided to guests.

Porchlight also implemented a health screening process consisting of asking guests symptom-related questions, on-site COVID-19 testing and contact tracing via security cameras.

“We’ve been able to keep our numbers very contained,” stated Thennes, estimating they see only three cases a week.

A temporary men’s shelter operated by Porchlight is scheduled to close

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Students discuss financial aid, paying for college

By Sophia Vento STAFF WRITER

Issues regarding financial aid, financial relief and the student loan debt crisis have been at the forefront of national, local and university conversations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These have sparked concern about systemic inequities — relating to income and economic background — affecting students’ ability to pay for college and provoking UW-Madison students’ opinions.

During the 2018-19 school year, 58.4% of undergraduates and 67.8% of graduate students received some form of financial aid from the university, according to the most recent university report. 32.5% of undergraduate students received need-based aid.

“Students generally express the concern of affording to attend UW-Madison while also making the most of the financial aid they receive,” said Karla Weber, the communications manager in the Office of Student Financial Aid, emphasizing that when financial aid offers are released, many students express worry about how they will cover expenses that are not covered by the aid.

Over 11,000 UW undergraduates demonstrated financial need during the 2018-2019 academic year.

Financial aid programs at UW-Madison vary. Students can receive scholarships and grants, take out loans — from government and private sources — or work, either in student jobs or through federal work-study. At UW specifically, the most common form of financial aid is scholarships, followed by loans, work and then grants.

About $518 million dollars in financial aid were distributed to students during the 2018-2019 school year with most of the aid coming from

+POLICY community action agencies and mass transit systems, among other provisions.

The bill would require the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority to issue a report to the legislature on the number of households in “worst case housing” in the housing, as defined by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. It would also require the Department of Public Instruction to report the number of homeless children in public schools to the legislature each year.

“I’m not convinced lawmakers are all fully aware of the extent of the problem. So we’re asking that the data that they get every year through DPI through the districts [is] required to be reported out to the legislature, so it doesn’t stay just within DPI or those of us who know about it,” Paul said.

“That’s how policy gets made, is education and knowledge. So we think that’s significant even though it’s not a big [fiscal] item.”

WISCAP has focused on the housing crisis during the pandemic, which presented danger for a wave of evictions. Paul said that when the state received CARES Act funding, Gov. Tony Evers dedicated $25 million to rental assistance, which was funneled through the WISCAP network. Over 14,000 households were served in every county.

“That’s [been] all-consuming, all-hands-on-deck for that, both at the local and what we’re doing at the state level in terms of policy and the programs and the coordi-

federal and institutional resources.

Weber maintains that UW is committed to making college accessible to all students, “but especially for Wisconsin students,” in ensuring that it is affordable for their families.

The university has a number of dedicated programs intended to serve Wisconsinites from lower-income backgrounds as well as first-generation college students.

“Because my family is considered low-income and I am not getting any assistance from them with paying for college, I was put into UW-Madison’s FASTrack program,” said Megan Williamson, a first-generation college student.

The FASTrack program is intended for Wisconsin residents from lowincome households to assist them in paying for college through a combination of financial aid options.

Williamson received seven grants to help cover the majority of the cost for her first year of college and will continue to receive aid, as the program is committed to assisting participants for four consecutive years.

“It has been such a relief not having to worry about how I would be able to afford going here,” emphasized Williamson. “And knowing that the FASTrack program is committed to helping support me financially for eight semesters is just amazing.”

In 2019, 7,671 UW students received $75.2 million in need-based financial aid. The majority of said aid was from institutional and federally funded programs.

In 2020-21, the Bucky’s Tuition Promise program awarded the largest cohort of individuals yet — 923 new in-state students — free undergraduate tuition. This program serves Wisconsin students whose family’s adjusted gross income is less than $60,000, providing first-year

students and incoming transfer students with free undergraduate tuition and segregated fees for eight consecutive semesters and four consecutive semesters, respectively.

First-year student Alexia is one of many recipients of Bucky’s Tuition Promise. Her parents are divorced and the university considered only her mother’s income and not her father’s — who makes a substantial living through his small-business — when deciding her financial aid package.

“I feel like I’m stealing money from kids that need it way more than I do,” said Alexia. “But I am not going to turn it [financial aid] down.”

Although the cost of attendance at UW-Madison varies from student to student based on their financial aid packages, the prices remain steep, with tuition increasing every year as many students and their families continue to struggle to pay for college and out-of-state and international students paying almost four times as much as in-state students.

During the 2018-19 academic year, student loans made up 41% of the financial aid awarded to UW students, highlighting the continuous struggle faced by students when paying for college.

Kelsey Schneider, a first-year and in-state student, emphasized that it is frustrating to not qualify for Bucky’s Tuition Promise but to also not be able to “rack up $20k+/year” for tuition and other fees.

“I understand the purpose and [am] happy for the people that receive it, but I think the program misses a fairly large amount of people who also need it,” continued Schneider.

Middle-class students that do not qualify for significant institutional, state or federal financial aid but still struggle to pay out of pock-

nation and all of that,” Paul said.

“It took COVID, but we’re finally getting a really important discussion around the safety net and what people need to be economically stable.”

Where do we go from here?

Both Smeeding and Paul discussed the impact of the federal government’s new American Rescue Plan, which includes anti-poverty programs like the child tax credit, which could have a profound impact on reducing child poverty.

Under the new legislation, the child tax credit increased to $3,000 for children ages 6 to 17 and $3,600 for children over 6. The amount is gradually reduced for couples earning above certain income brackets. Eligible families will get payments up to $300 per child per month from July to the end of the 2021, according to NPR. Smeeding said that in future IRP poverty reports, researchers will be able to estimate the effect of the child tax credit, which should have a “big effect on child poverty in Wisconsin.”

The child poverty rate in Wisconsin was 11.1 percent in 2018 compared to about 14.4 percent nationwide.

Paul said he was amazed at the “New Deal style” of the new legislation, and said that WISCAP’s agencies will see a positive impact and be able to “meet the needs of people in their communities.”

“How this happened is wild,” Paul said. “We’re about to see a sea change in how people view the role of government in tough times. I think we’re at a really pivotal moment, and it gives me hope.”

in October for a new business to move into the property. Porchlight officials are waiting for the city — specifically the City-County Homeless Issues Committee who voted on March 1 to pass this proposal — to announce a new permanent location for a shelter, which Thennes anticipates will be situated near East Towne Mall on Zeier Road.

Thennes shared that during the past year, city and county officials have taken a much more active role in working to assist the local homeless population.

“The city has really taken a lead in finding a location. The [city is] putting in $3 million for the purchase and renovation, the county is matching that,” she explained. “The one positive thing that has come out of covid is it has shone a light on the need for a permanent men’s shelter ... At this point they [the city government] have really stepped up.”

Thennes shared that those staying in shelters are currently eligible to receive the vaccine.

However, she described twoshot vaccination efforts — the Pfizer and Moderna options — as being“ very difficult” due to the mobility of unhoused people.

While tenants were originally scheduled to receive the vaccine on March 24, the efforts were postponed due to a shooting that occurred at the First St. Men’s Shelter.

Torrie Kopp Mueller, the Continuum of Care Director of the Homeless Services Consortium of Dane County, expressed her hope that the city will

et are often left to take out loans and to search for scholarships.

“The ratio of financial need-based to academic-based scholarships is unacceptable,” said first-year student Paige Bester.

At UW-Madison, students must apply for or match with specific scholarships. Despite scholarships being the most common form of financial aid at UW, merit-based scholarships remain scarce. The College of Letters and Science — the largest school on campus — offers just 125 scholarships to the 15,000+ continuing students, yearly.

“UW-Madison students actually borrow less than both national and Wisconsin averages and are better at repaying those loans,” said Weber.

“Through our financial aid offerings, we continue to work towards reducing our students’ debt burden after they graduate.”

Approximately 45% of graduating undergraduate students during the 2018-19 academic year had student loan debt, averaging $27,147.

The Federal Reserve estimates that there is $1.7 trillion in student loan debt, nationally.

Ultimately, Weber emphasized that the Financial Aid Office remains committed and available to students — even after graduation — to assist in issues they may have concerning their student loan debt and overall financial wellness.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored a number of systemic inequities affecting UW-Madison students, including financial ones.

Last month, students began to receive COVID-19 emergency relief.

The $9.89 million allocated from the federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II is intended to help students experiencing financial hardship and insecurity amidst the pan-

demic. Students can apply for the aid through their MyUW StudentCenter, although some students have been automatically selected for $1,000 emergency grants as a result of their eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant.

“The COVID-19 relief fund was kind of like an added bonus for me,” said Williamson.

Most of Williamson’s tuition is covered through her financial aid package, so she was able to use the money for other expenses, such as buying a winter jacket and groceries as well as other “everyday college expenses.”

As of March 18, the university has allocated the entirety of their allotment provided by HEERF II. Since mid-February, 9,086 students — about 20% of the student population — have received HEERF II funding as of March 23, according to UW spokesperson Meredith McGlone. She also said that 100% of undergraduates demonstrating the highest financial need received assistance.

HEERF III is on its way to college campuses, but it is unclear how much or when this relief will be distributed.

Many students hope that the university will provide more financial relief given the circumstances of COVID-19.

Nearly 91% of the 2,935 students that participated in the Spring 2021 Associated Students of Madison election were in favor of establishing a COVID-19 Student Relief Fund, which the university maintains that they are unable to implement.

Financial aid and relief remain critical in thousands of UW-Madison students’ ability to pay for their education, but continue to highlight the systemic inequities relating to income that make paying for college increasingly difficult.

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The homeless population has increased in Madison during COVID-19. continue to direct resources towards assisting the homeless community and emphasized the importance of providing Dane County residents with more affordable housing.

“There is funding coming in that the city will use to address housing shortages, which is awesome,” Mueller stated. “Affordable housing has to be first and then all those wrap around services are super important ... You have to be off the streets, otherwise it’s all about survival.”

Mueller and Thennes both suggested that Madison should have housing units “that will work with people who have made some mistakes.”

“A lot of the folks we serve have blemishes on their rental history,” Mueller explained, which has made it difficult for some individuals to find an affordable apartment in the city.

Mueller stated that despite the hardships brought on by the pandemic, in

the past year the Madison community has come together at several points to support the homeless community.

“COVID-19 has been really hard across the board for everyone but there have been some real bright spots that covid brought to us,” he explained.

“We had a situation where one shelter had a lot of staff who had to quarantine.

Another shelter sent their staff over.

That’s what I feel most proud of. The relationships that have developed and the way folks are helping out.”

Mueller encouraged local residents to try and view the homeless community with more empathy by simply acknowledging the humanity of homeless people they pass on the street.

“I don’t always give money, but I will always acknowledge the person.

‘Good morning, how are you doing?’

Just say something. That’s really important — to be seen.”

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A Look Through History: Madison and its environmental disparities

By Will Cioci EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Just after the turn of the 20th century, Madison was cut in two.

It was a young city, in need of a plan to continue its growth. In the eyes of the professional class that walked the halls of the state’s capital and flagship university, Madison’s “natural advantages,” according to historian David Mollenhoff, “would make it one of the most attractive summer resorts in the country.”

Many fell in love with the isthmus’ greenery and splendid lakes. But just as important to that idyllic vision of the city were certain absences: “No soot-belching chimneys, no noisy factories and no grimy workers.”

In those early years of the city’s life, Mollenhoff writes in his book Madison: A history of the formative years, anti-factory professionals clashed with industrialists in a debate over Madison’s character and the right to enjoy and preserve its natural beauty.

In order to placate both factions, the city chose to draw a line.

They cut the city in two, creating a “factory district” on the city’s east side and a “residence district” in the west. The effects of that partition, which Mollenhoff calls the “Madison Compromise,” can still be seen today.

Quickly, the divide came to determine who could live where in the city. Wisconsin State Journal advertisement from the time sells lots on the city’s East Side as “within walking distance” of “the plants that support laboring men of the city and through them the merchants and professional men,” while land on the city’s West was

boasted, in part, because “no lots [could be] sold for manufacturing, trade or commerce.”

Today, neighborhoods east

Regional Airport and Truax Air Force base. Today, that site is one source of harmful perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances

WILL CIOCI/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Madison was split into portions with different economic values. of the capitol and many others around the city still feel the effects of Madison’s industrial past and present. And from air quality to sound pollution to harmful chemicals in the water, it is low-income and non-white communities who are disproportionately impacted by environmental fallout.

In 1927, not long after the compromise, the city purchased 290 acres of cabbage patch to the east of Lake Mendota. In the following decades, that plot was repeatedly expanded and developed into the Dane County

(PFAS), commonly called “forever chemicals,” that in 2020 caused the state Department of Natural Resources to caution against eating some fish from the nearby lake.

The Truax base is also the prospective home to a squadron of F-35 jets, which have faced significant public opposition over their deafening takeoff sound and likely continued water pollution. Considering the makeup of nearby neighborhoods, the Air Force’s own Environmental Impact Statement for the F-35 project predicted “significant

disproportionate impacts to lowincome and minority populations, as well as children.” Still, in February 2020, the military chose Truax to host the jets, which will arrive in 2023.

Health risks relating to air quality throughout the city point to deep inequities in the environmental health of different communities. A 2014 report by the city’s public health department found that approximately 13 percent of Madison’s K-12 students have been diagnosed with asthma. For students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, the rate more than quadruples: 58 percent had asthma. One-third of all asthmatic students were Black, although Black students make up just 18 percent of the school district at large.

In general, Madison’s air quality is good: In the decade leading up to the 2014 report, fewer than one in one hundred days were found to have an Air Quality Index worse than “moderate.”

But most of the city’s air pollution comes from vehicles and industrial sources, for which the infrastructure — major roadways and electrical plants, among others — is often closer to disadvantaged communities.

Madison Gas & Electric’s Blount Street power plant burned coal downtown for decades.

Only after hundreds of residents reported worsening air quality and medical conditions did they announce in 2006 their transition to natural gas — a fuel that is cleaner but still a source of carbon dioxide. Local environmentalists later filed an unsuccessful 126-page complaint to

the Environmental Protection Agency in an attempt to deny the plant a renewed operating permit.

There is also evidence that greenery in different neighborhoods can affect community health and safety. Trees improve air quality through photosynthesis, and their shade provides a cooling effect in the summer heat (which, climate projections warn us, will intensify in Madison in the coming decades). According to a DNR analysis, Madison’s east side neighborhoods appear in general to have less tree cover than neighborhoods to the west of the isthmus.

As they prepare for the looming shifts, climate scientists and policy advocates across the state are grappling with issues of environmental justice in their work.

The Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI) recently released a report last year, which highlighted areas where “climate impacts put Black communities, tribal Nations, other communities of color and low-income communities disproportionately at risk.”

Additionally, a report by the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change recommended the state create an Office of Environmental Justice, pointing out that many midwestern states already have similar bodies, which appoint members of communities across the state to advise on inclusive and equitable environmental policy. The report also calls for Wisconsin to improve consultation with First Nations on environmental concerns and mandate state research on the climate impacts of racial disparities.

Food Deserts: The extent of nutritional challenges in America

By Forrest Ziebell STAFF WRITER

Food is something some of us take for granted. While most Americans have access to food, not all have access to healthy food and reliable sources to obtain it. Communities without accessible grocery stores are known as food deserts.

Even agriculturally rich areas like Wisconsin have food deserts — which are a primary cause of food insecurity.

Contrary to popular belief food deserts are quite prevalent in both urban and rural areas. In fact, being on UW’s campus likely puts you in a food desert. While you may be surrounded by dozens of cafes and restaurants, there are not many options within walking distance for affordable, healthy food for students and others living in the downtown area.

Food deserts pose a serious issue, especially for communities of color which report far less access to grocery stores.

On top of this, fast food joints are five times more common in minority communities than predominantly white ones.

With limited access to fresh produce and quality foods, it takes a great deal of effort to achieve a nutritionally adequate diet in a food desert. It does not take a genius to connect the dots to realize that this leads to disproportionate obesity and negative health outcomes in non-white populations, which are often located near food deserts.

Addressing the food desert problem requires intervention to prevent the cyclical nature of supply and demand.

Food deserts are mostly in low income areas, which are on average less educated than middle and upper income areas.

Residents of these areas are not only isolated from quality food, but from nutritional education. As a result, they purchase processed foods from convenience stores or fast food restaurants that are easily accessible, which exacerbates the problem by creating more demand for less healthy products.

Without interference, the cycle continues, damning poor

nutrition related topics are covered in around 25 percent of districts. Part of this problem can be attributed to the fact that most nutrition information is taught at the teacher’s discretion, with 61 percent of schools having no oversight for their nutrition education programs.

Even if nutrition programs are included, there are obstacles that could get in the way of healthy diets. Primarily, food options at home are likely quite different than those at school, which creates a challenge for students who may be learning about nutrition in school, but not being able to put that information into action at home. If this disconnect continues, it is not likely that education will “stick” with the child and positively impact future food choices.

All of these problems loop back to food deserts, which drastically limit the availability of healthy foods. The difficulty in addressing these problems centers around improving access to affordable nutrition that is appealing to people of different cultures and budgets.

CITY OF MADISON Recent efforts to fix disproportionate access to healthy Food Access Improvement Map for Madison 2018. foods have succeeded by erecting grocery chains in lowpopulations to more chronic diseases and earlier deaths. income communities, and, perhaps more importantly, conAnother key to removing the barrier to healthy food necting communities to their food supply. Establishing is education. While nutrition education is widespread in farmer’s markets, urban agriculture and affordable grocery schools, it is focused primarily towards middle school chil- delivery services are just a few of the solutions currently dren. Students are taught topics such as the food pyramid being used to get healthy food to consumers. and dietary goals, which prove insufficient to meaningfully What health professionals must do now is find a way address the situations of many students. to make nutrition appealing and available to people of all As it turns out, offering nutrition courses is far dif- backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses. While the fights ferent from requiring them. Less than half of high school against food deserts and insecurity are of the utmost imporstudents are required to take nutrition courses, despite the tance, they are only the beginning of improving widespread importance of nutrition education across one’s lifespan. The public health. Changes to nutrition education and attitudes depth of the material taught is also questioned, with the food towards food are vital components in removing the focus pyramid being the only nutritional topic that is thoroughly from bad diets and expensive health trends towards sustaindiscussed in more than half of schools, and the majority of able eating changes that are wallet and palate friendly.

arts MAC helps local artists show work dailycardinal.com/projects/wealth-and-poverty

By Zoe Klein STAFF WRITER

In less than a month, the historic OlIn less than a month, the historic Olbrich park will be decorated by an archetypal labyrinth, constructed entirely out of discarded Christmas pine trees.

Artist Lillian Sizemore’s temporary art exhibition, “How lovely are thy branches” was recently approved, funded and put into motion by the Madison Arts Commission (MAC); a group dedicated to supporting underfunded and underappreciated art installations in the city of Madison.

Three times a year, the MAC grants independent artists and groups the opportunity to submit an ad hoc public art project idea through an initiative titled BLINK. The MAC approves a handful of submissions, distributes grants up to $1500.

On Tuesday, March 9th, the MAC conducted a second BLINK Proposal Review from a handful of February submissions. The main project discussed was the aforementioned exhibition by Sizemore.

Sizemore’s Cretan-style labrinth will appear from April 4th, 2021 through a proposed end date of March 30th, 2022. She plans to uti-

lize the discarded pine trees that were part of a city pick-up program early this year.

In a statement put out by Sizemore regarding her choice of material, “It will give a “second life” to these fragrant noble pines, and extend and enrich the sensations of winter.

Sizemore intends for the construction to be a “placemaking site for position intention.” The labyrinth will come to a center area called The Moss Mound, where people can leave rocks, spontaneous messages, hopes, dreams and meditate. The experience is one for the individual to reflect and create a more positive headspace to carry with them upon departure of the maze.

“The labyrinth would serve as a gathering place and be open to all to walk in safe distances, to synchronize energy, to slow down, to imbue peace and calm, ease anxiety and connect with nature,” said Sizemore.

“How lovely are thy branches” is coming just a month after the MAC’s latest large Madison project, “Winter is Alive! A Cooler World Carnival,” which recently ended on March 7th. The Committee reflected upon the success of the endeavor.

The program ran from February 12th through March 7th, and featured temporary outdoor sculptural

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installations and live streamed narrative, performative and informative events. The project was created to combine Madison geography with art and activities to foster a place for environmental dialogue, personal reflection and creativity.

All of which was accomplished safely outdoors or virtually.

The Madison Arts Program Administrator, Karin Wolf, has been especially excited and vocal about keeping the arts alive during the pandemic. During the summer of 2020, Wolf spearheaded the panorama of murals that adorned the boarded up State Street store fronts.

She worked to connect local businesses with local artists, and the result was that of 100 murals within a half-mile stretch. “These are creative entrepreneurs. They don’t just rely on one source of income. But unfortunately, they’re in the gig economy, for better or worse, and they’re not getting any income right now from any of their sources,” said Wolf in an interview with Tone Madison.

So if you find yourself on the east side of Lake Monona, wandering Olbrich Park after April 4th, take the time to wander Sizemore’s labyrinth and consider “How lovely are thy branches.”

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Lilian Sizemore recieved MAC funding for her next art project.

Local art space Communication amplifies community voices and recognizes crucial role pressure on officals plays for fair funding

By Emily Knepple STAFF WRITER

In the city of Madison, the arts community is alive and well.

From venues like the Sylvee and the Overture Center to more community based spaces like the Arts + Literature Laboratory and Communication, local artists have a variety of places to creatively express themselves. However, maintaining those spaces is easier said than done.

Communication, an arts and music nonprofit that is ‘dedicated to fostering a vibrant creative community, curating an all ages sober space for all forms of artistic,’ is centered at 2645 Milwaukee St. and closed its door to the public a little over a year ago.

Communication Director Jennie has a personal background as a community practice artist and photographer and shares that although Communication doesn’t have a strict hierarchical structure, her position is helpful because it helps a lot with applying to many different grants.

Communication’s standing as a nonprofit helps with their public image as generally speaking, many identity nonprofits as communitybased organizations.

However, Jennie admits that sometimes the 501c3 nonprofit model can be flawed, as there are certain grants you can’t apply for.

Communication is run entirely by volunteers and on top of grants, they bring in money from donations, an online shop and in preCOVID times, ticketed events that support local artists. In wake of the pandemic, Jennie admits that they’ve had to reconsider how they can serve the community without being able to gather.

“We’ve tried to think about ways of being sustainable and the past year has really increased that,” shared Jennie. Volunteers are constantly revisiting questions like “Who are we here to serve?” and “What do they need and how do we support that?’

Around Valentine’s Day, Communication organized a

COMMUNICATION/FACEBOOK

Communication is a sober and artistic space for all ages.

“Queer Madison Mixtape” that was available to buy on Bandcamp.

Jennie shares that all profits went to Freedom Inc., a local nonprofit that aims to achieve ‘social justice through coupling direct services with leadership development and community organizing.

“We want to be sustainable when we think about what other organizations we are investing in,” said Jennie. “We want to be invested in other people’s success.” That sense of camaraderie is vibrant among the Madison arts community. Jennie shares that when she moved here six years ago, she became quickly involved in the arts scene because of the welcoming people and atmosphere.

She also admits that for artists in general, it can be intimidating because there are few spaces that operate as real galleries and the chance for exposure might be limited. In addition, the University of Wisconsin also plays a certain role.

“There are certain types of personalities and identities that thrive in those specific settings,” said Jennie.

Communication operates as a “third space,” similar to that of coffee shops and libraries. All types of artists are welcome, as are all ages and a lot of their work mimics this idea of community importance.

Communication has partnered with Madison’s Public Library’s Bubbler program, “a hub that connects artists to the community and the community to artists through free, hands-on making, exhibitions and community-wide events.”

“These connections are really about the people that are there and what they want to do,” said Jennie.

“We’re interested in connecting with people who have the same goals.”

In addition to their work with Madison public libraries,

Communication has also worked with other art organizations like the Arts + Literature laboratory on S Livingston St. It’s no secret the local art tends to be underfunded. This is a problem all over the country but Wisconsin as a state is 50th — yes, that’s last! Ffor art spaces and artists alike, there’s a certain reliance on exposure, rather than actual financial compensation for their work.

“It is really unfortunate that artists and musicians are taught that their passion is what should pay them and that they have to work other jobs to support their work, when those jobs are also underpaid,” said Jennie.

In a report conducted by the Argonne National Laboratory on COVID-19’s impact on arts & culture, the most recent data suggests that economically, arts and culture contribute 4.5% of the US GDP, which is more than industries like transportation and construction.

Other daunting data that illustrates the impact of the pandemic on an already vulnerable industry show that in the third quarter of 2020, 27% of musicians were unemployed.

Why is that? In a society that benefits from all sorts of arts and entertainment, there is a clear disconnect between what people gain and what those artists lose. Jennie agrees and grows frustrated with the growing list of scenarios where artists are essentially doing free labor.

She reiterates the idea that a lot of artists are already working other service industry jobs that are already underpaid and face a long list of hardships on top of unfair compensation. One avenue that artists can pay attention to in hopes of better funding is public policy.

“As creative people, we need to build on coalition building and the

only way to make change in our community is to put pressure on policy workers,” said Jennie.

Jennie’s friend, Francesca Hong who owns Morris Ramen and serves as Wisconsin State Assembly’s 76th District representative has inspired her to think about what is possible for coalition building.

Funding of the arts is one of many things local politicians can influence and encourage. Using your voice and vote to put pressure on those elected can lead to real, visible change and Jennie is one of many local artists that see the opportunity.

Communication tries to ease the financial stress placed on local artists by fairly compensating them for their work. Amplifying local artists while promoting fair and equitable pay is crucial to the organization and the success of the community. Jennie recognizes the role bigger players have to play in this conversation.

Bigger venues like the Sylvee are in a unique spot as more visible artists tend to go there. Shining a light on smaller spaces can help give those spots a chance to reach a bigger audience, which will in turn lead to better financial support. Communication continues to work directly with those they serve and offer time, support and unique, creative outlets.

As vaccine rollout in Wisconsin continues to expand, Jennie is hopeful that Communication can return to in-person activity sooner rather than later.

In 2020, Communication paid out $6000 to local artists, which is an admirable sum given circumstance.

As art continues to be made, they only hope for that number to grow and with support from the community, as well as anticipated pressure on local officials, the show must and will go on.

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Breaking backs, hopes for the future: How UW perpetuates prison labor view Cardinal View editorials represent The Daily Cardinal’s organizational opinion. Each editorial is crafted independent of news coverage.

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tudents have long told UW-Madison that “it is not enough for the University of Wisconsin System to demonstrate optical allyship … by means of posting on social media, tokenizing students of color and providing resources for students and alumni to combat racism on an individual level.” Instead, they have called for the UW to make good on their promises and deconstruct the systems that “uphold racial inequalities.”

One such system that is a prime example and has come under fire recently — due to over-incarcerating minority communities on Marijuana charges, wrongfully locking innocent people up and executing innocent people — is the criminal justice system.

In 2014, the UW System signed a contract with the Bureau of Correctional Enterprises — which is made up of Badger State Industries, Correctional Farms, Badger State Logistics and the Transition Program — saying that the System universities “must purchase” products from this corporation. This corporation is run on the backs of prisoners — prisoners who have been grossly exploited by their employers. Products range from room number and restroom signs to milk products for Babcock Hall ice cream.

An average BCE workday includes 440 workers, and each worker earns an average of 96 cents per hour during the 2019 fiscal year, according to BluGold Media. That means that each human being — who is being subjected to the horrors of being locked up and is likely to suffer from PTSD, lost job opportuities, broken social relationships and other harmful effects post-incarceration — is earning less than one dollar per hour. For a normal eight hour work day, they get less than $8 per day.

The hypocrisy surrounding such policies is perhaps the most stunning facet of the debate. UW-Madison takes care in promoting egalitarian beliefs, as well as states that it tries to create an atmosphere of equality for all. Publicly acknowledging the faults in our current criminal justice system is surely important, but it is hollow and devoid of meaning when your actions do not reciprocate your professed beliefs.

UW is directly benefiting from a system which abuses its prisoners and takes advantage of them for unpaid labor. If UW’s topranking officials have agreed that the Wisconsin Criminal Justice system unfairly targets minorities and doles extreme sentencing for lesser crimes, is UW not complicit in this system which uses

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prisoners effectively as slaves?

One has to question whether or not UW is as open minded as they profess. These prisoners who are building furniture are compelled to do so under state law, and the compensation they receive is next to nothing and essentially worthless. Why are state prisoners not included under the state’s Fair Labor Standard Act? Apparently, the belief is that once one enters into the prison system, they lose the rights that would traditionally have been guaranteed to them.

In the end, working prisoners to the bone for no compensation, and then selling their product to schools and federal buildings is deeply immoral. It seems to be a modern day form of slavery or indentured servitude rather than a system which helps rehabilitate these prisoners and reinte-

grate them into society; however, these actions are completely legal under the current law. UW is having a serious crisis of character regarding this issue and it is questionable as to why they support progressive ideals within the community, yet benefit directly from what is essentially legal slavery.

So, what does UW need to do to remedy this? What can they do after years of using this type of labor to buy cheap furniture for their students to write, study, draw and read upon? For their students to get a higher education while they pushed incarcerated people further into the depths of economic depression?

UW-Madison — and the greater UW System — must no longer buy prison-made furniture, or, in fact, any items made by prisoners that are paid below minimum wage, and they

must not renew their contract which is set to expire in Dec., 2021. For a college to promote its “commitment to public service,” yet turn its back on the most vulnerable class in our society is backwards and untrue to the Wisconsin Idea. How can the university be lecturing Public Policy graduate students on how to create policies that will effectively rewrite the criminal justice system while making them take notes on the backs of prisoners? How does this demonstrate UW’s belief “that education should influence people’s lives beyond the boundaries of the classroom”?

How can we place our trust in this UW campus if they are not furthering social justice and fighting for the minimum wage for all, but instead exploiting it for their own economic benefit?

UW must take greater responsibility for students’ financial health

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utside of loan options, students typically turn to financial aid and scholarships to finance their education. UW-Madison has multiple “Wisconsin Promises” in place for in-state students that qualify for financial aid, like Bucky’s Tuition Promise Plus, Badger Promise and the Financial Aid

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Security Track.

While these are great programs for the students they serve, there isn’t strong enough of a financial safety framework for the rest of the student body, which includes out-of-state, undocumented and international students. Financial need transcends state and national borders, and legal status.

Prospective out-of-state students can look at the Badger Aid for Nonresidents program for need-based financial aid.

However, eligible students include only those in some of UW-Madison’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement’s programs, Minnesota students whose families receive public assistance or students who are homeless or a ward of the court. They can also avail grants and scholarships. However, the disparity in available resources and tuition fees owed is seismic. Out-of-state students must pay nearly four times as much as in-state students: Wisconsin residents typically pay $5,370.98 every semester, while out-of-state students — excluding Minnesota reciprocity — pay $19,314.86.

As the flagship university of the state of Wisconsin, UW-Madison is rightly a lucrative educational destination for students even outside of Wisconsin. Out-of-state students with the desire to attend this institution should not be priced out of their dreams.

Available financial aid resources and many of the

scholarship opportunities on the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub require students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to establish financial need. Placing this form as a requirement places non-citizen and undocumented applicants out of consideration for most aid and scholarship opportunities. Among them are international students, who pay the most in fees out of anyone, exceeding out-of-state students by $500, typically paying $19,814.90 each semester.

The pathway to providing non-citizens the aid they need or the scholarships they deserve is not as straightforward as university action alone. International students are granted visas on the basis of their financial capability, while the consideration of undocumented students as in-state students is a legislative decision at state level.

Current Wisconsin law deems undocumented students ineligible for in-state tuition, forcing them to pay out-of-state rates despite meeting physical residence requirements.

The pandemic has made these roadblocks more apparent, with the Higher Education

Emergency Relief Fund explicitly leaving out undocumented and international students due to their institutionalized ineligibility for federal aid.

UW-Madison set up emergency financial support that accommodates all students, but more must be done. Lawsuits in California and Washington state against the exclusion of students from the relief fund resulted in victories for the California community college system and institutions in Washington state, enabling them to disburse funds to previously ineligible students.

These victories are localized, but set a clear precedent. In a similar vein to these lawsuits, UW-Madison must take strong action in the best interests of students that are left out of aid and scholarship conversations.

Financial well-being is an essential aspect of a student’s holistic well-being. It gives students one less thing to worry about as they work towards achieving educational and career goals. It also helps attract the best and brightest minds.

UW-Madison must take greater responsibility and act more assertively in the best interests of all students.

opinion Greed has poisoned our education dailycardinal.com/projects/wealth-and-poverty

By IAN-MICHAEL GRIFFIN OPINION DESK EDITOR

As education costs continue to skyrocket beyond the bounds of traditional inflation, more and more people fall behind and to the wayside, and the cycle of poverty and marginalization expands. The increase in college tuition is sometimes blamed on the usual inflation of U.S. currency, but in reality, tuition has increased at a rate that is twice that of USD inflation, according to Forbes.

This rapid and exponential increase is simply a symptom of the ails of the U.S. education system. In 1980, people saw a high school diploma as a prerequisite for employment and a basic example of academic accomplishment. In 2021, however, things are quite different. For most jobs today, one is expected, or preferred, to have a bachelor’s degree in some field. That means one must spend extraordinary sums of money to simply find a job that garners median levels of income.

In 2019, the median American income was approximately $68,703, meanwhile EducationData.org reports that the average American student should expect to pay at least $37,720 per year for the pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. Given today’s professional climate, many now are valu-

ing the importance of continuing on to graduate school for the increase in median pay.

Essentially, this means that to be employed and earning a middle class wage, one has to potentially tack on student loans that are near hundreds of thousands of dollars. How is this in any way accessible to the lower classes of America, who require college education if they hope to be hired for higher-paying jobs that could help lift them out of poverty?

For example, in the continental U.S., excluding Hawaii and Alaska, the poverty line for a family of four, a believable example, would be $26,500, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As of 2019, the U.S. Census concluded that there were 34 million Americans living in poverty, which is about 10.5% of the population.

The current U.S. educational system is not sustainable in its current state. This rapid increase in tuition can be blamed on nothing short of the greed of the individuals who run such institutions. They claim to be wholly inclusive and to prepare the students for the rest of their life and careers, but in many cases, all they achieve is raising the barrier for entry to those living paycheck to paycheck and ensuring college for those that

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can already afford it.

Take UW-Madison for example, as their tuition has been increasing yearly around $800-1000. Just recently, however, the UW Board of Regents approved a 2% increase in salaries for UW affiliated chancellors, including our very own Chancellor Rebecca Blank, who will now earn a whopping $606,154 in income per year.

The fact is, many middle-class families in the U.S., including my own, take on enormous amounts of debt to earn a degree. Paying back such loans can take anywhere between 10-25 years after you’ve graduated, essentially holding that bill over your head until you are almost middle-aged. Education in America is a business, one that caters solely to those who can afford the “services” they provide, instead of offering the means to improve the social standing for everyone. In many cases, it only reinforces the wealth gap and ensures that the cycle of poverty within communities continues.

In 2015, the Hechinger Report concluded in their study that “students from high-income families are eight times more likely to get bachelor’s degrees by the time they’re 24 than those from low-income families.” Such a disparity is not exactly

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Students face increased financial barriers to high education. shocking in the U.S. — even though it should be — as children from lowincome families are continually marginalized. Until legitimate reform of the U.S. education system begins, the gap will only widen.

Legislation has already been proposed to help forgive student debt.

Whether it ever sees the light of day is up in the air, and the plans themselves are quite weak, but the accessibility

of college to the disenfranchised has begun to be noticed and universities have to put students before 2% raises.

Ian-Michael is an Opinion Editor at The Daily Cardinal and a freshman. Do you think college is inaccessible to the lower classes?

Is the system in need of reform?

Send all comments to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.

Campaign finance practices are a gatekeeper to equal representation in government, especially in local elections

By RILEY SUMNER OPINION DESK EDITOR

Political representation is an important issue in American politics, and how folks are able to access that power is hindered by a gatekeeping system that prevents many people from running for office. The financial burden to run for office in this country prevents adequate representation and agency for impoverished and marginalized communities.

The issue has two prongs having to deal with not only the economic burden that a political campaign presents, but also a cultural stigma that people hold, further blocking equal political representation.

The amount of money that

candidates have to raise in order to fund their campaign is a huge burden on candidates. On a local level, campaigns can cost upwards of $10,000. This cost is almost nothing compared to presidential campaigns, however, when considering that only about 5 to 10% of American’s donate to political campaigns, with even fewer contributing to local elections, many local campaigns require a candidate to contribute lump sums of money to their own campaigns.

In the 2020 election cycle, over $5 billion was spent on the presidential race, with money coming from a wide range of special interest groups and individual donors vying to buy political power from candidates.

When the campaign fundraising cycle blocks out folks who are unable to afford the financial burden of running for office, the voices of impoverished communities are excluded from the public sphere. This occurs at a time when these groups, perhaps, need their voices to be the loudest.

The system favors people who come from wealthy backgrounds, and while they may try to represent people from disadvantaged communities, there will always be some degree of disconnect.

Once a candidate has been elected, the financial issues don’t just stop there. Holding political office at any level requires a serious time commitment, and

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAX BAYER

A meeting of the Madison CIty council featuring the 20 alderpersons representing the city

many people are unable to both have a day job and take time to serve their constituents.

We often deem it as selfish for politicians to vote to give themselves pay raises, or to even consider paying office-holders.

In Madison, a proposition has been debated recently that would make the city alder positions a full-time job, increasing pay to an amount closer to the Dane County mean income. This would make it easier for people from impoverished communities to hold office and perform the duties of a public servant with a steady source of income.

If politicians are not paid, or not paid very much, only people who can afford to not have a job are able to hold the position. People from wealthy backgrounds can afford to not have an income source for the duration of their term since they have money saved up, however people who don’t have excess funds struggle to do so.

We also face a cultural barrier when it comes to running for office. Often, campaign rhetoric focuses on the economic successes of a person as a means of qualification for their position. Yes, of course being successful is a good characteristic to have, but in politics that success is often correlated to monetary success.

Donald Trump is a beaming example of somebody whose sole qualifier was his perceived economic success — he even went so far as to claim that “strength” would correspond to economic success for the U.S. economy.

Trump was indeed a successful business man — simply, he made a lot of money for him-

self. His success may not have been possible without a large startup loan and inheritance.

Regardless, that in no way solely qualifies a person to hold any political office, especially when that economic success comes through the exploitation of the working class.

Culturally, we need to redefine what it means to be successful. I want a candidate who works every day to connect with their constituents, and understand the issues that affect those people. Going even further, I want a candidate who has themselves experienced policies which actively work against them. I want a candidate that will know how to navigate those issues without needing to have a two minute conversation at a campaign rally to fully understand how to help working class Americans.

Would-be candidates all across the country are too often stopped from seeking political office simply because of the financial burden that they face.

We need to work to get political representation in this country to the folks that need it most, so that we can create a better America for everybody.

Riley is an Opinion Desk Editor and Junior studying Computer Science & Journalism tracking in Reporting. Do you think there are barriers to running for political office? Do you think we should strive for more representation from impoverished communities? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

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dailycardinal.com/projects/wealth-and-poverty

Action Project Issue, Spring 2021

One of world’s shittiest people some-

how convinces everyone he’s epic

By Nick Rawling ALMANAC EDITOR

If you’re like me and have no sex, you probably spend a lot of time thinking about Elon Musk, easily the worst person on the planet — yes, even worse than Tom Brady.

Of course, all billionaires are sociopaths by default, but it is not the fact that he’s hoarded more than enough wealth to live a lavish life thousands of times over that makes Elon so contemptible. It’s that he has somehow tricked a bunch of nerds into thinking he’s a good guy.

Ever since he went on Joe Rogan’s podcast and smoked weed — pretty epic, right?

— Elon has been trailed by a parade of unbearably gullible fanboys who would find a reason to stick up for him even if he shanked their parents.

If you don’t believe me that these people would give their lives for their God-Emperor Elon, I dare you to say anything vaguely negative about him in the comment section of one of his tweets.

If you don’t believe me that

these people are the type who would have fallen for “I have a bridge to sell you,” stay in that same comment section and tally the number of accounts trying to scam his followers by pretending to sell bitcoin.

From what I can surmise, Elon has tricked this army of doge-coin-holding redditors into believing two crucial fallacies: that he is a genius businessman, and a genius engineer.

I suppose that if you don’t think about it for longer than five seconds, it’s hard to argue Elon isn’t a good businessman.

After all, he is the wealthiest man in the world.

But when it’s taken into account that the seed of that wealth came from money his parents made by owning an emerald mine from apartheid South Africa, and most of the rest of that wealth was created by exploited workers like Tesla’s 6-year-old Congolese cobalt miners, it’s less impressive.

The “genius engineer” illusion comes in part from the fact that he named his company after an actual genius, Nikola Tesla.

IMAGE COURTESY OF TWITTER

What’s important to remember though is that Musk is much more akin to Thomas Edison, in the sense that he takes all the credit for other people’s work and is a giant bitch.

It should be clear to everyone that Elon himself does not design the self-driving cars or the spaceships he’s famous for.

A hired team of engineers way smarter than him does that, funded in large part by your tax

money, because apparently Elon simply does not have enough.

I suppose this could be counted as a credit towards Musk though, as the self-driving cars really like killing cyclists and the rockets really like blowing up for no reason.

Though it’s not all failure for Elon. While he may not be a good engineer, I think there’s ample evidence that he is a very skilled reverse-engineer.

For example, he’s reverse-engineered the idea of subways but somehow made them way worse, and he’s also reverseengineered the idea of indentured servitude. Hats off.

I could keep going, but I’m already more than 100 words over my word count. To wrap things up, I just want you to know that no matter how bad things get, at least your name isn’t X Æ A-12.

By Gillian Rawling, Nick Rawling, Ben Everson, James Ma

Ben: wrestler Jesse Ventura, Nick: He rocks.

Ben: He was putting the idea forward, I think the quote was him going ‘oh, everybody’s always talking about a minimum wage, a minimum wage, a minimum wage, but I say we put in a maximum wage, where if you can’t live off of $12 million a year,’ quote him, ‘maybe we should bring back capital punishment.’

Nick: I 100% agree with all of that, and I think 12 million might be a little bit too high of a figure, if we’re being honest, too.

But no, that was beautifully said

by Jesse.

Follow the podcast on Twitter @SodaTalkPod.

Canada Goose changing Coastie outlook on Madison homelessness

IMAGE COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

By Gillian Rawling ALMANAC EDITOR

Coastal students at UW-Madison, commonly known as Coasties, have started an effort to address income inequality after listening to their econ professor, Daveed Johnston, talk for two minutes and then tune out everything that applied to them.

This groundbreaking proposal includes an initiative from greek life at Madison to provide for the houseless community, in which they plan to raise hundreds of dollars on their instagram bingo stories so they can collectively buy one singular Canada Goose Jacket.

“It’s really depressing for me personally to see people freezing

during the winter,” said one volunteer, Cam Rogerson. “And this way I know it will go to something totally useful for one person, instead of like junk food or alcohol, you know?”

Coasties are also planning on creating a lottery system for residence halls and luxury apartments like The James and The Hub where a lot of them currently reside.

Sarah Allen explained that this initiative has given back to the Coastie community as well, because it has taught them how to spend their money.

“My dad said he knows they wouldn’t be able to afford where I live normally, because of their lack of initiative,” said Sarah. “It feels

really good to give back. I really think I’m making my contribution to the community and to society — I feel like a modern day Jane Addams with her Hull houses.”

The effort also suggests that when the Hub 2 is built, it will also be included in the lottery. It’s the least they can do considering that the needless luxury buildings they live in are part of the reason the rent has increased 23% over the last five years.

While income inequality and homelessness persist in our beloved city, it’s nice to know that we can count on our student population to do something about it rather than our actual municipal government.

ALMANAC PODCAST

Hey Almanac readers! We hope you enjoyed the special edition of our beloved column this week. The Almanac editors would like to opportunity to share some really exciting news: this section now has a podcast! (not at all related to our article published from a few weeks back about another mediocre white guy starting one) We’d love if you’d take a minute to sit back and enjoy 4 of UW-Madison’s dullest students talk about random shit.

Here is a short excerpt from DC’s finest:

We’re always looking for more funny and insightful writers with fresh takes on topics ranging from the UW campus to international news. We accept and encourage creative submissions as well! Any and all submissions are more than welcome. You can send your submissions and any comments or questions to almanac@dailycardinal.com. All articles featured in Almanac are creative, satirical and/or entirely fictional pieces. They are fully intended as such and should not be taken seriously as news.

comics

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Pay Artists

Action Project Issue, Spring 2021 • 9

By Lyra Evans

Action Project Logo

By Zoe Bendoff

ACTION PROJECT WORDSEARCH

Why am I Here

By Lyra Evans

By Lyra Evans

Directions: Find the wealth and povery related words going up, down, backwards, forwards, or diagonally. can you find them all?

wealth

dept

millionaire

money

gold

loan

government

aristocracy

homelessness

proletariat

investment

diversity

socialism

labor

stock

education

inequality

poverty

capitalism

payment

equity

taxes

millionaire

minimum wage

stocks

billionaire

dollar

bills

bigbuisness

healthcare

bourgeoisie

Life & Style 10 Action Project Issue, Spring 2021

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To thrift or not: The thrifting trend

By Elena Cata STAFF WRITER

Vintage clothing has made a return and it’s not going away anytime soon. It’s no secret that donning your grandmother’s jewelry or dad’s sweatshirt from the 90’s has been the epitome of style for the past few years.

College students are no longer flocking to department stores, but instead making trips to thrift stores for their newest items. Even better, shopping at thrift stores is not only trendy, but also far more affordable than most retail stores. A tank top I thrifted for $6 was both a “steal” and awarded me fashion credibility among my peers because I could label it “vintage.”

So, what is not to love?

The problem in thrifting lies within the demographic makeup of those who have adopted this trend.

Organizations such as Goodwill and The Salvation Army were designed as outlets to provide low-priced goods to those who genuinely could not afford firsthand clothing.

However, as an influx of middle class and uppermiddle class teenagers and young adults flock to thrift stores, prices inflate based on increased demand, thus excluding those who have traditionally shopped at thrift stores based on necessity.

I will be the first to admit that I have engaged in negative thrifting behavior and decided it was important to identify the do’s and don’ts of buying secondhand clothes.

I interviewed Kate Lichtman, a first year student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from New Rochelle, NY. Kate is studying Retail and Consumer Behavior and working towards a certificate in Data Science, on top of being my go-to person on all things fashion.

Kate told me that she has decided to stop shopping at popular thrifting locations such as the Salvation Army and Goodwill in order to avoid exploiting resources for low-income families in her community. She noted that “no pair of Levi’s is worth one less pair of pants for a young woman who really needs it.” I find her outlook

extremely compelling; the allure of cheap designer finds should not serve as a justification for the exploitation of goods meant for those as a means of survival.

While shopping at stores such as Goodwill and Salvation Army is an activity that middle-class and upper-middle class shoppers should avoid, the thrifting boom has allowed for the proliferation of “trendy” second hand clothing stores that are significantly less harmful to lower-income families.

Kate acknowledged that because she is privileged enough to do so, she prefers to do any in-person thrifting at consignment shops or ‘trendy’ thrift shops that she knows are meant to cater more specifically to the New York street-style scene. She notes that the shoppers at these stores are fortunate enough to be shopping for pleasure and not necessity.

However, a pledge to abandon “conventional” thrift shopping doesn’t mean you can’t get your second-hand clothing fix at all. While I have not used Depop before, Kate raves about the peer-to-peer social shopping app.

CHLOE SCHEFTEL/THE DAILY CARDINAL “No one wants to hear me say ‘Depop’ It is important to make sure that your thrifting choices are ethical.

AGAIN, but I truly could not have more positive things to say about it. I can confidently say that thrifting, she responded with a unique perspective: 9/10 of the items of clothing/shoes/accessories I see on “Depop being an e-commerce platform and not a the market that I’d normally purchase firsthand can be brick and mortar establishment limits accessibility in found on Depop secondhand (and in immaculate con- some ways, but I look at it as almost creating a separate dition),” Kate said. “Aside from its high sustainability, secondhand world that releases low-income families of Depop is a private e-commerce platform, which does any strain on their resources.” wonders in mitigating upper class exploitation of comUltimately, I leave with the belief that buying secondmunity resources.” hand clothes is a sustainable practice that should be Kate aptly points out that Depop is a plausible way valued in the fashion industry. for those with high incomes to get their thrift “fixings” However, it is an individual’s responsibility to ensure without hurting those who truly benefit from establish- that their thrifting practices are ethical and do not inadments like Goodwill and Salvation Army. When I asked vertently jeopardize someone else’s access to a basic her how Depop could lessen the costs of nonessential survival need.

The distorted reality of higher education costs and expenses

By Samantha Benish

nose a deep red.

A single thought crosses your mind: why did I decide Picture this: you are bundled up in your warmest to come to school here? winter coat, trudging your way to class in the heaviBesides the brutal cold, the University of Wisconsinest part of an infamous Wisconsin snowstorm. Thick Madison offers an exemplary amount of reputable snowflakes thunder down on you as you carefully attributes. It often slips our mind, truly, how lucky maneuver around the slippery slush that covers the each of us are to be attending UW-Madison. As stated crosswalks of University Avenue. Your hands are in a 2021 nationwide ranking list by U.S. News & World shoved deep into the warmth of your coat pockets, and Report, UW-Madison ranks as the 13th best public you can feel the sweat start to build up on the small of institution and 42nd overall in the nation. The extenyour back - even as the bitter air turns your cheeks and sive list of reputable qualities for UW-Madison spans to academics, athletics and more.

Yet, everything that accounts for UW-Madison and its successes does not come free. The hefty price tag for undergraduate and graduate students yields hushed conversations. According to the university’s website, the estimated cost of attendance for the 2020 to 2021 academic year was listed as $27,228.00 for Wisconsin residents, $55,640.00 for non-residents/international students and $31,840.00 for Minnesota residents.

Comparison prices to other universities in the Wisconsin system show a stark difference.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville sits at only $7,873.08 for an academic year TAYLOR WOLFRAM /THE DAILY CARDINAL for Wisconsin resiWhile attending higher education, it is easy to fall into the distorted view of wealth and costs. dents and $16,148.04 STAFF WRITER

for non-residents. A UW system chart from UW Help lists all 26 UW colleges in Wisconsin and their respective tuition rates, and UW-Madison sits at the most expensive — for Wisconsin residents, non-residents, internationals and Minnesota residents.

The hefty cost that comes with attending UW-Madison showcases a direct connection to the university’s “prestigious” title.

With a long list of esteemed achievements and accomplishments, UW-Madison continues to push its price tag through its name. With such staggering numbers for estimated tuition and costs, it would come at no surprise to learn that students consider these numbers to be expensive. However, this is simply not the case.

In an article on Forbes.com, contributor Preston Cooper explains that the underlying costs at American colleges are the highest of any large country in the developed world. The reasoning for the inflation of tuition can be linked back to administrative bloat, overbuilding of campus amenities, a model dependent on high-wage labor and the easy availability of subsidized student loans. Spending thousands of dollars each year on higher education has become a “norm” in America, and students’ mindsets about the definition of wealth itself have become distorted because of it.

The United States holds itself at a $7.25 hourly minimum wage average, which is around average for the rest of the world despite it being one of the wealthiest countries in the world. India rests at the bottom of the hourly minimum wage list, with workers only earning a startling $0.28 minimum wage.

Because of the United States’ wealth standing in the world, dropping a few thousand dollars on college tuition seems to be a meaningless act. Yet, when compared to the rest of the world, the astonishing numbers of higher education in the United States speak for themselves.

Students at UW-Madison represent only a small demographic of a larger, standardized wealth problem.

As we sit in lecture halls and walk the streets of campus, we often fail to consider the underlying truth to our American collegiate financial situation.

A silent recognition must be paid to those without equal opportunities to higher education. So, the next time you trudge your way through a Wisconsin snowstorm, remind yourself one more time why you are a Badger.

sports

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An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 130, Issue 21

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Action Project Issue, Spring 2021

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#NotNCAAProperty: A new solution to an old problem

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editors-in-Chief Kalli Anderson Will Cioci

Managing Editor Gaby Vinick

News Team Campus Editor Jessica Sonkin College Editor Gina Musso City Editor Jackson Mozena State Editor Hope Karnopp Associate News Editor Nathan Denzin Features Editor Addison Lathers

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Editorial Board

By Joe Rickles SPORTS EDITOR

The week after Selection Sunday and before the beginning of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is always a frenzied week in sports. Fans can’t get enough insights on their brackets as they furiously try to pick the right upsets. Everyone from high school students to CEOs try to figure out how they’re going to get out of work to watch the first round.

Frankly, it’s one of the most beautiful sights in sports. Diehard college basketball fans work so hard to score the perfect bracket only to lose to their stoner roommate who picked the biggest upset of the year because he thought Oral Roberts sounded funny.

And it’s a great week for the NCAA, too. The tournament makes them billions upon billions of dollars. They’ve got as many as four games on at once, and a lot of us fans have all of them on. Personally, I had three different screens with different basketball games on at once. It was perfect. Blissful.

Hey, aren’t we forgetting someone?

Oh yeah. The players.

It seems like every year before the tournament in recent memory has had some discussions about the rights of college players, but none have been like this year.

Usually it’s a bunch of thinkpieces from magazines about how unethical the NCAA is as an organization. They’re right, by the way, but that moral outrage usually doesn’t reach the general college-basketball watching population.

This year, it was impossible to ignore.

March 17 was the day before the tournament technically started with the First Four games.

With fans undoubtedly scouring Twitter for last-minute college hoops takes, three of the Big Ten’s most visible players started a movement.

University of Iowa senior Jordan Bohannon, Michigan senior Isaiah Livers and Rutgers senior Geo Baker were three of the first ones to post the hashtag

#NotNCAAProperty.

The NCAA OWNS my name image and likeness,” tweeted Baker. “Someone on music scholarship can profit from an album.

Someone on academic scholarship can have a tutor service. For ppl who say ‘an athletic scholarship is enough.’ Anything less than equal rights is never enough. I am #NotNCAAProperty” Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) bills are going through state legislatures at rates never before seen. According to the University of Cincinnati Law Review, Colorado, California, and Florida have all passed bills calling for changes to collegiate athletic compensation.

Some of the state laws could be enforced as early as this July. 33 more states have similar bills in the works.

Even the United States Senate has seen NIL bills introduced.

As a quick aside, it’s worth noting that one of the biggest opponents of NIL rights resides right here in Madison. Chancellor Rebecca Blank testified before Congress on behalf of the NCAA on Sept. 15, 2020, where she advocated against athletes’ rights due to the amount of money the schools offer in scholarships each year.

Blank said that if colleges ran athletics the same way that private companies like the NFL ran their leagues, then all of the sports that didn’t generate revenue would be shut down.

Baker replied to a Twitter user with a similar thought process that this logic is faulty.

“This idea is flawed because we earned our scholarship through years of hard work. Just how one earns an academic scholarship,” said Baker. “The difference is our name, which is our birth right, gets taken away when we enter college and theirs does not.”

Blank did testify that NIL rules needed to be changed, but those changes should be dictated by the NCAA. Given the long, long history of the NCAA denying athletes rights, it’s hard for athletes to trust the multi-billion dollar organization to do the right

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COURTESY OF WIKI-COMMONS

Michigan plays in a Final Four basketball game versus Syracuse.

TAYLOR WOLFRAM /THE DAILY CARDINAL

Forward Isaiah Livers guards Wisconsin’s Aleem Ford in Madison, Wis. thing for once.

Athletes from institutions all over the country have used the #NotNCAAProperty hashtag since Livers, Bohannon, and Baker started it. A number of Baker’s teammates, including Ron Harper, Jr. and star center Myles Johnson, took to Twitter to support the movement. Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Darryl Morsell of Maryland did as well.

One of the most interesting cases, in this writer’s opinion, is that of Alabama point guard Jahvon Quinerly. This requires a bit of background, so bear with me here.

Before he went to college, Quinerly was a co-founder of one of the biggest movements in recent basketball history: JellyFam. It was a resurgence of New York basketball, a return to form for the Mecca of hoops.

The members of JellyFam did the impossible: they made layups cooler than dunks. There were countless articles written about them as they entered college hoops. Founder Isaiah Washington, who was New York’s 2017 Mr. Basketball and holds the JellyFam trademark, currently plays at Long Beach State after stints at Minnesota and Iona.

Quinerly is the only one of the founding members who has seen real success in college basketball, tallying a double-double against Maryland in the Round of 32.

Washington has bounced around colleges, co-founder Sid Wilson has seen little success at Connecticut and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, and co-founder Ja’Quaye James has bounced around JUCO teams.

JellyFam could have been a way to feed their families for years. But the NCAA kept that from happening.

“Though I am completely focused on competing with my teammates going forward, I must say since it is a topic of discussion, the NCAA has not allowed me or my brothers to profit off of our GLOBAL ‘JellyFam’ movement that took social media by storm a few years ago,” Quinerly wrote in a statement. “This is a move-

ment that has the potential to not only put ourselves in better positions financially but our families as well. Meanwhile, people were able to make their own profits off our movement since we could do nothing with it in order to keep our NCAA eligibility alive.”

The #NotNCAAProperty movement has four goals: a change to the NCAA’s NIL rules by July 1, a meeting with NCAA President Mark Emmert, meetings with state and federal lawmakers, and for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule in favor of the plaintiffs in Alston vs. NCAA, which asks whether the NCAA is violating antitrust laws.

Emmert turned down a meeting with the leaders of the movement at their requested time, saying he refuses to meet with them before the NCAA tournament is over.

The leaders of the movement have done what they can so far.

They’ve made their demands clear, used what leverage they have, started a nationwide movement, and even brought their hashtag to national television. But there’s a lot more to come.

Livers told The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach that a protest in the form of a delay could happen in the later rounds of the tournament when there’s less teams and players to coordinate. NBA players took a similar path in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis. last June. The protest helped make the NBA give more money to social justice causes.

Bohannon cited the fact that the coalition was made up of guys who were in the tournament as a benefit to them, but that’s no longer true since Bohannon’s Hawkeyes and Baker’s Scarlet Knights were ousted.

Even with only the injured Livers left in Indianapolis, it’s likely that the damage has already been done for the NCAA. This is the biggest movement towards collegiate athlete rights since the inception of college sports. And in a strange twist of fate, it never could have happened if the NCAA didn’t treat their players like essential workers, quarantining them day in and day out for the sake of their precious tournament.