'Policy & Payments' - Volume 51, Issue 17

STUDENT MEDIA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020 · VOL 51 Issue 17 · BADGERHERALD.COM

POLICY &PAYMENTS As the heathcare debate rages on, college students struggle to navigate law while budgeting for a broken system. pg. 12

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New textbook with topics ranging from transgender to global LGBTQ health to be incorporated in medical school curriculum.

2020 Oscars returns to form with lack of diversity in their nominees in the major categories, who could have been nominated instead?

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TEXTBOOK FOR LGBTQ HEALTH 6

SHOUTOUTS

LOOKING INTO THE AFTERMATH OF THE WISCONN DEAL

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Foxconn’s failure to uphold its contract with Wisconsin giving way to a contentious future.

FOOTBALL: 2020 RECRUITING CLASS BEST FOR UW SINCE 2001

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Led by multiple four-star recruits, Badgers prepare for another strong season behind running back Jalen Berger, linebackers Kaden Johnson, Nick Herbig

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BORDER BATTLE!

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Wisconsin women’s hockey competed against their border rivals, the No 2 Minnesota Gophers, on Friday. The Badgers pulled out an impressive last minute shot in overtime to topple the Gophers 5-4.

January 28, 2020 • badgerherald.com • 3

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Dane County educates on road salt safety to reduce water pollution One teaspoon of road salt can permanently pollute five gallons of water at a level toxic to freshwater ecosystems

by Nicole Herzog City News Editor

In an effort to combat pollution in Madison lakes, the City of Madison Streets Division is attempting to limit road salt use due to its negative environmental and economic effects.

According to Wisconsin Saltwise, an organization designed to educate Dane County residents and maintenance professionals about road salt safety, it takes one teaspoon of salt to permanently pollute five gallons of water to a level that is toxic for freshwater ecosystems.

With snowy forecasts predicted throughout the winter months, road salt is a necessary tool in order to keep the roads driveable. But, the salt can wash into the lakes when met with rain and eventually cause harmful effects, according to Wisconsin Saltwise.

“We put about 500 tons [of salt] a year into Lake Mendota in an average winter,” Hilary

Dugan, a University of Wisconsin professor and limnologist, told Fox 47. “It’s gone from a background concentration of 1 mg of salt per liter to about 50, so it’s about 50 times higher than it was back in the 1940s.”

Not only does salt degrade ecosystems in the lakes, but it is also costly to remove.

Removing salt requires reverse osmosis treatments or ion exchange that can cost millions of dollars, according to Wisconsin Saltwise. The website also states the quality of drinking water will diminish if salt concentrations continue to exceed in lakes.

As salt concentration increases in lakes, drinking water will begin to taste saltier as well.

According to Public Information Officer and Recycling Coordinator of the Streets Division Bryan Johnson, the Streets Division is very strategic about where salt is placed on the roads to limit their amount of salt use. Rather than salting every road in Madison, Johnson said the Street Division only maintains specific “salt routes” such

as Metro bus routes and streets surrounding schools and hospitals.

“The maximum amount of salt we put down on the road is 300 pounds per lane mile,” Johnson said. “This is the industry standard for roads like ours. We can, and do, apply less than 300 pounds per lane mile if conditions require it, too. It takes a lot of careful watching of the weather, the pavement and understanding how those factors and more all play into how the roads will respond to our treatment.”

There are a multitude of factors which affect the way the streets are salted.

Johnson said salt is not applied at all when temperatures are below 20 degrees because it is not effective at those temperatures.

Additionally, calcium-chloride and magnesium-chloride are avoided in order to prevent chlorides in water.

Pre-treating streets with brine is another practice the Streets Division utilizes in order to prevent heavy salt usage. A saltwater brine composed of 23.3% salt is applied first,

Photo - “We put about 500 tons [of salt] a year into Lake Mendota in an average winter,” UW professor and limnologist said.

Nolan Ferlic The Badger Herald

4 • badgerherald.com • January 28, 2020

which prevents snow from bonding to the pavement. The brine allows crews to scrape snow off with plows and prevent future road salting, according to Johnson. “[There are] other small things we do, too,” Johnson said. “Our salt trucks are equipped with saddle tanks full of brine, too.

Before the salt is spread by the trucks, they spray the salt with a little bit of the brine.

This helps because wet salt won’t bounce as much, and it will stay in the traffic lane.”

Less salt is used if it doesn’t spread, Johnson said.

Another way Madison is attempting to limit its salt usage is through a salt certification program in partnership with Wisconsin Saltwise. The program, which serves to educate winter maintenance professionals in the Dane County area about the environmental and economic impacts of oversalting, is voluntary for any crew members or contractors who wish to receive the training, according to Water Resources Engineer Phil Gaebler.

The salt certification program involves a six hour training session as well as a quiz afterward. If one received a score of 70% or better on the quiz, they achieve the certification, according to Gaebler. There are two separate trainings — one for those who maintain parking lots, sidewalks and trails, and one for those who maintain roads with snowplows.

Gaebler said those who implement their training reduce their salt use.

“One example we have is in our parks department, which maintains State Street,” Gaebler said. “Just by making some very small and inexpensive upgrades to equipment, calibrating the equipment and taking their application rate based on the weather, they had about a 40% reduction of salt.”

According to Linnea Rock, a limnologist at the UW Center for Limnology, a good rule of thumb for personal salt use is a 12 oz. cup of salt is sufficient for 10 sidewalk blocks. Rock also recommends the salt should be scattered in pieces with several inches in between.

Rock said once the salt is dissolved in the water, it cannot be removed. Therefore, one must be conscious of their salt use in order for it to maintain its effectiveness.

“In Madison, road salt has been used for about six decades, which means there is already a lot of salt stored up in the ground and in our water,” Rock said. “Even if we discontinued using road salt completely, it could take many more decades for the buildup of salt to leave this system.”

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Freezing temperatures create challenges for homeless shelters Shelter given even at full capacity, ‘need more permanent solutions,’ city official says, 578 homeless last January

by Lila Szyryj Reporter

Madison shelters face increased difficulty with shelter capacities and stay limits as harsher winter weather sets in, posing new challenges for shelters and city officials alike.

The 2019 Shelter Study Group Report completed by a group of community stakeholders in Dane County shows there are three principal types of people experiencing homelessness. About 80% are transitionally homeless, meaning they are homeless once in their lives, normally for about a week. About 10% are episodically homeless, meaning they cycle in and out of homelessness, and 10% are chronically homeless, according to information provided by Ald. Michael Verveer, a representative from District 4. Verveer said approaching the recurring problem is difficult as it persists year to year.

“The need for more emergency shelters in Madison … is obviously a complex issue,” Verveer said, commenting on the City of Madison’s homelessness overview. “We have a real, acute need for both emergency shelters and transitional housing.”

Last year in January, the Point-In-Time Count of Homelessness Report by the Homeless Services Consortium found over 578 people were experiencing homelessness. The report by the community stakeholders said shelters are able to identify individuals and families experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness, and provide critical, immediate access to resources and beds, and connect them to housing assistance and services.

Linette Rhodes, grant administrator at Madison’s Community Development Block Grant Office, said shelters serve as a fundamental function in responding to the homelessness crisis. Rhodes said this crisis response system becomes even more pertinent when temperatures drop to dangerous levels.

Rhodes said the city works closely with three local homeless shelters during the winter months.

“We have a main [men’s] shelter at Grace [Episcopal Church], and then we have two what we call overflow shelters as well. Capacity at those shelters is about 110 beds,” Rhodes said.

“In addition, they support the Salvation Army where they house families and single women with about 45 beds for singles and about 22 for families, as well as the YWCA family shelter with about 12 units.”

Rhodes said the city works to try and help everyone during the extreme cold weather days.

While there is typically a 90 day per year limit on homeless shelters, Rhodes explained in the winter months, there are cold weather exception nights.

When the temperature drops to a certain degree, shelters do not turn people away, even if they are at capacity.

Though with the influx of individuals looking for shelter in the winter, a limited amount of space proves to be a challenge for shelters. Madison only currently has emergency shelters, not purposebuilt shelters for long-term use. Rhodes said the conditions of the shelters that are currently available also need attention.

“Unfortunately, [shelters] are just mats on the floor for individuals to sleep on,” Rhodes explained. “These places right now where we have our emergency shelters were not built to be a permanent place for shelter.”

Rhodes explained homelessness is a multifaceted problem. There are commonly a variety of factors that affect an individual facing homelessness and their reasons for seeking help from a shelter. Rhodes said one of the biggest struggles people face is access to shelters and resources for mental health.

Rhodes said some individuals may not want to utilize the resources of a shelter due to various

reasons including behavioral issues, shelter rules or previous negative experiences stemming from the individual’s personal history or past trauma.

“What we hope is that our street outreach workers and other individuals are working with them to get them to embrace the fact that the shelter is most likely a safer place to be in this weather,” Rhodes said.

Recent actions by the city attempt to combat the struggles of temporary shelters. The Salvation Army received funding in November from the Madison Finance Committee to redevelop their space closer downtown to be more conducive, according to The Cap Times. This provides an opportunity for the shelter to make better use of the space in order to give individuals the service they need during their time there.

Verveer said there may be more resources in more locations in the near future which will help many individuals facing homelessness.

Verveer said specific targets and focus groups helped alleviate homelessness with specialized funding allocation, specifically for veterans facing homelessness.

“I think we are on the right track,” Verveer said. “They say we are very close to ending homelessness for veterans because of the federal support that’s available to provide housing and other support services for veterans.”

Rhodes said the immediate need to reconstruct temporary, emergency shelters into purpose-built shelters will remain a priority for the upcoming year. Rhodes said the city’s target to build such units fall preferably within the next five years.

Despite the city’s efforts to combat homelessness, Rhodes recognizes homelessness will always exist in the community. Yet, the need to address emergencies through community engagement and understanding is imminent in the cases Madison is seeing in the winter weather.

“We are working to end homelessness, but people face emergencies around their housing on an everyday basis,” Rhodes said. “So we need to make sure we are giving space for these emergency situations and that the community is supportive. There are a lot of people and a lot of reasons that an individual can find themselves in this situation.”

Photo - About 80% are transitionally homeless, meaning they are homeless once in their lives, according to a report.

Erik Brown The Badger Herald January 28, 2020 • badgerherald.com • 5

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New textbook aims to close gaps in LGBTQ health in medical schools ‘The Equal Curriculum’ covers topics ranging from transgender health to global LGBTQ health, Dr. said it’s necessary

by Savannah Kind Campus News Editor

University of Wisconsin staff members helped create a new textbook designed to close gaps in knowledge about LGBTQ health.

Dr. James Lehman, a senior editor, and Dr. Elizabeth Petty helped edit the textbook. “The Equal Curriculum” covers LGBTQ friendly medical encounters, specialties like pediatrics and neurology, transgender health, HIV/AIDS, sexual health and global LGBTQ health.

Lehman spoke about why a textbook like “The Equal Curriculum” is necessary.

“Across the country, the amount of education in LGBTQ health at the graduate health science level is incredibly variable,” Lehman said. “When [medical schools] did teach about LGBTQ health it was often as its own day or singular activity, as opposed to whenever it would make sense.”

Because of this, Lehman said across the county students led grassroots efforts to add to LGBTQ health curriculum at their universities.

While this led to change at individual institutions, Lehman said universities were having to come up with their own curriculum

and decide what should be included — this could be a lot of pressure for schools and made teachings variable.

Lehman said the textbook content is relevant to other courses as well — many chapters have applications in sociology, social psychology and nursing.

Diversity Officer for the School of Nursing Mel Freitag spoke about reasons why gaps still exist for LGBTQ health curriculum.

“I think the gap in health care [comes from] a color blindness,” Freitag said. “The helping professional fields feel like they already treat all their patients the same. So, regardless of the patients’ background I’m going to treat the disease, not the patient.”

Freitag said health professionals may think a person’s gender or sexual identity does not impact their level of care, but because of this many health disparities continue to persist.

A care giver’s lack of knowledge on LGBTQ health can make patients less trusting of their health care providers, Freitag said.

Lehman said it is a health professional’s duty to make up for broken trust between the LGBTQ community and the medical field.

“Patients will scan the environment for signs

of possible harm and for safety,” Lehman said.

“And I think the medical system has been involved in discrimination and harm to these communities. We have yet to make up for problems we have caused.”

The lack of LGBTQ health knowledge impacts patients in a variety of ways, Freitag said.

LGBTQ patients often wait to visit a health care provider because of a lack of trust in health care providers. As a result, they get diagnosed later when their diseases are more progressed, Freitag said. Additionally, Freitag said when the anatomy of a person differs from what a health care provider assumes based on gender identity, it can affect how a clinical skill is done.

Freitag said another reason LGBTQ persons may be hesitant to visit a healthcare professional is often the patient has to educate the health care provider on LGBTQ health topics.

The trans broken arm syndrome is a term to describe this. A trans person goes in for a broken arm but the healthcare provider wants to be educated on trans health, assuming the trans person knows about trans health, Freitag said.

Freitag said in order to start closing the gap on LGBTQ health disparities health providers need to start looking at their own privilege and become aware of the issues LGBTQ people face and what they can do to help.

Freitag said UW is on the same level as other universities for LGBTQ health curriculum, but is progressing forward with new initiatives.

“We’re at a place where we know we need to do something and there is an issue,” Freitag said. “Now people are starting to develop responses to that.”

Freitag said students are bringing their knowledge of LGBTQ topics to their classrooms across campus and helping to educate instructors and fellow students.

Freitag also organized the first LGBTQ Health Summit at UW to educate current health providers — the knowledge health providers gain at the summit can be put into practice right away. Freitag plans to make this an annual event.

“The ability for health care providers to say ‘I don’t know, but I’m going to do my homework and check on that ... is really a shift,” Freitag said. “In the end, it can really affect quality, and safety and care of a patient.”

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209,000 names to be removed from state voting list, lawsuit

Organizers said it will disproportionately affect voters of color, “We can’t afford to go backward,” an head of voting group said

by Janani Sundar City News Editor

A Wisconsin judge found the state’s elections commission to be in contempt Jan. 13. The judge ordered the removal of up to 209,000 names from the state’s voting lists, effective immediately, or face fines for each day it does not, according to AP News.

Last month Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Paul Malloy sided with the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, who filed a lawsuit and ordered a list of voter registrations to be deactivated. When the elections commission did not immediately act to remove the voters, Malloy found it and three Democratic commissioners who voted against moving ahead with the purge in contempt, according to AP News.

The District 4 Court of Appeals issued two stay orders Jan. 14, one temporarily halting the December ruling by Malloy to purge people from Wisconsin’s voter list, and the other temporarily blocking Malloy’s ruling that three members of the Elections Commission be held in contempt, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.

At least for the time being, hundreds of thousands of names will remain on Wisconsin’s voter rolls and members of the Elections Commission won’t be fined.

Public information officer at the Wisconsin Election Commission Reid Magney said no one is officially removed from the voter list yet.

Magney explained the elections commission sent out mailing in October to approximately 232,000 voters who may have moved. Under Wisconsin law, if someone moves, they need to re-register to vote under their new address.

The election commission sent out similar mailing in 2017.

Magney said the information they get from this process is not always reliable. Because of this, the commission decided in 2019 it would decide to send out mailers to people and give them time to respond.

“If you get one of these letters, it tells you it looks like you may have moved. If you have not moved, you can go to our My Vote Wisconsin website, and you can let us know you are still living where you were originally registered,” Magney said.

Magney added if they move, they can reregister to vote online. They could also go to their regular polling place during any of the four regularly scheduled elections in 2020 and confirm their address where they are registered.

“After every general election, we look back four years and see who has not. We send them

Photo - Wisconsin Elections Commission ruled to remove names or be fined for each day it does not do so.

Courtesy of Flickr User Vox Efx a postcard that says according to our records they have not voted in 4 years,” Magney said.

“If you want to remain registered to vote just return the postcard or contact us and you will stay on the list.”

If the election commission does not hear from residents within thirty days or if the postcard comes back as undeliverable, the people are deactivated and will need to register again. Magney said this process has been in place for more than a decade.

The WILL filed a complaint against the WEC and shortly after sued the WEC, claiming the election commission was doing something wrong and stated the commission should be removing the people who were sent letters in October if they did not hear back within thirty days, Magney explained.

Malloy agreed with WILL and said the WEC should remove the people immediately. The WEC appealed the decision and last week the Wisconsin Court of Appeals stayed Malloy’s decision, Magney said. While the case is on appeal, no voters will be removed from the list.

Magney explained when the mailing was sent, the WEC released a list of how many

voters were in each municipality. Magney said somebody may have looked at it and thought there were more people in strongly Democratic areas like Milwaukee and Madison.

“We have no idea which voters are Republicans or Democrats or independents.

In Wisconsin, you don’t register by party. We don’t have any information about what party people are in,” Magney said.

According to AP News, Democrats are fighting the lawsuit by claiming the purge would unfairly affect their voters. Republicans claim they want to ensure people who have moved are not able to vote from their old addresses.

WILL tried to take the case to the Wisconsin Supreme Court who declined its request to immediately hear the case. The case is now in a lower state appeals court and will likely not be resolved before the November presidential election, according to AP News.

Further direction includes both sides submitting briefs and arguments explaining their viewpoint and interpretation of the law.

The court of appeals will consider it and make a decision. The losing party can appeal the

decision to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Out of the 232,000 people, 90% moved and need to reregister, Magney said, but it is unclear who those people are. Magney added most of the errors come from the Department of Motor Vehicles records. According to AP News, the commission wanted to wait until after the November 2020 presidential election before removing anyone because of such inaccuracies.

Even if a voter’s registration is deactivated, they can register again later or on Election Day at the polls if they have the necessary documents.

According to AP News, dozens of people rallied outside the courthouse before the hearing to protest the voter registration deactivation. Organizers said the purge would unfairly affect voters of color.

Rev. Greg Lewis, head of the get-out-thevote group Souls to the Polls Milwaukee, said we need to get better as the world is changing.

“We can’t afford to go backward,” Lewis said. “Having a situation where you just treat folks who are already fragile in an indecent way is such a travesty of justice.”

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Assembly fails to override Gov. Evers’ veto on CNA legislation Bipartisan effort to reduce CNA training hours to match federal rules, legislature sees current 120 hours as excessive

by Lindsey Knuth Reporter

The Republican-controlled State Assembly failed to override Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ veto Jan. 15 on legislation concerning the required training hours needed to practice as a certified nursing assistant, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

Federal law requires CNA trainees to have only 75 training hours, while Wisconsin policy requires 120. The bill aimed to reduce the number of hours for CNA trainees in Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Health Care Association.

The assembly passed the bill in May by a 66-31 vote. Members such as Rep. Steve Doyle, D-Onalaska; Rep. Beth Meyers, D-Bayfield; and Rep. Don Vruwink, D-Milton exhibited bipartisan support for the bill by joining GOP lawmakers.

But, Evers vetoed the bill in November. Evers said in a statement he is concerned about reducing training for those who care for Wisconsin’s most vulnerable citizens, according to the Wisconsin State Legislature. Addressing the shortage of CNAs, he sent the Governor’s Task Force on Caregiving to seek strategies to attract and keep nurses.

The Republican legislature sees the current 120 hours as excessive and preventing many competent CNAs from providing care many Wisconsin residents desperately need. They also cite the state’s

increasing nursing shortage and call for members across the aisle to display support for what they see as a nonpartisan issue, according to a joint statement from Sen. Robert Cowles, R-Green Bay, and Rep. Warren Petryk, R-Eleva.

Groups such as the AARP view this federal requirement as necessary and possibly preventative of an extreme risk, such as under-certified CNAs providing faulty care, according to wispolitics.com.

In order for the veto override to be successful, three additional Democrats would have had to join their GOP colleagues in backing the veto override.

Regarding the Jan. 15 vote, the three aforementioned representatives who previously voted in favor of the 120-hour requirement chose to vote against the override, according to The Cap Times.

Rep. Cindi Duchow, R-Delafield, said partisans may receive consequences for voting against their party.

“My understanding is the minority leader had threatened them with taking away their staff and some other things if they voted with us, so they always vote along party lines,” Duchow said.

Assembly Republicans attempted and failed in November to override three of Evers’ budget vetoes, and these veto overrides have not been tried for nine years. These four attempts were only permitted because a chamber decision allowing unlimited veto override votes was passed last fall. Before this, a veto

override could only occur once, according to The Cap Times.

So far, the Assembly has largely voted along party lines, as seen in the attempted CNA override.

Republicans control 63 of 99 seats in the Assembly, so achieving the two-thirds majority vote for a veto override remains challenging.

Steven Davis, a political science professor at Edgewood College, spoke on the current position of the Republican party in Wisconsin, and how this may affect bills.

The GOP in Wisconsin is strengthened by gerrymandering, Davis said. He explained that in 2018, 54% of all votes cast in the State Assembly races were for Democrats. But, because of how the districts were drawn, they only won 36% of the seats.

“Though a new redistricting plan must be drawn up by the legislature after the 2020 census, a less extreme and less biased compromise map is more likely this time because Gov. Evers must sign off on it,” Davis said.

This new plan will be based on the 2020 census and put into effect by 2022, Davis said.

So far, many of the bills Evers signed are relatively nonpartisan. Duchow said if Evers continues this trend, bipartisan task forces for important issues like adoption and clean water could push lots of legislation through with no issue.

But, the Republicans may subsequently have trouble pushing bills concerning more controversial issues, like welfare and voter ID requirements, Duchow added.

“We want to have stricter requirements for people getting welfare, and Gov. Evers is not going to go along with that,” Duchow said. “We want to tighten up the elections—right now. In Milwaukee, you can vote up to six weeks prior to an election, and I personally think that’s wrong.”

Six bills unanimously passed the Assembly Jan. 15 regarding two years of collective bargaining agreements for the several hundred unionized trades workers spread across the University of Wisconsin System campuses, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

These workers, who are carpenters, painters, bricklayers and plumbers, were still waiting for costof-living raises despite the UW Board of Regents approving these agreements nine months ago.

The workers are entitled to the retroactive 20182019 agreement of a 2.13% increase and the 20192020 2.44% raise.

Duchow spoke on Governor Evers’ goal for the year and the Assembly’s next steps.

“Right now, he’s trying to get some things done so that the Democrats have something to run on in the fall,” Duchow said. “So we have put a lot of bipartisan legislation forward.”

Dane County to strengthen mental healthcare access for inmates Forty six percent of inmates within the county’s jail system were diagnosed with some form of mental health ailment

by Ben Baker Reporter

Dane County received a series of grants to further improve mental healthcare access within the criminal justice system and broader population.

A report from the Dane County Behavioral Health Needs Assessment found approximately 46% of inmates within the county’s jail system were diagnosed with some form of mental health ailment.

Given nearly half of Dane County’s inmates may require varying degrees of mental health assistance, the county moved to address the issue.

The Dane County Criminal Justice Council applied for a grant to assist countywide efforts in developing stronger, less racialized mental healthcare for its prison population. The National Association of Counties and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation provided Dane County additional funding for their mission, prompting celebration among county officials like Colleen Clark Bernhardt, the CJC Equity and Criminal Justice Council Coordinator.

“This allows Dane County to work with peer counties and national experts and signifies the long term commitment Dane County has to racial equity and criminal justice improvement,” Bernhardt said.

The new funding arrives on the heels of 8 • badgerherald.com • January 28, 2020

a period marked by an increase in prisoner suicides nationally. A Bureau of Justice Statistics report found for every 100,000 prisoners, 50 would commit suicide, between 2000 and 2014.

Additionally, 40% of inmate suicides during the same time period occurred within seven days of an inmate’s admission.

National inmate death rates also point to racial discrepancies related to healthcare access.

According to a BJS report, in 2014 non-white prisoners accounted for over half of all inmate deaths and African American inmates made up nearly 32% of inmate deaths.

As part of this new grant, Dane County will begin working with the Peer Learning Network, a collaborative effort of counties and criminal justice experts, to reduce the number of incarcerated people suffering from mental illness, Bernhardt said. The CJC’s Behavioral and Mental Health Subcommittee, created in May 2019, is tasked specifically with issues like this, Bernhardt said.

The information from the PLN will contribute to the subcommittee, Bernhardt said.

“It advances learning on different ways to divert folks who are struggling with a behavioral health crisis from formal criminal justice involvement,” Bernhardt said.

Elizabeth Doyle, Dane County’s District 1

supervisor, said in conjunction with the CJC’s work related to the MacArthur Foundation, the Behavioral and Mental Health Subcommittee also received $1.5 million to work alongside the C.J. Tubbs Fund for Hope, Healing and Recovery in the hopes of closing socioeconomic and racial gaps in access to mental healthcare.

Doyle added this project plan to take an innovative approach to their task, and will implement technology and peer support networks.

Doyle said of the total funding, $500,000 will be allocated to establishing a new mental health call center to help those wrestling with mental health issues maneuver through the process.

“One of the things that emerged when talking with the Tubbs family and other folks that have struggled to navigate the system of substance abuse and mental health resources is just how difficult it is to navigate,” Doyle said.

The call center is meant to help people navigate the system and point them towards specific services, Doyle said.

In addition to combating racial divisions in mental health care access, Doyle said there are hopes to simplify treatment for those experiencing addiction or mental illness while also improving accessibility.

As mental healthcare moves to the forefront of

the county’s public health discussion, there are many who see these recent grants as a vital step in normalizing mental wellness, such as Anna Moffit, the Executive Director of Dane County’s National Alliance on Mental Illness chapter.

“What’s taking place right now at the county level is very exciting for us because we’re really seeing a strong move toward the decriminalization of mental illness,” Moffit said.

The PLN will hopefully defer and deflect those living with a mental illness away from the criminal justice system, Moffit said.

Dane County’s work toward equity in mental healthcare is viewed by many, including Bernhardt, as a concrete example of the county’s dedication to combating racial inequality.

Doyle believes while the CJC and the subcommittee’s actions are taking the right step in the direction of equity, the county is still far from where she believes it should be with regards to social justice.

“We definitely have very stark racial disparities in Dane County be it mental health or infant mortality,” Doyle said. “We’re definitely behind where we should be.”

Dane County will begin implementing its new mental health measures at the end of the month.

The PLN will run from Jan. 2020 until June 2021.

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Lake Mendota’s late freeze, warming climate induced trends

The average freeze date is a lot later than 150 years ago, consequences important to community, UW professor said

by Erin Gretzinger City News Editor

Lake Mendota officially froze over in January, joining the ranks of other lakes in the Northern Hemisphere as a part of new later freeze date trends as the result of a warming climate.

Mendota was declared frozen by the Wisconsin State Climatology Office Jan. 12, marking the 10th time in the past 20 years the lake completely froze over in January, according to the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Limnology. Though, data on Lake Mendota’s freeze patterns dating back to the 1850s show the lake only froze 25 times in January over 150 years or approximately 16% of the time.

John Magnuson, UW professor and director emeritus of the Center of Limnology, said January freeze dates for Mendota are a relatively new phenomenon connected to warmer temperatures.

“The average freeze date is a lot later than 150 years ago,” Magnuson said. “It’s a lot warmer now than 150 years ago, so the water doesn’t cool down enough to freeze over.”

Mendota’s ice-on date this year was approximately three weeks later than average.

Magnuson said in the 1850s, about five months of ice would cover Mendota on average. Due to

later ice-on dates in more recent years, Mendota now has about four months of ice cover per year.

Magnuson said while inter-year variability factors such as the exact temperatures, wind and cloudiness contribute heavily to a lake’s final freeze date, the later ice-on trends can be traced back to a warming climate.

“The reason it’s freezing later is those really bitter cold nights are not occurring as early in the winter,” Magnuson said. “But the main crux of this, the reason we are in this situation, is because our climate is warming.”

One key change with the warming temperatures of lake water is the temperature stratification of a lake. Magnuson explained lakes have four seasons defined by the layered temperatures of water. Cold and warm water are stratified for the winter and summer seasons, with the warm on top in the summer and the cold on top in the winter. Magnuson said the periods of mixing temperatures between cold and warm occur during the spring and fall.

Magnuson said if a lake doesn’t have any ice, it loses the winter season because the ice is what protects the lake from mixing. The lake is essentially cut down to two seasons, resulting in different impacts on a lake’s ecosystem. Without a distinct cold water season, the reproductive

cycles of cool and cold water fish such as yellow perch, trout and cisco are interfered with.

Magnuson said this factor may be especially prominent in the decline of walleye seen across Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota.

“Since the period of open water is longer … it favors the warm water fish and the cool water fish do more poorly,” Magnuson said.

In the next 30 years, Magnuson said it is expected that Mendota will have its first winter without freezing over completely and the average annual air temperatures will average at about 46ºF, meaning it will not be cold enough to freeze.

In the next 60 to 90 years after Mendota has its first year without complete ice cover, Magnuson said Mendota will still have ice cover for most years, but the proportion of winters without ice cover is expected to slowly increase. As more winters pass, Magnuson said it becomes more of a mystery of how safe the ice will truly be.

“As you go farther down that period, it’s more difficult to predict whether the ice is safe, and it is not likely that the ice is as thick,” Magnuson said. “We end up having to be more aware of how we interact with the lake if we want to be safe, even on the ice years.

Emily Whitaker, a UW grad student with the Freshwater and Marine Sciences Department, is

attempting to tackle some of the mystery with the impacts of ice periods on lakes’ ecosystems.

Whitaker is currently conducting research to explore the ecological impacts of less lake ice.

Whitaker said traditionally not a lot of work is completed in the winter time on the lake due to safety issues. Though, with new, safer technology available, a new frontier is open to new questions.

“With new ways to access the ice that are much safer, we can now start asking these questions about how ecology is changing as ice is changing,” Whitaker said.

One focus of Whitaker’s research is about how light entering through the ice impacts the ecosystem below, relating to the thickness and type of ice now accessible to measure. Whitaker said the exposure of light and energy based on ice-on and ice-off trends can shape different communities in an ecosystem.

Whitaker’s specific focus is how the phytoplankton community may be changing due to light exposure from the ice. With a shortening winter time and consequently a longer spring and summer, Whitaker is interested in how ecological community structures are working under the ice as well as how they may evolve going forward.

“This is kind of to understand the basis of what the new normal is now, but also that the new normal is always changing,” Whitaker said.

Based on research Magnuson and colleagues published in the Nature Research Journal, there are currently 14,800 lakes experiencing intermittent winter ice cover in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning they do not freeze over at all. Magnuson said that number will double to 35,300 if the climate warms 2°C, the goal of the Paris Climate Accord. If the mark is missed with little or no climate change mitigation and the climate warms a predicted 8°C, 230,400 will have no ice cover.

Magnuson said looking into how a warmer climate affects lakes is like “opening a Pandora’s box.” Though, Magnuson believes people can better understand and see the effects of a warming climate with changes with ice currently occurring.

“Ice on and off dates are very easy for people to relate to. They are based on direct observation,” Magnuson said. “I think one of the most important things that people don’t realize is that the duration of ice, when it freezes and when it breaks, has a lot of consequences important to people.”

Photo - Mendota’s ice-on date this year was approximately three weeks later than average.

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Oscar nominations so white, so male returns, 2020 edition Despite making some strides in last few years, Oscars start new decade with a return to form, severe lack of diversity in major categories

by Zach Lutz ArtsEtc Editor

With the Oscar nominations being released on Jan. 13th and the ceremony now less than two weeks away on Feb. 9th, we have had plenty of time to see the movies and let our thoughts sink in, now it’s time to analyze and discuss the makeup of the nominees.

“ Gerwig was snubbed from the directing category which features five men .”

Most importantly, we can’t forget that this years Oscars shows an unwanted return to white male dominance.

The biggest precursors to the Oscars are always the Golden Globes and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards (BAFTA’s). While they did not suggest a ton of diversity, it was widely believed they would not follow in their steps.

Rather, this year ’s Oscars seemed to show even less diversity than the Golden Globes and BAFTA’s.

The biggest issues are in the directing and acting categories.

Greta Gerwig, following her phenomenal writing and directing debut with “Lady Bird,” put out another gem this year with her refreshing take on the classic “Little Women.”

While she did get the screenplay nod, Gerwig was snubbed from the directing category which features five men.

Gerwig could have easily been nominated over “Joker” Director Todd Phillips, and many experts believed this would be the case, but the Academy opted to leave her out and give “Joker” just another one of its 11 nominations.

While “Joker” is one of the biggest fanfavorites of the year, the movie missed the mark with many critics, with Phillips’ direction being a part of their grievances with the film.

Fortunately, one of the nominees for Best Director is Bong Joon-Ho. The South Korean Director has a rich filmography, but “Parasite” is one of the most beloved movies of the year from critics and fans alike.

His nomination is well warranted but it wouldn’t have been a total surprise if the Academy left him out considering their track record for not nominating foreign films in the major categories.

In the actress categories, many believed Jennifer Lopez would be a shoe-in and perhaps even the winner of the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category. She was completely snubbed, however, in favor of 10• badgerherald.com • January 28, 2020

Photo · The Badger Herald Archive Kathy Bates for “Richard Jewell.” Bates is a veteran and a terrific actress but when it came down to giving Lopez’ “Hustlers” or “Richard Jewell” a nomination, the Academy opted to give it to Bates and “Richard Jewell,” keeping Lopez from earning her first nomination, while giving Bates her fourth nomination.

Additionally, Lupita Nyong’o and Awkwafina missed nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role, despite turning in top-notch performances. Nyong’o doubled as two horrifying characters in Jordan Peele’s “Us” while Awkwafina starred in the foreign hit, “The Farewell.”

Both performances received a lot of praise as did both movies, yet both movies were snubbed entirely.

There is some saving grace again here though. Cynthia Erivo earned a nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role for “Harriet.” The biopic about Harriet Tubman received a couple of nominations and it was nice to see the Academy recognizing her performance, though its highly doubtful she

will win.

In the actor categories, Antonio Banderas got a nod for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his foreign film, “Pain and Glory.” Other than that, however, the rest of the actor nominees are white.

Nobody is really complaining here because most of the actor nominees were expected as they all gave tremendous performances. Even though the supporting category is stacked, some experts did believe Sterling K. Brown could have found his way into the nomination for his role in “Waves.”

“Waves” is yet another premium product from A24, and while critically acclaimed, the Academy continues to fail A24, missing “Waves” in every area.

It’s tough to get over our biases, and when you consider the names in the supporting category - Brad Pitt, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins— we always expect career best performances.

It’s possible that because they are always Oscar-worthy and have been nominated

so many times, we expect and hope they continue to be nominated. While Brown has found plenty of success in TV, he has never been nominated for an Oscar and he had such a wonderful opportunity in “Waves.”

Nevertheless, the Academy went for all the big, established stars.

Even Jamie Foxx and Michal B. Jordan’s “Just Mercy” was completely shut out from the Oscars despite lots of love.

Jordan is one of the most charismatic and versatile actors working today, yet still has not found his way into the Oscars and this role was clear Oscar bait.

Now, however, the movie looks like it flopped because of its star power, message and story, yet no major nominations to show for it. The movies success should not be debated just because it wasn’t nominated for an Oscar.

The Oscars aren’t perfect and they leave out amazing movies every year. There is a lot to appreciate with the Oscars, but notably in 2020, there is a clear lack of diversified representation.

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Madison co-ops overlooked in mass search for fall apartment

Co-op living offers unique housing experience, here are details on different co-op houses in downtown Madison-area courtesy of Madison Community Cooperative

by Veronica Kuffel ArtsEtc Editor

Housing deadlines are slowly creeping upon the Madison community, and many are still scrambling to find homes for next year. Luckily, the Madison Community Cooperative has some underrated options that are cheap, inclusive and fun.

A few of these co-op houses might even cater to your identities and interests, so let’s shine some light on an overlooked scene.

Cooperatives or “co-ops” are a type of affordable housing that has been around since the early 19th century. Each is run by a group of residents with common interests or social values, creating an environment that stimulates friendliness and networking.

While examples of this can be found throughout history, it became a modern business in Britain during the Industrial Revolution. They were popularized in the United States through The National Affordable Housing Act of 1990, an initiative to curb the country’s debt.

But as we’ve seen with our array of coffee shops and hipster shenanigans, Madison was ahead of the curve. The Madison Community Cooperative

began in 1968 when eight co-op representatives decided to join together and form an association.

The MCC has been active for almost five decades, and now incorporates eleven houses scattered across Madison.

The association strives to be inclusive, especially toward low to moderate-income people and those of marginalized groups. Most are eco-friendly and offer services to maintain a cooperative atmosphere.

The way each co-op house works is through collective care and cooperation among its members. Depending on the house, residents will cook, clean, maintain the grounds, facilitate meetings, bookkeep or grocery shop. Some have pets who are also cared for within the group, while individual pets are tended to by owners.

There are roughly one to two meetings a week for each MCC house, and all residents must attend at least three general membership meetings within the association. These discuss issues and ideas for the community as a whole.

To live in a co-op house, there are a few rules each member must follow. Primarily, residents must pay a security deposit and house deposit — one for MCC services and the other specific to the house.

They must also pay for an MCC Membership Fee and NASCO (North American Students of Co-operation) Membership Fee if a student. An additional charge is assigned for monthly food, as each co-op has a kitchen and buys food the group can share.

According to the MCC, the total cost per month is $535 for room, board and utilities. Besides the low cost, MCC co-ops can have themes or their own missions, which can be a fun way to branch out and discover like-minded people.

Ofek Shalom is a historically Jewish house whose roots go back to Kibbutz Langdon in the 70s, according to the MCC. The co-op celebrates holidays like Passover Seder and Shabbat every Friday, but members don’t necessarily have to be Jewish.

The house gives its residents the opportunity to live and learn from one another, regardless of religious affiliation. But for those who are Jewish, it’s a way to meet others in their community.

There are also houses that operate under common-held interests. The International Coop hosts a diverse group of people who include members from the U.S. and abroad. It allows anyone to join, but most residents are interested in foreign affairs and learning about different

customs.

The Lothlorien is another house that has many residents with a common interest, that being political activism. Their site claims many residents are “politically active in queer rights, labor rights, environmental and feminist movements.”

The Audre Lorde Co-op additionally accepts those who are into racial justice, pro-feminism and LGBT rights.

Other homes are known for their special furniture and items. The Phoenix Cooperative, for example, has a 110-inch projector screen and stereo sound system along with a video game console and a fireplace.

The Sofia Co-op has a backyard with raisedbed gardens and a chicken coop, and many co-ops offer vegetarian and vegan options for meals.

Regardless of the co-op, each has a friendly and fun atmosphere many can learn to enjoy. If you’re interested in these or any other house, each co-op has a different set of rules for admission.

Most require people to attend three dinners and an interview, while others require the group’s consent to let a member in.

While on the home search, the MCC is a great option for those who want to live in a community.

The current state and worth of free/illegal movie streaming Countless websites offering free movie streams show value, alternatives to dangerous sites, what to trust, what to clearly avoid

by Zach Lutz ArtsEtc Editor

These days, it’s incredibly easy to torrent, stream or download movies for free.

Yes, streaming any movie for free is illegal. But with how accessible free movies are and seemingly with no consequences, college students — or anyone for that matter — can take advantage of using these websites without any major risk.

For us college students it is a viable option. If we aren’t going to spend our money at the theaters, why pay to buy or rent a movie when these movies are accessible in HD on countless websites?

Some websites even have movies that are currently in theaters in high quality.

For film lovers like myself there is now a moral dilemma. I want to support the filmmakers I love by paying for their movies but in my current state I don’t have the money to keep up with the amount of movies I watch.

I see any and every highly anticipated movie in theaters and that’s how I show my support, but afterwards I’m not going to buy it on Apple TV, Blu-Ray or on demand.

Chris Stuckmann and other respected movie critics will stress the importance of helping filmmakers and the industry make money — and

they should. Its really cool that Chris Stuckmann reviews movies in the room that holds his Blu-Ray collection on his YouTube channel.

Maybe once I have a legitimate job in the real world I will be able to curate a Blu-Ray collection of my own or find another way to consistently support the film industry, but I’m not at that point yet.

One of the biggest problems with using these free websites is that high quality indie films that nobody sees in the theaters will really struggle to make money unless they make it to Netflix, Hulu or HBO. Luckily, Netflix continues to expand their movie selection and welcome more and more quality indie films. If Netflix, Hulu and HBO continue to dominate and grow, they could eventually hold all the movies you need to see.

What the streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have over the shady free movie websites is the ability to discover. With personalized recommendation features, you will come across movies you might otherwise not have watched and because you gave Netflix recommendations a try, you might find your new favorite film.

Over winter break, I watched “A Ghost Story” on Netflix because of the recommendation feature and now its my favorite movie of all time. Nobody I knew had seen the film, so if it were not for Netflix

I may never have watched it because I would not have known to search for it on a free movie site.

What streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and HBO can’t compete with is the fact that these free movie sites get Oscar-nominated films either while they are in theaters or before they come out digitally to rent or buy.

So for anyone interested in keeping up with awards season and seeing the movies the critics loved, these sites offer tremendous value.

A lot of times, big time movies make it to these sites quickly because voting members get copies of the movies before their actual release and many of these copies find their way in the hands of others before they are eventually uploaded to the website.

Any shady free movie website runs the risk of leaving your phone or laptop with a virus, so users have to be quick to click out of harmful ads or have their device equipped with the best ad block and virus protection software.

The best solution to avoid this harm is to buy or use a Virtual Private Network (VPN).VPN’s create a private tunnel connection with whatever site you are using so that no third-party can affect your experience with that site.

If you do use free movie sites, there are a couple to avoid.

Moviesin.co, Hulu123.net and Putlocker are just a few to watch out for.

Not only will these sites run a good risk of infecting your device, you are also not going to get quality copies of the movies you want to watch.

Moviesin.co often has versions where someone is sitting in the theater recording the movie on a camera.

Nobody wants to watch that.

Hulu123.net has a wonky interface and clicking on anything at any point on that site could lead to malware.

Putlocker used to be a lot more popular than it is now and it has been around for a few years. It has run its course after being taken down and put back up multiple times and there are many cleaner alternatives now who do not run the risk of getting shut down.

Popcorn Time — though shady in the past — and 123 Movies have both proved to be quality alternatives to some of the sites above, with clean interfaces posing a lesser risk for viruses or any sort of malware.

Free movie streaming is a fascinating phenomenon because its an illegality that is so easy to commit and so inconsequential, but with Netflix continuing to expand to be more personalized, there may not be a need for free movie streams with how much Netflix can package for a small monthly price.

January 28, 2020 • badgerherald.com • 11

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POLICY &PAYMENTS

As the heathcare debate rages on, college students struggle to navigate law while budgeting for a broken system.

by Nuha Dolby Print Features Editor

“Together, we’re going to deliver real change that once again puts Americans first,” Trump said to the roaring crowd at a campaign rally in October 2016. “You’re going to have such great health care, at a tiny fraction of the cost — and it’s going to be so easy.”

And yet the national debate on healthcare has erupted as costs skyrocket and more and more people grow weary of the bills from the doctor’s office. As Democratic primary campaigns rage on, progressive candidates have endorsed the idea of a single-payer national insurance plan, with moderates supporting a public option plan. President Trump has suggested cuts to Medicare to lower the federal deficit, should he win a second term, according to the New York Times.

As the topic becomes partisan and takes the main stage, potential are solutions flung about, and there seems to be only one thing people agree on — medical care is expensive.

After he took his place as the 45th president of the United States, Trump perhaps began to think otherwise to his proclamation of “easy.”

“Now, I have to tell you, it’s an unbelievably complex subject,” he said at a meeting in early 2017 with governors from across the country. “Nobody knew health care could be so complicated.”

ON A PERSONAL LEVEL

Thomas Gillis, a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin, has been plagued with medical troubles since later years in high school.

Gillis described his first serious injury, in 2017, which required surgery and additional care.

“I was on a spring baseball trip in high school. I ended up getting in a collision during a play, and broke my leg straight through in a compound fracture,” Gillis said. “I had to get picked up by an ambulance, got a ton of x-rays,

12 • badgerherald.com • January 28, 2020

and I had trauma surgery to get it fixed and have a rod put in my leg. I stayed in the hospital for multiple days, and was flown specially back to Milwaukee.”

Gillis said he was grateful to have not been initially concerned about cost.

“I knew the whole time, we had insurance,” he said.

As Gillis healed, though, it slowly dawned on him just

“There’s no fairness or process for how these things happen, and nobody should be forced to be scared of going to the doctor because they’re worried they can’t pay.”

Thomas Gillis Doctoral Student, Sophomore at UW how expensive the entire process was. While he had been in surgery, money hadn’t been at the forefront of his mind — his health was. But as time passed, and bills started coming in, he was shocked to see just how much this one incident cost.

“I remember one of the nights my mom was getting the bills, she got one where medical costs before insurance kicked in was 140 thousand dollars. Just for the specific surgery, and just for this bill,” Gillis said. “Being only 17, I’d never been exposed to much ... but that was one of the first times I actually thought, ‘well, if we weren’t well off, and really, if we didn’t have insurance, what would we have done?’ ... to someone who might not have insurance, what are you supposed to do? You’re stranded.”

Unfortunately, Gillis’ health woes were not yet over.

As time passed, more issues developed, this time with his brain. During the summer of 2017, he started getting headaches that he initially thought were migraines. They kept him up at night.

While he knew this wasn’t normal, and likely not healthy, he refrained from going to see medical professionals for financial reasons.

“The whole time, I was thinking I should get it checked out,” he said. “But there was always something holding me back — MRIs are expensive, medicine is expensive.

You never want to be the boy who cried wolf, and crying wolf cost you thousands of dollars. I had already just cost thousands of dollars for something else.”

Gillis said he put up with it until the pain became so unbearable he broke down to his family, and went to see a doctor. After getting back from the appointment, he said his mother immediately called him downstairs — someone had looked at the scan. That specialist became so concerned that Gillis needed to go to the emergency room immediately.

So that night, he headed back to the hospital. As it turned out, it was fortunate that he did.

“I don’t know how close I came to just dealing with it and dying, because I was worried about the medical care,” Gillis said. “I actually had to have emergency brain surgery to relieve pressure in my brain right away.”

And, of course, the bills followed once more.

“My mom wouldn’t even show me the medical bills for that one. And I didn’t even want to think about it,” Gillis said.

Following this latest incident, Gillis was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition. He said it requires him to take daily medication to keep his health in check, which came at a price.

“Since then, I buy pills that I literally need every single day or else I’ll wind up back in the hospital. It’s not cheap, and we reached our deductible on the insurance in the first few months,” Gillis said.

Gillis noted there’s other upkeep — his specialist, who he had been seeing for his case from the start, had relocated to Madison from Milwaukee. While it worked out for Gillis because he happened to relocate at the same time, to be a student at UW, he said it would’ve cost even more to commute back and forth.

Let alone the price of each appointment, he added, or the extra time it would’ve taken.

Gillis said it was important to note both serious surgeries occurred within months of each other — in the same year — and the unpredictable way medical problems can happen makes preparing for them hard.

“What are you supposed to say, that someone should have planned for this? Two expensive surgeries in six months is not something anyone expects,” he said. “There’s no fairness or process for how these things happen, and nobody should be forced to be scared of going to the doctor because they’re worried they can’t pay.”

BEHIND THE FACTS

Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences at UW-Madison Rebecca Myerson, discussed the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

“It was designed to increase access to coverage and increase affordability of care for those covered, through a large number of mechanisms,” Myerson said. “Some of

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facebook.com/badgerherald these mechanisms were particularly targeted to specific populations including people aged 25 and younger, the Medicare population, people with diagnosed chronic conditions, people without employer-sponsored insurance and low-income adults.”

She noted some facets of the ACA were designed for those 25 years of age and under, citing a provision that allowed those who fell in that age group to stay longer on their parents’ health insurance plans. This policy, she said, was an earlier impact of the ACA, as it kicked in before later coverage expansions.

Myerson added college-aged students could be notably affected by certain sects of the ACA and expansions to healthcare access.

“There are also some policies that were not age-specific but may disproportionately affect or just be relevant for college-aged people,” Myerson said. “These include Medicaid eligibility expansions [as] students may have low income and be eligible for coverage in states that implemented this policy, and coverage for birth control without cost sharing for all qualified health plans as an essential health benefit. Mental health services were also required to be covered.”

Myerson’s work on the subject has involved a paper published with professors from the University of Southern California. Published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, the abstract states the study “provides the first evidence to our knowledge that near-universal access to Medicare at age 65 is associated with improvements in population-level cancer mortality.” The study notes cancer as the second leading cause of death nationwide in the US. In a review paper she published with professors from USC and the University of Chicago, the abstract stated expansions in insurance coverage for low-income adults accelerated diabetes diagnosis and then, in turn, boosted doctor visits for diabetes management.

“The findings from my research on cancer and Medicare insurance suggests that nearly-universal health insurance coverage can improve health equity – reducing death from treatable causes among under-served patient populations,” Myerson said.

GOVERNMENT APPROACH

In Wisconsin, Governor Tony Evers received praise from those supporting the ACA when in June 2019, he pulled Wisconsin from a multistate lawsuit that sought the nullification of the federal health care law, according to the AP. Entrance into the lawsuit was spearheaded by former Gov. Scott Walker, who approved Wisconsin joining the suit.

In his State of the State address in January 2019, Evers cemented his support of federal level healthcare plans.

“The people of Wisconsin voted for a change [in the 2018 gubernatorial election] and asked us to stop playing politics with their health care,” Evers said. “I’ve said all along that I believe the best way to maintain protections for healthcare here in Wisconsin is to stop trying to dismantle those protections at the federal level.”

Jennifer Miller, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, discussed ACA enrollment

in Wisconsin.

“Governor Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) believe every person should have access to quality, affordable healthcare, and that starts by making sure folks know there are options,” Miller

“People will have to stop breathing or something to get people to take them to doctors, for people to think its worth that kind of money, and that’s way too late.”

Alex Student at UW said in a statement to the Badger Herald. “However, the open enrollment period for 2020 ran from November 1 to December 15, 2019. Those who want to obtain health coverage through [the ACA] will have to wait until the next enrollment period later this year to have coverage in 2021.”

Miller added that people could also try to find out if they are eligible for BadgerCare Plus, “a health care coverage program for low-income Wisconsin residents.”

According to data provided by Marlena Holden, Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications at UW University Health Services, 24.18% of respondents in a survey said that, while students at UW, they decided not to use healthcare services because of cost. 36.7% of respondents said they waited to obtain healthcare until they were able to travel somewhere their insurance covered.

Of respondents who said they did not have health insurance, 50% said it was due to cost.

In a statement to the Badger Herald, Holden said some services at UHS were no-cost for students.

“Most healthcare services — including medical services, mental health counseling, radiology, laboratory tests, victim advocacy and free flu shots — are available to UWMadison students at no-cost beyond what a student already paid as part of the student segregated health fee,” Holden said.

CAMPUS-WIDE EFFECTS

Alex, a UW student who requested to go by first name only, talked about how, like Gillis, he and his friends weren’t really thinking seriously about healthcare costs.

“When I was a freshman, some of my friends had made a jar where you put in money whenever you did something ‘wrong,’ like if you lost your keys on a night out, puked because you drank too much [alcohol], stuff like that.

It was a joke that we’d put the money in the jar towards

anyone who wound up in detox, because everyone talks about how expensive it is,” Alex said. “I probably put a couple bucks in [the jar], and at the end of the [academic] year we went out and spent it all on booze.”

He said as he had friends actually go to “detox” or the emergency room in later years, he realized the joke wasn’t nearly as funny. “Detox” is slang for hospital admission, typically through the emergency room, for alcohol detoxification when consumption has reached dangerously high levels.

“My friend actually wound up in the ER once because she had been puking and passed out after drinking, and everyone there was really scared that it was becoming dangerous and not just a hard night out,” he said. “We were seriously worried about her. I’d never seen someone in that bad shape before.”

Alex said that while she wound up being okay, and was released after being cleared to go home by medical professionals, she wound up bringing up financial concerns after she sobered up.

“She got really, really upset the next day, after she sobered up and realized what [had] happened. At the time, we were thinking about her, maybe what her parents would think, and cost wasn’t even brought up,” he said.

“But some of the first words out [of] her mouth were ‘This is gonna be so f*cking expensive.’ And she told us months afterwards that she owed almost a thousand dollars on the bills that her insurance didn’t end up covering.”

Her parents were furious, Alex said, perhaps unsurprisingly so. But despite their knowledge of the incident, financial concerns at home meant she was required to pay for the bill herself. He added that while he had been told she’d managed it, he had no idea how.

“Figuring out how you’re gonna pay that kind of money is not a casual thing for broke college kids,” he said. “I don’t think — to be honest, I know I couldn’t have paid that.”

He said while some responsibility falls to students to keep themselves safe, the implications of the incident were dangerous. While he said he understood it might be hard for adults to sympathize, given that they admittedly drank to excess and she wound up fine, there was still more to the story.

“We were trying to do what so many college kids do, have a good time, and it got out of hand. We tried to be responsible after, do the right thing, and she was fine. But now she has to pay a lot of money because we decided to get professional help,” he said. “I know we were doing something stupid, to land ourselves in that type of situation. But it’s something else entirely to say that people should be going broke just to get to a doctor in an emergency.”

He added that the long-lasting effects were something to be concerned about.

“Something I’m taking from [the situation] is that next time, it’ll take a lot more for me to want to risk anyone’s paycheck, just in case they end up fine, too.

And [my friend] was already looking the worst I’d ever seen somebody, at that point,” he said.

“People will have to stop breathing or something to get people to take them to doctors, for people to think its worth that kind of money, and that’s way too late.”

January 28, 2020 • badgerherald.com • 13

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Congress needs to push for a joint resolution to end the Iran conflict

U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher’s objections to the passing of a concurrent resolution reflective of his own political agenda

by Kaitlin Kons Columnist

Every decision the government makes is political. Even a decision to intentionally be apolitical is political in nature because the consequences that judgment pose are considered diligently beforehand.

Therefore, no decision made can be apolitical.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a concurrent resolution by a 224 to 194 vote. The resolution was aimed at the president to halt military action in Iran. This debate caused an uproar in the media, most notably here in Wisconsin as two of our U.S. Representatives’ views were in striking contrast on the matter.

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, argues that President Trump’s use of force in Iran is unconstitutional and violates the War Powers Resolution of 1973. U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Green Bay, argues the Democrats using the War Powers Resolution to draft a concurrent resolution against the action is just political messaging against Republicans, and ultimately against President Trump.

Concurrent resolutions differ from joint resolutions or bills because they never hit the president’s desk and become law. They instead serve as more or less a means of declaration — and in this case, it would be an announcement by Congress condemning the President’s actions in Iran.

This is the basis of Gallagher’s argument — a concurrent resolution is a mere political strategy with no weight to it. War Powers are much more important than a concurrent resolution, such as what the Senate is proposing: a joint resolution to legislate limitations on President Trump’s power. One that has gained traction in the Senate among Republicans and Democrats.

Most notably, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, have spoken out against the decisions of Trump’s advisors, vowing to support the resolution proposed by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia.

This is one of few issues that cross party lines to create coalitions of legislators who would not normally work together. In the end, the two Wisconsin representatives want the same thing. Pocan wants Congress to reassert its War Powers authority and Gallagher is worried the House’s concurrent resolution will cause Congress to miss an opportunity to meaningfully reclaim Congressional War Powers.

It is the same argument but with politics all tangled up in it.

14 • badgerherald.com • January 28, 2020

Photo - The passing of the House resolution is emblematic of the pitfalls in protecting politicial interests. over the wellbeing of the public.

Abigail Steinberg The Badger Herald Gallagher claims to vote against the House resolution because of the weakness of passing something with no legal ramifications. He claims passing something that does not touch the law is wasting a perfect opportunity to fix the broken law.

Talking down to Democrats for wanting to pass a House resolution for political points and then voting against it is hypocritical.

Representatives do not publish statements explaining themselves unless they need to defend themselves or back up a vote with reasoning that is not abundantly clear.

Gallagher needed to do both things. He needed to communicate his reasoning for the need to reform War Powers while defending his vote. In essence, he voted against the Democratic House majority — so as to not break ranks — while reassuring his colleagues

and constituents that War Powers is a concern of his.

It was a purely calculated political move.

He could have proposed a joint resolution himself but, as it was previously stated, joint resolutions land on the president’s desk and Mike Gallagher did not want his name to be the first one Trump saw.

Why? Because Gallagher is up for reelection in 2020 as well. Everything is political.

Instead of focusing on the threat of national security and how America almost fell off the cliff of peacetime into the abyss of an endless war with Iran, legislators are seeing this as a political opportunity and talking point to use for their 2020 campaign trail ― whether it be Gallagher and the ignorant Republicans scared of their own president, or U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Michigan, and the Democrats

choosing the path of politics over practicality.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Presidency grows closer and closer to an autocracy every day with every administration making up excuses to do whatever they want. The use of the War Powers Resolutions from 2001 and 2002 to authorize military action today when they were originally meant to prevent further terrorist attacks on the U.S. is out of line.

Yet, Congress cannot overcome their obsession with political ties for long enough to have enough votes to override Trump’s likely veto of Kaine’s Resolution.

It is doubtful that Mike Gallagher will even vote for the joint resolution once it hits the House.

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

OPINION

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Trump’s aggressive foreign policy are hurting Wisconsin farmers

A sharp uptick in number of family farm closures in Wisconsin will have an inevitable ripple effect throughout the country

by Jonah McGarvey Columnist

Since 2017, Wisconsin has suffered the highest number of farm bankruptcies of any state. While this may seem insignificant, the ramifications will — and already have — rippled outside of the dairy market.

Students at the University of Wisconsin should recognize this as not just an economic issue, but also a humanitarian one in the making. If empathy is not enough, 16.4% of Wisconsin state taxes come from the dairy industry, and these same taxes are used to fund the UW system, which includes scholarships to students who need them, art supplies, entertainment or anything else that happens at our school.

Though family farm foreclosures are a national problem, out of the 580 Chapter 12 fillings, 255 were in the Midwest — and of

those 255, 48 were in Wisconsin. The USDA reported that American farm net income reached approximately $92.5 billion in 2019 — up 10.2% from 2018. But, the 2019 net income is still 32.3% lower than 2013’s peak and farm debt is approximately four times higher than the net income at $415.5 billion.

There are many factors forcing Wisconsin farmers and farmers across the country into bankruptcy, but one stands out — the White House’s trade war with China. As a result of aggressive economic foreign policy, China retaliated with calculated tariffs of their own. China is the largest foreign consumer of American agricultural products, making agriculture an easy and effective target for Chinese lawmakers. Prior to the trade war in 2017, China purchased between $20 and $26 billion worth of agricultural goods, but following the start of the trade war, the number dropped to $9.2 billion.

According to the Wisconsin International Agribusiness Center, nearly one-third, $1.43 billion of Wisconsin agriculture and food exports, are affected by the countervailing tariffs in China. China was Wisconsin’s second-largest export market.

Wisconsin is known nationwide for its dairy production, earning the nickname “America’s Dairyland.” The dairy industry alone contributes $45.6 billion to the state’s economy. But, this will begin to change due to the Chinese agricultural tariffs.

According to CNBC, there has been a 50% decrease in U.S. dairy exports to China, which largely come from Wisconsin. The effects of the trade war have more than just financial implications, and are beginning to change the culture and landscape of the state.

In a complex, modern economy, interdependence is unavoidable,

Photo - The White House’s trade war in China is contributing to the increase in Wisconsin farmers going bancrupt.

meaning the success of dairy farms is not the only thing threatened by drops in milk sales and prices. Sheila Nyberg is the Economic Development Director in Clark County, WI, which is a largely agriculturebased economy. Her job has become increasingly difficult with the rising dairy farm closures. She illustrates how the town is all threaded together, whether it be the tire company, tractor sales or the cattle barns — and in these financially tight times, farmers don’t buy new things, and instead choose to fix broken items. She describes how this has a very significant impact on the economy of the town as a whole.

Roger Zvolena, a dairy farm contractor in Loyal, WI, stated that sales have dropped at least 40 percent since the trade war. Dave Williams, the mayor of Loyal, stated that the population of the town has dropped so drastically that the high school has switched to an eight-man football team.

The ripples do not end at the local farm town level. Similar to the problems with climate change, changes in economies and industries are natural and necessary for progress — the problem is the speed at which these very significant changes are occurring. If the dairy market were to experience a steady decline over the course of a couple of decades, farmers could adjust and more easily transition to a new style of farming or different career path entirely.

Unfortunately, the sudden and drastic drop in global dairy sales has left hundreds of farmers in dire circumstances.

The voters who put President Trump into office are facing some of the harshest consequences of his reckless foreign policy.

Unfortunately, rural, low-income farmers are an easy target because they have little political and economic influence.

I was on the fence, flipping between whether I wanted to register to vote in my home state of New York or here in Wisconsin. Though I knew nationally my vote would have a greater impact in Wisconsin, I plan to move back to New York after graduation and therefore wanted a say in the local politics. But, it has become clear that the irresponsible actions of the White House are a far greater threat to my hometown community I have joined here.

For this reason, on top of many others, I will register to vote in Wisconsin.

Jonah McGarvey (jonahm621@gmail.com) is a freshman studying political science.

Quinn Beaupre The Badger Herald Jamuary 28, 2020 • badgerherald.com • 15

OPINION

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Foxconn’s intentions in Wisconsin increasingly suspect, queries arise Major Chinese company remains radio silent on what it plans to produce in Wisconsin, seems unlikely to hold up their end of the deal

by John Grindal Columnist

Foxconn Technology Group first fell into the American public’s eye after being heavily criticized by the media for their brutal, often dehumanizing working conditions. Recently, the Chinese manufacturing giant has reentered the American spotlight, taking its first steps towards expanding operations into North American markets.

When Foxconn confirmed that it would be looking to establish manufacturing facilities in the U.S., states began to salivate at the opportunity to lure in the Eastern industrial titan which had long dominated China’s massive electronics manufacturing industry. Michigan was quick to offer the company roughly 3.8 billion in tax incentives in a bid to attract the tech giant. States like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas were also being considered.

But ultimately, it was Wisconsin that managed to reel in Foxconn’s signature.

With a tantalizing offer of over three billion in tax incentives, Wisconsin was promised a dazzling state of the art manufacturing facility as well as a host of “innovation centers” scattered about the state. President Trump considered the proposed manufacturing facility a massive victory, hailing the future factory as “the eighth wonder of the world.” At the time, it seemed Wisconsin had secured their position as ground zero for the revival of domestic American manufacturing.

Fast forward to the present day, and the 13,000 new jobs Foxconn promised have yet to materialize. The company has invested in properties throughout the state, including a seven-story office building in Milwaukee and an older manufacturing facility in downtown Milwaukee.

But despite the establishment of such locations, Foxconn only employs roughly 520 people in the United States — significantly less than originally proposed. It seems the oncepromising deal has manifested itself as little more than a host of buildings filled with nothing but empty promises. In response to questions regarding their lack of progress in Wisconsin, Foxconn officials have repeatedly declined to comment.

Originally, the proposed plant was to be an LCD screen manufacturing facility. But, plans for the facility are now up in the air after Foxconn stated the plant may be used to produce any number of products from server racks to robotic coffee kiosks. Foxconn’s uncertainty as to the future of the factory has lead to questions regarding the continuing validity of their contract, is a robotic coffee kiosk plant worth the 16 • badgerherald.com • January 28, 2020

Photo - Foxconn’s actions moving forward will set a new precedent for Chinese manufactoring in the US. Courtesy of Flickr user Prachatai

billions in tax credit originally agreed upon?

Observing the increasingly hazy future of Milwaukee’s next manufacturing powerhouse as well as the undefined purpose of Foxconn’s “innovation centers,” Wisconsin officials have pressed Foxconn to sit down for a renegotiation, threatening to pull tax incentives if terms are not re-discussed. In response, or rather in retaliation, Foxconn responded to requests with relative silence, accompanied by a clear sentiment that they still intend to file for tax benefits.

Foxconn broke their silence through a short letter issued to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, requesting that the company receive tax subsidies under the original contract regardless of the plant’s intended function. Since issuing said correspondence, Foxconn has taken the stance that their right to file for subsidies is not contingent upon what sort of facility they construct. The apparent instability of the contract at hand has led some to question whether or not a legal scuffle between the state and Foxconn may be afoot.

Since 2019, the company has stated its intent to focus further efforts on its innovation centers in Green Bay and Racine, both of which have been vaguely advertised as centers to promote

entrepreneurship. Foxconn’s innovation centers will supposedly aim to recruit from local universities, a mission that is poised to benefit University of Wisconsin system graduates.

But much like the rest of Foxconn’s American endeavor, the innovation centers have been shrouded with skepticism.

“Best case, they build out the initial proposal of this innovation center with, you know, 200-plus employees,” Green Bay Director of Development Kevin Vonck said. “Worst case ... they don’t do anything at all and become an absentee landlord.”

So, as questions regarding the future of Foxconn’s American activities pile up, we have to wonder whether the Chinese giant has any plans to shift its efforts towards the American market or whether their arrival was more or less a political stunt. As of now, the agreement sits in a strange sort of limbo, with development creeping along not only at a questionable pace, but also in a questionable direction.

Over the course of Foxconn’s relationship with the state of Wisconsin, very little discernible benefit has surfaced. Yet, the state continues to pursue the Chinese megacorporation’s business.

The entire scenario naturally elicits a

number of pertinent questions. Should the state of Wisconsin choose to oust Foxconn entirely? Should Wisconsin officials continue negotiations despite Foxconn’s avoidantly aggressive style of economic discussion?

Does Foxconn even see the U.S. as a viable outlet for their business? Whether or not Foxconn is to blame for being a poor tenant, or if the state of Wisconsin is at fault for being economically inhospitable — this interaction stands to act as a precedent for the future movement of Chinese manufacturing onto American soil.

The president has framed Foxconn as a bastion of the American industry and a much-needed savior in the battle to retain domestic jobs. But so far, Wisconsin has had to bear the burden of a massive corporation that may or may not hold up their end of the deal.

John Grindal (grindal@wisc.edu) is a freshman studying computer science and neurobiology.

OPINION

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Wisconsin government could do more to conserve Wisconsin lakes Data shows Mendota is polluted too much and frozen too little, efforts to correct it have been made but are they enough?

by Harry Quick Opnion Editor

Lake Mendota is an iconic and integral part of campus — the University of Wisconsin could be any other Big 10 school without it, and so many people have a special place in their hearts for the memories made there. In the summer and fall people jump in with friends, run along the Lakeshore path or go down to Memorial Union just for the wonderful view. Now that it’s starting to freeze over people are looking forwards to skating, hockey and the Winter Carnival.

But, what if all that stops? What if one winter the Lake doesn’t freeze over?

This is now a real concern for UW and the city of Madison.

The ability to enjoy nature is a big part of every culture, and climate change, as well as pollution, endangers that.

2018 saw Lake Mendota closed for 71 days because of blue-green algae blooms.

For over a century, scientists have carefully tracked Lake Mendota’s annual freeze and thaw, and it has been found that Mendota thaws a month earlier than it did 166 years ago.

Conservation efforts are already being made, but further steps must be taken to give Wisconsin its best chance to protect its lakes. This could include instating a state-wide carbon tax and finding solutions to agricultural runoff.

State and local government are doing their part by committing to an overhaul of infrastructure. Governor Tony Evers has committed to switching over to 100% carbon-free, renewable energy by 2050 with Executive Order 38. This is a promise of a lasting and permanent change that will reduce our carbon footprint tremendously by 2050.

The most efficient way to speed up this process while cutting government costs would be a carbon tax. If a carbon tax were to be instated, businesses and households would begin the process themselves, as it would become cheaper for them to make the switch than to pay the tax. A successful implementation of the tax may encourage other states and countries to do the same. This is the best Madison can hope for when it comes to stopping the lake from thawing early and reversing the trend.

When it comes to the algae problem Dane County and the City of Madison, officials are scrambling to find solutions.

Phosphorous used in fertilizer tends to

run off into nearby waterways streaming into Mendota. Then algae feed off this phosphorous and the population explodes, resulting in an algae bloom. In addition to being harmful to humans, blooms create “dead zones” where the algae on the surface of the water use up all the oxygen before it gets to the bottom of the water, killing lake wildlife.

Attempts to use less phosphorous and keep soil where farmers put it are wide ranging. There has been a pilot project testing manure composting, creation of buffer strips and use of cover crops.

However, these methods are not being widely adopted.

Wisconsin has to work closely with farmers to mitigate the runoff, as 80% of phosphorous in the lake comes from them. More grants should be created

to encourage farmers to pursue more sustainable practices without worrying about money. Where could this money come from? A carbon tax.

Legislation is not Wisconsin’s only hope to protect the lakes. Students should take advantage of the UW Office of Sustainability, which is committed to educating people on the subject. In addition to that, UW has resources such as the Recyclopedia, the Food Shed and commuter solutions — all designed to help individuals cut down on their waste and to reconsider their impact on the environment.

What now? The government must be held accountable to its 2050 promise to make the switch to 100% carbonfree, renewable energy, and a wealth of sustainability grants and a carbon tax have

to be legislated.

Perhaps this will slow economic growth, but it would be in the spirit of conservation. Using up every resource and polluting the air, and every river and lake along the way will ensure that there is no economy at all.

“I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land — but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us,” Teddy Roosevelt said in a speech in Osawatomie, Kansas 1910.

America would do well to remember those words.

Harry Quick (hfquick@badgerherald.com) is a freshman studying economics.

Photo - Lake Mendota is in danger and Wisconsin has a responsibility to protect it Joey Rueteman The Badger Herald January 28, 2020 • badgerherald.com • 17

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Wrestling: Badgers upset No. 5 Nebraska, fall to Minnesota, Ohio State Impressive contributions from high ranked wrestlers drove Badgers’ solid opening performance in Big Ten duel schedule

by Ryan Cody Staff Writer

The Badger wrestling squad had a small break after the Midland’s Tournament held over the holiday break. Their return to competition brought them to perhaps the most stacked part of their schedule. They dove headfirst into the heart of their Big Ten duel schedule when they traveled to Minnesota to duel the then No. 3 ranked Gophers.

The meet started at 174, making 184 the first ranked matchup of the night. Wisconsin’s No. 13 Johnny Sebastian lost a close 3–1 decision to Minnesota’s No. 17 Owen Webster.

No. 5 Trent Hillger faced Gopher No. 2 Gable Steveson, the current NCAA title favorite in his weight class, where Gable put on a takedown clinic. Steveson won 10-5 to the favor of five takedowns.

A new addition to the Badgers lineup was freshman Eric Barnett, whose redshirt was pulled in December. A blue chip recruit from Hortonville, Barnett had a hard introduction into Big Ten wrestling. Thirteenth ranked Patrick McKee bested Barnett with a 9-0 major decision. Barnett will look forward to avenging this loss at the Big Ten Tournament, and should be a significant point contributor to the Badger lineup moving forward.

After five matches, the Badgers found themselves in a serious hole, as they were down 17–0. Seth Gross looked to right the ship in a return to his home state. Ranked first in the nation in his weight class, Gross managed to secure a tech-fall to get the Badgers back on track.

The 141 pound match was the marquee matchup of the evening, as Badger and No. 9 ranked Tristan Moran took on an opponent who he battled with last year, No. 2 ranked Mitch McKee. Last year, Moran pinned McKee in overtime when the Gophers traveled to Madison. McKee got his revenge in March when McKee defeated Moran at the NCAA tournament. Tristan Moran was better on that night, however, avenging his NCAA loss and winning 7–6.

In another ranked matchup, No. 12 Cole Martin took on Minnesota’s fourth ranked Brayton Lee, but lost 7–4. In the final match of the night, Evan Wick secured a 6–1 decision win. The Badgers lost the border battle 20-14.

The Badgers returned to Madison Jan. 12 for their first home Big Ten duel of the season against the then No. 5 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Barnett opened up the duel against a four time Iowa state champion and blue chip recruit, Alex Thomsen. Barnett showed his explosive nature, securing his second Field House pin in his second appearance.

Gross faced Nebraska’s No. 13 Ridge Lovett. Gross managed a major decision, shooting the Badgers out to a 10–0 lead against the Cornhuskers.

Moran was up against No. 6 Chad Red, his second top 10 opponent of the weekend.

18 • badgerherald.com • January 28, 2020

Moran showed he can score from anywhere with six of his nine points being off near fall points. Moran won a 9–4 decision to cap off an extraordinary weekend for the Badgers which secured him Big Ten Wrestler of the week honors.

Martin, not wanting to get upstaged, sent the Field House into a frenzy by securing the second Badger pin of the duel. Heading into 157, the Badgers had a 19–0 lead over the Cornhuskers.

At 165, No. 6 Wick faced No. 3 Isaiah White.

Wick had a dominating performance, as he downed the Cornhusker 10–4.

Jared Krattiger and Tyler Dow both faced top 10 opponents at 174 and 184, respectively. Both wrestlers lost their highly ranked bouts. Taylor Watkins also lost his match at 197.

In the final match of the day, No. 5 Hillger faced No. 16 Christian Lance. Hillger secured the Badger victory with a 4–1 win. The Badgers downed the Cornhuskers 25–18.

Last Friday, the newly minted fourth ranked Badgers welcomed the third ranked Ohio State Buckeyes to the Field House. The scheduled matchups were with two ranked wrestlers at 133, 141, 149, 165, & HWT. The action opened up at 125. Barnett secured an 8–6 decision to start the Badgers off the right way. No. 1 Gross faced Jordan Decatur who was ranked No. 20 for the Buckeyes. Gross got taken down three times but hardly let that affect him as he retaliated with a 15–6 major decision win.

Newly appointed No. 4 Moran faced a hard test against the nation’s best in the 141 weight class, Luke Pletcher. Pletcher showed why he’s the top dog in the country and downed Moran 11–3.

No. 12 Martin faced a tough opponent in the 149 pound bought with No. 6 Sammy Sasso.

Sasso defeated Martin 12–3. After 157, the Badgers were down 7–11.

No. 4 Wick faced No. 12 Ethan Smith.

Smith announced himself to the country last

Photo · Wisconsin has been inconsistent in their most recent matches despite strong start to season Daniel Yun The Badger Herald

year against the Badgers when he was at 174, so Wick made sure to avenge that loss. Wick bested Smith 7–4 and put the Badgers back on track.

Wisconsin lost the next three matches, however. Krattiger lost a close 7–3 decision to No. 8 Kaleb Romero. Dow lost in a tech-fall to Rocky Jordan. True freshman Peter Christensen lost in a tech-fall to No. 1 in the country Kollin Moore.

No. 5 Hillger looked to end the dual on a good note. Trent did just that, and won the final match of the evening 6-0.

Though the Badgers lost the duel 24–13, they have a competitive lineup, and seem poised for a strong Big Ten duel season. The Badgers have a small break, and aren’t back in action until Jan. 31 against the Indiana Hoosiers. The Badgers’ next home duel will be Feb. 7 in the Field House against the current No. 2 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, which is posed to be a fantastic duel.

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Volleyball: Badgers look to bounce back in 2020 behind strong core With much of veteran core returning, including seniors Rettke, Hilley, Badgers primed for 2020 NCAA Tournament run

by Harrison Freuck Sports Editor

The University of Wisconsin volleyball team’s storybook 2019 season may have ended in disappointment, but the Badgers are primed to return to form in 2020 with the return of several key players, including Dana Rettke, Sydney Hilley, Dani Hart, Grace Loberg and Molly Haggerty.

After starting the 2019 season with a 4-4 record including losses to ranked teams in Marquette, Baylor and Washington, the Badgers shocked everyone by opening Big Ten play on a 12-game win streak in perhaps the toughest conference in all of NCAA Volleyball.

Wisconsin finished the season with a 27-7 record, closing the season at 23-3 after their poor start, including a conferencebest 18-2 record in the Big Ten. In the NCAA Tournament, Wisconsin dominated nearly every team that stood in their path with sweeps over Illinois State, UCLA, Texas A&M and Nebraska before a 3-1 victory over No. 1 Baylor in the Final Four, their first Final Four win since 2013.

Despite all of their success, the season ended in defeat as the Badgers fell to No. 3 Stanford in straight sets in the NCAA

Championship Game. By the end of the match, Wisconsin looked tired and defeated. But expect Wisconsin to make another tournament run in 2020.

Behind soon-to-be senior Dana Rettke, the Badgers will be among the favorites to win the championship this fall, as a few of the top 2019 teams will lose key seniors before the start of the 2020 season, including Stanford star Kathryn Plummer.

Despite the return of most of the roster, the Badgers do lose two key seniors in libero Tiffany Clark and outside hitter Madison Duello, as well as fellow seniors M.E. Dodge, Sarah Dodd and Mallory Dixon. The loss of Clark and Duello will be noticed early in the season as the Badgers attempt to find their groove, but we’ve seen Wisconsin’s ability to adjust before under Head Coach Kelly Sheffield.

Following the Badgers’ NCAA Championship Game loss, Sheffield explained just how much these seniors meant to the team.

“We probably graduate the greatest servant leadership class that I’ve ever had,” Sheffield said in a recent interview with the Wisconsin State Journal. “We return a lot of talent, but that doesn’t guarantee you anything, you still have to

form a team.”

Like Sheffield said, much of the team’s talent is returning for 2020, providing increased motivation for the Badgers as a team and individually as Rettke, Hilley, Loberg and Haggerty will all graduate at the end of the season. That means the 2020 Wisconsin volleyball team will strive for nothing less than a championship after falling one win short last year.

The experience of the 2020 roster will be an advantage throughout the season as these players, along with other veterans like Hart, understand the fatigue that comes with a full volleyball season. This is especially true in a Big Ten Conference that includes perennial top teams in Minnesota, Penn State, Nebraska, Purdue and Illinois.

Coach Sheffield has several options to fill in the absences left by the departing seniors, including current freshmen Izzy Ashburn and Anna MacDonald, as well as incoming freshmen Devyn Robinson and Jade Demps. Wisconsin will also add a beach volleyball player, Deahna Kraft, a grad transfer from Pepperdine.

Sheffield expressed his excitement for the 2020 season as he acknowledged the fact that the team will be a good mix of returning players and new players.

“I’m certainly excited about what’s down the road,” Sheffield said in the WSJ interview. “We’ve got some great pieces that are coming back and we’ve got some great people coming in that have a chance to figure into the equation. And there’s always a spot or two for a potential transfer.”

The fall 2020 season will signal the end of an era at Wisconsin, with this senior class accumulating a record of 7424, including a 44-16 Big Ten record, in three seasons. Three players in the class have also earned All-American honors, including Rettke (First team: 2017, 2018, 2019), Hilley (Second team: 2018; First team: 2019) and Haggerty (Second team: 2019).

The 2020 senior class also made the NCAA Tournament each season, improving from Sweet Sixteen berth in 2017 to an Elite Eight berth in 2018 before finishing as NCAA Runners-up in 2019.

If you’re a fan of Wisconsin volleyball or if you followed the Badgers in their 2019 tournament run, watch out for a repeat performance behind Rettke and Co. that might just result in a championship in 2020, the first championship in school history.

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Men’s Golf: Lack of depth greatest challenge for Badgers in 2020

Young talent must be developed alongside existing leaders if Badgers are to improve on promising fall season performance

by John Spengler Sports Editor

The beginning of the second academic semester brings a slew of new opportunities for the Wisconsin men’s golf team. An impressive lineup of tournaments throughout multiple Southern states awaits the Badgers who, in a few respects, are lagging behind last year’s performance.

In tournaments during the 2018 and 2019 fall seasons, the Badgers have underperformed their finishes by a slight margin if you consider the total number of teams they beat. In the Badger Invitational, the Badgers’ home event that kicks off their fall season, they placed 11th out of 16 teams in 2019. In 2018, they were one spot ahead as they finished 10th out of 12.

At the Marquette Intercollegiate, the Badgers fell from eighth place out of 11 teams to dead last from 2018 to 2019. The other

tournaments the team competed in were absent from their 2018 schedule, making it more difficult to directly compare their performances in the three other events the Badgers fielded a full team.

Even with this being the case, the difference between this year’s and last year’s performances is quite clear. It took a career best from Sam Anderson, the team’s best scorer on average, to propel the Badgers to an 11th place finish. Anderson carded a six under par aggregate score over three days. In 2018, Jordan Hahn shot even par over three days, which was enough to carry the Badgers to a 10th place finish.

The team was successful in 2018 at the Badger Invitational not because their lead scorer at the time had a career weekend, but because they had more consistent scoring as a team. Both Griffin Barela and Brett Robinson finished within 10 strokes of Hahn.

The Badgers lost Brett Robinson as he was a

Photo · Behind Griffin Barela, Sebastian Iqbal and Sam Anderson, Badgers showed promise late in fall season Courtesy of UW Athletics 20 • badgerherald.com • January 28, 2020

senior competing in his last season in 2018.

When Anderson secured his career best performance, there was not a single player on the Badger team who scored less than 10 strokes higher than Anderson’s. In this tournament, it was not the lack of a star that hampered the Badgers, but rather a lack of tight grouping around the top score. In other words, Anderson’s anomalous scoring propelled the Badgers to a higher position than they might normally expect to achieve.

At the Marquette Intercollegiate, the Badgers’ team score was once again highly stratified. Anderson and freshman Sebastian Iqbal carded scores of two over par and five over par for the tournament, respectively.

The next best was Coalter Smith with a tournament aggregate score of 13 over par.

Nick Robinson also shot 13 over par for the tournament.

Anderson finished the tournament in 19th place individually and Iqbal also carded an

impressive performance. Their aggregate score over par, if they were to constitute the entirety of the Badger team, would be good enough to finish in a respectable sixth place for the tournament.

But it takes more than two guys to build a team. And the Badgers did not finish sixth, they finished last. It stands to reason a large part of the Badgers’ continued struggle in tournament play is due to a lack in depth.

Their top talent, when competing at the top of their game, is good enough to stand toe to toe with the best in the game. In order for the team to stand toe to toe with the best, they will have to procure greater depth either from receiving more recruits in the same vein as Iqbal and Smith, or develop existing talent.

The Badgers may actually have some quality time over the upcoming spring season and the following year to develop a very solid team. The top two scorers for the team, Anderson and Barela, are both juniors.

Iqbal and Smith just completed their first fall season ever for the Badgers.

Current sophomore Cameron Frazier had a solid showing at the Marquette Intercollegiate as an individual, carding an eight over par score that was good for third best on the team. He will continue to build on his experience as a Badger as the team moves forward to the spring season.

The first tournament in the Badgers’ spring schedule is the Big Ten Match Play. Last year, they had a very strong relative showing, capturing a sixth place finish out of 14 total teams. This finish was a stark contrast to their last place finish in the Big Ten Championships at the end of the 2019 spring season.

Even if this year ’s team is not able to replicate the sixth place finish of last year, they have the chance to make a statement as a unit. If they are able to do so, it will be an indication the Badgers are building on fresh talent and senior leadership in order to move in the right direction.

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Football: 2020 recruiting class marks best for Badgers since 2001

With five recruits ranked in top 300 nationally, Badgers set to receive uncommonly strong class of commits, including 4-star Jalen Berger

by Will Whitmore Associate Sports Editor

While Wisconsin has been one of the most dominant teams in college football over the past ten years, their biggest “weakness” is arguably their lack of flashy recruiting classes, but that trend is set to change in 2020.

With a stellar 112-37 record, the Badgers have won more games than storied programs like Florida State, Michigan and reigning national champion LSU. But while the team has enjoyed a lot of success on the field, the Badgers continually struggled to land top recruiting classes year after year.

Coming off a Rose Bowl appearance, though, the Badgers have successfully secured a top-25 class that includes Photo · With a recruiting class led by Kaden Johnson, Jalen Berger, Badgers are prepared for another strong season in 2020 four-star running back Jalen Berger.

Justin Mielke Procuring such a talented recruiting The Badger Herald class just one year after they nabbed Wisconsin’s ground and pound offense.

Chris Orr and Zack Baun. Combined, the Graham Mertz could indicate the Badgers After losing multiple seasoned offensive two had 24 sacks and both received 2019 are capable of not only competing on the linemen, including center Tyler Biadasz All-Big Ten conference selections. With gridiron, but also in a cutthroat recruiting who declared for the draft, the Badgers felt both players graduating and moving on landscape. the need to address the offensive line in to the NFL, the Badgers needed to replace This year, the Badgers did a tremendous their upcoming recruiting class. Wisconsin their two defensive stars. job bringing in talent to replace impact continued their trend of adding talented Linebackers Kaden Johnson and Nick players who are graduating and moving on in-state lineman to their class with the Herbig will try to help fill the void left by to the NFL. After three storied years and signings of four-star prospects Jack Nelson Baun and Orr. Herbig, a four-star recruit over 6,000 rushing yards, two-time Doak and Trey Wedig. from Honolulu, HI enjoyed a stellar senior Walker award winner Jonathan Taylor Nelson is a towering six foot seven inch season at St. Louis High School. declared for the NFL draft. The Badgers offensive tackle from Stoughton, WI who Herbig is an athletic six foot two inch, addressed Taylor ’s departure by signing chose the Badgers over Jim Harbaugh 215 pound outside linebacker who can four-star running back and 2020 Alland Michigan. Wedig, another talented rush the passer but also does a great job of American Bowl participant Jalen Berger. recruit from Wales, WI could make an dropping into coverage.

Berger enjoyed a solid senior year, impact sooner rather than later. The six Herbig’s partner in crime will be six foot running for 840 yards and 16 total foot seven inch, 302 pound offensive tackle two inch, 235 pound outside linebacker touchdowns. He was ranked as the 87th is the 75th ranked prospect according to Kaden Johnson. Johnson was a key best prospect nationally, holding offers 247 Sports and chose the Badgers over contributor to Minneapolis, Minnesota from blue chip programs like Alabama, top SEC programs including Georgia and high school Minnehaha Academy. Poaching Florida and Ohio State. Impressively, the Tennessee.

Johnson from Minneapolis is a great get for Badgers were able to lure Berger away While Wisconsin returns the vast the 2020 Badgers, as P.J. Fleck’s impressive from those top schools. With any luck, majority of their defensive unit, they faced season with Minnesota threatened to cut Berger will have an immediate impact in the challenge of replacing linebackers into the Badgers’ influence there.

During his senior season, Johnson was a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks, tallying 54 tackles and seven sacks. Johnson is extremely athletic and also dominates on the basketball floor as a quality role player for Minnehaha Academy, one of the nation’s best high school basketball teams.

Aside from these five standouts, Wisconsin’s wellrounded class of 20 prospects should help the Badgers compete for yet another Big Ten West title. On top of this, this class also addresses fans’ concerns about the Badgers past struggles with recruiting.

Though the class is not ranked in the top 10 nationally, these players fill areas of need for Wisconsin’s team.

While certain members of the fanbase may complain about Wisconsin’s slow style of play and lack of creativity compared to high-powered passing offenses, it is difficult to complain about Wisconsin’s results with what they have.

Since Barry Alvarez took over as head coach in 1990, his run-heavy offensive formula has been the reason behind nine New Year ’s Six bowl appearances and six conference championships. While some fans may complain, Wisconsin did enough in their recruiting class to sustain this continued success.

With five prospects ranked in ESPN’s top 300 recruiting rankings, Badger fans should look forward to Wisconsin’s latest recruiting class. As things currently stand, the Badgers have secured their first top 25 recruiting class since 2001.

With what the Badgers have been able to accomplish when receiving lesser classes, this should be extremely exciting for Badger nation.

January 28, 2020 • badgerherald.com • 21

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If you give a dog an iClicker An original ‘tail’ of a curious dog around the UW campus

by Angela Peterson Public Relations Director

If you give a dog an iClicker, then the dog will ask for the correct answer.

When you give the dog the correct answer, she will ask you for your notes.

When the dog is finished reading them, she will ask for an eraser.

The dog will want to erase every doodle in your notes because it’s too dang confusing to find the important information between your doodles of Bucky lazily suntanning on the beach.

When the dog sees the actual, relevant information in your notes, the dog will see that they need to learn that time is a social construct.

After the dog learns that time is a social construct, they will want to become a sociology major.

The dog might take every course available in the subject and spend way too much time in Sewell Social Sciences.

The dog will then want to take a nap, much like you do every day after your 2:30 p.m. power lecture. You will have to find the dog their own cage in Memorial library with a sherpa-lined blanket and a Bucky Pillow Pet. The dog will make herself comfortable, and ask you to read a story that you wrote

in your creative writing class. She knows you’re still working on your “polished draft,” but she just wants to hear it to check for grammatical errors.

She will ask to see the pictures in your story. After learning that college-level papers do not have illustrations in them, she will want to draw.

The dog will draw using Adobe Illustrator and one of those cool pen tablets only the cool kids have.

When the picture is finished, the dog will want to rename the file “Doggy’s First Illustration” and export it as a PDF. The dog will want to add this to your assignment submission on Canvas, so the dog will ask you to sign in to MyUW and provide multi-factor authentication using Duo. The dog will submit your Canvas assignment and eagerly check every second for the professor to unmute the grade.

The dog will remember that it is thirsty and will ask you to order a nice little shake from the Bean and Creamery via the Starship robots. The Starship robot breaks down in front of Humanities, so you have to take the dog with you to your next lecture there so that she can pick up her stranded shake.

When the dog is in class, she will want your iClicker.

Photos by Angela Peterson

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January 28, 2020 • badgerherald.com • 23