'Algorithms Gone Awry' - Volume 51, Issue 10

STUDENT MEDIA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019 · VOL 51 Issue 10 · BADGERHERALD.COM

Algorithms Gone

AWRY

pg. 12

An examination of statistical manipulation and what needs to change

Design by Lily Oberstein

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The School of Computer, Data and Information Sciences at the University of Wisconsin has added a data science major.

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STEMMING FROM A YOUNG AGE: WOMEN IN STEM

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MINNESOTA-WISCONSIN: FIERCEST RIVALRY IN COLLEGE HOCKEY

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The importance of young women having role models in science, technology, engineering and math cannot be overstated.

UW women’s hockey takes on Minnesota thsi week in a matchup of the top two ranked teams in the country.

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FALL FOLIAGE

Photos by Ahmad Hamid, Mirza Nor Azman Design by Caitlin Geurts

PHOTO The University of Wisconsin’s campus is nothing short of spectacalur as the end of fall brings new life to campus, with bright yellow and orange leaves adorning the beloved streets

October 29, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 3

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Wisconsin DNR says EPA’s lead, copper proposed revisions not enough

“[The] critical issue of full lead service line replacement must be addressed immediately, not decades from now,” Gov. Tony Evers says

by Lauren Henning State News Editor

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed revisions to their Lead and Copper Rule last week — the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said the complicated rule will help, but not enough.

The proposed revisions, per the EPA’s website, focus on the following six key areas: identifying areas most impacted, strengthen drinking water treatment requirements, replacing lead service lines, increasing sampling reliability, improving risk communication as well as protecting children in schools, and childcare facilities. The EPA also launched a new website which explains federal programs to assist in financing or completely fund lead service line replacement.

The Wisconsin DNR released a statement Oct. 11 which expressed disappointment, stating that the proposed revisions did not adequately address full lead service line replacement.

Bureau of Drinking Water and Groundwater Program Director Steven Elmore said he

believes the rule is too complicated and could be simplified.

“It will continue to be difficult to implement due to all the testing requirements and follow up requirements that are in the rule, I think, you know, one way to simplify it would be to just focus on replacing lead service lines,” Elmore said. “And while that is expensive and will take a lot of resourcing nationally, I think that needs to be the focus.”

Elmore said while the proposed revisions would help reduce the levels of lead, it is impossible to get rid of all lead exposure from drinking water until lead service lines are all replaced. The DNR statement said that while the EPA set the contaminant level for lead of zero, it did not mandate replacement of lead service lines.

Elmore said there is no safe level of lead contamination, which the Wisconsin Department of Health Service WCLPPP Manager/ Public Health Nurse Margie Coons echoed.

Coons said lead is a neurotoxin that affects the brain and its development, which can lead to several conditions. In young children, the list included learning disabilities, a lower IQ and

behavior problems. Coons said lead poisoning has been linked to higher rates of high school dropouts and can have long term effects including reproductive problems as well as cognitive deficits such as Alzheimer’s.

“So, it really has wide-ranging effects that lasts throughout a person’s life and affects nearly every system in the body,” Coons said. “And the other important thing to know, and to remember is that once lead gets into a child’s body, it pretty much stays there.”

Coons said nearly 4,000 Wisconsin children under the age of six who were tested had lead poisoning in 2018, with Wisconsin ranking in the top ten for the highest number of children diagnosed among the states that report their data to the Center for Disease Control. Coons pointed out that many children go untested, with only one in five getting tested, which could mean a large number of children go undiagnosed.

Moving forward, Elmore said the DNR would like to see more state support similar to Evers’ proposal. With no national or state level programs for the foreseeable future offering enough support for lead service pipe replacement programs,

Elmore used the city of Madison as an example.

Elmore said Madison passed an ordinance, Madison General Ordinance 13.18, which requires owners to replace their side of a water service line if its lead as well as offered a reimbursement of up to $1,500 to help fund the replacement.

“You know, that ordinance in place allows the utility and community to take more control protecting public health,” Elmore said.

During the State of the State address, Gov. Tony Evers declared 2019 the “Year of Clean Drinking Water.” Included in the administration’s efforts to meet that declaration was a proposal within the budget to borrow $40 million to replace lead service lines, which Republicans removed from the final version of the budget.

In a statement to The Badger Herald, Evers said that while the EPA revisions are a step in the right direction, they will not make changes fast enough.

“We appreciate that the EPA wants to help highlight lead in the drinking water in two of Wisconsin’s most impacted cities, but the critical issue of full lead service line replacement must be addressed immediately, not decades from now,” Evers said.

Bills that would aid Wisconsin homeless rely on state Senate

Bills with support for homeless passed in assembly, but Senate president has yet to confirm it will be heard in the November session

by Lauren Henning State News Editor

Bills with support for the homeless were passed in the Wisconsin Assembly have support from Gov. Evers, but the Senate president has yet to confirm it will be heard in the November session.

Director of the Wisconsin Department of Administration Interagency Council on Homelessness Michael Basford explained the bills include extensive funding for programs aimed at preventing homelessness and creating more supports for those experiencing homelessness, such as case management program services.

Basford said while $3.75 million may seem like a lot, it is not much compared to what other states are doing.

“It’s couch cushion change when you compare it to what Minnesota does,” Basford said. “I mean, the city of Austin, Texas is going to spend $65 million.”

In January 2018, it was estimated that Wisconsin had 4,907 individuals experiencing homelessness. Basford felt many have a misunderstanding of what would lead those individuals to fall into homelessness, which 4 • badgerherald.com • October 29, 2019

was echoed by Wisconsin Coalition Against Homelessness Executive Director Joseph Volk.

Basford and Volk expressed there are many circumstances in a person’s life that might result in homelessness.

Basford said in his experience he has seen homelessness as the result of health issues, most commonly the result of mental health issues. Basford also expressed hope that people’s attitudes surrounding homelessness would change.

“I want [people] to be regarding homeless people as not folks who just made mistakes in life and that this is an acceptable part of our society,” Basford said. “Nobody should accept that.”

Volk extended similar ideas by explaining how the path to homelessness is easy to wind up on, and in many cases, does not take long to happen.

Volk said a situation could be as simple as someone having to choose between funding a vehicle repair, groceries or rent.

“Many of us are only a few last paychecks from being in the situation of not knowing where we’re going to stay,” Volk said.

The state legislature has one floor period

left this year —November 5 through 14. This will be the final opportunity for the bills containing homelessness support to be sent to Gov. Evers to be signed into law, which Volk said the governor has already expressed support for.

Basford expressed frustrations with the current situation, as Republicans in the state assembly included funding suggestions from Hand and a Home, a statewide action plan put together by the Walker administration, as well as suggestions made by the former governor ’s budget himself.

Then, before the bill was passed in the assembly, it was amended to include a provision that took the money out of the budget and would allow the Department of Administration to request the funds from joint finance. Basford explained if the Republican ideas had been left in the budget, he thinks it likely he would have access to the funds right now and would be allocating it to where it is needed.

“I’m a political person, right,” Basford said. “I understand there are games that have to be played. I’m just amazed that this is a field that we’re choosing to be playing these games.”

Basford and Volk both worry about the bills passing so late in the year, or not being passed at all, as temperatures will soon be dropping as winter approaches. Basford said he would want to get the funds moving before winter hits, but did not feel optimistic.

“We’re a good month away from when the snow starts flying,” Basford said.

A prevention guide from the CDC explains hypothermia can set in not only at freezing temperatures, but also cool ones, which are considered to be above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Just this year, Wisconsin and the rest of the Midwest experienced a ‘polar vortex,’ which pushed wind chill temperatures to -40 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Well, obviously, we all live in Wisconsin,” Volk said. “We know how cold Wisconsin gets. For homeless people, and what has to be kept in mind is that nearly half of the homeless people in Wisconsin are actually young children who are homeless along with their parents, living outside in Wisconsin during the winter can be life threatening, if not ending. It’s imperative that these resources get out to the various Wisconsin communities as soon as possible.”

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Free clinic meant as temporary solution, connect patients to resources

There are about 99 free clinics in Wisconsin, according to Wisconsin Association for Free and Charitable Clinics website

by Courtney Erdman City News Editor

State legislators and nonprofit clinics are working to help those who struggle to obtain and maintain health insurance.

There are about 99 free clinics in Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Association for Free and Charitable Clinics website.

The Community Connections Free Clinic, in Dodgeville, is open every Tuesday through Friday. The clinic doesn’t allow appointment scheduling, but registration starts at 4 p.m.

Rebecca Steffes, a registered nurse at the clinic, said the most patients they can see in a night is about 18, but that’s pushing providers hard.

“We haven’t done it too much, but the last couple of times we’ve been turning people away,” Steffes said.

There are about 90 volunteers, Steffes said. This number includes nurses, patient registration, lab and pharmacy technicians, prescription assistants, interpreters, and special project volunteers, according to the clinic’s website.

The clinic’s goal is to connect patients to more permanent services because the clinic’s services are limited. It has a partnership with Oregon Mental Health Services, which offers free mental health assessments and counseling services.

The clinic also offers a “free clinic on wheels.” The clinic insures a bus loaned by a Head Start program and visits community members on farms to address their health concerns and needs.

Steffes acknowledged it takes time to go to the doctor.

“If we could meet people where they are at, we can at least start conversations and answer questions,” Steffes said. It’s also an opportunity to catch chronic diseases at the beginning and educate people, Steffes said.

The MultiCultural Outreach Program strives to “provide needed support” to southwest Wisconsin’s immigrant population, according to its website. The program identifies farms who are interested in receiving care, passes the information to the clinic and the “free clinic on wheels” goes to the farm.

The volunteers are not required to work a specific amount of hours. Volunteers usually come in once or twice a month, although there are some who have regular shifts every week, Steffes said. The number of hours fulfilled is important for receiving grants, she added,

Photo ·Free clinics have been forced to turn away patients, nurse said.

Laura Henning The Badger Herald because it shows work being completed.

All funding comes from private individuals and organizations, and two annual fundraising events.

This clinic does not accept those covered by BadgerCare but will assist them in connecting to health care providers and provide medical care in the meantime, Steffes said.

Free clinics are not regulated by a state entity. There tends to be a lot more oversight with a clinic that collects money, such as medical bills, Steffes said.

The Community Connections Free Clinic is a member of the Wisconsin Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, which developed “Standards of Excellence” for clinics to follow, according to its website. The standards provide direction for goal setting, planning and evaluation, and guides projects and actions.

The clinic also has their own in-house policies.

About 4% of Wisconsin residents did not have insurance for the entirety of 2018. That’s about 234,000 residents. About 3% of residents

didn’t have insurance for part of 2018 for a total of about 168,000 residents, according to the Wisconsin Family Health Survey 2018 results.

Medicaid provides healthcare coverage to low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities, according to the Medicaid website. It exists at a federal level, but states can choose whether or not to use it. It’s funded by both states and the federal government.

State Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, said in an interview with The Badger Herald those who don’t have health insurance are costing the state more money because they’re using emergency room and primary care services.

Thomas Oliver, a University of Wisconsin professor in the School of Medicine and Public Health, said history is on the side of Medicaid expansion. Wisconsin is one of 14 out of 50 states that has not accepted the expansion, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s website.

“That’s almost three-quarters of the states that are in that,” Oliver said. “And

that includes a lot of states that are led by republicans.”

Even if legislators don’t approve of government expansion, they may like the appeal of balancing the budget and keeping taxes as low as possible, Oliver said.

States who accept the expansion are able to provide a very broad range of health services, such as mental health and prescription drugs, for people who are in the low-income tier, Oliver said.

Due to the large amount of money that goes into Medicaid, legislators can choose the expansion based on either health or budgetary reasons, Oliver said.

“Those might appeal to different legislators, officials and the governor,” Oliver said.

If the government has to spend money on those who are uninsured or give treatment in urgent situations without receiving compensation, it becomes an issue both parties care about, Oliver said.

It’s hard to justify not participating in the expansion when the government is receiving federal funds, Oliver said.

October 29, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 5

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Sea Grant collaborates with Chazen to raise awareness of plastic pollution

The exhibit, titled Plastic Entanglements: Ecology, Aesthetics, Materials, is collection of contemporary artwork with theme of plastic

by JT Schultz Reporter

The Wisconsin Sea Grant has teamed up with the Chazen Art Museum at the University of Wisconsin to spread awareness on the effects of plastic pollution with an art exhibit.

The exhibit, titled Plastic Entanglements: Ecology, Aesthetics, Materials, is a collection of contemporary artwork with the common theme of plastic.

Starting at the Palmer Museum of Art at Pennsylvania State University, the exhibit is on a nationwide tour which ends at the Chazen. It is a collection of work from both national and international artists, including photography, videography and installations.

The exhibit will remain at the Chazen, with free admission, until Jan. 5, 2020.

According to the Palmer Museum’s website, the exhibit is presented in three sections which represent the timeline of plastic. ”The Archives” is representative of the past.

This part of the exhibit examines how the nonbiodegradable material leaves behind evidence of human history since its creation.

Kelly Wood, a photographer with work in this section, demonstrates the amount of waste a consumer produces by photographing her garbage for a period of five years. Artists in this section focus on the collection of discarded waste, showing the exponential increase of plastic consumption and disposal, according to the Chazen website.

The senior special librarian at Wisconsin’s Water Library, Anne Moser, has teamed up with the Chazen to further educate visitors on the science behind the art.

“Plastic does not go away — it is a nonbiodegradable material that can sit untouched in landfills if not exposed to sunlight,” Moser said.

“Future scientists will find the trash we disposed of and it will help to our history.”

The middle portion of this exhibit is titled “The Entangled Present.” Artwork in this section examines how plastic infiltrates our daily lives.

The work also demonstrates the effects of plastic pollution on wildlife in modern times.

Chris Jordan conveys this idea through his photography of a decomposing albatross and his video work, “Camel Gastrolith.” The video features the contents of a camel’s stomach discovered in the Arabian Desert. The contents include over 500 plastic bags, hard plastics, metals and glass.

“This portion shows visitors the effects of plastics in our current time,” Moser said. “The effects of plastic, especially microplastics, are still widely unknown. Our final part of the museum focuses on the future of plastic, how it will change our environment and be used.”

6 • badgerherald.com • October 29, 2019

The last section, titled “Speculative Future,” holds pieces that confront the consequences plastic pollution will have on the environment in the future. Canadian artist Kelly Jazvac displayed her collection of hybrid stones that she discovered in Hawaii. As a result of the heat from beach campfires, stones consisting of a mix of debris and beach sediment have been formed.

Christine and Margaret Wertheim also explore plastic’s relationship with the environment through their coral sculptures made entirely of plastic.

The exhibit also has the goal of showing recent innovations in plastics, including 3D printing and molding. Iranian artist and activist Morehshin Allahyari has used the recent invention of 3D printing to create statues. Allahyari fabricates 2000-year-old statues that have been destroyed by ISIS for his project “Material Speculation: ISIS.” Adrienne Rich, assistant curator of education at

the Chazen, has helped to organize an educational program for students to better understand the complex topics they are seeing.

“The Sea Grant has given us the ability to fund schools [to] transport to and from the museum, as well as make the exhibit admission free,” Rich said.

“We want kids to also learn from the art, and take away the importance of this exhibit. So far we have had ten school visits, and we hope many more.”

The Chazen recently teamed up with the UW Sea Grant Institute and the Wisconsin Energy Institute to organize the Chazen Art Spin. The event had activities for families to better understand plastic and its effects on the Great Lakes.

According to the Alliance for the Great Lakes, 22 million pounds of plastic end up in the Great Lakes every year. Researchers have found microplastics while sampling the water in all five Great Lakes.

Being an ecosystem for various types of marine life, the Great Lakes also provide drinking water

Photo · The exhibit is on a nationwide tour which ends at the Chazen.

Aidan McClain The Badger Herald

for 40 million people. According to the AGL, microscopic pieces of plastic have been found in local drinking water, and even beer.

According to the AGL, microplastics are pieces of debris less than five millimeters in length that are a result of plastic degradation. Microbeads, a manufactured polyethylene microplastic, have also been found in health and beauty products such as soaps and toothpaste. These plastics easily pass through filtration systems and have also been found in the Great Lakes and ocean.

Microbeads were banned in 2015 under the Free Waters Act of 2015.

“While it may seem daunting, the issue of plastic is not a completely negative story,” Moser said. “Many great things are being done to combat pollution locally and globally. The artists in this exhibit recognize that and do not have as cynical of a view as you may imagine.”

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WARF donates $15 million to expand UW School of Veterinary Medicine

Expansion comes after six years of planning, current overcrowding issues pervade, according to Dean of School of Veterinary Medicine

by Janani Sundar Reporter

The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation recently donated $15 million for expanding the current University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine.

The expansion comes after six years of planning, according to Mark Markel, the Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine.

SVM was built 35 years ago. About four years ago, the class size of the veterinary school increased from 80 to 96. When the next year’s incoming class is admitted, SVM will be fully expanded in terms of student capacity, leading to severe space constraints, Markel said.

Previously, the UW Veterinary Care clinics saw about 12,000 patients a year. Now, they see 28,000, leading to severe overcrowding, Markel said.

Rachel McNally, UW veterinary graduate student, said the facility doesn’t have the capacity to treat as many patients as they would like to.

“It’s great that we have this expansion so we can reach more of our clientele and provide them with better care,” McNally said.

Markel, said the current space places constraints on teaching and learning spaces, and the new building will allow improvement on those items, particularly the hospital but also conference rooms.

Diana Lewis, UW veterinary graduate student, said current students won’t get to experience the immediate benefits of the expansion, but is excited for future students who will benefit.

“I am really excited [because] we are super cramped for space here,” Lewis said.

About five years ago, SVM conducted a feasibility study to determine the need for a new building across the street, Markel said.

SVM worked with legislators, campus leadership, University system leadership and Gov. Tony Evers in regards to this project. July 3, SVM was granted $90 million and needed to raise another $38 million. Previously, the school raised between $25 and $26 million, and the addition of the WARF gift of $15 million puts the SVM over the $38 million they had to raise, Markel said.

The equipment the building is going to require is expected to be an additional $10 million, according to a UW News article.

According to Markel, the project received $90

Photo · When the next year’s incoming class is admitted, SVM will be fully expanded in terms of student capacity.

Flickr user Guantanamo Veterinary Care

million in state funding, SVM raised about $25 million and WARF donated $15 million, with the project budget about $128 million.

Construction is set to begin in Spring 2021 and is projected to be completed in two years. Renovations of the current building will be completed by 2024, according to UW News.

The Small Animal Clinic will be expanded on the first floor and will be double the size it currently is.

The Morrie Waud Large Animal Hospital will be remodeled, including a new cover arena and large animal isolation facility. The second floor will be a laboratory, conference rooms, graduate student offices and faculty offices. Markel said the third floor will be an infectious disease research space.

The parking ramp on Observatory is under construction because the workers can’t build unless space is available for parking. Veterinary students, like Lewis, claim parking space constraints often provide various difficulties other than not having a place to park a car.

“It’s a stressor for people. Sometimes people bring in dogs or bigger animals that can’t walk. We do have carts that can get them into the building but there is a little bit of a strain there,” Lewis said.

SVM experienced severe equipment shortages over the years. The original building did not have MRI units and CT scanners in the clinics. The clinic was able to fit a CT scanner but it cannot be easily accessed. The MRI unit is in a trailer outside, Markel said.

“To get our animals scanned and on the MRI unit we have to anesthetize them in this building take them through about a hundred yards of corridors outside, so in the winter that’s through snow,” Markel said.

During the remodel, the MRI unit will be brought inside. The clinic pathology department will move into the new building, freeing up space in the current building. That space will likely accommodate the cancer center due to the large number of patients seen each year, Markel said.

Exam rooms have sign up sheets because there are not enough exam rooms available for the amount of appointments. There are only three computers in the neurology ward which makes looking up records or information about clients and patients in a timely manner difficult, said McNally and Lewis.

The surgery suite also has space constraints.

When teaching about radiographs or diagnostics, faculty and students are huddled around one computer said Lewis and McNally.

It’s hard to learn under current space conditions, McNally said.

Clients and patients have also been affected by these space constraints.

“Sometimes you have to wait multiple months to get the initial patient appointment because they can only see so many patients in a day,” Lewis said. “I am amazed that we can fit as many appointments in a day that we can.”

There is a push to teach students and faculty how to make the clinic a comfortable space for pets and clients, they said, which can often be difficult with the high volume of patients and minimal space.

McNally said there should be an area in the new building to for pets to relax and quieter places for them to recover after procedures.

“It’s really hard to be a fear free space when there is so much noise and so much going on because we’re such a busy facility,” McNally said.

The WARF gift will buy new equipment, but students like McNally are excited about the little things such as chairs, computers and phones that will improve the quality of patient care.

The current building does not have many windows or courtyard spaces, McNally said, and this can affect the mental health of the clients and patients. The new building will have plenty of these additions. ”Little things can make our ability to provide care that much easier and that much higher quality that it can make such a huge difference,” McNally said.

October 29, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 7

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School of computer, data, information sciences adds data science major

CDIS Director Tom Erickson and program leader Bret Larget hope the major will interest students of all disciplines

by Savannah Kind Reporter

The School of Computer, Data and Information Sciences at the University of Wisconsin has added a data science major to meet rising demand for education and research in the field.

CDIS is adding the major to give UW students the opportunity to get involved in one of the country’s fastest growing career fields. CDIS Director Tom Erickson and program leader Bret Larget hope the major will interest students of all disciplines as they believe data science can be applied to a variety of fields and careers.

CDIS is also planning to add a certificate in data science in the future.

“It’s a skill that, really, almost anyone on campus is going to need,” Erickson said. “You might be studying astronomy, biochemistry or music, and you might take a certificate in data science as well. Many, many disciplines do data analysis now.”

For the data science major, students will take foundational math and data courses before moving into higher level data science electives

related to topics like statistical modeling, linear algebra, and data ethics. For students planning to major in data science, it is recommended to take introductory calculus, data programming and statistics sequences which will all be required for the major.

Larget hopes to identify classes within other majors and schools that also have a focus on data analysis to include as elective options for the major or future certificate. More information on specific elective classes will be available July 1st, 2020.

“The intention of the program committee is to have courses where students can apply data science techniques across the curriculum,” Larget said. “The committee will seek out courses in different departments, such as economics, journalism and biology, places where students within those disciplines are using data science to uncover information within whatever domain they happen to be studying.”

With a degree or certificate in data science, Erickson believes finding a career in almost any industry could be possible as data analysis plays a role in a variety of jobs and companies.

Erickson said examples of data science related jobs students could potentially get after graduation range from working with healthcare companies to analyze medical research data to offering companies financial help by analyzing money flow, to condensing survey data for articles at a newspaper.

“It’s not so much what career path could [a student] have, but what career path wouldn’t you have?” Erickson said.

The addition of the data science major is part of UW’s commitment to becoming a leader in big data, technology research and education, which started with the creation of CDIS. Chancellor Blank argued it is important the university shape research and lead in this field as data and information science becomes more important in our everyday lives in a news release.

Erickson said moving forward, the goal of CDIS is to continue to increase class capacity for data, computer and information science courses to give all students the opportunity to participate even if they are not in the major.

Erickson also said the school plans to introduce

interdisciplinary programs and majors in the future.

“Some of the things we are looking at that are interesting are, what does retail and data science look like, or what would health care and data science look like...and create new courses and probably new majors in the future that will allow more and more people to take advantage of these capabilities,” Erickson said.

Erickson also stated because data has such an immense impact on society, data ethics will be important to the major as well. Larget listed courses in data ethics as part of the foundational learning for the major.

Both Larget and Erickson agree that as UW expands education on this topic, it will be important for the school to teach students how to use data science ethically. .“A big challenge is the impact [data science can] have on society, and you can see it with things like fake news and data privacy issues,” Erickson said.

Read the full story ar badgerherald.com.

UW Press office moves to new location, after 23 years off-campus ‘We hope to become a resource for questions about publishing,’ UW Press manager said, as the move increases accessibility

by Aashna Sheth Reporter

The University of Wisconsin Press office moved locations to a new physical and administrative home in July, increasing accessibility to campus resources.

After 23 years of operating off campus, the UW Press office moved their offices from Monroe Street to the recently renovated offices on the fourth floor of Memorial Library.

This change is coupled with a transition from working under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education to instead reporting to the Office of the Provost, according to a UW news article.

The UW Press is an organization that publishes peer-reviewed books and journals.

Since its creation in 1937, the Press has published over 3,000 books on many topics, according to its website.

Despite being a part of UW, the UW Press publishes books written by scholars from all over the world. It publishes books about Wisconsin and the upper Midwest, along with books on anthropology, biology and art, among other interests, according to its website.

Many university press offices tend to 8 • badgerherald.com • October 29, 2019

be under the Office of the Provost at their institutions, so the move allows the UW Press to be more similar to peer institutions.

This includes Columbia University and the University of Pittsburgh.

It also provides the UW Press with an opportunity to utilize other resources in the Office of the Provost, such as Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television.

Kaitlin Svabek, the publicity manager for UW Press, said reporting to the Office of the Provost results in additional funding for the UW Press due to increased support. This made the move a cost-effective decision as well.

Toni Gunnison, journals manager for UW Press, said the organization is excited to explore the opportunities from increased visibility.

“Already, our central location has allowed us to start a monthly publishing meetup where those whose work is related to publishing can share ideas and best practices,” Gunnison said.

“We hope to become a resource for questions about publishing, no matter how small.”

Casey LaVela, sales and marketing manager for UW Press, said the UW Press’s new presence on campus allows them to be more accessible, as well as be better integrated with the campus community. The office hopes to take advantage

of the more convenient location by collaborating more, as well as sharing information and digital bases with other groups on campus, they said.

Collaborations can include libraries, departments and individuals, Gunnison said.

UW Press is also looking into collaborating with other schools in the UW system to create a more cohesive press organization in order to better serve their communities.

This change can also benefit UW Libraries staff, as it allows them to upgrade their workspaces. These upgrades include better air circulation and more access to light and meeting spaces, which will allow for more collaboration between experts and UW Libraries staff.

Lisa Carter, vice provost for UW Libraries and university librarian, said in an email that the location of the new UW Press offices also benefits UW Libraries programs already housed in Memorial Library. “ … now the Press is next door to [...]the Office of the Gender and Women’s Studies Librarian,” Carter said. “The Libraries program also creates publications and has editorial staff, so we hope these colleagues find new synergies.”

This relocation provides the framework for new collaborations with other UW Libraries

programs, and because the UW Press publishes work from a vast array of sources and genres, this transition also allows them better access to the publication process.

LaVela said that previously, UW Press staff had to ship books and materials to publishing centers like Memorial Library from their Monroe Street offices. The relocation of the Press results in a much more efficient process in publishing.

“We don’t have to ship our books to [Memorial Library] to publish anymore, we can just walk downstairs and hand them off,” LaVela said.

This is not the first time the UW Press office has moved, said LaVela. After its founding, the Press lived in Bascom Hall. After staying there for about two years, it moved to an old library school on State Street. UW Press was also housed in a structure near what is now George L. Mosse Humanities Building, houses on Dayton Street and a warehouse used by a beer distributor.

While the UW Press has had many homes in the past, this move is particularly historic because, as LaVela said, the organization leased offices on Monroe Street for almost 20 years before moving back on campus.

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UW professor creates partnership to mobilize immunization UW pharmacy Professor Betty Chewning partnered with Hayat Pharmacies to initiate Immunize Wisconsin to boost immunizations

by Erin Gretzinger Reporter

In light of recent research documenting elderly patients’ hospitalization patterns, a University of Wisconsin pharmacy professor partnered with a Milwaukee pharmacy to launch an immunization project geared toward cognitive-issue patients and their caregivers.

UW pharmacy Professor Betty Chewning partnered with Hayat Pharmacies, a chain of 19 pharmacies in Milwaukee, to initiate Immunize Wisconsin. The project will mobilize pharmacists to increase immunizations for homebound patients, specifically patients struggling with the challenges of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Chewning said the project’s two main goals are to provide immunizations to low-income residents with increased vulnerability and “refine and test” a sustainable model for pharmacists to deliver immunizations to patients who may have difficulties due to cognitive issues.

The School of Pharmacy’s 2015 Lemberger Report motivated Chewning to start looking at how pharmacists could make a difference in

older patients’ access to immunizations. The comprehensive report on health issues in Wisconsin captured an epidemic within older populations’ hospitalization rates due to lack of immunizations for preventable illnesses.

“I was surprised to see bacterial pneumonia was the second most frequent ambulatory [care] sensitive diagnosis at hospital discharge,” Chewning said. “Pharmacists are trained to give immunizations for adults and can do so without a physician prescription in most cases. Yet, aside from the flu, pharmacists tend not to offer immunizations to that many individuals … a person doesn’t have to go to a clinic, and instead can take advantage of the accessibility of pharmacies.”

According to the report, almost one in every three hospitalizations of patients 65 and older were because of bacterial pneumonia. A closer look at the study reveals the cause of such high hospitalization rates: depending on the county in Wisconsin, bacterial pneumonia immunization rates ranged from 70% to just 30% in some areas.

Hayat chief clinical officer and UW-Madison Pharmacy School alumna Dimmy Sokhal is a key player in Milwaukee working with Chewning.

Photo ·In Wisconsin, bacterial pneumonia immunization rates ranged from 70% to just 30% in some areas.

National Institutes of Health

Sokhal said adding pharmacists to the equation is key to increasing immunization rates and lowering hospitalization rates for highly contagious illnesses like influenza and bacterial pneumonia.

“Pharmacists have [vaccinations] available,” Sokhal said. “Through this project, we wanted to bring it out that for the patients that were not usually able to make it to their clinics and schedule an appointment, there is this service that is under utilized where a pharmacist can help.”

As Sokhal and Chewning highlighted, patients with cognitive issues and their caregivers face specific challenges making them the primary focus of Immunize Wisconsin. UW freshman Olivia Van Hammond worked with patients in the dementia unit in Appleton as a full-time CNA in a nursing home. Van Hammond said the patients with Alzheimer’s had behaviors and mobility restrictions which made it much more difficult to care for them.

“I thought that I would be prepared for it. My grandma had Alzheimer’s, and I thought that it wouldn’t be much different taking care of them than other residents,” Van Hammond said. “I was very wrong.”

UW freshman and CNA Larissa Blazek also worked with dementia and Alzheimer’s patients.

Her experiences mirror Van Hammond’s as she explained the difficulties that can arise when working with Alzheimer’s patients.

Blazek said that Alzheimer’s patients were more likely to lash out or be frightened by different environments.

“A lot of times [Alzheimer’s patients] think they are younger than they are,” Blazek said. “So when they can’t walk by themselves, you have to use a gait belt to help them and sometimes they need two people to help them or a lift. But they don’t remember that.”

Van Hammond said the cognitive shortterm memory issues make it difficult to ensure they take the medication they need. Blazek also highlighted that not every patient with Alzheimer’s reacts the same way and that communication between caregivers is a strenuous but necessary task to ensure caregivers meet their patients’ individualized needs.

Van Hammond also said many caregivers are already overworked in nursing home scenarios, making it difficult to differentiate early on between symptoms of the common cold or something like bacteria pneumonia that vaccines could easily solve. Chewning’s personal experience as a caregiver also serves as a motivation and sense of understanding to reach out to dementia and Alzheimer’s community.

“As a caregiver myself with a husband who has dementia, I can tell you that many caregivers have little time except for the most urgent medical tasks,” Chewning said. “Particularly if the loved one with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s can no longer move safely except in a wheelchair it is all the harder to transport someone to a clinic which makes the in-home care option all the more attractive.”

Sokhal said Hayat’s ability to reach patients through home visits and their use of existing relations will be valuable components in reaching the target groups to eliminate barriers for these patients.

Chewning said Hayat’s mobility and connections in the community make them an essential partner in the project.

“Hayat Pharmacy is unique in that it makes home visits to offer medication therapy management services and at the same visit as a result of our project would have the opportunity to offer immunizations,” Chewning said.

Since the project launched in September, the UW School of Pharmacy and Hayat have also worked with the Alzheimer’s Association Wisconsin Chapter and the Muslim Community and Health Center to reach out to potential clients. Chewning said the goal is to immunize 200 people 65 and older and 200 of their caregivers 30 or older during the flu season.

October 29, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 9

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‘El Camino’ a worthy conclusion to Jesse Pinkman,‘Breaking Bad’ World

Aaron Paul slides back into his role with ease as ‘El Camino’ navigates its way through beautiful cinematography, powerful flashbacks to conclude Jesse’s story

by Matt Fraga ArtsEtc. Staff Writer

It has been six years since the hit show “Breaking Bad” concluded. Many regard the finale as one of best of all time, myself included.

But for as good as it was, there was always one question lingering: What happened to Jesse? The last time we see him in the finale he is busting through the fence of the Nazi compound in Todd’s El Camino, as a battered, broken man.

This lingering question finally has an answer.

“El Camino” is a “Breaking Bad” movie, released six years after the series conclusion.

Its focus is on Jesse Pinkman and takes place directly after the events of the finale.

First thing’s first — if you have not seen the Breaking Bad series, I do not recommend watching “El Camino.”

This movie feels more like a special episode than a separate movie. Writer and director Vince Gilligan made this movie for fans of the series. He doesn’t give much background about the characters we run into.

You are expected to remember the characters and events from the show. I appreciate Gilligan making this choice.

The movie was able to focus on new circumstances rather than wasting time on exposition about the past.

Gilligan seamlessly includes flashbacks throughout the film, which was helpful for remembering some events. But this is not their purpose. Usually I am not a fan of flashbacks. They tend to be awkwardly inserted and detract from whatever tension the film has developed.

With that being said, I loved the use of flashbacks in “El Camino.” Some of my favorite scenes were flashbacks. I appreciated them in “El Camino” because they are used as character building moments for Jesse.

In almost every flashback, Jesse is talking with a familiar character, and by thinking back to those moments he is reflecting on the message of that conversation. The flashbacks are some of the most emotional scenes in the movie.

They serve to build Jesse’s character rather than service the fans.

Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman is as great as ever — he doesn’t miss a beat. Paul was born for this role, just as Bryan Cranston was for Walter White. He does such a wonderful job of balancing a variety of emotions. For instance, when we see him in the car driving from the compound, he is no longer laughing, but screaming.

He then sees the police heading toward the massacre from the finale and must scramble to find cover.

Like the series, “El Camino” does a fantastic job of building tension. Pinkman has the entire state of New Mexico looking 10 • badgerherald.com • October 29, 2019

for him, and his face is on every news network. From the start, the film establishes that just because he escaped, he is not in the clear.

He is on edge the entire movie, which makes it a blast to watch. This becomes clear in one scene when he is parked on the side of the road and a seemingly endless stream of police cars speed past him.

Like the series, the cinematography was incredible. Gilligan brilliantly uses light and dark to set the tone. Lighting is one aspect of film that is often overlooked, though it should not be, as it is one of the best nonverbal ways to instill feeling in the audience.

My favorite scene in the film is a flashback in a diner with one Walter White.

The lighting was so unique in this scene, unlike any other scene in the movie —

almost heaven-like. It fit perfectly, as the tone in this scene was dissimilar to the rest of the movie. It was a beautiful final moment between Walt and Jesse.

Throughout the movie, every time Jesse takes one step forward, he takes two back.

Right when it looks like he is in the clear, another roadblock emerges. This constant back-and-forth was great for building tension, and it makes the ending all the better.

For as much as this film was a drama, it had its fair share of comedic moments.

Skinny Pete and Badger returned with some comedic relief and endearing moments.

Lou, the bored, lonely landlord at Todd’s apartment had some hilarious moments, including a scene where he says, “since I got the Brita, I find the tea tastes noticeably better.” And for as serious as he is, Jesse also

Photo · ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘El Camino’ star Aaron Paul at Comic-Con. Courtesy of Creative Commons user Gage Skidmore

has one or two funny moments.

All in all, I really enjoyed the film.

My main issue was with the pacing. The first hour was quite slow. I found myself checking the time and was surprised that the movie was already halfway over since not much had really happened. This was due in part to a long flashback, which was necessary, but did not need to be as long as it was. The last act was nearly perfect — I just wish it didn’t take so long to get there.

If you have seen the “Breaking Bad” series, I highly recommend watching this film. If you have not seen the series, please, do yourself a favor and watch it. The “Continue Watching” button on Netflix will be the only decision you make for a few weeks.

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UW alum John Stoops expanding influence with improv theater

Stoops on mission to teach students valuable life skills of improv expanding The Revival Theater’s influence, provide tips for aspiring entrepreneurs

by Samiha Bhushan ArtsEtc. Staff Writer

Near the heart of Chicago resides a theater aimed to educate everyday folks on improv and the vast benefits performing has. Called The Revival, it stays true to its geographic history — The Revival is located at the birthplace of improv from the 1950s.

University of Wisconsin alum John Stoops founded the theater and gives further insight into its creation and his journey going from a marketing major at UW to founding a company with its primary purpose to educate others on improvisational theater.

Given the opportunity to attend improv classes at Leo Burnett Worldwide, an advertising company he first worked for as a recently graduated Chicagoan, he was one step closer to establishing The Revival.

“I was not a drama club guy — I didn’t participate in university theater or anything like that,” Stoops said. “But that was my first introduction to it. So, I jumped into the classes and it really ignited a passion that continues to this day.”

Once he finished the improv classes, things became more surreal for Stoops, who went all the way to Europe to explore his new-found passion in improv theater.

“I auditioned for a theater in Europe,” Stoops said. “It was actually a theater founded by a bunch of Chicago expats called Boom Chicago.

I auditioned for that and got the job in their ensemble and so I moved over there and my roommate over there was Seth Meyers. Fast forward a year, I left and the guy that took my spot in the ensemble was Jordan Peele.”

There, he realized his purpose of becoming a professional performer and started seeking out additional career opportunities, including an abstract idea of what would become The Revival.

Coming back to Chicago, Stoops got involved in the industry in different ways.

“I jumped behind the scenes a bit,” Stoops said. “I started directing a bit more, producing a bit more and I was not sure what I was going to do but knew this could be the new and interesting career track. So I went to graduate school, went to Northwestern and got an MBA from Kellogg with the idea of putting a business plan on paper. I graduated with the paper in hand and started the process of what became The Revival.”

Stoops illustrated the extensive benefits of doing improv and the many transferable skills it develops.

“We take the underlying skills of improvisation, which is not joke telling, it’s not to set up a punch line,” Stoops said. “That’s really not what’s going on in improvisational theater.

What’s going on is fully engaged listening,

effortless collaboration and this philosophy of ‘yes, and ...’ One person says something you need to hear them, you need to acknowledge that you heard them and you need to build upon it in a positive proactive way rather than not hearing them in the first place, hearing them and denying or undercutting what they said. You can’t break those rules. And so if we take those ideas and those building blocks, we can develop modules and training for college students.”

With the numerous skills his patrons have developed since the creation of The Revival, Stoops himself has gained valuable insight as both a performer and an entrepreneur. Stoops likens the first few years of setting up The Revival to a boot camp.

“It was really tough and I wouldn’t wish the experience on my worst enemy,” Stoops said.

“But, if you make it through that, you really understand the organization better than you ever could otherwise.”

Stoops expanded on establishing a start-up in a major metropolitan city.

“I think the toughest aspect of my job is, because it’s a startup that I always need to have one eye on the horizon and a clear understanding of where we are going,” Stoops said. “But at the same time, the absolute minute details are also my responsibility. I found it challenging to be successful in both.”

An additional goal of The Revival is to spread the influence of improv not only within Chicago, but all around the world — including Madison.

“We enjoy a great relationship with University of Chicago and Northwestern,” Stoops said. “We certainly hope that we can go to the Madison campus and do the same.”

Stoops had a few remaining words of wisdom for future entrepreneurs at the UW campus.

“If you want to be an entrepreneur, familiarize yourself with the tremendous resources that are now available to prospective entrepreneurs

while you’re there as a student,” Stoops said.

“Regardless, if you go to any metropolitan area these days, they tend to have quite a few new business incubators and startup communities.

There is a realization that new businesses are important to a local economy. It’s important to be a part of those communities and cultures.”

He continued.

“Don’t be afraid of failure,” Stoops said. “In fact, most entrepreneurs I know embrace failure and recognize that if you’re not failing you’re either not pushing hard enough, not working at the pace you should be or you’re not doing anything new or different. But if you fail, you might be onto something.”

In terms of seeing The Revival at the Madison campus, Stoops said they are “in the process of casting about the right partners.”

With this in mind, UW students should look out for future updates regarding plans for The Revival coming here.

Photo · John Stoops’ The Revival Comedy Theater in Chicago.

Courtesy of Erin Baebler October 29, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 11

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Algorithms Gone Awry:

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The impact of inappropriate data use An examination of statistical manipulation and what needs to change

by Cait Gibbons Opinion Editor

It was March 25, 2000. A sea of red filled State Street, and Badger fans around the country were celebrating. The University of Wisconsin-Madison men’s basketball had just defeated Purdue in the NCAA tournament, securing a spot in the Final Four.

This achievement — exciting for any team — was particularly staggering for this group of Badgers. The team had entered the tournament as an 8-seed, but upset No. 1 Arizona, No. 4 LSU and No. 6 Purdue to win the West bracket and advance to the National Semifinals.

In the Final Four, the Badgers took on first-seeded Michigan State and put up a good fight. But the Badgers’ Cinderella story came to an end. They fell to the Spartans 53–41.

Despite the loss, when the team returned to Wisconsin, they were heroes.

It was a glorious moment — partly because it shouldn’t have happened. It was seemingly a statistical anomaly — an eighth seed shouldn’t beat a sixth seed, or a fourth seed and certainly not a first seed.

But as it turns out, it wasn’t quite as statistically stunning as it seemed. Each year, March Madness sees an average of 12.7 upsets throughout the course of the 67-game tournament. 2007 had as few as four, while 2014 saw a whopping 19, but the figure generally falls somewhere comfortably in the middle.

But this doesn’t mean the rankings are wrong or meaningless. Laura Albert, a UW industrial and systems engineering professor who oversees Badger Bracketology, said they’re rather “tools to help us overcome some of our human biases.”

Albert explained these rankings can’t tell you exactly what’s going to happen — instead, they can give you an idea about what’s likely to happen, or what you might expect to see.

Based on past team performance, score differentials, game location and other sets of data, sports statisticians build models which generate rankings and predictions.

These can be helpful, and at the very least, a lot of fun, but Albert cautioned against placing too much weight on any one model.

Beyond basketball and team rankings though, data science is an invaluable tool in educational assessment, criminal justice, politics — everything. And crucially, just as the use of data science 12 • badgerherald.com • October 29, 2019

extends everywhere, the caution and intention required by such use must as well. It mandates a deep understanding of the context in which these algorithms are constructed, as well as their practical limitations.

“We should use a lot of math in our everyday life,” Albert said. “But it’s just a matter of weighing it at the right level.”

Garbage in, garbage out

Wisconsin has had long-standing issues with racial disparities in its criminal justice system, in no small part because human bias has permeated throughout.

It’s these disparities which make programs like the Public Safety Assessment, designed to take human bias out of criminal justice practices, so attractive.

Currently, the average incarceration rate for black men in Wisconsin is 12%, whereas the national average stands at about 6.7%. Compared with the national and statewide averages for white people, about 1.3% and 1.2% respectively, these numbers present a troubling trend for the U.S. and particularly Wisconsin.

Additionally, black men tend to receive sentences 20% longer than white men — even when committing similar offenses.

The Pretrial Justice Institute, which advocates for “safe, fair and effective” pretrial justice practices, has argued that using algorithms, rather than relying solely on the likely biased opinion of one judge, can “substantially reduce the disparate impact that people of color experience.”

It seems to make sense — by inputting empirical, indisputable evidence, like prior criminal history and defendant’s age, these algorithms should return a fair, unbiased result. The problem, Albert explained, is it’s actually not that simple.

While it may seem natural to simply view data as inputs into a model, “it’s usually the output of another process that produced this data, and that’s one involving human decision-making,” Albert said. “And sometimes you can correct for that pretty easily … but sometimes it’s a little bit trickier.”

In the case of pretrial risk assessment models, the processes which generated these inputs are the same processes which have led Wisconsin to have some of the worst racial disparities in the country.

This is what many statisticians would call “garbage in, garbage out.” The argument against these tools is that an

algorithm based on biased data cannot generate an unbiased result. And if the data was generated in a system which has systematically led to disproportionately high arrest rates for black men, an algorithm which uses that data will only serve to perpetuate those inequities.

In other words, the result you yield is only as good as the data used to produce it.

“That’s where you really need to be super critical in understanding where the data come from,” Albert said. “Realize that the arrest rate isn’t exogenous to the system, it’s actually the function of maybe, patrolling rates in certain police beats or neighborhoods. And that’s where you can get into a lot of trouble, if you don’t really understand where that comes from.”

But this can go even a step further.

As mathematician Cathy O’Neil explains in her book, “Weapons of Math Destruction,” bias from algorithms might even be worse than human bias because the empirical nature of the data disguises it in an inexorable way. Data codifies our opinions, O’Neil explained, “believing all the while that our tools are not only scientific but fair.”

“The result,” she wrote, “is widespread damage that all too often passes for inevitability.”

Use as instructed

Facing declining enrollment and increasing financial problems, schools around the country, including UW-Stout, are turning to an increasingly common, though largely unknown practice — installing tracking software on the school’s website to learn more about prospective students.

Administrators say this practice, among other similar data-collection practices, are part of an effort to “make better predictions about which students are the most likely to apply, accept an offer and enroll.”

The Washington Post recently reported on these practices, highlighting they are particularly common at cash-strapped colleges. Data collection from prospective students helps colleges figure out which students will be able to pay full tuition rates, Lloyd Thacker, a former admissions counselor and founder of the Education Conservancy, a nonprofit research group, said.

“An admission dean is more and more a businessperson charged with bringing in revenue,” Thacker said. “The more

fearful they are about survival, the more willing they are to embrace new strategies.”

In recent years, many public universities have ramped up their out-ofstate recruitment efforts, hoping to bring in more students whose families will be able to afford the higher tuition rates.

UW-Madison enrollment has been consistent with this trend. Five years ago, 22.7% of the fall 2014 freshman class was from out-of-state. By 2019, that figure had increased to 32.4%.

Recruiting students who can pay tuition isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But it’s a tradeoff — if a university focuses more effort on recruiting wealthier students, that might mean lower-income students are less encouraged to attend.

But these tools weren’t necessarily created to discriminate against lowincome students. In many cases, these data-collection tools were designed to help schools effectively reach students who would fit well in their communities.

If a prospective student shows particular interest in mechanical engineering, a school like UW-Madison, with a strong mechanical engineering program, would know to attempt to recruit that student. On the other hand, the New York University Tisch School of the Arts would know not to send materials to that student given their likely lack of interest in their programs — saving both the student and the school time and energy.

These practices wer-Maien’t originally created with malice, but it’s when these algorithms are taken out of the context in which they were created that issues arise. Too often, they are used, presented and manipulated for uses they weren’t designed for.

David Kaplan, a UW-Madison educational psychology professor, sees this crop up in his own work. Kaplan’s area of research focuses on largescale educational assessments like the Programme for International Student Assessment, which is designed to gauge the performance of 15-year-old students in math, science and reading around the world.

PISA was not designed to give countries a course of action or to assess individuals’ academic success. But politicians love these assessments, Kaplan explained, because the rankings they generate are hot talking points. They give politicians a platform to criticize folks on the other end of the spectrum

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“The responses are often devoid of what that assessment can actually tell you ... it can’t tell you what to do,” Kaplan said.

These assessments can be invaluable tools for understanding longitudinal educational progress, but Kaplan said they’re often not used for the purposes for which they were designed.

That’s why, through his research, Kaplan is trying to bring the assessments back to a place where they are being used for the appropriate purpose.

And in all of this, recognizing the limitations of algorithmic modeling is crucial, he said.

“It’s really important to realize that a model is, by definition … an abstraction of reality, and therefore it’s not true,” Kaplan said. “It’s simply the best humans can do to try to understand a very complex situation.”

Regulating the unknown

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, made headlines recently thanks to a viral video of her grilling Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the social media platform’s fact-checking policies.

“You announced recently that the official policy of Facebook now allows politicians to pay to spread disinformation in 2020 elections and in the future,” Ocasio-Cortez said in the exchange. “So I just want to know how far I can push this.”

Zuckerberg said there is some threshold of fact-checking political advertisements, asserting that “lying is bad,” but suggested it’s not the role of Facebook to take down false advertising.

“I think people should be able to see for themselves what politicians they may or may not vote for are saying,” he said.

This is exactly the type of issue that Young Mie Kim, a UW-Madison journalism and mass communications professor who directs Project DATA: Digital Ad Tracking and Analysis, is working to address.

Kim conducted extensive research on political advertising in the 2016 election and found staggering evidence of Russian involvement, which brought her to testify before the Federal Election Commission. Kim discovered that large groups of voters were targeted with voter suppression messages — primarily black voters, those likely to vote for Hillary Clinton and those who consume liberal media.

Again, this discriminatory suppression was made possible by data-driven research.

During the broadcast era, campaigns had a much harder time targeting specific voters and groups of people with specialized messages.

“But now, with data, it’s completely possible,” Kim said. “And if campaigns can use data to identify, target and

mobilize these people, it is much easier for them to persuade people — or even demobilize people.”

Jordan Ellenberg, UW-Madison mathematics professor and author of “How Not To Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking,” said this might not have been possible even 20 years ago. But as political partisanship grows starker, it has become easier to predict voter behavior.

“That’s something we might think of as mystical, but it’s actually quite easy,” Ellenberg said. “If I know your income level, and your zip code and your race and your religion, I’m going to guess right a pretty high percentage of the time.”

As a consequence, it has also become easier to target voters based on those predictions. And as Kim explained, this targeting means not all voters are getting the same information.

This is complicated by the fact that researchers like Kim don’t even know the scope of the different kinds of information voters are receiving because specific ads only show up for specific individuals, based on targeting.

“It opens up a lot of opportunity for manipulation,” Kim said. “They can lie, and they can tell different lies to different voters … because there is no monitoring.”

Another consequence of this is the perpetuation of political inequity. Kim said groups of voters with relatively short voting histories, such as new immigrants and young people, often receive no political advertisements whatsoever, discouraging them from participating in electoral processes.

This is where, ideally, tech platforms should come in, but as Zuckerberg made clear, Facebook isn’t exactly interested in strict fact-checking policies. In fact, tech platforms, Kim said, have largely aided this kind of oppressive data-driven political strategy.

Kim explained that even though there is a lot of public pressure on tech platforms to expand monitoring and accuracy standards, they don’t have much incentive to do so because political advertising is so profitable. From a business standpoint, it just wouldn’t make sense.

Researchers like Kim are working to address all these issues, but a lack of available information has stalled progress. For example, Kim said more than half of political advertisement sponsors from the 2016 election are unknown — and you can’t regulate what you don’t know.

Kim is optimistic that more people are aware of

this issue now, but acknowledged there still haven’t been any real solutions or substantial changes in the law.

“Under this political environment, I’m not sure when that’s going to be passed,” she said.

You make what you measure

In all kinds of models — in all uses, in all algorithmic applications, in all fields — statistics and data analytics are invaluable tools. The world would be virtually nowhere without powerful mathematical and statistical innovation.

But use of these tools must be intentional. UW-Madison sociology professor Felix Elwert explained that all serious researchers must be — and do tend to be — highly concerned with external influences on research, and ensuring they are actually measuring what they intend to.

Ellenberg said a common cautionary tale among researchers is “you make what you measure.” In other words, oftentimes simply the process of conducting research or collecting data can influence the results.

This appeared in recidivism models — an algorithm based on a system which has disproportionately sent black men to jail will serve to continue that trend.

In education, models seek out and recruit higher-income students, increasing the likelihood that they will continue to have higher incomes — on average, college graduates earn 56% more than high school graduates.

And in the case of elections, politically marginalized folks are suppressed and pushed out, while politically engaged people are encouraged to take on increasingly partisan positions.

As O’Neil wrote, these systems have a tendency to “project the past into the future.”

It’s important for people making use of these models to recognize the imperfections of the algorithms they have designed, and act accordingly.

Kaplan said all systems will have some element of statistical “noise” — irregularities, errors and residuals.

“The way to minimize that noise,” Kaplan said, “is by measuring as many things as possible that you think might be contributing to the outcome, with the knowledge that you are never going to measure everything, and there’s still going to be a component of noise at the end, even if you thought you had measured

everything.”

All this is to say integrity in research is vital. Results are only as good as the system used to produce them, which means this requires constant systematic improvement.

As researchers, Elwert said, “the one currency we have assigned to us is our credibility. And our credibility increases with our ability to be self critical.”

“All models are wrong, but some are useful”

In 1960, George Box, a famous British statistician, moved to Wisconsin to create UW-Madison’s department of statistics. He is often considered one of the greatest statistical minds of the 20th century.

It was during Box’s tenure at UWMadison when he famously wrote that “all models are wrong, but some are useful.”

This mindset has guided statistical innovation for years.

Data use and statistical modeling became popular because of their efficiency. They have made things once thought inconceivable 15 years ago, possible today — we can predict the weather with a high level of accuracy, retailers can market their products only to those consumers who might be interested, healthcare can be specialized and optimized, and we have a greater understanding of the ways of the world.

But while algorithms certainly can offer a solution to human biases, Albert said, “they can also introduce a bunch of new ones.”

In all the excitement, it seems data has gotten away from us. Systems are continually optimizing, rearranging and enhancing in the interest of efficiency and profitability, but oftentimes at the expense of morality and common sense.

It’s in criminal justice, education and elections, but also in job hiring and employment processes, credit scores and loans, marketing, lawmaking, housing regulations — virtually everything.

But experts like Ellenberg and Albert have hope — largely because more people are interested in understanding the informational infrastructure governing their lives.

“What I want is for people to feel empowered to ask questions about the algorithms that affect aspects of their life,” Ellenberg said. “I think we can get there.”

Algorithms can’t do everything. But in the right hands, in the right context and with the right intentions, they can help us do a lot.

“I think a lot of people are talking about how we can use data science for the common good … it’s a very popular topic right now. I’d like to think that we’ve been trying to address these issues for a long time,” Albert said.

“But there’s always more to do.”

October 29, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 13

OPINION

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Increasing higher education accessibility should be national priority Milwaukee Area Technical College efforts to support lower income students should serve as nationwide example for colleges

by Harry Quick Columnist

Why did you go to college? Do you love to learn for learning’s sake? Are you here to start a career? Do you even know the answer to that question? I confess I’m not sure myself. I suppose I came to the University of Wisconsin because I had it drilled into my head by my parents that I would be missing out if I didn’t.

They were right. No matter the reason one goes to college, people who pursue any form of higher education do better for themselves than those who don’t. Compared to those who only earned high school diplomas, typical associate degree and technical diploma holders earn $133 more per week – that’s $6,900 more per year – and typical bachelor ’s degree holders earn $30,000 more per year. This is a huge incentive to go to college. However, many people are held

back not by their ambition or ability but by their situation.

Take for example Albert Einstein. He made great advancements in science that have benefited all of us. Yet he dropped out of school at age 15 because he hated the rote learning favored at the time and preferred to solve problems creatively. Our current public education system is unforgiving in that instead of organizing around learning and helping individuals be the best they can be, it is organized around studying for standardized tests. Einstein persevered, but many American high school students have their learning stunted by standardization.

They do not go on to reach their full potential as bad high school grades often equate to less chances of getting into any institution of higher learning.

How many Einsteins are we missing out on today because our institutions of higher education are inaccessible to those who

Photo · Everyone in society benefits from expanding reach of higher education..

Ella Guo The Badger Herald 14 • badgerherald.com • October 29, 2019

weren’t given a chance in high school?

Too many.

Too many kids are overlooked today because they did not have enough resources to do well in high school, or their high school offered a poorer quality of education than most. This is unfair — and yes, while life is unfair, we don’t have to accept that.

We should at least attempt to make it fair.

Some issues the government can’t legislate away, like people being poor test takers even when they know the material or children not getting the support they need at home.

But there are issues the government can at least attempt to legislate away. Funding is a large contributor to the differences in quality of education. Public high schools tend to get just under half of their funding from local taxes – meaning that if you live in a low-income neighborhood, you’re getting an education that is lacking in the resources

needed to succeed. Additionally, under the No Child Left Behind Act, a school’s test scores have great influence on the amount of federal funding the school gets and where that funding goes to. When low-performing schools do not receive the money they need to invest in their students, the quality of education stays poor and continues to deteriorate.

American high school students receive unequal qualities of education, limiting low income students’ options after graduation. Efforts are being made in Milwaukee to even the tables a little bit by increasing the accessibility of education to low-income students who did not get an equal opportunity to succeed as did their wealthier peers.

The program focuses on informing high school students of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the Milwaukee Area Technical College Promise. The MATC Promise offers free tuition at MATC for up to 75 credits – enough for an associate’s degree or technical diploma – in addition to any aid given by the federal government. The Promise is designed to help disadvantaged low-income students and students who were not academically inclined during high school, requiring that applicants be eligible for a Pell grant, have a minimum GPA of 2.0 or above, an ACT score of at least 16 and have graduated from a school in the MATC district or live in the MATC district. This makes it possible for those held back in high school to prove themselves by getting an associate’s degree and going on to get a bachelor ’s, or by getting a technical diploma. The MATC Promise also offers guaranteed acceptance into dozens of partner colleges for eligible students.

Too often people are held back academically by their situation. This could be due to anything – from a poor home environment to our standardized public education system. This should not be the case. When everyone doesn’t get the opportunity to reach their full potential, society at large misses out on great people, like the next Einstein.

America can only be made better by increasing the accessibility of higher education to those who did not do well in high school, and those who cannot afford it.

Programs like the MATC Promise should be expanded nationwide so that America can look forward to a better tomorrow.

Harry Quick (hfquick@wisc.edu) freshman studying economics.

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OPINION

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Impeachment: What you need to know, what Republicans need to

Eventually, evidence will become too damning, which will force Republican lawmakers to make decision to put country over party

by Kaitlin Kons Columnist

The most difficult thing for much of the American public right now is to formulate a stance on the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump. The majority of people ― especially college students ― do not have the time, resources or even interest in the situation to fully dive into the politics of it — to recognize what is fact, what is fiction and what is clouding the airspace of truth.

To be sure, there is an awful lot of petty politics involved. Congressional and party leaders trying to control the narrative, intense focus on the optics, and obsession with framing in the media, all make it harder for an average citizen to get the facts and forge an opinion on the matter.

So let’s review.

Thanks to the alarm-sounding of the CIA whistleblower, we know Trump called the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky and communicated that Ukraine will only get the congressionally-approved military aid in exchange for a favor, the favor being a public investigation into Hunter Biden, former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, and his involvement in a corruption scandal during his time working in Ukraine. A meeting with Zelensky in the U.S. was also conditioned upon the investigation.

The act of soliciting foreign assistance to aid Trump in the coming 2020 election has been admitted, albeit accidentally, by acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, and deliberately by several government officials during closed-door congressional hearings including George Kent, Marie Yovanovitch, Fiona Hill, Bill Taylor and Laura Cooper.

Republicans have been playing defense for quite some time, with few straying from the pack.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, has refused to rule out impeachment, declaring himself “deeply troubled” by the president’s actions, calling upon everyone to “search their own heart and do what they think is right” amid the conflict of party vs. country.

Former Republican Ohio Governor John Kasich has reversed his stance, throwing his support behind impeachment after Mulvaney admitted to the quid pro quo and ordered the press to “get over it,” but not going so far as to call for removal.

At the same time, Trump’s decision to pull U.S. troops from northern Syria, leaving our Kurdish allies vulnerable to Russian-backed Turkish invasion, is drawing harsh criticism from both sides of the aisle. This poses a serious policy conflict due to past U.S.-backing of Kurdish forces in our combined efforts to suppress the Islamic State, who now has an opportunity to reemerge as a dominating terrorist force in the Middle East because the Kurds can no longer focus solely on containing their leaders in prison.

Yikes.

The bipartisan opposition in Congress to

Photo · Trump’s eventual impeachment may reflect Nixon-era behavior.

Gage Skidmore flickr Trump’s decision to pull forces included a specific and rare condemnation from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a Washington Post opinion piece, outlining the policy decision as a breach in constitutional duty. But this disagreement between branches regarding foreign policy has not been the dividing factor within the Republican Party over impeachment.

When Watergate broke in 1972, President Richard Nixon had a strong Republican base defending and backing him strongly against the opposition. But as the story unraveled and incriminating evidence piled up, those who were once loyal to him split off. George H. W. Bush himself was adamant about Nixon’s innocence until he felt that there was enough evidence to show otherwise and that it was in his best interest politically to impeach him.

This case will be no different.

As more evidence and personal testimony emerge detailing Trump’s deliberate unconstitutional behavior of soliciting foreign assistance to leverage a political advantage in the upcoming 2020 election is revealed, simultaneously more Republican leaders will speak out against him. His base can’t hold on forever or they will risk their political careers. We all know that reelection is at the forefront of every legislator’s mind.

As of right now, the Republican Party cannot throw their support behind impeachment without risking a huge political divide. They also cannot go on in this middle ground of privately admitting this isn’t morally right while publicly acting on their support for their party leader.

There is soon going to come a time when hard decisions have to be made for the future of the country, the political parties and for the political

careers of every elected official. When that time comes, parties need to come together to realize the underlying issues plaguing healthy politics: a lack of constitutional limits on the presidency, the mistake of placing party affiliation over country and an overall lack of integrity and trust within our government.

So if you’re looking for a recommendation for what to think or how to feel or where you should place your vote in 2020, search for the facts, listen to both sides of every argument and news outlets, and, reflecting the wise words of Pierre Delecto (our fictitious Twitter friend Mitt Romney likes to hide behind), search your own heart and do what you think is right.

Kaitlin Kons (kkons@wisc.edu) is a sophomore studying political science and public policy.

October 29, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 15

OPINION

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Wisconsin GOP politicizes disabilities in disgusting power grab

Rep. Jimmy Anderson, a lawmaker with disabilities, was forced to vote against his own accommodations to preserve political integrity

by William Keenan Columnist

Ask around the State Capitol about State Rep. Jimmy Anderson, D-Fitchburg, and the words you are most likely to hear are “kind,” “compassionate,” “friend” and “fighter.”

Anderson has served the 47th Assembly District since 2016, continually fighting for his constituents while also making friends on both sides of the political aisle.

What may not be well known about Anderson is that he is paralyzed from the neck down because of a car crash. Anderson, his parents and younger brother were driving to celebrate his birthday when a drunk driver ran a stop sign and smashed into Anderson’s car. His parents and brother were killed instantly and Anderson became paralyzed from the neck down.

While many would have given up on their ambitions and goals, Anderson fought through and persevered. Due to his disability, Anderson has repeatedly asked the Republican-controlled Assembly for various accommodations, such as the ability to phone

into meetings and get advanced notice of meeting dates and times to perform his duties as a representative, ensure his availability and better represent his constituents. Republicans continually deny his requests.

In order to represent his constituents during last year ’s lame-duck session, Anderson was forced to sit in his wheelchair for hours during the special session, causing him to develop sores and ulcers that had to be surgically removed. In turn, Anderson and other Democrats pushed for new rules that would make sessions more accessible.

Recently, Anderson again asked for the Assembly to grant him certain accommodations. Unfortunately, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, used Anderson’s disabilities as a bargaining chip to permit yet another Republican power grab, leading Anderson to vote against his own legislation.

October 10, Vos called the Assembly to session to vote on a number of measures, including Assembly Resolution 12. AR-12, likely the most important pieces of legislation on the agenda, would allow, “appearance at committee meetings by telephone or other

means of telecommunication or electronic communication.” Because of his disability, Anderson was forced to miss committee hearings and meetings, lobbyist visits and votes on the floor. Finally, it seemed, Anderson would be granted his accommodations, though not as extensive as he would have liked. He would be allowed to phone into meetings and get advanced notice of session dates and times, so he can properly serve his constituents without furthering sacrificing his physical health.

Sadly, Republicans politicized this issue and added various poison pills to AR-12.

Republicans grouped together 10 Assembly rules changes, such as the expansion of the number of times the (Republican-controlled) Assembly can vote to override vetoes and change the amount of time for debates.

Essentially, for Anderson to receive his accommodations, he and the Democratic caucus would have to vote yes on yet another Republican power grab.

The day of the session, Anderson gave an impassioned speech — going to deep detail of his family’s accident, the death of his family, and what his daily routine looks like. In order

to make the 10 a.m. session, Anderson had to wake up at 4:30 a.m., ask that his nurse be able to come in early to help, and spend nearly five hours getting ready just to give one speech — which advocated Democrats and Republicans to vote against AR-12, his own accommodations. Rather than coming together as one Assembly to pass a standalone resolution to help their colleague and his constituents, Republicans split the Assembly along party lines and rammed AR12 through on a simple majority, 61-35.

Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin cannot even allow a devoted, bipartisan, respected representative to properly perform his duties without attempting to add poison pill provisions. It is sickening that Republican lawmakers would politicize a disability and use it for their own gain. Forcing Anderson to vote against his own accommodation is wrong, plain and simple. This shows the new low that Wisconsin Republicans will stoop to in order to maintain their grip on power.

William Keenan (wkeenan3@wisc.edu) is a senior studying political science.

Bullying doesn’t stop in elementary school — and neither do its impacts

New study by UW researcher points to negative mental health effects bullying causes in adolescents, considerations extend to college

by Emma Axelrod Columnist

It is well-known that bullying has a negative influence on the mental health of young children, but new research has found that bullying also changes brain development in adolescents.

Long-term impacts of bullying may include but are not limited to: anxiety, depression, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, and changes in sleeping and eating patterns.

Aside from the physical impacts of bullying, those who are bullied have lower grade point averages and standardized test scores.

Bullying is defined as any behavior where someone attempts to intimidate someone else.

“It’s intimidation, intent to create fear … it’s really more about power than anything else.” said Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, from UW School of Medicine and Public Health.

Dr. Navsaria is also president of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and was interviewed by WPR about this new study. He described the longterm impacts of bullying as consequential to brain development.

16 • badgerherald.com • October 29, 2019

The brain is sensitive, and how an individual interacts with the environment greatly affects it. Parts of the brain also differ in size according to what traits are most active, according to a UW study.

In people who are bullied, parts of the brain for “prosocial behavior, learning, curiosity and willingness to experience new situations are smaller,” Dr. Navsaria said. “Fear, self-defense, worry and self-preservation seem to be larger or more active.”

Trauma research on brain development has been around for over 20 years, according to Dr. Navsaria. It’s nothing new. What’s groundbreaking is this: All previous studies have focused on ages 0-5, and now new data reveals “similar types of brain changes, except in adolescents.”

Dr. Navsaria goes on to describe various changes that parents and grade schools need to make in order to create a safe environment for bullied children. Yet, adolescents include college-age students who don’t get to see their parents daily nor attend a structured daily school. What are the repercussions, then, for students living away from home?

College life is stressful. Especially as a

freshman, it takes a long time to find one’s way academically and extracurricularly. All too often, students take out this frustration on each other, but away at university, parents and other familiar faces are not around to offer comfort.

So, with an immense workload and the added pressures of social organizations, bullied adolescents bear the same struggles as young children, and then some.

Where can we turn for help?

University Health Services and the McBurney Disability Resource Center are a start. These two programs are here to assist with mental health and learning disabilities.

While UHS is a great resource for talking to a professional, and the McBurney Center can accommodate students who can’t focus as clearly as their peers, there is still a puzzle piece missing. University health systems are only effective if they are sought out, and many students lack the knowledge or courage to take that first step.

This is where we have room to grow.

Students, professors and administrators must ban forces to encourage the creation of positive social norms. The more these programs are sought out, the more likely we are to see the

effects of bullying decline.

Dr. Navsaria says the brain is always malleable, it’s just easier to change when the brain is young.

“You can still help a 50 year old, it’s just much harder the older you get,” he said.

Therefore, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. While this new research raises concerns, it is just information to help us remedy an already relevant problem. Now, students, administration and families can understand the long-term repercussions for not getting an adolescent the care they need and deserve. With consistent attention and community support, we can kick bullying off campus.

If you or someone you know is struggling with bullying, mental health or a learning disability, considering using the appropriate resource(s): UHS Mental Health Services, UHS Parents Information, McBurney Disability Resource Center, Bullying Hotline, to name a few.

Emma Axelrod (eaxelrod@wisc.edu) is a sophomore studying political science and journalism.

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OPINION

Stemming from a young age: Girls need role models in STEM fields

UW professor Ahna Skop was selected to be ambassador for AAAS, will likely be strong role model for women in STEM

by Anne Isman Columnist

Last month, University of Wisconsin genetics professor Ahna Skop was selected to be an IF/THEN Ambassador by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The IF/THEN initiative seeks to increase the platform of women working in STEM to inspire young girls nationally, and ambassadors are named based on their contributions to their field of work and their ability to engage others in science. Skop, whose research spans from cell division to scientific art, ​ h as long been involved with STEM outreach on campus​ , specifically in advocating for underrepresented groups in STEM. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, ​ o nly 30% of the world’s researchers are women​, and despite the fact that women make up half of the college-educated workforce in the U.S.,​ just 25% of women actually work in STEM​.

Many credit this glaring gender disparity in what is currently considered one of the most lucrative and essential lines of work to a lack of female role models in STEM. Given that ​o nly 21 women have won the Nobel Prize in the sciences in the history of the award​, it should come as no surprise that young girls and women in higher education feel discouraged from pursuing careers in such male-dominated work.

This is why initiatives like IF/THEN are so important — young girls and women must see that STEM can include them by learning from other women who have succeeded in this field, like Skop.

Research has actually shown there is a correlation between having a role model Photo · Students need to be able to see themselves in the fields they are pursuing. currently working in STEM and increased interest in this field for young girls. Last Courtni Kopietz year, Microsoft found that when girls had Morgridge Institute for Research a STEM mentor that inspired them, ​t heir interest in pursuing STEM nearly doubled​. it can feel disheartening to be starkly we bring to these women, the less female The “#SheCanSTEM” campaign was outnumbered in these discussion sections students will feel out of place in malecreated by the Advertising Council along and lectures. dominated STEM classes. with General Electric, Google, IBM, Bringing attention to female researchers Still, for young girls and female students Microsoft and Verizon to draw attention like Skop is essential for students who are already committed to their STEM to women employees because, according who don’t have close mentors who pursuits, there is a long way to go before to the campaign’s website, “Girls can’t be understand how difficult it can be to be women are as readily welcome in STEM as what they can’t see.” underrepresented in class. men are. Teachers and professors must be Although it may seem like a catchy As Skop ​s aid​, many students tend to active in fostering female students’ interest hashtag, it resonates especially with envision those in STEM to look like an in STEM, as well as remedying the gender students like myself, whose STEM classes “old, white male scientist in a lab coat disparities among students in discussion are made up of nearly all men, including with glasses,” which is actually a far cry and lecture sections. teaching assistants and professors. from the women she sees “doing amazing While having more diverse role models Drawing on my own personal experience, science ... all the time.” The more attention in STEM to look up to is a start, it does

not address the lack of awareness men in STEM classes and jobs may have of the daily struggles underrepresented groups face. Until male counterparts support women in STEM as much as women like Skop and those featured in other initiatives do, women will continue to feel as though they do not belong in STEM, when, in fact, they most certainly do.

Anne Isman (isman@wisc.edu) is a freshman studying economics.

October 29, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 17

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Volleyball: Badgers rebound from poor start, sit atop Big Ten standings

Following uncharacteristic 4-4 non-conference record, Badgers stared daunting task in the face – the Big Ten schedule

by Colton Mosley Sports Writer

The University of Wisconsin volleyball team (14-4, 10-0 Big Ten) closed their non-conference schedule with back-to-back losses against Pac-12 powerhouse Washington, allowing their highest hitting percentage in Head Coach Kelly Sheffield’s seven-year tenure at Wisconsin.

They entered Big Ten play with zero home wins for the first time in over 30 years. That didn’t phase Sheffield.

“It’s exciting. Big Ten volleyball is nasty, and this year in our sport, teams are just beating up on each other,” Sheffield said, “Our home matches, from a record standpoint, it probably hasn’t been as good as what most of us are wanting, but it’s been entertaining, high-level stuff in the Field House.”

Sheffield wasn’t kidding about the “high-level” competition the Badgers had faced. Their four losses all came to teams currently in the top-11 of the AVCA Coaches’ Poll, including a four-set loss to No. 1 Baylor who has dropped only two sets this entire season.

That high-level competition has continued into conference play, but the Badgers haven’t lost since those Sheffield comments.

During the current ten-game winning streak, the Badgers have faced five ranked teams and dropped a total of four sets.

Sheffield said last week that their mindset hasn’t changed throughout the season, following wins or losses.

“It’s back to work. It’s back to finding ways to get better, and we would do that after a loss.

We’d do that after a win,” Sheffield said, “I don’t have to worry that they’re going to take things out of perspective. They didn’t when we lost a couple in a row. I certainly don’t expect them to change who they are just because they won a couple in a row.”

While their mindset has remained the same, their gameplay has differed greatly in multiple areas.

First, their defense has rebounded from a rough start.

Between both blocking prowess and backcourt passing, the Badgers have improved significantly. In their first eight games of the season, they allowed a .255 hitting percentage which would put them at 320th in the country out of 332 teams.

Since the start of Big Ten play, Wisconsin has flipped the script allowing a .178 hitting percentage which ranks fifth-best in the conference.

They have also decreased their receiving errors per set from 1.17 during the nonconference slate to 0.57 in Big Ten matchups.

Sheffield praised the efforts of his back row, highlighted by Lauren Barnes, Izzy Ashburn and libero Tiffany Clark, as a noticeable part of his team’s improved play.

Second, the Badgers are keeping defenses offbalance with a varied attack.

In the beginning of the year, the Badgers leaned heavily on two-time All-American Dana Rettke for offense, especially in their losses. Junior 18 • badgerherald.com • October 29 2019

outside hitters Molly Haggerty and Grace Loberg struggled in those losses, leaving Rettke with the majority of the load.

As the Big Ten season has progressed, Haggerty and Loberg have both put in quality performances in crucial games.

Against then-No. 5 Penn State, Loberg ripped off a career-high 21 kills on just 35 swings and even added four digs, leading the sweep of the Nittany Lions. “[Loberg] picked up her blocking as well, but it’s the work and the effort she’s putting in the practice gym that’s really paying off,” Sheffield said. “She’s turning into a big-time outside hitter for us right now.”

Loberg currently holds the highest hitting percentage among outside hitters in the Big Ten within conference play. Following Loberg’s 21kill performance, Haggerty, against then-No. 2 Nebraska, led the team with 11 kills at a .391 hitting percentage.

Complementary hitters Madison Duello and Danielle Hart have turned in timely performances

as well.

Duello, a Third-Team All-American, has struggled to continue her play from a year ago, but she has found success curling inside against defenses cheating to the outsides.

Hart totaled 10 kills on just 14 swings against Nebraska and blocked 11 balls in the five-set thriller with Illinois.

Lastly, the Badgers have served relentlessly, forcing numerous errors and out-of-system play from opponents. They also defend serves particularly well.

Wisconsin leads the Power Five conferences with 1.79 aces/set. That number includes 1.94 aces/set during their eight-game win streak.

But, aces are not the only result of strong performances behind the service line.

“This is a team that we’re putting pressure on people all six rotations,” Sheffield said. “It’s not just being able to go back and put in some tough serves, but can you do it consistently? So we’re able to do that all six rotations.”

That pressure leads to opponents serving the

Badgers free balls which the Badgers often turn into kills.

Sheffield has never had a Badger team serve at this level. No other team under his Wisconsin tenure has averaged more than 1.3 aces per set.

Then again, Sheffield has never had a Badger team enter Big Ten play without a home win or rattle off a 0 conference start.

Sheffield has also had the luxury of Rettke at the net the past two and a half years. But Rettke suffered a foot injury and missed the first game of her career in the Badgers’ win over Northwestern.

There is still no timetable for her return, but walk-on Nicole Shanahan performed adequately in her stead.

“We don’t have anybody on our roster that’s going to replace a First-Team All-American,” Sheffield said, “[Shanahan] comes in, she plays with confidence. She executes what she’s meant to execute.”

With Wisconsin in the midst of a stretch with six out of seven games on the road, the Badgers will need that execution as long as Rettke is sidelined.

Photo · Despite starting just 4-4 against strong non-conference competition, the Badgers have rattled off ten straight wins against Big Ten opponents Ahmad Hamid The Badger Herald

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Women’s Hockey: Johnson’s coaching ability drives team success Multiple national championships, including one captured earlier in 2019, begs question of why Badgers are so successful

by John Spengler Sports Editor

With yet another undefeated start to their regular season coming fresh off an NCAA Title earlier in 2019, it’s time to ask the question of why the Wisconsin women’s hockey team is so good at what they do.

Yes, Minnesota and Wisconsin arguably constitute the heart of hockey culture in the United States, but there’s more to the story than that. The majority of football recruits come out of Texas, Florida and California, yet Midwest teams like The Ohio State University and Notre Dame are continually at the top of collegiate competition.

There’s more to their success than simply geographic location, so what exactly is it?

Perhaps the most important factor in the Badgers’ success is Head Coach Mark Johnson. With a strong record as an amateur and professional hockey player, Johnson returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach. He remained in that position until 2002 when he took over the program following the departure of former coach Trina Bourget.

While strong results weren’t immediate, Johnson made his value as a coach immediately clear as the mid 2000s was arguably the peak of Wisconsin hockey as a whole. In the seven seasons between 2004 and 2011, Johnson and his squad brought home four NCAA Titles in just six total appearances.

Already an incredible stretch of titles, the Badgers also had a championship game loss to Minnesota-Duluth in 2008. This means that in six total appearances to the Frozen Four in a seven-year stretch, Johnson and the Badgers won four titles and lost in the championship game once.

While this stunning pace has not been kept up in the last eight years after 2011, Johnson has continually proved himself to be a winning coach, the likes of which Wisconsin never saw before his return. Star sophomore Sophie Shirley understands just what makes Johnson such a great coach.

“Everything he says you want to swallow it up and take as much knowledge in as you can,” Shirley said. “We really respect him as a coach.”

But Johnson isn’t on the ice when the games are won despite the talent he had as a player back in the day. The Badgers’ extremely high talent level is largely a result of one major reality — they are particularly adept at poaching talent from outside the state as well as across our northern border.

Somewhat surprisingly, very few of Wisconsin’s top point scorers actually come from Wisconsin. Over the last five years, an average of just one Wisconsinite has been in the top 10 total point scorers for the Badgers.

So they had to go elsewhere for their talent.

Perhaps the most notable example of this is Badger legend Annie Pankowski from California.

California is not typically thought of as a hub of developing hockey talent, but

Pankowski made her way to Wisconsin nonetheless.

Even with out-of-state contributions, primarily from Minnesota, the Badgers’ most common source of talent is Canada.

In the last five seasons, an average of nearly four out of every 10 of the top point scorers for the Badgers have been from Canada.

Without these players, it’s difficult to see how the Badgers would have a path to a title game or even the Frozen Four.

While it’s tough to tell exactly where this extensive recruiting prowess stems from,akldf

I think it’s a safe bet to believe that, once Johnson got the ball rolling for the Badgers, he had little trouble finding willing recruits to join such a winning team.

While coming to the conclusion that Johnson’s coaching ability as well as the Badgers’ propensity to attract talent across North America are responsible for their success is not a groundbreaking conclusion, it does highlight just how well they do in each of those respects.

Each top program in women’s hockey is going to have a good coach that is more than

capable of recruiting some of the best players in the nation to play for their program. It’s not that the Badgers are special in this regard — it’s just that they manage to do it better than everyone else.

Without that hot streak that Johnson procured from his team in the mid-to-late 2000s, we might very well be looking at a completely altered program compared to where it is today. His ability to win championships set the tone of the program for the next decade, culminating in yet another national title last season, their first since 2011.

Photo · Johnson’s ability to recruit, coach make Wisconsin a dangerous team every season against other hockey schools in Minnesota, Boston Courtesy of Dane Sheehan October 29, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 19

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Men’s Hockey: Crease Creatures craziest student section in hockey

Packing Kohl Center for every home game, Crease Creatures have become one of larger student organizations at UW

by Harrison Freuck Sports Editor

The No. 7 University of Wisconsin men’s hockey team (4-2-0, 0-0-0 Big Ten) has impressed in a major way through the first few weeks of the new season, but without the Crease Creatures and the rest of the Kohl Center faithful, their success may not have come to fruition.

Behind star freshmen Alex Turcotte and Cole Caufield, the Badgers wouldn’t be standing as the potential team to beat come conference play in November. But it’s impossible to give credit to the team without the fans and the atmosphere of the Kohl Center.

Formed as a student organization in 2017, the Crease Creatures have increased the gameday atmosphere during home hockey games for several years now. Unlike previous years, however, the Creatures are now a full-fledged organization that is being supported by the UW Athletic Department and the hockey team, including student giveaways.

“The difference is this year, our adviser, Allison [Minisce] came to us and she’s like ‘What could we do for a student giveaway,’ and we ended up deciding on red glow sticks and red student t-shirts for the home opener,” Director of Gameday Atmosphere Jack Pientka said.

With the leadership of organizational board members — including President JT Nejedlo, Vice President Ashley Cherney, Secretary Kaitlin Indermuehle and Pientka — the club has found their sweet spot in 2019.

In their first meeting, the group said they had about 25 members come to learn more about what the Creatures are all about. They also stated there are approximately 45 members in their club group chat.

With the help of these “official” members and the rest of the student section, the Crease Creatures successfully cheered the Badgers to a home sweep against the two-time defending

Photo · Crease Creatures are growing into one of the larger student sections in the country thanks to their transformation into a student organization just a few years ago Ahmad Hamid The Badger Herald 20 • badgerherald.com • October 29, 2019

NCAA Champion Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.

In game one of the weekend matchup, the Badgers scored three goals in the third period to win 6–2. To follow up that performance, the Badgers came out Saturday night and put the Bulldogs away with two goals in the second period en route to a 3–1 victory. The atmosphere of both games was truly insane and much of that energy can be chalked up to the Crease Creatures and the rest of the student section. “[Coach Granato] says it, and he’ll say it again: The energy in the Kohl Center comes from the student section,” Cherney said. “And that’s why we definitely need people to pack those stands.”

The Crease Creatures were created as a way to both increase attendance and interaction with the men’s hockey team. Today, it’s safe to say that goal has been met.

Between the planning of student giveaways and the annual “Skate with the Badgers” event, the connectedness of the hockey community has steadily risen for the past several years, even with teams that have underperformed.

Despite this lack of success, this season provides hope for fans as the team finds themselves with several top draft picks from the 2019 NHL Draft and stands as the No. 6 team in the country to this point. In their home-opening weekend, the Badgers displayed their incredible scoring ability against one of the best teams in the country, reinforcing the hope in longtime Badger fans.

“We haven’t made it to the NCAA Tournament and that feels like something that we should’ve been in some years, but we haven’t been in it for awhile now,” Pientka said. “So with all the talent we have on the team I think that getting into that tournament should be the hope at a minimum.”

What separates the Crease Creatures from a conventional hockey fan is their vested interest and love for the game. The Creatures are an organization for hockey fans who want to be part of more than just a game and care about making the gameday experience and atmosphere better.

Many of the Crease Creatures weren’t even that into hockey before coming to UW. In fact, both Ashley and JT came from backgrounds that didn’t involve watching much hockey, professionally or collegiately.

“I watched professional hockey a little bit in middle school, but I’ve never had a connection to any sort of team,” Nejedlo said. “I came here and I thought the games were a lot of fun, so that’s pretty much the only hockey that I watch.”

With the help of the Crease Creatures, the student section and the rest of the mass of fans that enter the Kohl Center each night, expect Wisconsin to continue to thrive in home matchups all season and hopefully make a return to the NCAA Tournament come April.

You can learn more about the Crease Creatures by following them on Twitter @CreaseCreatures or you can attend a UW men’s hockey game and search for the loudest fans in the student section.

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Women’s Hockey: Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry best in college sports

Currently ranked as top two teams in the country, hatred in the rivalry is at an all-time high in hopes of championship

by Will Whitmore Sports Writer

top three, splitting their four regular-season matchups.

The teams then met twice in postseason play. First squaring off in the WCHA Final in Minneapolis, the teams entered the game ranked as the top two teams in the country.

Wisconsin drew first blood with goals from Caitlin Schneider and Britta Curl, jumping out to a 2–0 lead. Following a Minnesota power-play, the Badgers sealed the deal when senior Annie Pankowski

on another collision course to take home the nation’s top crown.

The Badgers have seemingly picked up right where they left off the 2018 season.

Outscoring opponents 60–9, Wisconsin has cruised through their competition and holds the nation’s top ranking. The dominance goes further than the goals, and the Badgers have overwhelmingly out-shot opponents 457-146 with 94 more assists. The team has also excelled on the power-play with a .487

Separated by 273 miles of hate, Minnesota and Wisconsin have always been bitter rivals in athletics. For most, the biggest game between the two sides is on the football field, where the schools clash for the infamous “Paul Bunyan’s Axe.” While football may draw higher ratings, no MinnesotaWisconsin sports rivalry is as competitive and as heated as women’s hockey.

Since both teams are in the Western College Hockey Association, Wisconsin and Minnesota face each other four times at the minimum, a two-game home and road series every year. The teams develop familiarity and hatred with each other, adding so much more excitement to the action.

Another great dynamic about the rivalry is the proximity of where the players come from. There are 24 players combined on the Minnesota and Wisconsin rosters that are either from the state of Minnesota or Wisconsin. Playing close to home and in front of family personalizes the matchup and adds even more meaning to the game. With these two being historic programs, the players fantasize about playing in this game. Following an October win last season, sophomore Britta Curl shared her excitement Photo · Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry has grown into full-fledged hatred following championship matchup last season to UWBadgers.com about playing against Jason Chanl the Gophers.

“It was unreal,” The Badger Herald Curl said. “I grew up wanting to play against the Gophers so just to have it come scored an empty-net goal with just over conversion rate. a minute left to play. The teams would Wisconsin has received contributions true and to get the win the second night was then meet again for an astonishing sixth from both new and returning players. really fun.” time in an epic, winner-take-all National Boston College transfer Daryl Watts has Unlike football and basketball, the Championship game. made an immediate impact, scoring nine rivalry is not overwhelmingly lopsided Ultimately, the Badgers took home the goals in her first ten games to go along with toward the Badgers’ side. In each of the 19 assists. Senior Abby Roque has also made series, both teams entered ranked in the title, beating their rival 2–0. With the teams ranked the top two in 2019, they seem to be a significant impact offensively. Coming

off her 43-point season, Roque has started strong, accumulating 23 points on ten goals and 13 assists.

The Badgers also have a security blanket between the pipes. 2019 NCAA Championship’s Most Outstanding Player Kristen Campbell has had another strong year. Campbell has only allowed seven goals in nine games with a .944 save percentage. In the National Championship Game against Minnesota, Campbell shut out the Gophers with 27 saves.

Minnesota has started strong as well. The Gophers are on a similar dominant tear to their counterparts, starting the season with a 9-1 record, with their only loss coming to The Ohio State University this past weekend. Minnesota sits behind Wisconsin in the polls, ranked second in the nation. Following last year’s championship loss, the Gophers are out for blood in 2019.

Sophomore Taylor Heise has found her form in her second year with the team.

After finishing last season third with 35 points, the Red Wing, Minnesota product has taken control of the offense. Heise has done it all, leading the team in points and assists.

With the two teams set to square off Nov. 2 in Minneapolis, this game brings even more hype than usual. Playing for the first time since the National Championship game, Minnesota will try to seek revenge in the rivalry game.

The Gophers will also be able to rely on the raucous Ridder Arena in Minneapolis for added support. This matchup could potentially serve as a preview for the 2020 National Championship.

Minnesota and Wisconsin have taken the women’s hockey field by storm over the past two years. With so much on the line every time the teams meet, there is no better rivalry than when the Gophers and Badgers meet on the ice.

October 29, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 21

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Spooky Story Corner: Final, thrilling conclusion of story is below We’re serious, this column is finally ending and there will never be another installment of this story ever we swear

by Angela Peterson Public Relations Director

When we last left off in Spooky Story Corner, Bucky and Tommy (his name was Tommy right? It’s been a while) had switched bodies and magically found themselves on State Street, away from the under-abyss of the skeletal world.

The duo are seeking the author of their spooky stories in order to fix their minor inconveniences of being in the wrong bodies, and hopefully restore the integrity of “Spooky Scary Skeletons” to the world.

Will they achieve their goals? Likely, we like happy endings. Still, read on.

“OK, so I think if we just keep going straight, past the Qdoba, we’ll eventually find this office,” Tommy said, his furry legs sliding together as he hit his stride down State Street.

The duo were right by one of the many CBD vending establishments on State by this point, but Bucky was furless and afraid.

“Tommy,” Bucky said. “I’m cold. I don’t

understand how you humans can walk around in all this wet, especially in a bro tank.”

Tommy sighed. Bucky had quite an easy life in this furry suit. Tommy felt quite warm now by contrast.

“It’s OK, Bucky,” Tommy said. “You’ll get used to it. Experience enough Badger losses and your skin builds up to be incredibly tough.”

“Losing?” Bucky said. “I thought the last time we talked, the Badgers were undefeated.”

Tommy sighed.

“Precisely,” Tommy said.

By this point, the pair was all the way up to Sencha. Tommy craved a royal tea latte, but kept strolling past due to his utter determination to become human again.

Finally, the duo reached The Badger Herald’s slightly grimy, but lovable office.

The paper has to pay rent, after all. Bucky went to open the door, but his attempt was futile. The door was locked shut.

“Oh noes!” Bucky exclaimed. “What are

we ever to do?”

“Is it after 5 p.m.?” Tommy asked.

“Yes.” “Door is closed after 5, Bucky. We have to Slack #squad to get in.”

“What does that mean?”

“I think we just yell ‘At channel, door please.”

The pair turned their back on the door and began to creep away, perhaps to get a few royal tea lattes. Suddenly, the door creaked open behind them.

“Whoa, hey guys this is cool,” a girl dress solely in Pink sweats with layers and layers of bags under her eyes said.

Bucky and Tommy turned around, face to face with the creator of Spooky Story Corner.

“Angela,” Tommy said, “Is that you?”

The girl yawned. She always yawns.

“No, this is Patrick,” she said. “Jk, jk of course this is Angela.”

Bucky and Tommy smiled. They hoped she would rid them of their furry issues.

“Alright Angela,” Bucky said, “We need

your help. As you know, you have trapped us in each other ’s bodies. This is not fun. I, for one, am very cold. I don’t understand why Tommy wore a bro tank. We beg you to set us back to our normal selves. We plead, we will never play ‘Spooky Scary Skeletons’ ever again. We promise.”

By this point, Bucky and Tommy were on their knees, begging. Hesitant at first, Angela opened her mouth to speak.

“Guys,” Angela said, “That’s totally fine.

I need to wrap this story up in this column anyways, and I’m pretty sure I’m close to 650 words. That’s the goal, as we know.”

“Yes!” The two exclaimed.

With a snap of her fingers, Angela magically transferred the two back to their original bodies. Tommy dissipated, as with Spooky Story Corner complete, he had nowhere left to exist. Bucky went back to being an adorable mascot, electively choosing not to attend future football games. Angela took a dang nap — it was needed.

Fin.

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