'UW Women's History' - Volume 54, Issue 6

UW Women’s History

Celebrate 40 influential women who graduated from UW, their accomplishments

Design by CAROLINE CROWLEY

REBECCA BLANK ‘S LEGACY AT UW 6 THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE

Blank’s close colleagues discuss her accomplishments, how she left UW

Herald Editorial Herald Business

Editor-in-Chief Janani Sundar

Managing Editors Audrey Thibert

Print News Editors

Digital News Editors

Caroline Crowley

Cat Carroll

Sophia Scolman

Ben Cadigan

Lucy Wentink

Science News Editors Lydia Larsen

Sarah Matysiak

Science News Associate Ave Vystrcil

Campus News Associates

Clare Brogan

Ian Auger

City News Associate Allie Serterides

State News Associates

Features Editors

Opinion Editors

Opinion Associates

Aashna Sheth

Allison Courtright

Elise Fjelstad

Maggie Degnan

Celia Hiorns

Fiona Hatch

Emily Otten

Jack Rogers

Sports Editors Ian Patton

Sports Associate

ArtsEtc. Editors

Banter Editors

Copy Chiefs

Mike Hall

Spencer Shapiro

Abigail Leavins

Katherine Lyons

Scott McInerney

Phoenix Pham

Amalia Laskaris

Samantha Klepfer

Photo Editor Abby Cima

Design Director

Video Director

Charlotte Bellamy

Lucas Mair

Podcast Director Jeffrey Deiss

Publisher Logan Hash

Herald Public Relations

Public Relations Director Madison Hibner

Herald Advertising

Advertising Director Parker Johnson

Board of Directors

Chair Katie Hardie

Members

Janani Sundar

Audrey Thibert

Caroline Crowley

Logan Hash

Madison Hibner

Parker Johnson

Anne Isman

Erin Gretzinger

Elise Fjelstad

Maggie Degnan

Phoenix Pham

Sophia Scolman

Ben Cadigan

Celia Hiorns

Sydney Triplett

11

As the weather warms up, it’s time to get outside and get moving — but why is it good for you?

BADGER HERALD EDITORIAL BOARD ON DISMANTLING RAPE CULTURE

Sexual assaults on campus more than doubled in 2021 — our editorial board breaks down how to navigate rape culture in the classroom

18

HOW MARISA MOSELEY HAS FOSTERED A SUCCESSFUL TEAM

As the women’s basketball team created a redemption arc at the end of their season, we look into how head coach Moseley trains her team

DESIGN BY CAROLINE CROWLEY. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL LIM, JASON CHAN, CAROLINE CROWLEY, ARUSHI GUPTA, DANA KAMPA AND JOEY REUTEMAN

A year of courage: Local, global allies continue support for Ukraine

by Allie Serterides and Audrey Thibert City News Associate Editor and Managing Editor

Feb. 24, 2023, marked one year since Russia waged a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, causing millions to flee, killing thousands and destroying cities, according to AP News.

What Russian leader Vladimir Putin assumed would be a straightforward military victory for his country has not developed as such, according to University of Wisconsin professor of sociology Ted Gerber. Instead, Ukrainians have proven to be fearsome fighters and great tacticians.

But while Ukraine forces have been successful in counteroffensives and in gaining territory back from Russia, many civilians have been caught in the crossfire, according to NPR. Approximately 13,300 have been injured since the invasion, though this is likely an underestimate, according to the United Nations.

To commemorate a year of resilience of the Ukrainian people, over 120 people gathered at the Wisconsin State Capitol Feb. 25 for an event organized by Ukrainianborn activist Ruslana Westerlund and her colleagues. The event featured several speeches from the Ukrainian community including refugees, UW professors and spiritual leaders.

“Today we commemorate this year,” Westerlund said in her speech. “Three hundred sixty-five days of defending freedom, 365 days of resilience, 365 days of determination, 365 days of courage, 365 days of perseverance, 365 days of relentless desire to live, 365 days of being unstoppable, 365 days of being brave Ukraine.”

The event showcased the strong community of Ukrainians and their supporters. As Westerlund spoke, attendees dressed in blue and yellow greeted each other, waved flags and wept as they sung along to the Ukrainian national anthem.

In her speech, Westerlund said if she could describe the past year in one word it would be “courage” — courage to stand up to a country 30 times larger than Ukraine, to ask for ammunition, to absorb evil, torture and rape so Kiev would not fall, to be separated from loved ones, to stop tanks by blocking streets with their bodies and to do much more.

“The victory of Ukraine will be the victory of every nation that values freedom and democracy,” Westerlund said in her speech.

At the event, Westerlund taught English speakers in the audience how to say “We

stand with you, Ukraine,” in Ukrainian — Ми з тобою, україно. Phonetically, this is pronounced “My z toboyu, Ukrayino.”

Finally, a young Ukrainian refugee named Diana, wearing a Ukrainian flower

when she organized a similar rally on the steps of the Capitol after the initial invasion. Since then, there have been a number of events to support Ukrainians.

Almost 18 million people are in desperate

war effort this past year.

In a surprise visit to Ukraine Feb. 20, President Joe Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to emphasize U.S. support of Ukraine. While there, Biden announced a half-billion dollars more in assistance for weaponry, according to AP News.

“Both the U.S. governments and its European allies have provided billions of dollars in military assistance and economic aid,” Gerber said. “On top of that, many individuals and organizations have donated money to charitable efforts to assist Ukrainians who have been affected by the war.”

Since the invasion, many have fled the country to Western and Eastern Europe, Gerber said. Ukrainian refugees have also fled to the U.S. and continue to be supported by the global community, both locally and nationally, Westerlund said in an interview with The Badger Herald.

Locally, there are nonprofits and other programs dedicated to helping Ukrainians, including the Stoughton Resettlement Assistance Program — an informal collective in which community members are dedicated to assisting refugees in Stoughton, Wisconsin.

“They [SRAP] have done a lot to resettle furnished apartments and resettled refugees who are newly arrived in the town of Stoughton,” Westerlund said. “The local work has been really tremendous in terms of how they’ve supported Ukrainians.”

On the national level, a nonprofit organization called Razom provides critical humanitarian war relief and recovery and helps local Ukrainian volunteer organizations spread awareness and provide immediate assistance to those affected by the war.

According to Gerber, the stakes are high for Zelenskyy. While Ukraine continues to be backed by its powerful alliances, Russia continues to feed more troops into war, according to Gerber.

As both sides continue to battle, Ukraine continues to see support from the West, Gerber said. This support, both in military and humanitarian aid, not only helps Ukraine but empowers them to continue to fight.

crown called a Vinok, performed a song in Ukrainian after the speeches were finished.

Lecturer at UW Oksana Stoychuk and UW professor of political science Yoshiko Herrera both spoke at the rally.

Westerlund, always a fierce advocate for Ukraine, became especially vocal a year ago,

need of assistance and 14 million of those people have lost their homes, according to the UN. Millions of children have been killed, injured or orphaned.

Gerber said the U.S. has led the support to arm Ukraine, along with European allies and NATO, which has been vital in their

In her speech, Westerlund said this is not a war of army against army.

“We don’t want this war,” Westerlund said. “I repeat — we don’t want this war. We are peaceful people who have been invaded at dawn when our babies were still sleeping. We’re trying to protect our homes. We’re trying to have a future as a people.”

‘The victory of Ukraine will be the victory of every nation that values freedom and democracy,’ Ukrainian activist says

Over 120 people attended an event at the Capitol in late February to support Ukraine.

AUDREY THIBERT. THE BADGER HERALD.

OSS Crisis Intervention Program now offered to Wisconsin schools

by Aashna Sheth State News Associate Editor

this training and providing support to school staff to engage in evidence-based practices and what we know will help kids and staff recover quicker.”

The training is based on the PREPaRE model from the National Association of School Psychologists, according to Kilpin. PREPaRE stands for prevention and preparation, reaffirming physical welfare, evaluating trauma risks, providing interventions, responding to psychological needs and examining the effectiveness of being prepared, according to the release from the DOJ.

According to Kilpin, this training program will be offered to every school in Wisconsin, including private and tribal schools, and schools can request training from the OSS. If schools do not have enough staff to be trained, there are alternatives to training staff, Kilpin said.

The OSS has trained 12 teams across the state to go to schools and provide support and mutual aid if needed because schools may not have the staff or capacity to provide aid, Kilpin said.

“If you have an event that impacts many people and you only have one school counselor, it’ll be hard to meet that need, so depending on the size, ability of the response and the intensity of the response, we can provide a variety of things,” Kilpin said.

The OSS also works toward prevention with the Speak Up, Speak Out call center, which is a reporting portal for concerns about any Wisconsin youth, Kilpin said. Some of these concerns are about someone who might be planning an act of school violence, which is when the OSS intervenes and prevents escalation of the situation.

Kilpin and Eklund said this training is created and funded for K-12 schooling. While the OSS tries to support universities, it does not have training made for the post-secondary level.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice Office of School Safety is offering training to all Wisconsin schools to help officials respond effectively to traumatic events, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.

Director of the Office of School Safety Trish Kilpin said the main goal of the OSS training is to teach people how to act effectively when students experience a traumatic event, such as a shooting or sudden student death.

“If there’s a crisis event that impacts either an individual or the school community in general, there are ways that the school staff can respond that will decrease psychological trauma symptoms for youth and help them

recover more quickly,” Kilpin said.

The OSS program provides schools with the knowledge to respond specifically to acute traumatic stressors, according to the DOJ release.

According to University of Wisconsin Educational Psychology Program Co-Director Katie Eklund, acute traumatic stressors can come from a traumatic event but may not manifest for a long period of time. Handling this changes from student to student due to a multitude of factors, including the state of their pre-existing mental health — the OSS training aims to help schools identify students that a traumatic event may most impact,

Eklund said.

The training is designed to help school teams understand how to engage in “psychological triage,” or the act of determining which students are going to be most significantly impacted by an event, Eklund said. It allows schools to plan how to effectively respond to those students first, and then how to take care of all students and ensure they are all getting the same message after a crisis event as quickly as possible.

“Following a crisis event, the sooner somebody has access to support and resources, the more likely they are to recover from that event,” Eklund said. “We’re offering

The Wisconsin Legislature partially funded the training program after it created the OSS following the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Kilpin said. Now, it is being funded by money from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 — funds which will run out this year.

For the future, the source of funding is uncertain. The DOJ requested that Gov. Tony Evers fully fund the OSS for the continuity of operations in the next state budget.

“The Critical Incident Response project is being funded by a $1 million federal grant that will end in September, and so if we’re going to keep doing this work, then we need to have the continuity of funding from the state to give us permanent, stable funding to keep this important work going,” Kilpin said.

Program aims to increase number of people in schools trained to respond effectively after a traumatic event, Director of Office of School Safety says

School staff will to be trained on responses to traumatic events.

THE BADGER HERALD FILE PHOTO, THE BADGER HERALD.

Looking forward: How UW will honor Chancellor Rebecca Blank’s legacy

UW Foundation CEO, Public History Project director, Blank Professorship recipient reflect on Chancellor Blank’s legacy at UW

by Sophia Scolman Print News Editor

Former University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank passed away Feb. 17 following the announcement of her cancer diagnosis in July of 2022. Blank served as chancellor at UW from 2013 to 2022, according to UW.

Blank’s memorial service, which was open to both campus and local communities, was held March 4 by her husband Hanns and daughter Emily Kuttner at First Congregational United Church of Christ, followed by a reception at Varsity Hall in Union South, according to UW.

Blank is well known for her contributions to UW, most notably her creation of Bucky’s Tuition Promise, the Public History Project and fundraising efforts through the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association.

Blank’s “All Ways Forward” fundraising campaign, which launched in 2015, raised $4.2

billion, allowing for the creation of more than 300 faculty endowment funds and professorships and 5,000 student scholarships, according to the campaign website.

“Arguably the most important person leading a comprehensive campaign like we had to raise money for UW is the chancellor,” UW Foundation President and CEO Mike Knetter said. “All donors want to feel confidence and trust in organizations that they give money to, and that starts at the top. Blank really set a tone that people can believe in.”

UW professor of botany Katherine McCulloh received the Rebecca Blank Professorship in February, which was created to honor Blank’s contributions to UW, according to UW News.

McCulloh said the funding will support graduate and undergraduate research on cycads,

a type of plant that grows in subtropical climates. The funds will also allow students to attend conferences, which are vital career opportunities, McCulloh said.

McCulloh said that Blank inspired her as a researcher and a leader, and her passing just one day after receiving her professorship was bittersweet.

“I am grateful that the award was announced in time for me to have an opportunity to tell her how much she meant to me,” McCulloh said. “We lost a great Badger.”

Knetter said Blank’s campaign allowed for the number of faculty awards created in the history of UW to double in just eight years. It also funded over 5,000 new endowed scholarships, including the Rebecca Blank Great People Scholarship fund, which is a major way for alumni to make

a donation to honor her service to UW, Knetter said.

Knetter said Blank was particularly skilled at gaining donor trust due to her pragmatic and decisive nature. Blank was economically sensible in her personal life as well, often opting for fast food over five-star restaurants while on the road on fundraising trips, Knetter said.

“She had a strong moral compass, and she knew what mattered,” Knetter said. “She wasn’t hung up on a lot of the ordinary status symbols.”

Blank also formed the research committee responsible for investigating the history of the Klu Klux Klan at UW in 2018, ultimately leading to UW’s Public History Project titled “Reckoning with our History: UW-Madison’s History of Discrimination and Resistance,” Public History Project director Kacie Lucchini Butcher said.

The project will become a permanent installation in the Rebecca M. Blank Center for Campus History, which is set to open summer of 2023.

Blank chose to fully examine UW’s history of discrimination and exclusion when the issue came to light, which was testament to commitment to diversity and inclusion at UW, Butcher said.

“She’s an economist,” Butcher said. “And she had done the math, she’s done the calculation and she’s done a kind of risk-reward analysis … And the rewards of doing it [the Public History Project] and the purpose of doing it was going to outweigh those risks.”

Blank’s willingness to try something new while addressing UW’s controversial history echoed her career-long commitment to stepping outside of the box for the betterment of UW, Butcher said.

Blank was also crucial to campus culture, Butcher said, referencing students dressing as her for Halloween and her personal connection with UW’s mascot, Bucky Badger.

“That doesn’t happen with every chancellor,” Butcher said. “Students also really liked her and viewed her as a kind of campus figure … She was a really special person. I think that is a huge loss for the UW campus.”

Provost John Scholz said in an email statement to The Badger Herald that students can continue to honor Blank’s legacy at UW by taking actions that foster inclusivity and uphold the pillars of the Wisconsin Experience — empathy and humility, relentless curiosity, intellectual confidence and purposeful action.

Scholz said taking advantage of formal and informal education opportunities, participating in research, being involved on campus and locally and networking — especially with those of different backgrounds — can achieve this.

“We honor Becky by continuing to be the best we can be,” Scholz said.

Former Chancellor Blank played a key role in UW’s success during and after her time in the position, making connections with students while leading the school to success.

CAROLINE CROWLEY. THE BADGER HERALD.

Women’s History Month 2023 focuses on intersectional feminism

UW System events highlight roles of women in all sectors

by Genevie Johnston Reporter

March is recognized as Women’s History Month in the United States and allows for the celebration of the roles women have played in American history.

The recognition of the month began in 1981 as a weeklong celebration. Through the efforts of the National Women’s History Alliance, March was declared as Women’s History Month in 1987, according to Women’s History.

March 8 is recognized as International Women’s Day, which recognizes women’s rights movements, issues surrounding gender equality, violence and abuse against women and reproductive rights, according to International Women’s Day organizers.

In the U.S., the National Women’s History Alliance themed Women’s History Month 2023 “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” This month will highlight women’s success in media of all types — including radio, television, stage, art and more.

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, events throughout the month of March aim to capture the growing intersectionality of women’s achievements, according to Director of Media Relations Kelly Tyrell.

“The university celebrates achievements, big and small — from the work women on campus perform daily to support our students, to the significant accomplishments made by women leading their fields, from medicine to history and beyond,” Tyrell said in an email statement to The Badger Herald.

Throughout the month, UW-Madison and the UW System will honor National Women’s History Month through speakers, student colloquiums that celebrate student research into women’s history, policy work, government work and women in STEM, according to Tyrell.

It is important that intersectionality be at the center of Women’s History Month, according to UW-Madison Director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium Stephanie Rytilahi.

“Including queer and trans women, women of color, women with disabilities, undocumented women and then people at the intersections of those identities has really become what is a true and successful iteration of Women’s History [Month],” Rytilahti said.

March 2, UW-Madison celebrated the accomplishments of women of color during the 15th Outstanding Women of Color Awards Reception. The awards aimed to recognize members of the UW community that are outstanding in their contributions to Madison, according to previous reporting by The Badger Herald.

The Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade, is a factor that shifted

the focus of the UW System’s Women’s History Month events. Many campuses are hosting reproductive justice panels to discuss the decision, according to Rytilahti.

The UW-Milwaukee Center for 21st Century Studies will host a roundtable discussion titled “After Dobbs” March 10, according to Rytilahti.

“In addition to a lot of Dobbs panels happening right now, the other thing that I like to think about because of COVID ... is a renewed focus on caregiving,” Rytilahti said. “... There’s a lot of groups doing activism around student caregiving.”

Other Wisconsin efforts include UW-Eau Claire’s International Women’s Day Keynote Speaker, Dr. Mimi Khúc, on March 9 and the UW-Madison’s virtual panel on Higher Education & Civil Society Collaboration for

the Technological Advancement of Girls and Women March 13. The virtual panel will happen in conjunction with the NGO CSW67 Forum over Zoom, according to Rytilahti.

Another local effort to further Women’s History Month is the Women in Wisconsin website, which honors the stories of Wisconsin women making history.

The Women in Wisconsin website received over 400 nominations of influential women in the state’s history. Led by UW-Madison gender and women’s studies librarian, Karla Strand, and gender and women’s studies senior editor, JoAnne Lehman, the project has published over 100 profiles to educate readers on the importance of different figures in women’s history.

Recognizing the roles of women reaches

beyond just the month of March, however. Rytilahti said many people critique Women’s History Month for being considered a standalone event, separate from an inclusive history.

Rytilahti said focusing on intersectionality is critical during Women’s History Month, as well as in policy that affects women yearround.

“What the UW System can be doing is just paying attention to the message in all of these talks and presentations and student research and faculty and staff research and really thinking about the ways we can make sure that when we’re thinking about policy and inclusivity that these themes of intersectional feminism are at the core of them,” Rytilahti said.

Intersectionality is an integral part of women’s history, expert says.

CAROLINE CROWLEY. THE BADGER HERALD.

Institute for Diversity Science researches discrimination, finds solutions

IDS unites DEI initiatives, diversity science researchers across campus through collaboration

by Sarah Matysiak Science News Editor

The University of Wisconsin launched a new research institute called the Institute for Diversity Science Feb. 7. Harnessing the knowledge from diversity, equity and inclusion institutions across UW such as the Institute for Research on Poverty and the Collaborative Center for Health Equity, IDS looks into ways to address mechanisms of discrimination and finding ways to combat negative outcomes because of it, according to Institute Chair Angela Byars-Winston.

The original idea for IDS was part of a larger proposal for a National Institute of Health Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation federal grant she applied for with Executive Director Markus Brauer. They wanted to find a way to diversify the UW faculty by race and ethnicity in STEM fields specifically, which required thinking of creative ways to introduce diverse faculty in these fields, Byars-Winston said.

“It was not a hard sell for the university,” Byars-Winston said. “I think to the credit of the leadership deans, the provost office, the chancellor’s office, this was an opportunity to keep the tradition of rigorous research alive at UW just in the space of DEI … And so now we’re able to bring the science to match the mission.”

“Diversity science” is defined as a scientific discipline that uses empirical methods to examine DEI-related issues, according to the IDS. While many organizations exist to do work related to diversity science, Byars-Winston said they may not reach the same fields. For example, UW’s IDS also consider the business world in addition to STEM.

In fact, while conducting a needs assessment around the country, Brauer was only able to find one other place to have such an institute dedicated to diversity science in particular — the University of Massachusetts Amherst directed by Nilanjana Dasgupta, Byars-Winston said.

The University of Massachusetts had the same approach to evidence-based practices and empirical research on DEI as UW’s IDS, Brauer said. But UW did not want to make an exact copy of the University of Massachusetts’ institute that looks at diversity science specifically in the STEM field. Instead, it wanted to have a broader approach by incorporating fields outside of STEM. It did, however, find communicating with Dasgupta insightful for constructing IDS, Brauer said.

Being a relatively young addition to the UW administration, IDS is still planning programs and activities all while learning from other scholars across the country who currently practice diversity science, according to Byars-Winston.

“We want to harness some of their learning, some of their methods, some of their findings,” Byars-Winston said. “So we plan to have visiting scholars who come to campus for a couple of

days, share a lecture or meet with graduate students, meet with undergraduate students, talk to the Center of Leadership or [Leadership Institute] about future directions.”

Another activity IDS has planned follows a more informal, discussion based structure featuring a selected scholar to showcase their

everyday applications — will not benefit IDS nor lead to its success. Instead, what it needs is community partners who will help shape the work they do, Byars-Winston said. There is a strong emphasis on working collaboratively with similar DEI on-campus organizations rather than competing with them, Brauer said.

journals and funding agencies.

But the opportunity for involvement doesn’t stop at the professional level. IDS also seeks to involve those who are early in their careers, ByarsWinston said, which includes undergraduate students who express interest in being contributors to diversity science.

“We want to grow more people who do diversity science, the number of affiliates we have, especially those who are earlier in their careers — undergraduate, graduate students who may not have otherwise been exposed to or excited about diversity science — who would then be part of the future, intellectual community of diversity science researchers,” Byars-Winston said.

Efforts such as those of IDS and other similar institutions are necessary to drive innovation and creativity, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion LaVar Charleston said in an email statement to The Badger Herald. On top of that, diversity promotes both productivity and performance as well as facilitates personal growth.

Data collected from IDS informs the organization’s affiliates about what works and what does not work in Diversity and Inclusion efforts. It also will evaluate how to best practice and implement the necessary diversity efforts to enhance people’s lives, Charleston said.

“This is where the Institute for Diversity Science plays a key role … Researchers within the Institute for Diversity Science can play a key role in providing implications for the best practices in diversity science locally, nationally and internationally,” Charleston said. “By combining forces with all the brilliance within UW-Madison, we will be worldwide exemplars in this area.”

Byars-Winston said she would describe IDS as “evolutionary” rather than “revolutionary.” This is because change typically occurs in smaller, evolutionary steps rather than all at once. IDS is evolving the pre-existing tradition on campus to study diversity science, and its next step is to harness the “collective brain trust, resources and scholarship” of those already existing entities.

UW has also always had a good feeling for what is “cutting edge” — where research is going and what the next discoveries will be, Brauer said. For example, the first bone marrow transplant occurred at UW, and the first adult embryonic cells were grown here, according to ByarsWinston.

Diversity science, Brauer said, is the next frontier in this regard.

work. Community members would then be invited to learn from this particular scholar.

Though it has only spent just over three weeks in operation, Byars-Winston said IDS knows what is important for its success and growth — having community partners.

Operating in isolation — that is, away from

At the launch, Byars-Winston said a variety of people were in attendance representing several areas from the campus community and beyond. There were people from the business community, the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, clergy and nonprofit organizations. On top of that, there were people speaking from scientific

“I think this is what everybody is going to talk about in five years or 10 years,” Brauer said. “I think other universities will open these research centers and … will look at UW-Madison and see how we implemented that institute and how we are running it. I think it demonstrates that UW-Madison is strongly committed to diversity, inclusion, belonging and inclusive excellence.”

The Institute for Diversity Science uses empirical research to look into ways to reduce discrimination.

TODD BROWN. UW SMPH MEDIA SOLUTIONS.

UW SMPH connects mentors, underrepresented medical students

BEAM provides faculty with mentor training to guide medical students through undergraduate experiences

by Caroline Bedell Reporter

“One skill that the program has developed in me is listening,” Williams said. “It is a precious stone to give to someone else to be there during every aspect of their education at UW. Our team is one of the most powerful think tanks that our school has.”

Williams said during her training sessions to become a mentor, she learned how to collaborate with students and provide them with the ongoing support they need in their first year.

BEAM fosters an understanding for mentors and students on how to have difficult conversations about microaggressions and racism. The program sheds light on what it looks like to stand up against racial injustices and what defines prejudice because these experiences are different for everybody, Williams said. BEAM has equipped her with the tools to recognize and respond to discrimination.

“During my first year, we had several workshops where I learned what microaggressions were,” Williams said. “I was exposed to a language of some of the challenges that individuals can have in a medical school setting as underrepresented minorities.”

It is important for students to create roots within UW when starting their academic journey, Santiago said. BEAM is a place where underrepresented medical students can build a sense of community on campus in order to grow personally.

Navigating through academics and finding community on campus can feel daunting for undergraduate students. At the University of Wisconsin, the Building Equitable Access to Mentorship program through the UW School of Medicine and Public Health aims to address these difficulties by instructing faculty on how to guide underrepresented medical students through their undergraduate experience.

According to the UWSMPH website, BEAM started in partnership with the UWSMPH Kern National Network team. The goal was to provide underrepresented medical students of various ethnic, religious and racial backgrounds with resources and academic and social support during their time at UW.

BEAM is currently in its fourth year of affiliation with UWSMPH, with its first cohort of medical students graduating this year, according to the UWSMPH website.

The program is composed of a diverse community of faculty scholars that strive to implement socially conscious guidance for their

mentees. BEAM mentors are assigned to a pod of three to four medical students to connect with throughout the school year, according to the website.

BEAM Director of Multicultural Affairs Manuel Santiago said, in 2014, students asked him about the lack of minority representation within UW faculty.

“This spearheaded an idea in my mind of creating Office of Multicultural Affairs dinners where students and faculty would talk about their journeys through medical school,” Santiago said.

The dinners set the foundation for a more structured network between BIPOC faculty and students, Santiago said. This led to his collaboration with Christine Sorkness, Angela Byars-Winston and Tracy Downs to initiate BEAM.

The BEAM faculty meet twice a month to discuss management and plans for the program, Santiago said. BEAM operates on a system of training new mentors and enlisting

new students during the fall semester and then recruiting new groups of mentors in the spring and summer.

The proportion of underrepresented students in the incoming medical school classes of 2019 and 2020 exceeded 30%. This created the need for a diverse team of role models who could empathize and connect with these students on a more personal level, according to the website. This means having hard conversations within the realm of diversity, equity and inclusion, Santiago said.

“The mentors that we recruit have a passion to give back because they may have experienced a similar journey as medical students to their mentees,” Santiago said.

Mentors find motivation in guiding their students to avoid the mistakes they made while navigating through their undergraduate experience, Santiago said.

BEAM mentor Thalia Williams said mentoring students cultivates skills in effective communication and counseling.

Last year, UWSMPH had 61 underrepresented minority students and half of them joined BEAM. For them, BEAM has always been another venue of support and guidance throughout their medical school experience, Santiago said.

“Not many schools have something like this,” Santiago said. “BEAM builds up a sense of community on both a mentor and student level.”

BEAM allows students and faculty to share their real life experiences, Williams said. Through this connection, mentors and mentees transition from feeling like strangers to family. The program develops mentors and mentees into people who are culturally competent and aware of the ups and downs that underrepresented medical students go through during their first year.

BEAM is a community of learners, mentors and professionals who are passionate about making sure individuals find their footing within the medical school, Williams said. Through witnessing faculty and mentors speak on their experiences as undergraduates, BEAM students gain insight into how they can flourish within the medical program and call Madison home.

UWSMPH’s BEAM program matches faculty to underrepresented medical student undergraduates to help guide them through their education.

ABBY CIMA. THE BADGER HERALD.

UW team advances to second phase of wind energy competition

helps

by Lydia Larsen Science News Editor

A team of University of Wisconsin students is advancing to the second phase of the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2023 Collegiate Wind Competition. The team, known as WiscWind, is one of 13 teams advancing to the final competition which will take place in Boulder, Colorado, from May 15-19.

The competition gives students a chance to learn more about careers and opportunities in the wind energy industry. Students work in groups to design and test a wind turbine, plan a hypothetical wind farm and participate in community outreach and engagement, according to overall team lead Michael Schmich.

The Collegiate Wind Competition started in 2014, and UW started participating shortly afterward, staff advisor Scott Williams said. After hearing about the competition, Williams helped find faculty members to serve as advisors and wrote a proposal outlining the resources UW had available to support a team.

“This competition was a great, practical, educational experience that kind of cuts across different disciplines, which is what we’re all about,” Williams said.

Schmich joined WiscWind four years ago when he was looking for a campus organization focused on renewable energy. He was drawn to WiscWind because of the engineering focus and opportunities for more hands-on experience.

Schmich started on the electrical team, which works with the mechanical team to design and build a wind turbine prototype. The competition judges the turbine on a series of tasks. Schmich initially developed a mechanism which made the turbine blades slow down and stop, something a real-world turbine would need for maintenance tasks. But the electrical team also needs to develop systems to sense wind, speed of the rotor and power coming off the turbine, Schmich said.

This year the team built two turbines instead of one. In the fall, they decided to scrap last year’s turbine and build one from scratch using sturdier parts, and they’re repeating the process again this spring.

“We gained a lot of experience again during our first semester, and we’re able to just repeat that in a much quicker fashion the second semester,” Schmich said.

A good turbine is efficient and small enough, so it doesn’t resist the wind force, Schmich said. He built a new generator for his senior class project, and it worked well last semester. But the team is working on a smaller, more efficient version.

In addition to the generator, Schmich said the team also needs to optimize the blade shape and ensure the generator and blades are compatible.

In preliminary testing, the new turbine was close to the theoretical maximum amount of

power it can extract, and it generated over two times as much power as the winning team last year, Schmich said.

“We’re excited to test out the competition to see if we can continue that,” Schmich said. “And if nobody else redesigns everything like we did, then we have a pretty good shot.”

While the mechanical and electrical teams build an individual turbine prototype, the project development team drafts plans for a hypothetical wind farm, project development team lead Bailey Fischer said. Every year there are changes to aspects of the project requirements, and this year the team needs to design a hypothetical wind farm off the coast of Louisiana.

Last semester the project development team worked on a report describing the location and preliminary layout of the wind farm, Fischer said. In order to ensure their wind farm produces as much energy as possible, the team analyzed the direction and strength of the wind in the area to make sure the turbines faced the correct direction. They also made sure the farm wasn’t in the way of existing oil and gas infrastructure or common shipping routes.

“This year we’re just able to go more in-depth

because we have more people and that definitely shows on our reports,” Fischer said.

This spring the team is focusing on the financial report and expanding the wind farm to produce more power, meaning they need to expand the amount of space the wind farm takes up and the number of turbines the farm will use. Some members will also look at how to mitigate damage from hurricanes and prevent the turbines from killing birds migrating through the area.

Beyond turbine prototypes and hypothetical wind farms, there is the “Connection and Creation” part of the competition led by outreach team lead Nina Bosnjak. The team hosts outreach events either through presentations or stations at science fair events. They also help run KidWind, a middle and high school version of the competition, which took place March 4 at the Discovery Building.

For the outreach portion of the competition, Bosnjak said the outreach team gives a presentation on all the outreach events, social media metrics, as well as industry interviews.

In addition to outreach events, Bosnjak helps coordinate industry interviews where the whole team can ask people who work in the wind and

renewable energy industry questions about their job and career trajectory. These events provide a great opportunity for WiscWind members to make connections in the wind energy industry. Some have gone on to find jobs through the people they met at these events, Bosnjak said.

“I think the ‘Connection and Creation’ contest is more important than someone from the outside would initially realize,” Bosnjak said. “From the outside, the big part of it that people actually look at is the wind turbine prototype, but … I think it’s really valuable to have the community engagement. But aside from that, the industry interviews make a huge difference.”

Schmich said the networking experiences, both through industry interviews and attending the competition, have been a really valuable experience and impacted his career perspectives.

Fischer said he joined WiscWind knowing he was interested in renewable energy and found his experience with the team demonstrates how much he really enjoys renewable energy.

“This club has shown that it’s not a huge industry, but a lot of people are passionate about it, and it’s something I’ve really grown to like and want to do for the rest of my life,” Fischer said.

WiscWind

students prepare for careers in wind, renewable energy sectors

WiscWind will be taking their wind turbine designs to the second phase of the of 2023 Collegiate Wind Competition.

MICHAEL SCHMICH. WISCWIND

Research shows exercise benefits mental, physical health

by Abigail Leavins Arts Etc. Editor

specialist, said that there are many psychosocial and behavioral benefits to exercise training. These benefits include improvements in selfesteem, self-discipline and building good habits.

If someone engages in more vigorous physical training with a specific goal in mind, Schaefer said this can be good for relieving stress in other areas of life.

“What I always liked about training was that it didn’t matter what was going on in life, or the day or in academics,” Schaefer said. “There was always just something that you could get better at.”

Barnes said it is important for everyone to engage in at least a little bit of aerobic activity every day. This is particularly important today because aerobic movement is not something that is built into people’s daily habits because most people have office jobs that don’t require movement.

Even if someone prefers resistance training, Barnes said they should incorporate at least a little bit of aerobic exercise either before or after resistance training. For example, if someone likes lifting weights, they could walk on the treadmill for 10 minutes before starting their normal set.

There are many benefits to working out beyond what someone can see. Working out can decrease mortality, improve heart, mental and physical health and overall performance.

Jill Barnes, an assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin, researches how different types of exercise effect blood sugar and blood vessels. Barnes has her undergraduate and graduate degrees in kinesiology and spent time at Mayo Clinic doing a postdoctoral fellowship in integrative physiology. Her current research lab focuses on cerebral blood flow.

“[Cerebral blood flow] has relevance for neurodegenerative disease, dementia and cognitive decline,” Barnes said. “And then we look at aging to see how different lifestyle modifications, exercise being one of them, and how they might affect aging itself.”

Her research has specifically focused on the carotid artery, which is a large artery in the neck affecting heart functions. The carotid artery receives blood pumped from the heart and sends it to the head and brain. If the carotid artery does not function properly, it will negatively affect the nerves in the brain, as well as disturb the artery’s regulation of blood pressure.

Barnes said that the carotid artery is largely responsible for delivering nutrients to vital

brain structures, so it is important that it is highly functional.

Barnes said blood tissue health is a major indicator of heart diseases, which are the leading cause of death in the United States. Doctors will recommend aerobic exercise, like cardio workouts, to decrease blood pressure and stimulate heart health.

“In that way, we can kind of get a picture of what’s happening in the underlying physiology and try to do something about it well before there’s any disease,” Barnes said.

Barnes said the functions of this artery naturally decline with age, but the type of exercise an individual does can also affect the function of the carotid artery.

In research for her graduate work, Barnes noticed that running positively impacted the functions of the carotid artery.

But, when they studied adults who regularly engaged in high-intensity resistance training, like heavy weight lifting, they noticed the functions worsened. Barnes said it was likely because of the high-pressure fluctuations in resistance exercises. These fluctuations cause blood pressure to rise which can lead to heart problems.

There are many exercises that fall between the benefits of resistance and aerobic exercises. For example, Barnes’s research looked at

rowing, which combines strength and cardio. Rowing did improve the carotid artery function, but not as much as an entirely cardio exercise like running.

In addition to helping students keep a healthy heart, exercise also benefits student psychological health.

John Offerman, the assistant director of fitness at UW Rec Well, said in an email to The Badger Herald that exercise can help students succeed academically.

Offerman referenced a 2014 study that tested 36 healthy college-aged adults. Participants did a 30-minute cycling exercise before taking the Stroop Test, which measures attention span and cognitive flexibility. The study found that people performed better on these tests after exercising.

He added that students also see a mood boost and improvement in sleep when they exercise. Barnes said scientists concluded the psychological benefits of aerobic exercise are clear after years of research

“That seems to be something that’s very well established — that many scientists believe that exercise has a beneficial effect on the brain in terms of psychology in terms of thinking about well-being,” Barnes said.

Daniel Schaefer, an assistant professor of kinesiology at UW and strength conditioning

Offerman said strength training is beneficial for boosting metabolic rate, which helps increase energy levels, stimulate weight loss and prevent injuries. He said cardio exercise strengthens the heart and lowers blood pressure. Both types of exercise have significant benefits, according to Offerman.

The CDC recommends adults engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week and two days of strength training.

“Another great thing to keep in mind is that living well is not a destination but a journey,” Offerman said. “Framing your perspective and view on exercise can make all the difference. Focusing less on goals such as a specific body weight and more on the numerous benefits of exercise can be impactful.”

Offerman said the most important thing for students is finding a type of exercise that they enjoy doing because it will motivate them to be active.

Barnes also encourages students to find an activity they enjoy and do it regularly. She said the benefits of exercise last approximately 48 hours, so she proposes exercising every two days if that is possible.

“Personally, I try to do something every day because if I don’t, then I feel like I’m not in as good of a place mentally,” Barnes said. “My actual interest in exercise physiology is now more about performance in terms of my work and how I use exercise and activity to make sure that I’m better at my job.”

UW experts weigh in on various exercise types, health outcomes

Exercise provides psychological health and academic benefits on top of improved physical health.

BADGER HERALD ARCHIVES.

UW Women’s History

Celebrating 40 influential women who graduated from UW, their accomplishments

by Caroline Crowley Managing Editor

Women’s History Month was established in 1987 to celebrate and encourage education about the history of women’s contributions to U.S. history, according to the Library of Congress.

Wisconsin Women Making History, a partnership between the University of Wisconsin Gender and Women’s Studies Department, the Wisconsin Historical Society, the Wisconsin Humanities Council and PBS Wisconsin, aims to educate Wisconsinites about important women in the state’s history.

Many women listed on the digital resource are alumni of UW who were influential leaders and activists in the state. Here are just 40 of UW’s influential women graduates.

Carol Bartz served as the CEO of Yahoo for two years after graduating from UW’s Department of Computer Science. According to UW, Bartz also served as the CEO of Autodesk, where she increased its worth from $285 million to almost $1 billion in 12 years. According to Women in Wisconsin, Bartz reinforced anti-discrimination policies at Yahoo.

Barbara Lawton earned a master’s degree in Spanish from UW. According to the Millennial Action Project, she was the first woman to hold the position of Wisconsin’s lieutenant governor. During her time as a member of the National Lieutenant Governors Association, she worked to drive forward an Energy Independence and Global Climate Change Resolution.

Ann D Gordon graduated from UW with a graduate degree in American history, according to Women in Wisconsin. She served as an editor for the Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony papers project and is well-known for her groundbreaking research on women’s history, according to Rutgers.

Gene Cohen Boyer graduated from UW in 1946, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. In 1966, Boyer was one of 28 women who founded the National Organization for Women. According to NOW, she was a large reason for the establishment of International Women’s Year. Throughout her life, Boyer was a feminist and activist, also founding the Jewish Women’s Coalition.

Clara Bewick Colby was part of the first class of women at UW to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. She was valedictorian and went on to work as a journalist and suffrage activist, according to UW. During her time as president of the Nebraska Woman Suffrage Association, Colby established The Woman’s Tribune, according to UW. The paper was the second-longest woman suffrage paper to run in the U.S.

Danae D Davis earned her bachelor’s and J.D. from UW, according to StriveTogether.

After graduating, Davis served as the diversity affairs director at Miller Brewing Company, the director of diversity management and work/ life programs at Kraft Foods and legal counsel for the Wisconsin governor. She has served on the UW System Board of Regents, University School of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Charter School Advocates.

Frances Hamerstrom earned her master’s from UW as the only woman to earn a graduate degree from Aldo Leopold. According to UW Housing, Hamerstrom was the second woman wildlife professional in the state and worked to highlight the needs of wildlife and population control.

Belle Case La Follette graduated from UW and was the first woman to graduate from the UW Law School in 1885.

According to UW Housing, La Follette was a part-founder of The Progressive, where she wrote columns advocating for women’s suffrage.

Debora Gil Casado graduated from UW before becoming a teacher at Madison East High School. According to Women in Wisconsin, Gil Casado was a cofounder of Madison’s first Spanish-language immersion school after experiencing discrimination as an immigrant

Carie Graves graduated from UW with a degree in English. According to the UW Athletics Hall of Fame, Graves was a three-time Olympian, winning a bronze and gold medal. She was the first woman inducted into the Wisconsin Women’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Gerda Lerner founded UW’s Ph.D. program in women’s history, according to UW Housing. Born in Austria, Lerner was jailed by Nazis before fleeing to the U.S. and becoming an activist for multiple political movements. Lerner was a founder of NOW and Women’s History Month.

Ada Deer was the first Menominee person to graduate from UW and earned her bachelor’s degree there. According to UW, Deer was the first Native American woman to run for Congress in Wisconsin. She directed the American Indian Studies Program at UW for seven years. She also served as a social worker in public schools across the country and worked with the Peace Corps.

Anne Nicol Gaylor graduated from UW with a bachelor’s in English. She founded the Freedom From Religion Foundation and fought for the separation of church and state, especially when considering legislation on abortion rights, according to the New York Times.

Maud Neprud Otjen attended UW, where she helped lead the Wisconsin Student Workers Union, according to Women in Wisconsin. She continued to run for superintendent in Vernon County and was the first woman in Wisconsin to hold such a position.

Angie Brooks graduated from the UW Law School before becoming the first African woman president of the United Nations General Assembly. According to UW, Brooks was the first woman to be a lawyer in Liberia, where she also served as assistant attorney general.

Peg Lautenschlager earned her degree in law from UW before serving as Wisconsin’s first woman attorney general. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Lautenschlager was the first commissioner of the Ethics Commission and called herself an “activist attorney general.”

Margaret H’Doubler received a bachelor’s degree from UW, according to Minds @ UW. She later returned to the university to create the Wisconsin Dance Idea and to teach UW’s first dance class. According to UW Libraries, H’Doubler worked to improve people’s understanding of their bodies by using a skeleton to demonstrate

Kathryn Morrison attended UW to study business administration. According to Kenosha News, Morrison was the first woman to serve in the state Senate, where she passed a “no-fault” divorce law and fought for gender equality bills.

DESIGN BY CAROLINE CROWLEY.

Marci Bowers graduated from UW before attending medical school, according to Women in Wisconsin. Dr. Bowers was the first woman with a transgender history as well as the first woman to perform gender-affirming genital surgeries. She established programs for transgender surgical education at six institutions across the country, according to the Duke Sexual and Gender Minority Health Program. According to Women in Wisconsin, Bowers was the first American to learn the process of clitoral restoration for survivors of female genital mutilation.

Estella Leopold graduated from UW with her master’s degree, according to Women in Wisconsin.

According to the Leopold Foundation, Leopold earned the Cosmos Prize for her contributions to conservation and chairs Farming and the Environment in Washington state.

Lynne Cheney earned her Ph.D. in 19th century British literature from UW.

Cheney was chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities and wrote many articles about women’s suffrage, according to the White House Archives. Before her time in the White House, Cheney authored or co-authored 12 books, discussing history, politics and the Mildred Fish-Harnack graduated from UW with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She was the only American to be executed by Hitler’s direct order. According to UW News, Fish-Harnack was a spy for the U.S. and Soviet embassies during her time in Berlin.

Kathryn Clarenbach attended UW to earn degrees in political science before becoming a professor.

According to UW, she worked for women’s rights for the entirety of her career. As the chair of the Wisconsin Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women, she helped improve legislation on sexual assault, pay equity and divorce, according to UW. Clarenbach was also the first president of the National Association of Commissions on the Status of Women, where she helped lobby for women’s rights and helped found NOW.

Katharine Lyall served as the first woman president of the University of Wisconsin System. According to the La Follette School of Public Affairs, Lyall increased funding through grants and donations and provided new opportunities for students in the form of internships and assistantships.

Mabel Watson Raimey attended UW to study English and is believed to be the first Black woman to graduate from UW. According to UW News, Watson Raimey was fired from her first job after three days when they found out she was Black. Watson Raimey went on to be the first Black woman to practice law in Wisconsin and fought for equality during her entire career.

Patricia Loew earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in communications from UW. According to Women in Wisconsin, Loew is a member of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Ojibwe and works as a UW professor, authoring books and documentaries.

Laurel Clark received a bachelor’s degree and a medical degree from UW before pursuing a career as an astronaut. She died tragically in the Columbia disaster in 2003, according to UW. During her time in space, Clark studied the effects of gravity on humans as well as gene transfer in plants.

Bell Hooks, or Gloria Jean Watkins, attended UW for her master’s in English literature. According to UW Alumni, Watkins wrote “Ain’t I A Woman: Black Women and Feminism” when she was 19 years old. The book explored the intersection of women’s rights and civil rights movements.

Ramona Villarreal was a student at UW, where she helped found La Raza Unida.

According to Women in Wisconsin, Villarreal sued the Madison school district for discrimination in her hiring process. Her lawsuit paved the way for other Latinx teachers in the district.

Hannah Rosenthal graduated from UW with a degree in religion before serving as a U.S. special envoy against antisemitism under the Obama Administration.

According to WiscNews, she is the CEO of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and was the founding director of the Wisconsin Women’s Council.

Francesca Hong attended UW to study Spanish and journalism before leaving to become a chef, according to Women in Wisconsin. Hong’s time as a small business owner led her to her position as a representative in the Wisconsin State Assembly, where she fights for affordable healthcare and transportation,

Dorothy Walker graduated from UW Law School as the only woman in her class. According to UW Law, Walker is believed to be the first district attorney in the country and was the first woman to earn a Distinguished Alumni

Suzy Favor Hamilton graduated from UW and went on to be an Olympic athlete. According to UW Alumni, Hamilton is now a running coach and motivational speaker. According to the UW Athletics Hall of Fame, Hamilton made the U.S. Olympic track team for three consecutive competitions. Before her start as an Olympian, Hamilton earned nine NCAA individual track titles, won 53 of her 56 finals in college and was an All-American in cross country and track 14 times.

Lorraine Hansberry was a student at UW for nearly two years before becoming a writer and activist. According to UW News, she wrote “A Raisin in the Sun,” and was very involved with the progressive party during her time at UW. She faced great discrimination while in attendance.

Ruth Gruber earned a master’s degree in German from UW. She saved 1,000 Jewish refugees in WWII while also serving as a journalist and author, according to UW’s College of Letters and Science.

Shirley Abrahamson received her doctorate of law from the UW Law School and was the only woman to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1976, serving as chief justice in 2015, according to the Wisconsin Court System. According to her website, Abrahamson helped write Madison’s first fair-housing ordinance. During her time as a justice, she visited all 72 counties multiple times to hear the concerns of citizens.

Vel Phillips was the first Black woman to graduate from UW Law School, as well as the first to sit on Milwaukee’’s City Council. She also was the first Black woman to become a judge and to become Wisconsin’s secretary of state, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. She participated in protests for her Fair Housing Law, which was approved after six years of Phillips’ advocacy.

Ineva Reilly Baldwin earned her undergraduate and master’s educations from UW, serving as the Assistant Dean of Women and the Associate Dean of the College of Letters and Science. According to UW, Baldwin also enlisted in the Coast Guard during World War II, earning the highest rank of a woman as lieutenant commander. Along with her husband, Ira, Baldwin created the Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment — one of UW’s largest endowments.

Tammy Baldwin attended the UW Law School before running for the U.S. House of Representatives. She was the first woman from Wisconsin to serve in the House and in the Senate, as well as the first openly gay Senator, according to her website. During her time in politics, Baldwin has worked to be a bipartisan force and has worked to pass legislation such as the Affordable Care Act and actions to address the opioid epidemic.

Zona Gale graduated from UW before becoming a journalist and fiction writer. According to the Women’s Civic League of Portage, Gale supported the La Follettes, was a member of the National Women’s Party and lobbied for the Wisconsin Equal Rights law.

March 7, 2023 • badgerherald.com • 13

Milwaukee census undercounts pose issues for representation

by Leah Terry Opinion Writer

Milwaukee and other major U.S. cities are appealing 2020 Census count results, claiming that pandemic conditions and other factors distorted the results. The miscounts disproportionately impacted prisons, college dorms and military barracks, and some officials say the Census Bureau failed to consider some factors that led to these mistakes.

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, after the 2020 Census reported Milwaukee to have its lowest population since 1930, the city organized a challenge with other nearby municipalities that resulted in a gain of more than 800 residents. The challenge was made on the basis that incarcerated individuals at a local jail were wrongly counted in a neighboring community.

Milwaukee has another challenge currently under review, according to AP News, which claims that the city’s true population was undercounted by 16,500 people — mostly people of color.

Wisconsin was not one of the six states the Census Bureau reported to have significantly undercounted the population of. Given this, what makes the potential mistakes in Milwaukee so important?

The Census plays a key role in U.S. policymaking. It is critical that systemic issues in census counting and reporting are corrected to provide adequate representation to historically undercounted communities across the country.

Advocates like the Prison Gerrymandering Project argue the Census Bureau counts people in prison unfairly, leading to a lack of representation. Some state legislative districts count the population of large prisons in their district as residents, leaving districts with high incarceration rates but no prison with less electoral sway.

The United States Census Bureau collects the Census every 10 years. In January of 2019, polling began for the 2020 Census. Every household in the United States was asked, but not required, to fill out an online survey detailing things like the number of people in a given household, as well as those individuals’ age, race, gender, income and other demographic information.

The Census serves as a leading tool for policymakers for the decade after it is released. This leaves room for several harmful outcomes when miscounts occur.

The funding of public schools and federally run programs such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Head Start relies on data from the Census. The U.S. allocates $1.5 trillion

in federal funding, according to the Pew Research Center. When miscounts occur, this funding is not spread in an equitable manner, and underserved areas are not given the resources they need to get ahead. Incorrect apportionment and redistricting are other dangers of Census miscounts.

investment decisions are made based on data collected from the Census, according to the Population Reference Bureau. The government, as well as non-profit organizations, determines where to build new schools, roads, hospitals and other necessary forms of infrastructure.

used to determine the quality of the data collected in the census. The PES, which does not include prisons and college dorms in its process, was conducted after the 2020 Census and estimated that the Hispanic population was undercounted more in 2020 than in the previous two Census years.

The effects of miscounts can be clearly seen in the case of Whiteville, Tennessee. In Whiteville, after a census challenge, the population was adjusted from 2,606 residents to 4,564 residents, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

The change occurred because inmates at a correctional facility were originally overlooked in the count. The correction of this error brought an additional $20,000 to $30,000 a month in population-based revenue from taxes that Tennessee collects and distributes — a significant increase in funds.

Milwaukee’s residents deserve to be counted where they live and should not be at risk of having less of a voice or access to critical funding because of census miscounts.

The Census Bureau will not alter the existing numbers used for apportionment or redistricting. But, according to the New York Times, the new director of the Census Bureau has acknowledged ways in which the census can improve for 2030, including relying more on government records and less on people filling out the census form, and continuing to establish trust with undercounted groups.

Even if the wins of Milwaukee and other cities seem small on their own, the principle of having the census accurately reflect the U.S. population cannot be overstated. The effectiveness of federal programs, disaster relief and public education depends on accurately counting the groups systematically discriminated against during the census process.

While populations such as college students, incarcerated individuals and members of the military might be at particularly high risk of not being counted in the right location, the fallout affects everyone in their surrounding communities.

Representation — both at the state and congressional levels — has a direct impact on the laws that are passed. When already marginalized communities are also being undercounted and subjected to more partisan gerrymandering, those communities are given less of an electoral voice when the Census is inaccurate. Additionally, long-term public sector

Black, Hispanic and Native American populations are the most likely to be undercounted by the Census, according to the Pew Research Center. This issue must be addressed, as distorted census data has been used to discriminate against marginalized communities.

The Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) and Demographic Analysis are two of the tools

The patterns of the U.S. Census serve as an indicator of an evolving, increasingly diverse American population. The Census tells a story each decade of how our country is changing. It is pertinent that we value the accuracy of the Census to provide adequate resources to historically marginalized communities and populations that would benefit from more federal assistance.

Leah Terry (lmterry@wisc.edu) is a senior majoring in political science and communication arts and pursuing a certificate in public policy.

In disputing 2020 Census counts, City of Milwaukee seeks recounts for marginalized populations

Census undercounts in Milwaukee, other cities pose serious threats to proper representation, resource allocation

CAT CARROLL, THE BADGER HERALD

News414, the future of journalism

News414 is a new journalism initiative launched through the collaboration of three Wisconsin newsrooms — Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, Wisconsin Watch and Outlier Media. One of the first of its kind, News414 delivers news to Wisconsin residents faster and more directly than ever before through text messages and social media posts. This initiative could be the start of an entirely new age of journalism. Is this new era a welcome one, or are there hidden disadvantages?

Point: News414 makes news more accessible

by Celia Hiorns Opinion Editor

With its individualized text messaging system and ability to connect directly with journalists, News414 represents an innovative and accessible method of distributing relevant news information for evolving audiences.

News414 provides a news delivery platform that connects consumers to their selection of news topics directly to their phones. Instead of requiring consumers to seek out news on their own — which can be time-consuming and exhausting — the information they need is readily available.

As technology advances, a new generation of news consumers is being raised. If we are to maintain an informed society, the news media must become responsive to the habits of young media consumers. In this period of change, studies are beginning to show that accessibility and relevance are critically important for reaching young consumers of media.

According to the Reuters Institute, young people tend to perceive traditional news media as negative. This demographic also tends to find consuming news to be a burdensome task. But it should be noted that young people are still consuming news at high rates. According to a survey conducted by the American Press Institute, young people are interested in consuming news, but are dissatisfied with much of what they are reading from traditional media. News on social media is more popular among Gen Z and Millenials.

Part of the reason for these habits is the quality of digital news sources to be more engaging, immediate and well-tailored to the interests of young consumers. According to Deloitte’s 2022 digital media trends survey, interactive media experiences appeal to

younger audiences — which may be a critical finding for the future of designing news media.

According to a study from the International Journal of Press/Politics, social media news can help equalize media consumption for those who are less likely to access traditional media sources. This is important for building an informed society and electorate, and with News414’s engaging delivery style, it may produce similar results.

News414 allows its users to choose topics that matter to them, learn about the important pieces of information, then speak to journalists directly if they have more questions. This accessibility and interactivity is beneficial for creating healthy civic habits and preparing news consumers to participate in democratic processes. According to a study from the Knight Foundation, people who consume news — especially local news — are more likely to be civically engaged.

By establishing tangible connections between citizens and the events happening around them, services like News414 can help people situate themselves within the context of relevant social issues and feel more grounded in their communities

Overall, News414 represents a necessary adaptation to the news cycle by accommodating the needs of today’s consumers. By being in touch with younger generations, News414 can help prepare them to become civically engaged citizens and extend the benefits of news consumption to a broader audience.

Celia Hiorns (hiorns@wisc.edu) is a sophomore studying journalism and political science.

Counterpoint: News414’s disadvantages outweigh its benefits

by Emily Otten Opinion Associate Editor

News414 has multiple hidden disadvantages that are important for the project to address and must be considered before expanding the program further.

First, a major goal of News414 is to build connections between the community and journalists, building trust on personal levels. However, the virtual conversations between journalists and residents like with News414 are anything but direct and personal and could prevent this relationship-building goal.

Most journalists are encouraged to join community events and participate in the community that they actually seek to represent. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people learned how difficult it is to maintain or create relationships through a screen, so for News414 to truly accomplish their connection-building desire they should attempt to make more direct connections between residents and journalists, potentially through a phone call or in-person meeting.

Though it is easy to schedule phone calls versus in-person meetings, face-toface communication is more important to actually building relationships and addressing community needs.

Second, though News414 would certainly make news more accessible by allowing citizens to stay up to date on current events, this accessibility could potentially be damaging to the mental health of subscribers. It is helpful that subscribers are able to control how many texts they are able to receive, but receiving up to four texts a month could still be overwhelming especially when the news people are receiving is happening all around them.

The accessibility to information comes with a cost, and oftentimes that cost is lower mental health. By overconsuming media, especially news media which tends to be more negative, people hold on to that negative information and can put a lot of stress on individuals.

Another important disadvantage of News414 to consider is the harm to traditional newsrooms. Traditional newspapers are already struggling, and though this might be an indication that the traditional formats of newsrooms aren’t as effective, it would still be harmful to the industry.

By connecting to sources with a chatbot and over text there would likely be less journalists needed to help operate News414. If a system like this were to spread, newsrooms would be in significant trouble and many reporters could lose their jobs.

Finally, News414 is able to connect journalists with citizens to submit tips or learn more information about a situation, but again — these conversations are anything but direct.

By submitting tips through text messaging, there is a higher chance that those tips could be inaccurate, or that people could lie. It could potentially take more time for journalists to dig through the responses on News414 and sort out the truthful responses from lies than it would to just find someone on the street to interview.

Though News414 definitely has the potential to be a useful tool in newsgathering and connecting communities, there are multiple hidden advantages that must be addressed before the program is further expanded to other cities across the United States.

Emily Otten (elotten@wisc.edu) is a junior studying journalism.

Black Business Hub combats barriers, empowers Black entrepreneurs

Black Business Hub fights against racial barriers in generational wealth accumulation

by Jack Rogers Associate Opinion Editor

With the help of Ascendium Education Group’s recent $2.5 million donation, the Urban League of Greater Madison is now just $3 million shy of its goal of $25.5 million for the funding of their new Black Business Hub, according to the Cap Times. Ascendium, a long-time partner of the Urban League, is a non-profit with a mission of expanding access for post-secondary school education and training.

The Black Business Hub is currently under construction on South Park Street. Set to open later this spring, the Hub will offer training, financial support and professional networks for local Black entrepreneurs and businesses. The Hub will also have office spaces, storefronts and a commercial kitchen.

In a statement to the Wisconsin State Journal, CEO of Urban League of Greater Madison Ruben Anthony said the Hub will help contribute to economic equity by providing various resources and pathways to success.

Though Madison often holds a reputation as a progressive city, this label is somewhat misleading in context of its economic statistics by race. The Hub’s race-conscious approach to entrepreneurial support seeks to remedy a long history of economic discrimination in Madison.

The city’s racist redlining practices in the 1930s — a systematic process of evaluating neighborhood’s desirability based largely on racial demographics — determined the level of investment in the form of loans in Madison communities. Black communities were deemed undesirable and were therefore underinvested in.

The history of Madison’s redlining in the late 1930s is still highly correlated with present-day neighborhood maps and loan statistics by race in Madison, as laid out by former University of Wisconsin geography students in a research project.

According to Census data from 2017, “minority-owned” businesses made up under 7% of the total businesses in Madison. Considering the fact that almost 24% of Madison’s population is non-white, 7% is a disproportionately small figure.

The median household income for Black families was $39,800 in Dane County in 2021. In comparison, white household incomes were more than double at $82,300. The material impact of racial exclusion from Madison’s entrepreneurial scene is evident in Census data.

At a time when Black communities are still recovering from the outsized economic toll the pandemic took on them, the Black Business Hub’s services will be critical in building and rejuvenating the wealth of Black communities

in the Madison area.

Empirically, Black-owned businesses fall behind white-owned businesses from the start. According to the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, white-owned startups launch with $106,720 in capital on average, while the figure is only $35,205 for Black-owned startups.

Low household incomes and a severe lack of access to capital contribute to a vicious economic feedback loop that prevents Black communities from building generational wealth. With less surplus income to save, Black entrepreneurs have less money to start businesses, which perpetuates low-income levels as business ventures fail, stagnate or never begin in the first place due to a lack of financial support.

For Black-owned businesses that are able to get off the ground, securing loans presents another uphill battle. Accounting for factors like firm performance and characteristics, Black firms are less likely to be approved for financial support compared to white and Asian-owned businesses, according to the Federal Reserve.

The Black Business Hub’s partnership

with Summit Credit Union addresses this racial disparity in access to business loans.

Last spring, the CEO of Summit Credit Union announced that a new branch would open down the street from the Black Business Hub, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. The new branch is a physical symbol of the organization’s commitment to the success of Black-owned businesses.

Similar programs targeting the economic health of Black communities and businesses have proven very successful. In Connecticut, the Black Business Alliance has partnered with over 600 businesses to provide professional development, capital support and networks to Black-owned businesses in the state.

Given the barriers to success in business that Black entrepreneurs face, adopting a focused approach toward financial and other means of support is an essential step toward creating a more equitable economic environment in Madison. Growth of generational wealth in the Madison area’s Black communities, from the assistance of the Black Business Hub, will be profound in consequence.

Wealth is a huge barrier to educational

outcomes. With higher levels of wealth in communities, public schools will see more investment and improved economic and social outcomes for students, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Among young people from families in the top income quintile, they are more than one and a half times more likely to complete two or four years of college by 25 compared to those from the bottom income quintile, according to a study by the Urban Institute.

The success of Madison’s Black-owned businesses now and in the near future will have cascading impacts on future generations of Black youth in terms of social mobility and economic health.

The Black Business Hub and other organizations in the Madison area aimed at building wealth in Black communities represent a viable starting point for the economic growth and development that has been long overdue for Madison’s Black population.

Jack Rogers (jkrogers3@wisc.edu) is a freshman studying economics and Chinese.

By providing resources, support, loans, new Black Business Hub will combat economic barriers for Black business owners

Paid leave must become universal right in Wisconsin

by Fiona Hatch Opinion Editor

Governor Evers recently released his two-year plan for the state’s budget, which details initiatives like extra funding for K-12 schools and investments in the environment. Wisconsin’s health sector is set to receive special attention from the proposed budget, with just under $750 million dedicated to expanding services, accepting federal Medicaid expansion and legalizing medical and recreational marijuana. The most important and controversial addition to the state’s two-year outline, however, is the topic of paid family and medical leave.

If the current proposal were to be adopted, most private and public sector employees would be eligible for 12 weeks of paid leave in which workers would continue to receive a paycheck while taking care of a sick family member or newborn for up to three months. Evers would also expand acceptable reasons to take paid leave to include other unforeseen circumstances such as military deployment or unexpected childcare center closures.

State Republicans are unenthusiastic about the subject of paid leave, with members of the Wisconsin Congress saying the proposal is unlikely to be supported by the GOP. Stigmas around the impacts of paid leave on worker productivity, economic growth and social welfare are actively prohibiting progress that other states and countries implemented years ago.

As the law in Wisconsin stands today, employees may take no more than 8 weeks of unpaid paternal or medical leave in a 12-month period, and businesses are only required to continue offering health insurance to those on leave. This is below the national standard established in the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA, which grants up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave.

But this federal benchmark still excludes a significant portion of workers — most parttime employees and new recruits. As such, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 44% of the workforce is unable to take any form of extended leave, and no employee is guaranteed a paycheck by the federal government.

Across the board, workers agree this is nowhere near adequate. The New America think tank recommends a 26-week minimum of paid leave for maternal recovery after childbirth and further stipulates that a year of leave might be necessary to meet the basic needs of a newborn infant. Medical emergencies are even harder to predict in terms of recovery, and the national system as it stands today offers no financial protections for chronic or recurring illnesses and

treatments.

Paid leave is an important investment for a host of reasons. The most important benefits, which often do not receive enough attention in this debate, are the increased health and safety of workers. Employees forced to work

traumas.

This raises the issue of basic human decency. Individuals caring for a sick family member or newborn child need to be provided time to do so without the burden of trying to retain a consistent income. It is a

and flexibility they need, they’re more willing and able to participate consistently and at higher quality.

Resistance to Evers’ proposal portrays the idea of expanding Wisconsin’s current paid leave laws as radical or economically unviable — neither of which is entirely true. Comparing Wisconsin to other states and nations, the state is surprisingly conservative when it comes to caps on paid leave and restricting acceptable reasons for receiving benefits. Expanding the state’s employee benefits to include 12 weeks of paid leave is the bare minimum compared to elsewhere in the country and the world at large.

Extending paid leave, particularly for new parents, has been on the rise across the world for decades. In Europe, the first mandates for required parental leave after the birth of a child came in the very early 19th century. Today, over 120 countries around the world provide some amount of paid parental leave. The Czech Republic alone provides up to 28 weeks of pay for new parents. In Hungary, workers are eligible for up to 24 weeks, and up to five months in Italy.

Despite no federal law in the U.S. mandating businesses to continue offering income to workers on leave, 11 state governments have followed suit with the rest of the world by enacting laws of their own.

In terms of finances, Evers’ plan is remarkably frugal in the grand scheme of the state budget. The proposal calls for a onetime seed of $243 million by the Wisconsin government at the start of 2025, and the Governor’s Office said the program would pay for itself by 2026. Given the fact that Wisconsin will head into this new two-year cycle in a budget surplus, now is as good a time as ever to invest in worker benefits.

The program even holds the potential to further the state’s economic growth. A report by the National Partnership for Women & Families found that if Wisconsin women participated in the labor force at the same rate as those in countries with paid leave, the state would accrue an additional 22,000 workers.

immediately after birth or in the midst of a medical crisis simply cannot perform to their typical standard. Those who cannot afford to take extended time without a paycheck might be susceptible to further injuring themselves by not allowing themselves adequate rest to heal or recover from physical or mental

matter of mental, physical and environmental health at stake.

Expanding paid leave could have benefits that appeal to Republican bases, too. Benefits like these have the potential to increase employee recruitment and retention in the state. When workers are given the resources

In the long term, implementing paid leave will bring economic benefits as well as humanitarian ones. Paid leave has to be understood as a basic human right in Wisconsin. Governments around the world have already implemented such laws, making the state a critical outlier in what is rapidly becoming a social norm. We cannot expect to reduce unemployment and increase worker productivity without adequately investing in the workers we have today.

Fiona Hatch (fhatch@badgerherald.com) is a senior studying political science and international studies.

Proposal calls for one-time seed of $243 million at start of 2025, would pay for itself by 2026

Governor Evers’ proposal to extend paid leave would benefit public, private employees

DAVID GUENTHNER, THE BADGER HERALD

Editorial Board: Dismantling campus rape culture in the classroom

by The Badger Herald Editorial Board

Editor’s Note: This editorial was written by Maggie Degnan, with contributions from other editorial board members.

Every year, the University of Wisconsin Police Department releases its Annual Security & Fire Safety Report.

The most recent report, released in Sept. 2022, showed an increase in the number of reported on-campus sexual assaults and rapes in 2021. Compared to 2019 and 2020, the reported oncampus assaults more than doubled.

On its surface this rate is alarming, but it has implications that surpass the kneejerk assumptions that too often devalue and misinterpret the numbers.

Assaults at UW reported to alternative organizations like the Rape Crisis Center suggest the rate remained the same from 2019 to 2021, despite the increase in reporting. This might not sound particularly promising, but stagnant rates of assault with increasing reports reflect a positive change.

University Health Services violence prevention specialist Alex Nelson said in their field, increases in reporting are associated with greater outreach and general awareness of reporting options.

Similarly, executive director of the Madisonarea RCC Dana Pellebon said in general, people have started having more conversations about what is and is not okay in the wake of the Me Too movement and Black Lives Matter protests of 2020.

Both causes are intertwined — not just with each other, but with other calls to action against oppression. With more people learning what oppression is and how it operates within our society, conversations about formerly taboo topics like race relations and rape culture are starting to be considered normal and even standard in places like corporate offices and high schools.

If increased awareness can double the rates of confidence in the university’s handling of sexual assault on campus, culturally-informed approaches to education have the potential to actually decrease the rates of assault themselves.

For context, rape culture refers to social standards about sexual assault that lead to survivors being treated with skepticism and hostility, whereas perpetrators are shown empathy and are not associated with people accused of other serious crimes. Victims are blamed for their own assaults and asked what they were wearing, drinking, or doing moments before their assault. It permeates many atmospheres, including UW’s, and causes people who feel their identity or gender expression makes them particularly vulnerable to sexual violence to make sacrifices in an attempt to “avoid” an attack.

That’s another hallmark of rape culture — teaching women how not to get raped instead

of teaching men that they should not rape people. Accepting rape as an “unfortunate but unavoidable consequence” of a woman’s existence — whether she be at a college party or in a country at war — is the standard upon which the castle of rape culture is built. Not only is this approach misogynistic as it inherently puts blame on the female victim, but it also disregards male victims, non-male perpetrators,

sexual violence is not about gender or sexuality, what could it be about?

In Pellebon’s words, sexual violence, though it includes sexual acts, is not about sex — it’s about having control over someone else. It’s about violating bodily autonomy.

Weaving consent culture and anti-racism into every setting where white supremacy and rape culture prevail is the only way to truly

are unaware of what consent and sexual assault look like, then a lack of education has to be contributing to their violent behavior. But Nelson said there are other factors that contribute to sexual violence.

When asked what these factors were, Nelson identified what they believe are a few of the culprits — including the high-risk drinking culture and the history of settler colonialism and white supremacy on campus.

The history of settler colonialism and white supremacy contributes to a climate where harm against BIPOC communities is expected and even excused. When harm against some is permissible, it normalizes harm against other groups. These groups tend to be those who hold marginalized identities.

With this in mind, conversations about sexual assault have to address misogyny, ableism, homophobia and racism, for example. We can and should recognize that anyone holding any identity can experience sexual violence, but also that it is of no coincidence the highest rates of victimization are among women — particularly disabled women, queer women, trans women and women who are not white.

To reduce sexual violence, we must change the culture that constitutes what consent is, including what consent looks like when those giving it are inebriated, or whether inebriated consent is even legitimate. The lines might appear less blurry if more people knew what coercion and sexual assault looked like — and that it doesn’t usually look like what we so often see in the media.

But it’s also important to keep in mind that sexual violence is extremely personal. Some people will never refer to themselves as “victims,” and other people will never use the term “survivors.” Some will use both, others neither. It’s important people feel comfortable identifying the way they feel is accurate to their experiences.

and genderqueer and nonbinary people in their entirety. This reinforces binary gender roles and the suppression of every other gender identity.

This brings on another issue — even the conversations being had about how to dismantle rape culture center on the most privileged people and underscore the narrative with binary, heteronormative language. This limits the scope of the conversations and therefore the usefulness of such conversations for people who are affected the most — those holding marginalized identities.

That’s why talking about the intersection of different forms of oppression is so necessary — to combat sexual violence at its core is the most effective way to eliminate it from our society for all people. But what is at the core of sexual violence that makes it seem so complicated? If

help people understand what is and is not an acceptable way to treat other human beings. But doing so might not be so easy.

“It is possible that people are not aware … people who have perpetrated sexual assault, that rate is the same of people that know what it is, [18% of victims],” Pellebon said. “But this is why education and changing the culture is so important, because there is a lack of awareness around consent, around oppression, around control and around power.”

This point raises a topic within the conversation about sexual violence that is difficult to reckon with — many perpetrators of sexual violence do not believe they have done anything wrong.

If that’s true, that a majority of perpetrators

“Even if something fits the definition of sexual violence and that is not how you perceive it, I’m not here to change your perception of what has happened to you … feel free to use the terms that are comfortable to you,” Pellebon said of the RCC’s approach to definitive terms.

To navigate the often overwhelming and confusing conversations regarding sexual violence on campus, it is essential to acknowledge rape culture when it surfaces in the classroom, whether that be via course materials or student interactions. Currently, students are not required to discuss issues with consent culture when they appear in classroom materials or literature. But they should be.

Though we face an uphill battle against rape culture, white supremacy and overall oppression, it’s important to note UW’s main purpose is to educate, which is key for combatting rape culture. Our university is a tool — one which can be used for good or for bad.

Increased sexual assault reports bring to light impacts of advocacy, need for further education on underlying power structures

Educational settings have power to dismantle rape culture through conversations about structural power imbalances

MARY MAGNUSON, THE BADGER HERALD

What your spring break trip says about you

by Julia Vetsch Arts Etc. Reporter

Pack your bags — spring break is just around the corner! Whether you’re getting ready for a week of rest and relaxation or partying day and night, it’s universally agreed upon it’s about time for a vacation.

Your trip of choice tells everyone else a lot about your personality. Based on some trips University of Wisconsin students are taking this year, here’s what your spring break destination says about you.

Florida

Perhaps the most popular spring break spot of all time. If you’re vacationing in Florida — whether it be Disney World in Orlando, a boujee resort in the Keys or your grandparents’ Fort Myers trailer home –you’re classic.

Your family has gone to Florida ever since you can remember, and you love tradition. You’re probably not a very spontaneous

person, but you still know how to have a good time. After all, why try a new restaurant when the ones you visit every year have never let you down?

If you’re going to Florida for the ocean, you’re probably in desperate need of relaxation. Nothing sounds better to you than sprawling out in the sand with a good book, soaking up the sweltering sun, “accidentally” forgetting to reapply sunscreen, so you can feel a little crispy when you go out to dinner after spending all day at the beach.

If you’re going to a theme park like Disney World or Universal Studios, you’re a child at heart. You need to be reminded of simpler times, and you’re ready to embrace your inner Disney adult and feel the nostalgia.

Europe

If you’re vacationing in Europe this spring break — France, Italy, London, perhaps

— you’re sophisticated. You’re probably interested in architecture, have great taste in food and are excited to experience the rich culture all around you. You like to call yourself an “old soul,” and you judge people if they don’t like caviar.

You’re not a big fan of math and science, but you thrive in English and history — maybe you play an instrument. You might have a slight superiority complex, but you can’t help it that nobody understands the world like you do. Either that or you just have rich parents.

Mexico

Another staple spring break destination. If you’re heading to Mexico in a few weeks, you like to let loose and have fun. You’re spontaneous, outgoing and always ready to meet new people and put yourself out there.

It’s probably a girls trip, and your matching

swimsuits just came in the mail. You’re definitely under 21 and super excited to be able to legally drink all-inclusive margaritas served to you right in the pool and, of course, eat an endless amount of tacos.

Arizona

If you’re going to Arizona, you want to enjoy warm weather without feeling crowded. You don’t like humidity, but you love the sun — so you’re heading west. Arizona is for people who don’t want to fight for a spot at an overcrowded beach but are still itching to get some much needed vitamin D.

You probably like to golf and, lucky for you, you’re staying with your grandparents at their retirement home, and they’re members at the local golf course. If you’re feeling active, you’ll swing by the Grand Canyon for a day of hiking, but this vacation will mostly consist of lounging by the community pool.

National Parks

There are lots of national parks to choose from, but if you’re going to any of them over spring break, you’re definitely granola.

Spring break is known for relaxation, kicking back and being lazy — that’s not you. Your way of relaxing is hiking 10 miles up a mountain. You’ve got your Chacos, a full water bottle and your favorite flannel ready to go.

The Lumineers were one of your top five most-listened-to artists on Spotify Wrapped. You hate when people spend too long in the shower, and you probably have a sticker on the back of your laptop that says “There is no Planet B.” You’re currently curating a detailed instruction manual for a babysitter about how to take care of your plants while you’re away, and you’re looking forward to a week of connecting with nature.

Home

If you’re not going anywhere this spring break, you’re broke. The flights are crazy expensive this year, and you just can’t swing it.

You tell people you’re excited to just chill out and relax at home with your family and won’t let anyone see you wipe away your tears as you scroll through Instagram and see everyone’s beach pictures.

If you’re staying home, you always try to look at the bright side of things. You’re making a list of fun activities to keep you busy while you’re at home in the freezing and snowy Midwest. In your heart, you know baking banana bread, binging the new season of “Outer Banks” and driving around your hometown is just as much fun as partying in Cabo.

Whether you’re going to Florida or staying in the Midwest, your personality is predictable

This spring break is sure to be like no other — or maybe it will be just like every other year.

SARAH GODFREY. THE BADGER HERALD.

Unlocking ‘The Vault’: New student group taps into behind-the-scenes of fashion industry

UW students create organization to host professional learning

by Maria Brunetta Arts Etc. Reporter

Chanel, Gucci, Prada — the epitome of fashion. Naturally, when someone says they have a “passion for fashion” they are bound to know these names and, potentially, the designers. Consequently, when someone says they want to study fashion and go into the fashion industry, most people assume they want to go into fashion design to become the next Coco Chanel. In reality, however, the fashion industry is so much more than that.

University of Wisconsin students Melina Zarboulas and Marlo Pulliam sought to change that idea and create more opportunities for students by starting The Vault: Business Behind Fashion.

“Many people think of the fashion industry as just clothes and design, and while these are inarguably important focuses in the industry, there is immense overlap with so many other branches of study, including business, technology, communications and marketing, to name a few,” Zarboulas said.

While UW has many great organizations which are meant to help students network

with like-minded students, The Vault “brings something a little different to the table,” according to its founders.

They hope to get students involved not only by creating a web of connections and providing insights on jobs in the fashion industry, but also by hosting fashion shows and service projects. The Vault plans to bring awareness to social issues with its service projects, such as volunteering for nonprofits and hosting donation drives.

“We also plan to organize learning opportunities for members, including panels where industry professionals can impart their advice to students, networking fairs that can connect members to career connections and information and field trips that can help expand student perspective,” Pulliam said.

The largest event of their organization will be the member-run fashion show occurring at the end of each year, according to the cofounders.

Inspired by creative director Pranav Volety, the executive board plans to work

on decolonizing the “human zoo” history of the runway. Their vision is an “exhibit style” show where the audience can move through different rooms interacting with models and learning the significance of their clothing.

Their goal is not to just visually impress guests, but also to educate them in unique ways.

“Through this fashion show, The Vault plans to exhibit student-created outfits as well as promote larger and smaller brands’ apparel,” Zarboulas said. “Clothing donations will also be part of the entry fee, and with a large audience turnout, we have high hopes to raise money for a nonprofit and donate a large amount of clothing to the less fortunate.”

The Vault is for anyone, regardless of their background. Cofounder and president Zarboulas is a sophomore studying information and computer science with certificates in textile design and digital studies. Cofounder and vice president Pulliam is studying international studies and consumer behavior and marketplace studies with certificates in French, entrepreneurship and textile design.

The founders love the idea of blending other industries with fashion.

“In our eyes, they are not mutually exclusive,” Pullman said. “We welcome as much diversity as possible through any perspectives, experiences and backgrounds that people are willing to express in our club.”

They pride themselves on the fact that they not only study fashion but also the several supporting branches of study.

Members of The Vault help run the fashion shows, attend trips which would expand industry knowledge, plan fundraising events

and connect with professionals. They will also be opening various committees such as a creative team, a tech team, management team, a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team and a finance Team.

“Every committee holds different responsibilities so that people are able to explore their personal interests through the club,” Pulliam said.

Both Pulliam and Zarboulas are unsure of what the future holds post-graduation as they are only sophomores, but both have some interest in pursuing fashion. Zarboulas is intrigued by many different fields and would love to explore the business side of fashion more professionally. Pulliam loves working with people and would like to pursue something in the creative realm, either with fashion or music.

As for their goals for The Vault, they hope to make it a nationwide club that spreads to other universities. They have also been communicating with other fashion organizations and plan to collaborate with them in the future. Along with fashion shows, fundraising events, volunteer work and networking trips, they also hope to host panels and career fairs.

“This is something to get excited about, and we hope students are doing just that,” Pulliam said. “We can’t wait to share more with the university as our club begins to exit the establishment period.”

Students interested in joining The Vault and learning more about the business of fashion can follow their Instagram @ thevaultuwmadison and check out their website, thevaultuwmadison.com, for any important updates.

The Vault’s executive board hopes to connect the design and clothing aspects of fashion to the business behind the industry.

PHOTO COURTESY THE VAULT.

Women’s Basketball: Marisa Moseley lays foundation of success for Wisconsin

2022-2023 campaign ushers feelings of promise for future of women’s program

by Krissy Birdsall Sports Reporter

The Wisconsin women’s basketball team has shown vast improvement over the past two years, largely in part to the foundation built by new head coach Marisa Moseley, who joined the program in March 2021.

This was evident when Wisconsin dominated Rutgers en route to surpassing last season’s win total and when Wisconsin defeated No. 12 Michigan for the first time in nine years to extend their win streak to three games.

Fans of Wisconsin women’s basketball, it seems, have noticed these developments as well. Over 8,000 fans showed up to support the team at the National Girls and Women in Sports Day matchup against Northwestern Jan. 29.

Moseley was hired in 2021 as head coach of the team. While coaching a women’s basketball team that has struggled to compete in the Big Ten over the past 10 years, she is also seeking to redefine the culture of the program in order to set the Badgers up for future success.

As a newly hired coach, Moseley established pillars to create a new culture for the Wisconsin women’s basketball team. These pillars, which include Winning Mindset, Integrity, Selflessness, Communication and Legacy, lay the groundwork for a new era of the Badgers’ program.

“[The pillars] have developed in a way that is organic,” Moseley said. “This is who we are, this is what we stand for, and those are the foundational pieces of where the

program is going.”

Moseley hopes the groundwork she has implemented over the past two years has resonated with her players, and she inspires them to compete at the highest level.

Moseley’s leadership has already proven successful in her first two years as head coach. In the 2022-2023 regular season, the Badgers have won six Big Ten games, their most since the 2010-2011 season and eclipsed the 10-win mark for the first time since the 2019-2020 season.

“I want us to play our best basketball, I want us to respect the game and the way that we approach it,” Moseley said. “I want people to walk away from our games feeling like they know we gave it our all on the court.”

According to Moseley, much of the Badger’s success this season has to do with a “cornerstone” in the program involving Serah Williams, Maty Wilke and Sania Copeland. The three players, donning the cardinal and white for the first time this season, have been instrumental in scoring points and leading the Badgers to a threegame win streak to finish the regular season.

Wisconsin’s recent on-court success has translated into an increase in fans, too. The Badgers’ attendance has grown in the past year, reaching a season-high of 8,217 fans Jan. 29 against Northwestern during National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

Moseley is known not only for her impact on the team, but engagement with fans. She addresses Badger fans at the end of every

Wisconsin basketball game, regardless of the score, thanking them for their support.

Moseley wants Badger fans to know that while this program has progressed, it is not yet at its full potential. Instead, this year’s team is laying the foundation for future success.

Heading into the final frame of the 2022-

2023 season, coach Moseley feels confident in how the team is playing heading into the Big Ten tournament later this week.

“You want to be playing your best basketball in February,” Moseley said. “There is a huge shift in momentum, and I think there is a huge confidence piece that we’re playing on.”

Swim and Dive: Splashes to be made at NCAA Women’s Swim & Dive Championship

by Brianna Reynolds Sports Reporter

With the Badger women’s swim and dive team’s success at the Big Ten National Championships, several swimmers are hoping the NCAA calls them to race at the NCAA National Swim and Dive Championship later this month.

From March 15 through March 18, the NCAA Swimming and Dive National Championship is being held in the Allan Jones Aquatic Center at the University of Tennessee.

This year, Wisconsin’s national rank is 21, which is down four slots from last year’s ranking at No. 17.

At the Big Ten Championship, the Badgers took fourth in overall team standings. Individually, Paige McKenna reigned on top for the 1650-meter

free at the Big Ten Championship for the second year in a row. The sophomore finished with a time of 15 minutes, 46.90 seconds, establishing more than a 10-second lead over the second-place finisher.

2020 U.S Olympian, Phoebe Bacon, earned third place in the 100 backstroke with a time of 51.96 seconds. Bacon also placed second in the 200 IM. Her 1:55.06 finish missed first place by one-tenth of a second.

Sophomore Abby Carlson came out victorious in first place with the 500 free. Her race was timed at 4 minutes, 38.15 seconds.

The 800 freestyle relay consisting of Phoebe Bacon, Hazal Ozkan, Mallory Jump and Abby Wanezek earned third place with a time of 7

minutes, 01:39 seconds.

Carlson and McKenna both made Big Ten’s first conference team accolades, while Phoebe Bacon made the second conference team. Additionally, Mikayla Seigal was named a sportsmanish honoree.

All eyes will be on senior Kate Douglas and the Virginia swim & dive team. Virginia’s women’s swim and dive team is looking for a 3-peat for swim & dive champions.

Douglas currently holds the U.S. Open, NCAA and American Record in the 200 medley relay team, 400 medley relay, 50 freestyle and 200 backstroke.

Other notable teams are Texas and Stanford. Stanford won the national championship three years in a row from 2017-2019. Seven-time Olympic

gold medalist Katie Ledecky was notably a part of the 2017 team that started a 3-year success path. Now, incredible swimmers like Taylor Ruck are leading the team in records.

For the past two seasons, Texas has consistently ranked in the top three. Texas is also the runnerup from last year’s national championship. Many people are going to be looking to see if they can give that final push to land them in first place. Teammate Kelly Pash helps lead the way for her team in short-length races like the 100 free, 200 and 400 IM.

The Allan Jones Aquatic Center will be packed with incredible swimmers from Wisconsin and beyond looking to get their hands on new records or hardware for their careers.

Previewing Wisconsin’s most impactful performers, individual opponents ahead of national competition

As the women’s basketball team rounds out their season, Moseley says next season will be even better.

Best ways to support women around you during Women’s History Month

Yes,

men, it’s Women’s History Month

by Caroline Crowley Managing Editor

It’s Women’s History Month — if you’re a man, this may be news to you. You may even be freaking out. Is this kind of like the time you forgot that anniversary or Valentine’s Day? The answer is yes, and here’s my guide to making up for your mistake.

Firstly, you should spend some quality time with some of the women in your life. The best way to do this is to change the oil in their car (is that how you would word that? I wouldn’t know, I’m just a woman.)

Don’t just change the oil on your own — make sure to include the women in your life in these stereotypically “manly” activities. Take them out to the garage and explain to them step by step how to change their oil.

The best way to do this is to allow them to change their own oil — with your supervision, of course. If they start doing something just slightly different from how you would, make sure you take over for the rest of the activity, so they can understand how to change it the right way :)

When all is said and done, the women you’ve helped will be in such a better mood. This activity will also support Women’s History Month by making up for the times when women did not have the right to change their car oil.

Now, because of all the women you follow on Instagram posting about the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, you’re probably aware that many women in the U.S. have lost their right to abortion.

During this time of support for the women who surround you, make sure they understand how the Supreme Court works. This way, they can have educated discussions with their fellow women about the Dobbs decision.

Explain that the Supreme Court can’t take their fundamental rights away because of the Constitution. If the women seem skeptical of this explanation, make sure you let them know the public would revolt if they made a decision taking away women’s rights.

If the public were to march to the Supreme Court, they would actually just overturn a decision because of public controversy. This is especially relevant if women bring up the right to birth control — it’s impossible for the Supreme Court to take this right away because people would = angry.

This strategy is best used on women majoring in pre-law, going to law school or who are already lawyers.

After you’ve changed everyone’s oil and undertaken the extremely tiring task of explaining how the court systems work, it’s bound to be that time of the month for at least

one of the women around you. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s Shark Week. Aunt Flo visiting? Code red? Okay, now you’re with me.

The best thing to support women’s raging hormones at this point is by identifying yourself as an ally. Tell them you understand exactly what they’re going through — it’s like being kicked in the balls, right?

Make sure they know that you know everything about a woman’s body. Here are some key facts to slip into conversation — women bleed one gallon of blood during their moody cycle, tampons have different sizes for different sized hoo has, they shouldn’t pee or poop with a tampon in because it will hurt and that the penis is more sensitive than the … wait, where is that thing again?

If you want to take your support to the next level and maybe even make a woman fall in love with you, it requires the woman to be actively having cramps. Sit down at eye level with the woman’s stomach and yell at it. “Stawp hurting her right freakin’ now,” you should say with a pout.

Women also probably don’t know much about the history of their oppression. To celebrate Women’s History Month, you should educate them with a few facts about sexism.

Make absolutely certain they know that they make 82 cents for every dollar you make. To make up for this gap, DO NOT pay them 18 cents for every hour you work. That would be demeaning.

Instead, give them salary negotiation tips for their next interview. Tell them to accept offers as quickly as possible, avoid asking for their salary in writing and to reveal how much money they would accept early on in the hiring process. This number should be close to what they earned in their last entry-level position.

If you have any female athletes in your peer group or even in your classes, tell them that they have equal rights to their male counterparts under Title IX. Even though their teams are never even close to as good as the male counterparts (take the University of Wisconsin men’s versus women’s hockey teams, for example), they should still receive equitable funding.

Most importantly, however, is to show support for women all month long. Make sure they are included in every conversation you have by explaining the specific details behind even basic topics. Assuming a woman knows nothing about changing her oil, how the red week of the calendar works on a biological level and about the intricacies of her rights is how you should celebrate this Women’s History Month.

Some people just don’t understand that Edina ≠ Minneapolis.

AUDREY THIBERT. THE BADGER HERALD.

Tutorial for driving away new friends — lie and tell them you live in a big city near your actual small town.

AUDREY THIBERT. THE BADGER HERALD.

Losing

by Scott McInerney Banter Editor

Do you feel overwhelmed by the crippling pressure to succeed in life? Do you take that pressure and pour all your waking minutes into schoolwork, so you can succeed? If this describes you or someone you know, you may be suffering from trying too hard in school.

Trying too hard in school, AKA try hard disorder, is a debilitating condition that affects one in three students. Some of the symptoms prevent recognition of the condition, as the disease consumes your attention and prevents conscious thought on anything other than studies, leaving little to no room for self awareness.

Here is a guide to the symptoms that may point to trying too hard in school. If you recognize these symptoms for yourself or a friend, it may be time to intervene and seek help.

Insomnia

Insomnia is a symptom associated with the later stages of the condition, but it takes a great toll on many suffering students. It also may be hard to recognize because lack of sleep can be a sign of many other mental conditions. Either way, if you are experiencing insomnia, you can seek help from a therapist or a bottle of melatonin.

If you lie in bed at night staring at the ceiling thinking about homework or exams, this is definitely a sign that you are trying too hard in school. At the extreme end, your head will never touch a pillow, and you will stay at a desk all night doing homework that you’ve already finished “just to make sure you fully understand it.”

If left untreated, insomnia associated with trying too hard in school can result in pure delusion and blindness.

Stench

If you stink, take a shower, please. This is one of the most outwardly apparent symptoms of trying too hard in school. Oftentimes people suffering from the condition will go weeks or even months without bathing. They will justify it by saying that they will shower once they are past midterm season, but midterm season never ends for these people.

Some will become numb to their stench and even come to enjoy it. So if you don’t think you stink, think again. Take a look around you at your next lecture. If there is at least a 10-seat radius around you, you likely reek.

Nobody will want to do homework or group projects with you. Just for the love

of all things holy, take a shower and wear deodorant.

You have an intimate relationship with your professor/TA

This is one of the most drastic symptoms of trying too hard in school. Some will justify this by arguing it’s not actually trying but in fact avoiding school work. But don’t get confused. Trying too hard in school doesn’t come from an obsession to finish school work. Rather, it is motivated by an unrelenting desire to get the best grades possible.

If you have an intimate relationship with your professor or TA with an age difference of more than five years, that relationship is for grades, not for love. The only time this is acceptable is if it’s true love, you are similar in age and you report the relationship to the university to avoid any HR nightmares. Otherwise, you are spending way too much time and resources (literally your body) to get a good grade.

If you have a friend that is in this scenario, it might be time to call the police.

Your mom calls you a nerd

We’ve all been there. Freshman year, moving out of the house. First, the calls occur daily. Then, you stop answering. You stop calling back. Next thing you know you’re talking to your parents only about once a month. Your parents assume you’ve met new friends. They think you go out partying. But when they come to visit you, they find out that you stink, you don’t sleep and your only friend is the professor you are dating.

They see right through your façade. They know you are no partier. They know you spend late-night hours reading textbooks. They are ashamed that you can’t even bother

to call them when you just sit at a desk all day long. You don’t even have the time to take them out to dinner. Your mom is upset. She calls you a major nerd, then slams the door and runs away crying. Your roommate looks at you funny. They shrug and say, “I told you so.”

If something along those lines has happened to you, take it as a wakeup call. Even your mom thinks you’re a nerd. Your parents want you to succeed too, but they think you should put the pen down, close the laptop and go meet some people.

Your mom could have called you any number of things, but it all points to the fact you’re trying too hard in school. Other acceptable epithets include dork, geek, Megatron, poindexter, goober, computer science major, teacher’s pet, dweeb, techie or the hardest-hitting of them all “not my child.”

Treatment

If any of these symptoms apply to you, you are likely suffering from try hard disorder. There’s good news, however — it’s not too late for you. Unless you’re in your final semester, you still have time to not make your entire college career a boring dredge, so you can go out to the world and be more than a wet towel.

The first step is recognition. Now that you have read this handy guide to diagnosing your condition, you can start to change. The next step is to take a shower and get some sleep. From there it will be easier to make friends, go to a party, make amends with your mom and finally get your first-ever B (nobody is gonna care after you graduate). If school is still stressing you out, consult a therapist or a bottle of cheap vodka.

sleep? Here are four signs you are trying too hard in school

A pillow is a viable option for relieving the pressures of living in modern society.

AUDREY THIBERT. THE BADGER HERALD.

Who needs a girlfriend, really, when pillows are better listeners? -Incels

AUDREY THIBERT. THE BADGER HERALD.